Bag and Keychain

Little Twin Stars plush/keychain on my useful little Goyard tote = even more cuteness!  hehe!  

another pic (cellphone pic)

Some people grew up on Disney cartoon characters.  I grew up on Sanrio characters like Little Twin Stars above or Hello Kitty, etc..  hehe!

PH boy survives three days at sea - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

PH boy survives three days at sea - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

This is so sad. Makes one feel really bad and sorry for this 15-year-old boy, and the state of this country in general. Puts things in perspective for one's self, too, doesn't it?  I mean at 15, my siblings and I were 'chauffeur-ed' to and back from school/home (this is probably why I am not fond of driving...Lol) and had maids/'yayas' too.  Whereas this kid had to skip school and brave the elements to boot.  Risked his life basically, just so he and his only immediate living family can survive another day.  One wonders how often this 6th grader has had to do this and for how long has he been doing it.

Sometimes, if you yourself or you know someone who has petty hangups, angst, and what not, this makes one want them to read the article and tell them "Maybe you should read this and stop your drama. Get on with it won't you? Other people have worse problems worth immediately addressing than you do." Lol!

Just my two cents' worth. *shrugs*  Full article below in case the link becomes dead in the future.

Katy Perry - Firework (Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2010) Live

I don't know about you but I enjoyed watching this performance. That's Katy Perry performing her single Firework at the Victoria's Secret fashion show in New York last year. Great creative/art direction and production methinks.  Lighting design alone helped make things livelier, too.  This also makes one definitely agree that U.S. musical artists/performances oftentimes make for the best/most creative entertainment in music, too, in terms of wow/spectacle factor.

I first saw this particular segment only of the show on TV late last year. But I think I was more engaged with watching the dancers and the dance choreography. Fun song, cool choreography. Dancers kind of stole the scene somehow. Wanted to see more scenes of the dancers dancing to that music than of Katy Perry, actually. Lol! Though Katy Perry certainly gave a great performance as well. Hehe!

Enjoy!

Happy New Year - Happy Car Lantern

"You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July"

I love this one! I got this mini car lantern, or in other words, a little or mini "parol" for my car's dashboard, as a gift from my aunt. My siblings and I have one each. And mine never fails to make me smile or feel good with it blinking while I drive. I likey!

I created a video of it with my Mac's iMovie HD app...the first time I've ever really used this app after years of owning this trusty 'ol Mac. Good thing I didn't remove it from this PC. Lol!

So anyway, pardon the amateur and crude effort. I was really just trying out the app now that I have more interesting material. hehe! I used 3 video clips from my cellphone camera to edit this video file (above) with a clip of background music Firework by Katy Perry (kinda apt... lol). "Ignite the light, and let it shine...".Hehe!

Here's a clip of one of the other cellphone videos of the mini parol in my car with music from the car radio itself, and with some of my favorite Sanrio characters on the dashboard lol. Happy new year!

Jim Richardson on Travel Photography -- National Geographic

Jim Richardson on Travel Photography -- National Geographic

Lol. This is a great pic. What luck indeed! And those are really huge cattle, gaah.

Liking the Weekend

Just relaxing at home now, after all the new year's eve revelry. Got lazy and skipped a party. Hehe! Took some time out to take pics of my dog who kept me company alone at home, as I watched TV and kept him away from all the noise.

 

my dog, down on the floor while I 

lounged on the couch as I took pics

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!!!

..some snapshots of some of the xmas decor at home. hehe!

 

This snowman thingie was something I bought at a Xmas flea 

market in the Netherlands for 1 euro.  Hehe!

 

Roma, Italia - So That's What SPQR Means...

 Whenever I travel to new places, I take photos of their manhole covers. Sometimes with my foot on the cover. hehe! The name of the city is usually found on the cover. And taking a pic of them makes for a nice memento of the trip.

Anyway, in Rome, I noticed that the text of the city name "Roma" or "Rome" wasn't on the manhole cover. Instead there's text on it whose significance I didn't know: "SPQR". I remember I was a bit puzzled to read that text there but took some photos of it just the same.

a cropped shot of the actual photo (from my
cellphone cam)

I thought it might be the name of a utility company in Rome, just like when I saw my ex-employer's client's company name on a manhole in Lisbon. The shot of the manhole above, I think it was a manhole at PIazza Venezia or around the Capitoline Hill. And I've since forgotten about it and the "SPQR" text on it.

Sooo... now 5 years later, I watch Ridley Scott's Gladiator for the nth time and checked out its trivia on the imdb.com website. Only to come across that text again, be reminded of my shot of the manhole cover, and learn what the text means. Lol!

I ♥ Sanrio! :P

Gaaah!  If ever there's a store other than a bookstore I should steer clear of, it's called a Sanrio store.  Lol!  :D

I had another Sanrio shopping spree over the weekend.  I really shouldn't be left alone inside Sanrio stores.  :P  Ended up forking out a lot of money again for Sanrio stuff.  Ack!  Above is a pic of my latest Sanrio loot!

My Carryon Trolley Bag

Last year, I decided to shop for a wheeled carryon that can be as light as can be but also as small as can be possible for me considering the things I bring and the sort of packrat I can be when I travel.  Lol.

I decided that this new carryon, for my size and build:

• may or may not have spinner wheels, as long as it's wheeled
• should be as light as possible but still be sturdy
• should be suitable for both business or adventure/leisure travel
• should have clean lines and not look too rugged: can look like a backpack but with no visible external straps flapping about; no mesh-like or netted pockets
• not look like almost every other kind of wheeled carryon (boring, rectangular, rigid, etc.).  So no Samsonite or something similar please.  Lol.
• not be made of hard plastic or shell sort of casing
• small enough to be under carryon regulations by all if not most international airlines
• but roomy enough for lots of pieces of clothing and other non-carryon gear (gadget chargers and batteries, etc.. anyone? hehe)
• has an outer pocket for a laptop, and should be on its front, not back
• one am willing to check in if required to (like with domestic flights with smaller planes)
• one I can stow in the overhead bin by myself

Hence, after checking out two different locations where they sell different brands of carryon bags, I settled on this Eagle Creek wheeled trolley, with the same color as in the pic.

 

http://www.eaglecreek.com/product/20200

Speaking of Which...

Once, on a drive to Tagaytay with someone from the UK, we were driving/travelling along traffic in Cavite via the Coastal Road from Roxas Boulevard in Manila.

I'm not sure but...

someone from the UK: Why is there the term "Executive" on the names of the subdivisions? I've been noticing many of them. (and sort of already pointing out to me one such offending instance).

Me: Huh? Damned if I know. I wish I knew why. *shrugging* Lol!!

But of course I didn't say the above. :P I replied that I don't know either and now that he mentioned it, I've also noticed the same thing unconsciously I suppose (growing up in the Philippines) but never voiced it out to someone yet. They aren't just in the south of Metro Manila but even north too, I'm sure.

We certainly have many strange unexplainable ways of adapting the English language that aren't really used in such ways by native English speakers.  The above sample is just one of them.  You might say before there was the jejemon, there was already a similar pre-jejemon use of English already in our midst, just like above.  That that's the jejemon way of the old.  The only difference being, these jejemons of old spelled words correctly.  Hehe!  :P

The "Welcome To..." Signage

Hello Kitty in Laguna, 13 Nov 2010

You know those "Welcome to " signs that we see sometimes over arches made of stone, concrete, bamboo, metal or a combination thereof whenever one goes to the provinces or even between cities in Metro Manila?

Well, this morning, on a day trip today going up north then back towards the south for photography and culture reasons,  I saw such a sign in Antipolo/Rizal (I still confuse these two) as we were driving up along the winding mountain path there:  Welcome to Moron.  

Huh?  

Moron?

And I said so, baffled, to my trip companions complete with the English pronunciation of it.  The town's name is Moron?  

While a trip companion laughingly rebuts me as soon as I said the above -  
It's Morong!  Silly girl!!

Me: Ay o nga pala.  
:P

Hahahaha!  :D 

Lol, I like This One

Heard this being played on FM radio on my way to work: Upuan by Gloc 9 featuring Jezelle.  It's pretty cool.. Lyrics aren't too senseless too, turns out.  It's got a socio-political message coming across pretty clearly.

Kayo po na naka upo
Subukan nyo namang tumayo
At baka matanaw
At baka matanaw ninyo
Ang tunay na kalagayan ko

Tao po nandyan po ba kayo sa loob ng
Malaking bahay at malawak na bakuran
Mataas na pader pinapaligiran
At naka pilang mga mamahaling sasakyan
Mga bantay na laging bulong ng bulong
Wala namang kasal pero marami ang naka barong
Lumakas man ang ulan ay walang butas ang bubong
Mga plato’t kutsara na hindi kilala ang tutong
Ang kanin ay sing puti ng gatas na nasa kahon
At kahit na hindi pasko sa lamesa ay may hamon
Ang sarap sigurong manirahan sa bahay na ganyan
Sabi pa nila ay dito mo rin matatagpuan
Ang tao na nagmamay ari ng isang upuan
Na pag may pagkakataoy pinag aagawan
Kaya naman hindi nya pinakakawalan
Kung makikita ko lamang sya ay aking sisigawan ng

Kayo po na naka upo
Subukan nyo namang tumayo
At baka matanaw
At baka matanaw ninyo
Ang tunay na kalagayan ko

Mawalang galang na po sa taong nakaupo
Alam nyo bang pantakal ng bigas namin ay di puno
Ang dingding ng bahay namin ay pinagtagpi tagping yero
Sa gabi ay sobrang init na tumutunaw ng yelo
Na di kayang bilhin upang ilagay sa inumin
Pinakulong tubig sa lumang takureng uling uling
Gamit ang panggatong na inanod lamang sa estero
Na nagsisilbing kusina sa umagay aming banyo
Ang aking inay na may kayamanang isang kaldero
Na nagagamit lang pag ang aking ama ay sumweldo
Pero kulang na kulang parin ulam na toyo’t asin
Ang singkwenta pesos sa maghapoy pagkakasyahin
Di ko alam kung talagang maramingharang
O mataas lang ang bakod o nagbubulag bulagan
Lamang po kayo kahit sa dami ng pera nyo
Walang doktor na makapagpapalinaw ng mata nyo
Kaya

Huwag kang masyadong halata
Bato bato sa langit
Ang tamaay huwag magalit
Bato bato bato sa langit
Ang tamaan ay
Huwag masyadong halata
Huwag kang masyadong halata

Music - Ysagani Ybarra and Bilog na Naman ang Buwan

Hmmm... Sometimes, I am thankful for youtube.com.  'Cause I get to come across 'real' local artists.  Meron pala sa 'Pinas non.  haha!  jk!  There was Levi Celerio and am sure some others I'm not aware of.  Anyway, one doesn't have to shout and sing in a shrill voice and be popular in the mainstream to be considered a music artist. 

This is Ysagani Ybarra.  He's the guy who originally made the music and lyrics to "Bilog na Naman ang Buwan".  I'd rather watch performances like this any day, over those shown on Sunday noontime shows on some commercial local TV channels.  The latter are really utterly boring, unoriginal, rubbish drivel.

 

And here's Ysagani singing his piece "Bilog na Naman ang Buwan".  I'd say he's quite an interesting folk artist.

Music - Tropical Depression

Fun and talented Filipino band...

Sometimes, there are just some original Tagalog songs and bands that stand out.  Tropical Depression happens to be one of them. 

Papa Dom fused this traditional-sounding Filipino song to a more modern folk tune. It's cool. It's good to know that there is a talented Philippine band that adheres to their cultural roots still.

Photography - Yuri Kozyrev

I like this photo by Russian photojournalist Yuri Kozyrev on one of the articles for Time magazine's Aug. 16, 2010 issue. As soon as I first turned the page on the article with this photo occupying two whole pages (as the article's cover) I stopped and had to look at it again. It's so beautiful that here I am now, blogging about it. Lol!

After seeing the first photo above, I checked out the other pics in the article and I like all the photos featured in the print edition. I think this is the first time I've ever really noticed good photography in one article of Time. Hehe! The main photo of the article (above) is my favorite too, of all those featured. But all the photos are quite striking in light and shadow and composition.

The article is about Russia's internal civil conflict. See the photo essay here.  Above are just some of the pics used in the print version. They're quite dramatic and have impact (to me certainly).

I wish I had even a fraction of the talent and opportunities of photographer Yuri Kozyrev. hehe!

DMB - You Nailed It

Cool song.  Great songwriter and music.  Glad I have the CD.  Hehe!

The Space Between lyrics
Songwriters: Matthews, David J; Ballard, Glen; 

You cannot quit me so quickly
Is no hope in you for me
No corner you could squeeze me
But I got all the time for you, love

The space between the tears we cry
Is the laughter keeps us coming back for more
The space between the wicked lies we tell
And hope to keep safe from the pain

But will I hold you again?

These fickle, fuddled words confuse me
Like, will it rain today?
Waste the hours with talking, talking
These twisted games we're playing

We're strange allies with warring hearts
What a wild-eyed beast you'll be
The space between the wicked lies we tell
And hope to keep safe from the pain

But will I hold you again?
Will I hold?

Look at us spinning out in the madness of a roller coaster
You know you went off like the Devil in a church
In the middle of a crowded room
All we can do, my love is hope we don't take this ship down

But the space between where you're smilin' high
Is where you'll find me if I get to go
The space between the bullets in our firefight
Is where I'll be hiding, waiting for you

The rain that falls splash in your heart
Ran like sadness down the window into your room
The space between our wicked lies
Is where we hope to keep safe from pain

Take my hand 'cause we're walking out of here
Oh, right out of here, love is all we need, dear

The space between what's wrong and right
Is where you'll find me hiding, waiting for you
The space between your heart and mine
Is the space we'll fill with time

The space between
The space between

These are Days

"Then you'll know how it was

meant to be.

See the signs and

know their meaning..."

I am not feeling well today. But things are looking up more these days. Some aspects might not be how I'd like it to be but certainly one area is going where I want it to go. Hehe! Therefore I might be saying "Au revoir" to some and "Bonjour, ça va?" to others soon. Some closed doors really open windows. Hehe!

And this song These are Days by 10,000 Maniacs keeps me on this upbeat state of being. ;) The song might be about a woman's sexuality and pregnancy, but I'm applying it to my happy days concept.  'Cause I know how it was meant to be. I see the signs, and I know their meaning.  It's true.  Lol!  These are days indeed!

Lyrics here:

These are the days

These are days you'll remember

Never before and never since, I promise

Will the whole world be warm as this

And as you feel it,

You'll know it's true

That you are blessed and lucky

It's true that you

Are touched by something

That will grow and bloom in you

These are days that you'll remember

When May is rushing over you

With desire to be part of the miracles

You see in every hour

You'll know it's true

That you are blessed and lucky

It's true that you are touched

By something that will grow and bloom in you

These are days

These are the days you might fill

With laughter until you break

These days you might feel

A shaft of light

Make its way across your face

And when you do

Then you'll know how it was meant to be

See the signs and know their meaning

It's true

Then you'll know how it was meant to be

Hear the signs and know they're speaking

To you, to you

Day Off

Today I woke up with my legs cramping one after the other. The hell! lol.

I think it's been more than a year since I last experienced waking up with a really really painful leg cramp. It's one of those least tolerable experiences ever! Gaaah! Hate it when it happens. So it was a shock this morning when it happened again after so long. And even after it went away, I can't stand or walk without still feeling pain from the strain of it. Which means I couldn't drive to work, and even if a driver brought me to the office, I'd be walking funny it's gonna be awkward. Add to that a tummy cramp too. I seem to cramp everywhere today. Had to take a sick leave from work 'cause of these. I guess these are being brought about by the onset of my monthly visitor then. Dang. Men have it got it easy. Grrr! :P

In the meantime, with these terribly inconvenient cramps, I'm just listening to some tracks by one of my fave music groups Groove Armada as I write this. The instrumental ones good for calm driving (totally need this when driving in Metro Manila! You need all the calm you can get.): Inside My Mind (Blue Skies), Lazy Moon, Paris, and Your Song (not the remix one) which has been my favorite Groove Armada track ever since I downloaded it about 10 years ago. Hihi! One has to chill when driving in Metro Manila. *sigh*

Another calming driving music: Les Nuits by Nightmares on Wax. Below is its video on youtube.com.

The setting of the video above reminds me of the railway station in Diemen, the Netherlands, where we parked our car after driving from Germany to the Netherlands, to take the train to the Amsterdam Centraal station for a weekend Amsterdam trip.  I won't be surprised if it indeed was shot there on location.

Anyway, gtg. Got an interesting call. Things seem to be going as planned too. :P Hope it's a good sign on the road to a celebration for my long term plans. *wink*

D-d-d-dragons

I wanna buy these dragon figurines from Lladró and Swarovski. 

This one's Lladro the Dragon by Lladró, US$ 560.00

 This one's from Swarovski,  US$ 400.00.

I wonder when I'll get them?  Lol!

Lladró Great Red Dragon figurine

This one from Lladró looks fierce.   The price is quite fierce, too.  USD 25,000.00.  Gaa!  Lol!