all up to us.

"Practice this week every freaking day starting tomorrow. 6 am. Ateneo courts. Don't intend to be a pooper but if we want to have a shot at the UAAP championship title, which I believe you guys can do, we'll need to add some effort. This is an opportunity given to you already. We've gotten this far. I just want you guys to make the most of it. If we're lucky, that's great, but if not, then at least we put up a fight. It will really be up to you." - Coach Jen

Oh my goodness gracious! 6 am every freaking day? I'm gonna cry. That means I'd have to wake up at 5:00 every morning, take my bath in Ateneo after playing , pay P20 just to take that bath at Moro Lorenzo Sports Center (without an assurance of a hot shower!) and get to class just in the nick of time. To think I have my History midterms tomorrow at 8:30. The only time I cut class this semester was when I couldn't get to my History class at Bellarmine Hall on time because I couldn't take my shower in the already filled-to-the-brim restroom. We had to wait for both the women's basketball and football team to finish freshening up. If I get to class late tomorrow, I don't know what new words of injury our easily aggravated teacher would have ready for me. I really wouldn't want to know. So... *whines*

tomorrow's pancakes.

It's pretty weird. For the past week, I've been itching to play doubles against DLSU tomorrow, and yet today, I gave my spot up. My mom couldn't understand it. My brother couldn't understand it either. Well, of course I had to disappoint them by saying that I chose not to play tomorrow, hence not giving them a chance to watch me in action. And while some part of me is somewhat disappointed, and I'm still trying to bring down the adrenaline I've been building up for tomorrow, another part of me is happy.

I'm happy that Carla is finally going to get the chance that she deserves. We've all been sacrificing time and effort for this team, and she's especially diligent at going to practice. I just couldn't watch her throw away the chance to play at the UAAP tomorrow. She's so damn good, there's no way she's going to keep all that under wraps this whole season! I don't really know what convinced her, if it was what I said, or just the whole thing, from the 30-minute long bathroom talk with Vane, Jam, Deena, Jo and me to the constant kulit. I'd like to think what I said helped somewhat, I can't really say. I know she wants so much to play and I wasn't going to stand in between that, knowing that she could very well hit the life out of those balls and show DLSU a thing or two. So when coach finally texted me again to ask if I wanted to play or if I was gonna let Carla play. I told her that if Carla wanted to play, then she should.

So, tomorrow, I'm gladly taking the role of head cheerleader! And for the first time since the opening of the UAAP, I'm going to go and have breakfast with them at Pancake House! My sister's choosing sleep over bonding again, but I think it's about time that we had some together-time. We're so close to that trophy. I can smell it in the air. I can smell the pancakes I'm going to be eating tomorrow! *laughs*

in dire need of training.

It's 3 more days until our UAAP match against DLSU and I have yet to swing my tennis racket the whole week. Eeep! If we win this match, we go into the finals with a twice-to-beat advantage. If we lose, then we go into the finals two wins short of the championship. We'd have to beat DLSU another two times if we don't win this Sunday. Aiyeee! I don't know if I should be excited or nervous. If coach fancies putting me on the line-up this weekend, I don't know if I'll be able to really deliver. I don't know if I'll be able to ride on the confidence of the last two weeks.

We've been at the bottom of the standings for so long that finally getting to contend for the title seems surreal. We're supposed to be the underdogs, and underdogs are supposed to leave the pressure to the ones defending their crown, but when the bone is dangling right in front of your nose, not being able to grab it is frustrating. Pity Tantalus who couldn't drink the water nor take the fruits on the branches. It'd be sad if we don't get this. Sad, but not the end of the world. Either way, we're still in the game. The finals will be a whole other story.

what cars can say.

written way back: December 24, 2004

5:30 pm
Just arrived at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Shenzhen, China after crossing the border from Hongkong. I've realized that the economic state of a country can be judged from the cars rolling along its streets. I spent the 2-hour car ride from Honkong's international airport to the border just staring out the window at the blurring cars and highways. I never caught sight of a dilapidated pick-up or a worn-out sedan. I did see dozens of BMW's and Mercedes-Benz's though. Upon crossing the two suspensions bridges in Hongkong, I couldn't help but frown slightly. They were magnificent indeed, more like art than transportation infrastructure, but they made me feel even worse about the current conditions of the roads in the Philippines. It's hard to believe that we used to be on top when you look at the way things are today. But it's the truth, we were once on top. Now, we're on rock bottom. Bedrock. Fred Flinstone compared to George Jetson. (What an analogy! =)) But you get my drift.)

Anyway, housekeeping just came by to turn the beddings for the evening. She started talking in really fast Mandarin and all I could do was smile and point at the only bed that needed fixing. It's a bit embarrassing to have to tell the people who speak to us in Mandarin here that I can't understand what they're saying. (I do understand some parts, but then, I can't communicate what I want to say back in return.) I fit in so well here looks-wise, the same way I did in Taiwan. I don't even know if it's more embarrassing for them to have mistaken me for a local, or for me to be Chinese and not know the language.

Still, you can't really blame me, blame the education. It's sad but I probably learned the most Chinese in my last year of high school than I did in my other 12 years in ICA. (Sorry Sr. Dina if by some strange twist of fate you decide to surf the net and find this.)

Now, before my stomach starts making any sounds that the person sitting beside me might hear *thinks of something and laughs* I think I should go grab something to eat. I know I put that Ritter Sport somewhere here. *rummages through my bag*

hello china.

This is probably the first time in months that I've been home from school way before the sun got the chance to even think about setting. Is that a good thing? Probably is, but I'm getting bored sitting here while my brother's snoring away. It's the last day of classes before the christmas break, and there's still so much to think and worry about. From the Filipino play we have to watch, to the paper we have to write about it, to the books we have to read, to that long test waiting for us as soon as we get back, the so-called break is not at all a break. It's going to feel like a long weekend crammed with all the homework the teachers could muster (or at least the cold-hearted ones who just really want to make us students miserable during Christmas.)

The good news is, we're going to China! They say the shopping's great there, plus it's gonna be cold so I'll get to use all the cool jackets my sister brought home from Singapore. *claps hands in glee* Maybe I can get my Christmas shopping done there instead and be the New Year Santa Claus! And I can add a few more places on my "Places I've Been To" list. *smiles* We're leaving on Christmas Eve so I don't really know when I'll be able to do my homework. I don't even know what day we're coming back! Anyway, school is not really my main concern now that the christmas vacation's started. I've got only one thing in mind. Fun!

after the storm.

After 3 grueling hours in Escaler Hall, I emerged... I would like to say victorious, but sadly, I walked out the doors with head bowed, frozen fingers still stunned, confused with writing down numbers and words that made absolutely no sense. Screw that accounting test. Answering the sample test was so darn easy, it was a walk through the park! But that test Sir Darwin gave us tonight just made me want to pull my hair out. I probably spent a whole hour just turning the pages of the test over and over, trying to figure out where I could salvage a few more points. I could probably get a few points off neatness, but, things still aren't looking too good. Tsk tsk. And there I was, chilling at Terri's house with my false sense of security. The confidence swiftly seeped out of me the moment I saw Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer on the test paper. Goodbye to any chance of getting a decent grade. Phooey.

Anyway...*pushes the possibility of an F out of mind* I'm really sleepy now, but I don't want to call it a night just yet. I'm not writing anything down though. Wala lang. Sige na nga, I'll leave it at this. The last day of reckoning- tomorrow. And from there, helloo vacation! I can't wait!

christmas shopping.

Number of people on my christmas list: 35

Number of gifts actually bought: 2

Number of days left for shopping: 16

Oh noooooooo! (Number of O's: 8)

It looks like I won't be carrying around huge paper bags full of gifts this Christmas season. And to think I used to live for Christmas shopping. I loved doling out cash and buying all sorts of stuff I think my friends would like. This year though, it's either I'm not into the Christmas spirit yet, or I just don't have the time. Yeah, right.

super bowl of china.

I had lunch with my dad and my uncle today at the Super Bowl of China, Megastrip. It's probably the first time my dad ever invited me to have lunch with him on his office break. It's almost always my mom. But since she's in Singapore shopping her heart out, I guess my dad took it upon himself to play both roles, which explains for the paranoid "be at home by 10:30" text message I got last night. I laughed when Nati described me as Cinderella, having to be home by a certain time. Sometimes I get to thinking that Cinderella's even luckier. She gets to go home by midnight. I can count the number of times I've been out that late with one hand. Still, I do get sleepy before midnight, so it's just as well! *smiles*

As I was saying, I had lunch with my dad and uncle Joseph. That uncle of mine happens to be a Management Engineering graduate, so he asked me how I was doing in school, knowing that I was sort of "following his footsteps". Trying to erase last semester's 2.9 from my mind, I smiled and said "Okay." He recounts his M.E. experience saying that, like my dad, he had to retake his English courses during summer... but he got straight A's in math. Yes, he was exempted from taking the final exams for both Math 21 and Math 22. Wow. Never quite realized what a math whiz he was. Are the low English marks and startling Math grades supposed to run in the family? because I don't think I quite fit in. Here I am, barely getting along with C+'s for both those math courses. I'm sure glad he didn't ask me what grades I got! I would have cowered and hidden under the table. *whew*

Speaking of grades, I think I better go back to reading my accounting book. Who knows? Sir Darwin might fancy surprising us with a quiz tomorrow. Now we wouldn't want to be caught like a deer in blinding headlights now, would we?

distractions.

I haven't been writing here much since the second semester of classes started. I guess I just never got the time to really sit down and type away. Or maybe I was just too busy trying to study, trying to read Memoirs of a Geisha or those handouts on Activity Based Costing, basically trying to make good use of my time. Operative word: trying. There's always that blank screen tempting me into pressing the red button on the remote and making images burst out of the blackness. Last night it was the second installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Two Towers. Today, it was Vin Diesel and Triple X! Of course, there was also that weird giant electric eel movie my dad and I caught before dinnertime showing on HBO yesterday. Weird as it was, we watched it until the end before we both went, "Huh?" *laughs*

Whoops. Looks like this entry is going to be a bit short. I have to go. Ta-ta!

the wrong way.

What do you do when your eyelids are as heavy as Acme anvils , the sponge we call the brain is well beyond its capacity to absorb information and you still have roughly 50 pages to read for History, Sociology and FIlipino class? Ask me a month ago and I would have said sleep, but that was back when I gave in to my sleepyhead tendencies all the time. Now, all I have is this urgent drive not to. Still, what can you do when staying up means wasting time and not getting the job done? I better start reading handouts during my 1-hour breaks between classes. This is not going to get me anywhere near my cherished dream. Reading this late means lower memory retention, agonizing hours of battling sleepiness made worthless by waking up tomorrow with a clean slate for a brain. It's as if I never even read anything. Hay ya yay. This is bad. Really bad. I need to get ahold of another study strategy. And fast. I'm starting to resemble a racoon.