My Second Youth Camp

Just came home last sunday around 2200 from this year's summer youth camp...

What can i say, syempre masaya na naman sya!

We boarded the bus around 7 am then travelled for at least 3 hours. Around 1030, we finally arrived at the campsites where we sang songs of praise and worship, met the participants, got introduced to our groupmates, pitched our tents then ate lunch. The rest was all about fun and learnings.

Can't tell every detail though kasi this isn't Pigafetta's blog anyways.

Anyways, survival cooking on the first day, then mountain and water trekking with cave exploration heading for the Daranak falls on the second day. 5 am pa lang, i was already good to go. With my trekking shoes, shorts, muscle T and my trekking backpack, i would pass as an experienced trekker hehehe (look what GQ can do for you). Well i really want to join UP Lakbay ( a trekking org ata) actually.

In the falls, I wasn't suppose to swim because of some issues (hahahah) but i did when i saw a Manong climb a high crevice beside the falls and dive from there. I had no choice. That jump was waiting to be done, and the water was waiting to be plunged.

Ayun, the next thing i know i was in that same crevice preparing to jump. Did it twice. The first one, to the cheers of my co-campers was awkward 'cause i landed on my butt. hahaha. The second one was better.

Grabe!

Adrenaline rush I really loved it. I have a video to prove it cause i think people just wont believe it without actual proof. Seems to be out of my character i guess. Well, i like adventure and in that moment that was the best adventure possible.

hahaha.

On the third say I got to rappel and do military rope courses among others.

It was my first time to be a facilitator in camp after my first camp last year. So it was quite an experinece. Here are the names of my groupmates:

GROUP ALDO:

GellyBelly

Gregor

Tina

Dona

Eirene

Raf

Seph

Carlo

co-faci ate JOYCE

Hahaha we were named the Most Organized Group. Plus imagine, i won the male best faci award hahaha. Weird. Last year mr. congeniality award ngayon this one. Ano to, career?

HAHAHAHA. Sori. Na-enjoy ko kasi masyado hahaha. And i guess i really take care of the people i'm responsible for (drama. drama.).

In going home we got to ride a military truck (think cargo truck) without a roof or sumtin hehehe. At siksikan pa. San ka pa? It wa a nice experincec. Habang drenched sa rain and sobrang sardined ayun we were holding on to our dear lives and dear bags as the truck traversed arount the mountain cliffs to a place where the bus was parked. hahaha. Pero ang saya. Parang evacuation. Parang roller coaster.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

This year's theme was about the parable of the prodigal son. And what was so cool about it was that we did not just learn about the prodigol son (the younger one) yet again but also learned about the elder son. I actually got more struck by the story of the elder as i can relate more to him.

Hay... know what sometimes i tend to be self-righteous that i think other people are more sinful than I am. Pero i have been teaching myself this past few years that i'm not. We all have our imperfections it's just that they come in diferent forms.

I guess the prodigal son wasn't just referring to the younger one but to the elder as well. With that note it actaully refers to everyone.

>>>>>>

CAMP. I'm so gonna miss you...

More pictures at http://themistermistaker.multiply.com

Laguna

Laguna

arriving at around 10 pm last saturday, I hurriedly jumped into the pool as this is one of the few vacations i will be getting this summer considering my student assistant stint.

it was fun. seldom does my relatives in my mom's side hold reunion so it was nice seeing all of them after some time.
One thing i noticed that made me realize we were not getting any younger (not that it needs proving or sumtin hehe) is that every hour, we religously re-apply sunblock. Unlike before when we didn't mind how chocolatey we'll look like after swimming.

Vidoeke, food, alcohol, volleyball
Also reviewed the swimming strokes i have long forgotten ehhehe. Up to now, i still can't do the butterfly though.

it was a good rest from LIFE hehehe
...

fix this later

IPOD at ORAS

Friday, 11 April 2008

The first day of the EDTEG sumemr fun class in UPIS. Ang hirap palang kausapin ng mga parents, tama si Roald Dahl hehehehe, sometimes parents can get way over themselves especially when it comes to their kids. It was fun meeting the kids nonetheless. After 2 months of enlisting their children, it was nice to finally see the kids themselves who were so cute.

After such a busy day in the department, and since it was a friday, I decided to drop by a mall to finally buy something with my first ever salary. So, I went to Glorietta and window shopped for clothes but ended up buying an IPOD Shuffle. Cool. There it was, my first ever self-purchased gadget.

--a silver IPOD which I can conveniently clip unto my shorts whenever I jog--which tranlsates to additional distance since it kills boredom hehe.

Then I bought a book in powerbooks that I so wanted to read--Boys Turning to Men.

There, with my money depleted I had no choice but to go home.

Saturday, 12 April 2008

I spent most of the day reading, sleeping, then reading again. Then in the PM, went to the gym with Marlon. Bad thing was I forgot the last part of my program, instead of doing my biceps I did tricep exercises instead. Well, to lessen the damage of my careless mistake, i did a couple exercises for my triceps then another couple for my biceps.

Afterwhich, we hangout in SM para magpalamig and to check DVDs. Tapos, i was introduced to another tapsihan called ORAS. Ang sarap, i ate longsilog plus really enjoyed the in-house soup. Ayun, umuwi na ako. hehehehe

Onga pala, i realized, im not that scrupulous anymore. Not sure if it's a bad thing though.
Anyways, I really like this thought:

"The signs were there, but when you don't know where your're going, you can't read them and the signs don't mean anything.
--Raymonde C. Green

Hay, is it one's fault then that he did not understand the signs at that time?

Wednesday blooh-blahs

9 April 2008, Wednesday

My first-ever-worked-for money (aka salary)
Never thought it would feel this good to receive well-earned money, money i got from my student assistant stint.

My first-ever-completely-consumed ballpen
a Standard black ballpen was the first ballpen i ever used up to the last drop of ink. Cool. Imagine, I did not misplace it!

Lesson learned for this Wednesday:
prepare
to be disappointed by people you look up to or even probably like
to be judged and to be interpreted negatively
to be taken as a weakling just because you consider someone's feelings,
emotions and personhood
to meet people who accept what wrong they have done but
who do not realize how inconsiderate and insensitive it was

Friends and Cheesy-ness

In ATC I met up with a couple of high school friends (Kathleen and Mervin) after the Parish Fiesta Misa Cantada.
After almost three years, it was just today that we saw each other again so many things needed cathcing up. At Shakey's, over a pizza and a basket of mojos, we chatted and updated one another with one another's life. hahaha. Hindi namin napansin na ang mahal pala ng na-order namin (well, expensvie for our budget anyways).

So after that, with no money left, we had no choice but to tour the mall. Of course, I was succesful to drag them to check on clothes and books. Ako pa. I really enjoy shopping for these stuff. kahit wala pera, masaya mag-fit at mag-browse. hahaha. Nakabili naman ako ng isnag shirt so at the very least it wasn't JUST window shopping. hehehe

Then, we seated in the outer cloister of the mall and chatted more. COOL. It was there that I saw Nicsoai--another close friend in High School. So there. Mervs, Nicosai and I were reunited--the three class CUTTERS of our section in Masci. hahaha. Good old days nga naman. I remember cutting chemistry to study English and to let Nicosai tutor us in Calc. Miss those times.
Dami na nagbago. But the thing is, even after 2 years or so, I still felt the warmth and comfort one feels whenever he or she is with his or her close friends. Parang we didn't really NOT see each other for a long time. It was as if it was just another ordinary day back in High School.

I know it sounds cheesy but don't give me any of that crap. Everyone needs cheesy-ness.

Ang saya!

Hay. Seeing your close friends again after a long time sure fires you up, recharges you to take on one's life. Nakakapagod na kasi minsan, but knowing you have friends kinda gives you the hope and strength you need to face problems, issues, dilemmas and what have you. Hahahahaha.

I know I'm (somtimes lang ha!) forcing myself to be happy being single for reasons i keep secret but then again i have friends anyways so I'm not that sad again.

haha!

Grades and Tea

After such a busy day in the department (imagine recieveng calls non-stop while accepting payments from peole while in my work clothes while searching for materials hidden in cabinet-caves of dust and allergens) i went striaght to Starbucks for a meeting with Koro. I was late of course (first friday kasi e).

After having a sausage roll (the first REAL food i ever had in starbucks) and a green tea frappe, we talked about issues and issues and more issues.

What was interesting though was that everytime i go to starbucks (which is like 6 or 7 times pa lang) they always seem to be quite sure that I'm a first timer. I guess it is obvious if your not used to going to some place--especially if that place carries a social stereotype with it.

Funny and weird. Hehehe.

GOOD NEWS: I got a 1.25 in PI100 which i almost dropped. Woohoo! Thanks groupmates!
BAD NEWS: Di na naman ako na-swelduhan kanina.

Long weekend, but so many paperwork to do.
Oo nga pala, for some weird reason, naging assitant conductor ako ng KORO, Weird.
At least di na ako SEC. OFFICIAL MEMEBRS na kami ng KORO STIGMATINO! (",)

more pictures at http://themistermistaker.multiply.com

Storytelling at PCMC

We volunteered. And so, we were sent by Aitaptap to the Philippine Children's Medical Center in Quezon City this afternoon. Together with ate Princess, we storytold to the children in the hospital.

As always it was a fun experience. I kinda made them laugh especially with my voice and face distortion eheheheh.

But honestly, I had a hard time eliciting the excitement I am used to from the kids since all of them were quite sick. But then, they tried to really respond to my interactive questions and activites and to smile despite their not feeling good which was something that moved me.

Ang Madyik Silya ni Titoy and Si Pilong Patagu-tago were the stories i told.

Ang saya! I even got this mug as a token.
Astig talaga mag-kwento sa mga bata!

I can still remember some of their names, Cessa, Joan, carmela, Rosemarie, Elyssa, Jared, and others. And the most cute kid who was really participating in my story was Rinna, a four year-old girl with cancer. If not for her hair and mask, you wouldnt think she has cancer for she is so active and very sociable. She even wanted to have a picture of us taken. Ang cute!

Know what? This day reminded me about a thing or two about life's challenges...sigh. (",)

more pictures at http://themistermistaker.multiply.com

Kwatro Dos

Last Night. 31 March.

Went to the gym to see yet again guys with this distinct hairstyle. I was quite thinking deep last night so i got kind of impulsive and rebellious to try this style: Impulsive since it wasn't part of my plans that night and rebellious since so many people (which includes 3 hairdressers from B. FiX, David's, ) said it wouldn't look good on me.

Haha. The brave in me made my feet walk to a salon, asked to be given a haircut,and guessed two numbers. I have never done this before so all i know was that you give the hairdresser/barber the length you want--uno, dos, tres, kwatro etc.

And so it happened. For the First time in my life, I got a semi-cal haircut. And what numbers did i guees?-- dos on the sides, kwatro on my top. Here's how i look:



With this being my first time, I immediately went home and tried what my friends sporting a semi-cal 'do said would be cool, liteally--Head and SHoulders shampoo on a semi-cal hair. Cool. it indeed felt cool.

Ang saya! My favorite part of having this hair style is that i don't have to spend 5 minutes in front of a mirror to clay and gel my hair. Plus. i get to wear caps without ruining my hairstyle. hehehe. Astig.