The Summer Experience 2: Majulah Singapura!

I’ve never been this excited since the day I found out I’m going to the United States for one year. Sure it’s only for a week, but hey? It’s SINGAPORE we’re talking about! Here’s the list of those who are going abroad next June 15-19 for CG Overdrive 2009 based from the ABMMA Yahoo! Groups.

*Courtesy of Mr. Isner Aswan (whom I know is having one heck of a time reiterating what he already said amidst the massive influx of moderated messages just gaining approval to be viewed in the groups site.)

The CG Overdrive ’09 list of attendees has been sent to Singapore. Below are the
names of those who have enlisted successfully:

Abellana, Japeth
Aguado, Juan Paulo P.
Almachar, Brian Amiel T.
Ambrosio, Alessandra J.
Ang, Paul Sherwin Yu
Ang, Valerie Jo L.
Angeles, Raissa
Apita, Isidro A.
Aquino, Juan Fidel Q.
Arciaga, Melvin C.
Arreza, Carlo Jay
Atento, Mikhaela
Auditor, Mark Aaron
Balbido, Kristel Ann E.
Baldemoro, Michael Jeff D.V.
Ballaran, Anne
Barrera, Ma. Katrina E.
Batino, Jovita Lourdes
Bautista, Rhojie-Anne T.
Bautista, Simoun Christian B.
Belleza, Karlo Marco G.
Bernardo, Charmaine S.
Brillantes, Maria Luisa I.
Brodeth, Dylan
Buenviaje, Alezza Marie
Bustos, Andrei C.
Cabador, Miles D.
Cabanos, Eunice Marie D.
Cabiling, Aileen Ruth B.
Cabrera, Ralph Victor
Cadorna,Glennford Blanch D.
Cambay, Czar
Campanilla, Kristan Marie G.
Canlas, Clarence Paul A.
Caringal, Christiane Joy E.
Carola, Charlotte C.
Chan, Gregory Allan
Chan, Jenny
Chan, Lorraine Chua
Chen, Chia-Yi
Chen, Tai-Yao
Cheng, Jayneejoy Dy
Cheung, Sherman S.
Choi, Yeon Jin
Chua, Jesse Camille A.
Chua, Kristine Nicole Co
Consulta, Lorenzo P.
Cristobal, Ray Christian
Cruz, Jed Francis Revita
Cruz, Jessica Marionne
de Gracia, Elena Margarita L
de Guzman, Maria Katrina P.
de los Reyes, Rona Reina M.
De McCuttac, Angel Christine M.
Dee, Carl Anthony
del Rosario, Marie Vivien V.
dela Cruz, Cyntchira Mari P.
dela Rea, Mikki
Delatado, Kezia Carele
Delgado, Patrisha Sofia D.
Demetria, Demy Anthony Christian M.
Diccion, Ralph Matthew R.
Dionisio, Angel
Dizon, Dino Raphael
Elisha D. Santos
Espartinez,Nikki
Espinosa, Regine Amparo S.
Fargas, Michael Thomas R.
Felix, Pocholo DC.
Fenix, Sheena Belle
Fermin, Ermin Jay
Fernandez, Juan Gabriel M.
Foz, Vicente Paulo D.
Galvante, Michelle Corazon V.
Gamboa, Bradley Lance M.
Gapas, Erica Rielle M.
Gapasin, Carl L.
Garcia, Ehlorie Jayne A.
Garcia, John Paolo C.
Gaston, Paul Jantzen D.
Geronimo, Anna Katerina P.
Go, Kerwin A.
Gonzalez, Carlo Pocholo Cayetano
Guiam, Tristan
Habitan, Jaime Luis S.
Hafalla, Mari Hannah B.
Hidalgo, Beatrice Ann M.
Homecillo, Kaye Denise A.
Ilagan, Nicolo L.
Inumerable, Ma. Luisa
Isidro, Maria Therese V.
Isidro, Robert Michael V.
Jariol, Allain Andrew
Jorge, Richard Benson O.
Jota, Jose III
Keith, Gabriel William M.
Kim, Nari
Kiok, Kervin Lauren Cheng
Lansang, Jonathan
Law, Grace Anne P.
Lazaro, Jan Vincent
Ledesma, Kathryn Dale Gonzaga
Lee, Anthony Amos I.
Lee, Franz Andrew
Leonor, Rudolph
Li, HuiFang
Liao, Paul Michael S.
Lim, Aldrich
Lim, Aldrich Jesse P.
Lim, Jordan Ching
Lin, I-Ling
Lontok, Ericson
Lotho, Manuel
Lucero, Rainier V.
Luna, Katherine Noelle
Manapsal, Gerald A.
Manere, Carlo Martin M.
Maningas, Nonilon
Manlapaz, Vernon James
Manuel, Geschelle Dianne
Martinez, Jakin
Martinez, Marie Roxanne V.
Martinez, Wilfred
Martir, John Noel
Matienzo, Joseph Napoleon S.
Maxino, Dominica E.
Medina, Jacqueline Mae C.
Mendez, Joanna Gabriella E.
Mendoza, Christian Michael C.
Mercado, Rowell N.
Nakanishi, Rey Allan
Narte, Johanna May M.
Ng, Nathania Jo
Ong Chuan, Jeremy Joie B.
Ong, Janice Hope
Ortegoza, Marica Franzeska
Palomares, Matthew Emerson E.
Pangilinan, Cymbell Joy
Paredes, Patricia Frances T.
Paruginog, Emmanuel B.
Pascual, Arianne Criseyde P.
Penas, John Philip
Pineda, Karla Angeli Kaye V.
Pineda, Nicolo-David Lim
Plata, Russel Andreu S.
Ponce, Joanna Marie Nartates
Pornea, Charisse Mae L.
Portillo, Beatriz Celina
Pundavela, Meryl Anne M.
Quing, Danielle Christine
Ramilo, Ace Benedict Roxas
Ramirez, Alexandra
Raposa, Albert Jeffrey A.
Reinoso, Gabriel Luis F.
Reyes, Robert Michael Montallana
Robisnon, Lucille T.
Robles, Tito Kahlil Gibran III
Rocio, Ron Reiner S.
Rodrigo, Carmela
Rodriguez, Albert Joseph D.
Rodriguez, Cess L.
Romero, Marie Isoebelle M.
Rosales, Chrisancis
Rosales,Wyann Selwyn K.
Rosit, John Adrian A.
Roxas, Jeffric A.
Rubiano, Luigi
Salatandre, Maricris
Salazar, Ma. Czarina Lourdes C.
Samonte, Jennifer Bea Marie M.
Sandiego, Andre
See, Lorraine Anne M.
Si, Kevin Troy
Siat, Jamie Elora M.
Sinaban, Robert Dannielle J.
Sison, Mark Bryan S.
Sitoy, Martin Siojo
Sitoy, Natileigh Marie Therese S.
So, Jasper
Sta. Rosa, Arvin Joseph I.
Suaco, Ernest Paulo
Suguitan, Ranice Julianne G.
Sze, Sidney Sherwin Y.
Tabalong, Laura Mae E.
Tabin, James Christian P.
Taborda, Christine Joyce S.
Tac-An, Ezra U.
Tan, Christina
Tan, Crystal Tiffany C.
Tan, Jan Vyliam G.
Tan, Jeremy Lloyd
Tan, Mary Eleonor
Tan-Abing, Rommel
Tanenggee, Ian Immanuel
Teh, Desinira
Tinoy, Rhonel M.
Tolentino, Jonathan
Torralba, Joanna Marie U.
Torralba, Seth Osric
Torres, Joanna Marie
Tuano, Ma. Andrea Rosario
Tumampos, Austell Cyril G.
Umlas, Andrea May P.
Ushijima, Joji F.
Uy, Stephanie M.
Uy, Suzzane Joan Y.
Valdeavilla, Mary Xiardei
Valeriano, Maria Beanca Z.
Velasco, Maria Regina N.
Vengua, Lalaine Xylene S.
Villaflor, Juan Miguel
Villa-Real, Jamie Diane Marie F.
Villegas, David Laurence A.
Viola, Kriszel
Vitan, Jose Benito H.
Vivo, Ivy Marie
Wang, Tian Ge
White, Zachary
Xu Han Qi
Yap, Rainiel
Ypil, Erika Liana
Yu, Charlon Albert
Yu, Friedrich
Zafranco, Zerubbel Cyril D.
Zhang, Yi Yin

~Ang dami!

For more information, visit the CG Overdrive 2009 Website and the official website of the Singapore hotel we’ll be staying at (at least for those who’ll take the package offered by CSB): Orientus Resort Singapore

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The Summer Experience 2: “…ala Benildean”, Enrollment, and “Frosh Orientation” Relived Part 2

Enrollment Relived

     This was last Wednesday, May 13 2009. I accompanied my brother to CSB sometime around 11 to avoid an expected long line of late enrollees (as is my brother) inside the LRC Extension. We had lunch at the caf then later waited to while off the time in Plaza V. We went downstairs to the LRC just in time to mee an increasing line of enrollees accompanied by the parents.

      The LRC guys kept us pre-occupied by having us watch “Underworld” wherein two years ago, I remember me and my batch were watching Unang Hirit on TV. Afterwards the enrollment process began.

       Unlike years ago wherein enrollees had to go upstairs searching for the Accounting to pay their tuition, a representative of the accounting office was present in the LRC to administer check payments. At the worst possible event, my mom didn’t read in my brother’s enrollment procedure documents that he had to pay an additional Php200 as surcharge for being a late enrollee. I asked the accountant if its okay to continue with the enrollment process, and she says that we still could as long as we’d be able to pay off the surcharge as soon as possible.

       We did and we went through the process of 1)Encoding my brother’s ID number : 10971556 into the CSB-ACTC main frame, 2)Underwent a very time-consuming physical exam (because it took too long for the doctors to examine each and every student freshman), 3)ID capture (which he will claim on 20th May), 4)Dental exam (he was told to have his teeth cleaned), and 5) have his urine sampled for the drug test.

Along the way I met up with some familiar faces like Willard (who’s retaking his Reconse wherein we used to be in the same class back 3rd term 1st year), Ryan S (I’m guessing he’s taking up summer class as well :D), and James (My former classmate in BMAT2x when I took up advanced summer classes for the subject) as well as M.A. (who was present in the area).

Then came the fateful day…

“Frosh Orientation” Rerelived

Last summer, I was mistaken to be a frosh by a 107 student. It just so happens that I wore green shirts throughout most of the week during much of the duration of FOP 2008.

It was to be repeated again last Friday May 15. Other than some familiar FOP vets, there are also some ID108 and ID106 orientors present during the IS frosh orientation.

I just happened to be in CSB that day since I’m going to pay some dues for my brother, his breakdown of payments for the first trimester since my mom want it so much as well copies of receipts for the first 2 terms of my sophomore year. In addition, I’ve also set up this date as the day I’m REALLY gonna give Jeco his tempting desire: the sukang Iloco he so wanted me to buy :D. (More on that later :)) )

I was to write in the permission slip to be given to me by the registrar my brother’s ID number but I forgot what exactly was his ID number. So I went upstairs to the CSB Auditorium to look for Jorge and ask him what his ID# is. Instead, I was met by an orientor, forgot what her name is, but she asked me for my brother’s name and I said “Jorge Habitan”. She said she’ll let him know I’m looking for him.

Another orientor approached and asked me what section I’m from, thinking I’m a frosh. This would have been a good opportunity to fool someone that I am one but no, that’d be too lame and nasty for an upperclassman like me. I clarified that I wasn’t and she apologized that she called me a freshman :D.

I sure Jorge had seen what CSB has to offer as well as experience the same type of initiation faced by all incoming froshes around here (Anyone up for “sushi roll”?). I know he’s going to like it here.

MANIGAS SIYA KUNG AYAW NIYA 😛 Hehehehe.

Malapit na…

The CSB Experience
Year 3 Premieres May 2009
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The Summer Experience 2: “…ala Benildean”, Enrollment, and “Frosh Orientation” Relived Part 1

Solomon Hall

Weird..As if it was only yesterday when I first walked into the halls of St Benilde wondering and searching “Where the heck is the accounting office?”. Now two years have passed, now entering junior year, I relived the moments once again when my brother went to my school to live the “CSB Experience” as a Benildean.

Yup, he’s taking up BS-Information Systems this school year whether he likes it or not. After some tumultuous events forced him to abandon his plans of entering the University of Santo Tomas, he finds a home to one of the schools he thought months back as the most likely he fall into in case his plans for USTe go awry. He even considers the fall-in as “the worst possible scenario”. That’s his fault so he had to accept the consequences caused by his lack of action.

“…Ala Benildean” Relived

      Jorge was saddened by the mere fact that his dreams of going to UST is going down the Arsenio Lacson drain. A day before we left for Ilocos, I went ahead executing Plan B: Confirming my brother’s slot in one school he doesn’t want to be in for the very beginning but took an entrance exam for it anyway: De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

     I had all the things needed for the slot confirmation, documents, cash payments, everything. I was asked by someone from the admissions why it took my brother long to consider CSBV and I told her that someting happened on another school he so wanted to be in but in the end, got ended up in CSB.

Next thing I knew, his enrollment is scheduled on the 13th of May.

(To be continued…)

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The Summer Experience 2: How Clean is Your Room?

DSC_0168DSC_0179DSC_0175DSC_0178
Finally, I found the time to really  dedicate one whole day to clean up what supposed to be cleaned up years ago…My room!

I have waited for so long to throw out all the unnecessities that have accumulated inside what used to be a room shared by three members of the Habitan household. These include old notebooks, school books, used quiz papers, seatworks, workbooks, worthless board games, old newspapers, toys, PC game boxes and a whole lot more.

You could imagine all the dirt collected by those things, sitting their for as long as the seven years I’ve been back in the Philippines from abroad when we had the house renovated, my bedroom expanded, the space shared by my two brothers.

After a second expansion took place a few years ago, my two siblings moved out and I had all the room for myself as well as the rest of their stuff they left.

I actually wanted to have them all removed from my room because other than not my possession to begin with, they’re making my room look all the more overcrowded.

Because there are way too many stuff, I had to put some of them in some place so I could make room for my own stuff. I even had some of my brothers’ belongings place in a small cabinet found above my closet where my parents would usually place all their traveling bags and stuff. But over the years, that cabinet had turned into a landfill that could almost be compared to that of Rodriguez, Rizal (formerly Montalban).

The accumulating dust also poses as a health threat for me since I’m asthmatic. Any prolonged exposure to dust could lead me to an asthma attack.

So every summer, I dedicate one day of cleaning my room up and throwing some stuff away that is no longer needed. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done.

Me having have the largest bedroom of us 4 siblings, mines not that easy to clean considering the cabinets, drawers and even books that I have to clean up. Not to mention, my kuya forbids me of ever throwing his own stuff that’s in my room. I so wanted to throw away those good for nothing PC boxes of his, especially at a time when my room got invaded by termites. They several of the PC boxes consumed as well as some very important things like my old photo album and some old books dated 20 years ago.

Jorge in his case has a lot of old huge puzzle books and board games he bought when he was 9 years old. he used to be found of puzzles thus he bought one too many. He also got interested on board games yet he couldn’t find someone to play it with him (because most of us had already outgrown playing childish games). Looking back, I felt kind of bad for not being able to play around with my little brother more than I should have.

I was able to throw some stuff but not to a greater extent as to what I did just today and last Tuesday. I was able to remove about let’s say 70% of the stuff I no longer need nor were they mine to begin with. There are still some stuff that had to be removed as well but I have to wait maybe either before school starts or another nth months for me to take care of it. But I’m just glad that at the very least I finally had some breathing space!

I keep some of the things that are of sentimental and important value to me. Among them is the large periodic table of elements that Jerico and Raymond gave to me when we were still 3rd year high school students as well as my old stuff I had brought home from the US back in 2003 including my old Polaroid camera which I doubt is still functional.

Among those I’m keeping are my increasing collection of college stuff I’ll be keeping for portfolio purposes including my big ol’sketch of a Philippine Eagle which I had it masked tape it on my wall.

Goodness, there’s only 5 days and 40 minutes remaining before school starts!

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The Summer Experience 2: I Lurk, See I Learn

I was really planning on going to CSB for FOP week for reasons that I wanna see who the new blood are. In addition, I have to accompany my brother for his enrollment at the 13th and possibly accompany him again on the 15th for that day’s FOP for BS-IS (Information Systems) froshes (I refuse to call them “froshies”).

Surprised to see Gilbert and Carlo FOP’ing the second time around. So come MediaMax GA, I should expect a lot of freshmen recruited by those two the most :D. Lakas ng hatak kasi nila sa tao eh, knowing them after all. Also seen orienting freshmeat was Lance.

Something’s off with the whole scenario though. I just couldn’t lay my finger on it.

Seeing those innocent young froshes remind me of how my old block, DV1, were oriented back exactly 2 years ago. From that point on, we have grown, matured and learned. As we get older, we got wiser.

Seeing back those days, I realized how naive we were. Maybe even today we still are but not to the same extent as it was way back then.

I also realized how bad I was writing my own entries while I was still starting out wih my blog! 😛

😀

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The Summer Experience 2: Kung Magkuwento ang Barbero

I was thinking of naming this one either 1) “Split Ends”, 2) or “Shear Genius” but the thought of barbers chatting with each other while on the job really caught my tongue. I mean, what we don’t know from what they’re talking about while cutting our hair could be one of the most interesting and intellectual conversations ever produced?

After more than a month after my disastrous heck-of-a haircut last time in Polo, I decided to have my hair cut to this other barber shop I know in Tatawid for a change. In complete contrast to my usual choice of barber shop, this one has barbers that knows good hygiene, knows what “clean” means to their customers, and give full priority to every detail of every strand of hair needed to be cut according the clients’ wishes.

Despite the sharp contrasts, there’s always things barbers all have in common: magchika-chika.

I know right?

They chatter about a lot of things, with topics ranging local politics to daily life happenings. You’d be very surprise on how barbers would respond to issues. If you get t listen to their conversations carefully, you’ll see how their responses reflect their intelligent viewpoints as citizens in our country.

Call them the “silent politicians”, they debate on what should be done around this country, on how it should be run, or even how they believe a certain politico would affect us in whole after he is elected into office.

No wonder the Filipino barber is part of Philippine pop culture. We certainly don’t see the superior mind and intellect they possess beneath the jeans and white tees we usually see from them.

Kung magkuwento talaga ang barbero!

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The Summer Experience 2: Renewal

My thumbs are covered with ink…again…

On an unseasonably rainy summer May day (the 7th), I went off with my brother to go to my mom’s office for us to be accompanied by one of her co-workers to DFA later in the afternoon to have our passports renewed.

But that would have meant braving the summer rains from our house until we arrive in Manila halfway down to the Metro coming from the North. Waagh! My shoes got wet and water got my socks soaking weeeeet!

Tito Noel, one of my mother’s co-workers in DOF accompanied us to the Department of Foreign Affairs. Once there by half an hour before our 2PM appointment, we seated in a row of long wide chairs among the line of people waiting for their turn.

Cut short to 2:58PM….

“…..HABITAN?!”

“Ooh, that’s us! That’s us!”

“Iyung si Jaime Luis muna….”

I got a hold of my application and I was like “Wow! Ang guwapo ko, ah!”. Looking at that cute, handsome passport picture of myself…Dazzling…Charming…My eyes could melt a girl’s heart (They are my best assets, you know). Ooh, feels so good to be myself! Mmm, mmm, mm!

Ang vain ko! :)) (Please, let me be like this just for once)

I compared this picture of mine taken last December to that I had way back March/April 2001. I still had some baby teeth, chubby and was the on my 3rd/4th month wearing glasses.

The DFA lady had me sign my signature on my application form confirming that what is written on it is correct and accurate. Next thing I knew I had to pay downstairs and show the lady the receipt and after that, I’m all done!

Unfortunately for Jorge, he’s not old enough to have his passport renewed without the accompaniment of one of our parents. Papa’s at work while my mom’s at Camp Aguinaldo lecturing guys of the DOJ about the global financial crisis. Those dude don’t stand a chance at my mother’s taray powers. Bwahahahaha!

So in the end, I still am the lucky one hehehe. And, as how I said it on my status on Facebook, I’m inches away from my dream of going abroad again after such a long time!

Singapore, beware of my wrath!!

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Reality and Dreams: Mala-“The Happening” and “The Andromeda Strain”

Wow…Another out-of-this world dream! This time, it’s set  like a post-apocalyptic movie.

      In this dream I had last night, people started to feel sickly all of the sudden and slowly…one-by-one, they started to either 1)disappear, 2)fade out, 3)turn into liquid. Don’t know how it all came to be but for sure my dream owe its existence from me having watched this 2-part mini-series aired on CineMax last Sunday titled “The Andromeda Strain” with a pinch of Mark Wahlberg’s “The Happening”.

       Then the cameras rolled to the hero in my dream. He decided “I’ll go to Japan to see if I could find a cure!”, and off to Japan he did! In a convenience store, he finally found the antidote that will stop the growing epidemic and could somehow bring back those who disappeared.

The focus of the dream suddenly changed when, on another side of the Earth lies a largely unrelated story of my dream’s next heroine. She went to the palace to tell her dad the truth about her evil rival to the throne. The rival denied the accusation thrown at her (whatever that is!) and argues it’s all a ploy to take back her claim to the throne. But the heroine brought out a tape that contains the rival’s sinister plans.

After that, the dream ended. Weird, isn’t it? I could even hear a song from “Si Mary at ang Lihim na Hardin” as a background:

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