Tequila 101

"Alright....every shot is equivalent to half a letter grade."

"What's so funny?"
"You're like the tallest person here and you picked the smallest chair to sit on."
"But it has Hello Kitty on it."

"She'll go walk away and run into a wall."
"Correction. She'll run THROUGH a wall 'cause they're in Japan."

"So you think if I win Tour de France 4 times and I have two testicles I could one up Lance Armstrong?"

"Ice T's my boy!"

"It's time, man."

Preparing for the first tequila shot of the night 

Caffeine High

There is too much caffeine in my system. It is now 3:30 AM and i know i have to be up early tomorrow for a final review, but i can't sleep. To pass the time and hopefully to wear off the effects of two cups of coffee, here's another survey i decided to fill out and share with all of you.

HIGH SCHOOL
1.HS Nickname: joanne..that was it.
2. sections mo: 1H, 2F then transferred to Oakton HS
4. fave subjects: art history
5. fave teachers: mrs. dimaliwat and madame pisano
6. fave event: songfest!, sabayang pagbigkas and field trips
7. fave seatmate: i love all my seatmates....and my backmates and frontmates and diagonalmates. i remember during first year we used to bet who got the lowest score during the periodical exams. we actually had real money in the pot.
8. barkada: dj, eloisa, jacqui, maricel, nicole
9. ultimate crush: I think the whole world knows. well at least pilot people do ---> RedJ aka Papa Gian
10. club: Bio-men (it's the biology club during my first year. we were such dorks we named it bio-men), Key Club, National Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, Art Club
11. Most embarrasing moment: ooooh a lot but the worst is hands down - first year tableau.....ew
12. greatest achievement nung HS: got good grades
13. highest grade nung HS: 98 - biology with ms d
14. lowest grade nung HS: i don't know - i got a C+ my first quarter for AP US history - i think that roughly translates to a 78. but i finished with a B+ so it's all cool.
15. fave tambayan: anywhere where there's food; also where dj waits for her mom to pick her up - that area near the chapel
16. unforgettable moment: asking manuel from wolfgang for an autograph, but we didn't have a pen. then five seconds after he left, we realized we had a camera. that was unforgettable because we were kicking ourselves for being idiots for a long time after that.
17. greatest regret: no regrets man...high school is high school.
18. ka-loveteam: sorry, no.....wait, am i part of one?
19. bestfriends: i don't have time to name all 50+ people i met by being in the pilot class, and everyone that went house raiding with me after school.
21. favorite expression: YEBA!!! (go kara!)
22. are you punctual? hell yeah....6 o'clock in the freakin' morning every single day
23. do you recite in class? only when absolutely necessary
24. makulet? it depends who you ask
25. masipag mag-aral? hmmmmmm.......i only studied really hard when i took AP classes because they were kicking my butt. before then i just did homework during commercials except for the first year i took French. Je vais etudier. Ou est la bibliotheque?
26. friendly? of course
27. popular? in some circles...and by some i mean one
28. maarte? nope (and what's up with THAT question?)

*what happened to numbers 3 and 20?

Word on the Fish 

Fish in a fishbowl in a display case 

Songster's Survey

I love listening to music and I just had to jump at the chance to fill out this survey thingy that is circulating right now in my Friendster bulletin board. Thanks to the person who first came out with this.

1. Favorite Song Ever?
Oh too many to mention. I don't really know what to choose. But if I really really have to then it has to be "1000 Things" by Jason Mraz

2. Hatest Song Ever?
"Macarena" - how annoying was that?!

3. Name one song that you think only you have heard of and really really like.
If you haven't heard Death Cab for Cutie's "Sound of Settling" or The Shins' "Know Your Onion" then, dude, you're missing out.

4. Perfect Song for Sex
"Your Body is a Wonderland" by John Mayer or something from Maroon5

5. If you were to join a singing contest, what would you sing?
Air Supply's "All Out of Love".......muwahahahahaha!!!!!! Kidding...I can't sing; therefore, I won't enter a singing contest. ("won't" and not "can't on the second clause since not knowing how to sing does not really deter everyone from entering a singing contest. Proof: American Idol.)

6. What song would you want to be played in your funeral?
"Landslide" the Smashing Pumpkins cover. Billy Corgan's voice will be very appropriate.

7. What song would really really make you cry?
I like to listen to songs that won't make me cry, and I like to keep it that way thank you very much.

8. What song brightens up your day before going to school, work?
I have too many songs in mind, but I'll try to narrow it down to seven. One for each day of the week: "Hey Ya" by Outkast, "Stacy's Mom" by Fountains of Wayne, "1985" by Bowling for Soup, "The Remedy" by Jason Mraz, "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles, "California" by Phantom Planet, and "Boys and Girls" by Blur

9. First tape/cd you bought:
Tape - I think it was the Cranberries or maybe Alanis Morissette's first one

10. Latest tape/cd you bought:
Death Cab for Cutie's You Can Play These Songs with Chords
The Shins' Chutes Too Narrow

11. Fave song/s for your ex/s
"You Oughta Know" by Alanis - I don't really know though

12. Most painful song ever heard?
Painful, meaning I need to turn the radio off because it hurts my ears: "Toxic" or "I'm a Slave" by Britney Spears

13. Favorite Gospel Song
"Amazing Grace" (?) - frankly, i don't know the titles of many religious songs. Is this a bad thing?

14. Song you want to be played on your wedding day
"Here, There and Everywhere" by The Beatles

15. Song that best describes your life
Hmmm...this is tough...I'll get back to this one later

16. Song for yourself right now?
"Let Go" by Frou Frou

17. Favorite party/groove song?
Does "Hey Ya" count? If not then just anything with a great beat or "Let's Groove" by Earth, Wind and Fire

18. Song you used to sing all the time as a child?
If you're happy and you know it.... and BINGO

19. What song makes you sleep?
Not to say that she's boring or anything...it's just that her voice is very soothing: Sarah McLachlan's "Adia"

20. What song would you like to sing to the one you love?
"You and I Both" by Jason Mraz

The Rotunda in Thomas Jefferson's Academical Village. My home away from home. 

Good times. 

Postmidterm

In a few days it will be November. Do you know what that means? Course advising and sign-up is just around the corner. Hmm...didn't I JUST start the semester? Short answer: NO. It's been almost two months since the beginning of the semester. However, it really does not feel like I've been through 8 weeks of school. Have only pulled two almost-all-nighter so far. Not bad. I pat myself on the back.

You know what this means? Only 1.5 semesters to go before I graduate. This is a very scary thought. I haven't updated my resume since the summer. I do have a part-time job but it has nothing to do with architecture. I haven't consulted our career advisor in the A-school. I bet she'll be really helpful and nice, but I'm a such a dumbass and have not made an appointment with her. It's not required for us, but I just want to know what my options are. I haven't even studied nor looked at anything about GRE's. I'm not planning on going to grad school right away but GRE scores are valid for a couple or so years. If I take that now, I don't have to worry about that requirement when I apply to grad school two or three years down the road. It's also easier to take that now when all the important stuff is still fresh in mind. Well, except for the Math part. Haven't done that in forever. I can still do basic math up to basic calculus...I think. Oh we'll see. They should just ask architects to diagram the structural elements and the circulation in a building. Give me a pen and paper and I will sketch for you a perspective of your house. I will precisely draw this chair I'm sitting on for you. Please...just don't let me do word analogies.

Why am I freaking out instead of sleeping? Goodness...I certainly have my priorities mixed up. G'night!

Teaching 101: Lessons from Your Students

I have just finished reading five out of eight midterm exams, and I have to say I am blown away. They must have been the most interesting papers I have read in a long time. Every student (so far...my partner has the other half's papers) was given a week to think about the midterm questions. They have to come up with a Spatial Tale of Origin. The end result? Several wonderful and different takes on a very open-ended assignment. I am still in awe and my own words cannot possibly grasp how impressive these are. I think it is more appropriate that I let these papers speak for themselves.

The Earth is the precedent and the product, the before and after.

-Charlie

The Surveyor creates the plans but he does not make it. The building can not be seen but is known.

-Simge

Architecture is a lesson of life.

-Kristin

The materials, rowers and boat, posts and lintels, are assembled to create the ideal unit, optically refined, harmonious, and precise to the smallest detail: the Parthenon of team sports is complete.

-Sebastian

The sandbox is the construction site of the child’s imagination.

-Brian

More from my students:

I search for architecture that addresses the individual's search for the divine in the everyday...as bending the mind towards the eternal by their ancient agelessness.

-Maria

I am not ready to make any strong identifications because I am still an explorer, a lost lunatic, a nomadic bearer of experience and recollections, an aspiring surveyor. But I am none of those things. They are only aspects of me.

-Hong

As a photographer, [I understand] that space and structure function as a whole in architecture.

-Heather

Pre-fall Break Nap Time

I'm currently looking out of my window and guess what I'm seeing? Bumper to bumper traffic (on both sides of the street), and it doesn't seem it's going to go away in the next few minutes. Also there's a guy right outside my window who has probably said the F-word 500X in the last five minutes. I don't know what his problem is. He's most likely to be drunk, or pissed that someone who's drunk trashed his car. I don't really know; it's awfully dark outside. I do know the reason for the traffic: the football game just ended. Go 'Hoos! We won against Clemson. How great is that?! 5-0 this season. Wahoo-wa!

This week has been a really busy one. I have two projects due, had an architecture review, an in-class exercise, ie. practical quiz, and grading papers. I fell asleep in every single one of my lectures this week. Except for that one lecture about photovoltaics, I was up for that 'cause i'm such a solar-energy dork! I'm setting such a bad example for my discussion kids, who I'm hoping don't see me doze off. I had to be woken up by Duey during my CAAD lecture which was at 4PM. You'd think I'd be wide awake by that time. Sad but true and quite funny. Coffee did not help, even after I loaded it with sugar. Thank goodness for fall break, otherwise known as "reading holiday" (which is definitely an oxymoron).

Currently listening to: The Postal Service's "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" from Give Up. Another great band. Definitely worth the $10.

Master Procrastinator

I really should be working on my Buildings and Climate project, but I'm not. It is very hard to be motivated when you know Fall Break's only a week and a half away. I'm not exactly doing anything out of the ordinary, just going home and having me some home cooked meals. yum! In the meantime, I am going to rip off a survey from a friend who ripped it off someone else's blog.

1. Longest you've gone w/out a shower:
2.5 days - gotta love charrette

2. Color of most clothes you own:
Blue...I'm trying to incorporate more color into my wardrobe but alas I am a sucker for blue.

3. Number of pillows you sleep with:
2 - it's comfortable. I find that more than two pillows is suffocating, plus they always end up on the floor in the morning.

4. What are you wearing:
jeans, 3/4 sleeve blue sweater

5. What room are you in right now?:
my very disorganized bedroom

6. What were you doing 12AM last night?:
Grading projects for ARCH 101. I'm a teaching assistant.

7. How old will you be in 10 yrs?:
Treinta y dos

8. What do you think you'll be doing in 10 years:
Probably working for an architecture firm and slowly building my new practice.

10. Do you have braces?:
Nope

11. Are you paranoid?:
Not all the time.

12. Do you burn or tan?:
Burn and turn really really red. The ugly kind of red.

13. Describe your wallet?:
Fossil, black...given to me by my brother for Christmas. It holds everything important.

14. Your alarm clock?
I have an annoyingly loud alarm clock. It's a lot like the sound you hear when the fire alarm rings. But I do like the unlimited 9-minute snooze feature

15. First piercing/tattoo?:
Third grade: ears. They are now closed.

16. First enemy?:
I don't think i have a real enemy. I fought with nicole once...but now she's one of my best friends.

17. First big trip?:
Went to Bicol when I was 1. Does that count? If not, then it's moving to the US.

18: First play/musical/performance?
Some end of the year thing in nursery school. I think we sang "The Farmer in the Dell" or maybe it was some song with "rainbow" or "sunshine" in the title.

19: Last cigarette:
Non-smoker

20. Last good cry?
Dead Poets' Society - Third year College. I blame my roommate.

21. Last movie seen?:
St. Elmo's Fire. I had an Andrew McCarthy fixation last weekend.

22. Last person you yelled at?:
Ben...just for kicks. hehehe

23. Last beverage drank?:
Diet Coke with Lime

24. Last crush?:
Adam Levine of Maroon5

25. Last shoes worn?:
My Nike running shoes. FYI: i don't use them to workout.

26. Last annoyance?
Too many dishes in the sink

27. Last words spoken?
"My computer sucks!" after windows Me crashed for the nth time this week. need to get an upgrade.

28. Last ice cream eaten?:
Butter Pecan...yummm

29. Last thing written by hand?:
Comments on one of the students' projects I was grading.

30. Last sexual fantasy?:
something to do with Jason Mraz.....hahahaha

31. Last time amused:
Today: Chatting with Eloisa

32. Last time wanting to die:
The whole of last semester. Aaaah, form-z

34. Last time in love?:
say what now???

Crazy Game of Taboo

Friday night's party consisted of 12 mildly buzzed college students playing Taboo -- guys vs. girls. When we finished, they guys were up by 15 points. But then again we agreed to switch scores when the girls were leading by 40! So technically, girls won by a 55-point margin. But no one really cared. Aaaah, the memorable things we said....

Justin: People do this...
Greg (first thing out of his mouth): Knit!!!!

Kristin: Brad Pitt
All 6 girls: Hot!!!!!!

Justin: I read this when........
Greg (interrupts): Porn!

Lorenzo: What person says "trolley car" nowadays?!

Shraddha: To get good grades we do this..
Joanne: Study...review...revise...edit!

Someone: Girls who are desperate are...
Someone else: HORNY!!!

Welcome to the '80s

I love '80s movies because they're unpretentious and poignant. They don't try to make a big statement by bombarding us with crazy plotlines and a million twists. (Although there are many undeniably good movies that use these "tricks") The story is simple and yet it sucks you in and leave you very satisfied.

Due to an unexpected desire to see Andrew McCarthy's smile, I impulsely went to the friendly neighborhood Blockbuster to rent Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles. (Two words: Jake Ryan) Big disappointment! All the copies of Sixteen Candles are out and they don't even carry Pretty in Pink. What the F? So I browsed the store and picked up Say Anything. John Cusack + Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" = a good time. I also picked up St. Elmo's Fire because Andrew McCarthy's in it since I was not about to give up my weekend quest of seeing a movie with him in it. Both movies are awesome! I admit they're chick-flicky but they don't do chick flicks like that anymore (with the exception of Garden State and Almost Famous).

Enough about that fashion disaster of a decade called the '80s. I'll leave you with a quote from very funny Napoleon Dynamite. (I promise next time there'd be a blog on Fight Club and Chuck Palahniuk's gritty novels. Just to even it all out.)

Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills. You know, like nunchuck skills, bowhunting skills, computer hacking skills...

Stuck

Although i haven't really been here this late this semester, it just seems like i've been here forever. And i'm not even talking about it being midnight or sometime around that. it's only 8:30 PM for goodness' sake! I'm waiting for my 30-second animation to finish rendering. I guess i could use this next hour to do something productive...say, churn out some drawings for Friday's desk crit or go build a model in the woodshop...but my brain's dead. it has been since 3 this afternoon. plus, this building is uber cold. i know it has something to do with how the building operates, but geez...do they really have to turn the A/C to full blast every time?!

I'm ending the b**ching right now.
Gotta love the A-school.

Your celebrity threesome! by cerulean_dreams
user name
favorite color
age
It will take place...	in a hottub in the Andes
Number of times it will happen	38
First Partner	Toby McGuire
Second Partner	Orlando Bloom
Will it be fun?	I don't remember. Try again?
Quiz created with MemeGen!

Past, Present, Future

Last TV show I watched: a rerun of That '70s Show
Listening to right now: Garden State soundtrack. It really captures the mood of the movie. One of the best OST ever. The other one I like is the soundtrack to Almost Famous.
First class tomorrow morning: ARCH 101 - I have to attend lectures so I know what's going on. Plus, I have to return the papers I've graded to their owners.

And so...

Why is it that everytime I see someone else's blog I feel like posting a new one, but when I get to actually do it, I can't think of anything to write? Am I out of stories to tell? Is it because I feel that there is nothing quite as interesting for me to share? Am I boring or just bored?

This is my last year in college and I'm trying to make the most of it. I'm a teaching assistant for Architecture 101: Lessons of the Lawn and/or Architecture as a Covenant with the World, Again. An extremely long formal course name can only come from one of the eccentric and yet beloved professor in the school. Two of us are facilitating a discussion group of 8 students. I'm also taking 19 credits, which is crazy since i haven't done that and i decided to do it this semester. I'm a fourth year, but I'm not about to take it easy. I still volunteer but not as much. I'm still a member of OYFA. I'm working, too. It's a busy semester to say the least, but I'm having a great time...so far. We threw our first party the Friday before the first home football game. (We still have jell-o shots if you want some.)

Alias

This was taken from my friend dj's post. It takes the whole "what's your porn star name?" to a whole new level.

YOUR PORN STAR NAME: (NAME OF FIRST PET + STREET YOU LIVE IN) --Chato Andes or Chato JPA (hahaha)

YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (NAME OF YOUR FAVOURITE SNACK FOOD + GRANDFATHERS FIRST NAME) --Twix Luis

YOUR FASHION DESIGNER NAME: (FIRST WORD YOU SEE ON YOUR LEFT + FAVOURITE RESTAURANT) --Radio Thai 99

EXOTIC FOREIGNER ALIAS: (Favorite Spice + Last Vacation Spot Visited) --Lemon Pepper New York

SOCIALITE ALIAS: (Silliest Childhood Nickname + Town Where You First Partied) --Chinchin Manila

FLY GIRL" ALIAS (a la J. Lo): (First Initial + First Two or Three Letters of your Last Name) --J.An

ICON ALIAS: (Something Sweet Within Sight + Any Liquid in Kitchen) --Pirouettes Water

DETECTIVE ALIAS: (Favorite Baby Animal + Where You Went to High School) -- Puppy Oakton

BARFLY ALIAS: (Last Snack Food You Ate + Your Favorite Alcoholic Drink) --Ruffles Schnapps

SOAP OPERA ALIAS: (Middle Name + Street Where You First Lived) --Marcelle Pasonanca

ROCK STAR ALIAS: (Favorite Candy/Dessert + Last Name Of Favorite Musician) --Cake Mraz

Garden State of Mind

I am a movie buff. No, really. I could identify most movies made in the '90s in less than a minute. I watch all sorts of movies. I've sat through really dumb ones, and enjoyed independent films in other languages. Speaking of indie films. I just saw one of the best movies I've seen in months. Garden State is one of those movies that make you reminisce and appreciate your life. It's hard to explain what the movie exactly is because it deals with a lot of issues, but I think it's mostly about never being able to go back home again, interlaced with issues regarding relationships and death. There was a point in the movie where it made me think if that actually applies to everyone. Will there come a point in my life that I would feel like a stranger in my own home? I couldn't answer that right now. I can't imagine feeling out of place when I go home. My family treats me like I've never left when I go back from college during breaks. They still make me do dishes and drive my mom and aunt to the mall. Maybe in a few years? Or maybe I'm one of those people who will prove that it IS possible?

Let's cap this post with a lighthearted list. Five things I like about home:

1. You never have to feed the washing machine quarters.
2. Home cooking....warm food is always a plus. ALWAYS.
3. You never have to worry about what's for dinner. (I know that's like #2....nourishment is important.)
4. You don't have to pay for anything when you go out with your family.
5. I always have a good laugh when I go home. =)

First Official Blog

Alright...so this is blogging. i'm new to this so forgive me if this sucks. Yeah i know i've put up something resembling a message last december. that was five months ago...gee how time flies. let see in the past five months i've finished another gruelling-kill-me-now-my-critic-hates-me semester, made my secret valentine go treasure hunting, applied for four odd jobs and internships, gained 100+ volunteer hours, made several new friends (thanks to OYFA, thefacebook, and friendster), watched the Academical Village People in concert, entered a phone-in radio contest six times and lost six times, won movie passes to see Stateside, gave away two movie passes, went to NYC, went to a bar with our critic, and logged-in countless hours of emailing and doing crazy stuff. well maybe not exactly "crazy" but it's close.

i'm listening to Death Cab for Cutie...yup that's the band name. they're good. i like their sound. don't know how to describe it...i'm going to have to generalize: they're indie rock. since i don't know much about them i'm to quote rolling stone. here's what it has to say about their fourth album...(again i've discovered them too late...they're already into their fourth album.)

"Death Cab for Cutie's fourth album, presents a polished version of the heartstring-tugging formula that has earned the Washington state quartet its cultish following: melodic, melancholy songs about feeling both smart and confused, hopelessly romantic but wary of love. The eleven indie lullabies here -- ostensibly about a long-distance relationship -- are both tuneful and rough-edged, with singer Benjamin Gibbard's plaintive boy-next-door voice wafting delicately over crunchy guitars, piano and random percussion."

Nice huh?! Rolling Stone hit the mark. They actually sound like that. I like listening to new stuff...especially to bands/artists i've never heard on the radio or anywhere else. I learned about Death Cab for Cutie from one of my friends. She and I have the same taste in music...well, we'll both listen to anything. I'm also sampling the sounds of All-Time Quarterback, The Long Winters, Sun Valley, Little Champions, and -here's another quirky band name- Kind of Like Spitting. Indie rockers galore!

Alright...I suppose I'll end with that.