Happy 2010!!!

Amidst all that has happened - the tragedies, trials and hardships, separation from and loss of loved ones - there's still so much to be thankful for. Life, though not exactly a walk in the park, is among the bestest gift God has given to us; that we may be alive today to usher in the coming new year. So with this thought, I close 2009 and look forward to 2010 in this last post for the year. (After all, the other catch-up posts can wait. ^_^ )

Happy New Year everyone!!!

The Shoebox Song

This is some random song I've written one Saturday afternoon, as I was doodling alone in a coffee shop. So even before the words get lost in my ever preoccupied mind, I'm writing this down in my blog. Who knows? Maybe someday my words could have a music and it will be a full-pledged song. As if! LOL! ^_^


I got myself a little shoebox
All laced up, just as girly as can be
It's big enough for all the mementos I keep in my heart
But can it hold up the rest of memories I have of you?
Of us?

I got myself a little shoebox
'Spent the day putting in the litters of pictures
Scenes from last spring, and how you sang me a song over coffee
The pictures could cover half of Manhattan
Now they're all boxed up in this shoebox of mine

Oh, but if it were up to me
I'd let our pictures fly all over the city
and let the people know of our history
But you were a bit selfish
And you wanted our memories all to ourselves
So I dropped by that little stationery store
Where I used to buy scented papers for love letters
and bought that cute little shoebox
A heart-shaped and laced up shoebox.

And so I got myself a little shoebox
Tucked in the rest of you inside
I'll keep it at the back of my little closet door
Until I forget that it's even there anymore
maybe by then your pictures have faded
The memories, shredded by space and time
And all that remains in the end of this song
Is the heart-shaped shoebox of mine.

AVATAR In Two Words

"Everything is backwards now, like out there is the true world and in here is the dream..." - Jake Sully

You've probably read more than a dozen rave reviews on Avatar - James Cameron's latest masterpiece that literally took 12 years in the making. Honestly, I was sorely itching to blog about it the day i saw it on the big screen - not on 3D nor IMAX - but just in your humble La-Z-Boy fashion. It was my piqued curiosity that made me wait until I've finally seen it on 3D before finally raving about it in my blog. After all, as corny as it may sound, I'm a 3D dummy so there's no better timing than this, right?

"I see you..." ^_^

Some described the movie as good (Which, in my august opinion, is way too much of an understatement), excellent, fantastic, brilliant, great, etc. Well, I'd sum up my opinion of the movie in two words: TIMELESS and RARE. Need I say more? Cameron has worked his magic into the big screen once again, this time even surpassing the wonder that was Titanic. Oh, and yes - watching it in 3D did quadruple the appreciation. LOL! If you're still in doubt or you think that this entry is just another mere exaggeration then, by all means, go and catch it on some local theater (But you'll have to wait until MMFF is over.) or just wait for some pirated DVD which - I'm sure - will be out on the streets in no time. Go and see for yourself. I wouldn't be surprised if you won't mind watching the movie again, and again (and again, and again...).

^_^

9 Mornings

This year, I took it upon myself to complete the series of Simbang Gabi that kicked off last December 16, 2009 or, in other words, nine days before Jesus' BIG day. I'd be a liar to say that I'm not wishing for anything in particular this Christmas; c'mon, I'm sure by now you all know what I want for Christmas. ^_^

But more than anything, completing the simbang gabi is the least I can do to express how thankful I am for the good year it's been for me and my loved ones. Sure, it hasn't been entirely perfect but overall, I can only recall a LOT of good memories, so much more than the less cheery ones. People have come and gone in my life, but the lessons learned are here to stay.

I wish that each one of you, whoever you are reading this blog, would feel just as thankful as I am and my family for the chance of celebrating another Christmas in our lives. And while I do not have any idea how you're feeling right now, I fervently wish and pray that today, you would find a reason to smile, even if among life's simplest things.

Merry Christmas to all! ^_^

Caviteñas Incorporated

Tuesday night saw me getting semi-boozed (LOL! Is there even such a term as 'semi-boozed'???) and getting cozy with my girls from high school for a mini Christmas-party-slash-reunion-slash-booze-night. Unfortunately, my tonsillitis couldn’t wait until my social affairs for the holidays were over, so what was I to do but to stay away from the tempting chocolate cake and ice cream, and just burn the throat ache away with… err, vodka. Sounds like a plan, eh? ^_^

We were quite a team back then – boy band fanatics, boy-crazy teenyboppers, school bus bullies, occasional emotional retards, food trip and gimik buddies, die-hard Spice Girls wannabes, drama queens, and the list goes on and on. But most importantly, we were good friends. And while it’s been almost ten years since our foursome got together after we graduated from high school, it was as if time stood still for us. Fast forward to present, Suey now runs her own shirt printing biz, Reah keeps herself fit by strutting herself during pole dancing, while Sandy and I have had our fair share of the corporate world. It’s been years, but there was never that awkward moment. The minute I walked over to where they were over at Sandy’s veranda, I was instantly immersed in deep gossip, laughter, LOTS of vodka, and – of course – photo ops with my girls.

Us Girls: (from left to right) Sandy, Reah, Moi, and Suey

Last time I checked, Suey’s gonna go on a Hong Kong – Macau trip next month, with Reah tagging along, I think. Sandy, on the other hand, was still a bit unsure but I hope she goes for it coz Hong Kong is one city in Asia I fell in love with. I wish I could go along, but looking at things that need to be accomplished at work by first quarter of next year, a pleasure trip outside the country for the next couple of months may very well be out of the question.

*sigh*

It's only been days, but I miss my girls already. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that my mom and tita Rose (Sandy's mom) did a little catching up of their own over soda and dark chocolate cake. From the looks of it, seemed like they missed each other as well! ^_^ And finally, a little trivia: as far as love life is concerned, Beyonce's Single Ladies might just be the theme song of our crew. And I bet by now you already got what I'm trying to say here. *wink*

Cheers to high school, good friends, and vodka! ^_^

My Monday Cup

“So Sally can wait, she knows it's too late as we're walking on by
Her soul slides away, but don't look back in anger
I heard you say…” - Don’t Look Back In Anger (performed by Oasis)

“I’m on the top of the world lookin’ down on creation
And the only explanation I can find
Is the love that I’ve found ever since you’ve been around
Your love’s put me at the top of the world…” - Top Of The World (performed by Carpenters)


Thank you for making my morning. :)

What can I say? Just when I thought it would be another boring Monday morning at work, your invitation for coffee was just the thing I needed to perk up my day and practically my whole week, for that matter.

More than just the soothing effect of Cinnamon-Swirl-and-Iced-White-Chocolate-Mocha combo, it was the rare privilege of having you sing a line or two from two of your favorite songs that made it all memorable. I know I can be a handful of makulit, but still you gave in to my prodding and the next thing I knew, you were singing the familiar lyrics of the song. (Hmmm... I wonder if that was just the caffeine kicking in your system?) Too bad we had to go back so soon. Still, an hour spent was more than enough to keep that smile on my face.

*sigh*

I'm already looking forward to our next cup. :)

Happy Monday to everyone!

When Good Friends Meet

It's been quite some time since our trio - Mike, Cassey, and I - got together, not since the demise of our Palawan trip a couple of months passed. A lot happened since then, so today we're gonna meet up to celebrate Mike's promotion over good food and kwentuhan galore! ^_^

News of the day: I was, like, 45 minutes late from the original call time of 3 p.m. at Greenbelt 3! But since I had to commute all the way from Cavite, I have all the excuses in the world, right? Honestly, it kinda feels refreshing not to be the early bird for once. Haha! But seriously, I was starving by the time I caught up with them that all I was able to blurt out was “Hi! Gutom na ‘ko!” How’s that for greeting a friend you haven’t seen in a while? LOL!

As per Mike’s suggestion, we headed to Greenbelt 5 to try out Fely J’s, one of the many restaurants from LJC’s restaurant chains. (Think: Abe, Café Adriatico, and Café Havana, among others.) We ordered Lamb Kaldereta and Stir-Fried Broccoli with Chicken Mushroom. Of course, our experience with Fely J’s would not be complete without desserts, so we ordered Sikreto Ni Maria Clara (Glutinous rice and sliced ripe mangoes covered with half-melted vanilla ice cream), Claude’s Dream (Fresh buko strips on macapuno ice cream with pandan jelly), and Tequila Chocolate Mousse Cake which, by far, was a winner for all three of us. You can just never go wrong mixing tequila and chocolate – two of the bestest things in the world! ^_^

The Fely J's Experience (Photo credits: Cassey)

After Fely J’s, we dropped by Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Greenbelt to have coffee. By this time, Mike was only physically present because of serious lack of sleep. Poor Mike! We stayed for a good deal of another hour before we parted ways going home. True, time spent was a bit short and kinda bitin, nevertheless Mike’s level of humor is always on all-time high even if his entire system was shouting for sleep. I hope the next time that our trio gets to hang out like this would be soon. From the looks of it, 2010 will kick off with a lot of changes as far as my work is concerned. That is, if plans will push through. I’d better brush up on my time management skills, then. That way, there will be more meet-ups like this for our trio. ^_^

I missed posing with these two crazy wacky people! ^_^ (Photo credits: Cassey)

Wanted: Fashionistas

Last Saturday saw me attending the CTOM (CHARTIS Technology and Operations Management) Integration Party turned Christmas Party at the Grand Ballroom of Sofitel in Manila. The theme was “Fashionista” and, as expected, some dressed to impress while others preferred to dress down and keep a low profile, but one thing’s for sure – it was a fun night, not bad for my first Christmas party with the company. ^_^

I arrived at the venue a little past six in the evening, but instead of heading straight to the venue, I went up to room no. 308 where Gail and the rest of the PSG dance crew were doing their hair and makeup in prep for the evening’s festivities. For a room that was originally intended for two, there must’ve been 20 or more of us there, so one can only imagine how crowded it was. It was already 7:30 p.m. when we went down to register for the raffle, pose for a couple more photo ops, and do some meet-and-greet with the rest of the CTOM peeps.

Posing with the crew in high "fashion" ^_^ (Photo credits: Tony Alonzo)

There were two sides to the ballroom – one for the CTOM BPO Division and another for the IT Division where we were. A little halfway through the program, I slipped over to the BPO Division side to greet a college friend who was part of the Lexington group – Gella. Good thing Eric Bauzon happened to pass by so Gella and I had our pictures taken together.

Me and some of the Lexington crew (Photo credits: Eric Bauzon)

There were a couple of band performances, and dance numbers prepared by IT (which included Gail and co.) and BPO as well. There was also a contest for the night’s best dressed male and female, where the chosen few got to strut their stuff ala catwalk. Afterwards, the dance floor was opened, and most of us were on our feet grooving to the band’s music. I think the free-flowing drinks helped as well to set the party mood.

CTOM's got talent! (Photo credits: Eric Bauzon and Tony Alonzo)

"Fashionistas" in the house... (Photo credits: Tony Alonzo)

Party people... YEAH!!! ^_^ (Photo credits: Eric Bauzon)

There were a couple of minor and major prizes given away for the night. I was among the lucky ones who won PhP 1,500 in cash. The major prizes included a trip to Boracay for 2, and grand prize was a trip to US. Cool, huh? But a thousand bucks is still a thousand bucks, so I’m already thankful for the prize I won.

:) (Photo Credits: Simi)

See you on next year's party... :) (Photo credits: Eric Bauzon)

The festivities ended around past 12 midnight, but most of the people were still ecstatic and in high spirits even after the event. I arrived home around two in the morning, but I think I was able to sleep around 3 a.m. It was a fun night, I met a couple of interesting people, and the crowd was great. In fact, I’m already looking forward to next year’s theme.

Weekend Song

"What will it take to make or break this hint of love? Only time, only time..." -Owl City

It all started with Fireflies.

Now, after doing a bit of research on the group and the roots of their music, I am now officially an Owl City convert! And mind you, I'm not just a fan of the group itself, but I am so, shall I say, enthralled by Adam Young's genius behind every words in their songs. (FYI: Adam Young is Owl City's front man and songwriter.) I've downloaded all three albums and so far, I'm liking every song in it. For real! I used to be not so much into the electronic genre, but I'm definitely making an exception for this one. A friend, to whom I shared the Owl City madness with, once said that he was "dumbfounded" by the artist. I know that most of you would think that using words such as "enthralled" and "dumbfounded" may be too much of an overreaction, but I guess everyone's entitled to whatever ticks his or her passion for something, right? :)

So now I'm sharing my so-called weekend song - this has got to be my ultimate fave apart from the other excellent songs in the album. I've been playing this song over and over for the nth time and never seem to tire of hearing it's relaxed vibe and meaningful lyrics. It's the kind of song that makes me think of the beach, the sun, and quality fun time with anyone who's willing to indulge with me. The title of the song is The Saltwater Room (New Version) from their 2009 album Ocean Eyes.

Lyrics:

I opened my eyes last night and saw you in the low light
Walking down by the bay on the shore
Staring up at the stars that aren't there anymore
I was feeling the night grow old and you were looking so cold
So like an introvert, I dreaw my over shirt
Around my arms and began to shiver violently
Before you happened to look and see the tunnels all around me
Running into the dark underground
All the subways around create a great sound
To my motion fatigue: farewell
With your ear to a seashell
You can hear the waves in underwater caves
As if you actually were inside a saltwater room

Time together isn't ever quite enough
When you and I are alone, I've never felt so at home
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
Only time, only time.

Can you believe that the crew has gone?
And they wouldn't let me sign on
All my islands have sunk in the deep,
And I can hardly relax or even oversleep
When I feel warm with your hand in mine
When we walk along the shoreline
I guess we'll never know why sparrows love the snow
We'll turn out all of the lights and set this ballroom aglow

So tell me darlin', do you wish we'd fall in love?
Yeah, all the time
All the time

Time together isn't ever quite enough
When you and I are alone, I've never felt so at home
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
Only time, only time
When we're apart what ever are you thinking of?
If this is what I call home, why does it feel so alone?
So tell me darling, do you wish we'd fall in love?
All the time, all the time

Time together isn't ever quite enough
When we're apart what ever are you thinking of?
What will it take to make or break this hint of love?
So tell me darling, do you wish we'd fall in love?
All the time
Oh, all the time

PS: The name 'Owl City' was actually taken from Adam Young's hometown in Owatonna, Minnesota, and that most of Young's compositions were the results of his insomnia. Cool!

^_^

3-In-1

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a movie review in my blog. Not that I haven’t been active in the movie scene lately; it’s just that I’m so tamad to post reviews plus I’ve also been busy lately with work. But since it’s a Saturday and I’ve nothing to do save for killing time before the CHARTIS Christmas party which, by the way, does not commence until six in the evening tonight, I’m posting a 3-in-1 movie review of some of the flicks I’ve seen recently, raving about it or otherwise. After all, I’m not a self-confessed movie buff for nothing, you know! *wink*

2012

Okay, this was one movie that got my senses awake and alert... quite literally! Seriously, it kinda reminds me of the movie Armageddon with the end-of-the-world-is-near-and-there-is-not-much-we-can-do theme, except that instead of rugged Bruce Willis you get semi-nerdy-and-sometimes-clumsy John Cusack. Oh, and in 2012, the world came to an end from its insides rather than waiting for some humungous chunk of space metal threatening to hit Earth smack in the atmosphere but then gets blown up in space anyway. But seriously, I found myself exhausted after watching the movie. Exhausted because throughout the movie I never stopped hoping that towards the end, it may not seem too hopeless at all for mankind; exhausted because I couldn’t help but cry for the human drama that’s being depicted in the movie; and exhausted after having watched John Cusack and his family try to outrun and survive extinction that literally kept me at the edge of my seat inside the theatre. In terms of visual and special effects, it’s a two thumbs-up!!! Truly, it’s one hell of an eye opener that got me thinking however on Earth will I be able to come up with a couple of billion Euros to buy myself a seat on some 21st century Noah’s Ark? Seriously. (PS: That voice-controlled car was cool, too! ^_^)

New Moon

I still stand by what I said about the book – way too teenybopper to the ranks of Sweet Valley fiction. As for the movie, well, New Moon is an obvious improvement of its predecessor. But as far as the actors were concerned, the only notable level-up is that of Jacob’s character. (After all, New Moon is technically Jacob’s intro into the limelight.) As for the rest of the crew, Rob Pattinson’s acting is still so-so, and Kirsten still could do a lot more on her facial expressions. Still, it wasn’t so bad, and I’d prefer the Twilight movies over the books ANYTIME!!! But Harry Potter over Twilight? Erhmm… a no-brainer!

Ninja Assassin

This has got to be one of the BLOODIEST movie created. Ever. I can’t help but compare Ninja Assassin to Kill Bill, except that the latter has got more class, intrigue, and killer moves. (Uma Thurman simply rocks with that samurai!)As for Ninja Assassin, I think the movie was a bit overrated, the theatrical trailer was a bit deceiving, and it lacked substance to complement all the violence. As for Rain, no offense to all Rain fans out there, but the dude’s got a huge room for improvement in terms of acting. I mean, it’s never enough that he’s got killer abs – he’s got to brush up on his acting as well. But that’s as far as my opinion goes. Overall, Ninja Assassin would be the kind of movie I’d prefer to watch on home video just so that I can save on movie tickets and popcorn.

Well, it’s quite a long post, eh? 2009 ain’t over yet, so there are still a couple of promising movies I’d like to see before the year closes. I haven’t watched any local movies lately, and I’ve yet to decide if there’s any movie in the upcoming MMFF (Metro Manila Film Festival) which I’m gonna see on the big screen. Oh well, let's see... :)

Wishful

It's this time of the year when I would often ask myself what I'd want for Christmas. Of course, I'll be honest to say that a LOT of things pop into my mind - material things, that is. Let me see, there are shoes, bags, a brand-new notebook, spanking new set of prime lens for my cam, trips across Asia... and the list goes on and on. But now that I [seriously] think about it, there's just one thing I'd like to receive this year. Actually, ‘happen’ might be a more apt word for it. Call it cheesy and a bit of a hopeless romantic, but I just want my music man to play a song on his guitar for me. There. I've said it; now laugh at my cheesy-ness all you want. Quite frankly, I can't help but laugh a little at myself. LOL! :)

But seriously, I know that the friendship we were able to establish was more of a blessing disguised underneath what seemed to be pure chance. He and his faith in God have been helping me see things around me in a more positive light. And yes, for some reason music seemed to have become our bridge to get to the kind of friendship we have now. But truth be told, we did have our, err, shall I say "awkward moments"? Haha! Maybe because on the outside we're quite a contrast - he's shy and quiet while I'm a bit of an extrovert; he's dressed up in a way that many would call "lousy" and a bit "geeky", while I go for happy colors and prints. But after spending one breakfast together, I realized that he's got a LOT of sensible stuff to share, and that we have a lot more things in common than I ever thought. In short, we clicked! :)

So there. That's as much history which I'm gonna share. Now I'm just so thankful that we're good friends - my occasional lunch-slash-breakfast buddy, a friend, a music lover. My music man. And if ever there's a quota in heaven as to how much of a good thing you could wish for, I'd say that to have him play on his beloved guitar for me would be just a most generous bonus, because having him in my life as a friend is a blessing itself from God.

Oh boy, can't wait for Christmas!!! ^_^

Inspirational

I would just like to share a song which helped lift my spirits when I woke up one morning with a heavy heart.

A heavy heart. It’s that feeling when there seems to be nothing wrong with my physical state, yet somehow it was as if nothing in the world could make me smile that day, let alone be even just the tiniest bit optimistic, because something has happened that’s taking its toll on my emotional state.

And that’s when he helped me – my music man – to be my upbeat self again. Well, it’s not like he really did physically helped me. All he did was to email me a song which, according to him, he hoped to lift up my heavy heart. It was a Christian song, and he said I should just give it a try. And I did. Apparently, music can really do wonders, for every word in the song hit me smack in the face and one round of listening was enough to give me that warm feeling I’ve been missing for days and make me smile again.

Oh, and why do I call him my music man? Well, apart from the fact that I’m not gonna say who he is, I’m also keeping the reason to my little self. But all I can say is that he’s someone who’s been helping me keep a happy disposition in spite of it all.

Anyway, I’m sharing the lyrics of the song for those who would care to listen and ponder, just in case. I hope you would like it as much as I did. Enjoy! :)


Call On Jesus (performed by Nicole C. Mullen)

Verse 1:
I'm so very ordinary, nothing special on my own.
Oh, I have never walked on water,
And I have never calmed a storm.
Sometimes I'm hiding away from the madness around me
Like a child who's afraid of the dark

Chorus:
But when I call on Jesus,
All things are possible
I can mount on wings like eagles' and soar
When I call on Jesus,
Mountains are gonna fall
'Cause He'll move heaven and earth to come rescue me when I call

La la la la la, la la la la la

Verse 2:
Weary brother, broken daughter,
Widowed, Widowed lover you're not alone
If you're tired and scared of the madness around you
If you can't find the strength to carry on

Chorus:
When you call on Jesus,
All things are possible
You can mount on wings like eagles' and soar
When you call on Jesus,
Mountains are gonna fall
'Cause He'll move heaven and earth to come rescue you when you--

Bridge:
Call Him in the morning', in the afternoon time
Late in the evening' He'll be there
When your heart is broken,
And you feel discouraged,
You can just remember that He said
He'll be there

Chorus (2x):
When I call on Jesus,
All things are possible
I can mount on wings like eagles' and soar
When I call on Jesus,
Mountains are gonna fall
'Cause He'll move heaven and earth to come rescue me (back to top first time, 2nd time finish with "when I call")

La la la la la, la la la la la, la la la la la-a-a