Friday, 02 January 2009
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2008 Year-End Superlatives
This post is going to be my last for Xanga, as I would be relocating to Multiply for the next chapter of my blogging life. What better way to bid this site goodbye than with my customary summary entry for the year that was.
Here are fifteen of nothing but the best, worst, cutest, craziest and super of everything about my 2008!
1. Prettiest defenders: GforGirls thesis group!
All those sleepless nights, Stata data mining and audit firm hopping in Makati by foot (Maybs and Sarah) were well worth that earnings management/ audit quality paper. I can never forget how we pigged out on Ridiculous Burger and Brooklyn pizza at Maybs's (with Ricky and Henry as saling pusa), how we set a up a self-timered pictorial session at the amphi on defense day (see above photo), and how we scoured the supermarket in Rockwell for Sarah's toothbrush only to go home with the cutest Blair Waldorf-inspired headbands! Yey to Maybs, Jams, Sarah and me a.k.a GforGirls!
2. Cutest family addition: Richard Arteta, Jr.!
Hurrah! After 21 years, I am finally a ninang! Here is a picture of me with Tita Ten, Mama Abby and baby Rich -- my first inaanak who also happens to be the younger brother of my most-blogged-about cousin Fonzy. Rich is the cutest little thing! Even more pogi than his kuya, I'd have to say. And no, that's not tainted with ninang bias. Hehe!
3. Hottest download: Gossip Girl TV series
Torrentz is no longer a chore, if the prize you get is an hour peek into "the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite". At first I thought it was just another tween production channeling Cruel Intentions in the small screen, but instantly after the first episode of season 1, I was sold! I especially love the complicated Lily-Rufus storyline, and of course, Blair's high fashion ensembles.
4. Coolest tambayan: North Conserv
What to do during those looong breaks during TH? Raid the prettiest study hall in school, then have a five-hour chikahan with the girls, face-warp on my Cyberlink webcam, or number-crunch for the thesis. We couldn't thank Jams enough for being the master table snatcher, and Teej for always being so gracious in adjusting the aircon panes nonstop. Hail the TH North Con Club!
5. Most beloved and missed person: Lolo Rene
This year was the first time I experienced losing someone very close to my heart. I still think about him sometimes, and miss him especially when I go to their house and find the chair by the front door empty. We know though that he is happy and at peace, and that he never ceases to watch over us. We love you, Lolo!
6. Best pick-me-uppers: The yummiest food finds!
For this year, I award the best pick-me-upper trophy to the following great discoveries: Italianni's Sicilian salad, Churrito Cafe's frozen dark chocolate granita, Cyma's skolatina, and Spiral's grilled lambchops. They are worth coming back for all the time!
7. Newest experience: SGV internship
A little over a month of scavenging Ayala in heels, examining kilos and kilos of documents, and getting starstruck whenever I see my partner-in-charge -- that's just about how my life as an on-the-job audit trainee went. Aside from the realizations that 1) a good gelato with Bea after work could be such a motivating reward after a tiring "yuppie" day; 2) detecting four invalid sales transaction after six hours of eye-crossing vouching is as good as detecting zero; and 3) a one-to-one employee-chair ratio is apparently not a norm in all firms; I also learned that indeed, one should say no to audit unless violently threatened with lifetime unemployment. I'm glad I got to experience it first-hand though.8. Funnest weekend getaway: Fontana trip with the 13 who can't be moved!
Thank you Maybs, Jams, Mark, Bea, Bonner, Sarah, Evann, Ricky, Mela, Michael, Yummy and TJ for one of the greatest fun I've had in 2008! Two nights of no-holds-barred "wasakan", shisha, bastos games and crying cannot be forgotten (well, primarily because they were all very well documented). I wish our friendship would last sixty, seventy more years into the future. You guys definitely made my university life complete!
9. Best project team: 3rd BECS Research Committee
It's been work and play all the way, and I thank Arie, Kath, Diana, Benson, Vlad, Chelseah, Jean and AVPs dearest Madz and Ricky for the wonderful time. I've always thought that the diversity would work to the team's advantage, and boy, it did! I miss those endless program revisions, e-mail marathons and "ranting" Medrano meetings. Good luck to BECS 2009!
10. Loveliest couple: ?2008 was definitely a year for luuurve. For some people anyway. Hehe. This year I've seen my friends and relatives find the love of their lives or get more serious with their already found someone special. So who's the loveliest couple of the year? The nominees are...!
Nadz and Gyte (take it off!), Nins and Meo (My Tsongs!)
Jams and Mark (kinakain mo yan!)
Ricky and Cathy (lindolers), Mela and Michael (sexy!)
Yum and Teej (the showgirls)And last but not the least...
Tribemates Mr. and Ms. Kho -- pangalan pa lang meant to be na oh!
(Joke lang! But seriously, wala ba talaga guys?)And the winner of the 2008 Loveliest Couple Award is...
...
...
Ricky and Michael!
(Sweet naman.)11. Craziest Obsession: Iron Man
"Truth is.. I am Iron Man." Wuhoo love that line! I can't even remember how many hours I spent researching and blogging about Robert Downey, Jr. (as well as days spent exchanging Iron Man-related information with Yummy). I hope The Avengers movie doesn't disappoint.
I suddenly realized that I shared a LOT of obsessions with Yum this year. From Iron Man to Edward Cullen, Time Traveler's and Nate Archibald (Apologize scene, anyone?), we got hooked through and through!
12. Most disastrous day: When I poured coffee all over Maybs's mod handouts!
One fateful Wednesday in November at our humble abode back in A703, I accidentally toppled Maybs's cup of steaming hot coffee quietly sitting on the table (because as you know when I talk I get really hand gesture-y), and poof! Coffee-stained mod handouts all over! Buti na lang Vlad immediately came to the rescue, setting all the wet pieces on an empty long table and soaking up all the liquid with a LOT of Kleenex. Sorry again, Maybs!
Lesson learned: There's a reason why they prohibit food and drinks in classrooms, so follow the rule!
13. Lamest joke: Rayver and Shaina in Takipsilim
Seriously? Seriously. That film adaptation was bad enough for Meyer's modern vampire saga (which I'd have to admit, I've been obsessed about for a couple of months, until I took Creative Writing as an English elective, had one too many anti-Twilight conversations with Yum and Maybs), but to produce a Filipino teleserye of it is simply insulting (not only for Cullen fans, but also for Pinoys who were made to seem like they would jump at every possible chance of making money). Gabby as Carlisle? In faireness pwede, gawin lang espasol.
14. Hardest feat realized: Finishing modular!
After four terms of nothing but 18 units of pure accounting, we are finally bye-bye to modular! Although it hasn't fully sunk in yet since review life in Espana is still pretty much like mod life in Andrew, I am nonetheless thrilled by the fact that we actually made it alive! Thanks to mod batchmates for making our daily lectures more animated (eg: Vlad falling off his chair at least once a week, Jamie bringing all those junk food, DJ being unintentionally funny, Jamaica in a balikbayan box, Evann reciting for Sir Ace... and the list goes on!)
Special thanks to bestest blockmates Maybs and Jamie for being there for me all the time. Eco-Accounting would've been a seven-year burden without you around. After five years, can you believe it? Wuhoo! Papainom na si Jams!
15. Super duper best girlfriends: Jenny and Char!
Any year-end entry wouldn't be complete without these two girls of course. I love you much, much Jenny and Char! Nothing beats shopping up north, random phone calls and spontaneous Aguirre nights with you, especially when we go out for coffee at 11 pm and get super hyper sa chikahan ayaw nang umuwi. You are the (twin) sisters I never had. Thank you for being so real. 'Til forever.
2009 will definitely be a turning point in my quarter-life. 'Tis the year when just about everything would happen -- college graduation, board exam and scariest of all... job-hunting. My growing-up year. Jitters are here and there for sure, but I'm hoping it'll be another great ride.
Wishing everyone a blessed 2009!
And thank you Xanga for being my blogging home for five years! I would always go back to this site if I'm in the mood for some nostalgic drama. In the meantime, this is purple_an, signing off.
Thursday, 01 January 2009
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Back to Back Holiday Cheers #2: HS Party at Jenny's!
First off, it's day 1 of the new year! The fireworks have been lit, Media Noche been devoured, greetings been sent! Happy 2009, everyone!
I haven't found time for my special year-end entry yet, but I promise there will be a post on that. I'm thinking it'd be a fitting LAST entry here at Xanga, and at the same time, a fitting first at Multiply (where I will be relocating my blog soon, due to insistent public demand haha!).For now, let me share the happenings during the belated Christmas party / annual reunion with high school friends last December 30. We used to hold this get-together at Nadz's in Mon-El, but this year, we did it at Jenny's in BF. Except for a few others like Jenny, Char and Marla, I think it has been exactly a year since I saw these people. It all took me back to the carefree life of high school, where nothing else but fun mattered! Some pics!
Jenny our new hostess!
Group pic
Foodie
Mau leading the prayer (Jenny nagp-pray ano be!)
Eating time
Happy people
My pet Toni
Hep-hep time!
The very energetic, eklavuish Pokwang
More happy people
Heanieeeel the bartender before he passed out, woke up alone on the couch the next morning and said, "What the fuck? I don't live here. Where is everyone?" (He did say it!)
Nadz and Atty. Gyte (just might be our very first Mr. and Mrs.!)
The ethnic dancing club
The acoustic jamming club
Cheers! To apple cider-y champagne!
My super duper best friends Jenny and Char!All the dancing, chikahan and a bit of drinking led to another spontaneous sleepover for me, Char, Kat, Mau, Jason, Roy, Raissa and Jenny (who lives there), plus Migs, Heaniel and friends who didn't sleep at all. I would have to say though that the best part of the whole party was the morning of that next day. Char, Kat, Mau, Jenny and I (hereon called "breakfastmates") drove to Pancake House for a very hefty breakfast, then had the longest, most missed conversation about anything and everything under the sun -- school, work, people, job choices, love life, career plans and ultimate dreams. I'm suprised to learn that everyone feels a bit apprehensive about the future (I thought I was the only one). We're crossing the age continuum fast, and it makes us anxious about the life we'll eventually have, if it's the kind we dreamed of. I need more of that conversation! Let's do that again.
The holidays are really about getting the chance to be with people you love whom you rarely see for the rest of the year. As early as now, I can't wait for next year's party! Everyone's got a job by then, so we're thinking we'll have the means to level it up a notch. Yay!
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
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Back to Back Holiday Cheers #1: Tanquilut Christmas Dinner!
After much lbs-packing during Noche Buena and the Christmas day lunch at mom's side in Makati, here we were again using the Holidays as an alibi to another food fest. This time, it was with the ultra large clan of my dad's at the newly renovated Geocaniga home. Over the years, the Tanqs have actually shrunk, many leaving the country for the US. Tito Boy and his family spent their December vacay in the US, too, so it seems that we're extra few this year. That's probably another reason why Christmas felt so much more festive when I was younger. Although I'd have to say, we're still pretty big compared to other families. Thanks to my great grandparents who were more than zealous to produce 13 children.
Here are few of the 200 plus pictures from Tita Ten's Multiply site and Tita Majo's Facebook photos:
Tita Ten (eldest of the Geocaniga kids and eternal program hostess) enjoying the buffet
Girls-turned-dalagas Camille, Ina and Yssa with pseudo-mommy Tita Ten
The 2008 Familia Torres Photo (Rich as newest addition)
Fonzyyyyyyy!
Tita Milet, me and Tita Majo: Grooowl!Like every other year, Tita Ten prepared for a bunch of games such as the classic Trip to Jerusalem for the kids, and the Christmas song guessing game for the grown-ups. Yep, that was exactly one of our fun non-green games in Fontanta! Except we only had to write down the answers to a list of 25 initials, instead of whispering them through the line and singing wildly after guessing (TJ and Jams flashback
). But of course our team won! Haha!And what's a Tanquilut Christmas party without a round of Schmenten's Bad Santa? This year's most wanted gifts:
The ODM-ish watch
Starbucks 2009 Planner!
The box of polvoron.. with a hidden P500 bill
Sweet treatsI initially got a bag of ginseng-fortified coffee beans, but later by the sheer power of collusion (with my Lola Myr), I was able to go home with the Starbucks planner! Wuhoo! Sorry, Issang! Tita Majo asked for my self-collected stickers though, which was only three buys short of another planner.
More pictures!
Boys (wala nang starring Tito Marlon pose?)
Pretty girlsMerry Christmas again, Tanqs!
Monday, 29 December 2008
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The 13 Who Can't Be Moved
Backlog holiday entry #1!
Almost three months of venue hunting, transpo fixing and inbox flooding with OHolyCrap mails were well worth our dream Christmas party / pre-grad reunion come true! Sunday after course cards day, all thirteen of my c43 ++ barkada (me, Maybs, Jams, Mark, Yum, TJ, Bea, Bonner, Evann, Sarah, Mela, Michael and Ricky) squeezed into one van courtesy of Mela and traveled to our new favorite place -- Fontana in Clark, Pampanga!
After a lunch stopover and some last minute grocery shopping at SM Clark, we arrived at our villa mid-afternoon. We were quite surprised that we brought so much food, and different kinds at that, even without having to formally assign anything to anyone. Good job, guys!
Our supplies! (nakaw from parents' groceries)
More supplies with Ricky
Teej raping MaybsAfter the 5-km walkathon of some for drinks and ice (thank you guys!!), and our delivered KFC dinner, followed Yum and Teej's program. So fun! Although I'd have to say, it all seemed like a huge shower party because everything was with a green-inspired undertone. On the games list were balloon-popping, guessing Christmas songs from initials (the only non-bastos game of the night, and I can't even recall what it's called), modified Pinoy Henyo and Hep-hep Hurrah (pp-tt version).
Our hosts Yum and Teej
Evann excited ka?
Of course Bea won this game!
Group 1 boo!
Group 2 yay!Next we had the awards part. Yum gave out shotglasses designed with our respective "awards", such as Kiki Laugher (Mela), Crush ang Bayan (Bea), Hari ng Sablay (Evann), Chatterbox (Yum), Miss Boobies (Jams), Mad Driver (Maybs) and others. As for me, they handed me the Bastos Bloomer award, which I really don't get because I am in no way bastos. I just like interpeting jokes which happen to be bastos, ergo, my friends are bastos, not me. Not being defensive here. Hehe!
Self-timeredLast on the program was our White Elephant Yankee Swap game, which is pretty much like the Tanq's Bad Santa where you get to choose between keeping and swapping your opened gift, except each person was to bring three crappy gifts and one matino. So basically, 75% of the gifts are just lying around the house, either useless or used, and something you would probably not wish to have. Voila! Bonner ended up with the crappiest of the crappiest gifts!
Tummy cramps-inducing hour!That we enjoyed the program has got to be the biggest understatement of the year. Thank you, Yum and Teej!Day 1 itinerary wouldn't be complete of course without the highlight of the trip -- shisha and inuman par-tay. Master TJ was shisha man and bartender all the way, and save the fact that I kinda got tipsy (just a teeny bit), it was generally a perfect first night!
Sweetness Silent Laugher and Kiki Laugher Michael and Mela
What would we do without you Pringles-looking, pyesta-dancing, shisha-fixing, drinks-mixing, tour-guiding Mr. Lay?
Pig-out timeWe all woke up late on day 2, gobbled up on chips, Sponge (sarap Sarah!), coffee and hot cocoa the whole day, and ordered a very late (umm.. chao fan?) lunch. By evening, we trotted out of the villa towards the clubhouse, beating the quickly getting heavier downpour. Maybs the noble Fontana member treated us to a Chinese dinner at Red 8, all thanks to her dad's coupons. And oh, she left us all at awe when she conversed with the waitress in fluent Mandarin. Galing galing naman ng aking personal ditcher.
Xie xie!
"Doh." -- Bea
Fontana's Belen
Our version as directed by TJ Valderrama
(mga nagpauto naman!)
Red carpet shot
Best coaster ride everrrr!!!Back in the villa, Yum and Teej prepared for part two of the program. We had the Christmas Left and Right game (almost won P200 there, nakuha pa ni Evann!), and another set of modified Pinoy Henyo. Then of course came more drinking, more shisha, more dancing, (more iyakan eventually) and more pictures!
Ricky: (Clue) Ikaw yan! Ikaw yan! 
Bea: (nangunguna pa and very confident) Little Mermaid! May pearl!
(We then told her that it's kabibe she's talking about, and so she shut up. Haha!)
Everyone: Rhymes with jingle!
Mark: Vagina?
Everyone: (thinking) WTF?! 
It's all in the butt y'all!
In the ayer!
Yummy "drowning" haha!I am so glad we pushed through with this trip. Crappy presents were never so special, burnt spam never tasted so good, and a cramped van with bad seat cushions never felt so comfortable. As Bea said, the nice thing is that we can always look back and talk about this trip and remember how it felt like -- not only how Jams guessed that Pinoy Henyo drawing in two seconds with Mark's "Kinakain mo yan!" clue, or how Mela got wasted and gave me a batok, or how Teej acted as tour guide funny man on that free coaster ride -- but how the bonding felt like, how it made us remember of what we've gone through together, how we've grown up together.
My heart can't even articulate how much our friendship means to me. I will forever be grateful for these twelve people. My only wish is that twenty, thirty years from now, all thirteen of us would still keep in touch as a barkada (and that Yummy would still able to pull off those jump shots).
No further sappy lines in this entry. Ayoko na umiyak, at least for now. Instead, let me end this post with lines from the song which made us all sob that late hour of day 2:
Cos if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me,
And your heart starts to wonder where on this earth I can be,
Thinking maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet,
And you'd see me waiting for you on the corner of the street.
So I'm not moving...
I'm not moving.
Going back to the corner where I first saw you,
Gonna camp in my sleeping bag I'm not gonna move.You all made my Christmas extra merry this year. I love you all to pieces!
Saturday, 20 December 2008
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Last Days in Taft
My last few days in Taft as an officially enrolled La Sallian has been nothing but fun! Thursday we had our last course cards day ever AKA Evann Sablay Day (customary pangit pictures, flying Gobstoppers, nagkakalat na paperbags and more). I didn’t make it to the ID 104 pizza lunch at Yellow Cab, since as usual I was late, but I did make it to the Pizza Hut treat by the ACPACI champion team at the amphi. Everyone in the batch in one huge picnic – a very pretty sight!
ACPACI team plus Mabel! Animo La Salle!
Reunited
Hail thee summa cum Conrad!
Supposedly candid haha..
This is our last term in school ever, and I'd have to say I am quite happy with my grades, even getting more than I expected for some courses. All the glory to God! I will forever be grateful!
Not everyone was screaming in delight though. Some friends didn’t make it and would have to extend for another term. Regardless, it is all in God’s plan. He has something in store for everyone.
On a lighter note, by evening, we commuted to Rob Place for the batch dinner with Isla Lipana at Don Henrico’s. I’m surprised they threw us that party just to introduce us to their firm. My mind is still set though. No to audit unless violently provoked.
Evann, Migs, Tin and Hazel
Sarah, me and ang tuwang-tuwang si Evann
Vlad the model
After the nth pizza meal of the day, Sarah, Maybs and I with Ricky and Evann strolled around the mall, thinking of what to do. We girls then spotted the raging fuchsia sign at Mango and succumbed to the call of the divine shopaholic within us. Sarah and I got bags for such a steal price, and Maybs got a very pretty satin top for her dichi. Nice! All that girl-bonding and laughing at Evann sablay boy made me realize how much I missed Sarah whom I rarely see at school (and would see even less in the coming months since I’m already out of school). [Sigh.]
Christmas Tree!
After about an hour of shopping and more picture-taking, we parted ways. While waiting for her parents to pick us up, Maybs, to my surprise, told me she wanted a drink and I, as a very good friend, said yes. Haha.. So off we were to Cafe Breton (not exactly a cocktails place I know) for a shot each of Bailey's and Kahlua. Crazy girl!
The next day was yet another pig-out escapade -- lunch at the Spiral buffet in Sofitel. This is pig-out to the maximum level. Incomparable. The lambchops were glorious! The dessert selection was extensive but could've been more well-made. The staff isn't too friendly, too. However, it's the company that matters and the company was great! Three hours of non-stop eating, laughing and taking of sablay pictures! Mod people are the best!
The rounds tally sheet-winning table haha
Go Batch May '08!
There's always room for it
But of course Mr. Org President!
Blockmates forever!
Next stop: Review school! We can do this, batchmates. To quote Sir Macmod, it's all in the "head of the biiiiiird!"
Fontana trip is half a day away, and I haven't packed my bags, haven't wrapped presents for the girls and haven't scoured the house for white elephant gifts yet. I deserve some slacking off, don't I? Wuhoo!
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
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Last Finals Today!
Today I had the last final exams of my undergrad life! I am (unofficially) over with college. This isn't meant to be a pre-graduation sentimental post, not yet anyway, but I have to say, time indeed flies faster than you can imagine. From LPEP with 34 blockmates five years ago to the final days of modular with five. Reminds me of the Still Standing game at Cocomangas in Bora. But for us, it isn't after fifteen shots of straight tequila, but rather, after fourteen terms of hard-core geek transformation.
And today, freedom is finally here! Wuhoo! I'm not really feeling the happy grad bug yet, but I am thrilled by the thought that tonight I can sleep without a highlighter in my hand and a phone on the bedside about to erupt in an alarm too early in the morning. Good old unlimited hours of pure bliss under the covers. Yeah!
It's nine days before Christmas. My foolproof sign that the Holidays is here is when shower water gets extra, extra cold all the time. And it has! The air is chillier compared to last year's December, although the overall mood is still not as festive as I would want it to be. Probably in the coming days, when I get to go out more and simply have fun doing whatever, probably I'd feel more festive.
My Christmas shopping list for this year is getting longer, and nothing has been ticked off it until now. I went with Jams and Mark to the World Trade bazaar this evening (its last day), and the place is pretty jampacked. Although there were only very few novel items, it was fun. There was this Celebrity Town where kiosks are named after celebrities and some are actually manned by them (saw Gladys Reyes and Donita Rose). The oriental Hong Kong noodles was good, too -- definitely beats that in Archer's Lair. I'm glad to have helped out Jams in her gift buying. As for my own gift-buying, I was unsuccessful (what a shame for a shoppingera such as myself!), but I did score this nice Little Miss Green Archer shirt for moi. Haha.. Gotta step up on the shopping duties! I shall fulfill them on Friday and Saturday, right before we leave for Fontana weekend.
I seriously want to do more Christmas-spirit-y activities. Whatever they may be. Too bad I missed the first simbang gabi night. I sincerely planned to do the whole series this year, but no thanks to my two exams today, I had only two hours of sleep this morning and so I had to miss the mass. Sayaaaaang. I could use a good wish come true right now.
Seriously. More Christmas-spirit-y activities. Wala lang. Hehe.
Friday, 05 December 2008
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Hell Week Looming
Make that Last Hell Week Ever looming. For the next ten days all 69 people from our batch shall bury ourselves under our respective rocks and review our brains out for the finals. The last set of final exams of our university lives. Shudder. I've already filled out my planner of what to study on which date, and I'd like to think that I did it fairly well, which means, I am not likely to cram (too much). I hope I stick to my planner though. Now that's the real challenge.
By the way, did I mention I'm sick? I have a really, really bad cold. I've been breathing through my mouth for the past few days, talking ngo-ngo style and consuming an almost illegally large amount of Kleenex. I hope the germs go away ASAP. Drowse-inducing meds are definitely a no-no during finals week.
God is good. I received great news about this thing for the graduation ceremony in February, and I got the part I was vying for. I didn't think I would, but I did. Thank you, Lord! I hope I do it well.
Speaking of drowse, I'm gonna hit the sack now. Another 8 am Saturday class awaits.
Less than two weeks to go. [Sigh] It hasn't really sunk in yet. But yeah, it is exciting.
purple_an
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- Name: Angelica
- Location: Manila, Philippines
- Birthday: 11/11/1987
- Gender: Female
- Member Since: 4/6/2004
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"Knowing is better than wondering, waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure beat the hell out of never trying."
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