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Last March 5-7, Cre and I headed down to Batangas for Camp Nivea, a three-day beach camp for teens held at Peninsula De Punta Fuego. It’s definitely not your ordinary camp: instead of learning how to start fires, tie knots, and pitch tents, the campers were taught survival skills of a different kind: the kind you need to flourish in the fashion and entertainment industry. I could go on forever about the wonderful time I had there, but this short list would have to do for now…

1. The camp masters were Reema Chanco and DJ TonyToni, and they were just so amazingly fun to be with! The campers were also really nice, really cool teens who are poised to become the next hottest stars in the local showbiz world. Among the campers were Regine Angeles from ABS-CBN’s Rubi, Beauty Gonzalez, Nicole Uysiuseng and Fred Payawan from ABS-CBN’s Pinoy Big Brother, Models John James Uy and Janeena Chan, and Ian Batherson from GMA’s Starstruck.
   
2. Punta Fuego was simply gorgeous, like it was made to be taken pictures of. The picture-taking opportunities were simply endless, and every shot taken of the landscape seemed to be effortlessly beautiful. In fact, this greeted us the moment we stepped in the country club:
   
   isn’t that beautiful?
3. There were workshops that were very practical for the modern style-savvy teen, and they were all handled by the best people in the industry. There was a DJ Workshop with DJ Mars Miranda and DJ Mike, a Fashion Workshop with Robbie Carmona and Sassa Jimenez, and a Headshot Workshop with Niccolo Cosme, and these were all capped by activities where the campers can show off what they learned. How cool is that?
   
4. All work and no play is a definite no-no in any camp, and that’s why all the hard work the campers put in the workshops was balanced by enjoyable pool and beachside games and themed parties for each night. The final night was made all the more special with a mini-concert by Callalily!
   
5. Last but not the least, the freebies! ‘Nuff said.
   

Honestly, I could rave about the experience for days. And yes, it was a perfect weekend, despite the fact that when I headed to the beach to work on getting some tan lines, I got jellyfish stings instead. haha! But really, Camp Nivea was an experience I’ll really never forget, jellyfish stings included. Now, if only time-turners existed…

There are certain Facebook fan pages that are becoming increasingly popular with college students these days. They’re the “Narinig Ko Sa *insert name of school here* (Overheard at *insert name of school here*)” pages. I don’t know where these pages came from or who exactly started them, but they sure were pretty interesting, so I joined the Narinig Ko Sa UP group, even if I had no idea about what I’ll find.

When I saw the group’s wall, I was hooked: post after post of different people, some of whom I know (and most I didn’t know), regaling the group with their very own UP experiences. From the quotable quotes of professors to the locations of the ever-intriguing TBA and the “Pigeon Hall” to freshie bloopers, they were all there! It was an awesome feeling, reading others’ experiences in the school I love and knowing that I can relate to all these complete strangers in this crazy way.

With that, let me share to you some of my favorites:
PI100 (life and works of Jose Rizal) Prof: Class, tignan nyo si Rizal. Ang batang namatay (35 years old) pero ang dami dami na nyang nasulat. Pano pa kung umabot sya ng 40 o 50 years old no? Buti nalang. Kundi ang dami pa nating aaralin. Buti na at namatay sya ng maaga!
Sa sakayan sa tapat ng Vinzons Hall, may sumakay na dalawang freshie…

Freshie 1: Manong pakibaba na lang po kami sa Vinzons Hall.
Manong Driver: OK. *pretending to drive, tapos may sound effects* eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeennnngggg…piiiip piiiiip…engggggggggggg…chug.
Nandito na tayo!natawa na lang yung ibang pasahero sa jeep. malakas ang trip ni manong e. XD
Girl while reviewing Math 17 sa toki (jeep), iaabot ang bayad sa driver habang nakatingin sa notes: “Manong, X-squared” :))
(shared by a Tephanie Gandia)

As for me, I’ve had my fair share of UP experiences, ranging from ROFL-inducing to plain humiliating. This is my own favorite UP experience, though it’s not exactly role model material.

When I was a freshie, i had a prof who was borderline terror-riffic, being strict, kind of old, and hopelessly boring. To add fuel to the fire, I was almost always late for his class—and if I wasn’t late, I was absent. XD I had a feeling he was already a bit annoyed by me, and this was confirmed when he told me off for nibbling on cookies in class (I know, I fail bigtime. XD). Of course, i had no intention of getting a fat singko for his non-major class (or in any class, for that matter), so I really did my best in the finals. To top it off, I wrote a small “I’m sorry for eating in class” note at the end of my paper.

As for my grade? A happy shiny 1.5. Oh, and the prof replied to my note, saying that all was forgiven. XD

That was definitely one of my most unforgettable college experiences ever. With two more years (assuming I graduate on time!) in store, I’m certain my “unforgettables” list would just keep growing—maybe even way after graduation!

With March being the graduation month and all that, I’m extremely excited for all the incoming first year college students out there. High school is fun, yes, but nothing compares to the awesomeness that is college. It may seem a tad overwhelming at first, yes, but it will all be worth it.

Hope I’ll get to (over)hear your own college stories soon, Candy Girls!

I’ve been staring at the screen for almost two hours now, and I haven’t thought of a decent topic to write about. When your world seems to revolve around papers, articles, reports and other obligations, I think it’s inevitable that there will come a time when your brain will stop cooperating until it’s time to write another hellish paper. Therefore, as much as I want to write a thought-invoking blog entry about the fleeing nature of time, I’m sorry to say that I’m still recuperating from the brain damage inflicted by a twelve-page paper/midterm exam about theory, which is probably the reason why my brain keeps farting things like “I can’t believe I’ve been awake for more than 20 hours straight” and “I must eat cupcakes to be able to think again”, instead of successfully being philosophical.

That said, I want a dog.

(NICE SEGUE, MARS. WAY TO GO!)

And not just any dog. I want a Lhasa Apso.

That sentence is unexpected, coming from me. I am not a dog person. I’m borderline afraid of dogs. Puppies I can handle, but when they start growing and start looking scary and stop being cute little furballs, I’m out. I get scared even when the dog’s just sniffing me. I guess I’m just traumatized—our former neighbor set their dog on me when I was little, and I never got over it, even when we had dogs of our own.

That’s why it’s weird that I’m suddenly in the mood to get a dog. I’ve always wanted to have a Lhasa ever since I read a book about a girl with one such dog as her pet, and I fell in love with the breed even more when I learned their background. Lhasas used to be bred only by Tibetan holy men and nobility. They were believed to bring good luck, and they were held sacred: once a Lhasa’s owner dies, his soul would enter the dog’s body. Besides, there’s just something comforting in snuggling to a fuzzy furry, adorably huggable creature when you’re stressed. Maybe that’s why I have never outgrown my fear of dogs: the dogs we had weren’t huggable at all.

One day, I will have my very own Lhasa Apso. I shall name it Russ, whether it’s a girl or a boy. And I will spoil it to itty-bitty bits, and most importantly, I will not be afraid of dogs anymore. Yeah.

Now, back to work! XD

When my Journalism 102 professor e-mailed our class last Friday looking for student volunteers for the Philippine Daily Inquirer First Edition—The Presidential Debate, I knew I’d be crazy to decline. This was an opportunity to see the presidential candidates in the flesh, to get to know more about their platforms, maybe even have a photo op with one of them (or if we’re lucky, with all of them). How can I say no?

Come Monday morning, I found myself in the still-empty UP University Theater, processing everything we were supposed to do. There were many student volunteers, and we had different assignments: some were to handle the registration, some were to assist the presidential candidates, some were ushers. I was assigned to the media registration: asking for their press ID (or any confirmation that they were media people), giving the special Inquirer Debate press ID plus a ball pen and a free copy of the day’s paper, and telling them where to proceed.

The press started trickling in at around 8:30, and we all became busier from 9:00 onwards. Sometimes, media people would all come at the same time, and it would get stressful. We also had to deal with people who really want in but had no IDs/credentials with them, people asking for extra tickets (which we didn’t have), and people asking if they could let their companions enter even if they had no tickets.

Around 11:00, when the theater was filled, I was able to go in and watch the debate. Two presidentiables, ex-President Joseph Estrada and Vetallano Acosta, didn’t make it, but it was still an interesting debate—though I’d say it would’ve been better had Estrada been present. Everywhere you look, you’d see someone wielding a camera, and I even saw reporter Ivan Mayrina delivering his stand-upper (that’s broadcast talk for a news report at the scene of an event with the television camera focused on a standing reporter, as defined by Encarta) in a corner of the theater. There were also sneaky supporters who were trying to give away fliers and other stuff to the audience, which was not allowed.

The debate ended at around 1:00 with all the candidates linking hands onstage. I think the best men onstage would have to be Gilbert Teodoro, Richard Gordon, and Nicanor Perlas, though Jamby Madrigal was also on a roll with her continuous indirect criticisms of another presidential candidate. Overall, it was a good debate, and the questions were witty and varied. And it was also quite an experience for me, as I learned a lot (for instance, I didn’t know that the Senate also employed media people), gained insights as to whom I should vote for (and whom I should steer clear of), and was able to hone my improvisation and people skills. Oh, and I and my friends got a photo with Dick Gordon!

photo from Joshua Dalupang

Do you ever get those days when you feel hungry all the time for no real reason, never mind if you’ve just eaten barely an hour ago? Like there’s an anaconda in your stomach, and the anaconda has an elephant in its stomach, and the elephant has who knows what kinds of creatures in its stomach, and you have to fill them all up before you feel full.

I’m talking nonsense, am I? I guess I am. Maybe it’s because I’m on one such hunger spell right now. I am seriously feeling famished right now, and I just ate awhile ago. Actually, I’m craving for cakes right now. Cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, chocolate chip cookies… oh my.

Since I’m far gone making myself hungry, I might as well drag you along with me on a “tour” of my favorite comfort food!

(photo via tipidmeals.com)

I’ve gone to school a few times with hardly a hundred bucks in my pocket, and this cheap thrill has saved me from losing my sanity during those days. I can eat three packs of this for merienda alone. XD And it’s not just all about pancit canton. UP’s a street food-tripper’s haven: there’s bound to be a street food vendor in almost every street and building! I’ll definitely miss the fishballs from Masscom, Mang Larry’s isaw, and the siomai of Ate Vicky from the Archi building when I graduate (assuming that I will graduate, that is. HAHA).

(photo via grubgrade.com)

Before, I’d always order chicken meals in fast food places. It’s only lately that I’ve learned to appreciate the awesomeness of burgers. For me, the bigger the beef patty, the better. I can finish a double-patty burger and still have plenty of room for dessert. I especially love Wham Burgers. They are fantastic.

(photo via pinoyexchange.com)

By now, you must have realized that my eating habits aren’t exactly the best ones around. I have a feeling I’ll be a prime candidate for diabetes in the near future. XD but right now, I believe in indulging myself. And I believe that Dairy Queen is, indeed, always worth a royal pig-out session. I’m not picky at all when it comes to my caramel—I am simply no match for its golden-brown mouthwatering goodness—but I am a serious sucker for any DQ caramel confection. From shakes to sundaes to blizzards, I love them. LOVE. <3

(photo via clickthecity.com)

I can eat cakes and cupcakes everyday and never get tired of it. The Devil’s Food Cake from the Chocolate Kiss Café is one of my favorites. I’d spread the yummy white icing all over and save the fudge layer for last. I also love Frupcakes’ cupcakes and Estrel’s renowned caramel cake that’s notorious for ruining diets all over. They are scrumptious, I swear. But really, I’m not picky when it comes to my frosted baked goods. Really, I’m not.

Okay, I don’t know about you, but I’m seriously getting hungrier by the second. Writing about food positively makes my stomach growl. Must have a burger right now! Or an extra-large slice of cake. I know, I’m quite the glutton. Now, please excuse me while I go feed the anaconda in my stomach.

Wishing you sweet cupcake-filled days,
Mars