So this is how it feels to celebrate your birthday right smack in the middle of midterms season.

I'm so used to having my birthday fall on a semester break, with me feeling all relaxed and laid-back in anticipation of the 26th. But not this year. Thanks to the academic calendar shift, I had the great luck of celebrating it at the height of all the stress! Good thing it fell on a Sunday, or else I probably wouldn't have had the time to really enjoy it.

After having hurdled that hell of a week, I could say that this birthday was definitely well-earned and deserved! I was tired and sleepless for the last two weeks, thanks to make-up classes, exams, and BarOps. But no complaints - I survived! And while I still have the rest of the semester to wade through, I'm glad I got this little day of respite over the last weekend to just hit restart and enjoy the company of loved ones.





We had lunch at this quaint little place in Scout Rallos, Victorino's. It's a restaurant specializing in authentic Ilocano-Filipino cuisine, owned by the Vice Governor of Ilocos, DV Savellano and the famed chef Heny Sison. I've been here before once with my parents, and we really enjoyed the place, which was why we thought it was the perfect, simple setting for my birthday lunch.

The interiors of the place are absolutely lovely. If I'm not mistaken, it was an old, antique house that got refurbished into a homey restaurant. I wasn't able to take photos of the interior design, unfortunately, but let's just say that even for someone like me who hasn't been to Ilocos, the decors sets the ambiance just right - it all seems genuine, authentic, and downright cozy.

And the food - oh, the food. Where do I even begin? Food writing had always been my waterloo back in my non-fic classes in college, because I'm never able to describe food properly when I find them delicious. Puro amazing and so, so good lang kaya ng powers ko pag nasasarapan talaga ako! :)) We ordered a lot actually, because my mom wanted to try out the dishes that you don't normally find in any typical Filipino restaurant, especially the Ilocano specialties. I particularly loved the crispy bagnet chips, the warek-warek (their version of sisig), the longganisa platter, and poqui-poqui (grilled eggplant). It was definitely something for the books! I've never tried most of those dishes before, and I had myself going for second (or third!) servings of almost all the ulam we ordered -- that's how good it was.




Aside from my parents, grandparents, and aunt, Ludwin and his sister Tanya were also there, and it was such a delight having them with us. It's great to see the people I care most in my life come together to celebrate the day with me. It's not everyday you find someone you can bring and introduce to your family, and I'm grateful Ludwin just fits right in. He's the type of guy I never have to worry about introducing to anyone, because he just seems to get on the good side of people always :)) It was nice having Tanya along too; she's been nothing but kind and sweet to me, and I always like hanging out with her. (She just passed the board exams for teachers today, btw. Congrats, dear!)






Allow me to make a separate paragraph dedicated especially for this cake. (Disclaimer: This isn't from Victorino's but from Wowa's friend, who's been making my birthday cakes for the last four years already.) The best part of my birthday is usually the cake - and this year, again, is no exception. Wowa's friend makes cakes of unique flavors, just like this one: orange/lemon chiffon. It's got just the right amount of sweet and tangy combined, which I absolutely love. I'm not so big on sweets but cakes are on a separate pedestal altogether, and this cake just sets the bar :))

And can we all just take a moment to appreciate that little bookmark on top? It's so, so cute! Perfect for this bookworm, really.




After lunch, my family and I went to Mass at Quiapo Church, and offered my thanksgiving for the year that was. This year has been mostly about putting things back together - one of which was working on my faith. I never claimed to be religious or spiritual even, but this year, I found a deeper appreciation for the things I believe in. I guess we all have our journeys to take when it comes to our faith. Mine took a quiet turn to indifference back in college - nothing drastic, but of course I went through that phase of questioning a lot of things about the church. I guess, it's normal for people our age to feel a bit apathetic about religion, especially when you're only starting to navigate your way through adulthood and maturity. But last summer, I realized again how beautiful it is to hold on to my faith and to let it strengthen me. I still have my reservations, but it's mostly about the people and not the beliefs. I started going to Mass more often in the last year, especially this summer during my internship. I'd drop by the chapel at Landmark after work while waiting for my mom and papa to pick me up. And now more than ever, I realized that God has never failed me - even when I thought He did, He has only led me to something better. Always.

Such a great thing my birthday fell on a Sunday, then.





Really couldn't be more grateful to be surrounded by people I love on my birthday. Also worth mentioning: the night before, I got a surprise from my blockmates before our exam, and at midnight during BarOps, my sisses surprised me with cupcakes and a tiara :) I really appreciated the "surprise" (I kinda played mind-games on them and convinced them to surprise me, hahaha what a diva!); it's at times like this when I realize how much I have to be grateful for, and how I really cannot complain about anything because I'm such a lucky girl to be surrounded by great, amazing people. It's always good to be reminded that no matter what happens, there are people who will never leave your side, no matter what. They'll keep your feet on the ground, but they'll push you to greater heights too :)

There was a time when I felt that every single dot of my life created an image of this song. That if you connect all the random moments, all the little parts of me, it would lead you to this song.

I can still vividly recall the first time I heard it. It was in high school, and like all the other bands I loved at that time, it was because of One Tree Hill. This was from the OTH Friends with Benefit soundtrack (which I had an actual copy of; I asked my parents to buy me one when they were in the US).

The moment I heard this song (track number twelve on the CD - yep, I remember) and its dizzying, cathartic one-and-a-half-minute intro, I knew I have found something. What it was exactly, I wasn't quite sure yet. Everything was just a masterful, wonderful melody entwined with words that sounded romantic and sweeping to me. I was sure it was special, but I didn't know yet why.

It easily became my favorite song just because it was titled 23. It was Nathan Scott's jersey number. And it really was nothing more than that. All my high school fangirl-y feelings condensed into one song, and one love that didn't even make sense, for a fictional character. Over the years, 23 had become many things to me. It meant so much to me as the years went on, because it was the score to what I thought was a great love, as defined by that show. (#Naley4ever!!) It sounds crazy and shallow now, but for a teenager with a lot of feelings, it made sense. It was the soundtrack to many other moments long after high school, to many other beers and coffees and hellos and goodbyes. It was the song of my "youth" -- that time of being young, of feeling insecure and scared but also invincible and courageous all at the same time. It was the dramatic montage pre-credits anthem of my being a teenager. 23 defined a chapter of my life; a time so far removed from my present.

The song hasn't changed. But the girl who first listened to it and once held it dear had.

Yep, someone's got a full plate.

Wifely influence.

#YunYonEh
#AlamNa


Public service announcement: Wives (and girlfriends?), take note!


__

Labels: law school

Dodo (my grandpa) turned 83rd birthday today, October 7, but we celebrated it last Sunday. We had lunch at Mesa, which is one of my lolo's favorite restaurants. (He loves Filipino food.)

So this is how it feels to celebrate your birthday right smack in the middle of midterms season.

I'm so used to having my birthday fall on a semester break, with me feeling all relaxed and laid-back in anticipation of the 26th. But not this year. Thanks to the academic calendar shift, I had the great luck of celebrating it at the height of all the stress! Good thing it fell on a Sunday, or else I probably wouldn't have had the time to really enjoy it.

After having hurdled that hell of a week, I could say that this birthday was definitely well-earned and deserved! I was tired and sleepless for the last two weeks, thanks to make-up classes, exams, and BarOps. But no complaints - I survived! And while I still have the rest of the semester to wade through, I'm glad I got this little day of respite over the last weekend to just hit restart and enjoy the company of loved ones.





We had lunch at this quaint little place in Scout Rallos, Victorino's. It's a restaurant specializing in authentic Ilocano-Filipino cuisine, owned by the Vice Governor of Ilocos, DV Savellano and the famed chef Heny Sison. I've been here before once with my parents, and we really enjoyed the place, which was why we thought it was the perfect, simple setting for my birthday lunch.

The interiors of the place are absolutely lovely. If I'm not mistaken, it was an old, antique house that got refurbished into a homey restaurant. I wasn't able to take photos of the interior design, unfortunately, but let's just say that even for someone like me who hasn't been to Ilocos, the decors sets the ambiance just right - it all seems genuine, authentic, and downright cozy.

And the food - oh, the food. Where do I even begin? Food writing had always been my waterloo back in my non-fic classes in college, because I'm never able to describe food properly when I find them delicious. Puro amazing and so, so good lang kaya ng powers ko pag nasasarapan talaga ako! :)) We ordered a lot actually, because my mom wanted to try out the dishes that you don't normally find in any typical Filipino restaurant, especially the Ilocano specialties. I particularly loved the crispy bagnet chips, the warek-warek (their version of sisig), the longganisa platter, and poqui-poqui (grilled eggplant). It was definitely something for the books! I've never tried most of those dishes before, and I had myself going for second (or third!) servings of almost all the ulam we ordered -- that's how good it was.




Aside from my parents, grandparents, and aunt, Ludwin and his sister Tanya were also there, and it was such a delight having them with us. It's great to see the people I care most in my life come together to celebrate the day with me. It's not everyday you find someone you can bring and introduce to your family, and I'm grateful Ludwin just fits right in. He's the type of guy I never have to worry about introducing to anyone, because he just seems to get on the good side of people always :)) It was nice having Tanya along too; she's been nothing but kind and sweet to me, and I always like hanging out with her. (She just passed the board exams for teachers today, btw. Congrats, dear!)






Allow me to make a separate paragraph dedicated especially for this cake. (Disclaimer: This isn't from Victorino's but from Wowa's friend, who's been making my birthday cakes for the last four years already.) The best part of my birthday is usually the cake - and this year, again, is no exception. Wowa's friend makes cakes of unique flavors, just like this one: orange/lemon chiffon. It's got just the right amount of sweet and tangy combined, which I absolutely love. I'm not so big on sweets but cakes are on a separate pedestal altogether, and this cake just sets the bar :))

And can we all just take a moment to appreciate that little bookmark on top? It's so, so cute! Perfect for this bookworm, really.




After lunch, my family and I went to Mass at Quiapo Church, and offered my thanksgiving for the year that was. This year has been mostly about putting things back together - one of which was working on my faith. I never claimed to be religious or spiritual even, but this year, I found a deeper appreciation for the things I believe in. I guess we all have our journeys to take when it comes to our faith. Mine took a quiet turn to indifference back in college - nothing drastic, but of course I went through that phase of questioning a lot of things about the church. I guess, it's normal for people our age to feel a bit apathetic about religion, especially when you're only starting to navigate your way through adulthood and maturity. But last summer, I realized again how beautiful it is to hold on to my faith and to let it strengthen me. I still have my reservations, but it's mostly about the people and not the beliefs. I started going to Mass more often in the last year, especially this summer during my internship. I'd drop by the chapel at Landmark after work while waiting for my mom and papa to pick me up. And now more than ever, I realized that God has never failed me - even when I thought He did, He has only led me to something better. Always.

Such a great thing my birthday fell on a Sunday, then.





Really couldn't be more grateful to be surrounded by people I love on my birthday. Also worth mentioning: the night before, I got a surprise from my blockmates before our exam, and at midnight during BarOps, my sisses surprised me with cupcakes and a tiara :) I really appreciated the "surprise" (I kinda played mind-games on them and convinced them to surprise me, hahaha what a diva!); it's at times like this when I realize how much I have to be grateful for, and how I really cannot complain about anything because I'm such a lucky girl to be surrounded by great, amazing people. It's always good to be reminded that no matter what happens, there are people who will never leave your side, no matter what. They'll keep your feet on the ground, but they'll push you to greater heights too :)

There was a time when I felt that every single dot of my life created an image of this song. That if you connect all the random moments, all the little parts of me, it would lead you to this song.

I can still vividly recall the first time I heard it. It was in high school, and like all the other bands I loved at that time, it was because of One Tree Hill. This was from the OTH Friends with Benefit soundtrack (which I had an actual copy of; I asked my parents to buy me one when they were in the US).

The moment I heard this song (track number twelve on the CD - yep, I remember) and its dizzying, cathartic one-and-a-half-minute intro, I knew I have found something. What it was exactly, I wasn't quite sure yet. Everything was just a masterful, wonderful melody entwined with words that sounded romantic and sweeping to me. I was sure it was special, but I didn't know yet why.

It easily became my favorite song just because it was titled 23. It was Nathan Scott's jersey number. And it really was nothing more than that. All my high school fangirl-y feelings condensed into one song, and one love that didn't even make sense, for a fictional character. Over the years, 23 had become many things to me. It meant so much to me as the years went on, because it was the score to what I thought was a great love, as defined by that show. (#Naley4ever!!) It sounds crazy and shallow now, but for a teenager with a lot of feelings, it made sense. It was the soundtrack to many other moments long after high school, to many other beers and coffees and hellos and goodbyes. It was the song of my "youth" -- that time of being young, of feeling insecure and scared but also invincible and courageous all at the same time. It was the dramatic montage pre-credits anthem of my being a teenager. 23 defined a chapter of my life; a time so far removed from my present.

The song hasn't changed. But the girl who first listened to it and once held it dear had.

Yep, someone's got a full plate.

Wifely influence.

#YunYonEh
#AlamNa


Public service announcement: Wives (and girlfriends?), take note!


__

Labels: law school

Dodo (my grandpa) turned 83rd birthday today, October 7, but we celebrated it last Sunday. We had lunch at Mesa, which is one of my lolo's favorite restaurants. (He loves Filipino food.)

Hello, I'm Karla Bernardo. If you Google my name, you will find the Wikipedia entry of a Canadian serial-killer (and trust me, you do not want to read about that - but I'm sure you will because now you're curious), which is why I suggest you type Bombastarr instead so you can stalk me better.

I spent eight-and-a-half years of my life in the University of the Philippines, where I graduated with degrees in Creative Writing and Juris Doctor. It is also where I learned how to speak a bit of Italian, got a taste of the best tapsilog, and took striptease for PE.

I love telling stories, as much as I enjoy finding them.

<center><font style="color: #ffffff;">____</font>Want <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/09096636074047764491">more</a>?</center><br>

Featured Works

Stargirl (Cover story for Nadine Lustre, Scout, January-February 2017)
Surreal / So Real (at Scout)
Ode to a Great Love's 17-year-old Self (Love.Life, Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Postcard from Diliman (Youngblood, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Writer for Philippine Law Register
A Call to Arms (January 2017)
Expecting the Expected (March 2016)

Former Writer for Stache Magazine
The Hero's Journey (June 2013)
The 8 People You Become In Your Youth (June 2013)
The Best Bad Idea That Is Argo (April 2013)
Mike Ross Remembers Everything You Don't (August 2012)
Style Between the Riffs (August 2012)
Book Lovers Never Sleep Alone (June 2012)
A Spectrum of Change (December 2011)
Digital Art (October 2011)
Elements of Style (June 2011)
In Her White Dress (All-Art April 2011 issue)

Morning After Pill (Fervore: Literary Folio 2013, UP Portia Sorority)
How To Make a Blueberry Cheesecake (Kalas: Kalasag Literary Folio 2011, UP College of Arts and Letters)
January 14th (100: The Hundreds Project, UP Writer's Club)

An Ode to The Pillow Book (at New-Slang)
Introductions (at TeenInk)
One by One (at TeenInk)

   

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Got a comment, question, violent reaction, love letter, or random piece of information you want to share with me? Just fire away. I don't bite.

(I changed my form and went back to Freedback because Ask.fm's being a bitch, requiring people to sign up for accounts before asking questions. Because I love you guys, I tweaked my ask box a bit, so that the questions will now go directly to my e-mail, but I'll be posting the answers still on my Ask.fm for convenience. TL;DR - I'll still be getting your questions so no worries. You're still free to harass me / send me your love.)

Answers

Most Frequently Asked Question

Are you a pornstar?
No, I am not a pornstar, stripper, or your friendly neighborhood call girl. It's just a fancy pseudonym with a long history, and two R's. Rawr.

Bombastarr is my personal blog and my little corner in the Internet since 2005. Yes, I started writing here when I was 13 years old (aka when I was very angsty, hormonal, and always gushing at the littlest things) -- ergo, you'd have to forgive me if you come across an old post that reeks of immaturity and slightly unpolished grammar. I did a lot of growing up here, and from the looks of it, there's still a lot of growing up to do, so I don't think I'll be leaving this place any time soon.

The domain, Bombastarr.com, was purchased on June 2014 and launched on July 2014, on the blog's ninth year (and fifth month, to be exact).

It's crazy to think that this blog is now thirteen years old, because (1) that seems like an eternity in internet years, and (2) that means if my blog were a kid, it's a teenager! That's insane.

Here's to more tales, explosive and otherwise.

If you've been living under a rock and think I'm a threat to world peace or an object of covetousness, sorry to disappoint you, folks: it's just a fancy pseudonym.

As in most things, it started in high school. It began as a joke between me and a couple of friends during our freshman year. We were practicing for a field demonstration dance which involved the use of shawls, and being the crazy-always-trying-to-be-funny person that I was (or I always attempted to be) I started doing poses with the garment. Someone started taking my picture using my phone, and one shot looked like I was posing for those B-list movies (or should it be R-list, as in R-rated?) of the vegetable-nomenclature variety. #IKYWIM. Hence, the word, "Bombastarr." Yes, very cheeky, I know, but for a 13-year-old, it was quirky enough to figure as a username. That was 2005, right around the time I trying to decide on a URL for a new blog. It's been a lot of years since, and what started as a joke became something I've eventually embraced as an identity.

Despite the many other chances I've gotten to permanently move (to Multiply, Livejournal, Tumblr, Wordpress; to a bigger platform where I can earn or use the blog as a venue for commerce), I've come to realize that Bombastarr is something I can never truly leave behind. It is a place I've grown to appreciate and love because it is a place I can call my own. It's a venue for my rants, my views, my writing. It is home, and it is who I am.

Bombastarr is a glimpse of my life: the thoughts, ideas, and stories that shape it into what it is, and what it will still become. This journal has been with me for all my crazy, often embarrassing adventures, but I'm sure there will be more anecdotes and feelings and people to write about. Which is something I'm really looking forward to. After all, you know what they say about the greatest stories - sometimes, there's still a lot that's left unwritten.

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