Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry CHRISTmas!


...Wishing everyone a blessed and wonderful Christmas. Thanks for being in my life and I hope you all have a beautiful day full of wonder and whimsy. God Bless!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

First Quarter of College [check]

Fall quarter is done and now winter break is here! So far all is well with school and the first season of marching band at UCLA is now over (sadly). Needless to say, I really can't wait until next year. I'm planning on taking hip hop classes at the John Wooden Center and possibly do symphonic band...looking forward to an exciting winter quarter.

However, after one quarter, I've come to really fear midterms and finals. They are indeed extremely stressful and it scares me that I have 42343243 midterms and finals left to take at UCLA. Luckily there are a lot of places to study around the dorms and on campus so basically I just have to study a lot to do well right? Hopefully! Anyways, it sure pays off to take a break once in while. For instance, my building (hedrick summit) held a Furry Friends for Finals event where they brought dogs for us to play with during finals week. Mmmm, I love me some puppies. I did really miss my cat Julius while I was away for those 3-4 months down in LA.

Ahh, so what to do with all this time? Men's basketball game gigs is what! I realized how much more I know about basketball compared to football (although both are very fun). Four winter break games - I'm so there. I guess the only bad part would be driving down to Westwood and back but luckily I'm SoCal so I should not complain. Let's go Bruins!

I've also joined a wonderful Christian ministry at UCLA this quarter called Grace on Campus, commonly referred to as GOC. Every Friday we have worship as a student body and then every Sunday GOC drivers (usually upperclassmen) bring the dormies to Grace Community Church in Sun Valley. Ahhhh, I've met really great people at GOC and I can't wait to partake in my small group next quarter (and hopefully be more involved!).  I've also learned a lot more about the Bible and the sermons at GOC are very convicting. I definitely am grateful for being part of this wonderful ministry brought together to worship such an awesome God. :)

On a random note, I noticed in my diary (yes, I have kept a diary since 5th grade) that I didn't write as much during high school, give or take a few entries. I realized that was when I started up a blog (so really it makes sense).  I just can't write stuff here that is like super top secret...but then again I don't really have secrets to hide. (...or do I? haha)

I am getting rather sleepy so I will keep this post rather short. I wonder how many people from UCLA read this...I doubt anyone even knows I have one. Regardless, blogging is definitely my catharsis sometimes.

P.S - If you're in the AV area and you have nothing to do this winter break, hit me up! Please. :) I sadly have to go back by January 3. (I have a feeling that will come faster than I hope)

Monday, October 4, 2010

Feeling Good

WOW. It's been a few weeks now in college and needless to say, I am LOVING it. I would have to say marching band has been a major highlight so far and football games at the rose bowl are incredibly fun. On top of all that we are doing a MUSE show (one of my favorite bands) and a cartoon show on top of a pregame show. Spelling out UCLA in block letters and the script (in cursive) is one of the most prestigious things I have ever done haha. Just in case anyone is interested I'm in the C in block UCLA and in the U in UCLA script. It's the best feeling ever.


I love the UCLA uniform. What more can I ask for? There's a freaking gold cape for crying out loud and the band looks great on the field and pretty much everywhere. I also really, really like my clarinet section and the people in it. I just wish I could talk more and NOT be so shy but hopefully with time it won't be too hard. I mean...I can honestly say I have met my closest friends through band so I doubt this would be any different from high school. I don't think anyone from UCLA would be reading this but I just wanted to know I appreciate all the clarinets very much. :)

Football games are either in the afternoon or at night so the afternoon ones are extremely hot. It's quite ridiculous how much the heat can get to you but luckily band serves a good enough distraction. :)

Classes have been also really good and dorming is great (I enjoy my roommates)...a lot of reading but the math is pretty easy and the GE classes are interesting. I'm getting more and more used to the walking, hills, and endless amount of stairs here in UCLA but all in all it's very much worth it. (good exercise right?)

This weekend is our band trip to CAL! I am so excited to go there and see Cal for the first time on top of going to an away game with the band. I hear USC is going to Stanford at the same time...hopefully I run into Josh with a couple of my clarinet friends so we can bully him around. ;) December 4 is the USC vs. UCLA game so if anyone is in town and wanna see what all the fuss is about in the coliseum by all means GO. :)

This is officially the first blog post since I got here and so I hope I can update more. I have been singing and playing guitar but haven't had a large enough block of time to record a video for youtube. Hopefully, when things settle in more I can find time to update that. At any rate, I am always up for anyone wanting to visit me or in need of a tour. There are so many things to do here - dining halls (yummy food), cafes, campus events, walking, and of course Westwood. I'm really enjoying all of what UCLA is offering thus far and I can't wait to explore more. 

So I will end here for now and find more things and pictures to use next post. Fact: The squirrels here are beastly. They are NOT afraid of you.

Hope you guys have a happy October. 

Thursday, September 2, 2010

The Last Thing on Your Mind

All right. I have 12 more days left. I cannot wait to start my new life at UCLA.

Anyways, I figure I will be a little more informal here and just use this blog to jot down thoughts I may have from day to day. I will certainly try to do this in college and hopefully put up some pictures of my dorm. That would be cool. The only thing I have packed are my bedding stuff and towels but other than I just have to bring my clothes, guitar, ukulele, my Bible and my mac.  That's all I really need. (:

Recently, I have been listening to this singer/songwriter by the name of Lights. I have developed an acquired taste for her songs and so far my favorite would have to be the acoustic version of her song "The Last Thing on Your Mind." I actually just learned it two hours ago. I love singing it ha. 

Other than playing guitar and being on the computer, I also have been conversing with my cat Julius more. Needless to say, I will him miss a lot when I'm gone. Even though he ignores me and walks away when I call for him, he's still my favorite cat and will always buy him two kinds of treats when I go to the store (because one is just not good enough haha). Maybe I should buy him some UCLA paraphernalia - like a new collar. Yeah, that sounds like a nifty idea because someone stole his previous one. -_-

I feel like eating Cheerios right now but I don't have any. Bummer...well until next time, hope everyone has a happy September. (:

Friday, August 13, 2010

Months 'til College: 1

Recently, I auditioned for the UCLA marching band and with much surprise and excitement, I received my results saying I got in. Now with that in my schedule, I am even more excited to start my quarter in the fall although I am also extremely scared. Needless to say, I can't wait for band camp to start on Sept. 13 and am looking forward to missing those awkward social events during Welcome Week because of it. HA

So currently, I am a declared Molecular, Cell, + Developmental Biology major (mcd bio for short). The title is really quite obnoxious but it's the major I want to take to prepare for grad school. I might also go for a Spanish minor which I am also looking forward to around my sophmore or late freshman year.

Here are my classes so far (I might change it later):
- Math 3A (start of a calculus series for life science majors) [4 units]
- GE Cluster on Interracial Dynamics (a year long program taking care of four ge classes but I only take three. It also counts towards honors credit and gets rid of a writing requirement at the same time) [6 units]
- Classics course (GE) on the origin and nature of english vocabulary. [5 units]
- Fiat Lux Seminar on psychology: personal control; This also counts towards honors credit. [1 unit]
- Marching Band [2 units]

All in all 18 units for my first quarter is quite the hefty load but I'm up for it since I don't have any science classes to worry about. I also got in the College Honors Program (also a nice surprise) which will help me with grad school. In order to get honors credit, I can take seminars or personally ask professors to give me more work on top of the assignments to get more credit. I have to maintain a 3.5 gpa to remain in the program but this all serves to help me be more competitive in my credentials. (:

What to do for these remaining days is a question that even I can't answer ha. I will probably start practicing more clarinet since I will bringing it to college (yesss). I already finished my summer reading assignment (Zeitoun by Eggers) which was pretty cool because the book was quite touching and a good read. It was about a real life story of a family during Hurricane Katrina. Besides that, I already did orientation last month which was nice and I can't wait to move in my dorm on Sept. 12 (earlier than any other freshman!).  I certainly don't want to start packing yet haha.

Anyways, I will end here and will update more since I have some time left on my hands. Hope everyone had a happy summer and a good start to school. (:

Monday, June 14, 2010

Official Youtube Channel

I officially got the MacBook Pro and right away started my own channel on youtube. Here's the link to my channel. I am so completely excited!!! The video/audio could be better but this suffices for the time being. Enjoy. :]

Anyways, the new mac is really worth it. I was immediately impressed with all its features on top of its speed and capabilities. It's trendy and easy on the eyes. ;] I definitely would recommend for anyone to try it out...you'll see an immediate difference from all the computers you have used before. As far as prices go, I paid a total of $1800 and got a free printer and iTouch. With that price came the Apple Care Plan and iWorks. All in all, a pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

I will try to post a video as often as I can since it is summer. Any suggestions/comments are welcome. I'm not much of an advertiser so I really don't mind how many subscribers I have (a total of 4 right now). I am just excited to finally start this thing! Happy Summer to all.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Happy June

Summer is pretty much setting in. So far I have been getting a ton of sleep on top of playing guitar/ukulele endlessly and watching Animal Planet. I'm just a tad bored but I know it's better than freaking out about school since I'm pretty sure I'll be doing that at LA this September.

So on June 1 at 3 pm the reservation and sign ups for orientation at UCLA went live. It wasn't a surprise to see that spots filled up really quickly and so I had to take the initiative to get a spot as fast as I can. Luckily I got into the second session out of the ten that we are allowed to choose from. It works out great because I wanted the second one anyways since the timing was more convenient. I will be taking two placement tests during my time there...music and math! I am really excited for orientation... just because I really want to be back on campus again after visiting it back in April with a special Filipino organization. Ha, I am pretty grateful I am Filipino actually. My mom was telling me about this special program where if I kept a GPA of 3.8 or higher for the first two years, the next two years of my undergraduate years at UCLA would be free. Pretty dang nifty I would say. I love the Philippines.

As far as summer plans, I really don't know what I am doing. I can't wait to get a Macbook Pro...that will definitely be highlight and I really want to learn how to start using it in preparation for college. (I hope I get it before Josh) There has been some talk of going to the Philippines or to New York. I'm up for anything really. Hanging out with friends would also be nice. I could really use some Jamba Juice or Berry Star...that would be terrific. Oh, and I really want to go swimming too...at Josh's or Michael's place. Just saying.


Lately I have been using Loreal Kids Shampoo. It's amazing and I just love the smell. I have thin hair so it works out great. Plus, it's tear free and I love having it in my eyes. Such a gentle shampoo!Hey check out this awesome bear do some ninja moves. I was like WOAH. This bear definitely has spunk. I have watched this several times consecutively.

I have been on youtube like 24/7 since summer started. I listen to music mostly and watch covers of people do songs I like. I listen to songs nonstop really....like this song by The Script called The Man Who Can't Be Moved. I also try to learn more and more songs. Yesterday I learned The Reason by Hoobastank...ha, classic song indeed. I can't wait to upload youtube videos!

So I will be headed to Northridge pretty soon to go shopping and browsing...possibly at the Apple Store! That would be quite awesome. I am pretty hungry too. Anyways hope you guys enjoy your summer. I think I will update as much as I can with all this free time on my hands. :]

Monday, May 31, 2010

UCLA, Here I Come...

I forgot I had a blog. Ha, that's my excuse for not updating in quite a long time. Sorry.

Anyways, a lot has changed. This past three months or so of the end of my high school days have been a definite rollercoaster. But really, that's quite all right because I love rollercoasters. So win, win right? Yep.

Well we graduated on May 28, 2010 and I am pretty proud to say I will be attending UCLA in the fall. It was one the hardest decisions I have ever made but I don't regret it one bit and it's real nice to have parent support on the decision. The only sad part is leaving all my closest friends behind...opening up to new people is going to be really hard but I know it has to be done....unfortunately. I'm up for it though. Plus, Josh Kling and Michael Belzil will be at USC...approximately 12-13 miles away. I am so grateful for that. I am going to vist like...everyday.

Oh in the past three months, I did make a really good friend who is now really dear to me. Meet John Young: a dashing, extremely intelligent, hilarious, fun-loving guy. He's pretty much indescribable. I promised I would mention him in my blog and here I am mentioning him. If you want a fun time, hit this guy up. Ha, just kidding. He really is great to be with though and I am pretty grateful he has gotten closer and closer to people who are very close to me as well like Josh and Julia. Thanks, John...for everything.
Sum up of senior year in a list of bullet points:
- College apps
- last year of Tinikling/Multicultural
- senior lunch privileges
- Mrs. Nichter for Biology
- senior prom at The Plaza Hotel
- 4243243 IB/AP tests
- finishing IB crap
- grad practice
- grad night
- graduation
Plus, a whole bunch of stuff I really can't remember at this point but I will eventually.

Anyways, today we had our band alumni concert. It was pretty cool seeing folks we don't get to see everyday. Although, it was pretty short in my opinion it was an honor to play with past qhhs band kids. The music was quite all right. I don't like Swearingen pieces but the Ticheli piece made up for it. Then we all went to in n' out. Score.

Okay, I feel sleepy. I will make a better update soon...probably when I get a new computer! It's pretty exciting...ha, my parents were generous enough to let me get a 15 inch macbook pro for my college days. I will probably be getting it at an apple store in Northridge with a couple of friends. It should be a fun time. One of the things I was looking into was posting my own videos of me attempting to sing and play guitar on youtube using garageband on Macs. I really can't wait...actually I can wait but only for like a week or so.

All righty, I'm done for now. Time goes by pretty fast...I wish it went slower. I want to have a really long summer if you know what I mean. ;]

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Happy 2010

Wow, it has been a really long time since the last update. I apologize but for the most part, happy new year. It's amazing it's been ten years since the start of 2000. Hope everyone is off to a great start.

Last week, I was really grateful for being able to go see the 2009 Bandfest event down in Pasadena. Ha, it was pretty awesome driving down there with Julian and Casey and hanging out with them and Clark during the show. It was also great being able to hear and watch really talented bands and especially being able to see some close friends playing in the Tournament of Roses Honor Band. Although it rained, I think I was more excited just to be there more than anything else. Congrats to Josh, Julia, Marcea, Mitch, and everyone else who played! (Also, special congrats to Josh and Mitch for making All-State.)

Now that first semester of senior year has ended back in December, I am pretty excited for the last semester of high school. Although I won't miss a lot of high school, I will definitely miss a lot of people and the marching experience. I am really grateful I was able to get by first semester with solid grades and so now all I have to worry about is getting that IB Diploma and taking all those tests. Needless to say, I am excited about this upcoming semester since we will be performing Tinikling next month and on top of that we have graduation in May.

As for college applications, I applied to six schools:
- UCSD
- UCLA
- UCI
- USC
- CSULB
- CLU

I am pretty nervous as to what my options will be once acceptance letters come out but one of the biggest things I am hoping for is that nice presidential scholarship for Long Beach. (Ha, but it would be a miracle if that happened.)

Anyways, lately several friends and I have had this sudden urge to revert back to our childhood and once again play with those virtual pet things called Tamagotchis. The idea was Josh's during Dr. Reti's class one day and so that same day I went to Walmart near midnight to go fetch some. Since then, we have been playing them in and outside school and during class. Ha, no matter how foolish it looks, it's really fun.

All in all, this year is looking to be a really big one (for me at least). Besides the end of high school and the start of college, there's a Filipino tradition of having a debut for when a girl turns 18. It's kind of like a coming of age celebration but with the addition of a special court and traditional Filipino dances. Ha, I don't actually know if I want one yet or not since these things are pretty expensive and I am afraid of having that much attention but for the most part, I am still looking into it.

Anyways, hope all is well and that everyone has been enjoying their break (which is sadly coming to the end.) Again, good luck with the new year and hope to see all of you guys at school or wherever we may meet. :]