As the theme of most of my last few entries, it is indeed the end of the semester with final exams on the way, but it doesn't mean I've locked up myself in my cave-a-loft.  (I'll have to post up a picture some time of this cave-a-loft I speak of so much.)  Most organizations will have some exam-breaker/Holiday-party/end-of-the-semester gathering usually, and it's quite fun to just be able to stow away for an hour or two and enjoy some of your friends and some good treats.  Last week was CSC's general end-of-semester party, while we Exec boards had another meeting this past Tuesday for our own little core group Holiday-fest.  Our president made us some homemade rice crispies treats in fun Holiday shapes, as well as she brought us some goody bags of candies galore!  Last night, however, was FASA's turn, and boy, did I have lots of fun.

Most FASA socials are potluck dinners, and last night was no different.  Shawn brought some chicken nuggets.  Another fellow brought chips and salsa.  Our host had made some mozzarella sticks and corn and cookies for dessert.  And I...well, I'm like the typical Filipino of the group.  I cooked some pork chops and of course, had to make rice using my 3-cup rice cooker!  It ain't a Filipino party if there is no rice.  You best believe it!

Here is the dinner spread we had:

FASA socials are always fun because it's just a bunch of us really becoming friends, talking over food and just getting to know each other even more.  We stretch those college bucks we have and turn a humble spread into something tons of fun!  That's what I love about the diverse opportunities here at Carolina.  There are so many different groups for all different types of interests, and it's just virtually impossible not to find a group of people with the same kind of likes or dislikes for that matter.  Although FASA is a group that focuses on the Filipino culture, we have several members who are not Filipinos--we're very open to all who'd like to share in the kinds of things we like.  In our case, food's probably on the top of that list!  Hehe!

Well, I hope y'all are getting just as excited as I am about winter break being almost here.  I've got five more exams to study for, and I am kind of freaking out about them right now.  So, I guess I'll have to cut this here now.  Hope y'alls week has been going well!

Catch y'all later on the flipside, Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 01:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What a terrible feeling!  My monthly visitor was a pest, my wisdom tooth is growing, and I think I have some sinus infection! 

That was me, Saturday  morning.  Not exactly the greatest feelings to wake up to at 9:30 AM.  Shawn and I were planning to go to the Colonial Center to watch the series of basketball State championship games for high schools, but MY state of emergency had us on a Russell House Bookstore run for some soup instead.  Talk about a bummer...There goes my Saturday, I thought.

BUT THANK GOD I THOUGHT WRONG!

The day started picking up as Shawn decided to just come over and bum it out with me--think boy basketball shorts and a white tank all morning long.  Flipping through the T.V. channels, bumming it out and such was definitely a lot better of an alternative than the 10-15 minute walk down to the Colonial Center to hundreds of screaming high school kids!  Then, my best friend who seems to have disappeared into thin air (mind you, when she was in Greenville last semester we talked on the phone practically everyday, but now that she's here in Cola we seem to be talking a lot less?!?) called me wanting a late lunch date.  So off it was around 2 in the afternoon to Five Points.  There is this little cafe style Italian restaurant that serves meals only until 4 in the afternoon and for the rest of the day sticks to serving its customers only coffee and gelato!  It was quite a lovely place for a little rendezvous with my "BFF!"

Afterwards, I immediately had to join the rest of my FASA crew at the Russell House to prepare for the night's festivities--WORLD NIGHT!  The girls and I were frantically making last minute adjustments to our costumes while trying to jump in on the crazy last minute rehearsals.  It was almost chaotic but still pretty fun--all a part of the crazy behind-the-scenes-stage kind of stuff!  Shawn actually got suckered into doing some behind-the-scenes-stuff as well being the innocent bystander that he was, but at least that got him into the event for free!

The last minute practices, hair and make-up, and dress alterations were all a part of the pre-performance rush...and let me tell you, it was pretty crazy in the dressing room.  Toss in about 15 Koreans, several Americans, 5 Filipinos, 10 Chinese guys, and I don't know what more in one room, and of course, you're bound to have some good ol' fun!

I danced La Jota Manilena and clicked for the Tinikling, and I loved it!  I've been dancing Filipino dances for such a long time now, and when I moved here for college I was afraid that I would have to stop dancing.  But luckily, there's FASA, and I can still keep on dancing!

Here is the group pre-performance striking a pose for the camera.  From the back, it's Phillip, Byron, and AJ.  In the front, it's Brenda, me, and Beverly!

Here is us, while actually performing.  Something tells me from this picture, that we're all off! Hehe!

 The night was so much fun...but it didn't end there.  Unofficial after-parties were going on all around town off-campus, and Brenda wouldn't have it about me not going.  I'm glad though.  My best friend, roommate, Shawn, and I followed Brenda and AJ, and off we went to...SALSA CABANA!  It was soooooo much fun!  I love dancing, and on top of that I got to see my best friend salsa for the first time, my roommate let lose, and my boyfriend dance the night away with me!  Whoddathunkit, him and his white boy self salsaing and such!  Hehehe!  His mother and I are still giving him a hard time!  The night was already ending perfectly, but as we left the club ourtummies got the best of us and a Beezers trip was definitely much needed.  The perfect night cap to what seemed to have started off as a bad day but turned out to be such a great afternoon/night after all!  My late night Sicilian definitely hit the right spot!

Anyways, I hope all of your Saturdays turned out just as grand as mine, although, hopefully you guys were spared the nasty morning wake-up call!  Here's to a new week up ahead of all of us.  Only one more week and it's Spring break for me...so I'm definitely excited!  Catch y'all later on the flipside, future Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 04:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)