Writer's Retreat ramblings: Astronomy (part 2)

Still on the same prompt: When I grow up. This is a different take because it has to fit the "book" I am working on. Like before, the exercise had a 10-minute time limit, so it ended kind of abruptly.

“When I grow up, I want to be an astronomer.” I thought I had the coolest ambition ever. I haven’t heard any of my classmates give that profession when we’re asked in grade school – all of them wanted to be doctors, nurses, stewardesses, princesses (it was an all-girls school). So, when I said I wanted to be an astronomer, my classmates looked at me, the expression on their faces was a mixture of confusion and disbelief. My teacher asked me, then: “Why don’t you want to become an astronaut?”

Writer's Retreat ramblings: Astronomy (part 1)

Today, we were given a prompt: When I grow up. Immediately, I thought that the best way to attack this was to tap into my Grade One self. It was a lot of fun. 

When I grow up, I want to be an astronomer. Everybody else wants to be a doctor, or a pilot, but I want to be an astronomer. I have books at home that talk about space, the possibility of life outside Earth, and the vastness of the universe. They have pictures of planets unlike Earth – which is pictured as a massive blue marble. My favorite is Saturn, with its rings crowning it, next is Jupiter, because it is the largest that even the Earth is a puny planet compared to it. There is also Mars, which is as red as the Earth is blue; and Venus, which is said to be Earth’s twin, but aren’t twins supposed to look like each other? Venus doesn’t look appealing to me at all.

On fandom in general

Kinda TL;DR but I have to get this off of my mind.

Hello.

I am back. /epic flailing

Actually, I have been up and about (in case this, this and most recently, this weren't sure signs of me still living a life). It's just that with the forced hiatus (due to stupidity on my part), plus life for the past two and a half months flew by at breakneck pace that it was impossible to have done a decent blog. Nope. Nu uh.

So, this will be like a monster posts of sorts, just to tie in the past two and a half months to the present.

Here goes everything.

Monster randomness post | Hiatus

Hello people of the intarwebz.

Updates are really hard to come by, being UNBELIEVABLY BUSY the past weeks. But, as usual, Tumblr and Twitter have been updated religiously, but nothing beats a blog post. I'm about to do a monster update.

The first term has been overcome...with a 3.5 on both subjects. Considering how hard this term was together with the workload outside school, I'm very, very happy with these grades. =D

The second term began last week, with Media Planning every Thursday and Public Relations every Monday. Based on inside info I got from my classmates, I have a strong feeling that this term will be very reminiscent of undergrad classes. HAHAHA! I don't know if that's good. I hope it is. XD

Also, I won't have any class at RCBC. THANK GOODNESS. I don't want to have another class at that campus again. Death by aircon lagi.

 

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I did my MIBF shopping yesterday! =D

I love MIBF. The atmosphere is soooo good in spite of the thick crowd. Oh, and the books are pretty cheap, too.

This was the damage, este, loot this year. I lost my small NASB, so I bought a compact thinline NIV. I've seen this in bookstores before, but didn't buy it because I thought P1,550 to be too steep. I found this particular copy (IN PURPLE) in the fair, its last price was *drumroll please* P945. Without a doubt, this year's best buy.

The Elements of Style is a recommended required reading for our Copywriting class. I got an ebook last term and read through parts of it, and realized that this book was too good that a physical copy was a must. The version I bought was illustrated and printed on glossy paper. It looked like a woman in a LBD. Last price: P479.20.

I heard Any Human Heart was good. It must be, because Fully Booked had to transfer its last copy from its Rockwell branch for me to purchase at the MIBF.  I love you, FB. Thank you, Lucy. Last price: P502.40.

I have read The Hobbit when I was in college, but never owned a copy. This one, like The Elements of Style, had illustrations, was LARGE (fairy tale book size) and printed on glossy paper, for a very reasonable price of P576.

Hay, new books. Too bad I can't read them until November 15.

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Bad decisions make good stories. In lieu of which, this blog will be on hiatus effective today until November 15. Other haunts (Tumblr, Twitter, and yes...even FB) will be inactive as well.  =D

It's for the best, really. I think I'll do the occasional reply to @ tweets, but nothing out of my own volition.

So, until November 15, then. =D 

By the way, my birthday is on November 5. OHSNAPWAIT

"And so it goes with God."

I was finally able to finish Life of Pi last week, and I must say that unless another book of this caliber ends up on my shelf (whether part of the loot of the upcoming MIBF or after), this will be my favorite book for the year. I was in tears when it ended.

The title of this blog post came from that part where I lost all composure. I don't want to spoil anything, but that answer made sense of the impossible, of the incomprehensible.

My copy of this book came with a reading group guide, and one of the questions was this: How does it (the last few lines of the story) relate to the claim that this is a story "that will make you believe in God?" My answer to this is quite simple - this book will make you believe in God because it is an impossible story, and God is a God who makes all things possible.

One thing common about the religions dabbled upon in this book is that each of them had its own story, and with these, they brought to the table its own unique traits. Hinduism was about continuity and connectedness. Islam was all about brotherhood and devotion. Christianity was about love and undeserved grace. All of these elements were touched upon in this book, and in my perspective, did not give one preference over the other.

For me, that was the beauty of Life of Pi. It wasn't a "religious" book, for what I saw was a guy who got stranded on a boat with a tiger, a hyena, a zebra, and an orangutan (plus some rats and cockroaches) who knew well enough that he wouldn't survive the ordeal. But instead of giving up, he surrendered his life to a Higher Being, and made use of everything in his surroundings in order to survive. What was put on a pedestal here wasn't the religion, but rather, the relationship that person had with God. And in the end, it was never about religion. It was all about the relationship.

This was a story of faith - that even if it's the size of a mustard seed, we could command the Bengal tigers of our lives into submission. This was a story of waiting on God, knowing that what had been promised will come to pass; a story of expectation - that we could have such wild hope over something that was unseen. This was a story of love - that we could love an unseen, and yet true God, who loves and cares for us more than what we deserve.

I SUPER TO THE DUPER HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK. =D Oh, and even better, the movie comes out this year. =D

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I watched The Phantom of The Opera last Saturday. And like with Life of Pi, I CRIED.

It was AWESOME. The only coherent thing I can say about it now is that it's worth every centavo. Just GO AND BUY YOUR TICKET, and don't fret over the price, because it won't disappoint.

My favorite part, as I have already raved on FB, was when "The Phantom of the Opera" was sung. It was EPIC - stage design, vocals, acting, the orchestra (HNNNG THE ORCHESTRA) - everything. When the song ended, I wiped my tears and let go of the railings from which I've been holding on to furiously. 

I wonder though why I didn't cry in the finale. The people whom I've talked to who have watched this told me that that part got to them so bad. Apparently, another part got me. XD

I truly hope this won't be my last Broadway show. When Les Miz comes here, I will DEFINITELY WATCH, being my namesake is there. =D

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Here are some other awesome things that happened since I last posted:

• The Project Wendy photoshoot happened. If you're in the Tom Hiddleston fandom, you'd know what this was for. We had so much fun. Personally, I've never been more proud of the photos I've taken with this shoot. I also finally got to go to Paco Park (being the Rizal fangirl that I am, it would be an absolute TRAVESTY if I didn't set foot here), which was OSAM. 
•  THRANDUIL ELVENKING WAS FINALLY REVEALED. I was a mess last Friday. I was weeping (sincerely!) from all of the emotions. Lee Pace looked so bad-ass and ethereal at the same time. Just. HNNNNNG. He will definitely be something to look forward to in this super extended movie version of The Hobbit. I wonder though, if Thranduil will be on all three movies. Hmmmmm...
• Finals for me will officially end tomorrow with our presentation for E-marketing. I'm preparing myself, in case we have to dance GANGNAM STYLE to get the attention of our panel. I hope that this won't push through (LIKE HECK YES PLEASE SANA NGA)
• I've been writing my book. =D
• I'm on leave from stage ministry.

And...that's pretty much it! 

"I want to stay single and let my hair flow in the wind as I ride through the glen, firing arrows into the sunset!"

I was FINALLY able to watch Brave last night. With company. (You win at life, EK. Slow clap for you.)

This is my favorite movie this year, after The Avengers. However, I must admit that I was kind of misled into believing that this movie was an adventure of a warrior princess that was of epic proportions, and that the theme of the movie is to create your own "Brave" story. For me, it was hardly that, but something more raw.

Accident, work, and school randomness

So, we got into a car accident last Friday.

I think I have accident-related trauma. The state of the back of the Innova really disturbs me - whether live or looking at the pictures I took. Since the back windshield is only patched up with plastic wrap, whenever I ride in the car I could hear the cars behind (even with the iPod on), and it adds to the stress. I really hope that we get it fixed soon.

Drunk Lady Driver Who Drank During Ramadan (that's how I will refer to her from now on) is showing signs of not wanting to fulfill her end of the deal (read: paying for damages, which were quoted at a whopping Php160K+++ by Toyota), and tried appealing to the better nature of the parental units this Sunday.  As for me, I have yet to summon up a "better nature" towards her. My press release, for now, is "no mercy".

If she doesn't fulfill her end of the deal, ehhh...well. I shall keep mum.

Apparently, she doesn't know the difference between a slap and a grab. I grabbed her during the heat of things because she was getting away, and I haven't had my fill of my solo shots of her. I was told later on that she actually screamed, "Bakit mo ako sinasampal?" Eh tanga pala siya eh. I would have resorted to a suntok for what she did to us, cause a sampal won't do enough justice.

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Yesterday, six years ago, was my first day of work in my first job. For perspective, here's a photo of my first EVER office desk, taken during my second day of work. =D Peg: tabula rasa =D

I don't really think the years are significant. If they're 10 or 20, then YEAH! If there's anything that holds any weight, it's the experiences I've had and gained from those six years. For all of them - good, bad, and horrible - I am truly grateful. 

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Finals hell has finally arrived.

Monday was supposedly our finals for Copywriting until DLSU announced that there will be changes to the academic calendar, which included regular classes on August 20 and 21 (IN SPITE OF BEING HOLIDAYS).

Anyway, the jingle I made got a 98% (WAZZUP?!). The presentation is done, awaiting Q&A, where in I hope to bare my fangs, este, play my cards (and show a little bit of fangs in the process...maybe, just maybe...)

Enrollment also happened today, and it looks like I'll be having a Monday-Thursday schedule. Monday - PR (oooh); Thursday - Media Planning (oooooh - I know nada zilch nil about this).

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Will probably be incognito for the next few weeks...until finals hell subsides. 

Toodles. =D

Ondoy aftermath: September 27, 2009

NOTE: This was a post I made in my old blog the day after Ondoy hit. I was in Calumpit, supposedly to celebrate Tatay's birthday. We were supposed to leave in the afternoon, but when we learned that NLEX pulled off a Gandalf (YOU SHALL NOT PASS!), we had no choice but to spend the night there - without change of clothing or extra toiletries.  Just now, PAGASA announced that the accumulated rainfall is 472mm in 22 hours, greater than Ondoy's 455 mm in 24 hours. 

[ETA] I'm home. Aside from Twitter, Wikipedia has the the storm on the main page. I see CNN also has it. Facebook is full of it. It's one of the worst we've had - a month's worth of rainfall came down on us in 6 hours. Not as epic as the one in Turkey, but for a country that's so used to storms hitting us month after month, this storm was something. Below is something I wrote earlier today, half-expecting that I won't be home early today, but I got home while the sun was still shining. Whew. Thank God.

Writing this down on my notebook, to be posted online once I touchdown in Manila. With "Off The Wall" playing on The Green Menace, I write this. Mark is sleeping beside me - it is 9:20 AM. He and the other guy cousins stayed up all night - mosquitoes, among other factors contributed to this.

There is no electricity. Murasaki-chan's (note: Sony Ericsson P1i) running dangerously low on battery, which is partly my fault because I've been updating like crazy on our situation there. I decided to use Barahime (note: office phone) as my primary phone late last night, so I can let various people know that I'm fine.

Even if Bulacan was hit with Signal #2, our house in Calumpit is on high ground, so it would take one heck of a rainfall for it to reach the house. Aside from this, when we woke up this morning, we saw how much the damage was from last night. A banana tree fell. Pampanga River - which is literally steps away from our backyard - overflew, the water lilies now beckoning at our gates.

At front, the flood was thigh deep when we woke up at 6 AM. Three hours on, it's just a little over the knee. The elevation leading towards our house is completely submerged till the second gate. Outside - beyond the first gate, people are fishing. We got some fish from them, probably for pangat for lunch later. Papa is fishing for pangasius - the idea of fishing in our own (overflowing) fishpond amuses me.

Back home, our house didn't get flooded (thank God) but it's pretty much a waterworld outside - which is expected for Manila. Listening to the radio I hear that NLEX is starting to become passable. If we spent the night in the expressway, it would have been a nightmare.

I'm wearing my lola's duster. It completes the whole farm look, I think, which adds to the amusement of the current situation. I imagine that this would have been harder if not a lot of us were here. Cousins, titas and titos who have the same wacky wavelength - all of us together somehow managed to take a disaster like this in stride.

We estimate that we'll be able to go home by late noon earliest, dinnertime latest. By that time, I hope all roads are moderately passable, and we can manage to sleep on soft beds and pillows tonight! Plus, I have a ton of pictures to post to show my own take of yesterday's storm, which will surely amuse family members that were lucky/unlucky enough not to be here.

What an interesting weekend.

Intense

We aren't doing any better from last night's rain. We're doing much worse now.

Metro Manila is flooded all around. I'm grateful that my house isn't flooded yet (given Manila's rep for flooding, in general), but I'm sure the story outside will be very different.

Click image to biggify =)

This was how Project NOAH saw my part of the city as of 1:20 PM-ish. By the way, Project NOAH is awesome, and much props goes to PAGASA-DOST for making this happen. We're at an intense level of rainfall, not to mention a RED warning being raised over the whole metro. 

If you're reading this, and you're outside the Philippines, please keep the people here in your thoughts and prayers. If you see tweets from the likes of @MMDA @PAGASA-DOST, @govph and the major media outfits, please retweet them so news about floods and rescue efforts can be spread. I think right now, the most immediate need for evacuation centers are food and drinking water, not to mention clothing. Rubber boats will come in VERY HANDY for rescue operations as well. 

This has been posted like crazy, but duplication is key for a crisis:

Ayala Malls and MOA are also open for people who are stranded due to the rain.

At this point, the key here is to just stay put and be vigilant, keeping ourselves abreast of what's happening around us. Also, don't goout unless you really need to. 

And for those who are associating the rain with the RH Bill, I feel sorry for the lot of you. I feel sorry that you didn't even consider that maybe our trash problem contributed to the flooding that's happening now. I feel sorry that you had to use your God as a cover for your cause. Most of all, I feel sorry for you because you see this "God" as a god who punishes people and takes pleasure in doing so. It's just...ugh. The least thing you can do is put off all of these banters and look out for your neighbor, whether he/she is pro-RH or not. 

Rainy days and Mondays (not connected to The Carpenters at all)

"The reason why people sing songs for other people is because they want to have the power to arouse empathy, to break free from the narrow shell of the self and share their pain and joy with others."- Haruki Murakami, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

I find that whatever frustration I have with work and life in general, I can always let loose with music. That is why I love my weekends, even if they are so taxing.

Last week was especially hard. Stuff at work didn't go as planned, and along the way I have lost all interest to watch The Dark Knight Rises (unless it's for free). I've had to battle a teeny bit of depression early Friday morning as well (no thanks to U2 sound tripping, but I still love their music to bits). 

But when there's music - especially if you're creating the music yourself, and not just listening to it - there's no other high I'd rather have. Of course, there's the high of watching a good movie, or reading a great book, but a music high is the ultimate high. If I'm involved, I always give 120% of myself, even if it means falling flat on the floor and getting bruised on one side, or getting cramps, or looking like a loon. When there's music, ever inhibition is thrown out the window. It's just me and my audience of One.

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So, everyone remembers Ondoy and Pedring, right? And, if I may go further back, Milenyo? All of these storms had one thing in common - they happened towards the last week of September. 

But tonight, we got a RED warning over the whole of Metro Manila. After tonight's class, I had to brave a flooded Taft Ave just to get home. I walked 50% of the way, then when I realized I couldn't go any farther due to the flood being above the gutter of the island along Taft, a tricycle came. I got a ride from where I was to San Andres corner Quirino Ave for P40, then took a sidecar from where I was dropped off going to Leon Guinto.

My feet got WET. I hate it when that happens. When I got home, I got the Lush shower gel and used it to scrub my feet. LUSH TALAGA ANG GINAMIT KO (your arguments are invalid XD). It was that hardcore. XD

Tonight, the rain comes and goes - which is a good thing. It's not an Ondoy, but I'm sure for a lot of people now, it may be a repeat, and my heart goes out to them. But all of this rain on August makes September even more unsettling. I really hope that the government has prepared. I think we have learned immensely from the past few years, and there are systems that are now in place that make dissemination of information faster than it was in years past (special mention goes to Project NOAH; I've been tinkering it and it's AWESOME). I just hope that people don't take warnings for granted, cause strangely, some still do.

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And, in light of this week's most anticipated vote, I leave you with this quote from my awesome great-grandfather (I wish!) C.S. Lewis from Mere Christianity:

People say, 'The Church ought to give us a lead." That is true if they mean it in the right way, but false if they mean it in the wrong way. (…) But of course, when they ask for a lead from the Church most people mean they want the clergy to put out a political programme. That is silly. The clergy are those particular people within the whole Church who have been specially trained and set aside to

 look after what concerns us as creatures who are going to live for ever: and we are asking them to do a quite different job for which they have not been trained. The job is really on us, on the laymen. The application of Christian principles, say, to trade unionism or education, must come from Christian trade unionists and Christian schoolmasters: just as Christian literature comes from Christian novelists and dramatists - not from the bench of bishops getting together and trying to write plays and novels in their spare time.

No truer words have been spoken. 

On rainy days and Hollow Crown feelings

Ang saya-saya talaga kung umuulan, diba? (I'm not being sarcastic here.) Okay, di bali nang baha sa paligid mo, di bali nang hindi ka makakalabas ng bahay kasi baka hindi ka makabalik (o hindi ka rin makakarating sa pupuntahan mo). Basta ang importante ay nasa bahay ka kung umuulan.  Sapat na ang lahat. 

Alam mo kung bakit? Kasi, panay na bukambibig ng tao kung umuulan ay "sana nasa bahay ako ngayon, sana nakahiga ako sa kama ko, sana meron akong champorado (at tuyo)..." Kaya, kung nasa bahay na kayo at umuulan, i-enjoy niyo na lang! Wala nang drama na "OMG hindi ako makakalabas", lalo na kung nung mga araw na may pasok ay nagsasabi kang "sana nasa bahay ako, ang sarap matulog kasi". Tama na ang drama - mag-enjoy ka na lang!

Katulad ko - dapat pupunta ako sa YC, eh dahil baha hanggang tuhod sa Leon Guinto, at malamang mas malalim sa Singalong, eh di nag-ayos na lang ako ng hard drive at nag-marathon ng Lord of the Rings Extended Version! Ang saya, diba? Nakipag-drinking game pa ako sa sarili ko (sa bawat headshot ni Legolas, sumigaw ng "WOOOO!" sabay inom ng hot choco). 

So yeah...masaya ang weekend ko. Saksakan ng saya. Tuwing umuulan at kapiling...ang sarili mo. XD

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Okay. That's enough Tagalog. Hahahaha! Ang sagwa ko talaga mag-Tagalog! Mea culpa. 

I think time spent to write about The Hollow Crown (and all the feelings that have surfaced from watching the same) is time well spent.  So, I shall!

Before I begin, let me just say that prior to watching this, the only Shakespeare play that I seriously studied was A Midsummer Night's Dream from grade school (one of the very few things I'm thankful for when I studied in St. Scho, now that I look back on it); and quite indirectly, Hamlet (cause The Lion King is Hamlet). I'm not going to go all lit-freak on this (cause I'm not going to try to be someone I'm not...lest I embarrass myself!).

Let me begin by saying this: Richard II = Henry V > Henry IV, Part 2 > Henry IV, Part 1.

Breaking the kuripot rule and midterms, among other things

I AM ALIVE.

Just like that, we're halfway through the year! Midterms are officially done (I think my grades aren't too bad), and the job's keeping me busy. My job is evolving into a creature (LOL) that I never expected it to become, and I'm just taking everything in stride. Yup. Striding is key.

And now, on to a QUALITY POST.

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NEW GLASSES. The last time I bought a pair was six years ago, and I wouldn't have changed it if weren't for the screws becoming loose just days after I have it fixed. So, ayan! I bought these last Sunday and got it with my grade an hour and a half after. Somehow, I've always preferred glasses over contacts because they have more appearance-changing powers (LOL, that was a weird way of putting it). Tsaka I'm not really into changing my eye color anyway. =/

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I am really excited for Cinemalaya! Haven't read the summaries of the movies this year, but I'm happy that I'll probably get to catch a few of the movies with some friends. =) Cinemalaya is probably the only time I get to watch homegrown stuff. And...le sigh, I can go on with this topic forever, but I think it's going to be this way for a while. 

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I am NOT DONE with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. /ashamed It's taking longer than expected due to the immense amount of spy jargon. I honestly have to stop and try to remember my trail of thought whilst reading the book whenever I encounter something unfamiliar. 

This book should have started with a glossary, in my opinion. XD

Speaking of books, let me just detail what's in the pipeline:

1. Spirit-Controlled Temperament, by Tim LaHaye. More of a required reading, but will also consider it for leisure =D
2. Bram Stoker's Dracula. Catching up on my classics, especially on the vampiric. I've honestly stayed away from that part of the bookstore ever since the Twilight movies came out, but a classic is a classic. I'll probably also re-read The Vampire Lestat, and get a copy of The Tale of the Body Thief (my UBER-FAVORITE among The Vampire Chronicles). Have I ever fangirled in this blog of how much I LOVE The Vampire Chronicles? Okay. Now you know. =D TVC is the standard for me for vampire stories, in spite of its...errr...decline (read: Blood Canticle. What.)
3. The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel. I thought this would be an interesting read for the future book club. (I REALLY WANNA PUT UP ONE, MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT THAT)  And in relation to #2, I wish I can insert some TVC books in that book club (libre mangarap!) 
4. Lady of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Bought this book for a whopping FIFTY PESOS, and it's in near-mint condition (near-mint because it's been on their shelf since 2007 and for some reason, no one really cared to buy it. NO ONE CARED FOR A MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY BOOK. Unbelievable.)
5. (lest I forget) Elements of Style, by Strunk and White. Nothing screams REQUIRED READING more than this book. Yes and Amen.

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Epic: when someone you looked up to when you were a kid tells someone that they should get more people who are like yourself. Did that make sense? 

June 20 marked the proudest moment of my career so far. Like, seriously. I shed a tear. 

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There's stuff I want to write about...like seriously write about. There are stories in my head that are begging to be written on the page, but there's just no time. Basta. Abangan niyo na lang. A time for everything; a season for every activity. 

Yup. Still Alive.

I have been remiss in updating this place. But I haven't been really away, because if you looked hard enough, you'd notice that I have two new static pages above! *points*

• Seen/Written is my humble, short collective of written work, posted in some shape or form online - Seen for photography, Written for prose. 
• Books is my growing list of books that I'm open to lend out (to close friends, initially). I was supposed to put up a book club with this person here (AND I HAVE BEEN REMISS ON THAT AS WELL, I AM SO SORRY) but stuff happened that made us unable to do it. Anyway, in an effort to get something started, I've put up my own list of books for loan. This list is still a work in progress; I'm sure I haven't included everything that I have at home.

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So, what has been happening the past few weeks?

• I've been meeting a lot of new people (if I've met you the past two weeks or so and you're reading this, hi!)
• I'm getting required book readings again, and I'm so delayed with finishing them. Required book readings, by the way, aren't the same with wala lang book readings (Read: stuff I want to read)
• I co-composed and arranged a song (emphasis on co- because there's no way I can do it from the ground up). We have this ongoing workshop-slash-book report thing for Music that required us to make a song. I got the recordings of all the songs through email this week, and yeah...hearing my own voice is sooooo awkward *goosebumps* 
• I got paid to do graphic design work in exchange for books (best payment I ever received aside from cash [duh]).
• I ventured once more into snail mail! I called this Operation Liham. The details of the letter can be found on that link. I can't even remember the last time I sent snail mail. It was probably even before 2000. YEGADS

In class, I'm starting to see my most favorite line of Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged in an entirely new light. (Read: SCREW THE RULES.) I'm also seeing a very significant shift in my responsibilities at work, and once again, I find myself hardly prepared.

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This Wednesday, when I went to midweek, I was told by two people that they really like the way I sing this particular song. I am really floored when people say nice things about what I do, whether it's with singing or with work, because more often than not, I am harder on myself than most people are.

But, what I find really funny is that there were other people who told me the same thing for the same song. At first, I was thinking, "Teka, nag-usap ba kayo?" Hahahahaha! But, it seemed highly unlikely because the interval between this Wednesday and the last time I got a similar compliment was more than a year. So...yeah, I don't think nag-usap sila. XD

I guess it's because [1] I love the song; [2] I absolutely LOVE Brooke Fraser (read: girl crush); and [3] there are many ways to sing a song, but very few ways to sing it right. I consider #3 to be the most important, because you can have less of #1 and absolutely none of #2, and still do justice to a song - as long as you sing it right.

Truth be told, I remember messing up Hosanna so many times to the point of not wanting to sing that song in public again, so to hear these things out of the blue is so uplifting.

I must be doing something right. It may not be as bad as I think it is. (Applying the temperaments, the melancholic in me has to seriously chill. XD)

And on this note, gusto ko na uli magkaroon ng raket! Nakakapagod din ang work-school-church lagi! Wala bang mga ikakasal diyan? (Bwahahaha tama ba ito? XDDD)

Celebrating freedom, #RP612fic style

For the first time, I celebrated Independence Day by participating in #RP612fic! At first, I thought it was going to be hard, but once I got my first tweet down, everything else fell into place like clockwork (thank you EK for giving me that much needed pep talk. =D).

You can go through my Twitter feed to see all of them (they've all been conveniently hashtagged with #RP612fic). Alternately, I've also compiled everything I've done from close to midnight until tonight through Storify, which you can view here.

I'm so happy that some of the stuff I posted got retweets from respected Twitter accounts (i.e. the halo-halo fic and that one bit about Quiapo Church - both of which have references to Avengers). It let out my inner fangirl, and it was understood. I was trying to make references to other fandoms, like Dragonball or RuroKen, but I couldn't churn out anything I'd want to publish. /sigh 

There will always be next year. I'm definitely going to be part of it again.

Some sites are starting to compile the microfics. I'll be posting below where some of the stuff I've tweeted were included (and I give also my humblest of floorbows to them):

• Katipunan Magazine (The Lasallian in me is delighted with this =D)

Questions

I just came home from watching Prometheus. More than it being a Ridley Scott movie, and even more than Michael Fassbender being one of the main actors, it was a movie that I didn't want to miss because it was supposedly made as a prequel to Alien. I absolutely love sci-fi movies. 

Having said all of that, I totally recommend this film! The effects were mind-blowing, and the acting was way above par. My only misgiving for Prometheus was that it didn't give any answers to its most compelling questions by the time the movie ended. This is also not a feel-good movie (so if you don't want to feel depressed, DON'T WATCH THIS MOVIE!). 

If I could sum up this movie in one sentence, it will be in the form of a question: How far would you go to get the answers to your questions? Maybe not all questions were made to be answered, and we'll simply have to live with that. But when you flip this argument around, and say that we deserve answers to the questions we deem important, then how far will we go to get them? At what point can we say that the search for answers has become meaningless, or has brought  contentment? This was Prometheus for me. 

Fassy was phenomenal in this movie. I don't want to spoil anything...but really...he is just BEYOND! (And I can't even end this sentence properly!)

Dissolved | Mixing and matching

This Monday, I got the biggest scare of my grad school life. My Copywriting class was dissolved.

DISSOLVED. This was unheard of during my undergrad (you pretty much should expect a full class almost all the time with the sheer size of CBE), and so when it was announced. I thought, "Now what the heck am I supposed to do now? MY MISCELLANEOUS FEES ARE JUST AS HIGH AS THREE UNITS OF LOAD, AND NOW I AM DEPRIVED OF ONE SUBJECT?!"

There was a lot of drama that involved going to the Department, the Registrar's Office, and the Library (trip to the latter wasn't related to requesting for a special class, but simply to return the equipment I borrowed, which should have been used if weren't for the announcement). I don't know if I was high on something, but when I came home I didn't eat even if I was hungry, and it took me a long time to get to sleep, and I woke up before 4AM, which was waaaaay too early. 

To cut the story short, today I got an email that the class has been made regular again. /sigh  But seriously, I cannot endure again the drama of a dissolved class. Ayoko na.

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Okay. Hot topic on the Internet this week - the Bayo ad. How quickly did we move on from the Coronanovela, people? XD Anyway, I digress.

I don't find the add offensive. I just think it is poorly worded. I am 100% Filipino, but if you've seen me, I can easily pass for another Asian race: Chinese (I get this all the time), Korean (which intensifies when I am beside one, or heavens, if I sing a K-pop song), and surprisingly, Japanese (now this I find kind of odd, cause I fangirl Japanese people, and I don't look like them at all. But when I dress like one, let's just say that it's a story for another time. XD). I'm pretty sure I could also pass for Malaysian.

I bring this up because of this: How do you define what the "Filipino" race is, to begin with? As early as Grade 1, we were taught that our race primarily sprung from the Ita, Indones, and Malay. They were immigrants, and not indigenous to the land. Add to that the 333 years of Spanish colonization, which resulted into the mestizos and mestizas. Oh, and let us not forget the chinitas and chinitos as well, cause the Chinese thrived during the colonial period as well. 

What's my point? I think that the Filipino race has ALWAYS been mixed from the very beginning. Yes, there are some theories that there were indigenous people prior to the arrival of the I, I, and M - but it's simply theory. The point is, we have been mixed and matched from the start pa lang. Almost everyone has claim to Spanish blood (I have, for one. No verified claim for Chinese - yet!) that it's hardly anything special - unless, of course, you are almost pure-bred mestizo. 

Anyway, this isn't really a big deal (for me). If I have to break down my mix, I'll have to say I'm 57% water, 20% Lasallian, 10% mad, and 3% Trekkie. 

I laugh at mixing and matching. I do what I want. 

*sigh* Randomness (I'm really sorry, I cannot think of a better title)

...but I can guarantee that this isn't the what-is-this-I-don't-even kind of randomness.

Words must be said in favor of The Red Necklace, which I finally finished last week. A book like that (a very easy read, with a large font size) would have usually taken me less than a week. I have no less than the audiobook to thank blame for my sluggish pace. Like, for real...I had to pause and contemplate on my fragile existence wonder how could all of those characters with varying accents and voice timbres could have been voiced by A SINGLE MAN. Dangit, Tom Hiddleston. In my mind, I have inducted you into my hall of fame, which is pretty much the list I keep in my head of people whom I wish I were related to by blood. Hahahaha! Can I call you Kuya? Please? XD I can be a nice sibling. You can ask my brothers.

Anyway, it was historical fiction-slash-fantasy - two categories of fiction that are very well within home base, so it was a very fun read. I think if someone would have recommended it - SANS existence of audiobook -  I would have picked it up as well.

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I went to Fully Booked GB5 last Thursday, and while looking for my next book, I saw this copy of Genji Monogatari.

LOOK AT THAT. LOOK AT HOW THIN THAT IS. I've said this on Tumblr, and I'll say it again - the sheer thinness (or lack of pages!) of this version slightly offends me. I had to endure more than a THOUSAND PAGES over the course of nearly a whole year with the deluxe version, and suddenly this comes out! OH COME ON.

Then again, I don't know how this version can wholly capture the poetry that's in the deluxe version - and the poetry occupies like...30-40% of the book. So...yeah. I think I got the better end of the deal with owning the deluxe version. I just wish that it was a more easy read though. /sigh

--- --- ---

Next book to finish is Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carre. =)  

I don't really know what to expect from this. First off, it's not my home genre for fiction, and I'm only at Chapter 4 (no time to read, le sigh). But I wanted to veer away from my comfort zone this month, hence this.

I was actually deciding between this and a deluxe edition of Bram Stoker's Dracula. I chose this book because it was cheaper. WORKING STUDENT PROBLEMS. /sigh

--- --- ---

  
Last na ito!  Today, I wore this awesome flower/feather headpiece made by Kristal. She went back to Canada this weekend, so I wore what she made for me just so I could feel that she’s with us still. =) True enough, it worked - a lot of people were asking me, “That was made by Kristal, right?” 
 Kristal, if ever you do read this, you are seriously missed =) I’m not sure if she could ship to the Philippines, but you could check out her work here. 

Back to school, back to DLSU | Randomness

It's my first week of my second year of grad school! Around this time last year I didn't have a job, I just moved back to Manila, and I wasn't entirely sure how I'd finance my masters without any regular monthly income. It's just mind-blowing how everything just came together. /sigh

By the way, I learned something quite unexpected this week. The Master in Marketing Communications program of DLSU is rated 21st in the world. Akalain mo yun? Having said that, it's pretty obvious that UST  PWNS everyone locally when it comes to graduate degree programs (teehee). 

Anyway... my subjects this term are very interesting. 

Monday class (Copywriting) will be held in Yuchengco Hall. I know my professor quite well...which is, truth be told, a scary circumstance. Scary - in the sense that I know exactly what to expect.

That aside, this class was a shoo-in for enrollment this term. First of all, it's copywriting. If ever I do not get a high grade, at least I'll be doing something that I really love to do. Second, it was something that I really wanted to learn during my undergrad, but it wasn't included in the MMG program. Now...now...oh my stars. Pinch me, I must be dreaming.

Image not mine

My Tuesday class is...wait for it...at the Makati Extension Campus  at RCBC Plaza! All it takes is a 20-minute walk from the office - something I don't really mind doing.

Tuesday is E-Marketing day. The class is a very interesting mix of MBA and MMC. Unang araw pa lang, ang dami ko nang natutunan. I went home with the realization that I need to get an iPad very soon. Hohmaygash.

Oh, and since I've been posting pictures of buildings that are DLSU-related, I'm reminded of something that's kind of important:

From thelasallian.com

After one year, Henry (Sy Hall) is nearly done. I'm sure I'm not the only one who noticed the blue waves on the facade. I know Henry Sy is SM, and SM is primarily blue, but...I certainly wasn't expecting this. At least it has the trademark four pillars that are usually found in a major La Salle building, but truth be told, I was under the impression that this building was supposed to look like a tree.

Anyway, I'm still going to give it the benefit of the doubt, being unfinished still. But the blue wave thing...I wonder how people - especially the older alumni - will react to this.

--- --- ---

Today, I realized again how BAD I am with Tagalog. My mind is automatically wired to Taglish, and my sentence construction patterns are more partial to English than Tagalog (remember: tuwid and baligtad sentences in Tagalog are opposite to English - and I'm surprised that I even remember this!), and if I translate English to Tagalog, I transliterate instead...ugh! It's just so complicated. 

Sorry Gat. Joe. I have failed you. #yunyoneh #gospeltruth 

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I'll end this...errr...really random post (which supposedly was about school, but it went its own course again, as expected) with one of my favorite songs during rainy days. It also happens to be my favorite Kangta song. #HOMGKANGTAWHENISYOURNEXTALBUMBB

Goodbye summer. 

10 years ago today, it was my first day of college at De La Salle University

TEN YEARS.

I had to type it down, because I myself can hardly believe it. This is supposed to be my cue for saying I AM OLD!!!, but I don't feel any different, in general.

Okay. Ten years ago...

1. I was sixteen, going on seventeen *points to yearbook photo for your reference*
2. I had braces (again, yearbook photo /sigh)
3. I was a Japanese Studies major (who looks Chinese! XD)
4. I was a reconsidered passer of DLSU 
5. I had no idea what I wanted to do or be when I "grow up" (in quotations, cause ten years on, I still don't think I'm in that "grown up" status XDDD)

I'm sure there were other things...but those are the most relevant. I had a high school-like schedule, with classes beginning at 7AM and ending at about 3:30 during MWF, and an 8:10 to 4-ish schedule every TH. Oh, and there's PE every Wednesday, which was karate at the then new Sports Complex. We had the football field back then. There were also no security guards manning the pedestrian lanes outside the University. We had to cross on our own. (in other words - may taning lagi ang buhay namin dati pag tumatawid sa Taft!)

Transitioning from high school to college has been one of the easiest things to do. For one, I have this disdain for my high school that I'm actually glad to have left it behind (HENCE THE SMILE!). Second, I got into the school of my childhood dreams - De La Salle University! Ever since I was in kinder, I have looked at that familiar, unchanging facade of the St. La Salle Hall and often dreamed of walking in its halls when I "grow up" (haha, again, in quotation marks). Thirdly, coming into the school under Japanese Studies was a welcome experience while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life. After one term of bliss under the program, I applied to shift to Marketing Management, and by the third term, I was having classes at LS, the building of my childhood fantasy. 

Entering college was like coming full circle. It was a promise that was fulfilled.

--- --- ---

Ten years after my first day of college, I wonder now how everything ended up like this, and if everything went according to plan.

I've always been told by my parents to plan. "How do you see yourself 10 years from now" is a staple question during job interviews, and of course, for the sake of a job you'll try your hardest to give the best answer. The truth of it is, I've often been very unsure of my answers - especially when I was searching for my first job. Most of the time, my answers were what I thought would please the interviewer most! 

But, I do remember saying...

1. I want to get an MBA or a master's degree 
2. I want to travel -  go out of the country, and be in more places in the country aside from Bulacan
3. I want to live alone

And in the span of less than ten years (graduating in 2006), all of these very simple plans have been fulfilled. I'm in my second year of MMC. I have travelled CALABARZON (thank you DLSC), and I have spent more than a year away from family - surviving storms, snakes, beetles, forest fires, and the traffic resulting from Skyway (phase 2). 

And there's more - stuff that I didn't even dream of doing: winning a trip outside the country by singing (no less!); writing a book; singing in public (that last one is something I never would have guessed!)

If I had a chance to pay a visit to my sixteen year old self - a sixteen year old who is...

1. Incredibly unsure of herself and what she can do 
2. Discouraged due to high school authorities (all that drama those months leading to graduation is just...ugh) 
3. Indifferent
4. Sort of confused if she's good, or up to no good 

...I'd probably not take that chance. If ever I will, I won't show nor introduce myself to her. The most amazing thing about my college life is that I have absolutely no regrets, and I feel so blessed to have had that experience. I relished every day of those four years, taking it one day at a time.

I didn't make too many plans. I simply did my best in all of my subjects, so when I got my grade I knew I likely deserved it. I didn't join too many orgs, nor did I aspire for any political/leadership position (with the exception of NKK, which was more of a passion thing, and not a resume asset). I befriended as many people as my rigid rules on personal space would allow me. I shared my notes willingly, taught classmates generously. I took my own share of risks, worked to earn money, sang to earn money. 

If there was any plan, it was to live the remaining four years of school life the fullest way possible. What "fullest" meant was a mystery; one that can only be defined when the journey has been made. 

I certainly don't think I've got it "all together", though. If there's anything my sixteen year old self thought of her future twenty-something self, it was that. I'm still learning, re-learning, and unlearning. I haven't figured everything out quite yet, and that's okay.

I don't think anyone will ever figure everything out. =)