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The City of Sydney is probably one of the most-visited, if not one of the busiest cities in the world. Located in the state of New South Wales (NSW), it is a melting pot of cultures that boasts of busy coastlines and modern infrastructure, not to mention the infamous Sydney Opera House. Just an 8-hour flight away from Manila, Sydney is the easiest and fastest way to have some change of scenery, far from the extreme temperatures we have in the country.

It has been a while since my last trip to Sydney but I can still remember every detail of it. I traveled with my sisters and unlike the usual tourists who stay in the city, we stayed in the suburb of Westmead. Riding the train was the cheapest and most-convenient method of transportation, taking only about 45 minutes to reach the hustle and bustle of the city. The nearest and only mall I frequented was called Westfield, located in Parramatta.

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Do you know that game where you share two stories-one true and one false-then your listeners will guess which one is the true story and which one is the lie? It’s a fun game! And we did it for a writing class in school. We had to write two super short stories-one true and one false-then read them in front of class so the classmates could guess which one is which.

I guess the activity shows how good a person is in fictionalizing stuff. And I did pretty well in this exercise because only about four people in class guessed the true story! So anyway, here it is and I challenge you, Candy Girls, to guess which one is the true story and which one is the lie!

Yes

It was Algebra class when I received a piece of paper with the most serious question I had to answer as an eleven-year-old high school freshman: “Will you be my girlfriend?” it said. Two seats away from me was the sender-the tallest, whitest guy in class, shyly hiding his head between the pages of our textbook. It’s funny how I didn’t think at all. I wrote, “YES,” with a smiley face and passed it back to him.

We’d meet at the stairwell at the rear of the high school building every Wednesday and Friday afternoon. It was our secret place, secluded enough to hide us from the prying eyes of the faculty and nuns. Relationships aren’t encouraged in our strict Catholic school so everyone had to be precautious. We had friends as watch dogs to look out for passersby. They’d scream our secret warning code or just come dashing to us. If we didn’t have enough time to run and hide, he’d cover me with his back so people wouldn’t see me. He was that big. Or I was that small.

When all is clear, I’d lean on the dirty white wall and he’d stand in front of me. It was picture perfect, us talking about random stuff under the orange glow of the sunset. Postcard perfect, even.

***

No!!!

It was Algebra class when I received a piece of paper with the most serious question I had to answer as an eleven-year-old high school freshman: “Will you be my girlfriend?” it said. Two seats away from me was the sender-the tallest, whitest guy in class, grinning widely behind the pages of our textbook. Did he seriously think I’d say “YES” to an idiot like him? I had better things to do. I wrote a screaming “NO,” followed by three exclamation marks then I crumpled the paper and threw it back to him.

He was still very persistent. He’d go to my desk every single break time sometimes with offerings of Zesto juice or mango shake accompanied by a two-peso worth banana-q sold at the canteen. Not wanting them to go to waste, I’d accept these gifts and give them to the patay gutom guys in class. His friends would hound me and ask why I’m playing so hard to get. And I’d just look at them and shrug, “whatever.” He knew this, of course he knew I gave away his gifts, of course he knew I didn’t care a centavo ‘cause I openly showed him my indifference.

It took him two months and many more Zesto packs and mango juices and two-peso worth banana-qs to finally, finally give up and move on to another girl.

***

So, Candy girls, which one do you think really happened to me?

After ten million years (okay, more like two months), the gang finally got together and we were almost complete! No mean feat considering we’re spread out all over the metro.

We bugged the waiter to take this photo.

Last June 19, we met up at Yoshinoya in SM Megamall for some much needed bonding. I was late because I came from an event. When I got there, it was just like the old college days (yuck, I feel so old!). We were screaming and hugging and talking very loudly. Binulabog namin ang Yoshinoya.

The not-so-fashionably late girl

Some of us are working, some enjoying the vacay and some still in school. It was a riot catching up with each other. It was pasalubong galore too as Dan brought trinkets and dried mangoes from Cebu for everyone while I had packets of candy.

At Red Mango

Because we were craving for something sweet yet healthy, we headed off to Red Mango after we ate. Most of the things we talked about are just for our ears, but let me just say that love life gossip will never run short.

No face. My punishment for being late.

By 10 p.m., Megamall was closing but we didn’t want to call it a night yet. Good thing that Janina was bullied into offering is so nice to offer her house. We spent a good three hours there until our curfews (yes, some of us still have them!) and eyelids demanded that we go home.

Wrapping up the night at Janina

I miss them already! I wonder when we can have our next night out. Til then!

Photos from Janina Lagunda’s camera

Happiness is one of the most beautiful words in the English language, with a power to splash a smile across a face, to make a heart feel all giddy and wonderful inside. Happiness is that one single emotion that makes the world so much brighter. Many things can ignite that amazingly overwhelming feeling inside of us. I went to Flickr and came across different peoples’ idea of happiness. Here are some of my favorites:

1. 
   Entitled “Happiness is a Butterfly”, this picture shows us that happiness can be found in the nature that surrounds us. The simplicity and beauty of this creature reminds us of the wonderful world we live in.
2. 
   This photographer envisioned happiness to be helping others and giving them the joy they so ultimately deserve. Like they say, one is happiest when he or she is lending a hand… and a heart. I’m sure you always feel wonderful when you help your loved ones and society.
3. 
   I found this one cute! I’m sure you Candy Girls feel the same way to when you go shopping. Like what Blair Waldorf said, “Whoever said you can’t buy happiness has obviously never been shopping.”
4. 
   I love this picture. The Minnie Mouse balloons remind me of my childhood, when I so loved Disney. I would be really happy, too, like that girl in the picture, if I could see as many cute balloons like that and pose in front of them. I will always and forever be a Disney kid.
5. 
   Isn’t the quote so true? Sometimes, we think we need to END UP happy but the truth is we have to BE happy. We’re not supposed to be happy only at the end; we’re supposed to be happy right here, right now. Cliché and cheesy but very, very TRUE.

What’s your idea of happiness?

Remember to never lose a single moment of happiness. Otherwise, it’s something you can never get back.

Imagine your typical day at school, mall, street, or anywhere where you’ll be able to walk alone and all eyes are on you. What do you feel? Do you think people judge you from head to toe or you just don’t care what will they say? Are you proud enough to keep your head up and your eyes looking straight ahead or your contented with your sagging shoulders, drooping chin and poor stance? Yes, I’m talking about posture and proper body alignment.

You know what’s the secret of a graceful body? Posture, it is! Many of us may think it doesn’t matter as long as you dress, look or act well. Uh-uh. That’s really not a complete package though. I tell you, your posture can tell if you’re poised, confident and decent you are. I confess, I had 10 degrees Dextroscoliosis (It is a lateral curvature of the spine, a common abnormality of childhood) but I’m still trying to do exercises to prevent me from wearing braces. It affects the way I stand, sit or walk since it hurts frequently. But as I go along, I realized that it would help me correct my spine if I study some guidelines on how to correct my posture.

I’ll give you some tips.

1. First, ask someone to take you a side view photograph standing up and a side view of you sitting down. (You must feel comfortable with that position) Examine the shots and take note of the signs that you’ll see. If you saw a letter ‘C’ (rounded upper back) or anything that is not proper, then you must read on…
2. Stand up straight in a wall, knees and ankles together and feel your back, shoulders and hips touching its surface. If you’re starting to feel sore muscle tension, try to slide a basic ruler and put it underneath your shirt. Make an effort to do these 30 minutes a day and notice the difference.
3. I have to agree that most girls love to cross their legs. But would you believe that knees and ankles together are far more feminine? It also supports the spine without worrying your bearing.
4. If you dropped something, always bend at the knees, not at the waist.
5. If you used to carry a backpack in school, avoid leaning forward for it may round your shoulders!
6. When it comes to walking, keep your head at eye level. Remember, shoulders back, avoid too much swaying, imagine that you’re walking in a straight line and face the world with a smile!

CJ