The Blogger Returns

Hello! I'm back after radio silence. So much has happened since my last entry. So much that I've been putting off updating this thing for the longest time, knowing I would have to cover so much ground.

To recap these events in the laziest way possible, here is a half-assed Buzzfeed-style listicle for no one's reading pleasure but my own. 

10 Really Important Events I Totally Put Off Writing About (In Chronological Order)

1. Grad Ball.  We got dressed up and headed out to Sofitel for our batch graduation ball. Rap had just returned from his elective in Batanes that morning, where he had spend most of his time under the heat of the scorching sun. So here he is looking all brown and crispy on the outside.

2. Boards Review. I'll post a separate blog about this later on, but for now do check out these photos from the most nerve-wracking, anxiety-filled 2 months of my life. Well, not really. ASMPH has been very loving towards its board takers, even though we no longer pay tuition! For the whole boards season they lent us two "study rooms" (really, just empty laboratories). I ended up saving so much on coffee, electricity, and food because I just studied in school instead of at a cafe.

First couple of days of boards review season, when 2C was barely decorated and people were relaxed enough to take naps

My study setup: coffee, tablet for viewing practice exams, notebook where I compiled all my answers, and the review handout on a bookstand. 

I studied in the hallways too, facing the greenery in Meralco, whenever I needed to relax my strained eyes.

School was also a place for sharing snacks. Here is Rap, sacrificing his body for the group by consuming all the unhealthy junk food. 

3. Maisie Got a Hat. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you guys that I got a hamster. Rap gave her as a birthday gift to me, which I strongly discourage BTW since animals are not commodities, and because he did it without informing me first!!! ARGHHH RAP WHY. Anyway, look at this beautiful handmade little beanie from my sister Caitlin! 

4. Graduation! For us ASMPH peeps, Graduation Day usually happens somewhere in the middle of boards review season. Which honestly kind of sucked. People should feel happy and excited on the days leading up to their graduation, but for me I was mostly frustrated that graduation was eating up so much of my study time. It a few nights before grad that I realized, holy sh*t, I'm legit a doctor now! By finishing the requirements for internship, I'd achieved my childhood dream of becoming a doctor, but was too busy with boards review to actually realize it.

Rare sibling photo

Receiving my diploma from Father Jett. "Congratulations, Aimee." Surreal!

Rare photo op with Maria Ressa, the speaker for our graduation ceremony and my long-time idol

5. Cheer rally! When graduation was done, we were back in school, trying to study at full force. After about 1 more month of intense studying, Pugad Agila, the name of the board ops organization in ASMPH, held a cheer rally for us. The evening ended with us boardtakers running through the hallways of school, being surrounded by ASMPH alumni, staff, and students, all cheering you on at the top of their lungs, waving signs in your face, grinning from ear to ear, sweating from the heat of the night. It was amazing. So this is how rockstars must feel, I remember thinking. 

Cute little poster by my tandang Matt!

Pa-clouds effect poster by my tandang Wongy!

Potluck night with the Pugad people. Thank you Pugad, I love you guys so much!

6. Malapit na ang boards! This was what my "good juju" pile of stuff looked like in the week leading up to the boards. Left to right: Prayer book from Lola, Manaoag rosary from Jemar Mapili's mom, green ape from an old bag I used to have, wooden doll from Mom (her actual name is Aimi), Fushimi Inari exam charm from Caitlin, and another rosary from Lola. Not included: pencils that my parents had blessed from Kawayanon Chapel in Bukidnon, and "saint bits" charms from Mark Calano.

The night before boards: Trying to steady our nerves over a katsu dinner at Yabu. Katsu is said to be good luck in Japan. Apparently it translates to "Never fail" in Japanese!

7. THE BOARDS. During my board exams, anxiety levels were at an all-time high. I think I hyperventilated in the middle of the first exam (which was Biochem), causing my face and fingers to go numb. A nagging voice inside me kept telling me, at each question: This is the item that makes or break you. Don't f*ck up. Indeed, as I made my way through the exam, my Doubt Monster would repeat, ASMPH won't get 100% because of you, or You'll be the one who doesn't make it. More on that in a later post. Anyway, after each grueling day of Boards, Pugad Agila would drive us to school, where the Blue Babble Battalion and our own mini cheer squad were waiting, snacks and drinks in hand. Doc Dean Alfonso was also there, hugging and high-fiving each board taker as we got down from the car. 

Taken after Day 2. Feeling dead inside but we had to put on a happy face for the sake of our beloved Pugad. 

8. WE PASSED THE BOARDS!!! So here's how I found out that I passed the boards. 3 days after the last exam, Rap and I waited around UP Town Center for The Call to arrive. (Context: They say that if your school gets 100% in the boards, the PRC calls up the dean before the results are released to tell them the good news. A huge, happy cheer rally then ensues in your school.) Around 5 pm, we hung out at Satchmi, but the call never came. My initial thoughts were damn, we didn't get 100%. But a cursory search for the hashtag #100percent on Twitter yielded no significant results, which led me to believe that no school had received any such call, and that there was still hope. Feeling tired from all the excitement, I went to bed around 11 pm. Minutes later, my sister woke me up like this, eating an atis.

Yes, the atis is essential to the story.

"Ach! Ach! The results are out!" she said. 

"What???" I asked, still half-asleep. "Did I pass?"

"I don't know, I haven't seen yet."

I scramble to get my phone and load the PRC page. Her page loads faster. "Ach! Rap made it!"

"OH MY GOD!!!"

Seconds later: "Ach! YOU MADE IT!"

"OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!"

A couple more seconds: "You guys got 100%!!!!!!!!!"

"OH MY GOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

A quick 1 am gathering then ensued at Ortigas with a bunch of batchmates who lived in the area. 

Lol this is the only photo I have of that gathering.

9. Blue Toast. One of my favorite school traditions is Blue Toast, a night dedicated to celebrating the board passers and the people that helped us to pass. Because we got 100%, the night was extra wild, with so many alumni returning to Ateneo to congratulate us (and partake in the alcohol). There were fireworks, dancing, and Ebe Dancel. Oh yeah, and it was my first time dancing on stage. Teehee.

The crazy, inspired Pugad Agila team - the ones who made all this possible.

10. Post-boards vacations. Immediately after Blue Toast, Rap and I set out to Sagada for some peace, quiet, and reflection. It was supposed to be a group trip but everyone else backed out -_- Anyway, it was our first trip by ourselves, and I enjoyed it very much. We stayed at Inandako's. I highly recommend the place. More on this in another post!

My parents also treated me to a trip to Osaka! It was my first time being out of the country with just them. Again, more to come in another post :)

And that's it!

Yeah, I'm disappointed too. I feel like I've just watched an anime recap episode. But that's the way it goes when I've gone from blogging for a long while. Bawi ako, promise!

Tchuss!