Last night, I've been surfing  through the online version of Psychology Today and I came across this heartwarming article about finding happiness in the darkest of times. I remember a lot of things through this article so I decided to share my thoughts with you. Just a little warning - this post contains a lot of hugot.

          So the article was from a blog in Psychology Today called “The Gift of Maybe” which is specialized on offering hope and possibility in the face of uncertainty. It started out with a short story about a man on the verge of death– he was hanging on a vine and two mice were chipping it off , cutting his lifeline and sending him rock bottom where a tiger was waiting for him – and he found a lonely strawberry hanging near him. He plucked it, ate it and thought to himself “How sweet it tasted!” The author clearly stated that as a child, she didn’t understand about what it meant back then. Not until she discovered that her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years later. She was walking her way home one day where her mom was waiting for her with dinner when she felt this sort of breeze that blew on her direction and she instantly felt happiness. She was confused for a moment and thought that why is she smiling when her mom is sick, like she should be down the whole time because their family is suffering from a big crisis. Thinking so hard, she finally understood the metaphor brought by the lonely strawberry. The breeze was her happiness, the sweetness in her life which lit her up for a brief moment when the whole world was so down. Because of that breeze she felt that night, she was able to become strong for her mom and be her mom’s anchor by just enjoying each other’s presence.

            The story brought me to tears, actually. I myself admit that I am easily put down by uncertain events and I just can’t help but fall into an episode of depression. Reading the article brought me back to my first year in college when I was still a struggling Computer Science student. Back then I already knew that mathematics and computer science was not in my field of expertise but since I don’t want to disappoint my mom, I continued to fight what I knew was a losing battle hoping I could pass the core subjects. But the hardship was taking toll on my element. I was failing my exams and I already lost hope to the point that I wanted to quit. People would tell me “You’re almost there,” but honestly, I could hardly see the finish line.

http://31.media.tumblr.com/c3b75978c95af14834bed54bd7235cc0/tumblr_nalis9uK1Z1tts3f4o1_500.gif

            What kept me going back then are these small things that made my day. I have my friends whom I enjoy spending time with. Every Friday or after a dreadful exam, we would go out, eat dinner and have some beer afterwards. On random nights we would go out to the field and just stare at the night sky while talking about our future plans, problems, world domination, or anything under the sun (or the sky, for that matter). Sometimes, my bandmates would randomly call for a jamming session and I’d drop my pen, keep my notes, go out of my room and say “Screw the exams. I’m absorbing nothing anyway. I need to breathe. I need to go out. I need a break.” And when my friends are not around, I sleep until I’ve rested enough to take on the challenge again.

Just some of the people that made me happy in my first year in college.

            And so these little things made me feel better even though I know that the dreadful exams and nerve-racking homework will still be there when I get home, welcoming me in their oh-so-loving arms. I know I could never escape my own problems not until I fix them myself so these little things are what makes me breathe, reminds me that I’m still alive, that there’s more to life than this. These little things are my strawberry that made me cherish the sweet things in life that is always there to make me happy.

https://33.media.tumblr.com/dedf7abc9e95c0f1510578fcfa1cee7d/tumblr_mtrvipg0UX1s83zufo1_500.gif

            In the end, we should all realize that we’re not the first to take that cross which we carry as we go on through life. You are not the first nor you would be the last to cling on a vine hanging on a cliff and amid your panic on the brink of death, you’d find a strawberry on the vine’s sinewy texture. In this lifetime, we face different, you could say unique challenges and crosses that we need to deal with. But no matter how hard or challenging your tests may be, always remember that life’s too short to not stop and smell the flowers. 

   

  Skimmers Free Throw players after the game. [cr.: Riza Cabualan]

       Free Throw, commonly known as “Org Wars” or just “Orgy”, has been a tradition every U-Week in UP Visayas for the last three years. But since I’ve always participated in Hinugyaw as a model, I was deprived of joining one of the most exciting events of U-Week. For two years, I just stayed on the sidelines with the other models and watch acad orgs battle each other in a paint-ball-esque game where they have to protect their respective governors from being hit by multi-colored “ammos”. Watching the game, we witnessed how players endured the scorching heat of the sun and bypass hurdles where one is at risk of being injured, that’s why us models were not allowed to join such game.

     For this year, Hinugyaw was not included in the list of activities for U-Week due to certain reasons soothe models were free to join whatever risky activities we want to participate in. We definitely grabbed the opportunity to play Free Throw since we’ve been dying to join this game so bad and luckily, we were granted to join in the fray this year, yay!

   Fast forward to game day. When we arrived at the softball field where the game will be held, we were so hyped to play already. We saw players from other acad orgs wearing their uniform shirts according to their respective team but (I don’t mean to brag) never once were we intimidated. Skimmers got fighting spirit, ‘nam saying? So we huddled together, strategized and discussed about our game plan and shouted the Skimmers signature cheer to get our heads in the game.

SOTECH, Clovers and Redbolts preparing for the game. [cr.: Riza Cabualan]

   On being a first timer. It hurts. Seriously. I now get why models were deprived from joining this brutal game because when ammos hit you, it hits you really hard. It hurts you so bad that there’s a possibility of bruises appearing on your skin days into the game. Also, being a participant is like playing a difficult game of “Would You Rather” with three choices: would you rather protect your governor, throw offenses or just take cover and save your sorry a**.

"Game mode: ON" [cr.: Riza Cabualan]

   Highlights. Here are some of the remarkable moments during the game:

             1. Miagao United. Acad orgs from Miagao campus teamed up to face orgs from CM. They were successful in eliminating Scions and Tycoons. Unfortunately, SOTECH also didn’t made it to the next round.

           2.  Terrifying climax. For the second round, Miagao United was still on. Though at some point during that round, Elektrons started targeting Clovers. Skimmers, being sandwiched between the two orgs, were on the brink of being a target anytime soon so we started throwing offense at the neighbouring orgs. Unfortunately, Skimmers’ offense team is not strong enough so there was like 5 minutes in the game when we were constantly hit by ammos coming from different directions. It was the darkest moment for Skimmers during the game to the point that we can’t throw offense because of the constant pain of being hit by ammos.

              3.   Unexpected plot twist. They say when you stumble and fall, you have to learn to get up on your feet. And that’s what we did. The game went on, with us defending our team and throwing offenses at the remaining orgs until the final countdown. When the governors were summoned for the judging, we never expected to land the second place after Clovers and Elektrons being the 3^rd placer! Booyah!

     I’m sure most college students could relate to this one because what I’m gonna talk about here are stuff about burning the midnight oil. As college students, we could never deny being an all-nighter nutter sometimes. Even if we’re so anal about scheduling our tasks in order to get things done on time, we could never veer away from staying up late especially if we want to ace an exam or deliver a report with no loose ends.

   Having already spent more than a couple of years of my life in college surrounded by people who also struggle, for want of a better term, in the battlefield of academic excellence. I have encountered a lot of students with different all-nighter habits to ward off drowsiness and survive the night without feeling helpless at all. Aside from hoarding coffee, carb-packed food, smokes (optional), energy drinks that will make you twitch faster than a poke on the ribs, and other survival stash supplies in order to stay awake, here are some of the weirdest all-nighter habits from random people I meet in the university. Find out if you have the same habit as them or you might want to try their method in case you need a new strategy to stay up really, really late.

The Anal Girl. I know a girl who fixes her bed clothes super tight before commencing with her homework. She takes her bed sheets off, puts them back again and makes sure there isn’t any creases on them as if it’s good as new. If it isn’t enough, she takes out everything on her closet and arranges it back according to color or type depending on her mood. She said it helps clear her mind and by the time she starts working, her thoughts are well organized just like the stuff on her closet or her bed. Plus, her bed looks so good and clean that she doesn’t wanna ruin it for the time being.

The Hot Mess. If the previous girl likes everything nitty-gritty and organized, this hot mess I know likes to study with all kinds of stuff spread on her bed: notes, books, clothes, gadgets, even shoes! She likes to cover her bed up with stuff until there’s no more space to lie down onto in case she gives up and decides to retire for the night. It actually helps her get rid of the irresistible seduction her comfortable bed is doing so she could concentrate well on her homework. 

The Fitness Geek. This person is not really a 100% fitness geek but rather turns to one in times of great crisis that is “hell week”. You don’t usually see her jogging on a normal day but when hell week is approaching, she’s always starts her jogging routine at 6:30 PM every night. Like usual joggers, she always carry her phone and earphones to blast pop songs while running her usual track from dorm area to New Admin building and back. Running doesn’t only clear but also prepare her mind before she starts working by 10 PM on the dot every night. She doesn’t actually believe that running will consume her energy. Rather, she believes it to stimulate more energy and give her willpower to jump start working for her homework.

The Makeup Guru. I once had a dorm mate who has a different kind of entertainment when she gets tired of studying: she unleashes her inner goddess! She puts on thick layers of makeup gunk, and what’s worse is that she’s doing it as if she’s making a video tutorial like those makeup gurus you find in Youtube. Weird, I know. But she treats it as a form of entertainment for her and her roommates who also share the same struggle during hell week. By the time she gets back to work, she feels more alive and more stimulated to work because she knows that she could slay the beauty industry.

The Hypocrite. This one is more personal since it’s my weird habit when staying up late. Most of us tend to listen to music when studying, right? But back in my first year in college, I blasted KPOP (I was a hater before I saw the light), screamo rock and RPG theme songs when I prepare for my math exams (yes, I was still a struggling Elektrons back then). KPOP, screamos and loud instrumentals really annoy the hell out of me but I kinda benefit from them somehow because I believe they stimulate my brain cells (lol) and I can’t understand the lyrics so I wouldn’t get carried away and sing the song instead of studying.

   I could see that ghost of a smirk forming on your lips, mate. You definitely have weird all-nighter habits that would sure make the antics of our examples tame and thoughtful. In any case, we’d love to hear from you bubbah, after all it’s a free country. So woman up and comment below because the rest of the world’s dying to take a sneaky peek at your weirdly worldly all-nighter monkeyshines too!

     We cannot deny that there are a lot of perks of being a student of the University of the Philippines. One of which (and my personal favourite of course) is that we don’t wear uniforms. Students go to school wearing anything; from comfy shirt-plus-pants combo to extravagant maxi skirts and boots! Plus, dress codes are not that important. These days, a big percentage of the female population wear short shorts in class. Pffff. You can even wear your running shorts.

     Because of this, I consider every waking moment of my life in the university as an opportunity to dress up, and flaunt the stuff straight off my closet that took me years to collect. Yes, it took me years to establish a closet full of fashion finds; some of them have been with me for, like, three years at most? I’m a keeper, you see.

     This closet of mine may not be the best out there (I’m just a student and I live on a low-budget lifestyle because rent, food and allowance are given priority in my books) but hey, if I’m going to write a lot of lifestyle stuff on this blog in the future, might as well start with what I have with myself.