All iz well.

So far I have three trips booked this year.

First is the Batac-Banaue-Sagada adeventure in mid-May. Second is a spur of the moment booking for Hong Kong with Farrah because last night Cebu Pacific announced a seat sale. And third is a trip to Bacolod with the BA girls for Masskara in October.

That, and the upcoming Maroon 5 and Incubus concerts - I wonder how I'll get by. I definitely have to increase the amount I allot for my secret account. You see my secret account funds my travels, gadget purchases and big expenses that aren't part of my day to day necessities (aka bags and shoes).

I should be worried but surprisingly I'm not worried at all. I just have this feeling that everything will be provided for at the right time. Of course there's my salary. I just have to stop buying clothes, lessen my cab rides and avoid pricey restaurants. And then my birthday! I'm used to not getting gifts for my birthday but I hope my parents give me a some dough. Lokohin ko nga pandagdag sa Sagada funds ko. haha! Them being here allow me save so much money too! Lola is also coming sometime June. Maybe she has some dollars for me. HAHAHA KAPAL KO!

I guess I just have to make do with whatever funds I can come up with. This will test the 'money can't buy happiness' shizz. We'll see!

I wanna be a billionaire.

Had I won that 750 million peso lotto draw, my plan was to build a students' center in UP. It'll house the orgs that will qualify certain standards. And then every certain period (say two years), orgs will be reevaluated. ABAM, of course gets its own space. haha

The center will have wireless internet, their own awesome cafeteria, meeting rooms, game rooms, event halls, the works! Pretty much like this office of Skype (photos from Interior Design ideas). The event halls will be available to other orgs too so they can hold their big events in campus.

Qualified orgs get their ID cards and will need to have it scanned (yes, hi-tech itetch!) before using meeting rooms. CCTVs will be installed all over the building to make sure no vandalizing and theft happens. And if it happens at all, we cant track em down.

Cleaners are assigned per day and per area. The cafeteria will have a 'clean your table before you leave' policy. No overnights allowed. The center will also have its set of officers who will lead projects that are socially relevant and will contribute to the academe and the society in general. The student center will also have a board of directors- composed of members of the alumni community, sponsors and professors who will evaluate projects, act as guardians to members, and ultimately, gather support to sustain the students center.

Non compliance to the house rules will lead to cancellation of membership to the students center and a one term ban from application.

HAHA OKAY, I'M GETTING TOO SERIOUS. TALAGANG NAPAG ISIPAN KO NA DIBA?

I still want to do this. Only it'll take a little longer and if I become a billionaire at all.

Oh what money could do. :)

2011

Read MY 2011 here. :)

2011 and beyond

Told my mom I'm getting bored. Now, I've reviewed some crazy plans and cooked up new ones that I'd like to do.

1. Take up a class. Never really zeroed in on a single topic. I'm taking dance classes but this time I want it in a room, with notes and class recitations and field trips. (College 2.0?!) Maybe something about our culture, or plants (for work). Ghad I didn't have any idea oranges are colored green when they're not yet ripe for picking until my brother mentioned it. Then again, we do not have Orange trees here so yeah, I think I'm excused.

2. Live somewhere for a year. I first wanted New York. Spent a whole night talking with Raish about taking odd jobs for fun. Like being a waitress or a pet 'baby sitter'. Even selling our eggs for research to finance the NYC life. (They pay really well! hahaha) But now I'm looking at Boracay- where the good things and bad exist harmoniously. I'm thinking it's cheaper to live. It's easier to find a job (I speak Ilonggo, Filipino, and English) so I have a good change right?

3. I've also shifted my dream of building a house in Manila to building a beach front vacation house. Maybe here in the province, or in Batangas. Land prices in Batangas aren't cheap anymore though. Lola's house (where I currently live) is empty anyway so I'm free to stay! haha

4. I'm thinking of volunteering at the tutorial program in our parish. I hope Diane comes with me. I don't wanna go alone! But I'd like to teach. It's the closest I get to being a real teacher.

5. And because I hate ending in even numbers, I need to think of a fifth crazy idea. Oh yeah I remembered one plan I have with my friend Mau. She's like a major football fan and she's dragging me (okay I sort of volunteered) to Bacolod in February for the AFC cup kickoffs against Mongolia. That's IF the game pushes through in Bacolod. It's originally planned to be played in Mongolia but since it's still winter there in February, Azkals offered to host in here.

I'll make 2011 a year of adventures.

So help me God.

*photos searched on Goggle. :)

Teachers and teaching

When I was a kid, I wanted to become a cashier. I thought they get all the money we give when we buy stuff. Of course it didn't take long to realize it's not too cool a job to be a cashier.

When I was in grade 6, I wanted to become a teacher. I had the best teachers so I wanted to become like them.

When I got into high school, I got turned off with my student teachers so I lost interest in becoming a teacher. Don't get me wrong though. My teachers were good- but you see I attended high school in a state university where senior college students taking up Education are 'trained' to teach in the grade school and high school departments. Many times I get impatient with ineffective student teachers. Or overly strict ones. Or those who simply lack common sense. I'd get into 'diplomatic' arguments with them whenever I couldn't understand what they were explaining. Quite a few times in Physics class I kept 'arguing', not because I didn't understand but because I felt she's the one who's confused. We have books so it was pretty easy to sense if she was telling us the right stuff. I wanted our argument to become an 'AAAAH GETS!' moment for my other classmates. Until our real teacher (her supervisor) noticed I was asking too much. He intervened and ask what's up. So I explained my question and my answer to that question to my teacher. Bottom line: I was right, so he let our student teacher sit at the back of the room and took over the lesson and explained the problem the same way I explained it to him and my student teacher. EEEK, I'M SO MEAN! hahaha Until now I remember that scene. It's one of those times I was hungry for answers- not for myself but for the whole class. I wanted all of us to understand it, not just me.

Obviously I graduated high school NOT wanting to be a teacher. Actually, I still want to teach but I wasn't willing to take Education as a course. Based on my experience in high school, I've concluded that not everyone who finished Education can teach. And not all who didn't take up Education as a course cannot teach. I actually hope that in the future, people who pass a certain standard will be allowed to teach- regardless if they own an Education degree or not. With the poor standards of education and teachers right now ( no offense to teachers but let's face it, all the good ones are in private schools, top universities, or abroad), we really need help from those who can share knowledge.

It takes skills and passion to be a teacher. Students can feel passion. And passion is contagious. How would you like to wake up early in the morning to attend the most boring, monotone, bookish class evaaar? NOT NICE RIGHT? But you'd definitely want to get up for school if you're in for another exciting exchange of knowledge.

Today I find myself back to wanting to be a teacher. But that'd mean I'll be a student first. I've actually drafted my short-term plan for 2011. And yes, it includes going back to school. I just have to give it a shot to stop all the what-ifs on my mind.

Wish me luuuuck!

Short term plans

While reading Bob Ong, my desire to study the culture of the Philippines just became stronger. I want to learn everything about our culture and eventually share it to Filipino kids who somehow, I feel, lack that sense of pride in being Filipino. I wanna be the ambassador of Filipino culture- take the knowledge to different schools sothat the passion for this country is sowed at a young age. I'd like to have Ma'am Norma Respicio as my mentor. But that's just because she's the only professor I've met who knows so much about the traditional Philippine culture. She's a super cool prof.

From L-R: Ram, Jewel, Myself, Ma'am Respi, Emm, Bee, Marian, Ali, Panx, Olga and Cancan

My best summer class in college.

Right now I really pray that Joop makes it to UP Diliman. Please pray for him too. If he makes it, my dad plans to take classes in UP too. Wala lang. Trip lang daw niya. So sasama ako, I'll take classes too. HAHA I super- AS IN MAJOR- want to learn about traditional culture and know everything by heart just like I know bags and brands.

Note to self: Start researching on Ma'am Respi's classes. Promise I will make time and drop by CAL to ask for their course outlines.

Five days!

Sometimes I find myself wanting to blog about something but end up staring at a blank screen. Sometimes I am able to write something but I realize that a) it makes no sense, b) it has sense but there's too much information or c) it's about a crazy experience I want to share but I ended up in a massacre article. haha

Months ago I decided I have to keep reading about different topics to keep me updated. There was not much need when I was in college because I can easily learn a thing or two from conversations with friends. But after we graduated, there was less interaction, people have work, I have a lot of time to spend with my laptop. Therefore I decided to list 5 different topics that I'd read on a weekly basis- the 6th day will be for catching up on an unsuccessful reading day and the 7th day to be my read anything or nothing day. I had themes in my reading list like Pinoy Pride Monday, Crafty Tuesday, NegoWednesday (business), Thursday travels, Fashion Fridays. Something like that. First week on this reading list and I already failed to follow it. haha I decided to just drop it and go back to the usual- reading what I find interesting.

This time I'll try doing a weekly post list aside from my other kwentos. I decided not to put a theme because i might end up not following it at all. Instead, at the end of each day I'll post whatever tickles my fancy. It can be a beautiful pair of shoes, a new product, an amazing dining experience/ customer service, a kikay tip or find, a cute love story, a hilarious video, a beautiful photo- anything goes!

I hope I pull this off!

Major Mission in 2010

The year 2009 has been amazing for me. I graduated on time, had the funnest college life I could ever live, saw lots of good movies, had so much laughter, we were spared from the great flood, friends who were affected by the flood are alive and okay. It was a year filled with blessings.

I will make this 2010 count. It's gonna be more amazing, more fabulous and more meaningful than 2009. Dapat naman ganun eh. Each year must exceed the year before. We must strive to improve ourselves - in general, or at least one aspect of it.

Now I dunno which aspect I should work on. Love life is always on my list but then again waiting and hoping is the best I can do. Social life, yes? Keep in touch with the friends I have. Try to meet new people at random places. But not the pick-up girl sort of meeting ok? The 'common friend' works best for me. It's kinda hard to be comfortable with other people who are total strangers. A common friend kinda dissolves those worries to a certain extent.

Giving back is also on my list. I started 'giving back' last December when I gathered my friends for a little outreach project (as blogged earlier). I thanked those who came and Weng sent a very heartwarming reply. She said it was also her way of giving back for the many blessings she received this 2009- graduating, getting a job she really enjoys, and having the opportunity to work on her dreams.

More than just doing outreach stuff, what I really wanna do, as in MAJOR, is to get a scholar. If there's one thing I appreciate about my horrible application in a certain company, it was meeting this doctor who declined to take part in WWF (World Wildlife Fund). Okay side story...

I was an applicant and we were sent to do field works with their employees. To my horror, we walked around the Makati persuading (pressuring) people to enroll in the WWF program where they charge a certain amount from your credit card each month which serves as your donation to help save the world. Now we entered this beautful modern clinic somewhere in Makati (can't recall actually) and the two employees I was with approached the doctor. The conversation went something like this.

Employee1: Hi Sir! We're from the WWF (not true!) and we're here to do a survey (echos lang!) regarding the Earth hour.

Doctor: Oh, I know this. So basically you're asking me for money?

Employee2: Uuuhm, yes, something like that.

Doctor: I'm sorry but I'm involved in a foundation that sends kids to school. I think the bigger problem we have in this country is that a lot are stupid. I'd rather spend my money in educating people.

And in my mind I wanted to say YOU GO GIRL! (he was kinda gay btw hahaha) But yeah, I wanted to hug him, applaud him and do a fabulous walk out. Of course I didn't. But I did walk out the clinic with an evil grin. HAHAHA

So back to my main story. I talked to mom about enrolling in World Vision but we realized we can just build our own foundation of some sort, and handpick our scholars. (You can't choose a scholar in World Vision. They assign you to a kid.) You may ask why I want to pick my scholar. If I had a choice, I want a scholar from a minority group- an aeta, or whatever minority group.

Because they need to cope up with the times. I know they wanna keep their roots and traditions. That's totally fine. But it wouldn't hurt if they knew how to read or do simple math. It would greatly help them when they trade with lowlanders. With education, they can put into writing whatever traditions they have. Not only will it be preserved but they can also share it with outsiders so others can appreciate their culture more. Basic literacy will also allow them to vote wisely and become a significant influence in their local area. Hindi na sila babalewalain at pagsasamantalahan. In return, they can also give back to their community by teaching their fellow tribesmen what they learned in school.

Then again, I'm not closing my doors to non-indigenous people. As long as the kid has a dream and is really really needy, I'd gladly help.

I'm not earning much right now. SERYOSO. I'm so sure most of my friends (if not all) are earning more than me but I am blessed. And if I can spend a few thousands for bags and shoes, I can definitely shell out a few more for a kid's future.

I hope you do the same too. Not exactly sending a kid to school. Generally, just giving back. It's also for good karma you know.

Cheers to the amazing year that's coming to an end and to the even more amazing year that's about to start!

Will post my other 2010 stuff soon. :)

*photo from lenses.wordpress.com