LSS over Adele's Someone Like You

I love the song "Someone Like You" by Adele!  I'm having a last song syndrome (LSS) over this song for a day now.  Have you ever played a song over 10 times?  I did.=)

Lyrics


I heard

That you’re settled down
That you
Found a girl
And your
Married now

I heard
That your dreams came true
I guess she gave you things
I didn’t give to you

Oh friend
Why you so shy
Ain’t like you to hold back
Or hide from the light

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn’t stay away I couldn’t fight it
I hoped you’d see my face and be reminded
That for me
It isn’t over

Nevermind
I’ll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best
For you too
Don’t forget me
I beg
I’ll remember you still
Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead

Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead
Yeah

You know how the time flies
Only yesterday
It was the time of our lives
We were born and bred
In a summer haze
Bound by the surprise
Of our glory days

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn’t stay away I couldn’t fight it
I hoped you’d see my face and be reminded
That for me
It isn’t over

Nevermind
I’ll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best
For you too
Don’t forget me
I beg
I’ll remember you still
Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead

Nothing compares
No worries or cares
Regrets and mistakes
And memories made
Who would have known
How bittersweet
This would taste

Nevermind
I’ll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best
For you too
Don’t forget me
I beg
I’ll remember you still
Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead

Nevermind
I’ll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best
For you too
Don’t forget me
I beg
I’ll remember you still
Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead

Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead

My Reflection


While playing, it made me think about the lyrics.  I think the song is just so sad.  I used to believe in commitments and having the "only one" too.  But after years of experience, I now figured that love only hurts when it is forced.  People should learn to let go.  Learning is our gift.  People are wise enough to learn to understand rather than to be confused and go through cumbersome misunderstandings.  We also know that forgiving is better than to hate.  So what's the difference with loving and letting go?


If my partner ever loves someone else, I won't be mad or jealous.  I would let him go immediately without question and be happy for him.  For me, being with my partner means feeling the same way as he does.  If he is happy, I am too.  If he is sad and troubled, I feel so down too.  If he feels hatred and anger, I feel like I want to take that away from him because that is so tiring.


I've recently noticed that I can't help but worry whether he is happy or not.  For me love is a big responsibility.  I used to think that if I work hard and protect him, everything would be okay.  Then, I realized that I'm aging or despite my cautiousness there is still a possibility that someday I will be gone too.    So, I had to teach him everything I know too.


Therefore, if there is someone that could give him happiness better than me then I'd feel that it is less burdensome for me and I could be happy picturing him being happy.  In fact, it is my wish to encounter my past loves someday and see them successful and happy.  Do you think my logic is weird?

Happy Birthday Mama Mary

Today is an important day for Catholics.  Back when I was in elementary and high school, we would celebrate Mama Mary's birthday by praying the rosary and have a short program.

Now, I just celebrate it with a simple prayer.  How about you?  How do you celebrate her birthday?

What trimestral MBA-Juris Doctor means!

When I first decided to enroll in the only trimestral MBA-JD program in the country, I was so enthusiastic to have a chance to study both MBA and Juris Doctor at the same time.  It never crossed my mind that the schedule could be too fast pace for my level.

After a week of term break, today is my first day of class again.  Because the term is only composed of 14 weeks, most professors send the reading assignments before the start of the term.  This term I've decided to take lesser subjects than my peers in school.  Call it cowardice if you like.  But this is how it goes for me.=p

Yes!  I've excluded Saturday classes so I could have some FREE time for myself.  

I guess enrolling in a trimestral MBA-Juris Doctor means getting used to fast paced lessons.  To be honest, I'm still getting a hang of it.  Yet, I still love it!=)

An extra long holiday due to dengue fever

Last Wednesday, my mom overworked herself a bit and the next day she got a fever.  She was still continuing her daily routine.  Just this Tuesday, we all got surprised that her nose bled and my little sister advised that she be brought for a blood test.  The tests revealed that her platelets dropped to 30,000 when the normal was 400,000.  We immediately search for a doctor.  It was difficult find one since it was a holiday.

As a last resort, we called and consulted from Healthway and their medtech advised us to rush my mom to an Emergency Room (E.R.).  She was admitted instantly at Medical Center Manila Hospital.  She was positive for Dengue Fever.  In order to increase her platelets she had 3 bags of plasma transfused.  According to my sister, low platelets means you can have internal bleeding anytime.

Blood samples were taken from her every six hours to monitor her platelets.  Some blood samples were easily taken and some were not.  I hope she can recover soon.  Here is her results so far:

Tuesday (before admission) - 30,000
Tuesday (upon admission) - 22,000
Tuesday 6 p.m. - 18,000
Wednesday 12 a.m. - 18,000
Wednesday 6 a.m. - 20,000
Wednesday 12 .n.n - 24,000

The doctor said my mom's slow recovery was due to her diarrhea from the "tawa-tawa" extract.  He advised her to only drink water from then on.  Hopefully, she'll recover faster.  I guess its better to trust the doctor than hearsays and myths.=p

It's my first time to stay overnight with my mom at a hospital.  It felt like an ordinary hotel.  Price is almost the same too.   But I missed home instantly.  I missed my pillows, blanket and WiFi.=p  Lucky for me, I have 4 other siblings so we had shifts.  I can't imagine how homesick my mom is though.

My mom's bed

My bed

fridge

TV with Skycable=)

On the bright side, at least my mom finally had the chance to finish Smallville season 6.  Relatives visited the hospital everyday and everyone had a chance to catch up.   Thanks to all the friends and relatives who have showed their care and prayed for my mom's recovery.

Amusing Church Sign

Noticed this one day while attending mass at Ermita Church.  I liked how it was stated.  Truthful yet non-offending.  What do you think?

My First Ever Baguio Experience

Being four hours away from Manila, Baguio was my first out of town vacation ever!  I was around 10 years old when I went to Baguio with my aunts, uncles and cousins.  Back then Baguio was surrounded by pine trees.  It was so cold that when we were near the top of the beautiful plateau, we would turn off the air conditioning and open the windows to enjoy the cool breeze.  You could see cold mist and fog surrounding the area.  My cousins would fool around and breath in the air and see if fog would come from our mouths.

credits to the owners of the photos

We went to so many places on a single day.  We tried boating at the man-made lake in the middle of Burnham Park.  Back then, the lake looked so big and wide to me.   After that was my favorite activity, pony riding at Wright Park Circle.  I can still recall that the pony I rode was color brown.  Some of my cousins were afraid to ride but that was ridiculous since we were assisted by staffs and we couldn't even make the ponies gallop faster.=)  We dined at Camp John Hay during dinner and shopped around the city before hit the sack.  It was the first time I ever saw "ukay-ukay" shops.  We also saw lots of interesting native products and word works like the barrel man.

credits to titakosivilma.com

The next day, we visited Mines View Park.  The view was so nice.  We also ate "pinipig" being sold on the streets.  My aunts also went to the market.  They came back with boxes of FRESH vegetables and strawberries.  I love strawberries!  The strawberries in Baguio are so fresh and sweet I ate to my hearts content.  We also visited Good Shepherd to buy peanut brittle and strawberry jam.  On the way home, we also purchased brooms.  It was so much fun!

So why am I reminiscing?  It's because Baguio City is celebrating its 102nd year.  Happy Birthday!=)

In case you want to visit Baguio check out the cheap rates of http://www.eurotel-hotel.com

First day of finals week!

Today was my Negotiable Instruments Final so I didn't have enough sleep as I crammed my way for the test. I think I failed miserably at it too.  


As I was about to go home, I saw a lot of people stranded on the lobby.  It was raining hard and then I realized I forgot my umbrella again.  It was still around 9:00 p.m. so I called Kurt and asked him if it was raining at Q.C. He said the rain was over.  I called home and they said there is no rain too.  So I waited... and waited but the rain only got stronger.  It was already 10:30 p.m. so I submerged into the cold hard rain and there was no transportation available so I had to ride an air-conditioned bus.  When I got down, the streets were flooded as I dipped in.  I was wet all over in my typical business attire too.  As I walked in the streets all soaked, people were shouting at me "Te! Payong!".  I found that weird since I was already wet.=p  I had myself a warm hot shower as soon as I got home.  Ah the warmth!


I was so tired and hundry so I opened the fridge for my late night dinner, I found... =)

Salmon Sashimi

Guyabano Shake

All of a sudden, all the tiredness from my wet misadventures vanished.  These are all that I needed to regain my energy for my next final exam in Land Titles and Deeds tomorrow.  I'll be studying hard on an all-nighter cramming episode.   Let's hope for the best!


But first, have to play with my begging "Lychee" (my maltese).  Simply couldn't resist that cute look of hers.=)

Overall, it was still a pretty good day.  Tomorrow, I'll put umbrella on my checklist.  Hope everyone is home and dry like me now.=)


Update: Just found out I left my stuff at the classroom.  Silly me!  Just the beginning and already out of it.=/ My stress level is a bit high lately.  Just found out lately that not only does stress affect health, it also linked to forgetfulness.  Hope I can still find them tomorrow though. 

My Top 10 Favorite Motivational and Inspirational Songs

Sometimes, when I'm too tired, I just play my favorite motivational and inspirational songs to keep me going.  Here's my Top 10 list.  What about yours?

1. Survivor - Eye of the Tiger

2. Yolanda Adams - I Believe

3. Avril Lavigne - Keep Holding On

4. . Donna Summers - Power of One

5. Good Charlotte - Hold On

6.  Dianna Ross - If We Hold On Together

7. Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston - When You Believe

8. Miley Cyrus - The Climb

9. 5ive -Keep on Moving

10. Yellowcard - Believe

Movie Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love. (+ some reflections)

Last Night, I got to watch the advance screening of  "Crazy, Stupid, Love." movie in Rockwell Cinema 2 with my little sister.  We had FREE ice cream courtesy of Nestle.  There were also some games and prizes from the sponsors before the show.  But everyone was looking forward to just watching the movie.

Tickets courtesy of PEX

There has been a lot of romantic comedies these days that are full of big shot stars but lack uniqueness in plots.  So we had the impression that this will be another one of those.  BUT we were WRONG!  This movie is probably one of the best romantic comedies I've watched.  Seriously, this is one romantic comedy your boyfriends (except if its Kurt) would even enjoy.

It's not a cliche romantic comedy.  It has a plot of its own and good one too.  Its a good blend of entertainment.  There are tear-jerking moments and a lot of good and hilarious jokes.  The humor is unexpected and surprisingly funny.   There was not a boring scene in the entire film.  There is also a message in the story which I really appreciated.  The message,of course, is well encapsulated in the title itself.

I liked the combination of the casts.  Steve Carell, as expected, is a superb comedian.  I've liked Ryan Gosling since he starred in as Noah in one of my favorite movies, The Notebook.  He's a real woman-charmer that's for sure.  Together, these two brought the show to life.

Overall, I loved the movie! The casts did well in their role.  I like the presentation and how it was made.  It was perfect!  You should watch it.=)  There's a good lesson to it too.

After watching this movie, Kurt will probably tease me for watching movies like this because he thinks romance is just a sham sold to women to hope for something that doesn't exist.  Is it?  For a long time, I've stopped watching and believing in these things.  But by watching this movie, it made me rethink and reconsider.

New Hobby: GetGlue.com Sticker Collecting in Manila

When in pre-school, my little sisters and I used to collect stickers.  I recall memories of begging our parents to buy us sticker albums and stickers.  We used to check out stores just to see if they had stickers.  Sometimes, we'd go out to the small sari-sari store near our school and buy some.  We would trade and negotiate with each other.  (As if stickers are currencies!=p)  Well, you can't blame us since stickers are one of the few things we could buy back then.

So why am I talking about stickers?  Recently, I discovered about GetGlue.com.  It is a social network for entertainment.  You get to check-in what you are thinking, watching, reading and listening.  It can also help you find your the next movie, books and music albums.  You can also collect FREE stickers randomly when you check-in.  When you reach 20 stickers, you can have it sent to you wherever you are.

I tried it for several weeks until I finally collected 20 stickers and had it sent over.  After a  month, I got a mail and there it was my FREE stickers from GetGlue.com in New York.  

My family thought it was weird that I got excited over this.  They think I'm too old for sticker collecting.  Am I?  If you think about it.  These stickers represent me.  I got these stickers by checking-in what I wanted to do.  So if you were to view my album in the future, you could tell what I've watched, read, thought about and listened too even without me blogging about it or telling you about it right?  Thus, a new hobby is born.

Check out our sticker albums when we were kids.  The one with the Sesame Street stickers is mine.  (we used to watch Sesame Street everyday during lunch time when we were kids) While the rest I borrowed from my sisters just for sharing purposes.  How about you?  Did you collect when you were a child too?=)

Lending an umbrella on a rainy day

Yesterday, I was expecting a nice sunny day so I didn't bother to bring my umbrella.  To my surprise, as I was walking somewhere along Ortigas, large drops of rain suddenly begun to pour.  During that time, I wished I had an umbrella.  There was nowhere to run for cover. It's amazing how small things can mean a lot.  In a normal dry sunny day, I couldn't care less whether I had an umbrella.  When it suddenly poured, I was praying and wishing for one in dire need.

I was intending to use a flyer to cover my head when a stranger (I'm not sure if I heard it right but it sounded like  Ms. Arianne) called me from behind and offered to share an umbrella.  If you think about it is a simple deed and even FREE.  Yet, it made a BIG difference.  It kept me and my important belongings dry.  It kept me from being ill.

Honestly, if I did not encounter that situation, I never would have thought about how significant lending an umbrella on a rainy day is.  I'm glad I experienced this, it made me realize that I should be more thoughtful about my surroundings like those who lend an umbrella on a rainy day.  How about you?  Have you lent an umbrella yet?

Best Overpass?

Went to Ortigas today to claim our prize from Open Rice.  Noticed that the overpass at the back of Megamall is the best overpass I've seen.  I wish all overpass are like this.  So it won't be too scary for people with Acrophobia (afraid of heights) like me.

Overpass at the back of Megamall

        Even the overpass after are ordinary.  In fact, some escalators were not working.

Overpass near Ruby Road

My expectations from President Noynoy's SONA before and now.

Last year, president Noynoy made the following promises:

• Stop corruption beginning with the establishment of the Truth Commission


• Public-Private Partnerships to promote and improve education, infrastructure, health, military and police needs and more to improve the economy and tourism.


• Build-Operate-Transfer to fasten the process of registration with the DTI to create more jobs.


• Build more classrooms


• Cover more masses who are in need of Philhealth 


• Anti-Trust Law to stop monopolies and promote the growth of Small- at Medium-scale Enterprises


• Pass the Whistleblower’s Bill and strengthen the Witness Protection Program to the culture of being threatened


• Negotiate with the MILF

This year he his SONA mentions:

• his dedication in stopping "wang-wang" which is a sign of abuse of power


• improvement in our stock market as a sign of good business and economy


• that taxes are guaranteed to benefit the public


• improvement in the agriculture sector having produced 15.6% more rice locally


• lot allocation to policemen


• our "Hamilton Class Cutter" vessel and the possibilities of acquiring more helicopters, patrol crafts and weaponry in the future


• large drop in motorcycle and car thefts


• Drop from 8% (April 2010) to 7.2% (April 2011) in unemployment rate with 1,004,000 jobs created last year


• More Phil-health-deserving beneficiaries


• Stopping corruption in ARMM


• Studying the possibilities of Tree planting stewardship to solve the problems with flooding


• DOST and UP have even teamed up to develop a prototype monorail system


• aim:


• to give due compensation to the victims of Martial Law


• to grant our house help the salaries and benefits that they deserve


• to improve the system that awards pensions to our retired soldiers. 


• to support the expansion of the scope of scholarships granted by DOST to outstanding yet underprivileged students


• the advancement of universal quality healthcare


• responsible management of the environment


• formation of facilities that will ensure the safety of our citizens during times of great need and calamity


• development of BuCor, NBI, NEA, and PTV 4

I was expecting that he would update us on the improvement in classrooms.  I believe that education is essential to the progress of our country.  Has any one been watching the news?  You'd notice that quite often, poor students are being featured.  Sometimes the news would show students having their classes in worn down tents which leaked during rainy days.  They would show teachers who have to travel and hike before reaching schools.  They would show overcrowded classrooms where kids were forced to stand the heat and be cramp like a can of sardines.  Moreover,  I'd like to see more infrastructures built that would benefit the public instead of purchasing a new vessel.  He still has a lot of time during his term so I'm still hoping that there will be more tangible proofs in the future.  How about you?  Did you get what you expected?

Based on the ratings everything has improved.  But how do they perform these surveys?  Do we know?  Like when they consider a person poor on the basis of earning 45 pesos a day.  Is that really enough to cover a persons daily expenses?  I've learned in our statistics class that ratings could easily be modified to mislead people.  Is that the case here?  You tell me.

Winning a Sibling Rivalry over LG Optimus "It's Genius Blogging Contest"

A few months ago, my little sister and I joined a blogging contest together because of sibling rivalry.  We wanted to prove that one was better than the other.  I have to admit, I always lost.  But I've always tried my best.

Despite my difficulty from catching up with my day-to-day school lessons, I worked hard for my entry and submitted it at the last minute.  I did a thorough review and made it with sincerity.  I entitled it "Got to be a Genius with LG Optimus 2x and Optimus Black" (see separate entry)  I was being true to myself in admitting that I want to be a genius.  Doesn't everybody feel the same way?


It's funny that we've been teasing each other everyday for a few days now.  We were telling each other that there has already been an announcement and that we won.  Yet today, when we least expect it, the result really came.


I went home from school tired so I was surprise to be informed that I won the contest.  I was surprised and shocked.  When we were making our entries, everyone told me that hers was a sure win and my entry was disorganized.  


So this is how it feels to win... Not really as I expected.  I'd be happier if my sister and I both won. In my honest opinion, her creativity was better than mine.  Even her title "A Prescription for  Genius Transformation" (see separate entry) was cool.


I realized that winning or losing over sibling rivalry is not an end point.  It is a gift of motivation.  I'm lucky to have a great little sister.  If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have pushed my limits.  It's not really about winning or losing.  It's about motivating each other to strive harder.  It's really fun.  One contest has passed and we have so many things to compete for as long as we live.=)  Frankly, I don't mind being at the back catching up with a lot of great people.  I believe that as long as I go on, maybe someday I can change the pace and go side by side with them.  


Everything feels fuzzy so I wrote my thoughts and hopefully tomorrow this won't turn out to be a dream.=)


How about you have you ever experienced sibling rivalry?  Is this circumstance familiar?  What are your thoughts on it?  


Update: According to my sister's blog statistics no one visited her entry during the entire period... Now, I'm thinking my win could just be a fluke.=(

Reminisce from the song Chances are by Bob Seger & Martina McBride

I've always loved this song.  Every since I watched the movie "Hope Floats".  It's been a long time since I've heard it.  I think it perfectly expresses the feeling of love.  

Chances Are 
by Bob Seger & Martina McBride


Chances are you'll find me
Somewhere on your road tonight
Seems I always end up driving by
Ever since I've known you
It seems you're on my way

All the rules of logic don't apply
I long to see you in the night
Be with you 'til morning light

I remember clearly how you looked
The night we met
I recall your laughter and your smile
I remember how you made me
Feel so at ease
I remember all your grace and your style

And now you're all I long to see
You've come to mean so much to me

Chances are I'll see you
In my dreams tonight
You'll be smiling like the night we met
Chances are I'll hold you and I'll offer
All I have

You're the only one I can't forget
Baby you're the best I've ever met

And I'll be dreaming of the future
And hoping you'll be by my side
And in the morning I'll be longing for the night
For the night

Chances are I'll see you
Somewhere in my dreams tonight
You'll be smiling like the night we met
Chances are I'll hold you and I'll offer
All I have

You're the only one I can't forget
Baby you're the best I've ever met


There are songs that come and go.  But there will always be songs that will stay with you for the rest of your life.  It's amazing that a decade ago until now, I still find this song beautiful.  Perhaps, because the song perfectly captures how I feel before and even now.  How about you?  Is there also a song that you will always relate to?


Even if my first love is long gone and lost, there will always be something left in memory and a feeling kept at the midst of my heart.  It only takes a song to reminisce.  Its amazing how long it has been and how far I've gone after that.  Do you think its good or bad to reminisce?

Mc Tonight?

My little sister stayed home to study tonight so we brought her home a Mc Donald's 1 pc chicken with spaghetti meal (w/ softdrink) (priced at 108 php).  She was so happy!  She said that it was her first time to eat fast food at late night.  She was also excited to use plastic fork.

I've always wondered why kids love to eat fast food and use plastic spoon and forks.  Do you know?

Eiga Sai 2011 Japanese Film Festival in Shangrila, Davao, Cebu and UP

I really want to watch atleast one film at Eiga Sai 2011 Japanese Film Festival.  I've always been a fan of Japanese Dramas and Movies.  You'll notice I have a long list of Asian Drama at "My Watchlist" page.  But  I also have to study.  I've been in a confused and slack state every since the start of the school year and I have to catch up for the midterms.

Below is the schedule for the Free shows at different venues.   Good Luck!    

Shangri-La Plaza (For inquiries, contact 633-7851 loc.113 or go to http://www.shangrila-plaza.com.)

01 July 2011
7:00pm Departures (Invitational)

02 July 2011
1:00pm The Chef of South Polar
4:00pm Departures
7:00pm The Summit: A Chronicle of Stones

03 July 2011
1:00pm Summer Days with Coo
4:00pm The Summit: A Chronicle of Stones
7:00pm The Chef of South Polar

04 July 2011
1:00pm Yunagi City, Sakura Country
4:00pm Villon’s Wife
7:00pm Climber’s High

05 July 2011
1:00pm Your Friend
4:00pm One Million Yen Girl
7:00pm Feel the Wind

06 July 2011
1:00pm One Million Yen Girl
4:00pm Climber’s High
7:00pm The Summit: A Chronicle of Stones

07 July 2011
1:00pm Feel the Wind
4:00pm Climber’s High
7:00pm Your Friend

08 July 2011
1:00pm Your Friend
4:00pm Yunagi City, Sakura Country
7:00pm Departures

09 July 2011
1:00pm Departures
4:00pm One Million Yen Girl
7:00pm Villon’s Wife

10 July 2011
1:00pm Summer Days with Coo
4:00pm Feel the Wind
7:00pm The Chef of South Polar

Gaisano Grand Citimall Davao

22 July 2011
4:00pm Your Friend
6:30pm Departures

23 July 2011
11:00am One Million Yen Girl
1:30pm The Chef of South Polar
4:00pm The Summit: A Chronicle of Stones
7:00pm Climber’s High

24 July 2011
11:00am Yunagi City, Sakura Country
1:30pm Summer Days with Coo
4:30pm Feel the Wind
7:15pm Villon’s Wife

Ayala Center Cinema 4 Cebu

02 August 2011
7:00pm The Chef of South Polar

03 August 2011
7:00pm Climber’s High

04 August 2011
7:00pm Yunagi City, Sakura Country

05 August 2011
7:00pm Villon’s Wife

06 August 2011
1:30pm The Summit: A Chronicle of Stones
4:30pm Summer Days with Coo
7:30pm One Million Yen Girl

07 August 2011
1:30pm Your Friend
4:30pm Summer Days with Coo
7:30pm Feel the Wind

UP Film Insitute

17 August 2011
12:30pm Summer Days with Coo
3:00pm One Million Yen Girl
5:30pm Yunagi City, Sakura Country
7:30pm Villon’s Wife

18 August 2011
12:30pm Your Friend
3:00pm Feel the Wind
5:15pm Yunagi City, Sakura Country
7:30pm Climber’s High

19 August 2011
12:30pm Climber’s High
3:00pm The Summit: A Chronicle of Stones
5:30pm Villon’s Wife
7:30pm The Chef of South Polar

20 August 2011
12:30pm Summer Days with Coo
3:00pm Feel the Wind
5:10pm The Summit: A Chronicle of Stones
7:30pm The Chef of South Polar