memoirs of a cheerdancer

hmmmmm

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 07:02:00 +0000

Copy the list and then "bold" everything you've done.

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said "I love you" and meant it
9. Hugged a tree

10. Bungee jumped (sort of)
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (ateneo-la salle)

16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne (mimosa!)
24. Given more than you can afford to charity

25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight (lovely whistler!)

31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can (scary movies make me do that!)
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was s*** faced
42. Had amazing friends (thank God)
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign

46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan (just disneyland)
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke (with feeling!)
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain

65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class (taekwondo)
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an expert (expert on ateneo haha!)
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish)
9. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children
98. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication (will a magazine do?
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart (at least i was told i did)
111. Ridden a bike
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school (for Masters)
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read (jd salinger)
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language (in Spain and Italy!)
139. Been elected to public office (school counts right?)
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

i could probably

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 09:15:00 +0000

i could probably tell you about happy hour and amazing sunsets in bora,

or staying in a ghetto hotel in la,

or attempting to eat the huge, and i mean huge banana split in serendipity 3,

or finally tasting white castle burgers,

or dawson's creek-ish houses in georgia,

or bungee-jumping (somewhat) in magic mountain,

or waiting behind velvet ropes outside new york clubs while it's freezing cold,

or freaking out when i couldn't find chris in the subway,

or seeing david blaine in person,

or $12 cocktails,

or my redecorated room (thanks to my mom),

or turning 25,

or throwing an amazing party in embassy and getting everyone super drunk,

but i won't.

BECAUSE IT WILL NEVER COME CLOSE TO THE REAL THING!

bora, georgia, new york, california and my bday dinner

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Thu, 25 May 2006 06:23:00 +0000

missing admu

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Wed, 24 May 2006 10:49:00 +0000

Checklist for Ateneans.

(X) eat at Manang's -- LOVE THE LIEMPO!
(X) learn the alma mater -- WORD FOR WORD...
( ) get on the dean's list -- DOES ALMOST COUNT?
( ) sleep on a bench -- NAH...MAYBE IN MY CAR
( ) be a TNT! -- NOT INTO THAT KINDA THING :)
(X) jog around the campus in the evening -- FOR CHEERING PRACTICE
(X) visit the art gallery -- UHUH, DURING A 6-HR BREAK!
(X) know at least one xerox lady, manong, or technician by name -- AT LEAST BY FACE :)
(X) get a Jesuit for a teacher -- YUP! ARCILLA AND DACANAY AMONG OTHERS
(X) itch from higad bites -- I THINK SO...
(X) have gotten an F in something -- MATH!!! UGH!
(X) have taken a crap in school -- GUILTY!
(X) watch a La Salle vs. Ateneo UAAP game -- ALL BUT 1 :)
(X) give a powerpoint presentation -- YES
(X) study in the caf upstairs -- A FEW TIMES
(X) watch a T.A play -- YEP, PRETTY GOOD, ACTUALLY!
( ) sit on the SEC ledge and watch the stars -- DIDN'T HAVE ANYONE TO DO THAT WITH!
(X) eat in Full House, Martha's Kitchen, and Ken Afford -- I MISS THAT!
(X) sleep in the lib -- DOZE OFF A LITTLE...
( ) visit Mr. San Andres -- I DON'T REMEMBER...
(X) go to the chapel -- LUNCH TIME MASS :)
(X) have gotten a pebble stuck in your shoe/slippers in the middle of the quad -- WHO HASN'T?
(X) cut class with your block to watch a movie -- RUNAWAY BRIDE!
(X) sign up for those institutional (i.e. difficult but brilliant) teachers: Ferriols, Dacanay, David, Manacsa, Ang, Escaler, Arcilla, Totanes, and many others -- DACANAY
( ) go to CERSA night -- NOPE...
(X) have tried siomai rice -- YEAH
( ) learn how to smoke -- NEVER, IM A GOOD GIRL :)
(X) fall in love -- OF COURSE!
( ) actually read the book you keep borrowing from the lib -- DO PEOPLE ACTUALLY DO THAT?!
(X) play cards during your free time -- A LITTLE
(X) dress in business attire -- YUCK!
(X) learn to stay awake for more than 24 hours straight -- JUST FOR MY THESIS
(X) have gotten side comments from ASSOC -- THEY'RE IN THE BABBLE TOO, SO IT WASN'T THAT SERIOUS
(X) take (and enjoy) Saturday classes -- DOES COMM HAVE A SAT CLASS?
(X) go to your immersion -- I ACTUALLY VISITED THE ORPHANAGE AFTER COLLEGE!
(X) eat Food for Thought sandwiches -- I LOVE THAT PLACE!
(X) get a boyfriend/girlfriend -- BUT OF COURSE!
(X) take time to read the vandalism in the CR doors -- YEP!
(X) watch "Minsan Lang Sila Bata" and "Macho Dancer" for class -- MACHO DANCER! HAHA!(X) do a last minute paper -- ALL THE TIME!
(X) have spent a lot for 1x1 ID pictures (for index cards and teachers' seat plans) -- I WANT MY PICTURES BACK!
(X) get exempted from final exams -- UHUH
(X) attend a college mass -- OF COURSE
( ) promise to quit smoking -- DIDN'T HAVE TO
( ) play hide-and-seek in the mini-forest -- NO!
(X) know where the best restrooms are on campus -- SEC
(X) join an org -- AJMA AND CADS BABY!
(X) allow yourself to make mistakes -- PRETTY MUCH
( ) take summer classes -- NEVER!
(X) admire the sacred heart statue in the evening -- I THINK SO...
(X) make a video for a project -- ALL THE TIME!
(X) have a crush on a teacher -- MARK ESCALER!
( ) attend a Jesuit retreat (a must for everyone) -- I WISH I HAD...
(X) have gotten a parking ticket -- LOVE THE ILLEGALLY PARKED STICKER!
(X) come to school in your crappiest yet most comfy clothes -- DURING MATH EXAMS
( ) learn how to use the Bayantel pay phones -- NOPE
(X) participate in school activities -- ALL THE BASKETBALL GAMES :)
(X) catch the Blue Babble Battalion tryouts -- OF COURSE...HAD TO!
(X) date an Atenean -- UH-YEAH
(X) ride a tricycle on campus -- UNFORTUNATELY
(X) find a tambayan -- EDSA
(X) admire the marikina valley at night -- SOMETIMES
( ) go drinking along Katipunan -- HMMM...I NEVER REALLY DID THAT...
( ) learn how to beg for a higher grade -- NO TIME FOR THAT
(X) use your cuts wisely -- UP TO THE LAST ONE!
( ) volunteer to be class beadle -- HAHA NO!
(X) had the worst lottery schedule for reg -- 2 YEARS IN A ROW!
(X) admire the trees on campus -- BEL TREES DURING XMAS...
( ) have forgotten about your freecut and gone to that class -- WHY WOULD I DO THAT?!
( ) eat in the ISO canteen
(X) be active in your org -- IS BABBLE AN ORG?
( ) have signed up on an ACP class just because the girl or guy u like signed up for it -- ALMOST...HEHE
(X) get as many app forms as you can during the job fair -- NOT REALLY
(X) learn how to cram (and still get A's) -- FOR COMM SUBJECTS :)
(X) sell tickets (or watch) an org-sponsored movie premiere -- JUST WATCHED
(X) save money to Xerox all of your seatmate's notes -- ALL THE TIME!
(X) have accidentally seen a make-out session -- WHILE I WAS PARKING
(X) check out the Meron Lagoon and Lambingan Bridge -- TO GET TO MY CAR
( ) have dozed off in class in Bel right after a class in CTC/SOM/Comm. Bldg or vice-versa
(X) learn how to work with groupmates from hell -- I THINK IM THE GROUPMATE FROM HELL! HAHA
(X) perfect the art of parking on campus -- YEP, DIDN'T HAVE A CAR STICKER FOR 1 WHOLE SEM!
( ) had a bad encounter with one of the guards on campus
(X) develop a love for sisig -- I LOVE SISIG FROM GILLIGAN'S
(X) learn how to pronounce "AEGIS" properly -- HAD TO.
(X) have used typing rooms at the library -- JUST ONCE!
(X) have reserved a classroom, AVR, etc. for a class or org function -- YES
( ) have asked the library for an endorsement to research in other libraries -- NO WAY!
(X) have lost a perfectly functioning umbrella -- ALMOST!
(X) have used consultation hours properly -- A FEW TIMES
(X) Looked forward to lab breakage refund, in case you didn't break any equipment -- ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT!
(X) visit the Guidance Office -- YEAH..
(X) and Infirmary -- I did, once. I HAD ASTHMA, I THINK..

i miss college! i miss ateneo! definitely some of the best days of my life! :)

4's

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 14:37:00 +0000

The Rule of Four

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Research Assistant
2. Writer
3. Account Executive
4. Preschool Teacher

Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. Cutting Edge
2. You've Got Mail
3. Bring It On
4. Fools Rush In

Four places I have lived:
1. Ayala Alabang
2. Valle Verde 6
3. Greenhills
4. Corinthian Gardens

Four TV shows I love(d)to watch:
1. Lost
2. Friends
3. One Tree Hill
4. The Apprentice

Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Rome, Italy
2. Madrid, Spain
3. London, England
4. Paris, France

Four websites I visit daily:
1. Blogs
2. Target
3. Old Navy
4. American Idol

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Calamares
2. Fried Chicken
3. Burger
4. Chocolates

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. None! 'Cause I'm in Bora now!!!
2.
3.
4.

Now that that's done, I am going to tag...
1. Cathy
2. Angel
3. Pia
4. Cathy

another saturday night

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Sat, 11 Feb 2006 11:58:00 +0000

before the madness
getting pointers from francis

on a high

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 11:13:00 +0000

im really kinikilig! not because of chris, but because of the 8 cutest kids (at least after kylie) in the world! yesterday started out like a normal school day - 2 and 3-year olds fighting over toys that they seldom clean up. The difference was, a teacher was applying for a job in our school. and to test her classroom management, she was asked to teach my kids, who all have strong personalities, if you know what i mean.

so after circle time, i told the children that another teacher prepared games for them and that i have to stay inside our office. almost everyone said "no!" i didn't expect them to have any complains. but they did, and they weren't going to take it sitting down, literally! i eventually had to leave and heard them saying, "don't go, teacher karen!" it really broke my heart!

all throughout the lesson time, i hid inside the office. every 5 minutes, someone would bang the door of our office and shout, "teacher, karen!" it was so endearing! after all the games, 8 kids came knocking on the office door shouting, "we're finished, teacher karen!" one of them even told me, "don't go there in the office anymore!"

ahhhh...it really feels nice when someone notices that your not around. :)

who, me?

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 05:05:00 +0000

In a Past Life...

You Were: A Charming Magician.

Where You Lived: Peru.

How You Died: Decapitation.

Who Were You In a Past Life?

my new year's resolution

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Sun, 15 Jan 2006 10:38:00 +0000

In the year 2006 I resolve to:

Learn how to tie my shoes.

Get your resolution here

a (sort of) year-end survey

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Mon, 02 Jan 2006 03:09:00 +0000

What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before?
teach.

go out of town with chris and our friends.

watch a concert (black-eyed peas) in the states.

Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
i kept some. i plan to retain the ones that i didn't get to keep. hehe

Did anyone close to you give birth?
our friend nem to baby leann.

Did anyone close to you die?
no.

What countries did you visit?
hongkong, china and the states.

What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
a concrete plan. a goal.

What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
boracay walks and driving to baguio with chris.

alternative nights in yaku and dancing in embassy with my girls.

fireworks in hongkong disneyland and las vegas.

my kids'christmas program (they danced to "chocolate" and "i saw mommy kissing santa claus")

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
teaching. finally!

What was your biggest failure?
getting fat!

Did you suffer illness or injury?
colds and cough, usually from my students. :)

What was the best thing you bought?
my ibook and my ipod.

Whose behavior merited celebration?
chris. he was very patient with me this year.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
brad pitt.

Where did most of your money go?
clothes and cocktails.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
boracay, baguio and hongkong.

What song(s) will always remind you of 2005?
"ever after", "i don't wanna be" by gavin degraw and "a lil bit" by 50cent

Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? -- happier
ii. thinner or fatter? -- fatter :(
iii. richer or poorer? -- poorer :(

What do you wish you'd done more?
think about others before myself.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
eat!

How many one-night stands?
none.

What was your favorite TV program?
lost, one tree hill, the apprentice, american idol, big brother (guilty pleasure)

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
random people...

What was the best book you read?
"the firm" and the last harry potter

What was your greatest musical discovery?
songs from one tree hill and the oc

What did you want and get?
laptop, ipod and a little freedom and independence.

What was your favorite film of this year?
"lord of war"

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
another surprise party in my house.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
not getting fat.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
a little more experimental.

What kept you sane?
chris, my family, especially kylie. drinking and dancing with my friends.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
chad michael murray!!!

What political issue stirred you the most?
the gloria thingie.

Who did you miss?
my friend pia. my tatits.

Who was the best new person you met?
my co-teachers. mela (sort of)

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005:
i should learn to forgive.

What was the nicest thing someone told you about yourself:
i can get into showbiz. haha

im responsible and hardworking (my driver said that to my tita)

im so thin! (at least during the 1st half of the year)

i matured a lot.

the most touching experience you've had this year?
getting back with chris after a week of break-up.

What did you like most about yourself this year?
my maturity.

What did you hate most about yourself this year?
dissing random people, especially celebrities.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"i don't wanna be anything other than what i've been trying to lately." - gavin degraw

Was 2005 a good year for you?
yes. i reconnected with my friends and went to lots of places with chris. :)

What was your favorite moment of the year?
every minute in boracay.

fireworks in hongkong and vegas.

watching oth and pigging out with chris.

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
fights. drama.

Where were you when 2005 began?
at home.

Who were you with?
my family and chris.

Where will you be when 2005 ends?
out in the strip.

Who will you be with when 2005 ends?
family.

Do you have a new years resolution for 2006?
to lose weight.

to have a plan.

What was your favorite month of 2005?
may, july and december.

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2005?
no.

Did you miss anybody in the past year?
yes.

What was your favorite record from 2005?
"a lil bit" by 50cent

How many concerts did you see in 2005?
one. black-eyed peas.

Did you drink a lot of alchohol in 2005?
a lot!!!

do a lot of drugs in 2005?
not really.

you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
yeah.

How much money did you spend in 2005?
definitely more than i earn!

What was your proudest moment of 2005?
a great day in school when everything went according to plan. :)

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2005?
i don't really remember...

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2005 and change something, what would it be?
i would eat less and go to the gym more. i would've spent new year (2006) with chris

What are your plans for 2006?
travel with chris. lose weight. graduate (masters).

How are you different now that the year has ended?
i'm more mature (i think).

What are your wishes for the new year?
to experience new things.

to spend more time with the people i love.

to be able to handle everything that comes my way.

a much-needed vacation

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Fri, 07 Oct 2005 11:36:00 +0000

riding the disneyrail
tita karen and kylie
brother and sisters
pasta at last!
princess karen

things to blame for my absence:

1. work
2. school
3. plain, old laziness
4. hongkong!!!

yup, i once again visited the shopping haven. i pity chris because he had to endure walking all around hongkong with me, my sister mariel and 6 of her friends! and he caried my shopping bags, too! that's why i love him so much! :)

but the fun part was visiting hongkong disneyland. it's my fourth disney park and it was pretty okay. yeah, it was relatively smaller than the others, but at least the park was tourist-friendly. me and my brother will never forget this ride in tokyo disneyland. it was supposed to be a 360-degree theater so we thought it would be cool and all. you can just imagine our dismay when we found out that it was a 15-minute movie on the history of japan...and it was in japanese! so i think it's good that the hk disney attractions are both in chinese and english.

anyway, it was really such a joy to see my niece kylie be overwhelmed by the whole thing- the rides, the parade and the fireworks (my favorite!). i guess it was one of my dreams as a young kid to go to disneyland, and i'm happy that she's experiencing it. you see, i only got to go to disneyland when i was already 15. but i enjoyed it nonetheless. my personal fave is of course the one in la. nothing beats the original. but experiencing the one in hongkong with chris was truly amazing. i guess the magic really is in disneyland, wherever it may be. :)

busy bee

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 09:16:00 +0000

i feel bad that i haven't posted anything intelligible. laziness, combined with a thousand things to do, does that to a person. to take away some of the guilt, here are some pictures:

*before i forget, can i just say that i'm so proud of the ateneo bball team. we actually beat feu! i just hope we beat la salle on thursday too! :)

mild 7's most stylish event

mariel's birthday in prince albert

my sister mariel, moi and my brother king

on the way to la luz

cabana pose

congratulations baby!

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Sun, 28 Aug 2005 06:17:00 +0000

chris got promoted! and with no less than an A+ rating.

i do care you know. mwah! :)

3's

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Sun, 21 Aug 2005 03:33:00 +0000

for lack of better things to write about:

three names you go by:
1. karen
2. michelle (just with relatives)
3. kar (my mega officemates)

three screen names you have had:
1. champagne
2. heather
3. wabykaren

three physical things you like about yourself:
1. hair
2. lips
3. eyes

three physical things you don't like about yourself:
1. arms
2. thighs
3. tummy

three parts of your heritage:
1. spanish
2. filipino
3. chinese

three things that scare you:
1. snakes
2. scary movies
3. sleeping alone after watching a scary movie

three of your everyday essentials:
1. lotion
2. lipstick
3. face powder

three of your favorite musical artists:
1. usher
2. chicane
3. d' sound

three of your favorite songs:
1. i don't wanna be (gavin degraw, one tree hill)
2. take me home (sophie ellis bextor)
3. simple things (jim brickman)

three things you want in a relationship:
1. fidelity
2. respect
3. passion

three lies and truths in no particular order:
1. i'm happy.
2. i'm sad.
3. this is the life that i want.

three physical things of the opposite sex that appeals you:
1. eyes
2. lips
3. height

three of your favorite hobbies:
1. shopping
2. dancing
3. reading

three things you want to do really badly now:
1. lose weight
2. go shopping
3. sleep

three careers you're considering/you've considered:
1. tv host
2. something in advertising
3. preschool directress

three places you want to go on vacation:
1. new york
2. spain
3. russia

three kids' names you like:
1. matthea
2. camilla
3. samantha

three things you want to do before you die:
1. travel all over the world
2. own a really big and nice house
3. have cute grandchildren

three ways that you're stereotypically a boy:
1. i eat a LOT!
2. i'm competitive
3. i like sports and fast cars

three ways that you're stereotypically a girl:
1. i'm a crybaby.
2. i love nice clothes.
3. i adore chick flicks.

three celeb crushes:
1. chad michael murray
2. brad pitt
3. craig david

three people I'm tagging:
1. angel
2. diorelle
3. patching

fatty me!

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 10:12:00 +0000

i have to admit it sooner or later. truth is, i gained so much weight! there, i said it. do i feel better? not even! why am i having an extremely difficult time to shed off those 5 pounds?! i even had to take out my fat jeans. how depressing. the more i tell myself that i have to cut down with the calories, the more i eat. it doesn't help to have a boyfriend who's unsupportive of my diet days. i. need. help!

it's not like i haven't been in a situation like this before. those who know me for a long time now are used to my yo-yo weight. let's just put it this way- my heaviest was around 130 lbs (yikes!) and at my thinnest (just early this year), i weighed around 95 lbs. give or take, i'm around 104 lbs now and i'd give anything to be 100 lbs again. and i mean anything.

but i have to admit that it's mostly my fault. i love eating! but chris is to blame too. everyday we eat at least 1 meal together. during my ms. piggy days and actually up to now, all we'd do is eat. we really enjoy eating out or at least ordering in. i just don't feel full after eating "lutong bahay". i don't know if it's psychological, but normal "ulam" doesn't quite hit the spot like mcdonalds or kfc.

i just hope i can lose the extra pounds soon. it's starting to really get me down. why can't we just eat that we want and never gain weight?! i guess i just have to stop whining here and start doing some pilates. ugh!

last weekend

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 12:15:00 +0000

1. the cutest kids in the world!
2. a-choo!
3. yaku (dix, stef, me, pichon, katz, jols and diana)
4. maestro (katz, me, stef, diana and cheny)
5. me and a very drunk chris in embassy

i had a pretty packed weekend. see for yourself!

thursday

if you want to find me and chris on a thursday night, just head to yaku. the crowd's pretty nice, as well as the band. they play a great mix of 90's and more recent alternative music. it's a nice change from the usual r&b or house music that bars play all-week long. anyway, it was another fun thursday night with diana, katz, stef (and their boys! haha). for me and chris, weekends officially start on thursday!

friday am

our preschool had its first field trip for this year. we took the children to little gym in el pueblo. our kids had so much fun! with about 30 students running around all over the place, it was hard to keep track of every one of them. good thing their yaya's were with them! i was so tempted to do cartwheels and do pullovers on the bar. haha i had to settle with spotting the children while they do forward and backward rolls. all in all, i think i enjoyed little gym more than my kids. :)

friday pm

me, chris, diana, gio, paolo, katz, and stef celebrated with cheny in grilla and maestro. she's celebrating because her group finally passed their thesis! she's really excited about graduating and we're all happy for her. congratulations cheny! welcome to the real world!

saturday

me and chris attended the despidida of chris' friend, julian. it was actually a csa party, but so many of my high school friends (from miriam and lsgh) were there. in our table alone, 3 guys from csa had girlfriends from miriam. i'm sure not one of us imagined a scenario like this back in high school. it's funny how small this world really is!

after the party, we ate in embassy's cafeteria. we ordered tapa with rice, chocolate chip pancakes and arroz caldo! me and chris love eating after going out on a gimmick. guess that's why i've been gaining weight! yikes, i really have to go to the gym soon!

that's all for now. time to hit the books, i have a long test in my "statistics for teachers" class. wish me luck! :)

a little of everything

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 04:38:00 +0000

1. punta fuego couple
2. chris' favorite girls
3. one of the boys
4. enjoying the infinity pool
5. vodka on a sunday morning

i can't believe i finally have the time to write a proper blog entry! needless to say, the past couple of weeks have been kinda hectic. it's nice to finally have some time to breathe and relax. :) here's a little of everything that i've been up to:

angeli's birthday party (friday, july 15)

it's really fun to attend a college party. reminds me of days gone by. seriously, i really envy those kids. i hope they know that they're having some of the best days of their lives! just wait until you have to start working! then you'll know that your thesis was actually a piece of cake compared to everything that your job entails! anyway, i just wanna wish my little sis (through chris) a happy birthday! it looks like your dreams are indeed coming true! i'm happy for you. :)

embassy and breakfast at mcdonald's (saturday, july 16)

it was another saturday night in embassy. only difference is when me and chris got out of the still-packed vip room, there were no people in the club! the waiters were actually cleaning up already. and as we got out, we were met by the glare of the morning sun! how did that happen? i don't know exactly. at least it was fun being able to eat sausage mcmuffin and hash browns before getting some sleep.

uaap

i know, i know. ateneo isn't exactly the strongest team in the league this year. but neither is la salle! and that's all that matters to me. i have more fun watching la salle lose rather than ateneo win! i don't even mind being really low in the team standings, so long as la salle is there with us. haha!

all-boys gimmicks with karen (yaku: thursday, july 21 & grilla: friday, july 22)

it's not a new sight- me being the only girl (with chris' friends) or chris being the only guy (with my friends) in gimmicks. two nights in a row, i was the odd woman out. hehe but it was all good. i like talikng to chris' best friends gio and francis. but the best thing about it is those little debates that we have. being the only girl, i often oppose all their opinions on relationships. don't worry girls, i don't take anything sitting down. if they say anything that is remotely unfair to women, they'll never hear the end of it from me! we girls should always stick up for each other!

punta fuego weekend (july 23-24)

we didn't let the erratic weather stop us. me, chris, diana, mela, katz, stef, peps, mike (and some of his friends) braved the rain to go to punta fuego. we stayed in mike's amazing house (it even has a sauna and massage room) and had a blast. thanks to the long weekend, we found ourselves getting drunk saturday night and again sunday morning! of course in between all these drunken merriment, we managed to catch some rays and swim a little. i can hardly wait for the next time!

the island (monday, july 25)

after hearing mixed reviews, we finally watched the movie "the island". we were actually watching it instead of the sona! anyway, i really liked it. i think the production was great. and i really love scarlett johansson! gosh, i'd really go for her if i were i guy! haha anyway, i really recommend the movie, even if chris didn't like it that much...he said it was kinda stupid. well, it's not as if it's the first time that we don't like the same thing. i guess opposites really attract.

i'm really looking forward to being able to update my blog more. and not just with recaps, which have a tendency to sound a tad bit ditzy! hehe i promise i'll find the time, better yet, i'll make the time! take care, little ones...and behave! :)

saturday to saturday

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Wed, 13 Jul 2005 15:08:00 +0000

im too busy to write a post, it's crazy! anyway, here's what i did last week:

thursday night in yaku

chris' bash in grilla

chris' 4th of july birthday in temple

kylie's cinderella party in mcdonald's

friday to friday

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 04:33:00 +0000

it's been a really crazy and fabulous week. here's a little recap:

friday

me, iza, katz and diana headed to embassy for the 10th year anniversary bash of preview magazine. it was fun to dress up in modern-ethnic ensembles, but it was so much better to people-watch and see what everyone else was wearing. tim yap changed his outfit at least 3 times! although the party wasn't that hot, it was still nice to hang out with the girls. besides, i still got to spend time with chris after the party, which is always a good thing. :)

saturday

my brother king celebrated his 20th birthday in this bar, luce. i really liked the place. it was perfect for chilling and having a good time with friends. so much of my friends (most of which didn't even go to my birthday party) came, actually stayed and got drunk! it was so much fun. i've never been so drunk in my whole life! good thing chris was there to take care of me. :)

monday

back to work. if you're interested, see "sightings" below for work updates.

thursday

my absolute favorite aunt in the whole world arrived from the states. it's been 3 years since we last saw each other. im really excited to spend time with her and i hope she takes me shopping too! hehe

friday

me and chris finally watched "war of the worlds". we actually liked it, even if everyone we talked to hated it. it was really scary. i mean, what if something like that does happen? gosh, i don't even want to imagine it! anyway, i think the movie really captured all the emotions. and even if i hate tom cruise now because of all the pda with katie holmes, i have to admit that he's a really good actor. after the movie, me and chris wanted to have a few drinks before going home. good thing we bumped into some friends to drink with. all in all, it was a pretty relaxing way to spend a friday night. :)

i wonder what will happen this week? i guess i'll just keep you posted.

*sightings in teacher karen's preschool*

- teacher karen crossing the street with 7 children holding on to a jumping rope and imagining that they're riding a choo-choo train.

- student "a" drinking teacher karen's chocolait; student "b" eating teacher karen's crackers (note:both students have 3 different snacks each, as well as water and 2 different kind of juice, which all remained uneaten).

- 2, sometimes 3 children wanting to sit on teacher karen's lap...all at the same time.

- student "c" doing a finger-painting activity...on teacher karen's white pants.

*watch out for more of these sightings next week!

extended weekend

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 06:33:00 +0000

i've been out so much lately, it's crazy. it all started last friday when me and the girls (katz, diana, stef and stel) went to embassy. we all got so drunk, thanks to stel's cousin jon who kept the drinks flowing in. it's a good thing that the music inside the vip room was r&b and we were able to dance to it. i got home at around 5am and i slept through my saturday class!

that night, yaku and then capone's were our bars of choice. yaku was pretty lame, and one of the part-owners even tried to hit on my firend iza. he even gallantly gave us a 10% discount on our bill. talk about cheap! capone's was laid back and just right. we drank shots of kamikaze which got us tipsy in no time. as usual, i went home at 5am, just as the night was slowly turning into day.

but apparently, our weekend didn't end there. last night we all headed to san mig, then side bar in el pueblo. katz said that starting the weekend on tuesday is really bad, but who cares? i got to meet a lot of new and inetresting people. too bad i had to go home early (around 2am) because i had to wake up at 6:30am for my preschool class! the weird thing is, i don't feel tired at all. i just love going out with my friends! we all can't wait for this weekend, which from the looks of it is pretty packed. i just hope we can restrain ourselves from going out before friday!

first day

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Sat, 18 Jun 2005 05:11:00 +0000

school started last wednesday. it was my first day as "teacher karen". once the kids started coming in, the 2 hours went by quickly. it was my most exhilirating experience in a very long time. i just have the cutest kids in the whole world! i love giving them hugs and hearing the funniest things from them. but don't get me wrong. what i quickly realized is that teaching's not that easy at all...

in this team-building seminar we had a few weeks ago, our facilitator (who also happened to be an early childhood educator) told us how she hated the usual reactions of people when told that she is a preschool teacher. they often say things like "you must really love kids" or "that's such a fun job". although we do love children (a lot, actually) and it is fun, it doesn't stop there. the reason why it's fun is because we love what we're doing. loving it means sticking with it even when it becomes frustrating or stressful...just like any other profession.

i think that the only rule when it comes to work is to do something you really love. im still new at teaching and i still have so much to learn. but im sure that my passion for it will keep me through even through the most trying times. or at least, i hope it would.

work, pasalubong and dating

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Wed, 08 Jun 2005 09:25:00 +0000

i've been very busy these past few days. school will start next week so all the teachers are preparing for the big day. i just finished the bulletin board for my class which is also called the "explorers". it's been very hard because as some of you may know, my handwriting is absolutely terrible! and drawing? forget it! i always have to rely on the computers for all the graphics and text that i need.

speaking of computers, guess who just got a 12-inch powerbook g4? moi! my parents felt so guilty for leaving me behind last weekend. you see, my whole family (even kylie) went for a little vacation, sort of a last hurrah before school starts for everyone. anyway, they bought me so much stuff, more than they bought for themselves. besides that, i got to spend a lot of time with chris. we did all the things that i wanted to do because he was trying to cheer me up. i guess it pays to be left behind once in a while.

anyway just like i said, me and chris had a really full weekend. to give you an idea, here is a rundown of all the things we did last saturday: we started it out by doing a winsor pilates workout, the video of which i got from the home tv shopping network. chris did it too because i was sad...hehe. then, we took a dip in our pool. after eating some lunch, we headed to power plant to watch madagascar. when the movie ended, we did some shopping, which is always fun. that night, we went to greenbelt and stayed there for 6 hours! we ate dinner in hue, had dessert in cafe breton, played with some board games in that hobby shop then stayed in red box for 3 hours. whew! i can't believe we did all that!

it's been a long time since we had a "date" like that. it reminded me and chris of our dating and "ligaw"days. it's actually fun to do something like that once in a while. like most long-term couples, we tend to take our alone time for granted. i guess in our case, seeing each other everyday is equated to quality time. we both realized this weekend how much we can really enjoy each other, not to mention how kilig it is to reminisce and do the things we did when we first started. it may not be as exciting when we first did it, but it's a lot more meaningful knowing that we got this far.

my passion

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Fri, 03 Jun 2005 03:54:00 +0000

when i was about 6 years old, my mom enrolled me in ballet class. i guess she wanted to make a ballerina out of me like most mothers. i can just imagine the disappointment that she felt when the instructor told her that i often disrupted the class and that i wasn't really focused in dancing. needless to say, i never saw that dance studio again. a few years later, she enrolled me in a hip-hop class. i remember enjoying it, but i don't really remember being good at it. my mom and titas would always be amused when i danced because "matigas yung katawan ko".

come 5th grade, cheering and gymnastics were the in things to do. not wanting to be left out, i took gymnastics lessons. during that time, if you knew how to do a cartwheel, you're surely in the squad. and that started my 11-year stint as a cheerdancer. i have to admit that my academic years were characterized by my cheering life. like in grade 6, when we were the grade school champions or 4th year high school when we were part of the J & J cheering competition or 2nd year college when we totally sucked in the uaap nestle crunch thing. looking back, i don't regret making cheerdancing almost the center of my life.

sure, i was never in a winning team. the miriam pep squad lost in the J & J during my senior year. i especially took it hard because i was co-captain. the admu squad was literally a work in progress when i got in during freshman year in college. we didn't even have an official name because the babble wasn't ready to take us (girls) in their wing. when i was captain during 4th year, major changes have been made and we improved a whole lot. but it still wasn't enough to compete with the seasoned veterans like ust and up.

now, the miriam and ateneo squads are flourishing and are given more respect. they are reaping the rewards of all our hardwork and i have to admit that i am sometimes jealous of them. but nothing can take away everything that cheering has given to me. it made me know and express the real me. it brought me closer to my family and friends who always supported me. it gave me friends who i will forever cherish. but most of all, it gave me the courage and confidence that i still hold on to up to now.

i probably am the stereotypical cheerdancer- short skirts, annoying pompoms, maarte, loud, always perky and is more passionate about cheering than studying and excelling in school. but at least i am passionate about something. few people can say that about themselves. the rest spend their whole life looking for one. im just greatful that im part of the few lucky ones who don't have to look anymore.

a tourist in shanghai

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Mon, 30 May 2005 09:17:00 +0000

shanghai was truly amazing! i didn't expect to like it, but i really do. the buildings, the lights, the weather...even our tour guide, judy. she didn't rip us off at all. she brought us to the really nice tourist spots like nanjing road, madame soong's mansion, yuan garden and the tv tower, which was very near our hotel. the only downside of the tour was eating chinese food everyday! im not really a fan and i don't think that i'll ever become one.

anyway, i especially liked being able to go up the tv tower because it's the 3rd tallest in the world. you see, im sorta "collecting" tv towers. to date, i've been up the cn tower in toronto (the tallest in the world), the space needle in seattle and the eiffel tower in paris. i wanna go to the one in russia next. gosh, i just love traveling! if only i had the money, i'd be a tourist my whole life. i'll just go back to manila now and then to eat authentic filipino food and to show off everything that i bought! :)

carrie did it!

noreply@blogger.com (karen) — Mon, 30 May 2005 08:56:00 +0000

i guess my little crying incident after watching carrie sing isn't so silly anymore. after all, i really believe that song sealed the deal for her. im just so happy! it's the first time that someone i truly liked won anything. usually my bets just don't make the cut. you name it- the contender (gomez), the amazing race 6 (adam and rebecca), american idol 3 (jasmine), the apprentice 2 (jennifer)...the list just goes on and on. i even started to think that they do bad the minute i pick them. i guess im not a jinx after all! it's just too bad that i wasn't able to watch the whole show 'cause we had to leave for shanghai. whoever taped the show, please lend it to me!