This one’s called Posterity, and it’s the very first song I heard by them. This is the acoustic version, which I like better than the original version. Not to say that the original wasn’t great, because it was.
Book Blurb: The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins
I didn’t like it || It was okay || I liked it || I really liked it || I loved it
When I was in the bookstore, I had this book in one hand, and Gone Girl in the other. I was choosing which book I was going to take home with me and read over the weekend, and I chose this one because although I haven't read Gone Girl, I had already watched the movie, so I already knew what was going to happen (but I definitely still want to read the book). After reading this though, I regret not choosing Gone Girl.
The characters were all so unlikeable, except for Cathy, I guess. Because they were unlikeable, I hardly cared about what happened to them. The twist was surprising, but not shocking. The events were dramatic, but a bit expected and not all that thrilling. Basically, it had nothing on Gone Girl. And again, the characters were all horrible people.
Don't get me wrong, the book wasn't bad. In fact, I quite liked it. I didn't love it, nor did I like it a lot. But it was okay. It was well-written, and the premise was interesting enough, but it wasn't as shocking nor was it as "psychologically thrilling" as Gone Girl (I'm referencing the movie, as I have not yet read the book.)
It’s hard for people to get my name right the first time, I usually have to spell it out. I’ve been called Jessa, Tessa, Dyssa, and one time, at a Dairy Queen, they wrote my name down as Diesel. But I think “Leslsy” takes the cake.
It’s that time of the year again. I’m talking about the beginning of a new school year, and with it comes the stress and pain of registration.
As I was going through the hell that is enlistment, I thought about writing something like a blurb for every class I’ve ever taken (except for my arki majors) in UP Diliman. I thought it would be helpful to those who are going through enlistment to know what to expect from their classes and professors.
I have also included some tips on how to take on each class, but here’s a tip that applies to all the classes (except, of course, the ones where the class is too big for the teacher to remember everybody): make sure the professor knows who you are. This means you have to recite, give good reports, and consult, if you can.
Before anything else, I would also like to share a piece of registration advice, however unsolicited it may be: as much as possible, do not cancel a class based on a prof. If you get a class and it fits into your schedule, just accept it with a smile and a “thank you,” after which you can get to know your prof by checking out blog posts, such as this one. Beggars can’t be choosers, and, as evidenced by the long lines wrapped around various hallways and corridors, we are beggars.
GE COURSES
Eng 10 || Ruth Jordana Pison
Taken: 1st Semester, A.Y. 2013-2014
Ma’am Pison is one of my favorite profs in UP. She’s so approachable and easy to talk to, especially during consultations. She also makes a lot of jokes, and she doesn’t really scold (at least, not in our class). I’m not sure if she still teaches this class, or if she even still teaches any class. I tried looking for her Eng 12 class, but she didn’t handle one when I was trying to take it. Eng 10 is COLLEGE ENGLISH, so it's mostly writing research papers. There are some readings and some reportings (our prof chose specific people for this, I think they did it for extra credit), I don’t really recall that many lectures, mostly discussions about the readings, consultations about research topics, and library breaks. Do not use those library breaks as a free period. You should actually go to the library to do research.
Geog 1 || Pryor Aldous Placino
Taken: 1st Semester, A.Y. 2013-2014
This class was my first ever college class. It was my first class on my first day of my first semester in college. People said this course was uno-able, but I didn’t get an uno in this class, haha. Sir Placino was an okay prof; I didn’t love him, I didn’t hate him. He was pretty nice about dismissals (he understood that some of us had classes in buildings across campus so he would let us out around 10 minutes early). Geog 1 is PLACES AND LANDSCAPES IN A CHANGING WORLD, but we didn’t talk much about places, or at least, not as much as I thought we would. We mostly talked about the people in those places. The class is mostly lectures and reportings. You’re also going to have to get a copy of the required book (not the entire thing, just some chapters). We had a field trip in this class, which was so much fun because it had more to do with team building that geography.
Comm 3 || Jose Carlo de Pano
Taken: 2st Semester, A.Y. 2013-2014
If I’m not mistaken, Sir de Pano is now the college secretary of the College of Arts and Letters. Pretty cool. His class was, as most GE subjects are, a lot lectures and reporting. Be sure to read the book and recite in class. If I remember correctly, we only had one exam, which I failed miserably. It was technically an easy exam, everything is in the book, but I wasn’t able to study for it because I had two other exams that day. Comm 3 is PRACTICAL SPEECH FUNDAMENTALS, so if speaking in front of a class makes you anxious, then you’re shit out of luck, because this class is required for everyone. Don’t worry, there are going to be plenty of activities and exercises where you have to speak in front of the class that by the final speech, you’ll be used to it.
Fil 40 || Silay Ma. Mendiola Lumbera
Taken: 2st Semester, A.Y. 2013-2014
I’m not sure what relation Ma’am Lumbera has to National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera. I think maybe she’s his daughter? I’m not entirely sure, so don’t quote me on that. I have nothing bad to say about Ma’am Lumbera. She’s very nice and considerate. I don’t remember her ever getting mad at our class. Fil 40 is WIKA, KULTURA, AT LIPUNAN. There are a lot of readings, a few quizzes, reportings/presentations, and a midterm. Our final was an oral exam, which I really liked because Ma’am Lumbera is really easy to talk to. The thing I remember the most about this class was that it introduced me to the work of the filmmaker Lino Brocka. Ma’am Lumbera let us watch Orapronobis during class, and it was fantastic. We didn’t have to write a paper about it or anything, so it was nice to be able to focus on the movie and not take notes while I’m watching it.
Kas 1 || Neil Martial Santillan
Taken: 2st Semester, A.Y. 2013-2014
I think Sir Santillan is now the Associate Dean of CSSP. Or College Secretary, I’m not sure. What I am sure of is that I didn’t really enjoy his class as much as I thought I would have. I thought I was going to like his class because on our first day, he told us that he wanted to do things that we wanted, so if we wanted a field trip, he would try to make it happen, if we didn’t want any quizzes and long exams, he could grant that too. Unfortunately, that first class went downhill from there. After the class deciding on what we want to do in class, he started asking us questions on Philippine history. (Figures, since Kas 1 is KASAYSAYAN NG PILIPINAS). No one could answer them, and he got annoyed, so he gave us an extra assignment. I didn’t learn much from his class because it was mostly group works and presentations. I also didn’t like the fact that he went back on his word and gave us a “long quiz” as he called it. A very difficult “long quiz,” which we had on the same day as my Comm 3 exam. All in all, the class was okay. I didn’t fail or anything, I actually got a pretty good grade.
Philo 1 || Rubicon Soberano
Taken: 2st Semester, A.Y. 2013-2014
When I got this prof in CRS, I didn’t think it was that big a deal. I was just thankful that I got a GE. When I told people that he was my Philo 1 prof, their reactions had me worried. “He only calls on girls,” “Don’t sit in front,” and “He gives out cuatros” were only some of the things I heard about him. Honestly, what had me worried the most was that he gave out cuatros. I found out that everything they said about him was true, he only calls on girls, but I still chose to sit in front, like I do in most of my classes. Oh, and he didn’t give me a cuatro. Philo 1 is PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS. He’s going to give you a philo book, and you’re going to have two exams, and a final paper. Just read the book, take lots of notes, and try not to fall asleep (it gets super boring). He doesn’t use the board much, he pretty much just sits at the table and talks. Pro tip: write down what he says. I pretty much just wrote everything he said and my grade was pretty good.
Soc Sci 1 || Antonietta Rosel
Taken: 2st Semester, A.Y. 2013-2014
Ma’am Rosel is like a sweet, old lola. Which she is, I think. She has a lot of anecdotes about her family, her grandchildren, her former students. I like it when teachers tell stories about themselves, it humanizes them. Soc Sci 1 is FOUNDATIONS OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, so it’s a mix of anthropology, sociology, and psychology. There are some readings, some papers, some quizzes, and a final research project. The research project is not that difficult, you just have to choose a topic then make a survey about it. Recite a lot in class, and study well for the exams. She sometimes likes to call on people and have them discuss the papers they’ve written.
Eng 12 || Dominic Paul Sy
Taken: 1st Semester, A.Y. 2014-2015
I think our class was one of Sir Sy's (we didn’t call him that though. it reminds me of Cersei) first classes. My friend told me that he had just graduated. He was nice enough, I don’t really have anything negative to say. Eng 12 is WORLD LITERATURES. This class intimidated me because although I like to read a lot, I read mostly for pleasure, so I’m not really into analyzing symbols and imagery in the things I read. My grade wasn’t great, but I still really liked the class. Obviously, we read a lot of books, some were even too long to read in the span of a week (I’m looking at you Journey to the West). I like how he structured the class. He would give us more or less a week to read the book, then he would give us a lecture on it (we were supposed to have finished reading by then), which gave us time to write our papers, then we would have a class discussion. Be sure you have something to say during these discussions. You can even read from your paper if you want, just make sure that you talk at least once. For our final paper, he allowed us to choose our own book, provided that its country of origin was different from the ones we had already read. We also had a journal, which we had to pass after every class discussion.
MuD 1 || Basilio Esteban Villaruz
Taken: 1st Semester, A.Y. 2014-2015
Sir Villaruz is a pretty big deal in the world of dance. I once saw his name in one of those exhibits they have in the lobby of the place where we watched a dance performance. MuD 1 is READING DANCE, so you basically read stuff about dance. I admit, the class does get a bit boring. There are plenty of readings, make sure you read them and that you participate in the discussions. You will also be required to watch three dance performances and write reaction papers about them. Sometimes he also asked us to write about the things we read in class. Some sessions were spent in the dance studio, which was pretty neat. Our final “project” was to create a dance, and the theme was…motion? Or transportation? Something along those lines, so it’s not actual dancing, more like interpretation. He also required us to pass a term paper that connects dance to our degree programs.
Bio 1 || Zubaida Basiao
Taken: 2st Semester, A.Y. 2014-2015
I got this Bio 1 class through teacher’s prerog, and Ma’am Basiao was nice enough to accept me. Bio 1 is CONTEMPORARY TOPICS IN BIOLOGY. This is one of the simplest GEs ever. No quizzes, no presentations, no papers, and there was barely any recitation opportunities. We only had two exams, and both were easy. I don’t remember if there were final exams. I remember not taking a final, but I’m not sure if I was exempted or if we really just didn’t have finals. Take notes in class (though she does give the class a copy of the lecture) and you’ll be fine.
Env Sci 1 || Mylene Gonzaga
Taken: 2st Semester, A.Y. 2014-2015
I will always remember Ma’am Gonzaga as the nicest professor ever, because she accepted me into her class even after I hounded, badgered, and annoyed her. Well, I’m not sure if I actually did those things, but I did text and email her a few times begging her to let me join her class. She refused me a few times, but I finally got a text from her asking me to come to her office, and she accepted me. I told her that even though the class requirements were heavy, I would do my very best. And I did. Env Sci 1 is ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY. We had 2 exams, reaction papers, a research paper (which is done by group), and every meeting, Ma’am chooses a student to do a summary of the discussion , which will be presented the next meeting, sort of like a recap. Recite whenever the opportunity rises, take down notes, and consult Ma’am on your research project. I really enjoyed this class, it is one of my favorite GE classes.
Kas 2 || Dedina Lapar
Taken: 2st Semester, A.Y. 2014-2015
Ma’am Lapar is not a bad prof. She gives good lectures, and she tries to be funny, which she is, sometimes. I just don’t like the fact that once again, my kasaysayan class involves a lot of reporting. I like learning from the teacher more than I like learning from my classmates. Kas 2 is ANG ASYA AT ANG DAIGDIG. As I mentioned earlier, history is not my favorite, so I didn’t really enjoy this class. We had 2 exams and a final (I think? I don’t recall, a lot of GEs don’t have finals).
Math 1 || Carlene Perpetua Arceo
Taken: 2st Semester, A.Y. 2014-2015
Ma’am Arceo is a great prof. She teaches very well and is very easygoing. Math 1 is GENERAL MATHEMATICS, so there’s logic, history of math, all those things about math that is not actually math. The class is pretty simple, just listen during lectures. We had 2 exams, and some quizzes that were given during the discussion. Our final was a presentation with students who were in the same degree program. Much like the MuD 1 term paper, we had to find a link between our area of study and math.
Geol 1 || Carlo Arcilla
Taken: 2st Semester, A.Y. 2015-2016
Geol 1 is another one of my favorite GE subjects, and I was really lucky that Sir Arcilla was my prof. He was funny, frank, and he has a lot of anecdotes about his time as the director of the geology department. His lectures were good and he knows so much about the topics. I’m pretty sure he’s a big deal in the world of geology, he was absent for quite a few of our classes because he had work to attend to in Palawan, Vienna, and some other places. Basically, he travelled a lot. Geol 1 is OUR DYNAMIC EARTH, so you’ll be talking about the origin of the universe, earthquakes, volcanism, and the like. I really, really enjoyed this class. We only had 2 exams, and attendance was only taken a handful of times. My only issue is that he flips the lecture slides pretty quickly, so I wasn’t able to copy everything. But it’s a non-issue, I still loved this class.
I love Air Traffic. I think they only have one album. Unfortunately, they have disbanded. Chris Wall, their lead singer, actually has a new band called Soft Bullets, but I’m not sure how they’re doing. They have several songs, maybe I’ll add one of their songs to this playlist sometime.
This is Air Traffic’s song that I can dance to the most. I love the piano! Their sound reminds me a little bit of The Gabe Dixon Band, though I think The Gabe Dixon Band is less punk, more mellow.
Every year since 2013, I have been setting a goal for myself to read 25 books by the end of the year. (There’s actually a goal within this goal, which is to read at least 5 Tagalog books out of the 25). 2015 has been the best year so far, in regards to this goal. It has been the only year (so far) that I have completed this goal. Surpassed it, actually. Because I took a leave of absence from school, I had more free time and was able to read 26 books. It doesn’t sound like much, but compared to 2013 (when I didn’t even reach half) and 2014 (I came pretty close, only 4 books short), it’s pretty much a crowning achievement.
Since I wasn’t able to complete this goal in 2013 and 2014, I wasn’t really up for discussing my favourite reads of the year. But, now that I have completed it, I want to reflect on what I have read.
The Beat Generation
I tracked the books I read using Shelfari. I noticed that this year, I was pretty heavily into reading books from the Beat Generation. I actually went through all the beat classics this year:
On The Road by Jack Kerouac
Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs
Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg
Kaddish and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg
The Post Office by Charles Bukowski
On The Road was kind of underwhelming. I kept reading about how great it was, and it wasn’t bad, not at all, but there were just some parts that were kind of dragging (read:boring). I should have expected it though, Jack Kerouac wasn’t really one to edit. However, I have On the Road: The Original Scroll on my shelf (I’ve had it for a while), and I’m hoping I’ll like it better than the 1957 version. I started reading the first few pages, and so far, I do like it better. Mostly because it uses the real names of the people Kerouac wrote about, and it makes it seem more real to me. Like I’m one of them, and they’re spilling their secrets to me, and it makes me feel special. Like I’m part of the club.
Naked Lunch. OH MY GOD. I’m pretty sure you have to be high on benzedrine to read this. Although I did enjoy some parts of it, I didn’t really follow the plot (word on the street is there isn’t really a plot). Some parts were just unreadable. It’s like Burroughs just strung some words together to confuse the reader into thinking they’re high. Some parts had me laughing though, but I couldn’t remember them because of the parts that made me think “how in the hell was this ever published?!” Sorry Will. I tried to like it.
The Post Office I liked. It’s pretty much just about a guy who works in the post office, which may sound boring, but Bukowski had a way of making Henry Chinaski interesting. I didn’t love it, but I liked it well enough. Mostly because almost anyone can read it. It’s not one of those “look for the hidden meaning” books, where a character’s inability to let go of a red hat symbolizes his inability to let go of his youth or some shit like that. Not that I don’t read those kinds of books, I do, but sometimes I just need a break from all the thinking and the analysis. I don’t read books to analyze them, I read books to enjoy them. The Post Office is simple. It’s just about a guy who works in the post office. A book for the everyman.
Howl and Other Poems is definitely my favorite among the beat classics that I’ve read. I loved it. I loved it so much, I ended up buying Kaddish, which was a letdown because Howl was so much better, at least for me. I liked several poems from Howl and Other Poems, which includes (but is not limited to) the following: America, A Supermarket in California, and Footnote To Howl. But of course, Howl is my favorite. Much like On The Road, it chronicles Allen’s adventures. Unlike On The Road, Ginsberg manages to make it so riveting and compelling that the first line just sticks with you. I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked. Other than the first line of Pride and Prejudice (It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.), it is the only first line that I know by heart. He uses very vivid imagery; he doesn’t simply tell you about it, like what Kerouac did. He uses vulgar language and sexual themes and he is overt about his homosexuality that, as a young adult, it becomes very easy to relate to.
YA Novels
This year, I reread some of the old YA novels I read when I was in grade school: Perfect You and Something, Maybe, both by Elizabeth Scott. It was pretty nice, I like reading something fluffy once in a while. And if I recall correctly, I read this right after reading all those beat novels, so it was a nice change.
However, I did pick up a few new YA novels this year: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Saenz. Both LGBT novels, both great. Though I did like one more than the other. Actually, I loved the other one, it’s one of my favourite reads this year. As much as I liked reading about Ari and Dante and their path to self-discovery, I was way more entertained by Simon and Baz. Actually, my reaction to Carry On is in this notebook, and it’s entitled Carry On, Carry On (As If Nothing Really Matters). For a while, I actually wanted to buy Fangirl, to which Carry On is a companion novel, but I lost interest when I browsed through a copy in the bookstore and realized that it barely mentions Simon and Baz.
The Classics
I didn’t read a lot of classic novels this year, just Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and 1984 by George Orwell. I loved them both.
For a novel about a killer monster, Frankenstein was very beautifully written. I mean, seriously, I think the writing is more romantic than Austen’s. Also, I discovered that it is very different from the Frankenstein I know from pop culture:
Igor does not exist
it doesn’t mention how Frankenstein was created, though there was a scene where Victor was looking at a tree as it was struck by a lightning bolt, that was as far as lightning bolts went
it did not mention Frankenstein having bolts in his neck
it never said that Frankenstein was green
Victor had a family
Frankenstein does not have a wife, although he did ask for one
Frankenstein can talk, and he can talk better than most people
I’m not really sure if 1984 is considered a classic, but I’m including it here anyway. This book is the most terrifying book I have ever read. It’s not terrifying in a way that it makes me scream out loud, it’s terrifying in a way that makes your stomach and chest feel empty and heavy at the same time. I don’t even know why it scared me so much, I don’t really see the events in it happening in real life. I think it’s because they used the main character’s deepest fears to get him to submit. Mental torture.
Side note: I also read Brave New World this year, but I liked 1984 way more.
Books I Will Definitely Read Again
Sometimes I read books so fast that right after finishing it, I would want to read it again. Or sometimes I’m too excited to read my next book that I breeze through the one I’m currently reading and miss all the good/important parts. Which is why I have made a list of books that I read this year that I want to read again. Maybe I’ll read it this year, maybe next year, I dunno. On top of this list is Carry On, because I love it and it makes me feel warm and fluffy. Everyone needs that once in a while. Also included in this list is Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger. I dunno why, but I didn’t really get into this book when I was reading it. It took me weeks to get past the first few pages, which is pretty weird, given that it’s a thin book to begin with. And of course, Howl and Other Poems.
The last time I posted something was in early April, if I’m not mistaken, which makes it three months since I’ve opened Tumblr. As much as I enjoy writing, life (read: finals) got in the way, and I haven’t written anything in months, apart from a letter of appeal. More on that later.
This write-up is more an account of what I did this summer than anything else. Just so when someone asks, I have something to refer to. (I’m kidding. Unless you’re in grade school and are required to write an essay about “what I did this summer,” nobody ever asks.)(Well, nobody asks me.)
Before I list everything out, I just wanted to say that nothing much happened this summer. No internships, no trips abroad, just me managing my program shift. And sleeping at home.
(1) I got into makeup.
Weird fact about me: I never learned how to put on makeup. Until this summer, that is. Whenever my friends and I go to an event or a party, I always ask one of them to do it for me. It’s kind of embarrassing because (a) shouldn’t I already know how to do it at this age? and (b) I feel like I’m bothering them whenever I ask them to do it for me.
I don’t know what bit me, but one day I just started searching for tutorials on YouTube. I’m actually going to take a formal lesson (it’s like a workshop, it only lasts a day) from an actual makeup artist this August. Should be fun.
Downside to this is that makeup is expensive. Add that to the fact that I buy so many books, so it comes as no surprise that my savings took a dive.
(2) I went to Cebu.
I went to Cebu, Philippines with my brother and his friends. That’s right, I don't have friends of my own to go with, so I had to tag along with my brother. It wasn’t bad though, it was actually really fun, save for the first day, when I felt like his friends didn’t really know how to act around me and so didn’t interact with me at all. It got better as the trip went on though.
It was exactly my kind of trip, the one where you do things rather than take pictures of things. I’d rather go hiking or spelunking rather than go to a church or an art museum and take a bunch of photos (are you even allowed to take pictures in an art museum?) Which doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t do either of those things, I’m up for any kind of travel. My favourites are just the ones that are a little more adventurous, which brings me to number 3.
(3) I jumped off a 40-foot waterfall.
Rather, I jumped right next to the waterfall since I didn’t exactly jump where the water fell from. This was one of the things we did in Cebu. The activity itself, which was basically hiking + jumping off waterfalls + swimming, is called canyoneering. I don’t know why it’s called that, there were no canyons, and I don’t even remember the place where we did it (I would have to ask. I want to keep note of it in case I want to do it again.). What I do remember is that the sensation of falling is much scarier than actually jumping.
We did 3 jumps, 40 feet being the highest (I don’t recall the height of the other two jumps). It’s true, it takes guts to jump, but once you jump, that part is over. What you have to deal with after that is worse. I thought that right after I jumped, I would hit the water. I don’t know why I thought that since it wasn’t like I was jumping into a pool.
In order to paint a slightly more accurate picture of how it went down, here are the thoughts I had before jumping, after jumping, whilst falling, and once I hit the water:
“How the hell do you jump again?! Do I run, then jump? Do I just step off the edge? (answer: it depends whether or not you’re trying to avoid rocks at the bottom. If you are, do not simply step off the edge). Do I have to jump high?"
“I hope I don’t hit those rocks."
“Keep your arms close to your body, keep your arms close to your body.” (which was what we were told to do, so that our arms don’t hurt when we hit the water)
“I did it!” (after jumping)
“WHY AM I NOT IN THE WATER YET?!?!” (this was accompanied by screaming with my eyes closed)
“SHIT, MY ARMS AREN’T CLOSE TO MY BODY!” (hitting the water)
“Ouch, my arms. And my butt. And my nose.” (upon surfacing from the water)
“I jumped from there?! I’m amazing.” (upon looking up at the point where I jumped from down below.)
Here’s my tip: don’t overthink it. Just follow the instructions on how to jump, you should be fine. Don’t worry about drowning, you have a life jacket. If you start panicking in midair like I did, try to remember Newton’s third law. You’ll come down eventually. (Note, I said try to remember Newton. It’s very difficult to think of anything else other than “WHY AM I NOT IN THE WATER YET?!?!” when you’re falling.)
That was pretty much the most amazing thing I did this summer. Everything that follows is boring.
One last thing about Cebu that I didn’t like: they didn’t sell any decent postcards. So now I don’t have any postcards to add to my wall. I think I’ll print some pictures instead.
(4) I got my turtle a bigger home
Nothing much to add to this. She’s swimming a lot more, thanks to the open space.
(5) I watched season 2 of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt with my best friend.
We finished it in one day.
(6) I was bitten by a dog.
It was my best friend’s dog. It happened when I slept over at her house when we watched Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. It wasn’t that bad, just a scrape since I was able to pull my hand right away.
(7) I read About A Boy by Nick Hornby.
I read a lot of other books this summer, but this one is my favourite. Right after I finished reading it, I watched the movie, which featured the cutest, chubbiest Nicholas Hoult I’ve ever seen. Oh, and a young Natalia Tena/Tonks/Osha. I was a bit disappointed with her character because her role is much bigger in the book that it is in the movie. But the movie was still great.
(8) I applied (for shifting) to Psychology, Geology, Chemistry, and Business Administration.
(9) I got rejected from Psychology.
This is where the letter of appeal comes in. I never followed up on it because I got into the other programs, but at the time, I thought Psychology was the one for me. It wasn’t. (If it were, I think I’d be more broken up about not getting in).
(10) I got into Geology.
My interest in Geology started when I took a Geology 1 class last semester. Our class was really lucky because we got a great professor (he was the former director of the department). He’s great at what he does, he knows so much, and he taught us a lot.
When I got into Geology, I thought that was going to be it for me. I was really very excited when I found out (I found out when we were in Cebu, so I was able to enjoy the trip more after finding out). The applicants’ orientation got me really excited about the program. I really thought I was going to be a Geology student this coming semester. But then number 9 happened.
(11) I got rejected from Business Administration. Then got accepted.
I had already signed the contract for Geology when BA told me that I was accepted. I wasn’t on the original list of accepted shiftees and transferees, so I had already dealt with the fact that I didn’t get it. I wasn’t too sad about it though. As I explained to my mom, BA was my safety, my fallback, my UST. (Though what does that say about me, that I didn’t get into my safety? haha)
It turns out that although my mom was really happy about my getting into the Geology program (I suspect that she was just happy because I finally got in somewhere, and not because it was that particular program), she really wanted BA for me. But of course, great mom that she is, she didn’t push me. She let me choose.
So of course I asked my brother. I thought for sure that he’d choose Geology, since he himself is an Environmental Science graduate. Nope. He chose Business Administration, which was, again, a shock to me.
Although they gave me their opinions, I still had to make the decision on my own. So I asked, “what would Rory Gilmore do?” (because Rory Gilmore is amazing). Easy: she would make a pro-con list. So make a pro-con list, I did. It wasn’t even close. After making my list, it was clear that BA was the one for me.
The only thing Geology had going for it was that I was excited about it and that I was really interested, which is a great pro, but there were cons aplenty. One very important con was that I would overstay my welcome at the university. Which is to say that I would break the maximum residency rule. (For programs that last 4 years, students are allowed to stay up to 6 years. For programs that last 5 years, students are allowed to stay up to 7 years and 1 semester.) If I chose Geology, it would take me 3 years and 1 semester to finish the program. I have already been at the university for 3 years, which would take it to a grand total of 6 and a half years. If I chose BA, I can finish it in 2 years and 1 semester, so BA was the clear winner in that category. There were plenty of other pros for BA and cons for Geology, but I don’t want to go into detail.
(12) As of July 26, 2016, I am officially a Business Administration student.
My classmates are probably going to be 2 years younger than me and I’ll probably always be the oldest one in class, but who cares? After 3 years in the university, I finally belong somewhere.
(13) I also got accepted into Chemistry.
But I never even considered it. I only wrote chemistry in my application form because they were asking for 2 degree programs, so I wrote Geology and Chemistry.
(14) I had dinner with my friends last night.
Which isn’t really a Big Summer Event but it just felt weird to end the list at 13.
So that’s my summer. Pretty uneventful. How was yours?
Taken with an Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic. Flash turned on. Macro mode.
This is my brother’s old Canon DSLR. He gave it to me (actually, I asked for it haha) because he got a new one. I really want to learn how to use it, but I don’t have time right now. Hopefully I’ll be able to learn during the summer break.
Book Blurb: The Life of a Stupid Man by Ryunosuke Akutagawa
[I wrote this a month ago and I only realized now that I never actually posted it. Sorry!]
I didn’t like it || It was okay || I liked it || I really liked it || I loved it
“Depressing, a bit hard to understand at times, and seems to have been born out of self-loathing.”
The Life of a Stupid Man includes 3 short stories by Akutagawa: In The Bamboo Grove, Death Register, and The Life of a Stupid Man. The first story is my favourite, and it is the only fictional story. The second and third are both autobiographical pieces, and are both pretty sad. If the little black book had only included the last two stories, I probably would not have liked it as much (as a whole, I mean). The Life of a Stupid Man and Death Register were both written in fragments, which made it pretty hard to read, as there is no flow. He jumps from one time in his life to another.
In The Bamboo Grove was about the murder of a man, and it was told from the point of views of the different people involved in the murder. I absolutely loved this story. If you are not into reading about some guy’s life, then at least pick up the book for In The Bamboo Grove. It’s worth it.
Taken with an Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic. Flash turned on.
This is a ring in the shape of a rose that I bought a few weeks back. I’m not sure why, but I’ve been into rings lately. (And I thought it went with the prompt, “something new”) (get it? wedding? old, new, blue...? GET IT? haha)
This was tricky. I put the camera on a table, then I just placed my hand in front of the lens and hoped for the best. I couldn’t look through the viewfinder, so I had no idea if the ring would even be seen. Though it came out blurry, I’m still pretty happy with how it turned out.
Taken with an Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic. Flash turned on.
This was a paper weight that I made for my dad in kindergarten. It’s actually a rock that’s been painted. Though I don’t remember much about making it, I’m pretty sure I didn’t paint it, because it’s painted really neatly. Though I did make those crooked lines, glued the black spots, and glued on (what used to be) googly eyes (that I had to replace with paper eyes a few years back because the original eyes were damaged). My name is even scribbled on its stomach.
I wanted the bug to be a little closer to the right of the frame, but I still like how it turned out. It’s looks like it’s about to crawl out of the picture. :)
It’s been a really busy week, so I’m so behind on the Instax Photography Challenge that I’m doing. To make up for it, I’ll be posting 3 photos today.
Notice that Day 5 is missing. I’m still planning on getting together with my chosen subject for Day 5 (yes, the subject is a person), so until I hang out with them again, I’m going to hold off on posting a picture for that. Though I do have a lot of old Instax photos of her, I don’t want to recycle.
Watch out for my posts about Days 4, 6, and 7! (Which will be posted later today)
This is a weird one. The song Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift has been playing in my head. It’s weird because I’m not really a big fan of Taylor Swift. I like her old stuff, but I’m not really into her new songs. I can listen to them, tolerate them, sure, and I wouldn’t hate on anyone who listened to them, but they’re just not for me. But apparently, I start liking her songs when Colleen Evans sings it. (Technically, it’s Colleen and Miranda Sings, but whenever it plays in my head, it’s always in Colleen’s voice. She is amazing.)
I actually tried listening to the original one, the one sung by Taylor Swift. Halfway through the song, I already knew that liked this version better. (No, I wasn’t able to finish it).
Behold the wonder that is Miranda Sings. (And Colleen, of course.)
Here’s another one, with just Colleen. It’s not a full cover though, and the one with Miranda is funnier.
baratheonpilled
janainaart
jacobvanloon
gummygunk
snowghoul
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kaledo-art
