So I joined this online poetry community. Guess what it's called.

It's without the zay, mmkay?

It's a pretty good site, since it really goes like a workshop, and you really have to critique if you want to get anywhere, which will really help you in the long run, anyway. Also, you don't have to go through any professional crap while signing up (eherm), so it's all good. Coz, ya know, I'm not a professional.

I go by the same name, if you want to look me up. I've only submitted one work up, which was crossposted from fictionpress.net, and I've gotten five comments! Waaaooow! But since I've only given four comments, I can't PM my commentors thanks. That's a bit of a crap from the rules. Oh well...

Learning: the relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience.

This sem's just about the only one when I felt the need to study. Because:

Math 2 - I want another uno (an A grade, in layman's terms). It's simple math, so it shouldn't be that hard.

Psychology 101 - I want to get as high a grade as possible, since it's an elective, and psych was one of the courses I wanted to take. It's actually kinda fun.

Music Languages 9 - You know high school music classes with all the kulintang, pateteg, kudyapi, etc? It's like that, just more in depth, and hell if I know what I have to study for the exam on Tuesday.

Communication Theory 140 - There's not a lot of real studying (yet), but the prof has us do all these weird shit. Like create "communication is like..." similes. What kind of shit is that?!

Archaeology 10 - I'm sure I've already griped about this. As much as I should be enjoying this class, I'm not. The prof's great, he isn't the by-the-book sort, and the classes are light and carefree (sounds like a pantyliner ad, kinda). Having to study Philippine history and geography though, which I have always sucked in, makes me want to shove pencils up my nose and slam my face on the desk.

Film Genre 104 - I guess this is my main gripe, because I'm scared as crap of this class. Our professor, though she may not be the uberbitch, is still quite the bitch, of smaller proportions.
It's not just the assigned films she requires us to watch every week, or the massive amount of readings she has us read--she just isn't approachable. I'm not comfortable around her. I've heard horror stories of students being put on probationary status because of her. I figured those might just be the few lazy students, but holy JC, I'm one of them!

Okay, I'm aware I've probably whined about my school life too much. I promise you this is the last I'm going to do this. Unless I fail in a major test or something, then I'll be back here, again, griping. Moving on...

Christmas is the time...

I don't know how the song goes. Anyhoo, I've noticed how the Christmas spirit isn't really alive this year. Our family's just put up the decor, and we usually have that done around November. I haven't even bought presents yet. And I know my father has this beef with his sister, and I don't know how that will bode well on our xmas party. Somehow this depresses me a lot. But then I remember that my sister's coming home this year from the U.S., so I have happy feelings all over again. Hope you have a great Christmas, y'all.

Alam kong sinabi ko ang: "Okay, I'm aware I've probably whined about my school life too much. I promise you this is the last I'm going to do this. Unless I fail in a major test or something, then I'll be back here, again, griping." Pero dahil pakiramdam ko'y lagpakan ako sa aming exam--

Pochang MuL9. I hate you.

Hulaan mode buong exam. Tapos nagkamali pa ako sa interpretasyon ko ng instructions, akala ko 3 sentences lang sa isang item na enumeration, iyun pala dapat 3 sentences per enumeration.

Pakshet.

 

Learning how to learn? (O, wala nang masyadong whining 'to.)

I decided to choose Learning Photoshop for my Psych101 project this December because finding resources is easy enough, and improvement, or you know, "learning," would be easily judged from any photoshopped shit I come up with. I just haven't decided what exactly that shit is.

Just so you know, I'm riding the paper boat on the stream of consciousness. 

 

Dyipni. (Eto wala talaga.)

Minsan talagang kumbinsado ako na high yung mga nagmamaneho ng mga sinasakyan ko. Pero feeling ko minsan wala ring kaibahan iyung pagmamaneho nila 'pag high sila't 'pag di sila high.

Tapos bakit palaging mabaho doon sa may U-turn sa Commonwealth, lagpas ng PHILCOA (Citimall) bago sa Shell station? Seryoso, kahit anong oras pa ng araw na dumaan ako doon. Kapag gabi lang siguro, di ganoon katindi. Di ko alam kung bakit. Whatta mysterious.

 

Simposyum. (Eto rin.)

Nagka-symposium nga pala kami sa UP Cinema Arts Society, tungkol sa Music Video Production. Nandoon si Quark Henares, si RA Rivera (yeah, I don't know him either) at si Lyle Sacris (hinahanap ko pa yung apelyido sa yahoo't di ko rin siya kilala). Tapos nag-cameo apperance si Sir Ramon Bautista (of Strangebrew fame, and prof of the film dept).

Wala lang, nakakatawa lang silang panoorin. Naggagaguhan lang. Tapos ang cute ng sapatos ni RA. Blue saka pink. Tapos umiinom sila ng Yakult. Hahaha.

 

Alibata. ('To, medyo lang.)

Sa Archaeo10 kasi namin, meron kaming iconcentric approach. Magpapakita si sir ng isang bagay at tatalakayin ng klase ito bilang icon, mula sa kontemporaryong kultura hanggang sa kultura ng nakaraang panahon.

Eh noong Lunes nagpakita si sir ng graduation sablay ng UP, na may alibata na siguro'y ang mga letrang U at P. Napaisip lang ako kung bakit hindi ituro ito ngayon? Maaari niyang isabuhay ang nasyonalismo at ang national identity sa karamihan. Mas madali siya sa ibang written language dahil may correspondences lang ang mga letra sa Ingles sa alibata. Maliban na lang sa Q. At F. At J, Z, X, C, at V. Hmm... Sige. Wag na lang.

Medyo nainis nga ako kasi kung kailan gusto kong sumali sa usapan, dinaanan na ang aking index card nang pina-review sa akin ang naganap sa nakaraang sesyon. Ang sinabi ko lang ay "Nag-drill tayo." Naman. 

 

PBB. (Ito medyo rin.)

Ang labo talaga ng mga pinapagawa sa amin sa Comm140. Ngayon kailangan kong manood ng Pinoy Big Brother. Ang boring kaya niyon. Okay lang siya kapag wala ka lang ginagawa, kung kunwari nag-boblog ka, o umeebak ka, ganoon. Paano nagiging escapist form of entertainment ang TV kung may ganito?

May natutuo rin naman ako. Tulad ng Richard's Semantic Triangle, na may relasyon sa meaning at definition. Sa semantic triangle kasi, ang component of thought na "words," o "symbols," ay inaasignan ng component na "thought," o "reference," na namamalagi sa isip ng communicator. Ang reference na ito ay nagmumungkahi ng isang mental image, ang component na "thing" o "referent." Pag nagcocommunicate tayo, bumubuo tayo ng referent, nagtatakda ng reference, at nagbibigay ng symbol.

Medyo naiintindihan ko naman siya. Pero ewan ko lang. Pinapaliwanag niyan kung bakit ako nagkamali sa MuL 9 exam ko. Saya ng CommTheory.

Waaooow. Don't you hate that song? Do you actually know the lyrics to the lyrics to it? You'll hate it even more.

High school life, oh my high school life,
Ev'ry memory kay ganda.
High school days, oh my high school days
Are exciting kay saya.

There are times may problema ka
Kung ang homework left undone.
Pray ka lang, wag tawagin ka
Upang di pagtawanan.

Who wrote that shit?

 

Shoot. Why don't the Pinoy Big Brother freaks uploading videos on limewire? Why does the Guioguio have to make us watch the dullest piece of crap on zee telly? Grr. Augh. Blagh. *rolls around on the floor in frustration*

Now I will be forced into another megacramming session. Good thing we don't have Math2 tomorrow.

 

Innyhoo, going back on topic (*see title*), I think I forgot to mention I saw Erick the Saturday before last. I was at the CCP to watch NAMCYA for class, and I bumped into him t the parking lot. So happened that he watched a ballet with this chick I see around on campus. We talked for a bit before we left, then we saw each other again in our cars while on the road. And yesterday, I saw Karl, who saw me in his car while I was walking to my viola class. Wonder who I'll see next Saturday.

 

I was in the high school a week ago to get my brother's yearbook pic.  I'm not quite sure why, but their batch has fun poses and casualwear shots and shit. Why don't we have those? And when exactly will we get our yearbooks? I think I lost the claim stub to mine.

They did something different to the front of the quadrangle--before it had just steps, and now, they lost those and have these curved concrete planters that have some inscription on them. I can't really explain it well, just that I can say it's ugly. But hey, that's me, and you're welcome to check it out and disagree.

They also have this "turon express" stall at the first year mini-canteen, and a poster on an orgboard that said "Exams before dota." There's a guard posted near the canteen too. And they have these painted windows at the side of faculty dining room. And beside that there's a guy at the place where they put the crates of Coke and Sprite and Mountain Dew. I'm pretty sure he wasn't there before.

 

I was going to write more crap, but I forgot what they were about. So...

"Could you please help me, bitch?" Mission Hill on Cartoon Network is funny.

Okay, if you're planning to watch The Godfather, don't read this. You might get spoiled or something, I don't know.

 

THE GODFATHER. 

Dammit. Why does this thing have to be three hours long? *mumble grumble*

Long wedding sequence.
Meh. 

The director guy wakes up in a pool of blood, with the severed head of his horse. 
Woohoo! 

Big fat goon gets killed.
Aww. 

Don Corleone gets shot, and survives!
Eh? 

"Don't forget the CANOLI!"
Kahnowleeeee! Kiyenohleeee! 

Coupla shit goes on. Then Mikey kills the two important character guys. Victory for the Corleones!

Mikey goes to Italy, and gets with this girl. Stuff happens. They get married. Michael and Appolonia's kissing scene. She drops her slip.
Wow. That chick don't have nipples. 

More stuff happens. Then, in the U.S.- 

Sonny at tollbooth. Tollbooth guy bends over to pick up change. Armed men appear in other tollbooths. Gunmen get down from car in front of him.
Hala.

Barrage of bullets pelt the car. Sonny stumbles out, screaming. 
Pon-

Sonny gets hit by more bullets. 
yeta.

Sonny falls to the ground. He is gunned a few more times. He is kicked in the head.
Pucha. 

Back in Italy, Appolonia's car explodes. 
Aagh! The car exploded!! That was a surprise. Poor Mikey.

More happenances. Mikey finds his ex, and they marry. And then other things happen, anyway- 

Don Carleone dies. Funeral. This never ends, does it?

Baptism. Post-montage.
Wow. Great sequence. Credits, please. 

No credits. 
Dammit. 

A few minutes later...

"Don Corleone." 

End credits.
Oh, thank God. 

Hey, I just realized that Mikey is Al Pacino! Hm.

This is the point where I go to sleep. G'night! 

Not that it should be. But this year's Christmas is a bit more somber than usual. I haven't even finished my Christmas shopping yet, and I only have two more days before Christmas Eve, which is when our clan gets together and celebrates.

What's special about this year's celebration is that my mom's sister is here from the U.S., and tomorrow, my sister's flying in from New York. On the other hand, my aunt from my dad's side is on vacation elsewhere, and there's this tiff going on between my dad and his sister. I don't know what to expect from it, but my ate is here anyways, and that makes it all better. My dad and my aunt can't possibly ruin Christmas.

The most of Christmas past 

When I was a kid, my parents always had us sleep on the afternoon of the 24th, so we could be awake during our salu-salo. It didn't always work, since we were usually so excited about Christmas. And I don't remember ever having slept during the party, so it didn't really matter in the long run.

Wala lang. Just a little anecdote for the holidays. I used to be so excited about Christmas.

We also used to have these programs for our get-together. We still do, but it isn't as significant now as it was then, since now we just have a sing-off, and it was easy just to escape from your singing obligation, which is what I usually did. At least now I have an instrument to play, and I don't totally suck at it, so it's all good.

Anyway, I remember once where we did Roald Dahl's "Cinderella." I played a mouse then, not really an important character, but still fun. ...Oh, wait, that was New Year's. Oops.

What Christmas is really about. 

The presents.   Yes, I am a bad Christian.

I'm a bit disappointed in myself this season, because I used to really save up for xmas shopping. This year my mom just gave me money for it, and it's all right, but I don't feel all too good about it.

Add to that the fact that I'm not done buying gifts for people. And I'm just here, typing away, lalalalala. I'll probably get it done within the two days that's left, with blah presents. But, I usually get the same anyways (from my extended family--my own family usually gets me great presents), and it's the thought that counts, so whatever.

 

Speaking of which, here's a gift from me to you! 

It's my "film," our final assignment for our Film Language class.  You might be interested in the bad plot, bad lighting, bad script and whatnot, I don't know. But I got a 1.5 on it (probly a B), so it isn't all that horrible. It's 17.5 MB, around 5 minutes, in .wmv format. Click away!

 

That's it for rant of the day. I'm off to practice "The First Noel" and "Joy to the World" for Saturday.

Hope you have a bitchin Christmas, everyone.

Such a Delicious!

I didn't eat all that much, honestly. Not as much as my Seven Corners escapade at least. I don't think any holiday feast will ever approach that level of gluttonous ecstasy. I ate a lot of cheese, though. Cheese is gooood.

A Wasteful of Text! 

Texting everyone in your phonebook "Merry xmas to you and your families!" and learning who doesn't know your cel number and whose numbers have been traded in for new ones, in the wee hours of the morning is jolly good fun when you're

Nothing Spectacular! 

More proof of the somberness: lack of program in the Christmas angkan get-together. And I even brought my viola. Sad.

Just a few hours ago, we went through another Christmas tradition of ours, going on a drive around Makati to see the lights. Unfortunately, not-so-stellar business had left numerous Makati office buildings be blank and empty boxes of concrete.

The night was redeemed going through Manila though. City had a lot o' bling this season. People were drawn like moths to a pretty, multicolored flames.

And Back to Work. 

I haven't actually gotten around to doing that thing for Psych. Then there's the paper for Comm Theory.

But I'll probably read Anansi Boys and play Trapt and Haunting Ground and Fatal Frame III first. Woot woot!