Showing posts with label xx2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label xx2. Show all posts

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Memories from Staircases

If you had been reading my blog since my high school days, you'll probably know what the term starfish signifies. And with what I am to share later in this entry, I feel that it is apt to look back and reminisce what I call the starfish affair.

High school sophomore year was a very eventful and significant year. If every year of my life would be a dynasty, I would call my sophomore year The Golden Age. I won't elaborate on how perfect everything seemed for me back then but rather, I'll zoom into one dimension of that so-called perfection -- starfish.

I met a guy who literally took my breath. The first time I met him, I appeared klutzy for mistaking his identity. Well, I got distracted by everything about him. He had this aura of mystery, confidence and intellect. His cute smile was just a compliment to his persona. Yes, I was definitely smitten. And if I am to be honest, I am more than smitten. And that made me feel really good throughout the year. Everytime I see him, it was enough to make me smile so wide.

I really fell so hard for him that I was very shattered when I heard that he's leaving. Because of that, I deliberated on whether I should tell him how I feel for him. Even if I knew that there's only 1% chance that he'll reciprocate, I just want to tell him my feelings just so he knows that he's special. It took me so long to decide.

I told him.

Guess what?

He politely told me that he appreciates how I feel for him and even said 'thank you'. But, he can't return those feelings due to a couple of reasons. I understand him. After an hour of talking, I thanked him for listening. I calmly walked away from him and when I reached the nearest corner, I dashed immediately.

My friends were waiting for me. When I reached them, I tried to smile but I just couldn't hide my true feelings. Right then and there, on the middle of the staircase, I cried my heart out.

It hurt that he rejected me.
I cried.
He thought I was just having a crush on him.
I cried.
He was leaving.
I cried.
I love him.
I cried.

For about two hours, I was just crying in the arms of my friends, regardless of the stares I got. He made me feel so many beautiful emotions. He made me feel good about myself. I did not cry so much just because he rejected me. I mourned for the fact that he was leaving. I was contented with admiring him from afar.

When I stopped crying, I realized how many friends I have. They were there -- worrying about me. If I had more tears to cry, I might have cried again. That very moment made me feel so loved. Might the love be platonic, my friends made me feel better because of their concern.

And all these things happened on a staircase.

I remembered this episode in my life just because I recently fell down the staircase. Yes, I had a terrible sprain due to a torn ligament but I'm now better for only a few more purple blotches remain on my foot's skin. I thank my friends for supporting me on this one too, especially XX2. Your patience with my slow pace during the previous weeks means a lot to me.

I am now healing. I am now healed.

I loved him.
And now, I smile.

I might be over him but I know that I'll always have a space for him in my heart...

That is until I find the man for me.

Monday, April 06, 2009

S-U-M-M-E-R is a Three-letter Word

gian.ia.joseph.jules.kiel.mico.migs.nikki.stacey.vince.yves

After a roller coaster of a year (which ended with a Math20.3a Final Exam), what is there better to do than commence the summer season with the XX2 ULTIMATE SUMMER OUTING?!

March 27, 2009
Who even remembered the Math 20.3a finals after it was done? After packing all the necessities for a four-day and four-nights stay off Manila’s glitz and glamour, eleven of XX2 people hit the road to Calaca, Batangas.
The group had to split in to two subgroups for the transportation. I rode with Stace, Yves, Joseph, Kiel & Jules and despite the heavy traffic near the outskirts of the Metro, the ride was super fun as we told stories, sang songs, joked around, got carried away while driving along the zigzagged road and scared each other (Jules is a meanie). It was already quite dark when we reached Calaca so we got quite confused (i.e. lost) while looking for the place we were supposed to stay at. Getting a bit lost was quite reasonable since the place was very far from the main road, the path to it is not really paved and it was dark. Thankfully, we arrived safely to the place and said hello to Whispering Waves Beach House – our home for four days. Kuya --- (I didn’t really catch his name), the caretaker, helped us settle down when we arrived. After slightly exploring the place and arranging sleeping assignments, we all ate a happy dinner with roasted chicken and rice.
Despite the time and travel, sure had lots of energy on reserve as we still played this little hot spot game. Nikki and Kiel prepared questions which we are to get from a bottle. The questions were not really difficult and spot on but there were some that really perked up the attention of those who are present. It was indeed a long night and we all had to wake up early for we are to prepare for a surprise for Stacey the next day!
March 28, 2009
Equipped with two hours of sleep, I quietly crept out of the bedroom and joined the once who slept less or none at all (Gian, Jules and Yves) to set-up Stacey’s surprise advance birthday celebration. It was a super cute surprise made up of “H.B. Stace” pancake cut-outs, letters-in-a-test-tube hunt and 18 songs. The lack of sleep is worth it as Stace really showed her appreciation. XX2 hearts Stacey!

Before the noon, everyone scrambled, donned our swim gears and hit the cool pool! Though the beach is just nearby, we opt for the pool for the day since it was high tide, making the shore seem non-existent. Despite our watery pool fun, Nikki had to leave for Laguna by high noon so before she left, we took lotsa pictures with Kiel’s dSLR. We had fun with you Nikki! The ten of us continued pool fun for six hours before we decided to step out of the water for pasta dinner care of Jules, Kiel and Yves.
After dinner, most of us decided to stay-up and participate in the Earth Hour. We lit a couple of candles, mixed up pitchers of punch (if you know what I mean), played ‘I’ve never’ and just chilled. That night ended a bit weird as we got freaked out by things and stuff (sorry about that guys). Well, at least we got to sleep a bit. On to the next day!

March 29, 2009
Mico, Joseph, Gian, Stacey and I headed to the town’s market to buy food stuff for the day. With Kuya the caretaker, we rode a tricycle to the said area where the trade is on. Thankfully, the goods are still fresh as we bought fish fillet to fry, chicken breast, pork belly and tilapia to grill, hotdogs to roast and veggies to complement all the protein-rich foodies. After acquiring the necessities, everyone is on to preparing the Super Brunch.
SUPER BRUNCH
Crab and Corn Soup
Breaded Blue Marlin Fish Fillet with Asian and Honey Mustard Dips
Tomato Rotini Pasta
Fresh Melon Juice
Watermelon Wedges
When we were done enjoying the yummy brunch prepared by everyone, we got overwhelmed by the pile of soiled wares waiting to be cleaned up. I really salute Jules and Kiel for taking on the challenge of washing those stacks of plates and kitchen stuff. Our stay in Whispering Waves would not be complete if we did not take advantage of the beach and nature seemed to agree with us since the sea created a more spacious beach and a lower level of water. I personally liked the fine black sand and the gentle waves of water as I saw the sunset live. Too bad I didn’t have my camera back then.
I had this personally significant experience in the arms of the ocean that I want to share. While we were playing in the open sea a bit after the sun had set, I felt that I had stepped on something. I reached down to the sea bed and grabbed a handful of sand, assuming that along with that comes the thing I stepped on. I touched the lump on my hand and to my surprise, there sat a small starfish. No, friends. I did not remember him – I saw someone else and now, the term starfish has certain significance. It is no longer a name that popped out of nowhere. There is life to it. Despite the cheers of my blockmates for me to take the said starfish out of the ocean, I opted to throw it back to the waters where it belongs.
When the skies started to darken, we raced back to the shore and retreated to the pool where they played water-based dodgeball while Kiel and I started marinating and cooking for the night’s grilled dinner. If we had a Super Brunch, we sure did prepare the Supreme Dinner. Us, girls, did all the indoor and kitchen parts while the boys took over the grilling. Preparing meals sure is rewarding!
SUPREME DINNER – Grill Night Special
Grilled Pork Belly
Grilled Chicken Breast
Grilled Stuffed Tilapia
Sautéed Kangkong
Salted Egg and Tomatoes Salad
Fresh Melon Juice
Pineapple Slices
Dragon Fruit Cubes
Mango Slices
Watermelon Wedges
So what do you guys think of our last dinner menu? If you think the night is over with such a meal, you are entirely mistaken. After eating, it was time for another surprise – KIEL’S 18th Birthday! The surprise for her involves a “H.B. KIEL” spelled out by candles near the beach, 18 plans (since she plans a lot), 18 songs and 18 flowers by a warm bonfire participated by dressed girls and polo-and-board-shorts-clad boys. I’m super happy that Kiel enjoyed her 18th birthday celebration! XX2 hearts you too Kiel! :D

With a bonfire present, marshmallows and hotdogs sure made their appearances. We talked and stargazed until we all felt the need to sleep as we are soon to head back to Manila.

March 30, 2009

As soon as we woke up, everyone was on adrenaline rush for we were running late for our slated departure time. Added to that were the tons of dishes needed to be washed from last night’s feast, personal things to pack, furniture to tidy-up and breakfast to cook. Fortunately, we were all moving to accomplish things faster. By the time our ride home arrived, we were all set to go. We said or thanks and goodbye to Kuya, the caretaker, and headed out of Whispering Waves Beach House of Calaca, Batangas.

Any fun-loving soul would appreciate a little detour especially when the destination is Zipline at Tagaytay Highlands. A super daring yet cool experience! Try it when you are in Tagaytay and feel what it is like to almost fly!

After all the fun at Zipline, we seriously headed home to Manila.

I personally want to thank Kiel for organizing this outing. Rock on, you one glamorous and lovely lady! Of course, the fun would not be complete without everyone’s – Gian, Joseph, Jules, Kiel, Mico, Migs, Stacey, Vince, Yves – presence. You guys did fire up my summer! XX2 will also rock summer school!
The beach. One house. Eleven people. One block.

Let’s get this season started!

F-U-N
*photos are from me and from Kiel's site.

Saturday, July 05, 2008

A Plunge on Blue and White

Four weeks.

I'm sure you are about to hunt me down if I still won't update this time. Teehee!

Enough vanity and let's get straight to details.

Not updating for more than a month is totally not me. Everyone who's been with me through my four-year blogging stint knows how I just type the words I can think of and share it, whether it is about the funny-looking statue I passed by somewhere, the trip I had with my family, school work overload or simply random thoughts that I just want to share and/or vent. To think that I survived not accounting anything in this blog, the world must be upside down! Since the world is not upside-down (well, the last time I checked, that is), there is a very good reason behind my hiatus from the blog-sphere and it comes in two words – university life.

Yep, gone are the days of petty worries and childish wants – university is a step closer to reality. But of course, university life is where the fun starts especially when you become an official Atenean. I can hear you thinking along the lines of 'akala ko ba UP ka?' but the whole UP-turned-Ateneo chapter in my life made me realize something very important – the great things happen unexpectedly. Okay, so many people think that Ateneans are coñio, rich, snob and all other upper society stereotypes that are too many to think of, let alone type here. SO NOT TRUE. You won't enjoy college life if you fill your head with silly perceptions without first-hand basis. I won't deny that before finally deciding on Ateneo, the idea of 'being left-out' also bothered me but when I thought about it, I was like, 'what the hell am I worrying about?'. And now, I enjoy each day with 24 new friends. Making new friends is one great way to enjoy college. Check out XX2's block pics during the OrSem. But we were not complete here. We are 25 in our block but here we are only 24 because the other person was still residing in the 'most famous house in Philippine television'. Speaking of friends, one of the reasons whyI wasn't able to write down anything for most of June is because of the continuous set of activities for freshmen that robbed me most of my energy. From the registration to course selection, to OrSem, everything is by the students for the students and that factor really makes things more interesting. FYI, the term 'course' is equal to what we call 'subjects' back in high school in contrast to the popular context when people ask college students 'anong course mo?' and expect an answer like 'bs psych po or nursing po'. The previous sentence was so out of topic and not to mention boring but hey, it's a piece of information worth knowing.

So I'm a BS Health Sciences (HSc) major. And you are like 'anu yun?' in your head. Well, it's not your typical pre-med school degree program – it's Chemistry-intensive coupled with advanced mathematics. Nope, people here are not nerds. Okay, so maybe we are a little but come on, everyone has their own streak of “nerdness”. Besides, Hsc peeps are geared towards med school as we lack doctors in our country, swear. Enough of that blah talk about the future. Now is much important.

New environment calls for changes and adjustments. I'll admit that I'm still adjusting but think about this: when it's your first time doing something or going somewhere, remember that you're not the only one who's having the 'first-day blues', everybody feels that too from time to time. But don't go all the way at once since you are not yet sure of what's to come. Take it one at a time.

I remembered something. Tomorrow is the opening of season 71 of UAAP wherein the first basketball game is between Ateneo and La Salle. I wanted to watch but it's a Sunday and besides, I don't have tickets for the game. I'll probably just watch the game on tv and see how Ateneans (and La Salle too)chant school spirit away.

I'm now past the 'wow-everything-is-so-new-to-me' stage so I guess you'll be seeing/viewing me more often from now on and hopefully, I'll be back to my regular blog frequency.

Sweetness,
Allyne