pichoor pichoor

Copied it off from Iya. :)


1. A picture of you in your room.

Chillaxin.

2. A picture of someone you don't really like.

3. A picture of you very drunk.

Nar, I'm not *really* drunk. Just had a crazy bottle of wine for new year.

4. A picture of you on your birthday, or your favorite holiday.

It's my 21st birthday party in McDonald's Session Road. :D

5. The youngest picture you can find of yourself in digital form.

It's all I can find on file. :( Aren't I cute? harhar.

6. A picture of you in one of your favorite outfits.

My mother always complains that my sister and I wear too much clothes but what can I say, layering is vital! teehee.

7. A picture of you making a goofy face at the camera.

With Pie's cousin, Megan.

8. A picture you might have edited to make yourself more attractive.

I tried. <3

9. A picture of a night you regret.

Because it was a funeral. I'm (we're) regretting the loss. Photo by Pastor Dave.

10. A picture of you being truly yourself.

I'm usually a very happy kid.

11. The most recent picture of you.

12. A picture of you being absolutely ridiculous.

Fine. Pink hair is not becoming. Tchh.

13. A picture of you showing off a new haircut/color.

When it's not even summer.

14. A picture of a time in your life that's over, but you wish it wasn't.

What can I say? I'm addicted to the Baguio airwaves.

15. A picture of a time in your life that's over, and you couldn't be more thankful that it is.

College stress days.

16. A picture of you when you were anything but happy.

I was bad trip here for some reason.

17. A picture of you that you had no idea was being taken.

See? I could have been Blair incarnate.

18. A picture of you when you were a different person than you are now.

Baguio days when I was Xai. It's too technical.

19. A picture of you with someone you love.

What? I love the green lady. <3

20. A picture of how you'd like the world to see you.

fabulous.

21. A picture that describes how you'd like to spend every day.

Malay mo naman diba? Hehe.

22. A picture of a time when everything was changing

In KC 2004, I was nicer and pleasant.

23. A picture that makes your head hurt.

24. A picture that makes your heart smile.

Or anything related. :)

25. A picture of one of the best days/nights of your life.

With Gel on our rooftop. <3

spring cleaning in the summer

I have unsuccessfully cleaned my room/dungeon. The intention was to get rid of my brother's old things, not trash the whole room with it. While I tried to put all his books and college kalat away, I found that there was no place to stash them because the room he occupies now is a museum and there is no virtual way I can perform brick game tricks (you know, fit everything according to its shape). Now all his things are splayed on the floor and the desks and shelves are littered with my things. It's such a disaster, I wish I never started the deed.

And dear me, by some mystical compulsion, I also re-arranged the furniture and played feng shui only to disturb the harmony or whatever it is they want to achieve in the effort. Oh but it was a complete physical aerobic (haha) work-out, something I've been meaning to do but never got around to doing. It would have been alright, had it not been for the body aches the following day. I pulled too many unused muscles.

Some good came out of the experience, though. At least I got to move around, found things I thought were sucked into a black hole, and categorized the mess I would have to re-do next week.

Since I'm launching my DIY self, the wooden furniture and the sepia newspaper wallpaper in my room are perfect for the theme. All I have to do is find key items that will heighten the over-all tiangge effect I'm gearing for. I promise to take a picture once everything is settled.

Good luck to me.

more things to do

1. de-clutter my room. get rid of my brother's old stuff.
2. buy nail polish in all available colors and revive nail art-ing.
3. learn to play a musical instrument that isn't a walis tingting.
4. arrange collection of headbands, scarves, necklaces, bangles, glasses, earrings, bags, shoes and make it look like my room is one big tiangge.
5. frame pictures.

***
my life will now be a DIY project. it was like that before; i make presents and my own stuff, or at least decorate them. i'm going to be xai again! hurray. :)

things to do

1. Learn and master photoshop. Willing to pay for tutorials.
2. Work on video resume. Make a convincing script.
3. Become a vegetarian.
4. Immerse self in the arts.
5. Walk down Session road for reals.
6. Practice culinary skills.
7. Buy a sewing machine.
8. Finish 2008 scrapbook.
9. Look for a crash course in dress-making.
10. Consider applying for starbucks.
11. Drive daily. Good luck metro manila, here I come.
12. Take singing lessons.
13. Career-in ang SBCC website.

oh lasengga ladies

Why is it always, 'single but happy?' Why can't it be single AND happy? But is a coordinating conjunction that indicates contrast (or exception, depending on usage). Why is single and happy a contradiction?

I do not like the notion. I am a very happy kid.

***
Beyonce's super cool. She's giving out moneys to youtubers with the best rendition of her super cool single ladies dance.

There's this group of gay kids trying to win two thousand dollars by showcasing their talents for all the world to see. I don't know what to make of that. The kids are really talented and they're really young. At the risk of bigotry, I will say it: too young to be out of the closet.

***
I can't stop watching One More Chance. I dislike Bea but John Lloyd makes up for it. He is such a fine, fine actor.

***
I want coffee.

we pretend we're in session

for girls who swear love and allegiance to baguio, every moment apart from the place is torture. harhar. so sometimes we do the best we can to recreate the moments (of course we fail, for nothing can ever compare to baguio's session road and camp allen).

this is charbel. she said she misses her coffee date so i asked her for coffee, teehee. like me, we love baguio (boys), hahahaha. :D

tomas morato, kopi roti and penpen resto, thank you.

awww thanks

You Are Extremely Charming

When someone talks to you, they feel like they are the most interesting person in the world. And for you in that moment, they actually are. You truly care about the people you're around, and it's obvious to everyone who meets you. You are open, warm, friendly, and welcoming. You epitomize charm.

these are the meds talking

Before anything else, can I just say (and yes this is a blind item), please take out your facebook profile picture, it's disturbing and not at all attractive. Thank you.

And for the latest news...

Over the last weekend, I was able to watch only local tv, which means the channels shifted between two and seven. Plus the reception was really horrible in other channels so I had to settle with the two channels. It couldn't have been fun because I had no remote control but my consolation came when I figured out a way to make do with what is available. I decided to count all the commercials on Philippine TV! Yey!

My favorite commercials would be the Tostillas one with the geek playing basketball and the suckiest would be Cherifer in the train.

What else is here...

Oh yeah, I was at the hospital this weekend. Nope, no details here.

But. There were so many memories in that hospital, Fe Del Mundo Medical Center. That's the only hospital I've ever been confined in. Last time was in 2001, around this time, too, wouldn't you know. When my kuya was a baby, he was sickly and he has literally occupied all the children's ward rooms. I really like that hospital, almost like home. I was born there.

This just in...

I have Gossip Girl to look forward to. Hurray for me. See ya soon Chuck boy. xoxo.

To all my fans, erm, friends, thank you for all the concern and love and wanting to visit me, I'm fine-er, fine-ish now. Thank God I can still have coffee with you folks. Again, many thanks and much love. Toodles!

cosmo-cosmo-han

two of my SV-baguio girlfriends are working in banks. i think that makes them cosmo-ish. sad to say though, they're photobooth noobes. sucks to be them, LOL.

kidding aside, i hearts them like whoa for coming to meet me at The Loft for some much-needed girl bonding sans work-talk and office-gossip.

this was before photoboothing at the worst starbucks ever.

R and C, you guys rawk. thanks for saving my dying braincells two saturdays ago. xoxo, X.


thank you partipicslive for the photos! :D

the xaris and anatom

one of the reasons i took masscomm is because i absolutely hearts tintin bersola(-babao). when i was nine, i knew i would be a newscaster and follow her career path. she was my idol talaga.

i'd never imagine i would be interviewing her (for a different reason and situation) and chatting her up. i teased her about her sineskwela days and she laughed along with me recalling her anatom scenes.

starstruck talaga!



fandom fandom. whoa. :) and and and the best part is we are both sharon fans. she even showed me the roof of sharon's house when we were in lancaster suites (overlooking the megastar's neighborhood). yeepee.

the xaris interviewed tintin bersola. i, thank you, bow.

photoboothing at the worst starbucks ever

remember when i said i hated starbucks powerplant?

that remains true.

we waited for 20 minutes to get our very, very simple drinks. four groups (minimum of two per group) behind us got their orders ahead while we rotted. tapos sasagutin kami ng 'iba kasi mix ng drinks nyo.' ano yun? rat killer induced?

ticked off much talaga. good thing we were watching john lloyd in an hour. so we photoboothed na lang.

if not melancholic then just plain psycho

I easily cried in the morning.

In the afternoon I was feeling much better.

When evening came, I was really happy.

And my best friends are the reason why.

overdue post

one of my favorite nights in 2008 with two of my favorite online friends.

It's 1:54pm and I'm melancholic

Articulation fails me today. Pretend all the sentences are bullet points.

There's never been a day as of late when my aloneness sunk in as much as now. I am feeling the sting of having NBSB. My friends are there but they can never understand where I am coming from and I really do not expect them to. They have lives of their own and I respect that.
 
Sometimes even your best friends cannot be instantly there when you need them and there is no option but to cry alone.

Crying alone is not the best idea when you're in a public place. Luckily, our showroom's counter is high and I can hide behind it whenever I feel the tears erupting.

I swear I cannot thread my thoughts together in a single piece. Maybe I really can't write.

Knowing that I can't please everybody doesn't change the fact that I still want to. I remember having a hate text during my short radio stint and there is nothing that would console me not even the countless appreciation and affirmation coming from friends and strangers. Why was I so caught up with that single i-hate-you comment. It still saddens me when people hate me or when I think they do. I guess I care after all. There has got to be something wrong with wanting to please everyone but that doesn't stop me from wishing I do.

I believed I was destined for greatness. I let opportunities pass by because I'm afraid of what's going to happen when I stumble onto it. What other excuses can I make?

Friendster is peaceful. There's very little damage you can do with it so I genuinely treasure all the testimonials on my profile page.

I read comments back from 2003 to 2005 and see a different version of myself through my friends' eyes. I reacquainted with a xaris who's so fabulous she sounded like she can do anything. Her friends thought the world of her. Even one-time acquaintances have something nice to say about her. She's so cool, I want to be just like her. Somewhere along the road, I lost that xaris. She's the xaris who loves God so much and all her thoughts centered on Him. She truly loved people and saw the best in them. She had mean streaks but people took that lovingly. She's honest and she's over-dressed. She sings. She knew the songs stars sing.

I am (was) all these things that run through my head. I cannot talk about it. I cannot write about it. I cannot communicate my heart so eloquently.

Days later I will laugh at this entry and delete it, who knows.

I rest in the comfort that God knows exactly where I am right now.

And Again I Say Valentine's is Overrated

When was the last time I wrote about love?

I cannot remember simply because I have not thought about it in a very long time. I think about Piolo and crushes but that hardly constitutes the gut-wrenching, more-than-butterfly-feeling, hard core, I-give-my-undying-devotion-to-you kind of love. The kind that cannot be described, that which not even Shakespeare can thoroughly write about.

Why do we have to single out one day, one measly 24-hour in a 365-day calendar? And for that matter, why do mortals bank on the mush and gush representation of love?

I believe every individual is entitled on how to feel and how to express love as they know it. Forgive me for wishing that we come from a single perspective in all these things. But what do I know, I have yet to fully uncover the treasures and secrets of the great four-letter word.

Pfft. Who gives a cow anyway? V-day was yesterday and I spent it with strangers loading off on free food. I still say that if we give so much effort to meet a lover's expectations on the 14th of February, we ought to think of it and accomplish it all year round.

Happy birthday Brandon Boyd! Maybe you can tell me what love is.

You Changed My Life

Chocolates lang. Dark. Please and thank you.

Is that too much to ask?

check the fax kasi

Spare yourself the drama, girl.

But I can't! Waaaah!

The only thing that stood in the way of me finally meeting Piolo Pascual is me! We were offered to cater for the press con of Lovers in Paris which was today. I would have rallied the management for a yes but no, I wasn't aware of the fax transmittal.

Why didn't I check the fax machine? Whyyyyyyyy?

random random blah blah blah

I have done the tag three times already...
random 1.
random 2.
random 3.
...in variations.

Let's see how far I can stretch myself to sound interesting.

1. I can sing One Step Closer in Rockband and get 100% on the Easy Level, 97% on the Medium. I'm too much of a wimp to try Hard and Expert.

2. I have never tried smoking. Not once. Not hold a lit cigarette to my mouth, not even light one. Not even think about it. Wait, I did think about it when I was four.

3. My first doll was named Hobby. She was a rag doll with an old rose dress, mousy brown strings of hair and pink shoes. My big brother tore her up to get back at me.

4. My kuya and I almost killed each other. Seriously. But we're best friends.

5. I have only had two cell phone numbers since 1999.

6. My dream car was, is, and always will be a yellow green vintage convertible beetle.

7. I seriously believed the powers of back-masking.

8. When Magic the Gathering wasn't even popular in the Philippines, my brother and I played it. Actually, he let me hold the cards and play with himself because all my 'moves are stupid.'

9. I was in sixth grade when I decided English will be the medium of my speech.

10. My first Bible was my mom's concordance. It was falling apart but I liked it because it had pictures.

11. In my primary years (grades one through three), I was a Stanford tambay because my best friend Marie lived behind COD. The Marikina Shoe Expo was our playground.

12. I was born on a full moon.

13. Napapakilig ako at five years old ni Romnick Sarmienta at Sheryl Cruz sa Young Love Sweet Love. I met Romnick last Sunday. Same effect.

14. Oh yes, I am jologzzzz.

15. I have seen all the movies of Piolo Pascual. Even the ones I had no idea he was in. Yes, including the cameos.

16. CS Lewis is my very best friend.

17. I have been drinking coffee since I was nine. Actually, it started with mocha but that still counts as coffee.

18. I was almost not cum laude.

19. When I was younger, I can sing On My Own (Les Misrables) flawlessly. Nobody but the shower head heard it. When I performed it for classmates, it was all so random, it could be easily forgotten.

20. I'm running out of things to say.

21. I never want to break up with anyone so I'm taking my time in that aspect.

22. Just now I tried singing On My Own again.

23. I seriously believed that I will be sikat one day. Believed. Past tense. There are some things one has to outgrow.

24. I'm a star girl. Don't ask.

25. Xaris and Xai are different personas. Xaris is the evil twin.

That wasn't so bad.
Tag, you're it. Leave a comment or else.

To Whom It May Concern

It's 2:03 and I have to be up at 6:00 to get ready for work. Instead of retiring, I'm writing you a letter.

I like pesto very much. Please take me to Volante when I get there.
Have a nice day.

Toodles!
Xai

You... yes!

I don't know why I even had second thoughts in coming to this KC get tog.

Attendance:
Ate Reena who's going to Qatar any time soon to earn big moneys so she can support Zyla as a staff, hahaha. :D
Kuya Jun, the missiologist (missionary yun) who advised ate reena to marry a non-believer so she can share the gospel. Joke lang daw. Ows.
Kuya LJ, who had a sprain from playing basketball (wawa naman may tungkod).
Zuriel, the ATS mastering person who lives on the other street.
Ate Sherry, the SGV accountant who gave us the lowdown on the market, hehe.
Yanyan who came all the way from Pasay despite the late hour.
Paolo na malapit na ikasal, ayee.
Kuya Caesar, the almost-pilot who came in really, really late. Bakit kaya, may tinataguan?
And moi, Xai again after a very long time.

There was spiked sinigang, fruit salad and ice cream. I say spiked kasi para kaming mga high sa kakatawa. Laugh trip talaga hanggang umaga. :P Kwentuhang KC, career and work life pati pag-aasawa! Kaloka talaga. Matatanda na sila. x)

Hello KC mates, wish you were here.

Photo credits from Kuya LJ. Napaka useless ng camera ko, walang battery.

SBCC is thirteh five!

sbcc @ 35!
(3 for 100)

First anniversary in the lot and building of our prayers and dreams.

God is truly the Lord of dreams come true. :)

daen-castro wedding

January 11, 2009.
Kapitan Moy.
Marikina City.

Kuya Aboy was our first GT in UP Baguio for state varsity christian fellowship. We were only five students when he discipled us on our freshmen year. It's weird because he was a boy and he had four girls in his care. But Kuya Aboy did a wonderful job in 'raising' us to be a servant-leader like him.

Kaya kami ganito. Pramis.

He is a very funny man, kuya is. Ate Nerissa would never be bored around him. And their heart for the youth ministry is really contagious. Kaya they make a very fine tag-team.

When I found out he was getting married (less than a month before the day, actually), I cried (iyakin naman talaga but that's not the point) because I feel I can't give him away yet because we still have so many catching up to do. Just as he was called to serve in Manila while we were all still adjusting in Baguio, I had to swallow all my sadness and panic and just let him be happy and obey God's will.

Yuh, Kuya, I hearts you. And now I hearts Ate Nerissa, too. It's almost 'a walk to remember' and I truly am honored to witness this event in your lives.

Erm, we have a lot of pictures of us but you can't blame me, you had many guests noh. Hahaha. :D

pichoor taking started the night before and we had an instant slumber party in my parents' house (sige na nga dun pa rin ako nakatira but that's about to change). haha.

because the wedding industry can only have a christmas party not in december

fernwood.

promotor: hitched by teena barretto. :)

i seriously enjoyed the night. bonggang bongga!

geekloser becomes me

So i almost bought this,

thankfully, the counter lady in Powerbooks took really long to attend to my whim and I had time to think about the purchase. My rule number one in impulse buying, if I don't get it in a 20-second window period, I don't get it... yet. Haha.

So calling everyone who loves me, you can get me this biography even in multiple copies. It's seven hundred petot in Powerbooks. Yey thanks.

Even if I buy my own copy, which I most likely, eventually will, I will love you all the more because the thought counts.

Oh. It was his birthday on Monday. Did you text him?

The Day Before

yeep. hello baguio in manila again!
tomorrow is kuya aboy's wedding.
kuya aboy is our first GT in UP Baguio.
we love kuya aboy.

bow.

it's 8:39am and i'm still smiling silly

yeep!
giddy school girl type of crushing again. haven't had this is in a looooong time.

when i'm not minding my caps and punctuation this means i'm blabbing in my head and i get lazy changing cases. it's tiring always minding important grammar stuff. *what? did i just say that?*

i'm taking a break from being a grammar nazi. i'll just let things be and enjoy conversations minus consciously editing out other people's statements. this is so liberating! wonder how long i can hold out? *snickers*

not to sound like a resolution of sorts, but i think i'll also start the habit of taking pictures everyday. i don't fancy being a photographer, i don't have the eye or skillz.

i will write soon, and it will be proper where it counts. ulk. my first two 2009 entries are so lame!

two-oh-eight gets two thumbs up

every year brings new surprises and amazing grace.

i thank the Lord for these wonderful events He allowed to happen in my life, which made 2008 so great.

hello, mortals. you've all been great. :D

*photocredits to joanne for sbcc pic :)

year of the ox, is it?

I just got settled with albus after spending new year's eve and the first hours of the year with my cousins. It's 4:42 in the morning and I'm thinking of staying up until sunrise. I haven't seen the sun rise in quite a while. I didn't drink today as much as I did last year because my cousin's preggers and we didn't want to drink much if she can't. I did have Champagne- yes the white wine from Champagne, France- though.

and oh my gother, that sounded like a high schooler writing an 'essay' on 'what you did during the break.' sheesh.

I spent the first and last day of 2008 with my favorite ate dee in the whole world in, where else, starbuko (on both counts) and exchanged books. Maybe we should make this a tradition until both our libraries have travelled from manila to davao and vice versa. I like that idea. Ate dee, whaduya think?

I love my cousins, I really do and I believe their influences on me will always be there. We were discussing the future of my pamangkin who will be born under the year of the ox, under the leo constellation. Whaduyuknow, that's like moi. The baby's bound to be fabulous.

For the record, I don't believe in zodiac signs or mythologies or that they somehow dictate a person's future or character. All I'm saying is, I turned out to be a bit okay under the circumstances whether or not the ox or the lion thinks so.

I'm babbling. Sorry.

It's my second year of the ox year. Haha. Which means I went through the whole chinese zodiac twice equals I'm 24 this year.

I will have better things to say when I wake up in the morning. I'm off now.

Toodles!

for pete's sake

I would normally verify accounts before posting any link (as training in journalism).

But this is too much!

And if I'm breaching any code of conduct for journalists, I do not apologize. Stories like this deserve a space on my blog.

oh yey

i don't ask for much.
i don't have a lot of friends.
so i don't think i deserve this.

so i'm never going to ask again.

happy 2009.

today years ago...

Mary must have freaked out when her water bag broke. This was her first baby after all. And to think that she has remained untouched when she conceived... I can only imagine her panic. Giving birth with all the blood and gore that come with it in an unsanitary place and yet she chose to be joyful.

Joseph has got to be torn between being a weary tour guide and an inexperienced nursemaid. How was he supposed to know all the inns were booked and how should he be an instant expert at childbirth... a child whom an angel only said he was supposed to father. Putting his family name at risk and yet he chose to stay by Mary and their baby.

Shepherds wondered why there's something different about the country's night breeze. Perhaps something will stir their below-caste, insignificant lives.

A star twinkled its brightest, inconspicuous to untrained eyes...

...but to the Wise Men of the East, this star told a secret. A great discovery that will make them wiser than they could ever imagine.

Years ago a host of angels were getting ready to appear- to follow the example of Gabriel who calmed the fears of Mary and took care that Joseph should go on with the marriage- and herald the greatest news the world will ever know.

In a whirl of events involving characters seemingly inconsequential, who had nothing in them but obedience, God's master plan started to unfold. Today, after those many years ago a baby was born in the lowliest place putting at risk his earthly father's reputation and his earthly mother's natal health. He grew up to offend the sensibilities of pompous leaders who acted 'holier than thou,' to lead a revolution of changed lives, and to bear upon himself all the sins of the world.

This baby, born that many years ago, has grown up, lived, and died... and the best part: lived again and is still alive until now.

friendstering for five

wow, five years in prengster.

remember how friendster started with only five uploadable pictures? ngayon may pa-album album na. i don't use the album features- that's reserved for multiply. somehow, i want to keep it old school. and i'm not a fan of the friendster apps; that's facebook's job. and for the blogosphere, i have LJ for that. (oh yes, i'm making myself stalkable by being everywhere)

consider this a trip down friendster memory lane, at least in my POV. or you know, consider this the evolution of the xaris. haha.

in all five years of profile changes (mine reads the same as it did in 2003 except for the about me part), these are the pichoors that the world knew of the xaris.

thank you prengster, because of you...
1) i learned that there's such a thing as 'pang-friendster' na picture. haha.
2) i have practiced my best angle and the best way to tilt a camera to capture that 'pang-friendster' look,
3) i stalked much of the stalkables on my list.
4) i can keep track of old friends, new frenemies and everything in between.
5) i made friendster friends.

yay! i'm a geek loser so i still have only one friendster account with less than 500 friends. in fairness to me, i pretty much know the people on my list. and yes i have gone places but all you can see is my perfected angular shots. haha.

hello, mortal. good to meet you. will you add me in friendster? haha.

weekend madness

more pictures from this year's top five best weekends. :D

hala. ang taba taba taba taba ko na talagaaaa.
hahaha. off to the gym! or not.

friday- gateway
saturday- IV homecoming, IV building
sunday- church, divisoria, kopi roti
monday- marikina, trinoma

thanks to carmela's phone's lenses. i love you all!

random brain halukay

so this is what it must be like sleeping with your laptop. albus is running on reserve-battery because moi is too comfortable already to get to the e-outlet.

my coughing spells come at the most inconvenient hours. why couldn't i have had this when i'm not about to sleep? oi. maybe my room needs to be quarantined like rome suggested. yikes.

i miss baguio. i miss up baguio. you think i'd be who i am today if i didn't have baguio in my life? i wonder what's it going to be like if i had things differently. what's the point? what i have is already perfect.

good night, mortals.

it's an epidemic!

No, I am not talking about the twilight fever although it could very well start with that.

Okay, so last Friday started the happy ball rolling. I am truly giddy like a schoolgirl going to prom except that this wasn't prom we were going to but IVCF's alumni homecoming. Friday was when the NL Manila girls met (well, Carmela, Rome and me... the others were off the loop, beats me why they weren't responding) to catch up and have some grown up girl bonding time.

First there was dinner at Pizza Hut Bistro feigning cosmo poshness by having wine, nay, Chardonnay Sauvignon (at least that's what I remember the menu saying), while reminiscing common memories and gossip (holy gossip, mind you) on the side. Then off to the cinemas to see the last run of Twilight, which deserves an entirely separate blog entry (two words: ugh and eep). Then we headed off to my house for an impromptu slumber party.

The day after that was spent prepping for the almuni homecoming in UP-ISSI with friends and family from Inter Varsity. We met with our favorite people from all over the Philippines who represented their regions for this anniversary. Reunions galore led to another impromptu slumber party, more likely a mini-camp, at the Velardos' new home at the IV building. This time, we were joined by the Velardos, the Raquels, Zyla, Vanette, Frida, Alfe, Manong Bok (who left earlier). It was almost two o'clock when we all decided to call it a night. And even when the lights are all out, smaller conversations popped out until the last person fell asleep.

That was just like college days in Baguio. One memory that will be forever etched in my subcranium. It felt so much like family.

Sunday we all went to church, Zy, Rome, Carmela and Vanette were with me then we had lunch at Mister Kabab before we headed off to Divisoria to burn Christmas money. Divi was a long, tiring trip and it's crazy how we managed to set up another late dinner date with Kuya Aboy (the headmaster, haha) at Kopi Roti in Tomas Morato. Then again we stayed up late until midnight but not before an all-too important news broke out eliciting tears (mostly from me) and laughs and stupid comments and things you don't normally see in 'night joints.' haha. It was a good rollercoaster of emotions just the same. I don't think we slept when we got home. We just abused Albus and made a photo studio out of my messy room. This here is our version of Twilight. We're walrus vampires *inside joke*

Monday was a holiday, thankfully and again we extended the party all the way to Marikina and then to Trinoma. The weekend was nonstop chikahan, lakaran and puyatan. It isn't surprising how the slumber party girls all caught a virus the next day. We all got sick and had to miss Friday's UPB homecoming. Sucks much. But not so much when I think about it. I loved every minute of last Friday up until Monday. If I must get sick just to have that again, then bring on the virus!

Needless to say, I still have a hang over and instead of resting for tomorrow's work (I am kind of missing the office), here I am blogging away. I just don't want to miss the chance to write this all out because I am forgetful. I bet everyone still hasn't gotten over last weekend's fun because we have a virus to remember it by. *achoo*

only because i wanted to have a december entry

How misey sitting in front of the telly, doing yet another marathon while my favorite school in the whole wide world (sorry, not arneow) is having a homecoming. That's my home. I deserve to be there.

It's not like I chose this alternative. I had every intention of gearing up for the homecoming (I even bought a dress for crying out loud) because I need to see what I had to see. *grunts* If it weren't for this timely disease I must have caught from the holiday rush, I would have been there spying, erm, mingling with the uh, other alumni.

I wanted to get there so bad I dreamed about it last night. It was actually funny, when I recall it. The setting was in the 70s or 80s and I saw my teachers and nothing changed about them except that we were all in 70s clothes. I wouldn't think we were on a different setting (since I usually dress retro anyway) except that the school looked like they did in old pictures.

Ugh, I hate the feeling as if I'm missing out on something. I hate it mostly because I want to be in Baguio and I'm not and it sucks. I wish I hadn't gotten sick. But if I didn't get sick that means I wouldn't have gone Christmas shopping with Baguio friends which means I wouldn't have seen them which means I wouldn't have had the best weekend in a long time.

This is what a trade-off must be like.

ang nawawalang pictures

starring
carmela, xarissa, and romina

pag gumawa tayo ng soap opera magiging

CARROMELA.
or
CARMISSINA
or
ROMELISSA.

walang bebenta kahit ano.

so vamp!

description someday.

right now, too lazy.

the time machine worked!

this is so six years ago!
this is our version of high school musical. we're classmates in high school and our christmas party is a musical (karaoke much).

you know you're amor 2002 if...
1. you argue until you're blue in the face about moneys.
2. you never tire of a christina-britney duel.
3. you wish someone's going to ditch so you won't have to worry about erm, childlike things on occasion. (anudaw)
4. you know george is an honorary amorsolo member.
5. you love the oscars.

thanks may for the pictures.
aileen, we're waiting for yours.

attendance:
aileen (and george), jurica, cj (and rein), venz, james, zharica, abigail, kaye, may, rachelle, ency, paula, moi, cindy, alain, dominique, jayson, peter, and renson. yay! twenny.

sa lahat ng losersmuch na wala, see you summer. mam darnie's coming home!

before the memory dies down

I had a mean crush on my philo teacher in college. I tried to be poised around him but I always ended up making a complete fool of myself.

One time, he caught me singing to a hairbrush. So I ran to the bathroom.

I had trouble staying focused when I knew he'd be a few feet away. His orange cap is a dead give-away. Having bionic radar and eyesight and super peripheral visions not to mention amazing stalking skills, I'd know when he was in a ten-mile radius (of course I exaggerate). At the slightest detection of his presence, I'd have rundown ten possible scenarios of how I would strike a conversation with him. My friends think I'm being stupid. And looking back, I know they were right.

None of the scenarios in my head worked. Funny, things always turned out better than I had imagined.

So there.

Mr. D. 'Twas nice knowing you. Congratulations on your engagement!

no, chef jas wasn't the only one in europe

my pathetic attempt at shaking the bitterness away.
i'm glad albus is so fabulous. *hugs albus*

of course, i'll blog about it

tan-tanan-naaaan!

and only ten days into the sticker frenzy. that's a record for me; i only joined the band wagon last year. this isn't for me, though. my officemate already called dibs on this one (since february, harhar). i do have the black and blue versions in my line-up but someone (actually some-two's) have already muscled their way into getting them. now, i'm not saying who they are for, so if you remember it was you, please give me a shove or something.

it seems odd though that the sparkhope project wasn't mentioned on this one. did i miss any announcement? what about the beneficiaries for this? somehow the sticker collection lost all it's luster now that the project was not involved. weird. anyhoos, my only consolation for what would be a probable nervous breakdown someday is that the recipients (i call them my collectees) of these planners will be happy, at least.

what's in it for me? more of these. duh.
and definitely these!!!

again, all lectures on 'the evils of overpriced coffee' will fall on deaf ears, so i beg you, spare yourself the effort.

i will not yield! bwahaha.

happy holidays, folks!

for remembrance's sake

On a boring day like today (which isn't entirely true since I have lots on my to-do list), my thoughts drift back to my dormer days in Breha. The office atmosphere should help me snap out of it but the air-conditioning (and the rain) only reinforces the reverie.

For the four most amazing years I have ever known, the Baguio Residence Hall became an almost-sanctuary, well, not on my freshman year; that's another story. Sometimes I still imagine I'd wake up in the lower bunk- I always get the lower bed- and stare at crush-of-the-week's picture I tacked on the canopy. That's hardly the case now because the ceiling in my room is waaay above.

Back to my dorm rooms. Two years I lived on the second floor cursing those on the top floor for their running sprees. Some people say though, that the footsteps we hear are actually ghosts lurking in every room. Whatever, yaya. On my last two years, I was given revenge opportunities for being stationed at the third floor. I didn't abuse the privilege, though as I was always on late permits and overnights.

What's common in all floors however, is the rude wake up call of distress. One Brehan will always, always wonder where her water reserve or toiletries went. I had episodes like that as well but surprisingly, I find myself forgiving.

My dorm mates had misconceptions on the origin of my species. I especially like that about my dorm experience. They can guess all they want but only three girls (five on my second year) every year really get to know the real me. Malas lang nila. Bwahahaha.

In Breha I learned mean survival skillz that I bet are the marks of a real Brehan.

1. We know the real deal (or all real deals) behind 'dorm mates forever.' Non-brehans who relay the story are not too convincing.
2. We know how to react upon hearing 'silence!'
3. We also know how to defend ourselves when we hear 'paa!'
4. We know how to dip the make-shift dipper in big drums when the toilet flushes in school don't work (as they usually do).
5. We have had to 'igib' pails and pails of water and move them up three flights of stairs. If we do it without any spill, we earn an unspoken respect from the dorm managers.
6. We have mastered the art of packing by practicing every sembreak when boxes and packing tape go out of stock in most stores. The real test of packing prowess comes when you fetch your things the following semester in good condition.
7. We have honed our talents and kapalmuks skills on our freshman year when we had to present almost-embarassing things to everyone's delight... or ire. Sometimes the upper classmen are unforgiving.
8. We have bullying-repellant expertise. Been there, done that. Had fun doing that.
9. We get to be serenaded by the three political parties in school. Try harder. Bwaha.
10. We know how to effectively reserve spaces for when a big GA comes up. This comes in handy in real life when one has to reserve a space at the bus or in any public place.
11. We know how to conceal 'borrowing' other people's personal stuff. Ay nako, aminin.
12. We know how to log onto logbooks with accurate calculations of the time and date we did what we had to do.
13. We virtually have pretty good excuses why we fail to do what we need to do.
14. We know how a locator chart works (and how to tweak it to our own advantage).
15. We know how to fight for our rights when our eggs are not done well. Ha.
16. We've mastered interview situations just to retain our spot in breha naming mahal.
17. We love that it doesn't take more than P500 for our monthly fees. At least until 2006. 
18. We stage a mean Open House as if fish crackers and cinnamon are the only food we know and we successfully 'corner' the sunshine of our lives. Yes, charms.
19. When it's Purple vs. Yellow, expect mayhem and madness.
20. Intrams are worth cheering for. Because it is typical we win. Harhar.

There'd be lots more.  

Not all UP Baguio alumni will be able to relate... sometimes I'd like to think Breha is an exclusive soro house and I'm so blessed to have stayed there for four years.

Yes, even when I hold the record for most log on the home, late permit and overnight logbooks all four years put together.

Keep wondering folks. ;)

detour... zeela version

more pictures from the best week of 2008.

zeela took forever to upload them but we-hell, i shall still post because i love NL like whoa!

Hohoho

I'm feeling the season earlier this year which means I'll be off to some serious Christmas shopping and arts and crafts projects. Let's get busy!

Consider this my official gift registry.

1. High School Musical DVD. First movie, please and thank you.
2. Hannah Montana 2 CD.
3. Breaking Dawn and Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer. Coz I'm too poor already.
4. The Murry Quartet, Madeleine L'engle. I lost my copies. I have my copy of Many Waters somewhere in my blackhole so I just need these three.
         - A Wrinkle in Time
         - A Wind in the Door
         - A Swiftly Tilting Planet
      

Howkei, to make this interesting, let's kris (aquino) kringle. You cast your dibs on any item on my list and I'll get you something from your wishlist. And yes, PieArrianeMaroseJean AteDeeDia CindyKathyGel SBCCfriendsandchildhoodplaymates onlinefriends, I am talking to you. Let's wish and dance and be merry.

Happy holidays!

Bleep

There's something about trips going north that soothes the proverbial savage beast in me (yes, there is one lurking beneath my kikay exterior). It could be that the (tres cool) SCTEX is such a delightful cruise or the fact that the clouds today practically told me a secret. A change in routine is therapeutic, I must say.

It really is rather refreshing to wake and get up before the sun is up. What do you know, sunlight really does wonders. And the sky was so clear and bright. Hay. Colors.

Something tells me the following days will be worth waking up to.

***
So I watch high school musical 3 at every free chance I get (which has become every other day) and every time gives me goosebumps of sorts.

I've had two senior years in my life and nothing compares to watching hsm3 senior year. Yesss... whataloser. Let me recall my own high school senior year...

...

Big whoop.

As for the college version, I suppose I had more fun here being busy with my last sem, the tres fabu shalala yearbook, and playing villain to most of my friends.

Ulk. I don't hab a layp. I relate better to musical teenybopper flicks than reality.

***
It's official. I've boarded the single forever ship and it's leaving the dock. Adios.

And I blame Edward Cullen for it. I should have heeded my friend's warning and stayed away from the Twilight saga (after all, I've put off the reading list for almost two years; now I buckle). She explicitly told me to get into a relationship first before I read about the hawtie hawt hawt vampire lest my standards shoot up to unbelievable, unattainable heights. Well, too late for that. So yes, mortals, goodbye!

I had to use my weird bengali accent when reading his parts so he won't have to be sooooo perfect. My plan failed. There's nothing more I can do with the Edward Cullen in my head.

***
How's pink hair for me? Likey?

Wig courtesy of ate riz.

ugh

I'd like to dedicate this song to you.
You pretentious little twit, you.

DEEP DOWN
Josh Verdes

Some girls they want a Mr. Sensitive
Some girls they want a Mr. Funnyman
But you, you just want a personal slave oh

Can't get a hug or a simple kiss
Unless, he gets you another gift
And all the while he's been blinded by beauty it seems

You're so care free but don't forget
That what you sow is what you reap
So when your heart is broken in two
You will know how I felt when I fell for you yeah

Deep down I know what's really inside of you
You think, the world revolves around you
Well guess what got new get a clue
Cuz it's not gonna work on me

Deep down I know you think you're invincible
You got beauty but only where it's visible
Well guess what got news get a clue
Cuz it's not gonna work on me

They see the look upon your pretty face
And that's all that always ever seems to take
But I can really see that beauty really is a beast oh

I know that you look into the mirror
Why can't you see?
Right through your fake exterior
It blinded me
Things aren't always as they appear
Appear to be but
I'm glad my vision's much clearer now

one bleak, emo-filled weekend...

... they decide to meet.

meet my college best friends.

stephanie ann, the gawjus photoshop-ing genius from fontana.
arriane, the budding brilliant reporter from sunstar pampanga.
maria rosario, the pretty and petite gma project coordinator.

we all pretend we're mortals.
x)


post-processed by stephanie.

the star named xaris

the pleiades

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
 the moon and the stars,
  which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
Psalm 8:3-4

THE STAR(S)
Every time I see stars, I feel God's closeness as if He is physically right beside me. And every time I look up and see them twinkle, He reveals something and I know He is smiling down on me.

Stars hold a special place in my heart. When I lived in Baguio (where the skies are way clearer), I'd sneak out into my dorm's veranda to find a comfortable spot where I can sit, stare at the sky, and spend quality time with my Maker. Sometimes when I'd get home way past the late permit, I'd walk to my empty school and lay down at the Oble grounds just to gaze at the stars. Something about stars make me better appreciate the presence of the Lord.

There hasn't been any star sighting for me lately. Perhaps because of the rainy season or because I haven't really looked up. I was at a stage where I did not feel God's presence. I prayed that He would reveal Himself to me once again in the way I understood it. I felt I needed to see stars.

On Sunday in church, we watched a video called Indescribable and I just got reminded of how awesome the universe is. The images from outer space reinforce how mind-boggling God's version of distance is (measuring 'proximities' through billions of light years! I'd usually stop counting at ten, harhar) and just how amazing his version of art and beauty is! I gaped and oohed and aahed at the pictures Louie Giglio flashed on the screen. I was so awed at how vast the universe is that this tiny blue marble I happen to live in is but an inconsequential spec in the humongous painting God has out there.

I wish I have better descriptive words to give you. I am at a loss of adjectives at the moment.

NAMED. How right the psalmist was when he said each star was put in place by the hand of God.

God did not only put the stars in their place, He knows them by name. The God who holds all constellations breathed them into being and is pleased by them. Truly the splendor and the mystery that is the known and the unknown universe are made by Him for Him. How kind the Lord is to give us glimpses of His majesty.

All creation boasts of God's splendor for only a Maker as magnificent as He can cause magnificence in all things.

And I am named as well. He knows my name. And not just my name, He knows everything that runs through my head even before I myself  know it. He says my name beautifully (and he definitely does not mispronounce it) because I am twice owned: by creation and by redemption by His grace.

XARIS means grace. A good gift that causes joy to everyone who receives it. It was very timely watching Indescribable. Again God showed me His ways and thoughts are definitely waaaay higher than mine. I call it grace.

Who am I that God is mindful of me? He painstakingly put the mitochondria in my cells and He meticulously threaded my parents' genetic make-up together to form me. He has a perfect count of all the hairs in my head (even those that Pantene cannot preserve). He made my DNA so unique that there will never be another the xaris ever ever ever.

How awesome God is!

The same God who spoke creation into being is the same one, true God who whispers to me and says, 'I love you, dear Xaris' repeatedly even when I least deserve it (and I never really did deserve it). And by this grace, I become a new creation just like the Bible says.

Isn't it grace how we can even get a glimpse of such wondrous splendor our minds cannot grasp or understand? It's grace that God shared our human frailties even when He could have spent time adoring plenty other beautiful things. I would often wonder out loud why the Lord even bothered to go so low as to become human just so He can take all our sins and extend royalty to us. He had special things going on for Him; why would He step down? Why should a Holy God be nailed to a cross, made to endure all suffering and know all along that the xaris He'd die for would grow up to be a moody, whacked mean girl who judged other people as a habit? Why did God bother? I look up and see one twinkling star and get the answer. God's glory.

*

He made all these things for His delight, for His glory. He made the stars and the universe for His delight. He made me for His delight. He extended grace to me for His delight. If this is so,  shouldn't I be doing what the stars are made to do? Declare God's glory by being the new creation that He caused me to be.

It will take a while but I am confident that God's light will reflect on me so that I may shine like the stars who declare His glory.

the xaris guide to impeccable taglish

1. use the present form of the verb (in english) with the prefix nag-.
example: Nag-tour kami sa Intramuros yesterday. (not nag-toured...)
Nag-confirm na ba yung client? (not nag-confirmed)

2. use the present form of the verb (when used as a noun in sense) with the prefix nakaka-.
ex.: Nakaka-bore talaga yung movie, eew.
Hindi ba nakaka-annoy yung manong sa jeep?

3. repeat the first syllable of a word when expressing a verb as a noun (gerund phrase?)*.
ex.: Mag-re-repeat na naman ba siya?
I-e-employ niya rin pala eh.

4. use make/made/making (depeding on the tense) before a tagalog pandiwa (kung di mo talaga ma-identify yung english term).
ex: Let's make padala na the sulat.
I think he will make abala the meeting.

5. don't make tusok-tusok the fishball. (kung di ka rin lang kolehiyala. haha.)

6. use 'like' liberally.

7. try to avoid using 'me' in place of 'ako' or 'you' in place of 'ka.' (it's so whatever yaya you're such a loser)
ex.: [eep!] dito na me, where na u?
[pwede na] here nako, where ka?

8. add -um- in between the first letter (if the first letter is consonant) and the first syllable of an english word and add the whole word after when expressing a continuous action. If the first letter is a vowel, add um- before the first letter and repeat the word.
ex.: R-um-e-revolve naman ang sun sa earth ah.
Ang galing, ume-elevate yung paper!
Circulate= cumi-circulate
Evaporate= ume-evaporate

9. huwag niyo 'ko isumbong sa mga english teachers ko.

10. kung mali sa pandinig, malamang mali nga.



*ayan, nagdudunung dunungan kasi. matulog ka na, iha. maaga ka pa bukas.