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come sweeten every afternoon :)

June 29, 2008    |    0 COMMENT(S)

It's Monday again tomorrow. Which means going back to the dorm. Which means it's already Week Number 4. Which means I can't afford to get lost in UP anymore. Which means the teachers are starting to rev up their sungit modes. Which means school work starts piling up. Which means exams and quizzes might just be around the corner. Which means no more social life. Which means I'm turning into a regular college student. Which means things are turning out to be what they ought to be: normal.


After three weeks of being in college, I guess it's safe to say that I'm getting pretty used to it. Of course, I still have midterms and finals that I have yet to conquer, but thankfully I'm morphing slowly, albeit still a little reluctantly, to my old geeky self. I read a chapter or two from my books/readings everyday, I finish the assignments on the night they were given, I just automatically do homeworks even when not required. The Return of Karla the Nerd? I hope this all goes for the best though. The other day Trixie and I were talking about the perks of living in a dorm, and we both agreed that aside from the convenience, it really just frames your mind into studying, because you literally have nothing else to do but accomplish your school work. You're out of your comfort zone, and you're forced to get something done -- a paper, a chapter -- anything! In short, the dorm brings out the scholastic in us. Haha.

So anyway.. yesterday was fun. A small get-together was held at Tin's house with my high school barkada. It was supposed to be the grand reunion we've been waiting for since May, but alas only six out of the ten arrived. I was especially saddened that Hope wasn't there. I haven't seen her since, what, March?! I'm not used to not seeing my best friend, especially since we've been classmates for nine years. In fact, I'm not used to not seeing every single one of my barkada everyday. I miss talking to them, sharing private jokes with them, just looking at each other and knowing what the other one is thinking -- those kind of small moments that prove how strong your friendship is. Cheesy much :P

As we talked about our experiences as official kolehiyalas (with the exception of Mikka, who is yet to start going to school. Grabe ang Mapua ah! July 8! Haha), it felt strange hearing my friends talk about people I don't know. It's like they're living a whole different life, and I'm saddened because selfishly, I'm not in it. It is rather unusual to hear of people I haven't even seen, but are the constant buddies of my best friends. Despite the excitement I feel for each of them comes this ugly, heavy feeling sinking through my chest, because I start feeling the real "separation." Slowly, our lives are getting more and more untangled, and before I know it, we're old and getting married already, and have never seen each other in years. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but of course I can't help feeling upset especially when it's not so impossible. Haha, wait, I think I'm going all dramatic on this again. LOL. I don't know, I guess I just really, really miss them. I hope there will be a next time soon -- and I hope we're complete! Sana sa UAAP! :)

with my girls Mikka and Trixie :)

Speaking of.. UAAP opens next week! July 5, to be exact. And guess what? WE'RE GOING TO WATCH LIVE IN ARANETA! Drea, Inna, and I are planning to buy the "expensive" front-row tickets: Php 250! Hehe. Of course, we want to see our crushes' faces for real! It's way beyond thrilling that we now have a school to cheer on -- and we memorized the cheers and movements na ha! Bring it on! :P I can't wait for Season 71! U-nibersidad ng Pilipinas!! :)

Thank God our Walking prof required us to watch the opening. Thank God for Walking :) Something to look forward to every week.. hehe! (Cute classmate, added bonus?!) GO KARLA! Sesexy na talaga ako :))

me and Inna

me, Inna, and Drea after walking.
(May lanyard na akooo!)


Off to my bloghopping duties! :) We have Smart Bro na.. hopefully may Internet na kami next week sa dorm. Yehey! Adios, y'all ♥



"My head is battling with my heart
My logic has been torn apart
And now it all turns sour
Come sweeten every afternoon

Say you'll stay,
don't come and go
Like you do
Sway my way, yeah I need to know
All about you."

-- SWAY by Bic Runga



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what? second week pa lang?

June 22, 2008    |    0 COMMENT(S)

It's funny how I've only been going to school for two weeks and yet everything feels normal already. Is it just because I'm having waaaay too much fun, or is it because I'm probably too busy to notice? Either way, I'm glad I've adjusted well (so far) to the college life.

Okay, first things first. I know you're all secretly dying to know about this. And yes, I was there. Hell yeah. I wouldn't miss it for the world! :P

THE CENTENNIAL OBLATION RUN
June 18, 2008
(Photo courtesy of GMANews.TV)

I SAW IT. Or should I say, ITs? Whatever. I was there! We were there! Front row. Less than a foot away from the hundred naked men of the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity. I swear I have never screamed so loud in my entire life. Andrea, Inna, and I waited for hours just to see them.. and when we finally did, my golly wow, I don't know if we screamed of delight or horror. Haha! Imagine, one hundred BIRDS (for lack of better terms, haha) right in front of our faces! ALL SHAPES AND SIZES!! @_@ We were so ecstatic -- different emotions were running inside our heads! We waited so long for that moment.. and yet it just felt so awkward to look. But of course we HAD to look because we WAITED for that. OMG. And to top it all off, some even removed their masks! MY GOD! O_O I think I'm scarred for life. I pray to God I never see those men again, I can never ever look at their faces without thinking about their.. eww. Erase! Erase! Words could not express the excitement and uhm, uneasiness of the situation. But what the hell, it was the UP OBLATION RUN, for Pete's sake! Of course we were glad to finally witness it -- and on our second week! Finally. Binyagan na kami sa UP!

FYI, the real Oblation Run happens every December, so this was really just a special one held in celebration of our Centennial Year. The frat men who ran last Wednesday are the alumni of the Alpha Phi Omega from batch 1975 until the early 2000's I think. Which explains the beer bellies and the.. ugh, nevermind.

Drea has a video by the way. If you want to see it, let us know. Haha :))


In other news..

SCHOOL WORK. Assignments and papers are starting to pile up. Photocopiers are our saving grace! I just read 35 pages of Laissez-faire grounds and limits, and finished the outlines for our SocSci 2 (Social, Economic, and Political Thought) report on Adam Smith. I'm in the middle of making the first of two essays for our Kas 1 (Philippine History) on Tuesday. I have yet to read the three poems, and write a reaction paper on one of them for our English 11 (Literature and Society). Can you say busy? But so far, carry ko pa naman. I really am thankful for the convenience of my schedule -- classes every Tuesday to Friday only, and just three classes a day. This helps me focus more on the subjects and gives me ample time to fulfill the requirements. Hopefully, I can survive pa the next few weeks :)

AS STEPS. Have I mentioned how much I love our campus lately? Aside from the fact that its hugeness helps me eliminate fat (haha, that's because I try to walk from one building to another when I can!), I also admire its very laid-back feel. People sit on the floor, benches, lobbies, either alone or with friends, either studying or just hanging out. Nobody cares about how dirty your pants will get, or how dyahe it is to be a loner. In UP, you do your own thing. One of my favorite parts of the day is in the late afternoon, when it starts to rain, and I wait for Inna to finish with her ES1 class (Eng'g drawing). That's the time I sit on the AS steps, and take everything in. Sometimes I open my Math or SocSci book and read a chapter or two. Or I people watch, and observe the lovey-dovey couples, or very studious anti-socials. Often, I just look at the beautiful trees and can't help feeling mesmerized by the alluring campus I now am a part of. It's breath taking, especially after an afternoon shower or heavy rain. I still can't believe I really am studying in UP sometimes, because a part of me will always have St. Paul as my "school". But when I sit in the AS Steps, I don't feel so alone. In fact, as cheesy as this might sound, I feel like I belong.

DORM. Inna and I are fantastic roommates. And I'm not just saying that in a prejudiced way, but we really click. We were close in high school, but just the two of us rarely hanged out. Admittedly, I was really nervous at first because I thought we might not get along. Well, turns out everything is the complete opposite. It's like we're sisters already! And we managed to survive for two weeks already.. which means we're independent and capable of living on our own! If it weren't for her, I'd probably be all depressed and gloomy every day, but because we're together, it makes living away from home a little bit easier. Miss you, Roomie! :)

FRIENDS. I'm soooo glad for all the people who've been making my college life easier and much more enjoyable. Without them, I might have gone bonkers right now. First, there's my SPCP-UP friends: Inna, Drea, and Cars. (I have got to think of a better name for the four of us! Argh). Of course nothing beats having your HS friends around, so when we get to hang out, it's like being home. Aww, mushy. Pero totoo. Sometimes kasi diba, kayo-kayo lang talaga nagkakaintindihan on certain things. I'm always extremely delighted when I get to hang out with them. Second, Trixie. She's one of my best friends who is studying in Ateneo and also living in our dorm. I love this girl to bits. It actually makes me feel relieved knowing that I still have my closest friend with me in QC. I can always just go to her room and knock on her door whenever she needs me, and vice versa. She's another person who makes college life less alienating, and more comforting. Then my new friends in my different subjects. It's such a relief knowing that I get along well with my seatmates and groupmates. It makes the subject less stressing. And of course, my new very close friends in our block: Andy and Jamie. It's not that I'm not friends with Rose and Cathy, but it just so happens that every after Eng 11 class, our group splits up into two, and I get to hang out with Andy and Jamie more. We love eating taho after Eng 11, and the other day we all just had a "serious" talk about our past lives.. haha. It's great to know there are actually people who feel the exact same way I do -- and they're my good friends. I'm looking forward to spending more time with them :)

UP Babies!
Karla, Cars, Drea, Inna

The Taho Trio!
Andy, Karla, Jamie


Whew! Sorry for the tremendously long post. I guess I'm just really overjoyed with how this week turned out. AAAAND, add the fact that I only get to use the Internet on weekends, so ipon talaga ang mga kwento. Haha.

I MISS Y'ALL! :)



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ISKOLARRR :)

June 14, 2008    |    0 COMMENT(S)

THINGS I LEARNED IN MY FIRST WEEK OF COLLEGE

  • Never underestimate the traffic along Katipunan Avenue. So you think just because we live a few minutes from school and that a lot of jeeps pass by our dorm we can dilly-dally in the morning? Nah-uh. You're forgetting two very significant things: Ateneo and Miriam. With all the school services and cars taking up most of the lanes in Katipunan, we can't afford to not leave early. I've experienced feeling nauseous while riding the jeepney all because I was afraid of being late for my English class. Thankfully though, the traffic is moving (albeit very slowly) and once you get past Ateneo and Miriam, it's like blasting off to outer space: super bilis na.

  • UP Diliman is bigger than the Vatican City. Yes, a fact so true it hurts. Because that only means getting lost in UP is really not impossible. The first few days we were so baffled by everything, from what jeep we would ride (Ikot or Toki?) to where we would eat. It was such a huge place that undeniably any freshman would feel overwhelmed. I actually brought my map with me every single day (Haha, everyday I'm tempted to sing "Backpack, backpack!" and call on The Map) but of course I don't bring it out on public for fear of being preyed on by the upperclassmen. Heehee.

  • Despite its size though, UP Diliman is still a small world. Imagine, I cross paths with people I know a couple of times everyday! I saw former Paulinians, some acquaintances, and even Ayiene! I repeat, I SAW AYIENE!! :) Haha. I lab you Ayiene! 3 beses na tayo nagkikita! :) Haha, special mention siya dito. That's because we had no means of communications whatsoever, and yet we saw each other three times already! How cool is that. And take this, the other day Inna forgot her phone in the dorm when she left earlier than I did so I brought it with me because we planned that we would see each other after class naman. And who would've thought that the exact time we were looking for each other, we would walk by the same road?! Unbelievable, I tell you. Haha.

  • Coins are treasures. To some, coins are burdens to their purses, always heavy and noisy. But to me -- well, imagine the look on a treasure hunter's face when he finally unearths the chest filled with gold coins -- it is undeniably vital. Just riding the jeepney almost every two hours is enough justification for their significance. I won't last a day without bringing out my beloved elephant coin purse. Sooo.. donations for loose change, anyone? :)

  • Never leave home without your umbrella ella ella eh eh eh. This week we experienced major rains and intense heat, and in both of those occasions, we were able to survive thanks to the trusty folding umbrella. In times of crisis, it's your ultimate weapon. Right now, I don't know how I ever managed to leave the house without an umbrella before.

  • It's okay to get stranded in the Gym. Our Walking prof stood us up on our first meeting, so Drea, Inna, and I were all stuck in the Ylanan Gymnasium because during that time the rain started pouring. We had no choice but to go inside and sit in one of the benches. And guess what we did? We watched the UAAP Basketball and Volleyball teams (men and women) and the UP Pep Squad practice! Our eyes were feasting! We didn't know where to look. We were surrounded by sweaty, hot, sexy athletes.. whoooooo! A fantasy for some of you perhaps. Haha :))

  • Recite, recite, recite. Though it feels awkward at first to recite without having to stand up, I learned that the best way to get yourself known to the teacher is simply to raise your hand and answer your question. So what if you seem eager or excited? Unlike high school, your teachers don't know who you are, or who your sisters are, and you don't get to wear a nametag, so you really have to make an effort to get yourself known to the teacher -- in a positive way of course. All together now, "Yes, Ma'am!"

  • Being too early is not always good. Inna's blockmate Regine and I apparently have Kas1 together so we went to our rooms after the three of us ate lunch at CASAA last Thursday. Our class was at 1:00 and we arrived at around 12:45. We came in with the teacher already discussing about Manuel Roxas. We were so terrified because we were late for our first meeting! My gahd! After about fifteen minutes or so, someone raised his hand and asked if he could leave because he still had to go to his Math class (which is practically on another planet.. the Math building is completely on the other side of the campus). I was a little shocked, I mean it has only been what, ten minutes? And then slowly it hit me. WE WERE IN THE WRONG CLASS! I asked my seatmate, and turns out we were in the 11:30-1:00 class!! It's a good thing the teacher didn't get mad at us or nobody else noticed. Haha. Regine and I couldn't stop laughing!! I swear I will never ever attempt to go inside a classroom again when I'm early for my supposed time! :))

  • Walking is inevitable. Despite the presence of Ikot and Toki jeeps, walking is unavoidable. Because time is gold, you can't afford to ride a jeep that will still travel all around the campus when your next building is just a five-minute walk away. So everywhere you go in UP, people are walking, walking, walking, and yes, walking. Add the fact that my PE is Walking for Fitness (yeah, yeah, laugh all you want), and well, let's just see how sexy I get after two months. HAHA :P

  • It's great to have new friends, even better when your old friends are friends with your new friends. (Haha, how many times did I mention "friends"?) So far, in my block, I'm closest with Andy and Jamie. I met Andy's friend Ria last Wednesday. Turns out, Ria is the classmate of Drea in Chem16. Then the other day, Andy, Inna and I ate together for lunch, and then later, Andy and Inna hung out while I was in my Math class. How cool is that? :) It's great that everyone gets along so well even if it's just the first week of class.

  • Not all teachers are terrifying. My Eng11 and Math1 teachers are pretty cool. In fact, I think I'll be enjoying their subjects because they're so down-to-earth and very understanding. My SocSci and Physics profs are kind of scary and intimidating but I guess I just really have to find their "kiliti" so that I won't piss them off. It will probably take me lots of determination and perseverance to get the fear out of the way and let the Uno save my day. Haha, rhyming :)

  • You can survive even if you don't have a television, Internet, and a microwave. Yes, because Inna and I were able to breeze through a week without all of these! Imagine that. It was not that easy of course, because we had to settle for a sometimes poor radio reception, rushing to the nearby Internet shop for printing of a paper, and eating out (in cheap but delicious restos around the area). But all in all, we survived! I'm so proud of us. Independent women.. Girl I didn't know you could get down like that, Charlie how your angels get down like that? HAHA THEME SONG! :))

  • Super special ang Centennial Freshmen. As in! Instead of the usual kits freshmen usually get, we received a CD containing all the things we need to know to "survive" in UP. Sosyal ah, Flash pa. And in CAL (College of Arts and Letters), we got so many freebies too! Stressballs, Boy Bawang, poetry books, brochures, envelopes.. you name it, we got it! :) Ehem. I guess dapat lang naman noh. Centennial Freshmen only come every one hundred years. :)
and probably the most biased but for me the truest of all things I've learned and discovered this week:

  • UP IS THE BEST SCHOOL FOR ME. (Take note of the ME part..) Despite the rally during our Freshman Assembly on our first day, the nerve-wracking pressure of maintaining good grades, the constant texting of my friends in Manila who have already seen each other this week, and the never-ending exhaustion.. I know I wouldn't be happier anywhere else :) I'm extremely proud to be a Centennial Freshman of the University of the Philippines, Artista deKALibre ng Kolehiyo ng Arte at Literatura :) Oh yeah.


I hope your first week all went well. I'm excited to read all about it in your blogs. Adieu!



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all my bags are packed, i'm ready to go.

June 7, 2008    |    0 COMMENT(S)

WHOOOOOO! Everything's packed.. I'm moving tomorrow!

I can't believe it. I'm really going to live in Katipunan! Whooo! :) Inna and I were texting this morning and we're both undeniably excited! Tomorrow we're planning on walking around the area and look for carinderias or small stores where we can buy real food -- that's because we're surrounded by fast food chains! No thanks, we don't want to become like the guy in Supersize Me. Haha. Anyway, on Monday, the four of us UPians Drea, Cars, Inna, and I are planning to commute inside UP. I tried it on my own this week and I was lucky I didn't get lost! All the upperclassmen were there for their enrollment so luckily I wasn't a lonely freshman who looked lost and disoriented -- though I really was! I'm excited to explore the whole place with the three other people I'll "share" it with. Haha, cheesy much. We're planning on hanging out at the Kalayaan dorm since Drea is going to stay there. Whee! UP life, here we come! :)

I'm going to be in college in three days. Three days. THREE DAYS. Whooooo! The first day of the rest of our lives. Nyak. Drama :)


Honestly right now I'm just too thrilled to think of anything else other than next week! Haha. I'll blog again when I get to Katipunan. I know we have WiFi in our dorm naman eh. Good luck sa pasukan guys! I know deep down, beyond the anxious face you show everyone else lies the excitement for the coming school year. AMININ NIYO NA! :) Hehe. Let's rock this school year!




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the geek in the pink (part 2)

June 1, 2008    |    0 COMMENT(S)


Happiness comes in pink.


There it is, in all its pink glory, the Neo Empriva 572SVB -- and all mine! I've been lusting over this gadget all summer. You see, I thought my (geeky) life was already complete. There's nothing left out there to make my tongue go wagging for something drool-worthy, or so I thought. One fateful April day, as my dad and I were walking around Park Square in Makati looking for an Eee PC or a similar ultraportable (my dad needs one for his personal use) my ever-searching eyes came across this beautiful gadget. Lo and behold, it was love at first sight. Initially, I couldn't get over the color.. it was so pink, bubblegum and cotton candy would be so ashamed. Obviously the color was one of the deciding factors for me. Remember my V3x? Anyway, we found out that it had all the specs I needed:
  • Intel Centrino Duo Technology
  • Intel Core Duo T2060 Processor
  • 1.6GHz 2MB L2 Chache, 533 FSB
  • SIS M671MX + SIS968
  • Intel Pro Wireless 802.11b/g
  • 1GB DDR2 667MHz
  • 80GB SATA Hard Disk Drive
  • DVD Dual Drive
  • 12" WXGA (1280 x 768) TFT
  • SIS M671MX
  • 10/100/1000 Gigabit LAN
  • Wi-Fi enabled
  • 56K Modem, 3 X USB Port
  • 7 in 1 Card Reader
  • 1.3 Megapixel Internal Web Camera
  • Microsoft Vista Home Basic
  • 1.8 Kg
And it's very affordable too compared with the other portable lappies out there. But my dad didn't buy it right away because he said we still have to ask my mom and also consider the price. It may be reasonable but money doesn't come easy. And anyway, I still had two months before me, I might see a better laptop. But all summer, I couldn't look at anything pink without having the Empriva 572SVB come to mind. Almost every other week we would go to different malls and try and get the best deals for this laptop, but always ending in failure. Either it was too expensive, or the pink ones were out of stock. Last week, I finally told myself, "This laptop is not for me." I gave up.
I guess the saying, "Be careful what you wish for, it just might come true," still holds true. Yesterday, after me and my mom's commuting adventure around the Metro (more about that later), my dad finally finally finally decided that he'll buy me one at Megamall. Of course, I was trying very hard to hold back every ounce of excitement I felt. I tried playing it cool. "Kung wala, okay lang, kahit yung sa bahay na lang muna yung dalhin ko sa dorm." But of course, deep down the geek in me was practically screaming, "I WANT IT NOW MORE THAN EVER!!" Haha. At last, all the waiting has finally paid off. No longer will my eyes look uncontrollably at the computer shop windows because I've got my hands on one right now.
My V3x now has a new best friend. Aww. My Pink Rangers :)
(A pink laptop... somewhat a contradiction to some, because usually pink doesn't go with the hardcore techie stuff. But the world is changing, and somehow the kikays in the world are turning geeky and proud. I'm one of them! Whee!)

-oOo-

Yesterday wasn't just about my new laptop, however. Since college is only a week away (what!? I've only got a week left!?) my mom decided we should try commuting all the way to UP, my dorm, and Trinoma. As most of you may know, I enjoy commuting, especially using the train. I'm not a newbie to the whole public transpo thing. I think it's one of the very important lessons my parents teach me. They wouldn't want me to be a poor little ignorant city girl. I know the intersections of MRT, LRT 1 and LRT 2. In fact, I think I can find my way home if you leave me anywhere in Metro Manila. Knowing how to commute is a necessity anyway, especially now that I'm in college. So yesterday, my mom and I tried to go to Trinoma, because from there I can find UP Campus jeeps. So we rode the jeepney from our house to Baclaran, then got down at Coastal and rode the bus to Ayala. I thought we were going to go down at Taft but the unloading section of the bus is far from the MRT station. So we went down at the Ayala station, and rode the MRT until North Edsa. Ayun, Trinoma na! (For the info of some, the North Edsa station exit is Trinoma na kaagad) We ate lunch and bought some things at Landmark, walked a little bit around, then looked for the jeepney terminal. We saw jeepneys lined up along the side of the mall, and rode the almost-full UP Campus jeep. We entered UP using the University Avenue, and it made its way around, passing by the CAL and AS buildings. Before it turned left (going to the CBA and School of Eco), we went down and transferred to another set of jeepneys in line, going to Katipunan. And finally, we arrived at my dorm. Woohoo! Now I know how to go to my humble Loyola Heights home (that's what my address said! Haha! Feeling sosyal na ako niyan!) from our house in Paranaque. The only thing I need to learn now is the route of the Ikot and Toki jeeps inside UP.
I was teasing my friend Nica, who is now studying in La Salle, because I know how I can get to her school using just the MRT and LRT even if she claims she's the more gala between the two of us. Kahit na she drives na.. I think I can go to more places compared to her. And cheaper pa because I don't have to pay for gasoline. Haha, peace Nic! :)
IT'S JUNE ALREADY. And we all know what that means. I can't believe school will start next week. And not just school -- COLLEGE. Somehow I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea. Sometimes when I mention school in conversations like, "Grabe nga sa school eh," it's still St. Paul that comes to mind. But a week from now everything will change. I'm really going to be a Iskolar! I. Cannot. Wait. :) I hope you all did your school shopping already!
Okay I have to go and transfer all my files to my new baby. Later, alligators :)

P.S. Thanks to <a href="http://gossipxqueen.blogspot.com/">Mei</a> for this HUGE information! :) <strong>I AM HYPERVENTILATING.</strong> <u>I WANT MY DOSE OF EDWARD AND BELLA <i>RIGHT NOW</i>!!</u><br /> <br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5g2dS-3B1nwe7-AISXZ-6uY32q4MfHJOK1kqSCPjWIBLju70JSk1zLMA4deBP9mmrccOqKH42DjpaR-4P0Gj0ZETNb_fSOsCto0ppwP_-pZJRQ6R51KqZAUSR4JZhfbha9oR5/s1600-h/breakingdawn.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206755211131805442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5g2dS-3B1nwe7-AISXZ-6uY32q4MfHJOK1kqSCPjWIBLju70JSk1zLMA4deBP9mmrccOqKH42DjpaR-4P0Gj0ZETNb_fSOsCto0ppwP_-pZJRQ6R51KqZAUSR4JZhfbha9oR5/s200/breakingdawn.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a>



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