Wednesday, November 26, 2003



Just had to share this -- it's the latest issue of Runaways and the covers are done by Jo Chen. Isn't it pretty? ^_^

* * *

And, FINALLY, Matthew Arnold writes something interesting:
... we have to turn to poetry to interpret life for us, to console us, to sustain us. Without poetry, our science will appear incomplete; and most of what now passes with us for religion and philosophy will be replaced by poetry.

I still have to plod through his Culture and Anarchy. ~sigh~

I think next on my list is TS Eliot.

* * *



What .hack//SIGN Character Are You?

tranfiguration
You excel at Transfiguration. One of the most
dificult classes, you seem to be a natural at
turning a coke bottle into a homework pass.


Which Class at Hogwarts Would You Excel at?
brought to you by Quizilla

* * *

Am getting ready to make a list of the things that defined 2003 for me. (Can't believe there's only a month left!)


Monday, November 24, 2003

"Release" will be at Ebisu, Jupiter St. tomorrow night, November 25, at 10PM. 2 sets of unplugged
R&B.


This is the group that provided the OST for my four years in college. For people able to go, try to -- this is a really great group and you won't regret going. (I wish I could go, but I'll be too sleepy to appreciate the music. ~sigh~)

* * *

The recollection was great. (I got some much-needed spiritual rejuvenation. ^_^) I also got to meet up with friends (7 from my batch attended ^_^), which is always excellent.

* * *

To answer G's question, I haven't progressed with my NaNoWriMo writing. I had intended to use my time alone in Burgundy to write, but I fell asleep way too early. I have a lot of story starts, but I haven't really written anything beyond that.

B has given me a story idea and I am trying to see if I can write it.

Meanwhile, I am writing a lot of other things (I wrote my thoughts on Early Mornings in Katipunan Avenue and some other stuff.)

~sigh~

I am not discouraged -- Samuel Johnson wrote Rasselas in a week. I can do something in the same amount of time (or am hoping to do something ...)

* * *

Currently reading Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky, which I found at Fully Booked. Intriguing book. Am in the first chapter and it's making me crave salty stuff. (help!)



Wednesday, November 19, 2003

C posted this on the Friendster bulletin board --

last cigarette: i don't smoke
last kiss: do besos count?
last good cry: did get teary-eyed in some scenes of Matrix Revolutions / My Sassy Girl?
last library book(s) checked out: some books by Michel Foucault
last movie seen: Matrix Revolutions! (J visited us yesterday and we had a non-spoiler discussion of it -- siyempre, my sister and I couldn't stand it na so, after the store closed, we went to Theater Mall to watch it ^_^)
last cuss word uttered: i say a lot -- especially when going through Santolan and having to contend with really stupid drivers
last drink: hot chocolate from Delifrance!
last food consumed: chicken mayo on ciabatta from Delifrance
last crush: ?
last phone call: to our housekeeper informing her that we wouldn't be home for dinner last night
last tv show watched: Mr. Bean the Animated Series
last time showered: a few minutes ago
last shoes worn: birks
last cd played: Lisa Ono (Bossa Nova)
last item bought: notepad and a pen
last downloaded: ?
last annoyance: i try not to be so annoyed these days
last thing wriitten: this entry? some pRO-related stuff
last sleep: 8 hours ago
last chatted with: online? in person? my sister
last sexual fantasy: ... ^_^
last weird encounter: ?
last ice cream eaten: been a while.
last time amused: i am amused all the time ^_^
last time wanting to die: not in a really, really long time ^_^
last time hugged: last night
last time scolded: the housekeeper, pero light scolding lang
last chair sat in: this one
last shirt worn: the bear shirt I bought in Cam
last poster looked at: the movie posters in Theater Mall (one that stood out was Tom Cruise's The Last Samurai)
last show attended: Rent concert at Greenbelt? been such a looooong time!
last song: well, Matrix Revolutions -- great soundtrack ^_^

* * *

I enjoyed Matrix Revolutions ^_^

Monday, November 17, 2003



Last Saturday, we held the Black Hand pre-release tourney at the store. It was exhausting! (But we had a LOT of fun. It was nice seeing some players again -- so many of them we hadn't seen in MONTHS. ^_^)

Wanted to share the image above because I made it. ^_^ (I never knew you could scan a film negative and have that effect. Sobra akong natuwa ^_^)

* * *

Finished reading Nick Hornby's 31 Songs. Now I'm reading Harriet the Spy.

In compre news:
I also finished Samuel Johnson's Rasselas and am now reading William Wordsworth "Preface to the Lyrical Ballads". ~so many things to read ^_^~

* * *

From zero to hectic:
For the past few weeks, I've been idle socially (did this make sense? oh well) -- except for meeting up with my friend F for reg and lunch last week, I haven't seen any of my friends in a really long time (we keep making plans, but our skeds just don't match ~sigh~).

This week, however, promises to be busy:
Monday
- meet with C (friend whom I haven't seen in a REALLY long time. She's back in town filming a documentary) and possibly Dr. B (dept head/college thesis advisor and one of my favorite AdMU faculty ^_^)

Tuesday
- meet with C who's teaching a class in Ateneo again this semester. (Another friend e-mailed asking if we could meet for dinner in Makati -- I asked her if we could meet next Tuesday instead and if we could do lunch)

Saturday
- Alumni Recollection in AdMU

For those interested:
Date: Saturday, 22 November 2003
Recollection Master: Fr. Thomas H. Green, S.J., Spiritual Director, San Jose Major Seminary
Theme: The Basics of Ignatian Incarnational Prayer
Venue: Ateneo-Splash Foundation West Room, Second Floor, Moro Lorenzo Sports Center

8:30- 9:00 Registration.
9:00-12:00 Recollection, Reflection, Confession
12:00- 1:30 Lunch for those with reservations
1:30- 3:30 Continuation of Recollection
3:30- 4:00 Mass at the Prayer Room, Moro Lorenzo Sports Center

Telephone: 426-6001 local 4089 (Lara), 4083 (Jeng), 4084 (Mercy)

* * *

Last Thursday, my sister and I made an early morning trip to Antipolo. For the first time (in our short history here in Metro Manila), we rolled down our windows and enjoyed cool, fresh air. The place we visited was beautiful! I took lots of pictures and can't wait to have them developed. ^_^

Friday, November 14, 2003

Check this out.

* * *

Instructions: Choose a singer/band/musician and answer only in song titles or album titles by them:

I choose: Tori Amos!

1. Are you male or female?
Cornflake Girl

2. How old are you?
Pretty Good Year ^_^

3. Describe yourself:
A Sorta Fairytale / Silent All These Years / Happy Phantom

4. How do some people feel about you?
(maybe we should ask them? ^_^) Professional Widow? hahahaha =D / Strange Little Girl

5. How do you feel about yourself?
Winter / Caught A Lite Sneeze / Precious Things / China

6. Describe your ex:
Past the Mission / Crucify (bitter ba? ^_^)

7. Describe your views on significant others and crushes:
Precious Things

8. Describe what you want:
Spark / Bliss

9. Describe how you live:
Taxi Ride / Winter

10.Describe how you love:
Losing My Religion (she has a version of this song ^_^)

11. Share a few words of wisdom:
Spark:
"if the divine master plan is perfection
maybe next i'll give judas a try"

Wednesday:
"so we go from year to year
with secrets we've been
keeping"

"Seems as if we're
circling for very
different reasons "

Winter:
"when you gonna make up your mind
when you gonna love you as much as i do
when you gonna make up your mind
cause things are gonna change so fast"


Wednesday, November 12, 2003

You are King's Quest!
You are King's Quest. Peabo Bryson sings for you.


Which Sierra On-Line adventure series are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Happy Deathday!
Your name:kiteflying
You will die on:Friday, March 11, 2033
You will die of:Serial Killer Victim
Username:
Created by Quill


* * *

Got these from J's LJ. I thought the questions were interesting, so...

1) Describe your ideal weather conditions.
Today (November 12, Wednesday) was close to perfect -- it wasn't too wet or too hot. It was pleasant for walks or for staying in.

2) Who is your favorite character from a movie?
Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's, Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung's character) in Hero, GoGo in Kill Bill, Dory from Finding Nemo (~just keep swimming, just keep swimming~)

3) What are three things you'd like to do before you turn 30?
i. backpack through Europe -- visit the Louvre, Stratford (also watch a Shakespearean play at The Globe), Sistine Chapel (and take more time to look at the ceiling this time ^_^)
ii. learn how to make souffle and good creme brulee
iii. visit Japan and watch a Sakura Taisen live action play

4) What are you looking forward to about going back to college? (to focus on the positive aspects!)
odd question -- what i like about being back in Loyola Heights for my MA is the chance to walk that quiet, secluded, out-of-the-way path from de la Costa to the overpass (time for contemplation).

5) What one object that you own do you have the most attachment to and why?
my sanity? hahahaha! ^_^

An object? I thought I lost my pillow (childhood relic) when I was at Cambridge and I was crying over the loss, but after a while, I realized that we lose objects to make room for new things (rationalized it) -- buti na lang, the cleaning lady discovered it in the pile of dirty sheets and returned it to me (whew!). (Couldn't sleep! had to hug a book, which approximates it's size)

I get attached to people and would be devastated if I lost them, but not objects.

* * *

1. Name one song you hate to admit you like.
OMG! Backstreet Boys' All I Have to Give

2. Name two songs that always make you cry.
Mancini's Moon River
Tori Amos' Winter/Silent All These Years

(also, Jonathan Larson's I'll Cover You from RENT, Chopin's Impromptu-Fantasie)

3. Name three songs that turn you on.
DMB's Crash Into Me
Texas' In Demand
3EB's Deep Inside of You

(also, the theme from In the Mood for Love)

4. Name four songs that always make you feel good.
Bruce Springsteen's Secret Garden
The Corrs' What Can I Do
Oji Hiroi's So Special A Day (from the Sakura Taisen Kiseki no Kane concert)
Jonathan Larson's La Vie Boheme and Seasons of Love from RENT

5. Name five songs you couldn't ever do without.
Everything from RENT
DMB's Crash Into Me
Tori Amos' Taxi Ride (actually, Everything by Tori Amos)
(I know this shouldn't count, but) Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Chorale
Yuko Sasaki's Pure Snow

* * *

The Garage (JesCom Creative Technologies) is holding a series of workshop this November and December for:
Macromedia Flash (17 - 21 November, 530 to 730pm)
Adobe Photoshop (24 - 28 November, 530 to 730pm) - a friend is teaching this class ^_^
Web Design - Dreamweaver (1 - 5 December, 530 to 730pm)
Adobe Illustrator (8 - 12 December, 530 to 730pm)

at: The Garage Building, Seminary Drive (behind Sonolux)

For more info: 4265971 to 72; thegarage@atenista.net

* * *

Currently reading: Samuel Johnson's The History of Rasselas -- which I am enjoying ^_^

Saturday, November 08, 2003

Making Time

Look at what I made:
Hours of me wrapped in gift paper--

Time will alter itself to suit us
Allowing us to linger and savor the presence of each other
We will share our lifetimes over iced tea and cake, and
Cram past lives and laughter into the minutes
In the seconds, we will pause to seek out
Hidden meanings and innuendoes

Until the ice cubes melt
And there is nothing left to consume but crumbs

11.8.2003

* * *

Listening to:
Taxi Ride and A Sorta Fairytale by Tori Amos

* * *

Been reading Endless Vow: The Zen Path of Soen Nakagawa before I sleep. It's interesting -- it's this Buddhist monk's diary and he writes about his experiences through haiku. I enjoy the brief moment of contemplation it gives me every evening.

An interesting entry:
"Having left in the evening, I arrive at noon of the same day. If you take a jet, it is possible for you to arrive before you have left! Past and future are all cut off." - Soen Nakagawa

B and I once had a discussion about the flow of time -- a fascinating subject: if we chart the flow of time, what would we discover? Does time move in a straight line? Or in a spiral?

I've always believed that time does not move in a straight line. From 9:00am to 9:01am, many things come into the picture -- we think about the past and our future. There is a constant reaching back and reaching forward. Our memories/past pervades into our present (which explains, rather simplistically, Dali's Persistence of Memories -- am sure there's a deeper meaning, but am happy with this one in the meantime ^_^)

Re: the poem -- I've become fascinated with the image of 'making time' to do things. Something so arts-and-craftsy about the whole notion of having to make time -- so much you can do with it. ^_^

* * *

Yes, I said this --
You can find a lot of poppycock these days. (By poppycock, I mean the caramel popcorn with nuts, which you can buy by the box -- glorious sugar fix!)

When I said this to B this morning, he had to stop and think about it first. Had to clarify that I wasn't making a political statement, but a craving-for-sugar one. ^_^

Friday, November 07, 2003

Currently loving: Shizukana Hibi no Kaidan Wo (The Steps of Quiet Days) by Dragon Ash (End theme from Battle Royale)

The video for Battle Royale 2 will be released on November 11. ^_^

* * *

Webcomics I read:
Heart of the City
Sinfest
Pop Culture (not a comic)

This is a fun strip. Too bad you have to pay to read more.

* * *

I finished registering after 3 days -- normally, for grad students, it shouldn't take more than 20 minutes, but if you're like me who didn't bother finding out reg procedures, etc. etc., it takes 3 days. ^_^

But it was a fun three days -- day 2, I shared with my friend F who is also taking her compre this February. Too bad she's in Ed -- still don't have a compre review partner (not that I need one, really).

* * *



Too bad my scanner doesn't scan pictures properly anymore ~sigh~. I did submit a shot to this month's LomoMission. ^_^

Wednesday, November 05, 2003

Ah, the music has changed -- slightly:
I am the One by Crackout
All I Want is You by U2
Come Away with Me by Norah Jones (there's something about the transition from U2's AIWIY to Norah Jones' CAWM that is so breathtaking ^_^)
Dreams by Cranberries
Story of a Girl by Nine Days
That Day by Natalie Imbruglia
Spark by Tori Amos

* * *

Had to share this... (Ty, to P for posting this on my Friendster board)

ADDRESS SEARCH
by Franz Wright

And you will find me
any night
now, try
at the motherless sky.
Com

How dare you
interrupt
me.com

IĆ¢€™m sorry
I was ever born.com

No doubt
You can always find
Me any
Time, any
Where

In the damned world

* * *

Well, today is the day for Revolution (Matrix, that is). Maybe if my sister and I get insanely bored today we might consider watching the 10pm show ... and maybe we won't. ^_^

I am excited for this, but will probably wait a week or two before watching it. (I don't appreciate paying x amount of money to go to the theater to hear other people talk or watch other people fiddle with their phones.)

Got treated to a visit from J and B yesterday and it was a wonderful reward after plodding through Sir Philip Sidney's "Defense of Poesie," which I finished reading. (H'ray for me!) Today, I'll be reading Alexander Pope.

* * *

For those of you wondering how goes the sharing of poetry dog tags, well here's what's been given away:
history beyond insanity - my bro, R
desire - P
end - Z
existence - A (gives great tarot readings ^_^)
fool - C
pain/inferno - D
karma - C
liquid - B (who does supreme work ^_^)
plant - my bro, N
rain - B
reveal - G
sparkle - C
strange - M
time - J
universe - E
why me - A

... did I miss anyone? Apologies, it is 7am and my mind isn't completely awake yet. But let me know if I missed anyone. I'd like to keep a record of this (and test how well my memory can handle this ^_^)

* * *

I really should be writing the work that needs to be done for NaNoWriMo. I'm deciding whether I should post the prelude of the story here. I have a superstition kasi about unfinished work being posted, so I wonder if I should tempt the fates.



Monday, November 03, 2003



* * *
Quote for the day:

... as a writer, I don't normally have much patience for the ineffable -- I ought to think that everything's effing effable, otherwise what's the point?

- Nick Hornby, 31 Songs

Sunday, November 02, 2003

Currently listening to:
"If I Am" by Nine Days
"Come Back to Me" by M-Flo
"Spark" by Tori Amos
"Rumble Fish" by Do As Infinity

Just wanted to share this image. My bro took this picture just as we were leaving the hotel. I just love how the movement was captured in this picture. ^_^

So I am writing this and clicking away using my new optical wheel mouse (thanks to B for the price list and for suggestions ^_^) -- still trying to get used to it, but it fills the current need. ^_^

* * *

Was at Fully Booked today and planned to buy AS Byatt's other books. It turns out there's a boxed set of the only series she wrote. Decided not to get it yet, though -- took me two years (yes, two years) to finish reading her A Biographer's Tale. Figured it would take that much time to read the other books (and there are four of them in that series!).

Settled for Amanda Brown's Legally Blonde. (Yes, this is where the movie was based on.) There were soooo many nice books there! (curses...)

Had Dencio's sisig for the first time. Remembered reading a survey on the best sisig in town and Dencio's was mentioned. It was yummy!

* * *

Some insight:

.
.
indulge me ^_^
.
.

I realized that I need to trust people more. I don't know when it was when I lost faith in the world, but that's where I am right now. When A gave me the tarot reading, the card that really stood out for me was Ice-olation. It was the image of a person curled up, frozen inside a block of ice.

That's how I feel most of the time -- I've become ice.

I guess this is the source of my stress. I guess this why my shoulders hurt and why I worry all the time.

~sigh~

I want to put down the barriers. I really do. But where does one start?

Saturday, November 01, 2003

Quizzie goodness

*Professional Widow Faerie*
You are Professional Widow Faerie! You don't take
anyone's shit. You are strong and beautiful and
can be dangerous as well. Check out this song
to find your own personal meaning.


~Which Tori Amos Faerie Are You~
brought to you by Quizilla

Team leader Mina Murray
---Mina Murray: Shrewd Leader---
An encounter some years ago killed the innocent
Mina Harker, leaving a world-weary, deeply
scarred Mina Murray, who divorces her husband
and rejects the scorn of high society to help
the innocent ad protect the commonwealth. Your
stern leadership and forceful presence are the
glue that keeps the league together, exceeding
all expectations. The world, however, is still
a harsh place for a divorce' with no
superpowers, and, after all, no woman is an
island.


The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: which "League" member are you?
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