arcadia

my inner goddess

2008-04-18T01:48:00.000-07:00

You Are Aphrodite! A total shining star with a ton of admirers
And no wonder: you live life to the fullest!
When things get bad, you can easily take off to a happier place
But occasionally, you need to deal with problems head on

What Goddess Are You?

writing guidelines

2008-04-15T17:55:00.000-07:00

You should try to take note of the following if you aim to write more sensible blogs (hence, make it an interesting read). Just a thought.

1. Pile on lots of subtlety.

2. Colloquialism is just for barmpots.

3. Intimidatory writing is just for wimps.

4. You speaking ghetto? Sorry, but I don't speak the language of the street.

5. Honey, don't swear. It does not suffice for your lack of class. (grins)

2008-04-14T22:58:00.000-07:00

"Isn't life a series of images that change as they repeat themselves?"

- Andy Warhol

What age do you act?

2008-04-14T02:13:00.000-07:00

You Act Like You Are 21 Years Old You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel like an adult, and you're optimistic about life.
You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

You're still figuring out your place in the world and how you want your life to shape up.
The world is full of possibilities, and you can't wait to explore many of them.

Interesting! And to those of you who aren't aware yet, I am 21 years old. :)

What Age Do You Act?

summer solstice

2008-04-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

Longer days and shorter nights. It was evident today.. The annoying alarm clock did not wake me somehow, I still wanted to go back to sleep, even if it meant i'd be late for work.

But the sun's rays was beckoning me to get out of bed and start the day. Somehow, it was a promise of a great day ahead. And although it was a Friday (yes, weekends always excite me!), I had illusory dreams of me with a nice piña colada in hand, in my skimpy swimming attire, trying to fight off the burning summer heat with the soothing cool waters.

This past weekend, I had a nice get-together with a few friends. It was both a welcome treat but also a painful reminder.

A treat, because we were able to enjoy the season and have a few good laughs. But it was painful to think that it will only last for as long as we are together. And when we have to part ways, we had to go back to the boring routine of our everyday lives. But it was glad to have that escape..not everyone gets the chance.

That's why I try to keep away from the computer for the weekends. I needed it to revive my sanity. Getting a job should not always entail a non-existent social life. After all, we all work our asses off to enjoy what we have.

So, there goes, we laughed like crazy. It's one of the few "free" things in this capitalist world.

The alarm goes off again, and the sun's rays has lost its romantic appeal. The world seems to stop at this time of day. But I had to get up, I still have loads of work waiting for me at the office.

funny advertising lingo

2008-03-27T00:39:00.000-07:00

Sounds familiar? Oh yes, we've heard this way too often.

NEW! — Different color from previous design.
ALL NEW! — Parts are not interchangeable with previous design.
EXCLUSIVE! — Imported product.
UNMATCHED! — Almost as good as the competition.
FOOLPROOF OPERATION! — No provision for adjustments.
ADVANCED DESIGN! — The advertising agency doesn't understand it.
IT'S HERE AT LAST! — Rush job. Nobody knew it was coming.
FIELD TESTED! — Manufacturer lacks test equipment.
HIGH ACCURACY! — Unit on which all parts fit.

FUTURISTIC! — No other reason why it looks the way it does.
REDESIGNED! — Previous flaws fixed — we hope.
DIRECT SALES ONLY! — Factory had a big argument with distributor.
YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT! — We finally got one to work.
BREAKTHROUGH! — We finally figured out a use for it.
MAINTENANCE FREE! — Impossible to fix.
MEETS ALL STANDARDS! — Ours, not yours.
SOLID-STATE! — Weighs more than your car.
HIGH RELIABILITY! — We made it work long enough to ship it.

Practicing optimism

2008-03-25T20:05:00.001-07:00

We all have those days wherein things aren't just going the way we want it to. Or, when so much negativity is messing up your mind, and eventually, how you see things in general. Don't fret. It's not the end of the world for you. There are ways to overcome what you believe to be the worst feeling there is. And the good thing is, most of it just takes place inside your brain.

So, you might want to consider a few things to get your life back on track. And before you know it, you might start to drink life as it comes and possibly start to see the glass as half-full, instead of half-empty.

1. Let go of the assumption that the world is against you, or that you were born with a gray cloud over your head. Be humble and stop pretending you've got the world all figured out. Sometimes bad experiences lead to good experiences, and you can't predict the future, so you can't assume it'll always be bad.

2. Look for the source of your pessimism. A day or week that starts badly will not necessarily end badly. Do not make a bad start turn into a self fulfilling prophecy for a bad ending.

3. See yourself as a cause, not an effect. You don't have to be a product or a victim of your circumstances. Stop thinking about what is happening to you and start thinking about what you can make happen.

4. Be Thankful. Everyone has something to be grateful for. The key to being an optimist is recognizing the benefits and possibilities of any situation, and understanding that it could always be worse.

5. Remember that life is short. At its core, pessimism is impractical because it causes you to spend time dwelling on things that haven't happened yet and aren't guaranteed to happen, and it prevents you from getting things done. Pessimism breeds indecision.

More tips:

Avoid negative people. If you can't avoid them, learn how to not let them get you down.
Don't let your negative feelings control you.
Don't confuse pessimism with depression. Depression can make everything look worse than it is.
You can only change you. You can't change other people.
While it is true that you create your own circumstances, accept that the past is the past. Don't let negative circumstances trigger irrational guilt.
The past is the past. It's over. It's done. Let it go.
Realize that it's not about what happens to you, it's about how you react to what happens.

plain old rantings

2008-03-23T23:51:00.002-07:00

'THIS IS WHERE YOUR TAXES ARE GOING.'

This is how the sign reads in Bankerohan, just right there where they are fixing the bridge. It is indeed a test of patience, and the sign greeted me, just when I was about to lose my cool. First off, I just got from a long break and was not in the mood still to get back to work. Plus, I have no intentions of getting late to work and the traffic situation is not making it any better for me.

My first realization was "good, good..at least we know where our money is going!" But then again, it was such a slap in the face.

Oh yeah, THAT is where our taxes are going! But should it be any more of a surprise? As far as I heard, it was supposed to be fixed by December of last year. And as always, and for god knows what took them so long, the supposed finishing date for the fixing turned out to be the starting date. Uh-uh.

Now, there should be a better explanation as to why we are paying taxes on time and they're not getting their job done on time. And worse, I (and we all) have to deal with it every single morning as I commute to work.

I do hope there is a much more sensible sign put up next time.

Lesson learned: don't go bragging where you haven't accomplished anything, just yet.

good ole' italian cuisine

2008-03-12T00:42:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen Giada de Laurentis' show on Food Network called "Everyday Italian"? If you haven't, then you're missing out on a lot. Well, at the risk of exaggerating, I guess that would apply for food fanatics. Specifically those who are into Italian cuisine, like myself.

Apart from the actual recipes themselves, which already look too good to eat, I like learning the art of cooking as well. Therefore, I would like to take you through some of my favorite Italian dishes that I just can't seem to get enough of. Prepare to drool, as this is going to be one tasty ride!

Lasagna is both a form of pasta in sheets (sometimes rippled, though seldom so in Italy) and also a dish, sometimes named lasagne al forno (meaning "oven-cooked lasagne") made with alternate layers of pasta, cheese, and often ragù (a meat sauce) or tomato sauce.

Penne is a type of pasta. Pieces have a cylindrica l shape and, usually, their ends are cut diagonally. Penne is the plural form of the Italian penna, deriving from Latin penna (meaning "feather" or "quill").

Spaghetti is a long, thin form of pasta. It is versatile, popular, and available throughout the Western world. Spaghetti is the plural form of the Italian word spaghetto, which is a diminutive of spago, meaning "thin string" or "twine". The word spaghetti can be literally translated as "little strings."

Tiramisu is the most recognized Italian c ake[ci tation needed]. It is a dessert made of biscu its coffee and mascarpone cream. Undoubtedly, this is one of my favorite desserts!

Fettuccine alfredo is a pasta dish made from fettuccine pasta tossed with Parmesan cheese, butter, and heavy cream. As the cheese melts, it thickens the liquids to form a smooth and rich coating on the pasta. Although it was named by an Italian restaurateur, at his restaurant Alfredo alla Scrofa in Rome, it is largely an American dish, essentially the same as the Italian dish, Fettuccine al burro 'fettuccine with butter' or al burro e panna 'with butter and cream'; in Italy, the name 'Alfredo' is rarely used and the sauce is never named or prepared separately from the dish.^[1] In American cuisine, it is often mixed with other ingredients such as parsley, garlic, shrimp and chicken.

And last, but most likely not the least, is pizza. You can choose from various toppings like tomato-based sauce, pesto, cheese (usually mozzarella), herbs like basil, oregano and black pepper, fruits and vegetables like mushroom, olives, onions, bell peppers, and pineapple, and lastly, meats such as sausage (pepperoni or salami), ham, bacon, ground beef, and seafoods like tuna, salmon, and shrimp. Whew!

But mine, I like it topped with tomato sauce, red and green bell pepper, pepperoni, mushroom, and lots of mozzarella cheese! It certainly cooks up an appetite!

Thank goodness to all folks at Italy for bringing Italian cuisine throughout the rest of the world for us to enjoy!

the stars don't lie.

2008-03-12T00:15:00.000-07:00

People have been making some assumptions about you that are not simply correct, and it's up to you to educate them about who you really are, today. The only catch is that you can't really tell them -- you have to show them. Carry on with your daily tasks as you normally would, but keep in mind that you are being observed, and possibly judged. If you are challenged, don't back down from what you believe.

Show the world that you can walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

cry baby

2008-03-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

crocodile tears are the hardest to weep,

and when they start to flow,

they are usually just for "a show".

your fiction is lame!

2008-03-11T02:13:00.000-07:00

It's nothing new if you have people talking behind your back, spreading all these silly rumors, in efforts of just plainly trying to piss you off, if for anything else. And because I have this attitude of minding my own world, and letting other people screw theirs (if they will), it's beyond my understanding how someone would be willing to exhaust all efforts on you. I mean, it's okay if you talk smack about something I have done to you, that's fine with me. I could care less if you talk and talk, no one bothers to listen to you anyway.

But when a person starts to create stories to instill doubts in your mind, or to break up what you have, that's plain evil. I do not know what could trigger someone to do that. I mean, if you envy what I have in life, leave your insecurities to yourself and stop trying to destroy the life that I live.

Good thing our relationship is deeply planted on this certain level of trust and communication that any outside factor is not enough to destroy us. I'm a firm believer of karma. Yeah, you get what you deserve in life. Or at least, if you can't stand being good to others, just leave them alone. Get on with life.

Thanks to our positive attitude, we have chosen to look at this as a hurdle that we'd both have to overcome. As they say: if you don't stay together through the bad, you won't stay together for the good. And indeed, we have come out as better persons for each other.

Thank you for making me realize just how much he fears losing me! *grins*

Final Excursion

2008-03-10T23:24:00.000-07:00

Her knees trembled, looking down at the city that was home to her for the past twenty years. From the top of the building, she was overcome with emotions from knowing how tiny the world has become. Everything looked small enough to be laid on the palm of her hand. And for a moment she thought her fate would have been sealed much earlier than she would have hoped. Not that she was having second thoughts, but there were so many things to consider with so little time to do it. And she stood still, fighting off nausea and agitation as she beheld the beautiful scene before her for the first time—the sky gave prominence to the stars, shining like they never had before, and people moving about like ants below, as neon signs gave life to the city people’s nighttime rendezvous—oh how wonderful the life they live! Then she jumped off the edge, and she began to wonder if these people’s lives would stop for her. There was a sudden rush of adrenaline, like she can’t wait to be with them, to join them in their singular absorption to celebrate each night of their lives as if it were their last.

side note: this was one of the entries to my thesis entitled "Silhouettes & Sounds and Other Stories"

On writing a poem...

2008-03-10T22:01:00.000-07:00

I scribbled down lines

of feeble hopes

and romantic delusions.

But each time, I ended up

with mere fleeting images

and confused allusions.

I penned my thoughts

but words do not capture

that silent leap of the heart

and that moment of pleasure

from a smile.

So, I quit writing the poem.

Just then, the poem scribbled down

its own lines and rhythm,

slowly painting the image

i’ve tried so hard to create.

Serenading me with the

sweet symphony of

words, meek and unadorned;

Like when you say

“i love you”
without

the accompaniment of

a guitar, beneath

a starless sky.

p.s.: this is a poem that i wrote more or less a couple of years ago (2006). sorry for the mushy content, it was intended to be a love poem. *rolls eyes*

Hail to bloggers!

2008-03-10T01:56:00.000-07:00

I have been planning on creating a blog for the longest time now. But somehow, I almost always find an excuse to do it some other time. And we all know what happens when we choose to put off what we are supposed to do..oh yeah, we know it too well. It would all pile up until we eventually have not enough time (or energy) to bring them all together.

But what's really interesting is how a single blog (or blog entry, for that matter) could incite me to finally get mine started. Blogs are avenues to speak our minds, even when no one bothers to read about what we have to say. It's pretty much like literature and creative writing. Oftentimes, we exhaust all efforts to create what we'd like to believe is a masterpiece, and then it just lays hidden in your drawer - collecting dust, with no one even bothering to touch it. Such is the painful reality that goes with writing!

Blogging is very much like one of those personal journals we always keep to ourselves. It's comforting to delve into your deepest thoughts and reflect on events in our lives. Hopefully, this one will incite others to speak their minds and share their thoughts. Believe me: the world wants to hear what you have to say!

Notes on March 6, 2008: a repost from my multiply

2008-03-10T01:39:00.000-07:00

Nope. This isn't a blog chronicling the recent showcase by the BA English pips of UP Mindanao. Although, it deserved much blog space of a topic to deal with. However, due to time constraints I was able to catch only the tail-end of the show. So, I don't feel like I'm in authority to talk about the success (ehem, yep judging from what I saw and from people's reaction of the show) of the event in question.

But I just feel like ranting about this internet connection (which I believe is a misnomer, as it often disconnects..argh!) that's been bugging me for awhile. It did manage to stretch my patience almost to the point of its elastic limit. And I hate having to stare at my pc, wondering when will the webpage I wish to view would finish loading. And to make matters worse, I've been slowly (but gradually) having this headache, something of which I have no idea where it sprung. I guess, I'm getting a cold...I could only wish it would get better. SOON.

But, no, I wouldn't declare this a bad day. I have no such conception. Just because this day wasn't as great as days passed, I wouldn't prematurely label it as such. After all, yayab came by to gratify my cravings - he did give me a bar of dark chocolate. Yes, I better put those endorphins to good use. This is certainly my "happy food" and getting a big, tight hug from my baby was the icing on the cake!

Oh no, this can't be a bad day! After all, we still have the rest of the night to spend together.

Oh yes, this is going to be a great day! :)

stumbling block

2008-03-10T01:34:00.000-07:00

Whoever said that life in the 'real world' is miserable was either (a) jobless, (b) in a job that s/he despises, (c) working on long hours but not getting enough compensation, or (d) lacks optimism in life.

Glad I am suffering from neither of the above. But if you are, it's easy to get you out of that slump. It all boils down to perspective. It is never about what comes in life but how we take it.

So, go find a positive attitude! Take time to love your job, or else, do something else that you love! It will be worth it! As for me, I've gotten past the hard part. By the end of this month, I would have secured myself a regular position in the company I'm working for.

Geez. You cannot leave everything to fate, she's got a lot of work to do, you must give her a hand too. Good luck guys! :)