vertigo

drama

2011-10-31T22:56:00.000-07:00

It's hard to be strong sometimes. Your friends think you don't need their support and won't take your side of the argument. They'll play the devil's advocate just to test how far your tolerance can take it. I can only take too much crap and I've had enough. It's one thing for you to be left on your own and having to explain and defend yourself everytime (which runs counter to the whole idea of friendship coz if you're really friends, you don't have to explain yourself, they will just accept you for who you are), it's another different level of disappointment and frustration when they judge you on personal stuff, like your relationship for one-a relationship of two people in which they are not part of, are not privy to. It hurts when you pour your heart out to someone, tell them everything about your deepest darkest secrets, hopes, and anxieties and they would use all that information to judge you--instead of to understand you. Stings like hell.

hahahahahahahhaha what a comeback post!!! happy halloween!!!

Project "Good Night Sleep"

2011-06-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

I said goodbye to my "tatami" bed and bought a new bed frame and mattress from my hard-earned salary! Yep, my own money! ahh I'm such a grownup now. hehe (next projects would be bookshelves...condo...car...more!)

Here's my Heavenly Ambassador mattress and mahogany post wood and metal bed frame!

Elements:

1. Queen size Orthopedic mattress with pillow top, made with top of the line imported damask fabric treated with Ultra Care (a permanent fabric treatment that has a built in protection against bacteria, yeast and fungal growth) and multi-needled quilt padding making the bed soft, supple and comfortable to sleep on. 15 years warranty.

(I placed a mattress protector on top and at the bottom to keep it nice and clean)

2. 1500 Thread Count, 100% Egyptian Cotton sheets and pillow cases. Wrinkle-free microfiber, super comfy, it's like sleeping on a cloud!

3. Memory foam contour pillow specially designed to eliminate pressure points and provides comfortable support.

4. and my adorable sparkling turtle night light which turns my room into a sort of planetarium! It projects in 4 colors (blue, green, red, yellow) individually or interchanging; can use an electronic transformer, AA batteries or USB power chord; and has automatic shut-off after 60 minutes :D

bed frame: Php5k

orthopedic Mattress: Php15k

sheets and pillow cases: approx. $25 plus shipping (e-bay)

a good night rest, priceless. hahahahaha

Dancing through life

2009-10-30T13:47:00.001-07:00

got the image from here

Im Back!

2009-07-21T00:32:00.000-07:00

To give you an idea of how long I have last updated this almost forsaken blog, here’s what has passed since: a new influenza virus strain (talk about paranoia overkill) and some sex scandal videos has spread all over the world (if its available on the internet, then yeah, its all over the world), the move to change the nation’s charter has resurfaced (a futile attempt at that), a lot of political ads that make you cringe every single time are all over the tube, and GMA’s boobs have become the media’s latest circus (whatever happened to physician-client privilege? ) to name a few. Also, I bought myself a new digital camera since the old one broke down, I got another RA boss (hurray to more cash flow!), found new housemates (I now have someone to share the rent with), took on an additional business partner (cheers to a looming 2nd branch expansion), talked to my friend Bingo again (long story), and found myself a new crush :D

I got so caught up with my usual law school diversion interests that somehow my blog became too much of a toil to bring up to date. Since I haven’t been able to post something for quite a while (and a handful have been nudging me about it), Ill try to get you up to speed with what I’ve been up to for the past few months. Mmmkay, lets see…

First off, I am now a law school senior! Woohoo! And of course, Im done moping and complaining about the pressure that is, the study of law. Depression is like, so third year law!:P The universe has been treating me really well despite my lack of effort. So far, I am still in compliance with my “no failed or dropped subject” rule (and my “no buying of law books” rule).

Speaking of books, I read a dozen last summer (that’s 12 books in 2 months! including a 1000 plus page “Brothers Karamazov!) And added several more to my collection with the books I got from the Book bigayan event I attended. I would write about the books I’ve read here but it would make this post much too lengthy. Maybe I’ll do a book review of each one when I get to have the time and patience (ha! Good luck with that). I also went to a few art exhibits, watched a few indie films with Fullybooked’s film series at Fort Bonifacio High Street and a French film (that really stretched my patience) from this year’s French Film festival.

My summer this year turned out to be fun enough considering that I was not able to go home to Cebu because of an infuriating complication with my summer OLA (Office of Legal Aid) internship application. The OLA is a 4-unit course that is required to be taken for 2 semesters by all graduating seniors of UP law. To put it bluntly,I did not get the slot so I squandered my summer away doing all the things I would do if I am not burdened with law stuff! These include food tripping with some college orgmates in Binondo, roaming around manila—Intramuros area, climbed another mountain peak (Pico de Loro in the Cavite-Batangas border), gave my good friend Raemar from Cebu, who spent his holy week here in Manila, a mall tour (thats all I can afford for now,wehehehe), attended a trainors’ training with LENTE (Legal Network for Truthful Elections, a new election watchdog), went beach bumming in Camarines Norte, and of course caught up with my fiction novels, plus movies and series that I missed. I originally planned to spend the summer break preparing for the bar exams. But really now, who am I kidding?

So there. Now were up to current.

A Little Night Music

2009-07-12T22:35:00.001-07:00

Some friends and I went to watch a Repertory Philippines production of “The Fantasticks”, an Off-Broadway musical written in the 60’s which is also the longest running musical in American theater history. It is a funny coming of age story about finding one’s identity after losing the innocence of youth and the enchantment of romance. The plot is similar to that of Pyramus and Thisbe in Greek mythology or to that of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, in a reverse twist. The fathers of the lovers, Matt and Louisa, put up a wall between their houses and staged a feud between their families in order to maneuver their kids to fall in love. As they believe that what you tell your children not to do is always the thing they would go for since kids always wanted to get their own way. So the two did fall in love but when they found out about their fathers’ manipulation, they realize that the magic was not there after all and what in the moonlight is scenic turns cynic in the daylight. They went off their separate ways and experienced the world on their own. When they met once again, now equipped with their newly discovered wisdom and experiences of the world, they realized their true feelings and came to understand each other. This musical perfectly captures the essence of the thrill and excitement of a forbidden love—moonlit night in the forest, secret meetings, and contrived conversations—and the bitter awakening and disillusionment of real life.

Repertory Philippines’ production of “The Fantasticks” was simply fantastic (pun intended:)). The set was simple and nice, and the costumes were lovely, except Matt’s. I especially liked Julia Abueva’s portrayal of Louisa but I find the actor of Matt quite unsatisfactory. Besides his anachronistic get-up and that very in vogue printed jacket of his, his singing style is not that clean. All that time, I was looking forward to his rendition of “I Can See It” and he disappointed me with his version. Another interesting and funny character was Mortimer, a fake Indian who “dies” for a living. I almost fell off my seat when he told his story about dying off a cliff and how people loved it so much that they cheered “die again Mortimer!”

I just love musicals! I have been a musical junkie as far as I can remember. I think what started it all was the time when my parents bought us that Sound of Music VHS. I became a musical fan ever since. “One” from “A Chorus Line” and “Tomorrow” from “Annie” was among my favorite songs in our nursery rhymes tape collection when I was a little girl. Presently, I have a collection of Broadway librettos and Cast recordings which I often listen to and eventually memorized. From Stephen Sondheim to Oscar Hammerstein to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jonathan Larson and the rest of the really amazing and creative composers and lyricists, I collect every piece of musical that I encounter which catches my fancy. I always thought of my life as one big musical and I always have a song attached to a memory or an unforgettable experience or era in my life. And even now, (here comes a shameless confession…) I often dreamed of performing and singing on stage. When I study at night and prepare for an exam or a recitation, I often also sing a song or two as if I have a rehearsal to attend to the next day (my college dorm roomies can prove testament to this, sorry girls if I often annoy you with my Broadway medleys Hahaha!). Anyway, with law school and all, I rarely have the time to go to acting or theater workshops. However, I never did abandon this dream. Maybe someday, Ill take the time to be in an audition and play a part in a musical production. For as long as there’s music, life will continue to encourage and amuse me.

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“Who understands why Spring is born out of Winter's laboring pain? Or why we all must die a bit before we grow again?" –El Gallo, from “The Fantasticks”

Goodbye MJ, Thank You for the Music!

2009-07-04T01:54:00.001-07:00

Michael Jackson will always be on my list of people that I really look up to. I didn’t think of myself as a Michael Jackson fan since I never really concerned myself with some factual trivia and latest updates on his life. However, I am a very avid admirer of his music and his aspirations. His “Number Ones” album is one of my favorite albums of all time and a lot of his songs I knew by heart, down to every grunt, whimper and moan! So when I heard the news that he died, I felt a curious sting in my heart…

Here’s my memorial message to you MJ (with my favorite songs by you):

MJ,

Some BEN, BILLIE JEAN, or DIRTY DIANA may say that you were BAD. Others may think that you were quite a SMOOTH CRIMINAL getting off those child molestation charges, but I wish theyd just BEAT IT because I know you are not all those things. You have lived such a sad and controversial life and I know that with you, its not just really BLACK OR WHITE. A lot of people loved you and believed in you. And I hope you know how much you have touched the lives of millions through your music. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Nothing compares to THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL every time I listen to your songs about making a difference and changing the world. You have inspired me to change the MAN IN THE MIRROR before I can make the world a better place. ILL BE THERE at the BREAK OF DAWN to HEAL THE WORLD with you. YOU ROCK MY WORLD and I JUST CAN’T STOP LOVING YOU. If only I were given ONE MORE CHANCE, to be in Manila and have money to buy a ticket of your concert back in 1996, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Your music will forever be immortalized in our hearts, so DON’T STOP ‘TIL YOU GET ENOUGH. We will continue to ROCK WITH YOU!

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“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

-Maya Angelou

I am not abandoning this blog.

2009-07-02T00:43:00.000-07:00

Im still willing my self to write. haha
Stay tuned.

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“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”
-Albert Camus

Hatton got smashed in the 2nd round!

2009-05-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

Seriously, that was it? Man! After all that talk, Mayweather Sr?

Art illustration by Mike Terry

I wonder what you're thinking now.

Pacman really put up an amazing, albeit very short, fight. Hatton got knocked down after a hit by a left hook of Pacquiao's killer punch in just the second round of the bout.

Manny Pacquiao is such a great athlete. He's got real dedication, discipine, and he never stops learning. Truly inspiring.

Back from a long hiatus

2008-10-02T04:15:00.001-07:00

The long silence is finally over. I have been willing myself to write several times over but somehow the itch has piped down to an urge too gentle to mind. The needle of the compass in my life right now is very much focused on law school and things arent running smoothly for me this time. I guess the reason why I deliberately fail to write is because on some obscure level, I want to deny the stress and frustration that the semester has brought upon me. It seemed like ever since the school year began I had quite a series of unfortunate events. It felt like everything wasnt going my way and no matter how I concentrate on willing the universe to conspire with me, the stars just wont align in my favor. At some point, I was convinced that I was suffering from a mild clinical depression. My jovial and outgoing nature hides all that and i think no one even noticed. I think thats a good thing.

art illustration by Sharon Tancredi

I got so hooked on The O.C.. Addicted even. I haven't followed this series when it was still airing a few years back. My good friend, Albert recommended it to me and soon enough it served as my escape route. The plot and most of the characters brought back familiar feelings during those times when everything was so carefree and nothing really serious occupied my mind. Life is much too easier when you are just in the background, watching. But of course, nothing beats reality. Its a lot more riveting than any TV series. After watching an episode or two, I go back to the real world and face the demands of the path that I chose. There has been too much pressure and every subject this sem poses a possibility of a failure. Despite that, I am still very optimistic about everything. Things will go my way all in good time. With a bit of a sugar rush and a lot of caffeine, Im good to go!

After finding out that I have been living with a lesbian couple a couple of months ago, I suddenly found myself living alone in my apartment. My housemates moved out yesterday after surprising me about it. Now I have to find someone else to share half of the rent pronto! I cant believe their audacity to just surprise me like that. They shouldve given me prior notice. Now I have to think about a remedy for this too. As if my academic burden isnt enough to fill my mind.

Guy fashion

2008-06-15T13:55:00.000-07:00

If I were a guy, I wonder what my everyday fashion would be..
Id probably be one of those guys who dress casually. I would wear a cool super hero or music artist shirt or my favorite movie shirt. I guess Id be one of those guys who wear statement shirts, but no rude or perverted statements for me though. Ill match it down with a faded or a washed-out pair of jeans. Ill have chucks or maybe addidas sneaks for shoes. I wont put gel on my hair but it would always look clean and soft. :D Maybe Ill be lugging a big knapsack or a sling bag too. And occasionally, a cool cap to match the outfit.

If I were a guy (ria), Im sure Im super hot too!

"The summer of 2008"

2008-06-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

(sounds like a cheesy romantic memory. hehehe)

Here's a few of the characters I played this summer:

"Quasi-lawyer"
For six weeks, I slaved my summer away at the Office of the Solicitor General preparing several pleadings and other legal work.

"Amazon fighter"
After a few mild injuries and a lot of wasted time, I have now mastered the skill of fighting the fierce amazon women during rush hour at the MRT.

"Frustrated event/outing organizer"
My desperate attempt to revive and restore the enthusiasm of the block for a summer outing was put to naught as their efforts of making it happen were already thrown out the window ever since our block got dissolved. sigh.

"Singer/performer"
It's the first time in eons since I got to play the guitar again and sing in front of a big audience. I performed "Runaway" by the Corrs with a violin accompaniment by Ax Daliva during our Division's presentation at the OSG. Before this, I was also forced to sing ("Especially For You", MYMP version) in front of the medium detention inmates of the Bilibid Prison when we went there as a part of our OSG activities. Needless to say, my performance earned me several flowers from the inmates. Now, my co-interns call me "kilabot ng Bilibid"! TOINK! nyahaha!

"Parkour traceuse"
It happened one thunderstorm-y summer night. I was cooking dinner when I realized I need to call someone who should be calling me by then but since he isn't, I got all riled up especially when I found out that I no longer have any prepaid credits to make a call. So, in my irrational state of madness, I grabbed my purse and stormed out of the apartment to load up my phone at the nearby store. Just when the door shuts, I realize I did not bring the key with me. So there I was locked out of my apartment in the heavy downpour with nothing on but a flimsy tank top and a tiny pair of shorts. Because the stove is on and I'm freezing, I desperately thought of a way to get back in fast. My sister wont arrive till about 4 hours and the housemates arrive much later than that. I thought of an excellent plan, Ill go to the next apartment unit and asked if I could pass through it and climb the wall connecting our laundry areas that will bring me back inside my unit. The clueless guy in the next apartment simply had no choice of course, unless he wants the whole complex to catch on fire. So I traversed the 6 feet wall, soaking wet, wearing my almost see through tank top and teeny weenie shorts! So embarrassing but I have no choice either! When I got to the top of the wall, I crouched there for a few seconds trying to position myself for the most pain-free fall. Fortunately I landed without any injuries! I must have a feline quality in me. Or maybe, I'm spider woman!

"Impromptu BarOps volunteer"
Thanks to Mr Ho's coaxing, I am now part of the Linkages team of the BarOps committee. I had such a great time at our team building outing at this Dinosaur Garden Resort in Bulacan. At first I was hesitant to go because I'm not sure if I know anyone there apart from Aaron but as it turned out, I made friends with a lot of people and got closer to several acquaintances.

"Crazy embassy party girl"
I am not a bar person at all but after our night out at the Fort, I think I'm gonna be! Kidding!!!!!
Sorry but I wont be spilling the beans here. hahahaha. Lets just say I was wildly inebriated and did a few foolish things. ;) It was super fun!

Now, I want to become a lawyer even more!

2008-06-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

""Who's the judge?"
"The judge is God!"

"Why is he God?"
"Because he decides who wins or loses, not my opponent!"

"Who is your opponent?"
"He doesn't exist!"

"Why does he not exist?"
"Because he is merely a dissenting voice to the truth I speak!""

- from The Great Debaters

I can't recall the last movie which left me truly uplifted, inspired, and at the same time intellectually stimulated in the end since "The Great Debaters". Its powerful cast and excellent script made this film a top-notch drama. Starred and directed by Denzel Washington, this movie is loosely based upon the story of Professor Melvin Tolson who coached and led the Wiley College Debate Team in the year 1935 to an almost undefeated season and ultimately challenging and winning over the national champions from Harvard which was an incredible feat for an all-black college back then.

As the team moves toward its goal, it faces several challenges down the road including issues of sexism, an arrest and union busting, Jim Crow laws and rituals, driving through a lynch mob, a love triangle, jealousy, and a nationwide radio broadcast. Also embedded in the plot is the story of ambition, justice, equality, love, and friendship.

Watching this film made me ruminate on those segregation and disfranchisement cases Ive read in my Constitutional Law class during my freshman year in law school. This includes the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson which held that segregation laws are constitutional thereby coining the absurd phrase "separate but equal". In 1954, however, the landmark decision of the US Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education overturned the earlier rulings including the Plessy Decision by declaring that state laws establishing separate public schools for black students denied them equal educational opportunities. The court stated that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal and racial segregation was a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution.

This movie is definitely worth watching as it appeals to the emotions as well as the intellect. It's a pity it wasn't shown in our local cinemas.

"You're a philosopher? Where's your sponge?"

2008-06-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

-quote from "Small Gods" by Terry Pratchett

Stories from the Greek classical world has it that philosophers got their profound knowledge of the universe, man, and nature by contemplating these issues while taking baths. They would douse themselves with bubbles of soap until a light bulb starts to fire up their brains and have that "Eureka!" moment. Such a thought came to my mind when El gave me this traditional, pure, Greek Olive-oil soap that his friend got him from Greece.

Okay, I have to go now and do some musings about the cosmos and man's place in it while I lather myself with Traditional, Pure, Greek Olive-oil soap. hehehe :P

Fully Booked

2008-06-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

Most of my OSG money went to books. Not law books though! I had the best time shopping at Fully booked and bought five books! Money spent on books is money spent well for me. Its quite an irony though that Im already an incoming third year in law school and I own not a single law book! I survived still:)

10 things I will miss from my OSG internship

2008-06-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

1. ate nancy's morning greeting
"good morning miss philippines!" or "good morning miss universe!" or "good morning miss beautiful!" never fails!
haha, i love ate nancy!

2. ate purits' cooking
yep, she's the senior state solicitor's secretary-slash-resident chef of Araneta Diviison. She cooks kick-ass meals for us!

3. my UST girls- grace, jen, and kat
ill miss all the fun times with these girls. good company plus lots of chikas!

4. the Gregorio Araneta Division people
ASG Edith Dizon, Atty Tom, Atty Larry, Atty Hazel, Atty Princess, Atty Pearl, Atty Mercy,Atty Len, the secretaries: Ate Purits, Ate Laissa, Ate Michelle, Ate Joey, Ate Nancy, Ate Vicky, Ric.

5. merienda/lunch treats (plus surprises from atty tom)
kaya masaya sa division namin!

6. my co-interns
of course this experience would not be half as fun without my wacky co-interns from UP, Ateneo, San Beda, FEU-La Salle, and UST Law.

7. chris-mon moments
hehehe...peace chris!

8. ride home and kulitan with aaron
Ive been hitching my way home with aaron in his vios the whole internship so i have to say that im gonna miss all the talk and the occassional drama in transit. so aaron, the heavy traffic seems tolerable when you have someone to banter huh?!

9. my cubicle
where I do my stuff- work related or otherwise. hehehe

10. and of course, allowance!!!!

...and here are the 10 things i will NOT miss:

1. waking up early
2. squirming my way in one of those jam packed MRT trains
3. riding the wrong bus. grrrr.
4. my land dispute case. good riddance to it!
5. fastfood. so sick. ugh!
6. accomplishment reports
7. traffic
8. timecard and bundy clock
9. waiting for the the elevator
10. walking in a pair of 3 inch heeled power shoes

All in a day's work!

2008-05-23T20:07:00.001-07:00

I was running late for work today and when I arrived at the office at past 9 o'clock, a hearty breakfast was already waiting for me. Ate Purits cooked creamy chicken sopas for everyone! When lunch came, another treat awaited us. This time from Atty Tom. We had pork sinigang and fried fish. There was a lot so I invited my blockmates Chris, Aaron, and Raymond to eat lunch at my division. With a little prodding, they accepted my invitation. Merienda was taken cared of by Jen. Since her internship ends today, she treated us a with yummy pancit malabon and puto kutsinta. We invited our co-interns to join us and turned the conference room into a party place! After eating and entertaining our co-interns from the other divisions, Ric brought out a big bottle of vodka and mixed it up with Sprite. They've been practicing for their Soulja Boy dance number for monday's flag ceremony presentation.
It's already 5 o'clock and its time for logging out but my food treat day isn't over yet! Atty Jon of Chris' division invited me and Chris for dinner, his treat of course! He took us at Italiani's at Greenbelt 2 and there we had Sicilian chicken salad, seafood pasta, Margaretta pizza, and refillable iced teas! I was so full, I can hardly laugh with ease at atty jon's anecdotes about the OSG. We were finished at around 930. After which I took the MRT and went home. A few minutes after I got home, El visited and brought me a caramel cappuccino coffee and nutty chocolate donut from Dunkin Donuts.
What a day! Arrived late, did no work, ate a lot of free food, and even got tipsy! The best part is that we interns got our allowance today! That's the best treat of all! hahaha

Superb fun with your console?

2008-05-18T01:20:00.000-07:00

After that Sony PlayStation 2 ad (with that guy and his seemingly emerging cock which turned out to be just his thumb) was banned from French television back in 2002, here comes another ad for PS3 with the same "concept". Can anyone enlighten me? I dont get it. Why would his pennis become his thumb? Does this say if you play too much playstation junk your wang evolves into a thumb? I don't play any PS games so I don't get the message of this ad, assuming it has any in particular. The ad agency that's responsible for this is TBWA of Vienna, Austria. I guess Austria banned this one too. I'm just not sure how this could appeal to its market, which are mostly kids and young male adults. Wouldn't it be tasteless?

Do gamers really get this ad? Inside joke or something? Please explain.

How 'bout you, would you give this ad a thumbs up? pun intended.

Summer fling?!

2008-05-17T02:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, everyone's all talk about finding a summer fling so I got to thinking of finding one for myself too. TOINK! Hahahaha! Just kidding.

Chuck Bass of Gossip Girl is uber-HOT! An obnoxious, confident, straight-up asshole with daddy's credit card. Love him? hate him? hate to love him?

My IDEAL physical standards: tall and moreno. Maybe someone like Borgy Manotoc? uh-huh...Hmm, I guess his brother will do. (kidding, mike!)

Panic! at the Disco's "Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off" keeps spinning on my head. tsk, tsk,tsk......

"Let's get these teen hearts beating faster, faster!"

The days just keep on getting better and better. Maybe I should find a soundtrack for my summer. Something to remember this by. *grins*

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In other news, Ellen DeGeneres and her long time partner Portia de Rossi will soon be tying the knot now that the California Supreme Court has legalized same-sex marriage.
Ahhh...times are changing, humans are evolving.

California Chief Justice Ron George said in the written opinion. "Limiting the designation of marriage to a union 'between a man and a woman' is unconstitutional and must be stricken from the statute," The ruling added that all California couples had a "basic civil right" to marry "without regard to their sexual orientation".

This isn't the first time though that a US state dumped the ban against gay marriages. Before this SC decision, the state of Massachusetts allowed gay marriage and California, New Jersey and Vermont have legislation which grants same-sex partners many of the same legal rights as married couples.

Good job Supreme court folks!

Nerdy tripping

2008-05-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

This OSG internship is really perking up my summer days! So far, Ive prepared a full appellee's brief for the People (People of the Philippines v. Roxas) in a murder case, a complaint for reversion draft, a reply to an annulment case query, a research for a cancellation of land decree case, and a reply to a demand letter in a Land Title case. Wooohooo! Right now, Im busy preparing one appellant's brief for the DOTC (which has almost a foot long pile of case records) and 3 other appellee's brief: two drug related cases (RA 9165) and one rape case (specifically RA 7610, child abuse). This spontaneous decision to go for OSG internship is definitely turning out to be a fun and excellent learning experience!

Here's my office desk and my clutter of case files. hehe

Another thing I love about this internship is the people I work with. I'm assigned in the Gregorio Araneta Division at the seventh floor. There are seven lawyers in our division and each of them has their own secretaries. The lawyers report to the Assistant Solicitor General (ASG) who is the head of the division. My ASG is a very approachable person and she is definitely very intelligent and hardworking. She religiously checks all the pleadings submitted by the lawyers under her and even goes through the records of the cases. The lawyers in my division are the best! They are very friendly and high-spirited. The senior state solicitor is a serious guy who lools like ariel rivera. He gave a merienda treat at the office as a welcome for me. "Miss elle woods" is another lawyer I love there. She's pretty, sexy, and brings her cute shitzu to work.

This is bibi, the cute doggie of my
very own elle woods atty.

The lone UP grad lawyer there is also one of my favorites. She loves to chat during breaks and jokes around a lot. She said she was inspired to go hip hop abs workout when she saw my Pagudpud picture in a two piece bikini. Naks! Im "flattened" naman. There's also atty mommy and atty bisaya like me!:) They're both moms and are outrageously fun to talk to. I haven't really mingled with the other two lawyers that much because one is always out of town for hearings and the other is always busy inside her cubicle.

Then there's the secretaries. They're great! They are very accomodating and always ready to lend me a hand. They are also fun to talk to and laugh with. And of course, my fellow interns made the experience even more fun.

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On to other news..
Brooke White is out! (sorry Ben!) She messed up in her last performance.
Okay, I know everyone loves David Cook but he ruined one of my favorite Andrew Lloyd Webber song! Yeah yeah, he's a rock-ish singer whose raspy voice doesn't really fit in a broadway musical. But hey, Jason Castro made his rendition of "Memories" sound different from the usual and didnt ruin it. He has a style that shows his individuality and thats what I like about him.

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El's friends, She and Jwyn went to Ilocos and also had a Vigan tour. Guess what, they hired the same cuchero and horse we got when we went there two weeks ago! wala lang. kakatuwa lang :)

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I haven't watched Ironman (yet?) but dont judge me. Hahaha. What's with the fuss about this movie anyway? Interesting though that Robert Downey Jr. is sober and doing projects like this. Fans should hope that he will be able to make the sequel and not somewhere getting stoned or facing prison charges. El and I were planning to watch it last weekend but due to the long line of people at the ticket booth at Trinoma, we decided to spend our movie money to go food tripping. hahaha! Ill just settle on the pirated version, wont complain to that!

"Ploning" looks interesting. Maybe Ill watch it.

Office of the Solicitor General Summer Internship Program

2008-05-03T19:43:00.000-07:00

This is from the OSG website:

There's just one thing I hate about this. The MRT commute to the office is a nightmare!
If I arrive past 7:15 am at the station (or past 6:45 am during mondays), I will be stuck waiting in a long line of cranky people, mostly employees who are already late for work. After standing in line for almost half an hour (if I'm lucky), I will have to deal with a crowdful of people pushing each other on the platform to get in the train. It's a wonder no one ever fell from that platform yet. And to think, I'm on the segregated portion of the train where only females, senior citizens, and persons with disability are allowed. When the train arrives and the doors open, these fierce women turn into wild amazons who have the strength of Xena and She-Hulk combined. Its crazy!
That's why I am forced to get up early so that I won't be subjected to this kind of torture in the morning.

Two weeks have gone since we started as legal interns in the OSG and its also been two weeks of eating fast food. We should find some other cheap lunch place or else well be supersized after this ends!

Ilocos Trip!

2008-04-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

Pagudpud is one of the best beach vacation spot I've been to! It's on the northern most part of Ilocos Norte and the beaches are very nice and pristine plus, the atmosphere there is very serene and relaxing .

After my OSG Legal Internship orientation in Makati, I rushed to the mall and bought some essentials then hurried back to my apartment and packed. I was not able to pack and prepare earlier because my schedule is still tentative and I had some acad stuff to finish up. Anyway, we missed the bus that goes straight to Pagudpud so we took another Florida bus from Manila to Laoag which left at 1030 pm. The bus looked deceivingly comfortable with an airplane cabin-like feel with LCD TVs and a small booth for a toilet inside. But nooo, those seats, no matter how wide and spacious they seem to be are so uncomfortable! Haven't they heard of ergonomics? man! My neck and back were aching all over! We arrived in Laoag city at around 5 am and walked around looking for a place for breakfast. Since they were all still closed, we ended up having breakfast at Jollibee! toink!

We then took another bus to Pagudpud at around 10 am. We arrived there at around lunchtime, pitched our tent and took a fun swim. After that, we went touring around Pagudpud with Kuya Lito, our trusty trike driver slash tour guide.

Kaibigan Falls
For mountaineers like us, it was an easy hike of about 1.5 km till we reached the waterfalls itself. The water is so clear and cold. Nature at its best. We got lucky because we were the only ones there (with our guide). Solo namin ang falls! haha!

Patapat Viaduct
The view here is breathtaking (but for el, im even more breathtaking hehe) This bridge was built on the side of the mountain with a spectacular view of the sea. Scary thing about it? landslides. There's a part of the bridge thats been ruined by it (or so we speculate).

Agua Grande
An estuary! It's a resort with freshwater pools flowing from the river and out into the sea.

Bantay-abot Cave
The mountain with a hole. The waves here are merciless and the wind is
harsher! A killer wave almost got me!

Blue Lagoon Beach
The best! White powdery sand, virgin cove, clear waters, very few people, very peaceful and relaxing.
On our way there, a green sidewinder (supposedly poisonous?) about 5 feet long came into our path! yikes!

We had Ilocano longganisa and eggs for breakfast the next day after we took a last dip.

We then headed back to Laoag city and did a side trip there. We visited the Ilocos Norte Museum and had lunch at Macy's Diner. They have red vinyl booths, a bar, and a jukebox, giving off a real 70’s American diner vibe. It also had black and white framed posters of James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, the Beatles, and movie posters like "Ir's a Wonderful Life".

Another graduate for mommy and daddy!!!

2008-04-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

Three down, one college boy to go! (of course, im not counting me, the soon to be juris doctor of law!)

Congrats to my little sister Irene- the soon to be nursing board topnotcher!

The boat is sinking!

2008-04-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

Group yourselves into two!

I wasn't really affected that much when I found out that our block was the unlucky one that is going to be dissolved. I didn't even went to the block inuman that night because I figure people will be very emotional and frustrated. I thought that would be the last thing I needed then. I always thought that we had enough shared experiences- good and bad- that would keep us glued together even if we are no longer in one class. But recent events led me to think otherwise.
I know this is just a temporary thing and pretty soon everything will fall into its proper place but I hope that our unity and friendships wont be marred by certain preconditions and mere apparent bad faith.

Just for the record, I never really was a fan of the block system from the start. I survived college without a block from my first year till I graduated. I got to choose my classes and the people I want to attend class with according to my own schedule. Then law school happened. The block system was really alien to me then and I even thought that such a thing is stupid for a post-grad course. We got assigned to our respective blocks by drawing out a shabby piece of paper from a box and in the same manner, we ended up being dissolved by pulling out the unlucky little post-it. First, we are forced to be lumped in the same classes with strangers, and just when we've grown to like each other, they again force us to be subjected to this arbitrary scheme of dissolving a block. Both schemes are very similar but they have very different results. We never thought that those pieces of paper with the letter "B" ascribed on it would bring us all together and be the precursor of a lasting bond. But that star on that post-it reeked in sadness, doubts, and bitterness in us. I really hope they change this very arbitrary system of dissolving blocks after second year. Why not just have the block system for the first two years of law school then make it free for all for the next two years. At least everyone has a fair standing.
Now that we have a new and very able dean, I'm sure a lot of things will run very differently in the college and I sure hope he will include reconsidering this issue.

To my blockmates, I'm sure I'll live without some of you. You never really mean much to me anyway. HAHAHA! kidding! I will surely miss class recitations with you guys. All of you made an impression in my heart and I will never forget our wacky experiences together. Let's just keep in mind that being in a block (that is as fun as ours) is just a part of being in law school but our main priority is to graduate, pass the bar, and become great lawyers. Good luck to all of us!

"Nagsimula sa bunotan, Natapos sa bunotan"

The Retro Kid

2008-03-30T08:21:00.001-07:00

Taah-daaahhh!!! Look what I dug up! The big was then a scrawny little boy with a bashful grin. Cute:D

This photo of el with Rainbow Brite gave me a good chuckle!

Speaking of mascots, I saw this new Jollibee commercial which freaked me out. In that ad, the jolly bug utters "thank you po" in the end. What the?! So he's talking now, huh? I always had this picture of Jollibee and all its other mascot species as mutes that communicate through the movement of their appendages and oversized heads. Evolution must've played a role on them too.

And by the way, is Jollibee a male or a female? Personally, I think he's gay.

Can't hold it in no longer!

2008-03-29T12:23:00.001-07:00

Summer fever is totally making a head start on me! In the middle of final exams and legal paper deadlines, I forced to lodge in some amusement activities to perk up my relatively free weekdays (which I should spend on studying! hahaha). It's really getting hot and humid, summer is already here and I can't believe I still have acad stuff to think about. I have trouble concentrating these exam days because my braincells are already on vacation mode. As much as I want to stick to my carefully planned out study schedule, the drive to do it is just nowhere to be found. As usual, I would end up cramming everything the day before the exam itself. grrrrr.
The big and I went swimming a few days ago! The heat was really getting on me and I asked El to take me swimming somewhere in the city.

Last friday, I also attended a coffee seminar in Starbucks Imperial with the boyfriend. We just chanced upon the announcement when we had coffee there after we went swimming. Of course, I hurriedly signed up for it.
The seminar was basically about their company and their coffee products. Kind of boring actually and its quite a pain to listen to a quivering barista. I tell you, just google or look for Starbucks in Wikipedia and you'll find every bit of info there. I really thought I was gonna learn something substantially new. But thats just me though, I'm a coffee lover so I know a lot about coffee. Maybe its different for all the others who were there. The coffee tasting was the best part for obvious reasons. And they served pastries too that would best compliment each coffee flavor. The first coffee they gave us for tasting was from Columbia. It was a medium-bodied coffee with a smooth texture and nutty aroma. The next one is from Kenya which is classified as bold and has a rather citrus taste. I like it the most. The last is the extra bold coffee from Sumatra which has an earthy aroma and a full-bodied texture.

After the seminar, they gave us free coffee bean samples of their house blend. I was able to bring home four packs since El gave me his share (doesn't drink coffee). By the way, all the rest only got one pack. Thanks to the bigbig's charms, we got one more for each of us! That makes four for me! happiness!!!!

Another cheap thrill I had: biking inside QC circle. My Labor groupmates and I went to QC Circle to meet with the Union Lawyer that we interviewed for our Labor paper. After the interview, Ben and I decided to go biking and what a blast we had! Its been such a long time since I rode a bike and I almost forgot how it was like. It was exhilarating! What I find annoying though are the narrow bike lanes full of unmindful people walking right in the middle. It's a bike lane for heavensake! Go walk some place else! I was always yelling "hey!" or "excuse meeeeee!!!!!" I swear if I did hit or ran over them, I'd deny liability. I would admit that I was a speeding menace though. hehehe
Im loving it!

My old school anime cartoon fixes

2008-03-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

Remember those days when we thrived in our television indulgence of dubbed animated series? This was during those times when TV stations used to broadcast valuable shows that leave us kids all addicted and glued to the tube. I was very fond of these Tagalized versions and even after several years, I can still recall those memorable scenes and episodes . The soundtracks, as silly as they may sound now, are simply great. They truly stand the test of time. Looking back, I never thought I'm that much addicted to watching TV! Here are some of my favorite shows that I religiously followed.

Sarah ang Munting Princessa
Who can ever forget princess Sarah and her life in Miss Minchin's boarding school for girls? The story is based upon the classic novel of Frances Hodgson Burnett, "A Little Princess". Sarah Crewe is the girl everyone loves and envies. She is kindhearted, pretty, intelligent, and has impeccable manners and elegant grace. She lives the life of a princess and everyone treated her well until her father died leaving her as an orphan. The head mistress, miss Minchin allowed her to stay in the boarding school as long as she works there as a maid. Henceforth, her life became tough and miserable. She still retained her true friendship with some of the girls like Lotty and Ermengarde and made new ones including Becky, a poor servant girl. Her sufferings were not for long as it turned out that she was not indeed a poor orphan girl.
I remember I used to hate Lavina so much. This show was really a big hit that a Philippine movie version was even made starring Camille Prats as Sarah and Angelica Panganiban as Becky. They were still cute and innocent back then.

Cedie ang Munting Principe
Another Frances Hodgson Burnett classic. The story revolves around an American boy named Cedric Errol, who finds out that the is the sole heir to a British earldom. He was taken from his mother and lived with his grandfather in their ancestral palace. This grandfather is a strict and cold aristocrat who despises his mother. Cedie was the one who taught his cold heart a little compassion, justice, and understanding. Eventually he learned to accept Cedie's mother.
What I remember most about the episodes in this series are those times with Cedie riding his pony, dreaming of being together with his mom, and his treasured moments with his granddad. Tom Taus starred as Cedie in the Philippine movie version. Yes, I watched it too. nyahaha

Von Trapp Family Singers
I think ABS is airing this series presently. Back then, I often wish to be part of their big happy family and replace that pretty blond emo girl (Brigitta, in the real movie version) who always cry and grieve the loss of her mother. haha. Kurt was also hilarious.

Cinderella
" kailan, hanggang kailan
Ito mananatiling panaginip
sabik na ko, sabik na ko sa iyong
yakap at halik…"
I looooooove Prinsepe Lenard! bow.
Of course everyone is familiar with the Cinderella story. This animated version however adds a different twist to the story. The prince and Cinderella already knew each other way before the ball and were really good friends. I would admit, the premise is quite stupid. Principe Lenard can make a complete disguise as a commoner just by not wearing his prince outfit and can go about the kingdom without being recognized by the common people as the prince. duh. Who are you kidding?! Even Cinderella's stepmom and step sisters who talked to the prince several times cant tell that Lenard is the prince. He didnt even use an alias or a pseudonym! But then again, I didn't care! I never missed a single episode of this series. I even remember doodling principe Lenard on my notebooks and writing about him in my diary. yech. hehehe

Remi (Dog of Flanders)
This is one tearjerker series. I hate it when pets die. First the monkey dies, but when Remi and Patrash died in the end, I got really emotional. I mourned their loss till now. huhuhu.

Si Maria at ang Lihim na Hardin
I dont remember vividly the scenes or episodes of this series but I remember watching it back then.

Peter Pan
Neverland has never been so magically created. I missed Peter Pan and his exploits.

Snow white
is so pretty and Principe Richard is so handsome. They look good together.

Julio at Julia
"Kapag uminog ang mundo Iikot din ang buhay ng tao May saya at mayroong dusa Huwag lang tayo magpapatalo.. Si Julio at Julia Kambal ng tadhana Di susuko sa pagsubok…"

An elementary friend and I used to pretend we were Julio and Julia. We would hold hands and imagine a kind of force field encapsulating us from the attacks of evil men! This series follows the quest of a chinese boy with a bad haircut, Julio and a European blond girl, Julia in their travels across different parts of Asia and Europe to fulfill their mission as the twins of destiny. Maybe they eventually got together in the end. The finale didn't say much.

Daddy Long Legs
Is this the one with Judy Abott? Im not so sure. My younger sister used to watch this a lot. It was during this time when I went crazy over cream puffs and dreamed of playing lacrosse! (hehe, anyone remember that episode?)

Marcelino Pan y Vino
I can hardly remember anything about this but I know this was among the TV shows I look forward to every morning.

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
The best Gundam series ever! Heero, Quatre, Duo, Trowa, and Wufei. They are the five Gundam pilots. I got really crazy about Heero Yuy back then. I say move over princess Relena! This is a futuristic story when Earth is surrounded by orbiting space colonies. The Gundam mobile suits were sent to Earth to fight the tyranny of the Alliance military which is controlled by a secret society called Oz that is oppressing the colonists.
I wish I could find my sketchbook full of various gundam humanoids!

Princess Starla and the Jewel Riders
I've a sparse recollection of this series but what I do remember is that my elementary friends and I used to assign the characters to each one and play pretend. Of course I'm Princess Starla! mwahaha.

Ghost Fighter
I really believe Dennis is gay (well, he is in fact androgynous). I wonder why a lot of girls like him so much. Maybe its because of the hair. hahaha. My favorite is Vincent.

Dragon Ball Z
The fight scenes were really awesome and the martial arts exhibition would take your breath away. Super sayan!!!!!!!! Ha-me-ha we- wei!!!!!!!!!! (hahaha, I'm not even sure if thats correct.)

Flying House
To those unfortunate beings who were not able to catch or who can't remember, this animated series is about three kids who found a house in the woods which transported them to the times of Jesus. The kids, Andy, Justine and Corky became real close friends of Jesus and witnessed the events that transpired in his life. I simply love this cartoon. I can still recall its opening and closing themes. And I am even a member of the Super kids club! I wish I could find all those freebies and newsletters they sent me. This series was dubbed in English by the way.

Superbook
In this series, a different set of kids are transported via a magical book which sends them to a particular time mentioned in the old testament of the bible. Somehow, I loved this better than Flying House. I think the old testament stories are more fun and interesting.

and of course, there's the occasional Daimos and Voltes V.

I wonder if anyone can relate to this post.

Warped!

2008-03-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

So Ive been browsing through some ad websites and found these fascinating wall papers that's designed to warp your room.

This motif got me. Amazing how the light from these lamps highlights the distortions in the pattern.

This is one heck of a nausea-inducing room. I think people inside it would feel the urge to disgorge their guts.

When your wall looks like this, waking up will make you woozy or worse, schizzed out!

Now this would be very convenient in mental hospitals or drug rehab facilities. The inmates would surely be in for a cajoling treat.

and speaking of warped...

this person is said to be suffering from an extremely rare form of cancer. (Source: BBC)

Now they're talking!

Jesus or Moses: who do you think would win in a fight?

2008-03-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

Let's consider the the "facts" (a.k.a. miracles they performed).

Jesus turned water into wine.
Moses turned the whole Nile and all of Egypt's water sources into blood.

Jesus walked on water.
Moses divided the water when he led the Israelites across the Red sea.

Jesus calmed a storm.
Moses struck all of Egypt with a destructive storm of hail and fire.

Jesus multiplied bread and fish to feed thousands of people.
Moses provided the Israelites a constant supply of manna during their travels in the desert until they reached Canaan.

Jesus cured diseases like leprosy and other permanent disabilities.
Moses caused an epidemic disease which killed Egyptian livestocks and festered boils affecting both men and livestock.

Jesus brought the dead back to life.
Moses carried on the death of the firstborns.

What do you think?

Of board games and bitterness

2008-03-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, I was the ultimate champ of Monopoly. Well, that's partly because I quit the game bitterly when somebody else is likely going to win and when I do lose, I throw a murderous fit that scares everyone out of their wits. hahaha! My dad bought us the board game when I was about 7 or 8 years old and since then, it became one of our favorite pastimes. I never tire of playing Monopoly back then and I always coax my siblings to play the game with me. I always had it with the game. It's very rare that I don't get to buy Boardwalk and Park Place and own a railroad or two plus a few utilities. I make it a point that I buy smart and avoid getting those low-income properties. When I go to jail, I never stay in jail even if I had to pay to get out because I would lose opportunities when I spend more time in jail. I also try avoiding to mortgage properties and build more houses and hotels. In the end, I always turn out to be the winner.

Earlier today, I attended a workshop for Cashflow 101 moderators. Cashflow 101 is a board game designed by Robert Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad. The idea of the game is to accumulate enough cash on hand to buy properties, stocks, shares, etc. The goal is to get out of the rat race and fulfill your dream. You will be able to get out of the rat race once your passive income is enough to make your monthly cash flow greater than your total expense. All your transactions will be recorded in your financial statement and buying sheet for stocks. This game is a little more complicated than monopoly, of course, but you don't have to be an accountant to play this game because the computations are very simple. Though Ive been to several Cashflow 101 seminars, today was only my second time to play the game and to my chagrin, I was not able to get out of the rat race. I could feel my inner child bursting with bitterness and tears. It was really funny because after the game I felt like crying. My mind was going like 'NO!! this can't be happening! I'm the queen of this kind of games!' hahaha! Thank God for maturity. Anyway, it was really a close call because I accumulated enough passive income already but I just ran out of good deals on my way around. The first time I played Cash flow 101 was back in 2006 and I was able to get out of the rat race. The moderators were even impressed in the way I played the game and how I handled my finances and deals. At that time my head was like in a singsong again saying "Yep! I still got it!" I still can't believe time and circumstance bailed out on me this time. Plus the fact that my age won't allow me to burst into a destructive tantrum.

holy week musings

2008-03-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

Ever since I came to profess my non-belief publicly, I seem to have appeared as an antagonistic character in some people's (maybe even my family's) viewpoint. I, nonetheless, expected this kind of reaction because I understand that religion has a certain grasp on a person that would not allow their strong-held beliefs to quiver. In addition to that, there is also a widespread opinion about atheists being immoral and rebellious. People believe that in order to live a moral and honorable life, one has to have faith in certain divinities and be guided by its teachings. This sort of discrimination and bias is very much pronounced in our society especially in politics. Most people would not vote for an atheist running for a public post. Some states in the US prohibit atheists to hold a public office. And before, atheists are not even allowed to testify in court since they cannot swear to the bible. Reading history, studying the Constitution, and by simply living in a society made me aware of the consequences I would have to deal with in publicly professing my non-belief. Its not that I actively publicize my stance to the point of practically trying to convert people out of their own religious beliefs. I do post occasional articles and like materials in different internet mediums to give an alternative viewpoint or a different insight. However, it's not my goal to convert people out of their belief systems but for them to think critically and practice intellectual honesty. I don't "evangelize" because it's pointless and somehow presumptuous.

There were two people I encountered who somehow led me into this life stance: my history teacher back in high school and my Constitutional Law professor in Law school. The first one disturbed my idea of God, the trinity, and the creation of man. This eventually led to my great curiosity about religious doctrines and I relentlessly tried learning as much as I can about it while still maintaining to be a good Catholic. Although I found many good answers to my questions, I still did not let go of my faith because I am too afraid of living a life without God and I often thought that my life would be miserable and loathsome as God's punishment for my non-belief. I was young then. College was really a period of discovery for me. It was during my college days that I dabbled myself into different religions and religious teachings. It was a time of studying, learning, and analyzing. I read a variety of books, dig up the history of religion, and studied different philosophies. I learned for instance, about the history of Christianity and its many similarities with ancient or pagan religions. About Mithra, Horus, Osiris and how they connect with the Jesus of the bible. I joined several religious organizations and even took doctrine classes in one Catholic center for girls. It was during these times when I experienced the horrid practices and teachings of religion. At one time, a girl I went with to the center was told not to read Karl Marx and to let the priest do her paper for her. When I objected to this, I was told that I should understand because that girl doesn't have a strong faith yet and Marxist teachings might turn it into shambles. And since the priest was very much concerned of her soul, he offered to save her from such "satanic teachings". I found this utterly crazy and demeaning up until now. Religion always want people not to think for themselves. When I finally became a philosophy major, I somehow made a stand to myself to become a non-believer. I did not the like the term "atheist" back then because of its communist assimilations. I nevertheless kept this decision to myself and when people ask me about this topic, I would always answer in a way that would please them.
I don't especially like my Constitutional Law professor but he certainly made an impression on me. In the course of our discussions on the Bill of Rights, the non-establishment, and the free exercise of religion doctrines; we got to the issue of religion and religious tolerance. The discourse we had in class and the many materials he gave us made me even more resolute with the stance I chose. Many of my blockmates reconsidered their beliefs. Its a different story for me though. It gave me the moral courage to come out of the closet. I realized that I should be true to myself and for once just forget about what people would say. I knew that it would be difficult and people are bound to judge me but I already stopped caring. As long as I'm not hurting anyone and trampling people out of my way, there is nothing to feel ashamed of and be guilty about.

So when people ask me why I study the bible or watch the "senakulo", I always want to retort: how bout you? why do you study science and watch movies? Although I always want to maintain good relations with the people I deal with, I can't help criticizing the religious teachings that many of them adhere to. Some people take this as a personal attack which is really distressing because I have no such intention. Perhaps they are just being defensive because their esteemed religious faith is being questioned and they cant provide good answers that would make sense even to someone who does not believe. I do hope that people would keep an open mind. People I encountered who hold such strong beliefs expect people like me not to criticize their religious faith and just respect it. I believe in tolerance of other people's beliefs, but not respect. Respect needs to be earned and so far, no explanation earned my respect. Beliefs and claims are meant to be evaluated and analyzed, not respected. When a person claims to believe that he has a diamond the size of his refrigerator buried in his backyard without proving it, you don't expect people to respect his belief. Most likely, people hearing such claim would think that this person must be nuts. You can tolerate his delusional claim but you're certainly not obliged to respect it. One can always assume the preposterous for his own psychological or emotional purpose but when he starts to attach truth claims with it for the whole world to believe, he should not expect respect for such without any good evidence and good arguments to back it up.

Something to get up about

2008-03-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

I looked forward to two things today.
One. It's El's birthday! Weeeeehhh!!! Happy birthday to the sweetest, smartest, cutest geek boyfriend in the world!
I had a hard time figuring out what to give him for a present because I don't have much money and I barely have any idea what guys want to receive for a gift. Anyway, he seemed pretty happy:) yey!

But I wish I planned a quirky surprise or something. Its always him doing special things for me.
El always give this little doggie her everyday treat.
He never fails to make me feel loved and happy every single day. I wish all my girl friends have someone like him too.

Two, its the end of classes!!! Let's get it on with the exams and off we go to summer freedom! woohooo!

The heat is rising

2008-03-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

summer is coming and these stars are definitely strutting it out on the beach!

Kate Hudson relaxing on the sand in her bright red bandeau bikini.

*****

man, i looove Jessica Alba's body! I do yoga almost everyday but I wish i have a personal fitness trainor giving me routines on getting this bod!

oooh la la! wish i have the courage to pose like this!

*****

and here's Jennifer Aniston. I always loved her lower body.

*****

i should buy a pink bikini. Eva Longoria is so damn hot!

now I can't wait for summer break to officially start!

The days are just packed

2008-02-24T16:37:00.000-08:00

It's a 4-day weekend and for the first time in months, I had a full 8-hour sleep. I totally squandered the days away by sleeping and doing nothing. There's a little tinge of guilt but its not enough to stop me from enjoying this rare luxury! haha!

Thank god for Gillette, huh?!

2008-02-04T08:38:00.000-08:00

Tim Burton didn't fail me with his adaptation of the Broadway musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The movie masterfully captured the dark tone of the film with its despairingly gloomy lighting effects and makeup. If you are familiar with Burton's work, this film have his cinematographic signatures all over the place. He capitalized on stark contrasts of colors in this movie like the bright red gushing and flowing blood amidst a rather monochromatic background. The scene where Mrs Lovett and Sweeney Todd were under the tree (By the Sea) is that part of the movie which is totally mesmerizing and its the only time where everything is so alive with color.

I am not very satisfied though with Johnny Depp's performance despite his surprisingly good singing voice. I think his portrayal of Sweeney Todd is not that psychotic. It lacks that element of madness. Maybe He wants to be the brooding killer type and not the brazenly mad psychopath which I want him to be. I expected a lot more vigor and exaggeration in each of the characters especially when they get to sing their parts like in a real musical. I guess Tim Burton wanted it to be more toned down and subtle which I think he shouldn't have done because the musical aspect is diminished in value. Its grim humor is lost in Burton's translation. I think Helena Bonham Carter is very suited for the role as Mrs Lovett and I don't understand why people are complaining why she got the part thinking that she did because she's Tim Burton's wife. Duh. I'm sure they had other considerations besides that. Sasha Cohen as Pirelli is also very amusing as always and Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin can't be any better except that when he said "Mr Todd" when he first entered that barbershop, I cant help but be reminded of Professor Snape since he said it in the exact same tone and manner the way he did in Harry Potter only "Mr Potter"! haha!

The movie is quite loyal to the original version and I really don't get it why people, in their blogs and reviews, blame Burton for how the plot turned out in the end and at the same time complain that the songs weren't any good. Maybe they don't know how to appreciate musicals. Or maybe they just can't fathom the words because of the thick British accent. Another thing I'm really quite annoyed with is the fact that people are expecting to be scared in this movie. They expect all the usual sound effects and visuals that a run-of-the-mill horror flick would offer. In the first place, this is not a horror movie. And its also definitely not a suspense thriller. It is a musical thriller and a musical thriller does not have that very ordinary purpose. Musical thrillers may horrify you but in a different way because the story is incorporated in songs and the killings are done with spontaneity. Sigh. People really ought to go deeper into stuff.

Sweeney Todd's concept is really very interesting and amusing for me. I find the story as a dark comedy. Isn't it funny (albeit sad) how Johanna had no idea at all that her father unknowingly killed her mother and even attempted to kill her. The neurotic in me identifies with Todd's and Mrs Lovett's characters. I wonder how tasty those pies really are.

Tomorrow will be a better day

2008-01-31T10:54:00.000-08:00

To redeem myself from today's lousy existence, I stayed in the library till closing time and finished my readings for tomorrow.
Since I wasn't able to read all the cases in Credit, I decided to cut class and save myself from a bad recit and/or a grade of five. This particular prof don't give fives if you got called for recitation and happen to be absent, which makes it very convenient for students (like me) to absent themselves from class whenever they are not prepared. And yes, I was called. sheesh. But then again, I figure getting no grade is better than getting a five.
But that's not what made today a bad day. We had a surprise quiz in Labor and I literally don't know anything about our current subject matter. I have read only digests of the cases and haven't even studied the essential provisions from the Labor Code. Since the professor don't give a midterm exam and its quite easy to work your way through her recitations, I figure I can survive cramming it all up in the finals. Then came this. God, Ive never felt so inadequate answering all those essay questions. This is my wake up call. Maybe I should remember that I have other subjects besides CivPro. How I wish my professor would get tons of sudden workload that she'll consign the checking of those papers to the trash bin.

La Vie Boheme

2008-01-30T09:28:00.000-08:00

Rent is on my mind today.
No, not the one I'm paying every first week of the month. I'm talking about the Tony award-winning musical which was adapted to film last 2005. I cant believe I let about two years pass before I watched this movie adaptation. The thought of downloading this movie came to me because of my current frustration in finding a decent Sweeney Todd movie torrent file. When El finished downloading the Rent torrent last night, I immediately forgot all about my cases and excitedly played the movie. I have fallen in love with this musical since I first heard of it. I have a copy of the songs from the original Broadway soundtrack which Ive downloaded a few years back so I am acquainted with the songs and even memorized some of them. Having watched the movie last night brought back the frenzy once again. I have been singing songs from the soundtrack all day today and when I'm not, the songs just kept on playing in my mind.

Rent is about a group of friends and young artists and their struggles with work, love, and life. The plot is amidst the background of aids and transgenderism. The "bohemian" or impoverished artist culture is the pervading theme of this story which I totally dig. Each character is very unique and very familiar at the same time. There's Mark, a struggling film maker who makes a lot of documentaries and who thinks working for big media corporations is a sell-out. Roger is the aids-stricken songwriter and ex front man of a band whose love interest is Mimi, a dancer in a club who also has aids. Maureen is a performance artist who leads the protest against Benny and the landlords of the East village of New York. She dumped Mark for a lawyer named Joanne (incidentally!). Tom Collins is a philosophy professor who also has aids who falls for Angel, my favorite character, a cross-dresser with aids who plays percussions on the streets. I love how this musical emphasizes on the importance of how we ought to relish in living our lives and forget our unnecessary pretensions. There's no day but today.

All but two (Mimi and Joanne) of the movie cast are reprisals of their roles in the original Broadway version. Rosario Dawson's portrayal of Mimi is surprisingly good. I always thought shes a good actress but I didnt know she sings. Tracie Thoms as Joanne is superb. The first time I saw her in the movie I thought, this girl looks really familiar. That's when it hit me that I saw her in "Devil Wears Prada" playing as a friend of Anne Hathaway there. Jesse Martin (Tom Collins) and Taye Diggs (Benny) played roles in Ally McBeal that are very lucid in my memory that I had quite a hard time disintegrating the doctor/lawyer character in them that I was accustomed to. And oh yeah, Adam Pascal (Roger) was Theo, Jack Black's former bandmate, in the flick "The School of Rock".

I have always been a musical enthusiast and ever since I became one, I have been dreaming of going to New York and watch the runs of my favorite Broadway musicals in the New Amsterdam theater. But since that dream is quite far out for now, Ill just settle on film adaptations and singing librettos in the shower.

Klimt's art

2008-01-27T11:12:00.001-08:00

Gustav Klimt is one of the renowned artists of the Modern era which covers the French Impressionists, Cubists, Fauvists and Surrealists. Klimt is the latest addition to my list of favorite foreign painters which includes Da Vinci, Warhol, Matisse, Chagall, Renoir, Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, Dali, and Magritte. I just realized that almost all of my favorite painters are Modern artists (except Da Vinci, classical and Andy Warhol, contemporary.) I particularly like the way Modern artists use unusual techniques and daring themes. Its more of their own personal visions and ideas rather than rules and routine. These artists use color, dimension, and perception in a non-traditional way that I always thought to be very appealing and intriguing.

Looking up Klimt's work is what I have been up to lately ever since my blockmate, Jing showed me this rather expensive planner she got from Fully Booked featuring a few of Gustav Klimt's famous works. I really like the way he uses vivid colors in his portraits and his sort of Byzantium mosaic style is very captivating. His works are characterized by common themes of life, death, sex, and love. Here are a few of my favorite pieces. (please click the image for a larger view:)

Tree of Life
(notice the intricacy of his style and the underlying theme? asteeg!)

Adele Bloch-Bauer I
(his best portrait for me)

Beethoven Frieze (The Ode to Joy)

The Kiss
(its currently my PDA wallpaper:)

Water Snakes
(this one's on my laptop desktop:)

Study Sessions

2008-01-26T09:36:00.000-08:00

I think this sem is the most stressful one that I have had so far.
Well, that's what I always say about a present moment semester and the subsequent semester always tops it off. It just keeps on getting rougher. Surprisingly, I never came to a point that I became seriously burnt out. I'm still my cheerful and carefree self. Law school may have taken a pretty big chunk of my time which I prefer to allot to other interesting things but it didn't make me dull. I may be struggling quite hard with the demands of law school but I am still happily unworried. I guess its because of my positive outlook and strong character. I never give up. I take every nerve-racking day one at a time and just wait for those straining moments to pass even under gritted teeth. The secret there is not to take grades too seriously. I never do. Of course I make a conscious effort not to fail in any of my subjects but I never study just for the grades. Man, there's life besides law school.

For the past three weeks or so, I have been spending my late nights in a Dunkin Donuts branch along Aurora blvd, studying. Ive been a law student for a year and a half now but Ive never seen myself to be this diligent. I guess its because of CivPro. This subject is a five-unit course and the Professor is very exacting. This is why I was forced to fix and device an efficient study habit which I never really have. I can never study seriously at home because I am easily tempted to lie on my bed and sleep without even knowing it. And though I considered studying in coffee shops before, I never really got to it because of my tight budget. Given my meager allowance, I cant afford to spend more than a hundred pesos everytime I study out. Thanks to that Dunkin Donuts store, I now have an inexpensive place to hammer away into my readings. It's also very convenient for me since it's only a block away from my apartment. Several med and law students (no UPLaw) also frequent the place which makes the atmosphere very conducive to studying. The fact that there are no UP law students there makes it even better. For some reason, I am easily distracted whenever there's someone else I know from UPLaw in the coffee shop I'm in.

I was really thrown off when a friend started kidding me that Im so "cheap" I study at Dunkin Donuts. It didn't ever came into my mind that Dunkin Donuts is cheap, in the colloquial sense of the term. I even think the Caramel Cappuccino of Dunkin tastes better than Starbucks' cappucino. Its the size of a Grande cup in Starbucks but it only costs 60PhP. Plus, they brew and froth it fast. I dont go to Dunkin thinking Im cool or cheap or whatever. I go there to study. I love coffee shops and I often go to one. There are a few times that I study but most of the time I go there to hang out with friends and talk. I think coffee shops are more suited for that because its the experience they offer that makes your overpriced frappes or lattes worth it. In any case, what they said didnt made me reconsider my choice. I'm definitely going to study again in Dunkin Donuts. It's all about different strokes for different folks.

my public blogging debut

2008-01-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

Though I dont have my own internet connection and I dont have much time to spend on the internet, I decided to create this blog to serve as my diversion from law school. I have a Multiply account and I used to post a few not so candid blog entries there but its just too--how do i say it..exposed? This is why I dont really give blogging much thought. I think my life and my thoughts are just not for everyone to examine and evaluate. Im still not very comfortable with the thought of people reading my stuff but for the heck of it Im giving this thing a shot. So here goes nothing.