happy sunburn

I've decided to visit the islands again. I needed the break. I needed to escape from thesis at least for three days. Think of fun and games, snorkeling, kayaking.. think of no work. It was absolutely a great vacation treat for myself for once. I could write a 10,000 word post, detailing the awesomeness of our little vacation but you would probably lose interest reading. So instead, I'll prepare a little dish about my short weekend break.

We stayed at a hotel which is within the boundaries of alaminos. Good but not great I'd say. We found it to be mostly oriented to groups of families and adults and it was very laid back.

Once we decided to venture out, all we needed to do was take a 30-minute boat to the Hundred Islands National Park. We took advantage of all the activities and one long day wasn't enough. We spent hours touring the islands and spent hours snorkeling the underground caves, though I'm deathly afraid of deep water.

In three tanning days, we spent a fantastic day kayaking and snorkeling around the islands, had typical home-made food, had sunburn from soccer and beach volleyball and enjoyed every painful minute of it. I think my new sun-baked color worked quite well and everyone said I look better and healthier with a fresh tan. But after shower this morning, I think I'm getting white again. Agh.

Well I could go on and on but you should really experience it for yourself. Book yourself a nice weekend deal and have a little treat with your friends. So today I could say my weekend was well spent. So how's yours?

all set for the weekend

Thesis, thesis and more thesis. The antidote for this thesis misery? A long weekend escape I guess. I've been craving for a darn good adventure for months now. So when the chance came upon for a weekend break, well I'm game, even if I'm a bit low on funds, count me in baby!

ah sunday..

I just have to have my coffee in the morning. It is like almost a ritual for me to have a good house coffee to wake up to. And part of this ritual is a good walk around the park to unwind a little. There's a little place for coffee drinkers near our park that I like to go to every sunday. It is locally owned by a retired couple, married for 30 years I guess, and they have done an excellent job of serving great house blend coffees. People usually flock the place for a good cup to go and stop for donuts after church.

No fancy lattes, no skinny caramel macchiatos, no extra-dry cappuccinos, no extra whipped cream, no articulate baristas here. That's right, ain't none of those wussie shits here. The Martinez's coffee house focus on REAL coffee. They just make regular strong coffee goodness with a little sugar and milk or cream. I guess that's why homeslick coffee drinkers here love the place. It's a little trendy spot beside the couple's home that also serves donuts, sandwiches, pastries and desserts perfect for brunch lovers.

This morning the coffee house was closed. I heard the couple are staying at their daughter's for the weekend. The martinez's coffee has been my sunday routine and it's such a bummer to walk all the way from my house to see it close.

I really want a cup of coffee right now. Not just any coffee at home, but some really strong martinez classic, sweetened by 2 spoons of sugar with a good vanilla creamer. That would be great right about now. Agh. Can someone please make me a cup of coffee?

they're amazing

Kids, don't take drugs. Listen to Radiohead instead.. it has the same effects.

pinoy bumbunan

One of the most retarded things I've come across lately would be the weather pattern. It rained like crazy yesterday, last night and this morning. It has been pouring for hours. It has already cancelled my plans for the day, but who cares? I guess I'll just spend the whole day singing "raindrops keep falling on my head..."

Speaking of retardation, we can't get away of filipino superstitions. Superstition is one of the subjects on which I cannot seem to form a solid opinion. I'm a bit skeptic since it's really hard to define the idea and generally it is silly and retarded.

I was watching the evening news last night and it's funny how people use their books as umbrellas to protect their heads as believed to be ridiculously fragile. While people from other countries do everything to protect their books from the rain, filipinos use paperback books as hats just to cover their bumbunan. - Why?!

I know people do usually get colds during the rainy season, but I don't get the connection between the rain and our cold-inducing fontanelle or "the bumbunan". Why do we fret much about raindrops on our head? If it's really that bad, why would anyone even write a song about it?

strange but true

One of the funniest facts I've come across. Surprisingly accurate and ultra-condensed random facts about a lasallite. A salute to whoever made this list, you basically nailed the LSGH culture.

You Know You're From La Salle Green Hills If:

1. You have nicknames for all your teachers
   
2. You call your classmates by their last name (it’s because when we don’t know the person we just read the name plate on his polo and we get used to calling him by his last name)
   
3. There’s at least one person in your barkada whose nickname is a shorter variation of his last name
   
4. You have a classmate named Paulo/Paolo every single year
   
5. You do your school work during homeroom so you can copy from someone
   
6. You never bring your own things; starting from pad papers for tests to toiletries for a swimming PE
   
7. You don’t jog when the coach tells you to jog during PE
   
8. You cram a lot that it is weird when someone does school work a week before you need to submit it
   
9. Group works usually mean the group meets at someone’s house, does nothing 90% of the time and ends up having one member do everything and paying him
   
10. During intrams, you always underestimate the honor’s class
    
11. When a hot girl passes by in campus, you can’t help but stare
    
12. An 82 for a card grade is high
    
13. When you see new facilities, you always comment “dyan napupunta tuition natin!”
    
14. You suck at English and you know it
    
15. You’ve ask for an exemption from class to watch the UAAP game
    
16. You hang at Galle or Greenhills after class while wearing your polo/polo-barong with the two topmost buttons open OR you remove your polo/polo-barong entirely (usually when you’re planning to smoke)
    
17. You've bashed “THE Areneow” at one point in you whole stay in La Salle Green Hills
    
18. You’ve borrowed calculators, lab gowns, aprons (and the like) from someone in another class because you forgot yours or you’re too lazy to bring your own
    
19. You study the class before a quiz
    
20. You’ve borrowed your seatmate’s notes because you don’t have (you were too lazy to copy the last meeting)
    
21. You know Kuya Ding the photocopy guy at the HS library
    
22. You never borrowed a book from the library
    
23. You have your own personal list of the hot teachers
    
24. You don’t know half of your batchmates
    
25. You repeat what the teacher said when he/she mispronounces something
    
26. You, together with your classmates, impersonate teachers
    
27. You wasted as much time as you can hanging around during drug tests
    
28. You asked nonsense questions to teachers just to waste their time
    
29. You’re rarely ready for a test
    
30. You’ve made codigos for formulas in Chem and Math tests but you still fail because you don’t understand how to use them
    
31. During CL classes, you’d rather have “role playing” than do a seatwork
    
32. Not submitting a requirement is ALWAYS an option
    
33. You’ve texted in class. You text everyday in class
    
34. You hated Medroso and the admin together with him
    
35. You look up to the batch higher than yours
    
36. You plan to grow your hair really long after graduating (effects of the haircut regulation)
    
37. You ate sisig at Fresh Choice
    
38. You address your teachers with “Miss” or “Sir” unless they’re not around or you’re close to them
    
39. When it rains hard, you can't help but scream out loud: "SUSPENDED! (ULUL!) SUSPENDED! (ULUL!)"
    
40. You've assumed that DLSU was the next step
    
41. In at least one point, you have assumed that they will turn the school Co-Ed the year/s following your graduation (hahah not sure)
    
42. You forgot to observe CLAYGO
    
43. You stopped and talked to a teacher who was proctoring (and the teacher would always go out of the room, leaving his/her class, to talk to you outside)
    
44. You were caught sleeping and pretended to listen, only to be asked questions relating to what you missed
    
45. You eat your meals during Recess and hang out during Lunch
    
46. You have begged a classmate to share his blessings (i.e. snacks that aren't "audible" when you eat them)
    
47. You've felt really guilty when you make a teacher everyone likes mad and forced him/her to give a really bad sermon
    
48. You've felt really happy when you make a teacher everyone hates mad and forced him/her to give a really bad sermon
    
49. You miss the softdrink station in the Canteen
    
50. You refer to the Canteen as Canteen rather than The Saint Benilde Cafeteria
    
51. You'd always ask someone what's the passing grade for a quiz, just to be sure
    
52. You barely open your CL book at home...we never use it though
    
53. You try to understand your Math book
    
54. You have drunken a little too much with your friends
    
55. You let every teacher know that it's your classmates birthday then proceed to sing him Happy Birthday (just to kill as much time as possible so that the lecture would be shorter)
    
56. You tore off your polo pocket at the last day of Third Year (or plan to if you're not yet in the third year)
    
57. You think that being a senior means you get to boss around all the undergrads
    
58. You would rather go to Enchanted Kingdom or one of the junk food factories instead of BSP or the mountains for your field trips
    
59. You have given a retarded presentation and passed it off as finished.
    
60. You pulled out all the tricks you can think off in the Pep Rally to show batch unity. (The seniors ALWAYS rule.)
    
61. You say that you'll do better in the next test
    
62. You finish the PE Quarterly exam in 15 minutes or less.
    
63. You've had something confiscated, then returned to you because you talked your way out of it
    
64. You've dodged an SDR/VR because of a technicality
    
65. You've played Trash Can Basketball
    
66. You've played Chalkboard Basketball
    
67. You've had a teacher who walked out of your class once.
    
68. You don't really warm-up during PE
    
69. You always think there's something wrong with the freshmen
    
70. You cheer for DLSU even if you're in a different college
    
71. You've passed something even without doing anything at all
    
72. Your class presidents are usually the noisiest people in high school
    
73. Girls would ask you if you know this popular batchmate of yours.
    
74. You've had a soiree where it's partly a sausage fest. 3:1 boy to girl ratio
    
75. During intrams, you always try to think of a name that has a green meaning to it
    
76. You've seen something written on the bathroom walls and laughed and shouted "pare tingnan niyo toh!"
    
77. Your band club has always more than 100 people in it.
    
78. You always see around 10+ students in front of the faculty office
    
79. You go to the honors' class first to borrow a calculator. If they don't have one, you go to the semi-honors' class
    
80. You've wasted more than 3 hours of supposed review to computer games
    
81. There's always one guy who finishes the exam in 10 minutes or less
    
82. You've seen or heard of stories of people fighting in the CR
    
83. You enjoy making video presentations.
    
84. Reportings bore you like hell. You don't usually listen to the first group cause you're too busy planning what to do
    
85. Your class has actually tried to pretend sleeping all at once before the teacher comes in then when he's in you all start dancing and cheering
    
86. You always wished to have the lavatory pass
    
87. You don't sign the log book
    
88. Your confidence increases as your number increases
    
89. When you're alone commuting, you're generally quiet, but when your with a fello lasallian, you're louder than the bus horns
    
90. You and 6 other friends have actually crammed up in someone's car
    
91. You suddenly turn into a good boy when you're crush is around
    
92. You hope that when you're casual day comes, you're allowed to wear shorts.
    
93. Fridays are Casual Attire days for Seniors
    
94. You have a Tie Dye day on the last Friday of your junior year
    
95. Your teachers always do something different everyday
    
96. You usually laugh at the first few minutes of your favorite teacher's class then you suddenly fall asleep
    
97. Only 4 people in class actually use English as a medium of language.
    
98. You've ridden a bus to school where almost all passengers are students of LSGH (ex: g-liner)
    
99. During you're 3rd year, you wonder what search-in is about
    
100. You actually play "paunahan" in you're PE exams
     
101. You never took the school ability test and achievement tests seriously. You wonder now what the hell that is.
     
102. When a project comes along, you say the very inspiring words: "Bara bara na lang yan."
     
103. When you're a senior and it's the last few months of the school year, you play your PSP in class because you don't care about high school anymore.
     
104. The biggest fad in your classroom is Rock-Paper-Scissors. You even have championships for it!
     
105. You love playing "Moses and the Red Sea" with the lower years (if you're a senior.)
     
106. Your classmates love forming serious bands that will not even get together for ONE jamming session.
     
107. You force gradeschoolers out of "your" table.
     
108. You use the cafeteria benches as beds right before class starts.
     
109. You don't give a rat's ass about Violation Reports in high school.
     
110. You've forged a SAD slip/SDR/VR at least once.
     
111. The class name was changed more than once before being accepted because of double-entendres.
     
112. You try to steal your batchmate's date during Prom/Ball.
     
113. You've made a new religion based on a very influential classmate.
     
114. You run around hiding from Medro in the morning during GradPrac to hide your long hair.
     
115. You stay inside the classroom during flag ceremony.
     
116. You've snorted Extra Joss.
     
117. The 711 in Ortigas Ave is a favorite hangout.
     
118. You've done akyat bakod during Semi-Finals.
     
119. Staring at a student from another batch right in the eyes means war.
     
120. You look at the Wack-Wack parking lot as the school's own Octagon.
     
121. You curse the traffic at Ortigas in the morning before realizing it’s actually your school that causes it.
     
122. You have VDP every Mondays and you look at it as a free sleeping period.
     
123. Your classmates drink during exam week
     
124. You design better paper airplanes with your classmates and use the classroom as a runway and air field.
     
125. You beg your last period teacher to let you use the TV to watch an important DLSU game.
     
126. You walk long distances from the school only to come back because that is where your sundo will be.
     
127. You find the idea of doing schoolwork early as hilarious.
     
128. Your batchmates grab each other's crotches as a greeting.
     
129. Instead of saying "Time na!" when a class ends, you say "Chime na!"
     
130. You set aside Php10 for iced tea at the canteen.
     
131. Your classmates smoke in the CR after almost every period.
     
132. You're informed of an announced test minutes before that class starts.
133. You played with the OHM reader during Electronics class.
     
134. Your Automotive teacher caresses the engine while he lectures. Especially the camshaft.
     
135. You love your batch and believe that it's the best!
     
136. During the first weeks of the school year, the freshmen are running up the stairs and try to be the first ones to arrive the classroom after the first bell (sometimes, locking the door so others can't come in). The upper batch always thinks that a grade school behavior. Hahaha
     
137. It's always the secretary and the computer monitor who go to the AP's office to get the computer key and the attendance sheet.
     
138. When the door is locked before a class starts and everyone is outside, no one wants to get the classroom key.
     
139. As the years pass, you have to climb another floor.
     
140. First and second years are always given the choice to take Music or Band class.
     
141. Kasaysayan and Badminton Club are the organizations with the largest student members. (hindi ba chess club?)
     
142. SSRP > Activity Period
     
143. Almost everywhere is air-conditioned. (Even the gym during community mass and important events)
     
144. Experience Si Sir, Si Ma'm at least once
     
145. Scope solicitation is a contest, especially for the seniors
     
146. Most of the people who look in the honor's list come from the SPAS classes.
     
147. "Si Sir Si Ma'am" is when students lose all their respect for the teachers
     
148. You're afraid of the Search-in Ballpen
     
149. If you get accepted into Search-in, you're compelled to facilitate forever and ever
     
150. If you don't get accepted, you think Search-in is gay
     
151. You text in class
     
152. You eat in class
     
153. You do so many things to get your teachers pissed off
     
154. You like sisig in Fresh Choice
     
155. If all food establishments are closed, you settle for No Choice
     
156. You get so used to aircon
     
157. You gloat that you're in High School if you came from the Grade School
     
158. You always say Hi to teachers, even if they are so far away
     
159. You know Ms. Fay Irasga
     
160. You know Mr. David
     
161. Whenever the class is very quiet (especially when having a test), you tend to shout "WEH!" or "WHOOOOOOA!" when you or your classmates hear even the slightest noise. And because of this, the class gets noisy.
     
162. You always complain about the noise of the moving chairs made by the classroom above yours, even when you're a senior and there's actually no classroom above.
     
163. A specific group of people (i.e. a barkada) per batch (usually the "cool" group/people) is actually the one who makes the batch united.
     
164. During dismissal time, you hang out or ask someone who has P20 so you could have that Buy-One-Take-One pasta at Blue & Gold (it costs P40).
     
165. You always go inside the bathroom, and tend to fix your hair for more than 15 mins
     
166. Usually the dishwashers inside the cooking room are the quiet ones
     
167. All LSGH alumni says "Putang ina" when they see their school facilities change every year
     
168. Every NCAA pep rally, you always watch out for the special guest especially the sexy girls group
     
169. Definitely, you always pay and settle your account LATE! (ex. intrams, field trips, etc.)

nail-biting thesis

My fingers have been getting their fair share of exercise and I cannot complain. I'm really busy and I cannot imagine college life in any other way. I’m still on schedule for finishing my thesis book but later this week I’ll get back into writing for my blog. I've been marinating some posts for quite a while. I have several posts that I've started and I’ll go back for a little editing maybe soon.

alcohol abstinence

Alcohol seems to be everywhere we turn. I'd have to say that most of the movies, tv shows and commercials that we see are those that relate to alcohol in some way. So I guess it's safe to say that binge drinking is incredibly a pop culture. The problem is that pop culture today mislead and modify the way people view alcohol.

I see commercials doing their best to wise up the viewers about the hassles of alcohol and our responsibility in drinking. However, there are more movies and tv shows that portray excessive drinking as fun situations.

So perhaps the producers of alcoholic products are even contradicting themselves in order to make a profit. Everyone knows that underage drinking is a problem in our society. And I guess by making these commercials readily available on mainstream television we only add more fuel to the fire. I mean, do you think teenagers are going to playback in their heads the warning about being responsible, or the amount of fun the characters are getting from excessive alcohol?

Alcohol abuse is a growing epidemic. And I always wonder who's to blame. Yes, it’s true we all have our own free will, but when ads, movies and music all portray alcohol to be fun, can we really just say no?