magic - here, there, everywhere

harry potter and the half blood prince is now showing! though i haven't completed the book, i am a fan of the movie and the story. i just love it. i love magic. (but i can't really say i'm fond of watching magicians) it brings me to a different world where endless possibilities can happen. as a kid, i enjoyed watching "okay ka, fairy ko". don't you just love ina magenta whenever she criticized the "tagalupa"?

it's happening

i AM gaining weight. i feel it. no thanks to the rice i eat in the evening, the sweets i indulge in for dessert, the in-between snacks i thought were harmless. actually, i don't mind gaining a bit. i don't want to get overboard with adding a few pounds so i SHOULD slow down. else, i wouldn't fit in my clothes, again. hahaha i recalled before, after a few months of staying here in hk, i got really bloated. as in! hahaha i gained 20lbs! whatda?!?! i know.. right?!?! my friends were surprised, i should say. mama, however, said it looks good on me. mothers! haha seriously, it came to a point that i get tired easily and my feet couldn't carry me for long walks. but most of all, my clothes just won't fit right. hahaha

what worked for me

when i finally realized how big i got, i decided to cut down my carbo intake. i ate banana and a cup of oatmeal for dinner. i jogged around Victoria park a few times. i even enrolled in fitness first. it wan't a drastic weight loss. i went through phases. i would receive comments from friends and family that 'Oh, that's already enough', or 'lose a bit more', etc. but ultimately, i know that the satisfaction of how i look, feel should come from me. what matters is being happy with oneself inspite of what others think.

if only the 'harry potter' magic can do wonders for this kind of dilemma.

jdrama: zettai kareshi

zettai kareshi (absolute boyfriend) is a jdrama recommended by my friend and is also on top of the list in mysoju.com. it's about a robot lover who came into riiko's life. this created a triangle with riiko's boss, soshi. can a machine really give your heart's desires? here's a song from the series. "okaeri" is the song by ayaka, who coincidentally is now the wife of soshi. awwww

okaeri, for me is a song that basically tells us that home is where your heart is. it's always nice to feel at home, right? to know that you belong and you are loved.

i can't wait to be home.

up and about: MTR lift

shot in tuen mun station of the MTR (red line, i think)

i gotta feeling..

that tonight's gonna be a good night.. and i think it was. i thought i already lost touch with a friend. after years of just ignoring each other, we came to realize that we're both too cautious of what the other would say, how one would react. it feels good talking, bonding. it's as if we never parted.

random musings

>> if you lie to yourself, you will lose what you truly value.

>> to a sailboat that doesnt know where to go, any wind will do.

>> obstacles are put in the way to see that what we want are worth fighting for

>> time you enjoyed wasting is not wasted

7-8-9 = 30

yeppp, today is july 8 2009.

7-8-9.

happy anniversary to mama and papa! 30 years.. and more!

it felt like yesterday when they renewed their vows on their 25th year. my siblings, aunts and uncles TRIED to plan an impromptu renewal of wedding vows in an intimate setting - with close relatives and few friends. didn't realize it turned out to be quite a reunion of their own wedding 25 years ago. we contacted their ninongs, ninangs and entourage. it was simply nostalgic.. uhm, not for me of course.

my wish.. more years together.. maintain the sweetness in spite of the petite fights here and there.. ok?!?!

*hugs*

parting time

a friend will go back home after trying to find some work here in hk. it's not easy. i don't blame him if he does. better even, in some ways. if ever it will be my time to leave, i know i will miss this place.

--> i will miss having the room to myself. yep, i still share a room, technically, with my sister. but she's also abroad so if and when i go home, it's all mine. but since we're both away, april stays there.. i think.

--> i will miss slacking to my heart's content. hahaha

--> i will miss hui lau shan.. and other hk desserts. theirs is mostly fruit-inspired. those mini cakes, fruit or tea-based quenchers are enough to follow through lunch or dinner.

--> i will miss maple, in and out, update, in fashion, h&m, zara (cheaper here). i find solace with them. nyahahaha

ehhhh... STOP. it's always nice to go back home. guess i'll just cross the bridge when i get there.

oh my, it's july

time really flies soooo fast. it's already the second half of the year and looking back.. i wonder what i have done in my life. it's not even the time for making new year's resolutions or making plans for the year ahead, but i just had to stop and assess what has happened in the past months. hmmm... ninuninuniii... hmm.. i came up with nothing?!?! lolz. well, in fairness, some plans came through. some are left hanging.. waiting to be started. tsk tsk. some decisions are in progress, needing more consultation. all in all, what can you understand?? nothing, still? sigh. looks like stalling, eh? waiting for something to happen. i maybe babbling out nonsense here.. but this is my therapy. keeps me sane, keeps me focused still on why im holding on.

ohh, happy anniv to moi! 4 years in hk...already.

our journey to sai kung

for the july 1 holiday, we opted to go to sai kung to get away from the usual crowded places in the island. however, a lot of people were there, especially it's a day off. i guess we just have to settle for some scenery, apart from the usual buildings, crowded streets in the city.

to get there, we met in tiu keng leng station of the tseung kwan o line of the mtr. it's 2 stations away from quarry bay crossing the victoria harbor. we boarded bus 792M traveling around 40 minutes to sai kung public pier. it was sooo hot arriving at the place. fortunately, the breeze kept us cool while having picnic lunch in the playground nearby. while the kids run around to play, the adults ate, rest, made chika to the max. hahaha it was a hearty meal, with adobo in tow and the famous almond chews from ate caryl. yummy!

after the kids finished playing, (uhm, will they ever? haha) we rode the boat to kiu tsui beach. it was 20hkd round trip for a 20-minute ride. not knowing what is in store there, we just went. though we didnt really plan on going for a swim, seeing that the beach area is occupied with dogs (and their owners), it was a good decision for us. hehehe as in, the dogs were swimming there... and i wouldnt like to be there with them. hehe just let them be.. and enjoy. we looked for a cool spot to bum around.. and eat of course. it feels nice to trifle away time without caring for anything else but the cool breeze touching your face, the leaves of the trees shading you from the sun's heat, the sight of the calm waves and the beach bodies. (haha) we left the beach around 5.30ish and cozied up in one of the restos and had a late afternoon tea.

this is life.

MJ's music

most of michael jackson's tunes are loved by many. the more famous, "thriller", "beat it" , "man in the mirror", "billie jean" are simply adored by fans.

of the lesser popular songs, my faves would be:

• "heal the world" -- my environment-friendly and karaoke-fave song. my take on hoping for a better world.
• "the way you make me feel" -- i loved it when it was used as a dance tune in the movie, "Centerstage"
• "wanna be startin something" -- remake by Akon
• "smooth criminal" -- =)

i didnt know he sang :::
==> "human nature" which kyla had revived.
==> "don't stop till you get enough" and "rock with you"
hahaha i know! pathetic!

i may not be an avid fan.. but i know that his "thriller" music video is just creative, innovative and unique. his moves in "billie jean" simply stellared him to star status making girls swoon over him. he may be gone too soon, but we are still fortunate that he left us his music which will live on in the hearts and minds of generations from hereon.

"michael"

went to kuya j's housewarming one block away from my place. i took it upon myself to bring dessert and make arrangements with the priest. this is actually the second time i contacted father midas. i felt at ease with him.. everyone does in the parish, i believe. he's the parish priest in St. Joseph's Church in central where a lot of Filipinos attend mass. he's an SVD priest - the congregation of St arnold janssen. and of course, our patron in my alma mater - holy spirit. hehehe (ayun, kaya pala... feeling close!) i have always wondered what it would be like to have a priest as a mentor. maybe, i would be closer to God? maybe i would have someone to pray for me? maybe he can give me words of wisdom when my mind is full of crap. hahaha

da King of pOp
news of michael jackson's death still flood the www. all over , you will find the articles, videos reminiscing the life of the king of pop. as MJ once said, “I hope people will look at me also as a person and not just as a personality.” it's such a humble wish for people of great stature. once you reach a point where everyone looks up to you.. somehow you seem to lose that sense of self --- that of being just you, without the adornments of fame and fortune.

***have you noticed some of the great names in history are named michael -- jackson, jordan, schumacher, scofield. hahaha

new macbook pro...

there's a new and improved macbook in the market! the difference with what i bought: it's cheaper, it has SD slot and firewire port, battery life is improved. arghhh. why couldn't i have waited??? why does mac do this in such a short span of time?? i know the difference may not be so obvious but the fact remains that i could have gotten all this, if i only waited for a few months. i pacify myself by thinking that i wont be really using the SD and firewire port. the battery life should be fine. cheaper... uhm, lets not go into that.

goodbye, jacko!

news of michael jackson's death circulated all over this morning. i got mine via SMS. of course i had to double check it on the internet. true enough, the sad news is just sudden, overwhelming. im not a very big fan but i appreciate his songs. his music has really huge following.. same goes with his personal life. i guess, it will be more emo for me whenever i sing "heal the world" in karaoke. hehehe

Boys over flowers: scenes, semi-spoilers

i will soon finish watching boys over flowers (again).  i could go on and on raving about the series:

new caledonia - where they went on a vacation and junpyo professed his love for jandi on board a helicopter overlooking a heart-shaped grassfield... awww he looked like a lovesick puppy happily expecting recognition from his loved one. 

macau - jandi followed junpyo in macau after not hearing from him for months.  she found him but things didn't go well for them.  jandi still braved the wall junpyo put up for himself to fence out his friends.  still, jihoo made ways for them to patch things, even warning junpyo that he won't stand back anymore if he continues to ignore jandi.  

i admired how jihoo stood by jandi.  though it pains knowing that the girl he likes.. likes his bestfriend, it didn't hinder him from caring for jandi.  all the more, he wanted to protect her and be there whenever he needs her.  it's the classic case of unrequited love.  things could've been simple if only jandi can teach her heart to love.  oh, my.. such complications! enough with it. 

loathe her!

i simply hate the girl junpyo met in the hospital.  so much that i didnt bother getting her name. hehehe she's more evil than his wicked mother! hahaha she's like the devil in disguise - pretending to be jandi's friend, when what she wanted was junpyo... for herself.  what a sly one. 

worse than being hated

... being forgotten.. - amnesia.

did you notice that junpyo looks sooo like dao ming si.  but of course, i like junpyo better... 

more on boys over flowers

oh.my. it's junpyo's birthday TODAY! hahaha he's 22 yo. even younger than my brother. kids nowadays are just mature physically.. for their age. hahaha HAPPY BIRTHDAY! i would've liked to greet him in facebook.. but i opted not to. i feel SOOO old already. well, i am. a little. ohh, we're under the same zodiac sign.. i think. i hope to see him in other series or movies. perhaps BOF 2? i know my fwends are having "nosebleed" already due to my never ending rave for BOF and junpyo, so i just indulge here.. in my very own space in WWW.

• woo bin - mafia prince hehehe i like the way he tries to be 'cool'. 
  
• yi jung - looove his instrumental version of "Do you know" when he tries to be the knight in shining armor of ga eul (jan di's friend). though he pretends to be a chickboy, you can tell that there's more to him. 
  
• ji hoo - the quiet, passive F4 member. he has his own mataray ways but once you get close to him, i like it when his expression turn from serious to smiley face. ohh, he looks better in black hair. he can sing and dance too with his boy group.
  
• jun pyo - bad-tempered yet loving leader of the group. i simply adore his ways of showing love for jan di. it may be grand for an ordinary person.. (i wouldn't mind GRAND, extravagant hahaha) but jan di's character is uncomfortable with that kind of treatment. 
  
• jan di - "lucky girl" hahaha in spite of her physical, financial hardships, she is fortunate to have friends and family who love and support her. she is loved by by many and that alone is a treasure that you can't compare with.
• finally, i understood and it's clear that ji hoo has romantic feelings for jan di. in the previous versions, the sentiments of hua ze lei and hanazawa rui were still vague. i cant fully comprehend if it's plain sympathy, or just friendship like that of best friends. in BOF, however, you can tell that ji hoo harbored romance with jan di mwehehehe

this manga already has 3 versions.. i wonder if HK will be next.. or pinas? hmm... hahaha

boys over flowers: soundtrack faves

BOF

thanks to WWW i can watch and listen to my fave BOF tracks hehehe

boys over flowers OST: yearning of the heart

one of the songs i like in the series is ashwiun maeumingeol (yearning heart). is it Kpop?  

gaga over korean drama: boys over flowers

i got soooo hooked with the korean drama, boys over flowers.  it all started with being a bum on weekends.  hahaha i was looking for something to watch and opted to try the tagalog-dubbed boys over flowers, which is actually the korean version of meteor garden (taiwan) and hana yori dango (japan).  i loved the first two, and so i got curious with how this latest one will fair in my ratings board. haha  surprisingly to me.. it weighed even more! i watched the first few episodes in youtube and got bitin.  i didnt bother to wait coz i was too eager to continue.  i searched and found full episodes for streaming (with english subs) in mysoju and in youtube... yehey!  i watched and watched until i lost track of time... and there goes my weekend.... lazily cooped up in my room.  hahaha

so far, i think this is the cutest set of F4 among the 3 versions.  (or was i just biased over jun pyo?)  anyways, im still all agog over this series so i dont think i can be objective over the other 2.  all i know is that... i loooove jun pyo.  love it when he smiles, he gets mad, he does things for his lady love... crazy.. but i love. *lolz*

in mongkok after the acid attack

went to mongkok the other night to accompany my friend buy some stuff.  in the process of course, i got myself a few.  walking in mongkok area made us more paranoid because of the recent events of acid throwing by some still unknown perpetrators.  this, however, didn't dampen our spirits in going from one store, stall to another, looking for some good finds.  true enough, we found (and bought) "essentials" from sephora and sincere. hehehe

in a span of six months, if im not mistaken, there have been 3 cases of the same incident in mongkok.  the police is taking measures from putting up multi million surveillance cameras to increasing the reward for any information that can lead to the suspect.  and just recently, a pinoy family of vacationers also fell victim.  if this continue, hk tourism may be affected.  shoppers in mongkok's ladies market may have to bargain between their safety and a few deals.

hongkong primary, kindergarten, nursery schools close for 2 weeks

hongkong confirmed its first local case of swine flu.  a student in a school in causeway bay contracted the disease locally.  meaning, she has not come in contact with any person who travelled.  so chief exec donald tsang immediately seconded the move of shutting down primary schools for a fortnight.  it's already nearing the end of classes and also with timing, the exams will have to be administered some time.  hongkong, last i know, has 46 confirmed cases... hopefully we can still manage to minimize the spread as much as we can.  

now that WHO already declared pandemic alert, it's best to be cautious, not be lax about our health.  im not saying confine yourself to your room and isolate yourself from the world.  just be safe and be aware, know your body and have yourself checked once signs are showing.  you are not only doing this for yourself but also for the people you come in contact with. 

in the philippines, i read that there "should be no cause for alarm" even when count reached 77.  right... we don't wanna put panic into the minds of the millions of people in our country.  however, when the WHO is the one who will eventually declare pandemic alert in pinas... can DOH still ignore otherwise?? 

when archie marries veronica

huwattt??!?!?!

i grew up with archie and the gang comics. as a kid, i loved the simple yet colorful characters of the riverdale heights students. the classic love triangle with veronice-archie-betty in the lead is endearing because it's like a see-saw of events and you're not sure who archie will fall in love... really. although i felt that he's leaning more to veronica, i still hoped that he'll see much more of betty's inate personality. BUT, now that the makers already sent this teaser.. i guess there should be no more room for hope, eh?

i like veronica.. just not as much as i like betty. especially that ronnie seems to have the world at her feet, rich guys swooning over her, she can have anything she wants. does she really love archie? does archie really love veronica and not just blinded by his own masochism? haha i just pity him when veronica will temporarily dumps him for other guys. will little charming betty stand in the sidelines to see her friends' love for each other be consummated? we'll just have to see when the comics hit newsstands by september (if i got it right).

whatever the ending is, it should be that marriage be celebrated between 2 people who love each other truely, sincerely, unconditionally. who are we to stop true love?

happy birthday

.... R A N I !!!!

to my pretty (and) generous cousin... i wish you all the best.. i hope we get to see each other some day... hahaha you go, i go??? for now, it's nice that we don't lose touch via the numerous social networking sites.  and of course... via the reliable mobile phones... 

speaking... we just talked.. but know that i'm just a phone call away if you need someone to share your thoughts and "life experiences"... just a word of advice "don't drink and drive", okai?!?!

enjoy your vegas birthday and do keep us posted... till i see you again! *mmmmwah*

PS.  dont worry, i'll take care of your resto... *wink*