HPC

The Delicious Essence!

2008-05-30T00:10:00.005+08:00

A good online friend started exploring his “healthier” side by going vegan. Yup, everybody seems to be going vegan nowadays. I also have a college friend who’s a vegetarian. No beef, no chicken, no fish… just the thought of it sends chills up my spine. Veggies and fruits are all well and good but a life without meat is just…

Haaaay…

Aaaanyway, lately, I’ve been developing my fifth taste.

You might say…

“Fifth taste? You’re talking crazy Jigs! There’s only four types of tastes! Sweet, Salty, Sour and Bitter! You’re stupid! I’ll never read your blog again!”

But wait, there IS a fifth taste. You do have the basic Bitter, Sweet, Salty and Sour, and the fifth is UMAMI. There isn’t really an English word for it, but essentially, UMAMI is the savory taste found naturally in meat, poultry, seafood and some vegetables. The UMAMI taste itself is subtle. Most people wouldn’t even recognize it. It Enhances the taste of other flavours and brings everything together. It’s amazing, believe me, when you can recognize and manipulate UMAMI. It’s like UMAMI is the soul of a dish.

UMAMI isn’t just in the taste. It is a combination of taste, smell, color, temperature and appearance. But let’s set the record straight, UMAMI is not MSG. MSG has been touted as a flavor enhancer which is kinda what UMAMI is. However, UMAMI is the natural occurrence of the delicious essence found in foodstuffs (meat, cheese, tomatoes and mushrooms to name a few), which is far better than its synthetic counterpart. I have never used MSG as an ingredient and never will. MSG is the quick and cheap way to attain that savory flavor.

Enough about that…

UMAMI is something that is not unfamiliar to us. I bet, after reading this short article, you will start recognizing what UMAMI is, and what it tastes like. It is an integral part of the whole dining experience. So, I try my best to maximize the UMAMI of any dish I make. Let me say though, UMAMI is something Vegans can appreciate too. Just a bite of a ripe tomato and you can taste UMAMI.

This is basically my Meatyball Surprise dish. What’s the surprise? UMAMI! LoL! Not really! You just have taste it for yourself! Oh wait, you can't! Hehe! Anyhoo, I have two reasons why I’m showing you this dish. One, it's because it has a great UMAMI taste thanks to the beef, the tomatoes and the parmesan cheese which makes this meal amazing! And two…

It's just to show all those VEGANERDS what they’re missing! Mwahahaha!

P.S. VEGANERDS are “non-practicing vegans”- people who are vegans just because they want to be cool!

For more information about VEGANERDS and those “non-practicing vegans” ask PAOLO.

Advertising: The Life of Trade*

2008-05-25T20:46:00.015+08:00

Other than my Cooking, Photography, and Movies, I am also quite fond of Advertising. Being a Business Management student, I recognize the significance (or insignificance) of marketing in any industry. It takes a lot of creativity, expertise and instinct in creating a good and persuasive ad.

Marketing takes up a good percentage on the budget of the whole management process. Marketing answers how the product should look, how much should it cost, where to sell it and how do you advertise the product.

Advertising has been questioned in the past for spending so much of a company’s limited funds with no guarantee of a return on the investment. In spite of this, companies spend millions to make sure that their product is “out there.” Great advertisements are memorable, effective and of course, persuasive.

Right off the top of our heads, we could think of great companies who continuously create entertaining ads like Pepsi, HP, Nike, Sony, and Apple. Do you remember Sony Bravia’s mesmerizing and colorful commercials? How about Pepsi and their endorsers? And who could forget the recent hit of Apple’s “I’m a Mac and I’m a PC” ad campaign?

This is an ad campaign against child slavery. They placed life sized images of chained children on revolving doors.

Viral Ad campaigns create great effect with minimal effort. Do you remember Dove’s Ad Campaign Evolution? A great form of promotion which conjures emotion from their customers. and contains a deeper message. Other memorable video ads are Budweiser’s croaking frogs, and the Energizer Bunny (the first ad that stuck in my head).

On to my favorites: Print Ads! Instant impact is what print ads aim for. Unlike TV commercials – which are repeated constantly on different shows on different channels – a print ad has to grab your attention in just one glimpse in order for the customer to see their product. The ad has to be witty, simple, and attractive. Fascinating isn’t it? You can just imagine all the creative ways companies and ad agencies have already thought of in order to get you to buy a product.

A great ad from Sony for their Micro Vault Tiny

Lately, Ambient Ads are the in thing for advertisements. Placing ads around a customer’s daily routine is what Ambient Advertising is all about. It is outside of the media and can be commonly seen on buildings, roads, and structures at a certain locale. They are visually attractive and invoke curiosity and surprise. Some of the best in this category become attractions or modern sculptures.

Creative use of the steam for a coffee ad.

A wonderful ad from HP

M&M's as buttons for doorbells!

Fun use of the hot blowers in comfort rooms for a hot sauce ad.

Advertisement is fun, creative and mentally challenging. Some ads can be so beautiful and creative that they are considered as today's form of art. It is the principle focal point at which makes a business or a corporation seem more accessible and attuned to the needs of its target market.

*a quote from the author Calvin Coolidge

Finally! A Post! It's A Meme Unfortunately...

2008-05-20T21:24:00.005+08:00

I was forc- I mean asked to do this meme. I delightfully obliged because of two valid and convincing reasons. One, my blog is about to die and I need to resuscitate it. And two, it's about movies! It's gonna be fun. So my answers here are off the top of my head and I wrote the first thing that came to mind.

1) One movie that made you laugh

"Kung Pow: Enter the Fist" - as crazy, stupid and retarded the movie may seem, this movie made my jaw, ribcage and stomach hurt!

note: "Dracula: Dead and Loving It" came a close second

2) One movie that made you cry

NONE. Call me cold-hearted or just plain mean but no movie has ever had the honor of making me cry. Not "Life is Beautiful," not "Titanic," not "Anak," no matter how heart breaking the movie got, I have yet to shed a single tear.

note: There is one movie that I remember recently that ALMOST got me misty-eyed. "The Pursuit of Happyness" (the bathroom scene)

3) One movie you loved when you were a child

We basically grew up with Disney and Aladdin was a favorite. However, I remember vividly my love and fascination for the movie Nightmare before Christmas.

4) One movie you've seen more than once

Currently, it's "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street"

5) One movie you loved, but embarrassed to admit it.

"The Brady Bunch Movie." Also, "The Master of Disguise"

note: may I be forgiven for my lack of sanity.

6) One movie you hated

Epic Movie, Date Movie and Meet The Spartans - what disappointing parodies!

note: "Son of the Mask" was gawd awful too!

7) One movie that scared you

As an adult, The Eye kinda scared me. As a kid however, Nightmare on Elm Street scared the crap out of me. I was so afraid to go to sleep, it wasn't funny.

8) One movie that bored you

"The Hours" - to quote Liz Lemon of 30 Rock, "The Hours?! They should've called it The Weeks!"

9) One movie that made you happy

"Grindhouse" - technically, that's two movies, but they both were awesome wicked cool!

10) One movie that made you miserable

"Queen of the Damned" - I like the movie, don't get me wrong. The fact that it was based from an Anne Rice novel means I'll most likely like it. It's just that it didn't live up to the novel and its full movie potential. It could've been better, alot better. And I hated knowing that.

11) One movie you weren't brave enough to see

High School Musical

note: . . . . . . .

12) One movie character you've fallen in love with

Akasha, from "Queen of the Damned"

note: Also probably any role Mila Jovovich has portrayed.

13) The last movie you saw

On the silver screen: Speed Racer - It left a bad taste in my mouth

On TV: Superstar - on HBO

14) The next movie you hope to see

Either "Narnia: Prince Caspian" or "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"

There! That wasn't THAT painful, was it? And you got to learn a little bit more about me. Do this meme if you have the same reasons as I do. Tell me about it so I can know a bit about you too.

May 9th

2008-05-10T10:45:00.001+08:00

My 2nd year...

Can't believe it lasted this long...

It's still fun...

“I’m not a Religious Person, but I have Faith”

2008-05-05T16:13:00.002+08:00

I hear that line uttered more and more each day. It may not be exactly in those words, but in every different occasion, they mean the same thing. I even hear myself uttering those same words at times. Now, I find myself asking a question. Is the approach to Religion, and Faith in general changing? Is it adjusting to fit today’s environment or is the traditional ways too slow for the speed at which life operates? Adaptation or Antiquation?

You have proof on both sides. There is adaptation because there are those who apply religion and faith to the current situation of a community. We hear praise songs that have a modern beat to it. We also hear stories related to our daily lives. Religion promotes self expression and can also create a for of support system for an individual. And as always, it is a goal to do what is right and what is good as much as possible. Of course, I can not say this for everyone. However, there are still youths today who, not only have a strong faith, but also knowledgeable of their religion. They are the ones who shape their belief as to better apply to their lives.

On the other spectrum, there is also an evidence of antiquation. Kids nowadays do not know their prayers. What’s worse, many have unlearned some of their traditions. I barely know a handful of people who can pray the rosary. Also, a once a week mass has become more of a chore or even an inconvenience than a time for reflection and worship. I also notice that there is a lesser need for traditions, ceremonies and such. I mean, a good amount of them have become nothing more than novelties. I’m just glad that my family remains steadfast to our traditions and what they truly mean. I don’t want to get too cynical about this whole thing so the less examples the better. This is just me, contemplating on yet another all-too-serious topic which is completely over my head. I’m glad so few people read this blog. I probably won’t get any FYI-retorts.

But, there is one thing I know, times are changing, it always has been. Now it’s up for Religion to catch up to people’s faith.

P.S. This is a chaotic post. Too ambiguous and lacks detail. Well, these are just things I needed to sweep out of my attic. It’s up to you if whether you find something you like in the garage sale.

On A.C. and My First Restaurant Review!

2008-05-01T09:52:00.007+08:00

Last week was my brother’s graduation. Congrats to him and all that. I scouted for a few restaurants where we can celebrate his achievement. Despite the fact that I virtually know the economical hotspots of Angeles City AND even though I did do a market analysis of Angeles City for its potential for business growth, I honestly was surprised at the sheer number of great restaurants popping all over the Metro. Angeles City is set to become Luzon’s center for commerce. This is all because of the new super highway being built where Angeles is right smack-dab in the middle and the opening and further development of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport. Isn’t it obvious with all the new malls populating the vast landscapes of Clark, San Fernando and Nclex? Why, even the Ayalas have begun building an Ayala Mall in Angeles. Land Developments - both commercial and housing projects - are everywhere. Xevera, The Enclave, The Lakeshore, Angeles City and Pampanga in general has become a real estate developer’s dream nowadays. As this shift becomes more apparent A.C. will only continue to prosper and hold true to its title being "the heart of the north."

Anyway, before I get a whole lot further off topic, I picked a restaurant which has become famous for its amazing ambiance, menu and location. This restaurant, scenically situated at The Holiday Inn’s rooftop offered a Brazilian inspired motif with international fares. An award winning restaurant, Rodizio is a true dining experience. To get to the restaurant, you take an elevator straight to the top of the hotel. The moment you step in, you are welcomed by a stunning winery and bar (it’s the bottom picture). You take a short right turn and you’ll see the restaurant itself. The interiors are very beautiful. And the ambiance at night is wonderful. However, if you want to appreciate the view outside the deck, lunch time would be much better.

(click for a larger image)

Some say you can instantly tell the quality and taste of a restaurant’s dishes based on their house bread. And I think that is true. Rodizio’s house bread had a slightly crunchy exterior and the inside was warm and fragrant. It was lightly salted and had herbs ixed into it. It is definitely one of the best house breads I have ever tasted. The whole party partook of the restaurants meat and seafood buffet offering. Everyone started off with some chicken and mushroom soup which was delicious. You can taste the strong flavor of the mushroom, but it did not over power the chicken at all. Their salad bar was also very pleasing. All the vegetables were fresh and the dressing was amazing. The seafood portion of the buffet consisted of crabs, shrimps, mussels, and some Japanese dishes like sushi, maki, sashimi and more. I loved the seafood. One thing that was different was, everything was cold. My family was not used to eating shrimp or crab like that. It was still delicious though and the temperature only added a different dimension to the taste.

For the main course, each had the option of rice, mashed or baked potatoes for a side dish. I asked for mashed potatoes. It was okay, it needed a bit more salt and it was not as flavorful as I had hoped, but I didn’t want to be filling up on side dishes anyway, I was here for another purpose. LOL! After they served the side dishes, four waiters arrived carrying various grilled meats. One had two metal stakes with sausages (one chicken, one pork) impaled on them. Another had chicken teriyaki, another had pork ribs and another had flank steak. Each waiter passed by each plate and placed a portion of what they were carrying. In no time at all, my plate was already overflowing with all the different kinds of meat. Let’s analyze them one by one, shall we? LOL! The sausage, was too salty. I did not care for that at all. The chicken teriyaki was divine, tender and succulent, and the flavor was perfect. The ribs was good, nothing exceptional. The steak was very tasty, but a little tough.

As everyone fell silent while enjoying their meals, waiters would constantly come back to check on our side dishes and meats, just in case we wanted more. You see, in Rodizio, they had this small wooden block (you can see it in one of the pictures) that’s color green on one end, and red on the other. I was told that as long as the green part was on top, the waiters will just keep on serving you meat. If you’ve had enough, just turn it over so that the red part is on top.

On to the final course, dessert. The buffet was complete with its own dessert station. It had a chocolate fondue fountain, crème brulee, fruit slices and a myriad of cakes. I didn’t know where to start, but thanks to my sweet-toothed sister, I tried the fondue first. From marshmallows, to strawberries, to small butter scotch brownies, we bathed them chocolate fountain. Very good…need I say more… From the cakes, we took slices of the chocolate cake, the blueberry cheesecake and the mango chiffon cake. I didn’t like the chocolate cake and the mango chiffon was unimpressive, but the cheesecake…The cheesecake was so dense that it almost had the texture of a pound cake. It was not too sweet and the blueberry on top was the best compliment. It was the best cheesecake I have ever tasted... Ever! And finally, we managed to find some room for a bit of the crème brulee. It was a bit too rich for me and the caramelized sugar on top was nonexistent.

All in all, Rodizio was everything I heard it was and more. The wait staff was pleasant and accommodating, the ambience was perfect and the food is delectable. It completely surpassed my expectations. So, for all you out-of-towners visiting Angeles City, be sure to visit Rodizio at the Holiday Inn.

!Boo! Archuletta and Castro !Boo!

2008-04-17T07:01:00.006+08:00

I love discoursing with people, especially if both of us have good insight on the topic at hand. These kinds of discussions have given life to several of my posts. Some of them being my post on Mainstream, Being an Irregular Student, and The Top 10 Jologs Songs. I can talk about almost anything. I have fun exchanging thoughts about movies with Shinji, My chats with Juic e are not only engaging but also informative. (Last time we chatted, we talked about Business Ethics!)And of course I can depend on Rex for a stimulating conversation on just about anything!

Lately however, I’ve been having fun arguing with Mr. Fishbowl with our short YM chats.

We have similar POVs but we also have so many dissimilar likes. I don’t know, I just somehow manage to like things he doesn’t seem to. Therefore, we have a good time back sassing each other about them. It’s fun because he manages to make fun of me and my likes while I’m completely nasty towards his. A good current example would be our short cynical discussion about our AI bets…

paolo m: i'm gonna miss American Idol today.

paolo m: darn! i wanna see David and Jason. Those are my top 2

paolo m: i hate David Fuck'n Cook

Jigs: he's my bet!! :D

paolo m: i hate you… you just ruined my day

Jigs: Then my job here is done…

paolo m: why do you like him? He's a loser

Jigs: he's cool!

paolo m: oh c'mon. he's a dork

Jigs: and he's arrangements to the songs are great!

paolo m: ok ok... everyone of them can sing. Jason and David are cool and humble

paolo m: David is just an arrogant fuck. Lolz! I love cursing him

Jigs: Puh-leaze! Your David is just milking his naivete!

Jigs: And come on, Jason knows the ladies love him! That's the only reason he is still there!

paolo m: and david?

Jigs: David COOK, has talent!

Jigs: Plus, his brother has cancer man!

paolo m: you've been brainwashed… Come to your senses Jigs!

Jigs: I may be brainwashed, but you're heartless! Think of his brother!

paolo m: O c'mon David Archuletta couldn't sing for a year! And, david winning the competition
won’t exactly heal his brother

Jigs: Boo-freaking-hoo! Archuletta can’t sing for year! How tragic that is… You can't hate on a guy who dedicates his performances to his brother with cancer! Now that’s just heartbreaking.

paolo m: i dedicate his non-winning to his brother as well. Now we're even…

Jigs: Now that's just crazy…

paolo m: I know…

He’s funny, I’m nasty; he’s a bastard, I’m chaotic; he’s for change, I’m conservative (forever!); he likes Zac Efron, I loathe him. Yes, we have a multitude of differences and we constantly debate over them, but this weird comradeship thrives because of it. Personally, I think this is the stuff my friendships are made of…

So, got anything you want to talk about? Then just buzz me on my YM ID, and I'll do my best to chat you up and start a great conversation!

The Merlin Club

2008-04-14T17:42:00.001+08:00

If you want to join, please visit Paolo's Blog. Thanks!

Help Philippines Through Ethnocentrism from Hit or Miss
People’s Irony from The Silent Stage
Verified from Memories by Jenn
My Greatest Fear as a Mother from Gandacious
Repost Again from Spontaneity
How Long Do You Want to Live? Approaching Methuselah from Can of Thoughts
Adarna: More Than a Mystical Bird from Crumbs
Echo from The Fishbowl
To Cook from Harsh Poetic Chaos
Merlin Club from Online Business Magazine

To Cook

2008-04-09T23:03:00.015+08:00

In every family, there are those few people who you admire their knack for cooking. Be it your grandma, your mom or your bbq king uncle, you just can’t wait for the next family get together so you can once again savor their signature dishes. I am so lucky that I belong to a family that knows what good food should taste like. Only the freshest ingredients and never settle for mediocrity.

My Lola Mercy is one of the best cooks ever! But, I’m sure we all have grandmas who are the best cooks. She makes one mean Sisig, her Lasagna is out of this world and her Cherry Cheesecake is heaven! She also makes a wonderful Avocado Ice Cream.

If there is another person who can match, even top my lola’s cooking, that would have to be my lovely mother. Her Kare-Kare is addictive, her Chicken Cordon Bleu with a side of Cauliflower smothered with white sauce is mouth-watering, and her take on the classic Spaghetti is the best I’ve ever tasted (Italliani’s can kiss my butt!). My mom’s Escabeche is just…amazing (my dad loves it!).

“Voila! A pot pie. Wholesome, warm, healthy. That's, of course if you can live without the cream sauce. Personally, I can't. I mean, what's the point?”

But there is one dish that every time I taste reminds me of home, and of my mom and my lola (because they cook the dish equally well). The feeling I get is kinda similar to the one Anton Ego gets after taking a bite of the Ratatouille. Lolz! At first, I didn’t want to learn how to make the dish because there was the feeling of comfort when somebody else cooks that meal for me. But then I realized, why not share the same feeling I get with the people who matter to me? It took time to prepare, but the result I got was completely worth it.

Lengua Con Champignon (drooling right now)

I know it’s a once-in-a-year kind of dish to eat because let’s face it, it’s not exactly figure friendly. But that only adds to the appeal of the dish, the desire for it. I’m so happy to finally be able to cook it and continue the family heritage of cooking excellence! Yeah! Lolz! You know, I wasn’t supposed to be the next cook in the family. It was my younger sister who got to receive all the training (being the constant helper during parties and meal preparations) from my mom, lola and aunts. I think it’s the passion that pushed me to learn how to cook even if it was all by myself. The kind that if I was asked, what do you want to do for the rest of your life, I would confidently answer, COOK. I’d probably be the first male cook in the family (but I do have uncles who can cook).They say, there are certain reasons why men’s cooking tastes better than women’s. One is that men aren’t so parsimonious when it comes to the ingredients. Another is that a woman’s emotion goes into their cooking which can be a pro-and-con kinda thing. I mean, based on my observation, male chefs right now are more popular than female ones. Lolz!

“I like to cook -- it's my meditation. One aims for perfection in one's life, but one doesn't find it very often. For me, this is about as close as it gets.”

But, I am just that, a cook. Not a chef. There are so many people who are good cooks, but so few who are good chefs. It’s become my dream to become a chef, but being a cook right now is satisfying in so many levels. However, being a cook, one of my weaknesses is baking. I don’t bake. If I did, then I’d be a baker. Lolz! Unfortuntely, not being able to bake limits my ability to create desserts. But that won’t stop a good cook! So here’s one of my favorite desserts that I’ve made in a while. I didn’t have strawberries so I used bananas instead.

Panna Cotta (with an extra, extra drizzle of chocolate sauce and slices of Bananas)

Tasty, delectable, scrumptious, saccharine, gastronomical, and luscious; some of the nicest, boldest, sexiest and best sounding adjectives are found when describing good food. They don’t have to be expensive, they don’t have to be gourmet, they don’t even have to be calorie laden. Good Food is whatever tingles your taste buds and gives you a feeling. Food, and cooking for that matter, is just as simple as that...

“You know, people can sleep, or they can gamble. Or they can even make love when they're miserable.

But I think that most people eat when they're happy. I like to see people happy…”

P.S. Next time, I’ll tell you about how hard it is to take a good photo of food! Lolz!

P.P.S. Quotations are by Mr. Linderman of Heroes

P.P.S. I’d like to thank Paolo Mendoza for the letter “Z” in my Lolz!

A Diamond In The Rough

2008-04-04T03:48:00.008+08:00

I found myself completely out of my element this month. Honestly, I have been delving into uncharted waters that have proven to be uncomfortable, challenging and at times unsettling. What I’m trying to say is, we all handle things differently. Our experiences and acquired knowledge gently shove us into these “comfort zones.” Humans, being a creature of habit cling to these situations because we find safety and competence in them. We avoid, fear even, those unfamiliar territories because we are stripped down to our barest. All our knowledge, all our experience count for so little that it scares us. It scares us to discover how ignorant or inept we are in the grander scheme of things.

I have been involving myself in activities I never imagined I would ever participate in. These activities may seem so provincial to you, but oh so foreign to me. I felt so deficient, so to speak. I was somehow barricaded to the world I chose to enclose myself in, and now, breaking out is unnerving. I sometimes get so paranoid that I think people think of me as weak or slow on the uptake. Maybe I feel this way because I can see that what comes natural to them is conversely as difficult for me. It gets to the point that you feel your introverted self creep in and think this would be much easier if I was left to my own devices, that I do not need anybody’s help. When in fact you do…

It can be disheartening, forcing yourself into a world which seems to reject the “staple-you.” But, I found out, there are those special few that know and see who you are, acknowledge that what you’re doing won’t be easy, and still stand by your side. Thankfully, I found those few who can get me through it all.

For the Diamonds in my life…I hope to become one…

Transition....

2008-03-31T05:07:00.002+08:00

Currently changing from one template to another. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Be Back with a more substantial post...

Please leave a comment so that I'll link you up!

My most heartfelt thanks to the most wonderful Juice! Couldn't have done this without you!

Till next post!

Goodbye Blog Break! Hello Summer Break!

2008-03-23T01:00:00.002+08:00

As much as I like my recent posts, blogging has not been easy for me lately. Blogging has become somewhat of a chore. Not to say that I don’t like blogging anymore, it’s just that other things take more priority than blogging and they basically drain me of any enthusiasm to blog or even blog surf. I think I only have enough of an attention span for 5 or 6 blogs, before I get bored out of my mind. I somehow enjoy twitter because I get a quick glance of what’s happening to some of the bloggers I still read.

I wonder, since summer break is upon us, will this encourage a fresh surge of bloggers? Will the blogs once again be teeming with posts almost every day? When I started my blog, it was on a summer break and as I remember it, every blog I visited was - for a lack of a better term - teeming with life both from the blogger and the readers. Everyone was so inspired or maybe excited to blog, even comment on posts! Of course, reciprocity is the key.

Will it be the same? I believe after this coming week, everyone will basically have free time (not referring to the working class of course. LOL). There will be time for excursions, time for cavorting, and time for oneself. Lots of free time. And finally, even some time left for blogging.

I however, feel sad, well disappointed in the fact that there are thousands of dead blogs out there. No posts for years, and they just stay there to rot. These blog hosting sites should really clean them up. Some of those blogs even have good titles! LOL! A while back, at one point in my blog life, I wanted to change the name of my blog. And every name I wanted was taken. It was such a waste because all of those blogs’ latest post was around 2000 or 2001. I wonder if can request to have those blogs deleted…Hmmm…

Do you think blogs will come alive again because of the coming summer break?

so what if I like what millions of other people like?!

2008-03-17T00:06:00.001+08:00

Is mainstream so bad? I mean, if you look at in a more liberal light, it can seem that way. You lose your individualism, and it’s as if you are being told what to like and what not to. You become like any other average Joe that’s trapped in this commercial sweatshop where nothing is unique anymore. We try to be unique. In fact, we at times desire it. Maybe by going against the current, or maybe by embarking on an original idea or event, or maybe by diversifying our awareness and delving into something unusual; we always think of ways to express ourSELVES.

Nobody likes to be like everybody. We want to be known for who we are and what defines us. But in the billions of people in the world, how different can we really be? Many say that there are no original ideas in the world anymore, only revisions of what has been. What are innovations but a construct of previous ideas. Everything is recycled. What you think is a distinctive and creative idea is but the influence of your environment and what you are exposed to. One cannot honestly say that the idea “popped” into mind without any form of an external coercion. Ideas are born out of necessity. A need to fill in a gap where a challenge used to lie. Would you have thought of that idea if it wasn’t for that necessity?

I am not stating a fact, nor is it a stand on the matter. These are just floating thoughts that needed to be poured out. What I’m trying to say is, if mainstream for you looks, feels, tastes or sounds good, and you will benefit from it, then why not follow the majority? Must we be always…differentiated? I think it was from Shinji’s blog where I read that it’s ok to enjoy Mainstream (at times) because it already is presumably good. And when I say good, meaning you’ll like it. Do not show prejudice to someone who is into the mainstream. If they find joy in it, then who are you to tell them otherwise?

We’re all part of a certain “mainstream” anyway…

P.S. This post was brought about by a certain conversation with a certain self-professed “unique individual” who doesn’t follow anything “mainstream” according to him. Needless to say, the conversation ended without any real resolution.

UNphotographable

2008-03-03T01:21:00.005+08:00

Has this ever happened to you? You stroll around the city, walking past hundreds of different people, nothing out of the ordinary to speak of. Then you see it, a moment which will probably make your day and leave you in high spirits. Be it a baby trying to catch a butterfly or the man trying to make a living by performing in the street, during these moments, don’t you wish you had a camera with you?

Well, it happens to me often. I love taking photos especially if they have a story behind them. But there are those instances, unexpected events I would have loved to freeze in time. I found this great idea by Michael David Murphy. As they say, “pictures are worth a thousand words.” Then why can’t a picture BE words? A word by word account of the picture you missed…

Here is my first attempt. My own UNPHOTOGRAPHABLE.

This is a picture I did not take of a young girl picking strawberries in a field in Baguio. The fresh cold breeze blew constantly as the sun gently kissed the soil and the foliage. Sunflowers which lined the field faced and welcomed the sun eagerly. The young girl, dressed in blue, about 5 to 7 years old, rushed the field of strawberry plants, patiently choosing which strawberry looked best. She crouched down to get a better look and feel of each and every strawberry in front of her. Every time she found one she liked, she would pick it. Smell it. Then take a small bite... She took a bite of every one she favored, and put the rest in her container. The saccharine nectar of each bite would fill her mouth and at times drip ever so gently. A smile would fill her lips after every bite as if saying she made the right choice in picking that strawberry. Her mother who was picking beside her asked her daughter to refrain. The little girl heard nothing. She was euphoric in her deliciously red and green world, even if it was for just the moment, when she found her own little sweet rubies.

Cinematic Conversations: The Finale!

2008-02-28T14:06:00.002+08:00

I really need to finish this list! “Way to milk the suspense Jigs!” LOL!

But before I go to my number 1, why not let the suspense go on just for a moment longer…

There were other actors who never made it to my list but still deserve proper recognition. Some of them are Christopher Walken, Helena Bonham Carter, Christina Ricci, Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton, and Jake Gyllenhaal all are outstanding actors but didn’t quite make the cut.

There is another actor who recently got my attention. He’s a good actor with a few awards under his belt (one of them being an Oscar). He also has an excellent sense of humor and a good sport to boot. Movies like “Good Will Hunting,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” “Ocean’s Trilogy,” and of course “The Bourne Identity Trilogy.” I bet you already know who I am talking about. So, no further introduction will be necessary right?

Anyway, I saw this hilarious video of him with Sarah Silverman (one of the best comedians working today) a while back and it still cracks me up now! If you haven’t seen it, you should. They have this running gag on the Jimmy Kimmel Live. It’s great! Watch it and the other videos about it.

Jimmy Kimmel also made a video in response to this just to get back at Sarah and Damon. Watch it here!

On to the main event! So who really is at my #1 position? I think some of you have guessed correctly (No Rhea, it’s not Jack Black). Well, not 100% correctly, because I have a tie for 1^st place! Wow…how exciting…..LOL!

1) Cate Blanchett

She is one of the most successful and influential actresses during her time. I’m just speechless when it comes to the great Cate. “Elizabeth,” “Bandits,” “Heaven,” “Veronica Guerin,” “Babel,” “Notes On A Scandal,” “I’m Not There,” and her mesmerizing performance as Katharine Hepburn on “The Aviator” are just some of my favorite movies from her. However, her other films are not in anyway lacking. She constantly delivers transfixing performances. Her beauty is much like her talent, unending and immaculate. I have to stop here, if I keep going, I’m just gonna babble and embarrass myself.

1) Johnny Depp

One of the most versatile, daring and amazing actors I have ever had the pleasure of watching on the silver screen. He is the kind of actor who acts for the sake of acting. He doesn’t do it for the fame nor for the huge salaries (but getting that doesn’t hurt). Having that kind of perspective leaves the door open for so many acting possibilities. And that is what Johnny Depp got. Eccentric roles like Edward Scissorhands in “Edward Scissorhands”, Ichabod Crane in “Sleepy Hollow”, Jack Sparrow in “Pirates Of The Caribbean”, Willy Wonka in “Charlie And The Chocolate Factory”, and the more recent Sweeney Todd in “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street” are critically acclaimed roles that seems like no other actor could portray. He was also great in films with more “conventional” roles like “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”, “The Brave”, “Ed Wood” (I loved this film!), “Donnie Brasco”, “Chocolat”, “Before Night Falls”, “Once Upon A Time In Mexico”, “Secret Window” and “Finding Neverland”.

Phew! Quite a list. Quite. A. List. I hope I didn’t irritate you guys for waiting too long. I really enjoyed this 3-part post though. :P

Cinematic Conversations: The Sequel

2008-02-10T20:34:00.000+08:00

Wasn't able to post this earlier. I went to Baguio this week. I will tell you about it next time. Thanks for the comments! Nice to know we have our similar tastes and different likes. Anyway, here’s Part two of my previous post. The upper half of my Top 10 Movie Crushes:

5) Emma Thompson

I have this certain affinity for British actors (and of course British films), and Emma Thompson leads the pack. Her beauty is simple and more “earthly,” while her acting is truly spell-binding. She can play roles from a serious inhibited role in Sense and Sensibility, to an eccentric wizard in Harry Potter to a peculiar but talented writer in Stranger Than Fiction. This two time Academy award-winner (for her roles in Howards End and Sense and Sensibility) is not only a brilliant actor, but also received praises for writing ability. I do recommend that you catch her earlier films like Dead Again, Howards End, and Remains of the Day; and her later films like Sense and Sensibility, Love Actually, Nanny McPhee and Stranger that Fiction. Oh! And did you see her in the HBO miniseries, Angels In America? She was just heavenly (pun intended)!

4) Will Smith

Because of his latest films, no one can deny the acting aptitude of the great Will Smith. He has shown great versatility and has established himself as a bankable actor. He has kept himself out of controversy and has managed to keep his family together (happily I might add), unlike all the other celebrity couples. Independence Day, MIB, Enemy of the State, ALI, Bad Boys, The Pursuit of Happyness, and the recent I Am Legend show proof of Will Smith’s undeniable success in the movie industry. By the way, let’s not forget his rapper status! “Na na na na na na na, Getting Jiggy with it!” LOL!

3) Leonardo Di Caprio

2002 was for me the beginning of Leo’s serious acting career, anything before that was just a warm-up (Titanic is a cinematic phenomenon, so it doesn’t count. LOL!). And, from 2002 onwards, he could do no wrong. Gone are the matinee idol days and Leo-Mania groupies. Welcome the Oscars, Golden Globes and SAG awards. He has starred in one massive movie after another (Catch Me If You Can, Gangs Of NY, Aviator, Blood Diamond and The Departed) with no signs of slowing down. He is one of Martin Scorsese’s preferred actors and this is greatly advantageous to his career. Only good things are expected the new more impressive DiCaprio.

2) Natalie Portman

I know a lot of you are going “Whaaa?” Like Milla Jovovich, Natalie is one of those actors I’m just infatuated with. She is a lady with the smarts, the looks and the personality. Being a straight-A student, she was quoted saying, "I'd rather be smart than be a movie star." Fortunately, she had managed to be both by graduating from Harvard and winning a golden globe for her role in Closer. She is also one of the top geek crushes for her role in Star Wars! LOL! Her roles in Garden State, Cold Mountain, Closer, Anywhere but Here, V for Vendetta and Paris, je t'aime are just beguiling, mesmerizing and wonderful. You should also watch the SNL episode she hosted, she’s hilarious.

Oooops! The post got to long again! I’ll just tell you about my Number 1 Movie Crush in another post. ;P CAN YOU GUESS WHO???

Cinematic Conversations

2008-02-03T03:58:00.000+08:00

The last post was disgusting right? Yeah, everybody noticed. So, in order to make up to you few who still actually read my blog, I’m going to blog about one of my favorite amusements, MOVIES! Let me first talk about my Top Ten Movie Crushes. Thanks to Paolo for getting my thought process going because we virtually fought over this list. Hahaha! He thought I was really “mean” and “technical.” Will you agree?

10) Shia LaBeouf

He is for me, one of the most promising young actors in the business today. He, as of late, has been doing one great movie after another and at the same time continuously delivering excellent performances in all of them. It started with “Holes” to “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” to “Transformers” and now, the up and coming “Indiana Jones”.

Note: Paolo disagrees and believes Zac Efron should hold the title I gave to Shia. I say, it takes more than perfect skin and a singing voice to make an actor. If he can show some REAL range and BELIEVABLE emotion, then we’ll talk, but for the mean time, he should stick to his musicals.

9) Milla Jovovich

I just had to add her to my list. I can’t help but like every movie she makes, no matter how bad a few of them are! LOL! I’ve watched 50% of her films and I am yet to hate one (so don’t make me review her films! LOL!). I really find her beautiful and multi-talented at the same time (she even has a critically acclaimed music album). Even her small role in Zoolander was noticeable. I’m sorry guys; I’m just biased when it comes to her. As Juice would say, “Milla Jovovich is love.”

8) Christian Bale

What an intense actor Christian Bale is. He is so attuned to his craft that the most important aspect of a film for him is delivering an astounding performance. He is so disciplined that he has undergone severe dietary regimens to play some of his roles (e.g. The Machinist and Rescue Dawn). He is also known for his expert skill in different accents. My films of choice are “American Psycho”, “Harsh Times”, “Rescue Dawn”, “3:10 to Yuma,” “Laurel Canyon” and “The Prestige”.

7) Charlize Theron

Another lovely lady and she’s from South Africa! She won an Oscar for her incredible performance in “Monster” making her the first South African to win the said award. She followed that up with North Country and Aeon Flux, where she both got praises for her roles. She has that classic beauty to her which radiates every time I see her at award shows. Then she takes a complete 360 and completely transforms into the characters she portrays in movies. Film of choice would be “Monster,” “North Country,” “In The Valley Of Elah,” and “Battle In Seattle.”

Note: I sometimes get Charlize Theron and Scarlett Johanssen mixed up. Has that ever happened to you?

6) George Clooney

I didn’t really like him in ER (he did however get Emmy and GG nominations for it) but I liked all of the films he was in (that I’ve seen of course), whether he be the actor, the director, the producer and/or the screenwriter. The multifaceted Mr. Clooney has done excellent movies in the past years and is best known for “Ocean’s Eleven” and its sequels. His eternal bachelor status has gained him quite a following among women. He has also received several awards and nominations for both his acting (“Syriana,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and “Michael Clayton”) and directing ability (“Good Night And Good Luck”).

Note: George Clooney is my counterpart for Paolo’s Mel Gibson.

I have to stop here for a while. The post is getting too long. What do you think so far? Do you agree? Type in your thoughts guys! Would love to hear it! Top 5 will be posted asap!

P.S. Got new reviews in my other blog, INFLICKTED! Please visit and leave some comments! Tell me if you like or hate my reviews! LOL!

This is what stress can do

2008-01-22T08:50:00.000+08:00

I’m dead! I can’t believe how busy I am! Dammit! Where’s my support system?! I think they’re busy too. I’m wasting away mentally. This is crazy. My face looks terrible. The eye-bags, the outbreaks, the pasty complexion, there’s no mistaking it! I’m stressed and on my way to a breakdown…

Aaaanyway, how are you guys? Doing well I hope! That’s good. Take care of yourself ok? You might catch a cold. Don’t forget to text me if you need anything.

Stress is making me do things I wouldn’t normally do. Right now, I can’t watch anything unless it’s a cartoon show. I personally prefer anime lately. I’ve been downloading Japanese cartoons non-stop! And no, it’s not the hentai kind! Weirdo.

Speaking of cartoons, anybody here a fan of the cartoon in Nickelodeon toon called “As Told By Ginger”? I saw this one episode where Ginger composed a poem which got her noticed. The poem is good, I really want to know it.

I’m also experiencing some mild bipolar disorder. Mood swings left and right, depressed and I don’t finish some things I started. I start reading a book and half way through it, I just set it down and no longer plan to finish it. One time, I started cooking some pasta but as I was waiting for the noodles to finish cooking, I completely spaced out and just walked out of the kitchen without finishing the meal I was making. It was a good thing it was just spaghetti, our maid took over the cooking.

I’ve also been dying to write a few reviews for a couple of new movies I’ve seen like I AM LEGEND, LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, BEOWULF, ENCHANTED, JUNO and ACROSS THE UNIVERSE. But I also don’t want to force myself to write a review and end up with something crappy and terrible. I promise to write a bunch of reviews soon. By the way, if you have any movies you want to be reviewed, just tell me and I’ll tell you what I think about the movie.

This is it for now. You know as I reread this post, I come off somewhat dumb! Haha! That’s ok, got no brain cells to spare right now. Hehe! Till the next time!

It's In The Blood

2008-01-15T03:00:00.000+08:00

I’m Filipino. And like most Filipinos, I’m 25% or 50% (I’m not really sure, I have to ask my lola again) of foreign blood. Meaning, somewhere in my family tree, one of my great lolos or lolas was a foreigner. And again, just like some Filipinos, I’m not really sure which. I think it’s either Chinese or Spanish. Most likely it’s Spanish due to my last name but, the maiden name of my lola (the one I told you earlier about, remember? LOL!) is Chinese, so like I said, I’m not really sure.

Why am I telling you this? No special reason really. Lately, my mind has been filled with thoughts of whether or not my blood heritage has anything to do with my personally. I’ve heard countless generalizations about cultures and ethnic groups, both negative and positive. I realized, looking at myself and my life, I’m nothing like the Chinese, nor am I more of a Spanish due to my family name. But I do believe I am greatly influenced by a more specific and unexpected group that I belong to. I can’t believe I am more of a KAMPANGAN than I ever thought I could be.

I am not really your average Kapampangan. My knowledge of our culture is trivial and I barely speak our dialect. My residence is in Pampanga, but I virtually grew up in Manila. I am not at all that close to my Kapampangan relatives and as much as I try too fit in; it seems I am uncomfortably placed among them. Nevertheless, I try, and they welcome me as part of the family as they always do. It just seems that I am more of a regular Filipino than a Kapampangan. But one person helped me change that perception.

A teacher. Not really a Kapampangan teacher, but a person who was a proud Kapampangan. He is actually an accounting professor, and he spoke not a word of Kapampangan. He grew up at Manila and decided to stay in Pampanga with some other relatives. He is what I would call unconventionally proud of his being Kapampangan. He, like me knows nothing of Kapampangan culture nor can he properly speak the dialect, but he feels he inherited more from Kapampangans than any realized. He made me realize a more positive perspective regarding the matter.

Wow. This is a booooring post isn’t it? Then let me just summarize…

Kapampangans love to cook and eat, loud talkers (especially in groups), very hospitable, loves to party, lives a good lifestyle, lives beyond their means, family-oriented, emotional, head strong, straight forward, passionate, and of course good-looking. As general and maybe similar some of these maybe to others, they definitely stand out in Kapampangans, which I am proud to say I possess. I may not be culturally adept in some areas of Kapampangan cultures, but I AM unconventionally proud to be a Kapampangan.

Note: As I begun to write this post I was truly enthusiastic, but then, the power went out and so did my inspiration. When the electricity came back, I recovered my file but can no longer continue my train of thought. Everything that came out my mind was poop. So this post is completely ruined! Ugh! Nakakainis Talaga!!

A Challenge For Your Inner Philosopher

2007-12-12T22:52:00.001+08:00

Guys! Gals! What’s up with everyone?! Is it just ME or is there a virtual gloom or dejection looming over the blogosphere? I know I’m feeling some slump, but it shouldn’t stop us from writing something inspired! So, to challenge everyone to think and get their juices flowing while having some fun, I’m posting a pseudo-meme that anyone can answer!

From the Philosophical to the Comedic to the Blatantly Blunt, these questions will get you thinking or inspire you to write a noteworthy and creative post (I hope!). Answer everything! Challenge yourself and voice your opinions, let all of our thoughts bring forth chaos! Too much? Aaaaanyway, even though the pseudo-meme is open to all, I will tag seven people whose brains I want to sink my teeth into. Yummy…

What is the meaning of life?

If a tree falls in a forest with no one to hear, does it make a sound?

What is the fundamental flaw in human nature? Pride - or greed?

Would you kill one person to save a thousand? However, that one person is the most important human being in your life. Would you still do it?

Are men naturally Polygamous?

Are women naturally competitive with other women?

Is the human race essentially good?

"If all the world's a stage and we are merely players..." what game are we playing?

Have you been accused of being a genius?

In a society where everyone is "entitled to their opinion", what place is there for Right and Wrong?

Descartes said "I think therefore I am", How can one prove to themselves that another person exists beyond their imagination?

If it was never illegal, would you have killed someone by now?

Does everything in the world have an opposite? If no, give an example.

How do you define personal honor?

How would you describe the color blue to a blind person?

How will you prove that genuine love exists?

Will humankind annihilate itself eventually?

What is the greatest unsolved mystery on earth?

Given infinity, will all that is possible eventually happen?

Is it better to be uncertain about something forever, or know the truth and be very hurt through all your life?

Is it bad to call in to work because you are sick of it?

If you saw a yellow ball but everyone told you it was purple, who would you believe? If no, what would you do to prove your side?

Is education the filling of a pail, or the lighting of a fire?

What would you be willing to do to survive?

Is a lie a lie, if everybody knows it is?

Imagine yourself experiencing a car accident. What happens and how does everything look like after the accident?

Do you ever wonder if you're already dead and this is just your life flashing before your eyes?

(And finally, my favorite question of all…hehe..)

Should the conservative Christian husband of an atheist woman allow her to have an abortion if there's a chance the kid might grow up and turn into a gay Mormon?

There you go ladies and germs (I wonder who came up with that line), my thought-inspiring meme. Do try to answer everything! Have fun and get those juices flowing again!

I AM TAGGING…

THE BRILLIANT BASTARD. . .PAOLO

THE GIFTED GIRL. . .JUICE

THE SMART SCHOLAR. . .REX

THE LUSTROUS LADY. . .FRUITY OATY

THE CREATIVE CUTIE. . .DONYA QUIXOTE

THE BRAINY BOY. . .DAN HELLBOUND

UPDATE: Read and View Paolo's answers in his BLOG! His Answers are priceless! After viewing feel free to join Khoops.com

Being Irregular...

2007-11-28T08:03:00.000+08:00

I just experienced another unexpected hiatus. This semester entails some familiarization. Classes aren’t hard, but there are just things that need getting used to. Professors, classmates, environment and a whole lot more. Let me give an example…

First Day…First Class…

I don’t know anybody in my class (One pro AND con of being an irregular student). I take a seat at the back of the class and try to look bored and unnoticeable. I hate block students (the opposite of an irregular student). They can be so boisterous and inconsiderate, plus they have control over the class and easily influence teachers. The minute I stepped into the class, I saw their eyes darting towards me with the expression of “subtle smugness” in their faces. It was as if they didn’t want me to invade their little clique. There were the usual stares and mumblings. Let me just say that I know not all block classes are like that. Unfortunately for me, this one was. I settled in, drowned out all the noise with my iPod (my good friend), and decided to recheck my schedules, hoping that this future hell hole I’m in was the wrong room. It was the right one (surprise, surprise).

A few minutes in, another student stepped in. He received the same “welcome” I got. He sat next to me and settled in. He then faces me and asks, “Irreg ka?” I gave him a small nod and a small smile. “Pareho tayo. (chuckles) Wala rin akong kakilala dito.” We kept to ourselves after that short conversation. Then came, the Professor. Female and quite striking. My first impressions: kind, approachable, and patient. What was that saying about first impressions again? She stepped in the classroom, set her things on the table and sat down. Her first words were, “Get 1 whole sheet of paper and define the following.” Of course, the block students, in chorus, moaned and complained about the sudden test, but to no avail. After 30 minutes, the papers got collected and the professor introduced herself. She spoke as if she had no desire to speak. She dragged her sentences and slowly threw them away. She stated her rules and requirements and she was not a woman who was easily pleased, but all too easily offended.

She then asked a simple question, “This is a block class right? Are there irregular students?” The block students instantly turned and glared at us. I raised my hand and so did the guy next to me. We both noticed two girls raising their hands on the other side of the room. Then, the instructor asked a loaded question, “why are you irregular students? Don’t you want to be regular?” I never thought I had to defend my choices or decisions on something that is completely valid and acceptable. None of us wanted to answer. The rest of the class kept looking back expecting someone among us to defend our state. The guy seating next to me whispered something, “Kilala ko yang si ma’am. May nagsabi sakin na hindi daw nya gustong may irregular student sa mga klase niya.” I was surprised. I never expected such feelings from an educator. The teacher suddenly calls on my seat mate, “Mr. _____, maybe you want to share your little discussion over there with the rest of the class, and maybe tell me why you are an irregular student.” Demeaning is an understatement given that the whole class was looking at him expecting a complex string of events which lead to him being an irregular student.

“Ma’am, I failed po two subjects so I am retaking them.”

Then the rest of the class immediately turned their attention to the teacher eagerly waiting her reaction. She answered in her dragged, apathetic tone, “Hmmm, well that’s too bad. Do better this time around” “You really should waste your parent’s money.” If that wasn’t demeaning enough, she called on a regular student and asked, “Am I right Ms. ____? What do you think?” And the girl blatantly answered, “Yes ma’am. May nagsabi din sakin na teacher that irregular students are irresponsible, kaya sila naging irregular.” Whoa! Definitely uncalled for. I was riling at this point. And then opportunity presented itself. The professor called my name, “You are also irregular, do you agree? I think her statements are not only justifiable but also logical.”

I said, “Ma’am, her statements are nothing short of offensive, bordering discriminative.” The woman then stands up and tells the teacher, “Ma’am hindi naman po ako nagsabi non! Sinabi lang sakin ng teacher yun noh!” I continued interrupting her, “Even though it was not she who actually expressed those sentiments, to affirmingly correlate being irregular to irresponsibility is in itself irresponsible.” Mumbling ensued.

“Being an irregular student doesn’t automatically categorize you as an irresponsible money-wasting child. There are several justifiable and logical reasons why we are irregular students. Some of us might be working students who need flexible schedules. Some may even be smarter than the average student by prioritizing subjects which would optimize their learning experience. Some may fit the description you have so narrowly placed them. They may have failed, but they are trying hard to change that. And if there IS such a teacher, a supposed educator who would discriminate or favor a student for not being irregular, he or SHE should be ashamed of themselves, then, they should be fired.”

I sat down and the mumbling continues and intensifies. The teacher, after a few moments, silences the class and begins to explain the subject material. After ten minutes, the class was dismissed…

I had never had to defend myself for doing something that was not wrong uncommon or different. I’ve been irregular all my life, in more ways than one. What happened was just ridiculus. Just goes to show, some people can really be idiots…

Two Weeks without technology

2007-11-03T04:57:00.000+08:00

Is not as horrible as you may imagine.

Now when I say technology, I mean the stuff bloggers and young adults are made of: PCs, Laptops, iPod, Camera, VideoCam, INTERNET, TV, Vehicle, Microwave and Cellphone.

Well, I did have my cellphone, but it barely made a peep so it was virtually invisible. This would explain my short hiatus once AGAIN.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. I spent my whole sembreak at my aunt’s house in Marikina. They are affluent, and probably owned anything their hearts ever desired. They owned a veritable mansion. I expected extravagance, luxury and some well deserved relaxation.

“Gino, we’ll be spending a week at our farm in Ilocos.” – these are the words that shattered my prospects into tiny pieces, like the grains of sand, soil and rice that I will be getting acquainted with, very soon.

There was that dread of the unexpected. Not knowing what I will encounter at a “farm” where my stereotypical mindset imagined a small kubo hut, with no beds, and no proper lavatory. And a huge field with the overwhelming stench of cow manure and the usual abundance of mud, livestock and greenery. However, there also was that security of the identified. Meaning, I knew my aunt wouldn’t consent to me experiencing a horrible time during my vacation, and knowing her standards, she won’t let herself experience that too.

o I accepted my fate and embraced all the experience had to offer. When we got there, I was surprised. It was nothing like what I imagined (of course it wasn’t! come on!), it was surprisingly a beautiful sight to behold. It was just an inch short of the huge haciendas portrayed in television. The place was simple, the only advancement visible was the vehicles and machines used in the farm. The house we inhabited was big and was one of those antique Spanish colonial houses.

“Technology is but a brushstroke

in this rural backdrop.”

This rustic locale had a substitute for everything. A few days in the whole experience, you get to revert to a more simple life where no one will scoff at you for not putting on a thousand peso shirt or applying your make up before going out. You are appreciated for just being there and sharing the whole experience with them. Everyone got along, even the owners and the employees.

It was a great. It has been a while since I did so much with such little effort. It was wonderful. It was refreshing. It was just what the doctor ordered....

To be continued...

P.S. Ayo... I'm tired of using technology...

The Jigst Of Things

2007-10-18T01:03:00.000+08:00

What a month September was! I’ve never been soo busy in my entire life. It completely forced me to go underground and temporarily redirect my attention and forgo blogging. Since I haven't fully recovered from the whole ordeal, let me just give you a rundown of what transpired last month in my world:

1) Took Part In A Marketing Bazaar. We had to establish a business that we believe will be profitable with an inventory that will last for at least a week. It is in essence the application of being a business owner and manager.

2) Joined A Marketing Competition. We had to create an original and dynamic marketing plan for Taco Bell whose budget was 10 million pesos. At first, I didn’t know what to do with all the money allotted for the task, but in the end, I almost didn’t make the budget fit!

3) Participated In A Sales Promotion Contest. Each contestant had to create a convincing and creative product pitch to a panel of 6 judges. It’s just like what Steve Jobs does when he presents a new product from Apple.

4) Participated In A Thesis Making Contest For The Philippine Stock Exchange. This was definitely one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever had to undertake. Many students dread thesis making, what more if it is for a contest where excellence is expected of you and you are competing against the country’s top colleges.

5) Produced and Directed 3 Commercials and a Print Ad. We were tasked to put together two sets of advertising campaigns accompanied by an advocacy for two different organizations. Editing was the greatest torture here. It took three solid days (with barely any breaks) to finish everything.

So basically, to sum it all up in one sentiment, September utterly kicked my ass. I was so busy and so toxic with everything I needed to do that I didn’t know which I should do first or how to fit everything in my schedule. Where’s a secretary when you need one?! Anyway, October is here and I can’t be any more relieved. I just hope as my favorite month progresses, my stress levels would go down and I can finally get to have some fun.

Yes, I did say October is my favorite month. October is just awesome. I don’t know, but I just love every second of every hour of every day of every week of this glorious month. Some of you may already know a reason why I love this month, but here’s a rundown of some of the reasons why this October is shaping up to be a GREAT month:

1) Fruits Of My Labor. It is true that if you work hard and believe in your work, all your efforts will be worth it, rewarded even. Believe me, the returns were worth it after everything. Our marketing bazaar was so profitable, our investment came back three-fold. I won several awards (1^st place for the Marketing Competition, the Sales Promotion and the honor of receiving the best thesis award in the PSE Contest!) and recognized in others (3^rd place in the Advertising and Advocacy Campaign). I've never been this successful ever! Hahaha!

2) Oktoberfest! I’ve only been to the event once due to the incessant demands of my manila friends and I had such a great time. Honestly, I am not a huge beer drinker, I prefer a different poison, but this is the only time in a year where I actually like beer. Luckily, I’ll be going this month with my cousins so I finally get to unwind, party and then some!

3) Halloween! My favorite and the ultimate pseudo-holiday! Ghouls, Witches, and Zombies roam the streets! Well, not really, especially in the Philippines (we prefer Kapre and Mananangal). I am fascinated by the “other side” and what perfect way to soak in all the mystery than during All Hallows Eve. Boo!

4) October is the Perfect Month. For me, October has the best weather and atmosphere. This can be felt more dramatically if you are in a country experiencing 4 seasons. October falls (no pun intended) in the season of autumn. Not too hot, not too cold. The hues of the season are red, orange and brown. A great month for contemplation, celebration and affection…Perfect…

I know I have another reason why October is so fantastic, I just keep forgetting what that reasons is…hmmm…

Anyway, that’s about everything that has happened to me these past few weeks. This is officially my return to the blogging scene and hopefully it sticks. I’m also announcing an October Blog Special! I’ll be writing posts geared towards this month’s theme of fright! Hehe!

Ok, I’ll end it here. Till the next post!

Of My Thoughts and Contemplations

2007-09-25T13:45:00.000+08:00

This is part two… More drama? I think not…

It is because of deep thoughts and contemplations of my world in its entirety that I feel my mediocrity. I feel insignificant and could’ve done better. However, it is by those musings that I realize I am surrounded by people who love me, not only for who I am but also for I what I can do. I have my family and my friends who whisper to me, “You have done well.” I know I am loved; it is only by my frustrated insecurities that I forget to realize or feel that.

It is because of my deep thoughts and contemplations of my world in its entirety that I have somehow made sense of things. The week before last week was one of the most fruitful, enjoyable and enlightening weeks in my life. Let me explain. As a teenager, the course I wanted to take up was Comsci (Computer Science). Computer courses were the popular choice back then. My second choice, Business Management. Back then, I saw a manager as a “general job.” It was a job anyone can do even if you didn’t finish business management. With just a bit of training, a nurse could be a manager, an engineer could be a manager, a graphic designer could be a manager. But a manager cannot be a nurse, a manager cannot be an engineer, a manager cannot be a graphic designer. It was a course, I thought, I couldn’t boast about. Yet, it was the course I passed in U.P. so I ended up in that same course.

It was that week that changed my opinion on Business Management. I saw the fundamental nature of what it takes to be a manager. A manager has to be a leader; unafraid to take risks and move his team forward. A manager has to be brave; unafraid to take responsibility or to be resented when making the unpopular decision. A manager has to be intelligent; able to organize the business, control the processes required and create solutions for the company. A manager must be able to MANAGE; it is the integration of a commander, a peacemaker, a businessman, a creative director, a counselor and a friend.

But most of all, I believe what sets a manager apart from any other profession, is the passion. The passion to make your business better by empowering your employees and utilizing the best options for the growth of the company and the business. Business is at times impersonal and unethical. That's where the line, “it’s nothing personal, its business” comes from. But for a manager, whose concern is for the whole organization, it can’t be helped to be personally involved.

Why am I going on and on about Management and Managers? It’s because I think I have found a profession I can be good at (great even). As common or unimpressive as most would believe managers are, I believe it takes a special breed to be great at this job and not all can be excellent managers. If only I can turn back time, I can finally get to answer that question I have been wanting to answer ever since I was 5 years old.

As self-serving as this post may be, it reveals the kind of person I am. And I wanted to share it to you because I think, even if we haven’t personally met, you should know a more personally-in-depth me. Something purely of my thoughts and contemplations. Something purely me.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

2007-09-18T12:18:00.000+08:00

As a kid, and even when I was in High School, I didn’t know what I want to do, or BE when I grow up. During the preparatory years and early elementary, the most cliché question you could ask a child would be, “What do you want to BE when you grow up?” The youngster would always have an answer. It is always the profession of the person they look up to. The top three answers would be teacher, doctor and architect. My brother wanted to be a doctor. My sister wanted to be a teacher. I, however, didn’t have an answer to that question at that time. I don’t think I can concretely answer that question even now. I am envious of those who had that passion so early in the game.

My siblings and I weren’t trained to pursue one thing and be good at it. We were brought up to take on whatever lay ahead of us. “You can be whatever you want to be! The world is yours for the taking!” – that was my Mom’s battle cry. And I love her for being like that, giving us the freedom to do what we want when we grow up. She is living proof of her own slogan. She has been successful and excelled in everything she does. My father is another prodigy. He has got to be the most hardworking man I know. He thrives on the idea, “If you work hard, it will come back to you tenfold.” They are best mentors I have ever had in my life. No professor can properly teach me half of what my parents know. I’ve always had a fear of losing them. Not really knowing how I’d move forward without their guidance. I’ve never disclosed this to any one because it seems pathetic in a way. Digression aside, amidst all the support, freedom and knowledge imparted by my parents, I just wish they directed all our drive to just a few things rather than to everything. For example, my father loves music. He has an awesome CD collection and he listens to them every time (when he is here in the Philippines). I inherited this passion but, for me, it is half-baked. I wish they got me music lessons or teach me to play an instrument. It is a passion which I nourish incompletely.

“Jack of All Trades, Master of None.” I honestly do not like that line. Unfortunately, it kinda applies to me (and maybe to some of you too). I can do a little bit of everything, but do not excel at one thing. I AM MEDIOCRE. It sounds so negative, but most of us are mediocre. Not everyone can be extraordinary or else, no one is. Some one has to play the role of the average guy and I think I currently fit into that category. Why do I say this? Why am I being such a downer? Maybe because of all the realizations I had these past few days. I used to think I knew a lot about music, movies, technology, literature, public speaking, gastronomy, etc. And then, at some point you will encounter someone better than you. Far better. And you realize, what you know is so miniscule, all that I-AM-SPECIAL feeling just disappears and is replaced by mediocrity.

Please don’t try to cheer me up. I don’t need it. Everything changes…

Part Two...Soon...

D-Day

2007-09-07T22:26:00.000+08:00

It is the culmination of a month’s worth of preparation, brain-storming and serious hard-work. It is the equivalent of everything that I have learned so far in college. It is what we have all been waiting for… It is that day…

4 days actually. Next week. Everything will come to play.

It all started with an idea. An idea that took on so many forms. I have always wondered, “are unique, outstanding, and totally out-of-the-box ideas a sudden flash of a bulb or does it require contemplation?” A question which I find myself feeling uneasy whenever I try to answer.

Rambling aside, the idea grew. It evolved. It matured. It was the logical next step. The only step to be taken, but a precarious phase nonetheless. And with that step, the next one became obvious and so did the next one, and the next one. The process was not at all delightful. It was littered with stress, frustration, rejection and illness. Although it did have its whimsical moments. The idea was now something more, much more. It has grown to be a challenging but exhilarating endeavor which has brought about magnificence, closeness and creativity.

It has required all my attention. My introvert in me rejects the notion of delegating. A true testament to the want-something-done-right line. It is the reason of my illness. The reason of my stress. The reason of my absence here.

And this is the part I say, I will be slightly nonexistent in the blogosphere starting next week. Not too long, just a four to six days. If you think of it, my short leave wouldn’t really matter because I usually only post once a week, so my time off would be inconsequential. But if you’re not too busy or want something more to read, please feel free to check out my review blog, inFLICKted and maybe you have a review in mind!

Before I go, let me thank all the people who voted for me at the recently concluded Pinoy Evil Blog Awards! I’m still waiting on whatever prize I won *glaring at Paolo’s direction*! Hahaha! A big congratulations to all the other winners too!

I have to go, got to finish the flyers and posters for Saturday. Wish me luck on my all-too-vague undertaking. Hehe. I’ll be back soon for updates (I can’t seem to get myself to update twitter more often).

When I was young-er

2007-09-03T15:50:00.000+08:00

By the time I post this, the poll for the Pinoy Evil Blog Awards Poll will be closed, so there’s really no point in campaigning for my blog. I just wish I knew who nominated me so that I can thank him/her properly. And if any of you voted for me, thank you!

When I was a young-er, I enjoyed a normal childhood. I played out in the streets, came home all sweaty and dirty and had a blast with my cousins, neighbors and friends. We amused ourselves with every game an average kid would know: Langit-Lupa, Tumbang Preso, Patintero, Moro-Moro, and Taguan. We played some not so traditional games: Pass the Message, Dr. Quack Quack, Chinese Garter, and Dodgeball (the ball we used was a knotted up handkerchief). We even used props: Bahay Bahayan and Role Playing.

When I was still a kid, I basically got what I wanted. But that does not automatically mean I was a spoiled brat. I seldom asked for more than I deserved. Unfortunately, my parents believe their children deserve the world. Parents…Sometimes they get it right… I digress. So, my parents bought toys, toys, and more toys. Every birthday, every Christmas, every perfect score, I was treated to something new. I dare not try to remember the first ever toy I got, but the first toy I ever really liked and had a collection of was…Matchbox… These were small scale cars that could easily fit inside a matchbox (so aptly named). I had probably over a thousand of these cool cars which I stored in cool carrying cases for all my playmates to see and enjoy. Every time we went to the mall, I would always check out the toy section of the department store to see if there were any models which I have yet to possess. And every time, I went home with at least one.

I had another collection…Text Cards…More specifically, trading cards of X-Men characters. I had three favorite cards: Magneto, Professor X, and Phoenix. I never used them for games or for betting. The game was utterly simple. If I remember correctly, you flick your cards to the air and the if your cards land face up, you win (or something like that). Unfortunately, we all change and this was not made any less hurried by my short attention span. I quickly moved to a new prospect.

My parents bought me one of the coolest toys I’ve seen…NERF… This huge canon-like barrage weaponry was just what my crazy personality needed. I got to hurt everyone without really hurting or killing them thanks to the foam ammunition. Every time I hear the loud popping sound of the air pressure being released gave me a kiddie adrenaline rush. Too bad the ammo was too limited.

After all that chaos, I opted for simpler toys. Once again, my mind was jaded and indecisive. I knew now what I wanted. It was the simplest of toys but it fascinated me…The Slinky… This coil shaped toy was my ultimate desire for a whole year and never asked for another toy. As simple as it was, it kept me entertained and occupied during the most tedious of times. I had the rainbow colored plastic slinky and the metal slinky. Other simple toys/games I liked was the slap bracelet (not really a toy nor a game, but I liked it!) and Pogs which I believe was popularized by Coca-Cola.

After the simple came the complex. I started playing with “high-tech” toys. 2 Ts mainly covered this point…Tamiya…and…Tamagotchi… I got into Tamagotchi because my aunt gave all of her nephews and nieces one. So the challenge of raising the best monster pet was on between us cousins. It was so stupid and yet you feel so weirdly attached to it. But I never named a pet, ever. As for Tamiya, it was introduced to me by an older cousin. This was the time was so eager to be an adult because they got to do what they want. I played the toy and the game and was hooked. I always modified my racer to make it faster, lighter and balanced. This is the only time I will ever be a mechanic.

And finally, One of the best games I’ve ever played in my life was during my late elementary years, to early high school. It required intelligence, strategy and mettle. It is not only a great game but also a wonderful collection. The name fittingly says it all…MAGIC: The Gathering… I know, it seems kinda dorky but it is definitely entertaining and a good strategy game. The artwork is equally magnificent. I have several specialty decks created during those days (the unglued edition was great! Haha!). The game MAGIC is still alive today and has spawned plenty of expansions, but if you ask me, “old magic” is always the best and strongest…

But now, all of these toys and games are given away, lost (when we moved houses) discarded, or destroyed (I had used the images from Wikipedia). How sad that the things that gave me so much pleasure when I was a child is carelessly discarded and no more. I want to discuss more about my childhood and how much I miss it nowadays, but I guess I have to leave that for another post (this one’s long as it is!). I know I missed a whole bunch of other toys. I didn’t even share my discourse on whether “action figures” are really just dolls for boys. But I’m sure everyone has their opinion. Share it, and let me know okay? Till then, I’m off…

Shelling out the LOVE

2007-08-29T02:31:00.000+08:00

I can’t get any love nowadays. Everybody keeps ordering me around, “Jigs do this,” Jigs do that,” “Jigs die and burn in hell,” everyone’s such a downer! So I’ve decided to proliferate some lurve for everyone and hope it gets multiplied (back to me hopefully).

A HUUUUGE Thank You to three great graphic designers for helping me Pro Bono with my Advertising Project. To JAMES, BIM and KEVIN, I still don’t know how you guys do it, but you do it hella well!

A BIIIIIG Congratulations to my best bud REX for writing 200 sensible and note worthy posts! Well Done! You are twice the blogger I will ever be and I mean that whole-heartedly. Thank you for introducing me to this world!

A MAAAASSIVE good luck to all the bloggers I nominated in the truly wicked and endlessly controversial EVIL BLOG AWARDS!

JUICE, stop complaining about the fact I nominated you, I know you like it! Hahaha! I really do hope you win! So start shaking that yummeh booty!

REX, your controversial post was exceptional but you definitely have some stiff competition. SKYE wrote one tirade of a post. Good luck to both of you!

POLI, I was the one who nominated you! Mwahaha! And isn’t it ironic, we’re competing under the same category! Let us see who is deemed more Machiavellian! Hahaha!

TALAMASCA, ever the controversial writer! Congrats for your nominations in two categories (we’re also competitors)! Finally some recognition eh?!

This pseudo-awards thingy (which by the way is getting more serious by the day) was the brain fart of the most sinister of us all, the philosophical, the bastard, the GREEEEAT PAOLO!

Still on the Evil Blog Awards, I nominated a blogger who unfortunately didn’t make the cut, but I believe deserves to be noted and recognized. SLIM WHALE is truly an excellent writer with a VAAAAST array of metaphors and wide vocabulary under his belt.

Also, I have a couple of choice words for the JOYFUL CHICKEN and his GRAAAAND MAFIA…I will never let you have…my precious…You will have to pry it from my cold and sweaty hands before you can even have a whiff of it! The soft served ice cream is mine! Mine I tell you!

And finally, I want to greet the Goddess of Chocolates, my dearest sister, an ENOOOORMOUS congratulations! She just passed the nursing examinations! She is now officially a nurse!

She didn't have a good photo of her in a nurse's outfit so I just used her grad pic. ;)

I've given out all the love I could give at the moment.

As the song goes, All you need is LOVE... Then here you have it...Pass it on!

Invoking Malu Fernandez

2007-08-23T03:47:00.000+08:00

I have never been to Divisoria. I hate everything about the place. I hate huge crowds, I hate the scorching sun and I hate the putrid stench of the trash infested streets, but I decided to give the place a chance because my marketing group needed to buy raw materials in bulk for our marketing bazaar and my team insisted on saving money. I, on the other hand, didn’t get their logic for “saving money”. Who knew this slight disagreement would set the mood in a magnified way.

We decided to meet at 7 am in the morning. I had a vehicle prepared already for us, a brand new Honda Pilot. It’s not the best, but will do for this sort of trip. Unfortunately, no one bothered to check the freaking plate number. “Color Coding yung honda mo!” A friend blurted out. There was a second option, it was an Isuzu, and it made me squirm. It reeked of old fabric and moldy plastic. I had to empty out a bottle of Bvlgari Blu. Thank God I had a spare bottle with me.

I had to prepare a lot of stuff for this “undertaking.” I bought with me a big bottle of alcohol, face towel, extra shirt, sunglasses, handkerchiefs, ipod, and Valium. After a whole hour of preparing (on my part), we were ready to go. It was a long trip, and thanks to the portable DVD player I brought along with me, it was not that boring.

When we finally got to Divisoria, we could not get a parking spot and traffic was horrible. It was because of all the people crossing everywhere and the different modes of transportation. There were Jeepneys with drivers who would endlessly honk for invisible passengers, the tricycles that would transport items bigger than themselves, the taxicab that was a rusting oasis in the heat, and of course the pedicabs, that can be seen everywhere but only a handful use them. We decided to step out of our car and just let the driver look for a parking spot. The moment I took one step out of the cool but barely comfortable car, I wanted to get back in. I was simultaneously struck by the shocking sight, smell and sound of the space.

“Handa ka na bang maglakad?” my teammate asked

“La-Lakad?” I stammered. “Baka gusto mong maglakad pauwi ng Pampanga?!”

The sun bore down on me like it had a grudge. I reluctantly strode with the group, and showed that unwillingness by taking my sweet time. Everywhere, people were shouting and clapping. “Dito ang pinakamura!”, “Pili napo kayo!”, “ano po ang sa inyo?!”(I doubt it ever persuaded anyone). After 3 hours of non-stop walking and buying stuff later, my hush puppies were no longer quiet, they were barking mad. And things weren’t about to get any better. In just a few minutes, dark clouds loomed above our heads, and before you could say “F#ck Divisoria!” it started to pour. An umbrella was no where in sight (that was the one thing I didn’t bring!). In the vast vicinity of the war-torn land called Divisoria, we were stuck in the section where no one was selling umbrellas.

So we were stuck by the sidewalk along with other sweating stranded citizens without any signs of the rainstorm stopping anytime soon. A can of sardines had more elbow room than we did, and everyone’s smell was creating a whole new fierce odor. There was this lady (with thick make-up and bad hair) who kept spraying herself with an imitation perfume that made the pungency even worse. There’s nothing worse than the smell of sweat, rain, street puddle and cheap perfume.

After 45 minutes, the rain subsided, and I decided to quit and head for the car (the lesser evil). I didn’t care if my teammates wanted to keep going and battle their way through the traffic and the people. After an extra 30 minutes of waiting, my teammates finally arrived and we finally went home. We were all knocked out cold during the trip home because of exhaustion. Before completely going home, I dropped off my teammates and passed by a mall to buy some stuff to nurse my physical and mental aches (Starbucks, DVDs and Teriyaki Boy).

This was one of the more painful experiences in my life which I will definitely tuck away and never ponder on again. Just a few more hours of relaxation and I’ll feel better…

NOTE: This is a parody on Malu Fernandez’s article (mine is not as "priceless" as hers). This is only 40% factual.

Drinking and Driving

2007-08-18T04:14:00.000+08:00

This is so far the best and most unique excuse I have ever made up to get out of a ticket.

However, I wasn't the one driving.

My cousins (4 of them) and I were out for a night of drinking and partying. We decided to head home at around 3 AM because one of my cousins was already spewing his guts out in the bathroom.

Of course most of us were beyond tipsy but the designated driver was sober, enough (we permitted him to have a few drinks because he wouldn’t shut up about not wanting to be the designated driver), to drive and be alert. However, I was wrong. The next thing we knew, we were being pulled over by a traffic enforcer/policeman (I can't believe he was vigilant enough to enforce traffic rules during 3 AM!).

We were all freaking out. One of us was semi-passed out, moaning and drooling all over his face, and most of us were drunk! This was beyond a traffic violation, this is a freaking DUI ala Paris Hilton waiting to happen! I told my cousins to shut up and let me do all the talking (since I was seated at the passenger seat beside the driver, we probably won't get a whiff of my beer breath).

The cop came up to the driver's window and told us that we were speeding, had ran a red light, then drove in the wrong way of a one way street (Thank God he didn't smell booze). I thought the one way rule didn’t apply during those hours. Apparently I was mistaken.

Since all our windows were down (which is probably the reason we didn’t stink of alcohol), he saw my cousin at the back seat, who was moaning and clutching his stomach because it was sore from throwing up so much, but it his faced expression seemed like he had more to give. The officer asked us what was wrong with him. That was when I saw my chance to exact my concocted excuse...

ME: Sir, pasensya na po, nagmamadali lang po kami kasi dadalhin po namin pinsan ko sa hospital kasi nagsusuka po at nagkukumbolsyon!

COP: Ano bang meron sya? Mukha namang ok ha.

ME: Sir, hindi po okay yan! Kanina pa po siya nagsusuka. Tumigil na po ng konti pero hindi namin alam ang nangyayari sa kanya.

COP: Eh bakit kayo dumaan dito? Mali ang dinaanan nyo. One way ito! Humaharurot pa kayo! Kung di ko pa kayo pinatigil, baka naaksidente pa kayo!

ME: Sir, sorry po talaga! Hindi po namin sinasadya, nagmamadali lang po talaga kami kasi kailangan namin siya dalhin sa hospital! Hindi na po mauulit, emergency lang po! Sige na po, paunahin niyo na kami. Baka po kung ano pa mangyari sakanya kung di kami makarating dun kagad!

COP: (thinks for a second) Hay nako... Sige, sige. Dahan dahan lang sa pagmamaneho! Sige na!

And that's how you get your way out of a traffic violation and possibly a best actor award. Hehe!

My cousins were laughing their asses off when we took a turn down the street. One of them even had to prevent herself from burping! We couldn’t believe we got away with it! We were so pumped up that we were actually thinking of going back and commit the same violations but this time tell him we’re lost and ask him to perform CPR on my cousin quickly because his unconscious! Hahaha!

And what makes it even funnier is that my semi-passed out pinsan didn’t have a clue of what’s going on! So what did I learn from this experience?

Always keep a passed out relative handy…Just in case…

Death By Chocolate!

2007-08-14T01:54:00.000+08:00

Balikbayan Boxes!

Yes, my room is filled with that “state side” smell. Lovely. I did mention once HERE that I like that smell. In this family, a balikbayan box can also be called the box of surprises. A box can contain anything from a brand new audio stereo system, to flower shaped stickers with a rubber surface used in bathtubs to prevent children and elders from slipping. My mom basically sends us anything they have no use for over there. Now, I love mom with my whole heart and I’m not one to complain, but sometimes, I can’t help feeling like we’re a virtual salvation army, or worse, a dumpsite for their unwanted. Don’t get me wrong though, we have yet to get a box where we didn’t like anything inside. There are just those stray items which we find no apparent use for and are reluctant to give it to anyone else. I mean, what am I supposed to do with a small plastic blinking bicycle tail light when I have never owned a bike in my life?! Maybe they’d come in handy during brownouts! Haha! Probably not…

Anyway, the reason for this post is to tell you about one of my lovely sisters. Her name is Dyan and she’s two years younger than me (making her the third eldest). The reason for me telling you about her is because in the 4 balikbayan boxes we got this week, two were almost filled with…CHOCOLATES! Dyan is an absolute chocolate addict. From Ferrero Rocher, Snickers, Curly Tops, down to the humble Chocnut, she’ll basically devour anything brown! Wait…That didn’t come out right…

Step aside King of Chocolates, here comes the Goddess of Chocolates!

Be it white, milk, mint or dark, this chocolate girl has devoured it. And as luck would have it, the powers that be have provided her with as much chocolate she could sink her teeth in. Most of the chocolate sent to her were her favorites: Crunch, Kisses, M&Ms, Reese’s and her most coveted Ferrero Rocher. The moment I opened the box and she saw the abundance of chocolate, I swear you can hear her shriek from a mile away. It was as if she saw a couple of long lost loved ones, and their names were Hershey, Nestle, Reese and Mr. Ferrero. If she doesn’t watch her consumption of this sweet treat, the next time I post about her, she won’t have legs to stand on! Haha! Okay, bad joke, really mean…Whatever…

CHOCOLATE TRIVIA:

Chocolate originates from a Nahuatl word meaning "bitter water."

The Swiss lead the world in Chocolate consumption per capita.

Mozart made reference to chocolate in his opera, Cosi fan tutte.

Dark chocolate contains substantial amounts of flavonoid phenolics which may lower the risk of heart disease.

Pure chocolate contains anti-oxidants which aid better skin complexion, which negates the belief that it causes acne. The milk content in chocolate bars is the one that cause acne.

Chocolate (cocoa) prevents Diarrhea and treats persistent coughing by soothing and moistening the throat.

The average person will consume 10,000 chocolate bars in a lifetime.

Theobroma Cacao (used to make chocolate) roughly translates to..... "FOOD FOR THE GODS."

A Horrific Downpour

2007-08-08T21:05:00.000+08:00

It’s finally raining. It has poured non-stop over our roof since last night. It came late, but finally the rainy season has come. I was afraid we're going to experience a full blown drought. Maybe all my concerns were fueled by the documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, which I bet most of you, had already heard of. It’s about the adverse effects our excessive waste and over consumption of natural resources are doing to the Earth. These effects are also known as Global Warming. According to Al Gore (presenter in the film) we only have less than ten years in order to change the imminent outcome of our excessive and wasteful ways. Signs are everywhere: drought, floods, heat waves (like what we are experiencing) and the cracking of the great glaciers. If we do not change, our children, and their children will suffer for our mistakes…

It scared the crap out of me! I knew we had to conserve, to save energy and keep our environment clean and green. But I didn’t think we were this far gone. It’s really terrifying to think that we have done this to the one place we ALL call home. Preachy isn’t it? I thought so too. It seems false, exaggerated and straight out of an apocalyptic science fiction movie. Unfortunately, it was factual, undeniable, and forthcoming. We, at home try our best to help stop contributing to the problem. We’ve been using compact fluorescent light bulbs, keeping our air conditioning filters clean, using less energy and recycling. I just hope everyone changes their habits before it’s too late.

Too serious? I know it is… I just had to get it out there.

Anyway, on to my brand of scariness! Which is blood-splattering, gut disemboweling, and limb chopping gore extravaganzas!!! (that sentence was so good, it needed two more exclamation points!). Horror was the name, movie marathon was the game. With a big tumbler overflowing with soda, a huge bowl of popcorn, a bag of Ruffles, a remote control (to replay any porn-like or extreme gore scene!), and a huge pillow (to cover my eyes if I get too scared…as if!) at hand, I was ready to strain my eyes with all the fright it can handle. Ladies and gents, here’s the list of my Terror Torrent Trip: The Hills Have Eyes 2 (the first one was better), Hostel Part: 2 (Gore fest! Awesome!), Turistas (sucked!), The Descent (excellent!), Disturbia (so real, it’s scary!), Vacancy (well done!), The Reaping (what a waste!), Them (skillfully scary!) and Severance (funny and horrifying!). More than FIFTEEN hours of non-stop fright! I love it! It’s one of the best things I could have done during this very rainy day, when most of us do nothing but sleep.

If you know of any horror flick I have yet to watch but should watch, tell me or better yet, challenge me not to finish it! I have yet to watch a horror film and not be able to finish it. Mwahahaha!

On to other news, one of my favorite directors of all time is actually in the Philippines! Quentin Tarantino, director of Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Hostel, Kill Bill and Grindhouse, is here to receive a lifetime achievement award from the 9^th Cinemanila International Film Festival. He has been an ardent supporter of independent filmmakers and Asian cinema. There will also be a showing of all of his movies. I hope it will be open to the public, because if it is, I will definitely not miss that chance!

Anyway, I’ve put up another review in my blog, inFLICKted. It’s about the movie Sunshine, a good Sci-Fi thriller without lightsabers and aliens. Please try to visit and link me up too! I’ll transfer my reviews of Harry Potter 5 and Transformers there soon.

Erratic Excursions

2007-08-03T02:59:00.000+08:00

Let me start by saying, RATS! I didn’t win 100 bucks! Haha! Anyway, a big congratulations to the top ten emerging and influential blogs of 2007! May you guys prosper and continue to be as influential as ever. As for those who weren’t fortunate enough to influence others or didn't influence enough, there’s still 2008 so I suggest creating a new blog after August and start influencing people’s lives! Same holds true to the current top ten! Weeeee!

Forgive my bluntness, I find myself lacking of an artistic approach to the whole thing. Soooo, new topic! Exposure trips are common events when you are in Business Management. An excursion would usually consist of three company tours and visits, a little sight seeing, and a quick stop to a mall right before going home. The first excursion trip I was a part of was for my Financial Management subject. It was good enough for my first time. A visit to the Stock Market, a conference with an apparent “big time” stock broker and a tour of the Philippine National Bank was the main agenda of the day. But my classmates had other plans. We spent a good 5 hours roaming Mall of Asia. My feet were killing me after the whole ordeal. Even sadder, was the reality that I didn’t really learn anything or take home with me, other than a few fake rejected bills from PNB (yeah, we manage to get some, haha!), and a Pizza Hut doggie bag from the unfinished meatlovers my friends and I had for dinner in MOA.

Just last Wednesday, we had another exposure trip. This would be my fifth time to go on a “business” trip for students. This time went to 2 Production Factories of Nestle’ (one in Quezon City and the other near Rockwell) and to Pilipinas Hino which makes, assembles and distributes buses and trucks in the Philippines.

Nestle’ was as expected neat and very strict about their policies: No sleeveless shirts/blouses, no open toe footwear, no picture taking, keep quiet and maintain two lines. I knew they would have lots of restrictions. We were used to it since most of us have been through several factory tours. Despite the restrictions, the lady giving us the tour was very entertaining and witty. She could totally keep up with more than 240 rowdy students (separated in two batches). Unfortunately, our factory tour was not as expected. They were experiencing technical difficulties and had to stop production completely, so we basically didn’t get to see their products (ice cream, yogurt, and other chilled items) get made. So much for that experience! At least we got free ice cream! Haha!

Next stop was Pilipinas Hino, where they made buses and trucks. They actually made the buses we were using during our trips. The factory tour would have been very interesting if it wasn’t for the overwhelming stench of burnt steel, paint and thinner. For the whole experience, we all had handkerchiefs over our faces. The assembly line was very ordered but nonetheless chaotic and noisy. Thank goodness it only lasted for 15 minutes! What was interesting though was the different customers they had and how customized the designs can get. I couldn’t take any pictures so I can’t show them to you. It was very entertaining though to see only one company making buses for different universities like UST, Ateneo and CEU. Each bus was so cool looking and expertly designed.

As a finale, our teachers decided to pass by Tagaytay to get some sight seeing and shopping done. On our way to there, it started to pour. Yes, it was raining, and mist started to cover Taal Lake and the volcano. When we got there, the sprinkle subsided. We got to take some pictures and shopped as many pasalubong as our poor hands and arms could carry! I bought a whole bunch of yummy specialties! Choco Flakes, Sweet Pineapples, realy small bananas, Cassave Cake, Espasol (to name a few) and of course, my all time favorite, BUKO PIE! I had several plastic bags filled with yummy delicacies. Add to that four boxes of buko pie and two boxes of cassava cake! Never mind the fact that we have no idea on how to carry everything home! Haha! That's not all for me you know! I'm gonna give it to different people as pasalubong for them! Going back to Manila, we had one final stop, TriNoMa. It was huge and elegant, but far from complete. I wasn’t impressed at all, maybe because most of us were spent and just wanted to go home. We went around and saw what the mall had to offer. But for now, I shall reserve my full interest until the time the mall is finally finished.

It was a long day, and I know you guys wouldn’t probably read this whole post (maybe because it can be considered as a “what I did today” or narrative type of post), but I know most of you will read this last paragraph. As much as you plan every detail of an outing, an expedition or a trip, everything can fall apart even before you can say “Tara lets!” What salvages the voyage however, are the people along for the ride. Their overall demeanor and attitude towards the expected and unexpected makes the experience memorable.

Squirt Silly String Up My Nose

2007-07-27T16:25:00.000+08:00

Persuade Me! I Dare You! Who can persuade me to keep blogging?! I’m so down lately. It’s all because of the stress I currently have to deal with: Exams, Marketing Plan, Marketing Bazaar, Finex Congress, Business Debates and lots and lots of reports and lectures. Add to that lack of sleep and my dusty cobwebbed social life, and you have the makings of a straight-jacketed nincompoop that’s slightly good with money.

I like that word, nincompoop. It’s really fun to say. I’ve never really had a favorite word, but I have some words I do like saying like LUDACRIS, WICKED, RAMBUNCTIOUS, NONCHALANT and of course, CHAOS to name a few. Another word I like using is the noun ME. Why? Because I don’t get to use it that often much less vocally.

So, to hit two birds with one stone, (did you notice nobody uses that line anymore?) I decided to get some “ME” time and unwind by nourishing the frosty side of me! This week, I amused myself two ways, 3D and 2D! Oh yeah, you know what I mean! I watched Ratatouille and The Simpsons Movie Back to Back! More than 3 hours of animated hilarity in all their high-tech and traditional glory was just what the doctor ordered! I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed both movies. I can’t favor one over the other! Ratatouille is magnificent because it’s about a rat who loves to cook! A rat! A cook! Perfection! The Simpsons is simply the best animated sitcom ever made and movie was like revisiting everything that made The Simpsons the longest running American sitcom of all time!

Since we’re talking about movies, read my review of Ratatouille, my first ever post on my newest blog, inFLICKted! Link me up okay guys! What a fitting start to my blog, a movie which tackles a lot about me: my cuisine fascination, my inhibition and desire to be a cook and my love of good food! You can even add to that the fact that I'm born in the year of the rat! Haha!

Speaking of things I love, I love the fact that COOKING and FOOD is slowly entering the mainstream. As of late, three themes are booming in the TV industry: POLICE, MEDICAL, and SCI-FI/FANTASY (LEGAL Dramas are starting to slip and EVERYDAY LIFE will always be big so I didn’t include it). Movies like Ratatouille and new movie No Reservations with Catherine Zeta Jones put cooking in the center of their stories. TV shows like Iron Chef, Kitchen Confidential, Top Chef and Hell’s Kitchen are getting much attention. Thanks to cooking shows from the Food Network, great chefs are now sharing great recipes to simple cooks like me. I’ve always been adventurous when cooking and I appreciate good food, no matter who made it or where it came from.

Just last Saturday, I had lunch with a good friend in a modish town bistro. Along with our main meal, we decided to order basic Spanish treats like Tacos and Burritos. They were so delicious! I loved the kick the meat had and the heat was not overwhelming (for me anyway, hehe!) but you can feel it. This inspired me to prepare my own at home! I haven’t prepared Spanish food before so I decided to make the same ones we ate: Tacos, Burritos and added some Enchiladas. It didn’t disappoint at all! I am a big Italian aficionado but Spanish food is also really delectable!

Burritos (upper left), Enchiladas (below) and Tacos (upper right)

But of course, nothing beats a good Italian recipe. I have grown to love not just their cooking but their culture as well. I’ve even gone as far as learn their language! Yes folks, I’m currently learning Italian and I’m starting to get the accent they have! In no time at all, I’ll be speaking fluent Italian, then reading and writing! It won’t be long before the medium of writing in this blog would be changed! It would become… Jigs’ Italian Food Blog of Chaos!

I will advertise that new blog all over the internet just like those great memorable advertisements I saw in this show called Ad Persuasion. They feature commercials with really creative and original ways of grabbing your attention and persuading customers to buy their product! It’s really helpful to Marketing majors like myself. I have a subject called Professional Advertising where we analyze advertising efforts of different companies and find out why they used that type of marketing strategy. It’s all really creative and challenging but definitely my cup of tea. Thanks to Ad Persuasion, I’m starting to understand what it takes to make a commercial and what it needs to contain.

So, I tell you again, Persuade ME! Persuade me to keep blogging…in English! Or else I will definitely bring this blog to a whole new level where no one will understand everything I’m writing because I haven’t completely finished my lessons and then no one will dare visit my blog because it’s so messed up! We shall see who will come crawling back! Hahahahaha!

Wait.....Did that come out right?

The Top Ten Emerging Influential Blogs of 2007

2007-07-20T00:56:00.000+08:00

I was having second thoughts on doing this post. I had some issues with regards to the rules, but in time, I understood the idea. Too bad my blog wasn’t included (yeah, as if!). If only I postponed the making of this blog by a few months, then I’d definitely be a major contender (Ugh, keep dreaming! It’s certainly free). Guess I just have to settle for the 100 bucks then… If you haven't submitted your pick, CLICK HERE for details on how to join.

This is not at all ten. Nowhere near it. I’m sticking with the EMERGING and INFLUENTIAL criteria and not just the popularity thing:

Gagopolis

The blog is very amusing and insightful. He knows his audience and what interests them. I’m also pleasantly surprised on how well informed he is on inane but culturally pertinent topics. I’m into blogs like this. Witty and entertaining but definitely has attitude.

Manilenya

I am one of her blurkers. Haha! I’ve just recently started commenting on her posts. I like her simplicity, her sense of humor, her adventures… Her blog is one of the few that can inspire me to write about my escapades and do it in Tagalog even!

It’s not only fruity, it’s oaty

I think everyone would agree that there'd be no way of me not including this blog. Fruity personifies influential. She has charmed the blogging world in ways only the categorically insane could fully comprehend. It's just unbelievable! When I first started reading her blog, my short attention span, the enticing call of the 300 movie I was supposed to be watching and the heavenly taste of my Mozzarella Sticks couldn’t pull me away from reading her posts, one after the other. I actually think I’m scaring her because I am such a stalker! Hahaha!

The Philosophical Bastard

The title of Bloggigolo has been passed and no other blogger is as worthy of the title as Paolo Mendoza! He is oozing with ideas and creativity that he spews it everyday like artistic throw up. His humor is only matched by his great attentiveness. He notices the most minute of all things, and twists it for his own sick sick pleasure. Always have a open mind when reading his blog or viewing his videos, because it will prepare you for a side-splitting ride.

EXTRA DETAILS! IF YOU ARE AN AVID READER OF PAOLO’S BLOG, HE IS CURRENTLY DOING A MEME WHERE YOU CAN ASK HIM ANYTHING AND HE WILL DO A VIDEO RESPONSE. JUST TYPE YOUR QUESTION ON THE COMMENT SECTION OF HIS RECENT POST. I THINK, IF YOU ASK NICELY, HE’LL DO ANYTHING YOU ASK HIM TO! HAHAHA!

Ok, that’s it! I’m done, talk about barely making the deadline. The final results will soon be in and I wish the four of them good luck and hope they don’t forget me when they do win. And if you do forget me, I swear I will hunt you down and gut you like a fish!

The last line, too much?

UPDATE! I just wanted to add a few more to my list who definitely deserves mention. Let me do this really quickly which means I won't be adding descriptions, just links to their blogs.

That's my final list! I hope Ms. Janette will still consider them! Goodluck to everyone!

inFLICKted

2007-07-14T23:31:00.000+08:00

Freedom Writers, Alpha Dog, Stomp the Yard, The Hitcher, Catch and Release, Music and Lyrics, Bridge to Terabithia, Zodiac, Premonition, The Hills Have Eyes 2, Hostel 2, Disturbia, In the land of Women, Spider Man 3, The Ex, Shrek The Third, TNMT, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End, 300, Ocean’s Thirteen, Die Hard 4.0 and Transformers. These are just a few of the movies (which received a wide international release) I’ve seen this year. Definitely, it is shaping up to be a great year for movies. I think it’s much better than last year, but 2006 had brilliant offerings (Thank You For Smoking, V for Vendetta, Little Miss Sunshine, The Descent, The Queen, The Departed, Babel, Stranger than Fiction and Pan’s Labyrinth to name a few).

I’m a self-proclaimed movie buff. I watch whatever I feel watching. Whatever reviews it got, if it interests me, with all certainty, I will watch it. In order to repay an industry that has provided me with great entertainment through out the years, I try to watch via the silver screen. As much as I want to continue my support by buying original DVD copies, the steep price (when calculating the vast number of movies I love and its current price) cannot be shouldered by my limited fiscal resources. But not having an original DVD collection of movies will not deter me from enjoying them. I love analyzing films, breaking them down to get into its deeper essence. On the other hand, just watching the flick and not thinking of its logic or symbolism is also a great experience.

That is why, I have been thinking lately of setting up A SEPARATE BLOG just for my movie reviews. This is to prevent myself from flooding this blog with rants and raves. Movies have taken over my current disposition. I am compelled, engrossed, and obsessed. I am INFLICKTED. And now, I am inviting all other bloggers who are as inflickted as I am, to be a reviewer in my future blog. Do not hold back, everyone’s opinions matter. That’s the reason why I’m inviting other bloggers; my own opinion cannot accurately reflect those of others.

A movie review seems to me, a fitting ending...hehe...

It is the fifth installment of the very popular children’s book which can’t seen to keep itself from further diving into an even darker, scarier storyline. It is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

This year, Harry is looking manlier, Hermione is lovelier than ever and Ron doesn’t look like the Weasley he once was. Unfortunately, that’s about all that I can say for Mr. Potter’s closest friends because they were nothing but cheerleaders in this movie despite the fact that in the book they have a major conflict with the hero.

Luna Lovegood casting the Patronas Charm

This was also the shortest among all of the HP movies (only 138 minutes), however, the 5^th book, where the movie is based from is considered the longest (870 pages) of J.K Rowling’s novels which just doesn’t make sense. Which brings me to its new director David Yates, and screenwriter Michael Goldenberg. The screenplay of the 5^th book is faithful to the main story, even to the text found in the book. But to be sure, MUCH is lost. It was fast paced, and not the good kind. It felt like being fed handfuls of information without getting the chance to properly digest it, even more so if you haven’t seen or read previous installments. Alfonso Cuaron and Mike Newell definitely did a better job with the previous two movies.

Inquisitor Umbridge fires Professor Trelawney and Professor McGonagall comforts her.

The continuous visions and dream sequences can be a bit tedious. This is the only movie among the five that can’t stand on its own because of the several references to previous movies. This movie also crammed so many characters that a lot of the good ones were reduced to nothing but cameos. I have the greatest fondness for British actors. Maggie Smith, Gary Oldman, Jason Isaac, David Thewlis and the astonishing Emma Thompson are great British actors which barely had the time of day in this movie. In contrast, Alan Rickman and Imelda Stauton made lasting impressions. One criticism to Stauton’s character, Dolores Umbridge, way too much footage was given to her character. She quickly wears out her welcome because she literally takes the magic away from the magic school and her villainy takes away the dread of the impeding attack of Voldemort. Plus, when she finally gets what she deserves, it seemed as if it wasn’t enough. But, that’s just me.

Don't think I forgot about that wet kiss!

HP 5 isn’t all bad, the newcomers were excellent. Dolores Umbridge, the fascist fully clad in pink is the type of villain you can’t help but love and hate at the same time. Luna Lovegood the empathic classmate of Harry was a refreshing personality to the ensemble. Bellatrix Lestrange, a promising new villain with an underlying sadism (Helena Bonham Carter was perfect for the Role!). Action scenes were plenty, but the only outstanding scenes was the battle between the good and the bad side and of course Dumbledore and Voldemort's bout. But I wanted to hear some of the spells from the book rather than just a bunch of sparks shooting out of their wands. Even the scenes I liked still needed work.

All in all, the movie felt like 70% talk and talk and talk and only 30% action. I actually couldn’t wait till He-Who-Must-Be-Named appeared for the battle. That last part was the only portion of the movie that actually had me spellbound. The latest installment had lots of special effects. Sadly, the magic from the previous movies cannot be felt in this one.

Top 10 most jologs Songs that we used to like back in High School

2007-07-09T04:44:00.000+08:00

…But we hate admitting we used to like them these days, haha! I must say, this countdown was painful to us – to our eyes and ears most especially. Reminiscing the videos of these on Youtube hurt because we can’t accept that we were that jologs to fall for these jologs musical acts, haha! What the hell were we thinking?! The only positive realization we have after this activity is we are assured that our taste have matured and improved.

This collaboration will be talked about throughout the blogging nation! This is Jigs and Rex and here is our combined hitlist of the most cringe-worthy songs ever! At least for us two. Hehe! In increasing order of jologsness…

10. AQUA - Doctor Jones

Jigs: I chose this because nowadays, no one makes songs as cheery as this

Rex: I object! There's Kim Chiu with her Kering-Keri.. hehe! With matching long and shiny hair pa!

Jigs: Gawd, please don’t compare the song to some second rate jingle!

Rex: Oh, so you mean Dr Jones is a first rate single?

Jigs: Yeah, it is a single! And it WAS popular then.

Rex: Sabagay. But watching the video is like watching Knorr’s Sinabawang Gulay, haha! But at least the male members sing / rap. They're not just decorations. It's one of those videos that I would watch when I am channel surfing, just to see how amusingly silly the ending is, haha!

Jigs: Pero that's the point nga! They were intentionally silly. It's completely a fun and mindless song which requires no further analysis.

Rex: Ok, fine whatever. It's still jologs.

9. B*WITCHED - C'est La Vie

Rex: Ah, the song that launched B*Witched pop career. The thing is, it's too, hmm, bubblegummy! The video is full of flowers, butterflies, clouds. Not to mention the stupid lyrics that have no connection at all to the meaningful French phrase.

Jigs: Haha! I agree! Did you notice that as they were dancing and stomping around the flower bed, hindi nasisira yung mga flowers?

Rex: Oo nga! Pobreng mga bulaklak! May pa-slow-motion high jump pa silang nalalaman!

Jigs: Tapos it was akward hearing their one liners (that doesn't really belong in the song), between the chorus and the stanzas. Their choreography sucks too and that damn dog had no business being there.

Rex: Actually, I think the choreo showed their potential as dancers. Their stomping had to do with their Irish lineage. You know, tap-dancing is big there. Tapos, they're fighting over this guy who isn't worth the bother!

Jigs: Whatever, jologs is jologs to me. Next song!

8. S CLUB 7 - Bring It All Back

Jigs: I never liked this group. Ang dami nila, and if each of them were to sing on one song, at most, each of them would get two lines. All of them are glorified back-up dancers.

Rex: Oo nga, no? As if 5 isn't too big for a boyband, they had to get 7, haha! But actually, the girls get the lead vocals most of the time. It's the boys who are the glorified backup dancers.

Jigs: Natatawa ako sa efforts nila to let the guys sing by letting them scream a line at the background.

Rex: Pero in fairness, the dance routine on this one is danceable for me, nag-mamatch naman sa hopeful message of the song. Yun nga lang, masyadong err, jolly?

Jigs: I think, kaya 7 sila, is to compensate for the lack of voice talent and focus on dance talent.

Rex: Pero bilib din ako kasi sa British culture, hindi baduy ang pinang-gagagawa nila. I mean, it's okay for boys to dance like this. Dito sa atin, aynako! Sigurado, tatawagin kang bakla, haha! Hanggang pagiling-giling lang ala macho dancer ang pwedeng gawin ng mga pseudo singer-hunks, tulad ng Cover Boys ng ASAP..

Jigs: I have one more criticism, The video seemed like a video compilation of a vacation and barely passes as a music video. For me at least.

Rex: Actually, snippets yun of a TV show they had in the UK .

Jigs: Ahh, so they're supposed to ba actors now huh?! Maybe they should just stick to that and leave the singing to the professionals, they just look so jologs.

7. 911 - Love Sensation

Rex: (sings) "Don't go changing, rearranging".. Haha! Pweh!

Jigs: Haha! Oo nga, they had to add science (chemistry) into the lyrics! I also hate the video for this song! It's just like a carnival vacation video compilation! And what's with the breakdancing?!

Rex: This is featured in Casper the movie, right? Walang connection between the movie and the carnivals in the video. And I don't think this is one of 911's more bearable pop releases..

Jigs: Haha! I was just thinking that! I also got from a credible source that the lead singer was on Prozac while doing this video, which explains his unusual merry self. Haha! Kidding!

Rex: And considering that 911 is a boyband that's supposed to make kilig the teenage girls, only the lead vocalist looks like a boy. The other two look like backup dancers, haha! Mukhang uncle ng lead vocalist! Mga uncles na jologs!

6. STEPS - 5,6,7,8

Jigs: Okay, before we begin, my taste in music cannot be held under scrutiny because of this song, I was young then and didn’t know better.

Rex: Haha! Only if you won't judge me for tolerating boy bands. Anyway, paulit-ulit lang naman lyrics ng kanta eh! Well, mayroon rin palang pseudo-rapping on the side yung isang male member, habang patango-tango naman yung isa.

Jigs: I won’t even call it rapping! Not even pseudo! He wasn't rapping as much as he was reciting words which rhymed but made no sense at all! Once again, another group where most of the members were useless.

Rex: You betcha. I thought they were like Aqua, but it turned out Steps can sing ballads, or rather, the girls of Steps, haha!

Jigs: It's a song I would consider a novelty song, with “Steps” (pun intended) you have to do and a chorus that is catchy till you really listen to the whole song and finally realize, "hey, this song is actually jologs..."

Rex: It's supposed to be techno dance song. But Steps' dance routing in this video is so corny and jologs! It borders more on cheerdancing than club dancing!

Want to know the rest of the top ten? Click HERE

10 Kinds Of Awesome

2007-07-02T14:45:00.000+08:00

I told myself I wasn’t going to do this but I just can’t help it. Damn me, along with all the bloggers who will be giving their two cents regarding the awesomest movie for 2007! So far anyway. I know Harry Potter won't surpass it, but I’m still waiting to watch Across The Universe, maybe around September. So, what is this movie which deserves several forms of amazement? Don’t you already know?! Duh! It’s TRANSFORMERS! Why is it so awesome you ask? Then let me enumerate…

1) It’s the first awesome live action movie for the franchise and Asia gets to see it first! Cartoons, toys and comics are all well and good, but isn’t seeing Optimus Prime transform from a truck into his full realistic robotic glory worth the price of admission alone?!

2) It was nostalgically awesome! Growing up watching the animated series, playing with the toys and even getting my hands on a couple of the comics, it felt amazing reliving the past and remember what Cybertron was or who are the Autobots and the Decepticons. This movie is like a rallying cry to your inner child. I found myself rooting for the Autobots every time (I never root for the hero. Haha!)! Transformers is a childhood classic come to life. Thank God movies can still make me feel this excited. For the kids and teenagers today, to whom the Transformers are now entirely new, this will be without a doubt the greatest movie they have ever seen.

3) Michael Bay is awesome! At first, I really didn’t expect to like it. I didn’t know how Michael Bay was going to treat the movie, because he admitted that he wasn’t a fan. But I was wrong to doubt. It's Michael Bay's best movie since The Rock. Bay used every arsenal he had in order to fully capture the action from the wreckage Optimus Prime and Megatron left in their wake. Transformers bears the Michael Bay seal of approval, which means it oozes with wild, over-the-top, in-your-face action!

4) Speaking of action, it was, of course, AWESOME! Michael Bay couldn’t wait to give us a taste of what’s to come! All I could say after the first action scene was…DAMN! Humans got no chance against that sound wave like weapon (EMP? But why does it destroy everything in its path?)! Cars fly through the air, explosions boom at high decibels, roads crumble, Helicopters crash and gargantuan transformers gyrate their gymnastics as they miraculously change their form. The film is one giant spectacle with considerable entertainment value.

5) CG and Cinematography takes the cake at awesomeness. Without CG, this movie would be nothing! Seeing those transformations never gets old! Plus, they added the transformation sound! The sheer realistic look of the robots and great attention to detail are the factors that took the movie from dorkiness to a cinematic adventure. But I do think that the flames on Prime, unnecessary. Haha! Cinematography completed the overall feel and makes you believe in everything about the Transformers World!

Okay, don't tell me nobody else can see them?! (Click to enlarge)

6) The Human Factor was awesome! In the cartoons and comics, human interaction is greatly minimized or none at all. The robots’ interaction with humans give them more personality and depth. Shia LaBeouf is a natural at comedy, Megan Fox was a little more than eye candy and John Turturro was entertaining and irritating at the same time. Personally, my favorite was that bling-wearing, drug addict Chihuahua, Mojo!

7) It was a genre-mashed awesomeness. Comedy, Drama, Suspense, Sci-Fi and Action, Transformers can be argued as a complete emotional rollercoaster.

8) Awesome Script. It’s just what you come to expect out of writers who are big fans of the franchise itself. With Steven Spielberg at the helm as a producer, you get a script that’s so nerdy that you can’t help but love.

9) Sequels are awesome! There are already two sequels lined up to follow the obvious success of Transformers. I hope Michael Bay is still the future director. The producers plan to introduce The Dinobots and The Constructicons! Coolness!

10) Fun is synonymous to...AWESOME! This movie is the best fun I’ve had at the movies for the entire year! This is one of the few instances where it's OK to enjoy something for being smart and dumb at the same time, mostly because it's undeniably a whole lot of fun! I’d definitely watch it again and again! Even if it is 140 minutes long! Every second is worth it!

As you can’t see, I didn’t enjoy the movie THAT much. Haha! It was really, as I’ve used the word multiple times, AWESOME. This is a movie which requires little thinking. Just sit back and enjoy every bit of the movie. If you watch it objectively and point out is flaws and criticize the script, then you won’t enjoy this movie that much (this is what happened to my brother, Haha!). I too had minor criticisms but nothing that would prevent me from enjoying this nostalgic adventure! Just soak in the awesomeness of this movie and enjoy it for all its worth. It’s more than meets the eye. You know I just had to add that last line!

In one line, my overall review for this movie is POPCORN-STOPPING. It is one of the few movies that would actually make me stop eating my bag of popcorn due to pure amazement.

Starting with this post, I will try and answer your comments (if they need answering). I never really checked my Haloscan. I didn’t know I could respond to your comments using it! Hahaha!

Change or Die

2007-06-29T06:00:00.000+08:00

One of the best quotations I’ve ever heard. It applies to everything that I am. If the 22 year old me had a conversation with the 13 year old me, they probably won’t like each other. I would probably say, “was I THAT lame?” What more if I saw my 5 year old self? Super high waistline, tucked in shirt, socks with sandals. What were my parents thinking?!

I’ve done through a whole lot of changes in my life. With each mild change, I say goodbye to a part of me, safely tuck it away in the back of my mind and probably deny it ever happened in the future. We change to cope. We change to improve. We change to survive.

There is no present. The idea of a present time is a façade. As I type each letter, it becomes the past. There is no NOW. Because as you say, “this is now”, it is no longer. Change is inescapable. It is proof that we are living and we are moving forward.

And the same applies to my blog. We change, we move forward, to show the difference in ourselves, the difference in our surroundings. But despite these changes, a hint of the now hidden past is still evident. We learn from where we came, and acknowledge its influence in us, whether we like it or not.

So, like a business, in marketing, you can never be successful if you become accustomed to one formula. You take risks, you move, you improve…you change… If the outcome is not as favorable as you would like, you at the very least, learn from it. If is proves to be a worthy undertaking, you feel a great sense of accomplishment because everything worked out for the better. And eventually learn from it because like life, it is not permanent and you must once again change to survive.

"Willingness to change is a strength, even if it means plunging part of the company into total confusion for a while."

- Jack Welch

We change because we need to, we change because we have to, WE CHANGE, because if we don’t, we get left behind… You don’t need to venture into it alone, because there are those who understand and recognize what change is. They will help. Never be afraid to ask for help.

I change because I change. There’s no denying it, no avoiding it. Time guarantees it.

A Big Thank You to Juice, a blogger who recognizes change.

The Supposed Start Of Season 2

2007-06-24T20:15:00.000+08:00

Something that FruityOaty said made me think, “My Blogiversary will be coming up, I hope I can continue after that…sustain my interest. Truthfully, it’s been on the wane for the long time now.” How long can we—or more specifically, I—really keep this going? The death of a blog is not a big deal, but it IS a part of ourselves we are willingly going to let go. I’ve been blogging for more than a year now and the thought HAS crossed my mind a few times. What does keep me blogging? Expression? Attention? Conformity? Boredom?

Desire…

A strong longing for something. Everyone has at least one thing they’re really good at. This fuels their desire and they continually strive to be better at that one thing. Why don’t I have that fire? The passion in everyone to do one thing skillfully for the rest of their lives. Do I not have that desire? That overwhelming feeling to make more out of mine. Maybe my indecisiveness is a sign that my mind isn’t ready to take on the world. But with every vague step I make is a moment wasted satisfying that desire.

I question the desire in me. I never had a desire to do anything. Everything I do is technically for someone else. Does that mean I lack ambition? No, it’s not fatigue or apathy. I want that seize the day attitude! I have wanted a whole lot of things in my life, but never have I desired for something. Is there no motivation? Nothing that will enkindle the slumbering curiosity in my heart and mind? Where’s the motivation?

Where’s the motivation to blog? The desire to strike each key with a guided thought, intention and fervor. In all honesty, I sometimes wonder why I even bother. In the large amount of time I have spent in front of this screen, I never knew that blogging can be so demanding. I never knew this can drain me of things that I wish to write of or say for that matter. I don’t feel the need to narrate my life as it happens everyday. I am not a celebrity and my life is not at all eventful. I have simply ran out of things to blog. I've ran out of things that are to me "blog worthy".

“My readers are a big factor in me continuing... they encourage to keep going.”

-FruityOaty

I AM happy that there are those who appreciate what I dish out. The few rewards of blogging are obvious. And I am grateful for the acknowledgement of some of my peers. Especially those who seem to understand me, despite the fact we have never really met.

Haaaaay, another gloomy post! Well, that’s blog vomit for you. As consolation, I have some pictures for you guys. Some friends of mine came over last Saturday and I prepared dinner for them. I have three sets of friends (one from High School, one from College, and one from Manila). I wonder when I’ll get all of them together in one event?

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Shrimp and squid in a really spicy tomato sauce. One of my favorite dishes. I love cooking as much as eating this italian fare. And based on the reaction I got, so did they. What's with the chopsticks?! I don't know. A friend who placed it there said it will make the photo prettier. I actually tried eating with the chopsticks, and it wasn't that bad! Plus, the photo does look prettier!

Churros con Chocolate

Dessert was Churros to be dipped in hot and extra gooey chocolate dip! Ever been to Dulcinea? Or maybe Cinnabon? Then you probably know what churros are! This crispy deep-fried dough accompanied by hot coffee was the perfect ender to an intimate dinner. Thank you guys (Melissa, Arriane, Marco, Khate and David) for coming last night, it has been a while since we last did this!

Earcandy for this week is D.A.N.C.E. by Justice. Oozing with coolness and disco.

Edi The Best Of...

2007-06-17T03:18:00.000+08:00

Holy Smokes! Am I really that old that I can’t remember my own blog’s anniversary? Yes people, I forgot to celebrate my first year of blogging. When was it again? Oh yeah, May 9! Happy Blogiversary to my little baby, HPC! Even though I forgot the day, inside I knew a good looking back was in order. Last month, I read through most of my posts, and found some of them amateurish and lacking. I was purposely being hard on myself. But as I got into the reading mood, I enjoyed reading what I wrote. I was my own spectator, and I liked what that Jigs wrote. Memorable Litanies, Emotional Stanzas and Comedic Philosophies, here are some that stood out:

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER – Did you know that I am the best spontaneous party planner? This post is the perfect proof. I know you’re asking, “if it’s spontaneous, how can it be planned?!” That’s a very good question! "And if you're the best, why aren't you popular?" Another good question! Anyway, this post is also a semi-testimonial of the two longest friendships I’ve had in my life, and just how well we compliment each other.

“One good test of friendship is if the two of you can sit silently together and feel no awkwardness or boredom” -Jigs

UNINSPIRED – My first ever post! This post is pure, unadulterated Jigs. I think that first post was the perfect start for my blog. I mean, even if I actually had a different topic in mind, I’d still go with this. It’s light but makes sense.

BLOG BLAST! – The first ever edition of this short lived segment I tried to do a few months ago. This first one is the best edition I think. It is about my long and painful adventure during my enrolment a year ago. It was also my first attempt to write in TAGALOG! Add to that my sarcasm and an excruciating attempt to be funny; you have the makings of something you that can barely pass as a blog post!

FALLEN – A very personal and emotional post. This is definitely one of my favorites. I think I was blogging as Gino here (Not Jigs. Yes, there is a difference). There are slight changes when I write as me, and when I write as Me. I think my friends would understand it better. I’ve never been more vulnerable.

NOBODY KNOWS – Did you get my description about the Fallen post? If not, this will explain why. Another one of those serious post where I try to tap into the deeper consciousness of my readers. I just think it says a lot about us bloggers in general. How much of "US" are we really willing to reveal?

LIKE A SCENE IN A HORROR MOVIE – A post of frightening proportions. Haha! Not really, but it might as well be, "a scene in a horror movie". Never blog in the dark, you’ll never know who’s behind you reading what you’re typing…….

LIKE MY MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES – This is randomization stitched together! I really had fun composing this one. It was just fun! Nothing serious or important. I’ll try to do more posts like this.

I also have several posts which require special mention. ROCK ON! garnered the most number of comments I’ve ever had! Would you believe my posts could at one time receive 53 comments from different people! I was even referred to as a Bloggigolo! I know, I can’t believe it either! What the heck was I thinking when I went into a hiatus?! Nowadays, I’d be lucky if I get 5! Haaay, I miss being famous… Hahaha! Anyway, 21 TIMES is another post which received record breaking comments and tackled a social issue which was affecting a lot of people, including me. MUSIKA V:SUPERNOVA receives special mention because a few months during my one year of blogging, I was a big fan of the show Rockstar: Supernova and some of my other unrelated posts contained updates of what’s happening in the show (Musika is another segment in my blog). ANG SAYA NAMAN! is what you would call the perfect day blog post, but I didn’t like it that much because it was more, a narration of what happened to me during that day (a diary narrative, I hate posts like that).

Those were just a few of the posts that I think deserve a second look (maybe one or two more comments, hahaha!). But, we’re not done yet. I asked three people who knew me ever since I started blogging. I am also a big fan of their blogs and visit as often as I can. Jhed was supposed to be part of this (as the fourth) but I didn’t get his list of 5 in time. I’m still a fan of his blog though! Hehe! Let’s see what posts they liked most:

REX:

FALLEN – Rex tells me he can relate to this post. He knows what I’ve been through, and vice versa. This is one good reason why I like blogging and why I want my friends to read my posts. I get to tell them those oh so mushy moments, without the sappy hugging and crying.

BLOG BLAST! 2nd Edition – A light post about a first day experience, that’s bordering on a diary narrative, but manages to swing it by adding a cool commentary. Hahaha! He chose this because it was a fun real life update.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER – Just because he was included in the post. How self centered! Well, he also said that it depicted our friendship really well. (I still think he chose it because he was in it)

21 TIMES – A serious post, with serious statements but twisted to make it a lighter read.

SEPTEMBER 8 – Because we love dramatic tributes. Just goes to show, articulate people (like myself, *wink* *wink*) shouldn’t be so melodramatic because their posts can make your heart bleed.

JUICE:

GRATUITOUS IDIOCY – Another short lived segment in my blog. A silly post of what Google thinks of blogging. Actually don’t know why Juice likes it, she has no comment on this post so I have no idea why she liked it.

QUARTER LIFE CRISIS – midlife crisis for twenty-something adults (duh!). Juice relates very well to this post despite the fact that she hasn’t even reached 20 yet. I really enjoyed her comment by the way.

BLOG JARGON 101 – Are you guilty of HITNOSIS? Ever experienced BLOGSTIPATION? What is a BLOGGIGOLO? Get your answers here and all the vocabulary you’ll ever need in the BLOGOSPHERE complied in one easy post!

BLOG BLAST! 3rd EDITION – One of the best tags I’ve done so far. It’s just a simple, but nevertheless entertaining tag. Of course, thanks to Juice for passing on this tag to me. My Juiceee senses were tingling!

TAG, I’M IT? – another tag courtesy of the lovely Juice. Interview type tag; I even said a few nice words to several bloggers like Heneroso, Ghee, Kevin, and Rowjie.

UTAKGAGO:

BLOGBLAST! – Kevin found this post funny. That’s about it. He found my suffering Hilarious! I promise you’ll feel the same torture I felt now that you’re in college! Mwahahahaha!

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER – Just because he misses his sister’s carbonara. Hey, don’t project your hunger onto my post! Call your sister, I’ll put her to shame in a cooking showdown! Haha!

FLABBERGASTED, HUMILIATED AND THANKFUL – This is how I take criticisms. Some should be taken in stride, while some should be answered head on. In the end, you just have to do what makes you happy. He liked this post because of my “honesty” daw. At least it’s a complement! I'll take it!

UTAKGAGO’s WORST NIGHTMARE – What terrifies the brave and manly Utakgago? Find out here. I hope this post still makes you shudder in fear Kevin!

NASAAN KA NA? – a story continuation tag, passed on to me by Utakgago. See what happens when an emo kid forwards his story on to the hands of a horror obsessed blogger who can barely write in Tagalog! It was a blast writing the post, and when I read it, I can’t believe the tagalong words I used! Hahahaha!

Obviously, they have different tastes, which is good. At least I know my posts aren’t intended for just a specific type of individual. Now you, what post did you like most and why?

As of now, there’s no reason I know of that can stop me from blogging. It’s only forward from here on out. I’m bowled over, but surprisingly pleased with how things are going for me. There’s an unexpected optimism that my whole life would change in the coming months... I hope you join me or continue with me in this journey. Let’s see which way I go.

"My life is where I like it right now. It’s what I would call, Chaotic. Good enough to keep me content and happy, but screwed up enough to keep me grounded and busy." - Jigs in HPC UPDATE

To end this long, link infested post, I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I had fun writing them. I've never been a part of something so big in my life. It has been a great and "enlightening" experience which I hope never gets old. I also wish, even in a small way, you found a gem of knowledge among all of these… Harsh Poetic Chaos…

Till the next Blogiversary!

Happiest Happy Meal

2007-06-11T00:58:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday was so much fun! Met up with a few friends, ate good food and had a great time!

Anyway, that's enough of that, back to my dark emo ways. I feel alone, depressed and confused. I lie awake at night thinking my life has no purpose. Nobody understands me and I never get to do what I want to do! Uuuuuy… Got you going there didn’t I? Hahahahaha! I’m such a crazy weirdo.

Haaay, now that I got that out of my system, I’m sure you’d prefer to hear something else. Like maybe what happened last Saturday. Oh nothing much really…We just had one kick-ass burger party! Yeah! *ahem* Let’s pretend that I didn’t just say that last line and I still look cool to you. Okay? Good.

Last Saturday, I invited a couple of friends and cooked for them this burger themed party. So they got to make their own burger and anything they wanted to go with it. I had several ingredients: lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, bacon, mushroom and pickles. I also had my own “not-so-secret sauces”: garlic mayo and barbeque sauce. Condiments: Ketchup, Mayo, Mustard, Hot Sauce and Worcestershire Sauce. Of course we don’t want the burger to get lonely, so we have a variety of side dishes, namely: French Fries, Onion Rings, Mozzarella Sticks with Marinara Sauce, and some chips with dip. Has your heart stopped yet? Well, for drinks we had some sparkling wine and bottles of Vodka Ice to push it all down. But wait, there’s more! To top everything off, for dessert, the king of experimentation and chocolates, prepared for us his very own version of that yummy cereal treat!

I know my picture collage isn’t the best, I don’t know how to do one as creatively as Kevin does. Also, out of respect for the privacy of my friends, I didn’t put their pictures here. You should have seen them struggling to take a bite out of the burger they made! The patties were almost two inches thick! The Big Mac could learn a thing or two from the size these babies! Haha! Everyone had their own strategy in eating. I squished mine to make it smaller, while another sliced it up. The rest just opened their mouth as wide as they can and took a huge chunk out of their burgers. I swear I could see their beating hearts in that gaping abyss they call a mouth! Haha!

After that feast, we talked, chatted and conversed about important things in life like politics, personal lives and how funny our names sound. It was so much fun, it was simple and intimate, and I can't think of a better way to spend my day (if we played a kewl board game it would have been AWESOME!!! Wait, lame, forget I said that). We spent the remainder of the night talking some more, drinking vodka ice, watching a movie and some of us (not me) even browsed the net for some “Prawn”.

The day was tiring (since I basically prepared almost all the food myself) but it was well worth the sweat I put in to it (no, not INTO the food literally). I slept a good ten hours after the party, it…was..awesome… Hahahaha! I wonder what will be the theme next time.

Under my Umbrella ella ella eh eh eh eh eh eh. Damn it! That song’s been stuck in my head for a week now! By the way I saw this video of The Scissor Sisters on MTV and it's hilarious!

Nobody Knows

2007-06-04T20:40:00.000+08:00

You only know what I want you to know. As far as you know, you really know nothing about me. As far as you know, I’m a completely different person. Even if you are my friend, my relative, or even if you’re my parents, you only know as far as what I want you to know. That’s the problem, we’re never completely sure about a person, no matter how close we feel to them.

A girl with long blonde hair, young and beautiful, a junior in high school, a cheer leader, a straight “A” student. She has all the friends she could ask for, even a handful of best friends. Her parents are nurturing, understanding and productive. She told them all her problems, her secret crushes, even her life questions. She had a comfortable life. They weren’t rich but could afford their simple wants and be satisfied. She plays the guitar and tries to compose songs. This recharged her soul and nurtured her creativity. She has her fair share of problems, but nothing she couldn’t handle thanks to her friends and family. She is in love, a senior, he asked her if she would like to go the prom with him…She said yes…

She died…She killed herself…Just a few days after her 16^th birthday, a few weeks before prom…Overdose, reports say…Nothing could have warned anybody of her suicidal tendencies. Later, they found out, she was visiting a website which taught her how to commit suicide. This website told her that this life was a prison, an option, and dying would free her of these “earthly bonds”. It even taught her how to write a suicide note. But what’s more disturbing is the fact that people were supporting her decision to commit suicide, teaching her what to do and saying that they’ll do it too. On her suicide note, she blamed no one, she said she wanted to be free…

You’ll never really get to know a person. You’ll only know what that person wants you to know. We all blog and talk about what’s happening in our lives. We write about our thoughts, ideas and experiences. Our readers and even ourselves feel like on a blog, you can open up and “Be Yourself”. Yes, a lot of us are truthful and reveal every detail of our being, to be scrutinized or enjoyed by the whole world. This is a way of expressing ourselves, but can this be a way of reaching out to others? Hoping they’ll read intently, take us seriously for once and understand the emotions we embed in our posts.

Most of us, read a post, give our take on it and move on to the next blog. Sometimes, that’s enough. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying what a blogger wrote and moving on to the next story. But what if a blogger really needed someone’s help? It doesn’t have to be a physical thing. Words that sustain one’s mental composure could mean the world to another. Do you give out the common, “Don’t worry, it’s going to be okay. Just hang in there and everything will turn out for the better” as a comment, or simply move on to the next blog? Maybe you try to relate your experiences to what they’re experiencing. Maybe you even go as far as emailing them and ask them how they’re doing via IM. Whatever you do, you never really know how the blogger really felt about what you said. They may also give out the common response, “thank you for your support”. In the end, they’re still the only one facing the next move…

You only know what I want you to know…

What do you really know about me?

Like my Multiple Personalities and unused blogs on the Internet

2007-05-28T04:21:00.000+08:00

My Brain is Scattered Everywhere!

Some people can be so demanding! I told you guys I’ll blog once a week! Also, how many times do I have to tell you people, NO, absolutely NO flash photography, autographs and video requests of me singing Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake!

I like shows that try to produce good talent, then after, most of the winners end up either lacking the x-factor or undistinguished! Speaking of American Idol, why is it that some good shows who win awards do not get big ratings? What is it that they lack? Certainly not good actors nor a witty script; this is what actually got them their nods and awards. I am now watching (yup, while I'm typing, I'm watching it, I'm Mr. Multitask!) a new sitcom which is very entertaining but I fear won’t obtain longevity due to its unsatisfying ratings. Why must it always be about ratings? Many a great series has succumbed due to their poor audience share. I would hate to think that people would much rather watch pointless drivel than a mentally stimulating series, even if it is a sitcom.

Michael Bluth: Why are you squeezing me with your body?
Lucille Bluth: It's a hug, Michael. I'm hugging you.

(Arrested Development)

I enjoy the occasional reality show, a task or challenge here, an elimination there; but I don’t saturate my television time by memorizing the names of all the reality show stars. Specially nowadays, I’ve been ultra picky with what I watch due to some, *ahem* TV problems I have been having. As of May 21, the only show I have been following (recently) just ended their first season. It was a good series, with interesting plots, well written lines and competent actors. Unfortunately, as the show went on, it slowly degraded. It left quite a few unanswered questions and confusing scenes which indicated a lack of common sense (I thought that trait only belonged to cartoons and horror flicks!). Plus, the season finale episode was really disappointing; I would have liked a bit more closure and a few more answers (a little logic wouldn't hurt either). I guess it was the network’s way of making sure their audience continues to watch the next season. If you know what I’m talking about you might disagree with me on the things I’ve said but, that’s just how it felt to me.

Jack: I'm Jack Donaghy. New VP of development for NBC/GE/Universal/Kmart.
Pete: Oh, we own Kmart now?
Jack: No… So why are you dressed like we do?

(30 Rock)

We all watch television for different reasons; for education, information and of course, entertainment. Most of us would pick the picture box over that black and white paper any day. But I just found out that there is such a thing as television fatigue. It’s that time when you would rather pick up a good book, sip coffee and listen to your neighbor gossip about you. I savor those brief intervals of calmness; those few minutes that feel like the world is perfect. Here I go again, preaching. I just like reminiscing because A) it's all I have, and 2nd, I really have a short attention span. Just to let you know, I didn’t finish this in one sitting. Yup, I got bored right in the middle of writing it and just had to do something else (I played solitaire then, after 2 minutes, I counted how many dvds I had) because I was starting to get sleepy. I then started going on-line searching for the new politicians who would have power over our gullible city. I didn’t vote by the way. I know, I know, shame on me. It’s not that I didn’t want to, just didn’t have the time to get registered. A friend did lecture me once that the reason we have corrupt officials is because people who know better do not vote. So, I am left with my shame, until I can vindicate myself by voting in the next election! At least this year, someone who might actually do some good, a beacon of hope was elected and is now officially a governor.

Because of this, my head has been filled with questions…If I had been a bit more optimistic, productive and outspoken, could I have accomplished a whole lot more? If I did that, would my life finally change for the better? Maybe I could even serve as an example for others, a beacon of hope if you will *winks*? If I strive to learn more, be a bit more inquisitive, will I become a better person? The kind of person I’ve always wanted to be? Maybe, just, maybe, with the help of my family, my friends and even you, yes you, I could change things? Is that possible? Is that doable, with all that has been said, written and done, can I still change things? Yes, all of these queries bothered me. But the real question is…
Should I change the name of my blog?

I have been battling with this quandary for quite sometime now, and found no relief. No where near it. That is why I leave that question to you. Should I? Should I not? Why? Why not? Are you sure? Can you support your answer with a one page essay? Should I be taken seriously with everything I said? If not, why?

Ahhh… Thanks for taking over for me…My brain feels a tad bit in uncluttered…

Hope to hear from you soon!

Flabbergasted, Humiliated and Thankful

2007-05-16T23:39:00.000+08:00

"I'm not trying to be mean or rude. I'm just saying. I'm guessing it would be nice for you to actually get a comment, an objective and critical one, instead of the soft pablum most of those who comment in your blog offer. (a comment on my post, Just Another Battle)"

This…This is how you render someone speechless.

I never thought ONE criticism could affect me so significantly. I never thought ONE criticism could make me think so much. I never thought ONE criticism could make me blog again.

I really wasn’t sure about this post. Well, first and foremost, everything that was said is unbelievably detrimental to my wonderful and illustrious reputation! Wait…I don’t have a reputation… Any way, the second reason, the comment was the person’s opinion, and who am I to tell them they’re wrong?

But in the end, I went with what I felt was right. I had to give my side, my explanation to what was written. And the comment was so well composed, so eloquently said, that it couldn’t possibly have come from an uneducated individual. For someone to analyze me and my blog so comprehensively, deserves my attention and response because I respect great minds.

"But everything about you is a tired cliche: The picture, with your hair covering your face, is a classic, to prove to the world just how "troubled" you are. The forced insertion of square words into round holes, just to heighten the whole dark mood you try to set. The lazy, commonplace statements you use, such as "glorious sadness" or "a disease consuming (me)" or (best example) "harsh poetic chaos," are empty vessels long emptied of their contents."

Yes, I did seem like a tired cliché, let me say why I did it…I changed my picture not because I wanted everyone to see and feel as I did, I do not need anybody’s sympathy. The picture was to show the people visiting my blog that I will be on a break and won’t be writing for a while as evidenced by the long gaps between my recent posts. The square words into round holes, you were right, it heightened the emotion I wanted to express and it served their purpose. As for my lazy overused and worn-out statements, I honestly did not know they were THAT used up and no longer mean what they meant. I mean, my statements may be unoriginal and stale, but when I wrote it, I found they perfectly spelled out how I felt. It was my sentiments, I didn’t need to complicate what I wanted to say by thinking up some new radical way of letting others feel what I feel. And since my statements are so common, then everybody knows how I feel, and that’s more important to me.

"You have no unique ideas, there was not one sentence where I felt like "how come I haven't realized this before?" Everything was the same old trite observations made from a skewed, "angsty" perspective. Heard it all before, and in better writing, too. Your command of English is wobbly, almost factory-like in its churning out of stock phrases; it's as if you just grab ready-made phrases clear off the sky."

Well, I don’t know about the sky but maybe from the books that I’ve read. That’s where basically almost anybody learn the things they know. I’ve only gained knowledge form my life experiences (which isn’t alot) and what I’ve been taught. And I think no true original realization can be ascertained from them. As, they say, “True Originality is dead, there is only revisions of what has been.” Also, It wasn’t my intention for anybody to realize anything by reading my blog. I just wanted to convey my thoughts, that’s it. As for my English, I must say among all that was said, this hit me the hardest. Although English is a second language to me and do not use alot of big words, I take pride in how well I can handle myself in an English conversation. Apparently, I was overreaching and still need a few more lessons.

"Ramblings," "unstable mind," "poetic chaos," and other such terms. Lovely, yes. But hackneyed. Can be found in every other blog some kid clad in black writes. Angst-filled, supposedly. I guess you feel so unique, so different, so f*cked up, compared to everyone else."

Now this part, I totally agree with. I even chuckled a bit when I read it. A little trivia; when I was brainstorming for the title of this blog, I was so uninspired. It was like every word coming out of my head was crap! So I just decided on something simple, but contradictory in a way. Simple words with complex meanings. And the words I chose are normal choices for someone who wants to be striking and witty. I have seen variations (from other blogs) which closely resemble my blog title, but so far none similar to it. I didn’t (nor want to) feel so unique or so different to everyone else.

To conclude this long post, I just hope that the person who commented on my blog didn’t just read the previous two posts (Just Another Battle and Recession, In Terms). I hope the commenter doesn’t think that I write that way all the time. I am not some…what’s the word? “angsty” person with an “angsty” perspective. Please don’t get me wrong, I am in no way infuriated with your comment. It was well said, direct to the point and intense. I respect your opinion and appreciate it. As a matter of fact, I welcome it as a challenge to improve myself.

I may not be the best writer, but I do write about what I know and feel. I may not be eloquent, but I do my best with what I have learned. I may not be original, but at least I try and emulate those who are rare and acknowledge their greatness.

You say I am common, worn-out, uninspired, incoherent and unoriginal…

I say. . . Welcome to my Life. . .

Just Another Battle

2007-02-07T20:48:00.000+08:00

Every symptom pointed to one thing…Cancer…

Someone once told me, whatever doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger. Do you agree? What if it blind-sights you? If that whatever is unexpected, uncalled-for or even undesired, would it still make you stronger?

It is a battle that we face. A struggle that an individual encounters every minute of every hour of everyday of ones life. We cling to every bit of bond we have with others. We share in their joys, their pangs, in their loves and in their heartaches. It makes everything bearable. It makes life worth it. However, even with all the support and love we receive, we must face it all alone. No one can really comfort you in the end but yourself.

I know this because I have felt this. I know how it is to fear for ones life. It is such an ominous feeling that consumes my every second. At first, you deny its reality. Thinking maybe if you don’t believe, it won’t be true. But my mind and my body cannot hide the veracity. My dreams recite the prayers I need the most. My subconscious fights for me, this war of nerves in my head. Fear, sadness, and pain are all I feel. Paranoia invited all the negatives in my thoughts. It rots my mind, spreading to my body and enfeebles my soul. The glorious sadness...it brings me to my knees…

Wait, am I over thinking this? Or is it just me preparing myself for what is to come? I hate this…This fear in me, it spreads like a disease consuming what I once was.

Hope is all that we really have in this world. And that is all that I really have. The hope that I get through this and emerge a better person because of it.

So tell me, is it true that whatever doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger? Because I just don’t know…

Everything…pointed to one thing…

Recession, in terms

2007-02-03T16:20:00.000+08:00

Depression, a state of melancholia, unhappiness or sadness, or to a relatively minor downturn in mood that may last only a few hours or days.

This is generally seen as quite distinct from the diagnosis of clinical depression. However, if depressed mood lasts at least two weeks, and is accompanied by other symptoms that interfere with daily living, it may be seen as a symptom of clinical depression, dysthymia or some other diagnosable mental illness, or alternatively as sub-syndromal depression.

Depression is suffering, sometimes seen as mental echoes of physical pain. Other somatic expressions can be a sense of "dispirited", or "lagging" or being weighed down, and a heaviness in breathing, expressed as broken or despondent sighs. It may also be associated with apathy, boredom, hollowness and lack of any positive source of interest or joy.

External affective signs of depressed mood also include a physical hunching or stooping, or putting the head in the hands, and an appearance of being physically subdued, and flatness of speech.

See Also Grief, Melancholia, Angst, or even EMO…

Here comes Santa! On a Sleigh? I doubt it...

2006-12-23T21:52:00.000+08:00

Boy, do I it fit the profile or not? Gives gifts, wears red, fat and jolly (well, maybe not the last one.). I love giving gifts, actually, I’m a bit known for giving away stuff (I’m THAT generous-friend-which-rarely-asks-for-anything-in-return type), that’s kinda my thing. Seeing people happy makes me happy, and I have no problem if it is reciprocated or not. This year, I gave out at least 10 gifts to my closest friends. In addition to that, I have two “inaanaks” (godchildren), which means, under the fine print of the unwritten contract I involved myself about a year ago, I am required to give them some form of “aguinaldo”. LOL! Kidding, seriously, the two of them are so cute that I can’t help myself but give them free stuff!

I also usually wrap my own gifts to perfection (part of being my semi-OC-ness). I make sure the wrapped is straight and is taped properly. TO let you know how weird I am, it took me at least 3 hours wrapping the 12 gifts I mentioned. I tape up the gifts so much that opening them can truly be a challenge. I hate people who actually take extraordinary care in unwrapping their presents. They neatly peel off the tape, making sure the wrapper doesn’t get torn, then fold them neatly beside them. After that process is the only time when they finally appreciate the gift they got! Come on! Tearing up the wrapper is part of the fun; you get to be a kid again! It’s as if you’re seriously thinking of reusing the wrapper you got! FYI, that’s not really part of the gift. LOL! Its one thing to be neat, thinking of how you will properly remove the wrapper of a gift you got is another.

Anyway, I expect this Christmas to be “fairly fun”. It won’t be bad but, it won’t be the best either. The best was 1994 I think. A wonderful veritable family reunion (which we rarely have). Where the love is real and the gifts are an extra bonus. It’s those times which are truly etched in my mind and in my heart.

I don’t like being politically correct, especially when it comes to Christmas. I don’t like saying Happy Holidays. So let me greet you a Merry Christmas…
Whether you celebrate it or not…

Freaky Prof!

2006-12-13T20:08:00.000+08:00

So I already told you about one of my teachers, right? Then let me introduce you the rest of the gang! LOL!

The next one is a lady who teaches Business Communication. She is fluent in English but despises the country that speaks it. She would go on and on about how the Americans are screwing over third world countries like ours. She compares the Americans to the British people and how much better British people are. She said British people are not racist (unlike Americans). Indians are actually doing really well there. She once said UK was the better colonizer. When they left Hong Kong, they left it fully developed with a thriving economy. As for the Americans, when they left the Philippines they left us with nothing but deserted bases and a chaotic government. She said Americans think they are so superior that they treat all of their colonies like slaves, and not as equals. She said, Americans will never change, they have such an extensive history of treating others like slaves, one day America will lose their power and no one will feel sorry for them. (The statements/opinions above are not my own.)

My next professor is the scariest most disturbing looking woman I’ve ever seen! LOL! Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but my classmates would no doubt agree. She teaches Human Resources Management, poorly I might add. All I can do to stay awake from her subject is play SuDoku on my phone. She teaches the lesson really really slowly. She reads from the book and tries to explain in excruciating detail each topic per chapter. She loves wearing sleeveless blouses and skirts (no stockings. Ugh, just telling it to you sends shivers up and down my spine). When she writes on the board; the flab on her arms wiggles. Her face is sunken and lifeless and she makes it worse by wearing heavy amounts of cosmetic products. Her skin is like a road map and usually wears her hair in an unkempt bun. She always looks bedraggled and honestly (without any form of embellishment) smells like long forgotten make up and potpourri (you know that bundle of old smelling fragrant flowers that are dried?). I AM NOT KIDDING! This is the best description I could ever think of, and I was being kind. I once over heard a conversation my classmates were having. They were talking about our teacher’s age (Uh-oh, a dangerous topic. LOL!). One said 75, the other 88…

I would have guessed 105! LOL!

to be continued…

Utakgago's Worst Nightmare

2006-12-01T21:32:00.000+08:00

A few nights ago, I had an unusual dream. I remember it vividly for I have never had such a reverie. I dreamt I was in a room, with a rusty steel door. It was dark, damp and decrepit. It had no window, only a small opening with bars on the door and the light from outside shown through. There was a drain in the middle of the room, and on the ceiling was a bulb that could barely show its brilliance. Liquid started oozing underneath the door. The door would not open and the liquid headed down the drain. I went back to look at the drain and then hundreds of cockroaches started to emerge. From every crack, every hole, every wall, cockroaches started to spill out like the fluid from before. They were all over my shoes, my pants, my shirt. I try to brush them off me, but to no avail. I was being covered with cockroaches. I could feel their feelers and spiny legs on my bare skin. They kept crawling up my body, to my neck and my face. I could feel them trying to enter my mouth, my eyes and ears. And then…I woke up…

This is the weirdest dream I have ever had in my entire life. It totally didn’t make sense (usually, I understand my dreams). Maybe it’s because last week, my life was covered with roaches (well, not literally). I probably killed more than ten cockroaches. For me, that is uncommon. Our house doesn’t have any roach infestation. I’ll be lucky to see one in a month. Last week was different. While I was cleaning up the kitchen, I saw one crawling near our stove and another one under the sink. Well, this was a challenge. I didn’t have any bug spray and they kept going into the nooks between the appliances. The next day, I found another in our dinning room. We had a big mirror there, and right in the middle of it was this big cockroach. I grabbed our broom and tried to smack it, but can you believe my luck, it was the flying kind! Damn! I had to be careful because I didn't want it landing on me or anything. LOL! Another time, I was in the middle of taking a shower when I saw a cockroach near the ceiling. It completely startled me. I had to stop and kill it first before finishing my shower! How comfortable was that?!

I also encountered one when I was going home one night. I was waiting for my ride when I felt something crawling up my arm! I knew it was a cockroach and shook it off. I squished it and his friend crawling near me. It totally gave me goose bumps! LOL! Last Thursday, me and a few classmates ate at Chowking. I had the beef mami or something. As I was halfway through my meal, I noticed a UFO in my soup (Unidentified Floating Object). I’m sure you’ve guessed what it was. Yep, there was this small cockroach in my soup. Even though the manager apologized and offered to get me a new meal, I lost my appetite and refused.

I am not really scared of roaches. In fact, I’m the designated killer of cockroaches in our home because my siblings are pansies! LOL! They’re just really disgusting, especially after you’ve squished them. They also have this distinct odor that is kinda nauseating. I also saw that show on of Jessica Soho about the cockroach-infested village. It made me shiver! A housewife removed a poster on one of their walls and you wouldn’t believe the number of cockroaches that darted everywhere! They even eat food that has already crawled upon by those bugs. It’s really disturbing.

I also saw a movie last week on a cable channel, titled Joe’s Apartment. I bet you’ve seen it. I wonder how the movie would have gone it was entitled Kevin’s Apartment?

Wahahaha!

Just a State of Mind, My Ass!

2006-11-19T23:42:00.000+08:00

I decided to have fun with the title of this post. Just trying to piss off a friend! You all know who HE is! LOL!

I was so preoccupied with all the events in my life these past two weeks. So much has happened and I have so little time to blog. The second sem is well on its way and I have some pretty interesting educators. I have a gay, an obsessive compulsive. a stuck-up, an anti-American, and a living corpse for professors! LOL! No Kidding! Let me elaborate. First of all, I have nothing against them, I’m sure they are good teachers; it’s just that I am a very observant person and I easily see the quirks that make an individual unique. My gay teacher teaches Literature. Sucks for me because I am pretty sure he/she will make us do a butt load of plays, presentations and whatever activity which tickles his/her behind. What makes his/her class amusing is that he/she manages to relate EVERY TOPIC in class to whatever event there is in show business. Sure it’s fun but when he/she gives points for answering questions like who are the celebrities attending the TomCat wedding? It is just ludicrous!

One “prof” down, I’ll tell you about the rest next time (nabitin ba?). Now, on to a more blissful series of events in my life. LOL! I am now a proud owner of brand spanking new gadgets! Hell Yeah! This is a rare treat for me because my parents seldom indulge my techie persona. Usually, if I want new gadgets, I buy it myself, and believe me, no one likes spending their OWN money, but I will gladly dispose of anybody else’s. LOL! I just hope you don’t think I’m being haughty or anything. I’m just really happy about all my blessings and I just want to share it. First gadget, my very own PSP! Gameboy is so last decade, usher in the playstation portable! The graphics are amazing and is very versatile. It’s a gameboy, music player, movie player and an internet browser in one! It even stores your photos. It is the ultimate companion in those long commutes during excursions. You’ll never get bored with this baby!

Next up, my new Ipod Nano (does somebody get my title now? Hmmm? LOL!). Ipod is one of the best mp3 players out now in the market. It has one heck of a memory (4 GB) which you can use not only to play and store music files, you can use it as a flash drive too. I got the Product Red edition where part of its sales goes to the Aids Foundation. I even had a nice message engraved at the back. Juice helped me coming up with the quote. "Music nourishes my soul. It frees my reticence". I’m sure quite a few of you bloggers has one already, whether it be shuffle, nano or video. I also like the fact that Nano synchronizes with my iTunes, it makes listening to my favorite songs much easier. I’m sure there’s SOMEONE out there who will give some kind of unpopular opinion, well whatever, I still go for iPod. LOL!

And lastly, to complete my “technological trifecta” I have recently purchased my newest baby: My Nokia N71. I have always wanted to use a clam phone and this model was perfect for me. I dare not dream for N93 for it's still too expensive for me. I love my new phone. Sleek and simple; it’s up to par with what I want in terms of the capabilities of a cell phone. In addition to that, I have a phone long enough that it reaches my mouth when I answer a call. LOL!

I think most of you guys think I am so materialistic right now. Well, I’m not. It was just a coincidence that I got all of these things at almost the exact same time. Plus, I didn’t get these show them off to the people around me. I just like top quality things. I do not settle for cheaper but low quality gadgets. If you want to get great performance from your things, you have to spend a bit more dough for better stuff. There may be some truth to the idea that these things are just a state of mind and are just for showing off, but for me, I don’t buy them for bragging rights. I buy these things for…let’s say… just for peace of mind. At least I am pretty much assured that my money is well spent.

P.S. I changed the picture on my profile, since some where asking about how my new haircut looks like.

A Run Through

2006-11-06T00:42:00.000+08:00

Ugh, here I go again, being a very bad blogger. No Halloween post, no October special. DAMMIT! I enjoyed my stay at my aunt’s place a little too much. My siblings and I usually go to Marikina for All Souls Day (Nov. 2) to visit our departed relatives. I don’t know if foreigners do this too, if not, this may sound weird to you. I love going to the cemetery. There is that unseen peace and stillness I feel when I go there, and no, it’s not because of the fact that most of the people there are dead! I just feel good when I visit the cemetery. Woah, that sounded too weird. LOL! What I don’t like about going there during All Souls Day, is that some of the people go there as if they were just having a picnic, stepping on other graves and littering everywhere. I’m not saying not to bring food or some form of comfort for you and your family, just make sure you respect your surroundings and to keep in mind why you’re there in the first place. Whatever, next topic!

Lately I’ve been such a movie buff. I’ve seen The Grudge 2, The Prestige, Marie Antoinette, and even Open Season (They were all good but I really enjoyed The Prestige). I still have a few movies I wanna watch via the silver screen namely: SAW III, Hostel 2, The Departed and Borat. I’ve also done nothing in the past 2 days but watch movie after movie from my DVD collection, thanks to the new DVD player my mom sent us (Thanks mom!). I remember watching (again) Superman Returns and The Omen back to back. I found myself rooting for two different sides. In The Omen, I totally wanted the kid to die. I would have taken pleasure from seeing him be stabbed by all those daggers! LOL! Plus, I hated the ignorance the Dad showed. As for Superman, I loved seeing him squirm when he was weak from the kryptonite dagger! The guy’s so indestructible its ridiculous! He defies the laws of Physics and even his hair doesn’t lose its style! Damn! Is it wrong to wanna see him lose? LOL!

I got a haircut last week and a new style. It’s not exactly the way I wanted it but at least it still looks good! I also wanna thank those few people who texted me last TUESDAY. You know who you are and you know why I’m thanking you. Although there was one thing that bothered me that day; I received several messages from unexpected people yet failed to receive anything from some the people I expected to text. It just saddens me how much people change or how much they tend to forget. I know this is getting confusing to some of my fellow bloggers. Sorry, I just don’t wanna divulge this topic just yet.

Christmas is fast approaching. I love this holiday, but dislike it also to some small degree. It’s just because of some past experiences; don’t ask me about it, it’s a long story. By the way, I have an Aunt and an Uncle who yearly I have a difficult time buying or finding gifts for them. It’s because they could (and probably) have anything they wanted. I don’t know what to get them! I used to give them personalized stuff like a CD compilation of songs that they like or a nice framed photo of them (they’re married by the way). But I don’t wanna give them the same thing every year. Plus, the things that they DON’T have are too expensive for me to purchase. To make things even worse, these two people are a bit picky and kinda hard to please. The reason why I wanna get them nice and original gifts is because they have been really nice and loving to me and my siblings. I was wondering if you guys can help me think of some good gift ideas, whether it be something you buy, or make. It can be anything, just tell me your ideas!

I’ll stop here for now, gotta get some sleep. Got quite a bit of cleaning to do tomorrow. Thanks for STILL visiting me even if I don’t get to blog hop that much. But I will get to that I promise!

The Fray and The Folly

2006-10-28T17:27:00.000+08:00

I’ve been so busy. I bet you’re thinking, NOT AGAIN! LOL! Well, I am busy, but not the stressful-pull-your-hair-out kind. My time has been occupied by a very good companion during my lonely sad existence. I have recently acquired one of the last but most certainly not the least most awaited game in PS2 (did you understand that?). I haven’t missed any of its previous versions or sequels. This is one of the games that simply take my breath away in terms of its graphics, music, gameplay and most of all, its engaging storyline. This game, this legendary game, is FINAL FANTASY.

Yes, yes, if you were a hardcore RPG fan like me, Final Fantasy can be considered as the God of all RPG. But to all you people who are not into video games, let me talk about something else.

Last week a HARSH topic was discussed. A topic which virtually shook the foundations of our family relationship; The topic of going to a derma. It sounds stupid I know, let me elaborate a little. My sister recently is experiencing a skin outbreak. She spent most of her adolescence with perfect skin and gorgeous hair, but on the last few months of her final “teen” year, pimples have been visiting her, left and right…cheek. LOL! Last week she asked our dad for money to go to a dermatologist. How much did she ask for? 4000 pesos for a check up and first session. That’s a little too steep just to remove pimples. I also found out from a friend that he knows a dermatologist who’s way cheaper. For just less than 1000 bucks, you get all the check up and medicine you need. Plus, he knows first hand that the treatment works (unlike the other derma which is based only on hearsay). Anyway, all this ensued a huge debate between my sister, my dad and my brother. My sister didn’t want to go to any other doctor. My brother despises the fact that my sister spends so much money on shallow matter. My dad doesn’t know what to do because he doesn’t wanna side with anybody. Hateful screams were exchanged, tears were shed…yes…tears…As for me, I stayed away from the matter. I was busy fighting off monsters on my Final Fantasy game! LOL!

I also enrolled for my second semester last week. Second semester enrolment are much easier and is less hassle compared to when I enroll for the first sem. Wanna know how much hassle I got from a first semester enrolment? Read one of my earlier posts. It’s one of my entries which is written in tagalong because of my sheer frustration with what happened. It’s a BLOG BLAST entry. Back to the topic, for this sem, everything went smoothly, except for a few minor delays. The one thing I found to be really curious was every employee of the school which I encountered that day totally was bitchy and unfriendly. Everytime I was in front of a teller or an employee, I would happily greet them a good morning to see if they would respond. You won’t believe the reaction I got. Some answered me back with a good morning, but in a hostile manner. Some just shrugged and answered with somewhat of a moan. And some totally gave me a cold shoulder. I mean, would it kill you to be nice first thing in the morning?! Just to piss them off even more, I became extra extra nice and chatty to them just to irritate the heck out of them! LOL!

I hope you got the title of this post. If not, think a bit harder…

No, even harder than that…

P.S. The small fued is still unsettled but both sides are treating each other in a civilized manner.

Let me also ask you to comment also on my Blog Blast post about my “Enrolment Experience”. I made it when my blog was still unrecognized. I would definitely like to know what your thoughts about it is. Thanks Blogtha!

AAAHHHH...

2006-10-19T06:07:00.000+08:00

An expression you’ll commonly hear from me nowadays. A week’s worth of vacation time has done wonders for my disposition. I am rested and amiable. You can basically ask me anything and I won’t be giving you any snide comments or cynical answers. That is why, like all of the people who did the similar tag from my previous post, I too will answer YOUR follow up questions for me. As usual, I will try to answer them as jigs-like as possible. So, let us begin:

JUICE asks: What are your top ten favorite songs?

Now I would assume that she asks my current top ten, and not my all-time top ten, because that list is still under construction. LOL!

I Call It Love – Lionel Richie
Over My Head – The Fray
Promiscuous – Nelly Furtado
Call Me When You’re Sober – Evanescence
Crazy – Alanis Morisette
U + Ur Hand – Pink
Save Room – John Legend
Fidelity – Regina Spektor
I’m not missing you – Stacie Orrico
Like a Star – Corinne Bailey Rae

TALAMASCA asks: What’s your most-liked Anne Rice Book?

THE BEAUTY SERIES! LOL! Kidding! I’ve read quite a few from Anne Rice and her other pen names (Anne Rampling and A.N. Roquelaure). I worship her Vampire Chronicles! It is her depictions of vampires that I adhere to the most among all the various ways writers portray vampires. If you must make me choose, Interview with the Vampire tops my list because it introduced me to the whole vampire experience. Oh, let’s not forget, out of the Beauty Series, Beauty’s Punishment was the best. Just to let you know. LOL!

Thanks to Talamasca for reminding me of my inspiration for my Special post for this month. Just watch out for it!

EDGAR asks: Is it Happy? As in Happy Halloween?

LOL! No, my close friends would know why I would want Halloween as my last name for my nickname. Jigs Halloween would be my “nom de plume” (pseudonym).

JAISKIZZY asks: musta na pareng jigs?

Ayos lang pare…

REX asks: What is the greatest injustice in the world?

That the good suffer while the wicked thrive. (what an insightful answer! Pretty standard! LOL!)

This question requires a bit of pondering. I’ll leave my answer that way for now, although I think my answer is correct. Because of my answer, I suddenly remembered this scene from the movie Constantine where the Angel was about to release the devil into the world. The Angel says: You will endure this suffering of Hell on Earth, so that in the end, those who survive will truly be worthy of God’s love…

JHED asks: If you were to be born again, what gender do you want to be?

Being a female does have its advantages (less manual labor and more fashion choices), but to be honest, I would still choose to be a male. I find it to be more advantageous in the long run, although almost everything nowadays is equal opportunity for both sexes. Who knows in the future, females will dominate the earth. If that was the case, then I would definitely want to be female. LOL!

Thank goodness only a few people asked me more questions. Plus, nobody asked any perverted and disturbing questions! Although I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad thing LOL!

Thanks to the people who said they liked my previous post! I really appreciate the comments! It’s what keeps me at this blogging thing. I’ll end it here; I have something which begs my attention. I’ll tell you about it next time. LOL!

Tag, I'm it?

2006-10-13T00:22:00.000+08:00

I finally found the time to update my blog! So, it’s official; I’m done with our first semester! I have a few weeks worth of ME time and I’m making them count by sleeping my day away (LOL, veeeery productive jigs!). Now, with my renewed energy and rested mind, I tackle this conundrum of a tag.

Jigs. Because I like to think Jigs is my male counterpart here in Blogger. Hahaha how does that sound? LOL. Jigs never fails to make interesting posts and as an avid reader of his blog, I never skip a line.

Jigs was Flabbergasted with what Juice had to say…

(I’ve always wanted to use that word…)

How often do you blog?
It depends, I visit blogs every other day. I post entries once or twice a week. I try to keep up with the steady pace some bloggers manage to achieve in updating their blogs.

Online Alias:
ALL TOGETHER NOW… JIGS!

trivia: If I was to give my nick name a last name, it would be HALLOWEEN. LOL! Go figure!

Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew?
I might have. I never keep track really. I might have stood up for someone who I think was being treated unfairly, but I just don’t write it down on my people I’ve stood up for list. Hmmm, I don’t know why…LOL!

What do you do most often when you are bored?
I bother the heck out of people to the point of irritation. When I’m bored with that I usually listen to music and sing my heart out till I faint…

When bathing, which do you wash first?
Usually, the answer here is hair, face or hands, I actually wet my feet first. I don’t know why, do you think I have a fetish or something? LOL!!!! Kidding!

Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight?
YES, and I never never ever want to do that again! My body was shaking after the 4 cups of coffee I’ve had!

What color looks best on you?
Personally, black. But people say I look best in Red.

What's your favorite alcoholic drink?
I have no specific drink in mind. I like vodka, so any drink with vodka tastes great to me. My first alcoholic drink was a long island ice tea when I was 14 and didn’t know what the heck to order.

trivia: I had my first beer when I was 16 (maybe that’s why I don’t like it that much). I had my first taste champagne when I was 7.

Do you believe in heaven and hell as a real place that each of us will go to after death?
I agree with Juice…

Do you find that you have more online friends than offline friends?
No, I have very limited online friends, and some of them are also my offline friends.

What was your favorite subject in school?
English most definitely. I also like math although I’m not as good at it as I want to be. I like it’s being very linear. Unlike English, essays, may contain hundreds of varying details, while in math, you only get one, and one answer.

Are you a perfectionist?
No, and yes. I am one when it is something that I have passion for, I never stop till it’s the way I see it in my mind.

Do you spend more than you can afford?
Oh hell yeah! Money never stays long in my wallet. I just can’t seem to save money! I need help!

Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved before?
Define love? What kind of love? Well, whatever, I’ll just say YES. LOL!

Do you consider yourself creative?
Once again No, and Yes. (same answer as to being a perfectionist)

Do you give yourself the credit you deserve?
Most Definitely, especially if I’ve worked hard for it, but I don’t go acting all high and mighty proclaiming what an amazing thing I did. I just keep it to my self and credit it to my self esteem.

Do you donate time or money to charities?
I try too when I get the chance. Unfortunately, my wallet sometimes turns up empty… I wonder why? LOL!

Have you recently done something yourself that you've criticized others for doing?
NO! I am a very principled person. (not that I’m stuck up or anything! LOL!)

What's on your mind right now?
Honestly, my mind went blank when you asked me this question… Uhhmm, heck! I can’t think of a anything to say! Next question!

Say one nice thing about the person who tagged you and the five people that you are going to tag:

Juice: Between the two of us, we’ve exchanged pleasantries and compliments for the past few months now that will last us a lifetime! I love her sweet sophistication. She is just a loving person, in every aspect of the word. She loves to have fun, to learn, to live life. She loves to be happy, and that’s what stands out the most. Just like her name, she presents different flavors for every emotion. My favorite is lemon, sweet but has that special kick! LOL!

I wont be tagging anyone but will say a few nice things to some nice bloggers:

Rowjie. One of a kind blogger! Very kind and grateful to his blogging community. I love visiting his blog, always a different topic to be talked about. Plus, he never forgets to give me a shout out! LOL!

Marose. A lovely lady with a heart of gold. Even though I don’t get to visit her lately, she still visits me. She is a true poet and a good writer. I truly appreciate the effort and the emotion she puts into blogging.

Ghee. Another wonderful woman. She is expressive, fun-loving and enthusiastic. I just love the caring demeanor she exudes everytime she comments on my posts. Her blog is always an adventure to read.

Heneroso. I try never to miss a post from this guy. He has such a great way with TAGALOG words and even makes it wickedly funny! (mind you, I find writing in tagalong mind numbing, much more if I’m being funny!).

Vinkz. This dude manages to post everyday! DAMN! With his busy school avtivities and weekend duties, he manages to give time to blog and even comment on my post. Never have I seen that kind of dedication from a blogger anywhere.

-----

So, If you still have ANY questions for me, be it perverted or disturbing, PLEASE, hesitate to ask. LOL! just kidding. feel FREE to ask. I’ll be here waiting for your questions.

P.S. I bet Talamasca wants to freaking stab me in the back for doing another tag!

Cue the billboard obliterating winds!

2006-10-03T03:23:00.000+08:00

Finally managed to squeeze in 10 minutes to blog! This semester is really different. 4 out of my 9 subjects do not have your usual written test for finals. One is a special presentation, one is a case study, another is an oral exam, and the last one is a take home exam. Can you believe that? We get to do our final exam at home! I bet it’s gonna be hard, but its ok, at least the pressure of the usual one hour time limit is absent.

Anyway, I’ve read quite a few posts about the past typhoon (milenyo) and what they did during the storm. Actually, nothing devastating happened around Pampanga unlike the events at Metro Manila. There was the occasional strong rains, but, more prevalent was the strong winds gusting the trees around our house violently. I think I spent 60% of the day sleeping. Electricity was erratic. One moment we had power, the next, long hours of blackouts. Thank God my phone was fully charged. It kept me company during those stagnant hours. My brother also had a PSP to keep us alternately entertained. Classes were cancelled but I wasn’t able to get any work done due to the unavailability of our computer. I did get lots of rest though and enjoyed the free time for myself.

I stepped out of our home to see if the roads were flooded or if there were any damages to our surroundings. The road was muddy and littered with leaves. It wasn’t raining that much anymore, but the wind never stopped blowing. Air/Wind is one of my favorite elements. It is unpredictable and can manipulate other elements. It is comforting and freeing. It gives life and destroys it. It bares significance. “When you don’t see something, it doesn’t mean it’s not there”. Air is the ultimate proof. It also for me denotes power. It can be a gentle breeze or a powerful hurricane. When I felt the strong winds from the typhoon, it was as if I was making the wind blow like that (LOL! Talk about wanting to be Storm!). Usually in fantasy movies or shows, when a spell is cast or a presence is felt, a sudden blow of the wind is used. It is used to make scenes more romantic or sexier. It can also be used for speed and action (hence the title of this post! LOL!). It is that unseen force that can be found everywhere… Ahhh, can you feel the air blowing yet? So, what’s YOU’RE favorite element? :)

BTW, another reason why I love the wind, it’s because I hate sweating! LOL!

Still here!

2006-09-26T03:01:00.000+08:00

God! I’ve been such a poor blogger lately. I have my excuse though. Next week will be our final exams! I’ve been dragging myself lately to school because I really wanna start my sembreak! LOL! I have a lot of requirements to finish and I gotta hit the books soon. So probably, after next week, I get to relax and blog more often! I have to make up for my absence in your blogs. I also got sick this past few days. I had an infection on my left eye. Thus, my time in front of our computer has greatly reduced to give my eyes a break.

Anyway, This post will be really quick because I really don’t have anything to talk about. My mind is too cluttered with school work. I just wanted to post something to let you guys know that I’m still alive and blogging. LOL!

So, to give this post some sense, I wanna answer the tag from JHED. Let me just say, I am one heck of a music lover. I think it came from my dad. He has this amazing collection of great CD’s (all original) from his generation. From Santana, to Michael Jackson, to Celine Dion; My Dad was a complete music man. If memory serves me right, when He was in college, he was a drummer in a band. Unfortunately, He didn’t bother to teach me any musical instrument. LOL! How could He? He’s been busy working hard abroad so we didn’t really get the chance. Ramblings aside, each of his CDs has a sticker of a number on it. I’m not sure if it’s also alphabetized. He liked to keep his collection in order and neat. He has an amazing sound system and loved to listen to music and watch movies in surround. He made sure our entertainment room was surrounded with his speakers on all sides of the room. He loves to sit on a comfy couch, smoke a cigarette, dim the lights and listen to music while he relaxes and ponders. I like to do that too, except replace the cigarette with a drink (preferably something with alcohol, LOL!).

INSTRUCTIONS:

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to.

1. Call Me When You’re Sober - Evanescence

2. Here It Goes Again – Ok Go

3. Over My Head – The Fray

4. U + Ur Hand – Pink

5. Ridin’ – Chamillionaire

6. The Diary of Jane – Breaking Benjamin

7. Fidelity – Regina Spektor

I have A LOT more songs that I am currently enjoying. It has its own play list (Jigs’ Flava! LOL!) I just played my iTunes on shuffle in order to pick seven. I hope this post will suffice for now.

I can’t believe ramblings can poetically be arranged to create a small tribute to my father. LOL!

HANG IN THERE…BABY!!!

Musika V: Supernova

2006-09-20T02:07:00.000+08:00

Last week, my infatuation ended. Nooooo! Say it isn’t so! LOL! What a great season! I unexpectedly enjoyed this show tremendously. Even my bets did well! 3 out of my predicted final four made it and one of them was the victor! I guess most of you know who it is by now. Lukas Rossi emerged as the rockstar for this season. I have a lot of favorite performances from different rockers. I love Magni’s version of I ALONE, Ryan Star’s BACK OF YOUR CAR and Toby Rand’s THROW IT AWAY to name a few. But since I know you won’t watch all of them, let me post three performances which I love among all:

LadyLike by Storm Large

This song is just pure ear candy. I can't help but sing along and rock with her. The Queen of Rock lives in Storm Large! LOL! Actually this is the clean version. She curses in the original but either way, Storm rocked it! Thank God she was able to perform this before she left. At least she got to show what her music is about.

Bitter Sweet Symphony by Lukas Rossi

One of my favorite alternative rock songs ever since I first enjoyed it on the OST of Cruel Intentions. Lukas added a Gothic twist to it and totally worked! The angst from his performance was perfect for the mood of the song! My rocker senses are tingling. I honestly got chills when I watched his performance!

Lithium by DILANA

Love at first sound! She is just enchanting! When I saw her performance, She just blew me away! She knows how to take command of the stage and she gets total respect from the audience out of it! I LOVE ALL of her performances and she just keeps getting better. I still stand by my what I said and that she should have won this thing!

Congratulations to Lukas for winning the chance to front the band SUPERNOVA! I hope they do well. But, let me speak my mind first. In my opinion, Dilana should have won it. She has never received any criticisms about her singing. All of her performances where goosebumps worthy. I think, the guys of Supernova do not really like the fact that their band will be led by a woman. I think they feel uncomfortable being fronted by a female. But that's just me. I also like Lukas. He is very talented, specially at composing songs. I liked the band's song entitled IT'S ON. Lukas sang this with the band during an elimination show. Rockstar: Supernova really got me in touch with my rocker roots! Till the next ROCKSTAR!

Chaoticized!

2006-09-12T21:15:00.000+08:00

I wasn’t able to think of a suitable title for this post so I decided to make up a word to somehow describe it. Random thoughts and fuzzy memories are the composition of this note. This is just me loosening up a bit.

Let me just congratulate (once again) a good friend on his present achievement of a hundred posts on his blog. Congrats REX! I know he is slightly “over-advertised” on my blog, but he IS a friend and I AM an avid reader of his blog. My being a guest writer on his blog was the cherry on top of the cake. LOL! Go to Rex’s blog to read our banter over his top ten most favorite posts. Try reading them if you have time, I guarantee a good read. I haven’t read a single bad post, or article for that matter from him. Did you know that his H.S. graduation speech (he was valedictorian. gosh!) was plagiarized? I won’t go into any more details but it just shows he is THAT good. He is twice the writer I will ever be, and that’s an understatement (nakow, wag sanang lumaki ang ulo!).

I just got a new recipe for dessert, a no bake chocolate soufflé with whipped cream. Fairly easy and deliciously creamy; I’m sure the above mentioned blogger will like this. I’ll make this the next time we have a dinner party. Let’s see if he has any criticisms about this one! LOL! I’ve been meaning to try more recipes but I really have very little time to plan and cook anything. My dad asked me if I wanted to attend a summer class for cooking. I said sure, but I haven’t really made my mind up just yet. I like my summer vacations to stay that way, a vacation! LOL!

Let me send a shout out to this girl for our little serendipity. You have good taste. LOL!

I’m having a hard time with my 21 day plan. It’s not that I don’t have any discipline; it’s just that it’s hard to be on a diet while others around you are eating anything they want. I watched Noypi (pinoy when rearranged which refers to Filipinos) on ABS-CBN. Their topic is the discrimination that Filipinos have against a person’s, weight, looks and sexual preference (gay or straight). They showed hidden footages of random Filipinos and how they interact with a “normal” person and with a person who is either fat, unattractive or gay. Although there were those who were genuinely nice and accommodating, there were those who barely acknowledged the person who they consider "abnormal". What does the physical hold over the mind that it makes it so difficult for some people to be courteous to...EVERYBODY (Whether they be beautiful or not, fat or thin, gay of straight)? I don’t know the answer. Tell me when you do...

Haaaay, another cheerful post successfully “chaoticized” by yours truly.

HANG IN THERE BABY!!!

September 8

2006-09-08T17:31:00.000+08:00

Buongiorno guys! Got a lot on my mind lately and I’m starting to get busy again. I’m in the final 3 weeks of this semester and final requirements are rearing their ugly heads. I have my case studies to finish, investigatory projects and to top it all off, we have a presentation on Kapampangan Literature and culture (believe me; it’s not as easy as it sounds). But I’ve put everything on hold right now to make this post. So, what makes this post so special? Today, is MY MOM’S BIRTHDAY…

She’s the best mom in the world. That’s the best way to describe her completely. Offer me someone different and I shall refuse your offer and then convince you on every point, the advantage of having her as my mother. She has been nothing but selfless and caring, two traits she shares with my dad. I call her mom, not Mama, not Inay (tagalong of mother), not Mommy. I remember when I was young, everything she said was right. Every time she gave me advice, taught me lessons, or even when she screamed at me, I know now she was right. Who was I to make things hard for her? Here she is taking care of the four of us, and all I did was mess up! Ever the black sheep of the family. LOL…

My mom is an amazing person; she manages to make everything work. She works hard and gets along with a lot of people really well (too bad I didn’t inherit this! LOL!). She is very talented too! She writes really really really well! She makes my writing skills, as little as they are, seem very amateurish! I remember on my first year in college, I wanted to join Frontliner (newspaper of our campus) and I asked her to proofread my work. When I came back, I saw her editing my work and when I read the parts she changed, it really seemed like a professional was writing it! Too bad it happened only once; I could have asked her to proofread more articles! LOL! My theory on why she writes well is because she is a total bookworm! If I could only show you her vast collection of pocketbooks! From Tom Clancy to Stephen King to Sydney Sheldon! Name it, she’s probably read it! I wonder why she didn’t try to make a living out of writing. I should ask her that…

Her love is unconditional, as do most mothers. If not, I wouldn’t be here blogging right now. I’d probably be in jail! LOL! Too much information! Just kidding! I don’t know if my mom will kill for me, probably not, but I would for her…Okaaaay, you’re getting to morbid for this post Jigs! LOL! She is very versatile. She is a very classy and sophisticated woman but knows when to get down and dirty! She pushes me and my siblings to our full potential, never letting us settle with second best. I know she wants the best for us and I know she wants wants us to be successful in life. I love her for that. I need someone to motivate me to grabe life by the horns. I am a lazy bum! LOL! Anyway, let me end this short introduction and small tribute to my mother by saying, if you ask me how much I value my mom, I wouldn’t know where to start. I wouldn’t be here without her, literally. No words… Absolutely no words, in any language, can express my outmost love, affection and gratitude for having her in my life. Nobody’s perfect, but she sure does come close…Love you mom…

P.S. Don’t worry dad I’ll make you one too on your birthday! LOL!

P.P.S. I’m pretty sure you’re sick of my weekly updates on Rockstar: Supernova, I just can’t help it! It just keeps getting better and better! For this week each rocker sang their original songs and they were killer songs with killer performances. My favorite original song was LADYLIKE by Storm Large! She also sang suffragette city by David Bowie. She was just flawless that night! Dilana rocked with her song Supersoul and sung beautifully Behind blue eyes by The Who. Lucas’s original titled Headspin was full of emotion! Magni’s original (I forgot the title) and Toby’s Throw it away rocked the house down! Toby has grown tremendously and I am enjoying his performances! Unfortunately, Storm said goodbye last night. The Final Four: DILANA, MAGNI, LUCAS and TOBY!

Blog Blast! 4th Edition

2006-09-04T04:48:00.000+08:00

September 3, 2006
Sunday
12:56 a.m.

The following is an excerpt from a very “interesting” conversation with a friend via YM.

Rex: magpapahighlights ako tomorrow..dark blue..anong magandang style?

Rex: yung hindi agaw-pansin ha? kasi naman I’m trying this out lang..

Rex: you know, one of those things I could say when I’m asked, "what is the latest outrageous thing youve done.?"

Rex: so should i go for the usual? you know, scattered streaks..what if sa may bangs part lang..

Jigs: NO! bagay lang yun if you have long hair.

Jigs: you have curly hair kaya medyo mahirap magisip. Try mo in a straight line

Rex: straight line saan? Sa gitna?

Jigs: Kinda like kay UMA kaya lang hanggang sa likod..gets?

Rex: huh, but isnt that too 'loud'? isnt that too much for my personality?!

Rex: lam mo naman, wala sa personality profile ang magpakulay ng buhok..i could even look stupid...

Jigs: Kaya mo yan! Its time for a change! For you to stand out and say, it's my turn to live vicariously! WAHAHAHAHAHA!

Rex: hindi ko nga alam kung kaya kong dalhin ito..

Jigs: To be honest, blue WILL make you stand out, because it’s not your usual color of highlights..kahit pa dark blue yan..

Rex: im doing the right thing, right? you know, trying something new..

Jigs: Basta, do what you feel like doing. kung hindi ka rin naman comfortable sa mga sinusuggest ko, hindi mo rin madadala yung style..

For the benefit of my few non-filipino readers, the conversation was about a friend deciding to get highlights.

I honestly was not expecting to have this kind of conversation with Rex, more so at 1 in the morning! Just to inform you guys in all the years (almost 9 years) I’ve known Rex, He has NEVER changed his hairstyle nor has he made any drastic changes to his appearance. He keeps it pretty average when it comes to his type of clothing and looks. That’s not at all a bad thing, it just shows he values other things more than the physical thing; but as I once said, everyone’s vain, it’s just the degree that varies.

Imagine suggesting something to a person who is very apprehensive about what you’re saying. I’m sure you’ll feel slightly annoyed and harassed! LOL! It’s like those demos you see in department stores! You’ll see people watching the demonstration of the salesperson, but at the end no one buys the product. I kinda feel like that salesperson after the conversation. But hey, it’s all good! I’m glad my opinion matters to a friend, ehrmm, in someway. This is just me sharing my harrowing experience in helping make a friend’s decision easier and better. In the end, he is free to do what he wants. He decided to go for the common way highlights are done (streaks). It is after all, HIS hair! I wouldn’t care if he dyed it gray! But it is my solemn duty as a friend to make fun of him every chance I get for wanting to look like my grandpa! LOL! Check out Rex’s Blog to know why he decided to have his hair colored!

P.S. I still think he should’ve taken my advice! :)

P.P.S. Rockstar Supernova is down to 5 rockers! So far, my final four is still intact. I hope they do become the final four, although it is unlikely...For the first time, Dilana was in the bottom three. It's probably because of what happened last week. I hope she recovers. Lukas is yet to be part of it. I can't wait for this week's performances, I get chills just thinking about it!