I know I haven't been blogging much. There are a couple of reasons:

1. Most of my friends are on Facebook, so very few would comment on Multiply. People don't know that I have a WordPress account, except for Fat.

2. I have writer's block. I could sort of start a topic. But after a few sentences, I would lose my idea and just erase what I typed.

3. There were final examinations. I'm glad it's over. I think I did well. I think.

4. I didn't have unlimited internet access because I stayed at the dorm for two weeks. Wifi was fluctuating and unreliable. I had to go to a computer shop to rent and connect to the internet.

Well, more than a few things happened in the past two weeks I've been on blogging "hiatus".

October 12 - 16

We submitted our thesis proposal to DV for checking before the final submission. I brought mini ensaymadas for our thesis group, and C and L. I found out that K didn't like cheese. So much for my belated birthday gift. Hungout with G, L, C, P, and J for "lunch". They ate, I didn't because I was so full from my lunch out with my family.

I jogged in the morning, hoping that it would help me look toned for my photoshoot. We went to Banapple again. This time we were only 5 instead of 9, when I came with them for the first time. I was with K, R, J and F. We were a little early so we got our orders immediately. The pasta was so good. I ordered Trio Sausage *something* Fetuccini. It was very rich and carbonara-y. I put a lot of pepper sauce and grated cheese. Yum. Slept over at Kari's place for the last time, for the semester. Hahaha. I also showed the dress that I was going to wear for my creative shot.

I, L, and C had dinner at Ate Eva's Grill to listen to L's story of what happened last week. C left early, which gave me and L to bond in the evening. We eventually gave in to our cravings of Starbucks and each bought a cold drink.

I forgot what happened in the following days of this week but I learned a few things from my eating out friends.

October 17

I had my photoshoot for my graduation pictures and stuff. Had fun with K, R, and J because we watched Not Forgotten at Trinoma. It was a nice movie. Too bad it wasn't horror like we expected. The poster was suggesting that genre though.

October 19-22

Finals. What else? We waited for Ks and Kt for their ride home while waiting for the Banapple peeps. To reduce boredom and impatience, we watched the teasing on R and A by the twins. After, we had Banapple, but we ate out on Wednesday instead of the regular Tuesday thing. BA2 was hard, thus the move of Banapple night. We became many again, there were R, me, F, J, Ka, Kr, O, A, MS, and C.

I helped C look for a dandelion, and we found out that people in Dangwa do not know what a dandelion is. I told C it's a weed, but she reacted that it's not. It's a plant. Ugh. That was annoying. Hehe. Anyway, we bonded and she helped my review for PSY221 because I failed to wake up in the early morning to finish reviewing.

Today, October 23

And now, I have a few hours left before leaving the house to leave for Guam. If you want to contact me, my phone will be on roaming starting at 10PM. Globe phone. Thanks, good bye!

Have you heard of her? Perhaps only a few of you have. Last night, K and I watched a video posted on Facebook about a performance of Ursula the Magician. A tall blonde lady walked onto the stage while honky-tonky music played. She was a wearing a business outfit, with a long-sleeved top and a pencil-cut skirt. She brought out her handkerchief and concealed it in her hand. She showed her hand again, and the handkerchief vanished. She pulled it out of her jacket. She took off her jacket...

Okay, I will not spoil you anymore but this performer was very eccentric. Let's just say that K and I were shocked towards the ending. I remembered her this morning and googled her. She's a writer and a performance artist. I want to watch more videos of her performances and also I would want to know how she writes. =)

Her real name is Ursula Martinez.

I am currently researching about charm, because apparently, K describes me as charming. That wasn't the first time I was called like that. A couple of years ago, I went shopping with a dorm mate, E. We weren't that close but the moment we shared led her to tell me that I was charming. Why so? I still wonder, and hopefully, my curiosity would be answered.

I googled for some sites about this word.

I looked up its definition at dictionary.com:

charm

-noun

1. a power of pleasing or attracting, as through personality or beauty: charm of manner; the charm of a mountain lake.

If I am charming, then that means I have charm. If I have charm, then I have a power of pleasing or attracting... Grr... Enough with the logic.

Only a few would tell someone with such a word as this. It is quite flattering on my part since I have just begun to sharpen my social skills. However, my so-called charm is only effective (I think) when I am in a good mood.

Oh my, I have even found a web page on “How to be Charming” from http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Charming! Anyway, here is its definition:

Charm is the art of having an attractive personality. This characteristic can only be achieved over a period of time. While everyone is born with differing amounts of natural charm, much can be acquired and honed through practice and patience. As with dancing, the more you practice, the better you will become. Effort and careful attention to the needs and desires of others will ensure that charm becomes a permanent part of your character.

Geez, did I earn this charm or did I naturally have it and some people were fortunate enough to have noticed? Anyway, for more tips on how to be charming, you could click the link above. Toodles!

This entry contained scripting, which has been removed for your safety. Click here to see the entry in its entirety.

Today, I read an article entitled "Two teachers are better than one!" which talked about a couple of theoretical physicists: Dr. Christopher Caseñas Bernido and Dr. Ma. Victoria Carpio-Bernido who turned into high school educators -- very distant from their old teaching posts as college and graduate school professors.

You may wonder how and why it happened: Chris' mother asked the couple to take care of their family's business, the deteriorating private school in Bohol. The physicists took the road less traveled, packed their belongings and moved to the place.

Almost ten years after they settled in Bohol, the school because source of many achievers, some belonging to the top students of the country. Here are reasons why:

**

**

1. Reduced lecture time: 30% of the period is dedicated to teaching/lecture and 70% would be for the student's own study time.

2. Three sections to one teacher - I don't know how they made this work but it would help the employer save money. Haha! The teacher acts as a facilitator, for classroom management, and does not answer questions regarding the lesson (if I understood the article right).

3. Biorhythm - Harder subjects in the morning, easy in the afternoon. The couple knew that the brain is active during the day so it would be best that challenges are given early.

4. No homework - Ain't that cool? This would also relate to the previous item. If you want productive students, let their brains rest. =)

I wish my school was like that. Too bad this is highly improbable in college! Hahaha!

I read the article here:

Barawid, R.C. (2009). Two teachers are better than one!, Manila Bulletin, 442 (1), E-1.

Today was a kind of fun day. Last Monday, P and I planned on meeting up so that she could come with me to RC to drop off stuff for donation to the Ondoy victims. Then we had to figure out what else to do for the day. I suggested we go for Starbucks and she suggested that we have a massage together. Massage. I dreaded it. I had to take off my clothes! Anyway, let me start the narration about what happened on the day itself.

In the morning, I got on the computer to check for thesis updates: Hmmm, K uploaded a re-edited draft of our paper. I also checked the usual stuff: Facebook, Twitter, Multiply, email.

I met up with P at around noon and drove to RC. There were renovations going on in the school and there were a lot of students I don't know. The freshmen we left when we were seniors in high school are already freshmen in college. It took some time for the two of us to get out of the car since we were nervous that some familiar faces (that is, teachers) would recognize us. Anyway, we had our donations brought to the office (unfortunately, including my umbrella), lingered for a while, then left.

We went to Summit Ridge. I forgot to eat lunch so Pat and I ate bicol express with garlic rice at C2 (Classic Cuisine). Spent P305. Good food, worth the price. I bought a USB at CD-R King then we went to Starbucks for dessert: Caramel Creme Latte and Iced Cafe Mocha, with P's homemade ref cake. P305 too. Yay. When we were about to leave, I was being fickle if I should get my umbrella back or not and P was thinking if we would still go and have the massage. We were full and we might burp, barf, or fart when we get massaged.

Still, we decided to go. When we entered the spa, the persons-in-charge said that there was no electricity and if it was okay that we have it without the comfort of coolness. P didn't want to continue but we stayed there for a while. I talked a little with the lady in the counter about the different massages they offered:

The Swedish Massage: The lady told me that this is a light form of massage that involves the rubbing of oils onto the skin. *I think I would like that*

Now this, is the Shiatsu. According to the lady, it's a massage that is "pang-macho". It has more pressure and "hagod" compared to the Swedish massage. She, however, recommended that we choose the combination massage so that we get both types of massages with the same price: P300 per hour.

There were other things they offered such as body scrub with or without honey wrap, facial, manicure, pedicure, footscrub, foot massage, back massage. There was one that caught my attention: the ventusa.

When I asked the lady what it was, she said it involved glass cups and fire. The glass is heated up and then place on the person, usually on the back. I wonder how it felt. The lady said that it takes a bit of getting used to. People get surprised at first but then it becomes okay.

Now, you people already know what I wanna try. Hehe. If I remember right, the spa offered it for P200 an hour? I hope P and I get to do this one time. =) I still dread the thought of having to go naked for it. *shivers*

This morning, M and I went to the municipal hall to register to vote. There, D told us to look for A, who would help us register. Yes, "to help" was to get registered through a shortcut. We cheated, abused our surname's influence. After going through the process, I found out that when D and M were newly registered, it was A who "helped" them. At least D is trying to correct or compensate for what happened before. For the reactivation of his voter's ID, he went through the normal process.

Don't get me wrong, I know how it feels to wait in line for just a simple registration. Last summer, to get my non-professional driver's license, I waited in line from 7AM until about 1PM just to take the written exam. I waited again until around 4PM to get my temporary driver's license. It took THAT long!!! There were a lot of people waiting too, and I saw a couple of them cutting in line. I was annoyed. D pointed them out to me and told me that they were using their "connections" to get through the application process quickly. Then, he asked, "Why doesn't it take long for influential people to have things done, when government institutions are concerned?" It was rhetoric. He then answered his own question. "Because it's the government. It's the system." We both were frustrated that these things happen everyday, that they waste people's time. Not a lot of people come from families that have influence nor do they have relations with those kinds of folk.

Political influence has become a stigma too. Once they hear a surname that is related to the government, they change the way they act. Let me illustrate to you a perfect example. Last summer, I was driving with D to fetch F from his review at Alabang. We were somewhere at Paliparan, still at Cavite within the vicinity of Dasmariñas. We were nearning an intersection and the traffic light suddenly turned yellow. I tried to speed up to get to the other side of the intersection before the light turned red. I wasn't sure what happened, but the traffic officer signaled me to pull over. I was nervous because it was my first time to "get caught".

D told me not to say anything and show the officer my driver's license, then argued with the officer that I did not beat the red light. When the officer read my name, his demeanor changed and gave a weak smile, as if caught naked. "B po pala kayo eh." D repeated that I not say anything. "Kaano-ano niyo po si P?" D kept reminding me to stay silent. However, the officer also kept on reiterating his question. Exasperated, D answered, "Kaapelyido!" The officer kept on smiling and was submissive towards me and D then he let me off. Gross person.

Anyway, I just showed you the situations wherein my surname's influence was used intentionally, not used at all, and accidentally used.