let's go back to college

Ang mga ninuno...

Though it means going home at 2 in the morning, last night's UP Music Circle production at Purple Haze was a blast if only for the reunion of the org's ancient ones. Man, it's been loads and loads of fun seeing long-time friends again, after ages. And sitting at one table (exclusively for alumni) made us feel really, really old. All around us were kids not less than 5 years our junior! Like we could be their professors! Hahaha!

Well of course, we went tripping back to memory lane. Boy, it's been great. As if we really didn't get enough of each other's company, we headed right to Starbucks for our kwento continuation. Had it not been for work the following day, we could still be there yakking away.

There will be a next time and a next. Definitely.

iBaby a.k.a King Kong

Got this new baby last Thursday. Now all I have to do is restore it so I can make it compatible for both Windows and Mac. (I first plugged it in to Mac so now my Windows at home can't read it. I blame my over-eagerness.)

Thus, I shall name it King Kong. (Kindly address all queries regarding this alias to Francis.)

am i on the list?

Now I'm all confused with so many great series plaguing the boob tube. And my latest craze? Heroes. Wow, oh wow!

Also worth checking out is this tribute to the show.

W.O.W.

panda fever

Another panda affair. Teehee!

pick-me-up

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Chanced upon this in Zig's LJ. Suuuuuuper adooooooraaaaable!!!!!!!!!

Francis, I know you're reading this. I want a pet panda. Now!

what happens to education now?

Met up with our friend Jun last week when Francis and I went to UP for his now regular jogging sessions (which I have to do, too, soon). It was fun catching up with Jun, who's now an instructor at the College of Science. Of course, we talked about the current issues plaguing dear UP, most disturbing of which is the tuition fee hike–a staggering P1,000 per unit for undergrads, which will take effect this coming June. Can you imagine, from P300 to P1,000? Whatever happened to "iskolar ng bayan"? Whatever will happen to UP's image of providing quality education for the masses sans a high tag price? The administration's take on this? A higher percentage of UP students now belong to the upper class, so they think it's just wise to take this step. But what about those who don't belong to the upper class? Is it the students' fault if they were born to the classes they belong to?

And for those upperclass men who won't be affected by this but still protest (because like I said, the hike will take effect this coming June and won't cause worry (hah!) to those with student number 06- and below), the admin says (drum rolls, please):

E hindi naman kayo maaapektuhan sa tuition fee hike e! (But you won't be affected by the tuition fee hike anyway!)

Yeah, right. So now they're teaching young minds to be indifferent? Para kayong di taga-UP!

I can now picture how things would be for our youth:

Anak: 'Nay, pag nag-college na po ako, gusto ko po kumuha ng Chemical Engineering sa UP.
Nanay: Hay naku anak... Di natin kaya tuition fee dun! Magtinda ka na lang ng yosi dyan sa kanto, kikita ka pa. O kaya sumali ka na lang sa Star Struck!

Such a sad, sad fate for a country who claims to put importance on education.

this isn't exactly a good feeling

With so many ugly issues cropping up lately, my desire to jump over the fence (literally) for a greener pasture (or should I say greener page?) is also surfacing. Fast. Like it was just hidden at the bottom of my own sea and has now found the right time to come swimming up the surface at neck-breaking speed enough to cause gas embolisms, which would in turn kill me.

And I think it's starting to kill me now.

back to the grind

Oh yes, yes, yes! Got back from an extended holiday "vacation" just yesterday. The vacation is nothing close to waves or pine trees, more like close (very close) to my bed (all day) and a 38.9 fever, plus sore throat and mild asthma. It seems that getting sick is my way of ushering new years into my life. At least, though, I managed to stay at home. So I'll just wait for my meager paycheck come the 15th of this month.

So how's everyone's new year?

Mine was spent with EBC and my little family–that's me, mom and sis–together with the traditional sleepover of my mom's youngest sister and her family. I think it's more fun to welcome the new year and say "tah-tah" to the outgoing year in number, in this case, there's 6 of us to do that. And of course, there were our neighbors, who welcomed their balikbayan relatives, who happened to be our playmates eons ago. You can imagine my surprise to see them all grown-up (and the boys grew to be cute guys! hahah!).

Shutter-happy EBC peeps


My tita Nene, sis, mom, cousin Jered and tito Obet


With Jerome and Joan, who's fresh from the US
and is now all grown up!


Me, cousin, and sis


Just like sisters!

Upon welcoming myself back to the office, I found that my Mac is having problems (and so I have a legal reason not to work) and that my mom would probably kill me. Remember my sis' oathtaking last December? Well, took loads of photos only to delete them without uploading them to my PC at home. I wasn't aware I haven't uploaded them yet. So now I only have 5 photos left here at the office. Five photos! My mom would really go berserk and tell me I'm no good. And I'm really hating myself for it. Like I'm responsible for documenting such a momentous event in my sis' life and I screwed up. If I can only ask her to take her oath all over again. Oh deary.

P.S.
I am sooo loving the big bag Francis gave me for Christmas. It's so roomy, I can probably hide in it when deadlines come whooshing by. Haha!

My desk doesn't look messy like that anymore! Congratulate me!