University Dress Up Day : Dorm Style

Our FIRST University Dress Up Day with the Xavier HONORS' Dormers :)

Ligaya ng Buhay Ko

These people made me stay in Ateneo. But who knows, we might still see each other somewhere :D

Stories of Love

I am celebrating Valentine's Day today in a very special way. One, because this is the second Valentine's celebration of LIGAYA (I can't remember where we went last year though). Second, I am celebrating this with 24 girls. Third, am technically under a 'new' office. Fourth, we went to places which were not here last year, Florespina's and Starbucks (I hope am right).

The night before Hearts day, I got a sweet card from one of my kids. Then Pepits gave us chocolates during lunch (with personalized quotes from AUTHOR UNKNOWN). Later in the evening, I met with my parents and Tim and we had dinner at Florespina's. Papa was suggesting to have our dinner at Mang Inasal but I had to insist that we go to Florespina's. Good thing, there were available tables when we got there. Papa and Mama had Pork Adobo for dinner while Tim and I had Korean Beefstew (it was a little bit spicy :P). After dinner, Tim and I went to his former computer shop to visit my aunt and we went to straight to his office afterwards. I enjoyed walking from centro to his office, I think I burned enough calories. Florespina's serving are really enormous for my petite tummy, so we really needed that walk !

After Tim's office, we already proceeded to Magsaysay to meet-up with LIGAYA. We stayed at Starbucks for about one to two hours, I guess. Ate Jing, Pepit's sister, joined us while waiting for her Mark. An acoustic group serenaded the customers while giving out free coffee to everyone. I think the first coffee was Verona and the other was Vanilla Latte. We saw common faces there, Mike, Tim's cousin, also dropped by Starbucks to say hi. At around 10:30pm, I decided to go home because my left eye is irritated again. When I entered the room, I saw some notes from the dormers, I felt appreciated.

The notes were all hand-made. One can really see how much effort was given to every intricate detail in the note. But what really touched my heart was the messages in the note. It really uplifted my spirit, I felt happy that someone can empathize and be as sensitive as that. Really, this is one of the best hearts day celebration for me. I mean, the effort to do the card, the money that they have to save for how many days or weeks which means sacrificing meals perhaps and the act of remembering me, even if I am  not their  real mother.

This day was also special because our prayers for a particular dormer has been answered. He passed the subject. He can continue being an honors' dormer. He can stay in the dorm.

There are so many things that I am thankful for for today. Thank you, Lord. I really wish that we will continue to be kind and to love others even if it is no longer Valentine's Day. So that everyday, we can add to the random stories of love :)

Love notes from my kids

To Risk

by William Arthur Ward

To laugh is to risk appearing a fool,
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out to another is to risk involvement,
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.

To love is to risk not being loved in return,
To live is to risk dying,
To hope is to risk despair,
To try is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.

He may avoid suffering and sorrow,
But he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live.

Chained by his servitude he is a slave who has forfeited all freedom.

Only a person who risks is free.

The pessimist complains about the wind;

The optimist expects it to change;

And the realist adjusts the sails.

I fell in love with a PANDA :)

He is the cutest and most innocent looking panda I have ever seen :)

Define 'HONORS'

I AM WRITING THIS OUT OF IMPULSE.

I am quite disappointed with what's happening in the Xavier Honors' Dormitory for Ladies. I don't know what kind of formation was given to them but what I am seeing now is all BS.

It was two weeks ago when someone approached me and informed me that a 'conflict' was budding in the dormitory. The culprit? The same old people who were consistent violators. I tried to talked to the aggrieved and she was very honest with what happened. The next thing I knew, I have been hearing comments lang 'ang kapal naman ng mukha ni mam tin sa pagtext kang mga rules, dai mi man ngani sya nakakaiba'. Yes, their basis now of rules formulation is how frequent we spend time together.

I am GREATLY disappointed. I wonder what happened to the so-called 'formation' of our dormers. To think that they are 'honors' dormers'. I can't even believe that I had to sacrifice my family for this.

I am ANGRY.