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Last Sunday me and my friends joined the Unilab Run United for Wellness Marathon over at Fort Bonifacio. I actually never though that we would actually be running the marathon. I mean, I always wanted to sign up and join but I never got around to doing it. But with this marathon, I don’t know if it was because of the constant advertisement, or if it was the summer air going on, but for some twist of fate we decided to register and join in the marathon.

Nothing actually went according to plan. For starters, we only had the intention (and the strength) to register for the 3k marathon. But someone must have been pretty amused since 3k and 5k were already full, so… we ended up signing up for the 10k one. Yep, you got that right.

My friends slept over Saturday night so we could all go at the same time the next morning. We ended up waking really early but still, no matter how hard we try, we always seem to end up late for things. When we got there, it was still dark and the sun hasn’t risen yet. We were trying to look for the baggage area when we asked this lady for help. And as always, good fortune comes disguised in an old lady’s physical, and thanks to her we were only a little late for the start of the marathon.

Only just a couple of minutes into the start of the race when we suddenly burst into the start and ran our ass off. There was so much light and it was so blinding that I couldn’t see any of the spectators cheering for us on the sides—I prefer to think of it as cheering—and in a way it really made me confident to run my best.

I did run the 10k. Well.. half of it I ran, and half I jogged. But nevertheless! I still finished the whole 10k. I still can’t believe it though. It seems kinda hazy now that I think about it. Even though it was just the other day, I can’t seem to remember it now if it wasn’t for the resounding numbness in my calves and ankles.

Still, it really was worth the pain. And I can certainly say that joining this marathon really made my senior year memorable!

EXACTLY 3 DAYS ‘TIL SUMMER FINALLY ARRIVES.

Need I say more?

I’ve been really really busy lately with a lot of school work. So many last minute cramming to do, projects to submit, tests to ace, clearances to pass, recommendation letters to run after, and all in all I’m just waiting impatiently for finals to finish.

It’s the 3rd day of our finals week tomorrow, and we got 5 more to go.

I’m actually a little bit happy that I’m finally done with Physics (it’s the worst subject in the world, btw.) and that I can finally flush down every single bit of knowledge into my never-ending abyss of forgetfulness that can be found in the deep crevices of my unused mind.

Lots of people do say that junior year is the worst because a lot of colleges will be focusing more on your 3rd year grades more than anything, and a lot of pressure is on you to really study hard—something I desperately tried to do, but unfortunately ended up only trying.

I guess I’m a little relieved that after 13 long years of studying, I’m finally graduating and moving on to another huge chapter of my Life. Well, college is going to be a lot of studying too and I’m okay with that, but I guess I’m more excited about the fact that there’s more freedom, and that with this freedom I can get to expose myself to a lot more things in the world, and that I can really get to know myself more through these.

FREEDOM. I don’t know what’s up with the word, there’s something about it that really gets to me. I know that even when I get to college, get a job, or just be an adult there’s really not gonna be total freedom. But freedom from what exactly? Maybe freedom from the nagging voice of your mom, from your annoying little sister, from the responsibilities you hold as a teenager, from the busy sounds from the streets of Manila, from your job, from your studies, from happiness, from pain, from love, from feeling, from life, from being just who you are.

But most of the time we free ourselves from the wrong things. At first it may seem justifiable, but after a while we realize that there is no such thing as complete freedom. Maybe for a solitary moment though, but not completely.

But I guess it can be a good thing too, ‘coz most of the time we forget who we are in the process of trying to be someone we’re not, and in the long run we tend to let go of the past which binds us with the past, present and future of our soul. Sometimes not being free can be a good thing, and more often than not we get to figure ourselves more without letting go of the truly important things in life — not just for us, but for the people around us, too.

Anyway, summer’s all about chilling and just letting go. I can’t wait to spend what little freedom I have away from the hustle and bustle of Manila and just relax.

I do know what freedom I’m soon gonna have: Freedom from ever wearing a uniform and from waking up at 6!

Taken from one certified SSB—single since birth—we don’t need a man to keep us feeling on top of the world during this holiday. Here are a couple of things that I’ll be doing for my weekend holiday, and surely any true Candy girl can do too for this year’s double-up holiday.

1. Go out on a fancy dinner with your barkada and dress up!
   Eating a 5-star dinner is heaven but it’s not something we can do everyday. So why not indulge yourself just this once? And it’s even more fun if you get to spend the night with the people who have made life a fun adventure by dressing up! Wear a dress, put on you killer heels and flash your dazzling smile, and you’re on your way!
2. Watch a movie with your best buds and end the night in a karaoke bar!
   There are so many good movies that are showing now and its getting hard to choose which one to watch first. so why not watch all of them? Buy your fave popcorn and start your movie marathon with your barkada! And to top the night out, head out to your karaoke bar and show off your shower singing skills!
3. Go to Chinatown and feast on dumplings and tikoy!
   What’s a Chinese new year celebration without tikoy? Go down to Chinatown and participate in the many festivities that are open to all! Watch the dragon dance and feast on the may delicious Chinese delicacies on the streets. Don’t forget to buy your very own Tiger statue to attract luck for this year!
4. Take a look at this year’s Hot Air Balloon Fiesta over at Clark!
   Every year the Clark Air Base holds a Hot Air Balloon fiesta and this year the date falls on February 11 to February 14! So why not make this year’s celebration a little different? Head on over to Clark, Pampanga and witness the enormous balloons that will soon fill up the sky. And maybe you can even get to ride them!
5. Spa, Mani-Pedi, Massage = Heaven
   Pamper yourself to an almost comatose state of relaxation as you give yourself the ultimate Valentine spa package. You;ve been working yourself too hard, girl! Give yourself a break and relax. You can bring all your girlfriends, from your BFF, to mom, and even to lola! It’s surely going to be one memorable bonding experience for all of you!

Kung Hei Fat Choi