11 Greatest Stories of 2011: A Year-Ender

this year has amazingly surprised me with the best things that life could offer.looking back, it wasn't a very smooth start and i was even afraid because of what people say that when a year starts out bad, it will always be bad (or even worse) for the rest of the year. i beg to disagree. yes you heard me right, i do not agree at all. a rough start is a challenge that you do everything in your might to prove to the world that 'life is what you make it'.

new year of 2011, i remembered on the strike of 12 when the world welcomed the year with noise and lots of festivities, i was alone in the attic of my grandma's house admiring the bright lights in the sky. i talked to God and begged him to make me happy, truly happy this year. it wasn't very specific but i know that He perfectly knows what my heart was looking for.

so this is a list of the 11 greatest stories this year.read on. and just a disclaimer, this is in no particular order because you can never compare great happenings (:

**i was elected president of the graduating class-- Splendor 2011! the whole experience was very humbling. i get to work closely with the mentors i look up to in school and they inspire me to be a better version of myself (:

**i finally graduated (: it was tough but i was awesome! haahaha (sorry but just give this one to me, braggin rights baby)

**boracay summer! everybody who truly knew me could attest how much of a beach lover i am. boracay was the ultimate vacay!

**imperial visit! one of the nicest places you can ever go to. and i was with family! this was joma's birthday. i was sick but i still get to admire the place!

**helmet diving (: it was a spur of the moment adventure getaway with kambal and her friends from work!

**meeting new friends and keeping old ones!

**my mactan beach trips! yess, i have completed the must-go beaches in mactan already.of course, without any bias at all, shang-ri la was the best.i rate crimson second.maribago bluewaters and portofino was so-so. but BE resort will always be special to me (:

**my friendship with Venus! i met V at work and it's amazing how we were sooo compatible as friends. she was like my lost soul sister. thank you soo much V for being with me all throughout. thank you for being the friend that you are. i want you to know that you are treasured..always!

**i finally said YES to braces! the whole ordeal was very discomforting but well i got to do it. it was a NOW or NEVER decision. im glad i said yes even if it means being very extra careful whenever i eat!

**surprise at radisson! i'm going to spare you the details on this one just because i just want the experience to be mine alone (selfish much?) this is one of the most romantic thing that could ever happen in a girl's lifetime (:

**JP- loving and being loved back in return! sometimes it would only take one person to make you believe in LOVE all over again. i'm glad that the best part of my 2011 came in at the almost end part because with that, i will always remember this year as a 'happy and very fulfilling year' for me! i love you baby!

as i was drafting this, i came to realize that there were still a lot of great stories i would like to include. i wanted to share to the whole world how this year has been a totally surprising, evenful, and amzing..just amazing year for me. to all the people who have been a part and will always be a part of my 2011-- THANK YOU!

2012, bring it on! i'm more than ecstatic to experience what you have to offer! HAPPY NEW YEAR LOVES! X

song of the day

i know i owe this blog so much.i been busy these past few days with the boards comin up but hey, i have some posts in pending already.i just think that the posting date should be perfect! chos! so to my 4 fans out there, keep your tabs on-- will be posting something awesome soon! for now, imma leave you with a song by kina grannis (: she's mellow and cool.on a busy day, her music keeps you at pace and in control!

wisdom to live by (:

what are AUNTS made of?

many times over, i tell my friends that i may not be too lucky to be a "daddy's girl" nor a "mama's favorite" but i am beyond blessed to have been an "aunt's favorite wingman"

being the stubborn kid that i was, i have always been scolded by my parents time and again for being flipped out and screwy.but for some odd reasons, despite my flaws i find comfort and love and special attention from my aunts.i'd like to think that they find my craziness amusing (:

one of the closest aunt i have and perhaps my most favorite in the world is *DOC MEMAi** or my auntie ynyn :D she is one good soul i am very lucky to have in this lifetime.i look up to her for being the person that she is.she is strong and intelligent and beautiful at that.

she acted as our big sister when me and honey were kiddos.she looked after us and made sure we were taken care of.

she was our 'bantay' on almost all of our beach trips!

doc memai is an achiever! she was valedictorian in both grade school and high school.she has a lot of medals to boast from her achievements in academics and extracurriculars but she remains humble.i was her fan since my toddler stage.check this out!

we wanted to have her medals too so we wore it like real achievers :D

doc memai went to college in MCU and took up dentistry and i could vividly remember that whenever she comes home for vacays, i would always excitedly sit in front of her to listen to her college stories.she influenced me in my choice of books.she brings home john grisham and robin cook and mary higgins clark books and allows me to read all of them after she's done.at an early age of 10 (grade 4), i already loved john grisham even if some of the words and terms in his book i could barely understand. well, there's contextual reading anyway so it dint matter at all.

i could rant the whole day on how i idolize doc memai and this space would not be enough to tell all the stuff we share together.i value her thoughts so much that whenever i decide on something, i often ask myself-- "will auntie ynyn do the same?" or "will auntie ynyn be proud of me?" yes, that's how much she matters to me.

these are some of those many memories we share!

2nd grad day! doc mai attended in place of my parents

commencement! together with anty cel (:

mambukal stroll just after grad!

2010 bday: doc mai and angkoi minic brought me to my first attendance to nat'l skimboarding competition

l'fischer check in: doc mai's first bacolod trip!

doc memai, i hope you realize how important you are to me and how i love you as my aunt, my friend, my big sister, and my inspiration. i will always be your wingman.whatever happens, just call me and i will always be there for you! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! i pray that God will bless you and your family because you deserve to be happy.(and i know you are)

doc mai's beautiful family!

cheers for the good life ahead! X i love you!

the beautiful person that you she is!

Photo Credits: Grabbed from Facebook :D

post #1, why i ♥ Baybay

i heart coming back to baybay because of my favorite kid: matteo!

we can be dead serious with our crafts: bookworm and supermario!

matt demonstrates how to win supermario kart race which he mastered

look ate hearty this is how you play squeeballz :D

matteo is gwapo!

he beats me with his nintendo games but he can't beat me with wrestling!

i love you matt! and no matter how heavy you get, i will still carry you upstairs and down. see you again soon (:

the amazing life when my God takes over

on a very early saturday morning like this, when i wake up prematurely, i have this 'me time' to reflect on the kind of life i led and i lived. amazingly, it never fails to dawn on me that i live a life of little miracles and i have my God to thank for.oops, you may start to imagine that i lived a very religious and sanctified life, no, it's the other way around. read on.

i have a very strong christian foundation when it comes faith and belief.all my life i was raised in a conservative adventist community.grade school and high school years were spent reading the bible and imposing what is right.sheltered and very well taken cared of, i knew what was right and pleasing to God. the disconnect is, as much as i knew what was right, i was never taught what was wrong. logic would eventually give us the answer but believe me, it's different when you don't see it or experience it firsthand. Mistakes make you learn is a hard truth.

when i was in college i saw the world in a different light. i tried going to a non-adventist institution and i find it difficult to choose what is right and what is not. why? because in my early years, i never practised choosing what is right, it was all given at that time.there was no wrong choice.everything was filtered and suited to fit the life of a not-so-wayward christian. add to that is the fact that there is a very thin line between right and wrong. it was easier to compromise than decide.

so everything has taken a backseat.i find church boring.i don't see interest in reading the Bible.i skip saturday afternoon programs and hangout somewhere else.i challenge God with a lot of 'whys' and when He answers me with silence, i simply give him a sarcastic chuckle.i find myself unimportant and in struggle while battling my evils.

so does God really cares? it is very humbling to say that YES, He cares, He always does.

most of the time, after His silence, he sends little miracles like a letter from a high school teacher saying that 'you are always thought of'. he whispers through a lil sister the realization that no matter how ill-shaped you are, someone always look up to you. or my all-time favorite (and it works every time), he sends me a song.

as of this writing a lot of my prayers were answered the way i want it to be answered so i think this time, i already learned how to ask for the right things. thank you Big-Guy-Up-There for the confidence that YOU are in control.

and thank you for the answered prayers:
○my mama's health turned out good after that tumor scare
○venus passed the board exam (:
○discipline to follow my everyday schedule
○keeping me safe every time i cross the streets (it still scares me a bit tho)
○making me healthy
○friends, the right kind of friends
○and those lil things you do for me like postponing the rain, unexpected gifts, etc-- they inspire me everyday and at the least lessens the anxiety i'm having.

i love you Jesus, heartoi♥

My Take on the Pacquiao-Marquez iii Fight

i'm not really a huge boxing fan but i'm a big supporter of 'pinoys' who make it big in whatever field they are in. obviously, i cheer for manny not because i love boxing as a sport but because i'm proud of the filipino that he is.

last sunday, march 13 (phil time/date) i was one of those millions of filipinos patiently and excitedly anticipating another history to unfold. i watch the fight with jp and aimee at the Shang and as a general observation, many were not impressed with how the fight turned out and a lot were questioning the result.i for one was doubtful if what i saw was what i think it was. and just because i could not stop thinking about it i watched a lot of replays in youtube and read some articles all over the web just to have a better understanding of the sport.

in the post interview with marquez, he said that he was robbed and might opt to retire.for me, it was a natural reaction from someone who was conditioned that he was to win.by that i mean: every single time marquez go to his corner at the end of the round, mr berestrain (trainer) tells him that he is winning the round.but what i certainly like about the performance and the fight marquez put up was the realization that at 38 years old,the endurance and defense he showed was amazing and exceptional.

with the readings i went through i learned that before we doubt on the judges way of scoring we need to learn these: the judges look for 1. clean effective punching 2. effective aggression 3. ring generalship and 4.defense. in a study over the last 10 years, the judges always favor the the fighter who is the aggressor especially in close fights.the reason for that is, the aggressor always take the higher risk of being exposed to counter punches and that's exactly why the whole time i was mumbling when pacquiao was not in full guard.i was telling aimee and jp, why is manny not getting his guards up? he wasn't defending, he was attacking. while the counterpunching may give sure clean shots, the aggressor would always get the favor from the judges' eyes.

case and point, the agressor would get credit for: 1.forcing the action 2. taking the risk for attacking an equally skilled waiting opponent.

looking back on their previous fights, it was marquez who was the aggressor.but impressively, pacquiao knocked him down 4 times.if not with those knockdowns, marquez would have been declared a winner.

in this recent fight though, it's the other way around.pacquiao had higher volume attacks, higher number of punches, higher number of landed punches. marquez' counterpunches were very effective i should say and dramatic which an ordinary fan like me would be so impressed about.but unless there is a knockdown, it won't impress the judges.i know pacquiao's punches were not that clean i should say but it was impressive for the judges.they would not expect a clean landed punch because of the fact that you are attacking an opponent who is ready and full-guarded.

marquez was the underdog and challenger in this fight so he should have put more effort in being the aggressor rather than waiting to counterpunch whenever pacquiao throws him attacks.

after reading some boxing rules and insights and seeing countless replays in youtube, the doubt was erased, and my admiration and pride and respect for manny is intact.

pacquiao fight at shang

DISCLAIMER: For those who are sports enthusiast, sorry about the terms used which may sound 'gay'. I'm not much of a sports writer ☺

song of the day

Click here to listen (: 
(just right click to open a new tab, this link cannot be downloaded so just listen for now)

for the longest time i have been searching for a link so i can download this song in mp3 form but i fail every time.all the links are either broken or you have to buy it :( this song was sang during angkoi minic and doc mai's wedding (:

this is one song for the hopeful like me..hopeful to find that one true love..hopeful that somewhere he is waiting..hopeful that love will find a way!

despite strained relationships and unsuccessful attempts to make things work, i don't want to be cynical about love. after all, it still is the reason for my existence!

A promise is forever ...
Supposed to last forever
So why do promises just simply fly away
Though love has passed me by
And left me alone and crying
I still believe that love will come
Along one day

If I have to search forever to find
Where love begins
I'm not exactly sure
Where I should start
But I still believe with all my soul
And heart, when it tells me ...

Chorus:
Somewhere, just beyond the reach
Of my arms
You're waiting there
Somehow, I'll find my way
Into your heart
I will search everywhere
You know they say that you can't
Ever go back again. But I say
Where there's a love, there's a way
'Till I find you somewhere ...
Somehow ... someway

Don't bother talkin' to me. There
Words just go right through me
You see, I've been there and I've
Heard it all before
If miracles are only ... a matter
Of believing
I can't help wondering who
Those miracles are for

Yeah, they say there's always
Someone for everyone, it seems
But surely that means everyone but me
Still there's a part of me that's dying
To believe ... believe that

Someday - God only knows how
Long it's gonna take
Somehow - I still believe that love
Will find a way
Somewhere - where you and I will
Chance to meet one day
We're living for that moment ... Real
Love is worth the wait

my happiness today (:

i normally don't blog my everyday happiness but today is an exception. first, because i can't shout it out on facebook (babbs deactivated it, arrghh). second, i just really want to post what's happening in my almost charmed life (:

happiness is..
2 kinds of ice cream- i pass by the supermarket today to buy milk and surprisingly i discovered that there was spare cash in my cardigan. what's a better way to spend a lost and found bill? ice cream of course! i chose vanilla and chocolate so i can put it in my milk later!

happiness is..
getting to sleep the exact number of hours you want in a day. i kinda believe that i have this undiagnosed sleeping problem and i don't get to sleep as much as i want to because i wake up prematurely, every time. but today i was in deep sleep and peaceful at that until the familiar ringtone on my phone sounded to wake me up for study. i think this milk therapy is working.

happiness is..
having a friend like jp. i just wish i can disclose whatever it is that he helped me with today but i think that's too risky to mention so i better keep it to myself (: jp is that kind of friend you will meet once in your lifetime. he is like a kindred spirit. and if ever you still try to grasp the whole point of what he did (haaha) just think 'BDO'-- he finds ways! i can't wait to see those pink VACS on my timeline (:

sorry gotta use this again for the lack of a more decent pic!

so that's happiness today..what's yours? (:

my top 5 phobias

look at me i'm 23 beautiful a sight to see tonight ♪♫ i know i am more than a kid but there are still things i am afraid of. and i know that i am a legend in progress (ahemm) but for now, i can't help it-- i still freak out whenever i am faced with my fears, these evils i am still trying (and will forever try) to overcome.

1. cockroaches! (esp the flying kind)

-there is this one anecdote i will never forget back in hs.i lived in a dormitory and that place was not your typical-hygienic-comf'table living quarter.we are not to be blamed because we were teeners then and crushes and sports and physics were far more important than cleanliness (eww!) so i have this classmate (which luckily was not my room mate) who never failed to have food in reserve everywhere.she kept them in her locker, in her bags, and yes on her bed.one time, it was minutes before lights off when her scream echoed the whole dormitory because a cockroach had interested on her junks and guess what?..(i know this is horrible) that cockroach went inside her left ear!! yaykks! when she tried to let it out, that lil scary monster flew around their room for 2 mins then finally went out to continue to fly around the hallway where we were hanging out to study.i literally jumped off from my plastic chair and shouted more than anyone else.

2. crossing the street

-i have 2 near street accidents in grade school.luckily, my guardian angel stopped the car just in time to protect the not-so-careful me! despite that, i can still vividly remember the nervousness i felt in those 2 incidents.i know i had ice chills running down my spine and my heart was throbbing like it was about to explode literally.from the normal lubb-dubb, it went a crazy boom-boom-boom! and realizing that now, i guess the reason why i can't get over that fear is because i never tried telling andy or mama or any adult at that time because more than anything, i was afraid of being scold for carelessness :(

3. needles and the like! (and i took nursing at that)

-admitted because of hypokalemia, i embarrassed myself at the ER more than once because of being a cry-baby over needles and IV's.hypokalemia is when the potassium level in our bodies deplete and it is very important to replenish it asap or else, the heart, kidney and our muscles in general would cease to function.i was to have an IV whether i like it not or i like it not! *lol** it took 3 nurses and 3 screams before the IV was put in place. it maybe psychological in nature or i may just have really low pain threshold, needles will never be a good experience for me.

4. getting lost
-it is very important for me to have a personal guide and a map whenever i go and check out a new place.generally, it will take me 4 or 5 times to go back and forth from point A to B before i can go there alone.yes, i am a self-confessed no sense of direction.apparently, being in an unfamiliar territory still gives me a knot in my tummy.

5. death
-you know how people say you have to live your life each day as if it is your last? even if i try hard to do that, i'm still afraid to die. it's not an everyday thought but sometimes when i'm alone i think of death and it frightens me. there are a lot of things i still need to prove, tasks i need to accomplish, and dreams i need to fulfill. if we were given the chance to know when the inevitable would come and take us i know i will beg for another chance at life. i had my chance of pain and heartaches and mishaps but i rather experience it than not feel it at all.

i want to be bold and strong and fearless (i'm a legend in progress, remember?). and these 5 things are just few of my many other weaknesses. when my rational mind takes over, i realize how stupid these phobias are. but i know too that no matter how insane and weak these things make me look, these are the very things that make me human! i wonder how the world would turn out if no one is afraid of anything. it wouldn't be as thrilling and exciting as it is now perhaps. so yes, we are all superhumans in our own right and we may get embarrassed for the phobias we have but remember that life is better this way! superman ain't superman without his kryptonite! x

5 things before good night!

and just before i cap off the night, let me share 5 things i do before i sleep on a normal day like this.

1. i take a long shower.after a very long day, we all need to freshen up before hopping in to dreamland.it's hygienic and helps in removing all the bacteria, viruses and pollution you gather the whole day.and who knows? someone might just hug you in your dreams :) (yeah, dream on jas!) haaha

2. i take a peek on my review material :) the anxiety i feel is building up everyday as the dreaded board exam is nearing. to relieve the anxiety i try to assure myself that i'm doing my best while God will take care of the rest!

3. i drink my milk.lately i have been sickly because of the bad weather and the constant lack of sleep (yeah i have an undiagnosed sleep disorder). instead of popping the pill (sleep well) i opted to the better cure-- milk! for stronger bones too :)

sorry for the bad photo

 4. i check facebook (i mean, who doesn't?) i do not consider myself as 'internet addict' but for some odd reason, my virtual life become important to me as much as my real life.part of the reason is, most of friends and family i don't get to spend a lot of time with so i kinda check on their lives every now and then thru facebook.

5. i listen to feel-good songs. here is one i would like to share. fast car by tracy chapman makes me 'kilig' for no apparent reason at all.this cover is by kina grannis and boyce avenue! get those earphones ready and dream on! good night loves! tomorrow is another day!

song of the day

i'm literally sprung! i choose this as song of the day because i'm sprung to 2 things right now.

-bagels! (pretzels) i learned about this when i was at the peak of my gossip girl and how i met your mother days. i kinda want to have the hang of the series' characters so i searched for bagels (ikr). good thing Auntie Anne's opened here in cebu and since then, i'm sprung!

located in Ayala Active Zone and SM Northwing

-muammar gaddafi! yes, i'm serious. ever since the news of his death has caused a stir in the whole political world, i've followed most of the stories i can find about him. gaddafi is not really your ideal leader but persons like him amaze me in a way that they were able to control people for a very long time.gaddafi ruled libya for 42friggin years! i'm about to create a 500-word essay about him, watch out. im sprung!

the royal that he was

so there, those were the 2 things trending in my head for a week now (the bagels, a lil earlier than a week). i know i'm impulsive and it's a bad thing but what can i do? it's stuck! i can't just think about bagels and not hurry to go to ayala to get either cinnamon sugar or almond coated or just the original bagel.they just taste so good. and yes, gaddafi interests me in a stoic (weird right) way. i'm sprung!

friends i freakin miss

friend check-- i realize i already have 1243 friends in facebook but reality check most of them are merely followers (or fan i should say haaha) because of this social sites, we tend to expand our networks (which is amazing btw) but i think real friendships should still be given importance more than anything! so here is a post of   those real friends i'm missing so much.these friends know me inside out-- they were the ones who sympathized with me and offered me my favorite bottle of tanduay when i was at my lowest.they celebrated and laugh with me whenever im in a natural high (which is almost always the case).and they never judged me when my ways were rebellious and irrational.i was accepted and considered 'their friend'

maiden and kay :) these 2 were my closest buddies in my last year in college! i could not have survived the boredom in 4th year nursing school without them. the fondest memory i have of these 2 was going on a motorcycle ride (kay's motorcycle) to have batchoy whenever we feel like taculing is starting to piss us off. the photos below were taken at Kuppa, a coffeshop far from school where we usually hangout on friday afties :)

say hello to grace aka ching! she was my roomie at puer sanctus dos apartment.she is one of those girls who constantly reminded me that my ex-guy wasn't worth it!! hahaha yeah true, she saw me cry a lot of times just bec i was cray-cray and stupid. these photos were taken when we visited his dad's grave during all saint's day 3 years ago.

shao and aedan! i came to know shao because she was my 2nd team lead at cvg.she was a driver for excellence and i have always admired her being the leader that she was.i was a top performer when i was with her and we were the top team (beat that). she is now an om and it's something that i'm proud about her. and of course, dandan is my goddaughter! she is the love of our lives :) i hope she grows up to be one strong and smart woman like her mom! 

                                     

meet sherah (: i met sherah thru shao.since both of them were close friends sherah often hangout in our apartment.sherah is my nightlife buddy.whenever we party together it always ends up happy and fun and crazy! but more than that-- we share the same thoughts on love, guys, and life! now that im here in cebu, we still have a scheduled telebabad every month to catch up on our thoughts.

gail and eleane are my highschool best friends! i would like to consider ourselves as the best batch because i know we were all performing excellently both in academics and extracurricular (chos!) in college, eane and gail went to the same school but i separated. but we still manage to catch up on each of our lives. they are my soundboards whenever i want to rant.

and lastly, meet ruthie mae aka temyang! our friendship goes way back when i was still primitive and odd-looking.she was one person who considered me a friend when everyone else looked at me as a kid! haaha ever since i have the tendency to hangout with adults rather than hangout with kids my age. and its funny that we dont have a photo together online because we never had the chance to.our photos together are posted in my album at home.now she is a new mom to bebe Gpe (whom im sooo exxx to see and cuddle) and im looking forward to their Pinas vacay next year.

I MISS YOU GUYS SO MUCH! there is a lil pain i feel every time i realize that we are not together but that pain eases when i think that all of us are in the best places that we ought to be at this time. jas, heartoi laaabs you all :))