I'm on this creative streak, so I'm in the middle of layouting this UPDS issue primer on the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity, but I needed images for it. So I typed "MILF" on my best friend, Google Images.

But I totally forgot that "MILF" also stands for "Mom I'd Like To Fuck." So, instead of rebel soldiers and the war in Mindanao, I got pictures of middle-aged American women in nothing but small aprons and kinky rubber gloves.

*

I just came back from Singapore yesterday and I loved it there! I'm sorry, colonial mentality na kung colonial mentality, pero shet, ang ganda doon. The urban planning was so neat and symmetrical and so logical. People walked or commuted instead of drove because there were actual sidewalks and their trains were extensive and drivers actually followed the traffic rules. And my favorite (and most shallow reason) is the fact that the difference isn't so jarring because, well, everybody's still Asian.

Pero, stress, Singapore is just too expensive for my grepaness. I remember walking down Orchard Road where we were staying and we passed by a mall named Isetan. But no, the shops there were Salvatore Ferregamo and Prada. Nainsulto ang Isetann ng Cubao.

Whoever says that English is the universal language should have seen me and my family trying to survive Eastern Europe. Sabi nga ni Bob Ong, kapag nagsalita ka ng German, parang halos lumabag ka ng karapatang pantao.

Now, I think I've picked up a few handy words while traveling. Strangely enough, I measure my newfound multilingual vocabulary through my translations of the word "exit," well, because getting lost and trapped in a foreign country = not much fun.

So, off the top of my head:
"Ausgang" in German
"Uscita" in Italian
"Sortie" in French
"Salida" in Spanish

But in Polish, it's "wyjscie."

I mean, seriously, a word of such utter importance should not be allowed to have five consecutive consonants.

I also picked up other words that are just as crucial to any girl's trip abroad: "slezky" means sale. (Obviously, my dad wasn't very happy when my sisters and I worked out this translation.)

And "mycia twarzy" is, er, foaming facial wash. Or so I hope. I forgot to bring mine so we had to raid their drug stores and couldn't understand the labels on anything. "Mycia twarzy" had better be facial wash because if it's not, well, I don't know what I've been using on my face these past three weeks.

Oh, and I also learned a good deal of German, like, "guten morgen" means good morning, "fruhstuck" means breakfast and "huhnchen" means chicken. Methinks that's a brilliant piece of street-smartness because if ever I got stranded in Germany, it means I could at least order fried chicken for breakfast. Politely.

On a really non-related note, Polish McDonalds is made of so much win. I ordered a Happy Meal (because the box was decorated with football players, not because of the free toy, promise) and they gave away apples along with the free Pucca stamps. Amazing.

So, while you're clogging your arteries with chicken nuggets, french fries and that Coke you really shouldn't have supersized, you really shouldn't feel guilty because you're getting a good ol' dose of Vitamin A anyway.

So, it's internship season. At the risk of sounding like an old fuddy-duddy, work is killing me.

JM and I are working for the Inquirer this summer, covering the Quezon City police beat with an assigned reporter.

The police beat has been... intersting. In my very first day of work, the Quezon City Police District had just finished a raid on a couple of bars and night clubs. So when we got to Camp Karingal, there were 50 or so girls my age rescued from their work as entertainers and sex toys laid out on the table. Woot, culture shock much?

Anyway, after a bajillion tries, I finally got published a couple of days ago and then once again yesterday, with JM. Not surprisingly, we were published after we covered incidents related to celebrities.

Years from now, I will look back and remember that my career as a journalist formally started when Nino Muhlach hit a taxi along the intersection of Panay Avenue and Dr. Garcia Avenue.

And my publication spree continued, when I wrote about Tito Sotto's house getting burglarized. JM also got off the mark when he made a write-up of Mickey Ferriols' parents getting into a fight after a traffic altercation.

Sigh. So many celebrity mishaps, so little time. On my way to journalism superstardom.

But, the problem is, the police beat is only around eight hours a day and that's not enough if we want to complete our 150 hours by the May 14 deadline. After fixing our schedule with Mr. Yambot, we managed to get a second assignment with Inquirer Research.

So, in the first half of the day, we're running around Quezon City police stations and right after we email our stories, we commute all the way to Makati to help out in the office.

Effectively, we're working from 9 AM to 9 PM. 12-hour shifts. I must be breaking a labor law or something.

But it's all worth it because that means I can go on vacation without worrying if I can complete my Journalism 198 requirements.


April 19 to May 7.

Hi, Eastern Europe. I know nothing about you other than, er, Hungarian sausages, the Holocaust and men with gorgeous cheekbones.

Although I am hoping I can get a Martin Skrtel jersey in Slovakia, catch a Bundesliga game in Germany and see the Euro 2008 preparations in Austria. --Obviously, I learn geography through football.

My brother recently discovered BitTorrent, and since he's a lucky fucker and Ateneo let classes out as early as Feb 28, he's been doing nothing but download movies all vacation long.

And the films he's watching aren't even trashy teenage movies (which I totally prefer--hello, I loved Step Up 2). This morning, he was watching The Bicycle Thief. I hadn't even heard of that movie until we discussed it for Italian Neo-Realism in Film 100.

...How depressing is it that my 16 year-old brother has more culture than me?

My brain is so sabaw from finals week. I was half-asleep when I went down to the kitchen last night to get a glass of water, and I didn't bother to switch on the lightsended up walking right smack into the refrigerator.

Apparently, my mother had this brilliant idea to buy a new ref and reorganize the kitchen around it. It was so jarring, I couldn't even find the water dispenser. So, I gave up and went to bed thirsty. :(

Oh oh oh. And! I was so sabaw when my dad called up the other night. He's in Sydney for a business trip and he was making kwento about his meetings, chever chever. And then I suddenly asked, "So, have you seen any kangaroos?" My dad paused and he was like, "Uh, not in the city, darling." *facepalm*

Then, he was asking me what I was up to since both my parents weren't home. I made a joke that I was holding a really wild party while they were gone. And then he just laughed this kind of patronizing oh-my-poor-daughter-has-imaginary-friends laugh because he was sure I wasn't cool enough to do that. I mean, hello, I've been locked up at home studying.

So, my dad thinks I'm retarded and pathetic. I fail.

Last month, my mother was looking around for some form of physical activity or exercise, but there weren't any proper gyms near our house or their schedules couldn't accommodate hers.

So, she hires someone to teach aerodance and tae-bo to our subdivision's new fitness group. She's a Newpsie like that.

Needless to say, I will be dragged along to aerodance and tae-bo every MWF (or, at least, Mondays and Wednesdays because Friday is Execom day).

Today was the first session and I feel like jell-o. I have discovered that I am uncoordinated and extremely unfit.

---

OMFG. Jack's Mannequin is the front act for Fall Out Boy's concert in Manila on September 21.

Putangina. I am so watching.

*cough*

I'm sick

Of course, I'm sick on one of the busiest weeks. Thank god the typhoon's been suspending classes left and right.

It was the shooting for Square Off: The Philippine Debating Championship yesterday, with UP Diliman vs. MSU-Marawi. Thanks to everyone who watched! I swear, the most unexpected people went all showbiz and text-voted like Alvin. And Biboy. Nakakatouch, haha.

Thanks to Jei, Kath, Jess, Monic and Miya who went all the way to be all stage-mothery and become part of the studio audience. Unsurprisingly, I kept seeing Monic and Jei poking their heads from behind Twink Macaraeg to get some camera time.

Also, Mels, my wunnerful partner. We owe our victory to the music of Shakira, Hips Don't Lie (World Cup 2006 version). Swear. Parang, after listening to it, you just want to run around and win something.

Going to ABS-CBN was ultimate Mass Comm Heaven. Ang fangirl namin ni Jess H. kasi we were giggling whenever we saw lights, cameras, radio booths and all. Ay nako. Mag-shift na tayong lahat to Broad Comm. Or at least, let's all take BJ 101 next semeseter *snicker*.

Oh, and ever since the show, my parents have gotten all weird. Like, they're actually supportive or something. They actually want to involve themselves in debate! My mom was discussing over breakfast about how we should fix our cases and speaking positions, giving advice and asking when our next match was.

I just caught the replay of the show and turned off the TV halfway through. I didn't know I said "ladies and gentlemen" that many times. IamsogrossIwanttodie.

---

WOOT. It's beginning to rain again. I hope there won't be classes tomorrow. Killer Advertising midterms. o.0

No, I haven't read Harry Potter 7 yet. I want to get the British version first, just like our past six books. Hahaha. Picky?

On another note, my family and I ate in Serendra yesterday--I dunno why they insist on eating there, there aren't any good restaurants--and we visited Fully Booked in Bonifacio High Street.

It's super pretty. It's got four floors of everything, with clean, sleek lines and white panels that make the colors of book covers pop right out. It's got Starbucks. It's open 'til midnight. I absolutely ♥ it. I wanna marry it and have little bookworm babies with it.

---

It took me a while to appreciate him, but I'm totally loving Sufjan Stevens now.

My parents are such Luddites, I swear. I don't know how many times my mother has called me at school to ask how she'll attach files to her emails. My dad constantly makes me fix his iTunes, even if I keep telling him he just has to pop in the CD and it'll load the songs automatically. It's SO annoying, but I keep telling myself I must be patient. Parents don't buy new laptops for bad daughters.

Anyway, tonight was just the last straw. My dad asked me if he could transfer files from his old laptop (which I sometimes use) to his new one. I told him it was okay. I'm pretty sure my dad's heard of a USB before, so I have no idea what made him pick a crusty old diskette from godknowswhere and use it to transfer his miles. Therefore, hello, virus. And yes, he didn't COPY the files to the goddamned diskette. He cut-and-pasted. Therefore, hello, corrupted, unopenable files with no back-up copy.

Potangehna. Now he's all mad at me. He said, "If you can't take care of your own things, you don't deserve new ones." ERMENGAAAAAAAAAARDDDDDDDDEEEEEEEE! Potangehna talaga. I could've easily pointed out that it was his fault, but that would only embarrass him. That wouldn't be good for me. So, yes, I just tuned him out. But still. WUUH. Goodbye, new laptop.

I can't wait until I have my driver's license and getaway car.

Hola everyone!

I totally have to rush since Internet usage in here is ridiculously expensive. Two fucking euros for 15 minutes. Wafaz diba.

I´m terribly freezing here. The first town we visited in our tour, Toledo, was 4ºC! As in, hello pneumonia. Enpordat, kapag 12º or so nalang in other towns in Spain and Portugal, chever. Kayang-kaya na namin.

Ermengaaarde, we visited Morocco a few days back. I can now say I have been to Africa! It´s only a 50-minute ferry ride away from South Spain. Isa lamang ang masasabi ko sa Morocco: grepa siya. As in, mega grepa friends. We had a walking tour through their public market, at test of survival siya. I hated it. There were like, live chickens and everything. Tanginaaaaa. It´s like Quiapo on a horrible day. Only ten times worse. Imagine, 92 euros para dalin ka sa palengke. The only redeeming part of the Moroccan excursion was the dinner. We had a typical Moroccan meal with vegetable soup, kebabs, couscous and mint tea. They even had this belly dancer and a fire eater. It was great. Still not worth the 92 euros we had to pay for. Waz.

Holy Week was a bit excruciating. Imagine going to the Easter Vigil on a freezing night, on an even more freezing marble cathedral, listening to SEVEN readings in a language you don´t understand. Potangehnaaaaaaaaa.

But other than those things, I´m fine here. Hahaha. Freezing but fine. They serve beer in Burger King, would you believe? It´s an alcoholic´s dream *cough Tet cough*.

See you all in a few days!

The perfect end to a stressful year: a trip to Spain and Portugal.

See you all in a week and a half!

I am so screwed.

Anyway, I've got a pick-me-upper right here.

Celeni, Jei, Nicolo and I went to Delgado Hospital to visit the new parents, Mark and Sharine. Naka-scoop ako!



Ladies and gentlemen, the first blogged picture of Magnus Yuri Lim aka Boy Lim.

And of course, we also have a prize video here from today's hospital visit.



Jei and cK's fun with the wheelchair and the wunnerful hospital ramp. :P

After years of waiting, I finally got the new iPod Nano for myself.

Ermengaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrde. ♥

I brought the Debsoc boys (Joe, Jonjon, Yang, Blonde and Alvin) to STC today. Apparently, it wasn't such a good idea. I keep underestimating how deprived Theresians are with regards to interactions with the opposite sex. But worse, almost all of the students had after-school practices today for some songfest. So, not only did we have desperate girls continually peeking in the debate rooms, we had MANY desperate girls peeking in the debate rooms. Ika nga ni Joe, "I feel so violated."

And can I just say, institutionalized ang pag-isolate ng Theresians from the opposite sex. The guard initially wouldn't let the guys in. Then one of the moderators, Mrs. Sacdalan, saw the guys standing in the hallway and she got mad at them. She made them stay inside the room! WAFAZ. All to keep the purity of 'em Catholic girls.

Winner quote of the day goes to Blondie: "Omigod, look at that girl! She looks like a guy!"

---

Guess who we saw today at McDonald's Katipunan "Katep"? Carlo Cab! Complete with longish hair.

Welcome back. :)

---

What happens when you have a workaholic dad with workaholic employees who all need coffee to do their work?

You have a very happy daughter with the new Starbucks planner.

Aw yeah, foh-yeh! :D



...Oh, and I also have a wasted sticker card with 16 stickers on it. :P

So, the debut's over. Thank goodness. It was so stressful planning everything! The dress, the program, the flowers, the food... I was so nervous about the possiblity of having everything fuck up on the night itself. Thank god, it didn't. The debut went pretty well. Actually, the debut was pretty fucking awesome. :P



Awyeah, pictures are here! Well, at least some of them. There are three CDs worth of pictures, and I can't resize 'em all and upload them online. I'm not that vain. So I just chose a few that I liked and I'll put them on my Multiply soon enough. :}

( Meanwhile, here's a little teaser. )

In all fairness naman. My family and relatives said they all had fun because of the crowd. So congratulations, people, ang ganda ng feedback sa inyo!

Mark: I like your friends. Hindi ko na kailangan magpanggap na sosyal ang usapan.

Dad: Your friends are so articulate and well-versed.
Joyce: Oo nga, hindi sila yung masakit sa ulo pakinggan.

Felise: My god, your friends are so perky!

---

Hindi pa rin ako enrolled until now! Waz. MSTs talaga ang sablay eh. Cross your fingers for me, I hope I get prerogged into STS.

Socio 197 looks pretty interesting, yet suicidal sa workload. At since kalahati ng class ay Debsoc, competitive ito. Sabi nga ni Diana Dy kanina when she entered class and saw all of us, "This is gonna be fun [evil laugh]."

I can't believe my parental units.

1. In Los Banos, I called them up to tell them how I was doing. I would regularly update them about where I was and all, para good shot. I wanted to make them realize that I could go out of town and not go home pregnant or whatever. But no, walang bearing sa kanila iyon. They wanted me to get home as soon as possible. Never mind na nag-break ako or whatever. You'd think after 5 years of debating, they'd realize what breaking meant, especially what breaking second meant to me. They didn't care that I qualified for finals, or that I wanted to go to the championship dinner. They wanted me to cut it short as soon as I got eliminated so I could go home.

2. Today, I told them I would get home late because of my shooting and training. My mom said it was alright because Dudung was still with Ate Connie in the grocery. Siyempre, kung maaga ako matatapos, I'm not gonna hang around UP all alone waiting for them. Sumama ako sa Ababu. But no, nagalit siya na ang late ko daw umuwi.

Mom: Anung oras na? Bakit ngayon ka lang?
Claire: Tinext kaya kita na late ako uuwi.
Mom: Didn't you say you'd be in UP?
Claire: Kamusta naman, I couldn't wait for Dudung all by myself in UP. Kumain na lang ako.
Mom: Bakit? Bakit hindi ka nalang nagpasundo?
Claire: Kasi nasa grocery siya??
Mom: Ganiyan ka naman lagi eh. Maybe you just have too much money. Maybe I shouldn't give you allowance anymore.

Pakingshet. Isang malaking ERMENGARDE. Enpordat, I'm calling her PU-F (Parental Unit-Female) again.

My gods, get me out of this house!

I wish I had more time. I have to read 6 readings for tomorrow: Lords of the Press and New Lords of the Press, both by Shiela Coronel, for Journ 101; Sexism and Language, The Great Person-Hole Cover Debate, Words and Change, for Pan Pil 17; and The Apology by Plato for Philo 10. What does it matter that they’re all pretty interesting articles, it’s not like I can get to read all of them by tomorrow. Boo.

I’m reaping the perks of being a Mass Comm student. I went along with my blockmates today to watch Il Mare in the Audio-Visual Library’s viewing room. It was just a small place, good for 5 people at most. It was like a barkada movie outing, and you just so happen to have an extensive library of good titles to back it up. I almost forgot it was for class.

Il Mare was really good. The Lake House and Moments of Love (?) were adaptations of this Korean movie, but the original, obviously, was still the best version. I’m not taking Film 100 yet, so I don’t wanna toss out terms and critique, and pretend to know what I’m talking about. All I can say is that the camerawork was great. I even appreciated the slow, relaxed, pace of the movie, and the quiet feel about it. The plot was, well, after you swallow the Magic Mailbox premise, keri na siya. And yes, it’s such a sappy, kilig movie, we were screaming and hooting in the viewing room. Good thing the place was soundproof.

I really hate it when people assume that just because I’m a debater, whenever I recite, it’s because I want to contradict the teacher/student, or pick a fight. That’s why it’s doubly hilarious for me when I see my classmates get all riled up because of a simple, trivial question posed by the teacher. In Comm 100, Ma’am Jazmines simply asked if a Coldplay concert counted as interpersonal or mass communication. We had a classmate na mega defend ng sagot niya, nang-bubully pa siya ng mga tao who believed otherwise. As in, with matching nanlalaking mata ito at interrupting others who were reciting ha. After everything, nalaman niyang mali pala ang sagot niya.

Dad broke a pitcher and a glass by accident last night. I don’t know how anyone can even break a glass and a pitcher at the same time, but he did. Grabe, reaching new levels of klutziness. It was so funny, cos the maids were wondering why the pitcher was missing, at ang una pa nilang inaccuse ay kami ni Rob. But no, ang tatay pala. We can’t stop laughing about it. Rob even acts it out on slow motion. Now, dad doesn’t wanna take me and Rob to watch Superman Returns anymore on Saturday. Boo. :P

Mrs. R took me out to dinner yesterday after STC training. Infernez talaga. At first it was so weird riding in your teacher’s car, getting treated to dinner and being told tons of stories by your old moderator. But we’re really good friends, and it was one of the most de-stressing night-outs I have as of late. It really anchors me back to how I was before all the chorvaness of college, before I even knew of the word chorvaness. Nakaka-miss na talaga. Hm. *sigh*

It's Monday again tomorrow, and I'm still stuck in my Summer Mode. Dangerous. Especially since my classes end so early, after 1 PM, I'm all, "What just happened?"

I finally got around to reading the What is Art? chapter for Hum 2. I can't believe this, I'm drowning in readings! It's so expensive! My Pan Pil 17 readings alone cost me P250ish, with binding. The titles are o.0. But the interesting type of scary. :P Eliserio's requiring us to bring the whole thing every meeting, para daw kahit hindi kami magbasa, at least nahirapan kami mag-buhat. Matalino. :}

Rob got this new PS2 game: FIFA World Cup 2006. It's so cool, cos strangely enough, I'm really good at it. No shit, promise talaga! Even I was surprised! And Rob's so frustrated, I beat him 6-1, Germany-Brazil. Hohoho. Ang nasabi na lang niya as I scored yet again ay, "Come on! I'm supposed to be better!"

I got myself a new layout. I got fascinated by it cos it reminded me of ( that awesome Josie and the Pussycats song )

The UPDS Alumni Send-Off was fun and hot--not in a good way. Wuuh, I shall miss you all! :{ Hindi na kayo magpapakita. Lalo na yung isa diyan *cough cough* na nang-ditch sa'kin. Now I don't have anyone to watch The Lake House with. :P

So far, I haven't been late for four straight days. Ang galing ko, mehn. Well, technically, I was late in some, but hey, the prof was later, so it doesn't count. I'm running a bet with myself. I wonder, how long will I be able to keep up my punctuality? Hmm. I'm giving myself five more days.

So far, I'm ♥ing all my classes. Journ 101 is the best, and Prof. Jazmines is hilarious in Comm 100! We haven't been doing anything in Pol Sci 14 yet, except reading aloud the class rules. But so many people tell me Prof. Pilapil is good, so I'm hoping things get better there. Philo 10 under Prof. Lumagbas is great, I love her reading list. I hope our class votes for The Human Condition instead of The Republic. Pan Pil 17's good, Prof. Eliserio's funny. His reading list looks interesting too. The only subject I dunno about yet is Hum 2. I wonder if I should take the very low CRS demand as a sign.

I really really really wanna have a good semester.

Anyway, guess what I was able to salvage before our PC crashed a few weeks ago?

Our US summer vacation pics!



( Turista Mode )

---

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

You rock. No one else can zap 'em aliens and defeat the evil Zurg like you can! ♥

What little summer vacation I had is going to end in about a week. I can’t go to the Baguio trip Jonats organized, so I’m really just left with staying at home relishing my rest days. It’s been very refreshing, actually. It’s pretty dorky-sounding but I finally got time to actually hanging with the family. Mom’s opening a new branch of Cambridge in Banawe. Rob and I are helping her out fix the toys and school supplies. Rob’s also got me addicted to the PS2 too, especially with his game, Guitar Hero. I love their songs! Although, ang sakit na ng daliri ko sa kaka-grip ng controller, and punching buttons like crazy.

I finally got Dea’s invitation to her debut on June 10. It’s making me miss IV-4 and STC so terribly. I miss going to the crazy enrollment of STC, lining up in the sweltering classrooms for every book you need to buy. I miss buying the STC uniform: buying your blouse (go one size smaller, para medyo fitted) and skirts (go one size larger, para mahaba). I miss cutting up my neckties into makeshift pen holders and/or wallets. I miss the smell of new books and notebooks, plus the sight of the huge plastic bag containing a complete set of school supplies for the next year. I can go on and on. I swear, it’s love.

And then on the first day, there’s a new TSC, a new classroom, but the same old bunch of people, in the same old STC lifestyle. And that’s not a bad thing. I mean, as much as I love how UP’s so vast and free, and how you’re given the chance to do things your way, I also miss the structure of STC. I’ve been so slack in UP. Too slack.

Oh well. Snap back to reality. CRS has been kind to me this second run. I got Prof. Pilapil for Pol Sci 14 and I also got an AH GE, Hum 2. I dunno what it’s about, but hey, I was desperate to just complete my units and my requirements. It was the only thing that 1. fit into my sched, 2. had leftover slots, and 3. seemed a bit interesting. So, congratulations, Claire! You’ve got 15 units, enough for the required load. *throws confetti* Now, PE and my MST will just have to be enlisted manually. Can you say ugh?

Last thing—I haven’t LJ-ed about this since AUDC was so busy and my PC conked out after, but major boo: the Spurs got eliminated by the Mavs! WUUUH. But anyway, I’m over it. The East Conference Finals is a bit boring, I don’t really like Miami that much. But in the West, I’m torn between the Suns and the Mavs. But I’m leaning more towards Nowitzki. I mean, they did eliminate my team. Added value though: at least, if they become champions, it makes the Spurs’ elimination not that bad.