2005-2006
Goodbye, 2005!! Welcome, 2006!! 
happy new year, everyone!! Lola, Itoy and I have just finished our New Year ’s Day dinner. I am so full. I have eaten a lot. Before eating, we welcomed the New Year with a prayer led by my lola. I miss my daddy. I wish he were here. I also miss spending the New Year with my mom, my siblings and my cousins. These past few years, I have spent the New Year with only my lola, sometimes also with Itoy. I miss having to spend it with many people. The last New Year I spent in Cavite was in 2000. 
i miss spending my new year with these guys!! Anyways, 2005 is so gone. Well at least in this part of the world. So many things have happened this past year- some bad, some awesome. Who could forget the supposed wiretapped conversation allegedly between PGMA and former COMELEC Commissioner Garci that rocked the administration and the foundations of our laws? I guess PGMA is so glad 2005 is over. Other key personalities in politics? Congressman Francis Escudero and Susan Rocess led the opposition in their attempt to bring down PGMA. They got help from former Arroyo allies like the Hyatt 10, former President Cory Aquino, and some members of the Liberal Party. But amid all these, the Filipino people proved to be resilient. We managed to do well in 2005. The Philippine Peso is considered as the best-performing currency in Asia. Thanks to the help of OFW’s. Thank you, daddy!! Many Filipinos also made waves abroad. Lara Quigaman was named Ms. International. After losing to Eric Morales in the beginning of the year, Manny Pacquiao rebounded by winning his second bout. The Morales- Pacquiao rematch is slated January 2006. The big news abroad? Hurricane Katrina devastated some parts of the United States. Iraqis voted for their first parliament after the regime of Hussein was toppled down. In sports, the biggest news is undoubtedly the triumph of the Filipino athletes and the Filipino people in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games held here in the Philippines. The Philippines bagged its 1st over-all championship in the biennial meet. 2007’s host Thailand placed 2nd while 2003’s host Vietnam was 3rd. The SEA Games was not spared from controversy after Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra accused that the there was cheating that happened in some of the games. He later apologized for his ridiculous comments. Brat!! Speaking of controversies, this year, DLSU admitted that it fielded 2 ineligible players- Mark Benitez and Tim Gatchalian- in its Men’s Basketball squad. Different measures have been taken by the school and its officials. But the case is far from being solved. In entertainment, 2005 saw the comeback of diva Mariah Carey. Thanks to her latest album containing the smash hits It’s like that, We belong together and Shake it off, Mariah’s fans and even some haters began to love her again. Hollywood couples Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, and Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey got separated. In the local scene, OPM bands shone the brightest this year with bands Hale, Sponge Cola, Sugarfree, Orange and Lemons, Bamboo, Parokya ni Edgar and Rivermaya creating the biggest waves. My favorite movies of 2005? Locally- produced Nasaan Ka Man and Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros, and International hits Star Wars 3: the Revenge of the Sith and Peter Jackson’s take on King Kong. Pinoy Big Brother was also a big hit in the Philippines. But the biggest event of 2005? You guessed it, I turned 18!! Haha!! I am wishing everyone a blessed, safe and happy 2006!! Sana lahat tayo maging masaya sa taon na ito. Happy 2006, everyone!! Go find your princes while I play with frogs. God bless us all!!
kuyas of december
Rock stars- yummy beings that can sing and/or play. Rock bands have dominated the music scene this year. This is not evident only in the Philippines but also in other parts of the globe. Green Day has been very big in the United States today so have been My Chemical Romance, Good Charlotte, The Killers and Simple Plan. In the UK, they have Mr. Gwyneth Paltrow aka Steve Martin and the rest of Coldplay making waves. The Australian band INXS is back with a new lead singer in the person of JD Fortune who won the talent search Rockstar: INXS. Sorry Mig Ayessa fans, but JD is a total hottie. I was rooting for Marty during the Finals. Apologies also go to INXS fans and the group itself, I don’t think they are gonna make it that big they’re too old compared to the other bands that are younger and fresher. Don’t get me wrong, Aerosmith and U2 still rock!! Because of this phenomenon, I am gonna pay homage to some of these rock bands by naming some frontmen Kuyas of December. I chose the frontmen because they are the most noticeable members of the group, and if you have a good-looking frontman, no matter how bad your music sounds, you’ll still sell, and finally because I am not that familiar with “other” members of the band. Plus the vocalists I am gonna feature are not really from rock bands. They are more of pop/rock bands. But hey even Britney Spears calls herself a rock star. My apologies to rock aficionados, I am a neophyte!! ^_^ *** Jason Wade *** 
Jason Wade is the vocalist of the group Lifehouse. Few lines from the song Blind go out to my good friend Ralph Gregor. I miss you, girl!! I would fall asleep
Only in hopes of dreaming
That everything would be like is was before
But nights like this it seems are slowly fleeting
They disappear as reality is crashing to the floor
After all this time
I never thought we'd be here
Never thought we'd be here
When my love for you was blind
But I couldn't make you see it
Couldn't make you see it
That I loved you more than you'll ever know *** Alex Band *** 
Who does not know Alex Band? I am one of the thousand girls and boys who went crazy over Alex Band. He has just one of the sexiest voices in the rock scene. His voice sounds better if you’ll hear acoustic versions of their songs. The following lines of Stigmatized are dedicated to Dave and Rea.
If I give up on you I give up on me
If we fight what's true, will we ever be
Even God himself and the faith I knew
Shouldn't hold me back, shouldn't keep me from you
Tease me, by holding out your hand
Then leave me, or take me as I am
And live our lives, stigmatized While these lines are dedicated to JP and Trish
I can feel the blood rushing though my veins
When i hear your voice, driving me insane
Hour after hour day after day
Every lonely night that i sit and pray
Tease me, by holding out your hand
Then leave me, or take me as I am
And live our lives, stigmatizedI don’t really know if those lines fit the two couples. Nagdudunungdunungan lang!! *** Adam Levine *** 
Adam Levine is the sexy frontman of the band Maroon 5 Adam’s super sexy, isn’t he? These lines are dedicated to myself. Haha!! I don’t know, I just feel good each time I hear this song.
Beauty queen of only eighteen
She had some trouble with herself
He was always there to help her
She always belonged to someone else
I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
She will be loved There, the Kuyas of December. Other rock cuties are googoo dolls vocalist John Rzeznik, Daniel John of Silverchair, Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20, The Killers’ vocalist, Audioslave’s drummer and so many more. But Filipino rock demigods are not to be outdone. You have Spongecola’s Yael and Armo. Their drummer has really nice arms. Champ of Hale is cute although I still think that he cannot sing. Ali Alejandro of Mojofly is adorable. Miro of Stonefree is super sexy. I find the vocalists of Dictalicense and 6Cyclemind handsome. Marc Escueta of Rivermaya is ultra gorgeous. Ira of Bamboo is yummy. I still think that the bassist and the drummer of Join the Cub are cute. Kung may alam pa kayong rock star cuties paalam nyo sakin ha!! Thanx!! Go find your princes while I play with frogs!! God bless us all!!
xmas break b talaga?
Bequest- gift; wala lang parang sya lang yung pinakamalalim na word na synonymous sa salitang gift dito sa MS Word. Merry Christmas, everyone!! I know it is a little late but hey, even I get late greetings. Nah!! My computer’s back from it’s day-off. I don’t know. I think this computer has a mind of its own. It does not work when it does not want to. May day-off nga sya!! Minsan 2 days pa. So din a day-off yun. Days-off na!! Ang corny!! Hehehe!! 
on christmas eve with nothing else to do but wait
Have been reading Bob Ong recently. Because just what I have mentioned before, it is only during vacation time that I get to read books that are not text books. Well this Christmas Break isn’t totally a break. I still have many things to accomplish. Nakakapagbasa lang ako dahil tinatamad pa akong umpisahan yung mga dapat kong gawin. Just to remind me kung ano ang dapat kong gawin this break, isusulat ko na. You can skip this part. But the epal-fan that you are, I know you’re still gonna read this one. Your call. 1. I have a journal review to finish for Philo. 2. I have to start reading the paper we are to edit in Philo. 3. I have to interview someone for Journ. Just so you know who I want to talk to, here they are: Angelo Suarez, Patricia Evangelista, Fatima Soriano, Franzen Fajardo, Celine Loperz and Matteo Guidicelli. I want someone really famous. Of course I would not include myself. Why not? OO nga noh!! Kidding!! So if you’re on the list, don’t be shy to contact me 09226417215/ 7428783. This might just be your biggest interview. Haha!! 4. I have to write that interview; make a personality profile/ character sketch for Journ. 5. I have to interview a less privileged person. Of course I would not include myself. Why not? Oo nga noh!! 6. I have to transcribe that interview for Sociology. 7. I have to a make a graph for Math. 8. I have to review in Philo for our quiz on the first meeting next year. 9. I, together with my group mates have to a documentary about Rizal for RC. I have to be extra patient. Charon is our group mate. There. Looks like it’s going to be a fun break. Who am I kidding?!!! Anyhow, these things are not going to spoil the Christmas spirit. This year, I spent my Christmas with Lola, Itoy, Ate Agnes, my titos and titas and my cousins. Dad’s still abroad. When he called us yesterday, I can sense that he is not happy celebrating Christmas away from us. It’s difficult when you are not with your family during special days like these. That’s why I always tell my friends to treasure each moment they have with their families especially with their parents. Merry Christmas everyone!! Go find your princes while I play with frogs. God bless us all!! P.S. I have already forgiven my ex. But I told him that I have not forgotten what he did to me. Hayyyy the things Christmas makes you do!! I have almost forgotten, this day last year, a tsunami has struck different countries in south asia and south africa. Crashed by the tsunami are countless properties, thousands of lives and millions of dreams. The fabulous epal pauses in remembrance.
christmas break
Christmas break- it is supposed to be. I know, I know I have not updated my blog for quite a while. I have been busy these past few days. Besides, there was really nothing to blog about. Sorry if I had kept you waiting, my loyal fans. Bwahahahaha!! Anyways, I am now enjoying our Christmas break. I better enjoy it because it’s quite short plus we have loads of assignments to accomplish this vacation. Those teachers- they give Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch a run for his money. Kidding!! I am done with my Christmas shopping. I got myself some new clothes and yehey, an automatic umbrella. I am so proud of myself. Haha!! I also got myself a new hilite- red. It’s Christmas, what can I say? I have also bought my gifts for some of my loved ones. I tried my damndest to buy cheap gifts but I still ended up spending more. I am broke. :( Two days ago was Paskuhan. Paskuhan marks the beginning of the Christmas break and more importantly, it signals that Christmas is near. Last year, Paskuhan was a blast. The parade was amazing and Rivermaya performed. Rico Blanco and Co. was amazing. This year’s Paskuhan is quite dry- sign of the times, maybe. Still bands performed but the biggest act was just Join the Club. I also did not get to watch the parade. I was late because of that damn parlorista. My hilites took so long to finish. Good thing I witnessed the fireworks and the actual lighting of the Christmas tree and the decorations at the lovers’ lane. Overall, this year’s Paskuhan may not be the grandest but I am still happy because I got to spend it with my awesome friends. Besides, UST’s still the prettiest during this season. I was riding the LRT last Saturday and passed by one of the schools in Taft- the school’s so dry. 
This year’s Paskuhan may not be the grandest but I am happy because I spent it with my awesome friends. Photo courtesy of AikaI finally got to watch Mean Girls yesterday. The movie was really funny. But I am still not a fan of Lindsay Lohan. The Plastics kinda reminded me of myself and some of my friends in school. We are not as mean as them but hey, we’re prettier. Haha!! 
the plastics. gretchen, cady, regina, karen. 
mean girls? Ja-ne, Jewel, Moi and Jacky. Today, I went out with Emil (again!!) to watch Peter Jackson’s version of King Kong. I actually had some reservations watching the movie since I am already becoming broke. Huhu. But we proceeded. Good thing we did. I must say that King Kong is my favorite movie of 2005. It elicited various reactions from me and from Emil. We feared the dinosaurs. The chase between the raptors and those herbivorous dinosaurs (sorry, I am not that familiar with dinosaurs) was exhilarating. We marveled at how King Kong defeated by his lonesome the T-rexes that wanted to eat Anne (the beautiful Naomi Watts). The other creatures and the natives were all scary. The scenes between Naomi and Kong were beautiful especially that one when they played in the snow in New York. The transition of King Kong from a wild beast to a lovable giant was heart-warming. The acting was also awesome. Jack Black was superb as the desperate and selfish director- he makes you want to hate him. I did not know Adrien Brody had such great physique. His nose still destructs me. Naomi was very beautiful. Ang gara, nag cartwheel sya!! Haha!! Overall, Peter Jackson did a fantastic job in this movie. C’mon people, move your asses. You still have time to watch this movie before the Metro Manila Film Festival starts. Trust me. It’s better than Harry Potter. And some critics say that it is actually better than the original King Kong. 
King Kong. My favorite movie this 2005. Go find your princes while I play with frogs. God bless us all!!
reality
One of the latest and biggest reality show to hit the Philippine shores is Pinoy Big Brother. Pinoy Big Brother is an adaptation of a hit reality show from the Netherlands. Ok. So who’s interested with the introduction? No one!! So I will cut the crap. PBB is now drawing to a close with only 4 housemates left- Cass, Nene, Jason and Uma. Tomorrow night, we will know who among these 4 shall be declared the Big Winner. So who will win? I have a feeling that it will boil down between Nene and Jason. But I think Nene has a slight advantage over her other competitors. This claim was proven by last week’s eviction night. Nene had a lion’s share of the votes as compared to Jayson’s 3rd place finish. 
Nene- will she be the first ever Big Winner? Who do I want to win? At first, I was also rooting for Franzen. But now that Franzen’s out, I want his best pal Jason to win. Jason is uber ( hey I have not used that term for a long time now. I guess it’s dead.) funny. Unlike Nene, Jason has a bigger shot for stardom. 
Jason- my personal choice. Every fan (fan talaga?) of the fabulous epal knows how addicted I am to Survivor. I have been watching the series from its first season until now that it is on its 11th season. Can you imagine? The 11th installment of the big daddy of today’s reality shows takes place at the Mayan ruins in Guatemala. Just today, the final 4 has already been revealed. Stephenie, who was sooooo popular at losing in Palau last season, is back in the game and faring well this time. Rafe, the gay wilderness guide is also in the final 4. Also in is the former beauty queen turned sports radio show host, Danni. Lydia, a fish monger and the least athletic of the 4, has also squeezed her way in. I guess the winner shall be announced on Monday afternoon although Studio 23’s saying that it will be on Friday. I am gonna stay put. So who will win? The former survivors and now bloggers are almost unanimous in saying that Rafe’s gonna take home the million. Rafe used to be and under-the-radar-player but his intelligence and strength has taken him this far. But these traits can also lead to his demise in the game. 
Rafe- strong and intelligent. Will he be this season’s Sole Survivor? Who I want to win? There is no question about it- I want it to be Danni. I have been rooting for her this whole season. The last time my ultimate favorite (meaning my favorite from beginning to end) was Ethan- way back in Survivor 3: Africa. Danni has remained the ultimate UTR castaway this season. But you should not be fooled because this Southerner has got beauty, brains and even brawn. 
Danni- beauty, brains and brawn combined. NO matter what the outcome will be, all in all, this season has been fantastic, what with the kuyas joining the cast? 
Jamie- this season’s bad boy- paranoid, untrustworthy, nonetheless very handsome. 
Blake- too strong for survivor, too hot to forget. 
Brandon- this cowboy makes me want to star in our own Brokeback Mountain. Hehe!! Go find your princes while I play with frogs. God bless us all!!
Champions.
Champions- victorious; people with big hearts. For less than two weeks, the Philippines hosted the 23rd Southeast Asian Games. Last Monday, the biennial sporting meet came to a close with the Philippines lording over the medal tally. 
One Big Heart. One Heritage. One Southeast Asia. The 23rd SEA Games. The Filipino athletes have trained hard for the games so as not to disappoint their countrymen who will be watching the games. That is why they deserve the over-all crown. It is just unfair how Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and other Thai sports committee officials can accuse the host of being unjust and of cheating the results of the games. There are reports that Thaksin is in hot waters now in Thailand because there are many problems in his country that he cannot solve so he diverts the public’s attention by giving ridiculous comments about the games and its officiating. Thaksin is a megalomaniac- he wants to get the credit for most of his country’s progress but does not want to be blamed for his nation’s failures. This may come off late, but I would like to congratulate all the Filipino athletes who participated in the games and gave their best. You are the Philippines’s source of pride. You showed to the Filipinos, Southeast Asia and even to the rest of the world that it is possible. Cecille Mamiit, I enjoyed watching your games. You know how to work out the crowd. Eric Taino and Ms. Salameda, both of you are impressive. The Younghusband brothers and the rest of the RP men’s football team, you may have fallen short, but most of you are cuties anyway. Join show business!! Miguel Molina, you look like Chinggay Andrada. You are super sexy with your long hair. I enjoyed watching you and your gorgeous arms. I also enjoyed watching the other hotties from the Men’s Swimming Team particularly James Walsh. I missed Ernest Dee. Miguel Mendoza, are you gay? You look like one. The RP boxing team, way to go, you outclassed Thailand in the medal tally. Sheila Mae Perez, you are the next golden girl after Nora Aunor. Hahaha!! The rest of the diving team was also superb. Victor Paguia Jr. is hot, hot, hot. Japoy Lizardo, way to go Japoy. You are still cute despite the fact that the pimples that you have consider your face home. Sorry, but I think you last opponent deserved the gold medal more than you did. Prove me wrong next time, will you? The rowing team, you guys are just fantastic. Sweep, sweep!! Wushu? Wushu!! Arnis, I cannot believe that Vienam’s tied with us in the field. Work harder. Still, congratulations. Women’s Volleyball Team, congratulations. You got the bronze. It will be fun if you’ll beat Thailand at home in 2007. The Vietnamese are really pretty. Men’s Volleyball Team, excite us next time, will you? Chess? Tsk, tsk. Athletics team, congratulations, you fell short but you did superb nonetheless. Go Ten Kok? I heard you say the people can hang you if the Philippine Athletics team will fall short your prediction of 10 gold medals? Guess what, they got 9!! Hahaha!! Is someone gonna get hanged? Hmmmm. To all the athletes, I am sleepy, I cannot mention you all. But you guys know that the Filipinos are very proud of you. You are this month’s fabulous epals!! To the volunteers, you showed to the rest of Southeast Asia the Bayanihan spirit. To the heads of the different committees, please stop politicking. Do your jobs. Stop stealing from the government. Stop stealing from the allocation for the athletes. If you will, resign; give your posts to those who are younger, more honest and more deserving. To Thaksin- you are a brat. Kiss our athletes’ asses- they worked their butts off to achieve this feat. To the private sector, you were of great help to the Pinoy athletes. You aided their needs. To the government, give credit to whom credit is due. Give the incentives these athletes deserve. To the Filipino people, aren’t you just proud? Go find your princes while I play with frogs. God bless us all!!
Blossoming- pagdadalaga. Ano naman ang pagbibinata? ***Maxi’s Blossoming*** Yesterday, Ian, Emil, Emil’s gay friend Trisha and I watched Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros at SM Manila. 
Maxi and his beloved kuya Victor
The story follows the life of young Maxi played by Nathan Lopez who lives with his crooked father and older brothers in the shanty. One night after playing beauty contest with his other gay friends, Maxi was almost harassed by two teenagers on one dark alley if not for his knight in shining armor, Victor- a cop who saved him from the hands of his aggressors. Maxi learns to love the goodlooking cop played by JR Valentin. But his father disproves of Maxi’s feelings because the cop is an obstacle to their corrupt but thriving business. Things got more complicated when Maxi’s eldest brother killed a 16-year-old boy. In the end, Maxi’s father dies and the former learns to forego his admiration for the cop. All in all, the story was very beautiful. You get to relive the feeling of how it is to fall in love for the first time. You laugh with Maxi and sympathize with him as well. Although his father and his brothers are criminals, you just adore them- they are, in many ways, better than other families. They pray before they eat. They watch movies together. Most importantly, they love Maxi. They do not treat Maxi badly because he is gay. They love his being gay. They treat him like a real girl. But just like any other digital videos, Pagdadalaga’s weak points can be attributed to its technical aspects- cinematography, editing and the other works. Other than that, Pagdadalaga is a movie worth your time and your money. My favorite scenes in the movie are the beauty contest scene and the day Maxi learned to let go of his feelings for his kuya Victor and ignores him on his way to school. ***Ivan’s Blossoming*** I have let go oh him. I guess it is really pointless to enter a relationship because you don’t want to hurt that person and not because you love him. There are several reasons why I decided to just be friends with him and not take it on to the next level: one, I really do not love him. The last time I got into a relationship with someone I do not love, I ended up getting cheated. The nerve; Two, he was always late each time we would see each other. He always has reasons; three, I got attracted to one of his friends the first time I saw him; Four, there was another man whom I like better and could be loving right now; Finally, I am so busy with my studies. His friend told me that he cried when I told him that we are just to remain friends. I do not know. God only knows when my true prince charming would come. But for now, I have three choices- concentrate with my studies; continue looking for my prince charming; play with frogs. Go find your princes while I play with frogs. God bless us all!!!
|
