#he's getting ready for bibo

[zeeckz]

[smileposting]

changes i noticed in the new GGG demo

compiled based on snapcube's vod and my own experimentation. this focuses more on changes in gameplay/overarching story than new character interactions facilitated by new dialogue, so keep that in mind. full list under the cut!

click clack is now the god of storytelling as opposed to the god of teamwork, at least according to bibo.

razzma v. tazz is either razzma's full name or her pen name (based on the fact that he is also addressed as razzmatazz.)

bizzyboy in da ferris wheel....? not sure if this is new actually

rodney (the dog) is here.

skolopendra is now in the very first section of the grove you encounter as opposed to being on the south island.

bug's got new dialogue if you choose to just keep standing there after he gives you his questline. you're creepin' him out!

very ominous black rabbits found near king cutouts. you can interact with each of them exactly once. said interaction is just the camera zooming in and playing a vine boom adjacent sound.

you can interact with the cardboard cutout of mitternacht and knock it down, but you can't interact with the one of inspekta at all.... hm...

new usable dialogue from P: P here!

new usable dialogue from jacqueline: get ready for pets, cutie pie!

new usable dialogue from skolopendra: tiny weak little bug.

new usable dialogue from rodney: BARKBARKBARKBARK

al had his shaboingboings before the cutscene introducing all the bizzyboys plays, but in the actual cutscene he's still trying gobble down that beachball. either this is a glitch or the implication is that al had two whole plates of shaboingboings and was still hungry afterwards so he ate the ball, and will then proceed to have another two plates of shaboingboings.

capochin calls inspekta "spek"... cute....

new usable dialogue from capochin: GET TO WORK, YOU LAZY PUP!

inspekta's van is also explicitly referred to as a campaign van. interestin'...

inspekta himself is a Lot more noticeably passive aggressive in this version lmao

oh shit they changed the handwriting in king's letter to miss mitternacht.

THEY CHANGED THE LETTER TOO.

whoever wrote this letter has generational trauma swag there i said it. "back where i'm from people WORK for their praise they don't just have godhood HANDED to them" okaaaayyy next you're gonna say you're one of the good ones and embarrass tf out of your kids in the process

i think peeps has a talking sprite now? i think everyone got new sprites for specific actions/responses/emotions actually, gods included.

miss mitternacht being of human origin is called into question; according to sirena, some believe mitternacht was never even alive to begin with.

al does not have his second plate of shaboingboings because he frew up :( but hey at least P joins him on his snack break :)

the beach ball is now a usable item that you can return!

new particle effect on mitternacht's model to make it clear that she is Constantly Crying.

more spanglish in razzma's dialogue. lots of emphasis is placed on her near-photographic memory when it comes to king, and he uses it a lot to calm herself down when he gets too emotional.

oh hey rodney's on this island too.

2nd ominous bunny appears

new eating sfx in the rift psa

the P puppet is going to town on that sandwich (not sure if this is new either)

skolopendra talks about how razzma took king's apparent betrayal especially hard.

new usable dialogue from miss mitternacht: I MISS MY ELOQUENT KING!

jacqueline is PICKING BUG UP BY THE HEAD!!!

new usable dialogue from jacqueline: I AM GOING TO EAT YOU.

"and the next thing you know, you're loading a boat with two of every animal. you don't want that, do you?" MISS MITTERNACHT....?

funny inspekta animatronic; you can free up inventory by feeding dialogue to it.

EDIT 10/15/2024: new usable dialogue from marsha: DON'T WORRY, MISSY! INSPEKTA WILL SAVE THE DAY!

feel free to add other observations in the replies/reblogs if you find em! >;P

[akatsuki-girl]

Obito is the perfect representation of what pain and loneliness can do to a person.

Obito believed Madara's words because he was able to take advantage of his pain and vulnerability. Obito needed to get out of that nightmare and could only do so if supported by his friends, something that Madara took away from him by keeping him segregated for years in a cave and filling his head with illusions

he was deprived of everything, of the possibility of being able to choose on his own, he was deprived of his future, he was manipulated by the wise threads of those who played with his psyche and his heart, a new identity was forcibly imposed on him . He was deprived of his true feelings, the phrase "My name doesn't matter, I'm nobody and I don't want to be nobody" is the clear example of the fact that he was used by Madara as an object, as a mere tool to achieve his goals

but in the very moment he was able to get closer to Kakashi, and was able to listen to Naruto's words, [who in his own way suffered exactly like him], Obito managed to reconnect all the pieces of himself. he was not what Madara wanted him to believe, and in my head the power of the image in which the photo of Team Minato is shattered into a thousand pieces is unforgettable but the only piece that that frightening power cannot tear away is precisely Obito's.

Because Obito was simply lost, but not destroyed.

Obito still existed. He was deprived of everything but in the end he managed to find himself and, as much as I would have liked to see him become Hokage probably more than he himself wanted to become one, he left us an even more important lesson: that life can drag you directly to the center of Hell, but if your heart is good and you remain true to yourself, you will always find someone ready to hold out their hand to take you home.

I concluded your honor.

10 February

Happy Birthday Bibo❤️‍🩹

[bigusbossus]

Trans Ocelot would likely get pregnant a lot since Bibo never really learned proper sexual safety due to how he was discouraged to explore said things. Meaning those two would be raw-dogging it constantly and Ocelot would inevitably get knocked up, but I believe the stress of his job would make it incredibly difficult to carry any to term which I could easily see him getting horrifically depressed about. Holing up in his room and only letting John see him for a week or two after it. He recovers fast because he has to but each time he has a miscarriage it eats him away inside. When he finally manages to carry to term and have the snakelings, he sobs about it because even a pro spy like him cannot contain how emotionally overwhelming it is. When he has to leave the kids behind to continue pursuing his work it rips a massive hole in his heart but he keeps pushing on knowing there is not anything he feels he can do about it that will even matter at this point.

Basically Ocelot Mpreg would make that mans undiagnosed BPD absolutely destroy him.

WAIT I'M ON MY KNEES THAT'S SO FUCKING SAD OWWWW GET THIS GUY A HUG 😭😭 I imagine bb would be so concerned about him everytime he isolates himself, but he also understands, he just wishes he could help more but he dosnt know how to except to give ocelot space to grieve and wait for him to be ready to come out, and even then he can only try to comfort ocelot, hugging him close and taking care of him bc he hasn't been able to take care of himself. maybe at some points ocelot would lash out at bb bc he's just feeling so much and it's all overwhelming but bb dosnt put it against him, he understands that ocelot must be feeling alot and no matter what he'll be there for him and Ocelot appreciates that too

maybe all the grief is what makes ocelot start learning how to hypnotize himself bc if he lived with all that grief at once he'd just fall apart so forgetting about it sometimes helps even though he can never fully forget it.. but oh well his mission always comes first even if it's destroying him:( he curses himself for letting it affect him so much too but hes only human and this takes him awhile to accept

[droasterchicken]

The Philippines Cries in the State of Politics

As disputes in the country continue to rise with the passing time, people need to step up to the challenge to resolve the problems that society brings. This is done through governmental elections, where the citizens of the Philippines would vote for candidates who run for positions in the government. Whether these candidates are worthy of the position, the fate of the Philippines lies in the decision of the nation. 

The people are given free will to vote those they deem fit to acquire a position in the government. Without elections, there is no free will, only submission to authority that has been predetermined by the privileged and those with high social status.

It was in the month of May in 2022 and on a rather cool afternoon. It was common knowledge that Duterte had to step down from his seat as president to allow someone else to take the responsibility.

The votes were tallied between BongBong Marcos and Leni Robredo, the tension was high until the results were released. The news came from my grandmother who casually spoke of how BongBong Marcos won the position as president of the Philippines. In all honesty, I felt nothing, I knew nothing about the candidates themselves nor did I think of how this would affect me since I was just 16 years old. 

The internet was disappointed, if not hated the results, people on Tiktok were blaspheming Marcos and spoke of how it should have been Leni. Still, I underestimated the importance of elections until my mother spoke of how this affected the relationships of some families.

Parents were disowning their children, children were disowning their families, all because they had opposing views on who to vote for. This got me thinking, why are families willing to destroy their relationship because of the elections? Suddenly, it became a lot more significant to ponder about, especially when my time to vote would soon come. 

The candidates for Philippine elections were represented through status and wealth. But that alone does not get one to succeed in the elections, one must win the hearts of the people to win the votes.

As I grew older, I realized that candidates in the privilege spectrum would make use of their reputation and do what they could to acquire the position they were aiming for in the government. Whether they were a star such as an actor, or from a long family line that withheld a rank in the government, unless the candidate was popular and had the money to buy people, it did not matter if the candidate was truly knowledgeable or fit for the position. If they are not popular, they do not have the chance to win in the elections. 

I recall the 2022 Philippine elections when Robinhood Padilla won as Senator. He was known as a TV star and actor before he became a Senator. Another example I could think of was the vice president, Sarah Duterte, who shared the last name of the previous Philippine president who was Rodrigo Duterte. 

These alone exemplified the Philippine’s voting pattern, not by wisdom, but through personal feelings. Through these observations, it saddened me that people chose to ignore those who had great potential to lead the country and focused on those of popularity. Just because they contain the fun or “bibo” vibes does not mean they are qualified.

As of now at 18 years old in 2024, I tend to wonder; just how reliable is the system of the elections? If the government allows movie actors or models to apply for certain positions, are these the kind of people that we would want to represent and lead our country?

The Philippine election is a place where everyone stands on equal grounds, a place where the country is properly represented by those who understand the country’s needs. By this, we should not view a candidate by simply their appearance, but predetermine whether they can handle the responsibilities given with the position and through their character.

As someone who is ready to choose the next leaders when the elections come, I am more than willing to not vote blindly based on popularity, but on the sets of skills that the candidates hold. Yet I shall never turn blind to one’s reputation, for whatever is built up by the candidates works as a surface that leads to their character and personality.

The Philippines is still in the middle of change, yet what never changes are the officials who are blinded with the power they hold, officials who are corrupt. Nowadays, people do not actually know how to properly see through the veils that candidates put up to please the public, later on this results in deep regret once that veil falls off. 

The need for electoral reform in the Philippines is a call for improvement. Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to having the right to vote. The candidates in the elections are not to be viewed for their outward appearance, but one must be an educated voter in terms of capabilities.  

Duterte as president may have achieved many great things for the country, even helped progress the nation, but not without consequence. The War On Drugs campaign, despite its good cause, resulted in blood shed and corruption. Many lost loved ones and cried for them, just as how people cry for leaders who will lead this nation and lift it up.

Don’t vote without cause, nor because of biases. Don’t vote because of popularity, nor because of sweet promises. Have the research done for the candidate’s reputation reveals who they are even before they stepped foot into the elections. If the country chooses the wrong candidate, it will reflect on the country’s complexions.

[jjamjamm]

Nighttime Routine

Masterlist | Domestic Oneshots Masterlist

Wordcount: 384

Summary: Bilbo found that his nighttime routine changed with a baby around.

The day was coming to an end; dinner was finished, the table cleared, dishes cleaned and put away, and tiny yawns were coming from the armchair.

The little one was reclining in your arms, listening to a bedtime story while Bilbo did the pre-bed check for goblins.

“Just as I suspected, not a goblin to be seen.” He promised, holding his arms out to take the toddler from you, “Ready for bed now?”

Little Frodo nodded, sticking his arms out to be brought to bed, cuddling against Bilbo’s chest as they headed down the hall. As usual, you were close behind, since Frodo liked to have both of you tuck him in.

For the past two years, you had been taking care of little Frodo. Ever since the accident, he had been in your custody, and you had come to love him like he was your own.

Bilbo laid him on the bed and pulled the covers up, “Let’s see, did we do everything we needed to?”

Frodo nodded, snuggling down against his pillow, “Mhm.”

“Did we wash up?” Bilbo asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Frodo nodded again, blinking up at the two of you as he waited for you to continue.

“Did we clean up the toys on the rug?” You asked, glancing around the room to make sure he had.

“I may have helped.” Bilbo admitted, “Just to get to the table in time to eat.”

“Well, at least it got done.” You said, “I’ll get the light.”

You blew out the candle while Bilbo finished tucking him in, “Sweet dreams Frodo.”

“We’ll see you in the morning.” You promised, heading to the hallway with your husband to let the little guy sleep, “Goodnight sweetie.”

“Night mamma.” Frodo called.

You stopped in your steps and looked to your husband, who looked just as shocked as you were.

“Should we correct him?” You whispered, knowing he would need to know the truth eventually, but still touched that he cared so much for you.

“Night Bibo.” Frodo called, earning a frown from his uncle.

As you stifled your laugh, Bilbo shook his head, admitting that it was kind of cute to hear.

“Let’s just let him sleep.” He suggested, tugging the door shut, “No reason to keep him up too late.”

[itsdbaby-blog1]

ANASTASIA KARANIKOLAO| FEMALE | SHE/HER | BISEXUAL- DEANNA NICOLIS is a TWENTY ONE year old COMMUTATIONS MAJOR/RETAIL WORKER that moved into apartment A1 a good MONTH ago. the GEMINI has been in town for THREE MONTHSoverall and is well known around seattle ridge for being +HONESTand +PERSEVERANCE, but has a reputation of being -SELFISHand -INSECURE. guess that’s why they call them the SOCIALITEaround these parts! (Bibo, 24, she/her, PST.)

Hii, Hey, Hello! It’s Noie or Bibo!  I live in the PST time zone, and I am 24 years old. I work and go to school. Of course I’m on summer break. But I do still work as a behavior technician. My summer schedule is Monday&Friday 9am-2pm, and Tuesday&Thursday 8am-12pm. But I am super excited to be here, and I'm ready to party with this new lil bean of mine. 

—*&; Deanna Nicolis

❝ Feeling good now that your gone❞

—*&; the facts

— FULL NAME:

Deanna Erika Nicolis

— NICKNAMES:

Dee, Anna DeeDee, Anna banana

— PRONOUNS:

She/her

— AGE:

twenty one

— DOB:

June 13th, 1997

— BIRTHPLACE:

Palm Springs, Califorina

— SEXUALITY:

Bisexual

— OCCUPATION:

Retail Worker/ Commutations Major

—*&; the personality

relationships: N/A

parents: Chris and Jenna Willison

siblings: Older sister Taylor, younger brother Jessie

children: Jessie 

small bio:

TW; ABUSE; HARASSMENT; DEATH THREATS

Deanna Erika Nicolis born Sasha Leslie Wilson on June 13th, 1997 in Palm Springs, California. Her life growing up was basic and normal. Nothing too outrageous. She started cheering in middle school, and it followed her to high school. Being captain for her last two years of high school, junior homecoming princess, and senior prom queen. She had it all, great friends an amazing boyfriend who had been with her since middle school. They were the IT couple, everyone envied them and wanted to be them, they were voted ‘Cutest couple’ and ‘most likely to get married after high school.’ 

Everything took a turn when she turned eighteen. Her loving boyfriend started to change and become controlling and abusive. She got pregnant at nineteen, and went to stay with her grandparents in Utah, knowing if she stayed he would have killed her and the baby both. After having her baby boy, she went back home, left Jessie in the care of her parents after they all agreed it would be best. Deanna hung out for a year, until she realized all her friends had turned their backs on her. People had egged her house, keyed her car, slashed her tires. It become so unbearable, when the death threats started. She later found out it was her ex who was in charge of it, and had promised he wasn’t going to stop until she was dead. She changed her named and moved to Seattle as an incoming freshman. Deanna is now ready to take on Seattle and see what it has to offer. 

After everything she had gone through it changed her. She’s now likes to go out and have fun. Partying and making new friends. Not being able to enjoy her senior year of high school, she was making up for it all now. Seattle is her new play ground. 

[asp1990]

Day 10: Saturday July 2nd, 2022 [LONDON]

Breakfast: coffee & yoghurt/muesli from Pret Lunch: Beef burger at Bottomless Brunch Dinner: Tapas from BiBo in Shoreditch

Steps: 14, 154

Loving these sleep ins. Woke up at 10am, had a shower and got ready for drag brunch. It was Pride Day and it was going to be an absolute haven of rainbows, drag queens and queer pals! Amara and I did our hair and ironed our dresses and Tim kindly walked down the road to get us coffees. He dropped them halfway home and had to go back and get a new order. We quickly ate and then jumped on the bus towards Leicester Square.

The streets were absolutely bonkers and everyone was dressed in varying states of pride. Some people had gone all out and others just had cute rainbow flags painted on their faces with glitter. We had all dresses colourfully in hopes of getting sparkles at the venue.

Our friend Zac, who was also in London in anticipation of attending the conference, had his flight to Iceland cancelled… when he got to the airport! Outrageous. He had an unanticipated extra day in London and came to Soho to see if he could nab a spot at brunch with us. He got in! We were with Amara’s friend Emily again and her mate Nigel had organised the table. When we got shown to our spot, it was upstairs on a mezzanine where we couldn’t see any of the entertainment. Nigel was livid. The waitress didn’t seem to understand why we’d be unhappy with our table, but we dealt with it, ordered our food, got our bottomless drinks and went down to the bar whenever we could so we could see what was happening.

The whole afternoon was an absolute delight. We saw TWO drag queens from Drag Race UK - A’whora & Tayce - and they kindly let us get photos with them. We had a good boogie at the bar with Em’s mates who were all super lovely and friendly.  

At 6:20pm (I’d set a timer on my watch so we wouldn’t lose track of time), we headed off to dinner with our Drama Vic colleague, Lyndy, who has been living in London for the past few months with her daughter before doing a short course at RADA. We got the train (again, packed with Pride pals) and made our way from Soho to Shoreditch to a tapas place called BiBo that Tim had found online. The food and cocktails were delicious and it was lovely to see Lyndy for a good drama catch up. We ordered a number of dishes to share such as flambé chorizo, broccolini and kale salad, potato and pepper tortilla, potatas bravas and battered fish.

We got the bus home at around 9:30pm and all promptly went to bed. We are going to The Globe tomorrow and plan to do a few touristy things before and after as it’s our last full day in London. Oof! Time is flying!

[approachyou]

In the beginning..to the end

So near yet so far. The world for us had just begun. I didn’t know where and when did all things start that we have to end it with the 4 years of span being with each other. The world is a reckless place for us. We believe that time is Gold but the memories we’ve made are more precious than jewelry of different karats.

Life for us is a joke. We didn’t bother if a certain deadline will be having its nearer due. We did care about our different types of crams during exams. We didn’t care about people telling us that we don’t exist because our classroom which is the DOST is really far away from the designated campus. We care about how we passed with the grades that we don’t even know how we obtained those values.

So near yet so far, that our moving up is near. So far that the road is still longer than what we have expected because of the added 2 years from our k12 curriculum.

So near that we are having a lot of loads from different subjects. Different requirement such as blogs, reports, certificates to apply for awards, booths, boybands, and mob dances or in short the preparation for HS day. So far that we have to have our distances with each other to take focus with improving ourselves without those people whom we built warmth with.

With those people I’m going to start with Johnroe. Johnroe is a very faithful person and I hope he is going to continue is beliefs even if the world to him is too cruel. With his friend Jonard, I want to let him know that he is man of truthful acts and words that he would even dare to say something that one can get offended. But what can I do? It is what it is that built his personality. Same goes with Ronnie. He sometimes defend his answers or insights within things over topics that I already know of. I mean, I do respect his opinions but then he puts a lot of things that sometimes made me cranky and think of negative impressions about me. I’ll never forget that day when he pat my head very loudly that he really had the intention to do it. But with his personality, I don’t know how Micah got along with them. I mean Micah is a very genuine person. She would do things that could make you feel better. She would not care with how the world improved its complexity. She would be carefree but still she could move and make the real job at its finest. They are the group of people who would attend bible studies. But wait, her girl best friend Salve. She is a very fragile person. She is used to do good things to other people. And we are still waiting for the day that she would be ready for accepting the fact that the world is not the way with how she thinks it is.

Back on with how I described their group. They are the ones who are left who still know God better than the room’s entire population. Godly people with how we call it.

If we have this people who are innocent and pure, we also have the Cranky and Bold Group. I mean a group of people who would choose to stay happy and truthful with the goals in their life as a banner of pride and their showoff as their dignity. They would care about their reputation and they are also known in our class as the joker group.

I’ll start with Kenneth. Kenneth I am sorry for what am I about to say but at first, I thought you were a really evil person. You are so intimidating. With your behavior alone I could say you are a Taurus.  But I didn’t know that if I am to evaluate or give myself some more time to think of what you really meant with those words. You are true with those judgements you’ve made. If all people would think so rational with how you delivered and rebut the words with our other classmates, you really are an intelligent person. But don’t get your head big. Jemarie; All this time I still idolize you for your persistence at school. You show so much efforts and sacrifices just to have high grades. I want to be a person like you. Really.  I think Kristel is the person whom I didn’t have conversation that much this year. I guess you were one of the hollow-mans in our room. Honestly I didn’t like how you anticipated with those words you spoke of when you have an argument with our classmates. But then, I am still going to miss you. Kryssha is a very kind person. From grade 7 to grade 10 you were my classmate but never have I ever argued with you. I hope that by the end of the year we’ll have an argument so that I’ll never forget you. Just kidding! Laurence is the type of person who would tell you to stay out of his way because he doesn’t care if you have your business has a connection with his issue. He never ran out of things to say because he is tactless. Then lastly, it would be a Freidrich. He was my classmate when I was in elementary. He improved a lot because he was afraid of how would his parents compare him to her sister. But then, he is a man of motivation. He sets his goal before the day ends.

If we have cranky type of people, of course we would never forget the rich kids and bibo kid people. They are the ones who are not running out of money and always consider fast food as their lunch serving buffet. CJ is the only oy in their group. He is very and extremely aggressive. He’d prefer to stay in high profiled identity. But he is a warm person for me that no one in the room can see. Of course who would not know Kath? She is very pretty with her glowing skin that suffice everything besides of her height. She is known for her mathematical abilities. Beauty and brain elf, Joke! Janae is the type of person who would prioritize people’s feeling and their sake. She would not let you feel down in spite of a very depressing situation.  With the people whom I’ve known for a long time, she is ont of those people whom I would treasure. The next one would be Kezia. She is the slimmest of them. The one with the pointiest nose. People would notice her because she is one of the hollow people. But I’ve known her for quite some time. That she is very depressed with things that happens with her surrounding. Then Jeanelle. Jeanelle is the type of person who is cool about everything that happens. Whatever might things would go on intertwined fate, she would go on like nothing ever happened. With her friend Shany, they would go hunting his crush on other school at ‘tscie’ which is Eleeson. She would fight for her friends sake. But when she will get disappointed, she would fight and argue things in her own ways. With these people, who would forget Ayra? She is the most cheerful person in their group. She s full of jokes that will never disappoint your humor. She won’t lack things that would complete your day.

People will never tend to forget their classmates who made impression that is quite impressive. Such as the group of smart people. Starting with Andrew, he is the type of person whom you would never imagine you could be leveled with. He is outrageously smart that you’ll never expect. He could idly do things effortless. He achieved many things in life. Next would be Grace whose known for her undeniable Mathematical abilities. She is also a person of humor. With her friend, ABCD whose forte was all about speech and debates or grammars. Everything that is connected to English, you should be asking her with full confidence. Well, you couldn’t actually approach her that easily. Last one would be Naiza whose known for her photographic skills. She’s quite doing a lot mess with her stuffs. But she’s cool with it.

Actually, I have these three classmates whom I didn’t approach that much including the ‘Tres Marias’ group which would be Karen, Precious and Darylle. I actually would want to tell them that they should not be afraid of the world and seeking for everything that adds flavor to it. They should be ready for what might come next because they aren’t that socially active with our calssmates.

Then we got our Got-7! But practically just the 4 of them, because their other members got distributed after the demotion upon reaching grade 9. Starting with Christelle. She is the essayist of the group. She was known for being a national winner at Palaisipan. But she’s not also brain smart but she is also a heart smart. I’ve told her quite of my biggest secret. And I feel like I’m secured and open since I’ve got other people whom I trust enough to tell my flaws and accept it. Also, Angelica C. I’ve been paired with her at doing DNA models and I find her quite responsible enough with the tasks she has to do. Since, Grade 7, I’ve been a classmate of Julia. I’ve known her for a person whose mature enough to accept the challenges in her life and do it in her best way. Last but not the least would be Buena Jane. She is the person you’ve thought was innocent but not really. She really is a person full of surprises and is not afraid to do things that might get people disappointed. In short, she is very carefree.

I’ve been friends with these people when I was in Grade 9. They are also open for things that could get you surprised if you’ll know what they might bring. With them, I’ve had a lot of things that I thought I could never have in my entire life. Our classmates would think that we are the worst squad back in grade 9. But I think we are the best one. Starting with Editha. She is a person who would start a fight even if you really do have a point. Despite of her height, she would beat you up and you have no match to her when it comes to verbal fights. Then, Joanna. Actually she’s a part of the squad now because she was a silver last year. She is a very generous person and is a very considerate of the things that happen around her. Samantha. Samantha is the person who would cheer you up because she knows what it feels like to be in that stage. She’s a very emotional person but in her zodiac sign, it says there that she is not a scorpio. I’ve also told her a lot of my secrets including my hopeless case of lovelife. HAHAHAHAHAHHA! This person is the one whom I thought was all about his rude fights. Wait.He would not fight a person physically. But instead he would ask you to fight him over small things. He gets a bad temper easily. With these characteristics, no one would ever think that he could help you in some ways. I’ve once left my laptop inside our room. It was locked because we have to do our research outside the school to seek for a consultant in our study. He was the only person who is there. He was about to leave when he saw me and he didn’t actually leave but instead he reached for my bag and with my laptop in it. I had a hard time thinking of how could I get it. But thanks to him, I got my bag and my valuables before I got home. He is a very emotional person beside of his flaws in life. I hope he will change for the better. Also Yran. I hated him for a couple of weeks after I was promoted. He is a very tactless person.  He would continue to bash people even if it hurts. I never knew that one day, I’d realize his role in our class. That he existed within our room to let other people that you could not aways do what you want inlife. But instead let your sacrifices bear up into something big and mark it with your name with pride. Lastly would be Kat. She is so full of insecurities. I never would have thought that beside of the things that she possess, she would still have the insecurities. I mean she is beauty and brains and all. But sometimes in life people could just actually break down because of how the society managed to control their mindset. I hope that one day she would heal. With her broken pieces intact inside her.

Again, with the hollow people I didn’t talk with this school year including Ryan, Karlos, Daryll, Emil and Joshua. Honestly I’ve hated some of them because all they ever did was to play computer games and never cared for the cycle inside our room. They would just go to the nearest computer shop and play there ‘til our next subject. But with the goodness of miracles, they could balance it and still maintain a good amount of grade. I think they are smart but still, I would hope that one day they would stop doing these things and just focus on doing productive things.

With such systems that existed in our room. I wonder how did able to manage living and spending most of the time with them. I would consider they are the one who contained most of the memories that has gotten into my High School life. They are the real and realest of my friends. It is Nika and Karissa. I never thought that one day these people would approach me out of nowhere. Actually, I’ve been a hollowman once. And it sucks.

In our room, I thought such people would never exist. They are very funky and all. They could say the worst of things to you because it is the real thing. I could not get offended because it is actually so true that my toggle inside my brain would be driven out just because they have managed to put it in with their heartfelt sincerity. I hope that someday I could meet someone like them. But I would never.

They are the people who would be found in rare moments.

A true friendship.

I could freely spill my secrets to them because they got my trust with them. I’ve also embodied my decisions with their dreams to make a goal which is which I have to prioritize. We’ve had so much sleepovers that with this number I never would have thought I would still want more.

With all the moments I’ve had. I still want more.

I hope that one day these people I kept in my heart are the people whom I could meet in such ways that I would not expect to know them because of some instances that they have changed a lot throughout the years. That we would bring ourselves into the path we want. That we would achieve everything in life. That we could cross out some of our bucket list. That we could conquer our biggest fears and turn them into an opportunity to improve ourselves. That one day we would still know each other and help one another.

So hard that we have to take our paths straight.

So confusing since we would still want to stick with the same room and building.

So near that in the next weeks of our lives would be completely different.

So far that I could say our road that we would take is so far.

So near,

Yet so far.

[johnordinario]

1st week 1st sem of SY 2017-2018

I’ve been anticipating this day to come after the whole summer, and now I’m officially back to school. Honestly, after the few weeks of summer, I wanted to go to school already because I can’t bare the boredom at home. This post shows what a third year biology student do on his first week of school.

Monday

Woke up early in the morning at 3 am (di naman ako excited). It’s too early to go to school, so I decided to talk to my girl since it was afternoon and it’s my first day, but she was not at home (hayy I miss her so much). I don’t live near school so I have to wake up early in the morning. Arrived at school 6:30am, and I saw a lot of people waiting outside the school. It’s the first day of the semester, and security guards are not letting college students to go inside the campus because of the flag ceremony. It’s too early for us to go inside. I don’t want to wait, and stand a long time outside (mainit), so i decided to stay at Jollibee for a while with my friend (ken, whom I bumped into on my way to school) para malamig. On my way there I bumped into one of my blockmates ( zeph), and then I went upstairs at jollibee nandun pala squad ko (kim shin and bogs). We went to school 7:40 am and waited for our professor. We really anticipated there is no professor because there is no one tagged in our SIS, and then our chairperson approached us and asked 3-1? and un na nga may klase. first subject of the day is General Microbiology lab. It’s a 6 hour class and we only spent 30 minutes talking about the rules and regulations, what to bring next meeting, what we need for this subject and many more. hay 2:30 next class Systematic Botany so we ate first then went to the library to chill and read some books. 

Here’s our syllabus nung natapos ni maam basahin napaqod ako ang daming gagawin, but iy felt great because ang daming gagawin being busy because of acads is one of my source of joy. last subject! HIST 1023 ( Buhay, Mga Gawain at Sinulat ni Rizal we call it rizal) walang prof! I rode the bus because my feet is already tired. Arrived at home 8pm ate, and then slept.

Tuesday 

Rode the train arrived at school 7:37 am and the professor is not yet there. kung late man ako pasok parin ako sa grace period. I was sitting and eating my snack at the dome and I saw our prof and the moment we saw each other faces we were shocked (ako shookt ako kasi nakain ako tas nandun si maam e cold coffee, tinapay at boiled egg kinakain ko at alam ko naman si maam prof pero siya di niya alam hahaha) she said “ikaw?! magiging estudyante ko hmm” aw kilala ako ni maam kasi bibo kid ako sa klase niya. She was my professor previous year on CVA (Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy) that means she is delighted that I’m her student, which is a positive thing. One hour is only used for biotec (Biological Techniques), and she is both our lab and lec professor. It’s a 7 hour class and our next class was until 4:30 pm. 8 hours vacant (san abot vacant mo dito sa hong kong joke) , so we went to marikina para samahan bumili ng sapatos sadly walang size niya at ayun dumayo kami Jollibee sa Marikina. We went back to school 3pm sa sobrang init my squad and i hangout at the hallway para naman may hangin at lakas pa ng ulan kaya malamig. speaker/food/kwentuhan/ ok na yun tas maya maya onti may babae na dumaan. Nag joke si Kim “HALA NANDIYAN NA SI MAAM JOKEE” and the lady went inside our classroom I said “qaqo PRE SI MAAM NGA TARA NA”, kim “LULLL, HALA OO NGA HAHAHA” kala niya sinakyan ko trip niya ayun nag madali pumasok ng classroom. I liked our professor in physics she was very inspirational. She told us that if we want something we can get it with hardwork and perseverance “hindi talaga hadlang ang kahirapan sa mga pangarap niyo”. She told us a lot of inspirational stories. 

Wednesday (free day)

sa wakas pahinga i really needed a day off becuase my body is not yet ready for this kind of activities (hindi pa nakaka adjust). 12 hours at school, and long commute is not easy. Woke up at 8am cooked breakfast, did my assignment on biotec, announcement for SBS (my council), read some books and articles for our syste (systematic botany) slept late di ako napagod e.

Thursday

Arrived at school a bit late pero naunahan ko parin prof ko (wow ninja). First subject of the day is Technical Writing. Our professor is so jolly and friendly, she’s 5′8 at siya daw ung pinaka maliit sa pamilya nila. Something I learned from her na tumatak sa isip ko is that writing is a learning process if you get corrected by your grammar, or sentence structure it’s okay.

 After the class me and my friend (kim) instantly went to a shoe store Playground outlet at Marikina. They have this ridiculous anniversary sale where all the things there are buy 1 take 1 so we bought two pair of shoes (shoes are lit right?) and it’s only for 5.2k! nakakapagod rin maghanap ng sapatos nakakataranta dami kasing tao tapos ung mga presyo makatarungan. hahaha after that we ate lunch around 2pm, late sa syste lab pero di naman nagalit si maam kahit may activity pala non (sorry maam gutom na talaga kami sa ngalan lang talaga ng sapatos). May groupings pala at di namin alam group no. namin, so we asked our professor and told us we both belong to group 7. When our other group members returned from getting the plants we were shocked and laughing knowing that me and kim are low key extroverts while the other two are introverts. While we were making our lab activity natatatwa kami because we barely know each other (ung vibe kasi very unsually parang di totoo). Lab activity is  allowed to take home and to be submitted next meeting. Went home early around 6pm usually i arrive home 8 pm.

Friday

Last day of class for this week. Long weekend ahead no classes on monday and only one subject to attend on tuesday. It’s making me think if I should go to school pero dahil good boy ako papasok ako kahit isang klase lang yan cos school is life! 1:30 pm klase ko so i decided to cook my meal for lunch bacon. eggs, nuggets, and mangga. waited for the professor and he didn’t arrive, and later on our class president announced that there is no class also at physics 1 lab so un pumunta lang ako sa school para mag lunch galing no. My childhood yaya was waiting for me at home, because she just got home from Hong Kong missed u so much ate neng! 

My 1st week turned out great! sadly there is nothing much for this week. What can you expect first week palang bwelo muna daw, and it’s okay mag rereklamo rin ako pag may pinagawa kaagad e. I can almost feel the adrenaline for the stress coming and that’s a good thing! For the people who loves school or their program i hope yuu feel the same way! ewan ko ang sarap lang talaga kasi mag aral. For all college students there tiyaga at pag mamahal lang. If you’re passionate enough you will accomplish anything.

[konsuella]

BLOG TOUR: You Out of Nowhere by Jay E. Tria

Good morning! Last Monday, we started the Blog Tour of Jay E Tria’s new book entitled You Out of Nowhere. Today, I’m sharing with you an excerpt and other bits of information you need to know about this wonderfully written book! Enjoy!! <3 

You Out of Nowhere by Jay E. Tria Flair #1 At 31, Kris’s dating life is starting to resemble a reality show. So when she strikes up a conversation with a nerdy but gorgeous stranger on the train, getting serious is the last thing on her mind. Been there, done that, and she has the emotional baggage to prove it.At 24, Ringo knows what he wants—and when a train flirtation turns into a night he can’t forget, he knows he wants Kris. But it’s clear she has other plans, and they don’t include him. So when they find themselves on the same flight to Seoul, it’s Ringo’s chance to turn up the heat, and convince Kris to take a risk. In a new city, with someone new—the right someone—what could change? Maybe nothing. But also, maybe everything.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: November 4, 2017

Photography: Chi Yu Rodriguez

Cover Design: Miles Tan

Models: Bibo Reyes & Celine Bengzon

Get You Out of Nowhere on Amazon

Add it on Goodreads

Trainman November 11, Friday Kris He was reading Pride and Prejudice. What guy does that? And in public too, inside a packed metro rail train South-bound on a Friday night. I lucked on a seat by some karmic miracle, though standing squished among the mass of passengers seemed like the better idea than what I had now, my wide-ass hips crushed between the hard plastic seat’s edge and the woman beside me. I hated commuting. I hated trains. I hated the co-ed cars of the train the most, especially during rush hour. And rush hour these days was taking on that distinctive stench of holiday panic, as it usually did in the middle of November in this Christmas-loving country. I had come from Quezon City and had to jump into the first train car that could fit me, running late as I was for this obligation all the way in Makati. Obligation. Okay. Heh. My best friend Daisy would kill me if she heard my brain, after all the things she had done for me these past few years, air quotes, air quotes. I looked up from my phone again, straining a look at the guy standing in front of me. He was gripping the steel railing above his head like a lifeline, which did me the favor of seeing his flexed biceps. He had a lean arm, decorated by faint lines of snaking veins, muscular in a way that was not at all rude. It wasn’t hard to notice its very pleasing personality, swathed though it was by the sleeves of his striped black-and-white button-up shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows (thank you, god), in crisp, deliberate folds rising past toned forearms. I always thought that wardrobe move was both rugged and responsible. I inched my gaze up his exposed skin, searching for tattoos. No trace of ink thus far. A bit disappointing. My eyes travelled back down to his book. His edition was small, thick, and pink. Dog-eared and covered in plastic, the way one does to school books to make them last the year. I dared look up as far as his nose, noting the tiny bump along the steepest part of the straight bone. I counted the lines marring his forehead as he kept it scrunched, taking care to miss his eyes should he look up from the pages, and decided he couldn’t be reading this romance classic for school. Not even for college literature class. With his pressed shirt, nice watch, and tapered charcoal slacks, he looked like a corporate boy. A young, well-dressed one at that. Early twenties, easy. I’d learned from a string of stiff, boring dates that I didn’t like corporate boys much. Nor had I ever been inclined to go through the fun yet rickety ride of dating younger. Those two things at least kept me from crushing too hard on this hot stranger and his intense occupation with only one of the best love stories ever known to womankind. “I am very fond of walking.” “Sorry?” Shit. Did I say that out loud? I flicked my gaze up and got my answer. Corporate Boy was staring back at me, eyebrows lifted, mouth threatening the smile that was already crinkling his eyes. Yes, I said that out loud. And yes, okay, now I knew he had kind biceps and a beautiful face. Man, this was painful. I cleared my throat and tried a smile instead of pretending I hadn’t heard him, since I was a grown up like that. “I was trying to remember if that was only a line from the movie or if it’s also in the book.” “Oh. I think it’s just from the movie.” His brow wrinkled some more. His forehead looked like a map of waves now. “I should know that, the many times I have read this.” “Your favorite book?” He pursed his lips, blinked a few times, and turned to me again. Plump, just-bitten lips. Deep, dark eyes. A feathery fringe of lashes. Why so pretty, mister stranger? “You do not know me so you can’t judge me,” his baritone voice drawled. “So I’m going to be honest and say it’s high up there.” “Okay.” “My ready answer is that I’m reading it to help my sister write her book report, and that’s also true.” No, my goodness. Stop it. Shut up. “Do you like it too?” He didn’t seem to have noticed I was having mild palpitations over here, thanks to the hot-guy-who-reads-and-dotes-on-sister fantasy reel he’d conjured in my head. I tucked a stray curl away from my cheek, pinched the inside of my wrist and forced my mouth to make words. “Oh, I’m in love with Mr. Darcy. My friend says half my dates didn’t work out because I was expecting them to be brooding yet sensitive and to own both a heart of gold and half of Derbyshire. Or you know, Derbyshire’s contemporary equivalent in the Philippines.” Wonderful. I was now babbling to a beautiful stranger on the train about my book boyfriend and my complete inability to keep a real one. Daisy would sock her fist inside my mouth and store it there for safekeeping if she knew. He didn’t laugh, or worm through the sweaty, sticky, after-office train crowd to get as far away as possible from me, Weirdo Train Lady. The smile settled in his eyes, rumpling the corners. “That’s too bad,” he said, and nothing else. He went back to reading. I wanted to demand what that meant. Too bad, what, sir? He’s a stranger he’s a stranger he’s a stranger. I had to force a chorus of those words to drill the reminder in my head. Why should I care what this guy thought about my love life? Too many people I knew already had loud, decisive opinions about it anyway. No need to add another critic. I turned my glare to my phone as it lit up with Daisy’s text. You better be walking up the mall already. I could hear every note of aggression in each perfectly spelled word. She was antsy and nervous, more so that I could psyche myself out to be, since I had categorized this night’s activity as yes, an obligation. She was my best friend and she cared a bit too much about me. I was doomed to love her for it. Do I lie? My thumbs hovered over the screen, preparing to type a reply. I was two stations and a 20-minute walk away from where she wanted me to be. The only difference between telling the truth and telling her what she wanted to hear was that if I gave her the latter, she’d be all the less anxious. I should be a good friend and do what good friends do. The train ground to a halt, sending my left side crashing against the steel railing as the woman beside me hoisted herself up and barreled through the crowd to the opening door. My phone dropped to my lap as I focused on breathing through what felt like three broken ribs, and on swallowing the little oaths lined up in my throat, itching for release. Another jolt, a swoosh of fine fabric and warm skin beside me, and the train was rumbling away again. “You should breathe.” I did—a long pull of musty, sweat-drenched air—before turning to Corporate Boy who was now settled to my right. “Thanks. I forget sometimes.” The smile inched up his mouth this time. And he really shouldn’t have done that, because now I knew his mouth was beautiful too. “I haven’t been on a date for going on a year.” The words came out of his lips sounding rehearsed, as if he’d spent the past few minutes assembling them in his head. “Too bad?” I dared, eyebrow hitching. “There you go.” He laughed, short and quiet. I barely heard the sound. “Now we’re even and I can go back to reading with a clear conscience.” He didn’t though. His book was folded inside his palm and he was looking straight ahead. It couldn’t be a good view. A man was standing in front of him, hands gripping and body hanging from the handrails, looming over him like a grimy shadow. “How many more stations for you?” He turned to me. He seemed to have made the decision that my face was a better sight than the man’s sweat-stained Keep Calm and Eat Bacon t-shirt. The train was crawling into Buendia station. I expected the lurching stop this time. I gripped the metal bar beside me for leverage. “Getting off on the next. You?” “Same.” He breathed in once. Again. He was sitting so close I could feel it brush my ear, could feel it send static through my unruly locks. I could swear I caught him staring at my long, curly hair as strands lifted with his breaths, as if he wanted to sweep them away. I know, I know, it’s a mess. But grooming beyond the basic social requirement is pointless in commute hell. His gaze dropped back to his book as his fingers pried the worn pages open. Huh. I expected more words. Just as well. My mother always said not to talk to strangers. She might have mentioned a special clause for the hot ones who read romantic books and weren’t ashamed of it. Those rare ones were sure to be serial killers. Sometimes I wish I could strangle the voice of my mother that lurked within the recesses of my head. The many rules and don’ts she’d planted in me. I was in my thirties and still they were there, stamped where I couldn’t wash them off with beers or bury under hours spent out beyond midnight. I shouldn’t be blaming Mr. Darcy. I should be blaming her for my present disinterest in committing to a man. You love your mother you love your mother you love your mother. I was humming the words, making myself spurt out laughter. After forbidding me to have a boyfriend all through my school years, my mother was now all out with Daisy on fixing this aspect of my life. Fixing, they dared call it. As if I had a leaking pipe. As if crossing over to thirty flipped a button that made a dashing man and a marriage pour out from heaven. Never mind that I had a business I loved and friends who got me. Oh no, it wasn’t enough, because my mother needed grandchildren. I made the mistake of turning to my right, because Corporate Boy was staring at me, eyebrows raised. “What?” I demanded. “Never seen a woman laugh to herself before?” He seemed surprised, but also ready to answer. But the train made another awful stagger, screeching to a full stop. I craned my neck to look out the grubby window, as the voice crackling through the speakers confirmed my worst fears. “The train ahead of us is having technical difficulties. We will wait here until it can depart from Ayala station. Please remain seated. Good evening and apologies to all.” “Who the fuck is seated?” someone yelled out from the mass of bodies. “You tell them, sir,” Corporate Boy cheered. “Right on,” I seconded the motion. Corporate Boy and I settled deeper into our hard plastic seats. A moment later he was sighing out a gust of wind. “I’m in so much trouble.” “Yeah?” My phone lit up again. I didn’t dare read it. “Big date? Shit, sorry. That was prying.” “It’s okay. I also suck at small talk.” “Hey!” He laughed. This time I heard it, deep and bright and full to bursting. I felt it shake inside his chest, his arm sharing the tremors with mine. “Yes, it’s a date, and a setup too,” he said. “Looks like my awful streak is a solid one.” “Don’t worry. One look at you and she’ll be a puddle on the floor.” Okay, I just told him I thought he was hot. The trick to fix such a mistake, I’d learned, was to keep my eyes averted until I could mumble out better, less embarrassing words. “I mean, it looks like you made the effort. That’s a nice shirt.” He was smiling. I heard it. “I like your shirt too.” “You know them?” I brushed my hair away and looked down at the shirt in question. I was wearing the name of a recent favorite local band. Excitement washed over my shame and I tipped my head to look at him. “They’re not very mainstream, but they have an old school sound that I miss with all of these EDM hits ruining the world.” As if the train driver were my personal fairy, the speakers started booming out a stale Chainsmokers song. “Like this piece of catchy shit.” I started singing out the words, just to get it out of my brain before it embedded itself into a week-long Last Song Syndrome. “Are you going to a gig?” It was my turn to laugh. A gig, a blind date. What was the difference anyway? I could very well be an old, jaded vocalist, fed up with the same old music playing, with how each night would end with me exhausted and unsatisfied and leaving the bar alone. I should try this analogy with both Daisy and my mother after tonight. “Sure. It’s my final gig, at least for a while. Because I’m so tired of these things not working out.” “Is it a sound system problem, or a crowd control situation—?” “It’s a me problem. I suck at gigs.” His gaze found my mouth and my blood rushed to the space under the skin of my cheeks. He caught my gaze. His eyes weren’t black as I first thought, but a deep, rich brown. I saw alarm flit there for a second. One blink and it was gone. I took that as my turn to steer this small talk at which we both suck. “So, who’s the monster that set you up?” “My boss.” He chuckled at the sympathetic gaze I fixed him. “She has her rare, more, er, charitable moments. I’m trying to not feel too weird about it. I guess she took pity on me.” “Have you been very pitiful lately?” “I guess. I’ve been drinking a lot the past few months, I am nearly incapable of getting drunk now.” I let out a short whistle. “Congrats. Your liver is now steel on the outside, rotting on the inside.” “I’ve stopped, okay.” He looked part amused, part worried. Part proud. “I am too young to die. All my hopes and dreams can’t go to waste.” What a serious man he was. “Sounds like you have plenty.” He shrugged, massive shoulders lifting. His shadow loomed over me when he was standing, and beside me now, he had to dip his chin a few inches so he could catch my eyes. For someone talking to a stranger, he sure made a habit of maintaining eye contact. “I hope this girl I’m meeting tonight is nice,” his voice rumbled. “Because I really want to get married someday.” “First date and you’re thinking about marriage?” My voice might have risen to a squeak a little bit. “I’m going in with a goal in mind,” he said, sharp jaw set. “How old are you?” I surprised myself at daring to ask him his age. I didn’t think I’d get a reply. “Twenty-four, turning twenty-five.” Ah, the quarter-life crisis. My ex-boyfriend Adam and I used to talk about getting married at 25. The age passed us and we didn’t, because we both realized we were still kids hitting wall after wall with our inflated little heads, confident and ambitious but naïve with no idea what we really wanted. Three years past that age, he dumped me. A year later, he married someone else. I guess he figured out his life then. “That’s not too young to get married.” Corporate Boy seemed to have read my silence as judgment. That was partly true, fine, I admit it. Beyond that I was puzzled. And curious. “I hope you’re not measuring yourself against Lizzie Bennet,” I quipped, keeping a straight face. “At least look to Mr. Darcy. He was older.” “I am capable of heading a household.” His tone was flat but he didn’t sound annoyed. “Sure you are. Everything about you reeks of stable income and a complete roster of fancy benefits. I just pity the girl you’re meeting tonight. What if she just wants to fool around, you know? Toe you under the table. Make out with you in the car. That kind of a simple life.” I’d turned away but I swear I could feel his eyes on my mouth again. It must be a new superpower. I hoped my lipstick was as matte and long-wearing as the tube promised. “My boss knows where I am. She said she found me the perfect girl.” I scowled. “There is no such girl.” “Okay, okay, you’re right, I take it back,” he said, palms up. He ran one hand down his face, as if he felt worn out. “I meant a girl who might want something lasting too, instead of just footsies and kissing. Though I’m not against any of that.” “Why would you be?” I wished the train would leave now, because I treasured Daisy and I really didn’t want her to end up in prison for strangling me for being so late. Also because I knew if we stayed still like this any longer, Corporate Boy would start asking me questions. Surely he’d retaliate for my terrible small talk. I also wished the train would stall for a few minutes longer. Because Corporate Boy was gorgeous and his shirt felt good against my bare arm, and it had been a while since I’d wanted to figure out the spaces between a man’s words the way I did with his. I blamed it on his friendship with Mr. Darcy.

About the Author

Jay E. Tria is inspired by daydreams, celebrity crushes, a childhood fascination of Japanese drama and manga, and an incessant itch to travel. She writes contemporary young adult and new adult romance. Sometimes, paranormal fantasy too.

Visit her website www.jayetria.com.

Email: jayetria@gmail.com

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Wattpad: jayetria

[leahcaughtup]

TM Speech 7: Research Your Topic

I delivered my BSP # 6 on our Oct. 28 meeting. My schedule for my next speech is on Nov. 18 because I scheduled my speeches one meeting apart para di gahol sa oras (but then I always end up gahol sa oras hahaha). 

The club is after an incentive from the district- an LCD projector. The club borrows from our venue for our projector needs but there has been instances when the projector wasn’t compatible with the laptop then our meetings start at 2pm, the same time the secretariat of our venue would open so siyempre we couldn’t set up earlier than 2pm e dapat by that time the gavel should have been banged for call to order. And personally, I want to get it because in case I ever leave the club, there’d be something that would physically manifest my...legacy as prez. 

Chos. But yeaaaah. 

But to get that incentive, we need to at least achieve 5 club goals. The district bought 50 projectors. The first 50 clubs to reach 5 will get projectors. Gusto ko nang umachieve agad agad so we held a joint meeting last Saturday with Manila Bay TMC. It was out our our usual 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month schedule so I did undestand na merong members who wouldn’t be able to join but not to the extent na 3 lang kami from BFCTMC who confirmed Friday night. Huhu. 

Manila Bay TMC is based somewhere in Kalaw but its president is Sir Ed (the club recently restructured. He was still the VPE the last time I wrote about TM here) and he hosted the meeting at his place in Las Pinas. Iba si Sir Ed, he made a lectern, bought a gavel, and got improv time cards just for that meeting. Tapos mej na-sad ako because of the low turnout, it may be disappointing for him. Then I thought that maybe we could just not go through with it, i-cancel na lang natin so I asked Dolly at around 12am na ata ‘yon. Sabi niya, that I prepare maybe 2 speeches. Siya rin, magspeech. Push na daw. 

Sabi ko I’d write. But pagod na talaga katawang lupa ko  (I left the office at around 5pmish to eat dinner and watch 12 at Commercenter, returned to the office around 9pm then worked until 11pm) so I slept until 11am. Syempre I wanted to have my prep time before the meeting and I wanted to drop by a bakery to get pastries or cake as a thank you gift to Sir Ed so wala na talagang speech-writing na nangyari. 

I got to his place. He said, mag-speech na daw ako. I said wala akong na-ready. My next speech project would be BSP 7: Research Your Topic so this should take time right kasi it’s something from a research? 

I asked if I can maybe skip a speech project?

He said yes. 

I looked at my remaining speech projects: Visual Aids, Persuasion, Inspiration. Parang di ko naman kayang gumawa ng speech for those projects in such short notice. So I decided, di na lang talaga ako mag-speech. I went there to be the GE lang. 

Dolly came and she and Sir Ed ganged up on me and Chris. Mag-speech daw kami. Si Chris go lang, chill lang siya. 

While I kinda wanna puke. HAHAHAHA. 

But sabi ni Dolly, gawin ko na daw. Once I get to do this successfully, kaya ko na gawin lahat ng speech with minimal prep.

Napagawa ako madam and I broke my rule about not talking about my job. Sabi kasi ni Sir Ed, speak something that you have a mastery on. 

I accomplished my intro form. 

BSP 7: Research Your Topic

Objectives:

1. Cite information from outside sources

2. Support your points 

The intro form will be used by the host to introduce me before I deliver my speech. I dropped in there my MS score of 95% to get some sort of credibility sa mga sasabihin ko and to lift myself up before bombing the speech project. #compensating

I did my outline: 

Title: Accounting for Decision Making

I. Intro

Fields of accounting >  Practice in commerce > Here’s what I do. 

II. What I do

A. Assets (def from IAS ganyan para bibo)

B. Liabilities

C. Revenues

D. Expenses. 

III. Even if I get stressed out, I still appreciate my job. 

Surprisingly, Sir Ed gave me a glowing evaluation. He was my evaluator for my last speech and he said I improved greatly. 

Omaygad. Totoo ba dat. Or maybe because I just used too much jargons that he lost drift hahahah. Joke lang.)

Na-realize ko din, maybe I had been better then because I was just concentrating on getting my message across and in all my previous speeches, I had anxiety for forgetting my next point. Interesting epiphany.

That’s not the only this that happened that night (we started officially at 6pm). Sir Ed got his sons Lance (age 18) and Hans (age 12) to join the meeting as speech crafters. Ang galing, they were able to deliver ice breakers aka talk about themselves in 3-5 minutes in such short notice and not the usual ice breaker where facts were just thrown and nothing made sense. Iba. For Hans, he used story-telling, he had humor, he had intro-body-concl. For Lance, he ended strong with a memorable line. Naiisip ko lang how much potential they have as public speakers. Naa-amaze ako, besh. 

Then Sir Ed delivered a speech from the Special Occasions Manual and he presented an award to... me. 

Akalain mo yan. For my good leadership skills daw with points like having Ms. Ching represent us in the Area/Division/District or still doing the joint meeting not for myself but for the club. Off yung first point because I wasn’t even able to attend the area and division contest because of work and philsat review but for the second one... well, tbh even with AIESEC, I do this. Lamoyon, if not for my position in the club, I wouldn’t ask favors and whatnot (because personally I hate asking for favors even if I usually give it #pride). Then he mentioned, we wouldn’t be in his house for that meeting if not for me. Well, half a point was right.

For my acceptance kindaspeech, I gave credit to whom credit should be due. It was really Dolly to got Ms. Ching up to the district level competition. Had Dolly told me to cancel the joint meeting when I asked her if we should still go through it, I’d tell Sir Ed na di matutuloy. So yeah, everytime I get reluctant and couldn’t hold a meeting with the rest of the officers, I go to Dolly. (Also, I kinda cheat that way, to get the support of all officers and not to place the decision-making all to me, lagi akong nag-aask for meeting. Para whatever resolution we can make as body, I’ll always get to say that it’s what majority of the officers want, I’m just enforcing it. Ganyan)

Basta, ang galing ng meeting kahit na 6 lang kami that the meeting stretched on until almost 9pm, pasahan lang kami over the lectern. 

It’s really something for the books to the extent I can’t even think of something original to describe the experience. Besh, iba.

[bentchcreates]

Behold one of the most anticipated #romanceclass releases this year! The first installment to the #romanceclassFlair line featuring Filipino romance in English with  🔥 🔥 🔥!

Here’s the cover:

Gorgeous, right? heehee

Photography: Chi Yu Rodriguez Cover Design: Miles Tan Models: Bibo Reyes & Celine Bengzon

If the photos and synopsis aren’t enough for you to buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/You-Out-Nowhere-Flair-1-ebook/dp/B076YQ241K , here’s an excerpt that’ll make it impossible for you to pass up! ;)

Trainman

November 11, Friday Kris He was reading Pride and Prejudice. What guy does that? And in public too, inside a packed metro rail train South-bound on a Friday night. I lucked on a seat by some karmic miracle, though standing squished among the mass of passengers seemed like the better idea than what I had now, my wide-ass hips crushed between the hard plastic seat’s edge and the woman beside me. I hated commuting. I hated trains. I hated the co-ed cars of the train the most, especially during rush hour. And rush hour these days was taking on that distinctive stench of holiday panic, as it usually did in the middle of November in this Christmas-loving country. I had come from Quezon City and had to jump into the first train car that could fit me, running late as I was for this obligation all the way in Makati. Obligation. Okay. Heh. My best friend Daisy would kill me if she heard my brain, after all the things she had done for me these past few years, air quotes, air quotes. I looked up from my phone again, straining a look at the guy standing in front of me. He was gripping the steel railing above his head like a lifeline, which did me the favor of seeing his flexed biceps. He had a lean arm, decorated by faint lines of snaking veins, muscular in a way that was not at all rude. It wasn’t hard to notice its very pleasing personality, swathed though it was by the sleeves of his striped black-and-white button-up shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows (thank you, god), in crisp, deliberate folds rising past toned forearms. I always thought that wardrobe move was both rugged and responsible. I inched my gaze up his exposed skin, searching for tattoos. No trace of ink thus far. A bit disappointing. My eyes travelled back down to his book. His edition was small, thick, and pink. Dog-eared and covered in plastic, the way one does to school books to make them last the year. I dared look up as far as his nose, noting the tiny bump along the steepest part of the straight bone. I counted the lines marring his forehead as he kept it scrunched, taking care to miss his eyes should he look up from the pages, and decided he couldn’t be reading this romance classic for school. Not even for college literature class. With his pressed shirt, nice watch, and tapered charcoal slacks, he looked like a corporate boy. A young, well-dressed one at that. Early twenties, easy. I’d learned from a string of stiff, boring dates that I didn’t like corporate boys much. Nor had I ever been inclined to go through the fun yet rickety ride of dating younger. Those two things at least kept me from crushing too hard on this hot stranger and his intense occupation with only one of the best love stories ever known to womankind. “I am very fond of walking.” “Sorry?” Shit. Did I say that out loud? I flicked my gaze up and got my answer. Corporate Boy was staring back at me, eyebrows lifted, mouth threatening the smile that was already crinkling his eyes. Yes, I said that out loud. And yes, okay, now I knew he had kind biceps and a beautiful face. Man, this was painful. I cleared my throat and tried a smile instead of pretending I hadn’t heard him, since I was a grown up like that. “I was trying to remember if that was only a line from the movie or if it’s also in the book.” “Oh. I think it’s just from the movie.” His brow wrinkled some more. His forehead looked like a map of waves now. “I should know that, the many times I have read this.” “Your favorite book?” He pursed his lips, blinked a few times, and turned to me again. Plump, just-bitten lips. Deep, dark eyes. A feathery fringe of lashes. Why so pretty, mister stranger? “You do not know me so you can’t judge me,” his baritone voice drawled. “So I’m going to be honest and say it’s high up there.” “Okay.” “My ready answer is that I’m reading it to help my sister write her book report, and that’s also true.” No, my goodness. Stop it. Shut up. “Do you like it too?” He didn’t seem to have noticed I was having mild palpitations over here, thanks to the hot-guy-who-reads-and-dotes-on-sister fantasy reel he’d conjured in my head. I tucked a stray curl away from my cheek, pinched the inside of my wrist and forced my mouth to make words. “Oh, I’m in love with Mr. Darcy. My friend says half my dates didn’t work out because I was expecting them to be brooding yet sensitive and to own both a heart of gold and half of Derbyshire. Or you know, Derbyshire’s contemporary equivalent in the Philippines.” Wonderful. I was now babbling to a beautiful stranger on the train about my book boyfriend and my complete inability to keep a real one. Daisy would sock her fist inside my mouth and store it there for safekeeping if she knew. He didn’t laugh, or worm through the sweaty, sticky, after-office train crowd to get as far away as possible from me, Weirdo Train Lady. The smile settled in his eyes, rumpling the corners. “That’s too bad,” he said, and nothing else. He went back to reading. I wanted to demand what that meant. Too bad, what, sir? He’s a stranger he’s a stranger he’s a stranger. I had to force a chorus of those words to drill the reminder in my head. Why should I care what this guy thought about my love life? Too many people I knew already had loud, decisive opinions about it anyway. No need to add another critic. I turned my glare to my phone as it lit up with Daisy’s text. You better be walking up the mall already. I could hear every note of aggression in each perfectly spelled word. She was antsy and nervous, more so that I could psyche myself out to be, since I had categorized this night’s activity as yes, an obligation. She was my best friend and she cared a bit too much about me. I was doomed to love her for it. Do I lie? My thumbs hovered over the screen, preparing to type a reply. I was two stations and a 20-minute walk away from where she wanted me to be. The only difference between telling the truth and telling her what she wanted to hear was that if I gave her the latter, she’d be all the less anxious. I should be a good friend and do what good friends do. The train ground to a halt, sending my left side crashing against the steel railing as the woman beside me hoisted herself up and barreled through the crowd to the opening door. My phone dropped to my lap as I focused on breathing through what felt like three broken ribs, and on swallowing the little oaths lined up in my throat, itching for release. Another jolt, a swoosh of fine fabric and warm skin beside me, and the train was rumbling away again. “You should breathe.” I did—a long pull of musty, sweat-drenched air—before turning to Corporate Boy who was now settled to my right. “Thanks. I forget sometimes.” The smile inched up his mouth this time. And he really shouldn’t have done that, because now I knew his mouth was beautiful too. “I haven’t been on a date for going on a year.” The words came out of his lips sounding rehearsed, as if he’d spent the past few minutes assembling them in his head. “Too bad?” I dared, eyebrow hitching. “There you go.” He laughed, short and quiet. I barely heard the sound. “Now we’re even and I can go back to reading with a clear conscience.” He didn’t though. His book was folded inside his palm and he was looking straight ahead. It couldn’t be a good view. A man was standing in front of him, hands gripping and body hanging from the handrails, looming over him like a grimy shadow. “How many more stations for you?” He turned to me. He seemed to have made the decision that my face was a better sight than the man’s sweat-stained Keep Calm and Eat Bacon t-shirt. The train was crawling into Buendia station. I expected the lurching stop this time. I gripped the metal bar beside me for leverage. “Getting off on the next. You?” “Same.” He breathed in once. Again. He was sitting so close I could feel it brush my ear, could feel it send static through my unruly locks. I could swear I caught him staring at my long, curly hair as strands lifted with his breaths, as if he wanted to sweep them away. I know, I know, it’s a mess. But grooming beyond the basic social requirement is pointless in commute hell. His gaze dropped back to his book as his fingers pried the worn pages open. Huh. I expected more words. Just as well. My mother always said not to talk to strangers. She might have mentioned a special clause for the hot ones who read romantic books and weren’t ashamed of it. Those rare ones were sure to be serial killers. Sometimes I wish I could strangle the voice of my mother that lurked within the recesses of my head. The many rules and don’ts she’d planted in me. I was in my thirties and still they were there, stamped where I couldn’t wash them off with beers or bury under hours spent out beyond midnight. I shouldn’t be blaming Mr. Darcy. I should be blaming her for my present disinterest in committing to a man. You love your mother you love your mother you love your mother. I was humming the words, making myself spurt out laughter. After forbidding me to have a boyfriend all through my school years, my mother was now all out with Daisy on fixing this aspect of my life. Fixing, they dared call it. As if I had a leaking pipe. As if crossing over to thirty flipped a button that made a dashing man and a marriage pour out from heaven. Never mind that I had a business I loved and friends who got me. Oh no, it wasn’t enough, because my mother needed grandchildren. I made the mistake of turning to my right, because Corporate Boy was staring at me, eyebrows raised. “What?” I demanded. “Never seen a woman laugh to herself before?” He seemed surprised, but also ready to answer. But the train made another awful stagger, screeching to a full stop. I craned my neck to look out the grubby window, as the voice crackling through the speakers confirmed my worst fears. “The train ahead of us is having technical difficulties. We will wait here until it can depart from Ayala station. Please remain seated. Good evening and apologies to all.” “Who the fuck is seated?” someone yelled out from the mass of bodies. “You tell them, sir,” Corporate Boy cheered. “Right on,” I seconded the motion. Corporate Boy and I settled deeper into our hard plastic seats. A moment later he was sighing out a gust of wind. “I’m in so much trouble.” “Yeah?” My phone lit up again. I didn’t dare read it. “Big date? Shit, sorry. That was prying.” “It’s okay. I also suck at small talk.” “Hey!” He laughed. This time I heard it, deep and bright and full to bursting. I felt it shake inside his chest, his arm sharing the tremors with mine. “Yes, it’s a date, and a setup too,” he said. “Looks like my awful streak is a solid one.” “Don’t worry. One look at you and she’ll be a puddle on the floor.” Okay, I just told him I thought he was hot. The trick to fix such a mistake, I’d learned, was to keep my eyes averted until I could mumble out better, less embarrassing words. “I mean, it looks like you made the effort. That’s a nice shirt.” He was smiling. I heard it. “I like your shirt too.” “You know them?” I brushed my hair away and looked down at the shirt in question. I was wearing the name of a recent favorite local band. Excitement washed over my shame and I tipped my head to look at him. “They’re not very mainstream, but they have an old school sound that I miss with all of these EDM hits ruining the world.” As if the train driver were my personal fairy, the speakers started booming out a stale Chainsmokers song. “Like this piece of catchy shit.” I started singing out the words, just to get it out of my brain before it embedded itself into a week-long Last Song Syndrome. “Are you going to a gig?” It was my turn to laugh. A gig, a blind date. What was the difference anyway? I could very well be an old, jaded vocalist, fed up with the same old music playing, with how each night would end with me exhausted and unsatisfied and leaving the bar alone. I should try this analogy with both Daisy and my mother after tonight. “Sure. It’s my final gig, at least for a while. Because I’m so tired of these things not working out.” “Is it a sound system problem, or a crowd control situation—?” “It’s a me problem. I suck at gigs.” His gaze found my mouth and my blood rushed to the space under the skin of my cheeks. He caught my gaze. His eyes weren’t black as I first thought, but a deep, rich brown. I saw alarm flit there for a second. One blink and it was gone. I took that as my turn to steer this small talk at which we both suck. “So, who’s the monster that set you up?” “My boss.” He chuckled at the sympathetic gaze I fixed him. “She has her rare, more, er, charitable moments. I’m trying to not feel too weird about it. I guess she took pity on me.” “Have you been very pitiful lately?” “I guess. I’ve been drinking a lot the past few months, I am nearly incapable of getting drunk now.” I let out a short whistle. “Congrats. Your liver is now steel on the outside, rotting on the inside.” “I’ve stopped, okay.” He looked part amused, part worried. Part proud. “I am too young to die. All my hopes and dreams can’t go to waste.” What a serious man he was. “Sounds like you have plenty.” He shrugged, massive shoulders lifting. His shadow loomed over me when he was standing, and beside me now, he had to dip his chin a few inches so he could catch my eyes. For someone talking to a stranger, he sure made a habit of maintaining eye contact. “I hope this girl I’m meeting tonight is nice,” his voice rumbled. “Because I really want to get married someday.” “First date and you’re thinking about marriage?” My voice might have risen to a squeak a little bit. “I’m going in with a goal in mind,” he said, sharp jaw set. “How old are you?” I surprised myself at daring to ask him his age. I didn’t think I’d get a reply. “Twenty-four, turning twenty-five.” Ah, the quarter-life crisis. My ex-boyfriend Adam and I used to talk about getting married at 25. The age passed us and we didn’t, because we both realized we were still kids hitting wall after wall with our inflated little heads, confident and ambitious but naïve with no idea what we really wanted. Three years past that age, he dumped me. A year later, he married someone else. I guess he figured out his life then. “That’s not too young to get married.” Corporate Boy seemed to have read my silence as judgment. That was partly true, fine, I admit it. Beyond that I was puzzled. And curious. “I hope you’re not measuring yourself against Lizzie Bennet,” I quipped, keeping a straight face. “At least look to Mr. Darcy. He was older.” “I am capable of heading a household.” His tone was flat but he didn’t sound annoyed. “Sure you are. Everything about you reeks of stable income and a complete roster of fancy benefits. I just pity the girl you’re meeting tonight. What if she just wants to fool around, you know? Toe you under the table. Make out with you in the car. That kind of a simple life.” I’d turned away but I swear I could feel his eyes on my mouth again. It must be a new superpower. I hoped my lipstick was as matte and long-wearing as the tube promised. “My boss knows where I am. She said she found me the perfect girl.” I scowled. “There is no such girl.” “Okay, okay, you’re right, I take it back,” he said, palms up. He ran one hand down his face, as if he felt worn out. “I meant a girl who might want something lasting too, instead of just footsies and kissing. Though I’m not against any of that.” “Why would you be?” I wished the train would leave now, because I treasured Daisy and I really didn’t want her to end up in prison for strangling me for being so late. Also because I knew if we stayed still like this any longer, Corporate Boy would start asking me questions. Surely he’d retaliate for my terrible small talk. I also wished the train would stall for a few minutes longer. Because Corporate Boy was gorgeous and his shirt felt good against my bare arm, and it had been a while since I’d wanted to figure out the spaces between a man’s words the way I did with his. I blamed it on his friendship with Mr. Darcy.

You Out of Nowhere (Flair #1) by Jay E. Tria, 2017

#romanceclass

[awesomeeuropetripblog-blog]

Day 13: Rome

Day 13 and were still in Rome! Today we had an early wake up as we had a tour at 8am at the Colosseum. Being down the street from the Colosseum, we had a short walk over there. We checked into our tour and we actually were the first people to enter the Colosseum this morning! The tour guide was a nice Italian woman who gave us special access to the platform inside the Colosseum which was technically not included in our tour but she was feeling nice today. Bonus for us! The Colosseum was huge and our tour guide was very informative. She told us many stories about the stadium as well as about the dungeons, gladiators, animals, etc. After walking throughout the Colosseum for about an hour, we then moved our tour across the street to the Palatine Hill. The hill was gorgeous grounds of old ancient ruins of emperor’s homes. We walked throughout the hill looking at granite, ruins, old baths, and Mussolini’s home he built in the middle of the area that did not match the rest of the Roman architecture. Next on our tour, our guide took us down to the Roman Forum. Our guide was an archeologist so she had great insight on all the ruins here. We walked throughout this getting history on Romans lifestyle and past which was very interesting. We then ended the tour here after about 3 hours of looking around.

After the tour, my group and I walked right down the road to the Altar of the Fatherland to take a few pictures as we had seen it before but we wanted more pictures. Next, we walked around the area looking for places we could grab some lunch at since we were all dying of heat and thirst. We found a place called Bibo. We sat outside and I got a plain cheese pizza, onion rings, and a lemonade. As usual, our service was great to start but then slow after our meal came out. Today, Brian from our class decided to join us so after lunch we went back to our Airbnb and he met us there. We got freshened up and then headed to Villa Borghese via the metro. It took us about a half hour to get there total with the train and walking. We felt totally scammed by our tickets for the museum we bought online because they said, “skip the line” and we didn’t get to and they were also more than double the price of the actual museum tickets. It also only took us maybe 30 minutes to walk through the entire museum. I do not appreciate art enough to do this ever again. Despite this, the grounds around the Villa Borghese were gorgeous with shrubs, flowers, fountains, and green grass. We also ended up stumbling upon an international horse show going on at the place which was cool to watch and eat gelato at. After watching this for a little, we headed to the Pantheon via the metro and walking. In the metro station, three girls were stopped by heavily armed cops for what we believe was pickpocketing. Some girl on the train afterwards, had said she caught someone sticking their hand in her purse which was scary to hear. Also, when we got off the train there were loud announcements warning of pickpocketing.

We decided to grab some dinner before the Pantheon and found a place called El Diego. I got chicken with potatoes and freshly squeezed orange juice. It was great but once again our service was lacking. After dinner, we walked around and looked at some stores and street art before reaching the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. We took some pictures at both placed and then I headed back to a store to make a return. I had bought a purse for my sister but later found out there was a hole in it and was very cheap quality. I brought it back and got a full cash refund which was nice since I went in thinking they would be very reluctant about it. After this, my group and I said bye to Brian as he headed back to his group and we got gelato and sat outside the Pantheon for about an hour. Then, we walked back to our Airbnb and are now relaxing and getting ready for tomorrow which we are heading to a famous market as well as going to the beach.