Hi

 
It's going to be December in just two days. Where does the time go, seriously? And what have I been doing this first month of my semester? It's like I want to scold myself for being so happy-go-lucky when I should really be worrying about what my thesis topic would be. But I know myself well enough to know that when I really need to get work, I get to work and try my very best to focus. I don't like that I can't get it out of my system to be such a crammer but hey, I'm only human.

So, really, what have I been doing these past few weeks? Well, for one, I just spent my long weekend in front of the computer only getting up to eat, go to the bathroom and sleep. Typical me. I watched Easy A and Charlie St. Cloud the other day, which are both good movies in their own ways (namely Penn Badgley & Zac Efron, respectively). Now I just finished watching Beyonce's I Am... World Tour special and I'm still not over it as I'm listening to the audio (Now Playing: Hello). Yes, aside from going to and coming from school, with lots of learning in between, of course, I'm still same old me who's life isn't complete without music. On Friday night I was up until almost 2 in the morning just obsessing with Rihanna, watching her tour videos. If someone would pay me for obsessing with music and all related topics, I'd be rich by now. But no, that's not how life goes. Speaking of, I'm really trying hard to be thrifty in order to save money for Taylor Swift's concert in February. See? I guess I should look for a job in the future that would include "Pop Culture Knowledge" in the job description. Hahahaha.

Anyway, I just remembered I haven't really blogged about HP7 yet, have I? I tried writing a draft post a couple days ago but I just ended up deleting it. Let me get to that later or maybe tomorrow.

For now let me just leave you with my new favorite quote that I picked up from Charlie St. Cloud:

Trust your heart if the seas catch fire, live by love though the stars walk backward. -E.E. Cummings

I wanna scream at the top of my lungs

I suddenly want to just ramble on and on about silly random things nowadays, I don't know why. And I don't feel like broadcasting these rants over Twitter so thank heavens for my trusty little blog.

Something is going on and I'm not sure what it is or what it means. It's kind of scary and it kind of makes me happy and excited at the same time. But I don't know... I'm really not sure... One thing I'm sure of, though, is I did not make any sense with what I previously typed. Ugh, this is making me crazy... I've got tiny butterflies in the pit of my stomach and I can't help but think back to this morning and smile. :)

P.S. I currently have a mild obsession with John Mayer, hence the title. And I also would really wanna scream as loud as I can.

Blabberbox

I’m sick and I’ve never been this sick in a long time. I was able to survive the summer heat without cough and colds but now, my system finally caught the virus. I don’t think this would go away soon because of the crazy weather we have. It’s literally hot and cold…and then hot again. I feel really under the weather and I’m too lazy to do anything, which at this point is definitely not a good thing. Since school is already starting to give me burden, I can’t afford to just lay here and just forget the world… (Yeah, Snow Patrol.)

Anyway, it’s Usher’s concert tomorrow and my friend really wants to go but he doesn’t have anyone to go with him. I was joking with him today in class that I already have money to buy a ticket for the show and his face lit up immediately. Too bad I was really just joking. And too bad I’m feeling under the weather because if not, he might have convinced me to go. If only Mother Nature would give me a day or two of just cloudy weather, but no, I’m pretty sure it’s not gonna happen. I’m gonna have to live with my cough and colds for a little while. :(

How I wish it’s Saturday already!!!!

P.S. I'm gonna watch the new Pretty Little Liars to lift my spirits a bit. It's my new guilty pleasure. ;)

The Original Idol

Now I know who I used to go gaga over before Rihanna.

Kelly Clarkson.

I mean, I still love her, hence this blog, but back in the day when I was about 9 or 10, I was crazy about Kelly. Fo shizzle. I never got to watch American Idol then when she was competing but I fell madly in love with "A Moment Like This" when it was released. I loved her too much then that I made my brother's girlfriend buy me her debut album the first time they took me out to a movie. Told ya I was crazy for KC.

Now this little rant all boils down to this:


You see the date? It's less than a month from now. I have less than a month to get a hold of P4,500 for Upper Box A tickets. I don't know how I will do that yet. Maybe I can blackmail/charm my brother into giving me at least half of the price or I can actually get a summer job to earn it.

So, my master plan right now is to convince mother and father to let me take a summer job, preferably where mother works, because the person who owns the business is a family friend, therefore, there's a bigger chance of me getting hired and actually getting paid a reasonable amount, holla! (Wow, that's a really long sentence. I use commas a lot, don't I?)

The Way I Are

I think I know why I stop getting in touch with people, in general.

My mom just asked me if I hadn't sent any emails to my brother as of late, if I hadn't asked how they've been doing. And no, I haven't, as a matter of fact. The thing is, I believe that people will tell you things if they want to, if they want you to know. I have always been bad at having the initiative to talk to people or ask how they are doing, in this case. Unless, I'm really friendly that day. So I just don't. I do nothing. Unless, I'm instructed to. Like what my mom practically just did.

But just so you know, this isn't just about my brother. It's about a lot of things, involving a good bunch of people I care about. Sometimes I hate how I am, you know? I mean, how can I not when I think like this?

For instance, I think of it as people's "privacy". My friend's, for example. I tend to notice stuff, things that go on between people, things that go on in my circle. But sometimes I leave it be even if I really know nothing about it and it just stays as a hunch or a good/bad feeling within me. I'm just not the kind of person to go about asking them what's going on. If they want to tell me, if they want me to know, then they'll say it to my face. Right? That's pretty much how my logic on these things go.

But let me tell you about a little problem that I have with this way of thinking, what if the person/people concerned think that if I don't ask about "it", then I'm not interested so then, they end up not telling me. That's when I get busted, right? Right. Now you see why I hate how I am. But I can't seem to change, though, that's the BIG problem. I have issues. I think I've pretty much established that already. :|

It's quite mind-boggling saying it out loud. Okay, writing it out loud, rather. I think more of this kind of rants will come your way since I pretty much have recurring experiences regarding this issue. FML, I know. So please, bear with me.

Oh, BTW, happy summer vacation to me. I have two whole months of doing nothing once again. Unless, I get a summer job and possibly be able to see Kelly Clarkson in concert in May. /crosses fingers

The good and the bad

Which one should I start my rant fest with, eh? Let's go with the bad so I can at least bounce back with the good a little bit later...

Let's me just get straight to the point: I don't get why I don't usually spend time with people. I feel like I'm on the verge of being anti-social. But I know I'm not. I have this feeling of uncertainty whenever I'm asked to join certain activities or other whatnot. I guess I just don't like being in a big group. I'm just an introvert like that. Maybe it has something to do with comfort issues. Yes, that's it.

But. Even though I seem to have resolved that question, why do I still feel kind of bad for doing the right thing (in my case)? Is that wrong at all? If it is, what does that make of me? Oh, my thoughts to ponder...

Anyway, on to the good vibes... It's my nephew's birthday today! We just got off chatting with them. He showed me a few gifts he got which included Michael Buble's new CD, Crazy Love. I am amazed at how musically-inclined he already is at his age. He just turned 6. But I'm not really surprised though, since kids nowadays learn about technology easily, and besides I was like that, too. As far as I remember, ever since I was 4, I already knew the words to the songs that come on the radio. It makes me happy how my nephew knows how to appreciate music, I mean really appreciate it, by simply having joy in having new records that he like. :)

Yes, that happy thought should be the one in my head as I go to bed. Good night.

Benjamin Button

I hate the fact that the more we grow older the lesser courageous we become to face life's challenges, which eventually leads to us doing stupid things just to avoid our problems. I realize that I am getting older by the minute, and yes, I admit to the statement I just made. Don't we all? At some point, at the very back of our heads, yes.

Why am I saying this? I know most people would say I don't know what I'm talking about, that I'm too young to really know about the meaning of life, blah blah blah... But I don't know, I, myself don't understand why these kind of thoughts just pop into my 18-year-old mind, which I admit is "not old enough" to be thinking like this. But that's exactly my point in writing this: The young ones see life more clearly than the rest of the world. At least I realize that my mind isn't too tainted with I don't know what types of crazy that life brings, at least not yet. I honestly am amazed at how simple words of children make so much more sense than what a lot of "adults" converse about these days. And I think this comes from that same reason. It is always better to live simple. But (that's one of life's crazies I am talking about, the older you get, the complicated the situations you see yourself in, the more buts arise which make life a million times more complicated than it already is) life isn't always going to be simple. We have to accept that because that's a fact.

We just have to keep in mind to not let the complexities of life get to us, no matter how hard it becomes, for them to be easier to overcome. Take it one step at a time. Take a deep breath, smile, then conquer the world. Start feeling like a child again, like when you first started to learn how to ride a bike or when you got your first Barbie. Remember, life is only what you think of it. So, think of it as a rainbow that always comes after the rain. No matter how hard life treats you, there will always come a time when it will all be better.

At the end of the day...

Okay, so I just finished watching both Rihanna and Chris Brown's interviews on 20/20 and MTV News, respectively, and I just gotta say that after doing so I'm still on the same page as where I have been before. I say all of this with a broad outlook on why these things are being said and why now.

Rihanna, she is simply one heck of a strong woman and good role model for saying what she had to say. That's already a given. I won't take all these hating towards her going into details, saying these not so nice things about Chris, because the way I see it, she's just answering the questions truthfully. Even if people think that she only said certain things because it's "what people wanted to hear," you have got to admit that she's a smart, mature and strong person being at the age of 21, just reaching the stage of adulthood.

Me, as a fan, I simply have a lot more respect towards her for doing what she thought she had to do and finally starting to put this episode behind her and continue on with what's more important, which is her music, by talking about what happened and her thoughts about it and just opening up to the world. I mean, I've always respected her, obviously, but seeing as how grave the impact the event had had on her, I see her now as more of a mature artist, a stronger person, instead of that 19-year-old good-girl-gone-bad singer who sang about an umbrella which made her recognizable to the whole world. She has grown so much all throughout this experience and for her to be owning up to how she is looked upon, as a role model to young teen girls, I just love her even more for that.

On Chris Brown's part, I look at him now thinking that he, too, has grown from what he has experienced in the past several months and I respect him for owning up to what he did and taking action and now, learning himself on how to become a better person, a better man first and foremost not for anyone but himself. I do think that he will eventually reach that point in his life in the future where he'll think he has changed, he has become a better person and left that bit of himself that did the bad things behind and let it all go.

So, that's how I see things regarding the situation. At the end of the day, no matter what they say to each other, no matter what people say or think, I still support them both in their careers. After all, I knew of the name Chris Brown and Rihanna first and foremost because of their music. I hope to see you all at the nearest record store on November 23rd (for Rihanna's Rated R) and December 8th (for Chris' Graffiti). ;)

Russian Roulette

Rihanna.

Wow, I could write a book about how much I love this chick. But why don't we simply get into much more pressing details? Yes, that's her new single called "Russian Roulette." Have you heard it yet? (Cool, I'm rhyming lol.)

Let's discuss what the song actually says, shall we? Okay. Russian roulette, from its general definition, means a game of chance. Specifically, it is a game where two players play with a revolver loaded with only one bullet. Whoever gets the bullet loses and the one who doesn't die wins. It's a pretty sick game, if you ask me, or anyone with a leveled head for that matter. This game was used as a metaphor for Rihanna's new song, which was co-written (the other writer being Rihanna) and produced by Ne-Yo. The song is basically about taking a risk in life, whether regarding love, professional decisions, etc. It's about taking the high road or going the hard way and risking what's most important to you even without knowing whether you'll succeed or not. If you would actually listen to the song and analyze how does it relate to the game Russian roulette metaphorically, you won't probably be misinterpreting the song as a "suicide anthem" or whatnot.

So, now that we have gotten that out of the way, let's talk Rihanna. :D

Rihanna, Rihanna, Rihanna. Well, what can I say? She sure did surprise me when she came out with this mid-tempo track as her debut single from her upcoming fourth studio album, Rated R. But in a good way, of course! I was one to wish that she will release more ballad-y songs like "Unfaithful" and "Take A Bow" from her previous album releases, and what do you know, she actually did! Unlike most people who were expecting another upbeat club banger from her, I was really happy that she chose Russian Roulette as her first single. For one, because I was dying to hear how her vocals have improved and RR totally delivered that for me. Secondly, I liked how mixed people's reaction were. You will really see how Rihanna releasing a song affected so many. And I actually liked that she wanted to get out of her league and try something different. That's once concrete thing I love about Rihanna. She doesn't follow trends in anything. It may be that she takes inspiration from different things but she does her business in her own way.

Now, not even a week later the song premiered, it has already placed in music charts. And those people who were saying that it won't be much appreciated by the general audience? Well, they're quite wrong. I've already actually seen more than a couple of videos on YouTube covering the song, whether singing it or playing it on an instrument.

It's just crazy the way Rihanna is being received by the world. And with this new album coming November 23rd, I rekcon the world isn't ready yet. Well, they have to be prepared 'cause this is about to be one hell of a smash album I can tell you.

Listen to Russian Roulette

It never takes too long

Well, hello there.

This moment reminds me of that line from Sara Bareilles' song "Gravity." Something always brings me back to you...

Yes, there's just this certain something in me that will keep coming back to Blogger. After all, it is home. It is where I started. I actually quite miss how I used to blog. More importantly, I miss the people I met through blogging! Even though we're still connected through different social networking sites (i.e. Facebook, Twitter), it was different from when we used to read each others' regular blog posts and all. That's what I miss the most.

So what have I been up to? Well, I just finished my final exams today and since 10:00 AM this morning it was officially my semestral break which will be for two weeks. (Awesome!) Before that, I basically was just going through my day-to-day routine of going to school, going home, going on the internet, studying here and there, and sleeping. There was nothing really eventful that happened in the course of my not being around in the blogosphere. I live a rather mediocre life.

So, yes, sembreak! I am actually thrilled to start my vacation since I have already lined up my things to do:

• Read "The Time Traveler's Wife"
• Catch up with Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, Smallville, and Glee episodes that I have missed
• Download and catch up with the new season of Heroes
• Fix my room
• Clean my closet
• Arrange my music library (in my laptop)
• Watch movies (17 Again, The Ugly Truth, Fame, etc.)
• and finally, something school-related LOL, practice Java

That's all the things I could come up with at the top of my head right now. Oh, and duh, design this blog, of course! That's one of the things I missed doing, too. :)

Here's to hoping I accomplish everything I plan to do during my two-week school break. That's a lot of time but I'm sure it'll fly by just as fast as a jet plane zooms. Have a good night everyone.

Oh, and next time I'm gonna have to tell you a story about my 'Ondoy' experience. Ciao!