Embracing a New Chapter of Life...

**Well...Here I am again...Ü Making a "come back" after a long break from blogging haha!: (That's why I do have "utang" to you guys for not updating you earlier haha!Ü) Well anyways...Here it goes! ;P

After saying goodbyes to highschool days, it's the official start of another new chapter of life, "college life" that is...And it's already been 2 weeks since the start of classes for us "Thomasians".
Yup..."that" gives away the fact that I now study in the University of Santo Tomas. Ü
And I'm pretty sure that most of you thought I love singing so much(and I really do!♫) and so I'll be taking up Music in college.But sad to say----I'm not giving you guys false hopes but I'm currently studying in the College of Fine Arts and Design with the course of Interior Designing.Ü

Well,like I said,most of you didn't expect this.(Though quite a few of you already did see this coming... Ü ) My world didn't revolve around music alone...I also loved ART very much hehe...
It's actually my "first love" haha...♥ I learned to love it long before discovering my talent in singing...Believe it or not...haha!Had long been fascinated by colors and details,lighting,furniture,style and house facades. And so it had been my childhood dream to be an Interior Designer ever since...Ü

But before elaborating things regarding that "dream" of mine (in the next entry...Ü),
Let me narrate first about the changes that I'm currently experiencing...College life is indeed different from old highschool days.In short, you being in a new and bigger environment.
Wherein you tend to get lost at first due to it's vast area,meet with lots of different nationalities,with profs coming late for a class perfectly normal,having a very long and tiring sched---And so much more!

During our first day of classes,(that was a Wednesday) our professor for our first subject didn't show up!And us being freshmen who knew nothing about college scheds and rules,we waited for 3 hours!In a room with a freezing temperature!But that wee three hours of waiting made way for us to get in touch and know our blockmates. It's good that there are a few of them who were daring enough to break the ice by starting to try to get into a conversation with each of us.Doing it from one table to another.Never knew that my blockmates were so jolly and hyper!(and friendly too!) Though there were only a few of us who were Chinese and three of those were Korean and most of them who were Filipino,we all got along pretty well.From a silent room transforming into a noisy chat room... Ü Finally,the older ates and kuyas from the other room dismissed us nrin and let us knew a few things about professors coming late."You are given the right to leave or dismiss yourselves if it's already after 15 mins and the prof doesn't show up.Unless informed so..."So you can now probably tell the looks on our faces!Haha!Ü Never knew that there were such things such as 3 hour lecture subjects and 5 hour major subjects. Didn't know about about getting dismissed earlier or profs coming late or not showing up at all.To be frank,I was more shocked with such things as scheds rather than getting culture-shocked...And also found out later that professors not showing up for sessions is completely normal during the first few days of class...Well atleast now we know a little something!Ü

Breaks...Having classes from 7am-5pm or 6pm almost everyday,we usually have a one or two-hour lunchbreak.Usually scheduled around 10-12 or 11-12. And that's already for the whole day!And since our building( the Beato Angelico Building) is located in the corner between P.Noval and Espana,it's quite a distance from the university's food chain.(located near the UST Main Building) ----So we have to walk that distance everyday just to eat and satisfy ourselves.
Here's another prob...Most of the students in UST have their lunchbreaks scheduled from 10-12.Translating to bombarded restos and no places to eat.(Dining in a first-come first-served basis) So incase we don't find any luck,we just have our lunch take-outed and seek the aid of the university's Benavides Garden(or more popularly known as the "Lover's Lane") But it's not only designated for lovers ofcourse.Haha!Ü

Requirements...CFAD and Architecture course requirements only translate to one word...EXPENSIVE or in Tagalog MAGASTOS...(No need to elaborate...)

And since we're still in the first few days of classes and we still don't have much to do,we're usually dismissed earlier pa...So we get to roam around the campus.So I also just happen to find out that there are a lot of Stephenians in UST!It's as if it became our second home!Ü Seeing familiar faces everyday(atleast more than 10 from SSHS) People from our UECM Church family and also from my other former schools( St.Jude and PPCHA respectively)So that made it a whole lot easier for me to adapt to the new environment.Ü

Religion...Like most of the universities here in the Philippines,UST is also a university practicing a Catholic faith...But the thing is,it's not only a Catholic college,it's even officially given the title as the "Catholic University of the Philippines" So it's gonna be quite a challenge for me.(Since I'm a Protestant Christian) But thanks to my past experiences in St.Jude,it won't be much of a shock for me...Ü And with God by my side, I'm sure to be guided all my life through...Ü

I've still got a long way to go...And also a few more years in this university.
Still have more things to learn and discover about this new part of life.Ready to embrace it's every aspect.Walking hand in hand with God and keeping my faith strong as I now face new challenges and strive to step-up on each of these stones that'd eventually lead me to achieving my dream and a bright,successful future...Ü

**Till then...I'll keep you guys posted!Ü

Ten Years Older In Just a Few Days?!?

**Just came from our church's annual junior summer camp last May 24.Just decided to drop an entry here.Hehe...Ü

Older by ten years in just a span of few days?!?(I know some of you are already thinking that I'm mad or what...But surely am not....Ü) Is it possible?!?Yep...It is...(not literally though!Haha!)

(Like indicated above) So I was saying that I just came from camp 2 weeks ago...A junior/children's camp that is...Well it's true that I'm supposed to be used to these kinds of stuff since I've been to so many and have grown up with the event itself.From a tiny-winy camper,to a junior officer,and now a senior officer...Time really flew so fast that I didn't even notice it passed by so quickly!Before I was one of those who were taken cared of.Calling all the junior and senior officers "Achie" and "Ahia" Now I'm the one being called such!Sometimes I still can't accept the fact that times has changed situations so much.But,indeed,it has cause 8 years have already gone...

This year,our camp was held at Kuhala Bay Resort, Cardona,Rizal.Among all the camps that I've been through all these years, I'm sure that this one would be memorable for me.(Not that the other weren't!Ü) It's just that this one is a bit different.

This year,I went there as a senior officer for the second time around.(I had my first time last year 2007) But it was a whole new and different experience for me this year.Kids' age range is from 8-14 as it is every year.Only that this time around,we had younger campers.Their ages ranged from 7-10(Well,most of them...) And the number of counselors and senior officers this year were quite few...So it was indeed quite a challenge for most of us.Everything had to be done "hands-on"

From day one, it was already challenging.From the travel to the activities. In fact , so many things have happened.Something with the Arts and Craft part that we couldn't push through with it that day.So we ended up doing the Games that afternoon instead.It was the first time that I got to experience making water balloons and it's not that easy!Especially if you're doing it for the first time!So I really GOT WET...LOADS OF TIMES...But eventually,I got the hang of it..Haha! It was really fun also! And since we had younger kids,they were much more active and noisy.Much harder to control or hyper---to be exact...Yes,they really were...And who can forget the ever-so-notorious building 3 Rm.7?!? Most of us were stressed but in a good way atleast...Ü
And as officers,we had to abide all the rules of the camp.Since were supposed to be the ones to set as an example to all those kids.So our every move has to be watched.Cause if anything happens to them, we would be held responsible and we wouldn't like that.Would we?Ü

This year, I was a part of the music committee, as a back-up singer.We had so many songs and some of those had actions!I'm not really good with actions so I usually resist to do them and have someone else do them for me.But this was the first time around that I was actually forced to do them!And I enjoyed it too!Haha...Miraculously perhaps...Haha...Ü (I hate dancing kc...)
And the kids were also quite demanding when it comes to entertaining them.(counselors and senior officers acting,singing or making actions is a form of entertainment for them)

Each and every task turned out to be very big and important to us.Well,for the music committee, the "Praise Night" was the biggest to accomplish.It's mainly about singing,doing actions,having fun while glorifying the Lord through songs of praise.This year's theme was "animal" or "jungle" so we had prepared animal praise songs for them and even have them do their own costume!We had them make their own masks and paint their own animal shirts!Those were what they made during the arts and crafts portion...Ü

Though it was very tiresome,all of us had a great time.This whole experience taught us so many things in life and had also made us realize how hard it was for our parents to handle and take care of us from the day we were born.Taking care of kids isn't as easy as it seems to be.PATIENCE,in particular is one of the most valuable lessons that we have learned.(I'm pretty sure all the officers agree...Ü) Even more so should we really be thankful to our parents for having taken care of us.During the camp,we eventually grew up,learn to do our duties and tasks carefully and mature.And ofcourse, in the Godly way...Finally leaving Neverland...Ü