Once Upon a Blog Site

Going for It

Noticed anything different? :)

I decided to change my blog name today. "More to Me" sounds so self-centered. Although this new blog will be just as selfish, vain and ME-centered as before, it won't be so obvious to new readers (if ever there ARE any) now with the more whimsical title.

. . .

It's not just the blog I've made changes to. I'm changing myself too; I'm taking bigger risks and trying out new things.

For example, today when I saw a banner advertising a blog contest on www.candymag.com, I decided on the spot that I'd join. Hey, what do I have to lose right?

Right.

. . .

Joining the Candy Teen Blog Awards isn't the only thing I've accomplished today.

Earlier, while strolling around in a mall, I saw this sign on a graphic design booth that said, "Wanted: Graphic Artist. Must be knowledgeable in Corel and Adobe Photoshop".

I'm thinking of applying for the job. There are a few things holding me back though, and these are:

1. I'm not "knowledgeable" when it comes to Corel (my beloved sister Caitlin said, "You're not knowledgeable, period!").

2. I'm 15! Wait, not even fifteen yet. I'm 14! Who would be willing to hire a Corel-design-impaired teenager?

3. I'm not knowledgeable when it comes to Corel and I'm fourteen.

. . .

I only mentioned it in passing over dinner, but my dad's been really supportive. He says I should go for it, since there's no harm in trying.

He told me that if I get the job, then that's good!

And if I don't... well, I don't lose anything! Plus, I have an excuse: I'm not even eighteen yet. (Wait, do you have to be over eighteen to work?)

. . .

My other summer job alternative is working at my uncle's hardware in Carmen, but my mom isn't really keen on that since he's insisting on paying salary and there are already four of my cousins working there.

. . .

Okay.

Okay, I'm gonna do it. Apply for that digital artist job, I mean.

I'll forget about all the what if's and but's and just go for it. Go for it. For heaven's sake GO FOR IT!

I DO know a thing or to about graphic design. And at least I can prove to myself that I DO have the guts do something as crazy and maybe stupid as applying for a job - a REAL job - at my age.

Okay, I'm gonna do it.

I'm gonna do it!!!

if only life were like pokemon

A word of caution before we proceed: sad thoughts, bleak views and depressing thoughts are soon to follow. (Just thought you'd like to know.)

I saw this Earth Day feature on National Geographic one night. In a nutshell it was about all the awful, nasty things we humans have done to our planet. Oh it's so horrible (not the documentary). Resources are being used up, the ice caps are melting, food is going scarce, ANIMALS ARE DYING and humans just keep on MULTIPLYING WITHOUT ANY CARE!!!

Siiigh. It's not the ice melting that troubles me so much. What I'm really concerned about are those poor, tired polar bears! There have been many reported cases of drowned polar bears. The thing is, the masses of ice up there in the North have been melting so fast that polar bears can't find a big, stable block of frozen water they can hunt and sleep on. Some swim for days in search of good ice that they get so tired, give up, and just float down into the bottom of the water.

Ahawwwwww! Poor bears! I'd adopt one myself, but the Philippines is no place for those furry white creatures. And my parents won't let me.

. . .

The polar bear tragedies are only the tip of the iceberg (excuse the pun). In many oceans, countless dolphins and whales are being trapped in nets because of a horrible fishing method (with a name hard to remember) where big boats drag along nets attatched to heavy weights on the bottom of the sea, destroying not only those porpoises but also the coral reefs.

And in another region of the world, a couple of idiotic, shameless delinquents brutally killed four gorillas for no apparent reason. The really sad part is a female gorilla's body was found with her young (alive) baby calling for his mommy, wondering why she's just lying there on the ground...

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

I just hate the fact that animals are paying for all the wrong that we humans have done. Yes, I said WE humans. Don't try to worm your way out of this. How many times have you whacked a slipper at those cockroaches under the sink? How many little mice have you caught with some yellow fly paper and bait? How many times have you used a flaming can of Lysol on those harmless spiders in your bathroom???

Well, yeah, spiders and polar bears are two different things, but you see my point? WE'RE ANIMAL KILLERS!

. . .

I remember what my dad told me and my siblings a couple of nights ago. Even though we really really didn't want to hear it, he told us (a little too graphically) about how he and his brothers cooked chicken.

First they hacked its head off (Yes, HACK. "Cut" is such a common word isn't it?). Then... Well, I can't find the right words so I'll just repeat what my dad said:

"Then we stood around and laughed while it thrashed about without its head."

Oh my goodness, how could anyone possibly be LAUGHING while a headless chicken is THRASHING around??? Oh the indignity!

My dad said I shouldn't get so upset about chickens and cows and pigs and goats and lamb and ducks because it's just the circle of life.

"Don't tell me you don't like beef steak," he said.

Siiiiigh. I hate it when my dad's right.

. . .

I just wish there was something I could do for those animals whose lives are at stake.

The only action I've taken so far is grab that endangered species widget from Bianca's profile! Ugh.

If I get a scolarship, I'll go to UP and study zoology... Umm come to think of it, I'm not sure about the jobs available for me after that. I can't save the polar bears by becoming a zoo keeper now can I?

Hahaha. I dunno.

. . .

Oh the pizza's here! And it's...

pepperoni. Oh..

Well, since this blog is pretty much about SAVING things, I'd like to leave you with this short anecdote.

In the show "Beauty and the Geek", one model was asked this question:

"How would you prevent pollution?"

The model replied, "By not eating a lot of gassy foods."

the big scheme of things

  Back when I was in second grade, there was this boy in my class who annoyed my brains out. He was my seatmate.

  One day, during a class activity, my teacher casually made a "joke" about this boy having a crush on me. My classmates all laughed and teased us. I was so embarrassed I cried right then and there!

  After class, the teacher told me that she just said that so that he would work harder and get his grades up. I had no idea what that had to do with anything and I still don't!

  I hated him so much. I was actually happy he transferred when we reached third grade.

. . .

  Anyway, just last week as I was walking to church, I heard someone following me really close and I got scared. I turned around and saw that it was just him, who I haven't seen for how many years. I discovered long long ago that we lived in the same area but I had never run into him on the streets before.

  He greeted me cheerfully and, for a while, I forgot about how angry I was at him until he decided to bring the topic up.

  He said sorry. Awwww. I apologized to him too. We were eight years old and we were stupid!

  After that we walked and talked. He asked about all the stuff going on in Kong Hua and I told him everything that mattered. When we got to his destination (the basketball court) he said he'd visit school whenever he had time.

. . .

  At the entrance of the church I saw yet another familiar face. My friend Anna.

  Anna transferred to Kong Hua two years ago. She's been part of our barkada ever since.

  We attended Mass together that day.

. . .

  I couldn't concentrate on the Mass. Deep thought was knocking on my skull and I had to let it in. It doesn't visit very often!

  Thinking about that boy, Anna, and all the friendships I've lost and gained,  I thought about how perfect God's plan is for me.

  I mean, He knows just when and where paths should meet, separate and end. Everyone has their own path, their own purpose to pursue, and many times, He crosses one person's path with another's. So they can help each other realize and fulfill this purpose.

  Everyone in our lives, even the strangers along the street, they're there because God planned it that way. All our paths weave together in one way or another. This is the intricate fabric of life.

  Some people don't believe in destiny, but if you believe in God then it only follows that you believe in destiny. Everything that has happened, is happening, and is going to happen has all been planned to perfection. We are all part of the big scheme of things.

. . .

  Something really interesting and marvelous happened on another one of my walks. But I'm saving that for another blog :)

say what?

  Because of her blossoming love for karaoke and sing-along's, my mom bought this weird pirated CD and songbook. The CD has a karaoke feature but it doesn't have that scoring system at the end.

   Me and my sister Cait had more fun scanning the songbook than singing the actual songs. There were just so much typos in the song titles that there was something to laugh at on every page!

  I thought that since today there's nothing to blog about, I'd share these spelling nightmares with what's left of my beloved readers. Haha. Enjoy!

<----- You paise e up, so I can stand on pountains...

  .................................................................... .........................................               

   

<---- Doesn't that sound like something Scooby Doo would say?

...................................................................................

........................................................

  ..........

...............

<------- "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" in some strange, foreign language

 

   .........

   ..........

<----- Larm Funt Hety? I don't even know what song this is anymore.

.................................................................

   

<----- Jingle Hells

lls .......................................................

...

....

<------- Greetings from Fussia

woohoo!

I take it back.
I take it all back.
The PS2 is not a waste of money.

IT IS THE BEST THING EVER CREATED BY MANKIND!!!
Haha. I'm exaggerating things. There's still the PS3 and PSP :)

. . .

I admit. I've become a total video game junkie. I never expected that to happen but here I am, scouting the Internet for Tekken 5 character profiles.

When we first got the PS2 from my Uncle Mike (he upgraded to a PS3), he had included three games which he had no use for anymore. These were SOCOM (something war-war), Need for Speed (forgot the exact title), and Tekken Tag Tournament. At first I didn't find any of these interesting. Neither did my siblings.

The afternoon after we got the PS2, my dad bought me and my siblings one game each to try out on the new console. Among those we picked were sissy kiddy games featuring SpongeBob and the other, dogs and puppies.

. . .
Oh yeah, about that game! I HAVE to tell you about it. And you just HAVE to read about it. The exact title was Petz: Dogz 2. The storyline goes like this:

You're a puppy (you get to choose the breed at the start of the game). You live in the doggy village of Pawville. One day you wake up, go downstairs and find your beloved doggy daddy Arwin and mommy Ione gathered around a mysterious object on the breakfast table. As you come closer to inspect the glowing thing, your dad explains that he has a secret he wants to share with you. Arwin turns out to be secret guardian of the town of Pawville. The glowing object on the table is called the Magic Hat. It is deep blue in color, with fluffy clouds and rainbows on the brim. It is also the one thing that keeps the town in peace and harmony.

Anyway, long story short, you make friends with a creepy little white thing named Beet. He's the conscience of the Magic Hat (you read right; the Magic Hat has a conscience) and he guides you through the game. Every single, painful step.

At the end of the game you finally go face-to-face with the villain named Ivlet (not the best villain name ever). Ivlet has wrecked all the homes in Pawville, set free the animals in the zoo and withered all the flowers! Gasp! Of course, you have to teach him a lesson. And you do that at the end of the game by... (cue scary music- dun dun duuun) throwing rocks at him.

Seriously.
. . .

Hahahahaha. Going back to the other video games, when my dad and I tried out Tekken Tag, I just couldn't put down the controller.

I didn't think I'd ever enjoy anything so violent [not to mention cruel to (virtual) animals] but I find it sort of... liberating. I don't approve of brutality but there's just something about grappling that idiotic Japenese schoogirl to the ground and hitting her over and over and over and over and over and over and over again...

Mwahahahahahaha!!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

. . .

Haha. I think it's okay to enjoy playing these games just as long as I don't let them get to my head. What I see on the screen is never gonna happen in real life anyway (my lifelong dream of attacking high-pitched Japenese schoolgirls in micro-miniskirts will have to wait another lifetime) so I guess there's nothing wrong with Tekken 10 hours a day. Right? Right? RIGHT?

Right. My dad thought so too, so he bought the last Tekken game made for the PS2 just last week. Tekken 5.

Well I just have one thing to say about that: Jin Kazama rocks! He's kind of like Sasuke from Naruto because he's so nonchalant about everything. Silent and mysterious, but he can beat anyone up with his hands tied behind his back. The thing I like about him is after fights he'll say "Forgive me." Ohhhhh! Hahaha! So cute!

Ummmm I doubt anyone who stumbles upon this blog can relate to me (except maybe Kuya JA) so I'll just stop blabbing about Tekken for now. Note the FOR NOW in that sentence.

. . .

So much for biking. I'm gonna spend my summer with the PS2, eating junk food and kicking virtual butt.

an undemanding truth

Boys are stupid.

hemispheres, face cake and a theme park ride

Hmmmm... My brain is officially in vacation mode right now. I can't think of anything good to write. Which is pretty bad because I still need to revise my entry for a writing contest after Sister Lourdes said she wasn't content with it ("I'd like it to be more personal.")

Anyway when it comes to important things, my brain acts just like my stupid computer and freezes up. And when it comes to things like playing Zuma or blogging, it works just fine. Like my brain capacity has been limited to thinking only about empty, shallow things like makeup and toenails.

. . .

Which reminds me of something. During the first day of my Cebu trip, my mom gave me some sunblock I could use on my face. She also offered her face powder.

I tried the powder and I was really surprised by the results - smooth, clear skin just like on TV. Wow. I was so impressed. I've always wondered how the pretty girls get such perfect skin. And now I know their secret. Bwahahahahahahahahaha.

Anyway it's a one-time thing and I still think I'm too young to be wearing makeup. Here in our society (or at least in my family), young girls wearing makeup are considered to be maarte and in some cases, stupid. Caitlin, who's just turning 10 this year, is entering that phase where pre-teens feel all mature and therefore want to LOOK mature. She tries on makeup sometimes, but don't tell her I announced it on the Internet...

. . .

Well now that both hemispheres of my brain have gone into dormancy, it's given me a lot of room to get more in-tune with myself.

For example, I've never noticed before but I know now that I'm really really fidgety. I always have to twiddle my thumbs, tap a beat using my fingers and turn my head left and right without looking for anything in particular.

. . .

Come to think of it, I think I was too occupied with other people to have time to think clearly about myself.

Like now. I spent my late freshman and early sophomore years perfectly happy with myself, but now I'm feeling like a normal teenage girl. Moody and insecure.

I feel like something was shielding me from all the trivialities in my life and now that it's gone, I'm left with new and puzzling takes on life. I think I know what that something is but I don't wanna think about it any longer. Go back to sleep please, right brain.

. . .

Going back to "moody and insecure", things are getting really annoying. I mean really annoying.

I don't need to fly over to Manila to ride an EK roller coaster because I'm on an emotional Tilt-a-Hurl every second of every day!

As if that's not enough, I'm being bludgeoned with doubts about myself every now and then. I do think it was self-confidence (and consequently, a thick face) that greatly helped me in high school. Now I feel like I'm making up for all the times I was supposed to be insecure but wasn't. It's early adolescence aaaaaaaaaaaall over again.

. . .

One of these insecurities I've been having is about how I look overall.

I really hated the idea of that typical white = beauty thing but now I find myself avoiding the sun and wearing sunblock and borrowing my mom's face powder (well that was just once).

Strangely, the thing I'm most insecure about is how my arms look. My forearms.

Oh the horrors they've seen: pinching, squeezing, "squishing". Haha. I believe that over my freshman years they've doubled in width. That could be accredited to a certain SEATMATE who had this certain OBSESSION with chubby girls.

But it's okay. I forgive you Joseph. Nyahahahahahahahaha.

. . .

Oh by the way, this is my second blog today (this afternoon I posted "amazing.."). Over the course of today I've been thinking up new topics I'd like to ponder on in my blog but I'll cover 'em another day. As for now, my brain is falling asleep again.

Good night.

amazing..

I like composing songs.

I remember part of a song I made up when I was six years old. It was something about underground airplanes. It wasn't anything metaphorical or meaningful though.

I also remember composing a song for my mom on Mother's Day when I was nine. Hahaha I played it on the electric organ and forced Cait to sing it (Jiggy was too young at the time to understand anything)

In fact, it's the only composition I really know the lyrics to. Here it goes:

"Mother dear, we are here

Your ever-loving fa-mi-ly,

You're the best and you use Zest,

Mom you are the grea-test.

Mom you are so so so good,

You're the best in the neighborhood!

Mommy dear we're here to say

Have a happy happy happy mo-ther's day!"

. . .

Ahahahahaha. Dad never got a Father's Day song because the occasion always falls in June, when I'm too occupied with school to whip up anything whimsical.

Anyway, have you heard of The Naked Brothers Band? ("Real brothers. Real music. Not really naked.") It's a show revolving mainly around two brothers, Nat and Alex Wolff.

Nat is only eleven and Alex is eight but already they're playing like pros. Nat is their vocalist and keyboardist. Alex is their drummer.

You may be thinking about those rip-off TV stars who only pretend to know how to play instruments, but these kids are different. In real life, Nat and Alex do compose their own songs.

Nat has been playing since he was four. In an interview, he revealed his first composition ever. It's titled "Mama" or something like that, and he composed it at FIVE YEARS OLD, complete with the piano chords. Currently, he can play guitar, keyboard and drums.

Alex started drumming at three. Today he has written three songs for the band. He's on the drums in most of them but in some songs he's the vocalist and keyboardist. He also starred in Fall Out Boy's "The Take's Over, The Break's Over" video as the young Pete Wentz.

. . .

Amazing. They don't deserve a "pretty good", they're just amazing! Amazing and soooo much more. Even though they're just kids they're better than most bands in their twenties.

Amazing. I've never been more impressed. Try listening to their songs. Their hit single is "If That's Not Love", which is also the theme song to their show.

(that's Nat on the left and Alex on the right)