Ilocos Trip!

Pagudpud is one of the best beach vacation spot I've been to! It's on the northern most part of Ilocos Norte and the beaches are very nice and pristine plus, the atmosphere there is very serene and relaxing .

After my OSG Legal Internship orientation in Makati, I rushed to the mall and bought some essentials then hurried back to my apartment and packed. I was not able to pack and prepare earlier because my schedule is still tentative and I had some acad stuff to finish up. Anyway, we missed the bus that goes straight to Pagudpud so we took another Florida bus from Manila to Laoag which left at 1030 pm. The bus looked deceivingly comfortable with an airplane cabin-like feel with LCD TVs and a small booth for a toilet inside. But nooo, those seats, no matter how wide and spacious they seem to be are so uncomfortable! Haven't they heard of ergonomics? man! My neck and back were aching all over! We arrived in Laoag city at around 5 am and walked around looking for a place for breakfast. Since they were all still closed, we ended up having breakfast at Jollibee! toink!

We then took another bus to Pagudpud at around 10 am. We arrived there at around lunchtime, pitched our tent and took a fun swim. After that, we went touring around Pagudpud with Kuya Lito, our trusty trike driver slash tour guide.


Kaibigan Falls
For mountaineers like us, it was an easy hike of about 1.5 km till we reached the waterfalls itself. The water is so clear and cold. Nature at its best. We got lucky because we were the only ones there (with our guide). Solo namin ang falls! haha!


Patapat Viaduct
The view here is breathtaking (but for el, im even more breathtaking hehe) This bridge was built on the side of the mountain with a spectacular view of the sea. Scary thing about it? landslides. There's a part of the bridge thats been ruined by it (or so we speculate).


Agua Grande
An estuary! It's a resort with freshwater pools flowing from the river and out into the sea.


Bantay-abot Cave
The mountain with a hole. The waves here are merciless and the wind is
harsher! A killer wave almost got me!


Blue Lagoon Beach
The best! White powdery sand, virgin cove, clear waters, very few people, very peaceful and relaxing.
On our way there, a green sidewinder (supposedly poisonous?) about 5 feet long came into our path! yikes!


We had Ilocano longganisa and eggs for breakfast the next day after we took a last dip.


We then headed back to Laoag city and did a side trip there. We visited the Ilocos Norte Museum and had lunch at Macy's Diner. They have red vinyl booths, a bar, and a jukebox, giving off a real 70’s American diner vibe. It also had black and white framed posters of James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, the Beatles, and movie posters like "Ir's a Wonderful Life".

Another graduate for mommy and daddy!!!

Three down, one college boy to go! (of course, im not counting me, the soon to be juris doctor of law!)

Congrats to my little sister Irene- the soon to be nursing board topnotcher!

The boat is sinking!

Group yourselves into two!

I wasn't really affected that much when I found out that our block was the unlucky one that is going to be dissolved. I didn't even went to the block inuman that night because I figure people will be very emotional and frustrated. I thought that would be the last thing I needed then. I always thought that we had enough shared experiences- good and bad- that would keep us glued together even if we are no longer in one class. But recent events led me to think otherwise.
I know this is just a temporary thing and pretty soon everything will fall into its proper place but I hope that our unity and friendships wont be marred by certain preconditions and mere apparent bad faith.

Just for the record, I never really was a fan of the block system from the start. I survived college without a block from my first year till I graduated. I got to choose my classes and the people I want to attend class with according to my own schedule. Then law school happened. The block system was really alien to me then and I even thought that such a thing is stupid for a post-grad course. We got assigned to our respective blocks by drawing out a shabby piece of paper from a box and in the same manner, we ended up being dissolved by pulling out the unlucky little post-it. First, we are forced to be lumped in the same classes with strangers, and just when we've grown to like each other, they again force us to be subjected to this arbitrary scheme of dissolving a block. Both schemes are very similar but they have very different results. We never thought that those pieces of paper with the letter "B" ascribed on it would bring us all together and be the precursor of a lasting bond. But that star on that post-it reeked in sadness, doubts, and bitterness in us. I really hope they change this very arbitrary system of dissolving blocks after second year. Why not just have the block system for the first two years of law school then make it free for all for the next two years. At least everyone has a fair standing.
Now that we have a new and very able dean, I'm sure a lot of things will run very differently in the college and I sure hope he will include reconsidering this issue.

To my blockmates, I'm sure I'll live without some of you. You never really mean much to me anyway. HAHAHA! kidding! I will surely miss class recitations with you guys. All of you made an impression in my heart and I will never forget our wacky experiences together. Let's just keep in mind that being in a block (that is as fun as ours) is just a part of being in law school but our main priority is to graduate, pass the bar, and become great lawyers. Good luck to all of us!

"Nagsimula sa bunotan, Natapos sa bunotan"

The Retro Kid

Taah-daaahhh!!! Look what I dug up! The big was then a scrawny little boy with a bashful grin. Cute:D


This photo of el with Rainbow Brite gave me a good chuckle!

Speaking of mascots, I saw this new Jollibee commercial which freaked me out. In that ad, the jolly bug utters "thank you po" in the end. What the?! So he's talking now, huh? I always had this picture of Jollibee and all its other mascot species as mutes that communicate through the movement of their appendages and oversized heads. Evolution must've played a role on them too.

And by the way, is Jollibee a male or a female? Personally, I think he's gay.

Can't hold it in no longer!

Summer fever is totally making a head start on me! In the middle of final exams and legal paper deadlines, I forced to lodge in some amusement activities to perk up my relatively free weekdays (which I should spend on studying! hahaha). It's really getting hot and humid, summer is already here and I can't believe I still have acad stuff to think about. I have trouble concentrating these exam days because my braincells are already on vacation mode. As much as I want to stick to my carefully planned out study schedule, the drive to do it is just nowhere to be found. As usual, I would end up cramming everything the day before the exam itself. grrrrr.
The big and I went swimming a few days ago! The heat was really getting on me and I asked El to take me swimming somewhere in the city.

Last friday, I also attended a coffee seminar in Starbucks Imperial with the boyfriend. We just chanced upon the announcement when we had coffee there after we went swimming. Of course, I hurriedly signed up for it.
The seminar was basically about their company and their coffee products. Kind of boring actually and its quite a pain to listen to a quivering barista. I tell you, just google or look for Starbucks in Wikipedia and you'll find every bit of info there. I really thought I was gonna learn something substantially new. But thats just me though, I'm a coffee lover so I know a lot about coffee. Maybe its different for all the others who were there. The coffee tasting was the best part for obvious reasons. And they served pastries too that would best compliment each coffee flavor. The first coffee they gave us for tasting was from Columbia. It was a medium-bodied coffee with a smooth texture and nutty aroma. The next one is from Kenya which is classified as bold and has a rather citrus taste. I like it the most. The last is the extra bold coffee from Sumatra which has an earthy aroma and a full-bodied texture.

After the seminar, they gave us free coffee bean samples of their house blend. I was able to bring home four packs since El gave me his share (doesn't drink coffee). By the way, all the rest only got one pack. Thanks to the bigbig's charms, we got one more for each of us! That makes four for me! happiness!!!!

Another cheap thrill I had: biking inside QC circle. My Labor groupmates and I went to QC Circle to meet with the Union Lawyer that we interviewed for our Labor paper. After the interview, Ben and I decided to go biking and what a blast we had! Its been such a long time since I rode a bike and I almost forgot how it was like. It was exhilarating! What I find annoying though are the narrow bike lanes full of unmindful people walking right in the middle. It's a bike lane for heavensake! Go walk some place else! I was always yelling "hey!" or "excuse meeeeee!!!!!" I swear if I did hit or ran over them, I'd deny liability. I would admit that I was a speeding menace though. hehehe
Im loving it!

My old school anime cartoon fixes

Remember those days when we thrived in our television indulgence of dubbed animated series? This was during those times when TV stations used to broadcast valuable shows that leave us kids all addicted and glued to the tube. I was very fond of these Tagalized versions and even after several years, I can still recall those memorable scenes and episodes . The soundtracks, as silly as they may sound now, are simply great. They truly stand the test of time. Looking back, I never thought I'm that much addicted to watching TV! Here are some of my favorite shows that I religiously followed.

Sarah ang Munting Princessa
Who can ever forget princess Sarah and her life in Miss Minchin's boarding school for girls? The story is based upon the classic novel of Frances Hodgson Burnett, "A Little Princess". Sarah Crewe is the girl everyone loves and envies. She is kindhearted, pretty, intelligent, and has impeccable manners and elegant grace. She lives the life of a princess and everyone treated her well until her father died leaving her as an orphan. The head mistress, miss Minchin allowed her to stay in the boarding school as long as she works there as a maid. Henceforth, her life became tough and miserable. She still retained her true friendship with some of the girls like Lotty and Ermengarde and made new ones including Becky, a poor servant girl. Her sufferings were not for long as it turned out that she was not indeed a poor orphan girl.
I remember I used to hate Lavina so much. This show was really a big hit that a Philippine movie version was even made starring Camille Prats as Sarah and Angelica Panganiban as Becky. They were still cute and innocent back then.

Cedie ang Munting Principe
Another Frances Hodgson Burnett classic. The story revolves around an American boy named Cedric Errol, who finds out that the is the sole heir to a British earldom. He was taken from his mother and lived with his grandfather in their ancestral palace. This grandfather is a strict and cold aristocrat who despises his mother. Cedie was the one who taught his cold heart a little compassion, justice, and understanding. Eventually he learned to accept Cedie's mother.
What I remember most about the episodes in this series are those times with Cedie riding his pony, dreaming of being together with his mom, and his treasured moments with his granddad. Tom Taus starred as Cedie in the Philippine movie version. Yes, I watched it too. nyahaha

Von Trapp Family Singers
I think ABS is airing this series presently. Back then, I often wish to be part of their big happy family and replace that pretty blond emo girl (Brigitta, in the real movie version) who always cry and grieve the loss of her mother. haha. Kurt was also hilarious.




Cinderella
" kailan, hanggang kailan
Ito mananatiling panaginip
sabik na ko, sabik na ko sa iyong
yakap at halik…"
I looooooove Prinsepe Lenard! bow.
Of course everyone is familiar with the Cinderella story. This animated version however adds a different twist to the story. The prince and Cinderella already knew each other way before the ball and were really good friends. I would admit, the premise is quite stupid. Principe Lenard can make a complete disguise as a commoner just by not wearing his prince outfit and can go about the kingdom without being recognized by the common people as the prince. duh. Who are you kidding?! Even Cinderella's stepmom and step sisters who talked to the prince several times cant tell that Lenard is the prince. He didnt even use an alias or a pseudonym! But then again, I didn't care! I never missed a single episode of this series. I even remember doodling principe Lenard on my notebooks and writing about him in my diary. yech. hehehe


Remi (Dog of Flanders)
This is one tearjerker series. I hate it when pets die. First the monkey dies, but when Remi and Patrash died in the end, I got really emotional. I mourned their loss till now. huhuhu.








Si Maria at ang Lihim na Hardin
I dont remember vividly the scenes or episodes of this series but I remember watching it back then.







Peter Pan
Neverland has never been so magically created. I missed Peter Pan and his exploits.









Snow white
is so pretty and Principe Richard is so handsome. They look good together.






Julio at Julia
"Kapag uminog ang mundo Iikot din ang buhay ng tao May saya at mayroong dusa Huwag lang tayo magpapatalo.. Si Julio at Julia Kambal ng tadhana Di susuko sa pagsubok…"

An elementary friend and I used to pretend we were Julio and Julia. We would hold hands and imagine a kind of force field encapsulating us from the attacks of evil men! This series follows the quest of a chinese boy with a bad haircut, Julio and a European blond girl, Julia in their travels across different parts of Asia and Europe to fulfill their mission as the twins of destiny. Maybe they eventually got together in the end. The finale didn't say much.



Daddy Long Legs
Is this the one with Judy Abott? Im not so sure. My younger sister used to watch this a lot. It was during this time when I went crazy over cream puffs and dreamed of playing lacrosse! (hehe, anyone remember that episode?)







Marcelino Pan y Vino
I can hardly remember anything about this but I know this was among the TV shows I look forward to every morning.






Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
The best Gundam series ever! Heero, Quatre, Duo, Trowa, and Wufei. They are the five Gundam pilots. I got really crazy about Heero Yuy back then. I say move over princess Relena! This is a futuristic story when Earth is surrounded by orbiting space colonies. The Gundam mobile suits were sent to Earth to fight the tyranny of the Alliance military which is controlled by a secret society called Oz that is oppressing the colonists.
I wish I could find my sketchbook full of various gundam humanoids!





Princess Starla and the Jewel Riders
I've a sparse recollection of this series but what I do remember is that my elementary friends and I used to assign the characters to each one and play pretend. Of course I'm Princess Starla! mwahaha.








Ghost Fighter
I really believe Dennis is gay (well, he is in fact androgynous). I wonder why a lot of girls like him so much. Maybe its because of the hair. hahaha. My favorite is Vincent.








Dragon Ball Z
The fight scenes were really awesome and the martial arts exhibition would take your breath away. Super sayan!!!!!!!! Ha-me-ha we- wei!!!!!!!!!! (hahaha, I'm not even sure if thats correct.)






Flying House
To those unfortunate beings who were not able to catch or who can't remember, this animated series is about three kids who found a house in the woods which transported them to the times of Jesus. The kids, Andy, Justine and Corky became real close friends of Jesus and witnessed the events that transpired in his life. I simply love this cartoon. I can still recall its opening and closing themes. And I am even a member of the Super kids club! I wish I could find all those freebies and newsletters they sent me. This series was dubbed in English by the way.




Superbook
In this series, a different set of kids are transported via a magical book which sends them to a particular time mentioned in the old testament of the bible. Somehow, I loved this better than Flying House. I think the old testament stories are more fun and interesting.








and of course, there's the occasional Daimos and Voltes V.

I wonder if anyone can relate to this post.

Warped!

So Ive been browsing through some ad websites and found these fascinating wall papers that's designed to warp your room.

This motif got me. Amazing how the light from these lamps highlights the distortions in the pattern.



This is one heck of a nausea-inducing room. I think people inside it would feel the urge to disgorge their guts.



When your wall looks like this, waking up will make you woozy or worse, schizzed out!


Now this would be very convenient in mental hospitals or drug rehab facilities. The inmates would surely be in for a cajoling treat.



and speaking of warped...

this person is said to be suffering from an extremely rare form of cancer. (Source: BBC)

Now they're talking!

Jesus or Moses: who do you think would win in a fight?

Let's consider the the "facts" (a.k.a. miracles they performed).

Jesus turned water into wine.
Moses turned the whole Nile and all of Egypt's water sources into blood.

Jesus walked on water.
Moses divided the water when he led the Israelites across the Red sea.

Jesus calmed a storm.
Moses struck all of Egypt with a destructive storm of hail and fire.

Jesus multiplied bread and fish to feed thousands of people.
Moses provided the Israelites a constant supply of manna during their travels in the desert until they reached Canaan.

Jesus cured diseases like leprosy and other permanent disabilities.
Moses caused an epidemic disease which killed Egyptian livestocks and festered boils affecting both men and livestock.

Jesus brought the dead back to life.
Moses carried on the death of the firstborns.

What do you think?

Of board games and bitterness

When I was a kid, I was the ultimate champ of Monopoly. Well, that's partly because I quit the game bitterly when somebody else is likely going to win and when I do lose, I throw a murderous fit that scares everyone out of their wits. hahaha! My dad bought us the board game when I was about 7 or 8 years old and since then, it became one of our favorite pastimes. I never tire of playing Monopoly back then and I always coax my siblings to play the game with me. I always had it with the game. It's very rare that I don't get to buy Boardwalk and Park Place and own a railroad or two plus a few utilities. I make it a point that I buy smart and avoid getting those low-income properties. When I go to jail, I never stay in jail even if I had to pay to get out because I would lose opportunities when I spend more time in jail. I also try avoiding to mortgage properties and build more houses and hotels. In the end, I always turn out to be the winner.

Earlier today, I attended a workshop for Cashflow 101 moderators. Cashflow 101 is a board game designed by Robert Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad. The idea of the game is to accumulate enough cash on hand to buy properties, stocks, shares, etc. The goal is to get out of the rat race and fulfill your dream. You will be able to get out of the rat race once your passive income is enough to make your monthly cash flow greater than your total expense. All your transactions will be recorded in your financial statement and buying sheet for stocks. This game is a little more complicated than monopoly, of course, but you don't have to be an accountant to play this game because the computations are very simple. Though Ive been to several Cashflow 101 seminars, today was only my second time to play the game and to my chagrin, I was not able to get out of the rat race. I could feel my inner child bursting with bitterness and tears. It was really funny because after the game I felt like crying. My mind was going like 'NO!! this can't be happening! I'm the queen of this kind of games!' hahaha! Thank God for maturity. Anyway, it was really a close call because I accumulated enough passive income already but I just ran out of good deals on my way around. The first time I played Cash flow 101 was back in 2006 and I was able to get out of the rat race. The moderators were even impressed in the way I played the game and how I handled my finances and deals. At that time my head was like in a singsong again saying "Yep! I still got it!" I still can't believe time and circumstance bailed out on me this time. Plus the fact that my age won't allow me to burst into a destructive tantrum.

holy week musings

Ever since I came to profess my non-belief publicly, I seem to have appeared as an antagonistic character in some people's (maybe even my family's) viewpoint. I, nonetheless, expected this kind of reaction because I understand that religion has a certain grasp on a person that would not allow their strong-held beliefs to quiver. In addition to that, there is also a widespread opinion about atheists being immoral and rebellious. People believe that in order to live a moral and honorable life, one has to have faith in certain divinities and be guided by its teachings. This sort of discrimination and bias is very much pronounced in our society especially in politics. Most people would not vote for an atheist running for a public post. Some states in the US prohibit atheists to hold a public office. And before, atheists are not even allowed to testify in court since they cannot swear to the bible. Reading history, studying the Constitution, and by simply living in a society made me aware of the consequences I would have to deal with in publicly professing my non-belief. Its not that I actively publicize my stance to the point of practically trying to convert people out of their own religious beliefs. I do post occasional articles and like materials in different internet mediums to give an alternative viewpoint or a different insight. However, it's not my goal to convert people out of their belief systems but for them to think critically and practice intellectual honesty. I don't "evangelize" because it's pointless and somehow presumptuous.

There were two people I encountered who somehow led me into this life stance: my history teacher back in high school and my Constitutional Law professor in Law school. The first one disturbed my idea of God, the trinity, and the creation of man. This eventually led to my great curiosity about religious doctrines and I relentlessly tried learning as much as I can about it while still maintaining to be a good Catholic. Although I found many good answers to my questions, I still did not let go of my faith because I am too afraid of living a life without God and I often thought that my life would be miserable and loathsome as God's punishment for my non-belief. I was young then. College was really a period of discovery for me. It was during my college days that I dabbled myself into different religions and religious teachings. It was a time of studying, learning, and analyzing. I read a variety of books, dig up the history of religion, and studied different philosophies. I learned for instance, about the history of Christianity and its many similarities with ancient or pagan religions. About Mithra, Horus, Osiris and how they connect with the Jesus of the bible. I joined several religious organizations and even took doctrine classes in one Catholic center for girls. It was during these times when I experienced the horrid practices and teachings of religion. At one time, a girl I went with to the center was told not to read Karl Marx and to let the priest do her paper for her. When I objected to this, I was told that I should understand because that girl doesn't have a strong faith yet and Marxist teachings might turn it into shambles. And since the priest was very much concerned of her soul, he offered to save her from such "satanic teachings". I found this utterly crazy and demeaning up until now. Religion always want people not to think for themselves. When I finally became a philosophy major, I somehow made a stand to myself to become a non-believer. I did not the like the term "atheist" back then because of its communist assimilations. I nevertheless kept this decision to myself and when people ask me about this topic, I would always answer in a way that would please them.
I don't especially like my Constitutional Law professor but he certainly made an impression on me. In the course of our discussions on the Bill of Rights, the non-establishment, and the free exercise of religion doctrines; we got to the issue of religion and religious tolerance. The discourse we had in class and the many materials he gave us made me even more resolute with the stance I chose. Many of my blockmates reconsidered their beliefs. Its a different story for me though. It gave me the moral courage to come out of the closet. I realized that I should be true to myself and for once just forget about what people would say. I knew that it would be difficult and people are bound to judge me but I already stopped caring. As long as I'm not hurting anyone and trampling people out of my way, there is nothing to feel ashamed of and be guilty about.

So when people ask me why I study the bible or watch the "senakulo", I always want to retort: how bout you? why do you study science and watch movies? Although I always want to maintain good relations with the people I deal with, I can't help criticizing the religious teachings that many of them adhere to. Some people take this as a personal attack which is really distressing because I have no such intention. Perhaps they are just being defensive because their esteemed religious faith is being questioned and they cant provide good answers that would make sense even to someone who does not believe. I do hope that people would keep an open mind. People I encountered who hold such strong beliefs expect people like me not to criticize their religious faith and just respect it. I believe in tolerance of other people's beliefs, but not respect. Respect needs to be earned and so far, no explanation earned my respect. Beliefs and claims are meant to be evaluated and analyzed, not respected. When a person claims to believe that he has a diamond the size of his refrigerator buried in his backyard without proving it, you don't expect people to respect his belief. Most likely, people hearing such claim would think that this person must be nuts. You can tolerate his delusional claim but you're certainly not obliged to respect it. One can always assume the preposterous for his own psychological or emotional purpose but when he starts to attach truth claims with it for the whole world to believe, he should not expect respect for such without any good evidence and good arguments to back it up.