Project FEETrail [Feb 2012]: Muddy Crocs + Filthy Havs

For my February 2012 FEETrail Project, my feet photo of the month:

My muddy crocs and his filthy havs. Crappy photos because I took this using my camera phone before the death-defying caterpillar ride at the local fair.

Though it was rainy and muddy, Kuya Stew and I went to UP Fair on a Friday to grab something to eat and to check the fuss. I thought it's going to be the last day of the week-long fair and since I will not go to Feb Fair on Valentine's day, I decided a re-sched is good to go.

Since it was his first time attending a University local fair, we had our photos taken at the photo booth (twice!), had Plato Wraps for dinner, walked around and checked out frat and sorority booths, checked the bazaar, rode the caterpillar and went to play darts and won a keychain. All in all we only spent Php290.00.

I had totally forgotten that I have this FEET Shot project until he reminded me on the same moment that his feet got stuck in the mud while trying to catch up with my walking. And because of that, the photo for this month goes to you!

And because today is The Leap Year, I am scheduling this post to be published TODAY!

Let's take a LEAP today! <3

Unofficially Yours Review by Unofficially Yours Truly

The most decent cinema moved 30 minutes of driving (15 minutes by a drag racer, jeepney driver in our case last weekend)  from me and yet I can’t manage to have the time to allot and see movies at the cinema.  When I come to think of it, the last movie that I saw was Twilight Breaking Dawn in Trinoma Mall last year. Bff got the tickets reserved so that we’ll have the best seats in the house (read: full frontal of Jacob’s abs).

Last weekend, out of spontaneity and in between running errands and buying necessities, my sister and Kuya Stew had the chance to watch a Pinoy local film: Unofficially Yours. My sister and I were plotting the ultimate checklist that he needs to do while in the Philippines (that deserves another post of its own) , we dragged him to watch a local Romantic Comedy eventhough there’s 50 percent chance that he wouldn’t understand the dialogues since it’s in Tagalog. ( Hey, Pinoys sing to Korean songs so let’s see if Brits can do the same with movies).

Warning: This contain spoilers, so if you are a die hard “lloydie” fan who haven’t watched the film, click the [X] part of your browser.

Movie: Unofficially Yours

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Characters: Commitment Phobic, modern day woman (Angel Locsin) and a squeaky clean, good romantic guys (John Lloyd Cruz)

Nutshell:

Hooked up on a one night stand, guy was ready to get back on his feet after a major break up by getting a new job as reporter and finally finding passion in writing only to find out that the girl he hooked up with turned out to be his trainer for the job.  They’ve been hooking up every now and then, relationsihp status undefined, no commitments and strings attached, but ended up getting hurt at some point until they had to sit down and try to talk about why can’t they define and give love a chance for someone’s fallen in love with the other...blah, blah, blah, the usual.

What to expect:

• Series of hook up scenes, I guess tastefully done in Pinoy conservative culture.
• John Lloyd (though I’m not a fan) makes sure your money is worth it by playing the character well.
• Some pretty good lines.
• Angel Locsin’s really good hair color (and she’s pretty in the movie)
• Angel Locisin’s fabulous pumps (sky-high heels).

What I didn’t expect:

• The lesbian roommate of John Lloyd’s character was disturbing in a certain sleep-walk get up.
• Patrick Garcia’s lame appearance (they could’ve picked someone better, but I guess,  they got Patrick since it’s a small role)
• Another character in Angel’s household that was not smoothly introduced ( Mom’s boyfriend? Cousin?)

What they could’ve done better:

• How they started hooking up again (how brave of John Lloyd's character to just literally jump and start kissing angel, knocking over the computers and stuff)
• Clarify what “accident” exactly that happened to Angel’s character during the stating of conflict.
• The ending of the story is realistic – though they could’ve ditched the duet song. (C’mon!)

What I liked best:

• How John Lloyd’s character/lines did not configure its way to traditional endings or expectations of what a man should do for his lady love. Run after Angel Locsin’s Singapore-bound character.
• How Angel Locsin’s character did not alter it’s plans of going to SG just because she already found love.
• Funny "Trasier" jump of Angel Locsin to John Lloyd Cruz when she congratulated him for a job well done.

Suggestions for a better ending:

Film could’ve shown them skype-ing and trying to make the relationship work and how it’s worth a try, blah, blah, blah.

Over-all rating: 

3 out 5. I could’ve waited for it to be shown on PBO or Cinema One, but hey, spontaneous nga eh! 

And believe it or not, my half-brit cousin Stew liked the movie and was able to totally understand it. He said that it's best to watch Pinoy films to get better understanding and he said he thinks he can learn Tagalog fast by watching these Tagalog films.

Prepare to watch the cheesy ones, Stew!

Can you keep a secret?

Over the past few days, I saw a couple of these ring bands worn by someone close to me:

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I was supposed to ask about it but I kept my mouth shut. Then after a few minutes, I was informed that they finally got hitched. Secretly. Up until the moment that I'm writing this post, both of their folks don't know yet, but yes, they are very much of legal age. ( That is also why this post is scheduled to be published in this blog at a random date).

It was done in a legal ceremony, with a couple of witnesses and from what the photos looked like, it appears spontaneous but it really wasn't.

I've worked with weddings before and I'd have to give it to them who were brave enough to skip all the drama and just went for it!

For the first time I did not ask what made her say yes ( and no, she's not pregnant) because I've always knew she might have found the one already. From the first time I met the beau, I liked him for my girl, from the random very pleased comments from the relatives even when they are out of earshot and from the time that I can see how he won the family over.

I think I finally know what it meant when they say - you'll just know. I'm keeping tabs on my two bets ( my 2 friends in their own relationships) and see if this feeling of mine is tue.

No one knows in our circle yet and I'm super honored that I'm the first one they told. I just found out that it takes 15 working days for a filled out/signed marriage certificate to be declared really official.

So... can you keep a secret?


So can I. :)

The most relaxed Valentine's week I had in years

Funny, I've been reading posts about single and those in a relationship people ranting about Valentine's Day. While almost everyone says that Valentine's Day is overrated, (which I think it is as well) what makes it even more over-rated is saying/declaring/posting/tweeting that it's over-rated (sometimes in a ranting style kind of way).

I don't have a date last week,  nor had any romantic plans. But this year is probably the most relaxed Feb 14 that I've had in years! Instead of having a so-called Valentine's Day, I had a Valentine's Week!

Feb 17, 2012 - Since it's UP's Feb Fair, on what I thought was the last day of the Fair, I went with my cousin even though it's raining to check out the University's Fair

I made him experience what "Pinoy Photobooth fad" is

We grabbed Plato Wraps for dinner, rode the caterpillar amusement ride, played bust the balloons and for 5 balloons popped, he won a cellphone accessory/key chain! 

When I went home at around 10pm, I got a text from Joy inviting me to go to the fair. Since I've only been there a few minutes ago, we decided to go the next day which is the last day of the fair and this time, we'll go with the guys.

Feb 18, 2012 - I went to the fair again, this time with my HS friends:

UPLB Feb Fair 2012

My guys friends bought that toy with lights thing that you shoot up in the air. Ellis bought it for Php20.00, then literally 30 seconds later,  another vendor approached us and was selling it for Php15.00 - LOL!

The guys couldn't figure it out and had to ask help from random kids playing the same toy:

Guys' Team Effort 

We feel like college kids:

We sat by the sidewalk and people-watched

After grabbing something to eat, we decided to hit the Fair's photo booth. And in a classic BMS+Blacksheep Fashion, it was again a death-defying experience just trying to look decent in the frame:

My friends become competitive whenever we're in photo booth.

Since it's a college fair, Joy and I decided to get henna tattoos. We got one before, years ago, when we went on a spontaneous trip to Tagaytay and now we want to try the colored henna tattoos.

Joy's ink (The one with more colors) : Php 300.00, Mine is Php100.  I had to hide this thing because I have a conference Friday next week in the city.

Around 11pm, we've seen the best of Feb fair. We've had cotton candies, Zagu shakes, had barbecue and bought some stuff at the bazaar. Then we do what we always do best: BE SPONTANEOUS!

We all hopped in Joy's car and drove to Tagaytay but ended up in Starbucks Paseo Sta. Rosa because we figured out that the Starbucks in Tagaytay would probably be closed by the time we arrive.

Went home past 3am. I was tired from laughing all throughout the night but I had a really great time! I really love spontaneous weekends with these guys. 

But do you really want to know what happened on the actual Valentine's Day?

I had work the entire day and went straight to my grad school class where we had a round table discussion with the founder/Mother of Development Communication in the country, Dr. Nora C. Quebral, Professor Emeritus.

We had a meet and greet with the Mother of Development Communication and she signed our purchased books!

Then I literally rushed home because I'm afraid to meet the "jejewave" on their way to the UP Fair. Plus, I really have to get up early the next day for my class trip (that I blogged here ).

In lieu of Valentine's dinner date, I played Temple Run and Fruit Ninja instead while waiting for my 2 Broke Girls and How I met your mother Valentine's episodes to finish downloading and watched it before calling it a day. :)

The key to having a relaxed Valentine's day when you're either single or in a relationship is to not to have expectations at all. But to those who inevitably stresses out about the Vday (I've been there), Relax, it's just a day. And I'd like to quote my friend Franco last Valentine's day when we were walking from the campus, after our class:

"They call it Valentine's, I call it Tuesday!"

The first time I was a Drag Queen

Was around six years old and draped with comforters and bed sheets as my gown, hair up held by a scrunchie and I was holding a round brush while belting out:

" And I.....e-ayyyy... will always...love you.....uuuuooooaaahhhh.... will always.... love you...whoooohoo!.."

I was performing in front my my (late) grandmother and she was applauding and laughing her heart out as I reach Whitney's highest notes in all my 6-year-old glory.


I was six. And I was fierce.


And boy, did I belt those tunes.


You see, I'm not really the kind who easily fall into bandwagons, especially the RIP bandwagons on twitter. When I learned that Whitney died, I went to look for Yahoo News right away. I did not tweet about Whitney. I was just shocked and kept on reading. I knew she became a junkie from way back and the last performance on TV that I watched was the time she was wearing white.

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As blogs, fashion designers and the gay community paid their respects via the social media, I sit quietly in front of the screen googling what might have happened. Is this another Amy Winehouse case scenario? I've never really considered my self as a Whitney fan because I've always been fond of Mariah Carey, but as soon as I got Whitney's Greatest Hits on my ipod, I never realized how this woman's song have been with me since childhood.

Some songs from the Greatest Hits Album:

Saving all my love for you – This is like one of my warm up songs in any videoke session that I get my self into. I fell in love with this song when I watched “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins”.

Greatest Love of All – I remember my sisters, Achi and Apy singing a duet of this song. This song is the song of a commercial that we love when we were kids.

I Have Nothing, I will always love you , Run to you – favorite Birit songs during videoke.

Exhale (Shoop Shoop) – I love how “Chill” this song is and how it perfectly fits my current state.

Count on Me (duet with Cece Williams) – one of the warmest and nicest MTV/song about friendship. I can still remember watching this video debut on MTV.

I believe in You and Me – I’ve always been smitten by the intro of this song.

It’s not right but it’s okay – I can still remember the move of her neck in this video, I don’t know whyyyy? This is one of the girl power songs that I found my self tapping my foot to (even when I couldn't relate at that time).

I’m Every woman, I wanna dance with somebody (who loves me) and Step by Step – songs that I feel like dancing to.

I also like another song but it's not with the album:

When you believe (duet with Mariah Carey) – this is memorable for me because I sang this in highschool with Mags Miranda – who’s got one of the best voices.

I listened to her greatest hits album and I got chills down my spine. Now, I’m feeling the loss. According to news she will be laid to rest in New Jersey this Saturday. 

RIP Whitney. You will be terribly missed.

Adele for Vogue March 2012 Cover

Thanks to Twitter for keeping me updated, real-time, with the Grammys yesterday while I’m stuck at work. I have learned that Adele won a total of 6 Grammy’s and my girl Taylor Swift won 2 grammy friends!

While my timeline was buzzing with grammy updates, grammy red carpet blogs, and jeje-wars between @jiritajackson of chuvaness.com and her “trolls”because she doesn’t like/get Adele, I too have quite a similar feeling towards Adele years ago.

While some celebrities were gushing how they love Adele, I find Adele OK but her music is amazing. I got into Adele when she first released her album, 19 . I was hooked on “Chasing Pavements” and downloaded the song only to find my self craving for more. I posted before asking anyone if they know Adele and her any other good songs and I got a response from a former colleague based back in US who recommended “Make you feel my love” (that’s when I found my wedding march song! Dibs! Haha!) while saying “ oh is Adele finally a trend back in PI?”

I didn’t know that Adele was a trend.

But now, after her second album 21, and after bagging 6 Grammy’s, Adele is definitely not a trend.  I know people who loves the songs “Rolling in the deep” and “Someone like you” and gushes that I should listen to the song, but my favorite is really the “Turning Tables”.

And it’s very timely that she’s the Cover Girl of Vogue. Thanks again to Twitter and the “new layout” that even if I wasn’t planning on reading stuff during the first hour of work, here I am blogging about Adele. She looks really good in this magazine, don’t you think? I love how her face-shot resembles those of Audrey Hepburn’s in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. 

All image source found  here

Congrats Adele! And as I write this entry today, I’ve already been hearing a whole lot of Adele songs. 

PLDT MyDSL's Anna Banana TVC

Have you seen PLDT MyDSL's Anna Banana TVC?

I saw it last Sunday night and I was intrigued. You know the first time I saw it I know that it's about PLDT myDSL ( taking notes from my Advertising Class that within 5 secs from the start of TVC product should immediately appear).

When the characters involved a mom watching a boy singing a song on YouTube, I knew it comes with some sort of values (again, as guided by rules of Advertising in the Philippines) and after watching it, I find the video very timely and it did strike home. ( At a different point.)

Here's the original/complete Anna Banana Song:

Anna Banna I love you a bunch... so kyooot! :) 

Happy Heart's Day everyone! <3

How to pick a Feel Good Song

Last month, during a stop over at a gas station on our way to the Beach, my friend Joy and I heard this song on the radio and she said "This song is my feel good song!"

"How can you say that it's your feel good song?" I asked.

She said that with no reason she just feels really good and it perks her up whenever she hears that song. Now that got me into thinking: "What is my feel good song?"

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You see, there is a big difference between a feel good song, vs your favorite song vs the current "IN" song.  A feel good song is timeless.  It is not a "current favorite", "not the happenin'" nor the "trendy".

Here's how I was able to determine mine:

1. It makes your heart skip a beat. For no reason at all and sometimes without you knowing it.
2. It literally makes you aware of the breath that you take.( Without you knowing it)
3. It warms your heart/chest. Like you had a good cup of coffee.
4. For some reason it makes you pause (whether short/long pause, it makes you take really good notice.
5. It transforms you in an instant and makes you feel good , for some inexplicable reasons.

So one time, when I had the chance to browse my iPod , out of 3027 songs ( I didn't listen to them one by one ha!) I managed to get my top feel good songs and from my target to come up with at least 10, I filtered them and came up with 7. ( I had quite a challenge of distinguishing between a favorite song vs a feel good song)

Here's my Feel Good Songs Playlist:

1. Don't Worry Baby - The Beach Boys
This song inspired me to come up with this post. I was at the office one day and this song came up like 3 times in that day and it made me really stop what I am doing and just listen to it. I wasn't even into The Beach Boys.

2. The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani fet. Akon
I was partying in Cebu when I first heard this song. It was during my first night and I was out with my girlfriends and their friends and the moment that I heard the "Whoohooo" of Akon in the song, I had to ask my friend what's the name of this song. My favorite line is " If I could escape and recreate a place as my own world, and I could be your favorite girl, forever, perfecly together, tell me boy now wouldn't that be sweet... If I could be sweet, I know I've been a real bad girl..." This song always reminds me of how really good I felt and how much fun I had in Cebu.

3. Unwritten - Natasha Beddingfield
I took a break in the middle of being stressed at work and during my 15minute break, I played this song at it instantly perked me up and recharged me.

4. You Stole My Heart Away - Big Mountain
I was with friend's car when  I heard this song and I asked her beau to turn it up. I felt really giddy upon hearing and felt like as if I am in love when I was not seeing anyone at that time. This song will make you fall in love with the idea of falling in love.

5. Sukob Na - 17:28 (Filipino/Tagalo Song)
I'm a sucker when it comes to rain and I heard this song years ago during a television station ID and it's all about having fun in the rain, cuddling, getting cozy, enjoying warm cup of coffee/hot chocolate, those things along those lines. This songs just makes me feel like staying in, sitting in the couch and just reading a good book while enjoying a hot chocolate while it rains outside.

6. Binibini - Brownman Revival (Filipino/Tagalo Song)
I was walking on my way to work when I first heard this song and I was running late. I did not have enough time to put make up on or fix my hair but when I heard this song, it made me feel like a muse. (Lakas lang maka-muse nito mga teh!)

7. Underneath it All - No Doubt
I heard it first when I watched 50 first dates song but a beach trip isn't complete without me hearing this song.


And the most important tip in picking a feel good song:
It should not make you relate to a person you are dating/in a relationship with because the "feel good vibe" will only be just because of that person. Again a feel good song is timeless and is brought upon by something inexplicable and must be really felt.

Now to put it to test, if you get yourself in a bad situation, put on your headphones and play it. If it makes you feel good despite of the negativity immersion, you will know that your playlist works!

Mine does. :)


P.S. 
My prayers were answered. My iPod is recuperating well and it's healing itself. )  Related story here 

Vacation is a state of mind

My cousin told me that one should always take on a “holiday” because other wise one will get sick (read: burn out).

I’m crimping on everything nowadays. I wanted to travel but my work and studies (naks) hinder me from doing so. I want to go to new places this year, but I have to keep up with my timeline. I don’t have the paid leaves that I used to have with my previous job but my work allows me to have flexible time that makes me never late, have option to work from home and still attend school mid-week. Not the slightest complaint will be heard from me. Time-wise.

These itchy feet that I have is itching to go to places to perhaps recharge. I like learning things from people and I love travelling with friends. But since I am on financial discipline, here are the things that I’ve learned where I can get a vacation without the cost of my arms and two legs:

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1)      DVD night with chips – you will never realize how much time flies until you have comfortably popped a DVD and flopped on your bed/couch/bean bag with chips and drinks within reach. I prefer the series. I used to watch Sex and the City, Desperate Housewives marathon and friends but now I am more into How I met your mother, Keeping up with the Kardashians and 2 Broke Girls.

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2)      Read a book in one sitting, undisturbed – my chick lit books have served a purpose and they have served me well. I find it personal when one plucks a book out of my shelf, it’s like getting my underwear and thinking of trying it on. And yet I like to look a people’s choice of books to see what books they are into. I love my chick lit books because they take me in situations that I will not be in. Call me silly but I feel like I can transport my self to the character’s life.

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3)      Totally disconnect from your phone, internet and various forms of social media – this is actually a huge factor. I actually found bliss in not knowing. I’ve been an online junkie and have been addicted to the net since I discovered how far the whole clicking can take me, but I’ve started to get sick of it since last year.

I’ve had long weekends where I did not really go out of town but just spent it with a special someone and felt super recharged when I came back to work. It felt like I flew myself elsewhere, time stopped and the rest did not matter. We just had coffee, played poker, had a few drinks and told stories. It was nothing extra ordinary but I felt I was out of this world.

But then again, I had another long weekend where I flew 750 miles by plane and immersed my self in a whole new cultural level only  to find myself itching to go back home.

So yes, I believe vacays are just a state of mind. 

Louis Vuitton Condoms

First thing in the morning, the moment I turn on my work PC, I go to Twitter first for the news totally ignoring the broadsheet paper delivered daily on my table.

I always check the top trending topic and guess what I saw today? LOUIS VUITTON CONDOMS?!

Tweetpic Source

Excerpts from the Hufftington Post Article:

Georgia Republic architect Irakli Kiziria has designed a Louis Vuitton condom, enveloped in the label's notorious brown packaging and adorned with what looks like raised lettering (for enhanced pleasure, we can only assume). The luxury rubbers are priced at $68 each, according to the "official" website.

In fact, Kiziria has no affiliation with the Louis Vuitton company and drafted the condoms in collaboration with Design Provocation as a design-project,according to the website. The team hoped to launch the product on World AIDS Day and donate the proceeds to amfAR, The Foundation For AIDS Research.

The LV rubbers comes in 12-packs of condoms and will not be sold in the official LV shops. So before you head out and google where you can get these... the condom project is still in the conceptual stage.

And if ever it comes to life, I guess you better NOT buy the knock offs because you surely don't want it to break! :)

The Grad School Diaries: Episode 1

Show me someone who thinks writing is easy and I’ll show you someone who’s never really been passionate about writing.

One of the MAIN reasons I went back to blogging is because I started my thesis season. I don’t think anyone could understand the pain of staring at a blank screen wishing for ideas to come.

I type words. Then I delete. I try again. Then I hit delete.

My hands are getting pretty tired of doing the same thing. I need my hands to work with me, it’s just that I don’t have anything good to write when I am under time pressure as of that moment. It doesn’t help that” 1) I am a mood writer 2) I am constrained to write academically. 3) I must write with a purpose of sounding very academical.

I started blogging again to get my self psyched in writing again, after taking a break in 2009.

I recently found out that there’s MS in Creative Writing in UP Diliman, up until now I am still thinking how did I find my self in Development Communication and minored in Development Management when my background was more of the Arts (Mass Communication) and my work experience had nothing to do with the 3rd world countries, except that we were highly outsourced.

Had I been in UP Diliman, these are the two things that I think I am sure of:

1)      I’m definitely living with my girlfriends who are my “breath of fresh air”.

2)      I have the privacy of my own room in the 3BR townhouse we’ll be sharing. ( I still think of what might have beens, knowing that “my room” there is still waiting for me)

3)      If I am in my thesis season, I’m probably zoned out and my creative juice and imagination is working non-stop.

4)      I’m definitely going to bleed for my  paper to be published. (Regardless if it’s a requirement)

5)      I have the perks of resetting my life and doing my own thing during my writing down time.

Don’t get me wrong. I will be forever grateful to the DevCom community who welcomed me with open arms. I can still remember the look on my face when I got my acceptance letter tagging me as a regular student, and that I can enroll right away. Quitting my job has never been this easy, even if I know that I will have to give up my hard-earned freedom.  Graduate School is something that I will never regret.

But man, It sometimes take a toll on me. It is only in Graduate School that I’ve experience back pains due to staring too much on the computer, reading hell lot of jargon ( English naman to, at naging English Trainer pa ako but why the hell I couldn’t understand what this sentence means?!). And yes, I came to a point na I was running on high fever while presenting a paper. My mind gets more exercise than my body. If all this thinking makes one fit, eh super fit na ako to join Survivor Philippines!

 

It’s only in Graduate School that I really matured (feeling ko) and started to really be grounded and deeply humbled. Only in Graduate School that I learned to give difficult people credit and met such really good friends  that I know I will have forever. Only in Grad School that I met friends that I’ve known for less than a year but it felt like we have known each other forever. It’s only in grad school din that I really have watched how people come and go, and at the end of the day, it’s not a workplace fighting for promotion, it’s not undergraduate studies competing for a LAUDE position, because the hardest battle is really the one with your self.

I’m down to my last 7 units of my MS degree this semester, and I don’t know if I made a wrong move by working while studying, but I’m really crossing my fingers to pull everything through.  It’s so hard to find that Thesis-Writing Vibe. Like right now, I’m supposed to be working on my thesis but little did I know all this typing have made a whole new blog entry.  I don’t know how people do it, but if you happen to be one of those Amazing Grad School People who can multi-task work, family and thesis/dissertation, without losing your sense of balance, please let me know how. 

Dear iPod, Please don't die on me... yet.

Dear iPod,

I've had you for three years already. I never realized you've been with me for three years and yet you still have 49G ready for occupancy. I was talking to my friend Karen today, and I can still remember the day that I bought you. It was lunch hour and I've just taken off work. I saw you, the last piece, and you're the only one in your generation that 160G. The rest were 120G and I saw you there...waiting for me.

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And I went to the nearest cellular phone shop and this guy gave me a really good deal. For Php500, He would fill up the 20G of my ipod just so I would’nt go home lonely. I don’t have my laptop and at that time and I still don’t know how to transfer to iTunes. I just trusted the guy to take care of the contents for me. He filled it up with songs, songs that I listen to and songs that I think I will listen to in the future. He also added some movies that I will like and he asked me if I want to have one tagalog movie. He gave me “One More Chance” movie of John Lloyd and Bea that backfired on my friend Mina when she was browsing my playlist when she was left alone in my apartment.

Because of the really good deal, I can find songs in my iPod that I didn't think that I have, like those of Oasis and other bands.  I could not really call my self a Music Lover, though I appreciate listening to various kinds. I used to have a boyfriend do all the downloading for me, google the song for me, and patiently wait for the movies to finish downloading just so I can watch the movies in my iPod.

And when we broke up, I had to learn  to create a decent playlist in my iPod. It was the Best Break Up songs playlist – all with the theme of not wanting to get back together – and Boy, did it kept me company when I was riding the train.

When I took up graduate school studies and found my self waiting for enormously long hours for professors during my first semester, my iPod was there with me, entertaining me with movies that I’ve eventually learned to download myself. When I will be in an unknown area, my iPod is sure to provide me entertainment so that I will never be bored.

My iPod have saved me and kept me from pestering strangers striking up a conversation when I really want to be alone, when I don’t want to hear my own thoughts, and even though that 160G iPod classic is bulky, I take it with me when I jog around the campus. I have a “Werq it” playlist that go with it.

I’ve lost it’s original earphones and have found some cute earphones, until my sister got my my Hed Kandi Headphones that went well with my iPod. I had to get a separate pouch for my Hed Kandi and iPod just so they would be kept safe in my bag.

I have a relationship with this ipod.

 Just when I finally learned to convert movies and series to mp4 with a really cool software that’s when it starts to act up. I realized I’ve lost the photos stored in it (no big deal). But now, iTunes won’t open up when it’s plugged in, iTunes won’t open manually when my iPod is plugged in. When I drag my new mp4 files to my opened/recognized iTunes in my laptop, it just says LINK, and “won’t drop/copy” when I was able to successfully do it with the other previous files that I’ve transferred minutes ago . I know the files converted is working because I just transferred it to my Achi’s iTouch so I know those files work.

Few weeks ago, my friend Joy showed me her old iPod that she broke. She literally opened the hardware and showed me what it looks like on the inside. She tells me to take a look so that I will know what an iPod internally looks like. My iPod still plays music, it is still charging but I am just having such a hassle with the iTunes part.

Shucks, I am not ready to part with this iPod.  Yes, I did the reset and the other things that I googled. So if anyone in the universe who know a lot about iPods might come across with this post... Please help me. 

Project FEETrail: Introduzione

My cousin told me why not blog about feet in the Philippines because he believes Filipinas have the best feet. ( My cousin's British).

I didn't realize I've been taking many feet shots until I finally tried to clean up my hard drive. I had forgotten to take feet shots when I was out of the country or in another place because I wasn't doing it on purpose. 

I don't have the best feet, but I like taking photos of where I am standing to remind my self of what "state" I am in and where I've been.

Here are some of the pics I've recovered ( I don't know where I saved the others): 

November 2008, Jupiter Street, Makati with my good friend Gino. Gino and I were lost somewhere in Makati and we're scheduled to meet our American clients for dinner. 

February 2009 - Feelin Boracay's powder-like sand with my cousin. My first time in Boracay and I  really don't want to go home after having been there. 

Team Chucks. (okay these are shoes but still...)  May 2009 at Crystal Beach Attic, San Narciso, Zambales. I was with Karen and her then beau and this is after we went surfing.

Ready for me, February?

Blogging this month of last year was the easiest because all I had to do is think of things that I love and blog about them. Next thing I know, I was controlling my self from too much blogging and just chose the one’s that I like to put up in cyberspace.  You know, when February comes to mind, we immediately jump to the 14th, which is (as if you don’t know) Valentines’s day.

When we were kids, my sister and I look forward to Valentine’s day because we always get that heart-shaped cake from mom.  This was before the famous heart shaped chocolate cake from Mernel’s cake house in Los Banos Laguna was even born to life. I don’t know where she had it made but we were excited getting Valentine cakes, especially me most especially for two major reasons: 1) it’s from my mom and 2) it’s chocolate!

Source

I spent Valentine’s last year with my friends in grad school. I didn’t know that the Valentine’s Day fever in UPLB is sooooper exaggerated! We were initially planning to go the UP fair but little did we know that a whole wave of jejemons have the same idea, so we just wined and dined at  a friend’s house while cyber stalking our past boylets and had an accidental sleepover.

It was nice, fun and intimate. We were only 3.

I’m used spending Valentine’s day in Manila, it usually consists of getting drunk, giving cards to get teased, usually drink, shop, but it was never really the mushy kind. I had my own share of spending the Vday with my then boyfriend, lakas lang maka-pressure to do something nice when you’re with someone.

This year since it’s going to be different, I really made sure to be doing something about that Vday. I have work from 8-5, then I will be driving like a maniac to my college building to attend my  grad school class to make it by 5:30.  And come Feb 15th I will be on a class field trip so no point in getting drunk on Vday since I have to be up and early to do field work in the city the very next day.  Last year I was really amused on twitter about celebrities twitpic-ing OA Valentine’s day promos. I actually enjoyed IC Mendoza’s twitpic collection of OA Valentine promos that I ended up twitpic-ing  something so that I can contribute to his “OA Valentines Bandwagon” and he retweeted it! J

Here are the things that I know I will surely see on Valentine’s day. NO FAIL:

1.      Shape of hearts – in every restaurant, bookstore, shops, malls, etc.

2.      Flowers – holding them, carrying them, smelling them, selling them, delivering them, etc.

3.      Bears – being held or delivered, being sold or bought.

4.      Valentine Promos – I remember twitpic-ing IC Mendoza about the buy 1 take 1 1.5 Coca-cola litro as Valentine’s day promo.

5.      Chocolates – do I need to say more?

So yes, besides Christmas shopping, I’d say Valentines is probably one of the most stressful event in a year. But looking back, I think my most memorable (if not a number of bests) Valentine’s days always had something to do with family.

I'm buckling up my seat belt this month because I fell off my NY resolutions last month due to sickness, but I'm pushing my self back on track. Ready, February?