December 2009

Last one .. But it's already 2010! At least, I completed it!

I crossed the bridge! And I am really happy!

Indeed, this is the season to be happy!

I am happy to have spent time with my family and friends.

I truly enjoyed the Christmas party with my law school batchmates.

I truly enjoyed get-together with Accountancy batchmates.

I truly enjoyed chika galore with my High School friends.

More happy moments for 2009!

All the best

November 2009

Lost ...

Of course, I began this month with anticipation and an eager one at that. I was going to teach and I was indeed excited for it.

However, towards the end of November, my grandmother died. She was 83 years old. She has been weak for more than a year. How I hoped she was still here for the holidays. But GOD has other plans .. maybe my grandmother was already tired and she knew that things will still be okay without her.

I miss her but it was her time. We love you lola and we miss you ;)

October 2009

In between things ...

The bar exams are over and now, I'm back in Davao City.

Honestly, I really had lots of plans after taking the bar exams.

I was planning to read novels. So far, I have only read 1 novel. Aside from that, there's the daily newspaper, Archie comics and magazines.

I was planning to edit videos. However, my laptop has limited capacity and I have not yet bought extended memory.

I was planning to go back to scrap booking. But I figured I need money to have the pictures printed.

I was planning to teach. And it became true .. yehey!

I was planning to go back to Manila to be a bride's maid and to go malling with my friend. It went through as well. Yehey uli!

October was indeed a month of in between things. It was also the month in which the bridge is already upon me but I have not crossed it yet. I was enjoying the experience and fervently praying I would make the right decision.

Just the same, the waiting continues ...

September 2009

Do you remember? ... September!

Bar month na!

I cannot exactly remember what was going through my mind on the first day of the exams. I can't remember if I was nervous to tell you frankly. All I know was I was praying that we'll make it.

I was happy since my dad was around during the first exam. I was happy since we had Ate Lhems so we did not have any problem with going to DLSU. I was happy that I received a number of text messages wishing me all the best.

Political Law. Labor Law (my favorite if I might say so). Civil Law. Taxation Law. Commercial Law (Insomnia was running through my head while answering). Criminal Law.

The day before the 4th Sunday, Ondoy came. During the morning, I was really concerned of those who were going to Manila from Davao, including my mom and brother. I was really worried where they were since Manila was flooded. Later, I was happy that they were ok.

I was not really well that day since I had a headache. And I just said to myself, I might as well just rest rather than pushing myself to study that day. I was taking a nap when I received text messages that the bar exam was postponed.

I do not know what to say. I said I wanted to cry but I can't. It was not a feeling of I want to end the agony because honestly, I did not find myself in agony while reviewing for the bar exams. It was more of frustration of going over the different kind of emotions because of the typhoon and its effects - sadness, worry, frustration, among others.

By the next Saturday, I had a really high fever in the early morning. I was really crying hard by myself because it could not have come at a better time. I prayed fervently that I would be ok by the time Sunday comes. I am so thankful to my Palisades friends - Teen and her aunt, Julius, Dodong Mike and Noche. Thank you so much for your concern and I have no regrets of being with you during my stay in Manila. (naks! speech jud murag nakadawat ug award!)

My mom was concerned as well and she really checked on me Sunday morning. I was quite well and doing ok. I was worried that I would feel cold during the examinations but I was ok .. praise the Lord!

Remedial Law. Legal Ethics.

It was a different last Sunday than the last time I experienced it. Our family and friends already came to Manila the week before and so there were not much people who welcomed us after the last exam. For me, it was like the 2nd sunday or 3rd sunday of the bar exams.

Nevertheless, we were extremely grateful that at last, it was over.

Now, the waiting begins.

August 2009

Manila Girl ..

The Bar Exams are getting closer at this time. And so, I was back to being a Manila Girl for two months.

I was happy with our place and the people I am with in Manila. We were a fun bunch so to speak. Don't get me wrong. We studied and we studied hard. But it does not mean that we were not allowed to enjoy as well. We had fun with our cooking show as well as our hirits (more hirits on their part) every now and then. I love the fact that our place was so accessible (though admittedly not that cheap!).

It amused me that they value my opinion. During review, they asked if we could go to Tutuban. I said I won't but it's ok if they go. They didn't.

They asked if I would want to watch "Up". I said not now but it's ok with me if they watched. They did not watch.

I really like the feeling that there was not much pressure on us. Probably, just enough pressure to keep us going for the bar exams but not too much that would make us panicky.

Everytime I get to see my batchmates around Manila, whether accidentally or intentionally, I get excited in the sense that there's a feeling of familiarity which I guess one needs during the bar exams.

And as promised to my dad, I took some review classes as well in Manila and I think it helped me nevertheless, considering that as I have mentioned, I am a classroom person. And I was happy that we get to have our sessions, not of the drinking kind.

Of course, there were some events that made me realize that the world does not stop even if the bar exams were coming up. Each of us had our own concerns while others had to deal with friends, family, life and even death.

I continue to get support from family and friends and I was so grateful thinking that there are a lot of persons praying for me.

In the end, I was grateful because I know and felt that God was with us every step of the way.

July 2009

I am more than half-way and it's still 8:45 pm ... I think I can finish this

At the end of this month, review has ended as well. And how did it end? It was quite an experience since our lecturer lost consciousness while discussing in class. Nataranta jud kami! All's well that end's well since he was ok after he was brought to the hospital. He had low blood pressure because of self-medication.

We were kidding around that the case he mentioned when he lost consciousness would be asked in the bar exam and guess what? It was indeed asked.

As the review classes ended, I reminisce our food trips at Cecil's, Majid's Kebab, Bulaloan and Jollibee. Hmm, this makes me hungry .. hehe.

June 2009

Pacing and wayding (wedding di ai .. hehe) ...

I really tried to clock in 8 hours of study time apart from the review classes. There was one time in June when I was able to read for 8 hours (excluding intermission numbers but with breaks). However, I got sick after that with a slight fever. As such, I did not push myself that much anymore since I believed that quality is much more important than quantity. As long as I pace myself well in order to cover the different subjects, I thought that I should be in good hands (not necessarily with Metrobank .. corny, hehe) even if I study less than 8 hours a day.

On the other hand, my sister Jennifer got married. My mom and dad got to attend the wedding. While my brother and I have visas, I decided that it was better if only mom and dad should go and that all of us siblings will be left here at home so that it will be fair to my two other sisters who could not come to the US. Moreover, my brother has classes and I have to review for the bar.

At the end of the month, there were some sad stories and in which I pray will ironed eventually and hopefully soon.

May 2009

Review, review, review ...

My preparation for the Bar Exams has become full blown. As much as possible, I try not to be absent in class since I feel that I am more of a classroom person, in which I find that I can understand topics easily when discussed in class (of course, it also depends with the lecturer).

Nevertheless, I make time for American Idol. I am such a TV person!

I was able to write this down on my gratitude journal and I share this with you, my dear readers (as if .. hehe);

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Have faith in God. I assure you that you can say to this mountain, 'May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,' and your command will be obeyed. All that's required is that you really believe and do not doubt in your heart. Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe it, you will have it. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too" - Mark 11:22-25

April 2009

This was the beginning of drought as I decided not to blog during bar review ...

Graduation! I was truly happy and grateful when I graduated from law school. But at the same time, there was a tinge of sadness knowing that law school life has ended. This means I would seldom see my batchmates/schoolmates. In addition, I would miss reading cases, preparing for an exam and most especially transcribing notes (no kidding!). The sum total of the law school experience is one that I really miss!

I know that graduation is a momentous event. While I was happy and grateful that I have graduated from law school, I was not that too ecstatic considering that I still had the bar exams to hurdle, the exclamation point to my law school life.

April was also a month of clearing up some things. Indeed, I was happy to be able to express my views. At the same time, it was in April when I said "we'll cross the bridge when we get there .. with no expectations!"

March 2009

I'm on the 3rd month .. let's see if I can finish this before the year ends ;)

Exams here, there and everywhere .. Yup, I really got busy studying (naks!) for the last remaining exams of my law school life (with fingers crossed at that time).

But with our exams, our family also got busy with our "lipat-bahay". After around 25 years staying at our home in Ecoland, we now moved to a new home. It was really something new for me, especially with the commuting part. I love our home and its location in Ecoland so I really took time in adjusting with our new place.

Our new home is absolutely fantastic. It has a great view and definitely bigger (modesty aside) than our last home. Honestly, I had my apprehensions living in a big house because there's the probability that people will be more distant and if people will start moving out, it will feel more empty .. I don't know.

For now, I am really ok and I fell truly blessed with our new home. More importantly, knowing that my parents, especially my mom, are happy and proud of our new place makes me really happy!

February 2009

I am doing these entries on a piece-meal basis to ensure that I will be able to finish blog entries and so that my avid readers (yeah right!) will find it easy to read .. hehe ...

Amidst the pressures of a 4th year law student, it was a surprise that I got giddy in this month of hearts.

I looked forward to watching "You Changed My Life" and I truly enjoyed watching the film. The chemistry on-screen between Sarah and John Lloyd was definitely something that made me giddy. I guess there are just persons in this world, celebrity or otherwise, without any romantic connections that have that kind of chemistry.

Roses! Yup, roses made me giddy this month since I got a number of it from different people. And indeed, I am truly grateful for receiving those, making me giddy and causing butterflies in my stomach.

January 2009

I know. I haven't had any blog entry for the longest time. And so, I am making up for it by reminiscing my 2009. Here goes ...

The last day of the first month. That is definitely the highlight of my January 2009. Why? Well, that happens to be my birthday.

And so, on the 31st of January, I was up and about at 3:30 a.m. preparing sandwiches for our Conflicts, without knowing what lies ahead.

Yup, my dear classmates had a birthday surprise for me - the cake, the balloons, the tarp, the works! I will forever remember the day I celebrated my 28th birthday - definitely a highlight of my 2009.

Of course, we also had our Conflicts of Law (which I am pretty sure I will sorely miss in weeks time!) Knowing (and hoping) that this would be our last Conflicts, I made sure that we had lots of fun and made the most of our time. There were controversies (what's Conflicts without it?) but the important thing was we were able to hurdle it and made our last Conflicts of Law definitely an event to remember!