Status: Silly, silly me
Music: Everywhere I Go - Katharine McPhee

Before anything else, I would like to announce that I have just finished the certificate program in Foreign Service in Ateneo. *clap, clap* The graduation was held last night and I was really happy and fulfilled. This year proved to be a fantastic one for me. I have accomplished a lot, but I know there’s still so much left to accomplish so it’s not time to really celebrate yet. Anyhow, I feel really good right now. Our Social Graces class yesterday was really funny and interesting. Our instructor taught us formal rules for fine dining. I thought I knew enough about table manners and etiquette. I was surprised to have to learn so many things especially when dining with diplomats. Hmmm.

Anyway, when I checked the Billboard Hot 100 this morning, I was surprised to see Carrie Underwood’s Before He Cheats in the Top 20. Hey, don’t get me wrong. Of all Carrie’s songs, it’s the one that I love the most. But it’s been in the Hot 100 for 41 weeks already. It’s the longest staying single in the upper half of the countdown. Her other songs have come and gone (Wasted, I’ll Stand By You) but Before He Cheats remains strong up there. Good for Carrie. It was only yesterday that I saw its video and it’s pretty nice. I really adore Carrie. She deserves everything she enjoys right now.

And he don’t know…
That I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped up 4 wheel drive,
carved my name into his leather seats…
I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights,
slashed a hole in all 4 tires…
Maybe next time he’ll think before he cheats.

I also downloaded last night mp3s of Carrie’s performances on American Idol 4. She’s really amazing. It’s nice to relive her journey.

Sitting comfortably on top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart is Umbrella by Rihanna and Jay-Z. Ehehe. For weeks, this song had been in my head. This record has a powerful recall. Hear it and you’ll spend the rest of your day singing this:

Now that it’s raining more than ever
Know that we’ll still have each other
You can stand under my umbrella
You can stand under my umbrella
(Ella ella eh eh eh)
Under my umbrella
(Ella ella eh eh eh)

But Umbrella is out of my head already. It’s been replaced by Katharine McPhee’s Everywhere I Go. This song rocks. I don’t have Katharine’s album but I downloaded a few tracks through the net. I wouldn’t know about this record had Lei not mentioned when he commented on this post. I’ve never been hooked to a song this much since Stacie Orrico’s I’m Not Missing You last year. Not to mention that I can really, really relate to this awesome song. Damn it. I just hope this single be released.

And I want it to be over
I so want it to be through
In the end somehow it always comes back to you

Why are Rascal Flatt’s albums not distributed in the Philippines? I love them. I love them. I love them. And I feel guilty downloading their records illegally. Huhuhu. Calling the attention of Ms. Deane Briones and Ms. Maw Wong, how would you like to give me a copy/ies of their albums? Come on, don’t be shy. While you’re both in the US, please find some time to go to a record bar and buy a copy of any of their albums (but preferably Me and My Gang) for me. Please. For our friendship’s sake. Hahahaha. 

Is it just me, or the chorus of Yeng Constantino’s Cool Off really sounds like Parokya ni Edgar’s Mahal na Kung Mahal?

*Photos courtesy of pigduck.com, media.canada.com, and imageshack.us

Status: Sober
Music: Shake it Off - Mariah Carey

MJ, Yoshke and Issa somewhere along Baywalk

I was starting to complain about my Saturdays. It slowly got boring and everything sort of became a part of a routine. Though I’m glad I was able to make new friends (Helen, Shiena, Miel, Luke) and basically we have the same interests, my Saturdays never really reached the “exciting” level. It was always “just fun,” and “ok.” Not that there’s something wrong with my new friends. I’m just not used to going to school on a Saturday, and you know, school days are routine days. Flashback to two years ago when I would always go to Tagaytay to breakaway and wind down, or just do something new or different after a week of university hell. Pfffft.

But yesterday was a different Saturday. Although I didn’t intend to, I was able to break the cycle. I woke up at 7:30 and found Helen’s SMS message telling me that she was sooo lazy she won’t be coming to class. And since sloth is really doing its best climbing up my Seven Deadly Sins Chart, I decided, “What the heck?! Helen is not coming to class, and since the topic this morning might be the most boring subject Father Time has ever seen, I might as well not show up.” And I didn’t. Hehe. I slept again, woke up at 10, stepped into cyberspace, and found that my site was down, and did a little repairing. It was my first time to snob a Foreign Service class. Ahehehe.

(more…)

Status: Exhausted
Music: Breakdown - Mariah Carey (Ate Mimi) feat Bone Thugs

Today is my first niece’s first birthday, and right now they are having a huge party at our place. My niece’s name is Mika Natalia, daughter of my brother. Like my first nephew Yoshke (yes, after myself — sort of), it was me who gave my niece that name but it was a little modified. It should’ve been Mischa Natalya (Russian) but because my sister-in-law didn’t like Mischa, she changed it to Mika — thus, Mika Natalia. Almost parallel to what happened with Yoshke (my nephew, not me). I was asked by my sister to come up with a good name and I offered her Asher Yoshke (Jewish). But my brother in law didn’t like Asher so he changed it to Asheq — ergo, Asheq Yoshke. Gawd, I hate my in-laws. Hahaha. But I’m not gonna talk about that any longer.

It was my first day of my review classes in Ateneo de Manila University last Saturday. I entered the classroom wanting to become a diplomat. When I left that room, the feeling was different. I just don’t want it, I NEED IT. I need to be a diplomat and I will be.

It was really fun. I liked the feeling of waking up early worried about being late. And just like an ordinary / regular first day of school, I was happy making new friends, learning new stuff, and being able to express myself. Not to mention our ambassador-speakers were very cool. Pretty ancient (I mean, old) but still very cool. Lov’em. I learned enormous amount of information and knowledge from them. They were opinionated (and yes, very politically inclined) yet I could sense how much they really love this country and value the Constitution.

I was a little disappointed, though. I didn’t know that we would be divided into two sections. I think putting us all together in the same room would be much more enjoyable. More classmates, more friends, more fun. There were also more female reviewees. You could just imagine how that made me feel. I felt sooo sad. Haha, just kidding. It really did not matter. There were no cute hommes, anyway (oh yes, that’s another disappointment, hehe).

As usual, I was very timid on the first day so I wouldn’t approach anyone. I just sat there, listened, and took down notes. But after a while, I couldn’t keep it; I just had to release the perky me so I approached my seat mate Helen, very pretty, a UP grad as well, and also very timid, and we started to get along.

Although from the very start, I’ve been aware that there’s not much money in the field of Foreign Service, I was so surprised (more like amazed) with the priveleges and immunities of diplomats that one speaker discussed. Here are a few of them:

[1] They don’t pay taxes.
[2] Their diplomat bags when travelling are not required to go through inspection no matter what happens.
[3] Ambassadors cannot be arrested or detained (in the receiving State) regardless of how heinous the crimes they committed are — even rape or murder.

These are because of the amount of trust that states put on other states and their representatives (ambassadors, consuls, diplomats) that most things are never questioned.

My God, if there’s only one thing that You could give me right now, please let me become a diplomat. That’s all. I won’t ask for a mansion, or a bachelor pad, or a Jaguar. Please… please…. Gawd, puhleezz.

Status: Just turned blue
Music: Blind - Lifehouse

I’ve been in and around the UP Diliman campus lately because I had to claim my diploma, apply for a transcript of records, and get my clearance slip. People have been asking me why I’m always around. And after telling them the above reason, I usually add, “Oh, and I’m also enroling for a certificate programme (Foreign Service Review Programme) in Ateneo.”

I can’t believe how ugly some answers can get and how highly some UP students and graduates (like me) think of themselves. But of course, these were said just for humour. Yet again, we all know jokes are almost always half-meant.

Here are some of the reactions I won’t forget.

Yoshke: I’m actually just about to go to Ateneo to enrol.
Angel: You better give me a really good reason why Ateneo!

OK, Angel. Is because-UP-doesn’t-have-the-same-program good enough for you? Hehe. Here’s another one:

Jake: Tell me you’re kidding.

I’m sorry Jake, but I wasn’t.

Dan: I don’t think studying there would make that much of a difference.

But of all reactions, Kriz’s was the best.

Kriz: My God, Yoshke, why are you stooping down sooo low?!

Hmmm… Maroon to Blue…

Status: Reminiscin’
Music: Say It Right - Nelly Furtado

I know this comes a bit late. But what the hell? I just want to say this. You know, 2006 is not that pretty a year for me, but it’s not terrible either. But surely, the past year gave me a lot of memories I can never ever let go of. Here are the top 9 highlights of the past year:

9. World Tour (?).
Have you ever gone to more than five countries in just one day? Sounds impossible, eh? Well, Maw and I have. Some time in July or August, the quest for a Film school scholarship started. Maw and I did a little world tour. And because technically, foreign embassies are foreign territories, we felt like we were having a world tour when in fact we never left Manila, entering one embassy to another, sending letters to ambassadors, and talking with some foreigners. It was fun.

8. Mugged!
Talking with Tonet while walking has to be my biggest regret last year. Just a block away from Andre’s apartment (which is now my apartment), a stranger with a knife approached me and forced me to hand him my cellphone. I did not become upset because of the cellphone. It was the idea that I was mugged. It was terribly traumatic. And for the longest time last year, I was cursing the entire urban poor population, and whenever I saw a squatters’ area, I secretly wished for a big fire. See this post for more. But after several months, I grew tired of hating them and learned to understand them, and eventually got over it. I’m a good boy now.

7. This Kiss, This Kiss
It’s not the kiss per se that is unforgettable. It’s how the issue exploded way out of proportion in no time. Nah, I rather not discuss it.

6. North Luzon Trip
Straight from a Palawan trip, I joined Winwin, Icang, Dohna, Pam, Lei, Nep, and KZ on a three-day trip to Northern Luzon — Pangasinan, Baguio, and every place in between. A lot of things happened that I don’t know what to say. Heehee.

5. Thesis Defence
Yes, it was nerve-wracking, but after a few months, I could barely remember the entire thesis defence experience. Maybe because, there was really nothing spectacular and nothing horrible to remember. It was just, all right, we faced the faculty, defended our film, and that was it. All happy.

4. Palawan Trip
A simple trip to Palawan turned into a wake, when my grandfather died while we were having a vacation there. All my plans were cancelled and for a week, I just helped my relatives take care of the wake and ran some errands. But less than an hour after the funeral, I went island-hopping. Hahaha. And it felt fantastic. I told you, I’m the type who easily moves on.

3. World Cup — Germany
Unlike Ayn who really flew to Germany and its neighboring countries and felt the stagerring energy the world’s favourite sport creates, I satisfied myself by just staying inside my room and having my eyes glued to my TV screen as I watched football game after game after game. And when the quarterfinals kicked off, I stayed in Manila just to see the games live in Ateneo. And yes, the lowest point of last year for me was when Germany lost to Italy in the semi-final. That was totally bad… and painful.

2. Thesis Production
The memories of the entire thesis production linger longer than the thesis defence. I learned a lot of things and met new friends in the process. Pre-production — I got closer to Prech. Principal photography — I got closer to several people, some of which I did not even imagine I could be friends with. Editing — I got closer to Andre. And of course, from the very start up to the very last minute of production, Winwin was with me. And that was really unforgettable.

1. Graduation
Finally, after four years in a hell-like heaven, it was over. I was very proud, and indeed, it was the most unforgettable.

Status: Waiting. Just waiting.
Music: Hurt - Christina Aguilera

Here’s something to make your day a little brighter. U.P. (University of the Philippines) made it to Times Higher Education Supplement-Quacquarelli Symonds (THES-QS) Top Universities in the World. We are 299th in the world, 47th in Asia, 10th in Southeast Asia and the best in the country. But then again, as an old colleague of mine said, during her college years, UP was 23rd globally (not sure if this is true, though). Anyway, also in the list are Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), De La Salle University (DLSU), and University of Santo Tomas (UST). I wonder why Silliman University is not in the list when I’ve been hearing stuff saying Silliman is already next to UP in the local rankings. Hmmm…. Perhaps the group who conducted this study did not take a look at and into Silliman.

Here’s the summary of the list.*

WORLD’S TOP TEN:
1. Harvard University, USA
2. University of Cambridge, UK
3. University of Oxford, UK
4/5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University, USA
6. Stanford University, USA
7. California Institute of Technology, USA
8. University of California Berkeley, USA
9. Imperial College London, UK
10. Princeton University, USA

ASIA’S TOP TEN:
14. Peking University, China
19. University of Tokyo, Japan
19. National University of Singapore, Singapore
28. Tsing Hua University, China
29. Kyoto University, Japan
33. University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
50. Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
57. Indian Institute of Technology, India
58. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
61. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

SOUTHEAST ASIA’S TOP TEN:
19. National University of Singapore, Singapore
61. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
161. Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
192. University of Malaya, Malaysia
250. University of Indonesia, Indonesia
258. Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia
270. University of Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
277. University Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
292. University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
299. University of the Philippines, Philippines

PHILIPPINE RANKINGS:
299. University of the Philippines
392. De La Salle University
484. Ateneo de Manila University
500. University of Santo Tomas

*special thanks to beterano of peyups.com