Posted on September 21, 2008

Just a simple meme that I got from a friend. I’m bored right now and I am still a bit too lazy to study (I’ll start tomorrow, I promise! )

• Maria Carolina Lou Pantig - this is my real name, the name my parents gave me. I don’t know where they got Maria. But Carolina came from my deceased aunt, who was named Catalina, who died a few months or a year (I think) before I was born. The same thing goes for Lou, from my deceased grandfather who was named Luis, who died I think of cancer before I was born as well.
• Carolina - the name that my classmates and teachers from Kindergarten to Grade 1, and from 1st year high school to around 3rd year, but it had started to lessen that year…
• Carol - one particular teacher called me this, she was my science teacher when I was in my 1st year high school. I don’t know, maybe she didn’t feel like calling me by Carolina…
• Maria - again, only one teacher called me this, and this time, this teacher was my professor for my speech class when I was in my 3rd year college.
• Ynah - this is my real nickname thanks to my sisters. So, this is what mostly everyone calls me… It is pronounced as Aina.
• Ayns - this is what some other people call me, like one of my aunts, my deceased best friend ( :( ), and two high school friends. This is also where I got my online name… Instead of using “S”, I used the letter “E” to give it a bit of uniqueness.. Then again, the letter “E” is silent “E” so its just there for design..
• Ate / Te / Ate Ynah / Ate Ayns - people who are usually younger than me call me this. Ate is a word used to acknowledge an older sister, cousin, or just an older girl person.
• Pantig - only a group of people called me this, when I was undergoing my ROTC during my 1st year of college.
• Macalou - this was supposed to be my nickname. Thanks to my older sisters, they changed it.. Why am I so happy that they decided to change it? The word Macalou (or at least spelled macalu in the language) means nakakaawa or pity in english.
• Tita Ynah - my niece calls me this.. Tita, similar to the word Ate. It is used to address people who are you mother and/or father’s friends who are girls or your mother and/or father’s sisters, and girl cousins.

Usual misspellings of my nickname:

• Ina
• Inah
• Aina
• Aynah
• Yna

Posted on September 16, 2008

I’m a senior in college, and on my second to the last trimester in the university. I used to enjoy it… I used to enjoy the thrill of challenges that came my way from my first year to my third (or at least I think half of my third year…) Sadly, I can’t say the same right now. I think I’ve had enough thrills in my life, and now, I just want to give up. The thrills I receive now does not include stuff in school anymore… No failing of courses (as of now) problems, no sched problems cause as of now I think I’m managing it a bit so far… Those types of challenges used to make me not sleep the entire night just to finish a project… It ain”t my problem no more. What’s worst, I came upon the worst challenge I can ever have… People.. I don’t know…

Posted on September 12, 2008

Its been a while since I last updated you guys with what had been happening. Well, for starters, we are now down to our second to the last term of college… The previous term had been very successful to a lot of people… It is also my second time to be a Dean’s Lister during my college years. The following are the grades I acquired along with the subject/course:

• THSIST1 (Thesis) - 4.0
• INTPHIL (Introduction to Philosophy) - 4.0
• PRCIST1 (Practicum) - 3.0
• MEASDEV (Measurement and Development) - 3.0
• LITERA1 (Philippine Literature) - 3.0
• 3DGRAFX (3D Graphics) - 3.0

And my calculated Grade Point Average for the whole term is 3.325 which makes me a part of the Dean’s List. Whoooot!

I am happy about the results of my grades…

Next up, our organization’s Teambuilding. It took place in a resort near my home in the province so it was easy to navigate everyone where to eat, what is good to do, and what is fun to do. Of course, I wasn’t alone in the planning of the food and stuff.. Hazel, a high school friend, helped cause she is also a part of the organization.

So, the “outing” was fun except for this little incident that happened to us the night before everyone took off and went back to our normal lives preparing for school the next week. Since we then had 2 villas and we use only one villa for the activities or meetings or breakfast/lunch/dinner/drinking sessions that we have, the night that I was talking about, the villa where no one was there, specifically the villa where the boys stayed, was robbed. A Motorola celphone and 2 wallets were found missing that night. We had reported it to the security of the resort and until now, about 3 days later, they are still investigating the case. If you ask me, they are just taking their time, and not taking this case seriously. For crying out loud, admit that it’s your fault already. For more information about the incident, click here.

It would have been fine if only that happened during the break. The next day as I was talking to my dad about the incident that night, he gave out a heart breaking news. My childhood friend and best friend died.

She had a heart ailment ever since she was born, and thus she can’t really tire herself much. I really don’t know the details. All I know is that she was found in their room, her lips were already black. Her mom told us that it was like she already knew it was her time… Her normal routines were off and that she said that she texted everyone in her family before she finally left. Her last text to them was the 3 words which she, I guess, rarely told them cause everyone was shocked when she texted these words to them. The last words she texted which had meaning… “I love you”. Then her next texts, according to her mom which was then according to her aunt, was senseless. Or that her last text to her aunt was “………………” and that was it.

And the next day according to her mom when they saw her, they immediately ran to my uncle’s truck to transport her to a near-by hospital. I forgot why they couldn’t go for that option, so then they headed for their truck. But then her mom and 2 of my uncle’s employees saw a Barangay Tanod (like a Captain of a smal municipality) who was wearing all black standing infront of our house and a tricycle waiting infront of my grandparent’s house. The Barangay Tanod pointed at the tricycle and told them, why go to the car when there’s a tricycle there whose motor was already running. For one thing, we don’t get it why there was a Barangay Tanod there cause we live inside a subdivision. Also, what is the coincidence that there is a running motorcycle infront of the house. Another weird thing is that the tricycle driver asked her mom where they would like to take my best friend. And not which hospital. And take note, after they had gone down in the hospital without even paying the tricycle, when her mom went out to look for it, it was gone. When we heard that, we freaked out because it was like she was really being picked up by God..

I don’t want to give out anymore details as it saddens me more. She’s been always with me ever since. Although I haven’t been keeping in touch with her much after high school… Who can blame me? Well, I can. We’ve grown far apart from each other, but then, she always thought that I was there, just a text away from her. Which is true.

She was buried yesterday morning… I wasn’t even there… During that time, I was asleep in my parents bed, because my niece woke me up a couple of times during the night cause she was calling for my parents, then for her yaya (nanny).

A lot has happened to me the past days. And I thought this 1 week break would be fun… I got my wish though. The wish that the time I go swimming back to the resort which we stayed in last week, I will be with my boyfriend. And I was. But the downside are those two things. It saddens me to think that anytime, we can really leave this earth. That anytime, that Barangay Tanod can come and pick us up. It’s just a matter of time when and how.

Pauline Joy T. Cunanan, rest in peace. I love you, my friend. I miss you too. I wish I can talk to you still… I’m sorry.