I'm finally home~

And I was just given a most expensive gift @_@

This little crystal Buddha is a Baccarat. It's a crystal glassware imported from Baccarat, France; it's known for its quality and its...well, price. According to the little pamphlet it came with, "Baccarat is a master of light, creates objects that infuse the everyday with a scintillating atmosphere of enchantment", and "light becomes substance in its purest form". So yes, I take that to mean that they're good at what they do, have been at it for generations, and that this crystal is major quality. (>_<)

I was given one by a family friend, telling me that she had heard that Buddhas should be given, not just bought, and that it was for good luck.

Of course, I appreciated the gesture, but I was really amazed. For those who have read the book Ella Enchanted (I stress: the book, not the movie), it was like receiving an Agulen work. Agulen is said to be the master of pottery among the elves, and his work is most coveted. So when Ella is simply given an Agulen work just by admiring it and appreciating it from the bottom of her heart, she is overwhelmed. I think it was that same feeling, the feeling that you can't accept such a valuable gift, but your hands close around the gift anyway.

Then after realizing what it is, it becomes that moment in The Princess Diaries where Mia is given the locket with the Genovian crest, along with a jewelry box that belonged to her grandmother's great-grandmother. That part where she's all, "I will keep this safe. I will take good care of it." And proceeds to stuff the jewelry box in her bag, with all the clanking and shaking and basically, mishandling. (@_@)

Of COURSE I knew better than to just stuff the Baccarat box in my bag, I fixed my stuff around it and everything. But still. An overwhelming moment for me, thank you. (@_@)

But yeah. I'm finally home from nearly four days of staying and cleaning out my grandparent's apartment with Aunt#1, so admittedly, I'm a little tired. But I have to do a little cleaning of my own, in my bedroom. My mom and Aunt#3 did some work in my closet, and now I'm clearing away most of the things. Also, I do need to make space for some stuff on my desk.

Also, the highlight of today: I FINALLY KNOW WHERE NINTENDO WORLD IS. YAAAY~

At the end of it all, I'm still alive, and that's what matters~

Adventure in Manhattan!

I'm surprised at my own daring!
Today, my mom and aunt were working at East 61st street in Manhattan, New York. They let me tag along, and told me that if I wanted to, I could go explore the city while they were working. So, I took the opportunity to have an adventure!

They probably expected me to look around Bloomingdale's or something. (笑)

I'd done a search on Google Maps of the area, and the thing was, I was looking for a new age or occult store, because I had been unable to buy a set of tarot cards for myself before. The nearest store, Enchantments, was on East 9th street, which is actually 2.6 miles from East 61st. I would need to walk down 1st Avenue, which was around the corner from my mom and aunt's working place. Still though, I had enough confidence in myself, so I prepared myself for the walk.

I was actually really shocked by the distance. I walked past so many things--by the time I'd hit East 46th street, I'd passed the UN Headquarters! I slowed down when walking past the Philippine flag...It really reminded me of home.

While I was doing that though, I noticed how empty the streets were and the number of NYPD officers out on the road. Then motorcycle officers passed, along with several black cars, and later, a limousine with the American flag on the hood.
I realized that all the security was because of President Obama! (笑) He was scheduled for a speech at Ground Zero that afternoon. I was amused that I was able to see his car pass by.

I walked on, and the rest of the walk was pretty uneventful until I reached 9th street. I found the store, but was dismayed since it would open at 1pm, and I had arrived at 12 noon. Still, I was there, so I waited. I hung around a nearby herb and root shop called Flower Power, which sold such a wide variety of herbs, spices and oils that I was fascinated. It reminded me a bit of an apothecary, or a potion ingredient shop. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if it catered to that, too. (笑)

Eventually though, I came back out to wait outside Enchantments, until a blonde girl came up to open the shop for me and another waiting customer, who said he was a beginner at magic. Of course, I immediately went to look at Tarot cards, and I was happy that the people who ran the shop were friendly and helpful. I suppose it really did come with the territory. They seemed very down to earth despite what they practiced, and I appreciated that very much.

I bought my own deck of tarot cards (at last). I decided to buy a smaller, pocket-sized deck, since my hands are pretty small. (笑) The shop also carried herbs and roots, like Flower Power, but I appreciated the staff here--back in Flower Power, the people there seemed rather stiff and unfriendly. Here in Enchantments, they were very accommodating and I didn't feel shy about asking things.

I took one of their cards for future reference. Perhaps I'll use a money order service to get another item from them someday! I hope to visit this shop again.

Still though, I had to make it back to East 61st, and there was little time. I had promised to be back by 2pm, and since I has waited and spent some time there, I needed a faster way to go back, and a taxicab was not an option. The blonde who had opened the shop for us told me about a bus that ran down 1st Avenue, and, since I didn't have a Metrocard, even offered to change my bills for quarters, so I would have fare for the bus.
But before I could hand over my money, the other customer who was waiting with me offered to give me his Metrocard. He said there were still a few dollars in it, and he was willing to give it to me. I was overwhelmed, of course, and was a little shy about accepting it, but he told me to take it anyway. After all, he said, it was good karma.
I thanked them profusely, left a a dollar in the shop's tip jar, and later took the bus back to East 61st. While I sat there in the bus, I reflected on how eventful my day in Manhattan had been, and just how accomplished I felt, even if all I had done was wander about on my own. My mom was impressed at how far I walked and how I had made it back without getting lost.

Overall, this day has been good. It's just one of those days that really make me believe that not all is lost in the world. Whenever I go out on my own, even when I am nervous, or even if it's my first time to be somewhere, I always feel like I am surrounded by angels who guide me. It's an oddly comforting feeling. It's a belief I've always held that even people who cross the street with you, so that you can cross with them safely, are like angels. People who help you when you are in trouble, too. People who pick up that thing you dropped. Really. I feel very blessed. It's these little things, every day.

I hope to have more days like these.

THE NUTCRACKER!

Oh, ballet~! How I missed you~ ♪


I can't believe I was able to catch The Nutcracker last night! (笑)
The performance was amazing, to say the least. I'm really glad that Ochibi and Kin-chan invited me to watch, as I had nothing better to do anyway, and this felt like the chance of a lifetime. And I was glad, too. (^^)

Some random moments after the performance:


Me trying to pose against a backdrop of Lisa Macuja. I never made it to toe shoes back when I was still taking ballet, so this pose was difficult to hold, and had to be repeated several times. (笑) My ankles will never be the same way again. (^^;)


Kin-chan, Ochibi and me against one of the curtains of the ALIW Theater during one of the intermissions. Now that they had seen part of the ballet for themselves, my old ballet training was so much more evident, according to them. I kept getting teased all night.(笑)


After the performance, we went to CCP in order to buy Fanta from the gift shop. I had told Ochibi about it some time back and now that we had the opportunity, we got her the Fanta she always wanted. I ordered a Dr. Pepper, and regretted it: it really tasted like medicine! I will never drink it again. (>_<);;


One of the best moments of the evening: Kontra-Gapi's performance at the CCP Night Market! As it turns out, every first Saturday of the month, CCP holds a Night Market. Sometimes there are guests invited to perform, and we saw Kontra-Gapi that night. Kontra-Gapi stands for Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino, and they're an ethic music and dance ensemble from UP Diliman. Their music was wonderful, and it was a good end to a culture-ridden night. (笑)

Although they wanted to pressure me to dance. (笑)

And before I forget:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NIOU MASAHARU!
Your trickster ways will always live on in my heart.

WakuWaku's First Anniversary!

A big thank you to Kuya Joma for inviting us :D

We really enjoyed their tea time, snacks, and fun games.




It was really cool, despite the major pressure put on me (and pressure I put on Kae) to sing at the event. (笑) ごめん、けいーちゃん～

There were major moments of hilarity, like when Kae was thrust into a game of Pinoy Henyo with Miguel Mercado, a very popular cosplayer who had been invited to the event, along with Jin Joson. Our friend Leslie was incredibly starstruck. (笑) She's been a big fan of Jin since forever. She looked ready to pass out. :))

Some priceless moments of lulz during Kae's game of Pinoy Henyo with Miguel:

Miguel: "Does it have to do with Japanese culture?"
Kae: "Yes."
Miguel: "....porn?"
Everyone else: *bursts out laughing*

Miguel: "Does it have anything to do with food?"
Kae: Uhhhm. Pwede. Yes?
Miguel: "....Malaki? Masakit?" (...Big? Painful?)
Everyone else: *starts laughing again*
Kae: *while laughing* No!

When it was all over, we got to keep our teacups from the event. I had made a poster for Kuya Joma, and he asked everyone to sign it before they left. I'm pretty much proud of my handiwork.(笑)

Until the next event, Kuya Joma! Wakuwaku!

Finally in New Jersey!

Timestamp: 3.21AM @ NJ


God, that trip was maddening. (O_O)
Basically, we left the Philippines on Oct 17 at 6am, and the flight took us to Beijing first. From Beijing, we took another plane to New York where we were picked up, and that's the overview of the flight.

I'm not so sure I'm too thrilled about travelling this far. I was happier during the stopover in Beijing. (^_^;)

Here's a basic transcript of my thoughts during the flight.
----------
Oct.17: 8am Beijing Time

Breakfast was finally served on the plane. I was starving and basically didn't care anymore. Once again, China proves that mushrooms save my life.

Oct 17: 12:30pm Beijing Time

The flight to Beijing took longer than I'd expected. The moment I step off the plane, a blast of cold air hits my face. My first thought: "Where the hell is the aircon?" You can't tell from the picture, but it was that cold. (O_o)

Since I had some excess Chinese currency from my trip several years ago, my mom and I decided to spend it right then and there. Airport shopping!! Managed to get some nice things, actually.

Funny moment at the airport though--I left my jacket in one of the waiting areas! I realized it when we were in line to board the plane. I ran at full speed to get it and skidded like an idiot on the tiled floor.
One of the female maintenance staff saw the whole thing and laughed. It wasn't a mocking laugh, it was actually quite a nice laugh. I'm glad I made her day. I guess she doesn't see things like that often. It was actually the first time I felt good about the trip.

I had some misgivings when I heard some Americans complaining about a lot of things while we were in line, like how when we were called to board, they didn't call us by section. I distinctly heard one of them say, "Well, that's dumb." Hmm. Not a very good impression on me, really.

Though there was a nice story from some woman behind us in line. She was telling her companion about how some stranger was asking around and flashing a passport at them asking if they knew the person on the passport. It was apparently a lost item and the stranger was trying to get it back to the owner. The lady commented how lucky the person who lost the passport was. There were still tickets and other things inside. I would have to agree.

Oct. 17: 2pm Beijing Time

On the plane headed for New York. Lunch was just served and I am so glad I grabbed the seafood option, I don't think I'd felt this satisfied about a food choice in a while. Still have an unpleasant feeling in stomach though, that has nothing to do with food. Hm.
Being in a plane full of Americans is starting to make me feel uncomfortable. People all around keep either socializing (not too bad) or just butting in among others (kind of bad).

Oct 17: 5pm Beijing Time
Karate Kid just finished airing as an in-flight movie. I'm glad they cut out the bad parts though. I wasn't too fond of the movie, but hey, it reminded me of home nonetheless. Was thinking of doing some Tai Chi in the back of the plane but was worried that I would attract too much attention/get picked on by the Chinese on board the flight.

Oct 17: 9pm Beijing Time
Dinner was served. I got too lazy to take a photo, plus I was hungry and I couldn't find my phone. Muh. I had spaghetti then. It was surprisingly good. Or maybe I was just starving like whoah.

I also somehow got roped into a Tai Chi conversation with two foreigners in the back of the plane. I was amused.

Oct 18: 12mn Beijing time
Getting very close now to New York. Only two more hours from this point and then it's all bright and sunny 2pm instead of dark 2am. I'm getting a little more worried , definitely. It struck me again how much I missed everyone.

Also, about 90% of the Caucasians on board the flight were strangely overweight. Erm. Just an observation. A disturbing one.

Oct 17: 3pm NEW YORK TIME.

FINALLY got out of the airport. Getting rushed off into a car to my aunt's house now.


Driving wherever. I have no idea how this will turn out, but I hope it's going to be enjoyable at the very least.
----------
And there you have it. All my woe and all my nightmares during the flight.

I hope I blog about happier times in New Jersey.
Hope to hear from you all!

A taste of the 70's

During History class today, a group had a report on life in the 70's.

In order to give us a genuine experience of the time, they gave us Coca-Cola and Chippy. Apparently, these were luxuries back in the day.

Of course, I stole an extra bag and brought it to share with people at the Toujin Pillar. (笑)

Chippy is always good. (^^)

お誕生日おめでとう、中河内雅貴！

お誕生日おめでとう、中河内雅貴！！君は僕の太陽。（笑）あなたに信じている。
頑張ります！！

Happy 25th Birthday, Nakagauchi Masataka!!
You will always be my idol.
Your songs and the way you dance will always inspire me to be stronger.
----------
Since today was Masa's birthday, I had to do a little something to celebrate.（笑）
I finally bought myself some new earphones!!

Kin-chan and I went to Wakuwaku today. Kuya Joma was kind enough to open up the store for us, even though he was supposed to be closed today. Oh Kuya. You're so kind. (>_<)

Of course as with all Wakuwaku trips, there was much teasing.（笑）
It's not my fault Kin-chan has a tendency to be a stalker.（笑）
Still though, I'm very glad. Kin-chan bought me some Gundam artbooks because it was Masa's birthday. Nyaha~

Thank you, Kin-chan!

I will try my best not to bully you so much in the future~

----------
Though sadly, it wasn't all happy...
Because later that day we got news about the hostage taking (>.<)

It is a very sad day.
Please say a little prayer for the victims of the hostage taking.

History~

I got to see an actual piece of what they called "Mickey Mouse Money" from the time of the Japanese Occupation here in the Philippines. ♪

Sometimes pieces of history like this are hard to come by~

I feel very fortunate (笑)

WakuWaku!

WakuWaku is this anime and hobby shop that is based in Katipunan, at the FBR arcade. I find myself getting dragged there recently by friends, and every visit is a fun highlight to my day.

I don't remember much about my first visit (it was long ago), except that at the time, it was still a small, budding business. Now, it has expanded slightly, and I hear that it often enjoys the spotlight at conventions. Today was only my third visit to the store, and I'm already growing quite attached to the place.

The man who runs it, Kuya Joma (we fondly refer to him as Kuya WakuWaku, hee hee) is cordial and friendly, and always accommodating. Coming to WakuWaku doesn't feel like you're entering a store, it feels as though you're entering a friend's home. The atmosphere is, overall, very welcoming--its very easy to just walk in, bond with Kuya Joma over random things, get drinks and siomai from a stall in the back (or food at the Korean grocery, heheh), and basically just hang. My recent visits have normally resulted in some kind of souvenir, and I've been very satisfied with my purchases. (^o^)/ I bought a cute yukata from there today--I've been waltzing around in it feeling pretty. Haha!

Many of the items I see on display, I've never seen in Comic Alley or any other store, though honestly speaking, Comic Alley is pretty much combed over and sometimes sells questionable merchandise. (>.>) Wakuwaku sells quality, original stuff for reasonable prices; I don't really hear my wallet crying in protest when I take it out to pay for something. (^^) Or maybe that's just me. Hee hee.

To sum it all up: awesome merchanise, a relaxing atmosphere, and a cool storeowner. What more can you ask for? Check it out, everyone. You won't regret visiting it. (^o^)/

It can be found in the ground floor of FBR Arcade, 317 Katipunan Avenue. Just look for the building with Yellow Cab and enter the main building--you'll spot it. Follow the sound of Japanese music! Hee hee hee.

I know I'll be coming back more often now. XD

NEW!!!

Because I saw it and wanted it immediately. (笑) Kin-chan took me to WakuWaku, and I bought this there.

In all fairness, I am a Gundam00 fan, and I've watched both seasons. I cannot wait for the movie this year!!

I haggled the price from 290 pesos to 200; this is the first time I have ever haggled in my life. I am utter fail. (笑) I'm glad for a new pencil case nonetheless!

No, Kin-chan, I am not giving you my Prince of Tennis pencil case. Eiji gave it to me. (^_^)

I finally got to see Rei and Niki's condo unit for the first time! Even with lagging Smartbro internet, we managed to load a video from The Last Airbender, and we proceeded to poke fun at it. We are now determined to make some kind of parody of the movie and show them what a better job we with even lower budgets can do. Seriously, 150 million for that project and they show us footage this bad? (>o<) I am disappointed, and I don't even follow Avatar. (笑)

In other news, I have accomplished my first Toujin Report for this year, in our mailing groups! I hope to write more updates, this was a part of my old job that I loved. Writing reports and updates are fun.

ALIVE~!

I was able to go out today, after two weeks of being confined to my bedroom!
It was great...I was a little paranoid at first about going out, but my mother insisted that I needed fresh air, so I went.
The chickenpox has faded away by now, and I was taken around Eastwood to go shopping for some clothes. I snuck off to one of my favorite stores to look for an accessory to buy as a souvenir, since I felt that I was in need of a new ring. Sadly, there weren't any nice rings on display, but I spotted a necklace I hadn't been able to buy once. So, I got it. I'll put up a photo sometime, haha.

We ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant before going home. I swear, as much as I love Japanese food, Chinese food really fills you up! It is my second favorite cuisine. I have never been so hungry before in my life, my mother and aunt were alarmed at the amount I was eating. I had pork dumplings, a beancurd roll, some noodles, and even char siu bao (siopao). Still though, one thing made me sad. Every time I go to a Chinese restaurant, I always make sure to order buchi for dessert. I really love it. However, this time, since my mom and aunt were picking on me for how much I was eating, I hesitated to order one.
This is the first time I have not ordered buchi at a Chinese restaurant. (T_T) I feel sad about it. I love buchi.

I have a bad feeling that this will be my next food craving. Before it was takoyaki, and now it's buchi!! Will it ever end~

P.S. Buying a frilly shirt merits this kind of randomness. ACE ATTORNEY FANS UNITE!

Driver's license!! (笑)

I've got my driver's license at last ♪ (笑)

I don't want anyone to see my face on the license. (笑)And as you can see, I distorted my name.

I'm paranoid. (笑)

But I'm glad I finally got it! I had already passed the written exam last Wednesday, so all I had to do was pass the practical exam. Thankfully, it wasn't so difficult, and all my practice paid off.

I look forward to controlling the car better!!

POKEMON SOULSILVER FTW!!

I have been waiting for this all week. (笑) I've taken the photo on the highest resolution my cellphone can offer, that you may all bask in its awesomeness. (笑)

I got it at Shangri-la this afternoon. Martin managed to get it at a small discount, on account of the carelessness of the store personnel regarding his reservation. (笑)

I started playing a little bit, and I probably will take more photos (using my cellphone camera, for lack of anything better) after Wednesday, since my last exam will be on that day.

All I can say is: IT'S SUPER SPECIAL AWESOME!!

It's really like the very first time I've played on a console--the first game I've ever played was Pokemon Silver on the GameBoy Color, and now, my first ever original game for the DS...Pokemon SOULSILVER!!

I'm so thrilled. (笑)

Still though! I have to lock it away. I need to get through my last two exams!!


I love this old man. He gives you so much stuff! And is so much more amusing this time around. (笑)

Oh and as a final post, I've got a new ring!

I love dragons. This is the first time I've come across such a ring, and so cheap too, for its detail--It cost only 109 pesos, and Maita was the one who bought it for me, too. (>_<) She snatched it out of my hand and took it to the counter and paid for it for me. (>o<)

Well, enough fangirling--it's time for me to study!!

Theology and Philosophy Oral Exams await!

頑張ります!

Close to an end...

Last Tuesday, we had our very last Philosophy class. (>o<)
I had a photo taken with my teacher--I might forget to take one after my final exam, or I might not see him anymore! So there. (笑) Dr. Leovino Garcia, Ace Philosopher.

I'm very proud to have been his student.

I am afraid of taking a photo with Fr. Dacanay. (笑) Particularly if I flub my final exam. (>_<) But who knows? Maybe I will be lucky.

I also went out with Kae that Tuesday. (笑) We went to Timezone in Gateway, played Guitarfreaks/Percussionfreaks, and Dance Dance Revolution. It was quite a workout, actually!

We also hogged a karaoke booth. (笑) We finally found the number codes for Japanese songs! The book which contained the number codes didn't include Japanese songs, but we basically went through nearly 300 combinations looking for titles we knew. (笑)

We found 1/3 no Junjou na Kanjou!! (^o^)/ among other songs.

We had to stop after a while though. Next time, we will look for more!!

----------
Today though, I had to start studying for my Philosophy and Theology exams, which will take place next week.

There was a used book sale on campus though--I actually found a nice hardbound book by Agatha Christie; 5 complete novels featuring Poirot! I had to get it. (笑)

I still realize though, that there are too many unread books that are lying around the house. I gathered them all together; maybe I can find the used book shop and sell them there. I gathered 26 books! (笑)

I hope to sell them soon. (>_<)

Also--there will apparently be a raindance tomorrow, organized by this crazy guy we know. (笑) I hope to see it!!!

Hazelnut spread! ♪

400 grams of sweet hazelnut and chocolaty goodness~ ♪
I've never been able to buy the big container before! (笑) I normally get the smaller ones, but none were available at the grocery today. (笑)

Looking back, today was rather interesting. Waking up to a clear blue sky outside your window normally makes me feel slightly lighter about the day. Actually, seeing the sky outside my window in just one solid color, whether white or blue, feels like a good omen. (笑)

On an amusing note, I ran into Fr. Dacanay outside our classroom before he entered--and he was wearing shades! It was a nice start to the day, haha. (笑)

We had to rush quite an amount of work for our research paper outline though, and that kind of stressed me out. In addition, preparations for our KiraKira☆Matsuri are still ongoing, and we are still unprepared!!

Aaaaaaa~ This is such a rush!

I hope we can accomplish this! I would hate to move the Matsuri again, even if it DOES give us more preparation time! I feel like I didn't fulfill a promise I made to the members. (>_<) It's a very unsettling feeling, to promise something and not be able to accomplish it. But I need help, too! (>o<)

In any case...

頑張ります！！(笑)

Dancing, Driving, and...Kimono tops

I finally got the kimono tops done!(^o^)I had a white one made, and a pink one too! The white one serves as an undergarment.(笑)


This is my blue top from way back when, now I can wear it properly~ ♪
-------------
Today, I was invited by June (aka Buchou) to Ochibi's house! Haha, sounds quite odd, considering it's Ochibi's house and not hers. (笑)

Thera, Diane, and Amantha were there too. They were all working on their project and I tagged along. They were supposed to go to Saizen afterwards, but I wasn't able to go since I had a dentist appointment. (>_<)

After a while, I realized why I actually agreed to go: To keep Kin-chan distracted while the rest of Seigaku worked on the project. (笑) Just kidding, Kin-chan!

Well, of course, with Kin-chan involved, there was much dancing and flailing around; She was dancing, I was flailing. (笑)

I am still slowly learning Tenimyu steps! (笑)

The problem with Kin-chan--she will annoy you first before letting you learn. (笑)
-------------
I left Ochibi's house for my dentist appointment, and I discovered there that I had a pretty deep cavity. (>_<)
I had a little work done on it, and it kind of stung. (>_<)having a cavity filled is mildly painful (>o<)
-------------
Regarding driving...The car just got a tune-up today, which is normally good news...
However, I've only been driving for a few weeks and I was not used to the "new settings" for the car. On my first turn I nearly hit the sidewalk.

Which set my mom's horrible mood off, and for nearly thirty minutes she would not let up on me, she kept barking orders at me even when I was just telling her to chill..
and finally she freaking PUNCHED my arm.

WHILE I WAS DRIVING.

It was not nice. (>_<)

And it hurt.

I rarely complain about such things, but this was a real blow to me and I don't appreciate violent moves anymore, not after certain incidents. And what if she had punched me and I had accidentally swerved? We could have gotten into even bigger accidents. I was not happy about this. She's in a better mood now, but she hasn't apologized for punching me, which i don't like either.

This is the only thing I don't like about driving, how agitated my mom gets when she is in the passenger seat.

/sigh.

I hope this doesn't happen again.

Finally, a post!

Today I bumped into my friend Tiffany, who came back from her Junior Term Abroad (JTA) last Feb 1. I was so glad to see her! I wasn't able to give her my combination birthday/ Christmas/ WelcomeHome gift, but she was carrying around the souvenirs she'd bought for me back in Japan! (^o^)/

She got me an omamori (you can call it a good luck charm) from one of the shrines she'd been to, and a Prince of Tennis "Fortune" figurine(?). They call it like a fortune because it's like a fortune cookie, you don't know what you're going to get.

Ahaha! I got Saeki! So cute, Sae-chan~ ♪ (^o^)/

Right now, I'm in the middle of downloading "THIS IS IT"!! (^o^)/

I know the DVD came out recently, and if I really can't afford it, it looks like I'll have to resort to a downloaded copy. Still though! I saw the promotional videos for the DVD while going around the mall, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from the screen~

It looked like a really great movie, I feel bad for not watching it on the big screen when it first came out. Maaah ~ (^^;)

I know I owe Ochibi some photos, so I'll be sure to post them soon!

Tomorrow, I'm going to Ochibi's house~ !!! (^o^)

First day back~

First day back at school! (^o^)/

As blur as i thought i was today, I adjusted to class quite quickly. (^^)

Since i had only one class today, i spent the rest of the day catching up with some friends, particularly Kae since she'd been off in Davao for most of the Christmas vacation. And for the first time in ages, i was able to play Mario Kart on the DS with Martin and Nico.

I'm still horrible at it (come on, 6 rounds and not a single win LOL) but well, its fun nonetheless. (^^;)

I am still looking forward to the Taiko no Tatsujin challenge that was put forward to me about a month ago. I may not be excellent right now (^^;) but I've vastly improved at the game already, since the last time i played against someone was almost 2 years back. It'll be interesting to see her again for this challenge. (^_^)

Since i lost my yellow mechanical pencil (or rather, i can't find it) I went to National Bookstore today to buy mechanical pencils. And i bought three pretty expensive ones, so the only way i can redeem myself is by using them often!! (>o<)

I guess it's about time i picked up these pencils and started drawing again, eh? I still have that little "project" that i've been putting off (again).

がんばって～！

Reunion Aftermath

The parties are over! I am recovering from the Christmas aftermath. (>o<)

My Christmas day was spent among relatives from a certain side of the family, at our annual Christmas reunion. Most of the time my generation takes the chance to put on a bit of a show, after which we get money and gifts as rewards. This year i played the violin for them for the first time, earning me a lot of awed expressions. (>_<)

Considering that i learned these Christmas carols only by ear and practiced for only two days before Christmas, I'd say I did pretty well. I've only had 4 violin lessons my whole life and that wasn't enough to learn the finer points of playing. in addition, I haven't picked up the instrument in a while. (^^;)

Christmas eve, on the other hand, is normally spent with yet another side of the family. we went to a cousin's house for the traditional Christmas Eve dinner, where we had an unusual combination of food. Sure, we had creamy seafood pasta, roast pork and mashed potatoes (normal), but it kind of got weird when the tuna sashimi came out. (O_o) I certainly raised an eyebrow to that. My mother and i posed next to their Christmas tree later on--if you'll notice, it's decorated with a LOT of stuffed bears. (^^)

I was still tired from my reunion with my friends, so i kind of conked out sometime after dinner. thankfully my auntie allowed me to stay in a quiet room to rest. I woke up after gifts had been distributed--and i discovered a box of Earl Grey tea among some of our spoils. (^o^)/

slightly less pleasing was the pair of M&M patterned boxers that somehow made its way into my pile of gifts. No matter--they are comfortable for sleepwear or house clothes, albeit embarrassing. (^^;)

It always feels nice to lie down after a tiring day. I'm glad the holidays are over--I can finally have a good night of uninterrupted sleep! That is, unless my brain decides to creep me out with a weird dream. (>_<)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE! I hope your Christmases have been as fulfilling as mine. (^o^)/

Hectic?

24 days before Christmas!! (^o^)

So today i was late for Philosophy class, but well. I tried to get the gist anyway. At least i have the book and can read and review. Its weird, still trying to settle in after several weeks of school already. (>_<)

This was today's dessert--it's a taiyaki! Well, kind of. There's bean paste and ice cream inside! Well, for me it was nothing THAT spectacular though. taste-wise, it was average. (>_<) I would rather have gotten some other ice cream from that Korean place. But people are raving about it, so i tried it for the first time today. (._.)

Today's epic purchase that my mom would probably kill me for--I finally got myself a copy of The Art of War by Sun Tsu! (^^) There was a used book sale at the Dela Costa Hall today, so i checked it out--darn my weakness for books! (>o<)/

(And also, darn Sanada for being so traditional--he was the reason behind this purchase and my copy of the Confucian Analects as well. gah!)

It's a really nice copy too, hardcover, with a ribbon bookmark, and a nice jacket cover. plus the pages...they look as though they were rough-cut. it's a really interesting effect. it cost me 300, but...(>_<) IT'S A CLASSIC OKAY (>o<) !!!

Thankfully i was able to submit the portions of a group paper that i was part of, though i'll be honest, i feel like i barely did anything (T_T) I promise i will read the material better now that I have it, and i will study before coming to class. (>_<) and that i will do all my homework. and stuff. and uh. idk. (>_<)

GANBATTEEEEEEEEEEE~ (/dies lol)