having so much work to do

        Being a sophomore entitles you to one thing: the right to bully freshmen. Yes. You heard me. If you are a second year student, you have all the right in the world to look down at those in the lower batch, and scoff at them, and mock them, and make them feel inferior to you. Go ahead, Sophomore. You've earned it.

      I am, of course, kidding. Nobody has a right to bully anyone. Except Kath Uy, because it is her birthday tomorrow and she is turning eighteen and she can bully the heck out of anyone she wants. ADVANCED HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATH! :D 

      So, sorry for the very delayed post. I HAVE BEEN SO BUSY. Everyone has. If you are a freshman, be sure to cherish every single waking moment that you spend NOT studying or NOT doing org work. 

     Here's what I've been busy with: (click to enlarge the busyness)

I've been moonlighting as a "graphic" "artist" for the Health Sciences Society.  (Check out the full digest over here!)

Helping out with the Loyola Film Circle at RecWeek! (Okay. So I only ever had one real shift, but that still counts right?) It was super cool because I got to talk to tons of new people. (Don't be misguided; the guys in the picture aren't new people at all.)

 Speaking of RecWeek, I rejoined the Pre-Medical Society of the Ateneo (PMSA) and Musikero, this awesome org that teaches music to kids!

Speaking of music, Rap gave me a copy of some really cool guitar tutorial software. I will learn that bossa nova song as soon as my schedule permits.

Speaking of turtles, check out this one I found in a pet store. It was doing a push-up atop another turtle.

Excellent form.

 . . .

Yesterday in the cafeteria, some stranger from an adjacent table gave me, Cheryl, Jules and Mico a free cookie. As in, he turned around and held out to us a huge box of big, chunky, chocolate-chippy cookies and said, "Hey you guys want a cookie?"

"Do we have to pay?" asked Cher.
"No no, it's for free," said the guy.
"Thanks, guy," I said.

Okay so maybe that isn't exactly verbatim. But whatevs, man. Free cookie. It was delicious too.

Jules proceeded to say that it might have been some sort of social experiment, to which I added that the point of giving us a free cookie might have been to test our reactions. Like, how would a normal human being react to being done a good turn by a complete stranger in exchange for nothing at all? Most likely we would repay unsolicited kindness with suspicion, just like our initial reaction to the guy was. We thought that by giving us a cookie he was either a.) scamming us, b.) involving us in a social experiment, and c.) trying to poison us. I can't remember what he said when we asked him why he was handing out free cookies, but I think it was something to the effect of, "I have too much." And it was true. It did look like a lot of cookies for one guy to consume.

Anyway it was a tiny little event that day, but now that I think about it the implications are pretty big. Because now that someone has done a good turn unto me, I am obliged to do a good turn unto someone else, and preferably a stranger. Pay it forward, right? And if all the strangers in the world did good turns unto other strangers then the world would be a more magical place to live in. And it all started with a free cookie!

I'm kidding. Strangers giving gifts to strangers might be creepy in some way.

But to clarify, the guy giving out the free cookies wasn't exactly a stranger. We do know certain things about him, like for one, he is from Ateneo, and for two, he is from Health Sci (because he saw our Health Sci lanyards and said "Oh you're from Health Sci! I'll remember you guys.")

Thanks, Cookie Guy. We will remember you too.

. . .

Okay, I must leave now, for I am going to fall asleep soon (I have trained my body to fall asleep at 8 PM and then wake up at 2 AM, when I study and do all my homework). But before that, I must ask you a couple of questions. Although they were raised during Theo class, I was thinking about them before that, and I still cannot find the answers. Can you?

     If God loves us, why does God allow people to suffer? Why are there innocent four-year-olds with terminal cancer? Why are there children who were raped by their own relatives? Why does God allow people to kill themselves?  

    How are we so sure that God is not just some comfort blanket that we wrap around ourselves to make us feel better about our existence? How do we know that God actually does love us, and that we aren't just telling ourselves that we are loved by a supreme being in an attempt to make our lives a bit more meaningful?

   I told myself previously that as much as possible I would not write about religion in my blog (it's a rather serious topic, and I prefer to keep my online journal as trivial and meaningless as possible), but because of Theo classes I'm finding it harder and harder to avoid discussing this issue. And why should I avoid it, anyway? It's disturbing, yes, but it's something we all have to think about "in order to mature in our faith." 

    So here's what I believe in. 

    I am a hundred thousand percent sure that God exists. How else were we created? Where else did we come from? What other explanation could there be? By "God" here, I am talking about a supreme being greater than the universe. 

   What I am not sure of is exactly how involved this creator still is in our lives. Does God really love us? Does God create miracles for us? How can God give me so many blessings (a nice dorm to live in, a steady supply of food, some good people to surround myself with) while there are people out there who seem so... deprived? I'm talking about people with absolutely nothing to eat. People who sleep on cardboard boxes on the sidewalk. People who do not have a family or a set of friends to spend their life with. If God is the reason why I have all these gifts, is God also the reason that other people have none?

   I'm sorry if I'm bumming you out. I'm pretty bummed out myself. I just wish I had answers. And I want REAL answers. Not "BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS SO!" kinds of answers. Seriously, man. I have nothing against the Bible, in fact I think it is one of the most beautiful (and lengthy) forms of prose ever written, but is there really any science involved in the Bible? How do we really know that it is the word of God, and not just the authors themselves putting words into their own mouths (?)?

  Now I'm just rambling. I should end here. Give me answers. Or cookies. Now.