Entries for January, 2007

January 1st, 2007

Goodbye 2006. Hello 2007!

Weeeh! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! (^-^)

God, I don't know how to start this! Haha! What am I doing here anyway on the first day of 2007? There's a saying that whatever you are in the first year of the year, that'll define who you'll be for the rest of the year. So, does that mean I'll be blogging all-year-round this 2007? 'Cause that would be good news to me. Haha! XD

Anyway, enough of the corny stuffs. Why am I this giddy and all? Whatever! I'm just happy, what's wrong with that? Hope I'll also be happy this year. C'mon, I'll be 18 this year, and I'm hoping against all odds that things will get better for my life this year. I trust God has a great plan for me.

So, why don't I begin with the past--backtracking--and then continue on my hopes and prayers for the coming year. Shall we?

Here's to 2006. Cheers!

2006 Wish List & Goals [posted on Jan. 1, 2006]

My birthday wishes have been...

to hear mass once again with my family--it has been quite a while since my own dad heard mass with us

Done! Yey! I recall at least two times that we've been together as a whole and heard mass: on the first Sunday of the year, and just yesterday, on the last Sunday of the year. How about that? XD

books!--I collect 'em, and also read them of course

Mmmm. I'm not quite sure. But I did get a couple of books, so yeah, thanks! Thanks alot to those who have given me more novels and readings to spend nights with: my parents, my friends, my own teachers [the xerox copy, man. XD]. Thanks for adding more knowledge in my database.

well, quality time with friends--I wanna go just watch movie and eat lots of junk foods with my homies

Hahaha! I don't need to spill the details all over again. I've had many moments like these with my homies. And I'm expecting more next year haha! Don't you disappoint me guys! XD Oh, yeah!

perhaps to pass all the entrance tests I took

I am long over this one! I'm already in college, remember? XD Perhaps you'd like to refer here instead.

Alright, now here's what I've hoped to accomplish for the past year. Oooh, I'm quite bad at this, I confess haha!

get to read at least seventeen books this year--particularly those bestsellers-turned-blockbuster hits [yay!]

Hmmm, lemmme see how far I've gone last year in the reading scene.
1. Nicholas Sparks' A Bend In The Road
2. Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones' Diary
3. John Grishams's The Client [so loved this one. ]
4. Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones' Diary: The Edge or Reason
5. Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha [dad's birthday gift to me ]
6. Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code [rushed this one in time for the film ^-^]
7. Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn
8. John Grisham's Skipping Christmas
9. Sidney Sheldon's
10. Richard Bach's One
11. Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull
12. Richard Bach's Illusions
13. God's The Bible [well, some books ]
14. John Grisham's The Testament [so loved the character! XD]
15. Canfield, el al's Chicken Soup for the Soul [so loved the stories--eager now to read the whole series ^-^]
16. Smith's Marvels of Grace
17. Elisabeth Elliot's Purity and Passion [a gift from a tita]

Must have fooled myself a bit there haha! Oh well, I can't darn remember if I really read all of them this year. The only tool that helped me be reminded of the books I've read this year is my previous blog posts. Thankfully, they've been really helpful to me. They even reminded me of the books I've read this year! I didn't realize I only read them this year haha! XD

Weeeh! Cheers! Congratulations to me! ^-^

loose fat--not just weight or inches! by training myself to be fond of fruits as my snacks

FAILED. Boohoo, what is wrong with me? So hate this! It was so good in the beginning--until I took a summer vacation in Batangas. Waaah! Will be more disciplined this year... swear!!!

get goody-good grades in college--suppose not lower than, uhm, 2?

Boohoo, another failure! But then again, guess it really wasn't that easy to get such a grade in college. Teachers in college are quite harder to please, plus it's such a bore to just study and study without some play. Don't you think? But this year, I'm more disciplined and convicted to achieve this one. C'mon, inspire me guys!

play piano again--this time, I'd like to learn more pieces [both classics and modern]

Whoa. Uhm, I did quite play a few tunes. But still not regularly. But at least I have managed to play the instrument a couple of times when I'm here at home. Really thinking of joining the Music ministry in either of my orgs. Hope I'll get accepted. Must practice!

and, uhm, will add s'more if I wish to

Yeah, did add some. But those were shorter goals. Like during summer, and on the first sem.

2006 Highlights

January
19 Happy Birthday to Me! So happy with all the prayers and wishes answered, and the bonding moments with my hommies. So love my family [both my own blood and Fuxht + Liga]! ^-^
28 Ice Skating at SM! Weeh! Had a great time with friends! Learned to skate, even just a bit haha! Really treasure and love my friends. Thanks alot for backing me up guys! XD Really really love y'all!

February
2 Open forum during Religion time. Can't quite forget this. Nag-iyakan na naman kami ni Jenelle hehe. Oh well, just very thankful all things are patched up.
18 Prom 2006. Was it memorable? Well, maybe. Maybe not. What's more memorable is the next entry.
19 Bonded at Maxine's. We had slumber party! Weeh! So cool! We gave Maxine her gift haha! Really fun! Too bad Maxine gave up and fell asleep hahaha! XD

March
3 Weeeh! Passed all the entrance exam I took! I passed in UPLB weeeh! All my birthday wishes came true hahaha! ^-^
8 Shoppin' with Fuxht! Weeeh! So much loving the idea that we're free hahaha! XD
24 The problem with drinking is... we think it's the answer to our problems. But in truth, it's just an additional burden to the already problematic. Well, at least I've learned my lesson, right? I pray they too.
28 Graduation March. Goodbye high school

April
2-3 Woohoo! Summer escapade with Fuxht! I can't believe that it all happened just this year! Whoa, time flies fast! XD
9 Took a great, big leap: finally had my hair straightened. Yay!
15 Lola's birthday bash! Sang all night long after the swimming hahaha!
27 Hahaha! A confirmation letter confirmed me as an official BS Electrical Engineering student! Haha! I finally have a school to go to! XD

May
4 Finally enrolled in UPLB. Also found the dorm I was searching for--though it's miles away from my university! Haha! But loved it anyway.
5 First driving experience! Gave my dad the high BP haha!
22 Weeeh! New cell phone! Thanks dad! XD [an official graduation gift from my ever loving parents ]

June
20 First day as an official college student. Got so lost in the big mountain university. XD Then got into some really tiring adventure. Walked around campus and tried to familiarize myself with the surroundings. Got used to walking long miles haha!
21? Out of boredom and curiousity, I rode a jeep that I thought would take me to our building, but instead brought me up to the top of our campus! XD Got all soaked too because of the heavy rain. Darn, useless umbrella! But that night, I attended for the first time this YoJam, and from then on, I was so hooked! Really renewed me and inspired me to be active in everything I joined in. That's why I returned to YFC. ^-^

July
4 Jam on the 4th of July! Really cool to rock on with some cool singers and bond with a few churchmates.
14 Ate in IRRI for the first time--a place within the vicinity of our campus [think of it as a research laboratory] famous for cheap rice that is healthy and genetically modified-whatever! [they look just like any other rice anyway ]
29 Provincial Youth Conference in San Pablo! Yay! My first Youth for Christ conference! So loved it! Got to bond with YFC pipz for the very first time! Met a fellow LBzen who happens to live in my home town. ^-^

August
27 Corregidor Field Trip! Weeh! So loved the bonding I had with my History 1 classmates! ^-^
31 The Cultural Night. Haha, again for History 1! XD Had so much fun and bonded s'more with classmates. So love them.

September
5 Open House at the Dorm! Was nominated Ms. Mansion. Lost, yet earned a thousand bucks! Oh yeah! XD
28 Milenyo attack! First, it rained all day long which postponed our finals in PE. And then of a sudden, there was no classes the following with the very strong and feirce wind blowing outside that we can't even get out of our dormitory! Even was cut! And then the next was history...

October
2-8 Mini sem-break at Batangas! Weeh! XD
28 Weeeh! My first Regional Youth Conference! We were at Rizal. I just commuted on the way, and realized that it is so darn far! XD

November
17 First time to enrol on my own. Really exhausting haha! First time to enlist too! So proud of my sched hahaha! This is exactly what I want in my schedule. XD
19 YFC Kasangga. Can you believe it, I've been active all-sem-long! Some accomplishment, huh?
23 Whoa! Rockathon in LB! C'mon, rock on!
24 First time to pre-rog hahaha! Thank God the wait was all worth it! XD

December
15 Todo-todo anti-TOFI na to! There were rallies and oblation runs--but of course, acads come first. C'mon! XD
16 GK Philips! My 1st Gawad Kalinga build in Barandal, Calamba. Really proud of myself. ^-^
17 Tagaytay trip! Woohoo! XD
20 Christmas party with the housemates! XD [even slept in the misa de gallo that morning wahaha!]
22 League of Bleeding Nose reunion at home--with matching program!
25 Weeeh! Christmas party at Batangas! Got to earn a couple hundred of bucks! XD
27-28 The best: Youth Camp! This time, I'm the servant! ^-^

It was quite a year, wasn't it?

How About That?

What's left to say? Well, yes, I have failed in one way or another. Some goals were not met. Wishes all came true. Unexpected things came my way, and eventually made me smile. Whoa, not just smile--but it lightened my spirit and fulfilled me in ways I cannot imagine it could. Met a whole new bunch of people--different faces, different personalities--in different places and different ways. But I'm just glad they all came in--not knowing if they'll ever leave or not. And if indeed they do, God knows who'll come back and affect change. The best part? It was fulfilling year. Thanks to God. Thanks for bringing me back to Him--through people whom I'll always treasure. Now I, myself, am confident that if I can change, I can affect change to others as well.

It was a cool year, wasn't it? It was so busy and tiring, yet it was happy and fulfilling. Guess all the pain and exhaustion was all worth it, eh? Now, how about for the year 2007? What's to expect--what will likely happen?

I haven't really thought about this in a while. But it seems appropriate to me to start the year right, in the appropriate time--and I, like, do it every year anyway. So, here goes. Cheers to 2007!

2007 Wish List ^-^

1. a new laptop [finally admitted it ]
2. 17 new books for me to read! OK, I'll be specific instead: I just want the whole series of Chicken Soup for the Soul, alright?
3. complete season of CSI: Miami
4. a very happy [as in I'll cry for tears of joy hahaha!] debut with friends and family
5. visit different places around the country: like Subic, Bohol, etc.
6. love [family.. friends.. boys? Kung kaya na ba, edi go! ]
7. new pairs of shoes! Lots of new shoes! XD

2007 Goals to Accomplish!

1. become a University Scholar :appreciate:
2. lose inches! [7 inches in the waist!!!]
3. be so much involved in the orgs I joined: YFC, VCF, GK
4. read another 17 books!
5. attend the ILC, wherever it'll be held!
6. attend, as well, this international convergence in VCF!
7. play tennis as much as possible

Lord, when I lose hope because my plans have come to nothing, help me remember that your love is always greater than my disappointments, and your plans for my life are always better than my dreams. Amen.

So, I guess that wraps up this post. It was quite long, I know. Buena mano sa bagong taon. Guess I'll see you around, huh? Will miss this blog. Don't worry, will try my best to update often. Tata!

A two-year-old boy praying:
Dear God, bless my mommy, bless my daddy, bless my sister, bless my brother, bless my friends, and bless me. And, oh, take care of yourself, because if anything happens to you, weâ??re in BIIIIG TROUBLE! Amen. (^-^)

HAVE A BLESSED AND PROSPEROUS YEAR AHEAD! JUST KEEP THE FAITH!

mood refreshed
listen My Playlist
read C Programming [Addison-Wesley]
watch my program assignment work XD

yahn @ 02:48 PM | Book Of The Yahn [2 comment/s]

January 22nd, 2007

SO 18...

Weeh. I'm 18 years old now! ^_^ Well, what's the difference anyway? I don't know. I just turned 18 only a few days ago. C'mon. Give me time to adjust and observe.

What's new? I told you--I haven't seen nothing yet. For the past few days, I've been busy celebrating my debut. How about that? 3 different celebrations--prepared by 3 different people/group of people, celebrated and enjoyed with 3 different people/families. Oh, I just love spending time with my friends and family.

January 19, 2007
My official birthday. Yeah. Surprised the whole day. Been reminded of my special day by lots of people. Both I know and I don't. Some greeted me through the text lines, some hugged, some gave gifts, some simply smiled at me and greeted--alot, of course, asked for a blow out [of course I didn't give in ].

But here's the best part: my churchmates took time to make me feel special. I was so overwhelmed. My OG mates did this 18-thingies: 18 breads from the ladies, and 18 balloons from the gents. Some people I knew, some I don't. Kix even gave me the first balloon. Haha.

Anyway, during our LTS 1 subject, a dormmate of mine, who happens to be really close with my roommates, is my facilitator. He surprised me with a greeting and a balloon. Haha. Now everybody knew what on earth was happening. XD

And then after that class, I caught my OG mates distributing the balloons and cup cakes. Haha! So funny. Oh well, I'm still thankful for the surprise. It was still a surprise after all--though there's little suspense. XD

Besides that, classmates and blockmates greeted me. As usual, they kept bugging me with blow out requests and the like. Back off, men! XD

Then I went home--met my sis and mom at the mall. We went home altogether. There was terrible traffic so it took us about an hour or so to get home.

Immediately, I went up stairs to change. Also to excrete actually. XD I was so darn tired I wanted to sit still. Then, I got down stairs. The first thing I saw was this li'l paper bag. It was violet, and of course, I do realize it's for me. I opened it immediately and found an optical mouse and a headphone inside.

Wah? Dad explained to me that he'll have to give me the laptop I was wishing for in installment. He'll give me the rest of the laptop next year.

Nah! Instead, I noticed this big box covered in very violet gift wrapper and decorated with a very big, violet ribbon. I opened it immediately as I saw it--but carefully still, since the cover was so beautiful. And then, lo and behold! There lies the laptop God promised me. ^_^ I was so mesmerized, I opened it and turned it on. I tested it and explored what it had. I realized it had nothing since it's new, and I didn't put anything yet. XD

[Now, I'm having trouble with the laptop. It hung tonight, and now it's so darn slow in starting up! Wah, what's the matter? Please pray for it, guys, that it won't have to boot this long next time around. ]

January 20, 2007
A day after my said debut. Coleen visited me at home. She couldn't make it to my official mini party on Sunday. So she thought she'll make it up with me on a Saturday, when she's available.

We talked alot, and shared stories as usual. I kept asking her to tell me more stories. But everytime I do so, she always goes silent and thinks over the request. She's thinking alot of what she has to share. But then we realized, it's not that she has nothing to share--rather, it was really me who has something to share. Get it?

It goes like this: I keep asking her to talk, when in fact, I'm like hiding my motive of talking myself. Like, I ask her to say something first before I tell my story.

Well, here goes. There's this seatmate of mine whom I find really sweet. Mmm, since when did I notice that he was actually sweet? I guess the day before my birthday, that's it. Anyway, so he's really sweet and all. Even the way we knew each other was funny.

He's my seatmate, indeed, but I don't talk to him. I don't even look their [he and his seatmate's] way. I can't quite talk to them since they were so naughty--always fooling around, cheating in class. And then all of a sudden, he called me by my name. I was so surprised, I asked myself, "How on earth did he know my name?" There were lots of factors, I suppose: he sits beside me so he must've peaked at my paper alot to see my name, or he heard my blockmate/classmate/friend calling my name. Well, whatever. The point is: I don't know him! XD

And then after a few days, he kept on talking to me, asking me the answers in our exams. *raises an eyebrow* A few days more of talking and bugging me, we kind of interacted more--getting away from the usual "What's the answer here?" conversations. Eventually, he got my number 'cause he was supposed to get something from me, a hand out or something. We met at this church, then he texted me, telling me up front that it was he. All the text contained was "Diane!"

I didn't reply anymore. Why should I? I didn't save the number then and there. After the service, I went back to the dorm dressed down for sleep. Then I browsed through my phone. I noticed his number, and when I was about to click "Add to contacts", I suddenly realized that I don't know what name I'll input. I immediately texted my high school classmate who happens to know him, and he replied, "It's ___. You talk to him, yet you don't even know his name. Hahaha.." And I simply replied, "Thanks! Shhh, don't tell anyone. XD"

And as the days passed, he kept bugging me like any other guy. But then I noticed something different. Unlike any other guy, he didn't tease me. How about that? I was telling Maxine last night that guys usually tease when they want to get close to girls. But unlike him, he shows his real wit and sweetness.

But then again, he has a girlfriend. End of story.

By 3pm, we were on our way to Tagaytay to meet dad. We ate lamb chops--grilled ones. I realized only then that eating alot of meat in one sitting is tiring and dull. Nakakaumay pag tagal.

January 21, 2007
Yesterday, I celebrated my birthday with my good ol' friends! Weeeh! We ate at Teriyaki Boy, and spent the rest of the afternoon talking in Starbucks. My treat, by the way.

Weeks before my ever-waited mini party, I asked Maxine to plan my debut, to do a simple program for my mini party. Pa-special ba? XD

Guess what? All went well, as expected. With a few mishaps here and there, and bloopers everywhere.

And I got to thinking: am I cursed to always know what the surprise is all about? XD

Fuxht gave me a big, huggable, fat bear/pig. Rio gave me another cute, mini version of a teddy bear dressed in blue, with the print: I LOVE YOU. Darlene gave me a Victoria's Secret perfume, while Donna--the unbelievably naughty, quiet girl--gave me a pink underwear--with matching bear-like print. How about that? XD

And now, I am so darn 18. Now what? I don't know. I have no idea what exactly to expect. Well, maybe I did have. The other night, Rio was asking me what's the big change of being 18? All I could answer her was that I felt the big change when I entered college--with all the opportunities opened, and the chance of grabbing these opportunities. Last year was really fulfilling, don't you think? So I guess I'm expecting more opportunities to open. I was hoping God would excite and surprise me more.

Then that night, I dwelled on the question again. All of a sudden I asked, what else could surprise me? What aspect of my life hasn't yet been touched? And I got to thinking of my love life. Mmm, we'll see about that.

"...I will guide you, and I will satisfy you with good things. I will keep you well and strong." ~Is 58

mood :heart:
listen MYMP's The Closer I Get to You

yahn @ 01:19 AM | Book Of The Yahn [Add comment/s]