25 Random Things

Sandamakmak ang ganito sa facebook at friendster, yung mga "Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to blah blah..." At nakigaya rin ako. Ito yung 25 random things about me noong 2009, dagdagan lang natin ng mga komento. :)

1. I am a vegetarian. (Bilang pasaway, sumasablay na minsan.)

2. I love buying and reading books.

3. Writing is my first love. Tapos music at visual arts.

4. I love the moon.

5. I love surprises.

6. I hate waiting.

7. I soak my feet in warm water and it feels ohh so good!!!

8. I love soft and cuddly stuff. hehehe (IT'S SO FLUFFY! I WANNA DIE!!! ^^)

9. I have many pillows in my bed.

10. I wanna learn Japanese!

11. I will go to Mexico and go swimming at the beaches of Cancun or Acapulco! Hahaha (That is if I learn how to swim before the world ends at 2012, sabi sa Mayan Calendar... hahaha)

12. I want to translate Pablo Neruda's poetry straight from Spanish to Filipino. I have translated "Soneto XVII" from the English translation only... :(

13. I want to read Rizal's novels in their original version.

14. I will go backpacking before leaving Thailand in 2010. (Which I never had the chance to do because of the Red Shirt rallies there. We actually tried to go to Chang Mai at the height of the conflict. We ended up taking the wrong bus dahil nagmamadali para di maabutan ng curfew, and were sent back to Bangkok first thing in the morning. Haha)

15. I have lots of debts to pay.

16. I am considering artificial insemination as alternative (That is if I am still single by the time I turn 35; and if I'm rich enough to pay for it. Otherwise... hmmm... there are other options... hahahaha)

17. Donna said, I'm very gullible. After some revelations weeks ago, I realized that I am not just gullible, I'm stupid and naive! Ahaha Diba mga ateng?

18. I am a cry-baby, but for some reasons, I can manage to impede my tears. I acquired that talent from a not-so-distant past. Hehe. (Emo pa rin naman! ^^)

19. Sadyang madaldal lang talaga ako. Pero kapag nanahimik na ako, hmmm... I'm brewing something... evil!!! Ahaha

20. I take eating seriously. I am always silent whenever there's good food. Hehe

21. Contagious daw ang kagagahan ko! Ahaha.

22. I am a very shy person. Honestly. (Which no one actually believes. Bakit kaya? ^^)

23. I am naturally curious. Like when I was three years old, I cut my hair because I was curious what scissors can do, and how haircutters manage to cut my hair nicely. That was the time I realized that haircutting is not the career path for me. Hahaha.

24. I repeated that same "kagagahan" when I was in highschool. Inahit ko 'yung isang patilya ko! Di ba naman! Ahahaha

25. Mahilig daw ako sa "true love"... whatever that means... AHAHAHAHA

Raket, anyone? (Seryoso po) ASAP

Attention: College Students from Baguio (Preferably marunong mag-ilocano, madiskarte at ipinanganak na isyusera/isyusero) na naghahanap ng konting raket, at nais gamitin ang kanyang spare time para sa mas makabuluhang bagay (like to save the world or something to that effect. hehehe)

I need some assistance kasi para sa thesis ko. ASAP. as in uber-ASAP.

PM me if you're interested.


Salamat,
Xiaui

Visitaciones ni FVR

August 20, nakipagkulitan si FVR sa mga Pinoy sa AIT. He was in Thailand for the 50th Anniversary of AIT. Namigay din siya ng mga tobacco. hehehe

Ang bagong "Boy" sa buhay ko!

Makikipagbreak na ako kay Hyun Joong kasi mas gusto ko na 'yung friend niya, Si Choi Seung Hyun aka T.O.P. Hehehe



Nahihimatay ako sa smirk niya, as in, at sa mata niyang, ahmmm, koreano! hahahaha! Alam ko bakit ko siya gusto pero di ko sasabihin dito. Hulaan n'yo na lang! Haha! At dahil super like ko siya now, here's "Lollipop" for you guys! Hihihi





Hihihihi

Buknoy and Me

Break from proposal writing... almost on the brink of nervous breakdown, hahahaha! Halata naman sa pics e! Echoz!

Happy Eating

When there are million reasons to celebrate, eating good food with crazy people should not be missed. :

These pictures were taken from Ting and P'Jo's Thesis Defense, FILA Farewell Party for Graduating Students, and their Surprise Pre-Graduation Dinner (nasurprise sila kasi bigla lang kaming sumulpot ni Ching!) Hehe

Today is their Graduation Day. Congrats!

Anong gagawin mo kung wala ka ng gagawin?

E di gumawa ng gagawin, tulad halimbawa:



1) Maglinis ng kuwarto: Dahil sa dami ng ginawa mo noong nakaraang buwan, mukha nang landfill ang kuwarto mo. Baka gusto mong linisin para hindi ka naman magmukhang nakatira sa Payatas!



2) Magsauli ng mga overdue na libro: 'Day, hindi lang Php2.00 ang bayad sa overdue book dito. Tandaan, 5 Baht isang araw per libro ang bayad. Sa tingin mo, marami kang pambayad? Wala kang pambayad!!! Purita ka bakla!



3) Maglaba ng damit: Bisitahin ang closet, hija! Wala ka nang madamit, kahit pantulog man lang! Maglaba ka kaya 'no?



4) Basahin ang mga nakatenggang babasahin: Bibili-bili ka ng libro, hindi mo naman binabasa! May mga dinownload ka pa, simulan mo na!



5) Magsawa kakapanood ng Korean drama: Go sa Korean Pop Culture!!! Bonggang-bongga ang Boys Over Flowers! Siguraduhin mo lang na tatapusin mo muna 'yan bago ka maghanap ng iba pang gig ni Kim Hyun Joong kasi 'day, madi-disappoint ka sa kanyang acting abilities. Oh well, singer/dancer naman kasi siya to begin with kaya palampasin na muna natin ang expressionless face niya sa Boys Over Flowers. Pero aminin, nakakahimatay ang smiling face niya!



6) Ma-inlove kay Kim Hyun Joong: Hayan! Sa sobrang wala kang magawa, at walang pwedeng mas realistikong chorvahin diyan sa lugar mo, mag-ilusyon ka na lang. Mabilis naman ang internet! hahaha!!! Ulit-ulitin ang episodes 9-38 ng We Got Married kung saan ka nainlove kay Kim Hyun Joong, tapos hanapin mo pa lahat ng gigs niya, pati yung mukha pa siyang ulaga at maaliw sa katotohanang para siyang mantika kung matulog, at cute siya kapag naka-clip!!! Ilusyunin mong ikaw si Hwang Bo na tinatawag niyang Buin (wife), na ganun ka kaganda at ka-witty (Hindi naman nila alam!) at pangarapin na nagda-date sila ng palihim! Haha! Tapos, kung hindi ka pa masiyahan, galugarin mo ang WWW sa lahat ng impormasyon kung ano na ang pinaggagagawa ni Kim Hyun Joong ngayon... Yah, whatever! Oo na, alam mo na na may bago siyang commercial at taga-endorse siya ng Dynamic Kin (Coca-Cola product). Ewan ko sa'yo!



7) Magpractice ng "Nobody" dance step: "Nobody, nobody but you... nobody, nobody but you..." Haha




8) Magdownload ng mga Kris Allen songs at magpa-party sa kanyang pagkapanalo: 'Yun lang, sama ako sa party! Haha! Go Kris Allen! Sana nga lang wala pa siyang asawa diba? hmpf.



9) Ubusin ang lahat ng pwedeng panoorin: Magtira ka naman, isa-isa lang! Mahaba pa ang mga araw! Haha!



10) Gawin ang layout ng blog-gag ni Arjax: Ayan! May matino kang magagawa! Go!

 

11) Gumising sa katotohanan: MAY THESIS PROPOSAL KA PA INENG, UMAYOS KA!!!


Pero since napagod ka daw, sige na nga! Hahayaan muna kita, pero after ng week na'to hindi na pwede ang papetik-petik!

ED 79.16 Final Exam

Start:	May 11, '09 09:00a
End:	May 11, '09 12:00p
Location:	E108, AIT, Thailand

Conflict Resolution Final Exam - Last Hirit!

(Last time ko na rin na makikita si Unno... huhuhu)

ED 79.14 Final Exam

Start:	May 4, '09 1:00p
End:	May 4, '09 4:00p
Location:	ET109, AIT, Thailand

Governance Final Exam - Last hirit!

Abby in Thailand

I had to see her during her visit in Thailand because this girl rocks! Hehe... Sensya na Abby, uber-busy ako nung dumating ka. :D

Ashes

March 23, 2009, Ratchaburi, Thailand. Libing ni Dr. Nowee. First time kong makasaksi ng Buddhist Funeral. Halos week-long 'yung ceremony, last day na ako nakapunta, nung iki-cremate na siya. We were there since 11am until 5pm. We left AIT at 8am, so medyo may kalayuan 'yung lugar.

Behind the colorful facade of this Thai Temple, sadness was overwhelming. Even the brightness of the sun cannot outshine the loneliness of the ones who cared for her.

I will really miss you, Dr. Nowee.

Guess Who

If you're a sci-fi fan (or a geek, like what they say! ), then probably you wouldn't mistaken him as SYLAR. Hahaha. This is Mr. Spock, the half-Vulcan-half-Human character in J.J, Abrams' Star Trek. But since Zachary Quinto, a.k.a. Sylar, is playing the character, then ok, you can associate him to Sylar. ahaha...

I am so excited to watch this film. Release date is set on May 2009. (Actually, I got a long list of sci-fi movies to watch this year. Harharhar... only if I have enough time for this...) By the way, Sylar is so cute, i mean Zachary! hehehe!

Images grabbed from
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1691260160/ch0001439 and
http://www.virginmedia.com/movies/galleries/previews/star-trek-cast.php?ssid=3

Nagsusumixteen Series: Self-Talk

Today, you were actually given that rare chance to smile at him yet you chose to be a wimp.

He was standing right in front of you. It will only take you a little head-lift and a little eye contact and it could have been the greatest moment of your entire... ahmmm... week! He ain't gonna notice that it was even intentional. And since you've been sitting almost next to each other for more than three months in class, it is natural for you to exchange curtsy. He will not take it against you, i hope, and whether he smiles back at you or not is entirely a different story.

And yet, you just let the moment pass. Your head was bowed down, your eyes were pointing nowhere, and your smile was hidden somewhere in the back of your head chasing his presence inch after inch while you walk away from him. You blew your chance, for the nth time, and no one knows if you will still be given another chance. The semester is a month away from its passing and his time here in Thailand is almost over, and you blew another chance of a probable friendship, or whatever.

You are such a wimp! Like, totally!

It's a Miracle!

Okay! Fine! I over-reacted! Kelan naman ako hindi naging OA, exaggerated, at exceptionally ngarag sa mga bagay-bagay sa buhay ko? I was trained to magnify ordinary things to make them look extraordinary. It's art!

Haha! Sorry. I'm just justifying the exaggeration of my reaction towards my academic life. Hehe. Nataranta lang ako, nagimbal at nagising sa katotohanan.

Para wala nang paligoy-ligoy pa, sasabihin ko na kung anong nangyari. Ganito:

• Mababa pa rin ang nakuha ko dun sa pinangangambahan kong subject, pero hindi naman siya kababaan na tipong patatalsikin na ako dito sa AIT. Kaya pa naman siyang bawiin kahit next highest grade na lang (but I'm still aiming for an A! Lord, help me!)
• Kumbaga sa battery, Triple A ako. Hehe. Yun. :) Pero nangangahulugan din 'yun na kailangan kong magtino pa kasi midterms pa lang 'yun. There's still a big chance na bumaba pa 'yun kapag nagpabaya ako. More pressure! My gulay!
• Isa sa mga subjects ko ay walang grade kasi wala daw pagbabasihan, sabi ni Dadi Seyj. Hehe. Kasi naman, one credit lang yun tapos 5points pa lang yung assignments na binigay niya. Well, Research Design yun so ang mahalaga dun ay ang Thesis Proposal at the end of the semester.

Speaking of thesis proposal, I need to finish my thesis proposal as soon as possible, and I have to defend it as early as may, dahil by June/July, I should be going back to Baguio to do my data gathering and my internship.

So there. Isang buwan na lang at Finals na naman! At nape-pressure na akong lalo! Natatae na ako sa pressure. Haha

Well, I can say, it's still good to feel low sometimes kasi you get to realize that you have to try your best in everything and you cannot survive without God's grace! Nababatukan ang mga papetik-petik! Kaya ayun!

Kung sa ANTM pa 'to, sasabihin ni Tyra sa akin, "You're still running towards becoming America's Next Top Model!" Sabay fierce-look... and pout!

Haha.

Songkran

Start:	Apr 13, '09
End:	Apr 15, '09
Location:	Thailand

Three-day holiday in Thailand! Walang pasok!!! Oh yeah!

Earth Hour

Start:	Mar 28, '09 8:30p
End:	Mar 28, '09 9:30p
Location:	Earth

Turn off your lights for an hour, from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm (local time).

Visit the Earth Hour Site at http://www.earthhour.org/home/

Khok Charoen, Lopburi

Here are some of the snap shots of our trip to Khok Charoen, Lopburi Porvince, Thailand for the Gender Analysis and Gender Responsive Development Planning class under Dr. Kyoko.

Capital T

"... as in Tanga!"


Siguro, hudyat na ito na kailangan ko nang umuwi. O kung sa termino pa ng mga galit sa akin at nag-iisip na ilusyunada ako, panahon na para lumibel ako sa dapat kong kalagyan.

Nabagsak ko ang isa sa mga exam ko, at yun pa lang ang resultang nakukuha ko sa ngayon. Nangangamba ako na pare-pareho ang kalalabasan ng apat ko pang exam dahil, una, tanga naman talaga ako; pangalawa, pareho lang ang takbo ng utak ko simula ng una hanggang huling exam.

Pagod na ako sa totoo lang, pagod na akong makipaghabulan sa mga gusto kong abutin. Huling pagkakataon na ito at anong ginawa ko? Hindi ko alam kung hindi ko lang talaga kaya o nawawala na naman ako sa konsentrasyon?

Sasabihin siguro ng mga galit sa akin, "HINDI MO KASI TALAGA KAYA, ILUSYUNADA KA KASI!" Putang-ama n'yo! At least ako, sinusubukan kong habuli at abutin yung mga gusto ko kahit minsan e suntok sa buwan talaga! Kung ano mang kahinaan meron ako, pinipilit kong i-overcome yun! Nakakapagod na kaya! At oo, ilusyunada ako, kasi ayokong nagsesettle sa ganito lang.

Nakakapagod na lang talaga.

Masyado na akong matanda para sa mga kapalpakan! Pero eto na naman ako, pumapalpak pa rin ng bonggang-bongga! At lagi't laging may repurcussions ang mga bonggang-bongga kong kapalpakan, i.e., hindi na ako makakatuloy mag PhD kasi kamusta naman ang grade ko, diba?

Ngayon, hindi ko alam kung titigilan ko na 'tong habulan na 'to o mas lalo lang akong tatakbo kahit wala na akong lakas. Pero kasi, baka naman hindi na ako kasali sa habulan e takbo pa rin ako ng takbo? Diba katangahan 'yun?

O baka tanga lang talaga ako?

I will miss you, Dr. Nowee

Life is so short to realize you're missing half of it.


This morning, a phone call from Nur, my Indonesian classmate, woke me up. "Dr. Nowarat died this morning."

I didn't want to believe what I just heard.

It's not like I didn't know this is going to happen. She's been sick since last semester. She was confined to the hospital for months and she only returned during the finals. She was one of the nicest professors I've ever met, not to mention that I really admire her intelligence. She was teaching Nanotechnology here in AIT plus Environmental Engineering subjects. She was an Applied Physics graduate from Mahidol University here in Thailand and she continued her graduate and postgraduate studies in the US. She was my academic adviser. We were never really that close but since she has that refreshing personality, I've always liked her. Our last conversation was during the registration period and before she took her leave this semester.
But even though we already knew her passing will eventually happen, I didn't realize it'll be this soon. Maybe I was expecting a miracle, that her life will be extended just for a couple of months... or years. She was still young and she still had so many things to do. But as what they always say, you'll never know when your time is up.

I didn't know her well enough so I cannot say she wasted her life for unimportant things. Her work was probably her most valued possession, and maybe she had so many plans to improve the quality of life of many. But then, what's the use of all these when you don't have the strength to even lift a pen? She took her work so seriously that maybe she forgot to take care of herself.

I am sometimes like that. Sleeping really late and even being awake for 48 hours straight just to finish a requirement for school, not eating on time, eating unhealthy food, etc... and for what?

We only live once, and we have to use it to the fullest and most meaningful way possible. But since our lives are relatively shorter compared to our plans and dreams, it's better to try to prolong our lives, or at least not try to shorten it, so that we can at least achieve half of the things that we intend to accomplish before the last straw of breath leaves our frail human body.

And maybe the thought that our lives are not entirely ours, probably we can have that sense of responsibility not to waste what was entrusted to us. We are accountable to the way we live our lives.

I am going to miss you, Dr. Nowee.

Visiting Chachoengsao

Five-day fieldwork in Chachoengsao Province for our UEM Workshop class this semester. At the end of the semester, we are expected to draft an urban revitalization plan for Muang Chachoengsao, the most urbanized municipality in the province.

On the first day (15Feb), we went around the tourist-spots in the Province. We went to Wat Sothorn, Baan Mai Market, Bang Khla, and others. The next days were mainly for business, but of course, we still managed to find some time to fool around. hehehe