Wishful Thinking over Flavored Rice

One of my lifetime friends and partner in crimes in geekdom went over to my place so we I can help her out in job-hunting, online. 

Of course being a childhood friend, we got pangs of nostalgia from Sunny Hill. In answer to that (and to save our meager summer allowances) we went on a flavored-rice-in-a-box lunch–the very thing we used to eat almost every day back in high school!

The rice fueled us to talk of the past, more geek hobbies, and dreams and ambition after college.

Hooray for childhood friends!

 

Christmas in March

In one of my grandparent’s house, they still haven’t removed decorations from the past christmas. This grandparent lives an electric train + 2 tricycle rides away from me. Lately I’ve been neglecting visits because I’ve been busy with “work”. Although there are pets in the house, I don’t think its enough to fulfill the joy of frequent surprise visits of grandchildren.

But a lot of things changed in that house since my grandfather passed away. My grandmother could be lonely; but I do not know her like I knew my grandfather.

Just how attached are we to our grandparents nowadays, at a time when we’re all distracted by material tasks that appear claim our lives?

 

Hapon 11

My co-Sailormoon fangirl and Japanese language instructor Roelia Alvarez. かわいい, ね？

I so love sem-ender parties with costume-comic themes, free food and entertainment…

…and the craziest party games!

Ironically. with all that fun involved, it also happened to be the first and last time I’ll ever be with some of those other Japanese-language elective students, a very common thing in university life.

That’s why I feel fortunate this day. In that short period, I was able to just be in the company of these amazing UP students (and teacher–we heart you Mam!). I don’t mind the extra effort of dressing up or running errands in last-minute, right after university hell week in order to help organize the party. To learn about the world and another country’s culture, and to meet equally interested and interesting people is an irreplaceable experience! 

Uber-sentimentality

My older brother is the first among both sides of my family to graduate from college. It’s a big thing. For some titas, it’s a wonderful photo-op chance of my very Boy Kontra member of the family.. 

Perfect reason to have fancy dinner with everyone, too.

This is a big thing for me, too. I’m supposed to graduate with him, too (though from a different school, with a completely angular college degree). But I’m stuck for a year more to comply and face challenges in Uni.

He’s going to be in the real world league. We’ll have a gap of a year’s worth of experience in “working”. I hope I still get to be his sister whom he’d share his chic-geek boy interests with.

Video-Editing at someone’s apartment

These are days when I’m glad I’m not a film student.

Today, I let go of some money I’ve been saving up to partly-finance the editing of a video project with some classmates. Last-minute changes made it pretty expensive, and I’m just not that too happy about financing last-minute projects. It’s a “no money, no projects” x-deal, too.

Money does solve problems, a lot of it related with time management, too.

If only we didn’t waste time, then we I believe we don’t have to spend that much money.

The Wentletraps

My friend from the two-sister-band The Wentletraps is an amazing multi-talented person. She’s Jerry Spinelli’s Stargirl, personified in the Philippines. She does communication research, japanese, physics, astrology, watercolors, photography and indie music.

This is a shot from their gig tonight at Routh 196 which I enjoyed albeit the smoke and drinking (haha of course, it’s a bar). As I was watching her with another commres friend, I couldn’t help but feel proud of her, and how she adds a new “artsy” dimension to the geek/librarian stereotype of my undergraduate degree.

Hoodie

… for granny.

It’s her sparkly scarf that made me take this picture. But it’s not the hoodie–it’s the transparent layered skirt that made me notice this woman. Ha! I love seeing people layer transparent clothes in the heat of the Philippines! Just how creative can you be to pull it off?

This goes to show how you can be religious* and fashionable at the same time. 

* She must be Muslim; most Muslim women wear scarves to cover their heads.

Mirror Pond

10 A.M. this morning, I was literally running around my university grounds with a video camera, traversing prickly weeds and all sorts of earth produce. I had to take transition clips for a video project for my Japanese class. I was tired; I had other agenda the same day and I haven’t gotten more than 4 hours sleep since 2-3 weeks back. 

However, as I made my way to UP Fine Arts to submit a paper (multi-tasking), I chanced upon this pond scene. Perfect natural lighting, perfect lighting angle that I could see the pond reflecting everything else, perfect breeze to stimulate the ripple effect I was aiming for in the first place…

Then I knew that I nailed the shot that could make the film, that could make the outcome worth all the fuss.

Videocam killed the actress

@#$%! I swear I didn’t do anything! I’m just the person behind the camera!

We’re Filipino students shooting a Japanese-language movie for our Japanese 11 class. Click here for more info about the movie.

I went home at 3 am, with a paper due the next day, as well as a class to attend at 10am.

I’m a UP student; these workload cycles are normal.

 

Yes Ma, I’m listening

But someone’s obviously bored attending church. ;)

Cat hearts plant

Mmmm, grass stalk.

Face the curtain

Best mornings: having the luxury of time and the sane mind to still get to appreciate the sunlight.

Archers

I went to neighbor De La Salle University after an exam in UP today. When the excuse of “I need to inquire something from the registar” didn’t work, a friend and a couple of his friends somehow got me past their electronic security gates by using the “nagmamadali ako” trick.

Anyway, La Sallians have such a clean, classy, sheltered place to study in. UP is very different from it. 

Honestly I’d still choose to be with the invisible crawlies from the floors of the hallways in my school. Getting around with a humongous variety of crowd in UP is much more exciting than our “private-school” stereotypes in this other university.

Shadow play

Today, I learned of a face of you that you never showed me. It’s good that you let me meet your friends; they make you act differently from when you are by yourself.