Woohoo, I’m uber-stoked!

After having saved a small portion of my allowance for the past couple of months, I was finally able to purchase my own airpot! I’ve  been bent on having one for myself when it dawned on me that all the money that I spend in coffee houses can actually amount to something significant — because although I relish the ambiance of coffee houses when I study out, and the fact that they lessen your propensity to procrastinate, the accumulated expenses for coffee can actually buy you an extra arm and leg.

So yesterday, armed with my saved moolah, I headed to the nearby department store and took my pick from their assortment of choices. I chose a silver one, because metal always looks polished, modern, and sleek.

Self-brewed coffee and a fatter wallet, I am excited for you both!

I recently decluttered my old email, and voila, this old picture from my high school days was inconspicuously hidden in one of the folders that I kept there.

Look at how big the blazer looks, and how perpetually famished I seemed to appear back then. Sheesh. LOL

Everytime my sister goes home to Dumaguete, and comes back, she never fails to bring with her an assortment of things from home. Almost always, she brings food that my mom cooked, blankets, linens, pillow cases, and once, even an appliance.

Although at first I was always excited about her arrival because of the freebies, I soon realized that the more that she brought stuff with her, the smaller (that) our condominium unit has become. As it is, the floor space is barely 100 square centimeters, so any new addition to the place actually makes the place look smaller.

Earlier today, I was cleaning the condo unit, and much to my dismay, our kitchen cabinets had been (over)stuffed with a lot of plastic containers (accumulated from all those trips that my sister took) and I had to declutter by throwing some of them away.

I am seriously considering purchasing mixer lifts so I can conceal the smaller-sized appliances in the kitchen cabinets. I might just flaunt this idea to my mom the next time she visits us in Cebu.

How have you been people? I miss blogging, and I promise that in the next few days, I shall blog again with feverish passion. Nye.

One of the things that I miss about being home is the long trips that I usually take with my dad. Ever since we were little, my parents introduced a certain kind of tradition in our family, where we would go on long-ish roadtrips, and to kill the time while we’re on the road, they would reminisce how they ended up together.

Back when we were younger, I relished these moments, and as a matter of fact, I looked forward to these trips every time summer came.

Years had come and gone. My siblings and I have graduated, and suddenly, these trips had ceased to be part of the family tradition. I guess departure is inevitable, and sometimes, growing up means letting go of these cherished moments, but in my mind, I still long for the day when we would once again travel as a family to Bacolod, Cebu, or Ilo-ilo. I know I am inclined to be sentimental, but family bonding moments have a special place in my heart, and I don’t think I will ever outgrow my fondness for these poignant occasions.

Last night, at about 8 PM, my dad asked me if I could accompany him to Siaton, an obscure municipality down south. This was because one of our company trucks had gone bonkers, and he needed to fetch our mechanics there, since there were no more buses plying that route at that ungodly hour.

The night was dark, and the sky was sparsely illuminated with stars that did not seem to shine, but I could not care any less. I was with my dad, and secretly, I was excited to share with him my plans for the immediate months.

I opened up to him that I was planning to apply as legal intern in the Office of the Solicitor-General, and he was elated to hear that I intended to. I told him I was reconsidering the Sweden exchange program that I initially wanted to pursue, so he assured me that they would support me whatever my decision would be. I reasoned that I wanted to finish on time, and that if I proceeded with that plan, then that would mean an extension of another year.

We talked about a lot of things — my brothers, their plans, their upcoming 34th wedding anniversary, Obama, our family business, the upcoming holidays. Our conversation reminded me of how it was before when we would talk about the future, think of it as one gigantic mass of opportunity, and blabber on about how our lives would be so-so years from that moment. It made me smile, because it’s been awhile since I talked with my dad that intimately.

When we arrived at Siaton, we saw the truck parked beside the road. My dad, with the help of the mechanics, used an hydraulic valve to find out what was wrong with our truck. The clutch had apparently jammed, so they decided to just fix it the day after. As we rode home that night, with our mechanics at the back seats, I felt happy to be home once again.

Yes, we all fly away from home as we grow old, but our hearts will always find solace in the comfort of home.

Now that the semester is over, I just want to write a no-holds barred and spontaneous piece that would chronicle the semester that just came to pass.

To be fair, I had a lot of learnings last semester — primarily, I was humbled by the reality that law school only gets harder as one progresses further. In my second year in law school, I tasted how bitter frustration is; hell, I was even told in one class that I only knew how to pronounce English well, and that beyond that, I am practically useless. But enough about the negativity.

For once in my life, I’ve experienced how it was to spend most of my time just buried underneath law books, to question my worth and inadequacy to read at a faster pace, and to wonder whether entering law school was a big mistake on my part. There were even times when I felt like crumbling down and succumbing to surrender, because I felt the palpability of my human frailty during exam weeks when my two hands seemed incapable of the greater tasks that lay ahead.

But now, after the mayhem has settled and I have the opportunity to restrospectively view that particular episode in my law school life, I feel as though there is more reason for me to continue moving forward. Surviving those numerous pitfalls should be enough motivation for me to keep moving forward, because I’ve realized that it was possible for me to push my boundaries further, and (that) my resolve to succeed, when I will it to, is limitless. That if I’ve survived those many hellish exams, then for sure, I can slay whatever dragon that lurks ahead.

But don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all heartbreak for me last semester — as a matter of fact, I was able to taste several victories last sem as well. For one, I feel fortunate to have been part of our school’s debate team as we got the championship in a national debate tournament that was aired in national TV. We defeated four teams to clinch that title, and the euphoria that I got after finally winning my first championship was inexplicable. For another, I was also asked to represent my school in a nationwide essay-writing competition, sponsored by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and the awarding ceremonies will be held in the Supreme Court. Although there has been no official announcement as to the winners yet, I am optimistic that I will make my law school proud.

All in all, last semester was a rollercoaster of emotions for me: I’ve been broken, beaten to the pulp, I’ve tasted redemption, and relished sporadic victories as well.

Nothing beats law school drama — but I vow, just as I’ve promised before, that I will conquer law school and I will be a good lawyer someday.

Yesterday, my mom called. She was asking me if I know if I can find textiles online, because apparently, she is planning to purchase new bedsheets, blankets and other stuff. She reasoned that she’s been hearing a lot of people rave about how practically all stuff can now be found online, and that if it would be possible to look for textiles using this modern mode for purchasing, then she would start to consider purchasing these items online.

I immediately scoured the internet for possible textile products that I can tell her about, and to my amazement, I came across miracle-resources.com, a website that caters to practically all one would need regarding textiles. The first thing that struck me about the website was how it had a lot of branches worldwide, from Thailand, to China, to Indonesia  – so, one can look for practically the best textiles, and purchasing the same is also very convenient.

Another thing that also impressed me about this company is that it has a lot of global sources for its products, so there is a wide array of choices for a potential customer, depending on his/her needs.

Right away, I informed my mother of this discovery, and right after giving her the website, she said she would check it and consider this as one of her options. I personally think that this is a major leap for her, because my mom is the kind who shuns modern technology. As a matter of fact, I maintain her Facebook account.

With this newfound passion for online purchasing, alas, all hope is not lost for my mom.

Once this semester is over, I intend to learn a new hobby.

Why, you may ask?

In law school, as I’ve learned first-hand, the things that one gets preoccupied with are pretty much the same. Although I am not complaining (because there is nothing in this world that I would want to become but a lawyer), the monotony can sometimes burn you out.

Right now, whenever I feel burned out, I just sleep. But I’ve noticed that every time I do this, it’s only my body that gets rest — my brain, however, is a different story. Even when my body has sufficiently rested, my mind still languishes in monotony. How do I seriously deal with this?

I’ve read somewhere that a creative hobby does the trick. Although I write occasionally (and I mean occasionally) these days, I wish to have an alternative hobby that does not require excessive thinking.

My resolve therefore (after considering all possible options): Learn how to play the guitar.

I figured that this would make sense because I’ve been itching to learn how to play a musical instrument for the longest time now, but because of numerous postponements, I’ve not been able to carry out this plan.

For this newfound hobby (fingers crossed here), I might purchase a JBL guitar, or maybe even just a local guitar (Cebu is the guitar haven of the country after all).

Because if law schools turns out differently for me, I wouldn’t mind being an acoustic artist for profit. I kid. But seriously, I need a new hobby.

After battling it out with several prominent law schools all over the country, we finally emerged as the best debate team in this year’s ANC’s Square Off: The CVC Law Debates. We were up against Ateneo de Manila University in the finals and, needless to say, the experience was one-of-a-kind.

I feel privileged to have been part of this team, and although I would have relished being the best speaker during finals, I feel happy just the same that my partner, Athena, got the title.

To our coaches, supporters, and researchers: We all deserve the momentary limelight.

Go USC Law!

Today, my heart is crushed.

Last night, I had my finals examination for Labor Standards, the hardest subject that I have for this semester, and suffice it to say, I wasted away in numerous sleepless nights spent studying for that exam: I devoured books, memorized photocopied materials, and familiarized myself with the pertinent Rules of Procedure relating to the subject-matter.

To be honest, I was looking forward to the exam. Hell, I even sacrificed numerous subjects just to be prepared for this one hard subject.

Boy, was I in for a surprise.

My professor, who is well-known to be unpredictable when it comes to giving exams, did not fail to live up to his name last night. Although just to be clear, I am not saying that he cheated us of our opportunity to pass his subject, because if truth be told, his questions were fair and reasonable.

The problem was with me: I conked out. Perhaps, in my excitement to take the exam, I failed to psychologically prepare myself so I can have a grip on my emotions.

As the time paced by so slowly, I could feel the trembling of my hands, and my heart palpitating. You know that feeling of being doomed even before an impending tragedy happens? That was how I felt.

After the exam, I felt broken. My heart felt like it was stabbed numerous times by scalpel blades, and I was defenseless from the onslaught of sadness.

I know I am better than this.

Hahaha. This sign cracked me up so bad!