The Sound of My Name

My name is only a shortened version of what the original was.

Noble. That's what it means in English.

Thirst. That's what it means in Hindi.

Although, I am not of noble ranking nor am I in thirst. I am not even the saint that they associate me with.

I am me. That name is me, but it is not me. What makes that name me are the people that say that name to me making that name my name. Mine. My own. It is associated to me. Only to me. Like a call. Each distinct, but directed with the same purpose.

My friends say my name with an ease. Present but not present. Common but not common. Sometimes with a persistence, and other times with exasperation. It is spoken softly but the pronunciation gives it a marble-mouthed sound. Not that clear, but clear enough to be heard and understood. They say it with a steadfast tone. Always strong.

My teachers say it with a push. A move forward to a direction that I can take to be the best I can become. Always nudging with a persistence, but not too much that I fall. It is nurturing but strict. Sometimes they shorten it, but not often. In the end, it always holds the same underlying mission. The same intention of helping strength.

 At home, I am called by a different name. Not too different to make it something else entirely, but unique enough to be proven something distinct from the rest. It's like a songbird. It's shrill with a slight trill on the first syllable. It is said with an accent. Slightly melodic but annoying at other times. They are filled with many indications. Emotions. Some are negative. Insistence. Exasperation. Anger. Some are positive. Affection. Cheerfulness. Gratitude.

My siblings call me something else entirely. It is derived from the meaning of "elder sister" in my native tongue. Not by my name they call me. In replacement, elder sister.  Sometimes they say it with scorn or an indifference. Other times with an affection. Most times with an annoying twinge that makes me want to break my already stretched patience.

In the end, it's me. My name is me. Always there but not there. None the less, I wouldn't have it any other way.

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I Found This Online, and I Don't Know Whether to Laugh or Feel Bad

Helping Others is What I Like to Do

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If I had the chance to choose any job at school, then I would be a school counselor. I have always liked to help people. From academic problems to emotional problems, I do what I can to help the person.

It bothers me when I see people losing their way or are unsure on certain things. If I'm given the chance then I'll try to guide them on the best path they can take. I like nurturing people and watching them grow and get better. Something about that just makes my day.

If anyone feels troubled or down then I'm willing to be there to help them solve their problems. Everyone needs a person there if they're facing a problem that they feel unsure of how to overcome. That's a school counselor's job. It's their job to be there for the students when they face troubling situations they need help on. It's their job to help students develop to be the best they can be.
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I feel like I would work in a middle school or maybe in a high school. To me, that's where most problems arise. That's when major changes happen, and people need guidance more than ever at that time. It's hard to choose which specific grade. I mean, don't school counselor's help everyone?

If I really had to choose, I would pick the beginning grade when you start middle school, eighth grade, freshman year, and senior year. I feel like that's the time when your the most vulnerable and susceptible to problematic situations.

Even then, I still would like to help anyone from any grade if their struggling with something. Everyone needs someone there to help them and to be their compass. I want to be that person.
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Special Trip Post! Part VIII What the-! These Shells are Alive!!!

To be honest, I just wanted to jump right back in the water when we got to the other side. Although, I stifled that urge in order to take some pictures.

You know what happened next right? I jumped into the water!

...not.

I waded into the water instead. I had to be careful. There were coral pieces and shells littered around the area. Although, once I went a safe distance away, I dived into the water. The water was warm. It almost felt welcoming. The only thing that bothered me was the stench.

I don't know how to describe it. It smelled like...something was rotting. Maybe it was fish poop! Wait. On second thought, the whole ocean is practically the bathroom for the animals. That thought almost made me want to get out of the water.

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Half-Truth (I'd Still Swim in the Water)

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Decidedly, I ignored it in favor of talking with my sister. We were trying to find shells, and I asked to see if she found any. She did! It was a shell, but it was in a cone-shaped spiral.

I took the shell out of her hand, and we went our separate ways to find new shells. After a while, I found more cone-shaped spiraled shells. They were rather cool to look at, so I decided to observe them and see if there were any differences.

All of a sudden, it happened.

With wide eyes, I saw something starting to wiggle out of the shell. With a slight poke of its head, its weird antennae-antler thingies started probing the surroundings. Slowly, it started coming out. It was a sea snail!

When it felt brave enough, the snail started moving! I watched with a face of disgusted (but not that disgusted) fascination as the snail slowly traversed my hand. Slowly, more of the snails started coming out of their shells. One by one, they started moving. I even saw a tiny snail climb on top of one of the bigger ones!

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Not the Right Snail, but Close Enough!

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I took a breath through my nose in fascination...and recoiled at the stench of the snails! Whoo wee! That was not pleasant! Come to think of it, they smelled exactly like the odor that I was thinking about earlier!

All of a sudden, a realization struck through my brain. Quickly, I started looking for signs of the snails as I held the ones in my hand with a careful but tight grip. 

As I walked nearer to a wall of rock, I saw it. On the wall were hundreds of snails firmly affixed to the side where the wall met water. They peppered the side, and some of them were above the water level! Maybe that was due to the high tide.

I stared at the snail-littered wall for a few moments, and I decided to put the snails back where I found them. I hope they'll be okay. Although...I heard that these types of snails are the ones that can be eaten. I hope that they were kidding...

Shout Out to the World That I'm Grateful for...

How many times have you taken things for granted in your life? How many times have I taken things for granted in my life? Can you count all of them? What? Me? Well, I can't. So many times I took things for granted. Too many times I didn't speak the words I wanted to say. Either from gratitude to a simple apology of not acknowledging what an important position they had in my life.

Well, not anymore.
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1. First and foremost, I'm thankful for my parents. I'm thankful that they brought me into a world of endless opportunities. I'm grateful that they're always so kind and considerate. I'm thankful that they aren't as strict as some other parents. Even if they were strict about things, it's only because they're always thinking about my well-being as well as my sibling's.  
2. I'm grateful for my siblings no matter how annoying or obnoxious they are. They're the ones that always keep me grounded. They're the ones I turn to when things get rough. I appreciate it when they knock me down a peg or two. It helps remind myself that I shouldn't take things for granted. For that, I'll forever do my best to have their back just like they have mine.
3. I'm grateful for my friends. I'm thankful that I always have a shoulder to cry on or a hug of comfort whenever I feel down. I'm thankful that I have people to call whenever I'm in trouble. I have people to come to that understand me and relate to me. I'm grateful that we can fiercely defend each other if any one of us gets hurt. I'm grateful that I have people there to stand by my side. For that, I will forever be in debt to the kindness they've shown me.
4. I'm thankful for my relatives. Even if we're a couple minutes away or a thousand miles, they always support me through thick and thin. Even the ones I don't know very well. They always wish me good luck and encourage me to follow my aspirations and my dreams. I can't seem to put it into words how eternally touched and appreciative I am for all things they've done for me.
5. I'm thankful for my teachers and the people that guided me through life. Without them, I wouldn't be where I am now. I wouldn't be me. They helped nurture me to the potential that I'm now growing into. There's still a long way to go, but , every time I take a step forward, it's because of their guidance that I'm going this far.
6. I'm thankful for music. Music is indescribable. It's my anchor that keeps me floating away in a sea of hatred and self-loathing. Music expresses the emotions I pent-up inside, and it calms me whenever I feel stressed or frustrated. Without music, I don't think I'll be able to live the life I live today with all the joy and happiness.
7. I'm thankful for the hateful words I've heard over the duration of my life. Without those words, I wouldn't be able to push myself to be the best I can be. Without these insults, I wouldn't be able to improve myself. I'd be stuck in a place where I'm good, but not as great as I should be. Those words helped me explore my potential, I'm grateful every time I think of them and how they pushed me to work better and be stronger. For all the hate I've heard in my life, thank you.
8. I'm thankful for books. Without books, my creativity wouldn't even be half its size as it is now. Books enlarged my knowledge of the world, and it helps create the best ideas when the time calls for it. Each and every story I've ever read contributed to every idea I've ever thought or came up with. For sure, I'll be grateful for them.
9. I'm thankful for my home. No, not the actual house (not that I'm not grateful for my house...) but my home. Home provides a sense of comfort. It provides a sense of safety. Home is the place where I feel most comfortable. I don't have to worry about being judged. Home provides the love I need, and I don't ever want to take it for granted again. 

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I wish you guys a happy Thanksgiving, and I hope that you're a little more appreciative of the things you have in life!

Shout Out to My Blog Buddy! :D

Argh! I am so, so sorry! I had this as a draft for so long, but I kept forgetting to post it. D: Well, not anymore!
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I'm just here to give a shout out to my blog buddy! You should check their blog! It's really cool! :D

http://brimadys03.blogspot.com/

Special Trip Post! Part VII First my Nose, Now my Feet!?!?!

It was not the shade of white I expected it to be. When I think of white, I think about snow. You know how light snow is...mostly. The "white" sand was just a shade of gray with flecks of dark yellow here and there.

Although, I can't lie. It was still rather pretty.

What I also didn't expect was how rocky and painful it was for my feet.

Obviously, I took off my flip flops in fear of them floating away from me again. What a mistake that was.

The ocean floor was littered with dried coral, rocks, and shells! My poor feet didn't expect it, so you can say that my reaction was quite comical to a few people.
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This Was the Closest Thing I Could Find

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It wasn't even over! Once I scurried away from the water and headed to the sand, the dread in my stomach was starting to sink in. Guess what? It was the same thing as the ocean floor! The only difference was that it was scorching hot! Luckily, I put on my flip flops to prevent the sand from further injuring my already aching feet.

My family had the same reaction as I did, but we didn't let it deter us. We heard from our guide that just over the dune in front of us was a rather beautiful reef with an abundant amount of fish. The sand dune was rather steep but the guide was right. It really was beautiful.

We carefully walked down the side to have a better view of the place. I was close enough to the water that it was lapping at my feet. Peering down, I could see little glints and glitters of movement. They were fish. Colorful, tropical fish. They were rather small; barely longer than my index finger. They were fascinating to watch, nonetheless.
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*Shivers*

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I stared, fixated, at them for a couple of minutes until my mom's squeal broke my thought barrier. As I moved my head to the side to look at her, I distinctly saw her jump away from her spot near the sea and stare at a certain area where a congregation of rocks was.

When she broke out of her daze, she exclaimed that she was pinched by a crab! Of course, I shivered at that. That's one of my irrational fears. Like, come on! What if a crab or lobster just suddenly pinches your foot as you innocently walked through the water. It's a horrifying thought.

After taking a slight breather, we decided to head back on the other side to take some pictures. Still, the horrifying image of a crab pinching my feet lingered in my thoughts. I was just happy that it wasn't me this time.
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Hey, guys! As you know, Thanksgiving is a week from today. I'm here to tell you that I won't be updating on Thanksgiving Day. Instead, I want to spend that time with my family. To make up for it, I'll make sure to update my blog a little more (Goodness knows I need to...) and make an extra awesome post about my trip! Until next time!

The Loving Memory of Food! Crunch & Hershey's Krackel

I felt stressed quite a few times in my life. I mean, who hasn't? From panicking about tests to worrying about personal problems, I need something to sooth my nerves. In that case, it would be eating chocolate. Sorry, Blog Buddy, but chocolate is my baby.

Although, the two chocolates that top all the others are Crunch and Hershey's Krackel. It's just...something about them makes me happy. It had a sweet flavor with a slightly bitter after taste. Although, it wasn't as bitter as dark chocolate (I do not like dark chocolate). There was, of course, some crunch in there due to the crisped rice. The chocolate even soothes my nerves to the point where I can think clearly again.
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Meme Break!

My Babies

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There was one time where I was working on a project, and I was stressed because it was due the next day. In order to soothe my nerves I took a whole bag of Crunch bars, including a handful of Krackel bars, and started stuffing my face with chocolate. I know, I know. It's not good for you! That's not healthy! I didn't care at the time. All I wanted was to get the project done and get that A! Luckily, I pushed through it with the help of the chocolate.

I know it's bad, but trust me. I try my hardest to eat a minimal amount. Except for that one time when I ate a whole bag of that stuff. That was not a fun time. No, Siree. Nope.

Special Trip Post! Part VI Argh!!! My Nose is Burning!

...I know, I know. I didn't post last week, and, yeah, I feel really guilty and ashamed since I did promise you guys that I would post every Thursday. =( I'll make this up to you guys by updating the blog and posting one other post. It's about my favorite comfort foods! Anyway, here's the next installment, and sorry again!
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It. Was. Awesome! The boat was all vshooom! It was also like vroom-vshoom! Can you tell that I was really excited?

I got so caught up in the moment, looking at the scenery and feeling the wind and sun on my face, that I didn't realize that we were already at our destination.

It was really pretty. The island, I mean. There was this huge rock wall in front of us, but it was shaped like a "U". The indent in the "U" was facing us, so in the center in between the walls was a sand area and chunks of dried up coral. I was actually more excited to go in the water instead. Cause, common, it's the ocean!
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Meme Break!

Huh...

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Hurriedly, I parkoured my way to the front of the boat to get off it using the tiny ladder (or staircase thing). My dad decided to jump off the side of the boat. I seriously don't know how he does it.

As I climbed down with the help of the guides, my sandal suddenly slipped off my foot and floated away from me. I quickly scrambled to get my slipper as the current was taking it farther and farther into the ocean. Luckily, I managed just in time, and I decided to hold my slippers instead of wearing them. As we set our supplies and things on one of the dried out coral formations I took that as an opportunity to use my new goggles that we bought in Manila. I quickly adjusted them so that I had enough time to go in the ocean. Hurriedly, I waded into the water, having my first taste of the ocean in years.

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Meme Break!

Hmm...

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...It was freaking salty. I thought I would be fine with it. I didn't think it would affect me that much. I guess that I didn't tighten my goggles enough since the water started to surround my eyes! It burned! If I thought it couldn't get any worse then I wished I thought differently.

My nose started to burn! Is that normal?!?! It burned even more than my eyes! Basically, I ended up flailing around for half the time because the salt was bothering me that much. My dad wasn't even fazed! You could say I was a little salty due to that.

After a while (a long, long while...) I got kind of used to it. The rest of the time I spent trying to find out if there were any fish. Guess what? There wasn't any. Although I did find a crab. *shivers*

That was about the time we had to leave in order to get to our next destination. We got back on our boat (you know how my dad entered the boat...) and waited patiently for our next stop. I heard the place had "white" sand.

Special Trip Post! Part V Boat Problems, Right?

Hello again to the new installment of Special Trip Post! Unfortunately, this will be a rather short and uninteresting post compared to my other in this series. =/  Time hasn't been on my side these days, but I'll try to make it up to you guys next week. Until then, I hope you guys can hold up long enough for the next post. I just wouldn't feel right if I didn't post something today.
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The hut we were staying in was rather nice. It was on the bigger side if you compared it to the others. It was also beautifully crafted in wood, and it gave off a calming aura. The only thing I didn't like about it was the bathroom.

Let's just say that I wasn't too pleased when I found out that we were taking a shower in there.

After setting up our luggage, we decided to have a lunch break. Unfortunately, my stomach couldn't decide whether to consume as much food as possible, or regurgitate the breakfast I had that morning.

Well...it went like this.

I did stuff my face with the delicious Filipino cuisine, but, right after my eating fit, I promptly threw it back up when I got back to the hut. Welp...thanks stomach.

After a brief cool down in the hut, we were ready to start our island hopping.

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Meme Break!

Adventure!

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We had hired a guide when we reserved our trip to Caramoan, and he got us a boat we could ride on for the duration of the trip. The problem was that the boat was late. Maybe it got caught in low tide. I don't know.

So, the most logical thing to do was stand and wait...while playing in the ocean, of course. We kept trying to regain our slippers whenever they slipped of our feet and float away from us. At one point we found a crab burying itself in the sand.

After that short period of waiting the boat finally came. It wasn't like those fancy boats in the U.S. This boat was colored blue and yellow, and it was crafted out of wood.

Although the way to get on the boat was rather interesting. We had to climb this very short latter on the side of the boat, and, after that, we had to parkour our way through the boat to get to our seats. My dad opted out of that and decided to jump on through the side of the boat. I don't know how, but he actually did it.

When we finally got settled, we braised ourselves for the adventure...that never came since our motor wouldn't work.

Basically, we spent the next five minutes trying to figure out how to make it work. I decided to not let the event deter me, so I spent the time looking at the vast landscape. It was rather beautiful. The deep blue sea accompanied by the rolling hills and the glistening sand made the wait all worth it.

As I observed the area around me, I hear the distinct sound of the motor spluttering to life.

Oh, yeah. Now, the adventure is about to begin.

Special Trip Post! Part IV Urgh! I Think I'm Going to be Sick!!!

This is the fourth installment of the SPECIAL TRIP POST! I know, the pass posts were a little boring, but I promise this post will be rather exciting! Well?!?! What are you waiting for?! Get to it!
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Today was the day.

Today was when we got to go to Caramoan.  We're going to stay there for around three days to go island hopping. I was rather excited. It's hard to remember the last time I've been to the ocean. I also really wanted to go snorkeling for the first time. I wanted to see all the amazing views of the coral and tropical fish.

Of course, we needed to get a ride to take us to Caramoan. That's why we had rented another white van (these would be really suspicious in the U.S.) and a personal driver. Of course, they were included when we booked our trip.

The thing that my mom was worried about was how we could cope with the ride. The ride is around 2-3 hours long that's going through rugged terrain like mountains and hills. Of course, I didn't think much of it. I was pretty confident my stomach could handle the terrain. I rode in a car for fourteen hours traveling to Canada for Pete's sake! (Of course, that was mostly on flat land...) All I needed was my music from my phone and Ipod, and I'll be good to go!

...Oh how wrong I was...

The first hour was okay. The scenery we passed by was very beautiful and mountainous. We also got to pass by some famous landmarks along the way, and I got to take some pictures. Of course we were on flat land that had a few turns, but the "defensive" driving was making my stomach churn a little. Although, I endured through it by listening to music and watching the scenery.

As I observed through my window, I suddenly saw the range of the mountain and hills we had to climb in order to get to our destination. For some reason I had a dreadful feeling that I shouldn't have underestimated what my mom said.

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Meme...urgh...break

This is Me

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...Yup! I shouldn't have underestimated it. Thirty minutes into the mountain and I feel like I ate a feast and road on a roller coaster right after. The terrain was rather intense because of the mountains, and also due to the construction that was happening on the roads.

Speaking of roads, the roads seemed to follow every curve and dent on the mountain side. This made the ride all turny and sickening. If you combine that with the erratic driving, it makes up this deadly car sickness that makes it very hard not to throw up. Not even my music could have helped me. All I could do was curl myself into a ball and try to take a nap.

It wasn't successful.

The only relief I had was when we made a pit stop to take a picture of Mount Mayon from a mountain top. The fresh air really helped steady my lurching stomach. That quickly came to an end when we went back inside. I almost wanted to cry and bust out of the car, but I held the temptation.

What made it even worse though was because of the delays that were happening on our ride due to construction or traffic. I had to endure another hour of huddling into a ball wanting to jump out of the car.

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Finally. Finally! We've made it to our destination. I honestly didn't want to stay in that van any longer. If I had, then I would be sorry for the person who had to clean up the mess. Urgh. All I wanted to do was to go to our beach hut to take a nap, but I didn't want to move in fear that even the slightest movement might trigger a downpour of breakfast.

I stayed in my position of sitting outside with my head down...until my mom told me to go inside. With a sigh, I heaved myself up and headed to the hut.  

A Childhood Favorite

When I was a wee little child, I really liked watching television. My favorite channels were Disney Channel and Nickelodeon (I love Cartoon Network also, but Disney and Nickelodeon was more prominent for me). Each channel held so many memories. It's hard to choose just one show when they are all so unique and amazing.

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Meme Break!

This is so True

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From Disney they had:

1. Hannah Montana
2. Kim Possible
3. Wizards of Waverly Place
4. The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
5. Phineas and Ferb
6. American Dragon: Jake Long
7. The Emperor's New School

There are so many I want to name, but these are the ones that came from the top of my head.

From Nickelodeon they had:

1. Drake & Josh
2. iCarly
3. The Fairly OddParents
4. Zoey 101
5. The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
6. Danny Phantom
7. Rugrats

Again, there are so many more I want to name, but these shows are the most prominent to me.

Urgh!!! It's so hard to choose just one T.V. show!

Although, if I really had to choose...I would have to go with Phineas and Ferb. Wait, wait wait! Hold your Trojan horses! Let me explain my reasoning!

Phineas and Ferb is a very prominent T.V. show in my life. I've watched it since the very first episode and then to the very last. (I almost bawled my eyes out at the news, by the way.) This was my go-to show when I ever felt down (or bored). I loved it because it was so interesting to watch. I was fascinated when I watched the kids who were around the same age as me but are able to somehow create these amazing inventions that are able to lift people's worlds and imagination.

The show taught me that age isn't a limit. No matter how old or young you are, you're still capable of making great things happen. Just like Phineas and Ferb when they make these awesome creations.

Although, let's not forget about the gang (e.g. Isabella, Buford, and Baljeet to name a few), and, of course, Candace! The dynamics between these characters is superb! I just can't get enough of it.

Urgh. I want to talk about it more, but I feel like this will make the post longer than necessary. T-T Maybe I'll make another post to explain more on this...

Anyway, as I explained before, this show has influenced a big part of my childhood and myself. Yes, I can name a few other shows that can also take this place, but Phineas and Ferb will always hold a special place in my heart. Especially you Perry the Platypus and Dr. Doofenshmirtz!

Special Trip Post! Part III Why is My Ear Burning!?!?

Hellooo!!! Sorry about posting so late at night. =/ It's been quite a hectic week so far. I'll try to make it up with a post next Thursday. Now that will be interesting. Anyway, I shouldn't hold you off any longer, so here is another part of my trip!
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GIF Break!

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It was the next day of our trip (or was this a few days later...). I woke up quite early to say the least because of my jet lag. (Urgh! JET LAG!). It was around five in the morning, and I was surprised that people were already out and about.

Nonetheless, I got ready, and I greeted the rest of my family. They were making breakfast, and the smell of the food they cooked was heavenly. To distract myself, I looked at the kittens.

Sadly, the thin, black kitten, whom I dubbed "Little Lady", was still sick. The other kittens looked to be a little better, but I was still concerned about their health. I looked for Little Lady's mom, Ipe, to see if she can feed her a little more.

After a while we were called for breakfast.

It. Was. Delicious!

I loved the pandasal, Filipino bread rolls, and the lumpia. Lumpia is also known as eggrolls, if you are not familiar with the term. After a filling breakfast, we went out to accomplish our goal of dyeing our hair.

You see, my sister and I had been trying to persuade our parents to let us dye our hair. My parents were a little lenient on me since I only wanted highlights, but they were worried about my sister since she wanted to dye her whole head. That was a definite no-no from them.

Although, with a little persuading from our aunt, we finally got them to a compromise. It was decided that we would dye the tips of my sister's hair, but my dad has to approve of the color...good enough for me.

After we made it to the hair salon, we decided to look through the colors they had. The thing is this, my sister wanted a custom hair color. In order to get that, one of their employees had to go after hours to the house we were staying at in order to not interrupt the scheduling of the day. Of course, that provided a major headache to all of us. In the end, we agreed and we had an appointment later in the day for the hair dyeing. Before we left, we decided to get a haircut...it was one of the best haircuts I've ever had.

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TIME SKIP BROUGHT TO YOU BY A MEME!

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It was the time of our appointment, and I was quite nervous and excited. Before I could elaborate more on my feelings, the employee came in with the supplies to create the custom hair dye. Since we had dark hair, we had to bleach the strands first. Naturally, my sister wanted to be the first to go ahead.

As she was going through the process of bleaching her hair, random thoughts started drifting through my mind. Will it hurt? Why am I doing this again? Will the colors I want turn out right? Urgh, I have got to stop letting my thoughts run rampant in my head.

Next thing I knew it was my turn. They combed through my hair with a tooth comb that was lathered with the bleaching material. It was relaxing for the first few minutes...until a glob got on my ear!

I didn't think of it much when if first appeared there, but then I felt a slight, uncomfortable burning sensation. It started to get progressively worse, and I was not happy about it. On the outside I looked calm and undisturbed. In the inside...well...that's a different story. I was practically screaming these thoughts in my head:

Oh-OH MY GOSH!

BLEH! WHY?!?! WHY?!?!

IT  BURNS! IT BURNS!

WHY DOES IT BURN?!?!

IS THIS NORMAL?!?!

WILL THIS CHANGE THE COLOR OF MY EAR?!?!

ACK-!!!

There were also quite a few other unpleasant things I thought of, but I won't get into that.

After succumbing to a few minutes of that torture, I finally had a break to relax. My ear was still buzzing in pain from the bleach. I had to wait a little since the bleach had to take effect before we could start dyeing.

We waited for what felt like an eternity due to my still burning ear, but I was ready...kind of. I braced myself for the worst...which turned out to not be that bad.

Oh. Wait. Never mind. It seems I've spoken to soon. Just when I said that it wasn't bad (globdangit, I jinxed it), it started to burn again. Well, here goes another round of thoughts of painful yells in my head. Haha!

After so long (so, so long...), it was finally over. The turn out was gorgeous! I ended up having chocolate-like colored hair with blond highlights as well as a plum undertone. I really liked it. Although, the only problem I had was this...I ACCIDENTALLY DYED MY WHOLE HEAD! I must've been too distracted by the pain on my ear that I might have accidentally said yes to dyeing my whole head.

Well, I can't say I didn't like it. Anyway, this will look even cooler tomorrow when we leave to go to Caramoan!

10 Years From Now...Urgh! I Don't Know!

This post is hard for me to comprehend. That's probably due to the reason of me not knowing who I want to be when I grow up or what I want to do in the future. I was raised thinking that I should take things one step at a time, and that's something that I follow every single day.  So, thinking of what happens to myself in ten years is...difficult to say the least. I've come to appreciate a mindset like this, but, at times, I could see the drawbacks. Like not knowing what I want to be in the future, for example.

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Thank You, Jerry.

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I'd be in college around this time, so I'd also, probably, have a job by then. I mean, how am I supposed to support myself if I don't have a job. I can't live off of my parent's money forever! I could see myself working at a comfy-like cafe or maybe a library. I always wanted to work in a warm, home-like environment, and I already have some experience working in a library. Although, working at a bakery also sounds very nice. I can practically smell the sweet scent of baked goods wafting through the air.

The only thing I know for sure that I'd be doing in the future is going to college. Which college, you say? I don't know, I haven't figured it out yet. I mean, I don't even know what I want to major in! I'm sort of exploring my options right now, you get what I mean? Sometimes it's frustrating to feel so indecisive on who I want to be in the future.

There are a lot of professions I want to do when I grow up. For example, a marine biologist, or zoologist. Maybe a paleontologist or an anthropologist. I also thought of being a veterinarian at some point, but that's starting to fall out of the picture. =/

Other careers I thought of wanting to do in the future is become a teacher, a historian, a librarian, a writer, or maybe even a baker. I've been told I can make some mean muffins! XD Whichever profession I choose in the future, I just hope I will enjoy it.

Although, what I really want to envision myself doing in the future is traveling around the world. I want to see the whole and full world and what it has to offer. I want to see popular destinations or landmarks such as Paris or Rome. I want to see the Great Wall of China or the Pyramid of Giza. Maybe I should become a journalist. Then again, some countries don't allow journalists in their nation.

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So Very True

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Speaking of countries, I need to be fluent in at least three to five languages in the next ten years. Obviously I know English, so that's one down already. I'm also learning Spanish, which I will work my hardest to try and to become fluent in. I will also need to learn how to speak my native tongue, and I KNOW! It's bad I don't know how to speak the language of the country I hailed from, and that's why I'm trying my best to learn it as quickly as possible. Other languages I want to become fluent in the next ten years are French, German, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, or a whole bunch of others I want to list. Although, the languages Spanish, Chinese, and my native tongue is what I mostly want to become fluent in.

When you look at this, it looks humongous, right? All these goals I want accomplish in ten years seems a lot and unfathomable to accomplish. At least, that's what I think. Then again, that's ten years from now, but...it couldn't hurt to think ahead, right? I better start planning, but first...one step at a time.

Special Trip Part II! Scorching! Reunion! Kittens! Oh My!

Heyo! Guess who's back with another Special Trip Post? *Hint* It's me. *Hint* I can't wait to share another part of my story with you! I just hope you're not a creepy stalker or clown that's out to get me! Who knows, Halloween is right around the corner. Haha, am I right?

...No? Not the time?

*Awkward Silence Ensues*

...Tough crowd...

Sorry if it seems short and rushed. I'll make it up for you in the next post where I dyed my hair and almost chemically damaged my ear in the process! Alright, Let's get on with the post!

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Meme Break!

Not the Right Shark, but Close Enough

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The plane ride was pretty cool. I mean, it was only an hour long, but it was still awesome to say the least. This marked my third plane ride of the trip. I especially loved it when we took off. I didn't care about the ear popping. I was only focused on the scenery below me. It all looked magnificent to me.

The rest of the time I spent watching the scenery, nibbling on the snack the airplane staff provided, or reading about Thresher Sharks in Malapascua. That's a place in the island of Visayas in the Philippines. After a while we heard the intercom turn on. It was time to land.
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Meme Break!

Oh How True This Was

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When we arrived in Camarines Sur in the Bicol Region, all I thought was this.

It. Was. Hot.

I mean, hotter then I thought it would be.  Manila wasn't that bad. I could handle heat like that, but when I went to Naga...owie. I felt the sunburn forming already, and I've never had a sunburn in my life!

We had to stand in the atrocious heat for a few minutes. I was like a fish out of water! Blurgh. After waiting, our ride arrive. It was a really cool white van that could be considered suspicious in the U.S. ...Nah. It was my aunt's car. It was really stuffy in there since we had several giant bags and almost ten people in one car that fits only seven people! Technically, there were only 5 seats left because of the bags occupying the two back seats so...goodness help me I want to jump out of this car.

We didn't even where seat belts! I was like this, "I. Can't. Breath."

Don't even get me started on the traffic there. Although, it wasn't as bad as it was in Manila. *shivers* It was still pretty terrifying. My aunt calls it "defensive driving".

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Meme Break!

Can't Help But to Add This

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After a long, long drive, we finally arrived at our destination. My grandparent's house.

It was a very...emotional reunion to say the least. I haven't seen them in quite a while. This was the first time I've seen them in...years. I mean, how do you react to this. I was practically speechless. I didn't know how to feel...but I winged it. In the end, it turned out okay. :)

The second highlight of our day was...the cats! In their house, they have these cute cats, and two of them conceived and gave birth! There were three kittens in total. There was a white fur ball, a chubby patchy, and a skinny black cat. They were really adorable, but I couldn't help but worry about them. :( They were sick with something. The white fur ball, whose name was Snowball, was better then the rest, but it had a lot of crust around its eyes. The little chubby patch was also healthy, but it looked a little bloated. The black kitten though...that's the one I was most worried about. It was super skinny. You can practically see its bones through its skin. Not to mention that it was also, unfortunately, blind in both eyes.

To distract myself from this, my family and I ate lunch. It was one of the best lunches I've ever had. It might sound cliche and cheesy, but it tasted really delicious because it was packed with love.

Let's not forget that we had cake for lunch. It was carrot cake, and it was the best carrot cake I've ever had. My mouth was practically watering!

The rest went by with a blur, but I do remember talking about dyeing our hairs on that day. Unfortunately, my aunt didn't feel so well, so we decided to go the next day. I was actually glad we didn't go that day. My jet lag (CURSE YOU JET LAG!) was acting up again.

We got this whole room in the house to ourselves. I rather liked it. It felt...welcoming. As I was getting ready for bed I thought of all the events that happened the last few days. I realized, at that time, that I was emotionally exhausted. By then, my brain kicked in and told me to sleep.

I fell asleep to Winter, another cat, softly scratching our door.

Special Trip Post!

Let's see...I've been to a few places in my life. It would usually take place in the States, if you know what I mean. There was also a couple of times I went to Canada, but I haven't been there in a while. I guess my favorite trip would be going to the Philippines.

The trip to the Philippines has to be the one with the most personal and sentimental value. I loved everything about it. I loved all the destinations I've been to, the animals I've seen, and the people I've met and rejoined with. We visited a few destinations.
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Reference Meme! You'll Get it When You Read Along

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         Our first stop was Manila. We got there early in the morning, and we were staying in a hotel where we would wait until our next flight would arrive the next day. We got to see a few places in our stay at Manila. For example, we went to see the Mall of Asia. I don't know if I actually went inside it though. I think I did. Everything was a little fuzzy to me since I was fighting off...the jet lag. *shivers* I couldn't sleep correctly for a couple of days.
          I think we went around for a little while looking for an anime shop. It was blistering hot and I actually felt my skin being baked brown from the sun. Though we did eventually find it, and I got a stuffed Korosensei! He's from an anime called Ansatsu Kyoushitsu.
          It was hard to find a place to eat because it was so crowded, though we eventually went to Burger King. We would have gone to Jollibee but...
         By that point, My jet lag was affecting my body a little more than before (CURSE YOU JET LAG!), so everything seemed like a mush of memories. I did remember trying to go to a cat cafe, but you had to make reservations. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but the nearest open time was an hour after we arrived. So, instead of waiting there for an hour we decided to go back to our hotel. A few of us (me included) went to shop a little more to buy some early souvenirs or gifts.

          Worst decision I've ever made.

         My jet lag was in full blown motion! I was way out of it. I spoke little to none, and I was falling asleep while standing up! After a few hours (goodness help me) of shopping we went back to the hotel with souvenirs, gifts, and food from Jollibee in our hands. Of course, me being me, I fell asleep right when my head hit the comfortable, fluffy pillow. I didn't even get to eat any of the food we got from Jollibee... T-T

The next morning we woke up quite early (five in the morning) in order to be prepped and ready for the next plane ride. I was really excited to say the least since it would be my third plane ride in just 3-4 days! We went through security checks, and we waited for about an hour. We got into this bus that took us to our plane. It was small to say the least, but it was still exciting. After waiting a few more minutes we started moving. We were getting ready for take off.

Our next stop...the Bicol Region!
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You Know Where This is Going Right?

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Well, that's all I have left to say for now, and now you're probably asking why I stopped at this point. That's a very good question, my friend. The reason is this...

When I said this trip was very special to me, I meant it. I like talking about the adventures I had on this trip. For example, the time we almost got stranded on an island or the other time when I missed three Pokémon Go events consecutively in one day. The thing is, I don't want to blurt it out all at once. If I did then most of you probably won't read through all of it. You'd probably skim it, trying to get the gist the whole story. This is a special story that I want to share, so I want you guys to read it in a not halfhearted manner. So I decided to do this! On every Thursday (may change depending on my schedule) I'll give you a little tidbit on my trip to the Philippines until I have no more stories to tell you! Urgh, I know, that's so far away. You could last! Don't worry about it! Come on! I don't want to sick a lame pun on you, so cheer up!

Well, as abrupt as this may seem I hope this post somewhat satisfied you (probably not XD). I love cliffhangers. I know, I'm such a cruel person. Until next time!

Inspirational Quotes I Can Relate To

Honestly, I love different types of quotes. I like quotes ranging from inspirational and hopeful to funny and sarcastic. I couldn't pick just one quote. Although, I'm in an adult-like, spill-your-feelings-about-something mood, so I hope you don't mind. Here are some quotes I found that seem interesting to share. (Sorry, this won't be littered with gifs and memes since it's a bit more on the serious side. I hope these quotes will satiate your thirst for the time being.) Tell me how you feel about them!

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An act of kindness may seem simple, but every honest thought you put into it is the true treasure. It's like giving a gift. You do it because you want to; out of the own willingness of your being. There's no other reason behind it then just to make the person receiving it happy. You don't need anything in return.

This quote hit me really hard. Being raised by parents who taught me how to be grateful for the things I have and show empathy to everyone, I can fully understand what this  quote means. What is the meaning of kindness, you say? By Google's definition it means the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Kindness isn't something that people have to yearn or work for. It should be there when they need it. Kindness is too broad a spectrum to confine to just one meaning. Like Google said, it has many different qualities ranging from being generous (like giving money to the poor) to being considerate (helping people who are going through a rough patch in their life). It may seem tedious to some, but I find that the outcome is very fulfilling.

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Even if these simple acts , like giving an honest compliment or lending a listening ear, seem small and insignificant, their impact on the lives around us is great and a force to be reckoned with.

This quote reminds me of all the times I've taken things for granted throughout the duration of my short life. These small gestures, like a touch of comfort or a sincere smile, can always brighten up my day. These acts are something that I see everyday which isn't bad because that means I'm surrounded by people who help build each other to the best they can be. The only problem I have is that I see and hear it so much that I don't think of the thought that's been put into these small gestures. This quote really pushed me to look further into depth of every meaning of every word, gesture, and act. It's opened my eyes and really made me thankful of all the people that have touched my life.

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