Musings Under a Purple Sky

Diablo 2 and Windows 7

2010-02-03T00:21:00.001+08:00

I mentioned in a previous post that I am recently hooked on Diablo 2 again. I just realized that I had my own trials trying to make the game work on my computer, and maybe I should post what I did to make it work for fellow Diablo 2 fans out there who are experiencing the same problems.

First, I should mention that my operating system is Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. I should note that, in my research on this issue, I've found the problem being encountered on other versions of Windows 7 and Windows Vista. It is NOT being encountered on Windows XP and other older systems.

Second, the version I am playing is Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction, v1.12. Which means it's the expansion pack, and it's the latest version (as of today) - the one that allows you to play without the CD in your drive.

(I don't think it matters for this problem, but if you're curious, my video card is Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS.)

The Problem

1.) When you try to launch the game, nothing happens. WTF?

The Solution

You might notice in the upper left corner of your screen, there is a small, black, square patch with a random series of characters flashing one-by-one.

If there is, wait for around 3-5minutes. It shouldn't take more than 5minutes before the game finally loads. Your screen resolution might change, as this decade-old game is optimized for a 640x480 or 800x600 screen. But the game will eventually load. I don't know what the system is doing or why it takes so long, but I got this advice off the internet, and it worked.

Now, try exiting from the game and then starting it again. If it loads immediately now, and you have no further display issues, you may skip the rest of this post. If not, read on.

The Problem

2) I tried your advice but...

a) ... it still takes an ass-long time to load, and/or

b) ... the graphics are HORRIBLE! Aauuggghhh, my eyes!

The Solution

First, go to Start > All Programs > Diablo II (or wherever you usually launch the game).

Right-click on the Diablo II icon, then select Properties.

Select the Compatibility tab.

Make sure to tick the ff. boxes:

x Run this program in compatibility mode for:

- choose "Windows XP (Service Pack 3)" from the dropdown

x Run in 256 colors

x Run in 640x480 screen resolution

x Disable visual themes

x Disable desktop composition

x Disable display scaling on high DPI settings

x Run this program as an administrator

Click OK. The Diablo 2 Properties window will close.

Doing the above steps will eliminate the 3-minute loading time.

Now to fix the graphics, this is the only way I've found to make it work for the duration of the game. If I didn't do this, sometimes the graphics is okay, but usually, it distorts in the middle of the game, making it a nuisance. Note that you must do this everytime you want to play (unfortunately).

a. Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, then select Start Task Manager.

b. In the Task Manager, click on the Processes tab. Then, click on the "Image Name" column to sort the processes in ascending order.

c. Start your Diablo 2 game. You may be prompted by User Account Control to allow the application to make changes to your computer. Select "Yes". As soon as the game starts loading, press Alt+Tab. This will take you out of the game and back to your desktop.

d. Go back to the Task Manager. In the Image Name column, find the process named explorer.exe.

e. Click on explorer.exe and then click the End Process button. (It may be necessary to do the same for all explorer.exe you see listed.)

f. The taskbar, Start menu, and your desktop icons will disappear. (Which is why it's important to start the game first, unless you know how to launch that from Task Manager ^_^) To go back to Diablo, press Alt+Tab again and select Diablo II.

Voila! The horrible graphics issue has disappeared and will no longer reappear for the duration of your game.

If you're done playing and want to see your taskbar, Start menu, and desktop again:

a) In Task Manager, select File > New Task (Run...)

b) In the Create New Task window, type "explorer" in the textbox. Then press Enter or click OK.

Your taskbar, Start menu, and desktop are now back. ^_^

I know, I know, it's kind of a hassle doing this everytime. But if you're a die-hard fan who simply *must* play, this is the only sure-fire way I know to remove those pesky graphics issues, until Blizzard releases a new patch or whatever to fix this.

Oh, and credit goes to all those forums out there who posted bits and pieces of advice to this problem, until I found the combo that worked. *grin*

Hope this helps!

The Facebook Madness

2010-02-02T13:21:00.005+08:00

Well, this is another note just to let people know I'm alive and kicking (and with the brand new boots to kick with, tehee!). As with all my notes intending to just let people know I'm still alive, I usually start out planning just a short hello to the world. Instead, I come up with a topic - and you know me, it's never just a short note once I get my central topic. Too many years on writing classes... Anyway.

It's been a little over a year since I last posted, and really, I blame it all on Facebook. Damn, that thing is Addictive! (Notice the underline AND the capital A.) I find it telling that, even newly hooked on Diablo 2 (again), I still find time to sneak peeks at my news feed to see if someone posted something new or to check if that little red square at the bottom right corner has popped up with a number, hopefully something greater than one - which means somebody *must* have replied to one of my posts/comments or tagged me or liked one of my posts or... some application is nagging me again to answer a quiz and compare results with so-and-so friends. And when my only notifications are from applications, I impatiently check the time on the computer clock - what, five whole minutes and no one's reacted/commented to my status update yet??? Where is everybody??? What are they doing, why aren't they checking their feed or posting something new - just look at me, I'm right. here. WAITING.

Okay, five minutes is an exaggeration (okay, so sometimes it isn't, nyahahaha). Sometimes, my Facebook routine goes like this: log-in, check News Feed - oooooh, somebody posted pictures! Lemme see! - so I right-click the link to his/her album and open it in another window; while waiting for the picture to load, I go back to my News Feed. Further down somebody would've posted a funny picture which most of our mutual friends have commented on, so I open that in another window, read through all of the comments, smiling or laughing out loud, and then at the end, of course, I have to put in my two cents. After that, I go back to my news feed again, and continue catching up on everyone's various updates. So, imagine the time it takes me to go back to my News Feed, and note that every time I go back, I also keep my eye out for the Notifications at the bottom to see if something new has come up. Gawd.

I created an FB account less than a year ago - around May 2009. That was a few months after most of my officemates already had one - I held off creating one for longer than most, but eventually succumbed due to... guess what? Restaurant City. What is that, you ask? GET OUT! Just kidding. It's a cute game where you build your restaurant, hire your friends as your cooks and waiters, with the goal of attracting many customers so that you earn more "money" which in turn, you'll use to upgrade or decorate your restaurant. The beauty of it is that you don't need to watch over it every minute of everyday - as long as you remember to "feed" your waiters/cooks every now and then, they'll keep your resto running. Well, I won't delve into the ins and outs of the game - that's for you to discover and get hooked on. *evil laugh* But for those who know me, it's not a surprise that the thing that hooked me first is the games. I joined FB not for the social networking (although the games there have some aspect of that) but to play games. Hahaha.

So the first few weeks and months, I was so hooked on FB games I did not try very hard to build my social network. Most of my friends initially were composed of work friends and colleagues. Since my main purpose in FB was to play games, I did not think it important nor did I make it my priority to widen my network beyond what I "needed" to play. Sure, I enjoyed writing on their walls, commenting on pictures, posting and reposting videos/pictures/articles I found on the internet. But for me, I did not want another Friendster. So I did not actively look for old friends, relatives, classmates.

I think I tried most types of FB games there is; text-based - Vampire Wars, Mafia Wars, Pirates, Castle Age, Gear Quest, Bloodlines, Dungeons & Dragons: Tiny Adventures and a few others I am too lazy to look up again; flash games - Restaurant City, Farm Town, Farm Ville, Roller Coaster Kingdom, Typing Maniac, Happy Farm, Barn Buddy, etc. Ask me, and I could tell you what I discovered about the different kinds of farm games in FB. (Actually, there are really only two major types - the collaborative kind and the stealing kind. Give me 15 minutes and I'll make you a, well not a master, but a non-beginner.) I checked the games' forums for tips on making the most out of the games. I did not cheat, mind you (I mean, come on. Where's the satisfaction in that?), but I got ideas on how to improve my game, tips from other players who wanted to share what they learned. I have to admit, most of those games were addictive. I'm not saying all of them are, but I'm pretty sure if you like playing computer games, you'll find at least three that you'll get hooked on.

As you can imagine, with all the games I mentioned above, there was hardly any time left for any virtual socializing. Now, looking back on those times - it was crazy. Yes, I can admit that. It was a crazy pace I set for myself - all I can say in my defense is, I guess I just needed an outlet. And I guess I needed to learn where my limit is. After the first few months of signing up for seemingly every virtual game FB ever had, I slowly weaned myself. I started cutting back - first, I removed everything that did not appeal to me (too slow loading, too many bugs), then I removed those that I deemed "redundant" (i.e. I already played another game of the same "kind"). Then I stopped playing for a few days, and then the next time I went into the game it seemed like I missed a lot and it was hard to catch up, or worse, it got tedious, so I lost interest. Days turned into weeks - I keep telling myself I should go back into some of those games again if only to "clean up" any gifts I might have received, etc., but I've lost motivation. On most of it anyway. Now, I only keep Restaurant City or FarmVille active, and usually, not even both at the same time. Progress, huh?

Around the time I started cutting back on the games, I slowly discovered another addicting feature of Facebook. It just makes it so damned easy to post updates about your life, your interests, your joys, your pains, your hobbies, things that tickled your fancy, even ask for help, that you don't get tired (or at least I don't) of checking-in. It's different from Friendster, and admittedly it was confusing to navigate at first, but once I got used to it, especially the sections that update "automagically" (to borrow Tato's term), I really liked it. I especially like that it doesn't take ages to load; even on a dial-up connection, I can still browse through most of FB without feeling too much of a lag, even browse through pictures and albums. (Nowadays, that's one of my benchmarks of a well-designed site - that you load even on the slowest connections with a minimum of fuss and delay.) It's so easy to post updates and receive immediate feedback - it's just like you're in the same room; what's more, FB makes it easy for you to track what you've missed, and to get updates on your friends. Slowly, I started reconnecting with old friends, schoolmates, relatives, childhood friends - FB even made it easy for me to reconnect to long-lost relatives living all over the world. With my mom looking over my shoulder to toss me names and confirm their identities when the search results come up with their pictures, adding them up was as easy as 1-2-3 clicks of the mouse. It was satisfying hearing from them especially if we've lost contact over the years. Even if I don't really remember their faces or are familiar with long-lost relatives, there's still that feeling of welcome and homecoming that makes me feel happy I was able to bring back to them even just a small piece of our hometown.

So, Facebook isn't all bad. I fell prey to some of its more undesirable aspects (addicting games - anyone? LOL... though I can't blame them for trying to generate money), but I've also seen proof of its power as a social networking tool, even a social support system. Ever been so sad or down or angry and vented it out on FB, and then minutes or even seconds later, someone's there to cheer you up or make you laugh and turn things around? That's happened to me a couple of times, which made me glad to realize I have friends, be they physically or virtually near. Just a note of caution though: as with all social sites, most stuff you post are public - which means, unless you're quite computer-savvy and know how to tinker with privacy settings, most stuff you post are open to everyone. As in, everyone. So, rule #1, don't post or share anything you might regret later, no matter how tempting it is. Or, don't post or share anything you can't live with later. You know that famous Oprah quote? That's a good motto to live by in your online lives: "Always keep your words soft and sweet - in case you have to eat them."

With that said, go on and enjoy the Facebook experience. If you find yourself going through the same crazy ride, well then, enjoy it while it lasts. Trust me, you'll know when to stop. Afterwards, you just might like it and find it as useful as I do.

Now, excuse me while I go check on my news feed.

Dream House

2009-01-31T23:41:00.000+08:00

One day, I hope to own a house. A place I can call home - my own space, my own decor, my own clutter, a place for all my things and for all the things I hope to have.

I want a big house. By big, I mean that it must be big enough to accommodate the number of rooms I'm dreaming of, plus I want each room to be airy, with high ceilings. I can live with having less rooms but it's a must for me to have high, airy ceilings.

Another must for me is that there must be enough space between my house and the neighbors. I don't want to live in a house where I can hear my neighbors taking a bath or where I can eavesdrop on their dinner conversations or where I can smell what they're preparing for lunch. I'm not much of a gardener, so the yard around the house would really be for space, although it would be nice if it was filled with green, leafy things - trees would be best, some shrubs, and so on. There would also be some woods nearby. I want to live in a place surrounded by green-ness. Call me a "province"-girl at heart; nothing feels like home so much as seeing green trees, forests, and hills. It's so fresh, and the air feels so clean.

I'd have a front porch for welcoming guests, and a back porch (optional) for a rocking chair or swing. If not a back porch, I want a swing or a lounge chair under a shady tree.

Inside, I'm thinking of a minimum of 4 bedrooms - 1 master suite and 3, err, normal rooms. I'd like a walk-in closet, so I can finally have space for my clothes, shoes, and bags. Tehee. There will be windows overlooking the yard. There will be at least 2 1/2 bathrooms - a toilet downstairs, 1 in the master, and 1 shared in the upper floor.

Also, I want a separate room for a study/mini-library. The study/library would be a place for books and work. I'd have my own table for my computer, or one big table where I could supervise my kids studying while I surf (for porn) the internet. Then I could have shelves and shelves of books. I guess this would have to be a closed "room" to minimize outside distractions (music, TV, etc).

Then I guess I'd need a music room where I'd put the piano, my guitar, and other musical instruments... like a videoke machine. LOL. Just kidding. Anyway, not really a must - I could always arrange it so that the piano/guitar/etc would be away from the TV/entertainment system - just as long as there is enough space for such an arrangement. Like maybe the piano would be in the living room, while the TV in the family room, with the dining room in between - something like that. So ideally, someone could play the piano and someone else could still watch TV if they want.

So I guess my ideal house would be 2-level. The upper floor would house the bedrooms. The main floor would have a living room, dining room, family room, the study (if not upstairs), kitchen, laundry. There would be a 2-car garage, and a handyman area. Maybe an attic? (Though maybe that'd be overkill, mwehe).

Mmmmm... that would be soooo nice.

Anyway, what brought this on? Well, currently I'm renting an apartment with 3 other people. I'm sharing a room with my college friend, and the space is just right enough for two people. Ideally, anyway. But starting today, we'll be taking on an additional roommate - one of my guy housemates' sister. With a little bit of creative maneuvering, we've managed to squeeze in an additional single closet, plus a double-decker bed to replace my roommate's single bed. Admittedly, it is now a bit of a squeeze in here, but nothing I can't live with (hopefully). I mean, it's not like I wasn't able to share a room with 5 people one summer term in college (yes, five - so that's a total of 6 people in the room including me. Greediness will really do wonders on one's creativity and the ability to ignore the laws of teenage psychology - I think if they could've gotten away with it, the dorm administrators would have thrown 5 double-decks inside that room to get its maximum mileage of 10 people in a single room, nevermind study tables or closet space. So I wonder why I have a dislike of sharing space with too many people? Really. But I digress). On the bright side, having an additional housemate would mean more heads to share in the rent. A big plus, in all.

Well, I just hope everything turns out well. I wrote this blog entry really just to psych myself up. What better way than to visualize what I could do if I had my own house? At least it'll help put to paper, so to speak, that vague idea at the back of my head. Who knows? Someone once said to me, keep visualizing and believing in your dream, and someday, the universe will give it to you. A very comforting thought, eh? So this is my attempt to visualize; as I describe these things, I imagine how it'd look like, how I'd arrange the furniture, how to make it look pretty to me - fine-tuning the details to solidify my once vague dream of owning a house. I know it will not happen soon, and let's not even start talking costs. Yet. But what the hell? If you gotta dream, why not dream big, right? LOL.

Though I really do believe I'll have my own house someday. It's like the line in that song: "I know you're out there, somewhere out there". I'll have it someday. :)

Mamma Mia!

2008-08-08T01:05:00.006+08:00

So my friend Ilyn and I went to watch Mamma Mia! last Sunday, and I have to say.......... It was freakin' AWESOME!!!

Okay, for those who have been living under a rock for the past month, Mamma Mia! is a film version of the hit musical of the same name featuring songs from the famous 70s pop group ABBA. If hearing songs like I Have A Dream or Chiquitita makes your skin crawl, I suggest you steer clear of this movie. However, if you're the type to jump up and dance whenever you hear the opening lyrics "You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life / See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen!!!", then DON'T miss this movie!

And if you couldn't care less about ABBA, then Merryl Streep should be enough to convince you to watch this movie. OMG, Merryl was soooooo fantastic; if I wasn't a fan before, I am now! The reviews were right - she brings a touch of class to this movie and yet she perfectly plays the part of a mom who doesn't take herself too seriously. My favorite scenes? When she sang Mamma Mia (fun) and The Winner Takes It All (drama). Give her an Oscar already.

The other stars in the movie delivered good performances as well. Not all of them have superior singing abilities or techniques, mind you, but at the very least, they were in tune. Plus, their acting more than made up for any lack of an outstanding voice. Take for example: Pierce Brosnan. He had us cringing when he belted out the first stanza of SOS - if only because it felt weird to see James Bond singing "whatever happened to our love, I wish I understood". He can sing, but, he doesn't really have a great voice. But I appreciated his acting abilities.

This movie was so funny and joyous; it really had me laughing out loud almost the whole time. I guess if you're looking for a serious musical, then this isn't what you're looking for (hello, pop music?). But if you're just looking to have a good time or a good laugh, come see this. I guarantee you'll find yourself singing ABBA songs on the way home. Okay, that did not sound right. But it's actually not as bad as it sounds, trust me.

My favorite song out of the whole movie would be Mamma Mia. I just loooooove this song - it never fails to make me want to get up and sing and dance! Especially when I hear the drums beat near the chorus... Just one look and I can hear a bell ring / One more look and I forget everything... oh yeah! And the chorus:

Mamma mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist ya
Mamma mia, now I really know
My my, just how much I missed ya
Yea, I've been broken-hearted
Blue since the day we parted
Why why, did I ever let you go
Mamma mia, now I really know
My my, I could never let ya go

The Kid

2008-05-15T01:13:00.009+08:00

When I went home tonight, I met this kid. He was either an albino or at least someone with foreign blood coz he was really pale. He also had this big eye-glasses that magnified his eyes. He literally chatted me up as I got off the taxi. Our conversation went like this:

Me, shuts door of taxi, turns around

Kid: Ate, ano po pangalan nyo?
Me (taken aback): Uhhhh... Bakit?
Kid: Kayo po ba ung nakausap ko kagabi?
Me (relieved): Ay, hindi... Hindi ako yun. (He stares at me for a moment longer.) Bakit andito ka pa sa labas, gabi na ah.
Kid: Ganitong oras po talaga ako gising (wow, ain't that a weird statement coming from a kid. Even I, at his age, haven't awakened my nocturnal side yet.)
Kid: Ate, san po kayo nakatira?
Me (alarm bells started ringing in my head): Um, jan lang (points vaguely in the direction of our apartment). Ikaw, san ka nakatira?
Kid: Jan po sa F8. (looks down) Alam naman po ng mama at papa ko, pinayagan naman ako.
Me: Ahh.

I move towards our apartment. Unfortunately, he followed, shooting rapid-fire questions as we went along. I dodged as best as I could and tried to walk slowly.

Kid: Ate, may celfone po kayo?
Me (suspicious): Um, meron
Kid: Pwede po patingin?
Me (really suspicious): Ha? Bakit?
Kid: Tingnan ko lang po. (I chuckle but make no move to show him my celfone. Two seconds later...) Ate, patingin po ng celfone nyo.
Me: Hehe, bakit?
Kid: Tingnan ko lang po.
Me: Hehe. (changes topic, a bit desperately) Late na ah, di ba dapat tulog ka na nito?
Kid: (doesn't answer)
Me: Umuwi ka na, nakakatakot dito sa labas, mag-isa ka lang.
Kid: Okay lang po, dito lang naman ako...

I reach our apartment without shaking him off (damn). I take a long time rooting through my bag looking for my keys, stopping at intervals and hinting he should go home already. He doesn't take the hint.

Kid (watching me root thru my bag): Ate, ako rin o, may susi. (shows me his keys. I laugh.) Meron din ako nyan.
Me (laughs): Syempre, magkaiba naman yan. (opens door partly) Cge... uwi ka na.
Kid: Ate, di nyo po sinasara.. nil-lock ung ito ? (points to our deadbolt, which was left unlocked by my housemates since I wasn't home yet)
Me: Sinasara din.

He wasn't satisfied. He went to the open door and looked at the lock, jiggling it. I watch him, surreptitiously blocking the entrance. He glances at the inside of our apartment, then spots the TV.

Kid: Ate, ano po brand ng TV nyo?
Me: Umm...
Kid (enters our apartment): Tingin lang po ako. (looks at our TV). Ah, JVC. (spots the printer) Printer po to?
Me: Oo.
Kid: Eh nasan yung computer? Ginagamit nyo po to?
Me: Oo, pag kelangan.
Kid (sees my housemate's DSL modem, picks it up and examines it): Di ba ito yung kinakabitan ng mga linya ng telepono, pag marami?
Me: Oo.
Kid: Asan yung telepono? (looks around) Ah eto.

He goes on to randomly picks things and examines them, keeping up a running commentary. I watch him furtively, keeping a close eye on what he touched. At one point, he asked me about the occupants of our apartment, and as usual, I kept my answers short.

Finally, I was able to shoo him out (LOL), citing tiredness (which was true enough, by the way, it was freakin 12.30AM), and again telling him he should be in bed like a good little boy. As he went off, I could see him looking around, probably looking for something to entertain himself. Poor kid.

If it wasn't so creepy and a bit surreal, I would probably have enjoyed the experience.

As it was, I was tired and it was midnight - a kid hanging around asking personal questions and following me home was NOT your usual occurrence. Maybe I'm just not good with kids, or maybe I'm just too paranoid. Maybe other people would have taken it at face value and even made friends with the kid - maybe he WAS just weird in the sense that he was wide awake at such a time and his parents allowed him to roam around. Maybe I'm the only one seeing it as weird or creepy.

Whatever. I just hope I don't wake up tomorrow to find out it was all part of some elaborate scheme and we've been tricked or something (*knock on wood*).

On The Side of Me (Corrinne May)

2008-05-04T23:54:00.000+08:00

The first time I heard this song, it really grabbed me. I remember pausing in my desk at work when the first line whispered in my ears. You would think it's not really my type, seeing as I lean more towards the alternative music thing. But I liked it - it's angsty and her voice is smooth and easy to listen to. I tried searching for a music video in YouTube to refer you to, but couldn't find one as of the moment. Oh well.

===============================================

I'm not the easiest person to love
I'm often the one who lets things go unresolved

Yet you choose to be
on the side of me
on the side of me
Yet you choose to be
on the side of me
on the side of me

I'm not too proud of some things
I've done in my life
The skeletons in my closet
Are too big for me to hide

Yet you choose to be
on the side of me
on the side of me
Blessed Charity
You're on the side of me
on the side of me

'Cause everyone needs a friend to hold
when it's cold outside
and there's no place to go
Everyone needs a friend to hold
all alone I cried
there was no place to go
I remember when nobody cared
but you

I'm not the easiest person to love
But you, you've opened your heart to show me what I'm worth

'Cause you choose to be
on the side of me
on the side of me
What a mystery
You're on the side of me
on the side of me

'Cause everyone needs a friend to hold
when it's cold outside
and there's no place to go
Everyone needs a friend to hold
all alone I cried
there was no place to go

I remember when nobody cared
I remember when nobody cared
Nobody cared
But you

Yeah you choose to be
on the side of me
on the side of me

===============================================

New Look - The Desktop Version

2008-05-02T01:03:00.008+08:00

A while back, around mid-March to be exact, my computer unfortunately crashed. (That accounted for the period of time between March and April that I had no updates here). The computer technician said my hard disk needed replacing, but being the kuripot that I am, I asked them if they could try just re-installing the OS. They readily agreed (which made me think they were probably just feeding me that line to get me to buy a hard disk; although, admittedly, my computer IS kinda old. But then again if they were just feeding me that line, they'd probably be more persistent, right? So maybe they had a point.) Now, here I am with a squeaky clean PC that feels brand-new... only because it still has nothing in it. Nyahaha.

Hard disk failure or not, I could have re-installed the OS on my own - I've tried it enough times before (which just goes to show there probably IS something wrong with my hard disk, LOL). The problem this time around was because my build-in CD-rom drive died on me a while back and I didn't replace it because I had another external drive anyway (kuripot nga). Only, the motherboard (or is the BIOS?) doesn't allow booting from USB devices. Well, I hit a dead end right there. Sigh. It's not like I had another computer lying around which I could use to format the hard drive of this one (which is what the technician did). Anyway, I shelled-out P800 for that - which I think was a bit expensive just for reformatting a computer, but I guess it was fair enough given that they had to first diagnose the problem/s before they could fix it. And it was a flat rate for their diagnostics services. I could have done worse, I guess.

Looking at the bright side, I'm having fun tweaking my desktop and personalizing it. See my current desktop:

That is from an XP theme called Alien World. I found that, and a lot of other cool stuff, from themes.belchfire.net <- pretty neat site, go check it out.

New Look

2008-04-28T06:30:00.007+08:00

Just a short post to say, I loooooove my blog's new look. Dontcha? *wink*

For those curious, I just went to the Layout section in my dashboard - there's an Edit HTML button there which you can use to edit your default template. Tinkered with the CSS settings and voila! The header image was taken from the internet - specifically here, then I edited it to more cleanly show my blog title and description (I incorporated the title and description in the image since it looked awful otherwise).

I was actually looking up on some blogger templates the other day (that's how I found the image on the header). I found some that I liked, but it messed up my layout when I tried to upload it, so I realized I may have to actually brush-up on my CSS first to customize those. Uh-oh. So I reverted back to my old template.

But, you know, it was kinda dissatisfying going back after I've seen all those lovely, dark templates out there. Then I saw that there was an option to have my own image in my header, so I tried it with the image above. The default positioning of the blog title and description wasn't so good, but I saw that there WAS an option to use the whole image in place of the blog title and description, and so I thought, Aha! I edited the image to include the blog title and description then I uploaded it - problem fixed!

Next up, the header looked a bit out of place with the whole theme, since it was dark while the rest of my blog looked kinda rosy. So I tried looking at this template's code, and I realized I could more-or-less understand it (LOL). I saw where there was an option for the background colors - I tweaked it to black instead of rose. Then made a few adjustments here and there, and there you have it! *grin*

The next time I get a few hours free, I may tweak this more. I'm really eyeing this beautiful template here - Eclipse.

Apologize (One Republic / Timbaland)

2008-03-09T14:55:00.005+08:00

I'm holdin' on your rope
Got me ten feet off the ground
I'm hearin' what you say but
I just can't make a sound
You tell me that you need me
Then you go and cut me down
But wait
You tell me that you're sorry
Didn't think I'd turn around and say

That it's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late

I'd take another chance, take a fall,
Take a shot for you
And I need you like a heart needs a beat
But that's nothing new
I loved you with a fire red
Now it's turning blue
And you say
Sorry like the angel heaven let me think was you
But I'm afraid

It's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late

It's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, yeah
I said it's too late to apologize, yeah

I'm holdin' on your rope
Got me ten feet off the ground

=====================================================

Link to the music video at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePyRrb2-fzs

Oh Hey She's Back

2008-03-05T23:38:00.002+08:00

... is probably what y'all are thinking right now.

There's not much to tell, really - though there IS something, it's not really appropriate to talk about in public, so... there's not much to tell. I will say this, though - I'm not a happy camper right now (so now wouldn't be the best time to be asking me favors).

Anyway, a brief recap of what went on in my life since the last time I posted:

December is the month of Christmas celebrations. Of course, in Accenture that means we get to have a Christmas party/gimmick 3 times - once with your team, once with your project, and once with the whole Manila DC. (I know, I know, we're pretty lucky to be getting all this.) For the team party, we were divided into 3 groups (weeks before the Christmas party) and each group had to present and host one of the ff. TV game shows: Game K N B, Kapamilya Deal or No Deal, or Tok! Tok! Tok! Isang Milyon, Pasok. It was pretty fun and crazy. For the project, there was a Christmas Fair where a pair of floors were decorated to showcase one of 3 delivery centers: Manila, Madrid, and China. Each floor should have at least 2 booths which could contain either games, information, food, and other gimmicks. The goal was to have many people visit the floor and booths - so the floor with the most visits (proof in the logbook) wins. The first person who visited the most booths also wins an award. It was also pretty fun, and interesting because it was not your usual party. The Manila DC party was held at SMX (hmm, did I get that right - it was that huge building right beside SM Mall of Asia). Not to hurt the feelings of the organizers, but it was kinda boring this round. Well, probably not for the guys - judging by the volume of guys who surged to the front of the stage when the group Mocha came out to perform. The only highlight for me during that party was that I got to meet and chat with my high school friend whom I haven't seen in a long time. Though it was a brief meeting, it was still good to see her.

Then I went on my 2-week Christmas/New Year vacation. My brother's family had not yet visited during Christmas, so day after Christmas, the whole family (meaning, my dad, mom, sis, uncle, and me) went Christmas shopping. I guess it would be more accurate to say post-Christmas shopping. You know, there's something to be said for shopping after Christmas - the crowds are not as thick and there's none of the holiday frenzy. (Which probably accounted for my father's unusual patience when my mom, sis, and I lost track of time in the clothing department. Ahhh, girls.) New Year came and went, then we had another formal family picture. We started this tradition back when I was in 1st year high school. So we had one in 1997, 2002, and 2005. I'm looking forward to seeing this year's photos, and I'll see if I can post up some pics when (if) I go home this Holy Week.

Not long after I came back to Manila, my sis sent me an SMS telling me that our dog, Rottie the Rottweiler, passed away. *sad*. I think she (the dog) got the doggie version of the pneumonia. Uncle had given her a bath some days before though he did not heat the water because he thought it was sunny enough that she wouldn't get cold. But I guess it wasn't. He noticed something was wrong when she started not eating. It went on for a few days. My brother, who's a vet, gave her some medicine, and her appetite came back somewhat and she started eating a little. But still, it wasn't enough, and on the morning of January 12, my uncle found her lying still below my parent's bedroom window. *cries* I don't have a picture of her, but here's an image I found on Google that looks similar enough:

Goodbye, Rottie. I will miss coming home and seeing you stick your face between the balustrade on the terrace to welcome me.

Two weeks after I came back from vacation, work welcomed me back with a vengeance. Not to go into too many details, but it was the main reason February passed me in a blur. Literally. If it wasn't for my PSP and hiphop dancing classes, I think I would have lost my sanity.

The hiphop dancing classes is a community class I signed up for. It started on the last week of January, and the last session will be tomorrow. Nothing too complicated; think of it as just a venue for a group of people to come together and be taught dance steps for a song. Our learning rate is 4 sessions per song, so we're now up to 3 songs. Don't ask me to dance the 1st song, as I was not able to attend 3 of the 4 sessions needed to learn it, LOL (reason: work). It's really quite therapeutic, and if the opportunity rises again, I'll definitely sign up for another class. It's got me looking forward to Tuesdays and Thursdays. Some of the steps in the last song are really funny - they remind me of a kid bouncing around - but we still do it. *grin* Go me!

Lapsed Blogger

2007-12-03T00:30:00.001+08:00

Yes, Kaye, I hear you. Which is why I'm posting this itsy bitsy note just to let everyone know: yes, I'm still here among the world of the living. (Whether or not I'm alive is still debatable.)

It's Monday again (after a long weekend due to the holiday last November 30 - Bonifacio Day - yey!) and I'm looking forward to it because... I'm craving Starbucks' Peppermint Mocha. Mmmmm. Of course, I'm not just in it for the free planner. Really.

Only in the Philippines

2007-09-10T01:06:00.001+08:00

I got this email from an Aunt living abroad that struck a poignant note inside me. You might have read through some (or all) of this through forwarded emails or Friendster bulletins already (I know I have). It is funny (because you know it's true and must even have experienced it at one time or another) and sad (because you know it's true and shouldn't be) at the same time. Read on.

Disclaimer: I am copying over the exact text of the email and did not write or make any claims to any part of it.

*****************************************************************************************************
When I travel, people often ask me why I live in the Philippines? Well here it is.....

It is the only place on earth where......

1. Every street has a basketball court.

2. Even doctors, lawyers and engineers are unemployed.

3. Doctors study to become nurses for employment abroad.

4. Students pay more money than they will earn afterwards.

5. School is considered the second home and the mall considered the third.

6. Call-center employees earn more money than teachers and nurses.

7. Everyone has his personal ghost story and superstition.

8. Mountains like Makiling and Banahaw are considered holy places.

9. Everything can be forged.

10. All kinds of animals are edible.

11. Starbucks coffee is more expensive than gas.

12. Driving 4 kms can take as much as four hours.

13. Flyovers bring you from the freeway to the side streets.

14. Crossing the street involves running for your dear life.

15. The personal computer is mainly used for games and Friendster.

16. Where colonial mentality is dishonestly denied!

17. Where 4 a.m. is not even considered bedtime yet.

18. People can pay to defy the law.

19. Everything and everyone is spoofed.

20. Where even the poverty-stricken get to wear Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger (peke)!

21. The honking of car horns is a way of life.

22. Being called a bum is never offensive.

23. Floodwaters take up more than 90 percent of the streets during the rainy season.

24. Where everyone has a relative abroad who keeps them alive.

25. Where wearing your national colors make you baduy.

26. Where even the poverty-stricken have the latest cell phones. (GSM-galing sa magnanakaw)

27. Where insurance does not work.

28. Where water can only be classified as tap and dirty.

29. Clean water is for sale (35 pesos per gallon).

30. Where the government makes the people pray for miracles. (Amen to that!)

31. Where University of the Philippines where all the weird people go.

32. Ateneo is where all the nerds go.

33. La Salle is where all the Chinese go.

34. College of Saint Benilde is where all the stupid Chinese go and;

35. University of Asia and the Pacific is where all the irrelevantly rich people go.

36. Fast food is a diet meal.

37. Traffic signs are merely suggestions, not regulations.

38. Where being mugged is normal and it happens to everyone.

39. Rodents are normal house pets.

40. The definition of traffic is the 'non-movement' of vehicles.

41. Where the fighter planes of the 1940s are used for military engagements and;

42. The new fighter planes are displayed in museums.

43. Where cigarettes and alcohol are a necessity, and where the lottery is a commodity.

44. Where soap operas tell the realities of life and where the news provides the drama.

45. Where actors make the rules and where politicians provide the entertainment.

46. People can get away with stealing trillions of pesos but not a thousand.

47. Where being an hour late is still considered punctual (Grabe talaga 'to!)

48. Where the squatters have more to complain (even if they do not pay their tax) than those employed and have their tax automatically deducted from their salaries.

49. And where everyone wants to leave the country!

FILIPINO SIGNS OF WIT:

1. The sign in a flower shop in Diliman called Petal Attraction.

2. Anita Bakery

3. A 24-hour restaurant called Doris Day & Night

4. Barber shop called Felix The Cut;

5. A bakery named Bread Pitt

6. Fast-food place selling 'maruya' (banana fritters) called Maruya Carey.

7. Then, there are Christopher Plumbing

8. A boutique called The Way We Wear

9. A video rental shop called Leon King Video Rental

10. A restaurant in Cainta district of Rizal called Caintacky Fried Chicken

11. A local burger restaurant called Mang Donald's

12. A doughnut shop called MacDonuts

13. A shop selling 'lumpia' (egg roll) in Makati called Wrap and Roll

14. And two butcher shops called Meating Place and Meatropolis.

Smart travelers can decipher what may look like baffling signs to unaccustomed foreigners by simply sounding out the 'Taglish'

(The Philippine version of English words spelled and pronounced with a heavy Filipino such as:)

15. At a restaurant menu in Cebu: We hab sopdrink in can an in batol

[translation: We have soft drinks in can and in bottle].

16. Then, there is a sewing accessories shop called Bids And Pises

[translation: Beads and Pieces --or-- Bits and Pieces]

There are also many signs with either badly chosen or misspelled words but they are usually so entertaining that it would be a mistake to 'correct' them like.......

17. In a restaurant in Baguio City, the 'summer capital' of the Philippines: Wanted: Boy Waitress

18. On a highway in Pampanga: We Make Modern Antique Furniture

19. On the window of a photography shop in Cabanatuan: We Shoot You While You Wait

20. And on the glass front of a cafe in Panay Avenue in Manila: Wanted: Waiter, Cashier, Washier.

Some of the notices can even give a wrong impression such as:

21. A shoe store in Pangasinan which has a sign saying: We Sell Imported Robber Shoes (these could be the 'sneakiest' sneakers);

22. A rental property sign in Jaro reads: House For Rent, Fully Furnaced (it must really be hot inside!)

23. Occasionally, one could come across signs that are truly unique - if not altogether odd.

City in southern Philippines which said: Adults: 1 peso; Child: 50 centavos; Cadavers: fare subject to negotiation.

24. European tourists may also be intrigued to discover two competing shops selling hopia (a Chinese pastry) called Holland Hopia and Poland Hopia - which are owned and operated by two local Chinese entrepreneurs, Mr. Ho and Mr. Po respectively - (believe it or not)!

25. Some folks also 'creatively' redesign English to be more efficient. The creative confusion between language and culture leads to more than just simple unintentional errors in syntax, but in the adoption of new words, says reader Robert Goodfellow who came across a sign .....

House Fersallarend (house for sale or rent).

Why use five words when two will do?

26. According to Manila businessman, Tonyboy Ongsiako, there is so much wit in the Philippines because we are a country where a good sense of humor is needed to survive. We have a 24-hour comedy show here called the government and a huge reserve of comedians made up mostly of politicians and bad actors.

Now I ask you where else in the world would one want to live?

*****************************************************************************************************

Girly Day

2007-09-10T00:43:00.001+08:00

Last Friday, it being a business-casual day, I went to work wearing a skirt. I walked in the door at 9am sharp to see people crowding around an officemate's pasalubong from the States. Seeing me (but not yet seeing the skirt), he waved me over to join the masses crowding around the various chocolates on his desk. So I went around my cubicle and they went whoa! It was sooooooo satisfying and amusing watching everyone's jaws drop open. Yes, call me shameless for enjoying everyone's shock. But it was really funny - I got similar reactions throughout the day.

Let me tell you, it was a heady experience having people who thought they knew you make a double-take every time you passed by. *smirk*

Note to self: must do this more often - not "this" as in wear a skirt, but something unexpected. *evil laugh*

Maybe I should declare Girly Day more often... say once every two months? Or not. It's so much fun to just spring it on people. Well, it doesn't have to be a skirt everytime... oooooh, the ideas! *grin* I think I might have awakened the little she-devil inside me. Mwahahahaha!

Nine-One-Two Thousand and Seven

2007-09-03T01:10:00.001+08:00

Another year has gone by, indeed.

What has gone on in my life since September 1, 2006?

Marian and Jhong rolled-off the project - September 2006 (or thereabouts, I forget the exact dates).
Went to Baguio (insert shivering smiley here) - October 2006.
Phine left the company - end of October 2006.
November 2006 - what happened here???
Went for my usual 2-week Christmas vacation - December 2006.
Tina left the company - end of December 2006.
Dence left the company - end of February 2007.
Went to Boracay (yahooo!!) - March 2007.
Liza left the company - mid-March 2007.
Went home for the Holy Week - April 2007.
Started with ASR7 (got on-loaned to a support/development team for 3 months) - April 2007.
Went home for the elections and had dental operation - May 2007.
June 2007 - went by in a blur due to work... this is soo sad... I have no life...
End of ASR7, went back to support team - July 2007.
Jeng left the company - end of July 2007.
August 2007 - also went by in a blur due to the insanity of that CIO MTV.. *cries*
Jiggz rolled-off the project - mid-August 2007.

I find it a bit telling that half of my entries above consisted of notes about people leaving the company. Of course, the fact that these people merited a note here means they weren't simple colleagues/work acquaintances. Maybe in 5 years or so, it won't quite grate on me to remember these dates. Maybe by then I'll just recall this year as that year the Web family officially got disbanded. I use the term "disbanded" a bit loosely here - but without going too much into the details, I know those who had "been there" will get it.

(Well, I never thought a little looking back would make me depressed, but now it has. Should have known better, really. I don't know why it still catches me by surprise when I should be used to it by now. I'm still a little raw, I guess. And this is going to go on for days yet, so just a fair warning to all if my blogging goes a little... dark from here on.)

I caught a little fever the day before my birthday - I know, I know, what else did I expect after a whole month of not sleeping well plus that last stretch last week... sometimes I really think I'm a sadist to myself (wait, so does that mean I'm my own masochist?... right, let's go back to safer territory). I can't help but feel a little touch of foreboding here. Sure, I laugh in the face of superstition (my own late grandmother must be turning in her grave right now) but I can't help but worry at the timing of these things, you know? From where I'm looking at it, it doesn't look much like a good sign. In fact, if I must go with my anito-worshiping ancestors, it's like a harbringer of, oh heavens, worse things to come. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!

Thankfully, it was gone by the time September 1 rolled around. So I went with some cousins of mine for dinner at our Uncle's place. It was a triple celebration - my birthday, my Uncle's birthday also on Sept 1, and my cousin's passing of the Nursing Board Exam. I... felt a little guilty when reminded that I have not been keeping in touch, and that my uncle has been looking for me for ages. Turns out I was his favorite back when I was a toddler and he was still a bachelor who hang out at our house every weekend. I think it's really true when even his wife told me I was all he would talk about back when she was still his girlfriend. *Awwww* I don't really remember much, truth to tell, but I think I remember a picture of him somewhere in my album. I'll check it again next time I come home. Also, I finally met in person my Grandma's sister (Uncle's mother) - whom I missed meeting before because I was always in absentia during reunions. I keep telling my parents to tell me about these things months, okay, weeks, in advance; apparently, they've taken this to mean texting me when it's over - "Hey, your Aunt So-and-So is in Manila airport right now on the way back to the States, see if you can drop by to see her" "Mooooooooooomm!!!" or "Hi kid, what's up? Your Aunts So-and-So and your cousins from Davao are here enjoying the sights and the beach. Your Kuya and his family is also here. We'll be staying over at Grandma's place tonight...". Way to go, Dad. Be sure to tape everything and send me a copy when it's over, huh?

It's just one of the sacrifices of living away from home, I guess. If you've never experienced this, you're lucky. Or unlucky, depending on your point of view, nyahahaha. It could be I've just been away for too long and thus miss these stuff. I might be saying another thing if I was home right now being barraged by an endless stream of guests. Or not. Okay, maybe if it was an endless stream of screaming children. Blegh, the thought.

Swamped

2007-08-26T00:27:00.001+08:00

Wow, I have not posted a thing for near a month!

Obviously, I've been swamped with work (and speaking of "swamped", why do the floodwaters insist on converging on my doorstep when there's a perfectly serviceable river not a hundred meters or so away? But I digress.) The development release I was working on for the past 3 months is finally done (technically, it was finished a month ago, but there's a sort of 1-month warranty clause). Now I'm back in the production support team, relearning the steps (though it doesn't quite feel the same as getting back on a bike). I'm transitioning to a new role as well, which is exciting even as it brings with it different kinds of stress. Though that's to be expected. Plus, I have not had a free night or a complete weekend to myself for almost a month now, too, due to the extracurricular project I committed to help bring to fruition. We're still not finished, so that's another holiday (supposedly an extra rest day, *sigh*) consigned to the dust. I'm not complaining much since I have companions in this insanity... wait, I take that back. I am complaining, for all of us sharing this misery. This is supposed to be a 2-project team activity, damn it, where the hell are the rest of the 100?!?! And what the f--

*boinks evil psychotic self on the head, wrests control back over body*

Well, I did not intend this to turn out as a rant, but I'm not taking it back.

And if you're wondering, yes, I intended the double meanings. Don't ask.

The mask is almost finished being tied firmly in place. - Anonymous

Happy Birthday Dad

2007-08-05T23:30:00.001+08:00

It's my Dad's birthday today. I actually forgot until I opened my email and a reminder popped up. Whew, thank God for technology. Dad probably wouldn't have minded if I had totally forgotten to greet him - he's cool like that. 'Course, it could also be that he himself forgets birthdays and anniversaries and hence knows he has no call to be offended when others forget his. Teheehee. Although I could still greet him tomorrow and claim I'm observing his true birth date. *mad grin* (For those confused, it's a running joke that my Dad has two birthdays since my Granddad popped in August 6 as Dad's birthdate in the birth certificate.)

So I asked him how it felt to hit the big Six-Oh. He said it's about sore knees and other joints, but he can still play tennis (albeit slower now) and so all is still good. Personally, I'm proud to say he's in pretty damn fine shape for a man hitting his sixties. I can only emulate him, and hope to live a healthy life past 60. Emphasis on healthy. Anywaaay, to get back on topic before I go all the way down Morbid Lane, Dad assured me he was, on the overall, fine, then proceeded to cheerfully reduce me to a slobbering mass of homesickness by mentioning that they would be having the usual birthday fare - fried chicken, spaghetti, ice cream, and Mom's cake. I'm guessing the ice cream flavor would be Selecta's Double Dutch (it's hands down everyone's favorite, and since me or my brother is not at home right now, there'd be no need for a second gallon, haha) but I wonder what Mom's cake is - probably chiffon, but which one? Plain orange, cheese, or carrot? Only one way to find out! I grab my wand, turn and Apparate... NOT!

Deprived of my share of birthday fried chicken, spaghetti, ice cream, and cake, I took refuge in some comfort food - my stash of Cream-O Premium Vanilla Chocolate Cookies - and tried to drown myself in the online reading of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode guides. *sniffle*

Backstreet Boys on Crack

2007-07-31T23:52:00.001+08:00

* dies laughing *

I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys

* For optimum viewing experience, let the whole video completely load first so that it is cached in your pc.

Sleeping Beauty - Redefined

2007-07-27T04:21:00.001+08:00

Warning: Disturbing themes ahead.

A few weeks ago at the office, the topic over lunch was books. I can't specifically remember, but it probably started when I again squee-ed (is there such a word? well there is now) over the then upcoming Harry Potter Book 7. Anyhow, so it evolved around the Harry Potter series, so of course there were talks about other book series, like Lord of the Rings, the Wheel of Time, the Narnia collection, etc. Then we started reminiscing about favorite books during childhood and adolescence. I can't quite remember how it came to be that we started talking about weird (unusual) books we have read, and that was an interesting topic before the conversation degenerated into a parody discussion of trashy novels we used to love (and still guiltily read when we get their hands on them).

One of the weird books we discussed was Anne Rice's The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty. Or maybe I should say, the Sleeping Beauty series. Okay, I've heard of these books before and had a fair idea of what they contained (thanks to the green-minded corruption one can't help but pass through in high school). Also, having read Anne Rice's Exit to Eden, I was hard-pressed to expect that this would surpass that. Still, when one of my officemates came by the next day and told me he had brought his copies of the Sleeping Beauty trilogy, I didn't refuse. Of course I would never know if I didn't at least read it, wouldn't I? It's all in the spirit of appeasing my intellectual curiosity.

So Sunday afternoon last July 15, I settled down to read the first of the series: The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty.

Six hours later...

O-kay. Well, that was different.

To give a short overview on the book: It starts from the prince's point of view as he enters the castle where Sleeping Beauty lay in an enchanted slumber. A hundred years had passed, and according to the spell, it would be about time that the enchantment came to an end. The Prince easily cuts through all the vines and roots twisting around and enters the castle, where he steadfastly refuses to believe that there is a spell causing the unnatural sleep of all the still bodies he sees littering the grounds, until he spies the source of the enchantment: Sleeping Beauty. Apparently, the Prince is a confident (read: arrogant) man who believes everything is his for the taking, because upon seeing Beauty's loveliness, he then proceeds to rip her dress away and claim her. Beauty awakens (can't really blame the poor mite), and then the whole castle does, whereupon the Prince drags her off to a private room and continues to, er, lay his claim on her. The next day, the whole castle learns that the Prince is from that ruling kingdom and that he is taking Beauty with him as his pleasure slave. And thus starts Beauty's adventures into the realm of BDSM.

At this point, after that relatively short introduction into the "story", the book continues on to tell of Beauty's sexual trials and education. From discarding her clothes and learning to go through each day in her birthday suit (unless her masters deemed it necessary for her to wear ornaments), to meeting other princes and princesses like herself who are also serving as pleasure slaves, to being treated like a whipped dog (correction: whipping dog), to performing like a naked circus animal for the amusement of the Lords and Ladies of the castle, to being punished and learning to love the punishments - by the time you read one-fourth of the book you'll have learned that going naked, for days, is actually the least of Beauty's concerns (and yours too, if you had to go through all that). By the time you get to half of the book, you'll have stopped thinking anything of nakedness or sex slaves and have progressed to thoughts of "don't these people eat?" or "is that even physically possible?" or, more frequently in my case: "...and the point is...?". I think it was at this point that I found myself slipping into my old habit of scan-reading in order to finish the book fast, and the reason for that had less to do with eagerness-to-know and more to do with wanting-it-over-with.

It doesn't take a genius to deduce that this book will not go down as one of my all-time favorites. For one thing, throughout reading the book, I always had this nagging thought of "Okay, and then? What happens next? Uh-huh, and then?" which just increased in frequency towards the end of the book. Again, not because I was excited; I was merely impatient to read the end. I felt somehow obliged to read everything - I dunno, maybe I was half-hoping something would happen that would lift the book from the pits of drudgery.

I guess part of my disappointment would also stem from my expectations of Anne Rice's work. To be fair, there was still that sense of lush imagery that was prevalent in her vampire books. But, The Claiming somehow felt more like recitations instead of story, and maybe it was the sense of pointlessness (whew! what a word!) that really rubbed me wrong. For someone who likes to read stories, this seemed like a total waste of time.

Then again, this IS a book about BDSM, so maybe I was doomed to be disappointed right from the start. On the other hand, there's still the 2nd and 3rd book to go through, so who knows? I might still find something redeeming on those.

"I have a tendency to completely miss the point." - Katherine Winter, The Reaping

The Never Ending Quiz

2007-07-17T23:54:00.001+08:00

I place the blame solely on Marian's feet...

http://www.flixster.com/never-ending-quiz

I'm up at 2240 points, and counting. Go on, take the challenge. *wink*

Now I'm obsessed, and not even Daniel Radcliffe apparating in front of me naked is going to tear me away from my computer screen!

*blink*

Wait, on second thought...

How Evil Are You?

2007-07-12T01:13:00.001+08:00

Looks like I've got a long way to go... *goes off to rampage*

You Are 42% Evil

You are evil, but you haven't yet mastered the dark side.
Fear not though - you are on your way to world domination.

How Evil Are You?

What City Do You Belong In?

2007-07-12T00:53:00.001+08:00

I knew it! Now to find myself a filthy-rich Frenchman...

You Belong in Paris

Stylish and expressive, you were meant for Paris.
The art, the fashion, the wine!
Whether you're enjoying the cafe life or a beautiful park...
You'll love living in the most chic place on earth.

What City Do You Belong In?

The Last Supper

2007-07-10T01:30:00.001+08:00

I went with my work family to dinner last Friday night. It was a sort-of unplanned get-together that was a success exactly because it wasn't obsessively planned. Not to shoot down the feelings of the faithful few of our web who work tirelessly to organize our shenanigans :) (really, I'm in awe of their endless well of patience), but, there's much to be said about just going out there and doing it. *strike Maito Gai pose*

Anyway, the point of this entry was not about our awesomeness (yeah, especially me, wink, wink), but about... the dinner experience. Oh my. Simply... divine. Three days later and I still sigh over the memory. Okay, I'm crap with food names and titles, so I'll just describe what we ate. (It is advisable at this point to move back a little from your computer screen to avoid having drool drip in the middle of your keyboard.)

There was calamari - fried to a delicious, golden crisp, there was luscious shrimp swimming in this yummy, brown, salty-sweet sauce (it kinda reminded me of adobo sauce except thicker and sweeter; maybe teriyaki sauce, but thinner?), there was crab with thick, juicy meat - the kind that had you desperately tearing through its shell heedless of torn fingernails in search of the succulent meat, there was tahong (this one I gave a pass after tasting one - just me, I guess, since the others were plowing through the heap at an alarming rate), and sinigang na isda - the fish was some kind of pink-skinned monstrosity with teeth that looked uneasily like human ones... but the soup was wonderful. Mmmmm, yes.

It was a testament to how hungry we were that the first few minutes after the food was served there was practically no sound at our table save for the clinking of utensils that were soon enough discarded as everyone dove into the food with bare fingers. I could just feel the barely restrained impatience as arms crossed over one another and platters flew left and right, over and under. If you weren't quick, your arm could get dripped on as somebody reached across your outstretched arm and dipped their morsel into some sauce. And I swear I'm not exaggerating when I say we literally plowed through the dishes, seafood allergies be damned. I quickly felt myself getting full and fretted about not getting my fair share of everything in sight, until somebody helpfully told me to leave off the rice. Turned out to be an excellent suggestion - more room for the delightful cuisine.

Half an hour later, you could tell the urgency had faded by the way everyone was now talking to one another - as opposed to the monosyllabic words that passed for conversation during the first half hour, like "Shrimp!" and "Crab!" and "RIIIIIIIIICE!!!". The initial hunger faded, chatter had permeated the dinner table, allowing everyone to get their second wind. And yes, there would be a second wind, judging by the speculative looks cast on the remaining food on the table.

When we finally declared ourselves finished, wonder of wonders! There was still some food left on the table! It was the calamari - which makes sense since, as everyone put it (and quite scornfully, I might add): there was plenty of it being served in the food parks near our workplace. So in the face of novelty, good ol' calamari went ignored. Well, what could I do? There's only so much food I can put away (and the shrimp was sooooo yummy).

Ironic - that when my friends first bought the raw materials they worried if we'd be able to finish them all. Turns out their fears were unfounded; to quote one of my dinner mates: we all ate like we were death row inmates given a feast for our last supper. (Lucky thing there were only 12 of us, not 13, and none named Judas.) It was quite funny actually - that supper. And fun. Been a long time since we laughed like that; well, it's been a long time since we got together like that. Ahhhh... Food for the stomach and laughter = food for the heart. Can't complain, really.

Oh, and Dampa @Macapagal? I will be back.

Obligatory First Post

2007-07-09T02:12:00.001+08:00

Okay. I've moved again. From Friendster to Spaces to here. Hopefully this will be the last, or if not last, at least one I'll stick to for more than just a few posts a year. Hopefully, this time I'll get into the habit, and stick with it. Hopefully, I'll also pick up my gym habit (anyone get the connection here? no? well then *slinks away*).

Ahhh... It's not New Year, but I find myself wishing for a lot of things. From the practical to the frivolous. One of my all-time favorites wishes is that I won't need sleep. Without the side-effects, thank you. And no, I don't mean the caffeine-induced wakefulness variety - as in, a real, honest-to-goodness no-need-to-sleep. Could probably use one of those right now - it's 2.30 am and I'm puttering around the internet, setting up my blog. And of course I need to be at the office by 8am. Ain't life grand.