Vanity

Just this morning, Mom and I and some family members went to Manila Memorial Park to visit our late Papa Tony's grave. Turns out I was feeling kinda...fine!





Night-time setting is a hindrance for a photographer. I consulted Kuya Wine about it and he said I should learn more about night exposure. Oh well. The good ol' flash will just have to do. Lamp posts are such a fine idea.



My cousin Raph took that shot. ^^x

And those who will not check my once updated (yet plainly skinned) Friendster account shall meet death in his eyes...

Cartoon Blatteroon

At last... My greatest invention is...COMPLETED!!
-Dexter's Catchphrase, Dexter's Laboratory

Blatteroon - A person who just won't shut up.

At last... My greatest article is...COMPLETED!! And I've finally submitted it to the Sentinel Press! The editors themselves gave me pleasing comments. And now for my next expirement, I shall attempt to create a feature prototype pivoting around the mannerisms and behavioral aspects of the Pinoy species.

Enough about the Dexter diction. It's been ten long years since I've first watched that show on Cartoon Network. Along came the Powerpuff Girls and other Cartoon Cartoon series such as I Am Weasel, Johnny Bravo and Mike, Lu and Og. I've missed Cow and Chicken though. I wonder why it was phased out and turned out to be a flop? David Feiss has a very weird sense of humor. At least the new-school series has a good dose of innovation and creativity. Code Name: Kid's Next Door is good. The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy may not appear grotesque but is very detailed and very gory when you look at it closely. I love Grim's Jamaican accent. He's cool. Still my favorite will always be Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. So far that's the first and only cartoon series I've watched with a very unorthodox sense of humor. It contains no sexual, vulgar nor dialogue with double meanings yet it's both for kids and adults.

Screw Disney Channel. Bunch of amateur wannabes. Brandy and Mr. Whiskers turned out to be a floppy imitation of gross comedy. Too bad Disney decided to stay on the conservative side. I can't review Nickelodeon that much though...

Oh, and by the way, DNA Report, huh?

Materialism

Settlement: Auckland, New Zealand


Vehicle: Honda Pilot [SUV] and Honda Dream [Motorcycle]


Cellular Phone (for now): Sony Ericsson K750i


Gaming Console: PlayStation 3


Handgun: USP45


Killer Weapon: MP5


Publications: PlayStation Magazine [PSM] and Time Magazine

Feature Problem Solved

At long last. I've finally finished my article to gain membership on the Sentinel Press. I also plan to submit my own album of photographs. I don't have my camera right now. My sister Christine was assigned to Baguio and my mom (nicely) coerced me to lend her my camera. It's like I have a choice. That camera was special. Pops gave it to me for my 18th birthday even when I wasn't serious about his giving me a camera. I did promise him I'll be a controversial journalist with a ready hate-mailbox.

I still have to proof-read that article. It's bound to gain me a squadron of enemies. Damn Filipinos. They refuse to accept their own weaknesses. Crab-mentality is one. I can name many other Pinoy weaknesses (Damn! Where's my list?) which are latent or not reallythat emphasized. I might as well write another article about it then submit it to Manila Bulletin's Panorama.

Now to think of a story with the theme "Beginnings". I've finally thought of names for my fictional characters!

Feature Problem

Always fight for progress and reform, never tolerate injustice or corruption, always fight demagogues of all parties, never belong to any party, always oppose privileged classes and public plunderers, never lack sympathy for the poor, always remain devoted to the public welfare. Never be afraid to attack wrong, whether by predatory plutocracy or predatory poverty.
-Joseph Pulitzer, founder of the New York World

I have a problem. I need to write a feature article for the Sentinel Press, Lyceum's school paper, in order to gain membership. I know what to write about but what I don't know is HOW to write it.

Twist warned me that many people especially employers do not appreciate people who are better than them. I've got the sick feeling that's the reason why the people from the Hope Journal (my high school's paper) tried not to give me a spot. Of course I don't mean to brag. Whenever I enter competitions, I have a series of panic attacks that leads to my lack of focus and concentration. Forlorn I may be, I still seek a cure for this.

Now Sentinel also looks for contributors with the theme 'Beginnings'. I've an idea for that but I can't completely solidify it yet.

Maybe I should consult both Twist and Kuya Wine more.

Ultimately you have to please yourself before you please anyone else.
-J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series

If people start talking shit about you, that means they're touched. And it's a good sign. And we don't care what they say about us or our music. We don't give a fuck.
-Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil

When Four is Merely One

Our professor in Retorika assigned us to write a poem about ourselves. It should be written in Tagalog and should be composed of nine to eleven verses. Afterwards, it should be translated to English. I have planned to write about my alter-egos for a while and finally, I've had the perfect opportunity!

When Four is Merely One
English Translation

If only you know, even if I am but one
Deep inside, I am more than one
For my very self is well-composed
Of four personalities all equally proposed

Sunni Orange is first of all
The merriest lassie of them all
Her restless mouth knows nothing but jokes
There's no cure for that, not even coke

This girl Sunni, so happy-go-lucky
In life she knew no complaints nor to sue
Bet that her face wearing a smile so free
She'll take you to worlds of all colors but blue

The second one is Lunette Reverie
How she loves to write, how often in a spree
From simple poems to novels so epic
This is her hobby even in a class of Rhetoric

Lunette with her imagination so wild
Night has fallen, still in a reverie so mild
She has a story she hasn't finished yet
A story about a girl by the name of Juliet

Numina Umbreo, the saturnine third
A soul like ice, she knows no mirth
Grief and darkness, none she could thwart
For those are the two that remain in her heart

Mysterious Numina, always maltreated
People never learn, always over the cheated
Yet in this solitude she has a found a friend
That is herself, 'til the very end

And most of all there's Jiea Dee
The fourth that makes the other three
For she's a hybrid of darkness and light
And for this to explain, she sat down to write

Jiea is such a myriad of thoughts
So many opinions yet none of them she bought
For so many described her yet none had what it takes
So she abstracted four personalities to avoid such headaches

Four personalities, in one body reside
This work of mine, you might call "kwan"
But still I've shown to your eyes so wide
When four is merely one

Kung Ang Apat ay Iisa Lamang
Original Tagalog Composition

Kung alam mo lang, kahit ako'y iisa
Sa pinakalooban ko ay 'di ako nag-iisa
Sapagkat ang pagkatao ko ay binubuo
Ng apat pang katao na may kanya-kanyang pilosopiya

Si Sunni Orange, ang una sa lahat
Siya ang pinakamasayahin sa kanilang apat
Halos panay biro ang nanggagaling sa kanyang bibig
At wala yatang gamot sa kanyang ligalig

Walang inaalam na problema si Sunni
Wala rin siyang reklamo sa buhay
Asahan mo sa mukha niyang laging may ngiti
Dadalhin ka niya sa mga usapang higit pa sa makulay

Si Lunette Reverie, ang pangalawa
Ang hilig magsulat, hindi nagsasawa
Mula sa tula hanggang sa nobela
Ito ang kanyang gawain kahit sa eskwela

Ibang-iba ang imahinasyon ni Lunette
Nagmumuni-muni parin siya kahit ang gabi na ay sumapit
Mayroon nga siyang kwento na pasabit-sabit
Tungkol sa isang babaeng nangangalang Juliet

Ang pangatlo naman ay si Numina Umbreo
Hindi siya malapitan, sinlamig ng yelo
Kalungkutan at kadiliman, isa pa ang pang-aabuso
Iyon na lamang ang nilalaman ng kaniyang puso

Si Numina ay inaapi, minamaltrato
Kailan man ang mga tao ay 'di na matututo
Ngunit sa kaniyang pag-iisa ay nakahanap siya ng kaibigan
Ang kaniyang sarili, saan man, kailan man

At ang higit sa lahat ay si Jiea Dee
Ang pang-apat na nagbubuo sa tatlong sarili
Halo-halo siya ng kasiyahan at kalungkutan
At kaniyang isinulat upang paliwanagan

Si Jiea kasi ay gulong-gulo
Dahil sabi ng mga tao ba siya ay ganito
Sabi naman ng iba na siya ay ganyan
Kaya inihiwalay niya ang apat nang wala ng sakit sa ulo

Apat na pagkatao, naninirahan sa isang katawan
Itong gawa ko, baka tawagin mong "kwan"
Pero mabuti naman at naipakita ko sa 'yo
Kung paano ang apat ay iisa lamang

Interesting Nothings

I had nothing better to do but go blog-hopping on LiveJournal. It has so happened I cam across this girl's blog called It's Always Ourselves We Find in the Sea. Her recent post led me to copy these questions to answer. Although I don't know a thing about her, I can at least give her the credit she deserves.

1.What is the geekiest part of your music collection? Final Fantasy X Piano Collection

2. What do you eat when you raid the fridge late at night? Anything inside the freeze but I prefer Nachos with dips

3. What is your secret guaranteed weeping movie? If Only

4. If you could have plastic surgery, what would you have done? None. I love my body the way it is.

5. Do you have a completely irrational fear? Horror movies and cockroaches

6. What is the little physical habit that gives away your insecure moment? Videogaming especially beating fiends senseless in hack-and-slash games e.g. Devil May Cry and Kingdom Hearts

7. Are you a pyromaniac? No, but I am a sadist to my little sisters

8. Do you have too many love interests? How can I have a multiple when I'm having trouble handling merely one?

9. Do you know anyone famous? The great creators of the PlayStaion 2 but no one personal.

10. Describe your bed: I sleep on a different bed everynight

11. Spontaneous or planned? Spontaneous. I never was the organizer-freak.

12. Who should play you in a movie about your life? Avril Lavigne although she's not really an actress.

13. Do you know how to play poker? No. I don't know any card game but Solitaire.

14. What do you carry with you at all times? My Nokia 3220

15. What do you miss most about being a kid? Being happy even with the most mundane of things.

16. Are you happy with your given name? I love it though it can use a little tweaking of originality.

17. How much money would it take to get you to give up the Internet for one year? A million dollars. But for console gaming, the entire world's bank accounts.

18. What color is your bedroom? White

19. What was the last song you were listening to? Photograph by Def Leppard

20. Have you ever been in a play? Yes.

21. Have you ever been in love? Yes. But now's the most intense of them all.

22. Do you talk a lot? Yes. It's what made me notorious.

23. Do you like yourself and believe in yourself? Depends on my self-esteem

24. Do transient, homeless, or starving people sometimes annoy you? Yes. If only a law could be passed that they can be eliminated.

25. Do you consider yourself to be a nice person? Half-yes. I do admit I'm dual-minded

26. Do you spend more time with your boyfriend or your friends? I hardly have any friends but my boyfriend does not equal a circle of friends.

27. What is your ideal marriage location? Puerto Princesa, Palawan

28. Which musical instrument do you wish you could play? Drums and Lead Guitar

29. What's your dream job? Freelance journalist

30. Something you love and hate? Advertisements

31. Is your desk clean or messy right now? Neatly disorganized

32. What do you do with your spare change? Spend it on anything I can buy with it.

33. What's the one language you want to learn? Mandarin Chinese

34. How do you eat an apple? I take a bite from it then I chew it then I swallow it then I digest it.

35. What do you order at a bar? I'm not an alcoholic

36. Have you ever pierced your body parts? One on each ear. I plan to have three on each though.

37. Do you have tattoos? No, but I'd love to have one near my ankle.

38. Do you drive a stick? I don't drive. I don't even know what a stick is.

39. What's one trait you hate in a person? Hypocrisy

40. What kind of watch(es) do you have? My all-in-one convenient gadget. It's called a cellphone

41. Most frivolous purchase? I can't remember...

42. Do you consider yourself materialistic? Not really...

43. What do you cook the best? Instant Pancit Canton (preferrably the flavors Chilimansi and Sweet and Spicy)

44. Favorite writing instrument? Parker and Pilot

45. Do you prefer to stand out or blend in? Stand out

46. Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex? I used to in my pre-teens (I had the sick though I was a lesbian)

47. What's the one car you will never buy? (Any model driven by the rich kids. I'll be mugger-prone)

48. What kind of books do you like to read? For now, books about Ancient China. I do wan't to learn about the other half of my blood

49. If you won the lottery, what would you do? Pay for college, get a job and permanently migrate to Auckland, New Zealand and settle their with my boyfriend and have a family.

51. How many online journals do you read regularly? Those written by friends, around less than 10 blogs

52. What's one thing you're a sore loser at? Arguments and debates.

53. If you don't like a person, how do you show it? Indifference and ignorance.

54. Do you cry in front of your friends? Only in front of my boyfriend

55. What kind of first impression do you think you give to people? That of a weirdo's

56. What's one thing you like to do alone? Read, daydream, talk to myself, burn the phoneline talking to my boyfriend, and play with my best friend the PlayStation 2

57. Are you a giver or a taker? A bit of both. I have to admit I am occasionally selfish

58. When's the last time you cried? Just a while ago

59. Favorite communication method? Face to face with hand and body actions

60. How many drinks before you're tipsy? The most I can have is 5.

61. Do you think you're cute? Weeeeell, yeah!

62. Do you have problems changing clothes in front of friends? No, unless they're lesbians

63. First Name: Jiea

64. Were you named after anyone? My father. His nickname 'Ajie' was inverted to spell 'Jiea'

65. Do you wish on stars? I did when I was a kid

66. Which finger is your favorite? The pointer.

67. Who are you more like - your mother or your father? My father.

68. Do you like your handwriting? I do. I write like a seven-year old who has high marks in penmanship

69. What is your favorite lunch meat? Beef. Pork is far too unhealthy and I'm sick of chicken.

70. Any bad habits? Procrastinator, doesn't take school seriously, loner.

71. What's in your CD player right now? None. But I normally play my CD's by My Chemical Romance, Lacuna Coil Nightwish, Slapshock and Saydie.

72. Do you believe in soul mates? Does my boyfriend count?

73. Are you a daredevil? I'm a risk-taker. Is that any different?

74. Have you ever told a secret you swore not to? I only tell deep dark secrets to people whom that person is NEVER affiliated with

75. Do looks matter? Personally, no. Corporaterly, YES!

76. Have you ever misused a word and it sounded absolutely stupid? Many many times.

77. Do you think there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? I hardly see a rainbow nowadays.

78. Are you trendy? No. In fact I'm a non-conformist

79. How do you release anger? Rant about it.

80. Where are your second homes? Manila, Las Pinas, Puerto Princesa.

Soul Searching II

You Communicate With Your Eyes

When you say, "I'll believe it when I see it" - you really mean it. For you, what you see is a lot more important than what you hear. You don't take someone's words at face value. You judge people by their facial expressions, body language, and appearance. You tend to be quiet, but when you talk, you tend to make eye contact and describe things in colorful detail.

How Do You Communicate?

You Are 53% American

Most times you are proud to be an American. Though sometimes the good ole US of A makes you cringe Still, you know there's no place better suited to be your home. You love your freedom and no one's going to take it away from you!

How American Are You?

You Are Somewhat Honest

You do tend to tell the truth a lot But you also stretch the truth on occasion You figure a little lie isn't a big deal As long as it doesn't hurt anyone too much!

How Honest Are You?

Your Ideal Pet is a Monkey

You're both playful, wacky, and indifferent to bad smells. If only you could teach your monkey to change its own diapers!

What's Your Ideal Pet?

You Are Ruby Red

You are warm and inviting - yet a little wild and outrageous. Well aware that you have a dual personality, you work it as much as you can! You like for people to be comfortable around you, but not at the expense of you stealing the limelight. Popular and well known, you make friends easily. You have your big personality to thank for that.

What Color Red Are You?

My first Soul Searching...

Chronicles of Readership

It's been a long while since I've seen that film on the big screen with Jeff and Gracey and it feels like it's only been minutes since I've watched it. Well technically, I DID watch it a few minutes ago. My five-year old sister Eliza popped into the DVD player. Back in early May, I bought an original VCD copy of the movie since I wanted to keep an authentic piece of the masterpiece. I don't like the idea of owning a pirated DVD as to keep a precious memory that connects to the film. After all, I wanted Mom and my sisters to experience this. There are no decent theatres even in the big city of a faraway provincial island.

The first book I've read by C.S. Lewis is The Silver Chair, the sixth book from The Chronicles of Narnia, and how it enamored me knowing that there are some books as radical as Harry Potter. We were assigned a book report by our English teacher then. It was way back in 2nd Year High School. Since all other good (and short and thin) books were all taken from the library, I was lef with no other choice but to take The Silver Chair. It was old and moldy which I reckon why nobody bothered to take it. Do not judge the book by its cover, wise man says. I still find it amazing how many people ignore these sayings no matter how they are proclaimed wise.

I finished The Silver Chair in less than a day and made a very detailed book report. No wonder I had a perfect score *ahem*. Since then, I dug the library for other books by C.S. Lewis. I wasn't tad impressed with Prince Caspian and The Voyage of Dawn Treader though. They lacked excitement and intrigue and always kept me just itching to finished the book out of boredom. For the next year's book report, I did The Horse and His Boy. I borrowed it in the morning and returned it in the afternoon of the same day. It was that interesting. I finished it quickly since I wanted to know how the story ended.

Only books from The Chronicles of Narnia that I am yet to read are The Magician's Nephew, The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, and The Last Battle. I partly don't want to watch the second mentioned anymore since I've already watched the film.



Again, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is what I personally believe a flop of grandeur. Such a luminous enchanting novel adapted into a rushed hollow two hours and a half film that's not even as substantial as the book. Although it did gross more than Narnia did, I still believe that the people were only hypnotized by the novel's success and were then drawn into watching the film. I can't deny that J.K. Rowling has a very wild imagination and creativity though. She's one of my continuing sources of inspiration!