Sticker Pictures! d^~^b

As y'all may have noticed, I'm a tad obsessed with cute things. I guess it comes with the territory of being a fangirl of Japanese pop culture. And few things could possibly be cuter than sticker pictures or purikura!

Sticker pictures can be had at special photobooths, usually in arcades or unused corners of the mall. The older booths (I mean, 1990s sticker picture booths) allowed you only to pick your background or border (or both, but that was rare), then your photo was taken, then you waited a bit until it published. Now, the booths usually let you have your photo taken first, then you can pick borders or go all-out in doodling all over the purikura within a set timeframe. The insanity of it all has always made it fun for group shots, especially if you're amazing and can fit around 10 people in a booth meant for 4 (I've tried it). Oh, and don't forget to wait for your sticker print to dry a few minutes after it comes out of the slot in the booth!

It's sad that I'm older now and my friends and I don't have as much time - or inclination - to go to the booths, since they're always heaps of fun. But, thankfully, a website called Puricute (http://www.puricute.com) was developed so you can turn any digital picture of your liking into a soft-copy version of purikura! You can even pay for it to be delivered to you as a bonafide sticker picture set, for real cheap too (shipping is free within the USA). But right now, for me just decorating my photos is enough. XD

Here's an album of my Puricute photos, lemme know what y'all think! ;3

FOOD PR0N! [WORKSAFE = starring only food, not pr0n XD]

I'm not sure if I've indicated this on my profile, but I am a die-hard foodie. I'm a die-hard foodie to the point that I know I'm going to die by overeating a certain piece of food - what it is yet I'm not really sure though, so it's possible I'll die by overeating in general. XD;

But enough of death. As I was saying I'm a die-hard foodie and so I enjoy eating out immensely. I have been to a lot of restaurants, cafes, bars and eateries here in my hometown, Metro Manila, and thanks to my blog-happy sister I've begun taking photos of my food. I just LOVE the sight of food, it makes my mouth water. And I hope that my photos have that same effect on you! XD; (Don't forget to CLICK ON THE THUMBNAILS to get the large photos. ;3)

First, we have the lovely Kapampangan (Pampanga province-themed) restaurant Abe, in the boutique mall One Serendra in Fort Bonifacio, City of Taguig. It's home to the best Ensalatang Pako (fern-based vegetable salad, with boiled egg, and onions), Binukadkad na Pla-pla (fried tilapia cut up and made to unfurl like a fan) and expensive Spicy Sisig in Metro Manila, among other things. XD I especially love their Lumpiang Ubod (steamed egg "crepe" roll filled with vegetables and garnished with peanuts, garlic and sweet peanut sauce) because the vegetables they use for it are very fresh - you can tell by the taste. Highly recommended.



Next is the lovely niche known as Cafe Juanita. Tucked inside a tiny home in the corner of a busy street in Barrio Kapitolyo in Pasig City, this "hole in the wall" began as exactly that, catering to taxi drivers and other blue-collar denizens making their way through the barrio. However, as the cook had never lost his aspirations to become top chef (he used to work in a cruise ship, or so I'm told), he decided to steadily upgrade the place into a swanky, slow-food cafe serving Filipino and Southeast Asian cuisine in a sea of antiques and Southeast Asian bric-a-brac. It's won great recognition and a lot of positive buzz, noteworthy among them the praises and recommendations heaped by no less than the Philippine Tatler - and twice! Although not all of their food are my favourites, I will admit Cafe Juanita does cooked fish exceptionally well, and everything tastes reasonably good and reasonably priced. It was a recent discovery of mine, having been brought there for my birthday by the family last month. Too bad I don't remember a single name of what I ate, except for the Kinilaw (raw fish in vinegar, see 2nd and 4th photos) which didn't really taste so good. D:

For geeks into Greek (bad pun, I know XD;;;), the best place to go is Cyma. With four branches in four select upscale malls in the metro, it's accessible enough but still undeniably exuding class. The atmosphere is warm and familial; it always feels like I'm coming home no matter what time of day I'm here. And the food is superbly prepared, though I will have to warn you that their lamb dishes aren't always easy to cut up, and their Greco-Mediterranean desserts are a bit on the cloyingly sweet side. Try their couscous, kebabs, pita bread and pasta, and bring your appetite because the servings are extra-large by Asian standards (though they are pretty reasonable for European and American palates).

Let's take a short day trip outside the metro and enjoy the spectacular provincial venue of Sonya's Garden. Originally just an organic botanical paradise for its owner, it soon expanded into food after Sonya realised that her friends were going there for her cooking as well. Of course, if you grow your own food, and the healthy type at that, you will always be patronised no matter where your customers are coming from. Besides its signature vegetable salad in cream-and-onion vinegarette, the set meal of Sonya's includes pasta (the kind of pasta you get varies between "seasons" or the four quarters of the year), juice (normally dalandan, or the local orange) and some sweet dessert (usually either local fare like bananas dipped in hot caramel, or foreign fare like tiny slices of creamy, icing-rich cake ... lol, so much for keeping healthy XD;;;). All in all the food is worth the day trip. ♥

Back in the Metro, Xocolat is a franchise cafe specializing in chocolate, undoubtedly the best export of Aztec, Incan and Mayan civilizations. My favourite branch would have to be the one in Eastwood City, Qnezon City, as it's outdoors and literally right in the center of the Eastwood plaza square, and for the fact that my boyfriend and I had our first date there. ♥ Also, this branch doesn't serve the chocolate too thickly or sweetly as the other branches do. I am completely enamoured with their hot chocolate drinks ... thick, bittersweet and perfect for a rainy day. ♥ (My boyfriend prefers the iced chocolate-coffee concoctions better, since he finds the Philippines a terribly hot place. XD;)

Closer to home is Tsoko.Nut, a fastfood cafe built to reinstate and focus on Philippine chocolate culture. Although it serves modern food like Spaghetti and Pancit (Chinese pasta), its true star is the chocolate made into tablets, and then mashed with a special mortar and pestle called collectively as a batirol, making the drink a refreshingly bittersweet experience. The Arroz a la cabana (pictured here) eaten by my boyfriend was terribly dry in comparison. Oh well!


And now here are some random bits of food. Bonus points and a nifty little online surprise to anyone who can guess where these photos are from! (Hint: only 2 are in one place; the rest are in different places.)

So everyone, what are your thoughts on food? Let's discuss! \^0^/

A "Little Miss Povedan shirt" and other updates in my life.

Frustrated girl is bloody frustrated.Wavering at work (half the problem is with me, I know, and I'm working on it), the internet frustrating me with random disconnection (both at home and at work), my weight still being inconsistent and my fat still not melting no matter what I do at the gym... blah. Tips anyone? One more thing, please buy my stuff! :3 I can assure you I took good care of these things. v^_^vThe Povedan shirt is right this way, for those who may be interested (which I doubt, judging from my friends' list, harharhar): Little Miss Povedan Shirt.

The Pursuit of Vanity (aka Kabaklaan ng Lola Mo)

This is how I looked up until early Sunday afternoon:

This is how I look like NOW.

And to top it off, I got myself nail art too!

LOL, I can't just say na niyaya ako ni Kaye (my younger sister), though ultimately she did convince me to go. I've been contemplating on looking prettier for some time, and worrying over the increasing thinness and hairfall of my already sparse eyelashes. XD;;; I think I'm becoming too vain for my own good, and it's starting to scare me... O_o

PS everything cost me only PhP1,000.00. Not bad if you consider that there was a manicure, pedicure with foot massage, and threading done to my eyebrows. hearts;

When there's no cure, you're absolutely sure...

You're as uninspired as uninspired, f**k. >o<

I've been a bit more active posting on my Granado Espada fanblog, Cartas Y Dibujos con la Familia Lucido, but not by much.

Seriously. I should start doing more (which I always say I plan to use but never do) and collect photos from the intarwebz less. XP

Cuaresma (if you do not wish to be Catholic/Christian/religious, stay clear of this post)

I've been feeling extremely restless due to the conflicting thoughts and emotions I have experienced in the past 12 (and more!) months, so much so that all I've been doing is pray desperately, like in the unfinished choral psalm of Henry Purcell: "Hear my prayer, O Lord / and let my crying come unto Thee." Yes, that's pretty much it - I don't even know where to begin defining what the cause of my desperation, dissatisfaction and depression is. The reason is actually the sum of so many things. And what's even more frustrating is that things are actually starting to look up for me, considering my personal history, so why do I still feel this way?

I began my search by going to the Relics of the Passion visiting Exhibit in Makati Medical Center's Chapel in Makati City on March 2nd. The event was hosted by the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Manila, and organised by the Apostolate for Holy Relics. I'm still very sorry I wasn't able to bring any friends; it was a spur-of-the-moment visit with Dad, who had found out that the exhibit would last only till that day (it ran from February 24th to March 2nd ... right on time). Here are some photos, with matching information from the accompanying information booklet:

This is basically what the exhibit was. Of course, it is airtight to protect the small items within, which are said to bear the DNA of Our Lord Jesus Himself. (It's sad though that, with all the manhandling through the ages, it's actually safe to assume that it ISN'T all His DNA anymore...)

A portion of cloth which touched Veronica's veil (hidden in the framed photo) and some reliquaries. The one most visible at left contains a piece of the Crown of Thorns, the one in the middle is said to have a portion of the items from the Upper Room (more on that later), and the one at the right keeps a piece of the Holy Column of Flagellation.

Left: Mensae Coenae DNJC - according to the booklet, this relic is "from the table or the upper room (I'm quoting almost verbatim here) where the Last Supper took place.
Right: The Holy Column of Flagellation - according again to the booklet, the column against which Jesus was scourged was "transported from Jerusalem to Rome by John Cardinal Colonna, one of the leaders of the north Crusade, in the year 1223, and was placed in his title church of St. Praxedis." That's all. :S



Clockwise: Reliquary of the Lance/Spear of St. Longinus, frame reliquary containing the part of what once wrapped the burial Shroud (of Turin?) of Christ, and the replica-reliquary of the Holy Nails.
Lance/Spear of St. Longinus - This is said to contain part of the lance/spear which pierced the side of Christ to ensure His death; a few other bits are said to be found in one of the four pillars over the altar in St. Peter's Basilica. Its owner, Longinus the centurion, is credited to have said, "Indeed, this was the Son of God." He soon converted, left the Roman Army, worked with the Apostles, and became a monk in Cappadocia; he was shortly arrested and beheaded hereafter, with part of his body buried somewhere in the church of St. Augustine in Rome.
Sindonis DJNC - The relic contained inside is believed to have come from the exterior wrapping that would contain the burial Shroud (of Turin?) when it was not travelling or simply being venerated.
Holy Nails - The nails contain filings from the true Holy Nails, three of which have been lost due to natural and supernatural reasons. Only one nail survives, in Sta. Croche church.

Also, during Holy Week, I took two "online retreats" ("online recollections" would be a better term, considering none of the retreat modules last longer than 1 hour). The first would be Meeting Places, run by Fr. Johnny Go of the Society of Jesus and hosted by the Philippine Jesuits' official blog site. The second is the Holy Week Retreat Special on Video run by noted lay preacher Bo Sanchez on his video-streaming blog site Preacher in Blue Jeans. (Special thanks to my dear friend CJ Latosa and Ms. Lori Tongco for the online retreat recommendations. And, the website of the Philippine Society of Jesus is also handling Easter/post-Lent mini-retreats called "Easter Moments.")

I am learning that the reason I continue to feel restless is because I am still as infirm spiritually, morally, emotionally and even mentally as I used to be. I am still very painfully shallow and heavily set on my exterior self, as indicated by my still-strong fandoms for animanga and video games, and my rapidly returning passion for fashion. I still hate looking inside myself, especially because I don't like what I see. So much for maturity heh. The stress and duress of living have gotten to me, but since I just can't afford to go on an out-of-town retreat, I am very glad I found these online "retreats" so that I can reflect peacefully, detached from the rest of the world for a few cherished minutes. It amazes me every single time that just when I thought I knew everything I needed to know about my religion, my personal beliefs and myself, a few seconds of meditation will obliterate all of that, and force me to re-evaluate. It amazes me that I am still so undeserving of God's sacrificing love, and that I have already lost so much of myself - or, rather, what I used to be - in the world. It's sad. There is no way you can return to the past, after all. But now I am determined to be more alert with my thoughts, words and actions in the present, and to hopefully make better decisions for my own future. And hopefully, I can make do without the online shopping pages I have now become a slave to...

I will acknowledge that I am an avowed Roman Catholic, and it scares me that the one I love is not religious, not because he does not believe at all, but because he has a whole other system of belief that I really cannot understand. I am trying my very best to see everything from his point of view, but I guess the key difference between us is that my faith and my experiences have always been intertwined, while he bases his beliefs from his experiences, and can even keep the two separate. I am hoping and praying this won't be a source of conflict later on, since we're compatible in many other ways. I am going to anticipate the worst though, and try to make our relationship work no matter what.

Which reminds me, since I couldn't find the original recording of UP ICTUS singing the psalm by Purcell, I found some videos of other choirs rendering it. (Being a choral geek, I couldn't pass this up. Some of the best songs have always been the depressing ones, and this is an excellent example. XD;)


This first one is by the Choir of Clare College Cambridge. This choir's version is very nearly perfect in pitch and timing; the beauty of the song is because of the thickly textured polyphony inherent in it, given that the lyrics are composed of only two phrases and repeated throughout the entire course of the song.


This second one is by the Monteverdi Choir. Their pitch is a bit off (like, a step or so lower) and the Spanish pronunciations of the choir stick out during the entire song, but the video makes up for it by featuring only the soprano, alto and tenor 1 sections (both notations and lyrics), making the song fairly easy to follow - perfect if you can't get a copy of the original notations online.
I sang soprano 2/mezzo-soprano with my orgmates/choirmates, and I was pleasantly surprised that although I can't remember reading the notes, I could still follow the flow of the song through this video.

Heartbreak Leave wins. XD

I wish we had heartbreak leave at work too, but right now what's more important is that I don't and won't actually need heartbreak leave. ^_^

Thanks to a batchmate of mine from high school, Ada Yao, for posting this. Originally taken from Yahoo! Headlines. XDDDDDDDDDDD

============

Japanese firm offers "heartache leave" for staff

Mon Jan 28, 4:48 AM ET

TOKYO (Reuters) - Lovelorn staff at a Japanese marketing company can take paid time off after a bad break-up with a partner, with more "heartache leave" on offer as they get older.

Tokyo-based Hime & Company, which also gives staff paid time off to hit the shops during sales season, says heartache leave allows staff to cry themselves out and return to work refreshed. "Not everyone needs to take maternity leave but with heartbreak, everyone needs time off, just like when you get sick," CEO Miki Hiradate, whose company of six women markets cosmetics and other goods targeted for women, told Reuters by telephone.

Staff aged 24 years or younger can take one day off per year, while those between 25 and 29 can take two days off and those older can take three days off, the company said.

"Women in their 20s can find their next love quickly, but it's tougher for women in their 30s, and their break-ups tend to be more serious," Hiradate said.

Hime & Company staff can also take two mornings off twice a year as "sales shopping leave", so they can race to stores to hunt for bargains.

"Before, women could take half-days off to go to sales, but you'd have to hide your shopping bags in lockers by the train station," Hiradate said.

"But with paid leave, we don't have to feel guilty about bringing our shopping bags to work, and we can enjoy the best part about sales shopping -- talking about our purchases afterwards."

Microbes pwn my soul.

Happy New Year everyone! Hope your holidays were good. X3

As if my growing addiction to Charmmy Kitty is not enough, a friend of a friend introduced me to the most ridiculously cute and hilarious sci-fi/slice-of-life anime comedies to come out of Japan this past fall season: Moyashimon, Tales of Agriculture.

It's about this freshman at an agricultural university whose talent is seeing and communicating with micro-organisms. By this I mean bacteria and germs mostly, but I guess this extends to virii, amoeba, fungi and others like it. If you name it, I guess he pretty much can talk to it. And he sees the microbes in cutoid glory, so lovingly drawn, animated and voiced that it's difficult to remember that many of them are actually disgusting (and even dangerous) little creatures. XD There's even a Microbe Theatre 5-minute short at the end of each TV episode where the microbes interact with each other and discuss their raison d' etre very cutely and comically.

As my greatest frustration is that I am so far removed from my doctor, dentist and pharmacologist relatives because my eyesight is so bad and my entire personality is better suited in the arts and geared towards cute things, this satisfies my latent geekiness for biological things quite nicely. It's obviously very educational, and succeeds in being so especially because it presents the subjects of micro-biology and agriculture with an interesting slant. The facial expression of the girl who showed this to me was quite priceless once I began talking (originally to her, but as it was to no-one in particular) about showing this to my pharmacologist aunt and cousin, who've done work with bacteria until recently (our family owns a drugstore, and they used to produce our own medicines until the bacteria and other ingredients were too expensive to cultivate and purchase). XD;

True to form, the labjunkie animanga fans are spazzing over this, and an increasing number of them have even provided highly informative yet very digestible notes and discussions. Here's one by Riuva (a Food Sciences and Technology major) and a whole slew by ~cerulean88 of Livejournal (a Biology major) to enhance your enjoyment of the show.

Alrighty, back to work. Will scour for more Moyashimon goodness sneakily in between. XD;

Aaaaaaaaaaand just one more before I go...

How can you NOT pass this around? It's just too cute! v^_^v

Merry Christmas everyone!

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

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

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

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/). 

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.

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

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!

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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

 

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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^/

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.

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

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.

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.