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I can’t believe it’s my last entry! After a year of blogging every nine days (ideally, anyway), it’s surreal to not have to think about my next topic. I’m sure going to miss this blog and the Council of Cool 9, of course.

Since it’s my last entry, I’m going to make it not about me, sort of, but about Candy Girls, who I’m sure would love to be part of the Council. Here goes my humble list of things I learned from COC 9; hope it inspires and helps fellow Candy Girls!

1. You will find friends here. What I love about COC 9 is that we came from different schools and we would have never met if not for the Council. We bonded over coffee, pasta and the requisite collaborations and features. Fun!
2. COC 9 will open doors for you. I had my first ever round-table interview with a famous band through the Council. When Hilera launched their second album, I got to pick their brains and even scored their CD. My other assignments also trained me and, I believe, helped me get the Spot job. I’ve always thought that experience is more valuable than stellar grades, not that I’m telling you to slack off. Just take all the opportunities you can get; it’s incredibly fulfilling.
3. Kakapal ang mukha mo. In a good way, though. You don’t have a choice because if you don’t, you won’t get the story. Pretty good training for the real world.
4. You will find a bit of yourself here. No, the Council doesn’t hold all the answers in the world. But I did refine my likes (i.e. quirky ways to reach Candy Girls) and dislikes (i.e. pretentious guys, I’ll say no more!).
5. You will share your life with the world. Five words: Council blog every nine days.
6. You will learn from your mistakes. I made pretty awful mistakes while part of the Council but I learned to move on and learn from them. That’s what’s important anyway.
7. You will inspire others. Not to be boastful but this is a true story. An applicant of the Journ Club, my college org, said she applied because she read my blogs here. After the initial weeeeh reaction, it was pretty flattering.
8. You will get creative (or not) when you run out of things to talk about. As talkative and loud as I am, there were just days that I had no clue what to write about in this blog, days that my life just seemed so boring. I know at least one other COC who experienced the same. What did we, erm, I do? Answer those Facebook and Multiply memes I never read before.
9. You’ll find a little more spring in your step. After all, no less than Candy certified your coolness. But by cool, I don’t mean the Blair-Waldorf-dictatorship cool; you’re cool because you’ve got the chops and the determination that you use to connect with fellow Candy Girls.

Signing off,
Dyan

P.S. Can’t wait to meet the new batch!

A friend’s Facebook note and another friend’s link inspired me eons ago to write a guy wish list with promises to that guy. I have scraps saved in my cellphone and written on post-its long lost. I never found the drive to actually type it all until after I read 12 Steps to Quitting AJ by Faye Ilogon.

Portions of the blog link my friend, Jali, posted on Facebook:

“‘Have you made your list yet?’ and I was like uh what list. And they said, ‘You should make a list, just for yourself, of the qualities you’d ideally want in a mate, just because putting it down on paper and reading it back makes you realize what’s actually important to you.’

I closed my diary and forgot about it completely until one day this spring, when I turned to that page and read the list again and got chills when I realized I’d pretty much described Nick exactly.

I think maybe articulating something you want, even if just to yourself, and putting that out there into the universe, maybe that knocks over a book that blows out a candle and eventually brings you to Antonia’s couch on a Sunday morning in October, and then the person you will love more than anyone else comes downstairs and shakes your hand and all you have to do from there on out is allow yourself to enjoy being happy.”

–

So here’s my list in free flow. I promise to forget it too. Universe, work your magic.

First of all, he must be single and straight.

He should understand my long hours.

He should know that I only eat something fatty if it’s worth the calories. In return, he gets first dibs on freebies I get.

I’m not as high maintenance as Rachel Berry but I apologize in advance for my kaartehan.

He must not bash the Green Archers, no matter how bad they were this season, if he knows what’s good for him. If he says one stinking word about the Archers’ nicest player ever, it’s over.

He shouldn’t find it haha funny that I haven’t had my first real kiss.

He must take to heart my six tips for serial texters. I cannot and will never be with someone who can actually send “KaMustahh nah p0w u,,,?” and not cringe.

He must have ambition. I don’t care what it is, just have a goal.

I doubt he’d watch Gossip Girl and Glee with me but he should understand when I have the soundtracks on loop for weeks. Literally.

It would be nice if he had a car. Char! It would be even better if he can properly teach me how to drive with actual other cars on the road.

I will compromise. I will try not to nag. He must understand why I will only get married if divorce becomes legal in the Philippines. Why should falling out of love have to be so expensive, tedious and character damaging? I can go on for days about the merits of divorce versus annulment. And yes, I have commitment issues.

I don’t read minds; he should tell me when he wants to talk and I’ll do the same.

He should find my nephews adorable. Points if he can carry my three-year-old nephew, who weighs as much as a six-year-old kid, for an hour.

He should have a healthy appetite for pop culture. Under no circumstances must he think the Twilight books live up to the hype. Rob Pattinson does, though. We must have one thing in common: love for indie movies, OPM bands that don’t refer to themselves as rakistas, Flash Forward, Fringe, UAAP, book fairs or fan fiction.

Politics is tricky; we can argue all we want as long as he won’t vote for Erap, BF, Gibo or Edu.

I will not be jealous as long as he’s not a player. I will be faithful and honest. I will tell him when I want out and he must do the same.

I don’t expect him to be a Nick but if he’s a sweet, poetic non-queer bassist in a queer core band, bring it on!

He should know that I hate waiting.

He must understand why I don’t go to church. I’m not an atheist; I just don’t like rituals.

He must never think anyone deserves to be beaten.

He shouldn’t force me to sing. He should never play tong-its or pusoy dos with me and expect to win.

He doesn’t have to be a non-smoker but he must never smoke near me unless he’s willing to take care of and buy me a dozen tissue rolls, Berroca and Ascof Lagundi for my allergy attack.

He should tell me when I’m too mean, when I’m going too far.

He can have all these weird cuss words like doy, erp, ack, bleh and even my mom’s infectious “blank ng tinapa” but he must never, ever say “deng” unless he’s making fun of the ridiculously coño word.

He should understand that I hate crowds and the rain.

He shouldn’t take this list too seriously.

My big 21’s four unexpected mini parties:

1. Myrza, the Spot.ph editor-in-chief, took the entire team out to lunch for my birthday. I was feeling a little bummed that day because I had no birthday plans but the surprise lunch was really nice. I started to feel like it was my birthday. Haha, emo!
2. When I got back to the office, I found out that Kat and Micah, my college friends who work for Real Living and Women’s Health, bought a cake for lunch! Since we all ate already, lunch became cake merienda.
3. Since my brother had dengue and was in a hospital that day, I was planning on spending the night with my DVDs. But then my mom called and said we were going to party at the hospital. It was my third full meal of the day but I still ate a ton of pizza, pasta, chicken and my all-time fave cake, Mango Bravo!
4. I was supposed to treat my relatives from Quezon Province last Sunday but something came up so my tito and tita came to Manila last Saturday. We ate at my fave BF resto, Chi’s, and then went to Marriott. Unfortunately, I didn’t play poker since I don’t know how! I’ll learn and soon check that off my 21 list (: Something funny happened: The guards almost didn’t let me in because they said I didn’t look 21. HAHAHA!

12 Steps to Quitting AJ:

I absolutely love this new Summit chick lit; it has even surpassed my former favorite, Drama Queen. It’s not a self-help book though it does have quirky lists like Car Tiff Tips, First-Aid Quotes for Post-Fight Blues, Pinay Flirtation Non-Negotiables, Grand Entrance SOP and, of course, 12 Steps to Quitting AJ.

It’s witty and romantic but realistic with a touch of in-your-face ideology. Sooo good. The characters are real and flawed just the right way. It was also so amazing how the writer, Faye Ilogon, made the story tight and used the flashback technique to perfection. Oh, and watch for the MMDA pink everything explanation, so hilarious!

A few quotes from the book that struck a chord in me:

“‘Love makes me lazy. It’s a dangerous drug. It kills more brain cells than a crystal meth.’ -Cindy “Mac” Mackenzie, cool techie girl from Veronica Mars.”

“We decreed that a break-up playlist that didn’t eat up half of an MP3 player’s or an iPod’s memory meant that the couple always had a fighting chance of getting back together.”

“He was always grumpy when he drove. He looked adorable.”

“We’re normal and boring and I absolutely like that. By ‘boring,’ I mean that I won’t be shocked to know that you’ve left me to start a livelihood project somewhere. It’s selfish and so middle-class but that’s my version of happy-ever-after.”

“You’re going to listen to my mother? I mean, my mom’s lines only work on activists!”

“Grace, your nose is as cold as a dog’s.”

I’m turning 21 on Tuesday. Aaaaack!

21 things I must do before I turn 22:

1. Go on a real date. Group dates don’t count.
2. Get a hot oil treatment. My locks are super dry, ew.
3. Read at least 50 books. I used to read a lot of books, but now, all I read are magazines and online articles.
4. Watch a foreign film fest. So many film fests have gone by: Italian, Spanish, Korean, Cinemanila, etc. I MUST watch at least one film from the coming film fests.
5. Learn how to drive. I actually know how to drive-just as long as there are no other cars on the road. Haha! I can’t seem to find time to get a student’s license so I can practice on the road with other actual cars.
6. Learn how to cook. I must graduate from the instant noodle level.
7. Go to a casino. I’m not promoting gambling ha. It’s just that I’ve always wanted to play blackjack in a casino. I blame 21 and CSI. Haha!
8. Go to the gym. MUST EXERCISE!
9. Watch the UP Fair 2010. I must continue my yearly tradition since 2005.
10. Reconnect with friends more often. Making time is hard but doable.
11. Learn how to apply smoky eyes.
12. Karaoke. You can dare me to do anything except sing. Now I’m daring myself.
13. Get more rakets. Back in college, I raket every week. Now, I just raket twice a month at the most.
14. Write faster. Since I work for a website, this is a given.
15. Be an extra in a music video. Any indie bands looking for someone to walk in the background?
16. Brainstorm for that book I’ve always wanted to write.
17. Study photography. Something I’ve always wanted to do.
18. Study Photoshop. Luckily, our art director right in front of my cubicle is a Photoshop whiz. Unluckily, I barely have time for Photoshop lessons.
19. Tutor my nephews.
20. Shop for clothes that fit. No more awkward sleeves and necklines!
21. Have fun!

There really is no place like UP.

So much had changed since the last time I was there in April for my graduation but UP still felt like home. I was so excited to see it again last week that I was smiling from ear to ear while looking out the jeep as it passed University Avenue, one of the main entrances of UP. I instantly felt welcomed back as we exited the polluted Philcoa and entered the lush and cool UP community. The air smelled like oranges; I wonder if it has always been like that or it was just my imagination. I felt more alive than I have in ages.

I went back to finally get my clearance which was about to expire after months of not claiming it. I felt like a freshie, looking this way and that, even though I knew where everything was. I had to restrain myself from lying on the sunken garden like we used to in college. “Like we used to in college”-I feel so old!

It turned out that I can’t finish all the requirements in one day so I went to Mass Comm to give my documents to a friend who can finish it for me (thanks Agatha! :D). If I was giddy just entering UP, I was practically hopping on my way to Mass Comm. I bumped into my friend Kumiko at the fishball stand, which changed! Different owner plus there’s a new siomai cart. I was warned against the siomai cart though; I guess nothing can top the siomai at Fine Arts.

I thought I wasn’t going to see anybody else since it was finals week but I still got to see some old friends and orgmates! How I missed talking at the top of my lungs. Mass Comm is more sosyal now with its Inquirer, Phil. Star rooms and that ginormous bulletin board, erm, wall.

It was beyond nice to walk the halls that housed me and my insanity for four years. I remember we used to lie down on the admin lobby and sleep but now, it’s too creepy to do that with all the portraits of Gawad Plaridel awardees staring down at you. Everyone’s tambayan, the skywalk, is now the cafeteria so you can’t really lounge there anymore. Boo!

I didn’t see any profs but I did see the fab lunch ladies and the greatest journ secretary Ate Raquel. They still remember me! The lunch ladies still call me “tapa” (long story), haha, I missed that!

I would’ve wanted to stay longer (forever na lang!) but reality beckoned. I hope I get to go back soon. Nakaka-miss.