How I survived a "no internet" day!

I am an internet-addict just like most youths nowadays. I can’t last a day without using the internet. It’s a boring day for me if I can’t use the internet because:

1. I can’t connect with my friends through my favourite social networking sites, Facebook and Twitter.
2. I can’t chat with my crushes.
3. I can’t play my favourite Facebook game, The Sim Social.
4. I can’t watch my favourite music videos on Youtube.
5. I can’t write a new blog entry… and so on and so forth.

I can go crazy if I can’t use the internet for a day! So to save my sanity, I have to use it every day for at least two straight hours (or more, if I can or when I’m not busy with work!) In short, my enjoyment (and life) depended on it! But there are those days when I can’t use the internet to give myself the utmost enjoyment I deserve after long hours of work. Those were the unfortunate days when the Wi-Fi or the DSL isn’t working at home. (By the way, I don’t have a broadband for my laptop because I can’t afford to buy one because I’m so frickin’ poor!) So to kill the boredom when it strikes and to keep myself from being insane, I have to do other activities that are just as exciting as using the internet. These were the activities that I did to survive a “no internet” day.

1. Read a good book and magazine. I read a few chapters of a book called Why Men Love Bitches! It’s a “woman’s guide to holding her own in a relationship.” It’s very enjoyable to read because it has funny stories about relationships and witty and useful pieces of advice that will help a woman handle a relationship. I also read a few articles of Cosmopolitan magazine and found useful fashion tips from them.

Suggestions: Read something that interests you. If you like thrillers, read Sidney Sheldon’s books. Reading a Sidney Sheldon book is like watching a movie for me because I can finish it in two hours. Some people can finish it for less than two hours. If you’re into sports, naturally, you have to read a sports magazine.

2. Cleaned my bedroom. It was a hard task to do because my room is utterly messy. It looked like it was blown down by a storm! I threw away the things I no longer use in the trash can, collected the things I still use and put them in their proper places, folded my clothes neatly and put them back in my closet, wiped my “vanity table, ” and swept the floor with a broom. I’m not satisfied with the way my bedroom looks even though it looks tidy now. I think I should start decorating it.

3. Watched a DVD. I watched my DVD of Linkin Park’s” Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes” because I suddenly missed one of my favourite bands Linkin Park! They’re one of my favourite bands because they sound so great live and they’re great performers! They made the crowd go wild during that concert! While watching that concert DVD, I felt like I was in the crowd too! I suggest that you watch a concert DVD of your favourite band, too!


4. Cut out my favourite articles and essays from Inquirer. These were the articles I read a long time ago. The articles were about the concerts I attended (Incubus’ and Stone Temple Pilots’ concerts). The essays were from Youngblood, a page in Inquirer for youths twentysomething and below. I’m going to make a scrapbook for those articles and essays one of these days.

5. Wrote an essay. Obviously, the essay you’re reading right now.

There are other activities that I suggest you do: Hang out with friends, play a sport/a video game/ a board game. Watch a movie or better yet, watch a play. Cook a meal and enjoy eating it afterwards.

Here's a song I listen to on rainy days.

No Umbrella- Cynthia Alexander

I remember
Walking in the rain
No umbrella
With your arms around me
How can I begin?
That was the last time

I saw you
Waving down a taxi
Getting on without me
And you're sorry
How can I begin?
That was the last time

You're sorry
You're sorry
Sorry

I remember
Somewhere in the rain
The man without a face
It was you
You were quiet
I knew what you were thinking but
You couldn't say it
Letting go of the feeling
Things ain't what they are now
Rain is falling no umbrella
I remember you

You're sorry
You're sorry
Sorry

You're sorry
You're sorry
You're sorry
You're sorry
You're sooooory

You are sorrier
You are sorrier
You are sorrier
Made you sorrier
Sorry

The Late Isabel's Doll's Head

Of all the albums that I own, The Late Isabel’s Doll’s Head is the one I love the most. I listen to it when I’m in a depressed mood and want to write a poem or a short story. It always takes me to the beautiful gothic world!

Each song has a dark and spooky story to tell. There is one that tells about a girl who rips off the head of an ugly doll because a “madding voice” and a group of cats tell her to. And another one that tells about a person who is going to die after 68 days. It’s a 9-track gothic album that consists of 8 original songs and 1 cover, which is a Halloween-like version of Sound of Music’s My Favorite Things.

I love this album to death because of the beautiful, narrative and poetic lyrics, Wawi Navarroza’s amazing singing voice and style and the band's epic sound.
People who are REALLY into good OPM should buy this album!

Stone Temple Pilots (album review)

Album: Stone Temple Pilots
Artist: Stone Temple Pilots
Genres: Alternative rock, hard rock and country

I'm a die-hard fan of the great rock band Stone Temple Pilots. As a die-hard fan, I wanted to buy a copy of their newest album so badly! In 2010, the band released the said album worldwide and it successfully sold millions of copy. I couldn't buy myself a copy then because every record store I went to ran out of copies! This year, however, I bought one on the day of their concert here in the Philippines, from a cd stand near the Big Dome - the venue of the concert. It's a kick-ass album!

Stone Temple Pilots' self-titled album is more than amazing! The songs are poppier, catchier and easier to listen than the ones from their previous albums. Frontman Scott Weiland's singing prowess is awesome as always. And the band's new sound is all feel good rock and country - which is perfect for summertime. I've never listened to an album as good as this before!

Tracks that I love: Between the Lines, Dare If You Dare, Cinnamon and Fast As I can.

If you're tired of angry or emo rock and just want to have a good time and/or if you're a die-hard fan like me, you'll definitely dig this!

More photos from the Stone Temple Pilots concert! (I'm not yet done uploading 'em all)

Stone Temple Pilots… Live! : My ultimate rock concert experience

When I learned 5 days ago from splintr.com’s e-mail message that one of the most successful grunge and alternative rock bands of the 90s, Stone Temple Pilots (STP) will be having a concert in Araneta Coliseum, I got extremely thrilled. I thought Wow! Is this really happening? My ultimate favorite American rock band will finally come to play live in Manila? Being able to watch them will be one of the coolest things that will happen in my life! Indeed, it was one of such things. I couldn’t believe it really happened. It was a dream that became real.

Last night, I went to the concert with my cousin who also likes STP. We were at the Patron section.

Sinosikat?, a Filipino band that plays soul, funk and rock opened the show for STP. They played smooth music for the crowd. Vocalist Kat Agarrado entertained us with her seductively strong voice and beautifully sensual dance moves. She’s one hell of a performer. Unlike other famous rock vocalists in the country, she sounded good live. No wonder STP chose them to be the front act. Sinosikat? played Turning My Safety Off, So Blue, Telepono, Mr. Musikero and Praning.


Sinosikat?, from afar.


Kat looks sexually attractive on the screen.

After a long intermission, the band that we’d been waiting for, STP appeared on the stage. We clamored crazily for them. Scott Weiland’s (the vocalist) voice was amazingly great. His dance moves were awkward but enjoyable to watch. The band rocked the stage as expected. We sang along with them, headbanged and danced wildly. STP played Crackerman, Wicked Garden, Vasoline, Heaven and Hot Rods,Between the Lines, Hickory Dichotomy, Still Remains , Big empty, Dancing Days, Silvergun Superman, Plush, Intersate Love song, Huckleberry Crumble, Down, Sex Type Thing, Dead and Bloated and Trippin’ in a Hole in a Paper Heart.


Scott Weiland (left) and guitarist Dean DeLeo (right)

It’s the best rock concert I’ve ever been to!

Gracey is busy.

Lately, I've been busy doing things that have been keeping me from updating my blog. This is the list of such things.

• Work.
I work as an encoder in Pasay RTC Hall of Justice. As an encoder I have to type the court decisions of a certain judge, grades of his law students, test and exam questions for his class... anything that should be on long bond paper. It's one of the easiest jobs in the world and the only challenging part of it is that I should wake up sooo early in the morning to go to the office.

• Losing weight.
It's been my New Year's resolution to lose weight and be fitter. To do this I decided to workout 4 to 5 times a week, eat low fat foods and lots of veggies, veggies, and veggies! My reasons for losing weight? To be fitter and thinner, to wear the clothes that I like and to appear foxy to my crush! Hehe. :)

• Honing my sketching skills.
Seeing the amazing sketches of my artistic Facebook friends inspired and compelled me to make my own sketches again. I want my sketches to look cooler so I keep on practicing sketching. By the time I finished 5 sketches I'd post them on Facebook, just like my friends did.

• Reading Neil Gaiman's books.
I love Neil Gaiman's books that I can't stop reading them. He's a great writer. I want to be like him someday that's why I keep on reading his books.

• Watching Naruto.
My brother once forced me to watch this anime. At first, I didn't want to watch the said anime because Naruto (the protagonist) looks stupid. But then, my brother told me it's a really great anime and that if I'm a real fan of ninjas I should start watching it. So I started watching Naruto and I was surprised to know it's very good. It has everything I want in an anime: great story, characters and theme songs.

• Supporting PIA (Philippine Islands Assassin).
I always watch this dance group when I have time, write my praises or compliments for them on their official Facebook page, "advertise" them by writing on my Facebook status the schedule of their performances on ASAP, Showtime and any other TV shows. I'm so obsessed with PIA and I love them so much because: 1. They're an awesome dance group. 2. They're so nice and friendly to fans like me.

I realized it's true that a day is not enough to do all the things that I want and need to do. I'm planning to do more important activities like reviewing for the civil service exam, reading and understanding a math book (Ugh! I hate math!) and finding a more challenging job but I don't have time to do those things. And I don't want to do them yet.