From Arshavin's Q&A on his official site:
From egor2000
Hi Andrey! I play football with friends every week. Could you please recommend to me how to protect the toes, nails in particular, as I always walk around with broken, "black" nails? How do professionals solve this problem, or you don’t have it?
Arshavin: This problem exists. It’s a professional footballers’ problem. It seems to be invisible, but many players suffer from ache in the toes after the games. I think that it depends on the foot structure. I don’t have this problem but some footballers bandage their toes with a plaster.
Just like ballerinas!!! Haha, this just caught my attention because ballerinas have the same problem. I don't really have this problem though, they say my feet are pretty considering that I'm a ballerina. I don't get those black nails, I don't get blisters or wounds on my toes. Though when I was just starting to dance on pointe shoes, I used to bandage my toes too with plaster or micropore tape to avoid those. Then I discovered the wonders of petroleum jelly, I put a bit of it to protect my toes from friction against each other and the very hard toe shoe box. I'm lucky I didn't get those icky things and I can wear my open toed heels/sandals/flipflops whenever I want to :P
I find it awesome and cool to see a lot of similarities between ballers and ballerinas :) the leaps, jumps, graceful running, flexibility, turns, fluidity and movement, sometimes even the kicks on the pitch actually remind me of dancing ballet. To me, it's like we speak the same language through movement :) also, ballerinas have the same athleticism as most athletes. Sure, the workout load and strength may be more intense for the serious athletes, but the way the body is worked out, and the way muscles are used and all that - it's the same. Especially with ballet, most of the work and movement is from the thighs, legs and feet. So yeah, if you saw my legs and thighs, I hate them so much because my muscles are huge. My feet even, they are muscley and the nerves are showy. The good thing about them is that they are powerful enough to knock out people, lol. Sometimes I like to think that I could be a good football player, I just need to work on my aim lol :P
As a popular saying for us ballerinas goes: We are athletes from the waist down, and performers from the waist up.
Man, I miss dancing so much :(
Saturday, March 20
Footballers:Ballerinas
Monday, March 8
I'm alive!
I know, this blog has been dead for some time now. I fail so bad.
Oooh btw, diet update: I lost 5 lbs in 3 weeks. Not bad, yeah?
Anyhoo, I have made a tumblr account and I am getting quite addicted to it. I think I may be posting there more often. If you want to follow my tumblelog, go here. :D
Wednesday, February 17
DIET!
Ever since I started law school, I stopped going to ballet training and stopped going to the gym because of the lack of time and conflicts in schedule. Because of this, my dancer's body is gone and I am now full of flabs and fat (ok, maybe that was exaggerating). I used to think it's ok, I'm not that fat anyway, and I am not obese. But right now, it's not funny anymore. It takes me a longer time to get ready in the mornings because a lot of my clothes don't fit me anymore. I am a US size 6/UK/Euro 34 for tops and dresses, and a US 8/UK/Euro 36 for bottoms. But I do not fit in some of my clothes anymore!!! And the constant reminders of how fat I've become coming from my parents and my brother isn't really helping. This makes me very sad and frustrated. So now, I am so determined to get back into my dancer's body.
The main problem in my lifestyle is the lack of sleep, or the erratic bedtimes. I always have to adjust my sleeping hours depending on my law school workload. Getting full 8 hours is out of the question because I have to study/revise every night. But now I am trying to work on regular sleeping patterns. I usually get home early on Mondays and Tuesdays, so I get a bit more free time than the rest of the days. Going to bed at around 9-10 pm and waking up at around 3-4am works for me, I get at least 5/6 hours of sleep. On Wednesdays-Fridays I get home a bit later, also when there are footie games (yes, I must watch, they are non-negotiable lol) so I have to adjust the sleeping hours and maybe get fewer hours of sleep, but my main target is to get at least 5 hours. I can function well with that amount of sleep anyway. When I wake up, I drink water, sometimes skim milk, have a bit of breakfast (usually a toastie or two pieces of pan de sal), and a cup of coffee. I study for a bit, then at around 7/8am, I do 30 mins of Hiphop Abs (amazing workout program!!!) and 30 mins of yoga. When I get home from law school, I do another 30 mins of yoga to relax. On the weekends, maybe I shall go jogging in the afternoons after school, or maybe find a dance workout class or boxing class where I can enroll in. Or maybe just workout at home. I should buy a Pilates DVD.
As for the diet, I need to work out on something that will help me survive during the day. I need to have carbs because I am constantly walking and studying throughout the day, so a no carb diet will not work. So I am thinking of eating a fair enough amount of carbs in the morning, like a sandwich, then for lunch, I can skip the carbs. Or maybe half a cup of rice or pasta at the most if I am lacking sleep, just for an energy boost. I need to limit my dessert/sweets intake though, and I am working on that, because I really love desserts. I don't usually eat snacks, but maybe I should take small snacks before dinner so I won't go entirely hungry. Then for dinner, I should just eat a piece or fruit, or a piece of whatever is for dinner, like a piece of beef/meat/chicken and veggies. Or maybe a salad. My mama (my nan) is the one preparing our meals at home, and she also watches what I eat. Also, just as my bitch/diet mentor Elena says, the key to the diet is WATER!!! I have a water bottle that I bring with me to school, and I constantly refill it so I won't forget to drink lots of water. 8-12 glasses of water is the target!
Also, J and I usually eat out and try out new restos when we go out on dates. We should cut down on that. Or if we do eat out, we should order less fatty stuff, and order more healthy stuff. Maybe we can have a cheat day, like on the weekend maybe.
That's what I have so far. I have yet to see if this shall work. I hope it does! I need to get my body beach-ready anyway for April. I must make this work! I am really determined, and I know my mentor Elena will help me on this anyway. My friend Olivia from law school is also on a diet and she keeps on encouraging me. She even watches what I eat and guilt trips me when I want to eat unhealthy food (yes, she loves me that much lol). So yeah, with the help of my friends and my determination, I know and believe I can make this work! :)
Monday, February 1
I fail.
I haven't been keeping up with my Project 365. I have taken pics, but the past two weeks have just been a busy blur and I haven't taken a pic for each day I missed, I don't think :( I shall post whatever I have soon, when I've sorted the pics out, and when my reading assignments go back to their normal load. I really want to finish this project, so I'll just do what I can to make it work.
I hate exam week. I need a massage after all that. Every muscle in my back hurts so bad, and I have a pulled muscle on my neck. Must book appointment soon. I need to do it soon before another shitload of reading assignments and cases washes me over...
Other than the hell that is law school, and the fail that is Valencia over the weekend, life is pretty much normal, I get my free time (or what little left of it lol), I'm getting time to go out again woohoo! And I guess life has been more than good to me these days. :D
So to make up for this pointless post, have a pic:
Hai there Negredo. And hai there Carlos.yes I am ignoring the fact that Negredo is the enemy
and no I'm not denying that I'm in love with the Marchenator
Monday, November 23
Realisations
Ok, I am so lame and totally made of fail, I forgot I even had a blog. Well, not really. Just been really busy with, what else, law school. Yes, I did have my break, but it was only for two weeks and that was mostly spent on my holiday in South Korea. Which I am supposed to blog about, but I haven't found the time yet. *kicks law school*
So what have I been up to? Well, there was the holiday during my break. And when I got home, I learned that I survived my first semester of law school. I'm not proud of my grades because they are in no way up to my usual standards, but considering that it's my first semester and I'm still adjusting to the work load and all, I'll take it. It doesn't mean I take pride in it though. And it's not like I studied and revised. I've been a lazy student and I am so not proud of it. I vow to do better in my second semester though, which started 1st week of November. The load's quite lighter now as compared to the first semester, and I'm glad.
As for football... click on the 'read more' link below if you want to read my realisations. Everyone knows I have a weird love for Man U and Liverpool. I've been loyal to Man U for the past years, but I've always had this love for Liverpool I can't explain. This season, I'm starting to realise that I'm not so much in love with Man U as I was before, and it may be stupid, but I think it's got to do with Cris' leaving. I still love the team, but it's just not the same. It's like the spark that keeps the team going died down. They're still a great team and I know that Cris isn't the only player that matters, but I just can't bring myself to love them like before. And I'm such a bad fan because I can barely remember when was the last time I watched a whole game they played. I think it was against Liverpool. And they lost.
And so we come to Liverpool. I don't even know where to start. It hurts so bad to see them like this. Me being a Man U fan, this is conflicting, right? But I told you, I'm weird like that. I'm beginning to love Liverpool more these days. I've always had this soft spot for them ever since because of their football. But what makes me love them more is the Kop and the fans. The Kop is like the Ateneo (my uni) faithful supporters, they never leave their team, win or lose. And the feeling of family with the Liverpool girls is just amazing. I've never felt that with Man U, it was like... I was supporting them on my own. But with Liverpool, it feels like a family. And it was especially touching when empireofthekop from Twitter was tweeting and helping out during the Ketsana/Ondoy period. They said I'll never walk alone. And it's so true. Despite the current fails Liverpool may be having right now, I've been falling more in love with them. I guess I'm beginning to be a full fledged Liverpool convert...
And as for the team I love most. I am so proud of Valencia. *hugs them tight* They are so amazing. Of course there's still the inevitable Moya fail, and the defence fail, but they make it through. I love them. I love them with my heart and soul and even more if it was possible. I cannot even explain into words how happy I am and how much I love them.
Oh and yeah, I still haven't accepted the whole Albi thing. I know, it's been months, and I thought I already did, but no. And the day he'll face Valencia will be the death of me. Donut want.
Generally, guess life's pretty good to me, except for some fails and issues here and there. But hey, whoever said life's easy, right? So yeah, I shall borrow my twin's kindergartener (slash my other cheerleader) to remind me that everything will be ok.
Teehee, such a cutie :DWednesday, September 30
The Wrath of Ketsana/Ondoy
Last weekend, Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy for us Filipinos) hit the country and destroyed not only properties, but also lives of so many people. It has hit global news, so I guess pretty much all of you from the other countries have seen or heard about it. I would just like to share these pics to those who have no idea how disastrous it has become.
pics grabbed from various sources, sent by email
There you have it. Thousands of lives harmed. Families separated. Homes lost. Some of my friends were badly affected. I've been crying and my heart's bleeding for all those who are suffering. I am so lucky and blessed to have survived this calamity unscathed. My family is safe. My home is intact. This was such an eye opener for me, and it made me realise so much, made me appreciate my life and family more. I'm just really thankful that God has spared us, we are truly blessed.
So today I went to my uni to help with the relief operations. I first dropped off the donations I've gathered, then I signed up for a shift. I got assigned to the clothing repacking section where we had to place different items of clothing in plastic bags then tie them up together. Here are some random pics I took.
It was such a great experience. Nevermind that my allergies and asthma kicked in because of the dust and smell of the old clothes. Nevermind that I went home with a bad cold and slight fever. It was all worth it, knowing that I was able to help my fellow countrymen in need, even in my little way.
So friends from the Philippines who do not have classes, please do make use of the time to volunteer and help our fellow Filipinos. Our classes have been suspended until Saturday for us to go out, reach out and help out. Please do so.
Friends from all over the world, if you are interested to help, we would very much appreciate it. Please ask your local Red Cross centers on how to help. You may also donate through the Red Cross website which is here *click* or through PayPal, which is here *click*.
Let us all pray for each other and help each other in this time of need. Thank you for all those who are thinking of us and praying for us, you are greatly loved. ♥
Tuesday, September 15
100 Things About Me
Right, Malin, the twin and Elena did theirs, and I decided to do one of my own.
1. I have been dancing all my life. My mother told me I did arabesques in my crib when I learned to stand on my own and danced to just about anything.
2. ...I love dancing in general, did all kinds of dances, including cheerdance, tap, folk, jazz, etc., but ballet is my first love.
3. ...I took my first ballet class when I was four and half years old, and got accelerated even before I finished the primary level, and danced in the culminating recital with the girls in the higher level.
4. ...Streetdance/hiphop is my second love. I was part of my high school dance troupe but quit after a year because I couldn't fit it into my busy schedule anymore :(
5. I have a hidden talent for shooting in basketball.
6. ...If I weren't a ballerina, I'd probably a basketball player.
7. ...Except that my mom refused to enroll me in basketball workshops/clinics, or any other physical contact-inducing sport for that matter. She was too afraid I'd get hurt and my grace and poise would get affected.
8. I have ridiculously huge thigh and calf muscles. And arms as well. No thanks to the countless hours of training and dancing.
9. I look incredibly young for my age.
10. ...in fact, I look too young, I still get asked for an ID. Even immigration officers in different airports ask me if I'm really my age. It's on my passport, FFS!
11. When I was younger, I would get my mother's baby pictures and tell people that it was me in the picture and not my mom.
12. ...because I look almost exactly like my mom. People say we're carbon copies, haha.
13. I used to hate wearing heels because they hurt my feet so much - they are too sensitive.
14. ...now I love them so much. Addicted to them even if they still cause me pain.
15. ...I am addicted to shoes in general. Nowadays, I always, always buy shoes first before clothes or bags.
16. I am brand-conscious. I don't want to be, and I'm trying not to be. But I can't help it sometimes... Ok, most of the time.
17. I have developed an obsession for bats and the colour orange because of Valencia.
18. I want to colour my hair but I'm kind of scared to do it.
19. ...plus, my mom would go ballistic if I pushed through with it.
20. ...Although, I love how black my hair is.
21. I love dogs, and I wish I could keep even just one inside the house and let it sleep beside me.
22. ...I can't though, because I'm asthmatic.
23. I also have a million other allergies and never know when they'll kick in.
24. My nose is really sensitive - I am very prone to getting colds and nosebleeds.
25. I wear two rings everyday, one on each ring finger. I never take them off except when I'm going to shower.
26. I cannot wear fake or fancy earrings, my ears itch and go red and swollen in a matter of seconds when I do.
27. ...it also sometimes happens when I wear fake bracelets or necklaces. It depends, especially if it's a really bad kind of metal.
28. I have a closet full of stuffed animals/toys which I have collected since I was a baby.
29. ...one of which is a giant black and orange panda given to me by my late grandfather when I was born.
30. ...my mom insists I give some of them away to charity, but I am too emotionally attached to most of them.
31. ...there are more stuffed animals around my pillows on my bed.
32. Penguins are my favouritest animal in the world.
33. ...I want to keep one in a huge freezer and take care of it.
34. ...I have 4 stuffed penguins who stay with me when I sleep.
35. ...their names are Pumpkin, Pinga, Chilly Willy, and Happy Feet (who got separated from her twin who is now living in London).
36. ...they have different nationalities, lol. Pumpkin is Filipino, Pinga is Singaporean, Chilly Willy is American and Happy Feet is Taiwanese.
37. I don't watch tv that much. I can last days without switching the tv on.
38. I am an expert crammer.
39. ...I crammed my way into uni. I crammed for everything - lectures, assignments, recitations, exams, etc.
40. ...I crammed for all of my final exams, only studying hours before the exams.
41. ...I crammed all of my final papers - within 2-5 hours before the deadline.
42. ...and I still managed to be on the dean's list for consecutive semesters.
43. I finished my bachelor's degree in Social Sciences in March 2009.
44. I also finished a minor in Cultural Heritage, as well as a minor in Chinese Studies.
45. I am terribly afraid of frogs, cockroaches and rats.
46. I have a cuckoo clock in my bedroom, which my mother got me when she went to Germany.
47. I hate the colour green. Partly because it's the school colour of my uni's rival school.
48. My favourite season is autumn. Sadly we don't have autumn here in the Philippines.
49. I used to be able to sleep during flights, it didn't matter if it was only for 50 minutes or 18 hours.
50. ...I can't anymore. I have a hard time falling asleep during flights now.
51. I've adopted Singapore as my second city. It sort of feels like home every time I go back and walk on the streets.
52. I broke my top right front tooth when I was a kid. My brother and I were playing tag, I was running after him and I slipped. I landed face first and instead of using my hands to stop myself from skidding forward, I opened my mouth and used my teeth. Very smart, no? :p
53. I have been given the Filipino World Class Achiever award for dance for two years in a row.
54. I joined my first international dance competition when I was 12, and won first place.
55. I own more than 30 pairs of Havaianas flip flops.
56. I constantly travel locally and abroad.
57. ...I used to travel so much around the country, I don't even remember that I've been to this place or that.
58. ...One of my worst travel experiences was when we got bumped off our flight to Macau. The airline provided us with hotel accomodations, meals and airport transfers, but we had to fly to Hongkong first then take a ferry to Macau. Flight got delayed for several hours. Halfway to Hongkong, plane had some mechanical problem, turned back to Manila. Stayed in the airport for a couple more hours. When we got to Hongkong, boarded our ferry, ferry broke, had to transfer to another ferry. Originally, our flight was at 8am, we'd be in Macau at around 11am at the most. After all that shizz, we finally landed on Macau soil... at 7pm.
59. ...the worst flying experience I had was when I had to take 3 planes just to get to Canberra, Australia. One plane from Manila to Brisbane, another from Brisbane to Sydney, and lastly, Sydney to Canberra. I hate transfers/connecting flights, I prefer flying direct or having just one stop over.
60. ...I had a huge crush on the boy I sat next to during the flight to Canberra though. He was hot.
61. ...But Jay was hotter. I met him in school (I was an exchange student in Australia). He was the best high school summer fling I had, lol.
62. My favourite toys when I was a child are my Polly Pocket houses and this cash register that my grandfather bought for me.
63. I am the eldest child, and the first grandchild of my maternal grandmother and grandfather.
64. ...sometimes I hate being the eldest, because it comes with huge responsibilities.
65. ...but I love it most of the time, because I get first dibs on most things.
66. The first ever thing I asked from Santa was a makeup set.
67. I love reading.
68. ...when I was a kid, I always had to have the latest Sweet Valley Kids, The Babysitters Club and Nancy Drew Notebooks novels.
68. ...I love mysteries and detective/suspense novels.
70. ...my favourite author is James Patterson.
71. I have been, and will always be a Disney baby.
72. ...I love Disney movies, especially the princess classics.
73. ...my favourites are Cinderella, The Little Mermaid and Enchanted.
74. ...my friends lovingly call me Cinderella because of my curfew.
74. ...but I think that I can relate to Ariel the most.
75. I love everything about the beach, especially lying on the sand and soaking up the sun.
76. I have really bad eyesight. I am nearsighted, and my opthalmologist told me it was inborn.
77. I took guitar lessons but completely forgot how to play it. It's like my brain and my hands forgot that I ever took those lessons.
78. I hate household chores. I'd never be a good housewife.
79. ...I'd never even agree to being a housewife. I wouldn't let my future husband force me into being one, haha.
80. Huge birds seem to have a fondness for me. I got chased by an emu in a wildlife park in Australia and by an ostrich in Zoobic, Subic (here in the Philippines).
81. I have been sponsoring a little girl's education for 4 years now and I hope to continue to do so until she finishes uni.
82. ...Her name is Jen, and she lives in a really far off island from where I am. I dream of the day when I finally meet her.
83. My family is such a close-knit one. My brother and I are very close to each other and to our parents.
84. ...I always put my brother first before me.
85. ...I disagree with my parents on a lot of things and can be rebellious, but I still find myself following what they say/want in the end.
86. I once got called up to participate in a local game show on TV. They needed dancers for contestants, and they called up my ballet school to get some of us to join.
87. ...I came out as the winner. I even had a talent fee for joining.
88. I received my first wages when I was 10 years old. I got casted in Sharon Cuneta's (a very popular local singer/movie star) music video as a fairy ballerina.
89. ...I gave my first wages to my parents. But my mom returned it to me, told me to save it.
90. ...I still give my wages (whenever I have jobs) to my parents, but they always return it.
91. I am Roman Catholic, and even if I'm not as traditionally religious as my mom, I like to think I am religious in my own way and my faith is very strong.
92. I wish I had a sister too.
93. I can distinguish most songs (songs that I know, that is) by listening to the first few notes, or first few musical lines at the most, of the melody.
94. I think I would be better off being European (Spanish please, haha) because I'm living on European timezones anyway.
95. I didn't use to be so addicted to the internet until I met online some of the best friends I could ever have.
96. I can be adventurous in dining when I want to be. I have tried eating fried frog legs, they taste like chicken.
97. ...the most exotic thing I've tried eating are tamilok. It's a local delicacy in Palawan which is a worm-like mollusk found on rotting mangrove trees. It taste like oysters.
98. ...the exotic food that I love the most are grilled chicken intestines called isaw. It's like pork barbecue, but tastes even better.
99. Most of my cousins and even older relatives call me 'Ate' or 'Ate Cla'. 'Ate' means big sister in Filipino and Cla is my nickname. When I was a little kid and had several younger cousins, I used to tell people I'm everyone's ate, and the nickname stuck.
100. My ultimate goal in life is to have an amazing job, have a blessed married and family life, be able to provide my children with what everything they need and if possible, more, and travel the world with my family.
Sunday, September 13
Zombie Workload
I've been meaning to do one of these posts but I've been really lazy to do so. I was inspired by Malin's workload post, so it got me cracking.
Ok, here goes.
So this crate full of cases are only for one class, which is Constitution 1. In this class, we use three thick books about the Philippine Constitution (two of which are not with me at the moment, they are with my friend), plus the shitload of cases you see in the photo above. There is another pile that is waiting to be read, which I forgot to include in the crate because they are on my table. Aside from the books and the cases, my prof also assigns some long, supplemental readings if he feels like it. Funnily enough, despite the deathly workload, this is my favourite subject so far.
This next crate contains the other cases and readings for my other classes: Persons and Family Law, Philosophy of Law, Criminal Law 1, Legal Profession, Legal Research and Statutory Construction. Aside from these readings, there are also books for the classes mentioned above.
Here are my books. As I've said, the two books for Constitution 1 are with my friend. Two other books were borrowed by my friend too - my books for Legal Research and Statutory Construction. Two other books are not in the photo too. They were in my bag, and I forgot to bring them out when I took pics. I was lazy to retake, so yeah. The total number of books is... *drumroll please* 11. Woohoo.
There you go, the two already full crates. I need to get another crate, there are more (and I mean a loooot more) cases and readings coming my way. Still a month to go before my final exams, and then it's finally semestral break! Wooooo! I can do this!
Saturday, June 6
bienvenido a facultad de derecho
I start law school on Monday already, 8th June. I'm so scared :S
And to welcome me, this is what I have to read:
That's like 500+ cases to study, memorize and analyze. And this is only for the week-long Introduction to Law course. *sigh* I was asking for a life. I wasn't asking to be killed. :(
As my fb status says... I have only a little less than two days before I plunge into the deathbed that is law school. I'm really going to miss my lazy, happy-go-lucky-without-a-care-in-the-world life...
Adios, mi verano
So my summer has officially ended. To be honest, I didn't feel like it was summer at all. Except for the first two weeks, I guess. Why? Because my summer was occupied mainly by:
- an extra English course at uni (because law school required me to do so)
- my summer job as a ballet teacher
- trainings and rehearsals
- my last major show/recital with my dance group
- month and a few weeks off uni
- beach trip back in March
- holiday in Taiwan
- Valencia. Need I say more?
- Man U losing the CL
- personal, real life heartbreaks (which were quite a lot...)
- transfer rumors/speculations (Which are still to continue for the next couple of months... Oh David :( don't leave me!)
- failed trip to London (boo parents and swine flu outbreak)
- wonky sleeping hours (because of football)
- not getting enough sleep (again, because of the football)
But then there were the highlights of my summer...
- getting accepted into Ateneo Law School - the top law school in my country
- being in the top 100 that got accepted
- having Josue - my iTouch <3
- football - the rollercoaster that is Valencia, Manchester United winning the Prem, and Liverpool finishing just a little behind them (basically, the good thing about this is that I got to stay up to watch without having to worry about uni *kicks timezones*)
- David Archuleta/David Cook concert
- holiday (especially the shopping!) in Taiwan
- crazy, crazy nights out with friends I love
- being online for long periods of time - yes, this is a highlight, because if not for this, I wouldn't have gotten the chance to bond with the best online friends evarrr. <3 The batshit crazy convos especially the metaphors are love. Oh and Kickette FC ftw!!! :)
- finding love again - ok that was cheesy. Ugh. :P
- my last major show which turned out to be so amazing :)
With that, I kiss summer goodbye! I still want another vacation though. Can't wait for October.
Thursday, April 30
Lakbayin ang Pilipinas - Hundred Islands
Aside from the Pic of the Day posts, I've decided to make Lakbayin ang Pilipinas posts too. Lakbayin ang Pilipinas means Travel the Philippines. This way, I get to share my favorite places in my country and share a bit of my culture too. :)
The first place I picked is Hundred Islands in Alaminos, Pangasinan. It is located 250km away from Manila, our capital city. There are exactly 123 islands of different shapes and sizes here, hence the name. Not all islands are converted into resorts, so the beauty of it all is preserved. Only three islands were developed for tourists - Children's Island, Governor's Island and Quezon Island. We stayed at Children's Island. Just to give you an idea, here are some of the islands:
I went here with my friends on an environmental trip several years back. It was a great adventure, we really roughed it out and faced nature. We stayed in a bahay kubo, or nipa hut - a cottage made out of bamboo and nipa and anahaw leaves. The bahay kubo is a primitive type of house. I didn't get to take a photo of where we stayed, but this is an example:
Not all the islands have primitive accommodations, lol. There are resorts in the others. But we were on an adventure trip so it was perfect there. So anyway, there were no beds, we had to sleep on bamboo cots. There was no electricity there too which made it really exciting and it really pushed us out of our comfort zones. Especially me. There is a bathroom of course, but it was a good 5 minute walk away from our hut. It was perched on a hill. And also, there was no running water in the shower room. Only in the toilet. So we had to get our water from the poso at the bottom of the hill. We had to carry our pails up to the hill so we can bathe. The poso is a manual pump. Again, an example:
We were surrounded by lush greenery, the sea, and the wonderful salty breezes. It was really fun being around nature. Also, we had to cook our meals using manual fire. Like literally starting fire from two stones rubbed together. We had lots of grilled meat and seafood for our meals, yumyum.
First, some pictures:
this was on our boat ride going there
I took this in one of the islands that we hopped on to
this one too, those are two of my friends
and this is me, photo taken by my friend Ruthie :) (Hi Inay!) as you can see, the sand was really powdery, which I loved
I took this because it was cool. Procreating insects. I'm not sure what they are though, and they were really small so it was hard to take a close up picture using a digital camera.Anyway, the main reason we went there was to do a coastal cleanup. It was just a bonus for us to do some kayaking and boating to explore the islands, and participate in an Amazing Race kind of game. We did all sorts of tasks, hopping from one island to the next. My team won! :) Also, my favorite part of the trip was when we found this really high cliff (approximately 25-30 feet, more or less) on one of the beaches that led to a secret cave-like corner that looked out to the deep water (around 10 feet or more). I wish I'd taken a photo of it, but no one would hold my camera because we were all jumping. So yeah, it was really cool! I was quite scared at first because I'd never jumped off anything that high before. But it felt so effing amazing when I lifted my feet off the cliff and plunged into the water. I wouldn't forget that moment.
We only stayed for 3 days. I still felt that 3 days isn't enough. There are still many places to explore, and many things to do, and I wish there was more time to enjoy the greenery, the sea and the sun and the sand. Guess it's pretty obvious by now that I love the beach and the sun, huh? The whole trip was just so much fun and there were so many memories. The entire place was so beautiful. I really wish I took more pictures, if only I wasn't too keen on spending all the time in the water :p I'd love to go back there with the same set of friends someday. :)
Sunday, April 19
I push myself too hard.
I fail at finishing all the entries about my trip. I promise I'll finish it, maybe by the end of the week. I hope. Everything's just so topsy turvy in my world lately, I can't even be online that much anymore! Boo. I just need to blog about the recent things that have been happening.
Uni.
So, I went back to uni already last Wednesday. It was horrible. I had to pay a fine for late enrollment, because I was supposed to pay Tuesday but forgot the check at home. Then I realized that I didn't have any cash with me, so I told the cashier that I'd go back. I went to the ATM machines and when I pulled out my wallet I realized that I didn't have my ATM card with me too. I was panicking, I was already 30 mins late for class and I still haven't paid my tuition fees. I was running around the campus and it was so hot, I was so tired already! So I texted my brother to ask if he had extra cash with him, and he did, thank God. But I had to run to the other side of the campus where his class was to get him. More running, and then finally got the cash, ran back to the cashier to pay. I ran to class after, 45 mins late, only to find out that I was in the wrong room! Turned out that whoever did my schedule printed out the wrong room assignment. So it took me another 15 mins to find my room, and when I did, I was an hour late already. I had no clue what the prof was talking about and shizz. Yeah, that was a great first day back.
The next few days at uni were okay, but I bombed the first quiz we had. Lol. I always do that at the start of the semester. I never know how to study for a quiz/exam (if I even study hahaha) until I know what type of tests the prof gives out.
Ballet.
So, after two months of not training, I went back to ballet. And man it was so hard to get back. I've never really stopped dancing for that long, not even during the times when I was out injured, because during those times I still trained. Yeah I know, I don't listen to my physio and I'll be paying for it in the future. *shrugs* I love dancing, no one can stop me.
And because of the long time of not training, I ended up so frustrated at myself because I couldn't do the usual stuff I do. My muscle resistance and endurance are both way off, I couldn't last through the exercises. And I couldn't do my turns! Turns are actually my forte. Whenever I dance, especially when I do all those turning steps and spins (pirouettes, fouettes, chainees, etc.) and other challenging steps, there is this certain feeling that I get. I can't explain it, but it's such a beautiful feeling.
Given that, I guess you could imagine and understand the frustration I've been feeling. I badly wanted to get back in shape and when I want something, I do everything to get/achieve it. Which is bad for me, really. And with dancing, just like any other sport, pushing yourself too hard would damage the muscles. And that's what I got for pushing myself too hard. I kept working so hard on the exercises, doing them over and over again just so I can improve fast. Again, I didn't listen, and now I've got recurrent leg cramps, several muscle strains all over, my bad (left) ankle is sore again, and my right ankle is hurting too. Yay me.
Work.
Yes, I'm working this summer again. I cracked, even if I said I didn't want to work any more, and despite the fact that I didn't get paid last summer. I just can't keep myself away from my beloved ballet students. But I took a part-time shift this time, only working on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 1-6pm with a 30min break. Its tiring, but better than the 8 hour shift I used to have. And also I get to rest because sometimes my task is to only operate the music and take the attendance. Lol.
Life in general.
Too much stuff going wrong. Idek if I'm going to be paid at work. Oh please let them pay me, I hope they don't do a Valencia on me. Also, I'm kind of in a small life crisis right now. I've planned everything out but now I feel kind of lost, its as if I don't really want all this anymore. And ugh, just... So much more going wrong.
So there, that's basically what's happening to my life lately. Not really interesting. Haha. I really need to get out of this rock that I've been living in and see my friends. I've been putting them off lately, must really see them.
Wednesday, April 8
First things first
I am back from my holiday! :) I will blog about my trip in the following days or so, I am still busy atm trying to accomplish the stuff on my to do list that I ignored before leaving. :p
Anyway, this is late as most people already know about this, but still! :D
I just screencapped the important parts of the webpage lol :) I haven't properly celebrated yet! I wonder if I should throw a party. I haven't thrown my grad party yet anyway. Yeah, maybe I'll do that. I'll see.
The only thing that sucks is that I still have to take additional units for English. I don't know why all law schools require 18 units! My uni (Ateneo de Manila University) only requires every student to take 12 units. We have to catch up on additional units for law school. Booo. Boooooo. I start with uni again on April 15th. There goes my summer vacation.
Anyway, this was what I really wanted, and this is such an accomplishment and dream come true for me! Woohoooo! :)
Wednesday, April 1
Oh, life.
Do you remember me like I remember you
Do you spend your life going back in your mind to the time
Coz I
I walk the streets alone I hear people my own
and everyone can see that I real fair and I'm going for her
thinking about you was somebody else
Somebody wants you
Somebody needs you
Somebody dreams about you every single night
Somebody can't breathe without you it's lonely
Somebody holds I won't think you will see
That somebody's me
That somebody's me
How
How did we go wrong
It was so good and now it's gone
Then I pray at night
that our passing will cross
what we had is a lost
Coz you're always you're here in my lost
Somebody wants you
Somebody needs you
Somebody dreams about you every single night
Somebody can't breathe without you it's lonely
Somebody holds at someday you will see
That somebody's me oh yeah
You'll always be in my life
Even if I'm not in your life
It's in my memory
Now when you remember me
And before you set me free
Oh listen please
Somebody wants you
Somebody needs you
Somebody dreams about you every single night
Somebody can't breathe without you it's lonely
Somebody holds that someday you will see
That somebody's me
Thursday, March 12
Writing Prompt 1
I remembered my best friend telling me about this site that generated writing prompts for one to get started on writing. It is on this site. Well I decided to give it a shot, and this is what I chose:
"How long until you realized you had no talent or patience for this? Tell the story (true or fiction) of trying to learn a new talent or hobby that you only pursued briefly."
Ok, when I was a kid, I pretty much wanted to try all sorts of things. Of course, there was ballet. I started dancing when I was 4 1/2 years old and haven't stopped since. And my love for ballet branched out to exploring different kinds and forms of dances too. So yeah, dancing is the only talent or hobby that stuck to me all these years.
But since I did want to try other hobbies, I enrolled in a lot of classes. I had piano lessons roughly the same time when I started dancing ballet. But when I turned 6 or 7, we moved into a different city, and it was too much of a bother for me to go to my music school, as well as my ballet school. I decided not to look for another music school and instead found a ballet school. I never went back to my piano lessons ever since.
When I was around 8 or 9, I wanted to learn how to sing. So I enrolled in voice lessons, haha! But I had no patience for it too, I quickly became bored of having to stand up and sing scales and whatnot for a couple of hours a day. So after my summer session, I stopped attending lessons.
In high school, I wanted to learn how to play the guitar. So again, I enrolled in a music school. But again, I didn't last, I just finished the lessons for the entire session and never went back. And I completely forgot everything I learned there. Now my poor guitar is tucked away in my room and I haven't touched it in years.
I think it doesn't help too that dancing takes up so much of my time. All the rehearsals, classes, shows, recitals and such. *shrugs*
I think that's pretty much about it. Bottom line is, I've been trying to pursue a lot of other hobbies but its only dancing that I stuck to. :)
