this one is from wiki commons with this attribution:
The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, shines above Bear Lake, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Modified version of photo taken by Senior Airman Joshua Strang.
2. be able to swim for 100 meters non stop (regardless of how long it will take me and the stroke...hehe). 200 meters will be my target by the age of 35. (believe me--I am not even a good swimmer)
3. learn how to drive. learn how to dance Tango. and Salsa. (okay, thats pushing it)
4. Learn to converse in two more foreign languages. (Singlish is not counted, lor. That one, Im quite powderful oredi.)
5. Aherm--work my ass off for a PhD scholarship. and a Channel bag. Cos Im intellectually superficial like that. :)
(narrating this is an irony, because it's a conversation between me (rica) and a friend (rica). yes, I actually have 2 friends named rica (not counting myself, anubuh).
on being a barely there, struggling academic in Singapore...
ako: para kasing ano eh, parang yung meron ka ngayon eh--parang cake.
rica: ha?
ako: cake. eto yung cake na andyan, pero busog ka na.
rica: at ano naman yung other side of things?
ako: walang cake. haha
rica: hinde---yung kabilang side eh gutom na gutom ka, hindi madaling makuha yung cake, pero pag nakuha mo, masarap.
ako: aiyoh. tama. (nag isip pa) parang ano eh...
rica: ako, feeling ko this thing happening--is like an all day party. pero walang masaya.
ako: syet.
---
i heart ben folds.
You Don't know me (with Regina Spektor)
I wanna ask you - Do you ever sit and wonder, It's so strange That we could be together for So long, and never know, never care What goes on in the other one's head?
Things I've felt but I've never said You said things that I never said So I'll say something that I should have said long ago:
(You don't know me) You don't know me at all (You don't know me) You don't know me at all (at all)
So, sure, I could just close my eyes. Yeah, sure, trace and memorize, But can you go back once you know
(You don't know me) You don't know me at all (You don't know me) You don't know me at all (at all)
(You don't know me) You don't know me at all (You don't know me) You don't know me
If I'm the person that you think I am (Ah ah ahh) Clueless chump you seem to think I am (Ah ah ahhh) So easily led astray, An errant dog who occasionally escapes and needs a shorter leash, then Why the f**k would you want me back?!
Maybe it's because
(You don't know me at all)
Ahhh ah Ahhh ah
(You don't know me, you don't know me.)
Ahhh ah Ahhh ah
So, what I'm trying to say is What (What?) I'm trying to tell you It's not gonna come out like I wanna say it cause I know you'll only change it. (Say it.)
(You don't know me) You don't know me at all (You don't know me) You don't know me at all (at all)
(You don't know me) You don't know me at all (You don't know me) You don't know me at all (at all)
Thanks to the swine flu-induced travel advisory. Now, I dont feel THAT bad whenever I daydream my way to another overseas adventure. I think one eight (okay, 2 eights. haha) of my day revolves around planning for another trip. I cracked the habit last year, when planning our wedding. Now feeling a few weeks short of a decent honeymoon (i mean, Boracay was decent and okay--but i want something *eherm* 'foreign'), Jay and I have been discussing plans come end of this year (due to financial constraints, limited annual leaves and the NBA season (asa ka pa), it's gotta be between end of third quarter and early fourth quarter). Eh, anak ng tokwa, talagang hindi nako mapakali eh noh.
Gusto ko sanang tumawad ng mas maagang shorter trip, pero sayang naman, we both agreed earlier na wala munang magba back tracking, so we can't go back to Tokyo (ang kyoot sana kung may cherry blossoms background ang birthday picture ko. o ng fuji-san, with the sake in hand. omaygad!) or Hong Kong (syet, ilang wig ng manika ang mapapakyaw ko? may side-part na wig kaya dun? ilang sugarmag outfits kaya ang kasya sa maleta ko, genuine man or japeks??) I know, and OA, pero totoo itong scenario na ito--nanginginig nginig pa.
Until now we havent decided on whether we should go to the land of stone cold ice cream--that one with a French lady statue as national symbol(and it's not even France), or go 'old school' via the empires of the past and their quaint commuter towns and cities. So while practicing restraint, I just make plans. Aimlessly. I know, pathetic. Gumagawa ako ng iterinary, research ever on how to navigate the entire euro railway (if in case it's europa) from london to prague. Tumitingin ako ng cheap domestic flights from San Fran to NYC, just to get an idea how much this trip will cost us. Inaalam ko na nga rin kung magkano ang tickets ng:
-isang NBA game (well, two games, kasi napilitan lang ako sa Lakers game, at maiinggit si Jay sa Knicks game ko. harhar)
- coldplay concert sa Wembley, Parc des Princes o Estudi Olimpic (dahil manunuod ako nito! hah!)
Ngayon, kung tuloy ang Inglatera-Pransya-Espanya-Italia tour, eto sana ang gusto kong makita sa first leg of our trip:
HOPES and EXPECTATIONS 101:
Ben Ben. Dahil maganda syang litratuhan sa gabi.(mapapansin nyong halos lahat ng gusto kong landmark ay magandang litratuhan sa gabi)
London Bridge (...is falling done, falling down...)
I'm trying my best to *cram* for my somewhat thesis proposal for graduate school (im baack--well, not so soon, but getting there). So far I've made two (wadapak) of 'em half cooked bitches. Ah yes, I make thesis proposals (and business write ups) when I'm bored.
Here's something very related to thesis proposal # 1:
aside form the hilarity, it speaks uncanny truth on the issue of the day, aka the 10% of the country's domestic output, the 'pillar' of the domestic economy and the very reason why the Philippines is not in recession. NOT YET.
And oh--I still haven't decided on what to discipline I should get eternally damned for-- Political Science or Geography. (well i thought I've decided on pol sci already, pero ewan ko ba, parang walang masyadong puso eh. hehe) Ayun, nag iisip parin ako ever.
Busy po ako, sorry at nde makakatagal sa harap ng PC. Maayos na ang buhay ko next week, at saka nalang ako magpo post ng pictures, updates at kung ano pa.
ay...kinasal na nga pala ako. :) as of last night.
at heto naman ang onsite video namin by Gilbert Obispo. :)
Choice #1 for first dance: Raindrops by Regina Spektor
I can imagine it...
in quick steps..
we were dancing to this lively song
not so heart wrenchingly romantic--but light, fun and sweet.
just how i pictured it to be.
never dragging, never fancy...
it was just you and me...
Was supposed to be another project of mine--kaso baka masuka na kayo sa pag mumukha namin, tapos panay pa kyut pa. So I got this--this video/animation (sorta) was made by serenerhapsody. so thank you, youtube.
p.s. eto po ay amin. kung makita nyo ito at masabi nyong 'ay, ako rin, yan din ang gagamitin namin...', malaman man lang po nawa ng lahat na itong idea nyo magaling ay galing sa 'amin'. :) Im not being proprietary or anything, because technically its a free world, and this is a public domain. In the first place, Regina Spektor is not everyone's cup of tea--very much like us. There probably are other people out there who thought that this is may be a good idea, at nauna sila. But we thought of this ourselves, may nauna man or wala. Kaya makunsensya naman ang manggaya. at wala pang attribution. well--bukod 'don, it's alright-- 'magtae sana kayo'. :) not for a lifetime naman...for a few days onli. there--I said it. (kidding!)
I remember those days when my Pa used to give us a tour of the 'other' Laguna (and Quezon, in some parts). We drove around the towns of Liliw, Nagcarlan, Majayjay, Paete, Luisiana, Lucban, Dolores--they were very much different from our Santa Rosa (which is now a city, by the way). They are not what people would usually conjure of as 'backward', or, as a stupid, arrogant classmate of mine would deduce upon learning that Im from the 'probinsya' (a term I used to rid myself of when I was younger, having been moving around the metropolis before getting relocated 'permanently' to Laguna. now I must say 'so what?' I love my being from the provinces.): 'May kuryente ba sa inyo?' (Do you have electricity?) Duh. As if Enchanted Kingdom glows by candlelight.
Anyway--these quaint towns are different from my other 'side' of Laguna, simply becuase they are more 'probinsya'. More Probinsya=More carabaos crossing the main road, very much agri based, lots of raw and agri land, gentler pace...you get the drift (before someone bites my head off thinking Im stating a put down). And for some time, I was thinking that I want to live there--buy hectares of land, cultivate rice and my ambitious herb and berries garden (ah yeah), and just live simply (as haciendera. hehe.). Im thinking of getting my kids to help out in the famr during summer vacation, or maybe build a commercial building in it (its hectares of property, anyway, right? :)) But no kidding. Funny thing about it? It's actually a recurring dream, that sometimes I find myself hoping for an opportunity--(a bargain deal, perhaps? ) to be able to experience establishing a family, and living in one of my favourite towns--either Luisiana ('Laguna's little Bagiuo'), or Lucban (yeah, its the longganiza). I dream of their churces, their unique town planning (I mean, hello--Paete has mountain ridges as backdrop, and the town is sloping up and down--hay, I like it). It was like a vivid dream.
Kaya dont ever wonder if in the near future you'd be hearing about the 'othersideproject'. I might be blogging from Sierra Madre from then on. :)
Yes, I have a daughter. In my fantaserye days. Heh. Kidding aside (not to be mistaken as serious talk), the Sims2 loving, persona in me has ‘this child’ by the name of Stella. Not her complete name, of course. She’s close to turning four, hates the idea of going to school, and likes to tag along whenever I travel for my field research. I don’t think it’s because she’ll miss me or anything, it’s just that she takes after her mom—she loves to go places, and explore. I tried leaving her with the Mangyans before, but these friends of mine had to run after me when they found out that she’s got an appetite enough to feed the village. Stella is the quiet type (like her father)--your typical kid who like toys and running around, but smart enough to give you 101 reasons why she can play instead of take her naps in the afternoon. She invents words, and has a sketch book full of ‘invented words with pictures’. She said she’s bored ‘to (the) d-word’(yes, the d word is banned), and has been too comfortable to sit around in my office she felt like it’s her second home. Im beginning to wonder how, on earth should I explain them creatively: milo stains on some of the department's maps, mini, plastic cooking pans inserted in expensive books, butterfly drawings on my claim form.
Anyway, our department held a family outing at the zoo last weekend, so you can imagine how excited she was, and well, how things turned out.
While at the 'Animal kingdom' show...
Host: whats your name? S: Stella Host: okay, stella—can you give me one of the ‘r’s to help save the environment? S: Oh. Okay—reduce-- Host: Very goo— S: Reduce carbon monoxide and other gas emissions Host: oh...okay... thank you, here’s a fridge magnet..
Now, all she wanted was to get a particular animal, so I can sense her disappointment when I she went back to her seat, in front of us. We congratulated her, and her father had to explain the morals of being contented with what one has been given. She was silent for a while, then decided to just raise her hands again for the Q&A on stage. We thought she wanted to try her luck on the fridge magnet again, but after all three ‘R’s were given, she was still raising her hand eagerly. ‘Tapos na anak’, I told her. ‘No, not yet, there are two more’. My husband and I exchanged looks—bordering contempt and ‘yang anak mo ha’. ‘Anu pa ba, ha?’ her father jokingly inquired. She looked at him with surprise and muttered ‘Restoration. Tsaka po ‘Reclamation’, diba po?’ she looked him straight in the eye, waiting for him to say ‘Why, yes.’ Instead, he looked striken. Hehe.
(top) me, with the 'disloyal' mug, very yellow file folders on the background, and that blue chair I wish to throw away, if no one takes it out by next month. this concludes my office. heh. (bought this nice 'half' of a jacket at Zara (on sale, of course!) last year. I think it looks good on me, although sometimes I think Im getting 'Ate Guy' vibes somewhere. Ugh.)
The four things which Im praying to get for my birthday (hey, it pays to plan ahead):
1. Blythe. Kenner's version, or Takara's (not ADG's, please). They scare the hell shit some people I know, but c'mon...the girls are nice. Lookalook o.... they're fine photogenic pieces naman eh. You can dress them up, ride the train with them, fix their hair, change eye colour....Me like.
this is so Japanese. hihi. Happy Easter, ineng.
Christina Ricci-ish, eh? More like Andrea Corrs. Love the princess-au-naturelle concept. (an irony with plastic dolls. hehe) Kinomo. Tiara. Love ko na 'sya.
2. Narciso Rodriguez Musc for her. Mahabaging Dyos ko. Whoever 'gifts'me this, I pramis--I will be very nice to you, will never ever complain (for one year), never whine, will cook, will wash the dishes, will floss twice a day, will sew your clothes...will work for an NR musc. Throw in Caroline Bassette's gown, and I'll be your slave. For two years. :)
3. A trip to 'somewhere', wherein I either feed my Zara addiction, get drunk with the finest wines, eat Paella (hint hint!) , watch the sun set from the other side of the world, -OR- enjoy a Suns vs Lakers game live (out of spite Jay, out of spite)--since Shaq will be on MC that time, the Suns will win (teehee). Its snowing outside, while I sip my cafe mocha (rookie, pare: may nagka kape ba while watching a basketball game LIVE? :) )
4. wala lang-- just a wonderlife year ahead--full of surprises and blessings. (heh. told yah Im 'regular')
5. A PhD scholarship? Oh shoot...thats number five (not counted).
I would like to have this experience documented for two reasons:
1. Im proving the goody two shoes in me that Im not that er--goody. :) (I guess I havent told you THAT story-- specifically related to my poor cutting classes skills back in college and my "3.0?? i'll so kill myself" stance against--um, good grades, but thats another story)
2. My kumare 'mommyontop' will be due with my inaanak 'Crisostomo Kiko' two months from now (yes, she gave me the opportunity to christen her second 'tite' (context. please!) in accordance to the 'CK initials' rule she and Mr Frost has, in naming their brood), so in... say--sixteen years from now, he reads this blog entry while in the brink of identity crisis, he'll get it that his 'Ninang' is juvenile and cool--well, in some way. ( ah gee--now I have to make this pathetic story as tall as possible!)
Anyway--this picture was taken last year, late November. Takashimaya Ngee Ann City has this competition to erm--dress up 'yer Gundam. I recalled a recent chat with Mrs Frost regarding Mr Frost and Gundams, so I tried taking pictures. Apparently, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO. After a warning from the attendant, it still felt as if I need to take this shot. And I did. Right under his nose, as I pretended to fiddle with my phone. Hah! (oh syet...nde sya ganon ka exciting). Lemme bury this with other blog entries soon. hehe.
So Cristomo Kiko--oo, ang Ninang mong may PhD at Diplomat some more (oh come on...thats 16 years from now--pwede, diba?) ay rule breaker (in her own small, pathetic ways).
