My Hands are Shaky and I'm Palpitating...

It’s not about drinking endless cups of coffee… not even because I haven’t eaten. It’s not Starbucks’ “polar” temperature. It’s because the most important part of this semester’s about to unfold. The “make or break” period of this whole game that we are in, “The Final Exams“.

Once again, we are in a very crucial moment. I, myself, can feel how this could result to a change in my future. I don’t want to leave because if there’s one thing that I found in the law school, it’s my friendship with really special people… my block, 1-C.

Don’t get me wrong, every single person in my block is different from the other, we don’t have the same views about things, we don’t have the same level of patience, but we agree on the fact that WE ARE A BLOCK and WE ARE HERE TO AT LEAST HELP EACH OTHER WITH THE THINGS THAT MATTER. Yes, we are united. We agree to disagree and we all want to graduate together. My block has been through a lot and we never forget to at least reward ourselves, to have fun ONCE in A WHILE. But when we party, we ROCK!

I am writing this because I feel like this is the best time to add to the PEP TALK that we got from our adviser, Atty. Maita Chan-Gonzaga. We often converse about how difficult it was for us during our first semester, how at times we doubt if our professors see how dedicated we are to excel in the law school. There may be times when we feel like we are just gonna let things be and stop… but we never did stop. We never got tired of learning, and yes, we persevere to be the best that we can be. We are so happy that we at least are being recognized for the effort that we are exerting. We do not aspire to be at the top of everyone else, we just aspire to know and learn as much as we can in this journey. We all are in this together.

I am proud to be a part of a block with a heart. I am proud that I am a part of a group that knows how to settle their own differences and knows how to achieve things NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER PEOPLE. I am sure that this block would like to, first and foremost, thank the best beadle that any block could ever hope for, Patty-kins Libo-on. She endured a whole year of leading us and of taking care of things that at times we should be taking care of. Patty, we know that you felt harassed, tired and well, irritated at times but we thank you for not stopping and for giving importance to the position that we entrusted you. To Lea Abutan, who painstakingly accepted the job of collecting money from the most “kuripot” people, thank you.

This is the end of one School Year, our first School Year together. I am looking forward to three more school years with all of you. I continue to study because I don’t want to part with such incredibly inspiring individuals.

FINALS na 1-C… gaya ng lagi nating sinasabi… “Di tayo aral!” Pero we will deliver at di natin bibiguin si Ma’am Maita. Tama nga, “Di tayo ARAL…” kasi NAG-AARAL PARIN TAYO. Life is a continuous opportunity to learn more and be better persons.

ARAL NA!

Ano ka ngayon?

Feelingera ka kasi. Akala mo pag natatapos ang mga chuvaness mo with guys, di sila nakakamove on. Akala mo pag nalalagay sila ng mga "parinig" messages sa Friendster, paraan lang nila un para pagselosin ka. Di mo napigilan tignan ang profile nya, at syempre supalpal ka. In a Relationship ang status at nagkalat ang mga pictures nya at ng bagong babae sa buhay nya. Kunwari ka pang natatawa. Aminin mo, lagi ka nahihirapan tanggapin na masaya sya. Nagawa nya maging masaya pagkatapos ng lahat.

Feelingera ka kasi. Akala mo ikaw ang source of joy ng lahat ng tao. Pero sino ang "Single" sa Friendster? Diba ikaw? Gusto ko lang ipaalala, ikaw ang nag-umarte kaya di naging kayo. Kaya tumigil ka na.

GANITO ANG NANGYAYARI...

KAPAG MALAPIT NA ANG FINALS!

Setting: Starbucks Loft, nag-aaral kami ng masinsinan... tahimik na tahimik, hanggang mararamdaman na naming it's time for a BREAK. Dito nagsisimula ang paglabas ng aming frustration...

Round One:
Ces: Guys knock knock.
Ana: Ha?
Ces: Knock knock.
Ana: Ok.
Euns: Ana, who's there! who's there ang dapat mo sabihin. [na-frustrate? hehe]
Ana: Who's there?
Ces: Seesaw.
ana: Seesaw who?
Ces: SEESAW Lucky... [Britney Song] Knock knock ulit.
Euns: Who's there?
Ces: Sisa.
Euns: Sisa who?
Ces: SISA star.... [Britney Song]
(Genuine na pagtawa ang naging kasunod)

Round Two:
Ces: Meron pa... meron ako alam na magandang lyric booboo... (*sings Power of two) So we're ok, OK FINE...
Ana: Ang bakla.
(Genuine Laughter ulit)

Round Three:
Ces (parin): Un friend ko one time narinig ko sya kumakanta ng (*starts singing again...) "Someday wo-oh.. if love can move a mountain." [Someday we'll know]
(TAWA NG MALAKAS LAHAT)
Euns: Seryoso ba sya nun?
Ces: Oo seryoso sya.
(TAHIMIK)
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So much for ending my Oblicon sem right... had a REALLY SUCKY RECIT. Hinawahan ko pa si Kay at Pepay. Asar. Pero keri lang, dahil Deo won, nilibre nya kami ng Pizza. Woohoo! Calories.

Si Ralph baduy, nakikiupo tapos di nanlilibre. Sayang ang boto namin. Harhar. Dapat lang na agaran kaming umuwi nun dumating ka na dahil ni isang Ham n' Cheese Croissant ay wala ka naibigay. =P

Kamusta naman si Tecson? After downing two bottles of beer, he's sooo effin' red. Di pede i-conceal ang pagiging alcoholic in the future. =P

Di pa pala tapos ang mga nakakatawang bagay...

Habang nagkukuwentuhan kami at kumakain ng Nova at SkyFlakes na dinekwat ni Ana sa car ni Shem ay may nag-emerge na lalaking nakatayo lang sa tabi ni Ana. Kaming dalawa ni Ces ay natigilan, nagkatinginan at tintry ang lahat para di tumawa. But to no avail. Kung nakita nyo sya, ang weird. Akala namin kakilala sya ni Ana o kaya hihingi sya ng Nova samin. Hehe.

When we finally decided to go home, sa sobrang lamig sa Starbs, si Ana parang di na gumagalaw. Haha. Ano ang test of true friendship? Ang pagco-convoy para magpa-gas. Un isang car sa Shell at isa sa Caltex, therefore, convoy. Ang labo.

Leg Writ presentation tomorrow. Haay.

Tapos one week na lang before the Finals. Kamusta naman?

Ateneo School of Law Student Council Election Results

Congratulations to the winners of the recently held Ateneo School of Law Student Council Election...

President: Nad
External VP: Vena
Internal VP: Ralph
Sec Gen: Ona
Treasurer: Jess
Sophomore Batch Rep: DEO!!!
[1-C is so proud of you...]

(im sorry, i dont know who the new junior and senior batch reps are)

May you guys continue to show your passion for being of service to the studentry.

To those who didn't make it, I hope you'll continue to be visible. After all, we're all members of this Ateneo Law family. [naks, inspirational ang drama!]

Araw Ko Ngayon.

Panalo ka JV. Perfect attendance sa question and answer portion ng LAHAT ng mga FORA that we attended. Pero sa lahat-lahat ng mga ginawa mo, ngayong gabi lang kita di mapapatawad. Ito ay dahil sa iyong pagquo-quote sa akin. Sabagay, panalo nga naman.

The Forum Title was... "Where are we going?" [or something to that effect] and my question was, "How do we get there?". Come to think of it, that was a very valid question. Yeah, and witty too.

Our Leg Writ presentation's something to look forward to. The cast's soooo talented and well, eager. SHem's so excited for her Coming Out Party that she paid for our KFC dinner during rehearsals. Thanks to Chris for letting us hangout at your condo at sa chips and softdrinks[sosyal! konti na lang tatalon na ko sa pool!] and well, thanks to my whole group for being soooooo creative. Astig kayong lahat.

Ana, mali ka talaga sa ginawa mo sa Lib. Salamat sayo, inaakala na ng buong 1-C na ako'y nabighani sa kanya. Kasalanan mo ito Carmi. Ngayon, paano ko ipapaliwanag na pinagtripan nyo lang ako at talagang walang katotohanan sa mga bali-balita? Di ko na sya makausap sa sobrang pagkapraning. Si Lew, pinagdiinan pa ito sa akin habang nakatambay kami sa Ateneo Steps. Si Mel, may nabuong theory na kaya ako nagpapagabi sa Starbs ay dahil sa kanya. At higit sa lahat, please guys, tuksuhin nyo naman ako sa totoong tintitibok ng aking puso. Argh. Guys, maawa kayo sakin.

Kamusta naman un Tecson vs. COMELEC case?! Maikli lang un "main opinion" but noooo, lahat ng justices may "Separate Opinion" na mejo halos pare-pareho lang ang sinasabi? Pero, congrats sakin. At least, natapos ko sya tonight. Productive parin.

Miting De Avance

I went to the Miting De Avance this afternoon but I only got to stay for an hour. At least I was able to hear what almost all the candidates have to say except for Nad. I guess at this point, I am pretty sure who I want to vote. Although I feel obliged to still have room for possible changes of heart, i pretty much have made up my mind.

I must admit that the Meeting De Avance was a very big part of my making certain decisions. I feel disappointed that some of the people whom I think could convince me to vote for 'em more, didnt actually convince me. Kulang. I agree with "being a public speaker isnt synonymous to being a good public servant" but I agree with Jess Lopez when he said that "good communication skills play an essential role in being able to realize their goals." Basta.

My attention was caught by the fact that there was a candidate who had to resort to the fallacy of attacking the person. Gaya nga ng sinabi ni Shem while we were discussing the elections last night, YOu cannot win by exploiting the weaknesses of your oponent but instead, you must be able to show your own strength. Kasi, e ano ngayon kung mahina un kalaban kung wala ka naman pinapakita para makumbinsi ang mga tao na ikaw ang malakas?

VOTE WISELY. VOTE FOR A "JUST" REASON.

JUST BECAUSE.

On the Ateneo School of Law Student Council Elections

Yes, we have to vote on platforms. Yes, we must think before we vote. Yes, sometimes, even if we know what we should do, we vote for people JUST BECAUSE. That sucks.

Yes, we are taking it seriously. Well, at least I am taking it seriously. Yes, I think the Student Council is a vital part of a student's life in the law school. Yes, sometimes we all dream of an efficient council only to be disappointed by their inability to deliver.

But I still am voting. I refuse to waive my right to having a say on who should represent me. They say they want to be of service, and I won't say no to an offer which only demands of my approval.

I dont know what's going on through the candidates' minds, but if there's one thing i'm sure of, they want to win. When I go to the Meeting de Avance tomorrow, I will look for that PASSION that only someone who wants it sooo badly can exhibit. I don't want them to be funny but I want them to be fun. I might vote for them "just because" but I will make sure that "MY JUST BECAUSE" will justify my decision.
----------------

the election is on Thursday, March 16.

Summer Na.

Summer na.

Putangina.

Ang init ang lagkit,

gusto ko maghubad, bakit?!

Gusto ko magswimming.

Pero ako'y tabachingching.

I'm so proud of myself. I finished reading 24 cases tonight for Oblicon. T'was a productive night! Ang swerte ko talaga, it turned out that my Oblicon and Logic prof both couldn't make it to class today. Oh well.

Then it hit me, it's been a freakin' year ago when I was excited to go to law school. T'was around this time that I found out I'm going to Ateneo Law. It's been a year. I still am excited to be a lawyer but am I excited enough to survive all these things?

Nga pala, I had to correct the misinformation that I wrote a few weeks ago. Anton, my law school ka-love team during OrSem, isn't quitting. He's gonna teach in Ateneo this summer but he won't leave the law school. (Nakahinga ng malalim) Sorry Anton. Ayan, maayos na ang lahat. hehe.

I just found out that one of my fave professors in UP actually has a blog. Mr. Wendell Capili was my Creative Writing 100 prof and he's been in Aussie for (i think) three years now. It's always heartwarming to know that he remembers me. I will never forget his being very accommodating when I hesitantly tried to ask him if he could write a recommendation letter for me. I was gonna use it for an internship I was applying for. T'was through text that i asked him, and he immediately told me to get it from him the next day. Sobrang thankful ako. He really inspired me to continue aiming for my dreams. I will never forget him.Especially when he told me that he sees in my aura that i'm gonna be a celebrity someday. Yehey, I'm counting on it. Basta, I soooooo "heart" him. Kaya I'll be praying na makuha na nya ang PhD nya dahil we need him dito sa Pilipinas to inspire more people.

Buti na lang Friday Night...

Last night, my friends and I went to this forum in Ateneo dubbed as "Military, Democracy and the Law". It was a very interesting forum because it aimed to connect the importance of the military in the chaos that we are in. I have never been a fan of violence, may it be needed or not; there was a even a time when I found myself contemplating on what I would do if I had to kill someone attacking me. I knew that at that moment, I would think twice. I dunno, I guess I just don't like the idea of getting someone hurt, even if it involves self-defense. Anyway, I had fun [how original!] in the forum. Did I just say that? Who in his/her right mind would actually say something like that? Fun at the Forum? argh. I am really transformed.

After the forum, we kind of got confused as to where we're going. We've been going straight home for the past few weeks that i guess we are silently giving each other some signals that WE SHOULDNT BE GOING HOME especially if the FINALS WEEK is just around the corner. Our first option was to go to this CMO Acoustic Night thingy at the LSAC office. But according to reliable sources, t'was over. We ended up with a plan of drinking at GOod Earth. We should've known better, since it's a Friday night, we shouldnt have expected Rockwell to be the "deserted" place that is usually is during normal days. We didnt have a table to go "merry on". That's when we went to Starbucks. No not to drink coffee, we knew we're not gonna spend another Friday night in Stabucks. Can I just say that it made me remember the "BLACK FRIDAY Protest" which I find uhmm, pointless? We were just waiting for a group of people to leave so we can invade err, get their table. But t'was to no avail. Therefore, we went to Grams.

Ok, when I said drinking, it wasnt really the "I'm getting dead-drunk" tonight type of thing. T'was the "WE NEED BEER! COME ON LET' DRINK!" type. Just one bottle and we will be satisfied. Good for us, JV was in a "celebratory mood" so he ordered, Nachos, Onion Rings and Steak n' Fries... ON HIM! woohoo. [guys, ON HIM. He paid for it. Don't imagine him with Nachos, fries and onion rings all over his body, that is GROSS!] You know what's the weird part of it all? We seemed to have lost our ELOQUENCE with beer, so there were lotsa awkwardly silent situations while we were drinking. Kasi naman, ayaw pa sabihin ni Hazel kung sino napupusuan nya. Hehe.

Then we decided that we were sweating like crazy so we went to Starbucks for the Aircon. How bakya no? Pero syempre, something FUNNY had to happen. When we went back to our "reserved couch" there was a gay couple sitting in front of us. Paano ko ba ipapaliwanag? Hmm... kasi un couch was facing the glass wall, and outside that glass wall was another table. I dunno if you guys can imagine how AWKWARD and EMBARRASSING it was for us and more for the gay couple, the only thing that's stopping us from really knowing them is the glass. Parang aquarium ang dating. I swear, I almost died laughing! Basta FUN FUN FUN. Natatawa din sila sa amin kasi obviously, na-conscious kami, na katulad nila ay napapanood din naman nila.

After a few minutes, we got bored so we decided to walk to Ateneo [again] to find out if the party's still on going. Uhmm, wala na. Madilim na. So, nagpagod lang kami.

We bumped pala into Jots on our way home. Mukha syang tulala kasi natapon daw nya un Frap nya. Di parin sya nagbabago, magulo parin at nagtatapon ng mga bagay-bagay. Hehe. Pero t'was great to see him again. Namiss namin sya. Aba. Sayang nga, we coudlnt stay. Well we could, pero pagod na kaming lahat.

Overall, t'was a really great night. Notwithstanding all the booboos.. hmm, It's always nice to goof around. FINALS na alam ko. Err...

Ang PUSO ni SHEM ay nag-LOA.

Napag-utusan lang akong ilagay ito.

Ahh... Quitters.

Japhet went to Starbucks yesterday and well, we got to watch Brokeback Mountain with my Law school peeps. T'was fun, fun, fun. I think it's an ok film. Not the best but it's interesting how ironic the facts are and how heartfelt was the pain the the "wives" of these men had to go through. As usual, we waited for the makeout parts [there's no point in hiding it!] and well, we had to rewind the whole thing because the "contrast" setthings of the projector made the makeout scene soooo dark that all we can make out of it are the moans and well, the physical "game" that were kind of "apparent" in the sound. Interesting, interesting film.

I wish I know how to quit you. Nice. It made remember some quote I read a few years ago...

"Rehab is for QUITTERS."

Astig no?

ANyway, this morning, i went to L'oreal's office with Melo, Haze, Yvie and Shem to be a part of s "focus discussion group" about a new product that Loreal's trying to introduce to the market. It's called Lumi-oil and it's actually a leave-on conditioner that's made for all different hair textures. It's a brilliant idea, because i dont think a single conditioner could actually solve the problems that different hair types have. GOod. Tailor-made ika-nga ni SHem. Then we had lunch at Pizza HUt. Walang punchline, kinukuwento ko lang. hehe.

I miss going online. I dunno, it just helps me a lot to see the bigger perspective wheni get to write the things that are happening to me. It's way better as opposed to not being able to express what i feel and just breaking down in the process. ANg saya.

Mahal ko parin si Chris Daughtry pero si Taylor "gray-haired guy" ay unti-unting kumakatok sa aking puso. Isa syang adorable na nilalang.