EXCITED MUCH OVER NEW BOOKS!!!

A few days ago, I went to the Booksale branch in SM hoping to find a good book to buy...

...and I chanced upon these!!! “ヽ(´▽｀)ノ”

Max Lucado and Charles Swindoll books at Php150 only!!! o(≧∇≦o)

These books usually cost around Php450 but I got them at a third off the usual price!
The books are brand new and the pages are still crisp~!

After a while, I went to another Booksale branch where I picked up my reserved copy of 

Joel Osteen's Starting Your Best Life Now...

...for the whopping price of Php120 only!!!
It's hardbound and all pages are in full color!

I'm just so excited and happy over these!!!! Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ
I hope I can read them soon~

THE CHAIR

For as long as I can remember, I've always been fond of reading. My mother often tells me that I started to read at age 3, and by age 4 I was already perusing the newspaper. We used to live next door to my cousins, who were avid readers, and I soon followed their footsteps. By third grade I had started my own little library. By fourth grade I was already scrimping my allowance so I could expand my collection. I love reading so much that I would finish skimming all the stories in my English textbook even before the school year starts. I hang out so much at bookstores that relatives often joked that if my parents didn't know my whereabouts, they can easily figure out where I am. (And there was indeed an instance when my parents just randomly strolled into a book fair hoping to find me, and they did!) Back then, my dream job was to be a librarian. To be surrounded by different kinds of books was my ultimate bliss.

As the years went by and other priorities set in, I found less time to read. It didn't stop me from buying books though, or borrowing from friends, cos I still have high hopes of being able to read them "someday soon". And so eventually, I have accumulated quite a long reading list (and also gathered much dust on the shelves). This year, I resolve to catch up on this, with the goal of finishing at least 30 novels this 2012.

And so yesterday, I went to work armed with Ptolemy's Gate, the final installment to the Bartimaeus Trilogy. Luck was on my side, cos there were hardly any patients during my 12-hour shift. As an added bonus, there was a comfy chair in the resident's quarters (see picture above). Oh, what joy! My reading went undisturbed and I finally finished the series.

The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud is composed of The Amulet of Samarkand (2003), The Golem's Eye (2004) and Ptolemy's Gate (2005). Set in an alternate history of 1930s London, where magic plays a strong role in politics and in shaping world events, this is the story of a gifted and ambitious young magician named Nathaniel, his cheeky five-thousand-year-old djinni Bartimaeus, and a feisty commoner named Kitty Jones. Their lives are intertwined in a series of conflicts, magical adventures and complex conspiracies that will bond them in a destiny that just might save their world.

Initially I found this a bit hard to digest cos the books are quite thick and the fonts quite small. I also thought that it might be a drag, so I kept pushing off reading this series. But when I really focused on it, I realized that it was immensely enjoyable! The story is rich with humor, suspense and excitement that will make you flip page after page and keep you guessing until the end. Since every chapter is told from one of the protagonists' point of view, I can associate and empathize with all three main characters. I particularly looked forward to chapters that are told from Bartimaeus' POV, cos he's such a tease! He likes to brag and make snide and sarcastic comments that often made me guffaw out loud. There are also footnotes in his chapters which give us glimpses of his rich past and explains a lot about his otherworldly attributes. Nat, on the other hand, developed not only physically but also in knowledge and in character. Seeing him grow up and change from book to book makes you wonder expectantly if he will become the typical corrupt magician, or if he does have traits which will make him exceptionally different. And sure enough, I was not disappointed with how he turned out. Kitty's perspective does not appear till the second book, but her character also develops wonderfully and she becomes a significant part of the plot. I especially loved the third novel, since it was so exciting, fast-paced, action-packed, and I won't spoil, but the ending just clinches everything so perfectly and satisfactorily that I am still affected by it even until now, more than 24 hours after finishing it. I thought that each book is separate from the other, but when I read the final installment, it actually connects all the incidents and wraps up the trilogy into a beautiful and epic conclusion. I am certainly most pleased with it! (^o^)/

I really want more of Bartimaeus and I'm so happy to learn that the author has actually released a prequel for this series, called The Ring of Solomon (2010) (Oh~ Thank you so much, Mr Stroud!!!) Although sadly, we won't be hearing more of Nat and Kitty, but I am thrilled that I can read more about our audacious djinni! I hope I can find the book (prolly not in our local bookstores though, maybe in Manila...).

Lately I've only been reading books aimed for children and young adults. Series I've finished in the most recent years include The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, Twilight, Fablehaven, Daniel X, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Hunger Games, Beyonders (first of trilogy), etc etc etc. Series I still have to read are Maximum Ride, The Kane Chronicles, The Heroes of Olympus, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Witch and Wizard, Artemis Fowl, Inkheart, Redwall, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Lord of the Rings, etc etc etc. If you notice, most of these are of the fantasy/adventure genre cos I'm currently only interested in those (although I also have other more "mature" or "serious" materials here). Although I want to write about all of them, but as you can see, I'm kinda bad at describing my reading experiences (what's with all these adjectives that fail to describe @___@). Well, whatever. To blog or not really depends on my mood and my skills in time management. As of now, I'm juggling a lot of activities in my hands, though I feel that I'm still accomplishing nothing and not really serving my real purpose in life. Oh well. I guess I'm off to the next book.

MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR!

A few months back, I have mentioned several books titles I've been wanting to read, and one of them was the young adult post-apocalyptic trilogy, THE HUNGER GAMES, by Suzanne Collins. I have been compelled to buy the set several times, yet I always change my mind when I reach the cashier (mostly out of fear of being disappointed, and out of fear of my growing collection of unread books). Fortunately, a friend lent me her copy last July, and so I had the opportunity to read and experience it. 

My initial opinion of the plot -- a group of teenagers in a dystopic setting forced to fight each other to the death -- is that it is nothing new. If you are familiar with the controversial Japanese pulp classic Battle Royale by Takami Koushun, then you'd be quick to say that HG is a rip-off. This further piqued my curiosity and interest, as I wanted to see for myself how similar or different the stories are. And I guess I can safely say that although the main concept might be alike, but the society they live in, the culture and mentality that they have, and the execution of the storylines are quite different, so it would be fair if we should just stop comparing them and see them both as independent works.

That aside and going back to my Hunger Games reading experience... The trilogy consists of The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. Maybe because of the hype and my high expectations, but I actually ended up having mixed opinions about it. I didn't like it as much as I wanted to. For one thing, although the main characters -- the protagonist Katniss Everdeen and her two love interests, Gale Hawthorne and Peeta Mellark -- all have their strong traits, yet I just couldn't bring myself to like any of them (although if I must choose, I'll be in Team Gale! XD). It's not that I don't like romance in my novels. As a matter of fact, I relish it! But somehow, I find the romantic development in their dog-eat-dog world a bit... off. Their situation and their personalities are too psycho and bitter to actually make me feel "kilig". I find Katniss quite indifferent yet very fickle with her emotions, very much like Bella flitting between Edward and Jacob, so I didn't like that one bit. (Although yes, you may easily argue that she acts that way because the situation calls for it, and I can understand that. But it still doesn't bring her close to my heart XD). Then there are some supporting characters who seemingly have great potentials to become more than they are, but they get killed. (Yes, I know it is expected since they are jut ordinary kids, but I just couldn't help but feel grumpy over it). There are also certain twists in the plot which I didn't particularly like, not because they were unhappy, but just because they are just conveniently there, if you know what I mean. No, you don't, cos I don't either. >__< Well, let's just leave it at that cos I don't know how to expound on this and further writing only brings more confusion. ^w^

I do admit that it had enough combination of angst and thrill to hold my attention for several days, and so I was quick to finish the books. One thing I realized about the HG trilogy is that it is not to be judged as individual books, but to be seen and read as a continuing series of events. I was honestly quite disappointed with the first book, but the pace for me picked up in Catching Fire when I realized that the first part was only the tip of an iceberg and there is more to the story than I initially thought. I like how the nation of Panem was envisioned by the author, with its own rich history, government, structure and culture, however sick and distorted it may be. I like how the capitol and districts have been organized, and how they set-up the games. Face it, I'm such a sucker for alternate societies/settings like this so I easily take a fancy on such stuffs. Overall, it was an entertaining read for me. But, like the Twilight series, I wouldn't think of reading it again, or buying my own copy.

BUT!!! I will definitely watch the upcoming movie adaptation set to be released on March 2012. I think this will be another young adult novel turned movie franchise that will spawn gadzillions of screaming fans and even more bickering haters. Watching the trailer doesn't particularly excite me, but like the books, it has piqued my curiosity and interest once again. Fans all over have gone in a frenzy agreeing or disagreeing over the choice of leads. I, however, have no particular preference or comment for the cast, except that maybe they are not who I exactly pictured in my mind. But as I have no particular fandom over Katniss, Peeta or Gale, so I don't really care. I did browse through the credentials of these actors, and they seem rather talented and suitable for the roles. Anyway, it is expected that novels brought to the big screens don't exactly come out the way everyone wants, so let's just wait, keep our minds open, and see the movie for ourselves. 

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

SUGGESTED READING MATERIALS

My cousin's son, Shan, is a voracious reader, and probably reads faster and more avidly than me. I have mentioned in a previous blog entry that we exchanged some of our books. He immediately finished all of the novels I lent him, while I, until now, have finished only four of his books (blame in on the unlimited supply of patients! >__< but don't worry, I'll catch up!) I'm really quite excited that I share similar reading interests with my 10-year old nephew, and hence I've come up with a list of suggested reading materials, most of them of the fantasy/adventure genre, which my cousin might want to buy for her son (and which I can hopefully leech in the future XD). I haven't read any of these and chose these based on my own preferences, so I cannot assure anyone if these books are any good. But I provided links so you can check these titles out for yourselves.

Dragon Rider

by Cornelia Funke, author of the Inkworld series

Heroes of the Valley

by Jonathan Stroud, author of the Bartimaeus Trilogy

Beyonders : A World Without Heroes

by Brandon Mull, author of the Fablehaven series

This is the first of three books.

The Emerald Atlas

by John Stephens

The first in the Books of Beginning trilogy.

The Hunger Games Trilogy

by Suzanne Collins

I'm not sure if I should recommend this to my nephew, since it gives me the impression of a violent dystopian world akin to that of Battle Royale. And hence, I'm not sure if kids his age should read it. But among all these novels, this set has been particularly calling out to me very loudly for the past few months. I must admit that I've taken this box set several times near the cashier, but have always promptly stopped myself and returned it back to the shelf. Now, I've just borrowed a copy of this trilogy, and will try to read it soon. If at any point I will immensely enjoy reading this, I will buy a set for myself right away. 

The Mysterious Benedict Society Series

by Trenton Lee Stewart

Currently there are three books in the market:

01 - The Mysterious Benedict Society

02 - The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

03 - The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma

The Inheritance Cycle

by Christopher Paolini

The first book is the basis for the movie of the same title.

(And on a side note, was actually the first movie my boyfriend and I watched together on a date. XD)

This was initially a trilogy, but the author decided to publish a fourth book, set to be released November 2011.

01- Eragon  //  02 - Eldest  //  03 - Brisinger  //  04 - Inheritance

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

by Michael Scott

This is a series of six fantasy novels, five of which are already published.

01 - The Alchemyst // 02 - The Magician // 03 - The Sorceress

04 - The Necromancer // 05 - The Warlock // 06 - The Enchantress (May 2012)

Septimus Heap Series

by Angie Sage

I'm not quite sure how many books there are in this series, but currently there's already six of them out in bookstores.

01 - Magyk // 02 - Flyte // 03 - Physik

04 - Queste // 05 - Syren // 06 - Darke

Actually I have some other titles in mind, but these are my choice picks for now. I would buy these myself I have the funds, and "another" bookshelf (since the recent one I bought is already overflowing >__<). But for now, I have decided that it's impractical cos I need to save money and our current apartment is too cramped. Also, an important factor is that I'm busy with work yet I hoard too much, so most likely I won't have the time to read these anyway. So if other people can buy these and will just let me borrow, then I think that would help me a lot. ^_______^

MEET BROOKE SHIELDS

                                                                                                                                   


I've been hoarding collecting a lot of books lately, most of which were on sale. And as the number of books increased alarmingly in my room, I realized that there was already a need to buy a shelf to hold them in. Fortunately, I found the perfect one last month, but since my room was still such a huge mess then, I didn't buy it immediately. It was only last week when I've finally cleaned up the room a bit, and so the shelf was bought and delivered yesterday.

I know owning a bookshelf would make me happy, but when I saw it standing in my room, I suddenly just had this indescribable joy within me. It was beautiful! Then I remembered that when I was still a kid, and reading was still such a passionate hobby for me, I've always wanted a bookshelf I could call my own. So it was just like fulfilling a childhood dream! I was in absolute bliss! *^__^*

So here are close-up photos of my shelf, whose name by the way is Brooke Shields. Why? Well, it's a little complicated to explain, so I'll just leave it that way for you to wonder... XD

Top layer shows my latest books, which are mostly in sets.

Second layer holds all mangas, most of which are works by Clamp!

Big books at the far end are my Card Captor Sakura and Disgaea artbooks.

Third layer contains more mangas, including those I got from Japan, and my complete set of Slam Dunk.

Bottom layer holds my Dr Seuss collection, classic novels, etc etc etc

Lately I also got to chat with my cousin, and she told me her 10-year old son is an avid reader of fantasy books. It's so amazing how her little boy Shan can understand these kinds of books and how fast he can read them! I am just so proud of this kid.

So after much convo, we decided to exchange books! So I let her borrow some of my stuffs...

Lost by Gregory Maguire; Daniel X books 1-2 by James Patterson; The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke;

Artemis Fowl books 1-3-4-5-6 and The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer

... and she also lets me borrow her son's books...

Percy Jackson series (complete set of 5 books) by Rick Riordan;

Fablehaven series (books 1-4) by Brandon Mull;

The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud; The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

*jumps around in joy* 

Seeing so many books and seeing them in my shelf just makes me so so so so HAPPY!!!! ^_____________^

I wanna just curl up and read all of these!!!

NOT JUST ANOTHER SUNDAY


"We have nothing if not belief..." - Reepicheep

This morning, I went with Gervie to Inside Out, which is the youth service of Golden City Alliance Fellowship. It was my first time to attend their service, although I have always been interested since our friend Glen also goes there (though she was absent today). It was a refreshing change to be in such a youth-packed group, and I was also blessed by today's message on The Parable of the Lost Sons. I have, once again, realized my sinfulness and my lack of faith, yet I am, once again, reminded of how great and amazing our God is, how easily He forgives us, and how much He so freely showers us with His love! Praise GOD!

After the service, we went back home to fetch my parents and then had a sumptuous lunch at Bigby's. We didn't really have any definite plans so we just walked around Limketkai Mall. Later, Gervie and I saw A LOT of books on sale at National Bookstore, so we freaked out and splurged. I bought Michael Crichton's Pirate Latitudes (Php75), William Golding's Lord of the Flies (PhP50), and Gregory Maguire's Son of a Witch (Php30! WTF!?!!). Gervie also bought a whole stack of books, including the Hitchhiker's Guide to Galaxy volumes 2-5, which I'll just borrow later on. My parents and I decided to watch a movie at Gaisano, so we parted with Gervie from there.

We watched The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. This is undeniably my most favorite book in the series, and although it's a very inaccurate adaptation but it's also perhaps my most favorite Narnia movie so far. I love how magical and adventure-packed this film is, and I am pleased with how Edmund and Lucy has grown up so beautifully. And oh my, Prince Caspian!♥ ... were you always this gorgeously hot and delicious (ahem!) good looking!? XD I enjoyed Reepicheep's antics, he's always been so lovable! We also have our new kid Eustace Scrubb, whom at first I really didn't like and thought was not fit for the role. But later on I find myself liking him in the same way that his character in the book grew on me. He is actually my most favorite character in the book, and the movie version was quite likeable as well. So I think I will look forward to seeing him reprise his role in the next movie, which I think they were hinting when they mentioned Jill Pole's name in the end.

My most favorite quote in the movie was what Aslan told Lucy when they were facing the mirror. I had it memorized but now I forgot. XD But it was about valuing yourself and being beautiful just by who you are. The above picture is my most favorite scene: As Aslan approached, I had the impression that the dragon tried to back off a bit and hide its face. And then we just simply see him physically breaking down. This brought me to tears, as I imagined that it would probably be a similar reaction when we will face our God. We will surely fall on our knees and try to hide ourselves, because no matter who we are in this earth, we are just not worthy of His glorious presence. And yet, without a word, His love will just simply break down our sinfulness. GOD IS INDEED SO AMAZING!!! ^___^

After the movie, my parents and I had an eat-all-you-can dinner before heading home. It had been a long day, but it was rather fulfilling and I felt really blessed.

NOWHERE IS SAFE, HARRY

I went to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 today. It's been so long since I've watched the 6th movie and even much longer since I've read the book! I felt kinda stupid sitting so tense and agitated there in the cinema cos I could only vaguely remember the events that would come next. I love the Harry Potter franchise, but I don't have the books. And I think to fully attach yourself to this wonderful magical tale that J.K. Rowling has created, you need to read and re-read the books. There's just too much substance within it that a single read would not suffice to absorb all of its goodness. No matter how a lot of people protest and beg to disagree, I really think that the Harry Potter series is awesome literature that will definitely go down in reading history much like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia.

I'll keep this entry short since I really don't want to go into a recap and I also don't want to spoil. But most of this film focuses on our three teenage protagonists -- Harry, Ron and Hermione -- and their travels to find the horcruxes. As usual I marvel at how pretty Emma Watson has grown and just how perfect she is as Hermione Granger, but was sad that Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman didn't get much airtime as Bellatrix Lestrange and Severus Snape, respectively. As previously mentioned, these are three of my most favorite characters in the HP movie franchise. I was also impressed with the graphics they made for the story of the deathly hallows. Overall, I immensely enjoyed the film, laughed at some funny scenes and lines, and couldn't help but shed a tear for our brave and heroic Dobby. The movie was long (almost 3 hours) and ended with a Voldemort scene. (BTW, I love Ralph Fiennes as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named too cos he makes the Dark Lord so deliciously HOT! ^0^) Even though I knew this was only the first part, but I still couldn't help but cuss as I realized that I have to wait until July 2011 for the second half.

7 months is like so freakin' long, but then it would also mean that the Harry Potter movies will now come to its inevitable end. Oh the irony of it! It's like eagerly awaiting for the day which you do not want to arrive.

WAR OF THE GODS


I recently got interested in Norse Mythology because of two things:

Neil Gaiman's American Gods

and

Matantei Loki Ragnarok

American Gods is a novel that tells the tale of Shadow, an ex-con who was recently paroled and found himself working for the mysterious Mr Wednesday, and got caught in a war between the old gods and the modern day gods. I'm not very familiar with myths and legends from around the world, and I'm sure one who is well versed on this topic can further appreciate this bestselling novel. Despite my lack of knowledge, I still enjoyed reading about the characters and discovering their secrets as the story unfolded. I love the side stories inserted in between and the clever plot twist in the end. It is after all a Neil Gaiman novel, and you can't expect anything less from the master storyteller himself!

Now as I was finishing the book, for the lack of other useful things to do, I started watching Matantei Loki Ragnarok (aka Mythical Detective Loki). I thought it was the appropriate anime to watch at that time. I was impressed by the opening theme but was initially bored during the first few episodes. I grew up feeding on Nancy Drew books and immensely enjoy detective stories, but I just didn't quite get the hang of this anime. It was on episode 8 when I found out about the secret identity of Yamino-kun that I finally sat up and started taking interest on the crazy relationships between the characters. And then on episode 13, this guy came along...

... and my world changes... <3

Matantei Loki Ragnarok is the story of the trickster god Loki who was cast away from the realm of the gods and sent here on earth in a young boy's body. In order to go back, he has to collect evil auras, and so he opens a detective agency that deals with the paranormal. As the story progresses, more and more gods cross over to this world to stop Loki from achieving his goal.

Now I don't really have a thing for shotas, but characters with alter egos sometimes attract me (well, especially if the other side of the coin is a yummy bishounen *hearts!*). Loki (in shota form) somewhat reminds me of Niwa Daisuke from D.N.Angel and love of my life Li Shaoran from Card Captor Sakura. Most of the time Loki just appears in his kiddie form, but I really get excited over rare scenes where he gets to show us his charming, mischievous side, such as this...

<3 <3 <3!!!

The series ended at 26 episodes, and although I didn't really expect much from this anime, but I would have wanted more yummy-licious Loki. Hahay. Now I have to hit the books (and wikipedia) and do more readings on myths and stuffs, just so I'll be a little bit more wiseass than I was yesterday.

HEALTH AND HEART


Today I will talk about some health-related issues, and the latter part will focus more on heart-related stories. XD

So this morning I had some blood tests done on me. It’s my first time to undergo these kinds of tests, but I really need baseline liver profiles to make sure I didn’t acquire the HepB virus from my patient. I was a bit terrified of the lab results because I know that lately I’ve been so un-healthy. *sad* I think I’ve gained weight, and mass too! I’ve been eating more sweets and fats, and binging on fastfood and junk. I feel that my whole system is just so messed up, and right now I’d really prefer some discipline and self-control in my current lifestyle. I wish I was more non-sedentary. *sigh*

Well anyway, so the tests results came up, and I was shocked. They were all...NORMAL!

Fasting Blood Sugar 60 (Expected Range 70 - 105)
Creatinine 0.79 (Expected Range 0.5 - 1.5)
Blood Uric Acid 5.1 (Expected Range 2.5 - 6.6)
Total Cholesterol 202 (Expected Range <200)
Triglycerides 87 (Expected Range <150)
HDL 46 (Expected Range 45 - 65)
LDL 138.6 (Expected Range <100)
SGPT/ALT 9.2 (Expected Range <45)
SGOT/AST 7.0 (Expected Range <34)
Hepatitis B Surface Antigen: NON-REACTIVE

[*Creatinine measures kidney function; BUA tells you if you have arthritis; HDL is good cholesterol while LDL is bad cholesterol;
and SGPT/ALT and SGOT/AST are liver function tests]

So... Does this mean I’m HEALTHY!?!

Hooray! My lifestyle found justification! I can binge again!

...Or NOT. XD

Despite the normal values, I still want to change the way I am. I know I can’t have the right curves in an instant (heck, I don’t think I’d even get them in this lifetime! XD), but I want to slowly change the way I live my life. I want to be truly healthy because, if God is willing, I want to live long and well. I want to accomplish many things, make a difference in some way, and have the strength to sustain and support my parents and my future husband and children. I want to look at my patients in the eye and convincingly tell them, "Hey, living a healthy lifestyle is possible. I am an example." I want to break free from my image of being big and fat. All these years I’ve never been anything but that. Maybe it is time for a change. And I pray that God will help me change - inside and out - for the better.



::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



I’ve received updates on how my best friend is faring right now. She was placed on epidural anesthesia last night and contrary to the plan to do a CS on her, a forceps delivery was done instead. Cath went through a terrible ordeal last night. Her vital signs went berserk, and her heart was beating rapidly up to 140bpm (not good for someone with severe aortic stenosis) and then went flat at one point! She was intubated and hooked to a ventilator plus other tubes, and I heard she’s congested right now. She’s lying in ICU for goodness sake! Her sister (who's also a doctor) told me Cath almost died, and I cried when I learned that. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her that way, and I prayed in faith and in desperation. I asked God to please not take her, she is so precious to all of us. I’m sure many people whose lives she has touched were praying for her healing too.

Also, her baby Sonja was fighting for her little life as well. Born prematurely, the little angel had to get a dose of surfactant to help mature her underdeveloped lungs, and she was also intubated and placed inside an incubator. I can just picture her so tiny and fragile, like her mom, trying to be brave and strong in facing this world. My heart just goes out to both Mom and baby!

This morning though, I’ve received text messages saying that Cath is already awake and alert! *happy* They plan to wean her off the mech vent, and although still in critical condition, she’s already recovering and will be placed on close observation for the next few days. Baby Sonja is also looking better, and responding well to her medications. She’s a fighter, as her aunt described, and a miracle baby, as her father said. Amidst all these, I can only say that GOD IS REALLY REALLY AWESOME and HE ANSWERS PRAYERS! And that HE LOVES US SO MUCH to hear our cries, and HE LOVES CATH AND BABY SONJA EVEN MORE. I feel sad that I couldn’t be there with them personally to give support but I know, more importantly, that THE ULTIMATE HEALER has been working and supporting them in this difficult time, and yes, HE IS DEFINITELY IN CONTROL! HE WILL NEVER LEAVE CATH AND BABY SONJA IN DANGER!

PRAISE GOD INDEED!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH LORD! TO HIM BE ALL GLORY!!!

I can’t wait to see Cath when I go to Manila next month! I hope by then, she and her baby will already be at home, comfy and in their best health. ^_____^



::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



Other random stuffs...

Last night I decided NOT to watch Be Strong Geum Soon and Hello My Lady because I don’t feel like watching them. I lost interest so I’ll probably just return them next month. Instead of watching the other DVDs in my list, I ended up watching Petshop of Horrors, Blue Submarine No.6, and an episode of Princess Princess. I am so thoughtless! I never seem to accomplish what I plan. 0__0

At least right now, I’m trying to finish reading Eclipse, but just not progressing fast enough. I am plainly not so interested despite it being an easy read. I honestly can’t bring myself to care about Edward-Bella-Jacob and their teenage fantasy romance, and I’m already near closing the third book! I guess it just don’t appeal much to me, and I'm always annoyed at Bella. She is such an unlikeable character. I do like Edward sometimes for his mushy moments. And I know this will come off as ultra-extra-mega-so cheesy (ehehe ^o^) but the infallible way he loves reminds me of my boyfriend... Yiheee!!!<3 (I did say CHEESY!!! XD) And to end this mush...


We are celebrating our HEPPY 33rd ANNIMONTHSARY TODAY! \(^o^)/

We are so blessed to have a relationship that just keeps getting better and better each day. I am soOoOooOOooo soOooOoooooOo LUCKY to have gotten the most loving and most faithful and most understanding and most patient and most generous and most pampering and most humorous and most inspiring and most supportive and most charming and most romantic and most... [insert random thinkable and unthinkable positive adjectives here!] ... in the entire universe!!! I will never trade him for anything in the world, not even for a million Edwards. XD



<3<3<3 I Love You Suoh, my c.b.! <3<3<3 ^x^

(cheesy! cheesy! cheesy!)

RANDOM RAMBLINGS


Right now I’m here in Camiguin for work purposes. I arrived yesterday, and although it was a holiday, I was so busy!!! I think I had around 10 admissions, and I delivered two babies! And I just found out this afternoon that one of the mothers is reactive for Hepatitis B, and I realized that I pricked myself with the needle I used on her! *cries!!!* I asked my friend what I should do, and he said that based on statistics, 90% of immunized people are protected. But there is still the risk of 10%!!! I’m going to get baseline blood tests tomorrow and try to find a Hepatitis B vaccine booster shot.

I so hate this part of my job. *sad*

I plan to be productive during my duty days here in Camiguin. I’m going to finish the last two books of the Twilight Saga - Eclipse and Breaking Dawn - so that I can return them to Joey when I get back. I also brought some DVDs to watch:
Be Strong Geum Soon (korean series)
Boy A
Fireproof
Flash Point
Get Smart
Hello My Lady (korean series)
Punisher: War Zone
Push
The Orphanage
The Spirit

I don’t think I’ll be able to finish these in the next 9 days but I’ll try. Hehehe

I saw the trailer for the local version of Lovers In Paris, and I am somehow... not impressed. Pari is one of my favorite kdramas, and Park Shin Yang and Kim Jung Eun sent my world rolling upside down with their onscreen chemistry. But seeing Piolo Pascual and KC Concepcion recreating the same characters just didn’t feel quite right. I know they’re both good actors, and I have high regard particularly for Papa Piolo (*swoons*)... But even he just won’t do as Han Ki Joo. I was however surprised by how Zanjoe Marudo looks. I saw a little of Lee Dong Gun’s character in his rugged looks. But even that won’t convince me of watching this series. I do watch Katorse. Hahaha

I’m using my Globe Tattoo Prepaid to connect to the internet. With this device, I can blog anywhere, whether I’m in the mountain or the island! Hehehe The downside is that it’s TOO SLOW. I can’t download anything with this! But at least I can blog. So YEY!!!

UPDATES OF MY LIFE (AGAIN!)


I'm sitting here in the hospital pharmacy, leeching off the hospital broadband using "Lorna".

What the heck is a "Lorna"? I'll tell you about it some other time. LOLz! For now, here are some random updates of my life, since I've been away for more than a month. You will soon learn why...

• 01. WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE AN INTERNET CONNECTION!
  Because of the recent move, we terminated our DSL connection. I was planning to get connected to PLDT DSL once we settled down but that was never realized (see number two). It makes me sad to be offline, but for the past two months, I actually accomplished a number of stuffs (i.e. read my books, clean up my room) without the internet tempting me all the time. I know deep down that the internet robs me of my precious time and I really don't accomplish much in life when I'm in front of a PC. So I'm now reconsidering if I really need that DSL connection. I'm not home most of the time anyway. It's probably wiser to do some cost-cutting, and this would hopefully cut me off my idleness as well.
  
  
  
• 02. WE'VE MOVED AGAIN!
  I mentioned last time that we were leaving EVA UNIT-01 because of some problems. We only stayed in that unit for two weeks. We moved into a two-bedroom bungalow unit last August 22, and I thought that it was the end of our problems. BOY, I WAS SO WRONG. During our first week in UNIT-02, some stranger was able to enter our compound, and BORE A HOLE IN ONE OF OUR BEDROOM WINDOW SCREENS!!! We later learned that all the houses within that compound have been robbed of some stuffs, and even the neighboring houses have been robbed too! My parents were totally freaked out and we had to close down all the windows and curtains, making the place one huge sauna bath. We finally decided that the place was not habitable, and we were out of the place after 2 weeks of stay. So last September 5, we moved for the third time to another apartment very near our old residence, and although a bit cramped, but I think we feel a whole lot better and comfortable here.
  
  One of the downsides of all these transferring is that we have exerted so much effort in cleaning and moving. My Mom especially had to leave from work just to clean the house and pack our stuffs (and she can be really super-diligent when it comes to cleaning!) I feel sad that I wasn't home to help her. Most of the time I wasn't in CDO because of my work, so I can only trust other people to help my parents with moving.
  
  The most painful loss during all these time is that I have spent so much money already. TOO MUCH. Each time we move to a new house, we had to pay for the laborers and the truck drivers, not to mention do some repairs and buy doorknobs/locks, electrical equipment, etc. The owner of EVA UNIT-01 returned most of my deposit, and even apologized to us. We parted in good terms. But the owner of UNIT-02, cunning as a snake, charged us with PhP9000 just for two weeks of stay! I was seething with dissatisfaction since I felt that we were at a disadvantage. My parents were so emotionally shook up to the point of losing weight, and even our dog lost weight as well probably since she was up all night barking the intruders away. I didn't want any more problems though so I just accepted his terms and wish I don't have to do any further business with him in the future (and he should cross his fingers as well and wish he'll have no business with me in the future as well).
  
  Bitter. XD
  
  
  
• 03. MY SISTER IS ALREADY IN JAPAN.
  She left Cebu last September 7, and is now experiencing Japan. OooOohhh... I am so envious! She told me about their train/bus rides, their crazy rollercoaster ride on the Thunder Dolphin, and their work stuffs. She also described her trip to Akihabara, and the first thing she told me was, "Atsy, daghan kayu anime dinhi!!!" (Sis, there's so many anime stuffs here!!!)
  
  I am just so GREEN with envy.
  
  
  
• 04. I BOUGHT A NEW STETHOSCOPE.
  This is not exactly part of the budget plan, but my ever reliable black Classic Littman Stethoscope finally rested in pieces last week. I occasionally have problems auscultating but I thought that my ears are problematic, and not my steth. Well, around 2 weeks ago, I noticed that the earpiece wore out and that the tubings have developed HUGE CRACKS. Afraid of having nothing to use at work, I fixed it up with some adhesive tape (plaster XD), and it was fine until last week, when I realized that I could no longer hear anything with it! It was already making a hollow sound, which affects my examination and diagnosis. I had to say goodbye to my black steth, which has served me well for 7 years, and hurriedly purchased a new Classic Littman Steth, this time in RASPBERRY PINK. Hehehe My other choices were NAVY BLUE and HUNTER GREEN.
  
  
  It wasn't cheap though and I even had to make a cash advance for it. Huhuhu...
  But I can't work without one so I had no choice. T___T
  
  
  
• 05. MY PORTABLE DVD PLAYER BROKE DOWN.
  This is so sad. In fact just thinking about it devastates me. I'm actually so fond of that player so it's hard to imagine that I can't use it anymore. About a month ago, I placed it inside a laundry bag and brought it down the ER. I hardly bring down my player but that time I was in the mood for some music. I placed the bag on a chair, and a few minutes later, THE BAG FELL OFF!!! It wasn't a very strong impact, and the player was still fine then. I was still able to finish watching Gakuen Heaven. I noticed though that the USB port was no longer working. A few days later, I was watching Yokazura Quartet in Camiguin when the video suddenly froze. And then the player refused to read ANY discs at all! It just kept saying "LOADING" but the video doesn't load. I took it to an electronics shop and they told me that the lens broke and they do not sell that type of lens in CDO. I'm taking the player to Manila next month and pray that I'll find the appropriate lens there. I am really so sad over this because that player means so much to me and I envisioned a long future of using it. It broke down after 3 months because of my carelessness. *very very sad*
  
  
  
• 06. I'M LEAVING FOR MANILA NEXT MONTH.
  I'm off to Manila come October 11-19 for personal matters. LOLz Actually, it's my boyfriend's birthday next month and I want to spend that special day with him. And I decided to use that time too to take a break from work, visit my friends, buy scrub suits and stuffs, and attend the COLLECTICON scheduled on October 11 in Robinson's Ermita. It will definitely feel like a trip down memory lane since Rob Ermita used to be my "territory". XD
  
  I was talking to my classmate earlier this week and he told me of a conference sponsored by the Philippine Society of Emergency Physicians come November 9-10. Their programme is really interesting and I think we will learn much from the lectures, so we are thinking of attending it. Hopefully we can save enough money by then so that we can join that confe. As an added bonus, the Anime Overload Festival to be held in SMX Convention Hall in Mall of Asia is set on November 8, so I think that's a really wonderful coincidence that I don't want to miss! I will have to miss work again though. *sad!!!*
  
  
  
• 07. FINISHED SOME BOOKS.
  I finished reading Dan Brown's Angels and Demons which is such a superb fast-paced exciting adventure. Every page leaves me amazed and wondering how the author has come up with such a brilliant plot and unexpected twists. And yes, it might be a bit controversial because it tackles on some sensitive topics, but I was never convinced that it was non-fiction. It was just a fun book to read, but I never took it seriously so I don't really bother with the controversies. Now I can finally watch the movie version (and see Tom Hanks in action, hehehe).
  
  I also started reading the sequels of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. I've read the first book Twilight last year, and although it was fun from time to time and made me giggle with glee in some parts, but I was never caught up in the Edward-Bella fandom. I just simply can't bring myself to rave over the books the same way I've raved over the Harry Potter series. And I just don't know why they keep comparing the two when they are both of different genres. But anyway, since my friends Jan and Joey have been telling me to read the rest of the saga (with Jan sending me pdf files of the book, and Joey actually lending me the hard copy!), I had no choice but to admit defeat. If you can't beat them, then join them. Hehehe I've put off reading the books for so long, and now I finally opened them. I've finished New Moon and currently reading Eclipse. Hopefully I'll finish Breaking Dawn as well this week. My opinions haven't changed at all though. And I think the only characters I like in the series are Alice and Carlisle, though not even them can bring me to fangirl level. Edward is sometimes likeable, but Robert Pattinson is NOT. XD
  
  
  
• 08. DOWNLOADING...
  I've lost my 300-something torrent list when my sister reformatted our Desktop PC. XD So right now I'm back to zero. I don't know if I'm actually relieved or frustrated. But it's more of a relief, I guess. I've always felt that the 300-something torrent list was binding me down. It made me feel that I was always chasing after something, that I was obliged to accomplish the downloads, and that somehow burdens me. Yes, they made me feel good, but they also weighed me down. I've always thought I am just TOO MUCH of a COMPULSIVE HOARDER.
  
  Now I'm back to downloading again, but for now I've only queued Hetalia Axis Powers and Umineko no Naku Koro Ni. The hospital connection is kinda slow (we're running on SmartBro), and I feel like I'm back to my old days (but at least NOT the dial-up days, hehehe). I have somehow leeched 6 episodes of HAP and 4 episodes of Umineko in two nights. XD

That's it for now I guess. I am actually on 24hour duty now, and it's way past my bedtime. I still have to work tomorrow. It's fun to blog again, and hopefully I can do it more often. Maybe with "Lorna", I can keep this blog rolling.

Or being that I'm too lazy, then maybe not. XD

SOME VARIOUS STUFFS ETC ETC ETC

Tadaima!

I have a terrible headache right now cos I did a lot of things today. T___T

Firstly, thanks to my ever-dependable boyfriend, I was able to wake up around 4-ish am since I still needed to pack my things for home. Unfortunately, since I was still on duty then, my packing was disrupted by a slightly toxic patient who arrived at the ER. After admitting the patient, I rushed my preparations since I wanted to attend the 8am church service at CCF-CDO. However I realized that I could not make it (because another patient came!), so I aimed to leave at 7am so I could reach CDO before the 10am service. It was a good thing Dodge arrived early to receive me, although I would have left the hospital anyway even if he came later. Emil was already awake then so it was OK for me to go already.

Arrived in CDO around 9-ish, went home to drop off my bags and change clothes, then went off to church. Pastor Chris gave a really nice and strong message on John 5 and on our spiritual blindness and our need to lead. It was very inspiring and I hope GOD will reveal more of Himself to me every moment of the day and not only in church.

I also found out where my missing ATM card is! Indeed I've placed it inside the tithe envelope and dropped it in the donation box 2 Sundays ago! The church staff returned it to me, and I laughed sheepishly at my carelessness, and told them (half-jokingly?) that all my finances belong to God anyway. But I'm a bit worried because I'm quite absent-minded lately, and always seem to be losing things. After I lost my ATM card last time, I filed for replacement in the bank the next day. And they actually had to call me up at home the next day cos I WROTE THE WRONG DATE on the application form. So stupid lah...

After church, I went to pay my internet bills, then luckily found this in Booksale...


Mahoromatic Volume 8!
It's the final volume! And it's thick too. Lucky!!! I've almost completed the set. Now I only need to find Volumes 4 and 7.

I met up with my parents, then we had lunch at Sunburst. After which we went to Capistrano Complex Subdivision in Gusa to check out a pad for rent which was referred by my friend Catherine. It was a nice location, but the place was sadly too small for us.

Then we went to visit my Mom's friend living in Alwana Village in Cugman. And although the houses for rent there were really pretty and even semi to fully furnished, but they were also way beyond our budget. It was also surprising because my Dad met his friend there too! Apparently my Dad's friend and Mom's friend were neighbors and friends, though they both don't know that they were somehow related to my parents. It would be nice to live in a peaceful and quite high end subdivision like that, but we just can't afford it. *sad* I hope in the future I can buy my own house there too.

We left the place and took a jeepney back to Gaisano Mall where I somehow ended up buying a Red Ribbon cake and brownies, Goldilocks bread, and early dinner for us at Pizza Hut. So much for trying to scrimp and budget. I was out of money by the time we got back home. *sweatdrops* But not before I got this...


I bought another *ahem!* a medical book in high hopes of studying. Because I have somewhat decided to set a goal for my life, and this decision might be life-changing. Or maybe not. But I'll expound on this next time when I'm really sure about my thoughts.

When we got home, I was quite tired, but we immediately set out again to look for more houses for rent. We ended up going somewhere around Sunshine Village in Tibasak, and I honestly think it's a bit far away already, but we found a cheap, brand new 2 bedroom unit there. It's so cute, however, it's still too small for us because we own quite a number of huge boxes which definitely won't fit there. And my parents think it's too far away from the city too. So after walking some more, we finally decided to call it a day and headed back home to eat our cakes.

I'm really so tired so I'll try to get some shut-eye now. Oyasumi!

SEUSS LANDING


At the Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando, Florida, they have THIS!


[From Wikipedia] Seuss Landing is specially geared towards small children and is based on the works of author Dr. Seuss. It has several Seuss-themed attractions. There is also a Green Eggs and Ham Cafe and Circus McGurkus restaurant. One of the unique characteristics of this area is, like in the books, there is not a single straight line anywhere. Palm trees, curved by the winds of Hurricane Andrew, were even installed in the area to continue this theming. Rides and attractions include:

• Caro-Seuss-el, a carousel;
  
• The Cat in the Hat, a modern dark ride based on the book;
  
• If I Ran the Zoo, an interactive play zone for kids;
  
• One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, a spinning ride with musical riddle that will help riders escape water-spitting fish;
  
• The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride, a twin-track tour above and around Seuss Landing.

I've always loved Dr. Seuss books and stories since I was a kid, and have even started collecting them. I enjoy the rhyming words, and how the stories all seem to be so crazy in the beginning but just end up so beautifully. Everytime I open these books, I just feel a little happier. So I am very much pleased when I've read about Seuss Landing. Perhaps in the future I can visit this place and experience the ride inspired by one of my most favorite authors. ^__^


Here are some quotes by Dr Seuss I found at thinkexist.com. Hope you will like them as much as I do.

'The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.'

'Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.'

'Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.'

'Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.'

'Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.'

'You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.'

A VERY LONG DAY

Since I slept around 4ish am so I woke up late and left the house around 1030am. I needed to do a lot of things which I've been procrastinating for the past two days, so I was slightly pissed cos it was already so late. I'm always pissed during mornings.

First I went to the Philippine Medical Association to get my ID. And I know that I have paid until May 2010, but my membership was only listed as until 2009, so I don't know what's up with that. But since I didn't bring my receipt, I decided to clarify it next time. I wanted to go to the Bureau of Internal Revenue office but it's quite far and by the time I'll reach there, it will be their lunch break already, so I decided to go to Limketkai Mall instead.


I went to McDo for lunch and had my favorite Double Cheeseburger Deluxe plus the Ice Age 3 special Twister Fries and Ice Blue Float. The float tasted like medicine x___x. While I was there, I plotted my activity for the day so that I can maximize my time in the afternoon. I also met my classmate Chris Bandoy there.


Around 130pm, I went to Picture City because I needed some 1x1 ID pics. Then I went to National Bookstore to buy some stuffs which were actually quite useless: a padded envelope for my Mom's portable DVD player, a green highlighter which I don't really need, and on impulse, I picked up a copy of one of my favorite books, Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie, and took all these to the cashier. Then I went to Watson's to buy some more useless stuffs, and then stopped by Robinson's Department Store and ended up buying a plaid blouse and some underwear. Then I ate low fat cappuccino ice cream at Fiorgelato. To sum up what I've done, I ended up spending some money on stuffs which were not part of the budget. Hahay. >__<


While sitting in Fiorgelato, I was texting my friend Gervie. We made plans to visit our high school classmate Mark, who was here for Sarah Geronimo's concert. Then I browsed through the Peso Saver (a local magazine of ads) and checked out some listed houses/apartments for rent. We're given until October to move out our present apartment, so hopefully we'll have ample time to prepare.

For my last stop in Limketkai, I went to the Sun Shop to pay my bill, then asked them regarding the possibility of having my Sony Ericsson R300 repaired. Last night, I accidentally dropped it and must have damaged something, cos I can't hear my calls anymore. Since our SE service center closed down some time ago, so the Sun agent told me that if I wanted it repaired, they'd have to send it to Manila. I had the impression that he was subtly hinting that I should just have it fixed at some cellphone repair shop here. I'm still thinking about this though, cos my phone is still under warranty, and it's such a waste not to use that.

It was almost 4pm when I left the mall and went to Divisoria. What I really needed to do today was to complete the requirements for my Philhealth Accreditation as physician, yet I went malling instead. *bonks self* It was already raining by then, and since I didn't bring an umbrella and was running against time, so I ended up getting a bit drizzled. I went to a random law office, and had my application NOTARIZED. I don't know what that means but I paid PhP200 for it! *cries* Then I photocopied some documents before heading to the Philhealth office.

To my surprise, they were almost closed! (It was still 445pm in my watch!) I begged the guard to let me in since I was only submitting my requirements, so he said OK. I approached the officer handling accreditation, whom I've spoken with before, and the first thing she actually said to me was, "Kinsa gali ka?" (Who are you again?!) I felt weird about that since I thought it wasn't a very polite thing to say, but maybe she was in a hurry to go home cos they were already closing. I told her I was there to submit requirements for accreditation, and so she started perusing my documents. Everything was OK until she got to the last requirement which was the M15/RF1 which is like a receipt indicating that my employer has paid my Philhealth monthly dues for me. I only had March and April with me, and she specifically instructed me last time to bring the receipts for January to May.

I know it was error on my part. The lady was only doing her job. But still I felt my face turn into a frustrated scowl. After getting soaked by the rain running around Divisoria and now I have to bother our pharmacist Mam Cha AGAIN for these papers! Mam Cha handles most of the concerns in the hospital so she's always very busy, and I don't really want to disturb her anymore. Well the lady officer must've noticed my change of expression, cos she started becoming very defensive, saying that she was already being lenient and all. She added that the main office in Manila won't be that complaisant, and also something about the cashier having gone home already so nobody can receive my payment anyway, blah blah blah. I know she's right, but I was just sOoOOOOOoooOOo... pissed off at her! And I made sure she felt my annoyance.

So with my main objective for the day not met, I glumly left the Philhealth office and went to the bank to deposit some money.

Then I went to buy a buko pandan pearl shake at Orbitz to chill my flames of anger, before heading to the office of our cable company. I was going to file a complaint because we suddenly lost some of our international channels, and we were informed by my Mom's friend that the cable operator has decided to upgrade their system, and it will include a major change of channels and a major conversion fee of PhP2500! We received a notice about their upgrade but there was nothing stated there about having to pay additional fees so that's what I wanted to clarify. The customer service lady told me that they have placed running ads in various channels at various time slots, to which I promptly retorted, "BUT WE DON'T WATCH TV 24 HOURS OF THE DAY JUST TO READ YOUR MEASLY RUNNING ADS!!!" She ended up having to explain stuffs to me in a small voice because I was obviously frustrated and purposely being mean to her. It was a useless being that way though. I still couldn't get back our channels despite my show of exasperation. I actually achieved nothing. But I just really wanted to be mean. u__u

So it was around 530pm, and I needed to meet Gervie in Limketkai but due to heavy traffic, I had to take two rides. I made a stop at Gaisano Mall, and so I visited their Booksale branch and ended up buying a copy of Horton Hears A Who by Dr Seuss, one of my favorite authors from childhood. Then I went to meet Gervie, and by 6pm, we went to meet Mark in his hotel.

He was quite busy trying to prepare for the concert and entertain family and friends who dropped by to visit him. But he still made time to make chitchat with us and to even call some of our other classmates. And although he may have changed a lot, yet he somehow still retained that wacky side of his which made us laugh all throughout high school (earlier, he tried to change inside a closet! XD). So I hope we can always see that part of him.

Thanks for meeting with us today, Mark!

Gervie and I decided to further support our friend by watching Sarah Geronimo's concert, where he is a guest. So we left Mark to prepare and vocalize (or whatever it is that he does before a show), bought tickets (the cheap ones were all sold out already x___x), then had dinner at Mandarin before watching the concert. Sarah really has a nice and strong solid voice, but neither of us were her fans though. *sheepish* Her guests were: Mark Bautista, Mark Herras, Jimmy Marquez, Simon Wood and the G-Force. Billy Crawford unfortunately couldn't make it. Um... I won't go into the details anymore cos I'm already so sleepy, suffice it to say that Gervie and I somehow enjoyed the concert, but it was kinda an awkward experience for us. The show ended around 11-ish, and we took a taxi and went home. It would've been nice to have talked more with Mark but I guess we'll just have to keep in touch in some other ways (er, facebook? XD).

Yes, it cost us PhP800 each!!!

Well... I'm off to sleep now. Good night.