Epilogue: Moving On

(This is the final post on the "Final Days of Summer" series. See what I just did there? Haha. Anyway, click HERE for the rest of the posts of this no-common-theme series. Also, I did an update to the 5000-view post, so vote now because I moved the deadline to the 30th of June. Click HERE to vote now!)


You may be wondering why there's an epilogue. I just want some closure for maybe my last summer vacation in my entire life. Honestly, I seriously hope I can go on more vacations because I may need it after this hell of a semester I'm about to face. 


Change is inevitable. The only thing that's permanent in this world is change. Some people embrace it, others resist it as hard as they can. In the end, it's either you "ADAPT or DIE". I got that from a recent podcast episode of the Vergecast where Joshua Topolsky explained how the entertainment industry, particularly in movies and television, has to change their model or else they will be consumed by the advancements of technology.


The only thing I can say about change is that I will embrace it with open arms and whatever happens to me will happen. I hope my dream for the future will stay intact because I intend to do that dream.


Well, time to get serious. School's in.

1: Indie Strolling

(This is the second to the last post of the "Final Days of Summer" series. You may have missed a lot of stuff. Read the back story and the other posts HERE to peer into my mind for this past week. Also, I updated the blog so that you would be seeing bigger pictures from now on. Yay? Haha.


Hmm. What to do on a holiday before classes start? Well, I didn't do much, really. I actually forgot to post something here in my blog about this year's WWDC from Apple. As you may have known, I am fond of Apple products lately (though I still use a Nokia phone and a Windows laptop because it's more useful in our field) and I always want to see what's new in their "walled garden", as people call it. I will be posting them soon though, because I got lots to say.


Anyway, as I said I didn't really do much. I finally went back to the gym after a week of not going. I usually go every Saturday but you know what happened last Saturday, right? I am finally able to get back to my regular routine when classes begin, so hopefully I could get into shape (FOR REAL).


In the afternoon, I got a haircut because I was a bit annoyed by the hair touching my ears. While I was in the barbershop, there was a parade going on. It was for the celebration of the 114th Year of Philippine Independence from the Spaniards. I clearly stated that because the Philippines went through three colonizations before we were actually free from anyone. First, the Spaniards, next were the Americans, then came the Japanese. Then we were left to our own on the 4th of July, 1946, which became the Philippine-American Friendship Day. I guess that the lawmakers saw that the independence in June 12, 1898 has more meaning. It has been like that ever since. It's nice to see us celebrating it despite the problems this country has faced recently.

After the haircut, I went to Ayala to have picture-taking of myself for a requirement in school which is a 2x2 picture. Nothing much to talk about there. After that, I was searching for the Samsung Galaxy S III. Despite my initial reactions, I wanted to try it out to see if it's worth it. When I got to the Samsung store, I tried it out.


It's actually not bad. It's okay with my hand, but I don't think anyone can just use this with one hand. The phone is zippy. It feels comfortable in the hand. I gotta say, anyone who says that Samsung oversells features is true. Still, there will be people who'll have this learning curve before being comfortable with Android even with Ice Cream Sandwich.


After that, I got the printed 2x2 pictures from Picture City, and I went home. Thinking about the 1st day made me wonder a lot though. Hopefully, I won't falter because of those things.


Summer's over. Back to reality. Oh well.

2: The Decision

(As we approach the end, read the back story of "Final Days of Summer". It should help you give answers to the reasons such as why there's a number in the title. Come on, guys. Read it! Haha.)


As I started my day, I had a question in my mind that actually dates back from the end of last semester:

Can I actually survive the final year?

I got really confused right until that very moment. By the way, this post has a symbolic connection with the picture. That was taken last weekend when I was experiencing that crimson Saturday and another food trip.

Back to the topic, I knew that I would get my answer at the end of the day. So as usual, I spent this day in the office pondering on this question. While I was there, I was creating a document for what I did so that other people will be able to replicate what I did in the office. Hopefully, it will work smoothly as I finish it by the deadline. I try to sway away from thinking about this but then it came to me.


How did I get to this point anyway? Didn't I learn to survive every single hardship I've faced? I remember the motto from Don Bosco: ARDUA NON TIMEO, which translates to I Fear No Hardships. I survived through Science High. I made it through three years in college. What's the point of being afraid now?


When the day ended, our boss asked if I'll continue on with the on-the-job training or not. I told him that I'd have my decision by Wednesday. So, for the answer to that question above:

YES.

2 days left. The fun days come to an end.

3: A Crimson Food Trip

(We're near the end, but it's never too late to check out the back story of the "Final Days of Summer" post series. You'll know why the heck there's a number up there. Go HERE)


Waking up after that good feeling I felt yesterday was great. When I got bored sitting in the room, I visited the room where my parents are and asked me to go to the beach to check whether it was okay for my Mom to go out and swim. At first, I couldn't go because my Lola asked me to get coffee, but eventually I did. When I was already there, I realized that Mom could NEVER go out with all this heat around simply because the sun was really bright and the beach was at low tide so it was shallow. When I was about to go back, Dad arrived and asked me about the beach. After which, we went to confirm whether the beach was really shallow and it WAS. After that, we went to go fish feeding which was cool since we were on something called a Legodock where each piece can float and you can put several together to form anything, from a flotation platform to a pathway. It was cool when you actually see it in person.


After the fish feeding, we went back to the room to get Mom, Sis, and Lola so we can eat breakfast. The food was DELIGHTFUL! This is exactly why I gave that title up there. The food has a selection that is comparable only to Marco Polo's offerings (based on experience since I have not been to all resorts and hotels in Cebu in recent years) and the ones I ate were great! We were also treated well since it was the Manager of the restaurant who mainly served us. I am greatly contented with their service and I would visit again, given another chance. When we were done eating, we took pictures as a reminder of this very relaxing weekend. It's fun to let loose at times. :) Then, we went back to our rooms to prepare for our trip back home.



While my Mom was busy with the checkout process, we went to the Crimson Pastry because we were told that we could get P1000 worth of goodies as long as it was food. We went there and my Dad had a hard time picking which ones we should get. After waiting for nearly an hour, we finally got these goodies out of those amazing choices! Then we were on our way home.


On our way home, we stopped by Parkmall where we ate lunch in Chika-an sa Cebu. We then brought Lola to SM where she does her usual activities. After which, we stopped by Ayala to buy important stuff for my sister and new slippers for me since they got broken last week. :(


We finally got home, and I took a moment to realize things. There were times when I was really really down in the dumps with no direction at all, but then God was there to enlighten me. I always thank Him for all the blessings he has given me ever since. I will forever be grateful.

After dinner, relatives came and we ate the goodies! It didn't seem like a cake, but rather a loaf which you can slice like sliced bread (duh) and it tasted great! It wasn't too sweet, it wasn't too plain either. Eating it was a delight that I just had to get another slice. Haha. Due to fatigue because of sleeping last night, I dozed off to bed right after I posted to my blog.


3 more days, 3 more posts. Here we go.

4: Crimson Saturday

The welcome drink...

(In case you got confused on the title format, check out the "Final Days of Summer" page where I put the back story on why the heck there's a number on the title.)


I was supposed to hang out with friends when suddenly my mom planned an overnight stay in Crimson Resort and Spa. At first, I was like "WHY?" because I haven't really gone out with friends this summer due to our on-the-job training. Being my "good son" self, (which I always am) I decided to ditch the friends hangout and went on with the family trip. As usual, I slept on the way there playing some music to pass the time. When we arrived, it looked like the resort was inside a subdivision of sorts. When we entered the resort, it looked soothing and a very unique take in a resort. While waiting to get in, they gave us a welcome drink. First impressions really matter, especially in resorts. After all the kinks in the check-in were done, we walked to our rooms.

It's like WOAH. I love the look of the room. It really feels like a real room for a resort! The TV's big, so is the bed, there's even a (sort of) resort-wide Wi-Fi Internet Access! I loved every minute of it! When we settled in the rooms, (we had two because the bed could only fit three people, and we were five) we ate snacks and watched random movies and TV shows with the big TV. It was really cool! After some time, we were contacted by someone in the resort stating that there would be an anticipated mass. We will never forget our faith and we can't pass up this chance, so we went to that mass.


After the mass, we went back to the room so that Lola can relax while we discover what the resort has to offer, including swimming in the pool. It was... boring, simply because the deepest part of the pool was just at a measly 4 ft. Oh well, at least the beachfront looks nice. I even met an old friend there. He was a Boy Scout during his time in Science High. After that, we went back to the room for Lola and went to the Saffron Cafe (yes, it bears a resemblance to Saffron City from Pokemon) for dinner. It was buffet, and despite the low attendance due to the tourists going out of the hotels and resorts to enjoy Cebu. Oh well, more food for us then. Haha.

The experience was fun. I love the feel of the room and the whole resort. It was comfy for me to post in my blog about stuff. Then, sleep came to my mind and the feeling of sleep has never been greater.

5: Dedication and Accomplishment

(Sorry if this text above gets annoying but I do this to guide you in case you need a reason why I post these in a way that may have no path. Read the back story of the "Final Days of Summer" HERE.)

Hungry? Thirsty? If you are, then I don't blame you. Haha. There's a cake slice and a drink in the picture, how can you not feel some kind of hunger? Never mind about that, I'm posting about something important right now. This is more about what I missed and tried hard to make up for, and at the same time, accomplishing something I have never expected myself to do.


Yesterday was actually my parents' wedding anniversary and I completely forgot that it was until I arrived at home from work and wondered where they were. I really felt guilty that time and didn't know how to make up for it. I had to put it on the back of my mind during the day so as not to be really disturbed by it.


When the day ended, I was listening to a conversation that the boss started and said that you need something that should differentiate you from the others, especially in our field. I realized a bit of that when I felt the feeling of finishing something that not anyone can do. It feels really fulfilling, if you ask me. Even though what I did was a departure from what I really wanna do, I still appreciate it because now I know how it works and I can apply that skill in future endeavors.


When I arrived in Ayala with my office-classmates, (because I'm lazy in saying officemate and classmate and they're essentially both so I made a word up) I thought of something to get for them. Even though it was acquired in simple ways, it's really the thought that counts, right? Apparently when I called Dad, it is. It could be worse though, but I just feel that getting cake for them is the right thing to do to make up for them. I really appreciate what they've done for me and giving them cake or something greater can't possibly compare to the love, kindness, and support that they gave. I will always be grateful and I will do my best to make them proud.


Whew! It really got serious there, didn't it? 5 days left. A long day awaits tomorrow. See you then.

6: Somebody That I Used to Know

(To know the back story of this post, click HERE for the "Final Days of Summer" page.)

"But you didn't have to cut me off..."

Yeah, that stuck in my head for awhile. There was a reason why it did, though. It was because of the things that happened on this day. And yeah, the picture above doesn't have ANYTHING to do with this post. Sorry for the laziness.


Particularly, it was the time when I was playing music, and I remembered that cover of that song from Your Favorite Martian but the tune was "techno-fied" to fit their aesthetic. After I played that song in the office and videos though, a mini-discussion happened (and I think I felt guilty about it because it feels like I sparked it) and it was all about what happens when classes start.


In the end, I got a super dose of the Last Song Syndrome from this song and brought it home. I even sang the same lines a lot of times at the jeep. I think my officemate/classmate was irritated in a different way because of that. I think we just laughed that off until I went down. I just hope watching a new episode of Naruto fixed this. I really do.


6 days left. 4 days to WWDC 2012! Hahaha, so random. Watch out for my reactions on that though. It will be a long post just for that. 'Til the next one.

7: Food Trip

Big n' Tasty Burger! :D

(This post is for the 6th of June, 2012. It's just delayed because of work purposes.)


If technology wasn't as advanced as it is now, I would most probably be more in love with food. Not that we don't need food because we ABSOLUTELY need to eat in order to go through everyday. For me though, when I see new food that just came out or food that's from another place, I really wanna try them out.


So the day before, I tried this Big n' Tasty Burger from McDonald's. At first, it looks like a monster-sized version of a Jollibee Yum TLC Burger. Don't mind the comparison, I already removed that thought the moment I started eating this. It was SO GOOD! It was a departure from most burgers found in McDonald's. I hope I can eat this again! :)

On this day though, someone in the office just treated all of us to pizza! The thing is, even though it's fun to try things when you're alone, it's always ten times better when you try them with your friends. This pizza was from Calda Pizza, one of the more popular small-timers in Cebu City. I didn't know its flavor but I appreciate it nonetheless. Hopefully this will remind me that there should be times like this where we do this, even though it feels like we're forced to.


That's it. 7 days left.

Final Days of Summer: Short Prologue

So it comes to this. It's the first time that there will be a huge amount of change in my life after this summer. Maybe this is because it's my last summer vacation and comes my last year in college, if things don't go wrong. 


I am going to write things that I'll reflect on as the days go by, like experiences I'll never forget, new things I tried, things I wanna rant about and things that I'm thankful for. It's gonna be a hell of a ride, folks. One neat feature that I'm gonna do in this series is that I will place the number of days before classes begins. On the first post though, I'll put a date since there's been a delay due to work issues.


Don't worry, I'll still be posting the OJT series. The last one was pretty nice. While waiting for the first post of this series (which will be labeled "Final Days of Summer" like the title), here's a picture of me. Haha. 'Til the next post, guys.