Summer (Part 1)

How has my summer been?

Unlike most of you who have probably been to a beach or two, I was busy studying. Yes, I had summer classes. I live in a world where summer doesn't equate to mindless fun nor does it equate being overly bored because of nothing to do. Mine was filled with speeches, poems, and lots of black paint. Now that it's over, I have a lot free time. *cheers* It was not an ideal summer. A summer spent beach-hopping or somewhere in Siberia, it definitely wasn't like that. I had fun, though. No, I'm not being sarcastic. To show you I'm really not being the sarcastic monster that I usually am, let me tell you how awesome my summer has been. 

Banahaw Trip

For our PI 100 which is a subject about Rizal, we went to Mt. Banahaw to learn more about those people who worship Dr. Jose Rizal. I was hesitant at first. I didn't really want to join because I'm not really into mountains and stuff. I also didn't want to pay 960 pesos for a hiking trip. I wanted to just go home and rest instead of joining the trip. But since I'm used to doing things I don't really want to, and because my friends told me it would be a great 'experience', I joined. 

We left Manila early in the morning aboard a bus with chandeliers inside. Weird, but true. There were chandeliers inside the bus! It felt really luxurious added to the fact that there were very few of us inside it. A lot of people from my class didn't join so there was this sea of empty seats between the back and the front of the bus. Moving on, the trip was quite long but we weren't bored. There were lots of food and the movie was good. Our professor brought a copy of A Walk to Remember to keep us entertained. When it was over, one of the two professors aboard the bus started to give a lecture about our destination and that was when slumber time commenced. I felt sorry for the professor talking in front. MY CLASSMATES WERE SLEEPING! There were only two or three of us who fought the urge to sleep. I really felt sorry for him so I really tried to 'pretend' being interested. It didn't last long. The professor noticed that the people in the back were all in dreamland already so he stopped and just sat down. He continued his lecture when we were 15 minutes away from the destination. People were awake then, and they had the enthusiasm of cadavers.

Shortly, the bus stopped and there we were at Mt. Banahaw. I'm not going to narrate everything from this point on. Let's just say that when we got off the bus, we first went to this religious group's headquarters. We stayed there for a while to hear about their religion then we left. We ate lunch somewhere. It was part of the 960 we paid for the trip. We were asked to behave, but I couldn't help demanding for a bigger piece of chicken.  

After eating, we had a few minutes to prepare for the highlight of the day---the hiking trip.

So there, we formed a straight line and went into the forest. The silence was deafening. It was like I had earplugs on. I couldn't even hear the rustling of the leaves. All I could hear were my breaths which became faster and faster as we went higher. For the first part of the hike we were on level ground and as it progressed, we found ourselves stepping on mossy rocks. We went higher and higher into the mountain. It was my first time to do that, and I was scared. One wrong step and I'd have fallen off the mountain. Luckily, I lived! I was very pale by the time we reached the resting station. I guess I really have to exercise some more to get used to physical activity. Moving on, we reached what looked like a shed. We sat down for a while as our group collected under it. The mountain guide oriented us about what would happen next. 

He told us about what people call the Husgado Cave. They said that it's a way to have yourself judged. If you're a sinner, you'll get out of the cave wounded or you won't get out of it at all. The guide didn't force us to enter the cave, but for the sake of experiencing it and to prove ourselves, all but one of us entered.

Before entering the cave, we were asked to stop by the nearby altar to pray for guidance. I was trembling either because I was scared or because I was tired already. After praying, we went to the mouth of the cave.

We were all asked to remove our shoes. It was hard. My feet were both in pain. I was stepping on all sorts of things like rocks, bugs, and other people's feet. I was fourth in line. And after the first two had gotten inside, I went in. 

The entrance to the cave was like a hole on the ground. There was a guide waiting for me there. It was pretty steep so whoever entered the cave had to step on the poor guide's shoulders and sit on him so we don't plunge to the unknown. I sat on the edge of the opening and eased myself downwards into the shoulders of the guide. While I was doing that, I accidentally toppled on the candles on the altar. (Oops) I could have angered the cave gods! HAHA. Moving on, I successfully sat on the guide's shoulders and then he put me down on the floor of the cave. The next obstacle was this small path. Well everything there was like that. It was either you'd get down on all fours and crawl or lie down and crawl like that. (Sorry for the vagueness) But believe me, the cave was very narrow in all aspects. It was dark inside, too. Through it, I just copied what the person in front of me did to get through the obstacles. That was the general rule. People should help each other. The person in front of me gave me instructions which I would pass on to the person behind me. Inside that cave, I found out that I can be a contortionist if I badly needed to be one. 

After going through a series of obstacles, I finally found the exit! Unfortunately, the person in front of me was gone already and she didn't tell me how to go through that final obstacle. So there, I worked it out by myself. I leaned my back on the cave and stepped on the adjacent rock to raise myself. 

Rejoice! I made it through! I had a small gash on my left knee, though. (I'M A SINNER!) The three people ahead of me were there and they applauded. They were like a welcoming committee. Haha. I sat down, drank water, and rested. We took pictures while waiting for the others. We posed at the exit of the cave to look like we just got out of it. 

Soon, people started appearing one by one. The crowd was getting larger and larger until we were all complete. Then we proceeded to the next part of the hike.

After a long walk, we reached the river! Feeling oh-so sticky with sweat, we all jumped in the cool waters. We were having so much fun there. We were like kids in a kiddie pool. I can't count how many times I slipped on the rocks. Good thing only a few people saw me. Mortifying, still. 

After some fun in the water, we went up 270 something huge steps to get to the path that would take us out of the mountain. It was even more tiring than the hike that took us to that place! When we reached the top, we rested for the nth time.

We made our way back to the bus and changed our clothes. It was hard changing all of your clothing while inside the bus. I know we were all girls then (we forced the boys to change clothes somewhere else) but I was still not comfortable about it. I had this towel to cover me as I changed out of my wet clothes and into dry ones. 

Later on, we were all done and we reunited with the male population who, I later found out, got dressed outdoors (in the grassy areas). HAHA. We visited another religious group. We were asked to sit down as the leader told us stories. I wasn't listening. I was viewing the pictures in my digital camera. Oh yeah, I'm so awesome. HAHA.

After that, we went back to the bus and rode home. The bus ride was crazy. Don't get me started. 

That was the closest thing I had to 'summer fun'. I may not have gone to the beach or to Baguio, but I joined that trip. It was really fun. I had a lot of 'firsts' and it was definitely a bonding experience with some of my batch mates. It also taught me to always have faith.  You see, I really wasn't being sarcastic or anything. Summer was fun especially when you add those Comm III moments that I'd probably be sharing with you  in another blog post. It wasn't the ideal summer that we all have in mind. Screw that 'ideal' summer. What I had is so much better. I'm not bitter or anything. I'm just saying that even the worst things can become the best if you look at it at a different perspective--or when you have awesome friends to make everything much, much better. 

p.s. Look for the pictures in my Facebook account. I'm having a hard time uploading them here. My internet connection is failing me. :| 

Yellow

Regrets.

I don't really have a lot of regrets, but there is one thing that would have changed my life...big time.

I want to go back in time.

I should have gone yellow.

I can be creative too

It's been almost a year since I started my deviantart account as eliemagnus. Here's one of my favorites taken from my collection there. :>

flowers for you

My parents are watching what looks like a soap opera marathon. The title of the soap opera, you don't want to know. Well anyway, I was forced to watch it as well since they won over our living room TV. In fact, as I type this post, I'm listening to it. But let's just get to the point, shall we?

I happen to have a glimpse of the events in the show, and I saw a guy giving a bouquet of flowers to his 'main squeeze'. It happened not only once, but thrice in the same episode. Each involved different pairings. So something entered my mind.

I was reminded of the people who always emphasize that they don't want to receive flowers on v-day or on any other occasion since, according to them, it's not 'practical'. I'm not one of those people. I love receiving flowers! They may not be really useful afterwards (unless you want to beautify your room), but the beauty of the bouquet and the feeling one gets when receiving even just a single long-stemmed rose are priceless. It makes you feel more beautiful and appreciated...or something like that. Well, not just that. There's more to it, and I just can't explain it. I guess you really have to receive flowers first to know how it feels.

We are all allowed to express our opinions about things. And in my opinion, those people who are openly against receiving flowers have probably never gotten any ever since they were born.

reditus

I decided to return to my ‘original’ room after using my brother’s room for a month. My brother’s room is filled with all the stuff I need like wall to wall carpet, guitars, and a keyboard. But then I realized that I badly missed my old room, and seeing all the stuff that I had in there made me really want to go back.

My mom helped me fix my room. First, I had her return my bed to its former position right next to the wall. Having my bed in that position makes me feel more secure and comfortable when I sleep. Next I had her rearrange the cabinets and the study desk. The rest was up to me.

I started arranging the stuff in my bookshelf. I found books that I almost forgot I had and books that I wish I had forgotten about. I also found my old videogames and consoles (like my pearl blue GBA SP). I also found my old Olympus camera. Old greeting cards were there as well, and reading them again brought a smile to my face. I spent the whole afternoon just organizing my room. In the end, I was tired and hungry.

This activity, although tiring and hunger-inducing, made me realize some things that I was not so sure of before. I have changed…so much. From the books I used to read to the games I used to play, things have really changed. Not to mention I was a hundred times more industrious and diligent back then compared to how I am now. But this doesn’t mean that I’m no longer the same person. I still am, but I’ve grown.

Seeing how much I changed surely stirred something in me. It’s not that I’m glad I changed and that I don’t want to be the old me. Cleaning my room reminded me of the things I’ve forgotten because of all the stresses life gives me. It reminded me of the diligent version of myself who worked really hard for her goals. It reminded me that people are out there, loving and supporting me. It reminded me of the love I have for reading, writing, and drawing. It reminded me that I really can achieve something, if I put all my mind and heart into it in the process. It reminded me that it never is too late to return.

I’ve been gone for so long, and I’m just so glad I’ve finally returned.

something I remembered

So you're a playboy now, huh?

Sus, napaiyak nga kita dati e.

HAHAHA.

to Platypus

Dear Platypus (a.k.a. Effie Ignacio),

Happy birthday! I still can’t believe it, though, when you said it was your 18^th birthday. I honestly thought it was your 36^th or something. Oh well, I’m going to let you off the hook this time. It’s YOUR birthday anyway, not mine. You can lie all you want. HAHA. Moving on, I’m obviously dedicating this blog post to you and only you because I didn’t have the chance to hand you the letter I wrote just for you last Saturday. And I’m actually grateful that I didn’t. It was a very crappy letter. So now that my head has finally cleared up of all of those things I’ve been watching this sembreak, I can finally give you a better message. And I’m posting it here for all to see.

I remember how I was back then before I met you. I was a nice girl who minded her own business. Yeah, I was pretty shy as well. I was only outspoken around a few people whom I considered as friends. I even got bullied back then because I was too nice (Yup, it’s really hard to imagine). I was just too contained, and fighting back wasn’t really my thing. My appetite was a lot, lot smaller then, as well. I was like that for a while. Until one fateful day in Grade 3 when you became my seatmate.

It was okay in the beginning, we were just typical seatmates who just talked and checked each other’s works. Then eventually we became friends. And the next thing I knew, we were at the school gym making these weird noises while chasing away our classmates. In addition to that, we were holding our skirts up exposing our shorts to the world. Yeah, it was pretty crazy. I still can’t believe we did that. Still, it’s a sign that you, Platypus, actually played a big part in making me into who I am today. And I am thanking you for that.

Because of you, I finally had the courage to say what’s on my mind. I had the courage to stand up to people. I had the courage to do the things I really wanted to do even though it seemed crazy to other people. And together, we were invincible.

We’ve been through a lot together. We’ve had fights and squabbles over the craziest things. We’ve had the weirdest bonding moments like having a large pizza all to ourselves. And now that you’re 18, I can’t be any prouder. You’ve become such a strong person who can go past any obstacle. You’ve become a better you, and I know that you’ll just keep getting better and better as the years pass. You’re a beautiful person, inside and out. And I’m just so glad that you let me be part of your life.

And although we don’t see each other often, I still hope that we remain as we are. There’s always a time for everything. When we’re not so busy, we can hang out and do our thing (like bashing other people) together with Alyzza who’s definitely a PRO when it comes to bashing other people. HAHA.

We’re young, we still have a lot to see. The world is waiting for us. I just wish you good health and happiness for all time. May you be successful in any path you choose. Go on and touch other people’s lives like how you did with mine. Spread the sunshine.

I love you, dear friend (who happens to look like a Platypus). >:D<

Beautifully Yours,

Joyce