Rubix Cube

I’ve always forgot, but I’ve been wanting to blog about rubix cube. For sometime, whenever I’d go out, I’ve always seen rubix cubes almost everywhere – bookstores, toy stores, bazaars, sidewalk vendors. It’s a very old toy, but for some reason it has become sensational again. I don’t really know how to play it, there’s a technique but I don’t have the patience to learn it. They say playing rubix cube can enhance your IQ but who cares. I’m not a rubix cube hater, I just can’t understand why all of a sudden it’s everywhere. Can somebody explain?

Here’s my very own Gashapon vending machine. It came from a Gashapon capsule. Yes, the world turned upside down, so it’s the other way around now. Just kidding, but don’t you think it’s cute? It’s a Pokemon Gashapon model. Take a closer look, it does have capsules! Gashapons are amazing. The greatest challenge is putting it back to its capsule. Try it if you have a lot of time to spare hehehe.

The Waiting Hours

Last Sunday I went to see “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” together with Sherry, Mike, and Lester. We were at the mall as early as 12:30 PM but we didn’t get the tickets for the 2:00 PM screening so we had to wait until 6:00 PM, the release of the tickets of its 2nd screening. Then after we got the tickets, we had to wait for another 2 hours because it was scheduled to play at 8:00. During the time we waited, I realized that sometimes it’s not very healthy to have all the time in the world when you ran out of things to do. Thank God I was not alone!

But anyways… “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” is about Makoto, a normal (as always) high school girl who accidentally gained a power to travel or as the title suggests, leap through time. On a not so lucky day, the day she was destined to die, she bumped to a “time” device from the future, which gave her the power to time leap, thus she prevented her untimely death. Having this kind of power, she went back and forth on days she experienced mishaps and changed them in accordance to her satisfaction. But later she realized that the misfortunes she avoided diverted into somebody else and her intention to help other people made things worse.

I know that one should never play with destiny but given the chance that I will be given of such power, I will do the same thing. It’s a very selfish act, but c’mon, everyone has his own share of regrets over the past. The good news is, no matter how great the technology will advance, a time machine is an impossible creation. No such thing can ever manipulate the events from the past. I will bet my life on this one.

Coffee Prince

I just had a Coffee Prince marathon. It’s not anime but a Korean drama series. This is the first time I got interested and watched Korean stuff. I learned about it when my sisters are watching it. Sometimes I watched with them but it’s not like I always had the time to do so, besides I prefer the original version. Korean names are so hard to remember though (at least for me).

Honestly I was drawn to this series because of the androgynous Eun Chan. This girl “pretending to be guy” is nothing new to me. It has been used in anime and manga many times – Hanakimi, Rose of Versailles, Mint na Bokura, Pretty Face , etc. But this is the live action video that made me believe that this girl can really pass as a boy. I’ve seen the Ashiya of Hanakimi (Japan and Taiwan version), Jill of Jack ‘n Jill (played by Sharon Cuneta), and there’s this Hollywood film I’ve seen, I forgot the title and story already, but the main character pretending to be a guy looks like Ralph Machio (Karate Kid). They are good actresses but they didn’t really look like CUTE BOYS. And of course, I find Coffee Prince funny too. I’m just not so satisfied with the ending. I dunno, everyone ended up happy but I still feel something’s missing. My emotions were really pouring throughout the series, but when I saw the ending, all I said was, “oh that was it?” Maybe it’s because it ended the way I expected or maybe it was Eun Chan’s hair, LOL! I was hoping for something that would come out of the blue. But a never ending series is much more boring so I guess it was better that way. In general, it’s really a good series.

And just to share, these are things I’ve learned about Korea from watching Coffee Prince:
- there are both right had drive and left hand drive cars in Korea (but I still need to verify this)
- Asuji is uncle
- Oscar of Rose of Versailles is popular among Korean teens
- they also celebrate Valentines day the way Japanese do
- they also celebrate White Day

And speaking of Oscar, when I hear of him, I mean her, the image of Genma Saotome in panda mode in Oscar get up pops in my mind. Oh Panda-chan I want to see you!

Baby Talk

I visited my cousin and nephews in Marikina yesterday. I’m so happy to see the newest member of the clan, Mighael Cean. Weird name don’t you think? His mother has a tradition of naming her children with 2 names that starts with “M” and “C”. When she was thinking what to name her 4th son, she consulted everyone in the family, she ran out of ideas. I suggested calling him Mon Charlie, because I really wanted it to be Momon Cha, but Mon Charlie is the closest hahaha. She refused =( She wanted a unique name that sounds good. Sure, Mighael Cean is unique but I’m pretty sure not everyone will get the correct pronunciation the first time (migheyl syan). He’s 3 months old, so small, so soft and so cute. He’s currently the apple of the eye of the family. Babies are so cute and therapeutic! His brother, Marcus Curt, who just turned 2 today, is also cute. He’s still a baby of the family, but you know, as you grow old, you lessen your cuteness and charm hehehe. Let’s just say his popularity rank went down when his brother came. I can see how jealous Curt is now that his mom is much more attentive to his baby brother. I caught him bullying Cean when his mom is not looking hehehe. Kids…

My sister-in-law will be giving birth in 4 months and everyone in the family is really excited. So in a few months, Cean’s popularity will also drop hehehe. My parents think that May will bear a son. Any gender is fine, but I still prefer a baby boy because it’s much easier to play with them. To date, I have 7 nephews and 3 nieces (all from first degree cousins) and I don’t really mind if the male species would dominate our clan hehehe.

When old ones passed away one by one, babies started to pop one by one too. It’s just like the old ones never really went away instead they changed and became much smaller and cuter. Reincarnation, yeah. I don’t know if I would believe it, after all it’s a Buddhism principle. But no living person would ever know what really happens after D, if they do, then they’re dead. Of course I’m sticking to my belief in heaven after life, that’s why I’m doing my best to be good.

I used to be much more normal and dreamed of having kids too. I wanted a mini-me so I wanted a husband that looks like me also. Some thought of me weird and narcissistic for having such standards. But that was then. A friend told me before, that as you age, you change your priorities. I have nothing against children and giving birth, but now, I think it’d be best not to have one anymore. Honestly, I feel sorry for the new generation. It’s saddening but the world is becoming less and less safer and suitable place to live in. Increasing rate of poverty and crimes, degrading quality of education and health, dreadful diseases sprout one after another, global warming, warring nations, corrupt leaders… imagine how the future would look like. But I don’t want to. After all, the most important thing is the present. For now, it’s still wonderful to live and see children grow up.

People of the earth, let’s do our best for the babies of today who will be the people of tomorrow.

Ren

I saw this while browsing Theme magazine…

Caption: Ren (verb) - to suffer something difficult or continue existing despite disadvantageous conditions.

Then I suddenly remember my good friend Ren and smiled. How I wanted to show this to him and tell him how his name perfectly suits his current situation. But he’s strong and I’m glad. I know that whatever hardship he’s going through right now, he’ll be okay.

I miss you ‘ol buddy…

Simple Things I hope to Acquire Before the Year Ends (a.k.a Wishlist 2008 XD)

Manga:
- Miyuki-chan in Wonderland
- Watashi no Suki na Hito
- Platinum and Pastel
- Sandman vol. 6-10
- Death: Time of Your Life
- Rurouni Kenshin vol. 20, 22, 25, 26 (longest running wishlist LOL)

Toys:
- Perfect Grade Wing Gundam Zero Custom
- Perfect Grade Wing Gundam Zero Custom, Pearl Mirror Coating Ver.
- Death mini bust
- 5" Shaider Die Cast
- CLAMP Chess Board and Box
- Special CLAMP Chess Kings (Kero and Spinel)
- Master Grade Gundam Seed Destiny Extreme Blast Mode
- Chrono Cross Action figures

Books:
- Tokyo Suckerpunch by Isaac Adamson
- Kinki Lullaby by Isaac Adamson
- The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami
- Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami
- What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
- Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
- Thousand Cranes by Yasunori Kawabata
- Bundori by Laura Joh-Rowland
- The Samurai's Wife by Laura Joh-Rowland

Videos:
- Leiji Matsumoto animes (Space Captain Harlock, Yamato, Ginga Tetsudo 999, etc.)
- XXX Holic TV series 2nd season
- Kodomo No Omocha TV series
- Classic sentai series (Maskman, Shaider, Fiveman, Turbo Ranger, Mask Rider Black)
- The Wonder Years season 2-6
- Gake No Ue No Ponyo
- Blade of the Immortal TV Series

Others:
- a new pair of Adidas sneakers (blue)
- the Happy Days' Shaider shirt
- shades, shades, shades
- a geniuneLouis Vuitton wallet (I'm serious ok hehehe)
- 2009 Starbucks Plannes
- PSP
- SE K770i
- tons of new socks!
- a Samsonite laptop backpack

-sigh- too many stuff, so little money... Life is challenging indeed!

Have a great weekend (",x)

Eraserheads (finally) Reunite

I just learned that Eraserheads will be reuniting... for ONE NIGHT ONLY, 45 minutes to be exact. On August 30, 2008 at CCP Open Grounds. Now if there's any local band I love, it's Eheads! I think that they are the BEST PINOY BAND EVER. I assumed that every Eheads fan knows that their disbanding rooted from personal reasons, so I never thought they would ever play together again. But now it'll be happening. See, WE SHALL OVERCOME SOMEDAY hahaha (see my previous blog post on Eiga Sai). I am definitely looking forward to this rare event. I've been searching, on how to get tickets. I even signed up at the Marlboro Red List to get the latest updates. If you know if the tickets are already available pls. inform me ASAP.

Great great news!

Halelluiah! My mom is coming back earlier than expected and I just can't express how happy I am. I miss my mom and her cooking. The past 2 weeks was the worst meal I ever had. I wanted to go on hunger strike but I can't blame anyone. Nobody in the knows how to cook and it's just frustrating. Last night we called our mom while having our dinner and she asked what our dinner is, and I gloomingly answered "tapsilog"... She replied "oh you poor babies, don't worry I'll start cooking for you again" -tears- I wish I could learn the art of cooking. I make good pancakes though =)

How Joe Hisaishi made my (early) morning

It’s 3:32 in the morning and I’m really feeling restless from a not so pleasant dream. I stupidly tried bothering people but they are wise enough to ignore… so I end up talking to my best friend - my laptop. I need to calm myself. I browsed my file looking for a powerful music and I just have what I need – Joe Hisaishi!

I’m not really in a position to talk about Hisaishi. My words can never justify the greatness of his music but I’ve always think that his music is one of the great contribution why Miyaki’s films were successful. It’s amazing how the serene and mystic note blend with every scene. It takes my heart and mind with the scene. I don’t need a holographic effect to feel I’m part of the movie. Just now, I’m listening to Piano Stories II: The Wind of Life and I feel like I’m in the spirit bath house that Chihiro worked. Now I feel like sleeping again with a wish of dreaming a Hayao Miyazaki world…-yawn-

Kokology: The Stolen Berries

Here's another kokology from Kokology by Isamu Saito and Tadahiko Nagao. Play along, this is fun (",x)

Everyone likes a nice person and most of us try to be good in our own lives. Why is it, then that there are so few people in the world who are good all the time? As hard as you may try, there are always those rotten days of moments and weakness where it just feels better to be bad. Whether that takes the form of driving too fast on the highway, cheating on a test, or "liberating" a box of pens from the office, we've all done things we can't be proud of or justify. The key to becoming a truly good person is in accpeting the bad parts of your own personality and admitting that you're not perfect, not in trying to act like a saint while the devil on your shoulder whispers in your ear. We all succumb to temptation sometimes. But in the next scenario you might just get caught...

1. On a stroll through the countryside, you come across a field of delicious-looking strawberries. Your stomach starts to rumble, and there's no one else around. Only a fence stands between you and a free lunch. How high is that fence?

Kid: the fact that I saw the strawberries means the fence won’t obstruct my view. Maybe as tall as my neck.

2. You sneak into the garden and begin to help yourself to the fruit. How many berries did you eat?

Kid: I love strawberries so I’d probably eat all I can, maybe a basket of berries?

3. Suddenly the farmer whose berries you're stealing appears out of nowhere and starts yelling at you. What do you say in your own defense?

Kid: I’m sorry sir, I was just really hungry. I’ll just pay for the berries I ate.



4. After all is said and done, how did the berries taste? And looking back, how did you feel after your berry-stealing adventure was over?

Kid: If I never paid for it, I’d feel guilty. But If I did, then I’d be satisfied.

The Results..

Strawberries -seductively juicy and red - are common symbol of sexual attraction and desire. The way you envisioned this scenario helps us to understand your attitude toward forbidden romance and stolen love.

1. The height of the fence you imagined around the field is a measure of your own level of self-control and resistance to sexual temptation. The higher the fence, the greater your own defenses. People who imagined a total enclosure exercise admirable restraint. Those of you who said it was only a string tied around some be at about knee height run a higher than average risk of getting burned by the flames of love.

2. The number of berries you said you would steal is the number of people you can believe yourself in love (or lust) with at any given time. If you said you'd quit after eating just one, you're likely to be faithful in your own love life as well (or at least a devoted serial monogamist). Those of you who got onto double digits may need to think seriously about applying the brakes to your libido. Nobody can keep that pace up forever.

3. The excuses you made to the farmer represent the way you'd defend yourself if you got caught having an affair. What was your excuse?

"I'm so sorry. I promise I'll never do it again" Sometimes a full confession and a promise to behave is the best way to get yourself off the hook.

"They looked so good, I just couldn’t help myself" Well actually you did help yourself – to somebody else’s berries. But honesty is the best policy. After all, it worked for George Washington, didn’t it? If you keep it up, maybe someday you could be president too.

"Hey those berries were great! Do you have if I have a couple more?" Farmers have shotguns. Spouses have lawyers. Fortunately you still have a chance to reconsider your choice of words.

4. The way you described the experience and the taste of the berries gives an indication of how you imagine yourself feeling when looking back on a past affair.

"Actually, they didn’t taste good as they looked. The whole thing wasn’t even worth the effort" All too true for most affairs. Chalk it up to experience and put it behind you.

"So sweet! So juicy and delicious! I’ve never tasted anything like it!" Uh, let’s just say you’re addicted to love.

"The berries were nothing special, but all in all it kind of fun" Statistically speaking, you’re in the high-risk group for repeat offenders.

Kid: LOL! Really now?

Reunion X Eiga Sai X Takoyaki X DVD Window Shopping X Mcdo Happy Meal = Looonnng Saturday

I was surprised when I received a call from Sherry last week informing she already got back from Singapore. Apparently she quit her job due to a conflict with her superior. I was surprised because all along I thought she was having a great time with her job, plus she never informed me beforehand that she’s coming home (duh like I’d prepare something hahaha). Anyway, the first thing I did when I got in touch with her was invite her to Eiga Sai and she agreed in an instant which I find unusual, usually she’d say "I’d think about it" which more often than not means "NO". Yay I smell reunion! I smell chocolates and omiyage!

I anticipated July 13 – Saturday with excitement that I went off very early without realizing traffic is less likely during weekend mornings. I arrived at Megamall as early as 10:30 AM, our call time was 12:00 NN. Damn! I hate being early in mall rendezvous. When I start to get bored, I start to look around and I start to see things I like and I start to spend. Just to share, my favorite quotes for the last 3 months: NEVER BE A LOSER and STOP SPENDING. I immediately informed Sherry to hurry. While waiting for her, I did my best to stay away from toys and comics.

I went to St. Francis Square. I rarely go there, but this place reminds me of Greenhills’ Shoppesville cheap clothes, Cellphones, bootleg toys, Pirated DVDs. These stuffs don’t give me potential to spend. Hold it right there! Did I just say Pirated DVDs??? Oh my, it’s been a long time since I went for DVD shopping and I really missed Quiapo. I looked around to check and reminded myself, "JUST 2-3 TITLES OKAY". The good thing with Anime DVDs nowadays is that you’ll get the whole series in one disc, depending how long the series is. But nothing caught my interest. There are tons of anime titles to chose from, but I guess I’ve really grown up when choosing a title to buy. Before, anime in pirated DVD was RARE so I ended up buying every anime title I saw. And that explains why I bought titles with no subtitles and loose episodes (Houshin Engi Vol. 3, Tokimeki Memorial Vol. 2, etc). So I support pirated DVDs? So what? It’s cheap, that’s why! One thing that caught my attention is that the new DVDs are in blue and red packaging with labels "Blue Ray" and "HD DVD" and I stupidly thought to myself – WTF! So now there are pirated Blue Rays and HD DVDs??? When I asked one of the vendors he told me that they are just "blue ray" copy but the discs are still in regular DVD format. Whew! But it would be good if Blue Ray would be pirated too don’t you think hehehe.

Sherry arrived with no chocolates or omiyage, but I don’t really mind. The first thing I asked was to eat Takoyaki at the food court. There’s this Takoyaki stand in Megamall that I really love – Chito’s Takuyaki. Their takoyaki is the only food that made me eat veggies because they don’t taste like one when they’re inside the takoyaki balls, and Sherry loved it too. She was surprised to see me eat the whole takoyaki without separating the vegetables, really, it’s that damn good. Plus I get to drink my favorite buko shake. It was the best meal I had that week (mom I really miss you) –tears-

At 1:00 PM we started to move to the venue, the Shang Cineplex. We were lucky that we didn’t experience queuing for the tickets. The ticket lady informed us that the screening would start at 2:00 PM. So that gave us time to talk. She told me what happened at work. She now has friends in Singapore and she told me how much she wanted to go back. She started looking for job again through the internet. Then she showed me pictures of her stay there and the conversation went on something like this:

Kid: (looking at the pics on the phone) is this a penguin?
Sherry: Yep!
Kid: How did that happen? They don’t snow in Singapore
Sherry: It’s synthetic of course. Oh yeah, they (Ocean World) housed Polar Bears too. Look!
Kid: No way!!! (looks at the video of a swimming polar bear)… but they’re not cute when they swim, I like them when they’re dry so they’ll have this fluffy look.
Sherry: Oh really…
Kid: Yeah! (raise an eyebrow) BTW, did you see a Panda too???
Sherry: Uhm, no. Unfortunately… I wanted to see one too..
Kid: Hah! As long as you haven’t seen one, I won’t feel envious bwahahahaha! Look I’ve seen one (brags my phone)

Sherry: LOL! Panda your ass! This is not a real one
Kid: Of course it is! LOL!

-sigh- I want to see a real Panda…

The other things we did while waiting for the show to start – drop at Kid’s Station, answer some Kokology, CAMWHORE (this has been a regular activity whoever I'm with hehehe)… Then I saw Neitaro, she never changed. She always have this upbeat energy during events that would make you want to shout "hey" "woi"… Finally, when the show was about to start, I saw Chris but he doesn’t have the ticket yet. He went to get some and we followed him to check - and surprise - Aish and Duston were also there. Wow! Unfortunately, they were not able to get the tickets for the first film. So Sherry and I went ahead to watch the first film – Linda, Linda, Linda!

This film about youth is set in modern-day high school just outside of Tokyo. In the days just before the school’s culture festival, a girl’s music group is facing a dilemma. They planned on playing an original piece of music but, three days before the festival, the guitarist appears to have broken her finger (actually she doesn’t want to break her nails) and an argument breaks out between the vocalist and Kyoko. They need to find a new guitarist and a new vocalist. While the remaining three girls are pondering who to ask to be the new vocalist, they hear the song, “Linda Linda Linda” by the famous Japanese rock band Blue Hearts and decide they want to sing it instead of an original song. A Korean exchange student, Song, is sitting in the next room and they take the chance to ask her to be their vocalist. Her Japanese is not perfect, and she’s never sung in front of an audience, but she just happens to be listening to the Blue Hearts song. They practice and practice but they don’t seem to be improving. They spend a lot of time at Kei’s ex-boyfriend’s studio and at the school practicing late into the night. They are really tired, but a deep friendship develops among the four girls. The night before the festival, they practice late into the night and exhaust themselves. They suddenly wake up the next morning and realize that they are late for the festival. They arrive at the school just as the festival is finishing and perform as the last act. The audience loves them and the four girls play their hearts out.

-taken from Japan Foundation Manila Office (JFMO) Eiga Sai 2008 flyer

At the end of the film, we were both singing Rinda, rinda, rinda! I loved the film. Funny and endearing, this film made me remember my college days again. My favorite scene was when a certain Maki confessed to Son, the way he tried to speak in Korean and Son barely understand what he was saying, then she’d reply in Nihongo. A Japanese speaking Korean and a Korean speaking Japanese. A major BWAHAHAHA! I always find it funny to hear Japanese try to speak other languages particularly Filipino. Here’s a classic line I’ll never forget – tutugutogu kami – the Nitta Oyako saying "tutugtog kami" during their self introduction at the Tsugari Shamisen Play last October 2004, and they said that many times! This film made me want to check Blue Heart’s music, I liked the soundtrack!

When we got out of the movie house, there’s already a line for the next film and the tickets available are for the 3rd film already. I was planning on watching all the four films but it was impossible because by the time you finish the film, tickets for the next film were already "sold out" (admission is free, but for my lack of term hehehe). We queued for the tickets of the 3rd film that lasted an hour because they won’t release them for some reason.

After we got the tickets we decided to eat. I never told Sherry that I was feeling sick due to lack of sleep but at that time, I wanted to have some soup so badly (this is an indication that I’m sick hehehe). I was tight with my budget so I asked her if we could eat at Jollibee because I want their macaroni soup and she agreed. Now that reminds me, 8 years ago we’d go anywhere just to avoid eating at Jollibee hahaha. When we got there, the first thing that caught my attention was the happy meal toys. They featured Inuyasha! I got excited but sherry told me that Mcdo featured Conan Meitantei. I got more excited that I forgot I’m feeling sick. I inspected the Inuyasha toys and I found the details unsatisfactory so I told Sherry, "let’s eat at Mcdo instead hehehe". We both ordered happy meals and Sherry was kind enough to give me her toy. They are not action figures like the Inuyasha toy but a variety of puzzle games. Not bad, I love Conan more than Inuyasha anyway hehehe. I completely felt refreshed after eating and we were ready for the next film –We Shall Overcome Someday.

This film takes place in 1968 in Kyoto, Japan. The background of the film is the turmoil of the 1960s and the relationship between Japanese and Koreans in Japan. The story begins when members of the karate group of a Kyoto high school insult two girls from a Korean high school. A war breaks out when the Korean girls get the boys from their school, led by a boy named Lee Ang-son, to seek revenge. The Japanese boys are reprimanded by their teacher, and two boys, Kosuke and Norio, are told to go to the Korean high school and make a peace offering: to have the two schools play a friendly match of soccer. While they are at the school, Kosuke hears the sound of a beautiful song of Ang-son’s little sister, Kyung-ja, a non-violent, peaceful, 2nd year high-school student who is part of a band. He finds himself drawn to the young girl and the sound of the Korean folk song, “Imjing River.” He steps over the ethnic divide and becomes friendly with Ang-son and his rough-neck gang. Ang-son has plans to go back to Korea and has unknowingly gotten his girlfriend pregnant. Kosuke then find’s himself part of the group until an accident kills one of the Korean boys and Kosuke bears the brunt of the family’s anger. Kosuke begins to understand the anger felt by the Korean community toward the Japanese community through the music and words of the folk song. Ang-son finds out he is going to be a father and realizes he has to grow up.

-taken from JFMO Eiga Sai 2008 flyer

There were also funny and heart warming moments in this film but my general feelings were really heavy. After I watched this film I noticed something. The two films featured Japan-Korea friendship theme. So are these films part of Japan’s attempt to atone for its past mistakes with its neighboring Asian countries. "We Shall Overcome Someday" reminded me that Japan really started it all – all those hatred. I can’t blame those Korean kids for assaulting the Japanese’ high school bus since some Japanese highschool boys started picking on some Korean high school girls. If only the sense of revenge doesn’t exist… But as the title suggests, it also showed how the new generation can make up for the sins of the past. I find Kosuke and Kung-jya’s relationship as a perfect example of hope for a grudgeless truce among warring nations. World peace is still a far fetched dream, but I truly believe that we shall overcome someday. After all, the film concluded with a happy ending.

When we got out (again), I finally saw Chris, Aish and Duston queuing for the next film. We approached them and stayed for a little while. Chris said that film they saw is not really good, it was long and boring (no wonder the 3rd film started late). I informed them about the Anime Matsuri on July 26, JFMO will be showing classic anime Films like Doraemon, Chibi Maruko-chan and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, but just as I thought, they are well aware of the event. According to Aish, the Doraemon film was heartbreaking but I can’t imagine myself crying at a Doraemon movie hehe. But that’s something to look forward at the end of the month. When the line started to move, we bid goodbye. Sherry and I eventually parted our ways.

It was a long Saturday and it was really tiring but it was fun. As soon as I got home, I slumped in my bed with a happy sigh.

Sad Dreams Lead to Sad Thoughts

As stated. Last night I had a sad dream that made me think of sad things that happened. It went like this:

I just returned from abroad, the country I went to was not stated but it appeared that I worked overseas for years. That was the premise but the scene showed that I was actually standing beside a tree in a vacant lot. I don’t have any idea where that was, but it’s definitely in the Philippines. Under the shade of the tree, I started to dig. I was looking for something. After about 1 ft deep I started to feel something. Yes that was it. A big capsule, typical drug capsule as big as an average size of a pineapple. Guess what, it was a time capsule. I opened it and a stack of letters loomed before me. I started reading one of the letters and I was shocked to see words of hatred addressed to me. I read one after another and I couldn’t believe it, they were all hate letters! There was no sender for each letter but it seems like they came from different people. I never realized being hated could feel so depressing….

Back to reality.

When I woke up, I knew it was one of those weird dreams. But I can’t help feeling lonely. It made me think of all the people I’ve hurt in the past, friends and relatives alike… it’s not like I really wanted to hurt people. I never intended to hurt anyone, but I know I did it. But in the process, I also got hurt. I wonder if they’d ever realize that they were not the only ones who bled. I’m also human and I have the right to have a fragile heart. Thinking about those things made me want to cry. Am I the only one to blame for everything that has happened, were they all my fault? Maybe… Maybe not. If only I was a little wiser, if there were more options, if I was a little more mature… but everything had been said and done and there’s no way to bring them back. No what ifs and regrets can change the present. I can never correct my mistakes, but I can atone for them. I can start anew and be a better person. But I don’t have to change. If people can accept me and my frailties then that would really be great… but if people can’t bear the real me then that’s fine. I just have to be more mature. Surely, I’ll get through this…

What 80s Movie Does Your Life Resemble Most

Pretty in Pink Your life mostly resembles Pretty in Pink. You have some financial difficulties, but because of them you are more creative. You are prone to having a sidekick who follows you everywhere because you are so cool. Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

WTF!!!! I've never seen any of those films before...

What is Your Social Dysfunction

Your Social Dysfunction: Normal Being average in terms of how social you are, as well as the amount of self-esteem you have, you're pretty much normal. Good on you.

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com Please note that we aren't, nor do we claim to be, psychologists. This quiz is for fun and entertainment only. Try not to freak out about your results.

O! Walang kokontra!!! I'M NORMAL hehehe

What is Your Hidden Talent?

You have a sexual hidden talent You have a sexual hidden talent. You might not look it but you are a dynamo in bed. Most of your lovers think that it is from years of practice, but really, you were just born with it. Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

HAHAHAHA!!!!

733+ 5l”3@!<

! j45+ vv@/V+ +0 5@’/ +#@+ !+ +00!< ^^3 +#!12+'/ ^^!/Vu+35 +0 (0^^l”73+3 =#!5 l”05+. !’^^ /V0+ 12377’/ @ 733+ v5312 13v+ ! +#!/V!< !+5 /V!(3 +0 73@12/V 50^^3+#!/V6 7!!<3 href="mailto:73@12/V3cl">73@12/V3cl @130v+ 733+ '/3@125 @60 !/V @/V!^^312!(@ ^^@6@2!/V3. ! cl0/V'+ /V33cl +0 #>7@!/V vv#@+ !+ !5 @5 /V0130cl'/ vv!77 v/Vcle125+@/Vcl @/V'/vv@'/. 13v+ !/= 50^^3130cl'/ ! #@u3 @ /V312cl 123@cl312. #@#@#@#@!

hehehe

In my search for a chess board for my Clamp chess pieces pictorial I came across that ‘ol treasure chest. I hardly pay attention to it although it’s just beside my abubot boxes, but now I’m looking at it with sheer interest. It’s antique! I wonder how much I can sell it. I can buy the Perfect Grade Wing Zero Custom Pearl Mirror Coating Version (I wish there’s a nickname for that) Bwahahahaha!!! But then a voice echoed “forget it kid, you’ll never know who’s gonna haunt you” hmmmm…-shivers- okay… Anyway, I went ahead and opened it hoping to find the chess board but luck was not on my side (it never was damn it). Instead I found yearbooks, photo albums, loose old pictures, old letters, old junks… It is a TREASURE chest indeed!

I browsed the loose pictures, laughed at how silly we look back then and realized something from this picture…

Notice the girls with same dress and boys with the same shirt design. Yes that’s me and my siblings, together with our parents and first degree kins. (to my cousins involved, sorry if I had to post this embarrassing photo hehhehe)

I wonder if your parents were the same as mine, but it seemed that they are obsessed in making their kids look so much alike by sporting the same hair cut and clothes. Yeah when, we were a lot younger, I have the same hair style as my sisters and we always go to mass with the same design/terno clothes. Whatever happened to man’s struggle for individuality… grrrr…. But this will never happen again, I’m glad hehehehe

And here’s another one… BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

By the way… it’s Killua Zoldick’s birthday! Happy Birthday baby, muah!

anticipations...

The other night my uncle came to pick my mom up for her flight. While waiting for my mom he had a little chit chat with me and my brother Oli. He told us what happened with his son Valjun that afternoon. He asked Valjun to go to SSS Antipolo to run some errand. Apparently, my cousin went off with exact money for fare only and he did not anticipate that the trike rate in Antipolo soars like a dragon! To make the story short, he rode the tricycle with insufficient funds and ended up loaning P50 from the SSS security guard, so Oli and I ended up rolling on our stomach laughing. But then, that brings me… hey, it happened to you before! Oh yeah… I think it was a couple of months ago –blush-

I was in Megamall and was about to go home when I felt the craving for fries. I have P100+ cash in hand left. I settled for fries and drinks at Mcdo and it me left with P58. The FX fare to Tanay is P60. I was not worried because ATMs are all over the place anyway. After eating, I went to the nearest Metrobank ATM, errr ET (electronic teller).

When I’m almost there and saw MB ET from the distance, I was surprised to see that there was no queue at all. Hmmm, there could only be one reason – it’s OFF LINE. No panic yet. Okay, I’ll have to settle for Bancnet ATMs which will cost me P10. No big deal. I tried China Bank and what did I get – Error 91: Cannot complete transaction, issuer is down. Still no panic. I tried City State, same error. BDO, error 91… Okay, I’ll settle for BPI, which sounded painful since it’ll charge me P100. I had no choice. But I got the same error message! Then I started to worry.

I went to Shangri-la and checked Metrobank. It was also off line. I tried GE and UCPB. When I got the same error message I knew I was already in trouble. I wish I didn’t eat fries. I went back to Metrobank and asked the guard what time will the ATM be online. Just as I expected, he told me it’s off line nationwide because the systems were down. I asked him if I can do transaction over the counter but apparently they were not accepting any transaction. Don’t you get it kid, THE SYSTEMS ARE DOWN! WTF! That’s bullshit! This is the BIGGEST bank in the country and they don’t even have a backup support?!? Or can’t they do it MANUALLY?!? Hah! People should not rely on technology alone. Finally I asked for a manager, customer relation officer, whatever I am a customer and I need MY money! So a manager loomed before me but it was like I don’t exist at her front at all. Whoever she was, she doesn’t deserve to be in her position. Dr. Mapa, Mrs Chan, Mr. and Mrs. Ty, the very cute Sir Alfred Ty, if one miraculous day you come across this blog post, pls. fire her. She’s an A-hole! Yes, the bank manager at Shangri-la branch. She was all on her paper works and the scene looked like a brat whining to a machine. I asked politely, Ma’am is there anyway I can withdraw money over the counter because I’m literally out of cash and I need to get home. All she ever said was “the mainframe of the system crashed and there’s nothing we can do for you. You can TRY to your branch, they MIGHT be able to help” What a very nice statement of ASSURANCE. What was Metrobank’s tag line again? YOU’RE IN GOOD HANDS with… Whatever, I’m not keeping with this shit anymore. I was thinking at that time, as soon as your systems are up and running, I’ll get all my money and transfer to BPI, BDO, whatever, I’ll never do business with that bank again! (duh, like I am a loss hahaha)

Huhuhu, my money was short of P2… How will I get home… I was very far from home and I can’t think of calling anyone. At the very last moment I don’t want to impose. So I did the inevitable, as soon as I get to the terminal I asked the dispatcher that my fare lacks P2 because Metrobank is down and I can’t withdraw a cent. The dispatcher was really nice and said that it’s perfectly okay. He even told me that even if I don’t have money at all they’d let me ride the transpo –tears of joy-. There are still hospitable Pinoys after all. I promised I’d return the P2 next day which I did but he refused to accept –sigh-

It was an embarrassing experience but I also learned something. The incident was not purely on Metrobank’s end. I should always anticipate something like that when I go out. I also relied on machines alone for not keeping emergency cash. And of course, never prioritize your appetite! In the end I didn’t transfer my money to other banks. My angst ended the moment I received a simple altruism from the dispatcher and I also realized that I owed my college education from Metrobank, I do have a sense of gratitude so let’s just call it quits hehehe.

Momonji went to Hong Kong together with my uncle and aunt. She left yesterday and thank God she arrived there safe and sound. She’s staying there for 3 weeks. I’m happy for her. I know she always wanted to travel abroad and now she finally had the chance to do it. Hong Kong is not much nowadays. Even highschool kids can go there but still, it’s overseas and you have to ride the plane to go there so I know it means a lot to my mom and I’m really happy for that. I hope she can enjoy her stay even with limited funds she got. On the other hand, I’m a little sad. I can imagine what my lunch and dinner would be for the next 20 days - canned goods, frozen delights, salted egg, Ka Millet’s BBQ, Andoks, Jollibee, Tapsilogan… haay, I will be deprived of home cooked meals for 20 days and that’s equivalent to 40 meals (lunch and dinner) –tears-. Breakfast is my only saving grace – I love Gutierrez’ pan de sal! And dear lord what will happen to my… uhm… clothes? My mom would definitely expect a 3 weeks worth of clothes… I’m so helpless, sue me. And of course, home’s not complete without my mom around…

Good news, today I finally completed the Clamp No Kiseki, yay! Sandy of Comic Odyssey gave me great discount on vol. 6 and vol.12. He’s so nice. By the way, ever wonder if there’s any connection with the other comic store Comic Quest? I highly doubt if the 2 shops are in anyway owned by the same person or group, there’s a big difference in prices. But what’s with those names?! Maybe I should put up one and name it ‘comic journey’ or ‘comic trek’ hahaha! Cheesy me hehehe. But I definitely prefer buying from Comic Odyssey. Aside from cheaper price, the owner and staff gives me discount and are very accommodating. Unlike the people of Comic Quest, they seem to be nice to REGULAR customers only. You know, the typical “customer service”.

Back to CLAMP no Kiseki, it’s a 12 volume publication that exhibits CLAMP’s works from 1989 to 2004. It’s a celebration of CLAMP’s 15th year in commercial manga scene. Each volume showcases exclusive interviews, artworks, short manga, essays and –deep breath- limited edition collectible chess figures. I don’t know how to play chess but I am a CLAMP fan so I decided to collect them. It’s a MUST have for fans! I learned a lot about CLAMP team from this publication and I became more obsessed with them hehehe. I learned that they are heavy drinkers and a bunch book worms. Despite their high profile, they were very friendly and approachable. Bunch of gullible also, right Takashi Yamazaki-sensei? Kidding hehhehe. But what really amazed me is that they are obviously more than just a team. They are very good friends. They used to live together but now they live separately, their cats Kakyou and Kogane, stayed with Ohkawa-san and the other 3 CLAMP members always visit them. It’s very rare to be colleagues and good friends at the same time without getting into huge conflict (case in point: Eraserheads). I’m pretty sure they have a smooth relationship otherwise they won’t stay together that long. It’s already their 19th year and they are still doing very well in the industry. Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles and XXX Holic are still ongoing and they have a project with Dark Horse Comics in 2009. CLAMP-sensei I love you!!!!

The bad news, no issue comes with a chess board and I haven’t heard that there’s an official release yet. Damn I can’t find the fuckin’ chess board! I need it for the pictorial! By the way, in Japan, if you completed the set, you’ll also get a Keroberos and Spinel as alternative Kings…. Too bad, I have the US version T_T

Oh yeah I know you're not asking, but I want to say that my favorite chess piece is the white king Shaoran and the black knight Nokoru. They are the apple and strawberry of my eyes, kawaiiii!!! 0_0

Dreams

Sleeping is a necessity for every living creature. It’s a time to recharge our exhausted body. But for me, sleeping is something to look forward to. A start of another adventure. A new world that may sometimes be better than what I have when I’m awake – through dreams.

“if it’s my lucky night I’d dream of you”

I’ve always felt that my sleep is wasted if I don’t dream of something wonderful or interesting. Sure having no dream is better than having nightmare, but not dreaming at all is just like being dead for a certain time. I don’t want that. I want to use every bit of my time to have fun.

Dreaming is like watching an anime or reading a manga. You get to see a fictional story from different genres: romance, adventure, suspense, horror, etc. But in my dreams, I get the chance to be the lead character (most of time). I get to experience so many things that I know I can never do in wakeful times. I fly, I travel in time, I pin down a nemesis in a flick of my finger, I do magic, I meet celebrities and even anime characters.

Of course there are times when my dreams can be really weird. There was a time when I dreamed that I killed Arnold Swachnegr using a lethal injection. I had a birthday party where every food prepared was chicken – fried chicken, stewed chicken, chicken pastel, lechon manok, etc. I attended a Soujiro Seta cosplay shoot and met different kinds of Soujiro – fat Soujiro, Tall and thin Soujiro, sleepy Soujiro, smiley soujiro, punk soujiro… My 1/100 Mastergrade Strike Rogue gundam is alive and is stalking me! A random face at my college school married Aga Mulach and asked me to be a godmother of their child. Weird, weird stuff that made me wonder, what was that all about?

There are also dreams that made me want to stay sleeping forever… these are scenes from the past which I never wanted to let go. Things that could have been, if only…

But there are some dreams that I couldn’t get enough of only for a certain time. Something that makes me want to sleep more UNTIL I see the end of it. My only regret is that I don’t have a writer’s talent to describe in details these wonderful dreams I had, but in anyway I wanted to share them with my readers.

Here’s something that I dreamed of a year ago and until now, I still wish for a sequel hehehe.

A Wish to Change the Future

It was the near future and the technology advanced a great deal. Ren and I run an unusual business. We have a “wish-granting” agency wherein our clients ask us to change their current state by fixing the mess they did in the past. How do we do it? We travel back to the past, bump into our clients’ lives, and make sure that they won’t do the mess they did that led them to their unwanted future. We travel the past by going to a “time terminal” wherein riding buses with “year” (i.e. 1999, 2000) signboards is the means to turn back time. It’s exactly like commuting in EDSA. But not everyone can ride in a time bus. You need a license to do so.

One ordinary day at our office, we had a not so usual client. It was my brother Richard. His marriage with May did not push through because he had done something that broke off the engagement and he’s asking us to interfere the past and make the wedding push through. I sighed at Ren because this is another “thank you” job since it’s my brother. But we went off anyway. We rode the bus with a signboard 2007.

And then I woke up. Ugh!

Reality check: Richrad and May’s wedding did push through last January and the newest member of Madarang clan is 5 months on the way. It’s a good thing that my dreams has really nothing to do with the future or I’d really freak out.

One funny thing about that dream was, Ren and I wore that traditional detective costume. When I told Ren about this dream, he laughed but he never commented. I want more of this dream but I want an interesting client. Someone like…-sigh-

Kokology: When Your Tastes Have Grown Up

This is from Kokology 2 by Isamu Saito and Tadahiko Nagao. Play along!

Coffee may be the quintessential adult drink. That rich aroma, that slightly bitter edge, the feeling of warmth and mellow anticipation as you blow the steam away before taking your first sip. It’s an experience you learn to enjoy as you leave childhood behind and serves as a sign that you have entered grown-up world. Somehow, despite the caffeine, in the proper setting, coffee soothes the nerves and relaxes the mind. A seat in a secluded corner of a coffee shop with a good book and some jazz playing softly in the background provides an ideal environment for many to take a step back from stresses and strains of work, studies or life itself and enjoy the true luxury of doing nothing at all, if only for the time it takes to finish a cup.

You work hard enough. Take a moment now for yourself and enjoy one of the privileges of adulthood. Will it be French roast? Rich Colombian? A decadent mochaccino? Go ahead, indulge yourself. You’ve earned it.

1. It’s that rarest occasions, a day with nothing on the schedule, and you decide to enjoy some quality time with yourself with yourself in a coffee shop. Describe the atmosphere and ambience of the shop you choose.

Kid: I’ll probably go to my favorite Starbucks early in the morning, so the atmosphere would more or less be friendly, relaxing and elegant.

2. You order a cup of coffee. What do you do while waiting for it to be brought to your table?

Kid: I usually take my laptop with me in coffee shops, so I’d probably be setting it up while waiting, if not then I’d be reading a book.

3. When the waiter delivers the coffee you ordered, how does it taste and how is its temperature?

Kid: It’ll be really HOT! It’s essential to blow and let it stand for a couple of minutes before I sip it. This is Starbucks coffee, so it’ll definitely be the best coffee experience. Mmmmm…

The Results

Coffee in general and coffee shops in particular are closely linked with ideas of the adult world and social relations. Your responses to the questions in this scenario tell us something about the ways you perceive and manage stress in your own adult relationships.

1. The atmosphere you described is actually what you seek most in your workplace (or school). Some thrive in a lively environment elbow to elbow with other like-minded people. Others value quiet and solitude. Then there are those who don’t care what the atmosphere is like as long as the coffee comes in a bottomless cup.

2. The thing you did while waiting is related to a major stress or concern in your life.

Did you just and sit and watch the other customers? You’re a little too nervous about what others are doing, saying, and thinking. Just be yourself. Everyone else is.

Did you pull out a magazine and start reading, or look at the menu? You may need to get your nose out of the books and try a little more physical activity.

Did you sit and wait without doing anything at all? It’s a sign you crave more stimulation from life and are looking for something to occupy your time.

3. How did the coffee taste? The flavor and temperature you imagined corresponds to the level of stress that you needlessly create for yourself. The better your coffee experience of the coffee, the less stress you add for yourself. If you imagined it was lukewarm, weak or too bitter, or scalding hot, you make problems where there are none to begin with. In your dreams, you can have anything you imagine, why not at least treat yourself a nice cup of coffee?

Blog Anniversary Post

I was exaggerating when I said that I’ve been blogging for 4 years. Sure it looks four if I look my archive column, but if I’d do math, it’s only my 3rd year. Numbers can be so tricky huh. It’s the start of July and it’s the4thram’s month! Yes this month I’m celebrating my 3rd year in the blogging scene and as you can see I’m trying real hard to make it survive. If I do have faithful readers then it’d really make me happy.

As you can see, I’ve already made some improvements (no matter how little they are) in the blog. I know for some time it had come to a hiatus but I’ll try to write as much as I can to keep it going. Because this blog is a reflection of me, my life, my story.

Have a wonderful July everyone.

Survey #5: The Conditional Survey

1. what is your name? (must not contain: a, c, g, h, s, j, u, r, n):
>>> kid

2. what time is it? (you CANNOT use numbers):
>>>am snack time!

3. what school or job do you go to? (you CANNOT use proper nouns):
>>>none (of your business hehehe)

4. how are you feeling right now? (must contain at least 6 letters)
>>>a little frustrated

5. how old are you? (cannot be in terms of years):
>>>9125 days

PREFERENCES/FAVORITES:
1. where's the perfect vacation place? (cannot be in the philippines)
>>>Tokyo

2. favorite musical artist? (must be outdated):
>>>Siam Shade

3. favorite book? (must contain at least 400 pages):
>>>Kafka on the Shore

4. favorite junkfood? (must come in at least 3 flavors)
>>>nachos

5. favorite spice (you must also state at least 3 food/drink items in which the spice is used): >>>Cinnamon: coffee, cinnamon bread / cake,

6. favorite country? (you must be able to name the capital and a natural landmark)
>>>Japan, Tokyo, Mt. Fuji

7. favorite food? (must be filipino food)
>>>sinigang na sugpo

8. one of your favorite movies? (you must also state one of the characters of the movie and a memorable line they said)
>>>Card Captor Sakura Movie 2, Sakura Kinimoto, Watashi no ichiban wa Shaoran-kun da yo (my number one person is Shaoran)

9. state another memorable line from that movie..
>>>her answer… it’s not necessary

10. last movie you saw?
>>>Wings of Honneamise

11. favorite holiday? (must be celebrated by all)
>>>New year

OTHERS:
1. who is/are your best friend[s]? (must be the full name[s]):
>>>si momonja na lang

2. who is a celebrity you wish to be your friend? (you must state the month and day of his/her birthday)
>>>Mokona Apapa, June 16, 1968

3. name a person who irritates you (you should state the full name)
>>>it doesn’t matter

4. adjective most used to describe YOU (must not contain the letters: j, v, g, z, k, x, q, o, p)
>>>shy

5. phrase you use often (this must be an original phrase and not copied from a movie, book, or another person):
>>>Eh eh eh eh eh!

6. phrase you hear often (must have been said by a relative):
>>>”anime na naman?!”

Kokology: Bare Necessities

I’m currently into Kokology. It’s a Japanese pop-psych quiz game that reveals one’s emotion and behavior through his response to a given situation. Most of the time, my results are accurate and playing is really fun whenever I’d picture myself in a given situation. Here’s something from the book Kokology by Isamu Saito and Tadahiko Nagao. Try it!

There are a few common items that keep people in their pockets or bag nearly every time they leave the house: wallet, keys, ID and credit cards. The inside of our bags are like the insides of our heads; we all carry around a lot of the same stuff but there’s always something in each that makes every bag unique.

You’re getting ready for the day and putting your things. Besides the bare necessities, which of the following items do you want to take along with you?

1. your personal organizer or address book (my answer)
2. hairspray or mousse
3. a lucky charm
4. candy or gum

and the results are…

-drum roll-

What is it that you always have close at hand? The item you wanted to bring along is something you feel a little uncomfortable being without and your choice actually tells us something about a part of your personality you feel insecure about.

1. your personal organizer or address book
You can’t trust your own memory. Phone number, birthdays, appointments; they run through your head like water through a sieve. You don’t mean to forget things, but somehow they just never seem to stick, and you end up apologizing for missing you anniversary –again. It’s probably a good idea to keep that address book with you all the time. Now if you could just remember where you left it. (LOL!)

2. hairspray or mousse
Appearances are all-important to you. The attention to detail means you always look great and ready to take on the world, but sometimes you take things too far. Remember, a bad hair day is not a valid excuse for calling in sick.

3. a lucky charm
You’re a firm believer in your own bad luck. The other lines at the tollbooths are always moving faster, your toast always lands jelly side down. Things never seem to go your way, and you’ve noticed. How couldn’t you? It’s not to say you’re superstitious, but you do feel a little more comfortable with your personal good luck charm, whether it’s a four-leaf clover, St. Anthony’s medal, or a pair of old socks you’ve grown attached to.

4. candy or gum
You’re worried about controlling your diet. Eating a pint of cookies ‘n cream the day after starting a new diet, opening the door of the fridge every time you go past, “just to check” – your appetite fills your mind more than it does your stomach. Keeping some mints or a candy bar makes you feel safe. No matter what happen over the course of the day, at least you know you wont starve to death.