December so far (Visuals)

 16th

Don't mind me. Check out the interiors

AC Chorale. Ms. Four Eyes is my sister, Nikki


18th to 19th

Papa

Mama

My other sister Trixie is in the middle. Any resemblance among us three?

24th

Lorraine (far right), my cousin's girlfriend, spent Christmas Eve with us! My cousin, Kuya Ian, took this picture.

2011 is just around the corner! :) Happy holidays!! :)

Strangers

Strangers who have yet to meet,
Strangers who have yet to make
Memories they would want to keep
Memories they would want to break.

Strangers who have yet to see
That they, before, were once friends
Strangers won't let each other be
People who can make amends. 

Should I ask if you and I

Are strangers of a light degree?

Or if we are people who walk disguised

As ones who care most certainly?

It sounds unfinished. Like it was just cut abruptly. Well, I couldn't think of another verse anymore after the last one. I blame my hormones for this--the poem and the inability to finish the poem. They aren't buzzing like they were a couple of days ago, but they have gotten me down a bit. I miss a lot of people right now. 

Play Filipino >> 2

 

click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-oNxNBpEmM


Burnout // Sugarfree


This is exactly the sound that got me hooked on Sugarfree. Their first album, Sa Wakas (which translates into "Finally"), contains easy listening, light melodies with very honest and simple lyrics. Burnout reminisces on past love, and how feelings of people toward each other change. Dahil katulad mo, ako rin ay nagbago ("Because like you, I've changed as well). It's definitely bittersweet, as Ebe sings in the final chorus, "O kay tagal din kitang mamahalin" ("Oh how long I will love you").

PS: This song was played by the original Sugarfree lineup. The band currently works with their new drummer (although not really new 'cause the change happened quite some time ago already), Kaka Quisumbing.
PPS: Sorry for the crappy video quality. I don't like the video, but I do like the fact that it used online gaming to portray interaction because it somehow reflected Philippine society back then. (Yeah, sorry, I like Sociology a lot hence the observation.)

December so far

December 15 (Please skip reading this part if you do not want to see pictures of naked men.)
Saw birds of a different kind (of a different species? haha) on campus *that translates into* I watched the Oblation Run for the very first time. And I can truly say that it's nothing spectacular. The APO entrance was far more exciting than the actual run, or should I say, timid walk, up the AS steps.

 

December 16

My sister Nikki, along with the rest of AC Chorale, performed at Manila Hotel where my family and I caught their hour-long performance of Christmas carols at the lobby. Great job guys!! They did such a sweet rendition of the classic, Pasko Na Sinta Ko (which translates into something like It's Already Christmas, My Love/Dear). Btw Manila Hotel is SO pretty. My dad went there back in the 80s and he said nothing much has changed. You can feel Filipino culture by just standing in the lobby. Two freakin' Manansala paintings, beautiful chandeliers, and carved wood adorn the interiors. Too bad we didn't stay long, or check in! For you foreigners planning to visit the Philippines, please do stay here. It's a five-star hotel soaked in Filipino heritage. 

After that, we heard Simbang Gabi (oo na, I hear anticipated Simbang Gabi) then went over to Magallanes to attend the wake of the mom of a good friend. I was shaking looking into the casket. That could have been my mom there, considering that my mother had a tumor too in her brain. Thankfully my mom's tumor was benign, unlike the case of my friend. Her mother's tumor was malignant. My deepest condolences to you, dear. 

December 17

Unfortunately, I missed almost the whole Lantern Parade due to miscommunication with my sister (cause we had to coordinate our plans since both of us would be out at the same time). I caught one lantern, the one of FA. The designs were great (I think they used the same technique they employed in their smaller lanterns from last year's) but I think there would have been more impact if there were like, five sets of underwater scenes that passed by instead of just two. But well, I know that's pretty difficult to make so props to FA! :) Will definitely watch each Parade until I graduate. 

December 18-19

My family and I checked in at Dusit Thani to celebrate my parent's 21st wedding anniversary! It was a pretty chill stay there. Most of the pictures are with my mom and sister, so I'll just show the cute Christmas displays different people prepared in the lobby.

The Barbie Christmas tree: each Barbie's outfit was designed by individual designers from all over the country, whereas the tree itself was designed by Tessa Prieto-Valdes. So creative and not to mention fabulous!

A toy Christmas tree designed by Tim Yap

Rajo Laurel's Christmas tree made of recycled wire hangers, colored paper, and envelopes

My parents

After our stay, my mom dropped a gift off at her friend's place. We stayed for a while, and found this cutie Santa! Diggin' his plaid man.

Five more days til Christmas!!!! :) Merry Christmas!! :)

Versus

Situation:
Mom enters rooms and picks up something from a guy I used to like or date.

Conversation:
Mom: (picks up lobster stuffed toy) Can we give this away?
Me: No.
Mom: You should let go, Bea.
Me: Did you let go of the blanket Tom [her ex-bf] gave you? No.

Conclusion:
Mom leaves room. She did the exact same thing before, that time picking up a necklace I liked.

Question:
Is it so wrong to keep cute things?

Play Filipino >> 1

The first of weekly audio-treats, all of which created in our lovely archipelago.

 

click: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8M_yUFjOHI



Your Universe // Rico Blanco

Sweet, simple, sincere. How love is (or should be). Rico never fails to pull at already pulled heart strings. You can thank your stars all you want but I'll always be the lucky one.


Appreciate and cultivate. Support your local music industry. 

Won't you come on over

Stop making a fool out of me
Why don't you come on over, Valerie? 


LSS for the past 3 days http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjl_fXEz9Vo

I love how sad sentiments have such happy melodies. Plus this song always makes me dance :P

PS: The December breeze in UP is delightful. Cool, actually, cold and quite romantic. Excited for Christmas!!

Christmas in UP

Just a couple of things you could check out this December :)

Christmas is my all time favorite holiday. I just love how the air becomes cooler, people become generous, and I dunno, it's like when I'm walking I can feel love all around (HAHA). What really gets me though are the Christmas decorations being set up everywhere. I particularly love the lights along Makati Avenue, and of course the light adorned buildings and trees of Rockwell.

My school has gone all Christmas-y as well. Colleges have started to put up decorations (my college created this stained glass effect on windows of our building, College of Engineering has a belen set up out front). This will be my second Christmas in UP and I'm so excited for all of it to unfold. Each college has more or less their own string of activities during this Christmas season, but there are two big events that every isko looks forward to: Lantern Parade and the Oblation Run.

Each college creates a lantern, which is actually really more of a "float" or "exhibition piece", to be paraded around the Academic Oval. Each one will be judged according to certain criteria blah blah the main point of this event is the display of skill of my fellow iskos. Earlier today I was able to see the lantern of College of Science. It has two big test tubes pouring something into a bigger Erlenmeyer flask. So cute!! I would have taken a picture if the jeep had stopped moving. For those of you who do not study in UP or have never watched the Lantern Parade, I suggest you drop by UP. You will really be in awe at the creative genius of the students. Last year's lanterns were SO AWESOME. Here are a couple of pictures from last year's parade:

College of Fine Arts

I can't remember which College

PACMAN

Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao's mom, Aling Dionisia (this lantern looks exactly like her. AND her eyelids move)

That's me on the left. I had to make a little "lantern" myself. The theme was nature so we all made trees

(First 4 pictures taken by Patrick Jalasco. Last 2 pictures taken by Seph Dela Paz.)

I'm so excited for this year's parade. I'm sure this year there'll be a lantern about the budget cut.

Aside from the Parade, December has become a much awaited month because of the famed Oblation Run. Apparently, this yearly event has it's roots in activism. In 1977, the APO Fraternity did that in protest to Marcos banning the film Hubad na Bayani, which in English translates to Naked Hero.


Dates //
Oblation Run: Decmber 15, 12 noon @ Palma Hall (or AS Building) // Lantern Parade: December 17 @Academic Oval

See you!! :)

Today

Today was nothing out of the ordinary but I liked it. I got to examine a human skull (know the bones and their respective parts) of a 32 year old female. It's a shit load of names and images and locations and attachments to remember but the more I explore anything that has to deal with the body, whether it be anatomy, psychology, or well-being, all the more I am assured that my path is towards medicine.

the line that's encircled is the temporal line, the site for the attachment of the temporalis muscle

This class of mine that deals with the skull (and pretty soon the rest of the skeletal system), Anthropology 101, is really exciting for me not only because of the subject matter we tackle, but because of the people I'm surrounded with. Today, a classmate of mine shared that his 10 year old daughter has the brain capacity of a baby, resulting in her physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional aspects to be very much developmentally delayed. She is currently stuck to her wheelchair. My other classmate, I learned, used to be a Physics major before she shifted into Anthropology, and upon graduating, would like to pursue Archaeology. And lastly, I just found that my professor is gay (I swear my gaydar sucks) and has adopted 4 kids to care for. I found learning these facts about these people to be very fascinating because I realized that things are not always what they seem. The assumptions I made prior to them talking about parts of their lives, are happily gone. It's normal to "judge" or "size up" people but this time around, being wrong in my judgement felt refreshing and right. 

Anyway, my point is that people have stories to tell. If you listen closely, you could learn a thing or two.  It pays to listen to those who are able to share their lives, whether in increments or in long chapters, because in them is a richness, a different knowledge that can't be learned by rigorous schooling. 

PS: Listen to Today by the Smashing Pumpkins. 

***

Correction!! The part I highlighted isn't the temporal line. The temporal line is actually where the lower right edge (around 5 o'clock) of the circle hits the skull.