The last time I read a Harry Pottter book was in college, so I'm a bit behind. Must read before the next film catches up with me, I thought. I finished Order of the Phoenix last week and I'm determined to finish the second half ofHalf-Blood Prince today, in between appointments.
People named Riddle, McRae, Granger or Crabtree have the most adventurous ancestors who are most likely to have emigrated from Britain to across the globe over the last 125 years.
Drama in a bottle of Johnson's baby oil. Inspired by the Mundane Details Flickr group, here are more wala lang photos that prove that there is art in everything, as well as a whole bunch of flora photos for the green-minded.
Jan is a fortunate man. After Mr.C slammed his performance on Philippine Idol Saturday night, he found himself in the boys' semifinals top four, earning a sure spot in the Top 12. Bridge Over Troubled Water was too big a song for him, but he promises to improve with every show and I believe him. Unlike the other contestants who are seasoned performers (and you can tell), his talent is still very raw. I knew he could sing because we would hear him in church, but I have yet to see him do a fast number.
Is it unbelievable that he made it this far? Honestly, Top 24 must have been tougher to crack than Top 12. It's a popularity contest now. From the looks of it, he's won half the battle. Dance lessons na lang ang kulang.
We were comparing the old Victorinox swiss army knife to the smaller Shell giveaway one when papa cut his thumb. His blood dripping on my foot and the floor, the family quickly set off--ma wiping the blood stains, my brother getting iodine and band-aid, me getting cotton and scotch tape. That was quite a lesson, so you can be sure no such gadget will be in my luggage. Some things are better left to the Swiss Army. N'est-ce pas?
I've started packing my things and was amazed that it didn't take long. Maybe that's because I set aside the clothes beforehand, plus I have a packing list.
Just waiting for the approval of my Schengen visa. Let's hope that everything will go as planned.
What's that above? Images for the sake of not having an all-text entry, taken a day apart in two different restrooms. I've always wanted to shoot against a tile background. Hirap palang maging photog and model at the same time. My eyes look like that because I still wake up at 6am though it's been a month since I last worked at an office.
Manila weather Sunrise 5:44am Sunset 6:07pm Temp. range 24° to 31°
I met Clarice 11 years ago, on a visit to the Southeast Asian Institute for the Deaf. Born hearing-impaired, Clarice did not let her handicap stop her from finishing college. With the full support of her family, Clarice attended Rochester Institute of Technology in New York state.
An interior designer by profession, she now teaches at the School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies at the College of Saint Benilde.
I e-mailed her a few weeks ago when I saw a segment on her on Mel & Joey. Last week, she had a little chat with my fellow scholar Indi, who used to work at CSB. Small world.
Disabled but able. That's Clarice. I feel extremely blessed to know her.
Flickr now offers geotagging, allowing users to show where their photos were taken. Anyone can also browse all geotagged photos by place. The interface is very easy to use and navigate, so even if you don't have a Flickr account, just go and have fun.
These are the locations where the photos from my travels set are taken. I'm looking forward to having Europe geotags within the month. Explore my and everyone's geotagged photos.
For more info, click on the title of this post. (Some post titles are linked to related articles. Check them out.)
I just realized that I'm 34 photos shy of my Flickr free account limit. Will somebody give me a Pro account for Christmas? Haaay. Who knows when my 300MB of uploads in Blogger will run out? Wait, lemme check. At the rate I'm going (50kb per photo, at one photo a day), 16 years. Goody.
Earlier this month, I received a card from my Japanese penpal of 10 years, Junko. (Yes, snail mail penpal.) She used to study in an Assumption school in Japan. I don't remember who wrote who first, but we've been sending mostly greeting cards and postcards ever since.
Junko now works in a bank and we e-mail each other occasionally, but there's still nothing like the occasional card by post.
Time.com's yearly 50 Coolest Websites tries hard to live up to its name. Sadly, the ever-changing Internet makes it difficult to be comprehensive.
First, define "cool". Second, is cool limited to English-language sites?
Don't fret, Ms. Buechner. For your efforts, The 25 Sites We can't Live Without is a commendable and, for many of us, pretty accurate attempt at enumerating sites we've already bookmarked.
Just a sampling of our first few works-in-progress. The photo makes it impossible to appreciate the paintings, though. Now you know why I've been taking so many flower photos.
Not another toothy nightmare! Anybody would hate to lose his teeth, more so if you had braces for four years. For the past year or so, I have had recurring dreams of my teeth falling off. In past dreams, many teeth would come off. At least last night, it was just one wobbly tooth.
Teeth dreams happen to be common and are quite vivid. When you wake up, you will really check if your teeth are still there. Interpretations vary, but Dream Moods and Spirit Community offer a number of possible meanings. My former officemate Sonee says that when she dreams of her teeth falling off, a relative dies. Creepy.
Go away! When the year started, I had a good feeling I would get a scholarship. Receiving slippers has a negative ring to it, but getting three pairs for Christmas is too much of a sign to ignore. What really got me thinking was the bag charm (above) from stylist Kat Manalo. Of course, I could be overreading.
Taken last Sunday along EDSA-Boni. A newsworthy moment.
I have nothing against billboards. As a commuter, I appreciate the distraction-slash-entertainment they give me. However, if something of this size can topple over a major thoroughfare with a gust of wind, I think Bayani Fernando has a right to take all of them down in the interest of public safety.
Lucky the billboard fell on an MRT station. No casualties, just a huge traffic jam and no electricity in the area.
Harvard, Standford, Yale, Caltech, UC Berkeley. These are the top five universities in the world, according to Newsweek. Cambridge (#6) and Oxford (#8) are the only non-US universities in the Top Ten.
Japan still reigns in Asia, with Tokyo (#16), Kyoto (#29), Osaka (#57), Tohoku (#68), and Nagoya (#94). Elsewhere in Asia, Singapore has NUS (#36) and NTU (#71), while Hong Kong has HKU (#69), UST HK (#60), and CUHK (#96).
Switzerland, Australia and Canada each have a number of universities on the list, notably Toronto University (#18), the FIT campuses in Zurich (#21) and Lausanne (#26), and Australian National University (#38). The University of London system is represented by Imperial College (#17), UCL (#25), LSE (#34), and King's College (#85).
Do ratings matter? I think they do because it is important for schools to maintain the quality of education.
Inspiration starts at home. Uploaded a few new photos to my Flickr sari-sari set. Feel free to leave comments on the photos or download them for personal use.
Three embassies in six weeks. The senior couple. The mother-and-daughter duo with matching pearl earrings and pointy shoes. The managers with folder upon folder of documents. The francais-speaking woman and her two teenage sons with gravity-defying hair. I observed enough characters to start writing a short play, except that I was too anxious waiting for my number to be called.
Three teachers in six days. Saw Sir Miguel (Philo) at a cafeteria, Sir Sev (PR) on an overpass, and Ma'am Aleli (Ad Management) at the mall. I wasn't able to say hi to Ma'am Aleli because she was on the phone and seemed to be in a hurry. Sir Miguel shushed me when we recognized each other, so I guess I can't divulge any details. Sir Sev, who was one of my referees for the scholarship, just said, "When you come back, see me." Will do.
Made a quick montage (above) because I want all posts to have a visual. Na-OC lang.
The Mall of Asia along Roxas Boulevard is said to be the third largest mall in the world. It is vast even though there are only two floors (any higher and it might sink into the sea). MoA has the Philippines' first IMAX theater, an open-air Music Hall with daily performances, and a lookout area with great views of Manila Bay. I think it's a cross between Eastwood City and The Podium.
When we went last Sunday, it was as if the whole of Manila was there. The crowd is a good mix of people from classes A to D, and you can see that there's an effort to look decent. Either that or the sheer size of the mall makes the people homogenous.
Having many stores in the open is unfortunate when the weather whips Manila Bay. Rain makes some walkways impassable, especially since the place is windy to begin with (be prepared for a bad hair day). Although the restaurants make the most money, the high ceilings give the other shops lots of window display space. The electricity saved on the skylights is probably poured out on airconditioning. Overall, I like Mall of Asia. The Sys have built another winner.
I first met them both in Grade One. Jenica (right) was a bully who ordered our classmates to throw her trash for her. Donna (center) was a bespectacled Chinese-looking girl (but isn't) who I called Donna DLP because it was written on her name tag.
Several section scrambles later, we became classmates again in high school. By the time we graduated, Jenica was an official bully--Battalion Commander in Citizens Army Training--girly for a top officer. Donna, also a CAT officer, was the class treasurer and was famous for calling out, "PEE-POL!" in her booming voice when asking us to pay up.
They both took up Management Engineering in college, arguably the most challenging course in our school. Now, Jenica is an assistant brand manager for a multinational corporation, while Donna supervises the family business.
I spent a few hours chitchatting with them at Dome Podium and found out that they are fans of coach tours in Europe. The trip tally to the continent is Jenica via Insight-3, Donna via Trafalgar-2.
Statement of the day: "I'm nice naman eh!"--Jenica, puzzled why guys are intimidated by her, at which point Donna and I look at each other and laugh. How many choices do strong, mature women have, anyway?
If I were to watch just one movie, and I had to choose between Jessica, Paul and Eddie (The Illusionist), and Scarlett, Hugh and Woody (Scoop), I might not be able to make up for my mind. Thankfully, there are trailers. For me, the period drama wins over the modern-day comedy. I don't think it's just the costumes--I'm more intrigued by how The Illusionist will end.
I was going to say that I used to play a few PC games, but when I started listing them down, "a few" seems too few. By PC games, I don't mean Diner Dash, Lemonade Tycoon or Tradewinds, but those that require CD installation and can be played alone.
My gaming history goes back to the time of the 486 PC, with the role-playing game Ultima VIII, which was complex for its time. I had high BP whenever I would play Ultima Underworld and Syndicate Plus--darkness and spies scared me. Maybe I'm braver now, because I got past these:
Warcraft III. Still my favorite. Love the lines the characters say.
Trevor Chan's Capitalism II. Master this and you can probably run a business.
Sid Meier's Pirates. Jolly swashbuckling fun. Then again, what does piracy have to do with dancing?
Rome:Total War. Turn-based. Always skipped the battles.
Rise of Legends. This is what I'm playing now. An improvement over the previous Rise of Nations games.
No One Lives Forever: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way. Only tried it out once (never got used to shoot-em-ups), but I watched my brother play it because it's so funny.
Neverwinter Nights. Weird game controls. Great concept art.
Need for Speed Underground. I hate driving, but if my ride looked this good, I'd probably reconsider. I prefer racing using the keyboard. Killer soundtrack.
Battle Realms. Very Japanese.
My mom and I got hooked on a MMORPG once, but only because it was in beta testing (read: free). MMORPGs are the online games people in Internet cafes play. Ma must have been the oldest ROSE Online player at the time. Perhaps killing fantasy creatures relieves stress.
It's good to know you're not alone. If a misplaced punctuation mark has ever made you cringe, then Eats, Shoots & Leaves is for you. While it's not ROTFL-funny, it gave me a few LOL moments in a nearly deserted library.
What's with title? If the illustration on the cover doesn't make sense to you, here's what the back blurb says:
A panda walks into a cafe. He orders a sandwich,eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots into the air.
"Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.
"I'm a panda," he says, at the door. "Look it up."
The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation.
"Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."
It actually makes economic sense to be home for the holidays. A UBS study shows that, of the 71 cities surveyed, London is the second most expensive city in the world after Oslo. Worth noting is Copenhagen in third place, with Zurich and Tokyo rounding up the top five. Manila is 67th. For more figures, download the Prices and Earnings study.
Actually, I have to come back for my Danish visa. Wala akong kawala sa yearly dance number naming magpipinsan para kay Lola Charing sa December 31! (Charing!)
My parents getting hooked on Meteor Garden is one thing (they're into Jewel in the Palace now--yes, late adopters), but my brother watching Love of the Condor Heroes (!) is another. Just look at the messianic title. Then again, the production values of this Chinese series are excellent and--possibly the biggest come-on for my brother--the female lead is very pretty. The story has been remade several times in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore with the likes of Andy Lau and Fann Wong. Sounds like a definitive Asianovela.
Not that I have impeccable TV taste--the Idol shows are my guilty pleasure. It's just that we've never had cable and we rarely watch TV. From the limited fare, I'm happy to feed my mind with Deustch Welle's euromaxx and ARTS.21 on net25. Then there's Solar Entertainment's Prime Shift on RPN 9 and Japan Video Topics re-runs, a cut above much of regular programming, even if they've been looping for years on end.
LONDON, England (CNN) -- As a result of the alleged terror plot, the British Department of Transport implemented restrictions on all carry-on luggage Thursday.
Passengers may only take the following items through the airport security search point:
-Travel documents essential for the journey (e.g. passports, tickets and visas);
-Pocket sized wallets and pocked sized purses plus contents (for example money, credit cards and identity cards). Handbags are not permitted;
-Prescribed medicines essential for the duration of the flight, except in liquid form unless verified as authentic;
-Spectacles and sunglasses, without cases;
-Contact lenses, without bottles of solution;
-For those traveling with an infant: baby food, milk and sanitary items essential for the flight;
-Keys (but no electrical key fobs);
-Every other item must be carried in customer's hold luggage;
-For clarity, passengers are advised that no electrical or battery powered items including laptops, mobile phones, iPods, remote controls, etc. can be carried in the cabin and must be checked in as hold baggage.
I miss this commercial. Baz + Nicole + Rodrigo + reportedly the biggest TVC budget ever (mostly because of the diamonds). Take away one of those and it wouldn't be the same.
This is the two-minute version with credits. Bitin? Watch the "making of" videos.
Started mentoring under social realist Renato Habulan last weekend, along with some of Ato's students from previous years. Our goal is to put up an exhibit at a Megamall gallery next year. I'll try to do as many pieces as I can before I go so that I'll be well-represented in the collection.
Same subject matter, same medium, same canvas size, different painting styles. Should be interesting.
Uploaded paintings from last summer's workshop here. Yes, they're really small, doable in one sitting.
The closet editor is neither an editor who hasn't come out into the open nor an art director who secretly enjoys copywriting more. It's a role everyone ought to play at least once a year--taking out the filler clothes that you don't really wear but take up precious closet space.
Although I play closet editor every so often, I usually give in to sentimentality. Now I have to be more ruthless. If I'm not bringing it with me, will I wear it when I get back? No? Then off you go.
I got into beading in college because I enjoyed crafting. I sold some pieces to friends, but didn't continue it as a business. No burst of creativity lately, but since I'm having fun with my digicam (I think I picked up a few things from going to product shoots for work), I played around with the remaining stock.
I'm running a mini-contest, open to everyone. There are six pairs of single-strand dangling earrings in the photo. If you can guess correctly which pairs have acrylic beads and which pairs are made of crystal, you can choose one pair that you want. Getting it from me is another matter, though.
For a more detailed shot and other bead photos, head over to my Flickr likhang kamay set.
I only took painting lessons last summer, but I had already been painting since 1999, using my mom's materials (she was taking classes then) and copying photos from wherever. Take a look at the older paintings here. I'll upload the ones from class within the month.
Ma and I would like to join a guild and produce original artwork. Soon, I hope.
Last Sunday, my dad received a text message in the afternoon, saying that his tennis partner that morning had passed away. Life is short. I hope to make the most out of it.
I started collecting empty beverage cans in high school. Good thing I stopped at 96 cans, or else it would be heartbreaking to throw them all away, as I will do soon.
Attended the British Council's Welcome to the UK Seminar last Saturday. I found the content realistic, practical and much more personal than the PDF guides online.
I'm not really a fan, but I must commend this performance. Nevermind if he plays gay very well (too well--type in "hugh jackman tonys" and "the boy from oz" in the search videos box). Like Wolverine, this role is kick-ass (high-kickin' and ass-shakin').
Billy Crystal is Billy Crystal, but since he doesn't always do it, I nominate Hugh Jackman for Oscars 2007 host!
I've finally come around uploading my photos to Flickr. For starters, here are Boracay and Tagaytay Highlands photos. The Beijing/HK set should be up next week. I've only posted less than 50 photos and I've already exceeded my limit for the month. I guess I should limit the size to something like 500x375.
My mom said that if I ever get a scholarship, she'd treat my officemates to lunch. And so she did. We ate at the executive dining room of her office yesterday, braving the rains and the risk of being splashed by passing vehicles. Typhoons make crossing one little street so hard it makes you think of taking a taxi.
I was very happy (and full) with the appetizer and dessert buffet–salads, sushi, sashimi, and sweets. When we got back to our office, my officemates surprised me with a gift (with packaging that can expected from the resourceful Cleone–cellophane rosettes, ribbons, japanese paper). It brought tears to my eyes. When Cindy picked out the black F&H vest, she didn't know that I had wanted it for several months (except I'm too kuripot to buy it). I guess we're on the same wavelength. ("It's Raining , it's Raining ...")
I don't have black shoes. Actually, I do–a pair of Auztralian flats, but they're already falling apart and I don't even walk long distances at work. I need something heavy-duty, something that can withstand sub-zero temperatures. I need boots.
Two very important considerations: 1. I am somewhat flat-footed and need non-slip soles. 2. I can't walk in heels.
Enter the riding boot. Low heels, warm, sturdy. Perfect, except that I can't find them here. The pairs above from shopbop and NET-A-PORTER, both pricey fashion-forward e-tailers, cost ten times what I'm willing to shell out. Mikee and Toni, tell me your suppliers. Otherwise, you'll find me at Portobello and Camden Markets before classes begin.
Met up with my high school barkada last night at Heaven and Eggs Eastwood City (chosen out of my curiosity). Unlike other barkadas, we didn't hang out in each other's houses or go out on weekends. We had other circles of friends and didn't share much apart from good grades. We were more like groupmates who bonded over dissections, Trig projects and the occasional video requirement for school. We harmonized to Billy Joel's Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) and danced to The Blues Brothers songs only because we needed to. But somehow, it stuck. Eventually, each of us went to Ateneo, had a boyfriend in college and then broke up with them. We pick up the story from there.
By next year, I'll be in Europe, Jamie in Japan, Bianca in the States. Anne will probably still be in Manila, but who knows if Australia beckons. We'll meet once more this year for Bianca's birthday, just before I leave. But the message will still be the same: go and find your happiness.
I can hear the voice of a big American nun with a crutch calling us in class. Dree-duhlz!
In case you're wondering what it is, it's the title of a Don McLean song, an indirect translation of a now-defunct TV show that used to be very popular. Go figure.
Every time I go back to our very own little Manhattan, I don't feel anything. Maybe it's because I had not spent enough time there, so there's no sentimental ek. I only worked in Makati for two months as a telco intern, eight months in an ad agency. I used to look out at the Manila Bay sunset from our 34th floor office window. Beautiful. But now there's no sadness, no regret, nothing at all.
The MRT ride down EDSA offers little inspiration (although it had spawned countless ideas before). The walk down Ayala Avenue is quiet, with drizzle on my umbrella the only rhythm apart from my steps.
I hope that the next time I enter the CBD, I will emerge with a visa. That would at least brighten up my day.
There are two musicals running in London that I'd willingly pay full price for: Wicked and Billy Elliot. Both are adaptations--the former, of a book, and the latter, of a film. I have the Original Broadway Cast recording of Wicked and we have a copy of the Billy Elliot movie (my mom loves it more than I do). I think it's safe to say that I'm a fan of both.
Wicked will be in previews by the time I get to London. Rent star Idina Menzel is as green as it gets as Elphaba, the role she originated on Broadway. Australian Adam Garcia returns to the British stage as Fiyero. While I love Norbert Leo Butz's voice, I think Adam wins out with better looks and, well, a better name. I was thinking I'd catch Wicked in 2007, as tickets should be hard to come by, but when I found out that Idina's playing only until December, I think I'll have to wait out in the cold outside the box office for ticket returns, even if they're for SRO previews.
I'm impressed with the dancing prowess of Liam Mower, one of the original Billys (and he's still at it)in Billy Elliot. After watching four different versions of Electricity on YouTube, I'm totally hooked.
What are the alternatives? A lot, actually, including several movies that became musicals (Mary Poppins, Spamalot, Dirty Dancing, Lion King, Footloose); musicals that became movies (The Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Cabaret, Guys and Dolls, Evita, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, Sound of Music, Rocky Horror Show); and at least one movie that became a musical that became a movie (The Producers).
Methinks I'd much rather like to see some Shakespeare over at the Globe Theatre. Then again, there's Avenue Q. A Lord of the Rings musical is also opening next year.
For musical theater fans (I am one, obviously), the video below needs no explanation. Two of the most prolific composers, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim play a parody medley of their own songs, Music of the Night from ALW's The Phantom of the Opera and Send in the Clowns from Sondheim's A Little Night Music as a birthday present for producer Cameron Mackintosh. They're not great singers, but four hands, one piano, and funny lyrics make up for the ho-hum vocals.
Today's trip to The Fort Bazaar was fruitful. I got two wool peacoats from Clothes Minded (+639178470426) for P1700 apiece. Not bad at all. I think I can do without the trenches for now (although there were some for spring). The heavier stock will come in September, I'm told.
I also bought thermal wear (P1400 asking price, P1100 last price) from another stall selling socks, gloves and thermals. They're more expensive than those at Greenhills Shopping Center (P1200 asking price, P1000 last price), but at least I don't have to go back to the tiangge. The socks and gloves at The Fort are more expensive, too. It's P550 versus P150 for gloves made of similar material. Good thing I know better.
There are Asian singer-actors better than Takeshi Kaneshiro.
There's the dependable HK-based Tony Leung Chiu Wai who can do drama (Wong Kar Wai's 2046), action (Infernal Affairs), or both (Zhang Yimou's Hero)–and still not take himself too seriously (My Lucky Star, Chinese Odyssey 2002). There's Korean superstar Rain (Bi), who is versatile and effective on TV (Sangdoo! Let's Go to School, Full House, A Love to Kill) and on the concert stage. Even pop poster boy Jay Chou's no-acting-required role in Initial D worked out very well.
So why do I like this Chinese-Japanese guy from Taiwan when his emotional range seems fairly limited? Watch Returner, Lavender, Turn Left Turn Right–all rather flat and one-dimensional portrayals.
I guess Takeshi's long hair becomes him most of the time, that's all.
But if there's something he should never do, it's to go back to singing and dancing. When I saw this, it took me only a few seconds to understand why he left his career as a recording artist for acting.
I found my schools via satellite imaging! For the University of London Institute of Education, I looked for the British Museum a few blocks away. Roskilde, Denmark is a compact town near Copenhagen, so the university campus wasn't hard to find.
Since I'm not familiar with Arhus, Denmark (it's a large city), I couldn't find Arhus U, my fellow Filipina CoMundus student Indi's home university. But I found U of Burgundy in Dijon, France, our host for Induction Weekend, and our hostel after tinkering with the search feature a bit.
I found my house, my office, an unfinished Hong Kong Disneyland, Manhattan in 3D, Sydney Opera House, and Beijing and the Galapagos Islands in different colors (different seasons, maybe?). Wherever in the world you are, Big Brother can see you.
Spiderman 3, my favorite superhero movie franchise so far, will open in May next year. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (somebody lend me the book!) will follow in July.
It costs around P700 to watch a movie in the UK. It takes six months to a year for foreign movies to be shown in Denmark.
Zara and Mango are on sale. That wouldn't normally excite me because my budget has no allowances for splurging on Spanish imports. But I simply had to see if they had discounted winter clothes, so I went to Glorietta to see if I'd get lucky.
Nothing much there, just a few pieces for the cold weather at Zara–a hip-length off-white leather jacket for P5950 (pretty, but comparable to my raincoats) and a black trench coat (huge) for P4550. It is July after all, and the Spring/Summer collection must be disposed of.
I'll have to content myself with my recent purchases, a black hooded down jacket (P499.75) and a pseudo-fleece quarter-zip pullover (P249.75), both from Surplus Shop, and Thinsulate gloves from Greenhills (P150). Good quality, great price. I doubt I'd find anything brand new that cheap where I'm going.
Still hoping I'll find a trench coat and warm knee-high boots I can walk in.
