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I recently had my third visit to CORREGIDOR and if an instant getaway is what you also need, then this island must be a perfect choice for you! Located in between the provinces of Bataan and Cavite, it is known for its World War II remnants and heroic atmosphere. Just an hour-and-a-half ferry ride away from Manila, this tadpole-shaped island has become a tourist spot ever since the government opened its gates in the 1980′s; with American and Japanese tourists among its most frequent foreign visitors.

But of course local residents also flock to this island, usually with family and friends, to have a rest from the busy streets of the city. With different packages to choose from, visitors may opt to just have a day tour, an overnight stay, and even team buildings! By riding a “tramvia,” guests are toured starting from the barracks up to the different battery sites, immersing themselves into a day packed with lessons from ages past. A buffet lunch is then served at the Corregidor Inn, the only hotel in the entire island. Following that are the tours of the museum and the Spanish lighthouse.

And then an optional lights-and-sounds show is recommended inside the Malinta Tunnel, where a detailed re-telling of what happened in Corregidor during WWII unfolds. At the end of the day, guests had a chance to brush-up with their history lessons, as well as go home relaxed and satisfied with a longing that they could repeat that experience, just as it is believed that history could repeat itself.

without the flash, this would

Now where else can you find a one-of-a-kind and FUN place like this in the entire country, huh?

Indeed.

P.S: I just want to greet one of my closest college friends (who’s a soon-to-be-lawyer! haha!), CAROL ALCASABAS, a happy 21^st birthday today!

I love and miss you, C! Mwah.

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The US summer slew of blockbusters has already brought Transformers, Ice Age 3 and Hannah Montana: The Movie (ew!), but there’s a lot more I’m dying to see. Here are some of my top picks:

PHOTO: harry potter

1. 
   Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince
   Opens tomorrow! I’ve been watching all sorts of trailers and sneak peeks, such sweet torture. There’s going to be a lot of romance in this movie and I’m curious to see how it’ll affect the supposed dark theme of the book. Will it be a nice breath of fresh air from all the death eaters or will it turn the complex plot into just another teen rom-com?
   Also, I read in an interview that Michael Gambon, who plays Dumbledore, fell asleep while Daniel Radcliffe was pouring his heart out in lamenting over his body. Haha! That’s just one of the many, many things I’m excited to see.
   I’m torn between watching it at Imax or at Mall of Asia’s Director’s Club. Depends on the available seats really, I just can’t get through SM’s phone line! Ugh, why can’t they have online ticket reservations like in Ayala cinemas?
2. 
   The Proposal
   Two words: Ryan Reynolds. He’s not as hot here as in Wolverine but he’s still Ryan! I love how effortlessly funny he is. Plus, he seems so down to earth in his interviews. My friends and I are such fans that we’ve already set a movie date for this months and months ago.

   P.S. Did you know he was recently married to Scarlet Johansson? Such a cute couple they make, right? Oh, I just found out that he’s going to be the Green Lantern! Happy happy joy joy! I don’t really read comics but it’s another lead role for him! Yey!

3. 
   500 Days of Summer
   It showed in the US a couple of days ago but it’ll probably reach us next year. Haha, exag. So what does this movie have? Zooey Deschanel, unrequited love, a hopelessly romantic greeting card writer, a dumpee, a dumper, 500 days of flashbacks (not literally, I hope) and did I say Zooey Deschanel? I really, really like her; my favorite movie of her is The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Oh, and did you notice how much she and Katy Perry look alike? Separated at birth!
   Anyway, I’m a sucker for hopeless romantic movies and this ought to be fun with the guy’s job being a greeting card writer. A lot of PostSecret-ish things would be great!
4. 
   The Time Traveler’s Wife
   I haven’t read the movie yet but when a friend forwarded me the trailer in YouTube, I was so struck by it. I’ve been looking for an on sale copy of the book (haha, kurips) but I haven’t found one yet. From what I saw in the trailer, my tear ducts better be ready. I never liked Eric Bana but I’ve loved Rachel McAdams since Mean Girls; I liked her best in The Notebook. I’m excited to see her in another tearjerker.

A few more movies I want to see:

• The Hangover – Will the buzz live up to the movie?
• Inglourious Basterds – Brad Pitt!
• Julie & Julia - Amy Adams and Meryl Streep. What more could you ask?
• Twilight Saga: New Moon – I hate all the books but I love Rob Pattinson. Teehee!

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I’m sure all of you are going to agree with me on this: School is hard to focus on. In order to get through months and months of academic priorities, concentration is very much needed. But besides concentration, I also need something else: distraction. Okay, I don’t mean “distraction” in the driest sense of the word. I mean “distraction” in a good, positive, and beneficial way. They say that all work and no play makes a person dull. And I believe in that saying. Imagine if all students did was study. The routine would be the same every single day: wake up, go to school, go home, study, sleep, repeat. How boring can that get, right? So for this school year, I made sure that I have something else to look forward to, besides school.

1. 1. World Youth Movement for Democracy’s Global Essay Contest
   My friend from Russia emailed me a few weeks back and she told me about this international essay contest. In this essay contest, entitled as the one above, participants have to choose one from the three questions that they have provided and write an essay on it. The contest will have 15 winners, with three coming Asia. The winners will be invited to participate in the 6^th Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy in Jakarta, Indonesia, in April 2010. The Assembly will provide workshops and will allow the participants to communicate with leaders from all over the world. Doesn’t that sound absolutely awesome?

   I’ve decided to join and I chose the question: Describe and explain how a specific event or instance changed your perception of democracy. I’m going to write about the EDSA People Power Revolution because in all honesty, I think that that event changed not only my perception of democracy but the whole world’s. I can’t wait to write about it. I know it’s going to make me feel so proud of being a Filipino. Cross your fingers for me! I hope I win!

2. Transfer Application to Universities in the United States
   My ultimate dream is to study in a prestigious university in the US because while learning, I also want to explore the world. This year, I’m going to send out transfer applications to three colleges abroad: Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, Santa Clara University in Santa Barbara, and Fordham University in New York. Just thinking about studying in any of those three colleges gives me the goose bumps. I imagine myself meeting new people, exploring new places, and living independently (and maybe even studying in Central Park, hahaha!). As early as now, I’m going to start working on the application process—and it’s going to be three times the effort since I’m considering three schools! It doesn’t matter though. Receiving three acceptance letters from those AWESOME schools will be the GREATEST things I will EVER receive. That is my MOTIVATION. Wish me luck! I hope I get in! This has been my dream ever since I was a kid.

I hope you have your own distractions, too! Life’s too wonderful to just be studying all the time! Have fun!

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I’m really in deep love with the fast paced modernization of technology nowadays. It’s such an amazing discovery whenever I see something new. So let me name some of the gadgets I would love to have:

(Photo 1)

1. 
   If there’s an eye wear fit for both fashionistas and geeks, it would be Calvin Klein’s new released USB Sunglasses! Imagine yourself wearing a 4GB USB port under the sun. And since it’s detachable, you won’t have a problem missing it. How cool is that?!
2. 
   Here’s the Camera Camera Case for the people who love photography! Yup, you read it right, the word “camera” was really typed twice. Obviously, it’s because the camera case looks like a camera as well. It’s soooooo cute!
3. 
   A bracelet? Or a watch? You might be in doubt but this metal band can show you the time with just a push in a button! The LEDs light hidden in a bracelet is totally awesome! Kudos to the designer Hironao Tsuboi.

You now know what’s on the top of my wish list, huh?  Just kidding. But seriously, I would really want to own these ones! Haha!

CJ

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Another interesting session in our Personal Effectiveness class took place, and here I am writing about it again. This time, our prof made us take a quiz about The Nine Personality Types of the Enneagram. It’s surprisingly easy to answer, and the results yielded were unbelievably accurate! Apparently, I am what you can call “The Enthusiast”.

“The Enthusiast. The busy, productive type. Sevens are extroverted, optimistic, versatile, and spontaneous. Playful, high-spirited, and practical, they can also misapply their many talents, becoming over-extended, scattered and undisciplined. They constantly seek new and exciting experiences, but can become distracted and exhausted by staying on the go. They typically have problems with impatience and impulsiveness.

At their best: They focus their talents on worthwhile goals, becoming appreciative, joyous, and satisfied.”

After reading that, I can’t believe the satisfaction I got from finally finding the words to honestly describe me. I mean, how many times have I been called “funny” or “nice”, but never busy, playful, over-extended, distracted and impulsive? My close friends can attest to that, for sure. Maybe I’ve always been an enthusiast, and an adventurer as well. I remember writing this for my COC 9 introductory write-up – “I believe the world will always give you opportunities and options. You just have to be brave enough to grab them.”

There’s a lot more to learn about myself, but for now, I look forward to the future with the basic desire to be happy (and the basic fear to be deprived). I’m happy to have realized all this and more (as in all the other things written on this site) (Please link that to http://www.9types.com/descr/index.php?type=7), and I look forward to the many ways on how I can make the most of my personality from now on.

Before I go, let me advise you this. Engage yourself in things that will help you learn about yourself and others, as this is a very important part of growing up. Oh, don’t forget to have fun, a lot of fun. We all deserve it

Feeling inspired,
Aura

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