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"You won't be seventeen forever,"


So goes the somewhat-famous Metro Station song. And because I like the number 17, I will make a post about it :D

Yesterday, I watched 17 Again with my mom at MOA. Okay, so I initially didn't want to watch because 1) I don't like the current Disney people: HSM, Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers, Camp Whatever, and all the other people whose shows fall under that category, 2) I think the premise is completely overdone and overrated and 3) I don't like the current Disney people -- err wait, I already mentioned that.

But because I 1) have nothing better to do, 2) want to bond with my mom, 3) am willing to watch anything that has any of the Friends cast in it, I went along with zero expectations.

So imagine my surprise when after the film I found myself 1) actually liking the movie, 2) wanting to watch it again, 3) and ohmygoodness actually ogling over Zac Efron! Yes, friends, I have been blinded and lured into ZacEfron-dom. I still actually cannot believe it. What happened? The core of his character, Mike O'Donnell isn't that much different from Troy Bolton -- high school basketball superstar, in love with a girl. So why? Why?

Was it the 1) "Shades" scene? I swear I never thought the "Edward pandemonium" will ever happen in my life again. Or maybe it was because 2) he wasn't singing and dancing? Or maybe just that fact that 3) Vanessa Hudgens wasn't there. Haha. I think that was it.

I don't know what got into me yesterday. Maybe it's just the fact that I am, like any other teenaged-girl out there, fantasizing over the idea of having a basketball superstar as my sweetheart. Nathan Scott, Chris Tiu -- ring any bells? :) Yeah, I'm cliche. LOL.

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Oh by the way, 17 is Chris Tiu's jersey number ♥
And the jersey number of someone else I know. :)


There can't be any other :)

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I'm still 17. I'm enjoying this year so far -- things are looking up and I'm really having fun. Let's just hope that 20 years from now, the 37-year-old Karla Bernardo (OMG THAT'S OLD, LOL) won't be regretting anything about this year :)


I just really made an excuse to blog about the number 17.
HAHAHA :))



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She says hello.


I am back! :) Well, actually I was back from Singapore since Sunday but I only felt like blogging this afternoon. So how are all your summers so far? Be it on your summer getaways or summer classes, I hope you are all having a blast.


Sweet Bali High and Singapore Love.

Bali is obviously every beach lover's paradise. Just upon hearing about the place, I can already imagine the sand, the sun, and the waves inside my head. And true enough, it was a gem. It was actually very tourist-friendly, with lots of boutiques, restaurants, native shops, and beaches at practically every corner. I liked the relaxed vibe of Bali -- almost everyone can let their guard down! Walking on the streets are foreigners (mostly Europeans) in just their shorts or swimwear, strolling like no one was watching. And yes, madaming macho papables! *wink* LOL! Bali is not only a place, it is an experience to-die-for :)

At Tanah Lot beach


Meanwhile, Singapore is this ultimately chic metropolis. To say that it is a developed city would be an understatement -- it is such a dream! Being the urban-girl that I am, I enjoyed staying there. Everything is so efficient and convenient, from their transportation to their infrastructures. It is also one of the safest, cleanest, and most organized cities I've ever seen. But despite all that, they also have a rich history they can be proud of. It seems like everything was made with perfection in mind, even their malls! The City of the Merlion welcomed me with such open arms, I would definitely go back there again and again! Singapore is a wonderful place. I would love to go and live there one day :)

Hello, Merlion!


Bali and Singapore are two completely different but equally beautiful cities. To choose and compare between the two would be like comparing apples and oranges. But despite their differences I enjoyed my stay in both places; it was good for both the city girl and the laidback lass in me. Want to see the pictures? Click here.


Rainy days and Mondays.

The weather this past few days has been unbelievably weird. It doesn't feel like summer at all! Well, I must confess -- when we arrived last Sunday, one of the first things I did was sing on our karaoke. So I do feel a little guilty about this, haha. LOL :)) Right now, the skies are dim once again and I can hear the thunder grumbling. It feels ironic that it's supposedly the bright and sunshine-y time of the year and yet the surroundings look gloomy. I'm not exactly complaining though. I like this kind of weather.

I can't help but think though: this is global warming. Uh-oh.

On the brighter side things: Last Monday, despite the heavy downpour, there came a surprise guest. Yayy for the epic gesture! :)) Haha.


CrEngg and HS friends bonding


Of course, one of the things I missed the most while I was away was the company of my friends. And last Wednesday, I seized the chance to hang out with both my college and high school barkada. Cheers for perfect timing! :) One small annoying thing though: stupid me brought extra batteries for my cam but forgot the memory card. Boo for tremendous memory gap! Epic failure :|

In the morning I went to UP to check on my ever-so-lovable CrEngg-mates. Oh, how I missed them all! No amount of Plurking will ever replace the real, physical bondings with them. HAHA LOL CHEESY ALERT. :)) I guess fate must've been on my side because we were stuck with each other for several hours straight due to the rain! We talked and played Spin the Bottle at KFC Katipunan from around 1pm until 4! Haha. Solid. \m/

Then I left Katips with Trixie and Cathe to proceed to Mikka's surprise debut party at the Fort. It was hell lot of fun! I missed my HS friends to bits! It's been a while since we all bonded and acted crazy like we did that night -- too bad we were incomplete. Despite some incidents, we all still enjoyed and Mikka turned out to be pleasantly surprised! :) I couldn't help feeling a bit mushy upon seeing the AVP with our pictures in it (courtesy of Tin!) -- aww I can't believe we've been friends for so long already. >:D<


I missed blogging.


I haven't been updating for real lately, so yeah, I have to admit I missed this. I kinda feel guilty for sometimes forgetting this. I'll be leaving for the States on Thursday, so until then you can still expect me to update at least once. But of course, you can always stalk me on Plurk and Facebook :)

Shout-outs to my awesome birthday celebrant friends this week!
Mikka (22), Trixie and Cathe (23), and Jamie (26)! :****
Cathe, I'm so sorry I can't come to your party :( Have fun, okay? :D


OH AND BEFORE I FORGET..

FTW! \m/ :)))

The best effin' sign ever! =)))


Ciao, miei amici!



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Drumroll please..



SECOND SEM WIN!
Ngayon napatunayan ko na, inspirasyon siya talaga :">




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Patikim na update:
(dahil tapos na ako mag-patikim ng picture :P)

I'm back in Singapore!
Since Monday morning pa actually.

Kanina pumasok ako sa freeze chamber ng National Geographic Museum sa loob ng Vivo City :D Haha potek, -16 degrees Celsius! \m/ Nanlamig pati mga kalamnan ko. (LOL -- kalamnan! Epekto ng lamig! :P)


Literal na brain freeze :)))))


I miss Manila! :) Will update soon :)




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From Bali with Love.


Patikim na picture!

So far, I've been to the beach, shopped, met locals and some foreigners.. and I'm taking in the beautiful Bali culture. :) It's so much like Manila but the differences are incredibly beautiful..

Unang picture muna! This was taken from the Tanah Lot market/beach.

YES, there is something in the picture.. I'm back on cryptic mode -- though that's not exactly hard to get.. oh whatever :P




:">



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On leaving.


Tomorrow, I shall leave Philippine soil and embark on my much-awaited "world tour" this 2009. First stop: Singapore & Indonesia! Haha.

One teeny tiny detail I haven't been mentioning about my life since God-knows-when is that I decided to not have an extravagant debut party for my 18th birthday. Yes, folks, the only daughter and only child will NOT have a grand celebration of her womanhood. You can wipe the awe off your faces now. Anyway, I decided on this a long time ago but I really had it finalized just a couple of years back when the sudden realization that 2009 will both be the year of my 18th birthday and my Papa's 50th. Hence, I made a proposal: instead of throwing a lavish party, why not just travel?

Contrary to popular belief, I am not a spoiled brat. I am unlike any of the poor little rich girls you see on MTV, with their lives depending on Dad's credit cards, bringing on the bitchiness and whines 24/7. So I am not one to say, "Papa, I want a party! I want a big big big big partyyyy with all my puh-retty little friends in a puh-retty little gown in a puh-retty big hotel!" (I am not suggesting, however, that people who do throw debut parties are spoiled..) Contrary to popular belief, I do care about money and how it is spent. And so, based on my opinion, it is so much more worth it to spend bucks on plane tickets (and indirectly shopping and tourist attractions) rather than on a gown I will probably never use again in my whole entire life. Contrary to popular belief, I would not want to be the center of attention for one whole night with everyone watching me dance with 18 men, being swayed by 18 mushy messages, and being critiqued by all the guests on how fat my arms are and how big my tummy is. No freakin' way. I cannot stand the attention for that long.

SOOOO.

The Singapore and Bali trips are technically not part of this proposal because we really are supposed to go there this year whether or not it is my 18th birthday-year. Two of my mom's sisters work there respectively. The last time I've been to Singapore was when I was five years old -- I was anything but a disciplined little girl. I was so hyperactive and restless, I was lucky my mom did not give up on me. I was too young to enjoy it then -- I remember the toys I bought more than the actual places we visited.


5-year-old Karla in a Singapore double-deck bus


Meanwhile, it would be my first time to go to Bali. I am psyched because from the way my aunt describes it, it seems like paradise. For real. The beaches, the temperature, the people -- very romantic. Well, I'm honestly not a beach person (for many reasons: the heat, the possible darkening of skin, and yes, my flabs :-s) but I still cannot wait! Bali sounds like a treasure to me.

We leave tomorrow evening (April 3rd, Friday) and come back after two weeks or so. Then after a few weeks, we leave for the States. Now, THAT is the supposed 18th birthday celebration trip. But details on that trip later.


(On to the profundity..)
*organizes thoughts*


Traveling is an unavoidable allusion to so many things in life. Often, traveling is associated to the idea of leaving -- leaving things, leaving home, leaving people. It is associated with closing doors behind you, never to look back on them again. With leaving comes detachment.

When you go on a journey, you get to explore so many other cultures, meet different kinds of people, and gain unbelievable experiences. When you leave the place you call home, you realize how big the world is -- and how minute a detail you are compared to the billions of other people on the planet. Your eyes are opened to numerous opportunities and options.. you see outside the little bubble you've created around yourself.

Then you come back.
And that's when you realize what you've been missing, or what you already have.

Leaving is inevitable. But it does not always mean ending things. After all has been seen, heard, said, and done, different routes are paved for us and many answers are presented to us -- it is only in separation that we recognize what is actually essential to us.




Hmm, I think this is just me expounding that the absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Hahaha! Oh well.

(Late-night blogging either makes me sabaw or makes me profound. LOL.)



I shall update soon enough.

SINGAPORE & BALI, welcome me into your arms! :)


Buona notte!
Arrivederci, filippine!~



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Para Kay B.


"Me quota ang pag-ibig. Sa bawat limang umiibig ay isa lang ang magiging maligaya. Kasama ka ba sa quota?"

This is the main premise of Ricky Lee's much-acclaimed novel, Para Kay B. And given that love is such a universally accepted theme in whatever genre, be it literature, music, or art, of course it's bound to get noticed. Especially if it ends up in anguish or pain. (Because we're all secretly broken emo souls inside..)

The novel is composed of five main characters with each of their unique and individual stories intertwining in the end. They each have twisted and rather complicated tales to tell, not the typical "He-doesn't-love-me-huhuhu-my-life-sucks" kind of theme, but leaning more on the dark and peculiar side. Despite their eccentricity though, what surprises me is how well I can still relate to the characters. I'm just an average seventeen-year-old girl with not enough experience to grasp the complexities of life (and love), but somehow I felt the rawness of every emotion. Like an itch I couldn't stop scratching, the book got to me so bad, I couldn't put it down. The way it was written was so interactive; it really brings the readers into the story. Along with the characters, you can't help but think about the entire situation too. What will happen? What will I get from this? Is love really as messed-up as this book says? Am I doomed to fail?

I usually dislike being left hanging.
This book did just that -- but in a good way.

Kudos to Ricky Lee. I hope love doesn't become too harsh on me, but if it does, well I'm taking this book with me through the heartbreak and the loss! It would probably be all I need to get through it :)

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Okay so, I've been thinking of a good way to get people today because I have been a victim of two pranks already (NYARRRR).. and the only thing I could think of is a joke on my current relationship status -- not very unique, I know.

I did fool one friend.
For like two minutes. HAHA.

After that I gave up. I can't lie well. That's one of my biggest waterloos (or strengths? Hmmm..) ever. My nostrils flare, my cheeks burn, my mouth grins -- basically my whole face gives me away into the first five seconds of the lie. I have to turn away from the person I'm talking to or raise my voice (make it seem like I'm angry) to disguise the bursting laughter. On the very rare occasions I do succeed, I have to get away from the scene of the crime to grin like a maniac or laugh like a hyena just to let the "guilt" out. In short, I SUCK. EPIC FAILURE.

Well, at least I got one friend.
It was easier because it was through YM.
I'm sorry it had to be you, Mikka :)

I hope your pranks turn out better than mine :P
Happy April Fools' Day!


"At.. paminsan-minsan lang naman, napapaluhod siya't nanghihina sa tapat ng kanyang kama, sa dilim ng silid ay nakayukong iginugupo ng isang letra."

(Really can you blame me for believing that life imitates art? Why, of all letters!)


Oh, BTW. I'm leaving on Friday for Singapore and Bali. The first leg of my summer world tour 09! Haha \m/ Can't wait!



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