As I said in my previous entry, "I apologize. I have not totally forsaken this diary."

But I cannot go on explaining every single detail of what had happened to us on our recent journey to America. Like I have that kind of extraordinary memory.

Also, our graduation was up. After a three-day practice - four, actually, we skipped a day because we didn't have a vehicle to use to get there, color-coding, you know, and without my dad to supervise us we cannot commute, either, as if my mom would like that. Anyway, after a three-day practice, we finally got the ceremony done. There were lots of flaws as far as I'm concerned.

There were so many things that happened during those times but I won't deal with those tonight. Instead, I'm going to talk about what happened TODAY.

So I woke up at 7:00 am on my clock - because most of our clock has an advance time on them. I heated some water and.... I forgot. I probably sat down and read something I don't know, either. It would most likely be that since I was trying to finish that Princess in the Spotlight novel by Meg Cabot, of course. Or I might be reading something about how to be a topnotcher in class as I was so nervous that I would fail the exam and not be accepted in this school I was going to enroll in.

When the water finally boiled, I took a shower, get dressed, and sat back down to read some more. I was so nervous. Well, not nervous like having your body shaking all over, but psychologically nervous. I certainly couldn't concentrate my mind on a novel when it was practically thinking about the exams, exams, exams, exams...

I got into the car still mentally nervous but praying that I would somehow pass the exam so as not to be a total idiot in front of other people. So we went into the school, my mom doing all the talking, and the woman there gave me the answer sheet and questionaire. She said it would only take me 20 minutes to finish it.

20 minutes, indeed. With all that looking outside the transparent glass wall, my mind shifting from thinking of the answers on my questionaire to wondering what in the world are those people outside doing. Just how could I make it in 20 minutes??

When I finished the test, it turned out that I passed it. PASSED IT!

Not perfect but, at least, PASSED IT.

As if it has some Algebra or Calculus problems on it. Though it really has some arithmetic.

They were right, after all. That the exam was just as easy as writing A,B,C in cursive.

After doing all the necessary things to do to get enrolled in, we drove back home, ate lunch, and I sat back down, reading the princess novel. I sat there the rest of the afternoon reading it.

The storyline is good. If I were to criticize it, I have all the things in my mind to say against it.

But, no. I like the story. And, that's it.

It got even better almost in the end where Imelda Marcos was mentioned. It was great. Really moving.

You know what it did on me? Pricked. Pricked by my own conscience.

It made me realize that I hardly know a thing about my nation's history which is weird considering that I was chosen to recite the Panatang Makabayan in front of my fellow graduates and their friends and relatives who doesn't have any idea that I don't memorize our National Anthem, I lipsynched it. Thinking who Imelda Marcos is, my mind absolutely went blank. I mean, BLANK. Right, the name is totally familiar but what it's significance in my country and how did it became popular, I don't have a single clue.

Maybe I should be reading more Philippine History books, practice more Algebra exercises, and recite the multiplication table over and over again in my mind until it went whirling like crazy.

But don't worry, stuck-up mind, I'll take care of it later when I finish the bunch of novels lined up in my desk.