Semestral Break. FINALLY.

Yes. So I'm back. For real this time. I don't even know how to sum up the happenings this week but the most important thing is that SCHOOL's OVER! Technically, it should have been over by Thursday since that was the end of our final exams but we have to return to school on Friday for Industrial Tour biddings and submission of our remaining projects. It was still a crazy day so I didn't count that as part of our very short break. And yes, what a very short break it will be but I'd take what I could get. There will be days when we would be required to go back to school thus lessening our supposed vacation time but at least there'd be no more classes and projects and studying. That's heaven.

So what happened this week? Exams for one. And more projects. Tuesday was a holiday. I was up pretty late the night before so I expected to be out until noon but I woke up to shaking at around 8 or 9 in the morning. Now waking up dizzy isn't all that unusual to me but that was a different kind of dizzy. I woke up thinking "WHY IS THIS FRIGGIN BED SHAKING?" and then I heard a weird pounding sound. I saw my emergency light (which is pretty big) swaying in the corner of my room and thought "WHAT THE HELL?" Excuse my sleep muddled brain but you know what I did? I crawled. Right from my bed, down to the floor, out my door at the same time calling "IS IT SHAKING? WHY IS THE WORLD SHAKING?" But of course no one answered me because I was alone in the house. It was a strong earthquake (magnitude 7.2). There wasn't any damage to our city but it was devastating to those located on the epicenter. A lot of historical sites were destroyed ("823 aftershocks nearly 24 hours following the deadly earthquake").

SOURCE: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/507373/bohol-earthquake-strongest-to-hit-visayas-and-mindanao-in-over-20-years

SOURCE: http://philnews.ph/2013/10/15/loboc-baclayon-churches-bohol-heavily-damaged-7-2-earthquake-photos/

But the show must go on and all that jazz and on that same day the Philippines vs Pakistan Peace Cup 2013 was being held in our city. Philippines won! It's a little peace of good news amidst all the heartbreaking ones.

SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Panaadazkals-own.jpg

Another good news, October is Masskara Festival! Last night was the perfect way to start our break. Roads were closed for the celebration. The weather was perfect. The night was cool, the sky was so clear and the moon was so bright. Now it doesn't sound like something but it really is. See? It usually rains during this time of the year, specifically on Masskara nights. But last night was different and after all that happened this week, it was perfect.

SOURCE: http://ahatday.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/masskara-festival-bacolod-philippines/

SOURCE: https://www.facebook.com/masskarabacolod

"In the midst of these tragic events, the city's artists, local government and civic groups decided to hold a festival of smiles, because the city at that time was also known as the City of Smiles. They reasoned that a festival was also a good opportunity to pull the residents out of the pervasive gloomy atmosphere. The initial festival was therefore, a declaration by the people of the city that no matter how tough and bad the times were, Bacolod City is going to pull through, survive, and in the end, triumph."