.: tantan-tining! :.

ads? what the...?

2005-10-14T23:26:00.000-04:00

I cannot believe this. blogspot has pop-up ads. Very annoying pop-up ads that are potential carriers of viruses and bugs. Everytime I visit my site, *BAM* a window shows up outta nowhere.

Time to evacuate. Be it known to Everybody that I am relocating my journal to this address:

http://noelle.i.ph

I'm not coming back 'til the creators of blogspot (or their computer-techie alipores) remove the ads.

goodbye...?

2005-10-07T15:50:00.000-04:00

This is sad news. I might have to say goodbye to blogger.

I won't say why exactly...

Let's just say I'm trading my blogger blog for a more professional blog... [yeah, whatever that means...]

So yeah, goodbye... for now at least.

quote-unquote

2005-10-04T19:45:00.000-04:00

From the article BE AFRAID from darkelfmanila.com:

"The danger with falling in love is the private hell one goes through when that one love is taken away... So children, if you've found love that truly makes you happy, understand how incredibly lucky you are. That sort of thing only happens once if the gods smile upon you and rarely do they give poor schmoes like us a second chance at it..."

[RANDOMNESS]

I changed the layout of my blog (as you can see). I finally grew tired of the purple color scheme.

We saw Tim Burton's Corpse Bride last Sat. It was OK, not exactly as great as I imagined it would be. But there were two brilliant scenes in the movie that made it worth watching: 1. the scene with Victor and Emily (the Corpse Bride) playing the piano at the same time and 2. one of the last scenes, when Victor was about to drink poison... Emily stopped him at the last minute because she saw Victoria and realized that she was stealing the love of her life. It was TRAGIC. Which is why I love most of Tim Burton's films.

what's up...

2005-09-18T13:00:00.000-04:00

This is what's up:

I am excited 'coz we'll be going to Tampa on Friday! We're going to spend the night in my father's friend's house there. Ma and Di are meeting up with 4 of their college friends (2 couples), and the three of us are just tagging along. Wheeeeeeee, I've never been to Tampa... The road trip is gonna be fun! I'm not sure what Anna, Bobby and I will do once we get there, though. I guess we're going to hang out with the kids of my dad's friends, (who are all guys, by the way). Great. New Kuyas. Back in the Phil, I wanted a kuya so bad (Michelle di ba gusto natin ng Kuya for Christmas? ^^) . Now I've got plenty of 'em.

AUTUMN is in the air! Sears' commercials of their Fall Season line, commercials of Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights... There are signs of autumn everywhere! Well, 'cept for the red-orange-yellow-brown foliage since I'm in Fl. Anyway, I am so excited because I am having a real HALLOWEEN experience this year!!! (Haha, no that does not mean that I'm going to try Halloween Horror Nights! It's too freaky.) Finally! There will be children trick-or-treating and stuff like that... Heck, I could even go trick-or-treating myself!

Yahoo. \(^O^)/

my grass is green

2005-08-28T20:39:00.000-04:00

Mabilis lang 'to... Just a list happenings during the 3rd week of school. In random order:

- Felt cranky for almost the entire week. Cranky because of boredom. I don't like homework, but to tell the truth I am missing it. Maybe I'm just used to having more work, more pressure... Ah, pressure. I just found out this week that I can't survive school without PRESSURE. I need someone to push me to sit and study.

Hah, funny. Pressure killed me everyday, back when I was still in 4th yr HS. It was the constant source of dread, the fiend that hung over me like a dark shroud 'til the last day of school. Now, the situation has turned a complete 180 degrees. Its the lack or (sometimes) ABSENCE of pressure that's killing me.

Tandaan: The grass is always greener on the other side, ALWAYS!

- Lesson of the week: Make the most of what you have right now. I will stop ranting about boring subjects (I hope). I will use the free time to write, listen to music, read and do other stuff that I didn't have the chance to do back in the Phil. (when I still had the full academics-centered schedule).

- 4th block last Friday was Pep Rally! No Pre-Calc, ooh yay. The Pep Rally was crazy - lots of jumping cheerleaders waving their pom-poms to the chant, Go Fight Win Kowboys!, killer movin' n groovin' from the OHS Dance Troupe, inane games that were fun to watch, nevertheless. I didn't watch the football game that night, though. Anna didn't want to go, so we were stuck at home on a Friday night.

- Went to the public libe last Sat. Borrowed a couple of books and CDs:

1. Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - I have been wanting to read this! Hehe, I finished it this afternoon but I won't get started with the plot summary and discussion right now. ^^
2. Tori Amos' biography
3. a travel book that features Tuscany... Lots of great pics!
4. the Putumayo 10th anniversary CD
5. a Jamiroquai CD, the one that has the track Canned Heat. Grooveh!

That's about it for this week. Good luck to me tomorrow with the Kreative Wrting Klub meeting. @@

into the 2nd week

2005-08-16T16:02:00.000-04:00

I'm going to write this entry in Tagalog because... I just feel like it. -__-

2nd week of school. Parang 1st week ulit. Pano naman kasi, binago ko yung ibang subjects ko. Out go Physics 2 and Outdoor Ed... Napalitan na yun ng Research 1 at Pre-Calc. Bagong subjects, bagong classroom, bagong lunch period, bagong classmates. Ohmygahd. Ang dami ko nang na-miss sa 1st week kong absence, lalo na sa Pre-Calc. May upside din naman... Sa Research 1 classmate ko si Xiaolu, yung Chinese girl na nag-approach sa kin last week. Sa Pre-Calc naman, si Mac - the foreign exchange student from Taiwan. Sensing a pattern here? Ako rin. Puro Asians, Chinese to be specific, daw ang friends ko. As to why, I still have to figure that out. Ewan, siguro kasi mas madali silang i-approach. I think it has nothing to do with the race, but with the fact that we share something in common - we're all foreigners who are trying to blend in in a new country.

I like hanging around Mac and Xiaolu, but the prospect of not being able to blend in with ordinary American kids bothers me. I know it will do me a lot of good if I step out of my comfort zone, and I'm trying my best to blend in... I just dunno if my efforts are working.

Oh well... 2nd week pa lang naman e.

first day... eh.

2005-08-05T22:29:00.000-04:00

*Tagalog muna*

Ewan ko, na-shock ata ako. As expected - after all, I am transferring into the 11th grade. It's not like entering freshman year of high school where they have orientations (my lucky sis is going to be in 9th grade).

OK, Tagalog ulit. 7:30 kami pumasok ni Anna, para meron kaming 30 mins. to get lost and desperately look for our rooms for first period. Swerte ako, alam na Anna kung asan yung buildings niya kaya tinulungan nya ako mag-room hunting. Daming students. Ikot lang kami nang ikot - ohmygulay ang laki pala ng school namin, hindi lang halata kasi marami dun sa classrooms "portables" - little box-like makeshift buildings. 7:50. Ikot pa rin nang ikot, kaliwa't kanan ang tanong sa mga teachers kung saan mahahanap ang classroom for Spanish class... Well, I made it just on time. Buti naman. A good start is an omen of good things to come.

Hah! I wish.

I won't give the full details of how my first day went, all I can say is that it was O-K.
Subjects? Fine. No English for me, though. American History daw for this sem.
Teachers? Ayos lang din. Mr. Moore, my Physics teacher, stands out. He's a character, with his height (7-footer?) and his white hair that makes him look every bit like a scientist. Hm... I'm noticing a pattern here. Sir Cajanding, Mrs. Sy-Tamco, now Mr. Moore. Bakit kaya distinct ang personalities ng Physics teachers?
Classmates? O...kay. Hindi sila ang pinaka-friendly na mga tao sa mundo. Racial discrimination? Hindi naman. I guess students there just prefer to hang out with those who are of the same race as theirs. Hispanics with Hispanics, Blacks with Blacks, Whites with Whites, Asians with Asians. Hep hep hep, take note that THAT WAS JUST MY OBSERVATION.
Anyway, I made 2 or 3 acquaintances today: one girl from Spanish class, a half-Pinoy, half-Hispanic from Physics class, and my companion for 2 periods, Czarina. Ilongga siya, mabait at nakasundo ko naman agad. I'm lucky she became my classmate! May lunchmate agad ako. ^^

Yan muna kwento ko. Spaced out mode ako ngayon e.

Shout-out! kay mae: thanx for the e-mail! haha, sakto - i read it right after i got back from school. reply ako maybe tom. or on sun. ;)

putumayo!

2005-08-02T20:24:00.000-04:00

Got two new IDs today: one's for school, the other my very own library card. You see, after dropping by Osceola High we headed straight for the public libe to borrow Algebra reviewers. Of course, to do that we had to get library cards so we did. Ma and Di's were the traditional sized cards, mine was in key-chain size - pretty small and cute.

The Osceola Libary is a neat place - library users are not charged any late fees, and aside from books, there were also a collection of CDs and DVDs that could be rented (for free). Not only is it a bibliophile hangout, but also a haven for music lovers (Read: guys who rip and burn music). I wasn't going to let that chance of getting free music pass - no way! - so I borrowed a CD:

World Lounge from Putumayo World Music
The Ultimate chill-out soundtrack for a global cocktail party

Jasmon - Dimdanana
Nicola Conte - Missione A Bombay
Gotan Project - Santa Maria
Mo' Horizons - Foto Viva
Mau Mau - Venus Nabalera
Blue Asia - Abyssinean Dub
Arling & Cameron - Shiva's Daughters
Montefiori Cocktail - Agua De Beber
Dissidenten - Instinctive Traveler
Hamid Baroudi - Trance Dance
Pink Martini - Sympathique

Putumayo is pleased to present World Lounge, a laid-back collection of downtempo electronica and chill-out music with global flavors. Featuring the latest fusions of electronica and DJ culture with world music, World Lounge provides the perfect soundscape for a laid-back ambiance.

The modern masters of so-called downtempo music are boundless globetrotters, incorporating equal amounts of the exotic and the mundane. European DJs collectives like Gotan Project and Mo' Horizons freely sample South American sounds to create unexpected new creations. Indian sitars, which still conjure up mental images of late-sixties psychedelic rock, are used effectively by Italian producer Nicola Conte and German DJ project Jasmon to create music that is both provocative and reverent. Enigmatic Middle Eastern melodies provide a magical backdrop to the music of Hamid Baroudi, Blue Asia, and Dissidenten. Groups like Arling & Cameron, Pink Martini, Mau Mau, and Montefiori Cocktail reveal that the line between cool and kitsch is as fine as a hair from Tony Bennett's toupee.

The music on World Lounge was selected and sequenced to serve as an aural backdrop for a contemporary lounging session. Whether curling up on a shag rug in front of the fireplace at home, or ordering manhattans with a group of friends at a local bar, we hope the music on World Lounge will help create an entrancing and invigorating mood, while introducing you to some of the most interesting artists on the global scene.

And that is how I stumbled upon Putumayo.
(taken from putumayo.com)

Putumayo World Music was established in 1993 to introduce people to the music of the world's cultures. The label grew out of the Putumayo clothing company, founded by Dan Storper in 1975 and sold in 1997.

In the past ten years, Putumayo World Music has become known primarily for its upbeat and melodic compilations of great international music characterized by the company's motto: "guaranteed to make you feel good!" Putumayo's CD covers feature the distinctive art of Nicola Heindl, whose colorful, folkloric style represents one of Putumayo's goals: to connect the traditional to the contemporary. By combining appealing music and visuals with creative retail marketing, Putumayo has developed a unique brand identity - a rarity in today's artist-based music industry.

Putumayo is considered a pioneer and leader in developing the non-traditional market. A large portion of its target audience consists of "Cultural Creatives," a sociological and lifestyle term for 50 million North Americans and millions more around the world. To reach these consumers, Putumayo has built a proprietary network of more than 3,000 book, gift, clothing, coffee and other specialty retailers that play and sell its CDs, while maintaining a strong presence in record stores. Putumayo has developed Travel the World with Putumayo consumer contests to Martinique, Ireland, Brazil, Morocco, Brazil and other destinations. Putumayo also offers in-store music education, cultural and performance events and consumer gift-with-purchase promotions utilizing CD samplers and calendars.

Dan Storper's vision of establishing a global company and lifestyle brand is being furthered by CD distribution in more than 50 countries. In April 2000, Putumayo opened its first international office in Hilversum, Holland, near Amsterdam. Putumayo Europe has a distribution network covering 20 countries. Putumayo International coordinates distribution to more than 30 countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

In 2000, Putumayo also launched the Putumayo World Music Hour, the first commercially syndicated world music program available on more than 120 commercial and non-commercial stations in the United States, Canada and around the world.

The Putumayo Kids division was created in late 2002 to introduce children to other cultures through fun, upbeat world music. The World Playground series of children's CDs and multicultural activity kits have won national acclaim and numerous awards.
In June 2004, Putumayo released its first DVD, Travel the World with Putumayo, which features 12 videos shot in various locations and footage from live performances.

I am loving the World Lounge CD, esp. Mission A Bombay, Venus Nabalera, and Montefiori Cocktail's version of Agua De Beber. Maybe chill-out music's really my thing. :)

eleventh grade

2005-07-26T12:01:00.000-04:00

Yup, I'm doing two more years of HIGH SCHOOL. Which isn't bad at all, really. :)

Actually I was kind of hoping they'd put me in 11th grade, so that I wouldn't have to stress over SATs and college applications 'til next year.

I'm so happy... With the kind of sched I got, this SY's going to be a breeze! Lookie here:

*first sem*
1st period: Spanish
[Yes people, I'm taking up Spanish. Knowledge of that langauage would come in handy since there are a LOT of Hispanics/ Latinas/ Puerto Ricans in Florida. Oh and besides, I feel that learning Spanish would make me embrace my Filipino identity more. Se habla Espanol? Si senor!]
2nd period: English
[^Journalism. The time for flexing my writing skills has come. I shall try out for Jake's Journal, the school paper.]
3rd period: Outdoor Recreation
[aka P.E. An hour or so of exercise. Exercise is good. :)]
4th period: Physics 2
[O...kay. It was either this or Chem 2 or Aerodynamic Science (Whuh's this?!) Seriously, what better options did I have? Zilch.]

*second sem*
I'm not sure about the sched yet but what I do know is that I have the following subjects:
- Pre-Calc [calculus + trig = sleepless nights]
- Driver's Ed [This will replace P.E. - Cool! Gusto kong matuto mag-drive...]

I can't believe how much time I will have on my hands once school starts. My head is already spinning with possibilities.

the golden ticket

2005-07-17T13:59:00.000-04:00

Last Friday, Tita Akel took us to Downtown Disney to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I was kind of hesitant at first because Anna, Bobby and I just were wiped from that day's jiu-jitsu session... but in the end we agreed to see it with her, 'cause afterwards she was also going to take us to the midnight launch of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. :)
So there, we got to the theaters some minutes before the 10:15 pm show. Killing the extra time was really easy - we walked around Pleasure Island, checked out the cool stores and popped inside the Candy Cauldron (sweet shop with large staues of the Evil Queen peering at buyers) for extra large cookies.

I'm sure movie buffs and die-hard Wonka fans saw the movie way ahead of the rest of us, with their advanced screening tickets. Well, I was just lucky to be there (like Charlie) on its opening night. I had my golden ticket, alright. :)

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Regardless of what my Tito Mike says about the first version (starring Gene Wilder, a movie that reminds you of happier times, according to Tito Mike), I'd have to say that Tim Burton's version is the BEST. It's dark, not really the kind of movie for kids who grew up watching Disney flicks, but is perfect just the way it is. It remains faithful to the book yet adds a clever twist to the story. Plus, Johnny Depp (Wonka) and Freddie Highmore (Charlie Bucket) did a seamless job of fleshing out the characters. I know a lot of people would find the movie too weird and twisted. But that is the essence of Roald Dahl. The man is a sinister but nonetheless brilliant storyteller. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was never meant to be a fun, "sanitized" Disney-type flick... And maybe, that's why I love it so much.

Applause to Tim Burton and Johnny Depp - the perfect marriage of weirdness and genius.

Must see:

- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (again)

- Corpse Bride (coming out Fall 2005)...

Another gothic love story from Tim Burton. The animation resembles that in the Nightmare Before Christmas. I'm really looking forward to seeing this one. :)

- Pride and Prejudice, starring Keira Knightly as Elizabeth Bennett. I love period films and Jane Austen. Also comes out around Sept. this year.

it's out, oompa-loompas!

2005-07-15T14:59:00.000-04:00

old soul, baby

2005-07-12T10:55:00.000-04:00

You are an Old Soul

You are an experience soul who appreciates tradition.
Mellow and wise, you like to be with others but also to be alone.
Down to earth, you are sensible and impatient.
A creature of habit, it takes you a while to warm up to new people.

You hate injustice, and you're very protective of family and friends
A bit demanding, you expect proper behavior from others.
Extremely independent you don't mind living or being alone.
But when you find love, you tend to want marriage right away.

Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

crush-ology 101

2005-07-11T21:01:00.000-04:00

Long time no blog for me. I almost wasn't able to blog today 'cause our Internet Explorer's not working. Thanks to my clever (read: maparaan) sis, we found a way to go online. Yay >,<

Got this from Friendster...

Pano nga ba nagsisimula ang CRUSH?!
(Note: To all my HS friends, lalo na kila Amigang Em at Chong Clio... Eto na, sigurado akong babasahin niyo 'to... AT sobrang makaka-relate kayo, nyahahahahaha! Lahat tayo dumaan sa process na ito, with the SPECIAL participation of
-toot-, -toot- and -toot-. ;p)

STAGE 1: ALIW AKO!

It goes like this, lalapit ka sa friend mo tapos you'll say:
Ei! Kilala mo ba si _____ (mark, joseph, john, mike..or whatever his damn name is!)? Wala lang aliw lang talaga ako sa kanya *sabay smile* Hindi ko siya crush ha! Talagang nakakatuwa lang siya.

Kaya nga eh, tuwang tuwa kahit it shows na aliw ka nga talaga grabeh! Di mo ba alam na diyan nagsisimula yan?!?

STAGE 2: NAKAKA-MISS SIYA

Ayan na po, hinahanap mo na. Yung dialogue naman nyan ganito:
Uy nasan kaya si _____? Matagal ko na syang di nakikita eh.. Wala lang naninibago lang ako...

Sigurado ka bang yun lang? Aba! Bago mo naman siya nakilala eh ok lang sayo na he does not exist eh bakit ngayon hina-hanap hanap mo na? Sigurado ka bang NANINIBAGO KA LANG?!?

STAGE 3: CUTE PALA SIYA! a.k.a. the denial of reality

Hay ayaw pa kasing aminin eh paka totoo ka na noh!
Ei, alam mo cute pala si _____! Pag tinignan mong mabuti o kaya Ang cute naman niyang mag-smile tapos ang bouncy pa ng hair niya.

Tapos biglang sasabihin, Hindi ko siya crush ha! Yung hair (smile or whateve na related sa kanya) lang nya gusto ko!

TALAGA LANG HUH. Hmm.

STAGE 4: ALAM MO, CRUSH KO NA ATA SIYA

Hay naku! May pa yata-yata ka pang nalalaman! Ilang months or years mo inipon ang courage mo para aminin yan! Eh its sooooooooo obvious naman na! Alam na ng buong barkada mo bago mo pa man aminin... Well at least now honest ka na sa sarili mo.

STAGE 5: TODO NA TO!

Eto na siguro yung part na may maraming complications kasi alam na ng barkada mo at ikaw kilig effect ka sa isang tabi. Eto na yung stage na may sub-levels ayon sa mga kabaliwang gagawin mo.

Shy Effect (DAW!)
Okay nandyan ka lang sa isang tabi, nagmumuni-muni kahit within 1 meter radius lang ang crush mo kunwari walang reaction tanong lang ha: HANGGANG KAILAN?
Kababawan
Yung bang tipong nadikitan lang siya by a quarter of a secong ng HIBLA ng damit niya eh hanggang langit na yang tuwa mo... Yung bang pwede ka nang mamatay. Hay grabeh ha!
O kaya naman makasalubong mo lang siya eh papasa ka na sa exams... Haha!
Non-stop Talk
Well, meaning wala ka nang ibang bukam-bibig kundi SIYASIYASIYA!! It's all about him!!!
Stalker
You're a walking encyclopedia about him: Alam mo na lahat ng dapat malaman tungkol sa kanya - schedule, address, phone number, birthday, san siya tumatambay, lahat ng favorites niya, pangalan ng parents, niya size ng pants, shoes, shirts niya, pati yata brand ng brief niya alam mo na eh! Tsk tsk tsk... Freaky!!
Obsession
Do I have to explain it?

STAGE 6: GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Sa wakas, kilala ka na rin ng crush mo eh di happy ka na?! Its your time to shine at magpakitang-gilas.

Kaso take note: This is the most dangerous or should I say complicated stage - once you get to
know him. There might be a possibility na ma in-love ka sa kanya PERO pwede rin na crush mo
lang talaga siya. There's also a chance na mawala ang pagka-crush mo sa kanya and you'll end up being FRIENDS.

Daming possibilities... It's up to you what to choose... Basta make sure na its the best for the both of you.

Yun lang. At least now you know HOW the process works... ^^

nice...

2005-07-01T20:45:00.000-04:00

mood: sobrang senti... umuulan na naman sa labas. senti-senti... >_<

Tell Me Where It Hurts
by MYMP (revival)

Why is that sad look in your eyes
Why are you crying?
Tell me now, tell me now
Tell me, why you're feelin' this way
I hate to see you so down, oh baby!

Is it your heart
Oh, that's breakin' all in pieces
Makin' you cry
Makin' you feel blue
Is there anything that I can do

Why don't you tell me where it hurts now, baby
And I'll do my best to make it better
Yes, I'll do my best to make the tears all go away
Just tell me where it hurts
Now, tell me
And I'll love you with a love so tender
Oh and if you let me stay
I'll love all of the hurt away

Where are all those tears coming from
Why are they falling?
somebody, somebody, somebody left your heart in the cold
You just need somebody to hold on, baby
(Give me a chance)
To put back all the pieces
Take hold of your heart
Make it just like new
There's so many things that I can do

Is it your heart
Oh, that's breakin' all in pieces
Makin' you cry
Makin' you feel blue
Is there anything that I can do

Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me baby
Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me
And I'll do my best to make it better
Yes, I'll do my best to make the tears all go away
Just tell me where it hurts
Now, tell me
And I love you with a love so tender
Oh, and if you let me stay
I'll love all of the hurt away

update

2005-06-27T21:49:00.000-04:00

Lately, I've been doing a lot of reading, thinking and blog-hopping - all done alternately in no particular order.

Reading: Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
Gah, I'm so glad that I have already finished this one. It's a very depressing (and erotic... You have been warned, innocent reader!) novel about 18-yr old Toru Watanabe's tragic first love. Watanabe loses his bestfriend at the beginning of the story. He falls for the schizophrenic girlfriend of his bestfriend, but it doesn't work out between them... I'm not telling why. So, he moves on and develops feelings for Midori, a nymphomaniac who keeps on insisting that she isn't. Can you believe how cruel fate is on this Watanabe guy? Full of suicides, erotic situations and grief, Norwegian Wood left me spaced out for some time after I finished it. There was just too much melancholy in it. The book has its good parts, though. For one, the dialogue is witty. It contains a lot of fresh ideas about life, love and friendship. Murakami writes weird.

Thinking:

I will stop over-thinking things (Hah?)
I will shrug off my serious side and work on loosening up a bit. Seryoso. (Hah?!)
I will stop being so vain. No one likes Ms. Conceited. Repeat: Simplicity is beauty.

Blog-hopping: This is the sad truth - more and more Gen Y Pinoys are growing super-materialistic/ self-absorbed/ narcissistic. Try blog-hopping one of these days and you'll probably stumble upon a bratinella blog. Ah yes, the bratinella blog... It is characterized by a very LONG side bar full of detailed descriptions about the bratinella blog-owner. Scroll down the entries and alas! Pictures, pictures and more pictures of her - kikay shots, pa-cute shots, you name it. Read the entries and enjoy stories of her adventures to the mall, quests for the perfect dress with matching shoes to boot. *sigh* If only these bratinellas (including their male counterparts) knew that there is more to life than Starbucks frappes! and shopping! and shoes!, then the Philippines would be in a much better state than it is in right now. People, for the love of God, stop wallowing in superficiality and callousness.

Updates: Last Sat, Tita Agnes took us to the Orlando Museum of Art. Unfortunately, it was not as fun as I thought it would be. Note to self: Stop trying to be someone you're not. I'm obviously no art fan.

BJJ again today. It went fine, which means no push-ups for me. ^^ Masaya rin kasi madami kami today. It's funny, 'cause more students attend pag kasagsagan ng ulan. There were around 20 students today; the students closer to my age group were came to class, too - Mo (guy w/ the mohawk 'do), Steven, and Cody. Little Pablo, who's only 4 and has the face of a cherubim, was also there. :) Learned 2 new moves, sparred again w/ Camilla and chatted with her super-talkative younger bro, Ralphie. Oh yeah, I forgot to add: Made new friends. :)

adik na sa BJJ

2005-06-25T22:27:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I had my first shot at SPARRING. I sparred with Camilla and it was fantastic! Of course as a newbie, all I could do was block and keep my guard. For the entire 5 minutes the best I was able to do was carry out the new move that Mike taught us. Nevertheless, we had a great time!

Can't wait til our next meeting. >,<

empowered XD

2005-06-22T22:50:00.000-04:00

It's Wednesday night. I'm sitting in front of my PC and writing about how my day went, as promised. No use beating 'round the bush so here goes...

I had so much FUN!!! (Note the repeated exclamation marks) Whohoo! >,<

Now here's the part where I put all the gory details. We left the house at around quarter to 5pm. It was raining cats and dogs. Kingspointe Parkway was very far from our place but we made it just in time, thank goodness. On our way there I was really quiet - no clumsy fidgeting or bitting of nails or endless ranting. I mean, I didn't know what to expect. I tried to act cool and blase about it. Dunno if Daddy fell for the act, though.

Anyway, when we got there, they had already started! I only had enough time for a quick visit to the restroom. Then Mike (the instructor - tall, 20-something... Not sure whether he's Brazilian or Portugese) gestured to us to join the students who were running around in a circle.

*Tagalog na para mas masaya, sumusuko na rin ang powers ko - I've had a long day*

Edi ayun nga, it was now or never. Sumama kami ni Anna, running... running... and running around in a circle... Hay, buti na lang wala pa yung ibang mga dadi na palaging nakadungaw sa bintana nung studio. Di nila nasaksihan ang kahiya-hiyang 10 push-ups ko. No, di po ako bad girl kaya napa-push ups ako. Kasi naman, they play this game (warm-up) where all the students run and run around in a circle. Then when Mike claps his hands, you try to grab a partner. It's like a cross between Trip to Jerusalem and Open the Basket. At ciempre tulad ng inaasahan sa isang uugod-ugod na baguhan (duh, I'm the tallest and eldest), naging taya ako. The "it" does 10 push-ups and afterwards, rejoins the circle of sweaty, running kids. At naging taya ulit ako (strike 2!)... buti na lang di na 'ko pinag-push ups ulit. Salingpusa daw muna ako. Yay.

After more running around in circles, we did a lot of basic exercises: crunches, army man, stretching, "ze butterfly" (Sit like an Indian yogi and flap your thighs, butterfly!)... Tapos tinuruan na kami nung basic moves and locks. That was cool! A lot of the moves would actually come in handy during bed wrestling fights. Bye-bye boring pillow fights! Plus, I met Camilla, a 14-yr old [Portugese?] girl who was very sweet, friendly and very pretty. She seems to have no clue about how beautiful she is. But beware, she is one tough wrestler. Last week, I saw her take on Steven, an advanced student who stands 5'7 tall!

Every muscle in my both arms is screaming in pain, but it's good I ditched aikido and tried BJJ instead. Ang saya ko kasi di ko naman inexpect na ganito yung magiging turn-out of events. This is something new for the literature-loving, sports-hating, piano-playing, journal-writing, blog-hopping girl that I am. I'm glad I had taken the time to grab this chance of learning a new skill! :)

bye-baikido

2005-06-21T11:57:00.000-04:00

Hay, Pat. Tsk, tsk, tsk...

You follow your little whim and sign up for aikido lessons. Then, you back out on your first lesson. Then you tag along while Bobby has his jiu-jitsu classes and decide to give Brazilian jiu-jitsu a try.

Hay... Fickle, fickle Pat.

Ok, ok. I didn't just back out because I had cold feet. The aikido instructor did not seem too eager to accept Anna and me as students. Anna thinks he's a pervert; Daddy thinks he's a redneck (anti-Asian or any minority group). For all we know, he could be both. Or not. I don't know... There was something wrong about his vibe.

Bye-bye kiddo. Bye-baikido.

So on Wed. I'll probably be posting an entry about how the first BJJ lesson went. Then again, I could write about how I backed out for the second time... Nah. Daddy would kill me. ~

Baffling questions (Haha, nag-feeling Bob Ong ;p):

Bakit ang lalaki ng mga Amerikano? No offense meant, pero almost everyone here looks super-sized.
Bakit nga ba ang slim ng mga Pinoy? How come? We eat a lot, more than 3 times a day, and we're not even talking about healthy food. I'm talking about greasy, salty, fatty food - innards, intestines, bone marrow and all.
Bakit mas mahaba ang Philippine address sa American address, when come to think of it America is considerably bigger than the Phil? Bakit sa 'tin ang daming subdivisions and subcategories? Bakit tayo may sitio, baranggay, block #, kalye, purok, atbp?
Bakit ganon ang mga Disney movies, pilit ginagawang cute and sanitized ang mga storylines? Look what they did to the Grim fairy tales. Disney always gives kids a happier version of reality, and that can be bad. What if every boy thought that he would emerge triumphant in whatever contest he joined? What if every girl waited for a dashing prince who sweep her off her feet and take her to a castle far away? Worse, what if little first graders went frog-kissing? Just the thought's enough to make me cringe. Bleh.

poetry, numbers and aikido

2005-06-15T16:39:00.000-04:00

*poet mode*

ESCAPE

Caught in a time warp
I am.

I close my eyes to freeze this moment
to capture again the glimmer of that city
at night, the glow that is half-starshine,
and half-lamplight.
To trace the lines of the memory
of a place i grew up in,
and grew to love.

In a split-second
vivid images of that place
come rushing back.
Familiar faces of strangers,
bumper-to-bumper traffic,
street signs and street children,
overpassess, skyscrapers
and winding bridges that cross
over a thousand roofs.
The artificial light blends
with indistinct honks and murmurs.

I close my eyes once more
and take comfort in my belief that
reminiscing can give me the power of flight.
It can warp me to that place
where I left my heart behind.

I close my eyes and I'm home.

~ dedicated to the people and places I left behind.

Number of...

...times a day I eat cereals: 3-4. Pramis. No joke.
...sleepless nights: countless. It is better to sleep on the floor than on a soft mattress.
...dreams about Bamboo: 3
...dreams about Sponge Cola: 1
...original OPM CDs: 3 (-1 because I left my BC CD in the Philippines, +4 because my cute and cuddly Ninang is sending me Nina Live! and all 3 CDs of MYMP. Hehe, di rin ako MYMP fan 'no?)
...blogs: Let's start from the start, shall we? Nutang acct (1), Blogspot (2+3), Hi5 (4), Friendster (5), Blogdrive (6), Xanga (7)= SEVEN. Now, you're probably thinking that with 7 blogs, I'm a 16-yr old who definitely has a LOT to say. I mean, what kind of lunatic maintains SEVEN blogs?! Anyway, if you're thinking I'm that lunatic kid, you're mistaken. The only blogs I took seriously were the ones in my blogger acct. ^_^

News flash: *kidlat, then kulog*
Eto no joke talaga - I'm having my first brush with martial arts on Thursday. I'm taking Aikido lessons.

Gag me.

This afternoon, we went to Ponciana to see the Academy of Martial Arts. It was a samll place, nothing like a dojo but more like the ones they have in SM North Edsa. Pramis, initial reaction ko talaga nung sinabi ni Daddy na maga-aikido nga kami ay *excited* Pano kasi, trip ko yung uniform... loose white top and baggy black pants (It looks like a yukata. Picture Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai.) Cute. Wala lang. ^^

And then, biglang... I saw one class going on, a Taekwondo class I think, and I recoiled. My knees turned to jelly. Nah, not jelly - Jell-O. In my mind, I saw myself being *huwaiya*-d and *whapak*-d by the kids there. Tapos nagdilim ang paningin ko at namatay. The End.

Haha. Sana nga ganun lang kadaling lumusot sa aiki lessons. And now I ask myself: What have I gotten myself into again? Once more, I jumped into the pool before checking the temperature of the water. San ka ba nakarinig ng taong nag-aikido dahil nakyutan siya sa uniforms? Sometimes my sense of logic amazes me. And if ever there was an award for Ms. Late Reaction, it would be presented to me.

Now you ask: Does Thu. make me nervous? Hell yes, considering that I'm no sports lover and that I have 0 experience in martial arts. Let's hope my instructor goes easy on me, lest I be bruised as a bloody prune after class.

Uulan na naman. Yay. >,<

only happy when it rains

2005-06-11T22:17:00.000-04:00

Umiba ang ihip ng hangin ngayong araw na 'to. Yup, dinaanan kami ng bagyong Arlene, which became a tropical depression after an hour. Sobrang lakas ng ulan, and the funny thing is it's the start of summer. SUMMER, people. Yung weather pag summer dito, yun ang weather pag tag-ulan sa 'tin. Galing 'no? ^^

Pero sa totoo lang, hindi ako na-depress ng gray, gloomy skies sa labas (for once!) Eto, I'm not too happy but neither am I in my usual massively depressed mood. Kasi po:

> Naayos ko na rin ang blog na 'to. At last, after hours and hours of browsing in blogskins.com ! I'm not a big fan of purple, but I love the translucent, misty effect in this skin.

> Marunong na rin akong mag-css *whee* I was almost tempted to grab an Idiot's Guide to HTML/CSS just to make the modifications I want.

> It's raining outside and I have the rest of the day to pig out! We did the grocery this morning - sumama ako so there's practically a truckload of my favorite food. Hehe, maybe not a truckload... but a lot. ;p

> Nakabisado ko na yung lyrics ng Una by Sponge Cola. Ayun, tinamaan tuloy ako ng matinding LSS. ^^; Muli namang umihip sa akin ang hangin ng pag-iisa...

Hay. Ang babaw ko. Kasi ang dali-dali ma-attain ng mga nasa listahan ko; even the most typical persons can have them. But if these "mababaw," simple things are my source of happiness, I might be one of the happier guys around. :)

last song syndrome

2005-06-11T16:11:00.000-04:00

at the moment, ito ang aking lss:

Una
by Sponge Cola

muli namang umihip sa akin
ang hangin ng pag-iisa
liwanag kang dagling sumilaw
sa 'king mga mata

lumilingon
sinusundan
dumadalas ang minsan

ika'y nariyan
abot-tanaw
kahit walang dahilan

maiiwasan ba?
ang bawat sandaling ika'y laman ng isip ko
(maiiwasan ba?)
ngayo'y lilipas ng hindi kita nasisilaya
(nagkamali sa 'yo)
nararapat bang pigilan ang damdamin na
lalong mahulog sa iyo

walang maitutulad
sa sumpang iyong nilikha
putulin man ang tali ay sadyang
walang kawala

sa pagka-akit
at di paglapit
nananalangin
at umaasa...