21st Birthday Reflections Eklavu

Ito ang pinakamasayang birthday ko ever – as in, to the point na hindi ko ma-explain kung bakit.
Dahil ba nandiyan na laptop ko? Well, siguro nga. Ilang buwan ko ring hinintay ito, diba? Para akong batang na-depress noong October nung nalaman kong maghihintay pa ako ng 3 months para sa laptop.
Dahil ba umuwi ang mga parents ko? Malaking factor din ito. Pero hindi na kasi issue sa akin ang pagiging OFW nila eh. Sanay na ako at naiintindihan ko. Having my parents around will not make or break my birthdays. If they’re around, it’s just icing on the cake.
Dahil ba may birthday bash budget ako? Haha! Iyun nga siguro. September pa lang sinabi ko na kay Mama na gusto kong mag-party sa birthday ko. Sabi ko close friends lang, walang kung sinu-sinong kamag-anak or family friend. Maswerte naman ako dahil kahit madami bagsak ku noong 1st sem ay hindi binawi ang pang-treat ko.
My birthday itself was uneventful and boring sans for my T-Shirt which said, “It’s my birthday today, please buy me a drink”. Bakit? Gumagawa lang naman ako ng tatlong pages ng technical report na due 5pm noon araw din na iyon. It was like any other academically hectic day. Pero bumawi si Lord sa gabi. Ito ay dahil pinagluto ako ng aking Matimtiman Family, namely Mikai, Cyrille and Porshe ng isang masarap ng Nilaga. And with buddy Paul, Jerome, Rjei, Jowie & Gary, they surprised me with a Chocolate Mousse cake. May banner greeting pa ako.
And guess what? Tumuloy kaming boys sa condo nina Gary para mag-inuman. Yup, you read right, MAG-INUMAN. First time ko yata pumayag na makipag-inuman with AguPips.
December 15 was a still a big day for me (actually, birthday naman ng Ate ko this time around). Day 2 baga ng aking 21st Birthday Celebrations. Syempre, it’s Oblation Run & Lanterd Parade Day! Well, hindi na ako sabik sa Oble Run kasi nakapanood na ako. Ironic nga eh, sa first 3 years ko sa college na pinlano ko manood nito, I never had a good spot. Hindi naman sa excited ako makakita ng mga birds, hello? I see one many times a day, diba? Gusto ko lang makapanood for experience. Pero last year and this year kung saan hindi na ako looking-forward sa event na ito dahil I already saw it in my 3rd year, dumaan pa sila mismo sa harapan ko.
After the Lantern Parade, diretso na kami sa Kenny Roger’s Katips. This is it! This is the party na pinapangarap ko. And boy, I’m so glad it went well. Food was great – Kenny R ba naman, diba? Most of my most treasured friends were there, except for a few who couldn’t come due to some valid reasons. Pero okay lang.
Then there was the Gift Giving Ceremony that the Sampelut Girls prepared. For me it was the best part of the evening. Of course, the gifts were great, pero, the words and stories behind them were way way more valuable for me. Mayroon pa akong Message Board, debut na debut talaga ang dating. It’s the best birthday card ever for me.
May Starbucks after-party pa ako. Unfortunately, not everyone ay nakasama, some had to go home na. Pero tuluy pa rin ang saya! Kwentuhan ditto, spin the bottle doon. Buti nga may nakuha pa kaming seats eh. Nakuha ko na rin iyung Starbucks 2006 Planner ko.
This is my best birthday ever. No amount of words or blogging can ever be suffice to convey how thankful I am to have such a wonderful set of my family and friends.
It really feels good to know that I have touched a lot of lives in a positive way. Not to sound arrogant or conceited, I owe these people a lot as well. Akala niyo ako lang nakatulong sa inyo? Hindi ah! Tinulungan niyo rin ako, in ways more than one. Sometimes, aware kayo, sometimes, hindi. You made my first 21 years of life worth living. You were there through the good times and the bad. You were there when I wasn’t my best self. Grabe, natiis niyong pakisamahan ang taong tulad ko. Despite my imperfections as a person, you accepted me and let me in your inner circle of trusts, as much as you were very well inside mine. You made me laugh, you made me cry even. You made me do things I never thought I would or I could do. You taught me lessons in life that I needed to know. You were there to cheer me on sa mga laban ng buhay ko. In short, you, my friends and family, are God’s manifestation of Himself, that He is always there for me. Whew! Tutal, nabanggit ko na rin si God, Lord, maraming maraming salamat! Sobra! You’re the Man! =)

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Obvious ba na sobrang late ko na nai-post ito? ngayon ko lang natapos eh.. hehe..

20 + 1 = 21

I’m going to be 21 years old in about three days. And I’m proud of it. Besides, it’s not like I have a choice, right?

For days now, friends have been joking me that I’m getting old, all because I’m turning 21. It’s a man’s debut. It’s my debut. But I was never like, “Oo nga, eh, nakakalungkot, tumatanda na ako!” Incrementing my age each time I celebrate birthday is no issue for me, unlike other old people who cringe at that inevitable +1. I mean, come on guys! It’s the reality we all have to face. We age each year, we get older. We all go through with it. It’s inevitable. So what’s the bad fuss? When we were kids, we couldn’t wait to get older. Now that we are older, we all want to be younger. Ironic, isn’t it?

Actually, the whole debut thing doesn’t really mean much to me, sans for the formality that I can be officially called an adult male. Men don’t normally celebrate their debut with as much fanfare as women when they turn 18. But in my case, I’m excited not really because I’m going to be 21 and it’s my debut but because for the first time since I was 7 years old, I’m gonna have a party. And I’m so looking forward to it. And it’s not gonna be like the typical party that families have at their homes, with all the family friends and relatives. It was like that during my high school graduation party. Half of the guests probably don’t even know that I study at DBA. =) Not all of them contributed one way or another in order for me to achieve what I have achieved ­­– to graduate as Valedictorian. There were only a handful of my schoolmates, classmates and friends that were there. To think that aside from my family, I owe my high school success more to them than any other blood relative. And I don’t want my debut party to be like that. I want only the important people in my life present at the venue – the people who have made my 21 years of existence worthwhile. I want a very intimate and personal party.

With age comes wisdom they say. This is what I answer to friends who chide me for getting old. There are still a lot of things that I still have to learn. For starters, I still don’t have a driver’s license. I’m 21, for crying out loud. I still can’t cook. So if I’d have to work abroad, I’m gonna starve or take-outs will just consume a bulk of my hard-earned dollars. I still hate taking care of children. I love my nephews to bits, but when it comes to parental administrative stuff (like feeding them, giving them a bath, and all that jazz), I still don’t have the instincts. In short, though I’m legally capable, hindi pa ako pwedeng mag-asawa. Haha! =) And i still don't have a girlfriend. Don't get me wrong. I'm fine with it. But I hate it when my folks keep bugging me for a gf. I'm like, "Ayaw niyo ba talaga ako gunraduate?! Hindi nga ako makapag-focus eh, gusto niyo pang magka-syota ako?!" =) I would have to do with flings, haha! AS IF, REX!!

In three days, I’m gonna be 21. Some say I don’t look my age. Some say I look older because of my occasional unshavened chin (Darn! I hate having to do this every morning!). While some souls mistake me as a Sophomore, to think that I’m already in my fifth year (bless these rare souls, haha!). But in the end, it’s all about what I’ve already accomplished in my first 21 years, right? Boy, I’ve been through a lot. While I have my own shortcomings as an adult, I can fairly say I’ve made up in other departments of my life. This early, I have touched and inspired a lot of lives already. How do I know? People say so, and they have done the same to me. Imagine what else I could do in the my second 21 years? Hopefully, drive a car at NLEX. =)

Blogs Galore!

Arrrgh!!?! Nakakainis! Bakit naputol 'tong blog entry ko na ito? Nakalahati! Grrr... Anyway I'll try to write again what I wrote back in December (April 28 na kasi ngayon).

CoE197A Class

Kapapalit ko lang ng title ng blog ko kani-kanina lang. "Mga Blogs ng isang taong hindi naman madalas makapag-blog". O diba, akmang-akma na siya! Eh sa totoo naman eh. Andami nangyari sa akin noong November, pero ni isang blog about them wala akong naisulat. Ewan ko ba. May inspirasyon naman ako, may paghuhuugutan. Pero kapag kaharap ko na ang monitor at keyboard. Wala na ako masyado masabi. Pero kung naglalakad pauwi, or bago matulog, andami kong naiisip!

Therefore, lahat ng hindi ko nasulat dati, isusulat ko ngayon.
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PROBIE

Yup! Probie ako ngayon sa Eng'g. Para sa mga nakakakilala sa akin, this is something surprising. I'm not being cocky about it, pero siguro, sabihin na lang natin na hindi aakalain ng mga tao na mangyayari sa akin ito. I've failed a subject or two before but never in my dreams na ibabagsak ko ang 80% ng load ko. October pa alam ko na na mangyayari ito. Pero nag-sink in lang siya nung November, nung naging Dismissed ang status ko. Grabe, hindi ko alam ang ilalagay ko sa Letter of Appeal ko. Tipong alangan namang sabihin ko na 'ako'y tao lang, nagkakamali rin', haha!
At kamusta naman ang paghihintay ko sa result ng appeal ko? Agony of waiting talaga! Almost a week akong pabalik-balik sa Eng'g for at least three times a day. Kaya pala matagal ang result ko ay dahil na-misplace ang Readmittance Paper ko. Edi sana, 2 days lang akong kinabahan kung Eng'g pa ba ako hindi! Nakakainis talaga. The best talaga ang staff ng Eng'g Admin.

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EPAL

Epal. Ang lakas ng dating ng salitang ‘to no? Para ka na ring minura, pero hindi. Nasabihan kasi ako ng epal.

Geesh, ayoko nang balikan 'tong time na sinulat ko 'to. Basta, tinawag akong epal. Pero bati na kami ngayon. Diba, Ngot? Haha! Sabihin na lang natin na ginagawa ko lang ang sa tingin ko'y tama. I only had the best intentions, not for me, but for other people. But it backfired. Dapat talaga alam mo kung kailan ka makikialam at kung kailan hindi. Hindi dapat tinutulungan ang mga taong hindi naman humihungi ng tulong.

Pero masarap maging epal eh! =)

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Ayan, hindi ko na maalala ano title nung 3rd part ng blog na 'to. hmmm... Basta, it had something to do with 'everything happens for a reason'.
Kasi noong timeframe na ito (November-early December), marami akong naging problema, maraming nangyari na hindi masyado maganda. Tapos hindi ko alam kung bakit. I was so clueless as to what God wants to tell me with all the bad things that's been happening. Line of reasoning ko kasi, when something bad happens, there's a reason, there's a lesson to be learned. But in this case, I can't extract the meaningful lesson. For me, the hurt / pain was so unnecessary.


Arrrghhh! Nakakabanas talaga! Bakit kasi nabura 'ito! Siguro nung inedit ko dati ito, dun ko nabura... grrr. whatever. Wala na rin akong magagawa. hmmmpf!