Thoughts...

Marian Devotion...

Marian devotion is quite new to me. I didn't understand why Catholics honor her. In the point-of-view of non-catholics, Catholics idolize her, pray to her, worship her. I am a Catholic but I wasn't educated in a Catholic school so I didn't understand the "technicalities", not until college anyway. Let's just say I had a Protestant foundation of faith. I believe in Jesus Christ but not so much of the saints, sacraments, etc. Maybe because when I was younger, I went to a protestant church. I think it was not until high school that I attended a catholic mass.

The other day was the feast of the Immaculate Conception (December8). UST had a grand celebration! After all, the former name of the school was Colegio de Santisimo Rosario. About 20,000 students and faculty members took part on what was dubbed as UST's Largest Living Rosary as an honor given to Mary, the lady of the Holy Rosary, and at the same time an attempt to break into the Guiness Book of World Record. The original schedule of that event was supposed to be during the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (October8) but due to "unpredictable weather", it was postponed.

As I mentioned earlier, I was pretty skeptic about Marian devotion, praying the rosary, offering to saints, etc. I remember my catechism teacher told us that we give honor to the Holy Mother because Jesus as her son will be happy if people honored her mother, that rosaries are supposed to be giving flowers to Mother Mary, scapulars are supposed to be ropes that will help you get into heaven, the Holy Eucharist was supposed to serve as sort of "glow in the dark" during your journey to death. Part of me considered those as just shenanigans. For me, accepting Jesus Christ as you savior was enough.

As I spend my time here in the Royal, Pontifical, CATHOLIC, University of Santo Tomas (400 years of unending grace! :)) , slowly I was able to understand why our faith has all these what I considered as shenanigans before. (yes, I do listen in my theology classes! :)) But the turning point would have to be when the image of Our Lady of La Naval came to our school. Let me tell you the story:

That day, I was feeling really down because I was having a hard time in school, I felt tired, homesick, angry at myself for choosing such a demanding course, lonely, depressed, in short, there was burden deep inside my heart. I felt like I couldn't do it anymore- be away from my family, memorize all those muscles and bones, understand the complexities of organic chem, lead my groupmates in all our activities, etc. Let's just say it was a point in my life that I felt really down- a disappointment to myself. On my way back to my dormitory, just after an exhausting day at the laboratory, I don't know why there was something urging me to visit the church. It was like the air are urging my feet to go in that direction. It was something different for me since I am not a very religious person. When I went inside the church, a mass in honor of the Our Lady of La Naval had just ended it was during the feast of the Holy Rosary. And people where going near the image and touching it. So, naki-uso naman ako. haha! I went near the image and touched it, and prayed. I ask help that my burdens might be lightened, that I may be guided in my studies, and etc. (And based on my 1st sem grades it seemed like the Holy Mother indeed listened to my prayers coz i was able to pass with flying colors eventhough I thought that there wasn't any chance:)).

So now, I realized that yeah, there isn't anything wrong with praying while touching the images, etc., because if it helps you pour your heart out then it might be a good thing. Images are there to remind us that God is within our reach for we humans are sensory beings. So starting today, I'm bringing my rosary with me in my bag. Just to remind me that God is ALWAYS with me-through thick and thin. :)

"anong course mo?"

This was a blog that I posted in my multiply account... :)

Hi! It's been quite a while since i posted a blog. Anyways who cares about this blog anyway? No one reads it.. haha... RIP multiply, friendster, myspace... FACEBOOK is HERE! I rarely open my multiply account cos i've been busy with school... Nah! Actually i only open my multiply account if i gotta have some online shopping to do.. I prefer facebook. The gossip's all there! hehe....

It's summer break! Summer's been a while now... Nothing really exciting happened these past few days... Just the plain old boring summer as usual... I remember my summer last year. I was i kinda nervous preparing for college that time.. now i think that it was just silly as the same as it was normal to be nervous cos there are millions of incoming college freshmen students feel the same way ..

"Anong course mo?"

It's a typical question asked by relatives or friends or former acquaintances that have not been in contact with you for the past few years (or maybe just months after high school) Every time they ask me that question, I answer them "MedTech". Then MOST of them will respond "TAPOS?" Of course I answer what they expect to hear "proceed to med school".

That statement "TAPOS" bugged me at first but got used to it in the long run. I was thinking what if i didn't answer what they expected to hear? what if i said that that's it! I'll just look for a job as a medical technologist after getting the licensure exam? what if i'll tell them that i'll just open a laboratory? what if i told them that i'll take up masteral and teach in a decent school? tons of what if... But one thing was clear t0 me.. The course that i'm enrolled in--- medical technology is a profession that maybe no one would want to become... Or a profession that wouldn't be enough to please the professionals who have bigger salaries. The respect for that profession is not as equal to the nurses or the pharmacist even though this profession is part of the team that aids the doctors in giving diagnosis. Heck! Even some of my professors in minor subjects don't know what our course does... Even my own brother doesn't know. I mean who would want to have a work that involves touching feces, urine, blood? so icky ryt?

Anyway, just last night i read a post from a page in facebook that the appeal of PAMET and PASMETH (they are organizations of medical technologist... sori, i'm lazy to type in the meaning of the abbrv.) to PRC and CHED to change the name from "Medical Technolgy" to "Medical Laboratory Science" was approved... Yep! A fancier name for our profession! Would this mean a fancier salary too? Would this end the "TAPOS?" statement after everytime i say "medical technology". I don't know, only time can tell...

i missed blogging!

I missed blogging! hehe.. Been busy this past few months with "college life"... Hewf!

Anyway, I'm supposed to be studying my specimen. Guess what! You've got it! A FROG! hehe.. We'll be having a practical exam regarding its anatomical features in our zoology class... Too bad Edward (yes Edward is his name! riding with the new moon mania! actually our group has 3 frog specimens named Edward, Bella, and Jacob!) will be dissected already by monday. Right after our practical exams I guess..

Anyway, my college life here is just fine... I find it stressful sometimes.. This week has been the most stressful week by far... Been having bad scores too... And it's already FINALS! Which means 40% of our total grades for this semester... I've been studying pretty hard but I don't know why I keep on having bad luck during quizzes.. I know that I know the lessons pretty well but then when the tests are given, bad luck strikes me! My mind seems to stop working! Then I start to panic, just before I am able to cool down and remember the answer, "TIMES UP! PASS YOUR PAPERS! LATE PAPERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED!" I'm sitting at the last row (since i'm number 51 in the class... stupid UST rules... arranging you in alphabetical order.. I hate sitting at the back! a reason why i'm not able to complete my notes... :-( ), so I have to pass my paper immediately to avoid being late...

The result: 10/20 or whatever.... Not the score that I was aiming to have
Anyway, I think this is the result of letting pressure take over me... So guys, here's the tip! Just enjoy while you are still there... Enjoy the company of your friends etc... After all, as what Ms. Stephanie Anne C. Cruz (yes,kapangalan ko siya.. except for the surname of course!), our guidance councilor puts it, life is not a matter of grades, not about the college you attend to... what's important are what you learn from your experiences that may actually help you in your life... :)

BTW other UST rules that I hate aside from the alphabetical arrangement of seats:

1. I hate my sched! Though I don't need to wake up early in the morning except for mondays and tuesdays, I HATE GOING BACK TO MY DORM DURING THE DARK! I'm used to studying during night time because that is when my brain's maximum absorption capacity is at its peak, but I can't do it anymore without the help of caffeine because when I go back to my dorm, I'm too tired from doing all the laboratory works...

2. I hate the rules on groupings... I mean, I have the same set of groupmates from first year to fourth year! Oh come on... How can we practice versatility or the ability to adjust to the attitudes of different people if we work with the same set of people all the time.. Plus I'm tired of doing all the answering in the data sheet... No offense to my groupmates but I'M TIRED OF BEING THE LEADER OF THE GROUP ALL THE TIME.. Can't you do the experiment without my supervision? I mean, all of us in the group has the oportunity to become the leader but why is it that even it's theit turn to become the leader, they always pass on the task to me... They don't even read the procedure for heaven's sake! Plus, not all of them bring the assigned materials... GRRRRRR...

3. I hate not having the freedom to choose my own sched...

4. I'm not in favor of the block section thing from first year to fourth year .. There are more opportunity to mingle with other people if you're not in a block section....

----this is all for now... i really need to study Edward----

Anyway, it was nice blogging again.... Parang outlet ko na 'to from all the stress that i feel.... wla mang magbasa oks pa rin sa akin.. at least i was able to let it out... :)

At a glance...

End of high school, end of blogging? nope nope... I'm still going to continue this blogspot account and also my multiply account to keep you guys updated with my latest happennings..haha,,

Anyway, I was planning to blog about the graduation earlier but then time won't allow me (or is it the bad internet connection,? haha..)

We had our graduation day last sunday (march 29,2009). At last, tapos na ang high school! haha.. i was officially confirmed as a high school graduate exactly at march 29, 2009 2:40 pm at the LPHS gymnasium (officially confirmed as graduate is being signaled by the transferring of the academic cap tassel (wrong spelling ata basta an nabitay,. haha) from the left side to the right side...

I didn't cry during that day because I was just super duper happy that I was able to jump through the hurdles of high school. and ei, has anyone told you that I was the one who delivered the valedictory speech? nyahahaha.... that was super nerve-wracking... But I think I delivered my speech well enough because the principal and the other teachers kept on nodding their head in approval while I was delivering my speech. Ma'am Lagunzad even asked for a copy...

Right now, as I am looking back at the culmination of my high school years, I feel very happy that I graduated with top honors. I feel that it wasn't my victory only, but the victory of our whole UY clan as well. For years, people have doubted our intellectual capacities, people say "naghohonor la it na mga taga asia trading kay apo man hit principal." But hey people! Look! I was able to graduate with top honors even without my sako, my aunt jessika, an alumna of the school will even graduate Magna Cum Laude in the University of Santo Tomas, my brother Michael lacked only .01 to be considered as an honorable mention in Ateneo, my uncle Benson was awarded Best in Thesis in De La Salle University, ahya Darren and Achie Abby are consistently dean's listers in their respective schools (ateneo, la salle), my cousin Sheila also garnered the top honors in their class, and my brother Justin surprisingly got the 4th spot in their class.

I hope that with our family's latest victories when it comes to academics, people would stop doubting our intellectual capacities.. anyway, for those who won't stop, I think their just insecure...

Hindi naman po ako nagmamayabang... I'm just proud that despite what other people said about our clan, we were able to prove them wrong... :) (pardon for some grammatical errors.. mapiraw na ksi! haha... )

Finally!

haha... Time really flies so FAST... I still remember 4 years ago, when ahya was going already to manila to pursue college, he had this advice before : "Anne, it high school diri baya pareho la hit elementary... dapat mas responsible ka na tapos upaya na magtinuhay ka.. iba baya it high school." And now, lo and behold! I'm already finishing my high school. parang kailan lang when ahya adviced me with that one.. and I totally agree, iba talaga ang high school..

last day of classes for me was the day when i finally submitted all my projects. well, i slept for only three hours during that day, trying to finish all my projects.. that's the price of procrastinating! hahaha... but i guess that you don't really get to experience the essence of being a student if you don't happen to procrastinate. i think every average student does that...hehe... Just to keep me going that day, i just reminded myself na "last na ini Anne... pagkatpos hini tapos ka na maghigh school"... well, i yeah, i was able to finish all my projects.. but i guess i could have done better haven't i procrastinated... well, i'm just excited about graduating... not the goodbye part but the welcome to a new chapter part... well as i always say, every new beginning comes from some other's beginning end...

But before we end our high school life, i hope that any bad bloods in our class would be resolved... anyway, i have a few days left to help patch up the things between these people.. But i guess some of them remain cold towards each other.. i can't force them naman to forgive each other. but then, i'll still try...

We'll be practicing our graduation rights this monday.. and 8 am pa pasok namin! Woohooo! Pero my body's body clock is still having a hard time to adjust.. kahit walang pasok, i would wake up at 6:30 (my usual time pagnamook na may clase) even with out the alarm clock. the latest would be 7:30. I'm always forcing myself to go back to sleep.. pambawi ko kasi sa mga pagpupuyat ko during my entire fourth year in high school. I'll have 2 more months na pwede mag mook then college na! Yikes! it seems like i'm attending UST and the classes starts like 7:30 pa lan! huhuhu... if I choose ateneo pwede pa ak makagmook. hahaha.. pero it looks like all systems go na for UST. I even have already a black shoes for school (sa UST kasi, may uniform pa)!

this is all for now.. i'll go to sleep na... sinusulit ko na oras ko coz i know after 2 months, matatagalan uli before ako pwede maging "jack piraw". hahaha... i love to sleep eh! it's one of my hobby! i don't care if that'll cause for gain in weight basta kay makaturog ako if time will permit me! may mapalag? hahaha....

(naadik rin ako ngayon on Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You"... try listening to it.. you'll love it! haha...)

Open forum? No thanks...

Last Friday we had our last open forum in our high school life. (we usually do this during speech class). Instead of saying goodbye and all that stuff, it turned out to be a bloody word war...

I was given the privilege to say the first speech. I said my thank yous and other churvas.. Well, their all my classmates and I owe all of them for being who am I now partly. They're all very special to me... But when this guy opened his mouth, well the unpredictable happened. The worst part is I was dragged into this mess. I wasn't involved in it directly actually because honestly I don't know that there was an issue between him and my friend. But when they started saying my name eventhough I wasn't involved in that incident they were saying, I couldn't help but retaliate. Their point is that they were 'hurt' when this friend of mine made some sort of parinig daw, even if my friend didn't do it intentionally (they are pretty sensitive). As a leader of a group, I reacted, I mean if your members are not doing what are asked of them, wouldn't you be disappointed or say something because what they are doing is wrong or isn't helping the whole group? I mean, sometimes we couldn't help but say somethings to this members, the feeling when you just wanted to shout and tell them 'do your jobs!'. I mean, their emotions are not the top of our priorities as leaders, but getting the job don e is. These people were hurt. Sorry. But now that we're trying to take it easy on you, what 's happenning? Are the tasks being done on time? Are the tasks done as they should be? That's a big NO! I hope we would still be able to meet the deadline. But guys, sometimes as leaders, we need to be tough on you because we want to push you to do your best or surpass what you think your capacities are. If we're going to take it easy on you all the time, this is what happens. Our group is starting to crumble... and now that we're already graduating? are those 'hurt' feelings worth it? aren't you just gonna let go of it?

And guys, please... if you have any problems against any of us... please say it directly to the person.. there is no need of broadcasting it to the whole world....

I've already talked with these guys and they say that they ain't got any problem with me.. But i still hope that things will patch up between those involved in those sensitive issues. Sa mga ka-blog ko, sorry I won't elaborate. hehe....

Difficult exams? Yikes!

There is a new school policy wherein the top 10 students are goint to have a more difficult examination than those who are non top 10. Well I think that's pretty unfair.. I mean all of us had equal chances to be in the top 10, we had the same seatworks, projects, insstructors and etc... And why do they have to punish the top 10? For being responsible and hardworking enough? I mean we worked very hard already for these past few years and yet, they making our road to success even bumpier. I hope that I would be able to answers all those questions...

All hail to Sir Tieng for giving us a fair examinations. No change of questionnaires for top 10 and non top 10!

Another drama with regards to the exams this fourth grading.. Well the MAPEH examinations of course. It has been a tradition in LPHS for the the cotillion or in our case the tango to be the periodocal test of the seniors and juniors in lieu of the actual examination. And guess what, they're breaking it again.. I mean, I get embarassed when I dance in front of lots of people and for the sake of the grade I did what our teacher asked of us, but what happened is that all our hard work during the practices didn't pay off. We'll still have our periodical in MAPEH, and being in the top 10, yeah I'll nose bleed, in other words the test will be difficult....

"Money is not everything but it's reasonably close to oxygen" Yeah that's right

I've just read recently the book "Till Debt Do Us Part" by Chinkee Tan. we've also attended his seminar but unfortunately I couldn't understand a thing that he said because of the poor sound systems...

Anyway, I decided to just read the book. I read it from page to page and the author offers a lot of practical steps in getting out of debt. I noticed that most of them are already instilled in Chinese values. No wonder that the richest man here in the Philippines is a Chinese. Many of us think that giving importance to money is somewhat materialistic. Some of us even say that money is I not that important, that it couldn't buy happiness. I think that people who say this are hypocrites. I mean, money makes our lives comfortable and I think money can buy happiness (if used in the right way of course). And this book really shares my views about money. Sometimes, when there are questions that tends to judge the importance of money for you in your life, I feel quite ashamed to say that indeed money is important in my life because people tend to misjudge you as being materialistic, too worldly or some sort. But I found an ally in this book as it integrates values, love for God, and respect for money.

The author implicates that money is not the root of evil but the love for money is. We must always remember that though money is important, God should still be above it. With God, he will guide you in the process of using your money righteously.

I really recommed this book. This book is for all ages. I'll bear with me the things that I've learned from this book in managing my own finances. I liked it not only because it offers practical solutions that are easy to follow, but because it also integrates the values that the bible taught us.

"Senioritis"

I got this definition from wikipedia...

Senioritis, from the word senior plus the suffix -itis (which refers to inflammation but in colloquial speech is assumed to mean an illness), is a colloquial term used in the United States to describe the decreased motivation toward studies displayed by students who are nearing the end of their high school or college careers.

I think that I'm experiencing this imaginary disorder! hahaha.. I'm procrastinating again and I can't seem to focus on studying anymore. I'm not as focused as I used to. hehe.. I guess it's just normal. At least now I know that I'm not alone... Just a few school days away then we'll be graduating from high school already! Whew! Well, we've been working so hard for three years and in just a little time more the high school culmination will come... Anyway, I hope it isn't serious yet.. hahaha!

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