COLLEGE - The First two weeks Edition

Everything about college is turning out so well-- by this, I mean, even better than my high expectations of it-- most, if not all, of my blockmates are really nice; I enjoy, so far, all the courses we are studying (most especially History1 and Geology11); no prof had given me a 'terror' impression yet (yeap, even Prof Rimando, surprisingly. He isn't as bad as the stories go, really); and I have been getting along well with not only my roommates, but also my fellow dormmates.

Last week, my dormmates and I went out to buy stuff. We went to Session Road (Rizal Avenue's counterpart in Baguio), bought stuff, checked out ukay-ukay shops, ate out, and between those, we had a blast.

Just awhile ago, I was from Oh My Gulay with some blockmates. It was sort of like ditching History class, but it was not. We were told that we wouldn't be meeting our prof, so we went somewhere to kill our time, which was Oh My Gulay. It's a vegetarian place, with such great ambiance, albeit not too affordable.

Last Monday, after the college orientation, my groupmates and I, from Botany lab class, decided to go to Burnham Park to search for flower pollens for a lab activity on Wednesday. It turned out, we were joined by people from other groups as well, so it was really fun.

Last Saturday, JP and Aze and I went to watch a movie-- Kimmy Dora. We had to sit on the stairs because we were almost late for showing. But, it was still fun, even though we kept on moving because other people were going down by the stairs. 

Tomorrow, I have a plan with Aze and JP to study at UP Library. I know it would be a lot of fun again, it always is.

It seems, by these experiences, that I am having a total blast of college. And I am. But no matter how fun college is, I still miss Palawan-- I miss its hot temperature, I miss the accessible beaches, and most of all I miss my family-- my momma, my tatay, my little sisters, and my oh-so-cute brother. But Palawan is not a single bus ride away, and I have to bear that truth for 5 more months.

When my head is buried in the books, I get preoccupied, and for a while then, I forget all the homesickness and misery and the craving of being home. ;)

First Step - Enrollment

I enrolled last summer in University of the Philippines, Baguio Campus. Flash back few months before, I wouldn't have an inkling thought of passing in the country's most renowned university. I had hoped, wished, yes, but never did I actually imagine of going there.

At sometime in May, I flew to Manila and had a bus ride with Tatay to Baguio, which was approximately 6 hours. Oh, I wouldn't want to remember the longest 6 hours of my life. I wasn't able to do anything but sit - imagine that.

The day before the enrollment, I went to the univ and was planning to had my medical check up taken so I wouldn't be going through a long line on the day of the actual enrollment. Luckily, I was one of the first few people there then, so I get to be one of the first few students in line. But I wasn't lucky enough when it had started raining really hard. I was sitting in an open area, which really exposes me to the coldness. Yeap, Baguio coldness plus rain - you wouldn't want to imagine it. Especially for someone like me who had lived in a hot place for the past 15 years, where it rarely rains hard, called Palawan. I was only wearing a sleeveless and a thin cardigan then. I could vividly remember how I felt the I'm-freezing-to-death feeling. It was such a bad memory.

So at least, I had finished my medical check up well, by myself.

The very next day, I woke up early to avoid the long line that they said are always present during enrollments.I found a mass of people in a lobby in which I assumed was where the enrollees are supposed to be, read the instructions pasted on the board in front, and sat. I had no one to talk to, which was why I eavesdropped on other people's conversation. The girl beside me was talking to her friend about this tv series, Big Bang Theory, which I happen to be watching as well.

The actual enrollment was a fun. Fun in a way that I had not expected it to be. That's, I think, what I get from expecting of the worst. Anyway, we were each given a green paper where all the procedures of the enrollment are written. It was all, as far as I can remember, 11 steps. There's also a venue written in each step and you'll be looking for the venue. You will know if you are in the right venue when you have seen the sign there. It sort of resembles an Amazing Race. It was cool, and I get to know this girl, Nash, when I was lining up for stfap. And she happens to be my blockmate also.

I was almost finished of all the procedures when I saw my friend, Aziel. She was my classmate back during elementary. She happened to pass UPBaguio as well, in the same course I took - BS Biology. I stopped to ask her what block she was assigned, and we were lucky enough to be on the same block.

I'd be flying back to Manila again two days from now, and be really going to college. :)