Hello, friends.

I know that I’ve been blog dormant for the past few days — it’s primarily because of the demands of law schooling.

You see, the second semester of law school is crammed into 5 months of classes, and unlike the first semester, classes are oftentimes interrupted by holidays and other festivities.

So far, a lot of things have happened. Here is a cursory enumeration of some of the highlights for the past couple of weeks:

1. I momentarily took a hiatus from school because I was invited to be an adjudicator in a debate tournament here in Cebu.

2. I had passing marks for all of my subjects in my midterm grades.

3. I nearly died in a 6.9 magnitude earthquake in Cebu that happened on the 9th of this month. (I shall share my experience about this in one loooong post)

4. I accompanied my sister while she looked for discount scrubs because apparently, the hospital where she works is pretty OC when it comes to scrubs that do not look new, etc.

5. I finally mustered enough guts to apply in one of the local universities in Cebu — yes, I am planning to teach political science if the circumstances are permissive and the department head decides I can be a teacher.

So, there. That was my entire life for the past couple of weeks summed up in 5 sentences.

Exactly a month from now, it is my mother’s birthday.

I know that lately, I’ve been so detached from home because of school work and my other commitments outside of school, but for her birthday, I am planning on getting her something nice.

Because nothing beats the heartwarming feeling of making your mother smile through small gestures and sporadic acts of endearment.

As of now, I am considering getting her western handbags because I know that now her doctoral degree is in the offing (fingers crossed here), she will be needing more handy bags that she can use to keep all her files and important documents.

I am also contemplating on having an old family picture blown up by one of the local imaging shops here, have the picture framed, and surprise her with that. But I am still thinking hard about what to give her and what to do, because I also need to factor in my availability in the coming days.

What do you guys think is the best gift for a mother during her birthday?

Hello friends!

It’s been a long time since I’ve been here, and it’s primarily because of school. Since my last post, I have been doing nothing but chugging down cases after cases in practically all of my subjects. All the hard labor has made me question the career path that I’ve chosen — but I’m certain that this is merely a momentary manifestation of my human frailty. Because in no time, I am sure that I will be back to my old resolute self once again.

A few days back, I was actually thinking of writing about the euphoria that engulfed Cebu the week prior. If you are familiar with Cebu and what it is most popular for, then you must have heard about the Sinulog Festival.

Sinulog is, without a doubt, the Mardi Gras of the Philippines.

For three days straight, the busy city streets are transformed into an expansive area filled with makeshift stalls, with overflowing booze and thunderous speakers in every strategic corner. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is drawn by the celebratory mood that simply permeates through the once busy and bustling streets of Cebu.

When I was taking part in the festivities (this originated as a tribute to the child Jesus by the way, by means of an annual street dancing), I marveled at how simply breathtaking the images of people dancing were.

Then I figured: if only I had a panhead with me, then I could be learning the ropes of being a good photographer in no time. I don’t know about you, but a lot of people have been obsessing about photography lately, and I really can’t blame them.

Nowadays, it’s so easy to get a good camera and start clicking away on beautiful sceneries and cherished moments with friends.

But on a personal level, if ever I will be in photography, I will only settle for the best equipment — because the old saying about photography aptly describes how ‘two photographers may take  picture of the same beautiful flower, but certainly, the photographer with the better equipment will have a more crisp and surreal picture.’

Wish me luck with my new obsession and in parting, take a look at how euphoric the Sinulog festivities had been for this year:

Merry Christmas everyone!

Because it’s the holidays, I opted to go home and bond with ze family. It’s been three days since I last detoxed from law school stuff, but as of late, I’ve been stressing about all the reading materials that I have yet to devour.

Dork Mode on.

I actually need to brush up on my three major subjects, but the mood of the season is conducive to just being sluggish and lethargic. And I’m not even talking about the overflowing food and drinks.

As it is, I need to buy new furniture to accommodate my voluminous papers, documents, and readings. I am thinking of buying a peg board for all that once I get back to Cebu. Whew.

Anyway, the holidays always makes me nostalgic, but I would have to admit that I enjoyed this season more when I was still younger. Back then, there was no delimiting what constituted reality and fantasy — but now, heck, fantasies have taken a back seat to accommodate reality.

Do I sound like a jaded soul?

I probably need to stop, because I sense I am starting to blabber.

Again, happy holidays everyone! I wish all of you the best this 2012!

Last night, after a couple of drinks that left some of my blockmates pissed drunk, a friend figured in a vehicular accident.

When I first heard about the unfortunate incident, my mind was arrogantly disbelieving the things that it heard — for how can one be at peace with the fact that a close friend just had a brush with death?

Plus, it doesn’t help that the accident had to happen right after our drinking session, because even if my friend will say that he drove with utmost care prior to the happening of the accident, eyebrows will generally be raised, and the presumption will always be against his being a conscientious driver.

It’s a good thing though that the damage was not that extensive, and I am thankful for the fact that my friend was not seriously injured. He just needs to temporarily use a neck brace for the minor abrasion in his collar bone, and apart from the minor contusions that he sustained, there was nothing serious about the accident that was life-threatening and whatnot.

His car, however, is a different story. It was dented in the front and screeches were numerous in the driver’s door — all in all, it was a pitiful sight to look at.

It’s a good thing though that my friend has an auto estimating software that can help him figure out how much he needs to spend for his automobile’s restoration.

The lesson that we derive from this experience is simple, people: We need to be extra cautious in driving, especially after a night out with friends , because although we need to infuse a lot of fun into our lives, it is equally important for us to take precautions and err on the side of caution.

We only get to live once, so let’s make it memorable by not ending it too soon.

A good friend of mine recently decided to put up his own business.

Although he is only my age (27), it was always apparent, even when we were still in high school, that he would later on turn out as a businessman.

Of course, it helps that he is of Chinese descent, and his family has been engaged in a flurry of business ventures for so-so generations now.

Which is why I wasn’t the least surprised when he shared to me that he plans to put up a call center business in Dumaguete. Although I personally think this is a tall order for even the most eager business person there is, I think he has what it takes to make it flourish.

His foreign contact is based in Ft Lauderdale, and his account mainly deals with credit card holders that are in default. His team of customer representatives will be handling first line delinquent customers, so it is of the essence that he has the best customer reps around.

The first thing that I told him was to ensure that he comes up with a short list of the best business phone systems in town — because let’s face it, with the nature of his business establishment, he needs to have the best phone system that can help him streamline his business operations. This is especially helpful, considering how he needs to correspond daily with his contacts abroad.

Our conversation made me a little bit sad, because as my friends are busily venturing out into establishments that will help sustain them in the coming years, I am still enslaved by school.

Le sigh.

In due time, I shall join them and wreak my own damage to the world.

In due time, so I need to be patient.

When I woke up today, I sensed a fever was underway.

Brushing this thought aside, I ate my breakfast, brushed my teeth, took a bath, and then changed to casual clothes.

Today, after all, was going to be a memorable day.

See, a close friend of mine in college is planning to ask her girlfriend to marry him, and since we were the most frequent drinking buddies in college, he asked me to help him look for wedding bands for men.

Personally, I think he’s too young to get married, but since he assured me that he has thought this thoroughly through, and notwithstanding the fact that they’ve been in a relationship for four plus years, I figured he actually knows what he’s doing.

Whatever.

Anyway, we scoured the city malls for the best deals, and after much scouting and bargaining, we finally settled for this one fine piece of jewelry that looked exquisite, but was reasonably-priced.

I honestly am curious as to how her girlfriend will take the proposal — I just hope she is receptive to the idea. LOL

Anyway, when I arrived home at around 7 in the evening, I was already burning with fever. I immediately drank paracetamol, and prayed to the heavens for a quick recuperation.

I can’t afford to get sick, especially now that exams are coming up.

Here’s to better health in the coming days, guys!

This morning, I woke up to the ranting of my sister.

The sun had barely risen, I was still in deep sleep, but somewhere, I can hear her talking out loud. Because I found this bizarre, since only the two of us would be at home this early in the morning, I peeked at what the source of commotion was.

She was apparently scolding her laptop — yes siree, you read it right. She was talking to her laptop as though it were not an inanimate object.

‘What’s going on there?, I quipped.

With a sheepish smile, she softly replied, ‘My laptop’s acting crazy again‘.

In my mind, I thought this was long overdue. She’s had that laptop since 2006, if my memory serves me right, and it is in such a sorry state.

I remember perennially sensing her frustration when, during numerous instances, it would take more than five minutes for her laptop to start up.

‘Where could I have it repaired? Do you know of any place here in Cebu that will not cost me my arm and leg?‘, the frustration was apparent in her voice.

I told her to just buy a new laptop instead. Besides, I reasoned, the top netbooks in the market right now are not that steeply-priced.

‘You have to think of it as an investment‘, I nonchalantly quipped before I dozed off again.

Crazy mornings.

Last weekend, I was in high spirits.

No, not the intoxicating spirit kind, but I was just so happy that my Mom visited us again in Cebu.

Her timely visit was all the made more special because I was nearing a depressive episode, and I can only surmise that this was brought about by the countless sleepless nights, plus the shifting (and may I say, abnormal) weather conditions.

She was accompanied by my sister-in-law, and for the two days that they were here, I felt the comfort of home once again.

Last weekend was especially memorable — because apart from refilling our sad and empty food pantry, my Mom also treated all of us to dinner in a popular dining place here in Cebu.

The place is called Casa Verde, and this restaurant is frequented by first time Cebu visitors. The main reason why this place is popular is because of its sumptuous main courses, but pegged at really reasonable prices.

My favorite dish in Casa Verde is their house specialty, the Brian’s Ribs.

I don’t even know how to describe this heaven-sent dish. But for starters, and I hope I give it justice, its flavor is so rich that you can almost taste the smokiness. The meat is tenderized to perfection, and it is glazed just right — not too sweet, and not too tangy.

And don’t even get me started on the price. Although it’s a mouthful (I once surmised that it’s the ribs of a T-Rex), it costs less than $5. If ever you find yourself in Cebu and you wish to taste what Cebu offers best, you can never go wrong with this uberly-popular dish.

One thing that I also like with Casa Verde is its modern Restaurant System which streamlines its kitchen processes.

Right after we signaled the waiter for a dish out, they instantaneously gave us the bill — and my mom was quite surprised with how (relatively) cheap our bill was.

Anyway, sad and gloomy days are in the offing once again in the coming days, because pre-midterms is coming up, and I as I write this, I am feeling a little bit under the weather.

Here’s to more happinesses in the coming days, guys.

Remember when I talked about how I have an uncle who owns an RV in the States?

Yes?

Well, apparently, due to some fortuitous event, he figured in an accident, albeit the damages that the van sustained were not that grave. It just has a few screeches in the driver’s door, but other than that, it is still in tiptop shape.

However, even when the damage was only minimal, his expense for hiding the ugly scar on his vehicle cost him a couple hundred of bucks.

Sucks, right?

That’s why I told him that he should have asked for an rv insurance quote, because this way, he could have saved his money for the repair of his van. Moreover, it isn’t like other auto insurance quotes, because RV’s have specific features that may not be subsumed under the generic auto insurance plan.

Anyway, I hope he learns his lesson after this incident and be more cautious when he’s in traffic — because I know he knows pretty well that the smallest of acts can cost him his hard-earned moolah.