busy weekend

Last Saturday, I had a meeting at the temple with Achi Dol and Ven. Chueh Zhen. We talked about who was going to be part of the new set of officers. My name came up for the top position. Hehe For humility, I, of course, said no, explaining this and that. But I do feel that I could do a good job if I were to be elected for it.
After the meeting, I went to Ama's house to have dinner before going to the airport to fetch Aunt Ellen, Uncle Francis and KK. Their flight was delayed. So I was stuck walking around the arrival area at the airport for a while since Dad went to Caltex to wait. Would you believe that EDSA was still super slow with traffic at 12 midnight? We reached Koko’s house past 1, then home at around 2:30AM.

Went to the YAD elections yesterday afternoon. Funny thing is, the newly elected President was not in the pre-discussed list of who was "fit" to be President. Oh, and that guy is the same guy who annoyed me(still does when I think about what happened)in Taiwan. I fear for what is going to happen to the YAD. I do hope he grows up and treats everything as a learning experience and not a traumatic one. I’m Vice President, along with Joy and Michelle. Obviously, we have to help the guy. Up to now, I still don’t get why people voted for him…I expected someone else, not him (or me for the matter). Well, maybe its because he's so good at sucking up to people? I don’t know…don’t care. Just gonna do my job right. And hope he doesn’t ruin (or embarrass) the entire group while he does his.

Christmas

It's only a short while before Christmas arrives. But I still don't feel Christmas-y. Like when I went to MOA, there were a lot of people, but only a few seem to be shopping. Everybody was just there to look at the decorations or to walk around the air-conditioned mall.

I kinda didn't feel the Christmas spirit. It's not just the weather. haha maybe I've spent too much time at home.

life is short

Was checking my mail earlier and read a message on our school's egroups..It was about the death of one of my batchmates (he was a clasmate in a couple of classes). Gosh! I just realized that life can be so short. It can end at anytime. Even when we're just twehty-something and the real life hasn't even started.

GosH! Condolences to the family...To Chris, take care wherever you are. I'm sure all the people you've met will always remember you.

Happy Feet

Went to SM-Mall of Asia this afternoon. We watched Happy Feet! Yey! Finally! after days of me and Candee begging mom to let us see the movie. haha I love all the little baby penguins. They are just so cute and cuddly-looking. Great sounds by the way.

___
am still nursing a cold. I had a fever the other day. And I was so paranoid that I had dengue just because I had a mosquito bite on my arm. How weird can I get! bwahahaha

Well...as usual, nothing much is happening in my life. hehe gotta go get some sleep. byeeeee!

Irreplaceable video

Irreplaceable
By Beyonce
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Who wakes up at 4 AM on a Sunday???

For the first time in a long time, I woke up before the sun was even out..AND on a Sunday too! haha Woke up around 4AM to get ready for the Lakad Masa. Assembly at the temple was at 5 AM but we left the house around 4:50. Luckily there were still people at the temple when we arrived. Whew! The Lakad Masa walk-a-thon started around 6. We were to walk from Quirino Grandstand to Rizal Memorial Stadium. THe distance between these 2 places is pretty far, but it didn't seem as exhausting as I expected it to be. We were too busy talking and having fun, that we barely realized the distance that we had to walk.There were 3 representatives from the YAD; namely, Candee, Katz and moi. hehe We reached Rizal memorial stadium at around 7, but we didn't go in to watch the competition or something that they were having. We went straight to McDonalds for breakfast then home afterwards to catch up on some ZZZ's.
Oh and we went to Glorietta at lunch, coz we were all feeling hungry but didn't want to cook. hehe We watched the Pacquiao, Morales fight at TGIF. Actually, we were looking fro a place that has a TV. We could hardly find seats in the non-smoking area, but there were only a few people smoking and we wanted to watch the fight (since it was already starting when we got there) so we decided to sit at the smoking area. Was able to catch the end of Round 2 and the whole end of the game. It was fast...thats all I have to say. Our orders weren't out yet and the fight was already over. Well, come to think of it, it would have been kinda hard to eat with all the shouting and clapping that was going around. That would have like caused choking or indigestion. bwahaha

exhausting weekend

After weeks of planning and preparation, the fund-raising bazaar is finally over. It was gruelling two days of selling beverages.hehe At first, I was apprehensive since I thought that beverages might not sell well at a bazaar. But in the middle of te first day, with 10 wholesale orders and a sales record that was showing progress, I finally stopped worrying. We didn't do too bad. Earned about 40K(without deducting the expenses). Although, it isn't the amount that we hoped it would be, we are still happy that we were able to reach this amount.

Met a lot of people there, too. Saw Morris, Ernest and Erika. Then, I also saw Imelda Marcos. She was so tall. and a lot of people were taking pictures and such. There was a lot of commotion when she came.

BTW, we would like to thank the BLIA YAD volunteers who came and helped man the booth. We really aprreciate all the help.

Yellow Cab and Starbucks

Met up with Erika and Honey Lyn this afternoon. It was a small get together since Honey is leaving in a couple of weeks. It was nice talking and reminiscing about high school and catching up on what our other batch mates are doing these days.

It's kinda awkward since the topics we talk about are getting more serious every time we meet. Before, it wasabout books we read, restaurants we eat at, places we go to..now, what we talk about is more or less centered on life and what we plan to do with it. It makes us feel like we're getting old even though we are just about to enter the "real" world. hehe I wonder what our meetings will be likewhen we get even older.

first driving lesson

Had my very first driving lesson today. I was so nervous, more on the scared side...haha I was wishing and praying that I wouldn't bump or collide with anything while I was driving. I was driving pretty slow...ok fine, too slow. The cars behind me were honking their horns, which kinda escalated the nervous barometer.

The engine shut off a couple of times coz I kept on forgetting not to release the clutch so much when I'm just starting to move. Have to keep that in mind for my next lesson...and after the lessons are over. hehe

exhausting Nov 1

Fell right to sleep when I laid down on my bed last night...that was how exhausted I was.haha

My day started when I woke up at around 7 to fix breakfast and stuff. Then we went to Quezon City to do the offering and prayers for my Grandpa(Ang-Kong). Considering the time we left the house, we were already late compared to the other people. But we got lucky in Quezon City since we were still able to park inside the temple grounds, coz there was a car that was about to leave when we arrived. As we were approaching the temple, we noticed that there were cars already parked as far as a block away from the temple. When we got to the secodn floor of the temple where ang kong was buried, my eyes kept on tearing because of all the smoke from the candles and incense that permeated the air. Candee even found it hard to breathe. Anyway, we got there put the food that we were going to offer on the table, then lit incense and prayed to Grandpa. Honestly, I don't know what to say sometimes to Ang Kong. We hardly talked while he was still alive, although I remember he liked to take us(his grandkids) out to walk when we were younger. It's funny actually. I still remember the day he died...the night before he died I dreamt about visiting him and then suddenly his heart rate begins to drop, the next day the exact scenario happened. I wasn't there to witness it,but thats what my dad told me. Did he give me that dream because he wanted to say goodbye? That wasn't the only time I dreamt about him actually...There was another one after the funeral, where he was on our room and he was asking me to get the mattress off the bed. Mom says he probably wants us to "burn" his bed to give to him. But it was already too late since we had already burnt his belongings during the funeral.

At around 1140, we went over to Hua Zhong Xi to pray for GuaKong. The air in the temple was even hazier compared to the one in QC. I could barely stay inside for 10 minutes without wanting to close my eyes. After praying to grandpa we went to the temple on the other side to pray for Tua-ku and then to the one for the gods.

Oh yeah, before I forget, I met an auntie that belongs to FGS. She began asking me what activities the youth were having. Then she went on to ask why we don't invite her daughter to our activities. The reply I got from her daughter hurt… She told her mom, "Bakit naman ako sasama dun? Di naman ako member." I find this answer surprising. It seems that she doesn't even want to have anything to do with the organizationot (an organization she might not really know by the way) that a lot of people are passionate about( I don’t necessarily mean the members in this country alone.) She can at least join a few activities before making a decision whether she wants to join or not then. Hay…forget about it. I can’t force her or anything.

After the offering we went to Ama's house for lunch.After eating lunch, Candee and I played Cluedo with Koko. We played like 4 or 5 games then took a break watching TV. After that we played Deal or No Deal on the computer. It was so much fun. Everybody, even Ama, played the game. The suspense of knowing what the suitcase we chose had made us all jumpy and apprehensive. No one got the $1 million prize, highest was $150,000. hehe
We also stayed for dinner. A-pe went out to buy pizza from Yellow Cab. Ama ate leftover palabok from lunch coz she can’t chew the pizza.

someone that cares

I like the feeling of having someone that cares for me...SOmeone to talk to when there are problems..and stuff that I just can't tell my parents, feelings that I just used to keep within me. It's great knowing that someone is out there always willing to lend me his ear and listen to what I have to say.

It's also great to wake up every morning and have a message in my phone's inbox with a "Good morning" greeting. It gives me a sense of warmth..the kind of warmth that tells me that somehow,somewhere, someone thought (or is thinking) about me.

yuck!

I was walking to Sanchez this morning when I saw this guy riding a tricycle just spit on the ground, like it was the most natural thing to do in the world...It was just so disgusting. I was looking at the ground real hard so as to avoid stepping on whatever he spat out.

It's already bad that we get to see a lot of dog and horse poo in the streets of Manila. Hey, animals are animals. IT's already bad enough that there's no one to clean up after them. But humans leaving their biological garbage on the streets too? Gross, gross, gross... It's totally uncivilized and just shows a complete lack of discipline.

HSK

Finally! The HSK is over... I didn't really study a lot for it to begin with anyways..hehe I didn't know what to study so I just read a lot of Chinese books and studied the lessons we had in Beijing.

The test was almost the same as the reviewer I bought. I had a couple of mistakes in the part where we had to write the Chinese word in the box. :P I just suddenly forgot how to write the word, although I knew what should go into the blank. I have a feeling that those are not my only mistakes.I still hope I pass though... hehe

I heard that the results of the test is what the universities in China use as basis for admission for international students. I don't have plans on studying there now...but who knows?

HSK Mock-test

Went to PCHS for the Mock test for the HSK . It started at 8 then ended around 1030.

Guess where my seat is...It's in the first seat of the last row. and it was super cold there. haha My hands were practically frozen towards the end of the test.

ANyway, the test itself was ok. They didn;t get back the answer sheet so that we could check how many we got right. (They gave us an answer key) I'm not yet done checking, but I have 3 mistakes in the listening portion. Then I checked the last part which required us to write the Chinese words themselves(they gave us a sentencem we just had to fill in the correct word)...I got a few wrong...It was funny actually, I knew how to write them, but at the time I was taking the test, I felt that what I answered was right. Honestly, I'm trying to delay checking the paper, since it could be disheartening. :D

Oh...btw. Guess who I met there. I saw Stacie(Uno lower batch) and Kris Jean(my neighbour in Beijing). haha There are a lot of people taking the test. Around 300, and I think there's another test center in Kalookan which means the number could be bigger.

Wish me luck for next weeks test!

Milenyo

This is a pic of the building next to us. Actually, a lot of the surrounding buildings lost their roofs after Milenyo swept.

Neneng is coming on the 5th...Let's hope all these buildings get their roof back by then.

____
update:
still looking for work, but now am busy with the planning for the fund-raising bazaar. hehe We're still deciding what to sell. WE have lots of ideas on what to sell but worries about costs,expenses, ROI kinda deprive us of the freedom to go through with them.

No electricity, no computer, no TV....

It might as well be the stone age! This is probably what went on in the minds of most people belonging to the Baby Boomer generation and below. Everything (nowadays) is depenedent on electricity to run. Without electricity, it seems that someone had suddenly pushed "pause" on our lives. We can't work on our computers, watch TV, play video games or surf the net. THe list goes on.... It's almost hard to find anything to do when the power's out.

When its daylight, it's still ok, since we can play cards, read or do some arts and crafts. But when the darkness starts, it's so hard to find anything to do. We try to lie down and sleep, but we can't since the air-conditioner isn't on. Or if we get to sleep, we wake up a few hours later because our bodies are already fully charged. and yes, there's nothing to do still. So we end up lying down and thinking, and that too can be a bother since we're humans and we can get tired of thinking. Or we may just run of stuff to think about. We can always call or text our friends, but we try not to drain the battery of our mobile phones much. So, what are we to do?

This is basically a few thoughts pertaining to the 2 day power outage we had due to "Milenyo". haha FOr a detailed report of how I spent my 2 days without elctricity, check out www.wretch.cc/blog/enelrahc

Honestly, I still felt lucky compared to others. At least, there was no major damage to our house. And the brownout only lasted for 2 days. There are still places that don't have power. Then there were other places that didn't have water and electricity both at the same time.

weekend

What a weekend! more on what a sunday that is, since I didn't do much on Saturday. haha

Had a meeting at the temple SUnday morning. I was late coz Candee took forever getting ready. wahaha and Carl was like "10 am ha...kaw pa un late" We had a meeting about the booth we were going to have for the Fund-raising bazaar BLIA is going to hold in November. We came up with lots of ideas as to what we can sell so we're now in the process of canvassing product prices and see which would be more feasible.

Then we each got the coupons that we have to sell. People can exchange these coupons for whatever they want to buy. A sheet of coupons sell for Php1000.The 1000 is further broken down into 500,200,100(x2),50,20(x2) and 10. If anyone is interested send me an email at kichiko_yawun@yahoo.com

candee's birthday

It's Candee's birthday today. She's turning 14. Yea...she's getting older(and so fast too!). Although she seems older than me at times. haha I've gotten feedback from friends that say they always have to remind themselves that Candee is still a kid when they see her. Its probably the way she talks and walks and acts.

Although she tries to act like an adult, she's still so dependent on Mom, Dad and me(sometimes). We (more on I, coz I don't know what mom and dad think) don't know if we have to treat her like a kid or like an adult now that she's older. I, personally, want her to be independent and have the freedom I didn't have. I know there is much pressure on her since,well, I don't exactly make my parents proud with my mediocre grades. But then I doubt she'll ever be independent. She's just too attached. Maybe it's because she's the youngest and everybody is so focused on her ever since she was a baby.

Anyway, Happy Birthday Sis!

Celeb look-alikes

Advertising Management

In every job interview I've had, the interviewer will always ask me why I chose Advertising Management as my course in college. Honestly, up to now I can’t give even myself an answer as to why I chose that. It's definitely a far cry from my hopes of being a surgeon or psychologist. And so, why did I choose that course?
I don't really know why I chose my major. It's an unexplainable selection. Maybe it was fate that brought me to choose AMG over the other courses in the list. Or perhaps it was the fact that AMG is listed on the first line under the heading of College Of Business and Economics…and is also the first on the list among all the other programs offered by all colleges put together.
When teachers ask me why I chose my major during the first day of class of every term, I often say that Advertising Management is a middle-ground for Fine Arts and Business Management, wherein my mom wanted Fine Arts and I wanted Business Management. Maybe it's that, but I can’t really say that I am sure about the actual reason. Let's just say that it is just one of the things that we can’t really use words to explain.
All I remember is that I chose advertising because I thought it would be cool (and glamorous) working in an advertising agency and doing all the commercials on TV or the print ads. I felt that advertising would be pretty exciting and is an ever-changing field. It would allow me to work with a lot of different things which would definitely assure me that I would never tire of what I’m doing.

So…why did I choose Advertising Management to be my major? I still don't know…but I am glad that I did choose it.

so hot!

It was super hot today! The car was transformed into an oven with the 3 of us in it. haha

I went out car-shopping with Dad and Koko. I love the Mitusubishi Outlander! I used to like the Ford Escape. I've never been real close to one, so I thought that the Escape was real nice...but seeing it up close made me think otherwise. haha I just didn't feel "safe" in it.

I like the look of the Outlander...It's like a bigger version of a mix between CRV and RAV4, but with a rugged touch to it. THe material seems more durable and since it's from Japan, I think it would have a better resale value as well.

HSK

am going to be taking the HSK(HanyuShuipingKaoshi) this coming October...Started reviewing this morning. I was browsing through the review book I bought when I registered. I understood like 50-60% of the stuff written there, but I was mostly switching between the book and the di tian. haha

I'd really like to study and be able to speak a number of different languages, like French, Korean, SPanish, etc. But it would be awkward...not to mention ironic...since I can't even speak my mother tongue that fluently.

I also feel that it would be so cool if everybody could understand each other even if we speak in different languages and dialects. hehe But then we won't be able to say something secret in a foreign place since other people will be able to understand what we are saying as well.

arggghhhh....asar nanaman ako sa isang tao.

Got my Globe bill today....High-blood...It totalled over Php2,000. Can you believe it? SMS messages cost me about Php10 for just one message. Then calls amounted about Php750 or more. Then there were also charges for calls that I received. I shouldn't be paying for that. What annoys me even more is that these calls were totally unnecessary. Want to know whats worse? These calls were made by a certain someone that I am getting really annoyed at. Not just because of the bill, but because of the trauma he caused during the conference. No, wait, I cooled off na. I just remembered what happened in Taiwan again when I saw my Globe bill.

I know, I know, I went to Taiwan to learn to become a better person. But there are just some people that get on other peoples' nerves. And THAT person is just one of them.

____
Gosh! Time really flies...Atsi She is going back to Iloilo on Sunday! Sigh!
Hey Atsi! KTV uli tayo next time punta mo dito...or lakad-lakad sa 168. haha

leaving....

Everyone's going places now...Aileen, Melody and Andrew are going to Beijing. Tara's leaving for the US. There are probably other people I know who may be leaving that I don't know about.
It's one of the things that is inevitable. We are growing up. We are now in the stage of our lives where we are not bound to stay in one place to comfortably finish our studies. We now can go to wherever we want...as long as our finances don't go dry. haha

Good luck to everybody! I envy you guys! Although, yeah, if circumstances permit, I might also be leaving in the near future. haha

________
am currently watching Lover's in Prague. It's nice, although it lacks the excitement that Lovers in Paris had. I don't like the guy who plays the detective. His facial expressions are kinda stoic. The major thing I don't like about Lovers in Prague is the fact that Yoon Jae-Hee can't seem to just go steady with one guy. She meets with her ex even when she "likes" Detective Choi. It's just too awkward.

after the longest time...

Met up with my friends in high school on Saturday night. We went to Burgoo at Rockwell. It was great seeingeverybody again. It seems that we've all grown up in the short time since we graduated from high school. Everybody has become older, wiser, yet in some way things were almost like they were in high school. The night was real fun with all the cameras and picture taking. It was almost like grad night.

Aileen: Hey there! GOod luck in Beijing! Have fun! Beijing is a really great experience. Its a chance to get in touch with our Chinese roots and understand the culture we come from more.

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Went to Red Box with Atsi Sheree, Dorothy, Abbie , Ahiya Jerome and Atsi Bernice yesterday afternoon. It was so much fun! It was my first time to go to a KTV. hehe

thoughts on media stuff

I was just thinking...How come other countries replay what is shown on TV three to four times a day? The Philippines never repeats what is shown on TV. Is it because the discrepancies between the tastes of the numerous viewers at different times are much greater than in other countries?

I really can't answer this one.

____
AD:
BLIA YAD Manila has its new home
Check it out http://bliamnlyad.blogspot.com

Taiwan food

I just can't get enough of Taiwanese food! I cooked the 拉餅(la bing) I brought home last time. Gosh! It tastes super good!!!! Even dad likes it.

I really really mis Taiwan. I miss the conference the most...I don't know, but all throughout the conference, I was always up and about, not feeling tired at all even when I only have 4-5 hours of sleep at night. If I only had 4-5 hours of sleep here in Manila, I'd probably be all grouchy and sleepy all day. hehe It is true that your environment defines how you act.

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Saw this quote on TV earlier, "It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop." Confucius said that. Now, I think that if everybody thought like that, we'd probably still be living in the 90's. hehe

Today

I went to take a PROFILES test in Mandaluyong today. The test was for a job I applied for. I passed the first interview already, so this is like a second step. I like the job, but the thing is I don't like the working conditions and the location of the office. But aside from these two factors everything is perfect.

I've been thinking a lot about receiving more than giving. I don't know, but even when I'm jobless and all, I still feel that somehow I'm so much luckier than others. Theres this feeling in me that although I am not satisfied with the life that I have right now, I am still able to be happy. I am so blessed to be born in a family that keeps me happy and gives me a good life(although we do drive each other crazy at times). Right now, I want to be able to share this feeling with others. Give them the same feeling of happiness that I have.

sharing

Just a little something that I wanted to share with everybody. Got it from the South Bay YAD blog.

"While I sit here, I don’t think of somewhere else, of the future or the past. I sit here, and I know where I am. This is very important. We tend to be alive in the future, not now. We say, “Wait until I finish school and get my Ph. D. degree, and then I will be really alive.” When we have it, and it’s not easy to get, we say to ourselves, “I have to wait until I have a job in order to be really alive.” And then after the job, a car. After the car, a house. We are not capable of being alive in the present moment. We tend to postpone being alive to the future, the distant future, we don’t know when. Now is the moment to be alive. We may never be alive at all in our entire life. Therefore, the technique, if we have to speak of a technique, is to be in the present moment, to be aware that we are here and now, and the only moment to be alive is the present moment...To be here and now, and enjoy the present moment is our most important task."

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Nobel Peace Nominee

chao shan experience

從山下拜到山上，一路唸著「南無本師釋迦牟尼佛」的聖號, 給了我一個靜靜思考的機會. 在朝山的時候我幾乎把所有的不愉快放了下來. 什麼都不去想, 只帶著一顆毫無傲慢, 毫無顧慮的心一步一步的拜上去. 我的心充滿安定和沉靜，愈拜愈輕安。雖然剛開始拜的時候覺得很累, 可我發現越拜越輕鬆. 可能是因為,當我們在拜的同時我就把我的煩惱一一放下.

Above is what I have to share about my first chao shan experience...too lazy to translate it right now.hehe I'll do it one of these days. Promise!

International BLIA YAD Conference 2006

I'm back! The Conference went well...Although we didn't get to perform during the Night of the Buddha's Light, due to some technical difficulty. =( Sayang...but at least we already have another idea of what we can perform next time.

I attended the group discussion on how to promote and have more youth joining overseas volunteer worth. I have a couple of ideas about that. Coming from a third world country, I believe that before the Philippines youth should start helping out overseas, we should help our own country first. Actually, the first thing the BLIA YAD here should do is get itself organized. Once we are stable, then we can go out and help in the propagation of Buddhism and helping the world become a better place.

Personal reactions to some personal things: YOu know how I hate it when people start to annoy me when they are pretty slow when reacting to things or they just see what's short term instead of long term? Well, that pretty much happened a lot during this trip..all with just one person. I know he's supposed to be older(and wiser) than me so that made me even more easily annoyed.

Oh yeah...if YOU are reading this, I'm not mad at you. Just irritated by the fact that you blamed for the really horrible presentation you made. It was not my problem to begin with and yet I had to stay up extremely late just to finish everything. I do hope that you acknowledge that.

Chinese classes

I just attended a Chinese language class that one of my teachers in Beijing was having over the net. It's at www.linese.com

There was a guy from India having his lesson, and I just sat in and watched the lesson in progress. The guy was really diligent in his lessons, not afraid to ask questions or anything. Although the accent is not really Chinese, he can already speak basic Chinese. And it's already not bad for a beginner.

Seeing him making effort to actually study the Chinese language makes me feel sad for the Filipino-Chinese here. Fil-chi's tend to take their Mandarin classes for granted. They would rather stay in one grade level for years because they fear that the lessons in the next level would be real hard. What's hard about studying your own culture? You can already adopt American culture with watching shows from the US and such, how came you can't adopt your own? How weird can life get?

un-sporty me and olympics

I'm not a big sports fan. I don't even like P.E. classes. I try to skip P.E. when I can. I'm not lazy, but I just hate sweating. I would rather read about a sport than actually do it. Wahaha

Albeit the fact that I don't really like sweating it out with sports, I am still excited to see the upcoming Beijing Olympics 2008. I got to see the construction of the stadium that will be used for the event. It’s coming along well. I can’t wait to see the whole thing when it’s finished.

Most people tend to think that Chinese goods are of low-grade, low-quality. I believe that the success Olympics would prove the detractors false. I’ve seen the souvenir items that are produced in lieu of the Olympics. These items include bags, pens, highlighters, caps, commemorative coins, dolls, key chains, pins, shirts, and a whole lot more. The quality of the goods are not that bad. They are a bit expensive, but then what souvenir item isn't?

happily ever after

Finished watching 上错花娇嫁对郎 yesterday! I like it! Although the audience could have foretold what would happen in the end.

I like suspense. I like guessing as to what is going to happen next. I like series’ that keep me wanting to watch the next episode right after the one I’m watching is finished. Which brings us to the reason as to why I like Nancy Drew and Harry Potter books. Actually, I just love books….period. I like stories that keep me turning page to page, not knowing what to expect next.

I don’t like stories that just say happily ever after in the end. They don’t give me a clue as to what is going to happen next to the main characters. I like guessing, but not when there is no clue. Everybody knows that there is no such thing as happily ever after. Without the harsh reality of life these days, it's hard to believe in happily ever after anyways.

yesterday...

Went out with Jaime and her cousins yesterday. We went to Rockwell first. We walked around, played at the arcade and also played billiards. It was my first time to play billiards and I found out that I am extremely poor at the sport. haha It was fun, though Jaime and I lost. (Sorry Jaims) Going to the arcade made me feel like a kid again.I remember playing games just for the tickets that can be exchanged for something. It's been ages since I've stepped into an arcade. (My mom doesn't like it whenever we go to the arcade,coz of the noise, etc.)We each got a mechanical pencil as a souvenir. :D

After Rockwell, we went over to Italiani's-Greenhills for dinner. Jamie and Steph each had a lasagna. I had the Fettucine Alfredo. The pasta servings were way too big that we couldn't finish our food.

It's been great that Jaime and I finally saw each other after the longest time. She left Manila after Grade 5 and we haven't seen each other since. That would be like almost a decade! Whoa! That long?? haha She's going back to the US tomorrow morning. :(

Oh yeah...I might be going to Taiwan in August. Yey!

life as it is

I'm on an emotional rollercoaster...it's inevitable. I graduated from college early this year, and technically I should be working right now. But then it is so hard to find a good job these days. A job wherein I can build a career out of anyways. There are a lot of offers from call centers. But really, I don't see myself working in a call center ten years from now. Sorry.

I've sent applications to a lot of companies, but they are often unanswered. I'm starting to get frustrated. I'm not getting any younger, so I have a choice of going to school again or getting a job. I have a feeling I'll go with the former.

You know the feeling wherein every fresh graduate from an Ivy League school has this feeling that somehow their future is secure and how getting a job will be super easy? Thats how I felt. but tell you what, the real world is not how we imagined it to be. It's extremely hard and moet people will work only to protect their personal interests, so you're more or less on your own. School never taught us that. They just teach us these theories and principles that are more idealistic than realistic. Will we ever use them? Mmmmm.....maybe yes, maybe no.

hmmm....

How true is any of the stuff below? Can anyone tell me?

Slow and Steady

Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It'd really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment. They expect you to examine everything carefully from every angle and then usually decide against it.

How Do People See You?

oh happy day!

Met up with my high school friends last Saturday. It was fun talking about what's happening in our lives and stuff. Got teased about this guy I was paired up with in High School. A guy I never liked anyways. Somehow that label is stuck in everybody's head..hehe but it's okay. It's not real anyways.

We talked about careers, love lifes, etc etc.All of a sudden, I had this feeling that we were all grown-ups. I never realized how fast we were growing up. But then again, we never feel the time passing by anyways...

Being Half and Half

I often ask myself, “Am I really Chinese?” When the criteria for judging is looks-based and ancestral lineage is also a vital basis, I can be 100% sure that the answer will be yes. But when beliefs, ideals and principle become the main gauge on being a real Chinese, I don’t think I can confidently give an affirmative answer.
Strictly speaking, I live in a traditional Chinese family. We eat Chinese food at home, we HAVE to speak Chinese, whether it be Madarin or Fookien, at home, we practice the ancient Chinese customs that have been there since my ancestors were in China.
I always thought that I was a real Chinese until I went to Beijing to study for 50 days. In these 50 days, I had language classes, Chinese calligraphy classes, Chinese History, Wushu class and also music class. In these classes, we not only got a chance to strengthen our grasp of the Chinese-Mandarin Language, but we also go to further understand Chinese culture. Here I felt this sudden shame; I felt that I didn’t understand my own culture enough. How can I call myself Chinese when I couldn't even tell which city was in the northernmost part or what did Sun Yat Sen actually do to earn his title as the National Hero. I didn’t know how many minority tribes composed the country or what the Chinese opera meant (or the types of Opera they have in China), and the list would go on and on.
Aside from all these classes we also went out to tour the different historical attractions located Beijing, namely: Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, BeiHai Park, Xiang Shan Botanical Gardens, Ba Da Chu park, and of course, the Great Wall of China.
During my stay in Beijing, I saw that there were a lot of people of different nationalities studying Mandarin at the school I was studying in. There were Koreans, Indonesians, Americans, German and there was also one student who came from the Philippines. It seems funny how these people all want to study the Chinese language and learn more about the Chinese culture, and overseas Chinese born here in the Philippines all try to do their best to stay at the lower grade levels in Chinese. Is it because their parents don’t make them feel the importance of knowing one’s own roots or is it because the society that the Filipino-Chinese live in is not that accepting of the Chinese culture enough for us to freely be ourselves and practice the culture that is uniquely ours. If I remember correctly, Chinese have always been a marginalized group, people used to think lowly of Chinese and there have been a lot of prejudice against the Chinese. I had a couple of classmates in university who always made fun of the Chinese culture. There was one who used to blabber in this Chinese accent…He was just talking nonsense, and it hurt since no one in our class could speak in straight Chinese except me. Obviously he was trying to get me to get mad. Honestly, I don’t really blame him for that. A lot of Filipino-Chinese nowadays can’t even speak Mandarin or Fookien fluently anymore. They don’t put much importance in studying the Chinese language or culture. Perhaps they think that just because they were born and bred in the Philippines makes them a Filipino. It is quite stupid for them to think that. Let’s say one day they go to China, people will still assume that they can speak Chinese since they look Chinese. Wouldn’t it just be embarrassing if they couldn’t answer?
Maybe then they would realize that it’s not a sin to be good in Chinese or that being Chinese means that you would be part of the “out” crowd.

ranting

I want to be free…I am starting to dislike my life here in Manila. After 50 days of freedom in Beijing, I feel more and more repressed and controlled. I miss the days when I could go out and I didn’t need anybody’s permission, when I didn’t have anything to worry about and nobody nagged at me to do this or that. I was myself for a while. I was not a puppet at all… I was free to be the me that I want to be. No one told me what to do, what course I should take, what I shouldn’t do.

Why does society impose all these traditions, rules, beliefs on itself? Why can’t everybody just be free to do as they wish? Why can’t parents accept the fact that they don’t own the life of their children? They can’t control them forever….these children need space to breathe. They are not robots that can be controlled, if they could be controlled then there would be no rebelling children, or children turning to drugs, alcohol, etc.

I have not reached that point yet…I am just looking for a way out of this kind of life….I will get through this ALIVE.

Me

I've been thinking the past few days. Wondering about what I am going to do now that I am back in Manila, pondering on how I am as a person. I'm the type of person who will never tell a person his bad habits in front of him/her. I'll probably just post it in my blog or tell it to my mom, then remind myself never to commit those mistakes other people are doing.I know that nobody's perfect, so who am I to tell others of their mistakes, right?

I feel that I've changed after 50 days in Beijing. I learned a lot during this trip. Somehow I feel that I learned more about myself than what the teachers taught in the classroom. I'm now more mature, more open-minded and liberated in dealing with things. I've become wiser and more reasonable(not that I was unreasonable before, haha). I now think before I speak. I think farther, plan ahead...It's great!

One thing I regret most about the trip is that the 50 days was just too short...wish we could've extended for a few more days.
~~~
sidetrip!
I'm ranked 8th in our class, Candee is 5th. But It doesn't matter about the ranking, what's important is that we are in Level 6!!!Yeah!!!! =)

Posted some pics in my multiply and flickr accounts!

back home!

I'm finally able to blog again! hehe Just got back to Manila last night...Still in jetlag mode today, but I still had to go to CKSC for our rehearsal for tomorrows performance.

I've got loads of stories to tell. I've met a lot of different personalitites during our stay there. Different kinds of people that I never imagined ever existed. There are people who just like to butt into other people's conversations, and those that take over the bathroom for hours at a time, people who just feel that they "own" their crushes, moms that think money makes the world go round, etc etc.

Even with the weirdo's I've encountered, I still miss my life in Beijing! I miss the freedom I had to go around at night, taking a stroll around campus in the morning and at nite, eating bbq mushroom or "ji pai", talking with our neighbours till super late while eating Lay's, etc etc. Somehow I feel, that I've grown roots there. 50 days was just too short...We were getting ready to leave just when everybody was starting to get used to life there. We were alwasys saying "bukas na lang" but we never realized that every day that passed meant that our Beijing life was getting nearer to its end. I wished that we could have extended the trip for a few more days. Now, I feel that UIBE-ISC is my home. Although yeah, my home here in Manila will always be the place I go to after I end a journey.

I feel that it is about time that I go out and live on my own. I have to learn to stand on my own, making decisions for myself. I may fall on the way but this is my life. At least I know that I have lived my life to the fullest.

That for me is what matters most.

Life in Beijing...

Hey there everybody!
It's been ages since I've laid my hands on a computer keyboard! Although the net cafe here in school charges only 3 yuan for a half hour of use, still I still tend to not go online.

Anyways, we just finished with our midterm exams today. We had exams in two subjects, speech and qing du(sort of like our hua bun in high school). I got a grade of 79 in speech. We had the written test in qing du today so I still don't know the results. All I know know is I have at least one mistake.

I've got loads of stories to tell about my experience here. But one stands out from all the rest...I've got this rommmate who is oh so weird. She doesn't talk (as in it's like talking to the wall). She looks like a member of the addams family, except that her skin tone is like Pocahontas'. I've given up talking to her by the end of our first week here. Anyways, her mother called the other day, and screamed at me, Candee and our other dormmates...We have no idea why...Although she was complaining at why we talk to her daughter and she feels "nagpplastikan lang kami"....and she claims that their family is very influential, that they own 3 franchise outlets of a popular fastfood chain in Manila, and they own this big hospital in Greenhills(I think,I'm bad with locations)...Is her mother trying to scare us into befriending her daughter? The mother is an ob-gyne(Dra. Liao) by profession. Which probably means that they pay a lot of attention to hygiene, but this is not the case, the little princess is always mixing the dishes with her chopsticks searching for who-knows-what. There are a lot more stories about her...I've been observing her, and I've come to the conclusion that I'm not going to try communicating her again, lest her mom calls and screams at us again. It's better to avoid trouble.

I've got to go...30 minutes are up. Tell you guys more when I come online again.

Take care everybody!

mixed emotions again

We're leaving for Beijing tomorrow morning. I'm not sure what I'm feeling right now...I feel kinda sick (sine last night), must have been something I ate. I feel better now, although I still get this feeling of being dehydrated even when I drink more than the necessary 8 glasses of H2O a day.

I'm excited, yet scared of what is awaiting us in Beijing. I saw the dorm rooms on the school website. Its not exactly a room in a 5 star hotel, but it looks livable. I just hope that I don't get sick(ie allergy, diarhea, flu,etc) during the trip... If the truth be told, my dads even more scared than us. He keeps on giving us these reminders of what to do and what not to. typical parent...

We're not allowed to bring any personal gadgets...Waaaah! I'm going to miss my laptop! and adobe photoshop and illustrator, etc etc.


Actually, I've been thinking, if Candee and I survive this trip unscathed, does this mean that I get to go to YVR after the trip? I'd like to go back to studying again...hehehe

nothing to say...

It's one of those moods wherein I'm typing here just for the sake of having an entry...hehe I'm taking a break from packing my stuff(still haven't put in my clothes, I'm still trying to take out the stuff I feel won't be of use there).

ANyways, I tend to ramble just about anything when I get bored and I talk too much too when I get excited. Then when everybody is all high about something I just shut up and listen. And then people suppose that I'm not interested in them, but it's nothing like that...I just let people talk, listening to people talk rather than join in the conversation. I talk when I have something to share though, so that doesn't necessarily mean that I am not at all out of the conversation or uninterested at all....

See? I told you I tend to ramble...hehe

ANyways, I'm leaving for Beijing this Sunday. Pretty excited, pretty scared too. I have no idea what I'll be facing there.

You know?I have this dream...I want to be able to travel around by myself for awhile...see the world while I'm still young. But then again, my parent's will probably never allow it since I'm a girl.

packing up...

It's so hard to pack my whole life into just a single piece of luggage for the whole 7 weeks that I will be spending in Beijing! I made a list and all, but when I started throwing things in, the bag was full before I could even get through half the list. And I have not put even a single article of clothing in...
Candee's is even worse! She moved some of her stuff into my bag already, yet the zipper still won't close.

It's funny actually, when I was making the list, I thought that I would still have plenty of space after I finish packing to shop for loads of books in Beijing, or trinkets, or tea....for short, whatever I buy there. Sigh! I am starting to have a real headache as to how to put my clothes into my almost-full luggage.

*______
You know how classmates tend to get all chummy when they meet each other after years without seeing each other, even when they weren't all that close before? Anyways, I met one of my high school batchmates last night. She's still the same...but yeah, I waved to her but she kept on staring at me, without saying hello or any greeting at all...not that I'm complaining or anything. hehe

listening to...

I'm so in love with my Sunshine in the Heart CD! Master Yung Jao gave us the CD when we were having our officers meeting at the temple last Saturday night. The songs were performed by the youth members of Taiwan. Most of the songs are about friendship, being ourselves, or gratefulness for what's in front of us. The songs are all in Mandarin, one is Taiwanese. The songs are not the usual Buddhist type hymns, but the beats, tunes and rhythm were modern pop, just plain pop. It's easy to the ears yet there's a beat to tap to (or dance to, if you are the kinesthetic type). A couple of tracks are the slow, ballad-type though...but over-all, it's just fantastic!

By the way, went out yesterday to buy some stuff for Beijing. Even if there was a sale, there were only a few people in the mall. Description=you don't have to push here and there to get somewhere.

*______
You know how sometimes I feel my English is deteriorating, even though people still say that my English is good enough. I just feel that even when I still have this accent when I speak English, my english grammar is going down. I still read and write a lot, but I don't know...I just have a feeling that I am losing my grasp of the language

ouch!

I've changed my blog layout again..hehehe It's just something to take my mind off the pain for a while. My lower jaw is still kind of swollen on the left side...It hurts everytime I talk or yawn. And I can't move my head too much, coz everytime I do, I taste blood. So the operation for the third molar took about 2 and a half hours. My jaws were already pretty sore for staying open that long, and my eyes hurt from the glare of the overhead lights...actually my eyes didn't hurt, it was more like a headache. Anyways, the dentist had to use about 3 doses of anaesthesia because I still felt it when she started drilling and pushing on the tooth. Then we found out that my tooth was buried below the tooth beside it, which made it extremely hard to get it out so my dentist had to cut the third molar into 3 pieces before getting it out. Then after my tooth was succesfully cut into 3, the dentist still couldn't pull the lower tooth out. The reason was because my tooth was hooked into my jaw. It was pretty freaky lying down on the dentists' chair and looking up to see the dentist getting more and more utensils out and each one was bigger thn the last. Oh by the way, I have 8 sutures for the wound made by the incision. I looked in the mirror yesterday, and I think the wound is already closed but now I have this zigzag of blue thread at the back of my mouth.



Uh..sorry for that disgusting description...(Note: I already took out some of the more bloody details)

hey there

Hey you! How are you doing? I'm bored...so what else is new? hehe I just finished "Welcome to the Great Mysterious" by Lorna Landvik. Great story....Although a bit redundant at times. (which is so like my writing style) But then again, no two authors have the same writing style.

I'm having my wisdom tooth extracted tomorrow...Here's to another 3 days of no solid foods. hope I lose weight this time. I'm positive that I gained at least 5 pounds since graduation...

Hey there's this Agnes de Castro that is sending emails to my kichiko email add. I have a feeling that it's about the student council elections... I'd like to comment, but I'd rather not to. hehehe

writing...

With only a couple weeks left before I leave for Beijing, obviously, I can't start working, although I have a couple of job offers...Anyways, that's not the main point. I've started writing again...It's been ages since I've surrounded myself with nothing but words, letting them flow from my fingertips as I type them out. My brain was a bit rusty, being highly uncooperative, like me when I feel that I have not had enough sleep. I am still getting used to writing again, it's like I'm in my nascent stage again, where I am just learning how to describe things, how to put something into words...almost always, I run out of words or I forget what word is used to describe a situation... Either that, or wahtever I write just seems redundant. and I just delete the file and start all over again. I don't know if all this bumming is making me stupid or if I am just being overly critical of myself.

I'm happy that I'm doing something that I love again though...Reading and writing will always be a part of my life even though I start learning a new program for desktop publishing or when I learn to cook something new(the number of dishes I can make is countable using my fingers on one hand only haha)

no to junk food!

Had a check-up yesterday coz I've been experiencing shortness of breath for the past few weeks...I thought my infection had mutated and turned into something worse...but thank Buddha that I was not sick...in fact, my lungs were kinda dry...I just needed iron. Whew! Now that's off my chest..have to take iron supplements though and there are these little pills for the dryness in my lungs. Oh yeah, I'm not allowed to eat junk food. Waaaaaah!

I've been planning my life lately(again). Since I'm going to Beijing and I can't back out of that now, I will go to Beijing for the 50 day study tour...and then I come back, fix all my applications to the schools I want to go to in Vancouver, find a shelter to stay at and prepare to leave Manila to seek for a better life.(not just carrer-wise, but health-wise as well...I feel that if I get another allergy or infection, I'm going to cry real hard) hehe

I'm still planning...and it's making my head hurt since it's midnight already.... =P

What drive'syou crazy?

Was reading this article in the January issue of Reader's Digest earlier and it had this list of what annoy's Asians the most...

The number one thing that irritates asians the most was bad drivers which was tied with queue-jumpers, second came spitting in public and poor services in shops/restaurants came in at third.

People in the Philippines are annoyed most by know-it-alls, people who walk too slowly, politicians, dirty public toilets, and people who sell X-rated films...

Me? I'm annoyed by :(in no particular order)

• People who talk too loudly when using their mobile phones
• Dirty Public Toilets
• People who spit on the sidewalks
• Dog/horse poop on the streets
• People who boast about what they have
• People who always feel superior to others
• People who stereotype others
• Garbage on the streets
• Smoke-belching cars
• Chain letters in my inbox

What drive's you crazy? =)

my life...or my parents' second life

Guess what! I'm going to Beijing for the summer...It's not a leisure trip though. I'm going with the Lucio Tan and CKSC study tour group. I'll be in Beijing for a total of 50 days.

So, I've put a stop to all the job hunting business, since I won't be able to start anyways. So far, I've applied in about 5 ad agencies(2 of which are located abroad) and 3 multinational companies here in Manila and 1 airline company. Had 3 ad agency interviews and 1 from the airline company, but I turned down the airline company, simply because the office is way too far from home.

Sometimes, I just can't get what my parents are thinking...They wanted me to get a job in January, then they wanted me to go to Vancouver (which I really wanted in the first place), then my mom told me to get a job fast coz by March there will be another batch graduating which will make it harder for me to get a job...and then now, they want me to go to Beijing! How weird can they get! I'm pretty much tired from doing what they like instead of what I want. I'm also very much tired of hearing that whatever they have planned for me is always right...which makes me wonder now, are the plans and ideals that our parents have always right? They were born and raised in an entirely different society and era different from ours...Would what judgements they had before still remain true today? They always have these really conservative, sometimes erratic, and Chinese-type of ideas. Wait a sec...I am Chinese, but then, I don't think that way...well, yeah, I was bred in 3 different cultures in my 20 years of life. Does that affect how I think and what I believe in all that much? I guess it does in a way...I'm part of this overseas Chinese generation that is much younger, more liberal and more accepting of other cultures.

hooked

I'm starting to get hooked on Sudoku! Started playing a couple of days back. There are millions of ways to solve one puzzle, but finding one is already a big headache. hahahaSo far, I have only finished two Sudoku puzzles...hehe it took me a while to solve one. I ended up downloading the game on my PC, but there are only 30 minutes of playing time. I'm scrimping on the playing time e, so I end up just playing on the net.... =D typical Chinese custom hehehe

I had lunch at Crepe de Chine today. The crepe's are really good (and healthy, too!). The ambience is also fresh and refreshing for something that is located in the Binondo area, where everything looks pretty much Chinese. It's located at the lower ground loor of World Trade Exchange located in Juan Luna Street, Binondo. Try the CDC Crepe Roll and the Seafood Marinara! They are really yummy, and the taste is really pure and natural. No evidence of MSG or anything.Haven't tried the other crepe's yet, but I bet they are as tasty as the two I have tried.

sounds familiar...

I watched the movie version of "Fiddler on the Roof" yesterday...half of it actually. I like the way the story is being presented, it's like "Sound of Music" but it also has a tinge of "Mary Poppins" to it. Weird, out of the box and just plain refreshing.

What got to me while I was watching the movie was that some of the songs were vaguely familiar even though I have not seen the movie before and I have never listened to the OST. I also doubt that I heard it on the radio. In short, it's virtually impossible for me to have heard the songs before. The moment the song started playing and the actor's began singing, I felt that I've heard the tune they were singing before. It's not one of those familiar tunes that I would usually hear here in Manila since it sounded Russian or Turkish. Now that I think of it, I might have heard it before, but only played from some other instrument, considering that there are only 7 notes multiplied by X number of octaves, which result in N number of permutaions and probabilities as to the number in which these notes can be arranged.

It's amusing how something seems so familiar even when it's just new to me. Must be deja vu or something.

learning to cook....

I attempted to make 水餃 (dumplings) today. I started with making the skin, but then I added too much water and the skin came out looking like a mix of pudding and the Dairy Queen blizzard, the type where it won't fall out of the cup even when you turn the cup over...so that was the first batch.

To be safe, I used a minimum amount of flour and water in my second attempt. It came out okay...The problem this time was that the resulting amount of dough was only enough for 2 dumplings! So, that was the outcome of the 1 and a half hours I spent making dumplings...hahaha 2 dumplings!

Anyways, I'm changing my blog skin again...got tired of seeing black.

jobless me...

It's been about 2 weeks since my graduation. I'm still jobless...sigh! There are times when I begin to regret turning the job ofer by Adformatix. But then what's done is done...I can't go to them and beg for a job..hehe So, I've had 3 job interviews(including the one in Adformatix). In 2 out of three interviews, I've been asked about my career plans or what I see myself doing in the next 5 years. In both instances, my first reaction was "I don't even know what I'll be doing tomorrow. What more 5 years?" Since my thesis ended last December, I've already started daydreaming of what I want my life to be like when I get to be around 30. I want to be able to have my own house..a big house at that, with this lush, green lanscaped garden at the back. Then there's going to be a big, huge rather, room full of books. And then I want to have my own studio where I can paint all I want or just write...someplace quiet, in short. Plus a photography studio.

It's going to seem really weird if I start explaining my dream like that to the interviewer. haha

I've been thinking a lot the past few days...and all I can say is that I don't have this concrete explanation as to what I want to achieve in the next 5 years. I just want to be able to live a life that is full of vibrance, a life wherein I am doing something I love, a life where I won't have to live according to other people's standards...a life that is mine...

quiz quiz quiz...

Got this from Erika =P
1) using your current first initial, choose a different name for yourself:
Charisma…I don't know, I just want to be able to live (as in live) by the word charisma
2) if you were born outside of your era, when would you want to be born and why?during the Qing dynasty inside the Forbidden City…I kinda like the ge ge, huang hou type of stuff hehe
3) if you ran a store, what would you sell/have?books or CDs…and then the interior design would have this minimalist zen type of feel where people will feel relaxed the moment they go into the store.
4) what part in a movie would you love to play?definitely not the villain…haha self-explanatory 5) in your opinion, why do people suck?because they tend to be hypocrites at times.
6) if you had your own state, what would you put on your new quarter? my pic? It's a once in a lifetime chance hahaha joke!
7) what's the oldest article of clothing you own?I have this t-shirt I owned since I was in nursery. It doesn't fit me now..duh! It’d be a miracle if it did
8) what piece of furniture have you replaced the most?study tables…the study tables at my place tend to just fill up and we just buy new ones
9) what instrument do you wish you could be great at?pi pa…it's the Chinese version of the guitar.
10) record, tape or CD?CDs…they last longer, allowing us to keep them and listen to them longer…great for albums with sentimental value.
11) what do you think would be the best concert ever?something that combines traditional music with modern music…something like that from Wang Lee Hom or the 12 Girls Band
12) what is the best part of your favorite movie(s)?the part where sara and jonathan meet again at this skating rink after not seeing or hearing from each other for ages.
13) what do you think is the most over-rated candy ever?the Tootsie Roll?
14) if you were writing out your will, who would you give your music/book collection to?to my sister…but then again, we have different tastes in both books and music, I might have my books donated to a library or orphanage
15) what do you collect?books, pencils, keychains, stamps(used to)
16) what is broken that you have, that you wish was fixed?I have this book that I've had since I was a little kid…somebody tore it up a couple of years back. I still keep the remnants though.
17) what do you do when you're home sick?hmmm…I don't know, last time I was anywhere alone was when I was in Taiwan…and that was for only 10 days..
18) story behind your username?Sunny day lalala…I grew up watching Sesame Street and then I combined the word cloud because my Chinese name means cloud. But it would’ve sounded weird if my username were to be sunnydaycloudyday, right? So therefore I combined the two types of days and my username became sunnycloudyday.
19) current favorite article of clothing?I have this sweater I bought in December, I like it coz it kept me warm when we went to Hong Kong…can’t wear it here in Manila though haha Imagine if I actually wore it here…Imagine Frosty the Snowman in the desert
20) line from the last thing you wrote for someone?take care.
21) a famous person you have met? Jose Mari Chan, Nina, Ven. Master Hsing Yun(does watching him from the front seat of an auditorium count?), the 2005 Promil Gifted kids!(hahaha)
22) favorite way to waste/spend time?surfing the net, reading books
23) last thing you bought yourself?the white blouse I wore for my grad =)

job interview # ?

Had a job interview in Makati last Thursday....was applying for an accounts executive position, but the only vacancy the company had was for a jr. graphics designer. The HR saw that I was knowledgeable in Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Freehand so she asked if I wanted to try it out...The thing is I have to take a technical exam on Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. So thats what I've been doing the past few days...learning Illustrator and reviewing Photoshop...

Take a look at my first Adobe Illustrator "mawsterpiece" hahaha

It's hardly anything major as it is my first time to work with Illustrator. =)

Oh yeah, accounts and graphic design are departments that I would want to be in...can;t make any definite decision between the two.

mcdo incident

Was in school yesterday to return my toga and get my grad pics.

Then at around 2 or 230, there was a commotion. Everybody was looking at the rooftop of Mcdonald's. I didn't know what was happening, but I was on my way to UM then so I didn't pay much attention to them. When I came out of UM, there were 2 police cars outside Mcdonald's...I still didn't know what was happening. I only knew what was happening when I went back into the campus...

It turned out that there was a shooting incident. This guy apparently shot Mcdonald's manager in her office and then he went up to the rooftop to shoot himself. There are a lot of versions of why the guy did the act and I don't know which is the true version.

ANyways, the windows of 3rd floor UM were so crowded yesterday, as the one in 32d floor LS building was. Some students were even taking out their phone's and taking pictures of the dead guy...so bizzare!

haha adventure...I wonder if people will still want to eat at Mcdonald's after this incident. For me, it's pretty creepy to eat at a place where someone died.

The 2X2 test

*2 names you go by
1. Char
2. Charlene
*2 parts of your heritage
1. Chinese
2. Chinese
(both pertaining to blood heritage)
*2 things that scare you
1. cockroaches
2. being alone in somewhere unknown
*2 of your everyday essentials
1. water
2. Blistex( my lips tend to get all dry this time of year)
*2 things you are wearing right now
1. t-shirt
2. undies(uh...duh!)hahahaha
*2 of your favorite bands or musical artists (at the moment)
1. F.I.R.
2. Kelly Clarkson
*2 favorite songs (at the moment)
1. Wo Men De Ai by F.I.R.
2. Because of You by Kelly Clarkson
*2 things you want in a relationship (other than real love)
1. security
2. that warm and comfy feeling that just comes whenever I am with that special someone...
*2 truths
1. I love my laptop.
2. I’m officially a jobless graduate for the moment.
*2 of your favorite hobbies
1. designing with photoshop
2. reading
*2 things you want really badly
1. to climb the Great Wall of China
2. to work in an advertising agency
*2 places you want to go on vacation
1. Italy
2. Korea
*2 things you want to do before you die
1.Get married and have kids.
2. Find the reason as to why I never seem to get stressed.
*2 ways that you are stereotypically a dude/chick
1. I own too many shoes. (according to my dad)
2. I like to shop for lip gloss...(I've got 4 tubes of Lancome's Juicy tubes, all in different flavors)
*2 things you are thinking about now
1. What is in store for me now that I’m no longer in school?
2. I wanna sit on the sofa all day with a good book.
*2 stores you shop at
1. Celine (for my footgear)
2. Guess (for my denims)
2 people i would like to see take this quiz
1. Erika
2. Nestle

bored

I'm so bored...I can't stand it!

I have another job interview...its a walk in type of thing with no schedule. I'm planning to go within the week.

Then today, I decided to download the newest Adobe Reader coz I couldn't open the registration form for Alliance Francais using the version I have now. The download is taking forever!!! I wished that I had DSL.

posted some pics from the grad at my mulitply site...check it out. The link is at the links section entitled my old blog...hehehe sorry I'm too lazy to retype the whole address.

Oh great! The Adobe download is now at 65%.

almost forgot

I've uploaded the short story I wrote for CREWRIT here . Just check it out. =) hehe leave a comment too, so I'll know what needs improving.

grad day

This morning, I had this feelingof mixed emotions. I didn't know if I was happy, sad, afraid or what. I was happy because finally I won't have to worry about homework, quizzes and exams anymore; sad because I will miss my friends and the place which I have considered my second home for the past 3 years; and afraid because I am still unsure of what the future beholds.

Funny how 3 years ago I was so scared to start college. Maybe it was because I was new to the school and the endless corridors, numerous staircases just intimidated and sometimes baffled me, but as I learned more about my surroundings, I treated the school campus as my second home...But today, I shall be leaving this school and moving on to another chapter in life...sigh!

tickle color test

Charlene, your true color is Brown!

You're brown, a credible, stable color that's reminiscent of fine wood, rich leather, and wistful melancholy. Most likely, you're a logical, practical person ruled more by your head than your heart. With your inquisitive mind and insatiable curiosity, you're probably a great problem solver. And you always gather all of the facts before coming to a timely, informed decision. Easily intrigued, you're constantly finding new ways to challenge your mind, whether it's by reading the newspaper, playing a trivia game, or composing a piece of music. Brown is an impartial, neutral color, which means you tend to see the difference between fact and opinion easily and are open to many points of view. Trustworthy and steady, you really are a brown at heart.

Woohoo!

CBE Recognition rites

Attended the CBE recognition rites yesterday... Mom and Dad went coz Dad might not be able to attend the grad ceremony tomorrow as he has to go pai-pai for Grandpa. Was almost late due to the heacvy traffic on the way to school caused by the downpour we had all day long. There were no floods though.

We got an Archer cap as the souvenir, same as last terms'. hehe


Here are some pics:

Taken with my thesis groupmates on Wednesday.

taken with some of my blockmates =)

I'll post more when I have time...

So anyways, my mom was making tsap-diam as to how I didn't put too much effort on my studies therefore I didn't get any awards...It's better to know that I've done my best rather than getting an award going the easy way. That's my opinion.

I was aiming for Best Thesis but the stupid company rep gave us a really low grade and still told people in the company that we got Best Thesis. Weird, noh?

aching feet...

just got back from the grad rehearsal in school...my feet ache from walking around in high heels all day long.

anyways, my day was normal, nothing extraordinary happened. It was typical, everybody went crazy at the sight of a camera. Didn't join in the fun though. Felt that I might just get lost in the sea of faces that appeared in each picture. hahaha joke! Maybe tomorrow...I'd be in photo-op mode hahaha.

by the way, imagine hundreds of students in togas going down the stairs. Does this scene seem familiar? hahaha

I felt like I was in a scene from Harry Potter. My friends and I were talking in Harry Potter talk earlier.

cleaning day

was cleaning up my stuff yesterday in anticipation of the Chinese New Year celebrations. This year...I really cleaned everything, as in I didn't leave one corner(of my desk) undusted. So, anyways, while I was cleaning my desk I came upon this big photoalbum that was placed on the top layer of my EDIA desk(you know the furniture brand that has desks that have a lot of levels).

I flipped through the photoalbum and I found the following pics inside. It's been ages since I've seen these pics. Looking at them, made me seem old. haha

I was trying to remember what happened during those times and I can't seem to come up with anything major. All I remember is I was always late for class at Keti, and I cried a lot then too. Then for St. Sylvesters, I remember there were 2 Charlene's in my class and our teacher got confused a lot. Also, I was the only kid in my class that didn't know how to tie up my shoelaces.

Sigh! How time flies...I also found this art thing I did in Kindergarten. Cute! I'm keeping this. hehe

Other items I found included this little notebook where I wrote mini-plays, scripts or whatever you may call them. Erika and I co-wrote most of them. hehe Most of the pages were already tearing off and the ink already blotted in some. But I could still make out some of the stories we wrote... They were mostly about teenage stuff that seemed like a lot of sense then. The scenes were also a bit uhm...wordy and incoherent. The parts I wrote more specifically. haha I've criticizing my own writings.

It was my gua-ma's birthday last Sunday. We had lunch at Golden Fortune Restaurant in Kalaw. Uncle Paul's treat. :)

quiz quiz quiz

How true are this kind of stuff ? Can anyone tell me? haha

Your brain: 60% interpersonal, 60% visual, 200% verbal, and 80% mathematical!

Congratulations on being 400% smart! Actually, on my test, everyone is. The above score breaks down what kind of thinking you most enjoy doing. A score above 100% means you use that kind of thinking more than average, and a score below 100% means you use it less. It says nothing about how good you are at any one, just how interested you are in each, relatively. A substantial difference in scores between two people means, conclusively, that they are different kinds of thinkers. Matching Summary: Each of us has different tastes. Still, I offer the following advice, which I think is obvious: Don't date someone if your interpersonal percentages differ by more than 80%. Don't be friends with someone if your verbal percentages differ by more than 100%. Don't have sex with someone if their math percentage is over 200%.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 32% on interpersonal You scored higher than 20% on visual You scored higher than 98% on verbal You scored higher than 28% on mathematical

Link: The 4-Variable IQ Test written by chriscoyne on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

arrgggghhhhhh!

Finished watching Memories of Bali last night....

I just can't get over the ending! I don't like the ending! WHy did everybody have to die in the end?

I wanted Lee Soo Jung to end up with the rich guy...but why oh why did he have to kill her and the other guy before comitting suicide?


Waaaah!

check this out!

guess what i found while surfing the net the whole afternoon! hahaha

cool! hehe "why didn't i think of it before?" kind of feel. simple executions yet great effect...





the last one really made me laugh.
There are more actually. Just take a look at Cool Pictures > Magazine Illusions

random links

was looking around at the websites of some of the advertising agencies here in manila. FOund the TBWA/Santiago Mangada Puno site interesting. hehe
For one thing, I got shocked when my silent environment was disrupted by the rising sound of beating drums. Then I noticed that there were text flashing in the TBWA window saying that "Insanity is doing things over and over again expecting different results."
I completely agree to that, but I'm sure my algeb profs wouldn't. hahaha

choosing one over the other

It's kind of tough when we get ourselves in a crossroad, then we wonder if we should go this way or that. When we were kids, things were so much simpler then... If in doubt ask mom or dad, that's the rule. But now that I'm older and supposedly more mature, I have to face my own problems by myself. I have to deal with them, I have to analyze and determine what consequences my actions will bring.

Now, back to the main topic, how come when we choose one alternative over the other and we go on to the point where we can't turn back, we'd wonder "what if?" Is there some way to not make a choice yet still be able to live through life?

"Nanay ko po"

Ever wondered whats with the "Nanay ko po" line? There are about 3 different commercials that I've seen on TV all using the same line in the script...it's pretty confusing since consumers can practically assume that this product is the one they saw or heard even when what they are really talking about is another product.

Why on earth would the advertiser want to use something that would confuse the consumer?
Hmmmm....

recent news

Was reading the newspaper the other day and read an article about India and its' loss of at least 10M female births due to abortions. I know these types of incidents happened a lot during ancient times, but is gender inequality still that big an issue these days? Daughters can be better compared to guys. And another argument, if there were no girls, where would the future males come from? Imagine what would happen if the population of India would compose of only males and no females. They’d all die out and there would be no more children to continue their race. Sorry...I just feel abortion is bad and choosing to abort a female fetus even worse.

I didn't take the job that I was offered. I passed the one-on-one interview and also the group interview, but I decided not to take the job sinceif I do, I'd have to sign on a 2-year contract and the salary is something like 4 figures only. Better to go to Vancouver and start all over than stay here wondering what if for 2 years. I was running computations in my head and weighing pro's and con's of each alternative and I found the opportunity cost and switching costs are just to high, which led to my decision to not take the job.

FIRST job interview ever!!!!!

had my first job interview today at Adformatix. The person who interviewed me commented that my English was good for a Chinese. Which made me wonder if my English is good enough compared to the Filipinos...

anyways, the interview was not as scary as I imagined. the thing that is worrying me now is the 2-year contract thingie. I'm bound to work at the company for 2 years, because they invest in the training of the people they hire, etc etc.I can't decide whether I should go on and work with the company or leave the country to work abroad?

I just can't decide! This is such a good opportunity that may not pass by again...but 2 years? Argh! I really don't know.

Considering the fact that my mom doesn't want me to go abroad in the first place...well, at least someone's happy about this...

fab weekend

Had a pretty active weekend! =) One of the few fun-filled yet busy weekends I've had..haha

I met up with my High School friends at Greenbelt3. Was an hour late due to the heavy traffic in the streets.

I got 3 gifts. A pouch with this cute kitty sewn on front.

and then Aileen gave me a pouch also, then Charissa gave me soap. =)

I bought "The Valkyries" by Paulo Coelho at Powerbooks Greenbelt. It's been a long time since I've bought a book...as in it's been ages. Now that I think about it, it's also been a while since I've browsed through a row of books at a bookstore here in Manila. I kinda miss the feeling of not being in rush while perusing through the synopsis of the books on the rack.

After Powerbooks, Aileen, Erika and I had lunch at Bollywood. The food was good. The spicy eggplant was not spicy though, even with the red peppers sprinkled on top. The fried vegetable croquette-like thing(I can't remember what it's called) was really good. It didn't look hot, coz it was mostly green, but when you taste the ingredients inside, there's a sort of zesty taste to it.Aileen and I shared the Roghan Josh(not sure if this is the right spelling) This is like the Indian version of adobo.

After lunch, we walked over to Glorietta and watched "Blue Moon", the movie that won a couple of awards at this years' MMFF(as I heard from my aunt). The movie was cute. There are a few lapses, like how did Corazon get to the US and which Corazon was Manuel Pineda looking for in the beginning? But then again, overall, it was OK.

Had a good time catching up and just talking with my High School friends. It's been a while since we've seen each other, yet we still find something to talk about. We somehow know each other more than we know ourselves. This is my opinion. I don't know. This is just the feeling I have. I doubt if I'll ever get this kind of feeling with the people I've met in college.

Anyways, after we separated, I went to EGI Tower to wait for Mom, coz she's meeting her High School friends for dinner. It's a sort of trade actually, I got in the car as soon as Mom got out. hehe I passed through DLSU on the way to EGI. There is no way on earth that you'd get me to walk the street in front of DLSU on a Saturday night...unless the campus is closed of course.

After that, Dad, Candee and I went to Harbour Square and had dinner at Dencio's. The food there was not too good. And it took forever for our order to come. No kidding! The table beside us was already done paying the bill by the time our order came. Their order came just as we were about to order. Do the math...

We walked at the harbour after dinner digesting the food we ate before we headed to Starbucks. I ordered the Toffee Nut Frap, Candee got Caramel Cream Frap and Dad ordered a Mocha Frap. I started reading "The Valkyries" as we sat there sipping our Fraps and waiting for Mom to call. Which reminds me...I am about 18 stickers short of getting the Starbucks planner, anyone want to help? hehe

Sunday:

I attended this wedding reception for lunch. The food served were all vegan. Loved the soup and the fried "Tao-pe". Didn't get to try all the food coz I had to attend the Cash Flow Game at FGS.

Jeanne was my partner for the game. We didn't win. We still owe the bank $15000 at the end of the session.

So that was my weekend. =)

yippeee! and ouch!

Have a job interview at Adformatix on Tuesday! Funny thing: Although, I didn't want to leave the office a few months back...I'm now having a weird feeling about going back to work. haha All the bumming the past few weeks has gotten to my head!(oh and yeah...the vancouver thingie is partly causing my hesitation too. sigh!)

Guess what happened today? My right knee has been sprained for like forever, so I'm pretty much used to it, but today, it hurt more than usual so my mom took me to a "manghihilot". Weird thing is, it isn't my knee that's causing the problem but my hips. Kinda odd huh?

chef for a day

Never realized cooking was so exhausting!!! Cooked spaghetti for dinner the other night, the result was good, although i was still kind of rusty as to when to put the next ingredient in and all. the hotdogs got kinda dark, one side only haha

I was cooking and preparing for what seemed like an eternity and the worst thing was we all finished eating in about 30 minutes.

bumming around

Finished watching "嫂子19歲" yesterday. I watched the first 3 disks before then I skipped 4 disks and jumped straight to the last DVD last night. I found the first 3 disks too dragging. Would you believe 1 disk would equal to around 3 hours of showing time? I got pretty bored after the 3rd disk and it gets annoying when you notice that the director is obviously just trying to prolong the series.

So, anyways, the series ended pretty abruptly. The director could have just put whatever extending or delaying in the middle to the end. The ending is alomst the same as the one in "Lovers in Paris"...the part where the guy and the girl meet in Paris, except in "嫂子19歲" they meet up again in Boston. So, they meet up again and then the end...

I'm officially a bum these days. My dad is telling me to get a job, but I have a feeling that once I get a job, I can forget about going to Vancouver. I don't know what to do.

Happy New Year!

It's only another 358 days till Christmas and 364 days till the New Year! Yey! hahaha

Anyways, guess what was the first thing I was doing this year. No, I wasn't drinking. No, I wasn't sleeping either. and definitely, I wasn't reading or partying or anything normal/abnormal(i.e. mundane stuff).So, give up guessing? I was packing, not for a trip though. There was this fire that broke out behind Chiang Kai Shek. I believe that it was a squatters area. The fire was really big and my mom was starting to panic and telling me and my sister to start packing essential and important stuff. We packed and the house was a total mess afterwards. The firetrucks came a bit later on and when they came, we breathed a bit, but the fire kept getting bigger and bigger so we were still in "pack up and flee" mode.Everything was such a blur, we woke up my grandma to tell her to get ready. And then we called up our uncle to tell him to come help grandma just in case something really happens. He was on his way here, but his daughter called my cellphone and kept on asking "Where is the fire exactly?" That was so annoying...we were already going crazy keeping an eye on the fire, packing and getting dressed, and she's still asking "Exactly, where is the fire?" My goodness!

After the fire was out, I looked at what I was wearing. Trust me. I look ridiculous! Imagine, pink striped blouse, khaki pants and blue sneakers. How mismatched! hahaha

So that was my little adventure early this 2006... =)