I do not dream big when it comes to houses. A lake house would do .. if I were to live in another part of this world that is.

It would be nice to have a lake house with a mail box, a magical mail box that is. A magical mail box that be my connection to someone in the past or the future, any will do. A magical mail box that will be my connection to Keanu Reeves whom I will eventually meet ... aah, dream land!

After a long time, I got to watch The Lake House ... and I so love it! I was really planning to watch it on the big screen but law school schedule would not permit me to do so. And so, thank God it's Saturday, I got to watch it on DVD, pirated that is.

At first, I decided to watch The Break-Up since I thought it would require less concentration and I could do something while watching it. But what the heck! It's about time to watch The Lake House. And so I gave it my full concentration. Truly, no regrets!

It is a given fact that I am not a romantic person. But I did get teary-eyed in two scenes. One scene was when Alex was looking at a picture of his dad and him in front of the lake house. The other scene was when Kate asked where he could contact Alex when he saw the portrait of the lake house. I already had a feeling where the plot would lead me when Kate rushed to that guy in an accident. Add to that when Kate related such incident to Alex thinking that that guy who died probably had someone waiting for him or no one at all. I already envisioned myself with tears rolling having that feeling that Alex is already dead or is going to die ... but there were no tears :)

I love the film! Aside from the Keanu-Sandra tandem (of which I am a big fan since Speed), the plot was quite nice. I felt truly great after watching it. Sandra is one of my favorite celebrities. And Keanu makes my heart leap ... no kidding!

No Such Thing

There are a number of No Such Thing in Law School.

One of these is T.G.I.F. Yup, there is no such thing as T.G.I.F. in Law School. For most of the time that is.

Thank God It's Friday is a statement rarely heard from law students, from our school that is. Our lifestyle is not the same as that ordinary student who does not have a class on Saturdays. Our schedule is not the same as that regular employee who goes out on a Friday gimik after a week of hard work, which I did when I was still working ... I do miss that kind of lifestyle at times.

Dread may not be right term, for me that is. I do not dread Saturdays. It's just that we have our exams on Saturdays. So, we are all up Friday night up until early Saturday. I usually sleep up until 2 am and wake up depending on our scheduled exam. We had our Sales exam at 1 pm this afternoon. I slept from 3 am to 10 pm (I overslept ... hehe).

We still have one more exam for our first sem subjects. Afterwhich, it's full blast for our second sem subjects. Right how, we are still juggling all these stuff.

Though we may not have T.G.I.F., I still thank God for Saturdays!

Is it Christmas?

It is a well-known fact that Christmas is early here in the Philippines.

By this time, Christmas songs are heard on the radio and Christmas decors are all around the malls.

And when I got to school today, they already had their Christmas decorations on display. We have not yet put on the Christmas decors in our house. But, yes, there are already those kids singing those Christmas carols!

Sure, the Christmas season is here. Although, admittedly, I could not still truly feel it.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a Christmas person. I always look forward to this season. But it may take more time for me to warm-up to this season. (Warm up? Ang init-init na nga dito eh .. hehe)

Anyhow, I am still looking forward to the season to be jolly ... ho ho ho!

Well, it may be a stretch to call it divine intervention. But it is quite close to it.

We were supposed to have our 2nd exam in Criminal Procedure right this minute. But since no classroom is available for us to use since the undergrads are using it, we are instead going to have it tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m.

You see, I am not yet finished with studying for the exam. Our coverage includes Rules 112-117. As of today, I have not yet finished reading Rule 117.

The thing is I was ok with it having the exam today. I felt that whatever happens, happens. Although I wanted to really finish reading all those stuff, I felt that I could answer some questions. And in case I fail (simbako!), I am ok with it as fell.

And so it happened that exam was postponed.

Maybe my instincts are not right. Maybe I am not yet ready.

There are things that you don't pray for. But when it happens to you, you know that it is the right one for you. You could really call it divine intervention. Thanks, Lord !

Now, I have to go back and finish studying for tomorrow's exam.

Not Quite Sick

I have a feeling that I am going to be sick.

My throat hurts a bit and I am having a bit of a cold.

I started studying for our exam this Thursday. But I stop every now and then. I have not yet gained momentum.

Second Semester has officially started. What a way to start this semester :)

Under Renovation

For those who have been checking out my blogsite over the past weeks, it's quite obvious that this blogsite is under renovation.

I am superthankful to my dear celebrity friend (celebrity since she already became a guest host of Gameplan) Maan for the previous look and feel of my blog. That blog showed the child in me.

Nothing was wrong with my previous blog. I just felt that change may be good. And besides, I want to explore what I could do with this blog, without pestering my friends ... hehe. I know, that there is not much change .. just the template. I will take it one at a time and let's see how it goes.

Nevertheless, I'll try to continue to blog even with all the necessary readings in law school. Just bear with me if you notice some changes with this blog.

The truth and nothing but ...

No one can blame me if I take most of what I read of it as a fact, that there must be some truth to it.

But the thing is I don't take everything I read as a fact.

There are things that require more explanations. There are hidden agendas. There are miscommunications. There are misinterpretations. There are misunderstandings.

In the end, what the really matters is what I believe is the truth. Of course, I cannot vouch that what I really believe in is the ultimate truth and every human being in this planet should believe me. But I can honestly say that what I believe in is based on the facts and evidences presented before me. Some may be physical evidences which could just be corroborative or circumstantial. Sometimes it is just based on gut feel and intuition.

I pray that people may be more open minded. I do not blame other people if they are cautious. Self-preservation is human. But then, I do believe that good faith must always be presumed. Yes, I know it is hard. But it can be done. If one cannot presume good faith, make sure that there is substantial evidence to prove otherwise and that due process is observed.

This world is becoming a sad one. Even if one's intention is pure and honest, the name and reputation one has so preciously built could be shattered by some statements.

I pray that people will know that the truth and nothing but ...

I pray for this world.

Okay

It's been quite some time since my last post. But, what the heck, I'm not the only one .. hehe :)

It's not that there's not much excitement in my life right now that I don't have anything to right. Actually, I'm busy .. busy with law school ... hehe :)

No, I'm not complaining since I have envisioned that life in law school would be quite busy. I am even surprised that I don't find myself complaining ayaw ko na. That must be a good sign .. I hope :)

A former law school classmate of mine called up a week ago and wondered if we, her former classmates, still go out .. as in kain sa labas, badminton or nood ng sine. I told her not much. I have watched only 4 movies this semester ... Superman Returns, Click, The Devil Wears Prada and just recently, The Departed (which I am recommending .. it will not bore you). And we played badminton twice. I know it would be nice to do something different once in a while. But the thing is, I do not crave for it. I am okay for now.

I am okay despite getting a 64 in my first exam in Property. Of course, I was sad. And it did depress me. But I know I should not go on with such feeling because it would truly affect my next exams, sunod-sunod na baya. Basta, I used it as my additional motivating factor na lang. I hope I did well in my 2nd exam and that I will do well in the third exam in Property. Just enough to pull up my grade. I hope I'll do well in all of my subjects :)

Oh, well .. that' s it for now :)

They're Back ...

Survivor and Amazing Race are back!

I got to watch around half of the 1st episode of latest Season of Survivor and Amazing Race.

Sure, the teams in Survivor are quite controversial since it is based on race. I do not have anything against it though. It's just another way of classifying people. They have classified it before based on gender and age. I see nothing wrong classiying the teams based on race (this is my opinion). I don't think that if the ultimate survivor is a man, then men are superior to women. Nor do I think that if the ultimate survivor is somewhat younger it means that the youth are more empowered. Hence, if a Caucasian becomes the ultimate survivor this season, I don't necessarily think that Caucasians are more superior than African-Americans, Latin-Amerians and Asian-Americans.

I caught the last hour of the 1st episode of Amazing Race last night. The teams are more diverse than before. Bilib ako dun sa one-legged woman. Astig! Another thing that I was excited about last night's episode was that the first leg of the race was in China. Beijing pa talaga! I was ecstatic because I have been there, been that! Basta maka-excite iyong mapanood mo sa TV iyong napuntahan mo na ... hehe :)

Anyhow, I still do hope I will find time for these shows and some. You know naman law school, it's so hectic! Law School is an amazing race that I have to survive :)

Something New

It's red and it flips.

Yes, after 5 years and 8 months, I changed my mobile phone.

Yes, I have upgraded ... hehe! I am pretty sure a number of persons are happy for me since I was always talked about with my ever reliable Nokia 3210 phone.

How I love that phone .. no kidding! The 5 reasons why I love my Nokia 3210:
1. It has a memory game, which I play every night before I go to sleep.
2. Easy navigation.
3. Simple. Walang che-che bureche!
4. The never ending hirits I receive and give as to using a vintage phone.
5. The joy of less worry. In other words, the less likely possibility of having it stolen .. who would?

As to my new phone, it was given to me by my Mama Sang. No kidding, we call my aunt by that name. She is currently working overseas. She decided to change phones when she was here for a vacation and decided to give her 1-year old Nokia phone with me. I do not know the specific model. All I can say that it is Nokia, it is red, it is flip-type. No, it doesn't have camera, infrared, radio and all those extra stuff.

However, I am still thankful for this phone. My top 5 reasons for being grateful with my new-2nd hand Nokia phone:
1. Memory. I do not have to delete names in my address book.
2. Sent items saved. It gives me a better idea and evidence that I really sent something.
3. It's stylish, considering that it is in my favorite color.
4. Colored screen.
5. Sentimental Value. Of course, it is from my Mama Sang.

Kisay

At long last, I found some time to update my blog. It has really been quite some time and I know that I have so much to tell.

For now, let me tell you about Kisay. Ah, Kisay!

Kisay is my cousin who will turn 3 years old tomorrow.

She stayed with us during the summer last year and we so missed her when she left for Baguio, her hometown. Due to unforeseen circumstances, she is now staying with up until November.

Grabe talaga ang epekto pag may bata sa bahay! I mean, I am living a great life pero lingaw pag may bata talaga!

Sure, she eats up some of my study time unlike before. But she surely is a stress-reliever!

Here are my Top 5 favorite Kisay moments:
1. Kisay saying "joke joke lang". Obviously, she got it from my sister Johanna. Ang bilis maka-pick-up ng bata na ito.
2. Kisay singing Pinoy Ako, Breaking Free and Bituin Walang Ningning. Of course, hindi iyong complete. The important thing is makasunod siya.
3. Kisay combs my hair and fixes it as well. Sabi niya, tirintas niya daw buhok ko. Tagalog jud! Bisaya pa, salapid!
4. Kisay saying "hindi kita bati". Tagalog jud!
5. Taking pictures with her in our gaya-gaya pose :)

Not the Usual

I usually check my e-mails twice a week.

The last time I checked my e-mail was a week ago.

Over the week, I thought of how many IMPORTANT mails I must have missed.

The thing is I really didn't get an urgent e-mail this week. You know, the kind that I really have to send an immediate reply.

It's not that I am complaining. It's just that I am not yet used to not checking my mail.

Don't get me wrong. I am the type of person who can leave my cellphone at home and need not worry about it. But there are just some habits that are hard to break.

Nevertheless, I am quite grateful that I got some time today to check on my e-mail and Friendster account as well. It was relaxing to read forwarded messages and some Friendster updates ... requests, messages and testimonials :)

Right now, I am thankful that I have some time to take a break.

I have to eat my dinner though. Philippine Idol is coming up at 8:00 p.m.

Pressured!

Things are easier done if you really want to do it.

Not because you are tasked to do it.

Not because you are in a position to do it.

Not because you know you will be rewarded in the end.

Not because you are obligated to do it.

Not because you will be adored if you do it.

Feeling is better when you do something right.

When you know that you are not pressured to do it.

When you know that you really want to do it.

When you know that this is it!

I hope and pray that doing things would always be like that :)

Google it

Google has been officially been included in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

And I found out that one can actually google ToyNk and my blog would surely appear.

When I found this fact last Saturday, I was truly surprised. Surprised in a sense that I didn't had any idea that someone could actually read my blog and I do not have any idea who that person is. And that such person could relate to what I was actually blogging about. Yeah, I know, that's the whole idea of this blog thing. But I just didn't expect it.

I just liked the idea of sharing my experiences and sentiments that's why I decided to maintain a blog. My long-time friend Ien made the most valid reason - to update our circle of friends. Although, it's less personal compared to an e-mail since you really address such e-mail to that person, it's easier in the sense that you don't have to write the same things to your friends. Afterwhich, I could then send an e-mail separate from those that I blog.

Anyhow, the google thing was quite surprising. I wasn't really afraid that something was revealed because there's really nothing to be afraid of in the things that I write. It just surprised me! (How many times have I mentioned the word suprise? )

Well, google or no google, this is my blog .. I say what is in my heart and mind, open for the world wide web to know :)

Bluff

Bluff.

In desperate times, we do this during recitations.

As much we could, we try to answer a question rather than just saying pass.

Instead of passing, we bluff hoping that we could be right somehow.

I haven't passed in a recitation just yet (and I do hope that I will always be able to answer during rectiations)

I bluffed in our Elections tonight.

For the first time, I was called for recitation on a case I wasn't able to read. It's not that I intentionally wasn't able to read. Hindi na talaga kaya ng powers ko. I have already read the cases before the topic I was called for. But our teacher skipped. And I was called.

My saving grace was the digested case I had on hand, and with a little ingenuity (in other words, kunwari alam ko). There were some questions that I wasn't able to answer right away. But eventually got wind of it through leading questions.

One good thing I did was I prayed. When I had that strong sensation that I was called, I really went into deep prayer - closing my eyes and clasping my hands - while one of my classmates was reciting.

I think prayer did it. I was somehow able to answer as if I read the case.

I am one blessed girl but it took some time to get the shock off.

Thoughts

I have a wild and wide imagination.

Sometimes I forget what is real and unreal.

I have dreams.

Sometimes I am not sure if I could attain them.

I have expectations.

Sometimes I expect too much.

But I do hope for the best.

Then, something comes up before I even made the first step.

No time to expect.

No time to hope.

A burst in the bubble.

A door shut closed.

With no window nor roof opened.

Just waiting for someone to unlock that one and only door.

Heartbreaker

Someone just broke my heart.

Actually, it isn't just one person. It's the whole Red Bull team.

Red Bull broke my heart. They won over my San Miguel Beer team.

I have long been an SMB fan, ever since 6th Grade. I was duly influenced by three persons - my Dad, Elaine and Maan. And I am ever grateful to them.

After I graduated in college, I saw less PBA action. But I do try to keep up by reading the papers, which I do everyday. I was happy when a number of SMB players got to play in the last Asian Games where they placed fourth. Now, that was a heartbreaker. I kept crying on and on when they lost that game against South Korea to be assured of a silver. My housemates even tried to prevent me from watching the game for bronze as they were concerned that I was going to cry again.

But I did not cry again, although my heart was broken. I kept praying that SMB will win so they could enter the finals against Purefoods. Red Bull was leading all the way until SMB kept fighting back up until the last minutes. But Valenzuela made that shot. The ball was clearly off his hands with 0.1 of a second left.

Heart-breaking indeed!

Oh well, I am not the only one. Fans of Argentina were truly heart-broken when Germany won in their match in the World Cup. Larios afficionados were also heart-broken when Pacquiao won today.

At least I am not alone. And I hope Purefoods will win.

* I was happy when I saw the SMB logo. It was SMB's logo back in 1993-1994. I used to copy this logo and really tried hard to copy the mug.

The Justice League

Justice who?

Well, I'm part of the Justice League. No, not the Justice League you see on television. (But, I could be ... who knows?) The Justice League is the newest batch of LA applicants, of which I am proud to be a part of.

Last Saturday, there were 11 of us who joined this tiring but fun race around Davao. It was a race prepared by LA official members.

I wasn't part of the first two stations at AdDU since I was supposedly kidnapped and should be rescued by my fellow teammates. My team mates were the last to arrive at Shrine where they were to rescue me. But I never lost hope. The next task was to crochet a one-meter yarn. I volunteered, feeling that I still know how to do it. I was shaking at first. But I was so happy that we gained some ground and got to 2nd place. Then, we went somewhere in SIR to catch a ferry to Magallanes. We were able to catch the first team. They rode a tricycle to the ferry but I suggested that we just walk or run since that's what is written in the clue. We asked some of the organizers and they said it was okay as we still have money.

After we got to the right ferry, we reached Magallanes and dashed to Rizal Park. I was thinking that they would make us perform. Good thing, they didn't! So it was just a chopstick relay of some sort. Then off we went to Frissan where one of us needs to play billiard to get the clue. We got the clue and then we were off to 4Play! There, my teammates did some wallclimb. Afterwhich, we went to MTS to do shaggedy-shaggedy, skip rope 200 times and eat 6 bananas. I ate two! Then, we went to the Statue of David, listened to some kids rap, pose and get the clue. We were the first to arrive at the finish line at Times Beach! Woohoo!

I am happy with the Cool Blue Team! There's Sharone, who did the wall climb so fast, just enough for me to take a leak ... hehe! There's Kiko, who has so much stamina in him that he was always the first one to reach the place where we ought to go. There's Carlo, who was our team leader who brought the water and was so strategic with the chopstick. And of course, that's me, of which I could proudly say that my greatest contribution was the crochet thing. We rock!

Anyway, the race was really fun kahit kapoy! My legs are still sore but it was worth everything. There were times talagang gihingal na ako pero padayon gihapon .. slowly but surely!

And of course there's the rest of the Justice League, most of which are first year law students. There were only three of us who are already in second year.

Honestly, I really did think a lot before joining LA. Kahit sa pagtulog, I was still weighing the pros and cons. In the end, I decided to try it out and see if it works. So far, so good. I got to meet new people. And I like that! Let's see what the future holds.

Joining the LA was a personal decision and nothing more. I could go on and on why I decided to join and why I had second thoughts joining LA. But then I am here.

Justice League was nicely suggested. And I guess we were happy with it. We were thinking of something related to Pacquiao because of his fight. But we were concerned just in case he loses (which he did not!). Feeling superheroes, we decided to go with Justice League. We're law students and it's all about justice! Coincidentally, may last blog was about being a superhero .. hehehe!

One more thing, I was elected to be the batch leader. I did not pray nor hope for this one. I am happy that they trusted me. I hope I could deliver. Justice League could be Jazzie's League ... hehe ... But I wouldn't insist on that because we are all equal (char lang!)

I pray that Justice League would live up to its name. We will deliver!

Being a Superhero

Who doesn't want to be a Superhero?

I don't know who. But watching those superhero flicks would really make you think twice of wishing and hoping and wanting to become a superhero.

I just watched Superman last night. I watched it with my five other classmates. I planned to study yesterday, since we had no classes. But I succumbed to pressure and watched it with them. In the end, I only had an hour of study yesterday.

This is one of those times I want to be a Superhero. I want to do lots of things. I want to accomplish lots of stuff in such short a time. I want to be a Superhero so I could watch all the movies and TV shows I would want to. I haven't watched The Lake House and if I were a Superhero I could have probably watched it. I want to be a Superhero so I could read not just for law school but all those interesting novels that I long wanted to read.

Wait a minute? I don't think that those stuff I want to do defines a Superhero. I think what I really want are superpowers. But not really a Superhero. Makes sense!

Honestly, being a Superhero would still be cool! Saving the world from disasters - what a task! Being a Superhero may not be that bad at all. But then, I still have to ask Superman and Spiderman if everything is worth the sacrifice. I do hope it is :)

I Think ...

I think I think too much.

Maybe not always. But I really do at times.

I think too much of what to write right now. And then, mental block! There is no continuity.

I think too much of what to do. I do write my goals for the day. I write too much because I end up not doing everything. But that's okay. I just think too much of what to do for the day.

I think too much of what to watch. I am confused on whether to watch High School Musical or CSI or both. I may end up not watching anything.

I think too much of what to say. Or not say anything. Maybe I should I have said something. Or maybe it was a good idea that I didn't say anything when I had the opportunity. I would never know if I did not do was the right thing. Opportunity lost .. but I hope not forever!

I think too much of stuff. I worry about things.

I am not sure if that is normal. Heck, I am not sure if I am normal.

Thinking too much eats me up at times.

To get around it, I then just do it!