I should be doing my problem set now but I can't help but share this rare experience.. I swear it's a good one.. =)

Our Chem professor told us to attend a lecture at the NISMED auditorium.. at first, we were kind of hesitant to go.. lecture? wouldn't that be boring? but we heard something that was just striking.. the keyword: Harvard Scientist of the Year awardee!

Curious of who and what kind of person he is, we headed to the venue and eagerly waited for the program to start.. and i'm telling you, it wasn't the usual lecture we thought it would be.. we had fun listening to the speaker, and more than that, we were inspired!

Dr. Baldomero "Toto" M. Olivera, BS Chemistry graduate, UP 1960.. 2007 Harvard Foundation Scientist of the Year.. need i say more?

He told us a very interesting story about the cone snail.. haven't heard of it yet? well, i suggest you start reading stuffs about it.. it's fascinating! =)

I won't repeat his lecture, neither would I enumerate the facts that I got from his talk.. but what I want to list down are the life lessons that I think are worthy to be mentioned..

Lesson 1: find out what you're interested in.. focus on and work for it.. it doesn't matter if it seems nonsense at first, just persist in it.. who knows where it might take you.. [dr. olivera never expected that he'll get this far with his studies on snails]

Lesson 2: a mentor does have a tremendous influence over a student.. a student's life could be forever changed by one word of encouragement or discouragement from his/her professor.. [dr. olivera's passion for the chemistry of marine species started with a motivation from his high school instructor, dolores hernandez.. and he has never failed to mention her over and over again throughout his lecture.. he owes her a lot.. really..]

Lesson 3: it's okay to make your own rules once is a while.. explore.. [one of dr. olivera's students in his laboratory did an experiment different from what they were asked to do.. amazingly, he came up with one good result which they used to develop the alternative drug for morphine, prialt..]

According to Dr. Olivera, part of his success was his good luck.. but I would like to believe that more than luck, what made him the man he is now, was his determination and persistence.. and it all started with an interest..

What did I gain from the lecture? Well, aside from the interesting facts about snails, I was inspired by his story.. and I came to this conclusion:

..success starts from an interest.. supported by at least one person who believes in you and motivates you to persist that interest.. and of course, hardwork..

It was such an honor to be able to hear a talk from a Harvard Foundation awardee.. and i never regret the fact that I sacrificed a major subject to finish it.. it was worth it! it's not everyday that I'll get to be inspired by not just a personality, but a star in his chosen field.. and I'm glad I didn't let that opportunity pass.. =)

i missed blogging.. when was my last post? may? i dunno.. i've been busy since classes started last june 13 and i rarely had time for the online stuffs.. but because we're required to post blog entries as part of our thesis, i'll take that opportunity to update my online journals..

for my first post for the month of july, i'd like to share some quotes i recently received from friends.. and i would like to have them categorized as follows:

on love..

*may mga bagay na nakalaan sa tao kahit anong mangyari.. pag para sayo talaga yun, makukuha mo.. kaya wag kang mag-alala kung mawala man siya.. di man kayo ngayon, baka nakalaan siya sayo sa tamang panahon*
>>pwede rin namang may ibang nakalaan sken diba? i'll just wait for him.. anyway, in love pa rin naman ako eh.. sa family ko, sa friends, at higit sa lahat, kay God at sa service.. =)

*somebody asked me.. "are you taken?" i answered, "yes, i'm taken.." then i turned around with tears in my eyes as i whispered.. "taken for granted"*
>>awwww.. ehem, nakakarelate ba ako? hehe.. parang "halaga" lang ng parokya ah.. hay.. di na ako bitter no! kunwari lang nagdadrama.. haha..

*if you're in love but afraid to tell the person for some reason, just think: one moment of embarassment? or a lifetime of regret?*
>>umm, ipaparamdam ko na lang sa kanya that he's special.. bahala na what will happen next.. but definitely hindi ako ang manliligaw.. =D

friendship stuffs ..

*kung malungkot ako at kailangan ko ng isang taong magpapasaya sken, pwede ba kitang puntahan at sabihing "pwede, kahit saglit lang, payakap naman?"*
>>fortunately, i don't need to ask that.. i have super good friends who know when i need a hug.. and they would give it without question.. =)

*when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness.. and call it friendship..*
>>haha! yeah, right!

Godly/spiritual/inspirational..

*"What God wants us to do in our hearts is to love the poor. Worship is meaningful only if one hand is up in the air worshipping God and the other hand holding a piece of bread for the poor. GK (Gawad Kalinga) is God's work, and I am very privileged to be part of this." - Bo Sanchez*
>>enough said.

*life's pretty simple.. when you're asking for apples and life hands you lemons, make lemonade. if you're on your way out and it starts to rain, at least you won't have to water the plants anymore. it's a matter of seeing things in perspective. the benefits may not be immediate nor obvious, but you have to know this for sure: God will never give you anything you can't handle, nothing you can't triumph over.. there will be problems, there will be struggles.. but if they're not there, how would you know how strong you are?*
>>TRUE!

life, hurt, and some more..

*psychology speaks: "it's not what people do to us that hurts us. in the most fundamental sense, it's our chosen response to what they do to us that hurts us."*
>>yeah, i guess i can agree to this..

*i met him at the time when i really needed someone to help me overcome the pain i was feeling.. he stood by me all along.. then after all that happened, i suddenly thought of this: he helped me forget my sad story.. and yet, he started another one..*
>>ehem.. sapul na naman ba ako? parang si peter pan ba 'to? haha.. hay.. hindi naman ako sad ah..maybe i'm just missing him.. c'mon! haha.. tamang drama ka unaiza.. tama na yan! thesis mode ka na dapat.. =D wala lang.. syempre naisip ko na si peter pan.. i was reading his text messages a while ago and na-realize ko, sya nga talaga si peter pan ko.. kaso lang hindi ako si wendy.. pero ok lang.. ayoko na nga.. thesis mode na uli.. hehe..

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next topic: action speaks louder than words..

i realized recently that indeed, it's not important how many times you say 'i love you' to someone you love , and it really doesn't matter how sweetly you deliver that line.. what's more essential is that you do concrete actions to prove the sincerity of your words..

it goes the same for your dreams, and for everything else in life.. don't just say something, DO IT!

why and how did i come about this realization? blame him.. he was responsible for it.. and honestly, i thank him for that..

he could hardly believe that i've moved on and have finally let go.. but it all started with him.. he was the one who told me to find my new charger.. he doesn't want me to depend on him anymore.. and that's just what i did! but now that i'm finally healed, he was like "how did you that?".. at eto pa, nawindang talaga ako.. sa kanya daw ang salita, sken ang gawa.. in other words, hanggang salita lang siya.. at sinabi pa niyang hindi daw niya ata kayang gawin yung ginawa ko.. ngayon lang naging clear sken ang lahat.. yes, hanggang salita nga lang talaga siya.. and even in loving, hanggang dun lang ang kaya niya.. somehow, natuwa ako kasi at least i know for myself na kaya kong magmahal nang totoo.. i just don't say 'i love you'..pinapakita ko rin sa gawa..

haha.. hindi po kita inaaway, kung sino ka man.. pero salamat.. because of you, mas lalo kong naintindihan ang ibig sabihin ng 'pagmamahal'.. sana in God's time, matutunan mo rin yun..

that will be all .. hanggang sa muling pagdaldal.. goodluck sa lahat ng thesis mode din ngayon.. God bless everyone! =)