Leadership and Strategy

I'll just cut the usual "I'm so sorry I haven't been updating" blather, because I HAVE BEEN BUSY AS HECK and I don't need to apologize for that. If anything, the universe should apologize to me for taking away my free time!!! Kidding. Please don't smite me and take my food :c

Last Saturday

Instead of NSTP, I  went with my friends Jules and AC to an event called Celebrate Life Program, organized through a partnership between Kythe Ateneo and Musikero (<-- click that!). We went to the children's cancer ward in a public hospital somewhere in Quezon City and we put on a musical skit for the kids. I had a pretty tiny role in the story; all I had to do was play the guitar when it was time for the main characters to sing. But I loved my part thoroughly.

When we started performing, a lot of the kids didn't bother with what we were doing, but a few of them were very enthusiastic about participating. They volunteered and exclaimed and everything! Weee they were so happy. And I had a blast.

The people over at Kythe Ateneo are nothing short of amazing. They're such a pleasure to work with! They're so supportive and full of energy. They made their rounds with Musikero around the children's ward, singing songs and cheering the kids up with coloring books, balloons, toys, and of course, big smiles. They're an inspiration, really. I don't know how they do it. I wish Kythe and Musikero would do more tie-up projects with each other! 

The whole experience was so humbling. I decided long ago that when I become a doctor, I would specialize in oncology, the field of medicine that deals with cancer. And now that I'm almost in my third year of pre-med, I'm surrounded by people telling me that med school is ten times harder than anything I'll ever experience in college. It gets very discouraging. Sometimes I feel like not going to med school at all. I could just work at my uncle's hardware store, counting shelf after shelf of hammers, garden hoses, and paintbrushes. 

But at the Celebrate Life Program, I got to meet the people who do a bigger job of battling cancer than I am, or ever will: the cancer patients themselves. Seeing the Kythe members so passionate about making these kids happy helped me remember that no matter how hard or tired or overworked school is making me, I'm doing it for a good cause.

Hmm. I seem to have been writing a lot about med school lately. Maybe it's a phase.

Anyway, Health Sci Night happened on the same day as the Celebrate Life Program. The pictures aren't out yet (well, not ones of me), but hey, look at this cool one here taken by Andy Europa.

Rule of any party picture: if there is one smiling guy in the foreground, there are bound to be tons of derps in the back. :))

I have long ago learned that I am no party girl. So instead of forcing myself to gulp glasses of disgusting alcohol, I hung out with Andy in the parking lot for most of the night. He isn't a party guy either, so we happily sat in his backseat, talking and listening to some mellow rock. Later in the night, an anonymous couple came to join us. It was very peaceful. If it weren't so late, we could've driven around Pasig and I could have pretended we were in a scene from Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhh. 

Last Tuesday 

E. coli plasmid characterization via agarose gel electrophoresis

Look at that in the picture. That's a bunch of DNA we extracted from E. coli bacteria during Bio Lab! If you add a specific dye to it, it glows under U.V. light.

Last  Saturday
I attended the last NSTP teaching session I'll ever have. And then I swam two events at my swimming finals. And then Joseph suddenly called me and said that our high school History teacher, Sir Kim, wanted to see me. So I took a jeep to U.P., stopped at a place I thought looked familiar, and through sheer coincidence, successfully located Joseph and Sir Kim.

After that, I got a text from Arthur inviting me to Red Mango to study with Jeth. I was pretty tired already, but I decided to go anyway. I got to work on a Statistics assignment with Rap.

Today
I am trying very hard to recall what I did on the days of the week that aren't listed above, but I really cannot remember. I am tired and stressed and very very sleepy. Oh, and I have a huge Leadership and Strategy test tomorrow. Ironically, when the teacher says the test is open note, open book, and open laptop, you know you're doomed.

OH RIGHT I REMEMBER SOMETHING NOW.

Last Thursday 
My mom came over! She had a seminar thingy for BPI to attend, and I of course had school, so we didn't spend too much time together. But on a whim, I slept over at her hotel in Makati! It was right across Greenbelt Something too, so at night we went shopping~

We went to a Zara outlet and I went around pointing to her the stuff that I see people at school wear. Some of the trends these days are really strange. Like sheer tops through which you can see a girl's torso. I once saw this girl in school who wasn't even wearing a shirt underneath - just her bra. What is up with that!? And airline food - don't get me started!

Kidding, though. When I complained about this to Jules he just said, "I think it's cool." Well, no duh. When has a guy ever seen a girl's bra and thought "Well she should cover herself up."

Anyway, guess that's it. I have vented all that is ventable. Time to study now. See you next time I decide to procrastinate! :)