Bleeding and Believing

Traveling is the ish!

2009-06-16T02:53:00.002+08:00

I am a travel freak. I have an urge to travel the world. I feel a certain high whenever I ride planes and I feel excited when I am in an airport. I have this certain need to see the world, its beauty, its splendor.

I started traveling really young. My Mom would tag us along whenever she visits my Dad in Hong Kong. In my younger years, summer meant spending time in Ocean Park or Victoria Peak while most of our classmates were stuck at home watching 10AM cartoons in a local channel. Long weekends meant a tour in China to buy cheap Shaolin figurines that managed to survive till this day. This early exposure to other cultures probably led me to love traveling as an adult.

Speaking of traveling, I've been planning to visit some popular sites in the South East Asia this year with some friends. Thanks to the internet, trips can be planned and scheduled cheap and hassle-free. I found several site that give tips on how to plan a day-to-day travel itinerary and find popular attractions in certain places. The internet is also very useful when looking for cheap flights around the world. Imagine a flight to and from Malaysia for only about Php7000? Behold the power of the internet!

I'm definitely planning my next vacay and it's definitely going to happen soon! I never thought planning a trip can be this fun and easy. See you on the other side of the planet!

The Paid Blogger

2009-06-15T23:37:00.000+08:00

I've been around the blogosphere for quite a while, and I can say that the whole blogging experience has been a roller coaster ride. There were times that I always felt like blogging; I was always on a high and excited to start writing about how my day went. I'd construct the blog post in my head on my way home so that I could start the blog post ASAP. I have shared a myriad of thoughts through my blog, from the simplest of things (like my dog destroying my newly bought flip flops) to the huge events in my life (like passing the dreaded Chem boards), name it and I have probably blogged something about it.

My blogging experience came full circle when I started doing reviews for advertisers more than a year ago. It was fun doing it because I get to update my blog regularly. What's even better is I get a little moolah for doing it. Paid for doing what you love. That's sweet.

So anyway, I've been looking around (again!) for ways to get paid to post an entry on my blog (since I wanna do this for quite some time). Blog marketing has created a huge buzz among bloggers I know so I kinda would want to ride the wave as well. Not only that, but I like idea of advertising on blogs because it's easy, links are kept for a loooong time, and different people can write different ways to effectively present and advertise a product.

Speaking of blogging and earning from it, I stumbled upon the site Payingpost.com the other day and it has since then caught my interest. It was quite easy for me to understand how the site and their offers work, and it made me excited to do paid blogging again. Besides, this whole thing works for me since I stay at home most of the time and I have plenty of time to spend online.

I'm back to doing ads again and I'm loving it. Here's to more entries and more moolah!

Have you seen Sweet November?

2009-05-27T14:20:00.000+08:00

Pu^@#$%^&! Walang ka-kwenta-kwentang palabas. Few years back my friends told me this movie isn't nice at all, so it took me all these years to see it. Because Jowell told me to watch it, I did. Told him I'm a sucker for chick flicks and he said this is probably the best out there. That's bull.

I dunno if I'm just slow and unappreciative, but I was thinking along the lines of The Notebook, Wicker Park, The Lakehouse, A Walk to Remember, Riding in Cars With Boys, Forces of Nature... This Sweet November is a loser. Yeah, it's Keanu and Charlize, but the whole movie is just so wrong. I don't feel chemistry and this is probably Charlize Theron's worst movie...EVER. I used to think she and Keanu look good together (remember The Devil's Advocate?) until this!

The plot sucks, the acting sucks, everything sucks! This movie doesn't even fall under chick flick category! And to think this movie is a remake of a 60s classic. This goes down the drain together with the worst films I've seen in my life!

Post Gameshow Blah Blahs

2009-05-22T01:08:00.000+08:00

I went home unbelievably tired Tuesday night because I went to the taping of the gameshow I was in. I was there 10 AM, but the taping prolly started around 3 PM or so. It was super hot and I was wearing a Japanese inspired satin top... ang init diba? Kasi naman I was thinking if ever I win, dapat maganda ang itsura sa TV!

I didn't bring a bag but I brought an extra top because we were instructed to bring one in case we have to tape for another episode. I didn't use it though because I didn't join the next batch of players. None of us did. Haha. I brought some kikay stuff anyway, even though we were discouraged to bring other things aside from our wallets, cellphones, IDs, and extra tops. Ganon talaga eh, I had to make sure that my TV appearance is worth the hours standing in super long lines. My kikay stuff were in my pouch together with my phone and wallet, and we were made to leave all our other things outside the studio. So we had to leave our extra tops outside. Take note: they discourage use of paper bags. PLASTIC bags lang talaga. Kainis, nakakasira ng porma. Hahaha.

Anyway, bad trip lang because they said come in semiformal attire. So nag effort naman ako. Tiniis ang init at ang hirap ng pagcommute. Jeep to Magallanes, MRT to Cubao, LRT to Santolan, then taxi to the studio. Tapos when I got there some people were wearing jeans and some were in shirts. Sabi ngang walang magshi-shirt eh. Can't follow instructionsssss. Face the wall na yan! Haha. Bad trip. Sana nag jeans na lang din ako. Masunurin kasi ako sa dress code eh!

We waited for like 4 hours before the the actual taping. The game itself lasted for less than an hour. It all happened so fast; before I knew it, the game was already over. And if you want to ask what happened to me... I didn't win. Somebody else did. Hahahaha. OLATS. But then again, it was a fun experience. Pero I prolly wouldn't try it again. It was a game of luck which I have no control of. Sobrang slim ng chance to win.

So there. My gameshow experience from the screening to the taping has been quite refreshing pero at the same time draining. There were lots of things that happened along the way pero I'm too lazy to recall everything. Haha. Oh, and I don't think I'm allowed to say the gameshow's name because the episode I am in has not been aired yet. We signed waivers and stuff kaya secret muna. Watch out nalang in the coming days. Hahaha.

gameshow jitters

2009-05-19T01:48:00.001+08:00

just a super quick entry. im joining a pinoy gameshow later...yay!!! first time!!! hahaha! wish me luck. i need moolah to pay off all utangssss! i dunno how to get to studio yet because we are not allowed to bring cars, so commute lang. tapos no bags (bleeeeehhhh, cell and wallet lang allowed) kaya i have to go there wearing my gameshow outfit. i have a major problem though... bawal ba kahit face powder man lang or hair brush?! masasagap ko na lahat ng usok ng maynila and surely oilyness nako by then tapos bawal ang kikay kit?! ohno!!!!!!

Hey there, Delilah.

2009-04-21T17:06:00.001+08:00

Hey there Delilah, what's it like in New York City?
I'm a thousand miles away, but girl tonight you look so pretty
Yes, you do.
Times Square can't shine as bright as you
I swear it's true.

Hey there Delilah, don't you worry about the distance.
I'm right there if you get lonely, give this song another listen
Close your eyes.
Listen to my voice, it's my disguise
I'm by your side.

Oh it's what you do to me. Oh it's what you do to me.
Oh it's what you do to me. Oh it's what you do to me.
What you do to me.

Hey there Delilah, I know times are getting hard
But just believe me, girl, someday I'll pay the bills with this guitar
We'll have it good.
We'll have the life we knew we would
My word is good.

Hey there Delilah, I've got so much left to say.
If every simple song I wrote to you would take your breath away,
I'd write it all.
Even more in love with me you'd fall
We'd have it all.

Oh it's what you do to me. Oh it's what you do to me.
Oh it's what you do to me. Oh it's what you do to me.

A thousand miles seems pretty far,
but they've got planes and trains and cars
I'd walk to you if I had no other way.
Our friends would all make fun of us,
and we'll just laugh along because we know that none of them have felt this way.

Delilah, I can promise you that by the time we get through
the world will never ever be the same, and you're to blame.

Hey there Delilah, you be good and don't you miss me
Two more years and you'll be done with school,
And I'll be making history like I do,
you'll know it's all because of you.
We can do whatever we want to.

Hey there Delilah here's to you, this one's for you.

Oh it's what you do to me. Oh it's what you do to me.
Oh it's what you do to me. Oh it's what you do to me.
What you do to me.

Hello there, Sidekick and W130!!

2009-04-20T23:54:00.004+08:00

After traveling almost 1000 miles from the other side of the Mother Earth, my babies are finally here!!! I've been waiting for my newest gadgets to arrive since i bought them February this year and I can't get over the fact that they are actually right here in my loving arms! Haha! Hello, Sidekick II and Sony Cybershot W130. I am your new master, serve me well. =)

Sobrang tagal na nito at sobrang kaba ang inabot ko sa mga ito. A few of my friends prolly know how worried I was during the whole shipping thing from sellers to my cousin, then from my cousin to my friend. Grabe. Huminto ang mundo. Hay salamat. Makakahinga na rin ako sa wakas!

Sidekick II!

At first, I was more excited to get the fone more than the camera. Why? Una, walang Sidekick sa Pilipinas so I was so thrilled to spot a reliable seller in the US selling it for, well, a relatively cheap price. Second, I love the swivel screen! I thought kasi slide sya then I found out swivel pala. Ang cool cool kaya. Sobra.

Actually, it's an old Sidekick model. Thing is, this and the Sidekick 2008 are the only tri-band Sidekick phones, which means sila lang ang pwede sa Pilipinas. The unlocked Sidekick 2008 retails at around USD300 (or more!) so sobrang mahal na yun para sa dukhang katulad ko. I got my unlocked Sidekick II for, believe it or not, less than USD100. LESS THAN 100, DUDE. Less than 100. It's not even dumb luck. It's retarded luck!!

So anyway, I bought it off from a seller in New York and the had it shipped to my cousin in Stockton, California. From my cousin, it was sent to my friend Joey in East Bay in California. And then finally, Joey brought it home to Manila. I actually didn't know at first if Joey got the package because she wasn't replying to my mails so sobrang panic mode ako the whole 3 weeks. I was even forced to create a Myspace account just to contact her. Thank God her sister Sam replied to my Facebook message!

I met Joey during lunch to get the items and I almost cried when she gave them to me. After traveling 9552 miles (from NY to Stockton, from Stockton to Antioch, from Antioch to Manila), it's finally here! I went staight to Ate Pea's house in Manila kasi I had to wait for Mom there and I quickly checked out the phone. You should've seen the smile on my face when I got hold of my Sidekick. Pati si Joaqui naki usyoso! Hahaha!

Medyo I got disappointed lang kasi the rubber bumpers were blue! (The actual blue shade is darker than the one shown in the pic) Not that I don't like the color blue, but the phone looks so masculine with it! The bumpers are usually dark grey and I dunno why the heck mine's blue! Ackkkk! Now I'm forced to shop for new bumpers online kasi I won't find them locally naman. I'm getting either pink or orange or maybe white. Plus, the interface is so not user-friendly. I guess it takes a lot of getting used to (pati yung QWERTY keyboard).

Nonetheless, my Sidekick still rocks! No one has texted or called me up on my Sidekick so I can't really tell kung ano ang experience using it. Plus, I have tons of numbers to transfer pa, it'll prolly take days to finish setting up the phone. So we'll see how this goes. Medyo na-tatanga pa ako eh. Trial period is on =)

Cybershot!

When I opened my W130 Cybershot, grabe, nakalimutan ko and disappointment ko sa Sidekick! I got even more excited sa cam! Hay salamat. May kapalit na ang Olympus ko na 42 years old na yata. *whew*

Of course my Olympus will always have a special place in my heart (naks!) kasi we've been through a lot already: WOW Philippines adevntures, my Visayan sojourn, Davao escapade, Chem Congresses, international Chem conferences, Melbourne and Sydney trip, World Youth Day!!, DWTL Annivs, burdays, gatherings, wasted gimik nights, sleepovers, and lotsa crazy lab moments. But I guess all good things must meet their end. 4 megapixels is so not cool anymore. It's time to move on na talaga (though the W130 model isn't exactly new).

Well, the W130 was also a bargain. I got it for less than USD140 kaya sobrang good deal na. I wanted a better version of the W series but the most updated version na may rose pink na color ay yung W130 lang. It travelled from Tennessee to Stockton to East Bay to Manila, 8940 miles in total. Grabe, if only my gadgets are Mabuhay milers I'm sure may round trip ticket for two na ako to a domestic destination!

I've always wanted a Sony cam and I dunno why Dad got me an Olympus. Kala nya yata microscope ang gusto ko. Hahaha! Pero finally. Salamat naman. *insert big big smile here* Im so looking forward to my summer trips with my friends (though walang plano, I'm sure magakakron yan! Barx! Shnoitz! Dazers! Tara na!!!) and my Manalangsang family (eto definitely matutuloy kahit bumabagyo pa!) para mabinyagan na ang camera! Actually, Joaqui, Dom and I already used it kagad. Si Joaqui kasi excited eh. Mana sa ninang at sa nanay! Hahaha!

Haaay. I <3 you, Cybershot. Here's to more years of togetherness and adventures!

You know it's just too little too late

2009-04-17T14:58:00.000+08:00

It's just too little too late,
A little too wrong and I can't wait.
But you know all the right things to say
You know it's just too little too late.

You say you dream of my face,
But you don't like me, you just like the chase.
To be real, it doesn't matter anyway.
You know it's just too little too late.

It's over.

2009-04-13T16:56:00.001+08:00

*SIGH*

Yes, it's over. Finally. I have decided to end it. It's sad, really. But then again, it's not worth keeping.

Ate Lia, I told you and you knew I had a plan. Unfortunately, I can't go on with it =( I give up. I'm afraid I can't bitchslap him anymore.

Sy, hayyy. Wala na talaga. Ang hirap din. Sayang, hindi ko na maisasampal ang dalawang diploma (hahahaha!) But when you think about it, sayang ang mga diploma kung ipangsasampal lang sa kanya! Di nalang no! LOL!

Dianne =( At least you knew how I really felt. Shet, ang complicated no? I talked to him just now and I knew it. Wala na talaga. Pero nakakainis parin. Ouch my hair diba? (Buti nalang may bago tayong phones! Pampalubag loob!)

Nakakalungkot lang isipin na it ended like this. Pakshet ka. Ang landi landi mo talaga.

I may have ADHD. Ulllppp...

2009-04-11T04:11:00.000+08:00

Here's what Wikipedia says about ADHD and I can relate! Hahaha! Baka mya slight case of ADHD ako! Mommy!!!!!!

The most common symptoms of ADHD are:

Impulsiveness: acting before thinking of consequences (i am an impulsive shopper, and i sometimes regret things i did after doing them), jumping from one activity to another (like shifting thesis from biochem to sensors), disorganization (you guys should check out my room right now), tendency to interrupt other peoples' conversations (i am a chatterbox, what can i say?)
Hyperactivity: restlessness (i can't stay put in one place), often characterized by an inability to sit still (told ya), fidgeting (when i'm bored during lectures and meetings), squirminess (you should see my gigil squirm dance), climbing on things (oh yes, like bell towers and light houses kesehodang may altophobia), restless sleep (i toss and turn like a disco dancing centipede sometimes.)
Inattention: easily distracted (daming ginagawa, nawawala sa concentration. hence, not finishing THESIS), day-dreaming (oh yessss), not finishing work (am easily bored), difficulty listening (again, i'm easily bored by mediocre thoughts.)

Romeo, save me...

2009-04-06T03:49:00.000+08:00

I got tired of waiting, wondering if you were ever coming around.
My faith in you was fading when i met you on the outskirts of town.

Romeo, save me, I've been feeling so alone.
I keep waiting for you, but you never come.
Is this in my head? I don't know what to think.

Is it a love story? But baby, you never said yes. =(

Wordless Wednesday #12: Built to Last

2009-04-01T16:07:00.007+08:00

Paoay Church, Ilocos Norte, Philippines
A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Church construction started in 1704 and copmpleted in 1894. Bell tower was constructed in 1793. The church is a combination of Gothic, Baroque, and Oriental designs.

Imposing buttresses of the church. The location of the Philippines along the Pacific Ring of Fire called for such buttresses and massive foundation.

Facade of the Paoay Church taken from the right side. Belfry can be viewed from this angle.

Meet the Meantime Girl

2009-03-26T19:15:00.000+08:00

Oh my. I'm now starting to think that I am a meantime girl. Ate Lia, I feel yah!

***

She's the one you talk to when you're feeling down because she's willing to lend an ear and be a friend. She's not the one you call when you need a date to your Christmas party, or to go dancing with on a Saturday night. She's the one you spend time with between girlfriends, before you find "The One". You know, the one who you keep around in the meantime.

She's not one of the guys, not a tomboy, but you don't look at her as a "real" woman, either. She's not bitchy enough, moody enough, or sexy enough to be seen in that light. She's too laid-back, too easily amused by the same things your male buddies are amused by. She's too understanding, too comfortable; she doesn't make you feel nervous or excited the way a "real"woman does. But she's cool, and nice, and funny, and attractive enough that when you're lonely and need intimate female companionship, she'll do just fine.

You don't have to wine and dine her because she knows the real you already, and you don't have any facades to keep up, no pretenses to preserve. You're not trying to get anything of substance out of her.

She's not easy, but you know that she cares about you and is attracted to you, and that she'll give you the intimacy you need. And you know you don't have to explain yourself or the situation, that she'll be able to cope with the fact that this isn't the beginning of a relationship or that there's any possibility that you have any real romantic feelings for her.

It won't bother her that you'll get up in the morning, put on your pants, say goodbye, and go on a date with the woman you've been mooning over for weeks who finally agreed to go out with you. She'll settle for a goodbye hug and a promise to call her and tell her how the date went. She's just so cool . . . why can't all women be like that?!

But zilashp down, if you really think about it (which you probably don't because to you, the situation between the two of you isn't important enough to merit any real thought), you know that it's really not fair. You know that although she would never say it, it hurts her to know that despite all her good points and all the fun you two have, you don't think she's good enough to spend any real time with.

Sure, it's mostly her fault, because she doesn't have to give in to your needs; she could play the hard-to-get biatch like the rest of them do, if she really wanted to. But you and she both know that she probably couldn't pull it off. Maybe she's too short, or a little overweight, or has a big birthmark on her forehead, or works at Taco Bell. Whatever the reason, somehow life has given her a lot of really great qualities but has left out the ones that men want (or think they want) in a woman.

So she remains forever the funny friend, the steadfast companion, the secret lover, and you go on searching for your goddess who will somehow be everything you ever wanted in a woman.

You'll joke to her that she should be the best man at your wedding, and she'll laugh and make a joke about a smelly rental tux. She doesn't captivate you with her beauty, or open doors with her smile. Mainly she blends in with the crowd. She's safe. She doesn't want to be the center of attention and turn the heads of everyone in the room. But she wants to turn someone's head. She wants to be special to someone, too.

We all do.

She has feelings. She has a heart. In fact, she probably has a bigger and better heart than any woman you've ever known because she's had a front-row seat to The Mess That Is Your Life, and she likes you anyway. She obviously sees something worthwhile and amazing in you because although you've given her nothing, absolutely no reason to still be around, she is.

But someday, she won't be there anymore. So better start thinking.

This is FOR THE BOYS! Mga tanong na walang sagot.

2009-03-10T03:00:00.002+08:00

Nasan na ba ang mga boys? Taken na ba silang lahat or karamihan naging Bb. Gandanghari na rin? Bakit ang mga boys gusto yung mga diva girls? Bakit gusto nila yung may attitude problem? Bakit gusto nila yung ga girls na may boypren na? Mas challenging ba yun? Bakit gusto ng boys ng hot chicas na lagi nagmi-mini skirt? Gusto ba nilang tinititigan ng iba yung legs ng girls nila pag naglalakad silang magkasama? Proud ba sila sa legs ng kasama nila? At bakit sila nagagalit pag may tumitingin?

Gusto ba ng boys yung super ganda? O kaya super sexy? O kaya hayop sa yaman? Pano kung matalino lang? Pano kung matalino and may sense of humor? Pano kung matalino, may sense of humor, at witty? Pano kung matalino, may sense of humor, witty, at magaling kumanta? O kaya magaling tumambling? Pano kung ganun na nga, pero di naman super ganda.. yung steady lang? Ano ba ang tunay na hanap nila?

Kailangan ba party girl o kaya nagyoyosi? Requirement ba na umiinom ng beer? Kailangan ba naka Sun para unlimited texts? Pwede ba yung may mga kalyo sa paa? Dapat ba nanlilibre? Nanlilibre ng kape? Kape sa Starbucks? Dapat ba marunong mag beautiful eyes? Dapat ba naglalaro ng volleyball? Dapat ba naka-braces? Kailangan ba tumutugtog ng harmonica? Kailangan ba yung nakakatapos ng Snake sa Nokia 5110?

Kailangan ba may kotse? Kailangan ba tapos ng college? Kailangan ba panganay? Kailangan ba naka-Havaianas? Ok na ba kung Beach Walk lang? Dapat ba galing ng Boracay at may tan line? Dapat ba may kulay ang buhok? Dapat ba naka-French tip ang nails? Dapat ba naka make-up? Dapat ba naka iPhone? Pano kung Xperia lang, pwede na ba? Eh kung Omnia, pwede na? Pano kung ang telepono nya yung wireless landline, tatawagan mo parin ba siya kahit nasa MRT siya?

Ano na? May sagot ka ba? May tanong ka pa?

Ano ang koneksyon?!

2009-03-06T12:46:00.001+08:00

Ang kulit lang. Snag it if you like it.. =)

1. Sa hirap ng buhay ngayon, anong favorite mong band?
Madami eh, pero since kakameet ko lang sa kanila, fave ko ang Boyce Avenue sa ngayon. Hehe
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2. Pag lumindol ng malakas at katabi mo crush mo, anong gusto mong sabihin sa mga may ayaw kay Pacquiao?
Ayoko din sa kanya! Pareho tayo! Apppiiirrrr!
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3. Kunyare mananalo ka ng 1 million, anong gusto mong kulay ng rainbow?
Yung Indigo... kasi INDIGO eh.. kewl eh! hahaha!
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4. Binigyan ka ng kapangyarihan ng diwata, ano favorite color mo?
Pink. Hott pink.
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5. Ipapamana sayo mga ari-arian nyo ng tatay mo. Kung papipiliin ka, punk o emo?
Punk. Eww emo. LOL!
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6. Kunyare papatay ka ng tao, saan ka galing nung saturday?
Sa youth meeting. Naligaw pako.. ano bah!!
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7. Kunyare nasa gubat ka na punong puno ng mga mapanganib na hayop, papayag ka ba mapunta si Angel Locsin kay Kuya Dick?
Pwede rin siguro para maiba!
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8. Kunyare nag-i love you ka na sa nanliligaw syo tapos biglang may lumitaw na dragon sa harap mo, ano favorite mong pagkain?
Haha! Madami!! French fries ng Mcdo, adobo ni Mommy, kare-kare ni Mama, chicken nuggets, banana-Q, etc etc
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9. Kunyare nakasalubong mo ex-love mo na may kasamang bago nyang girlfriend, anong gagawin mo para makatulong sa mga nasalanta ng bagyo?
Magdonate. Mabuting gawain yan!
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10. Nabuntis ng boyfriend mo ang girlfriend ng bestfriend mo tapos tinanong ka nya, KFC o McDO?
McDo for evahhhhh!
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11. Kunyare magugunaw na mundo bukas tapos nalaman mong gusto ka rin ng gusto mo, kaninong dentista ka magpapaus ng ipin?
Iba iba eh.. Yung latest dentist ko namatay na so I think I need to look for a new one.
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12. Oo o hindi lng, anong pakiramdam mo ngayon?
Oo! Haha!
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13. Sa gulo ng gobyerno natin ngayon, sa tingin mo may pag-asa pa bang mabago ang size ng pasas?
Oo naman! It's all about Science! hahaha
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14. Nastranded ka sa elevator wala kang mahingan ng tulong, anong gagawin mo para makaalis ng bahay bukas?
Eh di lalabas ng pinto.. duh?!
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15. Naalala mo bigla ung EX mo, tingin mo naalala ka rin ng teacher mo nung grade 1?
Nde dahil di ko siya maalala.
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16. Hindi na kayo nagpapansinan ng dating mahal mo, tingin mo alam nya ang pakiramdam mo kapag may sun burn?
Siguro dahil for sure nagkakaron din siya nun!
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17. Dinampot ka ng pulis sa kasalanang hindi mo ginawa, anong sasabihin mo para add ka nya sa friendster?
Di na uso friendster. You're so yesterday, manong!!
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18. Nagkasabay outing ng tropa at pamilya mo? Ano uunahin mo isuot t-shirt o pantalon?
Ako pantalon una. Last yung shirt.
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19. Nasira mo tiwala ng kaibigan mo, paano mo maibabalik ang dating sigla ng kalikasan?
Magdonate sa Pasig! Anak ng Pasig naman kayooooooo!
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20. Pag ang baka sinabwan mo at chicken cubes nilagay mo, ano mangingibabaw, kasamaan o kabutihan?
Kabutihan. Yum yum. =)

Wordless Wednesday #11: The Australian Eye Candy

2009-03-04T15:10:00.006+08:00

The Sydney Opera House. One of the world's most popular eye candies. Took this shot while on a cruise along Darling Harbor. Taken 22 July 2008.

I'm back and I need to be wireless!

2009-02-27T13:29:00.010+08:00

It’s been a while since I last wrote on my blog. I’ve been wanting to update this but I’m super into other the things happening in my life right now that I’ve never had the chance to even log into my Blogspot account.

Well, as you know, I have another blog which was set-up probably a year ago or so, but that blog has also been idle all this time. I have plans of owning a domain for that blog to make it more personal, and I’m hoping I could work on that in the next weeks to come.

Good thing my mom has an amazing timing for getting a new gadget for us to use. I’m really glad my mom decided to get us a laptop a few months back, which means I could work more on my blog and my thesis from anywhere as long as there is an internet connection. And it’s about time to get a new PC since our desktop is seconds away from breaking down!

Since having a new mobile PC means I can work in the comforts of my own room, I’ve also been thinking of getting a wireless router to be able to access the internet from anywhere in the house. I’m looking through several brands and models available on Shopwiki.com since they offer a wide variety of wireless routers. I specifically looked into the site because they have lots of info regarding the product I want, including a complete buying guide. Plus, they offer reviews so it really helps buyers decide which product to get.

It's finally time to work on this blog again, and I think I need to ask Mom for that wireless router so that I could perfect the resurrection of this blog. Her amazing timing is what I need right now!

Yes, finally.

2009-01-08T16:40:00.000+08:00

Well I'm going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where love has always been enough for me.

I'm not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don't regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old,
So I'm going home.

Well I'm going home.

PATAPONing on Christmas Day

2008-12-25T04:13:00.005+08:00

It has a funny-sounding name. Not to mention its literal meaning in our Filipino language. When I asked my sister what was she playing in the PSP (because she can't seem to put it down once school break started) she blurted, "Patapon."

What? Are you saying something to me?

"Patapon."

Huh?

"It's the game's name! PATAPON!"

*insert my can't-believe-weird-confused-look here*

Then my sister started explaining how the game goes and so I told her, "Pa-try!" and ever since then I've never put the PSP down too! It's so addicting! My brother is hooked too! Imagine Abi hooked on Patapon... I think I'm going to faint!

But what really is Patapon? Let me just quote the game's short description on Velcry's Patapon Walkthrough (nakssss, may wlakthrough pa talaga kami!) because I'm too lazy to make my own:

"Patapon, for the uninitiated, is a mishmash of different gaming genres. You basically control a tribe of talking eyeballs as they rampage their way across the World in search for IT. To control a them, you enter a series of button presses, not like DJ Max, Dance Dance Revolution or RaPappa games. There are different combinations to get them to do a variety of actions, suck as advancing, attacking, defense, and others.

To add to this, there us a complex system for gathering materials to create different classes of Patapons, each with their own abilities/stats, different weapon trees, and even a host of minigames that are interesting and rewarding."

So now the Crooc kids are fighting over the PSP to play a game with the funniest-sounding name ever! We're so into it that we even recorded a part of the theme to make it our message alert tone! And Mom gets so annoyed because we always we always tap our feet to Patapon's beat when we are playing the game.

I luuurrrve PATAPONing! You PATAPONers out there come PATA PATA PATA PON with me!

For those who are clueless about this weird post of mine, go get Patapon now and you'll see what I mean!

Oh, and Merry Christmas to everyone! I'll post something more Christmas-related later! Tata for now. It's Patapon time!!

A wake-up call.

2008-12-17T03:05:00.002+08:00

"I never thought of myself as an underachiever, but that's what I am right now."

-from a YM conversation I had with Lia couple of days ago

I took some time to think where I'm headed: what my goals are, when do I plan to achieve them, and how am I going to get there. Where I am now is definitely not part of the plan I made in 2005. It breaks my heart that 4 years have quickly passed and not much have changed. While people I know are getting either promoted at work or married, I am still the person I was almost four years ago and that sucks for someone like me who have made big plans out of life. I would often secretly blame myself for staying in the rut. For some time it felt endless, until I started realizing how much I have been blessed these past years even without getting the MS diploma yet.

I would come to an MS hiatus from time to time probably because I wanted to do so much in life. Boards in 2005, shifted from Biochem to Sensors, PCASTRD scholarship, Chem Congresses, out of town trips, WYD experience, stronger relationship with the people around me, getting to know myself more... The last 4 years may have been rough on my studies, but I could tell you that my most meaningful life experiences happened in those hard 4 years. The long journey has definitely brought me to maturity. Getting the MS degree is the peak of it all.

I know this is a wake-up call and I am responding to it. No more excuses. Thank you, Kuya Jess.

I took this pic while I was on my way to the top of one of the Chocolate Hills' viewing deck in Bohol:

I can perfectly imagine the view from way up there. I clearly know what I want now. =)

Bakit nauuso ang mga CHUVALOO, WHATEVER, at SUPER?!

2008-09-24T13:53:00.000+08:00

Got this in Multiply and I just want to share it with you because it's soooo funny! Enjoy!

Eto na ang mga bagong rule sa wikang Filipino.

1. Thou shall make gamit "make+pandiwa".
ex. "Let's make pasok na to our class!"
"Wait lang! I'm making kain pa!"
"Come on na, we can't make hintay anymore! It's in Beato pa, you know?"

2. Thou shall make kalat "noh", "diba" and "eh" in your pangungusap.
ex. "I don't like to make lakad in the baha nga, noh? Eh diba it's like, so eew, diba?"
"What ba: stop nga being maarte noh?"
"Eh as if you want naman also, diba?"

3. When making describe a whatever, always say "It's SO pang-uri!"
ex. "It's so malaki, you know, and so mainit!"
"I know right? So sarap nga, eh!"
"You're making me inggit naman.. I'll make bili nga my own burger."

4. When you are lalaki, make parang noun the "dude", "tsong" or "pare"
ex. "Dude, OrgChem is so hirap, pare."
"I know, tsong, I got bagsak nga in quiz one, eh"

5. Thou shall know "You know? I know right!"
ex. "My bag is so bigat today, you know"
"I know, right! We have to make dala pa kasi the jumbo Physics book eh!"

6. Make gawa the plural of pangngalans like in English or Spanish.
ex. "I have so many tigyawats, oh!"

7. Like, when you can make kaya, always use like. Like, I know right?
ex. "Like, it's so init naman!"
"Yah! The aircon, it's, like sira!"

8. Make yourself feel so galing by translating the last word of your sentence, you know, your pangungusap?
ex. "Kakainis naman in the LRT! How plenty tao, you know, people?"
"It's so tight nga there, eh, you know, masikip?"

9. Make gamit of plenty abbreviations, you know, daglat?"
ex. "Like, OMG! It's like traffic sa LRT"
"I know right? It's so kaka!"
"Kaka?"
"Kakaasar!"

10. Make gamit the pinakamaarte voice and pronunciation you have para full effect!
ex. "I'm, like, making aral at the Ahhrrneoww!"
"Me naman, I'm from Lazzahhl!"

I lurve my random, useless WYD08 rubbish!

2008-09-08T13:59:00.001+08:00

Okay, this is so random.

I was planning on what stuff to bring for my trip to Bacolod on Wednesday when I stumbled upon the bag tag which I used during the WYD in Sydney. I hurriedly placed it around my luggage handle so that I won't forget it when I pack my things tomorrow, but then, suddenly, my inner sentimental self got me... what if the tag breaks (because airline peeps normally throw luggage around)? That would mean goodbye to something so special! Aww! (Oo! May ganung drama moment talaga ako!)

I took the tag off my luggage and placed it back into my memento box. This is too precious to even be scratched, I told myself. In the box I found my other WYD stuff.. books, travel guides, maps, and pins among others. What caught my attention, though, were those little pieces of paper and cards that will forever be part of the amazing experience. I kept them all!

I realized one thing: I am a pack rat. I am a collector of random, useless objects (as Christine puts it.) I mean it's not only with my WYD stuff, you know. If something (though small) is part of a wonderful experience, I have the tendency to keep it. Haha! I know, right? Weird me. I keep telling myself I would put them together in a scrapbook which I never got the chance to even start! I've been slacking over that project for months now! Or years maybe!

So anyway, just to make myself feel good about the scrapbook thing, I got some of the WYD items that still make me go "Awww.." whenever I look at them. I slapped them against my scanner (too bad the other things weren't scanned because of the limited space) to get something to share with you. It's actually quite interesting to do this, if you ask me. =)

Hanapin nyo nalang kung nasan sa picture ha!

1. My Bag Tag
That's the one with my name and address and the Philippine flag as the background. This tag was on my pilgrim backpack the whole time. I mean, we all had the same bag so it was something to identify mine against the sea of red, orange, and yellow. Plus, I purposely had the flag on there for the reason that I want to always tell the whole world (especially the one right behind me) that I am Filipino and I proudly carry with me the tricolor (pang Olympics ang drama!).

2. Boarding passes
PAL boarding passes for my Manila-Melbourne and Sydney-Manila trips. My Melbourne-Sydney boarding pass (not shown) from Virgin Blue was printed on receipt-like paper and the print is slowly fading away. Boo.

3. Metlink train card
That was the only time I paid for public transport. This was the train card I used to visit Victoria Market. Good thing I got the Sunday promo for less than $3. Their train cards can cost up to $10, which is ride-all-you-can (including buses), good for a single day. Imagine Php400 for transpo in one single day... I would rather walk along SLEX, thank you.

4. Ripcurl tag
This spells only one thing... SHOPPING! Aussie = Ripcurl (also = Billabong = Roxy haha!) This was my purse's tag! I got it on sale!! Woohoo!

5. Receipts
Speaking of shopping, I also kept the receipts from my shopping escapades. There are receipts not shown here because if they were, there would be no more space for all the other stuff. Seriously!

6. Check-in luggage tags
Yeah, I keep those, international or domestic. Teehee! The ones here are from PAL and Virgin Blue.

7. Philippine terminal fee receipt
Ohhwwkay. So why do have this? How come there's no such thing as "terminal fee" in the other countries I've been to?

8. My WYD08 Pilgrim Pass and ID
This was the ultimate PASS ever! Free train and bus rides for a week! My Parañaque neighbor who now lives near Randwick asked me why was I still wearing the ID even though the WYD ended a day ago. Told him it's for the free ride. Drivers still honored it even 3 days after the WYD.

9. Opening Mass Pass
Since me and my housemates were separated from the delegation on the first day, we were not able to get our Pilgrim Pass from our leader. So it went kinda different for us. We squeezed ourselves among Pinoy pilgrims so that the bus driver wouldn't notice we dont have IDs on (Pinoy nga talaga!) We rode the train with another group of pilgrims so the absence of our pass wouldn't be noticeable too! As we were entering Barangaroo, someone handed us extra Opening Mass Passes. Sobrang wow! I was like, now where did that come from?!

10. Commissioning Mass Pass at Telstra Dome
That gate pass was also our transport pass around Melbourne that day. We went to see the business district and some important places. The Mass was pretty much the only big event we attended while we were in Melbourne because our host parish was pretty far from the event sites. We didn't have a transport pass for the DID08 in Melbourne so it would cost pretty grand if we were to visit the city all the time for the activities. It didn't bother us, though, since our host parish came up with activities for the pilgrims.

11. WYD Merchandise tag
Partly hidden behind my bag tag. This was from the navy WYD SYD 08 shirt I bought from the merch store at Hyde Park.

12. My Vodafone SIM Card
I didn't really want to buy a SIM card there but I was forced to. I figured that my Globe phone bill could shoot up in a month if I use my Philippine SIM card to call the peeps I have to meet in Sydney, so I got a Vodafone SIM from 7-Eleven in Melbourne. Thing is, reloading credits was quite puzzling there. I mean really. It's quite complicated there than it is here. Anyway, I should've gotten the $2 SIM then recharged $29 so I could get $130 worth or calls and text. But because I couldn't understand how reloading goes there (blame it on the 7-Eleven lady! She didn't know the difference between the cards they were selling!) I got the $10 SIM, reloaded $20 credits then have only $30 worth of call and text (you get your $10 back when you reload at least $20.) Plus, you gotta register the SIM before you can actually use it. As in you talk to a rep to give personal details. I guess that's good because they can track who's using the number, but still! Ugh. Complicated.

Winning the lottery...

2008-07-01T09:23:00.003+08:00

I've always wanted to win the lottery. I even visit sites that offer online sweepstakes to win prizes. Sites like Dreamandwin.com would normally have the biggest online draws in the world where players are given the amazing odds they deserve. The lottery numbers are drawn every 3 weeks or so that's why players need not wait too long for the next grand prize to be given out.

Experiencing the rush of lotteries has never been this easy. And winning at the comforts of your own home? How cool is that? Play online lottery now and choose which grand prize do you want to put your bet on. I say take your chances and keep your eye on the prize.

Goodbye, my soon-to-be-but-never-will-be curly hair!

2008-06-19T18:57:00.003+08:00

Alright, this is so random of me. While I was typing my thesis manuscript just before doing this post, I suddenly thought, "How am I going to have curly hair now? ARGH!"

Last Sunday, the impulsive diva inside me took over my decisions. I went into the salon to have my eyebrows trimmed and shaped and since I felt like doing something with my hair because I was starting to get bored with it, I told the receptionist, "I'd have a hair-cut, please." Argh. Stupid, stupid girl.

I have been planning to have my hair curled and that was the reason why I've been growing my hair for some time now. Not the kinky type of curls but, you know, the wavy big curls that make dull girls look ultra Hollywood-sexy. But because of my out-of-nowhere decision, I shall be saying goodbye to my soon-to-be-but-never-will-be curly hair. It's too short now to have waves. Boo.

I do not have a pic of my new hair style. It isn't new actually; this is the same style I've been getting since last year - layers on the side with side bangs - only shorter than usual. I dunno if the stylist made a mistake or something. The side-swept bangs were cut shorter than it should have been so it sort of pops out in a way I couldn't describe. Can't do anything about it though, so I guess I just have to wait for my hair to grow back again. But hey, it's not like I hate my hair style right now. It's just that I feel it could've been better if I wasn't so impulsive in the first place. Now thinking about how long I need to wait for my hair to grow back is killing me.

Lesson: never be impulsive when it comes to your hair. An inch cut is an inch you can never get back. Woot?!

Enough drama about hair. Back to work now.

Wordless Wednesday #10: Summer is LOVE

2008-06-18T15:42:00.005+08:00

So far away.

Lovely.

15-16 May 2008. Punta Fuego, Nasugbu, Batangas.