Riding the bus to and from school made me think of a lot of things after the first two weeks of classes. I've been taking 14 units, which makes me a full time student, and my classes have never been this fun. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I have my 2 psych classes, Developmental Psychology and General Psychology. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I start the day off with my Modern Dance class, followed by my Theatre Arts Oral Interpretation class, my Sociology class, then my Advanced Piano. Man, my Tuesdays and Thursdays are tiring. The Developmental Psychology class talks obviously about human development, from pre-conception to after death. General Psychology is the study of human behavior, an introductory class. Modern Dance is a modernized ballet class, with tunes from Sheryl Crow and Sarah McLachlan. The Oral Interpretation class is my favorite, because it's a class wherein you choose lyric poems and recite them in class in your own interpretation. You can sing, you can dance, act, or even "act with your voice". It's so much fun! Sociology is the scientific study of human society, quite a contrast to Psych where we study individuals. My last class is Music, Advanced Piano. We practice sight-reading and scales, and study a piece for the semester. I'm doing Claire De Lune by Debussy. During my free time, I go to the Music Labs to practice my piano, chat with my new friend Jocelyn (who's Filipina), hangout with my cousin Gi, chat with my other friend Deanne (who so looks like Melissa Joan Hart, yes, she's American) or play non-classical pieces with Craig (also from piano).

I was very much overwhelmed by the difference of our culture as compared to the Americans'. You know how high school flicks are portrayed, with nerds, Indians, cheerleaders, jocks, punks, girls with their stomachs out, guys smoking, etc. That's how it is in my school. It's weird though how they all don't have a care on what you wear, they just take things as they are. Two guys from my Psych class use PDAs to take down notes, with keyboards and chargers and everything. One girl was eating Ruffles during my other Psych class which was in an auditorium, and I just let my mind wonder if her munching was audible to the crowd. There were girls who knew about serotonin, chemical imbalances and depression. There were those who answered back to the teacher and commented on her wrong spelling of the word "categories". She spelled it as catagories, (and she's supposed to be a doctor). There were Marilyn Manson look-a-likes and those who used the couches in the library as a bed. They were snoring, too. And there were those who ate at the library when it strictly said no food or drink. That was me. Hahaha! :P The diversity was overwhelming, really, but that somehow completed the atmosphere of the American school.

Everytime I ride the bus, I learn a lot of things. I learned that saying hello to a grandma, or even to the bus driver could make them smile. I learned that wishing the person next to you a good weekend is very fulfilling. I also acquired a new sense of direction, and I used to be so bad at directions. Now I can go around riding the bus without clinging on to my bus book! While looking out the window, too, I was able to realize that going to the States wasn't so bad as the idea came to me the first time. It kind of deflated my happiness when I left. I left so many good friends, my barkada, my choir, my dad, my loved one(s). Hehe. I left so many things not even knowing what was in store for me here. But coming here, I don't regret it one bit. I could honestly say that this is the place where I have found the other halves to everything I ended up leaving. I wasn't able to study in Ateneo, but I was able to study in Fullerton Junior College. I left a ton of friends back home, but I made a few new ones. (I'm getting there.) I left a pretty hopeless country, (sad to say) and ended up in the superpower of the world. I guess making some sacrifices has benefits, too. I've learned to study more because I have less distractions, and trust me, studying was never part of my leisure time if you know what I mean. ;) I miss so many things though, that's undeniable. But going here also meant finding part of my life that I knew I wouldn't be able to experience when I was still in the Philippines. As my mom told me once: When you ask something from God, and He gives it, He's testing your faith. When you ask something from God, and He delays it, He's testing your patience. If you ask something from God, and He does not give it to you, He has something better in store.

Coming here really made me realize that, and if completing myself means living here, means adhering and adjusting to the different culture, then so be it. It's sometimes worth it to find your other halves. And when the pain of sacrificing ends, you can kick back, look back, and be proud of yourself. Thanks for encouraging me, Roi.:)