Tomato Paste

The past four days have been a drag. After an awesome (free) night out with my brods and sis last saturday, all went downhill.

Sunday: I missed church (I apparently went home at 3 am so my parents didn’t bother waking me up). I woke up around lunch time, locked myself in my room after a light lunch and waited for the 6 o’clock meeting I had with the debaters. 6 o’clock came and everyone except for Odie, Kristi, Clyde and Fonzy, were a no show. It ruined my already dull day, ugh. It was a good thing we went to El Amigo for a few rounds of chikicha, else I would’ve ceaselessly cursed the entire ride home.

Monday: Sir Ian cancelled my only class in the morning and my we also had no class in Com16 which meant the only class I had for the day was the ever wonderful… Biology. Great. So I stayed home and watched TV until 3 pm. I did go to Bio class, but only to sit at the farthest corner with my head leaning on the wall, trying my very best not to fall asleep. My mind wandered off, and I wasted one hour of my life staring at an illustration of muscles and bones I couldn’t understand. That night, I went to the Provincial convention center to be oriented (together with my brods and sis) for the Sitti concert. I was assigned to usher a group of foreigners who may just hog the bar and potentially go wild. Good luck to me. I’m just happy I can watch Sitti for free.

Yesterday: I went home, collapsed on the bed, stared blankly at the ceiling, while cranking up the volume to Alicia Keys’ new album. I did this for quite a long time, too. The consequence of missing my classes from 1 to 7, for a split second, did cross my mind - but I didn’t care. My senses only came back when Jordan reminded me of the Valentine Songwriting Competition at 8 pm. Then I thought: Valentines. What an awful time of the year. Nevertheless, I dressed up and went to Luce for the show. It would be a mediocre program had Primy not composed the winning song, and Nadie not interpret it so perfectly. I, personally, am still shocked by a group of 4 guys in all white outfits, singing "wish, wish" in an ASAP coverboys kind of way (eek! sans the good looks, of course) handing out flowers to grossed out girls. I still can’t understand what person in the right mind would interpret a composition in that way, in no less than Silliman University pa jud. But since the song screamed boyband(!) right from the first stanza, I think it was the only thing anyone could do with it. And they didn’t accept our entry for this? (haha, bitter) But it was ok, for ‘variety’s sake.’

Today: I only had one class still, since Maam Cecile is still in Cagayan and Sir Alcala cancelled our Biolec class. So I’m here at the Weekly Sillimanian Office, typing this blog entry. Still depressed. I’m only excited about tonight… I shall see Sitti for free. =) But after that, I’m sure, I will still be depressed.

Tomorrow is my 20th birthday.

The day after that, I’m going to Bohol for the Visayan championships (which I could potentially win, with 2 of the best teammates ever).

So can anyone tell me, why the hell am I so freakin’ depressed?

Dammit.

This post is soooo late, but I promised myself that I’m gonna finish this entry, so here goes…

We
were excited to have a very valid excuse to miss classes (TV
appearance, hah!), but we weren’t exactly thrilled about having to pass
by Cebu to get to Manila. As it turns out, PAL is a major sponsor for
the show and since they don’t have a terminal here in Dumaguete, we had
to catch the Cebu-Manila flight instead. And what’s even worse, we had
to get our tickets at SM Cebu before the PAL office closed — which
meant only one thing: land trip. Ugh.

We
planned to leave Dumaguete at 11 am so we’ll have time to get the
tickets, but Noel, being the very unpredictable dude that he is, got
caught up in some emergency so he was late. We missed our boat (to our
dismay) so Kristi and I decided to eat lunch at a carinderia instead.

We did catch a 12 noon boat so we were just 1 hour late of our cleanly planned out sked.

After three hours of listening to an ala- Maala-ala Mo Kaya radio
show which also claims to play light rock music (since when did Beyonce
become a rocker?), we finally got to our destination.

As
planned, we went to the PAL office to get our tickets, only to be met
by a nice woman telling us we need to pay three thousand each for the
tickets - with a smile.

WAAAHAAAT? We
gave each other meaningful looks, as if saying, ‘I guess we’re going
back home early… And to think, we just told every Sillimanian we were
gonna be on TV. Shucks. Kristi looked like she was about to seriously
hurt someone.

Thankfully, Faiqah (this girl who works at the show) rescued us. Yay. They decided to email us the tickets instead. Whew.

Courtesy
of Samantha’s parents, we indulged ourselves in Pizza Hut. Noel felt
really sick after a MAJOR pigging-out, so he decided to drag Kristi,
Sam and I to shopping.

And
I swear, I am NEVER going to shop with Noel ever again. For three
hours, we went from one shop to another just looking for one shirt. ONE
SHIRT! I remember Sam telling me, "I’d go to one shop, buy the first
thing I like and that’s it."

Kristi and I just had to stop coz
we couldn’t do it anymore. We left him with Sam (to her horror, of
course) and we had coffee while waiting for my cousin’s driver to fetch
us.

Noel
and Sam came back with this shirt that I told Noel I showed Noel
earlier. But he told me he got turned off when I said, "buy this one,
so you’ll be in your ELEMENT on TV…" Gawd, had I not said that, we
would have been done hours ago. Hmpf.

Our flight was at five the
next morning so we spent the night at my cousin’s house. I really
wanted to sleep but I knew I couldn’t coz if I did, there was no way I
would be able to wake up at 3 am, and someone had to wake Kristi and
Noel up too.

At 5 am, we were off to Manila! But of course, we just HAD to take pictures of ourselves making faces. =)

When
we arrived, we were met by the Square Off people (who were really nice,
btw) and brought us to Kabayan Hotel. After shooting spiels for the
show, the three of us decided to window shop and eat. It was a good
thing Araneta Center and Gateway were just really near our hotel so we
just walked.

And here’s a summary of everything we ate in just 4 hours:

Taco Bell

Wendy’s

Brownies Unlimited

Dairy Queen

At 5 pm, we were off to ABS-CBN for the show.

What was so cool at being in ABS-CBN building:
1. I saw Piolo. He’s hot, seriously. I’m not really a big fan but he’s REALLY hot.
2. We had our own dressing room beside the Wheel of Fortune set (we could hear Kris shouting, hehe)
3.
We had our make-up put on by a professional make-up artist. And beside
me was Phoemela Barranda, Karen Davila and Julius Babao. I so wanted to
join in on their conversation but they might give me crazy looks.
4. I saw other celebrities, singers, and the like. It was fun.

At
8 pm, we started the show witht the motion: THW use the vernacular as a
medium of instruction for public elementary and high schools.

We
won. Yay. But I had a TERRIBLE speech (well, when I watched the show,
it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was) but still. Hmpf. I was just glad
we could come back and you know, I’d have the opportunity to redeem
myself (and squander university money, haha).

After
that, we went to KFC for a late dinner and Starbucks so Kristi and Noel
can have their usual orders: Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino and Chocolate
Chip Frap with Raspberry Syrup. I had my classic Caramel Frap. We
stayed there til Midnight.

The
next day, we had a quick breakfast and headed to the airport. We had to
wait for a few hours till the flight (we were so early) but it was ok.
Kristi and I just drowned ourselves in our books while Noel ‘explored’
the airport, perhaps, thinking about his first love: airplanes. Drama.

Anyway,
when we got to Cebu, we immediately got the next trip to Lilo-An (it
was the last Ceres, thank God). It was a longer trip than we expected -
we thought it was never going to end, panic level. Haha.

We rode
the boat, after Noel sampled ALL the sandwiches available at the port
and headed to Dumaguete. We hitched with Noel’s parents who were
extremely nice to bring Kristi and I home too.

It was a cool trip. Very short, but very memorable.

2007 is definitely the best debate year for me. I managed to improve considerably - which I thought was practically impossible because of my lack of experience and utter dislike for matterloading. Hehe. Well, in the end, I was able to surprise even myself with a few debate successes.

1. For the first time in a year of debating, I earned my right to be in Silliman A in the Visayan Universities Debate Championship held last February. This was quite an achievement for me since the society was and still is full of awesome debaters who are team A quality. I topped the tabs in powermatching, so I was teamed up with Stacy and Juliana who were national quarterfinalists. Wow. Unfortunately though, we didn’t win the championship (team B - Odie, Gers and Kristi got to the finals), but I was just really grateful for the opportunity to represent Silliman. =)

2. Also in that month, we were able to successfully host the VUDC with little help from our Coach, organize the first DIP Debate Championship and the first elementary debate in Dumaguete. This was really great for our society, both personally and professionally.

3. In May, I was able to go to the 3rd Asian Universities Debate Championship in Indonesia. I was part of the sole team Silliman sent, together with Charms and Stacy. It was the first time that I competed outside of the country, and the results of that tournament were just overwhelming. We went up against really good teams from UP Diliman, La Salle, International Islamic University of Malaysia, National University of Singapore, and Mahidol Thailand, four of which broke into the octos.  We also set a new record for Silliman in the AUDC, 4 wins - 3 losses. Our team ranked 20th, just four teams away from the breaks. Plus, we made friends with other Philippine debaters I was usually just intimidated with. It was just a great experience. =)

4. One day, out of impulse hehe, I decided to send emails to a few debaters in Mindanao, asking them about a possible Visayas-Mindanao Debate Championship. The response was great, and all of a sudden, my crazy idea became a reality in July. By far, the VMDC is the BEST tournament I’ve been to. It was just a great tournament for me - in terms of performance, in terms of making friends from the debate community, etc. VMDC forged an alliance, I tell you - that is, between the Visayas and Mindanao debate communities. Not to mention, Odie and I were able to break 3rd at the quarter finals (my first break), and I was awarded the Top 6 best debater, behind the champion team, our team A and Henry Segovia. Whoa… It was an awesome feeling. I can’t wait to debate again in next year’s tournament.

5. Self-training for debate is hard. Just imagine training other people for it! This year, for the first time, I adopted a school - the RTPM Dumaguete Science High School. I had a blast training and coaching these kids - I see really great potential in them. And they did pretty well in the debates they joined, and I couldn’t be prouder… =) I’m looking forward to training them some more for next year’s tournaments. Watch out for these kids. (haha. I feel like their mom!)

6. The National Debate Championship in Baguio is probably the most memorable debate experience I will ever have. I’ve never been more challenged and more stressed! It was an interesting experience, I tell you. The pressure, coupled with hard motions and even harder opponents can really drain you. And seven consecutive rounds of all that is just torture. But what I got out of my first Nationals will forever be treasured. I met great debaters from all over the country and I’m just purely grateful for the experience. And oh ya, Odie and I broke into the Octofinals! Not bad for my first NDC, huh? I’m never missing a tournament again. Hehe.

7. I was on national TV… twice! All thanks to debating. Together with Gerswane and Kristi, we took on Yedah, Bernice and Ardie from UP Cebu and Marj, Sam and Tateen from Ateneo De Davao in NBN’s Youth Voice. It was really cool. Plus, we had free lodging and food from NYC, and allowance from the school, so we never had to spend a single centavo. On January 23, Kristi, Noel and myself are also going to compete in ANC’s SQUARE OFF so watch out for that! =) Seeing yourself on TV is kinda weird, but really cool.

8. Well, the Sandurot Cup still isn’t over, but the eliminations went well. We had a perfect break! Haha. Kristi and Noel are just great teammates and we hope to win the championship this month. I’m glad Dumaguete City is really investing in debating. I hope the debate community here continues to grow. =)

9. Organizing is never easy. This December, I had to organize the 2nd Dumaguete Inter-School Parliamentary Debate Championship. I had a lot of plans - I wanted 10 schools to join, and I would gladly train every beginner school if needed. I planned a television coverage, sponsors, and lots more. Unfortunately, those were high hopes for a tourney such as that. It still went great though. Some debaters even said it was perfect (haha, ya right). But whatever the feedbacks were, I was just glad it was over - and that it actually pushed through. This would be the first time that I was the main organizer, the tournament director, the food committee, awards committee, logistics, the registration person, the tabs person and the photographer. Plus, I also trained two high schools for the tournament. Whew. But it was so fun. I’d be glad to do it again and again. Haha.

10. Lastly, the society. I got to know more about a lot of my colleagues. And I was able to meet new debaters who have really impressed me with their abilities. Though there were bumps in our relationships, we tried our best to cope and patch things up. Mark really encouraged us to put our relationships above all, we wouldn’t want to end up like the Debate Congress who later on split up because of too much bickering. And I do agree. So, even though we weren’t a perfect society, I’m still glad we went through all that drama. Made us better people, and better friends.

It was a great debate year. I hope next year tops all of these. =)

I did this survey last year. It really allowed me to reminisce and basically just look back on the fun and not so fun times I’ve had…

THANKS everyone. You guys made my year. =)

What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
Visit another country! Indonesia in May was really, REALLY awesome. =) And I was also on national TV… twice! haha.

Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Nope. Hehe. But I have serious new year’s resolutions for next yea, so I plan to really keep them.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
Hmmm… let me see. I think I have a cousin who gave birth this year, but we aren’t really close.

Did anyone close to you die?
Well, there were two people who died later this year that really crushed me. Although I wasn’t really close to them. There was Mr. Paras who died in a motorcycle accident (which I saw happen, shucks) and there was Alzen Joy who just died this month. Really, really sad. Tapos, Benazir Bhutto was assasinated pa jud. Hahay. There goes Pakistan.

What countries did you visit?
Indonesia lang, but it was really cool.

What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
I would like to have good grades (haha) and better relationships with people around me. ^_^

What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Wow. Uhm, it would probably be the day I fell. Haha. =) Joke. (not really) And maybe all the awesome tournaments I’ve been to. Whoa. Tapos there’s the

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Debate stuff. This was my best (and worst) debate year. Tourneys, victories, losses, firsts, lasts. =)

What was your biggest failure?
Biggest failure this year… probably failing to live up to my promises. I broke people’s hearts this year. It wasn’t pretty. Maybe next year, makabawi ko..

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nope. =)

What was the best thing you bought?
Hmm… clothes! Just kidding. I’m not really sure. A plane ticket to Manila?

Whose behavior merited celebration?
Definitely not mine. Haha. Odie’s? hehe. I loved Odie the entire year. =) Who else ba? Can’t think of anyone else eh.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Haha. Haha. Haha. I’m not going to tell. But there is someone (or four). ^_^ But I’m over them.

Where did most of your money go?
Still debate. Gosh. A really expensive vice.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
A lot of things. I got excited about shifting to Mass Com finally. So many doors opened when I shifted. I’m just so much happier in the course. =)

What song(s) will always remind you of 2007?
Gosh. A lot. Like a Star by Corinne Bailey Rae, Collide by Howie Day and Jenny by Click Five. =)

Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? — happier. definitely.
ii. thinner or fatter? –- fatter. haha.
iii. richer or poorer? –- poorer. too much money blown on debates.

What do you wish you’d done more?
Study.

What do you wish you’d done less of?
slack off, hehe.

How many one-night stands?
I’m not like that. Hehe.

What was your favorite TV program?
Ooh. Entourage. Ahlavet. I don’t know why. Hehe. And I still love That 70’s Show and America’s Next Top Model. =)

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Well, hate is such a strong word. Hehe. And I’ve learned to forgive this year, so ya…

What was the best book you read?
The last installment of Harry Potter (which made me really sad that it’s over)…

What was your greatest musical discovery?
Playing the guitar! As in! It just made the musical aspect of my life much more colorful. Because of it, I’ve learned to compose songs. And one song (a Christian one) won in a university competition. hehe.

What did you want and get?
Hmm… I don’t really know. More satisfaction, I guess.

What was your favorite film of this year?
That’s hard. Nothing really stuck to me this year eh.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Oh. Don’t get me started. It was the WORST birthday ever. I did nothing really. But the good part was that my debate crush from ADS greeted me (haha) and I was able to cook for the debaters and buy them pizza.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I should probably have turned to God more. Then I could experience real joy ba. I’m doing my best though, especially for next year. =)

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
Well, I guess I was better dressed this year. Not that I dress good na. At least I made changes. Not just pants, shirts and slippers.

What kept you sane?
Friends. Definitely friends.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
That would be Channing Tatum. Haha. And for some reason, Mandy Moore. Hehe.

What political issue stirred you the most?
Benazir Bhutto assasinated and the whole turmoil in Burma.

Who did you miss?
Maia! As in. I still miss her.

Who was the best new person you met?
That’s easy. CLYDE! hehe. I met him mid year, and we’ve been close since. He’s really cool. We think alike, we have the same attitude towards life and all. Basta he’s cool. And a lot of debaters from other schools too. =)

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:
People you least expect can hurt you. And that at the end of the day, every decision you make and basically just everything you do is between you and God alone. Oh ya, and that love can make you lose all control… which sucks.

What was the nicest thing someone told you about yourself:
Ooh. That I deserve to be happy. Awww… I know it’s cliche but it really touched me. Whoever you are, thanks!

The most touching experience you’ve had this year?
Hmm… Stuff with my Mom.

What did you like most about yourself this year?
I can’t really pinpoint anything. Maybe my debating. I don’t know. Hehe. And also my compositions. hehe.

What did you hate most about yourself this year?
My tactlessness. as always. And my overly-obsessive nature. Haha.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"I’m falling even more in love with you, letting go of all I’ve held on to. I’m standing here until you make me move. I’m hanging by a moment here with you."

Was 2007 a good year for you?
Ya. It was. =)

What was your favorite moment of the year?
Ooh. I had lots of favorite moments. Mostly the times I’ve spent with someone. Haha.

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
I really don’t want to talk about the least. Hehe. But I could say, that not advancing to the semis during VMDC really sucked.

Where were you when 2007 began?
Silliman Village, Piapi, Dumaguete City. Haha.

Who were you with?
Family.

Where will you be when 2007 ends?
I guess still here.

Who will you be with when 2006 ends?
Family still.

Do you have a new years resolution for 2007?
1. Develop relationship with God more.
2. Better my performance in school.
3. Be nicer to people around me. Haha.
4. Forget about the person which made my year totally miserable.
5. And some other stuff I can’t really tell. haha.

What was your favorite month of 2007?
Hmm. I don’t know. March, I guess.

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2007?
Yep. I definitely lost someone. Secret lang. haha.

What was your favorite record from 2007?
Mandy Moore’s Wild Hope. and Corinne Bailey Rae’s self-titled album. hehe.

How many concerts did you see in 2007?
One lang. It was a Christian concert. It was really cool.

Did you drink a lot of alchohol in 2007?
Nope. Not really. =)

Do a lot of drugs in 2007?
NO. Bali sa… hehe.

You do anything you are ashamed of this year?
Siyempre. But I’m over them na.

How much money did you spend in 2007?
A lot. Hehe.

What was your proudest moment of 2007?
Debate stuff. Hehe.

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2007?
I can’t really remember. Hehe.

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2007 and change something, what would it be?
I would like to go back to my debates and redo my speeches! haha.

What are your plans for 2008?
Do better in school, really strive to be a better person overall.

How are you different now that the year has ended?
I guess now, I’m more aware of how I stand in people’s lives. And how people view me, basically.

What are your wishes for the new year?
Just happiness… the whole year round. ^_^

A miracle just happened: I went home early. Well, at least to my Mom it’s a miracle (and she’s quite happy about it.) And why? Because instead of helping out my brods and sis in a certain activity tonight, I decided to just go home and rest. This day has been anything but fun. And there are so many things running through my mind. Plus - I’m hurting inside (wahaha). No, really. To top it all off, the rain is making me extremely senti. And yes, I am complaining.

Tomorrow is the debut of my column on the Weekly Sillimanian. Some of the staffers told me they liked what I wrote, while Odie (the Editor-in-chief - slash - battered debate partner) said he wasn’t expecting it. I say it was simply a nicer way of saying, "your column sucks!" But I can’t really trust my instincts right now due to my overly melodramatic state. But actually, the only reaction I’m dreading is my Mom’s. The column is about her, by the way. As much as I think I praised her enough in the article, she might see things differently. Anyway, I’ll post what I wrote here later, when the paper is already out. So you can relate, hehe.

Anyway, I also received blank looks when I told people that my permanent column name is "The Writ of Ampao." And it also got an unpleasant look from Noel. He said people won’t understand what I mean by it. And when I started getting agitated, he tried to take it back by saying that it’s cool because I’m being ‘elitist’ by choosing my audience. Whatever. If my column name becomes a flop, I so blame Clyde and RJ for over-encouraging me to use it.

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I’m on the process of finishing our entry for the Valentine Songwriting Competition. Deadline is this Saturday, and I’m almost done with the melody. I’m really pressured and all because Jordan gave me really good lyrics. I just hope our song turns out fine. We’re just in it for fun anyway, right jord? =)

The song is sounding kinda Mandy Moore-ish… which I think is a good thing, because I adore her. Her songs are very sincere and are great to listen to. Plus, she has poetry in her lyrics, and the lyrics Jordan gave me is nothing but poetic.

——————————————————

I’m still so stressed out about DIPDC. The competition is slated for December 8, but we still have lots to do. The only thing I’m worried about, though, is the participants. I hope more schools could join. I might be training beginners tomorrow so wish me luck. Gosh. For the love of debating. Hahay. It’s a good thing next week is Intrams week, then I could have time to iron things out. I’m cheering for my kids from Science High. Battle of the Trainors! haha.

Speaking of debate, VUDC (Visayan Universities Debate Championship) is getting near, and I will need all the training I could get. I plan to win the championship (char). No, really, I hope I could at least get to the finals. But before that, we still have the Sandurot Cup next week (where Noel, Kristi and I will kick ass) and the St. Paul Debate (where Noel, Kristi, Odie and I will kick ass as well).

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Ugh. If I had the words to describe what I feel right now, I would. But I don’t. All I can say is that it hurts.so.bad. To hell with rainy days. Hehe. Drama. Lyde, coffee ta!

(That’s my dog, Franky)

I’ve been really senti lately. Maybe it’s the rain. Or the fact that I’m so tired from all the drama going on. Or maybe it’s… HIM. Haha. Secret.

Anyway, I want to share my latest playlist to you guys. I highly recommend these songs if you’ve been feeling the way I have… you know, to accompany you in your emotional state. Somehow. Hehe.

Grab a mug of hot choco and lock yourself in your room while it’s raining outside. Crank up the volume and happy listening!

Senti Playlist:

1. Till I Get Over You - Michelle Branch -> Typical sad song. But what’s nice about this one is it could be perfect backgound song for throwing things around your room. Try it…

2. Colors - Amos Lee -> This is one of my favorite songs from the Just Like Heaven soundtrack. Extremely senti. When I learned to play this on the guitar, I couldn’t stop singing it.

3. I’m Falling - MYMP -> This song gave me goosebumps and butterflies. And eventually made me want to tear my hair off. Waaah.

4. Be Be Your Love - Rachel Yamagata -> For everyone who deserves to be loved. Wahahaha. I’m so senti!!! Scary!

5. Collide - Howie Day -> Lately, this has been the theme song of my life. Wala lang. It’s so… nice to listen to. Hehe.

6. Like A Star - Corinne Bailey Rae -> I kept listening to this song over and over when I was in Indonesia. It’s awesome. I love CBR. Check out her other songs too. =)

7. Everything - Lifehouse -> This one is actually a Christian song too. I think it’s Smallville’s theme.

8. Cannonball - Damien Rice -> Look for the acoustic version. It’s nicer than the original one.

9. Colourblind - Counting Crows -> Very slow, very emotional song. This was part of Cruel Intentions’ soundtrack

10. Across the Universe - The Beatles -> Waaaah!!! Tear-jerker.

11. Fix You - Coldplay -> This is actually my song for my barkada. That reminds me, it’s our 4th anniversary on November 22!

12. Cool With You - Jennifer Love Hewitt -> It’s kinda upbeat but it’s still a senti song anyway. I think Nina has a better version.

13. Best I Ever Had - Vertical Horizon -> One of my all time favorites! The best song to scream to when drunk. But it’s also perfectly fine while sober.

14. Nearness of You - Norah Jones -> I’d want this to be played in my wedding. First dance of the Bride and Groom. (yuck…) Listen to the lyrics.

15. Officially Missing You - Tamia -> This one is never absent in my playlist during rainy days. Don’t you just love it? Hehe.

16. Umbrella - Mandy Moore -> I didn’t like the Rihanna version. This one is really soothing. Nice.

There you go. If you have other senti-song suggestions for me, it’ll be greatly appreciated!

Just got home from NDC, and it’s a bit sad that my Mom and my two sisters weren’t there to welcome me back. They went to Leyte yesterday and totally didn’t tell me. Hmpf. Well, at least my Dad was able to pick me up from the airport.

Initially, I thought that the NDC was my worst tournament ever. I felt like my debates were awful and that I wasn’t in my ‘element,’ whatever that means. After three rounds, I was tempted to just pack and go home… seeing as I wasn’t enjoying the rounds at all. And odie and I were off to a really rough start.

In hindsight, I guess it wasn’t that bad. Sure, I didn’t really reach my expectation of myself (yuck) but I’m glad I was able to break in my first NDC. Not only that, I was really able to bond with the other debaters and get to know our kids much better. =) The biggest challenge I faced, though was having to deal with early morning baths of ice cold water. Yep, no heater everyone. Que Horror!

Ok. Since I’m much more comfortable making lists, here are the reasons why I LOVE the PMA NDC:

1. We broke into the Octos! (sorry, i guess this was already established in the previous paragraphs, but hey) I couldn’t really ask for anything more than that. ^_^ Plus, three Silliman teams broke! Last year, we only had two. Now THAT is an achievement. =)

2. Moments at NAKAR… I guess Room 18 (the boys’ room) would be forever remembered. We bonded so much there - talking, eating, laughing, hitting on each other (wahaha), seeing Biatch naked, etc. etc. Sure it wasn’t some fancy hotel, but we had so much fun together, i would not have minded sleeping in tents. hehe.

3. Psycho stalker. Enough said. Sa makasabot lang!!! wahahaha. Great laughs. ^_^

4. The debate community is awesome! Debaters are definitely the best people I know. Got closer to the Mindanao people - especially ADDU, ADZU, MSU-M and XU. They’re really cool. I can’t wait to debate with them in VISMIN again. And since ADDU won the bid, we’re bound for Davao next year… yay! Go South!

5. Baguio is to die for. Kristi, Odie, Noel and I spent hours over coffee kanina, just talking about how much we would love to go back to Baguio and just ditch Dumaguete. Noel was close to tears. Hehe. Just kidding. ;p

6. Cadets are hot. haha. Seriously, I wasn’t really boywatching or anything but someone caught my fancy! heehee. I am SO not telling. And to those people who know, SHHHHHH. It’s just a tourney crush anyway - nothing serious. I have one or two every single time. Blah.

7. Adrian Rabe gave me a 76! Sorry - this is a feat for me already, considering that it’s THE Aids Rabe we’re talking about, and round 6 was just awful. Hehe. Toinkz. =)

8. The lessons learned. I’m forever going to treasure them talaga. Going up against the best debaters in the country just made me realize how much passion people can have for the craft. And I thought I was an addict, hehe. I’m sure I emerged a better debater (and person) after the tourney. =)

And here are the things I promise to do after PMA (because I didn’t expect NDC to be THAT HARD):

1. Brush up on my construction. I was such a bad constructive speaker in the tournament - all the low scores I had were when we were opening. Hmpf. I just don’t get it. Before, the guys kept telling me to stop whipping (I originally preferred to be  whip when I was starting out) and start being a constructive speaker because they say that my whip speeches were better off constructive. And when I finally shifted, I kinda liked constructing na and even had a knack for meta arguments. And now that I’m back to whipping, it’s like I completely lost touch of the constructive speaker in me. UGH. must.do.better.

2. Ok. I know that a lot of really good debaters have their ‘hated’ positions (except for Noel who can do anything, BLAH) but they could still do very well in tournaments. I, however, am not so good yet and still have to learn everything there is to learn about debating. And so, even though I completely detest it, and it has been proven that I suck at it SO BAD, I’m going to start training as a Prime Minister. WAAAH. (I can hear the other debaters laughing at the idea right now… Yes, I am THAT BAD.) Wish me luck.

3. I need to save up… probably look for a job or something. Gosh - Baguio was just too expensive, I had barya for pocket money. Debating is such an expensive vice. But I’m not quitting it. ^_^ I need to scrape for moolah!

4. I’m going to train our kids like crazy! I just realized how much the debate community has grown, and has changed. Before, you know who to expect in the finals (they are now dinos who still show up every now and then) - but last NDC, the tournament was just filled with so many new faces… rookies who KICK ASS. It was scary. Gica Mangahas is the 3rd Freshman to win the NDC… after Bobby and Leloy. And you know how the latter two performed for the rest of their debate careers. Definitely a new era… WAAAH. I hope I can keep up. =)

Anyway, that’s all for now. I hope to see you all in the next NDC!

I’ve discovered something: the only BUSY time in a Mass Com student’s semester is the finals. Why? Deadlines. Haha. I’m cramming all my articles, papers and requirements in just a week! Very unhealthy, i know, but i simply have no choice.

It would’ve been just fine if that was all i needed to think about. But there are so many things bothering me right now! I have two final exams tomorrow, I still need to settle a lot of things with my subjects and at the same time, all the debates waiting ahead of me is just making me really impatient.

1. On the 20th, we’re bound for Baguio. But we still have to cram our practices the week before that. Some people have to go home, though, including my partner… so I’m not really sure if we’re gonna get the practice that we need.

2. We lack an adjudicator! Pluto from UP Diliman said he was willing to adj for Silliman but he still has to check with the UP Deb Soc if it was fine. I hope they’d be ok with it. They should be.

3. I still have to worry about the NYC Debates in NBN. Until now, Sir Melvin hasn’t given the letter of communication to the university yet, so there’s a possibility that we can’t go - which sucks big time because I really want to debate with UP Cebu and ADDU on television.

4. My kids. PSDC is on November 9-14, but until now, my kids haven’t registered yet. Only one team is willing to go (mostly because of Chris Tiu) and I just found out that Ateneo already reached the cap for the provincial teams, so my kids just have to get their own accommodations. And to top it all off, the principal of their school might not send an adviser to be with them, and so, I might be forced to go. UGH.

5. Lastly, there’s this Mindanao Tour, which until now, seems blurry to me. Noel said we were going on the 25th of November (the date he blurted out when Kuya Moe cornered him one day). If that is so, we’re gonna be neeeding the support of the alumni, at the same time excuse letters for our classes. I’ve been in touch with Lilian Malayang, our contact from Cagayan, but she hasn’t emailed me in a while. I wonder…

GOSH… There’s just so much I need to think about.

Anyhoo, hopefully I get through this week in one piece.

Oh gosh. Time to update this blog.

Powermatching felt… weird. I remember the first ever individual powermatching I experienced  was in preparation for the 1st VUDC and it felt nothing like this. The powermatching we had for VMDC was just for team letters too, so it was kinda ok. But last weekend, we powermatched for our teammates, for team letters, and the right to debate in the NDC.

I guess it’s safe to say that I was the one who really worked for the powermatching to push through - which was why the past week was so jampacked with drama for moi- and the one who wanted it to be successful, given how crucial the situation was.

Sure, when it was all over, we had our own "breaknight," devouring 9 pizzas (yes, we were THAT hungry), gulping cokes and sprites, while some did the T-Way. But something felt really, really wrong.

At the end of six rounds, the results were a celebration for most, while a heartbreak for some. Maybe the heartbreak part was what felt weird about the whole thing.

1. Ron DESERVES to debate. He really does. It was that friggin’ 71 in Round 3 that pulled him down. Although I really couldn’t blame the adjes for giving him the score. Being prime minister is really a tough job, and only a few have mastered the art of ‘priming.’ But one round couldn’t measure debate prowess! Bad timing lang talaga. He has to settle for Adj this time. But that doesn’t mean he’s not a good debater. He’s still awesome for me. =)

2. Emarrah and Elysse. My two girls, who have probably worked the hardest among all of us. They were always there when we had debates, they were always willing to learn new things, to listen. And they’ve improved tremendously, more than anyone has! But I guess they’re still young debaters. I know that soon, they’ll be conquering the world of debating. Watch out for them!

3. Carlo and Clyde… I know you guys want to be partners. I know how you feel! I seriously wouldn’t know what to do if Odie didn’t turn out to be my partner. But rules are rules. We have to stick to the system to be able to respect it. You guys would’ve made a great team, but I know you’ll do as good apart. The measure of a good debater is his ability to work with himself, above all.

4. Guess who was demoted to Team C… But you know what, I’m still happy Odie and I would be entering NDC together. I know we’ll be fine. I couldn’t be happier with any other partner. ^_^

5. Of course, all the drama — tensions between debaters, complaints, losses misunderstood, scores undeserved, doubts, questions unanswered. But what’s great about us, is we know we’re still friends at the end of the day. And nothing could genuinely get in the way of our relationships with one another. Maybe some stuff shake them a li’l bit. But nothing could topple what we’ve already built for years.

But congratz to all who made it! To teams A to F, to Ron, Elysse, Emarrah, Alfonso and Micah, we’re bound for Baguio! Let’s all show them what Silliman’s made of. Can’t wait. ^_^

Ok. I absolutely have nothing in particular that I want to write about. But for the sake of active blogging, I’ve decided to write random thoughts instead.

So I was watching American Idol this noon and I must say that I was quite pleased with Sanjaya’s performance! For those of you who aren’t really fans of AI, allow me to give you a little backgrounder on Sanjaya. He’s this 17 year old Indian-American dude who has awesome hair but mediocre talent… in singing, that is. As an entertainer, he’s pretty good - exactly the reason why he’s still in the top 8 when he should’ve been booted out ages ago. He’s probably the most famous of the bunch. While other AI contestants have their own fanbase, Sanjaya has a group of people who are on a hunger strike until he gets voted out. Ahh, idiots. Anyway, for some reason, I can’t hate Sanjaya. He’s such a sweet boy. He looked hot in the Latin inspired genre episode too. Anna likey!

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For the past three days, I’ve been waking up at 5:30 in the morning to prepare for Silliman on Air. It’s this radio show from 6:00-8:00 and Mark has just appointed me and Noel to be ‘in charge’ of the show: in terms of who to invite, topics to discuss, etc. etc. It’s kinda cool, actually; if only it weren’t so early… grabeh. Last tuesday and wednesday, Noel and I discussed topics regarding the elections like banning actors and actresses from running, maturity of the Filipino voters and political dynasties. I was surprised that a lot of people tuned in. We got lots of reactions from the listeners through text. It was really cool. This morning we had Odie and Stacy talk about election survey polls. =) Maybe next week we could talk about more interesting topics… hopefully, not the elections anymore. It’s too exhausting. Homosexuality perhaps? Haha.

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After weeks of agony and a short discussion with my mother last night, it is final. I’m bound for Indonesia this May! Shout with me guys: YAAAAAY! I was actually very skeptical about going since I knew my Mom would be spending a lot nanaman, and I haven’t really been the best daughter lately (or ever). But Mark assured us of a reasonable amount of support from the administration PLUS I have awesome teammates (Noel and Stacy), so I guess there’s nothing really stopping me from joining. Except of course Bird Flu, terrorist attacks, earthquakes and floods which Indonesia is very famous for. Just kidding. Indonesia’s gonna be great. AND I get to test my debating once again! This time, with world class debaters. Screw VUDC… I’m going to the Asians!

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What do you do when all of a sudden you realize that there might be a slight chance that something you thought would never ever happen could actually do?

SLEEP it off. Haha. See ya around guys!