Friday, October 31, 2003

In the spirit of the holiday:




Find out which tNBC song you are!

Quiz by JessieofTR.



jackangel
You are Jack Skellington...the Pumpkin King. You
have a soulful side which you show to almost
nobody and constantly long for something other
than your mundane existence. You deeply crave
something which you feel your present situation
doesn't provide you, and so you are constantly
on the lookout for any new, exciting
opportunties that could brighten your life.
Occasionally oblivious to the feelings of
others, you are generally a decent person who
cares about doing the right thing.


What character from The Nightmare Before Christmas Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla


Happy Halloween, everyone!

* * *

Finished reading Nick Hornby's How to Be Good. Moving on to his 31 Songs. Had originally intended to find a copy of all 31 songs, but realized that that would be a difficult and time-consuming task. ~sigh~

Tomorrow is Day 1 of NaNoWriMo. Here's hoping the idea comes out of my head. ^_^

* * *

Tried to punch my friend today. (He let me.) Found out that:
1. I have bad aim. (Didn't connect with his arm. =P)
2. I don't know how to make a proper fist.
3. I hurt myself more than I did him.
4. What I could visualize in my head isn't what I could actually do. (It looked so easy in my head pa naman. I thought I had it all figured out. Oh well.)

So, in the case of being mugged (knock wood) I can defend myself if:
1. The other person is bigger (so I have a bigger target)
2. Doesn't move very much (because I can only connect my punch if I do it slowly)

If all else fails, I have mace. ^_^

* * *

Still sick. Tried to get orange juice, but there sems to be a shortage. I went to Unimart and they had nada. Went to Rustan's Fresh and all they had was Mango Juice. Tried the Mercury Drug near my place and all they had was the yogurt drink. =P

I need my orange juice.

Wednesday, October 29, 2003

Erg...

Am sick. I can't believe it. (Well, actually I do believe it. I haven't been taking my vitamin C lately. ~sigh~)

And now I am sitting here, with my mug of Lo Han Kou. My throat hurts. =(

* * *

Couldn't resist it--

Had to get Nick Hornby's 31 Songs. Am wondering if this and Songbook are the exact same book with a different title. Curious.

Am reading his How to be Good and enjoying it. ^_^

* * *

A gave me a tarot reading today. (Thanks, A!) Very interesting (and accurate).
Some of the significant cards:
- Healing
- Ice-solation
- Mind
- Trust

* * *

And I have my story idea for NaNoWriMo. ^_^ (Can't wait for November ^_^)
Whew!

Finally finished reading AS Byatt's A Biographer's Tale. It wasn't as "wow!" as Possession, but it had it's own charm.

Favorite quote:
There are two ways in which a man can be himself.
A right way and a wrong way.
You may know that a man in Paris
Has discovered a way of taking portraits
With the help of the sun. Either one can produce
A direct picture, or else what they call a negative.
In the latter, light and dark are reversed;
And the result, to the ordinary eye, is ugly.
But the image of the original is there.
All that's required is to develop it.
-AS Byatt, A Biographer's Tale p.178

* * *

For fans of Nick Hornby, his new book is out. It's called 31 Songs. For more info, click here. I found a copy in NBS-Katipunan, but decided against buying it because I still haven't read his "How to be Good."

He has this other book that I want: it's a collection of essays called Songbook, which contains a CD of some of the songs he writes about.

From his mini-site at Penguin:
Saint or Sinner Quiz Result:
Butter wouldn't melt
You are clearly DJ GoodNews, so sickly sweet that you make our teeth hurt! Doesn't being so righteous get tiring after a while? Why not get drunk, have an affair or skip work - anything to break that holier-than-thou routine! Perhaps you should take a leaf out of Katie Carr's book and think of yourself first for a change. Stop giving all your money to charity and buy yourself a treat with the money you save. Being so good the rest of the time means you deserve one.

Go visit. ^_^ (Try talking to DJ GoodNews)

* * *

Found out last night that my MP3 player is dead. It was 4 years old. Guess I had it coming -- I just left it around and didn't really bother to check if it was still alive. Apparently, the battery leaked (eewww =P) and there was a strange jingling sound inside the case.

It's a bad habit (I know, I know): I leave things behind, expecting them to still be in one piece when I get back to them again. Most of the time, they are still alive ... but there are these other times.

Oh well.





Monday, October 27, 2003

... kasi si G, nagsulat tungkol sa lollipop... ^_^

Smudge

An accidental
unforseen
excess of passion

An imprint
of what was
and what will be

(A whispered promise)

Your body is my canvas.

-6.7.99 (revised 10.27.2003)

* * *

Quote for the day:
Nod if you're fairly odd. - Fairly Oddparents
(The ten-hour marathon is this November 1, 10am on Nickelodeon. Oh joy, oh jubilation. ^_^)

Sunday, October 26, 2003

Sunrises:

-Bacolod, Summer 1996
Summer after sophomore year, I took a trip with my barkada to Bacolod and we stayed over at my friend's house. Apparently the house was haunted and we wanted to see the ghost. (We had just come from a night out). So we waited until witching hour (3am?) and, obviously, didn't get to see anything. So we just talked and talked until the sun rose.

(I am laughing inside my head, remembering EVERYTHING that happened that day. Ah, the memories. ^_^)

-Davao Pearl Farm
I don't remember when we went, but I was there with my family. (They have very good bacon there. ^_^) We took the earliest flight out of Manila and I got to see the sun rise from an airplane. (A really beautiful sight) The sunsets in Davao were also amazing. This one afternoon (at band camp -- not!), we were on the beach and it was a fairly cloudy day, but the sun was peeking through some of the clouds. So there would just be these areas of sunlight on the beach. And we sat in one of those spots and waited for the sun to set. It's amazing how many colors the sky turns before becoming black (well, purplish really).

This is why I love being near the water (I can't swim, but I like beaches) -- something about nature that just reassures me that everything will be okay. It amazes me how things fall into place in the great big world (I have reflections on train rides and the color of grass, etc. etc. -- just ask me if you care to know. ^_^)

-San Juan, Summer 1998
We had a mahjong party at my cousin's house. It was a few days after we had graduated, so we were all in the mood to celebrate (we had discovered Absolut Kurant with Sprite and the joys of Tequila and Cali -- hahahahaha!). Most of our friends left at around 2 or 3, but two friends stayed. (K and A) We talked about EVERYTHING that morning. I remember that I had an early flight to Iloilo and had to be up by 6. They just waited until it was time for me to leave. (I love my friends. ^_^)

-Summer, 2000
I had quit my job at Xavier and was waiting to go to Cambridge, so I spent the summer with K because everyone else had work. After one of those evenings out, I got home just when the joggers were doing their daily run around the Xavier block. (I've also seen a sunset with this guy... which is why, ~sigh~ ^_^)

- October 18, 2003
Considering I only had a weekend in HK, we decided to take the earliest flight out. Didn't even think about how Bush's visit would affect me. So my flight was booked and my money converted -- when people started asking me whether it was a good idea to be near the airport on the day of "the visit". I told them that my flight was really early in the morning and that I didn't think so.

Ha. Famous last words.

Good thing we got fetched early and (because it was 2xp/drop in Loki -- hee hee ^_^) we were up really, really early. The traffic to the airport was terrible! What should have been a straight line from point A (my house in San Juan) to point B (Terminal 2 of the new airport) became this convoluted (read: takes more time) route.

What annoyed me even more was seeing all these MMDA people covering up the "view" (squatters area) and cleaning up. It annoyed me thinking about how much money was spent for one person who was going to be here for less than a day.

But I got to the airport and everything went well. This was the first time, in a very long time, that I took PAL on an international flight. I had forgotten why I never took them (and then got reminded -- no inflight entertainment. =P Was counting to watch Nick LaBute's new movie pa naman. ~sigh~)


* * *

Word in my head right now: immutable.

* * *

And something my friend N posted:

who invented the flourescent bulb?
which king in a standard deck of playing cards is known as the "suicide king?"
who is prince adam's pet cat in the cartoon he-man?
what is the medical term for the armpit?

for those who haven't heard of it, Quiz Night
rules are as follows:
-the game is open to groups of 6 or less.
-a 60 trivia questions will be asked.
-highest number of correct answers win

remember!
The Craic
top floor above Max Fried Chicken
Jupiter Street
8:30pm (promptly)
october the 29th


Friday, October 24, 2003

Quote:
You know at the end of the day,
When you close the door and you're all alone...
and you strip off your armor and lower your guard and peel away the mask...
When there's nobody watching and nothing to hide...
and you no longer need to be strong or clever or pretty or brave...
There's just you.
That's it.
That's the soul.
- Oracle, Batgirl #45 (Dylan Horrocks, writer)

* * *

So many things happening!

October 25 is World Toy Camera Day. Read more about it here. I have a fresh roll of film in my Holga and C gave me a roll of B&W T400.

October 31 - Scary Godmother (the animated series) premieres on the Disney Channel at 9pm

November 5 - my friend is part of a group show at Gallery Nine, SM Megamall at 6 pm. (This is also opening day of Matrix Revolutions. H'ray!)

* * *

I worry for our country. All this politicking can't be healthy for us.

Now they're impeaching Davide. Who'll be next?

~sigh~

Wednesday, October 22, 2003

C talks about this in his blog: NaNoWriMo is starting in two weeks. I wasn't able to participate last year because I found out too late and I was busy, but I promised myself that I was going to join this year.



Now I have to think of something to write about. ^_^

* * *

And for the curious, click here. (Latest entry)

* * *

Nobody has ever had as many yesterdays as I have had... - Leto, Frank Herbert's God Emperor of Dune

Monday, October 20, 2003

Am back!

What a weekend! (It's amazing how much you can cram into a total of 48 hours when you put your mind to it. ^_^)

Highlights:
Kill Bill! - Chiaki Kuriyama (Go Go) was amazing! (And the soundtrack was excellent!) ... erm, won't talk about this movie for now. (Got so much I want to say, though)

Nick Bantock's final installment to the Griffin and Sabine sequel: The Morning Star (comes after Gryphon & Alexandria)

Finding two game magazines with RO-related articles inside. (Will discuss this more in my other blog ^_^)

M&M Peanut Butter! -- discovered this in Europe a long, long time ago. Have a hard time finding this locally.

Poetry Dogtags! -- very, very cute. Dogtags with a word written on it. You can string together a bunch of them to express yourself. Just thought it was very, very cute. (Yes, yes, redundant -- but it _is_ very, very cute. ^_^)

* * *

Quote for the day:
That was the terrible thing about concupiscence. The Devil and the World were easily dealt with: one could appraise coolly what they offered, balance it against eternal damnation, and draw the obvious conclusion. But the temptation of the Flesh was different: they could not be dealt with in cold blood. You could not hear the voice of reason, only the terrible curiosity, insisting that it be satisfied. - David Lodge, The Picturegoers





Friday, October 17, 2003

Have you read today's newspaper?

Apparently, there is a Toilet Recognition of the Year Awards (TROY).

I saw an advertisement for this in today's PDI. Was amused by it. ^_^

Read about it.

I like the bathrooms in Old Spaghetti House (Katipunan) and Sonia's Garden. ^_^

Thursday, October 16, 2003

What is Your Destiny? by Valcion
Name
Color
Birthday
DestinyToast
Date when you fufill your destinyJanuary 14, 2017
Created with quill18's MemeGen!


To the peeps who read my blog:
I'll be out of town this weekend and I've applied for international roaming. Try to remember not to text me because you'll be charged for it.

Wednesday, October 15, 2003

Currently listening to: Tori Amos' Scarlets' Walk album

Considering it was Wednesday and a dead day at the store (deader than usual), I managed to get a lot of things done:

- won one game of Neopets against C (this is after losing x number of times from about 11am to 2pm -- each game lasts about 8 to 10 minutes, do the math ... and find out what x is equal to ^_^)

- drew my blacksmith character on M's scratch/sketch pad. I cannot draw to save my life, but she insisted and I drew. She had a lovely .3 tip pen -- I could not resist! ^_^

We also invented two new creatures: a SnaGerDal (I drew a snake with tiger stripes and dalmatian dots) and a SnaBuBu (a bunny with bug antenna's and a snake tongue) -- isn't this just the cutest name? ^_^

- bought ice cream! (pistachio, double dutch and the new Selecta sundae series: Blueberry Cheesecake) and a shedload of orange juice (I feel a tickle in my throat and this is not a good time for me to get sick. Been taking massive doses of Vitamin C.)

- read the first half of the first set of readings for my comprehensive exams. (My reading list is 8 pages long.)

- thought about the project and discussed it with E and C. When I'm ready, I will discuss it here.

Am reading AS Byatt's A Biographer's Tale. This is the nth time I'm reading this book, but I've never finished it. It just gets too technical and unwieldy for my liking, but I'm hoping to finish it this time.

This pleases me:
A few days ago, a friend asked me if I was okay. I was a bit surprised with the question because, when I took stock of myself, I realized that I'm fairly satisfied with how my life is going right now: thesis chapter one is done, comprehensive exam is in February, thesis defense during the summer, etc. That aside, life has been good to me -- I want for nothing.

Strangest thing said to me:
"You look like a nun." (Mukha kang madre) -- bumped into former co-teachers while picking up the pictures I had developed and one of them said this. I don't know how to take it.

From Louisa May Alcott's Little Women:
If people really want to go, and really try all their lives, I think they will get in, for I don't believe there are any locks on that door or any guards at the gate. - Laurie, about heaven

* * *

Went through old papers and notes and found this written on one of my notebooks:
"In order to give light, you must first be willing to burn." (I think one of the senior teachers in Xavier said this at our colloquiom)

Tuesday, October 14, 2003

Took this test from B's blog.






What Type of Villain are You?

mutedfaith.com.


will add more later ...

Monday, October 13, 2003

Quote for today:
Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are... Machiavelli, The Prince, Chapter 18

So, let me tell you about my day:

I did a good deed at the library today. I needed to have some essays photocopied and thought now would be a good time to have it done. (Exam Week = few people in lib having stuff photocopied) I was looking for my books through the OPAC and overheard the students using the computer beside me. (I don't usually eavesdrop, but--) It seems they were looking for Lit Theory books (Said) and were having a hard time looking for it (kept searching for post-modernism). I recommended David Lodge's book (Modern Criticism and Theory: A Reader) to them and pointed them to the shelf. It turns out, one of their groupmates was my niece (yes, NIECE -- daughter of my cousin. I had a dozen nephews and nieces by the time I was 14) and I showed them other books that they could read on the topic. (Eagleton's Literary Theory: An Introduction and Ashcroft, Griffiths & Tiffin's Empire Writes Back).

I wonder, though, why Freshmen are required to read Lit Theory. Oh well.

Offered to have a friend's rolls of film develop (lent her my HOLGA and was just as excited to see what she could do with it). Dropped by the Fuji near my place to have it developed.

B**ch Moment:
It seems one of the rolls of film was for slides and had to be processed differently. The owner asked me if I wanted it cross-processed (they would develop it as normal film and would make for an interesting picture because the colors are different). I asked him how it would be done and this person beside me (I think they were hanging out there) laughed. I ignored it. The owner explained the process and so I told him that he can use his discretion so I can have the best picture quality possible. It seems that it would take longer if I wanted it processed as a slide film, so I told them to process it like regular film. The girl beside me laughed again.

I wanted to say to her: "shut up, you ugly person." (in my book, anyone who is insensitive enough to laugh at a moment like that is ugly.) But I decided to just be quiet.

Moment over.

I decided to get my bro some more Neopets TCG packs (and was rewarded by getting really good rares. H'ray!) ^_^

At the library today, while waiting for my stuff to be photocopied, I decided to check out the books I had pulled out. One of them, apparently, was so old that the last time it had been borrowed was in 1975. I miss library cards (the ones you find at the back of books that keeps a record of who borrowed it), I miss being able to see who else had read that book and when.

There is actually a study regarding this (I forget the term) -- the history of a book's ownership (bookplates, marginalia, etc.), but with modern technology, I wonder how future scholars are going to do this to our books.

~sigh~

My sister and I didn't get to watch Daredevil (ended up watching Matrix: Reloaded). Will try to watch it some time this week.

Today's quiz result:
holding hands
hand holding - you like to be in constant physical
contact with your special someone but you don't
want to take things too quickly.


What Sign of Affection Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla


Sunday, October 12, 2003

HASH(0x8549b7c)
Idol


The ULTIMATE personality test
brought to you by Quizilla

Hmmm... I'm not sure I agree with the results. (But I like Sarah Michelle Gellar, so... ^_^)

* * *

It is a quiet day. Just had lunch with sibs and picked up a copy of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code (in paperback!). I also updated my lomohome with some pictures I took when I went home to Iloilo and some random other pictures taken to use up the roll of film.

Got a copy of Matrix Reloaded on VCD. (Will wait to purchase boxed set when all three films come out)

Tonight, my sister and I plan to watch Daredevil. (We bought the local DVD because it has -- get this, Tagalog Subtitles!) ^_^

Well, that's it for now. TTFN!


Saturday, October 11, 2003

For the Harry Potter fans out there:
Emma Thompson has been cast to play Sybill Trelawney, the divinations professor. (I am excited! She's one of my favorite actresses.)

* * *

Today's quote is from my beloved WH Auden:
Pick a quarrel, go to war,
Leave the hero in the bar;
Hunt the lion, climb the peak:
No one guesses you are weak.

* * *

Today was excellent:
- very good, old friends (from our theater-watching days) visited and it was a blast talking to them (it really made our morning ^_^)

- accompanied D to Booktopia. It was raining so hard, we decided to seek refuge in Shopwise (my first time there!) and I was able to find my bro his Candy Corn (h'ray!). Booktopia is a wonderful bookstore! They had this book (Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, which I've been wanting to get for a really long time. (I saw the movie adaptation and loved it -- actually saw it twice!)

They have all of the the Onion books. (Which I also wanted to get. ~sigh~)

Will now devote my energies to convincing my sister to drive me there.

- played a few games of Neopets TCG with C and lost. (But it was fun! I'm still trying to figure out a strategy for this game.) Definitely need to get more cards, though.

- found out that I might get a chance to see Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill next weekend. ^_^

- had a really great time on the drive home with my sibs. (traffic was terrible, but we were all tanked up on sugar so ...)

Right now, am trying to decide which movie to watch for the evening. (Last night's Royal Tenenbaums was wonderful. I slept very well after. ^_^)




Friday, October 10, 2003

Quote for the day:
We are the artists, the lovers, the dreamers.
We cannot save this world, but we can make it worth saving.


* * *

the stars are high on sugar
and i marvel
at their carnival-color twinkle
as the lights reflect on them

it seems the sky is still and silent
allowing the festival to be
and the darkness
becomes blue, orange, yellow and red
all at the same time

they reach perfection
on a saccharine high
and i dance
to the sound of their cosmic laughter

* * *

I went to see my thesis advisor and he's finally giving me a grade for Lit295. (H'ray!) So from now until February, I will be reading and reading and reading to prepare for the comprehensive exam.

I'm glad Chapter 1 is done. This was the annoying part of the thesis. (The other annoying part would be having to defend my thesis when I finish it. ugh! =P)

My celebration tonight will consist of microwave popcorn and The Royal Tenenbaums.

Have a great weekend, everyone! ^_^

* * *

Watched Finding Nemo (ty, E!) and enjoyed it. Can't wait to get a DVD copy of it. ^_^


Thursday, October 09, 2003

(In the initial post, this was after my discussion of the Magdalene Sisters)
On a lighter note--

This is fun:
1. Go to Google.com
2. Type in: weapons of mass destruction
3. Click "I'm feeling lucky"
4. ^_^

Repeat the process, but type "french military victories"

* * *

Had a fab day--

Highlights of the morning:
Starbucks
the movie
lunch & dessert
... the whole morning, basically ^_^
(Thanks, G! ^_^)

Now, about the movie I'd been dying to watch (and finally did today):

***Spoiler Alert***
***Spoiler Alert***
***Spoiler Alert***

"Magdalene Sisters" was everything I expected it to be and more.

The story is set in very Catholic Ireland during the 1960s. Named after Mary Magdalene, the Magdalene Asylum was a house for "fallen women". The focus of the movie are on four characters: Margaret, Rose/Patricia, Crispina/Harriet and Bernadette. These women were sent to the asylum for different reasons but it all boiled down to the fact that they were *women*. ~sigh~

An early scene in the movie shows Margaret, Rose and Bernadette being instructed by the Head Nun of the asylum (Sister Bridget) on why they are there. (women as a "moral danger" that should pay for their sins, can only be cleansed through work, blahblahblah) It is interesting to note that, as this scene is played out, the audience never get to see the face of the nun, only her hands as they count wads of bills. (Throughout the movie, Sister Bridget would be seen counting money, rolling them into nice, neat rolls and tossing them into cookie tins.)

Peter Mullan (director) establishes that Sister Bridget loves money and money is what personifies Sister Bridget. (Ah, but this proves to be her undoing in the end.)

What's in a Name?
Sister Bridget proceeds to ask the three girls for their names. When it is Rose's turn, Sister Bridget informs her that they already have a Rose and that she should find herself another name. A person's name is his mark in this world. It is the essence of a person's individuality. The girls try to articulate their identity (= articulate self), but this is promptly dismissed by 'the power that be'/Sister Bridget/B**ch from Hell(= not be part of social process).

**Nice soundbyte: "There is no known culture that does not use the pronoun 'I' and which does not therefore have a conception of self and personhood. -Chris Barker, Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice

Another inmate of the asylum, Crispina also experienced the same thing. There is a connection between Rose/Patricia and Crispina as they both had babies out of wedlock. When Crispina introduces herself to Rose/Patricia, she tells Patricia that her name means 'girl with the curly hair.' (This is odd because Crispina has very short and very straight hair.) She later reveals that the nuns gave her that name.

There is a preoccupation with names in this movie. In a later scene, Bernadette 'seduces' a delivery boy into helping her escape. The boy reluctantly agrees, but ends up backing out, claiming that he didn't even know her name. The girls never introduce themselves to one another and hardly speak to each other.

Every day, they stand in line and wash, dry and press clothes. In one scene, Crispina tosses a piece of clothing to Margaret, telling her that 'she doesn't wash whites.' (Fordist?)

So there they were, without names or families or explanations on what they were doing there. Abandoned, betrayed, forgotten by the very people they trusted and loved.

Like the first Magdalene, these women suffered.
Like Mary Magdalene, these women were misunderstood and written off.

So, is there redemption in the end?
After four years, Margaret's brother rushes into the asylum and "rescues" her. Margaret is in shock, she couldn't believe it was that easy; that all it took was a father or a brother to go there and get her. While packing her bags, her brother tells her to hurry. (Loved this part:) Margaret tells her brother that he has no right to tell her to hurry; that he doesn't know what she had gone through. She shoves her luggage at him and walks ahead.

Eventually, Rose/Patricia and Bernadette also escape. As Rose/Patricia boards the bus, Bernadette's cousin wishes her well, calling her Patricia. Rose/Patricia turns around and tells her that her name is Rose. In the end, Rose/Patricia finally finds the courage to claim her identity and to speak her name.

Peter Mullan presents a stark and vivid image of society's distrust and fear of women in the mid-20th century. There is no effort to glamorize the characters or the situation. It is all done very plainly (hardly any background music), as though the director wants the "truth" to speak for itself.

Is it really the truth? Mullan has been accused of being biased against the Catholic Church (the Vatican has condemned this movie). There were several scenes that showed the nuns in a somewhat sympathetic light: one could see how uneasy and uncomfortable the nuns were while the priest was filming them (to them, acting natural is standing rather stiffly.) Sister Bridget was excited over a movie and cried through it, and in the end, when she had to choose between the key to the front gate or the key to the safe where all her money was, she showed how "weak her flesh" was when she chose the latter.

Bottom line: I'm glad I watched this movie. (I'm still going to Church on Sunday. ^_^)

If you want to know more about the Magdalene Asylums, click here

Wednesday, October 08, 2003

Found this in a random blog I decided to visit:
STRESSED is DESSERTS spelled backwards. ^_^

And this one is my favorite by Dorothy Parker:
Razors pain you;
Rivers are damp;
Acids stain you;
And drugs cause cramp.
Guns aren't lawful;
Nooses give;
Gas smells awful;
You might as well live.

* * *

Submitted (what I hope) is my final draft of Chapter 1/Thesis Proposal. Meeting with my thesis advisor this Friday (I'm hoping to submit a draft of Chapter 2).

I just want to get this over with!

* * *

Looking forward to watching Magdalene Sisters tomorrow with G. This was one of the movies my bro and I planned to watch at the HKIFF, but there was that whole SARS bit. I'm glad I'm getting another chance to watch it. ^_^




Tuesday, October 07, 2003

Questions for this evening:

Are Charlson Ong's stories helpful in dismantling these structures of knowledge and images of the Chinese Filipino? Does he replace them with new structures or does he reinforce them?

How does Orientalism apply to Chinese-Filipino writing?

These are questions that I have to address in my Conceptual Framework. (Notice, no mention of Foucault ~hee hee~ I was pretty happy about not seeing any corrections or questions in the Foucault section of my Framework. ^_^)

* * *

Am now the happy owner of Dido's first album. (H'ray!) Apparently,

D had it and was willing to sell it for a song. And there I was looking for it in Megamall and Power Plant (got very annoyed with the service of Music1/Tower in Powerbooks Megamall).

This is what I got from Fully Booked last Sunday. I wonder if this is the same David Lodge who is the editor of our English Lit bible (Modern Criticism and Theory).

The covers were so pretty (and quite affordable, considering where I was) so I decided to try one book. (Not that I have the time to read it right now. ~sigh~)
Ugh ... now I remember why it took so long for me to start drinking again.

It is 4 in the morning and I am awake. Erg. >_<

Oh well, there _is_ a thesis chapter that needs to be revised (and one the needs to be written.)

On the bright side, I spent the evening re-reading Auden and rediscovered why I loved this poet so much. (Read his treatise on the unwritten love poem. Galing! ^_^)

And I wrote a poem last night. (H'ray!) But I have to fix it up pa.

- - -> Back to our regular programming =P

... a few minutes later:
C'est moi, procrastinator.

I open my thesis file and type the question Jonathan has been asking me all along. "How does Charlson Ong figure into this whole discussion about the discourse on the Chinese Filipino?" That's how much I've typed since 4.

How _does_ he figure into all this? (It is a time like this when I wish I had fought to get my other thesis topic approved. ~sigh~)

Currently reading Nick Joaquin's "Culture as History" to find the answer. (I have an answer in my head, but I need someone with more say to back me up.)

... I am amused by my own blog entry.

Oh, and I finally found this:
The Charolastra Manifesto (from Y Tu Mama Tambien)
1. No hay honor mas grande que ser un charolastra.
2. Cada cual puede hacer de su culo un papalote.
3. Pop mata poesi­a.
4. Un "toque" al di­a... la llave de la alegri­a.
5. No te tiraras a la vieja de otro charolastra.
6. Puto el que le vaya al America.
7. Que muera la moral y que viva la chaqueta.
8. Prohibido casarse con una virgen.
9. Puto el que le vaya al America (se repite).
10. La "neta" es chida pero inalcanzable.

No. 2 Everyone can do with their life what they want.
No. 3 Pop kills poetry
No. 10 The truth is really amazing but totally unattainable.

... isn't it amazing how much non-thesis work I can accomplish while working on my thesis? ^_^

currently listening to:
Salva Nos (Noir OST)
A New Day Has Come (Celine Dion)
Pachelbel's Kanon (My Sassy Girl OST)
You Were Always on My Mind (Elvis Presley)

Progress Report:
Just need to rearrange my Review of Related Literature and discuss how Said's Orientalism applies to Chinese Filipino Writing.

... sooooo close. ~sigh~

Monday, October 06, 2003

I'm sitting here with a glass of Singapore Sling (made of Dry Gin, Benedictine D.O.M., Cointreau, Cherry Brandy, Grenadine, etc. etc.) mixed with Sprite beside me. I had planned to do this last night (drink, I mean) but I didn't have Sprite then. We do have a bottle of wine, but it wasn't chilled yet. (And I didn't want to drink Tequila, because it isn't a drink to nurse)

I sound like a lush, don't I? (I'm not. This is the first time I'm drinking an alcoholic beverage in a really long time -- about 2 years?)

Currently enjoying: Dido's Life for Rent and the song in my head is "White Flag". It has been a while since I bought any new CDs (I guess that comes from liking classical music -- for a while, my sister and I were content listening to the many versions of Giuseppi Tartini's "The Devil's Trill Sonata" we had collected).

So far, two glasses and nothing. Maybe the alcohol content of the Sling has evaporated.

Oh well.

For those peeps texting me, I apologize if I don't reply as often. I am currently trying to get used to the Ericsson interface (and failing miserably). Please allow 6 to 10 days for response. ^_^ (And I don't know how to do smileys on the Ericsson ... so, sorry also if my replies aren't smiley-filled.)

You are MARLIN!
What Finding Nemo Character are You?

brought to you by Quizilla

Not that I know who this character is. (Missed the movie ~sniff~)


Thesis Burnout

All I need to do before the semester ends is to submit a revised draft of my Chapter 1. I've been percolating the ideas for some time now and I know what I need to write.

So why is it that, when I sat down to write it, I had a visual image of the completed, revised draft but I couldn't write it down on paper? Something in me is impatient that I can't get something that is done (mentally), done in reality.

Did that make any sense at all?

Oh, new stuff I got yesterday: Dido's latest album and Lisa Ono's Dans Mon Ile (French Bossa Nova singer -- E got me started listening to Bossa Nova ^_^)

It is 7:33am -- I have about 30 minutes to get my act together. ~sigh~

On the other hand, it is 12 days before I go on a 3-day vacation. (H'ray!)

Sunday, October 05, 2003

Can you say "Thwart"?

This seems to be the catchword for the day -- thwart.

We set out to Power Plant to try to watch "Underworld" only to discover that they had "removed" the movie. (Something to do with the MTRCB) So we decide to just go around to check for stuff and then go to have lunch at Blue Bacon Cafe in San Juan.

Then we try to look for my bro's Halloween candy (candy corn, etc. etc.) -- T adores this holiday because of the candy. We couldn't find any -- not in Candy Corner or in Rustan's Fresh. ~sigh~ He had to content himself with gummi bears.

Then we went to Fully Booked to check for any new Terry Pratchett books (or anything my brothers hadn't read yet) -- no luck.

~sigh~

I felt a bit bad because I was able to get some of the stuff I needed (I was in the market for new skirts and shirts -- oh, and a new watch because my other watch died again.)

A new discovery is Mosaic, a clothing shop in Power Plant. I'd been interested in checking them out for some time now, but could never do so because my sibs don't like it when I'm "bush whacking". It was a good thing Mosaic is very close to Candy Corner so I snuck in. ^_^

Okay, this is the part I love ~tee hee~
I automatically pick the items that are in my size and I asked the salesperson if I could try it on. She looked at me and told me that what I had chosen might be too big for me and proceeded to pick the size she thought was right for me. (They fit perfectly. ^_^) So I am now the proud owner of two relatively inexpensive pieces of clothing from Mosaic. I will have my brothers buy me more clothes from them during Christmas. (I love having new clothes to wear. ^_^)

And then there was lunch. Blue Bacon Cafe is a bit inaccessible, but we'd been wanting to try that place for a really long time. Since we were thwarted with almost everything else today, we decided to just go for it. Lunch was an amazing experience! The servers were efficient and friendly and the food was (to borrow E's phrase) ab fab. It's a bit pricey, though, so be prepared to spend a little bit more.

* * *

Semi-funny/Slightly disturbing observation today:

There is a derma/beauty clinic in the same building as Blue Bacon Cafe and they had a list of the services they offered. One of them is groin peel/bleach.

I don't know why people would have it done. I don't want to know how they do it.

I don't want to know.


Decided to transfer my journal to blogger.

I decided to move because my other journal doesn't allow for any customization. (Not that I can handle html... but, it's the thought that counts.)

Had thought to move all of the entries here manually, but that journal did hold about two years of my life so... no. ^_^

My sibs and I plan to go see Underworld today. I'm hoping the theaters won't be so crowded because I am looking forward to "buying the bucket".

It's 7-something in the am and I'm just waiting for my pRO character to regenerate before playing again.

Will definitely change the layout to this page ... I just have to convince one of my bros to do it for me.