Feeling nostalgic this Christmas

God is not what you imagine or what you think you understand. If you understand, you have failed.
-Saint Augustine

A young man who wishes to remain a sound atheist cannot be too careful of his reading.
-C. S. Lewis

* * *

I swore to myself I would not post anything about my religious beliefs because (1) it would offend people and (2) it is very stupid to post about something I have not studied in depth. For months I have leaned towards atheism, without fully letting go of my Catholicism. But there were situations and people (alive AND dead) which and who unknowingly urged me to trash the fear of criticism and step out of the box a little bit further.

After taking up Religion, Psychology, and doing an analysis of Flannery O'Connor's stories for my Composition subject, and a further push from St. Thomas Aquinas, I was convinced to try and seek again.

* * *

All credits are due to Gottle of Geer from CAF. :)

Where is John Grisham in his books ? His characters wouldn't find him, so they might become aGrishamites. Only a pious Grishamite would realise that Grisham, though not himself in his books, exists "beyond" them - outside the events of the stories; not isolated from them, but as sovereignly free of the limitations they impose on those within them.
An orthodox & systematic Grishamite would believe (thanks to the labours of generations of Grishamologians & saintly Grishamites):

* that Grisham is omnipresent in his novels
* that he is contained by none of them
* and is present in all by his authorial power in all & each simultaneously
* that he is "past searching out"
* that there is a world inaccessible to created nature which is the dwelling place of Grisham alone
* that there is but one Grisham
* that he is not limited by any of his works, & cannot be
* that there is a world "below" the world accessible to Grishamites & aGrishamites alike
* that it is filled with mysteries named "print", "paragraphs", "grammar", "plot" & others
* that coming to the end of the court case is not the end; but is instead the beginning of the true life of the Grishamite
* that it is by grace, not by Grishaman nature, that some have some insight into their author.

And so on.

An aGrishamite could object that there is no reason to believe any of this, & that the Grishamite has mistaken his own fantasies for reality. To which part of the answer could be, that observed reality, though real in its way, can be an expression of realities unobserved by aGrishamite - simply because aGrishamite thought is founded on ideas that exclude the possibility of this.

An even more graced Grishamite would add that Grisham, though powerful, is not ultimate - he is himself the work of a greater author; or rather, Author; Who is alone adequate to be described as Grisham has been. And this Author is of such inconceivable Excellence that He alone can make Himself known. Which He has done.

Even if our knowledge of the universe were complete, perfect & error-free, God would still be God, & all creatures, us included, would still need Him as much as ever. Christian faith is not an explanatory hypothesis to account for things by postulating something called God - that is closer to how scientific knowledge is gained. Faith in God is not the same sort of experience of truth as science: any more than a cheese is a sort of dog. The universe is designed to give room for both faith & science, each in the way appropriate to its nature.

and the following are credited to cargau from CAF too. :)

If you are determined to say that God does not exist, no amount of evidence will ever convince you. Some people still doubt that man ever set foot on the moon. I could show you pictures, moon rocks and they will still remain steadfast in their doubt.

Newton had three such laws that are universally accepted as fact. The first law states that a body remains at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. The second says that a body remains in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.

What outside force got the first object moving? And what outside force stopped the first moving object?

And what about life. Pasteur said that life can never come from "unlife". So, where did the first life come from?

* * *

I would post my own thoughts about this subject, but since I lack sufficient theistic education, I doubt if what my brain throws would even make a difference. :p

With dreams dying, Filipino nurses ponder options, set new directions

By Ibarra C. Mateo
Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=414991

Tens of thousands of registered nurses in the Philippines have neatly mapped out their career paths while they were still studying. Or so they thought.

Upon passing the Philippine Nursing Licensure Examination, they had hoped to work in 250-bed or more tertiary hospitals, preferably in urban areas for at least two years. On the side, they planned to review for the US nursing licensure examination for registered nurses, popularly called Nclex-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses).

Sadly, after spending hundreds of thousands of pesos for their education and countless moments of difficulties, their hopes and dreams are either dying or in need of immediate resuscitation or better still, drastic redirection. Scores are considering setting aside for the long-term, if not totally abandoning, their plans of working in local hospitals due to the terrible lack of employment opportunities amid the ironic reported increasing global demand for their services. Thousands of registered nurses have joined under-board engineers, accountants, and architects who have flocked to call centers, aside from those who have opted to become medical transcriptionists or managers of fast-food chains or run family business.

Nurses are drilled in theories and practical aspects of dealing with deaths of patients. One of the earliest lessons taught to student-nurses is to check their emotions, notably when handling patients’ concerns. But when it is their personal dreams that pass away or gasp for oxygen, the situation becomes messy and complicated. Like all deaths or near-deaths, it is difficult.

Ana, 26, is a tall, slender, and charming commerce graduate from a Catholic university who quit her Makati office job in 2004 to enroll in a nursing school. She graduated in March 2007 and passed the local nursing board examination the following June on her first take. Ana (not her real name) is currently reviewing for Nclex-RN, prompting her to forego her birthday celebrations. But as soon as she finishes her examination, she would keep her reviewers in a big box and start making handcrafted accent pieces to meet orders from friends in time for the Christmas gift-giving season.

Ana has grown weary of submitting her curriculum vitae to various hospitals and waiting for interview schedules which never came. She hesitantly confessed to having bouts of depression triggered by her inability to land a job as a nurse, adding she just wanted “to get and over with Nclex” because she has already paid for it. (Ana and all of those interviewed for this article have requested not to be identified.)

An applicant for Nclex-RN pays more than $400 to be able to take the examination. Additional expenses are incurred in mailing original documents, such as transcript of records and application forms, via special courier services. A two-month review for Nclex-RN can cost P25,000 at the minimum. All these expenses for just one exam, where the passing average for Filipino Nclex-takers in the Philippines is a “deplorable” 58 percent, decried one government official with a Cabinet rank. The passing average for the PRC administered nursing licensure examination is a measly 43 percent.

“Second courser” nurses

Violet is a 50-year-old registered nurse since June 2007. Like Ana, Violet surprised her colleagues by resigning from her managerial job of 16 years to become a nurse. Recently, she returned to Manila after unsuccessfully sitting in for her Nclex-RN in California. Being the only nurse in the family and unemployed, she has been given the responsibility of taking care of her aging parents. She looks forward to occasional forays outside their Quezon City house to have coffee with friends – most of them unemployed registered nurses – or to just meander in the malls. These trips offer her opportunities to dress up and put on make up: simple rituals that soothe the searing sorrows of her soul. During an interview, Violet complained of seeming hopelessness, lethargy, sleep loss, and poor appetite – signs of depression. Her life, she feels, has been put on hold for quite too long. This is not how she had envisioned it to be before resigning from her office job.

Ana and Violet are among the human faces of what it means to be a licensed, qualified, but jobless Filipino nurse in 2008 – the times of lingering US retrogression further worsened the unprecedented US financial carnage and the tightening immigration rules in countries such as Britain. Ana and Violet belong to a group labeled as the “oversupply of 400,000 nurses” recently disclosed by the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC), which has also estimated that only 60,000 nurses could be totally accommodated by local public and private hospitals.

In 2007, an estimated 450,000 students were enrolled in nursing schools in the Philippines, soaring from the mere 30,000 in 2000, labor officials said. Considering the current sheer high cost of completing the nursing course, a significant chunk of 450,000 can be safely expected to fall out or shift to less expensive course eventually.

Licensed, qualified but unemployed nurses like Ana and Violet are at the center of an on-and-off national discourse playing out in the media involving, among others, the PRC, Philippine Nursing Association (PNA), Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA), and local recruitment industry players.

Sometime in 1999, only a handful of medical doctors, dentists, physical therapists, and professionals with non-medical or allied health education background were brave enough to go back to school to take up nursing. Middle-aged student-nurses during those years were a rarity as nursing is not an easy course as many would like to believe. It entails a lot of nerve-wracking sleepless nights to memorize the wonderfully complex human anatomy, to understand the pathophysiology of plethora of diseases, to know fully the mechanism of action and correct dosage of multitudes of medications, not to mention the back-breaking hospital shifts or rotations, which give student-nurses hands-on experience and bedside exposure to patients in varying states: from emergency cases to post-operative.

In 2001, the handful but audacious professionals who ventured into nursing graduated, eventually passed the local nursing board the same year, and subsequently hurdled the Nclex-RN. During this period, nursing jobs in local hospitals still abound. After a year or two of working in local hospitals, they were able to find employment in the US. They were the very few fortunate ones. Upuntil 2003,it was somehow relatively easy to find work in local hospitals and leave for the US or any foreign destination. There were,however, high-profile disastrous cases such as the group of medical board top-notcher doctors-turned-nurses who were allegedly short-changed by their employer in New York. Their employer even sued them, worse. There were also quiet catastrophic cases which never made it to the newspapers’ front pages and primetime broadcast news.

Akin to the phenomena of hot pan de sal, lechong manok, and nata de coco and driven by a desire to better their future, thousands of Filipino middle-level professionals either began resigning from their jobs in 2002-2003 to pursue full-time nursing studies or worked on it on a part-time basis. “We are only doing this (nursing studies) for our children’s future,” is a common explanation given by married professionals who went into nursing when asked.

Due to market demand, a number of nursing schools sprouted in a bid to reap from the windfall of the exploding “nursing industry,” which alarmed and dismayed officials of nursing colleges affiliated with the traditional and big universities. One measure of the utter immensity of the number of professionals with non-medical background who took up nursing as their second or third course was the June 2007 nursing board examination. More than 90,000 student-nurses took the June 2007 board examination which went on record as one of the, if not the biggest, nursing board in Philippine history, with a significant number of examinees coming from the “second courser” category, a phrase that refers to those who took up nursing after receiving their first baccalaureate degree from other courses.

No jobs for nurses at local hospitals, no place for ‘old’ nurses

“I am running out of savings and I am desperate. I’ve personally submitted my application forms and curriculum vitae to almost all hospitals in Metro Manila and nearby provinces during the two full years that I have been job-hunting. The reply is becoming monotonous: No vacancy at the moment. Just leave your documents and we’ll call you,” lamented Tricia, 30, a former office worker.

Tricia took her Nclex-RN in Hong Kong in early 2006,when it was not yet offered in Makati. The Hong Kong trip further dented her dwindling savings. “I flew to Hong Kong because I viewed it as an investment which I could recoup soon. I was wrong. I am still jobless,” she recently said in Ortigas. She shelled out about P9,000 for an English exam she took 18 months ago, not to mention the English review class that cost her P500 per four-hour session.

“When you apply at recruitment agencies sending health workers overseas, the first question they ask you is: Are you currently employed? If you say no, they automatically utter the mantra: We require at least two years of experience in a 250-bed tertiary hospital. Or at the barest minimum, they want an applicant to be currently employed at a hospital. It is extremely tough to find a job in a local hospital.

So here I am, a qualified Filipino nurse with near complete credentials to go abroad such as the local nursing license, Nclex-RN passer, and an overall grade of 8.0 in my English examination. Still, I am jobless after spending hundreds of thousands of pesos. Theoretically, I should not find it tortuous to get a job in a local hospital. I am entering my third year of unemployment as a registered nurse,” she said.

A random sample of newspaper advertisements seeking local nurses for deployment overseas requires applicants, among others:

· “should be currently working for at least 4 months to qualify for an interview”

· “must have an updated license with at least 2-3 years continuous experience in area of specialty and presently working”

· “at least 4 years work experience and below 49 years old”

· “female, 22-35 years old, has 3 years experience in a 200-bed capacity hospital as a staff nurse (either local or overseas) after registration at PRC” (It is interesting to note this particular item that includes the enviable work experience in overseas hospitals by female nurses below 35 years old that is sure to squeeze out local nurses with little or no hospital experience from the already tight job market. Aside from those who had completed 2-3 years of local hospital work, most of the recent deployments were nurses whose contracts in Middle East or Singapore hospitals ended and decided to give the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, or New Zealand, or Ireland a try. A few have opted to work in Malaysian health institutions or colleges of nursing as instructors.)

To escape boredom and to prevent the onset of depression, Tricia currently volunteers as a nurse in a provincial hospital. Being a “volunteer nurse” is a tricky issue. A lot of recruitment agencies do not consider being a “volunteer nurse” as part of official hospital work experience. Agencies still insist on a continuous full-time staff nurse position as the only acceptable form of hospital experience. This maybe justifiable on the ground that only full-time staff nurses are officially allowed by health institutions to legally perform the full range of nursing responsibilities toward patients, most especially administering medication. Volunteer nurses, by virtue of their being volunteers, are limited in their dealings with patients.

In an orientation meeting for an advanced training seminar in a Metro Manila hospital, a group of 75 nurses assembled was asked to identify their hospital affiliation. No one readily volunteered an answer, prompting the facilitator to ask: “Did you just pass the nursing board?” The hall remained silent. Finally, there were participants who reluctantly said they passed the June 2005 board, others the December 2005, while scores the December 2006 and June 2007 board. Not one of the 75 has found employment yet. This was not an isolated incident.

“Data from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) recently showed that only two of every 100 students taking up nursing are likely to qualify and get employed overseas,” a news report in the Sept. 22, 2008 issue of The Philippine STAR said. During 2000-2007, the POEA recorded a total of 77,947 nurses hired for overseas posting, with the highest number of deployment at 13,822 registered in 2001, the report said. Only 9,000 registered nurses found employment overseas in 2007, it added. Top destinations were Saudi Arabia with 6,633 Filipino nurses deployed, United Arab Emirates with 616, Kuwait with 393, the US with 186, and United Kingdom with 38. Note the small number of nurses who were hired by health facilities in the US and United Kingdom, which are viewed as the most desired destinations of Filipino nurses.

In a bid to make themselves more marketable and to arrest the onset of depression – and if money is not a problem – licensed, qualified but jobless nurses have resorted to taking up various specialized courses where they get further expertise and additional licenses. Among the popular courses are the basic life support, intravenous therapy, critical care nursing, and hemodialysis nursing. Cost for these special courses runs to thousands of pesos, if not tens of thousands of pesos for those lasting three months. There are those who went back to school after passing the local nursing board to study master’s in nursing which will qualify them to teach in local nursing schools.

“Both public and private hospitals could only accommodate 60,000 positions, so right now, we have an oversupply of 400,000 nurses,” Commissioner Ruth Padilla, of the Professional Regulatory Commission, was quoted as saying by the Sept. 1, 2008 issue of The Philippine STAR. On an annual basis, the Philippines issues 100,000 nursing licenses but the combined number of private and public hospitals in the country cannot absorb them, the report said, quoting Padilla.

Sounding optimistic amid the lack of local employment for nurses, Padilla declared: “We will not have difficulty meeting the high demand for nurses abroad because we have an oversupply. We welcome opportunities outside the country.” The Philippines is holding talks for accords that will facilitate the deployment of Filipino nurses in various countries, she said, without naming the countries.

However, the POEA and the Philippine Nursing Association appear to be at variance in reading the present dreary situation.

The POEA has projected the continuous high demand for Filipino nurses’ services in years to come to cater to the needs of the rapidly aging population in highly developed countries. One the other hand, the Philippine Nursing Association declared the main reason for the local nurse oversupply is the rapid decline in overseas hiring.

Heart of the problem

Why the “nurse oversupply” in the face of various claims that there are thousands of nursing jobs to be staffed, particularly in overseas health facilities? A couple of years ago, nurses who were preparing to leave the country were unduly pilloried and vilified as if they were traitors to the Philippines. Now, a crisis has evolved over the non-deployment of the 400,000 registered nurses.

The heart of the problem is that these 400,000 nurses lack the minimum two to three years of fulltime work experience in a 250-bed tertiary hospital, which is a non-negotiable requirement when one looks for overseas employment. And as the PRC said, the local health system infrastructure can only absorb a total of 60,000 nurses. Another possible contributory factor to the current problems of the nursing profession is the “choosiness” of a lot of the unemployed licensed nurses.

The POEA has said it has unfilled job orders of more than 20,000 nurses for health facilities in the Middle East, Singapore, and several European countries, such as Norway and Belgium.

Several of the unemployed but licensed, qualified nurses interviewed for this article said if they can help it, they would rather work for health institutions in the US, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand and avoid at all costs the “hardships” of Middle East postings. Perhaps, what was left unsaid by those interviewed was they could not see themselves bringing their families to – if ever it were allowed – and eventually retiring in Middle Eastern countries or places they did not want to go. The allure of the US, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand is that nurses can see themselves and their families settling down in these countries. An additional pull factor of these destinations is that majority of them have family members who are residents or citizens of these countries who are more than willing to assist them in their acculturation process. Who has not heard of the rigid cultural norms that Middle Eastern countries adhere to or the problems of learning another language aside from English or the loneliness of long winters in some European countries?

“You cannot blame these nurses for being selective. They have sacrificed a lot already,” said one retired chief nurse who is working currently as a director of a health organization. “I can understand their concerns. A number of my former staff nurses call me long distance regularly to complain about the substandard working conditions in some of these countries in dire need of nurses. Don’t crucify these nurses if they choose to work in destinations where their safety and security are given importance or if they ask themselves: Will we be subjected to harsh cultural adjustments? How will our children cope with stringent cultural patterns? Can we fit in?”

She conceded, however, that high school students considering nursing as a career now should be given guidance counseling and be told honestly of the thorny situation licensed, qualified but unemployed nurses face. “These students must be sincerely counseled that they can stand up to their parents who may be pressuring them to take up nursing. Even those in their first year or second year of nursing education perhaps, just perhaps, may consider shifting in order to avoid the current hardships of the unemployed nurses.”

Challenge to the People Management Association of the Philippines

Ana, Violet, and Tricia said they are willing to consider going back to their previous careers before they become nurses given proper and stimulating opportunities to take a crack at them again. A good measure of the willingness of licensed, qualified yet unemployed nurses to find employment is their readiness to take the plunge in working for call centers and business processing organizations, without any qualms. They don’t see working at call centers and business processing organizations as demeaning or unworthy of licensed, qualified nurses. “One thing good with call centers and business processing organizations is they don’t take it against you if you’re in your late 30s or 40s or what course you took up in college. As long as you are able to pass their pre-employment requirements and exams, you can be hired,” said one licensed nurse, a mother of three, who is working in a Makati-based call center.

Nurses have formed informal groups in online social networking sites to assists each other, including sharing of information and tips, notably on non-health and non-medical companies whose people managers or human resources officers treat applicants shabbily, advising them to avoid particular companies or even naming certain people managers who had interviewed them. Likewise, there are those who give information on which firms are “good employers.”

For the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP), the challenge it must confront genuinely and seriously – as it addresses the imminent talent shortage in the labor market – is how to tap into a substantial percentage of the 400,000 licensed, qualified yet unemployed nurses who belongs to the “second courser” category, a proverbial veritable minefield of talents and experience. On their own, these “second courser” nurses are looking for jobs along the lines of their previous expertise using old contacts, and several have been successful in resuming their old professional lives as accountants and business managers, to cite a few.

The PMAP has acknowledged that a talent shortage in the labor market is about to send shockwaves to the local business community with the retirement of Filipino baby boomers. The association has called on the public and private sectors to craft a national human resources agenda to energize the international competitiveness of the Philippines. Creatively and appropriately handled, the legions of “second courser” nurses can play a crucial role in filling, even temporarily, the talent gap before the local business community suffers a fatal cardiac arrest.

Word of caution

It will be a costly mistake to interpret the current unemployed status of licensed, qualified nurses as a chance to bully them or to show them signs of unprofessionalism. It will be foolish to treat them with smug condescension and snobbery. Nurses, because of their years of dealing with people both the mighty and the lowly, are sensitive to hints of unprofessionalism. They will not hesitate to politely shun job offers if they think the company is not at par to their professional standards.

Out there, there are thousands of Ana, Violet, and Tricia – licensed, qualified but unemployed nurses – whose dreams of working in hospitals abroad may take longer to fulfill. They are looking for suitable jobs. But they are not dispirited or despondent enough to throw away standards of professionalism in a brash bid to land a job.

Majesty

I am obsessed with the Argonaths. I wish they really exist.

*image came from this site.

* * *

I am SOOOO happy to be bored. :)

Your rainbow is strongly shaded white.

What is says about you: You are a contemplative person. You appreciate quiet moments. People depend on you to make them feel secure.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

Please

For the love of all that is good and pure, PLEASE do not compare the Lord of the Rings trilogy with the Twilight saga. Nothing should be compared with LOTR.

Nothing.

MY SCHOOLMATES ARE DYING

About 3-4 weeks ago, my high school schoomate died from cancer.

3 weeks ago, my current schoolmate killed himself.

TODAY, my former schoolmate at SLU died in his sleep.

Goodbye, Marky Cielo. May you rest in peace. +

*image from meroko_yui

Pacquiao vs. de la Hoya

Pacquiao won.

Yey.

SERIOUSLY.

X-mas

I think the Grinch needs to tell America what what Christmas really is.

"That's what it's all about, isn't it? That's what it's always been *about*. Gifts, gifts... gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts. You wanna know what happens to your gifts? They all come to me. In your garbage. You see what I'm saying? In your *garbage*. I could hang myself with all the bad Christmas neckties I found at the dump."

Wala kasi kaming capping and pinning.

Eto na ang pinaghirapan ko ng dalawang taon.

Yes yes yessssss!!! Kaso may iba pang requirements na kailangang i-pass para maging full na ang admission, pero kaya yan. Wooooot!

Cheesmax

* * *

You know you don't have a life when:

You're dedicating a song for a letter.

I've got problems

I feel deviated for not falling head-over-heels over Robert Pattinson. :p

* * *

Anyway, yesterday was Black Friday which meant almost everything (at the electronics department at least) were sold at the lowest prices possible. These items include the Monk DVDs. Target sold them for $13.98, a price significantly (significantly...statistics ba itech?) lower than its original price which is $44.99. I bought the first five seasons at ShopKo where they also slashed the prices down (I got them for $14.99 each) but the sixth season just had $3 off the original price so I had to go to Target to get it at a much cheaper price :p.

MOST UNFORTUNATELY, I had to go to work at 4:45 AM yesterday--AM pare-- and had to go home at 2:25PM. I was so exhausted from working but I still managed to run to my car, drive off to Target and sprinted through the store, my feet screaming in agony only to see the Monk Season 6 DVDs all gone. I resorted to holding the Season 3 DVD while whispering "Whyyyyyy?" amidst all the stares of the people wondering what on earth happened to me.

Undaunted, I remembered that Shopko has a rule of matching the price of an item if another store sells that same item for a lower price. So what I did was I asked for a Target ad, drove off back to Shopko, rushed to the electronics department, grabbed a Season 6 DVD, went straight to Jeremy and Kathe (our CSSs), and asked about the ad match. They gave me the DVD for $13.98 and I went home happily.

* * *

I suffered a major headache during the night which continued until morning, so I was not able to go to work today. Plus, my arm and my back are aching due to the excessive workload I did yesterday.

* * *

I did a weight evaluation for my Nutrition class and I just found out that I am now considered obese. :(

Compare:

Aside from the fact that I look a lot happier in the first one, my cheeks were also a little less "rounded". Plus, believe it or not, I was a size 6 in that picture. I myself was surprised when I checked out the size of one of the jeans I used to wear.

Ah, the effects of losing your social life.

"I will always love you"

*tear*

Death

Prepare yourself. I'm about to get emotional.

* * *

I never thought I would talk about death in this blog, but the occurrence of two deaths in less than a month is just too much for me not to mention here.

My schoolmate committed suicide.

The first person I knew who committed suicide is my former Chemistry professor. Our semestral vacation was about to end when my classmates texted me about their plans of going to the wake right after we get back. It was horrifying to hear about the death of a professor and knowing that he killed himself made everything worse. He was very intelligent and very considerate. I think I would have failed his subject if he did not consider my attendance. It was a shame I did not listen to his lectures.

* * *

Wei told me a while ago that my high school schoolmate died two weeks ago because of cancer. I was sad because I know this guy personally -- most probably because his name is Raymond, he was Mr. LS, and I believe I have talked to him once or twice. He's had cancer for years now.

He was very brave to have fought his battle and I salute him for that.

* * *

It is heartbreaking to hear about young people dying.

Wherever the both of you may be, may you rest in peace. +

Achuchu

I was reading a blog a while ago of a woman who was married to her bestfriend and they're still together after four years. While I cannot possibly imagine myself married to my bestfriend and I know he feels the same--HAHAHA (he would rather die than be compared to Mon XD),I think it's cute to see bestfriends turn into couples. :)

It's our Spanish oral evaluations tomorrow (no, it does not involve a dentist appointment - corny). XD I cannot stop thinking about this subject! I have never failed a language subject before. NEVERRRRRR!!!


Sure, Spanish is just an elective, but it's worth four credits... FOUR CREDITS!!! This subject can easily tear my dreams apart (okay now, that's exaggerating). I do not blame the professor though. He's an awesome prof who loves sloths: Wei's favorite animal.







Ah, I still remember those times when we spent the whole hour of music class thinking about and laughing at sloths and how they look like Ben. BAHAHAHHAHA! June's impersonation wasn't very bad either. XD Jeez fifols, I miss you all so much.

¿Lo pasaste muy bien?

Spanish is very very very very frustrating.


Blame the irregular verbs and their preterite forms.

:(

HOYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

Lumayas layas ka nga diyan. May pa- "mwah-mwah" ka pang nalalaman!! Gusto mong sipain kita?

Wehehehe. Ang siga oh. As if namang may karapatan akong gawin yun. :))

Nakakaloka. EVER. again.

Yung quiz na kung saan 30 minutes lang ako nagreview, yun pa ang pinakamataas. XD

The power of panghuhula, beybeh! Haha. :)

'San na nga ba ang barkada ngayon?

Friendship.

After seven years, does it still exist?

We grew older, lived new lives, found new friends, discovered what we want to be, and realized who we want to be.





Seven years.





It was not the same friendship I used to know. Distance and destiny have set us apart from each other.






Happy Anniversary, Katorse.

HUWHAT??!!

I dreamt that George Lopez is my current Spanish teacher.

#$%@##$$&????!!!!!!!

HAHAHAHA!

Where did that come from? I don't even watch his show that much. XD

Okay, back to my paperSSSSSSS. *cries*

Betty & Armando forever and ever. :)

Beatriz Pengson and Armando Solis (ahem) from I Love Betty La Fea,
the Philippine version of the Colombian hit series Yo Soy Betty La Fea. :)




JLC is love. <3<3<3<3<3<3

You lit the fire that I burn in.

Hala, sige. magprocrastinate na naman!

Our English 201 journal is due on Friday, and I still have 6 stories and 4 (?) poems to write about. :( It's a really good thing Prof. Neumann turned out to be an awesome prof. She's probably the next best thing to Dr. Ladia, my high school English teacher. Her fondness for literature is starting to rub on me. XD

Now that I've thought of it, I've never had instructors who are this influential (with the exception of Ms. Najarilla--she's still the most influential and the best History teacher EVER). Prof. Neumann (Composition) reduced my fear of writing papers, Dr. McReynolds (Abnormal Psychology) gave me an opportunity to gain a piece of my social life back, Mr. Baxter (Spanish) made want to learn another language, and Ms. Elder (Nutrition) helped me live a healthier lifestyle (I cut down my meat intake by half :] ).

* * *

Am I the only person on earth who's not reading Twilight? Even my supervisor at work reads the book!

An awful lot of girls would might throw stones at me once they read this, but oh well...

I think Robert Pattinson is unattractive.

*Image from: ViewImages

While I do agree about Edward Cullen being the perfect man (because he DOESN'T exist--HAHAHA), I could not simply bring myself to say that Robert Pattinson is perfect for Edward's role.

But then again, that's just me. If I find a guy attractive, it means any of these 3 things: either (1)you're really attractive, (2) you're chubby in a cute way, or (3)you're gay.

Mark Feehily: gay AND guapo
(whoever objects will be thrown in a truck full of boiling earwax-ew)

*Image from: markfeehily.net

There is one guy who fits all those 3 descriptions though, and I am sane enough NOT to disclose his name. Not here, at least.

* * *
Can fly like a bird in the sky
I can buy anything that money can buy
I can turn a river into a raging fire
I can live forever,
If I so desire

Unimportant, are all these things I can do
'Cause I can't get next to you

It is a little sad to see this semester end. Maybe it's because it stressed me so much I got so used to it. This may also be the very last time I'll get to see him because starting on January, I will (hopefully) be with SDSU and study full-time at the West River campus. He'll be graduating real soon too. Well, it's fun while it lasted. :P

Put Some Donkey, Baby!

Dang, that cat knows how to groove!

*edit*

It was actually "Puss and Donkey, baby"; not Put Some Donkey, baby.

haha. binggirl again.

Would YOU like to ganito mag-speak? Use Google Translate.

Dahil 2 araw walang internet dahil sa chuvang blizzard na yan (at wala rin kaming pasok), nung nagka-internet, napagtripan kong balikan yung mga lumang blog entries (konek?) XD.

ORIGINAL:

• Yung mga pagpa-power trip namin ni June na pinagtatawanan namin yung patellar reflex at yung pagkanta namin ng "Black Black Heart" tuwing Algebra.
• Yung ilang beses kong pag-"dive" sa pavement at sa mga halaman. Haha! Kawawang semento.
• Yung McDo days na pinagiipunan ko pa. Pag walang pera, Sundae cone lang ang kaya kong orderin.
• Yung Saturday "meetings" na madalas nauuwi sa lakwatsa.
• Yung pagkabaliw ko sa Harry Potter na nagdrowing pa ako ng lightning scar sa noo ko.
• Mga pamatay na impersonations ni June.
• Yung T.L.E. lessons namin a.k.a. recess.
• Yung paghabol sa bus na kung saan nasabit pa si Jewilyn.
• Yung mga kambing na kumakain ng malutong na dahon.
• Yung mabahong bunga ng puno na nalalaglag.
• Yung lagi akong naiipit sa bintana.
• Sina Marshie at Mallow.
• Yung mga bansag sa akin. HAHAHA!
• Mga murang pagkain.
• Everything that has to do with Math (Algebra, Trigonometry, CHEMISTRY, Calculus). Late reaction yung utak ko, ngayon ko lang sila naintindihan.
• Yung mga contests na sinasalihan namin tuwing lunch.
• Isa pang sobrang kabaliwan ko sa Westlife na ginawan ko pa ng wedding invitation. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA ulit.
• Yung frog dissection na kung saan wala ng lahat yung internal organs e buhay pa yung palaka.
• Yung pagquiz namin sa dahon ng bougainvillea courtesy of Sr. Dungo.

"TRANSLATED":

• Yung-pagpa the power trip by June that we we pinagtatawanan the patellar reflex, and who we singing of "Black Black Heart" during Algebra.
• The few times I to "dive" in the pavement and plants. Haha! Kawawang cement.
• Yung McDo days that I pinagiipunan yet. If no money, Sundae cone just so I orderin.
• The Saturday "meetings" that often nauuwi on truancy.
• The insanity I Harry Potter that I nagdrowing of lightning scar on my forehead.
• That the murderous impersonations by June.
• Yung T.L.E. lessons we a.k.a. recess.
• Yung chasing the bus where nasabit pa si Jewilyn.
• The goat that the eating of crunchy leaves.
• The stink of fruit trees that nalalaglag.
• Yung I always naiipit window.
• Sina Marshie and Mallow.
• The slogan for me. HAHAHA!
• The cheap food.
• Everything that has to do with Math (Algebra, Trigonometry, Chemistry, Calculus). Late reaction yung brain I, now I only understood them.
• Yung these contests that we sinasalihan every lunch.
• Another too preposterous to Westlife that I do I have a wedding invitation. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA again.
• The Frog dissection where none of all the internal organs e extant yung frog.
• Yung pagquiz we rim of bougainvillea courtesy of Sr. Stolid.

Eto pa:

Srsly... HUWAAAAATTT??!!!

And that is precisely why I do not rely on GoogleTranslate to help me with Spanish. :p

I'm not a citizen, but I care

OBAMA WON!!! Weeeee!

But...











no. :(

Vote YES to Measure 11

Say YES to life, vote yes to Measure 11.

What is Measure 11?

An Abortion Ban Initiative will appear on the November 2008 ballot in South Dakota as an initiated constitutional amendment. The ban measures is known as Initiated Measure 11. If the state's voters approve it, the South Dakota Constitution will henceforward ban all abortions in the state except for those performed because of rape, incest or to protect the woman's health. Doctors who perform an abortion in violation of this initiative's provisions could be charged with a Class 4 felony, which in South Dakota carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in jail and a $20,000 fine.

Source: http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/South_Dakota_Abortion_Ban_Initiative_(2008)

Want more info? Visit http://www.voteyesforlife.com/index2.html.

Unos gatos

Thanks to iCanHasCheezBurger. :]

* * *

BTW, I saw this bumper sticker a while ago:

SEX KILLS
GO TO TECH* AND LIVE FOREVER.

*SD School of Mines and Tech

HAHAHA! Benta. =P

Oh noes.

Back in high school, he wrote this right after the poem he made for her:

"Have I found my home in you?"

She was the Editor-in-Chief, but because he was the Layout Editor, he had his own opportunity to publish it in the school newspaper.

Since then, they've become my favorite real-life couple.

But the newspaper was published only a month after the day of graduation, and she already left for training camp.

They have not seen each other for more than a year after that.

Now, she has someone else and he has something else.

Heartbreaking.

*sobs*

The Rs

Roger Federer's hair:


Love it or love it? :]

And oh, check out HBP's new trailer:



I can't waiiiiit. :p

Dan Radcliffe looks SO MUCH older now. Sad. :(

Dear SDSU

This song is dedicated to SDSU's College of Nursing.

I was informed na ngayon na pinadala yung mga letters. Nakakabaliw ang maghintay. Kapag hindi ako natanggap sa major, hindi ko na alam kung ano pang course ang kukunin ko. O_O

Pagpasensyahan na ang kakornihan. Ganito lang ako kabahan. XD



(altered lyrics)
in or out, am i in or out? (am i in or out?)
in or out, am i in or out? (am i in or out?)
in or out sana'y okay sa 'yo
at di ako magtatampo [maloloka lang]
kung in ako or out sa college mo

saranghameda mines
pero afraid ako
baka hindi ako
boto ni mommy mo [yung mother university XD]
kapag nalaman niyang
ikaw ay gusto ko
baka sabihin niyang
nangangarap lang ako


huwag na kunot-noo
OA ang accent ko
pilipit man ang english ko
pati ang spanish ko [HAHAHAHAHA]
kahit ganito ako
ako ay totoo
kaya ang masasabi ko
ay Mahal Ko Kayo

kung in or out ako sa college mo.

am i in or out?

It's great to have you back.

I was cleaning my closet and cabinets this morning when I found my old PDA. I have no idea what's wrong with it, but all I can see is a white screen when I turn it on. It's virtually useless so I decided to list it on eBay where people who know what to do can take care of the problem.

This PDA holds a lot of memories since it is perhaps the most "hi-tech" gadget I have. XD Plus, it helped me get through the lot of homework and projects I had back in Summer 2007.

The screen malfunctioned because of my stupidity, trying to force the bubbles out of a cheap screen protector. =p

Anyway, as much as I wanted to keep it for its sentimental value, I already bought another one similar to it and I did need to get some of the clutter out and selling is the best option I can think of to get rid of this.

This afternoon, I thought since I'm about to sell it, maybe I could do one last peek inside and maybe I can find a way to fix it.

Fortunately, with the help of some toilet paper (HA!) I managed to lodge between the screen and the motherboard, I finally got it to work. Of course, it was not the most sensible thing to do and I do not know if this would not last (although I hope it would)--but the thing is, I got it back. :D

So it turned from this:

To this:

O diba, ang saya.

On Food and Leaves

I decided to have lunch at Hardees a while ago right after English drained out the cerebrospinal fluid in my nervous system XD. It was the first time I've been to that place so I just ordered their regular hamburger and had my fries and soda upsized to medium, thinking "small" would not be enough for me. Guess what: a "medium" serving of fries is equivalent to about one whole potato and a medium sized soda cup looks like this (compared to a 12 oz can of soda):

Now if THAT is medium, I don't know how large would look like. The same size as a pitcher, I suppose.

And most Americans (and I :p) wonder why they're (we're) fat.

* * *

I read O Henry's "The Last Leaf" a while ago and it was very very beautiful. I'm planning going to read some more of his stories tonight so I can get started on my story analysis paper. I heard "The Gift of the Magi" is also good.

Just a thought

Barry Manilow looks like Clay Aiken, no?

HAHA. :]

Di ko na proproblemahin ang title nito

After 10 million years, nakapagblog ulit ako! Yay!

Actually, may pasok pa ako bukas ng 9am tapos may due pang short story analysis sa Wednesday and madami pa akong kailangang i-revise sa Journal, pero I decided na magpahinga muna. Buti na lang walang due na kahit ano for Nutrition for this week kaya meron akong konting free time.

I finally found a good blog skin. :] I love love love love it! Purple isn't exactly my color but it fits so well with the skin's moon concept and because I am obsessed with the moon (Moony much? HA!) I just had to have it. Thank you so much to FreeSkins for this layout!

I fixed the links na and I FINALLY switched to Blogger's new template. I love the way my blog entries were archived. At least di nako mangangandalokang hanapin yung mga entries ko. :)

Bukas ang tentative date ng pagrelease ng results kung tanggap nga ba ako sa nursing major o hindi. Wooo, nakakakaba. Nung interview, tinanong ko kung anong plan B ko. Sabi ko: "Psychology or Biology". Sasabihin ko sana "death", pero baka matakot at sipain ako palabas ng building. HAHAHA!

Actually, wala naman talaga akong balak mag-suicide. Hello! As if. Gusto ko pang makita si Daniel Radcliffe my labs at yung 20+ ko pang celebrity crushes in person (ganda ng motivation ko no? XD).

Pero sa totoo lang, wala talaga akong plan B. Engineering siguro, pero baka mamatay din ako nang dilat kaka-solve ng Calculus problems. XD Nursing lang talaga. Hirap naman neto o. :p

I want to do something with my DeviantArt account (maybe I can choose a better name for it? LOL).

I recently discovered Adobe After Effects. I had it installed in my PC but I do not have any idea how to use it. HAHA. XD

BTW, here's a (desperately) manipulated photograph I want to share:

Noo Template

I'm still fixing the links. :]

The Secret Garden

My favorite scene from one of my favorite movies. :)

Late reaction.

Graduate na nga pala siya. Nung April pa. XD

A super belated congratulations!

Ikaw pa rin.

Naks.

Randy and Natalie :]

If these two end up together in the final episode of Monk (which I hope won't come soon), I can die happily. :}

OMFG (Oh My Flying Gulaman) again

Pareho na naman kami ng pinapakinggang kanta.

Pucha

I think I'm failing Spanish.

:}

This. is. so. sweet. :]

*image from PostSecret.

Today is September 25

It's been 5 years now.



5 years.

Random itech

I MISS CAMPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :|

I-exclude na si jerky grindylow idiot dork. Isama si Fluffy, pinanalo niya kami sa cookfest e. HAHA! =P

Sabi na eh. Random ito.

In case you're wondering

I had to use one of Blogger's templates because apparently, the old blog design did not work too well with IE8.

I'm planning to revise the html code probably by the end of December or maybe right after my college graduation (if I ever get to graduate). :P

Darn.

Asar

Monk didn't win anything in the Emmy Awards.

Oh well. :|

Uy, may pakielam na ako! Improvement na ba 'to? XD

Oh shoot

I'm failing my classes. And it's only the third week of this semester.

I'm doing so badly I don't even give a fadonkle WHO'S my classmate. :|

Que Hora Es?

THE best soap opera EVER. XD

Oh God

Guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what guess what...

I. PASSED. THE. TOEFL!!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Well, pass is not the word actually, since the College of Nursing requires a score higher than the average passing grade (see previous blog entries). That's why I am very very anxious about seeing the test result.

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!

Thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God thank God

THANK GOD!

After Seven Years...

Ikaw pa rin.

And so I listened...

"But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones;
I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it."

Jeremiah 20:9

_________________________________________

"Do not conform yourselves to this age
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that you may discern what is the will of God,
what is good and pleasing and perfect."

Romans 12:2

Weeeeeeeeee :)

Super thankful ako ngayon kay God. :)

I wasn't able to sleep these past few nights because of that &^$#%$ Nutrition class. FORTUNATELY, Carol was able to help me get into one of the online classes. That means I wouldn't have to go to Spearfish! YAYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

Thank you talaga, God. :) :) :)

Thank you din sa mga prayers nyo. :]

YEYYYYYYY...

I now wait with bated breath

Carol, my academic advisor, e-mailed me back a while ago, saying she requested a (slot in the) Nutrition class on my behalf. If all goes well, I might not have to go to Spearfish for Fall Semester. The distance between Spearfish and our house is similar to the distance between MANILA and TARLAC. Imagine driving that far THREE TIMES A WEEK on an icy (and very slippery) road. And then imagine having to spend $15 PER DAY for gas.


I now ask for your prayers about this matter. It might not be as "serious" as it may appear, but it is so much better for me to stay here in Rapid City for the next semester. Not only will I prevent adding financial strains to my family, I will also be able to keep myself alive for another semester (which may not be very beneficial to mother earth, actually XD).

I may be able to post an update about this (possibly) tomorrow.

Thank you.

When everything seems to be falling apart...

Turn on the computer and do some guapo hunting.

So, here you go. Drumrolls, please.

PRESENTING:

*from BryanBoy

*I have no idea where I got this and who he is. But he's gorgeous.

*Blue's Duncan James. "Best in Me" screenshot. Men look good in shadows. XD

*from PerezHilton. BTW, Matthew is GAY. Oh well.

*a younger Ben Barnes

*William Moseley my labs

*Ben's and William's pictures came from this site.

*Skandardoodliekins XD. My gulay. Skandar is super gorgeous in this pitsur no? source

*Mutaib, grandson of King Faisal (of KSA) source

To be continued tomorrow na siguro. Inaantok nako. I have to wake up early to talk to BHSU's and SDSU's advisors, or whoever is there to help me out. Please pray that I can get a slot for SDSU's Nutrition class. It's not just impractical for me to get into Spearfish thrice a week, it's also dangerous because of the icy roads during wintertime.