I was having dinner with my council mates last October 2, when Jaz nonchalantly made an origami paper crane out of the scrap receipt. We commented on how “Asian” origami is. At the same time, I mentioned how the only origami I can possibly do is a paper airplane, and that I fumble on making a paper boat. In fact, I have memories of attending a McDonalds seminar at McDo Kalayaan on how we can make paper roses, and well… it was an epic fail for me. The only person in the family who is good with origami is perhaps, my brother Toy, (we love Star Wars) and he used to improvise starships and star cruisers with origami doubles so he could reenact some of the Obi-Wan/Anakin or Obi-Wan/Luke scenes.

So anyway, fast forward to today… I browsed this (500) Days of Summer inspiration blog, and if you will remember, Summer had these mobiles of paper cranes at the foot of her bed. This, of course, prompted me to make paper cranes just for the fun of it! But the only problem is… I don’t know how to make them. So I searched online and found this video. I did it simultaneously with the video and managed to make one beautiful paper crane (the one on the photo above). Of course, I decided to make more, and eventually came up with six beautiful paper cranes!

Check out the mommy paper crane and her six paper crane babies!

They’re quite photogenic, aren’t they?

Sadly, I have learned that my Tumblr can only aesthetically, and practically accomodate my sporadic and random musings. Unlike with WordPress, where my long thoughts and writings find a home that could fit them so easily.

And yes, I’m trying very hard to be much like the beautiful Dianna Agron who posts more pictures than words on her famous Tumblr. 

So, what have I been up to since my mysterious absence? Allow me to recapitulate in polaroids – my newest photographic obsession since Canon’s black and white/sepia camera function and Toycamera Analogcolor.

I finished my first year in college – not with a bang, but definitely with more insights and hindsights. And made lots and lots of new friends. (My blockmates – 103B – and I making a jump for it after our recollection.) And I, might I add, made it on the Dean’s List twice and on the Honors’ Circle! Praying  I keep it up until the end.

We finished our Council of Cool mini-mag, which will come out this October. Its like our final project for the council, and it makes me sad to leave the experience. I shared with my friend and COC-mate Jazmin the position of Fashion/Beauty Editor. We styled three girls… can you guess who we’re styling on on this one?

I attended my first BFF Camp. This is me getting a big hug from my COC-mate and COC-BFF, Mars.

I also acquired a new camera, thankyouverymuch. C/o my Ninong Apollo (godfather) as a pasalubong and gift from the US. A Canon digital camera which runs on AA batteries. Apparently, the Canon S90 is quite elusive. But so far, I love my new camera to bits. It’s entirely my own and I can bring it to events. I wish my photographic skills will be as good as Laura Yan‘s and abbytryagain‘s, though.

My cousins from the US returned and…

…we attended my maternal grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary.

I also very recently turned 18. Aaah, yes! with a few of the important people in my heart. Seeing some of my High School friends and College friends come together and become friends themselves did bring joy to my heart. Now they’re all friends on Facebook and they have me as their “mutual friend”.

According to my friends, this is the I-got-in-a-movie (Alekx in Wonderland) pose.

Meanwhile, I am currently making new friends with students from the Music department. Taken a day after our Sayawitan presentation (Filipino portmanteau for sayawan and awitan - singing and dancing respectively – a musical and dance event celebrated during the Buwan ng Wika – the month of August, to commemorate our National Language and Heritage) , where they treated me and my blockmates (it was actually their presentation, we contributed a dance number) to a gorgeous serving of Yellow Cab pizza and Starbucks.

Oh! I have a new Facebook account (which made a ton of my friends exclaim hallelujah!), which I made on my birthday. But I’m still very picky with who I add. Yup, that’s my siblings and I on the Facebook search page screencap.

♥♥♥

I’ve missed this. Only when I was reading Laura‘s new blog did it occur to me how much I miss writing about the insides of my very cluttered mind, of what it feels like seeing your thoughts published in clean Georgia font, or even the very logging on at WordPress. Ha! I shall revive this very soon. But for now, midterm examinations.

I used Poladroid to polaroid-ize these photos.

I’m singing/listening to this as a welcome to 2010. In many explicable and inexplicable ways, this song always gets me into a happy mood. Today, it’s a form of prayer to don’t stop believin’. Here’s to another year of hope and happiness, one which is even better than the already amazing 2009. Another shot on chasing my dreams, forgetting fears, lifting hopes, and sharing smiles.

Some will win some will lose
Some are born to sing the blues
And now the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the nights
Streetlights people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the nights

Have a Happy New Year!

B is for blogs, Blair, and Bass, for one cannot have too much bitches and b-ad-ass-ness. And block mates, of course, my dear, darling block mates!

C is for college, the new world to which I must survive. Candy, the Council of Cool, and our fun monthly meetings. And cellphones! Replacing top-of-the-line mobiles with cheaper alternatives and losing it again (figuratively, since my phone’s just broken). For conversations that keep us going.

(photo via)

D is for daydreams about life, future, and inspirations; the beautiful Dianna Agron; and being a darling!

E is for excitement and expectations, all I fear and all I delight at.

F is for Fridays. Because I am starting to appreciate them again. And French! Learning and appreciating it.

G is for Gossip Girl and Glee, my late-night guilty pleasures and hoping to become one of them. And, Goodbyes… to High School and to High School boys!

H is for holidays! One too many of them.

I is for iTunes. Because of the free music every Tuesday!

J is for jealousy that strike up rumors and hurt so many people.

K is for ketchup! and hating it.

L is for Listography and the friendships I’ve made because of it; Leighton, my lovely 3-month and a day old MacBook, whom I can’t live without. Laughter, it’s great healing power. And, of course, Love! finding it, losing it, and waiting for it to comeback.

M is for my mother, whom I have gotten closer to this year.

N is for New Year’s that I face with fears and fantasies. New York and the ambition of being able to live their one day. And Nostalgia! of course, I had a lot of that this year.

O is for opportunities that give so much hope for the future.

P is for pens and paper. For one cannot have too much of it all.

Q is for quiet, serenity, and peace. Of learning to love silence.

R is for reasons. And ribbons! Ribbons on headbands, ribbons on dresses, ribbons as obeisance, and ribbons simply for the beauty of it.

S is for St. Scho, because I wouldn’t have it any other way. And songs! Songs that make me smile, make me cry, make me remember, make me cherish my memories forever.

T is for tweexcore, whose if without her genius would not have made this blog possible; Tumblr. oh! pure joys of reblogging of wants, wishes, and wonders. And Tiffany’s for I must “jump into a cab and go to Tiffany’s!” so as the great Holly Golightly puts it.

(photo via)

U is for umbrellas, the ones I keep losing. I have had four or five of them this year.

V is for violets. In all shades of violets.

W is for websites, ones which I never took notice of at first and ends up to be something I am more interested in, and vice versa. Also,WordPress.

X is for XTY and rediscovering her wonderful photos.

Y is for Yale! and wondering when will I get there.

Z is for Zooey D. and her awesome-ness that I have discovered just mid-year.

(photo via)

Last night, I was wondering what things have I done worthwhile enough to make 2009 a memorable one. But then I also realized 2010 is coming. The past is the past, making me who I am now, but 2010 is a new year, another chance to be good at some things. I wouldn’t want to waste it on moping on the past. 2009 was an incredible year, but I can’t wait for 2010! I don’t know if it’s going to be as amazing as this year, but I do know that I have to try and see. We’ll never really know. The biggest surprise might be waiting just around the corner.

FANNY BRICE

Don’t tell me not to live, just sit and putter
Life’s candy and the sun’s a ball of butter
Don’t bring around a cloud to rain on my parade
Don’t tell me not to fly,
I simply got toIf someone takes a spill, it’s me and not you
Who told you you’re allowed to rain on my parade?[1]
I’ll march my band out, I’ll beat my drum
And if I’m fanned out, your turn at bat, sir
At least I didn’t fake it, hat, sir
I guess I didn’t make it
But whether I’m the rose of sheer perfection
A freckle on the nose of life’s complexion
The Cinderella or the shine apple of its eye
I gotta fly once, I gotta try once,
Only can die once, right, sir?
Ooh, life is juicy, juicy and you see,
I gotta have my bite, sir.
Get ready for me love, ’cause I’m a “comer”
I simply gotta march, my heart’s a drummer
Don’t bring around the cloud to rain on my parade,

I’m gonna live and live NOW!
Get what I want, I know how!
One roll for the whole shebang!
One throw that bell will go clang,
Eye on the target and wham,
One shot, one gun shot and bam!
Hey, Mr. Arnstein, here I am …

I’ll march my band out, I will beat my drum,
And if I’m fanned out, your turn at bat, sir,
At least I didn’t fake it, hat, sir,
I guess I didn’t make it
Get ready for me love, ’cause I’m a “comer”
I simply gotta march, my heart’s a drummer
Nobody, no, nobody, is gonna rain on my parade!

merry christmas!

1 i can’t stop singing it.

(photo via)

+Don’t be a grinch! Just because you’re not in the mood yet, it’s not an excuse to bitch out on everyone else. No, you’re not purposefully being left out by your family and friends, you just don’t feel it yet. I suggest the best way to do this is to lift your sad soul yourself. No one’s going to do this for you anyway, so better do it on your own.

+Read. That long list of books-to-read is no more this season! With all the free time that you have in your hands, you’ll be cutting that list to bits with new stories to pore and ponder on.

(photo via)

+Help in the kitchen. It’s common Filipino tradition for families to get together and help prepare for the Holidays. Earlier today, I did the exact same thing and helped my dad prepare some of the meals we are to have for Noche Buena. I don’t normally help with Christmas preparations but it was great because I was able to catch up with family members. And always, always, the food do taste better after working hard for it.

+Join the Christmas caroling. Three years ago, a group of friends and I decided to start a group and roam the neighborhood and sing carols to them. Like the one above, this tradition is very Filipino, but I’m suggesting it because what fun would Christmas be without the trite Christmas songs. The money that you earn along the way is just a bonus. Being able to share the joy and laughter to other people is the main thing. And that is what Christmas is really all about.

(photo via)

Whether your out of town or not, still, I think, the best way to spend the Holidays is to be with the persons you love the most. Jesus was born on Christmas, He came to the world to be with the people he loves, us.

The communal bathroom is suddenly being ripped apart (no pun intended) and replaced with new lavatory equipments. Almost all the rooms are being repainted with darker colors, in contrast to the formerly bright and sunny tones of the last paint job. And the best part is, people are actually getting rid of their really old stuff to make room. You may be wondering, our family[1], they just don’t realize this, is big on material sentimentality. They can’t just throw away old clothes, articles, etc., without considering it as a hand-me-down[2] or without the consent of other family members.

Bitten by the cleaning bug myself (slightly), I managed to assort my past lecture notebooks and files. I decided to give the useless papers to SSC’s paper drive, my old notebooks to the less fortunate (or junk shop-if anyone’s going to buy it), and keep the rest for sentimental reasons (told ya). In the midst of the sorting process, I managed to unearth important papers, doodles, a treasured copy of the lyrics of “Way Back Into Love”, and poetry which I made/acquired/read in my previous years of schooling.

Here is a poem (one cheesy poem ) I made in my senior year. It never met it’s end so don’t wonder if it’s incomplete.

If I would have had my way
I’d wish all is left for here to stay
But since it’s time that I cannot stop
So as your love when it departs.
Sad as it may seem but that time has come
In your arms, I am forever gone.
All has been said and all has been done
I pray you won’t…

I have also managed to excavate another poem, this one from my teacher in Filipino IV. This is part of an activity. It’s in the Filipino language and I wanted to translate it. Halfway through the poem, I figured I can’t.

Ang Guryon

Tanggapin mo, Anak, itong munting guryon
Na yari sa paypat at “papel de hapon”
Magandang laruan pula, puti, asul,
Na may pangalan mong gitna naroon.

Ang hiling ko lang bago paliparin
Ang guryon mong ito ay pakatimbangin;
Ang dulot paulo’y sukating magaling
Nang hindi mag-ikit o kaya’y magkiling
Saka, pag humihip ang hangin, ilabas
At sa papawiri’y bayaang lumipad
Dapatwat ang pisi’y tibayan mo, Anak,
At baka lagutin ng hanging malakas.

Ibigin ma’t hindi balang araw, ikaw
ay mapapabuyong, makipagdagitan
Makipaglabanan ka, subalit tandaan
na ang nagwawagi’y ang pusong marangal

At kung ang guryon mo’y sakaling madaig,
Matangay ng iba o kaya’y mapatid
Kung saka-sakali di na mapabalik
maawaing kama’y nawa ang magkamit.

Ang Buhay ay guryon marupok, malikot.
Dagiti’t dumagit saan man sumuot….
O palirarin mo’t ihalik sa Diyos,
Bago patuluyan sa lupa’y sumubsob!

Amazing, the may things you find! I usually organize my stuff when I am feeling all stressed out. “Unearthing” notes, odds and ends, and other possessions brings back a wave of nostalgia – my only medicine to the hectic schoolwork I’ve been so deeply immersed into in the past weeks.

What have you uncovered so far? The Holidays is the best season to get organized. I suggest doing some winter cleaning (haha) and let me know what you guys have lost and suddenly found. I will be waiting.

1 by family, I meant the extended maternal family.
2 I think this best explains why I still have my mom’s and aunts’ old clothes

I just watched the last three episodes of Glee, or before it’s hiatus, and I must say that it really was fantamazingly brilliant, beautiful, lovely, wonderful, etc. There were many instances, in Episode 12: Mattress and Episode 13: Sectionals that I cried, and I don’t think that it’s just because the scenes were emotional. Some of it were but some, to others, were not. I think, this is mainly because those scenes reflect something about me that I have not voiced out. In a way, Glee has expressed whatever memory, emotion, idea, etc. that I find so hard to set free.

This is one of the many, most special reasons why I love Glee… because it’s real. Glee reflects the life, love, and laugh of many people, and these are not just performers. It’s a lot of us, almost all of us. I am amazed at how far the show has gone and how beautifully it has developed. I love that everything about it could be real and that it does not give false hope. More than ever, I love how it has transcended the heights of my usual love for television. I am glad there was/is/will be Glee.

To be fairly honest, when I watched the seventh to tenth episodes it hadn’t really caught much of my interest. Episodes 11th to 13th brought back Glee where it should be. I feel complete. I feel better. If Glee could come back to where it belongs, then I could too. I guess, I just have to wait.

On a lighter note, here are my thoughts (in list form) that cannot just wait to be expressed:
+ thank goodness Will finally founds out Terri’s secret. I was kind of thinking she’s really a lunatic.
+ you can’t really put Sue Sylvester down.
+ Finn finds out he’s not the father, I pity him, having to live through a lie in weeks.
+ Finn and Rachel-finally! This is what I have been waiting for since Episode 1
+ Surprising twist that Quinn Fabray doesn’t choose Noah Puckerman. Hmmm. Good decision.
+ I fear what Sue Sylvester might be up to next.
+ Why does everyone keep on picking on Rachel? I think she’s becoming better every episode, I’ve just noticed.
+ I like the choreography for “My Life Would Suck Without You”. When they incorporated past choreography into the song. I recognized “Hairography”, “Last Night”, “Single Ladies”, “I Say A Little Prayer”, the mash-ups, “Push It”, “Proud Mary”, and of course, COOL EPILEPSY
+ And yes, go Emma and Will!

(photos via)

Last night, I had the privilege to chat up with tweexcore. With tweexcore! the tweexcore, whose amazing essays and beautiful photographs inspired this weblog. Can you believe it? We’re talking while in different timezones (Manila is 11 hours earlier NYC). We’re both up making essays for school. We talked about ourselves, school, languages, one of her essays, and NYC1. In this little way, I feel very blessed.

Also, last night was the finale of the Philippine version of Stairway To Heaven. And I cried. I’ve always known that the show is really a sad story, but I never thought I would be moved. I’ve always thought that the show’s ending is going to be corny. But, as I’ve found out, it’s not. Stairway To Heaven is the kind of show that no matter how you try to suppress your tears, you can’t. I ended up halfway between crying and suppressed tears.

What with all this, I suddenly decided to read the Emily Brontë classic, Wuthering Heights. My High School friend Gabby was tasked to read this in our senior year, for a book report. But she didn’t like it very much. I, on the other hand, thought I might give it a chance just in case.

So anyway, I have to go take a shower now. My grandmother and I are going to Cubao to visit my aunt and her two sons (my cousins). From there, we will be heading to La Salle Greenhills (LSGH) to watch my cousins participate in the annual LSGH Lantern Parade.

6.30PM
I can’t write for school. I think that with all the outlining, revising, and drafting that I have been doing since the past week I have exhausted myself with academic thoughts. I have my sights set on a different story. I want to write that other story. I feel numb, but ironically, I know a part of me wants to cry, let it all out, allow the tears to do their own brand of magic of healing. My thoughts are incoherent. My words aren’t cohesive. And my attempt, futile.

In a blog post, I wished for cold – the winter cold. Sadly, I got a different kind of cold. A cold that takes me back to where I was three years ago, remembering the many different characters I wish to become when I grow up. It is a cold that is gentle yet ruthless, significant yet painful, familiar yet painful.

Where has time gone? It had come and gone so fleetingly. The one who knows once whispered to my senses that I should bask in every moment. For every moment is a treasure once spent, you can never take back.

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, I will wish to be my fourteen-year-old self so I could make everything the way I want it to be. If the day after tomorrow I succeed, it will forever be one giant leap. And if I fail, I’d like to have the confidence to be able to tell myself, “at least I tried.”

This was me watching Naturally, Sadie videos (sadly, there’s not plenty) on Youtube. How I terribly miss that show! Most people didn’t like it because they thought the show was boring and a far cry from the traditional Disney SitComs. I, on the other hand, liked it so much because of the scientific observations made by Sadie (Charlotte Arnold). When I was younger I really liked Science so much. Season 2 and 3 are personal favorites of mine because Ben Harrison (Jacob Kraemer) finally came to the picture.

It is to my greatest despair to have learned that there are no Sadie episodes available for purchase on iTunes. And there are also no torrents I can download. I feel terrible. I wish for Naturally, Sadie Season 1-3 DVDs… please, please, please!

Meanwhile, as much as I can, I try to console myself by watching this certain video I found on Youtube.

It’s the finale of the Season 2 finale, Sliding Closet Doors. We, avid watchers of the show, know that Sadie picks the blue shirt which eventually leads her and Ben’s happy ever after. However, the scene is just too good to pass out on. Ben and Sadie finally share the kiss that have been consistently interrupted during the entire season (11 times to be exact). The song is “Finally Found You” by Rant & Sly which is currently on repeat on my iTunes. Enjoy!