the perils of

Check out these sample ballots! I got them from my lola, who apparently has a pile of them lying around in her home, courtesy of our DILG. I had a lot of fun reading them. Instead of using the real candidates' names, COMELEC printed out names of Philippine artistas and bands, like 6 Cyclemind, Hale, Eraserheads and the like. Even Bon Jovi's here! I imagine that whoever made this sample used a Pinoy Song Hits for reference. Haha. Imagine a country run by rock stars and teen pop sensations. Or, even crazier, what if a movie actor who is also an ex-convict decided to run for president? Hah! What an insane world that would turn out to be! Sorry bout the horrid pictures. I have to make do with my trusty rusty phone cam, which has come in handy more than one occasion. P.S. I'll be off to Manila tomorrow! Gonna visit ADMU, a tiger, a manta ray and a dolphin, so I'm told. I couldn't be more excited!!! I LOVE TIGERS AND MANTA RAYS AND DOLPHINS!!! Hahaha. Seriously th

While I was skimming through a really old issue of Meg magazine, I spotted this ad for PAWS - Philippine Animal Welfare Society. It featured pictures of different cats and dogs, and at the center was a drawing of two kittens and a puppy holding up a sign that read SOS - Save Our Strays. Now I had seen this ad in this magazine about a bazillion times already, and every time I saw it I'd always wish I were in Manila to help those poor little critters. But this time, something else caught my eye - the address of the PAWS Animal Rehabilitation Center (PARC) printed at the bottom of the ad. "PARC, Aurora Blvd, Katipunan, Loyola Heights , Quezon City." I jumped! Katinpunan! Loyola Heights! That's where ADMU is!!! So earlier, I went online to the PAWS website and found this: (click to embiggen) Weeee! PAWS doesn't look too far away from ADMU! This is so great! I really wanna volunteer for PAWS. I got so excited just reading their volunteer application form!

The title pretty much sums this post up! Noynoy Aquino's rally started around five o'clock in the Divisoria kiosk. My family didn't go until six because my mom gets out of work six-ish. And we all dressed up in yellow, complete with matching Mar Roxas ballers (because we didn’t have a Noynoy one) and camera phones for snapping pictures to post on blogs, like any die-hard supporter. Anyway, when we got there, the place was packed - it was a sea of people surrounding the kiosk, and there were even more people behind the kiosk, and even more people behind the people! (If I'm not making sense, that's because I haven't had breakfast yet.) We settled with this comfy little spot in the crowd. It was comfy enough that we could see both the speaker and the image of the speaker projected onto this white screen. Ralph Recto was the speaker when we got there. I must take time to mention his ballers, which I found quite amusing because not only do they say "I ♥ Ralph

"In Kong Hua, you're a big fish in a little pond. In ADMU, you'll be a tiny fish in an ocean." - Mom In many ways, Kong Hua School is indeed a little pond . Population-wise, each level has more or less a hundred students. Multiply that by four and you've got roughly five hundred students in the whole high school, as opposed to Xavier University High School's whopping student population of... Well, I'd rather not do the math. I don't want to risk getting any wrong information published online again! (lame reference to: old article about Noynoy Aquino's girlfriend ) Anyway, in my school, everybody knows everybody. It's literally a world without strangers - and that's one of the things I love most about it! The faces I see as I walk through the hallways, those are the same faces I've been seeing around for more than thirteen years of my life (nope, I've never, ever transferred schools). Sure, classmates and schoolmates come and go, but

Let it be known that on this day of April 18, 2010, Sunday, 9:31 PM, RJ Floirendo said that he'd treat us out to a meal and bring Sir TJ along! Note to self: Remember this conversation when I'm bored and studying in ADMU.

Missy Bon Bon , a popular cafe/restaurant in Cagayan de Oro City, recently opened its main branch in Limketkai Mall, Rosario Drive. With a small but oh-too-cute booth in Robinsons Mall, the store had already captured the hearts (and stomachs) of me and my sister. So when Missy Bon Bon announced that they were awarding prizes to the first hundred people to visit when they opened on April 16 at 7 AM, we just knew that we had to be there! We woke up at 5:30 and got there by 6. Already the line was really long! I was #86 in line, and my sister was supposed to be #87, but she got pretty sick because she wasn't used to waking up so early (I know - what a wuss!) so my dad had to come back and pick her up. And, I SURVIVED! For two hours. I tell you, it got extremely hot at one point, I thought I'd pass out. But that's really nothing compared to what this Miko guy went through: I just found out by going to Missy Bon Bon's Facebook page that the earliest one, the lucky kid named

yes those red thingys are hearts! . . . 84 + 5 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 97! Thank you so much! This has really made my day :) 203 more viewers to go 'til I say THIS IS SPARTA!!! . . . P.S. Tomorrow, my blog turns fifteen days old! Can you believe it's been two weeks already? :)

Posting a sad random pic today because I'm not feeling too dandy. (see: previous post ) - Twilight comics - 'tis a sad, sad day for mankind. - I understand that some people will have difficulty understanding this post. I mean, somebody's probably reading this right now and thinking, "I thought she'd post a sad picture, but this is Twilight! " So, to all those who STILL think Stephenie Meyer is the best writer in the world, kindly do yourselves a favor and click here , you poor little saps.

Two months left 'til I move to Manila. Sometimes I can get pretty excited about moving to the Philippines' version of New York. All the amazing people I'll meet, all the fun, college-y stuff I'll get to do... Thinking about those things makes me look forward to making the big move. Or, should I say, the Big Move. But then, when I think about my family and my beautiful home here, the Big Move sounds really scary and bad. (scary and bad - I have a limited vocabulary and I know it.) I start thinking about all the family moments I'm going to miss, all the inside jokes I'm going to be left out on, and simply, all the comfort and warmth and strength I draw from my family that I won't be able to have so far away from them. I guess I'm homesick - and I haven't even left yet.

Found in a surplus shop somewhere here in Cagayan de Oro. Note the name of the toy at the bottom of the box. - Interchange 2 =Transformers 2 FAIL . You can probably guess by the frequency of my Random Photo posts that I don't have anything good to blog about.

Yesterday afternoon, my dad and I went to attend the DOST (Dept. of Science and Technology) scholarship orientation. I learned that I had been granted the scholarship more than a month ago, but I never really factored it into how I reached a decision about my college and course. See, one of the rules you have to comply with if you're gonna receive the scholarship is your choice of course has to be among their list of Priority Courses, namely, a Science, Engineering or Education in Science and Engineering course. Problem is, my chosen course, BS Health Sciences, isn't on the list. It really makes me wonder why not. BS Health Sciences sounds just as science-y as Biology, or Chemistry, or Computer Science. Heck, it's even got the word Sciences in its name! Nonetheless, my dad and I were going to attend the orientation anyway, so we could ask the DOST people if they would consider BS Health Sciences as a priority course. Chances were slim, but there's no harm in trying,

I woke up early today so that I could hitch a ride with my mom to the National Statistics Office. (I need to submit my original birth certificate to confirm my slot at AdMU... The deadline was last Saturday!) It was just eight in the morning, but when we got there, there was a huge crowd - no, mob - of people gathered both inside and outside the building. The place was packed . After filling out a couple of forms that the guard gave us, an NSO worker stapled a priority number to our papers (see picture at left.) #484. Hmm, that couldn't be too bad. After all, this place has been open since six in the morning, I thought. "What number are you serving now?" my mom asked the NSO guy. "50." . . . My mom dropped me off at the McDonald's near Limketkai Mall, where I'd spend an hour eating ice cream before heading off to Ketkai, which opens only at ten. Then I'd hitch a ride with

After the giant wound I sustained to my ego thanks to my embarrassing faux pas from last post (you won't see it until you scroll down to the last few paragraphs, or unless you actually read what I posted and detect that something's off), posting something here that I just ripped off the Internet would be pretty risky. (Lesson learned: Fine print isn't always fine.) Nonetheless, I am going to post this article I found on Tumblr (you know, the virtual pool of awesomeness from where I plucked the Villerap cartoon ) because I found it such a good read and I think it's really worth sharing. This guy, Juan, (his real name is John, I think) says it all. Unbelievable? Believe it. I have witnessed it myself. Kanina, matapos akong ma-badtrip sa torture device na nagpapatugtog ng campaign jingle in the tune of “Nobody” malapit dito sa amin, umalis kami ng kapatid ko para magbayad ng water at electric bills namin sa Laguna Water District at sa Meralco. Ako ang nagpunta sa M

My family and I didn't have anything better to do last night after dinner than drive around the city. There was no power at home, and no power meant no aircon, and no aircon meant no us. :) So we hit the Night Cafe' for a while (and I even got this cool new pair of purple Chucks! Oh yeah. Manila here I come!) and after that, we were left with nothing to do. Driving home, we passed by this political rally in front of the Provincial Capitol. It was mayoral candidate Klarex Uy's. Out of boredom, we decided to check it out. And here comes the good part! Gibo was there! Gilbert Teodoro! I was NOT expecting that. He was up on stage, introducing his party members to everyone, and people were cheering him on as Klarex Uy's jingle blared from the speakers. (yeah, this picture sucks, I know, but that's the best my phone's camera could muster.) And here comes the better part! As Gibo and his partymates take a bow, one of his campaign managers goes to the front of

... Lately I've been spending a lot of time online on the forums of Candymag.com. It started out as a way to promote this blog (lame, I know), but now I'm getting really hooked! Some of the girls on Teentalk (that's what the Candy forums are called) are just sooo nice. I met a lot of girls who are going through the same thing I am - being "from the provinces", as Ateneo puts it, and going to study in Manila. I've even been making dorm plans with two of my new friends! Haha! Do I sound like a giddy little kid or what. :D Okay, time for a random picture! Boycott colored chicks. This picture was part of my campaign to stop the buying (and selling!) of colored chicks. Those poor little critters!

My second Random Picture post! (I admit I'm kind of losing sight the real reason why I put up this blog in the first place) April 2, 2010 - White Island, Camiguin

________ Yes, I'm wearing a school uniform. I don't know how to draw myself in regular clothes without making me look like a boy (x_x) . . . Anyway, thank you again to these twenty-six Pinoys and two Saudi Arabians who have viewed my page! Haha! You've made my day. (Well, night.)

. Am I taking this blogging thing too seriously? Because last night I dreamt that while I was sleeping, my mom accessed my Blogger account and then edited one of my blog posts! Pshh. Whatever. Sure, my mom helps me out when I write important essays and such, but online, she leaves me alone to make all the grammar and speelling erors i wantts. Anyway, on to my main point. I'm going to try to start posting picture each day here on my blog. . Why am I doing it? For teh lulz. Here it is: my first Random Picture of the Day found in a certain thrift store in a certain popular Kagay-anon mall. Mmmm. Donots.

- Thank you very much, my Saudi Arabian visitor! :D And of course, maaaaaany many thanks to my nineteen Filipino visitors! HUGS! ♪

Tonight my friend Jason texted to ask me if I've confirmed my slot in University of Santo Thomas. Haha! (Most of my friends still think I'm going to UST and taking MedTech, when in fact I'm going to ADMU and taking Health Sciences.) I wonder how long I can keep this up for. Maybe I'll keep it a secret for as long as possible over the summer, so that when it's time to go to school, poof! Surprise, surprise! I'm an Atenean after all. :) Which reminds me of something Ma'am Sabuero, my school's guidance counselor, told me a couple of months back. When I told her I was having a tough time picking between UP and ADMU, she said that she'd much rather have me studying in ADMU. She said that the Ateneo is a lot safer than UP... Another way of saying that UP is full of drug addicts and bugoys. Today as I picked up my Certificate of Good Moral Character, I told her that I'm finally sticking with ADMU. "See?" she said. "It was really m

I went back to my beloved alma mater this afternoon to request for Form 137 and a Certificate of Good Moral Character, the two things I need to submit to ADMU to confirm that I'm going there. I was waiting in line behind two moms to see Ms. Castilio, the school registrar whom I've really come to love this school year, when I look to my left and see my classmate Jan walking in with his trademark trucker cap and Jesus Christ pin. Jan is one of the only two people I know who have turned down the opportunity to study in the University of the Philippines (Diliman!) in favor of schooling at Xavier University. I know, he's crazy. But he's also one of the most intelligent people I know, so I'm pretty sure that he's going to outshine his classmates whichever college he decides to go to (just like he outshined me. Hahahahaha!) The reason he's going to Xavier is that XU Nursing students top the board exams, and he aspires to become a great doctor one day... But you kn

Okay I know this picture has nothing to do with me, college, or Manila, but I found it pretty funny so I just thought I'd post it here. P.S. I didn't even obtain permission to repost this here, so I'm actually breaking a law by doing this. Enjoy my blog while you can. Before I'm put behind bars.

So this was my plan. It was so clear to me back then: If I don't pass the UPCAT, I'm going to XU. As for my choice of course, it was a toss-up between Computer Science and Biology. For me, getting to that point where I had only two courses to choose from was already a big accomplishment, considering that my previous list of course choices was anything but short. I had so many plans: take Political Science, proceed to Law and become a lawyer. Take something in communications like Journalism or MassCom and work in the advertising biz. I even considered going to Bigfoot Studios in Cebu and taking up Filmography! Filmography!!! My parents played a big role in my indecision. Being the awesome people that they are, they told me that they'd support me whichever school I went to, whichever course I decided to pick. There was no one around to tell me, "No you can't study in Manila," or, "You have no future in that course." In fact, not one little chuckle

Hello :D o Welcome to my blog. o ... o ooooo I guess I should take this time to explain myself before you read any further. You know, so you'll know a little bit more about me, and I won't just be some creepy stranger Internet girl whose blog you just happened to stumble upon. o ooooo Hopefully you'll know a little better who I am and what my purpose is here, in this tiny, little corner of the Internet I call my blog. o ooooo Yes, I'm rambling now. o ooooo Just so you won't go on reading unwarned, I want to inform you right now that you will be encountering a lot more strange and pointless paragraphs like this, should you wish to proceed reading in my blog... o *pause for a moment* o And now, here it is: o My Point. o (Fade from white. Cue background music: "Suddenly I See," by K.T. Tundsall.) (Cue life montage.) o . . . oo My name is Aimee, 16 years old. My family calls me Bea. That's my nickname ( and it comes with an irrelevant background story wh