Why Some Parties Suck

I've been to some parties here (the drinking kind), and unfortunately, I didn't always have a rip-roaring good time. I thought about it a bit, and I have realized why this was so. There were two reasons I could pinpoint.

1. These parties took BYOB too literally. In the Philippines, even at a potluck party, everyone shared what everyone else brought. (Though usually, whoever threw the party was expected to provide endless liquor, and alcohol brought by guests was both optional and a surplus). Here, you brought bottles of whatever you want to drink, and that's pretty much ALL you drink. You drink only what you bring. Such an alien concept.

2. There was no food. How can you drink without "pulutan" (appetizers/fingerfood) to munch on? Unthinkable in my country.

Which brings me to what constitutes a great party. Lots of alcohol, and lots of food. Even if the company is terrible and the music lousy, with enough drinks in your system and good food to binge on, you can't help but have a great time.

My Anti-Stress Snack

I've only been back in school for three days but I'm already overwhelmed by all the academic requirements I have to fulfill. I have twelve units/hours of classes this semester, compared to only nine last fall. I also have to log in around eight hours a week at the school's radio and tv stations and newspaper. I've started to be stressed, and I've responded to the stress as I always have- by eating. Since my allowance doesn't go all that far, I've discovered a snack I could make using ingredients I already have. So, when I feel like stress eating, I simply combine, in random amounts, some cereal (something like honey bunches of oats), peanut butter, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup. I mix them in a cup, and I'm all set. (Actually, I've started eating this for breakfast too. And lunch, sometimes.)

Back in Missouri

After travelling 14 and 1/2 hours from California, I'm back in Columbia. I actually arrived yesterday afternoon, but the long trip was so exhausting I haven't been able to do anything yet, including unpacking. I felt like I came from the Philippines, because of the trip's length. It's a good thing the sun was out when I got back to Missouri and it's relatively warm; otherwise I'd be feeling the post-vacation crash more acutely. I'm going back to school on Tuesday to start the winter semester; there's no class on Monday thanks to Martin Luther King day. That gives me one more day to get off slacker mode (quite a challenge).