My December in a Nutshell

How's your Christmas vacation so far? It's barely three days before the 25th and ten days before the New Year! Yeah, sure I know Math. Haha. I just want to emphasize how near it is already!!! It also means heading back to school again soon. Tsk. Oh well, before I get started in my drama of leaving home again, I will go back to my festive mood first and live each day as it comes. I am spending the holidays with my family. But this year, instead of our having it in our home in Virac, we are celebrating it here in Naga City! And also new this year, Kuya Win is here for Christmas! Nothing beats spending the holidays with your family complete. :)

Okay, now I am getting too excited.

Actually, for me, the holidays already started long before this day. It began after I have submitted my first long exam papers for ChE 123, my last exam for the year. I am doubtful it went well, but past is past so let's just move on from there. Hopefully, I will have better exam results next year to make up for that one. I must have better exam results! Obviously because I don't have Eng'g Week as a reason now.

Engineering Week a.k.a. Eng'g Week, is the most anticipated (I think) ESC event every year by every affiliated engineering student in UP Diliman. The different eng'g orgs battle it out for the Engineering Week Overall Champion or EWOC title. Being a resident member of UP KEM, the consistent runner-up for the title in the past years, I sure find Eng'g Week a big deal, although I admit I haven't really been an active player. I prefer to be more of the cheerer. This year, I have watched Smokers Night, Dulaang Eng'g, and Indakan. I have also helped out in Awitan 2011 as a logistics team member. I am less busier this year since there is no more cheering competition (which I was part of last year) but I watched and cheered for more games like Debateng'g, Dresseng'g, Casteng'g Call and Pipol Pusoy. More than any of the points earned or the titles won, the most rewarding thing to have is that org spirit I saw from everyone.

My tickets for three of the night events

My somehow-active presence during the Eng'g Week is not the only thing new about me. After Bennard's insistent request, I am donning a new hair too!

So.. how does it fit me?

I got my hair cut just in time for the Spartans' Christmas party! Like the last years, it was again held at Anton's place. Thank you Lucille, Anton and family for having us. Had so much fun! :) Here are win photos during the games. Halata bang nag-eenjoy kami masyado?

And because I am vain like that, I'll show you what I wore during our Christmas party. :P

Thanks JK for the gift! I can really make use of this. Thank you, thank you! And Raisa, I hope you like what you received. ;) 

Another thing which made my December a blast was my parents and youngest sister's visit in Manila. Papa and Mama went for their medical check-ups and so Joy tagged along. They stayed for a week and so we were able to spend lots of time together in the city. We also scoured the malls for the chikitings' gifts. Joy and I found these on Booksale.

Books for the kids

Book for me (at 45 freaking pesos)

I even toured my sis in UP during the timely Lantern Parade and we waited for the fireworks too!

Joy and some mascots

White Lady from the Balete Drive and I

Here are photos of some of the floats.

And here are the people I was with during the parade!

Jilly and I (with my Ate singit at the back)

Bennard and I posing at R-12

Me as photographer lol

After staying for a while in UP, we headed to Mercato. Para naman may foodtrip experience si Joy before going home. :) Bennard, Joy, and I had burgers, cheese sticks, garlic and parmesan buffalo wings, macaroon and melon juice. Ate Elvy and Kuya Amar had takoyaki and other Japanese food. The Off Beat burger aka Krispy Kreme Burger which I bought for us turned out to be only good when it's for sharing (the case when I first tasted it). Now that I had it all for myself, I found it less impressive. Joy liked Bennard's burger better which he bought from Ranch something. Oops, sorry Joy. Haha.

So there. This is basically how the first few days of my Christmas vacation went. Many things happened, and I can still make more things happen in the few days left I have before 2011 finally closes.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone!

This Time of Year

♫ 'Tis the season to be jolly. Fa la la la la la la la la. ♫

It's just sixteen days before the most wonderful time of the year! Are you excited already? If you ask me, there is nothing more that I look forward to every year than Christmas time. Its very thought just gives me a certain kind of peace and comfort. It's hard to explain it, that feeling, but I am sure you already understand what I am trying to say. 

This year is particularly special to me. I have never seen Manila so bright before! Or maybe I just did not go out that much in the past years. Haha. I have been to Greenhills, my first, to Tiendesitas, to Araneta Center-Cubao, to Boni High, to Ortigas (the Liwanag Park was just soooo bright, sometimes I think Meralco is wasting a lot of electricity they could have just provided for their consumers), and of course, to UP. 

Oblation (Photo taken from UP FB Account)

Gateway Mall Christmas Tree (inside)

Gateway Christmas Tree (outside)

Shangri-La Mall decor

Greenhills' Christmas presentation

Greenhills-ala-Disneyland

Meralco Building

Meralco Belen

Aside from the lights, what's new to my Christmas season this year are the Christmas bazaars. And the super sale at malls. My oh my, there are lots of good stuffs out there in relatively lower price. If only I had more money, I could have already fulfilled my wish of doing Christmas shopping for all my loved ones! Next year, I'll try saving up months before December. Hihi.

Bipolar (I start out fine then I rant!)

Heeeey! November went by just like that, and I'm both happy and sad about it. Happy because it means it's almost my favorite time of the year (I love Christmas month better than my birth month) and sad because I only had one post for the previous month. I can't have any more excuses now since the internet connection in the dorm still hasn't failed me, and since I haven't been too busy with my acads yet. (Well, I will be this weekend, especially that I got three scheduled exams next week!) It's just that I started to be active on Twitter (follow me: @rhenabundo), then there's my Tumblr (follow me still haha: rhenaissance.tumblr.com), and Facebook. I am lately not into movies though I have already finished the MTV series "Awkward" which my orgmates told me about. And of course my usual dose of The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, and How I Met Your Mother. Have I told you I've been watching Downton Abbey? It's a good series, you should watch (if you love period dramas, this is made for you)! Sadly, Series 3 is to air next year. That long wait which I hate. And love, at the same time. :)) So, while trying to forget my anxiety over Downton (which I watched to amuse myself while waiting for Sherlock and Game of Thrones second seasons), I tried a British mini-series, "Any Human Heart," mainly because Matthew Macfadyen is in it. Now that I'm all finished with it, "Once Upon A Time" is next.

(How did we arrive in this topic again? Haha. I'm sorry I have this habit of blabbing and topics branching out until I lose track of what point I am really trying to make.)

Okay. So I was telling you, I am somehow disappointed of myself for not keeping the goal I have set for myself, which is to constantly post new entries. My past attempts on blogging had failed and I don't want this to end up like those. Another reason why I am writing this entry because I was inspired by the new blogs I have been reading. Oh, how I wish to be like them! Their life seems so... interesting! I just can't help but admire the scope of things they can talk about. And the time and devotion they had given to keep their blogs updated. And each one's unique way of writing!

I told you I don't have any more excuses now. But I have a few things in mind which usually prevent me from "going for it".

One. Although I think my writing style is what I can call my own, I find it boring. I can get too verbose.
Two. I overthink. I am too critical of myself. I always feel that I am never interesting enough.
Three. Maybe I don't actually write for myself. Maybe all the to-cross-one-thing-from-my-bucketlist reason is just one way to cover up my real reason for blogging. Maybe, just maybe, the real reason is about how others will start to view me. Do I have low self-esteem? Maybe.

They say a man's essential need is the recognition from others. This applies greatly to me, I think. Either that, or I am just too vain.