landscape on a vast space

America decides: Change it is! Congratulations to President-Elect Barack Obama!

2008-11-05T18:13:00.006+08:00

American history records a humongous first as the first African-American wins 2008 US presidency. President-Elect Barack Obama becomes the 44^th Chief Officer of the United States of America.

I still remember the first time I learned about him, during the toggle between Obama and Senator Hilary Clinton as this year’s Democratic Party’s US President Candidate. I got to know his name first through this video, which showed his powerful speech and I remember having goose bumps as I watched it. It was inspiring and moving.

Even back then, the challenges Obama faced were enormous. He was lugging behind Clinton. He’s colored, after all, and very young, in age and in politics. But I had a very strong feeling that he would get through and yes, he has won over the Democrats.

That was just the beginning. What ensued after was a much electrified, much intensified race to the White House against Senator John McCain. Democrat against Republican. Young versus old. Colored versus white. A promise of change versus long experience. And the battleground was an uneven terrain, with various American people as judges on the sides.

Of course, there were a lot of criticisms, as well as praises as Obama trekked the campaign trail. And evaluating the positive vis-à-vis the negative, I thought that he would make a better president than Senator John McCain. Because I think that Obama is a good man, more than anything. And that is a very important factor. His character embodies outstanding qualities. Throughout the campaign period, he stayed steadfast, calm, cool, intelligent, brave, and noble against the rampaging, overwhelming pressures coming from all directions.

Now, the skirmish is over. The longest presidential campaign season in the history of America comes to an end with a historic reverberating bang. Yes! Obama, a person who does not have an American-sounding name and color, has definitely triumphed over all the obstacles in a landslide fashion. Amazingly, he has emerged through. The divided American masses have decided that Obama would be their next president. The results of the 2008 US Presidential election speak of the change that has started happening in America. They coin it “New America” as a new order replaces the old.

“Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and
prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this
world. Yes we can.”

“Yes, we can!” is his resounding mantra. Obama remains audacious. He believes in hope. While there is still breath to take, there is hope. And when there is hope, change can be achieved. Change! He has fought long and hard for this race. And the victory is his. A victory he shares with both his supporters and non-supporters alike. He plans to be President for ALL of America. Blacks. Whites. Young. Old. Able. Disabled. Rich. Poor. Men. Women. Straight. Non-straight. And everyone in between.

As he addresses America for the first time after his historic win, Obama does not gloat. Instead he remains humble and gracious, thanking everyone who helped him achieve the tremendously difficult endeavor; calm, even amidst the infectious exultant and jubilant cheering of supporters; somber, as he promises to lead America with honesty and fervor; sober, as he ponders on the enormity of the challenges that lay ahead; poignant, as he speaks of “we, us, our” and not of “I, me, my”; and dignified and well-deserving all in all. His victory speech has been wonderful. He reiterated that the “victory isn’t the change we seek” but only provides the opportunity to change. He enjoins everyone to take part in the responsibility to make change come about.

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America -- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you -- we as a people will get there."

(If you were not able to watch Obama's acceptance speech, click here to catch it.)

What is more amazing is the fact that this election inspired the biggest number of young American generation to go out and vote, which is another first. And that thousands and thousands have become emotional as they share the joy in Obama’s victory, political leaders in other countries have sent their congratulatory greetings, and many are joining hands as they pledge support to this administration.

Now, Obama moves from campaigning to governing and the hopes are high. All eyes are on him. Will he bring about change? The whole world, together with the United States of America, hopes that Obama will deliver on his promises and more. Let’s keep the hopes up.

On a side note:

McCain concedes defeat to Obama in a gracious manner, as he urges everyone to support Obama as he himself promises to do all he can to continually serve his beloved country.

“I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.”

UP Fight!!! UP Pep Squad is 2008 UAAP Cheerdance Champion!

2008-09-07T19:13:00.007+08:00

UP FIGHT!!!

The exhilaration is driving me on a jumping frenzy! I am so so so HAPPY!!!!! UP PEP SQUAD wins 2008 UAAP Cheerdance Competition!

Congratulations to all of you! Spectacular! Awesome! Magnificent! Brilliant! I can go on and on.

Watching it live at the Big Dome, wearing maroon, would have made me happier! You know, the adrenaline, energy and excitement there always elevate to the highest level. School spirit raging! But heck, I have not been that lucky to find even a single ticket. Sold out, they all said. So I have to content myself by tuning in to the dumb box. Haha!

After UST’s performance, UP was next and as the live telecast went into a commercial break, I quickly uttered a silent prayer for the squad. Keeping my fingers on both hands crossed, I watched the routine with nervous anticipation, wishing for perfect and flawless execution. I was not disappointed. Woohoo! Tribal!

When the replay of the first part of each cheering team’s routine was shown, I became more convinced that this year’s title would be UP’s. Feeling. That gut feel was cemented when it was announced that the Special Award (Samsung Stunner) goes to France Fleta of UP. Ha! We have it in the bag! Wahaha!

Kudos to UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe for being First Runner Up and FEU Pep Squad!

UP, ang galling mo! Love it! :-)

WOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! One BIG win for the Centennial. Keep it UP!!! ‘Til next year! (Pressure, pressure, wehehe!)

P.S. Enjoy the Samsung MP3 players! Wehe! ;-)

P.S.S. The pictures are from last year's competition. =)

birthday contest

2008-08-28T20:35:00.005+08:00

Hi Everyone!

My friend, Diane, is having a contest for her birthday, which is 3 days from today (August 31).

Now, you will not want to miss this one because she is giving out $10 paypal money for the first winner and $5 for the second. And don’t despair ‘coz there are consolation prizes: 12 used scrapbooking magazines for 4 people she will pick up.

Check her out on her following blogsites:

A Handful of Surprises
My Paper Scraps
I Am A Nikon Girl
Digitally Diane
Somewhere Over the Rainbow

So, what are you waiting for? Join in! Contest ends at 12PM on September 2, 2008. Who knows you might just be the lucky winner! =)

doing meme for the first time

2008-08-17T01:16:00.003+08:00

This is a response to Tala's longstanding meme tag. She tagged me last June 26. Accomplishing this equals doing a meme for the first time.

Here are the instructions:

1. Pick up the nearest book of at least 123 pages.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

The current book I am reading is entitled "It Was On Fire When I Lay Down On It" written by Robert Fulghum. According to Robert Fulghum's official website, this one contains "more humorous, insightful essays." Furthermore, this book was listed #2 on the bestseller while the first book "All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten" still topped the bestseller list. What was really amazing was it "was the first time and only time" that one author grabbed the first and second spot in the list at the same time. I have an entry about the Kindergarten before. :-)
On page 123, the fifth sentence goes like this:

"They sensed something unimaginable was going on."

The next three sentences are the following:

"And reported a new condition of the universe when they returned to the anthill--something that would force a revision of their understanding. Some wanted to call this Chaos. Some wanted to call it the Mysterium Tremendum."

(Mysterium Tremendum means fearful and fascinating mystery.)

In this essay, Fulghum talks about Chaos Science, which he describes as the "most important shift in scientific thinking since Einstein's little formula." Chaos Science comes about because of the glitches in the cosmic world. He says that there are always inconsistencies in every instance. This he calls the "Glitch." Chaos Science is the attempt to uncover the mysteries of cosmic glitch. Chaos "means simply what we can't understand."

And so to explain Chaos Science, he gives an example that we can picture out for us to better grasp the concept. Thus, he uses anthill to prove his point. The sentences above are part of the example.

There Tala, I'm done with your meme tag. =)

Dressing-Up Virtually

2008-08-14T18:21:00.006+08:00

Today, I discovered online flash games in y8.com . I particularly liked the dressing-up games because I could experiment with assorted looks. It was lots of fun dressing up according to the description in each game. Well, in real life, I would utterly love having those different articles of clothing and accessories to boot for a variety of occasions. Weeee! How much more fun that would be!

So, instead of spending on actual clothes, I spent some precious time dressing up virtually. Very entertaining. Wehehe!

Here is the first installment of my dressing-up antics. ;-)

DRESSING UP IN SHORT

Now for dressing up in short, here are my choices from the closet. Needless to say, in real life, I love wearing shorts and skirts more than jeans. So, I really enjoyed picking up the items. The color scheme includes gray and pink. For the top, I’d don on a shirt with dark gray stripes, with a light gray puffed-sleeved top. I’d match them with a pair of jumper shorts for the bottom and a pair of slip-on wedge sandals for the feet. To complete the look, I’d include silver handbag, a pink belt, silver/gray bead necklace, silver hoop earrings and light pink sunglasses.

I can think of lots of instances where I would actually wear this kind of look. As I have said, i love them shorts. For movies, shopping, coffee or any casual hang-out, I’d prefer this look. ;-)

DRESSING UP IN PINK

If I had a closet full of pink stuffs, I’d choose a darker shade of pink jumper skirt, a lighter shade of pink spaghetti top with some intricate girlish details, an almost-white bolero, and a fine light pink denim cover-up. Since pink really looks delicate and feminine, I’d like to spunk it up a bit with the stylist but not-so-formal denim cover-up. I’d accessorize with shoulder bag with the same color as the jumper. For jewelry, I’d choose a necklace that matches the detail on the jumper and bag. In keeping line with the whole color scheme, the earrings should be of pink and of the same color as the necklace too. Well, the shoes are dainty and fashionable, like what pink connotes. Very kikay! =)

Now, where would I go if I donned on pink from head to toe, which you wouldn’t find likely in real life? Not that I detest it. I like pink but I just don’t think I’ll be caught dead wearing pink all the way. Haha! To answer the question, I’ll probably attend a get-together with the girls at some glitzy place. Hahaha! ;-P

DRESSING UP IN ROCK STYLE

For dressing up in rock style, I tried to achieve a retro look. I chose the following: long-sleeved turtle-neck top with purple stripes, white button-up jacket with brown fur, brown belt with yellow accent, white layered skirt (I’m really partial to skirts), brown cowboy boots, brown bag, classic retro eyepiece, and matching vintage necklace and earrings.

In reality, I think I’ll go attend a concert draped in attire like this. But in other countries, maybe, because I don’t think furs go with the climate in the Philippines; unless, typhoons are raging, causing extreme coldness, which in that case, the concert would be postponed. Haha!:-D

Hmmm, now if the rock concert was in the Philippines, I’d wear the following: white top with red cardigan (which I can pull off whenever), white belt accentuated by a large buckle, rugged skinny jeans (yeah!), red pumps (I’d choose a pair of sneakers if they were in the items), trendy eyewear, gold hoop earrings and a couple of necklaces.

Let’s rock on!

On a serious mode, it’s really important that one feels comfortable with one’s own skin. Otherwise, no matter how classy, beautiful or expensive your clothes are, they won’t make you stand out.

So be confident! Smile and world will smile back at you! ;-) Ciao!

talk about literal

2008-07-12T09:39:00.002+08:00

haha! i have nothing more to add. =)

Raya Martin's "Now Showing" in 40th Cannes Director's Fortnight

2008-05-21T19:45:00.004+08:00

This is quoted from Armi's multiply page. I'd just like to spread the great news. I am super happy for Raya. Cannes!!!! Wow! Amazing, right! Way to go! Congratulations dear!!!

"Another Filipino film is selected in the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. Raya Martin’s “Now Showing” is competing in the 40^th Directors’ Fortnight, a parallel section that showcases new and little-known directors from around the world. Since 1968, it has since launched the international careers of directors such as Werner Herzog, Jim Jarmusch, and the late Lino Brocka.

Only 23, Martin has been reaping international recognition for the past several years. His first feature, “Short Film About the Indio Nacional” won several awards in film festivals abroad, while his second film “Autohystoria” won the Lino Award Grand Prize and Best Director in Cinemanila International Film Festival last year. Martin is also the first Filipino to be granted the Fond Sud by the French government for his new film currently in development, “Independencia”.

Running at 4 hours 40 minutes, “Now Showing” is a coming of age narrative set in downtown Manila. A young girl’s story is told in a documentary manner and series of found footage. In between, clips from the 1960's Filipino classic film, “Tunay na Ina” is shown. The film project received the Hubert Bals Grant at the Cinemanila Boracay Co-Production Meeting in 2005. Post-production is supported by Ignite Media, Inc.

Behind the film is young and prize-winning producer Arleen Cuevas. Only 27,her last project “Amazing Truth about Queen Raquela” won Best Film at the Teddy Awards in this year’s Berlin International Film Festival. Cuevas has also collaborated with director Adolf Alix, Jr. on several films including “Batanes” and “Tambolista”.

“Now Showing” stars theater actresses Ness Roque, Adriana Agcaoili, Meila Romero, Daisy Carino and Via Antonio. Roque, playing the lead role, is a 16-year old theater actress currently taking up Filipino Literature at the Ateneo de Manila University. Upon learning that the film was selected in this year’s Cannes, Roque said, “I am thrilled! When Raya called and told me that we're going to Cannes, I asked him to stop and let me breathe. Hindi ako makahinga!”

Martin looks forward to premiering in the prestigious film festival. “Excited ako ipalabas yung film dun. It’s an unusual film.”

The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) gives support through a travel grant, enabling the production staff to attend the premiere in Cannes Film Festival, in cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs, the French Embassy in the Philippines, and the Philippine Embassy in France.

Contact:arleencuevas@gmail.com"

blog and the cyber revolution

2008-03-02T01:26:00.006+08:00

Wish I am more able to write and blog about just anything. It's actually fun. But when I want to blog, I get distracted because when I am online, I wander far away from my site. There are just too many places and people to see. Haha! I'm thinking, maybe, I should write down my thoughts when ideas strike and post it agad. =)

---------------

The cyber revolution has taken the world entirely to a new, higher level. Transfer of information is fast, easy and convenient with just effortless clicks on the mouse. I won't say that everything is reliable, though. Everyone is into blogging, posting of pictures on the Internet, even videos, personal websites, and others. Everyone takes on an identity over the web, either real or reel. Even in online games, people play roles, either as ninjas, elves, knights, lords, wizards, gladiators, etc.

Certainly, one thing for sure, the world is what it is today because of the Internet. It's a wonderful, wonderful discovery. It makes the world a lot smaller than it actually is...and makes you realize that everybody is connected to each other in different ways. Amazing! ;-) Right?!?

Balanced-Brained

2008-03-02T00:28:00.004+08:00

I took this test entitled "The Brain Test: What Your Brain Says About How You Think and Learn" at Tickle. And this is the result.

Tazshi, you are Balanced-brained, which means that you rely equally on both the left and right hemispheres of your brain.

You have a balanced brain — able to draw on the strengths of both the right and left hemispheres depending on context. Typically, people with balanced right and left hemispheres are very comfortable with switching between local and global perspectives — that is, paying attention to both small details and larger issues when the circumstance indicates. That means they can identify elements that make up an image or situation and also attend to the larger, more holistic pattern or unified whole that those details comprise.

You are able to capitalize on the left hemisphere's skills in verbal communication as well on the right hemisphere's focus on patterns and association making. This rare combination makes you a very creative and flexible thinker.

Depending on the situation, you may rely on one hemisphere or the other. Some situations may lend themselves to using your right brain's creativity and flexibility while other situations may call for a more structured approach as dictated by your left brain.

That's how your brain processes information. And while your dominant brain hemisphere certainly contributes to the way you process information, there is also a style of learning, unrelated to your dominant hemisphere, that determines the ways in which you are best able to pick up information. When you're learning something new, your dominant brain hemisphere will want to take over. But there are times when the information being presented is not well suited to your dominant hemisphere's abilities.

That's why, in addition to your hemispheric dominance, you also have a style of learning that is dominant for you. Whether you know it or not, you are naturally predisposed to learning things visually, aurally, or through a combination of the two.

Your test results show that you are an auditory learner.

Other balanced-brained people who are auditory learners are pop singer Madonna, classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and comedian and actor Robin Williams. But before delving deeper into how you learn, you should get the basics of your brain's physiology.

CHANGE--for the better!!!

2008-01-10T17:29:00.000+08:00

Hi folks! Since it’s 2008, a new year, it is time to change the past wrongdoings and shortcomings. Please bear with the article’s length and do read on, you may just get a lesson or two.

REGARDING HENRY
By Henrylito D. Tacio

CHANGE FOR THE BETTER!

In a 'Peanuts' cartoon, Charlie Brown asked Linus: "Perhaps you can give me an answer. What would you do if you felt that no one liked you?" Linus replied, "I'd try to look at myself objectively, and see what I could do to improve. That's my answer, Charlie Brown." Hearing the answer, Charlie answered, "I hate that answer!"

There are a number of reasons why many of us, like Charlie Brown, resist change. After all, resistance to change is universal. Remember the story of Galileo? With his telescope, he proved the theory of Copernicus that the earth was not the center of the universe. The earth and the planets revolve around the sun. Yet, when he tried to change people's beliefs, he was thrown into prison and spent the rest of his life under house arrest.

King Whitney Jr. surmised: "Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful, it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful, it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident, it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better."

During one of the lectures of my science teacher when I was still in high school, our teacher told us: "The permanent thing in this world is change." Those words stuck into my mind. I was a neophyte and never knew anything about the world. Today, I have been to countries I could not think of visiting when I was younger. Those travels have completely changed my way of thinking.

How true were the words of Philip Crosby. He said, "If anything is certain, it is that change is certain. The world we are planning for today will not exist in this form tomorrow." The beautiful flower you see today will wilt tomorrow. It may be sunny in the morning but sudden rain may pour in the afternoon.

If you're a teenager today, you may be thirtysomething years later. "We did not change as we grew older; we just became more clearly ourselves," penned Lynn Hall in 'Where Have All the Tigers Gone?' Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was even more apt: "The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it."

There is only one thing that never changes: your picture. Listen to the explanation of Albert Einstein: "A photograph never grows old. You and I change, people change all through the months and years, but a photograph always remains the same. How nice to look at a photograph of mother or father taken many years ago. You see them as you remember them. But as people live on, they change completely."

"In a progressive country change is constant, change is inevitable," said British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli.

In Holland, two large windmills stood on the same dike and ground grain into flour. They had become a standard part of the scenery and their operation was a normal part of everyday life. But then, electricity came into the neighborhood and it could grind grain finer and cheaper and faster.

Modern ways threatened to put the two windmills out of business. But each of them reacted to the threat in a different way. The first one was completely rebuilt. An electric motor took the place of the large waterwheel which had supplied the power for the mill. The latest models of grinding machinery were installed. That mill kept on grinding grain and fulfilling its purpose.

The second windmill was left as it had always been. It gave up grinding grain as unprofitable, but it left the large windmill keeps turning around in order to attract paying tourists.

The owner of the first windmill swallowed hard when he had to swap his venerable machinery for efficient modern technology. However, he had one consolation: his mill was still serving the purpose for which it had been built.

The second windmill went on turning for nothing: for it had given up its job of grinding grain. It seemed to be working at its age-old task, but actually all it was doing was satisfying tourist curiosity.

"Any institution which cannot adjust, cannot change appropriately with the changing times, is going to end up as a tourist attraction," Lutz Hoffman concluded the anecdote.

Are you thinking of not changing anything about yourself? You might end up as a tourist attraction. "If you don't like something, change it," Maya Angelou urges. "If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain."

Again, in a 'Peanuts' cartoon, Lucy told Charlie Brown as both were leaning against a fence: "I would like to change the world." Charlie Brown asked, "Where would you start?" Her reply was: "I would start with you."

"Only I can change my life," says Hollywood comedian Carol Burnett. "No one can change it for me." Emma Bunton has a different view: "You can't change who you are, but you can surely make the best of it. And if you've got a thought, act on it."

In other words, if you have to change, be sure to change for the better. Remember what Joel Barker says before: "Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world."

Want to change the world? "Change your thoughts and you change the world," suggests Norman Vincent Peale. "You must be the change you with to see in the world," Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi believes.

But American singer Anita Bryant said it all when she declared: "The only way to change the world is to change people; the only way to change people is to change their hearts, and only Christ can change hearts."

There it is. Change is inevitable. Time passes and along with it, change comes. In order for us to keep up with the unending challenges of the changing times, we must adjust and change—change for the better only. Just like in the article, we must cope and force ourselves to embrace changes so that we would be able to continue to operate and pursue the original purpose that we are supposed to do. You don’t want to end up doing nothing but serve as another tourist attraction, so to speak. We must carry out our personal legends, as what God wants us to do. Cliché as it may sound; change does come from one’s self. Start on changing for the better now, as I should.

God Bless us all this year and the years to come. Have a fabulous and happy 2008! Carpe Diem!

P.S.

What are your new year’s resolutions, by the way? Share ‘em with me. =)

What's my rating?

2007-12-23T14:45:00.000+08:00

This Page is Rated

PG-13

tazshi.blogspot.com

I got tagged by J uliana. Find out your own rating. Just click on the box. =)

Lantern Parade 2007

2007-12-22T02:35:00.000+08:00

A taste of a magical night...

Me with my gal pals, Chrissy and Beth, at UP Quezon Hall, right in front of Oble.

I was so glad to have witnessed this year's UP Diliman’s Lantern Parade with two of my friends, Beth and Chrissy, who are very dear to me. It has been an all-girl affair. Much as we wanted it to be a reunion of Sunrise or Golden Legacy people as what we try to do every holiday season, it couldn't be so because Brian was busy with work.

Though he was missed, we enjoyed the night of course. The weather was perfect, creating a sort of magical ambiance wherein all sorts of UPians and non-UPians alike lined around the Academic Oval, mingling and gathering to take part in this annual festivity to celebrate Christmas. What was great about it was that the lanterns showcased UP’s 100^th Year, which were really creative and ingenious, as usual. My personal favourites were the Ikot Jeepney and the UAAP 2007 parody (soooper kulet!). Everyone was laughing insanely, like it was an experience being shared among the witnesses.

A scene from the UAAP 2007 parody.

I took this shot of Beth, with the Ikot (Oble on the top) lantern in the background.

Beth was hoping to capture a closer look of the same lantern but it was moving quite fast. Chrissy and I in the foreground.

The fireworks display after the show was jaw-dropping. It was an amazing explosion (forgive the pun) of hues and tints, painting the black sky with different shapes of sparks. The contrast of the splashes of colors against the blackness of the night was visually stunning. The ooohs, aaahs, and wooows kept pouring out of us. It was as if the last firework, with its gigantic spread, blocked out the sky and enveloped us in its glow. Such a warm feeling it evoked.

Some shots of the wonderful fireworks. They're not very excellent shots, though.

And if all those weren’t enough, food might just be the thing to complete the event. Oh boy, it was fun to have food within arm’s reach coz of the food stalls around the oval? Actually, the first thing we wanted to do was hunt down a shawarma stall but we only got to finally buy just before the fireworks show. Yummmyy! No complaints here except that I got quite bitin. Wehehe! *wink*

Above is CSSP's lantern. Below are pictures of me and Chrissy in front of CSSP's lantern. If you'd take a closer look, both of us are holding shawarma and water. Picture-taking and eating at the same time--best!

Oh, what is an event without picture-taking?

Truly, it was a night of merry-making with friends, something I love to do every chance I get. After all, Christmas is one special season to be celebrated with family and friends. Cheers guys! *clink*

Oh Yes!

2007-12-12T01:11:00.000+08:00

You Are a Lemon Margarita

Sour, tangy, and overpowering, you tend to give people a jolt back into reality.
While you don't sugar coat things, you're honest - which is actually quite refreshing.

What Flavor Margarita Are You?

Me love margarita! (see in my visualdna widget)The original unflavored one is very lovely and so are the ones with flavors. Make it frozen, please. Yummmy! More so if it is free. Treat me. *wink*

I admit, I am a little snobby

2007-12-12T00:37:00.000+08:00

The following statements ring true. Haha! I am snobby at times, especially when I'm out alone or when I don't feel like getting chummy-chummy with someone.

I have friends who are a bit snobbish too but we're calm, contemplative, and friendly bunch. We're not scary. We can't help it, though, if others misunderstand our crazy antics. But we do mean well.

Just read on. Nuff said. =)

You Are A Little Snobby

And being a little snobby every once and a while is totally allowed.
Because if no one was ever snobby, no one would ever try to dress up or look pretty.
And while you do enjoy the finest things in life (that you can afford), you tire of superficiality.
You know there's more to life than what's just on the surface.

Are You a Snobby Girl?

Take note of the last couple of sentences because it is more important. I do tire of superficiality and everything it connotes. Empowerment comes from within. Right?

Color me

2007-12-12T00:10:00.001+08:00

I stole this from my friend, Diane's page. Wahaha! Thanks Di for the idea (albeit I didn't ask you). Just thought I'd find out what my color is.

You Are a Purple Crayon

Your world is colored in dreamy, divine, and classy colors.
You hold yourself to a sky high standard, and you are always graceful.
People envy, idolize, and copy you without realizing it. You are an icon for those who know you.
And while it is hard to be a perfectionist, rest assured it's paying off!

Your color wheel opposite is yellow. While yellow people may be wise, they lack the manners and class needed to impress you.

What Color Crayon Are You?

Purple is not my favorite color. I appreciate it too but not the same as how much I like red, blue green and green. The nature colors appeal to me, like the color of the sea and the underwater world and the trees. Haaaay. Very relaxing. =)

How about you? What is your color? Find out by clicking the link above. Ciao!

My Visual Narrative

2007-12-11T02:58:00.000+08:00

Here's my VisualDNA. Wow! deoxyribonucleic acid. Pretty heavy. Haha! This is so cool. Narrative with visuals can be powerful. A picture can, most of the time, substitute a thousand words.

Doing this has been fun. =)

Here's my visual profile.

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

My Personality Description

2007-12-11T02:32:00.000+08:00

VisualDNA lists my personality profile.
Read on. =)

I am an easy rider.

MOOD: EASY RIDER

“Always taking life how it comes, and living it in the moment. They don’t get fazed by life… they just breeze through.”

I am a high time roller.

HABITS: HIGH TIME ROLLER

“They are only seen in the best, and the finest, they love top quality, high-end glamour. Always adding a touch of sophistication to the proceedings.”

I am a conqueror.

FUN: CONQUEROR

“They are full of ambition, and energy — cavalier and always moving onto the next level.”

I am a love bug.

LOVE: LOVE BUG

“They are the type to fall in love a thousand times a day. Their feelings snowball quickly, and they are full of passion.”

How about you? Have you gotten your VisualDNA? Do we have the same personality? Let me know. =)

My Lakbayan Grade

2007-12-08T14:25:00.000+08:00

Golly! I am just a poor B-traveler. I haven't done much traveling recently. It's really sad. =( There are still lots of white spaces to cover. My Lakbayan map doesn't look very good. I sure hope that I'd be able to travel more, explore the Philippines, and experience its treasures and beauties. *sigh* I hope to improve my Lakbayan grade. =)

My Lakbayan grade is B-!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

UP's Centennial Christmas Celebration

2007-12-04T15:09:00.000+08:00

Hooray! Pasko 2007!!!! It's the University of the Philippines' Centennial Christmas Celebration . Chill!

Pag-iilaw 2007!

A sight to behold. Oble looks grand!

Oble and the spark. *bow* Love this picture. =)

UP Theater

Christmas cheer is already all around UP. Since UP celebrates its 100th Christmas, there is a series of activities and festivities for the whole month of December. If you want to know the details, you may check it out on UP's Website
and make sure you calendar the events that you don't want to miss.

I'm excited to watch the traditional UP Lantern Parade and be amazed by the fantastic entries from all colleges. =) Ahihihi!!!!

***
(pictures grabbed from http://www.upd.edu.ph/%7Eupdinfo/pasko07/sandaang/index.htm)

be firm!

2007-11-26T17:47:00.000+08:00

photo taken by kahimo. it has not undergone any kind of photo enhancement.
you've gotta be firm with your decisions and choices. know when it is right to bend the rules.
onward march!

Save Energy!

2007-10-09T16:59:00.002+08:00

Save a Few Energies!

How?

When searching for something, use Blackle.Com as your search engine. Or better yet, save it as your home page.

Why?

It takes a lot of hands to actually save more energy. Now, if we all do something, however small or fast, to help save energy, imagine how much we can save. So, go on and save!

For more information on how, read on. (source--> http://www.blackle.com/about/)

How is Blackle saving energy?

Blackle was created by Heap Media to remind us all of the need to take small steps in our everyday lives to save energy. Blackle searches are powered by Google Custom Search.

Blackle saves energy because the screen is predominantly black. "Image displayed is primarily a function of the user's color settings and desktop graphics, as well as the color and size of open application windows; a given monitor requires more power to display a white (or light) screen than a black (or dark) screen." Roberson et al, 2002

In January 2007 a blog post titled Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year proposed the theory that a black version of the Google search engine would save a fair bit of energy due to the popularity of the search engine. Since then there has been skepticism about the significance of the energy savings that can be achieved and the cost in terms of readability of black web pages.

We believe that there is value in the concept because even if the energy savings are small, they all add up. Secondly we feel that seeing Blackle every time we load our web browser reminds us that we need to keep taking small steps to save energy.

How can you help?

We encourage you to set Blackle as your home page. This way every time you load your Internet browser you will save a little bit of energy. Remember every bit counts! You will also be reminded about the need to save energy each time you see the Blackle page load.

Help us spread the word about Blackle by telling your friends and family to set it as their home page. If you have a blog then give us a mention. Or put the following text in your email signature: "Blackle.com - Saving energy one search at a time".

Have a look at our energy saving tips page for ideas on steps you can take to save energy.

There are a lot of great web sites about saving energy and being more environmentally friendly. They are full of great tips covering the little things that we can all do to make a difference today. Try Blackling "energy saving tips" or visit treehugger.com a great blog dedicated to environmental awareness.

Some Rules

2007-08-20T16:40:00.000+08:00

This is from “All I Really Need to Know I learned in Kindergarten” (uncommon thoughts on common things) by Robert Fulghum. This book by Robert Fulghum is much like Bob Ong’s books, made up of thoughts on random things. Sometimes funny, sometimes quirky, sometimes a bit serious. It’s not a lengthy read; you can actually finish it over a cup of cappuccino or any mocha drink at your favorite café. Here’s my favorite part of the book and I have added my own thoughts too.

HOW TO LIVE

1) Share everything. Share good stories or even bad ones, pieces of advice, smiles, hugs, your time, even your oatmeal raisin cookies (it’s also heavenly if it comes with warm milk. Ahihi!). Share your book, knowledge, experiences and adventures. Well, just don’t share your toothbrush, undergarments, etc for hygienic purposes ‘coz you wouldn’t want to catch anything unpleasant or unhealthy, right?

2) Play fair. Pardon the cliché, it’s not really winning the game that matters but how the game is played. Winning the game by playing fairly is the best boost to self-esteem.

3) Don’t hit people. They might hit you back harder and that would hurt. Well, it’s violent and wars could spring from such. But if you’re really angry and can’t contain it, go to a quiet corner, away from people, and vent it out first. Release the tension. Then, iron out a quarrel the way higher beings should do—by talking rationally.

4) Put things back where you found them. Doing this spells good manners. It is being respectful too. And yeah, you wouldn’t want to go through the ordeal of looking for lost things, especially when you’re in a hurry.

5) Clean up your own mess. Tsk. Tsk. You cannot expect other people to do it for you. Besides, it’s really very embarrassing. If you screwed up terribly, you can ask for help from friends. Though, you should know how to do it by yourself. It’s part of being responsible as a grown-up.

6) Don’t take things that aren’t yours. It is not yours and you have no right over it, so don’t take it. After all, I believe that karma works.

7) Wash your hands before you eat. This a basic good routine for hygienic purposes. You wouldn’t want to get the food that you take in mixed with unwanted particles. Yu-uuck!

8) Flush. Yes, pretty please! Oh, show mercy and spare us the agony of being confronted by such terrible show of negligence. Eeeww to the superlative!

9) Take a nap every afternoon. When I was a kid, my brothers and I used to sleep (though not willingly but we were forced to at the sight of that wooden stick!) in the afternoons. I think it helps rejuvenate a tired mind and body. Even at work, when you seem to be at a standstill, a ten-to-fifteen-minute nap is advisable. Just don’t take the whole afternoon or your boss will have your ass.

10) Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. Face it: you did something terrible. You can do nothing but own up to it. People forgive; all you have to do is apologize. I know it is really difficult to say sorry but it is the right thing to do. To show that you regret what you did, mean it. Amen to WORLD PEACE!

11) Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Yummmy. Indulge and bring out warm feelings and good memories.

12) Live a balanced life—learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. And while you do these things, don’t forget to live life to the fullest. It is short so create wonderful memories while you can. Carpe Diem!

13) When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together. Protect each other and be sensitive about each other’s need. You have no one else but each other to do that. Treasure your loved ones. They’re like postage stamps: they stick it with you till it gets to the destination, to the end.

14) Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. God is wonderful! Nuff said.

15) Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even little seeds in the Styrofoam cup—they all die. So do we. I reiterate… Life is short, life is wonderful so love life. Live it well!

16) And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned—the biggest word of all—LOOK. Look and learn. Learn and learn. Knowledge is, indeed, power. Just remember, be responsible. “With great power comes great responsibility.” Ahihi! Familiar? Just look!

my very first blog entry

2007-08-20T00:37:00.000+08:00

i just found this from my forgotten friendster blog. it was posted last July 02, 2005, a little over two years now. and yet, i said that, at the end of it, i should blog more often since i thought it was fun. wahaha! broken idea. well, i hope i can keep up this new blog. hmmm. cheers! =)

"cafe mocha plus a monitor"

i can't believe i am actually blogging. my inbox is being flooded with messages from Friendster re other people's blogs. and out of curiosity , I'm trying this out.

it's actually fun to put your thoughts here because those who make an effort in skimming-slash-serious reading of your posts get to know you better. for i think that whatever you say here tells a part of your character, of your personality.

but don't judge by face value. what you read doesn't totally define a person, ayt? let's just read between the lines. sometimes, there are hidden messages. you just have to dig deeper and understand better.

hmmm. WWW is so great. bridges people from any point on earth. unites different characters. compresses time and space. provides all sorts of information and interesting finds. brings you to lots of wonderful places that may otherwise be unreachable. lets you discover and uncover mysteries. haaay. i could go on and on...

thing is, we also have to be careful with the use of WWW. paralleled to the concept of action-reaction theory, if there are delightful benefits from the usage of WWW, there are also disappointing effects. we should enjoy this technological gift and use it wisely. otherwise, we're just missing the whole point of its existence.

well, anyway, cafe mocha and net surfing is a good combination. ahihi! ;)

it's freaking 3 AM already. I've gotta say that we should really live life to the fullest and live harmoniously for we are created not just to live alone but with the people who love and care for us. more important, everyone and everything is interconnected.

so there, first blog ever. fun. i think I'll do this more often. hahaaay.. =)

Link me up!

2007-08-19T20:10:00.000+08:00

Hi friends! ;-D

If you have a blog, please send me a message so we can get linked. So we can share entries and stories and all. I need friends here. My blog is so alone. Waaah!

Hope to see you here. Take care everyone. It's been raining in the metro. The thunder and lightning are terrifying. Get covered and keep warm!

=)

Where did LOVE come from?

2007-08-13T14:43:00.000+08:00

I just simply love the song entitled "Origin of Love" by Hedwig and the Angry Inch. It is Hedwig's philosophical belief about the origin of love, a myth which she (Hedwig was actually born as a boy named Hansel, who had undergone a botched sex change operation to be able to escape to US by marrying an American navy) has anchored on ever since being a kid. Feeling incomplete (and performing this feeling in her aggressive gender ambiguity), she’s searching for her other half. Well, read the lyrics of the song and everything will be revealed to you. I hope that you'll be able to watch the self-titled film. I found it entertaining and interesting. A drag queen and punk rocker rolled into one toe-tapping and head-banging melody.

This is an image from the animation sequences of "Origin of Love."
If you get the chance, you can watch this particular scene at http://youtube.com/watch?v=ll3KO-wtVSY

Here is the movie poster.

Song: Origin Of Love

When the earth was still flat,
And the clouds made of fire,
And mountains stretched up to the sky,
Sometimes higher,
Folks roamed the earth
Like big rolling kegs.
They had two sets of arms.
They had two sets of legs.
They had two faces peering
Out of one giant head
So they could watch all around them
As they talked; while they read.
And they never knew nothing of love.
It was before the origin of love.

The origin of love

And there were three sexes then,
One that looked like two men
Glued up back to back,
Called the children of the sun.
And similar in shape and girth
Were the children of the earth.
They looked like two girls
Rolled up in one.
And the children of the moon
Looked like a fork shoved on a spoon.
They was part sun, part earth,
Part daughter, part son.

The origin of love.

Now the gods grew quite scared
Of our strength and defiance
And Thor said,
"I'm gonna kill them all
With my hammer,
Like I killed the giants."
But the Zeus said, "No,
You better let me
Use my lightning, like scissors,
Like I cut the legs off the whales
And dinosaurs into lizards."
Then he grabbed up some bolts
And he let out a laugh,
Said, "I'll split them right down the middle.
Gonna cut them right up in half."
And then storm clouds gathered above
Into great balls of fire

And then fire shot down
From the sky in bolts
Like shining blades
Of a knife.
And it ripped
Right through the flesh
Of the children of the sun
And the moon
And the earth.
And some Indian god
Sewed the wound up into a hole,
Pulled it round to our belly
To remind us of the price we pay.
And Osiris and the gods of the Nile
Gathered up a big storm
To blow a hurricane,
To scatter us away,
In a flood of wind and rain,
And a sea of tidal waves,
To wash us all away,
And if we don't behave
They'll cut us down again
And we'll be hopping around on one foot
And looking through one eye.

Last time I saw you
We had just split in two.
You was looking at me.
I was looking at you.
You had a way so familiar,
But I could not recognize,
Cause you had blood on your face;
I had blood in my eyes.
But I could swear by your expression
That the pain down in your soul
Was the same as the one down in mine.
That's the pain,
Cuts a straight line
Down through the heart,
We called it love.
So we wrapped our arms around each other,
Trying to shove ourselves back together.
We was making love,
Making love.
It was a cold dark evening,
Such a long time ago,
When by the mighty hand of Jove,
It was the sad story
How we became
Lonely two-legged creatures,
It's the story of
The origin of love.
That's the origin of love.

Some firsts...

2007-08-12T21:07:00.002+08:00

Hello World!

Hmmm. This is my first post in my first account in blogspot.

This is the first picture that I am attaching. It was taken at Chocolate Kiss at UP Diliman. Choco Kiss is one of my favorite eating places.

Well, I hope I can update this from time to time. Hope to see friends here too.

Cheers! Carpe diem! =)

~Let