salad bowl of thoughts

Dear Readers/Followers

2011-02-28T23:57:00.000-08:00

I would really appreciate it if your visit/follow my new blog, where I write and update more frequently than this one. Thanks!

The Ruffled Tea Diary

Also, I and a friend of mine is currently working on a new project which we called

The Earth Friendly Lolita Project

It is about Lolita Fashion and Lifestyle and being Earth friendly at the same time.

Thank you for your continued support! ♥

something new

2010-09-08T04:40:00.000-07:00

please click this to see.. thanks!

i just can't get over this song... ♥

2010-06-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

i heard this song when we watched the "Kamikaze Girls"... it really is cute!!! ♥♥♥ enjoy!!!

Father's Day

2010-06-23T09:01:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, it was... i greeted all the dads and dads-to-be whom i know, of course, that includes Hubby. ^__^

I have told you about my father, some posts back. And since I lost him so early, I can only send him prayers. You see, I grew up believing that people who passed away can hear my prayers. :) Well, there's no harm in trying... It was kinda saddening not being able to have a memory of your own father. I wonder how my mom was able to manage? 0_o Anyway, I'm all grown up now. What matters most is that she was able to raise me and my sister well... And she finally have found her happiness - my stepfather. :)

But some few weeks ago, a friend of mine whom I haven't heard from for ages, sent me a message telling me that she already found my father's relatives. They live near where she lives so it wasn't really hard. She told me that my father's cousin is looking forward to meet me soon. I was really happy! (Who wouldn't?) I told her right away that I'll be visiting them soon. As soon as I can squeeze that in my very busy schedule.

Now, that's another thing to look forward to! ^__^
-----------------------
"To my dad, happy father's day! Thank you for asking your friend to come find mom and me. Though, it was a bad news, I still feel loved by you. Don't you worry. I'll come find your grave and bring you flowers and candles. I'll bring along your beautiful grandchildren, so they'll recognize you. They've been "deprived" of a grandfather's love because Hubby's dad died early too. :( Good thing, mom met Mr. M. At least, now they have someone to call "Lolo" (means Grandfather in Filipino). :) He's a very nice and decent man. I've witnessed his pure love for mom.

Once again, thank you... You know That I love you..."

tea time!

2010-06-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

just sharing these photos of Hubby's gift to me for Mother's day... sorry for the late post... :)

tea cup set with a cute porcelain doll...

aaaaw.. super lurrrve!

Starting again...

2010-06-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

After the series of unbelievable events in our lives, I'm finally starting to pick up the little pieces of what's left in me. Hope. I keep telling myself until now that i have to be grateful for all the good and the bad things that happened. Yeah! Bad things teaches us a lesson. We learn from it and we must keep moving forward.

So, lately I've been focused on my kids' schooling, the shop and some other fun activities. Also, Hubby and I were able to find a way to send my youngest daughter to school. Yay to that! ^__^

I shall see you all some other time, my friends. My weekdays are kinda hectic. I might be able to come back during weekends. Thanks! :)

:)

voices beyond

2010-06-15T06:33:00.000-07:00

a little something for the boys..

though they didn't make it to Hollywood, i know everything will still work out. :)

btw, the photo was taken during their fund raising concert last May 01, 2010.

so...

2010-06-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

i know that everyone has been wondering what has happened and why have i decided to stop blogging for a while. i don't know if you can still remember the story about my boys, The Franciscan Quartet, going to Hollywood for that competition. well, here's an update --- they are NOT going anymore! aaaaaaaw.. i know how this could be disappointing but nobody else could be more disappointed than us, their moms. WHY AREN'T WE GOING? well, simply because we weren't able to pass the Visa interview. and we, the moms, were all refused of this visa for no known reason (i guess).. the officer who conducted our interview was an Asian guy who, i think, doesn't really know what he was doing right at that moment. he was asking the officer (an American guy) regarding our papers and what to do about it. and then he just said, "would you still allow your son to go without you?" i answered "yes, BUT!.." then he cut me right there and said "okay, you are being refused an American visa and you may now proceed to the courier service right at the pavilion." and i was like 0_0 "duh?" yes! yes! yes! it went just like that and then nothing! (pfffft!)

now, what was that?!

okay.. before we all went for the interview, i told myself that no matter what will happen, passed or not, i wouldn't mind. i'm kinda half-hearted about this whole thing because i know that i can't really afford to go... talk about the airfare and the hotel accommodation expenses and such?... i just can't afford it. the sponsors didn't really help a lot because of the election that took place last month. and most of our contacts were politicians who were just throwing off some of their wealth to win the election. and some of them even told us that if ever they have extra money to spend - well, they won't be spending it on us. :( well, that's life.

i don't hold any grudges for anybody... actually, i was kinda relieved. although i wanted so much to call that Asian officer in the embassy a name, like "inconsiderate asshole" but naaah! that wouldn't help either... and if we did passed, how are we going to handle everything?

now that the Hollywood dream is over, i can move on to the next step. it's almost school time here and my youngest daughter, hasn't enrolled yet. i haven't shopped for their school needs. and it's all because i'm short of funds. my online shop has to stop for a while because i am too busy processing our papers. and now i'm bringing back everything in order... it's barely 2 weeks but i'm keeping my fingers crossed.. i had to earn some more money so i can send my youngest one to school. all of my savings were spent to our passport and other necessary papers for the trip. it ain't easy! i'm left with nothing but empty pocket, little money in the bank and debts. all because of that trip. :(

all i can think of right now is to keep moving forward. it's useless to rant about them. i can't afford to waste my precious blog space, time and effort. but i'll tell you a story some other time about my adventures with the foreign affairs here. i just need a little more contemplating before i could write them all down. :) har har har!

i'll see you around again... very soon. ^___^ i missed everyone out here!

there and back again...

2010-06-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

whoa! i'm here again! it felt like home sweet home! :)

okay... i know i have a lot of explaining to do but let me breathe first... i would be more than willing to tell you what happened and why i was MIA for like 2 months and 1 week. see?

so please... just bear with me and let me share where i've been and i've gone through. and everything else!

let me just take a shower... BRB! ^____^

leaving?

2010-04-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

it's been a long time since i last blogged here... oh please! don't think that i have left my blogger acct.. yes, i'm in tumblr lately, enjoying the fun of micro-blogging.. but that doesn't mean that i'm leaving you, guys. especially you, Mr. G.A.G.! lol! :)

i admit that i've gotten a bit lazy and most of the time, i'm out with the boys, looking for sponsors for the July trip... what else? uhm, we are preparing for their fund raising concert this coming Saturday. not really a big one but we're expecting it to be. :) of course, we have to take care of ticket selling, preparation of the venue, guest list, costumes, that "F" visa application, training, and my shop. ugh!

i am really having a hard time choosing what i should do first and what i can leave for now then come back for it later... the shop badly needs my attention, but what can i do? my cam's battery died a long time ago! its replacement hasn't arrived yet... :(

April 24th, hubby and i celebrated our birthday (yes, we do have the same birth date!). few guests have arrived and most stayed up until 5 in the morning. all drunk and happy! :) while i... i got tons of dishes to wash after the party! huhuhu :(

i do hope you can bare with me... perhaps i'd be able to go back to my old self after all these activities. i have so much to share but i couldn't find the time and the urge to write them all down here... maybe that "F" niche thing made me feel lazy about this whole blogging thing! it is really sickening... why can't i just have a blog where i can put down everything? happy, sad, angry, mad, rants, reviews... whatever! i don't intend to make money out of this, anyway. i tried, but it's very complicated and i don't like it! those badges on the right will prove it, but i was never active in any of those things! one day, i will clean up all these and make this space so personal and filled only with the things i love. just wait and see!

btw, i would like to congratulate my sister, C! she was able get her own domain! yay! please visit her site! xD and to you, my very dear Wilmy... i missed you soo much! you have no idea! :)

~HUGZ x Zillion!~

gaaah! where have i been?

2010-04-04T21:52:00.000-07:00

yes, yes, yes! i know i've been MIA! and i really feel bad about it... :( actually, i and my friend were soo busy for an upcoming event this weekend. we had to double up our production so we can send them out to that event. one of my OL friends asked me to consign items for her shop. oh my! :) we're both excited and anxious. ^_^

so much for that rant! i'm here (really) to tell you who have won my GA! yaaay! :)

the following bloggers have joined and with no questions asked, shared our video/s on their blogs. it's just fair for them to get what each of them deserve.

i decided to give out a surprise 'prize' because i also liked the entry that she made...
the special prize goes to:
ceemee
the second, to:
emjay
and of course, (she got the best answer and post) the first will go to:
liz

to the above mentioned bloggers, thank you soo much not only for joining my GA but most especially for sharing the video/s. somehow, your own followers and readers have learned about these boys. :) and of course, CONGRATULATIONS!!! :D

i have sent out notifications to your blogs and i'll have to wait for your email, so i can send out the prizes. thank you, once again! ^_^

medals

2010-03-20T07:43:00.000-07:00

i'm okay and i'm not feeling bad anymore... thanks to some good friends of mine for comforting me. :) and thanks to my son who have just received 6 awards last Thursday! ^_^ i don't have much photos to share because i wasn't able to bring my cam with me and besides, the school officials won't allow it. they have their own official photographers and that'll make my cam useless and my purse heavy, which i hate if it'll happen... it was a very looong event and while i was there, i grumbled quietly about my aching feet. and that night, i wasn't able to sleep well due to pain. that's ouch multiplied by 10!!!

~cell phone shot~

2 bronze, 3 silver and one gold. after a whole school year of hard work, those medals were his reward. (those aren't academic awards, btw) he earned them either from sports competition or from speech chorale or dance competition. how ironic! he is a cultural scholar in their school because of his participation in their singing group. but this year, he refused to join any competition related to singing except for that WCOPA one. he said he can't sing like he used to, he can't hit the notes like he used to and he's not as confident like he used to. hmmm... that's him. 0_0 i don't know anymore what kind of motivation he needs but i'm hoping that my encouragements are well enough to keep him going. BUT it isn't bad, after all. 6 medals from different fields. 6 hard earned medals. they made him want to work harder next year to get some more!

~the culprit~

i was so proud of his achievements. i was thrilled that i had to go up the stage with him despite the aching feet and a bad pair of shoes. i'm proud that i am his mother. someday, he will remember (and most probably laugh) how i struggled to find something decent to wear for that night.
he sang too, with the rest of the Quartet, and approached me and handed something. it's a certificate of appreciation for the parents of the awardees present that night. it made my eyes teary but i held them back. i can't cry. na-ah! it'll ruin my makeup! lol!

"in everything, always give thanks."

and i do... :) ~HUGZ!~

but wait! there's more!

2010-03-15T05:36:00.000-07:00

you might want to read this post. it is clear that i've been battling with the "niche" thing since i've started getting followers and traffic.

but i thought... why should i bother? they followed me without asking me that big Q. and the list is still growing! OMG! 0_0

once again,

specially to the people who have become my friend in this very tiny space.

~HUGZ!~

niche?

2010-03-15T04:38:00.000-07:00

after a hundred post, i am still being asked the same old question that many bloggers have failed to answer...

what is your niche in blogging?

honestly, I STILL DON'T KNOW!

i'd like to say that my blog tackles motherhood or my artistic/crafty side or, or my life as a stay at home wife... gaaah! everything that i am is in this blog! no, wait! ALMOST! (my closest blogging friends know that!) isn't it obvious that my blog is all about my randomness?

yes, i am a mother. but should i just stop there?
yes, i love crafts. but should i just stop there?
yes, i love fashion. but should i just stop there?

i am many things, my dear friends! how about you? isn't it boring if you'll just post about the latest trend or your self worshiping or technical stuff? wouldn't it be much nicer to write about the things you love and the awesome things you see everyday even if it's just about a goat giving birth and how his kid looks like? see? i'm so full of randomness. so what?!

just like parenting. we want perfection, right? BUT there's really no such thing as perfect parenting. whatever you do, no matter how hard you work, there'll come a time that they won't listen to you.

life isn't perfect. and so is blogging!

i own this blog. i will write about the things i want to write. if you don't like me -- fine! go away! if you do, you can stay. just don't touch things, ok? you might break them. it's my life that you're reading. so if you find it not interesting, just click that "x" button.

just please spare me from your ill judgment... you are not perfect either!

***this is just my opinion. if in case you feel bad about this post, i'm sorry. i'm just having a bad day like most normal people do.***

waiting for the Eclipse

2010-03-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

ok! i admit that i'm not a fan of the Twilight Saga! God knows how i used to hate the fuss during the release of the first movie. it was crazy! and everyone i know on the net keep talking about it! how crazy is that? 0_0 the first movie was kinda boring and don't say that i didn't understand! i knew that there'll be New Moon coming up! and of course the rest of them will come to theaters too! it's just soo tiring everytime you see others rave for it! yeah, it's their right but please, oh please! spare me from the exaggeration! 0_0

but... but... but when mom gave me this last December:

i was dumbfounded! and at last, i got excited!!! (but i'd still refuse to rave so much about it! sorry... ^_^) i finished all the books in 2 weeks! (that long?) yeah, it took me that long because i have other things to do, you know! after reading them, i knew that Eclipse is more exciting than the first 2 books. i just can't wait to see how's it gonna be like especially the effects!

oh, well... we'll see on 06/30/10. :)

Twilight Saga EclipseTrailer! :)

2010-03-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

omg! omg! omg! can't help it! let me share this too! :)

inspiration

2010-03-09T09:16:00.000-08:00

i'm trying...

i'm concentrating...

aaaaargh! 0_0

pardon me, my friends... i'm just trying to squeeze out some new ideas for new designs of our next batch of accessories. ugh! it hurts my brain big time!

a little pressured for the upcoming event (that'll be on April) and the FQ's activity plus the papers and all... you see? i'm blogging it! so it means that i'm strained, to the bones! :D

i need a new inspiration for the next wave of our products. i'm a little interested in steampunk but i think it requires soo much metal and is splendorous, if i may say so... but it won't hurt to experiment, right? maybe i'll make a combination of Steampunk, Renaissance, Gothic, Boudoir, etc... gaaah! that means i'll be needing new stuffs and materials and mooh-lah-la!

i'm hurting my brain too much... :( better get some rest. maybe, it'll get me back to my senses. i'll see you around!
===================
btw, the giveaway is still on. don't forget to join! :)

100th? (Blog Giveaway :))

2010-03-07T16:34:00.001-08:00

oh my! am i counting it right? this is my 100th post! yay to that! and my blogaversary is near! 0_0

err... what should i do now? :)

a. go back to bed and get some more sleep?
b. treat an orphan to lunch?
c. visit a salon and get a nice soothing massage?
d. write and write and write more til i reach another hundredth?
e. any creative suggestion?
0_0???

aaaaw! how time flies... i was MIA for weeks, i guess... that's due to our busy sched with sponsor hunting for the Quartet's WCOPA Hollywood trip. one of my friends suggested that i should use the power of the internet and blogging to help ourselves get what we need. which i really don't think would work since most of my readers are from other countries. but she said, it wouldn't hurt if i'd try. maybe, somewhere or somehow, a fellow Filipino blogger or reader will help us get the help we need. please help us by spreading the word through your blogs, Facebook Walls, or whatever form and rest assured that everything will be appreciated. i'm kinda losing hope... until now everything is ZERO! ugh! but i'll keep holding on for my ADJ1, it's his dream and i'm trying to help him make it true (oh, what mothers would do!)... as they say, believe and all things are possible... ;)

well, here's an old video of the Franciscan Quartet singing "When you believe" by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. (i love listening to this! it keeps me up somehow :))

if you want to see more, please follow this link:
buneng6
============================

SO... if you are reading this, answer the question above (be creative!) by leaving a comment below, share the video up there (or you can choose from their vids, just visit the links posted) and get the chance to WIN these:
A BAG OF CUTE STUFFS THAT I BOUGHT FROM PAPEMELROTI!!! To see more of their cuteness, visit their site here. Why Papemelroti? Simply because i'm a huge fan of their shop, their story and all the things that they sell. (And I'm loving them since my High School days! How many times do I have to say that?)

What's in the bag?

1. a reusable paperbag made of recycled materials
2. a bag holder (not from Papemelroti)
3. a pack of scrapbook materials
4. a pocket daily planner (very handy!)
5. a small scrapbook (cute!)
6. a bag charm (not from Papemelroti)
7. bookmark
8. stickers

you like it? 0_0 you know what to do!

AND these too:

ok, these are 2 "wow!" items from our shop! the first one is a cuff with a ring and the other one is a choker. the choker is my personal favorite! :) both of them are made by US! (i mean me and my freakish friend, remember her? ^_^)

HERE'S HOW TO JOIN:
1. GIVE ME A GOOD ANSWER TO THE QUESTION POSTED ABOVE. (means you have to leave me a comment)
2. SHARE THE VIDEO ABOVE OR YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL (link posted above, too.)
3. MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADD AND THE LINK TO YOUR POST OR WHERE YOU HAVE POSTED THIS GIVEAWAY. (this means that you'll have to repost this giveaway with the video on your blog, twitter, Facebook, etc. just send me a valid link, ok?)
4. THIS GIVEAWAY WILL END ON MARCH 31, 2010, SO THAT MEANS YOU'LL HAVE TO KEEP ON CHECKING US BACK. WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED THROUGH E-MAIL. WE WILL VISIT YOUR BLOG TOO, TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE WON.
~TWO WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN. THE MOST CREATIVE ANSWER AND REPOST-ER WILL GET THE PAPEMELROTI BAG OF GOODIES AND THE SECOND BEST WILL GET THE CHOKER AND CUFF SET.~

see? easy-peasy! :)

and oh, BTW! THIS IS NOT A PAPEMELROTI SPONSORED CONTEST. all of these stuffs are purchased by ME and sponsored by our shop. my blog is a year older and i'm soo happy about it! it's just my way of saying thanks to everyone who came and gone here and to the frequent visitors who shared a comment or two. everyone and every word means a lot to me! i'm looking forward to more years of blogging experience and gaining friends around the globe! :)

i'll see you around, pals!
================================

oh by the way, if you want to win more stuffs, join my sister's giveaway! yay! visit Every Thought Counts. you'll like it too! :)

decipher

2010-03-03T17:49:00.000-08:00

night out -- less words! soo much fun!

2010-02-23T05:05:00.000-08:00

soo much fun last night! away from the pressures of dish washing for a while... :) i don't have much story to share because the whole time we were there, we just laughed like crazy and listened to some good music. i enjoyed the long walk at the famous Global City because the place was really like taking you away from what you've been used to. it's no wonder most kids (and adults too) frequent this place. everything you want in just one place! well, we're lucky because aside from the free concert tickets, the Quartet were all introduced to the talent manager of the singers who performed that night! hello sponsors! :D anyway, here are pics to enjoy! muah!

~~ great great performers! ~~

~~ some useless photos i took during our walk... ~~

and of course! cam whoring moments! this is indeed the best part! LOL! sorry about the covered parts. i still am not ready... but at least, you'll see the best part of me! ROTFL!

and oh! by the way, that thing on top of my head is my latest creation. the Mini Pillbox Hat! lurrrve!

i'm still thinking if i'd make some more and sell them... what do you think?

~winky wink!~ ^_^

trying to keep up

2010-02-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

gaaah! i am exhausted as always! :) running the household and selling online while hunting for sponsors for the WCOPA trip is really what's keeping me busy lately. i'm glad, though... the little profit i make in selling really helped me in processing our papers. really not an easy thing to do.. aaaargh! and as for the sponsors, so far, some friends and acquaintances made their pledges. isn't that good news? :)

btw, i haven't revealed yet what we (a friend of mine and me are partners) sell online... well, it's not really huge or somewhat classy. we are concentrating on this market because we know that one can't find so many sellers here that offers such products. like most sellers on Etsy, what we sell are all handmade by me and my friend. AND our target market are the lovers of Gothic, Victorian, Lolita, Punk(not sure though) accessories. i know... i know... it's not impressive, i told you. we don't want pressure. we only sell stuffs that we love making. we try to combine pieces of jewelries with other stuffs and crochet too, and then -- ta-daaa! ^_^ oh, i just love the results!

just take a look! :)

***these are top hats made by me and my friend (who happens to be my sister's BFF, btw)

***this is my personal favorite! really hard to make... but C's BFF managed to make one! she's a freak, i guess...

***yes, it is! it is a doll! cuuute! xD

***some cuffs... these are bestsellers! :D

********************

and whenever i'm idle (meaning, whenever i'm not on the computer or washing the dishes), it's either i'm crocheting or busy working on a new design. they might not be appealing to some but it took us lot of work and thinking before we could finally finish one. another thing is -- i don't work when i lack inspiration. so, i hunt endlessly everywhere for new inspiration. >_< til i have no more energy left to work. hmpf! st*pid!

pardon me, my friends, for my absences here in my blog. i only have two hands and one mind (~whispering~ and that one mind isn't working well! tee-hee!) if i could type with my feet, believe me i would, just to keep up with you... at least i'm trying... (lame!)

i'll be seeing you around... ~smooches!~

lurrrve!

2010-02-14T08:57:00.000-08:00

sending out lots of lurrrve to everyone! Happy Love day!

pink, katy perry, gwen stefani, leona lewis

2010-02-12T21:53:00.000-08:00

i soo love them all!

each one is unique. and very lovely! ~kisses!~

i'm back and i'm tired... but happy!

2010-01-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

after dealing with sleepless nights and stress due to mom's despedida party and the shop's soft opening, here i am... so weary and broke. did i mention that i am also trying to process all the documents we need for the WCOPA event? aaahck! i can't even lift my finger to type this post.

i'm taking a break today! as i've said i'm broke and i don't have anything left except for some loose coins in my pocket. really, everything drains you and your energy. whew! i'm glad that i still have some left for this post. and i am much happier because my sister gave me something to write about...
===================
my sister, C (or more known as BUTTERyFLY) is passing an award to me (again!), which is:

hmmm... really, huh? thanks my dearest only sis!!! (^*^)

ok, here are the rules:

THE GOLDEN RULE for receiving this award.
SAY 7 THINGS THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW KNOW ABOUT YOU! (darn!)
pictures are optional but of course, it would be more exciting if you'll post one... then pass it on to your blogger friends! easy-peasy!

===========
Fact # 1:
i suffered from Post-Partum Depression when i had my youngest child. that was a horrible experience... and embarrassing too. :( never went to therapy sessions and i became too dependent on Iterax 25. after some months, it vanished! (whew!) 0_0
Fact # 2:
i am in lurrrve with Lolita Fashion! rawrrr! so afraid to try it but i managed ONLY once...

see? ROTFL! but it was fun! :)
Fact # 3:
i don't do the laundry. DH is in charge of that... lucky me! :)
Fact # 4:
like my sissy, i got married at 18. and had my first born at 19... 0_0
Fact # 5:
i'm 2 years older than C... but she's 5 years wiser than i am, i guess. LOL!
Fact # 6:
my sister and i share "common things" including friends. xD
Fact # 7:
i never got the chance to meet my father. he died before i turned 1. mom said she went to see the grave but it wasn't finished at that time and if ever i want to see it now, she won't remember where it was. hufffffffffff!

so i guess that's it! and i'm passing this on to some friends of mine... :)
thanks again, C!!!

too good to be true... but yes! it's true!

2010-01-14T19:54:00.000-08:00

yesterday was really awesome! as in! until now i am in a state of shock! oh here i go again... i hate going into details but i have to make this quick and clear...

well, yesterday, we head off to an audition and i really don't know what was it about.. all i know is that they'll have sing and if they are lucky, they're in! but i realized that this one was different! it's for WCOPA! World Championships Of Performing Arts is the first and only international series of competitions to find and crown the best aspiring performing artists on Earth culminates its search annually with the prestigious World Championships of Performing Arts in "Hollywood" - the entertainment capital of the world!

and that means, The Franciscan Quartet is going to represent our country to compete in Hollywood on July this year!!! isn't that HUGE?! ^_^ i couldn't believe it! i just don't know what to say! it's overwhelming!!! oh geez! i'm so sorry! let me breathe... ~wink!~

during the whole time that we've spent in that hotel, waiting for our turn, i did nothing but sit around, go to the smoking lounge and crochet some flowers for the bookmarks that i'm sharing to my friends... i didn't want to think too much about the results. it's like punishing myself inch by inch. i have to kill my time and relax.

(cam whoring at the smoker's lounge! ^_^)
(my feet needed some time off from that killer shoes. ugh!)

but there are just those moments that cannot be avoided. like when it was their turn to sing, we were also called inside the room to watch. my heart wanted soo much to pop out of my chest! really, dude! i stayed at the back to take some photos and tried hard not to distract the panel of judges, the crew and the camera man who documents everything that day.
(during their turn)

each auditionee must sing at least half of their piece and will be interviewed by the judges. one of them is the international director of the event. she'd wave her hand and then the music will be cut off and then gives her comments about the auditionee's performance. we've seen this lots of times in the American Idol or any talent-reality show, right? but wen it was the boys' turn to prove themselves, the judges listened carefully and didn't cut it off. the judges listened to the entire song! after the first piece (which was The Climb by Miley Cyrus) and some comments like "oh, i think you have a chance..." and "you're all good!", one of them asked, "do you have another song? because we wouldn't mine listening again..." and smiled. they sang again and this time it's "Listen" by Beyonce... the judges were all nodding and smiling. wutthe?...! was that it? i mean, is it equal to 'yes, you're in!'? my heart can't stop jumping and my tears were rolling! OMG! is this really happening?! i'm freaking out!!!

and yes, i have the reason to freak out because after so many turns, all of us were called again inside that small function room. it's time. we all stood (the boys shared seats) and waited for the big announcement and MAN! you can really feel the anxiety inside that room!

and to our surprise, the panel of judges looked our way and said, "before we make the announcement, may we call on the Franciscan Quartet to sing for us again." AAAAAAHCK!!! i tried hard not to panic but my palms were sweating and heart pumping hard again. (here's the illegal vid that i took when they sang for the third time)

(woohooo!)
obviously, they have won the slot. i saw how others have reacted to this -- some got disappointed, some unhappy and some shrugged their shoulders... aaaaw! i hate that part... but it's always like that. i mean, it's a competition. one wins and the others lose. it's normal. otherwise, there'd be no competition at all. we've been through those tough times too, but the boys gladly accepted it. only this time, it was them who won. i don't know what the judges saw in them, but it was clear that they were very impressed. i am happy, sooo happy!!! my son was one of them.
(with the other auditionees)

(the participants and the whole team)

(the winners...)

but not as happy. because that means i should get off my butt here and process our documents ASAP. it's alright. at least i'll get more stories to blog and share to you... :)

i pray that we'll be able to secure US Visa and raise funds for our plane tickets and other trip expenses and such. this part worries me... :(

anyway, this is getting long... i'll see you again soon and hope i'll have some more good news to post. wish us luck! ^_^