Dressed to kill.

In my head, everything is still so vivid and clear that I can almost attest through every detail of what seemed to be, no matter how painful, my favorite past.

A quarter past midnight when I found myself gathering all the air I could possibly take in just so I'd cease any chances of awakening my mother, who, back then, was battling cancer. I was a 16-year old girl lost in the midst of finding myself, accepting my mother's condition, and losing the first guy I've ever truly loved.

Let me talk about the latter.

I was a wreck. I was a teenager who, despite of struggling through my first months in college, tried to keep herself intact. But there were times I shut down, too. I remember the first time I saw him with some other girl, I broke down in front of these people who barely knew me (who, by the way, happened to be the best people in my life right now). I shattered down to millions and millions of irrelevant pieces. I've done things never in my life have I thought was inside my tiny box of capabilities. But despite of my lost of interest in life, I stood up, exposed myself to films of pain, and battled my way out of misery. And with all blissful gratitude, I came out stronger, wiser, and incomparably better. Thank God.

I went on with my life, just like any sane woman would. I strived to be better, not in revenge of, but as a way to re-gain what I've lost through the course of loving someone so much. I grew to be hard on myself as if it's an everyday thing to do. I worked day and night to get good marks, smothered caffeine like it's water to keep my rank, spent every minute of my weekends training to be the dancer I've always dreamed to be only to find myself crying at night as my bones and muscles ache whenever I realize that I can't, that I might never will.

But it's crazy, you know? How in the middle of all the things I've went through (most likely all because of him), he remained my little pixie dust of hope. There are days he'd randomly send me messages that would easily turn a bad day around. There are days, too, that he'd come up to me late at night and confess everything he has in his heart - guilt, love, and everything in between. I've always asked God, even if I know it's not a right thing to do, why did we have to go through a lot of things apart when all we wanted to do was stay together. But then time went by and I've learned how to plot my little ways of coping, and somewhere along the way, I've learned how to finally accept things. After all, he's the love of my life, and how lucky am I to even have that chance.

Fast forward to 3 years after, a year back from today, everything seemed to be in their righteous place on that day he saw me playing ball. He was stunned on my ability to shoot some considerable hoops when he never thought I can. He congratulated me for the win, and from that day on, he never left.

It has been a year. Holysmokes, I can't even grasp the fact. It feels like it was just yesterday when I felt butterflies exploding out of my whole being when he told me he still loved me, that he always did. If it was some other guy, I'd jump into conclusion that he's just another ass trying to win a girl after literally and figuratively destroying her. But it's him. I felt it. We were apart, but I felt him. Beautiful, isn't? To learn to love in silence, and recognize love without words. It was there. It might not be acceptable to the eyes of some, but it was there all along - alive and breathing.

Today marks our 6th month in the relationship. It was not an easy ride, but it was indeed worthwhile. I am probably the worst person to love. My overly opinionated self always got something to say and almost always leads to an argument. But you know how I know I got it good with this guy? It's him giving up the fight every single time to let me win. Yes, I frustrate him. He tells me straight out when I do, but there was never a time he never found his arms around me telling me that he loves me.  We've spent few nights crying our hearts out of how our dreams are so big they scare us. We've carefully built our future in our heads, detail by detail and full of love. If things don't go our way, what tragedy would it be?

Love, happy happy 6th month! You have changed my life the first time you told me you loved me. You've got no idea how I appreciate you not letting a day go by without kissing and bugging (which I like so much) me. Thank you for always putting me first, for making me feel like I matter the most every single day of our lives together. Thank you for balancing my strengths and for keeping my feet on the ground. But mostly, I thank you for being here with me today. That even if I'm the craziest, most irrational, and brattiest girlfriend in the world, you still think I'm nothing short of perfect. You are my miracle.

Slacking is best done at home, nowhere else but home

Admission to the hospital is synonymous to dying.. well, in your friends' vocabulary of course

Lifetime supply of fruits, doughnuts, and everything else in between

Skin test is the mother of all evil that shit hurt like hell

Doctors are weird

Friends come like they own the place

So NEVER sleep with everything out in the open (if you do not want to subject yourself to future bullying) 

My boyfriend's a keeper

Instant long ass messages that almost sound like some eulogy (I LOVE MY FRIENDS)

I am indecisive, tactless and out of my mind. I burst out at flat seconds and pick up fights over the silliest of things — leaving you frustrated and anxious, thereof. On those random unwanted nights when my cold-hearted self seems to dominate, please know that I, too, hurt with you.

Love, I'm a woman, a crazy woman at that, but thank you for the unbelievable patience and understanding you never cease to give. We spend afternoons talking about the casualties the future may bring, but I'm glad we always end up resting in the fact that we are in this together. We have a long, bumpy road ahead of us and no matter how profound the challenges life may bring, your love will always carry me through. You and I, we are and will always be, despite of our differences, a team.

It's the second day of the year yet I still don't feel like it. 2012 went by so fast and I don't think I'm glad it's over, I actually am in a state of melancholy for I have to say it was the best year of my life to date. Too many things happened, some were good and some were bad - but mostly, things happened for the best. If someday I'd decide to write a book about my life, I'd probably be going back to 2012 thrice as much as I would than to the years before it. The blessings were overflowing all year round. They were so big and so vague that up to this day, I still have no idea what I've done to deserve each of them.

I can't say I'm ready for 2013 because I don't think I will ever be prepared for the unknown, all I know is I'll take each moment as it comes. :)

Some of the photos from my sister's camera

In my pathetic attempt to color my blonde hair with black violet cellophane...

Photobooth!

And as usual, always the one who sleeps first..

Just got home from a really tough day in school and I'm sitting here wondering why I'm even giving in to my mind's attempt to ransack my dashboard when I have a stack of books and handouts waiting for me.  Oh well, I guess an hour wouldn't hurt. 

And oh, hope you guys are enjoying this cray cray weather like me! Stay safe tho! KBYE.

1. Anonymous asked: Uhmmm Hi,What is ate ara's favorite song? Cause I really idolize her. :)

She likes a lot of songs, but she's into Maroon 5 right now. :)

2. Anonymous asked: The on you wrote abouut Ate Vic/ Ara is really touchy <33 I love it Hahahaha :)) And it made me more love her. Thankyou for writing that one because I know more about ate Ara :)

Welcome. :)

3. abhielovesara10 asked: hi :') i'm a big fan of Ara. i was just inspired dun sa post mo. naprove ko un after meeting her sa Eagle Ridge here at gen. trias cavite. just hoping na makarating sa knya na i'm really a true fan of hers and not just a fan but i really love her like you people do. althought di nya ko kilala. abhie vallejos nga po pla nagmamahal at sumusuporta kay Ara :')

I bet she knows by now. :) Thank you for supporting her!

4. ohlalalalovenixx asked: I'm happy that I was able to know something more about Ara Galang. Thank you for sharing this. For sure a lot of her fans (including me) definitely appreciate this and they will continue to support Ara:)

Yes please do continue supporting her, it means a lot to us. Thank you!

5. Anonymous asked: THANK YOU SO MUCH:) for sharing the story behind ARA GALANG♥ i really love you're blog^^

Welcome and thank you. :)

6. Anonymous asked: hello po :) bakit po walang twitter si Ara Galang?

I think I'm a little too late to answer this but for what it's worth, she does have one already and it's @VSGalang. 

---

Victonara Salas Galang or "Ara" to her supporters.

So who is this Ara Galang?

She's a 17-year old rookie playing for DLSU Lady Spikers. Awarded as the UAAP Season 74 Rookie of the Year and Best Server, she kept everyone in awe with her strength and skills despite of being the youngest in the group. Lined up in the first six, she proved every supporters and haters that she deserved to be there, that Coach Ramil wasn't wrong when he decided to trust this Angelenean.

And she didn't let us down because here she is accepting her awards. :)

All the online fan pages, threads and forums about her still give me the weirdest feelings. Every time I read about how impressed these people are, I almost always forget that I know her. It makes us all so proud of how much she has grown and how she stepped out of her comfort zone. I still remember her telling us about DLSU's offer and how confused she was because AUF was her place and our minds were all set that since she's the youngest in our barkada, once she gets to college, we will all be complete in one campus. But I guess she was made for this more than anything and we can't be any more prouder than we all are right now.

I personally took the photo above when we watched their championship game last Wednesday at the Filoil Flying V Arena. One very touching hug, don't you think? :)

Trending pa sa twitter ang lola nyo!

But honestly, all these Ara Galang craze is something that's not yet sinking in because to us, she is our Vic. She is the V that completes the KCGBFV + PT acronym we came up with.

This photo was taken when she got home from CLRAA 2011, thus, her sun-kissed skintone hahaha well more of a sun-raped! :P

So who is this Vic?

Well this "Vic," more than anything, is our friend. She's our fragile not-so-little baby in the group. We baby her so much that whenever we eat out, one of us would always cut her food for her. She's the girl my arms are always wrapped around to in the mall because we'd always be munching candies and sweets. We love Candy Station's apple and strawberry tapes! Dun kami magkasundo. Even if I sometimes hide some so I could eat more (I tell her after okay! But only when the candies are gone :p). Hahaha! I just don't understand why she's the one who has to be hella sexy. :( Don't reason about her having trainings and all because I dance! No excuses! It's just me and the cruel calories. :( Lol jk.

Vic is the most down-to-earth person I know. I'm not saying this because she's my friend, but because I mean it in its every sense. She doesn't brag, nor boast, even if she has all the reasons to. I remember this one time when she won the Best Server award in the Palarong Pambansa, and we didn't know even if we were with her all the time when she got back. If not with the tarp we saw congratulating her, we wouldn't know! Vic is the silent type, especially when she doesn't know you. She could sit there all day without talking because awkward situations are her expertise (haha honest!!). But once you get to know her, there's so much more behind the rookie, the best server, the La Sallian.. so much more behind the Ara Galang. And I am forever grateful to be blessed with that chance to know everything that's behind and beyond. :)

Sometimes, a little piece of me wonders what if she didn't take this path.. what if she settled with our plan. Honestly, I didn't hate the thought. In fact, I loved it. She barely goes home anymore, and when she does, she can't even spend a decent 24 hours here. The last time we had her here was during my birthday, and that was more than a month ago! It's crazy, and sometimes nakakalungkot. But whenever I remind myself of how happy we all are for her, the sadness disappears. She is living her dream and there's nothing more we could ask.

Besides, what is skype for? :)

Beating distance like a pro! ;)