My cup of coffee

Yes, it's been a pretty stressful month for all of us, but at least we're still alive somehow.

I have a new blog :)

http://theabyluff.co.cc

Honestly?

The free food. Not the hospital food, that is - that’s never free. The free food comes from the visitors. They would usually bring healthy food like fruits and the like to supplement the hospital food that you eat. Yumyum.

The flowers, balloon, etc. The free food usually comes with a basket of flowers (sometimes with heart-shaped balloons) to give the sick person a nice view to look at every once in a while.

The visitors (and the stories they share). Sometimes, your being sick calls for a [much needed] family reunion. The more interesting part is the “storytelling” part - they tell you about all the events and happenings that have occurred (and missed out) during your entire stay in the hospital.

Related to that is the [almost] undivided attention that you get from everyone. You’re the top priority because you’re sick. Everyone asks you, “How are you feeling now?” They would [usually] get you the things that would help you recover (read: your cravings - i.e. chocolates, some random fruit). They would help you get to the lavatory just because you can’t get yourself to do it on your own.

The fact that nobody’s so mean as to make you do [strenuous] work and get mad at you. Who would be so ill-tempered that he/she would make the poor sick you cross? You’ve got nothing to do but to rest and be fed and be taken care of.

But, honestly, these are the things that I loathe about getting sick.

The things that you can do are limited. Knowing that your one hand is attached to dextrose, you surely couldn’t do all the things that you used to enjoy.

The things that you missed out. Just because you are sick, you don’t get to attend this-and-that’s party, and you simply have to absent yourself in your classes! That’s sick!

and…

The fact that you’re sick. It’s loathsome enough, you know that well.

Some things to thank God for:

1. JOBIE'S TOP 1 AGAIN! Plus, he got the Academic Excellence Award in Language, Science, Mathematics, and Filipino. WHEW! He's going to get five medals (and five certificates, too, I guess) on Monday, their recognition day. Congratulations Meni! :)
2. I PASSED ALL MY SUBJECTS! Haha, I really should, or else, my scholarship would be forfeited (noo!). I don't have the exact grades as of the moment, because the online viewing of grades starts tomorrow. :P
3. Our family had a grand time at the mall tonight. After we celebrated the 1st Friday mass and the Holy Hour, we went to RP to eat (hurray for Shakey's!) and play at Timezone! Haha! Jobie sure had a workout there. :P

That's it for now, I guess.

PS. Welcome back Yanni! :D I guess by the time that you get to read this, you're back to higher civilization! :P Hope you had a grand time in the province. :3

PPS. I'm already starting to read my Accounting book (thanks to Yanni :D) and it's quite interesting! I'm excited, and I hope to get a great Acc 10 teacher. :) BTW, I have summer class. It's only one subject though. I hope to get an A in my ITM 11 class, because I'll be having my undivided attention to it this summer. Tee-hee. #

Let's see... hmm...

When it's a school day, the necessities are:

1. My identification card. I have no idea why my school confines our identity in a piece of plastic. ERR. My ID is a gate pass sorty. Without it, I'll be put on hold [order].
2. My umbrella. Rain or shine, it stays inside my bag. Well, you'll never know when the rain will pour. Besides, it is really handy during hot summer days.
3. A ballpen or two. I think I always have to have a pen inside my bag (or pocket). Maybe I've been trained by Blue Heights (my HS official school paper, my club/organization) to always have a pen and paper ready, in case of occurrence of news.
4. My wallet and coin purse. *Cue in knowing looks and "duh's"*
5. My filecase. I always carry it with me even though 90% of its content isn't really needed. HAHA! My filecase keeps highly-important papers and other stuff (syllabus, long exams, picture(s), schedule...) and keeps them neatly filed.
6. Notebooks, books, and readings. BUT. OF. COURSE.
7. My cellphone. Communication is highly highly important. Did I say it's very important?
8. My rosary. Ever since GS/HS, I've been keeping a rosary in my bag.
9. The others.

When it's a regular day (and I mean, gala day), it's usually cut down to the ID, umbrella, wallet, and cellphone.

HUZZAH! x)

It's actually easy - make your grammar straight crooked, and you're sure to get a million hits on YouTube in just one day.

See how Janina San Miguel (Binibining Pilipinas 2008 - Q&A Portion), Valentina Hasan (Ken Lee - a new version of Mariah Carey's "Without You") and Alyssa Alano (Keys Me - a distorted version of "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None The Richer) became instant hits with their infamous gaffes. They have been the talk of the town for so long, and their songs (words, in San Miguel's case) are part of almost everyone's LSS (Last Song Syndrome) playlist.

The typical initial reaction after viewing the videos is, of course, is insuppressible laughter. Who wouldn't let out a chuckle to their unforgivable boo-boos? Some people could have even thought that they could have done better if they were in the person's place. Some could have even said that they could answer the million peso question without batting an eyelash.

The next reaction would be the typical reaction of the critics and the wise consumers: what the [supply appropriate word] is happening to the [select one: world/continent/country/city/English skills of these people]?!?!?!

 

The moment we realize this, we stop seeing the whole thing as a joke to talk about during coffee breaks. We start to ponder, what has gone wrong? Those gaffes do not only humiliate the ones who committed them; perhaps, those gaffes, too, reflect the [in]capabilities of the Filipinos in general. For every additional insult posted in YouTube, every Filipino is subtly mocked and belittled by the world. Oh shame.

Maybe we should start seeing those videos as eye-openers that would show us the situation that we are currently in. At the end of the day, it's no laughing matter anymore.





And for those of you who are still laughing... PLEASE. GET. OVER. IT. NOW.

[I'm putting 'summer' on small caps because half of my summer days are going to be spent in school. Oh well, at least I don't get bored  or anything at home.]

Yays, it's vacation time for me.

What’s in a name?

My name – it has been with me ever since I first opened my eyes to see the world. It represents who I am, and it bears (and bares) my identity. My first name, which might seem to be a mere string of eleven letters to others, is powerful – commanding even – for it carries with it an essential element of my life: my purpose. How could it be possible, you might think, that a name could reveal a person’s purpose in life and eventually bestow upon him the fulfillment that he deserves? It’s simple – live out your name’s meaning.

Surely, there must be a reason why my name is Abygail June (and not any other name like, say, Bernadette or Sylvia or Catherine) – aside from the fact that my parents named me as such. My name Abygail means “source of joy,” and the name June always calls to mind the festivities and joys of getting married since June is the month of marriages. It’s a beautiful thought to know that I am a source of joy, a fountain of happiness, a well of gladness. But another thought crossed my mind: how can I always be a source of joy for others? There is no doubt that I have to actually do something in order to serve my purpose well (my mere presence wouldn’t suffice, of course). Perhaps, I could start with something that I enjoy doing – observing!

The best things in life are free, they say, and happiness is one of those priceless treasures. I find my happiness by simply observing the things around me. I take pleasure in amusing (and amazing) sights that people don’t usually notice. For example, for some reason, I feel happy whenever I see the Orion’s belt at night (it’s a three-star constellation that forms a straight line and it’s so unique that you can easily see it during a cloudless night). I take pride at the thought that I can actually identify the Orion’s belt in the midst of countless stars in the universe (keep this as a secret between you and me, the Orion’s belt is the only constellation that I really know). By observing, too, I am able to keep boredom away. Say, I am waiting for the train to arrive at the LRT station, since the last train left a few seconds just before I got to the waiting area, I have no other choice but to patiently wait for the next train. Instead of endlessly whining about why I wasn’t able to catch the train or think about the appointment that would start in fifteen minutes, I would take the opportunity by having a good look at the people around me. I notice their clothing – most of them in uniform or in corporate attire since they are heading for their schools or offices –and their faces – some are excited, some are tired and weary, and the rest of them have blank faces – and then I think to myself, it’s amazing how, even for a short span of time, these people from all over the city (myself included) from all walks of life get together at the same place and time. That seemingly ordinary experience of riding a train reminds me that no matter who we are or what we have achieved during our lifetime, we are all on the same pilgrimage called life. It amazes me, until now, how these observations enable me to learn life’s little lessons bit by bit. My goal now is to be able to guide others as they discover these lessons by helping them see these beautiful (yet hidden) realities of life.

Happiness easily comes to me because I find joy in simple things. I want to make others happy, to be a better source of joy by helping them find beauty in all things and opening them up to even more fountains of happiness. When I fulfill this goal, it is only then that I will be able to live up to the meaning of my name and only then will I be able to feel a sense of completion that somehow, through little acts and simple things, I was able to bring a smile to the world.

Flowers, FLOWERS!



I really adore/like/love flowers - I could actually study Botany if not for those other unnecessary terms that I am not willing to memorize. If only Botany in the Ateneo is all about plant appreciation, I wouldn't have any doubts about choosing it for my NatSci this sem - but it isn't like that, so NO Botany class for me. :P

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Suuuper thank yooou to Yanni for ze flowers. :3 It really brightened up my day, especially that it was a surprise for me. Ang cute, pink din yung damit ko nung araw na yun. :P (17 Mar 08 - A year after SN1)

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My English-slash-Lit blockmates (R39).



They're a wacky bunch of people - sometimes boisterous, sometimes quiet, but all the time witty and wacky! They're my second home, and I love them because they are fun to be with. I will miss the MWF critical analysis during Lit class and the group projects in En class. Almost everyone's in the picture except Jackie... and where could Gigoy be? (Hmm... he was even making side comments a while ago... but anyway..) I'll miss these people - see you around everyone! :)

I'll miss Ma'am de Pano & Sir Serrano, too! (SPOT OUR PROF IN THE PIC! Hint: The one you are to look for is our male teacher. xD)

BTW, this is the last year that we will be having our English and Literature classes so I'll definitely miss this class. Things to look forward to before really parting ways - 1) Lit finals and 2) the two productions of R39 (plus the party after? c:)! (19 Mar 08, last formal class in Lit14)