go ahead make my day!

darn it! I slipped and fell at our office lobby with 20+ people shrieking like I wont make it there alive! ... and twice!

xxx

back in 1938

Manila pre-war.

There is a bridge on this video, called the Jones Bridge that has a sculpture that looked familiar to me. I'm not sure if the sculpture still exists, but as I saw it on this video I knew I've seen a similar sculpture somewhere. So, I searched through my photos and opened some that I took in New York a year ago and VIOLA!!!

Here's the photo I took outside the New York Library on May, 2008

and here's the part where I saw the "similar" sculpture ... Manila, 1938. That's pretty awesome isn't it?! ^^ Though there are variations, somehow it's odd to me that a naked man with hands on his face be a subject of a sculpture twice at different cities and different timelines. Anyway, let the video take you back in time. Enjoy!

perfectly imperfect

masculine lines eh?

I was lent a book by our Structural Engineer about writing. YUP! writing...besides being our senior struc. engineer, a family man, 'guy with lots of stories and advice to share about life, HE writes... and how I wish I could...because I'm not a writer per se, just like owning a guitar but doesn't really play it, I write. I write without knowing if I get my message across 'loud and clear! 'I know lots of other bloggers do, with beautiful-expressive words and that sort of made me ... "hey! wait-a-minute" myself ... because I'm nothing like that.

I don't usually wake up with days that's bursting with ideas on what to put on my blog and all will be brilliant and funny and witty... and how I wish I could. BUT nah-ah! like many contadictions in my life, I have plenty much skill but none that I master!

Like when I pick up a piece of paper and start doodling, I end up making quite a masterpriece as they say, with my hands working on lines that are too masculine, dark and heavy that no one would even suspect it's my work ... (damn! even line-strokes has gender!!!) BUT when I'm asked to do something for like an art contest or exhibit or something, I LOSE IT...I don't know where my hands had kept those "muscle-memory" for me to make all those strokes come out in a canvass! YUP, frustrating ... a lot of times that I had to deal with standing up in a room full of other "artsists" only to stare at my blank palette and brush untouched. I have dealt with a mentor who looked at me with huge disappointment like I had sank Titanic ... So NO. I'm not a true artist. Besides not being a good writer, I'm no artist. If having the attitude and moodiness of an artist counts, then yeah, I'm one.

... BUT before I make a complete realization of how my life is extraordinarily typical. I'll stop. I'm not perfect but I'm not too hard on myself either. If I can't do it like others can, I wont dwell on it, I'm probably bound to do other things, better things ... different, but that makes me, ME. So, I'm gonna do ME. Like what everyone should.

hi my name is what???...

my name is who? ...^^ Actually, call me MJ ... just "MJ" how hard can that be? ... But I was once asked to spell that out while at the airport, making Taxi arrangements ...

-You're making arrangements for who?

-mine, my name is MJ Badgley*, M-J B-A-D-G-L-E-Y.

-and how do you spell MJ?

-It's just M and J.

...When my receipt arrived, my name spelled EMJAY Badgley*! :) wow.

here's a few more:

I got Emjee (for people I know that comes from the South) ... yeah, the accent there is quite "tight". Emjee.

I have, "EM" for people who wants to cut the "J" out, 'cuz it's too much trouble for them.

Then I got the "J", for people who wants to cut the "M" out, 'cuz it's too much trouble for them.

I got "cookie" because my friend Che who likes the Green Tea flavoured gum, likes to call me cookie, 'cuz I once brought a cookie that's hard as a ROCK and she can't forget about it, she calls me Cookie everyday.

I got "ba" short for "daba" which means "love" from my husband.

Then I got "bebe" for my dad, who still calls me baby that's evolved into bebe.

Then I got "ate joei" (ate (ah-teh) , means big sister) (joei as in joey) for my brother who calls me that, 'cuz he wants to give me a cool name, like joey.

Then I got "Nity Joy" (Nity (nee-tee), is just because ... for no reason why!) for my sister.

Then I got "Tita Ninang" (tee-tah, Nee-nang, "nang" sounds like sang) Tita, means "aunt" ... "ninang" means godmother, for my niece because I'm both her aunt and godmother.

and finally, if there's no one else contributing to these names that all pertains to ME and that I happen to respond to...

There's "Mumu" for my brother-in-law, who still treats me like I'm 12!!! Mumu, is how kids call a ghost! I hate him...

-MJ
-Emjee
-eM
-J
-ba
-bebe
-mumu
-tita ninang
-ate joei
-nity joy
-cookie

all of the above are ME, I could perhaps register it as a trademark! ^^ I could even claim the "psst" and the "hey!" 'cuz I happen to respond to those calls too! ... aarrrgghh...

yeah. wait 'til you find out what Ramil, my husband gets for a name in his receipts ... ahaha!

That's next feature. (still gathering some evidences...)

Full Solar Eclipse

A friend of mine who's in Delhi, India is so fortunate to capture these photos and wrote a short account of it.

Photos by: Dona Diaz, July 22, 2009

"This morning I got a rare chance to witness a full solar eclipse here in Delhi. Said to be the longest eclipse of the century and only to happen again in the year 2132. I'll be dead by then.I'm extremely happy I took pictures, waking up so early was just so worth it..."

-Dona Diaz

Location: Delhi, India

---

click here for the full feature:

Solar eclipse shrouds Asia in daytime darkness

Source: Yahoo! News

ants and we

After seven [long] months of marriage, we are unearthing things about ourselves that has become quite an entertainment in our tiny-little city apartment. BIG time laughs like 12 comments worthy on my facebook status! Yeah, husbands ... they do some silly stuff that only a wife could love. He tried to kill/disorient the ants he saw with my cologne ... gee ... spraying it generously as if it's a real insecticide he's using!

... after smelling all that good! They'll pick up dates! He will never get rid of those ants that way! ^^

Going Organic

I'm chewing on a Green Tea mint Flavoured gum...with sooo much enthusiasm ... mm... this is goooood, it's so fresh, it's "earthy", tastes like chewing on a tea leaf ...now chewing with mouth open...mm ... tastes like jasmine flower now ^^... it actually iS beginning to taste like cheap perfume! ...yeah, I probably should get rid of it 'cuz I hate floral scents, I wonder why they ever invented this! It's ...so weird on my taste buds. BUT, apparently my friend here, enjoys it. She's chewing at it like there's no tomorrow... "hey stop!" haha she makes me laugh, I can never influence her! We're friends for so many reasons other than liking this green tea gum and that ... tea-leaf she's been driking that tastes like ... old, wooden cabinet ...

-ahaha! she laughs, have you eaten a cabinet before???

-Well, no but that's why you shouldn't eat that! We don't eat wooden cabinets and those cabinet-tasting things!

What a day ...

Anyway, we are going organic on a few things, taking it slow ...'cuz we're still learning more about it though we are pretty convinced that it's the healthier way, it's the sources that we are concerned about ... if we'll find an all organic market nearby here in the BIG city...'cuz I'm pretty sure in the province we have those. But here, it's quite a challenge! Sunday markets are held at the Metrotent in Ortigas but I think that is only by schedule, sooo ... YES! Finding the supplies is our latest goal!

We have another friend who's selling organic products like lotions and stuff, that I like so much 'cuz it smells very, very good that I want to lick it off my skin! It's made of fruit extracts and beeswax ... so imagine the smell of honey, yummm... maybe if I "accidentally" ingest it, it wouldn't hurt me ... ^^

'Let's go Green!

you 'gotta give this a CHANCE. part II

If you enjoyed part 1, you must see part 2. Yeah, they had some Filipino songs in them, but see, there's a subtitle ... music anyways has NO boundaries, it could be Japanese and I still sing 'em while researching for the English translation afterwards, yeah, I do that. I sing to Utada Hikaru's songs and I don't even know how she exactly means it but I got the phrasing really good, so ... yes, why not?

here's PART 2: (raw talent on a noontime show, coming up!)



Thanks for watching! ^^

xoxo

you 'gotta give this a CHANCE. part I

Everybody knows Wowowee ... I know Wowowee, you know Wowowee! We know Wowowee! ...

Ok, so NO. But if you have Filipino friends or you're A Filipino, you surely have heard of this popular noontime show that has appealed to the masses BIG TIME! Especially showcasing raw talent from all walks of life (usually with heartbreaking stories ...*sob*) in their segments like the "Willie of Fortune", where contestants must show their talent before the actual game, and in this video are just some of the featured talents for the day that has come by the studio to try their lack on the jackpot prize.

Very entertaining, very real (guard your emotions!), lots of singing (two-parts!) apparently, that was the category for that particular day :" That you must have won an amateur singing contest and a teen." So enough said come let's watch...

PART 1



Hope you enjoyed!

xoxo

looove thy neighbors.

oh those karaoke! I like. I like. But tonight ...could you pleeaasse stop now, you neighbor you 'cuz you've been singing the whole day and the rain wont stop! Yes, I do blame you for that... as we all say whenever someone's belting out a song in a not so pleasing way ... we blame the rain on you, YOU! stop now. sshhh...end.

(sigh) ... This is the only time that I wish there'll be a power interruption or something, I mean the whole day is not a joke, you could sing in the afternoon ... but then, I'd be doing my siesta, alright, sing in the morning ... but then I'd rather not wake up in a bad mood ... OK so let the neighbor sing at night ... hmmnn... nah. NO way ... just quit it neighbor, my schedule wont allow you!

These "portable" karaoke machines, jazzes up gatherings without effort and now that we invented a portable version of it (that's smaller than a CD player and operates with just a microphone!) Every household now got one ... it's like a refrigerator ... it's a MUST. You wouldn't have a party without it, trust me ... if you don't have it, the neighbor will lend you, just so you could.

AND here, it's not like anywhere else when it comes to expression of selves and fun, you can be as loud as you can for as long as you are in your homes, or yard, or within the boundaries you own, regardless if anyone else is annoyed by it (e.g. ME.) ... though of course there are LAWS about it, that you can be reported for disrupting the peace and order of the community ...BUT that is SELDOM practiced here, nobody really calls the police or the "barangay tanods" (town security) to knock on your neighbors door and tell them that they're making too much noise and that it pisses you! It'll be far complicated when you do that, unless you're moving to another town the next day.

BUT, in everyday ... it somehow works. Our patience with our neighbors are enhanced, we do let it pass and NEVER count the times that we annoy each other. After all, we do have these kind of moments too, when we sing our hearts out and nobody bothers us, blasting music and all!

...Unlike when I stayed in Italy that I just left my light on one night and the old lady next to my apartment came by to discuss it with me ... in Italian! Which obviously leaves me doing huge amounts of hand/arm/feet gestures just to make my point ... uhmm, can I call a friend? like it's the Million Dollar round already!

hmmnn...WELL, neighbors. We all have them, far and near. We cannot actually choose our neighbors can we? ... I've had sooo many neighbors in my life ... and here in my country, we treat our neighbors like extensions of our family, we love and hate them but we try to live with them...as "peacefully and harmoniuosly" as possible ... though, yeah I mind those high-pitch songs that sounded like galvanized roofing being ripped apart!!! ugh... I'll deal.

yes... I'll deal. Don't worry.

Dear Michael Jackson,

---


(though we know this WALL won't reach far from where it stood) =(

We're showing Love as best we could.

Sincerely,

Philippines

---

P.S.


somebody's got the wrong info... truly sorry ' bout this!

Finally my tomorrow arrives! I'm finally steering myself towards self-control and honesty! ^^ Actually, it's not that bad that I grew bigger 'cuz it's still me, I'm not at all obsessed with my weight and i love ice cream. It's just the matter of me eating more than I should! (uh-oh.) yeah, SIN....sorry. I'm really sorry and now I'm paying for it, because I feel heavy and my my conscience of not taking care of myself very well bugs me every morning when NOTHING in my closet fits me well anymore! All those pretty shirt dresses that I used to wear for work...all not mine! They are two-sizes smaller, they can't be mine!!! (eyes rolling...) you're kidding me closet!
Eventually, I bought myself new outfits for my new size and discarding closet loads of what my shape used to be. darn those skimpy shirts, darn those skimpy jeans, darn those skimpy knits!!! They aren't so skimpy when I was what? 12?! ... this could be a closet of a 12-year old girl and not mine! denial. denial. That's who I WAS. Was is good. I'm loving WAS because it represents the version of me that I don't like too much. I mean, I like myself, I like that I'm fun, that I'm happy and I have plenty friends ... it's ME not being able to fit clothes easily that I hate and had to be envious of a size-4 someone walking past me, with those long legs and high cheek bones! ... well, I'm not really sure if I'd get those long legs by slimming down, but I'm sure I wanna see those cheek bones! Maybe if I suck my cheeks in like a fish I'd get it quick!

whew. Anyway, researching on how to lose all these weight I gained from a happy marriage made me pry on other women's diet, especially Asian. Because I'm Asian but during my travels to Thailand and my frequent encounters with Korean women everywhere in the Philippines (as they seem to invade our country quietly.) I realized that we definitely have grown more curves among other Asians. We've embraced "curves" in our society that being too thin is regarded as sickly, malnourished and butiki (lizard!) So I don't wanna be really thin! I just wanna be the right size! =P

Anyway, here are some quotes about Asian diets that I wanna share and will try:

1. Thailand and their Spicy food.

Quote:

"The idea is that spicy foods increase your body's metabolic rate which makes you digest your food faster. Basically, spices improve digestion by increasing the hydrochloric secretion in the stomach. This is what increases your metabolic rate. With increased metabolism comes increased absorption rate. When there is increased absorption, then the body is able to utilize the stuff that you ate for your daily activities so almost nothing really stays put. So it does help you lose weight." -Yahoo! Answers.

2. Korea and China's Tea Trend.

"Drinking tea is quite common in East Asian cultures. The most well known tea in Asia is green tea which contains a lot of antioxidants and has properties that promote weight loss. In fact, green tea extract is often found in weight loss supplements. Oolong tea also has the ability to stimulate metabolic functions. Ginseng tea which enhances mental and physical performance and increases immune function is commonly taken in Korea and China." - Suite101.com

3. Japan and their Banana Breakfast.

"Banana is also another fruit that is commonly eaten. In fact, a new diet trend in Japan is the banana diet wherein people eat only bananas for breakfast and eat moderate amounts of their normal fare for lunch and dinner." -Suite101.com

4. Philippines and Taho (sweet and warm soy beverage)

"Soy foods provide a main source of protein in the Asian diet. Soy foods such as tofu, miso and tempeh can be found more often in supermarkets rather than health food stores. Soy contains isoflavones, which are compounds that can stop the mutation of regular cells into cancer cells. Soy foods also lower cholesterol and are a good source of iron. New to the food market are soy milks, which contain no lactose, and tofu pizza and hot dogs, for those who wish to introduce smaller amounts of soy to their diets". -eSSORTMENT.

5. Me and Chopsticks!

-My own understanding of chopsticks and how it may help lessen food intake while still eating what I can! Not being very good with chopsticks will make me eat slower while I analyze whether I can actually pick food up with sticks!... ^^

-So there. I'm proud that I'm taking steps (baby-steps if you will.) to eat healthy and be healthy. Let's all be.

from an outfit to a bright turn ...

These are my windows... because I give my heart to it.

"Surprise! A meeting with the client and contractors in 2 minutes" ... my boss called out on me at the pantry while I was preparing to have my morning coffee ... I panicked. I was sooo dressed-down for a "not-expecting-any-meeting-with-the-client" Wednesday and practically had to make do with skinny jeans, pink RL Polo Shirt and choco-brown flats because I have NO time to change and didn't have my suit/jacket with me on this very day, while I usually have it, I could've easily put it on and it would make the difference!!! But what I have instead is: a Hollister hoodie, which will only make me lesser of a professional if I did wear that! aarrgghh... how can he do this to me?!

And so we went. Regardless of what I have on and what I know about these people I'm meeting for the first time ... what an impression I'm gonna make...hah! This is sooo brilliant of me! This is gonna go down in history!!! I mutter to myself as we drove to the client's office, walked our way to the lobby and in to the conference room ...

Making it to the meeting ahead of time made me feel so much better that I'm seated first while the others kept coming in and I wont have to parade around in my polo shirt and jeans to ease my way onto a seat. ^^ ... We waited a few minutes more, while I stayed self-conscious about whether I still have anything "more" unprofessional on ... like: are my earrings too big? is my lipstick too red? or did I put too much mascara? or I should have put on that expensive perfume ... those kind of thoughts ... and then, ack! my cellphone has dangling trinkets of pink plastic bears, 3 of them all lined up in a chain that dangles at the bottom of my flip phone! I immediately removed it ... 3 pink, plastic bears (jeez!)... biggest to the smallest ... they are sooo cute but at that moment they were like the most horrendous things I could get associated with ... this job sucks if it doesn't like cute! (I know.) But now ... the conference table is filled in by "grown, matured men" of 40 to 50-ish old, I knew I made the right decision of putting away those pink bears out of sight! Only me and my boss is nearing 30, I'm 28 and he's 29, but he was wearing one of his finest dress-shirts, khaki slacks, leather belt with a shiny silver buckle on ... and those, THOSE tan leather Lacoste gator shoes that he bought in Boston! ( ...sigh...) He makes me look even worse than I thought!

(breathing heavily.) ... The meeting rolled about site excavations, trucks, viewing decks, architects, building orientation... glass and aluminum frames ... we were dismissed ahead since we've already discussed our concerns and that ... we have NO problem with our schedule.

We then proceeded to the SITE.

Site...(aaahhhh... the ground location EQUALS heat, dust, mud, dirt, construction site, etc.) We walked a few blocks and the enclosed site was there, were trucks and excavation was on going, hah! who's laughing now?! Actually, there isn't anyone who's laughing but I just thought to myself that I have on the most site-visit-appropriate outfit between me and my boss!

It was business as usual, locations were discussed, steel tubes, frames ... dimensions, the works... I marveled at the ground and visualized how the building will look on it... It's a very unique love, between man and the "ground", when something as massive as to house businesses and people into one area is going to firmly stand on it, changing the landscape forever. It's iconic. It's one of those things that when I grow older, I'd be able to tell stories about...at that, I knew that I once again fell inlove with what I do as a job.

It takes hundreds of heads to work on just one building! ^^

our last salute...

MJs, First visit in Manila, Philippines 1976

Last Sunday at 10:30 P.M. was a night of tribute to Michael Jackson and his music here in Manila. As his 30th Anniversary concert was aired on TV for all Filipinos to see. I am not a huge fan of Michael Jackson but when I saw the concert, I knew I had to be. (too late?) Well... Music lasts forever... his voice will always be heard, even when he's gone. It's just too overwhelming to see him perform, he really gives it all and I'm just so sorry I wasn't there to watch him live when I was 16 and he came here for a concert. tsk. Yeah, I blame myself ... I blame myself for not being a fan and now I'm one of those people who wishes to hoard all of his albums out the music store! I was young and naive. What can I say?!

He's just SUUUUPER!!! We were glued to the television when it was his time to perform. He didn't slack a bit, he just went on and on as if he'd dance and sing with all his might even if it would kill him. That's how much passion he showed the crowd who endlessly cheered.

To me, that was too much for somebody to endure if he had already been sick with lupus. I felt for him. As if he showed the whole world his life. All about performing, all about music, all about people. His life was so public, that even in death he isn't given peace. Has he been buried yet? ... with finality? I thought that after the memorial service at the Staple Center, he'd already be laid to rest. But news surfaces that his body will be moved from a crypt in Hollywood to ... elsewhere (they won't say where) But I surely agree with his mum, saying that he should NOT be buried in Neverland, because Michael, when he was alive doesn't want to return EVER to his Neverland Ranch after the raid in 2003, where a videotape of the Neverland interiors was exposed to the public for the first time, revealing his penchant for all things childish and ... a room of life-sized figures of "people"... hmmnn ... it's as if your Diary has been revealed for the world to see and I guess that's the reason why he never wants to go back. Well, to others it was bizaare for him to be collecting all those things BUT now to me, it's sad. Just SAD. As I watched the video featured on E! News ... it wasn't as bizaare and as weird as it used to be when he was still alive. Now it's just a sad thing that his Neverland Ranch is screaming with frustration. All things he never had as a child and all things he never had as a person, he tried to get. Could it be that the life-sized figures that were in his office represents companions??? It's an eerie room but to him it probably is a room of "people" who aren't judgemental, who aren't accusing, if he had done bad, those "people" wont cast the first stone at him. He really could have used some real friends when he was down from all those controversies and lawsuits. And well now, they are all there mourning the lost times and doing interviews. I'm not saying all, I mean some. We all have those kind of people anyway, they show up when the tide is clear or when there's opportunity. I think now it's enough, by this time it should be enough. I think it's about time that we all let go and do our final salute to the King of Pop and let him have the peace that he could have really wanted while living.

He is the finest in his craft and I salute him in sharing it with the world.



MJ, reunion with the Jacksons on his 30th Anniversary as a performer.

on traveling by foot.

After exchanging goodbyes and some more pleasantries, I got off a conversation from a former colleague who is now based in India through chat on facebook. 'Saw her pictures and India, as she describes it, is indeed an exotic country, with fascinating culture and lots of jewelry! yeah! I've also heard that they got the finest woven tapestry with bold designs and colors. She's been in India for 3 mos. now and already made some friends. One of them has invited her to lunch in their home for an authentic-home cooked Indian meal where she also got a red bindi on her forehead after the mother of the household has said a Hindu prayer for her as a blessing.

While to her, India is a land of wonder and mystique, some would find India's culture and ways a bit overwhelming. As far as 3 of my other colleagues find it. That the smell of the streets and food are too strong for their nostrils, and that their worship of animals particularly of cows has definitely killed their appetite for anything beef.

Well, that's traveling. You'll never know a place enough unless you pack your bags and experience it first hand while having room for the unexpected. Unless you travel with a 5-Star package with less immersion to the "realities" of a place, then you should EXPECT that your travel will be easy and convenient and as wonderfully precise as possible being showcased only the best of what the country has to offer. (Spas included!) BUT if you're more of a "foot" traveler and likes to experience the world as it is, people as they are and food as it's locally served. Then you should keep your expectations real.

Culture and People are unique to their country, as much as your experience is unique to the places you've been. Like I have been to Europe once, Italy to be exact and at first I was in awe of the mountains, the rivers, the castles and the weather that has worked with great conivance with these sceneries that made my Italian "postcard" a reality but then, as I reached my 3rd month of stay, I was READY to go home ... so eager to go home! Imagine? that's Italy I'm talking about, not some town with just a tall haystack to boast! That's Italy. I'm supposed to love it!!! Well, I loved it ... but it's just a huge infatuation it's nothing like being at home....(aaawww)
The point is... we all have preferences, we could be in one place but have different perceptions. It's always different for someone, that's why "bend as the wind blows" as much as possible as they say, or you'll never get to have fun!

scrapbookers playground

Here's something new/else for those who love scrapbooking (i do!). Going digital. I know, it wont replace scrapbooking as we know it, but having tried the digital version of scrapbooking gave me the same excitement and exerted similar thoughtfulness of putting together photos and interpreting good memories to a page.

I found 3 different types of how you can do digital scrapbooking (with FREE kits to try! ), using of course, your photos saved in the computer (convenience #1). Saving on print. ^^

1. ShabbyPrincess. FREE download of scrapbooking kits (for personal use ONLY!), very good resolution, easy to use with Photoshop. Printable or save on CD. "very cute website!"

Featured kit: (available for FREE on the site, check it out!), it is zipped when downloaded and inside are several designs to work with.

HAPPY GO LUCKY

Here's what a friend of mine did with this kit:

The idea of using Shabby Princess kits are the same as in using a "real" kit with a "real" scrapbook, you use your imagination and creativity to put things together But this one because it's digital, looks very clean and polished, more like a magazine layout. (convenience #2) NO mess. ^^

2. Smilebox.com ~ Now this is the easiest scrapbooking you'll do in your life and more! It comes with hundreds of pre-designed scrapbook pages, all you have to do is find the photos you want in them. But of course, your scrapbook may look like somebody else's... only IF that somebody chooses the same designs as you among the hundreds to choose from! But then again, they look sooo pretty you wouldn't mind! It's an easy to download software, user friendly, and the results will excite you! ... FREE to use, you only pay when you want them printed or saved on CD. But the file you created is saved and can be viewed once you open the program.

Here's some of my creations using Smilebox:

3. PictureBooks. This one is a Live digital scrapbook project. Live means it'll be printed out into a "book". You choose your photos and layouts with designs to choose from and take it to the nearest PictureBook outlet and have it processed.

Sample works on Flickr.

So now we can all try this out. Though OF COURSE it'll never take away my love for the "real" thing, it's the fun and creativity that matters. So enjoy!

Music and Magic in Manila

It's July 9, Thursday and Today's Top 5 Songs in Manila brought to you by the "Angels of the Airwaves" of Magic 89.9 FM are:

5. Zero Gravity - David Archuleta/ Dirty Funk - Steve Appleton

4. Mad World - Adam Lambert

3. Man in the Mirror - James Morrison

2. Best I Ever Had - Drake

~and the number 1 for t0day is ~

1. Already Gone - Kelly Clarkson

Wedding Website, anyone?

I was aimlessly browsing the net last night when I happen to open the website we used for our wedding... aahhh, beautiful, nostalgic moments...How we're just super relieved it's all done and none of the $10,000 worth of a funniest video happened! whew. I wouldn't trade that day for $10,000 if I had to trip on my dress or spill a drink or for whatever embarassing reason I would be entering our video on a show like that! ... But anyhow, if it did became embarassing we'd still continue the fun! As it was a day of love and celebration, we didn't really bother wether the bouquets came late, or it has rained ... whether he saw me before the ceremony (as elders say it's bad omen) All of those things won't count anymore when the day is there and all they expect you to be is to come pretty.

Anyway, we used a website to keep our families, friends/entourage and guests updated on the events and progress of our planning. It's FREE and very easy to use, with customizable tabs and music. Though the page layout is pre-designed, you can choose from a variety of layout themes. The forum too, has plenty of nice people, eager to share useful suggestions.

Here's the site: http://www.weddingannouncer.com/

and here's our website as an example:

http://ramil-and-mj.weddingannouncer.com

Since our wedding was held in my hometown, we had guests who flew in and made use of the airline schedules and map that I have placed on the website. We have also suggested hotels, activities and included some historical facts and trivia about the province. It also has RSVP and guestbook.

So if you know someone who's getting married, I suggest this site. very cool.

IN-LAWS: how to deal???

Happy times are here, I hope it stays. I haven't got so many things to worry about except that we're running out of toothpaste and we have to remember to buy now 'cuz tomorrow it'll all be gone and eeoww. Really, we must not forget today ... BUY TOOTHPASTE!

And now, I wanna share to you about the person who is very good with his in-laws ... yup, eyes rolling, goose bumping, jaw clenching in-laws ... But for my one true love, that is NO hassle. He is dear to my parents as much as they are dear to him ... aawww. I sometimes even wonder if I'm their "real", true-to-life daughter that they take his side when we have some rows! While I, could not imagine being left alone with his mom or will I be able to share a room with her for more than an hour ... I'm just too shy or just too worried to make mistakes in front of her... besides not being able to speak their hometowm dialect, my relationship with my in-laws are quite/slightly/gently doomed from the start... BUT surely, I' am working on understanding words and phrases, that I now could catch up with what they're saying ... I just couldn't speak it, not anytime soon! ... and when I practice, he hardly recognizes what I just said and laughs. poor you.

Language/Dialect barrier, how bad can it be? For relationships not to flourish? ... bad. You can't really build that much out of elaborate gestures and smiles all throughout what seems like a conversation. While my hubby speaks mine since he studied in the city I lived in and though I understand some, I never could speak other dialects except my own ...

TRIVIA: In my province, Albay (popular for the Mt. Mayon) travel 15 mins. to another town and you will already be greeted with a different dialect! ... Travel 15 minutes more and another dialect ... the farther you travel, the more dialects you'll encounter.

AND so that is not easy. It's just not an excuse for not bonding well with my in-laws, it really is not easy. (believe me.) I swear!

The point is: Some people are just good with people and some people are like me, who needs more time to relax and be at ease with her surroundings, to sort through her brain some possible topics that one could discuss with in-laws and hopefully they elaborate in answering to avoid that awkward silence. You can never guess how jealous I am of people who can instantly be cool and get on with a conversation with someone they just met! Like, where do you get that??? What do you say? ... It's also a part of our culture that you can never be in a room with someone and say nothing. You can say "kumusta po?" ... (how do you do?/how are you?) then ask about occupation, school, kids, address, home province ... while nodding and smiling a lot ... and then try to make a connection between the things he/she said and yours. viola! is that it??? Are those the things you say even to in-laws? Because I can definitely deal doing that. Maybe with the same confidence as in meeting a new friend ... I'm brilliant with new friends and my old friends.

AND my parents, oh! they are the greatest, they welcomed our husbands into their home like their own sons. Even introduced my hubby to some friends and cousins over lunch last Saturday as being kind and devoted. *blush**blush* (I'm the proud owner!)

If only my in-laws could say the same about me...

See you at Bloglovin!

'Found this and it's pretty cool. Follow me.

P.S. not found? click on the widget on the right with the blinking Eiffel Tower. c ya!

Prologue

'Said I'd do words for people and then try to work on a list about who matters into my life and why ... apparently that list is not happening. I think I'm gonna write freehand. I think it's more sincere that way that I let my emotions go whenever the person comes to mind. Kinda like a psychiatric evaluation ... using a flashcard of faces and my reaction is taken on record... hmmnn.. ahaha...

No...actually, I wanna do it for the purpose of reminding me how somebody touches my life. As we all know relationships come and go as we journey through experiences influenced by good and bad people. It's as important as events, hobbies and lifestyle. So to start, I wanna take mention of a person ...aarrghhh... why is my brain teasing me of mentioning our President and her boob job??? That is NOT a world issue people!!! Get it off the papers and television!!! NOW.

whew jeez. I'm really just trying to make mention of a person who treated us to dinner last night.

Conversations on a Monday

When I woke up this morning I said to myself that I should sleep early next time, so I wont feel washed out everytime I wake up! I said that too yesterday and it's bad enough that it's a Monday morning and I was up 'till 2:45 a.m. (not cool.) So my husband goes:

-What did I tell you about sleeping so late?

and I go,

-Well...

Trying to make sensible reasons in my head ...

-Well... if you have done the dishes last night I could have written my blog earlier, surfed through facebook and launched all the applications I've signed up to.

He looked at me as if I was talking Martian.

-OOPPSS...

Realizing that it wasn't the smartest thing to say, I beamed a toothy smile at him ...

It was really my turn to do some chores yesterday but I just wanted to see if I can get away with it. Who knows, he sometimes let me! hmmppff ... yep, my head feels floating and my eyes dry and heavy...

"Who ever invented Mondays?!"

"But you know what? I can live with TWO mondays in a week!" I said while opening the windows to a bright Monday morning.

"... just make all the other days Saturday!"

My husband chuckled.

"...and who ever invented work?"

as my brain automatically processes informative reasons that we need to work even if I was thinking of how good life must be if there are no companies to work for and we all just have to TRADE in goods like sweet potatoes or something ... my brain asks:

"...and where will the sweet potatoes come from?"

-"argghh. I still need to farm them."

-"Farm what?" husband confused.

-"the sweet potatoes." as I scrabble the closet for what to wear.

Then my life with computers and buildings are better than farming the sweet potatoes I was hoping to barter. Farming is a tough job, I would've loved to farm if it will be shady all day! Since, I love earth, the smell of earth, the smell of wet grass, collecting slimy worms, to see sprouts ... the closest thing I came up with here in our city apartment is owning 3 potted plants that stand on the bathroom window... how sad. I wish I could have more ... but I give those little greens all the love they need. I sprinkle them water everyday making sure that their soil is just the perfect moist and placing them back on the window sill to get enough sunlight. (There goes my farming skills) ...

I did my stretch, I watched my morning show, took my shower, dressed for work and did my make up ... husband ... waiting.

We grabbed coffee and off to work.

If ever you wonder how I make it through the day without sleeping/drooling all over my desk at work, I listen to this station check it out, they have the coolest people on board: magic 89.9

ciao!

ME is for Mother Earth

Showing some love.

Just finished watching Wall-E, the Disney film? I know I should've watched it at the theaters when it was shown, it would've been really worth my money, if I had helped Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen rake in more money by tagging along friends and family a week ago... I should have watched films like this. Wall-E, a robot ... and the only surviving creature on the planet, while humans have inhabited Axiom on space for 700 years and has lived a very, very lazy lifestyle, with NO interaction with other human beings other than on screen like a hi-tech version of chatting on the internet! NO physical activities even getting dressed is done by a push of a button, everything is done by voice command and sophisticated robots do the work. Yeah, you can imagine how the humans look ... tubby beings. Cute, but not really how you want the human race would be in the future. We always think that our future is better with more conveniences, I mean who ever thinks of having a bad future ahead, of course we want it to be always better than where we are now, I don't know if anyone of you is contended on where he/she is at this point that "improvement" is not much of a need and will only try living life the way he/she knows how. hmmnn... well, being comfortable with life now is different from being "contended" ... Life as it goes should always be about learning, about the future about how we want our doings to end up and if we stop making a better future our goal ... we might as well be dead.

So how come life on earth as in Wall-E (the wholesome movie) can project the future to be without clean air, trees, with violent weathers and junk?! That is the future??? Really? wow...( wow in a bad way...) Well, it's a HUGE possibility, the film is not all fiction but there's truth in its purpose, that if we don't CLEAN UP our act we will all end up in who knows where if we can't invent that floating space vehicle to save us all and that in truth is a LIE. Or okay, you wanna believe that there could be a vehicle to save us all in space? Yeah sure, as intelligent humans are ... there is a possibility that in the future we might need that vehicle and may actually build one, but then ... when? Our time of self-destruction is ticking faster than a blink. Of course, when one side of the world is asleep the other side is awake, it never ends ... the destruction? NEVER. how sad. How I wish when we are awake in our particular time, we do something to help SAVE the PLANET. A fraction of our future plans should include all life-source conservation or ELSE ... build that space vehicle?! quick.

I think those probes on Mars and other planets that could someday be our new home is bull ... pardon me but hey! why? WE wont need a new home if we take care of the one we have now... MAYBE the ONLY one we have and we're not given any other choice until EXTINCTION. that's again sad... That humans can be so powerful that we can extinct ourselves. jeez. brilliant.

OK. So now that I'm aware and my views totally renewed by Wall-E ( the Disney film). I'm gonna get involved. It doesn't have to be grand ... I tell you, you don't have to join those organizations at an instant that you think you can help ... (but if only I could squeeze them in my routine, I would!) We can all start by doing things in our homes, backyards and community. WE can all start by carrying out the awareness to our offices and share it with friends and family. WE can all use our own BAGS for grocery each time (see my earlier post on green bags) WE can always re-use and conserve. When we do this, we protect our future.

the plan.

I'll never have their figure but I definitely got HEAD.

What a weeek! I thought I'd never survive it! haha... wow, such a busy week it was that I hardly had a good sleep and a good meal... uhmm... kidding about the meals! I've been actually fed really, really good that I think my diet is again curbed at a direction I'm in denial of! ... yeah, yeah they all say I'm eating whenever they see me, or I gained weight and I'm like ... "I know." "Diet starts tomorrow!" (like it will!) ... Well, I don't think I'm fat, I don't think I could ever be thin anyway! I'm 5ft. 6 inches tall, with broad shoulders and wide hips, even if I cut on food to death I'd never be stick thin! I'll always have this hips and this shoulders and this butt! Sooo, yeah ... I don't fret being called "fat" if they're sizing me up against a 5'2" person! ... And I don't see why being super thin is more acceptable than having these curves, crazy people! crazy media! crazy fashion world! hmmmnnpppfffff....

Anyway ... my world is full of wonderful people, I wanted to make posts about. Interesting people in my life who are inspirational to me, who make me better, who are good to me and even the not so good to me! Everyone who's touching my life everyday and is making me the person that I am now and will be.

I'll sort my list out and start as soon as I can because you'll NEVER know until when the person is good to you! (haha) kidding! I will mostly mention good people, people who loves life and shares my values. We all have people in our lives who makes great impact on who we are and how we deal with the world. I'm sure no one is ever alone. So I'm doing "my" people some words before I'm too old to remember who they are!

So next post will go under a label: P.I.M.L. (people in my life) ... I know, ask me if I'm gearing my blog into the "relationship" category with some sort of psycho analysis ... hehe Nope. Of course not ... my dealings with people is as AVERAGE as anyone, I can't say many things about how to relate with people, or how to read people so you can be better towards them ... I'm just going to do more posts about people I know and I want to remember, (that simple.) 'moral lessons may come by accident ... that'll be good!

AND ... will there be naming names? ... some I will name, some I wont. (especially if I can't find any goodness in the person at all!) NO, I will not name them ... BUT I'll use pseudo names, so don't worry, things will be subtle and completely NORMAL.

here fishy fishy!

'


We spent this day at the Manila Ocean Park with the parents. We took them to see the Oceanarium. You know how back in the day that we don't have these things that's why we had so much fun watching fishes (we've never seen before) swim around, especially loving the sting rays because they swim very gracefully and has a "smiley face" when seen from the bottom. (see photo.) ^-^

The Manila Ocean Park, pay only Php 400 entrance for Adults. Important Rule: NO FLASH when taking photos (flash does stress the fishes). Take your time in viewing the aquariums, read and listen to introductions and information (if you're not too busy taking photos!) and Have FUN!