The Very First Lesson I Learned as a Transfer Student

... And word of advice to anyone who is planning to transfer to ANY university.

- ASK TO BE ASSIGN TO AN ADVISER THAT IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH YOUR DEGREE REQUIREMENTS -

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There were two scenarios that almost made me make a scene today.

Scenario #1:

I was scheduled to be registered today at around 3:45p. I arrived at the location 5 minutes early. I sign up and I wait.

and I wait.

and I wait.

"The adviser will be right with you," says the receptionist girl.

So, I wait.

and I wait

and I wait some more.

"I'm sorry, she'll be right with you," says the receptionist girl again.

I smile and say, "OK".

I wait some more.

I look at the clock. It's 4:00pm. I tell myself that "patience is a virtue".

I wait some more.

Then at 4:15p, I hear the receptionist girl call somebody. Another advisor probably.

"There's a student here waiting for (ADVISOR'S NAME), she's scheduled at 3:45pm, she's been waiting for half and hour already... blah blah blah.. " she informs the party in the other line. Then, she hangs up.

"I'm sorry about your wait, we'll try to get another advisor for you," she says.

I fake a smile. Then, I ask,

"Is she with another student?"

She replied politely,

"Yes."

So I tried to understand and waited some more and thought to myself that this wait better be worthwhile.

4:20 pm strikes. Finally, the advisor comes out, asking giddily, "you think I've forgotten about you?"

I just smiled at her.

Then, she explains that the reason why it took her so long to take me in is because she had a problem in dealing with the requirements of the student before me.

I tried my best to understand.

Scenario #2: Frustrations that almost made me make a scene in the advisor's office

Frustration #1:

It took her 15 minutes to figure out and tell me if I satisfy the Biology courses required for the premed track and the Biochem track. Within that time frame, she kept looking back and forth at my transcript and the UW website to see if I satisfy the Bio courses. I think she did that 5 times.

Frustration #2:

When I ask her a question on whether or not I it is ok to take the Physical Chemistry class first instead of the Biochemistry class (since the Biochem class schedule conflicts with the Physics class schedule), she said: "Let me look at the site." What frustrated me about that is: ISN'T SHE SUPPOSE TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION RIGHT OFF THE BAT SINCE SHE'S AN ADVISER??

Frustration #3:

As I was so anxious to get out of her office due to the fact that I was on the brink on making a scene, she told me, "I suggest that you talk to a department adviser about your classes and talk to the admissions about getting all the courses transferred from SCC evaluated."

The realization that frustrated me: I GOT ASSIGNED TO AN ADVISER THAT IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE BIOCHEMISTRY DEGREE REQUIREMENTS.

Frustration #4:

She gets a portion of the amount I paid for the orientation session for her lack of knowledge in advising a Biochemistry major and her incapability of giving me at least OK answers.

GRRRR!!!!

I waited half and hour for her to finish solving the problem with a student, which I now realize that she also DID NOT know how to handle that student's problem, which was probably the reason it took her so long to dismiss that student.

AND

I wasted another half an hour or so just looking at her while she figures out my stuff and asking her questions that she didn't know the answer to.

HAAAA.... *breathe in ... *breathe out...

Thank God for my trusty Pilot Fine Point pen. While waiting for her to figure my stuff out, I channeled all my frustrations (on her and on whoever assigned me to her) to that pen that I almost broke it in half.

And thank God also for Curly, he's the one that made me smile whole heartedly despite all the frustrations that I endured today.

And, ATE, if you're reading this, THANKS FOR BEING MY "SHOCK ABSORBER", sorry for bothering you during work. I just had to let my frustrations out and I needed someone for that to happen. It's funny of how I thought of you first though. WEHEHEHEHE.

Random Fact.

It takes one small thing to set me off.

It takes one small thing to set off the bad vibes I keep inside me.

One small thing and I become illogical, irrational, melodramatic, bitchy, and apathetic.

One small thing.

Makata lang.

Forget about my last post. I figured that I was too frustrated during the time that I wrote it, which is really the main reason why I wrote it, to let the frustrations out. But anyway, I'm not frustrated anymore.

Anyway, I leave you with this:

"minsan akala natin na kapag nakuha na natin ung isang bagay na pinakagugusto natin, magiging masaya tau..kahit malabo talaga na makamit natin un, palagi natin ipinanalangin na sana dumating ang panahon na maabot na rin natin ang ating mga pangarap..pero kadalasan kapag dumating na ang pagkakataong iyon, doon lang natin maiintindihan na hindi pala un ang talagang kailangan natin sa buhay..ang hirap para sa ating pakawalan ang mga pangarap natin..natatakot tau harapin ang realidad na nasa harapan natin ngayon..pero hanggang kailan? tanging oras lamang at ang Diyos ang nakakaalam.."

from: Grai

She wrote this in a sorta poetic way, well, at least that's my impression of it. But I sorta got something out of it. I've been wanting a lot of things that are out of my reach and I keep praying and hoping that one of these days, God will provide them to me.

Those lines from her made me think that what if these things were provided to me, will I be ecstatic? Will I be extremely happy that finally the one thing that I've been asking for for the longest time is finally given to me? Will I be fulfilled by the fact that I've already been rewarded the right to have those things?

I guess I won't know for sure what I would feel.

But those words from her gave me the option to think that I may not be fulfilled as I think I would be if those things were provided to me.

Happy Lang.

I PASSED!!

HAAA.... All the hard work that I put into my summer classes were worth it. I passed my classes. I reached my goal of wanting to have higher grades in the last quarters of Organic Chem and Calculus. I PASSED!!

I'm happy.

HAPPY HAPPY.

SOO HAPPY. SO VERRRY HAPPYYYYY..

THANK YOU GOD!

Best Advisers are sometimes bad advice takers.

I've been recently preaching to a couple of choir members about how parents will not "be parents" if they don't pry, say something, or comment about their child's life.

It's bad now that the preacher will now complain about how her mom's subtle distrust bugs her to bits.

I swear. Everytime that I go out, it's like I'm going to this death zone where she doesn't want me to go into. I get that she's a parent, just worrying about how dangerous it will be for a 19-year old girl to go out in the wild wild world at this hour. But a little trust on me and the good Man up there won't really hurt now would it?

Sometimes, I just loathe being the youngest or should I say the "only child". Parents just become so protective to the point that they don't trust my judgment sometimes.

Or maybe I'm just being irrational while I'm b*tch*n' away.

Repeat after me kids,

-- Parents won't "be parents" if they don't butt in their child's life. --

Repeat these words 10x and you will calm down. Or at least you'll feel sane during the moment that you repeat these words.

Chronicles of Curly: Him and his Pet-Peeve (no pun intended)

It's funny how Curly doesn't like to be wet by any form of water and to think, he's a retriever who's suppose to like playing in water because it's built in his physical features (his webbed feet for swimming).

He just came in from the kennel (an overnight place for dogs, kind of like a hotel, but only for dogs) today and we learned that it took 3 people to try and bathe him. But, to those people's dismay, Curly just wanted have his way of not wanting to take a bath.

So now my aunt is trying to hose him down with the garden hose but he just keeps on avoiding it.

Only my dog, ladies and gentlemen, only my dog.

Trying to hide from my aunt.

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Ending this with a survey from Gail:

Seven things that scare you
1. car accidents
2. snakes
3. failing
4. not living up to my own expectations
5. heights
6. losing my parents
7. being alone

Seven things that you like the most
1. my laptop
2. my room
3. my ipod
4. my dog, Curly
5. Christmas
6. Sunday BBQ's at my aunt's house
7. God

Seven important things in your room
1. the closet(s)
2. the bed
3. the computer
4. the radio
5. the computer table turned study table
6. the phone
7. the container that contains my life's important stuff

Seven random facts about you
1. There's a 75(+)-25(-) percent chance that I could name a song that people will tell me to name.
2. I don't like to cry because I hate feeling vulnerable.
3. I LOVE BEAR HUGS.
4. I'm a frustrated photographer
5. I want to travel Europe because of the culture, the history and the OH so many places to see.
6. You won't see me not use a computer for a day
7. I heart fried chicken.

Seven things you plan to do before you die
1. Travel Europe.
2. Exhibit my best photographs in a gallery
3. Help the less fortunate
4. Work in a hospital
5. Do medical research
6. Do medical mission
7. Play the piano in front of many people. In short, I want to do the grade 1 piano recital that I never did. (Stage fright).

Seven things you can do
1. I can cook
2. I can catch a football
3. I can wall climb
4. I can go through 24 hours without sleeping
5. I can make a website using basic html
6. I can be pathetic and shallow at the same time
7. I can clean!! LOL.

Seven things you can't do
1. I can't perform in front of a big audience
2. I can't sit around in one place and do nothing
3. I can't sit still when I'm hyper (DUH!)
4. I can't stand reality TV shows
5. I can't calm myself down when I'm excited
6. I can't think of anything more to add to this.

Seven things that attract you to the opposite sex
1. body figure (ABS!)
2. eyes
3. sense of humor
4. if he can carry a conversation
5. gets along with my friends & family
6. talents
7. shares the same interests as i have

Seven celeb crushes
1. Brad Pitt
2. Vin Diesel
3. Orlando Bloom
4. Angelina Jolie
5. The Rock
6. Lucky Manzano
7. Hugh Jackman

Seven people you want to see take this quiz
1. Angie (copy and paste mo sa friendster!)
2. Sarah
3. Gail T.
4. Jenn (copy and paste mo din sa friendster!)
5. Nica
6. Grai
7. Joelle

Dahil ano.. madrama ako ngayon at tsaka praning.. LOL...

me, angie, and amalia: kunwaring pinapanood yung sunset

haaayyy miiissshuuuu....

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There's nothing more worse than being on your own when a crisis strikes. Although, you tend to learn something from it. You realize that it is your job to take care of yourself; that you're the one who's responsible for yourself; that you have to stop depending on other people to hold your arms when you're in trouble; and that you have to make big and wise decisions that will help you take care of yourself.

And another thing, it's not wise to blame anything or anyone when a crisis hits you. Actually, it's IMMATURE to put a blame on anyone when a crisis itself involves only you. Sure, you will get emotional and irrational and sometimes you find yourself just hating everything in sight, especially when a crisis hits you hard. But, just keep in mind that when you become emotional, irrational and hateful, you'll just involve everything that is around you and in some cases you might make their lives miserable too by involving them in your own personal drama. Just keep the emotional/rational/hateful stuff to yourself or at least keep it until the drama is over.

- lessons learned from a recent experience

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You and Me
by: Lifehouse

What day is it
And in what month
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time

Cause it's you and me and all of the people
Nothing to do, nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people and
I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you

All of the things that I want to say
Just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words, you got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here

Cause it's you and me and all of the people
With nothing to do, nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all of the people and
I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off you

Something about you now
I can't quite figure out
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right

Cause it's you and me and all of the people
With nothing to do, nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people and
I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of

You and me and all of the people
With nothing to do nothin to prove and
It's you and me and all of the people and
I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you

What day is it
And in what month
This clock never seemed so alive

- lecheng kantang 'to... it never fails.. it never fails to make my heart skip.

Extra Shot of Ex-Pre-sso

I should've learned from a previous experience that adding an extra shot to the regular dose of expresso in a latte will make my head, my stomach and my hands go bizaare.

I felt the pain of that extra shot today at around.. oh, 3am. (Jenn, not your fault... this is all me.)

And now I'm wide awake, just killing time before the bus arrives. Oh joy.

One more day. JUST ONE MORE DAY.

Amides, Nitriles, Alkenes, Esters, Malonates.. What's the meaning of life again?

Oh, Right. I forgot. Our own body (our life) is based on organic chemistry, hence the term, ORGANIC. Med students, AM I RIGHT??

It has already sank into me of how much reactions I need to remember for the ACS exam that I will be taking on Thursday. I have two and a half more days to study for that test and my Math comprehensive final test. Pray that I won't lose my head after Thursday.

..... Must think positive thoughts.

..... Must think Wild Waves on Saturday.

.... Must think Canada, sometime in the next few weeks.

.... Must think of UW registration in the next two weeks (ok.. how did this get here?)

.... Must think late-night TV, watching those crime drama shows on TNT.

.... Must think happy thoughts...

.... Must buy a cast for my right arm after Thursday is over... because my arm would probably be numb/sore after all the writing that I did. (WAH?)

.... Must think positive...

.... I MUST DRINK COFFEE RIGHT NOW. STARBUCKS, here I come.


BYE!

Learn(ed) something from it.

The points made in this entry are well said. Some of them slapped me right in the face. Read it, maybe they could slap you too.

Credits goes to the writer who was a former beauty editor for Pink Magazine (distributed in the PI).

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FACT: It takes one beer, one LIGHT beer that is, to become a TRUE BLUE CYNICAL REALIST.

A Photo a Day keeps the Mood Swings Away.

Leaves and Branches
taken last August 3, 2005

Sa simpleng "oo" lang, masaya na ko.

Mababaw lang akong tao.

Sa simpleng "oo" lang, masaya na ko.

I'm quoting my sister here.

"Friends come and go.... But regardless of whatever stormy weather that you encounter, the friend that sticks with you means that that person is your true friend."

OK!!!!

HELL WEEK starts on Monday. I swear, never in my life have I imagined me experience a hell week during summer. GRR!! I haven't really done anything productive, yet. I'm just, well, not inspired to do them right now. Tomorrow, or should I say today, if ever I wake up early (meaning around 2pm early in the afternoon) I promised myself that I will go straight to finishing that summary paper for my Organic Chemistry class. Then, after finishing that, which will probably take the whole afternoon, I will start studying for my ACS Organic Chemistry test. Then, if I get bored studying Organic Chemistry, I will move on to Calculus and do the 3 paper notes that I will be using for my final exam for that class.

On another note, it has been a weird past two weeks. I've been affected about certain things that I'm supposed to be not affected by, since well.. it doesn't concern me at all. I dunno. HAAYY.. All I can say is... THIS TOO SHALL PASS.

In the THIRD.

Do you know a person who goes hogwild in taking pictures? Well, you do now. Meet her:


Last night, she planned on going to the University of Washington to check out a journal at its Chemistry library that she will use for her Organic Chemistry class assignment. True to her word, after she dropped her mom off at work, she was off to the university to perform her objective.

After doing some school work at the library, she decided to go on a walk around the campus (well, ALMOST around the campus). Equipped with her digital camera, she started taking pictures of every architecture and every naturistic things that she sees.

Two long hours and eight dollars later, she found herself exhausted while driving back north to pick up her mom.

When she arrived home, she plopped herself on her bed and turned on her computer. She decided to upload the pictures that she took during her solo tour at the university campus.

After the uploading process, she took a peek at the photographs that she took. All 98, large resolution, photographs.

OK, so yes, I kind of went crazy on taking photographs. Seriously, I did not realize that I was taking that much pictures, while I was taking them (did that make sense at all?).

It was fun taking a tour all by myself. It made me realize how excited I am to actually go to that school. That BIG, LARGE, ENORMOUS school.

Anyway, I'll post the pictures when I get the chance to edit them out. Damn, I just realized that I have a lot to edit, and to think I already deleted some that I didn't like. There goes my school work schedule.

Here's a preview:

The Front Entrance of the Suzallo Library.

Feast of the.... ummm.. what's the English word for "Nayon"?

1. It was an OK event. It was so hot that day though. Sun was shining so bright. Its rays just stung our skin like there was no tomorrow (Ok, I exaggerated that part.. but seriously, it was really hot.. MANILA hot...).

2. I had my craving for pansit palabok fulfilled. Although, it tasted like well.. I dunno.. I can't describe it without using "evil" words.

3. We saw this booth stand where they were selling "Filipino-labeled" t-shirts. It was expensive though, $15 for a shirt. But Jenn bought one!

This is the design of the shirt she bought

This is me, trying to... umm.. model? it.

4. There was a looonnnng line at the food booth that sells the supposedly, "Best HALO HALO in this side of Manila". The "BEST" costs $4; it tasted like WATER.

I took this picture while we're in line to buy.

5. The Filipino-American Student Association, also known as FASA, based at the University of Washington had a booth there too. I grabbed some info because I'm planning to join it. Coolness.

BEST PART of the DAY: PICTURE TRIPPINGS!!!



.... on the way home .....


.... and because Jenn and I got bored, pinagtripan namin si Carl at si Kuya God.. wehehehe ....