Updates, updates!!!

Hey y'all what's up? I've been busy this month, but not too busy not to blog about interesting stuff I've done. So far life has been very good. Last week I visited the art capital of the Philippines, Angono Rizal and showed some of my friends my hometown, Tanay. They loved it. I'd like to talk my travel adventures in a separate post so I won't go into that yet. Instead, I'll talk about the things I did in the city.

Last Monday I attended the Unit Asia Jazz concert in SM North EDSA Skydome. I was with Chris, Nagi and Che. The event was organized by JFMO as part of the Nihongo Fiesta 2012 so it was free. Unit Asia by the way are, Hiroyuki Noritake (drums/Japan), Shigeki Ippon (bass/Japan), Tay Chier Siang (piano/ Malaysia), Isao Miyoshi (guitar/Japan), and Koh Mr. Saxman (saxophone/Thailand). This is their second time in the Philippines. I've seen them perform the first time they were here, so I knew that it's a must to see this concert. Let me just say that I'm not exactly a fan of jazz. I mean I like it, but it's the kind of music (for me) that has a time, place and mood requirement for listening. I like it when I'm in coffee shops (which rarely happens now) and reading Murakami books. But the thing about JFMO events is, they never disappoint, at the end of the show, I'm always impressed. I was impressed the first time Unit Asia was here, and I was impressed again this time.

I'm glad that I was with my friends this time, to share the appreciation. My favoritemembers of the group, then and now, were Mr. Saxman (saxophone) and Mr. Miyoshi (guitar). For me, their sound were the most powerful. Mr Saxman, was really playful with his sax and it was really fun to watch. There were tracks they perform with vocals and for that, they always collaborate with Filipino singers. They had Sitti before, this time they had Cooky Chua. They were great choices, but I liked Cooky more, I especially loved the Jazz rendition of "Paglisan". I'd say they performed better this time though I prefer the venue last time (Music Museum).

I'm very sorry for the poor video quality

At the end of the show, Mr. Siang and Mr. Saxman were really nice to come out of the stage to shake hands with the audience. I was able to shake hands with them and I even asked for an autograph, yay!

This Saturday, I booked my day for one thing. Hugo. It's a shame that I've only learned about this film recently. When the Oscars nominees for Best Picture were announced, I immediately checked them. Hugo particularly got me hooked because of the references to automata. I was ecstatic when, one day at the mall, I saw that Hugo will be shown in cinemas. I hoped for an IMAX showing, but sadly, it's only available on Digital 3D. I scheduled my day for the film anyway.

I asked my friend Jam, who works at SM Cinema, for the best Digital 3D cinema to see Hugo and she recommended MOA, so I decided to see it there. Che came along for a totally different agenda, Travel Expo, and I thought, it would be good to check it too since I have upcoming trips. We decided to check the MV Logos Hope floating book fair too so we could maximize the day. Since the book fair venue is the one we're not familiar with, and it opens the earliest, we decided to head there first.

The world's largest floating book fair is currently docked at Pier 15 in South Harbor Manila. It offers 5,000 books at affordable prices. The ship houses 400 volunteers from different countries. Its predecessor, MV Doulos had visited the Philippines many times, but this is my first time to come aboard. When we entered inside, we were ushered to a welcome area to watch a video clip about Logos Hope.

Then we were given instructions how to go around, how to pay. It's a one way navigation, there's no way to get lost, even for people with low sense of direction like me. From the welcome area, you go to the book fair itself, then pay at the cashier or exit. The price is in "units". One unit is equal to one peso.

Most of the books I saw are stuff I never heard of or see at the local bookstores. I didn't see anything from my wishlist. Instead I bought my niece an anatomy book for children and I got me an inflatable globe and Disney Cars and Finding Nemo greeting cards. The next stop is another selection of books, mostly academic text books, then you walk along an interactive exhibit of Hope's Life Experience, it's basically the story of The Prodigal Son, in a modern day perspective.

After the exhibit, there's another watching area, this time video clips showed missions and accomplishment of Logos Hope. Then there's the International Cafe where shoppers can relax and snack. We were pressed on time and we were gonna eat lunch anyway so we skip trying the delicacies. I've read that the ice cream at the cafe were really good, next time, I'll make sure to try that. At the exit, the crews are handing out books for free, but I was trying to limit the things to carry so I declined getting the free books.

Outside Pier 15, we opted to get a cab going to MOA. And what do you know, it's not an easy thing in this part of Manila. There are men who act like disptachers, and force themselves in getting a cab for you. I was like, no thank you I can do this. But man, this guy I encountered was so persistent, I was trying to hail a cab, my friend was trying to hail a cab from a different spot, and he was competing with us just for the sake of doing us a favor for a price. Irksome fellow I tell you. When a cab stopped by, he was so persistent in getting paid. I'd like to point out that it's nowhere close to the hospitality that we pride ourselves. I mean if you're desperate for a job, then find a decent one. I gave him a five peso coin just to make him shut up.

So we went to MOA, we decided to eat at Pizza Hut. We came in lunch time so we had to wait for a table. While waiting, I went to National Bookstore to look for The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I initially scoured the Children's Book area but when I couldn't find it, I tried the customer service, which proved to be a wrong decision. NBS has one of the worst, if not the worst, customer service in the Philippines! I asked the CSR lady for the book, and she looked it up on her computer. She then wrote it on a piece of paper and called for her colleague. She told me that "the system" shows zero stock, but she'll have someone verify it. So after a good 5 minutes, the supposedly verifier came with a look that says, "I was having the perfect dream, why did you wake me up?". Anyway, she took the piece of paper and stared at it for a second, and immediately dismissed that the book out of stock. When an employee of NBS says a book is out of stock, that means you have to look for it yourself. I have lost count how many times it happened to me, but I never learn. Darn! So anyway, I went back to the Children's book section and looked for Hugo once more. And I was right. Man they still have 2 copies in stock. Now that tells me two things about NBS that are not right:

1) They have inefficient customer service; and

2) their inventory records is outdated.

The National Book Store is the largest bookstore chain in the Philippines. Seriously NBS? I wanted to go back to the Customer Service counter to point out that both the computer and the live person were wrong. But I was in a hurry to go back to Pizza Hut, besides, I'm too happy to complain. But one day, those ladies are gonna get it I swear, I'm gonna look for their manager. It's just disappointing, I came from a book fair ran by foreigners. The crew were very nice and friendly, they answered my questions with a warm smile, and they are not getting paid for what they are doing. They are volunteers. And then I go to a local bookstore, the largest chain in the country that prides itself for polite and helpful people, but I get inefficiency and attitude. Never mind the attitude, just do your job right lady.

Okay, going back to the good news, at least I got me a copy of The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Yay!

And the day wasn't about to end anytime soon, the moment I've been waiting for is about to come!

So we had lunch at Pizza Hut (I'll never get enough of stuffed crust pizza) and I vented all my frustration to my friend (over NBS). We decided to get tickets for the 5:00 PM showing then go to Travel Expo, but when we're almost at the movie house, a long queue of movie goers loomed before us! Apparently, SM Cinema is undergoing an upgrade, so there's only one ticket counter to accommodate all customers. So I told Che that she can go ahead to the Travel Expo and I'll stay on the queue and catch up as soon I get the tickets. It was a good thing that I have the book with me while waiting for my turn. I browsed through Selznick's illustrations. I was just drooling with awe I didn't notice how long I waited. Before I knew it, I have my tickets on my hand already. SM Cinema by the way, is switching the paper tickets into reusable swipe cards, not sure though if that's the upgrade they're talking.

So I went next to the Travel Expo in SMX. There's a P50 entrance fee. I don't know anything about travel deals and booking, I always leave it up to my friend or my sister. My usual role in booking is entering my credit card information. But going to the Travel Expo is another brand new experience. At first, I thought that it'll just be a long line of Travel Agency booths, and it was by the way, but exhibitors are very creative. Too bad that I didn't get to take some pictures because my phone batt was about to drain. But I really liked the presentation of different countries. Each one has a gimmick. Most of the booths' facades are replica of popular architectural structures of the country they represent. Japan has a photo booth and free Japanese food taste and free cups of Pocari Sweat(I got me a cup of that!). Malaysia and China have dance presentations. They give freebies if you like their page on Facebook. While looking around, I couldn't help but wish that anime conventions could be that creative. While our very own country claims that "It's more fun in the Philippines", sadly, the (DOT?) booth didn't justify the slogan. I'm not saying this to criticize DOT, but if you would just compare the tourism campaign of each country based on the booths, it's very obvious why we are not faring in the competition. It's a sad thing. I look at the brochure of Malaysia and I can tell that we can do better. I don't have to be there to say that we have more beautiful beaches here. There's so much room for improvements. But hey, the hype it gave to travel enthusiasts was a good start. I'd like to believe our tourism industry is on the right track. Cynics like me just have to be patient. And because I like keeping souvenirs of events, I hoarded brochures and flyers of different countries hehehe.

By 4:30, Che and I decided to leave the Expo and go to the cinema. It was the moment I've been waiting for. Hugo!!! So, I don't wanna give away too much. All I'm saying is, it's about a boy who has a talent for fixing clockworks and he tries to solve a mystery by fixing the broken automata of a mechanical doll left by his father. I'm not be the best person to give an objective review of the film because of my fascination with automata, but the name Martin Scorsese should be enough to make you watch it. I LOVE the film! In my opinion, it should win the Oscars Best Picture. I mean, I've seen The Artist and I think it's great, but Hugo? Come on, I don't want to use a cliche here, but really, Hugo is a film that literally reminds me why I watch films. I swear you HAVE TO SEE IT. The only thing that made me sad here was the fact that it's not on IMAX.

So anyway, after the seeing the film. My energy started to drop really low. Che and I decided to eat the pizza left overs. We needed to fuel our body. We headed towards the back of the mall (facing the bay) to look for a bench to eat. But luck was on our side again when we realized that all walkway towards the bay side were gated. There's a Pyromusical event and you have to pay before you can get in. On normal days, the place is open to public. We just wanted to sit on a bench and eat pizza, but we have to pay for it too. We got interested in the fireworks anyway so we took the cheapest ticket, which is P100. The countries competing for the night were UK and Spain. I've seen Pyrolympics competition before, but it didn't have the musical component. This time pyropeople or pyromaniacs or whatever you call those who performs the pyros (?) incorporated music while doing the fireworks. I love music but I don't see the use of doing them together. The constant bang of the fireworks doesn't really mesh with the music. Maybe that's how they're being judged because Spain synched the fireworks and music better that UK. I did enjoy at first, but after a while, I just wanted it to end. Maybe it's just my low energy, or the guilt of patronizing an activity that's extremely harmful to the environment. But I swear I'll never watch another pyrolympics or musical or whatever in the future.

Traffic was horrible on our way home. I got home past 12 midnight, I was, once again, awake for more than 30 hours. I feel a tinge of guilt when I do that. I feel like I'm abusing my body. But it happens once in a while, so... zzzz....

I slept for 13 hours! <3 When I woke up, I saw my arms with 3 different stamps. So when my family asked me where I went, I just raised my arm in the air to show them, here --

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

"This has become a big commercial holiday, it seems that companies are trying to make us believe that the more we spend on our loved ones, the more we love them, and I'm not falling for that" - Ellen Degeneres

Yeah! You nailed it girl! I LOVE ED's outfit here, and the message of the monologue I just have to share this.

And... I wanted to talk about Valentine's day. A friend of mine once told me that she doesn't get the fuss over Valentine's day (she's in a relationship for a long time). My automatic response to this was, it's not about the lovers, it's about Saint Valentine, and she said that's the perspective of single people. Not exactly true, but sure I was bluffing. In all honesty, I don't know anything about St. Valentine. I just learned that he's not just one person, but it's a name for 14 martyred saints of ancient Rome (Thank you Wikipedia!). I don't remember Saint Valentine being discussed in my school years. But it's not about him, or them, the celebration has been deleted from the Roman calendar of saints. It's all about love. But, really, what's the hype all about? It's good for business, but to say we celebrate being in love, shouldn't it be an everyday thing?

But what am I to say? By a single person's perspective (and by single person, I mean me), it's just another pressure to date. As another friend (she's single too) had told me, Valentines is singles awareness day. My dilemma is, I'm 29, and you know, the older you get the higher the pressure. Sometimes I get annoyed on people asking when am I getting married, and I'm like, what are you talking about? I'm not even dating. But the good news is, I'm not giving in to any of that. I admit, I sometimes get lonely being alone. Sometimes I listen to love songs and I find myself wishing I have someone to hold. It's a natural thing, but I'm in no way in a hurry to find someone to celebrate Valentine's day with. I always say, in God's time, I'll find it.

Besides, being single have perks, like I don't have to worry about spending, which is great because this is the time of the year that I'm really broke. But then again, celebrating doesn't mean spending. And love is not just for lovers, but also for friends and family and music boxes. :D

A Perfect Day to Turn 29

Yep I just turned 29, last Tuesday. Let me just say this... I love my life. For 29 years, I have nothing but gratitude for all the blessings God gave me. They don't always come as they should, but nevertheless, everything that comes, good or bad is a blessing. That's not to say that I feel complete by the way. I mean, there are still so many pieces missing, but I know that in God's time, I'll find them. I've always believe, that there's a reason and time for everything, I just have to keep on believing.

So yeah, I celebrated my birthday last week. Celebrations are no biggie to me, every year, it's always a subtle and a low key one (except for my 10th birthday) and this year is no exemption. It's not like it's a matter of circumstance. But when your birthday comes after a series of major celebrations, there's not much choice eh? I mean we have Christmas, New Year, Parent's anniversary and then the town fiesta. Really, by early February, we're too tired and broke to prepare for another fete. I'm not a big fan of parties anyway. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy attending parties as long as I'm not the celebrant or the host.

Anyway, here's a breakdown of what my 29th birthday looked like:

I woke up as early as 2 AM, I don't know why, I would have wanted to sleep longer. Maybe it's the price of sleeping at 9 PM or I'm just subconsciously excited. I tried to go back to sleep but failed, so I gave up and checked my phone to read and reply to early greetings. I then went online to check messages and updates. I am grateful, by the way, for all the greetings I received. Long or short, mushy or straight, it just feels great to be remembered.

At 6AM I went to the church to hear mass and thank God. At the end of the mass, the priest called on the birthday celebrants to come forward to receive blessing and a sprinkle of "Holy" water. The church didn't do that when I was a kid, I think it's great, but I didn't come forward. I didn't think it was necessary and I felt blessed anyway, but the main reason I didn't come forward was my shyness. Seriously, 29 years and still haven't gotten over my stage fright. I mean the church goers are mostly old people and I doubt if anybody knows me, but the timid me won't go away. Seriously, I need to get rid of that...

Back at home, I had my breakfast and went online again to download movies. I'm currently checking the movies nominated at the 84th Oscars. That way, I can have better judgement in betting and that should increase my chances of winning. LOL! No really, I just want to check great movies. I hardly get the chance to see a movie, a friend once told me that I'm missing a lot of great movies of my generation, and I agree, there's a lot of catching up to do.

By lunch time, I got a not so unexpected visitor. Dindee called me earlier and asked for a treat. I told her if she comes to my house, I'll give her a treat. She's not the woman you can bluff a dare, she'll definitely do it. Not that I'm bluffing, I'm glad she came. I took her to one of the popular restaurants in Tanay, (Halamanan) to have lunch. I urged her to visit Regina Rici, as it is the newest place of interest in Tanay. We did try to check it, but as luck may have it, the place is closed on Tuesdays. But Dindee is such a road trip junkie, she immediately thought of something to check. She said that she had always wanted to go to Hinulugang Taktak falls in Antipolo, and because I had nothing else to do, I immediately said yes.

Despite the fact that Antipolo is just 30-45 minutes away from Tanay, I've never been to Hinulugang Taktak. My knowledge of this place is just as long as the chorus of the song "Tayo Na Sa Anitpolo" goes. Dindee said that she's been there when she was a kid, but can't remember a thing about it. Even before seeing, I've read a some bad reviews about it, and you can't blame them. The moment I entered, I smelled something unpleasant. But when I finally saw it, I thought it wasn't as bad as I expected.

However, as I got near the falls, I understood where the smell was coming from and the sight made me squint.

A thick layer of soap suds! I saw worse pictures on the web where there's an overwhelming presence of garbage in the plunge pool. I guess I'm lucky not to see them on my visit, but those suds do not belong there either. It's not surprising, after all, the water is from the downriver of Antipolo city. Oh the price of progress -sigh- Anyway, if you've ever been there, and have seen it during its hey days, count yourself lucky. The place is a sad reminder of the people's irresponsible treatment of the environment. There is hope, if you are from this city, do your part to help. Be responsible earthlings!

So we checked the place for a bit and headed home afterwards. By the time we got back, it was just about time for the sunset. Dindee had to leave. I saw her off then I rushed to the dike with my bike to see the sunset.

Living close to Laguna bay has perks, like being able to see the gorgeous sunset. You don't need a high end camera to capture a picturesque scene. Unfortunately for me, working in the city prevents me from doing it on a "want to" basis.

I ended my celebration with a dinner with my family in our favorite restaurant near the lake shore. It was also a favorite venue for reunions among balikbayans (overseas Filipinos). We had sinigang soup, fried Dalag, grilled Liempo and Pancit. My mom made me my favorite fiesta delicacy, Buko salad, which was great. No cake nor ice cream. Like I said, a low key, but a great one. It could have been better if only Richard, Oliver, Rosavel and Cherie were there. But of course, they have valid reason not to be there and it's acceptable.

I'd say it was a perfect day to turn 29. There was a time in my life when I decided to celebrate my birthday alone so I can get used to it when I grow old. That was really silly when I think about it now. Thank God I changed!

Next year, my 30th year, is something to look forward. Even though I said that I prefer low key celebrations, the big "O" should be an exemption.

Hello February!

Guess what? It's my birthday tomorrow and I won't let the month pass by without posting my wishlist. It's an obligatory post you know, for me and the people who love me. Well, mainly for me. Come on, it's not gonna hurt to know what I'd like to get on my 29th birthday would it?

So, without further ado, here goes!

Music Box (that plays)

• The Entertainer
• Ave Maria
• Auld Lang Syne
• Aeris Theme :D
• Ice Castles theme

Books

• Hear the Wind Sing by Haruki Murakami
• Pinball, 1973 by Haruki Murakami
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
• Love Ellen by Betty Degeneres
• The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
• Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult

Toys:

• Kaiyodo Revoltech Kenshin Himura figure (red)
• Megahouse 1/8 Kenshin Himura figure (blue)

Others:

• socks

See, pretty simple eh? I'm not that hard to please after all.

I've already got me an advance present. I got me my very first DIY music box. I got this from a Japanese auction. It's a 20 note music box.

I am aware that I can't afford the rare music boxes that I've been drooling on for so long (I'm talking to you Final Fantasy music boxes). So this DIY music box is the next best thing. Now all I need is a paper roll template to play those Nobuo Uematsu songs. The kit that I got, as you can see, is a Hello Kitty merchandise and that's a big plus. Some of the DIY music boxes I see are just skeleton, I got a box with Hello Kitty design! It also includes 5 paper strips, 2 of them are pre-punched, one has the arrangements for Happy Birthday song, which is very timely. You know what that means:

It's lovely. I showed it to some of my relatives and they liked it. Now all I have to worry is looking for the music templates, then I can start punching.

Cassette Orgel

Hey, do you know that trend in Facebook where you post the number one song the week you were born? Mine was Down Under by Men at Work. I'm not exactly a fan, but I do like some of their songs. I am a fan, though, of the 80s and 90s music, probably the best era in music for someone who grew up on those years. At the time, there were no ipods and itunes, no youtube singing sensations, and very few singing talent competitions. But back then, music made a lot of sense (IMHO). We had Walkman though, and cassette tapes.

Ahhh the cassette tape... up until the new millennium (Y2K) I used them to collect songs. I couldn't afford to buy the official albums, I had blank tapes instead. On weekends, I stayed up late to wait for my favorite songs in the radio so I can record them in my tapes. Sometimes, I'd record a talk in between songs, pretending to be a DJ playing a fan request song. Then I used them to record anime songs too. It sounds so primitive, but TVs don't come with a tape recorder, so what I did was place the cassette recorder beside the TV and hit the record button once the opening or ending theme plays. The ending song was a bummer, sometimes, the network stations won't finish the song, in a hurry to start the new program.

Then, way way back from my childhood, when my dad was working overseas, because we had no telephone, we communicate through letters and cassette tapes. We recorded our messages in blank tapes and send them to my dad. I had no idea where those tapes are now, it would have been great to find them and hear what my voice sounded like. Kids today are so luck that they'll get to see their videos of their formative years when they become adults.

I no longer have my cassette tapes. Maybe I do, maybe they are somewhere here. I never knew what happened to them. Just like any normal human, I moved on with the evolution of music medium. I listen to music through my CD player, laptop or smartphone. What I do have though, as a tribute to the music era that I love so much, is a cassette tape music box.

Sorry if I fooled you, this is another music box appreciation post, LOL. But this is great I tell you. The cassette orgel was manufactured by Takara Co., Ltd. and was designed by Yasuyuki Moriyama. The orgel mechanism, which is smaller than most music boxes around, is encased in a cassette tape. The spools spin when you wind up the music box, very similar to a real cassette tape when played. This music box plays Akai Sweet Pea by Seiko Matsuda, dubbed as the "Eternal Pop Idol" of Japan. The song was a big hit in the early 80s and was covered nunmerous times by different artists, even Patti Austin!

I'm not sure if I've heard it covered by some of the Jpop artists I know or was featured on any anime but the music song is very familiar. I find it kinda similar to Satou Akemi's (Fushigi Yuugi) Shiawase Ni Naroune.

Because of my attachment to the 80s and 90s, and its cuteness, this is one of my favorite music box.

Guess who's in my room?

Okay so that's the statue St. Ildefonsus of Toledo, our town's patron saint. Actually the statue had been in my room a couple of days ago. Barangay halls conduct mass every night in preparation for his feast, which was yesterday (Yes I posted late again). So while the statue was on rotation, I'm assuming parish officials decided to store it in our house, and my religious parents decided to store it temporarily in my room. Because, I am the most holy child in the house. No, my room seems to be the most secure. So for like 3 days, I had a room mate hehehe. How cool is that? :)

Resolutions and More

Okay this is my first post in 2012, this should be good! This is the post when I lay out the things I need to change and goals I need to hit for the year. I have stopped making resolutions years ago, but recently, I realized that it's important to set goals and try to be a better person, not just every year, but every possible time we could. Last year I listed some things I need to do and I'm proud to say I did accomplish some of them :)

But I'll be honest, we're now in the so called page 9 of 366 (ugh, did I just say that?) but I haven't think of anything I need to accomplish yet. Not that I feel like I'm done now, but I feel like I still have responsibility to carry out the things I failed to do. I won't talk about all of them but I'll talk about the things I pledge to do this year.

I want to cook! For real I want to learn how to cook. For many reasons, I need to learn it as soon as possible. I'm turning 29 next month, it's a shame that the only thing I'm proud of making is pancake. That's not right either, I can only do the ready to cook pancake mix and I follow a standardized recipe. When I try to mix something to spin a new flavor, the result is always -- epic fail. I tried experimenting with eggs, making all kinds of omelet, but nothing really works. Again, I'm turning 29 next month, my hidden talent refuses to reveal itself anytime soon, I think cooking is something I'd like to impress people at, especially when I started inviting friends in our house. It's no secret that I suck in any domestic chores, cooking is something that I want to improve on. I want to start going organic. I want to live healthy. I want to start bringing lunch box to work, which leads me to my next goal -- to save.

Save money that is. I think I've been promising myself that I'll start saving for the longest time, I've been working for more than 8 years now, and still no significant amount of money in the bank -sigh-. What's wrong with me? I'm a spendthrift alright, but I'd like to believe that I've let go of my splurging habit on toys. I have not purchased any action figure ever since I pledged not to. I only bought 3 music boxes and some books last year. Why is that? Oh yeah, I've gotten more decadent with food (that's why I need to start bringing lunch box dammit!) and travel.

Hear me out okay? I love money, my friends know that, but I love spending it more. I believe that if I could be happy now, I'd do it and perhaps sacrifice the future. Why deprived myself of fun so I can save when I'm not sure if I would be alive tomorrow? Don't get me wrong, I'm as healthy as a pony (I can't run like a horse okay) but you never know when the time comes. Still, I want to save! I should be able to have fun and still keep something for the future. Besides, I want to buy a car! See, that's another goal. But how to? I am very weak with temptations.. oh the malls. Just the other day, after my shift, I dropped by at Megamall to look for my sister's cellphone charger and I found out that every damn store is on sale! UGH! I was thinking, maybe I should hold all shoppings for the year and just do a one time shopping after the Holidays. I can have my own version of Black Friday without competing with other shoppers. See, I'm thinking of spending again. Okay, I'm gonna set this thing straight, I will have fun and save money. There's gotta be a way, it's an ongoing struggle, but if I get to hit my goal figure in 6 months, I will get myself a real good present. Ack! No!

Enough about monetary talks, here's something I'd like to commit myself -- I want to plant a tree. No, not just a tree, many trees. When I think of a fulfilling job, I always say to myself that I want something that would make me feel like I've done something for the society. While I can't do that with my current job, I can make time to do something helpful. There are so many short marathon runs being held to benefit something and that's good, but I want to join an activity that feels more helpful by my standard. SO, this year, I must join a plant a tree activity. I've scoured the web and I have a pretty good idea which NGO to join to. There was a time in college when I got to do this. It was a project of Bantay Kalikasan. Other foundations joined including Metrobank foundation (who granted my scholarship) so I was able to participate (at the time, it was more like an involuntary action). I can't remember much about it, but I remember an old man from one of the organizations, while planting, he showed me a rare flower that grows in the area, it reminded me of Mr. Wilson's flower (from Dennis the Menace film). I thought that was a really special discovery and it's one of those things that stays on my memory for a long time. I wanna be able to experience it again.

Another thing I wanted to do this year (and I've been putting this off for so long now by the way) is to learn Japanese. I mean like learn to be fluent. In my Facebook profile, I claimed that I know Japanese, and it's not like I'm bluffing or posing, I do know a little of it - I can read Katakana and Hiragana, I recognize few Kanji characters. I'm confident that I know more Nihongo words than somebody who has taken Nihongo 101. In fact I installed Japanese MS office, so I have the capability to write Nihongo characters using my laptop. 嘘じゃない！(Not kidding!)

If you know me, you know that I love Japan. Though the past years, I've been rather detached, picking one or 2 JFMO events to attend and immersing more on American shows and documentaries. But hey, I still love Japan to the bone, when I buy electronic products, I always choose Japanese brand. And when I get a car, I'll go for Japanese too :) I think I can intensify my Nihongo literacy whether I study formally or not, my main issue is my laziness. I'm too lazy to get things done. Now that's what I really need to work on. It's not like I don't know how to do it, but the execution is the hardest part. To commit to something is one thing, but to actually do it is another. ~sigh again~

There's definitely a lot of work to be done this year, I'll try my best to accomplish everything I set to do. God help me.

My Year-end Thoughts

Will you look at that? The year's about to end in less than 10 hours (Philippine time). It seems like only yesterday when I made my 2011 resolutions, now I have to make one for 2012. I looked at at the goals I set last year, now looking back, I'm glad I was able to keep some of them.

I was able to travel and appreciate the Philippines more. I faced my fear of getting my tooth extracted. I managed to give something for charity. I now eat more veggies than I used to (it's still not enough but it's still better than what I used to consume which is close to zero). I bought a bike recently for the purpose of exploring the town more and help me save from Trike fare for my trips to the supermarket, post office and bakery --that makes me physically more active without going to the gym. And, mind you, replacing Tricycle as my mode of transportation helps me save the planet, little by little hehehe.

But I still can't cook. I haven't really gone organic and I'm still have not save. Actually, I did save a little but it's not significant enough to be considered as an improvement. But that's life anyway. I still have 2012 and there's a big opportunity to make up.

I'll probably post my new years resolution next year. Right now, I want to look back on some of the important things that happened.

When I look back at the year that had been, I think of the important people I lost. I lost my uncle, my mother's younger brother, Kuya Al. And though we're not really that close, I can't dismiss the fact that we have close blood ties, thus, he's an important part of my life. When I think about my cousins who lost a father, his wife who lost a husband, my mom and aunts who lost a brother, his friends who lost a buddy-- I get really sad. A few months before he died, he went to the house and we had a little chat together with my younger sister. We were asking him if his son was gay and he said no, that he talked him about it, but his son said no. We joked that he probably scared my cousin, but he was serious when he said that it'll be fine with him if he is gay, that he felt deep sympathy for people who are forced to live a dishonest life to conform with the standards that society had dictated. I regret that I didn't tell him that I'm proud of him, for breaking the macho stereotype of refusing to accept the reality that there are people who are different. He was a great father and his children love him deeply. I know that he's in a better place now with my grandparents and will continue to watch the family he had left behind.

My mom lost a very dear friend who also happened to be my brother's mother-in-law. It was supposed to be an expected passing. Tita Ruby had been sick for a long time and knowing the sufferings that she had to go through over and over, it was best for her to go. But still, knowing that she'll go earlier than any one of us, it still makes no difference. I realized that nothing really prepares us from the pain of losing a loved one. She was a very generous friend to my mom and was very dear to us. It's too bad that she didn't get to see her 4th grandchild, Magnvs Rei, but I know that she looks after him now specially when he has a strong resemblance to her.

Kuya Al, Tita Ruby, we miss you, I will never forget you. When I hear the Auld Lang Syne tonight as we transition to the new year, I will think of you and all the good memories you've left behind.

2011 is not all about loss, while I mourned losing people I love, I also celebrated the coming of the newest members of the family. My cousin Butchoy's girlfriend gave birth to Clyde then my sister-in-law, May, gave birth to Magnvs Rei. These angels (including my other nieces and nephews) from God never fail to make me smile and repel the stressors that prowl me. They are the future carriers of the values and bond that that my family have nourished all these years. May they all grow up like a fine men and women that we became.

When I look back at the things that happened, the good and the bad, I feel blessed in anyway. But when I think of the year that's about to come, it's a mixture of anxiety and excitement. I worry about some scary stuff but I'm also excited for the adventures that await me. But in the end, here and now is all that matters, and right now, I just wanna enjoy the festivities.

Happy new year minna-san! (oh and be safe y'all)

A Well Spent Weekend

I normally spend my weekend bumming out, sleeping most of the time. I knew I need it as I barely get enough sleep during weekdays. But this weekend was a busy one, and as Christmas comes closer, I expect the succeeding weekends to be busier.

But let's talk about this weekend. Last Saturday, I attended the 25th anniversary of Toei Animation Philippines. I believe that I have outgrown the fandom and that my main reason for attending otaku events is to be with my friends. But then there are things from the community that I still cling on to, Toei is one of them. For one thing, a lot of the earliest anime and sentai series I've watched were produced by Toei. Having that said, I expected the event to be a nostalgic experience for me. The place was a really good choice, It's always great to attend an anime convention outside Megatrade hall. We didn't have to fight for a space to come through, there was no struggle to breath, the weather was great and the cozy atmosphere of Eastwood set a really good mood, in short, I love the venue, I should have worn a nicer pair of shoes! The ticket was really good too. I make a big deal out of it because I keep tickets for souvenir, and I have to say, their ticket is one of the best tickets I've gotten so far.

One of my disappointment though, is the fact that there's not much to be seen. I mean, we're talking about one of the biggest animation studio in Japan, I know for a fact that there's more to Toei than Dragon Ball and One Piece. There were very few exhibits to check, like probably six or seven booths and checking them out would not take more than 15 minutes (all of them). I like the dioramas though, I only wish there were more. I didn't see anything different on the cosplay activity. There's a photobooth with a long queue, It would have been better to have booths that have interactive activities. Then I wish there were merchandise booths, even if it's only Toei related, I've no problem with that, I'm sure there's a market for Toei merchandise, I mean, I'm sure somebody would be interested to get a Galaxy Express 999 music box.

Cosplayers nowadays are really creative and particular to details and accuracy of their costume, which is great. There's a lot that I don't recognize, but that's barely my concern. I have seen 2 group cosplay skit that I really enjoyed, Daimos and Voltes V. But I didn't bother to see the others. My appetite for cosplay have long dwindled, but there were still cosplayers that got my attention.

I couldn't help staring at their crotch to check the bulge. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a pervert, it's just that they are always flat on the actual series and I always wonder if the actors under the suit are really male. I know that the one cosplaying Red One is a female.

OMG! This guy has been cosplaying that character forever!

Who doesn't know Peebo? Who?!

I want to steal it!

If you ask me though, this handsome little guy is my favorite!

Of course, my friend Nagi, once again fulfills her Sailor Neptune dream cosplay :). Too bad Sailor Uranus is not around :(

My biggest disappointment was the float parade. It was the activity that I looked forward the most. With a cash prize of P100,000, I wish the contestants put more effort and I wish there were more contestants. The were only 3, get that 3 anime floats, and one Toei (studio) float, and none made my eyes expand or made me exclaimed wow! All of them looked like they were done by amateurs, I got that impression even though I looking from afar (really far). Our town festival's floats are far more amazing (and I live in a small town).

Dragon Ball float

But I have no complain. The event was free. It seems to me that organizers operated on a limited budget. I cannot remember seeing any sponsors. I do hope that the areas for improvement I've mentioned would be considered for the 30th year celebration. I hope they'd be more creative and get ample financial support next time.

The best part of the day, or any event I've been to, is hanging out with my friends. Chris, Nagi, Aish, Duston and Shamsa came. Like always, a day is never enough to hang out with awesome friends. We ate Takoyaki at a mini food court nearby. It was really good, the sauce reminded me of the Okonomiyaki I ate in Little Tokyo. The octopus meat was pretty big, I didn't get to see the actual meat in most of the takoyaki I've tried. We spent the rest of day at Aish and Duston's apartment. Duston made some brownies which was really good too. Shamsa was surprisingly hyper at home. She's friendly but normally quiet outdoors. This time I saw her screamed and laughed a lot and it was really heartwarming whenever I'd get a hug from her. Awww... We ended the day with a game of "which do you prefer" and "what's you top 3" which was fun. I got home past 2 am, I was so very tired I didn't get to brush my teeth before going to sleep. Ugh!

The next day, I woke up mid-afternoon and got a text from my elementary and highschool classmate Fati, reminding me of a lunch date with our other grade school classmates. Shoot! I have forgotten about it, I would have wanted to stay home but I have committed that if it was set on Sunday I could come. So I did. I thought I needed it too. I know so little about my gradeschool and highschool classmates. Reunions are the only venue I get to be updated. I need to be more connected.

This is the second time I attended a grade schooler' get together. We had a coffee then had little coldies session. It turns out to be more fun than I expected. I am aware that I'm different from my classmates, but I get along just fine. I have very little memory of events from grade school, I was a loner and I got bullied, it was a sad part of my childhood, but I'm glad that I didn't harbor hatred to my bullies to this day. I have not forgotten them but I have forgiven them. I have no problem attending reunions like this, I'd like to be updated, what are they now? Where have they been? I just wish there are more attendees next time.

When I got home, there was a celebration at home. It was my late Uncle Al's birthday, my cousins from Pasig came to celebrate. There were too many food, but too little space left on my tummy. I ended the day with a mass. Yesterday was the lightening of the first advent candle, this is the official start of Christmas celebration, which reminds me, we need to start putting up the Christmas tree and lights.

It was a tiring weekend indeed. But I am thankful. I have this exhausted body, but then I have this energized soul. Rawr!

Remembering Pagsanjan Falls

The title is a misnomer. It's not that the place had gone stagnant or inactive, it's just that I have forgotten to talk about it hehehe. Yeah, a couple of months ago I went to Pagsanjan, Laguna and saw its prime tourist attraction, Pagsanjan Falls. Well it's been two months you know, I'm gonna try my best to relive everything.

Well first of all, my friend Dindee invited me to her company's (now my former employer) annual IQA outing. She always does, but this is the first time I accepted the invitation ever since I resigned. I thought it should be a good time to catch up with everyone and it would be really great to check out Pagsanjan. It was indeed great to see her and some old friends from the hospital. I gotta say though, so many people have gone somewhere else and I think I can only remember 4-5 faces when I joined the group. In a way, it felt a little weird to be there. For a moment I thought I'm not gonna have a good time. I was wrong anyway. I had a blast... uhm sort of...

We checked in at Pagsanjan Lodge, I can tell, without doing further research that it's an old resort. According to the locals, it was the biggest resort in town, but yeah, it's old, you can't expect five star amenities. I didn't really spend time examining the place, as soon as I got into our room, I took a shower, greeted some old timers and then I went to back to bed and sleep.

Reception desk of Pagsanjan Lodge

The next day was the best part, the part where we went to see Pagsanjan falls. A quick fact about the falls, it's actually located within the boundaries of Cavinti Laguna, but to get there, you have to take a boat ride originating from Pagsanjan river. So there. Who owns what is not my business, still I wonder who gets the money from the tourists hehehe.

Anyway, going back to the boat ride. what's amazing about it was, the two hour ride didn't seem that long despite the limited movement I could make while in the boat (you can lose balance if you move too much, and that can make the boat flip). I guess it's being one with the nature that's really fun. When you hear nothing but the trickle of the water, the rustling of the trees, the tiny chirps of the birds, the cry of the boatmen (that serves as a horn to warn approaching boats), and well, occasional side comments of my friend. I heard from one of our boatmen, while paddling, that in summer, the level of the water is so low, like neck deep, that locals cross the river by foot.

Another amazing thing about this boat ride are the boatmen themselves. Everytime rapids approach, they quickly jump out of the boat (there are boulders to step onto) to push the boat against the rapids. I would imagine that it takes a lot of strength to do that, well I can tell it's hard, because everytime they got back in the boat, I hear them gasp their heart out.

About halfway through the trip, there was a stopover point, called the Talahib Falls, it's a much smaller falls and it serves as a rest area for tourists and boatmen. There were food and soda vendors but none of us bothered to buy any.

Stopover at Talahib Falls

It was at this point that I regret not bringing any money, I would have wanted to buy our boatmen some drinks, I knew they were tired but I could not impose on anyone else to buy something for them either. At least I knew my friend gave them something at the end of the boatride, that should cover for everything, but sometimes, I feel guilty when I can't do anything for these hardworking fellows.

About half an hour ride after the stopover, the main falls started to loom before us. Growing up in a town that boasts our very own Daranak Falls, my first impression of Pagsanjan Falls was nothing out of ordinary. I thought it looked great, but nothing majestic. But things are about to get better as we approach the waterfalls.

The most exciting part was going under (well not exactly under, but almost) the water falls by means of a bamboo raft and boy was that exhilarating. I can no longer open my eyes when I felt the strong gush of water pour before me. It was cold and quick, the next thing I know, we were inside the cave behind the waterfalls, and it felt like going against a super typhoon.

Whoohoo!!!

After a while we started our journey back to the lodge. The boatride this time is a lot easier and faster since we're going along with the rapids.

I got to check some areas of the lodge, they have some sort of an adventure camp site. According to one of the staff there, it's perfect for team building activities. I'm not much of an outdoor stuff fan but I really liked the presence of Rambutan trees. I indulged myself in picking and eating, it was delicious and it felt really nostalgic. I remember a time in my childhood where I would spent time picking all sorts of fruits in my neighborhood and relatives' place (Camias, Indian Mango, Aratilis, Guava, etc.)

Avic, enjoying the Rambutan fruit

unusual insect I found at the adventure camp site

There weren't much to be done afterwards, we had our lunch and prepared to check out. One of the things that made me feel this trip to be incomplete was I didn't get to explore the town itself. Pagsanjan is the tourist capital of Laguna, there's got to be more stuff to check. I would have wanted to see the cultural aspect of the town, but again, who am I to impose the itinerary. I was just invited. At least I get to see Pagsanjan church. It's kinda odd though, because it was closed even though it was a Sunday. Hmmm...

The greatest thing about this trip though, is that I didn't spend a penny! Except for the pasalubong I bought for my family, everything was free. I want to thank Dindee for inviting me here, I enjoyed everything. I hope I could join the next IQA outing again. :)

God Works Wonders

When I turned on my laptop, I was so ready to make a long post of venting over the week from hell I've had. I've been talking about it with some of my friends but for some reason, the uneasy feeling wouldn't get off my system. I thought, before I let this consume me, I will write about it. I'm sure bloggers knows how therapeutic it is to let ones emotions flow from the mind to the computer keyboard delivered by hands and finger.

I was just so mad. I didn't see it coming, I had forgotten what it felt like to be treated with injustice. I know I've been wrong and I deserve to be censured. But to be all alone and take all the blame for something that everybody else is doing, be put on a spotlight like I'm the worst performer without analyzing the real situation. Whether I'm a victim of stupidity or politics, it sucks. Top it off with an unethical act of tattling. My patience just went off its limits. Professionally I felt defiled, personally I felt betrayed. The latter hurt me the most. I knew in one millisecond that things will never be the same again. I rarely get mad, but I get mad for a good reason and I know that this is gonna stay for a long time.

Another reason is this health scare for a dear friend that I've recently learned. It's just terrifying when I hear something that concerns one's health. Illness is something I will never wish to my worst enemy. I always say, I don't care if I have no money, as long as everyone (I love) is healthy. But just this morning, I was able to talk to my friend, and thank God, it's not really something to worry. One less thorn off my chest :)

And as I was gonna say earlier, just before I logged in to blogger I received a letter from Citibank. A gift voucher that I've been waiting for so long ( I almost gave up I'm gonna receive it) arrived. The good thing about it is I didn't have to pay for anything as long as I won't upgrade the packages. See you Tagaytay in 3 weeks!

Lastly, I finally got successful in downloading the episode 1 of The Mentalist season 4! After 2 failed attempts, it's finally here on my hard disk. The Mentalist is one of the TV Shows I follow, the Season 3 finale was a total cliff hanger, but now it's here, I'm off for a tea time with Patrick Jane.

After a week from hell, I got these blessings that some people may call trivial, but for me are just enough to give me back my peace of mind. Thank you Lord :)

Pinball tale

What's the best way to kill time while waiting for someone at the mall? Hands down, it's gotta be pinball! If you're like me, that is *shrug*

I'm not a fan or anything like it by the way. But I like hanging out at Timezone. It's just that, it's one of those free games I can play when I'm out of credits. It's kinda odd though, that in this age of digital video games, you'd see one pinball machine in every Timezone outlet. Who plays pinball in this era anyway?

The funny thing is, I play it, even though I don't really know the mechanics and all. What I know is, I have to keep the pinball rolling using the flippers in each side of the machine. I know that my numbers keep counting everytime the ball hits something. I love it when the ball enters a tunnel and something lights up, then my score keeps going up too. I don't know how many balls I have left when I drop one and I don't know just how many bonus balls am I supposed to get. The important thing is, it keeps me preoccupied.

After a while though, I just want to give up. When will it end? How many more do I have left? I think played enough, I'd just let the balls drop until the screen shows "GAME OVER". And why am I not surprised to get the highest score?

But after earning the title for the highest score, guess what? As a prize, I get one more credit to give me a chance to top my rank. No way man, I'm leaving. I hope a random player takes advantage of the unused credit tough teehee.

The Art of Letting Go

More than 12 years ago, when I was a still fledgling otaku, I started collecting anime related items. I can still remember, I started out with "text cards" of Yuyu Hakusho and Gundam Wing. Had I known ahead of time that typhoon Ondoy will submerge our town back in 2009, I could have prepared and I may have been able to show you what these "text cards" are. More commonly called as "text" or "teks", it is like the Filipino version of trading cards, only smaller and a lot cheaper (so cheap, for PHP1 you'll get 4 pcs). But so many things had happened for 12 years, so many stuff have been accumulated. My collection grew into something bigger, it has become my trademark. Not that I'm a huge collector, but collecting (anime) is my passion, in my circle, it's what I'm known for.

When we decided to renovate the first floor of the house after the Ondoy damage, I got the chance to own a room, and by room, I mean showroom. I mean, I shared bedroom with my siblings my whole life, and when I finally had my own one, I got to showcase my stuff. I had them neatly organized in shelves and have them situated parallel to my bed. I wanted them to be the first thing I see when I wake up.

It didn't disappoint, everyone who see it in person is amazed. It feels great I tell you, when something you put your heart into is appreciated by others. The thing is, it's an expensive hobby and I'm not rich. In so many ways, this hobby doesn't suit me because I had to sacrifice some of my needs just to purchase a single item. There are many useful commodities that my hard earned money could go to. This idea had never left me. In every purchase comes a tinge of guilt, I felt like that I'm being selfish. My eldest brother is my no.1 critic for this obsession. But I always justify that this simple pleasure of buying collectibles eases the loneliness I feel for being alone. ~sigh

Last year, unfortunate events in my life led me to believe that I'm being punished for forgetting God and being selfish. I am reminded many times that He does not punish but He tests, and I believe that. Still, I made it clear to myself that I would change ways so I that won't forget about Him. I prayed harder than I ever did and made a pledge that I will quit. I made a promise that I will stop buying toys. I could not give up books and comic books, I wanted to continue reading and learning but I had to stop hoarding toys...And I stop.

For 10 months now, I have not made any toy or even anime related purchase. Other than the happy meal toys that my friends gave me and the dispenser I won at M&M's online promo, I have not made any accumulation. Instead, I've come to a point that I figured I need to downsize, I need to let go of some stuff. Aside from the ones that I have in my room, I have more stuff tucked all over the house. I don't wanna end up like those hoarders I see on TV. I want to get rid (in a good way) of some items that I have less attachment. Stuff that I bought on impulse. My friends and I collaborated to put up an online shop (Fandorasbox) and I put up my own on ebay. I have already sold some toys and manga (I have my own share of "horror" stories with buyers but I'm not gonna talk about that now) and while I have items up for sale, I'm still figuring out the stuff that can stay and which ones should go. It's a tough process I tell you, I have deep emotional investment on so many things, but I figured that it's not healthy to cling on to material things. After all, we'll all end up departing from this temporary world we live in.

I'm working on this. Honestly I still check stuff on ebay, and everytime I see something interesting, it breaks my heart, because I know I can't get it. Not because I can't afford it, but because I made a promise. It's a form of discipline and to be honest, I don't know what I'm gonna get out of it. Suppressing my urges like that and quitting on what I believed to be my passion. I don't know where it's gonna take me. It's a tough battle I'm fighting, and it's too early to say I'm winning, but I know I will.

The Body Remembers - Yuuko Ichihara

I have a confession to tell. But you have to watch the video first before you read on...

When I was in highschool, I was a big fan of Donna Cruz. I followed her music, movies and her TV series (Villa Quintana) up until she got married. Her career went on hiatus and so I moved on. That's the confession hehehe. That was a long time ago. Last year, I received a Snow Globe music box (in accordance to my wishlist) when we had our gifts exchanged during our department's Christmas party. I specifically asked a Christmas snowglobe music box. I love Christmas songs, I was expecting that this item I received plays one, but to my disappointment, no. The music was originally popularized by a Japanese pop/rock band Southern All Stars, a song called "Manatsu no Kajitsu". In 1997, Donna popularized a Filipino rendition of the song called "Isang Tanong, Isang Sagot". Amazingly, I recognized the song very quickly.

I have not listened to Donna's songs for a very long time, but I knew when I first wind up the keys, the music sounded familiar. It's true when they say (or when CLAMP said) that the mind may forget but the body remembers.