Guess What?

A total of 52 years' worth of friendship is in this picture. Seriously.

Friendship with Abby = 17 years
Friendship with Arvin = 17 years
Friendship with EJ = 18 years (debut age!)

Grand total = 52 years!

Yes, I am proud to still be friends with those who have known me when I was eight. They will be helping me with wedding chores, etcetera, etcetera. Which means we necessarily have to be friends for decades after. And our children, and children's children should be friends too. That's a sweet yet creepy thought... (for reasons I can't explain... LOL!)

Alumni Homecoming

I am not really familiar with the standards set by whoever as to whenever an alumni reunion must be held. Yesterday, however, we had a college alumni homecoming. It was nice seeing old faces again, friendlier albeit older (and hopefully, wiser) faces. Unlike other reunions, I guess the KC Reunion was a much friendlier affair because no matter how we turned out, there was a general atmosphere of supportive-ness. I was also surprised at the number of fellow Kalayistas taking up law! A few more Kalayaan graduates to enter law school and I'll start thinking about setting up a law students' support group. LOL As if reading cases won't be enough work! Here are some of our pictures:

The triumverate is complete! Also, Carlo looks like Tracy in this shot.

 

Our requisite photo with the school founders

Old friends. Posing outside and not knowingly, right in front if the school's new van!

Bonus: we got free coffee from Vaj! He's setting up a business of roasting coffee and has given away samples at the event. No wonder Vaj was such a wonderful group mate in our Marketing classes. He's really planning on being an entrepreneur. I hope I will be as successful in my plans of becoming a business lawyer. =)

Free coffee! I am sucker for freebies, you know.

Next week, me and my college sweetheart will be tying the knot. I guess our story didn't end with our college graduation. Neither will our stories with our college friends. =)

Masquerade Party

Ho hum. I've been busy (and stressed) from all the preparations I have to go through for the wedding (in six days... yikes!) and have been neglecting my personal blog. I feel like hurling through the nearest wall any wedding magazine I see, even when only a few months ago I hungrily and dreamily search each and every page of The Wedding Digest and Martha Stewart Weddings. 

At least, in the last two days, my last weekend of being unmarried, I was able to do some non-wedding-related stuff. Our office Christmas party held last Friday is the most beautiful and opulent office event I've been to so far. I wore an old dress of my sister's, since I wanted to save every peso I have for incidental wedding expenses, even when my mask and jewelry were not exactly cheap. Even when I didn't win the Best Costume award, at least I got to doll myself up. (I'm the simple, classic, button-down shirt, straight skirt and black pumps girl, with only lip gloss on.) Here's a masqueraded me with a cocktail dress on, sans makeup. (One of these days I am truly learning makeup skills, grrr!)

A few pics of my office mates who have turned into faeries and princesses and angels and empresses for the night:

Our Best in Costume awardee:

Fried Garlic Beef Adobo

The supermarket gave me lean beef cubes when I paid for kenchie! Next time, will check the meat first before leaving. My fried beef garlic adobo would've been better with ribbons of fat lacing through the meat. I tried to compensate by making a tastier sauce... this dish was a lesson learned. I also burned the garlic in the process. Oh well. At least my boneless chicken curry from last week turned out well.

The Chronicles of Narnia

What I was not able to mention in my previous blog post was that the thing that brought me back to book buying and readings was, finding this huge bargain of The Chronicles of Narnia books 1-7 at a Book Sale, for only 40 pesos per book! (Less than a dollar each.) 

Inspired by my great find, I decided to once again comb the second hand book stores for even more bargains. But nothing came up except for Weekend by Christopher Pike, and The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans, something that I haven't read and which I hope is good, because its not my normal genre of interest and I only got it to keep an open mind about books in general.

I have read up to Book 4, Prince Caspian, when I took a break and shifted back to Pikean horror. Narnia books are children's books.

Weekend by Christopher Pike

When I was in high school, I devoured horror books (especially vampire books), mysteries / whodunnits and thriller books. I enjoyed reading Stephen King, R. L. Stine and Christopher Pike at a time when most of my friends read teenage chick lit and other trash about dating boys. Now that I look back at it, the books that I read were still very teenage-y with a lot of references on dating, but there's still some interesting aspect in them like a monster or a killer destroying everything and love prevailing over the rest. I avoid romance novels like the plague, they're something that spinster aunts love to read. But I still get my dose of romance - in books with very unromantic covers, lol!

One night after work, I fell back into my old habit of searching for second-hand pocketbooks in the mall. I found something that made me feel nostalgic in an instant - a book by Christopher Pike. Mind you, I didn't go to high school when Christopher Pike became a bestselling author; he was popular back in the '80s and '90s, and this book, called Weekend, was published in 1986, a year after I was born. Still, I am a lover of old second-hand books; I had very little money as a student, and I always chose the thickest, cheapest novels that I could buy with my money. Maybe that's one of the reasons why I chose horror over romance - I get more pages in a book, the book gives me an adrenaline fix (and not make me sleep), and thus, I get more value for my money.

When I got back to reading Christopher Pike again, it was like the good old days when all I worry about was algebra, bringing a cute shoulder bag for all of my school stuff, and finding a good book to read. Yet it wasn't as good as I remembered it to be.

Lol = King Leonidas vs. Chuck Norris

I've never been a fan of Chuck Norris, except for the Chuck Norris fact generator which can get funny sometimes, but here's a cool video of CN and King Leonidas battling. Who won? Watch to find out!

Blood Diamonds

After watching a National Geographic Channel documentary on diamonds, I began to dislike these petty rocks. They may be sparkly and last forever, but some diamonds have been paid for with the blood of innocents in war. Blood diamonds, or those that come from war-torn regions (like Liberia, Angola, Congo, Zimbabwe, etc.), are sold by rebel groups / insurgents, in exchange for weapons to be used to kill people and destroy lives. These diamonds have been mined in terrible conditions and by prisoners-of-war or slaves held at gunpoint. Many people die - women, children, the sick and the elderly - at the diamond mines. How could anyone wear this rock on their finger as a promise of love, without seeing the faces of those murdered in exchange for it?

I remember a story I read as a child in a storybook written by Oscar Wilde. It's about a prince who dreamed of what he wanted to wear in his coronation. He saw a young boy diving for pearls in sea, paying the price of a perfect pearl with his own life. He saw slaves digging for rubies being whipped by a tyrant slave master. He saw gold vestments being woven by child laborers who work in the cold, having eaten only a single measly meal for the day. In the end, he went to his coronation in the simplest of garments - and ruled as the best king of his land. 

The most precious things in life aren't the ones that are superficial. A diamond may be precious, but a human life is priceless.

I Kissed a Nerd and I Liked It!

I kiss a nerd every day, and I like it a lot! Of course, my nerd is better looking than the nerds in this video. XD From Geeks Are Sexy.

Cheesy!

Because I am still a girl, I got *googly* with this Facebook exchange!

It was an "Aww, how sweet moment"! I've always known there's only one for me, and until now, this knowledge has never changed.

Dr. Quinzel and Dr. Arkham

A few days ago, my boss lent me his Harley Quinn comic books. I got to read them during my commute time (while waiting for a ride in a coffee shop - another story) There was a scene in an issue where Harley got fired by Dr. Arkham himself, when she set the Joker free. Somehow this seemed like an anachronism to me, because Dr. Arkham seems like a very old person, from when Arkham Asylum was first built, presumably in an older time than when Harley and the Joker existed.Speculation led to the Dr. Arkham firing Harley to be Arham Jr. C tries to set things right:

Malaysia Truly Asia

I know I am mababaw (shallow) but I really like this ad! I love the song; its so calming. I enjoy catching this ad on TV. I like singing the song in my spare time, also, and I wish I could download the full version of this ad so I can watch it whenever I feel like woolgathering.

I am not entirely impressed by Malaysia as a tourist spot. Of course, this is a biased view, because I am a Filipino and I think that the Philippines is still a better looking country (and cheaper!). Maybe if I get to visit Malaysia someday, I will have a point of comparison. From the commercials, though, which showcase Malaysia's tourism wonders, I can name spots in the Philippines which can compete, if not surpass, Malaysian tourist spots. But I am very impressed at the way the Malaysian government promotes tourism in their country. Case in point: this ad. They really make an effort for potential tourists from other parts of the world visit Malaysia. Even I, who already live in a beautiful tropical country, feel encouraged at the thought of visiting Malaysia, because of this ad. 

LOL! Star Wars Photos

Star Wars culture lives on, even after decades! I am not much of a Star Wars fan, but sometimes Star Wars references can get so cute! I found two sites that stretch Star Wars mania to new heights!

Stefan's Flickr Photo Gallery features a set called Stormtroopers 365, a project which got him taking a picture of two storm troopers, TK455 and TK479 in various settings for 365 days (except for a two-day break when his wife gave birth to their son - how cute!) . They look incredibly real in the photos! I went through each of the 365 photos one by one, and when I landed on this photo on the left I laughed!  Stefan's caption on the photo read "Kiss your Emperor". Just look at Palpatine's expression. He looks like a happy Sith!

I also liked the pictures where Stefan portrayed the Laws of Robotics, which I encountered in reading Isaac Asimov. See the pic for the First Law of Robotics here and the Second Law of Robotics here. Third Law pic can be seen here. 

The Vader Project, which was also featured in Web Urbanist, looks a bit contrived to me, but is still interesting for  Vader fans out there. Sadly, I have no favorites. I guess I just couldn't decide; or maybe I am not much of a fan of Darth Vader. Every Star Wars geek feels possessive of him, after all. I like the pic on the right, though.

Speaking of food and Vader, the two shirt designs below bring together three favorites: Vader, milk and cookies. I just like them for the cuteness, but I can't seem to pull off the college smart-ass look of statement shirts. I think I will look a bit ridiculous wearing them. From Think Geek and Snorg Tees.

10 July Update: Darth Vader' typical breakfast: the Death Star cookie. From Toxel.

I Heart: City of Scars Batman Fanfilm

I found this Batman fan film on Geeks Are Sexy, via Dailymotion. I enjoyed it so much. Here's what I think of the portrayal of the characters:

Batman. Just like the cartoon Batman, Bruce Wayne here is a big guy, unlike Christian Bale in The Dark Knight. As Bruce Wayne, he looks different: like a non-serious guy. Its almost as though they used a Bruce Wayne double. I guess this is how it should be. Bruce Wayne takes on a different personality when he dons the bat suit. The suit, the utility belt, the motorcycle and other equipment that Batman used are also realistic, not slick and artificial looking like in the recent Batman movies. The logo is kind of different from the traditional bat signal, but not entirely unpleasant.

Joker. This guy was good! I think the director truly based his portrayal of the characters from the cartoon. Mark Hamil is still a bit better at being the voice of Joker, with the maniacal laughter and voice pitch, but the Joker actor in this short film is also very good. 

Harley Quinn. Madelynn Rae, the actress in this short film who played Harley, also sang the theme song City of Scars. I think she's a great singer, and she did justice to Harley' character from her portrayal. She's also very pretty, unlike how I perceive Harley to be from the cartoon portrayal. Harley's character is one character in this short film that wasn't completely copied from the cartoon, but I liked it way better. 

Arthur Wesker / Scarface. The actor in the short film got the cartoon Wesker's wimpiness, but not the gentleness and kind natured-ness. Arthur Wesker in the cartoon is an innocent man with no control of himself, being a dummy of Scarface, hating and being terrified of Scarface. In the short film, Arthur Wesker empathizes with Scarface. Still, he looked crazy enough in the movie, like a man who kept hearing voices in his head. I guess I'm partial to the cartoon Wesker, a guy who was basically just crazy and detested his other personality as a criminal mastermind.

One LOL moment was when the dwarf guy threatened Batman with a gun, and how easily Batman got rid of the gun and simply told the dwarf to "MOVE!" I also like the portrayal of Gotham City in this short film; it is more realistic, rather than the Holywood portrayal of a City so unreal and unpersonal. Gotham City in the short film was a more "everyday" city. 

The kid in the short film lacked personality also. He looked more like a five year old than a ten year old who had the guts to kill his parents' murderer. I guess, he looked more innocent, but then maybe a more innocent kid will have more guts to turn a gun to a criminal rather than a kid who thinks a lot. And I think Councilman Johnson was a bit too old for his character.

Overall, though, I give the movie an A-. Its better than some Hollywood Batman movies, and I love it!

So this is how it goes...

This chart explains a lot. Duly noted, yes. The OMG-WTF Spectrum. Via Geeks are Sexy

Whoa! An anachronism in the Mos Eisley Cantina

This video is so cute. Via Geeks are Sexy.

Girls, don't try this at home

Yes, my boyfriend plays WoW. Yes, he can get addicted to it, spending whole days and nights sitting on the computer, leveling his character. But, I can give ten reasons... or maybe even more, when I feel like it, to not delete his character. Here they are:

1. I respect his property and space, and I think online game characters count as property. 
2. It honestly does not bother me at all. I can get home and fix dinner while we tell each other about our day, all the while he keeps grinding away monsters on the screen. 
3. It makes him happier, it serves as an outlet of recreation.

ROFLMAO Baby Lobster

This is incredibly cute. When I have a baby I wanna dress him up like this and put him in a pot. Oh noes! I be dinners!

Adventures with My Face

Harharhar! Because I just couldn't stop, here's a tiny gallery of my face morphed with some popular faces.  These are my favorites.

From left: Me-Beyonce, Me-Alyx Vance (from Half Life 2), Me-Vanessa Hudgens, Me-Zhang Ziyi

Guess Who?

These two cute kids are how our kids are supposed to look like someday! Via Morph Thing, I was able to produce these baby pics combining mine and C's features. I think that the boy looks like him and the girl looks like a baby me. Still, there are residual features of each other that one cannot deny that these are our kids!

I'm so excited! We are not going to have kids in the next ten years or so, not until we are ready for them, but thinking about it makes me happy.

Cats vs. Dogs

I've always thought I was a cat person. Lately, though, spending days (and nights) sitting in the office, I thought maybe a dog would be nice to have around to jog and take walks with. I still can't decide. The best thing to do now would be to refrain from having pets. They're a bitch to clean up after (pun intended).

See a side-by-side comparison of the two beloved pets after the jump!

Club Manila East

The oppressive heat has finally driven us out of the house - but only for a day - and into the water! We packed our bags and headed to Club Manila East, a heavily advertised resort somewhere near Metro Manila. We were only happy to get a room we wanted, that comes with a private wading pool, but we didn't anticipate the heavy Sunday crowd! We still had lots of fun, though. This tiny pool is what we were really after:

The Batman TV Series Season 4

I just love The Batman TV Series. Got a boxed set of Series IV a few days back. I've been watching some episodes the past few nights and I'm now down to the last CD. The animated series is just as good as Batman: Arkham Asylum, the video game - or is it the other way around? After all, the video game is based on the series.

Gotham City and its inhabitants are so surreal. Batman deals with criminals that have turned insane, people just like you and me, but with unique conditions which have made them extremely perverted. Some become cured in the end (in the case of The Ventriloquist). When Carlo played Arkham Asylum, he showed me the patient bios of the patients locked up in the Arkham Asylum. The personalities are so intriguing. In the cartoon series, the bios were fleshed out. My favorite female villains have always been: Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn.

The Foundation and Earth - thoughts on two planets

 

Failure can bring one's confidence down a few notches. I know this for a fact because when I flunked out of law school, I began to doubt my abilities - even the ability to finish reading books with actual words on them. For a number of months, I stayed away from novels, until one time when the cab line was so long and I and my boyfriend didn't have the patience to stand in line. I bought two science fiction novels (I read science fiction, horror, fantasy and mystery books for fun) and I am now halfway through one of them, The Foundation and Earth by Isaac Asimov. I'm taking so long reading it because I only read during my lunch hour and any available idle time.

I Heart Work!

I've worked a number of jobs in my life, and I can honestly say that I will never be able to tolerate being jobless for even a month. It's not just about the money, either. 

For example, when I was sixteen, I worked at a fast food restaurant. After years of easy living, all I could think of was quitting. At night, while washing dirty trays and mopping up floors, I cry inside, thinking that being humiliated tenfold and being treated like a subhuman serving creature is not worth the less-than-minimum wage that I was getting. But after the initial shock, I began to pay more attention to the nuances of the job and less attention to what I was being subjected to. 

America's Sweethearts

Lol, this movie was so funny and cute! John Cusack was so handsome, and Catherine Zeta-Jones was absolutely adorable! I don't think Julia was well suited for the role, though, and I didn't like the way she looked. So not her!

Closer Movie

 

This arsy (fartsy) film was rather confusing and befuddling. However, Natalie Portman was so beautiful, it made me take a hard look at myself...

Mystic Pizza Movie

This twenty-two year-old movie sort of depressed me. Its about the lives of less advantaged girls of Portuguese descent, coming of age in a world full of clashing personalities and interests. I'm just glad that these same girls - or similar ones - lived to see the change that modern times brought. Now, even the American president is of African descent. The world we now have is one full of possibilities and opportunities for everyone - the internet made that possible, I guess. Times have changed, and its a matter of curious interest for me to watch girls growing up in an age that's different from mine. Still, it was a nice watch. Moral of the story to me? Don't box yourself in the same small town where you grew up. If only these girls knew... life could get better for a Portuguese waitress in a pizza parlor.

Something To Talk About Movie

I cried watching this film. Julia Roberts plays as Grace, who finds out that her husband, Eddie, is cheating on her. She leaves her house and stays at her dad's house. The crazy thing is that everyone around her tells her to look the other way about her husband's cheating. Her own parents, her friends - most everyone - thinks its just a tiny "slip", that cheating is part of any marriage, and that they as a couple should just smooth-en out kinks and live life as always. Grace is one of the few who are of the opinion that it shouldn't be so. Her life

My Best Friend's Wedding

I guess its pretty obvious that I'm kinda having a Julia Roberts marathon. My Best Friend's Wedding is one of my favorites. This movie kinda reminded me of Five Hundred Days of Summer. It has one message: you  may not be the one, but life goes on. It ended happy or sad, depending on whichever perspective you're seeing it from. From Julianne's (Julia Roberts') perspective, it ended in a kind of sad but okay way, not getting the man of your dreams but letting him off to start married life with the woman of his dreams. From Kim's (Cameron Diaz's) perspective, it ended happily ever after. I know I'd rather be

A weird dream

A few nights back, I watched the first half of a zombie movie with a very cool underwater scene of a struggle between a human (who survived), a shark and a zombie. I guess I replayed it over and over in my head. I've never seen an underwater zombie scene in any other movie, after all, let alone one with a shark in it. When I went to bed that night,

Stepmom Movie

The tables have been turned. This isn't a movie where everybody loves Julia Roberts. In fact, everybody - well most everybody - hates her. Julia plays as Isabelle, girlfriend of Luke, a divorcee with two kids. Jacky, Luke's ex, harbors ill feelings towards Isabelle, possibly feeling displaced out of her and Luke's two children,'s lives, Anna and Ben.  There is a lot of jealousy and insecurity involved, which harbors even more jealousy and insecurity and hatred. Jacky develops a terminal illness while Luke asks Isabelle to marry him. In the end,