WonderFull

Celebrating 25:)

2012-01-20T01:07:00.000+08:00

Something that I realized is that birthdays are really for moms. It's the culmination of 9 months of carrying

excess weight and having to eat healthy. And all I ever did was come out.

Celebrating today is my way of saying, "Look mom! The baby you struggled to push out of your belly, the one who cried everyday you brought her to school (and who cried every time she was fetched late), the one you had to stay up for just to make sure she finishes her projects, the one who had to keep asking for more money in college, the same one who still asks you to sew the holes in her clothes every time she goes home... She actually survived 25 years! And is doing pretty okay. Isn't that cool?"

And what makes it even more special is the fact that our birthdays are just 2 days apart ;) I love you, Mom! You're the best! Happy birthday to us:) (p.s. thanks too, Dad!hihi)

The Rory Gilmore Reading List

2012-01-08T22:07:00.000+08:00

I'm currently marathon-ing all the seasons of Gilmore Girls (aka the most awesome TV series ever). If anything, Rory was the perfect role model for my generation back when this show was still on air. She still is. I will definitely make my future daughter/s watch this show. I keep praying that I will have the same mother-daughter relationship as Lorelai and Rory with my future daughter/s. My only regret is that I didn't have a daughter at 16 (kidding, mom!)

Anyway, as I was randomly Googling about Rory, I came upon this list of the books she's read throughout the series via this blog. Thank you amazing person who came up with this. You are a genius. (Though I am not entirely sure if all these books really came out in the series. I can only trust whoever wrote the list as I cannot possibly verify every single book.)

I underlined all the books I've read (including the ones I started to read and didn't finish because I got bored/it's just not my kind of story) and you will notice how I will seem like a loser alongside my idol. Will have to slowly catch up with Rory. :)

1984 by George Orwell
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Archidamian War by Donald Kagan
The Art of Fiction by Henry James
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Atonement by Ian McEwan - saw the movie
Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Babe by Dick King-Smith - saw the movie
Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women by Susan Faludi
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney
The Bhagava Gita
The Bielski Brothers: The True Story of Three Men Who Defied the Nazis, Built a Village in the Forest, and Saved 1,200 Jews by Peter Duffy
Bitch in Praise of Difficult Women by Elizabeth Wurtzel
A Bolt from the Blue and Other Essays by Mary McCarthy
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Brick Lane by Monica Ali
Bridgadoon by Alan Jay Lerner
Candide by Voltaire
The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer
Carrie by Stephen King
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White - the movie was also good
The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman
Christine by Stephen King
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - also saw the movie
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
The Collected Short Stories by Eudora Welty
The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty by Eudora Welty
A Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
Complete Novels by Dawn Powell
The Complete Poems by Anne Sexton
Complete Stories by Dorothy Parker
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas père - saw the movie, too
Cousin Bette by Honor’e de Balzac
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Cujo by Stephen King
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
David and Lisa by Dr Theodore Issac Rubin M.D
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
The Da Vinci -Code by Dan Brown- also saw the movie and was not happy with the casting
Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol
Demons by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Deenie by Judy Blume
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band by Tommy Lee, Vince Neil, Mick Mars and Nikki Sixx
The Divine Comedy by Dante
The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells - also saw the movie
Don Quijote by Cervantes
Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhrv
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales & Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
Eleanor Roosevelt by Blanche Wiesen Cook
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe
Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn
Eloise by Kay Thompson
Emily the Strange by Roger Reger
Emma by Jane Austen
Empire Falls by Richard Russo
Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Ethics by Spinoza
Europe through the Back Door, 2003 by Rick Steves
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
Extravagance by Gary Krist
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore
The Fall of the Athenian Empire by Donald Kagan
Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World by Greg Critser
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
The Fellowship of the Ring: Book 1 of The Lord of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien- saw the movie
Fiddler on the Roof by Joseph Stein - saw the movie
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
Finnegan’s Wake by James Joyce
Fletch by Gregory McDonald
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger
Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers - saw the movie starring the then-cute Lindsay Lohan
Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut
Gender Trouble by Judith Butler
George W. Bushism: The Slate Book of the Accidental Wit and Wisdom of our 43rd President by Jacob Weisberg
Gidget by Fredrick Kohner
Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels
The Godfather: Book 1 by Mario Puzo
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Alvin Granowsky
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell - saw the movie
The Good Soldier by Ford Maddox Ford
The Gospel According to Judy Bloom
The Graduate by Charles Webb
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - waiting for the Leonardo di Caprio movie!
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - saw the movie
The Group by Mary McCarthy
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling- also saw the movie
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling- also saw the movie
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (TBR)
Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry (TBR)
Henry IV, part I by William Shakespeare
Henry IV, part II by William Shakespeare
Henry V by William Shakespeare
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon
Holidays on Ice: Stories by David Sedaris
The Holy Barbarians by Lawrence Lipton
House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III (Lpr)
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss- also saw the movie
How the Light Gets in by M. J. Hyland
Howl by Allen Gingsburg
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo - saw the Disney cartoon which is not the same as the book
The Iliad by Homer
I’m with the Band by Pamela des Barres
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Inferno by Dante
Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
Iron Weed by William J. Kennedy
It Takes a Village by Hillary Clinton
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
The Jumping Frog by Mark Twain
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
Just a Couple of Days by Tony Vigorito
The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar by Robert Alexander
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Lady Chatterleys’ Lover by D. H. Lawrence
The Last Empire: Essays 1992-2000 by Gore Vidal
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield
Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them by Al Franken
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
The Little Locksmith by Katharine Butler Hathaway
The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - also saw the movie
Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Lottery: And Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Love Story by Erich Segal
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
The Manticore by Robertson Davies
Marathon Man by William Goldman
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter by Simone de Beauvoir
Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman by William Tecumseh Sherman
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
The Meaning of Consuelo by Judith Ortiz Cofer
Mencken’s Chrestomathy by H. R. Mencken
The Merry Wives of Windsro by William Shakespeare
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
The Miracle Worker by William Gibson
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
The Mojo Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion by Jim Irvin
Moliere: A Biography by Hobart Chatfield Taylor
A Monetary History of the United States by Milton Friedman
Monsieur Proust by Celeste Albaret
A Month Of Sundays: Searching For The Spirit And My Sister by Julie Mars
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall
My Lai 4: A Report on the Massacre and It’s Aftermath by Seymour M. Hersh
My Life as Author and Editor by H. R. Mencken
My Life in Orange: Growing Up with the Guru by Tim Guest
Myra Waldo’s Travel and Motoring Guide to Europe, 1978 by Myra Waldo
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin - also watched the Scarlette Johansson movie
Nervous System: Or, Losing My Mind in Literature by Jan Lars Jensen
New Poems of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson
The New Way Things Work by David Macaulay
Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
Night by Elie Wiesel
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism by William E. Cain, Laurie A. Finke, Barbara E. Johnson, John P. McGowan
Novels 1930-1942: Dance Night/Come Back to Sorrento, Turn, Magic Wheel/Angels on Toast/A Time to be Born by Dawn Powell
Notes of a Dirty Old Man by Charles Bukowski
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Old School by Tobias Wolff
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life by Amy Tan
Oracle Night by Paul Auster
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Othello by Shakespeare – read
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
The Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan
Out of Africa by Isac Dineson
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
The Peace of Nicias and the Sicilian Expedition by Donald Kagan
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Peyton Place by Grace Metalious
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Pigs at the Trough by Arianna Huffington
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi- also saw the Disney movie
Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain
The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby
The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker
The Portable Nietzche by Fredrich Nietzche
The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O’Neill by Ron Suskind
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - also saw the movie
Property by Valerie Martin
Pushkin: A Biography by T. J. Binyon
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw - My Fair Lady is one of my all time favorite movies
Quattrocento by James Mckean
A Quiet Storm by Rachel Howzell Hall
Rapunzel by Grimm Brothers- also saw Tangled, but that's a completely different story
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier – read
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Rescuing Patty Hearst: Memories From a Decade Gone Mad by Virginia Holman
The Return of the King: The Lord of the Rings Book 3 by J. R. R. Tolkien - saw the movie
R Is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton
Rita Hayworth by Stephen King
Robert’s Rules of Order by Henry Robert
Roman Holiday by Edith Wharton
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare - saw the Leonardo di Caprio movie
A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
A Room with a View by E. M. Forster
Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
The Rough Guide to Europe, 2003 Edition
Sacred Time by Ursula Hegi
Sanctuary by William Faulkner
Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Milford
Say Goodbye to Daisy Miller by Henry James
The Scarecrow of Oz by Frank L. Baum
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - saw the Demi Moore movie, too
Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette by Judith Thurman
Selected Hotels of Europe
Selected Letters of Dawn Powell: 1913-1965 by Dawn Powell
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Several Biographies of Winston Churchill
Sexus by Henry Miller
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Shane by Jack Shaefer
The Shining by Stephen King - saw the movie and it scared me to death so I will probably not read the book
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
S Is for Silence by Sue Grafton
Slaughter-house Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Small Island by Andrea Levy
Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway
Snow White and Rose Red by Grimm Brothers
Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern World by Barrington Moore
The Song of Names by Norman Lebrecht
Song of the Simple Truth: The Complete Poems of Julia de Burgos by Julia de Burgos
The Song Reader by Lisa Tucker
Songbook by Nick Hornby
The Sonnets by William Shakespeare
Sonnets from the Portuegese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Sophie’s Choice by William Styron
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
A Streetcar Named Desiree by Tennessee Williams
Stuart Little by E. B. White - saw the movie
Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust
Swimming with Giants: My Encounters with Whales, Dolphins and Seals by Anne Collett
Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Tender Is The Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Term of Endearment by Larry McMurtry
Time and Again by Jack Finney
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger- also saw the movie
To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Tragedy of Richard III by William Shakespeare
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
The Trial by Franz Kafka
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson
Truth & Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Ulysses by James Joyce
The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath 1950-1962 by Sylvia Plath
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Unless by Carol Shields
Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
The Vanishing Newspaper by Philip Meyers
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
Velvet Underground’s The Velvet Underground and Nico (Thirty Three and a Third series) by Joe Harvard
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides - saw the movie
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Walt Disney’s Bambi by Felix Salten - saw the movie
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
We Owe You Nothing – Punk Planet: The Collected Interviews edited by Daniel Sinker
What Colour is Your Parachute? 2005 by Richard Nelson Bolles
What Happened to Baby Jane by Henry Farrell
When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
Who Moved My Cheese? Spencer Johnson
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

Happy New Year

2012-01-03T00:02:00.001+08:00

Hey there, 2012!:)

Rainy December

2011-12-06T22:45:00.001+08:00

Having the rainy day blues. Unearthed the perfect soundtrack, too. I love this song.

Will we be having a rainy Christmas?

Hunger Games Movie

2011-11-26T17:50:00.001+08:00

Around a couple of years back, I randomly came across this book called "Hunger Games" which (my favorite) bookstore, Fully Booked, recommended. At that time, there was no hype about it yet, but based on some online reviews, it seemed cool. So I reserved myself a copy and practically ran to the bookstore to get it.

From the moment I finished reading the first book, I kept telling everyone to read it. It's been the best young adult book I've sank my teeth into after Harry Potter. It was a refreshing read, especially after Twilight disappointed me so bad (I wanted to like it, I really did. So far, I've read the first book and half of New Moon. I'm not ashamed to admit that I like Edward's cheesy lines, but the storytelling was somewhat boring.)

When I moved jobs, I let my new office mates read the Hunger Games series, too. Ha ha. And I even blogged about the series here.

Imagine my excitement when they finally announced that a movie version was in the works. By that time, almost everyone knew about (or have read) the books.

A couple of weeks back the movie trailer FINALLY came out and so far, I haven't heard anything negative about it. It looks like it's going to be the next big movie franchise. Very promising. The great thing about it (I think) is that unlike Harry Potter and Twilight, you won't need to read the books in order to enjoy the movies. The story's not as complicated as Harry and it's fast paced and full of action, unlike Twilight. Please just don't give me a Mockingjay Part 1/Part 2, okay?

Sleepy Thoughts

2011-11-21T01:25:00.001+08:00

It's past midnight, I'm lying in bed, listening to songs of my parents' and grandparents' generations (seriously good music), without any worries about tomorrow and fully content to be in the moment I'm in. Such a beautiful prelude to sleep.

Why waste away our limited time on earth worrying about so many things that, when you think about it, don't really matter as much. Why go to bed with a heavy heart and a cluttered mind?

This is how I like to spend the last waking moments of the day -- with a clear mind (I will worry about tomorrow tomorrow. Nothing I can do now anyway) and a full and grateful heart. Hope I never forget this as I go along.

Thank you, God, for nights like these. :)

Posted via Blogaway

Edward Cullen?:)

2011-11-01T20:20:00.000+08:00

Will max out my Leonardo di Caprio quota with one more photo:

If the timing was right, he could have played Edward Cullen. ;)

Leonardo

2011-11-01T19:45:00.002+08:00

Oh yes. He will definitely do justice to Jay Gatsby's character. He's not my favorite actor for nothing.

"It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced - or seemed to face - the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just so far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would lie to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey." --The Great Gatsby

Disney Trailer Mash-ups

2011-10-22T22:08:00.001+08:00

Perez Hilton just posted a Sin City-Disney trailer mash-up and I find it so cool how people reconstruct scenes so that can actually pass off as another movie.

So I went on a Youtube frenzy and found other random movies, Disney-style. Here are some of my favorites.

Disney and the Deathly Hallows: Ron is super buff here. hahaha

Toy Story Inception:

Titanic (Disney/Fox style): The characters change at some points, but the flow of the story stayed the same. This one's not a trailer, but a shortened version of Titanic.

But my all-time favorite is the Disney princesses as the Mean Girls. I've seen this before and I don't care how many times I watch it. It still makes me laugh.

Obviously, the superstars in the Disney world are Ariel and Prince Eric.haha They keep playing different roles in all these movies. :) Best Actor and Best Actress.

Saturdays

2011-10-22T08:53:00.000+08:00

I know it's still 8 in the morning. Who blogs at 8 in the morning on a weekend? Me, apparently.

I woke up before 6 a.m. today. No, I have nothing to do and yes, it's a Saturday. Funny how it's so much easier to wake up on weekends than on weekdays. It's probably the anticipation of not having to go to work (or school, when I was much younger) and wanting to make the most out of the free day. Also, there's that comforting feeling, knowing you can always go back to sleep anytime within the day.

So far, I've played Tetris Battle (used up all my energy and am STILL on the same rank), watched Charice's new music video (okay fine, I watched a lot of Charice videos, not just that one), replied to Twitter and Facebook messages, checked out a couple of blogs... Yes, the bumming basics.

I don't plan on doing much today, I have already decided to do everything tomorrow. Ah, procrastination. :) Today is reserved for watching Burlesque, Gilmore Girls (the best series ever), a bit of reading (planning to finish The Great Gatsby this weekend) and writing on my 5-year journal. Most likely (and most importantly), I will be taking multiple naps within the day.

Sigh. I love Saturdays.

I Will Try Again

2011-10-20T18:38:00.001+08:00

I don't know why I can never seem to blog frequently. I am in awe of people who have so much to say and actually have the guts to say it. More than the bloggers who talk about what they wore to the mall, or the ones who talk about where they ate and which events they attended (80% of the photos they post actually have their faces in them), I actually like reading blogs that are more personal, that deal with feelings, or with mundane things that happened in some guy/girl's life. I get excited by blocks and blocks of text. I like photos too, but I like them better when there are good stories behind them.

I don't know why I can't come up with anything to write. You see, all these random thoughts keep popping in and out of my mind throughout the day and I think, "Hey, I'll blog about that." But, either I forget about them or by the time I get home, I come to the realization that it's stupid, immature or shameful, or just too private to air out in public. (Public is probably not even the appropriate word to use here, given that this blog is some sort of a wallflower among the millions of blogs in the world wide web.)

Today, I went through my account and and found a dozen drafts. Entries I can't seem to finish. It's either I got bored with it or I by the time I got around to finish writing it, it just didn't feel right to post it anymore. Sometimes I realize that it's been so spur of the moment, a rush of emotion, something that's gone by and doesn't need rehashing.

But then I realize that if I keep up with this, I will never be able to write anything. True, I've got to keep the right things private. But there's a lot of things out there that I can still write about.

So here's the thing. I have decided, that from now on, this Blogger window will be my home page, a tab im gonna keep open. (I will still use Live Writer, but for the sake of an in-your-face reminder, I think keeping this as my home page is a better idea.) I will make sure that every time I open my laptop, I write something new. Not for the sake of random bored internet stalkers, but for my sake. I need to hold on to some memories. (My recent increase in forgetfulness is kind of alarming.) And while an actual journal might be helpful, I actually prefer to type because thoughts fly away too quickly for my slow penmanship.

So yeah. Here's to giving blogging a serious try. :)

The Bookworm Wakes Up From Hibernation

2011-09-22T11:56:00.002+08:00

I never realized how much I'd enjoy reading on my 2 month old Kindle. It successfully took me away from my laptop for considerable periods of time. Good job! (Will post separately on my take regarding the 'war' between printed books and ebooks.) Just a quick list of the books I've read on my new baby so far:

Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery (I've read this book countless times already!haha Just wanted to see how it would feel to read it on the Kindle -- pretty much gave me the same warm fuzzy feeling, apparently)
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak (read the last few chapters in nonstop tears)
The Carrie Diaries - Candace Bushnell (who doesn't like Carrie Bradshaw? plus, this book ends with her meeting Samantha Jones)
Summer in the City -Candace Bushnell (where Miranda and Charlotte finally show up)
Divergent - Veronica Roth (they say it's comparable to The Hunger Games, I say it's not. but Four is definitely more attractive than either Peeta or Gale)
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning (Book 1) - Lemony Snicket (pretty good. will have to read the next few books soon)
The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon (now one of my favorites!)
The Giver - Lois Lowry (another reread, one of the best short novels for young adults)

Also currently reading Shit My Dad Says (Justin Halpern) and Bossypants (Tina Fey).

On the other side of the fence, pending on my 'real' books TBR(to be read) pile is:
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood (currently reading)
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson (I enjoyed the first 2 books, but somehow I have difficulty keeping up with the number of characters in this one)
The Memory Keepers Daugher - Kim Edwards
Almost Moon - Alice Sebold
The Elegance of the Hedgehog - Muriel Barberry (so excited about this one, which I got last weekend at Fully Booked's sale)

Yahoo, I'm back to my old self. haha :)
Feel free to recommend books to me. I love recommendations ;)

Harry Potter - last day of shooting

2011-07-03T23:05:00.000+08:00

Nothing to say, really. *tears*

Will absolutely make sure my kids read and watch Harry Potter. :)

Red Velvet

2011-06-22T18:51:00.000+08:00

Last weekend, I (finally!) tried the much-praised Red Velvet cupcake by Sonja's Cupcakes. I know it's a late reaction, but YUM! I think it was the cream cheese frosting that got me. I've tried their other cupcakes, and so far, my favorite has always been that lemon flavored one. (Now you know I like the sour kind of frosting.hehe I think it's because it neutralizes the sweetness. Oh by the way, I also "had to" drop by Gelatissimo to "taste" a few new flavors and to buy a cup of this mango-coconut gelato for me and E. Perfect.)

So anyway, after that night with the red velvet cupcake, I knew I've found my new favorite. Yesterday, an old schoolmate posted photos of cupcakes she's selling and because she had such good photos, I wanted cupcakes right then and there. Too bad I couldn't order from her since I'm islands away. After work (store check at Market!Market!), my feet took me to Serendra. Bad feet! haha

Look at those beautiful coloring-infused cupcakes. Photo below is courtesy of Our Awesome Planet.

While eating my yummy cupcake, I figured that it should be fairly simple to make. So I grabbed a Red Velevet Cupcake recipe straight out of the Food Network's site. Maybe this time I'll dare to make something that's not cookies or brownies or mango float..okay, the last one's not valid (I tried baking bread once, and it didn't work out well.haha) Don't know when I'll be able to test this out (hopefully when I get home next month, because that's the only place I can use a decent oven). It looks really simple and based on the user comments, it seems okay. Some say that it's a bit oily, some say it's dry, but a lot seem happy with it. So let's see.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.
Garnish with chopped pecans and a fresh raspberry or strawberry.
Cook's Note: Frost the cupcakes with a butter knife or pipe it on with a big star tip.

My cupcakes might not turn out to be as good as Sonja's but let's see. They say practice makes perfect.
Can't wait to try it out. :)

Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

2011-06-08T13:29:00.001+08:00

There's this feeling that I really love. You know how, when you read a book, and then you watch a movie based on that book, you sometimes get the feeling that you've been there already? Like it's deja vu?

Well, after watching the trailer of Hollywood's take on "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo," that's exactly how I felt. (Kinda like when we all first saw Harry Potter, you know.)

I can't wait to see the movie, simply because I think it's gonna bring back memories of what happened in Hedeby. (Like I said, I've been there before.haha)

I'm still in the middle of reading "The Girl Who Played With Fire." I'm getting to the fun part already, but there are just so many distractions(ex, trips to beautiful places, joint blogging with E, preparing for mom and dad's Silver anniversary) I have no choice but to take it slow. I'm enjoying the book, though:) I mean, who doesn't like Lisbeth Salander?

By the way, I think that it's pretty cool that after being dumped by Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, Rooney Mara gets to be kick-ass as THE girl with the dragon tattoo:)

Hope the movie's as good as the trailer! Can't wait:)

A Trek To Remember with the K.I.D.S. Foundation

2011-06-02T22:46:00.004+08:00

Nothing like the high of going beyond your comfort zone.

To reach out and help others

And and at the same time, let others make a difference in your life

Met interesting people

And had lots of crazy fun with new friends

And with my Yelie

I had such a meaningful summer that left me on a high. Literally and figuratively.

Kalinga, I'm glad we met. ♥♥♥

Thank you K.I.D.S. Foundation for the AMAZING experience:)

***Photos courtesy of Eliel Sarmiento, Anthony Mendoza, Jaena Pereyra

Wrote a more detailed post about this trip on the blog I share with Eliel. See post here. =)

Grateful

2011-03-26T22:45:00.002+08:00

Don't you just love songs that make you feel good?:)

Grateful

Julianne

I’m stronger than before

I’m stronger than I’ll ever be

And I raise my eyes to the one, the one who made me see

Oh what I thought was lost but now was found

And I’m grateful

Grateful for the day you called my name

Ever since you walked into the door it’s never been the same

Mornings are brighter now, I’m not afraid

And I wake up each day with a smile on my face

‘Coz I’ve been in places where I couldn’t even see the light of day

And then you came

And I’m grateful

You showed me the way back to my beautiful

And I’m grateful

You showed me the way back to my beautiful

Everything seems different now

Things are turnin’ inside and out

With a new pair of senses to go with around

It doesn’t even matter if I’m up or down

Blues are bluer, smiles are brighter

It draws a tear whenever I watch the sunsets paint the sky

I don’t even mind walking under the rain

I’ve never laughed like this before and I’m gonna say it once more

I’m grateful

You showed me the way back to my beautiful

And I’m grateful

You showed me the way back to my beautiful

And I’m grateful

Summer lovin’

2011-03-14T00:18:00.007+08:00

Beach season is here! To set the mood, I’ve changed my desktop wallpaper to the image above. Downloaded it for free. Isn’t it beautiful? ♥

Looking forward to my first beach trip of the year, happening next weekend. Hope we all have a great summer. We all deserve a vacation.

p.s. let’s keep praying for the world. hope the recent events and calamities bring us all closer – to each other and to our God. there is reason for everything. let’s keep the faith.

My sweet Sun-date

2011-02-27T23:55:00.002+08:00

Nothing like a sugar rush to cap off the weekend. :)

Team Peeta

2010-10-09T11:01:00.003+08:00

Okay, so Peeta is to Edward, while Gale is to Jacob. I always like the sensitive guy. :)
Anyway, this is my Hunger Games post. Where I say just how incredibly amazing this book is. Well, random thoughts would be more appropriate. *spoiler alert*
And so here goes:

After reading the first 2 books last year, I thought, “This is the best thing since Harry Potter!”
I’ve been trying to get people to read it, but it’s a bit difficult to explain that the whole book is about children killing children on national television. Sure, it’s a lot more than that, but the premise does sound violent. I did convince a few friends and, like always, I bugged my siblings to read it. (They love the series, by the way.Yey!)
Waiting a long time for Mockingjay was not very easy. And I was a bit disappointed after reading the last book. =s
Don’t get me wrong, I liked how it ended and how it somehow reflects what goes on after wars and how people cope after all the trauma. But see, the problem is that I was waiting for something big to happen in the end. I was waiting for an epic ending. Instead, after the big explosion (parachutes scene), it was one anti-climactic scene after another. Add that to the fact that the story took so long to build up. Or maybe my expectations were just way to up there?
Why did Prim have to die?! :(
The epilogue wasn’t creative, but at least we know who ended up together. :)
Catching Fire is, hands down, the most exciting book (and my favorite in the series). I love the Quarter Quell concept. But it was Hunger Games that made me cry. (Rue!)
My favorite character is Haymitch. :)
I hate that they make movies out of the books right away, so a lot of people just skip reading and just wait for the movies =( But I’m still excited for the movie!haha
They better get a good cast(like they did with Harry Potter!).Like they keep saying, Hugh Laurie would make a great Haymitch :) Peeta better be cute!haha
They keep comparing this book to the Battle Royale . Must find that book/manga/movie sometime.
Now that the series has ended, what’s next? :) Might give in to peer pressure and read Fallen. haha ;)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

2010-09-04T16:57:00.002+08:00

“You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand.”

I officially have a new book to add to my list of favorites. A book that I am so glad to have found randomly in one of my favorite bookstores. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is one of those books that seem to talk directly to me. Like, I get this strange feeling that it was made for me. (Of course I know that it is not. Stephen Chbosky, the writer, will probably get so kilig if he finds out that some random girl from the Philippines thinks that the book he wrote more than 10 years ago actually spoke to her. I would, if I were him.)

The book is an epistolary (new word for me! it means that the book was written as a series of letters. In this case, the main character, Charlie, writes to an unknown person to share his day to day life with because this person understands and won’t judge him), a day to day chronicle of what goes on in the life (and in the head) of a shy freshman boy as he explores the normal growing up fare – family drama, love, sex, smoking, drugs, and passions such as music and writing. It’s basically your typical growing up/coming of age kind of story in the same tradition as “The Catcher in the Rye” (which was, surprise surprise, the author’s inspiration for writing this book). If you liked that book, I am a million percent sure that you’ll love this one, too.

Charlie’s someone I can relate to, if not for his experiences (some are too extreme. Drugs? Nah, I’m a bit more mellow than he is) but because of the way he thinks. It’s too familiar. Like my thoughts. And it’s a bit creepy. His observations about everything and everyone almost sound like my own thoughts. I think he and I would make great friends. It’s like finding your soul mate in a book character.

“When I was walking up the stairs to my dad’s old room, and I was looking at the old photographs, I started thinking that there was a time when these weren’t memories. That someone actually took that photograph, and the people in the photograph has just eaten lunch or something.”

“And I thought that all those little kids are going to grow up someday. And all of those little kids are going to do the things that we do. And they will all kiss someone someday. But for now, sledding is enough. I think it would be great if sledding were always enough, but it isn't.”

“Sometimes, I look outside, and I think that a lot of other people have seen this snow before. Just like I think that a lot of other people have read those books before. And listened to those songs.
I wonder how they feel tonight.”

See? I keep on thinking those kinds of thoughts. Probably the "connectedness” talent that I have (thank you for letting me know this, Strengths Finder 2.0. Will write about this book sometime!)

I don’t know. Maybe I’m just a wallflower myself.

And somewhere in between reading the book, I came to a conclusion, that yes, I most likely am. I feel like I’ve been observing to much, not doing enough. Trying to understand everyone, not feeling intensely. I’m envious of people who feel every moment as intensely as every other moment in their lives(even though I sometimes think it’s too OA). I think I’m sometimes deliberately missing out on the “being in the moment” part of life. Must be “out there” more.

“Maybe it’s good to put things in perspective, but sometimes, I think that the only perspective is to really be there. Like Sam said. Because it’s okay to feel things. And be who you are about them.”

The only perspective is to really be there. Isn’t that a nice thing to remember? :)

This book has the most beautiful lines and the most memorable characters. I felt like those were my experiences. And that I’ve lived them through Charlie.

“So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.”

I know when a book touched me so much when I can find so many memorable quotes and insights from it. This one has everything I’ve been wanting to read in a long while. Because while I enjoy reading about faraway adventures and magic and future worlds, it’s these kinds of books that make you appreciate reality and every piece of it. The bad things that make you a better person and the good things that are worth living for.

Quote dump

2010-07-17T10:33:00.003+08:00

This why I love to read. :)

"What is a teacher? I'll tell you: It isn't someone who teaches something, but someone who inspires the student to give of her best in order to discover what she already knows."
-Paulo Coelho, The Witch of Portobello

"If there is a Creator, what is he? And if there isn't a Creator, what is this world?"
-Jostein Gaarder, Maya

"The reason death sticks so closely to life isn't biological necessity - it's envy. Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it can. But life leaps over oblivion lightly, and gloom is but the passing shadow of a cloud."
-Yann Martel, The Life of Pi

"To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation."
-Yann Martel, The Life of Pi

"To lose balance sometimes for love is part of living a balanced life."
-Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love

Lip gloss therapy

2010-06-17T00:07:00.002+08:00

Coming home from a very draining vacation weekend, I wasn’t feeling well at all. Not that I didn’t enjoy my weekend because really, I had a blast. It was just physically tiring.hehe

But there’s nothing new lipgloss can’t fix. I super love lipgloss (anything for the lips, actually. ask my friends). They’re instant mood boosters. I think our boss knew that when she got us(Billi and I) these as pasalubong from her New York trip.

:):):)

These, among other things. Other things included a cute purse (our brand, of course), a New York pencil and…

yey! The Patricia Field Sex and the City 2-inspired clover charm necklace:) (Patricia Field is a renowned celebrity stylist who did costume design for Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada. She also designs shoes for Payless, the brand I’m working for right now.)

How cool is that? I was thinking about getting this necklace once Payless opens in Manila, but now I actually have one. :D

So there goes my cough, headache and body aches. Reduced by half.haha I still have to take Alaxan, Bisolovon and Biogesic, but at least my spirits are up. :)

Bedroom ideas

2010-06-08T17:49:00.000+08:00

I've been wanting to move to a new place for quite some time now. I just don't have the money yet. haha I hate it because there's so many ideas and cool things to.

Like this...

And this...

more photos here

Still not sure if I want to stick to cute and girly (see above) or if I should be more grown-up (see below)

grown-up rooms

Pretty rooms, right?:) (I still like the girly designs better though.)

I also like these:

These are so me. ;)

more photos

Now I know why mom and dad were so giddy every time they'd open their "Dream House" folder back when we were still having our house done. At that time, I wasn't as excited. (But hey, it was their project. I want my own house too.hahaha)

I did, however, decide on what Mia's and my room would look like. (Right now, it's just Mia's room. bummer. But the pink and yellow walls,. the bright pink and green curtains and the long bookshelf will everyday remind my dear sis of me. Well, I hope. Even though she's kind of converted my bed into an extra shelf while I'm not there. haha) Can't wait to see it again on Thursday.

So right now, I can't really have my own room. These ideas will have to be filed under my "wishes and dreams" folder." Haaaai. I wonder when I can have my own room again? :)

Wants

2010-06-04T19:08:00.001+08:00

Yza wants to read:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Angelology by Danielle Trussoni
Clever Maids: The Secret History of the Grimm Fairy Tales by Valerie Paradiz
Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert

Yza wants to watch:
The Vampire Diaries
Shutter Island
Friends (the complete series!)

Anything else I should add?
=)

New Work! :)

2010-06-03T18:38:00.002+08:00

Leaving my previous job is the best decision I’ve made this year. It came at the perfect time. And I was more than ready to move on. Things were crazy over there (I will eventually share some tidbits in future posts) and I didn’t want to have any part of it anymore. Of course, the bigger picture is that it didn’t offer me any opportunities for growth, career-wise. In the long run, it really wasn’t a wise choice to stay. For the record though, I really enjoyed the work, my colleagues and the perks. But, you know, those aren’t the only factors that determine whether or not you’re staying.

So here I am, my third week into my new (and improved) job, having absolutely no regrets and extremely excited about our brand and the company’s future. The change in atmosphere is very refreshing and as opposed to liposuction (which I heard 24/7 during my last job), shoes (which I hear about 24/7 here) are much more interesting.

Anyway, the point is, I’m happy happy happy with the choices I’ve made so far – resigning, taking a 2-month breather (more or less) , working for this new company. I hope things work out well. Keeping my fingers crossed!

photo credits: Will Brenner Photography www.brennerphotography.us

My future baby:)

2010-01-26T18:46:00.002+08:00

After watching "The Proposal", the only thing I wanted (aside from Ryan Reynolds, of course) was Kevin(the white, adorable, furrylittleangel they had for a dog). Sigh. Someday, you'll be mine.

The samoyed actually looks like a spitz.. This one in the pic looks like a spitz-chowchow hybrid.. sooooo handsome:) haaaaai

on the side: Speaking of handsome,here's our Dash(dad's german shepherd). Or Dashie, as I like to call him:)

Our dear puppy (or our youngest baby brother) Spy (mom's japanese spitz) is probably the closest I can get to owning a samoyed.

And while I'm in Manila, I have Celine (a gift from the sweetest boyfriend) to keep me company. She'll be my temporary baby (okay, permanent, since she won't ever die=D)

..until the day this cute little furball and I finally meet:) haha

"woof woof"

haha, it's talking to me.

26 months:)

2009-11-22T18:52:00.002+08:00

i always knew we'd get this far. :)
to celebrate, i'm posting this never before seen pic.haha
love you yellie!

One great article to justify my bad habits. Very enlightening!hahaha

2009-09-03T07:22:00.002+08:00

Being bad is good for you: Playing blaring rock music and skipping the housework can actually boost your health

By Victoria Lambert
Last updated at 9:10 AM on 01st September 2009

We've been told not to get angry - because it raises blood pressure. While fizzy drinks do nothing but rot your teeth and make you fat. But new research has shown that many of our bad habits may also be good for us. Here, VICTORIA LAMBERT presents the Good Health guide to when and why our bad habits can be positively virtuous...

ANGER
GOOD FOR YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE

We used be warned off getting angry because it raised blood pressure, but now it seems letting off a head of steam may bring physical benefits.
Researchers from the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh have found that people who respond to irritating, high-stress situations with some righteous anger maintain lower blood pressure and secrete less cortisol, known as the stress hormone, than people who respond with fear or bottle up their feelings.
It seems to be about how you react to situations. Demonstrating a level of anger that seems proportionate - such as letting off steam at an unjust situation - helps you develop increased feelings of control and optimism. But being fearful or frustrated doesn't, leading to a rise in the stress hormone, which when experienced for prolonged high levels, can lead to heart disease.

Anger: Letting it all out can actually be good for your blood pressure

In the study, psychologist Jennifer Lerner harassed 92 students by making them perform difficult timed tasks under stress. She then changed the rules several times during the test. Wrong answers meant subjects had to start all over again, leading to frustration.
Video cameras recorded the subjects' facial expressions and researchers identified fear, anger and disgust.
They also recorded blood pressure, pulse rate and secretions of cortisol. The people whose faces showed fear during the tests had higher blood pressure and higher levels of the hormone than those who got angry.
VIDEO GAMES

BOOST METABOLISM
Despite being blamed for their part in the obesity epidemic, video games might actually help us get fit and lose weight. Scientists at the University of Miami hooked up 21 boys to various monitors while they played Tekken 3, a mock martial arts contest, on a Sony PlayStation.

These showed that during the game the boys' heart rates speeded up, they used more energy and began breathing more quickly. Study leader Dr Arlette Perry concludes that playing video games could have a positive effect on health, provided they're not substituted for real sport. 'It's better than just sitting there watching TV,' she says.'
SWEARING

EASES PAIN

Swearing is good for you: Gordon Ramsay, well known for his liberal use of the F-word, will be pleased

Our ancestors may have bitten on sticks of wood when surgery was practised without anaesthetic, but a study has shown they might have been better off without. Scientists at Keele University found volunteers could withstand pain for longer when they swore rather than using non-offensive words.
Dr Richard Stephens, a lecturer in psychology who conducted the research, believes it may explain why swearing is still commonplace. Having observed his wife swearing in labour, he was motivated to find out why.

He believes swearing is connected to our adrenaline response and that it could even have evolved to allow our ancestors to fight back when attacked by predators.
'In the volunteers who swore, we also found they had an elevated heart rate, so it could be that swearing increased their aggression levels. Increased aggression has been shown to reduce people's sensitivity to pain.'
In the study 64 students submerged their hands in a tub of iced water while repeating their own chosen swear words. The task was repeated later using non-offensive words.
The swearing volunteers were able to keep their hands submerged for an average 40 seconds longer. When questioned about perceived pain they also rated it as being lower.
LAZING ABOUT

ADDS YEARS TO YOUR LIFE
People who get up early and busy themselves all day long are heading for an early grave, says public health expert Professor Peter Axt. He believes lazing about is the key to a long life and an antidote to professional stress, provided people are otherwise healthy.
He suggests: 'Waste half your free time. People who would rather take a midday nap instead of playing squash have a better chance of living into old age.' Research shows that people who run long distances into their 50s are using up energy they need for other purposes such as cell renewal and fighting disease, he adds.
As examples of his thesis, he has pointed to the increased longevity of zoo animals - for instance lions in the Serengeti live only eight years, but can live to the age of 20 in a zoo; Arctic polar bears last 20 years in the wild, but 40 in captivity. Human examples are priests, nuns and monks, who tend to live quieter lives.

Lazing about: Why hit the gym 5am when you can spend the day on the sofa AND live longer?

Another added benefit is that our brains are much more active when we daydream than previously thought. 'Mind wandering is typically associated with negative things like inattentiveness,' says psychology Professor Kalina Christoff at the University of British Columbia. 'But research shows our brains are very active when we daydream, much more than when we focus on routine tasks.'
The findings suggest that daydreaming, which can occupy as much as one third of our waking lives, is an important cognitive state where we sort through important information.
GETTING STRESSED

BOOSTS THE MEMORY
While long periods of stress such as redundancy or divorce can leave your immune system depleted and your body prone to infection, researchers at the University of Buffalo in the U.S have found that a short stressful incident can boost your learning and memory.
This is due to the way cortisol, the hormone produced when we're stressed, affects the part of the brain which controls learning and emotion. Acute stress increases transmission of glutamate, the substance that passes messages in the brain - and improves working memory.
Zhen Yan, professor of physiology and biophysics, explains: 'Stress hormones have both protective and damaging effects on the body. This is why we need stress to perform better, but don't want to be stressed out.'
In the study, rats were trained to complete a maze, then half were put through a 20-minute forced swim - placing them under acute stress. They were then put through the maze again. Scientists found the stressed rats made significantly fewer mistakes as they went through the maze compared to the non-stressed rats.
AVOIDING HOUSEWORK

PREVENTS ALLERGIES
Rising numbers of allergies and auto-immune conditions (such as psoriasis, where the body attacks itself) are often blamed on the 'hygiene hypothesis'; the idea that our modern sterile society is too clean.

But dirt may not be the key. A survey last year carried out at Bristol and Brunel Universities found that women who used a lot of household cleaning products during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth are increasing their child's risk of developing asthma.

The study, which examined 13,000 children from before birth, found that early life exposure to such chemicals was linked to a 41 per cent increase in a child's chances of developing asthma by the age of seven. The chemicals in these products may have irritated the child's airways.
LOUD MUSIC

STIMULATES THE BRAIN

Loud music: Heading off to rock festivals, or simply turning up the volume on your home amplifier might be good for your brain power

Heading off to rock festivals, or simply turning up the volume on your home amplifier might be good for your brain power.
According to researchers at Manchester University, music fans are stimulating part of the inner ear known as the sacculus, which responds to the beat in music. This gives the brain pleasure and makes us feel good - during the music and afterwards.
The sacculus, which is not thought to have any hearing function in humans, appears to be sensitive only to very loud volumes, above 90 decibels.
Neil Todd, an expert in the scientific study of music, explains that the sacculus seems to be part of a primitive hearing mechanism that has slowly been lost as humans have evolved.

He said it has a connection to the part of the brain responsible for drives such as hunger, sex and hedonistic responses.
When these desires are satisfied, the brain is stimulated into releasing feelgood hormones that make us calm, happy and responsive. So to trigger a dose of happy hormones on a Monday morning, you should, in theory, choose Black Sabbath over chamber music.

FIZZY DRINKS

COMBAT DEMENTIA
Despite concerns about rotting teeth and obesity, drinking two cans fizzy drink a day might help you avoid Alzheimer's and improve your memory by 20 per cent.
Neuroscientists from Glasgow Caledonian University said as well as the elderly who were struggling with short-term memory loss, people studying for exams could benefit - perhaps because of the sugar rush.
Psychology lecturer Dr Leigh Riby focused on an area of the brain known as the hippocampus, which creates new memories but declines with the onset of dementia.
Using memory tests and brain-imaging techniques Dr Riby assessed volunteers after they had guzzled fizzy drinks containing either 25g of sugar (the same as in a can of Coke) or twice that amount.
The hippocampus lit up with activity after participants had a sweetened drink and they were able to recall 17 per cent more than without a drink.
'It is accepted that when humans face a stressful situation they experience a natural rise in glucose in the body, particularly in the hippocampus,' he said. 'We also tend to remember these dangerous or scary occurrences more clearly than other memories.
'This glucose-memory system has evolved to help humans survive. Unfortunately, it is compromised in old age.'

FIDGETING

FIGHTS OBESITY

It may be irritating at the theatre, but natural fidgets are doing themselves a favour. U.S. researchers from the Mayo Clinic have found that people who always seem to be on the go are more likely to be slim - and may spend two more hours a day being active than their tubby friends.
The extra motion, whether it is tapping, twitching, stretching or yawning, accounts for an extra 350 calories a day, or between 10 to 30lb a year.
Endocrinologist James Levine of the Mayo Clinic, who led the research, says: 'There are absolutely staggering differences in the amount of fidgeting between people who are lean and people who are obese. The amount of this low-grade activity is so substantial it could account for obesity quite easily.'
The team also found that while we are born wigglers or sitters, there's no reason to stop a person deliberately adopting a fidgety habit. 'Some say obese people have no choice about their weight,' said Levine. 'But I would argue the opposite.'

BEING UNTIDY

Being untidy: An unmade bed can deter dust mites which is good news for asthma sufferers

Unmade beds are the bane of many a mother's life, but researchers at Kingston University think they might be the answer to asthma. Their research suggests that house dust mites - thought to cause asthma - cannot survive in the dry exposed conditions found in an unmade bed.
Normally, the average bed houses 1.5 million house dust mites, which feed on scales of human skin; the mites' waste contains allergens which are easily inhaled during sleep and can particularly affect those with allergy problems such as asthma.
An occupied bed, or a made one that retains the warmth and moisture after the person has left it, is the ideal home, but house mites are less likely to thrive when moisture is in short supply.
According to Dr Stephen Pretlove, who led the study, mites survive by taking in water from the atmosphere - your body sweat while you're asleep.
'Something as simple as leaving a bed unmade during the day can remove moisture from the sheets and mattress so the mites dehydrate and die.'
PLAYING BINGO

EASES DEPRESSION
Gamblers may be healthier and happier than those who don't like a flutter, says research conducted by Yale University in America.
This found that moderate gambling, a weekly game of bingo or trip to the races, is a common denominator in adults who live past 65 and that those who gambled were mentally healthier adults of the same age.
This could be due to increased activity, socialisation, and brain stimulation, says Rani Desai, associate professor of psychiatry who led the study.
The results are also consistent with other work on healthy ageing: that having an active brain and a social life staves off dementia and depression. For instance, playing poker online will keep brain cells active; bingo or a trip to the Grand National will get you out of the house.
As most studies on the effects of gambling have found negative health benefits (and all the risks of addiction) the researchers say they were surprised by the findings and will continue their investigation.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1210341/Being-bad-good-Playing-blaring-rock-music-skipping-housework-actually-boost-health.html

-thanks for this Elbert:)

man vs woman

2009-07-29T14:37:00.001+08:00

Ha! =) This simplifies everything:

Source

mom and dad celebrate their 23rd:)

2009-07-28T06:04:00.004+08:00

My parents have spent more than half their lives together. in 2 years, silver na!

Dad "surprised" mom with a reservation at the Marriot on the eve of their anniversary, and then a few days later, they came over to Manila to visit me. Well, they actually came here for a product launch (of, incidentally, the medicine I take for my allergies.hihi). I slept with them (it's been a while!haha) and then took half a day off from work to go around the city with them. :)

Yza with Mommy and Daddy at the Sofitel

Saw these cute kids on field trip while mommy was buying "awesome" Krispy Kremes:)

Me and Mr. Shark at the Manila Ocean Park

At the Fish Spa (we were too scared to put our feet in.lol it tickles.)

Si Daddy kay gi gitik =p

i had a dream

2009-02-10T06:28:00.002+08:00

Most of the time, the dreams I remember are the bad ones. Like this morning, between 6:30 and 8:55 a.m., I had a horrible dream. So horrible(or so I think), that I was so relieved when I woke up.:))

***

I was at a sort of event that I had to go to with my family. I felt one of my canine teeth was loose. I was trying to keep it in place, but it came off eventually. I told my mom, but she didn't seem surprised. She looked at me and asked, "Was that tooth permanent?" (Like I was in 2nd grade all over again) For some reason, I wasn't sure if it was or wasn't.haha I was just hoping it would grow back.

Anyway, that wasn't the only tooth that came off. After a while, I had gaps on my front teeth. I was thinking about getting braces to get my teeth closer at lease. But no. Soon, all my front teeth were gone. I looked at the mirror and felt really bad about about my smile. I was so depressed(the feeling is still so clear in my head right now.haha). And then, to make matters worse, the entire row of teeth on the upper left side of my mouth fell off as one row, like as one whole chunk. I was crying already.

My mom told me to suck on this grapefruit (or some citrus fruit. the point is, I wasn't sure how it was supposed to help) and I was spitting out blood. Also, I had the feeling that I was gonna die soon.haha (Been having lots of these dreams lately ohno!)

Oh yeah, this dream had a nice side too. I was talking to Piolo Pascual. An actual conversation. The sad part though, is that I had no teeth. But whether or not he noticed, he still talked to me anyway, like was normal. :)) He's nice!hahaha

Anyway, to cut this story short, I woke up.. Checked my teeth.. And was so relieved that I still had every single one and that they weren't loose.
***

Hm.
Do dreams actually mean anything?

***

I did a bit of Googling, and this is what I found online:

Teeth are one of the most common dream symbols.

In dreams teeth can represent one or more of the following:

strength and aggressiveness
youth, vitality
greed or devouring instincts, envy
your self-confidence or estimation of your abilities

Dreams involving the loss, breakage, yellowing of teeth are extremely common and are most often regarded by psychologists as signs that the dreamer is worried (consciously or sub-consciously) about the loss or weakening of his or her strength, youth, beauty, or self-confidence.

To dream about teeth or a tooth can symbolize the breakdown of psychological information in order to defeat, understand or integrate it (i.e chewing on something).

Dreaming of teeth or of a tooth can symbolize the ability to get what we want, words we say or swallow, our social appearance, and it is often sign of our age.

Dreaming of losing some or all of one’s teeth can mean “losing it”. Not being able to get what one really wants, hence it is experienced as a sort of death or loss of self. In some cultures losing teeth traditionally portends the death of a family member.

***

The last one doesn't sound so good. But then again, I've heard that dreams are reflections of our fears. Seriously, in my dream, I was so desperate, I even considered going to a cosmetic dentist (which Belo will soon be partnering with here at Medical Plaza,haha). Omg, I think this may be an effect of looking at the "before and after" teeth pictures that our creatives guy, Wilby, saved into my thumbdrive!hahaha Or maybe I'm just subconsciously scared of loosing teeth and loosing my smile.. =S hahaha

would you? =)

2009-01-16T12:28:00.004+08:00

I needed some time-out. So I indulged in random picture browsing. Some things, I just have to share.

Would you go to church if you read this sign in front of it? It's very witty, I must say. I like it =)

As a child, would you have eaten your vegetables if your baon looked like this? I probably would have.hahaha

Would you let your kid ride this thing? It's so creepy! Now I can't look at Donald the same way. tsk.

Would you get married if you got this fortune cookie?

(I actually know of a perfect example for this.hahaha) See picture below.

hihi. =)

slurpEE makes me happEE

2009-01-07T09:15:00.002+08:00

..and to my surprise, it comes in lychEE too.haha Or I think it's lychee, because it tastes like lychee.

(It's baby pink lychee slurpee!)

I usually get these headaches in the middle of my afternoons at the office. I don't know why. Anyway, for cheering up, I like taking a quick trip to 7/11. Yesterday, Cas wanted to buy coffee too, so out we went. We passed by Manong Fishballs and got tempted.haha

(weird combo?)

And while I'm at it, I want to post pics of another happy Slurpee moment. =P

(Slurpee with free witch straw + instant spaghetteeeee.hehe)

(This isn't related but it's cute. Cute ghost doughnut which I got around last Halloween.hihi)

men can breastfeed?

2008-12-09T09:56:00.001+08:00

As I was randomly multiply hopping, i came across a copy-pasted post that went "can men breastfeed?" The answer? Yes, they can. Pretty interesting. =) Here's the article from mentalfloss.com:
Q: Can Men Breastfeed?

A: Odd as it seems, men can lactate. In their 1896 book, Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine, Dr. George Gould and Dr. Walter Pyle recount several occurrences of men breastfeeding their young. The stories include a sailor who put his son to his breast to quiet him and started producing milk; a South American peasant who sustained his child with his own breast milk during his wife’s illness; and a Chippewa man who put his infant to his breast following the death of his wife and produced enough milk to rear the child.
The phenomenon hasn’t stopped. In 2002, a Sri Lankan man named B. Wijeratne lost his wife and was left to care for their 18-month-old daughter. When the child refused powdered milk, Wijeratne tried something different. “Unable to see her cry, I offered my breast,” Wijeratne told a Sri Lankan newspaper. “That’s when I discovered I could breastfeed.”
Wijeratne isn’t alone. All men can breastfeed, because they possess the two most vital components for lactating—mammary glands and pituitary glands. Mammary glands, which produce milk, are present in all mammals. In fact, they’re one of our defining characteristics. In some cases, such as with mice, the mammary glands of the males are too underdeveloped to function. In humans, however, they’re fully formed in both sexes, complete with breastfeeding ducts and nipple.
Of course, for a human to actually breastfeed, those mammary glands have to be activated somehow. In women, this usually happens during pregnancy, when the brain’s pituitary gland starts releasing large amounts of a hormone called prolactin, which prepares the breasts to produce milk.

All men produce small amounts of prolactin during their lifetimes. It’s released after orgasms, for example, and may be responsible for the associated feelings of satisfaction and relaxation. But typically, it’s never present in large enough quantities for men to breastfeed. Under the appropriate psychological circumstances, however, the mind can demand that the body produce more of the hormone. This often happens to mothers who adopt children and suddenly find they can nurse. And as Dr. Gould and Dr. Pyle have documented, there’s a long history of it happening in men, too.
This article was written by Shea Serrano and originally appeared in the September-October issue of mental_floss magazine.

this and that. random cuteness

2008-11-20T06:22:00.001+08:00

I've been looking at pictures from my camera and a few things caught my eye. :) These are from random moments when I felt that my material possessions deserved my undivided attention.haha

***

This was when I had a sudden urge to cover my books with plastic. I just grabbed random uncovered books from my shelf and used up all the plastic cover I had at that time. I had a very productive book-covering afternoon:

(from top to bottom: Memories of My Melancholy Whores,The Princess Bride, Hannah's Daughters, Stardust, The Mysterious Benedict Society, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Charlotte's Web, Two to Go, The Way of the Dog, All-American Girl, The Nanny Diaries, The Catcher in the Rye, Stainless Longanisa, Beach Blondes)

***

These pictures, I took when I was cleaning out my school stuff after graduation (sigh). These were some of my favorite notebooks (the ones I managed to keep):

***

I was checking out my kikay kit and I found all these. I'm a lip balm addict. I also used to buy the Body Shop's strawberry lip balm but eventually stopped because I found it too messy to apply sometimes. Anyway, I got bored that day, so I lined them up and took this picture:

***

I also saw all my siblings' cellphones lying around. So I took a picture of them too (with my phone).hahaha

From eldest to youngest (owners, not the phones):

(Yza, Ian, Mico, Mia)

***

I owe a lot to Adel who introduced me to this amazing product=D :

***

These are my top 3 celebrity crushes as of today, November 20, 2008. I know these don't belong to the "material possessions" category, but I can't resist posting this:

Keith Urban, Christian Bautista, Jason Castro

(I have a thing for singers.Cuties!)

when your boyfriend is younger than you are, you have to remember not to take him to the casino with you

2008-10-28T07:49:00.001+08:00

..but obviously, I forgot. Weird thing is,he also forgot his age. (tsktsk, how is that even possible?!) When we got to PAGCOR for the Digital Filipino networking event, he actually panicked when I asked him "diba you're still 20?"(hahaha) but did an awesome job at playing cool (he's almost 21 anyway!). *pats Eliel's back* Also, he also couldn't leave the slot machine (tsktsk, good thing it was a demo machine, we didn't lose a single peso.haha).

looks like someone's having fun

Of course, I wanted a picture too.

weee!

So there, we survived the night!haha (I swear, I think I sounded defensive 'coz when they asked me how old I was, I said, "21, almost 22") It sometimes sucks to look young. =P

weird crazy things

2008-10-24T07:57:00.001+08:00

trish linked me to this a few minutes ago and naloka ako. haha trish, thanks for waking me up. antok ako before i read this eh.haha =))

Just in case you need more proof that we live in a crazy world . . .

In Lebanon, men are legally allowed to have sex with animals, but the animals must be female.
Having sexual relations with a male animal is punishable by death.
(Like THAT makes sense.)

In Bahrain, a male doctor may legally examine a woman's genitals, but is prohibited from looking directly at them during the examination. He may only see their reflection in a mirror.
(Do they look different reversed?)

Muslims are banned from looking at the genitals of a
corpse. This also applies to undertakers. The organs of the deceased must be covered with a brick or piece of wood at all times.
(A brick??)

The penalty for masturbation in Indonesia is decapitation.
(...so they'll never know they went blind?)

There are men in Guam whose full-time job is to travel the countryside and deflower young virgins, who pay them for the privilege of having sex for the first time...
Reason: Under Guam law, it is expressly forbidden for virgins to marry.
(Let's just think for a minute; is there any job anywhere
else in the world that even comes close to this?)

In Hong Kong, a betrayed wife is legally allowed to kill her adulterous husband, but may only do so with her bare hands. The husband's lover, on the other hand, may be killed in any manner desired.
(Now this is justice!)

Topless saleswomen are legal in Liverpool, England -
but only in tropical fish stores.
(But of course!)

In Cali, Colombia, a woman may only have sex with her husband, and the first time this happens, her mother
must be in the room to witness the act.
(Makes one shudder at the thought.)

In Santa Cruz, Bolivia, it is illegal for a man to have sex with a woman and her daughter at the same time.
(I presume this was a big enough problem that they had
to pass this law?)

In Maryland, it is illegal to sell condoms from vending
machines with one exception: Prophylactics may be
dispensed from a vending machine only "in places where alcoholic beverages are sold for consumption on the premises."
(Is this a great country or what? Not as great as Guam!)

Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.
(Who volunteers for this stuff?)

Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure.
(Is that why Flipper was always smiling?)

The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.
(Hummm....I won't touch THAT one!)

The ant can lift 50 times its own weight, can pull 30
times its own weight and always falls over on its right
side when intoxicated.
(From drinking little bottles of...? Wonder how much the the govt.
paid for this relevant bit of research??)

Butterflies taste with their feet.
(Ah, geez)

An ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain.
(I know some people like that.)

Starfish don't have brains.
(I know some people like that, too)Source: http://actiii.net/JJBIII/JOKES/crazy_world.html

christian bautista is my forever crush!=D

2008-10-13T09:05:00.001+08:00

I haven't posted much lately, mainly because I'm still having my camera fixed. I've basically made Multiply my online storage place for pictures.haha These days, all I've been (and will be) posting are pictures taken by the people I've been with. I can't wait to get my cam back.

The reason why I'm blogging is because I have this need to pine over my ultimate crush. (Cue in: falling hearts) Christian Bautista has been in my heart since forever. For a while, my desire for him has died a bit due to my acquisition (haha) of a boyfriend (yihee, Yelie!). Anyway, last night, Gia and I watched West Side Story and the fire is burning again (hahahahaha). Christian is the cutest! I could die listening to him sing. Sigh. Sigh. *SIGH*

Gia is officially my Christian Bautista buddy. We watched one of his concerts before (at Araneta), and last night, his play. Yey!

Anyway, just to make it clear, the entire production (not just the Christian Bautista parts… though, I must say, those parts are BETTER.hahaha) was great. Karylle now has my respect as a singer and an actress. Also, I think I like listening to her classical soprano singing better than her pop singing (but that’s just me). There are times when I get nervous for her (especially when the notes are really, really high), but she pulled through. =)

It was a great night. Not just because I sat next to Kuya Germs (weeell…there was an aisle between us, but still!), but because Christian Bautista was so cute! (And it all goes back to Christian.hihihi)

Afterwhich, I had dinner with Erika (I missed her!) and caught up with all the juicy details of her life. Girl talk=) I wish all of us girls – Pat, Adel, Ria, Jessa, Er and I – could get together and bond sooooooon. (How soon is soon? I have no idea!haha) When that “soon” happens, you’ll be sure to hear about my Christian Bautista raves. Wee=) And Jes, you have a research assignment to submit to me pa (as discussed in the last YM comference.ahahaha) Del! Chika about Billygoat. I heard...=) Pat! I also heard something...Chika nya! Ria! I haven’t heard anything…Chika nya! Haha And if anyone has insider info about Christian, chika to me!hahaha

This is clearly a fan post. Warning: I am deleting nega comments about the person to whom this blog post is dedicated to.=P

saying goodbye to our house Orel house near Queensland and Cempark

2008-09-05T13:37:00.002+08:00

A few years ago, a Queensland branch was constructed on our secluded street. (For those unfamiliar, it's a well known motel. I'm not sure if it's found in Cebu only) When that happened, Orel (that's the name of our street) became common knowledge for taxi drivers. Something which I found very helpful everytime I had to ride a taxi.haha I didn't have to say "turn left the on the street before Jade Court"(ehem, another motel), because I just had to say, "left sa Queensland" and then the taxi would turn left as it comes face to face with the billboard-ish thing that says, "P230 for 3 hours" (or something like that..I can't remember exactly).
***
Sometimes I'm glad we left that area. I've had too many embarrassing taxi rides, because taxi drivers think I'm headed you know where. Worse is when I'm with my boyfriend. Um, kuya taxi driver, I just wanna go home. Diretcho pa. Landmark ra toh.
***
Interesting was the day my mom complained about being stressed. She said she wanted to unwind, go to some resort. And then my innocent sister said, "Sa Queensland nalang pag hotel, near pa." (she's 12.hihi) We all laughed, and she just looked confused.
***
I applaud Koreans coming from the motel. They don't take the taxis waiting right outside. Instead, they walk all the way to the intersection(no walk of shame for them) to find tricyles or other taxis passing by. Those taxi drivers waiting by Queensland probably overprice when they see foreigners.
***
As I was writing this entry, I messaged my Eliel asking him what the billboard said about the room rates. He asked me why I asked him. "Are you marketing your old house?" haha. No, I'm not, there's a family renting the house already, thankyouverymuch.=P
***
And did I say that at the end of the road is a locked gate? So technically, it's a deadend. And you know what's behind the gate? Cempark the cemetery. haha I used to always have that in my mind especially back in highschool. I couldn't study well at night or at dawn, because as soon as the dogs started barking, I'd imagine a procession of spirits going down our streets. hahaha
***
During Novembers 1 and 2, our tiny street would be closed off, because Cempark opens it's backgate as an exit. So it's pretty cool when we just have to say "naa diha among balay", and we get to enter the street.haha Mabaw.
***
Also, because we live in Sitio Orel, with the street named Orel as well, people used to think we owned the street just because our family name is Urgel and it sounds like Orel. And I have to explain that my familyname is U-R-G-E-L and I live in O-R-E-L.
***
Anyway, I just remembered all these because I was posting pictures of the old house and the new house. Kinda makes me miss what we used to call "home". The house near Queensland and Cempark, in Orel, Banilad, Mandaue City. But "home" is in Singson Village now, and it doesn't feel so bad. =)

It's a 1 minute walk to the church, we could hear every single mass. Ian and Mia both, on separate instances, joked that maybe it's okay if we don't go out for mass anymore, just go when it's time for communion.haha Maybe they were serious?haha We get to hear mass twice a day and around 8 times on Sundays. How cool is that?

my summer starts today

2008-05-23T11:36:00.001+08:00

I got home a week ago, but I was still caught up in "work" and the party. I've submitted my articles already, and so I declare the start of my summer.hahaha

***

I took a quiz online a while ago. What kind of guy will you fall for? (very highschool) And I ym-ed the result to eliel. And na-igo daw xa.hahaha He thinks it's him. "waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" that's what he said.
"fine, geek ko!" he also said that. And I didn't even say anything yet.
anyway,
tobey mcguire looks really cute here. wala lang=)

You will fall for the geek. If you're looking for love, consider spending a little more time studying up in the library. To you, there's nothing more attractive than intelligence, shyness, and kindness; your future love may have four eyes and zero social skills, but he'll make up for it in brains and heart.

>the four eyes part made me laugh. Contacts still count as a second pair of eyes right?

>the weird thing about E is that he has always insisted that he has zero social skills. But if you ask me, that's totally not true. =P

***

I hung out with the girls last night at IT Park. Dinner at Ila Puti and coffee at Brown Cup (suki). Erika was absent (in Manila, training with the dragonboat national team. go girl!) but someone else was present. Yiheeee. Welcome Nelson. hahaha Saw Py and Noel. Caught up with the chika. Hai..Feels good to be home. =)

***

The downside is spending another monthsary apart (as in islands apart).
That's 4 out of 8.hahaha
Happy 8months eliel=)

21

2008-02-03T08:14:00.002+08:00

it sucks to be old.hahaha
i've actually been alive for 21 years, and am now living my 22nd year.
time just goes on and on and on.

Jen(my former Kalay and Molave dorm mate) and I have this birthday tradition. We have to have a birthday meal together. You see, we share the same birthday. Only, mine is a year earlier. (aargh.) Freshman year was dramatic, sophomore year, i can't really remember what we did(haha). We only started taking pictures junior year:

Yza@20

Jen@19

and this year...

Jen@20

Yza@21

Looks like nothing's really changed much.haha

ears

2007-09-01T21:44:00.001+08:00

You Communicate With Your Ears

You love conversations, both as a listener and a talker.
What people say is important to you, and you're often most affected by words, not actions.
You love to hear complements from others. And when you're upset, you often talk to yourself.
Music is very important to you. It's difficult to find you without your iPod.

How Do You Communicate?

the disappearing cockroaches

2007-07-22T21:54:00.002+08:00

it happened twice already.
and i need enlightenment.

i have this thing against cockroaches. kill. kill. kill.
so anyway.

i've lived in this house for a little more than a month and i've killed 2 cockroaches in my room. (yeah, gross. they enter through the space between the floor and the door.. aargh.) i swear the house is clean, the maids clean all the time. but it's too open. if you know what i'm talking about. anyway. that's not important in this story.
the first one, i had trouble killing, as it was the flying kind. the second one, it was dead in 5 seconds after 5 hits.hahaha

so, since it's past 12 when these cockroach murders happen, i do not like going down to get a broom just to sweep them dead creatures out. because hey, i can do that in the morning.

so here's the thing.

the first time it happened.

i woke up, checked underneath the slipper, ready to sweepsweep the dead thing. and lo and behold. it was gone.
i woke up a bit late, so i figured, maybe the maid came in to clean up?
it wasn't a strong suspicion, but it wasn't entirely impossible either. i let it pass.
after all, i was glad i didn't have to clean up anymore.

the second time it happened.

i killed the poor thing at around 3 in the morning.
i double locked the door. meaning i locked the knob, and locked the (i don't know how you call it) chain bolt thingy.
and then i went to sleep, leaving the dead thing on the floor.

i woke up at around 8 the next morning.
waah, it was gone. without a trace. just like that.
and it couldn't have been a human body that took it. i double locked remember?

so the question is
do mice eat cockroaches? (i'm thinking maybe there are mice in this house? eeeeep, no!!)
do lizards eat cockroaches?
can ants take away whole cockroaches in say 4 to 5 hours?
or could it have been some mysterious ghost or mumu who took my bloody cockroach sacrifice?

i am so lost.
if anyone can enlighten me.
please.

i think the next time i kill something, i'll stay up all night just to see what happens.
and then i can sleep in peace.

perfect love

2007-07-07T21:22:00.001+08:00

“And then she tells me about one of his ideas, an adaptation of the invisible man: one day the invisible man, exhausted by having to play all the double games, hides in a store case to cry about his solitude. People pass by without seeing him. But one woman stops and comforts him: she is blind. What follows is a love story between the invisible man and the blind woman. They flee in a small boat. You see the oars moaning by themselves and the woman in the front, her face turned toward the horizon. This is the last shot.”

- I forgot the source! Waah. I just wrote it down some time ago. Found it really interesting =)

by far, the most romantic thing ever

2007-06-24T11:36:00.001+08:00

“Why do people marry?”

“Because we need a witness to our lives. There are one million people on the planet. What does any one life really mean? But in a marriage, you’re promising to care about everything. The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things. All of it, everything, everyday. You’re saying, ‘your life won’t go unnoticed ‘cause I will be your witness.”

from the movie, “Shall We Dance”

yza: i know. i'm not getting married anywhere in the near future. but hearing this really makes me actually look forward to it. for about a minute. haha

buhay broadcomm

2007-05-04T19:54:00.001+08:00

What I love about working in television productions is that you can never produce a show alone. I still get anxious before all my productions, and the anxiety doubles when I crew for someone else(especially when it means sitting in front of any console, haha). It's not just because it's not my grade on the line, but more because they trust me to do my job. Because how each crew member handles his job would make or break the production. And it sucks when it could have been perfect if it weren't for that little screw up that just happened to be my fault.

Looking ahead, I may not end up working for the broadcast media industry. But taking up all these production classes aren't worthless in any way at all. Despite being a nervous wreck before(while desperately trying to complete all the necessary preparations -OBBs/CBBs, VTR inserts, set design and props, scripts!, music, chasing after interviewees/talents, rehearsals, etc etc etc), during(while being constantly bothered by the fact that something may go wrong, or that I may freeze in the middle of it all) and after each production(while waiting for the grade, and the nasty-haha-comments of the profs), I'd still say that production work is so worth it.

It's where no one can survive alone, and every single person's job is crucial to the output. It's where everyone learns (or is forced) to trust everyone else, because not to trust is the start of your downfall. It's where you learn to order everyone around with niceness - if you don't want everyone talking behind your back about how you were such an ass, or worse.

In every production, there is a potential for fights(cat fights, fist fights - which I have yet to see,haha), misunderstandings(this, I've seen a lot of), and blackmail(lol). But since my batch mates seem to all be peace loving (eh?), the whole ride has been fun and exciting.

One more year of college, and it's all over. By then I'll have to decide whether or not I'll be doing this production thing for the rest of my life. But before that time comes, I still have a year's worth of productions ahead of me. And a thesis and internships(both TV and radio) to boot.

I'm no psychic, but something is telling me that this year is gonna be exciting. =)

the nanny diaries

2007-05-01T23:48:00.002+08:00

Category: books
Genre: literature and fiction
Authors: Emma Mclaughlin and Nicola Kraus

I used to be a "Baby Sitters' Club" addict. So when I spotted this book at the bookstore, I had to buy it. And I did. And I'm so glad I did.

So anyway.
The story is simple. A nanny, named, well, Nanny, works for a certain Mr. and Mrs. X (nice names?) They are a rich Manhattan couple, and Nanny is to watch over their darling 4-year old son, Grayer. Nanny does that, and more.
So basically, we see in the novel, how the upper class New York couples raise their children. They don't. I have no idea if these things happen in real life, but that's the least of my worries. This book is a funny, witty peek into the high-end, pretentious lives of New York's rich. A peek, through the eyes of an overworked, underpaid nanny who gets more than enough of her dose of lavender water, music and French and all possible after-school classes, philandering husbands, and outrageous Teletubbie costumes.
A laugh-out-loud read, and one that's so hard to put down ;)
Oh yeah, on the job, Nanny meets a hot Harvard boylet, so you definitely get a dose of kilig too =D
Light light read that's good for the summer.

And a movie version is coming soon, so read up!
Scarlett Johansson (i love!) is playing Grayer's nanny, so it should be good.
Can't wait.

today is where your book begins

2007-04-29T13:07:00.000+08:00

"Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten"