Nights in Rodanthe

i watched this movie with Grace tonight. : ) others say that its not that good.. or as good as The Notebook which was also based on Sparks' novel. but i liked it. : ) i particularly liked the inn. and the setting.. they really shoot it in Rodanthe. : ) some parts of the movie isn't the same in the novel.. like Amanda, Adrienne's daughter. in the book, she is already a mom and her husband died then Adrienne shared her own story about losing someone you love. while in the movie, Amanda is still a teenager. in the movie, Adrienne's dad passed away before she met Paul Flanner. in the book, Paul died first before her father passed away. so far, those are the only ones i noticed that is different from the novel. but overall, its not that bad. though it somehow failed to meet the book's sensibility.

****
Happy Halloween! : ) sayang we don't celebrate halloween that much here in the Philippines. but its fun to see the kids in their costumes for trick or treat. : ) they're just so cute. my shoti wore The Incredibles and went to Serendra with my stepmom.

****
life can only be understood backward.. but it must be lived forward.

UST Questionnaire

got this from Abby. : ) i won't translate the questions anymore. ; )

1) SAANG GATE KA DUMADAAN PAPASOK SA UST?

P.NOVAL, DAPITAN, LACSON o ESPANA?
-> Lacson

2) MADALAS KUMAIN?

CARPARK,ASTURIAS,CHUMBAYAN,P.NOVAL o NOTA(none of the above)

-> car park, med building, dapitan. anu chumbayan??

3) ILANG FLOORS BLDG NIYO?

-> 5 floors

4) ANONG TAWAG SA BLDG NIYO?

-> albertus magnus building

5) INABOT KA NA BA NG BAHA SA UST?

-> oo naman!.. kaya true thomasian na ko!!Ü

6) KULAY PUTI BA ANG UNIFORM NIYO?

-> yup!

7)MAY KAKLASE/NAGING KAKLASE KA BANG VARSITY PLAYER?

-> yes.

8) NAKA SALUBONG MO NA BA SI ABABOU, FORTUNA, ALLERA, JERVY AT IBA PANG BASKETBALL PLAYER?

-> yup.

9) SAAN MADAMING GOOD-LOOKING PEOPLE?

SA BEATO, ROQUE RUANO, ST. RAYMUNDS, ST. MARTIN DE PORRES O NOTA(NONE OF THE ABOVE)

-> i dont know.

10) KABISADO MO NA BA ANG UST HYMN?

-> yes - naquiz pa namin yan.

11) LAGI KA BANG LATE O SINASAKTO MO NA BEFORE MAG 15 MINS DUMATING SA ROOM?

-> nope. i hate being late.

12) MAY KASAMA BA KAYONG IBANG COLLEGE/DEPARTMENT SA BLDG NIYO?

-> yup! kasama namin elem and college of music.

13) MAAYOS BA ANG AIRCON SA ROOM NIYO?

-> may time sira.

14) SAN KA NAMAN MADALAS TUMATAMBAY?

-> med.

15) NAKA TAMBAY KA NA BA SA LOVERS LANE NUNG HINDI PA YUN KINAKALBO? (AS IN NUNG MADAMI PANG PUNO.)

-> once..

16)MAY SCHOLARSHIP KA BA SA UST?

-> none!!

17) SA TINGIN MO, MALAKI BA ANG UST O MALIIT LANG?

-> compared to other schools/my former school, yup.

18) PAG NAGAWA NA ANG UST SRI LANKA AT IBA PANG BRANCHES NA BINABALAK ITAYO NG UST BY 2011, MAY BALAK KA BANG LUMIPAT AT IWAN ANG MAIN CAMPUS?

-> i'll be out of college in 5 months. : )

19)NANGHIHINAYANG KA BA SA TUITION FEE NA BINABAYAD MO SA TUWING ENROLMENT?

-> di naman. sa lab fees lang.

20) SAAN KA LUMALABAS PAG PAUWI KA NA?

P.NOVAL, DAPITAN, LACSON o ESPANYA

-> Lacson

21) SINO MADALAS MONG KASABAY UMUWI?

-> driver haha!

enrollment and a visit

i enrolled today for my LAST sem. yey! : ) and because im fourth year already, i didn't have to wait in line to enter the seminary gym where we are supposed to enroll. my schedule this semester is much better than the ones i had in the past, wherein we have six straight hours of lab work. this time, our only lab time is for thesis.. which means we have a choice whether to stay or not. ; )

after enrolling, i went to Chinese General Hospital to visit Atsi Omega's daughter Belle who was confined this morning because of UTI - urinary tract infection and fever. i stayed with her because she's alone with Belle. i left around three in the afternoon when Atsi Alpha, her twin sister, arrived. watching Belle crying helplessly made me sad. how much more Atsi Omega.

when Belle was crying, she told her, "Sshhh.. Mommy's here. and i won't leave your side.. tabi lang tayo.. forever." hearing this, my Mom suddenly came to my mind. i wondered, why did she left us? : ( until now, i still don't know the reason why she left. its been fifteen years since she left, but i can still remember exactly the last time i talked to her. pleading for her to take me with her to the parlor - that's what she told me when she was leaving. then my Dad said that its late already and i should just wait for Mom at home. i waited.. and waited.. but she never came home again.

there are times when i still wish that things were the other way around.. but its alright. i know, and believe, that all things happen for a reason. and i know its for the good of everyone. even though there are a lot still a lot of questions i wanna ask, i think that some things are indeed better left unsaid. will the truth hurt? i don't know.

anyhow.. i just came from the church for our practice for this Sunday's worship. im on the keyboards. : ) pray for me! and please pray for Belle too. thank you! good night. : )

Sebastian's Ice Cream

after being a panel for a shampoo brand at the Philippine Stock Exchange Building, Jen and I decided to go to Podium to try Sebastian's Ice Cream. : ) i have read reviews of this ice cream and heard that they have a branch in MOA, inside Shepherd's Staff Bookstore.. but i can't find it. many said that this is one of Manila's best ice cream. i have to agree and this is a must try. : )

that's me, with my chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream : )

Like Dippin' Dots and Angelati Italia, Sebastian's also offers free taste. the ice cream were all good, but we both liked the chocolate chip cookie dough. : ) their other flavors include chocoholics anonymous, white nut macadamia, mango sans rival, midnight peanut butter cup, hazelnut cookies and cream, butter pecan, and dublin fudge. they also have ice cream sandwich. the choco chip cookie dough is pure vanilla ice cream with a blend of buttery cookie dough chunks, walnut bits, and sweet fudge chips.

after a tiring day, it feels good to be rewarded with an ice cream.. while walking the busy streets of Ortigas with a good friend beside you. : )

i simply HEART

give me five.

5 things found in my bag:
-cellphone
-wallet
-facial tissue
-dental floss
-pen

5 things found in my wallet:
-money
-pictures
-timezone card
-atm card
-ID

5 things found in my room:
-bed
-lamps
-magazines and books
-laptop
-clothes

5 things i've always wanted to do:
-travel with D
-learn how to drive
-have my own business
-buy my own house (haha, i wish.)
-finish my scrapbook

5 things im currently into:
-blogging
-cooking
-tutoring
-our thesis
-starting my christmas list

i am sam

Lucy: Daddy, did God made for you to be like this or was it an accident?
Sam: Ok, what do you mean?
Lucy: I mean you're different.
Sam: But what do you mean?
Lucy: You're not like other daddies.
Sam: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Yeah, I'm sorry.
Lucy: It's ok daddy. It's ok. Don't be sorry. I'm lucky. Nobody else's daddy ever comes to the park.
Sam: Yeah! Yeah! Yeah, we are lucky. Aren't we lucky? Yeah!

****
watched this on DVD this afternoon. : ) im touched by Sam's love for his daughter Lucy, and vice versa. even though he is mentally challenged, and people took Lucy away and wanted her to be put under foster care, Sam showed everyone that love is all you need. and he did everything to have his daughter back. : )

i made carbonara today. i just followed Sab's simple and easy recipe. and its delicious! : ) thanks Sab! : )

Consumer Electronics Live! Manila 2008

today, D and i went to SMX Convention Center to check out CEL manila 08. and since he is working with JG Summit, the entrance fee is free. : )

canon powershot E1
the color is so cute it looks like a candy. : ) it has 10 megapixels for only 13k. : ) i liked it, but i still love my ixus more. : )

photo printers

i've been looking for a good photo printer so i can print my pictures at home. these are cute and handy.. but i don't know if they print good quality photos.

HP mini notebook
i just like Po the panda that's why i took this shot. ; )

ball : )

we also saw Mac's new aluminum laptop.. but it didn't looked extra special. for me, that is. the new itouch is slimmer than the first one. nice. : ) the new nano looks great too.. with their skittle-like color. : ) i also saw a lot of new phones. and pro cams too. : )

after that, we had lunch at Aristocrat and ordered sizzling sisig and our favorite chicken barbecue. : ) their java rice and sauce is just so yummy! good food, great company. love it. : )

blogthings

Your Personality is Somewhat Common (ISFJ)

Your personality type is stubborn, conservative, trustworthy, and caring. About 13% of all people have your personality, including 18% of all women and 7% of all men You are Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Judging.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

tuna pie

Jollibee's tuna pie is really good. : )

i ate four already this week.

it is crunchy and flaky on the outside, chewy and soft inside - this wonderful pie is oozing with cheese, tuna, and mushroom. its so yummy.. and cheap too. only 39 pesos for a tuna pie and a drink. : ) it was available already for months but i only got to try it just last Sunday. after i did the groceries today, i dropped by Jollibee and bought tuna pies for myself and my little brother. : )

sleepy head

i don't know why i feel so sleepy lately.

this morning, we went to school to do two more formulations of our ice cream for our thesis. but sadly, Mang A, our technician was absent. : ( good thing i bought my laptop with me. we were able to do only minor corrections with our draft because the library is under renovation.. anu ba yan. hay. our thesis adviser is pressuring us so much. : ( i hate it! we have to pass our paper on our first day of second sem. then in less than 10 days, isa pa ulit. oh well.. 5 more months. then its all over. : ) actually i think that we should finish all the analysis by December.

so i watched Jen practiced for the pageant and came home by lunch time. then i slept for two hours! : ) hehe. what will i do for the rest of my vacation? hmm.. : ) anything. as long as its productive. : )

happy birthday to my cousin Sherlock! : )

10.20.08

my uncle went back to Taiwan this morning. and me, i went back to school. even though it's sem break. we have to do our thesis this week. im happy that when i got my clearance, i passed all my subjects! yey! one more sem to go then il be out of the university already. im sure im going to miss it a lot. but i really want to work na. : ) i also saw Tita Syl (jen's auntie) this morning. : ) i first met her last year, she's really nice and she looks like a lot younger than her age because she's always on the go hehe. : ) its nice to see her again after sometime, but the reason she came here again in the Philippines is sad because she was going to attend a funeral.

i was so tired already when i came home from the meeting yesterday that i took a short nap before going to dinner with my family. we went to Annapolis Seafood Restaurant at San Juan. we had a great time telling stories and taking pictures. lotsa food too! : ) we had crabs, shrimp, soup, peking duck, lapu-lapu, mantou, noodles, and i forgot na. all i know is that after i ate a lot of crab, shrimps, and peking duck, patay na haha. too much oil. but what can i do.. its so yummy haha. now you know.. i eat a lot. even if my figure doesn't show it. : )

im reading the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. i hope to finish it by the end of the week. : )

ciao!

listen.

A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well intentioned words.
-Kitchen Wisdom, Stories that Heal (Remen, M.D)

most of the time, we need someone to LISTEN. when things don't seem to go our way, and life seems to hit us hard, all we need is someone to listen. sometimes the most cherished times i spend with the people i love, are those in comfortable silence. knowing that they're there brings comfort beyond measure.

with how fast life has been these days, we often get too caught up in our own little world of survival, that we forget people around us need us too. we become impatient. we forget that people need our company, just because. we forget that we do not exist for ourselves, and we cannot exist alone.

likewise, we forget how it is to share. we fear judgment, shame, and rebuke. we'd rather clam up and not speak about it. we smile for the world, yet beneath, our heart is shattered. we try to tell everyone that we're ok, but we really aren't. we'd rather not cause inconvenience to someone, lest we make the mistake of pushing them away.

and we wonder why psychiatrists and therapists are in demand?

we'd rather tell our stories to strangers.

because oddly enough, sometimes, they'd rather LISTEN and CARE, unlike people who've we've known forever.

****
my uncle came from Taiwan yesterday to visit Ama. but he'll be leaving soon for San Jose.

today, after Daniel's check up with the dentist, we went to Robinson's and watched Max Payne. its story is based on the legendary, hard-hitting interactive video game. it tells the story of a cop determined to track down those who are responsible for the murder of his family and partner. hell-bent on revenge, his obsessive investigation takes him on a nightmare journey into a dark underworld. as the mystery deepens, max is forced to battle enemies beyond the natural world and face an unthinkable betrayal.

i missed the Pink Kitchen at the Rockwell Tent today. sayang.. i really wanna go. but i cant. next time nalang. : ) a lot of malls are having sales this weekend. hmm.. the BER months are upon us and soon, the bazaars will be on full swing.

anyway, im tired and sleepy already. gotta go now.. i still have to wake up early tomorrow. LONG day ahead! and we have our Sunday School Teacher's meeting again. : ( hay. can i skip? i wish.

goodnight! : )

Sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary.. simply by doing them with the right people.
- Nicholas Sparks

a day with Jen

Jen and i went to Trinoma today to find what she's going to wear for her pictorial this friday. their theme is summer. and where can we find summer clothes?! it's rainy season. dapat winter nalang. we checked out kamiseta, bayo, nothing but water, speedo, maldita, folded and hung, kashieca, freeway, people are people, and landmark. had lunch at Pizza Hut. we ordered pizza, two caesar salad, cream of mushroom soup, and fries. takaw haha. ; ) we also dropped by at Contis to buy chicken pies and Bubble Tea at SM North Edsa to take out, well, bubble tea. : ) then we went to Sanctuarium to visit her late grandma. i met a lot of her other aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends that i never met before. it's Ivane, Jen's youngest sister's birthday. and its sad to celebrate there. : ( i can't help but feel sad the moment i entered the room. an old lady greeted me and i saw tears on her eyes. : ( before i left, Jen bought me to the 12th floor, and we saw the city full of lights. : )

when people die, it's a time when families gather and bond. and remember that life is short, and we ought to make the most of it.

The Lucky One

i finished The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks already! : ) hehe. i always love the way he writes. can you believe i read all his 13 novels and 1 memoir? : )

his latest novel, The Lucky One, is a novel about an ex-marine's quest to search for the woman in the photograph who has been his lucky charm throughout his tours in Iraq and the relationship that develops once they meet.

Logan Thibault is an easy-going and charming man who walks cross-country accompanied by Zeus (his dog) to find the mystery woman in the picture. as the story develops, Logan finally meets the woman in the picture. simply wanting to be close to her to figure out how he 'owes' her for saving his life so many years as his lucky charm, he begins to build a relationship with her (Elizabeth 'Beth'), her son (Ben), and her grandmother (Nana). there is also an integral involvement of the selfish, self-absorbed Keith Clayton to the story.

Sparks tells the story from three perspectives, each evident by the chapter title. the three characters each have different ways of thinking and Sparks' writing style for each corresponding chapter easily relates this to the reader. this is an excellent way of telling this story since it would, most likely, be rather difficult (if not impossible) to tell the story simply from one point of view. as expected, Sparks' storytelling is stellar both at developing the relationship between characters and unfolding a wonderful story with an emotional finish. its about a man in search of his destiny.

after reading this book, you can't help but wonder, who is the lucky one in the story? in my opinion, there are several lucky ones in this story. it's amazing how a story simply based on a photograph can unfold into such a beautiful work of fiction. if you're a Nicholas Sparks fan, you won't be disappointed. : ) its a true heart-wrencher, at its finest. try to read The Choice too. i loved it! : )

birthday weekend

yesterday, i went to moa (mall of asia) with daniel. just the two of us. : ) was supposed to meet up with jen for dinner, but when i called her, i learned that her grandma just passed away yesterday morning. : ( it was so sudden. her grandma was even healthy when that happened. hay. : ( francine was out of town too so maybe we'll just meet this weekend. if you know me well enough, you'd know that i don't want to be with a lot of people. hehe. not that im a loner, but i just think that having a big group of people around will just make me uncomfortable. and feel ko you won't have enough time to entertain all of them. so im happy with spending my special day with my special one. : ) we had merienda at tempura then watched a movie - tropic thunder. while walking around, we saw a siberian husky. it was so cute. : ) we had dinner at italianni's then watched the fireworks. : ) i always loved fireworks. and stars. : ) we came home right after the fireworks display and i even had time to attend church that night. late nga lang hehe.

****
tonight, i had dinner with my family with aunties, uncles and cousins at korean village in malate. the food was good. i love their beef stew. : ) then everyone sang a happy birthday to me. : ) came home early because the kids still have exams tomorrow. not me.. sem break ko na. yey! :)

****
thank you to everyone who texted, pm'd, and called to greet me. : ) thank you for the lotions, cakes, pizza, and ang paos (red money envelope). ; )

the older i get, i realize that gifts aren't so important anymore. what's more important is the relationships you have with people around you. with people you love. because these are priceless. : ) and these are the things that matters most. sadly, most of the time we forget that. everyone is in such a hurry. people haven't found meaning in their lives, so they're running all the time looking for it. the next car, the next house, the next job.. then they find those things are empty too, and they keep running again. once you start running, its hard to slow yourself down.

****
it's not the years in your life that counts. it's the life in your years.
- Abraham Lincoln

21

today, i turn 21. : ) yeah im getting old already.. hehe. but im nonetheless happy. : ) happy birthday to me! as i look ahead, i look forward to MORE good things, MORE blessings, and MORE celebrations. : )

ruth

happy birthday ruth! : )

this picture was taken way way back pa! at baguio during the summer conference 2004. how time flies! if im not mistaken, that summer was when we were about to enter college at UST. and im still wearing braces! haha. : )

i missed that. i missed her too. even more.

i miss when we were still in grade 6, we'd go to our piano class together with rachel and sheba to teacher bi hwa's house in quezon city. i always loved swimming and i admire her so much on how fast she swims! every week yan we'd swim, even if it rains we'd still swim. then if its our turn already to play the piano, we'll stop for an hour then we'd swim again. : ) then after shower, we'll have merienda altogether while watching tv. i can still remember the time when i got home from my senior retreat during high school and i invited her for dinner. then we just talked the night away. : ) and sometimes, we'll wear the same color of clothes to church, haha. and did i mention that she joined the cheering squad way back in high school? the jacket that she's wearing in the picture is for cheer leaders. : ) hay.. those were the days. : ) but even though some things changed.. i don't even know why, hehe. i know that we can still count on each other. i'll always be here for her. : ) i hope she knows that. : )

ruth, how can i forget your birthday? you're just a day older than me, hehe. as you turn another year older, i hope for you another year of happiness. another year of growing and maturing and loving what you do. a year of even more confidence in yourself and the abilities you have. hope you had a great one! : ) if you need me, you know that im just a call away. : ) much love. : )

nine

its a 9! : ) nine holds a special place in my heart. daniel came to see me after work. we had a simple dinner at golden fortune near my place. i know he's tired from work, and he lacks sleep because he got home late last night from a birthday party. pero pumunta padin siya.. hehe. im so happy. : )


we don't have a perfect relationship. is there a perfect relationship anyway? but i can say that we're ok.. we're happy.. more than before. : ) much mature. hehe. we had our share of ups and downs too. but we made it. : ) i owe it all to him for being patient, trusting, forgiving, and extremely understanding. he's shown me - through example - that, love is, in fact, a choice. a choice to stay, despite. know that the good parts aren't worth leaving the bad for.. if they really aren't. love is braving the undeniable and indispensable phases: the boring bits, the whirlwind, and the dispute.

its been awhile now. hope we see more coming. : )

****
i had a great time talking with sab over ym last night. : ) there's something in her that made me open alot of things to her. i found myself sharing to her about my family.. and i was surprised to know that she gave birth to sophie without any anesthesias at all! ang galing haha. knowing that she's afraid of injections ah.. like me. she also talked about her life. she has a good heart. : ) i can say that. kahit na i didn't know her for a long time. i think that's my gift.. i can tell kung ok ba yung tao. hehe. ; ) funny how we just knew each other through her online shop.. then i gained a friend. : ) how good is that. : )

****
no classes tomorrow! no scheduled test kasi. im excited to see the bolero i ordered from sab yesterday. hope it fits me fine. : ) by the way, grace is back from china! and jen will be the class representative of 3F1 for the pageant this november. go jen! pictorials na next friday. you know i'll be your PA if you need one.. hahaha. and we'll support you all the way. : )

good night! : )

10.08.08

- finals week this week then sem break na. three weeks! it would be a looong vacation. nothing planned yet. : )

- test yesterday in computer and food engineering. i hate HTML! last exam on saturday - food packaging.

- our defense was scheduled today. and.. we're done! yey! : ) for the first part. the next half.. next year na yun hehe.

- super init pag uwi ko.. hay. then its gonna rain. tapos mainit na ulit. anu ba yan..

- grace is coming home tomorrow. : )

good days ahead! *wink* : )

Contis'

Contis'

Daniel and i spent the day at Trinoma. We had lunch at Contis'. I'm glad that they already opened there. Before, we'd go all the way to Serendra or Greenhills to find Contis'.

Baked Salmon

This is my all-time favorite. : ) Baked salmon with cheese and buttered vegetables. Served with paella rice.

Baked Macaroni

Daniel's order. They used white sauce instead of the usual tomato sauce. Yummy. Lots of cheese! : )

We ordered choco mousse and mango bravo for our dessert. After filling our tummies, we walked around the mall before coming home. There were a lot of people and it made the place too crowded.

Sometimes, it feels like forever.. but on most times it also feels like our first time. : )

one night

taken from our rooftop. : ) just playing with the cam.

10.02.08

and so i thought that classes would be suspended today. then the sun was high and up this morning! haha. it rained tonight though.

the first three groups already finished their defense for the first part of their thesis. our group's turn will be on wednesday next week. ma'am hashim said that the more results we'll pass, the higher our grade will be. buti nalang our analysis will be done by tuesday. : ) i dropped by at Hope before coming home today to get my form 137a.

i already received the tops i ordered online. : ) but sad to say, malaki sakin. sayang.. its nice pa naman. but its alright, benta ko nalang ulit hehe. ; ) im not surprised that it didn't fit me. considering my body frame, i should order size XXXS. haha.

last PE tomorrow! and we will not meet anymore to do our thesis. hopefully we don't have to do it on saturday. as my weekends are strictly ME time. haha. good night everyone! : )

an early gift :)

so the rains have come once again.. i just like the rain when im safely tucked in my bed. its a holiday today. daniel and i went to the mall to pay for my sun bill and had lunch at almon marina. sayang our cam ran out of battery, didn't took pics. then we watched Eagle Eye. it was a nice movie. the plot and visuals was great. galing ng pagkagawa. : ) ang daming security guards sa mall. i wonder why.. is there a threat? a bomb threat? and the people were few. kala ko madami kasi holiday. or maybe because its raining.

Eagle Eye is a race-against-time thriller starring Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Mackie and Billy Bob Thornton. Jerry Shaw (LaBeouf) and Rachel Holloman (Monaghan) are two strangers thrown together by a mysterious phone call from a woman they have never met. Threatening their lives and family, she pushes Jerry and Rachel into a series of increasingly dangerous situations – using the technology of everyday life to track and control their every move. As the situation escalates, these two ordinary people become the country's most wanted fugitives, who must work together to discover what is really happening – and more importantly, why. --© Dreamworks


im also happy because The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks is already out. kahapon lang. i've been waiting for months.. finally! daniel bought it for me. : ) his early birthday gift. ang aga nga.. hehe. 'twas sweet. im touched. : ) we played a bit at timezone, then bought some breads at breadtalk before heading home.

not a bad day after all. : ) the rains didn't dampen our happy spirits. : )

back to school again tomorrow. the feasib groups are having their defense. good luck guys!