Farewell 2010, Hello 2011!

My 2010 was very eventful and memorable, to say the least. In the last few moments of the year, I find myself wistful recounting those memories and looking back to the year that was. So, here is my Best in 2010 list in pictures:

Best ka-bonding: My brother, Carlo. Manila would've been much more unbearable without him.


Best vacation: Bohol! Got to do lots of crazy things with the best travel buddies.


Best day: My 30th birthday. Together with my 18th, this year's the best celebration ever!


Best healthy addiction: Running. Too bad I wasn't able to join any fun runs in the latter part of the year.


Best thing about my new job: Traveling around the country. I'd never have gone to these places in the last 4 months if not for my job. There really is a silver lining. Always.


Best place to relax and unwind: The beach. Hearing the sound of waves and seeing the blue waters immediately brings me to a good place.


Best Eureka! moment: Coming up with the First Things List. It made me get off my ass and try new things everyday.

Best discovery: New friends. They make the daily grind tolerable, and the boring days interesting.


Best scrapbook moment/s: Cementing old friendships. Like wine, friendships only get better in time.


Best fearless decision: Taking the FSO exam for the first time. Although I didn't make it past the 3rd stage, I'm proud to have made it that far.

Best 'Dear Diary' moment: Good to note that this year, I met someone I really like after a long, long time. Let's just leave it at that. =)


Best returning habit: Blogging. Old habits die hard, and I'm glad to be back writing about stuff here. This is one habit I'll definitely won't let go of next year.

That's just a few of the great (and not so great) things that happened to me this year. Here's to more wonderful and greater adventures in 2011! Cheers! =)

So Not Worth It

I can't believe it was absolute crap. I had my hopes up for this one, waiting for its release for a couple of months now, but it was such an absolute let-down. It was trying so hard to be an art film, and failing miserably.

The plot was pretty basic, but the (inexperienced) director dragged it on to an hour or so of snoozefest. They took a lot of artsy and close-up shots but the cast (especially the lead) didn't have the depth to be able to get away with scenes like this.

The costume design looks a bit off and they could do with a bit more research. And don't let me get started on the dialogues. I don't think people in the 20s uttered sentences like this: "Ang galing mo pala'ng mag-piano." Maybe, they said something like this? "Mahusay ka pala'ng tumugtog ng piano." But what should I know, I never lived in the 20s.

In short, I was sorely disappointed (and to think I have not seen the entire movie). I'm not so sure why the ratings board gave it an A.

If you're going to watch any movie for the Metro Manila Film Festival, just watch Tanging Ina. It's mindless entertainment and it doesn't pretend to be something more than that.

A Christmas Post

They say that Christmas is for kids, and I'd have to agree. Everything seems to be brighter and more joyful at Christmastime when you're a kid. Personally, most, if not all, of my best Christmas memories were from my childhood:

Hanging out with the gang. When we were very little and still living in Manila, we would go house-hopping during Christmas Eve. Our friends would come over our house and eat, then we would go to theirs and eat more food. That's at least 4 houses in one night, so it's one big food fest for us on Christmas Eve. After stuffing our faces, we would all hang out on the street and play with firecrackers. Oh yes, those were the days when we don't worry about getting our fingers blown off. Good times!

Go caroling with friends. We would make our own instruments- drums out of milk cans, and tambourines out of flattened bottle caps- and practice our Christmas repertoire days before our series of performances start. Of course, our 'repertoire' was limited to Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit, Joy To The World, We Wish You A Merry Christmas, Santa Clause Is Coming To Town and then our grand finale: "Thank You, Thank You, ambabait ninyo, thank you!". We would go from house to house in our village, and torture our neighbors until they give us the much-desired coins...er, cash. I don't remember now what we did with our loot, but probably these were spent on candies and more fattening junk.

Writing our Christmas wish list for Santa. I remember my sister and I writing letters to Santa and placing them in our socks (we didn't have Christmas stockings, sob sob) hung by our door. Although I believed in Santa then, I recall wondering how he'd give us our gifts when our house didn't have a chimney!

Getting lots of presents. Of course, Christmas gotta be about the presents when you're a kid! I loved going from one godparent to another, looking oh-so-cute and angelic, to collect my gifts: Rainbow Brite bag, Sailor Barbie, snazzy pencil box with lots of buttons and compartments, and most importantly, cold hard cash!
We've also made it very hard for our parents to keep our Christmas gifts a surprise. Whenever they leave for work, we would search all over the house to check if they got us the gift we wanted. Yes, early manifestation of our low EQs.
One year, when the small battery-operated piano (and piano pencil boxes, for that matter) were all the rage, we found 2 of these (colored pink and blue) hidden inside the closet. My sis and I asked our mom if these are for us, but she said these were for her goddaughters. We were disappointed so we did what any normal jealous kid would do, we secretly played with the pianos when my parents were away. Oh how we envied them, so lucky to be receiving this wonderful toy. And then we got caught red-handed, so my mom just 'fessed up out of frustration and said that they were really for us. We didn't play much with the piano after that. What with the danger and excitement now lost.

Watching the Christmas display at C.O.D. Every December in the 80s, C.O.D., a now-defunct department store in Cubao, would mount a moving mannequin presentation about the birth of Jesus Christ. I remember sitting on my dad's shoulders looking up at the store's facade and watch the show with wonder and amazement.
I wish someone could bring this tradition back as it's not only a good way for kids to learn the lesson of Christmas, but it also brings families together even for just a while.

Christmas has somehow changed for me now. It isn't as magical as it used to be, but I guess that's okay. It's not about having fun and getting lots of presents anymore, but instead it means celebrating with loved ones and remembering the true reason for the season- Christ.

A blessed Christmas, everyone!

Still on The List

It's almost a year since I made the resolution to come up with a First Things list. I initially thought of doing 30 new things before I celebrate the big 3-0, but then I realized it's somewhat impossible. So I made it a year-long project. And, until now I haven't completed the list! Am I that boring that I can't even do 30 new things in a year? Sheesh!

Anyway, I still got a few days to go and less than 10 things to do. Who knows, I might get the chance to do new stuff while enjoying my Christmas holiday.

First Thing #21 - Go on a business trip.

Fortunately for someone like me who loves traveling, I've had the utter good fortune of landing jobs that required me to be stuck to a desk and computer.

But as luck would have it, I got moved to a different department that allowed me to travel to different places for work. For a couple of weeks, I basically lived out of a suitcase, moved from airport to airport, and stayed in different hotels. Sounds like hell? Nah! I remember thinking, "Ahhh, I can get used to this!"

One, I love packing. I've mastered the art of traveling light and have already developed a system that would put any packaging company to shame. Two, I love airports. I like watching people head off to some destination or come home from a long trip. And three, who doesn't like staying in a hotel??

So after that experience, I made up my mind that I will definitely have to get me job that involves lots of traveling. My goal now is to become a Travel Blogger. Can anyone hire me please?

First Thing #22 - Visit Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod and Dagupan.
I was able to go to these places because of the business trips mentioned above. Being Filipino and living here in the Philippines all my life, I can't believe I've never been to these places before.

So when I had the chance to go there, I felt like being an ambassador of the Pilipinas Kay Ganda campaign, taking note of the unique qualities in each so that I may spread the word and encourage everyone to visit these cities.

Downside though, is that I was only able to stay a day or two in each, so my my observations were limited and basically...irrelevant hehe. But I promised myself to go back very soon and experience everything these places have to offer.

First Thing #23 - See a Hedgehog.
OK, I know this has nothing to do with the first two, but then it's my first time seeing a hedgehog. I never thought I'd see one here in the Philippines, much less three.

They were small, cute and cuddly but I hesitated in touching them cos I'm afraid their "bristles" might hurt. They really look much like a toilet bowl brush.





So I still have 7 things to add on my list before I can say that this project is completed. If anyone has ideas on what else I can do, or if you can tag me along to one of your adventures, please let me know. You'll make one miserable old maid's Christmas and New Year, very happy.

The Best Game Show Ever!

I'm not sure if you folks are familiar with The Crystal Maze. It's a British game show that was popular in the '90s. I must say it's the most awesome gameshow ever invented!

Unlike the usual game shows, there's no audience to cheer the participants on. It's just the 6 players and the host, the crazy and witty Richard O 'Brien (he usually goes into a monologue when a player sucks and his outfits are the craziest!), who guides them through the 4 zones- Medieval, Aztec, Futuristic and Industrial- of the maze. They have to play Skill, Physical, Mystery and Mental games inside these zones to collect cystals that would give them more time inside the Crystal dome. The Crystal dome is like our local game where a player gets in a fanned cage and he has to 'catch' as much money as he can. But in the Crystal Maze, there are gold and silver foils. You have to catch at least 100 gold foils and if ever you catch silver ones, those will be deducted from the gold count.

And the amazing thing is, the contestants aren't really playing for the coolest prizes. Even Richard himself says that they might win great or not-so-great prizes. So it's really fun seeing them go through these challenges with the possibility of going home with nothing but souvenir cystals!

Here's one of the 'interesting' players they've had on the show, and I'm sure all of you would say you'd do a better job than he did.

You Know You're Old When...

1. You look for fish and vegetables for your meals.
I'm sure we all went through childhood being force-fed our greens. I remember I hated eating ampalaya or bitter melon, because it's, well, bitter. I would eat it with lots of rice until I couldn't even taste it. But after years of being shoved down my throat, I got used to it and eventually loved it.

And now living on our own, eating fast food and unhealthy stuff, has made me long for home-cooked fish and veggies. I don't remember feeling this way 10 years ago. I guess the older your body gets, the more it will look for nutritious food that will nourish its old bones and joints.

2. You meet up with friends and all you talk about is politics and current events.
When have weekend get-togethers with friends turned from all-night partying in a club to all-night gab fest in a coffee shop? Worse, topics have turned into old people stuff- news, politics, the economy. But the weird thing is I have begun to really enjoy discussing them. I think some invisible line has been crossed here.

3. You find teenagers very annoying.
They're the group of kids who try to dress and act as if they're older. Wanting to look cool, but end up looking like fools. They come in groups and 'talk' boisterously like they own the place.

I'm so mean, as if I've never been a teenager myself. Sure, I had my baduy moments as a teenager but of course, I was never this rude and annoying.

4. You know what the Dewey Decimal System is.
For those who don't know (young or old) the Dewey Decimal System is what's used in libraries to oganize books accodring to category: General References, Religion, etc. I just miss hanging out in the library, browsing through dusty bookshelves, searching for a good read. If you want to do research, you'd have to browse through all those books before you find what you were looking for. Now there's the Internet and Wikipedia, and it has made things much easier for the plagiarists. Tsk tsk.

5. You start hanging out with your parents
Lazy weekend afternoons are now spent malling with the folks, or just hanging out in the backyard. You now have conversations instead of arguments. You swap stories and talk about anything under the sun.

And that's when you begin to see them as who they are and not as your parents.

6. You turn on the radio and hear noise instead of music.
You don't care for Justin Bieber nor his girlish looks. You start looking for 80s and 90s songs, and say, "Now that's music!"

7. You are home on a Friday night.
'Nuff said.

P.S. This post was more than a month in the making. Gosh, the new job and environment is really affecting my creativity! Haha, yeah right.

Soundtrack Sunday: With A Smile

After talking about songs of artists from different countries, I think it's right about time to feature something from my own.

The Eraserheads became cult favorites when I was in high school (I remember critics were describing them as the Pinoy Beatles). They were the epitome of cool and everything angsty in our generation.



It was election time for our student council board, and one student running for office sang this song as part of her platform! I can't recall now if she won, haha!

Soundtrack Sunday: Sweet Soul Revue

From K-Pop, let's go to J-Pop this week.

Pizzicato Five's Sweet Soul Revue hit the charts around the 90s. I remember I used to practice the dance moves non-stop. Even if I don't understand a single word in the song (except for 1, 2, 3...), it's very catchy that you want to get up and dance, and just make up your own lyrics!



Wakarimasen! Just dance along :)

Trike

Yesterday, after at least 10 years, I got to ride a tricycle-- not in the side car, but on the bike behind the driver. What an experience! I was scared of falling off during the entire trip, that my knuckles have turned white from gripping the handles very tightly.

It was different when I was younger because I used to enjoy it. It's more fun and dangerous that way-- in short it was kinda cool, for a girl to sit that way. And I've also always found sitting in the side car very suffocating.

But now, it's the opposite. I prefer to sit inside because I feel it's safer and it's more comfortable. (Yes, I know very lola-ish.)

And yet, last night's ride was nothing compared to what happened earlier. I had to ride behind the driver again, AND I was wearing a friggin' shirt dress! AND, the driver's side didn't have a roof over it (see picture) so I had to grip real tight on the side of the side car. If you can't picture me out in this scenario, it's because of the sheer awkwardness of this position. I had to hang on for dear life while making sure that my dress doesn't reveal anything the public doesn't want to see.

Aside from the very bumpy road, what made this a very pleasant ride was the fact that the driver was driving too close to cars who were moving on the opposite direction! I had to keep my legs and feet real close to me (not too close or my I might lose my feet to the motor's wheel. Yikes!). All this time I was praying to the Lord that I don't die yet.

Not this way, at least. It's just too embarrassing.

Raj Raj Raj ah ah

I'm not gonna talk about Venus' major major almost-win, but instead, I'm going to talk about her fans (who I think are more popular than her now).

They rose to fame because of the very funny video they took of themselves while watching the Miss Universe pageant. They're gayer than gay, which is very entertaining to say the least. To those who have never seen it, here it is...



After becoming overnight Youtube sensations, they got invited to a local TV show!



And as if this was not enough, they now have their own commercial!



Goes to show how easy it is now to get your 15 mins of fame. Lucky bastards. Hmph.

And The List Gets Longer

First Thing #18- Pay my own rent
Yes, after 30 years, this is the first time I've paid for my own rent. Up until now I have always lived with my parents, basically living a free loader's life. Although I left home for college, I still lived with relatives so that's still not counted as living on my own.

When we (my brothers and I) first moved in to the apartment last week, I felt a sudden rush of pride, for doing something as mature as this. And yet when I handed the rent money to the landlady, I almost didn't let go haha! Well, I thought of it but I didn't really do it :) I guess it's just the newness and the reality of it all that scares me. Will I still be able to pay the rent next month?

I pray to God, yes!

First Thing #19- Do some housekeeping stuff
Connected to moving to my own place, I also had to buy home stuff like pillows, pails, broom, etc. These are the things I don't usually think about when I'm at home because they're just there. Now, I have to scour for these things and even have to go to stores where I can buy them cheap. (That's also a first time for me, budgeting) I have also learned to take my time in shopping, making the most practical and cost-efficient choice.

I also had to learn to do regular house-cleaning chores (but most of it I delegate to my brother, hehe), and be obsessive-compulsive when it comes to making sure that all our doors and gate have been securely locked.

Since we don't have a fridge and working stove yet, one chore I utterly dread would have to be learned much later. Whew! (If you must know, it's cooking)

First Thing #20- Repair an umbrella by myself
Sorry, I know this is kinda weird and somehow un-related to the first two.

Living and commuting here in Manila, it's mandatory that one should be armed with an umbrella always, since the weather is unpredictable- terribly hot now, then terribly wet the next. As such, the daily rigors of weather-changing has taken its toll on my poor umbrella. After only a month, it's been un-stitched at the ribs and tips.

So instead of bringing it to the repair shop and spend a couple of hundred bucks, I just decided to fix it myself. All I needed was thread and needle, and voila! It's now good as new!

Soundtrack Sunday: Nobody But You

Ok. Now that its popularity/notoriety has finally died down, I think I can finally post this.



Yes, I admit I've been one of those who went crazy over the Wonder Girls' Nobody But You. Crazy to the point of knowing the dance steps. And I blame this on my gay friends!

I first heard the song early last year, on our way to our Bantayan Island trip. Needless to say, it became the theme song for the whole trip and we looked like a bad Pinoy movie-- bursting into song and dance on the beach. So gay! Haha!

Next thing I know, you hear it playing in every street corner with kids and adults alike dancing to it's catchy (almost maddeningly irritating) tune.

So what's your memory of this song? :)

Love In The Strangest of Places

I'm wondering if things like this really do happen in real life. And if they do, how come it hasn't happened to people I know? Or even me?



But who knows? A friend said, lightning could strike. And I hope it does ;)

Soundtrack Sunday: Love Is All Around

I know it's not a Sunday, but since I've been behind my Soundtrack Sunday updates, I figured now's as good a time as, well Sunday.

Earlier today, while I was going home from work, it started raining really hard. Under my flimsy umbrella and trudging along a muddy street, I was soaking wet. That's when I remembered the 90s band Wet Wet Wet (what a connection!)

Then of course I started singing in my head their most famous hit, Love Is All Around. I think this was part of the movie soundtrack for Four Weddings & A Funeral, but I'm not so sure. (Of course, it was more recently used in another High Grant movie, Love Actually, where it was used as a Christmas song for the comeback of a rock has-been) All I remember was this was such a hit when I was in high school that I still remember the lyrics to the song. Sing with me!



What's your memory of this song? :)

White, Not Pink

Last Thursday night, I was in a mall waiting for my brother, when I saw this booth for a skin whitening product. I began reading its poster, which boasts of the wonders it will do to your normal problem areas:

* Underarms
* Inner Thighs
* Knees
* Elbows
* Areola
* Other dark spo...

Whoa! Did I just read Areola?! There is actually a demand for this?! When has this become a problem area?! I mean, why the hell would someone want to whiten their areola? Nobody would be able to know the difference! (Of course, I’m assuming that the user is not in the habit of showing off her bosom in public. But I may be wrong.)

I know Filipinos are very much into these products to get that fairer skin they’ve been dreaming of. But this? Madness!

And to think a very popular local actress is endorsing this product, and her face is all over the promo materials. Has she really used it on her so-called problem areas? I’m guessing she probably doesn’t know what areola means.

More First Things

This past week, I'm happy to report that I have done 3 more First Things. Er, note that I'm not really proud of most of these, but at least my First Things list is getting longer hehe.

First Thing #15 - See a male stripper in a bridal shower.
Scratch that. I think he was more of a male dancer than a stripper. He was merely gyrating to dance music in his tighty-whities. And he was even texting while dancing. Talk about multi-tasking! He had a well-toned body (of course), was tall, dark but not at all handsome. No amount of booze made him any more good-looking in my drunken eyes. I also don't get why he had to wear sunglasses at night ('80s babies, does the song sound familiar? Hehe.) My theory is, either he's cross-eyed or he's just ashamed of what he's doing. I'm so mean. In short, it's not what I expected of a stripper. (Do I hear a tone of disappointment there?)

How I got to this age without even seeing a male stripper is beyond me. I mean I've had lots of friends who already got married but I guess the shower parties I've been to were always wholesome. And I think I've also somehow avoided going to the parties where they hired strippers. I've always been somehow prudish in that sense. But after this, I realized it really was no big deal. If you know what I mean.. *wink wink*

First Thing #16 - Get puking drunk.
Ugh. It's disgusting, I know. I will never drink tequila again. EVER.
I mean I was doing fine during the party. I drank my usual tolerable amount of alcohol- 7 shots (at least) of tequila, and 8 or more shots of that gin/vodka combo. The actual count is still vague. I didn't have dinner, just some finger food, and I was also tired from the house-hunting during the day. I guess that did it for me.
When I got home, I was still able to change clothes, watch a bit of TV and then I decided to go to bed. After a few minutes of lying down, it felt like the room started to spin and that's when it happened. I was able to reach the kitchen sink though, so I didn't really make a mess. When I woke up the next morning, my stomach still felt queasy and it happened again a couple more times.
That really was a first for me and I promise that that would be the last. But it's just so embarrassing that I can't even maintain my drinking average now. Another downside to getting old.

First Thing #17- Work in Manila
Finally, something very mature! As mentioned in my previous posts, I have already moved here in Manila for work. I've lived here before but after staying in Cebu for quite some time, I'm finding it a bit hard getting back to the ultra fast-paced life here. Aside from being away from my parents and friends, I also had to let go of the comfortable lifestyle that I was used to. No more househelp, no more home-cooked meal, no more car, no more Wifi. I'm proud to say though that in one week, I've learned to commute to and from work by riding a jeepney, cooked breakfast for myself (just bacon and eggs, hehe), did my laundry, and did some house-hunting. That's a big feat for someone like me.

I hope to be making more First Things in the next few months, given that I'm in a new environment and surrounded by new people. Hopefully these will be more grown-up things and more age-appropriate. I'm certain too, that I'll have other (mis)adventures here in Manila, and for sure I'll share them all with you.

The Harrowing Experience That Was The FSO Exams

It's been more than three weeks since I took the panel interview and written exam portions of the FSO exam in Manila. Just goes to show how nerve-wracking and stressful the whole experience was, that I needed lots of time to rest and recuperate. I also needed time to look for my brain and regain the IQ points I lost in a span of one week, so I can come up with coherent sentences to tell you all about it. (That, and I was also busy preparing for my move to Manila.)

Since I passed the preliminary exam I took on my birthday, I was qualified to move on to the next stage, which was the panel interview. I was really anxious about this given that my last interview was for the UP LAE, which was very traumatic (not an exaggeration, but that's another story). Although, I was kinda hoping it's just for formalities' sake where they would only ask questions about what I do and why I wanted to become a foreign service officer. But what I was about to face was nothing short of paralyzing (yes, still not an exaggeration).

I was called in to a room (looked like a classroom) and was asked to sit in front of the panel- composed of an ambassador and two foreign service officers. I was like the new teacher facing my bad-ass students. For my work, I was asked these questions:

- What are the good ROP bonds right now?
- How about corporate bonds? (I was made to enumerate specific bonds for the first 2 questions)
- What's the difference between a UITF and a Common Trust Fund?
- If you were to invest the funds of the Foreign Service, will you invest them here in the Phils. or abroad?

Intense questions, but manageable. I mean, I'm supposed to know these things because they're part of my job. But the next phase of the interview was the piece de resistance of that wonderful day. I can't even remember how we got to this type of questioning:

- Do you think the presence of American troops in Iraq is justified? Do you think the war is justified?
- Do you think the war in Afghanistan is justified?
- How about the Ampatuans? Can the Americans just come in our country and fight them?
- In Saudi Arabia, you can go to mosques. In Abu Dhabi (Pardon me, but I can't recall if I'm naming the correct country) you can't go to church. Is that fair?

Sheeesh. I mean I expected the interview to be hard. But not this hard! Here's some of our memorable exchanges:

Amb: "If you file a complaint to the UN against Saudi Arabia, what do you think will happen?"
Me: "Sir, me personally?" (Hahaha! Dumb blonde moment happens to me when I'm stressed out)
Amb: "I mean the Philippines. What will happen if the Phils. files a complaint?"
Me: "Sir, there would be a strained relationship between the 2 countries"
Amb: "What do you think will be the immediate effect?"
Me: "Armed conflict?" (Hahaha, you gotta laugh at yourself sometimes!)
Amb: "Not yet. What do you think will be the effect?"
Me: "Safety of our OFWs in Saudi..."
Amb: "Correct. A Foreign Service officer must always think about his fellow Filipinos first and foremost. That's what you call prudence. What is prudence?"
Me: (jaw drops) "Um, right judgment?"
Amb: "Foresight, blah blah blah" (He was rattling off the synonyms of Prudence.)

Amb: "Compare the reign of Charlemagne with the current European Union."
Me: (I'm thinking Can I just die now?) "I'm sorry Sir, I'm not that familiar with Charlemagne."
Amb: "You mean you don't know who Charlemagne is?? Where'd you go to high school?"
Me: "At the Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion, Sir."
Amb: "CIC. You mean the Daughters of Charity didn't teach you about Charlemagne?"
Me: "I'm sure they did, Sir. But I just can't recall right now."

FSO: "How much do you earn?"
Me: "Gross?" (Hahaha! I'm such a comedian.)
FSO: "Sure."
Me: "Blah blah a month, Sir." (To this they all looked at one another and sort of gestured that it's a good figure. I totally disagree, BTW.
FSO: "Are you aware that you'll be earning less than that if you become an FSO? Are you ok with that?"
Me: "I believe, Sir, that if you really like what you do then the monetary benefits are not that important."
To this, they all gave me a standing ovation and presented me with the Hero of the Year award. Joke.
Amb: "I'm touched by what you said..." (Char!)

Anyway, that's basically the 'highlights' of the interview. I'm really not sure how I survived, or even passed. It was such an out-of-body experience, and I remember I just kept smiling the whole time but in my mind I was praying for the ability to Apparate. Even my co-examinees told me that my questions were really harder than theirs.

For the written exams, let's just say it was the most stressful 3 days I've had in a long time. My mind turned to mush after all that essay-writing. Every time I read my test paper, I mentally kick myself and bang my head for subjecting myself to this kind of torture. I won't be writing the questions here because this entry's getting really long. But if any one out there plans to take the FSO exams soon, let me know and I'll share them with you.

Alright, so that's about it. The results for the written exams are supposed to be out by October or November, but I'm really not banking on passing. However, miracles do happen and they might happen to me again :) By the way, this is my First Thing #14- Taking the FSO exams.

This Is It!

The time has come. By tomorrow, I will be living (again) and working in Manila. I'm excited as hell, but I am also (if not more) scared as hell.

It has been 8 years since I've lived in Manila last and I'm getting really anxious just thinking about how I'll manage living in all that chaos again. The traffic, pollution, stress, high cost of living -- are all giving me lots of sleepless nights.

I know that in the first few years I've stayed here in Cebu after school, I have always wished of going back to the hustle and bustle of the capital. I've felt that the Cebu lifestyle's too laid-back (read: slow and boring) and that I needed to get out.

But now, looking back, I've realized that being here in Cebu did me lots of good. Aside from being able to spend more time with my family, I was able to do things here that I never thought I would, and I have also met some of the most wonderful people I now call friends. I have become a true-blue Bisdak and Cebu has definitely become home.

And now that I'm leaving home, I'm saddened by the fact that I'm leaving lots of people and memories behind. I'm fearful of the unknown challenges ahead of me, but I am also hopeful of the new chapter in my life. As they say, no success or reward is achieved without any risk. But I know that He'll always be with me and will guide me to where I ought to be.

The PEN Story

The PEN Story from PENStory on Vimeo.

Very nice stop motion technique! I especially like the hot air balloon and parachuting part.

I wish I can come up with something as creative as this...

Soundtrack Sunday: (I've) Had The Time of My Life

I know that I've been gone for almost two weeks, but I had to be away and do some heavy-duty stuff related to this and this. I'll write a separate and more detailed entry on my very tiring vacation last week, but for now let's talk about Soundtrack Sunday on a Monday shall we? :)

I first watched Dirty Dancing when I was 13 or 14, and boy did I love that movie! School was out, I was home on a summer day and the movie was being shown on cable. It had the perfect formula for a summer movie- dancing, singing, and of course romance. Oh how I wished I was Jennifer Grey at that moment, dancing and romancing with Patrick Swayze... sigh. Nothing gets to me more than a guy who knows his way on the dance floor. Goosebumps!



Dirty Dancing defined a generation and I think people will remember this movie for a long, long time. Anyhoo, that's my memory of the song/movie. What's yours?

P.S. I wanted to post the last scene in the movie where they danced (I've) Had The Time of My Life. But I couldn't find a version which allowed video embedding. Also, I apologize if my ramblings don't make any sense (exactly why they're called ramblings, right?), that's because I left my brain in the auditorium of the DFA building last week. Can somebody pick it up and return to the owner please?