Goodbye, Summer

It's as if my heart is being squeezed like a stress-relieving ball and I don't think I'll get over this feeling soon.

It's past my bedtime already, I know, but I'm trying to prolong my stay here at home. At least my hours awake, that is. I still have some time to rest later since my flight is still tonight.

I have been packing my clothes and stuff in my suitcase for hours. Half the time, though, I wasn't even packing. I was just sitting on my bed with a lump in my throat that just can't go away. Up until now, I can't lock my suitcase yet.

Lez Miz on Christmas

You know what I want to see?

The musical Les Miserables performed in Broadway. Unfortunately for me, the Broadway run has already ended years ago. Now, it's all up to fate if I will ever experience Les Miz live on stage.

Sweets and Dogs

Excuse me for being melodramatic but the last lollicake to be eaten deserves a few moments in the limelight.

There's nothing significant about the R.

After two weeks of saving the lollicake, I have decided to eat it. This was a big decision for me since I have been keeping them from harm's way, such as my brother's binge eating. Being in charge of the lollicakes (self-proclaimed, but still) that are actually my mother's, I thought that it was high time for the last one to be gone for two reasons: one, it might expire sooner than I think; and two, I'm leaving for Manila soon.

Kitchen Duty

Trying new things is the best way to spend summer vacation. Next would be having a sleep-eat-sleep-only routine 24/7.

For this summer, I opted to learn how to cook (and practice yoga, but that's another story). If green thumb is for gardening, I just don't have whatever you call its counterpart for cooking. Yes, we sell longanizas and a lot of other food but that does not automatically make me a kitchen goddess. Cooking just doesn't come naturally to me. So one of the first things I did upon arriving home was declaring that I wanted a cooking lessons from our cook. Unfortunately, our cook got sick and I didn't get my lessons.

On the bright side, my family has a collection of cook books, which listed lots of dishes and desserts from all over the world. I enjoyed fantasizing that I was constructing culinary masterpieces. However, not all my fantasies end up only as daydreams. No. Many of them actually came true, thanks to my handy work.

How to brush your teeth

Writing how-tos and recipes can help exercise one's literary skills, I was told. It teaches the value of proper ordering and sequencing, even of simple ideas. It also teaches the necessity of using the correct action words. Writing step-by-step guides helps in practicing writing transitions as it deals with,well, steps after steps after steps. It also makes a wonderful topic when you have nada.

I won't say that I am an expert in brushing teeth but I find the task so easy that I don't even have to think when I'm doing it. I thought it will be effortless to write about it. What a fool I have been for thinking wrongly! I underestimated the power of these no-brainer tasks.

More Lollicake Pictures

I have taken pictures of the lollicakes my brother and I have been eating even though they are our gift to our mom on Mother's day. We have been consuming them very slowly, like having to ration food and water to survive. Except it's just for my pleasure of having a lot of one thing at a time. You know, the selfish, hoarder complexes of mine.

Anyway, here are the pictures I took:

Last Ten Days

The countdown for the last TEN days of summer vacation begins today. It's sad that break is almost over, but sadder still that I'm going back to school real soon. The first day of the school year will eventually become the first week. The the first week will just pass by and become a month. Before you know it, the finals are coming.

(c) numerologyzenzone.wordpress.com

But let's look at the bright side, shall we?

With the last days of summer knocking at my door, I suddenly realize everything that I have yet to do before classes begin. Being the student that I am, I cram everything in the last couple of days-- hours even-- before the deadliest deadline. Unfortunately, quality is foregone. I know that I should change, but cramming is just a bad habit that can't be easily, well,  changed. I'm sure you can understand, yes?

Selfishness and Lollicakes

Up until now, we haven't finished the lollicakes that we gave our mom on Mother's Day. You see, I don't let anybody get one and go, even f the cakes are technically my mother's. I have always been selfish with these things-- chocolates, stickers, pencils, stationery. In fact, there's a fine line between me being a collector and me being a hoarder. I just love the feeling of having many of one thing.

But selfish or not, I love taking pictures of the pretty things and pretty people, i.e. lollicakes and my brother. I feel less selfish when I share the pictures I have taken. See?

My brother's daily ration.

Happy Mother's Day

Talking about moms and how great they are makes me all sentimental and mushy, but I don't have enough words that can describe how I love my mom and how grateful I am for her. It makes me sad, though, that many people tend to forget how special their mothers are but magically remember on the second Sundays of May. Even worse, there are those unfortunate souls who don't even care about their mothers! I feel terribly sorry for them. So this isn't just for my mother, but for all the mothers out there.

I don't get to tell my mother how I love her every minute of the day, especially when I'm away for my studies. I try to find time to remind her how special she is for me. Fortunately, I get to celebrate her twice a year: her birthday and Mother's day. And today, my brother and I surprised her with something sweet and special, just like her.

Nanay (Filipino for mother) with her special treat.

Dark Shadows + Jessica Sanchez

I'm not a fan of vampire movies, especially since Twilight, but I have found an exception.

A few months ago, a friend of mine tagged me to a link to a movie trailer. She said that upon seeing the protagonist, she thought of me. When I watched the video, I knew what she meant. Can you guess why?

Sandman's Visit

The clock ticked and the clock tocked yet the Sandman has yet to visit me tonight. I have turned off the lights in my room to help me doze off. It was not completely dark; moon beams shine through my window, as if a car was parked directly outside with its headlights left on. I stare at the ceiling as I lie on my bed. Sooner or later, my eyelids will become heavy; I pray it's sooner.

As the silence fill my room, my ears become more accustomed to the sounds of the night-- quiet rustling of the leaves (whether by wind or animal, I do not know), hissing of the fan as it rotates and revolves, an occasional vehicle passing by, hooting of an owl, laughter outside my-- wait, hoot and laughter? I might have mistaken the hoot for a sound of another bird (for there are no owls in our area) but laughter?

I listened harder. It was faint. There was a shrill laugh, there was a deep laugh. There was a laugh that can be mistaken for crying but I was quite sure that it was a laugh. It was getting louder. There was even a laugh that makes you laugh as well. Then the laughter stopped, as suddenly as it begun. I frowned and decided, though half-heartedly, to sneak a peek.

In Ten Minutes

Let's try to learn something this summer. How about some history of English?

For under ten minutes, you will learn from this video the origins of the English language, how it grew and how it keeps on growing until today. It is informative. Its animations are just as fun. And for someone with an attention span of a little longer than a goldfish, this video works quite well.

This compilation of videos were taken from the Open University site. Videos of lectures and other informative videos of just about any topic under the sun is available in the website, too.