after weeks, finally calm and happy and at peace. :)

500 Days of Summer.


From www.500daysofsummer.com

"You weren't wrong, Tom. You were just wrong about me."

Ouch! But what a Summer thing to say! Summer's so pretty and amazingly self-assured. She's so crushable, hahaha. No wonder Tom fell in love with her. Ang cute pa ng damit nya! I want a wardrobe change. :)) Plus a couple more inches to my height. Hahaha! Seriously, I want a copy of the movie and soundtrack. (Can't believe I recognize 2 songs there. Whoa, coolness factor, haha!) Joy, stream or borrow the video as part of your pop culture lesson, hehe. :))

In other news, I'm so excited for tomorrow! Sana totohanin ni Nidsy kahit isa sa mga scenario that we proposed. Grabe ha, tatlo yun!

Scenario one: laugh aloud in the middle of a meeting. Very low probability of success though, so skip.

Scenario two: write something funny abt Friend X then bcc all the single guys. High probability that someone will reply. :D

Scenario three: "Hmm, ang bango nito! Ginagamit ba to ng girlfriend mo?"

Scenario four (two words lang but immediately got axed): Ramon Rubilla

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! Senseless and immature nanaman!

First time I heard this song -- "Prettiest Friend" by Jason Mraz. Akalain mo yun, he has songs I haven't heard yet? *shocked*

After my left ovary scare last week, I'm super happy for the excessive amount of hugs I've received.  Hugs are super relaxing. Mmmmm..... *loopy smile* 

What a schmoopy entry, haha!

so first thing in the morning, i got rejected by my dates for the weekend (that's you dangsy and vincent). hahaha! valid reasons naman kaya ok lang, go! :) change of plans. and so while other people (i.e., kuya mike) were out saving the environment one mountain trail at a time and wow-ing non-engineering students with an engineering presentation prepared on the fly (galing!), i was equally busy scrubbing the sink and washing dishes and cleaning the bathroom. haha! oi, nakakapagod to scrub tiles back to their virgin whiteness. :D i have not succeeded completely, but it's an ongoing project; for the past week, whenever i wasn't rushing, i felt compelled to scrub dirt away. i'd start with a small area, then it'd turn into a whole tile, then i'd transfer to another tile... okaaay. para akong addict, haha. kaya ako nale-late at kailangan mag-taxi e!

but i digress. back to today's events! on the way to the dentist, napansin ko ang init ng araw -- intense sunlight pero malamig ang hangin. parang... christmas. haha. no, parang baguio. basta. di ko pa sya na-appreciate. (more on this later.) when i got to the clinic, ang tagal ng nauna sakin! but it was fine, because i finally FINALLY finished that darned murakami book. took me more than a month. ack. i told jenny next year na yung ibang murakami na papahiram nya. one book is enough to last me several months. haha! another good news: malapit na tanggalin braces ko!! yay! sana next month na. :D i've really missed uncomplicated flossing. please, let this flossing-gymnastics be over!

on the way home, my galeh, ang ganda ng sunlight! golden light, like this (look for "Sasha went for the sun, and Sam went to play ball") and this ("Walking back to Mass Comm was beautiful"), the kind that makes you nostalgic and just plain super glad and happy and thankful to see such beauty. :) ang ganda talaga nya. made me smile the whole time i could see it, and it makes me smile now when i remember it. :)

after a quick rest and removing all my jewelry, i was off to divisoria. whee! 2nd time ever ko magpunta dun, and i was alone both times. bakit ba parati na lang akong alone sa ganitong adventure? ah right! wala nga pala ko boyfriend. HAHAHA. mga tiga-quezon city / outside metro manila nga pala ang friends ko. :D besides, if may mangyari man weird while in divisoria, like maputikan sila or mapickpocket, i don't want to be liable for their trauma. :D 

ANYWAY. back to my story. i went there to buy :

1) bandeau kasi ang init to wear sando underneath shirts with gaping necklines. ahahaha! bakit divisoria pa if meron din sa bench body? kasi ang mahal sa bench! but after all the walking i did and the pollution and traffic i went through, i humbly admitted na pwedeng pwede nako bumili sa bench, kahit na highway robbery ang presyo!

2) a cute dress like my cousin's :D yes, a dress, because nagsusuot na ko ng ganun ngayon. hahaha! hay naku. hindi ako nakakita ng exact style, boo. but i did manage to score a pretty dress. ang tanong ay kung masusuot ko sya kasi it needs to be altered, haha.

looking back, i realized wala ako patience to haggle. if mahal, then i walk away. now, if you do this often enough, inevitably you'd tire yourself out. :D by the time i got back home, i was pooped. hehe. ate luanne was watching "legend of the seeker" which stars my beloved craig parker (whee!! cutie!!) and ang gwapo ng boses nya, promise. :) nakaka-relax pakinggan. then texted with kuya mike to maintain my "happy buzz" despite the tiredness. then took a long bath (and yes, scrubbed the tiles again) and exfoliated using sugar with honey. sarap ng feeling after! i recommend it. :D

i'm sleepy now. will end my rambling and winded entry about this happy and beautiful day. :D good night! 

Or at least, look back neutrally 0_0

Wahaha!

Last Monday there was intense major drama involving Dangsy, me and Kuya Mike (starring role excluded). Lots of realizations from the experience, but the thing that made the drama completely remarkable was that I actually felt hurt by the harshness I perceived, precisely because it came from Kuya Mike. Hmm. We are becoming good friends! Hahaha. :D I don't remember when this mutual adoration started, but I'm enjoying it. My inbox is almost always full, and I am now drowning in virtual hugs and *o* and smileys and AI-speak and reminders to carbo-load and take Nexium. I like! :)

And with that, I introduce you to Katie. Watch it, so funny! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJkaKAIl_Fc&feature=related

Whee! I miss making pajama posts! :)) I'm inspired by Viva, who repeatedly tells me (ok, thrice) that he's a fan of my blog. Hahaha. Shucks, inspiring pala talaga ang feedback!

( Thursday through Thursday )

The Referendum by Tim Kreider

"The Referendum is a phenomenon typical of (but not limited to) midlife, whereby people, increasingly aware of the finiteness of their time in the world, the limitations placed on them by their choices so far, and the narrowing options remaining to them, start judging their peers’ differing choices with reactions ranging from envy to contempt.... We’re all anxiously sizing up how everyone else’s decisions have worked out to reassure ourselves that our own are vindicated — that we are, in some sense, winning."

It's very quotable and funnily written. It touches on concerns I'll likely have, such as having kids:

"I have never even idly thought for a single passing second that it might make my life nicer to have a small, rude, incontinent person follow me around screaming and making me buy them stuff for the rest of my life. [Note to friends with children: I am referring to other people’s children, not to yours.] But there are also moments when some part of me wonders whether I am not only missing the biological boat but something I cannot even begin to imagine — an entire dimension of human experience undetectable to my senses, like a flatlander scoffing at the theoretical concept of sky."

Hahaha!

Years from now, I hope I don't get paralyzed with what-ifs. "The problem is, we only get one chance at this, with no do-overs... One of the hardest things to look at in this life is the lives we didn’t lead, the path not taken, potential left unfulfilled." There is nothing else to do but believe I make the right choices, come to terms with past decisions, and take comfort that the life I'm living is the best one for me.

I'm writing this because I want to remember.

Last Saturday, Manila and some provinces were devastated by Ondoy. Until now, flood water has not subsided in some areas. The pictures and videos are heartbreaking. There are no words to describe what happened.

But there are still bright spots.

My family and friends are safe, and for that I'm very thankful.

Rosey has been amazing. Her family lives in Bulacan and their house was almost completely submerged. After people from MMCS asked after her and Cheska, she replied with this:  The outpouring of support and willingness to help have been overwhelming.This is a nice article from Conrado de Quiros' editorial yesterday. (click here for full article)


I can't wait for my turn to help tomorrow. :)

Spikes of happiness in the past few weeks (months) were fleeting and I was too busy basking to properly record them. That's the latest chapter of my life, it seems: BUSY. You think you're busy already? Then someone resigns. You think you're busy already? New sites will arrive. You think you're busy? Birthdays and reunions and weekend work pop out of the woodwork. But anyway, I'd like to write about some things from this week.

First time to wear a dress to the office! Yes, I'm proud. I told myself I should get comfortable wearing dresses and skirts. (Part of my campaign to look mature hehe.) I was concerned I'd get too cold. Weirdly, I didn't even need a jacket. This means my 3 other dresses will soon make an appearance at RSC. Hehe. Still from yesterday, I was informed I might "step up." While not my exact dream, it will still be challenging, and hopefully cool and enjoyable. :) 

I got a lipstick from Tita Mila. I love it. It's orange-y.

I have a date on Saturday. It's friendly, as opposed to romantic. I should be in a good mood, right? But I'm not. Because the date I'm excited for isn't materializing. -_- Gash, I hope it changes soon. :) Speaking of dates, I know a real life, girl version of Chuck from "Good Luck, Chuck." I will date her. Yehesss. :D

I found the perfect pretty sandals and bought it. Shoe-induced happiness, I love thee!

It does bear mention that when it rains, it pours.

Discovered lovine.com and as always, I'm envious of his writing and photography.

My true love
is not a person
nor a place

But it is a time
when I realize that empty space I feel
needs to be filled

with friends to meet
with a life to live
with love to give.
http://lovine.com/blog/?p=910

That;s it for now!
 

This is a 10-page article from nytimes. It's like reading a chapter from a pop-econ book, but it's very interesting because I can relate to it, what with my different circles of friends. :D So friends, please stay happy and healthy for all our sakes! Hahaha.


Excerpt from "Is Happiness Catching?" by Clive Thompson
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/magazine/13contagion-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

By analyzing the Framingham data, Christakis and Fowler say, they have for the first time found some solid basis for a potentially powerful theory in epidemiology: that good behaviors — like quitting smoking or staying slender or being happy — pass from friend to friend almost as if they were contagious viruses. The Framingham participants, the data suggested, influenced one another’s health just by socializing. And the same was true of bad behaviors — clusters of friends appeared to “infect” each other with obesity, unhappiness and smoking. Staying healthy isn’t just a matter of your genes and your diet, it seems. Good health is also a product, in part, of your sheer proximity to other healthy people. By keeping in close, regular contact with other healthy friends for decades, Eileen and Joseph had quite possibly kept themselves alive and thriving.

---

Historically, we have often thought that having a small cluster of tight, long-term friends is crucial to being happy. But Christakis and Fowler found that the happiest people in Framingham were those who had the most connections, even if the relationships weren’t necessarily deep ones.

The reason these people were the happiest, the duo theorize, is that happiness doesn’t come only from having deep, heart-to-heart talks. It also comes from having daily exposure to many small moments of contagious happiness. When you frequently see other people smile — at home, in the street, at your local bar — your spirits are repeatedly affected by your mirroring of their emotional state. Of course, the danger of being highly connected to lots of people is that you’re at risk of encountering many people when they are in bad moods. But Christakis and Fowler say their findings show that the gamble of increased sociability pays off, for a surprising reason: Happiness is more contagious than unhappiness. According to their statistical analysis, each additional happy friend boosts your good cheer by 9 percent, while each additional unhappy friend drags you down by only 7 percent. So by this logic, adding more links to your network should — mathematically — add to your store of happiness. “If you’re at the center of a network, you are going to be more susceptible to anything that spreads through it,” Fowler said. “And if happiness is spreading more reliably, then on average you’re going to be catching happy waves more often than you catch sad waves.”

The Framingham findings also suggest that different contagious behaviors spread in different ways. For example, co-workers did not seem to transmit happiness to one another, while personal friends did. But co-workers did transmit smoking habits; if a person at a small firm stopped smoking, his or her colleagues had a 34 percent better chance of quitting themselves. The difference is based in the nature of workplace relationships, Fowler contends. Smokers at work tend to cluster together outside the building; if one of them stops smoking, it reduces the conviviality of the experience. (If you’re the last smoker outside on a freezing afternoon, your behavior can seem completely ridiculous even to yourself.) But when it comes to happiness, Fowler said, “people are both cooperative and competitive at work. So when one person gets a raise, it might make him happy, but it’ll make other people jealous.”

---

As Fowler pointed out, if you want to improve the world with your good behavior, math is on your side. For most of us, within three degrees we are connected to more than 1,000 people — all of whom we can theoretically help make healthier, fitter and happier just by our contagious example. “If someone tells you that you can influence 1,000 people,” Fowler said, “it changes your way of seeing the world.”

Talking about high school friends in facebook, we eventually got to those who now have slashed surnames, i.e. married na. And we made a disturbing realization: andami sa kanila yung not-so-pretty/whipsmart ones back in high school. Ohmygod. Hahahaha. (Oo, mga lait-era. Perfect kami e. Haha.) Then Friend 1 added a few more high school classmates to see how they're doing, and well, para we'd feel sorrier for ourselves when we discover they're married/in a relationship as well. (Grabe, mean talaga! Hahaha!)

Si Friend 1, malakas ang fighting spirit. Meron silang bet ni Friend 2 kung sino ang mauuna mag-asawa, at hindi sya papayag na maunahan ni Friend 2. Magiging choosy daw si sya until she hits 30 or if sabihin ni Friend 2 na she's about to get married, whichever comes first. Basta. Hirap i-explain!!! Anyway, I got this message this morning:

omg! puntahan nyo tong website na to

Friend 1 August 31 at 1:40am
nakakaloka engaged na din sa tooot tooot!!!

Me August 31 at 2:46am
ano, choosy ka pa?? shet! hahaha!!!! WAAAAHHHH!

Friend 2 August 31 at 8:47am
Aminan mo na Friend 1.. Ikaw ang magiging last! :P

Friend 1 August 31 at 10:41am
hindi ako papapyag! magpapakamatay ako. kaso nga, 26 pa lang ako kaya choosy pa ako!


HAHAHA.

Wrote to my 28-year-old self at Futureme.org :)
Created poster for AMG Media Gang :)
DM Extraordinaire! :)
Joked to Dave and Michael and lived through it. Added bonus: I still have a job. Hahaha :D
Started on Don Miguel Ruiz's "The Four Agreements", thanks to Madel. :)
Got my shu curler from Jenny :D
Downloaded GH "Cliffs of Dover" from youtube and made several message alert tones. :D

That's it pancit!

---

Charlene, you reading this? GOOD LUCK AND TAKE CARE!!!! See you next month ha! 

As of July, I'm done with my goal of 12 books for the year. Wow! I liked the ones in bold.

1. Red Seas Under Red Sky by Scott Lynch
2. Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling
   
3. Watchmen by Alan Moore/ Dave Gibbons/ John Higgins
4. Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
5. Butlerian Jihad by Brian Herbert
6. Dune by Frank Herbert
7. The Mirror of Her Dreams by Stephen Donaldson
8. A Man Rides Through by Stephen Donaldson
9. The Last Time They Met by Anita Shreve
10. He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo
11. Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes
12. The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
13. (Edit) High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
14. (Edit) The Bro Code by Barney Stinson (in paperback!)
15. (Edit) A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami

Plus re-reads

1. Answer my Prayers by Sid Hite
2. Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card

I dread opening my inbox everyday. My blood pressure always shoots up when I read annoying work emails. This happens without fail, every workday. Then today I realized, I always react like this! After the high blood, I'd be okay again after about an hour. Para san pa yung dread (before reading) at inis at galit ko (while reading)? Hahahaha!!! 

So, now that I realized it, how will I react? Still loathe the activity? Or be mature about it (i.e., suck it up, do the work, and not let it affect me)? Di pa ko naka-decide, kasi natawa talaga ako sa realization ko, especially when I looked back at previous extreme reactions. Wala lang, entertainment value for me, haha! I guess from now I'd still get annoyed, pero mildly na lang, kasi naman I will get old before my time if I continue like this. My poor heart, hahaha! 

And with this TMI/ brain fart, I leave you with a playlist from Sondre Lerche. (click click!) Enjoy!

can i just say lady gaga is awesome!?!? AWESOME. AWESOME. AWESOME. sorry, that's the limit of my vocabulary to describe her brand of performance. :D all i could think of on the way home was that my money was well spent. i've been to some concerts where i bitterly regretted spending for the ticket. but this isn't the case for several reasons:

one - i became a fan when i saw her piano version of pokerface in youtube. remove the chugs-chugs from her songs and her voice can stand on its own. you can't say the same for a lot of artists. her voice is full and has depth. it's beautiful.

two - her dance moves which are so un-rihanna-like (based on regal's story before). rihanna stood there and just moved her hands. but lady gaga ran and pranced and danced. on those heels. amazing. i really appreciated that she sang AND danced, like she wanted to please the crowd.

three - she only went offstage to change her clothes. otherwise, she sang and danced nonstop (which is also the reason her concert lasted around 1 to 1.5 hours hehe). you really have to give credit to her energy. :)

four - she kept engaging the crowd! she had us waving our arms and singing with her. she'd make comments that people found funny and encouraging. actually, i had some trouble understanding her, but apparently the crowd didn't because everytime she talked, the crowd went wild, hehe. and speaking of...

five - the crowd was fantastic. everyone except for the guy beside me was so responsive. from the moment the curtain fell down until they waved goodbye to us, everyone was on his and her feet (well ok, except during the costume changes), waving our arms and clapping when lady gaga tells us, singing along if we knew the lyrics, making weird sounds with her, and yelling when we don't know what else to do. hahaha. very energizing! :)


during the loooong Pokerface introduction. i love how it looks like she's surrounded by fireflies.

six - POKER FACE! there's money shot, and there's money performance. this is the performance i paid for! and she didn't fail me! she must've stretched the song to 15 minutes with her crazy piano techniques (squatting on the stool, lifting both feet on the piano, etc etc), small talk (Q: "lady gaga, do you have a dick?" Gaga: "Yes I do, and it's bigger than yours."), piano singing (i loved best the part where she made the song really fast) and the actual song-and-dance.

( 7 and 8 under the cut. )

and with that i end this post. i loved loved the concert!! whee!!!! i'll watch her again next time she visits! :)


Lady Gaga saying her goodbyes. (The powers of Picasa! Love this picture)
More pictures over here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vickywicky/sets/72157621886774825/detail/

This article is beautiful. For some reason, it really got to me, like one of my favorite little-books-that-can. Wonderfully written, like short stories that weave seamlessly into each other --

Steve let me make a Xeroxed copy of his handwritten list, and I’ve kept it. We write things down, and hold on to them, for many different reasons. To stop time and keep the “edge of marveling” honed, or at least handy. To create pockets of order. To prove to ourselves that we exist. To be able to immerse ourselves in whatever matters to us but is gone.

- from Mark Dow, "No Choice About the Terminology"

"If you're not happy without it, you'll never be happy with it."
- John Candy in Cool Runnings

Thanks Volt!!! :D It makes so much sense!