The last time I visited Orsomannaro's page, I saw this map thing and I thought I'd get one for myself too hehe Thanks Orsomannaro! I think this would be fun
Update: Thanks to wickedlizard's blog I saw this fun map haha so I got one myself Hope you dont mind
Today, innovation is no longer a word simply to describe the act of revolutionizing existing products, more importantly it is also the force of motivation that pushes mankind to create and go beyond their limits to transform seemingly impossible ideas into reality. Come to think of it, innovation comes into play the moment we open our eyes from a nightâs sleep â from the sound of the alarm clock that wakes us up, to the coffee maker and toaster we use every morning, to the bus/train we take to get to our destination, to the phone and computer we use for communication, till the nightstand that we turn off before going to sleep at the end of the day. These are all innovations and technology in their different forms. There is no way we can deny how much we rely on what technology has brought us with.
For someone who cannot bear being away from the internet for even one day, I can say that the internet for me, is the most evident proof of the importance of technology. With the internet, I can do everything I have to, without having to move around, much so go out and brave the scorching sun now that its 35C outside. So what do I have to recommend for people who love the speed and efficiency a fully optimized internet connection can provide? Well, there is the Opera Browser. Where can I tell people to go to when they look for a place to share their thoughts and meet new people who happen to share the same interests? There is of course, the myOpera Community. Now isnât that just awesome? Opera actually comes with a package designed to cater to all your needs when you use the internet.
However, Iâve had some ideas in mind for quite a while now and I believe it would only be fair to share them to you guys and gain myself some popularity⦠Oops! I mean help Opera improve more â¦and to catch your eye, of course in the event that Opera decides to transform into a full-blown social networking site that only targets a specific group of people â those who have a particular interest in literature and art. So here are the ten things that I think Opera could add to enhance its already existing attractive features. I know I would be utterly excited and happy when one day I turn on Opera or login my myOpera account and suddenly find all these things included
10th: Integrate member contributions into new releases of Opera browser versions
Participation of the users is a vital input when it comes to innovation or creation of new products. Opera of course, is no exception to this, as the users are the one who will be using and spending their time on whatever Opera provides them with, it is simply natural to hear their thoughts and know what they are looking for in their ideal browser or blog site. I believe this is a way to motivate users to participate and contribute more, and bring about a more holistic result.
9th: Members of the week according to content category
myOpera now has a member of the week chosen for each week. However, this chosen member could be good only based on whoever has the authority to choose him/her. Whatever this user writes or blogs about could be interesting only to a certain number of people and does not cater to the majority, if not all of the myOpera community. Therefore, I suggest it would be better to have multiple members of the week, one for each category of content (i.e. one member of the week for travel and living, another member of the week for technology, and another for literature and art, and so on) This gives people a higher chance of being featured. Others would also be motivated to excel seeing how their fellow members have been chosen and featured. Reward is the best form of acknowledgment for oneâs effort.
8th: Notifications in the form of widgets or pop-ups
Iâm sure many of you out there use Facebook. I think it would be really nice if myOpera could have the similar style of showing notifications the way Facebook does. It would be even better if notifications could show up as pop-ups or widgets, which are guaranteed to get the attention of the user and make sure nothing important is amiss.
7th: Notification of friends who are online
For busy bodies, who can only login myOpera once in a while to check mail and see who among their friends are online, it would be really convenient to have a small panel in the myOpera control panel that shows the people who are online, without having to go through multiple clicks and loadings just to get to the bottom of what they want to do.
6th: Integrate widgets into blogs
Opera widgets are really fun. I must agree on this with the numerous Opera widget lovers out there. For someone like me to who gets bored easily, Opera widgets offers me a wide range of games and applications to help me kill time when I have to, or make life easier without having to surf on the net just to find what I need (i.e. weather forecast, RSS feeds, etc.). For this, I believe that if widgets are offered as an option to be added into the blog page, it would be a whole lot more fun for both the bloggers and the readers. It would simply make the blog a more attractive place to stay, next to the wonderful featured articles in a certain blog.
5th: More myOpera competitions to boost interaction among users
The Opera Writers Contest is truly a successful one. In this event, I can see how everyone is interacting and supporting each other. It is the time when oneâs writing skills and charisma are put to test. With more of such contests, it is sure to make the myOpera community into an even more closely-knit community, which makes it stand out from other blog sites. Through the first round of the contest, I got to meet many new friends, and had also found a lot of great blogs that I never knew had existed. They provided me with insights and broaden my knowledge. With the success of the first contest, I hope that the Opera developers would not hesitate to give more of them in the future.
4th: Option to include built-in music player in blog
The myOpera blogs all look so nice, but they still lack one element â music. Perhaps a built-in music player is not so much a problem for expert webpage designers or programmers, but it sure is a lot of trouble for amateurs who simply wanted to create a better atmosphere for people reading their blogs. I had a pretty bad experience in trying to add a music player into my blog. It took me 2 days to get it done and only to have it completely go to waste after a few months, when the player started showing error messages and the music stopped playing. I think myOpera should offer users the option to add a music player in their blogs, similar to that of Multiplyâs or Facebookâs (music player as an application).
3rd: More customized themes, allowing user contributions
You all might have noticed that my blog theme is quite different from the conventional themes offered by Opera. Indeed, it also took me a lot of time, effort, and also the help of a dear friend who is also a fellow myOpera member, to get it done. I like to customize things and that is what led me to spend so much time trying to tweak my blog theme. It would be much easier if more themes have been offered. I think it would be a great idea to accept user contributions of myOpera themes, as I believe that many of the users in the community are talented enough to share their wonderful creations with the others. It also feels nice to have your work appreciated, so I am sure many would start contributing once they are allowed to.
2nd: Applications and Games
Now to add some spice and fun to the myOpera blogging experience, interactive applications and games should be introduced and added as a feature to the blogs. I believe that it was exactly this feature that pushed Facebook into popularity among the world. Indeed, it is a great way to interact with people who share the same interests and perhaps let them know what youâre interested in. It also serves as a very good ice breaker for people who are not that much acquainted yet, but has gotten to know each other more through games. Personally, I am a fan of computer games. Sure, youâd think that Iâm a geek, but too bad Iâm not What I like about games is that it relieves me from stress and makes me feel all happy and contented afterwards. I know many would agree with me
1st: Built-in chat client with group chat capabilities
Ever wondered why itâs taking so long for your friend to reply to your message? Ever wished you could chat with him/her directly, instead of having to wait days to get a reply? Well, thatâs not so big a problem. All Opera has to do is add a built-in chat client, one that is similar to MySpace, Facebook, and Multiply, only that Operaâs would be better by allowing multi-user chat functions, like that of Skypeâs or Chat Tangoâs. Now, you would never have to wait so long anymore. You will immediately know whoâs online and whoâs not. Furthermore, you get to chat with them without having to give them your email address (for MSN, Yahoo Messenger, Skype, etc.) if you donât know them that well yet. With all these ten new features integrated into Opera, I am very certain that many would come to realize that Opera is indeed a better, if not the best product of its kind in the market â an internet browser, integrated mail client, built-in chat client, music player, blog, file storage, and social networking site all in one. What more would you ask for?
I'm please to be writing on here again. This is my second post of the day
As some of you may have known, there is a writing competition ongoing in Opera right now, and I just entered my article for the contest. Please everyone, if you have the time, read my article, and mark it as "Favorite" if you like it. That will serve as your vote and support for me and will help me win this competition.
Have you ever used a browser with such great aesthetics you can simply sit in front of the monitor and stare at it whole day without getting bored, but later realize that the only reason for staring and doing nothing with it, is because it's hogging down your computer so much that even moving your mouse around is becoming increasingly difficult? Okay, maybe now is the time to end such unpleasant experiences. Nothing is more difficult and worthwhile than getting the right browser if you want to get the most of internet, however, if you give Opera a chance, you won't regret ever trying.
Popularity and acceptability of a new or existing browser is determined by its ability to run "lightly" on just any computer, whether old or new. I've always heard people complaining about this browser loading so slow and that browser hogging down the system, but I haven't heard anyone complain about the Opera browser at all.
I was brought into this wonderful world of Opera by a friend, who has been an active member of myOpera blog ever since. Right now, I am proud to present my own personal space on myOpera blog that has become my emotional outlet during the past few years. Surprisingly, I have also made a lot of new friends who share my interests and passion, and understand me in ways many others couldn't. Technology is truly amazing.
Now this is the part where Opera comes in. There was only pure amusement and appreciation in my eyes when I watched Opera perform miracles.It shows my blog exactly the way I want it to -- no randomly hanging pictures and no cramped up or missing paragraphs in my posts. I am an expressive person, and the various browser and blog themes contributed by Opera members were invaluable to me. Opera expresses my personality in every way it can and this is the only time and place where I really feel comfortable and secure when on the internet.
Everything about Opera screams innovation and complete devotion by the Opera crew. It is an absolute masterpiece that will remind you of perfection. Some features I would like to special mention are the Speed Dial, theme customization, download manager, integrated mailing system, user-friendly interface,and the ever-so-useful and cute widgets, so take the challenge and give Opera a chance, if you have not yet hit that "Download" button.
I shall skip one day and continue to the third day when we were leaving for Beijing by train, at around 7:30pm. Actually, the day before this one was basically just a nothing-day...except maybe the fact that Lala went to get a new haircut by the hair salon just across the street where Jane and I spent 2-3 hours just sitting there, taking some random pictures and pretty much just looking out for Lala's hair Okay, so why was it a nothing-day? Well, Joyce, Niki, and Alddon went to attend their economic workshop, only three of us left in the apartment and cant go anywhere new since Joyce, Niki, Alddon did not want to miss out on anything. Anyway, after Lala had her haircut + rebond, we went back to the apartment then got on the subway and headed to the Shanghai Railway Station to get train tickets then to East Nanjing Pedestrian Shopping Street again and spent the rest of the day there By the time we got home, it was almost 11:00pm, due to some transportation difficulties, that the MTR line 4 was closed and we had to take line 8 and back to line 2 to get to Nanpu Station (our stop) -_-
Okay, so back to the third day It was a normal day, sunny and a bit cold. We didn't do much in the morning, just packed up our stuff to get ready to leave for Beijing that night. So the plan was that Joyce, Niki, and Alddon were supposed to come back to the apartment by 5pm or so, but when I called them and asked were they were, they told me they're still in the conference room xD Then I panicked, I was like "What? Are you serious? the train leaves 7:30pm and it takes some time to get to the train station with our amount of luggage, and then we have to hover around the big station to find the right platform. Please come home as soon as possible." and they were whispering "We cant, it would be very disrespectful to the speaker if we leave in the middle of his lecture, but we'll get out as soon as possible." In the end, I told them to just get a cab and go to the train station directly, while Jane, Lala, and I take care of all the luggages and meet up at the train station. Lucky we got a van taxi to take us there, or we'd not have fit in one taxi haha The funny thing about this whole "event" was that we actually had 4 groups of people meeting up at the station at the same time, not to mention that we're almost late for the train (there was like 30 mins left for us to get to the platform). First group, its Valle and Eric, they got to the train station the earliest and waited at the entrance, so no problem finding them. Second group, Rain and his friend who helped him get to the right place; he saw me as soon as we arrived at the entrance, so no problem as well. Third and fourth group was my group, and Joyce's group, we also saw each other at the carpark area, where we hired porters to help with the luggage and help us find the platform. WHEW! That was close! hahaha (but the porter fee was damn expensive -_- we had no choice, or the train's gonna leave us lol) and I forgot to mention that all this time, my phone never stopped ringing, I was on the phone almost all of the time, talking with 3 groups of people waiting to meet up...xD It was chaos that turned out well in the end
After much running and hovering, we finally got to the train with 15 mins left to spare before it departs for Shanghai. Hmmm the train looks really nice It was actually the first time that I took a long haul train ride. Our trip to Beijing took around 11 hours. We had to sleep in the train overnight at the small cabins (but still clean and comfy). So we had our dinner also at the train, there was a small "cafeteria" that serves meals. The food was oily and tastes weird...but oh well, we'll wait till we get to Beijing to get some more decent food hehe That night in the cabin, we played a few rounds of card games, called the Heartattack It was so much fun! So Valle, having only played it for the first time, always lost, and Rain, who sat farthest to the table, also lost several rounds (imagine 8 of us squeezed in a small 4-person cabin while Eric stayed in his cabin comfortably and peacefully reading his book, as the rest of us almost wrestled ourselves to death) During this "violent" card game, some hands were brutally slapped, like that of Joyce's (thanks to Rain), and two of my precious cards was damaged (folded at the corner) I don't remember what time it was that we went to sleep...I think it was around 12:00 or so...after everyone got tired and the excitement gone down a bit
By 5:30am, my phone alarm rang, and I woke up to start preparing for the arrival of the train, that is an hour after. Yes, it took some time to get everyone in the cabin (4 per cabin) to wake up, especially Joyce and Lala...and well, my boots too, always hard to maneuver and get them on We woke up the others after we're done and then just sat there and waited for the train to arrive. Actually before that, we walked around a lot, and on our way, I saw some snow by the train cart connection area, informed Niki and he got really really excited haha he was like "SNOW! SNOW!!!!" and started scooping them up Despite the dirty snow, no words can describe his excitement xD We looked out the window and there was also snow, apparently there had been snowfall the night before we arrived in Beijing. So the train arrived promptly at around 6:40am, and we all felt the piercing cold, even while we're still inside the train. Uh oh....I wonder how cold it's gonna be outside? The moment I stepped out the train, the wind was so strong I couldn't even stand straight! It's not just the wind, the COLD, the real COLD was terrible....I was like "Oh man, I dont know how I can stand 3 days of this cold in Beijing." Oh well, we followed the crowd and got out the station (after some luggage delays, once again) and the weather was even worse! It was still dark outside, and the train station looked deserted...and I can't see where the cabs are lined up O_o Joyce and I walked around to look for the taxi stand, while the others huddled close and waited...we couldnt find any! Gladly, a guy approached us and asked if we wanted to rent a van, since there are 9 of us with so many suitcases...so Joyce and I went to check out his van and asked the others to follow. We got in the van after a while and it felt like heaven inside Not that it looks like a limousine or something, but its a lot less cold inside haha Then everyone was amazed when they saw that the driver is a woman She told me that it wasnt that cold the day before, like maybe around 5C...so we're just really unfortunate xD After 10-15 mins ride, we finally got to the hotel - Beijing Taiwan Hotel (I translated it myself ). It was the first time I'd been to this hotel, my dad booked the rooms for us. For the price it offered, the place was actually nice The rooms were clean and okay, with the exception of Valle's and Eric's room. Their's was a lot bigger than ours haha The location was good, it only takes us about 5 mins of walk to get to the WangFuJing pedestrian shopping street and commercial district, its also not very far from The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.
We moved in our warm and cozy rooms and some of us just fell asleep... We were all very tired, I suppose..hehe We havent made plans for the day, but we knew we had to start touring, so we dont waste the day. The bellboy told us that it would be nice to go to the Great Wall, before the snow melts away. I inquired at the reservation desk and the lady told me that we might have to rent a van since there are 9 of us, it would be a lot more convenient. The van however was expensive, costs 1000RMB per day. We had a voting whether to go that day, or the next day, and majority decided that we go the next day, so we opted to The Forbidden City instead The fun has just yet to begin hahaha Stay tuned for my next post
Well, Iâll tell you whatâs this confidence is all about The next day, we braved the cold wind with hands trembling inside our coat pockets and teeth close to chattering, got to the subway station (after much asking and walking, when it was only 5-mins away, just around the corner ) and took our first subway ride in Shanghai to arrive at the East Nanjing Pedestrian Shopping Street Ah this place, brings back so many memories, from when I once walked the same streets six years ago So much has changed, it has a lot more skyscrapers in the surrounding now and new luxurious-looking department stores and restaurants, brimming with life and always of course never without the usually big shopping crowd, even on weekdays Damn, people here are rich! Amidst all of this, the freeze we felt had been increasing steadily as the sun starts to set, while the darkness slowly enveloped the skyâ¦but even so, the East Nanjing Road did not seem to be the least bit affected, with the shopping crowd getting bigger and bigger. Then I remembered again once upon a night six years ago, the unmistakably colorful, feisty neon sign boards lighting up the whole area, making it one of the most beautiful spots in downtown Shanghai; always so inviting and misleading that you think its still early Time spent there really flies by quickly, before you even realize, its already 22:00 at night and stores are already closing
All right, back to the topic, our first aim is to get some new clothes, find some good deals and prepare ourselves for Beijing It seems like every store is on sale, by that I mean big big discounts We went in Giordano, it says âBuy 500, get 150 off!â or something like âBuy 2 get 30% off!â These were all new arrivals, new clothes for the season, so we were all like âWOW!â Checked out this one, tried out that one, nope, none seems to look good or practical enough...ah well, next store it is so there, we went in to almost all the stores in the whole shopping street, also the malls Okay so finally, I cant stand it anymore, my hands were literally numb and if I donât do something itâs gonna come off anytime in a snap , so when we went into a mall and saw this stall selling leather and suede gloves, I was so happy My first buy of the day, a pair of leather gloves, which proved to be really useful throughout my whole trip On the other hand, my friends went crazy on trying out shirts and jackets, because they were all very nice and cheap hehe so at the end of the day, most of us were satisfied...except Niki (Nikole) who keeps complaining of his aching feet coz he was wearing brand new chucks on a winter day
Strike one, COLD, UNEXPECTED weather When the night came, we were all shivering from the strong wing that never seems to get tired of blowing...=( We quickened our footsteps and headed to The Bund, to see the night view of the Pearl of Orient It was a long walk, but when we finally arrived, it felt good We took some pictures, walked around a bit and decided that we should find a restaurant for dinner. Earlier that day, Iâd already called up Valle and made arrangements with him to meet up for dinner, but since we can no longer stand the killing cold, we thought we should just find a place and wait for Valle and Eric to come.
We found this very nice Chinese restaurant with a cute neon purple sign that says âNew Bund Restaurantâ and a very inviting interior...hmm I think it looks fancy outside The waitress told us they cook traditional Shanghai cuisine, so we thought why not give it a try. We occupied the big round table with eight seats somewhat enclosed in âbarsâ separating us from the other smaller tables, sat down, and checked out the menu while we waited for the guests to come. During this time, it got kinda awkward when the waitress was standing beside us all the time, waiting for us to order, even after we told her that weâre waiting for someone. Sheâs also trying her best to recommend dishes, despite my friends who were talking to her with English that she canât understand. I was surprised how they got to communicateâ¦or maybe it was some miscommunication that ended up with us having some really weird dishes later on? Hahaha Ah well, we chatted a bit while Niki went to his sleep (like what he does most of the time throughout the whole 11-day trip)...perhaps the chucks has exhausted much of his energy, added with the comfort his furry Eskimo jacket provided him together with the warm, cozy atmosphere inside the restaurant, its hard not to fall asleep, you agree? Well,I totally understand haha
In a while, I got a call from Valle, telling me that theyâd just got off the subway and was heading our way. They didnt have much problem finding the place. After 10-15 mins, they entered the restaurant like super stars walking on the red carpet HAHA Why did I say that? Well, waiters and waitresses were trailing behind them when they walked in, all of them busy asking them for seats needed and such (and the carpet was indeed red) LOL Anyway, after 7 long months, its really nice finally seeing Valle again and as for his brother, Eric, my first impression was âOops! A twin? How come Valle never told me?â So I introduced my friends to Valle, and Valle introduced Eric to us and so of course, I always had to miss out something or make a careless mistake right? so I was like âSo Valle, this is Niki, Alddon, the twins, Jane and Joyce.â and I totally missed out the part âand everyone, this is Valleâ Lol Ah well...whats done is done, and my friends already knew Valleâs name beforehand anywayâ¦(I guess thatâs why I missed out that part hmm)
You must be wondering âUhm...whereâs Lala?â hahaha She cant be missing in action, can she? Yeah, she never does. After a few minutes, she made her grand entrance (She was in the washroom when Valle and Eric came ) So she started talking, or should I say, interrogating Eric? âSo where are you from?â âWhy did you come here?â blabla lol so cute Everyone was quiet, its like âSHHHHH, Lalaâs talking.â haha Later on, Joyce and Alddon were talking about what to order, so they were put in charge of our dinner. I dont know whats good in Shanghainese food either, so I had nothing to recommend Thanks to Joyce and Alddon, we all got to tryout some really weird food, and nice ones too of course
Quote of the day: âIn eating dumplings, you never know whatâs inside.ââEric
Iâve never heard of anyone talking about dumplings like this haha Probably coz Iâm too accustomed to eating dumplings, I dont really doubt what the fillings are Its funny to hear such a comment, but was nevertheless very true Then Valle excused himself to go to the washroom, came back, and said âHey, the toilet looks more like a pet shop to me.â And I never noticed that until he mentioned about it xD Oh well, I think the Chinese are mostly very superstitious, and they would stop at nothing just to be able to make sure they have a complete set of the lucky gods, statues, plants, and animals all present in their stores. I donât think they care that these things might actually repel each other and end up worse instead of helping out the store? Lol It is only a matter of time before this restaurant adds in the Arowana (the big dragon like fish with two whiskers) to its collection hmm
Anyway, what was I talking about? See, the thing about me is I get easily sidetracked hehe oh right, so we talked and talked and laughed a lot. The thing is, all this time, the one smiley face waiter and the friendly waitress were standing beside our tables, listening to us convers...how can that be? they dont understand English, Iâm pretty sure the girl told me she cant, as well as the guy, but why did they laugh whenever we laugh? and why did they never seem to have to service the other customers? Ah well, I have a pretty good guess why. The fact that the super stars were also sitting on the same table as we did makes a big difference...hmm could it be that? Anyway, after getting tired of being watched like a hawk (by the service people), we finally decided to take a walk and maybe go somewhere else, it got really windy outside xD Who knows how much restraint Iâve put on to keep myself from jumping up and down just to get warm haha Itâs the first time Iâve experienced such a kind of piercing cold. Even back when we were in Norway and scooping up snow to pitch at my Dad, it was nothing like the cold in Shanghai (and later on, Beijing) @_@
Moving on, after Lala finished buying some more souvenirs in the shop just outside the restaurant, we passed by some statue with everyone trying to get a picture with it, so naturally, we would have to get one with it too (thatâs how much we love to take pictures and follow what other people doâ¦*sarcastic*) Okay, done! We crossed the street, and noticed some people were left behind, and Iâm pretty sure you all know who it is right? Yes, Lala was taking a picture with her hands held high above her head (as if sheâs holding something), creating an illusion in the photo that sheâs actually holding the big crown on top of a 5-star hotel haha such creativity, where else do you get to see it? xD Ah well, next stop is the lion king statue outside a bank. I donât remember very clearly, but I think it was me who suggested that Valle take a photo of him kissing the lion statue, then he said I should be the one to do that, but knowing me, Iâd of course pass the task onto someone I knew I have a sure shot on, so I said âLala, would you want to come and take a picture of you kissing the lion statue? Since youâre The Queenâ¦â and she was like âYeah, sure!â went up there and posed, with so much enthusiasm and energy, and I was thinking âHell, where did she get her energy from, after a long day of walk and shivering? Gosh, Iâm impressed.â Hahaha I wish I could post the picture here, but Opera does not seem to be working well with photo resizingâ¦so maybe next time
Continuing our endless walk, I decided the hell with my pride and âexcellentâ sense of direction, I forced myself to take out my handy Shanghai street map and whoala! weâd passed the East Nanjing main street and is heading to some other smaller streets. Oops! Panicâ¦almost hehe Gladly Eric and Valle knew the way, that saved us much time After a while, we finally got back to the ever-so-festive pedestrian shopping street We passed by Häagen Dazs and decided to settle in there, partly to avoid the cold, and also to rest our poor feet and to get ourselves some good desserts. Yes, to think that its so cold outside, and that weâre the ones whoâd been complaining all the time, whoâd believe that it was me who actually suggested that we go in there? Haha but the atmosphere was so inviting and I thought it would probably be warm inside, so it should be fine to get some ice cream Oh in case I failed to mention, I love sweets hehe
After taking forever to make up our minds and order, with the waiter coming to our table more than several times intending to take our orders, we finally made our mind and pointed at what we want. Everyone ordered ice cream, except Eric and Niki, who ordered coffee. The ice cream was great!!! (as is always expected of Häagen Dazs) but this time around thereâs a little twist to the feeling of being inside the store and eating ice cream, while its freezing cold outside. It was as if the thin wall of glass had created a different dimension inside and outside. We sat and talked for almost a full hour, finished our desserts in less than half an hour , then we all got a bit puzzled when the waiter sent us the bill, when we hadnât asked for it yet. He told us that they close at 11:00pm, so that means we would have to leave soon. Ah well, no where else to go then, so we took cabs and went our separate ways outside Häagen Dazs, then home. Weâre all so tired, so we just went right to sleep.
It does seem like a long day is it? From the moment we left home, took the subway, till we met up with the incredible âTwinsâ, had dinner and dessert after, then went home Certainly, it was also a wordy post for me haha When inspiration hitsâ¦oh well, sorry folks! Iâll try to shorten it a bit next time, but no promises
We arrived in Shanghai at about 4:00pm in the afternoon, walked to the enormous luggage claim area to get our suitcases, and then out to the waiting area just to see one of the biggest crowd I haven't seen for years. Its overwhelming Compared to the airport in Copenhagen, Shanghai's airport is like in another dimension. People waiting, people coming out, people walking around, its just "WOW!"
So the first unfortunate event of the day happened. Two of my friends didnt come out the exit after the other four of us are out. I almost freaked out, since we'd been waiting outside for almost half an hour, and still no sign of them. Then finally, after much searching and waiting, I saw them both slowly walking towards the exit, came out, and told us that they were sort of "detained." I was surprised, coz when the others and I went out, the officers didnt even as much give us at look, but instead notice these two other friends? Weird...I'm just glad nothing happened, since they only had their luggage checked...
So moving on, we walked and walked around the gigantic Pudong International Airport, following the signs and such, until we finally got to the MagLev train ticket booth, bought our tickets, and got on the train, FINALLY! So the interior looked a bit like an airplane, only with wider window panes of course, and narrower isles...but its really nice I have been waiting for this moment for so long...and when it finally took off, slowly accelerating until it reached its highest speed at 431km/hr, it was like flying We were all so amazed, we oo-ed and ah-ed and took a pic of the speedmeter. I watched the cars and buses beside get left behind by the train, and the surrounding buildings and houses speeding by so fast, I was really awed Then after a while, the train slowly decelarated again, until we reached LongYang station after 8 wholesome minutes Yup, its that fast, when a normal taxi ride would take around 40 mins. I just want to say that if you wanna feel the thrill of overspeeding, without having to pay for a fine, then you should most probably try out this MagLev It offers you the speed that no normal cars, not even most race cars, can provide Most of all, you got nothing to lose, well except a couple of bucks (40RMB single trip, if you can present a plane ticket), but its totally worth it Until now, I still couldnt forget how awesome that 8-minute ride was You really have to experience it yourself haha
We got off the LongYang station, took two cabs (since there are 6 of us with like 10 luggages), and headed to the apartment I'd rented a few days before our arrival. The first cab that left was able to find its way smoothly, and reach the apartment in about 10 mins, but our cab driver was a bit lost and took us to the wrong place I had no choice but to ask the driver to call the apartment personnel and ask him to talk with her directly. That's when we finally got to the apartment, hauled in our big suitcases, and paid our rent. The apartment was awesome! 100% likeness to the pictures I saw online My friends and I loved it, great place, close to subway and supermarkets and restaurants So we relaxed a bit, talked, and then settled in for the night at last! Whooh! What a day! hahaha but it was really great though It made me realize that we have 10 more days ahead, waiting for us to explore and face even more challenges
Alright, enough for my endless story, I'll call it an end to this post for now and stay tuned for the next event I hope you liked this one, and many many more to come
I believe its been a long time since I last posted anything on here. During the last 11 days, I was in Shanghai and Beijing with my friends We spent Christmas there and had so much fun shopping and visiting all the famous tourist areas Not to mention the cold cold cold weather
Back in Beijing, the temperature was negative everyday, during the 3 days we were there haha In the Forbidden Palace, the wind almost blew us away! We were getting in souvenir shops all the time just to stay away from the cold. My fingers were numb, I'm glad they didnt turn blue The next day we were in Great Wall. It was even colder! I had to get a mask and keep climbing just to prevent myself from getting frozen into ice My mask froze from the little moisture left from my breath
We also took two awesome overnight train trips, saw some snow, and of course it was fun enough just being with friends I will write more about my trip in more details soon and add some pictures I'm very tired now, and just trying to do a rundown
Places we've visited:
Shanghai -- * Yu Garden, Shanghai Old Street * Pearl of Orient * Shanghai Aquarium * Shanghai Zoo * The Bund * Nanjing Pedestrian Shopping Street * Huaihai Shopping Street * Hengshan Bar Street
Beijing -- * Forbidden Palace * Tiananmen Square * Great Wall * Wang Fu Jing Shopping Street * Temple of Heaven * Olympic Village -- Bird's Nest,Watercube
So, I'd like to wish you all a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! May you all have a great time with your family and friends
Its almost a month since I wrote anything on here Well, I'm not motivated to write when no one even visits this blog...perhaps I should give it up?
Anyway, just a short update. I've been playing the Travian game a lot lately Its really a nice game, for those looking for games to kill time, you could try this out at www.travian.com
I play in three servers, com3, com5, and com8 and I play romans and gauls and teutons Its only been a little more than a month, but I'm totally hooked to the game I don't know if the same will apply to you leave me a comment if you start playing and tell me what you think I also some have very useful guides and tools you can use. Good luck!
Okay, so I should have written about this a month ago I was just too lazy to put up those photos and talk about it But now, the photos are up, you can see them in my Opera albums (Cebu Trip ) Don't forget to comment if you see something really funny or weird or whatever
Anyway, last September 19-22 2008, my friends together with some committee members went to Cebu City, a beautiful city in central Philippines, to attend an economic convention hosted by the our organization (Young Economists' Convention). Well at first, it does seem that we're gonna be on a "business" trip but quickly, priorities shifted and touring and having fun became the core of the trip Of course, knowing us, we would never waste such an opportunity to make the most fun out of the very short period of time. Really, it was the first time my friends and I were on such a trip outside Manila for almost 4 days It was so much fun! Being with my friends on this trip, not my high school friends, but those from the university, was a whole new experience. They were truly a crazy bunch of people The good kind of crazy, of course My only regret was that I didn't bring along extra clothes on the third day when we went island hopping. I really didn't expect that my friends would go snorkeling in such a windy day, and I missed so much more fun, instead of just standing on the boat watching them have fun. Yes, the waves were high and while we stopped in a certain place to snorkel and swim, the boat (although big) was rocking nonstop...and the news had it that a typhoon was near I freaked out because I couldn't swim, if something happens, I'm doomed I'm glad that we were finally on our way back when the rain hit. I went downstairs and sat on the bench and was fast asleep, until we arrived back to the small port
With this trip, I believe that our friendship has further strengthened. I'd like to think of it as sort of a kind of team building, except that its for academic and not for corporate purposes Had I been in the water with them, this trip would have been even more memorable, although it is already unforgettable My next trip with my friends would be on this December and this time we're going international We're headed to Shanghai, perhaps Suzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou, and then Beijing First, why the sudden urge to go on trips like this? Well, this one in December was supposed to be another economic conference, but since it is only offered in the curriculum for a certain economic elective course which I had not yet enrolled myself in, I can't join the conference. However, for the sake of my thirst to travel, and to help my friends (since I can speak Mandarin fluently), I decided to join them on this trip and be responsible for all documents, hotel reservations, ticket bookings, etc.
I'll probably put up another post about that trip when things are finalized I'm so excited! hahaha well, now I'm gonna go back to playing Travian a really nice online browser-based strategy game where you build your own village and by all means, keep it alive, which means to protect it from enemies' attacks and expand it Perhaps you all can try it out too www.travian.com (it has servers for different countries, if you do no like being in the international server) I play in the 3rd(Northwestern area) and 5th(Northeastern area) international servers see you there! If you need help, I can give you some very helpful sources,just send me a message
September 06, 2008 was one of the extremely unforgettable days during the past 18 years of my life It is very memorable in many ways, from the first time we got new of the famous American rock band Boys Like Girls coming here to Manila, to the whole process of getting the tickets and finally feeling the excitement and anticipation as we sat there and waited for the clock to chime 17:00
So how did this start? It is courtesy of my very close friend, Nikko He told me about the whole event and took time to find out how to get hold of the tickets. Well, this is something unique, or the first time we'd done it at least. The tickets (or stubs) are not sold directly, but instead customers are required to purchase in a certain mall for a certain amount worth of goods (including clothes, food, toys, etc.) in which the receipts to these purchases will then be exchanged to tickets for entry to the concert We are only allowed two tickets maximum per person. I wanted my cousins to experience this, since they've also become great fans. Early in the morning of the performance day, we were to exchange the receipts for tickets at the concierge. Nikko was already qeueing outside the mall as early as 8:30am, when the mall opens at 10:00am. WOW! hahaha I got there 9:30am, and on exactly 10:00am after the doors opened, people were all running madly towards to the concierge I've never seen such a sight! haha I'm glad my cousin came along so he can do all the running
We got really lucky, we were one of the last few ones to get tickets since only a maximum of 200 people from the public will be accomodated and another 300 seats are reserved for VIP (sponsors, media, affiliates, etc.) At exactly 17:00, THE BAND CAME OUT! EVERYONE WAS SCREAMING LIKE CRAZY! I'm glad my ears were still somehow feeling ok by then. They look awesome All of their songs rocked!!!! haha I was so excited, I busied myself with taking pictures and recording some videos People were jumping and singing along, hell I wanted to jump with them too, but I don't really wanna fall from the chair I'm standing on The atmosphere was high, even the dullest of the audience are forced to sway along A truly amazing experience, I must say all our past efforts paid off
I'm just a bit upset coz I didn't get a signed CD from them coz only the first 100 gets one but the concert was amazing, they were dazzling, and everything was perfect! Although an hour after the concert is when my ears went back to functioning normally, I was totally hyped with the whole extraordinary experience I am so happy no words can describe. I can't wait to go to their concert again when they come back some time in the future I have posted my favorite song from their first album -- The Great Escape with a video I recorded just so you guys could understand how people were reacting that time, and a YouTube link to the official video is also provided (Boys Like Girls - The Great Escape) take a look and enjoy!!! I have also posted some pictures I took from the whole event Its in my photo albums (Boys Like Girls Live 2008 ), take a peek and comment haha thanks!!! I would love for you all to share my excitement
So this is the first post for my one-week break and the Twilight marathon continues I'll start with something relaxing...or perhaps boring? You be the judge Anyway, I was tagged by Nikko on his blog (darkhitsugaya.multiply.com) to answer these questions about Twilight (my current favorite book) There are four books in this series - Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. I'll try to be as honest as possible.
1. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER? Edward Cullen and Alice Cullen
2. WHO IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE CHARACTER? Rosalie Cullen (the only Cullen that does not like Bella)
3. WHO ARE YOUR TOP 3 CULLENS? (NOT INCLUDING EDWARD) Alice: she's just so cheerful for someone so tiny who wouldn't want a friend like her? Jasper: I admire his exceptional battle planning abilities, besides he's a really great person(er...vampire, I mean) Emmett: he's the typical big brother sort of guy, down to earth and funny
4.WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AND LEAST FAVORITE COUPLES IN TWILIGHT? Favorite: Bella and Edward, naturally They're the cutest couple. Although I don't like Bella's some views on things (selfish sometimes, like loving two guys at the same time), but there's no one else more suitable for Edward
Least Favorite: Bella and Jacob They wouldn't really look good together They don't fit, maybe they're only good for friends, not lovers. The fact that Jacob didn't imprint on Bella simply shows that she's not the most suitable partner for him. It's only a matter of time when Jacob will imprint on someone else and leave Bella.
5. IF YOU COULD BE WITH ONE CHARACTER FROM TWILIGHT, WHO WOULD IT BE? Alice. I'm sure she could cheer me up when I'm down. Besides, how cool is that to have a friend who could foresee the future (and who is also a vampire) ?
6. OTHER THAN EDWARD AND BELLA, WHO COULD YOU NOT IMAGINE DYING WITHOUT HAVING A MENTAL BREAKDOWN? Hmmm tricky...I wouldn't want anyone to die but if ever this happens, then it would have to be any member of the Cullen family, except Rosalie.
7. WHO WOULDN'T YOU MIND DYING? The werewolves and the humans, except perhaps for Jacob. I wouldn't mind Rosalie and the other antagonist vampires die as well
8. FAVORITE SCENE IN TWILIGHT When Edward and Bella were lying on the meadow confessing to each other, during that sunny weekend when Edward showed what the sun can do to his skin
9. AND NEW MOON? When Bella had finally waken up from her fourteen-hour sleep after the tedious flight from Volterra back to Forks, Washington and thought that everything was all a dream, even the Edward lying beside her. I like the whole part of their conversation, and how Edward had explained to her why he left and how much he loves her.
10. AND OF COURSE, ECLIPSE? Outside the tent when Edward was fighting with Victoria, and Seth with the other blonde vampire ally of Victoria
11. AND BREAKING DAWN? Everything that happened on Isle Esme
11. WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE VILLAIN? Aro. I have to agree with Nikko here, he's sly, trying to act friendly and all that and no one really knows what he's thinking
12. WHO'S YOUR LEAST FAVORITE VILLAIN? Julia. For someone so young and childlike (for a vampire), she really should have more mercy.
13. WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE WEREWOLF? Jacob and Seth. As much as I didn't like Jacob being with Bella, I like the way he treats his friends. Seth sees things in a clear picture, he knows whom to side with and whom to fight against, regardless of rules, treaties, or any other form of contracts that binding him to his pack.
14. WHO'S YOUR LEAST FAVORITE WEREWOLF? Sam. I'd like him to go to hell! Who cares about his alpha male crap? He's just like any other blindfolded vampire-grudging monster.
15. IF YOU WERE A VAMPIRE WHAT COLOR OF EYES WOULD YOU HAVE? Hmmm I like those butter colored eyes the Cullens have
16. IF YOU WERE A WEREWOLF WHAT WOULD THE COLOR OF YOUR FUR BE? Uhm white?
17. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST IN BREAKING DAWN? I'm halfway done now. I just hope its an ending that I would appreciate, whatever that is
18. MOST ROMANTIC THING EDWARD SAYS IN TWILIGHT? Oh Shoot! Uhm...I'm trying to recall Ah yes, its a long one, but that would be: "Bella, I couldn't live with myself if I ever hurt you. You don't know how it's tortured me. The thought of you, still, white, cold...to never see you blush scarlet again, to never see that flash of intuition in your eyes when you see through my pretenses...it would be unendurable. You are the most important thing to me now. The most important thing to me ever."
(Just to let you know, I didn't memorize this, I only rememberd a fraction of it so I looked it up in the book to make sure )
I also like this one: "And so the lion fell in love with the lamb..."
19. AND NEW MOON? When Edward left Bella so she could go back to her normal human life, away from all dangers, then finally came back, this is what he said (and is also one I think that's most romantic in this book): " Before you, Bella, my like was like a moonless night. Very dark, but there were stars-- points of light and reason....And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly, everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. I couldn't see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason for anything."
(Edward really is not much of a talker, but when he starts speaking, it's always something worthy to hear )
20. AND ECLIPSE? "Never be afraid to tell me how you feel, Bella. If this is what you need...You are my first priority."
21. WEREWOLVES OR VAMPIRES? Vampires of course, they're immortal, attractive, strong, with special powers
23. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPECIAL POWER? Alice's: ability to foresee the future Edward's: ability to read the minds of other people Julia's: ability to create an illusion to make someone think he/she is being tortured
23. LEAST FAVORITE SPECIAL POWER? None. All of their powers are so cool!
22. WHAT POWERS DO YOU WANT TO HAVE IF YOU WERE A VAMPIRE? Well...I'd like to have a combination of Alice's, Edward's, and Julia's How cool can that be!
"When you can live forever, what do you live for?" --Twilight (2008)
I don't know exactly for how long I haven't have this kind of feeling. Have you ever yearned so much for something that you think about it day and night, not being able to bear a moment's misery without seeing it...without knowing what happens next...? Is it thirst? Or something more...?
I'm starting to sound like a vampire, am I? Well, thats the whole point of this post. I'm hopelessly captivated by a book titled Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. It is a vampire romance. I was never close to reading vampire romances mainly because my misconcepted violence and perhaps fear has compelled me to stay away from it. However, this Twilight was different...much more different than I had expected it to be.
Nikko was the first one to ask me about the book. Doubting instictively, I had not expected that Nikko would ever be interested in reading books with this kind of genre, but it must have been a really good one, I suppose.I had not known about the book then, I was curious, but merely that. I had not intended to progress further. I might have looked it up on a few sites, reading the summary of the book and so on. Then I felt a spark...a spark of interest, and that was the start. At that point, I had not decided yet whether to try my luck (not that I didn't know how unlucky I usually am), but then another friend, also an avid reader like me whose opinions I value as much as Nikko's, also told me about this book and then my decision was firm. I bought all four books at once.
Fighting off my stereotypes as I progressed further with the book, I realized that my perceptions have drastically changed. Perhaps a bit misleading, as I started wondering...maybe vampires aren't really as bad as they were thought to be? or maybe werewolves aren't really that scary? I shivered at the thought. Since when have I become so brave to allow my imaginations to become so creative? (too creative, in fact)...I have always feared werewolves and vampires, not that they really exist, but since when had movies and myths failed to affect the people? No doubt, this book is fiction of course, but sometimes allowing myself to indulge in something less realistic and almost perfect helps soothe my senses, helps relieve stress. Unsurprisingly, this book is also widely accepted and internationally acclaimed. It is still a bestseller, even after two years since the first book was published. Even Harry Potter didn't come so close to entice me as the Twilight saga have.
What is so wonderful about the story? For one, it does seem to be similar to all the other thriving vampire romance novels out there, but this one was different. For the first time, the author offered a twist to the stereotypes that are poorly constructed and rooted on myths and legends passed down from generation to generation. Here, vampires and werewolves could actually be both good and bad. Its all a matter of choice. Vampires do not always have to hunt humans and werewolves do not change only during a new moon. In fact, they could change freely, anytime they needed to. The vampires, known to be cold-blooded, were given the chance to show that they also care, that they also knew what it is to love and be loved. To protect their loved ones, to fight for them till death, is a quality that can only otherwise be expressed purely by a vampire (because sometimes humans are influenced by other factors that prevent them from thinking clearly). Lastly,there was also the possibility of humans and vampires and werewolves, all of them coexisting in one area, one world. Maybe these sort of stories are only suitable for children, but I think otherwise. However, despite that everything in this story seemed as perfect as the vampires could be, they were not. They might possess the most attractive looks, incredible abilities, and immortality, but they were after all, not human. "It's just that...this is not the life I would have chosen for myself. I wish there had been someone there to vote no for me." --Rosalie Hale (New Moon, 2008)
When Bella could have sweared that turning into a vampire is the only thing she wanted and the only way to keep herself from danger, Rosalie certainly thought otherwise and so does Edward. It is a choice when one is left with no other choice. Becoming a vampire means to give up the soul and mortality-- the one thing that makes life so valuable. But life is not fair, it never has, nor will it ever be. Likewise, nothing, even the evil forces, could be perfect...a painful truth that everyone has to live with...
"I sobbed silently in the dark, a sense of hopelessness washed through me as a trail of tears trickled down my cheeks, while the pain in my chest slowly turned into a hole that never stops bleeding..."
I am determined to reach the end of the story soon...with Twilight and New Moon done in less than a week, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn are my next target I can't wait to see the movie version coming out this December either
Update: The first movie of the Twilight Series will be aired on November 21, 2008!!! I'm so excited. I can't wait to see it
Two nights ago, I was alone at home watching the opening ceremony of Beijing Olympics 2008, while my parents were in the hospital visiting my grandfather. There had been so much talk about this event in China recently, that I honestly didn't know what to expect. Rumors had it that it would probably be the grandest opening ceremony in the Olympic history, so Iãhad waited for this day, to satisfy my curiosity
At exactly 8:00pm August 08, 2008 (where all the numbers symbolize good luck), the Summer Olympics 2008 opening ceremony started. Wow! The moment the world has been waiting for four long years, with China preparing for so long, investing nearly $40 billion trying to make this a memorable event both in the Olympic and Chinese history, while fending off human rights complaints and attacks by natural calamities, it has not been an easy four years. Indeed, the opening ceremony has been so grand, so splendid and magnificent. I have never seen anything so wonderful and almost perfect
However, while everyone was rejoicing for the arrival of this event, there had to be some forgotten souls(either terrorists or human rights protesters claiming to seek justice) out there who probably had too much energy and time to spend than just stay in there god forsaken homes and watch the Olympic opening ceremony, that they had to go out in the streets protesting about how China had violated human rights. Wow, I think that really seemed so out-of-place. Seems they couldn't stand other people happy, and couldn't stand their own misery either. I cannot understand what these anti-chinese people truly wanted, is it their concern how the Chinese government want things done? I mean, hey majority of them do not know what really is happening inside China. Many of them thought China as bad, merely because their peers said so, or the media tells them that. I am not a fan of politics, but how people now (especially those belonging to the western side of the world) are treating China is just unfair. Why wouldn't they just admit that they're jealous of China's recent economic boom or they're just angry because their government cant control their people well enough? And for one, I can't believe that the French president actually attempted to ban China from holding Olympics 2008! Then what? Send ambassadors to China later to apologize? That's just pathetic! See how happy their team was when they paraded into the stadium? They should really be ashamed. I think sports shouldn't be aligned to politics. It is two very different things, just like what Sweden had said and all the other nations that supported Olympics did
I think the theme of the Olympics 2008 says it all, "One World One Dream." In the Olympic games, the world is one, and the athletes also share one dream. The fact that these athletes have been trained for four long years, just to be able to showcase their talents for a few minutes in this internationally accredited competition, means a lot to them. Many of them have built their dreams alongside this event, and to ban Olympics simply means to deprive these people their chance of fulfilling their dreams. Perhaps that is even more of a human rights issue that needs attention See how happy everyone was when they paraded into the stadium, waving their flags up high in the air ever-so proudly? That is because whether they win or not, they at least had the opportunity to struggle for their dreams, and a chance to show the world how good they are. Even the famous Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal joined this event, representing Switzerland and Spain respectively. 204 in all countries, with more than ten thousand athletes joined Olympics 2008, with many of them either in their first or second time to join this grand event. It is both a glory to these nations, and a glory to China and the Chinese I truly hope that this event would start and end well. Good luck to all the athletes!
Wow! It felt like a century ago when I last wrote a new post The truth is, or well you all might have already guessed, is that I was buried too deep under my never-decreasing workload. Well, I'd been working overtime recently, and sleeping undertime I had skipped classes during the whole month of July more than I had during the last two years of my university life! It does not sound like me anymore...when I used to wonder why a friend of mine always attempts to cut classes, when he could have exerted a little more effort to sleep early and wake up early to attend class. But now, I understood Once you start skipping classes, you'll never stop doing it. Yeah, it's addictive... sleeping has never been such a luxury for me than during the past 19 years of my life
So, now you're wondering, why a title like that for this post? Well, it has nothing to do with our appearances, of course instead, our thesis adviser started calling my thesis group "The Hot Girls" because we were doing a thesis about the potential of an increased geothermal power production in the Philippines, and how it can contribute to carbon offsetting, and to an economy without depending on oil for electricity Since, geothermal steam is indeed very hot (about 300C degree or higher), that was where we naturally got our little "nom de plume" from I don't know how long these hot girls are going to remain hot, but we sure wouldn't want to be like hot potatoes tossed from one hand to another hehe
Eventually, I feel the need to get tired of complaining about Panda bear...since she's always doing all so well, while the remaining three of us grew paler and sicklier each day, hmm I wonder why? Anyway, just so you guys don't get too worried about my sudden "evaporation" (although that is quite unlikely, since we've been having a considerably great amount of rainfall lately, that I had never wished so much to wear flip flops to school instead of close-shoes, because of the higher-than-ankle-length flood) and the possibility of never falling back to earth as a part of the condensation cycle...I decided to write something random, which is what I'm doing now
A lot has been going on lately, and by that, I mean A LOT! Things change unexpectedly, and perhaps miracles come next? haha in my dreams but hey, no matter what happens, I would never attempt to abondon this beloved blog of mine that has bridged so many wonderful friendships, even through this virtual world. In our subconsciousness, I know we'd already treated everything here as if it is part of our lives in reality I write stuff on here, and I get comments back, then I would comment back, and so on...its just as normal as that, but somehow it has become an inevitable part of our daily lives That is how I felt for this blog and all the people that came with it
One thing's for sure, even when the "Hot Girls" are no longer hot, I'll make sure that at least one of them would always toss in some random stuff on here and that would be me Hmm it is my bed time now...*yawn* Good night everyone! sweet dreams... and have a great weekend!
When all else fails I know you will be there When everyone defies me I know you will lift me up...
But when will my sky turn blue?
I had been undergoing a lot of emotional turmoil reently...=/ First is the upcoming thesis concept paper due next week. I was hoping it would be a piece of cake, but no, one of my group mates had to screw everything up and ruin my day! I hate her! How would you feel to have someone in your group who keeps complaining and does nothing? Who, despite of how clear the instructions given to her were, still can't understand and do something she's supposed to do properly? I have come to the brink of erupting when this group mate...nicknamed PANDA, (due to her obscenely darkened eyes from the improper use of eyeliner...who also happened to have escaped safely from the Sze Chuan Earthquake in China just recently...) sent her review of related literature to me. I have never seen anything so painful to the eyes and so unnerving, in my life. Okay, I can understand if she doesnt know how in-text citation are supposed to be used, but I absolutely will not tolerate ignorance in critical analysis writing! All of us received equal level of education regarding research paper writing, no one was deprived of anything, unless she is either extremely stupid or incorrigibly stubborn, she should have known what was there to include in a review of related literature for the thesis. I am rarely a person to complain about such things as I am generally quite tolerant and considerate, but this is our thesis paper I'm talking about, she should hold some responsibilities, if not all, as a member of the group. How naive of me to think that our(the two other members including me) confrontation on her would be effective in trying to encourage her to work more and motivate her to contribute more efforts into her outputs. I, rather we, should have known that someone like her is utterly hopeless to improve. Telling her that it would have been better for us to drop her out of the group, while the three of us work on the thesis did not make her change, perhaps crying for a short while, but with her insurmountable crocodile tears streaming down those cold emotionless unfathomable eyes, I somehow doubt that there would be any use in confronting her. We'd given her several chances to correct and straighten herself up, but she takes them for granted and now that she's about to be removed from the group, pleading for forgiveness is no longer an option to sway our decisions...
Secondly, I have been severely bothered by this weird feeling that keeps growing inside me. Sometimes it feels like darkness, and sometimes it feels like heaven. I am surrounded with an unexplainable aura that is somehow able to alter my mood from time to time, or even from minutes to minutes. Even my only outlet of writing poems has lost its power to calm down my senses...something is very wrong with me. I fear the thought of not being able to be in control of my life, of the things I deem important to me. This feeling of emptiness is slowly enveloping me, trying to lock me up in eternal darkness, deprived of all the wonderful colors my life once had and replacing them with the color people fear most - black, endless black. I need someone to bring hope and happiness back into my life...perhaps love is one way to penetrate darkness? perhaps optimism is also another way to push away sorrow and pessimism? I really don't know...It's as if I am waiting for something, and it seems to be an endless one, which the answers I would never get. Perhaps I am waiting for the red light ahead to turn green, before I could go on with my dreams and ambitions. Despite the presence of my wonderful family and friends, I cannot seem to overcome the feeling that something is missing in my life...something dear, something worthy of me betting all that I have on...could you please tell me what that could be?
Seeing nothing by darkness I feel the spinning dizziness As I slowly close my eyes And embark on my neverending journey
Does the title of this post remind you of something? Ah yes, some of who might have heard the song Drowning by Backstreet Boys, but certainly I do not refer to the same context as it had in the song with what I'm going to talk about here
So, I'm sure you could pretty well guess that all these eventually boil down to the only object of annoyance ever since I started prep school-- school! It had started from a tiny little bud and as it continues to grow, it has now blossomed into something incorrigible,unbearable... the THESIS! Yes, as early as now, we are already starting to write our thesis and believe me, thinking of the topic alone is difficult, not to mention the other factors to consider that make up the thesis -- method of research, availability of data, feasibility and practicality of topic, etc. I could go on forever, but I'm not going to bore you just yet
After some brainstorming, from environmental to transportation to industrial organizational economics and then back to environment economics, we finally decided to tackle about geothermal energy, how sustainable and reliable is it and how it can reduce fossil-fuel dependence of the Philippines during times with severe oil price hikes similar as what is happening now. Philippines is currently the second largest producer of geothermal electricity, following USA. So far my group and I'd been able to gather quite some useful data and our thesis panel has pretty much given us the go signal to pursue this topic. Our concept paper is due next Tuesday...I'm really drowning my shoulders feel so heavy now, thanks to this invisible burden that has just been bestowed upon me. This is mostly why I'd been silent for so long...that should give you some peaceful time, yes? Well, now I'm back but going again...back to the pile of work waiting for me. My friend said to me "Try to endure. " Yes, that is exactly what I'll do, endure and excel
*Yawn* I'm sleepy...been outside the whole day. First, I overslept and was an hour late to an Economics meeting we were required to attend then off we went, to the crowded low-end mall to observe prices, marketing and promotion schemes used by stores there to sell. That is for my marketing class, after that I'd been in the gym for almost 2 hours working out, its already 20:00 when I got home hehe Long day...tired, I'm going to sleep now tc cya!
It's been over a week since I had reverted back into my old hellish lifestyle - back to school. Well, I hadn't expected that as early as now we'll have to already start working on our thesis that is due the of the this school year on year 2009 I'd been frantically thinking of a topic now and then, suggest them to my thesis mates, and unfortunately some of them do not think the way as I do. I had always been interested in environmental economics and had been hoping to do a thesis regarding this matter, although narrowing down this topic to much specific issue is not such an easy task. I shall work more on that today Putting that aside, I'd like to talk about the two movies I'd watched yesterday with my friends Yep, this was my first time to have two movies in a day heh
First movie was the much awaited Indiana Jones III Well, I'm not really waiting for it to be released. In fact, this is the first time I ever watched this movie or any of its previous movies. This name did ring a bell when I heard it, but I had no idea what it was about. Apparently, I came to conclude in the end that it has a story very much similar to that of National Treasure II - searching for hidden treasures, action, suspense, and a bit of extraterrestrial integration (or what people call sci-fi)as well It was good, but not as great as how people have reviewed it about. I am not so much inclined to movies as such, but since it's Nikko's treat, then sure, maybe this can serve as an eye-opener for me
Now, the second movie. This one is really the one I'd been anticipating for and looking forward to watch The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian I have watched the first installment before and had found it quite unfinished haha I mean, it's like I was expecting more and then suddenly its already the ending The action scenes in this second film was better, everything looked so grand and enormous I'm not about to write some spoilers here, just my opinion, so don't worry hehe Anyway, the graphics was excellent, and definitely the addition of Prince Caspian really made quite a big difference and twist to the story although I would have liked it more if the ending wasn't the way it is(can't say what it is ) Maybe I didn't say much, but then its up to you to decide whether to watch it or not its your call But if you ask me, I'd definitely recommend this movie to you, of course, if you're the type of person who likes the fantasy,romance,comedy genre of films
Two good movies clashing inside my brain, do you know how that feels? Some of the scenes were merging, overlapping haha I'm glad I didn't make up my own story with my dream last night, or this post here would have been a very different one Most of you would probably think I'd gone crazy or something, but nope, I'm shaped to endure hell, the heat, and everything associated to it So I shall rise one day and become even better cya! haha
Some of you might think this sounds boring, Scandinavian sun? The whole world shares the same sun, whats so special about the sunshine in Scandinavia? Well, after being there myself for two weeks, I think there is a lot to debate about regarding this matter
You see, the sun rarely shines in the far north, up at the arctic circle. It is already considered very fortunate if the sun shines for five months a year, with the rest of the year cloudy and gloomy. So I was so lucky that when I arrived in Copenhagen, the sun was shining bright and the weather isn't so cold It was on the week that the whole of Scandinavia was experiencing peculiar weather patterns. When my parents and I went out for a walk, I see so many people out cycling, sunbathing, sailing, and doing all sorts of outdoor activities. I can see how much they love and crave the sun, in a land that sun rarely shines The sun was there for the next few days, even as we head north to Aalborg, and then into Norway. Bergen, being the city of umbrellas, never failed to "cheer" us with the massive downpour of rainshowers as we stopped there for two nights yup, and I didn't have my umbrella with me A city once the capital or Norway, those cute little white timber houses with roses on their porch lined up on the steep mountain slopes of the western Norweigian terrains, it just looks so wonderful, and when the sun shone upon this city, the view was breathtaking everything seems to have lightened up, all the brightly colored buildings and even the flowers danced with grace with the accompaniment of the gentle breeze. Everybody seems to be in a cheery mood, the fishermen docking their boats (ships) by the fish market, offering fresh salmon and whale meat, even the seagulls seemed to be especially energetic as well
Although Oslo did have a rainy day on their National Day celebration, which people had said that it was the worst May 17th ever, but in a few days time, the sun came back and brought smiles and energy to people's faces once again We continued traveling north, up to Geiranger, where it is actually in central Norway, where there is more snow than timber, more frost than rain, and more clouds than sunlight...those few days up there were very cold. Yes, I saw snow, I touched snow, but only for a brief moment, when in the next instant I'd was already running back into the coffee shop just to warm myself up a bit Then, I rushed out again to explore and take pictures of the frozen river beside us, slipping a bit on the ice as I move a few steps forward. I was happy, but I know that those people living in that area must have already been so bored with the depressing weather, and craving for much sunlight We started heading south after Geiranger, into Oslo, where for the first time in almost two weeks, I saw more people than I'd seen since the start of the trip
Lastly, to Stockholm, Sweden, where it had remained sunny for the four days we stayed there. My friend said we were so lucky, because the week before, they'd had experienced a temperature of -2C Oooo I wouldnt have survived that, if I were there The Swedes were all desperately out doing their outdoor activities I saw a lot of people running, jogging, cycling, sailing, or even just strolling casually by the streets enjoying the unusual downpour of sunlight in this part of the Earth. I can see how much these Scandinavians appreciate sunlight, while we Asians, particularly the Filipinos almost wished it would stop shining and give us a break Yet there is something different with the Scandinavian sun, I noticed that it does not tan my skin. It is warm and comfortable when you walk under the sun, but it does not make me sweat nor make me feel like a volcano inside So for once, I was also able to enjoy this wonderful sunlight without having to worry of getting to tanned or look haggard after. In fact, during the third day of our stay in Stockholm, I don't know how much the temperature had gone up, but it was so sunny, the sky was bluer than ever, and the clouds were well out of sight The birds were singing merrily, the grasses were green, everything was glowing, and even the reflection on the surface of the lake was calm. It was indeed a peaceful and leisurely Saturday as people laid out their mats on the grass picnicking under the long-awaited sun, rafting on the lake or just sit and absorb the whole scenery and watch the world go by.
How sun could differ shining from one place to another. The sun had always been the mortal enemy of the African land, killing everything that blocks its path.The sun in the tropical regions isnt that bad, but is constantly being despised by people for making life so difficult even if it was just to walk from one office building to another. Then, lastly the sun in the north, loved and enjoyed by everyone; people must have prayed and wished for it all year long, and when it does come, it brings about so much happiness and enthusiasm into people's lives. Whichever sun it is, it is a sun that we will always need
You are naturally inquisitive and curious.
You're excited by new ideas, and you are a true independent thinker.
You are interested in what is possible. You like the process of discovery.
You are often experimenting, challenging old ideas, and inventing new concepts.
Rules, restrictions, and limit don't really work for you.
You have to do things your own way, and you can't be bothered to explain yourself.
You are stable, strong, and full of life. You are an inspiring person.
People turn to you first for leadership and advice.
You are able to gently help people get to where they need to be.
And while you aren't afraid to lead when necessary, you are never heartless or bossy.
You are a fairly energetic person. You know how do pace yourself, and you deal well with stress.
You are very extroverted and outgoing. You are loving, friendly, and supportive. However, you are also manipulative and controlling at times.
You are balanced and grounded. You know how to get along well with others.
You need a bit of space in your life, but you're not a recluse. You expect people to give you a small amount of privacy, and you respect their privacy as well.
You are somewhat traditional, but you are also open to change. You listen to your head and your heart.
You are a decent communicator. You eventually get your point across, but sometimes you leave things a bit ambiguous.
Just when I thought I could relax, now that I'd finish writing about my trip to Scandinavia, I discovered that I was being tagged by Nikko after I read his post This is already the second time I'd been tagged Now I have no choice but to play by the rules
So, here are the instructions
A. People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blog and replace any question they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves. Tag eight people. Those who are tagged cannot refuse.
B. These eight people must state who they were tagged by. You cannot tag the person who tagged you. Continue this game by sending this to eight other people.
I think I might have to change the rules here a bit, and go with tagging fewer people you see, I know some people don't like to be tagged, so I'm just making the world a better place to live by changing the rules a bit anyway, here goes the questions plus my answers. Wow, this is gonna be the only time you'll ever get to read my answers about such nonsense questions, but oh well, there you go
1. If your lover betrayed you, what will your reaction be? ---I would breakup with him, no doubt. What is there left to be remorseful on when he'd already done the worst thing that could be done to hurt someone?
2. What will you do if you do not share the same feelings as the person who likes you? ---Well, I'm very frank. I would tell him straight how I felt about him, but in a nice way of course, and let him realize that there are always better girls out there he could pursue
3. What if question number two was the other way around? ---Hmm that would be hard...I guess if I really love him and want to be with him, I will not give up, but I will never try to force him to like me, I will just try my best to be myself and be there for him if he needs someone to listen or talk to
4. Would you rather be dumped by your BOYFRIEND or see your him cheating on you? ---I wouldnt wait so long as to be dumped, if I'd discovered he is cheating on me. I would dump him myself and right away! I am not the kind of person to be cheated on, I have my dignity and I command respect
5. What`s your ideal lover like? ---Haha another one of those difficult questions, but hmm...my ideal lover would be someone whom I could talk about anything with, someone who listens to, understands me, and accept me for who I am. He should also be funny, talkative (yes, I like talkative guys ), good-looking (hmm, dont we all like that?), kind, and caring.
6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone? ---Being loved by someone is more blessed, but loving someone makes me happier, although it can be difficult sometimes
7. If the person you like does not accept you, would you continue for them to change their feelings? ---Eh isnt this similar to the third question? anyway, I would first have to think things over, see if I really love him and want to spend the rest of my life with him. If I do, then yes, I will continue to love him no matter when, even if they never change their feelings...I will move on, but there will always be a place for him in my heart
8. If the person you like is already attached, what would you do? ---Wait? maybe...or just give them my best wishes There's really not much I can do, can I?
9. If you could leave everything behind and go to a place to start anew, where would it be? ---Stockholm, most definitely! 100% sure, no doubt
10. What do you want most in your life? ---I'd like to have freedom to choose and decide for what I want to do in the future. I want to be able to fulfill my dreams, even if the roads are crooked, I will face the challenges without the least bit of hesitation
11. Is being tagged fun? ---Uhm...not really, but it's fun to read other people's answer
12. If you find out that your best friend is going out with your boyfriend or girlfriend, how would you react? ---I would confront both of them and confirm whether they really like each other, if they do, I'll back out and make them a happy couple. It's not really a big deal, why do I have to care for him when he'd already hurt me that much? =/
13. Who is currently the most important person/s to you? ---My parents and family and my best friends, of course
14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is? ---Oh! HIM? He's a big size loudspeaker phone, no doubt! but I like him being that way, we used to call him Hilary, derived from the word Hilarious
15. You always loved *fill in the blank* _________________________ ? ---Blogging, playing piano, taking pictures, chatting over msn, and of course, hanging out with my friends
16. If the person you secretly like cannot recognize you, what would you do or how would you react? ---Cannot recognize me? Do you mean after I get a plastic surgery or undergo a terrible accident? well, if that's the case, I will have to do my self-introduction all over again(well, excluding the part that I like him)
17. Would you give your all in a relationship? ---Yes, of course. A relationship is built up on trust, and to gain trust, I will also have to take my part in giving my all to the relationship, right? (I'm sure Linh would agree with me? )
18. If you fall in love with two persons simultaneously, who would you pick? ---Who would I pick? Well, I don't think you'd know who they are, so telling you their names wouldn't do much help. But hmm, I would compare the both of them maybe, and pick the one whom I love more, or see myself with him in the future with Kinda vague, dont you think? haha
19. What type of friends do you like? ---I like to have friends whom I can rely on, whom I can share my secrets with, whom I can laugh and cry with, and accept me for who I am
20. If you played a prank on someone, and he or she fell for the trick, what would you do? ---I would laugh with all my might Yes, I'm evil
Those people whom I will tag, please dont blame me I was only playing by the rules haha forgive me pls I will be sending messages to your respective message boxes to alert you of your being tagged cya! hehe
Finally, weâve arrived in Stockholm. We checked in the hotel at around 17:00 on the afternoon of May 22nd, 2008, after a very long journey from Oslo (Norway) to Karlstad (Sweden) then finally to Stockholm, the capital of Scandinavia! Well it sure is true, Stockholm is enormous, compared to Oslo and Copenhagen Not exactly THAT big, but its built up on 14 islands through bridges and tunnels and I must say itâs a really beautiful and busy city. I havenât expected Stockholm to be quite so populated, as can be explained to where we came from before coming to Sweden â Denmark and Norway, both with populations under six million. The Danish cities, Copenhagen, Odense, and Aalborg were almost deserted. Could be partly due to the holiday that we happened to bump into when we got there, but still itâs a very quiet place, with little population and nice environment. Coming from a big busy city like Manila, I canât help but feel at least a bit overwhelmed with the sheer amount of people here out on the streets, not to mention how early the stores closeâ¦most of them usually by around 17:00-18:00, when the sun isnât even down yet. Then again, Denmarkâs sunset doesnât come until about 21:00 or later depending on the city
Anyway, continuing to Norway, when I was expecting at least a bit more people than Denmark, considering its huge span of land, but nope, I was totally wrong haha Our local guide told us that Norway only had about four million or so people, with its land at least several times greater than that of Denmarkâs. She told us that the service sector in Denmark and Norway is very much in need of more workers. Yes, I think that was one of the more peculiar things Iâd noticed about these countries. To most of the restaurants or stores and shops weâd been to since our first day of arrival, a common pattern is to have only about one to maximum of two employees in each store. It is rather funny you see, especially since Iâm coming from a hugely populated area, Manila, where a little restaurant could have five or so waiters/waitresses standing by; some even assign one waiter for each table lol Oh and what was I talking about? Ah yes, Stockholm! Quoting our tour director, she said âUh well, so I have to think how Iâd be able to make you guys fall in love with Stockholm, as it would not be as easy as Norway. You see, Norway is like a hot sexy girl, its like you see it and bang you fall in love with it, but with Stockholm/ Sweden, its more like that of a girl next door, it does not create an immediate impact on you, and it will take some time for you to get to know more about it and then maybe fall in love with it.â I think what she said is indeed true. Norway, once you get into the place, youâll see right away the beautiful fjords, high mountains, and extraordinary terrains that no other place in this world could provide you. With Sweden, its both a mix of low lying plains and small mountains, creating much more of a diversity. Then as you continue into Stockholm, it would be fine just to take it slow, get to know more about it, and then absorb all this exquisite city has to offer. I wasnât disappointed with Stockholm. Itâs a city bustling with life and so much diversity. The streets were crowded today when our bus had dropped us by the Stockholm Tourist Center in Hamngatan. It is right in the middle of the city and you can see groups of people everywhere, walking ever so fast going to wherever their final destination is. It is very much like Hong Kong, except that Stockholm is larger and has less population.
Now for some exciting âincidentsâ My parents and I decided that we have to go to the Central Station and scout out where exactly à rlanda Express is and where the tickets are sold. We thought it was going to be easy, but âNej, nej!â as a Swede would say, meaning âNo, no!â It was an exhausting one, we went under into the subway station, cued in the SL center (bus tickets office) and asked where à rlanda Express tickets are sold. The lady behind the counter was helpful enough and told me to go up the station and walk straight for about 400 meters. Hmm now thatâs very definite, you know, we donât usually get such exact directions when we were to ask someone from the Philippines. The most you can get is probably a âWalk straight, turn left, then turn right.â sort of directions It doesnât help, I know hehe but thatâs the way it is, people in the Philippines are as vague as the way they give out directions So, we followed what the lady told us and once weâd got up the station and back to the main street, weâre lost again haha We did walk about 400 meters then saw nothing and walked back to ask another lady, a subway ticket seller this time, and thatâs when we finally got to the à rlanda Express office and station. Wow! It took us more than an hour to get there, considering that it wasnât a very complicated route once weâd got there, but Stockholm is really big and sometimes the signs arenât so clear.
Ah yes, we had lunch in this Japanese restaurant called Sushi & Wok. It was by far the best meal weâd had in these 14 days weâd been here in Scandinavia. Nothing feels better than food we are familiar with. We ordered three sets of Yakiniku and wow the serving was really huge haha Once thing Iâd noticed different from the Philippines. Yum it was so delicious! For days, weâd been having half-cooked rice (not sure if it is half-cooked or intentionally done that way) and finally, we get to have something so nice, Iâm sure you could imagine how that would have felt Then we got to chat a little with two waitresses working there, one of whom is a Chinese student and another, an immigrant Vietnamese-Chinese ï We asked them about the life and climate here, and you know the usual stuffs, it was good. It was after the lunch that weâd set out in search for the à rlanda Express station. Well youâd probably be wondering what à rlanda Express is, itâs an airport express train that of course takes you directly to the airport in just 20-mins travel time, which is half the travel time with a taxi or a bus. On our way, we passed Stockholmâs largest department store à hlens, hurrying through the stalls as we scurry to get back to the hotelï Two most exciting things happened in à hlens and after we got back to the hotel. This post is way too long for that, so Iâll put on the continuation with another one coming up soon hehe The fun has yet to come, I guarantee But as this post would appear on my page after the continuation, make sure to read this first before moving on to the latest one or you wouldnât have the slightest idea as to what Iâm talking about so, Iâll call this a post and stop here hehe bye!
Finally I've been able to upload some of the photos on my photo album here check it out and tell me what you think, although the pictures weren't exactly the best ones, since I was in the bus taking those photos most of the time
We had one whole day for leisure in Bergen, Norway, where we were able to explore by ourselves. It was a pleasant walk down the narrow alleys and steep roads within this beautiful city surrounded by high mountains and a wonderful harbor. Our tour director, Catrin, told us that visiting Bergen's fish market is a must She told us that we would see all sorts of fish for sale and many other native products, so we took her advice and went for a visit. Luckily our hotel is situated in the city center, so the walk didnt take so long. Indeed, I saw all sorts of fish there, from which the Salmon is the only kind I can identify. There might have been whale meats there as well, since its legal to kill/eat whale here in Norway, but not for exportation. I also saw all sorts of beautiful leather for sale - seal skin, fox skin, reindeer skin, wolf skin, etc. The prices weren't too expensive, which is quite surprising for these sort of products. For a moment, we considered of buying one, but it might cause problems with the customs office in the airport, so we didnt
The next day, we left Bergen and continued to Sognjefjord, the King of Fjords where we will stay overnight. On the way, we passed Voss to take the train to Flåm, where we took the Flåm Railway up into the mountains then I SAW SNOW!!!! A DREAM COME TRUE! haha In Voss, we were met by a battallion of children in their traditional Voss costumes parading and celebrating for Norway's National Day, May 17th. However, we were not prepared for the snow, it was so cold and I had only 2 layers of clothes on hahaha but it was so much fun, this is my first time to see snow I would have loved to touch it too, but my hands were freezing so I stood there watching others playing with it It was a thousand feet above sea level and the view was fantastic! During that time, I was facing a huge problem I forgot the transfer the pictures I took the other day into my laptop, so I was facing the problem of possibly running out of memory space in my digicam Such a crucial time and I ran out of memory space...not to mention that the battery level was also low haha No choice, I had to delete about a hundred photos taken from the previous trips xD As usual we had all these coffee stops, where I never really drink coffee but took the advantage of taking even more pictures My western tour mates are all so fond of coffee, each time we had one of those stops for every 1-2hr bus trip, they would all cue in the shops buying coffee some of them buying so many souvenirs too xD Well we bought souvenirs too, I did some shopping for my dear friends, of course I had to share the fun, do I?
Our hotel is located in a small municipality called Sogn Dal (or whatever the spelling is haha), where our room overlooks a beautiful fjord right by the window I have no more words to describe the breathtaking view and the fresh fresh sea air. It is cold and windy, but we couldn't resist the outdoors and had to go take a shivering walk But it is fun all right hahaha this trip has brought me so many surprises, all the way from Denmark to Norway, then to Sweden I don't know how much more I'll get Right now, while I sit cozily inside the hotel room, I am seeing this wonderful view of thousand-feet high mountains with glaciers on top, a glimpse of the Geirang Fjord, and ferries occasionally arriving bringing a few cars and some people each time. It is such a peaceful scenery. Yesterday, we've left the serene Sogn Dal and arrived here at Geiranger Fjord, where we also took another ferry, since roads where closed due to too much snowfall.
Up on the ferry's deck, the freezing wind gushing on my face, and small snowflakes falling down, I've never dreamt of such an experience. Oh yes it is cold, but I managed to withstand the cold as I watch the ferry cruise through the fjord, with waterfalls coming into sight occasionally. The snowfall didn't last for long, but I'm happy with it I'm controlling myself from shivering in the cold as I hold my camera still taking photos from time to time. I think my hands were already numb that time My mistake I didn't bring along my gloves hehe
Hmm I think I'm missing one very important thing while I was posting about my trip, its the food Norweigian smoked salmon, chocolate, and sausages yummy! We were provided with great food. Once I'd had some delicious meat, although I can't quite identify what it is, but I'm guessing its lamb, roasted. Back in Sognjefjord, we had a find of fried fish made with whitefish for lunch, it tasted heavenly! I've never had fish so soft, so fresh. I'm guessing they had caught the fish right from the fjord right in front of the restaurant. Catrin was right in saying that people have to be careful with falling in love with this wonderful nation brimming with history, culture, friendly people and so much more surprises. Every person I've talked to, may it be the Danish waitresses, or the Norweigian stranger by the street, none of them hesitated in answering my questions. They were all excellent English speakers, very polite, and hospitable I doubt the French, Italians, of the Germans would treat tourists like that But then, it could be just a misconception, since I'd never been there, only heard about it from my relatives who'd been there a couple of times
Not another long post again I know I'm developing not a very good habit, as I'd been cramming a few days' stuff in one post I know I should be writing more frequently, but sometimes I'm too tired, when we only had overnight stops and sometimes internet is also a problem =/ I hope you're not getting bored yet? haha see ya'll! We'll be going to Lillehammer tomorrow, then to Oslo and finally to Stockholm! YAY! bye for now
Before we headed to Norway, we visited the Royal Palace in Denmark and also the Frederiksborg Palace where the current royal family spends their summer days it was a beautiful place. Although Denmark has the oldest royal family in the world, the castles aren't those of the Germans or the English They are fairly small, but exquisite both interior and exterior. We wacthed the changing of the guards and then also took a stroll in the quiet royal gardens. The air was fresh, the grasses are green, and the temperature wasn't too low
The next day, we continued with the bus to Aalborg, the second largest city in Denmark, passing through Odense, Hans Christian Andersen's hometown and staying over for lunch. Then we continued to Hanstholm, where we will board the world's fastest ferry at the western port and cross the Baltic and into Kristiansand, Norway. The whole ferry ride took two long hours as I slept through the whole trip, only waking up 30 mins before the arrival when my stomach growled in protest. So, I went to get some lunch danish hotdogs haha very delicious! hihi
We arrived in Kristiansand, Norway after two long hours, then we headed directly to Stavanger which took us about another 2 hours to reach, where we stayed there overnight. As soon as I had arrived in Norway, I immediatedly noticed the very very different landscape of Norway, as compared to Denmark. Denmark has low lying plains and fairly a large area of farmlands, while Norway, being 70% barren land, is full of mountains, rocks, and fjords. A fjord is a mass of water surrounded by land, which is often of sea water. It is very beautiful We drove through the coastal area where we were able to experience the splendid sceneries flashing by our bus windows. I barely had any sleep on the bus trip, as I was too concentrated in taking photos Many little timber houses where built on the steep mountain slopes, which looked rather more like a fairytale scene-come-true than what Denmark has to offer We crossed several tunnels, going under the fjords and islands
I understand that it may not sound so beautiful under my rather dull descriptions, so I'd suggest you better wait for the photos that I will uploading soon I know I missed out a lot of details, since there was too much information to remember without taking down any notes haha I am now in Bergen, Norway. We arrived here after taking another two fun ferry rides Both times, the deck was too cold and windy that I almost got blown away by the wind when I made my way up there to take some photos The temperature was below 15C and I only had two layers on I'm glad that we have finally arrived into this big city and stay for 2 nights, where I can have more time to do some shopping and sightseeing
The sun here does not set until 22:00 (10pm), worse than Denmark and rises at 3:00 in the morning hahaha I am still so amazed, even until now Well, I'm going out for a stroll now, and take a look at this wonderful city see you guys till I post my next post take care!
P.S. I may forgotten to mention about this on my last post about Denmark, but all, by all I mean ALL taxis there were Mercedes-Benz WOW! luxurious hahaha but taxi rides are too expensive
Today, we arrived at the Copenhagen airport of Denmark at 8:50 in the morning. Our journey lasted about 27 hours in all, including all the transit times. Can you imagine that? haha This is my first time to get on a long haul flight. Manila-Hongkong-Zurich-Copenhagen was our flight itinerary. From Hong Kong to Zurich, we were on the plane for 12 consecutive hours. This might not seem too much for most frequent travelers, but this sure is the first time I'd ever experienced this.
By the time we finally arrived at the airport, I kept having this sense of achievement You see, its such a long and tedious journey, I hope you'll understand me During our brief 45-minute stop over Switzerland, we almost had to run to catch our transit flight to Copenhagen, not to mention having had to take the SkyMetro (like subway) within the Swiss airport to reach the boarding gate. I had no time to take much pictures, as we were on the run, except for some while on the plane waiting for the takeoff. I glanced out my window by the plane and took in the splendid view laid before me- rolling green hills, excellent forestry. I almost regretted why we didnt arrive a few days in advance to take on a tour by ourselves first before heading to Denmark.
Yes, words cannot describe how excited I was when we landed on Copenhagen. Until now, I still can't believe that my dream has really came true - I'm standing by the river bank outside our hotel, in Copenhagen, the fairytale land. My mom felt the same way. We got all excited when we saw the low-rise cartoon-like houses colored in brick red, white, and all sorts of colors. While on the other side of the river, you can see great contrast as buildings of extreme modern/contemporary architecture were constructed. These structures make use of glasses a lot. I was wondering why, then I came with a conclusion. Perhaps its related with the cold climate of Denmark and the rare occurences of sunny days, thus the glass walls were there to elevate light penetration into the building and add to the wide visual feeling to make the tight, compact interior look more spacious. I admit that these structures are truly a wonderful sight to see. Walking by the river, with the cool wind against my face and warm sunlight shining on my back, everything feels to dreamy and ideal...this land full of mysteries made me want to learn more about it...
Well, I have noticed some rather peculiar things, or not. The Danes love cycling. Now why did I say this? When we our out this afternoon on our stroll by the river side, almost everyone there were with bikes. Thats actually a good thing, its environmental friendly you don't emit any carbon gas. Then I uncovered one dreadful secret burried within the depths of this fairytale land -- ultra high prices I can't help bu gasp each time I see the menus of the restaurants To make it more realistic, how about some examples. In McDonald's, an ordinary burger costs 40dkk (which is about 10USD). Gosh! a small cup of coffee at Starbucks costs 40dkk also...these prices are like 10 times higher than we had back home. That is a huge minus to add to the pros I'd mentioned above. Although one good thing was that the tap water here are actually drinkable anytime you wanna drink water, just turn the faucet and you have it (hot or cold) I wouldn't buy bottled water if I were you, coz it costs 20dkk (about 5USD) per bottle I'm wondering how people here live...how much do they earn? They must all be so rich, coz McDonald's was almost full!
As if that was not enough, bad things always come together. Yes, we had safe and enjoyable plane trip, but God just had to take it back and then awarding us with a group of old people as our fellow travelers who had also enrolled in the same tour program with us. I kinda had that feeling that this was gonna happen, but I didn't put much thought to it, not until I attended the welcome drink "party" tonight, and saw for myself for the first time, so MANY old, retired, skinny old people all grouped together in a room No offense to the old people out there, but please do understand, I'm only 18, it is really quite hard to take in that kind of disappointment without much hesitation. There were 37 of us, the only young people are two other guys, one from Australia who is maybe around 18 and another from India who is 14 and their parents who are about mid 40s to 50s. Many of them came from Australia , a few from Canada, some from USA and the Indian family and the 3 of us. This sucks! If I'd known this, I'd have gone backpacking myself Then there was the self-introduction part which did not help alleviate the situation, but instead made everything worse.
Anyway, I hope our succeeding trips to Norway and Sweden would change my impression. Sweden, don't make me hate you Denmark has already been blacklisted by me now its 22:00 now in the night, the sky was still not dark an hour ago, quite fascinating indeed, as compared to the 18:00 sunset we had back home. Temperature today was about 18C. Tomorrow we will start our first day of this tour. We will be going to the North Zealand Rivier/Castls tomorrow morning, and also take a canal tour by the city center I am looking forward to this, although it still wouldn't help Denmark from making it out the blacklist I'm very pissed off now...(I rarely use this word, but I had to this time ) Good night all, have to wake up 18:00 tomorrow Will keep you posted for the succeeding trips, including the photos as well see ya!
OK! I grabbed this photo from my friend's site. It was taken when we were drinking at the bar in Boracay on our last night there , and I'm already kinda tipsy, not to mention my red face (as my friends would call it rosy cheeks) I find this photo really funny because we're all glowing like neon lights and my friends were holding the umbrella pretending to be in star wars I just had to spotlight this one and share with you guys
On the third day of our trip, we decided to go island hopping. We hired a tour guide and a boat and we went sailing to the nearby islands
First destination was the Crocodile Reef, a popular snorkeling destination, where my friends were all excited about. When we got there, they happily put on their life vests and goggles and went down into the water. While they were experiencing the joy of feeding the fish, seeing the corals, I can only sit on the boat and be their photographer Why? because I couldn't swim...even when there are life vests, my parents wouldn't let me go Ah well, maybe next time, when I learn to swim
After around fifteen minutes, we continued to Crystal Cove where we visited two caves. Down under, the current was strong, and my friends were screaming everytime the water rushes towards them and to the rocks so again, I sat beside taking pictures. Well, I enjoy photography, so I had no problem with it The island was beautiful. Again, the white sand beaches and blue green sea water. There were also some animals there -- monkeys, hawks, falcons, and herons. We didn't stay for too long there, and left after about an hour.
The next destination was the Puka Beach, on the northern part of the Boracay island. It is a secluded area where there isn't yet much constructions and establishments. Yes, it is a very quiet, clean, and isolated part of the island, as compared to White Beach, where we were staying. Seeing the sand so white and powdery, I couldn't resist but took the liberty of snatching some home People are not allowed to take anything, sand or sea shells, from the beach, but the tour guide told me I could take some home as long as I don't make it too obvious. Then there I was, walking and strolling back and forth, occasionally bending down to touch the sand, pretending I was amazed While my friends were again swimming, I sat down on the warm sand, took out my camera and started taking pictures again of the surroundings. It was a great experience After a while, we got back to the boat and sailed back to the hotel, where we had pizza for lunch
We stayed in the room after lunch, rested a bit, and then we headed the beach and D'Mall again. On the way, my friends went to have Henna painted on their arms. I didn't coz it would look so weird when I go to Scandinavia soon Then, we headed Hey Jude ( a bar and restaurant) to have dinner, and later had a some alcoholic drinks I had a glass of Kamikaze (vodka, triple sec, lime juice). It tasted good, but it was really strong. I started feeling dizzy after a while and my friend said my face was so red Another friend was worse than me, she was all wasted by the time we got back to the hotel. She went to sleep right away and woke up in the midnight not remembering what happened Anyway, I had a great sleep too.
The next day, we woke up 6:00, prepared our luggage and headed down for breakfast. After that, its time to go home, so again, the car ride, boat ride, bus ride, and lastly, the plane ride Got home in the afternoon and slept for 6 hours straight hihi
Overall, this was a great experience with my friends. I look forward to such excursions in the future. Hopefully, I'd learned how to swim by then. I felt I missing a big part of the fun I'll be posting the pictures soon, please check the photo albums See ya!
Today is our second day here on Boracay. As I've mentioned previously that my friends and I had already planned out the daily activities prior to our departure. Well, one of my friends said that he's got a feeling that we won't be able to follow the itinerary and that we would be way behind the scheduled times For once, I played the optimistic one this time and reassured them that we would be able to do as planned (who knows what my basis for this reassurance was)
Too bad, some unanticipated problems always happen when things were assumed to go on smoothly. Yes, this time was no exception. My mom told me that she would like to borrow my computer while we're away, log on the internet and check out the Chinese Stock Market through certain softwares. I had prepared everything, but after I got the internet card this morning (after much anticipation), I wasn't able to successfully access the internet. Why? because for some unfathomable reason, my wireless internet adapter (built-in) went crazy or well, it wasn't able to detect the IP address. The problem wasn't solved even after I'd called up the IT service. The technician told me that my wireless adapter is most probably damaged...and I'm like "What? how can that be?I was only using it recently." Anyway, thinking like that wouldn't solve the problem. Then my gadget expert friend suddenly said "AH! I know of another way to solve that..." then I got this idea and asked him "Were you talking about reinstalling the driver?" and he said, "Yes! haha" So there, thank God this solution worked like a charm. Although it did take some time for me to get it done. Oh well, considered it done
We were two hours behind our scheduled time of departure to our bicycle journey towards the more deserted, but also points of interests, of the island. I haven't cycled for quite some time, especially when mountain bikes usually require extra cycling skills, it took me some time to get used to it -- changing gears, sitting so high, crouching down, etc. The journey was full of excitement as we traveled through lines and lines of stores, curious people, and of course, vehicles. A few meters and we would have to check out the map again Luckily, one of my friend has a built-in radar plus compass in her brain, so it wasn't all that hard. Or well, not that easy, after a few time of getting lost and several asking of the townspeople, we finally arrived at our destination! Never in my life have I encountered slopes so steep that it almost feels as if I was climbing a wall, just to realize that most of them led to either dead ends or waist high water masses so we had to go back and find another way. For the first time in all my traveling experiences, this was the first time I feel like a backpacker Although its very tiresome to cycle under the midday sun with a temperature of at least 38C, not to mention our having to constantly fight for our cycling places on the roads and diving the bike down pools of mud (without even as much the slightest hesitation), jumping on rocks, and looking out for passerbys, we had a lot of fun None of us denied that, even when we're complaining all the way about the heat, the redenned skin, and the hurting muscles. Picturetaking all the way was also one of the happiest moments during this three-hour long journey. It feels so good to have finally arrived at the destination point, after much struggle and hardship. Yes, the place called Bulabog Beach is a windy seashore where kiteboarders and surfers would love most and of course, the scenery was stunning powdery white sand and blue green to bright blue sea water...
My friends happily walked into the water and started splashing and playing with it. Much memory space and battery life was also consumed for the sake of taking their (our) vanity photos, of course After a while, we cycled back into the city center and into D'Mall, where we shopped for souvenirs and had lunch. Gosh! The souvenirs were really expensive. In less than an hour or so, we were able to successfully deflate our wallets into the same level when it used to be empty all for our dear friends and relatives And I'm still tempted to buy more! I had been eyeing my credit card for a while now, but no, I won't use it Anyway, at around 18:00 in the evening, we were all tired and bored, so my friends decided that they would go swimming. Damn! I can't swim! (yes, I know how ironic that is, but the truth always hurts, I can't swim ) So what do I do while they're away? Internet! Yes, that was when I wrote about the post about our travel yesterday. After almost two long grueling hours, they finally came back, all wet and tired.An hour after they've finished showering and changing, we headed down the "streets" and started hunting for a place to dine
We ended up in the hotel restaurant,ordering Korean food Its quite fun, since we had to cook our own food I was so full that I'm worried that I might be gaining weight again Oh well, how many times do I get to this in my life? Few! So fat, slim, chubby, skinny, I don't care as long as the food is great! Oh I'm so sleepy now, Steph and Joyce are already asleep, while I sat here and type away my every sap of energy and force my half-dead brain to focus and give you more information about this long-awaited trip of ours. I hope you understand that I'm not trying to write a novel here (I'm sure the space here wouldn't be enough either if I really tried), rather just trying to make things clearer Tonight, we're supposed to be going out to experience the lively nightlife here, but we were met by a rainstorm while having dinner, so drinking for tonight is temporarily cancelled. So sleepy now... well, I guess that's pretty much what is for today I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading I'll keep you posted and the pictures will come soon.See yah!
Well, I'm going to be posting two posts simutaneously today, for both yesterday and today's events
Yesterday, after so much anticipation,we were finally able to board the aircraft. What can I say? It was the liveliest,best flight I'd ever had on my entire flying "career" Although for some reason, the plane was fully-booked,just to add the our late check-in due to waiting for another of my friend's arrival, only the last two rows of the plane are vacant, we took the liberty to make ourselves feel at home I have noticed that no one else in the plane talked and laughed as loud as we had (glad we're not sitting on the first row) The flight lasted only for an hour, then we'd landed on the Kalibo airport, where we switched to a two-hour bus ride along the scenic, rocky roads of the city to Caticlan, where we waited for the boat to come and take us to Boracay. By 18:00 that day, it started raining so hard. We were all soaked as only I brought an umbrella , no one had expected a rainy day on mid summer. The boat ride took about ten minutes to reach the Boracay boat station, then we were quickly transfered into a mini van(provided by the hotel we were staying in) and after another fifteen minutes, finally arrived at the hotel! It was a long journey. By the time we had checked-in our rooms and taken care of the luggage, we were all tired and sleepy. Well, the hotel room is nice and cozy. The only prolem was that we were not provided with free internet service. We had to buy internet cards from the front desk in order to access the internet. Anyway, we had a nice dinner at around 20:00 by the hotel's restaurant. Water was dripping everywhere, and the sand was wet then,the air was moist, not much wind. The place is also crowded, as is very much expected on a hot summer day
When we had finished our dinner and was sitting by the restaurant bar just relaxing and talking a bit, two American guys came in.This was their dialogue: The guy in black said to the waiters: "Hey! do you have..." (some drinks) waiter: "yes, sir.we have it." guy:"ok, we'll have two, how much is it?" waiter: "that's 150 pesos each, sir" guy:"ok...hey are there any places here where we can find some fine ladies?" waiter: "yes, sir, there are a lot of bars here just around the corner." guy: "oh! we'd drank in all the bars here." guy(black) to guy(other): "hey wanna go somewhere else? all you gotta do is bring home a lady each night from each bar..." and so on so forth My friends were all staring at me in awe, they were like " did you just hear what they said? yuck! perverts!" Yes, most westerners who came here are after for nothing else but girls and moreover, sex...haha
We went to walk by the beach afterwards, since we're so full. We got back to our rooms, watched tv, talked and laughed around. Then since I'm such an internet addict, I can't be without it for even a day So my friend and I went to a nearby internet cafe and stayed there for a while then got back Then it's sleeping time! (it was already 1:00 when I went to sleep)
Hi! From now on, I will be posting some really nice stories about life frequently. They are, of course, not my own compositions, but I would like to share them with you. As for how I got them, it will be my secret hehe Hope you all would like them
Love and Time
Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happniess, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the other feelings, including Love. One day it was announced to them that the island would soon sink, so all of them except for Love, built their boats and left.
Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold on until the last possible moment.
When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.
Richness happens to be passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?" Richness answered, "No, I can't. I have too much gold and silver here in my boat. There is no more place to accomodate you."
Love then decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please help me!" "I can't help you Love. You are all wet. I don't want my boat damaged." Vanity answered.
Sadness was close by, so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you." "Oh....Love, I'm so sad I need to be alone."
Happiness passed by Love too, but she was too happy that she didn't even hear when Love called her.
Suddenly, there was voice, "Come Love, I will take you." The voice came from an elder. Feeling so blessed and overjoyed, Love forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they had finally arrived at safety, the elder went her own way.
Realizing how much was owed to the elder, Love asked Knowledge, another elder "Who helped me?"
"It was Time." Knowledge answered.
"Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?"
Knowledge smiled and answered with deep wisdom, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how valuable Love is."
THE END
What a nice story, isn't it?
"Love can turn the cottage into a golden palace." -Terence
As some of you might have already known, I'll be leaving Manila this Sunday with my friends for our trip to Boracay, a nearby island. This is our first time ever excursion I'm so excited! Hopefully internet would be available there so I could share everything we did on my blog
Here is a map(the red dot is where we will be staying) and picture of the island This island is famous for the water sports it offers, as well as the nightlife and metropolitan environment. A shopaholic? no worries, you can still shop here sporting fanatic? no problem, this island offers a large beautiful golf course, tennis courts, rock climbing walls, bike rentals, horseback riding, sailing, kite boarding, windsurfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, you name it My friends and I have already planned out all the activities in advance, I'm expecting a lot for this trip hehe
NIGHTLIFE was one of the biggest part of our itinerary my friend said, "Hey! I've researched on one of the bars, they had something called Fifteen and standing , I'm thinking of trying it out." Fifteen and standing is when you drink fifteen shots, and if you're still not drunk, you get prizes I said "sure sure, you can drink, I'll be the one to carry you home when you sleep away. "
This is gonna be the best plane trip I'm gonna have in my life Can't wait! I already have everything ready hehe 5 more days...
It was only a short six months...yet so many things have changed. Should I stop to grasp for air? or should I just let the flow take me wherever it wants? Some made me so happy...while there were also ones that gave me great disappointment =/
I called out into the dark All I hear is my own echo I do not know what to do Change, why is it constant?
I do not like change Uncertainty and insecurity Slowly enveloping me Into eternal darkess
Pushed away and forgotten Left behind to dry up A flower without nurture The sunlight no longer shining
Stars still sparkling up there How I wish rain would fall Wash away my sorrow and tears Wash away my pain and agony
Now, I cannot help but take in the fact that nothing will ever remain the same. A few months ago, when Valle left Stockholm for his trip to Asia, I couldn't wait to meet him when he comes. Going to Boracay was an idea he gave me. Thanks to him, I knew that I could treat my friends to the island for my belated 18th birthday celebration, with the huge plus that he himself would be there too. We promised to buy each other a drink. Yeah, his birthday was a week before mine, and I couldnt think of anything to give him, so the drink was our deal. Things went pretty smooth after he got to Thailand and staying there for 2 months, then the bad news came. One day, he came online, after being away so long. He was in Singapore then, he told me he couldnt come anymore because his friend has ran out of money. Words cannot anymore describe how disappointed, upset, and annoyed I was at that moment. He wouldnt come alone, so fine, I'll drop the whole matter, and spend the celebration with my friends
Some good news, our visa application to Scandinavia were granted, as I'm sure you all know that I've already mentioned it in an earlier post, so I'm not anymore going into the details. Next would be that I passed all my subjects this term with very satisfactory grades. I am just glad I passed the hardest subject and still got a comparatively fair grade Then, I met up with my old friends after so long a time, had a lot of fun and catching ups. We also planned and outlined our itinerary for our stay in Boracay. What can I say? There is nothing better than being with my bunch of friends-forever friends So now I'm all excited, departure is on April 27th
Now, just now, I saw something I really didn't want to see. A very close friend of mine, someone whom I could talk with for 7-8 hours straight over msn, has finally found this girl he wanted to spend his life with. I know I should be happy for him, or else it would just sound so selfish. But it's an online relationship, I dont want to sound skeptic, but I just don't know how big the chances are with two people separated not only by the Baltic Sea, but also the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean...yes, they are that far away. Internet just makes everything seems as if its just an arm's length away, but no, its nice to be practical and realistic, although I'm aware that being over idealistic is mankind's weakness. Perhaps I myself have already fallen victim too. I just don't want to see my friend get hurt. My other problem is that I become distant with someone close once he/she gets into a relationship. I don't know why. There just isnt that much freedom anymore, things change, conversations tend to become awkward(not to mention my constant need to have to look out with what I'm saying, in fear that I might offend someone). He/she also would have less time for the friends, and spend most of the time with his/her loved one. Yes, I'd call that a sandwich situation xD Somehow, I sense the coming of this day long before things have turned out how they are now. The future is blurred, I cant be blamed for holding on to something certain. Ending everything while it's still early would have been the best thing to do, before more people gets hurt. My only loss is that I had to lose such a nice friend, someone whom I can tell anything to...such a friend is no longer easy to find. Needless to say, new feelings sprout everyday, for the better or for the worse, but its aleady pointless and too late. Its quite funny though that I'm currently having a "last sound syndrome" of this line of a song saying "It's too late to apologize..." Well, I'm not sad now, just empty. Soon, something new will come and fill up the gap inside me, and the pain will gradually subside. Yet again, change caused me all this agony, but change can also bring me back to heaven...what a troublemaker
I know things happen for a reason, but I don't know where these things will lead me to...
Hey all! I'm here again. Well, the past few days, I've been having some problems, and I was feeling very down. Part of the reason is the final exams that I'll be having starting this Wednesday till Friday =/ I'm worried and all that, but I'm feeling better now So I'm going to write about an event I forgot to post about hehe
March 29, 2008 21:00 (9:00 pm)
Les Vogue was the year-end party sponsored by the Economics Organization in our university. The party was really great! I had so much fun The last year's party was a huge turnoff, so I was kinda pessimistic for this year's, but glad it didn't disappoint me (although the tickets were kinda expensive) Well, the party was held in one of Manila's most prestigious bars -- EMBASSY It was so classy inside It was my first time to go there. The drinks were great, the service was excellent, not to mention the awesome DJ and atmosphere
One thing I'm really glad about this party is that I didn't get all red and dizzy when I had a glass of vodka, as compared to what happened to me last year (when my friends were all staring at me in amazement, saying "SHIR!!! you are drunk!" but of course, I'm not, just red hehe) Oh and I had fun taking pictures of drunk-and-still-dancing people hahaha One of them was the acclaimed Nerd of the Batch who said it was his first time to party and was determined to get drunk xD (so he did, started drinking the moment he stepped in the bar)
There was a lot of dancing too! By a lot, I mean the whole time we were in the bar (for like 3 hours), people were dancing and having so much fun I wish I could stay there longer, too bad my parents were really worried and kept calling me, urging me to come home quick. Ah well, it was a once in a lifetime experience to really enjoy a party I'm not much of a party person, but its nice once in a while I got home 1:00 midnight and was not a least bit tired hehe
I'm definitely looking forward to such parties in the future By the way, I have some pictures uploaded on my photo albums, feel free to take a peek and comment if you feel the need to
Three more days and I'm free wohoo summer time!!!!! (I'm gonna go get some nice tan ) See ya all after my final exams, have a great week! tc~
That day was one of those normal, boring school days. It was on my break-time when I received a textmessage from my mom telling me the news I'd been dying to hear ever since a month ago - our Schengen visa to Europe, specifically to Denmark has already been granted!
Words cannot describe how happy I was that day starting that moment I didn't know that the results would be out so early. This is the first step to our long-awaited tour to the Scandinavia and I'm glad we succeeded. The next will be the long haul flight from Manila to Copenhagen I've never boarded a plane for more than 3 hours, and here I am for the first time, flying 12 hours straight from Hong Kong to Zurich before tranfering to another plane bound for Copenhagen (not to mention the flight from Manila to Hong Kong first...) xD
Now to the land of vikings, we're visiting 3 countries - Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, and 13 different cities, most of which are in Norway. We will leave on May 10,2008 yay!!!
Guess what? It's the Easter holidays again I know I may seem to have disappeared these few days, which is quite peculiar actually for an blog-internet-computer lover like me. My cousins and my aunt and uncle visited us here in Manila for a short vacation, so we decided that my family and theirs would stay in a hotel and just relax before we all get back to business. It was nice, very nice, I missed my cousins, and I'm just so glad to see them again(though they'd already gone taller than me and yes, they are guys ).
It is really rare to see Manila so deserted and quiet these past few days. There were very few cars on the road and I just enjoy the silence and solitude My guess was most of the people would most probably had gone away to the provinces or "getaway" resorts nearby or for the faithful Catholics, gone attending masses and doing all the stuff they do(e.g. crucifying themselves on the cross, parading with Jesus' dummy corpse, etc.)Ah well, after the few days relax, I came back to our apartment with the stacks of projects piled up on my desk waiting desperately for me to squeeze out some time to spend with them, and the constant buzzing in my brain about some other essays our supposedly terror literature professor had bestowed upon us for some crappy who-knows-what-its-about film
The summer vacation seems so near, like its at my grasp, yet so far... Oh well, I'm off the blog now, see ya and have fun with holidays
Just recently, I'd become very fond of watching tv series thanks to a friend of mine who first introduced me to Prison Break. I watched the first episode on the link he gave me and I was immediately in love with the whole thing I'm not the typical tv series fan who goes after every episode of a certain show and would go crazy if I missed one. To solve that problem, I asked another friend to buy me the complete set of all the seasons of Prison Break in DVD, so I can put on a marathon anytime I want
Well, I'm sure you all know what Prison Break is all about, so I'm not gonna go into details anymore. If you haven't heard of this tv series yet, its not too late, go to www.imdb.com, search for it, and maybe go grab a copy in the racks (or just download them from the net, if you're a couch potato or an introvert who would not leave the house no matter what...house fire, parties, etc. ) Anyway, going back to Prison Break, I'm sure you Wentworth Miller fans out there would scream at the site of him in the show and for those who aren't, well just pretend to tolerate him, and concentrate more on the story
Apart from the blockbuster tv series Prison Break, which is already on its 4th season, I've discovered (rather, heard from friends) some other nice ones, which turned out to be popular too One would be Heroes (I know everyone is crazy about Hiro Nakamura, the time traveling guy:P), Supernatural (Jared Padalecki is so good in there ), House M.D.(the doctor who can heal practically every weird disease in the world and would not let go of any chances of insulting sarcastically his team of surgeons ), and lastly a newly discovered one, Scrubs ( basically a war between the interns and the residents --real doctors, and surgeons and medical interns), which is also a comedy.
If I would have to rate them in my order of preference, it would be: First: Heroes - since the story always comes with twists and turns Second: Supernatural - waiting for season 3 Third: Prison Break - waiting for summer vacation, so I have enough time to watch Fourth: Scrubs - now on its 5th (or I think 6th) season Fifth: House M.D. - waiting for new episodes to come
If you're interested in any of the above, most of them can be found in YouTube. If not, try out www.peekvid.com or www15.alluc.org/alluc for streaming videos. However, if you prefer downloading them from the net, please don't hesitate to ask me for the links. I have some nice ones I would like to share, just not convenient to post them on here. Just leave me a message or comment asking for it Happy viewing people Happy Monday
Just these few days, I happened to tune in disney channel and saw Cinderella III playing I thought it's nice to rekindle those childhood memories again haha so I watched the movie Cinderella used to be my favorite cartoon back when I was still a toddler. But this third version of Cinderella turned out a bit different, but still nice hehe
Posted below is the ending song of Cinderella III titled "I Still Believe" by Hayden Panettiere. In case you don't know her, she stars Claire Benett in the famous TV Series HEROES I had no idea that she's such a good singer. I really like her voice and this song rocks! haha It's hard to believe its from Cinderella Please, if you have time, listen to it It's really nice. Enjoy!
I Still Believe Hayden Panettierre
Somehow I know I will find a way To a brighter day in the sun Somewhere I know that he waits for me Someday soon he'll see I'm the one
I won't give up on this feeling And nothing could keep me away
'Cause I still believe in destiny That you and I were meant to be I still wish on the stars as they fall from above 'Cause I still believe Believe in love
I know what's real cannot be denied Although it may hide for a while With just one touch love can conquer fears Turning all your tears into smiles
It's such a wonderous feeling I know that my heart can't be wrong
'Cause I still believe in destiny That you and I were meant to be I still wish on the stars as they fall from above 'Cause I still believe Believe in love
Love can make miracles Change everything Lift you from the darkness and make your heart sing Love is forever When you fall It's the greatest time of them all
Oh I still believe in destiny That you and I were meant to be I still wish on the stars as they fall from above 'Cause I still believe Believe in love
Yes I still believe Believe in love Still believe in love I still believe Believe in love
How does it feel To not be able to talk? How does it feel To ache with each move?
I want to smile But a tinge of pain Flashes across my eyes And stays all throughout I want to laugh But there seems to be a lock Its key, who knows where Thrown away and forgotten
My tears can tell and The window to my soul opens Each time I look into your eyes
I can't speak Nor can I laugh Except the heartbreaking silence That tells the words from my heart
Why is it so hard To shut the windows? Why is it so hard To remain expresionless?
The pain has overrode My joy and Sorrow has took its turn
The lively spring in me Has been replaced With lonely winter nights
Should my laughter Ring in your ears again Hell would have frozen Should my smile Hang on my face again Light would have shone upon me
I need someone To lead me Out of this darkness To show me the way Till I see the rainbow Grinning down upon me To give me hope That once again I shall hear my voice again
And it's another 10 days since I'd last posted. Damn, time really flies by fast xD I don't know, is it just me? or everyone else too? My blog seems to be a lot peaceful now evern since Valentine's Day hmm
Yesterday, I had my wisdom tooth removed. The dentist took an x-ray and saw that I had 4 wisdom teeth stuck in the gums and can't come up, so he had to remove all of them. I had never in my 18 years of life had any one of my teeth removed, so this one really hurt. The dentist said its partly because my teeth is too healthy... well isn't that supposed to be a good thing? but not for me apparently, since that means I have to suffer more pain, when the other 3 wisdom teeth will be removed
I am not allowed to eat hard and hot food...so I have to stick with liquids and maybe ice cream? hahaha This morning I woke up with a swolen cheeck as expected -_- Glad I didn't have to go to school these few days, thanks to a national holiday. But tomorrow, my parents and I will be going to the Norweigian Embassy for appearance for our visa application I hope this swell goes down by then. Ah well, I'm just so bored now, that I thought maybe I'd write something on here.
Hello people! Happy Valentine's!!!!! I know my post came a bit late, was very busy recently =/ Yesterday was a nice day. Funny thing happened in class and in the study halls haha
In my human behavior class, while the professor was lecturing, there suddenly came a group of students, with accompamying violin and piano, asked the permission from the teacher to allow them to serenade a GUY! Well, there's a student organization in my university, called the Chamber Ensembles. It's the organization that is resposible for orchestra and musical performances, and this in every year's valentine's day, they would offer special services, serenading or flower/gift delivery. So there, it was so funny, everybody laughed when they heard the it was a guy that's going to be serenaded.
When the group was preparing the musical instruments, a guy sitting behind me started singing the mourning song The group started playing and they were so good The French guy sitting beside me shouted the loudest "BRAVO!" and started clapping loudly with his hands hahaha (apparently, its his first time to see such a performance done in a classroom) I don't think that is customary in France Anyhow, the day was great
I hope you all had a great valentine's with your loved ones May love be with you~
P.S. My my, the post is full of red and pink! That's just so not me but it will be an exception this time
Love is truly undescribable, is it? When asked what love is, some would respond that it's blind, some would say it's just a feeling that comes like a lightning bolt that it would have been too late by the time you discovered that you were already in love. Vague answer, yes? hmm
Today in our recollection session, my friend had this quote on his name tag -- "Love is Blind." then another friend continued the sentence with "I am blind, so love me." True, it might be blind for I never understood why so many western guys come here to the Philippines to marry ugly Filipino women, when there were a handful of beautiful ones everywhere. Is it the way they perceive beauty that lead them to their judgments differing from the Asian perspective? Or is it that they wanted security, so by marrying an ugly wife would secure their marriage and make sure that she does not cheat? I don't know...it's just so weird Each time I go shopping, there'd be tons of these sort of combination couples strolling about, hand in hand. I remember a filipino guy friend telling me that, "Haha no, those girls were just prostitutes." I see...prostitutes, but some certainly don't look like one.
How about virtual love or what is more popularly known as online relationship? If love is blind, then perhaps love can be felt even when the only means of communication was through the computer screen, or sometimes the phone; isolated from each other, barred from the face-to-face interaction, and with everything converted to emotionless words sent through the MSN, Yahoo, AIM, Skype, etc. If love is blind, then whatever means of communication used would not have made any difference. I've read about quite a lot of success stories, as well as sad ones.
The trend is, people meet and chat online for a certain period of time, say 3 months to 1 year,then they meet in real life. I admit it can be dangerous at times, especially when you do not yet know the person very well, but of course, not everyone out there is a pedofile, or a wolf On Yahoo, as I was browsing through, there were success stories of people meeting online then getting married in the end, but the important thing is, one of them should always sacrifice, and move to the other's location. In less fortunate cases, some girls get harmed - raped, killed, robbed, etc. In Taiwan, it has become popular for pedofiles to go to chatrooms and try to get young teenagers to bite his bait. Apparently, many did, and then there it was, the series of unfortunate events.
Well, taking risks is a part of our lives in every decision we make, we forego a choice and take a risk. Whatever we do, there will always be something lost. So, what should we do with love? Risk everything to get what you want? or play safe and wait for love to find you? The choice is yours. For me, I don't know how love true feels like...perhaps it had already came, but I'd just missed out on it completely, so I had to wait another lifetime? I hope not haha
So people out there, you got insights to share? experiences, opinions? come one now, give me some comments, I'd want to learn some new things as well (even if I'd already read so many romance novels) I'm kinda sleepy now, I hope this post isn't sounding too weird Good night to ya'll!!! take care and have a nice day~ ciao ciao~~~
Diane, my bestfriend, is currently in the operating room, fighting for her life against apendicitis. It was exactly a month after her father had passed away =/ So sad...
Did she pressured herself too much? Was it stress or sorrow that pushed her body system to the limit? I don't know..I'm very worried. I wish I could rush to the hospital right away, but there's no one to drive me there, my parents are going out tonight The least I can do is pray for her now and then visit her tomorrow.
Till then, I hope her condition would remain stable.
Get well soon, my friend remember that we'll always be there for you no matter what. God bless you!
Today, I was tagged by Pablo I'd played this tagging game before but with a different set of rules. This one sounds intersting So here I am, following the instructions and rules of the game
For those whom I will tag, here are the rules:
1. Link to the person that tagged you 2. Post the rules on your blog 3. Share 6 non-important things/habits/quirkes about yourself 4. Tag 6 random people at the end of your post by links to their blogs 5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website
I'll start mine
6 insignificant things about me
1. Everyday, I commute with train from home to the university and back, it doesn't matter for me how long it takes the train to arrive, or how long the trip will be, but I cannot ride without my iPod otherwise it would be so boring on the train
2. I seemed to have developed a passion with Sweden and everything about it I'm currently learning to speak and read Swedish on my own, with the help of books and audio clips.
3. I play the piano when I feel happy or sad
4. I love dancing. I'm currently trying to learn some of the basics of melbourne shuffle by myself:P
5. I am a photography maniac. I can never leave home without my camera, and I get tons of new pictures each time I return (perhaps, like a paparazzi)
6. This term, I met some new friends whom I'm eager to get to know more about
2. A really nice and funny girl from Sweden, Elin, who has all the crazy pictures you can ask for on her blog:lol: http://my.opera.com/Ellan%2087/info/
I was quite bored and was browsing through the various tests offered by Facebook and came across this one I think it's really fun, so why don't you try it out? The pictures beside serve as clues, but does not necessarily correspond to the question aligning it You can post your answers as comments or send them to me, then I'll give you the correct answers Good luck and have fun!
Example = 24 H in a D â 24 Hours in a Day
1 â 26 L of the A 2 â 7 D of the W 3 â 7 W of the W 4 â 12 S of the Z 5 â 66 B of the B 6 â 52 C in a P (WJs) 7 â 13 S in the USF 8 â 18 H on a G C 9 â 39 B of the O T 10 â 5 T on a F 11 â 90 D in a R A 12 â 3 B M (S H T R) 13 â 32 is the T in D F at which W F 14 â 15 P in a R T 15 â 3 W on a T 16 â 100 C in a R 17 â 11 P in a F (S) T 18 â 12 M in a Y 19 â 13=UFS 20 â 8 T on a O 21 â 29 D in F in a L Y 22 â 27 B in the N T 23 â 365 D in a Y 24 â 13 L in a B D 25 â 52 W in a Y 26 â 9 L of a C 27 â 60 M in a H 28 â 23 P of C in the H B 29 â 64 S on a C B 30 â 9 P in S A 31 â 6 B to an O in C 32 â 1000 Y in a M 33 â 15 M on a D M C
6:00 Tuesdays to Thursdays Alarm clock from my phone ringing like a fire alarm
Unwilling to stop dreaming, I hastily opened my sleepy eyes and shoved my phone and turn-off the alarm. These days, it had been really hard to cope with my early class times. Damn, I should not have chosen such an early class, while having to stay in school till 18:00 everyday I had to sleep really early at night, and sometimes its hard because I have so many books to read and assignments to do; then wake up when the sun is barely up.
It brings back memories of those freshman days, when I have to get up 5:30 in the morning just so I won't be late for my first class at 7:00, which unfortunately, is a religion class Back then, I can't choose my own class schedule yet, so I had to bear with whatever the school gives me.
I know it's not a big deal to wake up early for early birds but I'm used to sleeping at 2:00 at least, and wake up at around 10:00 or later, so it's really hard for me to adjust Fortunately, starting this term, we will have a four-day class, which means I can sleep off the whole friday off, if I wanted to So I did, today
I just thought I had to come up here and write something, whatever that is - random rants, complaints, reflections, etc. So if you think what I'm writing is pure nonsense, its fine with me, I'm not in the mood to write anything inspirational or whatever today, so just bear with me This is one of my few nonsense posts I'd be having on here, better take a good look on it before you hit on the "close" or "back" button on your browser Anyway, take care and see ya!
Waking up 9:30 this morning and hurried away with my friend to the light rail and off to Diane's dad's funeral home. My clammy palms clutched tightly against my bag strap, as a peeked into the room, half-expecting it to be crowded and full of people crying...but to my relief, there was no one in there, but Diane's uncle. It appeared that everyone had gone home either to rest, or to clean up a bit, after staying overnight.
It's sad...really sad. I didn't dare look into the coffin, but instead stared blankly at Uncle's picture. Everything happened so suddenly, as I have explained in my previous post. My friends and I just sat there quietly, not knowing what to say, while waiting for Diane to come. She came after 30 minutes and I was delighted to see a smile on her face. I miss that smile, I thought I'd never get to see it again.
Later, she told us about her feelings, and how her family had managed to get through this. She said that she cannot cry in front of her mom and her brother because she had to appear strong, she did not want them to break apart. Indeed, I saw a gleam in her eyes - she will no longer be the girl we'd once met, she will change and become more mature She told us that when she looked into the coffin and straight on her dad's face, tears came streaming down again her cheeks, unable to control them; but when she saw that her dad had a smile on his face lying in there, she immediately understood something - her dad had gone happily, and then now she is happy too.
We talked for a long time, listening to her, and just being there for her. Her father will be cremated next Monday. May he rest in peace.
This morning, I received a phone call from one of my close friends, Nikko, that immediately changed this bright sunny day into a dark terrible pit of endless sorrow. On the other side of the phone, he was choking. I knew right away that something is wrong and I listened to him tell me the rest of the story. He told me that Diane's, my best friend, her dad had passed just passed away, at the strike of 12:00 on January 03, 2008.
I didn't know what to say. I can't believe it. I just saw him months ago, all healthy and happy. Nikko told me that Diane had written everything about her dad on her blog, so I jumped right up from bed and got to her blog instantly. Her blog, always so cheerful and nice, is suddenly filled with sorrow and grief. Nothing there changed, but I can feel the atmosphere...I then started reading her post.
I know that she must have been writing with tears streaming down her cheeks, with eyes so red from the sleepless night and tears, and with a heart so painful and regretful that even I hurt knowing how she feels, and yet, she wrote the post, full of determination and will, of strength and love. She showed no sign of weakness, no sign of retreat. She regretted that she didn't notice how her father was feeling before the sudden stroke attacked him on his sleep. But my dear friend, it is never your fault. It will only make you even more painful if you think that way, and I'm sure you're dad wouldn't want you or your family to feel that way...I feel so sorry for her, as her close friend, that I am not able to give her my support and a shoulder to cry on, on the instant death landed on her father, because I lived so far away. But I know she will be strong. She had determined to become the pillar of support for her mom and her brother, which I'm sure she would certainly be.
Even though Diane's father is no longer physically present, I am sure that his memories, would always be with his family, providing them support and strength to live the lives that he wanted them to have. He will always be watching out for his family, and silently praying for their safety and wellness. I give Diane my deepest condolence for her loss of her most beloved one. I will pray for her dad to rest in peace and for God to help her family to get through the harshest period time destiny has landed upon them.
Upon knowing about this bad news, I felt so bad. Even my mom was shocked by the news. I have known Diane and her family ever since we're in primary school. On what destiny has vested upon them, I can't but feel sad and sorry about it. Destiny can be really harsh sometimes, taking away someone or something you have learned to love and rely on. An instant death like Diane's father is the most sorrowful. Destiny didn't even give his family the chance to say their last goodbyes.
Diane wanted everyone to cherish their loved ones and do not wait until it's already too late, because then, even remorse would not help relieve your pain if something happens to them. Tell them you love them, let them know how you feel, before its too late.
Hello everyone!!! I would like to wish you all a happy new year!!! This is the second Christmas and New Year I've spent with Opera Blog I'm so happy and I love this place! Thank you for being so nice and friendly to me This year, in Opera blog, I have met so many new friends from all around the world and had truly a great time here. I hope that in the coming years, Opera blog becomes better and better cheers to Opera blog and to all my friends and to all the Opera members!
With a new year, comes new hopes and new a start. Hopefully everyone would have a colorful and meaningful new year LET US ALL WELCOME 2008!!!
Yet another one of Kyle and Leela's masterpieces I really love this song Enjoy!
Here are the lyrics in case you decide to sing along
RED SKIES As I walk beside the broken
Look around at shards of glass at my feet.
As I watch, my eyes are open
To the hearts against the beat
Crying vainly to God,
Trying to break free
And I am lonely,
In the solitude of one who is enlightened.
And in that solitude,
I cry out with those in pain
As it rains at my feet,
I hear your voice cry out
Don't leave me, Don't strand me
Don't lose your voice against the crowd
And I hear you and whisper
If you love me so it shall be.
As I walked among the broken,
I lost sight of all I loved,
Except that voice of yours which cut into my soul and led me out from the dark
And we walk side by side, fearing neither night nor day,
For we won't lose each other to the horrors of the stray.
And I'll not lose your voice again.
For the lonely are the broken,
And the shards of glass their broken dreams.
Here beside you I am whole again
And I need no other light.
I fear no red skies.
Walk beside me here forever
And we needn't heed the broken glass
Or the lonely or the broken
Or the rhythm out of beat
So just call me and I'll hold you,
Safe and warm against the tide and the tempest
With you in my arms, and with your hand in mine,
I'm free.
Once again, it's Christmas! I can't believe time flies by so fast. I remember clearly that in the Christmas eve before this one, I was dining with my family in the restaurant while busily sending text messages to my friends wishing them a merry Christmas. Everywhere I go, I can hear people wishing each other a happy Christmas
The sight of Christmas lights and decorations, the sounds of Christmas carols, and the rushing Christmas shopping spree, it all brings back nice memories from the past years. As a child, Christmas for me, was the best day and season of the year, as it is still now. I just love the atmosphere this day brings. People rushing back to their hometowns for their once-a-year family reunions, people flying to other countries for Christmas celebration, or people who just stay at home, cook a nice meal, and enjoy the nice evening TV shows Too bad, we don't have snow to accompany us here during Christmas, but we sure don't lack the beautiful fireworks and cute decorations, wreaths, and Christmas trees that can be seen hanging in every store I just love seeing those lights twinkle together with a lively melody. I'm sure all of you out there are also busy decorating your trees and homes, hanging socks on the fireplace, wrapping up gifts, and getting ready for this once-in-a-year jolly season So, I'll be wishing you guys an advanced Merry Christmas and best wishes!
This is a song composed by Kyle556 from YouTube. The AMV (Final Fantasy) and the lyrics were composed by KrystalEpyon, who is also from YouTube I love this song, its just so beautiful Kyle556 is a YouTuber who plays piano really really well. All of his improvisations and compositions are wonderful. Maybe if you have time you can watch his videos on http://www.youtube.com/kylelandry and http://www.youtube.com/KrystalEpyon I promise you'll enjoy them
This long awaited day has finally arrived!!! wohoo I've never felt so relieved before, or at least not if right after I had the most hellish term and final exams I had been anticipating this day for months! haha Thanks for all the well-wishers, it really helped me got through this hardship Now, I really feel the Christmas atmosphere surrounding me...although it's still two weeks away
Today, after we finished our last final exam, me and all of my friends headed straight to the shopping mall, as had been previously planned, and ate dinner and watched a movie afterwards. It was already late afternoon when we arrived. After dinner, my friends and I really had a hard time deciding which movie to watch...it's either The Enchanted or One More Chance , of which the latter was a Filipino film that I really don't like. There were 12 of us, some wanted to watch this and some wanted to watch that, so in the end we had to split
7 of us went to watch The Enchanted , which had been a truly enjoyable experience. I had seen the trailer before and had also heard my other friends talking about how great the movie was, so I thought I'd give it a try I love fantasy romantic comedies, so there The movie was fantastic! Although it had several fairytale elements included, all derived from previous known fairytales such as Snow White and Cinderella , the story was depicted in a very modern way and well of course, comedic style The events come unexpectedly, with twists and turns, before you can really see what's happening. Well, I'd say the movie broke a lot of stereotypes someone would usually expect from a fairytale-inspired film/story. I'm not spoiling the film, so don't worry, peace out
I'm glad I got to see another great movie before the year ends Hopefully, I'd get to watch The Golden Compass soon... lalala~ I'm so happy
These past few days...or weeks had been the worst time I'd ever had! Everything was in chaos, hellish days in school with multiple reports, presentations, and exams all at once, I can't believe how I was able to come by and still sitting here writing this post
See that picture above? That's how my situation is now A storm is about to come...next week is my final exams week and guess what I have 5 final exams scheduled in 3 days, of which 3 are economics subjects! >.< Hopefully I'd be able to withstand the storm till that ray of sunlight hiding behind the clouds would shine brightly once again upon me
*I'm trying to be really optimistic now, not sure if that helps*
Wish me luck guys! and if you see me post again after December 12, 2007 that means I have overcome the storm till then, see ya~ take care!
How's your trick 'r treating going out there? plenty of harvest so far? Well, I hope you're all enjoying Halloween. Sitting on the couch, watching horror movies or dressed in costumes going about the neighborhood to scare people? haha Either way, be careful
School's out for 2 days for Halloween. So, I'm just sitting on my chair, but oops, not watching horror movies, but typing out this short message for you all It's been a long week for me, and this short break is just about the right time for to take a rest and replenish my energy...
Considering its Halloween, I almost scared myself to death this morning, when I saw black circles crawling out around my eyes...AH! lack of sleep! *whew* I thought it was someone else! :O So I'm going to sleep now, hopefully white circles will replace the black ones... -_-
Okay, so why was it a nothing-day? Well, Joyce, Niki, and Alddon went to attend their economic workshop, only three of us left in the apartment and cant go anywhere new since Joyce, Niki, Alddon did not want to miss out on anything. Anyway, after Lala had her haircut + rebond, we went back to the apartment then got on the subway and headed to the Shanghai Railway Station to get train tickets then to East Nanjing Pedestrian Shopping Street again and spent the rest of the day there 
I don't remember what time it was that we went to sleep...I think it was around 12:00 or so...after everyone got tired and the excitement gone down a bit 
The rooms were clean and okay, with the exception of Valle's and Eric's room. Their's was a lot bigger than ours haha The location was good, it only takes us about 5 mins of walk to get to the WangFuJing pedestrian shopping street and commercial district, its also not very far from The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. 
I freaked out because I couldn't swim, if something happens, I'm doomed 
I had skipped classes during the whole month of July more than I had during the last two years of my university life! 
sleeping has never been such a luxury for me than during the past 19 years of my life 
, a few from Canada, some from USA and the Indian family and the 3 of us. This sucks! If I'd known this, I'd have gone backpacking myself 
(23%)
WIDGETIZE