Charm In Ink

As I helped in today’s Freshmen Registration Assistance, I can’t help but reminisce in the journey that I have taken in the last year or so. A year or so ago, my journey started. The first time I set foot in UPLB was for my medical check-up, the second time was for my registration, the 3 rd time was when I fixed my dormitory accommodation  and `finally I came back for the official start of classes. Never did I expect that I would ever get more than I bargained for, Elbi has now become my home or at least my second home. City life has always been my life, I have been used to the hustle and bustle on the streets,  the malls and shopping centers that seem to be everywhere in the metro. Studying in UPLB has been a welcome change, not only was it a change in my surroundings but I can happily say that Elbi has changed me as a person. I know a year in the university is not that long a time, to me however, one academic year of stay already feels like I have been here f...

Society is inherently judgmental, this is something that I have learned in the short time that I have been a sociology student. The world around us could actually dictate who we are and what we should become, it indirectly affects how we act and how we perceive the world and our reality. The video made me realize how unblemished, how innocent and how fearless a child is when it comes to the harsh realities of the world, their innocent minds enable them to question reality without fear, they are able to voice out their opinions without thinking of what other people might think thus hearing a child speak out her view makes me wonder of how twisted our society is. Gender seems to be a topic that interests many; there are cries of gender equality from all over the world and even in the UPLB campus. Our society now seems to be fascinated with issues’ regarding gender and sex particularly that of equality and marriage; however these issues seem to be more on the macro level which I...

The last week of November has been very very hectic. The whole month was actually hectic but the last week was a real challenge. It was a roller coaster of emotion that had me screaming all over the place and in the wake of recent events I realized just how sentimental and possessive I could be. I know for a fact that I am possessive and that I am sentimental, the only problem was I actually didn't know just how far I could take it. I even surprised myself when I actually broke down and cried, believe me even I cannot explain my actions but maybe its rooted to the fact that I really really value the people around me or maybe I have abandonment issues well who knows, right??? December is the month of giving and although a part of me hurts with the recent turn out of events I realized that it may actually be a blessing, The wizard was actually right, when the time comes for him to live, then, I would already have someone who will be with me, A new sister in fact not just a friend...

NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE IS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING BOOKS EVER and yes you SHOULD BUY it I am a bookworm, thus my room is filled with great books from various authors, then enter the internet age when we no longer need to carry those heavy books around since there are platforms who already carry e-books and the like. It is with this in mind that I discovered Wattpad, and I will forever remember the first story that I ever read on wattpad and it was Kirsty Moseley's Nothing Left to Lose. When I first got to read the story it was a real page turner, I was actually one of the late readers since it was already completed by the time that I started, that being said I just can't imagine myself not knowing what will happen next immediately after Kirsty's well thought out cliffhangers. Anna and Ashton are in my eyes the perfect couple, their story, a bit cliche though it may be, is still one of the best love stories I've ever read. Their characters are very real an...

Back in high school, the majority knew me by my real first name "Charmane", now however I am simply known as "Charm". It maybe a simple change in the name people address me by, for me however it is so much more. The change in the name for me symbolized a reinvention of myself and sure enough I was indeed reinvented. It really surprises me how so much has changed all in a span of four months. I did not expect it to be easy and indeed it was not. It has been an interesting first semester but I would not change it for the world. Transitioning from that easy go lucky high school girl, to the now what I think is an independent and more responsible person has not been a walk in the park, it really took a lot. My first semester in UPLB was not at all easy. I still remember the overwhelming feeling I got the first time I knew that I got into UP, that however is nothing compared to the feeling I got when I first set foot into my first class. Turns out I was in for a big ...

The end of the semester is looming upon me, what used to be such a fast paced jungle suddenly begins to stop and time seems to drag by so slow. The sweet irony of what I am feeling right now. I am really really overwhelmed with everything that is going on in my life right now. When I was in high school there really was a certain time  of the quarter which we students called hell week but now in college such hell weeks are so common that some refer to it as a hell month or to make an exaggeration  a hell sem and to some extent I can't help but agree with such sentiments. I am a college freshman with a load of 15 units, imagine, only 15 units, what is that compared to the 20+ units that others have. Well maybe it'll help justify that I am studying in UP, not to come off as boastful but really having 15 units is already stressful, I just can't imagine how hard it will be come next semester when I will have 18 units plus a P.E class. With everything going on, I really jus...

When the tears won't stop flowing and it seems as though you are crying for no reason then something is terribly wrong. At first thought I would attribute my mood swings to me being a hormonal teenager but then again there really are reasons as to why someone would cry. As Albert Smith said "tears are the safe valves of the heart when too much pressure is laid upon it. Everyone of us has their own limits, sadly mine was reached sooner rather than later, I really thought that I was already strong but alas I was not. It really pains me to talk about such personal things but then when limits are reached, consequences must be faced. I do not know what came over me as I wrote that message and posted that status update, maybe I was too caught up with my emotions, maybe I was carried away, It really was painful to see pictures that would remind me of the way we were and compare it now to what is at present. I can't believe that so much has changed, never in my wildest d...