Taking a break from reviewing for SPIT (Special Problems in Taxation); currently reading an issue of She-Hulk from the 2014-2015 run.

Because I need to remind myself that I want to be a lawyer.

Jennifer Walters is most definitely my favorite Marvel comic character, in large part because of her profession, but also because I feel like I identify most with her personality. She just does her job, and she does it well. She's a bit kooky, and different, but she gets things done. That's the kinda girl I wanna be.

The Civil War issue, while different in the comics from the movies, is ripe with legal implications and consequences. She was an active #TeamIronMan member in the comics; in fact there was a significant part where she and Tony were discussing the ramifications of the divide. For that reason alone, I kinda wished She-Hulk was in the movies, just so I can see how her knowledge of the law will apply (and if it will be the same as my arguments haha). But I'm really interested in the cases she handles in the Marvel comics, just because it has the right amount of realism, despite the presence of superheroes and super villains. The dialogue is not so alienating for people who do not study the law, but for those who do, the small easter eggs are priceless.

Man, if only may superhero law lang na field talaga! I would definitely sign up as an apprentice for She-Hulk's firm!

(Okay, back to studying.)


__

Labels: law, UP

This year marks my 3rd and final Portia Ball as a resident sister. While I'm still not incredibly nostalgic as I still have one semester to go before finally leaving UP, I also cannot help feeling bittersweet. After all, this semester is pivotal for us seniors. Most of my batchmates and friends are graduating already, and are bound to prepare for the Bar. While I'll still be seeing some of them in the library or in the Portia room as they review, it won't be the same. It's kind of like a preface to the end of an era.




Some of my greatest memories in law school are because of Portia, and I've found the greatest friends in my fellow Portians. It's true what they say that you don't need a sorority (or a fraternity) to survive law school. And I can still attest to that. But there are so many opportunities I would have missed, so many people I would not have gotten the chance to know if I never joined. Becoming a sis has enriched my life in many ways - and made the amount of suffering weigh far less than the joys and triumphs.

(Okay, end drama!!!)

We had LP Divine as our guest speaker; she is currently a partner at CMT Law and is one of our closest alumnae, thanks to our constant interactions with her on Facebook. Aside from her though, we were also graced with the presence of other distinguished alumnae: LP Susan Villanueva, also a partner of CMT Law (and my Intellectual Property professor last semester! One of the most brilliant profs I've had!), LP Jannet Regalado of Pilipinas Shell (who is coincidentally, the mom of one of our new baby sisses to be inducted that night, Anna), and Sis Jude Botor-Jaranilla, officer of the UP Portia Alumnae Association. I discovered early in my residence that one of the best things about our sorority is the alumnae's strong relations with all the sisses - they never made us feel like we're *just* students, or that they're very much our seniors. We truly feel like we're talking to family every time we encounter them. I can honestly say that a real, genuine friendship is there, and it's not out of obligation. Every time I come across a sis, whether on Facebook or in person, in corporate settings or in courts, in the private sector or in the government, I always feel at ease. In a field full of competitive, aggressive, often unkind people, it is so comforting to know that there are people who have your back no matter what.




Fun moment of the night: when I introduced Louie to our LPs - separately - they had the exact same reaction! "Ohhh, I've read about you!" - referring to the Inquirer article I wrote about him for his birthday a year ago. Then they proceeded to tell us how much they liked it, how kilig they were, how they shared it to other people, etc, etc. Nakakatawa na nakakakilig! A part of me wanted the floor to swallow me up for putting my affections out there for all the world to see - and refer to, every chance they get! But then again, what is love if it's not worth writing about? Ha ha hahaha. Haba na naman ng hair ni Louie that night, in fairness :)))

We held our 83rd ball at the Hanging Gardens Events Place in Fairview. The place was breath-taking, especially thanks to the beautiful plants and flowers that adorned its walls! Very much in line with this year's theme for Portia Week, "Bloom." There's always something particularly resplendent about being surrounded with nature. I suppose, it's because nature, much like art, provides just as much healing as it does enjoyment (as I've written in our Lit Folio's foreword, btw!) - so much so that it makes anyone and anything it is surrounded with feel so alive.




And now for the photo dump! I brought with me my Re but the decent shots were taken from either my phone or Louie's. Some others were grabbed from pictures tagged in Facebook. (I'll be updating this ones the official pictures arrive!):




















Shout-out again to this guy who has been my date for three Portia Balls already! This month, we celebrate 3 years since our first date :) :3 I'm inclined to write something sentimental here but I think that Inquirer article is enough cheese to last a lifetime! Anyway, he knows how much I appreciate him. So grateful I get to bring this super gwapo guy to nights like this!





And as a parting shot, just like last year, the Portia Seniors of 2016. Not complete in this photo though! You can see we're still attempting to call everyone in! Hahaha!










By the way, I forgot to share with you guys my "baby" this year for Portia Week. I was tasked to head the Portia Literary Folio, which is a yearly compendium of art, fiction, and poetry from students in and out of the College of Law. It was launched last Thursday, April 29, at the Poetic Sojourn, our version of open-mic and spoken-poetry night.

My main driving force in producing this year's Lit Folio was the idea of reconsructing and rebuilding - in line with what we've lost in the Faculty Center fire last month. We wanted to encourage people that in art, there is healing, and in healing, there is creation. Such is life, and such is art.

I extend my deepest gratitude to all our contributors who contributed and shared their art with us, for us to feature both in print and online. And most of all, I thank my great team, composed of Lesly, Isa, Therese, CJ, Mer, and Justine, without whom the folio would not have been a success. My love to all of you! ♥

Feel free to share the link to the online version of our Folio! (But please give credit where it is due! So that you don't end up violating IP laws :P )






We also launched our official website, UPPortiaSorority.com, last weekend! FINALLY! I wrote a significant amount of articles there, some of which were also used in the exhibits we've featured in our college. I'm so proud of our Pub Team! Finally!

Know more about us at www.upportiasorority.com :)

Labels: law, portia, UP

Labels: law, UP

Taking a break from reviewing for SPIT (Special Problems in Taxation); currently reading an issue of She-Hulk from the 2014-2015 run.

Because I need to remind myself that I want to be a lawyer.

Jennifer Walters is most definitely my favorite Marvel comic character, in large part because of her profession, but also because I feel like I identify most with her personality. She just does her job, and she does it well. She's a bit kooky, and different, but she gets things done. That's the kinda girl I wanna be.

The Civil War issue, while different in the comics from the movies, is ripe with legal implications and consequences. She was an active #TeamIronMan member in the comics; in fact there was a significant part where she and Tony were discussing the ramifications of the divide. For that reason alone, I kinda wished She-Hulk was in the movies, just so I can see how her knowledge of the law will apply (and if it will be the same as my arguments haha). But I'm really interested in the cases she handles in the Marvel comics, just because it has the right amount of realism, despite the presence of superheroes and super villains. The dialogue is not so alienating for people who do not study the law, but for those who do, the small easter eggs are priceless.

Man, if only may superhero law lang na field talaga! I would definitely sign up as an apprentice for She-Hulk's firm!

(Okay, back to studying.)


__

Labels: law, UP

This year marks my 3rd and final Portia Ball as a resident sister. While I'm still not incredibly nostalgic as I still have one semester to go before finally leaving UP, I also cannot help feeling bittersweet. After all, this semester is pivotal for us seniors. Most of my batchmates and friends are graduating already, and are bound to prepare for the Bar. While I'll still be seeing some of them in the library or in the Portia room as they review, it won't be the same. It's kind of like a preface to the end of an era.




Some of my greatest memories in law school are because of Portia, and I've found the greatest friends in my fellow Portians. It's true what they say that you don't need a sorority (or a fraternity) to survive law school. And I can still attest to that. But there are so many opportunities I would have missed, so many people I would not have gotten the chance to know if I never joined. Becoming a sis has enriched my life in many ways - and made the amount of suffering weigh far less than the joys and triumphs.

(Okay, end drama!!!)

We had LP Divine as our guest speaker; she is currently a partner at CMT Law and is one of our closest alumnae, thanks to our constant interactions with her on Facebook. Aside from her though, we were also graced with the presence of other distinguished alumnae: LP Susan Villanueva, also a partner of CMT Law (and my Intellectual Property professor last semester! One of the most brilliant profs I've had!), LP Jannet Regalado of Pilipinas Shell (who is coincidentally, the mom of one of our new baby sisses to be inducted that night, Anna), and Sis Jude Botor-Jaranilla, officer of the UP Portia Alumnae Association. I discovered early in my residence that one of the best things about our sorority is the alumnae's strong relations with all the sisses - they never made us feel like we're *just* students, or that they're very much our seniors. We truly feel like we're talking to family every time we encounter them. I can honestly say that a real, genuine friendship is there, and it's not out of obligation. Every time I come across a sis, whether on Facebook or in person, in corporate settings or in courts, in the private sector or in the government, I always feel at ease. In a field full of competitive, aggressive, often unkind people, it is so comforting to know that there are people who have your back no matter what.




Fun moment of the night: when I introduced Louie to our LPs - separately - they had the exact same reaction! "Ohhh, I've read about you!" - referring to the Inquirer article I wrote about him for his birthday a year ago. Then they proceeded to tell us how much they liked it, how kilig they were, how they shared it to other people, etc, etc. Nakakatawa na nakakakilig! A part of me wanted the floor to swallow me up for putting my affections out there for all the world to see - and refer to, every chance they get! But then again, what is love if it's not worth writing about? Ha ha hahaha. Haba na naman ng hair ni Louie that night, in fairness :)))

We held our 83rd ball at the Hanging Gardens Events Place in Fairview. The place was breath-taking, especially thanks to the beautiful plants and flowers that adorned its walls! Very much in line with this year's theme for Portia Week, "Bloom." There's always something particularly resplendent about being surrounded with nature. I suppose, it's because nature, much like art, provides just as much healing as it does enjoyment (as I've written in our Lit Folio's foreword, btw!) - so much so that it makes anyone and anything it is surrounded with feel so alive.




And now for the photo dump! I brought with me my Re but the decent shots were taken from either my phone or Louie's. Some others were grabbed from pictures tagged in Facebook. (I'll be updating this ones the official pictures arrive!):




















Shout-out again to this guy who has been my date for three Portia Balls already! This month, we celebrate 3 years since our first date :) :3 I'm inclined to write something sentimental here but I think that Inquirer article is enough cheese to last a lifetime! Anyway, he knows how much I appreciate him. So grateful I get to bring this super gwapo guy to nights like this!





And as a parting shot, just like last year, the Portia Seniors of 2016. Not complete in this photo though! You can see we're still attempting to call everyone in! Hahaha!










By the way, I forgot to share with you guys my "baby" this year for Portia Week. I was tasked to head the Portia Literary Folio, which is a yearly compendium of art, fiction, and poetry from students in and out of the College of Law. It was launched last Thursday, April 29, at the Poetic Sojourn, our version of open-mic and spoken-poetry night.

My main driving force in producing this year's Lit Folio was the idea of reconsructing and rebuilding - in line with what we've lost in the Faculty Center fire last month. We wanted to encourage people that in art, there is healing, and in healing, there is creation. Such is life, and such is art.

I extend my deepest gratitude to all our contributors who contributed and shared their art with us, for us to feature both in print and online. And most of all, I thank my great team, composed of Lesly, Isa, Therese, CJ, Mer, and Justine, without whom the folio would not have been a success. My love to all of you! ♥

Feel free to share the link to the online version of our Folio! (But please give credit where it is due! So that you don't end up violating IP laws :P )






We also launched our official website, UPPortiaSorority.com, last weekend! FINALLY! I wrote a significant amount of articles there, some of which were also used in the exhibits we've featured in our college. I'm so proud of our Pub Team! Finally!

Know more about us at www.upportiasorority.com :)

Labels: law, portia, UP

Labels: law, UP

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)

   

Recently

27(.5)
Endgame
Standout Songs: "Overkill" on Scrubs
You'll be out of the dark, yeah you'll get your shot
Music of the Night
Marrakesh Treaty: More access to books for the vis...
How we weep and laugh at the same thing
Something
Conflict resolution
Book frustrations

This Is How It Doesn't Start

this is how it doesn't start, in eleven parts

Labels

An attempt at poetry; Books; Bullets; Creative nonfiction; CW; Featured; Feeble attempts at poetry; Fiction; Finger exercises; Law school; Mixtape; Playwriting; Poetry; Senioritis; Shuffle Wednesdays; Summer; The Pillow Book; Thesis; UP

Archives

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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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