I’m technically not a teenager anymore sometime within the next two weeks. Unless you spell 20 as twenteen but the red wavy line in Windows Live Writer tells me that it is not the spelling. In one year and two weeks, I’ll be 21 (and i’ll be technically an adult) and I’m sure I want to make up for all the things that I didn’t do while I was still in my teenage years with limited time in my hands to do everything, could you suggest what are the things that I should not miss out before turning 21.

Bakit di ako makapagenlist!

UPDATE for non-UAP Students: yes, I do have a pre-enlisted subject but that is only 3 units out of my 25 unit subject. I need to add more subjects!

Good luck to me.

Should've done this before I left LA, starve myself away from Jet lag.

Skip the pretzels: starving may fend off jet lag on Yahoo! Health

This school year officially marks my so-called "initial approach" to graduation. It is now my senior year in college and I'm excited about it although I know this will be challenging for me. I am positive that I'll be graduating in time (June 2009 - DO or DIE) no matter what, however I'm still worried about missing that initial approach and eventually have to go back to square one.

I've been listening to Stand by Me still for the past couple of days and this specific line in one of the tracks caught my attention: "Winds be Quiet, Waves be Still"

Winds for me is not a bad thing, they bring in breeze in a hot afternoon. However, sometimes when they get stronger and if they generate such an awful sound that makes us people scared especially during typhoons. I would equate winds to all the unknown challenges that I still have to face, I do know that all these challenges will enrich my person, my being but one thing that I want though is for these to be just silent, in a sense that they should not be generating any noise that will get me frustrated or will let me give up.

Waves on the other hand are all those challenges known to me, the only thing I want for those challenges is to be still, let me pass unto them safely so that I may reach the shores.

The countdown begins in one month, 12 months to go before graduation day. Good luck.

Chester Coronel with his Spiderman clock in the background at around 3:50 - 3:56 in the morning. This is how a sleep deprived Chester looks like:(

All I want is sleep, 8 hour sleep non-stop. Getting to North America is easy, going back to my Philippines is hard. I remember that when I got to Vancouver, I only experienced this one day and it's all over (but still I had to experience walking in that Metrotown mall sleepy).

Before I left manila, I read an article over the Internet that in order to help oneself beat Jet-lag one must adjust his wristwatch to the destination time. This helps the mind prepare for the transition, but what happened when the plane took off, I adjusted the time on my wrist watch to GUAM! which is two hours ahead of Manila. It is only when we had our technical stop in Guam that I realized that I got the wrong time.

I am just happy that the weather kind of cooperated with me during the past few days. The temperature is nice and I didn't have to worry much about nosebleeds or anything.

Hay, I should better get myself busy for the mean time. An Idle mind is a devil's workshop.

My first 24-hours after flying back to Manila, the Philippines. It will really take some time before I can even get to my normal state. Right now I feel confused with everything from how to turn on the computer, which password to use, what to do next and etc.

Chester: Bakit ayaw mag-turn on ng computer?

Cristof: Powers on the computer

[Chester Realizes that he switched the reset and power buttons of the PC since the power button had gone havoc]

Hay, the perils of being away from home for a long time.

=DATE(2008,05,14)-DATE(2008,03,30)

It has been forty-five days since I left the Philippines. Forty-five days of traveling and experiencing things that I myself cannot believe that I experienced. I have been to the sea all the way up to the mountains,  from the shining sun to the fine snow, I have traveled by land, air and sea.

Coming home is a bittersweet moment for me, I'm just happy to be going home but at the same time sad because I have to leave. I got some mixed up emotions out here. HALP!

Anyway, if there is something that I would choose to define this trip of mine that would be the people and their stories we shared along the way. Stories ranging from what happened to your trip to highly "NDA" content (as the juniors would call it). To all the relatives and friends that have been with me in this trip, THANK YOU! and I will see you again.

God has been so kind to me for giving me such a blessing, it's just a sign that prayers do work. Now I'm just sitting around wondering where and what direction he'll be taking me.

Things like this journey should come to an end. It's my last day in the United States and in a few hours I'll be back to reality, back to my usual routines tasks and everything. Back to my room, back to my family. All I can say now is see you in Manila!

Major Cities:

1. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2. Seattle, Washington, United States
3. Los Angeles, California, United States
4. San Diego, California, United States

Minor Cities:

1. Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
2. Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
3. Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
4. North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
5. Everett, Washington, United States
6. Santa Clarita, California, United States
7. Solvag, California, United States
8. Ventura, California, United States
9. Chula Vista, California, United States
10. Irvine, California, United States

Modes of Transportation:

1. Airplane (Philippine Airlines PR106)
2. Car
3. Train (SkyTrain)
4. Bus (Translink)
5. Bus (Greyhound)
6. Gondola (Whistler - Blackcomb)
7. Ferry (Seabus)
8. Ski Lift (Grouse)
9. Airplane (United Airlines 1175)
10. Train (Amtrak)
11. ON FOOT

Airports:
1. Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL)
2. Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
3. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
4. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

Border Crossings:
1. Peace Arch Border (Surrey, BC - Blaine WA)

When I entered the United States via the Peace Arch Park border in Surrey, BC and Blaine, WA I didn't mind the road signs which suddenly changed from Kilometers to Miles and from Kilometers per hour to Miles per hour, for me I know that a Mile is a little bit longer than a kilometer.

The Philippines and Canada uses Celsius as measurement for temperature, it is clear to me that when the forecast states that it'll be 7 it's gonna be cold (or is not, well at least for me) but here in the United States I'm confused which is hot and which is not hot and much worse, what I assume is hot is not actually hot when converted into Celsius. For example I think that 94F is bad already, but when I converted it to Celsius, it's just actually 34C which I could usually bear back at home (then).

Photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/chester.coronel/April212008UniversalStudiosLosAngelesCA

Had loads of fun here! This is one of the best theme parks I've ever been, no scary rides, no long lines it's just perfect. I'll be returning there one of these days.

Photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/chester.coronel/April202008SixFlagsMagicMountain

One thing: "What did we got ourselves into?"

If you are in California, one of the things that you might hear is all about Six Flags Magic Mountain, California. I do know that it is a theme park, but I don't know that it is a theme park full of roller coaster rides. So when we got there one thing was stuck in our minds "What did we got ourselves into?".

Photos are courtesy of Jasper Jugan.

Photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/chester.coronel/April202008DisneylandResortCalifornia

Note: Since I'm tired of uploading pictures to multiply, I will just be blogging about the albums that I post in Picasa and link pictures to that site.

This was the first theme parks we went to in California, and it is a dream come true for me [yes, it's my first time to Disneyland and I'm dying to go there ever since I was a child]. I would like to thank Tito Edward for bringing us there and It was a really nice experience. Too bad, the fireworks did not push through as planned.

Photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/chester.coronel/April1318SeattleWashingtonSideTrips

This is the first American city that I have visited on this trip and also one of the highlights of my trip since this is the venue for the 2008 MVP Global Summit. If there is anything stuck in my head about this city that would be salmon. In this city, I'm with my friends and co-MVPs Jasper, Adrian, and Jay-R Barrios.

Something to share while viewing the space needle outside the window: http://thecartesianclub.blogspot.com/2008/03/red-riding-hood-assassin.html

This was supposed to be our class play for the I-MIC Year-ender (our school's public speaking organization). However due to constraints on our projects, we decided not to push through :(. I should be playing as Humpty Dumpty in this short play.

Right now I'm in Seattle, WA for the 2008 Microsoft MVP Global Summit. The first day was fun since I met a lot of new people from SEA as well as in some different places although I haven't linked their faces with their names yet. It is also a very nice experience since I can personally see how different cultures interact with one another.

Also right now, I'm helpless. I can't access my grades from here neither my classmates. Something went wrong with the server that hosts the website of the University. The last time I heard from that server is before I crossed the Canada-US Border. The latest news I heard from my classmates who can still access it is that I got a --- in Philsoc. Yes, ---. Meaning no grade yet :(. I just hope that I will pass that subject since effort was truly exerted on that subject and I did learn a lot from it which benefits my trip outside the Philippines.

Finally the semester has ended! Although it will take some time for our grades to appear I think I've done the best I can to end this semester without any problems.

Since the semester has ended, I now have the right to be excited over what's going to happen in the next six weeks.

During my high school days, I can go to school without actually sleeping just to finish all of the projects that my teachers require or to finish that entry to a competition that I'm dying to join. Back then, an hour of sleep is good enough for me.

Now that I'm in college, it is now mandatory for me to go to sleep at least three hours no matter what. I can't do project marathons anymore [where you start at 6 PM then end at 6 AM the following day] neither that I can force myself not to sleep.

Right now I'm trying to finish that PhilSoc paper so as to finish this semester finally. As much as possible I don't want to go to sleep. I think I have to put my mind over matter.

Mom is right, the Month of March will be fast and I can't believe that I'll be leaving on Sunday. Currently I have mixed emotions since:

1. It's my first time to leave this country and as such first time to enter another country.
2. It's my first time to ride a long-haul flight and sit on a plane for almost 13 hours.
3. It will be my first time to meet some of my cousins in person.
4. First time to be jet lagged.
5. First time to experience "extreme temperatures" (in my first destination the temperatures will be at least -1 Degrees Celsius with highs at 11-16 degrees)
6. First time to be initially alone on a trip (if some of you are taking a flight this Sunday to Vancouver, please do let me know)

There are so many first times on this trip, and I think this is exciting. I think.

That's all for now, have to finish this paper and see you when I see you!

Software Engineering (Currently 61 Pages) - Due 3 Days before you plan to report which should be no later than Friday. Optimistic - Monday, Pessimistic - Friday.

Philippine Society and Culture (3 of 5 -10 Pages) - Due Friday at the Latest

Medieval Literature (Divine Comedy) - Due Thursday

Sigh, the last one is frustrating. Right now I'm trying to remember what I've learned about Will and Intellect from the last semester's Philosophical Anthropology class. Although I already got a very rough idea on how will I approach this paper.

Anyone wants to throw an idea on why:

1. Inferno - the development of Dante's Intellect
2. Purgatorio - the development of Dante's Will