Music I can't stop listening to

If there is one artist I just can not stop listening to, it would have to be Beyonce. Well, particularly her I Am...Sasha Fierce CD. My favorites are:

• Halo - It fit quite well to my personality and my views on falling in love. I have this thinking that I have built a huge wall around me and it would take a strong force to destroy that wall.
• Disappear - "When I think about it, I know that I was never there...I tried to reach for you. I could almost feel you you're nearly here and then you disappear." This is my song for my past relationships (as if there are so many!) and the future ones.
• Sweet Dreams - It's just so funky and, well, danceable!
• Smash Into You - It's quite similar to Dave Matthews Band's Crash Into Me, I think. This is what I listen to when I'm in a melancholy mood, wishing there's someone whom I can smash into, figuratively speaking.
• Hello - Hahaha just like the famous line from Jerry Maguire. It's all about falling for the guy not because of any bling served on a silver platter but because of well, just being himself.
• Ego - Well, just like Sweet Dreams, it's so funky and upbeat. And I like listening to this when I'm about to get into something challenging. It boosts my uhm, ego! HAHHAHAHA!

That's basically about Beyonce. I have had the CD (which Reyg gave to me) since January 1 and I still listen to it. I actually feel bad 'cause she didn't hold her concert here. So I will just purchase the I am...concert DVD which took place in Vegas.

If there is one CD I listen to for energy, it's definitely Black Eyed Peas's The E.N.D CD. Definitely worth listening to especially if you woke up on the wrong side of the bed and you have to start your day ASAP! Hahahaha! My favorites would be Ring-A-Ling, Meet Me Halfway, and Now Generation.

Sia's Breathe Me is also one favorite. But I don't like some of her songs. When it has been a long and tiring day (which is often the case now that I'm in Araneta), I like listening to Songs of the Siren CD or Enya's Watermark CD. It actually helps listening to Enya because there was a time when I was on my way home so tired and was listening to BEP, and it felt like I was gonna have a heart attack. I switched to Enya and felt relaxed right away!

Of course, Kamikazee is another favorite, not just because my cousin is the guitarist, but because they're just so funny and talented. I also like Up Dharma Down, if you're asking about local faves.

Have to go 'cause I need to charge my Zune. Don't want to be music-less tomorrow! Find your own zen...mine's my zune and my music. It helps me prepare for the coming day and end my day with less stress...

Christmas

Tired. Tired. Tired. Christmas is in the air. Christmas is everywhere. Christmas means heavy traffic anywhere you go especially on a payday Friday.

I planned to make a blog about Christmas rush but my mom is in my room and trying to make a funny imitation of the PLDT repairman who replaced our modem this morning. I can't finish this anymore... It's just so distracting. Mama is just sooooo funny!

TWILIGHT SAGA: New Moon

So...have you seen the recent addition to the Twilight franchise? I have.

I have read the books before. I was planning to review New Moon but I did not have the chance due to the big flood that damaged all my four books. (Here I am ranting again about my Twilight books!)

Ok, about the movie. I am not saying I did not like it. It's really almost like the book minus some minor details, but that's really expected right? It started off with that dream scene with the older Bella which was really how I imagined it. The wolves were more than I expected. It was a great movie!

What disappointed me, though, was that the actors seemed like they did not give it their best shot. I did not "feel" Bella's grief. I did not see Edward's sadness. Maybe they thought that standing there expressionless would make the audience think that they were really sad. It's just so disappointing.

And Jacob, in the book, seemed all arrogant and sure of himself. But it all changed in the movie. It seemed to me that he's the one we should take pity on when in fact what he's really trying to do is break up the great love story between Bella and Edward.

But generally speaking, I liked the movie. I'm not asking for a change of actors...but a change in the actors. Maybe they could put more life into the movie. I sure hope it could happen in Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. Goooosh I can't wait!

SILVER LINING

Typhoon Ondoy. Where was I that time? I was at the store in Marquinton when it happened. Everything happened really fast. All I remember now is the water, the tears, and how shaken I was after we transferred to the second floor of the mall. Tears? I was talking to my brother and I could not help the tears that fell after I learned of what they were going through at home. Though our situation was not different in any way, it was still overwhelming to learn that my family was shivering in the cold, trying to save what's left of our house while I was at work. Overwhelming.

I could not get myself to sleep while I was at Yellow Cab's 3rd floor. All I could think of was our house. We've lived in that house for 8 years, and have resided in Cainta for 24 years. Ondoy was the one and only typhoon that I have ever experienced that made a major and drastic change to our lives. As I waited for my ASM's mobile phone to charge, I thought of what's going to happen after the deluge. How will we go about our lives? How will we go back to being normal? I kept on thinking about the times spent at that house when it was still normal.

I did not really dread going back to our house after the floods. What I dreaded more was seeing my mom dread the future. That was exactly how she was when I got back to the house. I saw papa sitting outside the gates by the plant box. Seeing him looking so tired made me want to cry. Then I was met by mama. And it was a great challenge for me to hold back the tears.

I went inside and saw mud all over the garage, the garden, the living room, the bedrooms, the dining room, kitchen, and bathrooms. I learned that the water inside reached 5 feet, just like the water in the store. I saw my room. It was a huge mess! My bed, which my cats used as their refuge and their toilet, toppled over. My book shelf, which was still standing, was emptied. My Twilight Saga, which came all the way from the US, was gone. My sister's pocketbooks, MBA books, and some of my college books were also gone. My dresser, which contained all my kikay stuff from tweezers to lotion, became a total junk after mud swallowed it whole. I tried to salvage some bottles of lotion and (HAHAHA) my age miracle cream. The clothes left in my cabinet were all brown. My laptop table was gone, with my laptop, of course.

All of the mess Ondoy did to my room is now gone. Do I feel sorry in any way? Honestly, I don't. What I feel is a renewed hope that the future will be brighter with all the clutter gone. Our home is cleared off of unnecessary clutter: old magazines, old pocketbooks, clothes which we don't use anymore, antique furnitures with no value anymore ('cause my mama would always want to refurbish it). Yes, our house may not have it's old glory. Yes it may need a little repair here and there. Yes, I've lost my Twilight Saga. Yes, my room is like a prison cell with just a bed and a closet in it. This is the total definition of starting anew. All those material things can be easily replaced and invested on. We may start slow, but at least, we started...and we're together. My laptop can be replaced. But lost lives can never be replaced. Someone out there have lost their father, mother, daughter, son, brother, sister, cousin, aunt, uncle, grandparents, or friend. But we are lucky to be starting a new life together, without anyone missing. This deserves a thanksgiving to the One up above. No one in my family was hurt. We are lucky to have our yaya, Elsie, to help us with all the work. We are just so thankful that God spared us. I believe this means something: a second chance at life. A life which I plan to spend full of love and gratefulness!

Sand Animation by Kseniya Simonova

I was about to go to bed when I saw this amazing video posted by Tita Baby (Rebortira) on facebook. It's about this lady who did sand animation in Ukraine's Got Talent (I didn't know they have that there).

One word: awe! I was so amazed with what was happening to the sand. As I watched it I realized that one must have a great deal of imagination for it to happen. It was amazing. I was at a loss for words which is why I'm going to cut this post really short. If you want to watch the video, well, try searching it on youtube. Hahaha...I'm still new at this blogging thing so I still have to figure out how to paste links and upload videos.

There was one part there where it looked like the holocaust and there were ladies who were in tears. I didn't understand the language but it sure moved me, despite the language barrier.

So I gotta sleep. Chee yah!

p.s. if you can teach me how to beautify this blog or upload videos, please feel free to comment or leave a message or whatever...

Finally... my very own blog space! I used to do my blogs in Friendster but now that Friendster is so 2003, I don't get to use or check it anymore. I'm more into facebook now and it's much better just because I get to do a lot of things other than read the people's shout-outs.

So what's going to happen here? My blog is just going to be about all my rants and raves in anything under the sun. As the title goes, my favorite things and then some, it will be about all the things I just love and hate.

Just a few background about myself: When people ask me what I do for a living, I always tell them that I'm into the restaurant business, which is practically the truth. I love cats. I currently have 2, Charlee and Edward. Edward is a she-cat while Charlee is a he. Yes, I know that I should have named Edward as Bella...it's a long story.

Hobbies? I love movies! I try my best to watch the newest (and coolest and most talked-about) movie. The last movie I saw was Up. I wasn't so happy about it. Maybe because I'm really not into adventure-animations. I am more particular with cartoons that don't include the jungle or any form of wildlife. But, in all fairness to the film, it was cute and funny.

It's almost past my bedtime. Writing here feels like I'm talking to myself. I will try to advertise my new blog today. I just hope I get to update this when I have the time.

I'm just lucky to have the time now because September is starting to kill me. It's going to be a challenging month, just when the year is about to end. I am so half-heartedly looking forward to Christmas!

Chee yah! (well, I'm just trying to be funny...Ciao is so overused!)