Sunday 17 June 2012

Man of the House

I'm having a hard time writing something for Father's Day. My dad and I weren't the type to talk about the matters of the heart. Though he gave a lot of advice, especially when it comes to guys.. (or one particular guy), somehow his role in my life is not that big. You would probably hear me say "I Love You" many times to my father, but I doubt you would hear him say "I Love You" back. My father wasn't big on expression, but he was a good man. There were times that my father would wait for me to come home even if its already 2 am in the morning.  

When I was little my father was the one who taught me how to count, because of him I usually got high marks in his favorite subject. I may not always be the first in my class, but I was able to solve the basic math problems (I was more of a literature type of a girl). Having a father was probably the best thing a daughter could have (pity I have to share him with my sister). So, Happy Father's Day Papa!

                             

Monday 11 June 2012

Letter To "You"

Labsie dear, 

If you took THE NUMBER OF SUB-ATOMIC PARTICLES IN THE UNIVERSE and multiplied that number times itself THAT MANY TIMES; and then added the total number of MICRO-SECONDS since the beginning of time, times itself; and then added 803—you would STILL have only the tiniest fraction of A BILLION-BILLIONTH PER CENT of the amount of love I HAVE FOR YOU

Love, 
C


Source: Letters of Note

Saturday 9 June 2012

How Books Shape Me

I love reading. Even in the noisiest places, I can pretend there’s just me and my book, and easily lose myself in a good read. My heart breaks with every loss, my soul rejoices with every happy ending. The stories stay with me long after I have turned the last page, in the end shaping my own story.

I discovered my love for reading when my mother bought me five books of Karen Little Sister. It was the moment in life that I've learned to read all by myself. My first book was a picture book of ABC. Every night, my mother would read to us story from the Bible. It was our first Bible, somehow I lost it along the way. All I remember of its fate is that I borrow it to my grade school teacher, and she never bother to return it. My mom keep pestering me about it. 

I spent most of my time reading books during my childhood. There were hundreds of books and magazines on the my mother's bodega, on the floor, in boxes, all gathering dust. I felt like Alice in Wonderland. There were books on history, food, places and people. In fact, I learned about the world from those books more than I learned in school. At 11, I knew what “incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial” evidence were, thanks to the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drews series of investigative novels written by Franklin W. Dixon and Carolyn Keene. I also read Bobbsey Twins by Laura Lee Hopes.

I was about to go to college in 2006 when I decided to leave my books behind.

My passion for books, however, was never lost on me; I brought it to my college life and to my first job. At 16, with instructions on a piece of paper and a bus ticket, I braved the dangerous city of Manila to study at a university. In school, I excelled in my studies, made friends, and learned to be independent. After graduation, I took up a job in a company.

At the same time, my book fixation evolved from Dixon, Keene and Hopes to Stephen King thrillers and finally to novels about cultures different from ours. These stories sparked a desire in me to see the world.

The fact is that, just like the books I have read, my experiences enriched me with different perspectives and ways to approach challenges.

My books taught me well.

Thursday 7 June 2012

Campus Life Blues

How often do you just wish to be done with your degree and on with your life? I remember the days before midterms and finals — feeling like I would rather be doing anything but heading into that turbulent week of stress and madness. Well, today I am 22-years-old and have been college alumni for 2 years now. I have to admit, sometimes there is a little sadness that creeps into my mind, as I remember how much fun being a student actually was. I realize I can never go back to that time. I think that there is appreciation to find in every stage of life, and always something to look forward to, but what about the present?

It’s hard to give credit to the present, so this note is for all you students out there working hard on the daily academic grind. Here’s what you’ll miss.

1. Social Life

There is nothing I miss more about being on campus (college & high school) than seeing my friends on a regular basis. I feel like the older I get, and the more involved with my work that I am, the farther and farther the time gaps are between being with my friends and family. The social aspect of being a student is not to be taken for granted. As more and more of us get married and have children, it gets harder to have a social life quite as exciting as the lives we had during school.

Campus is always a great place to get to know people. You will meet many people when you move into your career, but there is nothing really like being able to walk onto a college campus and realize that there are thousands of people just like you. You’re only young once. Live it up while you can!

2. Parental Support

In my experience, it was much more acceptable during my school years to call on my parents requesting some extra cash than it is today. It’s incredible how much I took my parents for granted, and how often I tell them now how thankful I was for them. I mean, when you are in school busy studying for exams or writing papers, are you really worrying about paying bills and tuition? 

Don’t get me wrong, I truly admire those who took on these responsibilities on their own. As a student I don’t think I would have been able to take it on, but for those of you who were like me (parentally dependant) don’t think it lasts forever! It is a beautiful thing to have the family support system and we all need to remember to be grateful for that sort of help because one day, you will be out on your own.

Here is a list of some things you get to do AFTER graduation:

a. Pay Taxes
b. Get up and work, work, work to make the money.

3. Learning with Intensity

I never thought I’d say this: “I miss the library.” Being on campus and having the infinite amount of resources (computers, professors, and other intelligent peers all around me) is something that I really miss. Once you get a job or start a business, you will realize what an information-rich place school is!

I actually miss being in between classes and having that extra hour to go read in a huge university library, finding a little corner and opening a book. I miss the quiet typing noise of the computer lab and the intensity of my focus to get each assignment completed.

I miss meeting up with people from my classes and studying at the last minute together for an exam and cramming all that information at the very last minute before taking your test. As stressful as it can be, there is a rush of excitement that goes into the work that you do that can be exciting (Especially if you know you are prepared and are going to do well)

Most of all, I really miss the exhilaration and the high of walking out of my last final, no matter how well I did, knowing that I just took another step toward my goal. The feeling of walking out of your last final is awesome and truly irreproducible!

4. Freedom

One month after I finished school, I got a job at a rental company as a accounting staff. My pay was decent and I was really excited about my job.
I started work at 8:00am. Every morning I was up at 4:00am and I had to be dressed nicely, eat and get into the office for when the phones started ringing. One of my 2 bosses was always over my shoulder making sure I was doing something. It wasn’t more than a year before I began to realize that this was NOT how I wanted to spend the next 20 years of my life, so I got out of there!

I remember feeling trapped and almost imprisoned by working 6 days a week like this. I began to reminisce about how in college. I remembered how casual attire were part of my everyday wear when I was running around the campus with a book in my hand. Most of all, I remembered how easy it was to skip class if I wanted to ditch with my friends (which I never did, swear!). In the corporate world, there is very little freedom for these little and over-looked liberties of being a student.

5. Infinite possibilities

The world is at your finger tips! The thing I miss the most is the mystery of what the foundation you are building will lead to in the future. Oh the possibilities…
”Where will I be in 10 years?”
“Where will my job be?”
“Where will I live?”
“Who will I be?”

I used to ask these questions with much more anxiety as a student. Although these questions may stay the same, you will never get a chance to relive any moment of your life. Appreciating where you’re at, and really knowing that you can never repeat your youth once it has past, is truly a happier way to live. Enjoy the adventures and the mystery of being a student, because as you can always go back to school, you can never repeat the excitement of being an undergrad or a high-schooler. The “grown-up” life is just as amazing, but there is nothing like being a student!

Wednesday 6 June 2012

Admonition of A Real Man

I translated this, got it from: Hay! Men! Ang blog ng mga tunay na lalake!
Which translates to, "Hey! Men! The blog of the real men"

Unfortunately, I am yet to believe that it's really the blog of real men. For one thing, the Filipino word for "man" islalaki and not lalake which sounds gay.

  • Real men do not sleep.
  • Real men do not text back, not unless the texter sends load. (*Load means prepaid phone credits.) Nevertheless, real men replies are vague.
  • Real men always order for an extra rice.
  • Real men are not a vegetarian.
  • Real men do not have abs.
  • Real men do not dance.
  • Real men admit their mistakes to fellow real men.
  • Real men always have shit in their briefs.
  • Real men do not wash their own plates and do not clean up after themselves because there are women to do those for them. He's an even better man if he does not know or does not remember the name of the woman.
  • Real mean do not go to church.
  • That's a pretty messed up image drawn. Sure glad that my "man" is not a "real man".