Da bears.

I saw Toy Story 3 today! Andy goes to college and is starting a new chapter in his life. Perfect movie to see since I'm kind of, you know, moving onto the next big step in my life.



Today, at 9:07 AM, I concluded my community college career.

How do I feel?

I really don't know where to start.

Relieved
Excited
Upset
Indifferent
Thankful
Confused

I thought I'd be more excited/more "fuck you, Foothill"-ish, but to be honest, Foothill has been great to me. A little patience and the greatest support system I could ask for resulted in a full scholarship to UC Berkeley and new perspective on life. After all I've been through, I believe there is no such thing as failure--only opportunity.

Everyday at Foothill College was different. Some days were good; some were bad. All were weird.

It's so hard to explain. Basically, I've been living in a 3-year-long episode of 'Community' only there are like 600 Abeds instead of one.


But, as awkward and sometimes unbearable as it was, I really enjoyed my time at Foothill. I made some great friends (yeah, only took me 3 years), learned how to work the shit outta the education system, and found out that I'm not as inadequate as I thought :)

All in all, I found myself at Foothill. I know who I am, I have a general idea as to who I want to be, and, although I still don't know exactly how to get there, I've definitely improved my sense of direction.

A few words of advice for anyone out there considering community college:

DO IT. It'll be one of the best decisions you'll make in your life. Not only will you save money, but you'll get teachers who are there because they love to teach and you will learn a whole lot about yourself. Only you can get yourself through JC. Hard work, but the payoff is priceless.



So now I move onto UC Berkeley. Ha! Can you believe that? I still don't.

Thanks, Foothill :)

Next stop, COLLEGE.

Today is the day--"Doom's Day" as my friend Brittany likes to call it.

Today at 4 pm, I will know where I am going to college. I've spent every day for the past three years dreaming of this moment and it's finally here. But I don't see this as crossing the finish; I see it as toeing the starting line.

This round of decision letters is just as nerve-racking as the one 3 years ago, but the circumstances are definitely a little different. Three years ago, my entire future relied on one little envelope from Santa Clara University (or so I thought). In April of 2010, I am caught between two of the best universities in the United States. But, really, the biggest question here is...HOW THE FUCK DID I GET HERE?!!?

As I may have mentioned (whined about) at some point in this blog, I was rejected by pretty much everyone right out of high school. My grades sucked, I wrote my essays in a day and I basically picked my colleges out of a hat.

Recipe for success? Not so much.

I didn't respect the process, so it didn't respect me. This year, with the help of SO MANY PEOPLE, I learned to respect the process and, in turn, learned to respect myself. Three years ago, I never thought I'd even get the chance to think, "Yeah, I'll most likely get into UCLA." Today I'm waiting on Berkeley.

No, seriously. I'm waiting to see if UC Berkeley is taking me.

As crazy as it sounds, it doesn't really feel like I'm chasing a dream. All the people that have helped me along the way (special shout out to Bev, Jake and Luis!) have done more than just proofread my essays--they've made me believe that colleges would be LUCKY to have me.

*cue sappy music* tears, tears, tears.

Ok, we're back. In all seriousness, I would not have this level of confidence if it wasn't for the unconditional love and support I've received from my friends and my family. Of course my dad was TERRIFIED when I said I'd be going to community college. All I could do was ask him to trust me and let me figure this out on my own. An acceptance from UCLA, UC San Diego and 2 (maybe 5...we'll see in a few weeks) scholarships later, I think he made the right decision.

So, as I was perusing (scrambling) around the internet this morning looking for Berkeley decision news, I found this article. The title may seem a little morbid (not the word I'm looking for?) on a decision day like this, but it pretty much sums up my mentality for the past 3 years.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704211704575139891390595962.html

A line in the article from Columbia University President Lee Bollinger could inspire more than just college students:

"His advice: Don't let rejections control your life. To 'allow other people's assessment of you to determine your own self-assessment is a very big mistake...The question really is, who at the end of the day is going to make the determination about what your talents are, and what your interests are? That has to be you."

As a high school senior, I let little pieces of paper determine my self-worth. I was a misled and really, really stupid 18-year-old kid pretending to actually want something for my life. Now, I'm a 21-year-old woman ready to embark on the next step/adventure in life. All I can say is thank you to everyone who has supported me, thanks to all the haters who have fueled the fire, and thank you, self, for finally deciding to sack up and take control of your life.

No matter what goes down at 4 pm, there's gonna be a celebration tonight.

Empire State of Mind

Hey, did I tell you about the time I turned 21?

Ah, it was a simpler time...two weeks ago...

For the third year running, I spent my birthday in Noo Yawk Sitty. Actually, when I think about it, my birthday festivities started over 3 months ago. My sister surprised my brother and I with plane tickets to New York because 1. She's BAAAAALLLLLIIIIINNNN' and 2. She wants a reason to do tourist things without looking like a crazy lady.

Now, as much as I would love to describe my entire trip, I have a biology deadline that is going to expire in...4 minutes ago. Shit.

Ok, then that frees up a little time. I'll give ya'll the SportsCenter version (highlights for those of you televisionally challenged).

Monday, March 29:
-Arrive in New York at 10 pm

People at the Frontier Airlines front desk =


Tuesday, March 30:
-Rain. That's about it. Oh, and we got drunk by accident. Wtf?
-Oh! And visited the BBC America offices which used to be the Playboy Offices. When you walk in the revolving door, there's a statue of a naked lady. Hard to explain. Hilarious to experience.

Shout out to all of my sister's wonderful co-workers! Thank you for letting me bring my smelly rain boots into your office. Who doesn't love the smell of wet rubber?

Wednesday, March 31:
-Paolo arrives and we go to dinner at the hipster nest where the hipster queen lays her hipster eggs. There was an abundance of Ray Ban glasses and irony. Soooooo ironic. Food was legit though. Worth the hour and a half wait. Mind you, an hour and a half surrounded by hipsters and a man with a pony tail whom my brother appropriately nicknamed "Mulan" is equal to about 6 years.

Thursday, April 1:
-Visited the Intrepid and saw some sick planes. Here are my brother and sister touching things they're not supposed to:



Friday, April 2:
-MY BIRTDAY! So, this is the most important day. Obvs.
-Started the day off with a helicopter ride. THAT'S RIGHT. A helicopter ride. Ch-ch-check it out.



-Then we went to the Tim Burton exhibit at the MoMa. LEGIT.



-Just when you think the fun was over...




LION KING ON BROADWAY. Elephants, giraffes, Rafiki. It all happened.

-Then we ended the night at Brooklyn Bowl, a bar/concert venue/bowling alley. Our friends all gathered for bowling, drinks and something called disco fries. Yeah, I don't know.



I bowled a 152 *flex* NBD.

Saturday, April 3:
-Took a train to Flushing to watch Jake cross the finish line. I still regret not bringing the cow bell....
-Reloaded Jake's carbs with some Dim Sum. At one point, we had to download the dim sum app on the iPhone. We don't mess around.
-After a failed attempt at a power nap, we were off to Accomplice. Now, Accomplice said it was coming to San Francisco soon so I won't give up any details. Pretty much, it's a scavenger hunt in the city. There are actors planted all over, but it's the group's job to identify who's an actor and who isn't. So awesome.

We had to give a frog to a construction worker who put it in a lunch box behind some garbage cans. Yes.

Sunday, April 4:
-Fly back to Cali...Well, try anyways.

"We will be departing at 12:35 pm."

2 minutes later...

"New departure time is 1:40 pm."

1/2 hour later..

"We will be departing at 1 pm."

Half of the passengers have boarded, people still waiting to board at the gate...

"Everyone please stop boarding. We will be departing at 3:30 pm."

Literally RIGHT AFTER the last person gets off the plane and back in the waiting area..

"Oh, nevermind. We're leaving now."

New Slogan: "Frontier Air. Yeah, we don't really know either."

Overall, it was OBVS a fantastic trip and it was all thanks to my sister, Superwoman. She somehow got work done while still being a tourist with us. I don't think there is anyway I could repay her for making my 21st birthday so awesome. I wonder if you can buy sleep. I think I remember her saying she was running low...

"For this to never end."

When people check out my room for the first time, they always mention, "Hey, your calendar is a little off. It's not April 2008."

Well, I wish it was.

Two years ago, I was just a kid whose life plans had been shattered by a plethora of college rejection letters. Today, I am a 21 year old woman who now understands that plans change and your life is what you make of it, not what you hope for it.

In April 2008, I left for a little place called Florence, Italy.

Now as much as I absolutely loved Italy and its incredible food, art, and landscapes, the country itself isn't what changed me; it was the absolutely amazing, crazy, sometimes frustrating but always lovable group of alcoholics formally known as The Firenze Crew.

Now, I have to be honest. I was a little skeptical about them at first. I walked into our first information meeting in the KCI and, well, I judged. I vividly remember seeing Michelle, Nicole, Jamie. I remember HEARING Alisa :) I remember bits and pieces of the conversation:

Voltaire: (raises his hand) Um, is there a gym near our apartments where we can get a temporary membership?

Gilmar: (whispering to Steve) Uh, it's called push-ups, bro.

Oh, Gilmar. So kind. So understanding.

If you had told me that the people in that meeting were going to change my life, I wouldn't believe a word. But today, I call them some of my best friends. My brothers and sisters. My Firenze family.

I wrote something at the end of the trip because I wanted to remember who I was at that exact moment in time. I wanted to have something to read to my grandchild who may be considering studying abroad. I wanted to have something to remind me that I am blessed. Truly, truly blessed.

It was supposed to be a personal journal entry, but with some advice/peer pressure, I read it out loud. At a bar. Story of my life.

Well, here it is. After reading it again I noticed that I write weird. Not that well. I like commas.

I share this with the world to mark the 2nd anniversary of our trip. To my Firenze family--I love you guys and miss you everyday. Thank you for showing me how to love.



"I'm still awake from the night before and it's not the insomnia. We just concluded a night of beer pong, baseball, and of course, kebap. Just another day at the office. Steve just left in time to beat the sunrise. I'm wide awake and I have two things on my mind: how lucky I feel to be here in Florence and that I probably shouldn't have gotten doo doo butter on that kebap. So, as I popped a couple Immodium as to not anger the beast that is my digestive system, I reflected on the past six months and my remaining 5 days here in Florence. I could say that this has been the best trip of my life a million times and it would never match what I feel inside. But no words or explanations are necessary. I can simply look into each person's eyes and see every moment and every memory I have have with you. I see everything I want to be and everything I will take with me for the rest of my life. I'd look up at you guys now but I'd burst into tears not out of sadness or regret, but out of sheer happiness for how blessed I have been to have this opportunity. But I don't need to look up to feel you there, to know you're with me. I can close my eyes and visualize every single one of you. I see...

...a girl with a video camera capturing some awesome and, at the same time, not so flattering footage, all of which she will never show us (Chi)

...a girl of experience and pure emotion who may be afraid of pigeons, but not of anything else that life throws her way (Tina)

...a guy who has had MAYBE a pint of beer this entire trip but somehow has coined a term insinuating completely inappropriate, public drunkenness (Randall)

...a dancer in white pants and a nose ring whose booty shake could put Shakira to shame (Dennis)

...a chick with her hair in a poof, neck wrapped in a scarf, and 6 million Polish friends to party with (Vivian)

...a roommate who accepts me for my culinary retardation and makes me scrambled eggs each morning (Karla)

...a USC drama major who is visibly sweet and amazing when she gets a hold of that volume knob (Alisa)

...a history master who told me the origins of the middle finger--single handedly the most important piece of history I have ever learned...sorry Dolores (Christina)

...an incredible breakdancer who I love like a brother and who knows how to use his head in more ways than one (Danny)

...a girl who single handedly changed my perception of all Notre Dame girls with her calming, relaxed disposition and sick taste in shoes (Steph)

...a sleepy Korean who is always down to piece a cigarette and share a story (Michelle)

...a bubbly Filipino boy's full smile, heart of gold, and all too familiar bare ass (Voltaire)

...my Japanese sister who just agrees with everything I say because I use too much slang.. I tedaki mas (Rieko)

...a girl who, although she can deliver a mean pelvic thrust, displays the hilarious, kind, and reassuring soul that I have needed so badly in my life (Kyla)

...the beer pong queen who is like my carbon copy except with a little extra badunk (Jamie)

...my Peruvian principese, the original cha le, whose passion for soccer is only rivaled by his love for Karen (Gilmar)

...the only salad fingers that could complete my diamond in the sky (Nicole)

...a feisty brunette who would make the Medidididididci family proud (Sara)

...a matching turquoise Firenze bracelet that only cost a Euro but symbolizes a priceless relationship that has changed my life forever (Katie)

...my brother from another mother, cha le #2, who I've shared many a sunrise with, who I trust with my life, and would never be the same without (Steve)

...our favorite Chinese teacher/tourist who takes so many pictures that Martha King called her out. She is beautiful, intelligent, and has the most sincere passion for the world, her work, and, especially, her loved ones (Karen)

...and our fearless momma bear who wants to hug us and wring our necks all at the same time. A woman who knows she's fierce and applies it to every aspect of her being. The intensity of her dominating intellect and distinctive personality are only rivaled by her imperious lesbian strength (Dolores)

This trip has, to say the least, been life changing. Sometimes we come to a point in our lives where we feel out of control. Helpless. All we want to do is run. I believe that we are all running in a sense. Running from parents, work, monotony. For each of us, Florence has a different meaning. We, by fate not by chance, all ran to the same place.

So as I sit here, with my eyes closed, stomach still audibly churning, I realize that for me, Florence means love. Not just romantic love but many forms of love that we, unfortunately, overlook back in the states. I have, first of all, learned to love myself. Through this experience, I realized that my life is freaking awesome. Each morning I see myself in the mirror and see that I wouldn't want to be anyone else but me, and it took a trip halfway around the world to see that.

But the only way I could love myself is because of the love I received from all of you. It is through your example that I have learned to love the right people with all my heart. On this trip, I've learned to love others not only for their actions or their kindness, but for their intentions. All of you have earned my respect, my love, and my trust. No amount of awards or honors could make me feel as blessed and accomplished as being on this trip with all of you. Nothing has meant more to me than the long talks on the train, the 3 am kebap runs, cooking dinner with my roomies and friends, our spot by the Arno, sharing a drink with my professors, and lying back remembering I am a young study abroad student living my life the way I should: free, spontaneous and with people who make me love myself and enourage me to take chances. Someone once told me that it isn't the path you're taking, but the person you're becoming. There is no right or wrong way to live your life. It's about being with people you love and doing what is best for you with no hesitation.

You are all a part of me. You make me whole. You make me complete. You cannot be replaced, no one can compare. Good times and bad, I will carry them with me always. You all have made me the person I am today and all I can say is thank you. Thank you for understanding, for sharing, for being who you are. It is through all of you that I have found my path. It is in each of you that I find what I have been looking for: true happiness. Here I am happy. With you, right here, I am happy. So to all of you, my family, live free, talk slow, love often, and know that you will all forever be in my heart. For this to never end. I love you all. Firenze forever, and ever."

...7 Days...

I haven't been blogging because my weekly schedule has looked like this:

Yes, I color code my sadness.

Top 5 Reasons My Life is So HARD:

5. Facebook
4. Stumbleupon
3. Melissa McMahon
2. Facebook, again


and the number one reason I have more schoolwork than eyelashes:

I HAVE CHECKED THE F*CK OUT.

I am so close to the end, but so, SO far away. I mean, you see the picture of my schedule. I have SO much to do right now BUT IM BLOGGING.

Someone...PLEASE remind me why I get up in the morning...

Inspurayshun.

In a previous post, I mentioned having a hard time finding my "voice" in my writing. Now that college app season is over (YYYYEEESSSSSSSDjflakjf;aldsjf;lskfj239489304tiojfi;elfjw!1111!!!!!!!), it's back to academic writing for now.

Well, it seems I've hit yet another bump in the road with my writing. The other day, I was asked to write a response to a short story and I had no idea what to write. I didn't feel anything. In my college essays, I was able to write what I think, but I forgot what it was like to write what I feel.

Once again, I tried digging up a previous assignment for some inspiration.

Success!

I wrote this little thing for my African American lit class (random, I know). The assignment was to respond to a Langston Hughes poem. I remember writing it and pouring myself onto the page. I wrote about something so ridiculous and not really all that serious, but I knew exactly what I wanted to say. Anyways, here it is. This is me...feeling.


“Spring For Lovers”


Desire weaves its fantasy of dreams,

And all the world becomes a garden close

In which we wander, you and I together,

Believing in the symbol of the rose,

Believing only in the heart’s bright flower—

Forgetting—flowers whither in an hour.



Recently, the bug that is innocent, young love has bitten me, and hard. I have developed an unexpected crush on a boy, but our complicated situation makes it difficult for the relationship to become anything but a crush. Only the cruel nature of love could create a situation as sweet but utterly infuriating as ours.

So, this boy and I have an interesting relationship in that it lasts only twenty minutes at a time, three times a week. Although it seems short, I don’t think my heart could take a second more. After class, he goes out of his way to escort me to my next destination, whether it is next door or across campus. We trade small talk for a minute or two, asking of plans for the weekend or an interest of the day. We intend to chat for only a minute more, but twenty minutes effortlessly passes as we venture deeper into conversation, exploring each other’s likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams. Only occasionally do our eyes meet seeing that the intensity of my admiration advises me to keep from getting lost in his gaze for fear of never returning to reality. In normal circumstances, I generally find myself to be fairly eloquent and hardly soft-spoken, but in his presence, my search for vocal perfection only results in stuttering confusion, or, as I like to call it, word vomit. After I am finished making a fool of myself and other engagements demand our time, we part ways in a simple, but sweet “See you later.” A twenty-minute date, three times a week.

As I scanned Langston Hughes’ collection of poems, I came across “Spring for Lovers” and saw myself on the page. As a poetry fanatic, it is only natural that I am a hopeless romantic. Hughes managed to capture the very essence of my vexation so closely that I was almost embarrassed, as if he was mocking me, personally. I often find myself smiling like a fool as my mind and “desire weaves its fantasy of dreams,” of imperishable happiness and satisfaction. The trail from one classroom to another becomes our garden of serenity where we may travel together, only fueling the emotion.

But, despite the title of the poem, spring means the end of love. Our only connection is in our short strolls, therefore making the end of the quarter the abrupt, and heart-wrenching halt to our twelve weeks of fantasy. This boy’s only apparent flaw, so far, is that he is too much of a chicken sh*t to make a move (pardon the language, it’s the frustration of love). If one were to observe our banter and undeniable chemistry, it is obvious that there is something between us worth exploring, but his coy nature always gets the best of him. Hughes explains that in the midst of love, one may be caught up in “the symbol of the rose…/Forgetting—flowers whither in an hour.” Our time together is ticking because the relationship has been left unattended, only hoping for the best. A freshly cut flower will only whither so quickly if left without attention and care. In our relationship, inaction will only leave one (me) fragmented and depressed.

Langston, you got me. This poem has spelled out the destiny for this relationship if this shyness continues. I could heed this as a warning if I let the opportunity pass or I could accept the fact that some love is temporary and may diminish even before it has begun. Either way, Hughes’ literary genius will forever illustrate the frustration, ambiguity, and bliss of the twenty-minute dates that made the other twenty-three hours and forty minutes worth living.

Way to reach your target audience, facebook.

Hey, stranger. Long time no see..

Here's the top 10 things that have made me happy recently:

1. The movie "Up." I was crying in the first 7 minutes but was so happy at the same time. Who knew old, cartoon people would bring me to tears?

2.
The inflatable BBC America chair my sister got me for Christmas. My room always smells like plastic, but everytime I see it, I feel like a portable Austin Powers.

3. Stumbleupon.com. Visit this website and you can say goodbye to the next 4 hours.

4. I have been watching cartoons from my childhood on youtube, including Rocko's Modern Life, Doug, Rugrats, and tons of Road Runner cartoons. Youtube may quite possibly be one of the most amazing invention ever created. How else would I be able to re-live Chuckie's fear of the sky falling or Doug's creepy obsession with Patty Mayonnaise? But it's also a little sad that now I find some homo-erotic tension between Rocko and Heffer. Ah, what my brain has become...

5. The other day at school, I was walking across campus and I said hello to 4 people. FOUR PEOPLE!!! Took me three years to have friends at school. Man, so after this school year I wont have friends til...2013?!? Yet another step to becoming a crazy cat lady (see #8).

6. Melissa Beth McMahon-Cottle (I've decided to hyphenate your name for you). I see her everyday in my 8 AM classes and, to be honest, I don't know if my attendance would be as good if she weren't there. I start my day with a smile because of her and her loud, random, sometimes borderline flirtatious (not with me, HA) craziness. And I thought I'd include her because she is one of the 3.2 people who read this blog. That I know of...give or take 0.4 people.

7. I GET TO GO ON A HELICOPTER FOR MY BIRTHDAY! The only thing more fun than being on a helicopter is being on a waverunner (Daniel Tosh? Anyone?).

8. This picture.

9. http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2zIYgS/www.jacksonpollock.org/

Click to change colors. I was in black and white for 15 minutes.

10. I'm happy that I have a list of things that make me happy. Everyone should think about at least one thing a day that makes them happy. Even if you list the same thing everyday or if it's something as simple as getting a hug, remind yourself that being happy is important.


:)


Donate to Haiti!

Hwite Christmas.

So, my brother and I always complain about how we have to take goofy ass pictures on family trips. We always have to stand awkwardly, pretending like we love each other. The pictures usually turn out like this:



Can you feel the love?

But for this family trip, bro-seidon and I decided to humor our parents because they sacrificed a lot so that we could take this trip to Tahoe.



We realize that our family trips are just as much, if not more, fun for them just because they miss the good ol' days when we were so young that even just getting in the car was fun. Now our family trips are plagued by my incurable motion sickness, my brother's incessant text messaging, my dad's need to sing Christian music for 5 hours straight, and my mom's claims that she would have rather stayed home and watched Filipino tv. Family vacations Picardo style.



What my brother and I didn't expect was to actually enjoy our parents' company on this trip.

Definite WTF moment here:




My mom probably made an inappropriate joke about...well, anything.

During the day, we split up so the chillun could go snowboarding and Bennifer (my parents are literally named Ben and Jennifer) could gamble my college fund away.

Snowboarding was sick because we basically had the mountain to ourselves. We even had some room to get a little extreme.



Chaos, I tell you.

We reunited around 5 and decided to cook dinner in our room. We stayed at Northstar, paid $255 for a 4 person room AND got two free lift tickets with access to the priority lift line. WHA WHAAAAAAAA.

After a wonderful steak dinner in front of the tv watching Dirty Jobs, we left to go ice skate in the Village. Of course, it closed .015 seconds before we got there so we went to Plan B: DRINK. Again, family vacations Picardo style. We found a nice little Jazz spot that had awesome live music, good dessert, and sold me alcohol. I effectively got wasted because I guess the altitude makes a difference? Whatever. If only it took me one drink to get wasted all the time...



FREAKING adorable.

Overall, good trip. My mom lost $100 and my dad won $150 gambling, so we are in the positive. I still have both of my legs and my brother's snow crave has been relieved for the time being. Good trip.

P90(X)-mas tree.

Ah, Christmas. The time of year that it's okay to irresponsibly spend money on random crap, ignore the bills, and pretend like the water won't shut off tomorrow, mid-shower.

I love Christmas because my family gets uber in-the-spirit and likes to go all out. The best part is when we go up into Half Moon Bay and cut down our own tree. It's meant to be fun and a chance for family bonding, but it always ends up being the most ridiculous experience. This sums up the day pretty well:

Mom: Ange, I like that tree.
Me: Which one, Mom? Point to it.
Mom: (points with her lips in a general direction) That one.
Me: Mom, we're in a forest. More specific.
Mom: (starts mumbling and cursing in Tagalog) Why are you such a bitch?

Yes.

But the trip turned out alright. My dad found a HUGE tree and challenged my brother to be a he-man and cut it down.




Are those tears?

He got halfway, but I think the tree was winning at that point so my brother tagged out and my dad took over. He got to the core of the tree and started to blame his inefficiency on lack of electrolytes or something. So while he went and got a powergel and some 5 hour energy shots, I decided to test out just how well P90x was working.

Like a hot knife through butter.

With each pass, I'd saw through a half an inch, almost effortlessly slicing through the densest part of the tree. As I got closer to the other side of the tree, my brother started to panic, dreading that I get to make the final cut, earning the right to shout "timber!" To avoid him shitting his pants, I left the last three cuts to him. "Behind every great man..."

In any case, our Christmas adventure ended in our cute, 11 foot behemoth of a Christmas tree. Like Shaq in a cocktail dress.

You've got to spend money to make money. (Old post I forgot to publish)

My mom and dad always find ways to hide the fact that the recession has brought the smackdown on our budget.

Someone needs to explain the logic of this to me:

We somehow got a Cole Haan purse, Cole Haan boots, and a $75 gift card all for the price of $170.

Ok. My sister bought a beautiful Dooney and Bourke purse for my mom's birthday this year, but just not in the right color. My mom finally made the time to go to Stanford Shopping Center to simply exchange the bag for another color, but left with so much more. When she found that her purse was no longer in season, she decided to just get a store credit and buy something new. This is where the fun begins.

My mom found a gorgeous, black Cole Haan purse that she just HAD TO have [I will insert a picture here soon]. Yeah, it was $500. Her store credit was for about $298, so she was debating whether or not it was worth the difference. In the words of my grandmother, I told my mom "Just buy it now because it might not be there tomorrow." Didn't need to tell her twice.

Ok, so there's this thing with Filipinos that I don't understand, but totally love. For some reason, Filipinos feel like they need to give all other Filipinos discounts or any kind of extra benefit possible. Two years ago, I was at the McDonalds in the train station in Venice and the cashier just happened to be Filipino. Was it a coincidence that I got two extra orders of french fries with my meal? I think not.

Back to the story -- the cashier helping my mom was, you guessed it, Filipino. My dad and I didn't hear the entire conversation, but after one burst of laughter between the two, the cashier had somehow given my mom 10% off the bag AND knocked off an additional $100. So, if you tally it all up, with my mom's $300 store credit, $100 discount and the 10% off, my mom paid $70 + tax for a $500 purse.

WOW --> MOM

IT GETS BETTER. Ever since my mom won $5,000 on a slot machine in Vegas, she has enjoyed testing her luck. My mom wanted to buy my Christmas present today and wanted to see if she could hustle another sales clerk. I wanted a pair of boots and found a super cuties pair that I fell in love with [too lazy, insert picture later]. They were originally $175, but with my mother's magic, we purchased them for a mere $100. My mom basically distracted this really, really stressed out clerk and got him to take off 15% and then an additional 25% five minutes later. Insane.

Oh, but wait, IT GETS EVEN BETTER. The stressed out cashier manages to find a second to tell us that if we present our receipts at a certain counter, today, for every $100 we spent, we get a $15 gift card. On our receipts, some of the discounts didn't appear or something crazy because it said that altogether, we spent $500. I'll have to go over the numbers again. That means, yes, we got a $75 gift card. Of course we gave it to my dad to enjoy so he wouldn't feel left out. What's funny is that out of the three of us, he took the longest time to shop. What gender scripts?

Basically, I feel like we stole from Bloomingdale's but it was in such a fantastic manner that I don't even feel bad. All I can say is that my boots are AbFab, Bloomingdale's is stupid, and my mother is Robin Hood.

November!

Hello, Blog. I feel like we've been apart for too long. I've been too busy (lazy) to visit for the past month, but that only means I have much to talk about. Let's start from the beginning of November.

So, to all of you insomniacs out there, I know you've seen the ad for P90x. It's the infomercial that almost guarantees that you'll go from this


to this

in 90 days. Well, my uncle, who is an avid supporter of the original P90 workouts, bought the workout dvds and let me borrow it. Now, while I still can't visibly count my ab muscles, I did lose over 12 lbs in three weeks. That's like...a large baby. I feel much stronger, I can see definition in my leg muscles again, and I don't feel like someone just punctured my lung with a harpoon after climbing the 5 sets of stairs in my house. The workouts are hard but it's so rewarding when you finish. I actually feel like the people on screen are my daily workout buddies. At one point, I even caught myself trying to high five the TV. Bittersweet moment.

Anyways, I'm now in my fourth week and going strong. I'll film myself doing one of the workouts sometime. I ride an emotional rollercoaster throughout the hour long workout; I'll get angry at myself, then at the TV, then I'll get really pumped up but then I get tired. It's like a soap opera but less crying and more sweat. Well, maybe the same amount of crying.

I went to UC Davis on the 20th to go see my friend perform at a benefit concert (www.youtube.com/annacriselda) and got to meet some B/C list celebrities. I met Andy Baldwin from the bachelor:

Yeah, it's no big deal. I was like "Oh, it's really nice to meet you." And for some reason, he gave me a rose and proposed to me. Like I said, no big deal.

I also met Gabe Bondoc, a very talented musician who is actually from my hometown.



Check him out. He's great. I also saw some other bands, including this one called Songbird. They did a pretty sweet cover of "Thug's Mansion" (you can hear my brother singing in the background):




Moving on. I'm in my second to last week of school and I AM SO RELAXED. Since my only friends live in my television, I've had plenty of time to get all of my work done a couple days before their respective deadlines. I turned in my English research paper three days early today and I don't think I've heard so many people say how much they hate me in one sitting. It's a loving kind of hate.

I got my UC apps in (cue heavenly trumpets) so they are out of my life until May. It's funny because my main motivation for getting my work done early was so I could get HAMMERED during Thanksgiving break. Mission accomplished. I used my brain cells so I could spend the weekend destroying them. I hope they regenerate because if not, I think all of mine are floating in a toilet at Santa Clara University somewhere...

Thanksgiving was marvelous. I drank the night before so I was late to my grandma's house for lunch. After picking up butter at the grocery store, I walked through my grandma's front door and everyone was staring at me. "Sorry, I'm late. I brought the butte---who's that white chick?" I see my sister's friend Margarita and at that point, due to a lack of brain cells, I couldn't connect the dots. I finally look to my left and it was my sister! She surprised the family and showed up for Thanksgiving when we all thought she'd be gone until May. Lunch proceeded to be fantastic and fattening, just how I like it.

Now, when my sister visits she likes to play tourist. She tries to convince people that she's just showing her out-of-town friends a good time, but no.

She took my brother, Margarita and I to the Explora--orium (South Park reference) and all I can say is...find a tennis racket, put your hands on either side of the nylon, move your hands slowly and prepare to be blown away.

After that, we went to Pier 39 and looked at 4 sea lions. They sit on the docks and look like big piles of poop.

My sister left early Saturday morning because she had to do the whole wife thing and not leave her husband by himself for an entire holiday weekend during their first year of marriage. That makes sense, I guess.

On Sunday, I went to the 49er game and had SICK seats courtesy of my cousin, Jeff.

Yeah, that's the inflatable helmet the players run through at the beginning of the game. If I could enter every room through an inflatable helmet, I would be pumped 24/7. I'd run into the dentist's office all 300-Spartan-style like "AHHHH!! LET'S DO THIS ROOT CANAL!" Then proceed to headbutt the closest person. Too intense? I don't think so.

Well, that's a recap of all the big, exciting stuff that's happened. I can already smell Christmas break. I plan on doing a lot of nothing. That makes for a very boring blog but a very happy Angie.

If you've read this far, you are probably procrastinating and really should get back to making your power point presentations, Ate Bev. For those of you who do not work at the BBC (callin' you out too, Lou), thank you for reading!

Oh, and a couple pictures.

Some Californians making the Prius even more fuel efficient with some sort of wind-powered turbine. Fuel efficient, yes but too bad it was going 40 mph.



I sat down in the stall and came across this lovely poem. In case you cant read it:

"Don't feel down/even though you're fat and have an enlarged clit!/You say that like it's a bad thing. Yay for fat enlarged clits!/Amen to that sister!"

Psh, Shakespeare, Shmakespeare.


And my personal favorite. My mom is helping my cats replenish their electrolytes. They've been training for a marathon so she thought that they needed some Gatorade. Yes, that's Gatorade. In the hungry bowl.

Procrastinating...

I'll admit it now, I am desperately avoiding my UC personal statement. I'm so used to writitng research papers that I forgot how to write like a normal human being. I could explain the religious implications in Beowulf in 15 pages easy, but I can't even explain what makes me "interesting". I've never had so much trouble finding my own voice; usually people can't get me to shut up. I'm interesting...right, guys? Well, of course you think I'm interesting. You're reading my blog, silly. Either that or you are procrastinating too and my blog is the perfect time-killer. That's fair.

Well, my sister suggested I look through my previous blog posts to try and find my voice. I also decided to take a look at some English assignments from the past. I stumbled upon something I wrote for my Fine Arts class. I wrote it the day that I switched my major from Cognitive Science (wtf) to English. I had 738475980347 emotions that day and really couldn't sort through my decision. This was either the best decision I've ever made or a sign that I'd better get in the welfare line now to beat the crowds. Either way, that morning I went to my teacher and said, "Hey, I don't have my homework with me today. I'm kind of having a bad day." He simply said, "Well, just write about how you feel." I think the original assignment was about the media or something but instead my teacher, let me vent. Here's what I pooped out:


***November 2008
“Write about how you feel.”

At this time during my senior year of high school, I had my life figured out. I was going to get into a “good” college, make millions of dollars and, above all, I was going to be somebody. Three months and nine college rejection letters later, I was beyond panic, shock, or fear. I was inanimate. My life had come to a standstill because there was a flaw in my plan, totally knocking my naïve, adolescent hope. I wasn’t living the life I had expected. But little did I know, getting rejected from all of my colleges would be one of the best things to ever happen to me. It is because my inadequacies, shortcomings, etcetera, that I was able to discover my most remarkable characteristics. It was a fortunate stroke of serendipity.

As a freshman in high school, I had a homework assignment asking to write a letter to my future, 18-year-old self, describing what I should be by that point in time. We sealed the envelopes and they were returned four years later in the final days of our senior year. As I read it, I was overcome by a million emotions, none of which were satisfaction. My ridiculous, 14 year old self expected me to be a straight-A student on my way to Harvard University. I was supposed to be 5’10” and on a full scholarship for track. Basically I was supposed to be a giant, muscular genius. As I stare in the mirror, all I can say is “not quite.” I cried as I read that letter because it just pointed out every failure I’ve had in thus far. I had a 3.2 GPA and the end of my track career was a result of a bad long jump landing and two fractured vertebrae in my lower back. And I was still 5’6”. In short, I felt like a failure because I didn’t have any awards or numbers to exemplify my success. All I could think that day was that it was too late for me to be happy, too late to be successful.

It’s interesting what two years time can do to one’s life. I can confidently say that Foothill has been very kind to me in ways that I have never dreamed. I’ve reinforced my passion for writing and teaching, learned that sometimes school is just a game that anyone can win, and have seen so much of the world even if my college is just two miles from my high school. I studied abroad last spring in Florence, Italy and there are no words to describe the experience. Between the 4-hour train rides and thousands of dollars spent on alcohol, most of the highlights are better described by pictures than my memory alone. All I can really say is that on that trip, I smiled for the first time, truly, sincerely, inside and out. And since then, I’ve realized that happiness and success is undefined. My high school senior quote turned out to be “If at first you don’t succeed, redefine success.” I just found it in a fortune cookie and it sounded pretty deep, but the last two years created new meaning. I’ve come to realize the real secret behind happiness is relativity. When one realizes that happiness has no standards of absolute and universal application, one may finally be free of the common pressures in life. There are no “good” colleges or “right” jobs. There are no right or wrong ways to live life, only the mistake of being counterproductive to your own personal goals.

Ultimately, in my opinion, people expend all their effort thinking about how much time they’re losing instead of all they could be accomplishing. In most cases, people tend to do all possible to extend life rather than capitalize on the time one is given. People say life is short even though it is the longest thing we ever do. Life has become so much more about length rather than quality. We should live life not to extend it but to make each moment special, for the end is imminent. People do all possible to escape death when, in reality, it is death that which makes life so romantic. It is because of death that we take note of the fresh air around us. It is death that forces us to taste our food and hug our loved ones. Above all, death is why we live life. But it is our fear of death that makes us live too carefully in a protective bubble of dull, boring safety. Just like death, fear of failure holds us back from growing to our full potential. And just as the concept of death is what makes roses smell so sweet, the agony is failure is what makes every success worth the risk. I’ve seen life changing opportunities pass me by because I was too afraid to lose or fail or look stupid. In the end, my only failure was in never trying. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

All of my high school friends went on to four-year universities including, NYU, Harvard, UC Davis, and Notre Dame. They come home during their winter and spring breaks and ask me how things are at home. I say “good” but it is the most sincere “good” I can offer. My life, on paper, doesn’t look as “successful” as theirs but I am almost positive it feels 100 times better. I have been given time to see the world I am diving into. In taking a step back, I’m given a head start. I have had more life experience while living in my own house than most of my friends living on their own. By exploring the world I have been able to better assess my role and purpose in it. Most of all, I’ve discovered myself. I am a 5’6”, community college student with an infinite amount of possibilities ahead of me. My success is unique, almost unexplainable. For the future, I have learned to hope instead of expect the best. So until the future gets here, I’ll just taste my food, smell the roses, and most of all, smile. ***

I thought it was interesting. I'm still looking for my voice though. Let me know if I accidentally left it at your house. I'll come pick it up later.

For Jake

Mmmm...beep stek.

Shoot 'Em Up

All summer, I've been testing out new hobbies. I do pretty regular things like bike and swim and all that jazz, but I wanted to find something really out there. I wanted to find something I could really get into. Somehow, I found skeet shooting. Don't ask me how I found it. It found me, really.

Now, I've never been the biggest gun supporter, but honestly, I don't know how I ever lived before holding a shotgun. It may sound a little redneck-y to you, but I'm guessing you've never shot a shotgun before. The feeling, unexplainable. That's all for another post. For now, I'll leave ya'll with a little snippet of the experience. I shot sporting clays with my friends this weekend. I always like going with people who have never tried it. I love seeing them absolutely terrified at the beginning but by the end of the day refuse to give up the gun.

Here's Becca. I think this is the second clay she hit. It was a tough one, too.

Sugar Momma

So, my friends are famous. Are yours?

http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2009/08/27/experience-the-softer-side-of-drakes-best-i-ever-had/

I made accessories out of money (for an occasion...don't worry. I dont wear money garments regularly...)

Bike Ride

Some cool stuff I saw on my bike ride today. Music courtesy of my friend Anna. Check her out on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/user/annacriselda

3 am: Lumpia > Jack in the Box

Three Dolla Koala

Thank you, facebook, for caring about my horse.

"Cheers to, uh, the British."

Happy 4th of July.

So, you're curious, eh?

Have you ever been by yourself and see something absolutely hilarious/disgusting/sexy/upsetting and were desperate to share that experience with somebody? Well, that sums up my life.

On numerous occasions, I have tried to call someone and explain something ridiculous that just happened and it always ends in "I guess you had to be there." Well, mankind, I feel that it is selfish of me to keep all of these amazing occurrences to myself; thus, my blog was born.

For as long as I can keep it up, I will post videos or pictures of things that happen in my life. This may sound boring now, but you'd be surprised at how interesting it could be. You will get to see the world through another person's eyes. This blog isn't about me, but is by me. The posts can be anything at all. I may post a quick clip or, if you're lucky, I could create a short film for you to enjoy. I may talk to the camera "Real World Confessional" style, sing you a song, or even bring in a guest. I may write an explanation or just leave it up for your own interpretation. Who knows? I could just post video of my cats sleeping. You never know what you'll find on TwitSpaceFaceTube.

Oh yeah, about the name. Recently, I have been enslaved by social networking sites. Red notification flags have become a measure of my self worth and "hanging out" has turned into looking at pictures of people having fun with other people. So, I decided to force myself out of the house and to look at the REAL world. I know that by blogging I'm still coming right back to the computer, but I thought it'd be an interesting way to connect to people. Social networking sites are all about instant connection wherever, whenever. This blog will kind of be an indirect connection. You get to see what I'm seeing and how I see it; in essence, you get to take a step into my head. Let's see how that stacks up next to an "About Me" text box. So, whether I'm taking some sick pictures at a concert or just out buying toilet paper, I still think it's 10 times better than sitting in front of my computer waiting for someone to like my facebook status.

If more people get interested, I'll try to be more interesting and post more stuff, more often. So, I hope I have caught your attention enough for you to stay tuned (if you have read this far, I think it's safe to say that you're as bored as I am).

In closing, I hope you at least find some kind of amusement in my adventure. There will be happy, sad, hilarious, disgusting, unusual, precious, and WTF moments. "People only see what they are prepared to see." --Emerson