Bar

Tin, is this the video you were looking for? Sorry for the late upload. It took time to find it. I'll upload part 2 of this. Ingat!

Cute Tots

Just a compilation of my close encounters of the third kind over the holidays.
Auntie Tin, ikaw na pud puhon...

To the parents of these babies, don't sue me for posting these without your permission. Rest assured, I won't be making money out of this. Hahaha!

To Tin

I ran out of Christmas cheers and  new year's goodies. But I hope he suffices..."Why do birds suddenry appear / Every time you are near?/Just rike me, they rong to be Crose to you. /Why do stars forr down from the sky /Every time you walk by?/Just rike me, they rong to be /Crose to you. "

Mishu Tin!

The Beach

At Mai's hometown
With family and special guest Mark-lot
No sun
No biggie
Mark's got a cam

Blogging from ipod touch

Fancy this.

I'm a newest member of the touch generation. Drat,I'm still figuring out the way of things. From now on I can blog from the toilet while I, uhm,you don't need to know. Here's a question: how can I put movies into ipod without purchasing from the iTunes store?I want to know the cheapest way to enjoy the new palm candy.

Boston Through Tita Tellie's Eyes

Boston 2008

XU Days: Issa & Dax Bazaar

Selling stuff .

These are tough times.

Had lots of fun, though.

Beautiful German Boy

Meet Bill Kaulitz, frontman of the German rock band Tokio Hotel and my new crush on the internet. When I say crush, I mean it in an "I wanna be cool like him"  kind of way. No, scratch that--I am hormonal and I want the boy right here, "preferably strapped to the bed", as my amiga would say. (insertdevilishlaughandrollingthunderhere) It's crazy, I know.

I found him on Youtube this afternoon performing Spring Nicht (Don't Jump).  He reminds me of Japan's visual kei bands who attract the female audience by screaching rock tunes in flamboyant women's clothes and heavy theater make-up. Judging on the face alone, I couldn't tell if he is male or female. Is androgyny the new black?

On stage, he is no peacock-ed RuPaul--just think Jared Leto's angst with a hint of Matsujun's shyness and you've got Bill. Lestat, is that you? He would be the perfect for the role in Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned. Just my opinion though.

FYI: Bill has an identical twin brother, Tom, who plays the band's lead guitar. In case you're wondering what Bill looks like without the hair and face gunk, check out Tom. The brothers are pictured below .

What is it with me and beautiful boys?

Ok. I'm going to sleep now.

(Photos from www. sodahead.com and www.freewebs.com)

Bonding over Pacquiao-Dela Hoya Fight

Manny Pacquiao's nose did not bleed in the eight rounds of jab and hook exchanges with the sexy Dela Hoya. It was during the English interview after the fight that it did, figuratively. But don't mind his unresponsive answers to the interview-- Pacquiao reigned supreme in the MGM Grand and in the millions of homes that tuned in via cable TV. 

Pacman came through the fight unscathed whereas Oscar, well, he got pinata-ed. Karylle, on the other hand, well, mas daghan siya'g tulubagon! (Did you hear the gulp of saliva mid-'watawat'?)

Nahurot na akong tingod sa sige ug singgit. I pounded the table with my fists for every punch Pacman lands on the golden boy's face. Ouch, that's got to hurt. I was screaming like crazy, so crazy you'd think I was a tranny on crack.

Overall, we had a blast at the clubhouse where we watched the whole thing. It was so fun that I want to pick a fight, like right now...to release the tension...Release....
(fart!)

Oops.

 

Mavet solos

Shot in Camiguin one weekend ago

I like my sister's yukata-inspired top (Can you tell I am fuelling my Matsujun obsession?) which is why I wanted all the focus on the floral details.

Holiday Earrings

The orchid was a gift from cousin Annabelle on my birthday

All made by Ayet, displayed during XU Days at Portia Sorority Booth.
See corresponding blog entry. Zzzzzz....

XU Days

I was busy selling earrings, necklaces and old clothes at the XU Days early this week. Ang hirap pala magbenta. Most of the people passing by where college kids who, I presume, don't feel comfortable wearing big earpieces like the ones I made. (Believe me, the earrings are, by my standards, SMALL.) Plus, the rain was pouring--not a very nice weather to go out shopping at some college fair.

Because of my constant pestering, my friend Dax Baqui (who presently carries an 8-month old bun in her oven) helped me display my stuff in her white glass tray and her artist's easel where we hung our old clothes (other than on the portable clothesline I brought). Dax also sold handcrafted keychains in candy colors which, I think, are the perfect kikay accessories for any girl's keys. Let me just say that my favorite thing in our display booth was the wooden easel which was splattered with oil paint due to frequent use. Talk about rustic, authentic charm.  

We were not so lucky that day though. We didn't sell much,hence, ang hirap magbenta!!! 

I don't know if I'll be selling again in XU Days next year. I'm just too lazy. It doesn't help that I am not a "people person", if you know what I mean. I can't salestalk. I don't know how and it seems I'm not willing to learn for now. One thing I know though is that I'll be dragging Dax to XU Days again next year. By that time there will be three of us going around the campus watching another batch of negosyantes trying their luck in the college fair--Dax, Me and Dax's little baby girl.

I can't wear heels. Ouch.

This is my curse: chronic back pain. It is the same thing my doctor has. What triggered it was a fall (butt first) caused by stepping on a slippery doormat more than seven months ago.

Damn all makers of non-rubberized doormats and all homeowners who put slippery ones on their doorsteps.

For as long as I'm moving, standing, sitting, or doing anything that puts pressure on my lower back, the pain will not go away but will vary in intensity depending on which physical activity I undertake.  Belly dancing, for instance, will be a challenge as it requires trunk-twisting. I'm fine with that. However, the real bummer is that I can't wear high heels. Well, technically I can, its just that I have to be prepared for the back pain that will follow. To all my kikays out there, now you know why back pain is a curse.

Muscle relaxants and painkillers can only provide temporary relief and I'm not one who downs on these babies if the pain is still manageable.  Call me a martyr.

Anyone suffering the same predicament, tell me, do you have pahid  or tuba-tuba growing in your backyard?

To All Haters of Bra

To all my ladies, I put my favorite scarf (heck, the only scarf I own) to good use, this time as a cover-up to do away with bra.

How?

 Throw it on your shoulders, let it drape over your chest and cinch at the waist with a belt. I guarantee, no brassiere necessary!  Don't forget that there should be a shirt underneath the scarf. GMA is more than enough scandal in the Philippines. Why add to that?

To keep from looking Lola Basyang-y, wear shades big enough to cover half the face.

(Photo: Ready to go to nearest Jollibee drive thru. Chickenjoy day! Buddha Ram, I don't have the same level of self-discipline.I. Am. Not. Content. I.Desire. Chickenjoy.)

Statement Photos

Alright, I'm soooo vain.
Live with it!
These photos taken with Samsung mobile phone's 3 megapix cam;
Texts added through Picasa 3.

Pretty Boys ; Midori

Aha! Look at what this Queen of Slack has been up to. Tada! I present to you Akanishi Jin and Matsumoto Jun. What, you haven't heard of them? Darlings, you don't know what you're missing. I'm not even going to start telling you to forget Brad Pitt, Ewan Mcgregor, James McAvoy and everything you know about macho. (Oh, I just did.) In Japan, pretty does not mean less manly. Click crunchyroll.com and you'll see.

       Alright. This is not an addiction but a fleeting obsession. I'm all for hedonism now. Nothing justifies my shameless fangirling more than the fact that I am currently jobless and there's nothing better to do than wondering how many times Jun Matsumoto goes to the salon and spa to get primped, plucked, peeled, preened, plastered and prettified to J-pop perfection. (That's Japanese pop for you, lesser mortals.:-P)

     I have come a long way since Tiger Beat and Bop magazines and the free Edward Furlong centerfolds and pin-ups which by the way are still stacked, rolled and well-preserved inside a box which my grandchildren can freely puke into, should their disgust be stimulated. Now, I am wired and digital. Fangirling has never been this easy.

     [ Tin, wouldn't it be nice to be squeezed in between Jun and Jin ? But then there's the problem of them looking prettier than us. We don't want to make that obvious, do we? What a shame. Tsk, tsk.]

    Ok, I will now steer away from the topic and lead you to a movie that I saw online which left me so  squirmish that I lost my appetite. (Ok, that was a bluff.) It's called "Midori" or "Mr. Arashi's Amazing Freak Show", an animated film running for 48 minutes only and features everything grim, grisly, insane and maniacal. Here's a briefer, credit goes to crunchyroll.com:

          "This is surely one of the most bizarre and mystery-shrouded anime features of theast decade: Midori. The name will probably not be familiar, but the comic on which the film was based has been released here under the title Mr. Arashi`s Amazing Freak Show. Yes, this film is an adaptation of a comic by the uncontested king of ero-guro, Maruo Suehiro. It`s remarkable enough that a Maruo Suehiro anime exists in the first place, but no less remarkable are the circumstances surrounding the film`s origin and presentation to the public. Where to begin? First of all, Midori is a rather hard film to classify. It`s anime, but it`s not. Anime is known for being rather limited, but this film takes limited to a whole new level. It`s closer to a kami shibai or paper play, a type of one-man entertainment that was popular in pre-WWII  Japan. Maruo`s original comic is in fact an adaptation of a kami shibai, so it`s an appropriate analogy. And the remarkable thing is that this anime version really is a one-man entertainment: every drawing you see in the 52 minute film was drawn by one person, thereby making it true to the spirit of the original - a modern kami shibai. Attempting such a thing is pretty much pure insanity. It wound up taking this person five years to make the film. The madman in question is one Hiroshi Harada 原田浩."

So there. If you have already watched it, make me happy by telling me what you think. Enjoy  the rest of your week.

Meet Sakura

She's our little puppy who is now owned by my Tita Monette, Mama's barkada during her law school days. Before Tita takes her  home to Manila, I took some snapshots with which to remember the tiny hairball.

Intramuros

Happy Birthday, Tin! (And Paul)

What to do when your birthday falls on a bar day:

Forget about the latter. Celebrate the former.

Pizza party at Don Henrico's.Belated Happy Birthday din kay "Papang" Paul (September 12).

Happy birthday, Tin! Thank you for the dinner! (And sorry kang black patent shoes. Naapil nako siya ug kaligo.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 Floors Off The Ground

To date, It has been five days since I last stepped on land.

The preoccupation with marathon reading has been paradoxically therapeutic and hazardous.

Thank God for food deliveries and M&Ms.

Only God knows what the next Sunday will bring.

Crunch it

Koisuru Madori

Tatta Hitotsu no koi

The Classic

Lamyerda 2008

Hahay. Oops, I'm doing it again.

Rashomon

The purpose of this blog entry is not to make a review of this 1950 Akira Kurosawa masterpiece.

The end in view, my lovelies, is the introduction of this film into your consciousness, the possible result of which is you searching the world wide web for a free download of the movie, you finally watching it alone or with another curious movie junkie, you wanting to get to the core of the narrative and, finally, you getting your attention caught by the female lead character's forehead and thinking to yourself, "With all due respect Kurosawa-san, didn't the budget cover for a make-up artist to trim the bushy brows?" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See what I mean?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watch it and tell me what you think. (Will somebody tell me who killed this woman's husband? )

Random Message in my Box

  "Sometimes we can't let go of the hurt... ...because it is a constant reminder of one great love story we never expected to come to an end."

I was cleaning out the message folders of my phone this morning and, upon reading this particuar text message from my good buddy Karz, which was sent to me in April last year in the middle of the bar exam conundrum, I felt I just had to post it here. This friend used to make practical, no, offensive, jokes at us, so it came as a surprise to me that he is, after all, all too human to display such poignancy through the medium of a cellphone.

Quite a sensitive yet a welcome gesture, the sending of this message to me, that is, if the purpose was to make me cry myself to sleep. The purgation of emotions had to start somewhere, right? I did cry myself to sleep not only that night but on many other nights when the hurt was just too much to bear.

More than a year after that eventful law school graduation, I can say that I have become stronger. The hurt has tempered, the tragic loss, eased back in memories, and the love story, fondly remembered, all with a view towards self-healing.  Slow and graceful self-healing.

Image: Candle on my study table cum dining hall. My pad. 2008.

What the eff?

Oh. My. Geezus.

I thought this only happens in movies... If you were in my place, what would you do? My Belgian neighbor and his wife are banging next door! They're getting it  on. OMFG. The walls are thin. So far I can only hear their bed beating against the other side of my wall. I don't have earplugs, people! I am so disturbed that I am entitled to moral damages. Cough up the moolah, Big Daddy.

Ok, just needed to get that one out. Or maybe I need to get out. Yes, I'm doing that.

The Peryagabs

Hanging out at the entrance of Artscies Lobby after the Existential Class Presentation. The day I was given THE juice by my, ahem, after hearing me cry, "wala nay juice?". The same day I was serenaded by Febrose with that Aiza Seguerra song right after the juice incident.

Nostalgia.
Give me some Kleenex.

Lyra May's 29th Birthday

akoang ig-agaw nga si Ate Lyra nga mama ni Alec Nicole Borja nga apo ni Mommy Lydia Cavan nga igsoon sa akong mama.

CHOCstarNUT

This brings me back to my childhood days.

Before the ice cream company wisely decided to dedicate a limited edition flavor to this candy, the ChocNut has been our favorite pick from among the sari-sari store favorites, like pula-pula, Tarzan bubble gum, Bobot candy-coated peanuts (which comes with a gold ring attached to the rolled end of the pack), and tira-tira.

The humble Chocnut did not have the more commercial packaging that it has at present. It used to be wrapped in gold or silver paper and shaped in thick coin. Don't take it on its face though--contrary to its label, it is not milk chocolate.

The distinct taste of combined peanuts and cheap chocolate(or its derivative) in each gold Chocnut coin fares well above imported chocolates in supermarkets.

Ok, I'm exaggerating.

But the point is, it is cheaper than belgians , yet it delivers the same sweet gratification.

By the way, this is not a paid advertisement. I wish it is.

This is just a quasi-tribute to Chocnut, which became my breakfast this morning, much to the  detriment of my diet attempts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next time I'll pay homage to Bobot peanuts.

Bad back

I fell on my butt three days ago after slipping from a slippery slipper-stepper..Ok, cut that.

I accidentally tripped on the wet doormat at the entrance of my pad one rainy evening, which forced me to land, butt first, on the concrete floor. Hence, the sprain on my lower back.

The present state of things is attributable to my own negligence and constant procrastination. I'll just replace the doormat with the rubber one tomorrow. My procrastinating stems from my apathy, my not wanting to care too much. This, to my own demise.

{There is a thick book on my desk wanting my attention. Take me. Consume me. Don't stop, it says.  (The exact same words that may be drawn from the mouth of a nymphomaniac. ) Soon,  this book will find a way to haunt me and make me care, to which, I'll just smile and give a peace sign.}

Ouch! This is my back talking.
Ouch. Ouch. OOOOuuuchchchch!!!

 

 

 

 

Hurrah!

My High School Barkada (L-R): Flor Angelo,the rising Entrepreneur; Nathalie, the Doctor; Dorothy, the Nurse; and Charissa, the resigned court drafter and struggling Lawyer-to-be.

A  look back in High School:

Flor, the class president. Crush ng Bayan. Photojournalist. Managing Editor. Yes, sikat ni siya sauna.

Nathalie, the silent muse. Intelligent (like me. haha!). Krung2x nga serious. Secretive sa lovelife. Honor Student. Dancer.

Dorothy, DOH's Ms. Smile 1997. Excellent in English. Soft-spoken, which makes her my opposite. Dancer.

Charissa, Editorial writer.  (yeah, my talent went down the drain some 3 years ago due to chronic laziness). NSPC National winner. Chiching!!! Had a big crush on Jokoy. Artist. Dancer.

 

Uncle Richard, Rest in Peace

You have been a great father, loving husband and supportive uncle to the Mumar family.

Eternal rest, Uncle Richard Mumar.

April 22, 2008

My Last Tuesday as Executive Assistant

It is time to wind up business at the office of Justice Flores. The atmosphere is more relaxed now, considering that all our pending cases have already been inventoried by Marly and Father J, for the benefit of Justice Borja, the new Executive Justice of the Court of Appeals Mindanao Station, and the future occupant of the office we have called our second home.

 

The chamber is silent now. This makes for the perfect bar study get-away (an oxymoron, I know). Paul and I have been trying to quiz each other up on this table. (No, its not what you have in mind.)  Noone can beat us in the "I think the answer is" department, I swear! We will improve though. In a few weeks we will be lean and mean study machines. Oh right, we are skipping the "lean" part as I direct your attention to...

 

Atty. Tristram's treat: four  large cheesy peperroni pizzas to feed our gluttonous appetite. Who can say no to these?

You will never get hungry in this office. Someone is always bound to pop up at the door bringing goodies and comfort food. This will be one of the things I'll miss.

 

 

 

 

 

Here's Ate Lirio Ebol, my fellow "curly top" trying her luck at de-stressing herself with a creativity exercise, otherwise known as hairstyling. I'm all yours, junior TDLF!

 

 

 

What look do I channel with this one? I take this to be the disheveled Japayuki look after a hair-pulling episode with a reluctant abortionist. hahaha! Peace, Ate Lir. Or is it Ate Susannah?

 

 

 

One of the undisclosed perks of working with Ruby Jane, our Personnel Department manager and new protege at jewelry making( or so I claim!), is getting to model her latest bracelets. Chic, huh?

 

 

 

There are days when this guy is just the cute monkey that he is.

Today, he has slightly evolved within an exceptionally short span of time...into a Gorilla. Still cute,nontheless. (Just so we are clear on this, Paul paid me to write the last sentence.)

 

"Tight tayo!" is our new slogan.

I will miss these smart and beautiful officemates. Give me a call if you are feeling frisky, ok? No goodbyes, alright? I hope to see you all in court one day. But for now, let's see each other in the review center. The one with the most absences will have to stand naked in front of Atty. Gambe. Peace, Atty.!

 

Now, back to studying...

Yes, I'm studying. Coffee time is just a pleasant distraction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So here I am again, studying my a** off in what is going to be the third most potentially "make me or break me" chapter of my life (the first one being my heartbreak over my boyfriend, may he rest in peace, and the second being the Manila escape-cum-review for the bar exams).  I cannot avoid but sink in moments of self-doubt and bruised ego. My self-esteem is slightly ruined. Plus, my hair color is fading.  Geez. A good magazine is my consolation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am strong in my resolve to make it to the Bar. But for now my body is becoming the anti-thesis to that: I get sleepy all the time. How can I give one hundred percent of my time to my studies in this existential state? A cup of coffee is always tempting. At least it keeps my eyes wide open. Brilliant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wonder how I can ever sit through the entire review class today. I listen to the lecture on the  very things I have studied over and over again for the last four years of my life. The law should be at the tip of my fingertips already! Darn. We'll see about that.

Attending my review classes is the best motivation I need right now.  Or should it be becoming a lawyer before I turn 30?

Whatever. God, I need your strength. Please help me through this.

Love from Ayet