I Am ... I Choose
I was tagged by Jax

Rules:
1. Emphasize all lines that apply to you.
2. Tag 5 more people after you finish, complete with links to their sites.
3. Let the person you've tagged KNOW that they've been tagged, for Pete's sake.

I wish I was a different ethnicity.
I have an eating disorder.
I'm short.
I'm tall.
I think I'm really attractive.
I prefer winter over summer.
I'm a geek.
I'm a shopaholic.
I'm reasonably intelligent.
I'm attracted to girls.
I'm attracted to boys.
I like British accents.
I smoke regularly.
I drink regularly.
I smoke socially.
I drink socially.
I get drunk easily.
I do drugs.
I will never date a bad kisser.
I've lied to avoid kissing them again.
I brush my hair at least 50 times a night.
I'm religious.
I'm not religious but have morals.
I lie frequently.
I'm impulsive.
I'm hardworking.
I liked "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind".
"She's All That" is one of my favourite movies.
I'm good at History.
I speak more than two languages.
I enjoy taking pictures.
I like spending money on myself.
I like spending money on others.
I have a regular income.
I earn money on a job-by-job basis.
I pay my own bills.
I rely on my parents for money.
I can cook.
I enjoy cleaning.
Tidyness is a must in my life.
I like clutter.
My idea of good music is Britney Spears.
I have heard of Blonde Redhead.
I enjoy Blonde Redhead.
I'm fashion-conscious.
I have good taste.
People tell me I have good taste.
I excel academically.
I'm told I have yet to fulfill my potential.
I'm good at sports.
I'm good at certain sports.
I couldn't do sports to save my life.
I'm creative.
I'm artistically inclined.
I wanna be an artist when I grow up.
I wanna be an engineer when I grow up.
I eat when I'm upset.
I cannot adapt to change.
I'm interested in politics.
I have shoplifted.
I download MP3s.
I've done underage drinking.
I've gone underage clubbing.
I can dance reasonably well.
I can dance extremely well.
I dance like a cardboard gorilla.
I can sing.
I sing like someone stepped on my foot.
I can swim.
I enjoy surveys.
I enjoy surveys when I'm bored.
I keep a journal.
My teachers don't like me.
I enjoy controversy.
I can be a bitch/bastard.
I have a thing for bad boys/girls.
I have tattoos.
I've been in a nudist colony.
I'm not sure if I want to have children.
I'm not sure if I'll get married.
I know who I will marry.
I'm interesting.
I'm a good liar.
People enjoy talking to me.
I annoy people from time to time.
I'm a born leader.
I'm a born leader but shouldn't lead.
I enjoy felching.
I have a foot fetish.
I have a shoe fetish.
I watch "Sex and the City".
I don't think Sarah Jessica Parker is pretty.
I wanna be J.Lo.
I cut myself.
I've cut myself.
I hate people who pretend to be suicidal.
I hate popular people.
I think cheerleading is a sport.
I'm photogenic.
I live in Chucks.
I think graffiti is art.
I have dated a criminal.
I have been cheated on.
I have cheated on someone.
I have a temper.
I like playgrounds.
I dance in the rain.
I'm obsessed with Shakespeare.
I have tanlines.
My favourite color is pink.
My favourite color is black.
I would classify myself as emo.
I'm musically inclined.
I like listening to music.
I like music-blasting cars.
Thongs are comfortable.
I like flip-flops.
I know what monogamy is... and I believe in it.
I wanna be a social worker when I grow up.
I have sibling/s.
My sibling/s annoy me.
I think "South Park" is funny.
I believe in LOVE.

I'm tagging only one person - Snglguy. :D

A food post ... well maybe not.
I was chatting with this dude. The topic veered towards his fav food. He said he loved burritos. I told him I've never had a burrito in my entire life. Let alone know what it looks like. He was shocked because it's like one of his main food groups. So he just recommended I try the famous San Francisco burrito if I ever visit the US of A. The chat ended after a lengthy discussion about the film "Tampopo" (a film I haven't watched) which also delves into food albeit in this very bizarrely perverse way.

Yes insomnia does that to you.
I chat about weird topics with complete strangers at 2 in the morning.

Just another picture post
In the spirit of channeling happy positive thoughts, I decided to post another picture.

Sa totoo lang, napipikon na ako sa walang katapusan na negative vibes nasasagap ko mula sa aking bespren kuno. Kung nakinig lang siya sa akin noon pa na huwag mag-asawa kaagad eh di sana hindi siya nababaliw sa isang katutak na suliranin niya ngayon. Ayan tuloy!

Yikes napilitan pa akong mag-Tagalog kasi baka mabasa niya ito. Kahit na nagsumpa siya sa akin na kailanman hinding hindi niya babasahin ang blog ko. Pasensiya na kayo sa aking kabaliwan, pero blog ko naman ito, di ba? Taray ko, no? Hehehe

This was taken May 2005 during my mother's birthday celebration. We spent it at Country Suites in Tagaytay City. A vivid shot of clouds hovering over the Taal Volcano and Lake. I love this view!

Hey it's midnight
Time for my current favorite midnight munchies.


The back of the pack said:
No butter
No preservatives
No Artificial Flavors
No MSG but High in Fiber!

So yummy I can eat 2 in one sitting.

Teehee! =)

Head in the clouds

I've been down these past few days. It seems like there was this little cloud hovering over me everywhere I went. Mind you, I wasn't directly involved but I still felt upset. I consider him my true confidante, my best friend and dare I say my soul mate. I know it's foolish but when he is depressed I get depressed too! Then I realized this morning, things happen. It is entirely way beyond my control, so brooding over it won't do me any good. It is amazing how a single email can make things seem so much better. There seems to be a tiny glimmer of hope for him and he has finally realized that enough is enough so I'm uplifted by his mood change.

Onwards!

Tech news with a splice of uploading one's life
Apple Computer Inc., the company that manufactures the ubiquitous iPod have agreed to pay Creative Technology Ltd (Singapore based company) for the use of a key patent. The news is better explained in this article.

On a personal note, I think I am one of the very few people on this planet who doesn't have an iPod. My sole reason is I don't need to own one.

But on the occasion of my father's birthday, my sister and I bought him this "toy". We got him the dark blue one. It's really small and lightweight. It looks like a lighter.

I've been busy uploading songs into it and will return it to my Dad, this weekend. In the meantime, Sis and I play a game of "rock, paper and scissors" to settle who listens to it. My 'revenge' - I uploaded songs from my PC so she has no choice but to listen to Andrea Bocelli and Il Divo (among others) crooning songs in a language I am not fluent in but somehow soothe my tattered nerves.

As to why my nerves are frayed, well that's a different (blog entry) story. Or maybe not. I guess there are certain things best kept private. So I will just end with this quote from: "The Weather Man"

"Do you know that the harder thing to do and the right thing to do are usually the same thing? Nothing that has meaning is easy. "Easy" doesn't enter into grown-up life."

A milestone
He was born several decades ago in a tiny barrio that has now grown into a progressive town. He was a young boy when the imperial Japanese army invaded, ransacked and pillaged our beloved country. Yet, my father doesn't bear any resentment towards them. His usual joie de vivre made him endure a childhood in such harsh conditions. He always maintained this positive attitude that people are by default good so they are not really capable of doing evil things. Well I guess, it makes sense to always think good of your fellowmen. What doesn't really make sense is how I seem to bear so much resentment towards the evil 'conquerors' in my heart. I guess someone has to do so on behalf of my father.

Anyways, let's move on.
He pursued his career with an insatiable drive and spent 40 years of his life working to provide a decent life for his family. Everything he did was for 'mga bata' as we would fondly call me and my sister. A term he still uses even when we are already in our 30s.

His main passion is watching movies. In his childhood, he would save to watch the latest Errol Flynn or Humphrey Bogart movie at the cinemas. You mention a certain film to him, he will tell you exactly where he watched it, the year it was shown and the director of the movie. He will pepper most conversations with lines from old movies or say 'I was in my 3rd year of college when I saw that John Wayne film'.
He has the sharpest mind, his memory is still intact after all these years. Of course with age, the usual lapse of where he left the keys or his glasses are to be expected. Now that he is retired and is a card bearing member of the Senior Citizens club, he gets to watch movies for free. A hobby he and my mother happily indulge in every week. Nowadays, he is my best source if I want to know if a currently showing Hollywood (take note, he has no interest in local movies either just like yours truly) movie is worth watching or just wait to rent it from the local video store.

He was a voracious reader and his analytical mind can retain most facts.

He made us read the Reader's Digest and Time Magazine from cover to cover. He told us we need to know what is going on in the world. That our universe doesn't revolve merely around our little space. We have to be constantly aware of contemporary events as they unfold in the world. Despite the fact that his eye sight isn't as sharp as they used to be, I managed to convince him to read "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels and Demons". He is currently reading "Cujo" by Stephen King.

My wanderlust tendencies were developed early on because my father loves to travel. He would drive with my mother as his navigator to neighboring countries when we were stationed in Belgium. He exposed us to new places to admire the scenery, taste the local cuisine, visit the tourist sites and just soak in the atmosphere of a different culture. Oh yes, we did a lot of traveling, indeed. Despite all his worldliness, he still maintains a humility that dates back to his humble beginnings. He prefers to keep a low profile and would get flustered if we made a big deal over him.

My father is the only one who has captured the ability to make me laugh boisterously. He has a keen sense of humor and always sees life as one big laughing matter. Nothing is too serious. He can always find something funny to chuckle about.

He is also very music oriented and watched a lot of foreign artists perform in concerts when they visited the Philippines, way back then. So music is an important part of our daily lives. It was never quiet in our houses. No matter where we lived, the sound system would be blaring with music.
I'm the one who patiently combs the Internet for any type of songs he wants me to download. Then of course I would upload them into his mp3 player. He searched all the music stores everywhere we went to find a CD of Roy Hamilton, but was never successful. Lo and behold, I found all the songs recorded by Roy Hamilton on Limewire and burned them into a CD so he can listen to it to his heart's content. He calls me his little techie consultant. A monicker I carry with a badge of honor and pride. =)

His main advice when things get too unbearable is to "take 3 deep breaths". Calm down, clear your mind then face the problem, head on.
It sounds rather trivial but hey it has always worked for me.

Yet after all the good things I've said about him, he is not perfect. He does have his flaws and imperfections yes believe me he does!
But then no one is perfect, right?

Today as he celebrates another milestone in his life, we his family will spoil him rotten. We bought him several gifts. Items which will feed his main passions. I'm sure they will light up his eyes with such joy and excitement. Then he would berate us for even bothering to spend too much for him. But I can't think of anything better to do today than to celebrate the life of a man who has enriched my life not materially but with so much cherished moments of delightful experiences. A man I simply adore to bits and pieces. I am the person I am today because of him. I thank God for blessing me with a soulful father

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Sign # 2345 I am a geek
I spend my weekends tinkering with html codes.
Yes siree, I do!
I search for new templates at several websites.
Then spend the whole day and night tweaking my blog.
I saw 3 templates I liked then painstakingly uploaded each one, with a few adjustments here and there.

But.

Finally, I decided to go with this one, for now.

Let's culminate the week with a meme.
I was tagged by snglguy.

Here are the rules for this meme:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.
(Like all my books aren't intellectual)

Here goes:

Sabina could not understand why the dead would want to have imitation palaces built over them. The cemetery was vanity transmogrified into stone. Instead of growing more sensible in death, the inhabitants of the cemetery were sillier than they had been in life.
Milan Kundera's "The Unbearable Lightness of Being"

Click away!
No, I'm not referring to the Adam Sandler movie which I have no intention of watching. It seems to have a rather preposterous plot. The only Adam Sandler movies I tolerated were "The Wedding Singer", "50 First Dates" and "Spanglish" because he portrayed believable characters and not some miserable loner/nutcase with a bunch of punchlines to draw in laughs.

Anyways, I was alluding to Time magazine's compilation of "25 (web)sites we can't live without." The article is a sidebar story to their main feature "50 Coolest Websites" for the year 2006.
Out of the 25 sites, I'm familiar with 11 of them while the rest are not really applicable unless you live in the US of A.
A pity because if Netflix was available here, I'd probably be their lifetime member. Never mind if I went bankrupt in the process.

So click away, discover these interesting websites, expand your web browsing horizon. Yes I know. This would just feed our internet addiction.
But I can't think of anything better to do, can you? =)

Switched on
I just got home from the INXS Switch Concert at the Araneta Coliseum.
Oh my GOD what an electrifying adrenaline pumping show!
Definitely worth every cent of the P2650 ticket.

Wow!

From the time, INXS walked into the stage at 9:30 pm till 11:10 pm when they bowed out of the podium, it was one huge heart pumping, loud blaring, ear deafening rock performance.

JD Fortune was mesmerizing to watch. First gracing the stage in a black suit with a white long sleeved shirt and tight black jeans with "Suicide Blonde" as their first song, he was totally in perfect sync with the band. The original INXS members were all in top form. Their creative talent shining through and through. Those guys can definitely rock their pants off. Phew!

Midway during the concert, JD changed into a black t-shirt and started to gyrate and sway his hips seductively to the delight of the concert goers. The crowd were a good mixture of the 'older' generation (those in my age group and above who grew up listening to the original INXS) and the younger generation who were probably hooked to the reality show - Rockstar: INXS aired last year.

INXS performed most of their original hits like "Need you Tonight", "Original Sin", "Mystify Me", "Never Tear us Apart" and "New Sensation" to mention a few. As well as songs from their new album, SWITCH such as "Afterglow", "Pretty Vegas" and "Devil's Party". I lost count of the total number of songs they sang. I simply lost myself in the heart racing, deafening rock music of INXS. Even losing my voice by shouting my lungs out while singing along their entire repertoire and dancing the night away.

Oh the front act wasn't bad too. The Dawn performed about 5 songs then Mig Ayesa jammed with them. He was clad in an all black outfit (tight t-shirt and tight jeans). He entertained us with a few songs in his typical high pitched voice and his energetic performance. During the front act and also a few times during the concert itself, the sound wasn't technically at par. Some of the microphones were not working and Mig Ayesa even had to tell them to switch on his electric piano. A band's performance relies heavily on the technical sound equipments, the in ear monitor, the amplifiers, the speakers, the guitars must be all well plugged in - everything must be well coordinated and well tuned. This is something I learned from my sister who occasionally writes for an audio company. But it is something you won't notice unless you are familiar with the various technicalities behind every concert.

This concert was a total blast in every sense of the word. It is one of the best rock concerts I've attended in my concertgoing life. Believe me, I've had my ample share of concerts in my existence and the INXS: SWITCH concert tour will be an experience I will never forget.

Now excuse me while I head off to sleepland to dream of JD Fortune.

*Winks*

'Need you Tonight'
Yay! The INXS concert is on, tonight.
I will get my full dose of this rocker dude.
Phew, he's one sizzling hottie! ;)


J.D. Fortune makes known to Filipinos exactly how he feels about being front man for Australian rock band INXS by doing a Tom Cruise during the press conference at EDSA ShangriLa Plaza for their concert at the Araneta Coliseum.

"I love this band! I love this band! I love this band" he shouts gleefully while jumping up and down the couch as band mates Andrew and Tim Farris (guitarists), Jon Farris (drummer) Gary Beers (Bassist) and Kirk Pengilly (guitarist/ saxophonist/ guitarist) look on amusedly.

Read more here.

A Book Meme
While surfing for credits on BlogExplosion, this meme caught my attention.

Books that changed your life:
"The Little Prince"

"The Kite Runner"
"The 5 People You Meet In Heaven"
"The Alchemist".

Books you have read more than once:
"The Global Soul" by Pico Iyer.
"The Sun also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway.

Books you would want on a desert island:
Any of Salman Rushdie's books - not to read, mind you. But I will use the pages to sustain a fire, then eventually eat the pages to survive till I am rescued.

One book that made you laugh:
"Seinlanguage" by Jerry Seinfeld. He is hilarious.

One book that made you cry:
"Almost Heaven" by Marianne Wiggins.

One book you wish you had written:
"The Global Soul" by Pico Iyer. He documents his numerous travels all over the world with such detailed fluency, a fascinating read. I'd like to wishfully think I am a global soul too.

One book you wish had never been written:
"The Ground Beneath Her Feet" by Salman Rushdie. Boy, it was such a tediously long book. But I persevered and kept reading it to find out what exactly happened to the protagonist, only to be hugely disappointed by its lousy ending.

One book you are currently reading:
"The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Milan Kundera. I have about a few chapters left before I finish this book. Wow, I'm totally blown away. He raises several valid points that I've always thought to be true. So it is reassuring to know that my fears/insights are somehow valid and I'm not as weird as I thought I was.

One book you have been meaning to read:
There is a long pile of books on my bedside table still wrapped in their original plastic. I'd probably read "The Walled Gardens" by Anahita Firouz.

Covergirl

Hey look I'm on the front cover of Time Magazine.
The only publication I read from cover to cover.

Ok ok so it's not real.

Check out this website, try it.

It's fun! =)

Last Song Syndrome
This picture I took of the sunset reminds me of "Afterglow", the INXS single which is currently haunting my restlessly weary mind.

Here I am
lost in the light of the moon
that comes through my window
bathed in blue
the walls of my memory
divides the thorns from the roses
it's you and the roses
touch me and I will follow
in your afterglow
heal me from all this sorrow
as I let you go
I will find my way
when I see your eyes
Now I'm living
in your AFTERGLOW
Here I am
lost in the ashes of time
but who owns tomorrow
in between
the longing to hold you again
I'm caught in your shadow
I'm losing control
my mind drifts away
we only have today
touch me and I will follow
in your AFTERGLOW
heal me from all this sorrow
as I let you go
I will find my way
I will sacrifice
till that blinding day
when I see your eyes
now I'm living
in your AFTERGLOW
when the veils are gone
as I let you go
as I let you go
touch me and I will follow
in your AFTERGLOW
heal me from all this sorrow
as I let you go
I will find my way
I will sacrifice
Now I'm living
in your AFTERGLOW
bathed in blue
the walls of my memory
divides the thorns from the roses
It's YOU who is closest

A case of the missing bag
I distinctly remember buying this blue bag, 2 years ago.

During the grand Singapore sale of July 2004.
This picture is clear evidence, I own such a bag.
But I swear for the life of me, I can't find it anywhere.
I've searched high and lo.
I ransacked every nook and cranny of this place.
I even hunted for it at my parent's place.
No luck.
Too bad because it perfectly matches my new shoes.
Yes, I know it's a good excuse to go shopping.
God knows, I need some retail therapy.
To lift up my low spirits.
But.
It's just so weird that it has vanished.
I wonder where it is.

Ouch
I woke up this morning with a huge headache.

No, I said headache not a hangover.

I watched V for Vendetta last night and this line from the film triggered my tear ducts:

"But what I hope most of all is that you understand what I mean when I tell you that even though I do not know you and
even though I may never meet you, laugh with you, cry with you, or kiss you, I love you. With all my heart, I love you."

So I cried myself to sleep.

A good old cry which in my case can be quite cathartic.

Except, of course I wake up with a freaking headache.

Oh well.

Oh what the heck!
I bought 2 tickets to the INXS concert on August 15 for me and my sister.
Life is too short for regrets, later.
Too short to whine over wasted opportunities.

Yay, I'm excited! =)

Somewhere in time
I'm not in the mood to come up with a blog worthy post.
Therefore, I'll upload a picture from my trip to Palawan (March 2005)
They say "A picture paints a thousand words."

What thoughts invade your mind when you see this picture?

This doesn't make any sense
Last night when I couldn't sleep, I suddenly realized that I miss someone I'm not supposed to miss. A few minutes later, I snapped out of it because I further realized I just miss the feeling of missing someone.

Not anyone in particular.

Or do I?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Oh don't mind me, I'm just talking to myself.

Get on with your business now.

Nothing to see here. ... move on to the next blog.

Note to self:

*Stop pondering silly thoughts at 3 AM and just sleep!*

P.S.

Please, don't tell me I need a boyfriend.

This isn't about my non existent lovelife, ok?