strangely out of place: friendster edition

This blog is gathering cobwebs and dust. I said I don’t use this much… most of my ramblings are here.

So what’s up?

Me?
- I’m starting to draw again, though there’s still a long way for me to go. I’m relearning the basics, learning more techniques and hopefully, getting better. I’m back at yellow belt, so to speak.
- Work’s fine. It has something to do with my getting back to my creative side. I’m thankful for the chance I got. I think I owe Maya some pizza.
- I’m going to start on writing again.

Final ‘Harry Potter’ title announced

By HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer
42 minutes ago

NEW
YORK - We now have a title for Harry Potter VII. But if you want to
find out for yourself, visit J.K. Rowling’s Web site and play a little
game of hangman.

Rowling’s U.S. publisher, Scholastic Inc.,
released a brief statement Thursday announcing the name of the world’s
most anticipated children’s book, the finale to her phenomenally
popular fantasy series.

No publication date or other details
were offered. Rowling is still working on the book, she explained on
her Web site in an entry posted early Thursday.

"I’m now writing
scenes that have been planned, in some cases, for a dozen years or even
more," she wrote. "I don’t think anyone who has not been in a similar
situation can possibly know how this feels: I am alternately elated and
overwrought. I both want, and don’t want, to finish this book (don’t
worry, I will.)"

Meanwhile, she set up a test for her Potter fans.

If you go to jkrowling.com, click on the eraser and you will be taken to a room — you’ll see a window, a door and a mirror.

In
the mirror, you’ll see a hallway. Click on the farthest doorknob and
look for the Christmas tree. They click on the center of the door next
to the mirror and a wreath appears. Then click on the top of the mirror
and you’ll see a garland.

Look for a cobweb next to the door.
Click on it, and it will disappear. Now, look at the chimes in the
window. Click on the second chime to the right, and hold it down. The
chime will turn into the key, which opens the door. Click on the
wrapped gift behind the door, then click on it again and figure out the
title yourself by playing a game of hangman.

Or you can just take Scholastic’s word for it: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

Found this on PEx. Now all I have to do is wait for it to come out. Yay! 2007 is really going to be a good year!

Heading over to J.K. Rowling’s official website to try and solve the puzzle for myself… even if I already know.

One of my former co-workers and fellow blogger Rain is into photography. I was browsing through his Flickr account and was amazed by his photographs. Really cool.

I also have several other people on my blog link list who are into photography, and several friends who are into it too. Seeing their work, and their enjoyment with it, makes me want to get into photography too. Maybe as a serious hobby, and not just using a simple point and shoot camera. Though maybe I’ll start there.

As a somewhat visual artist (and I say somewhat because I haven’t done any new drawings recently), I see photography as a way to capture the beauty of things that you encounter. Every so often I see something that makes me smile, or something really interesting that I’d just like to take a reminder of and share. I don’t just want to take a picture. I want to really show it in a great way that captures what I felt when I first saw it.

Will start to read more about it. ^_^

One of my co-workers gave me the link to this ad over in Jobstreet. We had a good laugh about it because we never really expected ads such as this to pop up. Hey, work it work, and there’s nothing wrong with it if it’s honest.

Tagalog mode on, kasi naiinis ako.

Sinamahan ko kapatid ko kanina. Me tumawag daw sa kanya na babae named Jill from a company called Vision-X. The company is located at the 15th floor, Tower II of RCBC. Interview na daw siya, 2 pm. So sige, punta kapatid ko.

Pag dating dun, sinabi sa kanya ng guard na "Upo muna kayo sir, tatawagin kayo mamaya." After a few minutes, dumating na ako at ayun, kwentuhan lang kami. That was about 2:10 pm.

2:30 wala pa rin. Hindi naman daw siya binigyan ng form to fill up or anything, so hindi ko rin alam kung pano siya tatawagin, unless me file sila or something.

2:45. Sabi ko mag tanong na siya. So pumasok siya dun sa parang office nila, and told them na yun nga, kanina pa siyang 2:00 andun waiting for the girl Jill to call him. Nagtinginan pa yung mga tao dun na parang, "Sino si Jill?" Sinabi nalang sa kapatid ko na mag-antay ulit.

3:15. Wala pa rin. Tayo ulit ang aking brother at nagtanong. Pinag-antay siya ulit. Nakakabad trip di ba? So nag decide siya na wag nalang ituloy ito, at umalis na kami.

Nakaka-irrita yun. In the first place, the company should be aware who they call and ask to come in for an exam or an interview. Second, they should be aware of the people they employ to that work for them. Third, if they made a mistake, they should make up for it. For example, they could have asked my brother to fill up the form that they ask all other applicants to complete if they realize that they don’t really have his record. They could have also bumped him up on the queue and entertained his application, or they could re-schedule. As it was, my brother had to sacrifice some obligations for this. Sila yung naghahanap ng tao, the least they can do is treat their applicants with respect. Sure, my brother needs the job, but they’re not the only call center in the metro. And they brag the cool things and benefits they have sa company. Well, kung sa simula palang ganun na sila mag-trato ng tao, no thanks.

Wake up, people!

Recently got some games for my GBA SP: Final Fantasy Tactics, and Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. Yes, I know I am so horribly late when it comes to actually playing games, but I try to keep updated as much as I can, even if it’s just in theory.

When I got the cartridges, they wouldn’t run. It would load the "Gameboy" intro, and then that was it. Of course, I was furious, so the next day (tonight, actually) I went back to the shop where I got it, and complained. The girl proceeded to do blow on the cartridge and gently bang it on the counter, and woah! It loaded.

Now why didn’t I think of that? I used to own a Family Com (back in the 80s, retro gaming!) and what the shopgirl did was exactly what my brothers and I did when the game won’t run. Hah. Silly me.

So now, I’m running two… or should I say, three, games at once. The FFTA, LoZ:MC and Pokemon: Emerald. My brother Miks said he’ll bring home Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. Hah! No sleep for me!

And now, I retreat into my silent world of gaming. Cheerio until I surface.

Hello.

I’ve been doing alot of seaching in the past couple of days. Searching for answers to questions I’m not even sure I should be asking. Feh.

I’ve more or less settled with my current situation. Ganun naman ako eh. I can adapt easily, but that doesn’t mean I won’t accept it docilely. I’ll be grumbling a little, but will try to make the best of it.

Work is… work. Nothing much different, I suppose. Many friends have gone, but I’m happy to have made new friends here too. They’re actually people I’ve worked with before, but it was only until we moved here did I finally put a face to the names I’ve been seeing for months. Possibly it’s one of the very few things I am happy about with this move. Otherwise, I can’t wait to get out.

I’m currently enrolled in a program to improve my performance at work. Not that my record is bad, it’s just it’s not in order. I’m down to the last two weeks of it, and I’m using it as the basis of what I’m going to do next. If I don’t meet my target, I’ll say goodbye in thirty days. If I meet my target, it’ll be forty, er, sixty days. Other than that, I’m, uh, keeping my options open *grin*

House… well, my parents were supposed to fix up the house we used to live in, but my uncle’s wife was very much against it. I thought, well, she doesn’t really have the right to say no because the property belongs to my grandfather. But dad decided that it wasn’t worth fighting for, so we’re looking for a house to buy. Pa’s also thinking of a condo or an apartment, prefereably a rent to own deal.

I never imagined that I’d be living in a condo. :S

We have about two weeks to go until we have to move out of the house we are in now. My grandparents have lived in that house for almost 20 years now, and I’ve lived in it for four. I know that the day we have to leave it will be inevitable, but somehow, I never thought I’d see the day. Maybe because I was aware that for as long as my grandparents were alive, we’d have that house, and I’ve always thought my grandparents would live forever. I’m not naive about death or anything. I’m just well… I suppose when you get used to one thing, you’d rather not have it changed.

I also joined an independent group of kids (and belive me, they are kids ahaha) in putting up an online magazine. It’s still in the works, but the site’s up. My articles aren’t up yet (that’s because I haven’t submitted them hahaha), but anyone who wants to take a look can do so right here. If anyone wants to flame, please make it constructive.

Later, I’ll be going to the mall again. No shopping for me, unless you consider looking for a new job shopping.

I’m tired. I want to do something creative.

As I mentioned before, I don’t really update this blog. Only when I feel like it. I have another blog (or blogs) that I update on a regular basis.

Blogspot

Livejournal

Multiply (for pictures and stuff)

DeviantArt (my drawings and photographs)

^_^

I don’t really believe in horoscopes, but it’s fun to read them and sometimes you just marvel at the coincidences.

The second part caught my attention. Don’ give a crap about the first (if anyone is thinking of me, let it be the guy I have in mind and not someone else, otherwise they can go far, far away).

See, I’m on my "decision making" mode once again. Got invited to join a few friends to climb up Gulugod Baboy at the end of the month, and with no second thoughts, I said yes. Even borrowed my cousin’s tent and other mountain climbing gear for the heck of it.

Yesterday, during lunch, my aunt reminded me that it was my parent’s 25th wedding anniversary (yeah, silver) on the 26th. She asked me if I was going home on that weekend or if my parents had any plans of visiting us in Manila.

Most likely they’d rather have me visit. So now I’m torn. Would I spend my leaves with my family and celebrate with them? Or do I climb up the mountain and do something new? I’d like to do both, actually. When I think about it, the mountain will be there next year, and the years after that. But my parents will only celebrate thier silver anniversary once (duh).

So now read the 2nd part again, and then tell me you don’t believe in horoscopes… or coincidences at least.

Friday afternoon Miel asked me if I wanted to go with her and watch Bamboo at the Celebrity Sports Plaza. I had just finished the first part of my interview and was feeling really stressed so I immediately said yes to my cousin’s invitation. I rushed to her house as fast as I could and got there a little after 8:30 pm. We arrived at Celebrity a little after 9. The front act was still performing, so we sat on some chairs at the back and did a little catching up.

After announcing the winners of the Halloween costume contest, the band finally came onstage, riling up the crowd with "F.U." Of course, everyone was signing out loud with Bamboo Manalac, while the ones who weren’t were screaming "I love you Ira!" at the top of their lungs.

It amuses me that probably 75% of the audience were kids who were probably unborn or at least still in their diapers when Bamboo first came out with Rivermaya. Yet there they were screaming out thier lust for two men who were probably twice their age. Then again, I can’t blame them as both Bamboo and Ira are H.O.T. Talented too.<p>

The band sang songs from their two albums, but it was when Bamboo broke into the first part of "Kung Ayaw Mo Wag Mo" did the fans start really raving. I like Rico Blanco and the current Rivermaya but it’s so much better when Bamboo sings the older songs. They also performed "Kisapmata" and my favorite Rivermaya song, "Ulan." Iba talaga boses in Bamboo (I’m so sorry Rico. Peace!)

One of the coolest parts of the concert was when Ira took a kid off the audience
and had him climb up the stage as he was getting crushed by the bigger people.
The kid sat on one side of the stage for about four or five songs, smiling and
waving at the people. Cute kid. Then, when the band was playing "Children of the
Sun", Bamboo came up to him and handed him a microphone to sing along. At the
part where the song goes "I ask you all to bear witness to the rape of these
young souls," Bamboo keeps pointing to the kid (who just kept grinning). During
the instrumental part, Bamboo asked, "Do you have a name, young man?" The kid
replied, "Joshua," and Bamboo again asked (much louder this time) him what was
his name. This time the kid yelled it. Then Bamboo started walking around the
stage while the band played, and he kept yelling "Jooshhhhhhuuuuaaaa!"
It was cool, and the kid’s got something to brag about.

The band ended
the show by singing "Masaya", with just Bamboo and Ira. The crowd sand along
with them. It was really great. I may not be the musician my brother Nuks and
Miel’s brother Lee are (both confessed to not really liking Bamboo, both band
and singer, but I don’t care), but to me, these guys are really talented.
Doesn’t help that the band members aren’t at all bad to look at either. I heart
Ira and Bamboo.