Last week, I had my last classes and took my final exams in the College of Law. For the most part, I expected to be more emotional, more bittersweet about it. But as the days went on I just felt more relieved than anything else. This was the moment that I've long been dreaming of, the part where I can look at Malcolm Hall and say, "Wow, what a ride." But that day, when I took my last exam ever as a student, I gazed at our building and just uttered, "Hay, I just want to eat." :))

It's true, you can't predict your feelings, not even when you've imagined them all in your head for the last four and a half years. Which is funny, because being the emotional person that I am, one of my best friends was teasing me - "For sure, iiyak ka after Civ!" And I was so ready to cry that day. But I didn't. Instead, I let out a hearty laugh and craved for Burger King.

Which isn't to say that I don't feel sentimental at all. Of course I do. UP has been home for the last eight years. I've spent a huge fraction of my life here. I first stepped foot in the campus when I was a young, naive, idealistic 16-year-old. And now I'm a... uhh... 25. :)) I grew up here, and of course it's difficult to leave for good. But at the same time, eight years was such a long time of being confined inside the bubble. It was tiring. Most of my time was spent with books, with ideas. Now I'm just glad to finally have succeeded.

I reckon the heavy waterworks will be coming when I actually graduate, i.e., ceremony, sablay, UP Naming Mahal, the whole enchilada. But for now, I'm just really excited to have reached the finish line. Finally! I got into law school hoping and praying that I will get out of it in one piece. I did! I really effin' did! Who would have thought?! Now give me those burgers! :))






Later that week, I also attended the Lantern Parade, my first time since 2013. As per tradition, I was with two of my college best friends, Ria and Adrian. When we were in undergrad, our big group would sit on the steps of Melchor Hall and spend half a day there, watching as the festivities unfold. A lot of things have changed since then, most notable of which - aside from all of us graduating, of course - was the change in the academic calendar. Before, the last week of December meant Engineering Week, and the night of the Lantern Parade meant Miss Eng'g. Good times.




It's pretty much obvious by now what a special place I have in my heart for Eng'g. That's where I found my bestest, closest friends, my funniest escapades, and my greatest crush - who also became my greatest love. #yihee But the truth is, I really feel such a strong affinity with the college even though I never took classes there. So I just felt like it was proper to spend my last Lantern Parade as a student in the same place where I made so many memories.

Since the Parade is scheduled at the last day of the academic semester, it meant less people. It was at the tail-end of finals week, so I suppose most people were either still studying for exams or were already done and have gone back to their provinces. But while the crowd wasn't as big, the lanterns still lived up to my expectations. I was super pleased that most of them not only embodied a Christmas theme, but also carried with them a strong sentiment against the current political climate. I was especially proud of College of Law's lantern, of course, since it featured Lady Justice with the words "Marcos Not A Hero." We really are in trying times, and it's good to know that even in the middle of such revelry, there is still room to acknowledge the struggle that lies outside.

It's things like this that I'll really miss about UP.




But of course, there's still one place that I will always consider home.

Shortly after the Lantern Parade, my friends and I went to AS to fetch our other kabarkada Jio, who is now a history professor. (Coincidentally, he's also the boyfriend of my law school blockmate and sis, Therese). After the fire that destroyed the Faculty Center, they were relocated to what was formerly the Chem Pavilion. It was newly renovated after it was also razed in flames a couple of years before. The entire first floor corridor of the pavilion felt eerily familiar - and then I remembered, it was where I took my UPCAT in 2007!

And now, that very same corridor houses the offices and departments of my college, the College of Arts and Letters. This was what made me feel really nostalgic. It still breaks my heart thinking about all that was lost in that April fire - more than just the memories, but all the books! Pieces of literature that were parts of history. Gone.




But, as they say, art is never really destroyed. Much like energy, it just transforms, and finds other ways to be re-created. I walked the corridors where CAL is now located, and I found small comfort in knowing that they have now planted new seeds there. Time for new art to flourish, and new stories to be told. :)




My last few nights in QC I spent with friends--

After Lantern Parade I met up with the rest of my college barkada at a friend's house. It wasn't even a third of the entire group, but that's still a feat considering our number (30??), our busy schedules, and our zip codes. It's a different kind of fun when I'm with them because I can be my most natural, no pretenses, and still be completely at home. We always just pick up where we left off, and never run out of things to talk laugh about. We had pizza and beer; Ria also brought some home-cooked pesto rolls (or what our friend Enzo dubbed as "lumpiang pesto" haha!). It's the simple things that I love most when it comes to these guys. No charades, and eight years later, we're still quite the same people. Which is the kind of constancy we need in these crazy times, really.




Then the day after was my food trip / tita date with my blockmate sisses. The five of us are the only Portians in our block, with two of them having taken the bar last November, two of us graduating this semester, and one who transferred in another law school. So it really is a rarity to have all of us in one place! And what a riot. I've never eaten that much food in a span of 12 hours! We decided to try and venture out into the Kapitolyo area since we never go there. For lunch, we wanted to be adventurous and ate at Locavore. (Everything we ordered was sooo goood!). Then we walked around East Kapitolyo, stopped by some craft stores, and ended up having cakes at Epic Cafe. Then we waited for the Sky High Bar to open to cap off our night with some drinks. Talking about exams, firm interviews, and clients never seemed so fancy :))











In hindsight, it was a great weekend for ~closure~. I don't think it has really sunk in yet that I'll be leaving Quezon City, and be crawling back to my domicile in Paranaque for good. But more than feeling wistful, I'm actually more thrilled. Eight years in a place like UP was more than what most people can ask for in their lifetime. But now it's time to settle back into our home and make myself comfortable with the idea that I'm finally a permanent resident of our house again. A lot of adjustments to be expected, yes, especially given the grueling months ahead for bar review. But I think I made the right decision to surround myself with the best people in my life instead, and that's my family, who's been my support system since Day 1.

TL;DR: I miss my mom and pop so much, so it's definitely great to be back! I'm going to miss you QC, but Paranaque's still the shizz ;)

Last week, I had my last classes and took my final exams in the College of Law. For the most part, I expected to be more emotional, more bittersweet about it. But as the days went on I just felt more relieved than anything else. This was the moment that I've long been dreaming of, the part where I can look at Malcolm Hall and say, "Wow, what a ride." But that day, when I took my last exam ever as a student, I gazed at our building and just uttered, "Hay, I just want to eat." :))

It's true, you can't predict your feelings, not even when you've imagined them all in your head for the last four and a half years. Which is funny, because being the emotional person that I am, one of my best friends was teasing me - "For sure, iiyak ka after Civ!" And I was so ready to cry that day. But I didn't. Instead, I let out a hearty laugh and craved for Burger King.

Which isn't to say that I don't feel sentimental at all. Of course I do. UP has been home for the last eight years. I've spent a huge fraction of my life here. I first stepped foot in the campus when I was a young, naive, idealistic 16-year-old. And now I'm a... uhh... 25. :)) I grew up here, and of course it's difficult to leave for good. But at the same time, eight years was such a long time of being confined inside the bubble. It was tiring. Most of my time was spent with books, with ideas. Now I'm just glad to finally have succeeded.

I reckon the heavy waterworks will be coming when I actually graduate, i.e., ceremony, sablay, UP Naming Mahal, the whole enchilada. But for now, I'm just really excited to have reached the finish line. Finally! I got into law school hoping and praying that I will get out of it in one piece. I did! I really effin' did! Who would have thought?! Now give me those burgers! :))






Later that week, I also attended the Lantern Parade, my first time since 2013. As per tradition, I was with two of my college best friends, Ria and Adrian. When we were in undergrad, our big group would sit on the steps of Melchor Hall and spend half a day there, watching as the festivities unfold. A lot of things have changed since then, most notable of which - aside from all of us graduating, of course - was the change in the academic calendar. Before, the last week of December meant Engineering Week, and the night of the Lantern Parade meant Miss Eng'g. Good times.




It's pretty much obvious by now what a special place I have in my heart for Eng'g. That's where I found my bestest, closest friends, my funniest escapades, and my greatest crush - who also became my greatest love. #yihee But the truth is, I really feel such a strong affinity with the college even though I never took classes there. So I just felt like it was proper to spend my last Lantern Parade as a student in the same place where I made so many memories.

Since the Parade is scheduled at the last day of the academic semester, it meant less people. It was at the tail-end of finals week, so I suppose most people were either still studying for exams or were already done and have gone back to their provinces. But while the crowd wasn't as big, the lanterns still lived up to my expectations. I was super pleased that most of them not only embodied a Christmas theme, but also carried with them a strong sentiment against the current political climate. I was especially proud of College of Law's lantern, of course, since it featured Lady Justice with the words "Marcos Not A Hero." We really are in trying times, and it's good to know that even in the middle of such revelry, there is still room to acknowledge the struggle that lies outside.

It's things like this that I'll really miss about UP.




But of course, there's still one place that I will always consider home.

Shortly after the Lantern Parade, my friends and I went to AS to fetch our other kabarkada Jio, who is now a history professor. (Coincidentally, he's also the boyfriend of my law school blockmate and sis, Therese). After the fire that destroyed the Faculty Center, they were relocated to what was formerly the Chem Pavilion. It was newly renovated after it was also razed in flames a couple of years before. The entire first floor corridor of the pavilion felt eerily familiar - and then I remembered, it was where I took my UPCAT in 2007!

And now, that very same corridor houses the offices and departments of my college, the College of Arts and Letters. This was what made me feel really nostalgic. It still breaks my heart thinking about all that was lost in that April fire - more than just the memories, but all the books! Pieces of literature that were parts of history. Gone.




But, as they say, art is never really destroyed. Much like energy, it just transforms, and finds other ways to be re-created. I walked the corridors where CAL is now located, and I found small comfort in knowing that they have now planted new seeds there. Time for new art to flourish, and new stories to be told. :)




My last few nights in QC I spent with friends--

After Lantern Parade I met up with the rest of my college barkada at a friend's house. It wasn't even a third of the entire group, but that's still a feat considering our number (30??), our busy schedules, and our zip codes. It's a different kind of fun when I'm with them because I can be my most natural, no pretenses, and still be completely at home. We always just pick up where we left off, and never run out of things to talk laugh about. We had pizza and beer; Ria also brought some home-cooked pesto rolls (or what our friend Enzo dubbed as "lumpiang pesto" haha!). It's the simple things that I love most when it comes to these guys. No charades, and eight years later, we're still quite the same people. Which is the kind of constancy we need in these crazy times, really.




Then the day after was my food trip / tita date with my blockmate sisses. The five of us are the only Portians in our block, with two of them having taken the bar last November, two of us graduating this semester, and one who transferred in another law school. So it really is a rarity to have all of us in one place! And what a riot. I've never eaten that much food in a span of 12 hours! We decided to try and venture out into the Kapitolyo area since we never go there. For lunch, we wanted to be adventurous and ate at Locavore. (Everything we ordered was sooo goood!). Then we walked around East Kapitolyo, stopped by some craft stores, and ended up having cakes at Epic Cafe. Then we waited for the Sky High Bar to open to cap off our night with some drinks. Talking about exams, firm interviews, and clients never seemed so fancy :))











In hindsight, it was a great weekend for ~closure~. I don't think it has really sunk in yet that I'll be leaving Quezon City, and be crawling back to my domicile in Paranaque for good. But more than feeling wistful, I'm actually more thrilled. Eight years in a place like UP was more than what most people can ask for in their lifetime. But now it's time to settle back into our home and make myself comfortable with the idea that I'm finally a permanent resident of our house again. A lot of adjustments to be expected, yes, especially given the grueling months ahead for bar review. But I think I made the right decision to surround myself with the best people in my life instead, and that's my family, who's been my support system since Day 1.

TL;DR: I miss my mom and pop so much, so it's definitely great to be back! I'm going to miss you QC, but Paranaque's still the shizz ;)

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

Light up the stage
What today was
Timelines
i'll make it to the moon if i have to crawl
blues, grays, and permutations thereof
in a mile you'll be feeling fine
Everyday is a Sunday Evening
Lightning strikes every time she moves
A glimpse of the SC Justice Zone Project
#DalagaNa: My First Beauty Post, because why not?

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

February 2005; March 2005; April 2005; May 2005; June 2005; July 2005; August 2005; September 2005; October 2005; November 2005; December 2005; January 2006; February 2006; March 2006; April 2006; May 2006; June 2006; July 2006; August 2006; September 2006; October 2006; November 2006; December 2006; January 2007; March 2007; April 2007; May 2007; June 2007; July 2007; August 2007; October 2007; November 2007; December 2007; January 2008; February 2008; March 2008; April 2008; May 2008; June 2008; July 2008; August 2008; September 2008; October 2008; November 2008; December 2008; January 2009; February 2009; March 2009; April 2009; May 2009; June 2009; July 2009; August 2009; September 2009; October 2009; November 2009; December 2009; January 2010; February 2010; March 2010; April 2010; May 2010; June 2010; July 2010; August 2010; September 2010; October 2010; November 2010; December 2010; January 2011; February 2011; March 2011; April 2011; May 2011; June 2011; July 2011; August 2011; September 2011; October 2011; November 2011; December 2011; January 2012; February 2012; March 2012; April 2012; May 2012; June 2012; July 2012; August 2012; September 2012; October 2012; November 2012; December 2012; January 2013; February 2013; March 2013; April 2013; May 2013; June 2013; July 2013; August 2013; September 2013; October 2013; November 2013; December 2013; January 2014; February 2014; March 2014; April 2014; May 2014; June 2014; July 2014; August 2014; September 2014; October 2014; November 2014; December 2014; January 2015; February 2015; March 2015; April 2015; May 2015; June 2015; July 2015; August 2015; September 2015; October 2015; November 2015; December 2015; January 2016; February 2016; March 2016; April 2016; May 2016; June 2016; July 2016; August 2016; September 2016; October 2016; November 2016; December 2016; January 2017; March 2017; April 2017; May 2017; June 2017; July 2017; August 2017; September 2017; November 2017; December 2017; March 2018; April 2018; May 2018; June 2018; September 2018; October 2018; November 2018; December 2018; January 2019; February 2019; March 2019; April 2019;

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.

This blog is hosted by PhilHosting.net, and powered by Blogger. The layout is coded entirely by me.

Photo hosting: TinyPic, Photobucket
Question box: EmailMeForm, Ask.fm

Copyright © BOMBASTARR