AnneC.

I say, having a year end blog entry has always been something I like to do since I started blogging; and after singing my heart out the whole morning and packing my stuff for our trip to Manila tomorrow, and before I say goodbye to the year 2011 and say hello to 2012, I'm giving myself some chill time to sit down and reminisce, write this entry (before watching another episode of my vampire diaries marathon). :p The year that has passed has been very challenging for me in all aspects - school, family, friends . And cliché as it may seem, despite the difficulty, I am grateful and I still feel blessed for everything. As much as I want to recall for the last time the memories which I wish to remember every time I see this blog, I may not like how this entry would turn out to be, and I believe that no matter what happened, year end blogs should always be happy entries - so let's stick with the happy thoughts, and with happy thoughts come thank you's and dedications I don't...

Disclaimer: Never thought this would be such a lengthy one:p I am not yet a parent but in my readings and the series I watched, I have come to the generalization that almost any parent would do anything for their children. I believe that my parents would do anything if not everything for me as well, if the situation calls for it. This past break i have finished one fictional book and one tv series - the tenth circle and city hunter respectively. I've been dying to write about the city hunter and how it is themed on getting revenge, but i never had the chance to, which for me is quite a blessing, since after reading the tenth circle, i realized that there is something in common between the book and the series - the love of a parent to a child, unexplainable and infinite. -- Unexplainable in a sense that as a parent you wish to care for your child, to protect them by all means possible and then time comes when it's the other way around - a child caring and protecting his pa...

Technically I can make a life lesson post with what I have to write now, but I am not in the best mood to write something lesson like. I would just like to post pictures of the things that I am having a hard time to let go :p Every year I try to clean my stuff, my toys and give out or sell some including old or used clothes that I can no longer wear. This year, I literally cleaned out my closet and give out everything old. EXCEPT for the following :p every year, whenever I do clean them, the child in me wants to play and I never fail to.. sort of play with them :p This year I tried to document these important things, which are really dear to me and share it in my blog :) Barbie Playhouse I was not able to set it up because it is quite big and the space left in the room is not that enough. It's a sort of tent, and honestly, it still looks brand new. :)   Barbie House I already lost a lot of stuff which are in here such as the bed, some flowers, but it still is usable if I wan...

Yesterday's homily spoke about how it is more important to give than to receive; that it is in giving that we experience the true meaning of this season. He has given us His only Son that we need to ask ourselves what and how much are we willing to give to Him in return. He doesn't ask us for anything, which makes it more important that we are able to give something, from our hearts. It is not just the material things, but a life of simplicity and contentment, faith that never wavers, and happiness that is to be shared. Once again, being a blessing to others just like how He has always blessed us.

..deserve a special blog post :) happy happy birthday to one of the best people i know in the world :) You're such a special child (haha) who deserves this special gift :p You can read it anyway you can xp enjoy your day:p

And here i thought i would have a happy and nice next blog entry. I thought blogging made the grinch stop stealing my Christmas, unfortunately today didnt end without me having bad vibes. You see i live in a town where everyone notices everything. Or maybe in this alternate life, i am just so interesting that people think they know me, who i am, how i have been. etc etc just because they know my father or mother or i dont know who and how they are related with me. this is a craziness i haven't really had a good grasp on and something i so tried very hard to understand. But my patience has been pretty much tested, and at the end of the day, it all boils down to me getting annoyed by the very fact that people notice everything about other people. 'you got fat', 'you have pimples', 'what happened?' 'Well, why dont you look at yourself in the mirror?', 'medical school happened but im happy', 'why do you have to notice everything? I do...

I think the grinch is trying to steal my Christmas. It's been two days that I am having some bitter mornings and it's making me very sad. Yesterday it was mocking my being a medical student who wish to learn things in a timeline, who doesn't wish to rush things and enjoy the learning process as I go through medschool. and today, it's mocking my being a student at the very least. It's true that most of my batch mates are already earning money for their own or even helping their family, that they don't get to spend a lot of holidays because offices don't necessarily have long Christmas breaks unless you are teaching which gives you the same break as students. Nonetheless, there's a very huge margin of difference between us who have chosen the medical path and those who have chosen to go to business, to academe etc. I know this even before entering medical school, I have heard a lot of warnings on how we would really be late bloomers in terms of finan...

the main objective of this blog is to share life lessons - daily learnings about life, love, relationships. And one day i had an experience about learning things in real time. learning a life lesson while the event is happening, while the lesson is being taught, and not through words I have already thought about nor when I have already processed things. I still dont know what the best way to easily learn things is, which makes it difficult for a medical student like me since we are expected to learn a lot, to take in a lot in a small amount of time. But if there's one thing which is most ineffective for me - it's learning by force. Forcing people to learn your way, forcing them to take in the knowledge you want to impart in the way that is not their own, for me, that is most ineffective and very annoying. learning is a process, that may not necessarily be step-wise but has a timeline; everything in due time. With this, learning is sure to be made more fun and hopefully easy...

I no longer remember what was on my mind when I wrote this title. but i think changing it into -- making the days count -- is a better lesson in life :p Each day that we live is a precious gift, a blessing that we must be grateful for and that we must use well. People celebrate anniversaries to commemorate special days, but don't you think that everyday should be treated special and unique because no one date will ever repeat itself, ever. I think it is a good thing to remind ourselves how we must always go through each day with a purpose, or if not, at least doing something good for ourselves, best for others. yes that would make each day a day that is well lived :)

I've posted titles of life lessons and i only have the time now to finally write something and publish. yey for Christmas break!:)  And indeed, it's Christmas, and each day before that special day, we must do something to prepare ourselves for His coming. By the time that He arrives, we must be worthy of his presence. And one good deed to do before that day, is to forgive.  In a year, we may lose count of the people whom we did bad to and just the same we may have lost count of the people who did bad do us. but what is more important is not the number or what happened - what matters most is that before the year ends, we learn to forgive and start to forget cause that is one good way to start the new year :)  People often find it hard to forgive because of a lot of things. but if we think of it this way -- that life is too short to hold grudge, and have that much hatred and or anger in our heart -- then forgiveness is the right path, the only path that we should take ...

Last December 8, was the feast of the Immaculate Concepcion. Time permitted for me to attend mass together with some of my batchmates, and the priest gave a very nice homily, telling us how much we are always blessed. I'm always writing about sharing blessings, about always putting first what and how to give more to others than waiting to receive. I never thought that there could be a missing piece in that puzzle until that homily - the question of, how can we give something to others if we do not have anything at all? I guess, I've never thought about this because I always have more. But I would like to think that I never did think about where to get things to give because I believe that we always have something that we can share - not necessarily material things, but maybe a piece of ourselves, a prayer, a shoulder or even a hand to hold :) But then comes the question of how to make ourselves give when we really have nothing left to give even ourselves? Unfortunately, I...

As early as birth, we are being shown what a family is - a mother, a father, sometimes siblings who shower you with love and take care of you until you are ready to take care of yourself. By the start of school, we start defining what a family is - a group of individuals who are related -- the smallest unit that makes up a community. We start listing down types of families - nuclear, extended and so on. By high school, our own list of family members increases because then we get to know different people, and we realize that the world is so small because everyone seems to be a relativein one way or another -- and yet, no matter how big the family that we now know is, we think that everything is just as simple until we grow old enough to realize that a family is not the simplest unit in the community, that the relationships between the people inside the family is not simple. at all. we begin to understand that relationships inside the family are complex; we love each other so much th...

A good friend inspired me to write this blog entry. :) It has been everyone's goal to find their purpose in life. And up till now, i do not know what the ultimate reason is on why i am here. But if i have one thing in mind right now that i want to be and i want to do always, it is to be a blessing to others. I think it's a life worth living when we try in our own ways to give a piece of ourselves to the people around us. And an additional bonus when these people appreciate what we do :) i feel happy - no giddy when people say thank you for things that i do for them - consciously or not, be it small or big things. And generally i feel just grateful when i have grabbed the chance to be of help. I want to be a doctor to help more people; i know that once i am equipped with all the things i need, i will be able to do and give more and with that, all the more that ill be able to be the blessing that He wants us all to be. In the mean time, when i can only do so much, i have ...

I like kids. Maybe not all. but generally, i like playing with them or at them :p They give me a certain high that after being with them, i just feel really happy. That is why i never let go of any chance to meet up with my inaanak, because she is such a happy pill :) I guess it's the innocence, the simplicity and the what-you-see-is-what-you-get feel that makes me really love being with those adorable little people. Yes, being a child makes everything simpler, easier that we often hear people hoping that things were just like the time when they were just kids.  but sometimes, we need not hope that we'd be back to being kids. cause there are moments when being a kid at heart would help us get pass through most of our problems and issues in life. There are a number of childlike qualities that are a lot of times great qualities to keep and still show as adults - like the honesty and the way you can make kids happy with such simple things. If only everyone would grow up from...

Last night was TRP, it's a college, even university wide event that showcases performances from organizations, departments, students and even professors from the UP College of Medicine. Apart from dances, each class from LU3 to LU5, would have to perform an original song. being an LU4 student, it's our second time to compete. Last year, our song was about paying tribute to BSLR east, the classroom of all first year medical students. All UPM doctors have stayed there to listen to lectures or sleep through them. (me feeling senti for not blogging about it last year. nothing to look back. Boooo. Anyway.) This year, our song is about how hard the journey is to our dream.. But.. No matter how difficult, we would continue moving forward. Because what is an easy life, if we would not be achieving what we want most -- to help people by being the best doctors. It's a song full of love; full of hope.We stood in front of all those people to sing our hearts out and make them feel...

It's sad how people have the tendency to always think about their own selves, their own schedules, the things they have to accomplish; when there are those who have to do more, who have a lot more on their hands and yet you can never hear anything from them. These times, make me think how selfish people can be; how they would always put first their own - for survival? Maybe. I dont know. It's just really sad to be putting this into words.. It is made more real. but hey, it is. And i want this to be a reminder.. More for myself than for others.. That before we complain.. let us stop and think about those who have more to do but opted to give us time, who made it a point that everything would be easier for us, who has made greater sacrifices for our own good. There are those who would be in the extreme and would even say that it is other people's choice on why they have to give more. (yes unfortunately, people as such exist). But that is exactly the point. There are tho...

No. This is not about my own love story. My previous entry was about reading. and two days ago, i finished a book in two days which almost destroyed my life, since I was so detached to reality that i forgot my priorities, my duties and responsibilities :p my reasoning: i had to finish everything, because then is the only time that i can function normally. although after reading the book, i had a few more days that i get the images, parts or words of the story playing in my head and remembering the plot :p thinking about what could have been done to have a better ending (and by better i meant a happy one). anyway, im talking about the book by Jodi Picoult - The Pact. It is a story about two childhood friends turned lovers who had a suicide pact. It may sound simple, but it's not. Explaining the whole plot in my own words would not give justice to the book, that i encourage you to read it if you want something heavy, complex and mind boggling :p really distracting but the love is...

Reading fascinates me. a lot. it's like a brand new world, that i can immerse myself into. Whenever i find myself reading a story, be it a novel or a short one, i can't help myself but be detached from the real world and live in an alternate universe where the characters are new people in my life, new friends who i celebrate with when they are happy and i cry with when they are hurt or sad, whatever the plot permits. I feel blessed for being given the gift to appreciate books, to appreciate the act of reading itself. Although there could really be times when reading fiction distracts me from my responsibilities in life, I feel fulfilled when i get to finish a book as soon as possible after starting it. :p I may not always be happy, and I may actually be even disturbed about the story, but at least i was given a break from my can-be-mundane life :p thus i encourage everyone to read. try different worlds and continue learning :)

That is how Filipinos call people who start something and not finish it, or start something but does not maintain doing it. And it is what I might call myself as well, if i had not find the time and the urge to write again. Although, i think i might already call myself one since no matter what excuse i give, like having no time due to the hectic academic schedule, i still think i could have written a few words about the learnings i get each day. i do think everyday that i should write, but sometimes, i cant think of anything to write. writer's block? maybe. although the only logical reason on why i can't write due to a writer's block is because i cant think of a valuable life lesson to share, which is.. actually sad. anyway, no matter what the reason or excuse for my absence in this blog, is for me not valid. And with that comes the consequence of not being able to celebrate my blog's first month </3 here's to more months and to not being ningas kugon. :p t...

Yesterday, the priest made a very good sermon. It was about the law of gifts. I heard this a few times already and i quite believe it as well. with the operative word quite. but i guess with the way the priest delivered it, i was really made to believe that it exists like the physical laws governing us and that law must be used as a way of life. The law of gifts says that the more you give, the more you will receive; that what you give will be given back to you a hundred fold; and that the gifts given to us by Him should be shared because it is meant to be shared because that's the natural way of things. He compared it with the law of gravity where everything that comes up must come down. he mentioned a few more examples which really touched me a lot - learn to forgive and you will be forgiven; love and more will love you back. i hope i really get to live by such principle in life, such lesson is indeed, a blessing :)

Last Saturday, our family bonding movie was in time. Again, i sort of judged the movie because i thought it was boring and all that. And again, i was wrong. It was an awesome movie with great script and story line. It shows a life where people stop aging at 25 and where you have an additional year to live. It's a world where the currency is time and like the harsh reality we face today, the rich only gets richer and the poor are left to die. The movie bluntly shows the hierarchy and how forcefully people try to balance the world where there should be the rich ones and the poor ones. Apart from the creative way of putting such issue into screen, the movie made you think how important time really is. It may not be the currency we use in this world, but i say it's more important than money. For how can we use the money that we have if we run out of time? So let's use our time wisely. (which is weird to come from me who have been procrastinating since saturday for tomorro...

I seldom believe in gut feel or instinct. I barely trust mine since i barely feel i have one as well :p and the rare times i hear my instinct talk and i trust it, im always up for such a life treat :) For instance, last saturday, i was deciding whether to ride the train or the trike to the mall. I decided to take the train, even though it would be full of people and much of a hassle. i decided to take the train because i was thinking of my safety since i would have a longer walk via trike. And viola! upon riding the train, i saw my bestfriend for years, who i was not able to see for a very long time already :) It's the same with thinking that everything happens for a reason. Not forcing myself to ride the first train, thinking that the next train would have fewer people when it actually meant, seeing someone very dear to me. Ah. The happiness :)

'For what is a man who gains the world, but loses himself in the process.' I heard this the other night from the PBB episode and it touched me a lot :) for this is how i saw myself before quitting into something which i so desired. Of the many things in life, i value most my beliefs and principles; i wouldnt want to lose them for they define who i am. and a lot of times, we have to do things which masks itself as something good for you - well sometimes they are. But there are those times which require you to change and be entirely a different person for that greater good. Entirely changing to conform, or getting to the top by means which does not coincide with personal beliefs are things i dont want and believe yet. And it just feels great to hear a quote about it, and to know that there are people apart from me who actually believes and lives by such principle :) it further reinforces my belief that i made the right decision :)

there's a different feel when we let ourselves be immersed in good vibes:) thus we must always let ourselves look into the positive, brighter side of things. here's to more positivity!:)

i say, it's human nature to be selfish. i've had my fair share of selfishness when i believe that it should be my problems first, it should be what i want first before anything. a lot of times, people tend to forget that the rest of the world has far greater problems - you may be worrying on what to eat when there are those who worry when they can eat and if their money is enough to buy them food. those kind of stuff. a very respected mentor once told a group of students a very valuable lesson which could be really helpful to all hopeful md to be -- to get over yourself. because it's not always about you. a lot of times it's about the greater good. always for the good of the many. i thought that by this time, i have learned this. unfortunately, not. i still have a long way to go to overcome the selfishness. and i pray that ill be able to do so cause like a lot of valuable life lessons, they are always for the better.

Life is a long journey. it should never be rushed but you should not be too lax either. Today i gave one good advice to a special friend - to take one step at a time but to not forget to look forward into the future. This has been a helpful advice to me a number of times already; made big decisions which so far i have not regret. Cause yes it's about the present but it wouldnt hurt to look into one's long term goals and see if how what you are doing now can affect what you want to be. Second sem, i shall face you one day at a time.

Life is full of them. Sometimes these are the nice im excited for these surprise kind of thing but sometimes they are the im surprised and i dont like it type. No matter which between the two, it's foolproof that we are to be surprised and shocked at the most inappropriate even unacceptable time. I believe that im a surprise buster, cause i expect. A lot. But even someone like me can be surprised. just like tonight. And Unfortunately, it's not the happy kind. It's the kind of surprise you get when you are trying to move on from something, trying to forget and that thing suddenly gets attached to something dear and close to you. That you are two steps back from the one move forward you fought so hard for. On a brighter side of things, maybe it's a sign. Or a challenge. Or what not. That id rather not dwell too much on, cause id be out of the surprise topic already. No matter what, all i can say is - Life. You never fail to amaze me.

For every rule there's an exception, i say i believe in that :) and i would like this blog entry to be an exception from my 'life lessons' entries. :p I miss blogging like the normal blogger who i was and i still am. I miss the unthemed blogs that i have where i can write about what happened to my day. I miss expressing myself without any hesitation.. but i do believe that this is a more mature thing to do :p cause in blogging for 5 years, i have really polluted the internet with so much of myself. See links at side bar :p that i have to be more 'unpersonal' and express my views without having to reveal too much of my life if i want to keep a little more privacy. and sometimes it's actually already boring to read about one's life and one's rants. So yes, i stick to being the new blogger me who instead of writing about what happened, would write about the learnings i gained; Instead of endlessly ranting on not getting the things i desire is to look...

We are always blessed :) i know for one that God is always blessing me with the things i need and sometimes even more, and with all these i am more than grateful :) Every birthday is a turning point in one's life for us or atleast for me.. It's a time to realize how much time i already have been spending here on earth; a tine to reflect on the kind of life that i have lived and the decisions i have made. And so far, i am happy. Very happy :) For i know that the 23 years i have been living is well spent with people who have been showering me with so much love.. and i shall continue living life well, sharing love, learning and counting and being thankful for all my blessings :)

Everyday we grow old, and hopefully with age comes maturity and growing up ;) Ill be celebrating my 23rd birthday in a few minutes :) happy birthday to me :)

I said it once and ill say it again.. Money, the desire for more is the root of all evil. Fighting over it is a foolish thing to do. And it's sad that a lot of people do not understand this. Money or other material things cant be brought to the grave. I just hope that people realize this before things are too late.

And it flies fast. This time next week, i shall be 'studying/cramming' for an exam. It flies fast that three days from now, ill be turning 23 and that 3 years more and i shall be a doctor already :)

A healthy lifestyle includes good diet and proper exercise. And such lifestyle is important especially for an md-to-be like me. Cause how can i advise my future patients to have a change in lifestyle when i am not healthy as well :p Besides, living a healthy life also means a longer, more meaningful and enjoyable journey ahead that we can also share with our love ones :) I am determined to lose whatever i gained :p i am still within the range of normal bmi but i am no longer comfortable so, let's do this!:D

Time for oneself is an important part of one's week if not of one's day :) We must not be embarrassed to go on a mall trip alone, to eat alone or even be 'friendless' for a while :) Cause these moments may actually give you the time to think, reflect and make the best decisions for yourself.

Indeed.. There's no place like home :)

I say sleep along with laughter is one of the best and most effective medicine. it's because i was just asleep the whole day. :p

..does not mean forgetting everything from the past. It means bringing with us bits and pieces of memories from yesterday that we could use in our journey to tomorrow :) In the path to becoming a good doctor, i had to leave being a chemist. And after two years since college graduation, I was able to get myself to dispose of some of my college stuff today. from which i realized that I may forget the chemistry subjects or lessons i have studied in those four years, but i will forever treasure the memories that made my college super - my friends, professors, and my organization.:) These people and the experiences i had with them makes moving on more bearable :)

.. a book by its cover. .. a movie by its title. .. a person by his appearance. Cliche as it may seem, people should learn to never judge. There is always a lot more than what is seen in the surface that to be able to know the real worth of anything or anyone, we must allow ourselves to get to know it/them more. Judging something or someone easily does not do anything good to you and to the other person; to the other person, since they are not being given the chance to prove themselves and to you since you may actually be missing the opportunity of getting to meet one of the most amazing people that you may know or not being able to immerse yourself in one of the best stories that could have ever been told because you thought they don't deserve your time. :) yes, i guess that's the moral story of the day :p real steel is a very nice movie. indeed a tear-jerker and a movie which is worth your money and time :) happy one week to my blog!:)

..if you have nothing nice to say. sometimes people think that what they think and what they have to say should matter. however, often times, what you have to say may actually just hurt the other person, no matter how true it may be. keeping quiet can and would actually make this world a happier and a more peaceful place; that we should all try to do it sometimes. :)

it's the most amazing feeling in the world :)

you'll know that you have the best set of friends when despite a long time of not being able to see, talk and bond, the friendship remains as good as ever. to the point that when you see each other again after a long long time of nothing, it's the same as always. :) these people are rare finds in a world where having a 'friend' is easily done with just a few clicks. thus when you do find these kind of friends consider yourself lucky :) i have the best college loves. it's been two years since board exam, and we're as baliw as always :) i have the best kuya that despite shutting myself from him completely for almost 5 months, nothing has changed :) all of you are the best :) here's to more years together :)

..you do anything, you speak, write, tweet, update your facebook status, blog. words are powerful. anyone should always use it with care :) i was too preoccupied last night, i forgot to update my blog :p it's my sembreak already:D hooray!:D

life always offers us choices:) these choices always have consequences that no matter what we choose, we should always be ready for them. you may think that all these consequences are bad events, sad moments or things that you have to sacrifice. well, not all. remember that in making a choice, we almost always opt for the one which would bring us greater good. this 'greater good' consequence may not always be immediate, but sooner or later you'll get this as well. today, my choice was reaffirmed after almost 7 months of waiting, of sacrifice and of persistence. :) i know i made the right decision to improve myself, and to prepare myself to become the doctor that I want to be. it's not too much but it's a stepping stone. and with time, i know i'll get there. thank You :)

this is just my second post and i am already having a hard time, well i never thought this would be easy anyway. today was not that eventful, i was practically asleep the whole day that i cannot think of any valuable life lesson to share. so i browsed the internet for more inspiration and viola!:) thingsweforget.blogspot.com never fails to make me smile and say 'that's right!'  it annoys me when people complain especially those who complain about almost everything. although i must say i also have those days when i complain a lot as well, just like today. but i eventually get a hold of myself and remember that all it takes is an attitude change. i mean come on, not everything would go the way we would have wanted it - i would have wanted to not go out of the house today, but since i had to, atleast i ended the day having two new blouses, making myself happier :p it's always a good thing to remember that everything has a purpose and a reason, we may not know it now yet...

change is the only thing constant in this world. everything in life always change - people, places, priorities and even relationships. sometimes, these changes are for the better, while some can be for the worse. but what's sad is that a lot of times, we cannot do anything about it but to be open, to accept and have hope - be open for change because as i said, it is the only permanent thing in life; accept that once good friends can become enemies and once lovers can even become strangers and finally hope that better people, better things will come our way. i've undergone a lot of changes - both for the good and for the bad. with these changes, i've left some people behind while sometimes, i am the one who is left behind. im not  always proud of these changes, but i learned to adapt and continued to move forward with my new self and i guess that's what is more important. indeed through the years, i've changed and im glad i did. :) trivia: this was realiz...

In Their Shoes: A Design Your Own Kicks Charity Event on February 25, 2011 is for the benefit of the Ugnayan ng Pahinungod Street Children Program and the PGH Department of Orthopedics.  We only pre-sell tickets! This is your chance to design your own shoes for P500 and be able to donate a pair of shoes to a street child in need.  This is brought to you by the Mu Sigma Phi Sorority from the UP College of Medicine. Like us on facebook:  In Their Shoes and contact me for more details