Gaiman alert!

Neil Gaiman is going to be here on my birthday. Scheduled dates July 9-12, 2005. His visit is being organized by Fully Booked. If you want to get updates, join the Yahoo! mailing list.

drowning

After the fever and a well-rested weekend, I have the cough and the sniffles left, with the symptoms heightened every time I'm in the office due to the temperature. That does not add to the fact that I am getting tired of my job now. I don't know what's eating me since I usually am able to adapt to new environments, but this time, as early as now, I have given up trying to look for reasons to like my job. Of course, the pay is still fine, but everything seems not ok somehow. And not ok for me is not good. It doesn't just affect my job, I am even not satisfied with my relationship with him. It's like I'm looking for more and I can't seem to experience or achieve that missing something. Is this still a part of my so-called quarter-life crisis? I hope I get over this coz it sucks and I suck. I can't work to my full potential because I can't find any reason to. I'm getting bored. Feels like I'm drowning every day. Somebody save me!

I got a virus

That's what the doctor said. A viral infection. Hopefully, the symptoms will subside within a week and with constant meds intake. If not, then I have to go back for follow-up and if it is bacterial infection, then antibiotics, here I go again! Why? Why oh why do I have to be so sickly? *sniff*


Speaking of fever, the Sci-Fi/Fantasy fever has not yet subsided for me. I was not able to attend the The Revenge of the Mos Eisley Night at the Hard Rock Cafe last night because I had to work. So, I've been scouring the Shire... I mean, the internet of all convention pics I could gather and found great pics from other people's lenses. I found a couple I wanna share with y'all.




TPTS group pic from
Lady Finduilas's album



Are you one of them?
Pic from Tropicalice's album

happy natal day

To one of the men in my life
(and he doesn't even know he's mine).
I miss you.
Hahaha!
*goes away and boinks head on the wall*
=)




Happy Birthday!

sick

Yeah, for the past couple of days, I've got an on-off fever. I'm still thankful my fever subsides whenever I'm at work. All I wanted to do is sleep, sleep, sleep! I think I also have a wound in my throat. It's really painful when I cough. It sucks since I'm relying on my voice to earn money. *sigh*


Gotta see a doctor after shift tomorrow. Let's see what happens. Some of my officemates are going to Puerto Galera this weekend. I'm stuck at home. I wish I could go there again. It's been about a decade now since I last went there. But I guess I have to rest first. Oh and by the way, my Sony Imagestation album is already up with the second day pics. Sorry if they're not clear, I gotta get a better cameraphone or a digital cam. Must. Save. Money.

NWA 3 Day 2

Back to my normal life. I am not looking forward to work tonight since I caught a slight fever probably because of the drizzle last night when we were waiting for a cab to take us home. But I don't want to move on without documenting the second day of the 3rd Philippine Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention. It was a day of geekiness and for a geek like me, it was fun.


My sister and I arrived after lunch and The Matrix Philippines were displaying Matrix moves on stage from the Animatrix. We went to the TPTS booth directly and I noticed some changes on the booth from the first day. There were more Tolkien items for sale (a Legolas action figure, LOTR Trivial Pursuit and LOTR Monopoly) and more posters and pictures of The Shire taken by one of our members when she went for a Middle-earth tour in New Zealand.



TPTS Booth Day 2


We got to meet a lot more cosplayers because compared to the first day, which was limited to Star Wars only, it's Sci-Fi/Fantasy Day! At about 3PM, we went to Hard Rock Cafe to attend an Elvish lecture from our very own Elvish linguist Mr. Vicente Velasco, know in TPTS as Rashbold. I learned interesting things about elves and their hand gestures and how they write their numbers. After the lecture, we went down and took some snapshots of the cosplayers and my fave was our pose with Darth Vader and his red lightsaber (Haha!).



with Darth Vader


Everyone was busy over our booth since the annoucement was made about Elvish weddings conducted by Saruman in Elvish, complete with costumes and free wedding certificates in Quenya (not legally binding though) to take home. Here's a snapshot of the Elvish wedding of King Elessar and Arwen Undomiel on stage, with Frodo Baggins as the ringbearer and Luthien, Galadriel and a ranger as witnesses. It was cool!



Elvish wedding


We also got to watch a Harry Potter trivia game (my sister was so disappointed when she realized she couldn't join because she's a PHP member), missed a New Worlds Amazing Race when we attended the lecture, cheered for SWP jedi when they showed their lightsaber fight moves on stage. The highlight of course was the cosplay contest. The winner was The Witch King and runner-up was Edward Scissorhands. On the kids division, the winner and only contestant was this cute 18-month-old baby girl in Quidditch robes.



TPTS banner parade


This event will not be complete without the group pictures take on stage. I did not join PHP since I felt out of place but I did join TPTS on stage, so I didn't have a pic of that. I will try to find a shot from my friends. The hardest part for some members was dismantling the pretty booth after all their hard work. So, I took some shots of the booth as remembrance. You can now view my Sony Imagestation album for new pics! Finally.


I hope there is going to be another one next year. I did not regret not having to go to work just to experience that. =)

NWA 3 Day 1

Yesterday was a blast. I am not a Star Wars fanatic but I enjoyed the convention nontheless. I stayed there with my sister after lunch until they concluded the cosplay contest. Our homey TPTS booth was not as spacey as I expected, but I love it! For those who haven't passed by the convention, today is the last day. Just go to the Ayala Activity Center during mall hours. Entrance is free. If you wanna watch the events, more cosplaying, just drop by about 4 PM onwards. Today is going to be more fun since it's not exclusive to Star Wars anymore. So, other fandoms will have their chances of getting the limelight. Come and join us! =)



TPTS Bag End Booth



Star Wars Cosplayers
winners: 1~Slave Leia 2~General Grievous (Robert Wong, was Sauron last con) 3~Queen of Naboo, Amidala's successor (TPTS's very own Chiqui Perez)



For more pictures, pardon the quality since my pics were taken by my cheap but trusty Nokia 6610i, just go to my Sony Imagestation album. Just log in if you're a member and sign up if you're not. =)

so it ends

W A R N I N G : S P O I L E R S ! ! !


W A R N I N G : S P O I L E R S ! ! !


W A R N I N G : S P O I L E R S ! ! !





Watching Episode III was like finding the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle. After doing a Star Wars marathon of all the episodes, it was my second fave after "Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi". It was the most violent and in my opinion has the coolest and seamless special effects. Although I still have some questions in my mind (like how do Jedi choose their lightsaber color, is it due to personal preference?), most of the major questions I have in mind were answered.


It was not only violent, IMHO, it was the most emotional too. I can just imagine how Master Yoda felt when he knew Jedi all around the galaxy were being killed; how Obi-wan felt when he saw Anakin, his very own apprentice and "brother-like friend" burning in front of him (without his limbs!); how Mace Windu felt when Anakin cut his right hand to prevent him from killing Palpatine; how Padme felt when he learn Obi-wan is going to kill Anakin because he has turned to the Dark Side; and how Anakin (at that time, Darth Vader) felt when he learned that Padme died despite everything he did to prevent that. Almost all major characters have their own "major emotional moment". I nearly cried when all the younglings were killed! *sniff*


Good thing there was still a comic relief. Artoo (R2D2) never failed to make me laugh with his more complicated tasks, high-tech defense mechanisms I never thought he had and new varieties of sounds depicting his own "emotions" as the story unfolds. Threepio (C3PO) is his usual stringy, panicky droid character whom I got to love and pity at the same time. He leads such a sad droid life, especially when he learned they're going to wipe out their memories. =(. I do appreciate those unexpected humorous moments and exchanges between Obi-wan and Anakin. And I thought Jedi weren't supposed to get in touch with their emotions. Haha!


Since I also got to watch "The Clone Wars" in Cartoon Network, I was a disappointed with General Grievous. I never thought he'd die that easily. I mean, he has a lot of lightsaber collections from the Jedi he killed. He has great fight moves and got four arms plus he could use his feet to handle a lightsaber! But why did he have to die so soon? And why was he coughing all the time?! Why? He looked weak to me, very unlike the General Grievous in the Clone Wars cartoons. When Mace Windu died, my reaction was, "That was it?!". I didn't think he'd die that way and that... fast! It's like, there goes my favorite purple lightsaber! Then he's gone. Another disappointment is the script prepared for the former Queen of Naboo and Senator Padme. All she did was cry and stay up in their pad. I know she's pregnant and all, but where is that strong character who wore tight-fitting costumes (ala-"Tomb Raider") with laser guns in Episode II? Also, I have to say Anakin and Padme don't have that chemistry whenever they're doing their mushy scenes together. I still am a Han Solo-Leia Organa shipper. My sister even mentioned Han Solo-Chewbacca ship when we were watching Episode VI. Those two had more chemistry than Hayden and Natalie! Haha!


I like the fact that Mr. Lucas decided to maintain the opening sequence (same fonts and that scrolling at the beginning), the music, some of the actors and costumes (like Chewbacca and Darth Vader). At least there's uniformity despite the improvement in cinematic effects. I also like the fact that Lucas thought of characters undergoing the same thing and stating similar lines. I like the irony of it. For example: Count Dooku cut Anakin's right hand, Anakin cut Mace Windu's right hand and eventually, Darth Vader cut Luke Skywalker's right hand in Episode VI. Another example: Padme saying "There is still good in him..." (referring to Anakin) and Luke saying the same thing to Yoda in Episode VI.


I think the movie was a bit fast-paced too. I mean, I wanted to savor each moment. Hey, it is the last installment of Star Wars! But then it all had to end fast. So, I want to watch it again. I haven't even noticed George Lucas making a cameo in the opera scene. Looking forward to my second viewing. =)

I can feel The Force

If there's a feeling "Star Wars-y" from Unkymoods, I'll choose that mood right now. I mean, The Imperial March is my current polytone and my mobile's colored wallpaper is that RotS poster where Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi are facing each other with their (take note: for the first time in history) same-colored lightsabers ready for fighting!



my mobile phone wallpaper



I haven't been online for a couple of days due to some unforeseen and so-called spontaneous decisions that took my internet and sleeping hours. I'll be staying online for a short time today since I don't want to be late again for work. I was late a couple of nights ago, so my attendance is not 100% anymore. Goodbye to my 10% bonus next month! *sniff*sniff*


Back to Star Wars, I am avoiding spoilers since I will be watching the movie on Saturday. I am sooo looking forward to it! Not only that, I'll be on a long weekend as well since they approved my file for vacation leave. I filed that for me to attend New Worlds III (please see previous post).


Do you ever get that feeling when all you want to do is just fast forward the time? I want it to be weekend so badly! =)


Let's invite everyone so copy and paste this to anywhere you wanna post it ok? =)

"NEW WORLDS EPISODE III: THE 3RD PHILIPPINE SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY CONVENTION"


Lucasfilm, Ltd., 20th Century Fox, Mellow Touch 94.7FM, Hard Rock Cafe, and the New Worlds Alliance, in cooperation with Neutral Grounds, Level Up!, Jollibee, LG, Fully Booked/Simon and Schuster, IBM, and Globe QUEST bring you "NEW WORLDS EPISODE III: THE 3RD PHILIPPINE SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY CONVENTION". This event, hosted by Star Wars Philippines in celebration of the release of "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith", to be held on May 23-24, 2005 at the Glorietta Activity Center in Ayala Center, Makati, promises to be an exciting one for science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.


Day One, May 23, is Star Wars Day!


Attendees will get to witness and participate in many Star Wars-themed activities, and feel the Force of one of the greatest science fantasy sagas to date. Hard core Star Wars fact-philes may want to blast away the competition and bid for galactic supremacy in the "Grand Moff Trivia Game". Witness the heart-stopping live lightsaber fight demonstrations by trained members of Star Wars Philippines. Sit back and relax as you watch fan-made short films in the Star Wars Fanfilm Festival, featuring the works of talented local amateur filmmakers, plus the premiere of the fanfilm, "Twilight Jedi." Enrich your Star Wars knowledge by attending various lectures and discussion forums with topics ranging from costuming, collecting, visual effects in film, mythology, and literature. Feast your eyes on the works of local comic book artists, sculptors, painters, and diorama makers in the Star Wars exhibit; join the on-the-spot Star Wars Art Contest; and watch as a huge Star Wars mural to be created by Alfred Galvez and other mural artists, unfolds before your veryeyes! Star Wars is also known for its elaborate costumes and the Convention is the perfect opportunity to wear one yourself! Come to the Convention in costume and join the Star Wars Costume Play ontest. If you are feeling competitive enough to win a podrace, you can also participate in demonstrations and tournaments for Star Wars trading card games, role-playing games, and various video games. Exercise your Jedi reflexes and watch out for more contests and activities to be featured throughout the day!


Day Two, May 24, is Science Fiction and Fantasy Day!


This time, other members and guest groups of the New Worlds Alliance: Via Astris - The Star Trek Club of the Philippines; Pinoy Harry Potter; The Philippine Tolkien Society; The Pinoy Slayers - The "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and "Angel: The Series" Fan Club; The Pinoy X-Philes; The Alliance of Eclectic Gamers and Interactive Storytellers AEGIS); The Matrix Philippines; Arkham Philippines; The Philippine Highlander Society; Mechapinoy; Science Fiction Philippines; The Philippine Order of Narnians; CharmedPinoy; Wheel of Time Philippines; and Artists' Den; take centerstage. These groups have prepared many fun activities and performances for followers of their respective fandoms. Attendees are in for a treat as more groups showcase their creations in the New Worlds Fanfilm Festival. If you are up for various challenges and if you think you can outrun the competition, then sign-up for the New Worlds Amazing Race! Catch your breath and check out the Murder Mystery Role-playing Game, swordfight demonstrations, filk singing session, the Sci-fi and Fantasy Character On-the-Spot Art Contest, the Harry Potter Trivia Game, another batch of enlightening lectures and forums, and showcase your best live-action sci-fi and fantasy costumes by joining the New Worlds Costume Play Contest!


Level Up!, one of our event partners, will launch its upcoming games during Day Two: "Rising Force" and "ROSE Online". Level Up! will also be hosting an On-the-Spot Art Contest and the Ragnarok Online Cosplay Contest. Visit http://www.levelupgames.ph for more details on these and other upcoming Level Up! activities.


Hopefully, the Force is still strong in you on May 27, so you can join us for a rockin' good time at the Hard Rock Café for "The Revenge of Mos Eisley Night". Drink some blue milk while listening to the performances of Twisted Halo, Narda, Silent Sanctuary, Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man, and The Purplechickens. Make sure to keep your energy level on a high for the New Worlds Dating Game, and a Charity Mural Auction. Free entrance for those who come in Star Wars or any New Worlds costume.


In an effort to bring joy to less-fortunate Filipino children, the New Worlds Alliance is encouraging Convention Attendees to donate toys for the first ever New Worlds Toy Drive. We will be accepting new and used toy donations at prominently-located drop boxes at the Activity Center for the duration of the convention. These toys will be donated to Jollibee's children's charities.


For details of activities, contest guidelines, and more information on New Worlds Episode III, log on to: http://www.newworlds.ph


May the Force be with you all.

like Luke?

Star Wars Horoscope for Cancer

You may whine at times, but you've developed a thick hard shell (like that of a crab). You are strong willed and persistent - until you get what you want. You never shy away from a fight, even when things get dangerous. Mentally sharp, you are starting to master the elements of mind manipulation. Star wars character you are most like: Luke Skywalker

What is Your Star Wars Horoscope?

feeling lucky

I have strained my vocal chords when my new teammates at work decided to have a "team bonding"-- breakfast and videoke rolled into one AFTER our shift yesterday. I was surrounded with cigarette smoke (and I hated it) but I guess for good times' sake, I just kept my distance. After one heavy breakfast, a glass of Coke and a bottle fo San Mig Light, I was sleepy. It's been a while since I sang in front of an audience, but I did.


I was supposed to have breakfast with my friends from the company I previously worked with, but there was a last-minute cancellation. Good thing coz I would have been torn that day deciding where I would spend more time with. When I think about this, I felt lighter inside. It makes me feel lucky that I have friends who want to spend time with me. =)

New Worlds III: The 3rd Philippine Science Fiction & Fantasy Convention

artwork by Gary Mayoralgo



NEW WORLDS EPISODE 3: The 3rd Philippine Science Fiction & Fantasy Convention will be held on May 23 and 24 at the Glorietta Activity Center. This year's host is Star Wars Philippines, in commemoration of the last great movie of the Star Wars saga (Revenge of the Sith). The event is presented by the New Worlds Alliance, Mellow Touch 94.7, and the Ayala Center.


The NWA is the first organization of science fiction and fantasy fan groups in the country. Formed in 2003, the NWA is currently composed of Pinoy Harry Potter (PHP); PinoySlayers The Filipino Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel the Series Fan Club; Pinoy X-Philes (PXP) The Filipino X-Files Fan Club; Star Wars Philippines (SWP); The Matrix Philippines; The Talon The Filipino Smallville Fan Club; Pinoy Fremen The Filipino Dune Fan Club; Alliance for Eclectic Gamers and Interactive Storytellers (AEGIS); The Philippine Tolkien Society (TPTS); and Via Astris Inc. (VA) The Star Trek Club of the Philippines.

ready for the revenge

artwork by Gary Mayoralgo



I may not be able to watch "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" on May 19 when it shows here (coz I got work! Ugh!) but I finally completed my reservation for Saturday, May 21 in Sureseats! I am so excited! =)

bits and pieces

My Legolas cool counter (look at the bottom left side) is showing 17 (as of the moment) people who visited my blog for today. I wonder if this is really true. No tags? No comments? Hmmm... Hey guys, speak up! =)





Anyways, just got home from a looong day at work. I was in the office before 10 PM last night and I left at 11 AM this morning. Lots of topics discussed, lots of issues. I'm just glad our team had a time to "bond" to help us in adjusting to the new sup, new shift and new peers. I think I'm getting a hang of my sup already. I just hope it will last or even improve. I had a very romantic 1-hour call earlier and I wish I could feel that kind of love (such intensity!) from another person. *sigh* Cannot discuss it here due to confidentiality issues. Hehehe! Sorry. =)

heavenly

Orlando Bloom as Balian


Finally watched "Kingdom of Heaven"! Yes, I had to sacrifice some sleep but seeing Orlando Bloom on the big screen again was well worth it. Well, what can you expect from a movie with 2 LOTR actors, 2 HP actors and 1 Star Wars actor in it! Plus Jeremy Irons and Edward Norton!


Orlando Bloom (Balian) was Legolas (as we all know) in LOTR. Guy de Lusignan (Csokas) was Celeborn in LOTR. Liam Neeson (Godfrey of Ibelin) was Qui-Gon Jin in Star Wars, David Thewlis (the Hospitaler) was Prof. Remus Lupin in Harry Potter and Brendan Gleeson (Reynald de Chatillon) is going to be Mad-Eye Moody in Harry Potter.


IMHO, Orli's acting has improved a lot from his acting in "Troy". Before I found him too "melodramatic" like an actor playing on stage instead of in front of the camera, but in his first lead-role film, he was great! *biased* =)


Great cinematography and screenplay! A movie depicting an old theme dating way back during the Crusades, but with also tackling current socially-relevant issues of religion. The battle scene reminded me of Helms' Deep, especially with that "weak spot" concept. :)


I got two fave quotable quotes from that movie. The first one is between Sybilla and Balian:


S: What will become of us?
B: The world will decide.... The world always decides.


Kinda reminds me of "he universe will conspire" line from Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist".


The next one is between Balian and the Hospitaler when he joined the battle with the Templar knights against Saladin.


B: You will go to a certain death
H: All deaths are certain. (Naks!) =)


And yes, Edward Norton did a superb performance as the Leper King Baldwin IV. I mean, even if the face did not show, you can see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. *claps*

today

To all of our mothers and to those who are already mothers...





Thank you for bringing us into this world! =)





I've been sick for the past few days. But I'm glad I'm not too sick to get off work. I don't have any sick leaves earned yet.





Earlier today, I signed up for ONE after I saw an ad on MTV Asia with all these actors asking for everyone to sign up and become "one" against AIDS and poverty. Check out the banner on the left side of my blog. =)





For Potter fans out there, here's the link to the new Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire teaser poster. You can also download the teaser trailer here. Exciting huh?

not-so-happy thoughts

WARNING: long post!


These past few days I've been having bouts of loneliness and frequent mood swings I'm thinking I'm clinically depressed. I even cried before starting my shift a couple of days ago (just a tear or two) and I don't even know why! The only day I felt good was when I went to Batangas with a couple of friends. I was thinking what may have caused it and I couldn't seem to pinpoint it to any specific thing in my life. It's possible that it's a combination of a lot of things happening at the same time or this is what they may call a quarter-life crisis since I'm nearing quarter of a century in this lifetime.


Here are some reflections a.k.a.pagninilay-nilay:





FAMILY
My family is ok. I guess the fact that we're all in good health despite my sniffles due to drastic change in temperatures (freezing in the office at night and summer hell during the day). My father's diabetes is well-controlled and I'm thankful for that. Although finances is still our number one problem, we can still pay our bills (although they're often late) but at least we're able to pay them. My sister's still in school and I believe she'll do well. My brother likes what he's doing. I, personally, don't want to force him to work in a corporate environment if he doesn't want to. My Ma wants him to get a real job coz we need the money. I understand that but at least there's someone in the family who's happy with what he's doing (he's a bassist in a band and they have weekly gigs). My Ma, on the other hand, is not speaking to me again for the past few days. We only "converse" through text. Weird since we see each other at home everyday. This has been happening too often, without me knowing a real reason why she does this, I disregard it as a "normal" setup at home.


CAREER
Compared to regular employees, I think I am being paid a bit more. I'm beginning to like me "new job" and getting the hang of it and I think I'm doing well. Although my salary still barely pays all bills, I'm still thankful I have a job. But, I don't think this is my calling. I don't think I want to stay in this job forever. I desperately want to save but I couldn't even do that since after payday what's left for me is my "allowance" for the next 2 weeks until next payday. I don't even know if I still wanted to practice PT. I have long given up a career in that field abroad. I don't know what I really want. At this age, some of the people I know (school batchmates, friends) are happy with their careers as if that is what they'll be doing 'til the end of time. Some are even financially stable enough to start a family. While I am still lost. I don't know what I want. I don't know where to go or what to do.


PEERS
I'm grateful I got to spend time with two of my best college pals last weekend. At least I get to feel I belong somehow. I miss my friends from school and from my previous jobs especially those I have grown close with whom I could share my deepest, darkest secrets! I miss hanging out with them. I miss not worrying them judging me if I make mistakes or I do stupid things. I miss laughing-- I mean really laughing my heart out. I've met new people at work and I'm still adjusting to their different personalities. It's getting a bit difficult since we have different break schedules at work so I often find myself spending my break time alone. So, what good does that do to me? Maybe I could setup a breakfast together or something so we get to talk about stuff not related to work... for a change.


LOVE (or something like that)
Well... Ummm... Ok... I should have been used to us not seeing each other often. But lately, it affects me so much since I know that aside from my sister, I really, really need someone to lean on and we seldom see each other. Seldom means after payday or if one of us has extra cash for a date. Usually that's once every two weeks. Some may not call it a "relationship" but I don't know what else to call it. I've always been looking forward to our meetings (so-called dates) and I realized I always expect too much-- I expect magical moments, I expect a perfect knight-in-shining-armor, I expect sensitivity at its finest, I expect love that will make my heart melt, I expect a perfect kiss in the ending. I expect too much I, most often than not, end up disappointed after that and I hate it. I hate myself for feeling that way. I don't know if he feels the same. I'm just glad he still sticks with me despite my self-diagnosed "borderline personality disorder".


If any psychiatrist out there may give their professional opinion or diagnosis, please tell me what to do.

no KOH

No, I did not get to watch it. It's a long movie and I would have arrived late for work if I insisted on being there. My sister said Orlando did well for his first main role film, despite her not liking his "Troy" stage-play-like performance. I can't wait for the weekend. =)

old ways

Let's start with the lighter side of my day. Yahoo! Mail is offering 1 Gb memory storage for free! Hahaha! Way to go! I can still rememer starting with a 2Mb inbox, then 6 Mb and after a few years, went up to 250 Mb when Gmail offered 1 Gb. Now I think Gmail is offering more than 2 Gb storage. Let's see if Yahoo! Mail can keep up with the competition. That will mean loads and loads of free email storage for us with multiple email accounts! Woohoo!


On the other hand, my first day in GY with a new team and a new sup is ok. Ok in the sense that I survived the mandatory pre-shift meeting an hour before my actual shift without OT pay, side-by-side call monitorings by my sup and getting only 93 point something when my sup wanted us to get at least a 95 QA average, damaging my chances of getting a bonus for schedule adherence since I couldn't check my bladder and I had to go to the restroom an hour before the end of my shift (remember my history of UTI?), that is because I have to take calls for 4 straight hours without breaks in between. So, was that a memorable first day or what?!


Although it is really against my will, I submitted to the thought that I may not be able to watch the "Kingdom of Heaven" premiere tonight because I may be late at work, so I told my sis to bring my Ma instead. I can watch it at another day. But... Aaarrgh!


I also learned that one of my used-to-be-but-not-anymore close first cousins is getting married this December. We learned it from another close relative. Yeah, we "parted ways" when they learned we are not financially able anymore and they didn't want to give further assistance to my family. I guess this is it then. I just miss those days when we were younger and innocent of the way the world works.


I realized that I went back to my old ways-- my lonely moments again when I sat in the corner of the pantry earlier to eat. I ate alone and made sure I had my headphones on so no one will disturb me. After that, I went to the ground floor outside the building alone, killed time and appreciated the serenity of dawn. Like that song... Alone again, naturally.

more of this

Finally got the mini-break I wanted. I wished it were longer though. Yesterday was full of stories and full of food too! It's been a while since I spent some time with my close college friends. We hang out and even swam in the nearby pool for a couple of hours making my skin about a shade darker. I love the fresh, cool air I can't find here in the city. I love the trees and the smell of freshly-cut grass! I really miss going home to the province.



Joy, me and Joan
spending Labor Day in Pleasant Grove, Batangas


I still want a real tan though and a real, longer vacation. I need more of this. But I guess I can't have it all so that should do as of now.


Now looking forward to the free premiere showing of "Kingdom of Heaven" tomorrow. Tonight will be the start of my new GY shift so I have to sleep later. My supervisor just informed me that we have to report for work an HOUR before our shift starts because she wants no less than a top performer on her team. Take not, no OT pay for that. Hahaha! I knew it! I've heard a lot of not-so-nice things about our new supervisor. She would be an epitome of hell breaking loose. I hope it's gonna be bearable at the least. *sigh*


At least I'm looking forward to something... =)

personality test

Your #1 Match: ISTJ

The Duty Fulfiller You are responsible, reliable, and hardworking - you get the job done. You prefer productive hobbies, like woodworking or knittings. Quiet and serious, you are well prepared for whatever life hands you. Conservative and down-to-earth, you hardly ever do anything crazy. You would make a great business executive, accountant, or lawyer.

Your #2 Match: ISFJ

The Nurturer You have a strong need to belong, and you very loyal. A good listener, you excell at helping others in practical ways. In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through art, cooking, and music. You find it easy to be devoted to one person, who you do special things for. You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist.

Your #3 Match: ISTP

The Mechanic You are calm and collected, even in the most difficult of situations. A person of action and self-direction, you love being independent. To outsiders yous eem impulsive, surprising, and unpredictable. You are good at understanding how all things work, except for people. You would make an excellent pilot, forensic pathologist, or athlete.

Your #4 Match: INTJ

The Scientist You have a head for ideas - and you are good at improving systems. Logical and strategic, you prefer for everything in your life to be organized. You tend to be a bit skeptical. You're both critical of yourself and of others. Independent and stubborn, you tend to only befriend those who are a lot like you. You would make an excellent scientist, engineer, or programmer.

Your #5 Match: ESTJ

The Guardian You're a natural leader and quick, logical decision maker. Goals are important in your life, and you take many steps to acheive them. You enjoy interacting with others, mostly through work related activities. Your high energy level means you are great at getting things done! You would make a great teacher, judge, or police detective.

What's Your Personality Type?