Posh thinking aloud...

On new relationships

2011-07-05T10:33:00.001+08:00

It's been ages since I last posted anything on my blog. New company, new friends and a helluva of great experience (Yo, Jakarta!). The past couple of months were really busy. While going through everything, I was flighty, anxious and snappish. I needed an avenue to unload all my angst without being judged and subjected to rumors. This blog has been my home for how many years now and I know that my home will gladly welcome my dreary soul back. chos!

Lately, I've been hanging out with a lot of debate friends. Admittedly, I can be an exclusivist in terms of dealing with people. I value relationships so much to the point that I only hang out with the same friends since waaaay back. I realized that the world is so big to limit myself. Majority of my friends are no longer here and some who are left behind have questionable place in my hierarchy of relationships, but I digress.

Anyway, I find contentment and happiness when I'm around these people...

Grace's birthday party at Villa Immaculada

After party at Music Bank

at the Philippine Supreme Court

Azrul's Manila visit

Gremlin's house party

Yes, they are the same people who, once upon a time, were involved in verbal tussle against each other. The foundation of the friendship is our passion in the craft that we love best-- DEBATE. They are some of the brightest minds in the Philippine (and Asian) debate community. It's nice to know though that we- or at least some of us- can hang out without mentioning debate. :D We watch movies, do karaoke, dine out, go on house parties, talk about life and do all sorts of landichi. For those reasons and for so much more, the only biological rose among the thorns is extremely thankful.

* photo creds: Grace and Gremlin

Supersize finds at Big Mak!

2011-01-17T11:50:00.000+08:00

I have a lot of food post backlogs. Things are getting a little wayward and I know that blogging about new discoveries will keep my sanity intact, i hope.

Last Christmas was spent in our Pangasinan home. It's been ages since we last did that. Blame it on my sister's hospital duties, and to our tradition that Post-Christmas Eve should be spent with visiting friends. So technically, I have to be in Manila. But, I digress. I really want to share my cheapo but yummy finds in Pangasinan.

Pangasinan vacations are always characterized by spending long hours on bed, stuffing ourselves to the brim with local delicacies and just discovering great finds.

This vacation is not an exception. My sister and I were playing Virtual Villager when boredom struck me. I knew right then and there that I had to get of the house and just "explore". Good thing, my sister was game so off we went to the town plaza (I can here my city friends snickering ;p).

Guess what we found? Two giants! Big Mak!, a local trailer type food chain (maybe a parody of the giant burger of this well-known fast food chain) was offering giant burgers and super long hotdog sandwiches. I forgot about the prices but they were cheap. Think below 100 bucks.
The Big Mak Giant Burger was huge but lacking in flavor. I didn't like the texture of the bread but it was quite filling. For its worth, I'm not complaining =)

Shobe taking a bite.

Next came Big Mak's Super Long Hotdog Sandich. This is probably the loooongest dog I've set my hands on (no pun intended. hehe). It measures 1 1/2 ft long. So if you think the footlong sandwiches in Morayta are the bomb, sizewise, you better think again ;p.

The hotdog sanwich was waaaay better than the burger. The hotdog did not have the usual snap that I want in my sausage but the bun was really soft so it kinda made up for that.

Hmn, I'm wondering what they will supersize next =)

Goodbye, 2010!

2011-01-07T08:35:00.000+08:00

I know, this is a belated New Year's post but holidays in the Philippines is usually the most stressful time of the year. Nonetheless, I have to write and pseudo-evaluate the year that was in order to assess things. I need to keep things in perspective. Let go of those that didn't work out the way I wanted them to and just learn to value more the keepers.

NEW/IMPROVED RELATIONSHIPS
1. My Techno loves. I've been friends with some and was initially acquainted with most of them from way back but the bond was sealed over great music, cocktails and constant analysis of our life's drama.
2. Partner. We've been hanging out for more than a year and I can say that he's really a keeper. He understands what I want-- my need for personal space, my drama queen syndrome, my love for KTV, my passion for intellectual discussions, my love for hats and boots, my intolerance to mediocrity and stupid remarks. The surprises, the road trips, the comforting words when I was going through hell with someone important in my life. He can be my best friend! haha
3. Nice people at work. I may not be an extreme exclusivist but I certainly know how to compartmentalize. I hang out with my friends because they are my friends and I go to work because I have to go to work. I don't mix things because they usually mess up everything in the end. But I'm lucky to have some really nice people at work. So screw compartmentalization, they just made it to my pyramid of friendship.

MY LIFE'S FIRSTS
1. Got really, REALLY, really drunk. Panagbenga in Baguio, I may die and resurrect but I shall never forget you!
2. Recorded a cooking sesh. Guesting in a cooking show is part of my bucket list so I guess this is substantial compliance of the goal.
3. Went to a gay bar. 'nuff said. hahaha.
4. Spent Holy Thursday and Good Friday away from home (and family).
5. Became a lector and a commentator.

MEMORABLE TRIPS (No, I'm not elaborating why ;p)
1. Taiwan with the boys.
2. Tagaytay road trip with Wen.
3. Panagbenga Festival in Baguio.

HAPPINESS ROAD BLOCKS
1. The post-trip detachment. (we're ok now, I guess).
2. It all started with canceled meet-ups with former important people. Snowballed into friendships gone wrong (so yeah, I canceled them in my life).
3. A lot of my friends left the country this year (Thank you, technology, for making the physical absence tolerable).

THANK YOU 2010
1. For allowing me to build new relationships and strengthen the old ones regardless of the distance.
2. For being a very good year for my sister whom I love dearly. You made her a full-fledged doctor, a top incoming IM resident choice of the only hospital that she applied for, and you made it possible for her to stay with us after our years of separation c/o medschool.
3. For a good working environment.
4. For the new experiences with my constants.
5. For that nice Tagaytay road trip and the emotion-filled 9 pm view deck experience.
6. For all the UAAP events that I was able to watch free of charge. (It pays to be connected ;p)
7. For teaching me how to embrace calculated risks and appreciate random detachments.
8. For all the food adventures with my family and friends.
9. For keeping my family intact.
10. For simply being steady.

I KNOW THAT 2011 IS A GOING TO BE A GOOD YEAR BECAUSE...
1. Of a possible business opportunity.
2. I know that my friends got my back.
3. I have a continuing offer from my friends to visit them abroad.
4. After all the bumps and temptations, my values are still intact.
5. I am fabulous and I don't see any reason why it is not going to be a good one. hahaha ;p

10 Reasons to be Happy #4

2010-12-20T10:39:00.003+08:00

1. My Seoul-based best buddy is finally here in Manila. Move over stress, time to smell the roses with Luckyboy.
2. Completed 5 days -and counting- of Simbang Gabi. Every single time, we're at least 20 mins early. Naks!
3. Simbang Gabi service. I love the fact that I still have my "female voice" no matter how early it is.
4. Solving mystery games with Shobe. I just love playing detective with her. Hay, one of the things that I will surely miss when hospital eats up majority of her time starting January 1.
5. Tita Miriam's thanksgiving breakfast party. I love breakfast parties! I have found a family in the company of my churchmates. Lord, ito na ba yung "calling"? wag naman sana. hehe
6. My new (old) favorite game-- Virtual Families and Villagers. I know, I know, too old school. But these games take my mind off facebook.
7. Watching a football match with my country as one of the competing teams. No matter what, I'm proud of you Azkals! I can't wait for Suzuki 2012.
8. Friday night. Recreated Taylor Swift's "I'm only me when I'm with You". FTW! *grin*
9. Sir Gene's birthday party. I love it when a normal birthday party becomes an instant reunion of dear ol' friends. I had so much fun with Joeven, Ate Ans, Ma'am Barro, Ate Raqs, Sir Gene, Sir Joey, Sir Rog, Harold, Lucky, Mike, Bryan, VV, et.al. Ang kulit ni Mike! hahaha. lines that are worth remembering:

“Bawat isang plato ay nakakasira ng buhay.” (Mike on going back to the buffet spread after receiving praises for his beautifully sculptured body. Naks! Gustung gusto nya yan.)
“You just don’t get that virus if you don’t have an underlying GRAVER disease like AIDS and CANCER (Ma’am Barro’s ‘comforting’ words to Lucky. hahaha)
“I-enjoy mo na ‘tong food. Baka last mo ng kain ‘to. (Everyone in relation to former entry.)
“I like that! Ang lakas maka-cosmopolitan ng statement mo friend.” (I forgot the context na basta Mike and I were talking and this came up.)
“Kumusta na kaya si Maren.” (Harold’s out of the blue question. Yes, he did state that he’s single now and I did say that Maren is frolicking in NYC and that she is ALSO single. hahaha)

10. Receiving gifts with personalized cards/messages. I love receiving presents in general (pwede naman sigurong maging materialistic minsan?) but I treasure letters and notes more. It always ups generic gifts to personalized status. =)

10 Reasons to be Happy #3

2010-12-13T12:51:00.000+08:00

1. Christmas shopping with Shobe.
2. Our mom-daughter bonding during Velvet Mood's Christmas concert.
3. Father-daughter cook-off yesterday.
4. Having my hair done. New look for Christmas =)
5. Two overlapping meetings last Tuesday. A clear sign that I am doing good career-wise.
6. I'm finally done organizing my closet and packing my old clothes. More space for new ones.
7. Three new pairs of shoes. Love, love, love.
8. Seeing my mom happy with her new-found friends in her Tai Chi class.
9. My sister getting accepted for residency.
10. Loads of parties!

Happy Lemon

2010-12-09T11:31:00.002+08:00

I had two meetings last Tuesday night with the last one ending past midnight. The last one was analytically demanding so I forced myself to drink a cup of normal coffee with a shot of espresso. I think that was not a good idea since I was awake and unable to sleep until around 4 in the morning. Naturally, I had the biggest headache when I woke up not to mention the fact that I was kinda feeling a little bit under the weather because of my stupid asthma. To cut the story short, I took the day off and decided to just rest. Shobe brought me a huge cup of mint tea and after a couple of hours after lunch, I was feeling a little better. We decided to maximize the time and do some shopping. Guess what we found?????

HAPPY LEMON!!!!

I was ecstatic when I saw the image of the winking girl with yellow hair! I first saw this milk tea brand in Hong Kong. Too bad I wasn't able to try it because the line was too long. Luckily, I don't need to fly to HK (or China) just to try Happy Lemon. The Greenhills Promenade location rocks!

Green Tea with Rock Salt and Cheese (Php. 80)

The server instructed us not to use straw and just drink it straight from the cup to fully appreciate the flavors. Shobe found the mixture weird but for me, it was yummy. I loved the creaminess of the cheese and the mild taste of the green tea. The rock salt added a good punch of flavor.

Welcome to Manila, Happy Lemon!

Mr. and Ms. Presenter of the Year 2010

2010-12-01T10:39:00.001+08:00

Last week, sir Joey and the student council officers of IABF invited me to judge the culminating event of IABF week-- Mr. and Ms. Presenter of the Year 2010. For so many years now, I've been judging/adjudicating debate and public speaking competitions but never in a pageant format.
Wow lang di ba?! hahaha. Anyway, I love fashion and Presenter of the Year requires the winner to be eloquent, smart and witty so I accepted the invite.

Flashback:
If my memory serves me right, Maren and Harold joined this contest some light years ago. Yeah, that was a looong time. I am hoping to be able to stumble upon an old picture of Maren in a long gown but to no avail so boo.

Present:
Contestants were representatives from different IABF organizations. They were asked to parade on their uniform, business suit, sports wear and formal attire. The sports wear was the best! I still can't get over the pair who wore an el matador outfit (because of the sheer creativity) and the guy who wore a speedo swimming jammer and a white sando (because of his sheer ~~yumminess~~ confidence and strong personality manifested when the crowd went wild after he ripped his sando off).

They were all good looking so it was up to us (Jeff, Nina and Moi) to test their eloquence and ability to relay think of awesome answers under pressure. I am not in the mood to write everything that happened. I just want to point out that I had so much fun during the event.

I wasn't able to take decent pics so sorry, guys,
for not giving justice to your gorgeous looks

Thank you, IABF and Congrats to the winners! =)

10 Reasons to be Happy #2

2010-11-29T23:23:00.000+08:00

1. "The Project" is really taking shape now.
2. Being chosen as one of the judges for the "FEU Presenter of the Year". (IABF and Sir Joey are just so nice and my co-judges are equally amazing)
3. Two dozens of roses.
4. Wen's new do. I am calling him "Punk Doctor" until he grows his hair back. I just love, love his hair!
5. Spending the holiday with Joeven, Ate Ans and some equally important people.
6. Villa and Xavi's goals. This is bittersweet since those goals are at the expense of my Real Madrid boys. But yeah, this made me happy =)
7. Midnight updates with Lucky and Mark's action packed life in Seoul and our "twisted concept of fun" (Martinez, 2010). hahaha
8. Mr. Jones with Shobe.
9. Attending/serving 2 masses in a day. One in English the other in the vernacular.
10. Coldplay's Yellow playing on the background while writing a journal entry.

The Ring

2010-11-24T10:49:00.002+08:00

"Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end. If not always in the way we expect it." (Luna Lovegood, HP)

This quote practically played back in my mind when I saw the ring that my mom gave me some few years back tucked in the deepest corner of my kikay kit.

Wow! I've been looking for the said ring for months now. I last saw the ring on the day of shobe's oathtaking. I used it to add a certain vibe of formality and class on the said occasion. I was too tired to remember where I placed it after the ceremony. Of course, moms are intuitive and after a couple of days of not telling her that the ring's pseudo-missing, she asked me about it. I told her the most general answer at that point. I just said "Di ko po makita pero for sure I left it in my room. Maybe it rolled somewhere." My mom is smart so obviously she did not buy my alibi. She's aware that I do keep my accessories in a box and I do have boxes for rings, earrings (for the studs and pearls since I have a separate storage for chandelier, drop and hoop earrings), bracelets (which are subdivided into bangles, beads, cuffs etc.) and necklaces. Case in point: I can get carried away in terms of organizing my accessories so the ring "rolling somewhere" was a bad argument. I may be an ok adj and a pretty decent debater but I suck at lying especially to people who know me.

Mom would ask once in a while if I was able to find it and I would have the same answer every single time. Honestly, after an entire day of looking in my room, I've given up. I have the attention span of a 2 y/o and patience in an endeavor gleaned as an exercise in futility is not my strongest virtue. So I just left everything to St. Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of lost things, hoping that the ring would miraculously show up. And thankfully, it did!

So Luna's right. We should not stress ourselves too much looking for the things that we lost. If they are meant to be ours, they will find their way back us. Sure, things may no longer be the same again but we are not in the position of power to bargain and ask for more. After all, God is good. He may not give us what we want but he surely provides for what we need. And no, I am no longer talking about missing rings =)

10 Reasons to be Happy #1

2010-11-22T14:50:00.002+08:00

Maia has the gratitude ten and it inspired me to really look at the things that keep me focused, motivated and happy. After all, life may sometimes be hell on earth but generally, it is pretty steady. So Mondays will be "10 Reasons to be Happy Day". =)

1. Thursday night with my favorite doctors- Shobe and Wen.
2. Location mug(s), H&M top and chocolates from Shobe's friends from their trips in Sanfo and Paris.
3. Dinner with Ate Ans and Joeven at Joeven's place. Nostalgic much?
4. "Control is power" finally came into life.
5. My first tagalog High Mass church service.
6. The sweet gesture of having Paris stamp templates patiently waiting on my desk.
7. Surviving work.
8. Decluttered room with freshly washed bed sheets and pillow cases.
9. Plants vs. Zombies with mom.
10. Wee Nam Kee's HCR and Bon Chon.

On second life and seeing a new one

2010-11-10T09:44:00.002+08:00

Tuesday was THE bomb.

Got a wake up call but instead of the usual "Wake up sleepyhead", it was "I've Had The Time Of My Life". How ~~sweet~~ cool was that?! Anyway, work was ok. I had fun talking to the girls. Went out for lunch with Keenan and we bumped into Wen's former student. And oh, it was also my first time to play the Lottery (Sweet Jesus, please let me win?).

Since mommy Johne gave birth to our godchild yesterday, Wen and I decided to visit her. After a couple of calls in between his horrific meetings, we came up with the most busy-people-friendly schedule.

~~As always,~~ Traffic was awful but we had so much fun goofing around. We turned his car into a mini club and tried our best to sway with the music. He was crazily trying so hard to sing/dance to Bruno Mars' "Just The Way You Are" while manning the wheel when a girl crossed the road out of nowhere. Muntik na syang nabangga. Kami na ang biglang naging serious so eyes on the road and both hands on the wheel si Wen. hahaha. We talked about our lives instead. How stressful his life in the corporate world is. Love. Relationship. Future plans. In short, nag-emo na naman kami. It was like that for 30 mins or so until "I've Had The Time Of My Life" started playing on the background. Our eyes met and I let out a crazy screech as he increased the volume. We LOVE that song. Baliw-baliwan lang kami talaga. hahaha. And just when we're on the groove of playing Johnny and Baby, a stupid car swerved and almost hit us. Wen was able to hit the brakes before crashing into that stupid car. I swear, nagkapalit sana kami ng mukha ng dashboard kung hindi lang ako naka-seatbelt and Wen did not instinctly served as my human shield. I was touched naman because he protected me first. Ang bait lang. hahaha

So there, we went to super serious mode once again. I don't want us to be casualties of the saying that Bad luck comes in threes.

We weren't able to see Ashton John but I'm mighty glad that mommy Johne had a smooth operation. We were pretty worried because she had a sensitive pregnancy. We might visit AJ when they get home.

They say that a baby is always a blessing since it signifies new beginnings but after our brush of with 2 potential accidents, I can say that new beginnings are not mutually exclusive to having something for the first time or experiencing something grand. Because sometimes, it takes a minor detail to experience a complete turn.

Happy birthday, Shobe!

2010-11-08T16:43:00.001+08:00

I think having a sibling is nice but having a sister is really, really awesome.

All of my close friends know the kind of relationship that I have with my sister. Admittedly, I spoil her to death (or at least if and when my budget permits. bleeh!).

Shobe's birthday for this year was pretty exclusive. We (mom, pop, shobe and moi) just had an intimate lunch of grilled fish, Angus beef kebab, buttered prawns and White Chocolate and Bluberry Cheesecake. Actually, my mom scolded me the night before because I forgot to make reservations for Estrel's Caramel Cake but oh well. And since I was too tired to go shopping with her (fire drill was hell), we just went to Payless the next day. We kinda lost it since the original plan of shopping for shoes ended with a couple of clothes and some groceries. We also had some chill time at my favorite wine/tea session place with Lucky and Mark. Cafe Adriatico is pure love.

Happy birthday to my dear sister! You may be a kickass doctor but you will always be the family's baby =)

Just because...

2010-10-26T09:15:00.000+08:00

I don't want friends on facebook to know how affected I am...
I'd rather be pissed off in silence and let some random faceless people know about it...
I've been a victim of flakers for how many times...
I still feel guilty for ditching my bestfriend's offer to go to Bora in favor of a cancelled Bora trip with supposedly new friends...
I hate cancellations...
I declined Wen's Bora invite because I've given my word in favor of an impending cancelled Baguio trip...
I hate flakers...
I'm a control freak...
I've had two travel cancellations in a month (i'm still hoping for the Baguio trip to push through)...
I'm such in a foul mood right when work demands me to be Little Ms. Sunshine...
I miss my travel buddies...
I miss my friends who value the true meaning of commitment...
I'm tired of catching my twisted sunshine...
I need a good cry...
I need to reevaluate relationships...
I'm under selective detachment...

On Letting Go...

2010-10-19T12:49:00.002+08:00

"Letting go" is probably the most used and abused concept of emo people. I don't dwell on this too much ~~bilang strong ako~~ because it is just not me. I hate transparency of emotions and I am not very good in answering personal questions. So I guess, I'm really not cut out for the entertainment industry because I would probably suck at Boy Abunda's Tough Ten. (bawal mag-judge. pop culture yan) However, recent events made me analyze such. (promise, lalagyan ko ng konteng puso kasi nga the subject calls for emotional dumping. keri?)

Letting go is said to be the hardest thing to do and deconstruct in any kind of relationship. Mikaela even wrote a ~~pathetic~~ song about The Art of Letting Go. A friend of mine practically erased all the songs in her Ipod except for this one and played it every chance she got right after she broke up with her bf. Of course, I wasn't able to understand ~~kasi ako ang nang-iwan at hindi iniwan~~ her but being a good friend, I just let her "cherish" the pain. When she came to her senses, I told her about what I read on the basic stages of letting go. You know-- denial, grief, anger, re-entry, and preparation for a new relationship. She just incredulously looked at me and said "Why do you have to intellectualize everything? Feelings are feelings. You can't switch it on and off nor can you find a step by step guide on how to deal with it on books. OC ka na, manhid ka pa!" I'm sorry? I was just trying to help and buti nga I said something with substance and basis. I was initially planning on telling her "Don't worry, karma's there so just let things be and allow cosmic justice to do its part." I think this is the part when they say that lovers are irrational. Gross.

What I don't understand is the fact that people find it difficult to just move on. While I agree that initial attraction is never a choice, love--just like letting go-- should be a choice. You can't choose who to like because attraction transcends one's cerebrality. However, what you do about that attraction is where free will comes in. You decide whether you want to pursue someone, jump into a relationship, end a relationship or pathetically be enclosed by the memories of the past. (fine, ang harsh lang)

In our lifetime, it is axiomatic that we would eventually be required to make a choice. Hard as it may seem, we know that we have to make one. Maybe because we are fed up of our daily routines or have gotten really, really tired and frustrated of the things that we can’t have, or maybe, just maybe, we miss our comfort zones. Choices, they say, are byproducts of deep perspicacity. We all have our means and methods of arriving into one. Some hibernate and lie dormant; others impose selective jurisdictional detachment while there are some who opt for countless solicitations of advice from friends. The latter is considered as the most common and tolerable in our system. In a culture where relationships and close affinity are valued, we often go to our families and friends in order have an analysis of the situation that we are into hoping against all hopes that they can give a rationalized opinion. But sometimes, we go to our friends willing for an affirmation in the guise of asking for an advice because we know it within ourselves that we already made a decision. This is the reason why no amount of explanation is enough when our friends explicate an option especially if it counters our predisposed choice. In short, joke time lang na gusto mo ng advice kasi ang gusto mong marinig, affirmation.

To be fair, it is really hard to let go, and I am saying this in a completely unromantic way because I believe that romance and letting go are not mutually exclusive. Letting go is stress-depression-stress-depression-cry cry-depression-jiritabels-depression-parati-na-lang-may-depression. So yeah, para syang puso ko-- HARD. I have experienced being left behind countless of times (and I mean, literally). Well, I have always prided myself for having great friends and for someone who really value relationships, I have high expectations. I was never a needy friend that's why no one can fault me for feeling bad when I wanted a friend at a particular moment and no one heeded. After all, I wouldn't be caught dead ringing a friend in the wee hours of the night nor flooding his/her inbox (except in totally isolated cases of drunk texting/calling). That is soo cramping my style. That is why I appreciate friends who keep in touch despite their busy schedules. Those who contact you because they just want to hang out and enjoy your company and not just buzz or give you a text when you are needed. This is the reason why it's very hard on my part to say goodbye to my friends.

I was sad when Lucky left for China but I was more ecstatic for ~~my Olympics stuff~~ his adventure. Besides, he was always in the Philippines and the postcards kept on appearing on my mailbox so kebs. Then he decided to become a conference magnate in SG. No big deal. I get to receive a call for like what, minimum of 3x a week? And then Melvin went to SG, Mark to Seoul, Kevin to SG, Lucky to SG, Maren to the US and Kid and Guddz to SG. Oh man! I hate moments of weakness ~~kasi nga strong ako~~. But seriously, I just try to put on a brave front when I'm with my friends. I don't want to give them the impression that I am deeply affected whenever they tell me that it's time for them to leave. After all, I don't want to spoil the anticipatory fun. I want them to continue exploring life and what the other side of the fence can offer be it in acads or in career.

Writing this is really hard. I am an evasive shrimp who hates confronting my emotions. I always choose to be happy regardless of how crappy life is. Again, personal choice. But yeah, sometimes, I should learn to "humanize" feelings. What can I do? I have to perenially drive in yellow because I don't know when the light changes into red, signaling that I finally have to stop being clingy and just learn to let go.

Charlie St. Cloud

2010-10-18T10:38:00.000+08:00

After a highly exhaustive negotiation and schedule bargaining, I came face to face with Zac Efron via the movie Charlie St. Cloud. I'm not a film critique and I can't revel on the high points of the movie but it's basically about brotherhood, holding on to memories, finding love, not giving up, letting go of a promise and finally moving on.

Sometimes, we hold on to our past for too long that we forget the fact that we are fencing ourselves in total isolation from those who are capable of loving us and helping us move on to our life's next chapter.

Princess Poshie and her movie date

We also watched Kid's second to the last gig at Watering Hole. Wen met some of my close friends. I had to meet some debate people at Metrowalk so I had to break the party earlier.

Princess Poshie enjoying Watering Hole =)

My debate favorites

2010-10-06T14:27:00.003+08:00

I've been in the debate community for a long time. A lot of people would probably raise a brow upon knowing this because of the idea that we will only grow up upon leaving our comfort zones. Admittedly, debate has always been my comfort zone. But you see, debaters are strong believers that cultural perception is subjective. People don't just leave the community. There's a saying that debaters don't retire, they only become adjudicators. Right. Just like me, I did not retire (at least not yet), I only became an adjudicator. Well, since I've had my share of fabulousity in debate (pun intended), allow me to take you to a trip down memory lane as I take note of my debate favorites.

NB: these are relatively recent tournaments because I don't have the patience and the time to scan dinosaur pics :). And oh, these are local tournaments only. Might make another blog for international tourneys or tourneys participated by different nationalities.

After Debate Hang out: WAI YING

Wai ying is a chinese restaurant in Benavidez. We would often go there after a physically and mentally exhaustive debate training. Actually, Wai ying is loved by Manila debaters in general. According to Jayson, a debater from San Beda, "Hindi ka debater pag hindi ka pa nakakain sa Wai Ying". I think he's right. Debaters from as far as Katipunan go here to hang out with fellow debaters.

Post-training chill with our CSB-IVs shirt :)

Highschool Debate Tournament: PSDC (Philippine Schools Debate Championship)

PSDC is an annual debate tournament hosted by Ateneo de Manila Debate Society (ADS). I like this tournament because of its balance nature. Debate tournaments are usually toxic and stressful but PSDC always has a fun break night party. I remember the time when I was invited by ADS to become a Deputy Chief Adjuducator (DCA), we had a costume party for break night!

Adj Core in action
(with Dino from DLSU, Miko from ADMU, BJ from UP and Noel from SU)

break night party
(Berna as Sarah Palin, Jess as himself, Keith as Naruto,
Kip as Jason, Moi as Pocahontas, Jayson as a religious servant
and Gian as some random tambay sa kanto)

Announcement of winners at the Championship Dinner

Ma-drama Tournament: National Debate Championship (NDC) hosted by Ateneo de Davao University and National Debate Championship hosted by University of Baguio

Debate is really a rollercoaster ride, emotion-wise. One can celebrate like there's no tomorrow after a good round then the next moment, you can see debaters cry like a baby after a bad round or a terrible adjudication. Drama is everywhere. You can experience drama during debate rounds (this usually happens among institutions) which I consider as "external drama" or "internal drama" which happens after or before debate rounds (within your contingent). FEU is really not a "ma-issue" institution. We take pride on solidarity of its members. Basta in these two tournaments, we experienced internal drama. ;p

Pre-Championship Dinner with Steph and Jess at ADDU

We occupied a lot of rooms for our contingent but true to the
spirit of camaraderie, the kids and joeven
(he was a DCA in this tournament so he was billeted in the hotel suite)
would always gravitate to our room before going to sleep.
The drama happened in this room. hahaha

University-wide Tournament: 1st Nicanor Reyes Debate Classic

This tournament was the brainchild of the ORADEC during Gee's term as the President. It was actually a brilliant idea to expose the students to debate. Debaters are usually tagged as the school "elites", intellectual or otherwise, and this tournament helped in disproving such debate stereotype.

1st NRDC

In-house Training: Tagaytay Highlands

Before participating in a national competition, we would schedule a debate lockdown. This is a common practice of debate organizations. It is basically a debate camp where you debate, matter load and debate over and over again. It can go on for 3 days, 5 days or even longer. Our Bulacan lockdown was pretty memorable but since I don't have the patience to scan the photos, I would make do with one in-house training. This was memorable because we had one-on-one sessions. We also had group critique and bull sessions. I will never forget Gee for saying this "Honestly, hindi ko gusto yung mga bull sessions natin. I only learned one thing: kung paano magtanim ng galit." hahaha. Priceless.

laughing at our bad cases

Finally, we were able to see the sun!

PIDC tournament: 1st PIDC, Tarlac City

Philippine Inter-collegiate Debating Championship (PIDC) is a tournament hosted by the University of the Philippines Debate Society (UPDS). I love this PIDC tournament because I was able to exprience a lot of firsts: 1) This was my first time to become a DCA in a national collegiate debate competition. 2) My first time to be contingent-deprived (Mark was able to go with me and I'm perpetually grateful for that). 3) My first time to really hang out and bond with debaters from different institutions.

The 1st PIDC Adj Core (CSB, UPD, UPM, FEU, ADMU, DLSU and UST)

With debaters and adjudicators from ADMU, San Beda, DLSU and Lyceum
in my hotel room after break night party.

Fashion-friendly Tournament Venue: Baguio

During elimination rounds, debate tournament fashion is basically composed of t-shirts, shorts, jeans, tank tops and havs. Yup. Debaters seldom dress up during rounds because a room with pumped up debaters and a humid weather is a bad combination. You go for your most comfortable clothes during rounds and dress up when your team reaches octos. Baguio is a fashion-friendly tournament venue because you can experiment with your look by layering clothes and putting on accessories without fear of experiencing the oh-so-dyahe jabar while giving a make or break speech.

NDC, University of Baguio

NDC, Philippine Military Academy

Cadet Hop, PMA NDC

There you go, some of my debate favorites :)

Meet Princess Poshie

2010-10-04T09:41:00.001+08:00

I normally love September but for this year, a huge fight with the nicest guy I know, FEU settling for 1st runner-up after topping the elimination round, a cancelled Iloilo-Boracay trip, potentially missing out on all the fun and intellectual bad-ass convo in this year's National Debate Championship, a good friend's resignation at work, and things coming short from what I expected, left me constantly singing Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends."

I guess stress took a toll on my body so I spent the first day of October getting chummies with my bed, magazines, and my personal doctors. I was able to easily recover, healthwise, but I think I also annoyed a lot of people by my constant niggling. Sorry ;p

Going to work is something that I always look forward to (sorry, tamang geek lang) and I am seriously happy that something nice is waiting for me in the office. Friends, meet Princess Poshie :)

I found her on top of my desk with a cheer-up note from my boss. Aww, that's the nicest thing that someone can do after a drama-filled month. He may be a brat like me (and I am saying that as a compliment. I'm pretty sure he would take it as such ;p), but he is really beyond awesome. Thank you for making me smile. :). I am claiming her as my mini me (bawal kumontra ;p) so from this day on, I will take Princess Poshie wherever I go and will include her in whatever adventure I do.

Princess Poshie's view at work :)

Happy birthday, Maren!

2010-09-30T11:31:00.004+08:00

I first met Maren in 2004 during the Oratorical and Debate Council (ORADEC) apps week. I couldn’t remember if I was the one who interviewed her but what I do know is that fact that she stood out from the crowd. Beautiful locks while everyone’s sporting a rebonded hair, fabulous tan, fashionable, impeccable grammar and amazing eloquence… I’m cutting myself right there for fear of being accused as a lesbo. hahaha. In short, she’s really cool. So there, she became part of the ORADEC.

She was a good member. She even became the org Prexy.

Spot the fashion designer, flight attendant, professional students abroad
and Corporate magnate in SG

We had our share of debate tournaments in Manila and out of town. (I still consider Dumaguete as one of the best tournaments ;p)

Circa 2006 ba 'to? hahaha

We also had our in-house trainings. Remember our Tagaytay Highlands lockdown? Epic!

We stayed there for 3 days with nothing to do but debate, matter load,
debate, matterload and feel sorry for ourselves :D

And then, there came a lull in her debate career... (alam mo yan) ;p
Inspite of the lull, she still managed to hold on to her other passion-- FASHION!

hats, hats, hats

She can do wonders with your eyes.
Awesome smokey eyes, hun :D

She even dabbled in the fashion industry as a make-up artist and a ramp model.
(Sorry friend, natatawa pa din ako pag iniisip ko na kinaya ng height mo ang ramp.
IKAW NA talaga. hahaha)

...once in a while, we would go out and catch up on each other's lives...

Remember Dr. F's birthday, ORADEC Christmas Parties and Mike's concert?
(hindi ko ma-resist i-post ang kaisa-isang picture na hindi ka wala kang tan! haha)

... but I think, one coffee session with Brian opened everything up. Then we had our sesh with Dawnie, Rix and Gee. Watched Kid in his gig. Met Guddz and Rach. And, as what they say, the rest is history.

Our love affair with Technowave and the occasional gig at Il Ponticello

And oh, how we love football! :)

Until you decided to pursue further studies in an unfamilir territory. Your despedida had an unwritten rule. NO CRYING. Guess who broke the rule first?

Oh well... we all need to spread our wings and see what life can offer at the other side of the fence. But I just want to remind you that before you became a...

...Poi enthusiast and...

... the girl with a complicated lovelife...

You were once a simple girl with a simple life.

Yes, you are a fashionista but you really are simple to the bones.

Oh, corny ka din pala! Remember this?

Making this as your profile pic and updating your status to appear like this:
MAREN ELIZABETH MARTINEZ IS A FAN.
i mean, what were you thinking?! ampotah! hahaha

What I wish on your birthday, is to see you laugh like this once again...

carefree. childlike.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Maren! You will always be one of my very few girl friends (knowing how testosterone-filled my friendship life is).

(photo creds: maren's albums and oradec files :))

Sango

2010-09-29T15:01:00.001+08:00

I think I had my first authentic taste of Japanese cuisine during my primary education. Papa had a Japanese client who owned a Japanese resto along Pasay road. I could still remember the zen interior and the visually appealing bento, the unagi, ebi tempura, the properly executed miso soup, the fresh sashimi on top of glistening shaved ice and the freshly grated wasabi (unlike those wasabi paste and powder that you can get in the grocery). Simply put, I fell in love with Japanese food. Years after that, I was introduced to the trend of new age cuisine- FUSION. Some foodies are not a fan because it alters its cultural specificity, but I think a borderless world also calls for a borderless culinary opportunity. And yes, burgers are no longer mutually exclusive in the US diners. So for Doc She's last day of Makati yuppy life before doing her pre-residency, we decided to have lunch at Sango which is a stone's throw away from her clinic.

Sango is a restaurant that specializes in Japanese burgers. Now that's what I call fusion. The interior has a youthful vibe to it. They even have origamis and manga to entertain the customers while waiting for their orders.

Shobe told me there was Doraemon in there!

We ordered for their best-sellers which are the Master Cheese Burger, Yakiniku Rice Burger, Cold Lemon Ginger and Iced Milk Tea.

The Yakiniku Rice Burger is really yummy. Tender slices of beef in between sticky Japanese rice. Doc She, who avoids rice every possible opportunity she has, finished this.

Yakiniku Rice Burger (Php145)

The Master Cheese Burger, on the other hand, has a huge slice of tomato, generous chili sauce, chopped onions and soft bun. A good burger for me is something that has a soft bun and a juicy patty. Good thing, this burger has both. I was initially overwhelmed with the amount of onions but surprisingly, it has a very mild flavor.

Master Cheese Burger (Php145)

We're full at this point so we settled for their Sango drinks instead of ordering their Cornflakes Shake. Since Doc She is feeling a little bit under the weather, she had Cold Lemon Ginger. It was just like a glorified cold salabat. It will surely clear any nasal congestion. I had the Iced Milk Tea. Unlike other milk teas, Sango's version is really mild. I did not taste the earthy flavor of tea. Definitely not for the purists or serious tea drinkers.

Cold Lemon Ginger (Php65); Iced Milk Tea (Php50)

If you get to experience food this way, who cares if it's fusion?

Posh likey :D

The Past

2010-09-29T10:06:00.001+08:00

My lovelife was never an open book. I may be outspoken and little Miss Sunshine, but I do have my gloomy days and I always choose to handle this aspect of my life alone. A few days ago, I saw someone who is connected with the-one-that-got-away. Obviously, I was reminded of our past. When I decided to end everything, I wanted to give him a letter to let him know how I feel but I opted to write a journal entry instead. Now that I'm super ok (at bilang nakapagmove on na ko), I decided to post it. (yes, ako na ang strong :D)

Growing up is all about accepting and living with the fact that things don’t always work out the way you want them to.

I know that I am torturing myself by writing this entry but I guess the urge to let it flow via self-expression is more powerful than building a wall or going on detachment. Like what joevz said “Cry, then move on…”. Ironically, I can’t find it in me to cry. I just feel empty and alone.

I have little respect in your institution, you live for the chain of command; I love to talk, you are a man of few words; I have an erratic fashion statement, you go for plain white shirts and jeans; I enjoy the rare display of my “goldilocks mode”, you are always decisive in everything. Tsk,tsk… We are a mismatch waiting to crumble. But despite the absurdity, we made an effort to live in our own world… a world of complexity and uncertainty. My choices rarely fit yours but instead of compromising, I would end up giving in. A world mostly composed of giving in than compromise. Not a perfect one but then again, our set-up’s even far from being normal in the first place. The realization came in a little too late mostly because I was dismissive of entertaining the thought. Dismissive because I am happy to be your “special friend”… I was happy to be your “special friend”.

For quite some time, the distance was never an issue. I would always take pride on the fact that we feel more physically proximate than those who have each other by their side 24/7. The way you manifest faux-anger when I don’t eat on time... those constant reminders to take care, bring an umbrella and go home early… the way you say “I’m sorry” even for the smallest thing that caused me pain. You always show small acts of sweetness that never fail to envelop me in the warmth of security. We were on the same level but definitely on different planes but we managed to get by… for a while, that is. Somehow, things are no longer the same. We have lost our enthusiasm. Lately, our conversations are mostly devoid of zeal. The nasty predisposition that’s haunting me suddenly came to life… We have come to the end of our journey. My friend said that maybe I’m making a hasty decision but then again, I can feel that we are really drifting apart… that maybe, you have already made the same decision before I even made up mine. Maybe, I want to have a win-win case. Maybe, I sometimes have the tendency to quantify the feelings that I give and expect to get a decent part of it back. But one thing is certain, I want everything rationalized and clarified, and in our case, that was lacking. I am not shedding a tear and my friends think that I am acting cool about it but deep down, I am languishing in despondency because the fact that this experience is way out of my league fails to temper the pain from within. But that’s life. You take some risks… you fall down… you get hurt but you also have to bounce back. I know that being perpetually dissatisfied is not my style but I still have boundaries to set and sanity to keep that is why I know when to say it’s enough and when to accept that it’s all over.

Thank you for that blissful chapter but we have to close it because I don’t want to be left in the dark dreaming of us when in reality there is only me, and only you.

Choices at Food Choices

2010-09-28T10:49:00.002+08:00

I have a confession to make...

I've never tried eating at Food Choices. Well, I've tried some of the stuff there but I've never sat down and enjoyed my meal in one of the food court seats. Luckily, I was with my sister, Doc She, the other night and we decided to just hang out while waiting for the rush hour crowd to thin out.

Here are some of the food that we tried.

Maru Maru Takoyaki balls

Takoyaki Balls (php68/6 pcs)

My sister liked this one but I found it too cake-y for my taste. I only tasted one octopus (or it might even be a squid) per takoyaki. I understand that this is probably my money's worth considering how cheap they're selling it. However, they should've tried to make a close approximate of the taste inspite of commercialiasm.

Smokey's hotdog

Double Cheese Bacon Dog (Php50+)

My sister and I grew up liking Smokey's with all the fixin's that goes with your hotdogs. However, this one's far from the taste that we loved. The bread was too hard, the bacon bits tasted weird and the hotdog? Forgettable.

Go Greek!

Moussaka (Php115?)

I've read from ourawesomeplanet about this new addition to the list of fast food outlet in Food Choices. They specialize in Gyro but my sister and I are too full so we just tried out their Moussaka. With that amount of bechamel, I expected it to be runny but I like the fact that it held its shape pretty well. You can also see that they did not scrimp on the beef though it could use a couple more layers of beef and eggplant to balance the richness of the white sauce. But I enjoyed this one. Doc She and I promised to go back and try out the Gyro.

Food courts are really convenient and highly economical place to have your quick tummy-fix.

Posh thinks this is so-so :)

Mr. Jones with Mr. Castro

2010-09-28T10:01:00.004+08:00

Kevin, whom I fondly call cousin, is in Manila for a couple of days. He is currently based in Singapore and we often make the most out of his visits. Since I have a flexible working hours, we decided to meet up for lunch near my office.

I've been hearing a lot of good reviews about Mr. Jones, a relatively new restaurant in Greenbelt 5, so I asked Kevin to try it out.

Mr. Jones is small but I like its spunky dinner interior.

I asked Kevin to cover his face so that I can use this pic for a guessing game. apparently, they thought he's Mr. Fu! hahaha

We both ordered the U.S. Beef Ribcap "Tapa & Garlic Overload". The serving size is humungous! I think this is good for sharing but since it has that dinner atmosphere you tend to enjoy the big serving of the food.

U.S. Beef Ribcap Tapa and Garlic Overload (Php295)

This is probably the best tapa that I've tasted in my entire life! The beef is cut thinly. It also has a very nice marbling of fat making it juicy. It has a good sprinkling of garlic chips, garlic rice, two eggs (which you can have to your liking) and two slices of orange which cuts the fatty feel to it. What I love in this dish is the super yummy atchara that goes with the tapa. It has the right amount of sourness and sweetness to it. I'd buy this alone!

Mr. Jones is a good place to chill out with your friends. I will definitly go back to try the rest of their yummy diner food.

Posh likey :)

Weddings

2010-09-08T17:11:00.003+08:00

I love weddings! I get all dreamy and flighty whenever I see a girl walk down the aisle towards her groom. I love hearing vows, the exchange of I dos, cute flower girls, silky bridesmaid dresses and snappy grooms men. I love EVERYTHING about weddings.

My love for weddings and my other passion, organizing events, allowed me to organize the wedding of a very dear friend in Fernwood, about a year ago. Wenski was my partner in that event and we managed to retain that partnership ever since :).

me and my constant partner in crime

This year, I was tapped by officemate/friend to be their wedding coordinator. The idea unleashed the checklist freak in me. I was suddenly asking the couple about their suppliers, the venue, arrangements, etc. I am excited to see the touch of moslem culture in the wedding since the groom is a moslem royalty. At this point, I consider the ocular inspection of the venue as the highlight of the planning phase. Manila Polo Club is really a nice place. It exudes class, subdued elegance and romance.

I asked my friend/officemate/wedding assistant, Tim, to take some pics of the area so that we can visualize the flow of the rites and program considering that we only have one venue for the entire affair.

This is the balcony in the function hall. (photo cred: tim :))

The banquet hall. (photo cred: tim :))

The place is perfect for the celebration. I am excited to add the Posh touch in this wedding. :)

The Brgr Project

2010-09-07T22:04:00.004+08:00

When my sister found out about this place offering personalized burgers, she automatically asked me to go and try it out. After more than a week of failed attempts, we managed to go there and make our very own burgers.

The Brgr Project is located along Maginhawa St. which is a famous foodie destination. It boasts of personalized burgers made out of fresh and diverse selection of ingredients.


A huge step by step sign of personalizing your burger can be seen at the back of the counter. With the wide range of ingredients, it is understandable if you get intimidated.

Upon entering, the nice and welcoming waiters will give you a checklist. You basically just mark the ingredients that you want to be included in your burger. You also get to name it and the guys from The Brgr Project will encode the "specs" of your burger so that on your next visit (or if you have friends who would like to try your burger), you can just tell the name of the burger and they can make it for you.

I named my burger Posh Burger

Dr. Shobe named her burger Good Burger (which I believe originated from our favorite Keenan and Kel 90's movie).

you then hand it over to their waiter who will then compute the final price of your burger. You need to pay it while they prepare your masterpiece.


If you are too lazy or overwhelmed by the choices, you can just pick from these "pre-arranged" burgers by the previous customers. Of course, you are depriving yourself of the opportunity to make your own burger (which is exactly what this restaurant is all about).

The place is really small but the laidback interior makes you feel at home.

Presenting my legacy to Burger Land... Posh Burger. It has 100 % beef patty, canadian bacon, caramelized onions, sundried tomato, lettuce, pickles and gruyere and mozzarella cheese smothered with their special brgr sauce in a potato bun. (Php 290)

The patty is packed and juicy. The potato bun is really soft and all the ingredients blend well with the sauce. This is really a Posh burger!

My sister's Good Burger. It also has a single patty, canadian bacon, caramelized onions, sundried tomato, lettuce, cheddar and mozzarella cheese and wasabi mayo over poppy seed bread. (Php265)


I love how the wasabi mayo gives the umph! My sis really knows how to make a Good Burger ;p


This is really a good outlet for your creative foodie palate. The price is reasonable considering the taste and the serving size. So if you happen to be in the QC area, do visit this place and prepare to be transported to burger heaven. :)

Constant

2010-08-24T09:33:00.002+08:00

It’s funny how we sometimes look at the list of our facebook friends and see names of former close but now unfamiliar friends. How we reminisce memories by looking at the photo albums starting from the oldest date of posting to the present realizing that your constant “picturemates” slowly make rare appearance as the album becomes more recent. At first, I would feel a lump in my throat when I think about it but now I know better because no matter how you feel and how the other party disregards you, at the end of the day, you are still facebook friends (babaw. hehe). I guess this a normal life occurrence. We meet people in our lives, we become close, things happen (or sometimes DON’T happen), you meet new friends, you realize that new friends value you more than the old ones, you stick with your new friends and you let go of the old. It is painful for a keeper like me who gives premium on nurturing and keeping people who are dear in my heart but that is a bittersweet memory that we all have to face. Good thing, there are some who remains constant. Those people who will laugh at you at your silliest and laugh with you when you are accepting enough to identify silly acts; cry with you when you are sad and hold your hand when everyone else decides to let you be on your own… those people who remain constant.

I managed to keep certain relationships alive up until now. I am very thankful for having some constants in my life such as my fabulous best buddy who were there for me when I was driving on rough roads. He’s a perfect balance of how friends should treat one another. Notwithstanding his intelligence, he knows how to be human and show real emotions. He is a thoughtful and caring friend who can give you a killer and rational analysis of a particular situation. Sure, we had our share of misunderstandings but what I appreciate about him is the fact that he complements my evasiveness. He is sensitive enough to know when something is amiss and can be really bold in confronting me to settle some issues. He maybe out of the country but he knows how to be a friend disregarding the distance. I have friends here and abroad (shout out to Mark :D) who are until now true to the real meaning of the word friend but this guy really knows how to live up to the true meaning of BEST friend.

Cheers to you, friend! Demotion or DEMOLITION aside, you will always be my brother by choice ;p (sorry, I can’t resist the private joke. hahaha)

Insensitivity

2010-08-12T08:45:00.001+08:00

Some people will never learn the inherent value of saying kind words or just completely shunning away from tactlessness. I admit that I was once one of them and I still do commit that same mistake once in a while (I am/was a brat) but faith and determination willed me to be more cautious of other people's feelings. Maybe that is tolerable when you're still young, not that I'm justifying my acts before, but when you are a 30-ish individual who still resort to such, then maybe you have a problem.

What pisses me off are those individuals who tend to camouflage their bitchiness by playing cloyingly sweet and sickening nice when you're in a group then dissing you off every possible time you have alone. Tsk, tsk. I sometimes want to scream the hell out of them to shake their insensitive self but I'd rather take the high road and ignore them. Pointing out what's wrong with what you decide to do for the day, how you should handle your relationship and take care of your body is just plain pathetic especially if those who point it out haven't gotten close to having a romantic relationship (baka nga wala pa silang first kiss e), totally unhealthy, and do not even possess an iota of visual appeal. Two words: INSECURITY MUCH?

POSH IS BACK!!!

2010-08-11T11:35:00.005+08:00

After more than 3 years of blogging hiatus, I can say that I am definitely back! Life for the past couple of years was kinda hard. I lost a couple of career-defining battles, downgraded some people in the hierarchy of friendship, turned my back on a couple of relationships and gained a hell lot of pounds (this is the only aspect I intend to do something about). Luckily, all the bad vibes were balanced out by some good times. I did a lot of traveling here and abroad (Taiwan will always hold bitter-sweet memories in my heart), rekindled some relationships, gained (really good) friends and experienced a lot of firsts. (some memories of the past 3 years are in my multiply account)

So what to expect? I seriously want to be apolitical and just concentrate on writing about fashion, food, travel and relationships but then again, that would be the end of me. So I guess, I can write about all of those things while being true with the title of this blog. Posh will continue thinking aloud while enjoying and celebrating life. :D

au revoir...

2007-04-13T09:49:00.004+08:00

After a whole night of munchies, booze, swimming and loong convo with my classmates, I can't believe I'm off to Tarlac for the Philippine Inter-Collegiate Debating Championship as a member of the adj core.
Cool!!!
Tarlac awaits... au revoir!

WHY?!

2007-04-09T19:26:00.001+08:00

I'm soo having a bad day. Everything seems to fall apart. I'm getting tired of accepting all the blows. I wish I could be in a place where the only thing that I feel is the security of my friends' company.

Why do I have to always listen while you rant?
Why do I have to feel the recurring pain everytime your name appears in my inbox?
Why do you have to be so sweet then turn into a jerk the next minute?
Why can't I tell you that you are slowly destroying my faux-confidence?
Why can't I quit you?

Sidenote: thanks to Lucky for inadvertently making me feel good with an sms convo. Only Lucks is capable of turning a simple kumusta to an analysis of the slanted portrayals of Iranians in 300. haha

It's official!!!

2007-03-15T15:11:00.001+08:00

"I'm scared. Really, really scared... I don't know what will happen after 5 pm. I just hope things will go our way. I fervently hope and pray that the lord will touch the hearts of those people who hold our fate in their hands. That God will give them the gift of compassion, understanding and consideration. As of the moment, the only thing that we can do is to pray... pray that we will leave no man behind."

The gloomy post did not materialize thanks to my two best buds Joevz and Lucky. They managed to keep me sane during those times when i was about to cross that thin line of sanity to insanity. After I got my grades, I was able to thank every person who helped me through law school. Whew! I guess, I tend to worry too much. Nonetheless, I'm very thankful because the wait was more of delaying my joy rather than prolonging my agony :0

Gotta rush to another batch gig, will post longer next time. teehee

Boundaries... 1st installment

2007-01-29T10:04:00.001+08:00

I feel like a little bit more emo than usual so i'm warning you, if you're not that "into it", don't even attempt to scroll down. Oh well, here goes nothin'...

Have you ever experienced being sullen and blue because of all the boundaries around you? Boundaries that are either made by you or inadvertently made by people around you. I personally have those boundaries made around me. But unlike other people, mine is more of a matter of choice. They say that boundaries don't just keep people out; they also fence you in. This is a very sad reality one has to face in order to sway in the music called life. Though I personally made my very own boundaries, I feel that these boundaries are slowly taking up the real me.

Since I was a kid, the idea of my friends knowing the "real" me is a scray thought. I have this mentality that the "real" me is not the cool enough to be accepted much more, appreciated. Growing up in a community where the cool guys live in booze, clubbing and doing daredevilish stunts did not help me in overcoming the feeling that I am boring. Good thing, I managed to accept that one need not do the things other people do to be accepted and appreciated. I managed to have friends (real ones) during my jopay and tamaraw days... Enough na nga! Actually, my problem now is how to erase the perception that Im too cool for law school. haha So there, I'll make a longer post next time...

Some flick and i wishes...

2007-01-09T16:49:00.002+08:00

I watched Blood Diamond yesterday with some law pals (vanj, she, joy, marlyn and reig) at shangri-la. It was a very nice movie. We also did some shopping and had some nice convo over a java and booze. Best part of it? I was able to browse my codal while waiting for the guys. GEEK! haha. Ok. I'm no-spoiler but I am really recommending it :) Also saw two guys during our gig. Kuya Sonny somewhere in Shang and Brian at Temptasians. It was a nice all girls gimik (of course, with the exception of she who gamely tagged along Zara, Chocolate and other girly stores. hehe) It was actually our last gig before taking a week-long hiatus for the midterms. Boo!
In a few days I'll be celebrating my 24th birthday. Yuck! Im getting old. Opps. Make that I'm getting FABULOUSLY old. haha. So, there. I did some thinking last night for my "wishlist" but my mind was kinda blah because of the booze so I only came up with a few.

* tons of greeting cards
* letters

Hay... I realized that making me happy is very easy. I'm not a big fan of material things. Basta, I just want tons of letters. I enjoy reading/ knowing what other people feel/think about me. But of course, I also appreciate really cool stuffs like * Indian-inspired accessories (you know those bracelets/ anklets with a connecting ring)
* Best of the following artists (Neocolors, The Company)* tickets for a show (ie. blue rep. hehe) and gerbera daisies.

This blog is not THAT public anyway because only selected and equally busy friends know my site so this is not a public plea to make me happy on the 27th but just a matter of creating an additionally relevant post. haha

Give me back my GI!!!

2007-01-06T11:31:00.001+08:00

Insurmountable happiness was very apparent in the faces the Filipino people when the rape case filed by Complainant Nicole was adjudged against Smith. It was considered as a success not only of the Complainant but the Philippines’ rule of law as well.

However the order of Judge Pozon detaining Smith in the custody of the Philippines disregarding the “agreement” entered into by US and our government raises a question on the viability and legality of the said order.

In my opinion, it is but proper to uphold Judge Pozon’s Order of Detention. The argument of Smith that Judge Pozon resorted into his own interpretation of the Visiting Forces Agreement does not hold water in this case. What we should take into consideration is the fact that US already submitted Smith to the jurisdiction of the Philippine Courts as embodied in the VFA. It is then proper to assert that the logical implication of the same is to allow the Philippine Courts to take cognizance of the case based on our very own Criminal Proceedings and Rules of Cout. Meaning, it goes beyond the hearing of the case per se because it is inclusive of other matters appurtenant thereto ie. confinement of the accused pending appeal. It is then improper on the part of Smith to now claim that the Order of Detention was improperly laid because he is already estopped from asserting the same.

They say that the VFA entered into by the two countries has the presumption of regularity based on the Principle of Jus Cogens followed under the International Law because it is presumed that countries enter into an agreement or treaty in good faith. However, a deeper understanding can only be had if we transcend the technicalities. We must analyze what are the implications of submitting Smith’s custody to the US as well as the decision of the Court of Appeals mooting the said issue because of the so-called existence of a “new agreement”.

I believe that what the Executive department did was a supposedly shrewd political attempt to salvage US-RP relationship disregarding the fact that it would undermine not only our rule of law but the best interest of the Filipino people as well. On the other hand, I can say that the “so-gay” decision of the Court of Appeals upholding Judge Pozon’s judgment and at the same time rendering the transfer of Smith to US embassy moot and academic was a status quo decision that fails to make a very clear stand on the matter.
Sadly, the Court of Appeals failed to anticipate the repercussions of the said decision. The fact that Smith’s custody is in the US embassy presupposes the fact that the Philippines already lost jurisdiction over the person of Smith. In effect, the execution of judgment on the case would be an exercise in futility because I don’t think that US is imperceptive enough to surrender Smith to be penalized by the Philippines. Furthermore, rendering it moot and academic due to the existence of a new agreement between the two countries is a manifestation of blatant disregard to our domestic law insofar as treaty enforcement is concerned. It is because, for a new agreement to be valid, it must first be ratified by the Senate because it purports a new intention of the parties separate and distinct from the original.
I am not a big fan of Nicole because personally, I still believe that there was no rape (but then again that warrants another post). But when a public officer mandated to protect and serve the people is the same individual maligning the rule of law and betraying his countrymen, then that is something or someone worthy of a blog rant.

To join or not to join?

2006-12-10T16:14:00.001+08:00

Last week, the public was utterly disgusted with the unabashed disregard of the House of Congress to the doctrine of bicameralism enshrined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution. The same was manifested when they misrepresented and maligned the true meaning of the provision effecting the change of the Constitution via constitutional assembly. Ironically, the injudicious act came about right after the Supreme Court, under the Chairmanship of former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, adjudicated the Lambino Case on People’s Initiative with finality against the petitioners. Nonetheless, the goal of the petitioners and that of the majority party in the Congress is the same, to bring about Constitutional Change.

This post is not all about the viability of such change but rather the legitimacy of the act of the Lower House in invoking that voting of the Congress in connection to the establishment of a Constitutional Assembly should be done jointly with Senate. But before anything else, let us analyze the implication of allowing joint voting vis-à-vis separate voting. In the former, the play of numbers has a very, very significant role. The fusion of the two chambers will disregard the power of the Senate to have a voice in the issue due to the obvious advantage of the Lower House insofar as membership is concerned. In my most humble opinion, the Lower House failed to contextually analyze the language of the law as well as the intent of the framers of the 1987 Constitution. It seems that there is only one instance wherein the Congress is allowed to have joint voting and that is only in the case of martial law. The purpose of the limited power is in order to uphold Bicameralism. In Bicameralism, separation of powers is the thrust of the framers in requiring that public power be symmetrically divided between the House of Congress and Senate. This is a borrowed principle from the United States which was carried on in the 1935 and the 1987 Constitution. This is actually a response to concentration of powers. The intent of the framers is to effect participatory and direct democracy. Applying it to the two chambers, we see that every power vested to the Lower House has a counterpart in the Senate. For example, the House of Congress has the authority to initiate the General Appropriation’s Act because proximity wise, they are expected to know firsthand the needs of their constituents, Senate on the other hand, must assent with the proposal since it is a national institution which is expected to have a greater institutional competence to reflect the interest of the nation; House of Representatives is the only one vested with the power to file an impeachment complaint against the president, Senate for its part is responsible with the trial. This shows the fact that they are co-equal even though the House of Representatives is more numerous.

Moving on, it will then appear that the act of excluding Senate is a sui generis exemption to the Constitutional mandate of separate voting. The more pressing question now is what is needed to be done by the Supreme Court? I believe that they must issue a Preliminary Injunction to enjoin the Congress from proceeding with the Constitutional Assembly due to the fact that it is presumptuously illegal. The House of Congress might invoke that it is a political question; however, it is an issue that involves great public interest which, in effect, justifies court intervention

At the end of the day, we have to look back and learn from our past mistakes. Let us be reminded that the same thing happened during the Marcos regime when Senator Taňada’s request for injunction was denied not because it was not meritorious but because the Constitution was already signed by President Marcos rendering the said issue moot and academic which became prejudicial to the Filipino people. It is a technical detail that will surely place Chief Justice Puno into test. Jose De Venecia will possibly count on the new Chief Justice for a 7-7 voting outcome which is insufficient to declare the act as unconstitutional. But there is always hope. History should tell us that people have lied so many times in the past. Hence, we have to be vigilant in protecting our collective right to live in a safe place by upholding the rule of law.

Trial Court class rocks because...

2006-12-05T10:18:00.001+08:00

We get to simulate court proceedings and play the part that we like/dislike i.e. counsel, witness, rapist, adultress, murderer hehe

My classmates are so fab they exude this aura of I'm-so-cool-you-wouldn't-believe-me-if-I-tell-you-I'm-in-law school thing :)

We all look so damn gorgeous in suits :p

We get to pose in the moot court with a real Judge.

"THE FIRM"
Here, we can dream big and hopefully consummate something bigger...

Detachment

2006-12-04T17:04:00.001+08:00

Being a law student opened my eyes to things which are only susceptible of being understood by someone who experienced the same. At first, I thought that legal profession was all about being heartlessly technical and apathetically mechanical... doing what is right regardless of one’s plea of mercy. I guess I was wrong.

A professor of mine once said that lawyers are very emphatic. They don’t settle for short, brief and concise statements. Instead of saying that the contract is void, lawyers will say that the contract is null and void. Others just say sell but for lawyers it must be sell, transfer and convey. For the myopic minds of other people, these are just plain verbal diarrhea used by those in the legal profession to crow, but I say otherwise. For me, strong conviction is the thrust of resorting to verbosity. It is a glaring manifestation of one’s passion relative to his/her claim. Because those who are in this profession don’t believe in the concept of spontaneity, they plan. That is one thing that I imbibed in law school. I now plan in order to conquer the insuperable and consummate what is imaginable. And this, I should say, is not mutually exclusive to law school. I do plan even as to the execution of minor things such as hanging out with friends, giving out presents and even allocating my scanty free time bonding with the members of my family. That is the reason why I find it very hard to accept things that don’t go my way. Why it is very difficult for me to bounce back from failure and disappointment. Why I always resort to isolationism when I am hurt. I guess being overly passionate about things can be painful. Why? Because there are certain things that you really can’t control. But then again, absence of any willful and deliberate intent from other people to spoil what has been planned is just an artificial refinement insufficient to shield you from getting hurt in the end. Luckily, law school also taught me one good thing- the art of concealment. It is the ability to exude vim and perkiness discounting the fact that you feel otherwise. That is the reason why the Rose Lyn that people know is a far cry from the leaden and desolate lady when her efforts are ignored, heart broken and plan advertently or inadvertently crushed.

What have I done to deserve this?!

2006-11-30T20:52:00.001+08:00

This will be my last post before I transfer school or worse, exile to Timbuktu.
Ok, so it was a little bit exaggerated but that’s exactly how I felt last Tuesday night.
Law Building, 8:50 pm, Remedial Law class…
I was busy memorizing Rule 7 of Civil Procedure because of fear to be haunted by the curse of being the last one to be called in recitations when my professor said “cross-claim”. I don’t know if it was my inattentiveness or due to other insuperable cause but I swear, he said it in a manner wherein one could’ve easily mistaken it as “Rose Lyn”. Looking like a lost and befuddled senior, I stood up and waited for the commencement of my curse. After five seconds of deafening silence and amused stares from my classmates, the class burst into fits of laughter. Of course, I did not end my moment there because I even had the audacity to naively ask why. To make the long story short, I just had the most embarrassing night of my life. Well, if you would exclude the time when our Associate Dean caught me performing like a trying-hard-amateur-theater-actress-in-a-musical-play or the time when I screamed like a big baby after tripping in the middle of a busy street or the time when... Aw, forget it! I guess I must have done a lot of embarrassing-stupid or stupid-embarrassing things in the past to consider Tuesday’s event to be permissible but my last antic will really go down memory lane especially with my ever-so-supportive classmates who recently baptized me as what do you… CROSS-CLAIM!

I guess mine is a Happy Feet...

2006-11-27T11:31:00.001+08:00

I watched Happy Feet last saturday with Joevz. Actually, I was supposed to watch Borat with She and Vanj but it did not materialize so I dragged my friend instead after his training with the school rep for the YMCA Congress. Sleazy! haha...

Superficially, it was a nice flick in a kiddy-sissy way. But looking at the story itself, it went beyond cute baby penguins and nice soundtrack. It was an enlightening movie. It was like telling everybody that being different is not a disease and anybody, regardless of one's defiance to norms, is capable of being a catalyst for a bigger change susceptible of affecting the society at large.

Ok, so I'm getting a little emo about a supposedly very juvenile flick when all I wanted to say was it was a nice movie so get your eyes off my post and go catch it! haha

Triple treat

2006-11-20T22:12:00.001+08:00

I had the most relaxing day. Hanging out with two of my closest friends in law school (Vanj and Sherwin) was a blast! It was kinda unplanned because the idea was brought up by She after hearing me whine for being so pressured and all- so thoughtful and nice of him to suggest an afternoon swim to unwind and just chill.

I enjoyed it because…
1. Vanj was able to meet my mom for the first time (mom accompanied me to glorietta- our meeting place).
2. She and I had super fun teasing Vanj with------ and ------ (haha) which lasted until our Starbucks break.
3. It was a covered pool so sunburn was not a problem.
4. The slumbookish convo i.e. Do you have any regrets that you’re in law school?
5. According to She it was our first time together that no calamity took place (i.e. earthquake) so I guess we’re not a “disaster in progress”. haha

Time to hit the books… We are excused form attending class tomorrow because of the event in Manila Hotel so it means that I have to read for Wednesday’s class in advance. Bummer!

A heavy heart and an empty stomach...

2006-11-12T21:14:00.001+08:00

Ring...Ring...Ring...
Moi: Hello. Good evening!
Adam: Good evening. May I speak with Mr. Dante Rabanera (my father)?
Moi: I'm sorry but he's in the province right now. May I know who's calling please?
Adam: Ay ganon... This is Adam. Do you happen to know when is he coming back to Manila?
Moi: I'm not sure e. Is this Adam as in the son of tito Paul Reyes?
Adam: Yes...
Moi: Hey kuya. This is Rose Lyn. We've heard the news about your dad. Condolence ha?
Adam: Alam nyo na pala... Thanks. It was actually a peaceful death. Liver failure. He said din pala na walag iiyak or else mumultuhin nya. haha
Moi: I see...
Adam: I called just to inform your dad sana. Just tell him that we're having a small gathering with dad's closest friends next saturday night here in our house but it might be a 2-day event coz some of dad's classmates in Beda are coming.
Moi: Yeah. Napanood ni mommy sa tv 'yung news... Sige, I'll just tell him.
Adam: Alright. Thanks Rose Lyn. Goodnight...
Moi: No problem. Goodnight. bye

I got the call a few minutes after I arrived home (while preparing to eat my SUPER late dinner). It was a very depressing call considering that tito paul was very close to our family. Before he died he would often call and ask how's law school and if I happen to be interested in working for GMA 7. We also shared the same interest in paranormals which others may perceive as kinda weird. Well, I have to admit that IT IS weird.Oh well, I guess good guys really die young. I'm just thankful that he died peacefully.

So there, now my tummy's really growling but eating is definitely not in my list at this point. hay...

Outpouring...

2006-11-09T00:18:00.001+08:00

Sometimes I feel like I want to streamline my life. If only it's as easy as a snap of a finger...
Sometimes I question why some things don't go my way even if I try really, really hard. It is starting to burn me out...
I can't just make my beliefs take the backseat even in times when I feel that sacrificing them will save my ass. Sign of strong conviction...
I am deeply wounded but I can still manage to smile and console those who can't handle it the way I do. I wish there is someone who can see beneath those smiles...

Argh! Enough with the drama. Moping around and crying over my very own series of unfortunate events won't do me any good. Good thing I know what I want and I know how to get it. No amount of rejection, depression nor fear can block my way in achieving my goal. I may be stripped off of my self confidence, my ego may be crushed and my pride be severely injured but there are two things that I will never lose in my journey... HEART and FAITH.

The 8th National Debate Championship

2006-11-05T20:57:00.001+08:00

The 8th National Debate Championship was held last October 22-28, 2006 at the University of Baguio. The theme was “Rational Excellence through Competitive Eloquence”. Pretty big huh! *grin*

I definitely had a FUN time during the duration of the tourney. We stayed at Summer Place hotel (the best hotel in Baguio for 2006... according to them). The place was cool. It was cozy and very modern. I’m sure the guys (Joevz, Justin, William and Gian) had a grand time playing fooze-ball (I settled for billiards :)). The hotel food was blah. Good thing we packed some goodies.

We arrived in Baguio around 1 in the afternoon. We were welcomed by the organizers and were billeted right away. We ate out and got ourselves comfy for the next day’s activity.

Day 2 of the tourney was really exciting. We went to Tam-awan Village for the tour organized by UB and PMA. The afternoon was allotted for tournament briefing and Debate and Adjudication Seminar. Actually, The Mock Debate used for the Adjudication Exam was a taped debate which made it really hard to comprehend. Oh well…
Then the actual tournament…
The motion for Round 1 was “This House celebrates bigotry’s place in mass media”. (soo Isagani Cruz...).I adjudicated the match of UB-D, USI-D, ADMU-C and MMUM-B.
Opening Dinner followed round 1. Yummy food :)

For Day 3, the motions were as follows:
Round 2: “This House would ban 1st World dumping of hazardous materials in the 3rd World”. (I feel that it was a little bit pro-government unless the opposition will give a killer counterprop.) I adjudicated the match of SLU-C, UPD-B, DLSU-B and UST-C.
Round 3: “This House regrets Jose Rizal’s place of pride in the Filipino consciousness”. (The motion was a product of Ateneo Napoleonic Complex. haha) I adjudicated the match of UB-C, DLSU-C, UPB-F and Lyceum-A
Round 4: “This House regrets the role of bilateral aid agencies in the Philippine development”. (I despised this motion for lack of knowledge about the issue. haha) I adjudicated the match of ADMU-F, UB-C, UPLB-A and ADNU-B.

Day 4 was devoted to 3 rounds. One with oral adjudication and 2 silent rounds which made it a little less stressful for the adjudicators. *grin*
Round 5: “ This House believes that religiously-affiliated organizations should be covered by homosexual anti-discrimination laws”. (It was a nice motion. Loved the idea of harmonizing RAO's belief and that of the homos. Interesting.) I adjudicated the match of UPB-E, UPB-C, UPM-B and ADMU-E.
Round 6: “This House would tie development aid to the establishment of microcredit programs”. (Inspired by the news on the Noble prize winner, this motion was a giveaway for the debaters.) I adjudicated ADMU-F, SLU-C, UPM-D and FSSU-A.
Round 7: “This House would mandate permanent peacekeeping for international humanitarian organizations that operate in conflict zones”. (One of my favorites! I just love international/ political debates. I got a really-really nice round.) I adjudicated MMU-A, MMU-C, UPD-F and UPD-B.

The highlight of Day 4 was the break night party. It was held at Red Lions. This was a night devoted for booze, celebration and facing defeat (for some). Announcement for the breaking teams and adjudicators was made by the Deputy Chief Adjudicators. We also managed a post-break night party in the hotel. Ian really had it! Haha…

Day 5 was the day of the octofinals and quarterfinals. Motions were:
Octos: “This House would celebrate the wearing of veils by Muslim immigrants in western societies”. (For me it's an old issue but still very much debatable.) This was the match of UPB-D, SBC-A, UPB and UST-B. The chief adjudicator, Leloy from Ateneo, was our chair.
Quarters: “This House believes that international sporting bodies should sanction athletes who use official sporting events to make controversial political statements”. (I just hate sports debate but the addition of political color made it very interesting.) Match of UPD-A, UST-B, ADMU- F and ADMU-A. Duffie from DLSU Chaired the panel.

Day 6 was the semifinals and the championship day. I managed to adjudicate until the grand finals, an overwhelming and stressful experience at the same time.
Semis: “ This House believes that sado-masochism sex is a tool of patriarchy.” (An absolutely favorite motion by the entire debate community! haha. It was the match when all I ever wanted to do was drop my pen and listen to the debate.) ADDU-B, UPM-F, ADMU-C and UPD-B. Duffie was once again the Chair :).
Grand finals: “ This House believes that lobbying the European Union to sanction the Philippines for extra-judicial killings is in the best interest of Filipino activists.” (Very-very apt motion. With all the extra-judicial killings going on, Im sure everybody found the debate socially relevant.) UPM-F, UPD-A, ADDU-A and ADMU-C. Duffie was the Chair.)

Championship dinner followed the grand finals. Initially, I was pissed because Joevz didn’t allow me to go freshen up in the hotel after the semis. If it was the teeny-weeny brat in me or just the sheer thought of unfulfilled promise that made me act that way, I still don’t know… Oh well, friendship prevailed and my seething mode disappeared during the deliberation. Plus, we were able to make a hasty outfit change prior to the dinner.

Dinner was ok but the awarding was FAB! UP Diliman bagged the crown but Mark and I made it to the Top 10 Best Adjudicators. Yay! I guess that concretized the claim that FEU is the home of good adjudicators.*grin*

What I enjoyed the most in the tourney was the post-championship dinner party. Multi Media University of Malaysia hosted it and it was a very nice way to end the Nationals. Popeye invited me to the party which I gladly accepted. I had some nice convos with Baby Blue, Disco Top, Popeye and Licky. Malaysians are nice... So there, while some of the delegates were getting wasted, FEU guys preferred a cool and soo-FRIENDSy way of celebrating…FOOZE-BALL! It was a great balancing act because when Ian and Jox were ultra-wasted (I was wasted but I managed to recover in a couple of hours...on MY own...hehe) these nice guys of ours took care of them. Gian, Joevz, Kevz and I slept around 4 in the morning after feasting on some packed munchies and cup noodles.

Day 7 was the saddest day of the tourney… I don’t wanna elaborate but it was the bye-bye day. sigh :(

*This is just a partial post. Will post all the juicy details (pictures and what-nots) next time.*

yay...

2006-10-31T16:02:00.001+08:00

Just got back from the 8th National Debate Championship and it was really fab! Typhoon Paeng failed to dampen my elated spirit. *grin*...

Since I'm still in pangasinan and we're about to take a dip in a few hours with my part of the deal not that "done" yet, I might as well write a decent post when i'm home.

One more sem to go...

2006-10-11T21:21:00.001+08:00

It is definitely funny how we love to embrace the inconsistencies present in our daily lives. One moment we are joining the chants against some good for nothing politicians, the next we are lashing out those who advocate truth and fairness in the microcosm of our society- our school.

I am a strong believer of fairness and honesty in all my dealings. Primmish as it may sound, but I never really find the idea of compromising my intergrity in order to advance my interest as something that's invigorating. My non-conventional belief always gets the raised brows from my colleagues who perceive me as manang and so backward-ish (with my regular party mode and fashion-focused attitude, I do get that comment, you know). I guess, this was embeded during my formative years and was reinforced when I had my education in St. Jo. For some, it's too much to handle. But for me, I'd rather get the ire of those who hate boat rockers than not be able to sleep soundly at night because of the continuous bugging of my conscience.

Ok, enough with the rant. I was silent for quite some time due to ubiquitous stuffs that I had to accompish ie. study for finals and cbo- related activities. Nonetheless, the latter part of the sem turned out really great and interesting. Some highlights...

1. Supreme Court Oral Argument. Seeing the gods of our judicial system was fabulous. Of course, watching them excoriate the luminaries in the legal profession during the oral argument in their of-so-cute robes with all the works was purely divine.

2. Usual dinner with some close friends in the institute. I know, we had a lot dinners this sem but I do consider them as crazy moments in law school. A nice walk in our very own "Central Park" (coined by Piolo) while donning on court attires after pigging out at Estero and raiding Eng Bee Tin is our idea of chilling out.

3. Phone/text marathons. I never thought that I'm still capable of making telebabad after highschool. My 6 hours phone marathon with a classmate was really cool. What started as the usual "Do you have a landline?" question ended with a very long convo. Well, that's the effect of our torture criminal law finals. argh!~

4. Shopping with the girls. It started during our Supreme Court gig. After that, a trip to the mall with Vanj and Reig became a ritual. Haha

5. CLASE common prayer time. I just love the idea of praying with your friends. I still have this belief that god will heed our prayes if there are a lot of us praying for the same thing. I just hope our prayers as regards our taxation law grade will not be left unanswered *sigh*

Dogmas...

2006-09-14T08:58:00.001+08:00

What's with the last barops that made me and anoi instant celebs? I guess the idea of some seniors having a fun night was too much for other bummed out singles to bear. As for me, I just don't wanna miss this opportunity to syndicate abbey's blog for fear of letting such cheesy and involuntary-smile-causing post form part of my memoirs :) But before that, I just wanna say that the first Doctrine's (initially for me and another guy) a MISCONCEPTION. If a guy is always with you the entire duration of the activity, so what? Well, ok. I don't want to be estopped or anything so here's the post.

Abbey writes...

Rose Lyn and Annoi, all things being equally jaded, have formulated two bar-month dogmas, FEU Law style.

The Doctrine of Unspoken Language of Love:

Typical FEU-IL set-up, Pseudo-BF-GF. Girl loves boy, boy loves girl. Neither of them is doing anything about it. They're always together and inseparable in such a way that seeing one without the other impairs the essence they represent as a whole. Not a fling, not together, probably not true love, but like I've already said, neither is doing anything about it. The love is so painfully obvious to everybody else but them.

The Doctrine of Deliciously Romantic Evening:

Involves four instances: (1) Boy is taken, girl isn't; (2) Girl is taken, boy isn't; (3) boy and girl are both taken; (4) both are single.

Whichever of the above applies, it can only be reduced to this: whatever magic or spark existed between them, it was only for a particular moment or evening. After that, it's back to reality, life goes on, and it is as if nothing happened. Casual-Casualan lang.

If you've ever crushed on someone from school, or work, or wherever, you know you have fallen prey to either of the two.

I am anxiously waiting next bar Saturday's incidents. Until then!

Three days of fun,fun and lotsa fun

2006-09-14T08:34:00.001+08:00

A lot of things happened for the last couple of days.

I attended EA’s despedida last Friday. It was a very rainy evening but the party was uber-fun. Met up with some of my college pals and it was a very memorable night. I’m praying that EA will have a fabulous life in Australia i.e. achieve his dream of becoming an ambassador. Last words/bilin from EA…”Rose Lyn, pagbalik ko, lawyer ka na.”
*********
I definitely enjoyed our hotel ops. My batch mates and I had a lot of bonding moments. New personalities were discovered and new friendships were made. I just love the idea of talks over any kind of drink. It’s very revealing and relaxing at the same time. With a no non-sense chum, you wouldn’t go wrong. I also did some chillaxing with my newly discovered goofy friend. Teehee…

Some witty seniors came up with two Doctrines/Principles considered as apropos for the hotel ops…
a.) Principle of Deliciously Romantic Evening; and
b.) Principle of Unspoken Language of Love
(Oh brother! Haha)

Watching the cheering competition with them was a blast! It was like Janice Dickenson with her gang critiquing some America’s Next Top Model hopefuls. Well, you know what I mean. Haha.
**********
I woke up pretty early last Monday to meet my 9 am call time. I was asked to judge an extemporaneous speech competition together with lucky and mark and it went ok. I also got some nice chats with my friend, lucky. Oh, I saw joeven and he was like…”Friend, I’m very unfortunate…”. His cellphones and digicam were stolen. CRAP! Too bad the only comforting words I was able to utter were… “Joevz, Shit happens.” . That’s double crap for me. BUMMER!

Freaks!

2006-09-05T08:58:00.001+08:00

Have you ever had that ultra-weird day that every single thing seemed well, freakish? I just had mine yesterday.

I was so damn tired last sunday so I wasn't able to wait for the Political Law bar questions til evening. So when Ken called me up yesterday and said that there was a freak question, I was kinda disappointed/excited. Disappointed coz I wasn't there to share the bumfest mood of the barristers when they went out of la salle and excited coz no matter how freakish the question was, it's still, you know, a bar question.

Moving on, Ken called to discuss some stuffs regarding our gradpics. The convo was like that for a couple of minutes when he asked me if I was able to read the bar freak question. I said no but naturally, I also asked what it was. Here's the question. Who is the current head of the International Court of Justice and what is his/her nationality (well, to that effect). When I heard the question, I nearly screamed " she's a girl from europe! Rosalyn Higgins!!!!!". He was like, how the hell did you happen to know her?! I just said that I love international law and fond of international relations cum current events. Pretty freakish of me huh?! *grin*

The second freaky thing was the news on the death of a famous crocodile hunter because he was stung by a stingray. What the... Now that's freakish. In the first place, what the hell was he doing underwater when he was supposed to be in a swamp dealing with some crocodiles? Secondly, well a crocodile hunter dying because of a sting ray's just plain... strange!

Oh well, I hope i'll have a more normal day with equally normal news to listen to.

1st weekend of bar season

2006-09-04T09:43:00.001+08:00

12:00-12:30 pm (saturday)
* had a quick lunch with vanj, james and andy
* bought some stuffs for the hotel operations ie. chocolates for my buddy (beryl) and the latest copy of cosmo mag (ok, it's definitely not part of the barops but i need it to destress)

12:30-1:15 (saturday)
* checked on the things that we're bringing to the hotel
* tried to talk to some barristers

1:15-2:00 (saturday)
* motorpool committee started decorating the cars while the barristers had their peptalk with Dr. Echauz, Dean Bautista, Associate Dean Paguirigan and Ate Rica err Atty. Rica :p

2:00- 3:00 (saturday)
* mass for the barristers
* organized peeps for the send-off
* introduced kuya sonny (atty. santiago) to the "haggads"

3:00-3:15 (saturday)
* school send-off
* accompanied kuya sonny and vanj in seeing to it that the motorpool was ok (total of 20 cars plus the barrister bus)

3:15- 3:50 (saturday)
* travel to century park hotel

3:50-5:00 (saturday)
* arranged the room assignments and CBO room at Banahaw function room

5:00- 8:00 (saturday)
* arranged the volunteers' dinner
* acads got comfy in the CBO room
* went to shopwise with JM and Louie for some styro cups (coffee)
* dinner

8:00- 10:30 (saturday)
* Atty. Pagui's room rounds
* freshmen inflated some balloons for the sunday send-off
* acads started sweating for the last minute tips.
* had a chat with my buddy
* went to ate joan and kid's room twice for ate joan's stuffs
* saw the result of our zone 5 test shots
* saw john fajardo (former ads debater at the lobby). he's a brod of kulas in UP. he's now very active in law school (frat and student government)

10:30- 3:00 (saturday-sunday)
* saw judge paras and atty. gatcho at the hotel lobby
* went out with andy, kulas and loiue to get some band goodies
* greeted sherwin (it's his b-day)
* freaked out for lack of send-off site
* got pissed with some volunteers
* announced that not one will drink (liquor, i mean)
* went to our send-off site with the troop
* saw my former co-apprentice from UST
* almost had an altercation with a much older and much bigger guy from god-knows-where law school

3:00- 4:00 (sunday)
* went back to the hotel
* harrassed acads to deliver the last minute tips
* asked some seniors to go to the send-off site to change duties with the freshmen
* bastardized some tv shows

4:00-5:00 (sunday)
* had another shower
* mobilized everybody for the send-off
* had my first coffee
* ate some junkies

5:00- 7:00 (sunday)
* organized site send-off
* fun, fun, fun
* send-off
* saw franco larsina (he's now taking the bar)

7:00- 8:00 (sunday)
* practiced some songs for the mass

8:00- 9:00 (sunday)
* mass at the bar site

9:00- 11:00
* talked to the band leader
* saw ate- atty. des :p
* went back to the hotel
* had some breakfast

11:00-2:30 (sunday)
* played crimsonland
* hotel check-out
* had some food
* went to the bar site
* met atty. garing (one of the founders of my org)
* had a chat with kuya-atty. cyrus and kuya-atty. jet (my sibs)
* went home with darlene and gian

Riders...

2006-08-28T12:00:00.001+08:00

Five days left before the start of the annual bar operations and I'm suffering from pre-week jitters. This is like the culmination of a year long preparation. This was realized when we had our briefing/seminar last week at Century Park Hotel (FEU-CBO's official hotel). Damn!

I'm hoping for a nice weather this saturday for our send-off and a hell lot easier bar exams for a higher passing rate this year. To personally condition myself for the barops, I'm trying to hit the sack earlier than usual for a couple of days now (I know I won't be getting any sleep for four weekends). I'm also taking vitamins in a popcorn basis hehe.
************

Our ultra-fabulous-escada-wearing Associate Dean gave me some bar pointers. She said that I have a very good writing style but sorta literary for the bar. I have to make my answers shorter for those bummed out examiners that will check my booklet. I also have to refrain from using complex terms.
Her concern made me feel important and well-taken care off.
*************

I have to have my derma treatment this week and mom was kind enough to have it set tomorrow (tuesday). That way, I won't be having plastic-like face on Saturday. *grin*. I also have to prepare my defense for Dr. Leuenberger's sermon. The last time, she picked on my bad sleeping habit and helluva of stress as the causes of my skin break-outs. I can't blame her though.
My parents have been very generous with my treatments. I tried to save some moolah for my next treatment but I only managed to save more than 2 grand (approximately half of the treatment cost). So I guess, I'll be depending on my mom's wallet for my next treatment. Bummer!

Rant

2006-08-17T12:15:00.001+08:00

I just feel sad because instead of coming up with something really nice to write in my blog (part of my belief that anything positive invites positive vibes), I have to rant on what one of the best legal minds in the country said in his PDI column.

I have high respect and adulation to former Justice Cruz for his great contributions in our legal system. As a matter of fact, I never missed any of his articles in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. I even lauded his strong conviction against the Law system of a particular school. However, he went overboard with his article about queerness. This is a clear manifestation of bigotry against those queers. At the onset, I was outranged because he particularly singled out fab 5 that my sister and I super adore. I mean, what is so damn wrong with using “queerness” as one’s tagline? What the group did is not mutually exclusive with the concept of stereotyped gays. They made a significant mark in the food business, grooming section, interior design industry and fashion world that everyone surely benefited from. They’re not just some good-for-nothing screaming fags. They made a difference.

Yes, we are all entitled to our own opinions. We have the right to express such which the fundamental law of the land strictly protects. But let us also be wary of the things that we say. For no amount of individual rights is more supreme than the basic virtue of respect. Respect that encompasses everybody guys, girls, queers and what-not.

Midterm hiatus...

2006-07-31T01:21:00.002+08:00

We're having our midterms this week so there is a pretty high chance of icebucks taking a hiatus from blogging. I'll start my "incommunicado" status tomorrow, err, later (i forgot it's almost 1:30 am).

I've been reading for like majority of the day so I'm taking a break from Reyes, Pronove and Nachura. Argh! Well if there's something positive brought about by my forced geekiness, i'd say it's being appreciative of small things. My 30 mins. nap was the best, an hour of TV break-fabulous and my own pseudo coffee concoction- the most sophisticated cup of coffee for my fancy-schmaltzy taste (a clear oxymoron for someone who delights in everything pedestrian. haha).

I don't feel good. My sis took my BP and it's way too low. 85/55.
I have to do something about it. I can't afford to pass-out in the middle of a grueling exam or do a repeat of my criminal law review recitation (the one where I had to clutch the end of the whiteboard for dear life while having an asthma attack).

My break is almost over. Hitting the sack is not an option considering the piles of reading materials waiting for me. *bumfest mode*
Au Revoir!

The classy way of handling an awful day

2006-07-19T14:35:00.001+08:00

I had a suckish day.
I woke up around 8 am so I had this darn-I’m-an-hour-late attitude. I guess staying in front of my pc ‘til 3 in the morning screwed my schedule for the day (no thanks to constitutional law review cases). So there, I went to school feeling and looking wasted. It was ok though coz I know that I was able to study for our subject. Then I heard the bomb. According to some not very reliable sources, we have to extend our reading ‘til Bill of Rights. I instantaneously freaked out! That’s way over my perceived assignment. Moreover, I didn’t bring my part of the digest covered by the rumored readings. That was the time that I really felt like crying (but I didn't 'coz it's not so classy:p). I extremely hate freeloaders and here I am not doing my part of the deal. I contemplated on going home to get my digest but I’ve decided to do the saner one. I rushed to the library and typed like a maniac. Two hours before our class, I finished my digest. I still have to do some barops stuffs so I wasn’t able to extend my reading.
Three things that made my day less suckish:
1. I wasn’t called to recite.
2. I was able to prove to myself that I’m not a scrounger hence, I can still hate freeloaders.
3. My father opened the door for me :)

No matter how awful my day went I should never have let go of the C'est la vie-attitude.

From now on, I'll do the classier way of handling it. I'll commit to memory that every sixty seconds I spend upset is a minute of happiness that i'd never get back.

MVP Cup 2 signing off...

2006-07-18T00:04:00.001+08:00

The battle for continental pride is officially over.
Europe made a good comeback. They now have the bragging rights after winning the MVP Cup 2. Vic and Kennie did a wonderful job but it wasn’t enough to clobber the Europeans. Nonetheless, kudos to Team Asia for putting up a good fight.

Right now, I’m feigning happiness. But WTH?! I saw Vic and it made losing less painful :p

From MVP Cup to entry by laches :)

2006-07-14T11:09:00.001+08:00

I woke up with a big headache. I guess it's the price that I have to pay for sluggishly watching the MVP Cup primer last night. Being a loyal and disillusioned Mrs. Kennevic Asuncion, I ignored the temptation of hitting the sack early just to get a glimpse of the famous Asuncion sibs.

MVP Cup is like the biggest Badminton tourney here in the Philippines. Team Asia made a sweeping win last MVP Cup and they’re hoping for a second trophy this year. This year, they'll be battling for 60 grand. Ten grand higher from the last MVP prize. For those who think that it was so damn cheap, you just have to convert it in peso (the moolah's in dollars). Team Asia will be having the same line up but Europe will be sending some newbies. With any luck, Team Europe will be experiencing the newbie jitters. Of course, when you get to play against Kennie and Vic, even veteran players will get the butterflies considering the combination of home court advantage, Kennie’s grace under pressure and Vic’s strong smash. For the record, Kennie and Vic’s ranking for mixed doubles zoomed to number 20 (I’m talking worldwide). With Dan Lim ranking 1st in the men's singles also playing for Team Asia, I believe it’s safe to say that Europeans are up to a very good game. But then again with Gaile Emms playing for Team Europe, I can’t say that it’ll be an easy win.

***************************

I found this unpublished entry stored in my pc. To give credit to the apprenticeship program, I’ve decided to post it.

I got my grades last Monday. A few weeks back, my psyche’s more of “Hell, they’re prolonging my agony! I hope they’ll release it soon enough for me to be able to condition my parents’ minds that I’m just human and I do commit failures.” When I got the chance to set my eyes on my grade slip, it was more of “Yay! They just delayed my joy!”… Honestly, I expected the worst with regard to my QPI. I feel that I really blew it off for my Special Proceeding class. My grade in Corporation Law was truly unexpected and overwhelming. I guess Atty. Laserna wasn’t over with my “pa-bibo” image in International Law. Making a good first impression really works!

I just couldn’t thank God enough for His ubiquitous blessings. On the same day, I received an insider report. This time, Reig was the herald of the good news. I was one of the few lucky law students chosen for the apprenticeship program of the Office of the Ombudsman. Six weeks of integration and involvement in the drafting of decisions and orders and perhaps attending hearings (if the circumstances warrant) in the Preliminary Investigation, Administrative Adjudication and Monitoring Office (PAMO). It may sound like a whole lot of work but I’m quite positive that it’ll be all worth it.

The idea of working in a government agency is really scary. More so, the idea of working in a government agency mandated to ensure public accountability on government officials and employees is terrifying!

The Office of the Ombudsman was created under Article XI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. It’s an office, which can act in a quick, inexpensive and effective manner on complaints against administrative inaction, abuse and arbitrariness of government officials and employees in dealing with people. It has basically the power to look into every form of malfeasance, misfeasance and non-feasance of public officers and can investigate any illegal act or omission of any public official even if the offense committed is not related to the performance of his functions.

As the Office of the Ombudsman strives and advances to perform its constitutional mandate to vigorously address the problem of corruption, it likewise operates to contribute in the alleviation of poverty (but with such indirect benefits, I’m not sure if it’ll happen soon). Sadly, the massive task of ridding the bureaucracy of erring public officers is aggravated by severe lack of resources, notably, personnel.

In this regard, the Student Apprenticeship Program hopes to augment the personnel in the Office of the Ombudsman. Students shall be assigned in the participating departments of the OMB and shall assist in the investigation and prosecution of cases assigned to these departments. These law students (moi included…hehe) shall be trained in preparing pleadings, cross-examination questions, and witnesses for trial as well as drafting complaints, orders and decisions. Moreover, students shall be exposed on the extent of corruption existing in the status quo with the end view of inculcating in their minds and conscience NOT to engage in corruption when they are already members of the bar and/or public service.

You see, public office is a public trust and the notion of public trust connotes public accountability. Holders of public offices are mere agents; mind you, agents not rulers of the people. Government officials and employees are elected or appointed to public office to serve and not to be served, hence, the title “public servants”. They are duty-bound to always uphold the public interest over and above their own personal interests.

Unfortunately, there are government officials and employees who forget this constitutional mandate and these “public servants” become the rulers of the people and enrich themselves in office, to the prejudice of both the government and the people. Tsk,tsk…

Enough with my blabbering on Political Law and my bigoted idea of what a perfect bureaucracy is all about. My point is, I’m IN and I’m so psyched about it. YAY!!!

******************
While I’m at it, allow me to thank some of my OMB “officemates” who made my apprenticeship worthwhile.

a.) Director Amante- Atty. Amante showed me the essence of public service. She may appear as a driven-traditionalist leader but with the strong grip of corruption in our society, one Dir. Amante is not enough. What can I say, she’s a fellow tamaraw :)

b.) Atty. Golez- As my immediate supervisor, she was really supportive. A very compassionate Graft Investigator Officer who taught me everything... from formulating statement of acts to drafting a decision. Oh, she also gave me this ultra chic cup and an OMB memorabilia.

c.) The other GIPOs (lawyers assigned to JR, Tin, Cres and Yeng)- For orienting us to the “real deal” in the outside world. Super thanks also to the great Sing pasalubongs and those pm snacks.

d.) Seph, Andy and Eric- My OMB buds! Thank you for the laughters and tear-jerking moments (remember our pact as "official" friends? hehe). Not to mention those gigs outside the OMB (loved that badminton game with Atty. Parayno’s team and our nice Dampa Chat).

e.) PIAB- C staffs- Anna, for those nice chikas and for those downloadable games (I still have them with me. hehe). Ate Rona, for that uber nice dance party complete with good food and superb wine. Kuya Carlo, for telling me to calm down when I was about to cry after losing all my office files. Ernel, for all the assistance and nice sms.

f.) PIAB-C tyros- Thank you for the friendship. I hope to see you soon (this time as compaňeros and compaňeras in the open court).

Viva Italia!

2006-07-11T12:19:00.001+08:00

For the past couple of weeks, I've been engaging into a hell lot of sports watching. Got bitten by the World Cup bug and the upcoming MVP Badminton (Europe vs Asia). I forced myself to stay awake just to watch the World Cup's finals. My classmates prefer watching at Friday's, Malate together with all the World Cup smitten law students and loads of beer at 3 am. But I favor the idea of silently cheering on my team surrounded with cases and law books right in the privacy of our home.

I was never a big fan of Zidane but I believe that he deserved the award that he got. Of course, without prejudice to the hottie from Italy who was the victim of Zidane's heat-butt. ha,ha... But I just can't help but feel sorry for the guy. He ended his FIFA career with bad publicity and a no-show of sportsmanship. tsk,tsk..

The Italians were all so steamed when they made those awesome penalty kicks! Too bad for France, Buffon is so intimidating, one guy even missed the shot without any defensive strike from Royal Buffon! Of course, I would've been mighty thrilled if England a.ka. team Beakham played in the finals... sighed

After feasting my eyes on those european hunks, I'm now set to watch a game or two of my favorite badminton duo. Kennie and Vic Asuncion. I'm not yet sure of their play-offs but I'm just so psyched to know that I get to see Vic once again after the Asia meet. I really have this thing with chinito, boy-next-door type of guys. He's really a hottie. I will trade a good grade in tax review just to see him play. But then again, I have to reconsider... hehe :P

Sports downer...

2006-07-04T11:16:00.001+08:00

Things are really getting out of hand! Brazil lost to France. It was kinda ok looking at the world's perspective because it's finally the end of Brazilian hegemony in World Cup. But for Brazil lovers, we were definitely crushed! As if such disappontment was not enough, Beckham announced that he's stepping down from his current position (England's captain). That's double bummer! I watch England's game because of him so I got really crushed when I found out that he's not "captain" Beckham anymore. Oh well...

I'm psyched about the Badminton MVP Cup here in PI. Kennevic will be playing with his sis Kennie. I hope I have the time to watch them.

My future hubby... haha

The art of letting go...

2006-07-04T10:54:00.001+08:00

Growing up is all about the realization that things don’t always work out the way you want them to.

This has rather been a painful thought that occurred in my mind after a whole day of moping around and feeling utterly sorry for myself. I was awakened by a bright ray of sunlight but the good weather did nothing to raise my spirit. I didn’t feel it was fair that it was so beautiful outside while I’m feeling so miserable.

I got a message from a friend informing me of my worst nightmare. Up until last night, I was clinging on the idea that things will work out my way. I guess I was wrong.

No matter how painful it is, I just have to accept the fact that we have grown apart, that things will never be the same again. While it is true that I always know what I want and that I always know how to get it, I believe that I also know when to say it’s enough and when to accept that it’s all over.

Yes, it is hard. But right now I'm just trying to learn the art of letting go...

blooper-filled day...

2006-06-14T14:54:00.001+08:00

I guess it' not my day :(

1. Orientation of the freshies- I said "Please get it to..." instead of "Please get it FROM...". The only consolation, Dean was not yet there to correct me. Whew!

2. While waiting for our Constitutional Law Review prof, I saw Hernani Perez in front of our classroom. I may have looked dumb-stricken coz he said... "don't worry, 'di ako prof nyo..." (malay ko ba?!)

3. When I was asked by Dean to recite the Senate Presidents who also became the Deans of the Institute, I was able to recite Salonga's name and totally forgot Neptali Gonzales. Guess what my excuse was... "e Dean, Si Salonga lang po nakitang nag-guest dito so you can't blame me for forgetting Gonzales..." ( that was sooooo lame)

Oh well, c'est la vie.

Some Ombudsman pics...

2006-06-12T18:31:00.001+08:00

OMB dominatrix! haha

tension-filled case presentation

with the director of Preliminary Investigation and Adjudication Bureau Atty. Amante (also a proud tamaraw)

during my case presentation to the panel (atty. amante and atty. golez)

welcome to my birthday party. kidding... UST law, FEU law and Arellano law (anniv week)

with ate Cres (arellano law) and anna (OMB staff)

Ignorantia Legis Non Excusat

2006-06-12T18:16:00.002+08:00

“Ignorantia Legis Non Excusat”

Ignorance of the law excuses no one from the compliance therewith. This has been a well-settled rule that traces its roots back from the Old Civil Code. It entails that nobody can invoke the defense of “ignorance” insofar as exonerating an individual from his liability is concerned. Hence, neither the laws’ complexity/simplicity nor one’s familiarity/non familiarity are enough to warrant his or her acquittal.
This strict construction of the law should be correlated with the maxim, “dura lex sed lex”. With all the problems encountered by the Philippine Judicial System, the notion that “The law maybe harsh but it is still the law” is the most appropriate response in order to justify such strict construction.

I came to know about the development of the Garcia Case on my way to the Office of the Ombudsman. I was utterly disappointed with the news that Garcia’s case involving Perjury was dismissed by the court. The justification did not make me feel any better. Honest Mistake.

I was never fond of critiquing the courts’ decision be it the inferior courts’ nor that of the higher magistrates’. But this time, I feel that something was wrong with regard to the appreciation of evidences and the justification for the said dismissal. If Honest Mistake is justifiable, then why do we have to create the principle of non-justification of “ignorance” insofar as enforcement of laws is concerned? The higher tribunal should be mindful of every step that they’re going to take. After all, they are accountable to the public. Hence, no scintilla of doubt should cloud such sensitive case.

I'm home...

2006-06-05T09:36:00.001+08:00

I just got back from Pangasinan. What a relaxing/dramatic trip.
We were able to visit my granny's twin sister. I would pay just to see her smile once again. My favorite book in the Bible, the Book of Job, will sum up how I feel. Again, everything is God's will...

We also did some chilling with my family. We went to Manaoag, did some night swimming, played with our dogs (chummie and chuckie) and made dozens of smores :)

Now that I'm back, I have to set aside the concept of having fun and go back to business. Reig, RC and I got the Constancia of our case in legal aid. Hearing's on the 15th of June. I also have to do an inventory of my case digests and focus on CBO.

On cheesy songs, mom's day and apprenticeship activities

2006-05-19T17:58:00.001+08:00

March 8, 2006
“I wanna believe its love, this time…
I wanna believe my heart’s not telling me a lie…”
It’s 9:00 in the morning and the lawyer in the cubicle adjacent to mine is starting her day/week with some cheesy love songs. Ugh! I guess the absence of my lawyer-mentor made me more observant of what’s happening around me. Too bad… ha,ha…
*************
I received a txt from my st. jo classmate, Hanna. Since our reunion, all we ever talk about is law, law school and legal profession. Sounds nerdy? Of course not! That’s just logical considering that we’re both into it. She’s now an incoming junior at Ateneo. We sometimes compare notes and give suggestions on what book to use in a particular subject. Well, she’s asking me if she can borrow some books ‘coz she’s planning to review this summer. What the***?! Ha,ha… I’m so proud of this girl. I hope I have at least half of her determination and perseverance (and moolah, if I may add.. he,he). Tsk, tsk…
**************
I just had my lunch. Seph and Andy did not let me hear the end of it when I freaked out after I saw the beetle crawling in the wall. I mean, who wouldn’t?! It is humongous! What I don’t understand is that they acted really cool about the insect. It’s like the idea of playing with a bug is normal. Totally weird and gross. Ugh!
**************
As of 2:30 pm, tomorrow’s dinner date attendees are as follows:
Seph
Moi
Eric
Andy
Joy
Reig
***************
I’m browsing my RPC. I know… pretty geeky, but what can I do? Atty. Golez is out and our AO told me to chill. I hate slacking off so I’d rather be geeky than become unproductive :)
* Our dinner at Dampa was ok.

May 15
We watched the Ombudsman Songwriting Competition last Friday at the AFP Theater. It was a very good experience. I expected a boring night but it turned out ok. Actually, it was way cooler that I thought. It may sound cheesy but hearing those new compositions made me more passionate in what I’m doing. The song “I am a shield” hit me bigtime.
It is true that as the world moves forward with science and technology, the values of our officials are slowly taking the backseat. It pains me to realize things that are so apparent yet apathy prevails because of the wrong notion that nothing can be done to change the wrong practice.
*****************
I had a great weekend. I spent most of it with my family. While everybody’s sleeping and enjoying the weather, we’ve decided to go to galleria to do some serious shopping. I’ve discovered a great place to shop for some suits. Yay!
Mom’s day was the best! We went to mass pretty early. I also cooked a special lunch for my family. We had dinner at Kimchi House (Our 2nd choice coz Oyster Boy was packed). My sis and I enjoyed the food specially the Korean Beef Stew and Sukiyaki. Mom hated everything. She said everything tasted weird. Oh well…

May 17
I spent the night hitting some shuttle cocks with some OMB peeps (Atty. Meynard, Xandrick, Seph, the son of AO, Ate and Kuya…hehe). Atty. Meynard suggested the place, Don Antonio Sports Center. They are really pros! They are professional badminton trainers and they really compete.Well, they served as my pseudo-trainor. Joy, Eric and Andy were also present. We had dinner in a Chinese deli. The food was ok (I guess…) We’re planning to try wall climbing on Monday.

*************
Lawyers here are pampering us.
Majority of them went on a vacation (SEA tour) and they arrived with lots of pasalubongs (candies, chocolates, accessories and trinkets). Snaps for Atty. Serafin and Atty. Fortuna :)

Another random things..

2006-05-04T18:05:00.001+08:00

May 3, 2006
I missed yesterday’s distribution of bar kits. I still feel guilty about it and the idea that vanj is taking it lightly did not help at all. Our Chair is really nice. He,he… DAMN! I have to talk to her coz I’m dying to hear what’s up with the Atenean in ACCRA. Ha,ha.
********************
People here are psyched about the anniversary party. Rumors had it that Sam Milby is coming this Friday. At first, I was amused with the idea that they’re making a big fuss about it but after days of listening to their excited chikas, amusement turned into sheer annoyance. I mean, give me a break! I’m trying my best not to react the same way I did when Grege said that Zanjoe Marudo was our st. jo batchmate. I guess I’m suppressing my inner bitchiness. :)
*********************
Tin and I talked for hours in the 4rth floor CR (what a venue!). Talk about pouring our hearts out… We have the same dilemma. Boy meets girl, boy makes the girl feel special, and you know, all those cheesy stuffs. But suddenly, because of a “sufficient intervening cause”, POOF! … New boy comes in, new boy now makes you feel special but somehow, it’s not the same.
We know that we’ll never be happy playing the field so why consider the idea?
Part two of our talk- Ombudsman Cafeteria (Again, What a venue. Hehe)

REPORT TO THE CHAIR :)

2006-05-04T17:59:00.001+08:00

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES)
QUEZON CITY)

AFFIDAVIT

I, ROSE LYN SALINAS RABANERA, of legal age and a resident of Cubao, Quezon City, after having been duly sworn in accordance with law, hereby depose and say;
That I am the appointed Vice Chair of Central Bar Operations 2006 otherwise known as CBO 2006.

That in consonance with the said position, I am tasked to do the following, to wit;

1. Assist the Chair in delegating/overseeing the different committees constituted for the efficient and methodical administration of CBO 2006.
2. Represent the CBO in all meetings called by the FEU-IL Dean, Associate Dean and FEU-Law Alumni exclusively for CBO purposes.
3. Coordinate with the CBO Chair in plotting CBO meetings with the core group, buddies, creative, acads, secretariat, logistics, finance and all other CBO committees as deem necessary.
4. Make a report to the duly constituted Chair (ehem! Ha,ha) from time to time as to the progress/problems/observations as regards the performance of the different committees.
5. To ensure that tasks are done in a peaceful manner despite beating the deadlines, stress-causing/imposing acads heads and gimik-deterrent meetings. (i.e. see to it that Omar and Reig will not kill each other)
6. Act as the guidance counselor, creative consultant; shock absorber and entertainer of the CBO members before, during and after bar operations.
7. Placate some stressed out barristers and make them feel that they’re still gorgeous even though they look like coffee-infested zombies. hehe
8. Cajole the alumni in order to get a higher/ more substantial pledge (im uber-succeeding in this aspect ;p) ;and
9. To do all other things needed to be done per instruction of my equally fabulous Chair.

In compliance with task number four (4), the following observations/suggestions are hereby presented by the affiant, to wit;

a. No news insofar as Labor Law is concern. PROBLEM: We still have to hand it over to Atty. Alabanza for review before it can be proofread by the heads. We might not beat the deadline.
b. Some buddies are being asked by their barristers re: barrister kit. PROBLEM: They don’t know what to reply as regards the date of the release of kits. SUGGESTION: Let’s have a more proactive approach. Let’s tell the Head to constantly inform the buddies of what’s happening with the CBO so that when asked by their barristers, they’ll know what to say.
c. Let’s look into the feasibility of our “file case” proposal. He,he
d. Our acads members need to CHILL! Special mention to the heads. Walk out sessions of Omar are noticeably increasing.
e. Let’s try to make a monthly if possible, bi-monthly report to Atty. Paguirigan on the accomplishment of the CBO. Again, proactive approach.

These are some of the things that I can think of at this moment. I would also like to express my sincerest apologies for adhering to isolationism from March 26-31.

I further obligate myself to refrain from engaging into trivial, frivolous or vexatious attempts to unnecessarily encumber the members of the CBO unless otherwise warranted by the situation. ie. The Chair told me to do so. He,he

FURTHER AFFIANT SAYETH NAUGHT.

Rose Lyn S Rabanera

Affiant

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me, this 29th day of April, 2006, in the City of Quezon, affiant exhibiting before me her Community Tax Certificate No. 000000001, issued at Quezon City on January 5, 2006.

Atty. Seph Apsay
Notary Public
Until December 31, 2006
IBP No. 11216546, 1/2/06, Quezon City
PTR No. 1122345,1/2/06, Quezon City
Roll No. 32659845

Doc. No. 4
Page No. 5
Book No. 989
Series of 3006

I wish my pc will be fixed soon...

2006-04-22T17:54:00.001+08:00

I don't like internet cafes. But right now, I don't have a choice. Thanks to my loving sis (im being sarcastic).
Honestly, I've encoded some stuffs for my blog but I can't post it 'cause I saved it in my pc's my docs.

Random Things...
1. Oppurtunities are pouring in. Im seizing every single oppurtunity that comes along.
2. Erns and Ella are here in the country. Wish I could see them. Damn my busy sched.*sigh*
3. Jacklyn Bankenship, my former schoolmate/busmate'll be coming home soon. What's with you St. Jo peeps? Can't resist our beaches, you just can't stand wild parties with the whites or you're dying to attend a true-blue Josephine party? he,he
4. Curse those corrupt Public Officials. I'm trying to become more objective in my work but I can't put aside my Christian values. *bummer*
5. I just had my first Order made. Now I'm working on a new case. I have to be very careful. Almost 989Million is at stake. tsk,tsk...
6. Office of the Ombudsman's building=Pink; No. 1 rule= Rule on Confidentiality; Employees benefit= shuttle service (love em!)
7. Im missin' mischief. I can't wait for May :)
8. Spent my rest day at St. Luke's Hospital. Dr. Leuemberger is super cool! I want my old face back, along with my self confidence that's slowly deteriorating with every derides that I get from people. Especially from my so-called friends who are so insensitive, they just can't keep their comments to themselves. touchy...*sigh*
9. I'm introspecting... Re-evaluating friendships, isolating myself, re-building the imaginary wall that I regrettably chucked out after being chums with people who concentrate more on my flaws.
10. I'm re-reading Da Vinci Code. All the French thingys made me choke a little. I guess I'm missin' somebody from Europe, the one who's fluent in German, Italian and French. My former badminton partner, former Domino playmate, former personal chef, former proofreader, former French teacher. Oh well... C'est la vie :)

glimpse...

2006-04-02T16:34:00.001+08:00

In as much as my fingers are itching to write something about my week in Tagaytay highlands, I just can't do it. Well, not yet... Not with my sister's whining for me to get off the pc and accompany her shop. Oh well, will write about it some other time...

Ate Ans, Joevz and I had our adj seminar/exam yesterday. I saw my debate crushie yesterday. Yay!... Had lunch at French Baker and accompanied Joevz at Memo for a new shirt. I told him to get a pink one and so he did. I also bought a nice flexible wrap and my sis loved it the first time she set her eyes on the wrap. Not a good sign, but I'll let her borrow it if she want.

Double treat...

2006-04-02T16:30:00.000+08:00

March 22 and 23 was the ultimate chill outs with my classmates. We went to Red Box last March March 22 with Atty. Bandonell. I heard one of the worst news in my life but I joined my classmates on the 23rd at Enchyanted Kingdom, anyways. It was my first time to go there and no I really had a blast especially when I got the news about our tax grades.

Atty. Bandonell is the coolest!

almost over...

2006-03-19T09:42:00.000+08:00

What a week!
Been very busy studying/cramming for the finals. The only social event that i've attended was the Testimonial Dinner in honor of Chief Justice Panganiban. It was held at The Philippine Plaza Hotel (formerly known as Westin Philippine Plaza). It was a night to remember. Nice company, good food and awesome venue. It was a very nostalgic place coz I had my St. Jo Dinner-dance (normally known as JS Prom) also at Westin. Then back again to the usual readings and pressure of the finals.

Atty. Muria saw us yesterday while we're having a group study for our Evidence exam. To qoute "andame na namang nababaliw na IL students dahil sa finals. Nagsasalita na namang mag-isa. Ha,ha"... I guess he's right. Last year, he made the same comment when he saw me memorizing while facing the wall!

I more week of geekiness and loserville. Bummer!

Some infamous talks among IL peeps…

2006-02-28T12:06:00.000+08:00

I decided to write something light. Failed coup attempts and pseudo-martila law Proclamations are just too much to handle.

(tax class)
Atty V: Discuss the case of ________ .
Student: Ma’am pass…
Atty V: Isn’t it ironic ms._______. When you say pass, you actually fail?

(on our way to Pantalan with Ken, Piolo, Jhoy, Vanj and moi)
Ken: San na sila RC?
Piolo: Nasa harap lang natin sila. Di ba bago na ‘yung sasakyan nya?
Moi: Yup! Gray na car.
Piolo: Magsu-summer ka ba tsong?
Ken: Hindi. Aalis ako sa summer e.
Vanj: He’s spending his summer sa US.
Piolo: Ok a. Ako pinag-iipunan ko talaga ‘yung 2007 Olympics sa China. Si RC European tour trip ng family nya kasi mahilig sa pilgrimage mommy nya.
Moi: Ayun sina RC!
Ken: Ang ganda ng kotse nya a. Akala ko ako na pinakamayaman sa IL bulok pa pala ko. Haha

(nego class)
Atty. B: Mr._________?
Student 1: Ma’am pass…
Atty B: Ms. _________?
Student 2: Pass ma’am…
Atty. B: Mr. _______?
Student 3: (he just stood up)
Atty B: My god! There’s a battered woman in my office and here I am with you not knowing anything?!

(in front of IL reading area)
Moi: O Piolo ano nangyari sayo?
Piolo: May ikukwento pala ko sayo Rose Lyn.
Moi: What about?
Piolo: Inaway ko ‘yung boss ko.
Moi: Ano nangyari?
Piolo: E ambabaw e. Sabi ko sa kanya “ People here are so shallow, they’re unfathomable!”.

(trial court class)
Judge: Counsel for the defense can now cross-examine the witness.
Student aka Defense counsel: You said that you were at the hog raising festival when the crime was committed?
Student 2 aka witness: Yes
Student aka Defense counsel: What’s the color of the pig?
Judge: (raising his voice) Rephrase your question otherwise I will hold you in contempt!
Student aka Defense counsel: Yes, Your Honor.
Student aka Defense counsel: Is the pig’s tail curly?

( 3rd floor stairs)
Piolo: Grabe, nanginginig ako sa galit sa class ko kanina!
Moi: Ano na naman nangyari sa NTC?
Piolo: E niloloko ako e!
Moi: Ano na naman sinabi mo?
Piolo: “You can accuse me of anything, even sexual misconduct, but not with money matters! I don’t need NTC to survive! Magkano tuition nyo?! I can pay for that!”
Moi: I have to agree with the sexual misconduct part. Ha,ha

(consti class)
Atty. L: Mr. Dapon, how can you justify the act contemplated in the case?
Daps: Sir, I think it was the intention of Recto during that time; hence, it was a justified legislative act.
Atty. L: How did you know? You were not even there.
Daps: (in a moony expression) Sir, it seems like I can hear Recto whispering it to me…

Recap...

2006-02-28T12:00:00.000+08:00

Been uber-busy for the past few days. Here’s a recap…

Feb.16
Vanj’s b-day! We had dinner at Italianni’s, Timog. It was a good thing to do after 4 grueling hours of keeping our eyes open for corpo class. It was also a nice opportunity to bond with some seniors (Aga, Beryl and Melo), batch mates (Vanj, Zee, Darlene and Reig) and a fresh bar examinee who works for ACCRA (Sonny).

Feb. 17
Grace called me to deliver some bad news. I rushed to school to confront somebody and show the bitchy side of me. Actually, I was pretty cool in handling the situation. I did not take it sitting down but I was so in control, I was almost nice! Ha,ha.
Atty. Grapilon’s in US so his secretary took over. We weren’t able to do the assigned activity coz of some “technical problem” he,he.

Feb 18
As always, we had our legforms quiz. I guess it was MY day coz aside from the quiz, I was also called to recite. BUMMER!
I attended our CYA meeting and as always, it was superb. I cried but it was all worth it. I did not care whether I looked pathetic coz I know that being open with God goes beyond the superficiality of other people. We went to Jhoy’s place for her b-day celebration. It was good to see my college classmates. Essay was there with her hubby and her baby. Lence, Grace and Bobet were also there. I introduced them to some law peeps and Bobet, as always, was hilarious!
I left the party pretty early coz of some previous plans with Joevz, Maren and Mark.
The 4 of us had dinner at Rai-rai Ken. We tried to get a slot at Starbuck’s for a decent coffee and a nice chitchat but the place was packed with regulars and Friday groups. We ended at our favorite coffee shop (our- Joevz, Lucks and moi) Bang, Timog. Some cool and intriguing stuff were brought up. We lost track of the time coz of the “thought-provoking” queries and answers by equally critical friends, not to mention the fact that we relied on the clock that was set for New York time. Ending, we parted around past 12.

Feb19
I attended the 8 am mass at Stella Maris. A different priest officiated the mass. As always, the choir was great. After all, they were “THE Epistles”. I took upon myself to see to it whether our “chilling session” will push through. This time, Lucks committed himself. Yay! Maren was the first one to arrive. Joevz and I arrived shortly thereafter. Lucky was late! Oh well. Ha,ha. We went to Rob to watch Brokeback Mountain. We chilled at Pancake House while waiting for the next screening.
What can I say about the movie? Brilliant! Kudos to Ang Lee and Annie Proulx. J

Feb 20
I spent the whole day in front of my pc while thinking some barops-related matters.

Feb 21
I’m beginning to think that our Torts prof has this bizarre fixation with Rabanera! He never failed to call me every single meeting. And this day is one of those. Bummer!

Feb 22
We had our dinner at Pantalan c/o Atty. Bandonell. They went to Pier 1 to chill after our dinner. Sir spent 15 grand for that night alone. Whew! That's some serious amoount of moolah. It was nice to spend time with some of my classmates. Never a dull moment with Piolo and Seph around. Ha,ha

Feb 23
- Barops meeting with the seniors and acads
- Kilosbayan symposium with Chief Justice Panganiban.
- LSG won the presidency. YAY reig!

It's killing me...

2006-02-16T12:44:00.000+08:00

I’ve always prided myself in being able to balance my levelheaded personality vis-a-vis the addlebrained side of me. But in times like this, I just can’t help the latter to take control. I guess the incessant inquiries as regards my love life reached its apogee, enough to make me wanna scream.
Just because it’s the time of the year where everybody is required to have someone to be with doesn’t mean that you have to be in a relationship to enjoy romance. This has been my philosophy especially when Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Up until now, I never realized that it was the easiest way of saying “No. I don’t have a boyfriend.”
Personally, I don’t know why. A classmate once said “Alam mo honestly, hindi ka mahirap mahalin.” Modesty aside, it was not my first time to hear that. My friends said that it’s so easy for me to have a boyfriend if I want to.
So what’s the problem?!
Am I picky?
Indecisive?
I really don’t know.
Being a law student, it would probably make deciding difficult because I want to have a win-win case. I sometimes have the tendency to quantify the love that I’m offering and expect to get a decent part of it back. I want everything rationalized and explained. While it is true that when we begin to find a reason as to why we love or do not love a person, then our love becomes bounded by a measure of what we can get or what we can not get from that person, I still can’t help myself from asking for reasons. Why do you love me? Why did you choose me? Why? Why?…
I guess, it allows love to become just a fulfillment of, and not a commitment to, a relationship.
Ok enough of the cheesy stuff. Allow me to recall what transpired for the past few days…

Feb. 13
Did some chilling with barops buds at House Blends, First Strip. I saw my highschool classmate on our way home. Guess what?! She owns the place! Pretty neat huh!
I had dinner with nel and a long conversation over a cup of cup. We even saw Atty. Flores at Gloria Jeans. He was wearing a blue shorts, white shirt and rubber shoes. Far from his Arrow/Dockers/Lacoste clothes that are already synonymous with his sense of style. I guess he just hit the gym when I saw him. But then again, it was 11:30 in the evening...hmm? oh well. ha,ha

Feb. 14

I received a lot of chocolates. Ha,ha. I actually spent THE day with my classmates. We planned on a batch party and we really hit it off. Torts class got cancelled and it gave us enough time to enjoy the night more. Other juniors arrived a little late coz of their tax class. Annoi, Coreen, Diane, and Hero were their representatives. I never thought that Piolo could sing! Ha,ha. After hours of singing our hearts out, Piolo asked me to watch a concert at the Piano Bar entitled Love Songs at the Frontpage. Andy, Piolo and I had a good time.

Feb. 15

I have to wake up early coz of our tax research. Pit stop- UP. They have probably the best collection because of UP law center. It was hard for me to concentrate because of last night’s party. I was so sleepy to focus, I think. Ha,ha. We had lunch at Mang Jimmy’s. It’s a place with bad ambience but cheap and good food. I was too tired to watch a movie with them so I went home early. Mom was home and she said that we’re going out for dinner. I took a nap while she’s waiting for my sis. We had dinner at Blackbeard’s Seafood Island. I took my med before eating. Ha,ha.

Through the years...

2006-02-12T14:44:00.000+08:00

In line with Valentine’s Day, allow me to get all mushy and share the most romantic love story ever told…

They both lived in a small town in Pangasinan. Asunscion grew up in a typical family of farmers. In the afternoon, she would always help her father in the farm. Mornings are allotted to help her mother sell the harvests in the market. It was always like that. They have to work hard in order to survive. As a matter of fact, she wasn’t able to finish her grade school education because she knew that being the eldest, the load was on her shoulders.

On the part of Leodigario, things were different.
He grew up with practically everything within his reach. His family owned a huge part of the town’s land. He was the only male child and in line with the patriarchal set-up, he will inherit everything. Yes. He became a prominent Haciendero. He was well educated and grew up as a certified chick magnet.

On his many visits to his farm, Leodigario would cast an admiring look to Asunscion, I guess poverty did not do much on her beauty. It was always like that for quite some time until Leodigario finally had the courage to court Asunscion. Good thing, his love was not unrequited.

It wasn’t easy for them to make the relationship work. Their social status was the major concern for them and their respective families. But love really has its way. They ended marrying each other and were blessed with 6 beautiful children.

The song “Through the Years” is really apt in order to show how these two loved one another. They stood together against all odds. They fought for their love and won the war.

My mother would always tell us this romantic love story of her parents. Our inang and tatang.

I was also fortunate to become a witness of their pristine love. My cousins and I would always smile whenever tatang teases inang notwithstanding their “unromantic age”. We were also silent witnesses of their many lambingans through the years.

When tatang died, I also witnessed the endearing look from inang while lovingly touching my tatang’s coffin. As if her touch conveyed all the love that she had and a promise that someday, somehow, love will once again find its way…

first case

2006-02-08T14:27:00.000+08:00

I’m about to handle my first real case!
As a member of the legal aid, I’ll be able to handle real cases. You see, juniors and seniors are allowed to appear before the court in behalf of their client (with supervising counsel, of course). I’m under ate myrell’s group and we’re handling a theft case. The idea of going to manila city jail is scary but excitement overpowers the squeamish me :) Due to the concept of privileged communication, my blog will be deprived of information with regard to the case *wink*

point taken, case closed...

2006-02-08T14:15:00.000+08:00

I finally got the chance to talk to the object of my so-called "insurmountable depression" for the past few days. I expected excuses but none was brought up. I guess that’s a good sign. Sometimes, it’s hard for us to admit our fault and ask for forgiveness. I guess the mere fact that a person acknowledges his fault proves his sincerity. A friend once told me that girls sometimes undermine the capability of guys in terms of “feeling”. I guess she’s right. Just because they are not so verbal about it doesn’t mean that they care for you less or that they’re not affected at all.
I just love conversations over a cup of coffee :)

Decisions...decisions...

2006-02-02T15:40:00.001+08:00

Vanj finally made me say YES to her barops proposal. At first I was hesitant coz I know that it’ll be a very toxic job and I am really looking forward to a serene 4rth year life. I guess days of rationalizing things made me comprehend that no matter what I do, there is really no easy way out. I want to do something for our barristers but I also want to enjoy my “presumably” last year in FEU.

Three things I’ve learned:
1.) We can never have a win-win situation.
2.) We are the change that we want to happen; and
3.) Maturity and responsibility are symbiotic.

I am now up to the biggest challenge in my law school life. But with my supportive classmates, compassionate Assoc Dean and a dedicated Chair, what could possibly go wrong?

An uber-cool week!

2006-02-02T15:32:00.000+08:00

I just had the best week in months!
After days of isolating myself, I finally had the chance to got out and party in time for the celebration of FEU’s 78th anniversary.
Monday was uber-cool. The Institute of Law organized a Testimonial Program in honor of Chief Justice Panganiban. I am completely bedazzled by his remarkable integrity and deep sense of compassion to other people. I hope someday I can also make my alma mater proud of me.
Surreal. That’s the only word that I can think of in order to describe the night. Munching on hors d’oeuvres, being serenaded by the FEU band and watching the fireworks display made me forget the hubbub created by my fellow IL studes.

Tuesday was ok ‘coz we did not have our Torts class.

Wednesday was a downer because of our Midterms exam in Tax.
Corporation Law class was cancelled on Thursday so I had the chance to train Mike. I must say that he is really becoming a good speaker.

Friday was my birthday. Yay! Full yahoomail and friendster inbox, constant beeping of my cp and a lot of gifts from my friends in and out FEU really made me feel loved and blessed. I couldn’t ask for more. It was also the day for the big University concert. Bamboo was superb but the conversation that I had with Joevz, Mark and Dwight over a late dinner was the best! The drizzle did not stop us from partying hard and enjoying the night. Had it not for the unforgivable “ditching event”, I could have had THE perfect birthday. Oh well, I guess I can’t have it all.

After going home at around midnight, the organizers expected us to attend the Tripartite Confluence 8 am the next day. I was a little late but the organizers arrived much later. Much, much later… I did have a good time, though. It was very nostalgic to see those familiar faces with new corporate auras after years of not seeing each other. Of course seeing my college crush hit me big time! Looking at him wearing his clothes stylishly with his signature glasses on and his oh-so-charming smile made smile. He knows that he was my crush way back and he addresses me as his “current crush” at the confluence. I just have to hand it to masscom peeps for really practicing PR by heart. Ha,ha. H e said that he didn’t recognize me because I changed a lot. :) Well, he also did! He now has the “corporatish” attitude, which I really like. While we were having our snack, he suddenly asked me things that really caught me off guard. When he asked me if I still remember when and where we first met, I just smiled. Not because I was too flattered to speak but for lack of answer to his query. Damn! I never had difficulty memorizing codal provisions. Now, what could’ve been a very romantic conversation turned into one of those awkward moments because no matter how hard I try to think of the answer, I just couldn’t remember anything! Good thing he’s such a gentleman. He just smiled and mockingly said that we’ve gotten so close, small details were now hard to remember.
With fondness in his eyes, he recalled our first encounter. He was then asked to interview somebody from the ORADEC and Joevz told him that he should interview me. The rest was history…

Snap back to reality! Ha,ha… What really made me smile was when he told me that we should have lunch together one of these days, hang out and reminisce the old times. Will definitely be looking forward to that day.

Hell Week...

2006-01-16T12:43:00.000+08:00

It's official.
January 16,2006 is the start of IL's hell week. A week of sleepless nights, mental anguish and emotional distress. For me it's a week of being incommunicado, isolation and in-your-face cases.

2005

2006-01-07T12:09:00.000+08:00

It's quite difficult for me to synthesize the year that was… I don’t know if it’s because of so many things to say or for lack of it :)

2005 came in a blur… Or course there were some good shots and baloney ones! The first half of 2005 was a tragic and difficult part in so far as my hypothalamus is concern. Ha,ha… I’ve experienced a lot of ups and downs in the heart area til it finally settled on its lowest. It was the exact opposite in the social and school department though. I had an a-ok grade in my summer classes and my 1st sem classes were bearable. Got a lot of gigs goin’ which I really enjoyed :)

The second half of the year was an absolutely different thing. I got into trouble with a very, very close and special friend. I felt betrayed, crushed and alone. I even considered shutting him off but I guess you really can’t throw years of friendship easily. Good thing, Ate Ans and Joeven, my ever reliable buds, were there to give me some advise, to comfort me and to give me a kick in the shin when I needed one the most. He,he… I’ve had a lot of getaways during this part… The Caliraya thingy, Baguio YMCA, hotel operations for the barops, Dumaguete NDC and a loooot of barhoppings to name a few. I came to know a lot of cool people in the undergrad via Lucky and I’m so happy coz we really hit it off the first time! Same thing happened in the law department. I came to know a lot of cool barristers and equally cool lawmates. I also reconnected with someone from my past. The long-ignored friendship was reinforced and it bloomed into a beautiful relationship that I’m sure I’ll be thankful for the rest of my life. Ok, enough of the mush… ha,ha

In totality, I know that 2006 will be a difficult year for me. With only a year to prepare for the bar exams, attending to my social life, adjusting for the lost of people close to me who’ll be graduating this March and personal concerns, I think difficult is an understatement. But as the old adage goes… C’est la vie… such is life! And I’m ready for it… I’m ready to face 2006. YAY!

10 must-dos for 2006

2006-01-06T11:38:00.000+08:00

1. SAVE! SAVE! SAVE!
2. Talk less and listen more.
3. I will not let anybody use me in any way.
4. Daydream less and work more.
5. Go easy on snack foods.
6. Spend more time with my family.
7. I will religiously read the assigned cases.
8. I will control my temper.
9. I will learn to shut up when needed. (take note: WHEN NEEDED!)
10. STUDY HARD AND PARTY HARDER!!!

1st tuesday of 2006

2006-01-03T15:13:00.000+08:00

As much as it itched me to write something about the year that was, I just couldn't... Days of slacking off took its toll and Im now in another panic mode for my torts class. I will definitely write something though :-)...

Btw, I bumped into Marc and Mike (sounds like chip and dale he,he) on my way to school. Mike complimented me with my fashion sense. You know about the accent thingie :-)

xmas break...

2005-12-23T19:53:00.003+08:00

Been bumming around for quite some time... Actully, I was sick for the past few days and my bed and sweet valley books were my constatnt companion during those times. I think, the ubiquitous parties that i've attended (emcee for the IL party, oradec's, LSG...to name a few) took its toll and my body's responding quite negatively. :).. My favorite cuz is spending the holidays in the Philippines and I'm so psyched with the idea :) I just hope I'll be able to browse on some law books before Jan. 3 he,he...

3A class pic

2005-12-14T09:52:00.000+08:00

the uber cool class of 3A :)

YMCA

2005-12-14T09:41:00.000+08:00

I attended the YMCA Congress last Dec. 9-11. It was uber fun! I can't believe that i'll be experiencing a lot of firsts in that trip! Yay! Last night was the best! Dec 11 is so memorable. ha,ha

bar bets 2007 :)

2005-12-06T11:58:00.000+08:00

It was nice to see some of the bar bets (2007). Too bad Vanj took the pic so she wasn't included.
Pic taken 2 saturdays ago at tayuman after evidence and legal forms class.

hodgepodge thoughts

2005-12-06T11:32:00.000+08:00

I was so miserable last night! It was like being in a dark room with no one to talk to or no one to share your thoughts with. The sweet sms that I received did not make me feel any better. I dunno, I just feel alone...

I woke up pretty early. Mom's still in the province and I feel like I have to act responsible and prepare breakfast for my sis. Well we still treat her as a kiddo so we still look after her needs (for a med student, that it uber-ironic!). teehee! :) It was kinda disappointing though coz she did not eat before leaving. Oh well, there goes my "responsible sis act".

I dunno but I think Im being overpowered by the "goody-goody" Rose Lyn coz I keep on rubbing my good deeds to everybody. I prepared a surprise for an uber-special friend. I just hope he'll come in time for that big moment. Ha,ha!

I'm trying to read something for tomorrow's tax class before going over torts. Actually, I'm trying to squeeze every possible thing before 4 pm. LSG's meeting at 4 pm and I have to be there otherwise reig will kill me or probably she'll do something nastier like not lending me her digested cases. he,he.

A "royal" encounter...

2005-11-25T15:45:00.000+08:00

Having won a competition last 2002 sponsored by the English-Speaking Union (ESU), I was invited to attend an event entitled “Engagement with English: The Philippine Experience courtesy of The Department 0of English, School of Humanities, Loyola Schools, Ateneo De Manila University and the ESU last November 18, 2005. It was a nostalgic and overwhelming experience considering that the people who were at the competition some three years ago were there to grace the event.

The highlight of the affair was the Plenary Address about “The Asian and International Dimensions of English” rendered by the International Chairman Emeritus of the ESU, Lord Watson of Richmond, CBE. Yes. I am talking about a Brit from the House of Lords in England. You see, Great Britain’s government is monarchial. Such being the case, individuals of Royal descent have a special seat in the chamber called The House of Lords. It is different from the other chamber, The House of Commons, wherein you get to occupy a seat in the Parliament by means of popular vote.

As if such encounter with a royalty was not enough, I was again invited this time by Ambassador Cesar Bautista to attend the formal launching of the English-Speaking Union of the Phils., Inc. last November 21, 2005 at the De las Alas Room of the Yuchengco Center, RCBC.I received the invites via e-mail because according to Ambassador Bautista, the personal invitation might arrive a little bit later. True enough, the invitation arrived at our doorstep a day after the event.

I consider the gathering as the most high-end occasion that I've attended in my entire life. Let me just put it this way, during the Ateneo event, I was able to get chummys with Dr. Montinola and Pres. Echauz (who was gracious enough to give us a ride on our way to FEU) in a room packed with Brits, Academicians and some Ateneo students. However, during the formal launching, I entered the room with approximately 80 guests, only 25 of which are Filipino and the rest are high-ranking Brits (Lord Watson included) and representatives from US and Japan ESU. Oh, Patricia Evangelista (the 2004 winner of International Public Speaking Competition) and I were the only students and youngsters in that event (KC did not show-up). The other Filipino guests were three Ambassadors, the CEO of the Ayala Corp., CEO of RCBC, CEO of Unilever, CEO of HSBC and some Palanca Awardees. Whew! Honestly, I was so nervous to walk around and socialize. Maybe because of lack of interesting thing that I can share and partly because I don’t think I’ll be able to socialize comfortably considering the fact that I have a 3-inch stilettos on. That wasn’t for so long, though. I had an interesting conversation with Gill Westaway about her stay in the Philippines. I was so relieved! At least I can relate on the subject. I swear I’d faint if I’d asked her about her hobby and then she’d blabber about something so-British which I wouldn’t know anything about!

It sure was a very remarkable experience. Meeting Lord Watson of Richmond is something that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Actually, it made me rekindle my dream of working in the International Arena. Who knows, maybe next time, I’ll be rubbing elbows with Prince William and Tony Blair.

Harry Potter 4

2005-11-23T06:45:00.000+08:00

I watched Harry Potter twice. Ha,ha... The first one was with my classmates. We went to Gateway and after looking probably the longest line that I've seen in my entire life, decided to go to Powerplant instead. We did not have the best seat coz we kinda walked in but the movie was superb so we enjoyed it anyway. We also went to Ateneo Law to get some info as regards the review that they're offering. We saw Atty. Diaz there. Ha,ha :)

My next HP experience was with nel. We watched it at Shangrila Plaza. We saw RS (from nursing) with some guy. he,he *wink*

My comment regarding Harry Potter: I was good but could've been better if the secret of Rita Skeeter was included in the flick plus the kissing scene of Hermione.

I'll write something about my encounter with Lord Watson some other time. I still have to read for torts and damages.

I'm so happy!

2005-11-20T00:20:00.000+08:00

Class just ended and I was so happy about the idea that I'm about to watch Harry Potter with my classmates. I just have to post this one. I finally have bobby's pic! Yay! He's still the superbly cute Bobby that I used to know. *sigh*

missing st. jo...

2005-11-17T13:45:00.000+08:00

Hannah sent me a text message yesterday. I couldn't help but recall my st. jo years. I feel that the dinner that we had last sem was enough to catch up with a lot of things. Oh well...

I have a photo from that dinner at Tapika :0

pretty tiring...

2005-11-16T15:41:00.000+08:00

My day started ok. However, I had a hard time coping up with the demands from people around me... From Ma'am Martinez to Law related matters.

I still don't have the right frame of mind to right something about the romantic aspect of my life. I hope to right something within this week. I'm just so inspired and I feel so special :)

so-so day...

2005-11-12T05:14:00.000+08:00

This such a "so-so" day! Nothing exciting happened/ is happening. But the day is not yet over. Hope our prof in Evidence will not turn out as another Dark Eater. He,he... My last post stirred up a lot of comments. Good thing, no contradiction was raised. I think it was more of adhering to the article. ha,ha... Why? Because it was so damn true! ha,ha...

Went home him nel last night. And oh, we bumped into Dennis Trillo somewhere in Cubao. My reaction?... Bobby's a lot hotter than he is! ha,ha... Hope nel will last for 16 hours. His duty's from 6 am to 10 pm... I feel for him :-(

The "reincarnation" of one of the Death Eaters...

2005-11-11T07:50:00.000+08:00

I just met my prof in one of my subjects and by the way things are going, I think we are off for a hell sem once again! After almost 3 years in law school, I still can't stand the terror that most of the profs offer. It would've been ok to call him an "arrogant bastard" but I think it's politically correct to address him as an "arrogant bitch" since his sexuality is questionable anyway. ha,ha...

He entered and left the room with that smirk that we oh-so-hate! He kept on blabbering on how bad FEU polsci is, that he's the only one who has the right and privelege to be arrogant and act like a jack ass inside the room (well I think he made his point by the end of the class)...blah,blah...

I've heard of this prof from my Sib. When I asked her how many studes did he fail, she answered my by saying that I should be asking how many students did he pass. So it gave me an ultra vivid picture of what is bound to happen for this class.

BUMMER!!!

10 (secret and not so secret) things about me...

2005-11-08T18:15:00.001+08:00

1. I know how to play the guitar.
2. I'm a big fan of Sweet Valley twins (I can name the characters, plot and members of the Unicorn Club :)). I still get to read it once in a while when I feel like slacking off.
3. I love anything with coffee (my law influence).
4. So into this really cute debater during my college years til lately. yay!
5. Once thought of becoming a member of Pink Sisters (a nun?! What was I thinking?!).
6. A consistent Best Actress in school plays when I was in highschool. he,he
7. Was the Corps Commander in CAT.
8. A certified asthmatic and was advised to undergo a hypoallergenic diet for this new allergy that i've developed.
9. Considers my ORADEC pals as my best buds.
10. Hates mind-boggling movies.

sembreak...

2005-11-07T17:22:00.000+08:00

sembreak went like a blur... I spent a week in Dumaguete for the NDC. It was a nice-sad experience. My 1st NDC that I did not break after 2 successive ones. The only saving grace was when we won over the ateneo team who bagged the crown in the last austral-asians debate. Bobby was there looking so gorgeous I almost forgot he's gay. Got him as our adj in one of the match as well as jess and another DCA. Dumaguete was ok. The trip to the mountain resort was the best! My first time to experience fresh water in my feet. We kinda hiked and passed a hanging bridge. Pretty cool!

A day after arriving from Dumaguete, I packed my bags to spend holloween in Pangasinan. We were there for 5 days and it was kinda nice.

Today's the first day of our class. I'm kinda nervous-excited. I tried to calm my nerves a few days before. Nel and I watched "Waiting" an odd movie! Thank god I had good company. My sis celebrated her b-day yesterday. It was one of the best! No other folks around, just the family members. We laughed like mad the entire evening coz of my corny sis :)

few more hours...

2005-10-23T03:56:00.000+08:00

Gosh! In just a few hours, we're off to Dumaguete. I'm going away with a heavy heart coz nel was a little pissed of what I said. It was meant as a joke but he analyzed it differently. Oh well, c'est la vie...

WE WILL ROCK DUMAGUETE!

nervous-excited...

2005-10-20T16:57:00.000+08:00

It's the 20th of October... 2 more days and we'll be flying to Silliman University for the National's debate. Whew! After days of slaving at ate Ans place with equally slavedriving mentors, I think we have a good chance of breaking. Im psyched coz I finally have the chance to go down south and experience "southern culture". Part of me is sad though coz I feel that I will enjoy the trip more if Joeven, Lucky and Ate Ans are coming with us. Oh well, c'est la vie...

Mark and I just finished matterloading. We realized that there's more to be done... Again, c'est la vie...

Will report after the Nationsl's!

time to be merry!

2005-10-17T15:31:00.000+08:00

I just got my grade slip and i'm happy about the result. Whew! After days of sleepless nights. Super thanks to Judge and to our Assoc Dean :). A lot of things happened for the past few days. I got to super hang out with lucks and the rest of the hlousemates at the "big brother house", patched things up with joeven and ate ans re: NDC, had a sleepover at my teammates pad(mark), JDNRC was over, Nel went to our place yesterday to chill out, and now I'm just waiting for my COR. WHOA! Talk about hectic sched... I'm matterloading for the NDC. My spirit's soo high, I feel like I can fight all the odds in life! ha,ha...

consuming...

2005-10-11T10:01:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, I accompanied Lucks and Joeven to have a "talk". It was pretty emotional and stressful at the same time.

Sunday, I attended 2 masses. One at Stella (with mom and sis) and the other one at Edsa Shrine with nel. I made a blunder prior to our meeting but it turned out ok so I guess, there's nothing to worry about. We watched 40 year old virgin. It was so darn hilarious! ha,ha... Way naughty for a conventional Filipino but for me, it was so cool! We ate after watching the flick. I did not finish my Pizza Pie (sbarro). I made him finish it. Ha,ha... I saw an old pal from St. Jo (Everlie). Went home with a twinge feeling of guilt. Nel was supposed to study for his revalida. bad...

This day did not go the way I wanted. JDNRC's pretty consuming. Joeven left with a bummer news. I still refuse to believe it (denial). Life is so unfair... I feel like everbody's leaving me behind... I feel so alone. I already aired this issue to ate ans but it's like a vicious cycle. I don't wanna tell her coz I know that she also have a concern of her own. I'll talk to Lucks tomorrow just to ease my frustration. I went home with a heavy heart and a tired body. UNCOOL

UAAP

2005-10-07T05:41:00.000+08:00

I'm still waiting for Lucky. We will watch the game together and I'm prettry psyched to be with the FEUCSO guys... I hope things between Lucks and Joeven will turn out fine. Hay... I miss the old times. I miss hanging out with Joeven and Lucks. Right now, it's more of myself and Joeven. Not that I'm not enjoying it. Actually, I always have a blast! I just miss our usual potshots. :)

it's over!

2005-10-06T14:37:00.000+08:00

Wow! I just can't believe that 1st sem's over... I did not feel it maybe because of barops... I'm just happy that I finally have the time to do some ORADEC and personal stuffs*wink*.

I had the chance to spend an Oktoberfest with my law buddies last night coz Nel went home early. It was a night to remember. Singing our heatrs out while watching them devouring the foods and drinking beers proved that law students rock! By the way, we saw THE atty. Sandoval.

This is a good day. Tiring but fun. And revealing, if I may add.
I spent the whole day at the IAS sec. We had a meeting and Ma'am Zen made it clear that we are accountable for the JDNRC. I gave Joeven and Jan some brownies. I don't know why. Maybe because of the fact that if I will give brownies to both of them, it'll serve as a connection... Pretty weird (i know). Joeven and I had a talk while proctoring. We continued the "talk" over dinner. He dropped me off somewhere near Lucky's place after accompanying him in the supermarket. I finally had the chance to visit Lucky's place. It's cute. Cool place... Cool housemates. *wink*
Nel and I went home together... I asked him about what he said the other day... It's more of a confirmation (actually). He said all the things that he txted were true. I blushed. It'snice to know that somebody really cares :)
I can't wait to watch the UAAP game of FEU vs. La Salle tomorrow. Jamela offered a slogan and I find it really cool. "DLSU new course offered: ANGER MANAGEMENT" ha,ha...