Throwback Thursday (way, way, back)

It's my 100th post! I know I don't post much, so I consider that as an achievement. Today, I'm going back to the year 2009. For me, it was a year of opportunities and misfortunes. I was a senior in college and president of our professional organization. I was handling an organization whilst juggling thesis writing and other school responsibilities. In addition to that, I also have my personal life and relationships that I was trying to hold on to. During that time, I was given a chance to visit Japan for 10 days to attend a seminar at Fukuoka University. For ten days, I was one of the happiest people on Earth. However, when I came back, reality slapped - nay - kicked me so hard, that I didn't know how to get up at once. Our thesis was in a stalemate; I got betrayed by someone I trust my life with; and responsibilities from the organization came crashing in like a tsunami. I was miserable. I was heart broken. Thus, I wasn't really able to fully share my Fukuoka experience to anyone, except some of my family and some friends. I didn't even posted it in Facebook! But now that I'm out of that awful past, now that I've moved on from that, and now that I've learned my lessons, perhaps it's time I look back on those wonderful ten days.

Hello Japan!

 Disclaimer: What you're about to see are photos taken using a digital camera in 2009. I know. They're a bit bad. But hey, they're worth it. Also, you will also see a clueless thin version of me. A.thin.version.of.me.

Love & Misadventure

 

Yesterday, I went to my first ever book signing experience, which is the signing for Love & Misadventure by author Lang Leav. I am one happy girl. :)

It's September, Baby

September marks the Christmas Celebration here in the Philippines, the longest in the world. Soon, places will dance with the twinkle of glitters and lights. Christmas sales will excite shoppaholics, and mall hours will be extended. There will be a nip in the air, and my growing collection of sweaters will be of use again. Needless to say, I am very much excited! Honestly, I'm going through tough changes right now, but the promise of the season helps me cope.

Here in our household, it's tradition to play Christmas music on September 1. Usually, we play Kenny G's Miracles: The Holiday Album. I love it, and its a tradition that I'll always keep. But for this post, I'd like to share one of my most favorite Christmas song ever: My Grown Up Christmas List.  I feel like the song is very timely, especially since recent news has been about depressing and disturbing news, such as the Syrian chemical weapons attack. The original was sang by David Foster, but I like me some Michael Bublé.

 

I'm trying to start the season with good vibes, positive energy, and hopeful thoughts, despite some personal setbacks. Cheers to the yuletide season! :)

Vote for "Gift of Life" to Win the Webby Awards!

Energizer Philippines and Manikako presents "Gift of Life", which is nominated for a Webby Award under the category of Online Commercials. It's about a robot named Blitz falling in love with Litly, a cute doll. Watch their love story unfold, and see how true love makes sacrifices worth it. If Blitz and Lily's story wins, the Philippines will have its first Webby Award! Don't forget to vote!

 

 For those who doesn't know about the Webby Award, it's like the Oscars for the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. This year's Webby Awards will be hosted by Patton Oswalt ("The King of Queens"). Vote now!

  

*This post is not sponsored.

Happy Wagon: Rurouni Kenshin Live Action Movie

Last year, I posted about the adaptation of my most favorite manga/anime of all time, Rurouni Kenshin, into a live action film. And today, I was finally able to watch it, and it was epic!

Read more!

Spoiler alert!

Cheer up; it's December!

And just like that, November is over! For me, it came by as a blur. All throughout the month, my everyday environment rotated between work, school, and my bedroom with books full of my reviewers. I'm taking the Japanese Language Proficiency Test tomorrow, and I admit that I'm not very confident about it. I mean, I only had a two weeks to have some not-so-decent review. I'm not saying I'm going to wing it tomorrow, but I'll definitely try to do what my best can do.

Despite being buried in work and reviewers, November did have some few highlights and some surprises. For instance, my family visited my grandparents' tombs at the beginning of the month, as per tradition. I just realized that we've been doing that for almost 11 years, but I still feel like we lost my lolo and lola just a few years ago. I just miss them so much.*sniff* Moving on, I also attended a few parties: our office Halloween Party and my friend's birthday party. Both were fun; both were worth going to. For Halloween, I did not really give much effort unlike last year (in which I dressed up as a not-so-white Snow White). Instead, I dressed up as Jess Day from New Girl played by Zooey Deschanel. With my curly hair, hipster eyeglasses, and a collection of seemingly-vintage clothes, it wasn't really difficult. Lastly, I experienced one last surprise by the end of the month, but I'm not sure if I want to share it here (ha!).

November was hectic and stressful, but I'm still looking forward for December! It's December 2012 people! They say the world's going to end (haha!), but I hope not. For heaven's sake, December is my birth month, and I won't let anyone ruin it! It's my most favorite month of the year. I'm looking forward to all the shopping trips and Christmas parties for the following weeks. Most of all, I can't wait to receive all the gifts you'll give to me! Kidding! With that said:

1.chocolatebathtub

P.S. Wish me luck tomorrow!

"The Last"

I (and a two of my college friends) are up to something, and it's keeping me off the grid. But while I succumb to photo editing and website tweaking (hints!), destiny, fate, or what you may want to call it led me to this video - a day after I experienced yet another heartbreak (coinciding someone's birthday). It's really something, and I can't even describe it. Is it bad to want something like this?

P.S. Harry Shum Jr. is a major plus! Read the Director's Commentary here.

Vintage Car Show

Cartistics Auto Restoration Garage and Petronas Lubricants held (or still holding; not sure!) a vintage car show at SM Southmall, Las  Piñas City last Thursday, August 30. I accidentally stumbled upon it because my real goal for going there was to buy a magazine and book shop a little. I love, love, love cars and vintage, so I spent a good 20 minutes drooling over the cars! Here are some of them (more photos after the jump!):

1965 Mercedez-Benz 190 (W110) “Fintail”

 1981 Mercedez-Benz 230TE

Eiga Sai 2012

July is the Japan-Philippine Friendship month, and I've been joining its celebration ever since I was a college student. Once again, their kicking it off with Eiga Sai, which is a series of Japanese film viewings for free! I cannot wait to go to attend this year. Last year, I was able to watch only one movie (One Million Yen Girl) because I was too busy with work. This year, I hope to watch more since I'm on vacation!

Here are the two trailers of the movies I'm excited to watch:



Villain or Akunin is this year's feature film, and it seems heavy on drama, which makes me more curious about it.



This year's animated movie is Colorful and it trailer itself intrigues me (I couldn't find a trailer with subtitles, so I understood only little).

If you wish to learn more about Eiga Sai, you can visit the website of  The Japan Foundation Manila and download the flyer here.

Divisoria for the nth time

I went to Divisoria today with my mama. I was supposed to do a little canvassing because my office mates and I will be going back there on Friday to buy stuffs for our company outing. But due to the rain, I focused more on what I planned to buy. :) I'm very glad that Divi did not disappoint me (there are times that it does). There were new stocks, and they even have end-of-season and mid-year sales. Who knew, right? Anyways, I withdrawn P3,000 to splurge today, and here's what I bought:

I bought three jeggings (P200/P200/P250) and one pair of pants (P330).

More finds after the jump!

Happy Wagon: An Actual Happy Wagon

During our visit to Quezon, I loved our island hopping, especially the walk on the beach. I kept on looking for unique stones and anything red, because I wanted to find a sea glass. If you read Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler, then you probably know about sea glasses. Sea glasses are shards of glasses, such as bottles, windows of sunken ships, etc., that has has come ashore and weathered by the heat of the sun and the sand. They turn into colored frosted glasses, which many people collect. They say that red sea glasses are one of the rarest because it has been under the sun for a long time. No, I didn't found any sea glasses, and I wish I did. When I was picking rocks, I simply stuffed them into my pockets. And when we went back to the  main island, I couldn't believe that I got exactly 20 rocks, just like Stargirl's Happy Wagon.

So I now have my own Happy Wagon! 

I'm not giving up on finding sea glasses in Philippine beaches. I bet it'd be magical to actually find one here.#imissummer 

A Day Off

I don't have many sources of money. My job pays me a decent amount, which I mostly use for my Japanese classes, food, and transportation. I don't really ask money from my parents anymore (except for occasions when I have the privilege to do so). However, at the same time, I really love to shop. When I do have a lot of extra money, I do give myself a chance to buy branded clothes and shoes (some of my favorite shops are Bayo, Forever 21, and Apple & Eve.) BUT, when I only have little extra money, I go to Divisoria. I've blogged about it before (here). This second post just shows how much I love that place; I wish I can go there everyday. 

I went with my friend and office mate, Pampeem, today. She's planning to start her own business of accessories, in which I will be helping her out with the marketing (soon!). I only have P2000, but my mom gave me another P1000 for some household stuffs. These are what I ended up with:

Blouse - P 250

Dress - P350

Accessories (7 rings, 2 necklaces, and 2 bracelets) - P530

Post-its (6 different designs) - P150

Shoes - P150

Beanie - P100

Belts (2) - P100

Not pictured:

Automatic Umbrellas (3) - P600

Aprons (2) - P60

In total, I spent P2290 (P2662 including food and transportation) for 28 items! It couldn't have been much cheaper if it weren't hard to haggle today. There weren't so many people, so the vendors were trying to be stubborn. I did score the rings for a very cheap price. What I love even more was that the weather was cooperating, as it was really cool and shady. I hope to come back next week (for new stocks). I wish my bank account cooperates with me though.

P.S.

For those who haven't gone to Divisoria and are planning to, here's a very interesting post I found about haggling. I lol-ed when I read it, because it's exactly what I do (except for #4 and #5, as I'm not Chinese and I've been to Divi so many times already)!

Mochiko

The only time I tasted authentic mochi was during my visit in Fukuoka back in 2008. Since then,  I've been trying to find alternatives to compensate for my cravings, and I found Mochiko. I've been trying to try out this mochi ice creams for months. Today, after watching a movie, I finally had the chance to buy some.

 

I love mochi, which is why I knew I must try this. I bought six; they're a little pricey, but I'll be okay. Anyways, it was good, even though I only tried the Milk Tea flavor. The mochi part isn't too sweet, but I didn't notice because I loved the ice cream. The tea flavor is very strong, making me like it more. Now, I see a future filled with mochis.

Happy Wagon: A1

 Last night, one of my dreams came true.

I have been trying to draft what I want to write in this post in my mind, but I just couldn't find the write words, phrases, and sentences to explain how I feel right now. Ever since the concert ended, I am still in awe. I kept grinning and smiling for the whole day, even if I was alone and people kept glancing at me strangely. I didn't mind that I had to walk under the hot sun just to reach MRT. I didn't mind that most escalators I came upon were not working. I didn't mind getting bumped by strangers on the train. I didn't mind singing and dancing inside the LRT, while listening to their songs in my iPod. Manila's smoke and noise was even tolerable for me. 

I didn't mind because I was able to experience something that I've been dreaming of since I was 9/10 years old. I didn't mind because I saw Ben, Mark, and Christian sing their songs live! I didn't mind because I can still remember singing with them in that big dome. I didn't mind because I can still remember how I danced (and cry for some songs) with them. I didn't mind because I can still remember that quirkiness, talent, and concern that A1 has shown towards their fans last night. I didn't mind because these pictures, though blurry, will help me forever cherish this experience. And best of all, I know and feel in my bones that A1 will be back (and I hope it's sooner)!

Happy Wagon: Back to the '90s

Today, I'm going to add a new topic to my blog. Since I'm a die-hard Stagirl fan, it'll be called Happy Wagon. If you already read the book, you'll know that Stargirl has this small wagon in her room. Every time she feels happy, she adds a pebble in it, and vice versa. In total, she has 20 pebbles. For my blog, it'll work a little differently. For my Happy Wagon, I'll only be posting about things that makes me happy. This is part of my own Happiness Project, in  reference to Gretchen Rubin's book. So for my first, Happy Wagon post, I'll be going to this tomorrow:

This will be my first major concert experience. I do have some experience on some mini concerts already (school fairs, mall tours, etc.), but this will be my first time in a Araneta or in a big area. I was a pretty sheltered girl, and I'm not really a crazy fan. Besides, I don't have the funds to buy tickets before. Anyways, I really wanted to watch this concert because A1 will be there! I love, love, and love A1. I knew them since I was 9/10 years old, but this would be my first time watching them. I'm a little sad that Paul's not with them anymore, but as long as Ben Adams is with them, I will remain a loyal fan! I'm really excited for tomorrow; I was even struggling to work (but I managed to reach my quota). I just hope I'll be able to sleep. :)

I am a nerd.

I almost forgot to share this! I'm a huge Levi fan, and I'm very sad that Chuck already ended. This quote will always make me love Chuck Bartowski and the nerd that he is. :)

P.S.

I was supposed to type this, but I was too tired, so I just used the screen shot I took from my iPod when I saw this interview.

On "Hugo"

My friend, KM, and I watched Hugo today. I had no initial background on what the movie was about. I only heard about it when schedules of the Oscars are airing, and I never saw any trailers of it. I  even thought that it would be the adaptation of the game Hugo I use to play when I was little. It turns out, it was an adaptation of Brian Selznick's novel, "The Invention of Hugo Cabret", and it features films of Georges Méliès.

After watching, I must say that it was really a good movie, especially for those who think their losing or lacking purpose in their life (which I am a little guilty). The movie presented many philosophical, specifically existentialist, ideas and thoughts to ponder about. I don't know how movie review works, but I hope that this quote from the movie gives you a glimpse of what I learned from it:

"Right after my father died, I would come up here a lot. I'd imagine the whole world was one big machine. Machines never come with any extra parts, you know. They always come with the exact amount they need. So I figured, if the entire world was one big machine, I couldn't be an extra part. I had to be here for some reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason too." -- Hugo Cabret

How about you? What is your purpose in life? Have you found it yet?

Divisoria

My mama and I went to Divisoria today. It was really tiring, but I bought what I went for and some other stuffs for a good amount of peso. Here's the loot:

I bought the following:

Brown Knitted Cardigan: P250

Gray Knitted Cardigan: P275

6 Handkerchiefs: P55

Jeggings: P200

2 Belts: P100

Shoes: P370

Vintage Designed Blouse: P250

Black Ribbon Ring (Below): P60

That adds up to P1560 (for 14 items), which is only about three tops if I shop in the famous local mall or two tops from my favorite international brand. This is why I really love going to Divisoria. I'm planning another trip with some of my friends, and I'm looking forward to it!

BTW:


Here's what I wore today:

Passive Days

"You expect me to account for opinions which you choose to call mine, but which I have never acknowledged."

"Make Tea Not War"

Inspired by Creature Comforts post: Inspiration Daily: Make Tea