Hello from the Other Side

Sorry if, by the title alone, this looks like it's going to be a sappy ode to a lost love. It is not. Rather it is list of things I did that I think helped me in passing the Bar. I call them Barhacks.

New favorite number: 948

Remember when I wrote about going on this journey called the Bar Review? Where I got all sappy and wrote a short message (considering how long my How I Met Your Mother blog entries are) for my family and friends? I wrote that I'd see them on the other side.

Well, here I am, 11 months later, writing from the other side--which doesn't feel any different, mind you. I have yet to make a straight face when people call me "Attorney." Baby steps.

Surreal.

I will go straight to the point and say it, preparing for the Bar Exams was difficult. It entailed a different level of discipline and focus. To study for 8 hours a day, six days a week for four months. Taking the Exams in four Sundays, from sun up to sun down, was mentally and emotionally taxing, It was a necessary experience I would rather not go through again.

Here are 6 Things That Helped Me Pass the Bar:

1.) I studied my ass off. I created a study calendar based on the time I had (four months excluding November), my strengths and weaknesses, weight of a subject/exam, and stuck to it, regardless of the pace of my classmates and friends. I committed myself to do two readings for every Bar subject, wrote important concepts on index cards, created an expanded outline based on the Bar syllabi, and welcomed the harsh yet helpful comments from my Mock Bar coaches.

Thank you Blessings for the free calendar!

I think the key here is knowing what style of studying works for you and committing to that, regardless of other people's pace. Do not change textbooks (or, god forbid, add more) mid-way through just because your Bartaker friend read it. I figured early on that listening to Bar review lectures were not helpful to me at all so I stopped going to them and just read the books, codals and review materials.

2.) I like listening to music while studying so I created a playlist (called astronaut food) of songs I can listen to without affecting my concentration. During the actual Bar weekends, I created a novembar mornings playlist which both calmed me and inspired me to do my best. It also helped my concentration that I had Spotify Premium so I could listen to the songs without the distraction of being connected to the Internet.

3.) I surrounded myself with people I genuinely found comfort in--parents, siblings, my neutrals, sorority sisters. I avoided all unnecessary causes of stress (clingy friends, emotional situations etc.). I went home on weekends whenever studying took its toll, and loaded up on unlimited hugs and words of encouragement from my mother. And on weekends that my schedule did not permit going home to Laguna, I had dinners with my best friends.

Weekend dinners at Happy Thai were instant pick-me-uppers. #neutrals

It also helped that I willed myself to not get into anything serious heart-wise. A simple law school crush was enough. Some people I know did the complete opposite and they passed, too. It varies, really. Just make sure you do not lose focus.

4) I removed the Facebook app and Facebook messenger app on all my mobile devices because browsing Facebook was time-consuming. I retained my Twitter and Instagram accounts because they're not as demanding as the former. I also set simple rules for myself (i.e., I won't check Twitter until I read x number of pages) and followed them. Ultimately, it's all about moderation and discipline.

5) I was obsessed with Gilas Pilipinas 3.0--from their games in Estonia to the Jones Cup to Changsha. I scheduled my study time around their games. I read all entries in Carlo Pamintuan's Gilas Diary. I even trash talked with a Lebanese guy on Instagram because he was being a d*** about Gilas having "Americans" in Jayson Castro William, Gabe Norwood and Matt Ganuelas Rosser. 🙄 Rain or Shine games were also marked on my calendar.

Basically, basketball provided an enjoyable yet not too time-consuming activity in between my reading schedules. I also had the Song triplets and Dougie the Shih Tzu to obsess over without going overboard. Do things that make you happy. But always in moderation.

6.) I found solace in my Faith. I prayed whenever I needed, wanted to. I prayed when I lost focus and strayed from my plans. I prayed when I questioned why I was subjecting myself to that level of torture. I prayed to find strength to continue aspiring for greater things, higher things.

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These are the Six #BarHacks that worked for me. It may vary from person to person. The key is to discover what techniques (hacks, if you may) work for you (and stick to that) and what doesn't (and do not ever use them).

Finally, at the risk of sounding purist about it, I am firm believer that the years you spent in law school should have prepared you for the Bar Examinations. To be honest, most of what I answered in the Bar I remembered because of the classes I took (i.e., I remembered certain concepts because my professor got sooo mad when no one from our class could answer her question). I took difficult subjects under challenging professors even if there are no guarantees that I would get high grades. Take no short-cuts. 

Thank You, Law School Crush

My giddiness and utter surprise in passing the Bar has subsided. I guess now is the best time to write about one of my personal MVPs during the Bar Examinations and, most especially, during the dreaded waiting period.

The pressure of the Bar Exams—before, during and after—can make underbars do crazy things—things one, based on his/her characteristics, would not do on usual days.

I have too many questions, and places to go

To say that the Bar Exams drove me crazy is an understatement. It was an important part of my Timeline, my Happines Roadmap. Not passing it would have dire consequences—one of which is going through Bar review again, which is, quite frankly, something I think I would not have the patience or diligence for.

There are too many options, far too many unknowns

In those crazy times, I did the unexpected: I obsessed over a simple law school crush. I spoke gushed about it to close friends. I tweeted about it as often (albeit mysteriously) as I could. It was a source of amusement, not only for my tired, panicking soul but also to my friends who knew me as a private, introverted person.

You make my crazy feel normal, every time

Although I decided not to have any distractions from review (except for Gilas Pilipinas or Rain or Shine games I incorporated into my schedule), I was happy to have a source of . . . kilig (indirect English translation: fluff haha). 

You make the bottom less deep

Unbeknownst to you, that short good luck text you sent on the first weekend of the Exams (after I tweeted that I wanted a good luck text; it remains a mystery to me if you read that tweet or it was just a happy coincidence) and that short hug we shared on the last Sunday calmed my then-weary, worried soul. For some, words and a hug sound lame (because hello it's 2016) but to me these acts meant the world. The hope it sparked and kept aflame was enough for me to power through the difficulties and look beyond Novembar.

You make my weakness less weak

After the Bar Exams, with nothing to do but wait, I bought you a gift—a simple thank-you gift of sorts. But I chickened out at the last minute because I had no proper (read: logical) reason to give you a gift and decided to keep it for myself. But the Universe conspired with the gods and gave me a reason to send it to you, sort of as a hand-me-down item, which perfectly downplayed the whole I-bought-you-a-gift-because-I-liked-you thing. It was perfect. You were happy to get something second-hand, not knowing I bought it for you, all along. I was happy that you were happy. That gift was followed by another.

You make it easy to try

At this point one of my closest friends cautioned me to think twice about the effort I was putting in this, and the effort that you weren't. My friend didn't know that I wasn't expecting you to make any effort as I treated the whole thing (me giving you gifts) as a way for me to be in control of something in my life—because the Bar results were clearly out of my hands by then.

You make the darkness less dark

Me obsessing over you—liking almost all your photos, checking all the albums you posted on Facebook, engaging you in virtual conversations, wanting to know how your day went (even if it often appeared that you were too busy to reply to Facebook private messages) provided me with the necessary distraction from the four months of waiting. 

You make the waiting feel shorter

Now, that the results are out, with nothing to be distracted from, I find myself wondering about the future of this so-called obsession. Is this the end of a somewhat lucky admiration? Or the beginning of more complicated things to come? You, master of subtlety and mystery, give me little to no clue.

Regardless of where we will (or won't) go from here, I want to say thank you, even indirectly (on the off-chance you'll read this and know that it is you I am writing about), for keeping my heart busy when my mind was going crazy. Thank you for making my heart skip a few beats just enough for it not to be overwhelmed by the Bar-induced anxiety.

You are the who . . . this is the why

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Italicized lines are from the song This is Why I Need You by Jesse Ruben.

Towards a better Philippine Basketball Association

At a fairly young age, I realized what I want out of this life. Personal life-wise, I think I got it covered with my Timeline. 

Career-wise, I only have two, very different dream jobs. It's one or the other. On one hand, being a trial court judge and, on the other, being the first female PBA Commissioner. The first one is fairly predictable to achieve. After talking to people who've done it and achieved more, there is somewhat a track, a certain path to walk, that would lead straight to judgeship. I'm slowly starting on that path, guided by the best people in the Judiciary.

My second dream job, however, entails having the right connections in a male-dominated world--even much more male-dominated than law. Never has there been a female PBA Commissioner. I can only recall one or two female PBA governors, and no female PBA coach--whether assistant or head. Overall, basketball is a difficult sport and industry to get into, moreso, be successful in, for a woman. And I want to change that. 

But, I have to be realistic. Being a PBA governor and Commissioner is a tall order. And I may not achieve that with the way things are going in my life right now (especially since I'm starting on the path to my first dream job). 

So, in the off-chance that the next PBA Commissioner, male or female, or a member of his/her staff would read this, here are my suggestions to make a better, more successful Philippine Basketball Association (PBA):

1. Create a PBA Store. The PBA is longest professional basketball league in Asia. The best of the best come here to play. Thousands, hundreds of fans follow the league, their favorite players. Yet, if one asks, where can I get a legit San Mig Coffee Marc Pingris jersey? There's no "official" PBA store or supplier that makes PBA merchandise. (Or if there is, the seller is not as publicized.) Hence, the proliferation of online sellers of replicas or sub-standard items. We have the best basketball fans in the world yet the Association fails to tap merchandise sales as a source of revenue for the league. I envision a one-stop shop where fans can go to for their PBA needs--from players' jerseys, personalized jerseys, shirts, tumblers, caps. You name it, the PBA Store has it for you.

2. Create and maintain a PBA website. This may seem simple or even elementary, considering the world we live in today. But, the PBA does not have an official, regularly updated, well-maintained website. A site where a basketball fan wanting to learn everything there is about the PBA, could. From team/player information, game schedules, ticket purchase, stats, features. Currently, Sports5 is doing it for the league. However, based on the history of the Association, media partnership has always been temporary or shaky. TV5 has done wonders for the Association in terms of accessibility (I can't remember the last game I watched on an actual TV set) but considering how political the PBA is, it would be best to have its own website, in case the TV5 media deal doesn't pan out in the future.

Also, another important addition to this website is the Transparency Page. Philippine government offices are mandated to have a Transparency Page in their official websites. I envision the PBA to have one, too. Where fans, players, coaches, management or anyone for matter can access the myth that is the PBA Rulebook. No one I know has actually seen it. Not even the players. I doubt it even exists. So, to settle doubts like mine, it is in the best interest of the league to have such Rulebook published and made accessible. So players would know what rules they're violating or will violate. That's called due process. Look it up, it's in our Constitution.

3. Develop an application or video game like the NBA 2K. Every basketball fan wants to be their idol, whether on a real court or on an animated one. Yet the PBA, with its traditional view of revenue-generation (ticket sales and TV advertisements), fails to tap a potentially viable resource in video game sales. Currently, I only know of PBA Slam!, a mobile application which allows the users to play 3-on-3. But, not all PBA players are available, and it's not as sophisticated as the NBA 2K. I know for a fact that there's an unofficial, modified version of the NBA 2K program that features PBA players, PBA teams and even the Araneta Coliseum. If fans can create a modified version for free, I'm sure the PBA could pay people to create an official version with better quality.

4. Build its own PBA Arena or Coliseum. With the increased revenue from merchandise and video game sales and online advertisements, the PBA can now generate and save enough money for the construction of its own Arena or Coliseum. I can only guess how much the Association pays for renting out venues such as the Araneta, MOA, Philsports/Ultra and the like. Having its own place, the Association would have independence to schedule games and decide ticket prices. Maybe the PBA could sell Season Passes or Conference Passes at a discounted rate.

5. Establish an empowered PBA Players' Union. Finally, the Association has to understand that for it to survive for another 40 years or more, it has to take care not only of its fans but also of its players. The league is nothing without the players--who fans idolize and willingly pay to support, either in ticket or merchandise sales. The recent hulabaloo with Mahindra not signing or paying a handful of players with existing contracts from the previous team, Kia Sorento, showed us how vulnerable players are. Like a normal laborer, they toil with their bodies, day in, day out, to earn a living. They play with their hearts out and train with all seriousness, sometimes to the point of over-exertion, to put food on the table and clothes on their families backs, and to send their children or siblings to school. Yet their employment security is not given priority. Having a respected player's union, headed by a player with great bargaining power (maybe Junemar Fajardo?), will ensure that players' rights are protected. This is, after all, a high-risk profession. 

I envision a better PBA--an independent, transparent and responsive Association that takes care of its fans, players and investors. This is easier said than done but with the right Commissioner leading the league, this is not impossible. That person may not necessarily be me, but regardless of that, as a die-hard fan, I would be content seeing these developments happen for a league that is very close to my heart.

A Review of the NBA 2K16*

I've been playing NBA Live on a desktop computer since 2007. Although the game has greatly improved since then, there are still areas for improvement. In this blog, I have outlined the strengths and weaknesses of the 2K16 version (compared to the 2K14 version) as used on an Apple iPad Air.

Pros:

1. Better Graphics. In general, players looked better and more human compared to their 2K14 versions.

The app developers have perfected Manu Ginobili's most distinct features: his nose and hair!

One downside though is that Dirk Nowitzki looks weirder in 2K16 than in 2K14.

2K16 Dirk is Perpetually Squinting Dirk 

I noticed when my Mavs went up against the Lakers that Jordan Clarkson looked...sunburnt. The color of his head doesn't match with his body. I guess, not all players can be perfect.

2. Gameplan Option. 2K14 gives users less options in terms of controlling how a team plays offense and defense. The app greatly improved in this aspect in its newest version. 2K16 now gives its users the option to rank their top 3 players on offense, and to choose which defensive style (more man-to-man or more zone) will their team use.

This option is a blessing for control freak users like me. Ha.

3. My Player Option. The 2K14 for iPad version does not have a "My Player" option, unlike the Playstation version. Aside from having this feature, the 2K16 went further by allowing the customized player to participate in team games and measuring his development with every shot, steal, rebound and errors he commits in the "My Career" tab. I find this the most difficult part of the App because I don't know how the Cavs players play.

In case you want to know, my customized player moves like Dirk Nowitzki, defends like 2004 Rich Alvarez, looks like Gabe Norwood (or at least I tried) and is named after the Budapest singer.

Gabe Norwood or... Harvey Carey, I tried.

4. Blacktop Option. Aside from Quick Game and My Season (which is similar to the 2K14 version), 2K16 comes with a Blacktop Option. This allows the users to choose their own players for a streetball game. Imagine, FIBA 3x3 but with the option of going 1-on-1 up to 5-on-5. 

The "good" players are locked but if you have enough coins you can buy them. I only play 3-on-3 and after I purchased Steph Curry and Kawhi Leonard, I never lost since. Gotta love capitalism. 

4. THE TEAMS HAVE COACHES!!! When a team breaks for a timeout in 2K14, they just huddle together in the bench without any coaches shown but the 2K16 version has a coach and, barring any coaching changes after 8 October 2015, it's accurate. Take for example, coach Rick Carlisle of the Mavs. Seeing his animated version on the sidelines gives me chills (read: kilig). It makes the whole playing experience closer to the real thing.

So accurate.

They even have Pop!

Cons: 

1. New controls. I played NBA 2K14 for 2 years, and sort of memorized the controls. My familiarity with the controls contributed immensely to my Dallas Mavericks' 8 straight titles (last I played we're on the 2022 season) and Nowitzki's numerous season MVP and Finals MVP awards. It sucked that the 2K16 edition had a completely different set of controls that I have to be familiar with. Again. 

Time and again I have clicked the "Shoot" button right after my team gets the rebound, which results to a shot attempt from the opponent's side of the court which almost always results in a turnover. It's verrrry frustrating.

In the "Options" menu there's an option to use the 2K15 controls but it's still very different from the 2K14 ones. It was, I guess, 2K Sports' way of promoting its own kind of planned obsolescence. Now, I can't play both versions (one of which I paid for!) alternately because my fingers (and brain!) get confused as to which set of controls I'm using. As I play the 2K16 version more, I realize I have to eventually let go of my beloved 2K14. The hashtag #walangforever couldn't be truer.

2. No Multiplayer Option. I'm not sure if it's only in my version (downloaded free through AppCola) that is lacking the multiplayer option. If all versions (including the paid one from the Apple App Store) doesn't have one, then this is a big disadvantage for 2K16. No more real-life trash talking.

3. "Earn Coins" System. 2K14 did not have an in-app purchase option. Now, 2K16 users can buy anything from Boosts, Shoes, Courts...and even Players! I hate this option only because it promotes the idea that money can buy everything. (Wow, seryoso bigla.) 

I also find the point system weird because 2K16 gives more coins if one wins in Blacktop (first to score 21) compared to when one wins a regular season game (which, for me, is harder because I have to control a whole team for four 4-min quarters).

When I won a Blacktop 3-on-3 game using Curry and Kawhi, I got around 1300 coins. When I beat the Spurs in a regular season game using my Mavericks, which was verrrrry difficult, I only got 490 coins. Life is unfair.)

4. The Music. I know I shouldn't expect to hear Chvrches or even more lively songs from Walk The Moon because people didn't download the app for its music but the whole rap music thing is so stereotypical, it can be irritating. I hope 2K17 would have better, more diversified music. Hearing Major Lazer's Lean On is definitely a step in the right direction.

The Verdict: Despite all its faults, I still recommend getting NBA 2K16 as this might be the last NBA 2K app with Kobe Bryant in it. 

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*I got my NBA 2K16 app through AppCola. I don't know if that affects the players' performances or game options. If you got your app through the Apple App Store and noticed any difference with my experience, please let me know in the comments section.

2015

2015: What a year

Last year, I said I had a good feeling about 2015. I couldn't be more wrong. In addition to the pressures of graduation and the Bar examinations, the Universe made it more interesting by throwing in a personal shitstorm in the middle of Bar review.

Highs:

1. Graduation. Getting into the UP College of Law seemed to be impossible to a 20-year-old UPM graduate. Graduating from this institution was even harder. But with God’s grace and overwhelming support from my family and friends, I was able to get in and graduate. I was fortunate to wear the sablay for the second time, now adorned with the hard-earned UP Law tassel.

All excellent things are as difficult as they are rare.

The reality that I was able to get out of Malcolm Hall alive and with a Juris Doctor degree has not completely sunk in yet because we had to study for the Bar right after our graduation last June 2015. One thing I’m sure of is: This is, by far, the  most difficult thing I had willingly put myself through. I am relieved that it’s over. 

(Photo from one of my law school comrades, Jojo)

It would’ve been perfect if I came out victorious with my law school comrades but I did not and it saddens me everyday that reality had to burst our bubble of familiarity and comfort that late in our law school lives. But I believe everyone came out of this experience as better, more focused individuals, having known our strengths, weaknesses, priorities and goals in life.

2. This year I am thankful for new friends (in every sense of the word) for picking up the slack (read: me ha ha) when a few old friends let me down. (See personal shitstorm discussion below.) I would not have survived the craziness that is Bar review and all the shit that came with it if it weren’t for new friends, Mafi, Kyra, Katz, Chua, Ana and Hana. Thank you for accepting my brand of crazy. Air kisses. Haha.

3. Every year I am thankful for Jecy and Rich’s continued (and voluntary!) presence in my life. Bar review and the actual Bar exams in November were bearable because I had Rich with me in UST (FYI, he was also bar examinee) and we had Jecy waiting for us outside. We had sanity-check dinners on weekends I can't go home to Laguna. The reason I always appeared calm (at least, most of the time) was because I had Jecy and Rich to settle my weary (and wary) heart and mind. Thank you for understanding and supporting my basketball obsession before, during and after Bar review. Haha

Minutes after Gilas 3.0 lost to China in the FIBA Asia 2015 final.

4. Daehan Minguk Manse! God bless Song Ilkook and his wife for creating these adorable triplets and for deciding to join the Korean show, The Return of Superman. Think Keeping up with the Kardashians but with babies and toddlers!

Study breaks during Bar review were filled with discussions about the triplets...with anyone willing to listen.

5. Law School Happy Crush. #Landi2015

Lows:

1. Personal shitstorm. From July to October this year, along with the challenges of Bar review, I had to manage…well, “problematic situations” that I was not able to foresee yet has been happening under my nose all this time. I saw people for who they really are, and I was able to decide which friendships to keep and which ones are beyond saving. 

Law school has taught me the value (sometimes, the necessity) of burning bridges. This personal shitstorm reinforced that lesson, and taught me to be more discerning of the people I bring into my life.

Mars #shotsfired

A wise man (Dumbledore) in a movie (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) once said, "It is not our abilities that show what we truly are, it is our choices." 

2. Bar Review and the Bar Exams. Because I only had four months to prepare for the Bar exams, I had to focus all my time and energy on one goal: Be at my readiest by November. Sacrifices had been made—watching TV shows religiously and blogging were the first ones to go. My Facebook account had to be deactivated. Applications on my mobile phone, erased. Inumans, postponed. Friends, ignored. Love life, delayed. (Aysus.) Distractions, minimized.

All bar examinees were expected to be prepared to answer (via a handwritten essay with 5 sentences or less per question) all kinds of questions from basic ones to the most obscure. I will not lie. It was not a walk in the park for me. I felt like a contestant on American Ninja Warrior. Sobrang hirap, ayoko nang ulitin.

Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat!

Verdict: All things considered, I give 2015, 3 out of 5 stars. This would've been an all-time low two-star year but graduation (and Happy Crush! ha ha) somehow saved the year.

The future: 2016 scares the f*** out of me.

Sometime in my early twenties I had an existential crisis. A death of a loved one raised questions such as, what I was here on this Earth for. I wondered what I wanted to achieve out of this lifetime. In the end, I decided that happiness, or being happy, should be one of my goals. I only knew the answer to the question what will make me happy after a lot of reflections and deflections. Finally knowing what I wanted out of this life and realizing all the challenges I had to overcome to be truly happy overwhelmed then-22 year old me. For happiness to appear obtainable, I reduced this seemingly insurmountable goal into an outline, a step-by-step plan. My personal Idiot's Guide to Happiness.

Long story short, I lived my life according to this plan I referred to as the Timeline. Anything that wasn’t timely, I postponed or ignored. I did everything I can to graduate on time (both undergrad and law school) because these were integral aspects of the Timeline. I was (then and now) convinced that following this Timeline was the sure-fire way to success, to my happiness starting year 2016. 

What scares me about 2016 is facing the possibility that one of the key points in my Timeline (being a lawyer) may not happen on time, and I am not sure if I can take a heartbreak of this magnitude. It’s scares me everyday.

I try to find solace in my Faith, my family and friends, and music. Recently, I discovered a song (that isn’t a worship song) that (sort of) calms me. It’s called Someone by Lucy Spraggan. 

Everyday say this to yourself, This future is for me.

You may never find the missing link

You may never paint a work of art

But you will find faith where they say it is

It's already in your heart.

You have the power in your hands

It's time now to believe

You will always have the secret

You will always have the air to breathe

Everyday say to yourself, this future is for me.

Please be good, 2016. 

My 2015 in Music

Music has always been important to me because it helps me:

1. Manage my emotions

2. Sleep, in times I couldn't 

3. Focus when studying

4. Tune out noise and other unnecessary sounds (esp. when commuting or walking)

In the past year, I used Spotify (an online music streaming application/service) extensively because downloading and sharing music using torrent has become time-consuming. I had to download songs on my desktop computer or laptop then transfer them to my iTunes on iPad and iPhone. With Spotify, I had music, literally, at my fingertips. I tried other apps like Guvera and Spinnr but their interface is confusing and their song lists were not as extensive as Spotify's--although Spotify still continue to lack a few songs I love such as 0% Interest by Jason Mraz.

By the numbers. According to Spotify's Year in Music, I listened to...

Spotify for 40,000 minutes or around 28 days!

657 different artists! 

1,826 different tracks!

My personal playlist, dubbed "astronaut food" grew to 381 songs (as I type this)! The songs ranged from Southborder's Do You Believe In Me to David Guetta's Every Chance We Get We Run.

More importantly, this year I repeatedly used music as a yardstick to measure people. I always liked people who recommend songs and albums that I end up liking. I also have greater respect for people who has good taste in music or listens to different songs, artists and genres as much (if not more than) as I do, or, at least, has a decent Spotify playlist. Using music as a way to strengthen existing friendships or to connect better with acquaintances has resulted to me listening to "new" bands such as St. Raymond, Walk the Moon, Alabama Shakes and The Submarines.

The rest of my 2015 in music can be summarized as follows.

Albums | Wish We Were by Joshua Radin was the one I listened to the most. This is an old Radin album (2006, to be exact) but this year I found it on Spotify so I unconsciously streamed it for an alarming 359 times. Chvrches' Every Open Eye and Avicii's Stories followed at numbers 2 and 3, respectively. I loved Every Open Eye so much I even bought it on iTunes! Boo you, Taylor Swift! Joshua Radin's Wax Wings (sooo goood!) and Owl City's Modern Orchestra round out my top 5 albums for 2015. 

Tracks | I've been a fan of Joshua Radin since forever (okay, since I first heard one of his songs on the TV show Scrubs) and Only You didn't impress me then. But through a friend's Spotify playlist called "Mellow Yellow" (which is a good one! Give it a try!) I re-discovered the Imogen Heap mix of Only You. I loved it so much I listened to it for 281 times! No other song on my top 5 got more than 100 streams aside from Sulat by Moonstar88 (which got 154 streams; but I blame my feelings for this. Hahaha). Clearest Blue by Chvrches, Panic Cord by Gabrielle Aplin and Samson by Regina Spektor complete my top 5. 

Artists | Unsurprisingly, I listened to Joshua Radin the most in 2015 (and probably in my lifetime, too) with 709 streams. Chvrches and Owl City follow as a distant 2nd and 3rd, respectively, with 424 and 406 streams. Walk The Moon and St. Raymond complete my top 5. 

I was surprised neither George Ezra's Budapest nor Carly Rae Jepsen's Run Away With Me did not make it to any of my Top 5 lists, considering the alarming number of times I spent putting these songs on repeat and on loop. I also expected Hillsong United's Touch the Sky to make my top 5 because I listened to it a lot during Bar review and especially in November, the Bar examinations month.

Overall, I was happy with how I spent my 2015, music-wise. I may not have read a lot of books that I wanted to try, or went to places I wanted to go (mainly because I spent a big part of 2015 working my ass off to graduate and to review for the Bar); I think I've wisely spent all the free time I could spare by listening to literally a thousand different songs! This simple fact alone makes me happy. I hope to listen to 1,826 more tracks in 2016. 

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Other music-related blog entries include:

Quintet 11: My Favorite Kind of Vampire 
wisdom teeth are out
Quintet 10: You, Me and Dianna
Quintet 9: Music is My Mistress 
Quintet 8: Music for the Eyes
Quintet 7: Something old, something new
Quintet 6: Top 10 Performances from Glee's Season 4
Quintet 5: Originals vs. Covers
Quintet 4: Radio
Quintet 3: GLEE-king out
Quintet 2: Holy Week Playlist
Quintet 1: Music to my ears