i think i owe some sort of carry-over to the last journal entry i’ve written.  no other time would be more adequate than a few weeks before school kicks off…

here’s a recap of the last half of the best summer ever:

1.  got to about 4 or 5 units/8-9 chapters of my pathophysiology textbook.  that’s about a third, i suppose.  that’s not much but i’m really learning a lot.  i never actually thought that i’d enjoy reading textbooks as thick as the dpc yellow pages.  i’m practically hooked.   i’ve already finished leafing through milan kundera’s “unbearable lightness…” a second time ['coz i didn't quite follow the turn of events the first time around] and i’m reading “the da vinci code” bit by bit.

2.  i’ve been zealously visiting my grannies this summer.  i’ve been to like, three of them i think.  i come to my lola luming and lola sion often to play the piano for them.  no one really makes good use of the piano when i don’t come around. it’s safe to say that i’m beginning to get a hang of the whole note-reading thing.  i’m a better reader of music pieces now compared to about 2 or 3 years ago.  taught myself 2 new pieces this summer.  still need a lot of practice on that though.  and like most times, i’m still having difficulty memorizing things… which is quite an infirmity of mine.  i’ve also been monitoring their bp ‘coz most of them are hypertensive and i don’t really get to do that when i’m school.

3.  my lola toy needs a lot of attention lately.  i mean, she’s still strong being 84-ish and all, but let’s just say she’s not her old self anymore [pardon the pun].  her weariness and lifelong regrets are slowly eating through her essence and she’s even more into spitefulness now than she was years ago.  most of my adult relatives talk to her like she’s lost her mind or something.  like she’s not making sense or that she’s only imagining things.  it just breaks me sometimes – which is why i take extra effort in making her feel that people still listen and pay attention to her thoughts and feelings. 

4.  the whole time i was at home, i’d been watching a dozen drama or comedy series and reality shows.  i had to stuff it all up now that i have the time because i know i’m never going to watch as much tv when june comes in.  that should suck.  there are a lot of great shows out there waiting to be viewed.  i especially enjoyed grey’s anatomy, ghostwhisperer, dr. phil, house, and my past favorites, scrubs, csi:ny, medical investigation, the simpsons, american idol, the oc, etc.  speaking of which, i’ve got this huge craze over ai.  and i’m definitely glad that taylor hicks won it!  god i love that gray guy!  soul patrol!

5. i’m 99 percent sure that i’m gonna be a senior this sem.  i still have that psych clearance to worry about but i think that can be handled just in time.  i’m not as “psychotic” as i used to be.  but i’m still a psycho, so beware.

6.  i’ve already started preparing for CGFNS, NCLEX-RN, and english proficiency tests.  i’ve researched on all those and found out that i’m gonna have to spend like over a thousand dollars to register for them.  why take those test and why spend that much money in the first place?  primarily because they’re required if i’m going to work abroad – which is probably what i’m going to do considering the fact that i have to help my family out.  i’m not so worried about the tests per se – as i’d probably be adequately ready by the time i’ve graduated and taken the boards and all.  and the english proficiency tests would have to be a walk in the park because i’ve got like my whole life preparing for it.  the cost of the tests is what bothers me.  wouldn’t it you, if you were to take them?

7.  oh and this time, i’m really quite excited about going back to school.  how anomalous is that?  i used to hate first days of school!  and now i’m actually looking forward to it!  unreal.

okay, that’s it.  quite in a hurry here.  i’ll see you guys soon!

here’s a recap of my entire summer break:

1.  my mom came home just in time for my sis’ graduation.  she’s pretty fly and hyped and everything and i couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t the same anymore.  that the distance and time apart just put a large gap between us.  but then she smiles and laughs and talks just the way she did when she was still here and it made me feel that nothing’s really changed – she’s still the same mom i’ve loved then and i love her more now than ever.  she told us of all her troubles while she worked abroad and it just broke my heart.  my mom needs me.  she needs someone to look after her.  i mean, she does have friends and relatives there who’d help her out and everything and she’s pretty streetsmart and all but i think that i’d be able to watch out for her better.  and i need her.  which is why i’m going to graduate this year.  there’s just no other way about it.  i’m going to graduate, take the boards, take driving lessons, and start working.  hopefully, i’d be with my mom afterwards.

2.  i’ve been catching up on my reading this summer.  my favorites would have to be pathophysiology and funda textbooks and my sis’ old books too.  i’ve taken extra effort to review my nursing subjects and i’m hoping that it’d pay off when school starts.  can’t go to clinicals without knowledge.  i’d be sacked for good.

3.  i’ve also taken the liberty of staying at home the entire summer.  ‘been very good at dodging outings and get-togethers with orgmates but i haven’t been that successful in escaping family days out.  why stay at home? it’s so freakin’ hot and i’m not very tolerable of heat and humidity.  i’ve got to try and get my old skin back [which is pretty difficult, i must say, having stayed under the afternoon sun for more than 3 years] ‘coz i’m dried as a prune.  plus, i’m really trying to spend as much time with my family as possible.

4.  speaking of family, it’s just great that i was able to spend quality time with some of them that i haven’t really seen in years.  my aunt josie and her daughter, my cousin, janelle, also came to visit and attend my sis’ graduation.  it’s been awkward at times but we managed to bond a little.  i really have no idea how to deal with them as i’ve absolutely no background about their daily lives whatsoever.  should’ve researched a bit… yeah, well.  i’ve also met kuya reggie and known what a really funny guy he was.  everyone thinks he looks and acts just like his dad, my uncle jun.  the catch is, they’ve never even met each other!  uncle jun’s been abroad since kuya reggie could remember, so, they’ve never really interacted face-to-face – which is uncanny, to say the least.

5.  my mom’s coming home also signaled the emergence of long-lost relatives who’ve been in the hiding since my mom left.  it’s amazing how one event could actually trigger memories.  unbelievable.  it’s been a while since i’ve seen some of them and i’ve actually only been hearing about how their lives have gone on and stuff like that.  it’s only now that i’ve heard of people changing, getting sick, getting old, moving on, dying, etc…  reality bites, don’t it?  this summer’s been the most realistic of all summers.  nothing about it is surreal or trivial – every day was another lesson learned.

6.  i’m about 70 percent sure that i’m going to be a senior soon.  the 30 percent is still a big deal but i guess prayers and a lot of summer reading will do the job.  i’m really ready to take on this last year of nursing school.  i think i’ve grown a bit.  plus i’ve passed two of my major subjects anyway – one of which is the most difficult of them all.  i will love nursing like i’ve never loved before! how’s that for a resolution?

7.  to start the year anew, i’m going to make a few changes.  well, not entirely.  i can pretty much say that i’d be going back to my old self – way before the corps – and i’m not going to be much of a “self-persecutionist” anymore.  i’m going to enjoy senior year and i’m going to have as much fun as i can – without sacrificing my academic performance, of course.  it’s about time i rewarded myself and stopped punishing myself for the mistakes i’ve made.  it’s time to forgive, forget, and move along.  i plan to be happy.  for the sake of the people around me [‘coz i've been such an ass these past few years] and mine.

well that’s about all i can say at the moment.  this is long enough.  i’d update when i get the chance.  the gist is: it’s been fun minus the outings and beaches.  i hope your summer’s been as real as mine.

i’ll see you guys soon.

summer job:

chocolate tasting.  more a pastime than a job.  you can only imagine what i stuff myself with.

summer obsession:

digital art – landscaping, fractals, etc.  the perfect way to make wallpaper for free and in a jiffy.

summer resolution:

imagine me talking to myself: “review for the boards, you idiot!”  i have a lot of reading to do.

the ultimate summer getaway:

home with my mum.

great summer read:

anything that needs some catching up on like “the unbearable lightness of being.”  i am only able to read books because my sis buys and reads them, too.

summer activity/ies:

listening to old records i haven’t heard in a long while. dissing every call i get from orgmates.  avoiding the summer “holiday rush.”  abstaining from shopping sprees.  being a good girl. *wink, wink*