Envy

I find myself sometimes envying other people. Not for the things that they have, but for the love that they experience. 

I envy them for having loved ones that are not afraid to show them exactly how they love them. Without fear, without second thoughts, without hesitation.

I envy them for living the love stories that I can only dream about. The passionate kisses, the warm hugs and the sweet cuddles. 

Just Because

Just because I'm female doesn't mean that I am never allowed to leave their  nests and should stay at home, unless its to get married. In fact its a frustrating and incredibly insulting thought.

 I've spent my entire life cooped up within the four walls of my home, dreaming of far off places, of lives that I felt could never be mine to live. And yet, when I do get the chance to live my dreams, you begrudge me of that chance to live how I want to live, to make my dreams a reality.

 My desire to leave home doesn't necessarily mean that I'm turning my back on my family. It simply means that I want to have a place I could call my own, where I could take the time to discover myself without people constantly telling me how I should be. 

And telling me that my dreams are not worth it, won't be helping either. I happen to love what I do, and its unfortunate that you cannot fully fathom how passionate I am about it. Just because you don't understand the importance of what I do doesn't give you the right to belittle it and declare it insignificant, because if your goal is to bring me back into the fold, well then its about time you change strategies because its definitely not working. 

The Philippines and Social Media

Being the wonderful country that it is, the Philippines is known for many things, two of them are the following:

1. Social Media Capital of the World

2. The country that is never satisfied with its government

In a bout of slight genius (triggered by an overdose on mallows) I realized that these two are probably co-related with one another. 

Filipinos love to be heard. Whether its because they had an ingenious scientific breakthrough, or taking a picture of their next meal, Filipinos love broadcasting it for the world to know. They love the feeling of being heard, of being noticed. 

(That's also probably why Filipinos make such great entertainers)

Of course, this love for attention transcends even from outside their screens. As one can see from watching the evening news, a group of people will always be complaining about one thing or another.  And in the country where everyone has an opinion on one thing or another, coupled with the people's love for attention, the result is a nation where public demonstrations become not only something common, but it also ceases to become inspirational, and rather becomes a nuisance to the public. 

So, that's just my two cents on the entire thing, if someone has already thought of this, then I congratulate you because you are one observant genius. 

Book Review: Things I Know About Love

Things I Know About Love by Kate Le Vann

So, when I downloaded this book into my phone, I kind of had high hopes for it. With a promising, slightly quirky title, how could I not? Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed.

Things I Know About Love is a charming tale of a girl who gets a fun, movie worthy, romantic summer love story that most girls dream about. However, it mirrored “The Fault in Our Stars” a little too much for me.

A couple falls in love with one another while on vacation (Ok, technically, Adam wasn’t on vacation.) But, one half of the couple dies at the end. – but not before capturing the hearts of its readers, making them go “oooh” and “aww” at their charming love story.

When I first began this book, I was mildly bored, “Not another book based on blog posts!” I remembered thinking the minute Livia began telling her story as she steels herself for her flight to the US. But, I pushed through, and I hate to say that I actually fell in love with it. Well, for one, the characters were British, and two, the story was set in a city that I love – New York. And my policy in life is: Any love story that happens in the city that never sleeps is bound to be a good one.

At first, I found Livia terribly dull. Nothing out of the ordinary – aside from you, know she’s spent a huge, important, chunk of her life in the hospital. But, despite finding her boring, I actually got to relate to her. (and I must admit, she kind of made me want to dye my hair a vivid red the next time I go to the salon) A girl who’s dabbled in relationships, but not enough to call experienced, someone insecure about the physical part of it, someone who occasionally has something to hide, someone who had her heart badly broken and was still reeling from it.

I had to say, when I realized how similar we were, I began to love Livia.

And of course, Adam was lovable from the start. I loved how adorkable he was, I loved how head over heels he was over Livia, I loved how lovestruck he was. And my heart absolutely broke in time with his.

You could say that despite my earlier…distaste over the book, and how I still think that it’s a bit too like “A Fault In Our Stars” I kind of loved this book at the end, and I’d probably be willing to give it a 4 over 5 stars. 

And would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and light read. 

The Wisdom of Bob Marley

He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can.

 He isn’t going to quote poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break.

 Don’t hurt him, don’t change him, and don’t expect for more than he can give. 

Don’t analyze.

Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. 

Love hard when there is love to be had. 

Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.

Striking Balance

How does one strike balance between two things that mean the world to you? Do you simply figure out which is more important to you? Which would benefit you more? Which would bring you the most happiness? 

How do you juggle two elements of your life that are just hell bent on knocking the other out of your life? 

How do you balance your love for what you do and what your family wants? Why is it so hard to believe them sometimes when they tell you that all they want is your happiness, but want nothing to do with what makes you happy even if harm is the last thing that it brings you? 

How do you begin to find answers to these questions? Questions that countless of people have asked before you? 

Road Tour!!

Who's excited for the race and the road tour? 

Life Update

So, last time I posted something career related in this thing, it was when I was still applying for Kawasaki. And now, I am pleased to announce that...I GOT IN!!! 

Actually, I've been with Kawasaki for almost a month (a month on the 9th!) now. So yeah :)))

Seriously though, I love working in Kawasaki. I love learning new things, both in regards to marketing and motorcycles (not loving the confusion that comes with it though), I love the people that I work with - they're all so fun and so brilliant, and I love the fact that every single day, I learn something new, and I will probably keep on learning, because learning is a never ending process. Something that Kawasaki has taught me.

I am truly so very, very excited for the next week, next month, and next few years. 

So Messed Up

When you're feeling so emotionally fucked up and you're only left with your ability express your emotions through gifs on Tumbler.

So that's basically it. 

Questions that I Cannot Answer

How can I begin to explain, how I really feel? How my love for them is different for yours? How I'll miss your smiles, your laughter, your downright quirkyness? How quickly you can brighten my day, even if I'd been walking under stormy clouds? How you can never fail to turn my frown upside down?

How can I tell you how much you mean to me, without having to actually admit that I may actually love you? 

Book Review: The Fifty Shades Trilogy

 

Fifty Shades Trilogy by E.L James

So, over the weekend, I decided to stop being such a hypocrite and finally see what the fuss is all about when it comes to this series. After all, I'm always telling my friends to read the book first before bashing it. 

With full knowledge that this pandemonium began just from a piece of Twilight fanfiction, I approached the book as so. And I must say, as a fanfic - this is probably the best I've read. As a book though...let's just say I believe Ms. James should have stayed in the world of fanfics. 

However, I do appreciate the fact that during the second and third books, Christian and Ana slowly become Christian and Ana - and not Edward and Bella. 

Its also pretty easy to see what the author had originally written parallel to Ms. Meyer's Twilight Saga. 

So, yeah, as a piece of fanfiction - prolly 5 over 5 stars. As a book - its not even getting more than 1 star.

One problem over the other

I can safely say that these past 2 days have been the worse of my life. As in.

Friday, I found out that my boss was planning something. - which was really, well, irritating to say the least, but I'm not in the position to complain. 

Saturday, by 11 in the freakin' morning, my dad and I were already at each other's throats. I mean, I get that he's all concerned and stuff, but he didn't have to insult me, to underestimate me. If he could only see how he's acting, then he wouldn't need help figuring out why I prefer working far away. Away from this God forsaken house.

Ugh. :|

Everyone else was freakin' happy for me, why couldn't he be like a normal person and just do the same? 😤

One Step

Today, I am fulfilling one of my dreams (asides from working for ABSCBN, because let's face it, that's not going to happen again) I applied for...wait for it...

KAWASAKI PHILIPPINES!!

*cue applause*

I know what ya'll are thinking "You're just doing this for *toot*!" And I'm here to say that, that assumption is completely false!! 

Having grown up in a family that loved automobiles, it would be fairly obvious that I would be surrounded by the Kawasaki name, so when Tita Teench told me about the vacant position, i just couldn't resist!

But sentimental value aside, I really want this job, I feel like it would be able to contribute to this company, while at the same time extensively learning what I can from this experience.

So, fingers crossed! Here's to hoping that I get this job!! 

Life As of Today

What's up blog? Its been a while.

Since I last blogged, I graduated, got a job, learned that the guy I liked was (potentially) gay, broke my laptop, got it fixed, received my first paycheck, splurged my first paycheck, bought dresses, got banned from dresses, went from Windows 7 to Mac, to Windows 8 and then back to Windows 7, got hooked on Barbie, attended my first toycon, but went home without anything Nightwing related (Boo.), and of course, almost died. 

So, yeah, you could say I have been pretty busy lately.  

Ok fine! The last was was probably an over reaction. But he (according to the maid) had a knife! and I was dead to world while my dad was chasing down a robber with a gun. 

Huh. Now that that's all out there, I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to blog about now. I'm pretty sure I had some insanely deep reason for wanting to blog, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was. Oh well. 

I guess its ta-ta for now! 

Series Review: Sherlock

"Sherlock" title card

Sherlock, produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), is an on going television series first aired during the year 2010. The series presents a contemporary twist in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories.

The show features Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and of course Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman) in modern day England, the two investigate on cases that pique the attention of Sherlock using available modern research and investigative tools.

Sherlock, introducing himself to Dr. John Watson during the first episode

Technical Specs
Running Time: 90 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.78 : 1
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Printed Film Format: HDTV

Review

Cinematography: Innovative. If there is one word to describe the sheer genius that one is lucky to witness for 90 minutes in a single episode, it would be innovative. The camera shots were fantastic and different. Each shot told a story, gave a clue for the audience to decipher. They were most certainly neither typical nor boring. The directors also used the beautiful scenery that seems to be everywhere in England to their advantage by having the locations complement (or sometimes pleasantly contrast) the scene.

Editing: As a student who has experience in producing television shows and short films, I could - with confidence - say that editing complements direction. And for the case of BBC's Sherlock, the editors were able to complement the shots perfectly. The show was peppered with glorious effects that highlight certain things, not-so-typical cuts to show a change locations, and so and and so forth.

Production Design: The production design team successfully managed to perfectly blend the two important factors of the show. The old and classic charm of Sherlock Holmes, and the development of modern technology. They were also able to incorporate the things that marked Sherlock Holmes for who is, like his hat and smoking without appearing garish and ridiculous.

Cast: The cast was simply wonderful. I applaud Benedict Cumberbatch  and the rest of the cast for being able to bring Sherlock Holmes - and the people who surround him - to life for our television screens.

Rating: A spectacular 5 out of 5 stars 

Book Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
by Jennifer Smith

A couple of weeks ago, with my academic requirements all put the rest, I finally found the time to pick up a book and catch up on me reading.

Sort of. The book was an ebook, so I couldn't exactly pick it up since it was on my laptop.

Anyway, from the moment I saw the cover, I knew it was a must read - at least for me. After all, I am the classic sap who'd like to believe that happy ever afters still exist in the 21st century.

The book follows around Hadley, a teenage girl who is supposed to fly to England for her father's wedding, but misses the plane by a few short minutes. While waiting for the next flight, she meets Oliver, a British college student who is coming back to England. I won't tell you what happens next though, because that's what makes the book so magical.

You know, aside from the fact that the story happened all in 24 hours.

Overall, I give the book 4 out of 5 stars. 

I loved it, loved it soooo much, however, there are bits that I wished weren't in the book - which made it a bit dragging. and I would have loved to know whatever happened to Oliver and Hadley when they both get back to New York.

Your Birth Number

While being generally unproductive on Facebook the other day, I repeatedly came across a post which instructed you on how to get your birth number - so, the bored freak that I am decided to try it out, and it came out with slightly surprising results. 

#2 - THE PEACEMAKER

2's are the born diplomats. They are aware of others' needs and moods and often think of others before themselves. Naturally analytical and very intuitive they don't like to be alone. Friendship and companionship is very important and can lead them to be successful in life, but on the other hand they'd rather be alone than in an uncomfortable relationship. Being naturally shy they should learn to boost their self-esteem and express themselves freely and seize the moment and not put things off.

So, that's mine. Go find out yours!

Our Success Story

"The future belongs to those who believe in their dreams" - Eleanor Roosevelt 

If there was a single group of people on the evening of March 19, 2013 that could prove this right, it was the group of Thomasians who sat under the stars on the UST Football Field as they heard their last mass as Thomasians during the Baccalaureate Mass. 

In my four years in UST, never was there a time that I solidly believed that I would successfully reached graduation. Even now as April 2 looms over us, I still remain doubtful of the fact that I will march on April 2, and finally receive my diploma (Hopefully.) and I'm sure I'm not alone. 

I remember something that my former Theology professor - Professor Acuna - once said when I was in first year about entering UST "Many are called, but few are chosen." I remember this clearly because in my old high school, we used to look at UST as a school that anyone could pass - without bothering to review. 

And when a number of my batchmates did pass, it was confirmed - at least for us. However, as the semester wore on, and first year, became second, I realized that Sir Acuna didn't mean that many take the USTET, but a few pass - no. He meant that many initially pass the USTET, but many manage to flunk out of the University because of the work load. 

It's easy to get in, but its extremely hard to maintain. 

This was proven once again when we all reached third year. When we thought second year was hell - well, we were in for a shock during third year. Not only were our classes lasted for three hour and until 9 in the evening, but they were also physically, mentally, and emotionally draining. And yet it was also exhilarating. 

The thrilling feeling of a job well done was the final names on your credits roll for TV Production class, the feeling of intense competition during the "Quests", the adrenaline rush that a deadline to catch gives you, the headaches that you have to endure while reading court cases for Political Dynamics. All this made sure that you felt like you don't stand a chance at graduating, made you feel like every test, every show, every case that you weren't able to read would be your downfall. 

And combine all that stress, blood and tears with the same level of stress that one has to deal with when holding a position in a Univwide organization. 

However, we discovered that third year had nothing on what fourth year had to offer. 

As the great Atty. Bong Lopez said "Fourth year is designed to make sure that you don't graduate" (That is not a direct quote - I think. But its what I remember.) And he was right. If there was one thing that one does not do when you reach fourth year - its sleep. Sleep is a luxury that one cannot simply indulge in when you had IMC cases to do, posters to edit, scripts to write, short films to shoot, musicals to stage, news worthy events to cover, Photography plates to shoot, Media Law cases to read and analyze and of course, a thesis to write and to defend. 

Between all that, who has time to sleep? 

and between all that, why would you possibly think that you would have a chance at graduating when all you want to do is drop dead from sheer exhaustion? 

But, we managed to defeat our dragons and made it to March - relatively unharmed. Give or take a few pounds that we gained from eating stress food. 

So, to the graduating class of the Faculty of Arts and Letters, congratulations for surviving the most challenging liberal arts programs in the country!(According to Dean Vasco) We will do UST proud! 

When Everything is Almost Over

As I mentioned in an earlier, last March 15-17, 2013, my blockmates and I (along with LM1 and LM2)  spent the weekend in Caleruega, Batangas for our retreat.

At first we were all pretty pissed since we were the only CA section that wasn't included in the CA Seniors retreat - but, looking back, it was prolly for the best that we were the last ones to go. As one of the priests mentioned in one of our sessions, a retreat is supposed to be taken when everything is over. And knowing 4CA5, the retreat probably wouldn't have been as effective as it was if we still had deadlines and papers to think of while we were exiled in Caleruega. 

To anyone who believes that the hours before one goes on a retreat should be spent in silence, then you probably have never experienced a road trip with us. When most sections spend their trip asleep, or watching a movie, 4CA5 - the awesome section that we are - spent almost 4 hours working the karaoke machine till it broke because of our beautiful voices. 

Perky 4CA5 despite the early (for us) call time

JM (above picture) and Rio (below) working the karaoke machine

So, if our singing ever caused torrential rains in Metro Manila then...We do not apologize! :))) You should be honored you were able to reap the "rewards" of our angelic voices! :))

Anyway, after the long bus trip, we finally arrived in Caleruega, where we were not only shocked by the bright sunlight that seemed to have followed us from Manila - but also the unbearable heat that made me wish I had worn shorts instead of pants.

Thankfully (or maybe unfortunately for some) the temperature began to drop a little before sunset, leaving us to relish the cool air that Tagaytay (or Batangas. I'm still pretty confused as to where we actually were) is known for.

If one would ask me what we I saw most in Caleruega, I would definitely answer: FOOD. The minute we alighted from the bus, till the very last minute that we spent there, was spent eating, eating and of course, it eating. When we aren't falling asleep on our seats during sessions, or taking pictures around the place, then we were definitely eating.

Just one of our many meal times

Joking aside, I really did learn a lot during our retreat, things that at the time seemed pretty pointless to me, but would suddenly pop up now and would make me think"Oh hey! I learned this during retreat! I know this shit!" sort of like that.

Seriously though, the retreat was an unexpected experience. Unexpected both in both the sense of good and bad.

Good because I never really expected to bond with my blockmates during this trip. Sure, I looked forward to the bus ride - after all, any trip with 4CA5 is bound to be fun. But, that was about the extent of it. I never expected that the next (or past) three days would have been the days that I would be able to talk to the blockmates that I haven't had the chance to bond with. It was our chance to really get to know one another, know one another's secret demons and back stories, it became the chance for us to tell one another what we thought of the other, how we admired their strength and regretted the times that they failed to form friendships, it was the chance to rebuild the friendships that were lost over the years.

Sharing stories by candle light

Rebuilding old friendships

Bad because I was hoping to use the time to reflect. I had a lot of life altering decisions to make, and really, I was hoping that by taking time off in Caleruega, I would be able to come up with a decision as to what path I should take in the future. Alas, that didn't happen.

However, no matter how "useless" was retreat to my future plans, I'm sure I would never forget the days where we had to endure a filthy showers, got to eat (slightly) tasteless food, take pictures of stunning sunsets, got to draw crappy pictures (except Eboy, Eboy has nice pictures -_-), and of course, got to spend the best three days of my life with my awesome blockmates.

The Magic of Caleruega

As per UST tradition, last March 15 -17, 2013, my block (4CA5) went on our first - and last - retreat as a block section in Caleruega, Batangas. (Which, I will blog about later.)

The place was beautiful. Green grass, trees, blue skies, colorful flowers. It was like a painting had come to life for three days - just for us. (and of course, the other people visiting Caleruega.) 

Of course, it wasn't only the great outdoors that were breathtaking in Caleruega. It was also the man-made wonders that complemented the already beautiful surroundings. 

Although, I couldn't say the same for the girls bathroom that we had to share with 60 other girls - but, that is beside the point. 

All in all, thank you UST for giving us Caleruega - even for just a while. The place is serene, and not in the creepy "Oh my God, its way to quiet in here, I'm about to go crazy" kind of serene, but rather the kind of serene that is conducive to making life choices. 

The place rings with the pleasant chirp of the birds around the place, children laughing as they ran around the grass, and the familiar sound of my blockmates talking - reminding me that no matter how hard the decision I had to make was, I would never be alone. 

 

Also, I deem it mention-worthy that Caleruega is not only a wonderful place to reflect, but also to get married :> With its stunning chapels, and lush greenery with colorful flowers, its no surprise that it is a favorite among couples to be married. 

Apparently, its so popular that one has to wait for TWO years before you can get a vacancy! Some would find the wait as troublesome. Like, if you're young and in love, then I'm sure you'd want to marry right away. But, I think the two year waiting period would be a good thing for couples, because it would assure you that even in two years and more, the person who is standing next to you now, will still be the person who you will want to be standing next to you in the future. 

Anyway, I'd just like to mention that we we're lucky enough to spy a bride on her way to the altar one morning before our scheduled breakfast. :"> I don't know who she is, or her story, but I wish her all the best, and I hope her marriage would be as magical as the place where she was wed. 

Masteral Anxieties

In a few short weeks my batchmates - whether from UST  or not - would be graduating from college and would be thrust into the even scarier world of unemployment. Whether one admits it or not, a fresh graduate's greatest fear is not being able to find a place that would accept him - no matter if you came from the best university in the Philippines, or a simple one that doesn't even qualify as a uni just yet.

The funny thing about graduation looming over all of you is that everyone starts to panic. They start clamoring for jobs, and this little condition spreads until the entire senior class is twitchy with anticipation, anxiously waiting for their phones to ring, with a promise of a job interview, or beep with a new email notification from an interested company.

As for me, aside from you know, emailing every company with a communications department known to thje country, I've been thinking of military training (Yup.) and if that wasn't enough, I've also began considering graduate school - cray, right?

Screen cap of my application form to the College of Mass Communication,  University of the Philippines

At first, I was really confident, I felt really confident - confident enough to give our my recommendation form. But, as the night wore on, the high started to fade away, as reality began to sink in.

WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?

Applying to UP. UP of all schools.

Did I really think I stood a chance at passing? I failed the UPCAT once - it was devastating. Sure, I tell people it was expected, but seriously, that had been a huge blow for me. I don't want to experience that all over again.

But then again, every single bone in my body is calling for the bloody University. I want to go so badly. So, so badly - but, I might not pass. Honestly, have you seen the people in UP? Ano ang kinaya ko sa kaya nila? 

Grace Poe TVC

Grace Poe for Senator TVC 

I came across this ad through someone on Twitter. I don't normally watch political ads, since their print ads alone are enough to make me sick, but I made an exception for this one, just because I was genuinely curious as to what was in this video that could warrant such a negative reaction from the person who tweeted about it. 

And now that I've watched it, all I have to say is that: Its as bad as everyone else's print ads. That's how awful it was, in my eyes. 

The script was so badly written. I mean, ok, I get the whole pun on the surname thing, but seriously, that is old. Seriously old. And really, did they have to mention na "Anak ni FPJ?" Why? I don't see why it should be a necessary part of a 30-second TVC. Obviously it was some vain attempt (or maybe not so vain, considering how some Filipinos could be) to win votes - by using a well-known family member's name. 

Classic. 

Second, the chargen with her values - it was nice, I suppose, I little cliche, I little overused, and definitely misplaced. As a viewer, I can't see how she's is "Masipag" and "Matulungin" while she's just talking to a couple in their barely moved into house. 

Television is a medium used to portray visuals. And all the needless dialogue is a complete waste of that 30-second spot. 

Honestly, Angel Locsin's Modess TVC showed more values than this 36-seconder advertisement. 

But, crappy advertising aside. I'm sure Grace Poe is a decent person, and I don't know anything about her. (Unfortunately, this ad failed to shed light onto her character for me) so, I'm not judging her as a person. 

Just her incredibly terrible TVC. 

I Am Number 3

Ok, since I'm such a professional procrastinator when it comes to doing homework for my Development Communication course, I decided to scroll through the collection of nonsense known as my Facebook news feed and found this.

If you were born on the 3rd, 12th, 21st, 30th of any month then you are number 3...


Number 3

You are a person of hardhearted, selfish most of the times, religious, loves to climb up in your life. You always tend to have lots of problems within your family in the early stages but you will put up with everything.

You have the strong word power, pretty happy face. So wherever you go always you have got what you wanted! And from the birth always wanted to work hard in order to achieve something.

You will not get anything without hardwork! When you reach a man/ woman age you want other younger ones to listen to you, because you want younger people to respect people older than them. You do set so many examples to others.

Generally you are not a cool person. It's not easy thing dealing with you. A tough player you are! But once you like someone's attitude then here you go, what can I say? It will be a lasting friendship. You always have respect from others.

Your life seems to have lots of worries and problems but sure they won't be long. you will always have brilliant kids! You love the money a bit too.

Much so temptation will push you to endless trying and trying.. If you are a guy then it's over. Looking after your family and help friends, so you will spend a life time just being generous and kind (except 21st born men).

And number 3s you will be such an example of how to be in the culture & life! If you are girl then you have good character and culture & hardworking attitude. You always follow.

You are a freedom lover, creative, ambition

Focused, a person who brings beauty , hope & joy to this world!

Your best match 6 ,9. Good match 1 ,3 ,5 !!!

It's pretty worthless actually. But it was entertaining. So, if you want to find out what yours is, just check this photo.

Word Vomit.

With classes (for graduating students, at least) ending in a week or so, I found myself swimming in free time that I didn't even know I had.

Which naturally has the ability to drive me insane.

So, to avoid being carted off into the nearest mental institution, I had to find something to do. So, I chose to write. Except, I couldn't think of anything to write about. Its seriously been too long since I felt inspired enough to actually write about something.

Usually, in cases like this, I skip the creative process and just base the plot on any of my experiences. And that was when I realized that my life has reached a whole new level of drama and complication that isn't even acceptable in fanfiction.

Imagine that.

Thus, the production of word vomit.

Besides, its hard to produce something happy when you aren't happy.

My Ideal Senatorial Candidate

Credits to: Pinoy Exchange. If you are the owner of this photo though, please let me know. 

With the elections coming up, I'm sure there are people who have their short list of candidates ready for election day, like there are some people who are still trying to sift through the political bullshit that seems to be of abundance during election season. 

And I'm sure there are people who just don't care. But we're not here to talk about those sorts of people. 

I used to be a part of the population who just didn't care. But thankfully, I am ignorant no more. But I'm not the sort of person who has a list of people to vote for either, of course not, but I do have a list of qualities that I believe a proper Senator should posses. You know, in addition to the usual: He should not steal, should be fair and just, should be sincere in serving the people and all that. 

1. He/She should be quiet. 

No, I don't mean quiet in the new kid or shy girl kind. I meant that They should be quiet in the sense that they don't crave for media attention. They do their work quietly and efficiently. 

But then again, there is a huge difference between actually doing something, but keeping quiet about it and not doing anything. 

2. He/She should be able to display something with actual sense on their political ads. 

Slogans, a picturesque forest and a waterfall background, a baby, and taglines that match your initials do not work. I'm pretty sure my block mates could think of better ideas. 

Ads, as taught to me by my various professors, are created to inform and promote. However, ads that have no sense - no sense at all - do not inform, which defeats that purpose of an ad. When I look at political ads, all I see are their faces, I am not informed of any thing at all. 

Asides from the fact na isa sa talents ng graphic team niyo ang pagpilitan ang slogans ng mga pangalan niyo. 

3. Someone who didn't make a name for himself through bringing his opponents down. 

I'm sure this is self-explanatory. Who wants a hater in Senate? 

4. Someone who doesn't use their family name to gather votes. 

What is with this country? I know that we hold our family values high up on our list of values that we live up to, but seriously, one does not simply vote for a candidate because she's so and so's daughter, or he's whoever's cousin, son, brother or husband, or worse, because a family member of his recently died. 

We vote this people because they have proven themselves worthy to hold office in our Senate. Sure, they had exemplary parents, and they are lucky for being born into that family. But we simply do not vote for them just for that reason, perhaps they picked something up from said parents, but they should be able to prove to us that they did. This could only be done by producing platforms that would actually benefit the masses. 

5. Someone who knows how to follow the law. 

Recently, on my way home one night, I came across this giant tarp which had a memo from the Mayor of Quezon City, Mayor Herbert Bautista. Unfortunately, I can't remember the exact words on the memo, but it basically said that political ads weren't allowed along Commonwealth Avenue. I remember because the minute I saw that, I literally said "Oh, thank God!" 

But then, to my surprise a few days later, I cam across several political ads, stuck to the walls, tied to posts and gates. 

Wow. Just wow. 

How can we respect a law maker that doesn't know how to follow simple orders? 

6. Someone who understands and respects the Separation of Church and State

Constitution was created by our forefathers, not to guarantee the rights of the people, but to limit the power of the state. And one of these constitutional provisions is the Separation of Church and State (Article II, Section 6.) 

The least someone could do is respect the highest law in the land, right? 

7. Someone who actually studied Law. 

When you're sick, you go to a doctor. This doctor spent half of his life in school, studying, preparing for this day. We go to doctors and not to our local Witch Doctors because we know that they know what they're talking about. They studied this. For years. 

Unfortunately, I can't always say the same for some of our candidates - or even our current Senators for that matter. 

Being a comedian, a former actor, an actor's spouse or whatever isn't good enough. How are we supposed to know that you know what you're talking about if you didn't actually study it? 

We don't. That's exactly the point. 

8. Someone who knows what the Philippines is entitled to and will not stop until we get it. 

But we don't want self-entitled jerks either, so don't cross the line. 

9. Someone who has better things to do than engaging in nonsensical matters. 

Seriously, who was the person who first proposed to declare Justin Bieber a persona non-grata? Well, I just lost all semblance of respect for you. Whoever you are. Surely there must be of use for something else in this world. You know, asides from scrolling through instagram on your phone or tablet. 

So, I pray that our candidates have more than enough sense to not to the same. 

10. Someone who knows how to listen to the people without thinking of ways of how it could be beneficial to them. 

A democracy is a government for the people, by the people, and of the people. In any part of it do I not see that it is a government for the Senate, for the congress and everyone else in office. 

For the people, ladies and gentlemen. Sometimes, our polticians - and those who aspire to be politicians - just needed to be reminded of that particular  fact. 

Bonus: If you're anything like Miriam Defensor Santiago. Then we probably would need you in our Government. 

[IMPORT] God Has Plans

I've heard people say this, over and over again.
God has plans, or God will find a way, or God willed it to be this way...

Maybe it's just me refusing to accept that someone out there, some higher power in the universe, has complete control over my life. Or maybe it's just the way I think.

I believe that God doesn't really have plans - I mean, if he did, why would he give us the right to choose? It just doesn't make sense if you think about it.

I'd rather prefer, God made it this way.

Whatever plans you may have that succeeded  it wasn't because of God's predetermined plans, but because he simply helped you get there.

God has plans - to me, it's just a fancy way of saying "Bahala na si Batman." 

Take charge of your own life, and make your own choices.

[IMPORT] Two Kinds of Love

With Valentine's so near, its kind of impossible to not think of love, love and love. I don't think anyone could miss the sickening amount of love in the air, even if you lived under a rock.

Anyway, all this thinking of love made me think of a few things - one of them was the realization that there are two kinds of "true" love.

Confused? Don't worry, hopefully that wouldn't last long

Ok. You know how love songs, quotes and stories can never be at peace when describing how love it? Some people claim that love should feel peaceful, like you're safe and warm and comfortable in that special person's arms. While others claim that love should be playful, thrilling and exciting.

Well, I'm starting to think that they're both right.

I believe that for each person, there are two people she is destined to be with. One is the guy meant to make her feel safe, meant to make her feel like she's found a home in his embrace; and second is the guy who would never bore her, who would always keep her on her toes and give life a new meaning and excitement for her.

It just depends on the kind of person that you are and the the kind of love that you need. :)

Personally, I'm  more of the "safe in his arms" kind of girl. Since I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie, a love like that seems like heaven to me.

[IMPORT] B and S

No. This isn't a blog post about BS. So don't bother. :))

These past few days, I've been absolutely dedicated to finishing Gossip Girl. Every time I click on a new episode, I would say "After this episode, I'm done. I'm going to work on my paper." that is, until I've realized I've finished an entire season without so much as typing down a single word for our Media Law finals paper.

But this isn't about my epic procrastination skills either. :)) Besides, we already know I'm awesome at that.

For an assignment that I did for my BroadJourn class, I identified Gossip Girl as a show that girls could relate to, but at that time I didn't really believe it. At that time I only watched sporadically and an episode couldn't really make me relate to any of the characters. But, none the less, I was a fan.

Another unrelated - but also slightly related story - is how a very close friend of mine calls me S. As in Serena's nickname. It all started when I was in first year. i had lost my pin that morning and I didn't have time to look for a new one, so I had to borrow a pin that belonged to my mom to hold my lamda up. On the way home, some guy sitting across from me asked if my name started with the letter S because that was what my pin was - being the paranoid freak that I am told him that it did, since I didn't really want to tell him my real name, I told him my name was Serena. It had become Andrea's moniker for me ever since.

But then, she also told me that aside from that very weird incident, I did sort of remind her of Serena sometimes. She told me that in my own way, I was also beautiful but naive, innocent and yet damned, uncontrollable but also wise (in my own way). And often times, when she felt less gracious, she also compared the fact that I had dated a number of guys to the guys that Serena was constantly seeing on the show.

Sometimes, I do believe her. Not because of the guys that I date, or because I sincerely believe that I'm beautiful but damned. Its because like Serena, I don't think I have ever found the path that I wanted to walk on, I've always felt like I was so unfortunate and yet things are constantly handed to me on a silver platter, I've never had to make a single choice in my life - everything was chosen for me, I'm self absorbed, and wild and crazy.

But there are also days when I feel the need to reassess this belief, I don't want the reputation, the parties, the boys, and the silver platter that comes with being Serena. I want the drama, the work and the tears that comes with being Blair Waldorf. I want to be a powerful woman, not a friendly one. I want my Chuck Bass and not the Dan Humphreys or Nate Archibalds. I want that great love, even if it may not be the right love.

Everyone sees me as Serena Van Der Woodsen; but when I look at the mirror everyday, all I can ever think about is how badly I want to be Blair Waldorf.

Ohai Blogger!

Hi!

With Posterous shutting down in a few months, I thought it was about time I switched blog platforms. I've been hearing a lot of good things about this site (and it doesn't hurt that my favorite fashion bloggers are here too.) and I'm just really looking forward to figuring this thing out.

So here's to more blogging moments!

xoxo
Ella

P.S. I might be importing my old posts from my Posterous and Tumblr one of these days, so watch out for those ;)