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To my high school self (and everyone else who can relate),

If there ever was a time in your life that could describe as “FML,” it would probably be high school.

You transferred to a school you’ve literally never heard of before, just when things were going swimmingly for you at the cozy exclusive college you once went to (you were about to become a varsity team captain, you had loads of friends, you were HAPPY—and it all vanished with a resounding ‘pop’ in just one summer!). Sure, you managed to become the top 1 in your batch—but your new school did not recognize that because of some rule about students having a two-year residency before being allowed to march on recognition day (which, IMHO, is totally irrelevant).

You were bullied and backstabbed, people were plastic to you, and, despite bending over backwards trying to please everyone, you still never felt like you belonged anywhere.

To top everything off, your mom also died just as third year was beginning, and despite missing school for a few days because you wanted to be there for her in her final moments, you still managed to miss it.

So yeah, basically, you were a socially awkward, incredibly insecure, bookworm-y ugly duckling for four years. It’s really lucky you didn’t turn out to be a suicidal emo mess.

(You might think I’m exaggerating, but I’m actually downplaying everything. Like I said, FML.)

But don’t worry, things would turn out quite well in the end. Come graduation, you’ll skip the “I’ll miss you!” drama of your batchmates and weed out your friends, only keeping the best ones and moving on without shedding a single tear for the copious amount of teenage angst you went through. You’ll get accepted to your dream school for college, and though your grades will mostly be so-so, there’s still a big chance that you’ll graduate with honors come 2012 (keep your fingers crossed!).

You’ll make so many amazing friends who will love you and accept you unconditionally – the days of drifting around because you were a “lost” kid are finally over. There will still be times when your insecurity and awkwardness would pop up, but for the most part, they’re purged out of your system and replaced with a hefty dose of confidence and contentedness.

You’ll be more active in your Youth For Christ community, where you’ll meet some of the most amazing people you’ll ever get to know. Your family will love you, trust you and will be there for you every step of the way, wholeheartedly supporting you in everything you want to do.

And finally, who would have thought that in a few years, you’ll have the chance to write for Candy, your all-time favorite magazine (except during the few years when you were into Seventeen, hihi) as a member of the Council of Cool 10, no less? It was once just a dream of yours, and now, you’re living it up and happily soaking in every minute of it with the other girls. It’s surreal, but it WILL happen to you, I swear.

On the flipside, the state of your love life would still be best defined in the words “imaginary” and “self-sufficient”, but who needs a boyfriend when you have the coolest, most kick-ass boy friends you could ever wish for? J

So see, even if life seems pretty miserable right now, just keep hanging on and stay optimistic. High school may totally suck for you, but it’s a necessary stepping stone to a brighter future. If there’s one thing you’ll learn, it’s that God’s plans are far more awesome than any plan you can think up – and they always push through. Keep smiling, praying and loving, and stay the way you are. And remember, you are always loved.

Signing off,
An almost-20-year-old, slightly wiser and a whole lot happier (but still as small as ever) Mars

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To my Kuya,

Thank you for being my (sometimes unwilling) driver when I can’t commute, for being my go-to person for all things related to cars and gadgets, and for buying me taho and milk tea (the milk tea was delish, but without pudding next time please).

Thank you for allowing me to borrow (and sometimes never return for extended periods of time, yikes) your T-square, tripod, prime lens, cutter, markers and your other stuff and for introducing me to the awesomeness of cars, skate brands, Sharpies, and Good Times With Mo.

Thank you for dropping me off at my building when I hitch a ride with you to school, except for those few days when you would just drop me off at AS (even when my class is literally on the other side of the campus and I’m already running late, huhu) because you’re already late for work. For those instances, the value of my “thank you” is reduced by 0.25. Just kidding.

Thank you for being patient and cool and fun—even when the “fun” part developed at such a late age because you were such a killjoy before. Seriously, you were so annoying when you were younger, you know? You’re so weird. Grr.

But since you’re not as annoying now, I wish you nothing but complete awesomeness for your twenty-second year. Oh, and a lovelife that doesn’t involve your darling aubergine car.

Happy birthday Kuya! I love you.

Love,
your equally-annoying-when-we-were-younger first little sister

PS: I haven’t wrapped your gift yet. You know, because I’m busy (AKA too lazy to wrap it). So don’t be surprised if you get it sometime in December. Or in January. Whatever. Hihi. Labyu.

Posted in Red-Letter Days | 8 Comments »

Wait, did I just say hell week? Scratch that and make it Hell Sem.

Today marks the last day of my school’s semester. I’ve just gotten home from two stressful final exams – but it’s not yet over for me! I still have papers and projects to pass before I can finally tumble back into the welcoming arms of my bed. However, this is the best time to up my game: it’s almost over now, so I better give things my best shot!

Then again, I know—and all of you do too, I’m sure—that school work can be such a drag if you’re just not in the mood. What better way to get yourself psyched up for school than to look for those bits of inspiration that can pull you through the stormiest days? J Make a list of these inspirations and put it up in a place you can’t miss, and when you’re all bogged down from reading chapter after tedious chapter of your thick bio book, just look up, read through your list, and smile. 

Read through my list after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

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The rainy season’s not yet over, but I was able to get my summer fix earlier this month—yes, I was able fit in a beach trip right in the middle of the most stressful month of school I’ve ever had!

But it’s not all fun and relaxation, as said beach trip was the 2010 International Coastal Clean-up last September 18 – 19. That weekend saw me and the rest of my classmates heading to the beautiful dive spot that is Anilao, Batangas to give some lovin’ to Mother Nature (and to have a lot of much-needed water fun).

Now, beaches are usually pristine visions of swaying palms, gentle waves, stretches of white sand, and beautiful sunsets over the horizon. But there’s a big chance you’ll find, upon closer inspection, an aluminum can half-buried behind those swaying palms, or a plastic bag drifting in the waves, or cigarette butts strewn in the sand, and just like that, your vision of summer-y perfection is not as pristine anymore. And that was what the clean-up aimed to remedy.

Armed with our trash bags and gloves and feeling very much like a castaway in “Survivor” with our outfits (we had the whole rugged beachy look down pat), we scoured the rocky shores for trash. And we got quite a haul—my group was able to fill four bags with all sorts of litter, from the usual discarded food wrappers to glass bottles to shoes—we actually found a Nike sneaker! It was tiring and literally dirty work, but it was worth it.

I guess it’s safe to say that we returned to Manila (and back to the pile of schoolwork waiting for all of us, yikes!) with a new-found appreciation of the wonders of Mother Nature. Seeing things like these on TV just ain’t the same with getting to experience one in real life. You’ll definitely become more conscientious of your little wasteful habits. And you’ve got to hand it to the environmentalists who truly care for the world we live in—everyone knows that we must help save the world, but only a brave, admirable few are proactive enough to truly act upon it. Let’s be one of those few, Candy Girls!

Love,

A tan-lined Mars

PS: See you at the Candy Fair!

Posted in Red-Letter Days | No Comments »

September 4, 2010 started out as an ordinary day for me. I woke up, ate my breakfast, took a bath, and sat down to cram a paper that was due 2:30 in the afternoon. Yes, that’s ordinary for me.

And then I got a text message that definitely made my day—and many more days after—a lot less extraordinary.

“Hi Alekx, Criselda, Jazmin, Jesselle, Keisha, Leslie, Marianne, and Vicky. Congratulations, we have chosen you as our Candy Council of Cool 10! Yay!”

I remember I started trembling like an idiot after I read it, and I was involuntarily smiling from ear to ear. I can’t concentrate on my paper anymore. I mean, seriously. Who can think about a freaking paper after receiving a message like that?!

This used to be just a dream for me. I’ve been an avid reader of Candy since 2002, when I was in fifth grade. My first copy was the third anniversary issue, with Nicole Schulze, Marco Lobregat and Amanda Griffin on the cover. I spent numerous afternoons reading the articles and ogling the fashion spreads, and it was common for me to fall asleep with my magazines strewn all over my bed.

When I was in high school, I started reading Seventeen, only to go back to Candy when Seventeen abruptly stopped publishing. It was my love for Candy that inspired me to write “BA Journalism” as my first choice in my UPCAT application form, taking me to where I am now.

Last year, one of my “things to do this year” was to get a part-time job, so I applied for a barista position at a popular coffee franchise. I wanted the experience and the additional shopping money (plus the idea of free caramel frappes sounded nice). I submitted my resume in January and passed the initial interview in March, but it was months before I heard from them again. Then I saw the Council of Cool ads in the mag around May, and thought about trying out for it.

I submitted my application form a day before the deadline. I got the text for the second part of the screening process about a month later, and I was so scared to tell anybody because I was afraid of getting jinxed. The day of the interview, September 3, I was a nervous wreck. I remember looking at the other applicants, feeling very self-conscious because I was just in my jeans-and-shirt combo (I came straight from school after all) while a lot of them were impeccably dressed and made up. I remember getting star-struck by the Candy editors (“They were just faces I saw in the mag before! Now, they’re real! REAL!”) and bumbling my way through everything because of said starstruck-ness. And I remember going home and thinking, “that was fun, but seriously, fat chance that I’ll get in.”

Then September 4 happened and life became a hundred times sweeter. My co-COC 10 girls really are the coolest girls in town. Alekx is my favorite MRT buddy and my “BFF.” Cre may be skinny, but don’t mess with her in laser tag. Jaz is one of the funniest and most stylish girls I’ve ever known. Jesselle is really sweet and very responsible (like a mom, but in a good way, haha! :)), and Keisha’s the Canada branch of COC 10 (we miss you!). Les, who’s now a working girl, is an awesome writer (you should read her blog!), and as for quirky Vicky, well, there’s no better person to go cutie-hunting with than her. We may all be different, but together, we make a pretty awesome team. Don’t we?

Our Council of Cool stint may only last for one year, but my Council of Cool girls will always be some of the coolest and best-est friends I’ll ever have. Happy anniversary to us, COC 10! <3

Posted in Red-Letter Days | 1 Comment »