ramblings of a dazed & confused twentysomething

2003-06-10T01:18:00.000-07:00

| i've moved! |

I've finally gotten an account in Blurty. From now on, please visit www.blurty.com/~jenqt for updates more of my ramblings. :)

2003-06-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

| argh!! |

Stupid Blogger. Had this loooong post about my trip to Bora, interview at this company, etc. Then I clicked "Post & Publish" - guess what? Nothing happened. I lost the entire thing! Grrr.

This isn't the first time I've encountered a problem with Blogger and I'm getting pissed off. Blurty friends who've been with Blogger in the past, is it better over there? I'm thinking of switching.

------------

Got this at augie's blog. Was hoping to get Trinity but I guess this will do.

You are Neo, from "The Matrix." You
display a perfect fusion of heroism and
compassion.

What Matrix Persona Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

2003-05-30T04:49:00.000-07:00

| countdown |

By this time tomorrow, I'll be in Bora! Yay! :) Went shopping earlier for some stuff for the beach. SM still remains a haven for value-conscious consumers - was able to buy 2 pairs of cute loose cotton pants (color gradient; i.e., from light pink to dark pink or light blue to dark blue, etc.) for 130 bucks each. I wanted to buy several tops but I couldn't afford to spend too much - there'll be mucho shopping in the talipapa in Bora! Haha.

------------

So what if this company didn't want me? I've got an interview on Wednesday with this one. La la la. :)

------------

My support to augie and paloys for their decision to enter Ateneo law school and UP Econ, respectively, this June.

2003-05-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

| yet another rejection letter |

Just checked my email and guess what was in my inbox? A letter from this company. After going through the qualifying exam and harrowing interview, I didn't get in.

One comforting thought: there's something better out there for me.

Could it be this company? Wish me luck on my interview this afternoon.

2003-05-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

| rainy days & mondays |

*singing* Hanging around, nothing to do but frown. Rainy days and Mondays always get me down...

It's been raining since...Thursday, I think. I was in Baguio last Friday until Sunday. It rained hard on Friday afternoon, then there was a constant drizzle on Saturday and Sunday. We didn't push through with our Sagada trip, seeing how miserable and dreary the weather was. It would have taken us about 7 or more hours to get to Sagada, and it probably wouldn't have been F-U-N with all the mud. Particularly as we'll be trekking around in the mountains. When I got home, it turns out that the weather is the same even in Manila - I thought it was only in Baguio, because it was located up in the mountains. And the reason for the bad weather is the tropical depression (or is it a typhoon already?) wreaking havoc elsewhere in the Philippines.

Thanks to the bad weather, it took me and my mom more than an hour to get home last night. And I may have to conduct my driving lesson in this inclement weather with the windshield wipers working furiously back and forth - something I'm not looking forward to.

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Hmmm...things are perking up on the employment front. I've got an interview at Leo Burnett later this afternoon (yes, I passed their exam!). Then I'm taking an exam at Digitel tomorrow afternoon. On Thursday morning, I've got an interview with L'Oreal. Isn't life sweet?

2003-05-22T07:45:00.000-07:00

| my bruised ego |

I took the exam at East West Bank this morning. I flunked it. For chrissake, it was an abstract reasoning test. And i FLUNKED the test. I can't believe it. I must have taken about 20 of those already in my entire lifetime, and I failed it?? This is a nightmare.

I hope what Aji said is true - that my Leo Burnett exam will make up for it. I sure hope so.

Oh, and I've watched it. One word: WOW. Wonderful action scenes - though I could tell it was computer generated (or at least most of it).

2003-05-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

| outrageous news |

Just read this article in the New York Times - outrageous!! I can't believe those greedy bastards. Who the hell do they think they are??

2003-05-20T23:53:00.000-07:00

| semi-happy day(s) |

I've been writing some of my posts in MS Word and then forgetting to publish them here. While I haven't had the "oh happy, happy" day I've been wishing for, I've had some very nice moments spread out over several days.

I was finally able to finish my 20 minutes on the elliptical machine in the gym (horrid torture device, I swear) without slowing my pace thereby maintaining a speed of 120 to 130 kph.

I was also able to keep the pace on the rowing machine (30 spm).

I've been taking driving lessons and I think I'm doing quite well, thank you very much. Just this morning, I crossed the Bicutan Interchange, entered South Superhighway and C5, then did a u-turn in C5-Kalayaan to head back to Better Living. Then before heading home, my mom and I took a quick spin around the neighborhood and I got to park the car in the garage! :) Yay for me.

I've got some interesting prospects for a job. As I mentioned earlier, I had an interview with East West Bank last Monday for a job in Treasury as Trading Assistant which is pretty cool. Then I had a call yesterday from Leo Burnett.

I'm leaving for Baguio on Friday with some friends. I'll be there until Sunday, then we're heading for Sagada. I'll be back on Tuesday.

My family and I are headed to Bora for some fun in the sun on May 31! Finally, my dreams of going to the beach this summer will come true.

I've finished with my online course on Corporate Social Responsibility with the World Bank. Phew! That was a long, somewhat difficult course (info overload!)

On the flip side, though, I haven't watched Matrix 2 yet.

2003-05-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

| isn't it ironic? |

Just read Firewoman's blog and was semi-surprised to find out that she's going home to Manila and giving up a scholarship in Australia. Well, I haven't exactly been the best correspondent lately.

I just find it ironic that while she's been given this opportunity, she gives it up; meanwhile, i wanted to do so for uni but my dad didn't want me to leave.

Well, she has her reasons for not wanting to go and I have my reasons for wanting to go.

2003-05-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

Just found out that augie got the fellowship in Singapore. Congrats, dude!! I knew you'd get it. See? When God closes the door, he opens a window. :)

Also, congrats to paloys for getting into UP Law School.

2003-05-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

You're Max Evans.
"I appreciate that I'm the one you chose to
wake at three in the morning to tell that
you've been dreaming about semicircles."

Which Roswell Character is Most Like You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Got this off Amethyst Aphrodite's blog. What do you guys think? Is this correct?

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Had an interview this morning with East West Bank. The guy who interviewed me was the head of Treasury. I'm being recommended for a job in Treasury as Trading Assistant. The job sounds exciting & challenging - it was the first time I got excited over something even remotely related to finance. I still have to take a test on Thursday though, so I'll have to review my Economics & Finance. Still, I'm keeping a look out on other opportunities as I'm really geared towards Marketing. But the job in Treasury sounds really right up my ally as I want something fast-paced, not sedentary (meaning, sitting around in the office all day going through papers and looking at a computer screen).

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I'll be in Baguio this Friday until Tuesday next week with friends. Can't wait! I haven't really gone out this whole summer, and you guys probably know my frustration with planning trips. This will be the last trip I'll probably take in a long while, as everyone's getting ready to start work, go back to school, or review for the board exams. God, where did the time go? I can't believe summer's almost over!

2003-05-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

| comedy at fear factor |

Was watching Fear Factor on AXN this morning and there was this moment that had me giggling uncontrollably.

Scenario: 2 guys and 2 girls on the round before the final stunt. It's nighttime, they're outdoors in front of a campfire with the host of Fear Factor. The stunt? They have to eat the penis of an animal. There's 4 different penises - a water buffalo's, a deer's, a bull's, and an elk's. The last person to do the stunt, a guy named John, is roasting the member of an elk over the campfire with a long stick. He goes, "You know, in Indonesia or some other country, this is probably a delicatessen."

[What? Delicatessen? Did I hear him correctly?]

The host goes, "No. In Indonesia or some other country, it might be a delicacy, which you'll find in a delicatessen."

That's not all. The host grabs the stick from John and adds, "Let me get this away from you before you make me any more stupid." [or something to that effect]

Reminds me of all the barok moments on TV here in the Philippines, particularly during game shows like Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

2003-05-17T07:18:00.000-07:00

Your ideal mate is Bobby Drake. With his innocent
sweetness and his boyish good looks, how can
any girl go wrong? He's the type of guy to
supply you with all the TLC that you can
handle, and he'll always be there for you when
you need moral support, or just a shoulder to
cry on. Though he is still young, he lacks the
experiences of life, and can be naive.

Who Is Your Ideal X-Men 2 Mate? (ladies only)
brought to you by Quizilla

2003-05-14T03:45:00.000-07:00

| the green-eyed monster |

Some lucky cow I know is going to London and Turkey during her summer break with her sister. Dammit. I wanna go too!!

I want to get out of here, at least for a while. I've been dreaming of a Europe trip since I was in seventh grade. Imagine how long it's been?? 8 freaking years. And still no trip. Even my Puerto Galera escapade didn't work out. Dagnabbit.

To the lucky cow - have fun on your trip and don't forget to send me something. ;)

I do hope I have one happy day soon. Very soon.

2003-05-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

| oil & the US |

Check out this article in Time.

2003-05-13T05:53:00.000-07:00

| china crisis |

Well...not really.

Read this article on the New York Times. I quote:

Even though we lack an effective treatment or a vaccine, and even though the death rate remains high, the SARS crisis seems to be stabilizing; and with that news, there is the temptation to move on, to focus on the next issue. This could be a huge mistake. We need to develop and put in effect a strategy that tries to prevent future SARS-like outbreaks now.

China was the source of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome. During the last century it has been the source of new viruses and strains behind other pandemics. The Great Flu Pandemic — which swept the world in 1918-19, killing 20 million to 40 million people — most likely originated with an influenza virus in China. Both the 1957 Asian flu and the 1968 Hong Kong flu also originated in that region and caused mini-pandemics.

Virologists say one reason China is the source of so many new viruses and new strains of old ones causing respiratory infections is that people and animals there live in close proximity.

Now this is something to really consider, as many international companies have been moving into China for their operations & distribution. However, we must remember that there is no cure-all for SARS and other diseases; prevention is the most important thing there is. And before we start blaming China for everything and shunning this country, let us remember that AIDS, at least, did not originate in China. Again, I quote the article:

Surveillance, hygienic slaughterhouses and housing that segregates animals and humans in China will not be a cure-all. As AIDS reminds us, China is certainly not the only source of new deadly viruses, and pigs and birds are not the only species with viruses that can threaten humans. But either we wait and react to the next infection, or we do our best, with the limited knowledge we have, to reduce the risk of another worldwide pandemic. And since respiratory viruses are likely to be the biggest threat — because they spread easily and rapidly — China is the place to start.

2003-05-10T01:19:00.000-07:00

| a new world order |

Just saw this article on Time. Guys are moving in on "female professions" such as nursing and child care for various reasons: the flexibility in such professions, the stable pay, the fulfillment they get, among others. Who would have thought?

But such a career move for men is hardly without any controversy or difficulty on their part. They may be considered "pansies" or gay or not ambitious or whatever.

So how does it feel to be on the other side, guys? I seem to recall a similar movement years ago - the women's lib movement - when women started moving into "male" professions and getting (and still getting, as far as i can tell) flack for it.

2003-05-10T01:01:00.000-07:00

| more quizzes |

i seem to be taking a lot of quizzes online lately. do i miss school? heh.

You are Storm!

You are very strong and very protective of those
you love. You are in tune with nature and are
very concerned with justice and humanity.
Unfortunately, certain apprehensions and fears
are very hard for you to overcome, and can
often inhibit you when most need to be strong.

Which X-Men character are you most like?
brought to you by Quizilla
-------
Hmm...Seems pretty accurate.

-------

United States Of America -
The most well-renouned country in modern day times.
The militaristic superpower, the United States
of America are also known as the bossiest
nation.

Positives:
Known Worldwide.
A Beacon to Others.
Powerful.
Fast Food.

Negatives:
Bossy.
Despised by Most Others.
Elitest.

Which Country of the World are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
-------
Erm...so what does this mean about me??

Not good, methinks.

2003-05-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

| sheer stupidity |

Here I am, getting my fill of today's headlines when I read an article on the New York Times entitled Parents, Shopping for Discipline, Turn to Harsh Programs Abroad. Basically, it says that a lot of couples in the US turn to "behavior modification" schools (located abroad such as Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica) to discipline their children. Normally, these couples are currently separated and undergoing a painful divorce.

However, these schools - based on the description in the article - seem more like juvenile detention halls rather than disciplinary educational institutions. The people running these institutions are normally custodians rather than educators, psychologists, and therapists.

Can anyone say rip-off??

Moreover, I can only marvel at the sheer stupidity of the parents who send their children to these schools. They make their decision based on a brochure. A brochure, for crying out loud. Aren't they old enough to know not to immediately take things at face value, particularly anything concerning their children's welfare and safety? And isn't it like a cardinal rule to check out a potential school in person before sending your child there, and perhaps talk to the head of the school? Of course brochures will gloss over the flaws and emphasize the positive - it's meant to encourage people to buy or use a service! Don't they freaking know that? Stupid, I tell you.

And now, they regret their decision. And maybe they're even suing the school.

Something that could have been avoided in the first place.

Stupid.

What's more, why must parents turn over the task of disciplining a child to school authorities? Shouldn't it come from them? A school's primary function is to educate, not to discipline. And if the parents had probably given more attention to their child at such a difficult time (remember, the couple is normally locked in a divorce battle), perhaps the problem of discipline may have been avoided. I personally think that the child is merely lashing out because of the turbulent situation at home, or perhaps seeking attention & love. It isn't unusual in these situations for children to feel that they are caught in between their parents - a very delicate and stressful position to be in, I assure you - and for them to think that it's their fault, or their parents don't love them anymore.

These freaking Americans can sometimes be stupid, I tell you.

And no, I'm not bigoted against them nor do I feel hatred towards them. I just found their decision in this particular case to be wrong.

2003-05-09T03:25:00.000-07:00

Got this quiz from Paloy's blog and I couldn't resist. I wanted to study in the US for university.

Princeton
You're smart, you're thin, you're pretty, and
goddamit, people love you. You are destined for
great, great things, little Princetonian. Let
there be a never-ending stream of Country-Club-
Like institutions in your unmarred future.

Which Ivy League University is right for YOU?
brought to you by Quizilla

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Funny thing is, Princeton wasn't really at the top of my list then. :)

Oh, and I'm thin? Really? :)

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I've applied to about 40 companies and still no job offers. Just 2 prospects that did not push through, and still counting. The employment opportunities in this country suck.

2003-05-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

| rants |

It's late at night, it's been a terrible week, and all I can say is - brace yourself. This entry will probably be full of rants.

I hate it when people say one thing to your face and another behind your back. I hate it when people who are supposed to be your friends can't seem to make time for you but are busy socializing with everyone else. I hate it when you're the one who keeps running after people for something (be it for them to return something of yours, a confirmation of plans, a job, and what-have-you). I hate it when you're the only one who musters some effort, while everything you suggest or try to do is shot down by everybody else. I hate the fact that my plans to go on trips (Europe, the beach) have all been shot to hell. I hate having to clean my room and unpack all my stuff from the condo, trying to squeeze everything in and being forced to let go of some things for lack of space. I wish Destiny would bring back Cinemax and/or Star Movies. I wish movie channels would show better movies, and a larger variety at that. I hate being discrimminated in jobs just because I'm a girl and/or I'm below 5'4" in height. I hate it that my dream job is not available for the taking. I hate the abominably hot & humid weather right now. I wish some people could be more supportive of me and my aspirations. I hate the superficiality of our society and the depressing state of the economy.

I wish some people could just let me be my own person.

2003-05-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

| i'm bored|

And another day has gone by...without me accomplishing anything remotely productive. Heh.

Took a couple of quizzes - got them off several friends' blogs.

Disorder	Rating
Paranoid:	Low
Schizoid:	Low
Schizotypal:	Low
Antisocial:	Low
Borderline:	Low
Histrionic:	Low
Narcissistic:	Low
Avoidant:	Low
Dependent:	Low
Obsessive-Compulsive:	Moderate
-- Personality Disorder Test - Take It! --

-----
A confirmation of what I already know and of another quiz I took a few days ago.

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free enneagram test
-----
I don't think so.

But then, my high score of 6 is tied between Type 2 and Type 7. I think Type 7 better describes me. Here's the description for Type 7:

Type Seven: The Enthusiast
The busy, productive type. Sevens are extroverted, optimistic, versatile, and spontaneous. Playful, high-spirited, and practical, they can also misapply their many talents, becoming over-extended, scattered, and undisciplined. They constantly seek new and exciting experiences, but can become distracted and exhausted by staying on the go. They typically have problems with impatience and impulsiveness. At their Best: they focus their talents on worthwhile goals, becoming appreciative, joyous, and satisfied.

Don't you agree??

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I'm always eating. I'm always hungry. What's up with that??

2003-05-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

| blah |

Just got home from watching X-Men 2. I found this flick better than the first one - from the very first scene, my heart was pounding a mile a minute! Nightcrawler is so cool. :) This movie had more & better action sequences than the first, and a better storyline. And of course, it didn't hurt that I got to see 2 cuties in the movie. :) Who else but Cyclops and Wolverine??

My room's such a mess right now. I've emptied out the condo in Katipunan and all the boxes and trash bags (for lack of a better thing to hold my stuff) have now taken up residence in my room here at home. I can barely see the floor, and I can't go anywhere without bumping into anything. I have to move stuff around to get to my closet, and it's not unusual for me to step on something. *sigh* This is gonna take a looooong time for me to unpack. I can't figure out where to put everything - my room's bursting at the seams as it is without the added baggage! I'll probably have to chuck a lot of stuff into the rubbish and hold a garage sale for the rest.

I sure miss my place in Katipunan - especially the freedom it afforded. Now it's back to living with the folks - and curfews! Uh-oh.

Just gobbled up the last of the chocolate Easter eggs sent by my cousins in Sydney. So not good. I haven't even been to the gym lately. Tsk tsk. I'll have to double my routine this week. At the same time as I'm devouring the chocolate, I'm watching In the Name of the Father on HBO. Haven't watched this since I was a senior in high school. I remember that I memorized Emma Thompson's monologue in the courtroom for English class - and also tried to fake a British accent to no avail. Ah, those were the days. :) Sad to say, I have not indulged my artistic side in a long time.

Watched The Breakfast Club on Hallmark a couple of days ago, as well as Sixteen Candles on HBO. Movie channels ought to show more of these movies. I haven't seen them since I was in grade school, and unfortunately I don't have tapes or CDs of these films. I remember watching another 80s film back when I was a kid, about a teenage girl who turns out to be a witch. The source of her power is an amulet, which was given to her by this old lady (also a witch). I can't remember the story, but I do remember that the girl wasn't all that popular, and she had this crush on a cute guy. I think she used her powers for him to ask her out, but in the end, she gives up her witch-ly powers (she returns the amulet to the old lady) and still ends up with the guy. I don't know why I have this sudden interest to watch old films, but I guess it has something to do with watching 2 in a row these past few days. And I also guess that I'm trying to relive my childhood in some way as I move forward to yet again a new chapter in my life.

2003-05-02T04:19:00.000-07:00

| it's been quite a while |

...since i posted here.

i've been having trouble with the internet, i keep getting disconnected. so 2 of my posts have actually been saved in ms word, and i was planning to upload them later on. unfortunately, i've been quite busy. so anyway, i'll post them here first before moving on to my usual ramblings.

* * *

April 20, 2003
2:30am

Just saw this trailer of Alias on TV. Yayness, AXN Channel is going to start showing it soon. I’ll finally get to watch it – and understand it. ABS-CBN has been showing it for a while now but they’ve dubbed it in Filipino, for freakin’ sake. It’s a sad affair, I know, being born and raised in the Philippines yet being more fluent in English than Filipino. I’m trying to increase my Filipino vocabulary, but it can be a bit difficult at times. I just comprehend English faster than Filipino.

My friend Vic and I were just talking about SARS and how it can be such a damper on things. He’s applied to a foreign study program (Is that correct, Vic?) in Singapore – results will be out mid-May – but with SARS plaguing Singapore, he may not push through with it. Something similar also occurred with me. I applied for a management traineeship under AIESEC’s exchange program and I recently came across this traineeship in Canada which seemed really interesting. However, Canada is also one of the countries with SARS cases so I had to forego this opportunity. *sigh* And I really wanted to see Niagara Falls, among other nature-ish sights such as Banff.

One good thing about SARS is that it’s boosted travel within the Philippines. Since the country’s basically SARS-free and the top picks for vacation trips (Hong Kong, Singapore, USA, among others) are all struggling with this disease, everyone’s decided to stick to vacation spots within the Philippines such as Boracay, Palawan, Subic, and Ilocos. Unfortunately, we (my family) weren’t able to get confirmed bookings anywhere for Holy Week because of it! Darn. So we stayed in these past few days. Which was just as well, I suppose, as my sister’s friend who’s in Boracay said that it was really crowded there this week. Still, I hope that the government capitalizes on this to further develop our economy and tourism industry. :) How often have I heard it said that you must be able to turn negative things into positive ones? Well, here’s one right here, right now. Are we going to do something about it?

* * *

April 23, 2002

By Sunday, I’ll officially be an alumna of UP. It’s hard not to get sentimental when I think of my four years in university. I’ve learned so much, grown up in many ways, and experienced so many things, these past four years. So many memories…many new friendships formed.

I remember how, back during my senior year in high school, I was undecided whether to attend Ateneo or UP for university. My mom and I even visited both campuses and toured them, trying to grasp each university’s atmosphere and environment. I remember thinking back then that UP was so huge – a large, scary place filled with different sorts of characters. I was terrified, actually, for many reasons. I know I was terrified of getting lost in the deep recesses of the campus – in fact, I carried a campus map with me for the first couple of weeks of freshman year. The school’s reputation for breeding communists and atheists and its activist population also scared me. But the things about UP that scared me were also the very same ones that drew me to it like a moth to a flame. And those same things are also the reasons that I am loathe to leave university behind.

I love UP’s diversity and the freedom of expression allowed within its grounds unlike any other school’s. I love how I meet so many different people by taking different subjects. I love the sheer number of electives and PE courses being offered. I love the independence UP affords its students. I love the bustling activity and frenetic pace in the campus. I love how the Philippine Collegian is so political despite my opposition to most of its views. I love not having to worry about what to wear – for no one notices it anyway nor makes fun of it. I just love everything about it.

And to think I didn’t even want to go to UP back then. I had actually paid my reservation fee at Ateneo already and was all set to enroll – until my mom and my godmother’s younger daughter who studied Economics in UP convinced me to attend UP instead. And I have not regretted my decision.

Favorite UP memories:
1. Walking barefoot along University Avenue in front of Palma Hall (or AS as we UP students call it) for my Kas II class’ presentation for Linggo ng Wika
2. My ICTUS days filled with cluster meetings, counterstrike gimmicks, and inuman/bonding moments
3. Having Effat (a friend who attended Ateneo) sit in my Kas I class, only to have my prof lambaste about Ateneo
4. Study groups in Starbucks and Beanhoppers Café with Jomen and Gus, occasionally also with Maui, Sandy, Jon, Dux, and Lui
5. Watching plays by UP Rep and other theater groups
6. Running for student council
7. Overnights for projects
8. BAC planning sems
9. Bacbacan I during my sophomore year – we were a small, scraggly bunch then compared to the mighty juniors, seniors and sophomores
10. Dancing to some 70s groove in hiphuggers and platforms for Makmakan while I was an applicant in JMA
11. The first night I slept in my condo in Katipunan
12. The last night I slept in my condo in Katipunan
13. One night when Gus, Dondi and Jomen went over to my condo and played taboo (girls vs. boys) over a couple of drinks
14. Gian and me scaring the wits out of Gus one night on our way home after telling ghost stories during a party at Jon’s
15. On the same night as the previous number - sleeping over at Jomen’s condo because I was scared shitless after all the scary ghost stories
16. Getting so tipsy in Gilligan’s when I went out one time with Mia, Gus, Jomen, Kats, and Marc that I almost fell asleep on the table & needed help walking out of the restaurant
17. Campaigning for Chin when she ran for USC Chairperson
18. Gus and Myk coming over my place for help in a school project but ending up writing some inane list instead (I think I still have it in my computer)
19. My group in BA 115 (Managerial Accounting) meeting only during the mornings of the days that our cases were due to actually start doing them (What can I say? We’re brilliant crammers.)
20. Going out of BA one night after my law class (which ended at 9pm) to see someone forming a message made of candles for his loved one in the Sunken Garden – it was so romantic and beautiful!! Way better than messages made of crumpled newspaper in the Sunken Garden which can only be seen during the day

* * *

Ok. Now, moving on with the present...

Graduation was last Sunday. I attended the college recognition in the morning, which was from 8:30am to 11:30am at the UP Theater. I had lunch with my family afterwards, then we went to the condo to catch a few zz's before the university graduation at 4pm. I had to be at the meeting place (Vargas Museum) by 3pm, so I only had about an hour to sleep. The university graduation lasted until about 7pm, then I had a celebratory dinner with the family at Oyster Bar. Yum!

It was a pretty tiring day, and I guess I wasn't really in the mood to celebrate. It was a looooooong day for all of us, and I just crashed into bed the minute I got home.

The next 3 days were spent at the office of Johnson & Johnson. I, along with 5 others from UP, were shortlisted for the sales & marketing trainee program. We attended an orientation the first day, and we got to meet the management team - including J&J's ASEAN president! There were 12 of us in all - 6 from UP, 2 from DLSU, and 4 from ADMU. We were divided into groups of 4, and I was put into a group with Marlon (from ADMU), Pre (from DLSU), and Criselle (from UP). We spent the 2nd day discussing a case on Johnson's Pure Essentials and conducting field work. We spent the night at Marlon's house to finish the case - and only got 20 minutes of sleep in the process.

The third day was reserved for all the groups' presentations. This was held at the Westin Philippine Plaza. My group was second to present, and I think they liked our insights just fine. Afterwards, we had cocktails and dinner at the Manila Peninsula. One thing I've gained from my 3 days with J&J is weight - they never stopped feeding us! :)

Unfortunately, out of the 12 shortlisted who had to undergo the 3 day simulation, J&J was only going to get 5. And today, I got a call that I was not among the lucky few. Oh well. I'm sure God has something better for me - "When God closes the door, he opens a window."

In fact, I just got an email inviting me to take part in a one-month immersion program with the government - all expense paid. Sounds interesting. I'll get to rub elbows with the Philippine president, and discover the inner workings of the government. I just might take them up on their offer.

2003-04-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

saw this at paloy's blog and couldn't resist. to those who haven't visited indiefilipino.com, do so. it's great. :)

RAMON

which INDIEFILIPINO.com personality will you most jive with?
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2003-04-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

| quiz freak |

out of sheer boredom, i decided to try a couple of quizzes.

Your Heart is Red
What Color is Your Heart?
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hmmm...unfortunately, my busy schedule seems to have driven away all men within a 100km radius.

obsessive compulsive
Which Personality Disorder Do You Have?
brought to you by Quizilla

well, blow me over with a feather. i would've known this without taking the quiz! :P

* * *

Finally, after hours searching in various malls, I finally found something to wear for graduation! Yayness. It was hard to find a white/ecru dress that fit all requirements (e.g., must have sleeves, at least knee-length) so I decided to buy a blouse & skirt. I can't believe how much I spent for my graduation outfit! I think my parents would have refused to buy them if not for the fact that it took me about 72 hours to find something adequate. Geez. I have blisters on my toes to prove it. There were a couple of nice tops and skirts I could have bought which were cheaper; unfortunately, they didn't have my size. I know this is embarrassing to admit, but there were times when I would behave a bit childishly and gripe to my mom or sister about how hard it is to find a dress and why my university had to forgo the traditional black toga.

To my college dean who decided at the last minute to use the sablay rather than the toga - take note of the entire cost I'm paying for my graduation! Aside from the dress (which alone amounted to about 4000 bucks), I'll have to buy white shoes to go with them. And the sablay itself cost 700 pesos (ok, I could have bought the 220peso sablay). Add all other indirect costs, such as the cost of fuel used up in going to the malls, the meals I had to eat out of the house as I spent the entire day shopping, the pressure & hassle of finding a dress, etc. I think I would have saved a lot more if we just stuck with the toga! At least then I would have just worried about what shoes to wear. After all, who would see what dress I was wearing underneath the toga?

2003-04-16T23:19:00.000-07:00

| surfin' |

here i am on maundy thursday in front of the computer doing my penance for holy week. hehe. i've promised to help my sister with her paper on antoine saint exupery's the little prince and how to relate it to motivation. so now i'm doing some research on the internet, and i came across this little prince quiz. here are my results.

Saint Exupery's 'The Little Prince' Quiz.
brought to you by Quizilla

2003-04-12T00:21:00.000-07:00

| yay! |

Finally, it's summer vacation for me. I've been sleeping late, going to the mall & cinemas practically everyday, going to the gym regularly...basically doing all the things I couldn't do while I had class.

Here's what's been happening to me so far:

Remember the TOMAS award I spoke of? Well, I was named one of the Ten Outstanding Marketing Students (TOMAS) for 2003. Yippee! So I've got this cool trophy, a medal, and some prize money, aside from the title. The awards ceremony was held at Wherelse? in Hotel intercontinental in Makati. Joey, the other person from my university who was also a national finalist, was also awarded the TOMAS.

We're still planning the graduation party, which will be held on April 22. I'm getting kinda worried as we still lack the necessary funds. What's worse, what money we do have isn't with us still. Jag signed up as a sponsor for Seniors Week, the graduation party, and for the BAC's activities next year. However, the money won't be released until next month! And when I asked the BAC if they could advance the money to us from their existing funds, they informed me that they don't have enough cash in the bank!! So now we're basically bankrupt, and we have to pay a downpayment already for the venue. And how are we going to afford the other expenses, such as food?

Graduation is this April 27. Rather than the traditional black togas, we'll be marching down the aisle this year wearing a sablay. It's like a sash, and is a native costume. We're supposed to wear it with white/ecru dresses (for girls) or black pants & barongs (for guys). So now I have to worry about what to wear on top of everything else. *sigh* At least with the toga, all I had to worry about was the shoes since the toga would hide your clothes.

Still looking for work. The only prospects I have right now are call centers and Johnson & Johnson. They're the only companies so far to call me up for an interview. I'm still waiting for the results from J&J. But it's very competitive, as they're only taking 5 out of the many people they interviewed. I'm planning to print copies of my resume and go around Makati to submit them to various companies. I'm hoping I'll get into an ad agency as an account trainee. I was kinda hoping to apply for creative trainee but my experience and training in that field is quite limited, so I'm gearing more towards account management. I really think advertising is an exciting field to be in, as well as public relations. But with my (sometimes) big mouth, I may end up damaging the company's reputation rather than protecting it so I think public relations is kinda out of the question.

Can't wait to hit the beach this summer! I really want to go to Boracay and Puerto Galera. But flights to Boracay are booked for the entire summer - darn! And even if I had the means, who will I go with? *sigh* Still looking for suckers to come with me. Anyone interested? :)

Here's a paraphrased line to ponder on from the movie Just Married: "The bad times aren't shown in photographs, but it's what gets us from one happy snapshot to the next."

2003-03-22T12:14:00.000-08:00

| no to war! |
channel surfing between fox news, bbc news & cnn

Watching CNN this early morning, I see many anti-war demonstrations ongoing in the different parts of the globe – from the US, the UK, to the Arab world such as Lebanon. Seeing so many people converge in major cities – all to protest against the war in Iraq, brought chills down my spine. For instance, it was reported that about a quarter of a million people converged in downtown London for an anti-war protest – the largest number of protesters ever in any rally at any given time.

This brings me to my next point, something I’ve been wondering for quite a while. Where’s the anti-war protests here in the Philippines? GMA has already admitted that the Philippines is part of Bush’s “coalition of the willing.” Aren’t we going to protest this? How dare she enter us into this war, without our consent? Shouldn’t we clamor to make our voices heard? Or are we simply to selfish, too inward-looking, that we converge by the thousands in EDSA to oust a President, yet can’t seem to get up the enthusiasm to march the streets for something bigger than ourselves, than this small part of the world we call home? Isn’t peace a worthy – or even more worthy – cause?

A humanitarian crisis is said to be feared at the wake of the Iraq war. All I can say is – Duh?? It isn’t something to be feared – it’s something inevitable. In any violent action, many consequences – mostly bad – emerge. In any war, it’s the innocent civilians who suffer the most. No matter how much you prepare for the war, no matter how cautiously you try to target your missiles in order to avoid innocent bloodshed, there is never a 100% guarantee. Some innocent person will still end up as roadkill. (Just in at Fox News: The Pentagon admits that 2 cruise missiles accidentally land in Iran – enough to prove my point.)

Another thing that irritates me is how so many people are so optimistic and expect the war on Iraq to end quickly. Hell, that’s what the Americans thought about the Civil War when it broke out, and it dragged on for 4 years. Granted, weaponry was not as sophisticated as it is now, and battles then were purely land-based, but the point is that you can never predict anything for certain. So stop being so damn optimistic and don’t sound so sure of yourself. And remember, the US has been trying to terminate Bin Laden for almost 2 years now and it hasn’t been successful yet. (Just in at Fox News: Bush says that the war may be longer, more difficult & more costly than predicted. Huh. What did I tell you??)

Speaking of Bin Laden, what is the US doing about him now? It seems to me that they’ve transferred all their focus, resources and energy on Hussein and his regime. Is the US even pursuing Bin Laden up to this time? Or have they dropped him for the Iraq strike?

I remember hearing Bush say something about getting rid of the tyrant in Iraq soon. What about the tyrant in the US, Bush himself? Can we get rid of him? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t really hate Bush. I just hate his policies, his cocky self-assuredness, and his aggression. But then, I suppose the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Wasn’t the Gulf War during his father’s term as President?

*Sigh* God help us all.

2003-03-19T09:15:00.000-08:00

| have i lost myself? |
listening to breathe in by frou frou

i've been wondering this for quite a while now, and watching the banger sisters earlier served to reinforce it: have i lost myself, my sense of self, my identity? you try so hard to please other people, and follow the path that other people have seemingly laid out for you, that you forget about yourself, your needs and wants. you put other people's expectations first to avoid disappointing them, that you end up disappointing yourself. i've wondered if life is really this ordered, if it's really a step-by-step process - from A to B to C and so on; from high school to university to work to getting married & having a family. can't we skip a few steps? or fall back a step?

2003-03-16T08:58:00.000-08:00

| fickle fame |
listening to the color of love by boyz 2 men

i watched chicago today earlier with my mom and sister. it was great!! better than moulin rouge, definitely. this movie shows plainly how fleeting fame is - and let it be a lesson to all those who have let their fame and fortune go to their heads. everyone has his 15 minutes of fame, and we must be ready to give up the spotlight at any moment to the next "hot" thing.

the movie shows as well the fickleness of people and how quickly one forgets an issue as soon as a new one or a better one crops up. i can think of so many examples right here in the philippines - all those criminal cases that have at one time or another grabbed the public's attention. i heard a radio talk show discuss this situation a while back, and the two hosts were debating whether the media was to blame for it. and i do think that the media, to some extent, is. as soon as something else comes along, they drop all the other issues they were tackling beforehand and focus on the new dilemma, giving it all their time, energy and headlines. they have the duty of updating the citizenry of the progress of particular issues, yet they fail to fulfill this task. they focus too much on all the drama and the hype, and sadly, we lap it up like bloodthirsty hounds.

2003-03-14T21:51:00.000-08:00

| euphoria |
listening to wall in your heart by shelby lynne

these past couple of days have left me lightheaded - in more ways than one. not just lightheaded due to lack of sleep and food (you tend to forget about mundane things like eating when you're cramming so much stuff) but also lightheaded from happiness.

my group presented our business plan to the lhuiller foundation last wednesday - we were one of 6 groups (out of 10 in the class) who were chosen to compete in the best business plan contest. hopefully, we'll win something as there's a cash prize involved. i know i sound shallow, but we've spent a lot for the business plan (photocopying, binding, and printing, to name a few) and i hope we can recover some of our costs.

i also heard from the philippine marketing association regarding the tomas award. last wednesday, i was informed that i was a finalist in the NCR region. i had my interview last thursday evening and yesterday i was told by the tomas committee chair that i'm one of the NCR winners. so now i'll be competing with all other regional winners for the national award. i'm keeping my fingers crossed. :)

we had seniors week this past week and i have to say that it was quite interesting. we had an '80s quiz show last tuesday, a batch sportsfest last wednesday, and a batch awards night & turnover ceremony last night (among other events). it was sooo much fun and the video presentation last night during the party was so senti. listening to the messages from the college faculty and staff as well as our fellow batchmates, and hearing stuff such as the person who will be missed most among those graduating, brought tears to everyone's eyes. it's hard to believe that 4 years have passed already and that i'll be leaving uni in 2 weeks.

2003-03-08T20:33:00.000-08:00

| i miss blogging |
listening to if you're not the one by daniel bedingfield

it's march already. wow. in a few weeks, i'll be officially done with college. sad and exciting at the same time. but in the meantime, i've been buried under mounds of work. we just passed our business plan (for my entrepreneurship class) last monday, as well as our assessment and recommendations for our assigned supermarket for my retail management class this past thursday. i also had two exams last wednesday - at 9am it was for my information resource management class, and at 6pm it was sts. and aside from the individual exam we were subjected to in our information resource management class, my group also had a group case to work on (our exam was 50% group case, 50% individual exam). i also had to worry about making a newsletter for my journalism class, which i submitted last tuesday. and last friday, i had to submit my documentation for the tomas (ten outstanding marketing students) award.

these past 2 weeks have been very hectic. most of the time, my groupmates slept over at my place to do our projects - weekends included. i feel like i need to take a week off, alone, so i can think. being surrounded by so many people these past few days has left me with little time to think by myself and reflect.

i watched maid in manhattan this past friday night and i have to say that it really wasn't my cup of tea. it's too mushy, too fairy tale-ish. And it was kinda stupid - or was the senatorial candidate (ralph fiennes) just stupid?? he has a very short attention span, and he's a publicist's nightmare with all his reckless actions.

another kinda stupid movie is the guru, which i watched last night. but i have to admit that it had some great lines. after watching the movie, my sis and our friends and i hung out at country waffles and talked. we haven't seen each other in a looooong time so it was great to catch up with them. it was a bit sad, though, because one of them is just getting over a bad breakup and had just found out last friday that her ex is seeing another girl already.

i'm now watching some jetson cartoon movie (i think it's called judy and the rockers) on cartoon network. i haven't seen it since i was a kid. just reminiscing the good old days. :)

2003-02-23T00:40:00.000-08:00

| hell week |
listening to al green, let's stay together

been pretty busy this past week. here's my typical day:

8am. wake up; read the newspaper a bit.

830am. take a shower, get dressed.

9am. eat breakfast.

930am. leave the condo for school.

10am. arrive in school for class, which lasts for an hour and a half.

1130am. grab a quick lunch or hold a lunch meeting with one of my case groups.

1245pm. leave school for an interview for my entrepreneurship class project (a business plan).

130pm. conduct an interview with company representative.

230pm. wrap up interview and leave for school.

3pm. arrive in school 30 minutes late for class, just in time to be able to sign attendance and not be considered absent.

4pm. class is over; another case group meeting

530pm. head home.

6pm. prepare dinner.

630pm. eat dinner.

7pm. turn on my laptop, start doing homework.

9pm. take a quick break to watch smallville (tuesdays), charmed (mondays), or whatever is showing (all other days).

10pm. call my folks at home and chat for a bit.

1030pm. put the phone down; head to the kitchen for a snack (normally a sandwich or fruits).

11pm. go back to my laptop to do homework, or study.

1am. go online to check email.

2am. prepare for bed.

230am. go to bed.

2003-02-14T08:34:00.000-08:00

| happy v-day|
listening to what might have been by lou pardini

just got back from megamall where i watched the advance screening of daredevil starring ben affleck and jennifer garner. it was a nice movie, although there were some parts i didn't get to see (like the fight scene between daredevil and elektra before she dies thanks to bullseye) because i was busy sending an urgent SMS to someone for my interview tomorrow. i liked the scene where matt murdock (ben's "daytime" character) and elektra are standing on the rooftop and it starts to rain. matt sees her face (i think water enables him to see outlines of things or something) and says elektra's so beautiful. the special effects in that scene (showing her face through the rain) is unbelievable.

for those wondering about my day: no, i didn't go out on a romantic date tonight - my lovelife isn't that lively. hehe. it was a group date - i went with suerische and lotus, and we met up with jo and toni in megamall. the premiere was organized by UP ICTUS, where i used to be a member. it was great fun seeing everyone in ICTUS after so long, and it made me realize all over again how much i missed everyone from ICTUS and the good times i had when i was still active in that organization during my early college years.

2003-02-12T00:09:00.000-08:00

| uncanny resemblance |

a friend of mine wrote this short email and i just wanted to share parts of it here. mind-boggling, isn't it?

* * *

did any of you get to watch george W deliver his state of the union address? i did. and there's only one word that would describe the experience.....nakakakilabot. he spoke of america's might and power not as america's gift to the world, but god's gift to humanity. *shudder*

he also mentioned, in relation to his failure in gaining allies (except for britain of course), that the US army, being the meanest and greenest fighting machine this world has ever seen, does NOT need allies anyway.

at this point, i really couldn't believe my ears....he sounded exactly like a certain mustachioed tyrant addressing his third reich. i watched the animated and gleeful faces in the audience and it was deja vu, all over again (sorry, couldn't help that). exchange the exuberant and thunderous applause in the capitol for the over-zealous roar of "heil hitlers" and snappy nazi salutes and you've got a 21st century, grade-A tyrant.

he also said, "if anybody attacks america, I will do everything to protect it." notice the use of the word, "I". wait a minute, last i checked, america WAS attacked...i
remember the date, in fact...another day of infamy...september 11...nobody can forget that...america won't let us...but how about august 6 and august 9? do americans
remember that? i digress.

i also vaguely remember america pinpointing a certain turban-loving cave dweller as the mastermind of it all. step right up folks! you're about to witness the greatest PR illusion since houdini...how did washington divert everybody's attention, all its resources and effort from catching the turbaned one into squelching the dwindling power of a middle eastern dictator in the blink of an eye?

i guess they got tired of blasting those caves. so, all of a sudden, UN inspectors are scuttling off to Iraq, upon the insistence of Washington, looking for evidence of weapons of mass destruction. this just in.....the UN inspection team has found no evidence that iraq is harboring weapons of mass destruction....nothing, nada, zero, zip, zilch.

washington earlier promised to attack iraq only if evidence has been found. now, they're saying that they don't need the type of evidence that the UN was looking for because, in their apparently great omniscience, they KNOW, without a doubt, that iraq has them. (probably hiding under saddam's bed)

america: nobody has the right to have weapons of mass destruction.

the world: uh, YOU have weapons of mass destruction.

america: er...nobody has the right to have a LOT of weapons of mass destruction.

the world: uh, you have a lot...you have the most, actually.

america: yeah, well, it's just as well....so, i can use them to protect myself and my allies of course (wink wink) at the very likely event that iraq attacks us with *their* weapons. since i know they're going to attack us, i'll attack them first. oooh...i can't wait to use my spanking new GPS-guided missiles, those really neat top secret pulse missiles, and maybe some nukes to top it off....er, did i say that out loud?

they don't need allies. they don't need evidence. so, who's the terrorist now? who's the big stinking hypocrite?

we don't need warmongers. we don't need war.

only peaCE begets peaCE.

* * *

my friend mentions a PR illusion somewhere in the passage above. remember the movie wag the dog? they create a make-believe war to prevent a scandal involving the president from breaking out (at least, that's how i remember the movie plot).

2003-02-11T23:58:00.000-08:00

| disjointed thoughts |
listening to if i was the one by ruff endz

just got home a while ago. we sponsored the speak up activity for our ba 191 class this morning and i (along with byu & lotte) was in charge of food, drinks, etc. i didn't get to listen to the speakers as we had to go pick up the food, prepare everything, and so on, but i hear it was great. yeah! we're sooo good. :) at least one requirement for that class is over. another tick mark in my never-ending list of things to do.

* * *

just read this article in today's newspaper about a 13 year old boy raping his young neighbor. to top it off, he claims he was merely copying the steamy scenes in movies like sukdulan. i find it so sad that children that young are already exposed to such indecent material and are inspired to emulate whatever's done there. the R ratings are so ineffective in this country - hell, long before i turned 18, i was already able to slip past the cinema personnel in R18 movies (but hey, the R18 movies i watch are the likes of schindler's list). moreover, the proliferation of pirated vcd's and dvd's has made it easier for the underage kids to watch those kinds of movies.

reading the article reminded me of this group of girls who approached me in school earlier. they're from the university of asia and the pacific with a petition to ban indecent billboards (such as the tanduay rhum and bench ads) due to reasons such as: a) exposing children to indecent material; b) making women merely objects of pleasure and passion rather than human beings. i signed it. they reminded me of my freshman year when i made a paper about the objectification and degradation of women in the media.

* * *

we're having a march for peace, against a possible war in iraq, on february 14 in the university. i think most of the marchers, after a stop at quezon hall, will move on to malacanang. anyway, to those also interested, here are the details: feb. 14, 10am, wear red. i hope a lot of people will support such a cause. WAR IS NOT THE ONLY OPTION, NOR SHOULD IT BE THE FIRST OPTION.

2003-02-05T09:55:00.000-08:00

| i hate february |
listening to stole by kelly rowland

boy, and i thought last month was bad. february is beginning to shape up as even worse than january.

for starters, i'm once again about to miss an event - the stephen speaks concert on saturday in rockwell. i bought 2 tickets for me and my sis but she can't make it because she has surgery scheduled on friday and won't be out of the hospital until sunday. we just found out last week when she came down with tonsillitis again and the doctor advised her to have her tonsils removed already. it's not my sister's fault, i know, but come on...can't god give me a break?? i barely get out as it is. and when finally i have something going on, he has to go rain on my parade. geez. so now i'm frantically trying to find someone else who can go with me - hello, i spent a thousand bucks! i can't just let these tickets go to waste. but everyone is busy - with work, school, jma week, and whatever else. *sigh* i feel like i'm going to have a breakdown any second now. not just because of this, but because of so many things. i feel so tired, overworked, and alone.

* * *
just had my sts exam today, and like its predecessor (the first sts exam), it was unbelievable. out of 60 items, i'm confident of my answers in about 20 numbers only. argh! that's not even half of the exam and not enough to let me pass the test!! it's so frustrating. i hate this darn subject.

* * *
i watched the games of the CBA men's basketball and men's volleyball teams earlier with several people after the sts exam. the volleyball team lost, but the basketball team won. unfortunately, they still might not make it into the semifinals (or is it playoffs?) due to the existing quotient system. in order to qualify, they had to win the game earlier by a 10-point lead. they only managed a 5-point lead. i think they're still talking with the authorities about it. i feel so sad for them about this. i know they worked hard and they had such high hopes. i hope that we can fix things.

* * *
several of us were walking back to mark's car after the games - abby, mark, leng, allen, mau, and i. allen and mark were talking about the game, and the rest of us (all girls) were quiet. then leng sidled up to me and made a startling observation. she said, "why is it that after games, the guys start talking and the girls keep quiet?" now that i think about it, i realize that it's true. after every game, the guys talk and analyze everything - from everything that happened, to their chances of winning/making the cutoff, to the competition. meanwhile, the girls keep quiet and either listen or let their mind wander to other topics.

why do we keep quiet in the first place? do we feel that we can't contribute to such conversations? or are we simply not interested? or is it due to some other factor?

on the other hand, would the guys mind if we butt in their conversation?

very good observation, leng. :)

* * *
i'm so weepy today. i actually cried while watching pay it forward on hbo a while ago, and i've seen it at least 3 times. weird.

2003-02-02T08:43:00.000-08:00

America's Reckless War
By Randy David, Philippine Daily Inquirer (February 2, 2003)

IMMEDIATELY after Sept. 11, the focus of the hunt was Osama bin Laden and the so-called al-Qaeda. Bin Laden and his henchmen were supposed to be hiding in Afghanistan, under the protection of the Taliban. The United States demanded that the Taliban surrender Bin Laden. When they refused, Afghanistan was bombed. The archaic regime of the Taliban was driven out, and in its place the United States installed a new government manned by Afghan expatriates. Afghanistan still lies in rubble, and Bin Laden is nowhere.

Almost overnight the attention shifted to Saddam Hussein and his supposed weapons of mass destruction. Without showing evidence, America linked Saddam to the Sept. 11 terrorists. It raised the specter of Iraqi weapons finding their way into the hands of terrorists. A wave of paranoia swept America. Iraq must be invaded because its leader poses the greatest threat to the security of the American people. America must not wait before it is attacked again; it must take preemptive action to defend itself.

As in Afghanistan, America is passing off the invasion of Iraq as a war to liberate the Iraqi people from their own government's tyranny. The image of a democratic and modern Iraqi nation freed from the clutches of a demonic president is being promoted to justify an unprovoked war. The United States has told Saddam to leave Iraq and go on exile, or face war. Many Iraqis may hate their president, but a puppet regime installed by the United States is for them not an option. For more than a decade now, the United States has been trying to persuade Iraqis to get rid of their president. Saddam's power could not have lasted so long if it was based purely on coercion and intimidation.

Mindful of the sovereignty of member nations, the UN Security Council refused to provide a warrant to legitimize a US-led invasion without giving Iraq a chance to declare and destroy the weapons of mass destruction it is accused of possessing. Late last year, the United Nations deployed an international team of weapons inspectors to ensure and ascertain Iraq's compliance with the UN resolutions.

The group looking for nuclear weapons is satisfied that Iraq has not reactivated its nuclear weapons program. But the other group searching for biological and chemical weapons has reported inconclusive findings, saying that Iraq has not been very cooperative with the UN inspectors. The United States insists that Iraq has failed to account for the biological and nuclear weapons previously spotted by international inspectors soon after the Gulf War. On this basis, it accuses Iraq of ignoring the UN resolutions. Iraq denies having such weapons in the first place.

The majority of the 15-member UN Security Council wants the work of the inspection teams extended. In his recent State of the Union address, however, President George W. Bush emphatically said that he would not allow other nations to direct the course of his nation. He has criticized the UN as a forum for empty debates. This sets the stage for American unilateral action against Iraq. The UN may not sanction the invasion but it is doubtful if it will do anything to protect Iraq from the aggression of a lone superpower gone mad.

What is astonishing about all this is not so much the way the United States, by its actions, risks destroying the basis of international order, or ignores popular opinion in the world community. What is shocking is the recklessness by which America is conducting itself. Gone is the grace of self-examination by which it initially responded to 9/11. All the goodwill it gained after that event has been eroded by the bullying rhetoric of its president. But more than this, what America is showing the world is a profound indifference to the possible catastrophic consequences of a failure to conclude the war quickly after it is begun.

That Iraq's ill-equipped forces are no match to America's war machine is a widely acknowledged fact. Thoughtful observers have warned that the war could ignite a larger conflagration in the Middle East and elsewhere, which could lead to the overthrow of pro-US rulers in the Muslim world. When the BBC and CNN start beaming satellite images of civilians vanishing in the smoke of America's smart bombs, popular outrage worldwide could be vented against anything symbolic of American power. There is no way to contain a war like this.

When the United States launched Desert Storm in 1991, Iraq responded by burning more than half of Kuwait's oil wells. The fire and smoke from the burning oil wells raged on for weeks. This time, knowing that they are the prime objects of the war, Saddam may well order the total destruction of its own 1,500 oil wells. The environmental and health consequences of this war are too horrific to contemplate.

If the object is to overthrow and replace Saddam Hussein's regime, America will have no choice but to send its troops into Baghdad, unlike in 1991. If Iraq really owns a stockpile of biological and chemical weapons, nothing will prevent Saddam from using these against America's soldiers or even against Israel. Sterility, widely feared by the hundreds of thousands of US ground troops now being massed near Iraq, could be the least of their problems once germ warfare is launched. Will America restrain itself and not respond with its own weapons of mass destruction? And will the wind cooperate and not blow the poison and the anthrax spores toward the neighboring states?

Not since Vietnam has a superpower embarked on such a reckless adventure. The Vietnam War was supposed to be a brief war, but it took all of 10 years to end it. The world was against it, and America lost it.

2003-02-01T06:22:00.000-08:00

| bluer than blue |
listening to life goes on by leann rimes

it's february. you know what this means.

i've never minded february that much in the past. so why is this year any different?

oh, maybe at 21 years of age, i'm still single, with no prospects in the near future. and because most of my friends are blissfully happy with their relationships.

i still probably wouldn't have minded, but every year it seems that advertisements for valentine's day keeps starting earlier and earlier. many years ago, we never even made a big deal out of it. then someone (probably from hallmark - don't they sell enough cards as it is??) cooked up this harebrained scheme of raking in more cash by commercializing this event. a couple years back, all those frilly hearts and tacky cupid cutouts would magically appear sometime during the start of february. but lately, i've noticed that people start advertising and decorating in january. please, people, could i at least start my new year with no emotional baggage?? have some mercy on poor souls like moi.

i guess another reason for this rant is what happened to me last night. i was supposed to go to my org's adhoc major event, an r&b-hiphop-mist party in mazzo, libis. sure to be a huge event, a blast. i invited my friends from high school to go, as i've missed them and haven't seen them in months. only 5 of them confirmed, and ok, i was pretty content with that. then this past thursday, 2 of them begged off for reasons i don't know. they have yet to explain. at least i had the foresight to decide to buy tickets on the day itself at the venue, rather than getting several tickets in advance that i may be stuck paying for. and then yesterday morning, 2 others told me they couldn't go. so it was down to me and a guy. when i told him about it, he asked if we could postpone going out for some other time.

and that's not all.

i asked a friend of mine who also lives in katipunan if i could tag along with her and a couple of our friends. i told her to text me about our plans that night. since the party wouldn't start until late that night (about 10pm) and i was feeling so tired and lightheaded from lack of sleep, i decided to take a nap after i got home, which was about 6pm. then i woke up with a start - at half past midnight! i checked my mobile and saw that my friend had sent me a message at 11pm. since i hadn't responded, she thought i had gone ahead to the party and so she left for libis. i was thus left alone with no way to go to the major event.

some night it turned out to be.

and at that time, i felt so alone. more alone than i ever felt in my entire life. i don't know if i'm being a wee bit too dramatic here, but i honestly felt like a loser. in all my 4 years in university, i had never ever gone to my org's major event (held every semester). and during my last semester, when i finally got to go, it all fell through. at first, i didn't even know who to call or go with to the party when i found out my friends couldn't make it. if i had several "meaningful" friendships, i would have had at least a short list of people to call, right? but i didn't. i was at a complete and utter loss.

to top it off, i had to turn on my television and witness countless valentine's day promos and mushy movie trailers and the like. as if rubbing salt to my injuries. big ouch.

oh, and did i mention that during our genmeet last monday, the spc announced that for a fundraiser for their activity, they'll be selling roses on valentine's day. damn it. not only do i have to endure the mushiest day of the year as a single female, but i have to actually walk around school the entire day seeing other people carrying roses and receiving bouquets. so not my thing. i'd rather stay at home and paint my toenails. then remove the polish then paint them again with a different color. then remove the polish then paint them again with yet a different color...

2003-01-29T10:38:00.000-08:00

| i need sleep!! |
listening to jealous by nina

it's about 2:30am and i'm still awake. my take-home midterm exam for ba 178 (retail management) is due at 10am, and I'm not yet done!! the exam has 2 major parts, an individual portion and a group part. both are equally long. for the group part, we have to think of a possible business in a vacant lot anywhere in the university and come up with the business concept, pricing strategy, merchandise assortment, store layout & design, organization structure, etc. meanwhile, the individual part consists of several long essay questions. geez.

basically, my group assigned a particular task for the groupwork to each member; i had to come up with the store layout & design. unfortunately, i didn't have visio or autocad in my laptop so i decided to buy one when i went to makati earlier today. i was supposed to meet up with someone from fjma in makati (which was the real reason why i was going to be in makati) but while i was in the mrt on my way to glorietta, the guy from fjma texted me and told me he couldn't make it! sheesh. so i decided to just go on to makati, buy the visio software and then go back home right away to do my midterm. what i didn't count on was the unavailability of software merchants in makati. i went to all the shops in glorietta and park square before finally finding a pirated version in park square 2. at that point (after walking around for like 2 hours with nothing to show for), i didn't care where i bought the software or how much or if it was original or pirated. i just wanted to buy one and go home.

one good thing about this day (the only good thing, it seems) is that i realized that good karma does return to you tenfold. while i was riding the mrt going to makati, a seat was vacated about halfway through my journey but i gave it to a woman with a child in tow. then when i was just a stop away from my destination, another seat was vacated but i didn't know about it as i was standing with my back to it. this guy taps me on my shoulder and offers me the seat rather than just sitting on it instead! then when i was riding the mrt on my way back, the same thing happened (a guy offered me the seat first). wow!! that's twice in a day - normally two times more than what happens when i ride any public transportation vehicle. thanks to those unknown guys - it was highly appreciated. :)

2003-01-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

| bone tired |
listening to one-girl revolution by superchick

i feel so tired, i think i could sleep for 24 hours straight! gosh, whoever said that your last semester in university is a breeze totally had it wrong! i'm so exhausted with everything. i have this loooooong list of things to do before the sem ends, including all my research papers, exams, journalism projects, etc. i don't know if i'll be able to squeeze everything in and be able to do them all well.

we finished shooting the eng'g witch project and will be starting on the other videos tomorrow. i'll be glad when all this is over. shooting the videos has taken a huge chunk of my time and has drained me completely of my energy. after i got back from shooting the videos, i met up with my family to have dinner in eastwood. it was my "last hurrah" with my grandmother, as she's leaving for sydney (where she permanently resides) tomorrow. we ate in macau restaurant - yum! but i kept yawning throughout dinner and didn't feel up to eating much. darn.

won't be having regular class tomorrow thanks to the alternative class program. unfortunately, i still have to go to school. we have to shoot the video for sts and i have to attend one of the alternative classes being offered or else i'll be considered absent in my regular classes. sheesh. :(

2003-01-22T09:05:00.000-08:00

| sleep-deprived |
listening to perfect day by hoku

these past few days have been quite hectic. last monday, i had 3 classes (retail mgt., sts, and entrepreneurship) and group meetings in between. when i finally got home, i couldn't take a break and rest - i had to finish reading this book for my journalism class (publication design & layout) for a group report, and do the handouts. then this past tuesday, i had meetings lined up during my breaks for 2 of my classes - entrepreneurship and information resource management. then after class, i went home with mark, abby, mel and lotte. they stayed over at my place because we had to work on our presentation in retail management. since we're the last group to present, our prof asked us to integrate all the learning activities we had done so far in class - meaning we had to read through every report ever submitted by all our classmates (both individual activities & group activities) and summarize everything as well as come up with insights of our own. geez. it was so tiring to go through everything and try to come up with relevant material. i got to sleep about 4 or 5 am and we all had to wake up around 9am to finish our work. then we all went to school - mark and abby to meet with their groupmates in their advertising class, mel to meet up with the jma execom for a bday surprise for jop, and lotte and i to the university job fair. afterwards, abby, lotte and i went to makati to do some shopping before meeting up with several council people (and a couple of friends not in the council) for dinner in friday's. we had php7000 worth of gift certificates from there thanks to jean's marketing efforts for the ba week christmas/culminating party, which we used to pay for the meals.

anyway, i just got back from makati (from the dinner in friday's) and i have to admit that i'm really not feeling well - i feel so nauseous and i might hurl any moment now. but i just couldn't resist checking my email (blame abby bee!) and post an entry here. i think i'm feeling under the weather due to lack of sleep, so i'd better get some shut-eye now. until the next post.

2003-01-19T10:38:00.000-08:00

| yawn |
listening to the cd of the postman (il postino)

sunday was a very busy day for me. i had to wake up early to go to school for a meeting. i met up with my groupmates in sts, and we filmed one of the short videos we would be showing during our group report. we have to report on 4 different readings, and we're planning on making 1 movie per reading. the film we did today (or rather, it's already yesterday...just saw the time!) is patterned after the blair witch project - but instead of searching for the blair witch, we were looking for the eng'g witch. wondering why it's called the eng'g witch? because the reading we have to report on is called the complexity of engineering. *smirk*

anyway, it ended up that i was one of the researchers, along with 2 other guys (who are both, incidentally, from the college of engineering). basically, we went around the campus (and around katipunan) asking people what they thought engineering was, what they thought of engineers, and if they had heard of the eng'g witch. there was this cute mangy dog lurking around the grandstand, and on impulse, i crouched down next to it and started asking the same questions to it as if he could understand me! and while the other guys were filming me, the dog suddenly got up and left! hahaha. ouch, i'm crushed. to be rejected by a DOG, for crying out loud.

we still have 3 more films to do, and i hope we finish everything soon. i feel so drained already, and we haven't even finished 1 movie!! gosh, showbiz is so tiring. :P

after we wrapped up for the day, i came back to my place to get some shut-eye. unfortunately, i couldn't sleep so i ended up reading a book. then i went to mass at 6pm alone...how sad and lonely. :( i called my folks after eating dinner, and my mom reminded me that someone will be passing by my place at 7am tomorrow (i mean, today). so i had to clean up like mad and stick everything i didn't know how to classify (throw, keep, file away...) into drawers. hehe. so now it's almost 3am and i haven't gotten any sleep yet - i just finished cleaning everything and i had to check my mail (and write an entry here). i hope i'll wake up by 6am so i'll have time to make myself presentable to the visitor and eat breakfast before he/she gets here (hmmm...i don't even know the name!! i'd better call my mom when i wake up...)

*yawn* well, i'm practically falling asleep here so i'll finish this some other time.

2003-01-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

| insomnia |
listening to barenaked by jennifer love hewitt

it's past 2am and i'm still awake. i have to wake up at 7am to be able to get to school by 9am for a group meeting. ugh. i can't bring myself to go to sleep even though i know i'll be craving for more sleep when my alarm starts ringing. how does one cure insomnia anyway?

i wanna watch a movie but the only ones showing right now are lord of the rings: the two towers, the ring and half past dead. all the other movies - the ones i haven't watched or want to watch - are all gonna be shown starting the 20th (catch me if you can, for one). *sigh* and nothing good's been on tv. darn it.

went to the international traineeship orientation seminar (itos) of aiesec held friday night in ateneo. still unsure if i ought to apply for the management traineeship. i mean, exactly what do i want to do after i graduate anyway?

what the hell. might as well apply for it (and to all other stuff i'm interested in) and make the decision when the time comes.

why do i worry so much about everything, anyway? what's the point?

2003-01-16T09:40:00.000-08:00

| confused |
listening to mobile by avril lavigne

i'm graduating from university on april 27, 2003. today's january 17, 2003. that means i only have 3 months left as a college student, and then i'll be joining the rat race. gosh, i can't believe how fast my 4 years in uni have been. did you know i used to want to be a lawyer? what a laugh. i can see now that i'm totally not suited to a legal career. i didn't even contemplate taking the law entrance exam a few months ago. no way. nuh-uh!

but then i feel so confused and lost. what am i going to do after college? a couple of years ago (while i was in high school), i thought i knew what i wanted to do with my life. now i'm not so sure. i'll be graduating with a degree in business administration, with enough credits to proudly proclaim that my field of concentration is marketing. but i feel that i have not fully explored my potential - all my talents, skills, and what i can become. i always thought that i was only good in research, that i wouldn't be able to hack it in the creative side. but then, i've begun to explore that other side of me, that creative side, and i find that i'm actually enjoying this exploration and learning that i do have something to give in that respect. but is it too late for me to take this path? i don't want to get stuck in something just because i think it's too late...am i making sense here?

am i cut out for the corporate world? will i really fit in with everyone else, in their suits and pumps and structured lives? if not, then where do i belong? how do you find out where you're supposed to be and what you're supposed to do? will i find out the answers to these questions? i don't know anything anymore. i don't know sh*t and it's quite an upsetting thing to discover about myself.

the track's changed...now listening to anything but ordinary, still by avril lavigne. i love her cd!

2003-01-16T07:29:00.000-08:00

| january blues |

i'm beginning to share my friend mika's january blues. this does not seem to be my month. first, i lost all my files (see previous posts) and second, i may have to undergo a root canal on one of my teeth. how lovely, huh? geez.

i'm watching cadet kelly on the disney channel right now while doing research on the net (and blogging...hehehe). i just have one question: does a girl as ditzy as the main protagonist (kelly) really exist in real life?? sheesh. at least it's providing me some very much needed diversion & entertainment from my very boring work.

got my sts exam back today and was disappointed at first with the result. i got a 77% on the exam! but then i found out that most of the people got even lower (60s) so i guess it's kinda ok. but i'm still kinda pissed off because i really worked my butt off and studied for it for several days before the exam.

can't wait until summer...then i'll be finally over with everything! no more business plan (for entrepreneurship class), brochures/newsletters/websites/etc (for journalism), technical reports (information resource management), cases (business policy), supermarket visits & cases (retail management) for me!! this sem is shaping up to be a very hectic one for me. *sigh*

2003-01-15T06:45:00.000-08:00

| depressing news |

dang it, they weren't able to recover my files. so now i'm back to square one - i'll have to reconstruct all my data and develop all my graphics/brochures/etc all over again. :( this totally sucks. and to top it off, i don't have my installer for office xp, photoshop and other VITAL software so i can't do much on my laptop. i'll have to wait until i get home to paranaque to finally get my laptop fully functioning. f*ck.

saw my cousins from NZ one last time today. my dad picked them up from their maternal grandparents' place and then they met up with me for lunch. they're staying over with our common grandparent (our paternal grandmother) tonight. they were supposed to go somewhere first before heading over to our lola's place (fiesta carnival?) but unfortunately, i'm buried under mountains of work (especially now that i don't have any files to speak of) and i couldn't go with them. so right after lunch, i hugged them both goodbye and that's that. they're leaving on monday and i don't think we'll be seeing each other again before their departure.

2003-01-13T07:13:00.000-08:00

| darn technology |
listening to the cd of dj sammy

was hooked up on the internet doing research in my laptop when it suddenly restarted and opened to an ERROR screen. kept trying to reboot to no avail. was scared shitless that i would have to reformat my hard drive and lose all my files. went to the place where i bought my laptop and was told exactly what i feared!! but thanks to a bit of persistence, was able to find someone who could back up all my files before recovering my windows. unfortunately, i have to pay about 1200 pesos for everything. damn. at least that will teach me to back up all my files as soon as i create them. was getting ready to copy my files to several cd-r's that i bought when the laptop acted up. geez. sometimes i hate technology. :)

had this guest speaker in one of my classes (entrepreneurship) today. he's swiss but has long since migrated here - he met his wife while they were both studying in columbia university years ago. he followed her here (she's from a rich family who owns several businesses so obviously he had to make the move and not her). he set up his own company, a shop outfitter (is that the term? they provide the shelving, etc. of shops) which has become quite successful in the country. learned a lot of great stuff from him, such as the upside of corruption in this country - if everyone else is corrupt but people know you're not and that they can trust you, they would pay extra just to do business with you rather than with someone else; people put a premium on honesty & trust. another thing is that you should not depend on banks alone for raising capital - they charge obcene interest rates and require collateral; you would be in business only for the bank and not gain anything for yourself. he also said that good ideas are a dime in a dozen; it's good management that really counts - and i totally agree with that. anyone can capitalize on a new idea or concept; but if you can't sustain it with good management, you're totally dead.

i'm trying to think of the other stuff he said; i'll write more about it later on. needless to say, it was a very fruitful discussion - wouldn't mind listening to him talk more some other time! :)

2003-01-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

| oops! |
listening to kiss kiss by holly valance

it's been a while since i posted here...had a lot of things going on. oh yeah, before i forget, HAPPY NEW YEAR!! :)

went to baguio with my family after christmas; we stayed at a hotel near mines view park (called villa al pino) -- with the close proximity of the hotel & mines view park, i was able to walk from the hotel to the shops there to buy some stuff. we got home on dec. 31 in time to celebrate new year's eve with the clan - my dad's family. was feeling a bit under the weather with a bit of a cold, which was triggered further by the scent of gunpowder from the fireworks (paputok) set off by everyone in the neighborhood. watched the fireworks going on in different places (the fort, greenbelt, ayala, quezon city) on tv...wish i was there. looked like fun.

after jan 1, i had to settle down and start studying -- had my first exam in sts today!! ack! had to study for it. actually, now i wish i didn't worry about it so much and i wish i didn't study that much for it. the exam was unbelievable! i don't know where the heck the questions came from - i don't recall reading about them anywhere in my reviewers & topic summaries! geez.

watched dekada '70, which is one of the entries to this year's metro manila film festival. i found it very good - and very relevant. for people like me who weren't born during this time, and for those who were too young during the 70s, this movie actually gives us an in-depth look at the situation prevailing in the country then. the 70's and the years spent under martial law must never be forgotten -- it is such an integral part of our past, and many great lessons may be learned from all that happened then. the dialogue was also great - it had a lot of substance, and many great thoughts were expressed. one particular favorite of mine is when christopher de leon's character said, "a man who has nothing he would die for is not fit to live." i loved the idea of it, and agreed with it wholeheartedly. i can't believe this movie was not even nominated for best screenplay.

2002-12-24T12:35:00.000-08:00

| merry christmas! |
listening to falling down by avril lavigne

it's kuya jess' birthday!! happy birthday / merry christmas!! :)

been pretty busy these past few days. we had the annual lantern parade last 12.18 (wednesday). sad to say, we didn't win. the college of architecture went away with the grand prize. oh well, at least everyone enjoyed themselves.

with the annual metro manila film festival held every december, the 2nd of installment of LOTR (the two towers) will be shown here next year. that means we're behind everyone else, as the worldwide premiere is 12.18. however, i've managed to watch it twice already -- once during an advance screening held in greenbelt 3 during the worldwide premiere, and the other one during a premiere last 12.21 sponsored by the graduating batch of my college (where i'm a part of). i loved it!! i didn't even mind watching it twice in a row. i think this movie is better than the first one -- more fast-paced, dark & vivid. kudos to vic for my tickets to the greenbelt 3 screening!! :)

went out last friday night with my cousins to eastwood city. we had dinner in twist of mingoy's (a spanish restaurant), then shopped for a bit in the night market. we then had dessert & drinks in jack's loft before heading for the basement to dance for a while. abby, one of my cousins from new zealand, won free beer from lone star -- the irony of it is, she's underage!! i think she gave it to her older brother, who recently turned 18.

traffic's been really terrible lately due to the holiday season. everyone's been rushing around buying last minute presents & grocery for noche buena. a normal one-hour trip takes about 3 hours. ugh!! it's been hell going out of the house. i hope things will get better after christmas.

oh yeah, i went to the p&g dinner last thursday. it was held at the manila peninsula -- yummy food!! chip, the regional president of p&g, gave a short talk about his p&g career (specifically why he has stayed with the same company for about 19 years), and we got to ask him & the other managers present about anything under the sun. also got a couple of freebies -- a pen, p&g products like joy and ariel, etc. also got to meet with students from other schools (ateneo & la salle) -- there was this cutie (from ateneo, i think) but i didn't get to talk to him that much. :( aside from mark & me, there was another person there from my high school -- jen (yes, we have the same name). csa rules!! :)

got a digicam for christmas. can't wait to try it out!!

2002-12-16T09:22:00.000-08:00

| comedy relief! |
listening to if i could fall in love by lenny kravitz

what a day! just got home after watching rex for p.r.ex. with a bunch of friends. it's a stand-up comedy act by rex navarrete. he was so hilarious!! we were all laughing our heads off. i'm thinking of buying his albums - i just know my dad will love them! (warning to the ignorant -his humor is for mature audiences :) ) aside from the maritess & the superfriends bit, i also loved several others such as mrs. scott's esl class and lola's rosary. he's so great at coming up with all his material and with portraying the filipino idiosyncrasies.

also got a call today from procter & gamble (p&g). they're inviting me to a dinner with their president this thursday. it's an "intimate" affair, with only the top students who passed their screening being invited - so it's an honor to be given such an invitation. i honestly was not expecting this, and i can't help but feel flattered about "making the cut." now if only i can figure out what to wear for the dinner...*grin*

i heard that stephen speaks is coming here early february 2003 for a concert, as well as boyz 2 men for a valentine concert. if that's the case...*applauds* that means lots of gimmicks during february!! yay!! *huge grin*

can't forget this line from my big fat greek wedding: "greek women are like lambs in the kitchen, but tigers in the bedroom." or at least, it goes something like that.

2002-12-15T05:33:00.000-08:00

| any given sunday |
listening to even angels fall by jessica riddle

just came from the mall. we watched my big fat greek wedding and i was laughing so hard in some parts of the movie. the female protagonist's dad in the movie somehow reminded me of my own dad. but please, if i get to the point where she was during the start of the movie (all frumpy & old-looking, shy & staring at cute guys with my mouth open), put me out of my misery. PLEASE.*cheeky grin*

also went shopping for a while after the movie. bought new shoes in nike. i love them!! it's black & the tag said "21st century gym" - it's got a snug fit, similar to the nike presto, and the material's velvety or similar to suede or something. can't wait to hit the gym with them!!

unfortunately, that was the only thing i got to buy today. still have several stuff to buy, not to mention christmas gifts for everyone. don't know how i'll fit everything i have to do in the few days before christmas.

my 2 cousins from new zealand will be here on the 18th. carl's turning 18 in a few days so he can legally drink while he's here!! still have to figure out where we'll go while they're here. problem is that my other cousin, abby, is underage. but maybe we can sneak her in somewhere or whatever. they're not so strict here anyway with checking IDs and stuff.

after i got home from the mall, i went to mass with my mom. ran into a classmate of mine from uni. she lives in the same village!! can't believe it. we've known each other for about 4 years now, and we only found out about our being neighbors today!! talk about...amazing (would that be the right word?).

2002-12-14T04:53:00.000-08:00

| what's up? |
listening to spin around from the movie josie and the pussycats

finally went to the spa and got a massage!! ahh...so relaxing. :) had a combination of swedish & shiatsu. my body feels so relaxed & loose right now. if only i could get it to stay this way for a few days...unfortunately, i tense up pretty quick with all the stuff going on.

went out last night to this concert in uni. it was called and elvis for all, featuring several bands such as sandwich, tropical depression, makiling ensemble, and narda. unfortunately, the booze was pretty expensive (15 bucks for a small cup of beer) and i only had about 20 bucks with me. at least they were giving away 1 huge glass of beer per person upon his/her completion of a short survey. it was a pretty wild gig, and i could smell marijuana in the air. can't tell who were smoking joints though. heck, i don't even know how it looks like. i just know how it smells since i've been to several events like this and the scent was pointed out to me during one of those times. you could see that several of the people were kinda wasted already (from booze or drugs or both, i don't know) as they were right up to the stage hopping around like mad and carrying on as only stoned people would. it was pretty funny watching them, actually.

i'll be watching rex for p.r.ex. on monday night with several people. p.r.ex. stands for presidente ng republikang exasperated. i think it's supposed to be a political satire of sorts. should be good. also on monday will be the oblation run. for the ignorant ones, the oblation run is held every year before the start of christmas break. one of the fraternities in my uni, the alpha phi omega (APO), holds this every year as a form of protest regarding a particular issue. the selected frat brothers have to run through the lobby & hallway of palma hall (one of the buildings in UP) BUCK NAKED. they all wear something over their heads so no one would recognize them. i've only watched it once, during my freshman year, and have had no desire to repeat it (man, is it really that small?? *devilish grin*). but maybe i'll watch it this year. it's my last year in uni, i'll live a little. :) and this year, the oblation run is in protest of the cut imposed on our uni's budget by the congress (since we're a state uni, we get funding from the government). was able to read a short article on the history of the oblation run. as soon as i have time, i'll post it here.

on wednesday, UP will be holding the annual lantern parade. all of us in my college (the college of business administration) have been hard at work with our lantern entry. was supposed to dance (aside from the lantern, there's also a performance bit) but it fell through. i hope we'll have a good turnout this year.

exactly 1 more week until our premiere of lord of the rings: the two towers!! did i mention that the graduating class of my college is holding a premiere of the 2nd part in the LOTR trilogy? anyway, we'll be holding it on december 21 in SM megamall. tickets are already sold out -- among all organizations holding premieres of the movie, we've been selling our tickets at the cheapest price (250 bucks) and i guess that's why the tickets went pretty fast. can't wait for saturday to arrive...the book of the two towers was better than the fellowship of the ring and i'm hoping it'll be the same with the movie.

2002-12-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

| bored |
listening to stephen speaks' passenger seat

my cable provider sucks. it doesn't have cinemax, star movies and star world. and it doesn't have espn. geez. so now i'm stuck watching either pet sematary on hbo (which is totally not my cup of tea) or stupid noontime shows on the local channels. thank god for the internet and good books.

well, BA week has come and gone. we had the culminating party last thursday night (rather than friday night since we didn't have class yesterday in honor of the end of ramadan - as decreed by president arroyo). we had an open house the whole day of thursday too - there was a free film showing of LOTR and sex & the city, fortune telling, mahjong, bazaar, dance revo, videoke, etc. it was quite an entertaining day, especially as i listened to my friends' fortunes being told. unfortunately, we still held regular classes so i had to leave the open house occasionally to meet with my professors. but all in all, it was a great day. :)

just saw this commercial for bench fix salon. reminds me that i need to have my own hair cut and dyed yet again. it's been almost 2 months since i last pampered myself in a salon. and i still have a gift certificate to a spa...can't wait to avail of my free massage! hehehe.

2002-12-02T07:31:00.000-08:00

| ho-hum |
listening to sweet home alabama ost

i watched the vagina monologues last saturday and i have to say that it totally blew me away. it wasn't just the acting or the enumeration of various words for vagina, the different kinds of moans, etc. it was also -- and especially -- because of the topic it delved into. it spoke of the many injustices and violence committed against women, such as genital mutilation and rape. the monologues were very good; they were able to evoke the desired emotions in the audience. i kept laughing or crying, depending on the monologue. i commend eve ensler for creating the vagina monologues; it is about time that awareness is created for the plight of women around the world and of the needs and desires of women all over.

i also watched die another day yesterday (sunday) in the cinemas. i'd love to have a car like james bond's!! :) when i'm filthy rich... :)

we had the launching of BA week today. it was successful; lots of people came and i believe they enjoyed themselves. we have a lot of activities lined up this week and i can just imagine how tired i will be at the end of this week. i hope BA week will turn out great!! so much planning has gone into making it a huge success.

finally finished the documentation of our 1st semester activities...unfortunately, my printer ran out of black ink!! i'll have to buy a new cartridge first before i'll finally be OFFICIALLY done with it. at least the hard part (layout, scanning pictures, etc) is over. whew!!

2002-11-27T07:27:00.000-08:00

| depressed |
listening to john mayer's back to you

wednesdays for a UP student normally mean a respite from the hectic academic schedule forced by our university. unfortunately, i didn't have an opportunity to catch a few zz's (BADLY needed, i tell you) as i had to go to school for a council workshop. also had to meet up with my group in retail management for a project. didn't have a chance to go to the gym today. ack!! can feel the buchi & beef wanton noodles i ate for lunch zoom straight to my butt and thighs after consumption. *sigh*

will be celebrating BA week next week and i STILL haven't got a sponsor. feel so pressured. damn. i used to find pleasure in marketing, but now even doing follow up calls makes me feel...lethargic. i need to have that spark, that zing back and i don't know how. i feel so inadequate and gauche.

the weather today matched my mood -- dreary. i wonder if i'll get back into the swing of things.

2002-11-26T03:46:00.000-08:00

| bloody awesome show |
watching smallville

two words: WATCH SMALLVILLE!! 'Nuff said. :)

2002-11-26T00:45:00.000-08:00

| poor education |

just realized that i haven't posted anything in more than a week. oops!! had a lot on my mind last week...been busy with a lot of things. classes were suspended in my uni today -- by the UP president no less! another rally on the budget cut. just feel sad about the sad state of state-sponsored education. i really think that the quality of UP education is deteriorating. i'm proud to be a student in UP and i love my uni. i'm just frustrated that the youth - the future of our country - is not getting the best kind of education needed to effectively run the country and its businesses, etc. when they get older. i'm also frustrated because the activists in UP can't think beyond rallying to protest the government. and don't they know the destabilizing effect these rallies have on the economy?? i wish we could find a more effective means of getting our point across to the people in power.

2002-11-17T06:23:00.000-08:00

| flowers not wanted |

just got home from the province (pampanga) where i was a secondary sponsor for my cousin's wedding. can't believe she's married. we really are getting old. *sigh* one funny moment was when the bride was about to throw the bouquet. no one wanted to go up to the front so it ended up with all the single females from the bridal entourage being called upon to go forward. no one caught the bouquet during the first throw -- we were all standing there like huge slabs of stone and when the bouquet landed a little to my left (no one was standing beside me on my left) no one made a move to catch it. the bridesmaid caught it the second time around -- it was a direct hit right into her arms. hehe. :)

2002-11-14T06:51:00.000-08:00

| angry girl |

don't have much to say today...just one major rant.

just checked my email and my ISP administrator warned me that i was over my memory quota and that all other incoming mails would be rejected. the reason for it? several people sent me messages with file attachments that were so big that they took up my inbox space!! One email was about 650 KB; another was about 256 KB!! geez, people, haven't you heard of winzip?? or perhaps learn to get rid of non-essential parts such as the email addresses of other people whenever they forward something?? and for those sending pictures and other files through yahoogroups, why not upload the files to the yahoogroup website instead?? damn it, i keep missing out on several important messages through their thoughtless forwards and emails. no matter how much i clear my inbox, it keeps on getting flooded!! if things don't change, i may have to consider blocking email or some other drastic measure. geez.

2002-11-11T09:04:00.000-08:00

| last song syndrome |

for some reason, i've been singing this song in my head for the past few hours so i'll share it here:

you're just too good to be true
can't take my eyes off you
you're like heaven to touch
i wanna hold you so much

(imagine heath ledger singing here)

ok, it's past 1am and i'm yawning my head off here...will be back soon to update yet again! :)

2002-11-11T08:59:00.000-08:00

| yippee!! |

finally got around to getting my own blog. been hearing about blogging for about 2 years now but i never had the chance to check it out until now - though i've been keeping myself up to date with some of my friends' sordid (*devilish grin*) lives through their own live journals or blogs.

school's starting on thursday again and i can't believe how fast my last sem break is (ohmygosh, i can't believe this is the last semestral break i'll have!!!). i've been going home to my mom's province (pampanga) for all saint's day to visit our dead relatives' graves and to have gown fittings for my cousin's wedding (she lives there). and i've also been trying to do some of the stuff i've always meant to do but never got around to it before, such as reinstall my antivirus software (it's been on the fritz for some time now) and read all the books and magazines i've bought these past 3 months but never read. been using the phone a lot lately to market to companies for the upcoming ba week. *sigh* damn, i don't think i've really taken a break during my holiday. but at least i've been able to get some sleep. *grin*

managed to reserve tickets to harry potter on the 13th - the first day it'll be shown in cinemas. i'm so excited!! can't wait to hear the cutie accent of sean biggerstaff. *swoon* i just love to hear him talk. i really have this penchant for charming foreign accents -- scottish, irish, british, and australian to name a few. makes me wonder if that will be the main attraction for me regarding my future significant other.

was just watching mtv a while ago...that reminded me of something - i've been trying (unsuccessfully) to find albums by al green. anyone out there who knows where i could buy them? haven't had much success with tower records, odyssey, music one, and radio city. just let me know where i could buy his stuff. :)