Blogs Galore 19: Black Valentine

I know I just said on my most recent post that I hate blogging about my daily activities. But hey, we contradict ourselves all the time, anyway, haha! So here are some thoughts on my Valentine Week for 2008. I wanted to wear black, for more Clear Black Valentine, haha! Pero wala, nasuot ko na nung Tuesday, nawala sa isip ko. Well, my February 14 top was still 1/3 black, hehe!

OL 4 LUV
I’ve always been a fan of the ASAP singers so I knew I just couldn’t miss the concert of Sarah Geronimo, Erik Santos, Rachelle Ann Go and Christian Bautista. And my, it was really mind-blowing.
Their opening number was the old Color Me Badd song “All For Love”. Memories from my childhood went back, haha! It was roughly 15 years ago when I first heard that song courtesy of my sister’s cassette copy of their album. Then they danced to Justin Timberlake’s “Lovestoned”. Yes, ‘dance’ is the operative word. And yes, that included Christian Bautista. You gotta hand it to the guy. The effort is there, haha! If I would describe his dancing skills, I would say “the whole is not the sum of its parts”. He can do the steps individually. But when ‘put together’, that’s when he seems awkward. Christian is a funny dancer indeed, but oh well, I am not a good dancer myself so his effort to not let his lack of good dancing skills limit his performances made me appreciate him more as an artist.
They all sang individually, with duets with each other for the transitions. They all opened (their solo sets) with non-love songs: Rachelle performed Nicole Scherzinger’s “Whatever You Like”; Christian ‘danced’ to Usher’s “Caught Up”; Erik belted out Queen’s “Somebody To Love” and Sarah sang Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop The Music”. After which they sang their own medleys of different genres of love songs. My favorite mind-blowing performance would have to be Sarah and Erik’s power duet of soul-R&B love songs (Boyz II Men, Babyface, Brian McKnight, etc). Poohquiao was their guest to provide more comic relief, while the four singers prepared for their final set. His impersonation of Mike Velarde was just so spot on – Amen! Haha!


LEFT: From left to right - me, Kevin, Acey and Ate Maan, my Ol 4 Luv buddies. Bong took the picture. RIGHT: It was around 95% filled. Notice the significant void in the Patron area. Eventually, in the middle of the show, more people filled the void.

I watched it some orgmates (Ate Maan, Acey, Kevin and Bong), so no, I was not on a Valentine’s date, hehe! Acey is, as another orgmate has said, officially my concert buddy because I also watched the Westlife concert back in 2006 with her. Ate Maan and I have always been fans of ASAP/Kapamilya singers so. As for Bong and Kevin, well, aside from the fact that Kevin was a big fan of Sarah Geronimo, it was both their first time to watch a concert at the Araneta. We all really had a wonderful time. Naturally, since Ate Maan and I were older than the rest of them, we sang along to more songs that the kids, haha! We even had this unofficial mini-game were we guessed the title of the songs being performed. I can’t wait when ABS-CBN will air the said concert on TV soon.

VALENTINE DINNER
After our weekly organization meeting, my orgmates and I decided to all have dinner together, since it’s Valentine’s and all. Well, at least those of us who were single and dateless, haha! As always, we all had a great time. Since there were about 20 of us, they rearranged a number of tables and seated us at the function room. There were other diners around us, some of them were couples. But being the noisy Kapampangans that we are, I think we were able to “OP” them, haha! We kept chanting the made-up love teams in the group. We even paired up Jill with Nichols, our waiter, haha! It all started when I made a comment about him having a slight aura of Dennis Trillo. Jewel concurred with my observation. Jill, who was listening nearby, uttered, “Actually, gwapo siya..” Thus, the Jichols love team was officially born, haha!
So there, we were romantically dateless but we didn’t let it stop us from having fun on this day of the year where we celebrate love.


LEFT: Kamusta naman ang Valentine long table namin, diba? Hehe!
RIGHT: The Jichols loveteam, bwahaha!

CHEVER*
We are 6 guys in our apartment, 3 on each of the 2 rooms. My 2 roommates have girlfriends. The boys in the other room, they all have ‘chevers’. So that leaves me as the sole cheverless guy in the household, haha!
Actually, I don’t mind at all. I mean, I’m way past the stage in adolescent (or even adult, in my case now) life wherein not having a date takes its toll on my self-esteem. But a comment from one of my housemates kind of made me think about it. “Ikayung kids, panga-chever yu balat! (Kayong mga bata, andadami niyong chever!)”. Then one of them answered, “Wapin, kuya, ika mu ing ala (Oo nga, kuya, ikaw lang ang wala)”. Wala akong nasabi, haha!
I realized, I do kinda miss that ‘loving feeling’, hehe. I know that my love life’s record is saturated with unrequited love but before the agonizing heartbreaks, the ‘kilig’ feeling period was actually good while they still lasted.
I miss looking forward to see someone, wanting to do things for her, summoning the courage to sort of ‘ask her’ out without knowing for sure if she’s gonna say ‘yes’, etc. Of course, it feels great when the feeling is mutual, but even when it wasn’t, the ‘kilig feeling’ was definitely worth the heartbreak after. Well, I could probably just say so now because I am now completely okay with those horrible periods of my life, haha!
These days, I am pre-occupied in ‘helping others’ get the girl of their dreams. (Ne Mike? Haha!). Like what I’ve mentioned on an old post, I am utterly amazed at the advice or pointers I am able to give out. Sometimes, I don’t even remember what I say, haha! I would have diba-kuya-you-told-me-before moments with my ‘advisees’! It makes me laugh sometimes when I wonder how the hell these kids believe what I say when I myself can’t even get my own chever, hehe!
So for the meantime, my daily sources of kilig moments are my chevering friends. I don’t know, maybe it’s suffice for me while I wait for own perfect turn at chever. Or even true love! Naks, haha!
Pero teka, hindi naman ako nakakapaghahanap, paano na yun? Walang panahon. Waaaa! Haha!

*Chever means, err, actually, I don't know exactly how to define it, haha! Daanin niyo na lang sa context clues, ehe.

Blogs Galore! 18: Current Events Edition

U-NIBERSIDAD NG PILIPINAS! U!

It's been a week, so by now, I am sure you all know that UP won (over UST, FEU and the rest of them UAAP schools). Of course, I am proud of them. Considering our 0-14 record in Men's Basketball, at least in another highly publicized UAAP event, UP won.

I am personally surprised at the 0.5 point difference between UP and UST. I thought given UP's almost flawless ruotine and kick-ass attitude and UST's incomplete pyramid and weird lack of energy, UP will win by a mile. I say that UST's Salinggawi Dance Troupe's lack of energy is 'weird' because for the past years, I must admit (even if I hate to, haha!) that UST SDT has always been fluid and graceful with their routines. Never mind the issues of lack of originality -- UST SDT is a dance troupe indeed, so magaling talaga at magandang tingnan ang pag-galaw nila as a whole. But this year, I felt that the grace and fluidity that has always been a trademark of UST SDT was missing. Is it just me, or they looked so tense and a little down-trodden during the rest of their performance because of the 'fall' early on their number?

Now about the 'UST SDT Photo Scandal'. 'No comment' na lang. It's like Malu Fernandez all over again, albeit in a lesser degree. The more people comment, the more the issue gets out of hand. But if ask me if that offensive photo changes the way I perceive UST, well, the answer is NO. I have friends from UST, and UST has its own moments of glory as an educational institution. Stupid behavior from 5 UST students cannot (or must not) ruin the reputation that UST has built in its 400 years of existence. What I don't like though is when our own schools' academic excellence records are dragged into the issue (which should be totally irrelevant, by the way). UP is UP. Period.

But anyway, since our Pep Squad won FAIR AND SQUARE, we're entitled to a year's worth of bragging rights, right? Hahaha!

ABSOLUTE PARDON OF ERAP. WHAT THE?!

What the hell is the Arroyo Administration thinking?! A judicial process is still going on (there's still the appeal to the Supreme Court by the Estrada lawyers), so why is Malacañang so excited? Obviously, it's an issue of political survival for GMA. Haaay naku..

My take on this? Absolutely and definitely no pardon whatsever for me. Don't I have compassion in my heart to spare for an ailing and 'respected actor' and 'public servant'? Well, think of all the poor people that the huge money that Estrada illegally amassed could have helped. You should know by then that you're barking at the wrong tree. Ask Estrada himself instead (and his slutty mistresses).

His followers are delusional. They should not be allowed to vote, for they don't exercise wisdom* when they do so.

*I used the word 'wisdom' instead of intelligence, so as not to belittle uneducated people. Wisdom in choosing our leaders can be acquired even without the help of diploma, right?

FRAT ISSUES

So, here's my super late thoughts on Cris Mendez's death.

For us UP students, it's a common knowledge that hazing exists (in varying degrees) in certain fraternities' initiation rites. Yes, that holds true despite the law against it. Heck, there's even a university rule that bars freshmen from joining fraternities and yet, these (some) fraternities actively recruit freshies.

I don't know what Cris Mendez's reasons were for agreeing to join the fraternity, but considering his age and background, I am sure that he fully knows what he was getting into. I am not saying it's his fault that he died, of course. His only fault is that he trusted the wrong people.

My provincial organization has always been enough for me -- in terms of personal relations, training, etc. So I never felt the need to join a frat. And it's not like a fraternity would be sane enough to recruit someone as 'physically-challenged' as me, haha! (I was scavenging my brain for the proper English word for lampa, but to no avail, haha!).

Blogs Galore! 17: Luid ya ing Kapampangan

KAPAMPANGAN KU

If you care to check my profile on this blog's left sidebar, you'd know that I am a Kapampangan. I was born and raised in City of San Fernando, Pampanga. When I had to live in Quezon City for college, I was literally a 'probinsyano' in the city. But adjustment wasn't so hard of me. Because firstly, San Fernando is pretty urbanized, and secondly, there were a lot of other probinsyanos around me in the university. Of course, during freshman year, the topic of where one came from and from what high school one graduated from often comes up. Of course, I would proudly say that I am from Pampanga. I didn't mind if all these kids from the metro seem to be the cooler ones because they know the ins and outs of the city. I never felt that us people from the province where the strange, backward people that local movies often portray. For I knew that we have a huge advantage over these more urbanized spoiled brats -- we can speak 3 languages, Filipino, English and our native dialect (Kapampangan in my case). Ha! It sure is fun whenever me and my Kapampangan orgmates would converse in Kapampangan and the people around us do not have any idea. Sometimes even, we talk about them! Haha!
To be a proud Kampangan, it sure helps that there are a lot of famous Kapampangans - the Aquinos, Jose Abad Santos, the Macapagals, Apl de Ap of the Black Eyed Peas and Efren Bata Reyes. And of course more recently, Aljur Abrenica of Starstruck fame and Ronnie Liang of Pinoy Dream Academy.

If you want to know more about the Kampangan culture in a not so boring way, visit the blog of Jason AKA Kamaru. At such a young age, he's such an advocate of our rich culture. At wag kayo, malayong pinsan ko pala siya, hehe!

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AMONG ED for GOVERNOR

You've probably heard in the news that a priest is running for governor in our province. Yes, the Church's intervention in state affairs and politics can be irritating at times, but not in this case. For almost a decade now, Pampanga has been ruled by supposed leaders with questionable competence. And in the upcoming elections, two shady and powerful characters are running for the top post at the capitol. It seemed that us Kapampangans had to choose the lesser of two evils. That is, until Among Ed Panlilio decided to run. Of course, it's pretty obvious that I'd be voting for this guy. I cannot stress enough how detrimental the Quarry Prince and Jueteng First-Lady are to the Kapampangan people. So if you are reading this and you are a Kapampangan, please vote for Among Ed. Unless of course if you're underaged or you weren't able to register as a voter. Nevertheless, ask your family and friends to vote for him. Please help us do a Padaca in Pampanga.

For more information:
http://edpanlilio.blogspot.com
http://www.amonged.org

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IRREPLACEABLE

I am sure that you've heard of Beyonce Knowles' Irreplaceable. It's such a catchy R&B tune, right? It never is easy, but it's such an enjoyable song to sing along to. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon the Kapampangan version of Irreplaceable thru Kamaru's blog. The version was performed (and probably translated as well) by a female duo who calls themselves Mernuts.

Check it out:


If you're not Kapampangan, I am sure you won't understand and you probably think it's baduy and you wouldn't appreciate it. But coming from someone who can understand it, it actually is quite cool. Ampo syempre, buri keng pag-maragul, diba?

Blogs Galore! 15

TALKSMART'S BLOG CONTEST

I placed 4th in the talksmart's Filipino Blog of the Week (Week 41). Nine other blogs were in the running and I was really surprised to have placed in the top half. Why? Because I didn't campaign for myself, hehe. You see, I was nominated before back in May 2006. Back then, I was still a newbie when it comes to bloghopping, so imagine my delight when I was nominated. It actually inspired me to improve on my blogging skills. But alas, I eventually realized that it was actually a popularity contest -- the more online friends you have, the more votes you get, regardless of your blog's content. So I let go of my dreams on winning talksmart's elusive golden medal. It shouldn't mean much to me. What means to me now is when random blogger strangers tag on my tagboard and tell me they really enjoy their visit. It really feels good, sooooobra. Add the fact that these days, more of my real-world friends and acquaintances actually read my blog, some even on a regular basis (yung iba nga, shy pa mag-comment, hehe!). Many of them have started getting serious with blogging as well, which is really exciting -- I have more links with substantial content, hehe! Anyway, I am nominated for Week 42 again. I only have one request: PLEASE vote for me IF AND ONLY IF you think I deserve it. To the 60+ people who voluntarily voted for me, thank you very much. How I wish I could thank you one by one, but alas, I have no way of knowing who you all are. Again, salamuch! =p

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NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM

Just watched Ben Stiller's latest starrer with my 3 nephews this afternoon. At first, I was hesitant to bring ALL 3 of them. Because believe me, for someone who hates baby-sitting, it is already a recipe for headache for me. And I was right, haha! Since all FOUR of us had to share ONE bag of popcorn, naturally, at least one of them would complain. Jasper wanted the popcorn all for himself, while Justin wanted the jumbo glass of iced tea all for himself as well. Darryl, the voracious one, was surprisingly well-behaved relative to the other two. Then Justin kept on wanting to go to the CR and pee, haha! I asked them at the end of the movie if they enjoyed it, in fairness, they all said 'yes', though I highly doubt it if one of them actually understood the conflicts and twists of the movie. For them, seeing a skeletal T-Rex act up like a cutsy dog is all that matters, hehe! So did I enjoy my afternoon at the mall with my nephews? Hell yes.

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SIDNEY SHELDON (February 11, 1917 - January 30, 2007)

Sidney Sheldon was one of my favorite authors. Although in general, I loved reading books as a child, the thick ones that my sister were reading didn't have much appeal to me. Of course, when I was younger, I preferred books with illustrations. All that changed when I read Sidney Sheldon's Master of the Game. I'd refrain from enumerating the reasons why I can't put down his novels until I finish them -- just take my word for it, hehe. But just so you know, this week, he died. I am not exactly mourning because a decade after I first read one of his works, I'm not really in awe if his work as much as I used to. Of course, I have been exposed to other writing styles by other authors and I have learned to pinpoint each style's plus and minus points. Still, I just would like to give a shout-out to the author who paved the way of my transition from innocence to, erm, enlightenment, as a reader. Just a thought: I may have read the rest of his 20+ novels, but Master of the Game still proves to be the best for me. =p

Blogs Galore! 14

WOOOOSH!.. OR NOT

So today, they declared no classes all over Metro Manila for all levels due to supertyphoon Reming. Geesh, I can so feel the rain and the wind right now. As of this writing, I don't know where Reming is, or if she is even strong indeed. One thing is for sure though, she is not in the greater Metro Manila area, for not one drop of rain has fallen. Well, at least here at the UP Diliman Campus. The worst thing the skies can come up with is a very grey and cloudy natural ceiling. And even that is not bad at all. At least hindi mainit. This is one suspension of classes that I didn't like at all. Not to mention that it was in effect, uhm, stupid. I mean no disrespect for whoever suspended the classes, for I am sure they only did that because they had the general public's safety in mind, just because they were informed that there's this threatening supertyphoon .

UPDTATE: I just checked the news. As of 1.17pm, Signal #2 is up for Metro Manila. I don't know if I should laugh or what.

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MORE ON THE TWINS DEATH

Yeah, I still am not over my colleagues' tragic death. Their burial was yesterday. I really feel bad that I wasn't able to visit their wake. Haay. Our high school teacher told me that 5 priests officiated their burial mass, including our former Archbishop himself. O diba, astig! Hehe. And apparently, everyone in the church was crying and they were kissing their coffins. Oh diba, I told you guys so, the twins are, uhm, legendary? Basta, I know you get what I mean. And the tragic news was actually more widespread than I thought. Even my fellow Kapampangan students in Diliman who weren't from DBA knew about it. Apparently, Camille, the twins' younger sister, was a batchmate for many of my orgmates and other Kapampangan friends. And even they had fond memories of the twins. And for more aww-and-sadness factor, I learned that Peter had a girlfriend just 1 week before their demise. Grabe noh? They weren't even able to celebrate even a monthsary. Another interesting observation: people who search for news about their death are actually led to my humble post for them. I actually had 10 hits related to their death. I even had comments from people who knew them from the School of Economics.
To everyone who read my last post and sympathized with me, on behalf of the twins (gosh, as if I've had a recent talk with them eh no? hehe), thanks for the prayers. Though I actually doubt if they need it. They were REALLY GOOD people. They should've been up there with God days ago! Hehe!
To my fellow bloggers who are still in high school, enjoy the company of your batchmates this early. You'll never be sure who among you will not be able to make it to your batch's reunion 10 years or even just 5 years from now. Even those classmates of yours that you never really liked, be nice to them even if they're not. Because how you treated them during your high school years will stay with them for life, especially if you would go to different paths.

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MORE CHRISTMAS CHEER!

I've finished decorating the first floor of our apartment. Here are the pics. Credit isn't completely mine. Thanks to our orgmate Yek, for helping us out. We have trios of falling vines on all four corners of the room, hehe.

Blogs Galore! 14: Music Edition

THE LOVE ALBUM

Face To Face wasn't exactly a flop, after all there was a week back in November 2005 when Westlife held the UK #1 on both the Albums Chart (with Face To Face) and Singles Chart (with You Raise Me Up) on the same weekend. But realistically speaking, they're not as popular as before. They don't top the countdowns anymore, hehe. I really thought they would soon disband. But lo and behold, when they performed in the Miss World 2006 Final last September 30, I learned that they would release yet ANOTHER album! The question for a loyal fan like me is: am I going to get a copy? I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW, hehe! But I think my answers borders on NO, because after all, I have already downloaded all 11 songs from the yet to be released album, thanks to a British Multiply account, ehehe!

The Love Album, is another theme album for Westlife -- it features legendary love songs from decades past. So yes, it's all revival. No suprise there, hehe. I am listening to the album right now, and I must say, it's actually good. I must confess, I was actually cynical of yet another purely revival album. But now, I am actually really loving most of the songs. After listening for 2 iterations, my favorites so far are Total Eclipse Of The Heart, All Out Of Love, All Or Nothing (a boyband reviving another boyband's hit? I think this is a first, hehe) and Easy. My overall assessment is while this won't birng back the glory days of Westlife, it will be a treat for their fans.

THE HIGH ROAD
Thanks again to Multiply, hehe, I download Jojo's new album The High Road. You must be wondering who the hell is Jojo, hehe. She is the wholesome mirror image of Lindsay Lohan who is actually a far far better role model for teenage girls, hehe. And she has superior pipes to boot! =p Contrary to the teenybopper image she may seem to project, her music is far from being bubblegum pop. Of course, it is still mainly pop, but it's not the kind of pop that would make rock or R&B fans puke. Her latest single Too Little, Too Late, which thank God (because finally, she is getting the credit she truly deserves, more than what Lindsay Lohan gets) is slowly but surely becoming popular in local radio stations was my LSS for two whole months! She is that good. Well, at least for my taste, hehe.

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PINOY DREAM ACADEMY
This show is my guilty pleasure each evening! Even my nephews have noticed and commented how addicted I am to this show. When there was a temporary power interruption this afternoon, one of my nephews teased, "Hala! Hindi ka na naman makakapanood nung pinapanood mong A!" At first I didn't get what 'A' he was referring to, until he clarified it for me, "Yung ano, yung pinapanood mo pagkatapos ng Maging Sino Ka Man". Haha! He was actually referring to PDA and he called it the 'A' because on the show, the green with white spots capital letter 'A' was a prominent symbol on the screen.


Anyway, I prefer it more than Philippine Idol these days. Because you see, when I learned that ABS-CBN would launch PDA to compete with PI, even if I was a Kapamilya, I was pissed off. But with one disappointing result after another on PI, I have officially made the switch, hehe! So why do I like it? Well, I am not after the drama, I am actually after the class discussion, especially with Direk Joey Reyes. In fairness, for us music lovers (even for some of us who don't have the talent, hehe), the show is quite educational. And the marked improvement on the scholars is a testimony to that. At the start of both shows, PI was far superior in terms of talent vs PDA. But nowadays, more PDA scholars are giving the likes of Mau, Gian, Apple and Pow a run for their money. So far, my top bet is Yeng. She hasn't officially nailed the top prize yet, but she is already a certified hitmaker. My other favorites are Chad, Jay-R, Joan and syempre, Nyora Rosita! Hahaha! Panalo talaga ang mga moment at hirit niya. Take for example her comment on their November 1st Yoga treat: "Simply, deeply... relax." O-ha! =p

Blogs Galore! 12

SORTED THOUGHTS!
This week ko lang na-try yung Blogger Beta ek-ek. At whoala! May LABELS pa siyang nalalalaman! Haha! So I tried it out, it's for free anyway.

One of the attractive features of Wordpress versus Blogger for me is the Categories feature. But with Blogger's Labels feature, I guess I could work with it, hehe. I have come up with 10 categories (andami!). They are just above my tagboard to your right. So now I have to categorize my 100+ posts. Darn, this is gonna take long, ehehe.

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MISS WORLD 2006

So I woke up way before my wake time, haha, just to see this weird but prestigious beauty pagaent. Two reasons: too see if Philippines will make it again to the semifinals (and listening to the voice over pronounce the names of the countries, haha! Sorry, it's the geography freak talking!), and to watch Westlife because they are going to perform, haha! =p It isn't a suprise actually, considering that their manager Louis Walsh is on the panel of judges. I am sure they were a package. I'm just not sure which is which, whether a) Westlife will only agree to perform if Louis Walsh will judge or b) Louis Walsh will only agree to judge if Westlife get to perform, twice even! Haha! Anyway, Czech Republic won. Well, she's beautiful indeed. But is it just me or she has a resemblance of Emma Bunton? =p

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TV SERIES GALORE!

As I have blogged many times before, I am a fan of many American TV Series. First there was Smallville from years way back. Then Desperate Housewives. Then there was Prison Break. Then Grey's Anatomy. Ghost Whisperer. Lost. House, MD. And now Six Degrees!
We in the Philippines don't have the same TV culture. Because in the US, TV series take a break from around May-September. They air new seasons every August-September. And now, me and my fellow fans of these shows are being deluged with one season premiere over another! Darn! Finals Week na pa naman niyan, haha!
So far, Smallville has just aired its Season 6 premiere this week. So I guess, I can obtain a copy by next week. I have already 'torrented' Desperate Housewives Season 3 Premiere and I'm gonna watch it after I publish this post. Grey's Anatomy (my current personal favorite!) is on its second episode for Season 3. My Ghost Whisperer routine, in the meanwhile, has been on a break, because I lost my copies of the 1st half of Season 1 when the DVD-R into which I burned the episode had an error! I'm gonna have to torrent them all again to continue watching it. In the US though, it has started its second season. Lost and House are already on their third seasons, I think. But I haven't finished Lost's first season yet and I have yet to watch House's second season. As for Six Degrees, well, it's a brand new series. Only the pilot has been aired so far, and I'm beginning to like it.
So there, sana lang, sa dinami-dami ng pinapanood ko, sana lang makapag-aral pa ako, diba? haha!

Blogs Galore! 11

Woo hoo! It's time for an updates galore!

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FACE TO FACE FINALLY!

Actually, it was more like '100 meters to 100 meters', haha! I was able to catch the Westlife concert last September 4 at the Araneta Coliseum. It turned out I was not alone, hehe. Acey, my orgmate, finally decided the night before that she will watch the concert as well. She was also a Westlife fan back in high school.
The venue was not packed at all. Maybe around only 52% of the seats were taken (oo, talagang cinompute ko pa yun, habang naghihintay, haha!). Well, it shouldn't be a surprise. Westlife is not at the peak of their popularity. I'm sure only the old loyal fans were there to watch them on what could be their last visit to Manila before they would finally disband. At least, konti lang ang magsi-si-sigaw diba.
As a fan, I really enjoyed the music, it was worth the wait and every penny. They didn't sing my Top 2 favorite songs though - Obvious and Fool Again, hehe. I loved the jazzy / bossa nova-ish version of Uptown Girl and the Don't Cha number, haha! Nakakatuwa sila.
I don't have any pictures, damn! I don't have a digicam. I tried using my 3660, but it was futile, haha! They were effing hundred meters away, wala namang zoom tong camphone ko. I recorded the whole concert on my MP3 player though. =p

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BLUE STREAKS

Haha! My friends like my blue highlights! Actually, depending on the angle of the light, some parts appear to be purple, hehe. As expected, they were surprised. "Anong naisip mo bat ginawa mo yan?", one asked (but in an amused manner).
One of my orgmates asked another orgmate, "Tama ba ako? May blue yung buhok ni Rex, diba?" Bewildered by the question, the other orgmate answered, "Hmm, actually, oo nga, may blue nga ang buhok niya!"

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TIME TURNER

Sheeeet!! It's almost the homestretch of this semester. Andami ko pang hindi nagagawa na dapat gawin, ahaha! I need Hermione's time turner, so that I can go back in time every now and then so I can catch up with some school work backlog, hehe. Thesis proposal for EEE 190, 2 more exams and finals for ME 63, 2 more exams in EEE 53 and Physics 104. Haaay... Good luck naman.

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U-NIBERSIDAD NG PILIPINAS!!!

It's the UAAP Cheerdance Competition yet again this Sunday! Woohoo! Excited na ako.
It's always fun to watch the Cheerdance live because one can really feel the pride and the school spirit with every cheer you all chant in unison. It's a good thing UP finally decided to join after all, after last year's controversy about the judges. Gusto ko yun asaran part habang naghihintay ng start ng broadcast. All school are really taunting each other, hehe. Of course, the biggest crowds are UP and UST. =p I really hope that this time, we will bag the well-deserved crown, without any controversies. =p

Blogs Galore! 10

Akalain mo, #10 na ang aking Blogs Galore! series, hehe.

UPCAT WEEKEND

So it's UPCAT weekend this weekend. (Parang ang redundant pakinggan). It always happens on the first weekend of August. Coincidentally, the year I took the UPCAT, August 5 & 6 din siya noon! Ang galing no? Whatever.

All week, persistent rumors were flying around if UP would suspend classes last Friday afternoon. Kesyo aayusin daw ang mga upuan para sa UPCAT, haha! Well, it didn't happen. Some classes were being 'cancelled' since Thursday, though. Because the professors / teacher / instructors are missing in action. Haha! Apparently, due to lack of personnel, some of our 'dear' teachers are being shipped to remote places to act as proctors for the UPCAT. Some, I heard, were even sent to Mindanao. Waw diba.

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GHOST WHISPERER

Thanks to our Smart Bro, I am now able to download and watch Ghost Whisperer episodes! While it is not as intriguing and engaging as Grey's, this Jennifer Love Hewitt starrer is okay. Considering that I am a Charmed fan, I suppose supernatural stuff does interest me. Well yes, every episode has its scare factor. Some situations are downright creepy if it would happen to you in real life. Don't worry though, even the faint in heart will be able to handle it.

What's weird though is that my eyes water everytime I watch an episode, haha! Putek, nakakahiya! Haha! Crying over a horror / suspense TV show? I mean, how ironically crazy is that?! Anyway, it happens during the part when the restless souls and those who survived them get all dramatic in settling their 'unfinished' businesses. Usually, it's about longing for forgiveness, words unsaid, missed chances, etc. Add the fact that mostly, it's about parents and their children and that one of them died.

Thank God, I haven't experienced a devastating loss in my family so far. Maybe that's why these kind of stories thug my heart. No matter how strong my personality is, I can't imagine if I can handle such great pain. Well, I've lost some dear cousins, aunts and uncles before, but I was too young to remember the pain. Besides, I still remember the good times I spent with them, and it's comforting enough.

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SOLITARY EPISODES

The past week, I've found myself wanting to be alone many times. Halimbawa na lang, last Thursday, nag-yayang uminom ang mga orgmates ko. Normally, even if I'm not into drinking that much, I wouldn't say no. I would go but I'm not after the booze, I'm after the bonding.
But I said no, this time. Ewan, wala ako sa mood. Ni hindi man ako pinilit, haha! Kaya ayun, lalu tuloy ako naging determined na mag-moment na mag-isa, haha! Sumama yung mga roommates ko, kaya tahimik sa room pag-uwi ko, and I enjoyed the solitary comfort.

Basta, something was off during the week that just passed. It's one of those times when I'd rather be alone, but I want to be noticed, hehe. It's one of those moments when my self-esteem is strangely low and I feel unappreciated. The weird thing is, I don't know what triggered these episodes. I just hope that this will be over soon.

Blogs Galore! 9

SIR REX
Since grade school, I have been often teased for having a name that is one syllable short of sharing a name with one of the most famous sex writer in the Philippines. "Sir Rex! Sir Rex", my pervert classmates would call me. Yep, they were perverts for me, haha! Come on! How could a grade school student be familiar with a famous sex writer if you weren't, right? Well, our Araling Panlipunan teacher are partially to be blamed, haha! They were the ones who required us to bring Filipino newspapers to school. But at that time, there was no decent newspaper printed in Filipino. Abante and Bulgar were the usual suspects. Xerex was on Abante and the author of Totoy Mola was (wait, should I use the past tense? Baka kasi up to now ay hindi pa tapos ang story. I happened to read its 1st four 'episodes' because of this news reading exercise we had for AP, haha!) Bulgar.

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CAREER PATH TESTS
If you were the unsure type back in 4th year high school, you must be very familiar with personality or career tests. You know, they're the tests you take in order to help you decide on what career you'll choose to pursue in college. Well, good thing Ms Tua, our high school guidance counselor was very helpful. She annually held series of career talks for us seniors. She also made us take a number personality tests. Back in HS senior year, it was a time when I was just starting to surf the internet, so I was obviously so amazed of these online personality tests. Even though I was so sure that Computer Engineering / Information Technology was what I wanted to take, I was curious so I took a test that would tell me what career path I should take.
The result? It said that I should either be a social worker or a college professor! Bwahaha! I just laughed the results of, haha! There was no way I would rethink my college application forms. =p

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PINOY TOP BLOGGER
So what's up with all this crap about me being a 'teacher'? Well, don't get me wrong, I have absolute respect for teachers. It's just that I couldn't imagine myself being a teacher. Back in high school, I didn't have the homey, humble and approachable aura that I believe teachers should have.
I did sign up for Cathecism at school, though. But the only reason I signed up was because all the honor students (actually, pati yung mga epal lang talaga, hehe) were also signing up. I didn't want to be left out on the extra-co-curricular grade (yeah, I must admit, I was that grade-conscious back then, =p). I did enjoy the sessions with the public elementary students. There were some naughty ones, but the cute, eager and enthusiastic ones more than make up for them.
Last Saturday, I was the English Instructor / Reviewer at our org's College Entrance Exam Review (CEER). Imagine, I received the same certificate and ate the same free lunch with the other instructors / reviewers who had various awards and experiences on their belts! The credentials they announced when they introduced me sure wasn't at par with the others, haha! =P

*Senior Computer Engineering student
*President, UP Aguman, AY 2003-2004
*EIC, Aslag, AY 2002-2003 to AY 2004-2005
*One of the Top 150 Filipino bloggers in the world

The 'awww' from the 4th year kids came after the 4th piece of information, haha! Anyabang ko eh no? You must be thinking, "instructor nga, delayed naman!" haha!
I'm currently #145 on Pinoy Top Blogs and #72 on Pinoy Top 100, that's why I was able to proclaim that I'm "one of the Top 150 Filipino bloggers in the world". Kayo naman, pagbigyan niyo na ako. =p
I actually enjoyed it! I liked the feeling when kids look at you, listen to what you have to say, wanting to learn. Now I know where the 'college professor' bit back in high school came from. =p

Blogs Galore! 8

SUPERMAN RETURNS

I watched the highly anticipated movie last Wednesday at SM North Edsa with 15 of my Aguman orgmates. Our org decided to watch this movie as an official bonding activity, thus our big number. We had dinner at the foodcourt and we were worth 3 rows of seats on left side of Cinema 4.

So, the all-important question -- was it worth the wait? Frankly, I don't know, haha! The release dates of the first four Superman movies are 1978, 1980, 1983 and 1987. Since I was born in 1984, ibig sabihin noon, isang Superman movie pa lang ang nadatnan ko. I have a vague memory of watching one of these Reeve starrers on Betamax as a child. I can't tell which Superman movie it was. I can't even remember the story! So in short, watching Superman Returns is like a fresh movie for me, I have no point of comparison. Besides, I wasn't exactly waiting for this movie, haha! Having watched a lot of movies in theaters in late May (thus, I've seen its trailer many times as well), I wasn't at all excited on this Superman movie. In my mind, I know I'll be watching it. I just didn't have this I-couldn't-wait-anymore madness, hehe. If watching the movie wasn't an official org activity, I wouldn't watch the movie on its first screening day.

BUT, I did enjoyed the movie. I can't say that I'm a Superman fan, whether it be in movies, cartoons or comics. I didn't even watch Lois & Clark on ABC 5! But I'm a huge Smallville fan. Siguro naman, pwede na iyon, diba? Haha! The adult Clark Kent played by newbie Brandon Routh was a fun watch for me. I don't know, maybe its because, all of a sudden, this Clark Kent has some sense of humor even if Chloe Sullivan's witty sarcasm isn't around to back him up. I can safely say that Routh deserved the part.

As for Kate Bosworth - well, she's pretty. Syempre, yun lang nasabi ko no? Haha! I can't really compare her to Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane, because, like I said, I wasn't into Lois & Clark. But compared to Erica Durance of Smallville, I like Durance more. Si Rosie ng Win A Date With Tad Hamilton ang nakikita ko, hindi si Lois Lane. =p

Ah, James Marsden - poor, poor fellow. Why does he always have to end up the 1st runner-up? Haha! It's The Notebook ending for him all over again. I still wished he still stayed on X3. I can't say this role was worth giving up Cyclops, because they're entirely different characters. Hindi naman kasi siya mutant sa Superman eh. Unless, he becomes a villain in the next Superman movies. Hmmm...

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TENNIS

Wimbledon Championships has begun this week -- and I've heard that Andre Agassi is playing albeit for the last time. So I'm trying to reviving my interest on this sport. You see, we had cably TV in the mid 90's. That was when I was exposed to watching tennis on sports channels by my dad. It was the era of Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, Steffi Graf, Boris Becker, Michael Chang, Martina Hingis. Of course, this era was reigned by Pete Sampras. I can't remember why I liked Agassi better. Haha! Eh halos lagi naman natatalo si Agassi kapag kalaban niya si Sampras. Haha!
I have forgotten why I sort of lost touch with this sport. Maybe it started in college, because I couldn't watch the games anymore. We didn't have cable TV in my boarding house then. And so, fast forward to almost a decade later, I'm not aware who are the better players these days. Well, kilala ko naman ang likes nina Hewitt, Henin-Hardinne, Clijsters, Safin, Nadal -- I hear their names on TV from time to time and from my housemate who's a tennis freak, haha! At wag kayo, alive pa pala si Martina Hingis! Too bad, she lost o Sugiyama (I caught the game last night).
Tennis is one sport that I like that I haven't played myself. Hehe. While I am not a sporty person, I do like Volleyball, Badminton, Bowling and Tennis (yeah, the sports that geeks prefer, haha!). I've played all sports myself except for Tennis. It's kinda ironic because we have these 2 graphite rackets at our cabinet. Kailan ko kaya sila magagamit? Pang-mayaman na sport kasi to eh! Hehe!

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EMPERADOR

Ha! Picture a person who thinks drinking the night away is no fun at all. In times of problems, while most people would invite friends to binge on drinks with them, he'd rather binge on chocolates and delicious food to cushion his depression. Well, the person you're picturing is me, hehe!

Hindi talaga ako mahilig sa inuman. Why? Kasi mapait! Haha! Pero nakainom na rin naman ako - beer, beer lite (haha!), mga gin with some juice with it. Alcohol is not the issue for me, it's the taste that bothers me. For as long as the alcoholic drink tastes good, I would want to drink it, hehe.

So there, I've never been drunk in my life. But last Thursday, I think I was close to being one. Nag-Emperador kami ng mga orgmates ko. Haha! Wow, that's something not even the people closest to me couldn't imagine me doing. Well, yeah, my head was already aching, but I was still sober -- alam ko pa ang sinasabi ko, at nakakalakad pa ako ng diretso. I give credit to my Dizon genes -- lahi kasi kami ng mga tomador. Though I haven't exactly exercised the hereditary skill, haha!

Yun lang, just wanna share I did an outrageous thing this week. Sorry kung medyo corny, pero para sa katauhan ko, outrageous na iyon. At ako pa nag-yaya na uminom - pero Vodka Mudshake ang niyaya ko ha, hindi yung Emperador. Trips lang talaga siya. There was no occasion, no celebration, no problems to talk about. It was just a spur of the moment thing.

Weird nga eh, because this morning I woke up with a headache. I can't think of any reason why. Siguro, delayed ang hangover ko? Haha

Blogs Galore! 7: New TV shows Edition

KAPAMILYA, DEAL OR NO DEAL

Inspite of it being dragging and boring most of the times and top that with an ill-considered host, it's a guilty pleasure that I'm hooked at this show, hehe! =p
*I'm actually a fan of Kris Aquino, but I don't think she's the perfect host for the show's format. Not that she sucks for me, pero basta, hindi niya bagay. I like her best of PGKNB sans the times she gets too nosy of the pyramid round contestants' personal lives.
*If you think about it, DOND is just a sophisticated and prolonged version of Laban Or Bawi crossed with Pera O Bayong. The all-important decision is made at the start of the game -- and that is to choose the box with the jackpot amount. What happens between the time when the player chooses which box he or she wants up to the time we learn what's in that box is the 'exciting' part.
*I'm still at awe at how Kris manages to get each of the 26K's names correctly. Wala naman siyang papel na hawak. Medyo malabo din ang teleprompter kasi half the time ay diretso ang tingin niya sa mga babae at hindi siya lumilingon kung saan-saan pa. Well, she probably met them weeks ago, and knowing Kris, she must've memorized their faces by then.
Anyway, gustung gusto ko pinapanood to pag kasama ko ang 3 kong pamangkin. Ginagaya nila kasi ang mala-April Boy gesture ni Kris whenever she shouts "deal or no deal?!" Kakatuwa nga eh, pag-uwi ko kahapon, nadatnan ko sila, playing their own version of the game. Nasa gate pa lang ako, naririnig ko na si Jasper shouting "deal or no deal?!" Tawa ako nang tawa pagpasok ko sa kwarto nila. Bakit? kasi nilabas nilang 3 magkakapatid ang mga briefs nila to serve as 'briefcases'. Haha! I know, kung matanda ang mag-jojoke about it, corny ang concept na gumamit ng brief as briefcases. Pero naman, maiisip ba iyon ng mga ordinaryong 7-year-old, 5-year-old at 4-year-old? Haha!


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LET'S GO

It's the new youth-oriented sitcom aired on the time slot used to be lorded over by TGIS, Growing Up, Gimik and Berks. Hehe. So ABS-CBN 2 decided to bring back the timeslot to teenagers, eh? On it's pilot ep, in fairness, tawa naman ako nang tawa, especially with the friendship bracelet thing. Ansaya kasi, medyo may pagka-UP ang feel ng cast ensemble. Kaya nga ba sa AS Steps shinoot yung isa sa mga commercial nito? Ewan. =p Sayang naman, I eventually read that it's a copycat from an old Korean series. Pero ok lang, since hindi ko naman napanood yun, edi feeling ko naman ay orig 'to, hehe. Tsaka nakaka-miss din yung may inaabangan ako tuwing Saturday. Nung maliit kasi ako, one of the weekend's highlights ang Saturday, 4pm. Pinapanood ko talaga ang mga teenybopper na palabas sa TV, hehe. Pero syempre, when I was a teenager myself, nacornihan na ako sa Gmik at Click. Paano ba naman, what they present on these shows is nothing like what I actually experience as a teenager.
Anyway, sana maging orig ang show na to, at least in terms of plot. At wag ka, may mall show pa pala ito, hehe. =p

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CAPTAIN BARBELL

Waw, totoo ba ito? Am I really posting about a Kapuso TV show? Hehe. Well, di ko naman talaga siya pinapanood, lalu na't katapat nito ang KDOND. But that didn't prevent me from getting curious about the show that been burying its competition alive with 40%+ ratings almost everyday. From what I've read, it's an extreme copycat of one of my favorite TV series - Smallville. Grabe daw ang pang-gagaya to the point na hindi na daw siya faithful sa story ng comics. (Sa mga CB fans, totoo ba ito?). So tuwing commercial, sinisilip ko ang GMA 7 for CB. Pero syempre, asa pa ako na ma-analyze ko nang husto ang worth ng show sa ilang segundo diba? So I'm going to say if it is indeed crap or not. What you'll read are just my observations, this isn't really a review.
*Si McDonald's Coke Float girl pala ang leading lady? Haha! Months ago lang eh lagi kong inaabangan yung commercial dahil nagandahan talaga ako sa kanya (to the disagreement of my friends, hehe). Aba, malayo na narating ni tell-me-is-it-love girl ah!
*For one, I don't really like Richard Gutierrez. Since his Click days, I've always considered him to be over-rated. Yeah, he's good-looking and all, but he doesn't deserve such volume of fans. At least si Angel Locsin (na I suppose ay kasing sikat niya, in terms of how much TV Ratings Power their TV starrers have), kahit papaano ay may acting talent.
*The $50,000(?) costume is impressive ah! But then again, alam kong medyo nagpalaki ng katawan si Richard (nasa Cosmopolitan yata siya, diba?), pero hindi pa obvious na hindi talaga ganoon ka-defined ang muscles niya? Gwapo si Richard Gutierrez kay Vic Sotto at Mark Bautista, pero at least alam nina Lastikman kung ano ang bagay sa kanila at hindi! Hehe. =p
So there, that's my 2 cents worth on CB. Nakakalungkot pero kung magka-square off between Teng and Clark, kahit Filipino si Teng, Clark na ko noh! No contest. Besides, at least Clark has decent surname. Teng 'Magtanggol'?! Anong nangyari sa magagaling na writers ng Encantadia at Etheria? Nasisante ba sila? =p It's sad that for a copycat, this show is having the lion's share of the ratings. Maybe because most of the GMA's loyal viewers don't watch Smallville, hehe.

Blogs Galore! 6

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PORSHE!

Actually, her birthday was yesterday, so I guess this post is a tad too late. But anyway, happy birthday pa rin! =) Well, I've already told you what I wanted to say for your birthday, I guess I won't to repeat it here. My wish for you is to finally forget Tiburcio -- because I feel that it keeps you from being happy with Pocholo, Jose Cuervo or even Gilbert or what-have-yous. Hehe! Sana ma-meet na ni Ms World ang kanyang Mr World. =p But then again, kapag hindi ka na single, mawawalan ka na ng time to hang out with us! Ayoko ko nga! For that, dapat lahat tayo single! Haha! Dapat maghintayan tayo. =p
Sana we get to properly celebrate your birthday when classes resume. Haaay. I really miss you guys! =p I can't wait to sing the Goldilocks song, hihi! =p Happy birthday little sister! =)

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JIGS!

After months of convincing, another friend of mine has started to regularly blog! Finally! =p It's funny actually, how I chanced upon his blog. It's over 3 weeks old already but I only learned about it around 3 days ago. Here, check it out. Bat kasi hindi pa sinabi, may pa secret secret ka pang nalalaman! =p
Ewan ko ba bakit ansaya ko na may blog na siya. Hehe. Maybe it's the fact that I actually know the person who writes the posts. I've known this guy since 2nd year high school, but it's amazing na dahil sa blog niya, mayroon pa akong nalalaman na bago sa kanya -- especially the things that he doesn't mention pag nagkikita kami! Hmpf! =p
Kung mapapansin niyo, siya ang laging nang-ookray sa akin sa mga comments niya. Nakakatuwa nga eh, we irritate each other all the time on purpose, and that's our idea of fun.
So there, Jigs welcome sa bloggosphere. Dalasan mo naman ang pagpopost mo! Naiinip ako eh! Haha! =p

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SM CITY CLARK

I went to the new SM City Clark yesterday. Wala lang, I just wanted to see how it looks like. So pagkatapos kong sunduin ang aking pamangkin na si Jasper sa Kumon lessons niya, dumiretso kami sa SM City Clark. Well, in fairness, maganda at malaki naman siya. But what I like the most about it is mayroon siyang GO NUTS DONUTS! Haha! It's the one and only store in Pampanga so far. Pero sabi nila it'll open another branch in front of AUF. Andaya, bakit ayaw nila mag-open sa San Fernando! So since andun na rin lang kami, Jasper and I bought a dozen donuts. Hehe! Noong una, a Box of 6 lang binili ko. Pero naisip ko, dumayo pa ako ng Clark para lang dito tapos paguwi ko ng bahay ay mauubos lang agad ang 6 pieces. So I bought another 6 so our whole household can enjoy!
Sarap talaga nung Pastillas na Stuffit! Gayunpaman, Cello's Doughnuts & Dips pa rin ako. Hehehe. =p

Nga pala, one weird but not-so-surpising thing I noticed about SM City Clark was that there were a lot of foreigners shopping around, especially Americans. Hehe. Half were with fellow Americans (siguro, buddy bonding) and half are with Filipinas (I guess you know what I mean). Haha!

One last thing, sophisticated-looking ang entrance sa mga sinehan - parang ansarap manood. Medyo kasi big deal para sa aking ang sinehan ng isang mall eh. Though hindi ako nakapasok, kasi lahat ng showing ay napanood ko na. Well, I can watch X-Men 3 again but I'm with Jasper, and we don't have enough money left, (naubos kasi sa Go Nuts!).

Blogs Galore! 5

GO KATHARINE!

Haha! I'm not giving up. Taylor may have been christened by Simon as the next American Idol and Dial Idol agrees,but I'm not losing hope! Geez, McPheever talaga. Haha! In fact, as I write this, I'm playing her shaky My Destiny single over and over again. Damn! This is so frustrating! =p To admit that Taylor seems to have the bigger following is already hard enough to accept, but the fact that I can't convince myself that he deserves it is so much harder! Haha! Guys, pardon my stupid shalllow rants, hehe. It's like Carrie vs Bo all over again. Th BIG difference? Last year, Simon Simon was on my side. Haha! Am I deaf? Because I can't seem to get why Taylor is such a great singer. Yeah, he can definitely sing. But I don't understand why Kath gets a lot of flak for 'screeching' samantalang singdalas niya pumiyok si Christian Bautista. (Okay, no offense to Christian, I love his music, but really, 4 times siya pumiyok sa concert niya dati sa Pampanga). Am I blind? I can't seem to see where the hell is his infamous charisma! Eh kamukha siya ng uncle ko eh! But of course, wala naman talaga siya panama kay Katharine sa looks. Pero naman! Eh kahit si Elliott na pangit eh mas gusto ko na! (Elliott is my 2nd bet). Sabagay, charisma is something you either see or not at all! Diba? Well, I guess I'd just have to accept the fact that at least I saw Katharine up until the Finale. At least, siya pa rin ang may pinakamaraming mp3s sa playlist ko (well, along with Taylor). And wow! Ang ganda niya sa 3rd song niya! Sheeet, kaka-inlove! =p Ang pinakamalungkot dito ay matatalo ako ni Daphne sa pustahan namin. I would have to buy her a Cadbury chocolate if and when Taylor wins. But still, Daphne, don't count your Cadbury's yet. Malakas ako kay Lord, haha! =p

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NEW BREED OF JOKES

Sa mga Unlimitxters diyan, I'm sure aware kayo sa recent epidemia ng corny knock-knock-like jokes na more than a week na rin natin tinitiis na tawanan sa kacornihan pero pilit naman nating ifinoforward! Haha! You know how it goes. Sa unang tingin ay 1 word lang makikita mo. The punchline is so far below in the text message. Eto ang ilan na sa mga natanggap ko. Enjoy! Or not. Warning: corny talaga ang iba!

Many --- Pacquiao! Pagbibintangan ka pa ng 'Slang ka pala no?'!
Few --- lo pascual! Bading na bading! Haha!
Denzel --- Weta!
Eminem --- Opi! As in Eminem Opi, Q R S, T U V, W X, Y and Z!
Asawa ni Mr. Bean? --- Abrila Bean!
Anchor --- Tis! In fairness, kagigising ko lang nang mabasa ko to at natawa talaga ako!
I've been --- Patrimonio!
Mail --- Tiangco!
'Yes' means --- Kurdi! Seriously, akala ko love quote! =)
Low waist --- Manzano!
Joel --- In The Palace! Nang maubusan na ng mga pangalan, Titles naman!
Hilda --- Hilda the world! Make it a better place! For you and for me and the entire human race! Pakshet! Naubusan naman ng mga names at tv shows, ngayon kanta naman! =p
Kamuning --- Kamuning get me get me get me! Baby I'm yours kamuning get me! I like this one best!
Tuwing --- Tuwingkol tuwingkol litol istar! Eto talaga ang may twang!
Below --- Belowtin mo akow ng hiwaga ng iyowng pagmamahal!
Lechon --- Lechon have a good time!
Usher --- Ushereje, ja deje, dejebe tudejebe de sebiunouva majabi an de bugui an de buididipi!
Tuna pie --- tuna pie! tuna limit, tuna wall! For a chance tuni win you i'n glanly risk it all! Ngongo!
Bobo ka! --- Bobo ka ang bolaklak, papasok ang reyna! I though this was one of those demeaning quotes tapos sasabihin na 'practice lang direk!'

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SMALLVILLE

I've been re-watching my Smallville collection for the past few days when I know nothing better to do. Since I don't have my Seasons 1 & 2 here at Pampanga, my Smallville reminiscing started in Season 3. Nostalgic nga eh. Wala lang, it's just that watching the slow and unsuccessful unfolding of Clark and Lana's love story is so frustrating! Haha! Too bad, sa Season 2 yata iyung favorite line ko from Chloe as she lies beside the sick sick Clark in the Kent living room: (forgot the exact words, pero mainly same meaning) I'll let you go for now, knowing you'll fly back to me someday... 'cause I think you're worth the wait... Awwww, diba? =p Tapos gagalaw si Clark na parang nanaginip and utters --- Lana? Waaaaa! Ansakeet! Haha! =p Anyway, sa panonood namin ng housemates ko sa Smallville, eh madami kaming nagugustuhan na mga songs na ginagamit sa series. Like one time, there was a very very mushy scene between Lana & Clark. Medyo romantic siya kasi sinasabi ni Lana kay Clark na lagi na lang andun si Clark to save her, bla bla bla. Then Avril Lavigne starts singing the first stanza of I'm With You in the background. And finally, when they hug, Avril belts out the chorus. At that time, new release pa lang dito sa Philippines ang song na iyon. Knowing Kuya Lang na medyo matanda na (haha!) at hindi forte ang mainstream pop music, he made a very funny blooper. He liked I'm With You when he watched the episode so he tried downloading the song sa Kazaa. Tapos hindi niya makita, hindi niya masearch, so he asked me for the title while I was watching it (kasi nauna niya ito mapanood) sa sarili kong PC.

Kuya Lang: Wexie! Ayan! Ano title ng kantang iyan? Di ko mahanap sa Kazaa eh..
Ako: I'm With You...
Kuya Lang: Pota! Kaya pala hindi ko makita eh!
Ako: Hmmm.. (smiling, expecting something funny) bakit? Ano ba akala mo?
Kuya Lang: 'Damned Cold Nights'...

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THIS DAY IN 2005: Hmm.. Nagreremovals ako sa Physics 103. @#&?*! I so hate this subject! Sa kabutihang palad ay naipasa ko naman siya. =p Pero hindi ang kasunod nito na Physics 104. 2nd take ko na niyan this coming sem, ahihi! =p

Blogs Galore! 4

This is my 48th post and the 4th of my Blogs Galore! series. It's actually an excuse on lack of better and more coherent things to blog about, ahehe!

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AMERICAN IDOL

Okay, in a few hours, it's going the be the Top 3 in American Idol. Geesh. I'm really all excited and all nervous. This is the thing about me, I get too attached to the people I watch on TV. I really feel affected if something happens to them, especially with singing contests like American Idol. For example, I was really upset that Aicelle lost Pinoy Pop Superstar. I don't really follow the show, because 1) it's on GMA 7 -- Kapamilya ako eh, ahihi!, 2) I don't like the contestants -- except for Aicelle though, damn! The girl has pipes! & 3) I don't like the way the show is produced! Anyway, Aicelle should've saved PPS from local singing contests oblivion. But alas, they chose Gerald over her. Too bad for them. Anyway, back to Idol stuff. So there, I hope and pray that Katharine McPhee and Elliott Yamin will outperform Taylor Hicks. Because if not, it's going to be a sad day for me on Thursday. There's a rumor that people from outside the US can connect through the voting phone lines but these votes would eventualy be cancelled because they can detect non-US votes through the area codes. How about trying to call on Taylor's lines so that it gets busy and US voters wouldn't be able to vote? Bwahaha! *Evil laugh!* See, sabi ko sa inyo eh. Baliw talaga ako pagdating sa mga ganito.. haha!

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TOP REQUESTS

I checked my blog monitor a while ago and I clicked the 'Top Requests' statistic. This indicator enables me to measure the efficiency of my indexing effort and to optimize it thanks to the queries which have been spontaneously used by the users in order to access my site. It also enables me to evaluate the rational behind the visits to my site. (Okay, I took the last two sentences from monitor, that's why it's so technical!). Out of 80 queries on search engines, more than 20 are Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition related! Looks like PBBTE is quite popular. Halos lahat tungkol kay Kim, Aldred, Jamilla and Gerald! Some of the queries indicate that these people are looking for pictures of the teen housemates! Sorry na lang, walang pics ang blog ko, hehe. Other query topics include Ma. Theresa Pangilinan (the CSU student who heckled PGMA during their graduation), MPIO FY600, Sitti's Para Sa Akin (must have came from my About Me content in my sidebar). Anyway, I have a few strange queries: epal exam blog, UP Diliman wushu, Filipino debutante speeches, pizza recipe, pinoy cellphone green jokes, tot, pampanga phonebook and (this really shocked me in a funny way) -- the buzz interview on james yap and kris aquino! Haha! Alam kong napanood ko ito pero I don't remember mentioning Kris Aquino and/or James Yap in one of my blogs. Did I? =p

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HALO SCAN / BLOGROLLING

As you can see, I have finally decided to use Haloscan's and Blogrolling services. Ewan, almost everyone else is using haloscan eh. Tapos, naaliw ako sa link list ni Rob. Kasi nakaindicate kung sinu-sino ang mga may bagong post. Haha! Gaya gaya talaga! Pasensya na, blog addict talaga ako. Medyo weird nga naman when one views my comments, sobrang out of place ang default blogger LAF. Ahehe. Well, it's not to say that my current Haloscan template is in tune with my main blog's colors and layout. Hindi ko pa siya masyado nakalikot. Give me time, medyo may mas importante akong kailangang gawin this week. In the first place, dapat 1 hour ago ko pa ginawa iyon! Pakshet! tapusin ko na nga itong post na ito! =p

Blogs Galore! 3

Gawin ko na ngang series ito! "Blogs Galore!" -- mga posts na halu-halo.. haha!

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MCPHEEVER

American Idol is now down to 4 Idols. Yikes, crunch time once again. This season is really unpredictable. Or is it because my favorite are not the top favorites? Hehe. Kasi last year, Carrie Underwood was my bet, and she never faced the danger of elimination. And she went on to win. Ngayon naman, hindi pa nakatungtong si Taylor Hicks sa bottom 3 or 2. But I have McPheever and I'm on the E-Train. Geesh, looks like my bets are the underdogs. While Elliott had 2 solid performances tonight, looks like Kath is in danger. Pero syempre as a fan, I still enjoyed her performances. Sheet, Dial Idol predicts her and Chris to be the bottom 2 pa naman! Fingers crossed til tomorrow na lang! Hindi ko yata matatanggap na matanggal ang ultimate bet ko. May pustahan pa man din kami ni Daph (Soul Patrol member siya). I hope that either Chris or Taylor gets the boot!

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KUYA ARGEL!!
(with Kapampangan content)

Happy Birthday Kuya Argel! 23 ka na! Jordan! Haha! Too bad I'm not there with you guys to celebrate this day with you. Bawi na ku mu next time, ne! Anyway, hope you had a magical day.
Kuya Argel is my roommate / orgmate / classmate. Nasa pics siya sa flickr badge ko sa sidebar. He's one of the most influential people in my college life -- I've learned so much from him. It still amazes me how this punk-ass dude and I became very good friends. Sobrang opposites kami! But despite the huge difference in our personalities, we managed to jive. He's one of my partners-in-crime in Aguman. Anyway, kuya, sobrang thanks keng egana-gana. Uhm, you and Ate Maan, never kayu mewala keng lele ku. Although physically, neng kayi mikakanlaut tamu, I really feel secured na jang ali tamu masyadu mikikit, we will always be almost brothers! =p

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FRESHIE

This week, it's UP Diliman's enrollment week for incoming freshmen. It's kinda nostalgic for me. This is the first time I'm not taking summer classes, so I'm not in the campus giving directions to confused and lost kids with their parents. It happens every year. Especially nung Math 54 ang sina-summer ko. Lagi akong may nakakasakay sa Toki na 'Manong, sa may OUR po.." O kaya naman habang naglalakad, "Excuse me, saan ang AS?" At since sa AS ang tambayan ng org ko, hinding hindi mawawala ang "Saan ang CR?" Duluhan (as in extreme ends of the building) kasi ang mga CR sa AS eh. Kapag nakita mo ang isa, say Men's CR, magtataka ka talaga bakit wala itong katabi na Women's CR. Well, hindi naman ako naiirita. Actually, it's nice to be of help. Syempre, alam ko rin kung ano feeling ng isang bagong salta sa Maynila, tapos ke-laki-laki pa ng campus no! Kahit sinamahan ako ng parent ko noong first time ko sa UP Diliman, lahat kami, bagong salta.
Sa mga bagong Isko at Iska, welcome sa UP Diliman! Masaya dito, promise.

Blogs Galore! 2

I have so many things in mind right now. Halu-halo! Nakasumpong na naman ang writer's block ko. I have so much to write about and yet, I can't find the right words to type or I'm not satisfied with my line of thought. Anyway, gawa na lang ako ng follow-up sa una kong post dati titled Blogs Galore!

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PBB TEEN EDITION

Asus, eto na naman, about PBBTE na naman! Wala lang, gusto ko lang i-announce na Aldredian and Kimian ako. Wahaha! Tuwang tuwa talaga ako kay Kim, lalu na nung kumanta siya ng Chinese song sa confession room. may action pa talaga siya. Tapos nakakatuwa rin reaction niya noong paglabas niya at nalaman niya na pinarinig ni Big Brother sa buong bahay ang boses niya. Parang ansarap niyang maging kapatid o kabarkada no? =)

Haay, nakaka-addict na to. Namimiss ko tuloy mga orgmates ko sa UP. Kapag pinapanood ko ang kulitan, asaran, tawanan at kung anu-ano pang kababawan sa bahay ni Kuya, naalala ko mga friends ko.

I really think that PBBTE is the edition that truly embodies the 'teleserye ng totoong buhay' thrust of PBB. Anyone will see a piece of themselves in each of the housemates. And what is happening inside the house so far are very much similar to what actually happens to the average Filipino (teenager). If you've been an avid viewer, you'll know what I mean. Pansinin niyo, lahat ng nangyayari sa bahay sa loob ng 4 na araw ay either nangyari na sa iyo or may kilala ka na napagdaan ang ganun. Diba?

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BUSTED BODY CLOCK

For the past five days, I've been trying to correct my busted body clock. It's so busted, that I feel like I am living in Saudi Arabia. It is shifted by up to 5 hours. Whenever I'm here at Pampanga (because when I'm at QC, it's a different story, syempre, may classes eh, may definite waking time ako), I'd still be awake til up to 5am, sometimes I even catch a glimpse of the first few sunrays of the day. Then I'd sleep til way past lunchtime (worst was 2pm). While the rest of the household is already having thier afternoon siesta, I'm just about to have 'breakfast'. Grabe, ewan ko ba, tuwing bakasyon, unti-unting nasisisira body clock ko. Nung sembreak (October 2005), kapag gising pa ako ng 2am, big deal na yun, kahit ano pang ginagawa ko, tinitigil ko na para matulog. Sus, ngayon, 2am, I'm just starting to do some thingies.
So since Monday, I've been disciplining myself to sleep early and wake up early. It worked for the first four days. Imagine, I woke up at 9am. It was a miracle indeed. But then last night, PBBTE Uplate was SO late it ended at 2.30am. My bedtime should've been 1am. Darn! So this morning, or should I say, this afternoon, I woke up at 12.50pm. So mamaya, por pabor, sana hindi masyado late ang PBBTE Uplate. Para makatulog ako ng maaga.

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DARN MEMORY CARD!

T***ina! Bigla ba namang nabura mga messages sa memory card ng cellphone ko!? Ewan ko kung ano nangyari. Basta nag-batt-empty siya (normal lang iyung, 1 bar na lang kasi siya pag-gising ko). Edi chinarge ko. Tapos pagbukas ko, bigla ko na lang na-realize na burado mga messages ko. At hindi lang siya System Error na ayaw lang ma-view ng mga messages. Kasi chineck ko ang memory usage at bigla na lang nagka-2MB na memory free. So it means, nabura talaga. Shet naman, twice na nangyari ito in a month. Last month kasi, I was forced to format the memory card. That means I have to erase 2 years worth of my best-kept messages / quotes from my friends.

Gusto ko sana itext nanay ko para sabihin na gusto ko na ng bagong phone, na since January ko pa inilalambing sa kanila. Kaya lang nahiya ako. Ikaw, masasabi mo ba sa parents mo na, "Pa, Ma, bili niyo naman ako ng bagong phone, kahit N70 lang.. sige na, please. Sira na kasi memory card ko eh.. Nabura na naman mga messages ko.." knowing that just recently, you've been a great disappointment? Pagtiyagaan mo na lang ulit yang memory card mo diba, you so don't deserve it eh. =(

Blogs Galore!

Arrrgh!!?! Nakakainis! Bakit naputol 'tong blog entry ko na ito? Nakalahati! Grrr... Anyway I'll try to write again what I wrote back in December (April 28 na kasi ngayon).

CoE197A Class

Kapapalit ko lang ng title ng blog ko kani-kanina lang. "Mga Blogs ng isang taong hindi naman madalas makapag-blog". O diba, akmang-akma na siya! Eh sa totoo naman eh. Andami nangyari sa akin noong November, pero ni isang blog about them wala akong naisulat. Ewan ko ba. May inspirasyon naman ako, may paghuhuugutan. Pero kapag kaharap ko na ang monitor at keyboard. Wala na ako masyado masabi. Pero kung naglalakad pauwi, or bago matulog, andami kong naiisip!

Therefore, lahat ng hindi ko nasulat dati, isusulat ko ngayon.
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PROBIE

Yup! Probie ako ngayon sa Eng'g. Para sa mga nakakakilala sa akin, this is something surprising. I'm not being cocky about it, pero siguro, sabihin na lang natin na hindi aakalain ng mga tao na mangyayari sa akin ito. I've failed a subject or two before but never in my dreams na ibabagsak ko ang 80% ng load ko. October pa alam ko na na mangyayari ito. Pero nag-sink in lang siya nung November, nung naging Dismissed ang status ko. Grabe, hindi ko alam ang ilalagay ko sa Letter of Appeal ko. Tipong alangan namang sabihin ko na 'ako'y tao lang, nagkakamali rin', haha!
At kamusta naman ang paghihintay ko sa result ng appeal ko? Agony of waiting talaga! Almost a week akong pabalik-balik sa Eng'g for at least three times a day. Kaya pala matagal ang result ko ay dahil na-misplace ang Readmittance Paper ko. Edi sana, 2 days lang akong kinabahan kung Eng'g pa ba ako hindi! Nakakainis talaga. The best talaga ang staff ng Eng'g Admin.

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EPAL

Epal. Ang lakas ng dating ng salitang ‘to no? Para ka na ring minura, pero hindi. Nasabihan kasi ako ng epal.

Geesh, ayoko nang balikan 'tong time na sinulat ko 'to. Basta, tinawag akong epal. Pero bati na kami ngayon. Diba, Ngot? Haha! Sabihin na lang natin na ginagawa ko lang ang sa tingin ko'y tama. I only had the best intentions, not for me, but for other people. But it backfired. Dapat talaga alam mo kung kailan ka makikialam at kung kailan hindi. Hindi dapat tinutulungan ang mga taong hindi naman humihungi ng tulong.

Pero masarap maging epal eh! =)

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Ayan, hindi ko na maalala ano title nung 3rd part ng blog na 'to. hmmm... Basta, it had something to do with 'everything happens for a reason'.
Kasi noong timeframe na ito (November-early December), marami akong naging problema, maraming nangyari na hindi masyado maganda. Tapos hindi ko alam kung bakit. I was so clueless as to what God wants to tell me with all the bad things that's been happening. Line of reasoning ko kasi, when something bad happens, there's a reason, there's a lesson to be learned. But in this case, I can't extract the meaningful lesson. For me, the hurt / pain was so unnecessary.


Arrrghhh! Nakakabanas talaga! Bakit kasi nabura 'ito! Siguro nung inedit ko dati ito, dun ko nabura... grrr. whatever. Wala na rin akong magagawa. hmmmpf!