Bungled Blahs

The Reason I Can Have This Blog

2010-11-21T11:09:00.004+08:00

Although this is an assignment for Sci 10, I also want this to be a tribute to Dr. William Torres; if it weren't for him, I would be blogging here today. And I also probably wouldn't be in computer science.

Walking down a Philippine street the days, one is almost always bound to see a computer shop of some form –dubbed as “internet cafes”- filled to the brim with uniformed students, gamers and social network addicts. Our country is increasingly becoming an Internet stronghold, what with numerous WiFi hotspots sprouting all over, catering to citizens armed with devices that enable them to access the Internet anytime. Such is the kind of society we live in now which can only be attributed to Dr. William Torres, known as the “Father of Philippine Internet,” who oversaw the inception of the Internet in the Philippines in 1994. However, his negotiations with the US National Science Foundation for it began as early as 1992. Definitely a man of firsts, Dr. Torres is the first Filipino to get a doctorate in computer science, as well as the founder of Mozcom, the first Internet service provider in the country. He also held important government posts which enabled him to further information technology in the country, acting as managing director of the National Computer Center (NCC) from the late 80’s to May 1993 and heading the Information Technology Coordinating Council (ITCC) under the Cory Aquino presidency in 1987. Furthermore, it was him who drafted the first National IT Plan (NITP), whose succeeding incarnations would serve as the blueprints for making the Philippines the information hub of Asia. Most certainly, Dr.Torres paved the way for bringing cyberspace to the country, providing a place where Filipino netizens can thrive.

The Internet has definitely blossomed in the sixteens years since it first came here. Dr. Torres’ contribution opened up avenues by which science and technology could help improve other aspects of Philippine society such as economics, education and politics. The Internet provides an alternative market where products and transactions can be easily carried out between local sellers and customers from here and abroad. Education also greatly benefits as rich and dynamic content can now be easily accessed by students nationwide. The Internet has also enabled the country’s first automated elections to happen, which accounted for faster results from the polls. Being that it is still young, there is still a lot of potential for enacting change in the country by making use of bits and bytes traveling through wires, cables and laptops. The breadth of information, as well as the ease and speed at which it can be accessed are the main advantages that the Internet offers. As long as we are open to innovation and efficiently handling all the information at our fingertips, then the relationship between our country and the Internet should be just fine.

Sources:

Gonzales, Carlos, et. al. "The Internet's 10 Most Influential Filipinos: William Torres." WIRED! Philippines. 1999. 19 Nov. 2010. .

Pabico, Alecks. "William Torres." i Report. 2006. Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. 19 Nov. 2010. >.

Torral, Janette. "Dr. William Torres - Father of the Philippine Internet." [Weblog entry.] Philippine Internet Review. 5 Jan. 2007. (http://philippineinternetreview.blogspot.com/2007/01/dr-william-torres-and-philippine.html). 19 Nov. 2010.

Immersion (A Post in 3 Parts): Part 3

2010-08-15T10:15:00.001+08:00

Day 3

For our last day, we were still required to wake up early for a processing session with our formator at Mang Boy's house. Basically, we just shared the experiences we've had over the past two days, as well as some insights we've gained. Afterwards, we were invited to ride the kalabaw at the house of one of us. Unfortunately, me and Aileen had to go ahead home to help with cooking lunch and other chores.
Our last lunch at Nanay Rosana's house was the most delicious. We had fried fish, the sinigang from last night, tortang talong and fresh buko juice. We chatted for a while and then we all watched the movie adaptation of "Magandang Tanghali Bayan." I found it to be the funniest Pinoy film I've ever seen. We never finished it as we had to go to Mang Boy's house (as usual) to convene for the last time. Before that, we had some last minute photo ops...
...and then it was goodbye. At his house, Mang Boy and his fellow farmers (who were foster parents to some of us) said their last words. I was really sad at having to go so early...I felt there was so much more to experience and learn. Nevertheless, we all walked to the highway (where we were to wait for the bus home) with a heavy heart and a mind full of memories.
On the bus home, I sat next to some stranger, so I wasn't able to talk to anybody. Instead, I looked out the window and pondered about the past two days. I definitely felt lucky at having had a privileged life, that I didn't have to work hard for necessities such as food, shelter and tuition. However, I also felt a certain jealousy for the simple, peaceful life they lead..very close to nature which provided them with food, livelihood and shelter. But I am lucky to have had that experience, as it showed me another side of Filipino life: the farming life. It was hard because of the many economic and political issues they face everyday. However, I would like to believe that the farmers are partly rewarded for their hardwork with the distinction of being stewards of the dying Philippine agriculture industry. Having come out of the experience a definitely changed person, I hope to one day use my skills and talents in helping these people who have joyfully welcomed me into their homes and generously shared their food and shelter. I genuinely hope to one day do the same for them and more.
...........................................
And this concludes my rather lengthy posts on my immersion trip. I am really grateful to have had this experience, and I wish we had spent more than 3 days there. I am also glad to have met all those wonderful people who have touched a part of my life. A really big THANK YOU to all of them. :'D
ciao!

Immersion (A Post in 3 Parts): Part 2

2010-08-14T15:22:00.000+08:00

Day 2 (Wee hours of morning)

This part of day 2 deserves some attention for something very unusual to me happened. For some reason, I woke up at around 1 in the morning. To check the time, I felt for my cellphone which I put in the bed, to the right of my head. Oddly enough, instead of my phone, I felt something hard. I thought it was my partner's face, but I remembered that she was sleeping to the right of me. I sat up and saw, in the darkness, that there was a cat sleeping there! Right in front of my face. I know I was overreacting, but I was a bit shocked and traumatised as I wasn't too keen on animals, especially cats. I can tolerate them around me, but not when they touch me. I got my phone, and flashed the backlight at the cat, hoping it would get out (the walls of our room weren't connected to the ceiling, so it could easily climb the cabinets and get out), but it would not. I opened the lights and the door, but my partner woke up and asked that I turn off the lights (she immediately went back to sleep so I couldn't ask for help). I sat at the foot of the bed, waiting to see if the cat would jump on the bed. It did for two more times, at which point I was really terrified of going to sleep for fear of it sleeping next to me (or worse, peeing on me or scratching me!). I was awake for another hour when I saw that it was not gonna jump anymore. Still, I slept curled at the foot of the bed.
Note: Apparently, the cat was used to sleeping at the bed since the bed's original owner, Ann, was the cat's prime owner. Ann loved animals, as she also took care of their two dogs and the five (or four?) puppies. Actually, most of the residents in the barangay loved animals; almost every house I saw had a pet dog or cat.
This concludes my day 2 morning adventure, now on to the regular day 2.

Day 2

On Saturday, we woke up at 5:00 in the morning, in order to make it to our 6:30 am call time. We were finally gonna plant and farm today! Nanay Rosana prepared a pretty big breakfast for us, knowing that we were gonna do hardwork today. All of us were to meet at Mang Boy's house so we could all walk towards the field where we were gonna plant.
We were given a 1/10th hectare of land to plant on. At first glance, it looked small and manageable for all 18 of us (plus some local farmers who volunteered to help us), however, we found out thereafter that it was a very long and tedious task. All of us stood on the pilapil, anxiously debating whether to plunge in right away in the mud. The planting was full of large snails (whose broken shells could cut through your foot), and me being the very maselan girl that I am, I was very afraid to step in. Only after a few of my groupmates went did I follow.
The mud was very cold and mushy. It felt as if I were stepping on chocolate pudding. Still, it was like having a free foot spa, although it was hard to keep your balance when your feet sinks in the ground with every step. Since we weren't given any instructions as to how to go about, the kuyas and manongs were glad to assist us as we started. We were to take a bundle of rice seedlings (punla), and then plant 3 or 4 of them. Ideally, I wanted to do area with 3 straight columns to the other side, but before long, they became wavy lines. Still, I was proud that I was one of the faster workers.
We were able to completely plant on our field. It was rewarding to see our previously empty lot full of planted seedlings, that hopefully, could one day grow into palay. The heavy feeling bought about by sweat and dirt clinging to our bodies was trumped by the feeling of accomplishment we had going back home (Interjection: I actually got lost on the way home. Aileen went ahead since I stayed behind with my groupmates for some photo ops. For some reason, I missed the narrow pathway to my house since it was hidden by trees. My only clue was the number of dogs we had. One house I thought for sure was the one turned out to have three white dogs. We only had two dogs, one white and one black/brown. Thank god for those forsaken pets I guess.)
Back home, me and Aileen helped with laundry and lunch. For some reason, I had forgotten being tired from the farming we did. After the chores, I still didn't feel tired. I don't why.
After lunch, I met with my groupmates so that we could practice for our presentation later at community night. We did a musical skit entitled "My Romantic Immersion." Basically, we were going to reenact our immersion trip and incorporate a love story within. The romantic angle involved a guy and girl falling in love during immersion. However, when the girl dies (due to falling out of a window after being harana'ed), the guy then falls for his best friend. WHO IS A GUY. Yup, this was a tragicomedy all right. The comedy parts being expertly supplied by my groupmate's impersonation of our long haired and half-Korean formator, as well as by our planting choreography to the tune of Lady Gaga's "Telephone."
Before the community night, all of us had a group session with some of the people from AMTG, who gave us a national situationer on farming. It was a certainly eye-opening talk, as we became aware of the many issues certainly not reported by mainstream media. For one, my full-fledged support for CARPER has now become conditional, as I found out that it didn't fully benefit farmers. We also learned some math, as we were told of how many spoonfuls of rice was equivalent to how many grains of rice.
After the talk, we were given a full tour of the barangay, and we went to the road which was constructed by pouring concrete on 20 hectares of cultivated land. That was probably the biggest injustice that was done to the farmers. That 20 hectares of land could have put a lot of meals on their tables and a lot of means to pay their children's tuitions. However, the capitalists have again trampled on the rights of the weak and asserted their "superior" selves.
The tour certainly took its toll on my legs, for once we were back home, my thighs started to ache. We ate a hasty supper and then went back to Mang Boy's house for the night's gathering.
Community night was a blast! Our presentation was a hit, as well as the other group's dance number. I also enjoyed the "Hep Hep Hooray" game for the kids, especially when one of us impersonated Pokwang. The Pinoy Henyo game was also fun, especially when one of the pairs were teased as being bagay. Another fun moment was when the keyword was "santol" and the guesser still couldn't figure it out even if there was a santol tree right above us. It was really one fun night. :)

PS: Sorry for the grammar and typo errors. I was on a writing frenzy when I wrote all this. :)

to be continued...
ciao!

Immersion (A Post in 3 Parts): Part 1

2010-08-13T14:13:00.003+08:00

Hi my lovelies! For one I'm in a much better mood today, much better compared to what I was feeling when I wrote my last post. Anyway, I'm treating you guys to a nice long post (three parts in fact) of my immersion trip, because it was really that memorable. I was gonna post this last July 12, the day immediately after I came back from immersion, but as usual, school came in the way. So here now is my recount of the three of the most extraordinary days of my life.

A background explanation: The immersion is required for all college seniors. It a part of imbibing us with social awareness and responsibility, as well as bringing our Theo lessons in liberation theology (look it up, it's pretty eye-opening) close to home. I wish not just Ateneans experienced this. I'm quite sure a lot more people have a need for this kind of experience.
......................................

Day 1

THe night before July 9, I slept at around 11:00 pm. I was going to sleep earlier but I still had to pack my bags. I woke up at 3:30 am to make it the bus station at around 5:30 am. I arrived at 5.
My first time waiting in a public bus station was actually pretty eventless, I just watched people with lots of belongings come and go.The toilet with the brown water was really disgusting though.
On the bus going there, I sat down next to a girl who wasn't my Theo groupmate (btw, I'm the only girl in my Theo group) and we spent the whole time talking. She was my first new immersion friend.
The bus dropped us off two blocks away from our destination. As we walked, I could sense a change in scenery. The concrete building and houses immediate ly became wide fields and trees. The road was dustier and rockier the farther we walked.
The first house we stopped at was Mang Boy's place. He was the leader of the AMTG, a local farming union. He, his wife and their friends all welcomed us into their community. After some talk and introductions, we were to be paired up, with each pair assigned to a house.
Our house was one of the farther ones, with a narrow dirt road surrounded by fields leading up to it. The house of Nanay Rosana and her family was concrete actually bigger than my house, although it was unpainted. Still, I surmised that they were one of the more well-off families in the area. We arrived there to find no one home, save for their househelp Kuya Boyet and Nanay Rosana's brother-in-law Mama Aming (Mama is Kapampangan for "uncle"). Immediately, we were asked to help in drying out the palay (unmilled rice), since they had gotten wet by the rain the day before. Two long strips of tarpaulin were laid out on the ground and we had to spread two sacks of palay all over. I was surprised that we could step on them even with our shoes on (Later, I saw that a tricycle actually passed over it. Turns out it doesn't matter whether the outer covering gets dirty, it's not gonna be eaten anyway - although I worry about some of the unmilled rice that gets included.)
Anyway, after working, we rested in a small hut outside the house, while Kuya Boyet went to get some water. I was glad to finally get to drink something cold, however, I had to take only a sip to find out that the water had a very metallic taste. It came out of a water pump, directly from underground. Although it was clean, I just couldn't stomach the taste. Good thing I bought some of my own.
We got to talking with Kuya Boyet. Turns out, Nanay Rosana sold some snacks outside of a public school and would not be back until 5 in the afternoon. It was only just 9 in the morning, so we had some 8 hours to kill. Kuya Boyet told us some things about their life, like how the family used to own a fishpond right outside of the house. But due to hot weather, many of the fish died, and they eventually had to empty out the pond (This sucked because I've always wanted to try fishing.). He also told us how farming wasn't a very lucrative livelihood, since millers buy the palay at very low prices to sell the rice themselves for a very high profit.
As we talked some more (We also found out that Kuya Boyet was from Mindanao, and that he worked for the family by recommendation of a relative in the area. Sometimes, he would go to Manila to work as an insurance agent for police officers), we suddenly saw Mama Aming come toward us with some hopia and a bottle of RC Cola. Kuya Boyet told us that it was hard to talk to Mama Aming because he was hard of hearing and that he could understand very few Tagalog. Nevertheless, we found him to be a very nice old man (albeit a rather eccentric one - he liked to just walk around the house and stop at odd intervals to state into space. We found out later that he was born with a mental defect, and late detection meant that he wasn't fully cured. He has always been in the care of Nanay Rosana's family).
A couple of hours later, Nanay Rosana's second oldest child came home from arranging some documents in the city.
Ate Rocelle had just graduated from nursing school and was just waiting for the bar exam results. She wanted to find a job to support her family in the meantime. She told us how life was not very easy in their place, that you really had to work hard to make it through. Still, she wouldn't exchange her life in the province for one in the city, noting that the quiet, simple life was the one she preferred. She was very nice to us, although a bit shy. She offered us some santol, and mymy, it was my first time to eat santol and it was really good. Kind of like an oversized lanzones. Anyway, she left us alone for awhile while she cooked dinner. Me and my partner Aileen decided to wander the area for awhile.
The barangay of Sta. Cruz was rather big, but the community was very close-knit and open to people. It was easy to say hi and walk up to people without looking at you like strangers. We played with some children and met some locals. We tried visiting the homes of our other companions, but they were nowhere to be found.
Back at the house, Nanay Rosana and her youngest child, Ann, eventually came home. For some reason, Nanay Rosana reminded me so much of my own mother. They were both on the plus side (hehe), both owned their own small businesses to get the family by and both were very motherly. Nanay Rosana had four children, the oldest was in Manila, the next was Ate Rocelle, the next was in college and the youngest was Ann, who was in her first year of high school. Her husband was in Iraq, working as a handyman. Another thing that Nanay Rosana reminded me of my mother was how they both liked to chat and talk, in a very cheeky manner.
Nanay Rosana told us how their life is not always very comfortable. The money she and her husband earns was only enough to support their basic necessities. The rest they had to borrow from friends and lenders. Still, according to her, they never lose hope, as long as she has her children and their education to rely on. For her, a good education is really the best tool for getting success out of life.
For dinner, we had sinigang sa santol, another new introduction to my tastebuds. It was very good, with the santol adding the right amount of sweet and sour to the dish. After dinner and washing up (not very easy. Washing dishes is another level harder when you had to pump for the water. I definitely felt some muscles start to form in my arms.) We then slept right after for we had an early day tomorrow.

to be continued..
ciao!

At A Low Point

2010-07-19T21:27:00.001+08:00

(This isn't an emo blogpost. Please. I just need an outlet to express myself right now.)
I'm just really tired right now. Not just physically tired, but also mentally and emotionally tired. I'm sooooo tired to the point that I want something bad to happen to me just so I could have a good excuse to spend time in a hospital or at home and just rest and think about everything. These past days, I've woken up with a heavy heart, anxious and not at all ready to face what the day has in store for me. I feel ready to burst at all these bottled up emotions because I can't share them with anybody -not with my parents nor to my sister (although she's the closest person in the world to me). I miss being bored and carefree soooo much that I am tempted to give up all the responsibilities I've taken.
Although I put up this happy and cheerful facade, deep inside I feel heavy and I'm cursing everything that's wrong with me and the world. Yep, I'm pretty sure the causes for all these are not just personal, but they definitely exist outside of me as well.
I don't really know what to do now. I wanna break and punch stuff, but I'm sure the release will just be temporary. God, I really wanna get through this right now because I'm gonna crash and burn pretty soon if I don't.

Shit, I really wanna curse somebody right now. *sigh*

ciao.

Those Music Shuffle Games

2010-05-18T13:13:00.006+08:00

Hello! So I'm the office right now. I'm currently not doing work-related stuff since my teammate is debugging our program and I'm just waiting for him to find out some bug from the part of code I wrote. Instead, I've been doing the review of related literature for my thesis project. And right now I'm taking a break from that because I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around linear discriminants and vector spaces and face subspaces (we're doing a project on face recognition). I need a couple of hours before I go back to torturing my brain again. In the meantime, I'm gonna answer those music shuffle games that currently pop up on Facebook. I got the following from this site.

Anyway, basic instructions: Put your music player on shuffle and each succeeding song is the answer to each succeeding question. Got that? M'kay, let's start.
1. Which song describes the mood you are in right now?
-The Jetset Life Is Gonna Kill You -MCR --I wish I had a jetset life.
2. Which song describes the mood you are usually in?
-Shots -LMFAO
3. Which song describes one of your favorites things to do?
-Rock That Body -Black Eyed Peas --uh uh
4.Which song describes something else you like to do?
-Iris -Goo goo Dolls
5. Which song explains the way you think about love?
-Go All The Way (Into The Twilight) -Perry Farrell --I don't think Twilight is a good source for love advice.
6. What would you sing to your soulmate right now?
-Gegen Meinen Willen -Tokio Hotel --Apparently, this means "Against My Will." Hm.
7. Which song best represents you?
-Can I Have This Dance -from HSM
8. Which song describes your sexual preference?
She's A Handsome Woman -Panic At The Disco --I wonder what this means?
9. Which song describes what would occur between you and a prostitute/manwhore?
-The World Will Never Do -Cobra Starship
10. Your lover on the side?
-Possibility -Lykke Li
11. How about your wife or husband?
-Full Moon -The Black Ghosts --Good god, another Twilight song.
12. Which song would be played at your wedding?
-For Now -from Avenue Q --Nice song.
13. Which song would be played at your wedding reception?
-Top of the World -AAR --Nice song again.
14. Which song describes yourself in the future?
-The [Shipped] Gold Standard -FOB
15. Which song describes yourself in the past?
-Finale -Dirty Rotten Scoundrels --Hmmm...
16. Which song would be appropriate for a one night stand?
-We Rock -Camp Rock --ha!
17. Which song would best describe your first time kissing?
-Dr. West -Eminem --Maybe my first kiss is someone who's a doctor or whose last name is West?
18. Which song would best describe your first time having sex?
-Bleeding Love -Leona Lewis
19. Which song would best describe your fashion sense?
-Somebody To Love -Queen
20. Which song would describe your taste in the opposite or same sex?
-Just So You Know -Jesse McCartney --Maybe I'll be in love with my best friend's boyfriend?
21. Which song best describes your parents?
-The Bass -Sander Van Doom --Haha..Their voice sounds like bass to my ears.
22. Which song best describes your family in general?
-Ride It -Jay Sean
23. Which song best describes your friends?
-Waking Up in Vegas -Katy Perry
24. Which song best describes your school?
-All By Myself -Celine Dion --Rather accurate, I'm kind of a loner at school.
25. Which song best describes your public personality?
-Now Generation -BEP
26. Which song best describes your private personality?
-I'm Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You -from Jennifer's Body OST --Err.

So there you have a sampling of my half-OK, half-crappy taste in music. Haha..expect articles like this in the future when I have no idea what to write here.
ciao!

Sullen

2010-04-28T09:36:00.002+08:00

Reading: A bunch of blogs. Now I'm an intern, I spend most of my time in front of a computer. I miss reading actual books. :'(
Listening to: Kids - MGMT

Hey! As stated above, I'm into the fourth week of my internship. Eveything's great actually...we're working on an important project for the company and I'm working with 3 great guys. And I'm also enjoying my 3-month stint at the gym. I'm loving my hiphop and cardio dance classes.
However, even though everything sounds peachy keen, I can't help feeling sullen most days. I don't why, but it seems like I tend to focus more on the negative aspects of my life right now instead of the good ones. I feel inadequate and inept to live my life to the fullest. I also feel as if I'm alone and that no one can understand my problems but me. Call me emo, but I'm pretty sure I have more things to be emotional about than those people who dye their hair black or wear eyeliner all the item. *sigh*
I hope I really get through this period, no matter how long it lasts. I'm trying to pull strength from wherever it may come. I hope I see better days ahead.
ciao.

My purse is bleeding...

2010-03-24T13:13:00.004+08:00

Bookstores need a restraining order against me so that I won't have to step into their premises again. You see, just this year, I've been buying books left and right. Not just novels, but pricely art books that I just couldn't resist buying because they were on sale (they still cost a lot since their original prices were way expensive). I also buy magazines and other books that catch my fancy. Anyway, this is such a huge dilemma for me since I always end up with nothing after every purchase. My compulsive buying habit is taking its toll on my wallet.
On the other hand though, I now have in my possession a rather impressive collection of books. No more Twilight and Harry Potter for me, sir. I'll probably highlight some of my favorites in future posts. 'Til then, a preview...

All images are from Amazon.com. :)
ciao!

In the depths of hell...

2010-03-23T10:38:00.003+08:00

Reading: Theo readings. ehehe
Listening to: Don't Tell Me - Avril Lavigne (I miss the old avril D:)

...week. Hi everyone! I'm right smack in the middle of finals week, and for some reason I get the urge to blog. Maybe just to let you know I'm still alive -unlike some other bloggers *cough*Matt Cara-*cough*. I wonder if he's still alive or if he's finally going to get married. (Btw, I DO have a bad cough and I hope it doesn't act up during my theo orals tomorrow).
Anyway, it's almost the end of the semester, and there have been some significant things that've happened since my last post. For one, I'm now the VP for Promotions and Logistics of CompSAt (my home org). I just love work that's related to promoting events and making sure they go smoothly through good logistical arrangements. Truth be told though, I backed out of applying only to be hooked back in again by some of the outgoing officers. I felt that I couldn't handle that much responsibility (plus I'll be letting go of my precious free time). I guess I really should start believing in myself more.
I also start my summer internship in two weeks! Don't know if I should be excited by this new experience or scared by the sudden responsibilities it might bring. Maybe I should be feeling both hehe. I'll be working at this company called Manly Plastics and I hope to bring a little bit of woman to it. ;)

I should probably get back to studying now. Theo awaits. ciao!

The Complexity of the Supermarket (not that much though)

2010-02-06T21:44:00.005+08:00

Reading: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
Listening to: Bicycle Race - Queen

Today, we had our JEEP area orientation. At our school, JEEP is a social involvement program for juniors wherein we have to take a minimum wage job (for 3 four-hour work days), like maybe a janitor or a garbage collector. The goal of this activity is for us to gain experience in jobs that most Filipinos have in order to survive day-to-day living.
What I got was that of a bagger/merchandiser at the largest supermarket chain here in the Philippines. This morning, we were trained in the "principle of bagging" (yes it was called that) which actually follows a pretty rigid system. You had to be an efficient bagger and should be able to bag 30 items per minute. Balancing the plastics bags is an important factor since you should take care that the customer will be able to carry his/her bags. We were also gonna experience being 'disers, being tasked to ensure that the shelves are properly stocked and ordered.
All of this reminds me that when I was a kid, one of my dreams was to become a cashier in a supermarket. The reason for this would have to be the barcode scanner, be it the gun-like one or those square-shaped ones. I probably found it amusing to hear the beep everytime an item slid through.
I'm really kind of excited to start working, although I'm a bit nervous since there're a lot of policies that have to be strictly followed. I'm still glad though to be having this experience. I just wish that we had a factory worker option or cook option since I think those jobs would be more exciting. :)
ciao.
********
Later this afternoon, I went to the sportsfests of my two orgs. In one, I got hit on the nose hard by a volleyball while we were playing dodgeball (the ball was a volleyball). In the other, me and my partner won a doubles badminton competition. I think today, I played four different sports (not all for competition though).
ciao again.

So..what's up?

2010-01-20T21:33:00.005+08:00

Good god..more than a month since my last post. Not much has happened though. Christmas break wasn't Christmas break since I spent that last week of it doing a project. I spent everyday of that week in front of my computer...ask anyone at home and they'll tell you that they lived with a zombie for a week. -_- I'm just glad we got a good grade.
This week, we have a job fair at school. Us juniors need to have OJT for the summer. I got accepted for my first internship job today. Wee! (I still got to think about it though).
Anyways, Design Quips (if anyone bothered to visit it) has been on a long, long, LONG hiatus. I'm not sure if I still want to revive it since I can't even pay much attention to this blog. Plus, my computer's video card is very wonky.
Actually, I'm thinking of switching this blog to Wordpress. Hmmm..

ciao for now.

'Tis the end of an eventful week...

2009-12-05T20:48:00.002+08:00

Every bone in my body is aching right now, yet I'm in one of the best moods I have had in months. You see, last week was CompSAt Week, where we had a small IT-related fair in order to promote our org to the whole school. I handled two projects: the IT Forums (of which I'm project head) and Installfest/Burnfest (logistics head here). I'm pretty happy that it didn't coincide with any major requirements or even Hell Week, coz' God knows how I'll be able to handle all that academic and org stuff at the same time.
For IT Forums, we had a CSS workshop which was conducted by Madeline Ong (check out her website here). She's a really talented web developer and I was surprised to know that she was a graduate of my school, from the same course no less. Of all the people I could contact that I found on the net, I e-mailed her. It's incredible how life is soo full of coincidences, no matter how small they may be.
On the other hand, for Burnfest, we gave away free copies of Windows 7, as well as serial numbers. And no, these aren't pirated copies, but the real thing. I think this was what attracted the most people to visit our exhibits. We were giving away software worth $120.00. Who wouldn't want that? However, we were the ones who burned the installer to DVDs so that we could charge a small price (for the burning, not the software). Yet, a computer could only handle so much that we usually closed our booth early since we ran out of CDs. All in all, we burned around 1,000 DVDs. CD-R King made a lot off of us.
My week was concluded by a research seminar I attended at school today. One of the speakers talked about biometrics and he bought along this hairband-like headgear with sensors which, when worn on your head, could read your brainwaves and facial muscles. The uses for that kind of device are endless, from hands-free gaming to operating dangerous machinery with only your head. For my first two tries with the gadget, the computer didn't show any readings from my brain and I didn't know why. Maybe I'm a zombie.
So yeah, that was my week. Wanna tell me about yours? :)
ciao!

Two Weeks Into the Second Semester...

2009-11-22T15:46:00.003+08:00

Reading: The Portable Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau
Listening to: Superstar - Taylor Swift

...and I still miss sem break. I wasn't able to accomplish most of what I planned to do that time, but it was because I had to help out with our small business (which is currently our main source of income). So yeah, I had a good reason, yet it doesn't mean I won't still try to do the things in my list. I'll be attending a Flash seminar this Wednesday, and C++ is required for one of my classes this sem. There's really no excuse not to learn.
Still, I had a rather fun and productive sem break, since I got to do most of the things I can't during school days. Plus, I got to buy lots of new books and magazines from the incentives I get whenever I work at our store. I also got to regularly watch Glee (I hope they show another PuckleBerry episode!) and The Big Bang Theory (I was sooo glad to see Sheldon again).
I'm actually fine with school starting already. My teachers this semester are pretty interesting, some with good reputations while others with bad ones. I'm glad that I'm not one to be fazed by teachers who give low grades, as I find it more important that I learn a lot from them. So bring it on *****! Hehe. However, I do have a toxic schedule right now, with three-hour breaks and late-night classes (ok, so not that late at night, but I do arrive home at around 7:30 pm due to traffic). Not to mention the immense workload I already have. Sigh.
I can't wait for Christmas vacation to start.
ciao!

It's The Official Launch of Design Quips!!

2009-10-20T21:43:00.004+08:00

Listening to: Bad Romance by Lady Gaga (can't wait for Fame Monster to come out!)

Hi guys! So I've been busy the past few days with a lot of things - general cleaning of our house, helping out at our little bookstore, drawing, going through my backlog of unread books, and...working on my new design blog. Yes it's finally up!! It's called Design Quips and it's all about design, design, design. Yes, I talk about all the things I love - art, food, music, fashion and a lot of other things that I hope you'll love too, so please visit. There's just two posts there at this time, but I have a whole bevy of topics already in line. The address is http://designquips.wordpress.com. Or you can click this link. I've always wanted to try out hosting a blog at Wordpress, and I must say, I quite liked it. But I think this one's gonna stay here for a while. :)
ciaO!

I'M OFFICIALLY ON SEM BREAK!

2009-10-12T18:22:00.004+08:00

Listening to: songs from the tv series Glee (the mash-ups are the coolest - Halo/Walking on Sunshine and It's My Life/Confessions pt. II)

Oooh yeah!! woot woot! I never thought it would be this soon, but I'm so glad it's finally here. I passed the last of my requirements at about 1:30 this afternoon, and after that, I heard the sounds of party poppers exploding all around me. I'm so freakkin' happeh!
But of course, this doesn't mean I'll use all that time to laze around. No sirree. Thanks to my previous blog post, I am now determined to accomplish as much as I can during my more than 3 weeks of vacation. And to remind me even more of this, I will make a list of all the things I hope to get done (because everybody loves lists):
1. Launch and regularly update new design website: Hopefully by the end of sem break, I'll have a couple of readers.
2. Learn C++ or Flash Scripting.
3. Learn some basic 3d modeling using Blender.
4. Learn to draw using tablet and Corel Paint.
5. Learn to sew.
As you can see, 4 out of the 5 I wrote above involve learning some kind of something. Now I've never really succeeded at learning something on my own, but I hope to do it this time. Heck, I'll add it to the list:
6. Learn to learn something by myself.
There. I'll have to keep this post short so I can get started on number one. I hope I'll get to think up a nifty name for the site, as well as list some possible topics for the posts - and maybe draft some already. In that way, I'll have articles to put up in case I get real busy some days. I'm really hopeful for this special project of mine and I fondly wish I'll be diligent enough to make it successful. :)
ciAo!

What I hate most about myself

2009-10-09T21:27:00.005+08:00

Reading: Little Indiscretions: A Delectable Mystery by Carmen Posadas (new feature of this blog, haha)
Listening to: Joyenergizer - Joy Kitikonti (i love trance music)

Hi guys! First of all, I wanna greet my dad who turns 53 today! Wee!!!! Happy Birthday Pa!
I'm also happy that today's a Friday, and I'm writing this on a cold and rainy night. I'm also two more requirements away from going on official sem break, so more yeys! Plus, in celebration of my dad's birthday, we had pizza, spaghetti and brazo de mercedes (best cake evar!) Today's just a great day :D
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So even though I'm in such a ridiculously happy mood tonight, the subject of today's post will not be a very lighthearted subject.
I would like to start off by saying that I'm a very ambitious person. I set ridiculously high goals for myself. I know that it's not wrong to do something like that since it will motivate you more to accomplish the little tasks which will ultimately lead to that larger goal. However, it seems that lately, I have been putting off a lot of things. Although you do have to take little breaks once in a while, it appears that I have taken one too many, leading to a frightening realization that when I step out into the real world, I won't be equipped with the proper skills I need to go into the career that I want. I've noticed that all the things that I need to do before I graduate, I haven't done yet. I don't wanna see myself in the future thinking, "if only I studied this or learned that, I might've gotten that job." So now I'm writing this in order to explicitly show to myself that I need to act now and do all the plans that have only been kept in my head. Even when I get an urge to do them, I ignore those urges, simply because I'm too lazy or I feel that it isn't the 'right' time to do them. Well now I've realized that each moment is right, since you might not even get to that right moment. So when I'm rereading this, what's gonna pop into my head is this: "HEY NIKKA, DON'T SPEND THE NEXT FOUR HOURS OF YOUR LIFE SITTING HERE AND READING ABOUT INTERNET MEMES OR WATCHING USELESS VIDEOS. GET UP AND DO SOMETHING DAMMIT!" And I hope that I'll 'listen.'
ciaO!

The movies in my mind

2009-10-07T19:25:00.004+08:00

Hey! So I was gonna blog yesterday, but resisted all urge since I still had a bonus paper in history to do. Well, I did surf the net, but if I started blogging in the midst of doing it, I was going to lose all my concentration if I did two writing projects at once. Now, I am days away from the end of the first semester. Can't wait for sembreak! :D
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As I was beginning to write this post (with a different topic in mind), I remembered the ongoing "movie" in my head, and I just had to type down the scenes because they were too good. I've been directing these "mind movies" since I was 7, ever since I began to think up all sorts of scenes involving me as Sailor Jupiter (back when Sailor Moon was popular here) and they were all complete with dialogue, settings and unique costumes. I get most of my ideas from scenes in movies and books, and even t.v. commercials. But inspiration is really everywhere. It's amazing how you can spin-off an entire dramatic saga from a single line of a song.
I think I've "made" hundreds of movies already, some with idiotic plotlines, others with really good ones, although I've failed to write them all down. Now though, I try to write rough summaries of my better stories. Maybe someday when I'm a rich entrepreneur with nothing to do, I'll make screenplays out of them and pitch to the big film studios. If I beg, I might be able to direct too, since I already have every detail mapped in my mind. Then from screenwriter, I'll be a director then an actress. I may have a chance to fulfill a crazy dream of mine. Hey, it's never wrong to dream too big.
These movies are good for when I'm bored at home (it makes me see the movies clearer when I walk back and forth the length of our small living room) or struggling to fall asleep (incredibly, I always remember the parts where I snoozed off). Sometimes though, I get headaches when I think about them too much. Nonetheless, they offer me a good respite when reality gets really tough on me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a movie to make.
ciaO!
ps: The title of today's post is borrowed from the song"The Movie in My Mind," sung by Lea Salonga in Miss Saigon. Go listen to it sometime (and listen to the rest of the soundtrack too).

Early ending for a rather empty sem...

2009-10-05T18:02:00.003+08:00

So today we all (not all really, some schools are still flooded or being used as evacuation centers) hiked back to school after a 10-day vacation because of the storm. When I got there, I saw some of my friends already talking about their stories of the typhoon. Some had their houses flooded, were stranded in school or were entirely unaffected. I, unfortunately, belonged to the last category. I truly wished I had an interesting story to tell, but alas, I opted not to go out of the house that day. Nor was our house flooded. I guess I should be thankful though that I, as well as my whole family, was at home that time (who knows what could've happened).
Before classes started, a memo circulated around from the higher-ups of our school. It stated that final exams were now optional and all requirements that would be due in the last 2 and a half weeks of school were to be cancelled. Final grades could be based on the current class standing of the student. So technically, some of my classes were now officially over for this sem.
Now I'm the kind of student that doesn't really care much about grades. What's more important to me is how much I learn, since that's what I'm gonna carry long after I graduate. Grades are a bonus as a result of working hard to learn a lot. That's my philosophy. In the light of these new events though, it will seem that I'm gonna get higher grades without having exerted as much effort as I did for the past semesters. I should be happy that I'll be feeling free for the next couple of weeks leading to sem break, but in truth, I feel rather unfulfilled. I feel that I didn't learn as much as I'd have wanted to. Add to that the amount of useless holidays, and for me, this sem has become a rather empty one. Sigh. Sorry if I sound too cynical, but this has been quite a sullen day for me. I hope tomorrow brings better news.
ciao.

Hi guys! I'm still alive!

2009-10-03T09:01:00.004+08:00

Hellloooo!! Once again, it has been more than a month since I last posted (I don't know if that really matters at this point since I only have a readership of 1 - and that's my sister). Anyways, the past few months have been super super super busy, what with school and org life and your other whatnots. Additionally, it seemed that we had no classes for the past couple of Monday (due to a lot of random consecutive holidays - our President has decreed that if a holiday fell on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, it would be "celebrated" on a Monday..at least that's why I think that is). That means our teachers have to cram all their lessons into the remaining days, so consequently, the students have to bear the brunt of a lot of homework to make up for the lost time. I used to be happy about days with no classes, but now I dread them because that means everyone's schedule gets really messed up. However, Mother Nature seems to like to mess up things for us also - because we've been messing her up for too long.
Last Saturday, typhoon Ondoy hit Metro Manila, and for the first time ever, areas that normally don't get flooded were under 4 feet of water in mere minutes. The streets near us were flooded and the water levels reached above human height. According to my parents, it really was the worst typhoon to ever come here in two decades.
During the storm, our house became a mini-evacuation center as we housed some friends whose houses got flooded (fortunately, our street didn't get flooded). One of our refugees, an 8-year-old kid easily became bored when the electricity went out, so he amused himself (and us) by dancing like Michael Jackson (that kid was good).
After it was all over, it seemed like the spirit of helping overcame the whole country (and even some other parts of the world). Relief operations were carried out everywhere and a lot of people were volunteering and donating. It was nice to see that we all still cared about each other, in spite of all the stories you hear about the slowly vanishing virtues of charity and goodwill.
Granted, this was a very traumatic experience for people who lost all their belongings and even their loved ones (or even for those who experienced flooding for the first time). I used to like the rain a lot, but now, I see it in quite a different light, although I shouldn't. Because if you look at it, this wasn't the rain's fault. It was our fault. Perhaps Mother Nature just got fed up with human folly and disregard for her that she decided it was time to teach us a lesson. And may we heed that lesson in order to prevent another disaster like this from happening in the future.
ciao!

Oh my...Also, Food Network Humor! Yey!

2009-08-02T19:21:00.003+08:00

Woah! It has been more than a month since I last put something in here. Now I know I promised a worthwhile post, but that is just something I cannot do right now (or for a long time). Junior year has been soo tough so far, that it's taken a toll on me. For the past two weeks, I've been going to school without knowing that I have pneumonia. Yes..I've been attending class, interacting with people and basically trying to do normal activities, while totally unconscious of my having a potentially fatal lung disease (although two fevers and a nasty cough should've been clues already). Anyways, I'm on the road to recovery, and I should be, because this coming week I have two programming assignments, a long test (and maybe another) and a project for my org. Whew! I hope I get through this sem alive. Srsly.
*****
For further news, Lady Gaga is coming to Manila for a concert on August 11!! Shit. I hope I can go. It's a couple days away. :/
Also, I seem to have an obsession lately with the Food Network. Not that I like their shows, it's more of an obsession with poking fun at their shows. It all started with Sandra Lee, the Queen of Semi-Homemade (or in other words, 70% store-bough and preservative laden food and 30% "creativity"). I read some articles that ostracized her cooking, most especially her Kwanzaa Cake (look it up on YouTube) and from thereon, I found myself watching her YouTube videos. She's actually a nice, charismatic lady, although she seems to want to project the perfect housewife image (we don't need another Martha Stewart, thank you). Then there's her food and her tablescapes. Augh. Anyways, I found this great site: Food Network Humor which blogs about Paula Deen and the eternal presence of butter in her recipes, to Guy Fieri's douchebaggery (pardon the word, but it seems the most appropriate description of him). It also contains other food-related articles without any Food Network elements. Check out the website for a good laugh.
Now I'm going back to procrastinating. Ciao!

Killing some two hours of time..

2009-06-10T09:03:00.002+08:00

Hey!
I'm writing this at school, since, as you can fathom from this post's title, I've got two hours to kill before my next agenda of the day. You see, I went to school early in the hopes that I could beat the lines for enrollment. However, I was told that the registration for incoming juniors is not until tomorrow. Sucks for me. Good thing for the free internet in this school. :D
*****
I am so very very very very excited for tomorrow night. Metro Station is performing at Trinoma, and me and my sister got entry so we can have good seats, unlike the time we watched Boys Like Girls at the same mall, and we had to wait at the balcony for an hour lest we lose our good viewing position. I'm not a real die-hard fan of the band (hey, it rhymes!), but I love love love their songs (what it is with all this repetition?). Also, since the two lead vocalists are siblings of the stars from Hannah Montana, I've been telling my sister that I just might faint if Miley Cyrus comes out as a surprise guest (Note: 1. I am not that big a fan of Miley. It's just that she's such a big star and for her to suddenly come out would be a very big surprise. 2. This is highly improbable.) So yeah, I'll probably post pictures after tomorrow's show. PROBABLY.
cIAO!

Hey hey hey!!

2009-06-01T10:32:00.004+08:00

Hi guys! First of all, you may (or may not) have noticed that I've changed my blog skin to a more conservative on from Blogger. The unreadability (small font, no dividers) of the former skin is a factor, along with my inability to post pictures and stuff without messing up the layout. I do intend to find (or make) a more different skin.
*****
Anyway, today starts my official two-week 'vacation' before the first semester of my junior year starts. Last week, I had four extra days of Nothingness (borrowed from my favorite literary character evar) before the real start of my break, which I spent doing exactly that, nothing. Well not really nothing, I did do some reading, sketching and whatnot.
Recently, I've been learning how to ride a bike. Back when I was about 10 or 11, I also tried to learn at my grandma's house, but to no avail. Now though, being a little bit older and more in tune with my meager athletic abilities, I was able to learn the basics in a couple of days. I still fall down and tumble though, but with a bit more practice, I may be cruising the cement roads of these streets soon, singing out of tune and wind in my hair and all (stopping occasionally to let the large trucks and dogs pass).
(I would also like to tell you all about the two conventions that my sister and I went to last May 26, but I think I'll save that for another post (I'd like to say that it's gonna be a picture-heavy post, but then again, laziness may overcome me -haha).)
Hm..what more, what more..Last week, I had a reunion with my closest friends for high school, mainly because it was the birthday of one of them. We mostly hung out at the mall, terrorized a KFC joint, ate chocolate cakes (and cheesecake and tiramisu) and sang our hearts out at karaoke (it's kind of a tradition with us). I'm just sad I wasn't able to bring my camera.
While I'm on a roll...A blockmate who invited me to a CARPER support group at school also tagged me along to a lobbying activity at Congress, where we visited offices of congressmen and convinced them to hopefull vote for the bill. I enjoyed it a lot, although there was this tiny bit of feeling inside me that our efforts might not succeed. And yet, with each congressman who said that yes, they were pro-CARPER, well, that tiny bit slowly withers away. I just hope it disappears altogether, so that I can say that there is hope for this country (I'm not even gonna comment on that Katrina-Hayden sex tape, it's just plain rubbish showbiz news - although I do care for women's rights, but shouldn't they have done something about this long ago? I mean, sex tapes have been a flourishing business a long time now. Yes, I have commented on the issue now.).
Ciao!
update (not a legitimate one, since this is only a couple of seconds after the post, but what the heck): Right now, the radio is playing Adam Lambert's 'Mad World' rendition, so I just remembered..I AM upset that Adam didn't win, but I'm just glad he won't have "No Boundaries" as his first single. I expect him to have a Lady Gaga/Madonna-type of album, something bombastic (what kind of word is this?) and explosive. Lastly, I am largely scandalized by Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" music video...but she's still the best for me!
Ciao again!

grsdfs#@$$sf3w4sf

2009-05-19T21:31:00.002+08:00

Gah..it has been nearly three weeks since I put up a post...Mainly because it's been the past 2 weeks have been crazy @!# @@$!. My recent posts have been below par and of low quality, so I promise that as long as I get everything sorted and done, I will give you guys a nice, well-written post. I'm just so agitated and angry and annoyed and stressed (woah, only emotion not starting with 'a') because of lots of different reasons. I can't do the things I want to do, the people at home are driving me crazy, my teachers are cramming the summer sem....aggghhhh..
I have to go to spare you the rest of my really ugly ranting.
Ciao! >:<

Wasssup

2009-05-09T19:58:00.002+08:00

Wooh..Hi guys. Crazy week last week. Srsly. Haha. As far as crazy goes for me anyway.
Last Monday we had our breaching experiment which was for our sociology class. We needed to do something that was out of the norm or that broke society's unwritten rules. For example, ordering a Whopper from McDonald's or going to the mall in a cocktail dress. Among our group of three, we had a lot choices: eating with fingers at a fancy restaurant, cheering for people playing in an arcade and going to the gym in prom garb. What we eventually did was a couple notches more embarassing than those. We went to three food establishments wherein you could watch your food being prepared, and while doing so, we would also perform an entire cheer routine in front of the person preparing your food. We chose 3 establishments, a sushi place, Starbucks and a fishball stand. At the first, we had to order sushi 2 times because for the first order, he had finished the sushi before we could even cheer. We did cheer for him and when we interviewed him after, he told us he was embarrased at first and his co-worker thought were a bunch of nuts. The people at Starbucks actually liked our cheer and told us that more customers should do as we did :D The lady at the fishball stand however was virtually unresponsive throughout our routine, but she actually was quite amused. As for us? Well, you could say we were pretty red-faced after each experience. Haha. I don't know if I'd do it again though. But it
So that was part of the craziness last week. We also had a midterm on Wednesday. I hope I get a good grade. I really hope I get a good grade. I really really hope I get a good grade. This seeming feeling of hopelessness is what you get when you don't study properly for a test. However, it's fortunate that my optimism outweighs all that negative schizz, so...
Ciao! :D :D :D

it's cold and clammy today: yey!

2009-05-01T10:21:00.002+08:00

That statement above may make me seem like some sucker for anything that's depressing and sad, but it's completely the opposite. I'm mostly a rather happy-go-lucky person, and I take life really lightly (although there are times that I'm super serious and cranky). I really like cloudy days with a chance of rain (provided I'm home) because it's at those times I feel most at peace. I usually get to do that things I like -reading or drawing- with a completely clear mind. This is all for now as I have yet to enjoy this day.
Ciao!

I am currently away from my histo readings..

2009-04-26T09:54:00.002+08:00

From the title of this post, it should be evident that I'm currently procrastinating in studying for my history long test tomorrow. Well, the internet does that to you.
So yesterday, my SA (socio-anthropo) class went to the La Mesa Ecopark, which is a park that's adjacent to a dam. It was a nice place where you're fully surrounded by nature and all. One activity we did involved doing something in the park that will showcase the concept of 'freedom'. Me and my group did something that ranged from borderline illegal (crossing a CAUTION tape area) to inappropriate (a guy entering a female restroom) to unreligious (cursing at the heavens) to something unsettling (hugging a random stranger). It was all in good humor.
Other things we did were wall-climbing -which I have to say, I can't ever reach the top. It is only when I'm near it that I notice my arms suddenly hurt and I give up already. Oh wells, it was only my 2nd try. We also tried rowing our own boat on a four feet man-made lake, which was a peaceful experience for all of us, except for those poor spider eggs that were stuck on a wall and who were the victims of our 'murderous rampage'.
Gotta love being close to nature. :D
cIAO!

Obsession: Fashion

2009-04-24T18:34:00.004+08:00

HELLO, Hello, hello everyone! Boy, I missed my blog. I kept meaning to blog before summer (at least my summer) ended, but it just got too hot to sit down in front of a hot laptop. Seriously, the heat is that much here. Anyway, so now that school's started, I've been a bit busy -no, actually not really that busy, but it's only now that I find the time to write. Otherwise, my free time is occupied with going to the mall (for the aircon) or some other hobby of mine.
*****
Right now, I'm very into fashion and all that schizz, even though I'm currently uninspired to design my own pieces. Which is why all my money right now is spent on back issues of Vogue, Glamour, Preview (a local mag) and InStyle, hopefully to give me some sort of inspiration. It isn't the first time I'm obsessed with the stuff, I think it started way back when I was 7 years old, when my aunt sent me old magazines of hers from the States. The first one I ever read was Cosmo mag, and even though I was more fascinated by the clothes and make-up, my mom usually took them away because of the rated R stuff. Hehe.
Currently, I actually see passion more as an art than as a way of life, primarily because I don't have that many clothes to be considered fashionable, and also because I don't know how to sew. I'm thinking that if I learn the latter, I'll be able to resolve the former. I'm always bugging my mom to teach me (she's a great seamstress) but we both don't have the time. So I'm sticking to designing in the meantime. And watching Project Runway (love love love that show).
My absolute favorite designer has to be Alexander McQueen. I love everything about him, from his designs to his shows to his name (yes, i love his edgy name). His penchant for outlandish yet amazing runway shows puts him in the same league as Lady Gaga in their ability to blow audiences away. I don't know..I guess I just love anything eccentric and exagerrated. I'll talk about more of these exagerrated eccentricities in the next posts.
Ciao!

I've 60% overcame my fear of the water!

2009-04-11T18:19:00.002+08:00

So I've been gone for nearly two weeks, which is about 90% of my summer vacation. Mostly we just went swimming or malling.
Last Tuesday me and my mom went to Recto, my favorite haven for secondhand books, magazines and whatnots. After that, we visited my grandmother and had halo-halo at this carinderia that my mother ate at as a child. She said the food is still very much the same: delicious and nostalgic. The following day, I was going to enroll for the summer sem, but only found out when I was at school already that we weren't supposed to til Monday. Oh well, fail. :P
Holy Week was pretty uneventful. Just went to church and stayed at home. Actually, after watching an episode of Project Runway yesterday, i got inspired to draw some of my own designs. I just wish I could really push through with those tailoring lessons.
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Regarding the title of today's post, yes, I am 40% less afraid of the water. Today, I did some amateurish swimming at the pool. Tomorrow, I will start swimming lessons and I'm quite sure I'll be the oldest student there..hehe.
ciao!

Happy April Fools!

2009-04-01T21:36:00.003+08:00

First, I would like to congratulate my sister on graduating high school. Welcome to the brutal, yet equally exciting world of college. May you not gain the Freshman 15 (like I did).
Don't worry, I won't play a prank like pretending to be dead or making my website upside down (check out YouTube), mainly because I'm quite rattled by all the Conficker virus news. So far, nothing's happened yet, although I'm putting up my computer's guard. Can't be too sure.
For further (boring -yep, nothing's happened so far) news, we went swimming this morning. It was fun, although even though I swore to learn how to swim a bit today, all I did was wade and sink my head a couple of times. I can't help it though, for me, the water is this big thing waiting to eat me up. However, I'm planning to take swimming lessons this summer, as I'm also trying to conquer my fear of the water, as well as cross off swimming on the list of things I haven't learned how to do (which includes riding a bicycle and whistling).
More tomorrow (I promise...I think), since it's really hot tonight, and the heat from the laptop is making it worse. Curse my being born in a tropical country! (joke)
Ciao!

Survived Finals Week..

2009-03-28T11:18:00.002+08:00

Hey y'all!!! (Imagine Hannah Montana saying that.) I haven't been around for awhile coz of finals week. And now it's OVERRRRRR!!!!!! wOOOOT WOOT! I could not say the same for the outcome though, but oh well, what's done is done. This is all I can say for now and I might add a little bit later. Just wanted all of you to know I'm still alive. Heh.
Ciao!

I love my soopaheroes.

2009-03-22T11:41:00.003+08:00

Hey peoples!!
Been awhile since I last posted since I've been uber-busy the past few days. This coming week is the last week of school...so it's almost VACATION TIME!!! Woohoo! (Yes, I'm am very pleased by two weeks of vacation.) Also, I am glad to say that I got a slot to go to the University of the Pacific in Stockton, although right now, I am so worrying about how I'm gonna manage my expenses. Obama, can I have some of the stimulus package?
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Me and my sister have finally seen Watchmen. We actually wanted to finish the graphic novel first, but since we were sharing it, plus me having too much schoolwork to read...we decided to just, BAH, LET'S WATCH THE MOVIE ALREADY. It was amah-zing, and adhered to what we've read of the comic so far. It wasn't as visually stunning as what Zak Snyder did with 300 previously, but I was glad much of the settings used were accurate with what Dan Gibbons did with the illustrations. I haven't gotten to the ending of the novel to compare it with the movie's ending, but my blockmate said the movie one was very disappointing. Makes me want to finish the comic more. The thing I probably loved the most about the film was the special effects. I love what they did with Dr. Manhattan, as well as with all the explosions and Van der Graaf generator-like electric schizz. Which makes me want to work as a special effects person in Hollywood more (my no. 2 dream - no. 1 is to work at Pixar as an animator). All in all, I give the movie an A (a low A -92 or 93 in grade terms).
***
Lastly, since summer is coming, I may have some time to update my blog. Change the layout or something (I so want to make my own layout from scratch).
Til next time!
Ciao!

Debuts and schizz

2009-03-16T08:44:00.003+08:00

Hi guys!! Right now I'm skipping school as I don't want to spend more than 6 hours waiting for a 4:30 pm school event (yes, I cut class to go to an extra-curricular activity). Anyhow, I don't think I'm gonna miss much from 2 classes that are pure lecture. I think I have better things to do (like spending time on the Internet and such).
An update for the past 1 or so days...Last Saturday night I went to a debut party. It was fun, I saw my old high school friends and then some. I also enjoyed a program, but I didn't particularly like the food though. I'm on a diet anyways..hehe.. I actually don't like going to formal parties, because it's such a hassle finding a dress to wear and doing your hair and make-up. I myself didn't have a formal 18th birthday since I'd prefer spending the money on other stuff like clothes or gadgets. If I'd had have one, I'd much prefer an informal party, something in a nightclub with a hiphop or ghetto theme. Actually, I plan to do so when I'm 21 so everyone's already past legal and there can be booze and whatnot (no, there are not gonna be any drugs).
***
I've already submitted my application for the junior term abroad and even though I'm quite confident I'll get a slot, what I'm really worrying about are how I'm gonna handle all the expenses...I'm trying to mobilize every available resource..Waaahh T.T good luck to me..
***
On a last note, I'm probably the only person who hasn't seen Watchmen. I'm trying to finish the comic before seeing it which is what I usually do for movie adaptations of the books I have. I'm real excited though.
cIAO!

Lady Gaga is <3

2009-03-13T18:37:00.002+08:00

First of all, our physics project presentation was a success! The cart wasn't able to roll properly because the weight was much too heavy, but it still rolled! And the commercials my groupmate did for our 'company' and 'product' were the best. I think he'll upload it at YouTube soon.
***
I am so totally becoming a follower of Lady Gaga. She's like this totally different, totally alien type of musician, joining the likes of Ziggy Stardust and Gary Glitter. We are both in love with everything pop culture -art, music, fashion and all that schizz. I would love to become her friend, or work for her as an album or costume designer. When the day comes that she conquers the industry, I think that everywhere you look are lightning bolts and hoodies (her trademarks) and everyone will be into partying and glam rock and pop art. Which would be so totally cool. 'Til that happens, I invite you all to grab (or download, hihihi) her album and check out her website. Read her blog, it's nuts (in a good way). She's definitely not a typical pop star who's obsessed with getting into mainstream and wants everyone to like them; I believe she's more of the underground type, the one who 'chooses her fans', if you get what I mean. Well, I hope she chooses me!
While 'Just Dance' and 'Pokerface' are already making it big on MTV and radios, she also released a lesser-known video for the song 'Beautiful Dirty Rich' which is my absolute fave off the album. Check it out on YouTube...love it!!!! (Man, I can't believe I can be fan-girly about a girl.)
Ciao!

I'm free!! (for a while)..and How much I am IN LOVE with Brandon Flowers

2009-03-10T19:13:00.004+08:00

Two tests down for today (Physics and PE), though I think I've butchered both. Oh well..
Anyways, the list of universities for those who want to apply for Junior Term Abroad was given last Friday. This is a program of our university where you get a chance to spend one sem of your junior term at a university in another country. I am soooo desperate to be able to go, yet money's an issue. So if anyone knows a company that can sponsor me, please tell me in the comments or email me at peewee.and.me@gmail.com. Thanks (end of shameless plug).
Also, KATE, if you're reading this, I'm giving you a demonoid code, but I don't have your email, so inform me how you want to get it. Thank you.
****
Now I will tell you all about my undying adoration for Brandon Flowers of the Killers (this may get fan-girly, so beware). He is the only guy I've ever known who has knocked me off my feet with his talent, charm, looks and just about every other thing about him. Alas, he is married with a child, and since I do not want to break up his happy family (that is how much I love him), I am waiting for a guy who has the looks, the personality and the talents of Brandon Flowers. When that guy comes, it will be the happiest day of my life and I will not hesitate to make the first move (oh my god, what am i saying). So there, to the Brandon Flowers clone out there, I love you (even if I haven't met you yet).
For those who don't know him (ehem...cave-dwellers-ehem..) or for those who do not know of his greatness, check out songs by the Killers entitled "Spaceman", "Romeo and Juliet", and of course, "Mr. Brightside." Go and listen to them. NOW.
Ciao! :P

Too little time....

2009-03-08T09:37:00.002+08:00

If someone had found a way to contain time and sell it to other people, then that person would be a very rich man indeed. Time is such a valuable commodity and many people are clamoring for it, people like me. Granted, I still try to find take breaks from work and do leisurely stuff. That's why I am so excited for summer vacation, even if it only lasts two weeks. I'm already planning the things I'm gonna do.
Anyway, this will be a short post as I'm trying to finish most of my homework so I can watch a free concert at the mall later. Also, Broken Picture Telephone is finally up! woot woot! Here's the link.
Ciao!

The week's over..and our project is working!! woot woot

2009-03-06T22:01:00.004+08:00

My two tests are over...and there're a lot more to go! But that's okay, coz it's the weekend, and everything's fun during the weekends, right?
So first, I want to get this heavy thing off my chest, by saying that I have a heavy thing on my chest. I did something that I now truly regret doing and I'm awfully sorry for it. There.
Now that's out, I will now ask y'all to join me in rejoicing about the success of our Physics project. It's not graded yet, but today, all the parts came into (almost) perfect harmony and worked the way we expected it to. Woot! wOOt! (I've been saying this a lot). Anyway, now we have to work on our presentation, and then it's over! We take it all apart and return all the parts to the physics department! How anticlimactic...
Our project is basically a cart with stepper motor wheels that is controlled by a computer through a parallel port (printer cable) connection. I won't go into the details unless you're really interested so tell me and I might just mail you our schematic diagrams.
Now, since the car's going to have three wheels (two stepper motors and one unmotorized wheel), we're going to build a shell that will make it look like the blue Reliant car that's the rival of Mr. Bean little green auto. It's all so really exciting.
BTW: Two days til I give away the demonoid accounts! So comment, comment, comment! Thanks.
Ciao!

Free Demonoid Invites!! woot woot

2009-03-05T16:50:00.005+08:00

Wee! One test down, another one to go tomorrow! And then it's all done. Actually, not quite, there're still some more tests, and then more projects and then more projects (is now depressed). I'm here right now coz' I'm going to study a little bit later. God I'm such a procrastinator. I work better under pressure anyway, so that's a good thing, right? Right?
Anyway, last November, when my obsession for graphic novels began, I found out that I could not rely on ordinary torrent trackers anymore. So when my torrent searches on Google always brought me to Demonoid, I vowed that I would be a member. I looked for invites everywhere..........until fate brought me to a blog entry where people were giving away codes in the comments. I chanced upon an unused one, and I am now forever grateful to that kind soul who posted that code. And now, to celebrate the spirit of giving (Christmas is not the only time to give folks), I am giving away 3 free Demonoid codes. Post in the comments why I should give you a code and I will pick the 3 best answers (because misusing them may also put me in danger). I will pick the winners after three days. Good luck!
UPDATE: I forgot (stupid me), please put your email there too so I can contact the winners.

I am currently away from my math book...

2009-03-04T19:25:00.004+08:00

Hi guys. Currently procrastinating from studying Math. This hardly counts as a post, so I'll make it up on the weekends. Plus, I have headaches from inhaling too much lead so I'm a bit woozy..(And no, I'm not a lead addict (if there is even such an addiction), we soldered wires during physics class a while ago)
Cheerios!

attack of the caterpillars!!

2009-03-01T20:41:00.002+08:00

Squeezed-in post:

One of my biggest fears has to be caterpillars. They're big and brown and spiky. And they sting. I should know since my right arm and my fingers have been swollen, itchy and red since last night. I think we're having a caterpillar infestation (shudder) since yesterday afternoon, I saw two in the bathroom, and today, one in the kitchen. That's a lot considering they're found inside the house, not outside where all the trees and plants and green stuff are. Now I start to itch when I think of them, and I get paranoid whenever my skin grazes something rough or when I see a small brown thing on the floor.
Despite this, I think I should be thankful, because (I know I heard this from somewhere-my mom I think) the existence of these caterpillars, however painful they sting, are a sign that we can still have butterflies to fly around and show us of the beauty of nature. Kind of reminds me of Wall-E (one of my absolute favorite movies evar!), and how that one cockroach (another one of my fears) and that one seedling serve to rehabilitate a dead and lifeless planet. I'm scratching my fingers as I type this, but we have to support caterpillars and every other fearsome insect out there, because they may be the only carriers of a once-existent nature in the heavily-industrialized and man-made world that we are expecting in the future.

2009-02-28T19:28:00.002+08:00

Hi peeps!
This post may be for the next seven days since I'll be having three major exams for the next week. Only a couple more weeks 'til summer vacation! Haha, it's not gonna much, since I'll only be two weeks long and the summer semester will be starting right away, but it's definitely better than nothing. I expect this year's summer to be really hot, as in crazy effing hot, coz it's already been a thousand degrees since the middle of February.
Nothing worth mentioning went on the part two days, unless you count last Thursday, when I searched our local mall for a large plastic container and stood in line for a jeepney for 45 minutes on the way home. Yep, nothing worth mentioning. Gah, I live a boring life.
So now, running out of other things to say, I share with you a nice game from Kongregate, a site along the lines of Addicting Games. It's cool flash game, integrating the commercialistic qualities of the barcode as well as the exitentialist questions that we ponder in everyday life.
Ciao!
(Sorry if this ain't much of a post. I'll try to shove away my math books and squeeze one in next week. :D)

2009-02-25T22:47:00.002+08:00

Hey!! Just a short one tonight before I sleep. I didn't stay at the dorm, I went home coz I was out of money and there's a book sale at school. They sell some secondhand and brand new books at prices way cheaper than the bookstores (Sometimes, half the price!). I am insanely curious where they get their stocks from. Hehe. I have to admit my addiction to books extends to my being crazy for bookstores and booksales. Whenever I go to a mall or bazaar, I have to check out every book-selling establishment, even if I'm not planning on buying anything. Perhaps I am hoping for that small chance that a book I hopelessly want to buy is on half-price. mEH.
For those looking for something to watch, look for a Japanese cosplay skit show called Masquerade on youtube (I don't know if it's called that in Japan, but here in the Philippines, it is). A sample video is this one. They're fun to watch and you'll be extremely amazed at all the effort and creativity that goes into each presentation. Only in Japan. :D
That's all for now. Ciao!

of taylor swift, Post-it games and invisible fish

2009-02-24T19:44:00.003+08:00

Hi hi hi! (That's not hee-hee-hee, it's hay-hay-hay)
I was supposed to post yesterday, but our computer science project and the oscars (slumdog won, yey!) occupied my morning and the rest of the day, I bummed around because my head hurt too much to do anymore thinking/homework.
This morning I found out that classes from 830 to 1030 tomorrow morning were cancelled, which is great news since I don't have to wake up early tomorrow. And now, I have some free time to write something.
**
I am so into Taylor Swift's music right now. I've already really liked "Teardrops on my Guitar" and "Our Song", but last Sunday, I was prompted to download all the albums she's released, all because my sister let me hear her latest single "Love Story". The song isn't typical country fare, but it has a real catchy tune and an actual love story narrative-namely Romeo and Juliet with a happier ending. I listen to it everyday, so I'll probably get tired of it in about three weeks, haha (like other songs I've already exhausted). Anyway, for those interested, other good Taylor Swift songs are "White Horse" and "Invisible."
**
I was kept awake late Sunday night by a great online Post-it game called Broken Picture Telephone. Basically, you join a chain of drawings and words, where you either get to interpret a another player's drawing through words or you interpret another player's words through drawings. It's fun to see how completed Post-it chains turn out, where you can begin with a description of a tree and end up with a drawing of an alien. It's fun and addicting. However (yep, this is bad news), the website is indefinitely down, due to problems with the host. You can keep on checking out if it's up already here.
**
Last tidbit. Check out this news about a transparent fish. Absolutely amazing. Makes you think about what other wonders the world has to hold. Totally looks like photoshop, but it's NOT. AMAHZINGG. I end on that note.
Ciao!

2009-02-22T08:22:00.002+08:00

First off, since it's virtually impossible I think to have a main theme for each post, I think I'll have to leave it untitled at times...........like this time!!! Hahaha..
**
Last Thursday, I went wall climbing for the first time. I'm not a very outdoorsy person, but I tried it because it was free, because my blockmate invited me and because I'm always up for anything new and challenging. It wasn't that high of a wall but the rock handles (I'm not sure if they're called exactly that) were scattered and sparse, so it was hard to see where you could place your foot/hand next. I didn't get to reach the top coz midway, my arms were weak and shaking already. Despite climbing under the burning sun, it was a lot of fun.
**
Yesterday was our last day of NSTP. (For those of you that aren't familiar, it's stated under Philippine law that all college students who are Filipino citizens are required to undergo the National Service Training Program (NSTP) -we get to choose from LTS (Literacy Training Service-teaching kids), CWTS (Civic Welfare Training Service-medical missions, environment) or ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps-cadets). whew!)
I'm in LTS and every Saturday, we teach grade 5 kids at a public school here. Yesterday, we had a culminating activity that involved song and dance presentations, games, food, farewells and me scraping my knee in front of everyone (don't ask). It was a bittersweet occasion -we were proud that we had done our job in teaching these kids a little more something than they were used to, and also sad that we would miss our weekend mornings with these fun and smart kids. I'm thankful though for all the new friends I got to make, the difference I contributed to these kids' lives and the happy mornings I got to spend with them. :D
**
Just one last thing: Yesterday also, I rode a taxi for the first time -ALONE!! Now I know this isn't a big deal for many, but it is for me. I have had other firsts in the past -riding a tricycle alone at night, commuting past 7 in the evening. All of these has meant I'm over my paranoia that all public utility vehicle drivers are out to get me. Yesterday was another milestone. I rode a taxi though not because of this goal to overcome my paranoia (I doubt I'll do it again soon), but because it was too hot and my things were heavy..more so coz of the former. Gah, it seems that the heat has been taking its toll on me to the point of making me do things I'm "paranoidly" afraid of..hahaha..

I'm baaccckkkk!!!!!! Woot woot!

2009-02-20T20:43:00.006+08:00

I read so many blogs that I've forgotten that I have my own. Hahaha....I has nearly been 11 months since I last posted and now, I am posting again. I do hope I can keep this going regularly from now on, especially since I don't have that much of a busy schedule in the coming weeks.
*****
Anyway, so much has happened since my last post. My succeeding entries may contain a lot of flashbacks, although I will try to keep them on a minimum as I might get lazy again. So on with the first official post of 2009. (Aak, how formal)
*****
I consider the year 2009 not so much as my nineteenth year of living on this earth but more of my third year of college life. So far, it has brought much happy and heartbreaking experiences (I'll try not to make this a tad too emotional). I got closer to my friends and have opened myself up more to the people whom I don't get to talk to too much. I have also reaffirmed my passion for art, with my continuing exploration of the world of comics and graphic design. Subsequently, I am semi-sure of the steps that I will take after college, something that I am excited and overly anxious about. Still, I lay awake some nights thinking about the unncertainty of it all.
College has also brought with it an immense sense of independence, as I have been staying at a boarding house by myself since the summer semester last year. It may be sad to be away from my family, but I feel proud when I realize the good job I am doing of taking care of myself (although there are still some days when I can't resist going home!).
I hope this self-discovery thing goes on throughout the year. It sometimes gets so tiring to perenially walk through life without a sense of where you're going or not possessing the skills that can get you through. These first two months are just the start and I am excited for what lies ahead (cue applause haha).
Ciao!

first post from my 2 week summer vacation

2008-04-04T22:03:00.002+08:00

Hello, hello!!
Okay, so about that cs project we've been working on...well let's just say it was technically finished. When my groupmate Nicole asked our teacher how we did on our project, he just said something like, "It met the basic requirements." (not sure about the wording). Anyway, I'm glad we did a pretty decent project, unlike the individual final project I did for the first sem. Not only was it unfinished, it didn't meet all the basic requirements. I consider myself lucky for getting an 85 on that one..
Anyway, my summer vacation started last Saturday, but it officially started last Wednesday, when our final proj in Fil was finally passed. And I feel as if I'm wasting it, coz all I've been doing is going to SM or surfing the internet late at night. Haha..I hope I find something worthwhile to do soon..

Going nuts with a computer program...

2008-03-27T00:47:00.004+08:00

Hey, good morning guys! I actually woke up at a couple of minutes after twelve and will probably be asleep again at one-thirty. Man, what a computer project can do to your sleeping habits! Ever since Holy Week, when our group started our project, I've been sleeping at around 12. Today, we worked on it until 9 at the groundfloor restaurant of our groupmate's dorm, and as soon as I got home, I collapsed on my bed.
So anyway, it seems like we all were going crazy as we were worked on this program everyday. Coupled with stress, hunger, fatigue and extreme problem-solving, by the time it got to around four in the afternoon, everyone was cursing the computer for every error that happened and well, we all were uttering senseless and ridiculous things. It's actually a miracle that we still made progress. Well, later is when we finally submit this, so I hope that we eventually finish it...Updates are probably on Saturday. Til then!
Ciao!

weeewwww...

2008-03-17T18:43:00.003+08:00

Listening to: Low (Flo-rida ft. T-Pain)
Reading: The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)

hello..hello guys...
ok so it's been a long time since my last post, mainly because last week was the most hellish of my hell weeks. i'm here since i have a bit more free time..hehe..
anyway, there's this heavy feeling in my chest right now. there's just a lot of causes: loneliness, emptiness and other depressing nesses. i'm not trying to be emo in this post, but i think that today is just one of those days that just gets me down. call it mood swings or whatever, but there were some things that happened today that apparently amounted to something that weighed down my entire mood..sigh...............................SIGH, i hope this goes away tomorrow.

i really need to think.

a story of two mornings...

2008-03-09T09:40:00.003+08:00

Good morning guys!! I just woke up this 9 in the morning, which is the time I usually wake up on Sundays. But then, I also woke up at 3:30 am for a fun (why do they call them 'fun'? just because it rhymes?) run at school. I'm not really the athletic kind of person, I was even scared that I would place last, but I managed to be 57th (out of somenumber, hehe). I almost ran out of breath halfway through, and I thought my legs would give up at the same time...but yeah, I managed. The best part was the sweating. Gross as it may be, cold sweat is probably one of the best bodily fluids a body could secrete (next to...?). By the time we (I went with my whole family) got home, everyone just collapsed into their beds, and well..I'm the first one who woke up. So, hope you all have a great Sunday!
Ciao!

mi primera entrada..

2008-03-08T01:29:00.003+08:00

hehe...Don't worry I'm not Spanish or anything, it's just that I'm taking a Spanish language course this sem, and well..we have oral exams next week so I'm trying to be in a Spanish state of mind -at least until Tuesday.
So this is my first entry, but definitely not my first blog. I've had blogs since 1st year high school, and I've gone through about 4 or 5 since then. I keep a blog 'alive' for about 1-2 months, so I hope this will last longer.
So a little about me...My name's nikka, and I'm a college freshman in her second sem at a university in the Philippines. I'm taking up Computer Science, and so far, it's been a helluva ride. Yeah, I've been having a lot of ups and downs lately, but then, if I don't experience a good measure of both, what kind of life am I leading? Anyway, I'll stop myself before I preach...So why 'la vida rosa'? Well, it's the title of a movie I saw on an ad on the way home. I then remembered the movie 'La Vie En Rose' which is the french translation of 'la vida rosa'. In English, they both mean 'the pink life'. So why pink, huh? Hmm...there's something about the color that makes you feel vibrant and alive and happy. It's a no-fail pick-me-upper.
Aside from pink being one of my fave colors, I also like red. Among other things I love are listening to music, dabbling in all kinds of visual art and surfing the net. Tambien, me gusta leer los libros buenos -por ejemplo, The Rule of Four y The Umbrella Country...haha, I'll leave you guys to decode that last sentence..
I really look forward to sharing a lot of myself in this blog, so...(insert inverted exclamation point here)hasta proxima entrada!