At the lunch table, Serina talks love advice to a heartbroken friend -- quoting Soren Kierkegaard to help the friend get back on track, she locates specific instances wherein the friend should have turned toward a more principled way of living.
What happened that afternoon ended that afternoon. To bring it back, as in to put into writing, would be to dig up a grave of someone already dead and buried. Serina was enjoying a delectable dessert at Bon Chon when her friend started to complain about a guy who forgets--or pretends to forget--to text her. The friend brings more of these problems to the table.
A more rational overseer, Serina knew how said petty problems could be fixed. She began by saying that she had made similar or even worse mistakes. "You're leading your life in entirely different categories," she tells her friend. "You put on all-black clothing to make yourself look good for him; and then you keep seeking for his approval in almost everything you do. So what if he likes you? So what if he doesn't? You're lowering yourself to the level of people who live materialistically."
She continues by sharing some of her knowledge on chakras: "I don't wear black because black absorbs the negative energy of places. You'll notice that your day will keep getting worse if you do. Also, focus on things above, if you know what I mean."
The friend says "No, not really."
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
11.3 "God too cruel"
A pre-WORLDS2 nervous breakdown -- Serina Alonzo took out a piece of sticky paper and scribbled on it with the words "God's so cruel. I think He has left me...." She tossed the piece of paper to Ho Jae and then ran out the door.
After many long days and hours of toil, at 5 A.M. that day, Serina Alonzo finally tasted what it was like to sleep. She woke up thirty minutes after to get ready for school--and thirty minutes of sleep did not matter for as long as work was finished well. Finally satisfied with the book critique, she squeezed the USB in her hand and said, "This has got to be the best book critique I've ever written!" Upon arriving at school early that day, she went up the library at Andrew Gonzalez Hall to quadruple-check both papers before having them printed--both the WRIFICT book critique and the WORLDS2 Nietzsche paper.
But then this happened. First, the librarians did not allow USBs for the library computers, not even when really needed. Frustrated, Serina darted out the door and walked all the way to the piso print at One Archer's Place, only to find out that both files were not in the USB--either something deleted them or they were not saved at all. Outside the piso print, Serina literally fell on her knees and grieved as if someone important had just died--replace "someone" with "hopes and dreams of rising victoriously in major subjects." She found herself finally using those "swear words" that were once just untouched vocabulary inside her word bank. She then decided to type everything from both papers down from memory, beginning with the book critique, the more crucial one.
When the bell rang for the 9:15 A.M. WORLDS2 class, she quickly dropped everything and headed to class--strangely, Serina could not bear to cut class, not even for important papers. A few classmates like Riddick and Kevin noticed her wiping away tears and sniffling as she entered the classroom. She did not mind them or anyone. Instead, the plan of action was to proactively continue to rewrite whatever she could remember from the initial document. She spent those hours trying to come up with a similar document. Meanwhile, she also blamed God for the mishap. Finally, at the peak of her anger, she wrote "God's so cruel. I think He has left me." Slipping the note under Ho Jae's hand on the desk, she stood up and ran out the door in complete anguish, saying words like "What of 'I'll never leave you nor forsake you,' God? I believed in You..."
She spent the span of her only break time cramming the papers, feeling altogether happy that she finally had opportunity to self-torture by skipping lunch. Lunch happens to be her favorite meal of the day--skipping it would equate to deprivation of happiness. After one paper was done, she proceeded to writing the next paper. In less than an hour, she managed to chock up three unsatisfactory, half-baked papers.
Later that afternoon, she received a text message of concern from Ho Jae. Serina confided that she thinks she is turning crazy.
After many long days and hours of toil, at 5 A.M. that day, Serina Alonzo finally tasted what it was like to sleep. She woke up thirty minutes after to get ready for school--and thirty minutes of sleep did not matter for as long as work was finished well. Finally satisfied with the book critique, she squeezed the USB in her hand and said, "This has got to be the best book critique I've ever written!" Upon arriving at school early that day, she went up the library at Andrew Gonzalez Hall to quadruple-check both papers before having them printed--both the WRIFICT book critique and the WORLDS2 Nietzsche paper.
But then this happened. First, the librarians did not allow USBs for the library computers, not even when really needed. Frustrated, Serina darted out the door and walked all the way to the piso print at One Archer's Place, only to find out that both files were not in the USB--either something deleted them or they were not saved at all. Outside the piso print, Serina literally fell on her knees and grieved as if someone important had just died--replace "someone" with "hopes and dreams of rising victoriously in major subjects." She found herself finally using those "swear words" that were once just untouched vocabulary inside her word bank. She then decided to type everything from both papers down from memory, beginning with the book critique, the more crucial one.
When the bell rang for the 9:15 A.M. WORLDS2 class, she quickly dropped everything and headed to class--strangely, Serina could not bear to cut class, not even for important papers. A few classmates like Riddick and Kevin noticed her wiping away tears and sniffling as she entered the classroom. She did not mind them or anyone. Instead, the plan of action was to proactively continue to rewrite whatever she could remember from the initial document. She spent those hours trying to come up with a similar document. Meanwhile, she also blamed God for the mishap. Finally, at the peak of her anger, she wrote "God's so cruel. I think He has left me." Slipping the note under Ho Jae's hand on the desk, she stood up and ran out the door in complete anguish, saying words like "What of 'I'll never leave you nor forsake you,' God? I believed in You..."
She spent the span of her only break time cramming the papers, feeling altogether happy that she finally had opportunity to self-torture by skipping lunch. Lunch happens to be her favorite meal of the day--skipping it would equate to deprivation of happiness. After one paper was done, she proceeded to writing the next paper. In less than an hour, she managed to chock up three unsatisfactory, half-baked papers.
Later that afternoon, she received a text message of concern from Ho Jae. Serina confided that she thinks she is turning crazy.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
11.2 Serina Alonzo cancels coffee date; eats frozen yogurt instead
After canceling a coffee date with someone due to studies, Serina Alonzo decides to spend some quality time alone at Golden Spoon (the yogurt place).
Upon reaching the street of her house, Serina takes a side turn and heads to a plaza and goes to Golden Spoon, bringing with her a "buy one get one free" coupon. She finishes two full cups of yogurt by herself, telling herself that "hey, this is so much better than that coffee date..."
Upon reaching the street of her house, Serina takes a side turn and heads to a plaza and goes to Golden Spoon, bringing with her a "buy one get one free" coupon. She finishes two full cups of yogurt by herself, telling herself that "hey, this is so much better than that coffee date..."
Monday, August 4, 2014
11.1 Philosophy department helps hopeless case
Monday post-WORLDS2 nervous breakdown -- After delivering a badly-analyzed class report on Nietzsche, Serina Alonzo runs to the girls' restroom and weeps. She sits at the hallway for thirty minutes, thinks of skipping lunch to punish herself, and then reads more Nietzsche in attempt to improve her crappy paper. She does, with help from great people.
A self-criticizing perfectionist, Serina Alonzo wept for long when things did not work out as planned that morning. It was likely that the professor, disappointed, gave her a nightmarish score of 0.0 or lower. The student was soon found walking out of the restroom door, blubbering with a messy bunch of tissues. After a few minutes of moping around, she went straight to her next class all fixed, as if nothing disastrous had just happened.
With Trish Gan and Leann Guatno at lunch, Serina's plan of punishing herself by skipping lunch did not push through--she couldn't with the company of friends. While eating, they ranted to each other about stress, the trimestral system, and slacker-off group mates--ultimately wishing that the hell weeks would be over sooner. To cheer up, Serina thought of telling them about her WRIFICT cheesy love-story plot. As they proceeded to the campus through Agno gate, Serina saw a band of Lasallian brothers and felt embarrassed right after unintentionally squeeing in public and exclaiming "BROTHERS!!!" with googly eyes.
The three friends spent the rest of their only common break at the gazebo exchanging comments on the plot. A fan of love stories, Trish said that she liked it and that it reminded her of some Korean dramas. Leann, on the other hand, was able to predict its autobiographical suggestion. Serina then revealed how each part of the plot was drawn from real life experiences. The critique session eventually metamorphosed into a conversation about Serina's male friends.
Heading to class, Serina took the back-door route to the faculty building and was blocked by the Groyon at the door. Pondering whether to ram herself through the obstacle or to just stare at it, she found herself babbling about stuff until he eventually unblocked the way.
After WRIFICT, now with two papers--Nietzsche and book critique--to worry about, she was glassyeyed and so decided to go up to the Philosophy department for help--what she realized she should have done weeks ago. Having been a member of DLSU Pilosopo since freshman year, the people in that department were very familiar people. Serina went to the really friendly department secretary, Ate Tin, and ranted all about her Nietzsche struggles, after which Ate Tin approached a professor and asked him to help the sorry student. The professor lent her two books.
Serina and the professor talked for more than an hour until the rain poured, preventing her from heading to the SDA building. In that event, she went down to the Literature department and stayed there for aircon, and also to write a note to her WORLDS2 professor and to do some homework. She was then met by one other professor who asked "How was the comprehensive exams?"
Realizing that she also had the comprehensive exams to worry about in addition to the two crappy papers and three other exams, she pulled out her checklist and placed an X mark beside "coffee date with ---." Clearly, studies have to be prioritized. What's not to love?
A self-criticizing perfectionist, Serina Alonzo wept for long when things did not work out as planned that morning. It was likely that the professor, disappointed, gave her a nightmarish score of 0.0 or lower. The student was soon found walking out of the restroom door, blubbering with a messy bunch of tissues. After a few minutes of moping around, she went straight to her next class all fixed, as if nothing disastrous had just happened.
With Trish Gan and Leann Guatno at lunch, Serina's plan of punishing herself by skipping lunch did not push through--she couldn't with the company of friends. While eating, they ranted to each other about stress, the trimestral system, and slacker-off group mates--ultimately wishing that the hell weeks would be over sooner. To cheer up, Serina thought of telling them about her WRIFICT cheesy love-story plot. As they proceeded to the campus through Agno gate, Serina saw a band of Lasallian brothers and felt embarrassed right after unintentionally squeeing in public and exclaiming "BROTHERS!!!" with googly eyes.
The three friends spent the rest of their only common break at the gazebo exchanging comments on the plot. A fan of love stories, Trish said that she liked it and that it reminded her of some Korean dramas. Leann, on the other hand, was able to predict its autobiographical suggestion. Serina then revealed how each part of the plot was drawn from real life experiences. The critique session eventually metamorphosed into a conversation about Serina's male friends.
Heading to class, Serina took the back-door route to the faculty building and was blocked by the Groyon at the door. Pondering whether to ram herself through the obstacle or to just stare at it, she found herself babbling about stuff until he eventually unblocked the way.
After WRIFICT, now with two papers--Nietzsche and book critique--to worry about, she was glassyeyed and so decided to go up to the Philosophy department for help--what she realized she should have done weeks ago. Having been a member of DLSU Pilosopo since freshman year, the people in that department were very familiar people. Serina went to the really friendly department secretary, Ate Tin, and ranted all about her Nietzsche struggles, after which Ate Tin approached a professor and asked him to help the sorry student. The professor lent her two books.
Serina and the professor talked for more than an hour until the rain poured, preventing her from heading to the SDA building. In that event, she went down to the Literature department and stayed there for aircon, and also to write a note to her WORLDS2 professor and to do some homework. She was then met by one other professor who asked "How was the comprehensive exams?"
Realizing that she also had the comprehensive exams to worry about in addition to the two crappy papers and three other exams, she pulled out her checklist and placed an X mark beside "coffee date with ---." Clearly, studies have to be prioritized. What's not to love?
Sunday, August 3, 2014
10.7
The thick, cottony blanket is so big that it can cover ten humans side by side together in one bed--except it only covers one in reality. Its intricate design makes it look like a gigantic masterpiece, and its colors of chocolate brown, orange, beige, and wood brown make it look so nice to hug and squeeze, especially when cold. Because of its size, it can be folded and crumpled into different origami shapes.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
10.6
The book called Sharp Teeth has been lying on the corner of the table for three years. Its edges are dirtied, and its cover has a velvety red texture. Its sides are yellowish and a little bit dusty, but its leaves are still as clean as always. Its spine has marks of ink on some places, and it has a marker line down its lower side. Its front cover has the silhouette of a wild wolf-like creature with sharp teeth. The prints on the cover are a shiny black.
Friday, August 1, 2014
10.5
When kept inside an air-conditioned
room, the book’s ridged cover becomes colder than usual. Its small size makes
it fit easily inside bags and big pockets. Its dark-reddish cover has a picture
of a man holding up a white rose for a woman, and its title is scribbled in
white across the lower part of the cover. The upper right part of its cover has the words "New Adult Pop Fiction" on it. Its edges are curved so that it looks
friendly and pleasing to look at. Its smooth, cream-colored pages are nicely printed on with a font type that is easy to read. It has the smell of a newly unwrapped magazine.
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