It's Time to Move On

It’s been a week after the 2007 Invitation Program for South East Asian Students to South Korea program officially drew its curtain...

Yes, it's now back to reality. Back to the old student life. Back to school, the classroom, the professors, the classmates, everything. In fact, we'll be starting to work on our thesis. Luckily, the discussion's are not that far away yet, so I can still catch up. No, I don't have ill feelings with coming back to school, it's just that I find the ten days quite short, and fast. Ironic, isn't it?

I still feel sad. There is not one day when I don’t think of everyone. Every time I think about the good ol’ ten days and the forty-plus bunch of people from South East Asia converging together, memories start to flash back. There has been countless times of me scanning through every photo I’ve taken and reading through all the e-mails I’ve received. Doing these quenches my thirst.

Even at school, I tend to be mentally absent. But I can’t control it, and there are even times where I succumb myself to the thoughts, and consequently losing my attention on my professor’s discussion.

I really tend to be very emotional, but I’m not crying. I’ve already shed tears...

But wait...what's happening to me?

I should not be wrenched up! Like what Elizabeth told me, I should cheer up and move on. Yes, it’s inevitable for me to feel this longing, but I shouldn’t let my emotions get the best of me. Instead of being pulled down, I should consider this parting an inspiration, a goal, to fuel my engine. This is not yet the end of the world. I’m still optimistic that we will meet again in time. And to further that possibility, I must study hard. I should do best in school. Education can greatly aid me upon realizing my dreams.

It’s been a week after the 2007 Invitation Program for South East Asian Students to South Korea program officially ended...

Goodbyes may have been sad, times may have flown fast, but it should not deter one to stand again. It's now time to move on...

For my case, I should start moving on.

And It's Over

The ten-day study tour is officially finished.

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It's amazing how time flew. It's still fresh on my mind what happened upon my arrival at Incheon Int'l. Airport. The compay of all but strangers, the jitters of the "first-time", the inevitable jet lag and culture shock -- all these and more still live in my memories.

I am (and is still) most of the time alone, going a distance away from others, the type that would prefer solitude over company, a one-man team. Though I was not that close to everyone, I have deeply rooted for everyone's companionship and the experiences we've shared together. I only have ten days, and I should not spend most of it being blue and aloof. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I just have to make the most out of every minute of it.

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I already miss everyone. My, everyone's been passing emails lately, and I am to read every one of it. I guess everyone feels the same way.
I miss seeing my roommate Syam in his traditional Islam clothes and praying to Allah. He made me understand more the Islam culture.
I miss the markets and the souvenir shops, and how we would go around looking for a better bargain.
I miss going around the maze-like streets of Korea, and getting lost on a few encounters.
I miss everyone singing "Vietnam Ho Chi Minh" and "Kom Se Ma Ri", not to mention the Pansori.
I miss seeing everyone fall asleep in the bus. Heheh, glad I took pictures of it. :p
I miss our minigames in the bus: "What Happened!" and the beginning of the "Mistah Lee" jokes. :D
I miss eating kimchi, the sticky rice, and the hot pots (reference to Melvin's mail I've read). Being served everyday on the restaurant made everyone go "uh"; some don't even taste it. But now, my tongue is craving for the cuisine, especially bulgogi. :(
I miss Korea and all the places we've visited.
I miss my homestay family. I hope that Mom, Dad, Alex, Grandma, and Hosoo are doing fine, also to their daughter, who just arrived from Canada last Tuesday.
I miss taking pictures. I may sound corny at times taking pictures of inanimate objects as flowers, bamboos, even stones and fishes, but it soothes my craving, and it makes me happy. Of course, who will forget the group pictures!
I miss Miss Sharon, Mr. Lee, Mr. Kim, and the whole NIIED crew. Though at times I poked fun on Miss Sharon's diction and guffawed on every Mistah Lee joke and amazed as to how Mr. Kim would pose for a picture, but these guys are the best. Thank you for providing us all the amenities we needed, and for bearing with our silly ways. Thank you for giving the chance for people like us to converge and engross in cross-cultural exchange. Thank you for all the activity as a whole.

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I hate goodbyes. Many times I've seen people walk away and disappear off of my sight, and it has never been easy. Ery, Dean, and Alvin have to leave earlier than the pack (since they arrived a day earlier than schedule), which makes me the only Filipino left for the last few hours of the trip. I have already lost my inner circle. Everyone will be doing the same.

I am the last one to depart, of all the people. That means that I have to see everyone leave one by one, which is not very easy for me to take. I tried not to cry, but it can't be helped. I've already shunned the stereotype that "men don't cry." Of course, we cry, but we just try to keep it away from others, in fear of ridicule and loss of manlihood. But ridicule and loss of manlihood (among other things) were the least of my concerns...

Even on the last few minutes of departure, and upon boarding my flight, I forced myself not to cry. I've already shed tears, and I shouldn't be that sad, since we can still see each other again in time. But the tears just fell down...

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Now, I'm back here in Cebu. Back to reality, back to my old life. I now have dumps of school works to finish, and lectures to catch up. We'll be starting to work on our thesis tomorrow.

It may have been over, but the memories I've shared with everyone will remain in me. I'll share this wonderful story with friends, family, and to anyone who wants to listen to it. We made friends out of complete strangers, met different kinds of people, been to interesting places, shared thoughts in life, that all-in-all made this ten-day escapade a memorable part of everyone's life.

I'm hoping that everyone can still keep in touch. Even though we weren't able to be together for a longer time, and that we were most of the time with our inner circle, I hope that everyone will extend their reach and make more new friends.

In time, we'll be seeing each other again. It may be in a different place and time, and it may not be all at once, but I'm crossing my fingers...

Til then. Annyong higa seyo.

Finally, It's Time

This midnight (it's 12:50am, GMT +8), I'll be flying direct from Cebu to Incheon International Airport, South Korea. After months of waiting, the study tour is now to commence.

This will be my first time outside of the country, so I'm really terrified, and excited. I don't know; it's like a whirlwind of emotions in me. I can feel my heart palpitating, and had occasional deep breaths. I've been into a lot of trouble with the preparations, from the passport to my personal belongings. I'm tense, but I'm also jittering. Finally, I'm going to ride an airplane! It's a childhood dream-come-true. :)

This is also the first time that the school will be sending a student overseas to participate in a study tour. A lot of people (especially the President) are expecting a lot from me and from what I gain from the tour. This makes me more insecure. I don't know if I can represent the school well. Will I represent the school well? Can I get away from my inferiority complex?

I wasn't able to bid goodbye to a lot of people, even to my friends. I don't know if they have ill feelings towards me, but that is almost certain. How I wish I can compensate my shortcomings. To my friends, I'm sorry if I wasn't able to bid a formal goodbye. I'm not neglecting you or anything. It's all my fault.

To all the people I've caused a lot of trouble, I humbly ask for an apology. Sorry if I've been hasty these past few days. Blame me for not preparing my things beforehand. This is one habit that I am, and I should, change.

But even with that, I wish to thank all the people who had provided me aid, most especially to Ma'am Maris (our Dean), for giving me more that what I needed, and to Mr. Chiu, for recommending me for the program and for believing in my potential. There are so many of you to name, but you know who you are, and I thank you for all your help. My best regards also goes to all people who have one way or another brought me into this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I won't be seeing you for ten days, nor I will be posting in this blog nor visiting the webspace. I don't know if they provide internet access during the whole tour. Pray for me.

Farewell...for now.

Toilet Misadventures: The Second Coming

I never thought that my toilet misadventures would have a sequel! This happened yesterday, and here's how it went...

I was in school yesterday to participate in a pictorial for the school's magazine. I guess it has something to do with my study tour to Korea, that's why I got picked as an image model. O_O;

I have to admit: I am not that photogenic. I'm really not confident with how I look in the photos. I wonder when the camera will be kind to me. :D

During the break, I hurriedly went to the male's comfort room. Just like last time...to defecate. This time, no vending machines with toiletries, just plain gushing water. Uh, I don't have any choice.

I was already halfway of the ritual when suddenly, a bunch of girls came inside the male's comfort room! I didn't really know how many they were, since I didn't see them. But they were so noisy and guffawed out loud (are girls really like this?), so I can hear them from the rear cubicle I'm sitting.

I can still remember one of them saying, "It's still vacation anyway, so seldom uses this toilet. But just to make sure, let's just lock the door.". They have no idea who was with them! One of them was so fumed while blabbing that the nearest ladies' room was locked, and that they're really in a hurry. Well, it's vacation time, and there are only a few comfort rooms open. Another one was complaining on how the men's room was stinking, and that the cubicles were dirty. Well, I can't blame them. <_<;

Now here's the exciting part: the ladies were using the cubicle right next to me! I can hear every detail of it. Oh no. I kept silent and even paused for a moment. I was the blind witness as they were taking turns of the cubicle.

No, I didn't look at them. I'm not a pervert. Some would have taken advantage of it, but it's definitely not my style. I respect people's right to privacy. I have to make sure that they won't find out that someone (of the opposite sex) is there with them, to avoid more serious trouble.

As soon as the coast was clear, I immediately went out of the cubicle.




*Sorry for the choice of words. I tried to make it as 'wholesome' as possible.*
*Sigh, when will this end?* :(

Monday's Fast Approaching...

Monday's fast approaching, and I have not prepared anything for the travel yet. My clothes, my personal stuff; nothing's been prepared yet. I am yet to look for a token for the Korean family I'll be staying with for the whole duration of the tour.

The family wants to buy me some new clothes, seeing that I only have a few ones at my disposal (mostly college/school shirts, and are so used up). My jeans are starting to fade as well. Worse, we don't have a travel bag for me to use.

That's why my elder sister applied for a loan in PAG-IBIG a week ago. She instructed me to come back to PAG-IBIG today to follow-up her application. The whole family was hopeful that finally (she actually applied for this loan almost a month ago, but was held because of unmatching signatures) the application would be approved. Everything will be good to go once we have the money...

But, one should never count the chicks before they're even hatched.

It was still under processing, and I have to come back there tomorrow. I'm already worried even before, and now here it comes. What if the application will be rejected again? Where will we get the money?

And if the application is to be approved, what if it arrives after Monday? What use is it for?

The school gave me a $200 allowance though, but I would like to spend it for souvenirs and other petty expenses once there in Korea. But if left with no choice, then I'll take it.

I'm crossing my fingers for some good news tomorrow...

Holy...

My friend sent it to me via e-mail yesterday, and it really freaked me out...


But then I started laughing afterwards...


I Hate You!





[Spoilers:]

I got my speakers loud that day (playing music at work sure is the life). >:)

Got My Teeth Cleaned Today

My last oral prophylaxis was like when I was five years old. Mom was with me then, and I got terribly afraid with the dentist back then. Nostalgia. :)

And fastforward to the 21st century, around fourteen years after then (which makes my age... ;) ), now I stood infront of the dentist's clinic. I've decided to take this operation in preparation for my study tour to South Korea this June 11-21. I want to look good, you know. :p

This time, I don't have Mom nor anyone beside me, just myself. I'm a bit nervous as to how the operation (of all the words, why operation?) will go. It's been more than a decade past, and I don't remember how it went through. But one thing I can recall is that I spit blood back then (which I don't think is bad).

Finally it was my turn in my dentist's 'bed' (I don't know what exactly is it called). Ok, gotta do this. :)

As a S.O.P. (standard operating procedure), she checked my teeth first. She told me that there are a lot of damaged teeth, and should be extracted. It was around three to be exact, all molars. Blame my childhood candy habits and not brushing for that. :(

Going on...

I won't go over the details on how it went, especially on the technical term of the instruments used (I checked for Google, but it was all-text. I did find one with pictures, but it was about veterinary oral prophylaxis. :( ). But it really hurt, especially when she was scraping the calculus off of my teeth, using this pen-like instrument with a hook, and hitting my gums. She also had an assistant that put a hose-like instrument, springing water on my mouth as the dentist was going over in-between my teeth. I felt like choking.

But I have full trust to the dentists, and I know I'm safe in their hands, so I just closed my eyes and went through the operation.

There was even a power failure, but it was restored immediately.

After, I felt my teeth numbing, with bits of chipped-off enamel stuck under my tongue. Even after gargling a lot, there are still some left. And I did spit blood again. As of typing, my gums are still bleeding, though not grave.

It cost me a hefty P700.00. For a student like me, the amount still hurts on my pocket, but I got the best value for it anyway. :)

I am advised to have another cleaning session six months after, so that it will not hurt a lot unlike today. And also, I have to gargle with mouthwash, since my gums are swollen. :(

I guess this is the price I have to pay...

Misadventures...in the Toilet!

This happened last Friday, but it's so hilarious that I want to post this. :D

*Disclaimer: This may sound a bit offensive, but lightly.*

Upon going home from Danao City to Cebu City, I really had this rumbling feeling on my tummy. After hours of storage, my wastes are rampaging, like a volcano about to explode.

"Warning, warning, the self-destruct bomb is to explode in five minutes!", I thougth to myself. I'm just so glad that the bus arrived in the terminal in the nick of time.

I hurriedly went inside a mall's comfort room. I didn't bring any spare paper with me. Yes, it's totally gross, but I use ordinary paper to *ehem* wipe my *ehem* ass *ehem* after defecating. Lucky for me, the mall has vending machines that supply toiletries (tissues, sanitary napkins, etc.).

But...

Drats, and there was no vending machine on the men's toilet! And guess where it was? You bet. It's inside the ladies' room.

Gosh, and I am to get inside there? LOL, and I am to apply a lot of 'kapal ng mukha' cream.

"Ahm, excuse me, but can I get a tissue paper?", I asked a lady, while pointing on the vending machine. Please, don't think that I'm a pervert. I'm really just in a hurry.

To my relief, she gave me the permission.

The ladies' room is just a few steps away from the men's, so I was able to get inside the cubicle in no-time.

*I don't need to enumerate how I pooped, right? LOL*

But it doesn't end there. There is still more to it.

As I was almost finished defecating, I opened the tissue paper pack. To my surprise...it contained a woman's sanitary napkin!

What the f***? I am very sure that I picked the tissue paper option on the vending machine! I can never be mistaken, never!

Now comes the dilemma: should I use the napkin (err?), or not? Ahahah, and I was laughing with myself. I had no other choice, unless I would opt to use my hanky. Hell no.

With my eyes closed, I * with a sour face* wiped the napkin on my ass. There ends the bowel ritual, and of this horrendous experience.

I checked the vending machine upon getting out of the cubicle. And etched on it was TISSUE PAPER, not SANITARY NAPKIN. Gosh, the toilet maintenance should fix that.

That was one laugh trip, I tell you. But I hope it will never happen again.

Customizing My Blog - So Fun

I'm trying to make my blog page more 'pleasing' for viewing. I'm doing away with corporate/technical stuff. I'm here to unwind, you know.

Hehehe, I removed the Newsreel from the sidebar. Gosh, too much text, and me myself refuse to read those news. I read news, yes, but not on my blog. :S

I've just added a Calendar widget (see sidebar), courtesy of FreeBlogContent. Though I wanted a more dynamic calendar (the one which you can toggle through past/future months/years), but at least I had one with the basic calendar feature. Thanks to the site. :)

Also in place is a Welcome Note and Blogger's logo. I'd like people to know why I made my blog, and of course, to show courtesy to Blogger.

On the succeeding days, I might be posting my picture, and an image as banner/title. I just need to find my best angle, and an available render for the banner. I suck at creativity. :p


*puts on to-do list*