Kokey

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Homemade cookies made by yours truly...Nah, it came in a ready-to-cook mixture. But it was my first time to bake. It tasted awesome, better than those in the market.

Creation of Innovation

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Another Japanese food...MOCHIKO. This one has truly made its name known for its creativity and newness. For those who are wondering, mochiko is an ice cream coated with rice flour. Weird yet it packs a great and distinct flavor. 

©darrengarcia

"Good thing comes to those who wait."

Upon buying the product, you will be suggested to wait for 2-3 min or until the mochi is soft. If you can't wait to take a bite (like I do), you will be left with a hard snow ball. And just a tip, be careful cause you might get a brain-freeze from this irresistibly cute dessert. 

cookie dough flavor
©darrengarcia

As you take a bite, the different flavors and textures will harmoniously mix. The chewiness of the rice flour, softness of the ice cream, and brittleness of the cookie...it just melts in your mouth. 

©darrengarcia

They have about 16 flavors available, ranging from potato chip chocolate to durian. I was able to taste their cookie dough flavor and oreo&milk, which I also recommend you try when you visit them. It somehow is expensive, costing 70php a piece. But if you are up to a different genre of taste, it worthy trying for.

Arigatou

©darrengarcia

Arigatou food, arigatou...Thanks for entering my system. Geeky talk aside, Japanese food are really great. They mastered the art of mixing flavors into producing commendable dishes. It is also nice to see that they prefer a healthy diet, with the veggies in their meal. Their discovery of the "umami", the fifth basic taste, maybe their secret in making savory dishes. Nevertheless, I find their appetite for raw food bizarre...I learned in school (elementary to college) that humans are not designed to eat uncooked meat, even seafood. Raw food harbors numerous bacteria and germs. Furthermore, our body's gastric fluid is not able to digest efficiently the amino-acids of raw meat since we do not have the specific enzymes needed to catalyze the breakdown of the  compounds. In simple terms, FIRE WAS DISCOVERED FOR COOKING so let us not disregard our ancestor's breakthrough by going back to their pre-historic routine of eating uncooked meals. I guess not all of us have the same taste. Despite my aversion to raw food, I want everyone to take a lesson...RESPECT THE SUSHI!(say what?!)

Noble Novel

©darrengarcia

After weeks of searching, I finally got my copy. I am not really fond of reading books , but since we are required to read this novel, I ought to seek for this precious masterpiece. After seeing the first few chapters, I was amazed how every line was brilliantly constructed. What more could you expect from a Filipino national artist... Let us see if this book can actually lure my inclination. Who knows, I might be bookworm someday.  

Into The Depths

©darrengarcia

   "The deepest kind of worship is when you are out of your comfort zone."

It's easy to say that you love God when all circumstances are in your favor. However, most of us fail to worship God amidst trials and pressure. As for me, persecution enfolds my environment. A christian friend even remarked that it is a "weird" thing to reach out to our friend.

God never promised a painless life. In fact, God purposely allows hardships to come. Just imagine a PERFECT life, who would need a God if that happens. When God takes away the good things(or sometimes even GREAT things) in our lives, we are now faced with a challenge. Nevertheless, it depends on our response whether to take the challenge as a problem or as a blessing. 

When I was a kid, I wondered why people don't seat near the front row chairs in a movie house. If they go there for the big screen, it would be better to sit in front so that they'd see the movie larger, as they want it to be. A few months ago, i finally experienced sitting near the screen. I realized that it was too near, I can barely see the whole picture. Same with life, sometimes God allow us to take a step back to widen out the picture. When we think we are in the front row seats of life and that we have it all, God constantly reminds us that it is not what life is  all about. 

Undone

ARE YOU A PROCRASTINATOR? 

Watch this video and classify yourself. Learn how to lessen or OVERCOME it.

Back to Work

time flies
©darrengarcia

            Time is always not enough when you need to do something. About 12 days left before school starts and I haven't started anything yet. Piles of unfinished(rather "unstarted")tasks are still waiting for me.  

Sounds of Angels

©darrengarcia

©darrengarcia

I re-experienced caroling, thanks to my cool high school friends. We got almost 1300 php from our 1-hr journey. I was amazed that people give AT LEAST 20 pesos. About 8 years ago, the biggest amount I got was 5 pesos. I guess things changed. But, I must also credit our irresistible appeal which is the main reason why we earned a thousand in cash. 

Chatime

©darrengarcia

©darrengarcia

Couldn't resist the offer of one of my favorite milk tea establishments.Finally, I have been able to visit them again after some time. They added more kinds of beverages. Can't wait to take a sip of their new flavors.

Christmas 2012

©darrengarcia

Christmas is obviously a festive season. Gifts, buffets, money – what more can we ask for. The same things bother me however. Most people disregard the true essence of this day. We become clouded with materialistic ideals; (as a teen) we strive to beat our "collection" record last year.

I am NOT convincing anyone to observe solemnity. In fact, we ought to rejoice. Nevertheless, we must never forget that we take delight in Christ's birth and not on superficial and worldly treasures. This made me wonder, if you were to celebrate Christmas with only a can of sardines, would you still have that same jolly spirit as you have now? Hmm...(let me leave that question to you)

MERRY CHRISTMAS! May we all be endowed with gladness for the RIGHT reason.

Demise

©darrengarcia

12.21.12

"Demise was eaten by the cat."

A round of applause for my joke. Hahaha. Let us simply turn this end-of-the-world allegation into a joke. I am 100% certain that the world's demise is not yet tomorrow. To those who believe that the end is due tomorrow, I dare you, I double dare you, to open the bible and read it so that you won't be mislead next time.

P.S. no animal was hurt during the making of this post  

Vegan breakfast

©darrengarcia

Ceasar salad...made it myself :)

CRAVINGS

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MILK TEA!!!

Parolan night

FIRST "LAST DAY FOR THE YEAR" in LB... Had lots of fun with these guys. 

SAFE

©darrengarcia

While I was on my way to LB, something happened (obviously). Good thing everyone is safe, and only a scratch was done to the bus. I dunno why, but I always feel assured that I am safe whenever I'm traveling–the power of prayer.

Simply awesome...

©darrengarcia

MY FIRST TIME TO CATCH A PIGLET

My First UP-overheard post

             The most number of likes I got in my entire FB life so far...ONLY UP people can give me that. Still, it doesn't add up to my being.

NO FEAR

©darrengarcia

                     "OUR ATTITUDE AT THE BEGINNING OF A TASK WILL AFFECT ITS OUTCOME MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE." -John Maxwell

Second sem is fast approaching...Sheer determination is not enough enough to achieve success. We need both hard work and the favor from God... to turn a singko into an uno. 

Why aim for uno when I can settle for a passing mark (tres)?

- The greatest God deserves nothing else but the best of what we have. The standards of the world is far different from the standards of God. Worshipping is never confined on a sunday service or a mass. Worshipping is a lifestyle. We ought to honor God through our lives, and even in our studies. 

Disclaimer: I do not want to convey the thought that one must desperately do anything just to attain a high mark. One must also learn to find delight in what he is doing. 

Checklist:

☐Do your best

☐Take honor before excellence

☐Have FUN

High school friends are AWESOME friends

©darrengarcia

 Cherishing the moments of pure joy and sheer laughter is what bonding is all about. It feels good to be reunited with HS friends after months of exhaustion from college life.No worries, we just have to wait for roughly 4 years 'til we graduate. We're all successful persons and world-changers in the making.

UPLB Institue of Biological Sciences

©darrengarcia

 The place where I learn how to complicate things... A simple name of gumamela turned to Hibiscus rosa-sinesis, and a simple word like fat changed to "corpora adiposa". 

ATP for Motivation

©darrengarcia

      It's monday, and I'm still here at Marikina. I've decided not to go back to LB yet for I will be unproductive. I need sweets to get me going this day. I need an energy booster to read piles of books scattered on my bed.A capital lethar-G (lethargy) is on its way to destroy my day, but no problem, ATP is on its way. 

The QUEST for the Best Milk tea

©darrengarcia

 From qualitea, infinitea, serenitea, to tea-to jeri's...yes those are all milk tea shops sprouting all over the Philippines. My friend and I are now on a quest to search for the best milk tea in town.

A Revivifying Splash at Ocean Adventure

©darrengarcia

©darrengarcia

ANOTHER UP FIELD TRIP...'twas really amazing to witness these fascinating creatures showcase enthralling exhibitions. The best part of the trip is learning...learning both new psychological principles and learning that you've earned new friends =)

Freedom Park

©darrengarcia

Just a sunset at UPLB

BOWN-NO-NO

©darrengarcia

This is what we study in zoology:

• maxilla                          -pectoantibrachialis
• premaxilla                           -linea alba
• occipital condyle                    -gastrocnemius
• quadratojugal             -rectus abdominis
• foramen magnum            -gracilis minor
• sacral vertebrae          -vastus lateralis
• acetabulum                           -adductor magnus
• clavicle                             -longissimus dorsi
• astragalus                -coracoradialis
• calcaneum                 -inscriptiones tendineae
• xiphisternum              -palmaris longus
• tarsals                              -extensor cruris
• metatarsals
• squamosal                    

           SOUNDS LIKE SPELLS IN HARRY POTTER?

      I sometimes feel that I'm a wizard by saying these things. And by the way, these words (or if you consider them words) are just SOME of what we memorize. It's less than 1/4 of what we study per meeting. It's not just memorizing the terms, it's also about locating these words in real bones or in actual live toads.

Puerto Galera experience

©darrengarcia

           
                      I never thought that my foot will touch the sands of Puerto Galera, especially during my stay in UPLB. Anyway, let me tell the experience that I had...

         There wasn't any problem on our way to the white beach, in fact, we even had a great time snorkeling since the waves are quite calm. The next day, on our way home, the waves were amplified by the low pressure area, our travel via boat was delayed by 2 hours. When we finally got into the boat, it was a great relief for me since I still have a lot of things to do. 

As we reach the middle of the sea, something bad happened; the second propeller failed, in other words, we were stuck in the middle of the ocean with big waves hitting our boat and rocking us back and forth. Most of the passengers vomited, well fortunately, though I got dizzy, I managed not to puke. They had to call for help...

After 15 minutes, a boat came to pull us over to the nearest island. Eventually, we were designated to another boat. It took us another hour to travel to Batangas, and another 1 1/2 hour to go back to LB. Despite the mishaps that we encountered, I am glad that I am still alive. :D Thank God! 

Party People!

©darrengarcia

Sleep + social life = bad grades. Good grades + sleep = no social life. Good grades + social life = no sleep.

-The bold letters has been chosen for this week-

Geeky nerd I am

©darrengarcia

    This recent week, I have been so fastened with books, pens, highlighters, and more books. I have never been so geeky in my life. Though I am in a state of internal conscious unmovable bookish enthrallment(being a nerd in other words), I still find time to socialize; I went to bars, got drunk, just kidding, I would never do that in my entire life. 

   

   My only concern now is that I get so stirred when I get scores lower than 90%. I need to change my studying perspective immediately. I must instill that I am studying to honor my countrymen, my friends, family, and most especially God. 

  This is just a 4-year course, it is a short time compared to immense things that I will be sowing in the future. It is truly inspiring to think what my labors can fructify in the next 5 years. I plan to build a house for my family, treat my friends to a european cruise, and pay taxes for my country (LOL!). I am assured that these things will be done in my life because I am anchored in the strongest rock of all, GOD. 

Microscopic experience (AWESOME!)

Telophase

Blood smear

Fusiform

Columnar cells

©darrengarcia

-shots are taken in the UPLB biological

science laboratory. 

The Leftist's Silhoutte

©darrengarcia

            Prior to my entrance in the University, I have always been speculative of the rallies that take place in the campus . UP is known to be the home of the best minds, great nation-builders, and a myriad number of brave activists as well. Due to this, I have anticipated that I will somehow be indoctrinated by their advocacies.


          As time passes by, we are being unconsciously paraded with their ideologies. There is nothing wrong in fighting for the right things, but I am certain that there is always a proper way to exhibit and proffer their thoughts. 

My Experience:

USC chairperson : Ang edukasyon ba ay karapatan?
Me: Yes.
USC chairperson: Naniniwala ka ba na ang karapatan ay dapat ipinaglalaban?
Me: Yes.
USC chairperson: Handa ka bang sumali sa mga kilusan?
Me: :O ... NO!

University Friends

       I once thought that entering college would put my social life in danger; The new friends I got had proven me wrong. My university life can still be as exciting as my HS life. On the other hand, it can't be as fun as it was; Insanely highly-intellectual profs always pressure us with their heart-pumping surprises.

    I am really proud to have met a lot of new friends in this early stage. I am pretty much sure that these guys would be my companion in my 4 years stay in the university. Sporty, kikay, rebel, nerdy: whoever and whatever they may be, I am certain that they were put in my life for a reason.

#ARCHERS in UP. WE SPOT, AIM, AND SHOOT.

no more SWEET days

©darrengarcia

                      2 nights left...and i'm finally be leaving Manila. I'm still surreal and nervous up to know. The sweet life that I've been used to will exist no more. New friends, new environment, new new. I'm gonna miss everyone especially those whom I just met this summer. I'm really gonna study seriously, i'm gonna use all the things i'm gonna miss to be inspired and to push myself to thrive hard. 

summer camp 2012: ALAB

©lizagarcia

                It was only a day before the camp when I finally decided to join, and by God's grace, my parents have enough money to send me to this activity...

Expectations: I expected the camp to be the fun, but I was preparing myself to be lonely too since I don't have a lot of friends in our church.

What happened: I was moved and stirred by God's revelation to me through the speakers, praise and worship, and even through my new friends. The place was really holy, though it wasn't that cozy. I had personal problems which I totally surrendered before God. 

             I was also blessed with the people I met in the camp. By the way, our team , which was composed of 40-50 people, chose me as their leader. I was really surprised since I was one of the youngest in the group and that I haven't had any leadership experiences in our church. AND YEAH! we got 2nd place in the game! wohoo!

           Most of all I brought christian friends with me who will continue to inspire and push me to achieve my purpose in life. I got involved more in the ministry. I just hope that God would help me balance my time as a student and as a part of a ministry.

( P.S. this is just my experience, i'm gonna post what I really learned next time)

             

UP FRESHIES TIP

        Freshman Tip:

Freshmen, prepare yourselves to be shocked. Ang mga professors sa UP ay hindi garden-variety teachers na tulad ng sa high school nyo. Ang aastig nyan. Hindi uubra ang mga pa-tweetums or paiyak-iyak dito. Kung akala nyong matalino kayo nung high school, dito ihanda nyo ang sarili nyong makatanggap ng lumalagapak na singko - every sem. Sa una masakit. Baka maiyak ka pa. Pero with enough practice, gagaan din yan.

Pero wag kayong mag-alala. You have a best friend in what we call the MRR, ang Maximum Residence Rule, which is defined as "the number of years a student must complete all requirements of the degree program. For undergraduates, the MRR is 1.5 times the number of years prescribed by your curriculum". Halimbawa, 4-year course ka, so 4 x 1.5 = 6. Yes, may six years ka para tapusin ang kurso mo. Ang saya di ba? Nagtataka nga kami sa iba na tinatapos nga nila ang college nila in 4 years. Ha?!! Kung ikaw ba binigyan ng 6-days stay sa Shangrila Boracay eh aalis ka na on the 4th day? Freshmen, ok lang naman mag overstay sa UP kasi sinungaling si Mickey Mouse. UP at hindi Disneyland ang the happiest place on earth.

(c) Diliman Republic

"I LOVE YOU": Say it when you're ready

from a child's perspective
©darrengarcia

                                                         

Infancy made me think that earth is a big bowl of food, and that everything that my hands touch is edible, even my own fingers; 

Childhood made me think that the world is an infinite  playground, and that everything that my eyes reach is a zone for me to venture; 

"Teenage-hood", however, made me realize that life is a battleground, and that everything you perceive can inflict dire predicaments upon yourself.

                A considerable number of teens nowadays engage themselves into boyfriend-girlfriend or M.U. relationships. Some people even form prejudices in their minds when they learn that you haven't had any relationships. Nevertheless, I keep myself unaffected and be on guard against these senseless convictions.

               Whatever the world might say or think about me, I'll keep myself still and be steadfast to the standards of God and not of man."Teenage-hood" is not even in the dictionary, it's the world who has corrupted our conception of what it should be. Teenage-hood is about preparing ourselves for manhood and not about pressuring and hastening ourselves in searching for partners.

       "EVERY SEASON IS A PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT SEASON."

               

             I know a lot of people who end up in regret after involving themselves in a relationship. Most teens find partners just to fill a hole in their heart, but in this very crucial stage of our lives, that hole may just be a cause of love deficiency within our family. Most people who have a strong bond with their family tend not to expedite things up; They cherish the moment of being single, so when the right time comes, they won't be wanting to escape and they won't be having the desire to feel single again.

      "RIGHT THING AT THE WRONG TIME, IS STILL THE WRONG THING."

            

           Many marriages today end up in divorce or annulment; Most of the cases are caused by ignorance. They feel, act, and think that they are still in teenage-hood, they miss the spirit of being free, they want to breakout from the bondage of marriage. This is because they have not enjoyed their moments of being single to the fullest. There's a profusion of options on how to be happy in life; Pressuring yourself to have a partner is not the key to such fulfillment.

My ideals in this matter:

1. I want to marry a woman who loves God more than me. I want someone who doesn't live in the standards of the world but of God.
2. I want to say "I love you" when I'm 99.9% sure that she's the one I want to marry. I avoid it to be said to my future ex, because I won't be having any "ex". I want it straight down the aisle. 
3. I want to be proud of my first kiss. I want it not to be hidden and forbidden from anyone. I want it to happen right after the line " You may now kiss the bride".

undesirable bitterness

©darrengarcia

                     I was enticed to buy this drink of its cheap value. You only need an additional Php 10.OO-22.OO (to value meals) to avail this offer. However, it was such a disappointment to be given such bland and bitter-tasting drink. I have tried all possible solutions to make the best out of it: add an ice cream, put sugar, etc. This is really an extraordinary drink since it did not get affected. I have nothing against McDonald's, but I just have to warn you that if you do not appreciate strong brewed coffee like i do, well, you have to think twice before falling into their business scheme.