mitch

one month later...

2012-02-06T20:41:00.000-08:00

i've forgotten the sense of comfort i feel when i'm writing here. it's like talking to... a puppy (hahaha). you know, how you just talk and talk, and the puppy stares right at you back, completely not understanding anything you're saying, but it still stays there, waiting on your every word. that's how it feels.

and while i was going to write about a certain boy at work who is clearly infatuated with another (well, i have to say it just to let it out!), i'm not gonna go in detail.

rather, i am writing this to tell myself to get a grip. clean things up (especially the house, even when most of it isn't your mess). take care of yourself. and others. all those vouchers you took? -- photography, dancing, photo-book? --- use them. make yourself busy (and not forget about God).

okay?
okay :)

2012-01-06T00:55:00.000-08:00

i find myself staring at a dating service for the first time in my life.

right now, i find myself at 32 and alone. 31 years before that, i hadn't minded a single life. but during a 2011 february night out with a few friends, i dared to venture and 'be not myself' for once, and found it was nice to kiss someone. it was nice to BE with someone.
on the other hand, my sister has had a steady boyfriend for a few years now, and has been regularly visiting the other place far more often than staying here with me. i don't begrudge her of that and am honestly happy for her. and i will leave it at that.

what makes me sad is that i think i've tried to make myself, what, better? i've been more careful with makeup and skin care, been more selective with wardrobe choices (i think). haven't still learned to cook much though. but truth is, i've just felt i'm unattractive, despite what other people say.

i dunno. i guess i do want to be in a relationship now. there, i've said it.

so now i come once more to the first line of this post.
do i take the leap or not?

another 1 1/2 years later...

2012-01-01T13:26:00.001-08:00

another 1 1/2 years later...

it's jan1, 2012.
holy shit, time just flew.

and are we making a pattern here? lol

well, i just made an almost final list of new year's resolution. i think i really have to add this one -- make a decision on what to do with this blog!

a big part of me wants to just scrap it all together. make a fresh start. but at the same time, i loathe letting go of this. it's part of the journey of who i was and who i am (though i would necessarily say its part of who i will become...). because i need to know if i am making progress. because i need to remember things that happened (and let's face it, my memory is not really the best). there's an old filipino saying that goes (translated version -->) "whoever doesn't look to where he came from, doesn't know where he is going", and i agree with that.

hmm...
we'll see. i think i need to read up on my past entries and see from there.

anyway, happy new year! :)

1 1/2 years later...

2010-06-18T23:48:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 years later...

hello, my neglected blog. hello, nonexistent readers.
i'm back :)

i feel like i have to explain a lot about myself... but like inigo montoya of 'princess bride', no, let me sum it up.
- i got a job! yey!
- i am now renting a unit by myself! (well, the sis came with me)
- i have my own car!
- i got into a car accident (hence the new car) -- came out almost unscathed (thank God!)

anyway, today is the 2nd day of a much needed 5-day break from work. like all vacations, it will go by fast, but i would like to think i am taking advantage of it as much as i can (though writing in a blog suggests otherwise -- this girl's got nothing to do!). and so it happened, that during my free time, i revisited this blog. thought about revamping it, or even just dropping it and starting a new one.

ugh. it feels daunting just thinking about it.
and i feel it won't solve anything of what i feel at the moment.

despite some things falling in place (as i hoped they would), i still feel there are parts of my life is still missing. perhaps i miss writing. or reading for leisure. or going to church (admittedly, not the regular going type). i feel a sort of detachment from everything, regressing to a state where i'm back to merely observing than participating.

perhaps this is all part of a normal cycle when the human body finds itself repositioned in a new environment with a new set of routines. i'm used to it -- given that my family has moved several times during my early childhood -- but i think it somehows explains the detachment that i feel. somehow, i'm conscious of the fact that things do not remain permanent, except for change.

what i hope to do is give myself some direction as to what i want or where i want to head off. this line of thought really came from a book i just picked up at a local thrift store, which suggests having some goal in mind, to not be drowned by the daily routines that i tend to always rush in doing, work or no-work.

thus, i've decided to simply pick up where i left this blog at. a new blog is always nice to have, like a fresh start, but i guess... i guess i need to remember this. and many others. because as it will turn out, a new blog also has possibility of having the same posts like this one i'm writing now, right? so i say, let MY history stand. let me see where i came from, to know where i can go to.

another new start

2009-01-19T01:06:00.000-08:00

well. it has been 3 years since my first post and about 1 1/2 yrs since my last one. what have happened since then? here's a list (that will be updated as necessary):

- graduated nursing and found myself back to square one -- living with my parent again!
- turned 28 then 29. OMG. nearing the 3-0.
- became an aunt to adorable little girl.
- had my first ever surgery - a laparoscopic appendectomy.
- lost pounds post-op then regrettably and steadily gained pounds.
- changed residence at least thrice.
- got 2 scholarships to help with tution, but STILL had to get a student loan.
- finished inuyasha. that damn series took 11 years to finish; can't believe i read all chapters since then!
- still loveless in the lovelife department

that's scratching the surface.

right now, i'm a little disillusioned and tired. i still don't know what to do with this site but still like the anonymity it offers. i feel aimless but nevertheless hopeful that tomorrow is always gonna be better. THAT has to count for something.

in any case, welcome, 2009!

2008-03-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

it's been freakin long since my last post. i wonder if anyone still comes here?

anyway....
what should i write here?

how about a wtf news that's medically related? here you go!
WOMAN GOES FOR LEG OPERATION, GETS NEW ANUS INSTEAD.

how anyone messed THAT one up is beyond me.

(man, i seriously want to revamp this blog)

2007-12-12T06:30:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm back... so relish it while you can!

Anyway, I'm technically free and now I'm leisurely perusing the internet for many stories and stuff that I've almost deprived myself of since... wow, since the start of the semester. Anyhoo, now I can actually feast myself with lots of eye-candy (clothes, mostly) and digest relevant (and irrelevant) information.

What I'm gonna be talking right now is this article that I've just read from Inquirer (the formal news source I go to for anything Philippines-related). a lot has already transpired, actually, like the bombing incident at glorietta, the apparent assissation of a Zamboanga congressman. yeah, we going thru some rough times over there. the most recent political issue right now is the failed coup attempt of a former-soldier-now-recently-elected senator.

on to my story. what really made me rub my temples in disbelief is this . the government is holding the allotted P100M pork barrel (funds for goverment projects) of said renegade senator. the heck, P100M?!?!?! that much money?!?!??! for what?!?!?!? i didn't know the philippines had that much money! and considering this money is just for ONE senator. multiply that by the number of senators (24!), that's P24,000,000. not counting the many people in the house of representatives. NO FREAKIN WONDER WE ARE IN SO MUCH DEBT!

its just freakin annoyin.

2007-12-01T20:55:00.000-08:00

wow. a good 2 whole months since my last post, huh?

i've been busy.

and... well, i'd luv to rant and bitch, but i won't. i can only ask that people pray for me as i go through a tough semester.

ok, so maybe i will say a just a teeny bit of something.

the thing is, i don't want to complain anymore for 3 reasons: 1. it DOES dampen your self-esteem/ 2. it drives the people that you constantly talk to into somewhat exasperated people (and you don't want that)/ 3. it gets old.

that third reason carries another truth to it. i'm honestly tired. i work so hard, to only give me disappointments. and that's frustrating to a person (yes, that's me) who wants to see good results come out of hard work.

by now, you my dear reader(s) may be rolling your eyes. but let me tell you, there is an upside to venting(as opposed to repressing your emotions) -- it is actually healthy. if you don't express your emotions out, they eat you from the inside instead. you have to have an outlet. from another standpoint, however, venting should have its ultimate purpose -- that of realizing your vulnerability and weaknesses. and mine is failure (i feel so like hermione in book3 of harry potter).

i don't want to fail.

and that's the only thin shred of logic that is making me not quit. but dear Lord, i need all the help i can get.

2007-09-22T08:26:00.000-07:00

gaaah...

i'm on bedrest. just got out of hospital last wednesday.

stupid appendicitis.

is it just me, or did most of the people at the hospital i got admitted to just, well, sucked? i guess i'm putting a lot of comparisons between health care professionals in the philippines and here (or maybe it WAS just the hospoital i went to). i'll just shut up.

gaaah....

i'm a painkiller popping machine right now (might be on laxatives soon).

2007-08-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

2 semesters ago, i was in a speech class making a persuasive monologue about how Disney's "Lion King" ripped off a japanese series called "Kimba the White Lion".

it was the easiest speech i pulled off, since it also came complete with power point presentations and most what i had to do was just explain the similarities between plot, characters, and scenes. aaaah, everybody in my class really liked that speech :)

anyhoo, i'm only mentioning it coz a video came up on one of my fave blogger's site. it turns out, kimba the white lion was inspired not only by bambi, but also by a real life lion named Christian.

(see videos below. if you can, go to youtube and read the side commmentary on the right side of the video)

the story goes, the lion got too big so they had to let him go to live in the wild (Africa, actually). a year after releasing him, they meet up with the lion, and here we have this video:

So these two people raised this lion cub who they named Christian, and sadly he got too big for them to take care of so they decided to release him to live as a wild lion. Well, in this footage, a year has passed and it looks like Christian's adapted to living with a pride of lions when his old friends come back to visit him. Watch closely and you can see the look of pure disbelief that dawns on his muzzle- it's awesome. ^_^ Next thing you know, we have a heart warming reunion. Not long after, members of Christian's pride approach and even they seem to accept Christian's human friends.

the fact these videos were filmed somewhere between late 60's to early 70's adds more TRUTH and SUBSTANCE to the visual imagery (you know how everything is so photoshopped these days). all in all, it's really awesome to look at -- the harmonious, trusting and loving relationship between man and animal.

of course, there' also ALL THAT FUR............ kakagigil!!!!!

now i want to buy the video: The Lion at World's End.

-----
some extra tidbit information here:

The Life of Christian
Christian the Lion

Kimba - A Parallel in Real Life

man, i can be so geeky sometimes :P

2007-08-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

wweeeeeeeee!!!

i just found out that "time traveler's wife" is going to be made a movie!!!!

normally, m not that ecstatic when books are made into hollywood movies. i'm prolly gonna make an exemption to this one. y? because RACHEL MCADAMS is in it :) i have huge confidence that she's gonna pull the role of claire (the wife). it's pretty complex... claire is open-minded, understanding, amused, calculative, curious... but take that into the context of a husband, who travels in different AGES in your life. i mean, wow.

i have yet to see "the notebook" (another fave book of mine), but she also starred in that movie adaptation and i've heard good reviews about it. it also helps that in all films i've seen her -- "mean girls", "wedding crashers", "the stone family" (i HATED sarah jessica parker), and even "red eye" (or whatever that movie was where she's on a plane) -- i've been impressed with her acting. i somehow see another person in her role. she's almost always a completely different character!

mmmm.. can't wait for "time traveler's wife" to come out.... :)

2007-08-20T15:58:00.000-07:00

woooooooaaah...

almost an entire month has passed since my last post.

hmmm... i'm running rather low on internet fuel (translation: mahirap maka-connect) so i'll make this short. and yes, i promised pics, but even when i DO get internet, it's so freakin' slow, i can't even get to my image engine site!

anyhoo...

m back at Lancaster. today was my first day back at clinical and we were bombarded with stuff to do already. in only 1 1/2 hours, it was beginning to work its draining effect on me. the bleak gloomy rainy weather here is another factor.

but...

i think i can manage. the previous semester was a big eye-opener to the nursing experience (both in class and clinical), so i'm pretty much AWARE of what's expected of me. it is still a huge set of tasks to accomplish, but the only solution --- and to minimize the overwhelming feeling of helplessness --- is to just do the tasks one at a time.

God help me.

that was a plea for strength, and not a cry of self-pity. i've read that self-pity is an act of Satanism, and i must admit, i had my share of self-pity, even when i'm not voicing my thoughts. that's just it, i pretty much THINK about self-pity a lot... so, i want to stop that, not only because i'm a Christian, but because it is self-destructive attitude.

that said, i would like to say i like where i am now. i am grateful for the room i have, even when it's small. it looks well-organized (at least from my perspective), and my little knick-knacks and furniture positioning has made the room more personalized. so much like my ol' home in pinas, the "convenient stores" are only walking distance, and the bus route is just right along my road. there is internet (at the very least)... and i.... (gulp) like my car... because......... it takes me to where i wanna go...

well.... it's a start :)

(now if i could only get myself to stop worrying a lot...)

anyway, speaking of going, i went to mt gretna arts & craft show with my friend kat, and i was just floored with all the exhibits there. set against the backdrop of lush, green, towering trees were a multitude of merchandise that was just bursting with creativity --- from bags, paintings, to jewelry, hats, home & garden furniture & accessories ... i was just a little sad i couldn't get some of the stuff (made me want to get my own home and start decorating asap!). really, some of the stuff was just inspiring, so i ended up taking pics instead (with my friend's cam). but i did get to buy this nice, glittery, rusty-colored scarf (i wonder how i'm gonna end up wearing it).

once i can actually access my image engine site, i'd post them (um... i can see you rolling your eyes there, oh reader of mine). i'll just have to bring my laptop to school then. hmm.. given the weight of my laptop, i shall just think of it as "an opportunity to exercise". i'll be more grateful once i lose the pounds :P

i shall bid you adieu till my next post. i really must get back to my studying.

2007-07-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

i've read harry potter...

and i did so in 7 hours, from 10pm to 5am.

heh.

the thing was, it was a hard book to put down. there were numerous times that i would tell myself, "ok, just one more chapter after this"... and the next thing i knew, i was halfway thru... and i couldn't stop... i just had to find out what was next... and then, i finished it.

aaah, but what a book it was. book3 was my fave, with 6 a close second, but THIS... the seventh was GOOD. the dialogue was witty. the twists on certain characters -- good or bad or in between -- always had me flipping back to previous pages. the moods and expressions the book made me experience were delightfully various, varying in disbelief, several shakes of the head, the "O" face, bittersweet sighs... aaah, it was so much to take in, but i was hungry for more! i devoured those pages!!!!! and yes, there would be times JKR would "over-describe", but these were rare and in between occasions. finally, at the very end, when i've finally read the last sentence, and closed the book, there was this feeling of content... something had come full circle...

there, i didn't say any spoilers, now did i? :) i will say this, though. JKR provided a LOT of answers on this one, yet she did so with writing that was smooth and rich in humor and love. it was only natural, of course, since the world of harry potter was her baby, after all.

another spoiler. the book also touches a bit on myth, on childhood stories. and this is what harry potter ultimately is. it's the new children's book, a wonderful walkthrough in a world that never was, yet everyone who've read it would attest to wanting to be immersed, be part in it, if only for a moment. in the same way little girls have dreamed of becoming princesses, there are some that dreamed of weilding his or her own unique wands, of riding broomsticks and catching the elusive Snitch...

----

aaah, i think i made a nice farewell to HP, donchatink? if you haven't read HP7, i suggest you go buy one now. but plan on reading it on a day when you are free with nothing much to do. if you haven't read HP at all.. er.. you have to buy the whole collection to appreciate HP7. no pressure :)

that being said, i will miss harry potter. i will miss it as much as i miss the fiction books i have back at home (in the philippines). i say this because i will miss holding these books in my hand... it will be a long time before i can have the relaxed pleasure of doing so and of coming back to them again and again (til you see the pages' ends becoming yellow, the covers becoming worn...).

soon i will be drowning myself in nursing books. in a few weeks, THEY will be my ONLY library.

i see you shaking your head. yes, such is my sentiment over books (and manga). of course, i'm notorious in my family for being a bookworm. i told my bro n sis before that when i get a house, i want some space for a library... and they went "library?!?!".

but like i mentioned before, i like feeling them with my hands. i like poring over the words, letting them flow through me and in my head. it helps when the cover is the original, too, because it helps evoke the emotion and the image i'm conjuring in my head.

can you imagine collecting harry potter books with THIS on the cover?

ugh.

i bet it MIGHT turn out that way when all 7 HP films will be released. i can see it now, daniel radcliffe fanatics would have a fit trying to buy the limited MOVIE cover editions... yaaaaaackieee. hollywood has such a way of DESTROYING a sentimental mood/value of a book, such as when memoirs of a geisha (zhang ziyi) and LOTR (elijah wood, orlando bloom) came out. of course, i don't MIND orlando bloom (hehe), but overall, i'd STILL prefer a celebrity-less influenced cover.

(i didn't have a choice with my current LOTR books. unfortunately, my covers WERE the movie version. when i find the time n money, i'll rebuy LOTR books. the older looking, the better).

that being said, i don't know if i'm gonna buy my OWN HP books (hardbound!!!). i want them, of course. but it'd be weird having identical sets in my family. for the time being, i'll let my sister (or brother. the books are divided between them) have boasting claims over them.

something tells me i'm gonna get them eventually, anyway :)

----

waaaaaaah... i remember lending some of my books that i haven't gotten back yet.. "the notebook" (by nicholas sparks! and i saw it at a thrift store, too!!! gemarie!!!!!!), "confessions of a shopaholic" (alonaaaaaaa!!! u won't admit that you borrowed it from me!!!!), and "the hiding place" (corrie ten boom.. i think i lent this to pats.. it was my grandma's gift for me!!)...

gaaaah.. visions of books, dancing in my head....

2007-07-21T00:42:00.001-07:00

i've been an absentee-blogger for more than a month, and what do i post?

filipino prisoners dancing :)

i swear i never get tired of this video... thanks for the video, KAT! :P

another video to look at (i think i've posted this before).. but this one's super sweet! you have to watch the very end!

this one's my faaaaaaavee..

my niece juya (julia) is soooooooooooo cute, donchatinkso? more video at julia.blogspot.com

** UPDATE: apparently, the video won't show up. drat. u better just go to my niece's website then.

------------

okaaaaay... so u guys need MORE than videos for an update. i'm in california right now. soaking up the sun... the very hot, hot sun...

and i have pictures.... um... they're here.... somewhere...

gaaaaah...! i know, I KNOW, i really need to update this! just look at the videos for the time being while i find my camera!!!!

2007-07-21T00:42:00.000-07:00

i've been an absentee-blogger for more than a month, and what do i post?

filipino prisoners dancing :)

i swear i never get tired of this video... thanks for the video, KAT! :P

another video to look at (i think i've posted this before).. but this one's super sweet! you have to watch the very end!

this one's my faaaaaaavee..

my niece juya (julia) is soooooooooooo cute, donchatinkso? more video as julia.blogspot.com

------------

okaaaaay... so u guys need MORE than videos for an update. i'm in california right now. soaking up the sun... the very hot, hot sun...

and i have pictures.... um... they're here.... somewhere...

gaaaaah...! i know, I KNOW, i really need to update this! just look at the videos for the time being while i find my camera!!!!

2007-06-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

i'm in SoCal...

maybe it's the summer season that's getting to me, but i don't feel like typing for the past days. it's a lot more about DOING, rather than spending time in front of the screen.

most of may was spent packing (my stuff and my relatives). i later had to unpack my stuff at the new house. then i helped make a garage sale (organized, made signs in the neighborhood, manned the table, etc), and i came up with $93!!! wohoooo! (sorry, no pics)

of course, the stuff i sold weren't mine, but my uncle kindly gave the money to me (to be later split with my sister)...

anyway, all that packing, unpacking, yard-sale arranging had me going on a cleaning streak lately. when i got here to SoCal, the first thing i did was clean my sister's room. and i've been constantly ragging on her to get rid of her old stuff so the room would be more spacious (you wouldn't BELIEVE how much stuff she has).

my parents' room is a different matter. i tried cleaning it before, but then my dad would ask where so-and-so are (all the time), and while i take my time to look for so-and-so, he'd tell me it's hard to organize stuff if he doesn't know where I put them. i tell him to 'so, clean the room yourself then'.

which basically means, it will not be cleaned at all.

thankfully, i still have my sister's room to keep me preoccupied.

---------

what AM i supposed to write here? admittedly, my writing skills have become rusty lately... but updates need to be done, i suppose.

um... i watched pirates3 (m kinda uninterested in writing a review of it)...

i 'might' be going to san francisco tom. MIGHT.

and... er...

the sun is calling out to me. forgive me if i want to step outside :) will desperately TRY to make decent posts next time!

2007-05-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

i watched spiderman AGAIN.

what cruel punishment.

the second viewing was much better tolerated, seeing that i already knew what was gonna happen next. i guess i was able to like the movie a little bit (i guess being with a kid helps), and i could enjoy the graphics/effects one more time... but had i been given a choice, i wouldn't go. i still HATE mary jane (or more, actually). i still LOVE gwen stacy. movie was STILL cheesy for me... and i began to hate all the good-guy/bad-guy looks of peter parker (i HATE those bangs!).

but i did get to enjoy harry more, whom i believe is the only person who had fun in this movie. AND was it just me, or did the writers just give him a tribute of sorts when he used a green-sword thing to fight peter parker at his mansion? if i remember correctly, james franco (the actor) was supposed to be anakin skywalker (he'd be sooo much better at it than the hayden one).

bad casting CAN be annoying...

--------

btw, while i'm in annoyed mode, let me tell you this RETARDED moment that just happened recently.

yesterday, i was working as part of a team welcoming new students at school. part of my job that time was setting up the computers and tech stuff in this room. i was done a little too quickly, or everybody else was slow, but i found i had a lot of free time.

i suddenly had the urge to PEE.

i waited a few minutes, in case somebody would come. i figured i could run to the bathroom (which was 2 doors away, not even a 10 ft distance)

no one. my bladder was then getting all grumpy on me.

of course, i had strict orders not to leave the room, because if the door closes, it automatically locks. i figured i could use the trash can to prop the door open while i run to answer nature call.

fortunately (i first thought), i saw a security officer. i told him what i was gonna do, which was prop the door open, and run, pee, come back again.

he said no.

whaaaat? i really had this incredulous look on my face. "i just really need to pee, sir".

"no, you cant"

ARE YOU SERIOUSLY KIDDIN' ME?!?!

i said, "uum.. the bathroom's just there, i just really need to go"

"you can't leave that room"

FREAKIN' HELL?!?!?!?

there were other students nearby, and they were ALSO giving incredulous looks at the officer. really, he's being stupid. he doesn't want me to PEE in the bathroom? so should i pee right on the spot?!?!?!

i said, "umm.. can you watch the room for me then? i really have to go"

"ok. but next time, don't do it"

WHAAAAAAT???? he DOESN'T want me to pee?!?!

mind you, this RETARDED officer ALREADY got on my nerves several minutes ago. i had gone to the security office to ask someone to open this same room for me, and THIS officer said he'd be there in 30 seconds, so i told him i'd wait for him there. WELL. i was there for 7 BLOODY MINUTES (of course, that wasn't really a long time, but compared to 30 seconds... that's like, 1400% waiting time!!! *exag!*). so i go down, and ask another security officer to KINDLY OPEN the room for me. this other officer apologized, and then used his radio. then i went to the room again, to see RETARDED officer standing there, without a word of apology.

bastard.

--------

what WAS it about the room which was so damn important, you might ask? it must be the hitech stuff, which included this nifty monitor.

it's huge, but the cool thing about i could write on it... it had green, red, blue and black buttons, and when you press any of the buttons, say blue, and click-drag on the screen), blue marks appear.

i don't have a picture of it, but since it connects to a projector, and you could actually see the monitor (and any doodle you make) come out on a big screen!

pretty cool!

--------

speaking of cool (well, not really), i made this scrambled egg torta (with gound beef in the middle) for breakfast. my cousin is a notoriously finicky eater, so i told him i used ground beef to make egg.

"what's ground beef", he asks.
"oh, its like a hamburget patty, only its smashed to lil tiny pieces."
(his eyes perk up at word 'hamburger') "really?! i want some!!"

then my lil cousin proceeds to eat most of what i made (eating the beef, of course).

aaaaah. the power of the RIGHT marketing words :)

2007-05-10T18:34:00.000-07:00

finals are DONE. can you believe we had to do a CUMULATIVE EXAM?! gaaah, the readings i had to cram...

all left to do now are diagnosis cards, and a bunch of other nursing requirements for next semester... can't they AT LEAST let us relax for summer?!?!

speaking of relax, i FINALLY watched a movie (it wasn't '300', huhu...)

and... i should have listened to my bro n sis.

against better judgment, i watched spiderman. mind you, it was ONLY to see venom n gwen stacy. these two, i wasn't disappointed with. i am actually WISHING there was more airtime for them.

----- WARNING: SPOILERS -----

instead, i was forced to watch a teledrama of sorts. it had a LOT of storyline to it, given that there ARE a lot more characters, but the transition to each scene WASN'T smooth. most of the time, i would think "now isn't that convenient", (you know, like how the kontrabida in filipno shows are always within good eavesdropping distance). that meteor falling... the sand experiment where sandman initially falls under (what was it REALLY for, anyway??).. eddie brock being in the church.. then there's that whole revelation thing with the butler on how the orig goblin died...

there were also a LOT of unnecessary parts in the film -- they were BEYOND cheesy! -- that i often found myself wishing i wasn't in the theatre (and it was 3 hours long!!!). the singing and dancing parts should have been removed... they REALLY should have been removed. the one main part of the film that had me SINCERELY laughing was how spidey swung towards the crowd, and hi-fived everyone along his way. and that was only 2 seconds.

sandman was... boring. he had this cool power, i agree, but the film didn't do him justice. the nice thing about spiderman villains is that they have this backstory that fleshes them out as real people with real purposes. they don't mean to be bad at all (like doc oc).

and MARY JANE! dear gosh, i do NOT like her AT ALL! how can spiderman, or anybody for that matter, BE in love with this whiny woman?!? half the time, she has unpretty moments, and there's definitely no FIRE to her character. so UN-mary-jane! (why didn't they just get JJ's secretary?!?) gwen stacy was sooooooo much better, and i could totally understand how she (in the comics) would be the REAL love of peter parker's life. i wish she was nerdy/smart, so it would be total appeal package for peter parker, but sadly, she was underused. way way WAY underused.

another severely underused character was venom. i liked topher grace take on the role, though. i'd rather have him play the sly/manipulative-but-insecure eddie brock, than the just-insecure eddie brock.

come to think of it, half of the movie didn't even involve any acting at all. it was all computer-generated...
and another thing, i honestly think even I could make a better script for the movie.

----- MY SPIDERMAN SCRIPT -----

let's see. instead of venom, we will have the lizard (or dr connor), then use the others just the same -- "goblin jr" and sandman. screw the whole uncle ben killer. spidey doesn't need that. instead, the action will just start immediately with sandman wreaking havoc in the city. let spidey do his thing, battabing-battaboom (haha, mafia-style talk), but HE can't defeat him for the first time. he has to use his smarts (man, i don't even think they portrayed spidey as SMART) and see how to defeat him. for this, he will go to dr connor, his best friend prof, for ideas. THEN, this would be the perfect time to introduce dr connor. he is finding a way to regenerate his arm thru science. he found this black thing from a meteorite that crashed into earth (yup, the venom origin). while he is assisting, gwen comes in. she's dr connor's asst, AND daughter of NY's police chief. but she's smart, so she hangs out with doc a lot.

meanwhile, mary jane will be playing the actress of some play or film. she's pretty good at it (because i WANT her to be good, she's supposed to be MARY JANE, for crying out loud!). harry will be there to support her, but will note peter isnt' there. he's still secretly bitter, and subtly planning to make MM hate peter. MJ runs off to see peter, and they go do the look-at-stars-while-on-web-scene. (that was pretty cool, btw).

on the other side of town, doc oc uses his scientific find with research on how lizards regenerate lost body parts. it works, then we see how his arm miracously forming... which he shows to class the next day! and OF COURSE it's in the NEWS! unfortunately, petey gets beaten with a better pic from eddie brock. ENTER photography rivalry!

pete goes to thank doc, but is intrigued with what happened to his arm, so he takes his own sample of the black thing. does his own research. sees it increases power tenfold (or something). a glob falls/latches on his spidey suit without him knowing.

sandman comes in again. but as pete removes his outfit, he is surprised to see a black suit instead of blue n red. but he has no time to wonder coz there's a fight to win. with newfound strength, spidey also knows what else to do, which is lure him to where there's water nearby. fight scene follows. basically spidey wins... for now. um. and i guess he gets to save gwen, while he's at it, cuz a girl has to be saved... whatever.

news comes in that gwen gets saved. we have that key to the city tribute. harry comes in, again hints with MJ how pete's not there. MJ, still loyal to pete, gets annoyed with harry who's supposed to be pete's bf. while pete-as-spidey is being celebrated, harry takes this time to pull/kidnap MJ aside. also hints to MJ that he knows about pete-as-spidey, and if he wants him to live.... (cut)

still high on his success n love from the city folk, pete wants to propose to MJ the next day. but MJ is suddenly cold to him and says it's over. while pete is stunned, MJ goes to harry, who waits inside his car. MJ is angry at harry, but harry laughs evilly.

pete goes to doc, but instead finds gwen. he gets comforted by her. the doc, on the other hand, is not doing good. we get the cool transformation scene into... THE LIZARD!

sooooo... (wow, i can't believe i'm anal about this) pete is going out with gwen now (who he is finding a lot in common with) and MJ secretly sees this and is hurt. but she's still loyal to pete, knowing harry is going to do something bad to him. harry then reveals his plan to MJ, which involves using MJ as a bait (again! hahaha!).

set-up scene with NEW goblin... FIGHT SCENE, spidey attempts to reason with harry, yada-yada... but new powered spidey is too much for goblin jr to handle, gets upper hand. FORTUNATELY, the lizard steps midway into their fight. goblin jr leaves for spidey to battle new foe. poor spidey is tired from fight with goblin jr, but midway into the NEW fight with lizard, signs of doc connor show thru the surface. spidey gets all distracted. he returns back to lizard, then lizard retreats suddenly. spidey saves MJ. MJ apologizes, but tells pete that harry is goblin! spidey shocked, but doesn't believe her. he leaves MJ.

in his mansion, harry is sulking. OKAAAAY FINE, butler comes in conveniently to say his suspicion on how harry's dad died. harry looks at his dad's tools/gadgets, rethinks.

in school, doc connor is noticeably absent. pete/spidey is worried, forced to rethink about his own black costume. he suspects its because of the black thing, does his research, finds his guess to be true. he has to throw away his costume, but it's hard. he doesn't know how!!

too bad for spidey, lizard wants to fight again! they fight in a church (basta!). as spidey fights, venom-like characteristics come out, and spidey is shocked! along the fight, goblin is revealed to be harry, and spidey doesn't want to fight harry as venom-spidey. then spidey hits bell, which makes HUMONGOUS SOUND that forces venom-tendencies to subside, as well as disorient lizard. spidey quickly removes suit... (wait, he's gonna fight naked? gaaaah). um. um..

dang.

hmmm...

well, let's leave that PLOTHOLE to other creative writers. what WILL happen NEXT is that goblin will come in, presumably to fight spidey. BUT, goblin saves spidey from LIZARD. let's see... goblin can hand spidey his ol red-blue suit, the two of them fight lizard. both win (maybe goblin will die.. i dunno. whatever). lizard goes back to doc connor, who will be sad at having his arm severed again, but kinda happy he's back to normal.

pete eventually throws black suit away, knowing its better to believe in yourself, rely on your own strength (the movie's obligatory MORAL LESSON). at the bugle, he again beats eddie brock for a better pic, which makes eddie angry. eddie, however, finds the discarded black suit. it takes over him. he and black suit become... VENOM!!!

SEE! OPENING FOR 4TH SPIDEY FILM, WITH VENOM HAVING MORE AIRTIME!!! wooot! (but then again, i don't know if i can stomach more acting from kirsten dunst... or even tobey maguire!)

what you think? :)

2007-05-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

this looks fun to do with your friends.

*c/o andreaharner.com (one of my fave sites) -- originally taken from COLLEGEHUMOR or this site

aaah FUN. i miss you so.

2007-04-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

there was a going away party for our neighbor at our house last night. which i knew nothing about until the relatives started making LOTS of food.

party started, then there was this highschool guy i've seen in previous filipino parties who seemed to be lonely, so i chatted with him for a bit (a filipino custom, just entertain the guests).

gaack. bad move. i ended up being sooooo annoyed.

we went to where the kids were to watch them play mario bros party 7 (and also to veer away from the adults who might break into karaoke mode any moment). first, he rats off about video game consoles. while i am inclined to agree at one point (how they always get upgraded, so we end up buying more), it just irked me how he keeps downplaying the games. like he's too cool for them or something. and all i could see in front of me was 3 kids immensely enjoying the gamecube mario brothers game. i asked the kids what the heck they were doing (as a joke and really out of curiosity), he mistakes it for me looking at it as silly as he thinks he it all is.

honey, i am NEVER gonna be old or too cool for video games (besides, if you really want ugly silly, go play sponge bob squarepants the movie game).

then he moans he wants the old nintendo games back (platform games where you just needed to go to the right side of the screen and kill the enemies). i tell him, well, the games right now are more 3d. and he says, well, do you see them pop out of the screen? i'm like, whaaaat? (apparently, his version of 3d needs work). he did say he likes shooting games, such as those in arcades. and i say, well, they're first person perspective games, they're kinda real, so that makes them '3D'. hah, take that!

next, he mentions anime. he mentions he used to like pokemon (which is ok, coz i was into it during the first few seasons) and digimon (at this i just HAD to laugh! this show was pathetic!!!). so i recommend him naruto and bleach. he says he can't get past the big eyed thing. i tell him, well, it started out with astroboy, i think, the bigger the eyes meant the more innocent the character; so if the eyes are small, you get the sense that the character is mature, or lost his innocence. you could tell his eyes went blank. ye, he wasn't into it, but i was still ok with it. what he says NEXT really irritates me.

then he says, what's so special about anime anyway? (he said it in an obnonxious note) and inside i'm all, OH NO HE DIDN'T. of all things he just had to say, he said just about prolly the worst thing ever . i tell him, CALMLY, it's the plot, mostly. and he sarcastically says, plot? he wants all action. so i tell him, watch bleach. he says, no thanks, he'd rather watch LIVE action. so i say, watch 'zatouchi' or 'crying freeman' (which i heard rave reviews about). he says, no japanese.

who bloody brought up anime in the first place?! who just said he liked pokemon?!?!

FINE. so what movies have i watched, he asked? i told him the last i watched was The Departed. and i still wanted to watch 300 (he says, that was really good). then, there's spiderman3 and pirates of the carribean3.

he says, PIRATES? (again in that annoying tone). and i say, ye, it's a fun movie, it's a trilogy, i watched the first two, so i just want to finish with the third, SO? (i'm clearly exasperated at this point)

i then look at the kids playing games while eating my food.

he breaks the silence by asking if i've watched any "extreme" japanese cartoon, and adds "you know.." (japanese 'cartoon' i shudder at that word cartoon. it's anime, idiot!!!! baka baka*! *japanese for idiot idiot!* and "YOU KNOW?!?!"). of course i KNEW what that meant already, so i say, yeah, i have, so? he chuckles.

my gulay!!!! whats with that chuckle? graaaaaaaaa! bad enough he was annoying me by saying something about anime, something he knew NOTHING ABOUT in the first place (thankfully, my sister has now come to the "light" about anime, hehe. share in my obsession, te!), then he has to go make this 'chuckle'.

me imagining whipping out a HUGE MALLET out of nowhere and pounding his head with it, ranma-style.

i tell him to go eat some of the food upstairs (partly because i want him to shut up already), and he said he ate at a buffet earlier. i told him, you knew about the party and you ate at a buffet? he said, he really didn't know about the party til the previous night when his mom asked him to buy some ingredients. i told him, you're still a day ahead of me coz i just knew about the party TODAY when they started making the food. you must be on a diet. hahaha!

THEN, he changes topic (kinda). speaking of dinner, he was kinda hinting that he needs a partner for his senior ball, and while i'm prolly game enough to go (and see what american proms look like, and i still pass as a teenager anyway), his attitude just annoyed the heck outta me. i don't mind the age gap, but i KNEW i was soooo not gonna enjoy the night with him.

i tell him, sorry, i still have classes at your night. (hah, you don't get to act cool by having an older lady with you).

AND THEN (it's long, i tell you), he goes off by saying he missed canada so much, he hasn't been back there since 2006. dude, not only is canada like a 9 hour drive away, you not going there was what, just A YEAR AGO. oh you POOR BOY *SARCASTIC*. i've only been here since, what, 2004!!!!!.

instead, i say, that wasn't too long ago, you'll manage. with that, i leave. my filipino hospitality does have its limits, you know. that, and my cynicism WAS threatening to reach the surface. remember the kids; be a good model!

---
i guess you reach a point in your life where you are content at where you are at now, and there's no need to prove yourself to anybody anymore. i don't know if i've reached that point, but talking to that boy made me think i was near it.

of course, he was STILL a highschool kid. must be tolerated.

and me being uber defensive about anime DOES make me act like a kid in a way. i guess i should be more understanding.

or should i?

i don't remember having that much of an 'i'm too cool' attitude. i don't mind clueless guys who just want to hear your opinion. i don't even mind obnoxious guys who just say things like that JUST BECAUSE they know it's a touchy topic with you and just want to see you riled up, so both of you STILL end up sharing a good laugh afterwards. but then there are other obnoxious guys, those "TRYING HARD" people, who need a good slap to get their senses back in place and shout, WHO THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, IDIOT?!

---
i also realized that i was really being a bitch that night. but he was SUCH A LOSER! (anne curtis-style of Maging Sino Ka Man)

i have my moments :) aaaaaand, i was already stressed to begin with :)

---
my next story will be about the WORST student i had EVER. stay tuned.

then prolly, a short story about how a day starts wrong, EVERYTHING GOES WRONG. again, stay tuned.

2007-04-19T18:35:00.000-07:00

i don't want to jump on the wagon, but some things must be said. you've all heard about the virgina tech shootings? if you're like me, you've read and debated on the various articles and videos that were written about it. here are a few tidbits on the many sides of the story:

(1) my friend showed me a book that theorizes communities or social environment might be to blame for ostracizing these shooters from society. said rebels were indeed loners.

(2) another article mentions the relationship with these kids to antidepressant medication. the author of said article is challenging the impact of "the potentially deadly side effects of our pill-for-every-ill culture".

(3) NYTimes writes on this article the probability on how privacy laws are making it increasingly difficult for concerned individuals/groups to take pro-active measures or the initiative to help these kids.

(4) the shocking ease of how the VTshooter bought his guns would likely spark another gun control debate. the guards in our campus are already carrying firearms, which has the campus clearly divided -- there are those frightened, and others who feel it's only right and safe that they wield them so. meanwhile, this man might be forever haunted by the fact that he was the one who sold the guns.

(5) the drive to self-sufficiency can alienate people who are incapable to assimilate themselves into a fast-paced society. so says one blogger (go here and check out the bottom box from the message board).

(6) others (you might have read them already, so i didn't post the links anymore):
- people are blaming VT officials did not respond fast enough.
- VTshooter was bullied, so he snaps
- if not blaming a sector of society, everyone is now called upon to act with benevolence to everyone to avoid incidences like this.
- he was mentally-ill
- it's a copy-cat syndrome of school shootings. unfortunately, this might not be the last.
- NBC has aired videos, then apologized for airing the videos.

the thing is, the filipino in me is a little cynical. i look at the video, and i roll my eyes and say "ooohkay". i say that not out of disrespect to people directly affected by the VT incident but on disgust at that shooter. simply said, he was a person who wanted attention. look, he even has a video. AND photoshoots (the hammer pose was actually cheesy for me). did anyone see his "script"?! he was aiming for immortality, that crazy bastard. he has his own little world in his head that he's acting out. heck, he even had 3 separate places where he shot his video.

what irritates me the most is that there were people that reached out to him. many attempted conversations, but he ultimately rejected them. boy has an attitude. now all the media are on him, when there could've been more emphasis on the men and women whose lives made differences in themselves and in other people's -- sadly, their lives were cut off shortly. not that THEIR lives were more worthy (even i can't judge that), but please do not glorify this psycho.

while we, as society, are entitled to act benevolently towards individuals, even reaching out to guys like him, i don't think he deserves special treatment beyond necessary. the REAL danger is not society isn't doing enough, but that people like virginia tech shooter (i REFUSE to name him and give him the 'recognition' he craves) and the media generated by his cruelty and insanity are empowering other individuals to act just as impulsively.

CASE IN POINT.

MY class has somebody who's like that. inviting women (even myself) to his car/place. YES, it's uncomfortable. even more so that he has threatened some of our faculty. add the VTstory, and you got some paranoid students. while he doesn't look to have the capacity to do henious crimes (though you never know), the VTstory has given him an unlikely power, strong enough even for one man. what if he decides to act FURTHER, out of spite? it may be a harmless joke for him, but unfortunately for the rest of my class (AND school), we have to take ANYTHING seriously. i mean, we even have had POLICE interview each one of us.

FEAR, my friends, is scary.
and bloody bastard has ALL our phone numbers, too.

i'm really angry.

---
on another side, i've resorted to carrying a paper that says "Mom, Dad, Mengs, Teng, Anne, Julia, Donkee, I love you". you never know.

on updating

2007-04-11T17:13:00.000-07:00

here's something to ponder about: planned obscelence. (article/interview with author of "made to break: technology & obscelence in america)

i'm no slave to technology, but i still plead guilty to the whole notion of better-is-newer. not too long ago, i was among hundreds of thousands of filipinos of whom were always updated with the latest cellphones, complete with new software/feature installed with them. i also like fashion, with we all know is always changing.

but the term 'planned obsolescence' (and this pic of discarded blocky pc monitors) come to sight, and they all have me wondering: are we becoming the type of people that are NOT contented with the old and reliable, and in constant need of updates all the time?

it would be unfair to just simply say we are becoming victims of mass marketing strategies that simply keep us spending for new and improved stuff. granted, marketing industries may be purposely promoting products that are easily replaceable within a few years, but as human beings, we are in constant need to reinvent ourselves; we like to be INDIVIDUALS. and, times are also changing very fast, and we don't want to be "left behind" (word perfect? puh-leezz...).

but isn't it ok to just be contented with the materials you already have? i look at my cousin, and he has playstation2, nintendo gamecube, nintendo ds, AND nintendo gameboy (please give me the ps2 before you leave for CA.. please?). his parents buy him new games at least once a month. at one point, he got 3 in a week! and they were all just 'improved' versions of his previous games! i mean, when is enough ENOUGH?

another thought also comes to mind, that of relationships between people. as briefly mentioned by the interviewee, this "get-new-stuff" mentality can affect people treat commitments ---

I think you're less likely to have lasting commitments to people, to family, to a country, even. There's a well-known book called Bowling Alone, and I think this is where it comes from. We've become so accustomed to things only lasting for a few years we don't invest in them anymore. We don't see beautiful things like paintings and rugs as lasting.

sad...

of course, this way of thinking is too cynical, even for me. besides, we DON'T replace stuff all the time. after all, there are always cherished artifacts/moments/people in our lives that we hold onto.

at least that's what i'm HOPING, esp with the relationship part. despite my optimism on the human race, it DOES freak me out when i wonder if my boyfriend (whenever that will be) is always looking for someone better than me.

2007-04-05T13:45:00.000-07:00

wow. it's snowing again (flurries, technically, but it's STILL snow).

somehow my mind is trying to comprehend it. SNOW. APRIL. and we're expected to have COLDER weather this weekend...

did i miss a memo or something? aren't we supposed to be in spring already?

pictures to follow.

2007-04-02T17:25:00.000-07:00

aaaaaaaarrrgghh!!! uber cutenessssssssssssss!!!!!!!!

i remember i had a grey bunny once, she had a most magnificent excess white fur bulging between her neck and tummy (like she was wearing a fur collar).

of course, my siblings would remember i named her POPS. she had a hubby bunny called MARTIN. i have a bad habit of naming my partner-pets with real life partner names (pops and martin were a celebrity couple in philippines). i plead guilty to making unoriginal pet names such as PRINCE (dog - doberman pinscher) and PRINCESS (dog - japanese spitz). *hope i spelled those right* perhaps the only exemption was TISOY (mixed-breed dog), but he didn't have a partner (i prolly would have called her TISAY).

IN MY DEFENSE, my sis did call our other dog pets SIMBA and NALA (simba was very appropriately named, though. and my sis was a BIG lion king fan. REALLY BIG). my brother named our other puppy KOBE (obviously a basketball fan, but then again, kobe was ALSO very appropriately named. remember how high he jumped at the gate, teng? lol)

then we have DONKEE... :) as in the shrek one.

2007-04-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

as much as i would like to fool everyone (it IS april fool's day), i won't...

btw, check my earlier post. YOU HAVE TO SEE THE VIDEO, I PROMISE YOU WON'T REGRET IT.

anyway, my search for a good asian style website might have finally come to an end. i found this amazing website.

(click image to direct you to the site)

some sample images:

don't worry, i'm not gonna turn my blog to a fashion one (there's more than enough out there). these past few weeks had just made me want to get some diversions now and then, what with nursing and the inevitable moving out. i happen to come down to clothes-rummaging online lately after i had done junking out stuff that i didn't use already.

funny thing is, i saw my clothes in a whole new perspective. one, i didn't have any 'statement pieces' save for a few jackets/blazers. two, they're so... college-looking (read: mostly shirts, jeans). i guess that's because i AM in college, but nevertheless, i'm really decided on getting age-appropriate stuff when i finally get the dough to buy them. what's NOT funny is that the clothes and some shoes that i've set aside for what i thought would be a spring garage sale did NOT materialize. instead, they were just given to salvation army. YES, you read that right again.

i was a little alarmed when i came home to see boxes gone (i was also planning to rummage some of my relatives stuff, with their permission of course, for some toys and other reusable items. i saw a wool coat, i think). then they were gone... with my stuff. without informing me at all.

i'm a little pissed.

aaaargh.

AAAAAARRGHHH.

*looks at images again to divert annoyance*

2007-03-31T14:33:00.000-07:00

wow. check this video out. (pardon the fact it's not organized accdg to my parameters. you really have to see this baby in full)

c/o jayvee

i mean... wow.

photoshop will never be the same again.
and i love how you just have to spread your hands, and the image zooms in *goose bumps*
and multiple video streaming. grabe.

2007-03-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

woooohoooo, pirates of the carribean trailer out!

supppppperrrrrr excited! ye, i know i know, i have to watch 300 first! and bridge to terabithia! but... i have no money!!! (must resort to cousin manipulating tactics..)

anyhooo, here's a pic of me when i was a weeee baby.

i remember yesterday, the world was so young....

don't be fooled by the cuteness and innocence! as i remember at that time, i could kick VERY WELL! :) right, mengs?

--------

today had a very random BUT fun moment. for one hour, my friend mark gave me a very surreal destressor... a ride at the back of his harley davidson motorbike!!!!

i was reading my nursing books when he came over, said he was free at 3, and wondered if i'd be free by then for a ride. "on your bike?!?!", i say incredously. of course i jumped at the chance, and i didn't know it was going to take an hour, but really, who was bothering about time when you got the open road in front of you, and you are just busy taking in the wind, the speed, the warmth of the sun, the freedom with your arms just spread out (yup, i wasn't holding onto him), and sometimes the smell of manure from cows...

(wait.. what?!?!! *ye, i had a whiff of some. we were traveling on lancaster backroads with some amish farms, what ya expect?!)

OTHERWISE, the ride was awesome! no wonder these biker dudes/dudettes have an entirely different perspective of life. they're laid back, they're real, they're more about the journey than the destination.

here are some pics of the bike (next time, i'll bring my camera. sorry, told u it was random!).

truth is, i had a blast. it was like being on a really loooooong rollercoaster ride, and there were many points i'd laugh hysterically just for the sheer fun of it. i'd wave enthusiastically to most of the motorists (they wave back), and for every biker that we would pass by, i'd flash a V sign (mark told me it meant victory). you could say i was his 'victory flasher' for the time being :P

couldn't believe an hour flew by... but of course, it's always like that when you're having fun.

then it was back to school, to reality... i hit the books yet again to study on catheterization... YEAH... sigh.

--------

i'd like to share more pics. here are some that i took when my aunt got some free skybox seats at our local baseball stadium. it was really last minute, 2 hours before the game they give it to me, and i called everyone i knew. first 2 calls made through, and they were real baseball fans, and were berating me for not telling them earlier. most of the rest were voice messages or no answer...

i was able to find one guy who went with me.

they are really good seats, i have to tell you. you'd hear the sweet thunk of the baseball every time, and you get to see the entire field. that night, there were almost 2 fights, too.

that's my food..

and there's the people up with us... (wonder what that guy is looking up at the sky?)

a view of the home base and batter... "heeeeeey batteh batteh batteh..."

and one shot where a fight almost broke out.

too bad my friend was not much of a baseball fan so much (i was more excited about the game, having played softball before). anyway, it was really nice watching a live game at good seat. i've already been to basketball games... so now, i wonder what it would feel like on a FOOTBALL stadium....

HMMM........

2007-03-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

... if i MUST get a room divider, i hope to get something along the lines of these:

sigh.. if only they used one image (instead of 3) for consistency. it still looks good though.

doesn't cover much, but it'll show my nursing books nicely :) wait, got too much books!.. i think i need 3 more of these then. drat!

this covers more space, and the lines aren't boring! kinda low though. 4ft high?

ASIAN...... bamboooooooo... must have...

well, it's functional, at least.

(photos courtesy of iroomdividers.com, furniture2yourdoor.com.)

2007-03-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

ARE YOU SERIOUSLY KIDDING ME?!?!

yesterday was a glorious 74F, now we're back to 20?!? with HAIL/SNOW!?!?

but there you go folks. weather here in lancaster just dropped, no, PLUNGED into the cold front. i'm battling ice falling onto my car, my head, my face (and if it hits you on the right spot, it STINGS!). i'm used to the driving in the snow now, in that i can maneuver properly (i think) when i sense something wrong. thank goodness i still have my snow tires attached (i was thinking of removing them yesterday!).

anyhoo, here's the scoop of what's going on here:

here's what greeted me on the floor...

and on my car's windshield...

looks like snow, but they're ICE! you know, the kind you get when you crush ice.

at 9am, it was still ok. i dunno if you can see/hear this video (and if the video does show up, i dunno if you can actually see them), but hail is falling. i could see them bounce around as they hit my hood.

but at 2pm (sorry, no pic), the land was covered with snow/ice. it was like we were in winter again.

--------

UPDATE: anyway, it looks like i can UPLOAD my own videos! wooohooooo! isn't that exciting?... um, hello?
--------

UPDATE 2: this cold weather... all this indoor activity... makes me want to crave for outdoor stuff... such as...

manong, pabili po ng fishball...

kuya kuya! 3 isaw po! (isaw = pig intestines; it's good! just 'sauce' it right)

ale!!!! naku, ano pangalan nung P5 na burger nyo! basta, yun!!!

(what IS the name of that P5 burger?)

** some photos courtesy of mysarisaristore.

2007-03-13T16:05:00.000-07:00

soooooooo, i guess i'm really moving out then.

i'm not really into revealing a lot of details (really?), but i understand this development (moving) has me stressed. for two weeks, i've been forgetting where i'm placing stuff. well, i'm notorious for forgetting, but trust me when i know that i've gone overboard... which is BAAADDDD...

hopefully, this won't reflect in my career as a nurse, but i'm a wee bit troubled by it. i do know that as soon as i've resolved where i'm going to stay, and how i'm gonna manage affording it, then i'll be okay.

on a shoe-noteworthy (?) side, i heard crocs (those supposedly comfy shoes i've been hearing about) are coming out with FLATS! hmmm.... must check them out in person. i wonder if the local store at park city (our 'mall') has one.

-----
other news:

richard gomez (actor) runs for governor! boo for bulacan!
philippines has the most corrupt government! ... wait.. the MOST?!?

-----

man. politics in pinas really has a bad note to it. the truth is, there are no competent candidates (more likely takot ng gulo, or just plain tired, hopeless in visioning for a change...). and even if they WERE competent, they're freaaaakin GREEDY! it's not really about service, it's more about money!

and seriously, what makes gomez (aka GOMA) even think he can be a good governor? isn't it a bad sign that this wannabe candidate is currently hosting a SHOWBIZ TALK SHOW? helloooooooo?!?!??!

what makes ANY actor/actress have the audacity to run for a political spot?!? (i might be a little lenient on vilma santos, but still..) the last i heard, manny pacquio (the boxer) wanted to run, too, and while the man may be kind enough, he might not be smart enough! the people around him are SURE to take advantage of him (and his popularity).

good grief. has people claim to fame become "i have sikat so-so as my mayor/governor/senator, what about you?". freakin' idiots! i know the actors are only using their popularity coz they have name recall, they don't need to spend as much for campaign. pero naman, there are BETTER candidates out there! why don't these 'famous' people use their fame for a good cause n support somebody else?!?

like, what about that kind old man who carried the ballot box during last year's election? what happened to that congressman (if he was a congressman)? the way he carried that ballot box, meakly, with no words, just to help speed up the counting process, it all spoke volumes! he's all action! all about real service! the rest of his fellow congressman were just laughing, sitting around, milling about, even JUST WATCHING HIM.

i'm more interested with HIM!

-----

OK, ANOTHER NEWS!!!

to all my pinas friends (yes, both of u!), click here for an update of pinoy news, delivered in a witty, sarcastic mode! http://professionalheckler.blog-city.com/

(and since i directed u there, m sure u won't go to my blog anymore... huhu...)

anyway, it was here i found out about: rob and amber (amazing race: all stars edition) came in last place! they got really sidetracked for misspelling the PHILIPPINES! (wait, did i spell misspelling right... m..i..s..s?)

2007-03-11T16:13:00.000-07:00

i'm kinda slow on movies right now, but i do make sure i watch some good quality ones (well, $6 a ticket, you gotta make it worthwhile!!!). one film on my list right now is '300'...

and then there are others that i get to watch for free, courtesy of some friends. i was lent 'the promise' and 'hero' (chinese movies) just this weekend, and took the time to watch both (since i had to return them immediately).

supposedly the most expensive chinese movie ever. but you could see how it was spent on graphics (some weren't topnotch, but suspend your belief, people!). visuals were really good, particularly the detail on clothes. there's also this goddess with a floating halo on her head, and i was really distracted by it. the fight scenes were not really martial-arts heavy, but you gotta love the background. my fave one was the fight with the revolving chinese panels...

story-wise, it was pretty simple. it had some mythological concepts in it (the goddess butts in very significantly) and there is a bittersweet love story, too. but it's really the visuals that captured it for me... and the villain. was it wrong to root for the villain? he had such an enigmatic prescence, i was almost always cheering for him!

hmmmm... i am not a jet li fan. i'm sure he's a likeable guy...

visuals also play a role in this movie, but more in dominant colors. there are different versions of the story, and as each version unfolds, the characters always change the hue of their clothes. it has a lot more impact story-wise for me, particularly when its supposedly based on historical data (the warring states period of china).

while 'the promise' had the effect of putting me in a momentary trance-like state of wonder at the vibrant colors, 'hero' strongly urged me to be introspective. long after the movie was finished, i found myself unable to sleep as i wrestled with my thoughts.

'hero' has a good-for-all mentality. there are notable lines in the movie such as "the pain of one man is nothing to the suffering of all", and something about a path rooted in hatred or revenge is bad. another message, albeit more subtle, was the nobility of how one person, can die for a good cause (for me, a very Christian self-sacrifice ideal i understand so well). while these are all true, however, it also emphasizes a uniquely and dominant asian culture. this is not to say that thinking of others is wrong. it wasn't the denial of self that bothered me, but the denial of truth.

(warning: spoiler movies to follow, if you haven't watched 'hero' yet)

while the emperor had the foresight to unite the states of china, it was done in a manner that involved a lot of killings. it was only natural that assassins with personal vendettas would hunt this emperor. at the very end, however, the assassin has a change in heart, realizes that a peaceful nation is more important, then he gives up willingly, and let himself be killed instead.

peace from mass bloodshed? i could not get around the logic of that. neither could i understand the emperor when he broke down as he lamented how few people understood his vision of unity. unity is good, but the killings were not. THE END DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE MEANS.

i guess because the movie had a political ring to it. it was almost short of saying, there would be anarchy if the government doesn't do this and that. and yes, anarchy is bad, but so is a government that is willing to look the other way all for the sake of vision. it's even more worse if the government doesn't even do any compensation, not even a public apology, for the losses of the people they step on.

there's this movie with wesley snipes (murder at 1600) where a character justifies the killing of a young woman by saying somewhere along the lines of "if i were to choose between righteousness and peace, i choose righteousness". it was more on the context on how and when he said that, which was entirely wrong, especially as he used those words to rationalize the death of an innocent. then the character follows it up with "she was a casualty of war!".

** man. i hated that bastard. **

some people will say, rationalization is not an entirely bad strategy, weighing the pros and cons, and seeing how many people would benefit. i plead guilty, since i do the same thing (i'm asian!), but i guess not in extreme life-or-death circumstances. i guess it does depend on which situation it is used.

however, if rationalization, or the use of logic, is employed to deny reality and emotion -- i might say it even borders on removing self-responsibility -- and attribute the outcome or decision as a necessity, then rationalization needs to be considered, investigated and debated carefully. if not, it will only become a defense mechanism to repress the truth.

2007-03-04T15:29:00.000-08:00

NEW LAYOUT! (i'll still do some tweaking with the revisions, though)..

anyway...

yegads. i just saw my friend's boots 2 days ago, and i can't keep my mind off them! (grey with fur trimmings! at mid-calf length! at a really good price! **feet twitching, face squirming**

now i have an insane urge to buy a new pair. and then all will be right in the world (really, i get that feeling sometimes. a good buy just makes everything seem right).

naturally, i don't want to get the same pair. so here are some that i've been eyeing:

syempre yung isa may boscov sticker pa!

these ones i reaaaaaaaaaaaaally like:

i'm beginning to see signs of shoe fetish-ishness. actually, it's kinda pretty normal in the family. have any of u seen my brother's sneaker collection?

----------

have i been living under a rock? ps3 is out already???? (see right console)

my gulay. and i thought i was updated on these stuff. the last game console i heard that got out was wii (image on the left, beside ps3). wii looks to be a better interactive game for me, but c'mon. it's PLAYSTATION.

all i know is, pag nagkabahay na ako ng sarili, MERONG DAPAT GAME CONSOLE! hahaha!
----------

WARNING: michelle reflecting. might get boring.

i'm a little amused AND shocked at how shallow i sounded. i've been obviously talking about a lot of material stuff, that frankly, will only give me a few moments of happiness (um, except maybe for the grey shoes? hehe). should i really add more? (but those shoessss!!) so i look around at the stuff at i already have...

and quite honestly, i'm perplexed at how much i actually have.

a few days ago, i bumped into a korean friend of mine who was moving out of her dorm (and into another one). she showed me the stuff loaded in her car, and expressed at how much she accumulated in the few months she was here in US. i nod in agreement, but moreso because i also realized something -- i've been here 2 years!

that statement now echoes in my head as i look at the property i have in my room. my gulay, ang dami! and when the time comes that i have to move out, i might have to get a truck! (or have a few trips with my uncle's pontiac van) my back will hurt! huhu...

i've been seriously thinking about doing a yard sale one of these days (i'm willing to sell some old stuff from my relatives, if they want me to). the thing is, i have a hard time throwing old stuff away. i have a tendency to hold onto stuff (for a variety of reasons which i won't bore you with)...

even so, i'm really not looking forward to moving. yet AGAIN.

for once, i'd like to settle somewhere permanent where it's also my own choice. oh, i love to travel as much as any other person, but THIS relocating thing is really getting tiring. most of my childhood was already spent moving to different places (due to my dad's different work assignments). and here, i unfortunately have to move out of the house -- perhaps to an apartment... or even out of state (i don't even want to THINK how that's going to be more complicated).

i know some of you will berate me, to just tell me to ACT and quit dwelling on stuff like this. it's high time that i act. don't worry, i tell that to myself, too. so thinking, then berating.. it's all a compounding feeling that can also be draining to just talk about.

so i'll just stop.

i guess that's one reason why i want those damn shoes so much. it's one small thing that gets my mind off this limbo state i'm in.

"live and take life a day at a time. let tommorow worry about itself. just do what u have to do now."

2007-02-28T17:39:00.000-08:00

goodbye february. tomorrow -- hello, march!

i remember back in pinas, i used to look forward to march coz it meant it was near the end of the schoolyear. now, i'm STILL going to be in my current college semester, and will be for a good 2 more months yet...

but anyway... i was wondering how to spruce up my blog (well, ye, aside from the layout. i'll get to that next week). i mean, even I MYSELF am bored (gasp!).

let's see, i would love to talk about places to go to in lancaster (shop, dine, etc).. i lack the dough to do anything substantial (like show some good food to eat), but does a girl really need that when she can always just take pics instead? ....hmm ... and then there are websites i normally visit... (mostly manga.. and fashion.. i actually contemplated taking pics of my wardrobe, but i wondered, "am i THAT confident to even take pics of me wearing my clothes???").

hmm... well, i figure i at least owe you guys something.

anyway, let's start... with a look at the house i live in! (well, not for long!)

the house on the left is where i currently stay in. that window near the satellite dish is the one for my room. my uncle took this pic actually, because he had to show some evidence that DirectTV wasn't working... or something like that. soooo, it's a townhouse, pretty well kept (sorry, no inside pics, i have to give some privacy to my relatives). aaah, i shall miss it.

next up, my school!

a lousy side pic, i know. so here's a lousier one! :P

*pic from hacc website*

this is the main building, where i had most of my classes. it's pretty.. decent. but i definitely want more TREES in this place... and more stylish people (i'm beginning to like fashion a weeee bit too much).

i'll do more inside shots of my school later, but here's some that i dug up. below is the library, the one place i originally applied as a student worker. well, i figured, it's got books, i love books...

but my friend julie (asian girl pictured below) was right when she told me i didn't fit there (for one, i'm NOISY. can't count the many times the librarian shhhh-d me for laughing so hard). thank goodness i worked at the learning center instead, coz i got to hang out with an incredibly cool bunch of people. who love sushi.

and dogs (this here is coco, julie's pet chihuahua).

DAAAANG! that's a horrible pic of me (the hair! the clothes! -- and here i'm thinking of taking pics of my wardrobe!!! hahaha! --- and the unplucked eyebrows! thea's salon friend will be chasing me for them!!!).

but the dog is cute, donchatinkso? :P

and, of course, we at the learning center (TLC!) enjoy each other's company. it doesn't get any better than that. i'll try to upload more pics later on to give u guys an idea of what my workplace looks like.

-----

here's my bed:

hah! i WISH!

but really, i do wish i had this bed. the entire house can look crappy, but imagine yourself going to sleep in THIS! maaaaaaaannn........
*got this pic from stylehive, one of the sites i go to. AMAZING stylish pieces, includes home furniture, like what u see above.

-----

so there you have it. hope you guys are happy (well, i am, hehe). i guess i'll stick to talking about lancaster stuff and some fancy smancy wishlist of items that i have my eye on. i don't know why i wanna post on the latter, but i thought u guys would enjoy looking at them as much as i do :)

oh, and i got an A in my exam (phew). now pulled my average grade to a decent B.

2007-02-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

i. need. a. place. to. stay.

drat. m really worried. i have til summer to panic.

anyway, i recently stumbled upon this gem:

pic c/o ONEMANGA (you can find other manga here, too -- Bleach, Naruto..)

from what i've seen, the art here in VAGABOND is very good (and refreshing. no big-eyes this time), and its supposedly based on a popular japanese epic story, the fight b/w japan's 2 greatest fighters (the main character is musashi... the name reminds me of a PS rpg game= bravefencer musashi.. hmm...). anyway, japanese swordfights are always cool with me. (watch samurai x or "rurounin kenshin", teng!!!)

now, if only the website guy updates the vagabond manga uploads, AND put the archives in (save me the trouble of finding them)...

2007-02-14T08:47:00.000-08:00

it has been snowing/hailing nonstop since tuesday morning. so yesterday, we got out of clinicals a little early... and there are no classes today (there's actually a snow storm)

i guess snow has its advantages. and seeing the place so white and pure, add the happy scene of little kids playing around, sledding, and throwing snow balls... it gives a really a nice serene feeling.

until i have to shovel YET AGAIN... clean my car charlie the DRIVE (groan) tomorrow...

but that can wait. i'll enjoy the white show for now.

*the view from my room*

2007-02-12T17:11:00.000-08:00

1st exam result came in...

i got my very first C...

the world did not end :)

2007-02-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

gaaaah! too... much... YELLOW...!!! they blind me!!!!!

politics. bleck! (but i still can't stop myself from reading abt them)

had my first day of clinicals today. hmmm... it was a'ight. actually, i didn't do much with MY patient. but having nothing else to do, i made sure i knew my way around, what to do per policy, chatted/helped with OTHER patients... m pretty sure i can do my job as a nurse, since i pick up stuff pretty quick (verbal reports, medical records), and i do generally want to learn and help out.

here's wishing next time would be better :)

man. i need sushi... and PUPPIES!!!!
better yet, here are MORE pics of julia! such delightful shots!

hahahahaaaaaa!! they sooooooo cheer me up BIG TIME!! they also make a classic "mengs/thea different reaction" collage (see below to know what i mean)

*click image for a bigger size*

hope all these pics cheer u up, too! :) (well, if the first yellow pic does as well... whatever floats ur boat, dude!)

go to her site for more pics! juliawatch.blogspot.com

---
on a side note, this blog is turning out to be another julia blog! heee heee

2007-02-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

last feb2, mr groundhog said.... SPRING IS COMING! YAHOOOOO!!!

the bad news: i have an exam this wednesday! yipes! need ur prayers, people!
the good news: my niece is STILL as adorable as everrrrrr!!!

this baby knows a secret... wouldn't YOU like to know!

2007-01-28T10:30:00.000-08:00

back in the philippines, we like to celebrate christmas and new years a little bit early. call us impatient, but that's how we were. so a few days before dec25 or jan1, the fireworks would start in our street already.

enter simba, our beloved dog. as a young pup, we believe he was traumatized by the sound of fireworks. at the slightest POP, you will find his royal stature suddenly collapse. his head would droop very low, his entire body assumes a meek demeanor, and he slowly but quietly heads toward our front door. "let me in, pleaaaaaaaase", u can almost hear him say. and amid our smiles, we let the poor dog in, and he heads toward the bathroom, where hopefully, the tile-filled room will lessen the sound of fireworks. he would stay there for days, if he could.

what an adorable wuss.

now, I'M that wuss (not necessarily adorable, but definitely a wuss).

the slightest snowflake worries me. today, i was supposed to go to the school library to study for my exam tomorrow. but as i was driving from church towards school, i saw the first snowflake fall. and then another. and another.

and just like that, i decided right there and then to head to home na lang and do my studying there. sigh.

2007-01-27T15:38:00.000-08:00

me like dogs big time, but me thinks this dog is a little on the weird side.

i'm horrified, but strangely enough, i can't help myself from smirking/smiling at the same time, especially when THIS blogger calls it the "poor pooch has an evil leg".

sigh. i needed a little time off (just finished my 10th online quiz a while ago, starting my cd-quizzes now (for exam review, ONE THIS MONDAY!), hence this long post. at least it's not snowing right now.

while i'm in this temporary R&R, i figured my blog needed an update. that, and i needed my perking up.

which THESE pictures below certainly did! i keep looking at them all the time! they'll definitely have you smiling as well!

definitely the cutest, happiest bebe i've seen (ye, m biased, so what).
sigh. what i wouldn't give to actually hear and see her in person. more pics at my niece's website! (click HERE)

2007-01-24T15:32:00.000-08:00

i'm SORRY, but if you admitted to stealing P130 million pesos from the country, you return said P130 million. NOT just P25 million. (story HERE) grabe, how i'd love to punch-wipe that smug smirk out of ato ang's face.

and i'm sorry, i STILL feel sorry for erap. granted, his stupidity, false ideas of friendship and greed are what got him into this huge mess. it IS his fault in the first place. but the people grilling him now are his EX-buddies, who just happen to be smarter than him. THEY should be prosecuted as well.

chronic lying, backstabbing, money-grabbing bastards. i LOATHE politicians (oooh, except ninong mayor! hahaha).

on to BETTER stuff,

what i DO like is my niece's new blog! go go go! (check my sidebar or click HERE)

2007-01-21T16:07:00.000-08:00

arg. flurries (those pesky snow) are falling, just as i leave ephrata and head for home. makes driving insanely stressful, especially as i haven't installed my winter tires yet (those with spikes).

slooooooow driving followed, but i have to do some careful turning coz my car WILL skid if i don't.

picture courtesy from this site. (don't ask me why i went there, i'm just borrowing his image and appropriately crediting him as the source)

aaaaaaaand, this means i'll be shoving EARLY tomorrow. to think i have clinicals already, wherein i have to be at my site at 8am or even FREAKIN 7AM.

help me.

2007-01-16T17:37:00.000-08:00

watch:

now THAT's a real hug! i bet you want to play that again!

i'm torn being envious (all that massive furriness! that warmth!) and being scared (imagine those bars as gone, that lady would've been crushed!!).

*watches again* i think i'll go with envious.

2007-01-15T06:54:00.000-08:00

i had the weirdest dream last night... or nightmare.

cut to the chase, i was being chased by mafia. i don't know where the heck that idea came from, but there you go. they were trying to kill me, of course. and i remember the scenes with me flying from manila to cebu and back. my house was my barkada tin's house. it was an entire story arc that seemed to go on for days, which ended up with me always running, or being scared.

the scenes that i do remember was:
(1) i was running, and i turned around the corner, and bumped into my sis. one of the goons catch up to us, and somehow i have a white stick with me, beat the goon with it, all the while shouting to my sister, "go go go!"
(2) i was in the house, but having the hardest time to go to sleep coz my room had all windows in 2 corners of it. i insisted on sleeping alone (in case i got snipers, i didn't want to involve anyone), but of course, that made me MORE paranoid.
(3) strangely enough, my family was taking it all in stride, even when i felt my life was threatened. well, of course, i'm just gonna die, you know. (sarcastic)

i'm interested to know what these all means, especially if they are metaphors to somethings in my life. any ideas? (actually, i do have some...)

sayang kasi i still remember it vividly when i woke up, but was too tamad to go the the pc to write about it (well, it was 5am!). but 5min after waking up, my bro calls me to say he got me some black adidas sneakers. he's in ruins (at naririnig ko yung ingay sa background), and will be buying 2 more sneakers for the rest of the family.

all is well in the world :)

p.s. maan, i miss ruins.

2007-01-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

on my 3rd day, and i'm kinda feeling the pressure. nursing requires a lot of reading (i admit it IS testing the limits of my preference for reading). i can't believe i'm saying this, but last semester might be a breeze compared to this one. still, i am thankful i took english102 and nutrition, they kinda help me prepare for this.

nothing else to do but go with the flow. dont let it overtake you, just go with it. likewise, don't struggle to go to the top all the time, or you find yourself getting too burned out early in the game.

kamusta na kayo lahat? hope you're all okay. malamig na d2, dipping to below 0 degree Celsius. wind chill is horrible. i need thick undergarments.

2007-01-11T17:29:00.000-08:00

gaaah. just survived my first day of clinicals. 5 set of skills to be learned, which i'm mostly managing EXCEPT taking the blood pressure. *deep breath* will not panic.

what i AM panicing right now is a potential stalker. yup, u heard that right. meron ata akong stalker. pero malakas suspetsa ko. and i'm not sure if i'm supposed to be calm about this other info: kilala ko sya (kaklase ko ngayon sa nursing at last year ko pa nakilala).

i was driving home already when i noticed a car following right behind me. now i'm kinda far-sighted, and my glasses can only help me so much, but i could make out the driver's features. what irks me that everytime both of our car stops, lagi niya nililingon mukha nya. as in. it's not your normal driver behavior.

it just so happens i know a lot of side streets, so i make an immediate left turn to this secluded road, and the guy is still in pursuit. i turn again, right this time, and he follows. i then signal to turn left on another road, then another left, (and it's obvious that i'm about to go around in circles), and then the guy madly screeches off to my side to overtake me. biglang sobrang bilis magpatakbo. AND, take note, we were on a street, where only one car is supposed to occupy a side of the street, so he shouldn't have overtook me. i bet he did that so i couldn't see his face.

i'm gonna be a lot more careful, but it sucks that this nasty feeling is not going to go away coz i'm gonna see his face still.

if you've noticed, nagtataglog na uli ako. it's a nice change. and the point is much more clearer said. impunto, kumbaga.

i promised some julia posts, so i'll do that. and besides, it will take my mind off from what i just went thru.

here she is!

chubby cheeks!

sleeping!

wow, she has some sleeping position going on :)

i think by this time she's noticing this weird thing (camera) is on her a lot.

so... she now tries not to notice it. "must not look, must not look"

it just so happens that when it comes to my bro, julia makes the funniest pose/shots. here she is picking her nose (haha)..

and here she's looking at her dad, as if saying... ummm, you got a big zit there, mister (hahaha)

do you think my sister looks like her? we compare...

my bro regularly sends me pics, so you're sure to see more of her in the future. ain't she the cutest? i look forward to seeing her grow up :)

2007-01-09T14:07:00.000-08:00

as promised, photos!

thea thea michelle michelle. i kid u not.

i wonder if he knew i took his picture. random man looks at airplane he (and i) would soon board.

cute lael does his best power rangers pose.

photo by my sis taken at dana point. see the contrast and nice lighting effects.

pretty lights at mission inn.

the 'rents look at pretty lights at mission inn.

exiting from the happiest (?) store.

me and my sis.

... ANNNNND... big geeky news!! the iPhone has been unleashed!

*photo courtesy of PinkIsTheNewBlog

c'mon, u know u wanna know more about it. and who am i to provide the link for you? get it yourself! u know u want to! :P

next post will prolly be of my cute niece julia :) stay tuned!

2007-01-08T22:42:00.000-08:00

new year. new layout.

i'm also officially starting my nursing clinicals, hence, this semester also comes with a whole set of new experiences. yes, i have my spankin brand new stethoscope, uniform, plus a whole set of nursing books and other paraphernalia. the sound you hear right now is money slowly draining away...

strangely enough, i'm calm... although, this feeling is probably similar to what one would call "being in the eye of a storm".

anyway, i want to greet my readers with a happy 2007! hope you all had a wonderful holiday break! my life would be hectic but i will keep posting, albeit in shorter entries. i really wanted to post some pics, but it's 2am already (and photobucket wont' cooperate with me, darn), and i need to go to sleep.

2006-12-25T13:51:00.000-08:00

i'm in SoCal right now and i think i am just beginning to really enjoy it. weather has been warm lately. pre-Christmas mania-driven frustrating shopping period is over (now for the post-Christmas shopping period?).

in reality, this was the first Christmas that i didn't feel like Christmas initially. the days leading up to it were more stressful than usual, and strangely enough, without the good ol' holiday spirit. perhaps nostalgia was hitting more strongly. last Christmas was a blast, of course. i was also missing the philippines' celebration style -- which included kids singing carols outside your house (and the obligatory money you give em.. heck, what i wouldn't do to hear them now), the gadzillion phone calls and text messages between relatives and friends, the Christmas decor that lit up almost every house on the street, those big Christmas lanterns(?) sold along sucat road.

less of the obligation mentality, but more of having joy and anticipation behind every Christmas preparation. realizing that made me remember that it's really about love and life, especially exemplified by one wee baby who came to save us all.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! :)

2006-12-13T19:17:00.000-08:00

i will say this: the mind is a most attractive thing.

for me, that is. and i only say this because i just finished my eng102 class (finally!), but having that last class had a bittersweet note to it. i had to say goodbye to this guy that i've established a rapport with, because the two of us had been sharing some philosophical ideas. no, i don't like LIKE him. but all these school stuff has been making me sick of it lately, it's become refreshing to hear insights about life per se... all those humanities-inclined thoughts and ideas...

i am very interested in continuing to read his essays (how, i dunno. i wish he had a blog). i love to pry thoughts out of people, and it's even more enjoyable to hear those that are freely given, without the speaker/writer sounding pompous. i've been known to just ask questions out of the blue, and i would so dearly love to have someone give their insights. i know i love hearing from my bro and my sis, especially when we talk about movies.

there are times i hate hearing myself (i'm no intellectual), so listening to somebody else is really a good change. and interacting with that person makes the experience more... enlightening.

hope to hear from you again, matt!

sigh. 2 more tests, and i'll be done. i can watch my anime. i can do some graphic arts. i can smile without having to worry about tomorrow. Christmas, i can finally feel you. and SoCal, it won't be long til i'm wrapped in your warm embrace...

2006-12-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

BIG NEWS!

i got pulled over by a cop today, precisely 9:55am.

let me tell you, it was a little unnerving looking at the rearview mirror and seeing a cop with his top lights turned on at you. so i pull over the side, we both park, and he walks up to my car. i slide my windows down and look at him, expectantly and a little frightened.

at first he says one sentence that both relieves and terrifies me at the same time: "i'm not going to give you a citation (yey!) unless you can't answer this one questio (what?!)"

he proceeds to ask me what i should do when i'm making a turn at a stop sign. i tell him 'stop'. he says, i 'kinda' stopped. more like, slowed and rolled, he adds. stopping should be 3-4 seconds long before i actually make a turn. then he lectures me that it's not worth getting a citation which is accompanied by a $160 fee and 3 points against my license (woah).

i nod feebly, coz i was surprised to hear the punishment, and of course, you DON'T WANT TO ARGUE WITH A COP, whatever your reasons may be (even when you're tempted to say, but i DID stop!).

thankfully, it was a guy. a girl cop would've given me a ticket right there and then. and maybe the music i was playing on my stereo helped, too (i had Christian music. see, i'm a good girl, officer!)

anyway, just wanted to share. man, even so, i really hope i don't get mailed a citation. i swear, after that, i counted 4 seconds on every stop light. cars behind me be damned!
-----------------

FYI, i was able to buy gerber cereal meal yesterday. and yes, i ate some of it. my lil cuz, curious as always, asked what i was eating. told him it was baby food. he replied, "you're an adult and you're eating baby food?"

yes, dear boy. i liked it, though i still love cerelac a whole lot better.

i MIGHT have to eat this stuff more. it's actually nutritious, if you look at the labels. i mean, compared to chips, cereal is healthier for you.

yes, i'm just making (valid) excuses to eat baby food.

2006-12-09T19:20:00.000-08:00

i was at park city the other day trying to read (in vain!) my nutrition notes. well, for one, park city is a MALL, so finding a nice place to read is kinda out of the question, ESPECIALLY at this time of the year. so there's TONS of people milling about, and i wish i could be one of them. stupid finals.

probably this coming friday, i can do my shopping.

anyway, i DID find a secluded spot away from the hustle and bustle of the crowd. it was fairly quiet, and the ambience was nice. i was seated comfortably on a plush chair when SANTA walks out one of the rooms.

and just like that, i felt like a little kid again. i had this tremendous urge to just call out and say, I'VE BEEN NICE THIS YEAR!!! and give him my sweeeetest smile.

imagine this with a white short-sleeved shirt (instead of red long sleeves)

note that this santa was WITHOUT his red suit/jacket and cap. he passed by me wearing only white t-shirt, red suspenders and boots, the type of image you'd expect to see if santa was relaxing inside his home, idly reading the loooong list of children's wishes. it's like you had just stumbled onto a hidden path, and you catch him offguard, and now this will become a secret moment that must be shared between the two of you.

while i'm stuck at this little kid's world in my head, a lady comes up to santa and then asks for directions to finding this certain person's office. santa responds by saying, oh, it's to your left, but the supervisor you're looking for isn't there right now."

whaaaa? santa a mall employee?! the illusion is momentarily shattered, and i am left to wonder what kind of santa stands before me. he has a part time job?! or maybe he still is santa, who just so happens to be also giving gifts to mr supervisor. he still has this gentle grandpa voice that makes him perfect in talking to kids who want to sit on his lap.

while i'm still thinking all these, who else comes out but the ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN!!!

gaaaah! thing is so freakin huge, his head almost hits the ceiling! then he stands beside santa. good gawd, SANTA AND ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN IN CAHOOTS WITH EACH OTHER?!?! (and i'm so stupefied that i couldn't bring my camera out)

gaaah. finals is making me just look for ANY reason not to study.

(btw, it turns out i was in a section of the mall's official office department)

2006-12-03T20:48:00.000-08:00

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?

So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button

Opening Credits:
"More Than Meets the Eye" - Transformers Opening Credits
hahahahahaha!!

Waking Up:
"Hear Me" - Kelly Clarkson
title: what my alarm clock is trying to tell me (and what i'm trying not to do). as a song
song: i feel this way sometimes...

First Day At School:
"The Basics of Life" - 4Him
nice title!

Falling in Love:
"The Prayer" - Charlotte Church
title: story of my life. sigh.

Breaking Up:
"Witness" - Sarah Mclachlan

Prom:
"Still" - Hillsong United

Life:
"Black is the Colour" - The Corrs
title: my gulay! how depressing!
song: reminiscing

Mental Breakdown:
"I Love You" - Sarah Mclachlan
holy crap!

Driving:
"Let Us Adore" - Hillsong United
well, driving DOES make me happy.

Flashback:
"Gaya ng Dati (Like Before)" - Gary Valenciano
OMG! and it's a Filipino song, too!

Wedding:
"Yours is the Kingdom" - Hillsong United

Birth of Child:
"Sacred Highway" - 4Him

Final Battle:
"Addicted" - Kelly Clarkson
song: sad.. it sounds like a hopeless, losing battle for me...

Death Scene:
"She's Out of My Life" - Josh Groban
touching song (naks)... unless they're playing it while i'm still breathing, which would then make it seem like they didn't wait for me to die.

Funeral Song:
"**** (Selah)" - Hillsong United (instrumental)
selah is a hebrew word, supposed to be used for silence, pause, or end. it's short.

End Credit:
"Sideways" - Citizen Cope
good ending song. reflective note.

verdict: this must be one of those drama-type movies.

2006-12-01T15:57:00.000-08:00

sigh. i had a revelation today.... (warning ahead to those who are likely to be bored by revelation-type posts. this might get long. this is also going to be a crash course on psychology).

i'm a sadist. (dun-dun-dun-DUUUNNNNNNN)

i was studying with my friend for abnormal psychology (a fascinating subject) about sexual disorders, gender identity disorders, mood disorders and schizophrenia. along the course of our debates, we happened to talk about sadism.

before you jump into conclusions, the sadism that i'm speaking of is NOT THAT KIND. this is wholesome sadism (huh?).

anyway, my friend was basically saying i'm good for an A for my test (hope i dont jinx myself), but wondered why i needed to be drilled more. he said i was just inflicting pain to myself... then, he goes "you're a sadist!"

we both laugh at first, and then i stopped. was i? in reality, i am a bit obsessed with getting good grades (a bit?). yet i remember not being this extreme back in philippines. yes, i had good grades back then, but i didn't go overboard with ensuring i had A's.

believe me, i had B's in college. i even had a C (with accounting, that infuriating subject!). i was fineeeee back then (course, having a scholarship helped). and here, i'm just forcing myself to ensure i get an A. i was intentionally making it hard for myself, while i wasn't enjoying it (which doesn't make me a masochist).

so, with the help of freud's psychodynamic theory, i briefly ventured into my childhood past to see what made me like this. let's see.

unrequited love from crushes... maybe...
constant drive for success from parents... maybe...

i guess they did help. but i think what really triggered my sadism was skinner's operant conditioning. and i can blame my experiences at my real estate company on this one.

you see, i was their ads and promotions go-to person in one division there. i even handled 3 projects at the same time, for a duration of more than 6 months. there was even a period, 3 weeks in fact, that i handled my job AND my boss' (she went to a vacation in europe, lucky woman.)

in the time that i stayed there, i worked my ass off to get things done in a properly and timely manner, even at the cost of my sanity. i always went on overtime, and even went on weekends. i had a checklist everyday of what i'm supposed to accomplish. this list actually never got finished but always got longer and longer as more tasks were assigned to me. i wasn't even paid that much! the experience was great, but now i'm realizing the side effects of it. i've turned into this overly responsible worker.

so why was i doing all that work anyway? i didn't want to disappoint the people i worked for. there was so much pressure to do the work. there wasn't so much praises, as there were always reprimands and suggestions to do more or how to improve. and me, the gullible fool, kept complying.

i distinctly remember presenting to the vice president a summary of our project's marketing plan. i was then talking about the creative design and placement of billboards (this was when my boss went on her vacation) when the VP just decides to scrap the entire thing and tells me to start the billboards again from scratch. (this very same VP was the one approved the design in the first place, and made the suggestions on the placement!).

it wasn't my fault, i now realize, but back then i was devastated. i stood in frustration yet justified the marketing plan (without telling the VP-- wtf?!). i was near tears even, because i was thinking of all the work i went through, and all that i had to go through again if he really did want me to redo the campaign. (i excused myself some time after so no one can see me).

everything turned out ok, eventually (the VP re-changed his mind). but that memory, and others, remained with me.

to be more specific, it's negative reinforcement. back then, i wanted to avoid the negative feelings (disappointment), so i could become a much better employee. and right now, i'm treating my studies as work. i'm focusing everything to it. i don't get much praises for it (really, what reward do i get by getting A's? the only important thing is to pass and graduate). yet here i am, laboring.

i told my friend that i had an experience in pinas that made me a sadist (all this thought process happened really fast). he then says, "aaah, so now you're looking for that pain, you can't go on without it".

wait. looking for pain... so maybe i AM a masochist (what?). then again, why do i have all these parenthesis, like i'm hearing voices or something (now you notice)... i must be schizophrenic too. so, i am a sado-masochistic schizophrenic... but, abnormal psych taught me i'm a bunch of other things, too...

sudden revelation again.... i'm the collective sum of a mess (there you go).

2006-11-19T18:46:00.000-08:00

2 days later and i'm ok :)

i will do the scapegoat thing and blame the weather for my current mood. it HAS been getting dark way too quickly, and add the cold wind factor, you have a cooped-up girl in the house. i've read somewhere that mood can depend on neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly serotonin (wow, psychology classes kickin in!). depression has been known to be linked with serotonin -- when it's sunny and bright, serotonin levels go up; when it's dark, serotonin levels go down.

in short... my brain's messed up :P

this didn't make sense first since in the philippines, i liked the cold weather (maybe because my childhood associated it with christmas or possible no-school). but here in US, the day/night schedule changes. the philippines is kinda near the equator, so we have steady weather conditions (rain, no rain). here, we have 4 season, and since we're hitting winter already, the nights are getting longer. and when it's cold here, its really frickin cold. this tropical girl gives her unconditional surrender to it.

so there, i'll blame serotonin levels, US geography AND weather for my mood.

i'll make this a light-hearted post by putting this pic below. INNOCENT READERS BE WARNED! it can get scandalous!!!!!!!!

you, cover your eyes!!!!

aaah! i warned you not to look, dog! hahaha! anyway, this is actually a TRUE news story. apparently, you can now use your bra as a shopping bag (no more plastics!) and, look, you get to be eco-friendly at the same time! neat-o! LOL

sigh. just typing this brings happy tears to my eyes.

and yes, this is another japanese invention :P i love me japanese stuff, but sometimes, they crack me up! wait, wanna see pics of more inventions? go here! there are BOOKS!

and this blog post by one pilipina will SURELY make you laugh! salbahe! mengs, thea, this is a highly-recommended-must-read! go now! NOW NOW NOW!

2006-11-17T22:36:00.000-08:00

the mind may be the master, but the body sure knows how to make a say.

lately i had been mentally exerting a huge share of effort at finishing all my schoolwork. yes, i'm still going with the flow of things, and for the most part, i thought i was doing fine. call it the illusion of control.

then my body seemed to catch up.

let's see, there's the pimple outbreak, EVEN with a decent amt of sleep (4-5 hours per day counts, right?). then a period of no 'time of the month' to THE TIME OF THE MONTH (sorry, don't wanna make it too graphic for my readers). i'm getting a little depressed (lack of exercise, sunlight, social gaiety, family face-to-face interactions). at times, my face isn't smiling that much anymore. add some unwanted attention (yegads)....

SIIIIIIIIIGHHHH..

i need sushi. i need my anime. i need my graphics. and yes, i really do need the sleep. and while they don't necessarily solve anything of what i'm feeling above, they can help. takara plum wine also sounds good.

frak. so what's a girl gotta do? well, i screwed homework these past three days. yes, how very unlike me. but both my brain and body needed the break. i also just came from a movie, happy feet, with my cousin. it was hhhhhooooooookay for the plot. maybe bordering on the dark side, for a kid's movie. but character-wise -- i'm talking about the penguins here -- let's just say i've never been to a movie where i squirmed a lot. omg, they're just THAT freakin' cute!!!!!!!!! especially those cute baby ones!!!!! omg omg omg!!!!!!!

*breathes*

anyway, i'm just gonna shut up about whining/reflecting/moaning right now. i know i'll get back to studying, but today, i'll focus on some good stuff... like the cake my friend gave me. and the dvd my friend burned for me (season1 of bleach). and the phone calls i got, even from back home at pinas. and yes, those darling penguins.

i'm so weird. hormones? naaah, maybe it's because i just got a year older. or maybe i'm in the pursuit of happiness, of which i'm feeling a little lost on... i dunno. anyway, here's a video. watch from start to finish; it's poignant.

2006-11-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

i'm getting a little uncomfortable lately. there are 3 people in campus right now that i can't seem to AVOID lately!!!! and while i'm usually nice, i find it really hard to stay... un-creeped out. hmph. i guess i'll just make sure i have somebody with me as my 'companion-alibi'. gaaaaaaaaaaaahh!!! *pounds head frustratingly on the table*

anyway, i do have something here that immensely cheers me up.

everyone, meet my pretty niece julia danielle!!!!

another november celebrant! woooohoooo! lil julia was born on nov4, if anyone's interested :)

i guess she got pretty excited to come out when she (while in her mommy's tummy) heard they were going to a baby shower. yes, folks, she was delivered on the day of her mom's baby shower! one month ahead of schedule! they were even on their way to the party when she was 'let me out now!!!" gustong makisama sa handaan, hehe.

the baby shower turned into a welcome party instead, and the hospital room never before had seen so many visitors in one day. yes, julia, you have definitely arrived :)

Welcome to the family
We're glad that you have come
to share your life with us
as we grow in love and
may we always be to you
what God would have us be a family always there
to be strong and to lean on.

P.S. new link in my side bar -- annedre/julia for anyone who wants to see more pics! :)

2006-11-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

hihi... to everyone who feels lost with LOST, here's something for you:

note: you have to click this rectangular thing below (so the video can play)

----

as i'm writing this, kat and jon are enjoying their honeymoon in bahamas. they're now free from my semi-constant shrieks of "baaa-HA-maaaaaaasss!". sigh. warm weather and beach... enjoy them!

meanwhile, for you readers, some decent photos i took from the beautiful wedding!

getting the flower dog ready :)

becky (maid of honor) and kat, before the aisle walk

my lil spot at the reception

waaaah, my last name!!

post-wedding vow group shots: thank goodness the weather was fiinnneeee...
exhibit 1: the bridal and groom party! (token asian girl, left side!)

exhibit 2: close up of the bride and groom.. and morgy!

walking towards the paparazzi... (nice backdrop, no?)

awwww...

next stop, baaaaa-HA-maaaaaaas! :P

again, happy wedding, you two! so happy i got to be part of it :)

2006-11-04T20:02:00.000-08:00

what a nice day nov4 is.

i got to be an aunt (welcome, julia danielle!)
i got to be a bridesmaid in kat's beeeyooootiful wedding!

wedding pics to follow! i have to wash my hair right now, then get ready for my cousin's party tom!

gaaah! tired! *plops to bed* ggaaaar, must take shower first!!!

2006-10-31T16:41:00.000-08:00

tons of pics! ye, no writing crap from me! (er, just a bit).. and sorry for the picture sizes, but i'm too busy to change them right now.

-----
FUNNY japanese pics!

and my absolute fave below:

XD so mean! yet still sooooo cute and funny!

-----
night the cute costumed kids suck you dry of candies (halloween)

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the cat that could stand(!)

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a VERY cute welshi corgi (i freakin' want one!!!!)

i believe they get bigger as they grow older... but i want them to stay in this cute size foreverrrrrrrr!!!!

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a random shot:

i just luv the way the light broke thru those clouds.

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COLIN AND BRAD!!!!

incidentally, i also have a video of colin... but i still have to post that up...

2006-10-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

weeeeee to me! a brief 2 hour happiness!

went to the 'one night with colin mochrie and brad sherwood' earlier. it was soooooo AWESOME! colin was really delightful, but i didn't expect brad to be freakin' hilarious! dare i say it, he was even BETTER than colin!

i only took 2 pics from the incident. yes, i suck, but u see, cameras weren't allowed in the event in the first place. however, towards the show's end, the shutterbugs started clickin' (apparently i wasn't the only one with a camera), so i took some shots too. i also have a 15 second video of colin doing some wild-arm antics. no sound though (YES I KNOW! SORRY!) **pics to come later, i'm currently not at home right now.

i wish they picked me for the girl to do the 'sound effects'. i'd be good on that one :P (i wanna watch more of their shows!!!)

also, forgot to mention i just came from atlantic city about 6 hours ago. yeah, talk about being random! actually, the neighbor called me last night and said she wanted to go to atlantic city to gamble (why? to release all her frustrations in her current job daw). she booked a hotel room and everything, and asked me if i wanted to go. at first, i hesitated, coz i had plans to do my essay. then i found out it was gonna rain hard that night, and rather than have her drive 3 hours by herself alone, i changed my mind and went. after some rush packing (my laptop, books included), we went.

er.. honestly, i stayed mostly at the hotel room typing my essay. the morning after, i went to the casino with her to watch her play poker (man, this game is addicting!). afterwards, we went home (i drove her car). and then, before i knew it, it was time for COLIN AND BRAD!!!!

my life's pretty hectic right now, but as it is, i'm glad i took time off (however unwisely it sounded). i wish i could go to Renaissance Faire tomorrow, but it's my lil cousin's bday so i'm obligated to go out with the relatives. in fact, today, he went all "why didn't you spend time with me today?". i wish i had time for everything and everybody!!!!!

next week, i'll be going to a fairytale wedding of my friend (wohoooo!). i dunno how tomorrow's celebration (read:eating) will affect my fitting into my dress, but i guess i can always starve for the rest of the week :P school, you just get in the way of my life!!! garrrrr!!!

2006-10-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

this semester has been killing me. i know, i know, i'm just a little weeeee obsessed about making good grades (biggest understatement of the year), and i should learn to deal with the fact, not everything is gonna go my way.

breathe...

funny thing is, i was much happier in my other college -- not a care in the world -- and just did well on the subjects i enjoyed. of course, it helped i had a scholarship then, and it didn't matter at all what grade i would get.

anyhoo, those days are gone. i'm now trying to apply what i learned in abnormal psychology, and that is the perception of control. i won't let things overrun me, i'm still in control (or is it, i'm in denial?) of everything. and if they do overrun me, i'll go with the flow.

gaawd. wish i had another me beside me to say that when i need it. KAGE NO BUNSHIN JUTSU! *poof!*

but i disgress. i really wanted to post these beauties:

aint they the cutest things? imagine carrying one with you in the airport. it just pops out so nicely among those dull black luggages. click here for more cute bags.

gaaarr.. i'm soooo into asian stuff.

---

on other news, my bed now sports a red comforter! weeee! it blends so nicely with my room now. it was HIGH time i got a comforter, believe me.

and... two more days til i meet COLIN MOCHRIE!!! XD

2006-10-19T17:10:00.000-07:00

gaaarr.. i just got my first B (breathe.. it's not the end of the world...)

i'm giving myself some few minutes before i hit reading again. while browsing thru the net, i happened to go over to the EASTWEST MAGAZINE, which was recommended by kat who knew my intense love (obsession??) for anything asian.

well, well, well, look do we have here, an article about filipino foood! yum! (altho, in retrospect, the chef mentions she does a lot of fusion dishes. i had a not so good experience on this type. hm.. but if i do happen to pass by chicago, i am still willing to give her food a shot)

i'm curious about the magazine itself. i have to remind myself to get my butt over to Borders one of these days... if ONLY i can have the time!!!! (maybe when i drive ian over to taekwondo??)

ok, 5minute break over. back to abnormal psych for me.

2006-10-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

... just finished my freakin' english essay. 3 guys and me were dishing/trashing out my paper, which i originally thought was ok 2 days ago. yegads, this one guy friend was a nazi grammar police who, while being unapolegetically correct and helpful, was also infuriating me to no end. "no, i don't want to correct my paper!!! just give me your bloody opinion!!!"

and to think we were just 3 sentences into my intro.

i'm beginning to hate writing. and don't get me started on research.

sigh. anyway, because i'm such a ~~grumbling annoyed~~ trooper, i did the corrections anyway. and i don't want to ever look at it again. i AM thankful for their help. now, its up to the english prof to give me the grade.

anyway, i just finished watching The Departed. it's a fantastic, fast-paced movie, with a superb cast! the lead characters -- leonardio dicaprio and matt damon -- are like watching 2 drivers go really fast, and waiting expectantly on how and when they're gonna crash one another! dicaprio was above par playing a tortured cop hiding as a mole in the mob, and damon was splendidly charming as the mob's mole in the police. supporting cast ain't half bad: mark wahlberg was intense, alec baldwin stole the movie for me (his character amused me to no end), martin sheen was the good 'ol cop chief, and jack nicholson.. well.. he was over-the-top, as usual, but it fit his role.

but its really the story that pulls you. it's about outsmarting people, dealing with psychological pressures, trying to survive amid lots of gunfights and gory bloodsheds. well, it's a martin scorsese film, of course. kudos to him, how he handled all these actors, who do sooo much to bring life to the plot, and have dialogues that are as street-smart as they could get. all the while, i couldn't break into making any comments while watching the movie (i usually do that). found myself biting my nails occasionally. got really caught up with all the twists, even exclaiming really loud once.

i have to say i would've enjoyed the movie much much more if i had been with my bro. was slightly annoyed with my movie buddy. granted, he did buy the tickets, plus drinks, but inside the theatre, he kept whispering to me. yes, i'm quite aware i do the same thing (sometimes!!!), but for this particular flick, silence is a requirement, less you miss the witty dialogue and all the action. and everytime i'd make a reaction (facial or verbal), he'd call my attention to it. felt like screaming at him, JUST WATCH THE MOVIE!!!!! (i did give him the hand, however)

ye, i was THAT immersed into the movie. anyway, with that bitchy comments aside, i really highly recommend the movie. guys will definitely like it. it leaves you with an adrenaline rush that doesn't go away even after the credits roll.

2006-10-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

WOAH....

after seeing this actual video of when the typhoon milenyo hit the philippines, i'm really really GLAD to know my family and friends are ok there.

never in my entire life, even when i was living in back in the philippines, did i see winds this strong...

UPDATE: this one is much worse. just look at the visual images...

2006-10-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

reports of massive nature destruction following the wake of typhoon milenyo (international name: xangsane) are widespread across luzon, one of the main islands in the philippines. uprooted trees, felled billboard structures and Meralco (electrical) posts, no water and electricity...

i'm not grateful that i wasn't there. in fact, i feel very frustrated and concerned, not knowing firsthand how my family, relatives and friends are doing/coping. however, i AM grateful that at least my bro, my sis-in-law, and their family are doing fine (relatively).

to think that my house back there has an electrical post right on one corner of the lot, a tree on the other, a water tank on the third... how the house, and more importanly, the people inside it were saved, with no signs of damages... THANK YOU, THANK YOU GOD.

2006-09-28T16:09:00.000-07:00

had a horrible test (sheesh, not again!!!) but anyway, i'll spare you the details of that. i have a brief break right now to browse some stuff in my pc and in the net... so, here's some happy news for once (yey!)

(1) new movie will star scarlett johansson (well, she's supposed to be good), natalie portman (yey), and eric bana (wohooo!). it's called "the other boleyn girl", which is a story that i'm sort of familiar with (having read 'the lady in the tower'). the book made me interested to know the story about anne boleyn (portrayed by portman, good choice!), but i'm curious as to see who the movie is actually referring to (it may be mary, played by johansson). also, it has ERIC BANA! how can you possibly go wrong with that? he will make king henry something to look forward to.

it's gonna be at 2007, though (nyrr...) -image taken from justjared.com

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(2) some nature pics taken 3 weeks ago (ye, that long). it was one foggy morning...

... and as i had just dropped off my cousin at his school bus stop when i noticed this thing of beauty.

ye, it's a spider's web. spider thoughts aside, i am fascinated by how intricate the web looks. in a sunny day, it would appear invisible, almost silk-like, and the way the light would reflect on the threads was also interesting in itself. so i guess what made me more intrigued about it was how this one stood out so well. i then came across another web...

and another... (ye, there's a lot of them here)...

and upon closer inspection, i saw this:

it's a wonder how those beads of water just clung to that thread, without breaking it. and to me, it looked like an intricate jewelry, like strands of pearls.

in retrospect, this SHOULD be icky (the cobwebs, i mean). i mean, i went on 2 streets, and i saw tons of them. but.. well, i guess what i'm just saying is, nature can be so amazing and pretty sometimes.. *figured i'd get a shot of putting something geeky for once... er... is it?

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(3) speaking of geeky... weird al is here again!

WHITE AND NERDY! YEAH!!! :)

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(4) ok, so if the other ones weren't really happy things, but rest assured, THIS ONE just trumps them all!! the happiest one yet! there's a certain concert that i'm going to this october and i'm REALLY looking forward to it. why? check out the ticket for yourself! (hint: look at the name!)

still doesn't ring a bell? how about this picture, then...

EYAAAAAAAAH! COLIN!!!! XP
(hopefully, things go as planned! my sanity depends on it!!!)

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what!!! you still aren't happy?!? picky people! then HERE! squeeeeeeeeeal on THIS!

FLUFFY FLUFFY PANDAAAAAAAAAAS!!!!!

2006-09-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

here's my 69th post. i always wondered what i'd write about it.

see, here's the thing about 69. well, i was a senior back at highschool and i didn't know what the heck this number meant at first. luckily (sarcastic) for me, this turned out to be my number in our intramurals. yes, so i had this big 69 at the back of my shirt. i couldn't understand first what the fuss was all about until someone kind enough told me... well, yeah, so that's it. i was naive back then, what can i say?

anyway, i'm still kinda busy right now, but i'm taking just this day off to relax. had a rough day (i seem to be having them a lot lately). let's see... my first zero ever (gawd, that was such an unpleasant experience). an abnormal psychology test that was soooo tricky in the questions, it literally had my mind spinning. that GIRL again, and a nutrition prof that was getting on my nerves for being so demeaning to all her students save one suck-up (not me)...

so i went over at kat's place, wine in my bag and had a few drinks at her place (mmmm...). she added chocolate to the drink (yummmmmy). conversations. and of course, lil morgy (her cute dog) helped a lot.

i'll really try to talk about myself less next post. i have some nice shots i wanted to share, but that will have to wait til next thu when i'm done with all my homework and tests (for the meantime...). sigh.

anyway, i'm going to sleep now :) mmm, wine.........

2006-09-20T18:06:00.000-07:00

if i was back in pinas right now, i'd be saying... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MYEN!

2006-09-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

sorry for lack of update, but please bear my absence for a bit more (yeah, i know you guys 'miss' me). i'll be incognito for these 2 weeks due to heavy homework and exam cramming. garr...

MENGS!!! i'll add your blog next time to my list of blogs (just have time to write this post, sorry).. anyway, i thought of something... you know our family 'custom' of joining names... here it is --- JULIANNEDRE. hihihihi!

2006-09-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

i officially hate someone now.

it appals me to say it, but i really do, and for such a minor thing, too. it happened today as i was blissfully taking a nap at my workplace (note: i wasn't 'on duty' then). all of a sudden, i was jolted awake by three solid quick raps on the table i was sleeping on! i was startled, and looked wide-eyed at the person beside me (i wasn't angry then, just really really surprised. heart-in-my-throat surprised)

this lady just looks at me directly, unapologetic, and says "i need your help".

normally, i'm not one to bite somebody's head off for that remark. because in my workplace, i am expected to do that (i am a tutor). still, to wake me from my sleep, in that manner no less, was inviting trouble. BIG trouble. for one split second, i swore i gave her a "look that could kill".

i have already been irritated by her before by the way she expects me to do something for her, like i'm obligated to. besides, i have told her before (yes, i've met her before) that i wasn't an english tutor, and another person is far suited to help her out in that department.

but a cooler head persisted, and i just said nothing and said calmly "what is it?". she then shows me a question that she needed clarification on.

it turned out to be her son's grade 3 assignment.

a mental image of me strangling her neck just flashed in my head. lady, you woke up my sleep for this?! i am not paid to do that!! i am not your son's mother, nor am i your son's teacher!!! and this is sooooooo freakin' elementary that you can't help him out with it?!?!?!

but FINEEEEE, i help her out anyway. just so she gets out of my space asap.

i then tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. maybe she doesn't know i'm not working right now. maybe she thinks i have no class (i was actually resting from my oh-so-many readings). or that i was slacking off.

but no. i strongly believe she's one of those people that wants HER work done for her, no matter the inconvenience it causes to other people. yes, that meant waking people up. because she prolly never heard of common decency. no polite "excuse me" or "sorry for disturbing you" comments.

now that i'm fully awake, she then moves to her ENGLISH FAVORS (gaaaaaAAAAHH!!!! i am NOT an english tutor!!!). she expects me to find her clean sheets of paper. she then shows me her research as if to say, "ok, so what do i do next?". does she expect me to freakin' spoonfeed her?!?! (see, this is what happens when you wake me up)

and while i do seem harsh as i'm writing this, i have to say its the truth. and i bet i'm not the only person that doesn't just think like this. this was somehow validated by the fact of what happened a few minutes later. by this time, i kept myself busy by appearing busy -- reading my textbook (though my head was pounding painfully crazy, and my chest still felt tight from that ugly wake up episode). she then approaches another person in my workplace, to ask for help. the guy literally does a 180 turn and goes away. far away.

i laugh maniacally.

2006-09-11T19:32:00.000-07:00

allow me a brief moment before i get back to my hectic studying/writing schedule.

this is a follow-up to steve irwin's death, of which PETA is untouched about. i find it ironic, considering how much attention mr irwin gave to animals. through him, people got to know the other unpopular, misunderstood creatures. and i didn't see him as provoking them; it was more of like, getting acquainted with them.

i understand (and mostly applaud) PETA's goal for 'humane' treatment of animals, but their comment is certainly unjustified. it might have been better if they just didn't speak at all.

also, my previous post about the crocodile hunter may have come off as unfeeling, but believe me, i had the highest respect for the guy. and his death, while a loss, was probably the way he wanted it to happen. i mentioned to my brother that he was probably ok with the idea of dying by the hand, er, barb of an animal. he might have even said, "cool! i got stung!" or something to that effect.

2006-09-04T07:49:00.000-07:00

some random posts (prolly influenced by some random visitors going around lately. um, hi!):

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my bro just emailed me a while ago that steve "crocodile hunter" irwin (known very much for his CRIKEY! exclamations) just passed away... an accident off the coast of australia, which resulted in a stingray barb through his chest. ouch.

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i was a little pissed yesterday (gee, i've been pissed a lot lately), which kinda culminated with me hitting a car.

I KNOW.

for the most part, i hit his spare tire at the back when we were both backing up at a parking lot. the driver was kind enough to reassure me with 'its ok, its ok!' when he saw the look of frustration on my face. i wasn't worried about my car at the moment, but his. there wasn't any damage on both cars actually (thankfully!!), but i guess we were both surprised to hear something a small 'bgg'.

i'm berating myself right now that i should've been mortified about it, but earlier that day i was thinking a lot of thoughts that i just had to drive somewhere (remind me not to do it again). hence the look of frustration that said "what now?!?"

i won't say what happened previously that ticked me off, but after that little accident, i felt the need to just chill out the thoughts in my head. so i went to watch 'little miss sunshine'.

i'm sooooo glad i went to see it! its funny without having to resort to slapstick humor. the cast was just superb, and while i had my doubts with steve carrell in it, it turned out i was fortunately wrong. watch watch!

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anyway, CONGRATS MENGS AND ATE ANNE! send me the 4d ultrasound clip already!!!

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tnx to myspace, i've downloaded some pinoy songs. wow... never thought i'd say this, but it's so nice hearing opm music for once. *opm = original pinoy music*

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i figured i better post some pics here; it's getting too text-y. i'm taking my cue from the cute websites such as this and this, so i'll be posting my, er, set. (i can't say they're mine, coz they're not. but i do have some cute doggie pics). ye, my layout was different that time.

o------ from my former boss sir albert:

the napping squirrel

peekabooo whale

ever cute penguins

o------ from the internet (i got infatuated momentarily with tigers. furriness!!! lovely pattern too!!!):

where puss in boots (shrek2) was probably copied from

two big kitty cats!

2006-09-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

sniff sniff..

rock lee just lost the use of his left arm and left leg. (i'm referring to a naruto character)

i'm so much of an anime fan that i STILL get moved (yes, even to tears) when something happens to my fave character. granted i don't get to watch naruto a lot, but still...

don't worry, bushy brow! you will be able to fight again, soon!

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take me out to the ballpark...

... or any place i could watch live sports games. the crowds, the shouting, the excitement in the air. for me, nothing still beats the lasalle-feu game (my college back in pinas), wherein lasalle reclaimed its basketball title.

it also helps to know how some games are played. you don't want to be cheering, and then go saying 'what just happened?' (it's funny to see in kids, though). thankfully, i've been exposed to a lot of sports (played some, too) to really enjoy what i'm watching.

anyway, i watched my second barnstomers game (baseball to you) tonight. while it still remains to be seen if i'm gonna start becoming a loyal fan, i can tell you that.the second time totally rocked.

first off, i got FREE skybox seats. SWEEEEEEEEET! high up there, honestly, it's a much better view, and you can always hear the sweet 'thunk' of the bat hitting the ball. you also appreciate more the distance the baseball travels. plus, there's something about the skybox that's so.. i dunno... sweet. ye, can't think of any other words right now.

the game also went 15-0 (barnstomers totally squashed road warriors) in 9 innings. there were some spectacular catches and strikeouts (some awesome pitching here), plus a lot of foul balls (that a lot of the audience had to duck.. seriously!) and 2 near fights! who knew baseball was such a violent sport! lolol

i now want to watch a live football game :P bring it on!!!!

p.s. anybody with bluetooth/infrared gadgets out there? i took pics with my cellphone (gaaar, didn't bring my camera!), and i want to upload them here :(

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i've FINALLY looked up my comments. tnx to all those that left lil msgs for me! (kat, the cute overload site is so sweeeeeeeeet!)

2006-08-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

drat. i should've watched the emmys.

i luuuuuuuv hugh laurie! (and colin mochrie, of course!!)

drat. just realized i missed house AND prison break premieres. but there's still veronica mars and lost to look forward to. oooh, my study time is gonnna be sooooo screwed.

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FYI -- hugh laurie plays dr. house in 'house' and colin mochrie plays, er, as a lot of people/animal/inanimate-object depending-on-the-cue-cards in 'who's line is it anyway'

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UPDATE: wow, didn't realize i had a lot of posts for august. well, the next coming months MIGHT be devoted for studying, so this constant blogging may change.

2006-08-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

i hate having morning classes. yes, 930am is considered EARLY for me. my brain doesn't quite function well at this time (which is why when i'll work, i'll get the afternoon or evening shift). the question is -- how will i survive clinicals? (7AM?!?! eeep!)

anyway, today was my first nutrition class (last week's was cancelled). first impression, teacher looks tough. syllabus AND grading system look toughER. but she had this sense of humor that made me think this class won't be so bad after all.

student A: "i want to become a traveling nurse"
teacher: "how about becoming a cruise, oceanliner type of nurse?"
student A: "oh no no no! i might catch something, a disease or epidemic"
teacher: "i know! then you'd actually have to WORK!"

student B: "i'm also a wedding consultant, so classmates, let me know if you need anything!"
teacher: "that's pretty good! i'll let my husband know!"

lolololol. i just might survive this class :P

2006-08-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

not a huge conan o'brien fan but i thought his intro to the emmys (which i didn't watch) was FUN!

some luvies ---
lost: "well, we weren't exactly invited."
24: "get off the phone, you idiot!"
house: "subject is anemic. possibly albino"
south park: "aack, there's someone in there!"

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UPDATE: er, this is actually not related to the above. but i just have some stories from yesterday.

i went to an asian market wearing a sarong draped over my shoulders. it's dark blue overall, with light blue chinese/japanese characters. anyway, i was there to primarily buy some togue (bean sprouts?), frozen peas, and some other stuff that caught my eye. i asked the lady to help me get frozen peas, to which she replied go to the freezer (well, duh). the thing is, i already did, and didn't see any frozen peas. so to humor her, i went to the freezer again and looked, but went back to ask for frozen peas.

me: "i need frozen peas, please"
lady: "have frozen peas"
me: "peas?"
lady: "peeeeeeeeeeaas"
me: "um, please help me and tell me where"

she then went over to my place and pointed to the frozen.... FISH. lololololol

anyway, as i was exiting the asian store, the lady called my attention when she kept saying, misu misu. i'm like, huh? she was pointing to my sarong and saying, you like sushi?

me: "oh yes, yes! i like sushi!" (thoroughly excited to assume that sarong bought unknowlingly complimented my personality)
lady: "you make sushi?"
me: "no, i like sushi!"
lady: "sushi, sushi, you make? we eat"
me: "......"

after that episode, i drove then kinda stormed into ginmiya (a chinese/japanese restaurant) where i met my fave manager and demanded to know what the characters on my sarong mean (haha, i didn't even go there to eat or order anything!). 4 people ended up turning my sarong this way and that, and while i heard murmurs of "misshu?", they all agreed it was not chinese and couldn't read it at all (hahhaa).

my fave manager then shouts, "michelle! what are you doing to me?!?!". i laugh, apologize, and as i exit, i stopped and realized.. he knows my name?

i'm such a regular, i guess i do annoy them quite a bit :P

2006-08-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

i am not the type to air 'bad laundry', but i have to let myself steam things out (albeit somewhat vaguely)...

bad things happen, that's a given (in my case, it can happen for an entire day). it just becomes worse when some people blow it out of proportion.

i remember one instance, my bro (haha, so much for being vague!!) and i were driving along south super highway, when the car just stops. the mortification of being in the middle of a FAST-PACED situation was increased by the humiliation of pushing the infernal car (so that my bro can start it). ye, i pushed that darn thing, but no matter how hard i tried, the thing won't budge (i found out later that i was pushing on a somewhat uphill part -- arrgh!). so, my bro was yelling, and i was crying...

of course, like all other memories, i can look back at that and just laugh. so dear bro, no worries. it was one of those days.

yesterday was another one of those scenarios.

i'll just tell the side that happened towards the end of the day. ok, so my car's battery died. twice. the first time was in the mall. the second one was in a bloody intersection. **i'll prolly make an email story out of it one of these days.

for the most part, i kept my cool, perspective, and humor (as some might remember on that ONE HORRIBLE DAY OF HELL). particularly when somebody helped me out and dialed 911. i was like, ooooh, 911! like in tv! and i get to personally meet a police officer! so while i was directing traffic (i have some experience back in HS), it didn't take long for a police car to come by (ooooh, lights!!). i calmly explained my situation (i was kinda proud, haha) and listened and obeyed the officer while he helped me get out of the road (gaawd, i wished i had a camera!!!!!!!). then there's the part where i had to stick a plastic bag out of my window (i always wondered about this..)

there upon after that comes the part where people make it worse.

anyway, the logical thing to do was buy a new battery (which i already insisted doing the first time the car died, but somebody insisted otherwise). we did, but since it was getting dark, i was told to buy a flashlight. so i went back to sears, bought one, and paid for it. the only thing was, when i asked the cashier to set up the flashlight for me, the thing won't work (see, when things go bad, everything goes bad). and i'm just politely insisting that i can just get another flashlight, but no, friendly cashier wants to explain and work THIS flashlight. and then helpful customer behind me helps out too (and i'm literally laughing inside the store as this happens), while i say, no please let me get another flashlight. so eventually, the flashlight works and i head my way back out fast.

suffice to say, i got yelled at a lot (not by the officer). phone calls were dropped angrily (not by me). wrong decisions were made (not by me) but i still got yelled at some more. i got quite numb of it eventually, not even making such a whimper to say my side/excuses/sorry, that i just walked away. yes, more yelling.

i tell myself i'm lucky that shit like this happens not too often (altho they happen all at once in the same day). that in all other times of my life, i've been really blessed, so why should i let this one day ruin me. i'm not an optomist by a long shot, but i can look the other way when i want to.

besides, not everything went wrong. case in point -- a family friend that dropped by really unexpectedly (i had to show him and his family around earlier) left me $100!!! when you look at it was really fortunate considering i had to buy a battery on the same day. and then i have an awesome mom who listened to me as i told her about everything about today, in between laughing, crying, joking (i mean really, it was an all day bad luck day). and like always, she and i are always able to put things in perspective between all sides of the issue.

i'm pretty sure i'll look back on this years later and just laugh. but right now, i'm just shaking my head.

2006-08-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

classes officially started. yawn. **i'm still in summer mode**

ye, ye, pics.. later...

i gotta write this one down first. i told my friend kat once that my country is a geographically screwed one. we have a lot of places below sea level. we are on a plate that makes us prone to earthquake (except palawan, i heard).. we are on the ring of fire, which means we got lots of volcanoes that can erupt anytime soon (if armageddon comes, well, i guess you could say we get wiped off first). we get the regular typhoons that always devastate some province (or even a city). we are near the deepest trench.

not only that, my country also sucks military-ily (ye, i made up my own word). but you get it right, i mean, if war should break out, we will easily lose if it were in terms of weaponry, war technology, and all that. we DO have the survival skills of a cockroach (uh. ye), but nowadays, it's not about manpower anymore.. just a flick of a button...

with regards to that, i feel a sense of doom when i hear about north korea firing its missles somewhere near japan. not only because i luuuv japan, but IF korea does fire those weapons and hit the waters near japan, guess which country ALSO gets affected? ye, the philippines is just right below japan. so, heck, i'm happy to let japan do the complaining.

in other aspect, i don't even understand how we can compete with china (CHINA!!!). even while i was in the philippines, lots of dispute was made over spratlys island, rumored to be one that's rich in oil. china with 1 billion people. china with a long history (past and present) on armies and war. i mean, when i left, the last thing i saw in the newspaper is when we were retiring the last of our five (FIVE!!!!) F-5 jet fighters. here's more sad news: "The subsonic Augusta AS-211 jet trainer and light attack aircraft will temporarily perform external defense duties, the PAF said. It has 18 of these aircraft, though only six are serviceable". SIX?!?! interested in reading more? go here.

so, ye, you get the idea. we screwed a'ight.

i leave my reader(s) with a pic of our volcano.

a thing of beauty. supposedly the only volcano in the world with the perfect cone shape.

but not for long, i'm sorry to predict. it's gonna blow, pretty soon, experts say. that's bad news for the leyte folks (those living near the volcano).

um. i should end this on a good note. um, we have nice people? we're pretty known for our hospitality and overall friendliness but our govt sucks BIG TIME though.. wait.. am i a good testament to that comment? me, nice? ok, shut up you.

.. um, what else... oh, we have fantastic beaches!!! (in fact, the world's center for marine dioversity! but, er, also the most threatened... the recent oil spill incident in guimaras island is definitely NOT helping...)

... we really are a beautiful country (always a delight to visit the provinces)... and...

did i mention we have nice people?

2006-08-19T19:49:00.000-07:00

i've had a crappy two days wherein was forced to cancel work twice and a hospital visit (for a much needed clinical requirement!), only to have our allentown trips cancelled. thankfully, OH LORD THANKFULLY, a letter cheered me up today :)

i also went to a barnstormers-vs-bears game tonight (baseball). used to play softball, so mind you, i was not just a dumb observer from the bleachers. the first 5 innings had a lot of excellent plays, and three crucial mistakes from the other team had me laughing my head off in disbelief. but... truth be told, i want to watch a football game :(

i miss basketball, too.

will upload pics of the baseball game at a later post, promise! (and some others, too!)

until then, please enjoy this other drawing. yes, another thing i should be thankful for, i can still sketch and pc-color!

please, please, will the theatre nearby just show Little Miss Sunshine already?

2006-08-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg!!!

are you prepared for real REAL cuteness overload???

seriously, are you ready?!?!?!

visit this site!!!! YOU WON'T REGRET IT!!!! (i'm adding it to my fave links!!!!!)

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on other non-related news, i wonder who won THE FINAL FU? aaarrrg...

2006-08-14T00:06:00.000-07:00

i've been 'in that mood' lately, and to take advantage of it, i grabbed my pencil and started doodling!

feels good to be drawing again, i have to admit. the character here below is lei'ella, from inverloch (a web comic i've been reading lately). comments are welcome! :)

2006-08-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

a very long post.

you are welcome to skip reading this, but if you feel like it, then what the heck, just read.

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about death

the day before, we finally lay the bomb on my lil cuz. his fishy died. i remember the look my uncle and i gave to each other, reaching for the right words to say. i settled for 'he's prolly too old' (a reasonable excuse) while my uncle went for the emotional route 'he prolly got too lonely coz you went away for so long'.

either way my cuz took it calmly and was very logical in asking questions on our excuses (like, how long do fish live? i went mum at this point).

anyway, i was just a little surprised on his approach, only because when i was his age, i looked at death differently. perhaps because he was spared from actually seeing his pet dead while i wasn't. even until now, i can't quite get over it (i was the one who flushed his little goldfish into the toilet).

this is bad considering i'm getting into a profession wherein death is being dealt with most of the time. i remember chatting with an LPN once, and she warned me gently, 'be prepared for your first death coz it's gonna hit you'.

advice heeded. but i disgress. will go back to pets' deaths for now.

you see, i had the unfortunate experience of watching my pet, a doberman pinscher, die while being treated by a vet, who happened to my uncle. i will spare the readers the details of why/how it led up to it (and i will not talk about it ever), but it was a horrible scene -- looking at a beloved creature struggling to live. and when he breathed his last, i gave such a howl, cried even more insanely, and repeated my pet's name so many times. my uncle didn't get over it either, and never went back to being a vet.

can't believe after so long, i can still cry when i think about it.

of course, i had to go to the ordeal of seeing my dog get buried in our backyard, and that was also quite painful to go thru.

time healed wounds, and i found myself loving another dog, and after many years, he too, died. another painful experience, but tempered with the fact that even up to his death, my dog still thought of us. you see, he was getting old (i think 9 years or more) and had barely the energy to walk. on the day of his death, my mom whispered to him that if he goes and can't take it anymore, we would understand. then she went to my aunt and said out loud that she hoped that he won't be so hard to bury (considering he was a big dog, and would be hard to carry him).

that was the last we found him alive, in our garden. that night, we found him dead under our kalachuchi tree, which was on the opposite side. how he got there, we don't know how, it must have been painful. but he lay in such a peaceful state as if he picked out the place we all (him included) wanted him to be buried at.

it's so sad and sweet (i'm crying unabashedly now).

i guess what i'm trying to say is, i just find it really weird how my lil cuz took the death of his goldfish, that's all. maybe he's just not the type to be overly attached to pets.

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about church divisions

another long post. but for this one, i pray that i be guided in saying the right words, and just be in the Spirit. if i erred, i apologize.

i found myself in another uncomfortable position as a church-goer wherein i found some people were leaving. actually, i didn't know about it, but another lady approached me and just brought it up (gee, thanks). honestly, i hoped i'd never get into this again, but while part of me is the type that says 'ignorance is bliss' or 'let sleeping dogs lie', another wants to know the truth, no matter how bad it is.

again, i'll spare the details of why/how it happened (actually, i don't even know that much), but i will leave some points i want to discuss.

- it IS so much better if everyone just loved each other (not made war).
- i have not had the chance of talking directly with a pastor, regarding church abandonment issues. it's a very uncomfortable topic, and i must say, painful for the pastor too.
- a good worship team is helpful, not necessary, to bring the worshippers in the right attitude of praying.
- discussing legalities of what words mean (context-wise or whatever) only leads to more debates on who is wrong, when it's more important to deal with 'what right thing must be done'
- i do NOT agree, however, when the pastor said that we don't need to thank the people who left, or think about them or what they think about the church they left. i'm of the mind and heart that we are called to fellowship.

i feel kinda bad now, coz i was thinking of going to visit another church (just once) to be fair since they've invited me numerous times but i haven't gone there yet. then THIS thing happens, and it feels like i'm abandoning this church to go to another.

admittedly, this church post is kinda vague compared to my previous dog post.

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sigh. needless to say, these past 2 days did not put me in a good mood to shop for maternity clothes (it's not for me, idiots!). i'm melanchony(?) and introspective right now. i have gone back to doing some drawing, though.

2006-08-09T18:57:00.000-07:00

some, um... cute(?) images...

i have my fair share of blogs i regularly visit, and one of them was raving about yawning bunnies. i think bunnies, in particular, are cute. fuzzy wuzzy wabbits are always eety beety cuuuuuuuuute..

i'm now having second thoughts...

its so... unnatural... don't you think? here the rabbit is, looking like the harmless furry creature it should be, when all of the sudden, it begins TO RISE ON ITS PAWS AND BITE THE LIVING HELL OUT OF YOU!

*shudder*

here's one of the few that i found cute:

well, that's only because the two front rabbits were there, and they kinda offset the on-the-verge-of-attacking rabbit at the back. kinda.

if you like yawning rabbits, though, then go here.
i'm settling for yawning dogs.

or people who look like their dogs, like these ones.

very uncanny resemblance :P

and just for the record, sister, my brother happens to find the "youtube of malay girl singing" to be cute.
and now, presenting the LONGER version!!! prepare for cuteness overload!!!

2006-08-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

what is UP with me lately?

despite the good stuff that has come along my way this weekend (out-of-town folks, house to myself, sushi and seaweed salad, pretty gown, morgy, company of ol' and new friends, board games), i'm not FEELING right. i'm not DOING things right.

my major peeve is that my brain refuses to function as its used to. like kat said, it's like it's shut down. i'm slooooow at getting stuff right now; i'm in a rut i didn't know how i got into the first place. i don't know where i'm supposed to attribute this to. lack of stress? lack of activity? lack of (gasp) studying? late night (or early am) sleeping? maybe because i've been stuck at home with the same people most of july/aug? driving around the heat too much (it HAS been hot lately)? too much chemistry tutoring, perhaps? ALL of these? what what what?!?!

also, i broke the freakin' hose. who the heck breaks a hose? apparently, i do. while watering the plants/yard yesterday, i broke the hose-controller. i've superglued ant taped the thing last night, but as i look at the plants, they still look too dry for me. of course, i know the weather has something to do with that, but because i'm in this mood, i'm blaming myself too. it doesn't help that, on the following morning, i find out that the glue/tape didn't work. gaaaaaaaAAARRRRRR...

have much more peeves about myself right now but won't go into detail. but those things and those i've mentioned, they're annoying me. which annoys me more. i apologize. but that condition wherein a person thinks everything is related/talking-about him negatively (i forget what that is), that's me right now. it's no use trying to comfort me about it, coz i know it's ME that's the prob.

i need to get my groove back and fast. i don't know what will help though. maybe this will?

how broadway helps i have no freakin clue. but it was a little nice watching the live version of lion king.

2006-07-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

dang.

i'm considering doing LESS multi-tasking. research is showing that the more you multi-task, the less you remember stuff. story here.

but, but... i LIKE multi-tasking!!! :( i do admit, that doing different unrelated stuff makes it hard for me to remember what i did previously. that's why sometimes (being the operative word), i have to list down the things i need to do, then cross those that i did. i also like multi-tasking because, in my honest opinion, it made me flexible. like i can do anything. a one-army gal (of course, that does have its bad sides. people expect you to do EVERYTHING).

i don't remember where i read this one, but multi-tasking actually stimulates the mind. sometimes, we are so used doing the same stuff, we get complacent (is this term right?), the brain gets dull. there was another research that we should try practicing doing something else, like writing with your left hand (wait, i think this is the one where you have to stimulate the other side of your brain. another research topic)

besides, how can you NOT multi-task? technology makes it possible for us to do a lot of stuff at once. tho not necessarily multi-tasking, my type of surfing involves having my firefox open several tabs.

on hindsight, technology might not have really done its part in making our lives any easier. stress-free, yes. but because we can do a lot more, we unintentionally allowed ourselves to work more and harder to accomplish more stuff.

anyway, back to multitasking research. hmm.. have to back that previous claim up. let's see:

Multi-taskers are really just splitting their time and attention into smaller slices than you; no one can really do more than one thing at a time.

Roman philosopher Publilius Syrus himself uttered in 100 B.C., "To do two things at once is to do neither.

Closely related to trying to do two things at once is "task-switching," which is when you flit between functions...Constant nibbling from one task to another both slows and dumbs you down. It also is fatiguing and potentially harmful in terms of long-term health...

ayayayyy... for the sake of sanity, then.. fine, i'll do less.
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hi kaaaaaaaaaatt!!

2006-07-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

OMG! so freakin' cute! read this story below (taken from chloe's blog)

Chloe, her Mommy and Daddy and Yaya Inday were at mass last Sunday. Note, that the most recognizable mass song she knows is...

Si Kristo ay gunitain
Sarili niya inihain
Bilang pagkain't inumin
Pinagsasaluhan natin
Hanggang sa siya'y dumating
Hanggang sa siya'y dumating

Anyway, for some weird reason, the church choir sings a different song with the word "Kristo" and Chloe got rather annoyed.

Chloe: Daddy, that's not si Kristo ay gunitain, Sarili niya inihain, Bilang pagkain't inumin,
Pinagsasaluhan natin. I don't like that Kristo.

Daddy Louie laughs and then notices that Chloe is heading towards the center aisle of the church.

Daddy: Chloe, where are you going?

Chloe: I'm telling Papa Lord that I don't like the Kristo they sang...

too precious! hahaha!

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weather has been freaky this DAY.
it started ok this morning.. turned insanely hot, sunny and humid by noon.. got cloudy in the early afternoon.. got windy and POURED with matching lightnings and thunders in the late afternoon.. turned to clear skies by dusk.. then rains/thunders again in the night.
moody weather! o_O

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i just read "angels and demons" by the same guy (dan brown) who did "davinci code". i have to say... i think i like "angels and demons" better.

don't be scared by the title! i know i was when i first heard about it. let's see, without giving too much away... the twistS (plural!) in the end were just woaaah. likewise, i couldn't put the book down, had to read it straight from start to finish. the plot is less scandalous (but more realistic, i think), it's more sympathetic to ALL characters, lots of science fact and history involved (interesting stuff).

i forget i was supposed to watch "the davinci code" just for the sake of looking at the paintings, cathedrals, and other places i've read in the book. the "angels and demons" evoke the same yearning in me. at least with the former, i got to see some pictures from a picture novel... hmmm... must see if there's one for "angels..."

why this wasn't hyped, i'm not too sure (well, actually, i do).

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just borrowed "eat love pray" from my school's library. saw this at one of the blogs i aimlessly search about. review here.

while i haven't read it yet (i don't read right away, i let myself get a feel of the book first. like, it has to be at the right moment and i at the right mood), the premise of travel is the one that really appealed to me at first. reading the review, i saw the spontainety of it all (did i spell spont*** right?), then her soul-searching quest.

verrrry interesting....

that, and it just reinforced what i want to do in my life. travel is definitely one of them.

i'm sorry to say i'm not gonna save for a big house (it's gonna be hard to clean anyway), nor get the fancy shmancy car (just let me get to where i wanna go!), or the hi-tech gadgets (.. er, a few to keep WILL be nice). aaaah basta, have to travel!

2006-07-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

i had been pretty busy the past week.

- took my dosage exam, of course. even tho it involved simple math, it was horrible; i had to get a 100%. talk about PRESSURE! and we didn't even get a calculator. similar to how unused i was to writing (being that i prefer typing already), doing math by hand was soooooooo alarmingly tedious. i remember i could do math so easily back at gradeschool, but now i was like... what's 6 times 7 again? my math was getting waaaay rusty.

- watched pirates of the caribbean 2. it WAS fun, but i personally think the cannibal scenes could have been removed to make a tighter movie. but that might mean i would have missed seeing captain jack sparrow as a shiskibob. gawd, that was funny.

- went to king of prussia. mall is freakin HUGE! (tho mall of asia in pinas might even be bigger). it was cool seeing new clothes, and when i compare with those here in lancaster, the ones in KOP had definitely more umpf to them. unfortch, i wasn't able to shop around there as much. we went there coz my aunt had to buy a gown for a wedding she's gonna attend in canada, and i was busy 'driving' her mother in a wheelchair. so, ye, not much looking around for me. got a blouse and vest, tho. but i wanna go back... i hope my car can make the long drive tho (we used my uncle's car)

- so my responsibilities right now include being the designated driver for shopping. the king of prussia trip was one of them (imagine, we were coming from a doctor's appointment in columbia township, and then they go, let's go to KOP - just like that!). yesterday was kmart, and a wedding shop at downtown. o where to off are we next?

- cleaned my room. this time, i was throwing old magazines away (don't worry kat, the photoshop ones will NEVER suffer that fate!). then i came across this marie clarie issue with jessica simpson. normally, i can NOT stand her. but i had to keep this one magazine in particular. becuzzzzz, nothing beats reading her 'innocent' comment: i've been a B star, almost a C star, my whole life. finally, i've started climbing my way up to A status . aaah, sweet sweet delusion. it just makes me smile :P

- went to a wedding reception 2 nights ago. my venezuelan friend got hitched to her bf of 6 years, and she invited me along together with my jap and korean friend. i wasn't really supposed to go, since responsibilities kept me home, but she begged, so i begged my folks in return... i went eventually, but had to be late going there. eden resort is pretty ok.

- the WEEK before, i had to go to a family friend's debut. i was able to get a $20 gown/party dress (but admittedly, my aunt's gown looked MUCH better. she said i can borrow hers tho, hihi). it was refreshing, being able to dance again. you do NOT go to a debut and expect NOT to dance. learned 2 new line-dancing, hihi. successfully coaxed my lil cuz to dance with her mom (lots of bribing on my part). well, i got a cute pic of him dancing with his mom, my aunt was happy to dance with her son, my cousin gets his 'payment'. everybody's happy! weee!

- i'd post pics, but i'm feeling lazy nowadays. maybe because i feel the impending doom of summer ending... boooo!

i know i should post something other than myself. believe me, i'm getting tired of the topic, too (hehe). suffice to say, i'll see what new stuff i can post, and details about me will prolly remain minor next time.

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* UPDATE! i found out just this morning that i passed my dosage exam! wooohooo! one requirement down, 2 million things left to go!!

2006-07-24T21:26:00.000-07:00

changed my layout. it's much easier on the eyes, i think.

hmmm...

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

ye, i think it'll do. for now.
i particularly like the quote-unquote thing... might change it every now and then.

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UPDATE: on hindsight, i think i oughta change the lines background, as i now realize they look kinda similar to my sister's layout (but i took the color inspiration from my curtains!).

... gaah. sa susunod na lang...

2006-07-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

this video is for the previous post.

WHAT OLD PEOPLE DO FOR FUN

aaah... makes me smile everytime. especially warms my fuzzy heart to hear such *cough* insane *cough* laughter.

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so ye, i'm back from my self-imposed hiatus... which, um, was really short. anyhoo, dosage exams result will be given out next week, and they will mostly determine my attitude for the rest of the summer - super happy or super bummed out. please pray for me!!!

still have some stuff to finish for my clinical requirements. hopefully, they won't take too long.

man, i want to have fun already.

2006-07-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

most of the time, i enjoy talking with the older folks, because:
(1) there's always the amusing side to it -- "back in my day..." (plus the ones where you are caught offguard with what they're gonna spill)
(2) the insightful one, where you do get some life lessons -- "so remember this..."
(3) it's sometimes interesting to listen -- "there's a secret to doing this..."

okay, scratch that. i like LISTENING to them, hehe. they do tend to get carried away with their stories. also, the culture aspect kicks in when you do respect these people for having lived longer than you, and once in a while, you have to look up to them as those with more wisdom and experience than you.

of course, there will be moments (or persons) of exemption, wherein i will NOT be able to take whatever they have to say.

to get to the point wherein my posts are mostly triggered by the topic i'm talking about, yes, on this day, i got talking with one of THEM. but the experience was not that satisfactory.

was talking to my cousin's grandma, and she was telling me stories of the places she's been to. normally, i LOVE travel stories -- it amazes me how many places are out there to discover and roam. so she was telling me how she's been going to how many places in her old life -- canada, US (various states), middle east, pinas. it got kinda confusing for me when she said, sawa na ako sa hongkong at bangkok (i'm tired of hongkong and bangkok). i mean, how is THAT possible? she doesn't go there all the time. does she look for the little corners, nooks, and places that could've made the place unique and special? does she understand the lifestlye and culture of that place? really, how do you get tired of traveling?

but like others, i give her the excuse of being old. it MUST be hard for her.

still...

you see, the one thing that can tick me off is how they can sometimes be one-sided with things. screw years of wisdom. it should teach them to look things in a broader aspect (look who's narrow-minded, hehe). i'm reminded of a grand canyon trip that i took with my sister (and other seniors). we were looking at the beautiful sunset unfolding before us, and while we were admiring the colors, one of them commented -- "wow, you don't see beautiful sunsets in the philippines".. HELLLOOOOOO?? i felt like saying, have you ever seen the ones at manila bay? or bohol? or baguio? grrr.... totally ruined the moment for me.

sigh. i apologize. i'm supposed to respect them and here i am talking sorta bad. i just have some expectations from people, and myself. hopefully, i grow up to be a cool lola, hehe.

anyhooo, to end this post on a positive note, here are some stuff i want to leave behind (for myself and/or for you the readers)

** do your travels (if that should happen): if you can, make a scrapbook/album about it
** always be thankful for each travel you can do: marvel at God's creativity, variety, and majestic power
** be ready to do the usual exploration of tourists spots and then beyond: like i said, look for the unique spots. local stores are always a good starting point, hehe
** it's always better to have somebody close (friend, relative) with you, but try to meet (or at least talk to) people from different places.
** try the local food

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pahabol sa dog post. i'm adding more pics!

clockwise from top left: (1) spice (i think) (2) young simba (3) old simba.
one of these days, i will tell you stories about beloved simba... sigh...

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that ends my post. i will be incommunicado for this week, though, as i am going to prepare for my dosage calculations test required for my clinical. hopefully, i pass. please pray for me! :)

2006-07-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

ok. movies to watch this summer.

devil wears prada. check
pirates of the carribean. check (is it just me, or i like the previous one better? plotwise, that is)

others:
superman returns -- because i'm a geek. i HAVE to watch it. if only ticket prices weren't so steep
spiderman 3 -- spidey. sandman. venom. goblin. gwen. maybe even lizard. mary who?
a scanner darkly. my gulay. a film animated.
mission impossible 3 -- i'm sooo way behind. still debating if i have to watch it.
x-men 3 -- i knooooow mengs, but i'm a geek! :(
a prairie home companion -- meryl streep is here. so's kevin kline.

gaack. so.. this is what, roughly $30? waaaah. and if there are others that i missed... o_O nooooooooo.. so poor.

2006-07-11T18:57:00.000-07:00

there just HAD to be a post on cute doggies...

BECAUSE THEY'RE CUTE!

random dog that i saw when my barkada went wall-climbing/rapelling.

aww. me and kat saw her outside DOTS.

she's soooo cute. i went to this store at cape may and saw this puppy just nestled on the chair. as always, i asked her owner if i could take a pic. she most willingly obliged, and so did this cute puppy!

another random dog that i saw at cape may. his fur was UNBELIEVABLY SOFT. big, and pretty strong dog. he can really pull you, trust me.

its tweetums! no, that's really her name! i went thru some of my cd that i have with me. taken when my boss' friend passed by to get her paycheck from my workplace (gack, i look so harassed. well, i always was at work. but the dog really cheered me up that time)

gizmo, tita myra's dog. he looks like a lion, but really gentle. HUGE and fluffy. but this pic is not during his better days tho. and he has long since passed away. will forever be remembered.

morgy-poo. likes furry, squeaky toys. a most well-behaved, knows-i'm-being-photographed puppy. attempts to steal her have been unsuccesful, because of overprotective mommy.

i luuuuuv this pic. not only because i have a daschund back home, but the expression on their faces is soooooo funny.
yellow-shirt dog:"aaand, why are we running again?"
6 dog: "shut up and just run. we're cute anyway"
and so you are, my dearies, so you are.
story on why these dogs are running as if they didn't have a clue why here.

anyway, here's maaaaaaah boooooooy:

isn't he precious? my lil donkey.
1st pic: puppy dog eyes... of which i'm a huge sucker for.
2nd pic: play with me...
3rd pic: prolly his (and my) favorite position -- lying on his back. me and my sis are usually 'strangling' him.
4th pic: the cute, lopsided ear look. aaaaaaaww.
i miss you, donkey. ye, it's really his name :) u should see his 'cross-over' move.

sigh.

actually, m kinda kicking myself for not getting a copy of my other dog pics. i had TONS of them. really. my friend tin invited me once to go with her to a dog expo, where there were ALL KINDS OF BREED of dogs. needless to say, i went camera-happy there.... and.... i don't have the files here with meeeee!!!! dangnabittttttt!!!

p.s. mengs, i need a simba pic. please send me one :)

2006-07-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

as promised, world cup pics.

first thing da boys do when they set foot at cape may, is look for a tv.

coz it's world cup!

the next day, its still the world cup! (the store owners must be pissed)

let the fun begin!

watch hardy, the guy with the hat.

from the look on his face, england does something wrong

england tries for another kick...

and he shoots! er, scores!

dang, he looks really worried...

okaaay, i guess they get another one in.

well, i didn't get the final shot, as it got too crowded in the store.. but england lost, btw.

same day, same game (different teams), different venue.

so okay, they're not really about the world cup per se. not the sport itself, i mean. i found it more fun watching people's reactions, hence the pictures. i'm all up for people who actually do enjoy and watch the sport eagerly. i am NOT a big fan of people who just get into it, for the sake of trend or popularity.

in all honesty, i'm not that excited about it. i understand the novelty behind it, it's an international thing between countries (kaya nga international e!), the tournament happens only once every four games. i like the jerseys. i like it when they go GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLL and EVERYBODY gets all excited about it. like one big party. but aside from that, that's all about it. all i see are a bunch of people kicking (oh dear, are there soccer fans here?).

wait, it's not soccer, it's futball. well, it's soccer here in US, and the football i KNOW is the one with the pigskin (i think). whatever. i like the latter one better. i think there's more strategy involved, and it's such a powerful raw sport. to each his own i guess.

so in the end, i found out beckham (admittedly the ONLY player i know in this game, coz he's really hot) resigned his post as england's captain. and in the finals, italy won. um, ye, congrats :)

2006-07-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

i got a complaint that i wasn't updating my blog. wow, that was a shock -- i have readers!!

sooo, i went to cape may over the weekend. it was pretty fun, however, i was the only girl in the group. well, there WERE other girls, but i didn't know them, so i ended up hanging around with the guys.

it was a trip i organized for the club. stories to follow later. but for the time being, here are some teaser cape may shots right now.. (gaack, i still have to post my washington pics!!!)

the place where we stayed. it's right across the atlantic ocean (it's pretty cold!!!) the house is managed by a nice lady named meg, who even invited me if i was interested in doing summer job there (hell yeah!).

dolphin sighting! while this shot was taken at sunset beach, there WERE dolphins right across the 931 beach house. i swam in the morning (by myself, too, coz i'm the shy type! hehe) and found 3 dolphins just swimming no more than 50ft away from me. it was pretty surreal, watching them just glide in and out of the same water were i was. i wanted to swim out to them, but at the back of my head, a little voice said, if dolphins can swim there, so can SHARKS. drat. stupid voice.

good thing i was swimming by myself too. a moment after watching the dolphins, i got hit by a huge wave. the experience is prolly similar to a deer caught by the headlights, i just stupidly stood there and took the full brunt of it (and didn't go under the wave). it slammed me hard, pushed me 5-10ft back to shore, where i fell backwards, scrapped my back across the sand, felt my feet awkwardly sticking out of the water.
ye. ouch. i immediately stood up, and made sure nobody saw that, hihi.

cape may has lots of victorian-inspired houses. no 2 were alike. lots of stores, too. much fun was had just walking inside them and looking at all the pretty stuff.

proof that this place is really cape may!

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i have to say this, tho. part of the thrill in going to the beach is when you see the coconut trees from afar. malapit na tayo sa beaaaach! (we're getting near the beach). there was none of those in cape may. nevertheless, a beach is a beach, and as long as you have fun with your friends, it's a'right.

anyway, some shots have already been posted in my flicker account. i think some of you got invitations to look at my album in snapfish. if you haven't, email me so i can send you one!

next post -- the world cup fever pictures!

2006-07-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

wait.. i didn't tell you yet?

i found out last week that i got into clinicals. but it was weird at first.

how? well, the week before that, my friend approached me and told me that she got in. the moment she said that, i went into silent panic mode, because I HADN'T GOTTEN ANYTHING about it. no rejection letter, nor acceptance. fortunately, my working at the counseling services helped me hook up with the nursing advisors, so i 'casually' approached one of them with my dilemma.

turns out, there was ANOTHER person with my name (and yes, i've met her already). SHE got in, and my name (we had different id #'s) was nowhere to be found.

to make the long story short, they fixed the prob and now i have the letter. whatever happened to that other girl, i'm just telling myself it's not my prob. anyway, they hand-delivered the acceptance packet to me last week. let me just say, it spoiled all the fun of the happy, expectant "receiving it in the mailbox" scenario. but ye, i'm psyched to be in...

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and so i become this idiot parading around school, holding the packet in my hands. heck, i work hard for it, so might as well get some mileage out of it. so people congratulate me, but what made the whole thing funny was the comments i got from my coworkers:

"yey! when do you start? (i answer back) hope you can still work with us in the spring then"
"niceeeeee! but do you think this is gonna affect your work for us?"
"that's great! how many classes are you taking at clinicals? (i answer back) that's great! so you can still work for us!"

i do appreciate the fact that they value me as part of their group tho. but yeah, right, they are soooo happy for me. lololol.

----------

i finally open the bloody thing. a few minutes later, i was groaning. once the acceptance packet was opened, i beheld myself with a loooooong list of things i have to do. buy this and that. have a check-up here and there. more stuff to buy. have a cpr accreditation.

garrrr..

i AM excited about the cpr thing. it'd be cool to have those cards that say, I CAN DO CPR!! let the world beware! hihi

2006-07-03T21:55:00.000-07:00

was fairly annoyed to find out that my flicker account (photo blog) will not allow me to post my new photos as sets now. gaaaaaarrrr.....

i'm still keeping my shots at flicker (the creative ones, i guess). you have to search my site for CAPE MAY tags.

but, if you want to see some other cape may shots (some are nice, some are real funny), send me an email so i can invite you to see 'em at snapfish! :)

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on other news, i watched DEVIL WEARS PRADA with kat today. omg. if there ever was a movie that will inspire you to shop, THIS IS IT. we were practically drooling at the sight of the clothes anne hathaway was wearing. heck, as soon as we got out of the theatre, we went straight to a store and bought new stuff!

oh, the movie itself was nice. meryl streep has such a commanding presence. but, bottomline, it's all about the fashion, folks :) i'll go far as to say i want a copy of this dvd. it will definitely get me in the mood to shop for clothes.

2006-06-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

i now have a love/hate relationship with rain.

- i love waking up with rain outside my window. the roaring sound it makes is actually quite relaxing, plus the gloomy skies are a welcome sight after late nights. there's less sunlight to motivate me out of my bed, thus i snuggle deeper into my covers... also, psychology-wise, i sudddenly feel cool. i guess coming from pinas where the weather gets hot, rain can be a welcome change.
- speaking of pinas, rains usually meant no school. no school is always fun.
- i also had begun to love watching the trees sway and move with the strong gusts of wind. yes, even during typhoons. nature is an amazing sight to watch and truly a force to reckon with.
- i love walking/playing in the rain. childhood memories take me back to times i'd make boats and watch them go along the canals... then i'd play on a street nearby, where the water would cascade down to form pools. (of course, i'd take a bath after everytime i did this. my mom would not stand for me to be just dripping germs and all that)
- rain reminds me of the time of the Great Manila Traffic/Flood back in 96. got stuck in the road for 14 hours. being cramped up in the van with some friends. good conversations. eating lechon kawali and rice with our hands, then washing them later in the rain. walking around, going inside convenient stores, and surprisingly seeing familiar faces. it was actually fun.
- i love hiking in the rain. ok, i did this just once, but because hiking was a strenous exercise then, the rain calmed me. it made things a hell lotta slippery, but mud can be fun, too. haha, i'm weird.
- i love how the earth would smell - the freshly watered grass - after the rain.
- i even wrote a fiction (for an english class) involving the rain... with one hilarious result in particular.
- i love sipping hot soup or chocolate while its raining. mmmmmmmmmmm...

the comes the HATE. there's the fact that before and after the rain, i'd hear the frogs croak like they were this mad choir or something. i hate frogs. despise, loathe, detest them. but as long as i couldn't see them, i figured i was ok.

then came driving in the highways. absolutely HATE rain in the highways! i had the first experience of it in pinas, and it was my exam for my driving class! stick shift driving, to boot!!! can you imagine, driving along roxas boulevard and south superhighway - known as venues for some fast mad driving skills, plus reckless jaywalking. and all the while, you have an instructor in the passenger seat! it was a horrible position to be in, one wherein i was most painfully conscious of every single thing around me. how could you not be? i tried not to get myself and the instructor killed, keep the car in one piece, AND pass an exam at the same time.

omg. it is a memory that will always haunt me.

i was reminded of it again earlier. had another horrible experience. worse, i got caught in the evening... again! could hardly see anything. a truck would pass by, and there would be a huge splash of water covering the windshield for 2 seconds, and i'd pray for dear life that nothing would be in my path. the wipers are not fast enough against the onslaught of rain pounding the windshield. i'm always afraid the car would hydroplane (it never did, thankfully). another splash, this time to the side of my car, and i'd be jolted out of my concentration, just by the sheer force of it.

i'm now safely back in the house. sipping soup. i'm back to loving the rain again... that is, until the next time i drive in the highway.

*** UPDATE: at one point, i felt like Cher in the movie Clueless. totally paranoid in the highway scene. i wanted to laugh, if only i wasn't so afraid and busy praying.

2006-06-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

to all you lost junkies...

this video is soooo intoxicating.. the moves.. the music... (it's the UK promo)

i can just watch it over... and over.... and over... again...

2006-06-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

ok. so i promised that i'd post pics..... laterrrrr... :P

something just happened today that i'm just compelled to write. um. it's really nothing interesting (eeeh, so why write about it?!?!)

our boss asked a favor from us today, wherein we had to hand-write some typewritten english essays. um. ye. there was a reason behind it, but i didn't understand at that time. i was just saying ok immediately, seeing that our boss (who's extremely cool, btw) hardly makes us do anything in the first place. so ye, i'll do that favor!

like i said, what it was was pretty simple -- just copy the typewritten essays by hand.

two sentences in, my right hand was COMPLAINING.

it just dawned on me how much i relied on technology. for this instance, i had gotten soooo used to TYPING already, it was like -- writing, what's that? and now that i look back, i can't remember when i had to ACTUALLY write an essay. first year highschool? that's like... wow, ages ago. omg o_O

just can't imagine how i'd be able to keep up this blog if i did all the entries by hand.

--------

fine, fine... here's some pics from the lancaster sertoma bbq!

what's that... the park's on fire?

the smoke gets heavy...

it's a sacrilegous offering?!?!

... oh.. some guys doing some heavy bbq-ing

... ooooooohhhh. it's a fundraiser...

lots of boxes for cars to pass by and pick up.

i pass by as well... and pay $7 (steeeeeep!)

tada!

weeeee! food!

(taken at home -- the chicken is freakin' huge!!!)

lovely day to eat at the park

dang. was hoping he didn't see me for this candid shot. i did get his respective other getting a huge bite out of her food, hihi

... you can feed the duckies...

... the cute duckies...

... the really cute duckies, up close... (they were an arm's length from me, i swear!)

satisfied? more pics soooooooon!