wanderlust

slow down culture

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 08:10:27 GMT

My friend sent this to me via email and I think it's nice, read on kids.

***

It's been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working for them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here takes two years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and brilliant. It's a rule.

Globalize processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results. Therefore, we have come to posses a need to see immediate results. This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate, hold x quantity of meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better results.

Said in another words:
1. Sweden is about the size of San Pablo , a state in Brazil.
2. Sweden has 2 million inhabitants.
3. Stockholm , has 500,000 people.
4. Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, Nokia are some of its renowned companies. Volvo supplies the NASA.

The first time I was in Sweden, one of my colleagues picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2000 employees drive their car to work). The first day, I didn't say anything, either the second or third. One morning I asked, "Do you have a fixed parking space? I've noticed we park far from the entrance even when there are no other cars in the lot." To which he replied, "Since we're here early we'll have time to walk, and whoever gets in late will be late and need a place closer to the door. Don't you think? Imagine my face.

Nowadays, there's a movement in Europe name Slow Food. This movement establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing. Slow Food is against its counterpart: the spirit of Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business Week.

Basically, the movement questions the sense of "hurry" and "craziness" generated by globalization, fueled by the desire of "having in quantity" (life status) versus "having with quality", "life quality" or the "quality of being". French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or British. Germans have established 28.8 hourworkweeks and have seen their productivity been driven up by 20 percent. This slow attitude has brought forth the US 's attention, pupils of the fast and the "do it now!".

This no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less or having a lower productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means reestablishing family values, friends, free and leisure time. Taking the "now", present and concrete, versus the "global", undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans' essential values, the simplicity of
living.

It stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and more productive where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It's time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence of spirit.

In the movie, Scent of a Woman, there's a scene where Al Pacino asks a girl to dance and she replies, "I can't, my boyfriend will be here any minute now". To which Al responds, "A life is lived in an instant". Thennthey dance to a tango.

Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others are so anxious of living the future that they forget to live the present, which is the only time that truly exists. We all have equal time throughout the world. No one has more or less. The difference lies in how each one of us does with our time. We need to live each moment. As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans".

Congratulations for reading till the end of this message. There are many who will have stopped in the middle so as not to waste time in this globalized world.

the ziggy marley experience

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 12:37:07 GMT

"People should not be afraid of the government. The government should be afraid of the people..."

--David 'Ziggy' Marley

If only I could stay there for good..

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 06:10:16 GMT

I got off from work at around 10:20 in the evening last Thursday and budi and I scurried into the first cab that stopped and gave us a ride to Cubao bus terminal in time to catch the 11 p.m. bus ride to Baguio. Inside the bus, we found ourselves wiping away a silly grin from our faces as the thought of where we were heading became more and more real with every tick of the speedometer, as the engine’s hum became faster and faster with every change in gears.

The six-hour trip to Baguio--together with three bus stops in Tarlac, Pangasinan and La Union--was surprisingly cut down to no more than five hours, thanks to our driver’s swift driving and the early morning roads and highways free of any vehicular buildup.

To my surprise, the five-hour lull during the ride wasn’t enough to keep my spirit down and catch up on some much-needed slumber.

When we got off in Baguio, we had to ask for directions from the locals because from what we learned a couple of hours ago in the bus, budi’s first and last visit to the city of pines was when he was just in second grade and mine was at around that point in my life either. From there, we took a cab going to Dangua and with barely an hour to go until our next bus ride, we had our breakfast at a modest café (if you can consider it a café) at Dangua and the food was surprisingly delish! Either that or I’m just starving like crazy I could eat almost anything.

At exactly six in the morning, our bus motored away to the place where adventure and respite almost always combine--Sagada. I am proud to say it was our first time to visit the place and I just had to give ourselves a pat in the back for being bold enough to set out in that jaunt with only our internet printouts and maps to guide us along (*wipes away a stupid grin*).

The grueling six-hour ride going to Sagada along the rough roads and highlands of Benguet with all the dust and dirt coming from outside the window, amazingly made me sleepy. Maybe all the sharp turns and curves at about every corner was enough to make me fall asleep. It was an ordinary bus, mind you--the engine would not be able to make it with the air conditioner on, what with the uphill climb and all. But every time I would awake, I couldn’t help but stare at the splendid view outside the window. Rice terraces one after another and ranges and ranges of mountains with the early morning rays making it even more glorious, would astonish any urban-dweller who would happen to pass by this side of the country.

When we got to Sagada, after a seemingly endless ride along the mountainsides, my pain in the ass (literally) and the grime all over my body was worth it.

We had ourselves registered at SEGA at the municipal hall which doubles as a tourist center and not to mention, a police station as well! Afterwards, we looked for a place where we could stay and decided to settle over at Rocky Valley Inn and Cafe. It was a humble inn a few meters away from Centro (or the town center). The amenities were undeniably Spartan (read: there were no television, no hot water, no telephones, blah, blah, blah) but we had a pleasant stay nonetheless, because really, what’s the point in going to Sagada without going basic?

After having settled at our inn and with plenty of time to spare before the 9 p.m. curfew, we went for a stroll around the picturesque town and were able to meet a few locals. And I just had to say that Sagada has the most adorable and friendliest kids ever! Imagine being greeted by a warm ‘Hello’ or ‘Hi!’ by chinky-eyed kids with incredibly rosy cheeks! I love kids and the kids in Sagada being so warm and welcoming towards visitors was at about enough to make me want to have my own! Err--at least after a couple of years.

After a stroll down the church of St. Mary the Virgin, and having visited Sagada’s bell and St. Mary’s School, and a number of souvenir shops, we were finally able to find the famed Yoghurt House. We had our (really) late lunch which also served as our dinner alongside fellow tourists. While waiting, book aficionados would be delighted to know that the place offers quite an array of books from Chuck Palanhuik to Tich Nat Han which one could read while listening to the likes of Troy Andrews and Danny Weis. We had a generous serving of pasta, chicken, lemongrass tea and yoghurt which was absolutely divine!

Afterwards, we had a leisurely walk with nothing but the moonlight and the sweet smell of pines to set us back to our inn.

The following day, we got up at around six in the morning and we got ourselves a registered guide, Kuya Raffy, who took us sight-seeing around the area. From the Hanging Coffins in Echo Valley to several other burial caves and a number of rice terraces along the way, the trip was already wonderful. And with the splendor of Sagada around us, we couldn’t help but ask Kuya Raffy how much a piece of land in Sagada would cost (mayaman ako e). To our surprise, Kuya Raffy told us they don’t sell their lands to outsiders. Turns out, for Sagadans, land is more important than money which I think is okay, because who else could value and take good care of the place than the locals themselves? Basically, every piece of land in Sagada was passed on from one local to his descendants and on to his next descendants but never sold.

Getting to Sumaging Cave was nothing compared to the adventure that awaits us inside the cave. Again, I would have to give myself a pat in the back for having conquered Sumaging Cave because there was absolutely nothing that could have prepared me for our trek inside the cave! The entire cave was made slippery not only by the drops of water from the pine trees atop, but by bat droppings as well! Luckily, the bats seemed to have gotten used to cave explorers and our presence did not seem to bother them. Thank God. I wouldn’t know what I would do if they took off from their resting place above us (putek mababaliw talaga ko non). It was a huge cave, with limestone formations here and there. One can not help but marvel at the glistening stalactites and stalagmites and columns that await explorers with every turn. The temperature inside the cave was almost below 10 degrees Celsius (at nakashorts lang ako the whole time). Cold air would come out of our mouths with every breath and the fact that there was no other way to get from one spot to another but to swim through pitch-black (not to mention chilly) underground pools did not make the trek an easy one. I just had to take comfort in the fact that the water was partly sulfuric, so it’s good for our skin. After hours of trekking and rope-climbing, we were finally able to make our way out of the cave. Daylight made me realize how grubby I have become and how many bruises I got from the entire trek. But it was worth it. Walang adventure kung walang sugat! Ayus.

All that trekking and cave exploring gave us quite an appetite. So as we hiked our way back to the town center, we barely had the oomph to walk around and find another place to dine so we had our lunch over at Yoghurt House. In fact, we had all our other meals during our entire stay in Sagada from Yoghurt House.

During the afternoon, we hiked our way to Bontoc for a view of the well-known Kiltepan Rice Terraces. The view atop the mountain was worth the couple of hours of arduous trek to Kiltepan. The afternoon sun made everything seemed surreal—the spectacular view of the mountains and the terraces with patches of shadows coming from the clouds above as they race their way towards another mountain was breath taking. We just had to stop for (almost) half an hour and enjoy the sight with the cool breeze blowing at our cheeks. Our trek down the mountain did not fall short from what we just had when we made our way up. We were able to encounter wild horses at the so-called Marlboro country and wild roosters and woodpeckers and all other animals, plants and trees while the entire place smelled of pines.

When we got back to our inn, as we packed up our bags for the early morning trip back to Manila the following day, we were pretty sure our three-day stay at Sagada was not enough to explore all the wonders this magnificent place holds amidst all its beauty and longstanding culture--but it was enough to make us want to go back to this mystic place nestled in the mountains of Benguet real soon for yet another taste of adventure and thrill-seeking, Sagada-style.

2006

Thu, 28 Dec 2006 09:22:31 GMT

40 questions about 2006

Was 2006 a good year for you?
Yes, mostly

What was your favorite moment of the year?
A lot actually. But my favorite was when me and budi went to Puerto and when me and my mom went to china and we got to spend more time with each other!

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
When he did something really bad

Where were you when 2006 began?
at home

Who were you with?
My mom and my dad

Where will you be when 2006 ends?
at home

Who will you be with when 2006 ends?
with my mom and my dad and the rest of the family

Did you keep your new year's resolution of 2006?
No

Do you have a new year's resolution for 2007?
A lot actually and I plan on getting them all done

Did you fall in love in 2006?
Yes

If yes, with who?
With the same guy who can ruin and make my day all at the same time

If yes, do they know?
he’s well aware of it

Are you still in love with them?
baket them? yes

Do you regret it?
I only wish I could love myself more than anybody else

Did you breakup with anyone in 2006?
yes

Did you make any new friends in 2006?
Hell yeah!

Who are your favorite new friends?
WASAKAN CREW!

What was your favorite month of 2006?
Uhm, June, I guess..

Did you travel outside of the Philippines in 2006?
Yes

How many different places did you travel to in 2006?
Six all in all

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2006?
Yes. But we’re fine now and I’m glad

Did you miss anybody in the past year?
Yes

What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2006?
pretty persuasion and happy feet!

What is your favorite song from 2006?
a lot..

What was your favorite record from 2006?
doobi nights

How many concerts did you see in 2006?
Yung mga band gigs sa saguijo

Did you have a favorite concert in 2006?
Concert din namen sa Philam Theater! Astig!

Did you drink alcohol in 2006?
Tons of it! wasted kid yo!

Did you do drugs in 2006?
Wish I did

How many people did you sleep with in 2006?
Isa lang! Gago ka budi! Joke..

Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
No regrets man!

What was the worst lie someone told you in 2006?
Na nasa house party sha sa Valle Verde tapos nasa Embassy pala! GAGO KA! But I’ll stop being mad.. I’ll just get even.. Hahaha.. Evil ako..

Did you treat somebody badly in 2006?
Yes.. evil ako

Did somebody treat you badly in 2006?
Yes. Bitches.. to hell with you all.. joke..

How much money did you spend in 2006?
A lot! Haha..

What was your proudest moment of 2006?
Concert at Philam Theater! Ayuss..

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2006?
My fugly shots they took when I was piss-drunk

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2006 and change something, what would it be?
No regrets

What are your plans for 2007?
Madame.. Sana magawa ko na lahat ng New Year’s Resolution ko this time around

cheers!

Sun, 24 Dec 2006 09:15:56 GMT

Happy Holidays everyone! Have a good one

scratch that...

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 11:48:09 GMT

I'll be scratching off one of the many things in my list of things to do before I die...

It was a fantastic experience. I'm glad I was part of it. Hugs to all those wonderful people who showed up to show their support despite the threats of supertyphoon "Reming." I love you guys!

a wonderful day it was...

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:25:47 GMT

ROTTIES!

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 08:18:36 GMT

Xena, our 4-year-old Rottweiler just gave birth to nine bouncing puppies (five boys and four girls) last Nov. 24! As early as today, I'd like to inform everyone that in two months' time, we'll be putting them on sale! If anybody would be interested, please feel free to get in touch with me here, do send me an email and I'll give you all the necessary information regarding the price and how to get in contact with me and my dad! Thanks :D Hope to hear from you guys soon!

Divisoria, Divisoria, Divisoria, Di-vi-so-riaaaaaaaa!

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 09:40:50 GMT

The heat, the dust, the noise--I am indeed in Divisoria--and my first time at that. Clad only in shorts, a plain black shirt and my trusty keds slippers, I braved the infamous streets of Manila to have me a taste of haggle shopping--Divisoria style.

Thanks to my Mom’s amazing instinct for bargain finds, I was finally brought into the world that is Divisoria. And since my dad wasn’t on hand to drive us to Divisoria, we opted for the 25-minute LRT ride from Katipunan station all the way to Recto. As we got off Recto station, we got on a jeep going to Divisoria.

Like I said, it was my first trip to the place and I was unsure whether those tales about robbers and thieves from manong jeepney driver really helped at all. He could probably tell we’re new in the area so he told us all those stories as a warning--but instead it kind of freaked me out. Scratch that--it freaked the shit out of me man!

Finding the place wasn’t really hard. After a mere 10-minute jeepney ride, and a five-minute walk from where we got off, we finally made it to Manila’s well-known refuge for bargain hunters and punters alike--168 mall.

I was reminded of what Henry (our tour guide in HK) told us before about the name of that mall, 168: these are the three lucky numbers in Chinese numerology;6 meaning always and 8 meaning lucky and 1, well, uhm, my short attention span kind of got in the way.

True to its name, the mall probably brings good luck to sellers and buyers alike. Well, I’m not really sure about the sellers though, but for us, I’m pretty sure we got a really good end of the deal--what with all my mom’s bargaining skills and being one of the most kuripot mom I ever knew. She was able to make tawad with nearly everything we bought! And with almost eighty (and then some) pesos off the original selling price of the items, I know we definitely got a good buy.

It would be a crime not to mention all the hot Chinese boys I spotted while shopping. Yes. I can multitask! Look Ma, I can find a good bargain and spot really cute boys at the same time! And I am not embarrassed to admit it! Vaket va? E sa gwapo e. They’re probably the kids of those Chinese businessmen at 168 (duh).

Towards the end of the day, it was downright retail-overload I started feeling dizzy--not to mention the heat and the crowd and everything else (I get kind of claustrophobic at times). But it was still a pleasant experience nonetheless.

So kids, for plans of going to Divisoria for your holiday shopping I suggest you drop by the place early on--particularly during Monday mornings cause that’s when it’s really not that jammed with other shoppers.

Here’s a photo of one of the girliest pair of shoes I ever had, just one of the many stuff I bought from Divisoria:

...

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 12:09:59 GMT

"So you would like to interview me?" God asked.

"If you have the time" I said.

God smiled. "My time is eternity."
"What questions do you have in mind for me?"

"What surprises you most about humankind?"

God answered...
"That they get bored with childhood,
they rush to grow up, and then
long to be children again."

"That they lose their health to make money...
and then lose their money to restore their health."

"That by thinking anxiously about the future,
they forget the present,
such that they live in neither
the present nor the future."

"That they live as if they will never die,
and die as though they had never lived."

thoughts are random--as much as I would want to take these things seriously..

Sat, 21 Oct 2006 13:50:11 GMT

Have you ever had that feeling? It’s not as if there’s something wrong with your life or anything. Everything’s fine, really. Things are going pretty smooth with you and your parents as well as with that special person. You have a wonderful set of friends you go out with every once in a while. And you work in a great company with a pay at about enough to meet your every needs. You couldn’t ask for anything more--but for some reason, you still wanted to get away from everything.

Even just for a year.

Call me crazy, but I have always had that urge--even when I was still in college. I just wasn’t able to do it before because of what happened with my dad. But he’s fine now. Everything has been going great and I couldn't ask for anything more. But somehow, I’m beginning to have that familiar urge--I want to get as far away from everything as possible.

Away from my parents. Away from all my friends. Away from him.

I could live in Sagada and work in any of the countless strawberry fields there during the morning. And in my spare time during the afternoon, I'll have my camera with me and I could take photos. Hundreds of photos of whatever grabs my fancy. And in the evening, I’ll have the entire night to read all the books my eyes would allow me to read before they bleed.

Or maybe I could live in Batanes instead and raise cattle and grow garlics or whatever it is that the Ivatans do for a living. I have always loved that place. I have always loved the Ivatans.

Better yet, I could go live in Bohol and awake to its white, powdery sand and pristine waters every single day. I can work as a henna tattoo artist while doing braids for anyone who’d be willing to pay me thirty pesos per braid.

Away from everyone. Away from all the pretense of society.

I'll be my own boss. I'll make my own rules.

Myself and myself alone--and in that way, maybe, I can truly see myself and what I’m really made of and all the other aspect that comes with it.

Even just for a year (or so)…

***

If one of these days, I finally get to muster up the courage I need to accomplish all this, you know where to find me...

And in that moment, with every beat of the shutter, I searched the sky and the scope ahead--it was an unobstructed view; Nothing but the earth beneath my feet and the sky above my head. In the days that passed, the waft of strawberry from the field filled my head. While the nights were filled with the scent of every brusque, crisp leafs of books. Away from the hubbubs of the city; away from everything and everyone that mattered. In the complete comfort of remoteness I could only find no one else but my self. Utter bliss…

got this from scarredpretty

Sat, 21 Oct 2006 13:06:12 GMT

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool...

Opening Credits
Oo--up dharma down

Waking Up
balde o salapi--itchy worms

First Day At School
martha's foolish ginger--tori amos

Falling In Love
deep honey--goldfrapp

Fight Song
this the countdown--mae (ayus meng)

Breaking Up
its over now--neve (shoot men!)

Prom
Si tu n'étais pas là (Fréhel)--Yann Tiersen (naks)

Life Is Good
jamaica inn--tori amos

Mental Breakdown
failure--kings of convenience

Driving
know your rights--the clash

Flashback
deny--the clash

Getting Back Together
rest of my life--unwritten law

Wedding
any lucky penny--nikki hassman

Paying The Dues
kiss me--sixpence none the richer

The Night Before The War
junkie slip--the clash

Final Battle
something to talk about--badly drawn boy

Moment of Triumph
you and me song (oy! song naten budi)

Death Scene
i don't wanna be--gavin degraw

Funeral Song
lagi kitang iniisip (reggae song po ito.. happy happy sha)

End Credits
berimbau--atrud gilberto (ayuzz)

hmmm.. interesting..

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 12:19:52 GMT

Create your own! Originally Written By ga_woo, Hosted and ReWritten by darkman424

Nope

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 09:44:01 GMT

Contrary to what everybody was expecting, hindi ko winasak ang kinabukasan ko nung gabing iyon... Sa Christmas P.A.R.T.Y. na lang ulet, hehehe

Growing up in the '90s

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 09:10:25 GMT

Instruction: Bold the items that you think apply to you the most

1. mahilig kang magsulat ng slumbook at laging sagot mo judge me na lang, many to mention, secret, p.e.d.r.o.s., love is blind, love is like a rosary at kung anu-ano pang churva
2. crush na crush mo si eric fructuoso, jomari at mark anthony
3. favorite dance group mo UNIVERSAL MOTION DANCERS
4. favorite dance hit mo ALWAYS, I WANNA BE WITH YOU & MAKE BELIEVE IN YOU... butterfly!!!hehe
5. at syempre kilig na kilig ka kay wowie
6. cute na cute ka sa bangs ni keempee
7. inis na inis ka kay gladys dahil lagi nyang inaapi si judy ann (mara clara)
8. nasan na kaya si anna luna?
9. favorite love team mo si angelu at bobby andrews
10. nagmamadali ka umuwi para mapanood si marimar... at makita ang mabuhok na dibdib ni sergio
11. ginagaya mo maglakad si corazon at minsan si nora aunor
12. hindi uso ang lipstick... candy na lips lang ok na at kung gipit ka talaga yung crepe paper na red kahit mapakla!!!
13. dahan dahan ka gumamit ng panyo mo dahil matatapon ang pulbos
14. may kisses kang collection at pinaaanak mo pa
15. pag cologne mo angels breath at nenuco, sosyal ka!!!
16. naiinis ka dahil lagi mong natatanggap na exchange gift sa xmas party photo album, panyo, figurine, picture frame at madalas yun din ang binili mo!!! o di ba?
17. sa monita monita ang something funny na sikat ay yung tae sa blue magic, condom, napkin, o kaya pekeng ipis, etc.
18. naabutan mo pa ba ang cindys? hanggang ngayon ba kumakain ka sa tropical hut?
19. kapag linggo lagi kang nanunuod ng LOVINGLY YOURS, GMA SUPERSHOW, MEL & JAY, EYE TO EYE at naiinis ka pag tinatanong nya kung kilala sya at sasabihin ng nawawalang bata..."opo, inday badiday po"
20. kahit masakit na ipin mo bili ka pa rin ng bili ng tubo na nilalako sa kariton
21. hindi na uso aratilis... santan na kaya wala ng paru paro kasi inagawan mo!!!adik!!!
22. naabutan mo ba ang tivoli?... wala na ba nun ngayon?
23. ang get up mo... bistidang spaghetti strap at may tshirt na puti na panloob at wag ka... nakaboots kang itim at puti ang medyas mo... ganda mo diba? hehe
24. nagkakuto ka ba?... jan sumikat si judy ann... medicare
25. ang lagi mong sagot sa favorite hollywood actress... brooke shields... buhay pa sya di ba?
26. nanonood ka rin ng coney reyes on camera at joe d mango love notes... tuwing halloween takot na takot ka manood ng magandang gabi bayan... at si noli de castro nagdidisappear at syempre background nya sementeryo
27. takot na takot ka kay julie vega. halaaaaa...
28. idol band mo... introvoys at syempre crush mo si paco arespacochaga...
29. pag 1:30 na cristy ferminute na at syempre pag 4:30 na... ANG TV na!!!
30. usong uso ang phone pal at pen pal at pag may beeper ka, ang yaman mo!!!
31. ang celphone ng rich classmate mo motorolla microtac na may mahabang antenna at islacom ang line... first cellphone mo nokia 909 na smart bill crusher pa... at ang nokia 5110 bwisit nabili ko ng P11,000!!!
32. hindi uso ang silver noon... laurenti.
33. ang mga barkada ng mommy mo mga dealer ng tupperware
34. pag may sakit ka kinakain mo, alphabet noodles.
35. mahilig ka pumapak ng milo, condensed milk, cheezwiz, powdered milk, peanut butter, cocojam
36. favorite candies mo... hawhaw... anu bang tawag dun sa oscha ng intsik yung pink na maasim?mahilig ka rin sa champoy, kiamoy at kundol
37. nagbabasa ka ng funny komiks... remember niknok at planet op di eyps?
38. favorite american program mo... baywatch... at dun ka unang nakakita ng malalaking boobs! dr. doogie howser (tama ba spelling ko? hehe) at wag kalimutan ang Beverly Hills 90210!
39. ginagaya mo ang magic ni faye sa okay ka fairy ko
40. idol mong comedian si rene requestas
41. nagalaga ka ba ng tamagochi?
42. inggit na inggit ka sa classmate mong may CASIO ORGANIZER
43. may brick game ka
44. naglalaro ka ng pick up sticks
45. naglalaro ka ng sungka kahit sabi ng lola mo masama yun
46. mahilig ka mag-flames. at he loves me he loves me not
47. meron kang walk man
48. ang galing galing mong magrunning man at roger rabbit
49. favorite mo ang macarena at lambada!
50. ang medyas mo neon green, neon pink o kaya doble at kumusta naman ang amoy ng paa mo di ba?

...

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 14:46:45 GMT

I talk to him when I'm lonesome like; and I'm sure he understands. When he looks at me so attentively, and gently licks my hands; then he rubs his nose on my tailored clothes, but I never say naught thereat. For the good Lord knows I can buy more clothes, but never a friend like that.

~W. Dayton Wedgefarth

***

Goodnight Brownie (1995-2006)

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 08:27:56 GMT

Go USTeee

I am in high spirits...

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 12:30:49 GMT

...because I made it to the office--in one piece! The entire world could crumble and we would still have regular working days at the office. Aaah… One of the many perks of working in a newspaper. An officemate of mine once told me that what we have is not just a regular job. It’s public service. Indeed it is. And, making it to the office after having braved extreme weather conditions (read: winds of up to 180 kph, twisted metals, scattered debris and fallen trees and electric posts along Edsa all the way to Buendia, not to mention being accident prone) just to get to our office and work, I somewhat feel fulfilled.

***

Here’s a photo of one of the worst storm to ever hit our country, typhoon "Milenyo":

***

To add to our already perilous condition, a “yero” flew from our neighbor’s backyard. For some reason, our neighbor has been keeping a spare in their backyard. It’s not like their house doesn’t have a roof or something. Geesh. People, those things are hazardous with strong winds. I can’t imagine why you guys didn’t make sure it won’t be flying off to cut a person’s head off his body or something.

***

Somehow, the song “Millennium” by Robbie Williams has been on repeat in my mind since this morning. Go figure.

from ikay :D

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 08:54:11 GMT

About guys, Turned ON, OFF, or DC (Don't care):

Is taller than you:~> ON men!
Is shorter than you:~> OFF (sobra..)
Wears braces:~> DC
Has blue eyes:~> Off... Filipino please
Has green eyes:~> off.. that would be really creepy..
Has hazel eyes:~> DC
Brown eyes:~> ON
Drinks alcohol:~> DC.. dapat social drinking lang
Wears glasses:~> ON.. haha.. i'm a sucker for nerds :D
Smokes:~> OFF dapat e.. kaso budi smokes.. a lot..
Plays sports:~> ON!
Smiles a lot:~> Hmmm.. I would like a guy who only smiles when he sees me :D haha..
Calls you just to say Hi:~> ON :D
Compliments you:~> ON :D
Good dancer:~> DC
Wears jewelry:~> OFF!!
Smiles when you walk in the room:~> TOTAL TURN-ON :D
Has brown hair:~> ON, pwede na.. if he's mestizo, wehe
Has Black hair:~> ON
Has blonde hair:~> OFF
Has red hair:~> what?
Makeup:~> again.. WHAT?
Can make you laugh at any given moment:~> ON! i love a goofball..
Loyal:~> major turn ON, of course :D
Laid back:~> ON
Plays guitar:~> That'd be a bonus :D
Plays drums:~> Astig.. (we'd prolly be in bed right now if that's the case, joke)
Sings:~> if it's with a band, then hell yeah!
He's buff (muscles):~> OFF. Seriously.. I want lanky boys lang.. Heheh
He can draw:~> Astig..
Easily jealous:~> Honestly, I like it when a guy gets jealous :D
Doesn't eat meat:~> DC
Has a tattoo:~> Coolness..
Has a lip ring:~> DC
has tongue ring:~> DC

dude...

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 09:56:18 GMT

http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=pam_kfc_long

accident prawn

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 15:07:34 GMT

I am accident prone. And for some reason, I was able to survive all my twenty-something years despite being one. I could go on and on with a list of all the accidents I have gone through all my life but for my convenience (as well as yours), I have narrowed down the list to a number of incidents that have nearly killed me:

The first being the accident I had when I was only 3 years old. My dad and my titas were making me dance on top of my lolo’s favorite pool table to some song they made up with a tune almost similar to aringkingking when I accidentally slipped off my balance and fell head-first to the cement-floor. My dad said the incident left my head half-open to the point where a person could insert an entire thumb to the open wound. I could just imagine how many stitches I had just to shut the wound. And I could hardly imagine how I looked that time. I must have looked awful--like some baby-Frankenstein or something more hideous, wehe. It’s a good thing my hair grew back on that part of my forehead and one could barely make out the scars left by the incident.

The second incident was painful as it was embarrassing. I was in my sixth grade at an all-girls’ school in Quezon City. The only way for us to meet boys was to join a children’s theater at the home of the blue eagles. Yes--these sorts of things do occur in our minds at an early age. Given the fact that we have been deprived of these odd, peculiar beings known as “boys” all our lives. During our major and (not to mention) final dress rehearsal, I wasn’t wearing my costume. Saving myself from our theater master’s rage, I ran straight to our dress rehearsal with only my school uniform on. And on the part where we were suppose to jump off a certain part of the stage which was at least six feet high, my skirt got stuck on a piece of loose wood in the still unfinished stage. For five minutes or so, I was literally hanging by the threads of my skirt. As if that wasn’t enough, it was pretty humid that day, so I wasn’t wearing my regular shorts underneath my skirt. Good thing I wasn’t wearing soiled underwear that day. But the bad part was, almost half of the population of ateneo’s seventh grade saw what happened. So much for hooking up with boys.

The third incident was when I nearly drowned at the waters of Puerto Galera during a sudden rise in the tides. In order to save money from all the boat rides we had to take to get from one spot to another, my friends and I decided to walk along the shores of Mindoro to get to White Sand beach resort and that’s when I nearly drowned (nakakatamad na mag-explain pare).

And my most recent accident was last Monday, when I was ran over by a speeding motorcycle. I was actually checking the vehicles from the left side of the road when a motorcycle counter-flowed from the right side and hit me. Nice. Ang laki ko di ba? Pero di nya talaga ako nakita. Ayuz. So there. I tumbled (gumulong ako) all the way to the side of the street. Luckily, though, I was thrown off to the sidewalk and not towards the other side of the street. Otherwise, I would have been ran over by other speeding vehicles. So, thank God for that. Pero (putek) pare nakakawala ng poise. Not as if I had any before the incident, but still.. men! Talk about freak accident! Parang joke. Now if people would ask me how I was doing, it’s as if they’re trying really (really) hard to keep themselves from laughing out loud. Kase maski ako natatawa sa nagyare sa’ken e. Astig.

So to cap this off, madali lang talagang mamatay. Lalo na if you’re accident prone like me. Pero astig buhay pa din ako di ba?

***

t: Ano ang tawag mo sa food na laging naaaksidente?
v: Ano?
t: E di accident prawn!
(insert canned laughters here)

***

Nanalo nga pala ang USTE. Sana magchampion naman kame

ze art of getting wasted

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 14:56:10 GMT

Last night, I was able to learn the hard way that mixing margarita and san mig light is not a very good idea. Not a good idea indeed. In fact, I think mixing two liquors of any kind is a bad idea. Better keep that in mind the next time me and the girls decide to go on yet another one of our wicked drinking sprees.

Yes. If you really oughta know, I am the regular drunken bastard in most (if not all) of the drinking sprees I go to. And despite my (roughly) severe allergic reaction to any (if not all) alcoholic beverages, I drink. And a heavy drinker at that! I love getting piss drunk. Sarap. Parang panaginip lang ang lahat.

I would touch other people’s lips and faces when they try talking to me during my drunken state only to see if they’re real--and not just a dream. I would dip my fingers in steaming coffee only to feel none. I almost adore the numbness of my entire body. Astig e. That explains why after a night of heavy drinking, I always notice cuts and bruises at some parts of my body without even knowing where and how I got them. Astig.

It would be fair to say that last night’s send-off party for an officemate of ours who’s off to pursue higher studies in the land of the Eiffel Tower and Amelie was definitely a bash! Astig men. Food’s great and the crowd could never be better.

Oh, and another thing, digital cameras can indeed make incriminating photos. Incriminating photos indeed--just when I thought my photos couldn't get any worse. But nonetheless, I love you guys for taking me home--almost. Here's a photo of that sorry-ass state:

Yes. That's me lying face-down at our driveway.

*It is now 11:06 p.m., the day after the night-out and I am slowly feeling the hang-over from last night's liquors wearing off. Thank heavens.
**My rashes are killing me

random sadness

Tue, 05 Sep 2006 09:27:43 GMT

My second entry for the day [Non-sequiturness]:

Steve Irwin, croc hunter is dead.

Before, I would regularly watch his show and each time, I would secretly wish for him to get bitten by a croc or by whatever animal he decided to annoy for his episode. But I definitely didn't wish him dead or anything. I mean, I liked the guy. I just wanted to see him get bitten. And now he's dead and I feel soo bad.

As ironic as it may seem, at least he died doing something he really loved.

A wildlife advocate by the very essence of the words.

"It's not couture, it's business"

Tue, 05 Sep 2006 08:46:12 GMT

Friday. 09.01.2006

Yes. Together with the rest of the female population, I too, was finally able to watch the ultimate chic-flick of the year--or at least for the next six months.

“The Devil wears Prada” is a movie about a young graduate, Andrea Sachs who tries to make her way in the vicious world of fashion--doing the job that most girls would kill for--as an assistant to Runway Magazine’s fierce editor in chief Miranda Priestly.

Sure enough, like all the other girls in the cinema, I also couldn’t help myself from gushing over the gorgeous couture all throughout the movie. And perhaps, it would be a sin not to laud Meryl Streep with her depiction of Miranda Priestly’s character. Clearly, she was able to epitomize evil in the most chic and modish form. I think it would be fair to say that she actually snagged the entire movie off her younger co-actors. She made the character so believable that practically any body who would be given the chance to work for someone similar to her character, would do the same thing Andy did--that is, to satisfy Miranda’s each and every whim and just about sell their very soul to the devil herself.

***

random observations.. on boys and girls..

*Last week after seeing the movie, "Little Man"

[The entire place reverberated of deep-throated laughters]

budi: Ok 'yung movie no?
v: Oo. Ok lang.. (Sighs, tries hard not to sound bored)

*Last Friday night after watching the movie, "The Devil wears Prada"

[The entire cinema filled with girlish giggles]

v: Ok 'yung movie no? (beaming)
budi: Oo. Ok lang (bored)

on goodbyes

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 12:36:23 GMT

It’s not as if I’m saying that I don’t love him--because I do, I really do. And I know I’m not bitter. I would like to think that I am not bitter. Not any more. I have long gotten over you. I have long stopped myself from being hurt by you. But somehow, seeing you with her gave me that certain feeling of finality.

We really have gone our separate ways.

Still, one thing’s for sure--this one thing, always certain; forever constant--unlike her, I will always be your first. I was your first kiss. I had your first dance. You can never see another prom night without remembering how we danced together to the music of our first prom night while everything else faded away. You can never look back and think of your high school and college days without having a distinct memory of us--together.

I will always be the phantom of a past that you could never leave behind.

At the very least I have this--for sure--and even she can never take this away from me.

But for now, we shall go on living--me, with him, and you with her.

Living as if in some distant parallel cosmos, I had you and you had me. And that was all that mattered.