Quirk at Work

Candyfornia comes to Manila

2012-01-29T01:48:00.001+08:00

Katy Perry California Dreams Tour: Live in Manila
January 22, 2012
SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds

My friend, Cherry, and I waited for nearly 6 hours just to see Katy Perry in the flesh. The show was supposed to start at 8pm but due to some security and technical issues, it was deferred to 10pm.

DJ Skeet Skeet opened the show by playing some party beats and a few of his own mixes.

The show's different from the other concerts I've attended so far as this one's had a story to tell. Katy was like Alice (in Wonderland) who drifted to dreamland in search for the Gingerbread Boy. In the course of her adventure, she encounters different magical creatures (or maybe just creatures) which cues in to the next set of two to three songs.

The stage was really pretty! No, pretty is not the word. CUTE. COLORFUL. Whatever. It was superb! There were candy swirls, lollipops, cupcakes and all the other stuff you can see in the California Gurls' music video.

She sang ALL of my favorite songs which was waaay beyond awesome! The set list is as follows:

Teenage Dream
Hummingbird Heartbeat
Waking Up in Vegas
Ur So Gay
Peacock
I Kissed A Girl
Circle the Drain
E.T
Not Like The Movies
The One That Got Away
Hot n Cold
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)
Firework
California Gurls

Of all the performances, my best choices are:

E.T.

Peacock:

Circle the Drain:

Hot n Cold (this one's the best. Katy had FIVE costume changes in the course of the song!):

We were seated at the Gold section which was two sections (Titanium and Diamond) from the stage. It was quite far from the stage hence my shots weren't that good, most of it (especially the clear ones) were what the screen was flashing. I did my best to edit them though just to give people a view of what I witnessed during the show.

Here are more photos:

She was really really fun to watch and being able to sing along with her songs at the top of my lungs was truly an amazing experience. There was just so much energy and everybody was on their feet (especially in our section since all of us were standing on our respective chairs), feeling every beat Katy had to offer.

KATY PERRY WAS FREAKING AWESOME!!! BEST CONCERT EVEEEEEER! All the exhaustion, the waiting and the Gold ticket was all worth it!

Last full show

2012-01-15T19:58:00.000+08:00

Disclaimer: If you find any inconsistencies with this post, I apologize. I gather my thoughts as I type but I'll try to make this as coherent as possible. Nevertheless, I hope this rowdy post will still get my message across.

To You:

Everybody has a limit. There will come a time that a person who has been trying so hard in making things work will just give up without precautions and without warnings.

I've come to that point.

I'm on that stage wherein after exhausting all efforts to make things work and not seeing things the way I expect them to be, I throw the white towel and just walk away without thinking whether my questions will still get answered or not. I'm on that stage wherein I stopped caring on things which were supposed to matter, treating as if anything which happened didn't happen at all and as if people I once knew never really existed. I'm on that stage wherein I empty my hands with all the things I still don't understand and leave them as they are. I'm on that stage wherein all I want is to get out.

People may not get a full understanding of what I did, still and will be doing but I know in my heart that I am doing this because this is the right thing to do. This is what is for the better... for the both of us but more importantly, for me. I don't expect you to understand. I just want you to know.

The past year was the most confusing time of my life. Not because I didn't know what I wanted but it was because YOU didn't know what you wanted. You're always on the center wherein you only try to figure things out as you go without having the slightest idea you're dragging me along with it. All those years (I'm still processing why it took me YEARS to come to my senses), all I wanted was a clean slate. That kind of friendship we used to have even before we became an item. Perhaps it was too far-fetched and I was trying so hard to make things work up to the brink of hurting and confusing myself as I go. Whenever we got back to being friends again, one (or both of us) did something which took things to the next level. No need to elaborate on this, you know exactly what I'm talking about. For some reason, we just couldn't stick to that right kind of relationship we're supposed to have: JUST FRIENDS. I was mislead into thinking that perhaps all the things you did were building blocks for you to win me back. Did it even occur to you that as you test the waters with another person, you've been trying to keep me around just so in case things don't work out to your advantage, you'd still have me? Please do correct me if I'm wrong but from my perspective, you've been keeping me as a back up. To make things worse, you kept on doing things a person wasn't supposed to be doing for an ex. I won't discredit you for being nice to me but you've been excessively nice, I had a hard time telling why you're even doing them in the first place.

The most concrete example was when you came to my doorstep in the wee hours of the night (around 3am to be precise) the moment I told you I'm backing out from the run because of transportation issues. It may not be much of a deal but you just don't do things like that for an ex. You got me wondering what your true motives were in every "act of kindness" you showed me. I can remember that time when we hung out with a friend for a few drinks and I ended up wasted, you kept on helping me around even if I tried to stay on my own feet, telling me just because I'm an ex doesn't mean you no longer care. I took everything you said as nothing but pure BS. You couldn't blame me since I couldn't really tell which one's real or just pretend.

Things like this kept on happening so when I start to question, you stop talking. Talking to you became more difficult by the day. When I was in the verge of firing you with questions, I wrote it down in a letter which I considered as the safest move to take at that moment. Safe, yes, but it seemed that I never got my message across as I never heard anything from you weeks after I had it given to you. Nothing happened. You just went on with your life like that it never existed. Things became more mind-boggling than they normally were but I never really pushed for answers because you didn't want to give them. You didn't want to listen. Again, I had a hard time telling why you didn't want to talk things over but for me, perhaps it's either because you knew the answer but just couldn't say it or you didn't know the answer at all. You tell me.

A friend was right all along. (Hint: this person is a common friend.) He told me that if a person's giving you nothing but stress, might as well let this person go. At first, I was skeptical into letting go of you. We've known each other for almost a decade now. That alone wasn't an easy feat. You're the best guy friend I've ever had and I was one of the few who knew almost there was to know about you, be it good or bad. I didn't want years of friendship to go down the drain just because our relationship have gone awry. Then I realized that there's this one thing you never did which made letting go difficult: a genuine apology. We've fought and made up throughout the years but a real apology never came in the picture. Being the harsh and proud person you could possibly be, lowering yourself and admitting your mistakes wouldn't be as easy and the chances of getting that one thing I think I needed died in a whim. I knew I wouldn't be getting that apology. Taking it from you would be too much.

But I wanted to move on. I had to. I didn't want to be stuck in this limbo and punish myself for trying too hard in fishing out answers which I'd never get. I wanted to get the life I used to have before you came back for me. I wanted to be happy again. The days of questioning and confusion have just got to end. Right here. Right now.

I GIVE UP. FOR GOOD.

I will not deny the fact that you're happy to be with. Every moment spent with you has been great. It was fun while it lasted. Inasmuch as I want to stay away from you, having the same set of friends doesn't make it any easier. No matter how much I decline and be a kill joy to your friends just to escape an encounter, I'd eventually find myself in that same circle with the same people, including you, in way or another. In any case, I'd be ready. I've been in this situation before and I was able to get past that. Like Chuck Bass once said, "The worst happened and I didn't die.". I've done it once. I can do it again. It's just a matter of time.

If you still haven't gotten the memo: Yes. I am avoiding you. Avoiding is such an understatement but I'll leave it at that.

A few people have been wondering whether I stopped running because they no longer see me on Sundays. The reason why people no longer see me running was because I changed my route. I wasn't taking any risks of pushing through my usual route which includes the long stretch where your house stands. I was trying to lessen, if not eliminate, the chances of an encounter with you. I became more than encouraged in leaving the country for work just so I don't get to see you. I dodge every conversation with your friends which gives unnecessary information about your past and current life. I've removed every trace of you in my life: mobile number, YM and Facebook. That bag you gave me two Christmases ago? I gave it away to some stranger. Every file and photo relating to you were already deleted. With every cyber and physical evidence connecting me to you already gone, getting rid of every memory I have of you became much easier.

I just hate how you kept on talking to me as if nothing happened.

It was hard to go around with all the excess baggage so disposing things I no longer need have given me relief beyond explanation. Surprisingly, it even gave me a genuine happiness over the Holidays, that which I've been longing for for so long. After years of confusion and games, I could honestly say I've found peace. Harsh as it may be but removing you from my circle was the answer I've been looking for all those years.

Gathering my inner thoughts and posting them on the internet was never my style. Unlike others (oh please, I don't want to point fingers but I think you know who I'm referring to) who'd just drop a bomb over the cyberspace and wait how things will go, I prefer a face off. A personal Q&A wherein I squeeze the answers out of you. But I've always been the exception, was I? Waiting for something which will never come is a complete waste of time. I have better things to do and hopefully, a bigger fish to fry. Making this entry for the world to see isn't much of a deal since there's no way I could lose something which wasn't with me in the first place.

Hence, this.

Consider this as my break-up letter to you. This is me finally disowning you both as an ex-lover and as a friend. I'd no longer think why it took me years before I went to a complete stop. If people ask, I will simply tell them you're too much for me to handle even if there's so much more to it. Rest assured that all is forgiven. I just don't know if I'd still have the heart to accept you even as an acquaintance when the right time comes. At this point, I know this will not matter to you as you're preoccupied with other things and you have other people who got your back. But someday, I hope you get to read this. I hope you do. (Dear reader, if you're his friend and you want this to get to him, by all means proceed. You're even doing me a favor.) I hope someday, you'd realize how much damage you've caused me and how much I'm willing to sacrifice to get my life back... even if it includes removing you in my life.

I've never given up on a person before. As overrated as it may be, there's always a first time for everything and guess what, here's to getting a dose of your own medicine.

I AM GIVING UP ON YOU.

Photo dump: 2011 in photos

2012-01-02T17:52:00.000+08:00

2011. It's the year when...

...my sister graduated from grade school;

...I joined the running bandwagon, even pushing my limits by running a half-marathon for the first time;

(top, L-R: Rexona Adventure Run, Run United 2; middle: Adidas King of the Road 2011; bottom: Run United 3)

...my officemates and I hit the shores of Anawangin and Capones;

...I got to watch a live performance of 30 Seconds To Mars;

... my college friends and I got inclined to good food;

...I dared to go surfing for the first time (and doing a pretty decent job catching some waves);

...I met these awesome celebrities;

(top, L-R: Coach Rio dela Cruz (of RunRio), Akihiro Sato; bottom: Phil Younghusband)

...I stepped into the party scene (again);

(top: Palladium with cousins; bottom: Fiama with officemates)

...I turned 22 (a year older and wiser);

...and I had the grandest time with family and friends.

People who are close to me know how much I struggled and how conflicted I was throughout the year but as overrated as it may be, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. Here's to starting anew, in full swing and with a clean slate!

It's a wrap 2011. 2012, time to show me what you got! :)

Quick Year-end Post

2012-01-01T12:29:00.003+08:00

Once you see a yellow Camaro outside a supermarket on New Year's Eve, you just gotta think whose car is it.

It's Phil Younghusband's.

I was carrying my friend's kid so I asked Phil to just have a photo taken with her. See how she grabs Phil on the shoulder? So cuteee! She's probably one of the most envied girl to date for having the chance to be carried by Phil. Haha!

A few minutes after encounter number 1, he was still around. Magpapatalo ba ako? Haha! Dapat daw nagpabuhat din ako sa kanya LOL!

Phil and I greet everybody a Happy New Year!

Here's to starting the year right! (feelingera). Legit year-end post up next! :)

Overloaded Christmas

2011-12-26T20:59:00.000+08:00

Every year, my family welcomes Christmas Day with our longtime friends in the neighborhood. I'm not quite sure with the math but it's been going on for seven years now. Apart from being less costly for all families since we need not prepare separate banquets, having this annual party with friends makes Christmas far better than the usual.

This year's party is overloaded for two reasons: more families participated (yeah, the group's been growing throughout the years) plus the food doesn't seem to run out. Each family prepared a dish or two which is good for 60 persons. Seven families came so imagine how much food we had. To name a few, we had lechon, grilled burgers, barbecue, spaghetti, veggie salad, sisig, mango float and siomai. Games were as creative but one thing that shot me down to shame was the Dougie contest. Yeah, they made me do the Dougie even if I really don't know how to. Social suicide but we had fun anyway. A hundred bucks is a hundred bucks. Easy money is far too difficult these days. LOL!

When the clock hit 12, we welcomed Christmas with a mini fireworks display.

Food. Booze. Fun. Games. ALL. NIGHT. LONG. Cheers to friendship, love and peace. After all, that's what Christmas is truly about! Happy Holidays, everybody! :)

It's the season to be...

2011-12-25T15:26:00.002+08:00

Jolly.
Fatty.
Happy.
You call the shots.

Last night's street party was a blast but for now, this is all I can share to y'all:

More photos and stories to come. Merry Christmas to all! Spread the lala-love! <3

In 2012, I will be a jet-setter.

2011-11-06T22:25:00.001+08:00

If there's one thing I want to do while I'm young, it is to travel. Go to places. Discover the world. For the next year, presuming that the world will not end, I will be a jet-setter. I will be diving into the world of adventure and discover what life has to offer.

What better way to get things going than starting in your own: the Philippines.

I used to be one of those Filipinos who'd rather go out of the country and visit nearby countries just because it's cheaper... but not anymore. I've set in stone that before I leave out for the world, I will have a glimpse of my country's beauty. To surf on the perfect waves in Siargao. To cruise along the underground river in Palawan. To pet the tarsiers in Bohol. To feel little under the windmills in Ilocos. To taste the sweet mangoes in Guimaras. To be part of the Masskara in Bacolod, the Pahiyas in Quezon, the Sinulog in Cebu and the Kadayawan in Davao. To feel the rush in Cagayan de Oro. To do anything under the sun in Boracay. To leave the streets of Manila and experience the true wonders of the Philippines.

All of these I want to do and I will do them all... one place at a time.

I talk as if I have the resources to dig into the travel gig. From where I'm standing, I know it's going to take more than saving to achieve them all. As of the moment, I am planning out a Cebu-Bohol trip with some college friends, and I'm beyond excited about it! Spending those kind of moments with the best people around makes the money and time all worth it. Oh geeez, I'm so excited! The rest of Asia, Europe and even the United States will have to wait for a little longer. My country comes first. Expensive as it may be but traveling to my heart's content is probably my life's ultimate goal (for now, of course). It is when I can see how magnificent the world is, how unique every race is and how rich every culture is. This is when I can fully understand and grasp all the why's and how's of the world. This is when I can learn and live life to the fullest.

In 2012, I will be a traveler. I will see the world like I've never seen it before. When that time comes, I will be ready.

Update (11/07/11): I'm struggling in making a final decision as to the places I intend to go to due to financial constraints. The Cebu-Bohol trip has been finalized; we already have tickets for that so no more backing out. However, I just got invited to join a 4-day Vietnam getaway which will be on the week before the Cebu trip. Apart from that, I might be getting another invite for a Palawan/Boracay trip which will be in between the Cebu and Vietnam travel dates. I've got no issues on the dates, really. It's the money I'm concerned about. Oh damn decisions decisions decisions!

The 21km Experience

2011-10-23T19:46:00.000+08:00

This is the athletic (or so I think) side of me talking. Hihi.

Today was the most challenging run I've ever had. I was never a distance runner, 5km being the only category I've been joining for my previous runs but when the opportunity to go the extra mile showed itself, I just couldn't say no. Then again, it came in completely overwhelming.

Lo and behold, the 2011 Adidas King of the Road 21km run.

Apart from the fact that I've never had any formal training and never been a runner my whole life, making the decision to run in this category was probably one of the most life-changing decisions I've ever made. Even though I've encountered a lot of obstacles along the way, my focus to finish the race overpowered the throbbing pain I felt on my legs.

The race took place in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig per usual, and the race for 21km runners began at exactly five in the morning. I knew what my pacing was so I wasn't in a hurry to go side by side with the other elite runners who were in the same category. The first seven kilometers were within BGC after which we went out the vicinity and went straight for the Buendia flyover crossing EDSA.

(Sorry for the low-res photos. Taken using a Blackberry)

Crossing the Buendia flyover before the injury reached its peak.

When I reached the 8km mark, something went bad which cost me a lot of time and brought so much pain. My left leg decided to pound the pavement in the wrong way which strained my sole. It was manageable at first but when I reached the 12km mark, the pain crept up to my knees which officially sealed the deal: I CAN NO LONGER RUN. JOG EVEN. It was too painful, I had to stop at every medic station to have some liniment on both legs. The road seemed endless as pain throbbed my leg with every step I made. At some point, I wanted to give up but I didn't want to be the sore loser who would easily give up on the dream just because of the pain. I went on and settled for some brisk walking. It hurt but that didn't stop me. Being among the last persons who'd be finishing the race didn't cross my mind; all I wanted was to finish it.

Upon reaching the 15km mark. Injured but still fighting!

The last six kilometers were the most grueling kilometers in that race. My leg was getting worse, and the sun was starting to heat things up. I still went on. And after 3.5 hours, as per my timing device, I reached the finish line.

Screenshot of my race result as per my Nike+ Sportband

Neither the last nor the least. WHAT AN ACHIEVEMENT.

The time didn't matter anymore. All I wanted was to finish the race... and I sure did. This experience, this 21km experience, made me realize that no matter how painful things can get, for as long as you put your mind to it, nothing is impossible.

As of the moment, my leg hurts whenever I stretch it and medicated patches are taking over like leeches. Then again, I now have the bragging rights for being a 21km finisher. I've done it once, and I can do it again... with sufficient training this time. Heh! For now, I'd be settling with the lower categories until I'm fit for a real long-distance running. Like I said: Success is not on how long it took you to finish the race but on the fact that despite the mishaps, you still finished it.

I AM A 21KM FINISHER. Woohoo!

Ahhh running is the life! Always worth the pain.

Something Not Borrowed

2011-10-02T00:53:00.006+08:00

I've finally downloaded a clear copy of Something Borrowed but haven't seen it (yet) because I'm trying to finish the remaining four episodes of Chuck Season 4 just so I can also move on with The Vampire Diaries. Hence, the title. Whoa that was confusing.

Lately, I've been forbidding myself from spending my hard-earned (extremely hard-earned) money for something I don't really need just so I can save. As opposed to what most people think, I don't earn much so I have to make most out of what I earn by not buying those which I don't really need. However, when it comes to anything fancy yet sophisticated enough to pass for an office wear, I just can't say no. Hence the latest addition to my ever-growing shoe collection:

H&M dress, Bamboo MJs

This one's rather candid! Where was I even looking? Haha.

It's my second purchase from Cher Mercene, owner of the now-so-popular Highstyle Fancy online store. Not that I'm complaining but I've finally seen the downside of having the store owner as a friend on Facebook because whenever an update pops up, I immediately check them out. I try my best not to splurge but ahhh everything's just too tempting! As of date, I'm waiting for the arrival of another pair of shoes I purchased from her. Hihi. Will blog about them soon.

So back to the Mary Janes. I like how the heel is not as chunky so it doesn't make my legs look bigger, and not as high at the same time so I can easily walk with them without murdering my feet. They're perfect for everyday use!

Also got a couple of new stuff from my mom who just got back from Hong Kong.

1. Umbrella from Sasa, tote and zipper case from Ikea

Sasa has the cutest umbrellas! My first Sasa umbrella broke so when my mom said she'd be going to Hong Kong, I couldn't resist from asking her to get me another one. She sure did!

I'm a sucker for anything with a Victorian/Romantic vibe and getting this umbrella at this time of the year was such a perfect timing! See how the edge is outlined by a one-layer embroidery, and the details of the design being mostly anything you can see in the cosmetics section of a department store.

So whether you're in Makati City or Quezon City, when you spot this umbrella, you know the drill.

2. H&M dress and top

If the rumors are true about H&M opening its flagship store on that spot where the old BDO Building in Ortigas Center used to stand, count me in on the opening! I'm much more stoked in having H&M here in Manila than Forever 21 (no offense on that) because a.) H&M has a lot of staples which are perfect for everyday use, and b.) the good stuff are reasonably priced. Like the blue dress, it costs only HK $149 or around Php 900. Definitely a good buy!

3. Chocolatey goodness

WERTHER'S ORIGINAL CARAMEL CANDIES ARE THE BEST. Your argument is invalid. Hihi.

In relation (or not much), I just had my passport renewed recently and had I gone to Hong Kong with my mother for the week, my bank account would probably be empty right now. Anyhow, I'm also saving up for this Cebu-Bohol trip my college friends and I will be having some time next year. I am the official trip planner and when I get the time, I'd be posting some of my ideas about the trip (plus the Boracay and/or Palawan trip I have in mind).

P.S. The title of this entry still didn't manage to make a connection with the entry itself. Oh well.

- Y

A Year Older and Wiser

2011-09-18T14:04:00.001+08:00

September 10-11, 2011
22nd Birthday Pandemonium

I have no idea why I considered it as a pandemonium but probably it's because a lot happened that night, some of which I don't even want to talk about. Things didn't go as planned in the sense that I really didn't intend to sponsor a pseudo-banquet, and just treat people out. Well, as they say, things do happen for a reason.

If you are to throw a party for 20 guests and half of it are men, you just have to cook up. Here are some of the goodies which graced our plates:

Epic Meal Time's Bacon Mac Sliders. MADE 'EM MYSELF! They turned out pretty awesome and I must make more of these next time.

Herbed Chicken with Baked Potatoes

Pasta tossed in Tomatoes and Asparagus

Conti's Mango Bravo

Conti's Choco Overload

Since I didn't really want to throw a one-time party for all of my friends (and I can't afford it due to financial constraints), I only invited those who a) were close to my heart b) I've been hanging out with the most c) can eat a lot so there'd be no leftovers. Hihi. I'm not joking on the last one.

My girls from college. They're the most ridiculous girls I know! Love them to bits! The Mango Bravo cake was from them. They bought if for me after seeing my Facebook post about it. <3

Another shot, this time with the boys.

The guys on my left are my friends from our village. It's funny how they unconsciously grouped themselves by gender. Haha. And it's weird that my group of friends is either just girls or just boys.

I SRSYLY have no idea why I was laughing so hard. Not the most flattering photo. Ergh.

More photos of the night:

Time well-spent with good company, delicious food and one hella electrifying experience. Thanks to those who came! I am officially 22 years... YOUNGER! :)

- Y

Surf Suit Up

2011-08-13T21:42:00.000+08:00

August 6, 2011 marked the day of me becoming a complete water girl as it was the day I braved the waters and waves of San Juan, La Union with a rash guard on and a surf board at hand for a real deal whole day surfing.

Like football, surfing's becoming one of the "in" things in the Philippines. Though we're not dubbed as that with the most number of surfers, the sight I stumbled upon La Union made me say "Yeah, we're getting there." Men and women of all ages and from different walks of life graced the shores (and seas) of San Juan ready to get their dose of adrenalin.

This is me joining the rush:

As a first timer, I had to take surfing lessons which included all the basic know-what's of surfing. From the parts of a surf board to proper riding, everything was taught by a local resident/surfer for only Php 200.00. The fee also included actual surfing wherein the instructor assists you in catching a wave and telling you when to stand up. For a surf board, a whole day rental costs Php 800.00. As an amateur, I honestly suggest that you share a board with someone because there's no way you can last the entire day without exhausting yourself way too much. Riding was a no-brainer since balancing came in pretty easy once you've managed to stand up. Paddling was the worst part for it gave me the most sore arms I've ever had. The painful aftermath was nothing because at the end of the day, being able to ride a wave was an achievement in itself.

Here are more photos during the trip (c) Drent Mendoza:

SPOTTED: AKIHIRO SATO. Such a nice person!

So if you haven't tried surfing, then you MUST do it. The pain's gonna be worth it, I tell you. As for me, I'm definitely going back for a part 2. Or 3. Or infinite. Heh!

Leto and his Harem Pants

2011-07-31T19:39:00.011+08:00

30 Seconds To Mars Live in Manila
Trinoma Concert Grounds
July 29, 2011

When you've waited long enough for something to happen, no amount of mishap can stop you from grabbing the opportunity to experience it.

That's what I did for Jared Leto and the rest of 30 Seconds To Mars. I've been looking forward to this day for the longest time and I was stoked when I heard that they will be having a stop here in Manila!

The day started really perfect and sunny but as the day went by, rain clouds threatened the show by the second. Both areas, Gold and Silver, were standing areas so we had to get there really early. I was there as early as 4:30 pm. The show didn't start until nearly 9 pm so we waited for nearly 5 hours under the rain. Most of us were even under the impression that the show might get cancelled because of this:

The rain was pouring really hard and non-stop but props to the organizers for this:

(Most of us in the crowd donned yellow raincoats which were sold on the venue. Pretty good marketing strategy.)

They sold raincoats on the venue which came in really handy when umbrellas didn't suffice. And of course, despite the rain, the show went on. I must say, these guys definitely know how to put up a good show!

Pinoy group, Kjwan, opened the show. Goodness it's been a while, Mark Abaya! I was no longer familiar with their songs so was just dancing to it but when they played "Daliri" as their last song, I joined the crowed and rocked with them. Mark Abaya was just too awesome to join us and got himself drenched while doing their set.

After Kjwan, it took roughly half an hour for the crew to set up the stage for 30 Seconds To Mars. They were mopping the stage while the stage manager (I'm not so sure if he's the manager but he was roaming around the stage and inspecting everything while looking at the wet floors with disapproval. I guess that makes him the manager. Haha.) checks if everything's in order.

When everything was set, the lights went off and the members entered the stage one by one. The band's composed of Jared Leto (vocals and rhythm guitar), Shannon Leto (drums) and Tomo Milicevic (lead guitar and keyboard).

(Jared Leto singing the first few songs for the night while looking like a character from Star Wars)

Jared's outfit was rather odd, and reminded me of a Star Wars movie. He donned a pair of sun glasses, a black poncho and a pair of harem pants. Yes! HAREM PANTS. He's probably one of the few straight guys who can wear those kind of pants and not look gay.

The rain went on. So was the show. He encouraged eveybody to jump as high we could and wave our hands up in the air. He wanted everybody to act crazy and insane, and joined the rest of us under the rain. The crowd also cheered with awe when Jared yelled "Ikaw na!" and uttered the word "mahal". Everybody obviously had a good time screaming and singing out of their wits as the band played their most popular hits. They played ALL of my favorite 30STM hits namely Search and Destroy, Closer To The Edge, Hurricane, Vox Populi, This Is War, The Kill and Kings & Queens.

Here's the complete setlist:

Escape

A Beautiful Lie

Attack

Search and Destroy

This Is War

100 Suns

Vox Populi

L490 (Shannon Leto on acoustic guitar, Tomo Milicevic on electric guitar)

Hurricane (Acoustic)

Alibi (Acoustic)

The Kill (Bury Me) (Acoustic)

Night of the Hunter

Closer To The Edge

Kings and Queens (Encore)

And here are more photos of the show:

(I've forgotten what song they were playing when those balloons were thrown at us. Nonetheless, it was unexpected and an awesome sight.)

(Jared Leto singing an acoustic version of The Kill)

(The lucky chosen ones. SO MUCH ENVY!)

It's been the band's tradition to have people come up on stage, and I'm really jealous for those guys who were personally picked by Jared to come up on stage for Kings & Queens but...

A thumbs up for a crazy wet and wild experience while singing my favorite 30 Seconds To Mars songs. thank you to my awesome friend, Veronica Jose, for the golden ticket! I had the grandest time. Getting drenched was totally worth it!

For the love of Michael Antonio

2011-07-17T20:52:00.000+08:00

This is going to be one shameless plug as I am on the run to win this pair of Michael Antonio pumps. I am quite sure you dear reader have a Facebook account. I need all the help I can get and here's how you can vote for me:

1. Like Highstyle Fancy's Facebook page

2. Like my entry.

SIMPLE AS THAT! Please help me on this. EVERY VOTE COUNTS. Voting runs until August 5 so open your Facebook accounts and go like. I srsly need all the votes I can get. Hihihi. Thank you! <3

Three Days of Summer

2011-06-11T08:38:00.001+08:00

When: June 6-8, 2011
Where: Canoe Beach Resort, Capones Island and Anawangin Cove (all in Zambales)

Will let these photos do the talking.

I have the awesomest tan line! Sunburn baby! This trip sure is one of the best slack off the Metro.

Florals, Polkas and Forever 21

2011-05-22T15:18:00.001+08:00

One of the biggest fashion retailers has finally taken its toll on me. With its second Manila store located only a few blocks away from my work place and situated along the road I normally pass to, Forever 21 will soon be my other kind of bank. A shopping bank at that. It baffles me how I'm starting not to walk out of that store without getting a thing or two for myself. Yesterday, I got three. Last week, I think I got three (or four) as well. I'm starting to see a trend here. Teehee!

Yesterday was pretty impulsive. Not that I'm trying to keep my hands clean but I do pass by Forever 21 whenever I go to work on Saturdays. Hey, it's not my fault they've decided to open a branch right where I can see it. It's inevitable. So there I was going around the store empty-handed. I was about the leave when I came across one top which led to a dress and to another dress. Cutting the long story short, I walked out with everything I tried on (a tank top and two dresses).

Can't wait to go Jackie with this dress!

I've already seen this dress before but I didn't bother to try it on since I was in a hurry. When I watched Glee, I saw Rachel Berry wearing the exact same dress. I also saw a TVC of Showtime where Anne Curtis also wearing it. So yeah, I TOTALLY HAVE TO GET ONE FOR MYSELF. Sadly, stocks ran out fast and the smallest size was no longer available. Since I like it so much, I still bought one regardless if looks quite big on me. I'll just have it altered.

I may be three grand poorer but I'm definitely three goodies happier! With all the stress work has been giving me, I am beyond convinced that I deserve this! Next week, eh? :>

Going back to the 70's

2011-04-23T20:11:00.001+08:00

If you can recall in my previous post about me ratting about this pair of shoes I was ecstatic of, then this is the sequel of that post. So yes, I am devoting one boring and short post for the pair of shoes I waited for MONTHS to arrive.

Lo and behold, the Seventies Flair Clogs:

I bought this off the shoe haven of Cher's online store, HighStyle Fancy. Instantly fell in love with this pair when I saw it. It's beige counterpart was originally the version I've had dibs on. The frantic and recurring stares on the photo was the ultimate sign that I just HAD to have one in my closet but unfortunately, they were no longer available. The unavailability didn't stop me hence the black version, and I srsly think it's as nice as its sister. Lol.

Thanks for being insanely patient with me, Cher. They're SO worth the wait, and there's definitely gonna be a next time. Can't wait to use 'em! :)

The Rundown

2011-04-09T12:45:00.007+08:00

The past few weeks can be described in two words: rough and tough. With all the hefty work load, tiring out-of-town trips and impulsive gatherings, I can say that I've been living my life in the fast lane. Tiring, yes but fun, definitely yes!

Update of the past few weeks:

During our seafood marathon in Calauag, Quezon Province

Our work station. Woohoo papersssss!

I've spent a total of four weeks in Quezon Province in relation to my employer's current engagement with a manufacturing company. It's not my first out-of-town assignment but it sure was the farthest. My teammates were from different clusters and I only got to meet them the day prior the start of our fieldwork. Dealing with different sorts of people was the ultimate challenge but we obviously went past through it. One thing I like about this engagement is the people. They say that the people you work with defines the kind of life and environment you're about to get yourself into. As it turned out, the people were nice and surprisingly accommodating, and I can honestly say this engagement's one of those that doesn't feel like work. Part of our job description as auditors is independence. Being in Quezon Province, almost 150 kilometers away from home has taught me that self-reliance is the ultimate key to survival especially to places I've never been to. I never had the chance to go around the place and explore what the province has to offer. I'm definitely going back!

Forever 21 lace top, Cotton On floral skirt (I wear 'em ALL the time. Hihihi!), The Pill bow flats and vintage necklace

It baffles me how going back to my Alma Mater gives me the ultimate whiplash! March 26 was a big day for the family, especially for my little sister, Jill, because her graduation from grade school officially closes her elementary years. Seeing her walk down on a newly made gala made me reminisce the days when it was I who was in that uniform. Well of course, what she used wasn't a hand-me-down since I wasn't just as thin when I had my first gala. Going back, I felt a little jealous when the entire family was there to give her the moral support for her final march as a grade schooler (although we were teasing her all the time that she won't graduate on time because of that one unfinished project Mrs. Gutierrez followed-up for when she was in Grade 3, I think). When I graduated from grade school, I was only with my father, my brothers were in school and my mother was in Singapore. What a sad life! Then again, since she's the closest thing we have for a baby, we give her all the lurve and headache (yes, headache) we can give. Congratulations to my mini me (so as they say). Enjoy high school and feel free to materialize all the craziness and insanity you have there in your frail and tiny body. YOU ACTUALLY FINISHED GRADE SCHOOL! Joking. I'm so proud of you!

That night. That insanely EPIC night of March 26. Believe it or not, it was my first time to have a drinking session with the people in our village whom I've known since I was in high school. Being the working girl that I am, I felt a little generous and hosted one session with the boys (and girls). I was a little skeptical on leaving the house with two bottles of hard liquor since my father was there. However, upon seeing me leaving the house with a bottle of gin and tequila, he blurted out words that literally lingered in my ears and head: "MAY DALA KA BANG LEMONS?" Best. Reminder. EVER! Never knew my father, my strict and overprotective father, would actually remind me not to forget the lemons for the tequila. How supportive of him! In aggregate, my friends and I had a bottle of beer, 2 bottles of gin, 1 bottle of tequila and 1 bottle of liquor I confidently called Crab. Sorry for being a little kill joy on the details but this is the safest and only photo of that night I can willingly share to y'all.

CAN'T WAIT FOR PART 2!

I am officially an Etude House enthusiast! This began on that random day when I went to the department store to get some socks. I found their store extremely cute and it lured me in. I'm not a fan of cosmetics but that store is starting to make me one. Went in with nothing and walked out with a paper bag. The moment my mom saw it, she asked me to take her to that store. She walked in with nothing and walked out with a paper bag. Honest to goodness, I am a highly satisfied EH user because their products deliver. Try their products so you can see, feel and experience the results for yourself. :) I love it when my mom seeks for my advice when it comes to that kind of stuff. Between me and my mom, we have this saying that 'Daughters know best.' because I'm her personal stylist and make-up advisor. LOL.

SHIFT HAPPENS because of the self-imposed coffee ban, I've finally decided that I'm a milk tea person. Some say it's a violation of the coffee ban but whatever! Coffee is coffee. Milk tea is milk tea. Gosh I'm so defensive!

New stuff:

Tucson boots from Chilli Margarita

Bow flats from The Pill

Seventies Flair Clogs from High Style Fancy (I still haven't received my pair but imma include it here since I'm expecting it to arrive early next week. Teehee! Mine's in black so I'd just post the actual photo once I receive it. EXCITEEEED!)

Closer to home

2011-02-20T15:07:00.004+08:00

(Mango basic gray shirt, thrifted Liz Claiborne floral shorts, braided belt, HDY cork wedges)

(Old Navy tank top, printed skirt, knitted cardigan, studded hand cuff.)

She assembled this look on her own (but a little tap on the back for ATE). Haha! Had you seen her earlier that day, she was, yet again, sporting another Bieber look.

This Chilli Margarita pair was bought last Friday when I went to Rockwell after office hours. The purchase was insane and completely impulsive. I didn't know what got in to me. I just went to Graxie, took the display, asked for my size and paid for it. It's like the what the hell moment during a difficult exam, and I've no idea why I bought it. However, true to its word, it was comfortable to walk with. Thanks to the sole cushion and foam inner lining. I wore it earlier that day when I went to the mall and changed when it's time to go to church. You can get your own pair at Graxie located at the Archeology Section of the Powerplant Mall or you can order online.

Now I'm 800 pesos poorer but a pair richer. Haha.

Saturdays normally mean eat out dinners. After mass, we went out to the road for some good food. Whilst we all have a thing for good food, picking a restaurant has always been the weekly dilemma. My father just drove to wherever the road leads us while the rest of us scout the sides in search for a restaurant. We've always been into trying out something new, trying to avoid those we've already been to. We were debating as we go along the search. My brother kept on suggesting: Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, American and right you are, FAST FOOD but it all boiled down to that which was closer to our hearts: PINOY CUISINE.

It's my first time to eat here and I can say their food was satisfying. I highly recommend their Crispy Pork Sisig and Puto Bumbong (which I was hoarding because it was sooo good) but I'm yet to try their version of Crispy Dinuguan.

Oh boy, Saturdays. It's the ultimate cheat day!

KatipuNIGHT

2011-01-30T00:08:00.002+08:00

My first non-working Saturday went well. Apart from the fact I was able to throw off some unnecessary stuff from my room and did a short marathon of Hellcats, I spent the rest of it with good company.

In line with Tita Jack's birthday celebration, we had a little detour to Katipunan for some Mongolian all you can at Sweet Inspirations. And because I was practically starving the entire day (thanks for waking up late to miss breakfast and cleaning my room to miss lunch), an all-you-can dinner was good news. I managed to eat only one bowl but it sure was satisfying.

It just so happened that Ateneo High School's annual fair's currently on going and we're situated just right across the campus so the kids who were with us 'begged' that I go with them for a pit stop. We were telling they might just get bored since they're still too young to be exposed to events like that but they were too persistent. We (meaning the adults) had no choice but to go on with it and just let them.

Now you see, being inside that campus is one of the last things I want to do, and not because I've something against it. Just due to some personal issues, perhaps. And of all events, it has to be the school fair. Weird. It's like the universe is giving me another whiplash.

Weird. I've got nothing else to say but weird. Haha. On another matter, I've been observing people who were there. Most were high school students (some with their parents) and all I can say is it seems they want to grow up pronto. Most of the girls were wearing make-up and sporting high-heeled shoes. During my time, we could manage to attend events like that without looking too extravagant. I, myself, was wearing a pair of comfy oxford flats, completely dressed down, and I could just imagine how sore those girls' feet were just by looking at the way they walk. Oh well. Kids today. Or MAYBE, maybe, I'm just getting old. I miss high school though.

Oxford flats from Tonic

It's been a while, Katipunan. It's been a long while.

Just so I can call this 'updated'

2011-01-23T08:50:00.000+08:00

Here's a little something I saw circulating through Facebook which can explain why I haven't been updating much. It's basically a job description plus some other 'perks' of becoming an auditor. I can totally relate and well, LMAO!

I miss blogging though.

Booze, Boots and Rock n Roll

2011-01-01T15:12:00.004+08:00

(plaid polo top, denim high-waist shorts, brown braided belt and The Pill wedge booties)

It's been a tradition to hold a New Year's street celebration which stretches from dusk to dawn. No matter how unplanned and rowdy things can get, we all look forward to this one day of the year wherein we gather together as a big big BIG family to reminisce what has happened in the past year and welcome the incoming year with a big bang boom. We've been like this for almost a decade. Barely half of my life has been witnessing this annual event and I'm really blessed to have such wonderful neighbors and friends who have been with us throughout the years.

So much for the drama, it's a brand new year! New start, new adventures, new lessons and all that jazz. My only resolution for the year is not to look like a siopao. NO MORE SIOPAO FACE FOR ME. My only wish for the year? Love. Hahahahaha.

Thank you 2010 for being amazing. Time to move on and start anew. A Grand New Year to all! :)

So this is Christmas.

2010-12-25T14:56:00.003+08:00

First and foremost, I'd like to greet the world A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS. I hope everybody ate wisely, got what they wanted and enjoyed the company of their family and friends because me? I DID.

In fact, I got exactly what I want (and need) for Christmas. Before I go to the gifts, allow me to share the weird yet insanely fun happenings during last night's street party. Everything went well despite the fact that the parents didn't plan it well (define one-day planning). There was a lot of food (and by LOT I mean loads of pasta, dessert, drinks and viands.) Games were out of this world. For example, there's this one relay game wherein we need to suck an M&M with a plastic straw and transfer the M&M from one cup to another. It may sound so easy but it's actually not. Plus, the game made all the contestants look stupid. It was hilarious! The other game was rather typical. We played Trip To Jerusalem but with a blindfold so we had to guess where the chairs.. I would love to post a photo but my friends would kill me. Haha. The new thing this year was I spent and went through Christmas COMPLETELY booze-free. NO ALCOHOL INTAKE OF ANY SORT. It's a record considering it's always been a part of the celebration since I was in high school aka 5 years back.

(floral corset dress, laced-back cardigan, pearl necklace, Cotton On flats)

Okay the gifts. I received a laptop backpack and a green basic shirt from my mom. It's exactly what I need for work! From my brothers, I received a flash drive and a pair of wedge booties! Got what I want and need. I love Christmas.

Happy holidays! :)

Random Post # 1

2010-12-15T22:07:00.000+08:00

Who wouldn't want one? It's Christmas, people! :> :)

Officially CPAs

2010-11-28T21:49:00.002+08:00

November 26, 2010

Oath Taking Ceremony at the Plenary Hall of PICC, Pasay City

Testimonial Dinner by Review School of Accountancy

With the awesomest college friends EVER.

Will let these photos do the talking.

(Poisonberry Manila blazer, one-shoulder denim dress, Trunkshow gladiator heels)

Awesome food with awesome people. What's not to like?

Welcome To Real Life

2010-11-16T21:53:00.000+08:00

Pardon me if I haven't been updating much. I never knew working for a big company can be very demanding in terms of time and energy. Multi-tasking has been pretty much how I live by as of the moment. It's exhausting but compensated by continuous learning and meeting a lot of people. Extending my network yo! It's a win-win situation, I guess.

I miss my old folks so much, I just can't say no to an UBE (ultimate bonding experience).

Oh life. I'll try my best to keep this site alive.

Polyvore Fun

2010-11-04T20:35:00.001+08:00

I've been busy lately in completing job requirements before I begin working on Monday. It's been tough and fun at the same time. My direction skills have been challenged as well as my peeve as to asking random people for directions. I'm already done with my shopping so I can say I'm ready. I guess.

Now that I'm back to doing nothing, I'm back to Polyvore-ing. Since I've no other option but to wear office wear everyday and I can't seem to put a little twist to it because I'd be walking around most of the time, this is the closest thing I have to 'styling'. And of course, choosing for my sister's wardrobe. Heh. People should try Polyvore-ing. It's fuuun!

When I get the chance, I will post some of what I made out of my sister's closet.

Bows and Stripes

2010-10-23T14:57:00.009+08:00

Oh the rain. It's kind of depressing how you managed to create a virtual ensemble for a dinner only for the weather to ruin it. And for the first time in days since I passed the boards, I was able to go far from home. Yay!

(nautical cardigan, Frou Frou bow top)

My mom's colleague called in for a dinner at the Edsa Shangri-la Hotel, particularly at HEAT. Before going straight to the hotel, I made a little detour at the near-by mall. I was supposed to get two pairs of slacks but ended up only getting one because I spent so much time going from store to store to find something else apart from office wear. I was even on the verge of buying this pair of white & blue boat shoes but decided not to because 1.) it's not part of that day's plan and 2.) I didn't have enough money to get them. And oh, for Filipinos out there, I saw Luis Manzano.

It rained continuously, I've no choice but to wear jeans instead of shorts. First photo's by mom so pardon if it's a little crappy. Heh.

(nautical jacket; bow top; candy red belt from my mom; Guess jeans; oxford flats from Tonic)

FINALLY GOT TO WEAR THESE OXFORDS! Okay it's the second time. They're really comfy and they're my favorite. Dropped by Tonic's stall at The Ramp yesterday and these weren't available. I guess there are other girls who've had dibs on them.

My mom didn't mention that we were going on a buffet. Had I known, I would've worn a dress so the excessive eating won't be just as evident. Haha.

HEAT = Healthy Eating Amazing Tastes

Seafood chowder, seafood paella, spicy gambas, grilled potato and shrimp kebab. So yes, I love shirmp!

Mango and blueberry crepe with vanilla ice cream and strawberry syrup on top.

The food presentations were just too great, I had to take a picture. ICE CENTERPIECES! Amazing!

Ended the day with taho (I don't know what's the English term for this) and The Hunger Games to spend the night away. I'm stuffed and happy. Who doesn't love eating, really? :)

The Dog Days Are Over

2010-10-19T19:10:00.005+08:00

Oh wow. It's been a while since my last entry and I'm so glad to be back. A lot of things came up and thankfully, I've gone through all of them in one piece. Huzzah!

First and foremost, I am pleased to inform you that... I AM NOW A CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT! *Yay!* The recently ended October 2010 CPA licensure examinations was tremendously heart-throbbing and mind-boggling but all of it, including my four collegiate years as an accounting major plus the 5-month review, paid off.

Seeing my name on the list still gives me the creeps.

Those are notes, alright. These are just some of 'em because half of my room was like a huge cork board for almost half a year. Looking back on what I made on my planner a few months ago, I can say everything went just as planned, and I’m really thankful for it. Cleaning all the junk, papers and books is the best therapy. I’m yet to absorb it but yay! I’m really thankful for everybody who prayed for me and my friends.

On other news, I got this cool stuff from my brother.

It’s a set of colored fiber glasses (I’m not entirely sure if they really are fiber glass.) that you can use with any camera (yes, even with a camera phone). When placed in front of the lens, here’s how it’ll look:

When placed in front of the flash unit, here’s how it’ll look:

These were taken the night before I cleaned up my room hence the huge mess. And the PJs wooow! Heh. They aren’t edited, btw.

In blue...

Orange...

and Red.

It’s not much but I think they’re cool. Now that becoming a CPA's done, what's next? I'm yet to find that out. Glad to be back! :)

Brown of the sort

2010-09-24T15:29:00.004+08:00

Inner from Esprit

Outer from a bazaar

Bottom from Jag

Shoes from Cotton On

Bag from Nine West

For the first time this week, today has been fun and fruitful. More on the fun part to be exact because after staying in the library for two hours, I went on a mini-shopping spree! *giddy dance* Though last night when I told my mom I wanna go on a little detour for myself just to unwind a little bit, she agreed but I'm guessing she's gonna kill me once she sees what I bought. Haha.

Tonic is now one of my favorite local brands. Like the other local retailers, they offer a wide variety of shoes from flats to wedges to pumps all of which with a friendly price tag. I came to know of it in one of my usual hunting routines at The Ramp. The second encounter was when I went out with friends. I was supposed to get a pair of wedges but I was short in cash so I decided to just come back for it some other time. When I revisited today, though the coveted pair was still there, I ended up buying a pair of oxford pumps and a pair of brogues. Talk about being impulsive. Hee.

I can't help taking photos. They're just too lovely.

The sales ladies were very accommodating and were very patient enough as I try on every size 'til I get the perfect pair. I was too excited that I forgot to have a photo with them. Nonetheless, thank you very much! :)

They have stalls in Greenhills, Tiendesitas and The Ramp but you can also order online.

I'm not exactly sure when will I have the chance to wear these but really excited to use them and for sure, they won't disappoint. It's been fun! Okay now, Management Advisory Services day resumes!

Spontaneity Love

2010-09-20T18:02:00.011+08:00

Inner from Arizona Jean Company

Jeans cut into shorts

Outer from The Closet Queen

Bag and shoes both from Cotton On

Necklace from a friend

After the gruesome final pre-board exams, my friends and I went for a little spontaneity. But first, we had to go to class. Solutions giving was rather depressing considering I've garnered more mistakes than correct ones, even failing to reach the threshold in some subjects. Three subjects, to be exact. We were still hung up from yesterday's series of tormenting events so we weren't really listening to the reviewers. Played Cooking Mama instead. That Nintendo DS has been a friend to us. Haha.

Lunch at The Pit, dessert at California Berry and QT in a friend's dorm. I didn't get to take a photo of what I ordered at California Berry today since I was too pre-occupied ranting how they ran out of almonds. I ALWAYS eat my yogurt with almonds. Not having some today is a first.

Yesterday, I received a couple of Revlon products from my brother's girlfriend. Oh how I love freebies! Thank you, Nana! :)

Today was nice. Decided not to study for a change but tomorrow's gonna be a different story. Bumming is the life!

On the verge of insanity

2010-09-17T13:52:00.010+08:00

Top from Hong Kong

Belt from Landmark Department Store

Bottom from Cotton On

Shoes from Artwork

Beret from Surplus Shop (yoowww!)

Customized necklace from my aunt (it's actually one of those power balance thinggies)

I've been stuck in the house for three days now. Obviously, it's driving me nuts. I need to get a life apart from accounting. Rawrrr.

Later!

Then there's just some.

2010-09-16T12:45:00.009+08:00

I've been way too busy the past few days due to the upcoming pre-board exams this weekend so I haven't been updating much. I know I've been missing out on a lot. For the meantime, I'd like to share some of my favorite neckpieces. Just for a quick start :)

Lego necklace from my brother

Soccer necklace from H&M (yes I scout even the kids' section)

Vintage necklace from a bazaar

What's been posted on my mirror for weeks. It means 'Go with the flow'.

I just HAVE to.

2010-09-05T15:23:00.002+08:00

My sister knows how much I love granola bars hence THESE. We may have a love-hate relationship but I've got to admit, I have the sweetest sister ever. :)

The Tail Braid

2010-09-03T14:31:00.010+08:00

After a few or so attempts, I have finally gotten the hang of fishtail braiding. Here's how it's supposed to look:

Being an amateur that I am, mine looked like this:

The end result is not as intimidating as it looks because the process turns out to be pretty simple. You've just got to be a little patient because it takes much more time than doing the conventional three-strand braid.

Apart from the fact my cross overs weren't as neat and as fine as they're supposed to be, braiding it dry was such a big mistake. The left photo shows how much of a failure my first try was. I must've missed the part wherein the hair must be dampened first so the short hair strands won't go all over the place. What makes this version better is that it doesn't wave up your hair the way conventional braids do, well for me that is. Sure I'm still not capable to doing an exact replica of the braid shown in the first two photos but I'll try to work on it. Plus, my hair still isn't long enough to nail a decent fishtail. Learning the process itself wasn't really difficult and for sure, like the messy bun, this braid will definitely come in handy during those insanely bad hair days.

You've gotta give it up for YouTube tutorials!

Style Stalker

2010-09-02T18:10:00.011+08:00

khaki studded vest from Greenhills tiangge

floral dress from The Closet Queen

heels from Ichigo Shoes

I got featured in this month's issue of Meg Magazine under the Style Stalker section found in page 44!

The photo was taken during the magazine's 12th anniversary party in Amber Ultra Lounge at The Fort. This is a first for me and though I am fully aware of the publish, seeing myself in a magazine still is a bit of a shock. Unlike the other featured girls who strutted in Zara, Aldo and Mango, my ensemble's composed of items mostly from local sources with my Ichigo shoes as the only part of the outfit having an actual brand. It's kind of intimidating but hey, we all landed in one page! Good thing the editors decided to tweak the photos a little because I attended that party with zero make-up (I don't consider cheek tint and lip gloss as make-up).

I admit I've always wanted to be in a magazine so I guess this means a check in my bucket list. ACCOUNTING GRADUATE. Haha. Eh! Look, I'm not the only one in the field. Three other girls are accounting graduates, two of which are CPAs. This just proves that CPAs aren't as boring as others think. We do know how to pa-a-a-artay! Heh.

Nonetheless, thank you to Meg Magazine for the feature! September is indeed my birthday month :)

Missing The Hype of Singing

2010-08-28T21:46:00.010+08:00

Watching Glee never fails in giving me a whiplash.

For three years, I was a part of the glee club aka SHS Chorale. Unlike the Glee Kids, I didn't believe the notion about glee-clubbers as geeks, nerds, losers and loners because in my point of view, none of it was true. Others may think singing is boring because it entails effort and time as to learning how to read notes and singing them right but the sound of harmonizing voices is, without a doubt, bliss.

Last week, as I was searching for a spare clear book, I ran into my pile of musical pieces and can’t help reviving the glory days I had with the rest of the club. The late night practices, the staggered breathing, the Wednesday meetings, the adventures along the dark fourth floor hallway, the competitions and other events --- makes me wanna go back and do them all over again. As I ran through the sheets, I sorted out some of the most memorable songs we’ve sang and will now try to remember what made it so unforgettable.

1. My Mistress Frowns

This song’s composed mostly (as in more than half of the song) of fa-la-las. LITERALLY. What makes it so memorable? The message. “My mistress frowns when she should pla-a-a-a-a-a-a-ay. I’d tease her with the fa-la-la-la…” What does that even mean? I never had the chance to know what it meant but singing this was really really fun. It's definitely one of the fun songs we've had. We sang this when the Ateneo High School Glee Club invited us to perform during their school fair. I was a junior back then.

2. Laudi Alla Vergine Maria
I sang this with Glee Girls Pilipinas, not with SHS Chorale, for a friend’s recital in UP. Learning it was the hardest part because not only I’m bad with notes, it’s in Italian. Hello tongue twister! Being able to memorize it was such an achievement, don’t you think?

3. De Virgin Mary Had A Baby Boy
The first word that came to mind upon seeing this was ‘YES!’. If you’re in my club and were a soprano two, you know exactly what I mean. We sang this when we front-acted for Kundirana of La Salle Greenhills.

4. Ave Maria
No, it’s not just any version. It’s Mr. C’s version! The song’s one-page short but the notes are just blah. Whenever we sing this, I go all over the place. The middle part’s where I sucked the most, and I have to admit… when I’m not sure of my notes (I tend to get myself mixed up with the other voices due to loss of focus), I don’t sing aka I lip-synch. Haha! I think we also sang this during the Ateneo gig.

5. Waters of March
The song’s generally simple but the lyrics are quite tricky. Maybe we were too stressed because there’s just too much to memorize and so much to do that we HAD to use an idiot board. I guess the audience had an idea about the idiot board because most of us were looking down to get the words right. What a sight.

Not that I’m ripping off what the series is trying to say but in my three years with Chorale, I realized that everybody can be remarkable in their own simple way. We may not have had the energy of the other clubs or not exactly was a show choir but being with this group is definitely one of the best.

Proudly Pinoy

2010-08-22T17:06:00.019+08:00

I can easily remember that as I child, I barely owned the latest Barbie merchandise let alone had more than five pairs of shoes (oh the perks of hand-me-downs). So whenever I see a pair, I could barely identify which was which, and all I knew was they were shoes. I only came to know of such when I started going to college but my fascination for shoes began when I got exposed to the limelight various parties and events brought about. I knew I had to have a do over, improve everything I can work on from top to toe. To be precise, my eye for them opened when I had the chance to rummage one of my aunt's closets. Hers wasn't exactly as huge as Jane Aldridge's but her (my aunt) taste for classic and plain shoes got me going on, even asking for her Zara gray oxfords I instantly fell in love with the moment I laid eyes on them. From then on, well. The rest is history.

What I'm happy about is that the Filipinos didn't allow themselves to get left behind in the shoe industry. In fact, a lot of Pinoy brands have emerged from across the country which are far more better than the foreign ones. The Filipinos behind these brands have finally heeded the need for fashionable finds without tormenting the pocket. Being a semi-shopaholic that I am, I've also developed favoritism for certain brands just because they were able to meet my 'expectations'.

These are just some of my growing collection of footwear from various local brands. Just by looking at the captions, you can easily tell Ichigo Shoes and The Pill top my list. I learned of the former over Multiply and the latter when I was going through the shoe racks of The Ramp in Trinoma.

(Left: Glad Heels from Ichigo; Center: Velcro Heels from Trunk Show; Right: Chunk Heels from Ichigo)

(From left to right: Pact flats and Rise flats both from The Pill; thongs from Ichigo)

(Top: lace flats from Ichigo, patent loafers from The Pill; Bottom: Pointed flats both from Fancy Flats)

They say that for the Philippines to boost its economy, its people should patronize local products. Well here I go. I suggest that in finding the perfect pair, everybody should consider getting one from our own. Shoe fetish satisfied and nationalism met. Let's all support Pinoy brands! :)

Writing down a write-up

2010-08-08T14:46:00.009+08:00

I received a text from my dear friend, Joan Domingo, asking me to make a write-up about her for their college yearbook. This is the rough draft I composed with the help of my phone while I was jammed in traffic on my way home from the library. All the reviewing for the boards has occupied so much space in my coconut, and this was all I was able to come up with after extracting what's left of my creative juices.

Imagine Mary Poppins. Her carpetbag may seem small from the outside but inside are unexpected yet amazing things beyond imagination. Then imagine Joan Domingo. See the resemblance? Joan, fondly called as Jongs or Domengs by her peers, has the ability to paint the town red in a heartbeat. Her loud yet regulated personality can give one a dose of sunshine even in the saddest of days. Her aura screams of positivity and delight, one may mistake her as having no worries of any sort but what many don't know is how problematic she gets when it comes to fitting herself in the smallest shirt available. She can be very temperamental and no one should dare going beyond her patience threshold. Now, think of Carrie Bradshaw and Rebecca Bloomwood because apart from cute little kids and towering chinitos, pretty clothes kryptonite her. Her love for children is embodied in her desire to be a pre-school teacher in a prominent school in the near future. Playful, giddy and neurotic as hell. Joan admits to be all but above all things, she is loyal, genuine and caring. Without a doubt, Joan is a living testimony of the notion that "big things come in small packages."

I was more than happy to know she appreciated whatever I made up for this and more than honored to have been chosen to make one for her. In turn, she posted on my Facebook page her message for me which, I think, will be included in their manuscript. It literally made my day. Don't you just LOVE having friends for keeps? :)

Candy Girl

2010-08-08T13:34:00.009+08:00

Yesterday, my sister was ratting about this bag of sweets she got from my brother's girlfriend who had a short trip to Tokyo, Japan a few days ago. At first, I was hesitant to try it all because there's a grinning alien on the bag but being the sweet tooth that I used to be, I gave it a shot. The candy's almost similar to Butter Ball except this one's more tasty and lasts longer. What I liked about it was the wrapper. When I arranged them neatly in a file, they reminded me of the three peas in a pod in Toy Story 3. With a cute packaging like this, who wouldn't grab a piece?

Apart from the alien candy, I also tried the green Kitkat. Crazy as it may be, I thought it'll be in wasabi or something of the sort. The Japanese always come up with the most bizarre flavors so don't blame me for thinking it'll taste like goo. HAHA. The candy bar looked like an ordinary Kitkat from the outside but the inside's orange and tasted like melon! Hoo. If only Philippine candy manufacturing companies improve on their packaging, they can easily compete with these.

Blabbing about sweets makes me feel like watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory again.

This is short, random and bizarre.

2010-08-04T18:45:00.016+08:00

"Secrets have their way of getting out." --- Jenna Cavanaugh, Pretty Little Liars

Have you ever had a secret so grave that you can't afford anyone, not even a single soul, to know of it but unfortunately breaks out in the open? Well I haven't had a deep, dark secret that scattered out like wildfire but I did have a few ranging from petty to gasp-worthy ones. The experience was unpleasant.

No matter how much effort we put into keeping secrets, we cannot deny the fact that they can and will eventually find their way out. Everything is just a matter of time. They have the capacity to take us by surprise, and before we know it, they have taken their toll on us ready for the final blow and for a big, fat slap on the face. The feeling of discovering that a trusted friend has spilled the beans or simply the thought that the once well-kept secret’s now being passed on like a disease is heart-breaking. It just shatters you to a million pieces. The most devastating of them all is when you thought no one knows, the person/people you anticipated the least to know of it has/have managed to buy his/her/their way in to steal it from you without you even noticing it. (I’m not talking about Inception. It’s a different perspective but I hope you get the memo.)

I know of a case wherein they’ve been hiding under the shadows for quite some time now (probably because the risk of humiliation and resentment upon discovery is high) but little did they know that the barrier they created to protect that secret turns out to be penetrable. Easily penetrable. Only heaven knows who among those surrounding them are aware of the situation.

Just by knowing of this case convinces me of the truth behind the premise that a secret cannot always stay as one forever, and I believe this is just one of the many inevitable things in life one must learn to accept because a secret can easily turn to a trending topic IN A HEARTBEAT. Without precaution and without regard. Isn’t it a nightmare? So best possible way to keep ourselves from becoming the talk of the town is to yes… stay away from secrets. Plain and simple. The moment the necessity to speak of the truth arises or when things are way too obvious to be hidden, by all means, just admit it to get it over and done with. Not only it’ll keep you from getting all hysterical, it’ll also save you from a lot of trouble.

Now the question is: If you have a secret, can you keep it? Or should I say, for how LONG can you keep it?

To Sir

2010-07-29T14:49:00.015+08:00

The past will always have its way of creeping back.

It's just one of the many downsides of having a vivid mind. I don't even understand why this vividness only works for memories and not on accounting principles. Whatever. Point is having a clear cut view of the past can be really ghastly. Perhaps there's just something about me that has been so attached, it has to strive so hard to let go. Then again, there's always something sad about the ways how you both intentionally and unintentionally make me remember the short period of happy days that have been.

Someone once said that the amount of time it takes a girl to fall for a boy is the exact amount of time it'll take her to let it go altogether. Shameful as it may seem, I'm starting to find the truth in it. No one knows what it's like to pass by the place where I used to feel safe and act as if I've never been there. No one knows how much I twitch at the sight of your car thinking I'd never be the person who'd occupy the passenger seat. No one knows how much I think of your whereabouts whenever I come home late at night and not see your car. No one knows how often I visit your page though there's nothing much to see. No one knows how frequent I watch Princess and the Frog and 500 Days of Summer because you were the one I watched them with. No one knows how much I resist making Wicked Oreos for I only learned making them because you requested me to. No one knows how much the rain frightens me yet the only person who used to keep me from breaking down will never be there. No one knows how keen I am in having even the shortest conversation with you. Every. Single. Day.

No one knows because I haven't told anybody. And I'm telling it now.

I've always imagined you'd be one of the many whom I'd be sharing the glory with the moment I make it as a CPA or as a co-owner of a cuddly little pup I've dreamed of naming Yoda. I didn't know every thing's gonna come and go in a whim. It is my regret to have erased all the crazy pictures we took and those by others as well. Nonetheless, the vividness of my left side brain takes its toll in recalling every single detail of every single thing without the necessity of a physical contact. It's kind of torturing, you know? I'm well aware it is not customary for a woman to return all the things given to her by someone who used to be so special, but I guess I can always be the exception. I'd rather give them back than throw them away or see them in my bedroom to haunt me.

You've no idea how much I want to let it all go. Like I said, it's been a daily on-going pain. However, I choose not to deal with it in the same way as you did. Not just simply going around the world looking for a replacement because I admit, you are irreplaceable in certain odd ways only I can think of. No. I will not find somebody else because I'm lonely. I will find someone else because I'm ready. Until then, I'm not so sure especially now that you've started to dominate my dreams and make your presence felt in the most unexpected places.

Everything can be so far-fetched, and I guess things can never go back the way they were.

The Pill, the ReSA and the Basyang

2010-07-16T18:24:00.033+08:00

The last thing I should be getting myself into is another arms-length transaction with a shoe store. With how the rate things are going, I can hardly deny the fact that such transaction's highly probable. One of my favorite local brands, The Pill, has released a new set of flats that will surely make someone like moi pick on her Mr. Ham to grab the latest.

Drat! Looks like someone's getting her old sickness back! :|

On other news, it seems only yesterday I walked up the PICC stage to get my graduation cap's tassel tossed from one side to another then later on starting off the school year at ReSA (The Review School of Accountancy). Time really flies by so fast when you're learning a lot and getting the hang of things at the same time.

Almost two months have come and gone, and will you look at that: I'd be taking my very first Pre-Board exams next week.

They opted to pattern our schedule with the actual board exam's so there won't a lot of getting used to on the actual boards. I am among the lucky (or should I say unlucky?) ones who didn't get a slot in our very own review school as the said exam's venue. Only the first 820 applicants are to be catered, and the rest shall be thrown out to the premises of National University. Maybe it's only me but I think this is a good thing considering I've never been to that university. It's going to be a whole new place. It is of public knowledge that the rich clan behind SM Malls has acquired NU and given the circumstances, images of what a typical campus is ought to look comes to mind except for escalators instead of stairs, a food court instead of a canteen and probably, a National Bookstore branch instead of a simple bookstore. HAHA. With a wealthy businessman financing an institution like that, baka may supermarket na sa ground floor nila at magkaroon na rin ng SM National University. What a crazy idea! In case it materializes, kinopya lang nila yun sa akin. HUWAHAHAHA! :))

At kamusta naman ang balitang natalo raw nila ang La Salle kahapon sa UAAP? :O This is probably their first win against La Salle in years. Not that I refuse to give credit to NU's basketball team for the win but srsly, we know where this all came from. I don't want to even start with it kasi it's not much of a good news. I now feel for ex-Thomasian players who... basta. It's so sad. Hindi porket may generator lang school niyo ah! HAHAHA. I'm assuming they do have generators like the SM malls. LOL.

Speaking of generators, they came in handy last Wednesday which has been considered by everybody as one of the most useless days in their lives. The insanely strong winds brought about by typhoon Basyang last Tuesday night have caught the country by surprise. Toppled trees and posts have caused so much damage that classes needed to be suspended and the power supply cut off. The wind was so strong, they're comparable to witches in bedtime stories who relentlessly knock on windows to gobble the little children. I was almost proud that no amount of rain can stop us reviewees from attending classes on the premise that the scheduled board exam will not be deferred for any class suspension. Tipong the show must go on pero hindi rin. Upon getting the news, I've come to this conclusion:

"No kuryente, no classes."

Totoo rin naman kasi on that same day (Wednesday), it was barely raining and the creepy winds were gone but due to the prior night's festivities which caused Meralco to cut the power supply, none of ReSA's teaching aids will serve their purpose so they've no choice but to call it a day. Luckily, the strong winds didn't come with a heavy downpour. We, most especially I, don't want another Ondoy experience, right? Thank God there were no reported major catastrophes. Hope it'll be kept that way for days to come.

P.S. I think I'd still be getting them flats when I get the chance to. Boo-yaaah! :)

UPDATE (July 17, 7:32pm)

The two pairs of sandals shown above are now in my closet. To make sure I get them, I even had them reserved in their Trinoma branch! HAHA. Am I really impulsive like that? :| :))

Friday Blues

2010-07-09T22:25:00.027+08:00

Fridays can be really depressing.

For one, I failed to score them Usher tickets hence the depravity of catching a live and once-in-a-lifetime OMG performance. I've been keeping my fingers crossed on the concert's live coverage this group has been blabbing about thinking it's a live streaming of the show straight from the concert grounds. Lo and behold, it's just a mere set of Twitter posts as to what's currently going on so it's not much of a coverage. More of an update, yes? Another, Despicable Me opens today (in the US at that). Inasmuch as I wanted to watch it because Agnes and the fluffy unicorn's too cute to ignore, I can no longer afford spending too much more so I've no one to watch it with.

Sad.

However, I'm gonna make sure that before this month ends, I have had watched that film on the premise it's already available for download. Can you ever resist so much cuteness?

"IT'S SO FLUFFY, I'M GONNA DIEEE! IT'S SO FLUFFYYYYYY!"

I hardly think so! WTF it's so freakin' cuteee!

Going back, Fridays should be really fun but I've got to do my homework. Even us reviewees have our fair share of school work. Handouts to answer and lecture notes to read are starting to pile up and considering the first pre-board's two weeks from now, I am WAY behind schedule. I chose not to visit the library today on the thought that it's time-for-me-to-stop-studying-because-it's-Friday but I ended up rummaging my old Financial Accounting books for a refresher. Darn you, Practical Accounting 1! I never really liked you but you should like me back. With all the scribbles, notes and reminders, my wall's starting to look like a giant cork board. By the end of this pursuit, my purple wall will no longer be purple. When that time comes, I am sure to post a photo of my room here. Just so you wait!

Good thing I have THESE to accompany me:

A. M&S Swiss Chocolate Bar

I got this block for bagging second place in a drinking contest during a friend's birthday party. Being the sweet-toothed dork that I am, I just HAD to to that <---.

Eventually, nobody touched it for a few days until I opened it myself. The option buttons must've been really effective.

B. Kellog's PopTarts

My parents dragged me to S&R yesterday to shop for ingredients for a dual-birthday celebration tomorrow. I was bored and the store's WiFi connection's password-protected so instead, I went from hallway to hallway to check on the goods until I stumbled upon these. Again, food is of the essence and I just had to. I am gobbling up a Smores bar now.

Heh.

I also prepared meself some coffee for a more prolonged study time. With these two plus a granola bar and a tumbler of coffee, only God knows when will I have the need to sleep. At this rate, I'm starting to have a feeling that reviewees do have the tendency to gain a lot of weight. VERY LIKELY if you ask me. No to a fatty fat fat me please.

Now, back to the local programming!

Code Yellow

2010-07-02T19:04:00.020+08:00

June 30, 2010 marked the beginning of a new Philippines for it was when the newly inaugurated President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III steps in to occupy the highest position of the nation. I may have not witnessed the inauguration ceremony and not have heard the entirety of his speech but I truly believe it touched the hearts of the Filipinos who have been longing for a better Philippines.

Even before the electoral campaign started, a lot have been having doubts on the capabilities of Noynoy Aquino just because he's not as smart as his contenders or he has only been leeching on what his parents had established. Simply put, he hasn't accomplished anything major that he can call as his own. Even his posture and his smoking habits failed to escape from falling down the bashing hole. People kept on saying that hadn't his mother died, he wouldn't have entered the race. There may be some truth about it but I believe that whatever happened was meant to happen. Hadn't he ran, a man who was once jailed because of a case of graft would be our president, the abusive use of sirens would continue and heaven forbid, the Philippines might have lost another chance of revival. For sure, a lot would rather live in a different country than tolerate yet another corrupt official who'd do nothing but steal.

I would.

Throughout our long history of democracy, we've seen how the most intelligent of presidents jeopardized the general welfare over personal interests. We've seen how they can manipulate the system without violating the Constitution. I have nothing against them but based from experience, they really have the ability to cause so much damage without them paying the price. What this country needs is a person with character. Someone who has the decency not to abuse his power and authority, the honesty not to use the nation's wealth to satisfy one's greed and the dedication to put the people first above anything else.

That someone could be Noynoy Aquino.

Using PNoy as a means of addressing the president is a good choice. It represents his oneness with the Filipino people; that finally, this president can be among us. Immediately the day after he prohibited the use of sirens, a congresswoman and a police officer got served, and this is a good start. Everybody should realize that no one is above the law. Not even the president himself. If everybody are disciplined enough to follow the law then we can expect a brighter future for our beloved homeland. Change doesn't happen overnight but I am expecting it to happen. My vote was given to the 15th President of the Republic of the Philippines. I am hoping that my vote, along with the millions who have given their trust to PNoy, will not be put to waste.

Change begins today. Make it happen, Mr. President.

Rock Mafia

2010-06-29T18:31:00.008+08:00

June 26, 2010

Palacio de Maynila, Roxas Blvd.

Dio Rez Santiago's 21st Birthday Celebration

A lot of things happened that night so I'd let these photos do the talking:

It's not everyday a good friend who turns 21 throws a mayjah bash such as this one. Free flowing booze. Unlimited photo booth shots. Ear-popping sounds. A WHOLE LOTTA FUN! These people definitely know how to party. I'm pretty sure this won't be the last of its kind. Heh!

Wore these heels I got from Trunk Show.

They were surprisingly comfy and didn't give me a hard time dancing and jumping.

That's the life.

Main Mane

2010-06-21T18:25:00.009+08:00

I stumbled upon this photo during one of those lazy Tumblr days:

Lo and behold: THE MESSY BUN. I've been seeing girls, mostly of my age, strutting this do on their bad hair days. I feel so envious whenever I see them nail a perfect messy (haha that was ironic) bun in a whim just because my hair's not long enough for a bun.

Luckily this morning, after a few attempts:

HAH! MY OWN VERSION OF THE BUN! All I did was to practice! The first photo, which I call "The Step-By-Step Guide To A Messy Bun For Idiots" has been my ultimate guide to success! HUWAHAHA! Now, I no longer have to deal with those effin' bad hair days especially that crappy moment whenever I get off the tricycle. For sure, this will come in handy on those desperate times. Just grab a ponytail, roll my hair like that and tie them all up! The wind feels so good as it drifts against my neck, I think I'll put this 'do in an eternal state of dibs! HAHAHA.

Hurrah to the messy bun! I can't wait for my hair to grow much much longer.

Breaking Out A Sweat

2010-06-20T19:42:00.016+08:00

Running has been a vital part of my everyday living. I'm no athlete but I am one of those who runs to stay in shape. As a kid, I tag along my father whenever he pays the Ultra track oval a visit. It has been as such throughout the years, and I can say I've formed an inclination towards that oval. The aforementioned inclination has got nothing to do with my ex-boyfriend who happens to be a trackster. It just so happens that the place gives me that homey feel. Just to make things clear. HAHA.

However, due to the circumstances, I haven't been having the chance to make a comeback on that same oval where I used to hang out as a child. It's been a while since my last run, and it breaks my heart I can no longer come with my parents on weekdays due to my on-going professional pursuit. This is where the I-am-more-than-lucky-to-live-in-a-place-wherein-I-can-go-outside-and-feel-safe-from-dangers-the-streets-have-to-offer (whoa that was long!) realization comes in. The streets and curbs of our subdivision have been at my beck and call in times when I needed to break out a sweat or just to be alone.

The skies were blue this afternoon so I put on my Adidas, went though my playlist and set out for a run. My father has been telling me I'm starting to look like a drug addict to him but at least he's the one who has been encouraging me to jog around to stay in shape... whatever shape it is. HAHA. Compared to my previous run, this one's peaceful in the sense that I didn't see anything or anyone I didn't want to see, there were no rowdy workers around to whistle at me or my ponytails didn't decide to snap. The only downside was I didn't catch the two guy joggers I saw last time. Because of them, I managed to run the entire stretch of Stockholm St. without stopping and panting so they were pretty good pullers. Though they weren't there a while ago, I still managed to run all the way from Stockholm St. down to Queensland St. non-stop. Considering it's been a long while, that was an accomplishment for a comeback.

I look happy, healthy and sweaty, don't I? Yeah yeah they're pretty disgusting but hey, the feeling's awesome. HAHA. It felt so good, I immediately resembled a living faucet the moment I stopped. The perspiration was so excessive, I even made a trail of sweat droplets wherever I go. You won't be having a hard time in tracking me down. HAHA. But it was really good. Hopefully on my next run, I can go non-stop from Havana St. to Queensland St. AND get to see my pullers along the way. Who knows, it can be a start of a great friendship. Odiba may ganon? Nyeh! HAHAHAHA!

Ay Carrabba!

2010-05-28T18:22:00.007+08:00

May 27, 2010 (Thursday)

Dashboard Confessional Live in Manila

17 songs, 5 hits

The best two hours of my life!

I never thought I'd be one of those who'd scream their hearts out at the sight of Dashboard Confessional. Guess it's just my luck!

It was one heck of a show! Like whoa! Not to mention we were seated at the VVIP section (yeah double V!) so we were THAT close to the stage. I could even see him sweat! It was my first time to catch an international artist in a live concert so I was really at awe. And god, who would've thought Chris Carrabba would be that AWESOME? From the looks down to the voice. Homaygehd! AKO NA ANG STARSTRUCK!

Simply looking at last night's photos gives me the creeps. I think I love him! ♥♥♥

So Said Miley

2010-05-26T12:08:00.006+08:00

Sometimes, Tumblr leads you to the good stuff such as this one:

Why does it have to be seven? Pretty much reminds me of Miley Cyrus' song. Errr. Oh just ditch #4 please. I'd rather have one who is not into not-my-kind-of-weird stuff a.k.a. no horrors please. My knees will turn into jelly, swear. Other than that, I think we're good.

But not now. After October, perhaps? HAHAHAHA! :))))))

Update Schmupdate

2010-05-03T20:36:00.009+08:00

It's been a while since my last decent entry. Most of the previous posts were either about an obsession my fifteen year-old self would've had or how my OCD-ness got lost due to the continuous academic pursuit. Now that I got my life back, even at least for three days, I believe it's high time that I come up with something. Just something.

The past week has been rough given the fact we've undergone a series of horrible examinations constituting various accounting topics good for a semester packed in two weeks. Whoa that was confusing but you get the point. Bottom line: it's been tough. All eight exams were only 35% of my grade subject to a change in estimate in the event I fail in getting at least a raw score of 75 in every exam. That's the administration being a monster on us. Of the eight exams, I was pretty sure that only two or three would reach the mark. For sure, they're not making it any easier. We thought that graduation would be a sure deal but due to the circumstances, I believe there's a need for reassessment. Not like we haven't done enough for the past four years, just taking in whatever the course has to offer. I've seen how these people devote so much time and effort to graduate on time, and there's no denying that. But I guess, they're (the administration) more mindful on maintaining a high passing rate rather than aiding students in reaching their respective goals.

Harsh but true.

On the contrary, subsequent events were rather satisfactory. Aside from the fact that we have ourselves a long weekend (it's the best thing GMA could do now that she's about to step down from power which I hope is for GOOD), I've finally had the chance to go out with some blockmates to spend a Friday night the way it's supposed to be spent. Compared to my Friday last week, wherein I was stuck to solving MS problems rather than doing something entertaining, the Friday that just ended was superb. It was rather spontaneous and last minute but they never fail to turn out to be the one of the greatest. Not to mention it's one of those much-needed break in which we had to let loose and just forget our old dorky selves. Even for just one day. How bizarre of them to play Paramore song instead of an LMFAO beat. By the end of the night, I had one realization. Now that I have my 'freedom' back, no one can tell me what to do, what to wear, where to go and who to hang out with. At least now, I can do things as I please without some other people being ratty about it and make me regret everything. At least now, there's no one who will see the negative side of the things I do. Well, none that I'm aware of because even if they still do, I won't even care. It just sucks how judgmental others can be to make up issues with something that aren't issues to begin with. Oh well. You just can't have it all.

So far, I've been making the most out of this long weekend. I haven't touched any of my accounting stuff (apart from the SOP wherein I mark a new book's chapters with post-its) for days which was a good thing. A friend and I were supposed to catch Iron Man 2 last Saturday but we had to cancel it due to a fortuitous event. Instead, I took my sister with me to pay the nearest hairdresser a visit.

So yes, yay to new haircut!

I've already posted our photos in my Facebook account and reposting it here would be too redundant. Maybe you can settle for a description, yes? HAHA. Mine was the usual except that I had it thinned out since my mane's starting to get really heavy and quite shabby. I've sworn that I won't be having a single haircut until I become a CPA. Now I guess that just breaks the ice. Not that I wasn't satisfied with the outcome because I looked like a Korean again but I've always wanted to chop off my hair right after high school. However, I wasn't blessed with a luxurious mane in order to properly sport the look so... I had my sister's chopped off instead! Boy, I was happy to see how it looks on her.

Oh sorry. Did I just say BOY? HAHAHA.

Yesterday, I got completely bored so I turned the fan girl mode on. I was going through YouTube to see all of Justin Bieber's music videos, even his live performances in various events. Then I came across a site which contained a photo of Tim Yap's tweet saying that there's a possibility Justin Bieber might actually come to Manila for a concert (see photo in previous post below). ZOMGGG! If it were true, then it's high time I save up for it! So calling my friends, let's not be kuripot and catch this one pleeeez! It'll make me really really happy. Thank youuu! I don't care if he's gay or has reached puberty and can no longer sing Baby in its original pitch. IT'S JUSTIN BIEBER, PEOPLE! *cue in Baby intro here*

Oh dear! This is my fangirldom at work. And may I say there's another concert a friend and I are eying to. I sure hope it pushes through.

Yesterday morning (Sunday), I started the Big Bang Theory Season 1 marathon, and boy I am hooked! I've been hearing this TV series for quite sometime now, a friend even recommending it to me, but I didn't even bother to download it to give it a try. Now I know what the craze is all about. Sheldon Cooper is just awesome! I like the way he delivers his punchlines and how stiff and sarcastic he is. How I wish I can have his Batjar. HAHAHA! All the rocket science thing --- genius! The way they converse reminds me of the way my friends and I talk. Pure accounting bliss! Nat. I finished the last three episodes this morning, and still waiting for the season 2 download to finish. After that... BAZINGAAA!

"You can try but you'll never catch me. Bazinga!" --- Sheldon Cooper is really awesome! :)

That's just about it. The three days that had been. I'm pretty sure I made the most of it because tomorrow and the next following days will be the death of me. Now that is not awesome.

Summer Calamity

2010-04-25T18:42:00.008+08:00

This is my room in a state of calamity.

Whenever hell weeks come, my room transforms into a small educational wasteland with crumpled scratch papers, handouts and books all over the place. It has been like this for days, and considering I have a mild obsessive compulsive disorder, it kind of ticks me off. Inasmuch as I want to maintain the orderliness of my room, there's just no time to fix everything the way Emma Pillsbury does it. Tingnan mo naman ang planner ko at may oras pa akong mag-drawing! Gah!

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

I have eight major exams coming up so I've been studying like a ninja for the past few days. Due to time constraints, I can't reorganize my room just yet. Magugulo rin naman eh! Ironic. I can't fix my room yet I can make a blog entry with matching photos to boot.

LOLOLOLOL! :>

Day Two

2010-04-16T21:45:00.013+08:00

Every semester, I reach this point wherein I just sit down, stare and do nothing for no reason at all. It's me just wanting everything to halt for a millisecond, and give me a quick chance to go things over. Or maybe that's me on the verge of procrastination. Even before entering college, my father constantly reminded me to do advanced readings so there's no need to cram when hell weeks come. Well, I am proud to say I am so much of a crammer, and for the past four years, it worked just fine.

Today's the second day of our IAC class. For those who aren't aware, it stands for Integrated Accounting Course which covers most of our accounting courses for the entire school year packed in four subjects. This is why we don't graduate with the rest of the University. This is why we always have to be defensive when people ask about our "delayed" graduation. So I was saying, the IAC class. So far, so sleepy. HAHAHA. Ano ba, latagan ka ba naman ba ng walong oras na puro accounting. Sinong hindi mawiwindang? Unlike the previous summer, this one's better. Much better. The AC units work just fine unlike last year na parang araw-araw kaming nasa sauna sa init. The line of professors is much more appealing since only a few will kill us of boredom. At magsisimula ang torture sa Lunes. TAXATION FOR 8 HOURS YAHOO! Overkill! :| :))

Second day of classes, and I already feel exhausted. So much accounting not to mention the summer heat. Now it's proven that mental work is much more straining than physical exercise. Sadly, there's just no excuse. We've no choice but to deal with the situation in full force. Walang arte-arte, walang easy-easy. We're barely two months away from graduation so there's just no room for truancy and laziness. But alas, I'm still stuck in the summer limbo and still haven't got my drive. What I need is a little push. Siguro medyo gagana rito yung pagiging hater ko. Weh!

A few has been having doubts on whether I can make it on time or not just because:
a. they rarely see me studying in full blast aka like a total geek
b. I'm always online (hello naman sa Facebook. HAHA!)
c. I've been branded as someone I'm actually not. Let's not elaborate on this na lang. Bwahaha!
d. and I'm excessively happy and I can't be a "serious" corporate accountant.

Well, you all are full of BS. Just because I can be bastos and maingay sometimes doesn't mean I can't scare you with my numbers. Just because you never catch me in my study room often doesn't mean I am not serious about my career track. And just because I know how to live my life doesn't mean I can't become a certified public accountant. To tell you the truth, accounting isn't my first choice. I only got into this just because I didn't get the course I wanted in the school where I wanted to take it. Sinabi ko na lang na kapag naging CPA naman na ako, madali nang magpayaman from there. So kapag mayaman na ako, tsaka na lang ako mag-aaral ulit. And when that time comes, I can slap to your BS faces my PRC license with my name followed by a C, a P and an A. WATCH ME!

For now, I'm still stuck in the summer limbo waiting for my accounting vigor to pump me up. Hello naman kasi nakakatamad pa talaga. Okay tama na ang accounting! :> :p

So ano na ba?

Update A.
Recently, I had a short yet awkward encounter with some friends na sakto nga naman kung mag-interrogate tungkol sa nakaraan ko. Thanks for bringing that up. I'm not saying I haven't moved on. Oh please, it's been months since the incident plus I've the barrier along with some more protection (HAHAHAHA THIS!), remember? Awkward lang kasi it was his friends asking. Halfway through the conversation, I was torn between saying what they wanted to know or just keep it safe and tell them what I think they ought to know. Bahala na lang sila sa kung anong gusto nilang paniwalaan.

Update B.
I'm still having doubts whether to keep 'Yoda' in the circle, completely shut it off or keep it altogether and be civil. Same situation with certain people na tingin kong dati pang kumawala sa kung anuman ang meron dati. Okay that was confusing. Eh. I have people issues pero konti lang naman. For as long as I know I'm in the right track, I guess there's nothing to worry about.

Update C.
Off with a clean cyber slate. I want to delete everything --- Multiply, Facebook, YM, e-mail addresses. Everything. Just erase them and start all over again. As of today, my Multiply, which should've been deleted two months ago, is still up and running but it's no longer updated so I guess it's as good as gone. It's just there only for back-up purposes since I've a lot of photos in it. Hopefully, I can delete at least the entries posted, and just concentrate everything here so as to have something I can easily identify myself with. As for Facebook, HAHAHA. Super asa! With all the controversies I have there, I don't think I can afford to start over. Minsan masaya rin namang balikan yung mga ganung bagay for a major laugh trip. For my e-mail address, I'm confined to just one. I've disregarded all previous e-adds from the most used to the most jologs ones I made way back. All the passwords in all my accounts have been changed as well so to you who are planning to act ala Imbestigador on me, dream on. Not unless you want to access them so badly, be my guest. HUWAHAHAHA! :))

From now on, I will brace myself for what's in stored for me. Usapang accounting muna. I've mentioned to my parents already that there's still a chance for me to get delayed in the event I fail a subject *knocks on wood really really hard* but I am sure to do my best in this one last college straw. Dork mode kung dork mode! Nasira na kung nasira yung tres-free record ko but for what's worth, it ain't going to matter once I get THERE.

Humanda ka! :)

The Trip That Has Been

2010-04-13T22:24:00.022+08:00

The last time I've had an out-of-the-country trip was back in 2008 when my father was assigned in Macau. Recently, I've had another Asian trip to its nearby district, Hong Kong. This time, I was only with one of my siblings and my mother.

I left for Hong Kong on a Saturday night, March 27, at the 7pm flight via Cebu Pacific. The original plan was I'd be the only one to travel but I was lucky enough that I was accompanied by an older brother. What would've been my first time to travel alone would've probably been a complete disaster since I turn completely stupid when it comes to following check-in procedures and stuff. My father had to write down the steps on how to reach the waiting deck alive. HAHAHA. Hong Kong was a two-hour flight from Manila. Luckily, I had my iPod handy to make time go faster. I've downloaded the latest episodes of Gossip Girl which I've abstained from watching for weeks just so I'd be having something to do during the trip. Upon reaching Hong Kong International Airport, I couldn't help looking around like a complete tourist because their port was just amazing. What I liked about its architecture was it was simple made mostly of chunky metal poles and thick glasses, making the entire area spacious enough to accommodate tourists from around the globe.

(High-ceilinged places make me feel so small but I must say, they have a nice airport.)

The long walk, or should I say escalator ride, from the boarding gate to the arrival area was entertaining because all the while, I was trying to pin point who's a Filipino and who's not. Apparently, it was harder than I thought. At the immigration, there's this one Chinese lady with a small and squeaky voice who was semi-shouting "DH!" whenever a batch of people falls in line. It was annoying, by the way. It didn't take long before I got my passport stamped, and came out to look for my mom who was probably there two hours earlier our arrival out of excitement. HAHAHA. Instead of taking the Airport Express and the MTR (This is their version of our MRT. Obviously.), we decided to take the double-decker bus instead to get a good view of Hong Kong. The bus ride to Causeway Bay was about for an hour from the airport so I got a good scan of Hong Kong's skyscrapers and serviced apartments.

Causeway Bay's one of the busiest places in Hong Kong because that's where most of the shopping areas were. Just across our building was a mall surrounded by different boutiques and shops such as Body Shop, Giordano and G2000. It was already past 10pm yet a lot of people were still going from one store to another, and even the mall was still open. Maybe I've experienced a little culture shock because 10pm in the Philippines means bedtime but in Hong Kong, it's still shopping time. It was a Saturday anyway.

The following day, Sunday, was a very festive day due to the Hong Kong Flower Show held in Causeway Park. Different countries and groups participated in the exhibit so there's a lot to go through. There were statues, houses, arks and walls covered with flowers of different colors, sizes and species. Sea of different flowers were also showcased, and my favorites were the pansies and the tulips. Right in the corner was a long stretch of award-winning bonsai plants. I'm not a fan of these but I was amazed on how bonsai enthusiasts devote so much time and effort to it. A county fair was also on going right beside where the exhibit was, and that's where we grabbed our morning snack.

(clockwise: the floral ark, my favorite pansies, Cinderella's floral carriage and the sea of tulips)

In the afternoon, we hit the MTR to go to Tung Chung which housed an outlet center called CityGate Outlets. Coming from its name, it contained different clothing, accessories and household brands which ranged from Nike to Crocs, from Esprit to Mango to Quiksilver, all in factory prices. They have a wide selection of stores, and I was lucky to score a few stuff from Esprit, Crocs and Roxy. Look, we even have our own stall! HAHAHA:

We also went to Queen's Central, their version of our Greenbelt perhaps, which housed the very first branch of H&M in Asia. I almost died (exaggeration, people. HAHA!) upon seeing the four-story building of pure H&M. Hello shopping! We took the tram on our way there which only charged $2 regardless of destination. It made travelling much more convenient and faster. I've had my first taste of street Chinese cuisine that same day too. Dumplings!

(Sorry for the bad photo but that leeks and pork dumpling was awesome. Right photo shows a double-decker tram.)

The following days involved mostly of shopping, shopping and more shopping. I was also in search my Taro Gomi book so I was going through each and every bookstore I came across with. We revisited Queen's Central for my beloved H&M then walked the stretch of Wan Chai, and had our lunch at Wan Chai Park.

(clockwise: a fail sign in the ladies' lavatory, Wan Chai Park, the H&M store in Queen's Central, and Wan Chai Market which reminded me of Divi.)

We were suggested to visit Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui for more adventure. I was hesitant at first since we won't be going out with our mom plus it was a whole new place reachable only via the MTR. We went nonetheless. What I liked about Hong Kong was you'll never get lost for as long as you're alert and have the habit of reading. Every corner was equipped with train maps, street signs etc. which all came in handy to a tourist like me. All I had to do was read. How I wish the Philippines was also as such. Mong Kok housed another branch of H&M, and that's when it became my favorite store of all time. In Tsim Sha Tsui, which was a few stops from Mong Kok, we went through Granville Road for more shops. After which, we checked out two museums, Hong Kong Science Museum and Hong Kong Museum of History, to pass the time and to make the visit a bit educational. Luckily, Wednesdays were free admission days so we didn't spend a cent in getting in to both museums.

(clockwise: some Christmas Tree-ish thinggy and gigantor dummies in HK Museum of History, an optical illusion photo and a giant laptop in HK Science Museum)

The following day was The Peak Day in which we (with mom this time) took a day trip up Victoria's Peak. It was a tram ride from Queen's Central, and known for it's awesome view of Hong Kong. Look who had the chance to get a photo with Pierce Brosnan! HAHAHA. That's where I've tasted the most bizarre ice cream flavor ever: STRAWBERRY WITH BASIL LEAVES. Ick! It would've been much better if my camera didn't decide to die on me. GAAAH!

(clockwise: at Madam Tussauds with Pierce Brosnan HAHA!, the view from the tram trip up the peak, and another view shot upon reaching The Peak Tower)

The remaining days before our departure were devoted to last minute shopping and food trip. Come Black Saturday, we had to leave for Manila. Yay to free WiFi!

It's been superb. I was lucky enough to have parents who would finance a shopping trip like this despite my hasty shopping habits. My beret came in really handy in bad hair days, and whenever the temperature decided to drop. During our idle time, we stayed inside the apartment watching whatever's on from Desperate Housewives to Barney. We skipped Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park since the little sister wasn't with us. What made the trip more memorable was I had a minor hamstring injury due to excessive walking for the ultimate shopping experience. The best part: my favorite flats didn't break. Yay!

Hong Kong has been awesome! Next stop: SINGAPORE! :)

Some Letter

2010-04-06T19:56:00.018+08:00

I reread your letter today.

The first time I read it, I was in a bus filled with anxious senior students for the trip to Tagaytay. The noise was astounding but I was too astonished as I stared at the vintage photos which took you a while to piece together. My tumbler was filled with Coffee Jelly, your usual order, from Starbucks. If I'm not mistaken, you were the one who introduced that to me and it has become a personal favorite. I was trying to extract the first few words hidden behind the opaque liquid which filled up my tumbler as I was endlessly being tempted to just read it but I didn't want to ruin the element of surprise which I knew was in stored for me.

The first time I laid eyes on it, I was in the verge of tears but I tried to hold them back to escape the impending embarrassment from my roommates' teasing and wooting. As I read it, I felt loved and cared for. Then an epiphany --- of assurance, of security. I must say, it was the most heartfelt letter I've ever received from you. You jumped off the paper as if you were telling those to me yourself. If I were Gollum, I would've probably called it as "My Precious".

Today, months after the last time I read it, I had an encounter with the past. What used to be blissful has been replaced with stoicism. What was passing through my senses were nothing but mere words doing their very best to convince me of their essence but to no avail. Everything was meaningless and pointless. They spoke nothing of security, love and care; only of endless lies, shattered dreams and broken promises. I felt nothing as I grabbed the scissors and started to shred it off the tumbler art you made for me. It was like throwing all my troubles away, and as easy as taking a candy from a baby. I didn't stop. I didn't doubt. I knew I was doing the right thing. I was convinced that I was. In the future, I know it'll give me the peace of mind I've always wanted.

At the back of my mind, I know I won't regret any of this. What used to be so valuable is now among the pile of used paper ready to be torched. As of today, everything's bound to be forgotten and never to be spoken of.

That's all there is to it.

The C Word

2010-03-26T23:07:00.007+08:00

I didn't know how exactly it started but the issue just erupted like molting lava which had waited for years to see the surface. It was really nothing to begin with but little did we know that there will come a day that it will hit us hard.

And it did.

Inasmuch as we wanted to get things straight, things just turned out to be as complicated as it could. Threats of removing transmutations blasted us right through the face, the class officers were called to have a forum with the College officials, and worse... invalidating the examination involved to make way for another exam which will not only be harder but also without ANY transmutation. All because they THOUGHT a conspiracy occurred during an examination a.k.a. CHEATING.

Here's the catch: As far as our intelligence takes us, our section didn't even do anything wrong.

What they were firing at us was nothing but based on pure speculation and assumption. They neither had proof nor could point out specific persons who were guilty as charged. As such, they type-casted the entire section thus branding us as cheaters. All of these for something we didn't even do. Even if some of us did, we didn't deserve any of these. From the condemning to being the sacrificial lamb. Magna Carta, anyone? How could they possibly penalize the majority for the mistake of one, two, three persons? And the mere fact that we would be the only section who would undergo the retest was undeniably unjust. All they knew was we had no proctor, since the one in-charge left us, and upon his return, most were standing around to PASS the test papers. Talk about an exaggeration.

What would you feel if your section was the only one, among the batch, which had two proctors in an exam? How cool is that? NOT.

Just our luck, ours was the only issue that burned so much that even those who shouldn't be reacting fired words at us as if they knew what exactly happened. Uh excuse me? We ourselves didn't even know what was going on at first. We just came to class the next school day, and what did we get? Threats. Bashing. More threats. And more bashing. Those who shouldn't be involved in the first place jumped in to the feel the extremity of the ride. To think that we were there, during the so-called "cheating incident", how could they possibly know more than we do? Oh please wake up and smell the seaweed. Had they known how gruesome and rampant cheating was in other sections, they might even slap themselves for pointing fingers at us.

It's such a shame that the ones you look up to are the ones who disappoint you.

As of the moment, we are still holding our ground, still trying to convince those who irrationally and impulsively judged us that we are not what they think we are. And we're hoping, still hoping, that we get the justice we deserve. There's no point fighting back, not when you're up against the administration itself. After all, and sadly, we're just students, they're the government, and there's nothing we can do about it. Even if the temperature rises and the tension decreases, the damage has been done. Our name as a section has been slumped to the dirt. Forevermore, we will be the section branded as cheaters even though WE ARE NOT because the last thing we can be are liars and double-dealers.

And so, we wait. Heads up, people.

Soaked

2010-03-13T00:16:00.009+08:00

The room was filled with the students' buzzing as she walked in from the lavatory. The air conditioning unit was malfunctioning yet when it blew a slight breeze of cool air, the room felt dead and empty. She looked pale and worried. It was as if she was about to have a nervous breakdown hadn’t she eaten that chocolate snack for an instant sugar rush. It helped. Those who usually stroll along the hallway could be found in their respective seats. Those who usually circle the backdoor were nowhere to be found. A girl from the other room came for a peek, and was generous enough to tell the most important tip one could ever give on that certain moment:

“Violet,” she heard the girl whispered to another girl by the door, “contains mostly requisites. The pink one has the easiest, mostly just asking for definitions.”

Everybody started to panic. She was too but barely showed it. The tension heightened upon seeing the familiar plump and short woman wearing the usual shirt-skirt match up, a pair of leather loafers and her black-rimmed rectangular spectacles. The woman, the professor, entered the dead room then… silence.

Suddenly, her palms started to sweat. Her head felt heavy. Her heart throbbed faster than usual. For her, the silence was deafening. Too deafening, in fact. Her green Soriano book was just there on her desk, waiting to be scanned. Nothing. She was too frozen to move. Upon seeing the professor’s tub of bingo numbers, she knew that was it. No more postponement. No more stalling. The only thing that mattered was the subject at hand, and her only wish was, ironically, to be selected.

“Number thirty eight.” the professor called.

A girl. The girl stood up, approached the front desk, picked a card and thought of what she would say. Seconds turned to minutes as the professor placed one student to another on the stand.

One.
Eleven.
Forty two.
Thirty five.
Twenty three.
Thirty three.

No luck. All the while this was happening, she stayed put on her seat, still wishing that she be called so as to end her agony once and for all. Her mind sort of hanged for a minute or two, and the next thing she heard:

“Number thirty four, please come up.”

Holy shit. She felt a sudden rush of blood to her head. “That’s me.” Mindlessly, she stood up and did what was instructed. “The pink card”, she remembered. They were buried beneath sea of violets and blues that she still had to dig one up. The front right corner of the room was vacant so she positioned herself on that spot right next to the fire extinguisher. A draft of relief ran right through her as she read what’s on the card she was holding. In one minute’s time, all fifty pairs of eyes went to her direction. She walked past the previous answerer, grabbed the microphone and read:

“First question. What makes an instrument irregular?”

Ah yes. She confidently answered, and went on with the second.

“Second question. Who is a holder for value?”

Finally. Lucky pick. Another sweep of relief for she knew exactly what to say and how to say it. Upon laying down the microphone, she saw her professor nod and thought maybe she had done well. Contented, she went back to her seat with her heart beating back to its normal pace. With two clenched fists and a big grin, she said the happiest "Yes!" to herself.

LAW ORALS. CHECK! :)

Back to the Oh-My-Ryan part

2010-03-11T18:27:00.000+08:00

Look who the cat dragged in at the 82nd Academy Awards.

When a man lookin' as mighty fine as Ryan Reynolds passes me by, I sure am gonna fidget like crazy as if I'm in caffeine overload. It's nice seeing him not hanging around with Scarlet Johansson every once in a while.

A note to the great people out there: I WANNA MEET RYAN REYNOLDS. For shizzz! It'll be absolutely superb to have a photo or two with this man. I can just imagine my face the event this lifelong dream of mine happens. My legs would've probably gone jelly! Well at least I'd be happy forever! HAHAHA!

Hi, awesome. See you as the Green Lantern in 3D real soon!

Work it! :)

A first

2010-03-10T12:55:00.001+08:00

Surprisingly.

Me and my girls just spent the most hilarious study sleepover in our accountancy life. The plan was to solve the AudProb monster problem together after which we begin on our StraMan case analysis. Accomplishing the first objective was some tough shiz. The bag of Cheetos was distracting as well as the tub of ice cream waiting for us in the fridge. Despite the distractions, we still managed to come up with common answers.

Then, the webcam.

Oh that webcam, I must say, ate an hour of our study time AT A MINIMUM. We were just so happy and hyper but upon looking at the time... PANIC! We still haven't thought of what would happen to our case. That's just so-so. By the time we've had composed ourselves, ready to give the case a try, it was already half past eleven (or was it twelve?), and all we had was a blank page and empty minds. We sure had no idea how to begin that stupid case. Since the first task drained most of our mind power and time, we no longer went on with the second. In short, we spent the next three hours talking, gossiping, laughing, eating, picture-taking and stalking. And oh, have I mentioned we did have one bitchin' time? Literally. Well there.

I won't call it a fail since we were able to pass the first requirement on time with the second as an exception. Well I guess this calls for cramming!

Paging Batman. You're needed pronto!

One Week

2010-02-27T21:04:00.021+08:00

It's been a week and so far, my sadness has been lessened. Thanks to the timely outpour of academic stuff to tend to and to those who have patiently listened to my random outbursts. THANK YOU. I feel so much better now.

The first few days of whatsit have been a total bitch. Whenever I stop for a minute or two, things instantly flash through my head. The next thing I know, I'm already sulking as to why things had to turn that way. It wasn't easy but unlike before, I could say that this was, well, a whole lot easier. In fact, I never knew it would be THIS simple. Maybe a friend was right. Maybe I’ve already developed an immunity against this kind of thing, and my guard pops right back up just in time when I need it. I can't tell if that's a good thing though. You know, the I-can-easily-get-my-guard-back-and-move-forward part.

In this case, I can say it is. Maybe.

The good thing was I never turned back into the hater I used to be. Angry, yes. Upset, totally. Sad, definitely. But hater? Not quite. Unlike before, I was able to control myself from throwing fiery words and ratty comments on almost everything. This time, I know nothing's gonna happen if I just keep on fighting or hating back. That doesn't do any good in anything at all. It'll only make things much worse. The other good thing was I knew I had nothing to lose. This may sound strange but it’s true. At least for me it is. Seriously, I've already lost it the first time around so how can I possibly lose something that never found its way back to me in the first place? I am not being such a drama queen or getting all melodramatic. Truth was I never had anything to begin with. Somewhere along the way, the bizarre feeling that things won't turn out the way I want it to be started to creep in. I was just trying to ignore it because I was contented and happy on where I was and with what I had.

On the bad note, along the so-called immunity came some sort of a phobia. How do I explain this? Uhhh. Take it this way. It appears as if I don’t give a damn and I can bounce back just as easily. That’s the immunity part. However, since I can easily shield myself from such mishap, I’ve already formed this fear of exposing myself to the same scenario. It’s like I don’t want to be involved in almost anything as far as that particular subject is concerned for the fear of history repeating itself. Heck, I don’t even like my name being associated to anything or succeeding a certain idea. For example when you think of Superman, I am the first person that comes to mind because you know I like Superman. Digs? The mere thought of all of it frightens me for real. That’s the phobia part. Odd much but I don’t know yet. I’m still trying to assess myself on that aspect.

So basically, there’s still a part of me that doesn’t want to go just yet although I know I’ve already exhausted almost all my resources to make things right. However, there’s still this one last time I can hold on to but I don’t want to keep my hopes up hence as early as now, I know I must accept the fact that everything's but a fragment of the past. There's nothing left to do but to accept and move on with optimism and positivity. There’s just no room for cynicism in my world now, and it's not like I'd be stuck in this limbo forever or I can force that my efforts be reciprocated. Now I know not everything's a two-way street, and you just can't hold life right through the neck and give it a major BS. It just sucks I have to learn things the worst possible way. ALL THE TIME.

March is a few days away. This means I’d be very preoccupied in juggling my numbers, and this is a good thing. At least, I’d be having something else to pour my heart and mind into without jeopardizing much of myself (aside from the sleeping hours, of course). At least I can keep my mind off all the sadness and the negativity in the world and focus on things that really matter the most. I'm not saying I am going to quit. I'm not saying I am going to continue either. Undecided, I know but as of the moment, I am just fine and I am savoring each and every moment of it. I am starting to get my old stable dorky life back, and I am liking it. Very much.

When the right moment comes, I, for sure, will settle the final score and start off with a clean slate.

What's inside the black book?

2010-02-25T16:46:00.023+08:00

I joined the planner bandwagon back in 2008 when my brother gave me my very first planner from Starbucks. The first few pages were rather difficult to fill because I could barely remember each and every experience or thought I've had. Thus, doodles and quotations started to fill the empty spaces.

Last year, I had a BDJ planner.

This year's another BDJ planner.

Whenever my friends take a look a it, their common notion is that it's starting to resemble a sketch pad or a scrap book which is exactly what I want it to look like. I know I won't be able to fill its pages by simply listing down reminders from school and stuff. I want it to look as fun as possible. I see to it that I write on it everyday so by the end of the year, I can have something to help me look back on memories.

Here's a peek of the first few pages:

These are the pages I've done so far. Some are still messy and unfinished but I'd work on them as soon as I'm done with my homework.

Aww man. My drawing skill sucks.

Definitely. Maybe.

2010-02-23T14:22:00.016+08:00

"Why did you love her?"
"I loved her because she's smart, beautiful and fun."
"And now you don't because she's stupid, ugly and boring?"

Touche.

Fashion Frenzy

2010-02-22T11:52:00.009+08:00

I've been reading fashion blogs for the past few days, and to name a few, these are the sites I've been stalking:

I've got to say they heightened my liking for fashion. Oh wait! Hold that part. They're making me LOVE fashion but it doesn't follow that I have to stock up on so much clothes and fill my rack with shoes (I'm saving for something I really really really covet :p).

[Photos courtesy of thatschic.net]

Considering what I've gone through the past few months, I think this is a good thing. I guess this is something that I can be good at, and you know, where I can channel my feelings and turn those negative vibes into something radiant and positive.

Yeah. I can do that.

At least now, I'd be no longer mindful of what others might say. After all, I am not doing this for them or for anybody else. I am doing this for myself for I believe in the saying that "women dress up for themselves because if they dress up for men, then everybody should just walk around naked".

Ta! :)

Sweating cherries and vodka.

2010-02-20T21:50:00.011+08:00

The good thing about having brothers is that no matter how wasted you are, they still have the heart to support you and accompany you through it all. And that includes giving you more shots and capturing your cursing on video.

Yesternight was the craziest and most insane night I've ever had in this house. A friend from the States paid a visit for dinner and a few shots of vodka. Normally, the guest is the target as to who should get drunk. However, the task was donned, unfortunately, on me... the youngest in the group. Maybe I got pretty excited as well as 'needy' (since I do believe I need to, you know, drink up) so I took whatever they gave me. Normally, I only take approximately eight shots of mixed hard liquor but in this case, I had ten-ish shots of PURE vodka. It just so happened I didn't have any sleep so the alcohol kicked in once they reached my intestines.

First few shots, I felt sleepy.

Next batch, I felt drowzy.

Another batch, everything started to spin around.

And before I knew it, I was talking in straight English, cursing everybody who comes my way, lying on the dining table, shouting F.U. at the top of my lungs, posing like a total wreck in front of the camera, and puking in the washroom. In short, I was wasted and drunk. REALLY DRUNK. I've never had this experience before but it was awesome! I've always wanted to know my limits when it comes to drinking, and it's a good thing it happened here, in our house, with my siblings.

WOHOO! For the first time, I woke up with the worst hangover! I am super! :>

Welcome

2010-02-16T19:24:00.009+08:00

If you happened to stumble upon this page, welcome.

I've decided to keep this blog so I would have something I can easily identify myself with. Before you read on, there are certain things you, dear reader, must know about me:

I'm 20-year old BS Accountancy major currently in my senior year, just hoping to graduate this coming June. Accounting isn't my first choice. It just so happened I failed to reach the quota on the Psychology program in the schools where I wanted to take them.
I'm originally a shirt-jeans-Chucks kind of person. I survived high school with only that. Looking back makes me want to say to my 15-year old self to get a life and suit up. Hihihi.
I have three older brothers which kind of explains the previous bullet point.
Randomness and spontaneity is my life. I don't like sticking to routines or going with trends because I think different is good.
I don't have a specific fashion style. I look up on others' and then whip up something for my own. I dress up depending on my mood so I can go from street to girly in a whim.
I can sing but I can't dance. Dancing has always been a frustration to me. Same thing with drawing.
Being a former member of a Glee club, I can highly relate with the Glee kids but minus the drama. We're no show choir.
I can come up with a variety of faces on cue. Having the weirdest photos is kind of my thing.
I'm not much into branded stuff. I love playing with what I can find in bazaars, garage sales, thrift shops and other people's closets. Branded items are sort of overrated for me, and I believe everything depends on how it is worn.
Ridiculous but I judge people by their shoes depending whether it fit the occasion or go well with their ensemble.
Being a Hollywood star has always been my dream and it's kind of baffling how accounting will take me there. The least I can do is update myself with the latest gossip and news. Thank you, Perez Hilton!
I've played Princess Jasmine twice. She's my all-time favorite Disney princess. Okay, next to Tiana.
I like Justin Bieber because he's really really talented. There, I said it so expect a couple of posts about the teen sensation.
I LOVE attending costume or themed parties. They give me the reason to dress up. Hihihi.
Shoes kryptonite me.

Why yaniemmm? And Quirk at Work?

It's derived from my nickname, Yani Mendoza. I'm not really sure why and how I came up with that line (Quirk at Work) but I suppose it's because I'm an excessively random and happy person. I am doing this only for fun and also to have something to do when I'm bored.

Again, welcome and thank you for taking time. Have a good one, y'all! :)