badass happy dancing

i never realized how things can take an instant turnaround when the going gets fun. :)

last night was a sudden gush of happiness to hearts in despair, presenting a beacon of light to those who have experienced the worst. and, just like magic, everybody made happy dancing sooooo badass the floor was burned everytime we hit it with our grooves. :)

thank you, merry christmas, happy new year, and everything else. cheers to a great eleven-oh! :)

scratch that

I SPOKE TOO SOON.

i am royally pissed at one being. add to that the fact that everything has not been going swell for the past few hours. i am fuming mad.

go enjoy your "real" friends. good riddance.

amber is the color of my energy

i'm sooooooo excited! :)

i'm finally going to be able to see my barx again. after 10 million years, we shall reunite! :) awww. i miss you all. at least we will be able to spend some part of christmas together. PLUS, we'll do it in 2 days! :D though we may not be exactly complete during those days, at least there's progress. and at least we're together. aww. i missed them freakazoids. :)


back in 2004, post- grad practice! :)

 i'll see you later, crazies! :)

rekindling kid love :)

i remember vividly how i pestered my mom to get me pink-lined lisa simpson sneakers when i was younger. i tried looking it up online, to no avail. this is the best shoe i saw of the crazy family i love to bits. :)

my lisa simpson pair was much simpler, though. it was plain white with random pink details and pink soles. plus, on the outer side of each shoe, she was playing her saxophone and making bad-ass music [at least i believe so]. :D

i remember wanting to use that pair until it was SOOO worn-out and all dirty and gross. well, not really. just when it almost reached that point. heehee. but it's ubercool nonetheless. :D

soooo. lisa simpson was one of my chilhood heroines. she was cool then, and she still IS now. :)

i just realized that i've been really showing how much i love these guys, even when i'm at work. why? because even my batchmates see me browse through pages upon pages of their material, and i stuff my hard drive with things related to them. but this guy ruined my prowess:

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon

and i will forever despise his Quik-E-Mart-dwelling ass because of that. HAHAHA :))

i would've guessed it if it had been one of the aunts, considering a gesture depicting big hair was made. it would've been gravy picking between selma and patty. LOL. in whichever case, though, i would go for selma as a charade answer. heehee. :))
    

                                       

                      Patty Bouvier                                                                            Selma Bouvier



see the bigger hair? that big-hair-act seemed SOOO selma. haha. oh well. what's done is done. let's get over it already. heehee. :))

anyhoo, i love how kids can be kids. hence, exhibits A and B:

        

ooh, how i love being a kid. ;)

testing every ounce of my patience

people seem to think it's april. everybody wants to test all i have.

just when i've gotten over my nimbus day, another dark cloud comes. SHEEEEEESH. do i look like a joke? it's beginning to offend me already.

so i guess it'll be a quiet day today. Merry Christmas to me.

my post-christmas grown-up self

yes, i know it's a little bit too late for this. but hey, the holiday just ended and everything's going well [for me, that is].

be grateful that you don't have everything you want. that means, you have the opportunity to be happier tomorrow than you are today. :)

2:58 am

that effing phone wouldn't stop ringing at 2:58 am. and when i finally got up to answer it, IT STOPPED.

somebody gag me now please.

and i've been up since. enough to [1] finally get sooooo bored with tapfish, tapzoo, coin frenzy and all the other games on my mom's iPad; [2] toss and turn in bed, while turning the fan off and then on and then off and then on again because it would be chilly and then i'd feel warm and then it gets chilly again and then i feel warm again *sheesh!!!,* and; [3] enough to find out that my parents aren't home yet.

wow. nightouts. :) heehee. though it's my brother's thing they were supervising, i would think they'd just go home and have the crew take over. but no. oh well. at least now they're home, sound asleep and getting the rest they very much deserve.

i had a rollercoaster day today. i was initially ecstatic because i had finally attended at least one simbang gabi for this year--though anticipated--and the added bonus of a fruteez hour and a half instantly made my evening. :) i didn't care it was raining--nothing could ruin my day. and then i knew i thought wrong. a slight twist of fate dampened my elated spirits and kicked my happy place's sorry ass.

of course, the discontinued sojourn cleared my nimbus mood, primarily because i was allowed to breathe and let the bad vibes go. but, of course, what helped the most was the extensive walking and my kiddie treat for myself-- mcdonald's chicken and spaghetti :)

i seriously forgot about that when i was too concerned about growing up. and now that i randomly return to it, i re-appreciate the simple joys i had as a kid. which is exactly what i did last night. :)

and it's half past 6 now. i need to recharge before later's shift--and fast.

bad vibes, begone! :)

when everything gets crappy

we are prohibited to speak...

... and we laugh our brains out.

copycatism gone professional

start-start, op-mac.

yes. you may have read it, but i'm sure you don't get it. i am a professional copycat.

struc-struc.

though it may creep you out to think so, sadly, it's exactly what i do. and i don't do it just because i want to, i do it because it's what my present commitment calls for. and just to make things saucier, there're a couple of things you have to edit when you start parroting minutes upon minutes of hullabaloo and seemingly nonsensical banter.

peerko, par-par.

lead-mac. [here we go.]

as depressing as everything gets [comma] it's apparently normal to fail like we've been doing so far [peerko] but the actual experience of failing is excruciating [comma] and ego [hyphen] shattering moments are really rampant though we despise the genuine feeling of it [peerko]

[par-par]

to cut to the chase [comma] what we really need to learn is the eternal [comma] bright [hyphen] and [hyphen] shiny place we call detachment [peerko] suffice to say that i [comma] compared to most people [comma] find that difficult to achieve [peerko]

[par-par]

in the greater scheme of things [comma] i would think of detachment as gravy [peerko] this time [comma] however [comma] i just feel new beginnings should be spent with a sense of achievement and further regard for personal growth [peerko] and [comma] as an authentic advocate of personal growth myself [comma] i would think a good start is the way to go [peerko]

[par-par]

as with a number of instances [comma] i thought wrong [peerko] ostensibly unaffected by a string of unfortunate events [comma] i make sure i do things right the next time [peerko] but everything else will not cooperate [comma] and that makes me crash momentarily [peerko] i hate to see everyone around me completely adjust to the annoying mood swing i suddenly don [comma] but it takes some getting used to and i can't stay icy [hyphen] cool forever [peerko]

[par-par]

we all have our moments [comma] you know [peerko]

[par-par]

so here's to the entire voicewriting batch's survival [comma] everyone [comma] keep their sanities screwed in [peerko] i guess i just have to let go of the desire to always be in top shape because [comma] sometimes [comma] failing is not NOT an option [peerko]

[par-par]

on that note [comma] let me end this reverie by quoting a reality i have recently discovered from the lives of them Brits [colon]

because somehow [comma] no matter how much we try to prevent it [comma] we will get to the breaking points of our good days [peerko] and when you think about it [comma] it's not about what happened [peerko] in the long run [comma] it boils down to how you deal with it [peerko]

[par-par]

so yes [comma] Keep Calm and Carry On [peerko] :D

[par-par] [op-mac]

thank you [peerko] ladies and gentlemen [comma] this concludes today's conference [peerko] you may disconnect your lines at this time [peerko] thank you for your participation [peerko]

new blood

life's been seriously telling me that the change i finally thrust myself into is good. and it's something i completely see myself doing-- maybe not everyday, but it's something i choose to do --for a long period of time, at least.

the inadequacy of it all poses a bigger challenge to most people, especially to me. just because it's not going to be fun if you actually suck at it. ;p

we've had quite a number of notable moments in the fast-tracked world we're desperately trying to survive in. in most cases, we amuse ourselves and play the eternal games training will allow you to do-- taboo, charades and/or pictionary. and, of course, in the midst of all that "hard work," we make sure we spend time loosening up our brain waves. hence, exhibit A:

Francis tries out ACTUALLY using the microphone.

of course, Exhibit A fails. and so in the greater scheme of things, we just pretend he's using the microphone and bask in the megaphone-ness of his voice. HAHAHA.

and then, because we refuse to just watch, OF COURSE, we do Exhibit B:

The girls minus Shen

and the rest, as they say, is history. :)

new blood 2.0

to make things more interesting, there are those events in life you just can't live without, like birthdays. :) primarily because... had you not been born, you wouldn't need one of these. heehee :)

so, to make our ailing [girl pains, helloooo.] trainer's day bright and shiny--and teary. LOL--we loving folks schemed away and came up with these babies:

since we had only a few hours to get things done, naturally, we got resourceful and used office paraphernalia essentials to make things--erm--present-worthy. :)

colored newsprint c/o manong guard and ate from the pantry, brown card-ish thing from 7eleven [which was actually the back of one long brown envelope], magic tape and colored pens from rhea herself [HAHA]. 

• "card" cover design and message courtesy of yours truly
• caricatures [will post photo later] by francis
• flowers made by erwin
• box and movable bird origami-fied by ray
• box assembly and final touches by joth

kudos to the team for a job well done! :D

and then everybody got transformed into bite-size creations and looked like this:

it's kind of alarming, though, that my face is as wide as my hips here. boooo. HAHAHA. :)) but still. that's reason enough to go on and keep moving so it doesn't actually happen. LOL.

that's VW Batch 12 for you :)

like a duck

contrary to popular belief, it's been ubercrazy for me these past few weeks.

it's been a TOTAL rollercoaster ride since i decided to turn my life around. day by day, as i realize the completion of every single task i decide to accomplish, my insides churn and i step onto the stage to face the music.

but, times have proved that it is never just THAT. everything is fleeting, and so is what will happen shortly after one thing is done.

and so, in the brink of yet another life-altering transition, i find myself scurrying away from everything normal. my feet paddle frantically under the impossibly murky water i dove into. and i won't be stopping anytime soon.


i make it a point to hide my panic button moments beneath my smiles and deal with the present. problem is, though it may seem as if i'm good and all that shizzle, my mind goes into overdrive and i am left with advancing thoughts of life and things about it. so bad that when i try to fence it in, the more it seeps out of my entirety.


and now, above all things, i believe i have created my frustrations.

but still, life is good to me [nerves much?!]. though i get disheartening times, it gives me back random rays of light, telling me that it isn't so bad after all. now, what i just have to do is bank on those rays to make things feel right.

right. that's it. :)

so, i'll hibernate to be up for the long haul, and i'll see you on the flipside. like i said, "Patience. There is a plan. :)"

unsurmountable pressure

this past week has proven that no matter how much you've been putting up with, you'll still be given more to digest... on an hourly basis. to make it more eventful even more unforgiving, i've seemingly been stuck in varying situations where i had to make painful choices.

consultations here, vocal drills there, sanity everywhere.

but at the end of the day, i still find myself at peace, satisfied with what i've accomplished so far. it may not be much, but, hey, there's progress. and that's what counts. ;)

i had a minute-long depressive melancholic state last night, having arrived at an empty house after having left with the exact same scenario. my best friends turned out to be the iPad and the massage chair, comforting me for a good 30 minutes until it was time for me to move on.

good thing i had some things to attend to. that, along with things in my head, distracted me from the continuous buzz mounting pressure was bothering me with. so it was another task checked and another shudder regulated. so far, so good.

and then came the excruciating truth--i still had friends on the brink of falling out and realizing actual life. i shared a fairly balanced parody to my burned-out colleagues, and made notes on major restructuring that needs to be done. *sigh* it came as unbelievable as anything could be, but, as i say, i've lifted everything up already to Him. :)

for anything else, i pray so hard that things will take a turn for the better and that life will bully me less. then again, every development is a big step already for me.

changing seasons

it's very easy to make me trust people. acquaintances can turn into genuine friends in a matter of days, even hours. i share my world to everyone, whoever wants to be, in a way or another, part of it, in the hopes of getting back equal parts of the same authenticity i've shown.

i almost always give the benefit of the doubt, whenever possible, because i believe people are, in truth, actually good. i forget the meanness and shortcomings and understand as much as i can.

when you cross anyone i love, though, things will be different. i can doubt as easy as i have given all my trust. i can shut you out from the world i willingly let you become a part of. i can do a lot of other things. you may not care, fine, but you don't get to be the same friend you once were to me.

though it may be sad for me to possibly lose another being i once felt could be a part of my world until age wears me down, i would gladly take that step to ensure my actual friends get what they deserve. and nobody gets to decide what's good for them without taking their feelings into consideration.

at the end of the day, i hope you just make the people i love happy. turn that into your happiness so growth can be achieved together. as long as i see my friends truly happy, i know i'll be okay.

*sigh*

hodgepodge

just because i had to celebrate, it was a very special coincidence on that fateful November 3rd that noc was on sem break and that i was basically in the same area. after everything harassing that's been bludgeoning me with those days, it was a definite praise-the-Lord moment and i knew i still had friends i could count on when i needed them. i don't have to do all the fixing, after all. *sniff*

after another harassing 60-effing-peso-ice cream moment, noc arrived and we were on our way. being the indecisive spontaneous roadtrippers that we truly are, it took us a whole lot of gas burnt and too funny stories before we settled on Qualing's in some place i've never been [noc's the real ortigas girl, after all].

because it suddenly rained, we had no choice but to seek refuge in that quaint little restaurant until the skies cleared. no worries, though, because we had all the time to bond/chill/drink and whatnot before we further went on our way.

because it was so random, our stories were punctuated with thoughts on what we would do to ACTUALLY kill time. and because eating [again! ugh.] is not an option, movietime was the obvious decision. but after then came the painful question: galleria, mega, shang or podium? :o

because galleria was scrapped [we'd rather not relive paulinian-ness right now, thank you.] and shang was frowned upon ['twas one of noc's daily haunts. lol.], we went to podium to park and checked out the theaters... to no avail. sadly, the movies weren't worth watching, and i'd already watched the only thing worth watching that was showing in that mall--the social network. so we walked to mega to get inspired, in the hopes of actually being able to watch. but NO.

ooey gooey spicy goodness :D

and because mega's cinemas had fail written all over it as well, we dropped the search and booksale-d our hearts out. :D bonding over books not such a bad idea :) and, of course, we just had to enter EGG and see how much it's changed since high school. :D HAHA change it sure did. ;) we left and we didn't get too far along the mallside before noc salivated for Jamaican Patties. of course, i also had to get one for myself. heehee ;)

and as if my pinatubo pattie wasn't hot enough [because, REALLY, it was not spicy. AT ALL.], i took one squeeze bottle of hot sauce and piled the sauce high on every bite of my pattie. :) *and i just found out yesterday evening that the sauce is named SUNSHINE, and is actually found in virtually any grocery anywhere. cost? 41 effing pesos. :) so i shall be hoarding soon ;)*

...and i finished the bottle's very little contents. heehee *blush*

Last-minute chill at Central Pioneer

post-snack, we walked back to podium to get the car and almost headed home when we decided to check out the secluded chill place i had told her about--Central. i knew we wouldn't be able to leave without having tried anything from there, so we brought our purses--just in case. and we stayed for the rest of the night before i headed back home.

and just because i had to celebrate, i was glad i found my happy time that day. no episodal bouts or whatever, just good, clean fun with a good friend from marian camp-in days and heart attack card games. i sooo miss my high school barx. :(

i wouldn't forget as well that we had faith in mind all day, because we were celebrating her birthday as well on behalf of the barx. it's been years, hun, i hope we see you again soon. i await the day when the barx will be complete again. :)

thanks for the celebration-slash-chill, noc! :)

301206, Barx Tagaytay Roadtrip

Barx Birthday Surprise for moi! :D [Feb 2007]

*proud* :)

NGAYONG PASKO, MAGNININGNING ANG PILIPINO: THE 2010 ABS-CBN CHRISTMAS STATION ID

The Kapamilya Christmas station ID for 2010 features the UST Singers! :D

I miss you all, I'm sooo proud of everyone! *snaps!!!*

celebrations! :)

allow me to greet myself: Happy 5th Anniversary! :D

my first day was actually october 5th, but my official 1st day of membership is november 3rd. 2005. :) so, because i was still up at an ungodly hour, i did this:

      

yes, it was almost all one angle. don't care. :D sooo... Happy Birthday to Faith as well! :) we miss you suuuuper, love! come home soon so we can party already. lol.

funny.

well, i was supposed to muse on lia's homecoming, but then, i found this pretty thing:

yes, it might be dilapidated and crazy, but it's my 2005-- journal. :) of course, i had to skim through it first. and my college life flashed before my very eyes. lol. now, let's see some notable dates:

• 09 september 2005, friday: i stated "ust singers free concert :(" and then i added with a different pen: "choral recess..."

apparently, this day was also the general assembly day for the science glee club [i had JUST gotten in then], and kuya fonzy brought me to their reception table to secure a form and register for auditions. i remember brushing with a pokerface ate bing and retorting that this alleged group did not even accept me for training the last time. and then i laughed. 

•  20 september 2005, tuesday: i stated "kuya vernie's text [on auds]"

hello, chills. so the schedule was on thursday, and my newly-sealed membership with the other group hung in the balance. :o

• 22 september 2005, thursday: i stated: "gc reh: sick- ape'. auds: AS :) [saw ate rina :)]. lalake! :|. sick day... :|"

i clearly remember this day. gc conductor was out sick, so the core group head naturally took over. i had just finished lab class then [at 7pm], and i was due in 2 places: at the 3rd floor reh room and at the conservatory building. about 3 minutes after i had put down my school stuff, i took my black envelope and a few other paraphernalia and had myself excused. library, i mentioned. i had to quickly drop by and get something done.

of course, that was a diversion. i went there, yes, but i didn't go in. and that was AFTER i did what i scheduled first-- drop by the music building and get my gut torn out of my system.

earlier that afternoon, i texted my brother and asked for a 'good luck,' of course, without telling him exactly what i was going to do. and then, his only reply was, "o, goodluck. :)" wow. i didn't understand why that made me even more freaked out. ANYHOO.

first things first, i had to notify kuya vernie that i was on my way. just so i won't stand outside like some lame lunatic waiting for the world to heed my call. and then, i was heard.

while walking, i was still double-thinking what i would do, so i kept on skimming my folder for the more serious pieces i could give a rendition of. both mind and heart racing, though, i willed my head to get a grip as i was nearing the room of doom. knowing i already failed once, i went, 'what the hell' and went on my way. i would rather sing something elementary and do it less painfully than majorly eff up with a more credible song. as soon as i got there, though, my heart failed me again until it was time to go in.

there they were, in a semicircle, staring silently and seemingly mocking my every being.

AH, THIS IS THE LIFE. :-\

though the conductor had a friendly tone [or at least i think he did at that time], i felt he was stern and wouldn't take crap from anybody. of course, given that i had done this twice before already [both 1st and 2nd screening], another 'what the hell' did the trick.

and so i sang.

of course, given that i was not feeling well and COMPLETELY nervous at that time, i didn't expect myself to favor well. but i wanted to, because i couldn't afford to get my ass kicked AGAIN in front of these people who i felt wanted to eat me alive. and so i did my 2 songs, vibrato-clad [don't be fooled, it was because my insides were literally SHAKING. lol.], and with a little more than slight discomfort, compliments of mr.colds.

[1] now that i have you. suuuuper transposed to a lower key, so my voice wouldn't give and i can do a fairly okay rendition from down below. lol. [2] i will. in this song, though transposed to a lower key as well, i found myself stumbling with the lyrics and the entire choir just burst into song. lol. extremely funny moment, it was like lindsay lohan and the plastics in jingle bell rock. HARHARHAR. and there you have it. one part down.

i don't exactly remember what came first, this or the interview, but both definitely happened. the same basics were asked, and one even remembered me from the previous year's audition [ate chich]. :) and so i was interviewed. and i guess it went well, because i know i'm not scared of interviews. it's the singing part i'm actually more anxious about. HAHA.

vocalization was crazy|beautiful, just because i was called a "man," and this meant at least something. sir had already felt he knew how high up i could go, so he went for my lower registers. he kept on saying "isa nalang" [one more] as we went further down to the lower notes, and at some point in the lowness of it all, one of the members retorted, "LALAKE!," and the choir laughed. and so, just after the vocalization and the rhythm exercises and semi-interviews here and there, sir said 'thank you' and they clapped.

i nervously smiled and quietly walked towards the exit. in the brink of all feelings, i opened the door and cried profusely upon seeing ate rina standing outside, waiting for me. it was a simultaneous cry-bearhug that i gave ate rins when i saw her, and i guess it seemed weird to her, but she still hugged back and said it was gonna be okay. just when i thought i'd just forget everything, then came the awkward moment: ron came out and said that i'll just be notified thru text if i pass. all tears aside, and crazy humiliating cz i was like a baby hugging ate rina, i said, 'uh, sure, thanks.' and then the rest was history.

well, ate rina stayed cz she recognized who the person auditioning was, and couldn't believe it. she was in UST for a rehearsal, and just happened to pass by the room and saw moi. lol. and so after a quick chat and getting a grip, she wished me luck as i hugged her goodbye and went on my way.

when i got back to the gc reh room, i was greeted by a knowing nod and stare from the core group head [because she was my friend and she knew i was given the signup sheet--she was with me then, after all.] and i was so guilty i tripled my energy for the rest of the reh. and then the day was done.

not having heard from Singers, i knew it was just one more experience down. so i eventually came clean to my friends from gc ang randomly got interrogated on the matter. i said it was nothing, cz i haven't heard from them anyway, so it was all good. then came tuesday.

• 04 october 2005, tuesday: i wrote: "good news! AS munstra! :)" -> robie, thanks! :) ; csgc pin... :(

i had been fondly called munstra by my gc friends because of the monstrous ability to keep it together singing though i was sick [which happened a lot of times, especially during the judgment day, when everyone basically vies for a spot in the choir. not to brag, but i had aced orals whilst sick. heehee.]. and so there was this little munstra friendship formed, and i was one of them.

i was previously introduced to a member of the UST Singers who had been a member of the science glee club. robie, as they call him, was a biology upperclassman who got delayed for a year because of the choir's european sojourn. and so i randomly smile at him and greet him whenever we'd bump into each other. this time, though, it was different.

when we saw each other by the elevator, i politely smiled and said 'hi' and he stopped me in my tracks. it basically went like this:

robie: [singsong] 'uy pinapapunta ka na ni sir sa reh.'

jai: [jokingly] 'sus, niloloko mo lang ako'

robie: 'sige, kung ayaw mo, eh di wag!' [laughs]

jai: 'hindi nga! [pauses] talaga?' [smiles]

robie: 'oo nga basta pumunta ka na dun!'

jai: 'ah... okay. thanks! :)'

and then i started jumping in the org room and speed-dialed my brother. i didn't care that everyone was looking at me [i was literally jumping in the entire duration of the call, HAHA] and i just squaled and jumped and talked. :) kuya instantly knew what was going on, and, puzzled, i asked how. he said it was the only thing i had been crazy about recently, so the ambush call was a giveaway. :)

it didn't help as well that it was during this day when karen gave me the gleeclub pin. it did not help at all. but decisions had to be made and it was, at the end of the day, my call. 

the next day was gc no reh day, so there goes my free pass. i immediately went to the music building for reh after my class [with slight delay, i didn't want to seem too eager. lol.], but ended up being early still. and then i had a taste of the first nomination night. :) i was beside ate ei in front and got the alto2 part assigned, so i just went with the flow. and i went home with a clear plastic envelope with a million scores. lol.

and, for nomination night, robie was beside me singing my parts in aquesta me guiaba. :)

and the rest of the days were history. :)

Charlie the Unicorn 2

this is keena's fault. so, now, i feel like i'm charlie because i'm such a grouch. LOL.


" It's the Choo Choo Shoe, Charlie, the Choo Choo Shoe! :)


enjoy :)

*travel wishlist*

ohkaaaaaay. 

this is extremely random, as i was initially researching for this piece i'm making for a writing job i'm applying for. but heyyy, the second my eyes fell on the word BOROBUDUR, man, i was a goner.

now, the point of my day was to gather as much travel destinations as i could in one sitting. i got myself routed to websites for UNESCO world heritage sites, varying tourist attractions, and some scandinavian-north american-north african-fijian-micronesian-french polynesian places i've been dying to visit since time immemorial *drool* and whatnot.

so, yes, in the blink of an eye, my mind went loca on all these places and culture and experiences and craziness. and i frikkin love it! :) too bad, though, my mom called me to her room for help with coloring her hair already. so, daydream paused... NOT.

so when i started laboring over my mom's hair, i gabbed on about finding this and that, blahblahblah. and mom was more than eager to join in. so our mutual love for mythology and egypt and pyramids and travel resurfaced, and we planned as we colored her hair. hahaha. 

"so pretty please, mister LOTTO person, will you make my mommy and daddy win the jackpot so our family can travel the world again? pleeeeeeease?" *batts eyelashes*

and because i plan to date myself today and rush to the poetry reading at the Instituto Cervantes, here are some places i had in mind for my travel wishlist:

Borobudur, Java, Indonesia

Prasat Angkor Wat, Angkor, Cambodia

Stonehenge, Wiltshire, United Kingdom

Mondriki, Fiji [Melanesia]

Bounty Island, Fiji [Melanesia]

Navala Village, Nausori Highlands, Fiji [Melanesia]

Chichen Itza Ruins, Mexico

1000 Warrior Columns, Chichen Itza, Mexico

Teotihuacan Pyramids of the Sun, Mexico

the Acropolis from Philopappos Hill, Athens, Greece

Parthenon, Athens, Greece

Erechtheum, Athens, Greece

St. Petersburg, Russia

Shaman Rock, Olkhon Island, Russia

Mangareva, Gambier Islands, French Polynesia

Tuamotus Lagoon, French Polynesia

Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Matira Beach, Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Kheops Pyramid, Egypt

Giza Pyramids, Cairo, Egypt

Taj Mahal, Agra, India

apparently, it's easier to use these photos in their original size [or just a little less]. otherwise, it would take AGES for them to actually show up on screen. :)

and yes, i have a fascination for beaches and stone-built amazements. basta. :D one of these years, i shall go to these places. i swear, i will!!! :)

hiding

While roaming around mega yesterday, destressing, kuya started reciting a funny poem. Because even the intonation he used was pathetic, i was laughing like CRAZY. And then, I realized, the poor little kid he was imitating was me as a preschooler.

No wonder the poem was familiar. LOL.

So the memories came rushing back, when my entire family would recite this so I could practice for my declamation piece; how my parents used to teach me killer moves and gestures to prove my point [those moves were killer back then]; how I would forget the mirror part, so it naturally came out louder when I remembered it already cz I literally screamed it out; how we would practice in front of the ginormous mirror in my parents' dressing area [and how short I was back then. harhar], and then-- a blank. Damn, my memory's selective.

And so I had to find it. TA-DAHHH!!! :D

I'm hiding, I'm hiding
And no one knows where;
For all they can see are my
Toes and my hair

And I just heard my father
Say to my mother -
"But, darling, (s)he must be
Somewhere or other;

Have you looked in the inkwell?"
And Mother said, "Where?"
"In the INKWELL?" said Father. But
I was not there.

Then "Wait!" cried my mother —
"I think that I see
(Her)Him under the carpet."
But It was not me.

"Inside the mirror's
A pretty good place."
Said Father and looked, but saw
Only his face.

"We've hunted," sighed Mother,
"As hard as we could
And I am so afraid that we've
Lost (her)him for good."

Then I laughed out loud
And I wiggled my toes
And Father said —"Look, dear,
I wonder if those

Toes could be Benny's?
There are ten of them, see?"
And they WERE so surprised to find
Out it was me!

HIDING, From the book entitled "A Child's Anthology of Poetry," Dorothy Keeley Aldis

moving forward

something old, something new, something borrowed... something... colorful? :D

clearly, i have not been paying attention to the signs--of life, that is. everything has been aching to show me how much more forward i should be moving, but hey, i'm effing turtle-paced. so, to cut to the chase, i just say my entirety needs an overhaul.

for starters, i had an amazingly hectic day yesterday. after a string of sleepless nights, i finally drag myself to a job fair to get my behind started with something i really should be doing already.

that 5-hour slumber prior to bastardizing my sanity did me good okay, and i donned my inner Miranda Priestley while i slipped my heels on. of course, while in that mindset i expected a day with slightly open streets and a few people here and there. randomness epitomized.

i experienced exactly the opposite, to say the least. pandemonium was more like it. mosh pit much. everywhere was a frikkin sardine can! UGH.

so, because i am naturally charming (;p), i called kuya and got myself a ticket to exhibitor haven. life is gooood :)

so i became the filinvest recruitment person on the side, while i trudged my way to those booths filled with people. DOUBLE UGH. but because i had to do it, i did the dirty work. i passed by and smiled at everyone, got myself enlisted, disposed of my papers and the rest, as they say, is sheer craziness. then i was supposed to get the NBI thing over and done with, too, there, but this lovely sign greeted me:

GAAAAAAAAAA.

post-pandemonium was definitely a sweeter experience, because i got to try orchard road's hainanese chicken rice for an uberlate lunch fiesta de kuya :) of course, after trying one bite from my plate and finishing his teh tarik, he dropped dead and made music on the ample-sized booth we sat in.

i didn't care. i was enjoying the wifi. :D

and my quickly craving was set aside because we went towards the direction of dairy queen. aha! strawberry cheesecake blizzard. i'm not complaining. *biiig smile*

as soon as i tasted the mouthwatering goodness, i started taking photos. LOL. takes me back to the times of strawberry-hunting with joy, jemmy, and bryan. laughtrip much. this time, though, i got all the strawberries... and the cheesecake. :D

so i needed more documentation.

who can blame me? i was happy and sugar-shocked. :)

and right before we drove home, i had to be the in-car contortionist to get that itouch from the trunk. and kuya documented that, too. weeeeee. and then, of course, i dropped dead a few minutes after we got home. tired much. :))