[	Current Location	|	breakfast nook at home	]
[	Current Mood	|	groggy	]
[	Current Music	|	A Cinderella Story on HBO hehehe :p	]

Had a videoke/inuman session at my housewith some of my co-teachers. See the pictures by clicking on this link:

http://twinkysuperstar.multiply.com/photos/album/30

[	Current Location	|	breakfast nook	]
[	Current Mood	|	sleepy	]
[	Current Music	|	Star Movies channel	]

I've been teaching for two weeks and although there's a lot of work to be done, I find it rewarding. Teaching third grade will take some getting used  to, since my undergraduate course prepared me for preschool. But it's really amazing how much I could relate to the kids! Okay, so they all have their own quirks, but so do I! Good thing I watched Cars last weekend - finally, I understood what my students were talking about!

Some memorable lines/anecdotes from kids at school:

"Teacher, why are we as tall as you?"

"Teacher, is that pepper spray?" (referring to my flash drive)

"Teacher, aren't laptops black?" (when they saw the colorful cover I'd placed on the cover of my laptop)

"Oh please oh please oh please, Queen of Reading and Language!" (student begging me to tell her something which I didn't want to tell her)

"Teacher, how many years have you been married? Are you about to have children already?"

"Teacher, you don't look like you're twenty-two. You look like you're . . . fourteen!"

During Language . . . 
ME: Okay, who can give me an example of an interrogative sentence?
STUDENT: How old are you?
ME: You're right, that's an example of an interrogative -
STUDENT: No, Teacher, how old are you?

While waiting for her classmates to finish their work . . . 
STUDENT: Teacher, are you wearing Converse?
ME: Yes, I am.
STUDENT: Cool! What size are you?
ME: Five, I think.
STUDENT: Really? Me too!

HAHAHAHA.

[	Current Location	|	breakfast nook at home	]
[	Current Mood	|	sleepy	]
[	Current Music	|	the radio tuned in to Lola's AM station	]

We're off to Vietnam tomorrow! It's going to be five fun-filled days with my mom, my dad, my sister, and my brother.

Our plane leaves NAIA at 7 am, I think, and for the first two days we'll be shopping and sightseeing in Ho Chi Minh.

On Thrusday, May 18 (MY BIRTHDAY!!!) we're off to Danang and we'll be at the beach until Saturday morning. Then we'll fly back to Ho Chi Minh to attend mass and of course, to go SHOPPING!!!

Back to Manila on Sunday, and after that it's WORK WORK WORK for me!

This is the first time I'll be celebrating my birthday in another country! I better learn how to say "Happy Birthday" in Vietnamese!

[	Current Location	|	our breakfast nook at home	]
[	Current Mood	|	SO HAPPY! YAHOO YIPPEE YAY!!!	]
[	Current Music	|	The Tyra Banks Show on ETC	]

HAPPINESS IS . . .

• finishing all my requirements for school
• staying up all night to finish our thesis but feeling fulfilled nonetheless
• Vodka and Four Seasons in a glass filled with ice while you type your thesis hahaha!
• relaxing and waiting for graduation
• having probable honors (Cum Laude!)
• finding out you could still make it to Magna Cum Laude . . . IF all my grades are 1.25 and 1.0 (which is HIGHLY UNLIEKLY hahaha but I don't care)
• getting a call from one of the preschools I applied to last week and finding out I'M ACCEPTED and I HAVE A JOB!!!
• having a DEFINITE JOB AFTER GRADUATION and still keeping my options open
• FINALLY getting to go out on gimiks and dates and have fun again (after all that school stress)
• learning a new language (I'm learning Chinese this summer . . . it's one of my projects!)
• having teachers who have SO MUCH CONNECTIONS so it's easy to apply for jobs!
• buying a graduation dress (even though we're not allowed to wear sleeveless and it's supposed to be Filipiniana and color ecru, beige, or white . . . SHOPPING is still SHOPPING!)
• job interview outfits hehehe
• feeling grown-up and professional
• EARNING MY OWN MONEY (moolah moolah moolah dinero diner dinero here I come!)
• saying good-bye to UP . . . but having the opportunity to say hello again as I'm coming back next semester for MA in Educational Psychology (IF I get accepted into the program)
• GRADUATION GIFT FROM MY PARENTS!!! (don't know what I'll ask for yet, though)
• being able to finish Hostel . . . and wanting to watch it AGAIN hahaha!!!
• knowing that Kuya Jess works in mysterious ways . . . when you're feeling your worst, it's just a matter of time until he gives you a SURPRISE
• another Days batch (I can't wait!)

[	Current Mood	|	geeky	]
[	Current Music	|	Jay Leno interviewing Colin Firth	]

This morning I attended the Parangal sa Mag-Aaral, during which the University Scholars for the past two semesters and other student achievers are given recognition. This was my first time to attend, since the other time I didn't even know I was University Scholar. My GWA (General Weighted Average), accoridng to my calculations, was just for College Scholar status. As it turned out, and without my knowledge, I was US. I only found out after the program when a couple of my ROTC Classmates told me my name was on the list.

Hahaha.

Well, this time, I made sure I attended. This is my last semester and my last chance to go up on that stage to receive a rolled-up piece of oslo paper which says something like, "Congratulations. . . . Please claim your certificate of merit from your college secretary after the program."

Gotta love UP for its resourcefulness!!!

When I got down from the car before the program, I was surrounded by a couple of people, one saying they were the official photographers and mhow many shots did I like, four or six? Then this guy pressed a corsage of purple orchids into my hand.

Money-making schemes. And I accepted anyway hahaha. Minsan ka lang parangalan, i-todo mo na!

When I entered UP Film Center, where the program was being held, I was surprised at how big a deal this all was. My blockmate was even dressed in some sort of glittery shiny dress. Some of the parents were even there!

I felt a twinge of nostalgia when I saw some cadet officers either in GOA Green as ushers or in Rayadillo as part of the Entrance and Exit of Colors. And when it was my turn to go up on stage to get the rolled-up piece of oslo paper masquerading as a certificate, the head of the Corps of Sponsors (who were also ushering) who knew me form back when I was still a cadet officer, told me, "Twinkle! Ano, gusto mo ng escort?" 

(When UP ROTC cadet officers or even former cadet officers receive awards, they have the privelege to be escorted by a uniformed cadet officer.)

It's a cool privelege and hey, who could turn down special treatment? But I told her, "Ay, hindi na po." I mean, it had already been, what, two years since I quit. I was no longer affiliated with them.

Maybe during graduation, I'll consider it hahaha.

So there. I got to shake the hands of our college dean, a chancellor, I think a vice-chancellor. I got my "award", got my pictures taken, got to lsiten to the UP Singing Ambassadors, and listened to Garbage on my iPod during the boring parts hahaha. Good thing I was seated with my friends!

I didn't wear the purple orchid corsage. It didn't go with my outfit hahaha.

I can't believe I'm graduating in about two months!

Congrats to me (for being University Scholar hahaha KAPAL) and to the other University Scholars and to the other student achievers! 

GO UP!!!

[	Current Mood	|	sleepy	]
[	Current Music	|	Who's Line Is It Anyway?	]

This is what I did on Valentine's Day:

STUDIED
STUDIED
STUDIED