Movie Review: Rurouni Kenshin

It was a set date today, December 8, 2012, as I watched one of the movies I was very excited about: Rurouni Kenshin. I went with my bestfriend, Megan, and our partners. Before it was released in the Philippines, we decided to watch it together since the anime adaptation of this movie was the reason why we met way back our high school days.

Credits: SM Cinema

The movie revolved around Himura Kenshin, a wanderer who is looking for a peaceful life with a vow to never kill again. Before, Kenshin is the heartless assassin called Hitokiri Battousai. In his wandering, he meets Kamiya Kaoru, the head of Kamiya dojo, whom he saved a couple of times. She was aware of Kenshin's previous life yet supports him in his new outlook. Yahiko, a trainee at Kamiya dojo, brought along Takani Megumi, a doctor who ran away from the smuggler, Takeda Kanryu, who asked her to create opium. Sagara Sanosuke joined them when Kenshin decided to rescue Megumi who decided to return to Kanryu when the lives of the village people were endangered as they look for her. Upon fighting Kanryu's subordinates with the police, Hajime Saito, the killer who calls himself Battousai, Udo Jine, kidnapped Kaoru. Kenshin rushes to save Kaoru and decides to kill Jine for her. Kaoru asked him to stop as she told him that he shouldn't go back to killing again. The movie ends with Kenshin saying he's home with Kaoru and the others in the dojo.

I should say that the movie is a very good adaptation of the anime series. If you have no idea what Rurouni Kenshin is, the movie summarizes what it is about. But as for me, who is a fan of the anime series, I should point out that the sequence of the movie is pretty mixed up. Some characters in the anime didn't show up, like my bias, Shinomori Aoshi who should appear with Hannya, as Kanryu's subordinates. Also, I expected that Kaoru's kidnapping will be a dramatic like the one in the anime with Jine on a boat.

Since the movie is all about samurais and action, the movie showcased superb fight scenes. The part where Kenshin saved Kaoru from Kanryu's men as they take over the dojo was amazing. The stunts were smoothly executed and the sound effects complimented their moves. As for the movie's soundtrack, "The Beginning" by One OK Rock is a perfect fit the story's aura.

Whether you are an anime fan or not, Rurouni Kenshin is a must-see. It is not just about killing and bloodshed, but it is also about moving forward to change to a more meaningful and peaceful life.

The Gadget Story

I don't know if it's because I'm in a technology-oriented career that I have gained so much interest in gadgets. Back then, it was my mobile phone which I consider as the only gadget I own. It was not much back then since it is only used for calling, texting and free internet surfing via GPRS. But when I had my hands on an iPod Video last 2007 to which I call Ivysaur, my interest grew bigger.

Since Ivysaur, I convinced my dad to buy me a netbook, Aspire (because it is an Acer Aspire One), for my programming class in which I tweaked and optimized to my preferences. Thanks to my major, Information Technology. I am always into games so I bought a second-hand PSP to which I named NeoN-G as my Christmas present last 2010. Well, hello to PSP modding, I was able to play arcade and role-playing games even I'm in the van to the office where I had my on-the-job training. Then as a present for my graduation last 2011, I was given an iPod Touch 4G. By August of the same year, I bought an Olympus E-PL2 camera which I named Olee.

Now the yearning doesn't seem to fade. I wanted the apps, so I learned jailbreaking for RAIJIN, my iPod. I downloaded all the apps that suited my tastes like productivity, social, photography and of course, games. I also bought a new phone in December 2011, a Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini to experience the Android platform. The camera was superb. But my gadgets don't seem to last. Aspire died (the display malfunctioned), NeoN-G had a power failure and my Xperia Mini was having touch problems. So it was just RAIJIN and me. To make up for Aspire's loss, I bought Phoenix last April; an AMD-based desktop computer. I brought NeoN-G to a repair service but after a few weeks it malfunctioned again. Up to this time, it's still dead. As for my Xperia Mini, I sold it since I can't keep up with its problems and replaced it with a basic Nokia phone. For now, it is me, RAIJIN, Olee and Phoenix.

I still have needs though. I want to take pictures but I can't bring Olee along all the time. I want internet on the go but RAIJIN doesn't have a cellular capability for mobile internet. I want to update my social media accounts, but my phone is so basic. I found the answer for the internet and social media dilemmas with my Blackberry 9320. It was a plan under Globe Telecom and it has unlimited internet and a wifi hotspot. Undeniably, it sustained my needs. There's only one dilemma left: the camera. There's no solution up to now, but I guess I just have to bear bringing Olee along all the time.

The desire for new gadgets is still on fire. Especially now, when there are new releases that catch my eye. I guess I need to settle the budget and the need now since the list of wants is piling up fast. I plan on upgrading RAIJIN with the new Ipod Touch 5th Generation, buying a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for reading e-books, NFC and camera and getting a new Aspire One for a handy PC. I'm also having thoughts on an Asus Nexus 7 or an iPad Mini.

Oh well. These are all plans anyway. Let the budget talk!

The Planner Journey

Many of the well-known coffee shops today will be starting the holiday trend: get our 2013 planners. I bet every cafe has their own mechanics on how the public can grab one of the limited edition planners. Starbucks Coffee is famous with the sticker collection for the next year's planner. This year, Starbucks requires everyone to buy seventeen (17) drinks: nine (9) of their featured holiday drinks and eight (8) of their other core drinks. Their holiday drinks include: Peppermint Mocha, Toffee Nut Latte and Dark Cherry Mocha. Another coffee shop is Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (CBTL), to which instead of stickers, they are giving a stamp for each drink that you buy. They require their customers to avail four (4) featured beverages, one of the following kinds: their latest Red Velvet, Tea Latte, Espresso-based drinks and Ice Blended drinks. If they got these four drinks, they can choose any 8 (eight) drinks of their choice. That totals to twelve (12) stamps to own a CBTL planner. Yesterday, when I was on my way home, I passed by Seattle's Best Coffee and they have their own planner. Too bad I haven't tried it yet so I don't have an idea on how it works and how their coffee tastes. Maybe one of these days. Ü


I am actually a coffee drinker. It started when I was in college and I am required to stay up until the wee hours of the morning to code our programs. From there, coffee became my best bud. If coffee is unavailable, I drink tea. Tea is not only an alternative to coffee but also one of my diet friends. However, it was only now that I had the interest (and budget), to grab one of those planners. I already have the sticker book from Starbucks and the stamp book from CBTL. The former currently has six (6) stickers while the latter has five (5) stamps. So why two? It's because I'm still undecided on what to get. If I don't get the other, my sister can always have it. I'll just see which one I'll complete first.

Having said that, which planner will you suggest me to get? Ü Join me in my Planner Journey to 2013!

Disclaimer: Photos courtesy of Google Images

Anime Festival Asia 2012: It's A Go!

And it is confirmed!

I will be going to Anime Festival Asia 2012 (AFA 2012) to be held at Singapore Expo. This was merely a coincidence because we booked our flight to Singapore for November 9 to 12 last August and after a week of our booking I saw AFA's advertisement. I was like, YAAAAYYY!!

If going to Singapore is my first time to head outside the country, AFA is my first ever international convention. Not only that, it is a well-known gathering of otakus all over Asia and has amazing booths and programs planned for the attendees. This year, AFA was held also in other countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.

AFA is not only an anime convention but also a movie house and a concert hall. I Love Anisong which is dubbed Electric Groove is the musical event for AFA and it will hold three concerts for its three-day event starting 7:00 PM. On November 9, there is the Electro Stage for a solo concert of T.M. Revolution. The next day there will be the Jump Stage for FLOW, LiSa, BABYMETAL, fripSide and m.o.v.e.. On its last day, the Diamond Stage will feature May'n, Minami Kuribayashi, Sea*A and Sphere. Aside from the concerts, movies such as Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Naruto: Road to Ninja will be shown during the day. Separate tickets apply for all of the abovementioned.

Having all of these ahead of me, who am I to be not that excited? See you AFA and see you Singapore!

RA 10175: A Stand

I was eating breakfast when I heard on the radio about a certain cybercrime bill that the government is about to approve. I said to myself, "Wow, it's a lot better than RH bill", since right now cyberbullies and other forms of computer misuse exists. Then a few days after, I've encountered some posts in my Facebook news feed about liking or retweeting a post can have you charged for libel. I disregarded these until last Monday, when I heard that RA 10175, Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, is about to be implemented on Wednesday, October 3. So it was that bill I heard last week with the news on banning liking and retweeting.

Last Tuesday, while I was browsing my Facebook groups, a friend of mine posted something about an online rally against the Cybercrime act. That pushed me to read its full text since a lot were already sharing "No to Cybercrime Law" and other anti posts. I don't want to make a stand without analyzing what this act is really about. As I was reading, I really knew something was wrong with this.


Photo courtesy of Philippine Internet Freedom Alliance
RA 10175 contains the usual cybercrimes we are to encounter at present. Punishable offenses include illegal access, gadget misuse, hacking and identity theft. There were also content-related offenses like cybersex, child pornography and libel. If you are found guilty, you can be punished with prision mayor or fined at least Php 200,000.00.

Now what is it that the people are ranting about? It is the libel clause. There is no doubt that this act is to protect the public as well as the corporate industries from cyber attacks. But to suppress one's freedom of expression, it is a different story. One cannot simply comment regarding a national issue since he's afraid to be charged guilty of libel. For example, a congressman will run on the upcoming elections, as well as his son. Many whereabouts will arise from the public and these whereabouts will be released in their blogs; an online journal. Now, if this act is to be implemented, whoever writes against an issue is charged of libel.

But what they are tampering is public opinion. We are all entitled to speak our minds. Who knows if our understanding of the matter can be beneficial to the ones involved? Sometimes listening to others can make us grow and create better decisions. If speaking one's mind is a crime, how come we call this government democratic?

Another is the clause on cybersex. Have the authors considered that if a couple decided to do "it" with full consent due to their longing for each other, will that still be considered a crime? To what elaborate means does this clause pertain to? Maybe they should go after those who engage in cybersex with compensation; that is already considered prostitution.

There is nothing wrong with what the act is trying to do. Banish cybercrimes. We all want that. But to our legislators, please consider revising this law. What you stated here is only a side of the coin. Before you pass this, please think of what the consequences may be. Please look on all areas of concern before creating a law that might affect millions of people.

I hope the legislators who created this bill will hear our pleas. But as for now, I make my stand to not pass this until amendments are made. Remember that what you are trying to get into is social media. With just a blink, everything may change.

Think before you act. Think before you click. Think before you sign.

The Third Hospital

It was not so long ago when I started watching Korean drama. Also, it was not so long ago when I started fangirling over So Nyuh Shi Dae (Girls Generation). And it was also not so long ago when I became aware of the effects of eastern and western medicine.

Photo courtesy of Google
Korea's tvN started airing The Third Hospital (제3병원) last September 5, 2012. The story revolves around the conceptions of eastern and western medicine. Each practice is represented by a doctor: Kim Doo-hyun (played by Kim Seung-woo), a neurosurgeon and Kim Seung-hyun (played by Oh Ji-ho) an acupuncturist. These two are not just specialists on western and eastern medicine respectively, but they are also brothers who have gone separate ways.

Photo courtesy of Google
Now how does SNSD relate to this drama? SNSD's Soo Young appears in this series as Lee Euijin, a violist, who is madly in love with her childhood friend, Seung-hyun. She opted to stay at Seung-hyun's place when she came back from Germany to audition for the Asia orchestra. With her is Jin Hye-in, which is played by Kim Min-jung, a doctor who is practicing neurosurgery with Doo-hyun but has an eye for eastern medicine since her father is an eastern doctor.

Personally, I am very much excited to watch this series, not just because Soo Young is there, but I would also like to learn about the whereabouts of the different medical traditions. Hopefully, I can create a review of each episode.. errmm, I'll just keep my fingers crossed!

Coffee Break: Subspace Coffee

Before anything else, today is my ping pong buddy, co-owner and good friend, Jonathan's birthday. He generously treated us at Shakey's Restaurant at SM Megamall. Thank you Atan! May you have many more birthdays to come!

For our afternoon snack, Sienna, Ray and I, went to Subspace Coffee. It is only 5-minute walk from our office. Sienna was the reason why I came across this cafe. She said that she read a blog about a Korean-inspired coffee shop having K-Pop music as background songs and a spot for fan merchandise. Having said that, we decided to give it a try.

Subspace has a unique interior which gives a relaxing and classic ambiance. The beverages are in the form of coffee and tea which comes in hot or cold. They also offer pastries and turnovers to accompany your drink. Sienna and I ordered Purple Potato Latte (hers in hot, mine in cold) while Ray had a cold Peanut Butter Latte.

While waiting for our orders, I had the chance to take a peek in the fan merchandise corner. There resides the albums of TaeTiSeo, SNSD, Shinee, Super Junior, f(x), and many others. I believe that this place is a one-stop shop for Korean culture enthusiasts.

So what can I say about my drink? I think purple potato is just a fancy name for ube. We can justify that since our drinks tasted like it. It is not too sweet, which for me is perfectly fine. The cold drink looked like a normal "coffee in a plastic cup with straw". I envy the hot variant because the coffee froth has a design in it. If you want cute drinks, go for the hot ones.

As for the Peanut Butter Latte, well, er.. it tastes like peanut butter. But it is also not the sweet type, maybe because it's coffee. It has a strong taste in it, which is perfectly fine for those who do not prefer sugar.
For my conclusion, Subspace coffee is a cozy place to have an afternoon chat with your friends. The Korean music is a plus if you're a K-Pop fanatic. Prices range from Php 80 to Php 150.

Subspace Coffee
G/F Grand Emerald Tower
F. Ortigas Jr. Road (formerly Emerald Ave.)
Ortigas, Center, Pasig City

Hero Face-Off 2012

Despite my late arrival at home last night, there's no stopping to go to my second cosplay convention this year: Hero Face-Off 2012. It was held at MegaTrade Hall 1 in SM Megamall Building B. This event is mainly a cosplay competition and the winner will be the representative of the Philippines for Anime Festival Asia in Singapore on November.

I didn't come to cosplay at all. I came for a new purpose, and that would be photography. Since I've been inactive in cosplay for almost 8 months already (my last cosplay was at AME Monogatari last November), I decided that I will figure out a reason to go to conventions even without a costume. Thank God He gave me a camera. It will now be put into a good use as I'll be roaming around practicing my photography skills.

Also, we had a general meeting with my other club, Otaku URule! Shot Glass, which is the photography division of my cosplay organization from my alma mater, PUP Otaku URule!. I am required to attend because I urged our founder to make this work. Hearing his visions and desire of the other members to learn, I gained the motivation to push this through. We took pictures of the cosplayers outside the hall (yes, I don't have money for the ticket) who are in really cool costumes. Thanks to my officemate who lent me his Lumix camera, I was able to keep up with the settings and produce cute pictures.

Here are some of the pictures I took:

Check the photos at my FlickR account: http://www.flickr.com/people/paupaulene .

It was a tiring day, yet I am very happy to meet other people who walks under the same light as mine. Cheers!

Wake Up! : Starbucks Black Iced Tea

Since I was having heavy eyelids the entire afternoon, me and my officemate grabbed something to wake us up. We ended up at Starbucks Coffee along F. Ortigas Jr. Road in Ortigas Center. It's located at Emerald building beside The Orient Square, where our office is at.

It was thanks to the Php 300 gift certificate my officemate had as a reward for perfect attendance. We bought two Grande Iced Teas and two Honey Glazed donuts which amounted to the same amount as the GCs.

There were two kinds of iced tea, the barista said. One was the black tea and the other was the passion fruity one. I forgot the names. He said that the black tea has caffeine in it while the other has none, but possess a tutti frutti flavor. Well, my officemate tasted the fruity one and remarked that it is somewhat sweet. That leaves the black tea to me. I should say that the caffeine was masked by the usual black tea flavor and it turned out to be a unique blend which is really delicious. The honey-glazed donut's taste is similar to the honey-glazed donut of Krispy Kreme. Dunno if they buy the donut there. *peaceout*

I would recommend the iced tea for those who are seeking for a unique flavor. So far today's snack woke me up ang gave me energy to work once again. Thanks to the GC and to the caffeine! It was a great first time experience!

Day 1: MVC 4 Highlights

For the last 2 hours what we did was discuss how ASP.NET MVC 4 works. There was no coding yet since our Visual Studio solutions has no MVC 4 template. Our trainor created a sample MVC project and we explored how the structure of MVC differ from that of ASP.NET web forms. And gosh, there was a lot.

MVC 4 does not contain physical files. Unlike in ASP.NET web forms, the codes locate the .aspx files. Let's say I'm at the home page, I want to go to the About page. Therefore, I must have a page called Home.aspx and About.aspx. In MVC 4, these are not needed anymore. The pages are represented by methods in a specific controller. If you notice in a MVC website, there is no .aspx extension in the url. Instead of http://localhost:1111/Home.aspx, you have http://localhost:1111.

We also created a CRUD (create, retrieve, update, delete) functions for the sample project. MVC 4 provides a quick way in generating a form view for the model by using the @Html.EditorForModel() helper. What you need to add is the save button for the transaction.

Tomorrow, we will be creating a project from scratch. Let's see how it will work out. Gladly, we have pork barbecue for lunch! Yippee!

ASP.NET MVC 4: It Is So On!!!

Photo courtesy of Google Images
Our office announced last week that the training department will be conducting a week-long training for ASP.NET MVC 4. Well, being one of those who are hungry for new technologies (when I say hungry, I am really into learning new stuff especially if it concerns my expertise) I am one of those people who signed up. It is also stated that there will only be 8 slots for the said training. Even if I am currently engaged in a web-based project, we're not using MVC 4. That aspect may minimize my chance of being engaged in that activity.

But God is really good. He granted me the opportunity of attending those 5 sessions starting today. Being the only girl in the room, I didn't feel awkward at all. What I'm after is the knowledge I'll be having after a week that will definitely be a great addition to my skill set. From this day forth, I shall inject MVC ideas in my little programming repository.

Every session starts at 11 in the morning and ends at 1 in the afternoon. Free lunch is served but it doesn't necessarily mean we're studying while eating. A break is graciously given to us trainees. Before and after our training session, we are back to our usual developer lives. As for me, I will be working on our project's release this week.

In a separate blog post, I shall give my IT readers some of the things I learned in every session for the whole training. Yes, you will also learn what I learned in there.

For the developers and aspiring ones out there, happy reading! :)

SNSD: Make You Feel The Heat

From the J-Pop culture, I am now familiarizing myself with K-Pop. I decided to listen first to the songs SM Entertainment. These are the songs of SNSD, TVXQ, f(x) and SHiNee to name a few. Then, here I was already fond of a single group: SNSD.


Photo courtesy of Google


So Nyuh Shi Dae, best known as Girls' Generation, are composed of nine pretty and model-like girls who are talented in dancing and singing. They are YooNa, YuRi, Seo Hyun, Soo Young, TaeYeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Jessica and Hyoyeon. They popularized the songs Genie, Oh! and Mr. Taxi that was later became a hit not only in Korea but here in the Philippines as well.

I saw the SNSD fans from the first KPop Convention I attended. I can say that they are really certified SONES (hardcore SNSD fans). They dress and dance like them. Dance covers are the most common maybe because it is easier to do than sing their Korean songs which for us is pretty hard to pronounce.

Speaking of songs, SNSD has different versions of their music. Since their popularity reached Japan, they created a Japanese version of their songs. Also, they have an English version of their song The Boys.

Recently, they released the music video of their new song Paparazzi, which also has a dance version. Watch it below:

Drawing Epic Detectives

Finally I had my hands to the stories of the greatest detective in the world - Sherlock Holmes! (and the drawing book!!)


I've been looking for the first volume of the complete stories of Sherlock Holmes since last year. But everytime I go to the bookstore, I only see the second volume. Thanks to my friend, Sienna, who asked me to go to the bookstore with her. I finally saw my most-awaited volume. Despite my tight budget, I bought the book to the thought I won't be seeing it ever again.

Well, hello weekend! It's time for the most epic detective stories ever!!! FANGIRL MODE!!!

Music of the Night in Manila!

I am one broadway enthusiast. It gained my interest since I was 13 due to my exposure to stage plays. Thanks to my dad who is often invited to act in these performances. This is also the reason why I wanted to enhance my singing abilities. One of my dreams is to perform in a stage musical.

Photo courtesy of Google
To name one of my favorites, it is Phantom of the Opera. I first watched this last 2004 as a movie. Then I searched the Internet for the original one.

Little did I know that it will soon be here in Manila. The Cultural Center of the Philippines will be showing Phantom of the Opera on August to September this year. It will be at the CCP Main Theater and tickets are distributed by TicketWorld. Ticket prices range from Php 2000 - Php 7000.

Oh how I want to watch this. Let me just look for someone to come with me to listen to the music of the night!

Summer Over

Photo courtesy of Google
I knew right then and there when I left the house that summer is officially over. It was raining hard. The news said that there is a storm coming so we must expect wet roads and worst, floods.

However, it is already anticipated that this time of the month will bring the drizzles. That's why I'm pretty much contented on what I had for summer even if its just a simple swimming getaway.

Oh well, time to bring your umbrellas!

SPIRE: Enable Siri on non-iPhone 4S Devices

To start the morning right, I decided to check my business ad in a group in Facebook. Luckily, it's still there. I browsed through the ads posted selling secondhand iPhones, Blackberry phones, laptops, etc. What caught my eye is a certain ad that says: "Selling iPhone 3GS iOS 5 with Siri." Did I read it right? I wondered if once you installed iOS 5, in which I did a month ago with a high unmitigated risk on my iPod Touch 4G, the device will also have a Siri capability. There was no Siri in mine, so I decided to ask Google about it.



It's true then. There is this Cydia package called Spire which is addressed as the legal Siri port for non-iPhone4S devices like iPod Touch 4G, iPhone 4 and iPad, even iPhone 3GS. With this list of devices, it clearly states that the device should be running on iOS 5. However, to make Siri work, you need a proxy server which is available only in iPhone 4S. Various "free proxies" are already around the net but most of them of course are scam and the working ones are paid. It is suggested though that if you own an iPhone 4S, you can share its authentication token to your other non-Siri devices. The catch is the token is regenerated every 24 hours.

If you are one of us who wants to experience Siri in our non-Siri devices, then I believe it is worth a try. Upon learning this new tweak, I'll definitely give you an update on how this works.

Itadakimasu! Chicken and Tuna Onigiri

Itadakimasu! My kapatid, Ate Zyn, gave me and Michelle an onigiri (japanese rice balls) today. There were two, a chicken and tuna onigiri. Michelle and I took half of each and I can say it really tastes good! Time to unleash my Japanese fondness and eat! Yum yum away!

jQuery Mobile - The Mobility Framework

Another breakthrough for today's technology is the importance of accessibility and portability. That is why nowadays, lots of gadgets are produced to promote these two factors mainly in the image of mobile devices. To link it with the current norms of doing business, this kind of technology targeted large companies, consultants and even freelancers. Apple provided it this need in the form of the iPhone followed by the iPad. Android made it possible through Samsung and Sony Ericsson devices while Windows is on its way for the Windows Phone, giving the market access to what is in the computer to the device. Blackberry, being one of the early sought-after business phones, made it clear from the start what doing business "handheld" is all about.

Little did the people know about how do the apps they buy in the Store or the Market are made. For these apps' developers, they are using different kinds of framework to make the people touch and feel it. jQuery is a famous Javascript library which is used to simplify HTML scripting. It is commonly used in websites, mostly to create animations and plugins and provide an appealing user interface to the user. jQuery had their mobile version which is called jQuery Mobile to extend the features of jQuery to the mobile devices.

jQuery Mobile is compatible with the majority of mobile devices today. That is why it is easier for developers to create a website that is readable not only in the computer but also in their own devices. HTML5 and CSS3 is also used in coding with jQuery Mobile which offers new functionalities and extensive design enhancements.

PageRank 1

Little did I know about search engine optimization (SEO) and Google PageRank until today. I was eager to push my blog to be one of which are searchable and contains relevant content. I asked my colleague, Jay, who has a background on SEO, tips on how I can rank my site. He suggested to install a PageRank detector in my browser's toolbar to check my current rank. When I did, I found out that my blog has a rank of 1. I told Jay that I only had a 1 rank and he was amazed about that. He said that it's already a big deal if I ranked even 1 since it is a tough job.

When I knew about that, I can't believe that The Geek Repository is already on its way to be something relevant. I'm really happy with my blog's achievement, knowing that I only started writing again this January. However, I believe that it's still a long way to go. Cheers still!

[MV] IU - Good Day (Japanese version)

After a year since I first encountered K-Pop singer IU through my master Rhage, her song Good Day already had a Japanese version. This is my favorite song, since it reflected my own experiences way back 2010. I had a hard time covering the original Korean version since I've always been a J-Pop enthusiast. Now with this on air, I now have my plans of recording it.

[PV] TVXQ - B.U.T.

First of all, thanks to my friend Sienna for introducing me to TVXQ. This is one of my favorite songs and finally I was able to see its music video! She asked me to write a full review of TVXQ's TONE album. Here is the link to my review.

From the album TONE of TVXQ comes B.U.T. (Beauty). Contradicting from the slow introduction comes an upbeat and sexy song. The beat reflects how adventurous the message of the song is on chasing the girl who caught his eye. It says how much he was attracted to the girl and how much he wishes to be with her. What you will feel in hearing this song is the determination and appreciation of the guy to this certain person who made his world turn around. The video may not necessarily reflect the lyrics of the song but its rhythm really does capture the intensity of what the PV portrayed.

Execute Order 24: Surprise the Birthday Boy

Despite my incomplete hours of sleep, I still managed to wake up by 7 to greet Ray. When I called him, he was already awake. I sang him the birthday song like I did a hundred times yesterday for my forced "pre-celebration". I greeted him so many times. Little did he know on what I have up on my sleeve.

I left the house by 8:30, the usual late departure and arrived at the office by 9:30. I saw my allies in the pantry and showed them what I did with the memes. I then rolled out the plan to them. I asked Kuya Bot if he can operate my gift for him; my gift is a remote control (RC) car. I decided to give him an RC car not only because his initials were RC but because he dreams of having a car of his own. So for the meantime, I decided to give him his "own" car, he can drive it alright, with the remote control. Kuya Bot agreed to operate the RC car for me. I also asked Jasper, his batchmate and buddy, to keep him downstairs for around 30-45 minutes when they decided to have a break after lunchtime. By then, we will be setting up the cake, the car and the memes. Everything was well-planned, there was just this one thing: I haven't bought the gift yet.

If there is only an alibi which I could use to excuse myself so that I can go to SM Megamall to buy the car. There was actually one, I told Ray that I'll go to the Globe Business Center to cash out some money for my business. That's fair enough. He said he was sorry he couldn't come because he'll be programming some codes for his project. "Good," I thought yet it really turned out with me saying, "Aww, it's okay". He asked me to return by 11. I managed to do the task before 11 and asked Mitc to tell Kuya Bot to meet me downstairs so it will look like as if he bought something. We were supposed to meet at 7-Eleven but thanks to Globe's delayed messages, Mitc received the messages late. When I took the elevator, Mitc met me outside the office restroom. She texted Kuya Bot to meet us there and gave the gift to him when he arrived. He returned to the office first, then Mitc, then me. Good thing Ray is in a meeting.

Mitc and Kuya Bot offered to buy the cake for me. They even shared some amount which I really see as a big favor. I tried to look for other cheesecakes near our office so it won't be a hassle for them yet they were too pricey. So we just went on with the plan, they went to Conti's Greenhills for the cake to save delivery charge. Ray and I ate his birthday lunch, which is ginataang hipon and monggo. Then we went to SM Megamall to keep him from the office until Mitc and Kuya Bot return.

When we were on Megamall, I asked why he seems so bored even if it's his birthday. He said that it's just a normal and ordinary day for him, in which I considered an advantage for the surprise. Then the conversation steered to where we left off the night before. We once again had the discussion of our misunderstanding yesterday which made me feel bad but eventually okay. When we were already back to good terms, we had a drink at Quickly in the foodcourt. He bought a Choco Loco Super for him and a Super Taro Ice for me. Then we sat at the spot which is very memorable to both of us.

Then we decided to head back to the office. Mitc texted me that they're already at the Podium when we were at the foodcourt. When I texted her that we're in El Pueblo already, she told me to slow down a little since they were still at Jollibee Emerald. We may bump into them in the elevator if ever. So I slowed down my walk and dragged Ray to 7-Eleven by telling him I want chocolate. He insisted to buy later but I said I want to buy now. I silently hoped that it didn't made him suspect a thing. I was waiting for Mitc's reply while choosing for a chocolate. It is really unlikely of me to choose slowly. I finally settled for two bars of Cloud-9. To give Mitc and Kuya Bot more time, I decided to go to the restroom. Ray made a fuss about it by telling me that I should just take the restroom in our floor. I told him in a slightly, overreacting manner that I can't hold it anymore. He then allowed me. I called Mitc when I was in the restroom and said that they were already upstairs. After, we went back to the office.

In a short while, Ray chatted me that Jasper and him will be going downstairs. It's now Jasper's move. I gave him the signal through a message in Yahoo! Messenger. When they left, I told Kuya Bot the route of the car, and the message with it, Mitc and I had the box of cake and placed the troll face sticker inside, I placed the memes in the cake and done. We'll just be waiting for their return. The only fail thing that happened was that I didn't see Jasper's text message immediately. When I saw the message, I chatted Kuya Bot right away to prepare but they were already in the office. I hope it still goes well.

When Ray saw the box (with the troll) he was cool about it. He even appreciated the troll inside. When he sat at this workstation, I went to the pantry to get the cake as he will be dealing with the remote control car which says "Follow Me" (that will be to the pantry to where I am, where the cake is and my troll-faced letter as the parking spot is). When he arrived at the pantry, I can say he was surprised by the cake and the troll letter. Mitc and Kuya Bot followed him as he read the messages in the cake. I called his batchmates to join us as we sing him the birthday song and eat the blueberry cheesecake. I showed him the videos I recorded last night with Balong and RJI greeting him (I also have a video actually). Mitc suggested that one of our officemates has a discount for Shakey's, only Php 400 for two pizzas and a 1.5L softdrinks. He then decided to treat us with that. By the end of the night, we went to Joanjo Panciteria to where my family was celebrating my sister's recognition in her college and greeted Ray a happy birthday too.

Wheeew. Despite what had happened, the misunderstandings, the death-defying circumstances of the plan and financial issues, I still manage to pull this through and make him happy. I can see how happy he really was just by observing him and that really made me thankful that I have him.

I love you sweetie. Happy birthday! :)

26 Missed Calls

Whew! I've been up all night working around tomorrow-slash-today's celebration: it's Ray's birthday!* Everything's done by now: the memes have sticks, ready to be placed on the cake with their messages on the back; I printed two troll faces, one for my letter and one for trolling; and I finally decided on a gift. It will be legen-wait for it-dary!

Today's weird since we parted in not-so-good terms. I really felt bad about what happened but that didn't stop me to continue the plan I've been executing for days. So even if I finished at around 11:30 in the evening, everything is worth it. When the clock struck twelve, I decided to call him to greet him over the phone. But unfortunately, and just as I expected, he is already asleep. I left 26 missed calls, and there's a meaning in it. Ha-ha!

I am looking forward for later, for I know he will be, well yeah, surprised and we're gonna be okay.


* I wrote this blog in the middle of the 23rd and the 24th of February.

A Not-So-Evil Plan

The other February guy celebrates his birthday tomorrow; and he has no idea what I've been up to.

I was planning a simple, surprise celebration for Ray since last Tuesday. I've been telling to myself, "It's his birthday on Friday, what will I get him?". A lot of ideas came pouring yet I haven't chose one that will make it memorable. Then there I was on 9GAG. I remembered how we had our first conversations revolving around the memes on 9GAG, as well as some trivia and wisdom quotes that were posted there. There was also this time when I recalled that we planned to have a customized shirt having our favorite meme on it. Then I decided to theme this celebration with some memes.

Having memes alone will not make it special I thought, since memes are already mainstream. There was even a proposal using memes in the internet and guys or girls lurking around talking about it. I thought of a pillow with memes, masks with memes, but it's just not that good enough. My friend, Michelle, learned about my plan and decided to help me by contributing some ideas. She told me about a some what meme mosaic with messages in it. I found that really cool so I tried to realize the idea. She gave her and Kuya Bot's (another friend of ours) message so that I can start it up. But it was a hassle since I am really not a pro in Photoshop. She asked my progress by Wednesday but to no avail. Right then and there, I thought of a simpler way to have those two essential elements: memes and messages.

Today, I asked Ray's batchmates to give me their messages, with their preferred meme. Some just gave the ordinary memes and the others generated their own. By the end of the day, I finally collected their messages and memes. They had theirs, but I don't have mine yet. My favorite meme is Troll Face and I want that to reflect my message for him. I guess I'll do it later.When I was about to go home, I recalled everything that had happened within the day. Are the messages enough? What am I going to do with it?

Tomorrow, there'll be a surprise party. There will be a cake, it will be from Conti's but I don't know yet if it's blueberry cheesecake (he loves cheesecake so much and even settles for an ice cream with cheesecake flavor) or the bestseller Mango Bravo (I remembered when I showed him an image of this when we're still chatmates). There will be memes with messages on the back and I'll place them on a stick then poke them in the cake which will make the cake more appealing. What else?

Oh yeah, I don't have a gift. Argh.

Le Birthday Dad

Today is the day that our Creator gave me my sweet, loving and jolly father. Today is his birthday and I don't know what to give him as a gift. I greeted him first thing in the morning when I woke up, while he was giving his instructions to my sister. He said thanks and headed to school. I gave him a text message, once again greeting him a happy birthday and telling him I love him. For the first time in history, he replied "thanks. love u2". He doesn't reply most of the time to those three words via text, but now he did. Yay for that!

Upon arriving at the office, I still have no idea what to give him. I asked Ray to accompany me at SM Megamall to look for one. We've gone to car shops, bookstores and clothing boutiques but to no avail. At the end of the day, I just decided to give him a cake. That was a usual buy when there's a birthday in our house. Along with Ray and Michelle when we went home from work, I bought a mango cake from Red Ribbon. Lucky that Red Ribbon allows to write some dedication even if it's a roll cake. Yes, I took advantage of that service and wrote a simple happy birthday note.

My mother called to check if I've already boarded a van and told her that I am still on the line. She asked Ray to come with me to our house for a small celebration. Ray gladly accepted the invitation. Upon arriving home, we just celebrated the night away, thanking God for giving me the best father one could ever have.

Papa Pol, Happy Birthday! I love you always. Thank you for being the best father, brother and friend to me. :)

Review: TVXQ - Tone

I am usually fond of listening songs from the anime series. But since Arashi and Supercell, I've been listening to other J-Pop bands too. A friend of mine introduced me to TVXQ and she asked me to review their album TONE.


The album has 13 tracks including a DVD for the PVs. My listening started with a soothing introduction as the first track. I believe that it set the mood of what I'm about to hear. The next song B.U.T immediately gave me the headstart I expected of this album. To be followed by the next tracks, it gave me the groove to dance with the beat. Even the songs with a lighter mood like Duet and Telephone still owned the dance beat but relayed a different meaning to its listeners. These songs gave the sentimental feel as well as the need to groove with the rhythm. But what caught my ears was the second to the last song, which I believe is a ballad. It gave
me the chills and a very heartwarming feel that soothes me. Also cheers to Thank You My Girl which adopted Canon as its base music. Going back to history is a good option, and this is a plus for those who like modern RNB as well as classical music.

I noticed however, that the arrangement of the songs kicked off with the club beats, went down a little for the in love party people in the mid, returned to the groove and lied low to a ballad as the nearing end of the tracklist. The last song, Easy Mind gave an unexpected ending to a whole listening experience. It left the listener a goodbye that somehow, in my opinion, told me that "Thank you for listening, I hope you had fun". The arrangement isn't bad. I believe that it played with the mood of the listener. It focused more on the upbeat feel yet set aside a part for those with soft sides.

Here are the reviews for each song in the album:

1. INTRO

The first song of the album is very mellow and relaxing. It is a perfect and surprising start to what is in store for the whole playlist. The lyrics of the song is somewhat sentimental which will lead you to wondering what will happen later. It started with a moment of tranquility and questions.

2. BUT

Contradicting from the slow introduction comes an upbeat and sexy song. The beat reflects how adventurous the message of the song is on chasing the girl who caught his eye. It says how much he was attracted to the girl and how much he wishes to be with her. What you will feel in hearing this song is the determination and appreciation of the guy to this certain person who made his world turn around.

3. I Think U Know

Another upbeat song to follow BUT, with somewhat the same goal. This song is about a guy who thinks that the apple of his eye, knows how he can't take his eyes away from her. The sound describes how he expresses his idea to this girl and dares her to take a step with him. The situation of these characters in the song is the exact reason why the piece is arranged this way, to have a hot and exciting feel to whatever circumstances they may encounter next.

4. Duet

To follow the first two dance songs in the tracklist, was a RNB love song dedicated to the most special girl in the world. Duet says of how much he will give everything to the love of his life and is decided to stay with her forever through thick and thin. It is established in a not-so-mellow way so that it shall leave the pressure between the love statements behind. The message is expressed in a way that the listener will know what is in store for the both of them in a casual manner and something to look forward to. The title Duet implies to the message of the song a duet cannot be done alone, same as the guy can't live without this girl.

5. Thank You My Girl

The most "classical dance song" in the album. Thank You My Girl adapted the very famous Pachebel's Canon in this song as their base tone. Although Canon has always been a classic, the approach to this song is very modern. So for those who want a classic and modern feel in one, listen to this. Also, if you are a romantic who already has someone special in their life, you can dedicate this song to her as a sign of gratitude, as what this song implies. The singer thanks this certain girl who showed him life's meaning by staying by his side whatever it takes.

6. Telephone

After songs of rockin' love, is a slower version of everything. Telephone tells of a guy who hasn't seen his loved one for quite some time yet tells her over the phone how much he loves her. He asks her to trust in her despite their distance as soon he'll be seeing her again. I personally like this song, as it is already a somewhat-ballad to me even with some beats in the background. The message of the song is relayed intensely, as I can feel the singer's desire for them to meet again. The feel is so complete and heartwarming as it assures positivity between them.

7. Back to Tomorrow

This is a song that has a very deep meaning. It is about a guy assuring the girl he loves that he will take care of her and let her see the beauty of tomorrow again. This is so because this girl had her heart broken and isn't sure of what is in store for her. The song is composed with an upbeat approach that promotes the singer's strong desire to patch this girl's heart and never let her smile leave her face again.

8. Why?

A stronger upbeat song compared to the rest of the dance songs in the playlist. This songs present a more intense hiphop beat to describe how much the singer despises the girl who left him not giving him a chance to correct the things he had done. Despite it's strong musical arrangement, is a set of words of defense from a sorrowful experience.

9. Maximum

Maximum followed Why's intensity when it came to sound arrangement. But as for the message behind the song, it doesn't refer to anyone but the singer himself. He is proud to tell the world that he is now beyond his limits and as suggested by the title, at his maximum. He is proud of what he is now and screams through this song's music how much he desires to share this glory.

10. I Don't Know

This is an ironic song about someone who is crazy for a girl who pushes him around and is already to a point of obsession. The song arrangement is again in an upbeat manner to hide the singer's dizzy thoughts about this girl; on why he wishes to stick around despite their situation.

11. Superstar

Since superstars are in demand these days, this song is about a guy who wishes to be a girl's Superstar. He wishes the girl to be all about him as he is all about her. The music gave sense to the singer's desire of being this girl's eye candy. The beats represented his want to be wanted.

12. Shiawaseiro No Hana

My favorite song in the album! I love it because it is a ballad and I can relate with the lyrics of the song. It's message says of a wonderful feeling of having somebody in your life who treasures you wholeheartedly. Despite of whatever will happen in the future, he will always be there assuring his love will never fade.

13. Easy Mind

And here we are at the end of the list. The last song Easy Mind, gives as a good outro as it promotes positivity not only in the sound arrangement but as well as the lyrics. It is a reminder for each and everyone of us to relax and live our life fully despite unwanted situations.

To sum it all up, I loved listening to TONE. It is a must hear for those who are fond of having a pretty adventurous life yet has a sentimental part in their personality. It reflects the twists of life through.. tone. :)

Healthy Living in Progress

Last January 13, I blogged about the challenge that I'm going under: 27@24. It's been about two weeks since I took that challenge and I am happy to say that I have already reached the 50% of my goal. I weighed in last Saturday and I noticed that from 120 lbs. I already weigh 115 lbs! That was already 5 lbs for a 1200-calorie food intake and a 30-minute workout! Also, my waistline trimmed down to 28 inches which was previously 29. It is not bad at all! An inch is already something I consider as an accomplishment. Now, I will continue to do this routine until February 24.

I also started a 21-day No Junk Food Challenge but unfortunately, today, I ate spaghetti and fries. Sighs. I think I need to reschedule this challenge since I failed it for this attempt. But there was already a change in my outlook in eating. I choose to go healthy and natural than processed. I try to avoid salty, fatty and oily food. If ever I come across these, there is already a need for shedding the fats away. I also noticed that my body craves for exercise at the end of day. If ever I am not able to do my usual aerobics exercise or workout, I make sure that I burn the calories by using other not-so-very-likely-workout activities like table tennis and brisk walking. Even it burns fewer calories than what aerobics gives me, it is the burn that counts.

Having this progress makes me strive harder to reach my goal. If you truly want something to be achieved, you need to work hard for it. And I will. I won't let my efforts go into waste even if I reach my goal. I'll continue to maintain this healthy lifestyle that I have started.

27@24 Fitness Challenge

I am under a fitness challenge named 27 @ 24. This originated when me and my boyfriend, Ray were buying pants for this month's pay day. The mall near our office had a end-of-season sale which motivated us to treat ourselves with clothes. I pushed myself to fit the 27-inch pants despite my awareness that I indeed gained weight. 27 inches was my average waist measurement when I was still studying. Now, it grew to 29 inches. Thank you stress, work... and money to buy those sumptuous foods (chocolates, cakes, fries, pastas, pizzas, and many more). Going back, I tried to wear the pants. Unfortunately, it didn't push through. I had a 28-inch and 29-inch pants with me but, mother of God, even the 29-inch pants felt uncomfortable. It did fit, but I think it would be better if it's an inch larger; that, I don't want to try. So here I am, on this challenge.

27@24 is me gaining back my previous waist line, 27 inches on the 24th day of February 2012. That date is Ray's birthday. It isn't a gift but a goal for me to reach. It is written in our journal that one of my goals for 2012 is to reach the 110 lbs weight and maintain it. This will be my headstart. I've been reckless about my food intake and I didn't exercise for the past year even if I'm aware of my sedentary job. I am also not allowed to have a killing diet anymore because Ray disapproves it (when I said killing, it's really killing). So, this fitness challenge is sworn to be a healthy one. It involves an 30-minute exercise every night after work, 1200-calorie food intake and no meals after 6 PM. There will be certain modifications for this program but the ones I stated will definitely remain. Pulling off the treats I love is still in mind. *sigh*

But we all have goals; and this one of mine. I must strive hard to get what I want and at the same time develop a healthier lifestyle. I hope on the 24th, there is a change, fulfillment and achievement.

Sing For Stress

It was a hassle going to work today. There were no means of transportation in our place. Despite that, I'm still lucky that my dad brought the FX to school today. I didn't ride the van to Ortigas since there was a long line at the terminal. Instead, I tried to change my route. I was dropped off at Ligaya and rode a jeepney to Rosario. The way to Rosario has traffic as expected. When I was already at my destination, I tried to ride a jeepney to Crossing but only succeeded when I walked up to the church in Rosario. I was able to board a jeepney but made me feel uncomfortable. Too bad I wasn't able to watch How I Met Your Mother. Sighs.

The hours in the office seemed long since I need to program a lot of stuff. I haven't started a task from our sprint plan yesterday due to the other tasks I had for a different track. But fortunately, I managed to get hold of the new feature's backend. Thanks to music, I was in the right mood while doing work. It led to me inviting Ray to sing at a karaoke box in Timezone. He agreed and I am really happy that he is into it. Then there was an e-mail from our HR Manager that said he wanted to talk to me. What is it about? What did I do? Those were the questions that bugged me until the end of the day. This feeling of nervousness will continue since the manager had a long meeting and rescheduled me for tomorrow. I still have less than 20 hours to panic. Instead of thinking about what the meeting will be all about, Ray and I just sang our hearts out at the karaoke after work. It made me feel at ease and calm.

It is really a remarkable feeling when after a long day of stress at work, there is still someone who makes you feel comfortable and secure. So it was then, good vibes. Thank you Lord for this wonderful day.

PUP POSH wins in Showtime

Video courtesy of YouTube™
I would like to congratulate PUP POSH for winning in Showtime today. It is indeed an honor to be an alumni of the university that enriches talented and competitive students. Cheers to my alma mater, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. It is not the fame and money that counts but the quality education it shares to many. Kudos!

Hello 2012!

Two. Zero. One. Two. Oooohhhh~ AKEMASHITE OMEDETOU MINNA-SAN! :) In English, HAPPY NEW YEAR! :)

I was on the phone with Ray when the clock struck twelve. He was my first call this year. I was talking to him while jumping and shaking the coins in my pocket. Yes, I am still hoping to be taller. We talked for an hour listening to songs and making scenarios in it. We reminisced some of the good ole memories of 2011 and decided to make new milestones this year.

Right before he called, my family decided to pray the rosary to welcome the new year. After, we lit the seven candles which symbolizes the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. After 30 minutes, the candle which turned out to be the smallest will be what we will be given this year; it was knowledge and understanding (they have the same height). Fifteen minutes before twelve when we finished praying, I continued watching How I Met Your Mother until the phone rang.

2011 may not have started very well for me but at least it ended with happiness. Thank you for the new people in my life and those who I knew way before 2011 who stayed. May we all have a prosperous new year ahead and let us push to reach our goals. Cheers everyone! :)