Yeah!

The long wait is finally over but it sure ended with a bang. UP topped the Bar! Hooray for Joan De Venecia!

Several bloggers also passed the dreaded Bar. Here are a dozen cartwheels for: Mel-Mel, Vannie, Chrisgel, and Golda.

Click away and show them your love :)

Law Intern and Other Hairy Tales

So it's done. I've officially signed the entire summer away with my summer internship. The three-day mandatory OLA* orientations start next week. Now let's see what it is exactly I've gotten myself into. Why most of my batchmates get a sort of pitying look in their eyes everytime they find out that I passed an application for the summer program.

Bring it on. Besides, I'll have the rest of the summer to regret my brashness and rashness :p

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

It has always been one of my dreams to write an etiquette guide of some sort for commuters like me. In the years that I've been going back and forth from North to South, South to North, I've seen my share of horrendous faux pas and what-do-you-think-youre-doing?! moments.

Anyway, one of my pet peeves are women who keep on flipping their hair about. This morning, I was seated in front of a woman with badly rebonded hair which reached up to her back. When the person beside her stepped off the train, she immediately turned sideways, leisurely looked at the passing metropolis and then, FLIP, straight into the surprised face of the man beside her. Now this man looked every inch a toughie. He had the bling and the ink on his left bicep, but none of that prepared him for the sudden follicular assault.

Mr.Toughie glanced at the woman at his left and immediately assessed the situation. Should he tell her off and risk being thought of as touchy and sensitive, after all it's just hair and she did look like a nice enough lady, with matching pedicure and manicure at that. Or should he just stay silent and take it like the manly-man he was. He obviously chose the latter and settled in once again for the 10 or 15 minutes it would take for the train to reach his stop.

And while he was getting comfy, she did it again, FLIP! This time, her dried ends scraping against his shoulder before they resumed their curtain-like position over her face. FLIP FLIP! And all that Mr.Tough could do was give her a sideward glance while trying to scoot to his right, away from all that crowning glory.

Finally, his stop came not a moment too soon and even before the train came to a halt, he was already on his feet eager to escape the inhumane torture. While Ms.Rapunzel was oblivious to the personal demons she had just caused and contined gazing out the window, doing her patented hair flip every now and then.

On the jeep to UP, I had the misfortune of sitting beside a girl who has probably never heard of a scounchie in her entire life. Hence, once the jeep began to move I had to shield my face away from her windswept tresses.

However, if there was one important thing I learned today, it's that I'm not like Mr.Toughie back in the train. Unlike him, I'm not afraid to be seen as maarte or overly-sensitive. I'm sorry missy but I value my personal space and you are seriously trespassing on it. So I tapped her on the shoulder and asked her nicely to do something about her hair because I could taste what Palmolive variant she used that morning, and thankfully she immediately pulled it back. Isn't it great when communication works for everyone's comfort and convenience?

So Mr.Toughie, I don't know if we'll ever cross paths again, but thank you for showing me the importance of speaking out. Although technically you showed me how it was like NOT to speak out, still, thanks nonetheless.


*Office of Legal Aid

The Contender

To view the fight of the century, please click here.

Idol!

Well somebody was obviously happy last night :)

Drago with Boom-Boom Bautista, Brian Viloria, Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao. Click on the picture to view in a new window

Viloria and Pacquiao raising their awards during the Elorde Awards Night and Banquet of Champions.

Manny is apparently giving Kris Aquino a run for the title of celebrity with the most endorsements. All I can say about that is "Go knock her down Manny!"

Vacay!

I need a vacation. I need a break. And I'm sure majority of those reading this will nod their heads in weary agreement.

I already have a summer reading list tucked away somewhere, something from Ayn Rand to Kitty Go. I've been mentally planning the houses I'll be building in Sims everytime I see advertisements for real estate. I have a slew of scrapbooking to do. I have a whole attic full of clothes, books, shoes, toys and other whathaveyous to catalog and post on Ebay. And my birthday is coming up soon, so that's always good.

For the first time ever, I won't be spending the summer months out of the city. Since time immemorial, the first day right after the last day of school/exams always signified being transported to Cebu, Bacolod, Zamboanga or Biliran. Summer then meant hanging out with cousins doing nothing on lazy summer days; staying out all day along the beach irreverent of the nasty effects brought about by the sun; feasting on ripe mangoes, suman and tsokolate for breakfast; reading Mills and Boon on the sly if only to see why the older cousins were all agog over such novels; trying to get out of empanada making seeing that it was the most time consuming and nitty-gritty activity in the universe and so on and so forth.

Summer has always been about picking up where we left off the previous summer and then making up for the time lost courtesy of that evil invention called school. One cousin would even start throwing fits once the National Bookstore commercials start airing by mid-July. Because that always meant that it was almost time to go back to school. And school meant all sorts of bestial deprivations, like sleeping early and doing homework :p

Anyway, as already mentioned, I won't be spending my summer vacation in my childhood haunts. It's more of a personal choice really. For one thing, I am one of the few left with a summer vacation. Everyone else is busy at work doing all sorts of adult things while I, the perennial student, am the only one with the luxury of two months to waste. It's just not the same anymore and it gets really uncomfortable on my part to know that they'd rearrange their schedules just so that we could spend time together. I felt queasy knowing that I was imposing on their already busy lives.

And I also applied for the Summer Internship Program at the Office of Legal Aid at Malcolm. If I do get accepted, that's the entire summer break and beyond, gone right there. This will be my first summer vacation that won't really be a vacation. Let's just hope my innate brattiness won't make an appearance in the next two months.

But at least I can still play Sims :)

Reaching for the sky in Moalboal Cebu

Righteous :)

Please click on the pic to view it in a new window

Don't you just wish you could do that? To just up and leave a sucky situation and then tell off that troll of a person to stick his (or HER) bratty attitude where the sun doesn't shine.

Ah yes, me likey-likey. Go sock it to the establishment!

And with that brave statement, I dutifully turn off the PC and resume my love affair with Volume 1 of the Campos' commentary on the Corporation Code.

P.S.
Another blogger wrote about this incident here.

Kimchi

Last night, while I was busy studying for today's exam, I heard a commotion of some sort at the side of the house. I didn't have to get up to investigate what the ruckus was about because it came to see me. Everyone, meet Kimchi.



While Kimchi might seem all sweetness and light now, the poor little thing has not had an easy life. He was entrusted to Kuya Ranil because his Korean owner (a neighbor) was found dead and rotting about two weeks ago in Paco Manila. I don't know what the official statement is but he seems to have been the victim of foul play. Anyway, he was first handed over to the deceased's next door neighbor to be looked after and said neighbor then entrusted him to Kuya Ranil. Hence his presence here in our household.

"Kimchi" is still a provisional name because there hasn't been a consensus yet on what his name will be and I don't think anyone knows what the deceased owner called him. Personally, I'd rather call him Kimchi in honor of his slain owner. But I've already heard Drago call him "Dogdog", perhaps in memory of Chickchick, so it's obvious that the name issue is far from settled. However, I'll just keep on calling him Kimchi and hopefully, the monicker will stick.

Perils of the Law

Who knew that a two-unit subject could generate such averse reactions from more than a hundred people? People who've taken up *Pril that's who.

I keep telling myself to put things in perspective, that it's just, as already mentioned, a two-unit subject. That my GPA won't be severely decimated with a 5. Blah-blah-blah but it's not working. When you're an OC/nerd like I am, such pep talks are about as useful as a restraining order on Willie Revillame and Wowowee.

I don't know why I didn't see right through it when it was so glaringly obvious! Pril rhymes with kill. Coincidence? Sure, tell yourself that, if it would make you sleep better at night. Continue deluding yourself.

And that was just the first. This is going to be a horrendously long two weeks.

*Private International Law

Quickie

So here I am at the library's computer lab, I decided to post because i still have around 7 minutes left before my 1 hour lapses and all of my blogger haunts haven't updated. In short, I have nothing better else to do. But when you think about, isn't that exactly what blogging is for? Something to fill up your time with when you have nothing better else to do.

I just finished sending copies of pertinent laws for PRIL and Tax 2 to my yahoo mail so that I can have them printed at home. It's definitely cheaper to do it that way seeing that a printed page here costs 4p and I have around 50 pages of laws to read so that translates to almost 1 day's allowance! It's hard to still be a student at the mercy of your parents' pockets. Sigh.

Oh well, time's up. Gotta study for Pril and psyche myself up for this evening's Crim makeup class. At least the prof is paying for everyone's dinner afterwards. There's the silver lining for you right there.

Lucky Duck

Last night's impromptu gathering at the Waga manor for Joni's birthday, left me with a severe hang-over this morning. Blame it on Saint Michael and crawling back in bed at 4am, irrespective of the fact that I was already up at 5am the day before that. Still, it was worth it. Good friends, good company, good food and a balmy night translate to a fantastic evening.

Last night's legal lesson centered on the difference between adultery and concubinage. Somebody was really, really interested and it was not just because of an innate curiosity. It's funny how it has become SOP that I get peppered with legal questions in social gatherings, I might as well just put a "Free Legal Advice" sign on my chest. And, more often than not, the questions center on the "juicier" crimes like murder, rape, adultery etc. How come nobody seems to be interested in the other gut-gripping crimes like "Illegal use of uniforms or insignia"? Just asking :)

Anyway, I had to skip Poli Law Review today because my powers just couldn't hack it anymore. And wouldn't you know it, the professor did not check attendance! Lady Luck was definitely on my side today :) Now, let's see if she'll still bestow her good graces upon me come examination week.

Today's splitting headache left me with the inevitable conclusion that the Saint and I are no longer the bosom buddies we used to be. I'm getting too old for this kind of shit.

Ballers

Last night was a dream come true. After some generous spritzing, setting, rolling, blow-drying and many silent prayers, I finally had curly hair!


My curls were bouncy, springy and, through the powers of hairspray, hard as hell. Oh well, I guess you can't win them all :p

It was Portia Sorority's 72nd Induction Ball and that was as good an opportunity as any to dress up and ditch the jeans and highlighters. For one night, we camwhored, feasted on bland but overpriced hotel food, soaked up the fantastic view and relished each other's company. Definitely a memory worth cherishing.

In the elevator on the way to the 42nd floor of Discovery Suites.

4C Ladies with Woowee and Ianne

4C Ladies again

What a journey it has been...

After a long day, my hair finally gave up and reverted to it's original state :(

Alright, party's over and it's back to reality for all of us. The cold ugly truth being the upcoming final exams! Argh!!!!

P.S.
Hi to Pam! It's a good thing she kept on extending her last set, otherwise, G and I wouldn't have seen her perform :)

Go Mozzie!

P.P.S.

Dear Mitchie-Mitchie,

Meet Hello Kitty and Daniel. My new Korean ass-kicking super cute dolls! Don't worry, they can take care of themselves because they have been immersed in the dark arts since kittenhood and their taekwondo skills aren't anything to scoff at either. Evildoers better watch out!



I hope you can visit them soon.

Love,
Ate Jill

Skirting the Issue

It's funny how people react to a skirt, considering that it's just a piece of fabric. I remember one professor vowing that she would never again wear a skirt to the office because during the one and only time she did, people sang "Happy Birthday" to her and, as you might have guessed, it was not her birthday. What is it about skirts and birthdays?

Anyway, whatever the nexus might be, one thing's for sure, it's a physical challenge to wear one while boarding a jeep. Remind me to never do that ever again.

It's also interesting how a skirt will, more often than not, elicit some sort of reaction from the people around you. It's as if a skirt is an implied license for people to put in their two cents' worth. From my dad, it would always be: Palitan mo yan. From friends, it might vary but the usual response would be: What's the occasion? From boy friends, it would be a look of disbelief followed with: Wow! Babae ka pala?!

I'm surrounded by comedians.

So why a skirt? Because I can.

Public Announcement

We interrupt our regular programming with a reminder for all the UP Diliman denizens to go out and vote in today's University Student Council elections. Make your vote count and while you're at it please vote JILL SANTOS for USC Vice Chairperson.

Please read the Portia Statement of Support for Jill here.

Now back to our scheduled feature.

Maddie's warface: Grrrr....Maddie mad!

New Look

For the last few months, my dad has been on a redecorating/ rearranging frenzy. Actually, there has always been something going on in our house because my dad loves to mess around with it, but these past few months have been more intense than usual. Late last year the two rooms downstairs were renovated for Char and the kids' arrival. Then last month, the window screens were taken down and in their place, sliding windows were built. Of course, the usual painting here and there, welding of another plant holder, and other manly-man pursuits still continued.

About two weeks ago, we were informed that we could have our room repainted or redecorated and we decided that the Sugababes video "Push the Button" would be the theme (Boy not included).


A few days later, this is how it turned out.



Not bad pa rin :)

But the blue and yellow curtains have got to go of course. I'm thinking of just getting plain white canvass and then using these as the curtains because anything more will be too much.

So there. Meet our new room.

Same Old

We watched "Pride and Prejudice" yesterday and just like the other Austen book, "Sense and Sensibility" which found its way onto the big screen a few years back, this new adaptation also delivered the goods.

I'm not going to delve into the merits of the adaptation because I haven't read the book yet (damn you law school!) but it served as an effective social commentary on the obsession people had on marriage or marrying well to be more precise. After Lizzie chided her mother for her more than obvious enthusiasm in pairing Jane off to their rich neighbor, the mother just dismissed her by saying something like: If you have five daughters like I do, marrying them off will always be foremost on your mind.

It was a very funny and witty movie but I had a gnawing feeling that while I was laughing at the antics going on in the big screen, I need not look far towards merry England to see the same marrying fervor, I only had to set my sights on the local scene.

I guess this preoccupation with getting hitched can be seen as a worldwide phenomenon. I remember growing up and being told over and over again that I had be more ladylike and to act less tomboyish because otherwise, no man will take interest in me. Then there were the usual digs because I was not the least bit interested in cooking, that I will not be a suitable wife because I could not even fry an egg. And so on and so forth. However, the worst was when a friend compared me with her doctor cousin who was well-educated, accomplished, independent but whom they all looked upon with pity because at 30 years old, she was not yet married. The doctor cousin was losing her "asim" so to speak. I just looked at my friend with aghast because this was a girl who was at the bottom rung of the corporate totem pole, who spent weekends barhopping hoping to hook up with somebody half-decent and who'd spend hours whining about her lovelife/ lack of lovelife/ insufficient lovelife/ not-as-she'd-hope-for lovelife and anything remotely connected to a love life, and she felt sorry for the good Doctora who was living her own life and helping people out at the same time? Somebody needed a reality check stat.

I think I lost my point somewhere in the middle of my ranting but I think what I'm trying to drive at is that after years of being told to change so that I could catch a good husband, I realized that men, in general, are really not rewards to be fought over, that it was so not worth it to calibrate my entire personality towards the mere pursuit of landing a husband. Have you seen the average male?! I rest my case.

Finally, I think everybody should get involved in sports or some worthy cause so we'd be busy all the time and won't have any more opportunity to meddle in each and everybody's lives. Maybe GMA should make that the subject of her next Presidential Proclamation.

****

Before watching the movie, G and I ate at "Heaven n Eggs" and I must say, they had some pretty good stuff there. I enjoyed my french toast with sidings of potato and fruit in honey and yogurt. I also enjoyed G's crab sandwhich :). But what struck me was the napkins they had there.


It's a sign I tell you! :)

In Memoriam

My pet chicken died today. Apparently, he got stuck in the water pump in one of his usual morning explorations and it broke his poor neck. :c



They can't even spell his name right :(

Other Chick2x posts:
Mother and Chick
Updates
Animal Planet

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

Things are going crazy in good old Malcolm Hall. Friday's rallies brought sworn enemies together in the same room in Camp Caringal sans bickering and actually fighting under the same banner. Imagine that!

Then yesterday, the University Council assembled in the Malcolm Theater to hammer out their collective response to PP 1017. It was an SRO crowd. And finally today, a College of Law professor announced that he is cancelling all his classes and exams for the rest of the semester and called on the rest of the professors to "...not let law school get in the way of their learning". The clincher is that he's asking his students to submit their own grades based on their participation and performance during the semester. Of course, that's subject to much abuse but with what's happening these days, good faith is all we can cling to.

These are very unusual times we're living in. You know that person hiding out in the Palace? She ain't seen nothing yet.