The presence of nothing and the absence of everything.

I spend the day doing everything, 

And nothing.

Its presence silently devours my inner core

Yet, I let it eat me anyway,

But its absence is what I long for.

Tell me, friend, how do I shoot this lethargy away?

++++

Something I unintentionally scribbled at 3 in the morning.

The cruise continues.

After almost nine months in hiatus, I am glad to be writing again to express my life and the stuff going on around me. Last July, I wrote a short piece about the 2014 FIFA World Cup and how it kept me entertained throughout my semester break. That was, perhaps, the biggest highlight of last year. In fact, it was probably the only exhilarating thing in my eight years of life in (insert location here). And the reason why, I can only tell you privately.

Moving on from the previous page, let's now move to the current page and ask 'What have I been up to lately?'

Well, apart from the spine-breaking Uni assignments, I have been thinking - no scratch that - contemplating whether or not I should go back to the Philippines to start anew. Don't get me wrong, I kind of like living in (insert location here), but as a girl hailing from a fun-filled country like the Philippines, I have always been the kind who's fond of adventures -- Be it climbing an Aratilis tree, or riding a bike around the neighbourhood. I have always been that kind of girl. Sadly, (insert location here) does not offer such adventurous things for an adventurous girl like me. One might say that (insert location here) is rather boring and dull.

Though, one might say that I am shallow. Well, call me what you will but I hate being bored. I feel like I am ruining time if I just stay put and don't do anything. And I feel like I am missing out on something so awesome! Let's face it, nobody likes being bored.

Anyway, the interesting thing about my contemplation is that I told my friends about it. And through this, I was able to see who my true friends are. Some completely supported my pondering, indicating that I should do whatever I think will be best for me. Nonetheless, others were against it and said Philippines is a hopeless place. When I asked the person, 'What do you mean by hopeless?'. The person then started criticising the Philippine government, the crime rate, the weather, you name it.

The damn sad thing about it was that the remark came from a Filipino national.

Well, before anything else... A person who thinks Philippines is a hopeless country is pure evil. Sure, the Philippines has been badly governed since independence. Yes, the crimes in the Philippines could not be more unpleasant. Yes, the politicians are just, I'm not gonna even say it.

Well, kid, I'm not gonna lie either, but the Philippines may seem barbaric to you, but it's home. Call it what you will, but it's my home.

IT'S MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES.

2014 FIFA World Cup

What an exceptional journey it has been. 32 days, 64 matches and 171 goals later, the Germans are leaping for joy as they raise the 18-carat golden trophy. This event has truly made my 5-week semester break enjoyable and kept me entertained, which I will treasure until the next tournament in Russia in four years’ time.

This tournament has also witnessed some quite awe-inspiring stories, from those underdog stories to Luis Suarez’s inhumane bite, Arjen Robben’s amazing performances that helped the Oranje reach the semi-finals to Germany’s total annihilation of Brazil.

All in all, I think all the teams that participated in this event have done an exceptional job and should be proud of themselves despite the losses they’ve experienced. Just like in Louis Van Gaal’s opinion, losing is just as important as winning. It’s what binds a team together, their spirit, everything.

And of course, it would be silly of me if I didn’t mention the team I was rooting for. Although I’m not a Dutch nor do I live in Holland, but the one thing I enjoyed the most was supporting the Netherlands. Finishing in the third place is a great way for the Dutch to end their campaign and I wish them all good health in the future so that I’ll be able to see them all fit and in good shape in Russia in 2018.

So, in honour of my favourite team, let’s take a walk down memory lane and relive some of their best moments.

The Oranje played 7 matches in total.

• Their opening match thumped World Cup holders Spain 5-1 in Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador.
• Five days later, they crushed the Australians 2-3 in Estadio Beira-Rio, which enabled them to determine a place in the Round 16.
• Nearly a week later in Estadio Castelao Forteleza, they once again defeated Chile 2-1, which sent them off to play in the Round 16…
• …to play against Mexico. The Dutch cheered as two goals during the final minute qualified them through to the quarter-finals and left many crying Mexicans in Estadio Castelao Fortaleza.
• On the 5^th day of July, the Oranje played against Costa Rica in Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, in which the famous Tim Krul replaced Jasper Cillessen and was able to win the Netherlands to a 4-3 victory over Costa Rica on penalties, which sent them through to the semi-finals.
• Four days later, they were beaten (not literally) in Arena de Sao Paulo by the Argentines on penalties (2-4).
• Then, the Oranje secured third place in Estadio Nacional, Brasilia as they crushed the host country, Brazil with a 3-0 victory.

TRULY EXCEPTIONAL.