How to Survive Law School

So here’s a little trivia about me: I am actually a law student! Hahaha! I maintain this blog to keep me sane and keep my mind off things once in a while. Of course, I’m not saying that Law school is all that I am thinking about; because the truth is that I think about a lot of things on a daily basis.

So anyway, I’ve thought about it and I’ve realized that there are a lot of things I wish I knew when I was about to enter law school. So now, I am writing this for those who are about to go through it now!  

1. Make sure that this is really what you want

From the moment you set foot in law school, set your mind that from that moment on, your life will change entirely. An author once wrote that:

Law school is like a jealous mistress

And that is true! Be ready to miss out family reunions, birthdays, weddings, etc. and instead spend that time reading books, analyzing cases, and writing case digests. It will definitely demand a lot of time from you, and you just have to accept that fact and always remind yourself that THIS IS REALLY WHAT YOU WANT

2. Everyone is treated the same way in law school

When you enter law school fresh from college,and you’ve had latin honors, you may think that this will be just like a walk in the park. Again, you’re wrong! Everybody has an equal footing in law school. Everyone will be treated the same, and not everyone will excel just because they did great in college. You’d be surprised at how you will be faced with awesome people; and this will actually make you humble. It can either push you to do better, and it can sometimes make you feel bad about yourself: trust me, YOU WILL! Which brings me to the next item on this list.

3. Get ready to feel bad about yourself

Sure, you’ve spent the entire night reading the lesson for that day, you’ve even memorized the provisions covered; but come recitation day, everything just fade and you are left being entirely clueless about what you’re going to say. 

Trust me, there was this one class where I’ve literally felt the things that I’ve read swooshing down as I got up! Hahaha! And that is normal! And it’s okay to feel bad about it, but then make sure that after an hour or so, shake it off, and move on to the next phase!

4. Practice the art of moving on
Now this should be easy, and just really take it literally! Bad recit? Wallow for a while and then MOVE ON. Failed exams? Wallow for a while and then MOVE ON. I don’t have to explain it anymore! Hahaha!

5. Make sure to laugh at yourself

Trust me, lawyers may look serious, but you can save that up in the future. In law school, laughter is the best medicine! Because not being able to laugh can drive you insane. Which brings me to the next one.

6. Surround yourself with happy people

Okay, it’s bad enough that you feel sad about that embarassing recitation, so why would you want to talk about that with someone who would make you feel even more sad? 

There are countless of times when I would wallow in self pity, and what really got me through that were my friends who made me realize that it’s okay and it was pretty hilarious how our professor walked out of the room hahaha! 

7. Be prepared to be on your own

It helps if you have friends in law school, but see to it that you also know how to be independent. You are your own savior! At the end of the day, you will be responsible for your own successes and failures. So learn to accept this early on. 

8. Know the people who are genuine

Trust me, there are a lot of politics going on in law school! Haha! Not everyone would be willing to help you. There would definitely be people who would be a little bit selfish with notes, sample exams, etc. So be sure to distinguish! 

Of course, there are people who would genuinely be there to help you. I was lucky to have found people like them, and I will always be thankful! 

9. Learn how to share

This would go a long way in law school! When you share, people would also share. Actually it’s more of the univese giving back the energy that you send. So if it’s positive, be ready to get positive things in return. I can definitely say that I haven’t been selfish with what I have and what I know, so I guess that’s why other people do the same thing towards me! So there! 

Learn how to share

 

10. Always give your best

Honestly, up to now, I really don’t know how to do this! Haha! There were lots of times when I felt that I have definitely gave my best but still it did not work. 

Sometimes I wonder if giving our best is just a state of the mind

(Sorry I was a psychology major back in college so this is really how my mind works haha!)

Maybe, giving our best should be something innate in us. But you know what? I’ve realized that only ourselves can tell if we gave our all. There is no standard. You just have to believe that what you did is all that you can at that time! So what if it did not pay off? You can always try! I’m pretty sure that there is no limit on how many time we can give it our best!
Right now, I am in my final semester in law school; and so far these are all the things that I can share! I’ll make sure to post again! 
All the Best in law school!
Xoxo,

@thecouchpatatas

My Review: Watami Japanese Restaurant

My family and I first dined here during my birthday last 2014, and we haven’t stopped coming back since then. I’ve brought my friends here too, and they also loved it! 
This is actually my personal favorite:

Chicken and Egg
  

   
 

   
    
 
Watami is a japanese restaurant in Shangri-la Plaza mall in Mandaluyong. The place is perfect for casual dinners and even for special ones. Their rice bowls are good: chicken and egg, pepper beef rice, beef with rice, and the list just goes on and on! 
Try visiting their branches in SM Mall of Asia, Glorietta, and of course, in Shangri-la! Have fun!

Xoxo,

@thecouchpatatas

My Review: Vikings Luxury Buffet Megamall

It has taken us some time before we’ve finally decided to try eating here in Vikings. To be honest, the only thing that I hear whenever my friends talk about vikings is that it’s expensive! Haha! Actually it really is a bit pricey but compared to those in hotels, it is cheaper definitely. Anyway, here’s my review of this restaurant. 

We ate here to celebrate my sister’s birthday, since birthdays are perfect occasions to really PIG OUT! 

In vikings, if there is a celebrant among the guests, that person is actually free of charge. If the celebrant would celebrate on the day itself, he/she must be accompanied by at least 1 paying adult. If  he/she would dine within his/her birth months,  the celebrant should also be accompanied but with a minimum of four (4) paying adults. Here are their rates per person:

(This is in the Megamall branch only; each branch differs from each other. Each rate also differs depending if you’d dine on a weekday or a weekend)

   

Actually, me and my family are huge SAMBOKOJIN Fans; but we’ve decided to try vikings for a change. 

It is recommended to have a reservation ahead of time since walk-in customers don’t really get to choose where they could sit. On our part, we were able to reserve ahead of time but we forgot to choose where we would sit. This brings me to my observation that the tables here in vikings are relatively small. For a group of 7 adults and 1 child, our table is noticeably narrow. 

There are a lot of choices to choose from here in vikings. And what separates this from sambokojin perhaps is the fact that the price of the food includes the drinks already. 

Here are my pics:

 

Carbs!!! 

    
Salad Station  

Dessert       

okay, this is amazing ! The make-your-own-pizza area! Awesome!

  

Nachos!

  

You can actually ask for hot and cold beverages here! 

   
 

   
 
They also have a grilling station here in vikings, with lots of choices as well. However, unlike in Sambokojin where you grill your own food, the chefs here would prepare the food for you and you can just have the grilled food delivered to your assigned table.

So basically that’s it! The food here is yummy, but a bit overwhelming for there are a lot that you can choose from! So I’d say, take your time! Savor the food! And Enjoy the experience!
Xoxo,

@thecouchpatatas

Manila Ocean Park

I have already been to Manila Ocean Park for three times already. The first time was in 2010 with my family, the second one was with my friends, and the third one was just lasts June 7 with my family again. My six year old nephew has been fascinated with sea creatures lately and so he decided to just go here.
If you live in a tropical country like ours here on the Philippines, going out during the summer months may not be an entirely good idea at all. The months of April, May and early days of June are just scorchingly hot! We have experienced this on that day, and it was just unbelievable! So anyway here’s my post!
I, being the family’s head of the “booking department” as they say, had always been in charge in arranging my family’s trip every single time. It was actually my idea to go to Manila Ocean Park since i am pretty sure that my nephew would apprciate it now that he’s five as compared to when he was just one year old! Haha! 
I have stumbled upon this deal of Manila Ocean Park tickets in METRODEAL ( metrodeal is a site that offers deals here in the Philippines which are almost less than half of their original price ), and have decided to avail them. I got the deal for P499 (which is valid from February 2015 to February 2016) via credit card transaction. And it is actually easy! Upon validation of payment, metrodeal would send the voucher to your metrodeal account (so I suppose you have to really make one..also for easy retrieval), and you just have to print the vouchers individually (one voucher per person), and present it upon arrival at Manila Ocean Park. 
The package that we availed of was the DEEP SEA RUSH PACKAGE. This gives you access to FIVE ATTRACTIONS inside the park:
The Sharks and Sting Ray Dry Encounter

The Jellyfish Exhibit

The Oceanarium

The Sea Lion Show

The Symphony Evening Show
Being mostly adults with the only goal of making a 5-year-old experience under water without actually going under it, this package is more suitable for us! Haha! Besides, we are not huge fans of humid places, and we easily get tired haha! But there are other packages than this one, and it includes access to more facilities inside the park! 

HERE ARE MY PICTURES:

  
  
(We had Lunch at Makan Makan Asian Food Village located at the second floor of MOP. They offer great and affordable food in here, plus it’s the only restaurant that was not crowded when we were there)
I have to remind you guys also that MOP offers scheduled performances, so you have to manage your time while in there so thay you can go to each and every attractions. 
   
   (Inside the Jellyfish Exhibit)
  
( Sharks and Ray Dry ecounter )

   
       ( Inside the Oceanarium ) 

  
( Buhay na Karagatan. This is actually a huge tube where you can sit and watch the different sea creatures swim at your back and above your head. It was so hot though, and there were so many people that day, so I wasn’t able to take lots of pictures! Oh and another thing too is that you won’t get to enjoy taking much photos of yourselves while inside the Oceanarium because it is too dark; and let’s face it, we are all fans of GOOD LIGHTING. Haha! But if you have a high-performance camera that can take good photos with low lighting, then you’re good to go! Lucky you!) 
  
( The Sea Lion Show. It has two scheduled performances that day: 11am and 3pm. We went to the 3pm show, and it was outside, and it was sooooo Hot! But it was entertaining though )
We did not watch the Symphony evening show anymore because we were just too drained already and my family said that it was just “lights and sounds” haha! During the first time we were here in 2010, we did not watch it as well for it was raining, and when I was here with my friends, I had to go home early. But I believe it has to be something more. Haha! 
So that’s it! Feel free to look for you own deals, and also look at their website for our promos! Get your own dose of #vitaminsea ( that’s a thing now, right? Haha!) Enjoy!

Xoxo,

@thecouchpatatas
Follow me on IG: @thecouchpatatas

 

Wood Nymph Korean Restaurant: Baguio City Philippines

Baguio has always been a sanctuary for me and my family. Coming from Rizal, Baguio used to be so far away; an 8 to 10 hour trip is long is it not? Haha! But that was during the late 90’s and Early 2000’s. Just recently, the travel time from Angono to Baguio is only just 5 hours! Thanks to TPLEX! 
Anyway, my post would be about one of the restaurants that we truly love and where we usually eat whenever we are in Baguio: Wood Nymph
Wood Nymph actually has two branches is Baguio City. The branch that I was only able to dine in was the one in SM Baguio. It’s actually easy to find as there are signs placed inside the mall. 
Being HUGE FANS of Korean Food (and Korea, of course), my family and I usually scout for Korean Restaurants wherever we go to. There is just something about Korean food! Haha! 
Here are some of my #foodshots during our trip:
  

This is LOVE! Our favorite Sweet and Spicy Chicken
  
Seafood stew

 
Korean Japchae! 

  

Dok-bokki (Korean Rice Cake)

If you are fond of Korean food like myself, you would definitely enjoy the food here! Happy Eating!
Xoxo,

@thecouchpatatas

Regina Rica Rosari: Rizal’s hidden sanctuary

Being a Rizaleño by birth, I can’t tell you just how much pride I have of my home province. You see, I live in Angono, Rizal; it is actually the third town that you will reach if you are coming from the pasig area. My friends would usually say that I live very far, and I would consistently answer: “hindi ah! 30 minutes away nga lang ako from ortigas”, which is true, actually! You see, Rizal is a very good location because in here, you get to have a laid-back-town-vibes without having to feel much away from the hustle and bustle of the city. 

There are many places that you can go to in Rizal. In my hometown, Angono (the Art Capital of the Philippines) for one, has its own attractions that draw tourist very often. But I’ll post about that soon. In this post, I will share with you a place that you can go to if you just want to meditate and clear your mind, without travelling that far: 

The Regina Rosarii Institute for Contemplation in Asia in Tanay, Rizal (better known as Regina RICA)

Not far from Angono is Tanay, Rizal. In just about an hour or less (if you have your own car), you can reach this town. You will just pass by the towns of: Binangonan, Cardona, Morong, and Baras..then voila! You’re in Tanay already. So if you’re coming from Ortigas you’ll have about 2 hours to get there. 

If you have your own car, you just have to take the manila east road,keep going straight ahead, pass by the towns that I’ve mentioned, and once you get to Tanay, there are many signs that are put up in there so you will definitely not get lost. 

Regina RICA is open everyday except Tuesdays. Visiting time is from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. You have to take note that there is a dress code inside the premises. Girls are not allowed to wear shorts; however,if you still wore shorts, they will provide you with skirts that you can wear on top of your shorts (I knew this because me and my friends were wearing shorts the first time that we went there since it’s summer hehe). Sleeveless clothes are also prohibited for both men and women. Upon arriving you will first be given a short orientation about the place, and then after that, you are free to roam around already.

I was lucky because for the two times that I’ve been here, the place was not too crowded. During holy week, the traffic is just unbelievable! Well, this is because of the fact that Regina RICA has its own set of devotees already. Also, it is also part of many religious pilgrimage in the country, and I believe even in Asia.

So let me now share you the pictures from my two trips combined! Hehe:

   

( The Mary’s Sacred Trail: this leads to the statue of Mama Mary on top of the hill. There’s only one way up and you cannot go down this path; you would have to go down on the other designated path)

  

(The view while going to the top)

( Mama Mary!)

This is the huge statue of Mama Mary on top of the hill. There is actually a prayer room inside her mantle; and you have to remove your shoes if you want to go inside.

  

(This view! Love!)

(My panoramic shot of the place) 

After praying inside the mantle, there is a candle offering area where you can buy candles in different colors; each color representing your different intentions. My friend bought all the colors, by the way. Hehe. Now, in the usual Filipino tradition, you have to say a prayer first before you light your candle.  You can also sign up your loved ones so that they will be prayed for for the rest of their lives. You would just give a donation, and then list down the names of the people you love in the prayer list. 

    

(The Mangrove trail. Each is sponsored by different people. Amazing right?)

  

(Our candles!)

(This is the church inside the Regina RICA. They also celebrate the Holy Mass in here. The Regina RICA Mass Schedules:

 

 ( from http://reginarica.org )

   

(The side view of the chapel)

So there you have it! I hope you got to experience Regina RICA in Tanay by just looking through my pictures! I would really suggest that you go here if you have the time in order to nourish your spirituality. It is indeed a beautiful place; and it is very well-maintained not just because it is new, but because you can feel the sincerity of the people who are working thereat. 

For more info visit their website:

http://reginarica.org

8 Cuts Burger Blends: #meatourblend

Before anything else, let me first give you guys a heads-up that when it comes to burgers, I really don’t have anything negative to say.  “Just give me a burger”..that’s my mantra. So anyway, there are lots of newly-opened burger joints here in the PhIlippines. I don’t know if it is a trend or it’s just because of the inherent love of Filipinos for meat. 

One of the popular ones nowadays is 8 cuts burger blends.It is a customize-your-own-burger-burger-joint, and they specialize in different kinds of meat.  Now, I have to be honest that I am really not good in remembering the name of the food that I eat; I am not a picky eater but I know what’s good and what’s not. I have never customized my burger and I don’t think that I can ever do so! Haha! 

So here it is; I will just post the pics of the food that I ordered and then you be the judge hahaha! But I can assure you that this restaurant is worth every peso! 

Here are the pics:

   

  

    

8 cuts burger blends is located at the Third Floor of the SM Mega Fashion Hall in SM Megamall, Mandaluyong. Now, some would say that it is a bit over-priced; but as for me, I think that it is reasonably priced. It is one of those restaurants where you would think that the serving is not that big, but still, you would still end up feeling more than satisfied! Check out their facebook page and zomato page for more details:

8 cuts burger blends on fb

8 cuts burger blends on zomato

My Fairways and Bluewaters Boracay Experience

It has been my family’s third time staying here in fairways and bluewaters, and I must say that every stay had been such a breeze!

I must admit though that we used to say that going to Boracay is not worth it unless it’s free (sorry, Philippines ha? haha!). However, we were really blessed that one of the perks of my mom’s job is an all-expense paid trip to Boracay every three years (I know! Cool, right?). So since 2007, we have been going here in Fairways and Bluewaters because my mom’s company have bought a share here. 

Being a pre-arranged trip, going to Boracay had always been an ease for us. Our tickets are booked in advance, and our transportation have been arranged ahead of time as well. So let me share you something about our trip.

We left at about 5 in the morning from our house in order to get to the airport on time for our 8am flight. Our house is just 40 minutes away from the airport, but because we had to leave our car at Park ‘n Fly near NAIA 2, we had to leave a bit earlier that usual (I’ll post my review about that later on)

( The Park ‘N Fly Building)

So we were brought by the park ‘n fly van to NAIA 3; and in there, the process had been smooth.

(Our PAL boarding passes)

(One of the perks if you fly PAL?free snacks! Pwede narin di ba? Hehe)

The flight to Kalibo (the one that we chose because we did not like the small airplanes bound for Caticlan) took about an hour to an hour and a half. Others prefer to go to Caticlan because it would only take a short boat ride from there going to Boracay. As for us, it has always been Kalibo.

( arrival at Kalibo airport)

Upon arrival in Kalibo airport, we already have our own driver waiting for us, who is going to take us to the Caticlan welcome center of Fairways and Bluewaters.

( you’ll see many men holding signs like these in Kalibo haha!)

The land trip going to Kalibo took about 2 hours. It was a snooze-fest, but most of it was amusing because of the sceneries that we got to see! (Ang ganda nga pala talaga ng Pilipinas!)

Welcome Drinks upon arrival at Fairways and Bluewaters members’ welcome center. As you can see, they have lots of golf magazines; well it’s mainly because Fairways is a golf club. Haha! So anyway, from the welcome center, we had a boat ride which took about 15 minutes,across the sea, going to the main island of  Boracay

 (Our boat hahaha!)

   

Upon arrival on the island, we had another van (from fairways) which picked us up. The resort is about 10 minutes away from the Boracay port as it is located in Station 1. Btw, station 1 in Boracay houses the big resorts; it is also quite peaceful there as compared to stations 2 and 3.

( Fairways finally! Take note: we arrived at the resort at around 12:30pm..so all in all, we had a 5-hour trip; including transfers and all)

In the members area, you will be given free drinks again..unending free drinks, I must say haha! Since our room was already prepared, it did not take us too long to check-in into the resort. 

Fairways is a huge resort, so there is a roaming van inside the resort which can take you around the premises; and there is a scheduled trip every hour going to D*Mall in station 2, which is about 10 minutes away. Back in 2007 and 2010, we can call a van anytime from our villa; however they changed the set-up recently. 

( Our Villa)

We were assigned with three rooms located in the same villa, but they are not connected. One room was for my mom and dad (the biggest room) and then the other room for my brother, my sister-in-law, and their son, and the last room was assigned to my sister and I. It was so fun! Haha!

These are the pics of my mom and dad’s suite. It has a kitchen,a dining area, a living room, a walk-in closet, and two bathrooms. 

Our room has the same bed, however it has no living room, etc. But even if we did not have those, we still had the same view for four days:

(Stunning, right?)

So going back, fairways has its own beach, it has its own pool (back in 2007 and 2010, there was only one, but recently they opened 2 more), it has its own golf course as i’ve said, it also has its own activities area such as the zipline, zorb ball, and segway. So basically there would be no more reason for you to go out and force yourself in the crowded areas of Boracay (although that’s the point of going right? Haha!), because everything that you can possibly think of in order to relax are already here in Fairways and Bluewater! 

( their own beach)

( the pool. Although this is the old one; we did not get to swim in the new ones because they were a bit crowded)

(The Maris Spa)

Oh and have I mentioned that they also have their own chapel inside a cave? It still looked just as amazing as the last time we were here

So that’s it! I hope you also got to experience fairways even by just looking at the pics. So far, I’ve heard that fairways are already accepting non-member accommodations as well. There are even deals available online already. So if you want to experience Boracay in the most fancy way possible, consider booking here now! It’s summer! 

For more info visit their website here:

http://www.fairwaysandbluewater.com.ph