Of Walking and Other Unnecessary Activities
I can be a very compulsive person. When something pops into my mind and it can be done and I WANT to do it, it usually gets done. Well, if I manage to muster up the courage to ask my Mom if I can do it, that is.
As an example, let's take an incident from just this morning:
(italics = stream of consciousness :p)
Me: ... Gusto kong pumunta sa Ateneo.
*mentally prepares herself*
*waddles off to find Mom*
Me: "Ma, puwede ba akong pumunta sa Ateneo mamaya?"
Mom: "At ano nanaman ang gagawin mo doon? Malapit na ang pasukan, lalabas ka pa bukas, sayang sa gasolina, susunduin pa yung kapatid mo etc. etc."
note: Now you know why I have to muster up courage to ask her for anything.
Me: *waits*
*a few seconds later*
Mom: *ends her sentence*
Me: "Kukunin ko lang sana yung paper ko sa English."
Mom: "Ah, okay. Anong oras ka aalis?"
And that's how I found myself in ADMU by 11:30 am.
The arrangement was simple: I was to do whatever it was that I needed to do and finish up by 1:30 pm (Malay Peninsula Standard Time). That way, I can pick my Mom up at SM North afterwards.
Then, it dawned upon me that I didn't really need 2 hours to do What I Needed to Do, which was basically a. walk to Dela Costa, b. enter Dela Costa, c. open the hatch of our prof's pigeonhole, d. sift through the pile of our English block's dusty and forgotten papers, e. retrieve my paper, f. look at my score, and g. scurry out of the building (hopefully) in triumph.
So after doing What I Needed to Do (aka Scurrying out Triumphantly), I did the things that I always do when I have too much free time on my hands, namely the Things That I Didn't Need to Do But I Can And Wanted to Do Anyway.
First, I attended the 12:00 nn Mass at the College Chapel. (Namiss ko rin yung pagmimisa ... *sigh*)
Then, I went next door and bought myself a P50 Chicken Teriyaki lunch meal from Bento Box (although "Chicken Teriyaki" isn't the right term to describe what I ate, since it had a vegetable:black pepper:chicken ratio of 4:5:2).
Finally, I decided that it was time for me to have some much-needed exercise. And so, armed with a calm soul and a full stomach, I went on a walk. A looong, take-your-time-to-admire-the-wayside-grass walk.
I started at the Gonzaga Caf, and made my way through the SEC parking lot. Our driver (who was parked in the aforementioned parking lot) spotted me wandering around aimlessly and blew our car's horn to signify his location. I had to make ridiculous hand signals at him before he got the message (which was: No, not going home yet). Xp Before long, I was well on my way towards the general direction of Moro Gym, with my heart light and my ears listening to Boyzone (yak, baduy. haha. :p).
(note: It helps to listen to an mp3 player while you're walking. Imaging listening to Bukas Palad's "The Pilgrim's Theme" while traversing the sidewalk in front of the Gesu. *swoons* <3)
Now, solitary nature walks can be a bit lonely sometimes. The trick here is to just take in the moment (the rustling of leaves, the breeze on your face, the solid ground on your feet) and let your legs do the walking. You'll be amazed at where they can carry you. After twenty minutes or so, I'd loitered in front of Berchman's, had flitted in front of Ateneo High School (tamang-tama, dismissal nila. I've never felt so female in my life. XD *LOL*), and had dodged a shiny car or two while crossing various roads.
By the time I made my way back to Gonzaga, I still had ten minutes left before pick-up-Mom time. It was then that I remembered the existence of a quiant little non-smocket (it looks like a smocket, only you're not allowed to smoke in it) that's located behind the College Chapel. Being compulsive little me, I scuttled over there and plopped down on a bench to savor the feel of my satiated wanderlust.
And, as it turns out, the ten minutes that I spent there was the most peaceful moment that I've had in months. Praise be to God. :)
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p.s. solitary nature walks are wonderful in their own right, but they don't make walking with someone else any less special. XD *tackle*
As an example, let's take an incident from just this morning:
(italics = stream of consciousness :p)
Me: ... Gusto kong pumunta sa Ateneo.
*mentally prepares herself*
*waddles off to find Mom*
Me: "Ma, puwede ba akong pumunta sa Ateneo mamaya?"
Mom: "At ano nanaman ang gagawin mo doon? Malapit na ang pasukan, lalabas ka pa bukas, sayang sa gasolina, susunduin pa yung kapatid mo etc. etc."
note: Now you know why I have to muster up courage to ask her for anything.
Me: *waits*
*a few seconds later*
Mom: *ends her sentence*
Me: "Kukunin ko lang sana yung paper ko sa English."
Mom: "Ah, okay. Anong oras ka aalis?"
And that's how I found myself in ADMU by 11:30 am.
The arrangement was simple: I was to do whatever it was that I needed to do and finish up by 1:30 pm (Malay Peninsula Standard Time). That way, I can pick my Mom up at SM North afterwards.
Then, it dawned upon me that I didn't really need 2 hours to do What I Needed to Do, which was basically a. walk to Dela Costa, b. enter Dela Costa, c. open the hatch of our prof's pigeonhole, d. sift through the pile of our English block's dusty and forgotten papers, e. retrieve my paper, f. look at my score, and g. scurry out of the building (hopefully) in triumph.
So after doing What I Needed to Do (aka Scurrying out Triumphantly), I did the things that I always do when I have too much free time on my hands, namely the Things That I Didn't Need to Do But I Can And Wanted to Do Anyway.
First, I attended the 12:00 nn Mass at the College Chapel. (Namiss ko rin yung pagmimisa ... *sigh*)
Then, I went next door and bought myself a P50 Chicken Teriyaki lunch meal from Bento Box (although "Chicken Teriyaki" isn't the right term to describe what I ate, since it had a vegetable:black pepper:chicken ratio of 4:5:2).
Finally, I decided that it was time for me to have some much-needed exercise. And so, armed with a calm soul and a full stomach, I went on a walk. A looong, take-your-time-to-admire-the-wayside-grass walk.
I started at the Gonzaga Caf, and made my way through the SEC parking lot. Our driver (who was parked in the aforementioned parking lot) spotted me wandering around aimlessly and blew our car's horn to signify his location. I had to make ridiculous hand signals at him before he got the message (which was: No, not going home yet). Xp Before long, I was well on my way towards the general direction of Moro Gym, with my heart light and my ears listening to Boyzone (yak, baduy. haha. :p).
(note: It helps to listen to an mp3 player while you're walking. Imaging listening to Bukas Palad's "The Pilgrim's Theme" while traversing the sidewalk in front of the Gesu. *swoons* <3)
Now, solitary nature walks can be a bit lonely sometimes. The trick here is to just take in the moment (the rustling of leaves, the breeze on your face, the solid ground on your feet) and let your legs do the walking. You'll be amazed at where they can carry you. After twenty minutes or so, I'd loitered in front of Berchman's, had flitted in front of Ateneo High School (tamang-tama, dismissal nila. I've never felt so female in my life. XD *LOL*), and had dodged a shiny car or two while crossing various roads.
By the time I made my way back to Gonzaga, I still had ten minutes left before pick-up-Mom time. It was then that I remembered the existence of a quiant little non-smocket (it looks like a smocket, only you're not allowed to smoke in it) that's located behind the College Chapel. Being compulsive little me, I scuttled over there and plopped down on a bench to savor the feel of my satiated wanderlust.
And, as it turns out, the ten minutes that I spent there was the most peaceful moment that I've had in months. Praise be to God. :)
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p.s. solitary nature walks are wonderful in their own right, but they don't make walking with someone else any less special. XD *tackle*