The Things I Do for Love

December 17, 2008 is supposed to be a good day. I woke up to greet my mom a ‘Happy Birthday’. My sisters were also having their Christmas Party in school. It was a promising day, until… “What a wrong timing…”, my mom said. She was the first one who greeted me with so much remorse. “Your grandfather is gone. He died just this morning.”, she added. I felt sad when I heard it. My grandfather died on my mom’s birthday. I wonder what she was feeling. She didn’t tell the rest of my family that it was her birthday. My whole family is really sad. There was no happy face today. We all know that my grandfather was sick with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but it was not the cause of his death. Rather, it was due to pneumonia. I miss my grandfather. My sisters and I call him “Lolo”. He was a kind man. Lolo would always take chances in raffle promos in the town plaza. And when he won, he would give the prize money to me and Krichelle. However, we got separated from

Starbucks Coffee is my favorite place to unwind. Nothing beats the aroma of coffee wafting through the air, the smiles of the baristas, and the world class drinks. That is my sanctuary on earth. When I heard that Starbucks Coffee has finally opened in 18th Lacson St., Bacolod City, I was very much excited! Wow! Starbucks is here in Negros Occidental! I don’t need to dream of going back to Cebu just for me to have a Frappuccino! Really, I miss my favorite Toffee Nut Frap. And now, all I need to do is ride a bus for one hour and (voila!) I’m there! As Gleenece once told me, “Wow, Kandace! You couldn’t come to Starbucks. So, Starbucks took the initiative to come to you! Hahaha!” Yeah! And with this, I’m very thankful. I have always prayed to have my very own Starbucks in Negros Occidental. I mean, Starbucks followed me in Cebu and in Manila! Now, I’m pretty sure that Starbucks will follow me everywhere I go. It’s really true, happiness is easy to find. I have always wanted to experience b

Chemist Board Exam Blog Series Part Ten The Big Surprise All of us were very happy when September 11, 2008 came. A whole load of pain was taken from our hearts. We were all relieved of the pressures of the Board Exam. Even if we didn’t know when the results will come out, it didn’t stop us from enjoying our time in Manila. As Ian told me, “What you will do now will not affect the results.” A lot of us, including me, decided to go to the popular place called Divisoria. I was with the group of Jeb, Marvin, Gleenece, Bely, Jurgen, James, and Ate Ercel. We rode a jeepney going there. After a few minutes, Ate Ercel said that we reached the place. A lot of stores were completely covering the road that no jeepney could directly pass through. On entering the place, we were greeted by a horde of stuffed toys! There were pigs, Looney tunes characters, Naruto and other anime stuffs. I was so amazed at the place that was Divisoria. It was truly a shopaholic’s heaven! I heard that they se

Chemist Board Exam Series Part Nine Two Exam Days It was Mama Mary’s Birthday the day before the Board Exam. We celebrated that by attending the Holy Mass. And when night came, my friends (Gleenece, Jeb, Marvin, Warner, Josephus, Jerome, and Jason) and I gathered in Room 8 for a cramming session. Our mentors checked out on us from time to time. We were really scared but we didn’t let it conquer us. And by 10 PM, we headed off to sleep. We had a wakeup call at 5 AM. Rrrriiiiiiiing. It was my cellphone’s alarm ringing. Its volume was on maximum. But it wasn’t really needed. I didn’t have a good sleep that night probably because I was scared for the Board Exam that day. The cold shower surely waked me up! And that was all I needed to get my adrenalins running. Finally, it’s September 9, 2008! All of us were wearing white tops. That was the uniform that PRC has ordered. It was a pleasing day: a good humid weather with no rain. The bus’s air conditioner heightened the coldness o

Chemist Board Exam Blog Series Part Eight More Prayers Sharing the same home could really make friends bond together. Back in Manila, my friends and I considered Pius XII Catholic Center to be our temporary home. In there, we discovered a new side of ourselves that is rarely explored –us being more religious than we look. Nothing is sweeter than home! For personal reasons, I never planned to share my pilgrimage and set of prayers to my friends. “They may not find it significant.”, I thought. However, I was surprised one night when Gleenece, Jeb, and Marvin invited me to prayer. Well, I thought that it would only entail the Holy Rosary. So, I decided to go with them, the Holy Rosary was part of my prayer routine after all. In our four years of being friend, we rarely discuss religion in our group. But during that night, they revealed a religious side of themselves. They introduced me to a new prayer: The Novena to St Jude Thaddeus. Wow! I saw that prayer in Sto. Rosario Church

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid-term. The answer by one student was so “profound” that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well: Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)? Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle’s Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant. One student, however, wrote the following: First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let’s look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not

Chemist Board Exam Blog Series Part Seven In Manila September 7, 2008 marked our journey to Manila for the upcoming board exam. My friends from the Chemistry Review Center and I had fun in the Mactan International Airport while waiting for our scheduled time to fly. After a week’s vacation from reviewing, we missed each other very much. We took pictures of ourselves and the landscapes that surrounded us. Some of them said, “This could be my last photo in Cebu.”. They came from Davao and will be directly heading back there after the Board Exam. All of us were both happy and scared. Happy because we will be staying in the Philippines’ metropolis for five to six days! But the tension of the Board exam scared our hearts! Passing the exam would determine our future in the scientific industry. After about an hour’s flight to Manila, we safely arrived at NAIA Terminal 3. We immediately found Warner, Josephus, and Jerome waiting for us. They were our friends and they had their flight an

Twilight is Hollywood’s interpretation of the book authored by Stephenie Meyer. It is a highly romantic love story between a vampire and a human. The story revolves around the two lovers, Bella and Edward. Their tale starts off with a boring beginning, girl moves in and meets boy. As the story unfolds, the conflicts that develop make the story evolve into a romantic one with an added spice of suspense and thriller. Twilight is ideal for teenagers for they can relate with the protagonist’s budding love story. With a lot of romantic pick up lines, you’re sure to get a shiver down your spine. It teaches some lessons about love. It tells the audience to love beyond differences, to deny one’s instincts, and to ultimately protect the other half. The love that the movie presents is an obsessive one. The movie has awesome visual effects. The vampires’ features and powers are shown in great detail. But ultimately, the highlights of the effects were shown in the climax of the movie. Th

Chemist Board Exam Blog Series Part Six Mama Mary and Me September 6, 2008 was one of the most memorable days of my life. For it is in this day that I successfully completed my first pilgrimage. I am finally about to reach my destination: Simala. It is a very popular place in Cebu. Furthermore, Simala is known as a place where Mama Mary presented a series of miracles through her sacred statue. However, Mama Mary’s miracles were unknown to me. So, part of my journey was discovering the wonderful things that she has done. And of course! I planned to get at least six pieces of stampita for my loved ones. My cousin told me that a stampita is given to those who would sponsor a Holy Mass. I was really worried of going to Simala alone. Oh! Where exactly in Cebu is it located? All I know was that it is in the mountains somewhere in Sibonga. And that is very far from where I live. Luckily, my mother decided to come to Cebu and accompany me. Surprisingly, my grandmother decided to tag alo

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others. Taken from: “An Elegant Spirit: An Autobiography” by Audrey Hepburn

When my friend told me about egg tarts at Lord Stow’s Bakery to be “very delicious and highly addictive”, I didn’t quite believe it. “Yes, Kandace! Lord Stow’s Bakery makes the best egg tarts that I have ever tasted! In fact, that store is very popular in China Town.”, he said further. I love good food. And when a person recommends me a restaurant, I get skeptic and try to taste it myself. Until then would I be convinced. So, I headed to SM Mall of Asia, looked for the said store, and bought a box of six at PhP 210.00. True enough, the egg tarts in Lord Stow’s Bakery looked so well. Furthermore, the tarts are so warm, soft, and exude a fragrance of milky caramel. They looked like mini pies. My first bite of the soft and chewy tart gave me instant satisfaction. I tasted a range of flavors: milk, cream, and eggs. All three merged into a unique and sweet pastry! I loved it! And now, it’s my turn to recommend it to you! Lord Stow’s Bakery stores in the Philippines are located i

Pets could mean a problem to me. Furthermore, it becomes a really big problem if the pet happens to be a dog! Oh! No matter how they’re tagged as “man’s bestfriend”, or how adorable they look, dogs still have those fox-like nose, jaw, and teeth that really give me Goosebumps. Clearly, I have a phobia of dogs and I don’t know or how it started. My heart begins to fear whenever I hear their howls or barks. Moreover, I don’t like it when they approach me. My stay in Manila has brought me to my aunt’s house. And yes! She has pets! Worse, she has, not one, but two dogs! Named Lyka and Macoi, both of them guard the first and second floors of the house, respectively. Lyka is a female of the Japanese Pits breed. Macoi, on the other hand, is a male of the half-labrador-half askal breed. However, after about one week of stay, I grew fond of Lyka. On the first days in the house, she would gladly approach me but I would ignore her and put her away. Despite my doing, she kept on persistin

Chemist Board Exam Blog Series Part 5 The Long Journey When the quest approaches its completion, the pilgrim cannot help but feel a rush of adrenalin. Finally! After a long time, my journey is about to end. I only needed to visit three more churches. Unexpectedly, my seventh church was St. Joseph the Worker Parish of Tabunok. I just got to a jeepney which happened to pass by it. The doors were open. So, without any second thoughts, I gave the driver a signal to stop. It turned out the the church is celebrating its founding anniversary. The Holy Mass was being celebrated and I decided to stay for a while. And after the Mass, the priest invited everyone to go down to the basement for a banquet! Yummy! However, I didn't go there. Praying was my priority. I was also shy to mingle with new friends. When the week's Saturday came, I was very eager to visit the last two churches. Beforehand, I have chosen the next church to be the Basilica del Sto. Nino. The last church remained unkno

It's finally my 21st birthday! And I say goodbye to the sweet and innocent days and hello to the naughty world of adulthood! Ahahahaha! Oh well, I wasn't so adventurous before I reached this age. My life was, well, boring. But despite my ordinary experiences, there were major events that made me the way that I am today. The most memorable one was the Chemist Licensure Examination. Yup! I promised myself to write a blog about it. However, I have only finished part four out of twelve episodes. Hopefully, inspiration would hit me soon as I try to pick myself up. The second most memorable one is the time that I entered the blog era! Hahaha! I wonder where I as before that! Blogging introduced me to the hearts of other people. It also gave me an opportunity to hone my writing skills. The third most amazing experience for me is finishing my thesis in just ONE month! Phew! Last February 2008, Bubut and I went turbo speed in working on my thesis. Hahaha! I would like to thank all

Nothing thrills me more than free food! When I visited Manila, I found that the when the red neon light in Krispy Kreme stores is on, it's time to fall in line for free Original Glazed Donuts! Each donut is made with passion for quality food. Soft doghnut topped with a range fit for the sweet tooth: sugar, chocolate, caramel, and candy among others. The size of the doughnut are not too heavy on the stomach and just right for snacks. My favorites include the Limited Edtion Reese's Pieces and Kreme, the UAAP Ateneo Doughnut, and Hershey's Cookies and Kreme. But most of all, I go crazy over the specialty of the house: the Original Glazed Doughnut. The prices of the doughnuts are somewhat reasonable. As of writing, the Original Glazed is sold at PhP 30.00 while other varieties cost PhP 38.00. Krispy Kreme stores in the Philippines are located in SM Mall of Asia and SM Megamall. The staff and crew of each store is very accommodating. I give them two thumbs up! Flavor of Doughnut

I am a gamer. And being a girl, games that bring out my feminine side attract me. However, my perspective of girly video games was limited to Barbie®, Bratz®, and Disney Princesses®. My two cousins, Khristin and Jodi, introduced me to www.y8.com . It is a site full of Flash video games. And yes! Being girls, my cousins played dress ups, make ups, and cooking. Naturally, they invited me to try out these games, too. Of all the Flash games, I found dress ups to be the most entertaining. It brought me back to my childhood days when I’d spent my allowance on paper dolls. Dress up games consumed most of my time, playing around two to three hours per day. Up to date, I have done 31 dress up dolls. You are free to look at my album in http://ultigamer.multiply.com/photos/album/10/Dress_Up_Games I will feature my top three favorites: the awards night dress, school outfit, and casual clothes. These dress ups were taken with a personal touch, as if I were to waer th

Chemist Board Exam Blog Series Part 4 Closed and Open Churches Catholic Churches have really big oak doors. During weekdays when the Holy Mass is rarely celebrated, those doors may appear to be closed at first observation. That sight is so unwelcoming that it erases piety. I had a problem with those big closed doors. The town of Pardo has Sto. Tomas de Villanueva as their patron saint and their church bears his name. I chose Pardo to be a part of my pilgrimage with the church as my fourth visited sanctuary. Excitement filled me when I got off the jeepney. However, as I entered the gate and saw the closed big front door, my enthusiasm dissipated. “Why is the church close?”, I asked myself. The fact that I went there on a Tuesday gave me a clue. I thought that churches are open 24/7 so that they can welcome people who wanted to pray. In a gloomy heart, I searched the place to see if there is an alternative door but to no avail. Since I was there already, I opted to pray by the big oak d

Chemist Board Exam Blog Series Part 4 Scallop Shell “Wow! My first ever pilgrimage will get me to Simala!”. Embarking on a pilgrimage was a life changing experience for me. However, the thought was also scary at the same time. Going to different and strange places all alone is frightening for a girl. Oh yeah! I’m a naturally born coward. But heck! I always take on the saying, “Courage is not absence of fear; it is mastery of fear.” Now, can somebody tell me who wrote that quote? I forgot the poet. My excitement got me into making a passport for it. That ‘passport’ served as my record in church visits. It also functioned as a reminder for my prayers, reflections, and realizations that I made along the way. On the cover of my passport is a scallop shell symbol. I decided to adapt it because the pilgrims to the Road of Santiago use it. The first church that I visited was, of course, the Sto. Rosario Parish. At that time, they were celebrating their Diamond