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.

The Cartoon Trend on Facebook

"Change your Facebook profile picture to a cartoon from your childhood and
invite your friends to do the same. Until Monday (Dec.6) there should
be no human faces on Facebook, but an invasion of memories. This is for
violence against children." This was the famous Facebook status last week. As a big fan of cartoons, I was so thrilled to change my profile pic to my favorite cartoon character after reading this Facebook status. I have so many favorite cartoon characters that I decided to use one or two per day, for the week. Here are the ones I used:

On Wednesday- Hiei of Yuyu Hakusho also known as Vincent of Ghost Fighter here in the Philippines. He’s my ultimate anime crush. I just love everything about him: his powers (Black Dragon Spirit is my favorite among his other powers.), his ninja-like speed, his being “emo” (he has the right to be one since life has been so cruel to him), his spiky black hair with white highlights and his cuteness. If you’re a fan of Yuyu Hakusho you know that this half-human half- demon is so much more popular than the protagonist – Yusuke/Eugene. Why? Because he’s amazing.



Thursday- Scorpion of Mortal Kombat. His costume reminds me of Philippine Islands Assassin’s on Showtime’s grand finals! You know how crazy I am about that dance group!



Friday- Tails of Sonic the Hedgehog. He's the cutest thing on that cartoon I want to bite him!



Saturday (4:15 am)- I.R. Baboon of I am Weasel. He’s my favorite character on that cartoon! He’s so funny!



5:01 pm- Karasu. He’s my favorite villain on Yuyu Hakusho. He’s so handsome! I love his long raven hair. Rawr.




Sunday (8:59 am)- 2 Stupid Dogs. They’re the funniest and cutest dogs I’ve ever seen!



8:18 pm- Sakyou/Mr. Valdez. Again, from Yuyu Hakusho. That anime has a lot of great and memorable characters, doesn't it? I like him because:
1.he saves Shizuru (the sister of Kazuma, Yusuke’s best friend) from the demons in the arena of the Dark Tournament (the first deadly tournament Yusuke and his friends joined in) even though he shouldn't because he's a villain and he should be bad all the time! Wahaha! When I was a kid I dreamt of him having a romantic relationship with Shizuru. Aww, ain’t that sweet?
2. he looks like Karasu.
3. he’s utterly underrated. Apparently, no one on Facebook used his picture.



Monday, finally - L of Deathnote. Obviously he’s not a cartoon character from my childhood since Deathnote was aired on TV in 2006. But I used his picture because he’s so irresistible! I love his physical appearance and mind. He’s definitely the cutest and most brilliant detective in anime world!



Well, that’s about it. I hope after this cartoon trend on Facebook there would no longer be any form of child abuse (physical abuse at home, child labor, child trafficking, etc.). It has been such a fun and meaningful trend. <3

My first Starbucks planner

Yay! Finally, after collecting 17 stickers I now have my first Starbucks planner! Woohoo! I'm so happy! :)

Tori Amos’ music on a wonderful day

Imagine reading a book while you’re sitting in a coffee shop and suddenly - you hear an amazingly beautiful song. If a simply beautiful thing like this happens to you, you’re having one of the wonderful days of your life. Now imagine that the book you’re reading is your favorite book, the coffee shop is Starbucks and the song is Tori Amos’ rendition of Star of Wonder. You’ll feel that you’re in heaven for a moment. This scene actually happened to me on a Sunday afternoon and I really felt that I was in heaven at that moment. Tori Amos' angelic voice makes me feel that way when I hear it. I was actually reading a horror book (Stephen King's Nightmares & Dreamscapes) on that Sunday afternoon and it frightened me a little. But her voice soothed me and took away my fright when I heard the said song. Her voice soothed me like a mother would soothe her child who got scared by a bad dream. That's how powerful her voice is. It is the kind of voice that brings heavenly comfort.

Here’s Tori Amos’ mesmerizing rendition of the famous Christmas song.



Lovely, isn’t it? It makes you feel that Christmas is already in the air. :)

This song has such beautiful, beautiful lyrics!

We three kings are coming again
Bearing gifts from the East
From the East

Some say a star will rise again
In the hearts of humankind
Some say we have been in exile
What we need is solar fire

Star of wonder, star of night
Star of royal beauty
Westward leading, still proceeding
A star
A star of wonder

We bring gold and myrrh for him
From the East, frankincense
From the East

Some say a star will rise again
In the hearts of humankind
Some say we have been in exile
What we need is solar fire

Star of wonder, star of night
Star of royal beauty
Westward leading, still proceeding
A star

Star of wonder, star of night
Star of royal beauty
Westward leading, still proceeding
A star
A star of wonder
Of wonder

The cute song!

“Why do you have to be so cute? It’s impossible to ignore you.”
Would you dare to say this line to your crush? Of course not! Unless you want look stupid and desperate to him. But Imogen Heap has the courage to say it to her crush, without looking stupid and desperate, through her song “Goodnight and Go.”

Here are the full lyrics of the song. Enjoy 'em and the pictures! :)



It may sound like a stalker type of love song but it makes me kilig everytime I sing its lyrics. It reminds me of my crush! Secret na lang kung sino yun! Haha! :)

The cuuuuuuuuuuuutest music video I’ve ever seen so far!



Thanks to a cousin of mine who posted some of the words of this song on her Facebook status. I wouldn’t know about this song if not for her.

My song for the day. :)

My last day in Speech Power

Yesterday was a very special day for me. It was my last day in Speech Power and I was glad that I finally finished my English Conversation Fluency course. So what did I do on the last day of class? Well, I just hosted a “talk show” with Sha (one of my classmates) where we talked about trendy fashion, music and movies with the rest of the class. It was a talk show full of funny moments! Sha's funny antics + my "suplada effect" in the mini-fashion show + everyone's jokes and funny expressions =EPIC LAUGHTTRIP!

Here I am with the people who have become a part of my life. Oh, I’m so cheesy!




Kuya Jun, Sha, Me, Ms. Cora, Justin (the cameraman), Kristine and Wendy (from left to right)



Me & the girls.



Wacky!




Lunch after class with Wendy and Kristine @ KFC.

I’m so thankful that I enrolled in SP. I learned a lot of good things in this communication training center aside from conversing fluently in English. I learned to build my confidence, deal with other people and gain friends. I love SP. <3<3 <3

My top 7 songs of the week

It has been an extremely boring week for me so I decided to do something a little bit interesting. I decided to write a blog entry about songs that have been stuck in my mind this week. If you’re tired of Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber or K-Pop you might want to include these songs on your playlist.

1.

I dig this song because of its beautifully unique melody and sound. It’s one of Imogen Heap’s finest songs. A little info: Jason Derulo’s Whatcha Say samples this song.

2.

If you’re into metal rock you’ll headbang to this song. This is just so epic!

3.

Mottaka talks about the ecstasy one feels when smoking ganja. I’m not into ganja or any drugs but I love listening to this song. This just makes me high.

4.

Parusa is about anti-Catholicism. If you’re an overly religious person don’t listen to this song. But if you just love to listen to a good metal rock song, just play the video above.

5.

When I heard that Gary Valenciano’s son Paolo Valenciano has a rock band I thought it’s another pogi-rock band (ala Sponge Cola or Calla Lily) so I didn't try to listen to any of its songs before. But when I tried to listen to this song I realized I was wrong! Paolo is a good singer and screamer. Salamin has a good sound.

6.

This is my favorite Saydie song. I love the way Kath (the vox) sings like a 5 year old girl and screams like umm… Lacey of Flyleaf?

7.

This is a real ear candy. The vox has a Bjork-like voice and the band has a fairly good sound. Company of Thieves is a promising band.

XB Gensan won in Showtime's grand finals!

XB Gensan won in the grand finals of the top-rating variety show, Showtime.
For those who missed their performance, here it is.



Here are the rankings of the finalists.



(Photo courtesy of Showtime's Facebook page.)


My personal thoughts about the contest:
Philippine Islands Assassin should have won. Their performance was better than XB Gensan’s . Their stunts are friggin’ awesome and their props and costume are so cool.

This is what you call the performance of a lifetime.

11 groups will compete in Showtime’s grand finals!

What the audience will see in the grand finals of Showtime will be a fierce competition among eleven groups namely: Kasibulan, Perlas ng Silangan, Mortal Combat and the Showgays, Beat Guys, Sensei, Savannah Kids Ballroom Dancers, Philippine Islands Assasin, Enlighten Black Theatre Group, E-Crew, Boys Unlimited Dancers and XB Gensan. Who will be the first grand champion? Watch the show tomorrow at 10:15 am so you’ll know.
Showtime Grand Finals will be held at Ynares Center- Antipolo City.

Ten reasons why I’m obsessed with Jhong Hilario

(This piece was written out of pure love and undying support for the hottest celebrity alive!)

1. He is a great actor. He has portrayed a lot of believable characters in his shows and movies.





2. He is a GREAT dancer. Need I say more?



3. A lot of people don’t know it but he sounds pretty good when he sings.



4. He is not the guy you will call handsome or cute but he is oozing with sex appeal!



5. He is insanely sexy with or without a T-shirt on!





6. He is one of the best judges in Showtime. He has the eye for real talent.

7. He never fails to entertain the “Madlang Pipol (Showtime audience)” with his energetic “samples(dance moves/singing /acting).” He’s a superhuman!



8. It’s weird to say this but he turns me on with his "Bakla-baklahan" with Vice Ganda.




9. He doesn’t act like a celebrity at all. He acts just like an ordinary person.

10. He is Jhong Hilario! I love him for who he is! :)



*I got most of the photos from Jhong Hilario <3 KO, Jhong Hilario's fan page on Facebook. *

A Time To Kill (book review)

I’ve become a fan of John Grisham since I read Pelican Brief. He has a way of entertaining book lovers like me that made us want to collect his novels in our book shelves. If you're a fan of legal thrillers, you would love to read this book.

The story is set in Clanton Mississippi. Two white men Billy Ray Cobb and Pete Willard brutally rape a 10 year old black girl named Tonya Hailey. Carl Lee Hailey, the father of the black girl – kills them with an M-16. Because of his action and race (he is also black just like his daughter), he faces the murder trial that could send him to the gas chamber. Young and ambitious lawyer Jake Brigance handles his case. The case gets national attention, angers both whites and blacks and incites violence and brutal killings particularly since the Ku Klux Klan gets involved...
Does the black man get off the case? You can only find the answer to that question if you read this novel.

This novel assails the reader questions that are more challenging than that. Which is right: to let the vigilante walk a free man or fry him in the gas chamber? Does Carl Lee have the right to kill the men responsible for damaging his daughter’s life? As a black man does he deserve to get off the case? Does death penalty have to exist? The answers are usually up to the reader. But then this novel can change the way you think. If you were a racist it can convert you to a non-racist. If you think that Carl Lee shouldn’t have killed the rapists, you will realize that if you were in his place you will feel the urge to do the same. If you think death penalty should not exist, you will realize that people like Billy Ray and Pete deserve it.

A legal thriller supposed to have a realistic crime story, legal terms and from time to time - informal language so it wouldn’t be a bore. A Time to Kill has all these characteristics. It’s more than a good read. It’s a forceful, deeply emotional and well-crafted novel.

Sensational rock group Stone Temple Pilots has a new single!

You heard it right. The rock legends are back!
After six years of waiting, fans of alternative rock band Stone Temple Pilots (STP) are now excited to know that they will be entertained by them once more. STP recently released their new music video Between the Lines on YouTube. It is their first single from their new album that is set to release on May 25th.

So what do we expect from the band that has come back after six years? Do we expect the old sound that we loved? Or a new sound that fits this pop-rock age? Whatever it is, we are sure that this band will not disappoint us. Their music will be a lot more powerful and their lyrics more genuine and emotional. They will rock the house!

For those who haven't seen the music video of Between the Lines, here it is.

Dolores Claiborne (book review)

Dolores Claiborne is the second Stephen King novel I’ve read and enjoyed so much. (The first was Gerald’s Game which is connected to it.) It tells a story about a woman who conquered unimaginable struggles for her loved ones.
For thirty years, people from Little Tall Island could only think that it was Dolores Claiborne who killed her husband Joe St. George, on the day of the total eclipse. She indeed killed him to save her children from their abusive father but got away from the murder charge. Now she is facing the interrogation of the police for it is believed that she killed her wealthy ill employer, Vera Donovan. During her interrogation – she tells about her experiences as Vera’s housekeeper, miserable family life and deep hatred for her husband, confessions about how Joe and Vera died and the nightmares which haunted her. She told the police everything they got to know hoping that she will be freed from the murder charge...
This novel is horrific and poignant. You will never forget Dolores’ struggles.