Today was pretty much okay. Basically, what I did was hang out at Stephen's house with my friends. And I learned something new about Stephen. See, Stephen and I were playing Stratego (a strategy-type war game) and Chris decided to help me out a little since I didn't know what to do. He yelled at Chris for doing so and threw the board across the room in anger. For heaven's sake, it's only a dumb board game. After thirty minutes of silence, Stephen and Chris played Stratego and they had to repeat twice because Stephen kept accusing Chris of cheating. The game ended with the board on the floor and everyone whacking each other on the head with a pillow. Lesson of the story: never play board games with Stephen. Ever.

Stephen and Chris and maybe Alex are going to The Fort Carnival tonight. Lucky! Why is it that whenever any of my friends plan to go to the Fort, I can't go?

I'm eating instant noodles. Sure, they've got like, 300 calories but I don't care. They're good. For some reason, I keep gaining weight during Christmas vacation. And it's pure torture, man! The first six months of this year was a pain; I exercised myself to death and was paranoid about my calories. I lost a lot of weight when school started and at the moment, what I eat doesn't really matter as long as I don't gain too much. That's why I'm going shopping this week, so I can exercise away those extra fat.

My online journal turns 3 years old tomorrow and here was my first entry. Wow, I look forward to a new chapter, a new love to love and be loved, new friends, and pretty exciting things.

Here's what I plan to do for year 2000 (if there is a year 2000). School and the fourth quarter begins on January 3 (Stephen and Alex are so lucky, theirs start on the fifth). This time it's gonna be serious because I'll be taking the entrance exam to Stephen's school. Hopefully, I'll get in. I absolutely cannot stand another year in my school. Plus, lots of my friends will be moving to other schools too which will suck. I'm not yet sure about what to do for my birthday; maybe we could go to the amusement park or the mall. It doesn't really matter what I do; what's important is that I turn fourteen. For the summer, I won't be travelling next year. I'll probably spend a week or so in Cebu ( an hour plane ride from Manila) with my family and then the rest of the summer with my friends. School--I won't even think about it yet. Whether I get in Stephen's school or I stay in my school, it's scary both ways. I wonder what going to school with guys is like. I apologize for my ignorance but gimme a break, I've been going to all-girl schools all my life. I think Stephen's school would be noisier and more fun than my school, where everyone is so damn conservative and restrained. When you're too conservative when you're a teen, you're bound to crack up later in life, which is twice as terrible than being wild now. Anyways, I plan to make lots of guy friends (maybe a boyfriend) and if I'll have any girl friends, they mustn't be of the girly variety. Of course, I plan to get good grades and honors if I'm really lucky. My wish for the year 2000 is that we won't move houses. My dad hasn't said anything yet and I hope that means he changed his mind about moving. Sure I'll still see Stephen but what about Alex and Chris? Unless they move to Stephen's school, I won't see them either.

I have to go and figure out how my shoes are going to fit inside my almost-overflowing bag. I will be offline starting tomorrow till December 26 because we'll be spending it in the mountains of Baguio City which is pretty cold. Have a Merry Christmas or whatever holiday you guys are gonna celebrate this December.

Here 's a Christmas Carol for all of you, Hark the Herald, from the choir CD album (I'm somewhere among the second voices). And for you, Pasko Na, Sinta Ko (go figure out the translation)