Not by might, or by power...

Hello universe, I am back. /le sigh

This will be long. Let's take this one event at a time...


--- --- ---

One hundred years of Lasallian presence

One hundred years of Lasallian education

One hundred years of Lasallian awesomeness

--- --- ---

Me, along with some college friends celebrated the Centennial last Thursday. We first met at CBTL in the newly renovated University Mall (promise, the University Mall that we experienced was FAR from the UMall now), then we had dinner at Persia Grill just beside it. By the way, DO NOT EAT THERE and spare yourselves terrible service and forced tipping. We had to be in school before 7:30 to get to the acoustic concert/poetry reading, but since service was poor, we got to school quite late. And yes, we were forced to tip. No joke here. They didn't have change for the money that we gave and the server had the gall to tell us "I-tip niyo na lang yan." We were late, so we didn't have time to argue. If we argued, it would have been over a Php20 bill, but then again it was worth the arguing because they didn't deserve the tip to begin with. Anyway, I hope that this blog post will serve its purpose when the adventurous person Googles Persia Gril U-Mall and finds this entry here. It will be worth letting go of the Php20. =D

Now, DLSU is very different from the campus where I spent a year and a half with. It's very urban, which very much suits the city where it is situated. It doesn't help too that the football field has been excavated in order to make way for the Henry Sy Hall, so now the school is left with but a few trees. But football field or none, the memories that we collectively shared in DLSU are the stuff that not even new buildings can take away from us.

Since we were late for the acoustic concert (THANK YOU TALAGA PERSIA GRILL UMALL), we celebrated the Centennial at *drumroll please* the 4/F of the Miguel Hall.

This building was my home for nearly a year and a half. M314 was my first classroom, so a lot of my "testing the waters" happened in this hall right here. What I'll never forget about Miguel is its ridiculously cold aircons. Ang lagi ko ngang biro in the workplace is that in La Salle, we are trained not only for the real world, but also to withstand cold room temperatures that are common in the workplace. Some go as far as believing me with wide-eyed wonder. HAHAHAHAHA.

Yes I know there's a concert and other things, and celebrating the Centennial in a deserted hallway seems like the most boring way to celebrate...but just reminiscing college life in sheer quiet, without sharing the humidity on ground and getting the sweat of other people on your arms is blissful.



--- --- ---

Have I mentioned that I lost my voice? *looks back at previous entries* Yes, I did.

It's been a month since then. The "breathy" phase of it is gone, but I still sound rough. What's worse, I seem to have lost control of my diaphragm/lungs, in the sense that I cannot hold air for too long.

This by far is the worst completely-lost-my-voice incident I have ever had. To make matters worse, I absolutely hate salabat.

Today, I visited the ENT again (two or three weeks ago he prescribed me some steroids, which goes to show how bad it was...), and he gave me some anti-inflammatory and anti-reflux meds, plus he told me to hydrate and refrain from vocal abuse. I wanted to snicker when he said that cause I absolutely loved the term...

So, there's nothing left for me to do but obey the prescription, do vocalizations...and probably take a swim at the Sports Complex so I could strengthen my lungs again.

Hay, hail to thee alma mater talaga.



--- --- ---

I mentioned the voice issue because...*breathes in*

I went to an audition yesterday. My first audition in...years. Like, seriously.

Against all odds (including my voice teacher XD), I decided to go with my audition for this musicale. It was the last day of auditions, and I chose to confirm on the last day on purpose cause I thought my voice will be back by then. Of course...if anything can go wrong, it will. /le sigh

I was the fourth to audition in the afternoon batch. When I heard the first one, I was like oh my stars, why am I here? I fumbled for my iPod inside my bag and tried to distract myself with my music and the lines that I was given for the audition. Inside my head, I was telling myself, why am I here? I was told that I shouldn't be here, and yet I came! My voice isn't in perfect condition! The one singing sounds incredible - how can I stand a chance with this voice?! 


So I prayed. I think I remember praying that God will help me do whatever I can in order to sing at the very least in tune, and not to sound too hoarse...and probably a hodgepodge of other fragmented thoughts that came at the spur of the moment, and then I distinctly heard:

Not by might, or by power, but by My Spirit.

At that point, I knew that whatever the outcome will be, it will be as God wills. And with that thought in my mind, with all fear shoved aside, I was asked to enter the audition room.

And, as how most anime episodes end: つづく . . . Heeheehee. The story goes on.