Thoughts of Universal Randomness

MOVED!

2008-05-23T14:00:00.004+08:00

Turns out I'm not that active on Livejournal either. So please redirect your links to Psychodelic at sh3lly.i.ph instead. Sorry for the confusion folks!

I've moved to livejournal. You can find me at this link. Drop by and pay me a visit! Heck, add me up as a friend if you've got a livejournal account. It's an art blog of sorts but I'll probably rant about other things along the way. Can't do without the rants, no sir-ree.

Closing

2008-05-05T13:03:00.001+08:00

Ok. It's been forever since I updated this blog. Anyways, I'm going to move my thoughts somewhere else. This blog of mine is seriously outdated. Will give a heads-up here once I find a new home. To those who have faithfully followed this blog of mine, thank you. It was fun while it lasted.

In the meantime, you can catch me at my deviantart account.

Way Back Into Love

2007-02-25T22:21:00.000+08:00

Just watched Music and Lyrics today. Good film, catchy songs. Fell in love with "Way Back Into Love" (and acquired LSS from "Pop Goes My Heart!"). Unfortunately, I couldn't find (translated= "too lazy to look for") a better video on Youtube so here goes:

I've been living with a shadow overhead
I've been sleeping with a cloud above my bed
I've been lonely for so long
Trapped in the past, I just can't seem to move on

I've been hiding all my hopes and dreams away
Just in case I ever need em again someday
I've been setting aside time
To clear a little space in the corners of my mind

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can't make it through without a way back into love
Oh oh oh

I've been watching but the stars refuse to shine
I've been searching but I just don't see the signs
I know that it's out there
There's got to be something for my soul somewhere

I've been looking for someone to shed some light
Not somebody just to get me through the night
I could use some direction
And I'm open to your suggestions

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can't make it through without a way back into love
And if I open my heart again
I guess I'm hoping you'll be there for me in the end
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

There are moments when I don't know if it's real
Or if anybody feels the way I feel
I need inspiration
Not just another negotiation

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can't make it through without a way back into love
And if I open my heart to you
I'm hoping you'll show me what to do
And if you help me to start again
You know that I'll be there for you in the end
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Kamote Komplex!

2007-02-03T15:42:00.000+08:00

Check out this funny comic of a good friend of mine:

(Belated) Happy New Year and Ripped-off Shows

2007-01-13T04:37:00.000+08:00

Well, I haven't updated in a while have I?

It's a new year again and my resolutions (which I'm sure I have already broken) are as follows, in no particular order of importance whatsoever:

- Eat healthier and eat less
- SAVE! SAVE! SAVE!
- Walk to work every morning, provided that I wake up earlier (ahem...)
- Start drawing again (har, har)
- Update my blog at least once a week (yeah, sure)

And that is all.

I'm hoping that this year would bring me more clarity with regards to several aspects of my life. I also feel as if I'm just stuck in a rut of routine and I crave for something different and new. Thinking of maybe getting into baking once I get my hands on an electric oven.

-----------

On other news, GMA 7 is coming out with a number of new shows that are not exactly...well..."new" if you think about it. I'm talking about Lupin, Super Twins, and Asian Treasures.

LUPIN

Mention the name "Lupin" here on Philippine soil and what immediately comes to mind would be the famous anime Lupin III. Now, I have read several vicious attacks coming from Lupin III fans regarding the show and the actor who's playing Lupin (Richard Guiterrez), saying that he:

- doesn't do comedy well since Lupin in the anime is quite the comic
- doesnt't look anything like Lupin
- dresses kinda like Elvis

Ok, the last one was my personal opinion.

I think what most people don't realize is that the anime is actually a parody of a character created by French writer Maurice Leblanc, where Lupin is a gentleman thief. In fact, I remember watching an episode of Magical Princess Minky Momo when I was younger (yeah, laugh, Nazi, laugh! You enjoyed it too!) wherein Lupin the Burglar made an appearance and I recall him being quite handsome...

Right.

So maybe (I'm just making guesses here) the Lupin in Lupin is actually based on Maurice Leblanc's Lupin and not the anime. But, hell, what do I know?

SUPER TWINS

The teaser shows some dude magically creating two rings that, according to an officemate of mine, look like came out of a cereal box. He then throws them somewhere and these happy bouncy little girls take them, slide them onto their fingers, kiss them (the rings, not their fingers) and then they magically transform into SAILOR MOON'S PRETTY SOLDIERS!

OK, fine. I'll be fair. They don't look EXACTLY like the costumes in Sailor Moon. They have capes and one of them has striped socks. And those are the only differences. The rest were kept intact: the boots, the big bows on their chests, the sailor-type tops, the mini skirts, the tiaras...come on, you know it, I know it, we all do. They probably just got the costumes out of a costume shop. Or got a cosplayer to make them. Either way, they didn't spend hours and hours conceptualizing the design. The capes and the striped socks were probably an afterthought.

ASIAN TREASURES

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is your Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider rip-off. No sleepless nights for the designers here either. This show was apparently shot in several Asian countries, so not only will the Philippines know that we ripped off two very famous adventurers, the other Asian countries will too! Huzzah! Yayness for originality!

Oh, you can bet that alot of people will watch these shows with all the hubbub about them on the internet. Hell, even I want to see how they'd turn out. I don't even know whether I'd be surprised if these shows became hits or not. The thing that really gets to me is that the station has already proven that they could make successful original shows of their own not only with fascinating and beautiful costumes but with an original storyline as well (Mulawin, Encantadia) so why did they go backwards from there? Is this their idea of progress?

So, yeah, Happy New Year again!

I'm a Priss!

2006-11-24T11:52:00.000+08:00

Read My Result
Take the Test

I find the results funny but strangely true.

Yah, I know. I haven't been writing here lately so sue me.

Updates: It's official, Mike and I have been together for one year since yesterday. Honey, thanks for the flowers; the delicious dinner; and for one whole year of loving, understanding, and putting up with me and my eccentricities. I wuv you!

Flowers from Mike

It's going to be Christmas time everybody! Not that you need me to remind you. I have already started my christmas shopping since October so as to beat the Christmas rush. As for myself, I'm gonna buy this:

It's just so darn cute and fun! *Hearts*

Which Major Arcana Card are You?

2006-09-21T17:48:00.000+08:00

You scored as III - The Empress. The Empress is a maternal symbol. She is the mother figure who loves, nurtures and protects.
She will protect you, she will always be there when you are in trouble. When you fall over and graze your knee, the Empress will kiss it better.
Yet she is not a weak figure. Her compassion is strength. If her children are threatened she will stop at nothing to protect them. If well aspected in a Tarot spread, the Empress can symbolise security, protection and unconditional love. If badly aspected it can represent over-protectiveness, fear of risk taking and refusal to face the real world.

Which Major Arcana Tarot Card Are You?
created with QuizFarm.com

Lead Slinger Challenge!

2006-09-18T10:27:00.000+08:00

We're accepting submissions for the LEAD SLINGER CHALLENGE happening at the KOMIKON this October 21, 2006 at the U.P. Bahay ng Alumni in U.P. Diliman. Following are the rules for the contest.
Spread the word around. Feel free to use the images and post them in your respective sites and blogs. For those of you who prefer something a bit more petit...

Me Likey!

2006-08-01T00:36:00.000+08:00

Sony Ericsson K800i

You will be mine! *shakes fist in the air*

Talk Pretty in Manila

2006-07-29T23:35:00.000+08:00

It's all so surreal.

I can't believe that I actually got to meet him. And talk to him. And get my books signed by him. And breathe the same air as him. He shook my hand and I'm never going to wash it. Never!

But I'm going ahead of myself here. As you all could probably gather from my previous post, David Sedaris flew in from the U.S of A for a series of live readings and book signings. Before David got down to actually "live read" and "book sign", the disembodied voice also known as Customer Service announced that there would be a short program at 4:30. I joked to Mike that it was probably going to be a stand-up comedian.

Turned out I was right.

I then said that he'd better be funny. The host announced that the stand-up comedian in question usually does the front act of Rex Navarette's shows, and from that I thought, "He must be pretty funny then."

Turned out I was wrong.

I almost felt sorry for the guy. Anyway, in the middle of his spiel, David Sedaris appeared amongst the crowd and started signing books from the get-go. And he was wearing plaid shorts. He later joked that he was riding in a jeepney and that someone snipped off the bottom half of his pants.

So let's cut to the chase and get right down to the main attraction. David started off with a story about a cat getting herself ready for a party in a beauty salon run by a baboon. Which came out of the left field, really, because I never read any animal stories by David. And I have all five of his books...nevertheless, it was a riot, as well as all the other stories he read out. He even narrated my favorite piece from Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim entitled Six to Eight Black Men.

In between the stories, he would talk about some of the experiences that he had in his stay here in the Philippines. He apparently loves Jollibee (I wonder what it is with Americans and Jollibee burgers) and lost almost all his money in a cockfight where he did not bet on which rooster would win, but on which rooster owner would easily beat up the other. He didn't win anything.

The book signing came up and when it was my turn, I swear I grew weak in the knees, but David was a really swell guy. I was so nervous as to what the hell I was going to say to him but it was a good thing that he did most of the talking. And all the while he was so friendly and all smiles as he signed three books of mine. I was too starstruck.

I told him to make out the Me Talk Pretty One Day to "The Super Sisters" and he asked whether I had a Super Yaya. To which I replied, "Nah, but I have a Super Mom though."

"Really? Do you all live in a Super Village?"

"No, I live here in the city."

"Oh you do? I'm staying right here in the Shangri-La. So what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a digital colorist."

I knew he wouldn't quite get what that meant.

"I color stuff..."

"...using a computer right?"

"Yeah."

"What do you color?"

"Storyboards for ad agencies."

"Ah, I see. Who are you with?"

"My sister and my boyfriend."

"How long have you guys been together?"

"8 months."

"What'll you do afterwards?"

"Have dinner. I don't know where though."

"Try out the Museum Cafe. Tell you what, here's a test of your relationship...ask him to take you to the Musem Cafe for dinner...then after 10 months, tell him that you're pregnant...see if he'll loan you money for an abortion..."

I laughed, "Right, I'll bear that in mind. Man, I never thought that I'd actually get a chance to meet you. This is just so surreal for me."

"Well, I'm just here," he said with a big smile as he handed me the books.

He then shook my hands and said, "It was nice meeting you."

Check out what he wrote in my books:

Squuuueeeeee~!

What a guy. I *heart* him!

On top of that, Jessica Zafra was there too! My two favorite writers...under one roof! And I won Armand Basi Body Lotion at the raffle as well! Today is my lucky day! Wheeee!

He's Coming!

2006-06-25T22:17:00.000+08:00

He's gonna Talk Pretty One Day! He's gonna get Naked! He's gonna Dress His Family in Corduroy and Denim!

David. Sedaris. Coming. To. Manila.

AAAAAaaaaaiiiieeee!!!

July 27! 3:00pm! Powerbooks, Greenbelt!

*dies*

What Vampire Clan Are You?

2006-06-04T16:22:00.000+08:00

What Vampire Clan Are You?

You are a Toreador. You are beautiful and elegant and always the center of attention.
Take this quiz!

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Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Times Like These

2006-06-02T22:25:00.000+08:00

Music video time! I like this song. Cheers me up for some reason. Like the video too.

I am a one way motorway
I’m the one that drives away
Then follows you back home
I am a street light shining
I’m a wild light blinding bright
Burning off alone

It’s times like these you learn to live again
It’s times like these you give and give again
It’s times like these you learn to love again
It’s times like these time and time again

I am a new day rising
I’m a brand new sky
To hang the stars upon tonight
I am a little divided
Do I stay or run away
And leave it all behind?

It’s times like these you learn to live again
It’s times like these you give and give again
It’s times like these you learn to love again
It’s times like these time and time again

- Foo Fighters

Chocobo Dance

2006-05-22T22:29:00.000+08:00

This is downright disturbing.

What's even more disturbing is that it painfully reminds me of the time I danced the Itik Itik for the Philippine Embassy back in Indonesia when I was a child.

Hayayay!

Scritch Scratch

2006-05-15T10:39:00.000+08:00

So I was online last night chatting with a bunch of people on a variety of different topics ranging from boots and annoying bastards to work and love lives when all of a sudden, I heard something coming from the front door. It was dead quiet and my mom and sis were sleeping while my dad was in the bathroom so I was the only one who heard...it.

There was a long and slow deliberate scratch on the door. I just froze for a second, just staring at the monitor and thinking that was it but the scratching continued. I looked at the door and it moved slightly as the slow scratching kept going and going.

Now, I knew it couldn't be anyone's pet as animals are not allowed in the condo where I stay. And it really didn't sound like a cat was getting all scratch-happy on my front door. I did recall, however, reports of break-ins in my condo and I got goosebumps as the scratching speeded up its pace.

I yelled for my dad, thinking that, hey, maybe the person (or thing) outside would get the point that there are people in the room and it would desist its evil act upon my door but it didn't.

Eventually, it stopped, and I told my dad what happened and he was all, "Maybe it was just your imagination" and "Maybe the noise came from somewhere else and not the front door."

Nevertheless, this morning when my dad was leaving for work, I told him, "Dad, check the door and see if there are scratches or a hook nailed to it or something."

I'm morbid that way.

But he checked, and there was nothing there.

I checked the door to make sure before leaving for work as well, studying every inch of it including the door frame so I pretty much looked like a suspicious character in the hallway; crouching and feeling around the surface and looking up and down at the door before me.

There weren't any scratch marks at all.

[Cue Twilight Zone theme here]

First of Summer by Urbandub

2006-04-19T15:44:00.000+08:00

For you :-)

Parked car
this night sky
makes city lights shine like diamonds
our song plays on the radio

wo oh oh ooh...

We're living it up
Make this night ours
We own the world
I wish this lasts forever
Alone with you tonight
Further in you feels so right.

We're giving it up in just a little more
this heartfelt leap i surrender
arms raised tonight

Drive me away
'cause the night just feels right
Take me away with you tonight
Anywhere with you.

Take me away
'cause the night just feels right
Take me away with you tonight
Wo oh ooh (anywhere with you...)

Parked car
This night sky...

Our song plays on
Parked car, night sky
Alone with you tonight

Har! Har!

2006-04-12T23:18:00.000+08:00

"If you were a booger, I'd pick you."
- Pickup line

I have a weird sense of humor. I tend to laugh at the weirdest things for minutes on end 'til I get tears in my eyes, and people would just stare at me with a mixture of shock/annoyance/amusement. Take for example this particular instance when I was working on an episode for ACTV:

There happened to be a typo in one of the texts that appeared in one of the segments of the show that went, "What for you is love song?" The EP, noticing the error, turned to the editor and told her to put an "a" to the sentence so that it would run, "What for you is a love song?" The editor then, well, edited it. The next day, Henriette came up to me and said that the show was not quite error-free yet as the question now read: "What for you a love song?"

And I laughed and laughed and laughed. As in, I had tears in my eyes as I kept repeating the question out loud.

In the movies, I tend to laugh at the things that the majority of the audience hardly even chuckles at. It's either I'd laugh at things that are too silly for other people's tastes, or I'd laugh at the subtle things that are too abstract for others to grasp.

So I'm wondering, beloved readers, how exactly is a sense of humor developed? It's not as if we were taught as children what to laugh at and what not to. Yes, there are cartoons but I don't think that we got our concept of "funny" from there alone. I mean, how did we ever find Wily E. Coyote getting blown to bits funny as kids? How would you explain the word "funny" to a toddler anyway? Where did we take our cues? Maybe we took them from those who raised us? If that is the case, then we would have the same sense of humor as our parents or our yayas or whoever it is that raised us, but I don't think that that applies for everyone. Besides, parents don't tell their kids that being blown up is funny. It hurts, damn it.

Some interesting thingies on the topic:

Buy CAST, Apply at AIS

2006-03-28T21:48:00.000+08:00

So after a long delay, on my part and other circumstances, the back-up story that I illustrated and colored for CAST will finally show up in the eigth issue in a number of weeks. Arnold Arre also illustrated and colored a back-up story for the same issue so yay! Except his name gets to be on the cover because he's famous and stuff.

Yes, that is sweet and innocent Will on the cover all beaten up. Who did that to him? What's happening? Whose menacing shadows are those looming over Mons and Will? You'll never know unless you read CAST so buy, buy, buy! The story gets better and better.

Anyway, other updates on my life. I've been working at Interactive Art Services under Jonas for around a week now and I must say that it has been a horrible and terrifying experience. They're all EVIL!

Just kidding. The work is fun and challenging and the people nutty and over-the-top talented. The experience is helping me acquire new skills while polishing my old ones. Lots of multi-tasking involved as we have to not only learn how to color storyboards in a variety of ways but scan, clean up and composite lineart, keep our cool under pressure, etc. Though there are times when I'm juggling several tasks at once and working late into the wee hours of the evening, I don't really feel much of the pressure. But that's just me. I'm laid back (right, Henrite?) and I guess I'm sort of used to it, having to deal with similar stuff in production work back in College. But I'm sure the workload would get to me one of these days (Hmm, must not give the boss ideas...)

Well IAS is looking for colorists and pencillers. Check out their ad! Talk about attention-getting huh?

Post Grad Sap

2006-03-22T21:58:00.000+08:00

As you all probably know/don't know, I just graduated last Sunday. One of the most memorable moments of one's life and I haven't even written about it. And since Henrite wrote a post-graduation post (that sounds funny...) with pictures included, I decided to finally put up one of my own. Er, with no pics included. I'm lazy.

During the graduation rehearsals, the Dean of Student Affairs and the College Dean kept on reiterating that we shouldn't scream/whoop/cheer whenever a student's name is called to receive her diploma or special award because it was "a solemn celebration." I don't know about you, but the words "solemn" and "celebration" just don't go together. Naturally, on the day itself, we screamed/whooped/cheered for our friends, much to the chagrin of both the Deans but to the amusement of our Chairperson. Imagine their horror when a number of people in my block (myself included) gave a standing ovation to Brayna when she was called up on stage for her award for service and leadership.

Once everything was done, it was time for us to sing our school song. That's when we all choked up, and was probably the only time we ever gave our all in singing that song. Pictures were taken; letters, grad pics, kisses, tears and hugs were exchanged, then we all separated to have dinner with our families. It was a shame that my grad dinner had to be cut short since my stomach was acting up.

Time flew by so fast. I know it's cheesy and sappy to be all "Miss School Spirit" and everything, but it was really a second home to me.

Yesterday I went to school to submit a photo for my Alumnae card and to sign up for my Transcript of Records. The application form required us to get the signatures of various people in the Library, the Clinic, the Dean of Student Affairs' office, etc. It was standard procedure, one that we always went through when we had to get clearance before our exams, but it was the last time that I'd be collecting signatures from those departments. I could've relished the moment, but I was dehydrated and nauseous so I tried to get it over with as quickly as possible. I still gave those places a good look before leaving though, taking it all in and reminding myself that I'm not a student anymore.

"Not a student anymore."

Eep! It still hasn't really sunk in.

True, I will be seeing my friends again as we promised to have dinner together every 2 weeks (well, hopefully), but I'm going to miss my crazy block and all the other people in it. I'm going to miss the teachers and the rest of the staff who have been both warm and cranky to me. I'm going to miss the cafeteria food which isn't really all that great. I'm going to miss being a DJ. I'm going to miss editing episodes for ACTV. I'm going to miss wearing my uniform too, for crying out loud.

I'm just feeling really nostalgic at the moment. And I'm also wondering what the future would bring, not just for me, but for my friends as well. I never thought that I would be working for Jonas, that's for sure (hehe). But it's all good.

Well, guess I'm going to turn in for now.

Blogthings, Blogthings, Blogthings!

2006-03-14T19:51:00.000+08:00

Somebody stop me!

You Are Animal

A complete lunatic, you're operating on 100% animal instincts.
You thrive on uncontrolled energy, and you're downright scary.
But you sure can beat a good drum.
"Kill! Kill!"

The Muppet Personality Test

You Are Dr. Pepper

You're very unique and funky, yet you still have a bit of traditionalism to you.
People who like you think they have great taste... and they usually do.

Your best soda match: Root Beer

Stay away from: 7 Up

What Kind of Soda Are You?

Your Brain's Pattern

Your mind is a firestorm - full of intensity and drama.
Your thoughts may seem scattered to you most of the time...
But they often seem strong and passionate to those around you.
You are a natural influencer. The thoughts you share are very powerful and persuading.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

OMFG!

2006-03-14T17:00:00.000+08:00

Had graduation practice today and I found out that I'm graduating with distinction! What the hell? And to think I thought I did very poorly last year and this year. I really wasn't expecting to be in the honor roll, and told my parents not to expect it either, so we were pretty much resigned to that for a long time. I wasn't even aiming to be in the honor roll. Well, I was hard core about it before, but when third year rolled around I was like, "Screw it" and just churned out half-assed work.

So there I was, just sitting and listening as the Dean of Student Affairs stepped onto the stage and said that she was going to read a list of those who were going to graduate with distinction. Imagine my shock when my name was the first one announced and all my blockmates turned to me, cheering and clapping as I sat there wide-eyed and yelling, "What?! Oh my God!" Then silly sensitive me had tears rolling down my cheeks as everyone around me congratulated me over and over. It's just really nice to know that I didn't suck as much as I thought I did and that I didn't screw up. Somewhat. I mean, now I'm thinking, "Maybe I should've tried a little harder." But what's done is done, and I'm still thankful that I'm part of that list.

Congratulations to my good friend who is the Chief of the Kepper Girls and also the Internal Vice President of the Assumption Student Council; Brayna Tolledo for being Cum Laude! Whee!

Graduation is drawing nearer and nearer and I really can't wait. Though it's sad to think that this week is the last week that I'll be spending in school. *Sniff*

Close to the End

2006-03-11T21:59:00.000+08:00

Classes are officially over and next week, my batch and I are going to be subjected to a series of graduation rehearsals. It's weird how time flies by so fast, and sad how the things that I have gotten so used to (such as DJ-ing for DWRA every Thursday, editing episodes for ACTV, bugging and tormenting teachers with my noise in class, etc.) won't be part of my routine anymore. In fact, when I was doing my boardwork two weeks ago, it didn't occur to me that it was my last day as a Disc Jockey at school. I should've made it more meaningful. Played better songs. Gave the listeners words of wisdom to live by. Poured out my heart and soul and shared with them my deepest darkest secrets.

Nah.

I did it the usual way I always did, which was play the same old songs and talk nonsense with Henri. In that way, it was cheese-free, to say the least.

I've been thinking lately. Well, I'm always thinking which leads me to depressive fits at times, but lets forget that for now since I sense that I'm going to go off a tangent.

I've been thinking about how alot of things are falling into my lap without me even asking for it. I don't know whether it's just luck, or karma, or blessings from above, or the product of hard work, or the eventual/inevitable outcome of circumstances, but I realized that I should be thankful for alot of things.

Paulo Coelho (yeah, I don't know what's up with me quoting him lately, but I'm in a sappy mood lately) said that when you want something, the Universe conspires in helping you to achieve. Which I found funny at first, since I used to have this firm belief when I was young that the Universe conspired against me. But now I'm beginning to realize that he may be right.

I don't really know where I'm going with this post, but it's nice to just let my thoughts flow once in a while. I haven't been writing much up in here, after all.

Well, it's going to be the end of another chapter in my life and the beginning of a new one. I'm excited. Nervous. Yet strangely optimistic.

Freedom

2006-03-07T22:32:00.000+08:00

Just thought I'd share one of my favourite paragraphs in Paulo Coelho's latest book:

"...I heard other people speaking in the name of freedom, and the more they defended this unique right, the more enslaved they seem to be to their parents' wishes, to a marriage in which they had promised to stay with the other person "for the rest of their lives," to the bathroom scales, to their diet, to half-finished projects, to lovers to whom they were incapable of saying "No" or "It's over," to weekends wherein they were obliged to have lunch with people that they didn't even like. Slaves to luxury, to the appearance of luxury, to the appearance of the appearance of luxury. Slaves to a life they had not chosen, but which they had decided to live because someone had managed to convince them that it was all for the best. And so their identical days and nights passed, days and nights in which adventure was just a word in a book or an image on the television that was always on, and whenever a door opened, they would say:

'I'm not interested. I'm not in the mood."

How could they possibly know if they were in the mood or not if they had never tried? But there was no point in asking; the truth was that they were afraid of any change that would upset the world that they grown used to."

- Taken from "The Zahir"
by Paulo Coelho

Quizzies!

2006-03-06T10:15:00.000+08:00

You Are 68% Open Minded

You are a very open minded person, but you're also well grounded.
Tolerant and flexible, you appreciate most lifestyles and viewpoints.
But you also know where you stand firm, and you can draw that line.
You're open to considering every possibility - but in the end, you stand true to yourself.

How Open Minded Are You?

Your Love Life Secrets Are

Looking back on your life, you will have a few true loves.

You're a little scarred from your past relationships, but who isn't?

You expect a lot from your lover - you want the full package. You tend to be very picky.

In fights, you love to debate and defend yourself. You logic prevails - or at least you'd like to think so.

Getting over a break-up doesn't take long. Easy come, easy go.

Your Love Life Secrets, Revealed

You Are 22 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Your Seduction Style: Ideal Lover

You seduce people by tapping into their dreams and desires.

And because of this sensitivity, you can be the ideal lover for anyone you seek.

You are a shapeshifter - bringing romance, adventure, spirituality to relationships.

It all depends on who your with, and what their vision of a perfect relationship is.

What Is Your Seduction Style?

The Movie Of Your Life Is A Black Comedy

In your life, things are so twisted that you just have to laugh.
You may end up insane, but you'll have fun on the way to the asylum.

Your best movie matches: Being John Malkovich, The Royal Tenenbaums, American Psycho

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?

A Tribute and a Gift

2006-03-02T19:40:00.000+08:00

This will be the last post I'll make about my birthday, I promise. My best friend, Paola, wrote a tribute for me in her blog. I just found out today when she asked me, coupled with a giggle, whether I checked out her blog recently. She then told me how she spent hours trying to figure out how to put links in her posts since she's not exactly HTML literate. It was only later on when she realized that there was a "Link" button on the toolbar. So I just want to say thank you P. Lo, Paola Bear, Princess...for all the effort you put into writing that post. Aww, aren't we sappy now? (Tee-hee!)

ALSO...

I was bummed yesterday because I didn't get a birthday greeting from Henri, of all people! I was waiting for her to text me (I know, it's silly and immature, but come on...) but noOoOo...she didn't text me the whole day. It didn't occur to me to check out her blog, and when I did this morning, I found this:

And she also made a journal entry on her deviantArt account, greeting me. So I felt sheepish. Thanks Henri, for the digital art and the greeting! I love it, though you say it's nothing spectacular. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, and I hope that your injuries would heal soon. Just use an ice pack, take some meds, and you'll be in tip-top shape in no time!

Show Me Your Soul!

2006-03-02T11:17:00.000+08:00

You Are a Dreaming Soul

Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you away from this world
So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time
You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all...
But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult

You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you.
Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses.
Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others.
Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life.

Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

20 + 1

2006-03-02T09:30:00.000+08:00

And so I have finally reached the legal age of 21 yesterday. Not that I will be given any special benefits for it. At least, none that I know of. Yesterday was also Ash Wednesday so my family along with Mike, attended mass then headed on to Banana Leaf Asian Cafe where we dined on Indonesian food (Nasi Goreng! Mie Goreng!) and stuffed ourselves silly. Then we hit the arcades to play House of the Dead 4. That game is so addictive. Though the problem with playing it too much is that when you try playing other shooting games afterwards, you'd be confused with the controls.

Birthday goodies included a shopping spree courtesy of my family wherein I bought several tops and the cutest bronze-colored sandals you'd ever find! And believe me, when my mom and I were shopping, we hit almost every store in Glorietta, Landmark, and SM to find the right shade and heel height. All the others were either too damned tall or had no heels at all. Otherwise, they'd be the wrong shade. Me wuvs me sandals!

Mike gave me a treasure trove of books:

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

(was always curious about this book but
never got around to actually buying it)

The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler
(Read it once in Powerbooks but didn't get to finish it.
A really, really interesting book for both
men and women alike)

The Zahir by Paulo Coelho (one of my favourite authors!)

and something else that I've always wanted...

A DRAWING TABLET! AAAAaaaaiiiie!!

Though I kind of figured out that he was going to give me one, it was still great to know that my hunch was right. Behold one of my first few attempts at drawing with the magnificent tablet:

Yeah, inspired by Terry Moore's artwork of Katchoo from Strangers in Paradise.

Thanks again to everyone who greeted me, gave me gifts, and who have put up with me for 21 years of my life. I love you guys!

SD Shelly by Elbert

2006-02-27T10:38:00.000+08:00

Lookee what Elbert did!

It's me! It's me! Isn't it precious? Do drop by his blog for more cuteness, SDs, comics and other creative tidbits.

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change!

2006-02-24T14:45:00.000+08:00

My block and I watched a musical comedy entitled "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" for our Practical Criticism class, and I must say, it was very enjoyable.

The play is made of 3 acts that compose of a number of vignettes which tackle the pains, joys, and eccentricities of relationships and love, from people having first date jitters to finding love in a wake.

The songs were fun and witty and the actors and actresses (Robbie Guevara, Cathy Azanza, Nic Manahan and Liesl Batucan) were excellent in portraying their many roles. Trust me, you'll find yourself laughing out loud and leaving the theatre humming the songs that were performed on stage. My favorites include: "Prologue/Cantata for a First Date", "A Stud and a Babe", "Hey There, Single Guy/Gal", "Shouldn't I be Less in Love with You?", "Tear Jerk" and "I Can Live with That".

Repertory Globe Theatre (Onstage)

Onstage, Greenbelt 1
Paseo de Roxas
Makati City
Telephone: 750-4180, 887-0710

Feb. 26, 2006 - 3:00:PM
Feb. 26, 2006 - 8:00:PM
Mar. 03, 2006 - 8:00:PM
Mar. 04, 2006 - 3:00:PM
Mar. 04, 2006 - 8:00:PM
Mar. 05, 2006 - 3:00:PM
Mar. 05, 2006 - 8:00:PM
Mar. 10, 2006 - 8:00:PM
Mar. 11, 2006 - 3:00:PM
Mar. 11, 2006 - 8:00:PM
Mar. 12, 2006 - 3:00:PM
Mar. 12, 2006 - 8:00:PM

For more details, please call Repertory Philippines at 887-0710.
Tickets cost: P500, P300, P200

Go. Watch. Now! You will not be disappointed.

Ladies Night has been moved!

2006-02-24T13:16:00.000+08:00

In light of recent events, the College Night will be moved to Saturday, 25th Feb. Same time, same place. And that is all I have to say right now.

Ladies Night

2006-02-22T23:30:00.000+08:00

Been feeling tired and irritable again as of late and my muscles hurt. I hope I'm not coming down with something considering that it's going to be finals week and everything. Not that I have any written exams to do, they're mostly just papers to be written and what-not. Plus, it's going to be College Night on Friday and I don't want to miss it considering that it's going to be the last one I'm going to attend (I'm graduating on March! Well, provided that all requirements have been taken care of, of course...).

This year's College Night will be held at Premiere THX Cinema and Club Halo, Amorsolo Street Makati City, 8:00 pm with the theme of Ladies' Night, though all you gentlemen out there are welcome to attend, of course. Tickets cost P200 if you buy them at the event itself but buy 'em from me and you'll get them at P150 each. Bands include Spongecola, Kjwan, Dicta License and Stonefree.

Ladies' Night is presented to you by DWRA Radio Assumption and 99.5 RT together with YCPA and the Assumption Student Council.

Johari Window

2006-02-21T10:31:00.000+08:00

Nicked this off Henri's blog. Did this years ago in class. Try it out, try it out!

Or if you don't want to try it out, you could just check out the window here and see what other people think about me, what I think of myself, etc.

I'm a Mess

2006-02-10T22:37:00.000+08:00

Have been feeling so depressed, tired, and unmotivated lately. Been taking to spacing out more occassionally too, and it's really starting to bother me. Every little thing just gets to my nerves. And finding comfort in others just seems to be so difficult as they're all busy with their own share of troubles as well.

Sometimes I just try to keep myself busy but that's just a temporary thing. Before you know it, I'm sitting down, spacing out again and having weird thoughts in my head.

Sometimes I just feel so lonely no matter how many people I have around me. People just seem to be saying the wrong things to me lately, whether it's family or friends, and while their intentions may be good, I get offended and hurt and instead of making me feel better, they end up making me feel worse. Stupid and crazy, to be more exact. And it annoys me when people don't get the hint that I don't want to be bothered or that I'm not in the mood. It's not rocket science, you know? If I give you a tired and deadpan response, it doesn't exactly mean that I want to skip along the yellow brick road, hand-in-hand with you, to see the freakin' Wizard.

Yes, it is that time of the month but I don't have to feel this way if I don't want to. I mean, if I don't let it. I don't like to think that we're just slaves to the bio-chemical reactions in our bodies and what-not.

Also feeling as if my IQ has seriously dropped to the lowest of the low. I can't even bring myself to draw. My brain is inactive.

To let off some steam, other than writing all this shit on my blog, I resort to playing shooting games on Newgrounds.com, mostly because there are alot of games to sample and they download fast. They are also quick to finish.

I'm just so bored...

Thank You for Calling

2006-02-09T21:19:00.000+08:00

Thanks to Episode 2 of ACTV: You Rock My World where I did the voice-overs (amongst other things), I was asked by the Informations Office of Assumption College to get my voice recorded for their answering-machine-thingy or whatever you call it. You know, to say stuff like, "Thank you for calling Assumption College. For the College Department, press 1, blah blah blah." I just finished recording today, and I don't really know when they'll start using my voice. Maybe in a week or two. So if you want to hear my voice, dial 8170757. It's kinda funny when I think about it. I have a future doing these kinds of stuff! Today, AC. Tomorrow, THE WORLD!

Movie of my Life

2006-02-06T08:36:00.000+08:00

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

Hehehehehe.

Eat it Fast, Eat it Slow

2006-02-04T22:40:00.000+08:00

My friends and I have engaged in a debate concerning eating fast as opposed to eating slow. My friends say that eating fast would make you feel fuller compared to eating slow while I say the opposite. So I decided to research. Click on the quotes to read the original sources.

Eating slow will help your body absorb the food at the right lebel allowing you to fill up much quicker as it will not provide a tendency for you to OVEREAT!!!

If you eat fast you end up swallowing food which is not thoroughly cut and ground. Some of this food will pass straight through you without contacting the appropriate digestive enzymes. The nutritional value of this food is wasted. You are left hungry, eating more than you really need and putting an additional burden on the digestive tract, not to mention your waistline.

Well, I'm open to more comments concerning this matter so do please share your views. What a thing to argue about, huh?

It Starts

2006-02-01T19:25:00.000+08:00

Jamie Bautista, creator of Cast comics, has finally started blogging! Visit his new blog where he says he would feature comics, illustrated essays and short stories. Go on. Say "Hi". You know you want to.

Sticky Ghosts

2006-01-20T23:09:00.000+08:00

It's never a pleasant experience to be scolded by someone, but it's even worse when you know fully well that the scolding wasn't even called for. There is such a thing as handling things without being vicious, self-righteous, and putting one's self on a pedestal; hinting not-so-subtly, "Worship me! Worship me!"

When asked why I did/didn't do so-and-so, all I felt like doing was shrugging my shoulders and saying, "Wala lang." I mean, what the hell was I supposed to say? It was one of those "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situations where whatever answer you give will further incense the interrogator, and when you shut up, he/she'd still get pissed. Was I supposed to say, "I'm sorry for shattering your dreams of conquering the world through [insert whatever-it-was-that-we-were-being-scolded-about here]"?

Apparently, my annoyance with said person was quite evident as my brows were furrowed and my hand was incessantly twirling a pen around my fingers, rubbing my temple with my free hand from time to time. Someone pointed it out and I said, "Like, yah? Of course I was annoyed." I wasn't attempting to hide my displeasure at the way things were being handled and the way we were being treated, although there were some who were apparently happy with the arrangement, I'm sure.

I still insist that it wasn't his/her place to scold us the way he/she did. It's not that I didn't get where he/she was coming from. I understand the hard work that was put into [insert whatever-it-was-that-we-were-being-scolded-about here], but really, to degrade us as if we were the lowest scum of the universe? Yeah, so maybe we messed up. So maybe we're not doing a stellar job. But to scold us about it? When you really have no right to considering you have, shall we say, flown the coop? God, I really had alot of things to say, but damn, I know well enough not to say it in front of the fan club.

I'm just really offended. Aghast. Bewildered. Hurt. Could someone just call an exorcist so we could be rid of those who are constantly breathing down our necks?

It is Over, Hopefully

2006-01-19T22:38:00.001+08:00

Editing is finally finished. The episode has been exported to two VHS tapes which will eventually be viewed by the Chairperson on Monday. Will she or will she not approve it? All we could do now is wait and see and relax, damn it! Have been staying up in school in the wee hours of the night, scaring each other silly with ghost stories and editing and re-editing the material because each time we thought that it was finally error-free, we'd find something wrong during the exporting stage.

At least I was treated to Heaven and Eggs as well as Gloria Jean's Coffee after the final day of editing. Yummy!

So I guess I could get on with my life now.

Just remembered there's still a thesis to be printed. The bookstore at school had run out of AC paper since November/December (don't remember so sue me!) and it's only now that they finally have new stock of it.

My blog's so boring lately. Blah!

Anyway, do check out my deviantArt gallery. I put up some new pics I took for photography class.

That is all.

The Neverending Story

2006-01-13T10:10:00.000+08:00

It is midterm exam week and here I am in the Electronic Library at school just surfing the Net, bullying Henrite and helping out Cheilthy with her new deviantArt account. Have two more exams to go and one of them starts at 1pm. Am hungry and cold.

Anyway, update on the ACTV-Dream TV project. Finally exported all the edited material onto tape and so we presented the video to the chairperson two days ago.Our episode's theme is music, and apparently, it wasn't music-y enough (Well, what do you expect, right? We explained to them that we'll be adding the background music later on once the content and video is approved. Hay nako...). So there. More editing to be done. Have to think of some fillers and extra content since some segments have to be tightened and we shouldn't go under-time. Also, some of the shots in the segments are really shitty, to say the least, and not broadcast quality so they have to be re-shot. Considering the time limit they have given us, I doubt that the production team could re-shoot some of the segments. Our episode just keeps getting pushed back, and episode 3 is already in the works. Speaking of episode 3, one of the people working on that episode is asking me to be the Head Editor but I declined right away. Heck, episode 2 is already taking up alot of my free time.

On the bright side, in spite of us not getting paid for all this hard work we're doing, it really is an ego boost when people commend you on your skills. At least this experience is testing us and pushing us to our limits. And I learned alot from Henri, even though she was already panic-stricken when the deadline was drawing near (while I was la-dee-dah-ing on a laptop, creating backgrounds for the title cards). And the moderator said that Henri and I make a good team. Aww. Group hug!

Also found out that I might be interviewed for episode 4, "The World of Art". Too bad I don't have Dream TV. Guess I'll just get a copy of the episode from the Comm. Department.

Well, the post-production team will get back to work on Monday and Tuesday. Good luck to us. Am really starving now.

We are Family!

2006-01-08T18:41:00.000+08:00

I humbly accept the Best Dramatic Family Award bestowed upon me by none other than Paola. Indeed, things have been rather taxing, not only for me but for others as well, and let it be known that I had been experiencing alot of emotional stress. It had been weighing me down for quite a while, exhausting me more than the projects and assignments thrown at me and what-not, but things are finally looking up and I can finally go home without feeling tense, tired, and anxious about what might happen next.

Because of the issue that has surrounded my family for the past few weeks, I started to think about families in general. Every family has their own share of problems, eccentricities, and quirks; mine definitely included. Some are just better at hiding it while others flaunt it outright.

A friend of mine opened up to me about her family problem, and I was touched that she actually trusted me enough to tell me about it considering that she never told anyone else and we're not exactly very close. I don't know whether I could say that I'm luckier than she is because, like I said, every family has their own share of annoyances. And that's normal, really. You live with each other for crying out loud. You're bound to get on each other's nerves, one way or another.

Nevertheless, I wouldn't trade my family for another, and just like a good friend told me, "You can't choose your family." And we have to deal with them, like it or not. Unless your family is abusive and, like, psycho-killer crazy, that is.

Speaking of family, it's my sister's birthday today! She's 23 now! Whee! Now go over to her blog and greet her!

Plug! and other things...

2006-01-06T08:42:00.000+08:00

My best friend, Paola, has a new blog! Do check it out and say hi.

In light of certain events, I would just like to share something that someone told me back in High School. He said, "Don't you ever change. Coz if you do, I swear to God I'll..."

He trailed off but he said it with such conviction. I thought it was a weird thing to say, and I still think it is. Life is all about change. When something remains at a stand-still, remaining at the same state for, like, ever...well, that's not much of a life is it? You could very well be an inanimate object.

I admit, I have changed. I only know one being, however, who has the right to judge whether that change was for the good or the better. True, I have become more assertive and people I loved got hurt, but personally, I don't think that makes me a bad person. I've learned that asserting yourself with your loved ones is a tougher thing than asserting yourself with people who you couldn't care less about.

All For Dream TV

2006-01-06T00:37:00.000+08:00

Been so busy lately with producing an episode for Assumption's very own show on Dream TV. I didn't exactly volunteer for the project, Henri pretty much just signed me up to edit some of the segments of the video without me knowing (you're evol!) but I don't regret it. Along the way I've been assigned other duties like doing the voice-overs, directing the intro and extro, being the camera person...it's exhausting, but fun exhausting. And I say that without a tinge of sarcasm. There's just something about production (and post-production) work, really. Talk about multi-tasking.

Here are some pics:

Me, staring at the camera's LCD with a weird expression
on my face. Oh, and that's Jammi with me too!

Same thing. Pretty much.

Jammi holds up the cue cards. I'm still staring at the
camera's LCD screen.

Taking a break and having a small meeting with
some profs as Nina flashes her best angle (?).

*Gasp!* Could it be? It's Henri! With me smoking weed!

Lunch time!

Meet the team. It's not complete, but they're still
part of the team, nevertheless.

We're not done yet, though. Editing will resume on Saturday. I can't believe we're doing this all for free. At least the people I'm working with are awesome and entirely dedicated to the project. Well, some of them.

I realized that after four years of taking up Media Production I have learned to keep my cool. We had to deal with alot of technical difficulties, unpredictable weather (shooting outdoors can be a bitch, let me tell you that), irresponsible people and sometimes annoying people, sometimes an entire shoot would be scrapped out and you have to do it over and over and over again...and yet I'm not even panicking. Not even the fact that the episode is going to air next week (I think...). I'm just exhausted.

Merry Christmas Part Deux

2005-12-26T23:41:00.000+08:00

Found this old pic I took last year and thought I'd just share it since there's nothing even remotely Christmas-y in my blog. I shot this pic real quick before I got into trouble since you have to pay and everything. Click on the image to zoom in.

Oh, and that girl in the yellow shirt on the right is Henri *tee-hee*.

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-25T11:43:00.000+08:00

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas! No Christmas art from me as I didn't have time to make one, so here's a random art that I finished a few days ago. Click on it for a bigger version.

This year has been one of the most interesting and exciting of years of my life, a year of many firsts and lessons learned. Thanks to everyone who has made an impact on me, great and small. You all know who you are. I heart you!

My Side

2005-12-23T09:01:00.000+08:00

"Stupidity upsets no one, but everyone is afraid of a strong will."
-line taken from 3,999 musical

The month of December has been a roller-coaster ride of emotions and experiences, some good, some bad. This is not a post to point the blame on anyone, just to let it all out in a civilized manner. So I'll just plunge right in, okie-dokie?

More often than not, I'm one who fights for what I believe in, and if that makes me an evil spawn of Satan, then go ahead and crucify me. People would prefer it if I just kept my head bowed down low and take things as they come, to submit and shut up but I prefer to not be complacent as much as possible. Yes, people got hurt, but there was no avoiding that, and that's just life, really. I'm not saying that I was out to wreak havoc on the happy life we're currently living, I think it should be pointed out that things can't always stay the same no matter how we want it to.

I also believe that it doesn't make me foolish just because I'm not afraid to make my own mistakes or live my own life. Which isn't to say that I think what I did is a mistake, it's just that if it ever turns out to be one, let it be known that I regret nothing in my life and charge it all to experience. Again, that is life. Of course, I'm not stating that we should be reckless and try everything, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm not doing anything that is dangerous or cause for worry. For the record, and just in case you're having doubts, let it be known that I'm not smoking, I'm not taking drugs, I'm not having sex or committing abortions left and right. Regardless of popular opinion, I use my head, and it doesn't help that people automatically assume the worse of me, or predict that I'm bound for so much trouble ahead, or think that I'm so easily swayed by what others tell me. Honestly, it hurts that those people think that lowly of me but I suppose I can't change that if that's the way they honestly feel.

If there's one thing I learned from my friends and life, is that you shouldn't judge people right off the bat. And I have learned not to let paranoia, or fear, or anger take the best of me. Granted, some words have been exchanged but I'm willing to put all that behind me now and not grow up bitter and jaded.

I'm honestly sorry for the pain that you all felt, but that's all I'm apologizing for. It's inevitable that there will be other things that I would be fighting for in the future, but that doesn't me that I'll be loving you guys any less. Because we aren't on the same page and disagree on alot of things doesn't mean I hate any of you, nor does it mean that I'm stupid or blind.

Me Sick

2005-12-14T16:10:00.000+08:00

Went to a student congress yesterday on philippine media and I must say it wasn't fruitful at all. Most of it was corporate communication crap, and my friends and I poo-poo'd the event, feeling frustrated at how plastic some of the speakers were about certain topics. Of course, they couldn't help being biased as the event was put up by a certain local channel, and can't be expected to give honest-to-goodness answers as it would taint their reputation.

Lunch time was delayed for about an hour and my hunger pangs kicked in. Food was less than pleasant.

After being duped into an Acting Workshop (which I was earlier told was a "Graphics" Workshop) where I successfully embarassed myself, I decided that it would have been better if I didn't show up to the congress at all.

On top of that, it was wet outside, freezing in the auditorium as well as in the bus, and I didn't bring a freakin' jacket. Now I've come down with a fever, a cold and a headache.

The congress was a two-day event, today being the second day but heck, I'm staying home to rest, damn it.

Siglo: Passion Launch (Aaaaiieee!)

2005-12-11T18:00:00.000+08:00

I still can't believe it. Even though I have a copy of it with me, printed out with my name and everything. Even though I went around exchanging signatures with the other creators and signing copies for people who purchased the book. Even though there was a photo op and everything.

Yes, we arrived late as hell but I blame the weather, the long taxi lines, and traffic. And yes, we should've taken the MRT instead. In any case, it was still a pretty surreal and awesome experience. Jamie, Elbert, Camy, Vinnie, Jac, Jonas, and Rex were there, naturally. It was nice to see Lorra too (I had my OJT with her at Nautilus). And I finally got to meet all the other people who were involved with this project: Marco Dimaano, Reno Maniquis, Jeremy Arambulo, Dean and Nikki Alfar, Andrew Drilon, Quark Henares, Tobie Abad, Joel Chua...can you say "star struck"? I was in a daze that night and I still can't believe it happened.

Thanks sis, Henri, Paola, and Mike for coming to the launch with me and for all your support.

I'm still on a high until now.

Aaaaiiiiieeeee! *faints*

What Order of Angel Are You?

2005-12-10T01:21:00.000+08:00

Congratulations, you're a Seraph! A member of the
highest, or first, choir of angels, you are
purity personified- a being of radiant light
and love so powerful that even other angels
find it difficult to look at you. You stand at
the throne of God, where your primary purpose
is to love Him and express that love through
song.

What Order of Angel Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

This is pretty funny. I don't know why...

Just Another Day

2005-12-07T14:48:00.000+08:00

Was woken up early this morning by gunshots. Well, they didn't really sound like gunshots, but they were really loud, nonetheless. The explosions went on one after another, more than four times, if I recall. I remember slowly raising my sleepy head to the noise, and hearing my sister groaning in annoyance, I asked her in a low voice, "What in the world is going on?"

Bang! Bang!

"I don't know," she muttered, her eyes still closed.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"You know, I was just dreaming that it was World War III," I whispered, placing my head back on the pillow.

"Oh?"

Bang!

"Yeah."

Then we went back to sleep.

Hours later, I woke up to the sound of the news from the television and my mom talking about gunshots in the early morning.

"Gunshots?" I asked, darting up from the bed.

Turned out that the gunshots came from the LTA building which is just a block away from my place. Cool.

No one got hurt or anything. When I watched the news this morning, the guards at the LTA building were being interviewed, and they said that they suspected it was a terrorist act.

Minutes later, there was a power outage. My dad joked that a coup was happening and I laughed (we're so twisted). Had to take a bath with ice cold water though. And it was just my luck that when I was towelling off, the electricity came back on. Wunderbar.

Went out for awhile to work on some school crap then when I was on my way home, I saw the streets littered with confetti. Turned out that there was some sort of celebration concerning our athletes from the SEA Games or something or other.

When I entered my unit a few minutes ago, the TV was on and I heard that the gunshots had something to do with some people from the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Living here is never dull.

One Week to go!

2005-12-03T14:37:00.000+08:00

It's exactly one week before the triple-book launch of Siglo: Passion, Project: Hero, and Philippine Speculative Fiction Vol. 1 at Fully Booked, Greenhills. And, needless to say, I'm pretty excited.

Remember, you could avail of the discount price for Siglo:Passion if you folllow these easy steps.

Here's a sample of a page I illustrated for Siglo: Passion, with colors by Jamie Bautista (who also wrote the story):

So come on down to Fully Booked Promenade, Greenhills on December 10, 6:30pm to buy books! Tons of books! Whee~!

Retreat! Retreat!

2005-11-27T20:54:00.000+08:00

I'll be on a retreat from Monday to Wednesday. I dread the sappy moments and the forced "opening-up" sessions. I mean, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd rather open up on my own accord with a select number of people, sipping coffee and munching on a cookie or two. Or three, or four. I never get used to it and would rather pretend to be sick to avoid situations like that. Not that I ever did so, but I did consider it several times.

Another thing that I don't like about retreats are the bathrooms. I'm very particular about them, and I most especially don't look forward to bathing in ice cold water in the mornings and evenings.

The only thing I look forward to is spending extra quality time with my friends. Not that I can't stand my family, but it's nice to have a change of scenery every now and then. Oh, and the food could be pretty good sometimes.

Haven't even packed yet but I will as soon as I'm done with this post.

----------

On an unrelated note, I feel like ranting a bit about a particular person code-named "Helga." Damn it, you don't just barge into the radio booth as if you owned the place and demand that my partner and I do you a favor. "Demand" being the operative word. For one thing, we aren't your slaves. Hell, we're not even your friends. We don't even like you. Secondly, we're on-air. We have to plan our songs and discussions and what-not, and have no time to do your bidding, your Highness (meant to be taken both sarcastically and literally). Thirdly, you don't just tell busy people to go to the Communication Department to call a professor (who is clearly busy as well) out of the room just because you're scared of being seen by the Chairperson. Whatever problem it was that you had with her, I don't care, all right? The most annoying part was that you kept on insisting that we do that for you even though we kept on refusing/ignoring you.

Helga: Could you call him out please?
Me: Uh, why? (busy texting)
Helga: I don't want the chairperson to see me.
Me: We're busy.
Helga: Sige na.
Me: We're DJ-ing.
Helga: Sige na.
Me: (ignores her and continues texting)
Helga: Sige na.

Die, scum! Or at least take a hint. Geez.

Okay, I'm good now.

Dead

2005-11-22T03:08:00.000+08:00

Finally finished the Siglo: Passion pages. Now I have no more meaning in my life.

Just kidding. About the "meaning" part, I mean. Well, maybe not...

I've been feeling pretty miserable the past few days. Can't pinpoint the exact reason why, I just feel like shit lately. And, no, it's not that time of the month or anything. Been thinking alot about my family, friends, the future (words beginning with the letter "f"...must be an omen) and I'm just really messed up at the moment. Went to Jamie's retreat house in Tagaytay with other fellow artists last Saturday, and while it was fun, I still had these nagging thoughts at the back of my mind. And it doesn't help that my barkada is practically falling apart thanks to misunderstandings and what-nots. Hopefully things get resolved soon.

The funny thing about me is that I don't tend to show just exactly how depressed I am in public. I'd be cracking jokes left and right and laughing my ass off, pretty much making a fool of myself but, you know, I pretty much feel like shit inside.

Surprisingly, I seem to be gaining weight. Which is a good thing, really, I just find it odd as, like I said, I'm feeling depressed and my eating habits haven't exactly changed or anything.

Bleh. Anyway, gotta go to bed as it is 3:30 am and I've got a class in around 5 hours or so.

"Advanced" Photography

2005-11-16T12:25:00.000+08:00

Had my first Advanced Photography class yesterday since the professor didn't show up last week. He started out with giving us an overview of what we're going to be doing the entire sem and our first exercise was to do Photoshop basics. Photoshop basics. You could imagine how impatient I was as he explained ever-so-slowly how to open a file in photoshop, how to work with layers, resize the images, etc. I know that it's for the benefit of those who don't really know how to work with Photoshop (which constitutes, like, 90% of the class), and I don't mean to sound arrogant or all high and mighty, but the slow pace made me restless. I surfed the net as he repeatedly told the class to look at him and that he was not going to repeat the instructions again and again.

The exercise constituted of opening some sample images from the Photoshop folder and resizing them and cropping them using the eraser tool. The eraser tool! I, on the other hand, used the Pen Tool (thanks Jamie, thanks El). A tool which the prof doesn't even know how to use. Wunderbar.

He also gave us a short lecture on composition. He talked about the rule of thirds, one-point perspectives, vanishing points, etc. Henri and I were the ones who answered most of the questions, but we both agreed that while we don't really know the technical terminology, we usualy rely on our artistic instincts (or whatever the hell you call them) when we take our photographs.

But on a more positive note, the class still seems promising. It's better than sitting through a boring lecture, and I can't wait to actually get my hands on a camera. The thing is, I don't have one...

Siglo: Passion - Reserve Your Copy Now!

2005-11-11T18:03:00.000+08:00

I'm still working on the pages for this baby but that shouldn't stop you from reserving a copy for yourself, now, should it? Yes, yes, I know I'm so pathetically and mind-numbingly slow....

Siglo: Passion is the full-color graphic novel follow-up to the National Book Award-winning Siglo: Freedom, and puts together a roster of award-winning writers and artists with some of the country’s most promising new talents. Each of the stories in this long-awaited anthology explores different forms of passion and how they affect the lives of people – for better, or for worse.

RESERVE YOUR COPY AT FULLY BOOKED AND COMIC QUEST AND GET HUGE DISCOUNTS PLUS AN INVITE TO THE GRAND LAUNCH ON DECEMBER 10.

Reserve your copy of the limited edition full-color Siglo: Passion now to avail of the SPECIAL PRE-ORDER DISCOUNT (more than 40% off the regular price!), and an exclusive invite to the grand launch on December 10, 2005 at Fully Booked Promenade, Greenhills!

Note that this edition of Siglo: Passion will be in full-color, the first full-color graphic novel in the country, and will be limited to only two thousand (2000) copies. This limited edition of the book will be the only full-color edition that will ever be released in the country and will not be reprinted.

Here’s how:

1. Visit any Fully Booked or Comic Quest branch and pay the pre-order discount of Php500 (from the original SRP of Php850) at the counter.

2. You will be given a ticket stub that will also serve as your invite to the Siglo: Passion grand launch at Fully Booked Promenade on December 10, 2005. Claim your copies of the book during the launch to get free limited edition Siglo postcards from Nautilus Comics.

3. You may also claim your copies of the book after the launch, at the Fully Booked or Comic Quest outlet where you made the reservation.

4. For more information, you may also inquire via e-mail to letters@nautiluscomics.com.

Random Observations

2005-11-05T00:44:00.000+08:00

I haven't been updating my blog lately. Just an observation of mine.

Another observation would be the current spam infestation that I have on my tagboard. Now, usually I love receiving compliments about how "impressive" and "informative" my blog is (ok, fine, I never receive compliments about how impressive and informative my blog is), but getting them from spambots (or whatever the hell you call them)? Things that could neither think for themselves nor pass fair judgment on the content of a person's blog? I am hurt, I tell you, hurt!

I have also noticed that we are experiencing freak weather lately. Just today, it rained really hard in the early afternoon, but later got real hot that I started sweating like crazy even though the air-conditioning unit was on. A friend's mother had this to say, "Talk about freak weather. That's why the people here are freaks." Well said.

Oh, and school's starting next Monday. I have done nothing remotely interesting this sem break and I'm feeling miserable about it. Poo.

Love and Honesty

2005-10-27T14:23:00.000+08:00

What good is telling the truth when you just end up getting hurt over it? I promised myself, and them, that I would always be honest with them and not hide anything, but when I do tell them the truth things always seems to turn out for the worse. They say they trust you and that you're a sensible girl, but no, they won't let you make your own decisions because you are too naive and innocent for this big, bad world we're living in.

And it's not like I'm saying that I know everything. I never said that. I just said that I want to make my own decisions and that "You're making a big deal out of nothing." And it really wasn't a big deal at all, for crying out loud.

Let's let our imaginations run wild, shall we? Let's always assume that everyone is out to get us and ruin our lives. I have a splitting headache right now that's bordering on a migraine. I'm so frustrated. I've been crying for the past hour and I wish I could just toss my head off a cliff so I wouldn't have these crazy thoughts in my head. Maybe I'm just too damned sensitive. Maybe we all are. We're just too fucking dramatic and paranoid. We hear horror stories from our friends and see it on the television that we get so scared that it might happen to us.

I know it's part of their job description to be worried. It shows that they care about me, and I love them with all my heart but I sometimes wish they would let me breathe.

For now, I'm just gonna listen to rock music and vent.

Children

2005-10-27T12:48:00.000+08:00

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, "Speak to us of Children."

And he said:

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

- Kahlil Gibran
"The Prophet"

"The Speaks" Live in Manila

2005-10-25T22:31:00.000+08:00

October 29, 2005

Clamshell 1, Intramuros

Tickets at P200 (50% off with PULP magazine purchase)
available at the PULP office, The Philippine Star Office, and at the Gate
Call 687-1709 for inquiries and reservations, look for Michelle (not me, okay?)

With Special Guests:
Kitchie Nadal, Barbie Almalbis, Rock Steady

And opening performances by:
Session Road, Stonefree, Join the Club, Kinky Hooters

Art Deprivation

2005-10-25T10:17:00.000+08:00

It has occured to me that I haven't drawn anything for the longest time. Save for the random doodles and sketches that I make on my notebook and scraps of paper, it's been a while since I actually made a polished, digitally-colored piece that would affirm that, yes, I still have my artistic talent/skill/abilities. Hell, the last deviation that I made for my deviantArt account was a first attempt at oekaki, which was later moved to the "Scraps" section because I didn't want it to be constantly displayed on the main user page each time people visited it. And I posted that work on August 26. I have been neglecting my gallery for almost two months! Wunderbar!

Now that I have finally submitted my thesis yesterday, I could finally get back to my artistic endeavors, some of which include finishing pages for Siglo: Passion and continuing the extremely neglected Miseducation of Shelly Soneja series. During the past few harrowing months, I have come up with new material to incorporate into the comic strips (be warned, those who have tormented me during this semester, that I will show no mercy!). So come Monday, The MoSS will return!

Speaking of Siglo: Passion, a release date has been revealed! Here's what Elbert had to say about it since I'm too lazy to paraphrase (tee-hee):

The long-awaited sequel to Siglo: Freedom is finally coming out, and will be launched on December 10, at Fully Booked Promenade (the Greenhills branch). This time around, the stories explore the different passions of the Filipino people, spanning a hundred years of our history, and beyond.

The full-color edition will be printed in limited quantities, and subsequent printings of the book will only be in black-and-white. We're currently working out the final details of a promotional deal with Fully Booked and Comic Quest that will hopefully drum up more interest in the project, so expect an announcement come first week of November. For now, please help us spread the word.

So, yeah, what he said.

Sembreak? What's that?

2005-10-23T08:51:00.000+08:00

My sembreak officially started on October 15 right after my written exam, but as circumstances would have it, I spent my entire first week of the sembreak reshooting a video for a finals project and working on my thesis (yes, I'm still at it and please don't ask why). The video was actually finished a few weeks ago, and it was presented before a panel of teachers who critiqued our work. There were two other groups on presentation day, but they were shot down mercilessly, leaving one leader of a group in tears. Ours, however, was the only one that was praised despite the production quality of it being rather, shall we say, "shitty" since we used linear editing and were on a extremely tight budget (Money? What's money?).

Unfortunately, the video was a finals project for two subjects, and the two teachers of those two subjects weren't exactly raving about our production. While the panelist loved the content of our video, saying that we "made a difference" or something to that effect, teacher A had nothing nice to say about it while teacher B told us that she just didn't get it. Tough crowd. This left us puzzled more than anything as we felt that our video had a clear message to deliver without resorting to whacking people on the head with blatant obviousness. So while the panelist gave us a grade of 90 and the others no grade at all, we were the ones who had to reshoot and re-edit the entire video for the sake of teachers A and B, since it was their approval that we had to seek. Twisted, yes, but tell me what isn't.

So there. Our group was divided into two teams and we set off for Manila. We hit Quiapo, Plaza Miranda, Mendiola, Luneta, and Baywalk in one day, chasing rallies as well as street children to interview. Apparently, there was a rally at Plaza Miranda that Monday but my friends and I missed it because we were eating lunch. This we found out when we saw a GMA (the TV station, not the Pres) van and asked a man who was sitting with the equipment what had just been covered. When we found out we missed the rally, we cursed and asked which direction they were headed. They were on their way to Mendiola, the man said, and we dashed off to get a jeepney, hoping to catch the rally. We didn't, so we took shots of the barbed wired barricades and the police instead. Poo. Fortunately, our other team managed to cover the rally.

While in Mendiola, we looked around for street children to interview and we found some begging on the sidewalk. We sat down with them and asked them numerous questions that they answered candidly. I couldn't help but compare the way these street kids talk as opposed to those who actually had money and a roof over their heads. They had a certain world-weary look in their eyes due to the hardship that they faced in life, yet still maintained their childlike nature as they joked around and hit each other playfully. They were also gay.

Then we went to Luneta and interviewed more kids there. One little girl was being interviewed and she said something about feeling sorry for women because she constantly sees them crying and hearing that they get beat up by their boyfriends. At the tender age of 9, she was already a man-hater. She said that women shouldn't be treated that way, and my friend, who was holding the camera and held bitter feelings for an ex-boyfriend of hers, looked up from the eyepiece, nodded, and told her, "Tama ka! Tama ka!"

Then we went to Baywalk but we didn't find much to shoot there, save for the pretty sunset so we headed off to find a bus. By then, our feet were sore and swollen from all the walking and we took a nap as the bus drove all the way to Ayala.

The following days were used for editing and once the video was done and presented again, Teacher B said that she liked it better now while Teacher A still didn't have anything nice to say about it. Hey, you just can't please everybody, after all.

Now that's done and over with, I'm going to finish my (ugh) thesis and hopefully I'll be able to submit it tomorrow, by golly!

Aw, damn. I just realized I missed the Komikon...

Piccies!

2005-10-15T21:08:00.000+08:00

Since I have a camera on my phone, my friends and I took the liberty of taking pictures of ourselves because we are vain that way (hah!). Plus, we were bored right after our written exam today and had nothing else to do.

We also recorded a number of silly songs, courtesy of Trixie and Paola, but unfortunately, I have no idea how to upload audio files in this blog of mine.

Searching for Shelly & the Lost Cell Phone

2005-10-14T00:56:00.000+08:00

I checked out my Extreme Tracker and saw that someone was searching for me on Google (he/she typed in "Michelle Soneja" as a keyword). Curious as to what that person was greeted with after clicking the "search" button, I came up with this:

I don't know about you, but I find it pretty funny. The whole "wiper of people's bottoms" thing, I mean.

However, I'm afraid this post is going to take a serious turn. There are grave matters to discuss.

You see, I lost my phone while I was riding a taxi to school. Now, a lesser person would gladly entertain you with a tale of adventure and excitement by fabricating a story that involves, nay, not one man but three drug-induced hippies, holding me up at gun (and knife) point for my very desirable Nokia 3510. A lesser person would explain at length and detail about how there was a violent exchange of words and blows, and how the owner of the cellphone fought valiantly for what belonged to her, dislocating jaws and plucking out eyeballs in the process.

However, I am not a lesser person, and being the honest schmuck that I am, I have no such tale to relate. The damned phone just slipped out of my pocket when I was in the taxi.

So, yeah, there goes all my contacts and incriminating cell phone messages. It won't be long now before the police come knocking on my door. Either that or the Funny Farm would be out to get me.

Anyway, I got a new phone. Well, not exactly new, it's second hand but it works fine. Had to erase all the previous owner's contact numbers and reminders, but it's all good. To my friends who are reading this, do let me know what your numbers are in any way you can (e-mail, landline, etc). I would be eternally grateful.

Damn Code

2005-10-12T08:45:00.000+08:00

Okay. My blog is acting screwy again. Half of the codes in my template went missing so I had to replace it with a backup file that hasn't been updated since June 13 (eep!). So if you look over at my sidebar, some links as well as other miscellaneous stuff are missing. This is the second time that this has happened. Curses. Will fix it once I get back from editing a video for finals.

Friends + Stress = @!$&#

2005-10-11T19:18:00.000+08:00

Thanks to stress levels being at an all time high, alot of friendships are either being tested or broken apart. You really get to see the ugly side of people at times like these. It's pretty much your average soap opera, what with the backstabbing, the harsh words, and the tears sans the slapping and burning down of people's houses (though I'm sure that alot of us harbor murderous intentions for those who piss the hell out of us).

Being the designated "shoulder to cry on," I've heard the tales of those coming from different sides; Person A complaining about Person B, then vice versa. They'd rant and rave to me, and as I sat there listening to them, I found myself thinking ," Damn. I wonder what people say about me. " As far as I know, no one is spared from this kind of treatment.

Thankfully, my thesis partner and I haven't clawed each other's eyes out...yet. While we may disagree at some points, we're diplomatic enough not to let it get to each other's nerves. And, I don't know, I'm a pretty patient girl. Plus, I don't think either of us want a stupid research paper to get in the way of a more-than-a-decade-old friendship. I could imagine how the conversations would be like in years to come if it ever came to that...

"Shelly! Wow! It's been years! Say, do you still hang around with Paola? You girls were like sisters during college, weren't you?"

An eyebrow would be raised.

"Paola? Oh, we had this major falling out during our senior year. Thesis, you know? She wanted to use representative sampling for our surveys while I wanted to use purposive sampling."

"Bummer."

What I would give for this fiasco to be over. At least we're finally moving forward with our thesis. Have been stumped with a particular problem for the longest time and we finally know what to do. Here's to hoping we could finish it as soon as possible in the midst of our finals.

Now & Then

2005-10-06T23:06:00.000+08:00

It's funny how time flies. In a matter of weeks, this God-forsaken semester would end and I could finally let my brain rot freely in all its glory. I will catch up on my very much needed beauty sleep, as well as old friends whom I haven't communicated with in months. I will leave this polluted city and go hiking in the mountains! Bask in nature! Get drunk! Make a comic or two or three! Not necessarily in that order, but you get the gist, yeah?

And in a matter of months, I'll be graduating (provided, of course, that the Evil Instrument of Torture, aka "thesis", is finally over and done with properly).

Graduating.

Where did all the time go? I recall my angst-filled days as a Freshie at AC; how I used to feel so desperately homesick (I still miss Indonesia, but not as hardcore as I did before) and out of place in an exclusive girls' college where my english is made fun of by those who couldn't speak it properly, how I tried desperately to prove myself to the people around me, how I worried myself sick about how I could possibly cope in this new environment; and I compare it to my life at AC now as a Senior which is, though sometimes nerve-wracking, fun-filled in it's own wacky and twisted way thanks to the notoriously noisy residents of block 4B1.

Yes, there are Nazis among us. Yes, it would be so nice to kick their guts and play soccer with their vacuous skulls. But, you know, it's nice to know that while we are surrounded by Hitler's men and women, there are also those who make life all the more bearable (you people know who you are. I *heart* you all!).

I have learned alot of things in college, some of which are:

That sometimes, you have to learn to let go lest your heart/brain gets fried/filleted/butchered.
That there are some things that you have to fight for, even if they may be beyond logical reasoning.
That no amount of planning or organizing could ever prepare you for what life will eventually throw at you.
That working so hard at something doesn't necessarily guarantee success.
That the simple things in life aren't so simple at all.
That people skills are really important.
That being yourself is cool no matter how weird society thinks you are.

Well, that's all I could come up with for now. I'll update the list in my later entries once I think of more things to add. This may sound really cheesy, but my life really opened up in college. I can't wait for the next phase of my life to begin. I want to meet more people! See more sights! Experience and learn new things outside the classroom!

But, blah, I still have one more semester before I get out of college. Again, provided that the Evil Instrument of Torture is over and done with properly. If not, then hel-lo again, AC!

Nerd? Geek? Or Dork?

2005-10-05T10:13:00.000+08:00

Modern, Cool Nerd
65 % Nerd, 52% Geek, 30% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.

A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.

A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.

You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd.

Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used
to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a
pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world
that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and
geeky have eked out for themselves a modicum of respect at the very
least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent,
knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing
computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one
you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one
up there, winning the million bucks)!

Congratulations!

Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in any of the following:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Professional Wrestling

Love & Sexuality

America/Politics

Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 71% on nerdiness
You scored higher than 75% on geekosity
You scored higher than 44% on dork points

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Thoughts at Random

2005-10-03T20:44:00.000+08:00

Nothing much happening in my world except that I can't wait for the sem break to roll around (October 22! October 22! Yipee!). Never before have I experienced such a lack of motivation to get schoolwork done. This semester could be summed up in one word: BLAH.

-----------

I kind of sassed a teacher today, and it was pretty funny because I didn't really intend to. For crying out loud, could I help it that I'm deaf and she's shizophrenic? It's not a good combination, I tell you!

-----------

On to some Spinner-isms!

A teacher from the class next door came up to us and scolded us for being so noisy.

"...I already told your class to keep quiet twice!" the teacher said, sternly.

Spinner suddenly piped in with that goofy smile on her eerie face, chirping "...actually, I think it was thrice."

Wunderbar. Last time I checked, Spinner, you were in the same classroom as we were so don't go around making the situation worse, mmkay? You're not winning any friends here. At all.

-----------

On an even weirder note, check out what Henriette has in store for you! That silly girl.

Baboy!

2005-09-30T12:01:00.000+08:00

Lechon Baboy: Roasted to a crisp. The main act on
a Filipino buffet repertoire.

Which Filipino Food Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Hmm. Riiiight.....

Paola's Song

2005-09-29T23:11:00.000+08:00

Paola composed this song this morning the moment she got to school, and when she played it she left us all teary-eyed. Hell, there was one girl who really wept over it! Combined with Paola's sweet voice and guitar-plucking, this song would definitely make your heart ache. No title for it yet, though.

I turn out the lights,
And I crawl into bed,
Another day gone by without you,
I still remember the things that you said,
The day that you said, "Good bye"
I love you

I can't say I'm sorry,
For letting you go,
I only regret this pain,

It's been so long since you moved out of my life,
When will you finally move out of my mind,
Only a fool would ever fall in love
And only God knows just how much,
Of a fool I was for you,

I live my days like I'm running a race,
One activity after the next,
And all of my nights are spent out on the town,
With the girls or another blind date,

But when I get home,
And I'm left all alone,
With my memories,
I only think of you,

I've tried to forget you,
Yeah I've tried every cure,
I swear I'm gonna get over you,
Just come back, come back,
You should know that a fool never learns.

Music Videos Down Below

2005-09-29T22:21:00.000+08:00

For those of you who didn't notice, I'm featuring music videos at the bottom of my blog. That's right, kids. The bottom. In trying to find a suitable spot to showcase the music video, I found that placing it on the side bar didn't work as its width extended past beyond the sidebar border, and placing it on the top looked awfully ridiculous. So the bottom of the page it went.

I don't know how often I'll be changing the music video, but most likely it would depend on my mood. And anyway, if you get annoyed with whatever song blares out to greet whenever you visit my page, you could always shut it up.

For now, enjoy Maroon 5's first single "Harder to Breathe".

Dream, Dream, Dream

2005-09-25T15:10:00.000+08:00

I've always had this pipe dream of being in a rock band.

Two of the first rock albums that I ever owned were Silverchair's Neon Ballroom and Incubus' Make Yourself. Yes, that was back in 1999, and I was definitely a late bloomer as I was still into listening boy bands and sappy, mushy R&B singers before that. So thank you, Francis, for spreading the gospel of rock. I wish you luck in Nescafe's Soundskool contest. Francis is the second guy to the left in this picture:

Francis has always been the musician back in High School. He wrote his own songs, and would always have a guitar in hand. From time to time, he would grace us with an original composition that never failed to make the fangirls swoon, squeal, and rape him savagely.

I was kidding on that last bit, though I think Francis would have enjoyed that.

Anyway, I always envied those who were musically-gifted. There was Francis and there was Paola, who's also abnormally talented when it comes to music. She, too, composes her own songs and sings with the sweetest voice that one could ever hear. It was no surprise that she made it to the finals of Mellow Touch's Launchpad contest.

Because I personally know such musically talented people in my life, I made a personal vow that I would learn to play the guitar myself. Long have I imagined myself playing lead guitar in a band, passionately strumming my guitar on stage and looking out at the undulating crowd before me who would jump up and down, scream, and punch their fists in the air just begging for more music.

The thing about fantasies is that they tend to skip the messy but crucial moments that one has to go through to achieve a goal. We choose to fast forward directly to the glorious part wherein we have already overcome all obstacles and are respected and adored as Gods.

Eventually, my parents gave me an acoustic guitar for my birthday, and I got down to learning the basic chords. These self-taught lessons went on for a number of months, and I learned to play a few songs such as Audioslave's "I am the Highway" and Red Hot Chili Pepper's intro for "Californication." I was a fast learner when it came to memorizing the basic chords and following guitar tablature. This however, did not mean that I had an understanding for the intricacies of song-writing and composing.

For instance, I do not know which chords go well together. I find difficulty in singing and playing the guitar at the same time. I also have the most gosh-awful singing voice.

It didn't take long for me to lose all hope in this pipe dream of mine, so now my guitar is left hanging on a hook, collecting dust and cracks along its body. I regret quitting my piano lessons when I was a kid as they would have proved useful to me now. I could hardly remember any of the music lessons that I had back in Middle School. And so ended the quest to becoming a member of a rock band.

As I've said many times before to comfort myself:

While I may be an artist wishing desperately to be a rock star, there's a rock star out there who's wishing desperately to be an artist.

Which sounds pretty hokey, if you ask me, but I'm trying to cope here, damn it, so just leave it be. I mean, who would give up panty-throwing beer-guzzling parties for a lifestyle that demands you to sit your ass down crouched over a blank piece of paper? Which is a stereotypical thing to say, really, but you get my drift, yeah?

Shelly by Gravewell 2

2005-09-25T14:56:00.000+08:00

Another drawing of me by Michael/Gravewell:

I love the way this guy sketches. I can't sketch to save my life.

Thanks for the drawing, Michael! I really appreciate it as it cheered me up when I was down about the thesis.

D-Day

2005-09-20T22:42:00.000+08:00

Quick post. Had our defense today and it wasn't even remotely as scary as people make it out to be. Hell, my partner and I just breezed through the presentation like it was nothing. Positive points aside, our results for the random survey were quite inaccurate as we did not conduct a pre-test. Plus, the presentation of the data for the in-depth interviews needed to be tabulated. We didn't even get to show our video to the panelists since our results had fixed. Meaning to say, we have to add and edit a few stuff in our video before we show it to them again in 10 days.

At least we don't have to re-defend. All we have to do now is conduct another survey (this time properly) tweak a few things in the paper, and work on our video in 10 days. So it's 10 more days of work again.

10 days. That's the 30th of September.

Wake me up when September ends...

Evil Instrument of torture

2005-09-16T20:44:00.000+08:00

I just realized a funny thing about thesis. You not only pour sweat and blood over a research paper which you probably wouldn't even think about in the next ten decades, you also have to turn your wallet inside out to pay for the expenses. It's like paying to get yourself tortured. Does anyone else find that extremely twisted and perverse?

I finally finished the thesis paper today. Had only three hours of sleep but I was running like the Energizer Bunny today. Which is strange considering that sleep deprivation is supposed to, you know, make you all tired and stuff but I wasn't.

Short post. Yes. But I'm tired now.

The Marching Morons (no relation to Kornbluth's novel)

2005-09-15T17:13:00.000+08:00

Good God. Will wonders ever cease? Will this ever end?

No, I'm not talking about the thesis. I'm talking about a particular person who's feeling so uppity lately.

Uh, excuse me? Who died and left you in charge? Was what happened today part of your job description? Last time I checked, that area is our freakin' territory. What, don't we have any rights left? I'm sorry that someone probably spitted on your breakfast this morning or that your boyfriend broke up with you (that smart man) but that doesn't mean that you have to let your anger out on us. We have enough problems to deal with, and now we don't even have the right to relax? Go back to your desk and file papers or make phone calls or whatever it is that you're supposed to do!

What? Am I supposed to write a letter explaining every single thing that I plan to do in school?

Dear Ms. [censored]

Greetings of Peace! This is to inform you that I, Joanne Michelle Soneja, of block 4B1 BCMP, intend to eat lunch in the school cafeteria at 12:00pm on September 19, 2005. I prefer to eat in Glorietta, but as it stands, I have to attend a DWRA meeting at school which starts at 12:30pm in the Therese Emmanuel Building. This is to ensure that I would make it to the said meeting on time. Hoping for your approval regarding this very important matter.

Yours Truly,
Michelle Soneja

P.S. You are a wiper of people's bottoms and I hope you burn in Hell.

Of course, as experience has proven, I cannot lodge my complaint about this person because I'm just a lowly student in an institute of so-called learning. And; my, my my; what interesting things I learn. I just hope to God that I don't become like one of those unreasonable adults who refuse to listen. Tell me, is that what people will eventually be reduced to as they get older?

Is this punishment for the petition I started? Am I freakin' blacklisted? Do you have any idea how hilariously annoying that is? I freakin' pity you Nazis. I really do.

Democracy is dead people. The Nazis are here!

So Speaketh the Cram Queen

2005-09-14T09:01:00.000+08:00

Scrapped the idea of holding an FGD. No time for scheduling an appointment for that since no one would show up again anyway. Opted for conducting seven in-depth individual interviews with students. No idea if panelists would raise their eyebrows in protest or raise their glasses to that. But who gives a shit anymore anyway. Tape recorded the interviews today and am currently transcribing the sucker into my computer. Exceeds 20 pages. Wow. My eyes feel sore. My back hurts. But I'm in "screw it" mode for now. Just do whatever I can and hope to survive. Aiming to submit this god-forsaken paper on Thursday. Also aiming to shoot our 20 minute video on thursday. Editing to commence during the weekend. Final Defense will be on Tuesday next week. This is the ultimate test for the cram masters (i.e. Paola and I).

Having my period now. Not a very good combo; thesis, blood, and a cranky emotional demeanor. But I will not let it get to me. Yes, it is tempting to charge onto campus, AK-47s ablazing, but it will not accomplish anything but jail time and a death sentence on my part. Ooh. Death. Not there's an idea.

But I will survive this instrument of toture that is the thesis. Yes, I may be scarred for life, both physically and mentally, but I'll survive nonetheless. So fuck you people who tell me that it's okay if I don't graduate. I hope that you burn in Hell where you would be forced to eat adorable kittens for all eternity. Raw. Hoo-ha!

Meant To Live

2005-09-11T12:02:00.000+08:00

Fumbling his confidence
And wondering why the world has passed him by
Hoping that he’s meant for more than arguments
And failed attempts to fly, fly

We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside
Somewhere we live inside
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside

Dreaming about providence
And whether mice or men have second tries
Maybe we’ve been livin with our eyes half open
Maybe we’re bent and broken, broken

We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside
Somewhere we live inside
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside

We want more than this world’s got to offer
We want more than this world’s got to offer
We want more than the wars of our fathers
And everything inside screams for second life

We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
We were meant to live
We were meant to live

The Real World

2005-09-10T01:13:00.000+08:00

I get annoyed when I complain about something and people tell me that, in the real world, you can't just [insert random action here].

I mean, seriously. Is that supposed to make me feel better? Am I supposed to regard your words in stunned silence, acknowledging your words of wisdom which are obviously beyond comprehension for this pathetic, 20 year old, and inexperienced mind of mine saying, "Oh my God, you are so right"?

"In the real world, you'll face more difficult projects."

"In the real world, you'll face more annoying bosses."

"In the real world, you'll face Satan and he'll threaten to steal your home, family, and friends if you don't join him in the Crusade to enforce senseless and meaningless work that doesn't better society at all, but instead, drives you mad with greed and boredom until you finally become a cold-hearted miser with no zest for what really matters in life."

Apparently, these people in the so-called "Real World" are quite the monsters, running loose and wrecking havoc on people's lives and eating their children. Plus, they get paid for it. This is what I concluded from people's horror stories. Apparently, the people I know now, the ones who are heartless, cold and cruel; have colder, crueler, and more heartless counterparts in the real world. First of all, you don't know these people the way I do so shut up.

I don't like the term "the real world." It makes it sound like those who haven't experienced work are living the life of a dream. "The Real World" is not limited to those towering buildings in the business district. It's not just the Rat Race that everyone is jostling to win. It's not just about work or the future. The Real World (and I write it this time without the quotation marks) is life as you experience it. It doesn't get any "realer" than that. Life is life is life. If I'm experiencing difficulty in my life at the moment, and you tell me that it'll be worse when I grow up, then I think that's pretty screwed up if you ask me. Honestly, does the fact the future holds worse things for me mean that I have no right to rant or complain at the present?

So yeah. Maybe you just can't pass up the opportunity to tell me, "I told you so" in the future, but give me some slack all right?

"But in the real world, people won't give you slack because they are heartless bitches with no..."

Shut up. Self-righteous Nazi.

Updates on the Petition

2005-09-09T13:40:00.000+08:00

So I got a grand total of 89 signatures today to present to the Chairperson. I took a deep breath, then I entered the lion's den. She was busy at work on her computer.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Chairperson," I told her, "I have here with me a petition appealing to extend the deadlines the thesis."

"No," she said simply without even looking at it.

Stunned, I stretched out the sheets of paper in her direction, hoping she could at least take it and said, "It's not just me or my block who's asking for an extension. It's also the other Media Production block as well as the Advertising students who are having difficulties in making the current deadlines."

She finally took the papers, looked it over without even reading it or seeing the number of signatures, and said, "You see, if you want to extend it to October, it's not possible. During that time, the professors would be busy computing your grades."

"Well if it can't be extended to October," I reasoned, hoping to be able to negotiate, "Is it possible that you can give us an extra week?"

"I'll talk to your professors about it," she said as she laid the papers down on the table and returned to her computer.

"Soooo...how would we find out if the deadlines have been moved or not?"

She looked at me, "Ask your professors."

Then she returned to her work. The conversation was over.

I walked out of the Communication Department in a daze, surprised at how quickly that conversation went. I wasn't expecting her to give me a standing ovation upon receiving the papers, screaming, "Never before have I seen such brilliance and tenacity! Bravo! Three cheers for you!" I expected her to at least read the letter. To at least see how many people were in support of the extension of deadlines. It seemed like she was waiting for me and knew what was going on. Which isn't surprising considering that we're a very small community.

I then went around school, informing fellow seniors about the latest development in our "movement" and they were outraged. They ranted and pulled at their hairs, complaining about how messed up everything was. I then suggested, as a joke, to hold a protest rally and they laughed.

"Sa EDSA?"

"Hindi, sa Serenity Garden!"

"Let's protest at the Open House and let's see how they'll like that."

Two of us eventually decided to take it to the Dean of Student's Affairs office and off we marched. The Dean wasn't around so we sat down with Ms. Nicole, Student Activities Coordinator, and complained about our situation. After we explained our side, Ms. Nicole looked at me with a grin, "You know, I notice that you always get yourself into some sort of trouble."

She was referring to the documentary incident last year wherein a friend and I went to the DSA's office to complain about the injustice done upon us regarding a video we submitted to a TV station.

"Er, yeah I just realized that just now," I muttered.

No wonder I was having a sense of deja vu as I sat in that office talking to her about my latest exploit.

Apparently, the school administration had a meeting regarding the extension of deadlines for the thesis. So, yeah, it wasn't as "underground" as I thought. No wonder the Chairperson was "expecting" me. Ms. Nicole said that they don't want to extend the deadlines because they want to "discipline us." Wunderbar. They expect us to come up with quality thesis work this time around but we have like, what, a freakin' week to shoot a video?

The Dean finally arrived and we talked to her about the ridiculous deadline set upon us, how the schedule kept on changing, how we couldn't be expected to give quality work since we have too little time, how our goal now isn't to get the Best Thesis Award but to make it to the deadlines in a rush. She took the time to hear us out, listing down important points we made and she said that she's going to schedule a meeting with the Chairperson at 4pm today to talk this over.

Hell. I don't know if this is going to work. But it's good to know that I have the backing of so many people. At least the petition proved that. I just hope that the Chairperson didn't throw the papers into the wastebasket.

Signature Count: 84 (etc)

2005-09-08T20:35:00.000+08:00

Updates on the signature campaign: I managed to acquire 84 signatures all in one day with the help of several key people from the different Media Production and Advertising blocks. Not bad if I do say so myself. It was interesting seeing the different reactions of the students when presented with the petition.

Some supported it whole-heartedly...

"Of course I'll sign it!"

"Oo naman!"

"Why in the world didn't I think of this before?"

"Mabuhay ka, Shelly! Mabuhay ka!"

...while others were apprehensive...

"Um, can I get back to you later on this?"

"No, sorry. We're cool with our thesis."

"She (the Chairperson) is not going to listen to you, you know?" (Yeah, Squatting Beaver, piss on my parade why don't you? I still think it's worth a shot)

"So you mean to say that you want to defend your thesis during the sem break?" (If it gives me a higher chance of graduating, then I really wouldn't mind at all)

My thesis partner, Paola, let our thesis advisor know about the signature campaign.

"Oh, by the way, Shelly's starting a revolution to get the deadlines of the thesis moved to October. Just thought you had to know," she texted.

"Ha ha ha ha! Why am I not surprised? Ha ha ha!" he replied.

Which made me wonder, is starting an underground movement a Shelly-like thing to do?

Anyway, armed with the 84 signatures, I will go to school tomorrow morning and submit the papers to the Chairperson. I have to admit, I'm kind of nervous as to what she might tell me but I know that I'm not doing anything illegal (I mean, last time I checked, we're in a democratic country. A messed up one, but democratic, nonetheless). If there's even a slightest chance that this would actually work, then I'm willing to take the risk of being rebuked, laughed at, or placed on the black list. Good luck to me then.

And, hell, if this doesn't work, at least I tried. The panelists must then prepare themselves for real crappy work then.

Power to the people!

-----------

Had a dry-run today for the ACTV broadcast that's going to air on the Open House on Saturday. Stayed at school until 7:30pm and when my friends and I left, it was raining. Hard. Again, I sloshed through the rain with a wet skirt and as I was walking towards Greenbelt 3, there was this man who braved the weather without an umbrella. Pitying him, I asked him to join me and he thanked me profusely. He was a Chinese man here on business and he asked whether I was in High School or College (I get that alot). We walked together to Greenbelt, then we parted with him thanking me again.

And that was my good deed for today! Whee!

----------

My cousin from Canada is here in the Philippines on vacation and he wants to have one last night of partying tomorrow before he leaves for Canada on Saturday. Which is all well and good except that I have to wake up real early the day after the party for the Open House. I really don't want to have a hangover or have eyebags while I host the freakin' show. Life has such impeccable timing, doesn't it?

I Got my Spark Back!

2005-09-07T18:14:00.000+08:00

I attended a meeting in school today which was for student leaders and organization officers and I must say, I'm quite inspired. Something stirred inside me during the open forum and I got myself into two projects:

1) Start a petition to appeal to the chairperson of the Communication Department to move the thesis deadlines to October.

I talked to students of different Communication courses in school and I found out that alot of them still haven't finished their data-gathering considering that the submission of the final paper is already next week (and that includes my thesis partner and I who still haven't conducted our FGD until now!). Also, scripts haven't been written yet and the final defense is already in two weeks. I asked the different fourth year students if they would prefer it if it was moved to October and majority of those I talked to gave me a resounding, "Hell yeah!"

I already talked to key people from the different blocks and they said they would assist me in collecting signatures. Still have to write the letter of petition and email it to them. Hopefully by Friday I would collect enough signatures to sway the Communication Department. I'm keeping all my fingers crossed.

And, hell, if it doesn't work, then I'm sure alot of us will come up with half-assed work and a crappy video for the final defense. Bye bye graduation!

and

2) Get the AC community to openly talk about sex

During the open forum, I mentioned how sex seems to be a taboo topic in school. We shouldn't be afraid to talk about sex, safe sex, the responsibilities and consequences, STDs, pregnancy, abortion, etc. Because while there have been some efforts in the past to actually talk about it, it wasn't very effective and there are still those who are unaware about certain sex-related issues. I was surprised that the Dean of Student Affairs, who was conducting the open forum, agreed with me and she said that I should coordinate with the Center for Social Concern about that. I'm thinking about getting the Advocates for Youth to have their campus tour in our school, but I will talk to the CSC first.

So yeah. Other than those things, the Assumption College Open House is happening this Saturday, September 10. If you have any friends, sisters, daughters, nieces, girlfriends, etc. who are looking for a place to study for college, AC is the school to be in! There'll be free admissions testing, exhibits, a whole lot of food, a concert featuring Kala and Hale, as well as another ACTV broadcast (I'm going to be a VJ again. This time, solo. Eep!)

Busy, busy, busy...but I'm feeling happy. Must be the Banana Caramel Ice Blended and the Banana Cream Pie from Coffe Bean and Tea Leaf. Yum! I'm telling you, they're orgasmic! Buy them NOW!

Drudge, Drudge, Drudges,

2005-09-01T18:55:00.000+08:00

Finished tallying the survey answers for the thesis. Mind-numbing stuff, really. And now, I'm working on this pathetic excuse of a script for a class of mine. For crying out loud, I have been writing and re-writing this sucker for how long and it still manages to end up as a pathetic piece of fecal matter. I'm usually into stuff like this, but come on now, writing it more than twice gets pretty redundant, especially when the topic isn't even remotely interesting. That plus the fact that I'm so uninspired lately. My creative well has run dry. When pressed for ideas and suggestions, all I would supply is a blank stare and a shrug of my shoulders. This would sometimes be accompanied with a yawn or a quip like, "Oh, I don't know. Something different, I guess." I'm a has-been (or "never-was" whichever sounds more appropriate). I need my muse, damn it. I need to get out of this city.

Must not stress out. Must not worry. Must not have nervous breakdown.

Blargh. The drudgery of work is getting to me. Must do something meaningful. But I don't know what. And it doesn't help that when I switch on the television I see the Cirque des Politiciens going at it again. Crucify them, I always say.

Cliche as it may sound: I feel empty. So freakin' empty. Some days I'm ignited with passion and the firm belief that I could do anything as long as I set my mind to it. But nowadays my mantra consists of two words: Screw it. I'm just so cynical and jaded lately. And hell, I cuss like a drunken sailor more often than not.

Just what exactly triggered this? I don't know.

Blah. It's just a phase, I hope. It'll pass. Now it's back to the stupid script.

Cheesy Me

2005-08-31T23:00:00.000+08:00

Feta is one of the most famous cheeses in Greece. It is made in various sizes, often as a loaf-shape. Feta is solid, but crumbly with some fissures. Pure white, it has a milky fresh acidity. Feta was originally made with either ewe's milk or a mixture of ewe's and goat's milk, but today most feta is made with pasteurized milk and tastes of little besides salt. Some people are put off by the strong salt content but the salt is intended only as a preservative and is not supposed to overpower the taste of the cheese. Feta can be soaked in fresh, cold water or milk for a few minutes or longer, if necessary, to make it less salty. [ Country: Greece || Milk: cow, ewe, and goat milk || Texture: soft ]

Cheese Test: What type of cheese are you?

Don't Be Hatin' Kampanerang K, Ok?!

2005-08-31T15:45:00.000+08:00

Well, shizzle mah nizzle! Another Kampanerang Kuba fan, getting all preachy on me for criticizing the show in a previous post of mine. That's the spirit! Let that anger fester inside you! "Fear leads to Anger. Anger leads to Hate. Hate leads to suffering." Wise words to consider, wouldn't you say?

Isn't it funny how I could criticize the government, give movie and music reviews, and make fun of teachers in my school, without having to encounter much resistance from opposing forces? Apparently, Kampanerang Kuba fans are extremely protective of their show. Of course, their argument is that since I haven't watched the show, I have absolutely no right to react the way I did in this post. Which is a lame argument, if you ask me, since I never claimed to have watched the show and was just merely REACTING to what my friend told me. And what she told me sounded really, really, really (dare I say it) STUPID. There you go. In bold and italics. I think Kampanerang Kuba is really, really, really STUPID. This is the part where you send your hate mail, people. This is the part where you tell me how narrow-minded I am for not even watching the show. The part where you tell me it's wrong to REACT the way I did, the part where you tell me to sit my ass down in front of the couch and watch the god-forsaken mess on the telly...well guess what, Nazis?! I managed to watch it a few days ago! Hah! And you know what I found out?

I was right.

I don't need to bite into shit to know that it tastes like shit.

Good God! Get over it! People are dying out there! Trees are being torn down like nobody's business! Animals are getting endangered! Children are selling their bodies to dirty old men and all you could think about is Kampanerang freakin' Kuba? What is wrong with the world today!?

Come on Kampanerang Kuba fans. It's not like I think that KK is the only thing I consider stupid in this messed up world. I find war stupid. George Bush. Britney Spears. Politicians. Complain about that for a change.

So anyway the very hip and angered Deeh' (aka Kampanerang Kuba fanboy) left his e-mail address for me. For what purpose, I have no idea, considering he blatantly told me to not reply to his rant on my holy tagboard. Apparently, he expects me to take this lying down, and we all know what a warfreak I really am.

I leave it to you, dear readers, to make do with his e-mail whichever way you deem fit.

Send your love to jeff_castro123@yahoo.com.

Shelly by Gravewell

2005-08-30T22:05:00.000+08:00

This is the second drawing that anyone has ever made of me (yes, I'm that pathetic)! Thanks to Michael Santos for this doodle! I'll love you forever! Do check out his deviantArt gallery. He's an awesome artist!

The Legendary Lilypad

2005-08-30T12:33:00.000+08:00

Do you like flash animation? Parodies? Video games? Lord of the Rings? In other words, are you geeky like me?

Then head over to The Legendary Lilypad! They have flash parodies of video games like Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, Legend of Zelda; and parodies of movies such as The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings.

Dustin Watts (left) with Joseph Blanchette aka Legendary Frog (right), site owner

Sing along to "Final Fantasy Tribute: Chocobo Robo Voice"! Just follow the bouncing chocobo!

Of course, if you don't know what the hell I'm talking about ("Choco-what?!", "Legend of Who?!"), then steer clear of The Legendary Lilypad because you most probably wouldn't find it tickling your funny bone. At all.

So go visit The Legendary Lilypad! Time's-a-wasting! (Yes, that is Sauron with his reading glasses)

Holidays and the Chain Smoking Drama Queen

2005-08-28T22:23:00.000+08:00

You know that the country is really going to the dogs when the government couldn't make up their minds on making Monday a public holiday or not.

Last night, I was greeted by several messages from blockmates of mine, asking me whether we have classes on Monday or not. I told them that I wasn't sure, but that last time I checked, Ignacio Bunye said that it was going to be a working holiday.

This morning, I received more text messages from confused blockmates and I told them the same thing, "Well, that Bunye dude said that it's a working holiday so I guess that means we have classes." To be sure, I decided to check out today's paper and read that on Saturday evening, Malacanang changed their minds and PGMA declared Monday a public holiday instead of a working holiday.

Then a blockmate of mine said that the Dean of Student Affairs at school told her that there would be no classes on Monday. So I spread the news to some of my blockmates. Then I heard that businessmen were complaining about the issue, saying that they don't want a public holiday, damn it, and want business to resume as usual.

My reaction, of course, went along the lines of "What the flying freak on a leash?!" Grow a spine, woman! Stick to your guns! We don't need a flip-flopper! (No, I'm not anti-GMA, I'm pretty much just sick of the entire political scene...and that means the administration, the opposition, and all those in-betweeners.)

Then it was eventually settled that the private sector shall go on, business as usual, on Monday while Public and Private schools will have no classes. Wunderbar.

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

Angelica Panganiban was interviewed on The Buzz about two very pressing issues: one about her using her cellphone on a flight to Davao (or away from it, I don't really remember), the other about her being a chain-smoker. Obviously, the world could not possibly continue its natural orbit around the sun until these issues are resolved. So Kris Aquino, my most favoritest person in the world, dropped the bomb on Angelica: "Did you use your cellphone on the flight?"

Angelica began her answer with a long-winded narration of how tired she was from the shoot and how she was out of sorts when she got to the plane. According to her, she sat down on her seat, listening to her iPod and pulling up the hood from her jacket onto her pretty little head. Again, she reiterated how extremely tiring her shoot was. So she leaned back on her seat and drifted off to LaLa Land. When she woke up, she realized that the plane was already en route to Davao/Manila. A stewardess then approached her and told her to put her seat on the upright position. This useless and completely unnecessary exposition must be related to her cellphone, I just know it! I thought, desperately. Then Kris dropped the bomb again: "So did you use your cellphone during the flight?"

"No," Angelica answered simply.

Wunderbar.

Then it went on to the next pressing issue.

"Are you a chain smoker?"

Angelica said something about how she's not trying to parade around that she's a clean-cut girl, or something to that effect. Then without warning, her voice cracked, tears sprang to her eyes, and sappy music played in the background. My jaw dropped to the floor as she sobbed about how she grew up in a household where smoking was the norm, and how in college, everyone smoked so she just wanted to fit in, that's all. She went on and on like she just ran over a little old lady's pussycat named "Fluffy." Good God! We do not need to hear your pathetic excuses! If you smoke, then damn it, say so with pride! No one is going to haul you off to some rehab centre or toss you off a cliff with your ankles clasped to a ball chain!

Being called a "chain-smoker" really isn't all that bad. There are worse things to be called. Like "donkey-raping shit-eater" (yes, that was a referrence to South Park, so sue me!). Was she afraid that people, both young and old, would point at her shamelessly with mocking faces, screeching, "Chain smoker! Chain Smoker! CHAIN SMOOOOKERRR!"

Then I realized that they probably told her to cry about it because, damn it, they have nothing remotely interesting to talk about in that sorry show.

Must. Have. Higher. Ratings.

Wunderbar, wunderbar, wunderbar.

I Are Crazy

2005-08-25T21:51:00.000+08:00

I think the problem with me is that I take things too seriously and forget to loosen up a little. Which is a funny thing to say (er..."write"), really, considering I spend most of my class hours making a ruckus, throwing sarcastic comments left and right, laughing my fool head off, cussing, making faces and green jokes, reading a novel, putting on makeup, or sleeping in class, all while the professor is discussing the lesson (in fact, thinking about it, I really wonder how I manage to get off scott-free). Indeed, there are some people who think I'm a happy-go-lucky kind of girl, but these people don't really know me that well. Those of you who read my blog on a regular basis know that I have this moody, manic-depressive side to me that I don't really show in public. This is where I channel my angst and hatred, people! I'm a really nice person if you get to know me. I radiate with love and joy complete with rainbows and furry little animals that follow me around wherever I go! Whee!

*Cough*

It's kind of funny, really. It's at home when I'm haunted by these weird and twisted thoughts about my life and the people in it. But when I go out and interact with said people, I find myself having a blast. Is it a psychological quirk of mine? Or just a mere case of insanity?

Speaking of insanity, a friend of mine and I were talking about how nuts we think we are. Turned out that we have these thoughts (I will not expound on these thoughts as my dignity and integrity would be at stake if I mention them), and all this time, we wondered whether we were the only people in this God-forsaken world who think that way. Well, let's just say I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thinks about [censored] and [censored].

Hell, I think everyone on this planet is psycho in their own way. Those who claim to be 100% sane are just kidding themselves, and most probably more whacked up than those who claim to eccentric/weird/crazy. It annoys me when people judge others with their noses constantly in the air, haughtily saying things like, "She's always been a strange girl anyway" while they continue to screw their own daughters or shoot random people on the driveway.

Which reminds me...I need to get my hands on a book called "The Marching Morons" by C.M. Kornbluth.

Ink Blots + Paper Cuts

2005-08-24T20:39:00.000+08:00

I am just really pissed and stressed out. Had to do something about my anger so I created this. Quite different from my usual work, I know. The girl's actually a stock photo courtesy of Virgin-stock of deviantArt. Just manipulated it a bit.

See the original image of the girl.

See the bigger version of this artwork of mine.

The No Show

2005-08-23T20:36:00.000+08:00

As predicted, not everyone showed up for the Focus Group Discussion today. In fact, no one did, save for my sister who went to school just for the FGD (sorry and thanks again!). I was annoyed as, one by one, the respondents texted saying that they couldn't make it because of classes, sickness, boyfriends, etc. Good God, people. If you didn't want to go in the first place, you should have said so the day before the freakin' thing instead of giving me these excuses in the last minute. I don't reserve rooms and make FGD questionairres for kicks, you know. I was there in the room, sitting down and reading George Orwell's 1984 (a pretty good read so far) as I waited and waited for more and more of the respondents to tell me that they couldn't make it.

So I guess we'll just have to re-sched another FGD. Not sure if we'll use the same people, though.

To appease my anger, I bought a bunch of Hershey's chocolate bars, and sure enough I was in Cloud Nine before I knew it. Yes. I have an awful cough, and chocolate is bad for the throat but, hoo-ha, I don't care. I love chocolate and chocolate loves me! Tra-la-la-la! What a lovely tea party we're having!

Majorly PO'd

2005-08-22T18:02:00.000+08:00

There are some days when I really just couldn't give a shit about anything. This just happens to be one of those days.

Woke up in the morning sick in the stomach. I've been churning out half-assed work lately, and frankly, I'm feeling really stupid and tired. I hardly even recite in class anymore, I'm uninspired, I keep on coughing my lungs out, I can't seem to draw properly (save for a particular beaver drawing which I will post here once I get down to animating it) and I'm not eating right. People annoy me more than ever. Dense, oblivious Spinner; schizophrenic, wide-eyed Ms. Fish Fillet; loudmouth, irritating Undertaker...I swear I have this irrepressible urge to whack them on the head with a sledgehammer over and over until there's nothing left of their empty shells but mush.

It was freakin' hot in the afternoon, but rained really hard later on my way home complete with heart-stopping thunder and lightning. My shoes filled up with rainwater, my skirt was soaked, and I squish-squashed my way to Greenbelt to buy an audio cassette for the Focus Group Discussion tomorrow of which I'm sure that not all six of the respondents I harassed today would attend, so I have to resort to harassing more people tomorrow morning; begging and threatening and who knows what else.

Then I have to interview a bunch of people for some other project that I couldn't give a flying camel's stinking ass about.

My eyes hurt. I feel grotesque and ugly. I'm hungry and I have a fucking headache.

No, I do not have my period. This month is just shit.

Blah! Blah! Blah!

Must. Remain. Calm. Must. Think. Happy. Thoughts.

Now, going back to that sledgehammer...

Hearts and Honesty

2005-08-19T17:40:00.000+08:00

2 am and I'm still awake, writing a song
If I get it all down on paper, it's no longer inside of me,
Threatening the life it belongs to
And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd
Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud
And I know that you'll use them, however you want to

- "Breathe" by Anna Nalick

There are some things that I wish I could share with people but I let my paranoia get the better of me. It's not that I don't trust these people. It's just that proclaiming it, out loud or in writing, makes it all seem so...official. And it makes you seem all the more vulnerable. I don't know if that makes any sense at all, but there's just no other way to describe it. How easy it would be if I could just be truly honest about my feelings (I consider myself a pretty honest girl, but I'm human too, damn it, so I lie when I feel there is a need for it) so I won't have to worry about killing myself slowly with these thoughts and words just dying to burst out in all directions.

Anyway, bottom line is that I just don't want to end up hurt again, which is a really weird thing to say because the only way that I won't ever get hurt again is when I'm dead.

Now there's a thought.

On to other topics, I was talking with a friend this afternoon and we were talking about how difficult it is to find a guy for me. Meaning to say, my standards are kind of impossible. Just "kind of." I don't know. I'm just really hard to please. This came up when she mentioned an ex of mine and I told her that I wasn't really satisfied with him either. This shocked her, and I told her that while he was brilliant and smart, he didn't really have enough heart. Then she mentioned another ex of mine and I was like, "I don't know..."

It's not like I'm looking for someone who shares the exact same interests as I do. I met a guy who was almost exactly like me, and while I was deeply infatuated with him for the longest time, it eventually vanished because I started seeing him as a brother. Ick.

I'm not going to lower my standards or anything, and I'm not rushing it. I'm sure that I'll meet lots of people once I graduate. Though there are some times I wish I could just have a boytoy right now to play with for a month, and when the kilig factor is gone, I could just leave him in a ditch and go on with my merry life with no strings attached. That would be swell.

Fish Fillet's Evil Gaze

2005-08-17T19:43:00.000+08:00

Apparently, my friends and I have caught the ire of Fish Fillet today (yes, you guessed it, another code name, courtesy of Henri!). What's interesting about Fish Fillet is her tendency to look at you with no emotion or expression at all for seconds on end, leaving you to wonder just what exactly is going on in her head as you squirm and dart your eyes left and right, thinking of a way to escape the awkward situation. You would reply to a question of hers, and in the span it takes for the message to reach her ears, she'd just stare back at you eerily, probably expecting you to tear your clothes off to reveal a bright pink tutu and perform a pirouette while balancing a tray of rabid hedgehogs on your head.

The look she conveys is indescribable. There are no words that could explain the horror that is Fish Fillet's evil gaze. The following conversation serves as a fictional example, as placing actual dialogue here would implicate me in a series of lawsuits as well as other undesirable consequences (nevertheless, it still captures the nature and flow of the actual conversation):

FISH FILLET: So, did you water my Venus fly traps yesterday?
ME: Why, yes. They're darlings, really.
FISH FILLET: (stares back blankly)
ME: (blinks)
FISH FILLET: (continues to stare blankly)
ME: I made sure that they got just the right amount of water (chuckles nervously).
FISH FILLET: (stares back unblinkingly)
ME: (coughs)
FISH FILLET: (continues to stare)
ME: (froths at the mouth and gets nervous breakdown)

You can never tell what she's thinking. And what's worse, you never really know how to react. Was she joking? Was she being serious? Should I laugh at this; knit my brows and nod approvingly with a solemn look on my face; or jump up from my chair in a feverous frenzy, wide-eyed and wildly clapping my hands screaming "Encore! Encore!"?

Indeed, Fish Fillet is such a complex creature, worthy of further examination. If only one could get over her fear of her.

Thanks

2005-08-15T11:15:00.000+08:00

I'm such an ungrateful wretch. Really. I have so much to be thankful for and yet I get moody and cranky over the silliest and mundane things when other people have bigger problems to worry about.

I was down in the dumps one time, thinking how pathetic my life's going when a friend of mine told me something that gave me a wake-up call of sorts. She talked about how I seem to be getting lots of good opportunities in my life compared to her, and how she thinks that she deserves to not get those opportunities because of all the wrong things she's done. A punishment of sorts (Sweetie, if you're reading this, I honestly think that you're not being punished and that between the two of us, I think you're more deserving of a good life for all the really tough times you've gone through. I love you so much.).

So anyway, it really doesn't help that I'm neurotic or that my esteem has hit rock bottom (don't know why, it just did all of a sudden). But I think about all the people who have been there for me and helped me out, even in their own little ways. There's no way that I can avoid getting all mushy and sentimental in this post, so please bear with me as I get all sappy.

I really believe that parents are more concerned about their children's safety more than their personal growth. I get annoyed when I find myself having to insist on doing something, constantly telling them over and over, "Don't worry, I'll be fine" as they conjure up a million scenarios of "What if"s that'll probably never happen. But at least I know they care about me. And they are so willing to give up the last piece of, say, chicken during dinner; or willing to share what little they have left. Every little accomplishment you do is a big deal to them, so while there are those who say, "So what?" they'll always be there to say, "I'm so proud of you!" complete with a kiss and a hug.

My sister is my best friend. She's the one who knows me as I truly am, without the masks I wear in public. We are opposites in some ways, yet similar in others. I'm the emotional and sensitive one, she's the practical and sometimes more serious one. She's the anchor for my turbulent emotions, and while I sometimes wonder why she can't see things my way, I'm glad that she adds that much-needed "other perspective" whenever I'm depressed or in love. And I can cry and blubber like a fool in front of her without feeling ashamed of myself or worried about what she'll think of me.

My friends. Good God. Is there any way to shut us up? Wherever we go, we have to cause a ruckus with our shrill laughter and sarcastic comments. But we do have our shares of misunderstandings and petty fights with us feeling awkward as hell later on, but we always make up in our own ways without actually saying, "I'm sorry." There are times when I think that they don't get me, but then again, I don't really get them either. While that could be cause for trouble, I think that's where the beauty of the relationship lies. And it's not only fun and games. I learn alot from them. From their stories, experiences, to their skills and insights.

And, heck, I'm even thankful for some teachers of mine who go out of their way to help even though they're busy. Those teachers who inspire, leave a mark on you, and sincerely believe in you are a rare find, and I have had the privilege of being taught by a number of them in my college years. They may have their weird quirks (and they're perfect targets for teasing!) but hey, they're human too and can be pretty cool sometimes. Sometimes.

So I guess what I'm really trying to say is, "Thanks." Even to those asses who made and continue to make my life a living hell, "Thank you." You may have messed me up emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically in ways unimaginable, but I'd like to think that I'm stronger because of it, albeit weird.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The Transformation of Gandhi

2005-08-14T00:47:00.000+08:00

I am, of course, referring to my former High School back in Indonesia.

I decided to check out its website after many years, as I've heard that the school has moved to a different location. Have also heard that the school looks really awesome now. And what do you know, I was left speechless as I took the virtual tour...

The facade alone took my breath away:

Much more the interior:

What is it? A school? Or a mall? Don't like the floor, though. What's up with the colors?

Them classrooms have never looked cleaner:

An actual lab! With no floor tiles as table tops!:

A better gym...

...with actual bleachers!

Aaaieeeee! And a pool! A freakin' pool!

And my batch was deprived of such luxuries! Still don't see a soccer field though. Anyways, to those who would like to take the complete virtual tour, you could check it out at the GMIS website. Oh, and you could also check out the online version of the GMIS Post (the school paper) on the main page which doesn't happen to have any articles on it, just pictures.

And, hey, if you happen to have any young friends or relatives in or going to Indonesia, ask them to enroll at GMIS. I mean, just look at me, I turned out just fine.

Really.

Click on image for some comic goodness!

"The Miseducation of Shelly Soneja" comic strip is on a HIATUS for this month. Just so you know, it's based on actual events that happened to the artist back in High School. Characters and situations depticted herein are not entirely fictional (and are, in fact, quite accurate). If you find any similarities with real people, whether they are living or dead, chances are, they are exactly who you think they are.

Three Letters

2005-08-12T16:51:00.000+08:00

D.

S.

L.

WOOOoooo-hoooo!

Voice Acting (Part Deux)

2005-08-11T20:59:00.001+08:00

I decided to go to Sound Design today and brought Paola along with me for the adventure. We talked to a teacher who said that he had his voice recorded there several times before for a number of commercials, so I asked him how the experience was. He said that they'll make you make weird cartoony voices. At this, I laughed and my friend and I went outside and waited for a taxi.

"Damn it," I told her, "What if they'll make us do those cartoon voices? You know, like they'll tell you to talk like a...cat person or something."

I then proceeded to meowing an example and Paola laughed.

"I hope they won't make us do that," she said, "Hopefully, it'll just be radio ads and stuff like that."

"Hopefully," I said.

We finally got ourselves a taxi and made it at their office in Amorsolo Street. We met up with my contact, and she led us to this room where we were greeted by a fat, balding, old man with a cigar on his hand.

"I just want to know a few important things," he said, slowly looking at us from head to toe, "Are you girls...spontaneous? How are you at...heavy breathing?"

Just playing at your silly fantasies boys. Back to reality.

So there we were at Sound Design and we met up with my contact who turned out to be an AC graduate and Missy's friend. We made small talk as they prepared the studio for the voice recording.

Unfortunately, I can't divulge much of the details about the commercials we did, as they are confidential (they never said what the commercials were, but Paola and I had an idea). I will say, however, that they will make you do the scripts (hmm...that sounds wrong) over and over several times in different tones/emotions. They'll tell you to be hyper and bored, a ditzy party girl and a monotonic snob, etc. You know how it works. We did over five scripts and our throats were dry when we were done, mine even more so since I was DJ-ing for two straight hours before dropping by Sound Design. Plus, the cold weather didn't really help much. Also discovered that our teacher was just teasing us when he said that we'd be doing cartoon voices. Phooey.

My friend even sang two songs since they're also looking for singers.

We then filled up our Voice-Acting profile that contained our name, phone numbers, time of availability, etc. Our recorded voices were for filing, that is, they won't exactly use our voices in the commercials yet. They're just samples which they'll store it in their database until they have a client who wants a specific type of voice that they want in their commercials or radio ads.

Well, good news for those who want to get into voice-acting. Sound Design is looking for new voice talents, both male and female to audition. So if you think you have what it takes, whether it's singing or voice-acting, just let me know through here (or email me at jm_soneja@yahoo.com) and I'll let my contact know.

Voice Acting

2005-08-10T22:08:00.000+08:00

While I was hanging out in McCafe with friends today, gobbling up a Mud Pie, I received a phone call from someone at Sound Design Inc, a recording studio. The woman on the other end of the line asked if I was from DWRA (the radio station at my school) and said that Missy (our former org president) reffered me to them. She then asked if I was interested in voice acting and if I could drop by their office today. Since my day was fully booked, I told her that I could drop by on Friday instead and she said that she'll let me know all the details soon.

I wonder what it's going to be about. I'm pretty excited, but it's always best to have lowered expectations. That way, you won't get disappointed. I now go through life expecting the worse and I feel peachy-keen! Woo-hoo!

Well, not really.

Bah, this post is going nowhere so I'll shut up now. I'm fucking depressed and I have no idea why. Actually, I do, but I won't say why. All I can say is that I always seem to set myself up for disappointment, like I enjoy getting myself hurt. Damn, I really am a masochist!

Argh! Good night, cruel world!

Maybe I Should Reconsider...

2005-08-08T20:31:00.000+08:00

I've been thinking.

If the only guys that ever bother striking a conversation with me or hitting on me or making bastos are those in their forties or fifties with greying hair and toothless jaws, maybe the universe is giving me a sign. I mean, seriously. There are no strapping eligible bachelors in their 20s waiting in line at my front door, but I suppose it's because I don't go out much to the places where they get wasted and not in a state of mind to be able to bring you home. Not that I haven't my share of said bachelors who would pursue me, but in the end I usually find them boring players with no passion in life.

I'm talking about this again because there was a man who struck up a conversation with me out of the blue in the elevator of my condo asking the same old questions.

Just thinking to myself. Carry on with your lives.