Sigh..

Oh, boy. That's all I can muster to say. This week is going to be pretty hectic and strenuous. We have to memorize our chosen soliloquy and talumpati in front of the whole class. Did I mention we have to wear a costume?! I hate costumes. That's it. It's going to be a hell of a week. To add up to the labor, we also need to finish loads of projects. And lastly, to spicy up things a bit more, mastery tests are piling up - on the same day. Can you imagine?! Next week ought to be a lot better.I need some relief..

High on Krua Thai

Illongos love to eat. Oh yeah, they do. Any type of cuisine would suit them, may it be Japanese, Chinese, American, European, etc. just as long as they get their stomachs full. I particularly agree on that one. I believe Filipinos aren't that choosy and picky when it comes to food. A proof would be eating BALUT. Okay, it doesn't sound that inviting but it's good! I like it, except for the black part which I think is the baby chick. Anyway, going back to our topic. A flavor of Iloilo which I'm entirely proud of is Thai cuisine. Thailand is famous for its spicy and tasty food. From the variety of curry beef, chicken and pork to the spicy soups and dishes made of seafoods and other meat and especially their very own fried rice captured my heart, or taste buds rather. It's one of my family's favorite restaurants. Usually, when we go out for dinner during weekends, we make sure we eat at Krua Thai (in Smallville). But the real and true reason why I like to go there is because of their famous and unique dessert, Sticky Rice with Mango. (I just ate it yesterday!)It's sticky rice with 'gata' and chocolate syrup on top of it with slices of mango on the side. It tastes heavenly. I can eat it when I'm in a bad mood because it erases all my worries away. I love how the rice tastes really sticky and how it blends with the sweetness of the 'gata' and syrup makes it even more sumptuous. I totally recommend this restaurant to those who want to chill and enjoy the evening with a whole new taste.

Live. Love. Let Go.

Charlie St. Cloud is a young man overcome by grief at the death of his younger brother. He was devastated of the thought that he was alive and his brother, Sam was the one who lost his life because of his reckless driving. He recounts the promise he made to Sam before the accident: he would practice baseball with him everyday before he leaves. Charlie afterward takes a job as caretaker of the cemetery in which his brother is buried. Charlie has a special lasting bond with his brother though, as he can see him. Charlie meets up with his brother each night to play catch and talk. Then, a girl comes into Charlie's life and he must choose between keeping a promise he made to Sam, or going after the girl he loves. He is torn between his little brother or the life he wants to live.

Life is for living. We love to live. Letting go is part of it.

Fun Facts: Part 1

Did You Know?

HISTORY

1. It is believed that Shakespeare was 46 around the time that the King James Version of the Bible was written. In Psalms 46, the 46th word from the first word is shake and the 46th word from the last word is spear.

2. The Roman emperor Caligula made his horse a senator.

3. Alaska was the only part of the United States that was invaded by the Japanese during WWII. The territory was the island of Adak in the Aleutian Chain.

4. Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain smoked forty cigars a day for the last years of his life.(WOAH.)
* Mark Twain is the author of the two great classic stories, 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' and 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'.

5. The earliest document in Latin in a woman's handwriting (it is from the first century A.D.) is an invitation to a birthday party.

The Odyssey

This classic saga by Homer is set in ancient Greece where it relates the adventures of King Odysseus of Ithaca. On the day his son is born to faithful wife Penelope , Odysseus is commanded by the goddess Athena to leave his home and travel to battle the Trojans. Little does he realize that this is the beginning of a 20-year sojourn where Odysseus conquers many grave perils as he finds his way home from being lost at sea. Additional trials include sea monsters, the Cyclops, the Kingdom of the Dead, enchantress Circe, and getting shipwrecked on the isle of Calypso, who wants to keep him around. All the while, Odysseus' dedicated wife, Penelope, is fo... read more rced to hold off suitors trying to claim his property in the thought that Odysseus has died. As a good story is suppose to end in a happy manner, Odysseus was able to go home to his beloved family. He realizes there's no place like home.

Oh, Tuesday

Okay, Tuesdays are really bad days for me. The moment I open my eyes every Tuesday morning, I feel quite awful. Yup, really. Today was a bummer. I'll mention the reasons why it's a crappy day today:

1. I overslept. I woke up at around 5:45 already. Great.

2. I don't feel well. My throat is throbbing. I'm close to coughing. Awesome.

3. Burdensome projects-soliloquy, book report, and talumpati. Brilliant.

4. I forgot my tumbler at school. Aww, my favorite and super duper cute tumbler! Terrific.

5. I failed the practical test in Computer. My mind was totally blank and empty. Perfect.

I'm enthusiastically looking forward for Wednesday to come.

I Hear

"I HEAR"

by: Lou Valerie Lavilla
(project in CAE)

Whenever I hear a sigh,
I hope it isn't goodbye.

Whenever I hear a whisper,
I would try to understand or decipher.

Whenever I hear a hum,
I would remember music is so much fun.

Whenever I hear a swish in the wind,
it would remind me of summertime breeze.

Whenever I hear a sizzle in fire,
it would remind me of love's great desire.

Whenever I hear a little goat bleat,
I would be tempted to flee;
to go away from my problems, my fears

But whenever I hear a little bird cheep,
it would remind me I still have a lot of life to live.

Batchoy

An hour ago, my family and I were roaming around Gaisano Mall searching for a restauant to dine in. Suddenly, I blurted "how about Deco's? It's been long sice we've eaten there". Good thing they immediately agreed, or else we could've spent 20 minutes arguing. We ordered, we waited and we chatted for a while. When the waitress was placing our food on the table, I noticed something. I was dumbfounded at how fast she was doing it. I was like "is she on a race or something?" or "is something or someone chasing after her?" I kept on wondering and I can't get it off my mind because I observed that the other waiters were acting perfectly normal. The confusement probably seemed obvious because the manager was about to approach us. Maybe the 'puzzled look' was tattoed on my face! Okaaaaaay, so I was actually staring. Not in a bad way of course. I felt my heart beating faster as the manger came closer. Only when he started facing my Mom did I realize that I was not the only one who recognized what happened. He started babbling and explaining, but not even a single word entered my head. I turned and faced the waitress wiping a table on the other side. Now I understood why she was acting that way. She is deaf and at the same time mute. I really felt sorry for her. She is a pretty woman and by just looking at her I can assume she is a very kind and likeable person. The pity I felt within me was beyond words. I wasn't able to speak afterwards.

3 things I learned tonight:
1. I am very lucky. I'm blessed to have all six senses. I should use it for the good of all.
2. As I was staring at that woman working very hard and giving her best efforts in her duties, one thing very significant crossed my mind. She proved to everybody that being deaf and mute is not a hindrance or a barrier to explore life's oppurtunities and gifts. She was not ashamed to show who she is. She didn't lie low, instead she faced the whole world with hope and with a smile :)
3. Even people who have defects or 'special gifts' have a life, and they LIVE it.

Just The Way You Are

"When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are..."

The lyrics of this song is from Bruno Mars's latest single, Just The Way You Are. These lines tell a lot about who we are as individuals. It's telling us to be happy and to stay true to ourselves. In this world we are living right now, one thing we will always have is our love and respect for ourselves. No matter how many trophes we bring home or how many bombs we dodge, our appreciation and admiration for who we are will forever stand by us. Everything, I mean just about everything, will just satrt to fall in place after we learn to accept ouselves-including our weaknesses and downfalls. We don't need to be somebody else. Who cares if Ilook like this, like that? After all, it's the interior or the inside that matters. It's the one that truly shines. It's the one that defines the word beauty.

Bring It.

Bring It. That was what Seattle Storm, my favorite WNBA basketball team, stands up for. This week has been pretty hectic. With all the pressure and excitement overflowing-not only on the players, but on avid fans as well including me. A certain team would immediately become champion once it wins 3 games. It wasn't easy, especially to compete with another strong team, the Atlanta Dream. Game 1 and 2 took place at Seattle's home court in Washington. The Storm had their 'home court advantage' as they put it, meaning they had the full support of their fans, so they were able to lead the series 2-0. Then we proceed to Game 3. Whew. The game transferred to Atlanta, so I was kind of uneasy and apprehensive. Usually, the team which has the home court advantage wins. But tonight proved it totally wrong. Lauren Jackson, together with the Storm of course, was able to bring home the bacon. The game was intense because both teams were very good and fiercely competitive. To win this means the whole world to them. They worked hard for this and they have reached this far-because they're a TEAM. That's all that matters. Taking the trophe would just be a major,major bonus.

Impatience

I'm very impatient. I admit it but I hate it. I despise it. I dislike it. I abore it. I curse it. It kills me. Maybe it's because of the environment. The world needs me. It needs my hands to take care of it. It needs my love and my care. I should act now before it's too late. I don't want the world to shatter. It is getting more and more impatient every day. It needs help NOW!

An Ideal Woman

During our CLE class a while ago, we witnessed the life of a young and ordinary - yet special- girl named Maria Goretti. She lived an imperfect life, just like all of us. But through all her troubles and breakdowns, she never failed to look up to God for prayer and to seek the brighter side of everything. One can call her the 'ideal' woman-a perfect example of someone who values her virginity or in other words she valued herself, being a woman. She respects herself, whoever she may be, and everyone in clodse ties with her and her family. She has great compassion for everybody, even the person who was responsible for her death. She forgave him before she died and even said that she would take him to heaven with her. See? How nice to hear something like this from a 12 year old. This teaches us to possess a forgiving and compassionate heart. Yes, forgiveness is a process. But everything in this world isn't permanent. Everything will pass. So before it's too late, we should think about forgiving those who have hurt us because first and foremost we are all imperfect. We do make mistakes, but we also do learn from them. Saint Maria Goretti is the patron saint of young women, purity and forgiveness. Here are som pictures from her canonization in 1950:

Crossing Over

I'm going to share the Shakespearean quote I chose to share to class tomorrow:

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts." - As You Like It

Basically, this quote tells about life's true meaning. The world is like a stage where the play (our lives) occurs. All of us are the characters and we play the game of life. We have our beginnings and endings, breakdowns and breakthroughs, we live and we die. Just one blink, and anything can happen. A play can either be a tragedy, comedy, or whatever. Our lives are full of relentless drama, full of emotions in other words. A person can choose his own path and direction. Where he would decide to go is his choice. Choices. We can choose to be a good person (the hero of the play) or we can lead a dark and shaky life by becoming the evil one (the villain). We have different characteristics. At first we were cute little babies then the next moment we forget everything brought about by old age. But that's how life really is. We begin. We live. We end.

Tour It With Me

Last Saturday, Reine and I had an adventurous escapade. After she finished her Spanish class, we met up at McDonald's Atrium to discuss our Journalism project which is to take pictures of anything we see that violates the proper English grammar/vocabulary. We set off on our mission excitedly with beaming smiles. Never did it cross our mind how tiring and time-consuming it would be. Not to mention how scorching hot it was! Because we were very eager to get it over with, we didn't have time to be embarrassed or bothered by all the stares and snickers following us. Eventually, we managed to survive amidst all those distractions. Yey! But eventhough we had our troubles and complaints, we also felt the glorious feeling of accomplishment, relief and fulfillment. AND, we had a great laugh too! People are so careless yet funny sometimes.

My Number One Fan

Today's Sunday and I went to church with my family this morning. The gospel was about the Prodigal Son/Lost Son. This story is not new to me so I paid less attention to the priest. But I clearly remeber one significant thing he said about fathers. He said:

"Your father is someone you'll look up to no matter how tall you've grown."

One day we would realize that no matter how much we've changed or how big or rich we've become, our lives and all the success and failures that goes along with it are shaped by the sacrifices and love our fathers (and mothers, too!) have showered upon us. Now I understand why a father finds it hard to let his 'baby girl' go.

I love you, Dad and I'm very blessed you are mine :)

Move over, Ice Cream. Fro-Yo's back!

I absolutely love Frozen Yogurt. Whatever flavor it may be, with toppings or without. Period. Last summer, when we went to Manila to visit my dad, I made sure I got a piece, a scoop or just even a smell of Fro-Yo. If there was one place memorable to me in Manila, it would be the Fro-Yo shops. At that time, there was still no franchising business of it here in Iloilo. But surprise, surprise! I just ate my beloved fro-yo 4 hours ago. Ha! Unbelievable. I was just about to go home when suddenly I stopped to look at something smiling at me. Well, I felt it was inviting me in. Weird, I know. Ha ha. I was just so shocked to see that, ah at last, someone was selling it here in Iloilo too. So, no worries. My long, devastating days are finally OVER.

Okay, so to give you more background about Frozen Yogurt, or "Fro-Yo", here are some fast facts of the Yogurt Craze which gives Ice Cream, its closest competition, a run for its money:

• Aside from its heavenly taste, its actually very nutritious. So better watch out Ice Cream!
• Helps to overcome lactose intolerance
• Aids digestion of milk protein
• Helps prevent and combat digestive tract infections
• The possibility that yogurt can help boost the immune system
• An indication that yogurt may be useful in lowering serum cholesterol
• Yogurt's potential in the prevention and management of certain cancers

In addition, yogurt is a good source of…
• Protein
• Calcium
• Potassium
• The vitamins B12 and Riboflavin

This begins a whole new war - Ice Cream vs. Frozen Yogurt. Which side are you on?

It Runs in the Family

Have you heard about Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh's unique and eccentric family tree? I haven't either, until I saw this article about him in Reader's Digest while I was scanning through looking for something to read. Be prepared for what's in his family tree:

Vincent's dizzy aunt - Verti Gogh
His brother who ate prunes - Gotta Gogh
His grandfather from Yugoslavia - U Gogh
His magician uncle - Where-diddy Gogh
His Mexican cousin - Ah Mee Gogh
His constipated uncle - Can't Gogh
His ballroom dancing aunt - Tang Gogh
His bird-loving uncle - Flamin' Gogh
His fruit-loving cousin - Man Gogh
His litlle bouncy nephew - Poe Gogh
And his sidter who loved disco - Go Gogh
His aunt who taught positive thinking - Way-to-Gogh
His nephew who drove a stagecoach - Wells-far Gogh
His Mexican cousin's American half-brother - Gring Gogh
His brother who worked at a convenience store - Stop 'n' Gogh

Latte, anyone?

Seriously?!

A certain tv show becomes a hit when you know it begins to leave a mark. Oh wait, scratch that. A McMark rather.

Seriously, I never thought I'd be hooked and addicted (ugh. I hate to say the word!) to a TV series like this-a medical show I used to think was boring and a complete waste of time. But, guess what? I'm wrong! Grey's Anatomy IS one of my favorite shows or probably is my ONLY one because firstly, I don't watch TV shows that much and second, I'm not really the sort of person who goes all crazy when I miss an episode of Glee or Agua Bendita. But when it comes to Grey's, I just don't know :D All thanks to Mocca :)

One reason why I certainly adore this show is because I share the same passion with the characters which is medicine. I'm dreaming of becoming a doctor when I grow up so watching them perform such tasks perks up my interest. Aside from the fact that it's an easy-to-like show because of its wittiness and sexiness, their catch-phrases also catch my attention. This was called the "McLabeling trend".

First in the list would be Derek Shepherd, who is popularly known as "McDreamy". This title couldn't get any better because he really is a heartthrob. Any girl would surely be smitten just by staring at those dreamy eyes. We also have Dr. Mark Sloan or "McSteamy" (Don't ask me why), McVet, McHot, McVomit, McDog and many more.

Another famous legacy of Grey's would be "Seriously." This makes the questions and statements made by the actors more emphatetic and funny. Because the characters often overuse this word, viewers and avid fans made this a part of their vocabulary. Seriously, I'm no exemption.