To do list

Thank goodness final exams are over. Now, I got a month to recover from that mind struggle I had this first semester. I bet my second will be a lot better (and easier, I hope) since now I am getting the hang of it. Anyway, as I have got a lot of time, I will be making the most out of it. Here's my to do list:

1. Practice my drawing skills. I really wanted to learn how to sketch people. Wait, still got to buy pencils!
2. Explore places!! I have plans of snooping around Newtown, Glebe to as far as experiencing snow!!! Don't forget to take lots of pictures. Oops, still need some batteries for the camera.
3. Clean, organize and even decorate my room. As I realized, my room reflects the status of my mind. If it is cluttered, it means my mind is disorganized. Hence, I need to organize my room to clear up my mind. hihi!
4. Read books. Still thinking of what book to read. Need to go to Dymocks!!
5. Cook, eat and gain weight. Better look for good recipes to try!
6. Fun, fun, fun!!!

Promise, I will be posting pictures of my adventure very soon. Ciao!!

Kyla - I'm All Yours

"I'm not gonna fall. I'm giving it all to you, my love!!"

Pampasaya lang...

Hay eto nanaman.. Ang iniisip ko ngayon ay pano ipapasa ang finals... Ang bilis ng oras. Parang kelan lang, bagong salta lang ako dito sa Sydney at manghang mangha sa naglalakihang mga gusali. At ngayon, finals na. Minsan nga, tinatanong ko sa sarili ko: "Bakit nga ulit ako nandito?". Pero sige, para ganahan akong mag-aral, ibahin ang pananaw. Perspeperspektib lang yan, pre. At minsan, konting basa sa libro ni Paulo Coelho.

First tip. "Choose the mountain..and find out how to reach it". Masyado kasi kong ambisyoso at pinili ko ay Mt.Everest. Di ba sa picture, ang ganda-ganda. Maiisip mo bang mahirap akyatin? Kung kelan inaakyat mo na, saka palang marerealize na mahirap. Okei, given na na kasalukayang inaakyat ko ang napakataas at prestiyosong bundok, makakaakyat lang ako sa tuktok kung patuloy akong maglalakad. Kumbaga, walang ibang paraan para matapos ko ang sem na to kundi ang magreview para sa finals. Hindi naman titigil ang oras para sa kin, edi gawin ko na ang dapat gawin.

Second tip."Learn from someone who has been there before." Isa sa pinaka-importante kong natutunan dito ay: pag-aralan ang old exams at kaibiganin ang group mates. Share notes, group learning, atbp. Really helps, promise!

Third tip. "The landscape changes, so make the most of it." Kahit tagaktak ka na ng pawis sa pag-akyat ng bundok, maganda ang view. Dito sa Sydney, kahit sinusumpa ko ang lamig, in fairness dito lang ako nakakita ng ibat ibang klase ng hayop, halaman, buildings, boutique shops, bookshops, beaches, kainan, night life at people na din. Sobrang nakakaaliw talaga dito, pero ingat lang baka mawala ko sa focus sa pag-aaral, hehehe.

Fourth tip. "Respect your body..and soul." Hinay hinay sa pagrereview. Kung inaantok na, abay matulog. May insomnia pa naman ako. Bawal magkape sa hapon at gabi, para madaling makatulog. Kumain ng burger or ice cream, oks lang, no limits. Mabuti na yung tumataba, kesa naman sa gutom. At mas importante, always read the Bible.

Fifth tip. "Make a promise.. and tell your story." Pag naipasa ko ang sem na to, promise, hindi masasayang ang lahat ng pinagdaanan ko. Pwedeng magamit sa hinaharap, o pwede din ikwento sa iba. Hindi ako titigil, dahil sa susunod, Mt.Fuji naman ang aakyatin ko. :)

my first exam and i'll flunk it

The feeling is horrible. It was an hour exam that felt like it was just a few minutes. I tried to answer all the items correctly, but it seems like my answers are all wrong. I was studying for that damn exam for days,weeks and I actually thought I had mastered it. But I guess, I was wrong. And I have to move on.

Life is like an exam. You may be right at some points in life, but you may also be wrong at some points. Like an exam, you can only experience it once. There is no coming back once the lecturer says, "pencils up!" You may have regrets. You may want to turn back time and study again, but you just can't. One time, and that is all. Like life, an exam is a learning experience. You get to know yourself better, what your strengths and weaknesses are. You may be good in making and keeping friendships, romantic relationships or family ties. You could be weak in developing your career at some point. But what matters is you recognize these, strengthen capabilities and make weaknesses become strengths. An exam, like life, is a learning experience because you would be able to build your personal strategy on how to go about things that matter to you.

I may or may not flunk this exam, but at least I now know my strategies in studying HARDER. I may or may not make a good career in the future, but at least now I can start building my career plans and equip myself with concepts and models that I could use in the future.

i broke up with my sc.calcu

dear sc.calcu,

matagal-tagal din tayong nagkasama. naalala ko pa, pinag-aagawan ka pa namin ng officemates ko at lagi kitang pinaglalaban na parang sa yo ko lang makukuha ang hinahanap ko. madaming beses na sinagip mo ang buhay ko lalo na sa pagsolb ng mga problema sa mundo. pinagkatiwalaan kita ng sobra sobra.

pero kailangan na tayong maghiwalay dahil nag-iiba na ang aking pangangailangan. alam kong nandyan ka lang umaalalay sa akin, pero kailangan kong matuto at lumago sa bagong pamamaraan. kinalulungkot ko na hindi ako matututo at lalago sa piling mo...

minahal kita na parang akin, pero may mahal na kong iba.

paalam scientific calcu. i lab u, financial calcu.

drama!

A sunny day in Armidale

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.


And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

Sydney lifestyle

It's been two weeks since I arrived in this beautiful city of Sydney. From the first time I saw the brick buildings, traffic lights, and a lot of White, I had been mesmerized by the thought that I am going to live this kind of life for the next one and a half years.

Last week, I had a taste of what they call the City lifestyle. Thanks to my aunt, I got to know friends who got me a tour around the city's oldest pubs. We went to a place called "The Rocks". As I know about it, The Rocks was the first downtown of Sydney. True to its name, it was called so because once convicts were building walls and bridges from the rocks that the place was abundant of. Good thing I was not a convict in my past life..

We went bar hopping or pub crawling, as it was called in their colloquial language. We had three rounds of beer. My favorite was in "Lowenbrau" (Did I spell it right?). It had mango flavor and tastes really good. I was laughing at the one liter glass of beer each of my friends had to finish. Then we went to "Lord Nelson", the oldest pub in the city. Good to know that I was with guy friends, so that when I pass out, they will carry me home.

And then, this time, we had a house party. We played this game called "Fuzzy Duck". Who ever invented that game, he or she owes me big. I had three or four shots in a row of vodka because of that game. Oh my, I felt my blood rushing to my head and the feeling was horrible. I knew that I had to take a rest. After some time, I got better in that game I only had a shot. Then I learned we finished three bottles of vodka. My other friends were so drunk they had a piece of themselves everywhere. These guys should be thinking while drinking, see. Be at least responsible for themselves while having fun.

Anyway, it is good we had adults in the house to take care of these kids. Well, I can say I am proud of myself because I know my limits in terms of alcohol. And oh, these guys already invited me to stay during the April break. I wonder what is going to happen next. I hope not another sweet bitter experience like this one.