The Corner Bakery

      And so my while my Kuya was having his car washed, we went The Corner Bakery( Yep, that'sthe name) to wait.
      It was a tiny bakery, small space really, but I found it cozy. :)

The Corner Bakery - Mabolo, F. Cabahug St.

      We entered through their wood-glass door and was greeted with the fresh smells of bread, cakes and other pastries.

The Pastry Section

         The quaint and tiny bakery was air-conditioned  To the right was an array of pastries-- cookies, french bread, brownie and a few more others. On the center was the counter with a white-tiled tabletop, with cakes on display right beside it. To the left were six tables with about four or three chairs each, in colors of orange and white.

       Yes, it was small, but it didn't feel cramped.
       I liked it for it one of those small cafes that was nicely decorated and furnished. The location was also good, a bit away from the busy spots of the city. Everything you see is clean and neatly placed. We ordered pizza, and it was good. I plan to buy a cupcake before we go.


I would love to return here sometime. Great spot for me who loves a bite of cake or two. :)

Cakes. Mostly mixed with Chocolate.

Thesis.Was.Kind.Of.Hell

      I couldn't imagine a time in my college life that was worse than thesis.
      I WENT THROUGH A LOT.

     My patience was severely tested, my stress levels went up notches, I was missing classes for sleep, I was swearing beyond the count of my body parts and I've cried my heart out more than once in a span of a week.

      I was sort of doubting the survival of my sanity when everything would end. It may seem a bit much, but I knew what I went through was something I wouldn't ever want to repeat in this lifetime.

      I barely got any sleep, I was getting dead tired of looking at codes and I kept on wanting to hug the floor and give up. But the thesis had to be finished for the sake of Kuya. Good thing Cherry was my thesis-mate too or I would've gone bonkers for good. =)

        Needless to say, me and Kuya had opposites personalities. we argued ALMOST EVERY FREAKIN' TIME. It was becoming so frustrating, and I was simply stretched and exhausted beyond me. Despite that, we were both serious with doing what we needed to do.

        And also, everyday was a deadline. There was always something to be done that day, and newer deadlines pop up everyday. Every week was a routine of brunches and then school, then an overnight. I almost missed a final exam because I forgot. But thank God it was moved.

       Even the defense day was a mix of thunderstorms with a sunny day only appearing at the end. Something went wrong with our website, we were hastily editing the documents, and our presentation wasn't even half ready. Our schedule for defense was at 4pm. We started at 5.45pm.

       But Thank God and His Blessings, our oral defense went well because we were all able to answer the questions of the panel well, despite numerous errors in the documents and the presentation. I thought for sure we were all screwed.

THEN YAY!!!

We.Were.Finally.Done.With.Our.Defense.

         The panel accepted our thesis, but with revisions in the documents. And by now, we are done editing and the bookbinding is finished.

YAY!!! YAY!!! YAY!!!

          Looking back at the experience, I feel like thorns removed themselves from me. It was such an enormous relief, and I feel so so so grateful to have survived. I could no longer imagine what exactly I've been through, and I don't ever want to go through that again.
         For now, I'm just relaxing. I'm trying to de-stress, just doing what I want to do. I AM FEELING AND SAVORING MY FREEDOM.

         I still feel weary, and I want this feeling to go away
         But I am happy and grateful that I survived such an experience.

Next Chapter. 
           

Anime Drawing

            I loved anime as a kid, and I've always wanted to draw them. I used up all my dad's papers just drawing and drawing.
           But now, I rarely draw. So I decided to get back into it. For now.
           Not that really talented at this. But I try. xD

Here's for tonight's drawing: The Archer

by: A.O.

A Date With Yourself

       In midst of the hustle and bustle of life, there will always come a time when you will seek to find time by yourself. A time when you're alone to sort out your thoughts and arrange yourself before you face the world again.

       I'm mostly by myself, so I have many opportunities for these. But its actually a different story. Most of my time is spent on schoolwork, so even if I'm at home, I can't really feel a sense of 'me' time because of the stuff to do. I went on a movie date with three of my best friends yesterday, and even dropped by to purchase books along the way. Still, that couldn't count as a 'me' time.

       So today, on an impulse, I went out for a trip to the mall to take a break. It gives me a different feeling to purposely go out by myself, and I really enjoy these times. I go to the local bookstore and take my sweet time to go through piles of different books. I ended up picking out two books to reserve, and as I went to the counter to make a reserve request, the sales lady already knew my name so she could write it down.
I was so surprised! I must've been to BookSale too often. :)

This is definitely why I can't wait to go to Cebu for summer, because I get to go around by myself for the afternoon till night.

Life can get to you sometimes, dontcha think? Everyday there's rules to follow and stuff to do and finish. For some, it becomes a monotonous habit. On the exremes, a bitter disappointment.
Everyone at some point needs a serious break else we go nuts from the pressure. We do need to clear our heads and take a breather to take on life once more. Others go on a vacation, take a trip to the spa, go to the gym or enjoy a simple coffee break.

Have a date with yourself and treat yourself.


I wholly agree these are the best times to enjoy life's pleasures.

Dreams; With a hint of a Subconscious Activity

      I've been dreaming from the past two nights.

      Both of those dreams conjured up a past I had already left behind.

      What could be stranger to me right now than to be a with a person in that dream who already left me in reality? Stranger still to dream about a dead loved one in a totally different scenario?

I am a little bit superstitious about dreams since they have served as a warning for me in some occasions. But I wonder what caused those scenes to appear dreams when I slept?

Moreover, I could clearly remember the dream when I wake up.

        This brings me to think about the subconscious mind. I've read in several articles that a lot of dreams are connected to the subconscious and the thoughts stored in it. Others say that a persons and things that appear in a dreams are mere symbols. Still, many dream interpretations suggest that that dream is connected to the person you see in the dream. And others say that dreams are an alternate situation the dreamer encountered. Were I to relate this to my case, perhaps there were things in the past that were etched into my subconscious, causing those dreams to appear. Buried feelings, attachments, regrets? Maybe so. But it seems absurd to me.

      The subconscious mind is definitely a mystery, even until now. No one can completely show a clear pictures of its workings. Combine dreams and the subconscious, you have a handful of mysteries what they really mean.

      I just don't see the purpose of having those dreams. It's not as if whatever happened in it will change reality; it is really highly unlikely that circumstances may change. But I still believe that they hold some kind of meaning, and it is really hard to figure what it exactly means.

      I have to admit though, that dreams sometimes are really funny. One afternoon, I was really struggling to remember something but I really couldn't. That night, my dream showed me the answer of what I was trying to remember! All hail, the subconscious! :D

        It would be a long time before anyone truly figures out the subconscious. And for dreams? They may have meaning, they may have answers to questions and they might be trying to tell you something about you and other people. 

But maybe dreams are sometimes just plain dreams.

The Last Poem Before the Air went Away

My best friends and I exchange poems, so it's no wonder why we sort of excel in writing stuff. :D

           This poem pairs the one before this. Yes, this time, this is the poem I wrote for my best friend Joanna when she was admitted to the hospital, during the summer of 2007. And just in case you're wondering, each one of us in the group holds an element[a fruit of our imaginations]. And she was air.

           This was the poem I wrote for her in the time she was in a coma.

Dear Joanna,

Through all those times I've faced some trials,

You went with me a thousand miles

When I break down and fall,

You catch me with no hesitation at all.

You hold my hand close in yours,

And then gently saying,

'"Together we travel the course."

And this you always were,

From now until forever.

And when it comes that you're in pain,

I'll come running even through the rain.

This time I'll hold your hand in mine,

And never let go til I'm sure you're fine.

Your family's there when you are sick,

Along with me, twins, Kyra and Nik.

We're here standing right beside you

To be your support in everything you do.

I'll be right here, best buddy,

So count on me 'cause I'll be handy.

Don't give up and don't ever do,

Because you've still got a will inside of you,

Who'll fight when you tell it so.

Please get well, Joanna,

And all of us will be waiting,

On your road to recovery.

From Your Best Buddy,

Aiko

But she never did recover.

A Poem From My Bestie

*sigh* It's a night of sentiments, I think.

     Every now and then, I think of my best friend Joanna and it just really gets to me how much I miss her. She was sweet and thoughtful, and she knew me so well.

     This was a poem she wrote for me way back during when I was grade 6, when I was admitted to the hospital. She wrote this to cheer me up.

"FOR YOU"

Even through the stormy seas

And even through the killer bees,

I'll be there for you

I'll hold your hand as I always do.

Along life's road we go

Your bravery and love you show so...

I'll be there for you

No matter what you're up to.

You've been my friend along life's tough journey

We've fought huge battles and you've protected me.

I'll be there for you,

Even though we're only two...

I'll be there for you

I'll be there for you

I'll for you

Now that you're in trouble

I'll catch you on the double.

Now that you're sick

We'll be there, me, Kyra and Nik.

The God, Almighty Father loves you so much....

Even if you're Chinese, European or Dutch....

We'll be there for you...

All of us will do!

=)

-Jojo