"David Cook in Manila"

I first learned about this in Carol's blog, and apparently I am hyped up and brimming with enthusiasm. The simple fact that he will be going to Manila for his first post-AI show is completely crazy (in a good way, definitely).

I would likely be salivating the moment his plane lands down Philippine soil. For now, I'll just be trying to tame and contain the tingles of excitement that is electrifying my entire body. (And yes, I am completely aware that there'll be thousands of other girls who are equally happy (that's an understatement) that he's coming here).

Thank you Carol! :D

Thank you God!

Call the US for Free

Being in a long distance relationship, with me here in the Philippines while my boyfriend is in the United States, together-times are very difficult to arrange. Sure technology provides many ways to chat, even with the existence of Skype and other free Messenger programs, I cannot deny how difficult it is for the both of us to tolerate our distance. Conversations often have to be scheduled ahead of time to accommodate concerns as date and time differences; at the same time, random calling is highly discouraged, especially when I was still a student and wasn't earning anything to pay for expensive long distance transactions.

It often baffles many of our peers how we managed to stay together despite this enormous obstacle. I cannot answer the question as well - I guess, it's simply the fact that we have both made a personal promise to remain in the relationship, because we are truly in love, no matter how difficult or unglamorous it may appear to be. In line with this conviction, my boyfriend has constantly found ways and means to compensate for our physical division - as calling me during my free hours almost daily, waking up early in the morning to be able to chat with me and the like.

Image is from http://www.techchee.com

Recently, for our third anniversary, he purchased a MagicJack for me. It is a USB device that assigns one's computer with a telephone number in the state of one's choice (in the United States). Because of this, I can call him wherever he may be without needing to pay anything. At the same time, he can easily call me while I am at my computer.

The only things needed are: the MagicJack, a computer, a good internet connection, a telephone or a headset with mic. Once all these items are put together, one can call numbers in the United States or Canada for free, regardless of one's geographic location.

Thank you, honey.

Thanks For Being My Friend

I would like to thank Carol for this tag.. Hugs

Since I'm relatively new in the blogging community, I'm tagging everyone on my list.. Thank you for accepting me :D

Resto Dilemma

China is the ultimate post-college destination for many Filipino Chinese graduates, who can afford some more lax time in order to brush up their Chinese communication skills. After almost a year of studying in China, my friends are now arriving home, rekindling dimming friendships.

Tomorrow, I will be meeting with one of my closest buddies for a just-like-the-old-days dinner (not that we usually go out for dinners at non-fast food chain restos). Now, with so much indecision, I am faced with a dilemma of where we could actually dine out. We have already narrowed our choices to two (quite expensive) restaurants:

Kozui

or
Katre.

Anybody cares to offer an opinion?

Eat My Feet, Fish

A couple of days ago, a special feature flashed while I was watching the news. With the surge of personal wellness products and exercises, comes something quite novel, called the Fish Spa. The Garra rufa, also called doctor fish, eats one's dead skin leaving the healthy skin underneath to glow. Usually, this treatment is given to patients experiencing psoriasis, but is growing popularity for catering to one's vanity and relaxation demands.

Note: These are not my feet.

I am interested, hope this idea comes to the Philippines soon.

Wikipedia:
"In 2006, doctor fish spa resorts opened in Hakone, Japan, and in Umag, Croatia, where the fish are used to clean the bathers at the spa. There are also spas in resorts in China, such as Hainan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia."

Why So Serious??

A little too much Brokeback created a madman. Health Ledger has completely transformed the joker from an inane, hysterically laughing maniac into a dark and cunning strategist, more horrific and threatening than any joker I've ever encountered in the big screen. A green sick mind puppeteering a complicated web of tactics, manipulating Gotham city and its citizens with his own twist of macabre insanity, the joker is truly Batman's perfect nemesis. As he had said in the movie, they compliment each other and are destined to chase each other off in a never ending game of cat and mouse for the rest of their tainted lives - for "What happens when the unstoppable force meets the immovable object?" - time stands still between the two where an everlasting but never winning tug of war would likely commence.

The performance of his life time, Heath Ledger's magnum opus as the joker is remarkable and absolutely brilliant. As licks his lips and slurs his words in a teasing but chilling sing song way, I cannot help but agree that he had completely changed how people see the Batman foe.

Contrasted against Tim Burton's surreal and fantastic production, the new Batman episodes side on a more realistic and angled edge. Jack Nicholson, the man who had played the role of Joker did not seem very supportive of the new changes, as he says in his November interview, "They kind of drove the franchise into the ground. Tim Burton's a genius. He had the right take on it. That's why I did the movie." Nevertheless, his sentiments were, thankfully, not share by the rest of the world, as "Dark Knight' sets weekend record with $155.34M".

Extremely quick-paced, the movie somehow requires audiences to be quite attentive to catch the fast scene changes, the witty conversations and discourses (most of the best lines are by the Joker) and the nerve whacking action coupled with unimaginable plot twists. Christian Bale's performance was noteworthy, but nothing compared to Heath Ledger's.There were a couple of "huh?" scenes but nonetheless, the movie was a smashing hit in my chart.

Btw, did Harry Two-Face really die?

Earthquake Today?

There's been a big rumor that a catastrophic earthquake is prophesied to shake the Philippines today, June 18, 2008, with a great number of people perishing in the said event. The email has been in circulation for a while now, if you haven't read it, or have deleted it.. here's a copy I found online.

It's almost 9 pm...

And nothing has happened.

Still waiting..

There are enough problems happening right now that another scam is not needed soon. I'm sure some cataclysmic event (whether worldwide or personal) is happening somewhere, or may happen in the succeeding days, months and years - those are inevitable. Trying to foresee the future is a risky business and that would often lead us to misjudge a lot of things, to live life by unconfirmed shadows of what may be.

I guess, it's better to live each day to the fullest whether or not a big bad calamity is about strike, knowing you have given the best that you possibly can offer than waiting and expecting a prophecy (good or bad) to come true.

Quiz Rocket

I found a website called QuizRocket where you can find "fun personality quizzes, funny quizzes, and fun tests." Among the quizzes are "Who should you vote for?" (McCain or I got a crush on Obama), Punk Quiz, etc. Of course I couldn't resist answering a couple of tests.. Enjoy!

Love Quiz by QuizRocket.com Fun Quizzes!
MySpace quizes | Love Quiz | Fun quizzes

Hon, look! I'm "in love with you".. as if we need a quiz to prove that! haha

Opportunity

Being selective is not a fault, but when it becomes unreasonable, maybe we should try to reassess our standards. Not everything will measure up to our ideals, and sometimes we would have to adjust to what is available to us.

--------

"You don't have to love what you're doing,

you just have to learn to appreciate the opportunity."

Mamma Mia, Here I Go Again..

>

Yes ladies and gentlemen, three daddies and one mommy, how can this predicament get any more intriguing - add to the fact that your mom is a singing diva with two BFFs who act and think like your BFFs (magic number 3), Pierce Brosnan could potentially be one of your sperm donors and you're getting married by 20.

Everything seems a little "Greek" to me.

Overall, for an ultimate feel good ride, this movie would definitely do the trick. Singing familiar ABBA songs, generally clean comedy, Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth in hippie outfits. On the other hand, the story will not give you a heart attack when it comes to its twists and surprises, in my opinion its just like an adult version of From Justin to Kelly but with better acting and more popular songs. Honestly, there were just too many too-good-to-be-true scenes that you'd have to know its being done on purpose. And just in case you want a spoiler, as if you'd ever need one.. notice the guy they keep singling out from common plans and events that'll give you a super big clue as to what will transpire next..

How did I find it? It's a good comedy to relieve your stress, truly a handful of laughs, but not for someone who is looking for something to criticize. My greatest problem was the focus because shots blur in the middle of the scene and as a Communication Arts grad, I find that a bit annoying (since we're not allowed that luxury in our projects), but then again maybe its the movie house's fault - the film did make a little skip in the middle while we (Jessica and me) were watching..

Meryl Streep was glorious as always, her performance was beautiful and I must say she sings very well. She was so spunky and bouncy the whole movie that I find it quite remarkable that for a woman her age, she didn't crack any of her bones. Pierce Brosnan with his chest carpet was also doing some vocal gymnastics, but I loved it when he came out in a pant suit and became shaking some moves. Many of the characters are already perhaps in their late 40s or 50s, but you've got to admit that they still have some pretty cool steps to show off.

Write Your Weight Away

Working in an office, sitting on my butt for almost 9 hours a day plus 2 hours of public transportation has begun to worry me with regards to my physique. For now, I can say I have a pretty average BMI (Body Mass Index) and my body is fairly proportioned, but I don't think I'd be as confident in the succeeding months if I keep up with such a lax routine.

I've considered taking swimming lessons, but due to the rainy season, I don't think that is advisable. I also feel that investing to go to the gym is a bit too expensive for my taste.

While surfing the internet, I found an article on how making a food diary could help reduce weight. The concept is to write down the specific quantities of your food intake and by reviewing your list, you'd likely feel inclined to reduce your consumption into more adequate servings. For example, if I listed down that I had a bowl of cream of mushroom soup, a cup of rice, two chicken legs, a serving of mash potato with gravy, a slice of chocolate mousse, a hot fudge sundae and a big tall glass of Coke (and yes I could finish all that), I would likely consider cutting down in my succeeding meal.

I haven't personally tried this method yet, but I am seriously contemplating when I could give it a trial run.

Dance Like There's No Tomorrow

I found this video of Paula Abdul (and Randy Jackson) singing "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow", and I hate to admit it, but it irritates me. I respect them and their opinions in American Idol, but seeing this video somehow makes me feel otherwise. In my opinion, it does look a little cheap, somewhat like a bad rip-off of a Janet Jackson video. The wind effect wasn't really doing its job properly, instead of highlighting her face, it just threw her hair over it. No offense to Paula Abdul fans, and I'm sure there are plenty since she's such a charming artist. I'm giving her credit though, that she still could sing and shake her booty even at her menopausal age.



But like I said, it's just my opinion.

Lucky

On the day I plan to go out...

It rains..

Hard.

Nose Bleed Nose

While typing at my computer I suddenly felt a quick warm stream of liquid flow out of my nose. I grabbed a tissue sheet and wiped it to find a reddish hue being absorbed by the said tissue. The metallic smell of blood was faint but I swear that I can somehow taste it in my throat. After more than a decade, I once again experienced nose bleeding.. What possibly went wrong?

My grandmother told me it was probably the fact that I had too much chocolate with too little water to drink, or that I was just working too hard. My uncle, on the other hand told me I was spreading my virus. Ughh..

I read up on nose bleeding and found some very disturbing stories about it. In Japan, nose bleeding is associated with lustful intentions, thus explains why anime characters would have explosive nose bleeds whenever a voluptuous lady passes by. On the other hand, in indigenous civilizations, nose bleeding is often induced by men in order to cleanse themselves of the stain of women, which is brought about by their interaction with their mother as a child. In some civilizations, women are also are made to endure the same thing. The process of how this is done involves either pouring in salt water into one's nose or inserting a pointed object inside. *shudders

Linda Linda Linda

Celebrating the Philippines - Japan Friendship month, "the Japan Foundation, Manila, in cooperation with the Embassy of Japan, the Shangri-La Plaza Mall, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and the UP Film Institute presents a glimpse of the Japanese culture in Eiga Sai ’08." To see the schedule of shows, click here.

Last Saturday, my friends, Julius, Randel and I went to the Eiga Sai (Japanese Movie) festival at Edsa Shangrila to watch "Linda, Linda, Linda". The story plot is pretty basic - a group of girls formed a band to perform during their school festival. We enjoyed watching the movie and ended up singing the title song by the end. It was curious how simple and plain the plot seems to be, but still the movie proved to be highly entertaining. Below is the girls' performance, by the way, the lead singer is supposed to be Korean who's learning Japanese, impressive that she pulled it off.

After the movie, we stuffed ourselves full at Saisaki, challenged each other playing 2Spicy at the arcade then headed home. I hope I'll get to spend another great Saturday like this again.

Winners versus Losers

I am currently sleeping in my aunt's room and all I can say is that it's practically plastered with quotations. Being a chemical engineer graduate of the University of the Philippines, and being one of the top 8 in the nationwide examinations during her time, my aunt is an extremely driven and focused lady. She gives great emphasis on complete details, precision and timeliness.

One of the advices I found in her room which I find quite useful was the Winner versus Losers chart, and this is how it goes:

A WINNER
says "Let's find out."
A LOSER
says "Nobody knows."

A WINNER
says "I was wrong" when he makes a mistake.
A LOSER
says "It wasn't my fault" when he makes a mistake.

A WINNER
goes through a problem.
A LOSER
goes around it and never gets past it.

A WINNER
makes commitments.
A LOSER
makes promises.

A WINNER
says "I'm good, but not as good as I ought to be."
A LOSER
says "I'm not as bad as a lot of other people are."

A WINNER
tries to learn from those who are superior to him.
A LOSER
tries to tear down those who are superior to him.

A WINNER
says "There's ought to be a better way to do it."
A LOSER
says "That's the way it's always been done here."

A WINNER
has results.
A LOSER
has reasons.


Have a great day.

iTunes Song Shuffle Survey

1. Shuffle your iPod/MP3 player/iTunes/Whatever else you have.
2. Answer the questions by the song title that comes up.
3. Don't cheat, it makes everything more fun!

[One] What is your life going to be like in five years?
Song: Marvin Gaye - I Want You
Comment: "Don't play with something you should cherish for life, Don't you wanna care, Ain't it lonely out there"
That doesn't sound very promising!!

[Two] How is your love life going for you right now?
Song: Nina Simone - Feeling Good
Comment: Yeah.. Feeling good.. I'm generally content with my honey.

[Three] What pisses you off the most about the opposite sex?
Song: Celldweller - Birthright - Speed Racer Soundtrack
Comment: I guess, I just don't like being held down, looked down and utterly limited simply because I'm female, and trust me, it happens a lot more often than you'd like to believe. It's just so integrated within our cultures that there are times we practice such prejudice without even knowing it.

[Four] What do your parents really think of you?
Song: Tangerine Dream - Risky Business - The Classic Chillout Album
Comment: In relation to Song Number 3, yes. *laughs

[Five] What do you think about the world and its current state?
Song: 1791 Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A, 2nd movement
Comment: A delicate song that shifts between a soloist and an orchestra. A slow, peaceful piece that reminds you of the need to weigh both personal and social needs, and only through such a carefully balanced interplay between the two can one achieve harmonious and beautiful music as Mozart's Clarinet Concerto.

[Six] What is the worst thing that's ever happened to you?
Song: Gavin DeGraw - In Love WIth A Girl
Comment: Not in the truest sense, but yes, I was overly obsessed with a girl, a friend, and was willing to tolerate being an underdog to her until I realized what was actually happening to me.

[Seven] What will your first/next time having sex be like?
Song: Wadini - Toure Kunda - Putumayo Presents: Travel the World with Putumayo
Comment: I don't know what this song is about, I just like its relaxing beat. Does that mean I get to "travel the world"?

[Eight] What is your main goal in life?
Song: 175R - SAKURA
Comment: Another song I don't understand. Does that mean I don't know what I want?

[Nine] What do the boys at your school think of your looks?
Song: Unknown - Here With Me - The Classic Chillout Album
Comment: ........

[Ten] What do you really want in life?
Song: Katherine Jenkins - O Sole Mio - La Diva
Comment: A popular song which means "My Sun", which in this case would mean that I want my sun to shine for all to see.

[Eleven] How are you going to get far in life?
Song: Marcos Valle and Patricia Alvi - NAO E Facil (It's Not Easy) - Bossa Disney Nova
Comment: A translation from Pete's Dragon's It's Not Easy, the song is about finding a friend and loving him for all that he is, despite all his differences and imperfections.

[Twelve] What do say when you're in a bad mood?
Song: Chopin - Fantaisie-impromptu, Op. 66
Comment: A relatively complicated song and one of Chopin's most well known pieces that shifts from fast to slow and resumes speed in the later part. A song that evokes interest, mystery and sympathy from my person at the different stages of its progression, I believe this song can represent me in my angry moments (that includes what I say) as ever-shifting. Those who know me well can understand this.

[Thirteen] What about when you are really happy?
Song: Amarcord - Amarcord
Comment: To be honest, I don't know how this song got into my playlist. There are no lyrics and it would be healthy to assume that this is a song from a movie soundtrack. The general feel of the song, for me, sounds like a sly, flighty song with a twist of old fashioned style. I guess that's how I keep myself happy - good clean fun.

[Fourteen] What do think of yourself in general?
Song: Jordan Trotter - I Want You
Comment: "I want you, I need you, I did everything, but still you walked away.."
I want a lot of things in my life, which I don't always get, but I'm glad I still have my loving boyfriend and that should be enough to say I'm pretty pleased with what I have.

[Fifteen] What is your life's theme song?
Song: King Posse - Retounen - Putumayo Presents: Carnival
Comment: Another I-don't-know-what-this-song-means, but it's a fast-paced, happy-go-lucky song, enough to make me believe that I don't have to know where my life's leading, I just make the most of what I have at the present and have fun.

[Sixteen] What are you going to do this weekend?
Song: Mike Oldfield - On My Heart - The Number One Classical Album 2008
Comment: I'll do whatever is "on my heart" haha

[Seventeen] How can you try and make yourself happy?
Song: Bobby Goldsboro - Honey
Comment: My honey always cheers me up and makes me happy. Though this song didn't have quite a beautiful ending to it.

[Eighteen] What song will they play at your wedding?
Song: Placebo - Infra red
Comment: A little morbid.. but.. this seems appropriate.. "I’m coming up on infra-red, there is no running that can hide you cause I can see in the dark"

[Nineteen] What about your funeral?
Song: David Archuleta - Love Me Tender
Comment: Makes a lovely funeral song, don't you think?

[Twenty] What or who makes you the most happy?
Song: Within Temptations - Angels
Comment: That feeling that someone cares for you eventhough you don't see them?

[Twenty One] What am I even doing on this Earth?
Song: Lupe Fiasco - Daydreamin'
Comment: That's a poetic way of putting it.

[Twenty Two] How am I going to die?
Song: Rex Harrison and Robert Coote - Why Can't the English - My Fair Lady Soundtrack
Comment: I'd die because I can't speak perfect English.. haha

[Twenty Three] What is some good advice?
Song: Katelyn Tarver - Undeniable
Comment: Good advice would and should always be undeniable.

[Twenty Four] What's some advice you'd never take?
Song: 1900 Rimsky Korsakov - Dance of the Bumble Bee
Comment: Surely, that song is a murder to play.

[Twenty Five] Will you ever have children?
Song: Roy Paci - Ciuri Ciuri - Putumayo Presents: World Party
Comment: A complete I don't know!

[Twenty Six] What is high school like for you or what will it be like?
Song: Drifters - Up On The Roof
Comment: I steal away and go emo. Yes, I do that at times.

[Twenty Seven] How are you feeling today?
Song: Billie Holiday - Summertime
Comment: Lazy...

[Twenty Eight] What's your general outlook on life?
Song: Aladdin - A Whole New World - Disney's Greatest Musicals
Comment: Life is a great big arena that is yet to be conquered.

[Twenty Nine] What are your last words going to be?
Song: Julianne - Tulak ng Bibig
Comment: Well, this song seems convenient.

[Thirty] What song is going to be stuck in your head all day?
Song: Michael Giacchino - 32 Hours - Speed Racer Soundtrack
Comment: Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer...


Tagged: Charley, Jeff Ching, Edge, Mars, Paulo, Sheng

Disturbing Movies Made For Kids

As a child, I've often watched television unsupervised. I could easily get a betamax tape from my parents' collection and pop it into the VCR. Of course, I tend to choose those with very catchy titles like "Cry Baby" (a childhood favorite which fostered this ultra big crush on Johnny Depp), "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", "Addams Family" and the like. Being the first-born, my parents also didn't hold back on popular children movies among them are "Willy Wonka", "An American Tale", Disney Classics and many others.

Surfing the net, I found this site called Babble, an online magazine and community for parents. They also provide catchy lists as the 50 hottest celebrity moms and dads. My favorite though, would have to be the 26 Most Disturbing Kids Movie Ever. And they're not kidding.

I've watched most of the movies there as a child and I can't help admit how disturbed I felt after viewing some of them that I refused watching many of the movies again.

Among my most feared movies in the list are:
(1) "The Dark Crystal", though I cannot recall the story outline, just by being reminded of the general movie ambiance sends me the creeps;

(2)"Bambi", which caused me many sleepless nights counting how much longer are my parents going to live to care for me;

(3)"The Secret of Nimh", which I didn't actually understand, except that there is a female mouse running for her life. Generally confused and bored throughout the whole movie;

(4)"The Witches" gave me freaking nightmares, and I didn't know it was for kids. Don't drink soup, it'll turn you to mice!

(5) "The Care Bears", enuf said.


There are also movies in the list which I would like to defend as:
(1) "The Wizard of Oz", even as a child, I am a sucker for musicals. It seemed like a healthy good watch and I even got so interested that I didn't mind watching the haunted "Jitterbug" video in the "Behind the Scenes", which was edited out of the movie because of a ghostly apparition;

(2) "The Labyrinth", like I mentioned, sucker for musicals - or in this case, David Bowie singing "Dance Magic Dance" (and darn, did I think he was hot.. until..), the girl was very pretty and Toby, the baby was just so adorable;

(3) "The Nightmare Before Christmas", once again, a musical, and I can't help but fall in love with Jack Skellington (though I think watched this when I was already in the tweens)

Lasso the Moon

For our 3rd year anniversary, my boyfriend bought this song, Lasso the Moon by Art Garfunkel, from iTunes for me. It was beautiful. The first time I heard it, I cried.

The lyrics is posted below. Enjoy.

Lasso the Moon
by: Art Garfunkel
from the album: Songs from A Parent to A Child


If I were a carpenter
I'd build a world of love
Where we would always be together

If I were the captain of
A ship of happiness
I'd sail away with you forever

Close your eyes
And know you are safe with me

If I had a lariat
Made of dreams come true
I would lasso the moon for you

If I were a rocketeer
I'd scale the universe
To bring your heart a star each
morning

If I were an angel in
Heaven's Holy host
I'd sing to you a verse of glory

Close your eyes
And know you are safe with me

If I had a lariat
Made of dreams come true
I would lasso the moon for you.

I guess that kind of explains why I love him lots!

Quick Inspiration for the Day

It's not shameful to admit that at least once in our lives, we go through a humbling experience that has rendered some sort of psychological fixation in our minds. Such an experience can vary from being an underdog people take for granted, being turned down blatantly or failing to attain success despite exhausting oneself to death. Unable to accept our shortcomings, we often get stuck blaming ourselves, chastising oneself for one's limitations, etc.

It is an event we rarely can escape, and I admit that I've often dare-wish that I could be a greater individual than what I currently am, that I could accomplish more than what I've currently accomplished, that I'd be appreciated more than the appreciation I am currently receiving. Also, people have never been kind with their critiques and I guess it is human to usually find fault more easily than anything favorable about another person or his/her produce.

I found this quotation lying around the house a few years ago, and it was only a few days ago when I reread the short script that I recalled its simple but meaningful lesson. I believe that it could alleviate anyone's gloomy day, once one accepts that all things worldly doesn't really matter as much as our philanthropic intentions when doing things. (Of course, other people can also say that its a form of sour-graping for not achieving what one wants, but like everything else, it's always a matter of perception anyway)

----------------------------------

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered,
forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,
People may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
be kind anyway.

If you are successful,
You will win some false friends and some true enemies;
succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
People may cheat you;
be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
Someone could destroy overnight;
build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
There may be jealousy;
be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
People will often forget tomorrow;
do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have
and it may never enough;
give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,
it is between you and God;

It was never between you and them anyway.


-Mother Theresa

You Don't Usually Get What You Want

Murphy's Law: (and the ultimate Communication Arts tag)
Whatever could go wrong, will go wrong.

We've often criticized our parents; usually trying to bear in our minds their many faults so we can feel secure that they are not infallible gods and could easily be dissuaded or even undermined. As a young adult, it is always tempting to find a loophole in most of my mother's arguments, and although I do not always voice out my disagreement, it does make me feel better.

As I am moving forward, I cannot deny that in a few more years I may be sitting in the same boat as she is now, seeking her advice on how I should deal with matters. I admit that I feel I have all the answers I think I would want right now, that I can strongly oppose or favor an act merely by considering their implications - but then it's always different when you are already standing in the other's person's shoes - suddenly, things aren't as easy as you think they are, situations cannot be dealt with the same conviction and precision as you had imagined.

This was true when I had my boyfriend, and many of my plans of enforcing the "the I-should-be-treated-as-a-goddess", "my-word-is-law" and "I-won't-cry-over-that-doofus" began to fade from consciousness like sugar disappearing into the blackness of coffee.



While surfing the net, I found this site called "True Mom Confessions", which share mothers and wives' take on their lives, their children, their husbands and their families. It was such an witty and funny read and in a way shows that mothers, wives and women will always encounter some problems along the way, that situations will not always be ideal and that plans can always be thwarted, and it's always nice to take a step back, alter your perspective and get back on with your life. Life's not easy, whoever said it is?

It's Just 30 Seconds of Your Life...

While blog surfing, I found this site from friend, Jeffrey Ching's blog. "Angry Alien Productions" is a 30 second parody of some of the popular movies around such as Titanic, Napoleon Dynamite, Borat, Spiderman and the like with cute little bunnies portraying the characters.



They'll pretty cool, I recommend Brokeback Mountain.

It's just 30 seconds of your life, what do you have to lose? Right?

Stop Whale Hunting

There are three different countries that promote whaling/ whale hunting and they are Japan, Norway and Iceland. The most active of the three would be Japan. The hunting of whales was permitted to the Japanese under the terms that such practice would be for scientific research purposes, in addition, whale meat is being sold in Japanese market places for consumption.





Despite pressure being propagated by the Green Peace, it was surveyed that "nearly two-thirds of Japanese support the country's much criticized whaling program" (National Geographic.com)

This would be primarily my opinion only, especially since I am not Japanese and therefore could not fully comprehend their necessities and lifestyles, but I feel strongly that the slaughter of whales should somehow be ceased, if not, be controlled. As a child, the whale is one of my favorite animals and it scars me deeply to see them hunted down and murdered. If you are interested in signing up in Green Peace's campaign to save the whales, click here and create your own origami whale to join the pod.

Hancock

everything may be predestined, but you still have to choose

Hancock starts showing today... and quite happily I was also able to watch it today with a college friend.

I've been wondering if I should splurge all the details of this interesting movie, or if I should just divulge general information so as to spare everyone the frustrations of a spoiler. I decided therefore to write a review that is somewhere in between the two.

Hancock (Will Smith) is a modern day super-hero, very much like Superman; he exhibits Herculean strength, aerial abilities (flying and maneuvering through the skies) and utter impenetrability. At the same time, he is also a man trapped in his own loneliness and lack of purpose in life. Such loss of direction has caused him a great deal of misery, and despite his exceptional potentials, he was treated as an infamous rebel that has caused damage to others and their properties despite his "well-meaning" intentions. As the story unfolds, a question surfaces and the void in his life over the past 80 years begins to heal, but very much to his disadvantage as a crime fighter. Hancock, by the middle of the story, begins to unravel and find that his purposeless existence was an intentional act of self-sacrifice to save more lives. An angel, a god, a caricature of a mythological deity, Hancock's immortality and unfathomable abilities is carefully balanced with that of a pair, a soulmate. And it is imperative to choose one's destiny - to stay with that soul mate, or to live your own life and create your own map to fulfilling your fate.

This movie is the story of a man's discovery of his own purpose, of dictating his destiny. It is also a story on love and humanity. Honestly, this story to me reflects the attitudes of the modern society - their world views on marriage and love. A lot of questions were raised in my head as the revelations began to sink in. Then again, the whole sense of the story points to just one thing - there will always be a decision to be made, a choice to be accountable for. I believe the reason Hancock is closely associated with the eagle, is simply because this powerful bird is a symbol of strength, but more importantly of independence and freedom. Quite a strong theme, especially with the upcoming Independence Day in the United States.

We, as individuals, have a power to do great things. We can stick to convention, to the game plan, and we can always try to find a better alternative. It may not always be the easiest, but you'll eventually get by. Hancock is not just about directing one's own course in life, it's also propagating one's social responsibility. With our power of choice, there is always a way we can change the world.

Hong Kong Disneyland Auditions

Haven't we all dreamt of being part of that magical and wonderous world of Disney? For most girls, to be amongst, if not, a Disney Princess? To live our own fantastic reveries of splendor and glory and to find our "one true love"?

Well this is the opportunity to live that dream. We can help bring the magic to life, to share it with millions of young boys and girls that they too may discover the power of a dream, the power of hope. It is the contagious vision of an optimistic and peace-loving tomorrow, a vision that only Disney can so beautifully capture and impart to audiences all around the globe.




Click on the poster image for a clearer and fuller view.

For more information.. (or if you think I'm just jesting), click here regarding career opportunities available in Hong Kong Disneyland.

My Top 12 Music for July

*These songs are not necessarily part of the Top 40 hit chart.
** These are the Top 12 songs I resort to whenever I need some noise in my life.
*** I will be posting a new batch by next month.


Enjoy!