from michelle....

The Best Is yet to Come

Today's Scripture

"No man has ever seen, heard, or even imagined the wonderful things God
has in store for those who love the Lord."

(I Corinthians 2:9)

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria

No matter where you are in life right now, God has much more in store
for you. God wants to increase you-He wants to give you more wisdom so
you can make better decisions. He wants to give you a stronger anointing
so you can have greater influence. He wants you to prosper financially
so you can be a blessing to others. Don't get stuck in that old rut
where you just get up and go to work, come home, go to bed, and then do
it all again. That's not all there is to life. God has new frontiers for
you to explore and higher mountains to climb! We can tell you with great
confidence that your best days are right out in front of you.

Proverbs says, "The path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter and
brighter." If you're going to start experiencing these new victories,
you must do your part and start thinking the way God thinks. Think big!
Think expansive! Think increase! Start expecting the unexpected!

A Prayer for Today

God, sometimes the busyness of life consumes me and I forget the
important things. Increase me and give me higher mountains to climb! I
want to be a champion for You and am ready to experience the wonderful
things you have in store for me! In Jesus' name - Amen.

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Thank you all for the very sweet IM’s and messages to check up on me. It’s really comforting to hear from people back home. Please feel free to keep ‘em coming...

[i was too lazy to type up a whole new thing, so i just copied & pasted my email to miss michelle juanengo)
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As for my trip, its been absolutely incredible. So far, I’ve been to London, all over Italy and Switzerland. We’ve just planned a trip to Barcelona, Spain at the end of November. I looked back on my pre-departure evaluation to see if I’ve actually be able to check things off my “what I wanna do while I’m abroad” list. I’ve done a good chunk of it. And now I have 8 weeks left here, which really isn’t a lot. And now I have that feeling where I just want to go everywhere, see everything, do everything. But unlike 90% of the people in my program, I don’t have a limitless budget to travel wherever I wanna go. But with my crazy lack of time (and money), my mind is going out of control, major conflicts of interest.

THE BEGINNING:
Our first stop was in London for a weekend. The weather was kind of cold and rainy. I was also disappointed in how unorganized the staff and activities were, so I didn’t get a good first impression or outlook of the program. Despite a long flight and a lot of waiting, I was able to meet some people. I still felt like it was unreal that I was actually in Europe after months of freaking out. Seeing Buckingham Palace, the London Bridge and Big Ben. Our tour even showed us the famous crosswalk that the Beatles crossed for their record cover. After that weekend, we headed to Lido di Camaiore for our 3-week “intensive” language program. We had class every day for 3 hours in the morning and stayed in a hotel for all 3 weeks. It’s a beach town in the Northwest coast of Italy that’s not so touristic so it was nice being around laidback Italians so I could practice the little Italian I learned. But I could only be a beach bum so often, besides I live in San Diego…and I try to avoid the sun so I don’t get even darker. But it was reeeeeeeeeeally cool to actually swim in the Mediterranean.

THE PEOPLE:
I am THE only Filipino person on the trip (go figure). There’s like 15 guys out of the 140 participants. 90% of the group is white, blonde and really rich. Seriously if you saw these girls, you’d feel like you were watching a Laguna Beach episode. They walk around with their real Gucci and Prada bags, with their Diesel watches and Abercrombie clothes…while I’m here in my Target t-shirt and Payless boots. Hahah. Oh man, they’re absolutely ridiculous. They throw money around…well actually their daddies’ money around, get drunk EVERY night and traveling to all these expensive resort places every weekend. It’s really sad cuz I thought there’d be more people here that really wanted to absorb the culture and appreciate the art around Italy, but they’re wasting their money at the bars and on even more Chanel and Fendi stuff. Luckily, the group of about 6 girls I hang out with our reeeeeeally down-to-earth, not superficial & materialistic and we’re all really into taking advantage of the culture around us…like they’re the type of people you’d wanna travel the world with. They’re all really easygoing and funny, so I’m really glad I found my niche.

THE PLACES:
It’s still kind of unreal that I’m actually in Italy. Being in Lido didn’t really feel like I was in what I imagined Italy to be. My first real eye-opener was when I walked into the plaza in Pisa where I stood in front of the Leaning Tower in awe. It was so massive. I never thought I’d be seeing that beautiful building so soon in life. I’ve also been to other cute cities all over Italy. With each place I go to, it really feels weird, like I shouldn’t be there, staring at such amazing architecture or staring at such beautiful art. But I’m loving every second of it. I’m really trying to do as much as I can…even though it’s killing my parents’ finances. I swore to them I’d pay it off even if it took me my whole life.

THE SCHOOL:
I’m only taking 3 classes. Language, Italian Fashion and Modern Italian Art. My Italian fashion class sucks, not what I expected, the teacher’s boring and I’m constantly bored and not learning anything about anything. My modern art teacher is whacky, it’s this balding big man that either wears bright pink or bright yellow striped pants. I’m actually enjoying that class because we learn how to analyze and appreciate art. I’m picking up the language pretty well, it’s really similar to Spanish which helps a lot. But it’s frustrating that the people in my classes are rude or just don’t care, so they don’t pay attention then ask stupid questions. The program offers different “excursions” or trips to different places around Italy for really cheap, so I’m able to go to really cool places for a really low price. [check out the pics below] they even offer discounted tickets to events, so I went to a soccer match, opera, orchestra concert and stuff. Pretty sweet. I really love it here. I really wanna live and work out here, possibly teaching English. I’m actually volunteering at an English-teaching school as a teacher’s assistant. I was expecting to work with high school kids…turns out I’m working with a 5th grade class and a 7th grade class. Considering they do not know any English, it’s definitely a challenge. There’s no discipline in the classes, the students are running around, yelling at each other, yelling at the teacher, throwing things. The teacher allows them to walk all over her. It’s extremely frustrating and there were so many points where I wanted to take over and get the class focused. Luckily, it’s only once a week. But this is definitely a good experience for me. And this has also reinforced my decision to teach high school in the future.



THE HOME:
We finally arrived in Florence on September 7th. I was in awe of everything, it was the unreal feeling again. I never really thought I’d really be able to live and study in freaking Florence, Italy! Our program sets up our housing. Fortunately, my apartment building is literally the building right next to my school so I can just get up and go in the morning. Somewhat unfortunately, I live with 8 other girls in a 5-bedroom, 7 of em are really high maintenance, really lazy…3 of em have boyfriends so they’re constantly on the phone and homesick…1 of em I never see cuz she’s out every night. But my roommate, jeanine is a really chill girl from New Jersey, so no problems here. Other than that, the apartment’s really cute, but I try not to be home cuz im always exploring Florence.


THE CITY:
Tourist season should be ending in the next couple of weeks, so the city shouldn’t be as busy. But it’s beautiful!!!!! There’s art everywhere. We got museum cards that get us into most of the museums for FREE, so on my spare time, I’m usually at one of em. I’ve been able to see Michelangelo’s original “David” sculpture and Da Vinci’s original “Last Supper” painting. I get all choked up and wonder if I’m really alive, really experiencing this. I pass the famous Ponte Vecchio and Arno River every day. I’ve been on a carb and gelato diet, but hopefully all the constant walking is canceling it out. We also get meal vouchers every month that can be used at restaurants and cafes around town, which is convenient so we can just eat out all the time. I’ve even taken a couple of cooking classes so maybe one night you’ll get lucky and I’ll make you some lasagna and bruschette!

THE OTHER STUFF:
After visiting Milan, my couple of my friends and I decided to cross the border into Switzerland, which was absolutely beautiful. We’re trying to plan a trip to Barcelona, Spain. There’s so much I have yet to do and see. I only have two more short months, so I’m trying to make good use of my time. I’m not even super homesick, but when I do or see something amazing, that’s when I think about my family or rex or friends and wish they were there with me. I think my mom and rexy miss me the most, but I really try not to be distracted about that so I can really focus on this once-in-a-lifetime experience. I get to talk to them every now and then and they’re all being really supportive, which is really comforting. I even found an Episcopalian church that welcomes all types of denominations. The first time I went, I was so overwhelmed to be back in a church that I couldn’t help but cry and pray so hard. Seriously though, I’ve been praying a whole lot more since I’ve been here, thanking God for allowing me to be here and to watch over everyone back at home and my new friends here. I really feel like after just a month here, I’m changing. I don’t know if it’s actually me maturing, but I feel like I appreciate life more and I don’t know…I have this outlook that’s not so serious but I just want to spend every minute around positive people. It’s kinda hard to explain. My sister said her friends have changed for the worse after studying abroad, but hopefully I can take back all the optimism and positive aspects that my friends here have taught me. In a nutshell, I feel like I came here at the right time in life and I just feel like it’s gonna be weird to come home to the same people, same parties. I’m probably just being over-analytical ( I tend to be that a lot) I didn’t think a lot could change in just a couple months, so I’m hesitant to see if anything with our friends really did. I think it’ll be more of a culture shock going home than it was to come here. Oh man, I can’t wait to tell you more if you wanna hear me ramble on and on about my experience. But I think you’ve had enough of all this for now. Be safe and take care my love. I’ll be home on December 1st, in time for yours, cine’s and rex’s bdays, so yayy! There's a slight chance i may come back on the 5th or 6th...but we'll see what my wallet thinks about that. I love you! God bless. CIAO!

<3 me.


p.s. happy 2 years boyfriend. <3333

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its 10 days until i head to europe. ive never traveled completely by myself before. i know there will be other students going thru the same experience, but this whole pre-study abroad business is tough. ive been searching for info about italy, places to go, things to do. reading my italy travel guide. ive been frantically looking thru the italian-english dictionary my sister bought me. maybe the more i pretend to overwhelm myself with information, the more i can calm my anxieties. well yknow what...it ain't workin.

im freaking out. it didnt really hit me that i was leaving until this past week i spent in irvine. before this week i tried to set my mentality as "its ONLY 3 1/2 months", "its not a big deal", "its just me", "it wont make a difference if im gone or not". and though i still feel like thats true, a good friend had a very different take on my future trip. we talked about my worries, anticipation and other feelings i had about life here and life over there. and for this, i am thankful.

as i count down the days, my nerves go out of control. i feel so unprepared. im beyond nervous. im definitely excited and the optimist in me understands that this may probably be THE most amazing time of my young life. but the realist in me is aware that im completely clueless about what im doing. but theres always room for learning.

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this is rare. im in the apartment, no ones here AND i actually have some free time. so i guess its a good time to update this mofo. college is supposed to be the "best years of your life" and im definitely trying to make it just that. hopefully i succeed.

SCHOOL LIFE
im taking 16 units, still a psychology major, workin on that education minor. this quarter's classes are pretty chill, trying to get them A's and B's. i really dont even know how i survived the past two quarters. the school years went by so fast. its freaking almost the end of spring quarter, which means im almost half way done with college. oh geez, what a thought.

BUSY LIFE
our high school one-day conference, "the sweet path to success" was definitely a success!! it was a proud moment as one of the outreach co-directors to see the students and facilitators enjoy the day. its been quite time-consuming to be so involved with an on campus organization. as far as dancing goes, ive tried to be more involved with the MCIA team too. im soooo proud of the progress both the returners & newbies have made thru the year. i really didnt think id keep dancing after the high school airbands days, but ive grown to love the team and the passion for dance. with only a couple performances left, im gonna miss mcia..hopefully i can come back in january next year. going nonstop from class to meetings to practice has been overwhelming and i want to just scream sometimes, but hey, its keeping me busy, testing my patience and my abilities.

APARTMENT LIFE
me and the roomies have been having major bondage time. talking about high school and friendships relationships and pretty much any and everything. im really happy about choosing to live with these people. even weekdays are a party with these kids. workout buddies, drinking buddies, eating buddies...bondage buddies.

WORKING LIFE
im currently an AVID tutor at cypress high school. even though i needa wake up at 6 am tues/thurs and put up with whiny high school students, i cant help but love going to work every day. being in that environment has confirmed my ambitions to be a high school teacher. theres some tough days, but seriously helping my kids through problems and acting as a mentor is definitely rewarding.

FRIENDS, FAMILY & LOVE LIFE
its been nice going home for last several weekends for family and friends events. cant wait til summer when my friendsies have more free time then we can chill and play all day long. my siblings are all doing their thangs. my brother still in new york teaching 4th grade, ate mae's back at school at the art institute, and missy just graduated from UCR and on her way to nursing school. my parentals are loving having their kiddos so independent and growin up. and oh rex my love. we're good, hangin out when we can on the weekends and such, going places. hes even coming to the philippines this summer with me, my mom and my gramma. that should be interesting.

OVERSEAS LIFE
i made the huge decision to study abroad this upcoming fall semester in ITALY!!! it was somewhat of an impulsive decision, but i was recently accepted into the program and ill be on my way to europe in august and coming back in december. london for orientation, studying in florence, travelling on the weekends. im sure it'll be tough to be away from home, missing anniversaries & bdays and even thanksgiving. but i think this will be good for me. maybe ill get better with directions, learn some italian and gain some independence. i have that like scary good excitement goin on. i wanna experience life outside of sd and the oc. this will be good for me. COME VISIT ME! we'll get some wine and gelato. =]

overall, its been an intense couple of months. im content with how things are right now and im excited for whats going to be happening. i dont know what else. but yes yes, summer is coming and i feel like its gonna be a goooood one. <3333

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Dear MTV,

With me being born at the end of the 80’s, I don’t really know how MTV’s beginning years were. What I do know is that “video killed the radio star” and Madonna were at the top of pop culture. Then I know sometime between now and then, Real World and TRL started their legacies.

Now correct me if I’m wrong, but I also thought that the “M” in MTV stood for “Music”. But I was wondering…when did MTV become less of the “music” and more of the unnecessary [and annoying] scripted dating shows and reality shows about superficial teenagers whose lives revolve around drama, money and parties? I understand that these shows expose a different side of life and I admit they have sneakingly become my guilty pleasures as well so feel free to call me a hypocrite. But really dear MTV, is it the goal of your CEO’s and owners to create these bizarre shows and hunt down the most spoiled kids? Is this really what teens today now consider pop culture? No wonder “real”, “everyday” people are now trying to flaunt their ability to spend money carelessly, show off their new Gucci purses and BMW’s. Besides, that’s the glamorous life that your channel showcases every day. OR…no wonder these people feel alienated from the superficial majority when they have to actually work to make a living and throwing a huge super sixteen is no more than just an unattainable dream.


Oh, I think I get it…by having these 16-year olds throw ridiculous birthdays, as long as they get some big-time musician for entertainment at their party, then that justifies being on the channel that is renown for being all about “music”. And by playing snipits of underground bands’ music during a breakup scene of the most-watched show by teenage girls…well, of course, it definitely should be on “M”tv. The only time I can catch music on your channel is during TRL like the 10 seconds they play between the loads of talking and girls screaming. Oh wait, I remember now, you DO play full music videos from like 6-7 am or something like that.

And by staging these random dates with people’s moms, or 5 people on a bus, or having parents choose for their kids…oh wait, this has nothing to do with music. However, the creators of these shows are quite clever. They know how to get viewers to keep watching: they find more outrageous people to do more outrageously corny things. Now that’s quality TV.


As I’ve said before, I admit to watching these shows. In an apartment where 90% of the channels are Spanish or politics, you can’t help but having a default channel be “M”tv or the food channel. I apologize for being so blunt about the reality show choice of your channel. And I know it has become a trend on other competitor channels to showcase the extravagant lives of celebrities, spoiled heirs, people who left rehab, or people who SHOULD BE in rehab. “m”tv, I do, however, appreciate the =attempts= to create new shows. I personally enjoy “True Life”, “Juvies”, “Engaged & Underage” that promote awareness of real worldly issues. Hey, they might even make kids reconsider =important= issues and not so much envy lavish parties or get addicted absurd dating games.

Well, thank you “m”TV for over a decade of somewhat progressive television. You have contributed to the _________ of America’s youth.

Sincerely,
#1 fan

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...and you don’t stop.


A couple weeks ago, we had MCIA practices that went from 9 pm-5 am. Last weekend, I forced myself to study and catch up on anthro reading. So I spent 3 hours straight in the library, got Mexican food, then back to my apartment to read for another 4 hours straight. Earlier today, I went to the library to study. Instead, I spent over an hour planning out my next 4 weeks…every day…hour-by-hour. Some may call this organized, I think its more of compulsive.

The college life often consists of technology that tends to overpower the necessity of such things as…studying. During lecture or in the libraries, probably half the people are on myspace, facebook, blogs, AIM, etc. At the apartment, the TV’s always on with the food channel, corny MTV shows, reality shows, which by the way couldn’t be more of a waste of time…although I love ‘em and can’t get enough. And man, my DS Lite seems to be getting a lot of special attention with new lovely game additions. After studying this weekend, I was completely exhausted and mentally drained, but this is nowhere near how much time my other buddies spend in that beloved corner of the beloved science library. The great amounts of time allotted for just studying for some people is just mind-boggling to me. While they can spill out physics and calc, I can name all the contestants on the new Road Rules. Nice.

All right, so before I go on with my rambling, don’t feel attacked or offended if my distractions are also your distractions. Keep doin what youre doin’. As long as you’re handling your bizznass, then everythang’s all good.

So, in anthro class, we learned about how Industrialism put emphasis on the clock, the structure of work made the people of the time obsessed with time. Whatever happened during that period must’ve really rolled over to this century cuz I feel like every single thing in life revolves around TIME. The media’s even so focused on how “young Hollywood” spends their time, which usually includes partying, then rehab, then back to partying then back to rehab?? WTF. I just watched one of those lifestyles of the rich & famous shows and they talked about how these billionaires have these huge billion-dollar yachts for their leisure time. WTF. While they could be out donating to charity…or freaking feeding a whole third-world country…they’re sipping on champagne or lounging in ONE of their giant mansions. Time is money. For some celebs, it takes no time at all to get money. So during their free time, they spend money. They have enough money to last many lifetimes.

So while the rest of us are struggling to get by with all these bills, busy schedules and endless obligations, there’s people in this world whose only worry is which mulit-million-dollar mansion they’ll buy…or what secluded island they’re going to purchase…or what private party they’re gonna crash. Geez. It makes you really think if they’re really that lucky to be loaded or if the life of a struggling student who lives in the real real world is actually better. Actually, it might not even make you think that. I don’t know. I’ve been told im over-analytical about the smallest things. Maybe im just bitter. I’ll let you know what I decide.


-me

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