TOEFL Exam: I PASSED!!!

No words can fully express how happy, joyful, thankful, lucky I am to be able to pass my TOEFL exam. Well there is really no passing or failing mark in the TOEFL exam but I did have to meet the University of Alberta's requirement of having a minimum of 26 points (out oi 30) in the speaking category of the TOEFL exam. I really don't need the reading, listening, and writing part because these were waived since I studied for 3 years at Xavier University, which of course is an institution where English proficiency is a norm.

I'm not sure if I passed because I speak English well or if I passed only out of pure luck. But all I can say is my results are quite good. I just have to wait for University of Alberta to receive my results and finally accept me into the fall term... hopefully.

Here are my test results:

Test	Test Date	Reading	Listening	Speaking	Writing	Total
TELXML	January 10, 2009	29	30	26	28	113

Reading Skills	Level	Your Performance
Reading	High(22-30)	Test takers who receive a score at the HIGH level, as you did, typically understand academic texts in English that require a wide range of reading abilities regardless of the difficulty of the texts. Test takers who score at the HIGH level, typically have a very good command of academic vocabulary and grammatical structure; can understand and connect information, make appropriate inferences, and synthesize ideas, even when the text is conceptually dense and the language is complex; can recognize the expository organization of a text and the role that specific information serves within the larger text, even when the text is conceptually dense; and can abstract major ideas from a text, even when the text is conceptually dense and contains complex language.
Listening Skills	Level	Your Performance
Listening	High(22-30)	Test takers who receive a score at the HIGH level, as you did, typically understand conversations and lectures in English that present a wide range of listening demands. These demands can include difficult vocabulary (uncommon terms, or colloquial or figurative language), complex grammatical structures, abstract or complex ideas, and/or making sense of unexpected or seemingly contradictory information. When listening to lectures and conversations like these, test takers at the HIGH level typically can understand main ideas and important details, whether they are stated or implied; distinguish more important ideas from less important ones; understand how information is being used (for example, to provide evidence for a claim or describe a step in a complex process); recognize how pieces of information are connected (for example, in a cause-and-effect relationship); understand many different ways that speakers use language for purposes other than to give information (for example, to emphasize a point, express agreement or disagreement, or convey intentions indirectly); and synthesize information, even when it is not presented in sequence, and make correct inferences on the basis of that information.
Speaking Skills	Level	Your Performance
Speaking about familiar topics	Good(3.5 - 4.0)	Your responses indicate an ability to communicate your personal experiences and opinions effectively in English. Overall, your speech is clear and fluent. Your use of vocabulary and grammar is effective with only minor errors. Your ideas are generally well developed and expressed coherently.
Speaking about campus situations	Fair(2.5 - 3.0)	Your responses demonstrate an ability to speak in English about reading material and experiences typically encountered by university students. You are able to convey relevant information about conversations, newspaper articles, and campus bulletins; however, some details are missing or inaccurate. Limitations of grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation at times cause difficulty for the listener. However, they do not seriously interfere with overall communication.
Speaking about academic course content	Good(3.5 - 4.0)	Your responses demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively in English about academic topics typical of first-year university studies. Your speech is mostly clear and fluent. You are able to use appropriate vocabulary and grammar to explain concepts and ideas from reading or lecture material. You are able to talk about key information and relevant details with only minor inaccuracies.
Writing Skills	Level	Your Performance
Writing based on reading and listening	Good(4.0 - 5.0)	You responded well to the task, relating the lecture to the reading. Weaknesses, if you have any, might have to do with slight imprecision in your summary of some of the main points and/or use of English that is occasionally ungrammatical or unclear.
Writing based on knowledge and experience	Good(4.0 - 5.0)	You responded with a well-organized and developed essay. Weaknesses, if you have any, might have to do with use of English that is occasionally ungrammatical, unclear, or unidiomatic and/or elaboration of ideas or connection of ideas that could have been stronger.

I'd love to talk about the contents of the exam but I sort of written a promissory note that I will never talk about the contents of the exam unless I want to face legal prosecution.

Preparing For Valentine's Day

I'm not actually the one preparing for Valentine's Day. It's actually my friend who is having a hard time deciding what to give his "special someone" for Valentine's Day. He kept nagging me on and on today at work about what I thought would be a great idea for a gift. I got so tired of him asking that I finally caved in and told him just to give her flowers. Every girl loves flowers right? I told him just to get a Valentines Day Flower Delivery and I'm sure that his "special someone" would be happy.

Flowers are a must for Valentine's Day! Flowers can be given along side any gift like chocolates, jewelry, or whatever special but flowers by itself is a great gift as well! Flowers are amazing and beautiful and they have this great impact to any girl who receives them no matter how many times she has received flowers in her entire lifetime.

But if you ask me, if I was to be given a Valentine gift I'd want something edible like chocolates, cakes, or cookies because I love food hahaha! Some cute things like the traditional I Love You bears would be cute too. But I guess any gift that is sent by someone you love would be great, it's the thought that counts and the emotion that accompanies it: L-O-V-E!

Sorry... Just Bored...

What can I say... I was bored so I made this video of me hahaha! Actually I didn't really make the video I just used the Made Up Memories website to make this video. I have nothing better to do with my spare time so this is what I thought of doing.

My violin hasn't arrived yet, my TOEFL results are coming this Friday, and my friend who I lent $500 (PHP 20,000) hasn't paid me back yet... so those are the things going on in my mind as I live my oh boring life....

So... on with the show!

Being One With Nature

I really love nature and all it's beauty. That's why I'm glad to live in a neighborhood with so many plants and trees. The color of green just relaxes me and clears my mind of all the stress and worries in my mind.

That's why I really want to get some indoor planters so that I can feel more relaxed when I'm at home. I really envy our family friend for they have such a great home and what made their home even more beautiful are their plants that added beauty and elegance to their home. And I really mean elegance because they had these gorgeous decorative planters that not only emphasized the plant's beauty but the planter by itself is enough to accentuate the home's beauty.

Speaking of planters, I never knew that there were different kinds and types. If you don't know what a planter is, it's a box or pot that holds plants and it's also called a jardiniere. There are planters comes in different, shapes, sizes, color, material, and even features like self-watering and frost-resistant.

I'm not into gardening but I really want to have plants or flowers in the house so maybe I'll get my self a window box planter to make our home a little bit more inviting.