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Contrary to what other people say, I really don’t see myself as an athletic individual.  I cannot play basketball or baseball to save my life. I’ve tried to bend it like Beckham and played soccer ONCE. I would share to you how I did Kaka justice and how utterly amazing I was out on the field with a winning goal bagged under my belt.

But then again, that would be called lying.

But I do love to play some sports, non-team sports to be exact. Haha! My dad influenced me to join a couple million sports growing up and though I practically fell down on most occasions, scraped my knee, and cried. I liked the adrenaline rush that came with it.

But if there’s one sport that got me really interested, it’s Taekwondo. I was honed to kick and punch for the last seven years. The long hours of footwork and sparring practices practically left my body to be completely fragile the next day. My dad had to stock up on muscle pain relievers on a regular basis. You have no idea how much we have everyday! ((:

Me, during a demonstration in my brother’s school.
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Posted in Etcetera, Reflections, Relationships | 1 Comment »

Today, our Filipino teacher returned the essay we wrote last week. SP has pretty high standards, so I was nothing short of ecstatic when he told me he liked what I’d written. I strayed from my usual style of writing, and I wasn’t sure if the new perspective I tried would sit well with him. My old essay style was very deep, dramatic, and serious. I decided to take a cue from my only Filipino writer idol, Bob Ong, and to write in a light, humorous, sarcastic way but still get valid and important points across. Anyway, the essay is in Tagalog, but I still want to share it here.=) Constructive criticism would be welcome, by the way. Hint hint! Haha! Edited to bring the mature language rating down.

PAKSA: MASARAP, MASAKIT UMIBIG. (kaugnay ng tekstong Sayaw sa Kalipay)
4 talata, 10 pangungusap/talata.

MASARAP, MASAKIT UMIBIG.
—R.A.V. Bambao, IV-Manganese

Grade 4: Unang beses kong “mainlab” sa pambatang paraan.
Grade 5: Unang beses kong maranasan ang break-up sa pambatang paraan.
Grade 6: Mga crush ko puro walang direksyong lalaki.
First Year: Malakas ang tama (crush lang) sa isang delingkwente.
Second Year: Nagmahal, pers taym. Naranasan ang break-up na seryoso, pers taym. Lampas apat na linggong palaboy-laboy na parang kaluluwang ligaw na tulong-tulo ang luha at sipon.
Third Year: Napipikon na sa mga lalaking walang direksyon.
Fourth Year: Natauhan (nadulas yata sa banyo at nabagok ang ulo sa inidoro) at nagpasyang tama na muna ang kalandian—si D (as in Draco Malfoy) at ang mga kapatid ko na lang ang magiging lalaki sa buhay ko.
Ang punto ng lahat ng ito ay…ahh, ano nga ba? Ah, yun! Hindi madaling pasukin ang mundo ng mga umiibig. Napapaisip ngayon ako kung bakit patuloy itong hinahangad ng mga tao.
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Posted in Reflections, Relationships | No Comments »

My weekend was fine. I was sick though, stuck in bed most of the time. The rain was nice. It came with a cool breeze that made the weather comfortable. I was comfortable.

What about you?
What about everyone else?

Last weekend, it was more than just a comfortable breeze that swept by our country. Winds of over 170 km an hour, torrential rains—a typhoon named Frank (internationally known as Fengshen) roared through the Philippines.
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Posted in Reflections | 2 Comments »

Dear Candy girls,

You are about to finish high school. I am about to finish college. Here are some things I’d like to share with you, that hopefully will be of some use to you as you go through your journey.

First of all, I know how senior year (whether in high school or in college) feels. There’s a hovering sense of finality—you’re conscious of the fact that this is your last year. You may feel sentimental, reluctant to leave high school, you may be relieved, crying good riddance, or you may be excited at the prospects of a new adventure. However you feel about senior high, make the most out of it. You will never ever return to high school, so make this year count.

College is very different from high school, which is why, if you’re going to ask me which one is more fun, or which one is more memorable, I can’t give a proper answer. College and high school are simply incomparable. They teach you different things, they give you different experiences. They will also shape two different versions of yourself—this may not make sense now, but trust me, once you’re a college upperclassman, you’ll look back at high school and you won’t be able to believe the person you were back then!

Having said that, don’t enter college expecting it to be like high school. Well, I suppose in other colleges, where you have block sections for years, it’ll be close. I went to UP, where college is nothing like high school. Ha ha! I suggest, enter college with an openness and an excitement for new things. Don’t constantly look for the familiarity of the past, and don’t be afraid to explore the unknown.

This year you’ll be filling out your application forms, and you’ll be picking out course choices. Some of you might be forced by other people to take certain paths. Some of you know what you want to take. Some may still be very unsure. Let me tell you this: Don’t be pressured. What you want to do later in life will still keep changing, even in college! The choices you write on your application forms are rarely the final deal. Of course, do think about them hard, but don’t limit yourself to them.

I might as well give you advice on the exams. The UPCAT is the easiest, it’s the competition that makes it hard (there’s 70,000 of you taking the test!); the ACET’s math part is really killer, you won’t have enough time (unless you’re a walking calculator) and will be forced to guess a whole column or two; and the DLSUCET includes an on-the-spot essay in both English and Filipino.

A brief note to the college freshmen: Also consider what I said about courses. Be careful in handling your newfound freedom—it’s like being given power. Use it well. I encourage you to join orgs, and to explore what there is to explore. Oh, and enjoy college because it’s your last shot at a carefree existence! Haha!

Finally, girls, whatever year you’re in, whether you’re in high school or college, always, always, always remember to have the time of your life.

For a rather anticlimactic ending (haha), here are my high school and college graduation photos.

Hopefully, in the span that separates these photos in time, I became not just older, but wiser, better. Hopefully, it will be the same for you.

Love,
Micah

PS
Happy birthday to my good friend, fellow geek and gay crush, Stan! I heart you, see you soon!

Posted in Etcetera, Reflections | 5 Comments »

Babies are one of my many fascinations. I love watching them be—how they communicate with peers, voice out their thoughts, and do something very unexpectedly adorable… So If I’m not YouTubing Justin Timberlake, I search baby videos for my viewing pleasure.

Allow me to share with you guys some of my adorable baby video picks of all time. Prepare your awwww squeals, because these videos are guaranteed to warm your heart (think hot chocolate with marshmallows on a cold rainy day!)

Ah! The famous “Charlie Bit Me” video… Never underestimate baby tooth!
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Posted in Etcetera | 5 Comments »