Bottled ※ Brain

Classes have officially started. You know as well as I do that the best days are those that come before the first exam date. Sooner or later, requirements will pile up, leaving us in a mire that will make us wish it's summer break again. But I'm encouraged, and I hope that you will, too, in the promise of the Lord that He will not leave us on our own. For surely He increases His mercy when our burdens increase. The hellish days of the sem will come, but didn't the Lord say that we shouldn't worry? As I write this, the song, "I Need Thee Every Hour" is playing in the background. And how clearly it espouses the believers' need for God: I need Thee, O I need Thee Every hour I need Thee O bless me now my Savior I come to Thee. Before I leave my room I check my bag. My notebooks, all here. My pens? check. My lab gown? already inside. I don't even bother to bring my books: I might just strain one of my muscles if I do. Briefly I pray, "Lord, help me ge

Here are some useful, God-exalting sites I've visited this weekend: The Gaius Project . For Christian artists and musicians. Do read the Artist's Creed . Rebelution.org . Written by Alex and Brett Harris, twin brothers of Joshua Harris (author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye"), this blog urges the youth to live for God's glory. It's a fun, light read, too. Download: What Part of Your Sin . The song tells us that Christ died for all our sins, and applies most especially to those struggling with sexual sins. It has very moving lyrics with a lulling melody.The song is free, by the way.

When the sem began, a lot of the people that I knew were rendered homeless. Driven out of the dorm, they were told to look for other places to stay. The new dorm admission policy gives the Office of the Student Housing (OSH) the final say as to who will be admitted. A logical set of criteria was given: the place where the student permanently lives, gross annual family income, and grades. Priority was given to freshmen as a result of the 300% tuition fee increase they had to bear. Admission to the dorm would help them with their expenses. Now these people I knew--some of them my close friends--were not given admission to Yakal where they've stayed for the past two to four years. Some are wondering why this was so since they were quick to submit the complete requirements for admission, even as far as sending their papers through LBC during the break. It's even baffling because they live very far: some come from Zamboanga, Iloilo, and other places that would require a three-day b

He used to be that kid: the one who learned how to ride the bike before his two older brothers did, who invited his friends for breakfast and lunch and dinner without warning, and who preferred basketball over debating whether Garamond is a better font than Times New Roman. Being the youngest in the family, everybody adored him. He had big, bulging eyes the size of a dinner plate, his skin was smooth and soft, and he had a face that garnered compliments like, “Si Sean talaga ang pinakagwapo sa kanilang lahat,” to which I disagreed. And tomorrow—my, how times flies—my kid brother Sean turns seventeen.

This post comes very late: Father's Day was last Sunday, two days ago. And it's weird, when I think of it, because my father is never late. Everyday he wakes up early, hours before we do, to read his books and meditate on Scripture. Then my mother awakens and they have coffee in the garden, all by themselves, though they should've known by now that we've been listening to their secrets in our state of half-asleep-half-awake. During PTA meetings in school, he'd always be on time. For 30 minutes, he'd wait for other parents to arrive before the meeting would commence. When he accompanies me to the airport, he'd tell me to check in two hours before departure and would settle for no less. During meetings at church, he'd always leave the house on time so there are no delays. And this one I will never forget: he hates being late for the Sunday worship service. But, as I always jokingly tell him, "It's better late than never, Tatay." And I could p

When I'm in school, I'd wish that the sem were over so I could go home. When I'm at home, I'd wish that the break were over so I could go back to school. One of life's crazy ironies: the grass is always greener on the other side. But let me tell you that although, for a time, the monotony of idleness affected me greatly, I still had a great time at home. I'll let the pictures do the talking this time. Early morning breakfasts My family wakes up early. 6:30 am. Beat that. In the garden, my parents have their morning cofee, while we have hot chocolate and pan de sal with cheese. Oh, that's just the pre-breakfast. The real breakfast comes around 7:30 am, almost always with fried rice. Books My tiny book collection consists of my favorites--and yes, with some trashy ones. At home, I read Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment but sadly, didn't finish it because it got lost. I put something on the table; the next minute, it vaporizes into thin air. I also rer

I’ve been tagged by Jade Lasiste recently—that bright girl you see walking around Albert Hall carrying a heavy backpack, usually with a book on her right hand, and whose stories are as interesting as the way she tells them. So I’m the it . Now I have to say ten weird things about myself then tag six others to do the same. I hope I'm being weird enough. 1. My mother tells me I learned to speak before I stood on my two feet. 2. I hardly cry. During tense moments, though, I spew vomit instead of tears. It’s not bulimia. I just like being theatrical. 3. I sounded like a girl when I was little. On the phone, people mistook me for my mother. In fact, they still do. 4. Without a wristwatch, I feel stark naked. 5. As much as possible, I want to have an entire step of the escalator all by myself. 6. I call my pillows by name and even talk to them at times. The green one is Scrooge, the pink one is Pinky. 7. When I was in Grade 3, I read Robert Ludlum’s The Scarlatti Inheritance without und