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! 

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)

*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

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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

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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. 

Life ruiners, among other things

Hello people who read this blog.

If you see me this week and you're getting a hint that I want to spend some money, please, for the love of everything holy, stop me. Remind me that I have just paid for my tuition and am still paying for the buy-one-take-one shoes bought last May 1 and for the Phantom ticket bought last April, and couldn't possibly afford to spend my money on a whim. CANNOT. I REPEAT. I CANNOT. 

Usually, I remember that I'm broke not rich (every time I look at my wallet, I am reminded), but it would be good to have a support group. XD

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This has been a great year for book-reading so far. I've read more books than the number of months that have passed this year (HAH!): 

1. 1Q84
2. The Feet of Juan Bacnang
3. To Kill A Mockingbird
4. Solo Flight
5. The Case for Christ
6. A Grief Observed
7. Before Ever After

And on that note, #8 in the list is this:

THE RED NECKLACE! Thank goodness for Fully Booked - they transferred one copy from some branch to the Greenbelt 5 branch just for me to get it. =D The book looks lovely for P335, it even has some of the words printed in red. 

Anyway, I bought this book to go along with the audiobook version that I got last week. I expect that I'll be in that fine point between getting lost in the story and marveling at the awesomeness of Tom Hiddleston voicing all of the characters - that fine point is called life ruination 

Anyway, I haven't read historical European fiction since The Constant Princess, so...yeah. 

HOMGICANTWAITFORHIDDLESTOREADTHISSTORYTOME

Lists

IT'S FRAAAIIIDEEEYYYYY /freakout

I'm in the mood for making a list. So, I shall make one.

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A reading list, that is! Probably this book has got something to do with it. I'm now halfway through Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto, whom I've met last Saturday (the post, in case you missed it).

Romance isn't really my home genre when it comes to books, so you could just imagine me sighing with relief when I found out that this book isn't the typical romance novel. It's fantasy, which is totally in my home court. XD

It's been a good page-turner so far. Getting into the flow of the story was hard for the first few pages though, because I couldn't keep up with the descriptions. I'm like...oh wait, she has diarrhea? When did that happen? and so my eyes scan the page again to see what I missed. I eventually got used to it, and now I'm progressing at a very comfortable pace.

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Oh oh, and I got my first audiobook yesterday - The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner, as narrated by Tom freaking Hiddleston. ALL YOUR ARGUMENTS ARE INVALID. 

In spite of Hiddleston's awesomesauce tulo-laway voice, I still long for the written word. My carnal fangirl tendencies make me concentrate less on the story and more on the voice behind the audio book - which isn't so bad because Hiddleston's voice is like HOMGTHICKDARKCHOCOLATE THAT YOU CAN HAVE AND YOU WON'T GET ANY ALLERGIES. With that being said, I think I'll have to buy the book and read it while listening to the audiobook; otherwise, I'll be lost in the story (and instead be raptured in Hiddleston's voice - whether it may be the girl character or the Scottish one or the Count...bwahahahahahahahaha).

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Dear Weather sages, 

Please make up your minds if it's going to rain or if it's going to be sunny.

Achoo,

JC

You reap what you sow

Reaping time has begun.

KWATRO.

(with hagod)

I wish I could call this a repeat of the First Term Epic Grand Slam but it really isn't...first of all, I only have one subject this term, whereas during the first term, I had a full load for a part-time student. But looking at the bright side, this term also had its own brand of "epic grand slam", in the sense that I had to handle a full load of work and ministry, along with school. 

The real test though happens when I go full load again next term. /sigh I hope I can deal with it.

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Anyway, I have two events coming up, and if perchance you are interested in any of these, please leave a comment with your email address so I can send you more details :-) 

• Friday, April 27: The Happy at Work 2.0 Conference 2012. Happy at Work is an event that seeks to share best practices on employee engagement and happiness in the workplace. Recent studies on positive psychology have shown that it is happiness that fuels success, and not the other way around. We've got really good speakers (award-winning), so it's definitely value for money.
• Saturday, May 5: Project Author. This is BIGGER than the one last December. We actually have Samantha Sotto as one of our speakers (yes, the Samantha Sotto who wrote Before Ever After). Also invited are Grace Chong (her talk is wonderful, believe me), who's an amazing down-to-earth person in spite of her five Palanca awards and 30 books; RJ Ledesma (It Only Hurts When I Pee and three other books), and Larry Gamboa (Think Rich, Pinoy!, and two others). We also invited Flipside Digital Publishing's Honeylein De Peralta, and her talk's a must-listen if you want to get the lowdown on e-books, a publishing route that's established itself as a force to be reckoned with.

Again, if you're interested, please leave a comment with your name and email address so I can send you more details. We've got discounts available, plus these are two events that have wonderful content. You won't be disappointed.

Please also pray for me - these three weeks will be very tough on me (it's kind of like hell week last December). 

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Now reading: A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis. I knew this had to be included in my reading list after last year's happenings. I think it will be very interesting to see how the famous apologetic dealt with grief, and how he wrestled with God throughout the entire grieving process.

I tried to keep a grief journal. I was dead serious with doing it that I even bought a notebook for it. But, I only got to write a few pages. It was tough writing about my personal grief story. Finding the words to describe how you feel is both a fearful and challenging ordeal. Fearful, because in many ways I wasn't prepared to face my grief, and instead opted to put layer upon layer upon layer of protection (work, getting more work, getting more and more work) over my true feelings at the time, and shedding all of it would be like opening a can of worms. Challenging, because putting words to describe "grief" on a page is like limiting the definition of my personal grief. One word, like "depression", or maybe "longing" puts limits on the overall scheme of things. 

Until today, many pages are left blank. 

By the way, I highly recommend The Case for Christ. Like, mark it as one of your must reads before you turn 30 or before you turn agnostic/atheist...or something. XD

Book buy this month (and probably the only buy, because I have stuff to pay for) is...finally my own Maxwell Leadership Bible. If you've been to the bookstore, you know how much this costs - over P1000 bucks (when I went to the MIBF last year, it was P1200 I think). I got mine - a brand new copy - for a price that screamed YOU'LL SO REGRET NOT BUYING ME SO BUY ME NOW.

There was a time I got second-hand, yet very good condition leather bound Bibles (like BIG ones) for a thousand bucks (got my big NIV and NASB from that source). But this ... I got for much cheaper than that. *grin*

Finally

FINAL PRESENTATION - DONE
April 1
3-in-1 instant coffee

Finals is done and out of the way,. The group I belonged to got a perfect score!  *hurraaaaaah* Our group is sort of notorious for not following directions and contradicting the professor (for the latter, I think I should say that I'm the one who publicly contradicts the professor most of the time XD), but for our final presentation we were commended for recommending strategies that were different from the leading brand. Huzzaaaaah!

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It's Holy Week again, and I've decided to use the downtime to write my book. I worked on a chapter that I started over a month ago (ye gads), and just when I thought I finished it, I realized I haven't...so I had to backtrack and add some details to it, until I saw the time and had to move on to another activity.

Like with the past Holy Weeks, I have to juggle rest with church work. It's a good thing that this Holy Week isn't as stressful. Last year was the Mary Magdalene thing. I'm happy to say that I have finally retired playing the harlot, and have moved on to other things. XD

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I have been reading. 

Yesterday, I finished Solo Flight, written by Ms. Grace and Francie Castaneda-Lacanilao, which I bought during the author event that I managed last December. This book was a very easy and enlightening read. I would recommend this to singles in their late 20s, 30s, 40s, even 50s. =) It's got an excellent perspective on the single life that's very well grounded on biblical principles. 

My copy (which is autographed, by the way =D) has highlights on some parts, and there were times that I wanted to put underlines on some parts that really resonated, but I didn't have a pen handy. The bottom line of this book is (for me), is that the single life is in no way a half-lived life. =D

Next in the pipeline is this book, which I bought at a very low price (P125!). I've never read a book that attacks this topic from a legalese/journalist perspective, and it's been a good read so far (and might I add, timely due to the Holy Week).

I like book bargains. I regret that I don't got to Booksale that often. I think I may sell some of my books (the ones that I'm not so crazy about) sometime this year, or probably give them away to someone who will take care of them.  And still on the subject of books, I still haven't made that master list of books that I've been intending to make. /sigh

One thing is for sure - I may start a book club with someone. =D I'm actually quite excited about the idea. I have no idea how a book club should be run, though. I'm doing some research on how one is formed and how a meeting is conducted, and how a book is selected to be the reading material for the month. Nevertheless, this is something I find very exciting and worth spending time on.

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I hope I get to write a lot in the days to come. And, by writing, this includes blog posts as well /sigh.

Toodles.

Bullets | Short story

My week thus far, in bullets:

• To Kill A Mockingbird must be a required reading during anyone's lifetime. If I chanced upon this book earlier in my life, I might have seriously considered becoming a lawyer. 
• In relation to this, I love Atticus Finch. /oldmanfangirlingnanaman
• If any of you reading this have a copy of the movie, can I borrow it?
• I'm still happy I didn't become a lawyer.
• I'm dealing with a lot of discontent right now. It comes and it goes, and I'd like to think it's all part of the dreaded quarter-life crisis. I'm particularly peeved with the following:
• The NBSB status. Most of the time it's not an issue, but when someone rubs it in, ye gads, it's like an itch that won't go away.
• Some of the things I'm doing now are seriously hampering my ability to do other stuff I want to do, i.e. rest, more sleeping and reading time, more bulakbol time, more me time (in a nutshell). These things may seem really trivial, but I need to do these things. 
• My utter lack of a social life. I can't count anymore the number of times I've been told that I need to get out more. One went as far as telling me that I have to get out because my complexion is more sickly than pale. 

Yeah. That's it. XD

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For those who have been encouraging me in my "author" journey, "thank you" cannot even begin to express my gratitude.  I've been asked by some people what kind of stories do I write, and I usually just smile at them most of the time. When I dared to answer it directly, I think one of my replies was "I write about death". The stare I got from one person was so...how do I even describe it? It was a stare that said, "Why in the world would you write about such a morbid topic?", or "I never thought a person like you would write about that!". 

Ever since the author class thing started, I've been doing a lot of thinking. I remember that one of the goals of setting up this blog was this:

Since college, there's this small itch to actually go public with some of the stuff I write or do, but I have this fear (which nags me till now) that people who know me in real life will not understand it, or it will be shot down as horrible/inconceivable. So, I want to find out for myself if those fears are grounded in truth. Hence, this blog was born.

I want to stay true to this goal - no matter how scary it is. Hence, I have decided to post a story I did two years ago, which is about death. /ye gads

If you know me in real life and you see this story, let me know what you think. As in, seriously. I'd really like to know. A little background follows after the jump.

February seems to be my book month so far

Yesterday, I finished The Feet of of Juan Bacnang by F. Sionil Jose. My copy is autographed by the author himself (and I couldn't help but feel giddy being inches away from the illustrious F. Sionil Jose). One of the assignments of the author class was to see how a book launch is done. There's no better way to experience that than to buy the book being launched (this book was one out of two being launched that day) and fall in line to have it signed.

It was worth the P450 (got it at P50 off, hahaha) and waiting in line to have it signed. I'm not really a fan of Philippine lit per se, and I'll probably blame it on the way I was taught Philippine literature over the years (it was in no way thought-inspiring or nationalism-building). Until now, I try reading Noli and El Fili and no matter how much I invoke my fangirl love for Rizal, I end up stopping in the middle.

Anyway, the story of Juan Bacnang could be the story of any rags-to-riches business tycoon in this country - or  most of it. The themes of this book are akin to the current social and political state of this country, and I love how it shamelessly connects its major themes to the country's age-old problems. The first part of the story was rather hard for me to relate to, simply because I am not Ilocana and I cannot relate to being clannish or with the food and customs of the time. But when the protagonist of the story went to Manila, that was when I finally picked up the pace.

In spite of the realism, it is still a work of fiction. If you've read The Picture of Dorian Gray, you'll be able to see certain parallels to that in Juan Bacnang. At one point when I was in the middle of the book, I was speculating that the protagonist will have a Dorian Gray-esque ending. Whether that happened or not is something that you'll have to find out.  

Next book in my reading stash is To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I wasn't supposed to buy this, but it didn't cost so much in Powerbooks, so what the heck. It's a classic anyway.

Excuse the sleepy pic. I fell asleep in the car going to work, and I've been drifting in and out of sleep since then. Le sigh.

Primera-Segunda-Primera | Short story

It has been three months since I bought the latest Murakami, and as of this writing I am in page 783 out of 925.

Usually, I breeze through reading a Murakami, especially when it came to my favorites (i.e. after dark, A Wild Sheep Chase, The Elephant Vanishes, etc.) 1Q84 is probably the only exception. I find myself skipping entire paragraphs, sometimes even pages. It was rare that the pace of the story was fast - it was like primera going to segunda, and back to primera again.

I think one of the reasons for this is the sheer length of the book. It's too long. I've read reviews that 1Q84 is the culmination of the themes and ploys Murakami often used in his stories, and I am inclined to agree, but the length of it is just waaaaaay too long for me. I recall that this was released in Japan in three parts. If this happened for the English release, then maybe it would overcome my primera-segunda-primera feeling.

I finally felt that the story break through the primera-segunda-primera monotony when Aomame met Leader and Tengo had that night with Fuka-Eri (am trying my best not to spoil), but when that was over, it went back to segunda, and, yeah - primera. I don't mind the emotional dynamic of the story, but once you go tercera, or cuarta, it's quite difficult to go back to primera after you have built the story up to such heights - unless you have a pretty darn good reason for doing it. In the other Murakami books I've read, once it reached a climax, it didn't go back to a relaxing pace - you're always wary that something else might come up. I don't get the same intensity thus far with this book (at page 783). Sure, there is a sense of discomfort, but not enough to induce page-turning. In other words, you can procrastinate. Nothing makes me more enthusiastic about a novel than the feeling that it must be finished with a sense of urgency.

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I've been working on something the past two days. It's kind of rough, but I'm satisfied with it for now. :-) Mabuti na yung may nasulat kesa sa wala. I think this is my first [finished] short story. YAAAAAY. (Ye gads if you saw how many unfinished stuff I have on the computer or on the notebook...le sigh)

I don't think it merits a warning, but if underage smoking would suffice, then...yeah. XD

Two weeks of survival

This thing right here? IT IS FINISHED.

December 3

• School: I have a reporting on product placement, specifically in movies and games. While I was reading the material, my top-of-mind examples were [1] the Panasonic phone that Cloud used in Advent Children and [2] the futuristic Nokia smartphone that was installed in the car that young!Kirk was driving. This isn't really hard, but there's pressure involved because there's ...
• Work: I have to manage an afternoon-to-night event for aspiring authors, which is happening in Makati. I'm really excited about this event since I get to meet authors who have won the Palanca...plus a person that I have idolized before I took up marketing in college (rubbing elbows kind of interaction, oh the perks of this job). I have to take off early from class to go to the venue. Hay, the wonders a working student can do. #bibidibabidiboo

December 9

• Work: I've got a golf event to manage. I know NADA ZILCH NIL about golf, and this event has not made me a convert. I'd rather play jackstones than golf. Or read Twilight than golf---OH SNAP! (LOL) The event will begin during the wee hours of the morning towards very late in the evening. This is a very big problem because on ...

December 10 

• School: IT'S FINALS DAY. HOLY MOLEY GUACAMOLE. Seriously. I don't know how I'll survive. I have to make up a strategic plan for some make-believe company with make-believe market conditions within two hours. And as if that's not enough I've got a ...
• Raket: I have to sing for a wedding in the afternoon, and it's a Lea song. And I haven't practiced for it.

I survived, and I know I couldn't have done it without God's help (it's amazing what prayers can do...nearing these days I had none of those sleepless nights, plus I was completely confident that I had done everything I could to make all of these things happen in the smoothest, uneventful way possible) plus the people around me who have been so understanding (thank you =D) and yes I really had to copy the entire thing for emphasis XD

It's amazing that in spite of the hullabaloo, I was able to keep up with my reading: I think I've been driven to read out of sheer desire to get away from the chaos and find a means of escape. For the past weeks, I finished three Murakami books in a row.


A Wild Sheep Chase is probably my third favorite Murakami book - the first one being after dark, next Kafka on the Shore. I'm still figuring out if I like this one better or The Elephant Vanishes. 


And on this note, I think I'm more partial to Murakami's style of fantasy than his love stories. I liked Norwegian Wood and South of the Border, West of the Sun but you just don't get sucked in to the story the way his fantasy work does.

Next on my stash - which is still part of my MIBF loot, is Norwegian Wood. It's probably (so far) the Murakami book that I least appreciate. Having said that, I still could relate to what Watanabe is going through, especially when it came to depression due to a suicide-related death. Some of his thoughts were so real to me, it's like my innermost thoughts that I couldn't express myself put into a page. This book has got quite a number of dog-ear marks of quotes that I loved. (I know dog-eared folds on a book is a pet peeve of some, but I think this is better than highlighting books, right? I don't have a notebook handy always...)

I'm also not a sucker for the errr...love scenes. XD That's not really not my cup of tea when reading a book.

South of the Border, West of the Sun was better than Norwegian Wood, in my opinion. Though both of them were open-ended, this book was more profound that the other. My takeaway for this story is that we don't really appreciate what we have until it is taken away from us (or in this case, nearly taken away).

While I was reading this book, I was thinking, "how many times have I wanted for something else and yet not have the slightest feeling of being grateful for what I do have?" Norwegian Wood, though a book that's very relatable to my current circumstances, only seemed to sympathize with me rather than stimulate.


Next book in the list: 1Q84. =D =D =D

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On to the work stuff.

My December 3 event went really well. It was an aspiring authors' event, and since writing and reading will be two of my forever passions, this wasn't really a pain in the butt to organize and run.

I personally assisted author Grace D. Chong, who was kind enough to autograph my copy of Solo Flight. Oh, and if you check this entry in her blog, you'll see me. =D 

I also finally got my first marketing book autographed by the guru himself (oh be still my fangirl heart), Dr. Ned. I told him, "Dr. Ned, bago pa po ako nag-Kotler, ito muna ang binasa ko," sabay pakita ng book niya. He gladly signed it with my Sharpie (buti na lang nakabili ako ng Sharpie, hahahaha XD)

The golf marathon, which was last Friday, was quite something. It rained almost the entire day, but the participants were still game with finishing their assigned rounds of golf. They seemed to be pretty happy with their accomplishment (I mean, 72 holes in one day - with rain?! Who wouldn't be?).

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Oh, and the wedding song went pretty well. For me it was kind of pitchy at first, but then again I didn't really expect the song to be super perfect because [1] it's a Lea song and [2] I barely practiced it - the wedding day was the first time I sang it with a mic. Everyone else thought it was good (parang CD lang daw - which surprised me, as usual). I simply tried to do the song justice (and not shame myself). 

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And that's it, pansit! I'm looking forward to a happy Christmas and new year (more of a choice, really =D). I've got two days off from work to rest and recuperate, so all will be well. I intend to watch The Adventures of Tintin in 3D tomorrow, and probably *squeal* The Lion King in 3D sometime this week. It must NOT be missed. 

Also, new layout. =D

Boo

I have not been updating. I am sorry. *facepalm*

This sorry state is about to be remedied.

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I turned 26 two Saturdays ago. Twenty-six is a good age (I think I don't look 26 - I certainly don't act like  26!), but it's a few years shy from 30. Not so good. =/ I don't think I fit into the "thirties' mold right now, or anytime soon...

Anyway, I decided on a Guy Fawkes birthday theme this year. Apparently, not too many people in my circle of friends knew about Gunpowder Plot Day/Guy Fawkes Day/Remember, remember, the 5th of November day. I keep on telling people in the days leading to November 5 that it is a holiday declared in my honor and that they should page homage to me by sending cash gifts or in kind. They simply knew my Guy Fawkes mask as the V mask from V for Vendetta, which is close enough.

I cut up a bunch of Guy Fawkes masks and gave it to the people whom I was with during the day, and I shot photos of people, including myself, wearing the mask. It's kind of like a mature children's party, if you will - wala nga lang party hats. I decided on not having pasta for my birthday dinner. Instead, I had some risotto and fish & chips. *shrug* 

The only major detail I missed was the bonfire. /tsk

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I finished reading this book last month. It took me a whole frigging month to finish it. /le sigh Things haven't exactly been smooth-sailing the past two and a half months, which explains the whole hiatus/drought of posts that this blog had experienced. Kafka is a good writier, although I feel that his writing style isn't engaging enough. 

The Hunger Artist remains to be my favorite Kafka story, as well as this other short story included in this collection, the title of which escapes me at the moment. In the Penal Colony was nice in its own disturbing way. I usually am very partial to those kind of stories but my imaginings of the Bed, the Designer and the Harrow were too detailed. By the time the climax happened, I was cringing.

Now, I'm reading A Wild Sheep Chase by - you guessed it - Haruki Murakami. This is the first of three Murakami books that I bought during the MIBF, and on top of this I've got other readings for school to do...but the great thing about Murakami's books is the way his stories draw you in, that you don't realize that you've read this many pages until you glance at how many pages you have actually read.

After this book, I still have Norwegian Wood and South of the Border, West of the Sun from my MIBF stash to read. After that, I will move on to to this ...

1Q84 BABY!!!!!! ZOMG KEYBOARD SMASH ASFOPHSDIOCVNASDHV9PAWEYFHP0IO!!!!! All my kuripot-related arguments have become invalid. /le sigh

Already I'm getting requests if this book can be borrowed after I'm done reading it. I'm okay with lending, but I'm not really sure when I'll be able to lend it. This is the thickest Murakami I've ever laid eyes upon. It doesn't help too that I've got other Murakami books in the pipeline, plus real life and everything else in between.

On the subject of lending, I think I ought to be making a list of the books I have here so they can be lent out. Hmmmm...that might be a good project. 

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This year, I am officially grandparent-less. Tatay and Nanay (side ni Papa) passed away just over a week apart last month. It's really sad, and for a while the family was in a state of funk. 

On both occasions, I was asked to look for a solo picture of both of them to be displayed during the wake. Looking for a good photo wasn't hard, but when I did that I realized that I have no recent photo of me with my grandparents, or even with one of them beside me.Ako kasi lagi ang tagakuha ng picture. That really depressed me for a while. But, when I shared this to one of my titas, she chastised me: "Hay naku, JC. Kung hindi dahil sa iyo, wala tayong magandang picture na maipapakita ng sa Nanay at sa Tatay, at wala rin kaming  magandang kuha kasama sila kung hindi dahil sa iyo." Though the thought of that was quite relieving, I still wish I had a recent picture with them.

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A few years ago, sinabihan ako ni Tatay na bilhan ko siya ng libro. I always knew that he loved to read - kadalasan nga mas updated pa siya sa showbiz happenings kesa sa akin. Mwahahahahahaha. 

Tinanong ko sa kanya kung anong klaseng libro ang gusto niyang bilhin ko. Very specific ang sagot niya - gusto niya yung mga biography. He wanted to read the life stories of the likes of JFK, Nelson Mandela, etc. I was fully intent on buying him a brand new book (as in hardbound - I remember even looking for a good enough biography, choosing between JFK, Winston Churchill, and I think even Adolf Hitler) but I was convinced by the parental units to try my luck at second-hand bookstores.

That's where I found that book - the unauthorized biography of Frank Sinatra as written by Kitty Kelley. It was the perfect book - laging kinakanta ni Tatay ang My Way (aka second national anthem ng Pilipinas) at New York, New York tuwing magka-karaoke. I bought it without giving a second thought, and gave it to him nung sunod na uwi ko sa Calumpit. He was able to finish the book within days. When I went back, kinuwento na niya sa akin ang buong libro (it fascinated him that Sinatra was part of a mafia of some sort, but admittedly, I don't really care about the mafia, I just like listening to his songs XD). 

The book was damaged because of Pedring, hence the not-so-good condition in the photo above.

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Nung namatay ang Nanay (nauna siya sa Tatay), ramdam mo kaagad na wala na siya. Lagi kung umuuwi kami sa Calumpit, pagka-mano mo pa lang tatanungin ka na kaagad: "Nag-merienda ka na ba?" or "Nasaan si [insert name of kapatid/pinsan/tito/tita na absent on that day]?". Nung umuwi ako for the first time since namatay siya, walang nagtanong sa amin nun. It was downright depressing.

One of the reasons why Ondoy became bearable was because pinahiram niya kami ng maisusuot. Actually, na-enjoy kong suotin ang duster niya. Hahahahaha! Tsaka, we were very well fed for a storm like that. As in walang de lata or instant noodles kind of food - we had real food that day (birthday celebration kasi ni Tatay kaya maraming pagkain, but I think even without the birthday we'd still be decently fed). All of the beds available in the house had mosquito nets over it because of her. Lahat kami nagkaroon ng unan nung matutulog na kami because she prepared our beddings. Sa umaga, meron kaming sinangag at hotdog dahil maaga siyang nagigising. Or, during very special days, may gatas ng kalabaw pa. Haaaaaaaay. 

She was the one who told me to put ice on my skin asthma in order to relieve the itching. I got the idea of putting my arms/legs/face in front of the aircon whenever I have a skin allergy attack from her. Naiisip pa nga niya at times, lalo na kung may ulang na ulam kung may dala pa akong gamot (at naalala niya pati ang pangalan). Hardcore. 

I guess that pretty much explains my hiatus of sorts. There's nothing really "happy" to post about. For a while, everything was in shades of gray, and if something were colored, the hues were faded. I wasn't also in the mood to meet with people - even for birthdays. Heck, I even toned down my own birthday celebration (I didn't have a bonfire XD). It's just...le sigh. 

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I know, November is NaNoWriMo, but I haven't got time for that - add that to the fact that every time I joined NaNo and crossed 50K I have to have MAJOR THERAPY done to my back. Not good. 

Plus, I don't really know how to do 50K with my workload + grad school + everything else in between. It's next to impossible right now. 

Most importantly, I don't have a plot. So yeah.

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I want a new header image. I was doing a vector awhile ago but scrapped the idea. Whatever it is, I know it will come sooner or later.

A date with my DSLR, 101011, Kafka

Today, I finally took Oberon out.

It was a working date though.

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Was at Dusit Thani the whole day (from 7 to 7). I haven't been inside Dusit since...2008 (or 2009), so it was nice to be back there again for work. I haven't gone out with a camera for a long time (I blame it on my lack of social life, cause my life basically revolves around work-school-church /le sigh), which was why I was happy that I thought of bringing Oberon along. 

I posted most of my pictures on FB...they're kind of work-related (most of them). I only posted the non-work ones in Tumblr (I haven't uploaded the food pics yet...I may work on editing tomorrow). 

I like the Dusit ballroom. I'm still partial to the Manila Pen ballroom though, but Dusit (plus its food, HOMG) isn't bad at all.

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My favorite Kafka short story thus far is Before The Law. I find it very profound. One should always challenge the status quo, even if you have to face one gatekeeper after the other. 

For me, each gate is an opportunity. Imagine - how would you feel if you've waited for the gate to be opened for you, only to find out near the end of your life that the gate was made only for you, and that no one else but you could be admitted inside, even if you were told by the same gatekeeper that you cannot go in? It's such a waste. It reminded me how much I don't want to live a life of regret.

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This is so late...it wasn't late in Tumblr though, but I feel that I should have given this thing here 360-degree coverage. XD

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AHN CHIL HYUN! Maygasssh you are thirty-freaking-two and still wooing the hearts of young girls (and boys, LAWL).

Birthday wish: a freaking album that has more than just sad ballads (oh God please) and autotune, because honestly, autotune is a disgrace for his voice, plus I am kind of sick and tired of the sad-maglalaslas-na-lang-ako-ng-siko type of songs that he composes. I know that's kind of his signature style of songwriting, but there's got to be more than just that.

Anyway, if he does release new material, that will make me so frigging happy.

Em Ay Bee Eff (MIBF)

I told myself last week, "By nook or by crook, I'll get my butt to the MIBF this weekend!" And I did.

The perfect schedule dawned on me while I was tossing and turning early Sunday morning: go to SMX at 10AM, get books (I've got a list down to stay on budget and avoid splurging - HAH!), then go to Makati.

Having a list can do you wonders. I didn't get some of the books that I wanted, but nevertheless I got other good books that I'm looking forward to read in the coming months. This also means - of course - that I won't be buying any books, or anything that is classified under "wants" that''s extravagant for the coming months. /le sigh

See, books are one of my biggest weaknesses. Give me a book on a subject or author that I like and I will devour it. I'd rather shop for books than clothes, to be honest...not that I find clothes shopping dreadful (at times I do), but for me, there's nothing more fulfilling than going through the shelves of a bookstore. There's also nothing more intriguing than a book that draws you to itself. There are times that I buy a book and enjoy it without even reading a review about it online or hearing about it from someone. It doesn't happen all the time...but when it does I'm rarely disappointed.

Here are the books that I bought. The Amplified Bible I got for 30% off, which is a good enough bargain (best bargain still is getting leather-bound NASB/NIV study/app Bibles for ONE THOUSAND BUCKS EACH). I'm having trouble with finding a place for my big books. The rest are all fiction books - I bought Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis, which comes with other stories that "he could stand", according to the book's description. The splurge is made two times more epic with the three Murakami titles. =D

All of these books I bought while staying under budget, which was great! That's the wonder of having a list handy. =D It's like getting groceries.

Sometimes I wish I had the same determination when it came to clothes sales or whatnot. But, I just can't. /le sigh /story of my life

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Busy with a lot of work stuff, not to mention church stuff (Candlelight, le sigh), as well as school stuff (one subject wonder). How I manage to make entries like this one here that make sense, I consider now a major feat. 

I need an outlet. Somebody invite me to a photoshoot. Somebody invite me to karaoke. Somebody invite me to something I enjoy. 

Remedy

I'm still under the weather. I have different outlets - I turn to music or reading, or I splurge myself with food (not too much though, but I tend to eat small-sized expensive bites when I'm depressed).

So, here's what went down.

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I went to Caffe Ti Amo and bought an affogato. Their espresso was really good. I'm interested to try other flavors of their gelato some other time. But then again...there's Red Mango and Qoola and Gelatissimo! Oh the temptation!

Anyway, their affogato holders are heart-shaped, which were really cute! (Also, congratulate me on my almost-clear face since my facials from hell! WOOHOOOOWWWW!) Their affogato costs Php98, which isn't a bad price.

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After that I went to Powerbooks to see if there were any interesting books I could read (or purchase, if I like any well enough). If there was a book that I'd get right away, it would be Catching Fire, but they only hadve The Hunger Games in trilogy box sets, and the only ones they sold by the book were Mockingjay and The Hunger Games. So...yeah.

I did find this here - an excerpt from The Warrior Of Light by Paulo Coelho (not to be mistaken with Final Fantasy's Warrior Of Light)

For those of you who are too tamad to click on the pic and read, here's what it says:

When the master sees that the Warrior is depressed, he says:

"You are not what you seem to be in these moments of sadness. you are better than that.

"Many have left - for reasons we will never understand - but you are still here. Why did God carry you off all those amazing people and leave you?

"By now, millions of people will have given up. They don't get angry, they don't weep, they don't do anything; they merely wait for time to pass. They have lost the ability to react.

"You, however, are sad. That proves that your soul is still alive."

I will get a copy of this book. /mental note

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In an hour or so I'll be off to Makati to meet up with Annie and Miko at McDo Greenbelt 1. We'll be taking advantage of the promo at Wako and sing our hearts out at karaoke. =D

There will be pictures, and probably videos too.

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A few days back I fixed a glitch in this blog that only enables comments for those who have Google Accounts/LJ/what-have-you; now I've enabled anonymous comments, which means you can comment without logging in to some account that you have.

That's it. Hopefully there will be more happy posts in the coming days.

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Before I forget...
I♥U CHRIS WHITELAW PINE.

Ehem. I just finished watching Unstoppable. Heehee.

Look who's back home today

Hey hey hey. Tomorrow is Biñan Day, and you know what happens when a city celebrates the anniversary of its cityhood --- WALANG PASOK!

Which is why I'm now in Manila, enjoying cool-enough weather and great lutong bahay. I intend to sleep a lot tonight and wake up late in the morning, work on getting a clean slate for my MA application requirements, answer emails of the non-work kind, watch Love Actually (an assignment from the Brother, go figure), and be a sloth for the rest of the day.

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This morning I woke up early to prepare for a trip to Pila in Laguna. As I emerged from my room the first thing I noticed was the breaking dawn, next was the presence of the Moon and Venus. It was beautiful, and the astronomer in me was geeking out. But hunger came first. XD

I wish I had taken a picture of it, but Cecile is busted still...

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I finished The Hunger Games today. I read it while the car I was riding plowed through Makiling Forest at breakneck speed. (Sometimes at night I thank God that I'm still alive, even if the driver goes at 120 at such narrow roads and even has the guts to overtake. I think I should thank Him more XD) Now I wish I had money to buy Catching Fire. But I don't. I cry I cry.

I wish that Peeta was more developed as a character, like the kind of development that Katniss got. It seemed that he was just thrust into the story and you don't really get if he's a major character until the Games begin. Until that time, I thought Gale was the leading man.

Having said that, Catching Fire, please. =(

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I've been writing a few haiku pieces lately (both 5-7-5 and 7-5-7). Am I on a roll?

Bundok

YES, IF IT'S NOT OBVIOUS ENOUGH, I'M BACK IN LAGUNA.
All caps for emphasis, I'm not really mad about it...

The two-week vacation breezed away as I expected it. Too long is too short, at the end of the day.

I'm trying to assimilate myself once again in the corporate world. So far it's been going swell, except for the aircon not cooperating and finding out that the battery of the DSLR has been drained just when I was about to take a panorama. Battery problem has been remedied, aircon cooperating...for now.


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I find this ridiculous, not because I'm not partial to the local music industry. Local acts aren't accessible, full stop. They're not as heavily promoted as J-pop is in Japan and K-pop in Korea. If you give me a pop quiz right now to name five Pinoy rappers I will fail! Also, the current trend of artists rehashing old classics instead of creating new songs isn't something that sparks my interest. More often than not, the remakes are horrible. Hence, why bother paying attention to most local acts that aren't "artists" that continue to reinvent themselves? I'd rather watch Bruno Mars live in MOA and pay, rather than seeing Christian Bautista for free singing songs that are not his and have been sung long before I was born. It's a shame, really. We've got great talent in this country, but it seems that it's only those in the rock/alternative genre that keep reinventing themselves.


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I failed at finishing Genji Monogatari last year. Since it's too heavy to be brought back to Laguna, I decided to leave it at home and read it during weekends. I seem to get to finish more reading when done during the weekend (case in point: Good Omens, Fragile Things). The book I brought with me here is Smoke and Mirrors.

I hope to get some writing done and published here. I've done some writing (can I get a hallelujah here), but I have to edit and write more and stuff...I'm hoping it will come. It has to come. It better come. /desperate


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I don't have a desk calendar. I'm waiting for any of the 16 schools to give me one. Sanrio seems to have evaporated from Glorietta for some reason. I was supposed to get another Hello Kitty calendar from them.


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Been listening to Bruno Mars this morning. He's a mad genius. XD I think I wanna marry him in a Las Vegas-type wedding, then divorce him the next day after we consummate our marriage. Bwahahahahahahahahaha.