...i'm back (i hope!). the past week has been just weird (or was it just plain laziness?!) that i just couldn't haul myself to post something here. but there's so much going through my mind these days - guilty ba si dennis roldan? si angel locsin ba ang magiging darna? bakit ba pikon si joey de leon? bakit every 4 years lang ang leap year? bakit leap year ang tawag sa kanya at hindi step year?
but seriously, i'm juggling a lot of thoughts these past few days and for once, it's not about my love life - as what has always been. there's this question on which should i get first, an mp3 player or a digital camera? then should i or shouldn't i make patol to those machine- and infrared-assisted slimming/toning programs? then there are some philosophical-existential questions about work, my disgust (with passion) about certain statements made by the pope, birthdays and growing a year older, and my holiday plans gone pear-shaped.
i wanted to write about these thoughts, but i don't know where to start. i guess, i've got to fix my thoughts first (and my holiday plans as well - before i run out of seats). for now, i'll just sit back and relax and enjoy the oscars. some time during this week, i'll rant about the pope's recent statements and the (hypocritical) church he shepherds.
after one week...
what am i like?
from myers-briggs to cheesy test you find in fashion magazines, yes, i'm a sucker for personality tests. and tonight, one of the local english channels is airing this bbc documentary "what am i like? the personality test". it talks about how different personality types interact and react under varying circumstances. you also get to find out about your personality type by answering a 20-item interactive test given throughout the program.
so what aim i like? the test predicted that i'm a nurturer.
Summary of Nurturers
• Care for the important people in their lives
• Strive for harmony and avoid confrontation
• Think of themselves as gentle, conscientious, and mature
• May have trouble making decisions that could hurt others
More about Nurturers
Nurturers are quiet people who believe in order and diligently look after the people they care about. They focus on the needs of others and establish routines to help them meet their commitments.
Nurturers remember details that are important to them, such as their friends' birthdays and anniversaries. People with this personality type value others' feelings and may challenge behaviour they think is insensitive.
In situations where they can't use their talents or are unappreciated, Nurturers may feel bitter and seek support by complaining to their colleagues. Under extreme stress, Nurturers may become preoccupied with the worst possible outcome and believe that they are heading for disaster.
Because they are so caring and loyal, Nurturers run the risk of being taken advantage of.
wanna find out your personality type? take the test at http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/whatamilike/ and don't forget to tell me about your results!
melanisms
...okay, aamin na ako. one of my guilty pleasures is having my weekly dose of "the buzz" (thanks to abs-cbn now!). i don't mind watching it a week late, i just need to have my fill of local showbiz dirt - delivered by kris and boy.
last week (feb. 13), they had a very brief feature on melanie marquez joining the mrs. world contest. and, as expected, it was a treat listening to her blunders. read on and enjoy!
flashback from a few months ago...
melanie to marissa lapid: wag kang tumahol sa sarili mong bakuran
jobert: paano yun?
kris: i don't understand, sorry
melanie: wag kang tumahol... you know, nagbabark na parang dogs
on joining the mrs. world contest...
• i am really would be like to promote our tourism
• melanie marquez is joining this mrs. world contest competition
• the intention i have here is an honest intention in order for us here to rebuild our economy situation
• everybody are all welcome
---------------------------------------
current air temperature in tseung kwan o: 9.7 degrees celcius
and then there were 24
it's out! AI4's 24 finalists have been revealed. some were surprises, the others were shoo-ins from the start.
of course, filipinos all over are disappointed that sharon galvez got cut in the 75/44 round. in fact, her elimination is stirring some kind of controversy ("American Idol scandal as contestant lies about her past"). maybe it's just some local media trying hard to "justify" her elimination.
but regardless of whether sharon should've or shouldn't have been cut from the competition, this year's 24 finalists is a diverse mix of soul divas, country singers, rockers and young heartthrobs. early on i've got my favorites. and here are 4 of them, in no particular order:
anthony fedorov
when the judges commented that this 19-year-old new yorker reminded them of clay aiken, they really meant it. he does remind you of clay aiken - the boying charm and the powerful voice. and did i mention that he nearly lost his voice and had a tracheotomy when he was younger?!
carrie underwood
this girl has a lovely and powerful voice distinctly cutout for country music. she actually reminds me of leanne rimes. fans of the show say that this girl is a front-runner. especially when simon commented somewhere that he has a favorite this season and she's a country singer.
nadia turner
lovely soulful voice, charismatic personality and unbelievable presence. for some weird reason though, she reminds me of stacie j. from apprentice 2. you know, the one who freaked out everyone?!
constantine maroulis
i never like rockers, but there's something about this guy that made me like him. although his "package" is a rocker, he seems to be versatile enough to switch from rock to pop to soul and back. my gutfeel tells me he'll go a long way in the competition.
that's it. they'll begin competing on monday and tuesday, then on wednesday, the first 4 casualties of the season will be known...
pill popper
am i a pill popper? you be the judge...
everyday before going to work, i take a tab of multivitamins and an additional 500mg dose of vitamin c.
today, in my bag was a bottle of echinacea supplements, which i've been taking every other day for a week now to boost my immune system. it's easy to catch a cold in hk these days. the weather's dead horrible. even the chief executive is down with a flu.
around mid-afternoon today, i couldn't stand my stuffy nose so i downed two cold medicine tabs (per dosage instructions).
and tonight, after a weeklong on-and-off bout with colds and pseudo-sore throat, i saw the doctor - and, as expected, came home with a whole batallion of prescription medicine. 5 of them in total: one paracetamol, one antihistamine, two for my colds and one bottle of cough syrup. meds good for two days.
so am i a pill popper? *gulp (cough syrup)* ...ooooops! did i just down double the required dosage?!...
grammys
it's grammys night. and what a night for my fave john mayer. it's 2 out of 2. not only did he win best male pop vocal performance - the same award he won 2 years ago - he also bagged one of the night's major awards. "daughters" was named song of the year (songwriter's award).
i've religiously followed the grammys for the past 4-5 years now, and i must say, this year's one of the best, if not the best, grammys ever. powerful performances.
i loved it when they interspersed black eyed peas' "let's get it started" with maroon 5's "this love". the country music jam with gretchen wilson, tim mcgraw, keith urban and some country music legends was just awesome. the duet from marc anthony and j.lo leaves you breathless - although i didn't understand a single thing because it's in spanish (plus the peformance just reaffirmed my belief that j.lo couldn't really sing). and how about an energetic performance from usher with james brown eh?! it was just great. just great.
there were low moments though. u2's performance was a bit of a bummer, and the tsunami disaster fund-raising track, although the purpose was great, was just terribly executed. and can i just say, norah jones was so off (nyahahaha!).
but overall it was a great show. and queen latifah looked stunning. what a way to end the day... oh yah, it's valentine's day... blech!
the 4th day of the year of the rooster
• 855AM: woke up ahead of the alarm clock... damn! deadma. tawad pa.
• 910AM: alarm clock rings. puts it on snooze. deadma. tawad uli ng tulog.
• 930AM: no choice. gotta force myself to get out of bed. meeting time for dimsum is at 11. • 1030AM: left for maxim's causeway bay
• 11AM: arrived at maxim's causeway bay. picked a number and got in line.
• 1145AM: had dimsum with gerwin and charlie. where the heck are marlin and tin?
• 1215AM: marlin and tin arrives
• 2PM: headed back home to rest (actually i'm not feeling 100% well)
• 230PM: arrived home. watched endless love 2.
• 10PM: after 8 hours i stopped my endless love 2 marathon. ate some boiled veggies.
• 11PM: watched the news while updating my blog
• 1150PM: it's almost 12, should i rest now or some more tv? hmmm... tv wins!
chinese new year 2005
new year's day parade
 Dragon dance |  Kung Fu exhibition |
 HK Tourism Board float |  HK Disneyland float |
chinese new year's eve
victoria park flower market
 Peach blossoms |  Tangerine trees |
mapaglaro, mapaglinlang
ang buhay nga naman, hindi mo alam kung anong nais ipahiwatig. minsan ika'y pinapatawa. minsan ika'y pinapaiyak. minsan ika'y pinakakaba at lubos na pinababagabag. minsan ika'y pinupuri. minsan ika'y kinukutya. at minsan naman, ika'y nililito.
oo nakakalito ang buhay, hindi mo alam kung saan ka gustong dalhin. yun tipong gusto mong sabihan ng (in a whiny tone) "make up your mind!". ngayon sa bandang kanan ka itinutulak, ngunit bigla ka na lang ibabaling pakaliwa - at bigla kang dadausdos paibaba. kaya, ang kinalabasan? windang ka't hindi mo alam kung anong dapat mong gawin. LOST!
kung kelan ka di na umaasang makahanap ng bagong kaibigan o di kaya'y "potential partner", e bigla namang isa-isang nagpaparamdam ang mga inaakala mong deadma na sa iyo.
last year, i tried making new friends sa gym - primarily in the hope of finding a partner. pero obviously, lost. yung mga naglakas-loob na humingi ng number ko, nauwi lang sa "i'll call you when i get back" na lista lang pala sa tubig. so akala ko wala na. i gave up. deadma na kung deadma...
but just this past week. out of nowhere, e i had dinner with one of those guys - twice. and the other one suddenly called past midnight last night. tawagan ko raw sya kung may oras ako. weird. are these signs? meron bang guston ipahiwatig sa akin ang buhay? A EWAN! AYOKO NANG MAG-ISIP!!!
finding neverland
a very heart-warming movie that seems like a bore at first, but will eventually overwhelm you and make you very emotional. at the end of the movie, i cried. and i couldn't stop myself. iba sya. they're not tears of sadness. you just get overwhelmed with emotions.
but what struck me most about the movie was it's message - you've got to believe. believe in something, put your heart into it, and you're bound to realize it.
it's like a wake-up call for me. over the past few years, i've grown more and more jaded that i've ended up being negative. at times i put it under the guise of simply being pragmatic. but in reality, i was just plain pessimistic...
maybe it's high time i get this nudge. i've got to stop stressing myself out with thoughts of despair. as for the movie, it's a good watch - i just forgot to bring a box of tissue!
wandering thoughts: it's the first day of february...
it's the first day of february. time does fly. before you know it, it'll already be my birthday.
speaking of birthdays, a friend of mine from college - layla - just celebrated her birthday late last month. and guess what? she's now 8 weeks pregnant... congrats!
it's grammys day on valentine's. who am i rooting for? still don't know, i haven't really reviewed the nominations. all i know is that maroon 5 will open the show and queen latifah will host it. i'll definitely rush home on the 14th.
the weather's dead cold again in hk. as of this writing it's 10.3 degrees celsius where i live. a couple of days more to go and it'll be back to bearable cool weather - can't wait.