chill

took the day off yesterday and basically chilled at home with C. in the afternoon, we went to Costco and checked out stuff that we would like to send our respective families. it was a mundane task, but it was very enjoyable browsing down aisles and aisles of stuff.

i was treated to breakfast yesterday. i liked it a lot. i forgot what C calls it in czech, but it's something like french toast only it's not sweet at all.

my weekend in AC clarified a few things for me. i still can't believe i am where i am now. Thank you God for all my blessings.

on a lighter note, here's my cute shirt of the moment. just like bang and blame, i have a thing for cute tees, and this is perfect for me. tee-hee

imeldific : shoewhore strikes again

no thanks to christina, i walked into macys with the sole (get it, he-he) purpose of getting a wedding present for my friend. i walked out with two pairs of flip flops and 3 pairs of fabulous flats. a week before last, i went to palisades mall and scored two pairs of SJP's bitten shoes and rockin' pair of cooky, but very joffin shoes.; here they are shoewhores... i'm sharin the lurv.



i'm too lazy to take my own pics of this style, but i got two pairs of this style. one in purple, and one in olive green. each pair costs $8.98 -- yey steve and barry's.


from DSW, i got this really rockin' pair...



i love these with bootcut jeans, either with a blue or brown top. very cute. price : $18.00 - it was 50%.


our trip to macys gave me all these for a total of $71



this carlos santana blue patent flats looks cute with khakis and jeans. i can't wait to wear it in school. price : $20






these sam edelman shoes look good in white pants or black or jeans also. they're super soft and super cute! price : about $20



i can't find a better picture of this two-tone black bcbg flats online and this is the best that i have. super comfy pair and very classic. goes well with pants or skirt, leggings and jeans of course! original price = $89.99, sale price = $22.49. winner!




the two kenneth cole flipflops were a steal for less than $10 each. i'm all set for summer footwear.

hope you enjoy my new babies... until my next shoescapade. :)

Iskolar ng Bayan Survey

Swiped from Bang and Blame

Maligayang ika-100 taon, mga Iskolar ng Bayan!

1. Student number?
93-42833

2. College?
UPLB - College of Arts and Sciences

3. Ano ang course mo?
Communication Arts

4. Nag-shift ka ba o na-kickout?

Nag shift ako, Socio ako dati kaya lang may Stat course kaya mabilis pa sa alas kwatro ay nag shift na ako.

5. Saan ka kumuha ng UPCAT?
BioSci Lecture Hall B yata

6. Favorite GE subject?

Philo 1

7. Favorite PE?
Basketball 'tol! Opkorseses, uno siempre at sandamakmak na offensive fouls, sa asar ni Ma'am Cardenas

8. Saan ka nag-aabang ng hot guy sa UP?
Di ako naghahanap ng hot guys sa LB, Hot chicks pa, sa Jumanities isteps siempre-- ang official catwalk ng UPLB.
9. Favorite prof(s)

Prof. Espanto, Prof. Esguerra, Prof. Laforteza

10. Pinaka-ayaw na GE subject.

NATSCI anak ng putakte, nakakabato. Andami kong naisulat na tula sa klase gawa batong-bato ako.

11. Kumuha ka ba ng Wed or Sat classes?

No choice, talagang may Wednesday classs sa LB

12. Nakapag-field trip ka ba?
Not really a frield trip, but I had the opportunity to go to Paeta and Pakil for a research on a Hum class, I interviewed the manangs and lola who chated the pasyon.

13. Naging CS ka na ba or US sa UP?

yup, since sophomore hanggang gumradweyt

14. Ano ang Org/Frat/Soro mo?

UP Six Sigma Society (rest in peace)
i love the ...UPLB COM ARTS SOCIETY!!!

15. Saan ka tumatambay palagi?
CAN foodhouse sa Catalan, Sa Tambayan ng Soc, sa Jumanities steps

16. Dorm, Boarding house, o Bahay?

Dorm - Mother's Be(a)st nung freshman

Orghouse/Apartment - Sophomore to Junior sa Beehive # 1 Catalan compound!

17. Kung walang UPCAT test at malaya kang nakapili ng kurso mo sa UP, ano yun? (Given ang mentality mo nung HS ka)
Pol Sci siguro sa Ateneo or Com Arts ng Ateneo

18. Sino ang pinaka-una mong nakilala sa UP?
Si Yasmin Aguinaldo -- dorm mate na, block mate pa!

19. First play na napanood mo sa UP?
Di ko na maalala

20. Name the 5 most conyo orgs in UP
Lonsi, Sigma Dengdeng, ComArtSoc, yung mga orgs sa CEM

21. Name 5 of the coolest orgs/frats/soro in UP.
Umal, ComArtSoc, Jammers, SixSigma, TC

22. May frat/soro bang nag-recruit sa yo?

Wala.

23. Saan ka madalas mag-lunch?
Sa bahay, or sa CAN.

24. Masaya ba sa UP?
Partay everyday beybeh!

25. Nakasama ka na ba sa rally?
ay oo pucha, from UPLB to Calauan -- Aileen/Allan Katarungan! during my tibak days as a Socio freshman, o di ba, pati japorms, tibak!

26. Ilang beses ka bumoto sa Student Council
never

27. Name at least 5 leftist groups in UP
LFS, Akdang Bayan, can't recall the rest, deadma ako sa mga kaliwete eh

28. Pinangarap mo rin bang mag-laude nung freshman ka?
Nung freshman ako, hindi. Pero from sophomore to senior I tried my best, sayang, di umabot gawa ng isang ukinanag prof na nangako sa akin na hindi ako gagradweyt ng laude.

29. Kanino ka pinaka-patay sa UP?
Hindi ko na maalala, pero malang jammer yun.

30. Kung di ka UP, anong school ka?
It's UP or nothing.

my boys' got game

i love basketball, and it is always a treat for me to watch my students play. last tuesday i went to watch portions of four different games-- for the love of basketball, and more importantly, for the love of my kids.

our teams won all four games, i'm happy to say, but it wasn't about them winning. i just loved the fact that i get to see them play ball. it's like all of a sudden, my kids have morphed into these superheroes right before my eyes. they just shine. i feel like a proud momma all of a sudden.okay scrap that, maybe a proud cool aunt.

what struck me with this simple gesture of watching my boys play is the effect it had on them. i watched them play because i wanted to watch basketball, that was my primary reason. my second reason is to show support to my school's team, particularly to my students. i was a bit shy and uncomfortable showing up at their game because i'm a new teacher and all. normally i would be the loudest fan in the stands. i would yell myself hoarse until i can't teach the next day, much to the delight of my students. anyway, so back in tuesday's game i acted all prim and proper (gasp!) even though i was itching to jump, throw my fist in the air and scream my boys' names out loud. i didn't want to embarrass myself, and i didn't want to embarrass my students.

but you know what? i think my presence there meant a lot to them. it sure did mean a lot to me. seeing them shine in the court made me see them as even greater, cooler kids that they already are. i know my kids are not the easiest bunch to teach, and so far, my first few days have been an everyday struggle. when i watched them dance their way on the court and lord over the basket, i felt like i had the privilege of taking a sneak peek into the lives of my kids outside my class. they are just amazing. W, my soft spoken, shy sophomore in my first period class, towered in the game. he made those amazing rebounds and slammed shut the opponent with his in your face blocks. he was awesome. yet the next day, he took his place in my class as if it was just another day in school. i held out my hand and told him i saw him play and he did such a great job. he flashed me that smile that i know make the girls swoon. he's a good kid, W. J, another crazy cool kid from that class was an excellent guard. he's very graceful in the court and he can weave his way around the towering defensive players of the other team. T, my quiet and mostly unaffected sophomore in period 2 is dangerous in the court. he doesn't say much in class, but in the court, it's like watching him deliver a powerful speech. he says a lot with those magnificent lay ups and mad steals. he is just great. A, who is crazy already, one of my clowns in the 7th period class is monster in the court. he barely left the game. his energy is boundless. the fastbreaks that he pulled were just beyond words. he may goof off in class and drive me crazy with his constant pleas for more candy, but man A is very serious with his game.

i'm glad i showed up for their game. i'll make it a habit to watch them play whenever possible. for friday's game, A gave me a head's up on their schedule and told me i better show up on time. i showed up late, but i compensated by being the loudest, most annoying fan in the stand. A gave me a look of disapproval, almost telling not to be too excited, i looked at the team ( i made it a point to sit behind their bench) and i knew deep inside they appreciated this loud mouth.

unfortunately, my boys lost by one point, but it doesn't matter. i'll yell and cheer for them until the refs drag me out of the gym.

i love basketball. yun lang, tengks.

welcome to the box

music : estudyante blues by freddie aguilar


three days into my new job at the high school and i am slowly beginning to understand that i'm in this game for the long haul. i jokingly told karen that my kids are either going to drive me insane, or otherwise. with her signature laugh, she patted my shoulder and said "you'll be fine, they already like you. if you can get them to actually do work for five minutes, it's a beautiful thing."

great. 5 minutes out of the 50 minutes, that's what 10% productivity? help me. i want my mommy.

i have three 10th grade writing classes, one 9th grade writing and one 9th grade reading. of the five, the first two are the easiest to handle, probably because the 10th graders are more mature or probably also because they are at their calmest in the first couple of hours of school.

my 7th period class is a challenge. i have 5 boys and a girl that i have yet to meet. to say that my 7th period class is a rowdy bunch, is an understatement-- they're nuts. one of them K, have tricked me a couple of times. most of my kids come to class late, and naturally this is a problem. K, being the "helpful" goofball that he is, told me that if i see any of his classmates, (to) call them out and tell them to come inside. so i did. i saw Z and called him. he came quickly inside the classroom, a bit upset. i didn't think too much of it. i saw L and the same thing happened. L yelled at me and told me to close the door. he sat in the farthest seat in the room. Z asked me why i had to call him out. and then it hit me. my kids are ashamed to be seen coming inside my classroom. why? because this is the ed box class. sigh.

i sincerely apologized to the three boys, and i told them that it was not my intention to embarrass them. i then had the strong urge to smack K on the head for misinforming me. my fault actually.

i got a taste of action in my 8th period class. tweedle dee and tweedle dum decided to duke it out calling each other retards. at first it was casual, and then i got scared that they might really hurt each other. Tdee and Tdum were both tall, but Tdee was about 6'5". i tried to break up the fight because the three stoogies were just standing there watching the two beating the crap out of each other. Tdee almost snagged me and when i yelped, that's when he almost gained consciousness and let go of Tdum.

another teacher intervened. a few minutes later one of the security officers checked in also and asked if i wanted any of the boys to be taken out of the classroom. i looked at Tdee and Tdum. Their eyes were pleading not to be taken out. I told them we're fine.

I asked Tdee to stay after school for a few minutes. our conversation went on like this ...

me: I am very disappointed in your behavior.
him: come on miss, we was only playing
me: but how am i supposed to know when you guys are still playing or not?
you guys can seriously hurt each other.
him: didn't the old teacher tell you something about us. this is what we do.
we're just playing. just chill. do not come between us unless you see
blood on the floor.


me: (eyes wide open, jaws dropped) but what if you accidentally hurt me
while i'm trying to break you guys up? do you realize how big you are
compared to me? how easily you guys can send me flying against the wall?

him: (takes my face with both hands and levels his face on mine) miss, we're not
gonna hurt you. we like you. we won't even hurt a single hair of you.


was i scared when he held my face? no. i saw in his eyes that he was serious. he let go of my face and i raised my right eyebrow.

me : fine.


i extended my right hand as if to shake his hand, but i balled it into a fist. he reached out his right fist and we "shook" on it.


man, this is gonna be one hell of an adventure.


welcome to my world.

First Friday

music : back on the chain gang by the pretenders

and so it is, two days into my new gig as a high school english teacher, i am at a loss with how to get my "kids" to work. i never said it was going to be easy teaching these kids, but then my friends will tell you, i don't always go for what's easy. noo-ni-noo-ni-noo. if i can't beat my hyper kids, i'll join 'em. this means i might have to take an early trip to dunkin donuts and get a double shot of espresso to make it through the day. hrrrr.


the high school has been fine so far. on the first day the asst. principal already hooked me up with my classroom key and id so i can have access to the building. i like that i have my own designated parking spot. my classroom needs a little touch of jane, but i'll get there.

for now, i have to bury my head in making writing packets for edgar allan poe's cask of amontillado.

teacher durga is ready with her props : my EA Poe action figure, pictures of myself on my 2001 visit to his grave in baltimore, and a few books.

wish me luck on my show.

the year that was

music : these are days by 10,000 maniacs

2007 is finally over. back in the second quarter of last year, all i can think about was to get this year over and done with. as always, the ever impatient jane just wanted this bitter year to end, not to look back and just look ahead.

but looking back is the catharsis that wraps up what to me has been a pretty good year after all.


first quarter

in my past life, things were getting shaky by the day. i was trying to save a marriage doomed from the beginning. i fought, bravely i think, but marriage is not an individual sport. i flew to the west coast, finally. i saw my dear aunt, my godmother, another aunt. i saw two beloved blogkada. i visited a dear friend, and mother of one of my adorable godsons.


second quarter

it was finally over. sleepless nights. zombie-like existence. i tried to keep myself together, for the sake of my students. i was kept together by the support of my friends, more like family here. moonshine, matt and jonah were my home. karen, a source of comfort. i sought the solace of my church, and i made it through the last months of school. i spent my 31st birthday in the company of my dearest friends in maryland. i left a trail of tears in DC. i resigned from my job, giving up my chances of getting tenure in my school district. was i mess? that is an understatement. i decided to move to canada to be with my family. was i still fighting? yes.


third quarter

i met chocnut, and found my long lost big "sister". kept myself busy in summer camp, teaching comedy while still in mourning. i got a tattoo, i went out on a date. met a mirror of myself, a great friend. went on my first ever solo road trip-- a 4 hour drive to MD. a memorable labor day. goodbye canada, this jersey girl stayed. i lost my job and i subbed back in my district, worked in a liquor store. i went to ed's church and my life was changed by this church service. "whatever it takes, Lord."
i just woke up one day and said to myself enough being depressed. for once this year, my vision cleared.


last quarter

continued working at my old school as a long term sub. connected with karen's students. learned algebra and re learned basic genetics. guitar playlist getting longer. i met c. spent thanksgiving with moonshine's family. i discovered times square church. learned how to save money. finally on the first day of winter, i got hired back in my district.

for the first time in 7 years, i was awake to welcome the new year.


i have love and lost in the first half of this year, but i found myself and saw everything clearly with the loving support of my family and real friends.


with my head bowed in prayer and thanksgiving, i said goodbye to you, 2007 and welcomed 2008 with a smile.

i will borrow chocnut's motto : "absolutely no regrets."