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 

--- --- ---

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. 

In which I do some comeback fangirling - Shinhwa 10th jib review

On repeat for the past two weeks - Shinhwa's 10th album. Can I say it again? TENTH. Twice the number of albums H.O.T released. TEN.

I noticed that there aren't too many blogs/sites that say how good this album is...I guess they're too busy focusing on the more younger, recent artists that they're forgetting those who have legendary status like Shinhwa. Who knows? I think a comeback of this magnitude can be considered valuable for air time.

Anyway, this is my humble contribution to the appreciation of all things Shinhwa. =)

1. On The Road*
2. Hurts*
3. Venus*
4. Red Carpet
5. Move With Me
6. Let It Go*
7. Stay*
8. Welcome*
9. Be My Love*
10. Re-love
11. Breathin'*
(everything asterisked are songs that I liked)

After two weeks of listening to this album straight (not skipping, mind you!), I think my favorite song for now would have to be On The Road, followed by (yes, you guessed it) Venus.

I cannot really comment on the content of the songs, but I will assume that they're love songs (duh!), but I'm very glad that they decided to update their sound to something that's more recent (i.e. use of the dreaded autotune), and can very well compete with the stuff that the juniors are releasing.

My only reservation (and it can be ignored) about this album is that maybe, just maybe, it sounds like it wants to fit into the mold of the tried, tested, and trusted formula - meaning it did not go against the grain, or it did not try to set a trend. It was...safe. *shrug*

Overall, I don't have a problem with a "safe" album, because what they set out to do was in no way safe (releasing a 10th album after four or so years of no new material, doing a comeback concert, performing in a string of shows against juniors, etc) for a group that consists of their ages (30+ is too old for the standards of their industry - how I wish K-pop could develop their talents even if they're beyond their teenage years). I just thought that it would have been EPIC if they started a trend in terms of musicality, but they did prove that a group from the 90s can survive for 14 years and still release good, solid material.

I  hope that other groups will follow suit. *ehem*H.O.T*ehem*

--- --- ---

Since I touched a bit on the junior-senior thing, I guess I might as well post my thoughts about some memes I've seen on Tumblr that say [young artist] + [young artist] = [older artist]. 

Case in point (and this is the one that occurs most often): Si Won + Zhou Mi = Kangta

I must admit that I get really peeved when I see these posts up on my dashboard. I’m not discounting the similarities between these people (because there are similarities), but I always get the feeling that Kangta is a lesser artist with these comparisons/additions, or he is only equal to the combined “awesomeness” of more recent, popular artists. He isn’t. He’s a freaking SENIOR for crying out loud. He paved the way for these younger artists today. Get it right. 

If there’s anyone who should be added up to Si Won or Zhou Mi, it should be him, not the other way around.

Now, if you mean that the awesomeness of Si Won and Zhou Mi combined equate to Kangta, then I have no qualms with your math. XDDDDD

"It's so magical that words cannot describe"

For this post, indulge me/yourselves by listening to this song sung by this awesome man to the left. This was taken from the 2011 SMTown Winter album (when was the last one released? LOL I can't even remember).

Was I expecting a ballad? Of course I was.

Was I expecting an English song? HOLY MOLEY GUACAMOLE NO. You could just imagine what my reaction was (in the office, to boot!) when I heard "I loved you the first time I saw you" - it took every ounce of dignity and professionalism for me not to freak out and say "HOHMYGODBBILOVEDYOUTOOTHEFIRSTTIMEIHEARDYOU" or something like that...hahahahahaha!

Okay, the song has its rough edges -  the rs and the ls aren't as distinct in some parts, there are a few words that I couldn't understand at first (granted the accent). The song is, again, the template power ballad you'll expect Kangta to sing - complete with the piano intro and strings that drive said template power ballad into predictable positive results. The lyrics of the song are predictable, not poetic to say the least (in one word - commercial).

Having said the negatives, I CANNOT KEEP CALM WHEN I LISTEN TO THIS SONG. The way he sings the song sans accent, r-l differentiation fail and fool-proof song formula is fan-freaking-tastic that I can't find the words to express it. The dynamics, the vocals, ohhh myyy starrrrsss. The"design" and the "cannot" parts in the chorus are just...beyond!

And this, people who read this blog, is exactly why Ahn Chil Hyun-sama (ORZ ORZ ORZ) is one of my muses. It's not just random one-volume singing, it's about knowing when to be p, to be pp, or to be ff or f, or to do the < or > (hahahahahahaha!). I'm rambling, but if there's anything that's just as important as proper breathing and placing of vocal cords, it's dyna-freaking-mics.

I'm so tempted to do a meme that says something like this:

EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT SINGING
I LEARNED BY LISTENING TO AHN CHIL HYUN 
or something like that...

It's not really the whole truth, but ye gads, listening to how he sings and applying the same principles makes so much difference, you have no idea. Secret: When I have to sing a song, especially when I'm singing it for the first time, the first thought that will always come to my mind is WWKD - What Would Kangta Do? By the way, this includes church songs. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

In the words of Austin Kleon, you steal like an artist. 

A date with my DSLR, 101011, Kafka

Today, I finally took Oberon out.

It was a working date though.

--- --- ---

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.

--- --- ---

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.

--- --- ---

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.