Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Narito na ang Pasko at nangungulila'ng puso ko
Hanap-hanap, pinapangarap
Init ng pagsasalong tigib sa tuwa
Ng Mag-anak na nagdiwang
Sa sabsaban nu'ng unang Pasko.
-
koro ng Paglamig ng Hangin, Bukas Palad

Kahit makakapiling ko ang aking kapatid sa ibayong dagat ngayong Kapaskuhan, nalulumbay pa rin ako dahil hindi ko SIYA makakasama. Pero okay lang, ang mahalaga ay nagkita kami at nagkakausap pa rin. ♥

Pansamantala muna ako mamamaalam sa internet dahil marami pa akong kailangang asikasuhin sa Pasko. Magkita na lang tayo sa pagsapit ng Bagong Taon. v^_^v

Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon sa lahat! :3

Friday, November 09, 2007

Sanrio to me: Im in ur brainz pwning ur soul wid teh cute.

I hate this. I know I should be staying away from the overcute, but it seems like I'm genetically programmed to not only gravitate to it, but to have it gravitate to me. 6=.=0

Like I said in the previous post, the cuddly characters of Sanrio Corporation (Zashikibuta, Charmmy Kitty, BadBadtzMaru and Kuromi of the latest My Melody anime in particular) owns my soul so bad, I think I need to switch layouts, get icons and - especially since I can't seem to find any - make my own mood themes (good luck to me! X_x). @_@

The fact that SanrioTown has unofficial blogs dedicated to characters (with the consent of SanrioTown and Sanrio) - emo-Kuromi, punk-ass BadBadtzMaru (already picking fights just a day after he starts blogging, hahaha XD), angsty and oft-ignored older twin Mimi/Mimmy (I hate to say this but I can relate XD), ever-optimistic Kerokeroppi (whose whole gang from Donut Pond abuses his account XD) and suddenly-moved-out-to-live-in-with-his-girlfriend-in-Paris Zashikibuta (no I am no joking!) - is sucking me in really, REALLY deep. v=_=0 It's just really strange though that there are tons of other characters who don't have blogs yet - Kiki and Lala the Little Twin Stars, My Melody, Pochacco, etc. Unfortunately, I can't really blog them ... with my nickname in SanrioTown being the woefully unclever "PusaCat*" I'm hoping to blog as Charmmy Kitty, who is originally Kitty's pet (!) but who I think deserves to be an anthropomorphic sentient character in her own right. I mean, she's a friggin' Persian cat, which calls up images of decadence, snobbery and generally being posh and painfully hip and will most possibly be either like Paris Hilton or Alicia Silverstone's character "Cher" in Clueless. X3

* Bonus points to those who actually know what local TV show PusaCat came from and who played her onscreen! XD (Yes I am jologs, I think I already established that a couple of entries back. XDDDDDDDDDDDD)

PS I just realized I still don't have the Hello Kitty layout I want for this page. And I'm still as woefully unclever in coding one. Can anyone (save Boobman Asstard Linkwhore who still can't code his own layouts despite having seven years of web optimization experience >_> YES THAT MEANS YOU ABUNDORK) help me please? X3

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Yes I am alive, thank you. :3

Things have been very interesting for me lately, but not all of them will make the light of day here for very personal reasons.

However, what I can tell you is that I've put up a new fanblog to contain my Granado Espada fan ramblings here: Cartas y Dibujos con la Familia Lucido. Thanks to my friends DeSanggria-player and NineMoons-player for the patience! Thanks to this game my interests in drawing, writing, European history, European culture and historical fiction have resurfaced. Don't worry guys I'll be posting my stuff real soon. v^_~v

Also, I have been getting into Hello Kitty madness bigtime, that I have bought PhP1,200.00's worth of merchandise (basically DVD+Rs, a parasol and a showerhead) off my friend Jac's sister. I KNOW I shouldn't be spending, but honestly, just you wait as I will be walking into the nearest Sanrio store today! XDDDDDD;;; I even got back into SanrioTown.com, and reclaimed my old username "pusakat" ... ack, wait, that was supposed to be "pusacat"! >_<000 Neener neener.

I want a Hello Kitty layout for this blog! Would anyone out there know of any?

Anyway, I'll be off again!

PS To a stalker of this blog: I haven't been updated with whatever fuckery you've been doing in ages, and I think we've established long ago that I highly dislike everything that has to do with you, so it is just so very sad that you have to keep stalking this fairly insignificant blog of mine. X3

Monday, October 08, 2007

PORTED FROM VOX: PRAY FOR FREEDOM


PRAY FOR FREEDOM
Originally uploaded by Photographic Design
Sorry for the delay, I couldn't post this soon enough...

Courtesy of the Free Burma Group @ Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/groups/479791@N25/pool/). 

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Quoted for Truth: The AE as a Masochist

I received this as a fowarded message from a co-worker, a fellow masochist. XD Translated some lines to the best of my ability, for the sake of my friends and contacts who aren't able to read Filipino.

Yay to all Account Executives (or Account Managers, as in our case here in the office) everywhere!!! XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

PS I have no cleavage to speak of, so leg exposure na lang, lol. X3




THE AE: THE MASOCHIST


I truly believe that people who enter the esoteric (read: misunderstood, misconstrued, or in layman's terms, because most people don't really know what it is exactly) world of advertising are the truly insane. Those who leave the industry have VERY good common sense and a sound sense of self- worth; those who leave and come back are certified nuts; and those who stay forever (and do not even entertain the thought of shifting into another field) -- or for a long, long time, at least -- are the ones who love to suffer.

But the inherent, unarguably 100% purebred masochists are the ones advertising people call the AEs. They are the Account Executives, the so-called unsung heroes of product launches and successful market performances since time immemorial, or, to quote a recent essay on a similar subject, the quintessential advertising person.

The AE has a thousand definitions to her name, but allow me to narrow them down into five:


1. Your parents do not understand your job description.

Excerpt from a real-life dialogue between an AE and her mother:

AE: Hey, that's my TVC!

Mom: Really? You mean ikaw ang nag-isip ng idea for that commercial?

AE: Uh, not exactly.

Mom: But you did write the script, didn't you, anak? Idea mo lahat 'yon diba?

AE: Erm...well, it was more like I orchestrated the entire production, Ma.

Mom: Honey, I don't understand. Ano ba talaga ang ginagawa mo? (What do you really do?)

In a nutshell, parents don't understand that advertising is more than just being a creative.

2. You are the sounding board of everyone. (Euphemism: Everyone yells at you.)

Your client yells at you. Your creative yells at you. Your boss yells at you. Hell, kulang na lang that even the company driver yells at you for making him drive all the way to Bicutan and then to Marikina, AND THEN back to Makati.

In actuality, they all yell at you because you are their connecting vein. You are the DNA of the system. You are the air trafficker who decides which plane goes in which direction to avoid an airborne accident. Take heart: Without you, all of them can't function properly. Shempre kailangan ng (of course, they all need your) JO/JOB ORDER!


3. You are supposed to exercise your (I quote) considerable powers of PR (Read: kaplastikan).

No matter how much you hate your support groups, you'll always have to be nice to them even if your insides are producing enough acid to burn your digestive system. This is because you need them and they, in turn, need you -- though they refuse to acknowledge such. After all, without you, where else would they get their salaries -- through sidelines?

4. You are a VERY high-paid maid of Clients.

The common perception of other advertising people is that the AE is a Client's yes-man. "The customer is always right," goes the saying after all. This is because creatives see AEs as the Clients' sidekicks when in the agency. I've actually heard one co-AE say despairingly, "Prostitutes are better off. They can say no if they're tired and want to call it a night." Not the AE. Even though you're having a bad hair day, experiencing extremely painful menstrual cramps, not to mention having to deal with spoiled creatives, you have to make sure your Client gets his deliverables, which were needed "yesterday." (Sound familiar?)

But, in defense of the AE, they do not say yes to Client all the time: it just seems that way. The AE, in relation to her kaplastikan prowess as discussed in point #3, has to do a lot of verbal ballroom dancing in order to make the Client see his or her view. In fact, the general rule among AEs is (paraphrased though): You cannot just say no just because. In line with the advertising motto that all campaigns must have a strategy, so do the AEs when it comes to dealing with Clients. As most Clients are sensitive about being brutally rebuffed, AEs have to massage their egos if they disagree with them.

And on that note, notice how, in advertising, the word "client" is spelled as "Client?" With a capital C? Isn't that equating "Client" with "God?"

God forbid.



5. You are ... McGyver.

Resourcefulness is your middle name. Advertising urban legends claim that AEs have gone through hell to make sure both Clients and creatives (and to a lesser degree, your other support groups) are appeased: sitting in the broom closet until the creatives finish the compre for a print ad, hiring a kalesa's horse to ride through traffic in order to present a storyboard to Client, even bribing a DTI representative to give you a DTI number for a promo poster.

These are not myths. They have actually happened.

In the same vein, AEs learn how to be jacks-of-all-trades and masters of disguise and deception, because they know that at the end of the day, managing to deliver (and deliver right) is what matters.

The AE is a celebrated case study for borderline personality or schizophrenia because all sorts of persuasion and coercion methods have been exercised by him or her: the use of charm, tears, and cleavage exposure are patented trademarks of an AE who knows how to get what she wants.

It may sound as if the AE is a person to be pitied, but no. Because while AEs love to whine about their dismal existence, they know, in the deepest recesses of their beings, that they feel like comic superheroes at the immense agony they have gone through and will be going through. If you listen carefully enough, you'll hear the pride between the angst, the complaints, the sighs. They know they are strong people and while not a lot may be able to understand and appreciate that, they have each other to turn to for a metaphysical sense of empathy.

And, even if, an advertisement will merit awards for the creatives and the brand manager gets a raise for a product's market performance, the AE knows that she (or he) was the one who did it all.

And that unspoken truth is the reason why the AE is deemed a masochist.




Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Back-to-fit.

Wai, it's been AGES since I last updated. XD; But then that's mostly because I couldn't afford to get to the gym for a while with all the projects at work that I had to handle, plus my increasing responsibilities in other aspects of my life.

Anyways, I've been taking sessions almost religiously for the past three weeks (save for when I was feeling ill, like this past Sunday). Of course, it all began because those weeks have been marked by heavy rain and even a couple of storms, which contributed to some brouhaha over my broadband connection - and yes, that meant the agony of not being able to play Granado Espada. Couple that with the fact that Presea asked me to cosplay the rather svelte GE NRPC Brunie Etienne, and the upcoming wedding of our friend and fellow cosplayer Dukesa, I decided that it was high time to return to getting healthy. Because I had to jumpstart my return to the world of fitness, Kuya Rommel has made it a point to end every session with SO MUCH PAIN, but at least - unlike before, when I'd be lying awake counting sheep like this: O_O - I can now sleep earlier after a tiring but very gratifying workout. In fact, I'm proud to note that I hardly open my computer anymore normally don't sleep any later than 12:00 midnight, which is a huge achievement because I've gotten so used to being the last one to fall asleep at home due to spending too much time on the internet (and playing Granado Espada, hahaha). Go me! ^0^/

(Then again, a few days ago I kinda blew my diet going on a fast food binge like a woman possessed. Ah well. XD;;; Must work harder.)


While doing some exercise and fitness research for work, I stumbled upon this quiz. I was answering very conscientiously until I got to number 5:
When I do sit-ups, I am working towards reducing fat...
  • only in my abdominal area.
  • only in my "love handles".
  • in all parts of my body.
  • Doing sit-ups does not reduce fat. It does, however, increase my sex appeal.
... Um, ano daw (what)? 8DDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Okay, back to real work! I'll add the correct answers to the quiz tonight after my trip to the gym, whee. X3

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Cosplay @ Cinemanila's CINEMANGA!

In recognition of Japan's amazing contribution to world cinema, most notably in animation, the Cinemanila International Film Festival celebrates CINEMANGA. CINEMANGA is instrumental in introducing acclaimed anime films to Philippines shores. In 2005, it screened the award-winning films Appleseed by Shinji Aramaki, Steamboy by Katsuhiro Otomo and Ghost in the Shell: Innocence by Mamoru Oshii.

Cinemanga will happen on August 12, 8 pm at Cinema 1, Gateway Mall. It shares twin billing with Cinemanila's Young Cinema Night, a showcase of the some of the best short films by the country's budding filmmakers.

This year, the film screening will now feature the Philippine premiere of Toki o Kakeru Shojo (The Girl Who Leapt Thru Time) by Mamoru Hosoda which was hailed Japan's best animated feature for 2006.

Gracing the event is none other than Mr. Quentin Tarantino of the Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction fame. Mr. Tarantino is a big fan of Japanese pop culture, often incorporating J-pop elements into his fims. Most notable is the anime sequence in Kill Bill Vol. 1. Gogo Yubari, also from Kill Bill Vol. 1, is inspired by characters from anime.

In partnership with CINEMANILA, Cosplay.ph Members who go in costume get FREE ADMISSION to the screening as well as the CHANCE TO MEET AND GREET QUENTIN TARANTINO himself!

So mark your calendars and we hope to see you in this once-in-a-lifetime event!

====

Terms and Conditions for the Cosplayph @ Cinemanga
1. Confirm your attendance by submitting the following information:

  • your cosplay.ph username
  • real name
  • contact details
  • character you are going to cosplay
Send it via email at cosplayph@gmail.com with the subject line: COSPLAY @ CINEMANGA

2. As slots are limited, we shall accept only the first 50 registrants.
3. Deadline for confirmations will be on friday, AUGUST 10.
4. Kindly refrain from wearing costumes that are too sexy or revealing.
5. Be at the GATEWAY MALL Cinema 1 Lobby IN COSTUME by 7.30pm.
6. Bags may be temporarily stored in the Cinemanila Gateway office , but be responsible for your own valuables. COSPLAY.PH and CINEMANILA shall not be held responsible for lost, stolen or misplaced valuables.
7. Cosplayers will meet and greet with Mr. Tarantino prior to the screening.
8. You may take off your costumes once the screening begins.
9. CINEMANGA ends at 10 pm.


For more information
You may view the CINEMANILA event schedule here
Visit the CINEMANILA website at: www.cinemanila.org.ph
Visit the CINEMANILA discussion group here

 

====

UPDATES as of 7th August: For those who will not be cosplaying but want to watch the screening, regular ticket rates are at PhP100.00. Students get the discounted rate at PhP75.00.

The festival is issuing and selling Gold Tickets, priced at PhP750.00, at Gateway Mall. These cover entrance to the An Afternoon with Tarantino event and also serve as free passes to 10 movies.

Finally, QUENTIN TARANTINO HAS ARRIVED IN MANILAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! \^0^/

Thursday, June 21, 2007

OMG we did it!!!

Yes people of the universe, I have achieved my first (and hopefully not the last) mecha cosplay.

Thanks to Mr. Paolo Manalo for the post and photo. \^0^/ (Let me know if you're re-locking this post please.)

EDIT: MANY THANKS to Mr. Robert Wong, Mr. Ricki Buzon, Ms. Jac Ting Lim and Mr. Wilson Tortosa for all the help and the inspiration. Plus as always, DAD - we did it! (Cosplay is an excellent parent-child bonding opportunity. v^_^v)


... Oh and I almost forgot. Please support Transformers Cybercon, the pre-movie event organized by Cybertron Philippines, the officially-recognized Philippine Transformers fan group. It's a family affair to be held this weekend, June 23rd and 24th. And yes, WE WILL BE THERE. v^_^v Entrance is free so make sure you come! ♥ Please check Cybertron Philippines' official site (http://www.cybph.com/) for more information.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Kaligayahan!

Maraming salamat Blogger/Google! \^0^/

Ngayon, mapapalitan ko na ang pangalan ng blog ko, whee! XD

* For our few foreign readers, this is because Blogger, like the rest of Google, now finally comes in my native language, Tagalog/Filipino. X3

EDIT: WTF? Bakit bumalik na naman ang interface ko sa Ingles/English? >_<0 Hindeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. T~T

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Malayo na ang ating narating...

...Ngunit malayo pa rin ang dapat tahakin.



Maligayang Kaarawan Pilipinas.

Kinuha ang larawang ito at saka isinaayos ni Bb. Jac Ting Lim (http://jactinglim.blogspot.com) noong ika-12 ng Hunyo sa taong 2007 mula sa Pasong Tamo, Lungsod ng Makati.

Nagsilbing inspirasyon ang larawang dine sa ilalim.


Friday, June 08, 2007

A short rant

I need to get away. Not a lot of good things are happening lately offline, and sadly being online isn't much help either.

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Friday, May 18, 2007

Tere needs YOU! \^0^/

Yes, it's time to vote for Miss Universe 2007!

And of course, you all know who I'm pimping promoting. XD

Please, please, PLEASE (x 100000000000000000000000) vote for Miss ANNA THERESA LICAROS, aka TERE!!! I've been very fortunate to have experience her brilliance in everything she does back when we were classmates in UP Diliman, which is why I believe she is most deserving of the title out of everyone in the tilt.

Voting commences HERE. (If your browser can't automatically open that link, it's http://hs.interpolls.com/cache/nbc/missuniv2k7_88DFA/americas.html.)

Please leave me a comment if you voted for her. (If you didn't, don't bother. XP)

Thank you all so much!

Friday, May 04, 2007

PORTED FROM VOX: QotD: My Daily Dose (includes shameless plugging!!!)

What websites do you visit every day?
Submitted by Chez Michelle.

Hmmm... I regularly visit the following:


Sadly, Vox isn't one of them especially since I'm still attached to my LJ. XD; Sorry Vox! D:

Friday, March 30, 2007

PORTED FROM VOX: QotD/Vox Hunt/Hand Of God: Call to Action

 I count myself as lucky. Those who have heard my origins normally continue to disbelieve the dire circumstances we once came from. I guess that that's what ultimately pushed me to contribute actively to charitable causes through financial and voluntary efforts.

I am for children's and women's welfare, the rights of the transgendered, the disabled and the terminally ill. I'd like to support the rights of the aged and WWII veterans plus animal rights, but I've still got to get my act together and actually go vegetarian. (*Author's Note on 2010/09/04: This blog lists all my causes. Please check the left-hand side.)

Let me tie this to today's Vox Hunt question, since the documentary in question is one of the things that inspired me to become a volunteer: Minsan Lang Sila Bata (Children Only Once, 1994), by Ditsi Carolino and the Ateneo Center for Social Policy, in cooperation with the Archdiocese of Manila Labor Centre. It's quite graphic with its portrayal of child labour in the Philippines, with its feature of children working for more than 10 hours with little food or monetary compensation at slaughterhouses, warehouses, meat markets and shipping yards, among others. It shows child labour in all its ugliness, and what makes it even sadder is that the children involved are very much resigned to their fate, but continue to be rather cheerful in their work.

How very timely the appearances of these questions are, right when I'm about to embark on relaunching RO2.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

PORTED FROM VOX: QotD: My Dream Room

In your ultimate dream house, what does your favorite room look like?

Right now, I already live in my dream house, and I have my favourite dream room! \^0^/

Only, it's not just as clean and as organized as I dreamed it to be. XDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Photos after the cut! (If you're wondering why I'm here, it's because I was camwhoring for some LJ-based fashion communities. :P)


Thursday, March 22, 2007

{points down}

I put on a BOX widget at the bottom of the page! v^~^v Yahooey!

...Wala lang. XD

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

PORTED FROM Vox Hunt: Weekend Results

Show us something you did, made, saw or bought this past weekend.
Race Queen Haruka. View original at DeviantArt.
I made the little photo at the right. XD;
How do you like it? :3

...I really, REALLY wanted to post a photo of the blue-and-white striped halter summer dress I found on Lulu Castagnette, but I'd been unable to take a photo of it. ;_; I didn't even get to buy it! {weeps}

Saturday, March 17, 2007

PORTED FROM Vox Hunt: Just Doodling




Do you doodle?  Show us.







Here are some of my doodles! XD I'm not too proud of anything I draw since I have never had formal education in fine arts, but I rather like these the best. :3

More of this can be found on my deviantArt account, ~ligaya. ;)

Friday, March 16, 2007

Pit Stop 23



Well, seeing as tomorrow today is the start of another lap in the race of my life, let me look back at everything I've gone past so far.

Checkpoints:
  1. Graduating from college
  2. Eurotrip!!!
  3. Getting a job pretty quickly - twice
  4. Getting in touch with old friends especially from Poveda
  5. Making many new friends especially through cosplay and RODCon
  6. Getting in touch with more senior college friends
  7. Learning more about myself and my capabilities
  8. Making the decision to stay fit and healthy - and actually keeping it
  9. NOT getting too sick, yay
  10. Remembering that many other things, and not my whims, must command my attention
  11. Reviving Reach Out Otaku, bit by bit
  12. Enjoying my job, finally (well it's not all THAT good, but I'm finding it much better now)

Chicanes:
  1. Choosing to be an accounts manager in the marketing-advertising field, instead of a journalist, a writer or a production assistant
  2. Becoming the family breadwinner and taking over my older sister's duties (I didn't expect it to happen MUCH sooner)
  3. Being forced to confront my shadows (since the one thing that occupied my faculties enough to keep them in check and not remind me of them was school)

Roadblocks:
  1. Being an account executive in one of the crappiest below-the-line marketing companies alive, where I was hardly paid at all for all the work I did
  2. Lack of time or memorable bonding moments with my blockmates, some other college friends and ICTUS
  3. Never having enough money for myself or my loved ones
  4. Never having enough time for my loved ones
  5. Not knowing enough of the chores to do around the house (my sisters and I pretty much divided chores among ourselves and never really switched responsibilities)
  6. Spending my birthday working, and with very few of the people I wanted to spend it with so badly

Pit Stops:
  1. Turning 22
  2. Graduating from college
  3. Working and earning money
  4. Turning 23

Though I'm still not as recharged as I'd hoped to be, I'm definitely ready to go through the next lap of my life.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

PORTED FROM VOX: QotD: Secret Family Recipe



What's one family recipe that you wish you knew how to cook?
Actually, there's a whole lot. XD

As a few of you already know, I am proficient in cooking leche flan, a velvety custard made of milk and egg yolks, so much so that I know how to substitute egg whites in the recipe without anyone ever knowing or tasting the difference. XD This recipe I learned from Mama, my late father's mother.

But there's one other dessert I wish I learned from her, and that's to make ube (oo-beh) jam. My dad would describe how Mama would cut up and then mash the purple ube yam, before boiling the mixture, adding water while she stirred. It sounded easy, but then I learned that she cooked the very sticky ube mixture in large batches of at least four yams, in a gigantic saucepan that was half her size. And judging from her pictures, she was always a petite woman, so it was amazing how Dad told me that "stirring the mixture was difficult" in such a nonchalant way.

It's an acquired taste, sweet yet bitter, sticky yet grainy. I'm a HUGE, HARDCORE ube jam fan (I can finish TWO large jars in one sitting!), and so is my mum. That's why I want to cook it.

And I'm drooling on my keyboard now. XD;;;

Monday, March 12, 2007

I love you Jollbee, kahit sa graduation ko~! {hum hum}


Proud father! ^_~
Originally uploaded by Ligaya Diwata.
This is one of my favourite graduation photos for so many reasons. The main reason is that as a family, we didn't eat at the grad lunch buffet (to the sadness of my friends in the graduation and yearbook committees XD;), but had lunch at good ol' Jollibee Katipunan instead since we were in a rush for the university commencement exercises (in my case, both the college and university commencement exercises had happened in the same day). It was terrible that we were only given around two hours at most to have lunch, since we spent the rest of the time that was supposedly going to be the start of the exercises suffering under the summer heat. XD;;;

When I logged in today, I saw this comment from Flickr user dffcao: "This can be a Jollibee commercial! Don't know if JB already thought of featuring important events like graduation meal at Jollibee. You can pitch the storyline to JB's advertising agency. Just some wild idea."

Now seeing as I actually work in a marketing company and have friends that work in the agencies, I'm thinking this is a great idea. XD More so because I'm also a Jollibee fan and our family has had some connection to Jollibee, employment- and career-wise. But I don't want to take credit for this idea since it simply isn't mine.

That said, who among you buddies at the agencies want it? I just ask in behalf of dffcao that he gets any form of credit or recognition for the pitch. :P (And, well, me for the photo since it inspired his pitch. XD)

Ah well, it's just a thought anyways. XD But if any of you ever take this seriously though, thanks! ♥

Oh, and you can still browse through the graduation set here. You may also add me if you're a personal contact (meaning, you want to see more of my non-cosplay photos and chances are you're actually in those non-cosplay photos XD) here. v^_~v

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

PORTED FROM VOX: QotD: Recess!

What was your favorite game to play at recess in grade school?
Submitted by Elisheva Chana.
Now as many people know I'm not really a very sporty person, but there was one sport I always loved to play even if it meant scraped skin, twisted joints, dizziness, and tons of sweat.


It was patintero.


As far as I know, it's a uniquely Filipino game. The playing ground has to have a series of solid lines, either drawn or built-in (in our case, we played this at the school driveway). There are two teams, composed of at least two players each. One team is the "it" or "taya", and this team has to guard the lines on the playing ground as hurdles. The other team has to outwit and outplay the taya, avoiding their every move as they go through each area, and then return to their starting position. If one of their members is touched by the hand of one of the opposing team members, the entire team becomes the taya and they switch places with the former taya. (I'm sorry if it sounds complicated. I'm translating the mechanics in my head as I go along, and it's not as easy as I thought it would be.)


It was in my generation that we introduced new innovations to the game. We grew crafty and created all sorts of schemes to ensure that we would effectively catch the other team and extend the entire playtime. The biggest change was the installation of the patotot, who would guard the lines perpendicular to his or her playmate's line-areas. In time virtually every single line in the driveway was used as more and more of my schoolmates (and by this I am including members of the kindergarten AND high school levels) joined in the fun. It came to the point that the school authorities decided to close a section of the driveway during recess and lunchtime, and then re-open it during dismissal time; it's been that way ever since.


I loved playing it, even if I was often caught (to be fair, I was pretty good at catching the other girls). It was one of the few games that allowed you to get away with being cheeky in all good fun. It also actually encouraged me to keep running for fun and fitness, since prior to that I was pretty much anti-exercise because of my weak system.


It makes me a bit sad though that right now, most of the girls in my alma mater would rather play football (soccer) or dance as cheerleaders. There's nothing like the excitement and camaraderie that only patintero can bring.

Monday, March 05, 2007

Long-Awaited Workout Update: Feb-Mar 2007

Holy cow, has it been THAT long? @_@

Well. Since so many things are keeping me busy, I'm making this post short and sweet.

Good:

  1. I can do crunches now, as so many of you already know. XD
  2. I can actually TOUCH MY TOES. Granted, it's not without a lot of some effort, but it has never been so possible. And I can actually do it with little strain on my back, which is a plus.
  3. Some of my clothes fit again! (Well, not all. T^T But some!)
  4. I can walk briskly for 15 minutes straight without getting winded. Found that one out on Friday night when I walked from my house to McDonald's on Jupiter Street and back again.
  5. I actually have the discipine to continue doing this. I've passed the 21-day mark for forming a habit out of exercise, and now I try to turn even common activities into mini-workouts. Fun fun fun. d^V~b


Bad:

  1. There's no real difference in my weight. I'm still 128.5 lbs according to the gym scale, which I consult for consistency's sake. O_o
  2. Mum's birthday came up (on the 26th) and the whole house is doomed has been tasked to finish the large rectangular chocolate mousse pie that her subordinates and colleagues gave her. I've been good with the fruits, but I've never been good at resisting sweets, so this is instant death, almost literally. X__________x
  3. Ever since I had to discontinue my sessions with Sir Rommel, I've been kinda lax on some exercises in terms of execution. Not to mention that with the variety of exercises he made me do, I don't quite remember how to do each one.


Ugly:

  1. My knees HURT no matter what exercise I do. I can compare it to when you pull a piece of string (or even rope) on both ends too hard that it threatens to split in half. Do you guys think it's because I went to the gym religiously every day up until last week, which was when I forced myself to NOT go every day because of the pain? And does anyone know what I can do to minimize possible injury? I want to be fit and get thinner but I don't want to break my knee joints and make my knee muscles split in half. T^T
  2. My birthday's coming up. And as you all have noticed, diet regimen pretty much fly out the window when someone's birthday comes up at home. I will love anyone who can suggest something that's delicious and sweet, but doesn't pile the calories and carbs heavily.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

IdolMaster!

Check this out!
!


* Video courtesy of pointyman2000.



I kinda miss these kinds of idols, when they're all dancing and singing cutely. Most of the idols now are certainly more opinionated and more informed, making them more capable of controlling their own image. But, a lot of them are certainly much less cute and energetic too - it's like the whole world is gravitating towards seriousness and gravity. X_x

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Workout Journal (25th Jan to today)

* For those on LJ, I'd prefer you comment there. After all that's why I cross-posted this. (Please don't forget to read this in full!) v^_^v Thanks!

Sooooooooooooooo... I've noticed that exercising at night increases my adrenaline and my heart rate. This keeps me up at night. I'd like to exercise in the mornings but the gym doesn't open till 8:00 AM, and by that time I'm usually either preparing to go to my office, if I'm not on the way there already. It also causes me to eat more since I'm deprived of sleep, and couple that with the hectic activities of the past few days which pretty much kept me from exercising. It's no surprise that I've returned to my original weight of 128 pounds. Ugh. X_x

This Tuesday (6 February) I decided to take a huge risk and enroll in a 6-session training regimen with one of the trainers at my gym. I guess I was sold hook, line and sinker to Sir Romel (the trainer)'s unabashed pride at having greatly improved the self-esteem and health of one of his clients when he was still in Fitness First Manila - imagine, from being a gangly duckling with rather severe scoliosis, she became this beauty pageant material in three months (I saw her picture. She's not spectacular at first glance but yeah, she was brimming with confidence and that made her look very pretty in her own right.)! And so I signed up. ^_^0 I know it'll remove PhP2,500+ from my salary, but if I budget really well I know I can afford it. Besides, he really did know his stuff - besides checking my BMI (body mass index) and heartbeat, he also tried some exercises on me so he could gauge how bad the curve of my spine was and the direction of that curve as well. In fact, he's tailoring the programme to my needs so that my body won't be overwhelmed by all the physical stress brought about by exercise. AND he gave me a power stretch-cum-massage afterwards, which felt goooooooooooooood. ^_^

Sir Romel also taught me how to use all the other exercise machines at the gym and assisted me in exercises, especially the abdominal-core muscle exercises like modified crunches. And I also learned how to compute my BMI from him. My BMI is currently 24, which fits the desired BMI range for my body type of 18-24.5. But he said that the best BMI range for me would be the average, which would be at around 20-21. To reduce my BMI by 3 notches, I have to lose 6 pounds, which leads me to suppose that 1 notch of the BMI is around 2 pounds. But to have a BMI of 21, I have to weigh only 122 pounds ... which is okay, but still above my desired weight of 117 pounds. I wonder if the weight of 117 pounds might make me underweight. But is it wrong to want to know how being underweight feels like though? ^~^

I've returned to SparkPeople, an excellent site recommended by the lovely Mew Pudding on, of all places, Cosplay.com. Although if you think about it, it does make perfect sense - most fictional characters wear tight-fitting and/or little clothing these days that just the slightest flab would make you fat. The great thing about it is that there's a growing Filipino (part Fil-Am, part-Noypi) community there called Filipino Pride. I joined it and now we're keeping track of our weight, food intake, diet and exercise regimens together. The people there are so positive that it's very nice to be around them, even it's all just online. I hope my weight- and health-conscious friends (FList, hint-hint! XD) join it.

Well, I better get ready to leave for the gym soon (I'm winding up my activities for work here at the office). Tonight, I start my regimen. Good luck to me, I hope I'll be alive after tonight. v^_^0


Current Weight: 128 pounds (again!) >_>0
Current Waistline: still 29 inches though as before I can still squeeze into 28-inch clothes
Ideal Weight by 31 May 2007: 117 pounds
Ideal Waistline by 31 May 2007: 27 inches

Thursday, January 25, 2007

OHOHOHOHOHOHOHO. (If you're hit by my comments, PISS OFF.)

Mike Abundo has put up a little missive, "inviting" people to the Blog Parteeh for the sole purposes of dukeing it out.

... IF, OF COURSE, HE ACTUALLY HAS THE PHYSICAL CAPACITY AND THE KNOW-HOW TO BEAT PEOPLE UP. X3

I'd like to go, but really. I can't. I have something coming up for work (FL, you know what this is), so no matter how this is highly tempting for me to ditch work (and really, beating him up would be good exercise!), I've got my priorities.

Besides, really. In line with my current drive to improve myself, I will prefer to take the high road for now. Meaning, I will let karma bite his ass instead. {wide catlike grin}

Oh, and I refuse to drive traffic to his site by linking to the "invitation". I'm not that low. XD

I feel so sorry for the Philippine mainstream blogging community (as opposed to the niche bloggers like us cosplayers) though. Or maybe, just maybe, I shouldn't, since a significant number of them (take note, I DID NOT SAY "ALL" or "OVERWHELMING MAJORITY"!) really just think with their dicks but don't have the heart or the balls to admit it to themselves. Seriously. I mean, Dickweed Fucktard's the best thing since sliced bread to those people, so much so that they want to be associated with him all the time. =_=0

If you're one of those people who think he is the best thing since sliced bread, EITHER YOU COMMENT WITHOUT THE SECURITY OF ANONYMITY OR JUST PISS OFF - nothing you say or do will ever change how I think of him and of everyone who associates with him. v^_^v

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Blah.

I want a new Blogger layout. This one is not me, and it's also boring me to death. >_>0
If only I knew how to code... {sigh}

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Getting Into Shape (Crossposted so everyone I know gets to read this)

After reading Hazel's vanity post, and re-reading sutil-chan's frequent posts on her fitness woes (too many to count v^_^0), I've decided to work out. Unfortunately, I'm not a gym rat; I really, REALLY would like to take martial arts classes, and maybe some beginner's yoga to help align my back while I'm getting fit. In any case, the gym will have to do for now because of time and financial constraints.

My biggest problem will be finding an exercise that tones the stomach BUT DOES NOT AGGRAVATE MY SCOLIOSIS. For those who haven't noticed yet, my abdomen is distended so that all my fat is concentrated there, my left leg is disaligned and I slouch forward so bad. I find it difficult to even do as much as sit up straight since it tires my back muscles. I know, I should work out my abdominal and back muscles, but like I said, the wrong exercise just might kill me (it certainly did seem like I would die the last time I did abs-related exercises - I could barely breathe and the pain wouldn't fade away four days after the exercise, even if I did a couple of stretches before and after). Sadly, I haven't had time to consult with the chiropractor I go to on this one; hell, I haven't had time to go to the chiro AT ALL. If anyone has tips, do drop a line please, because I haven't found any exercise that fits my needs at all, not even online. Trust me, I've looked; apparently fitness experts don't think people with scoliosis want to get fit too. >_<0 So far, my current weight is 128 pounds and my current waistline is 29 inches, though if I try really REALLY hard I can squeeze into 28-inch pants and skirts. I haven't been that huge since first year high school... WAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY before I met everyone I know here. ._. (Even Mum and Dad are remarking on the roundness of my face now. Stupid Christmas chocolates. XP) My ideal weight will always be 115 pounds and my ideal waistline is still 27 inches; I hope I get to achieve that. So! With a will and a prayer (okay, make that a couple), I'm going to try and eat right, exercise right and sleep right*. Already even in this cold office I'm drinking more hot water instead of pigging out on food (though this means more trips to the toilet) and I eat fruits and vegetables on all my major meals. I skip rice when I can, and I'm working on minimizing my dependence on rice completely no matter how much I love eating the fluffy grains. I'm trying to keep my pillows as far away from me as possible since I've learned that sleeping with a pillow under your head aggravates the spine's curvature, which will make it even harder for me to straighten it (I no longer move around as much when I sleep, so usually my sleeping position is also my waking position). I'm trying not to cross my legs while I sit down and type this right now, either, for the same reason. And miracle of miracles, I haven't touched the chocolate-covered almonds that my aunt brought from the US since last week. I wonder how long I can keep this up? Sana naman hindi ako mawalan ng gana kahit hanggang March lang. I want to fit into all my new clothes, which were given to me on Christmas by Mum and my well-meaning relatives with my 120-pound, semi-flat stomach frame in mind. T^T

* Oh yeah FL, if any of you catch me posting or YM-ing 12:00 am onwards, please call me off. I've just realized I work on semi-negative motivation, aka panlalait. Thanks. v^_^v

Thursday, January 18, 2007

PORTED FROM VOX: Vox Hunt & QotD combo! v^_^v

Vox Hunt: [design is good]
Link: Link to the Voxer who has the best personalized Vox banner you've seen so far.

--> Definitely has to be sutil-chan bar none. :P (Yeah I'm pimping a friend, but so what? She really does have a kick-@$$ banner. <3 )


Qotd: Fictional World

In which fictional world/universe/land/city would you most like to live?
Submitted by glenn is the new chuck.  

--> Hmm, something shiny and happy and full of love and peace and stars and sugar and... I'm boring like that. XD
{coughs}
Okay, seriously? 
  1. The alternate universe where HEROES takes place in. Just so I can have the chance to glomp Hiro. (I don't ask for much. :P)
  2. The alternate universe where Sailormoon takes place in. For obvious reasons.  XD;
  3. Encantadia. Really. It's supposed to be a lush governed by four seasons, four faeries, and particularly strong elemental magic. It's very pretty. *_* (Alam ko, corny ako. XD;)
At this point, it's just about any place where there is magic, so I can cause mayhem! :P




Saturday, January 13, 2007

THE POWER OF NISSIE COMPELS US!!!

I enjoin all of you on my Friends' List - ALL! - to join Boys Don't Cry, Real Men Do, a fanlist dedicated to the kick-ass goddess Nissie/Rin. d^V~b

Much love to eL for putting up the site. ♥♥♥

Sunday, January 07, 2007

New Year Celebrations in Makati City, 2006-2007

New Year Celebrations in Makati City, 2006-2007

Video of festivities here in Makati City. I am not liable for any neck injuries my Blair Witch-like camera work might cause. :P

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Heroes 2007 Preview "Are You On The List?" (*crossposted from Multiply)

Preview Here!

Courtesy of one of my longtime friends, Ange. v^_^v Thanks for this dear! ♥ This completely removed whatever was left of my long and terribly annoying day.





Didn't have the heart to embed the video here since technically it's hers, and I didn't really ask permission to spread the Hiro HEROES love. v^_^v

Oh yeah...


BELATED MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!! \^0^/



Hope your holidays were grand yet peaceful, with little to no hassle on your end.