Picture
I just discovered a great site!  It's a reading website called http://www.gutenberg.org .  I was overwhelmed by the huge number of titles and authors to choose from, I don't know where to start.  So I checked their  Top 100 downloads and here's what they got.  Actually, these are classic books, mostly very old ones.  They even have Tagalog titles and the author is someone from the 1800s!  I tried to browse one Tagalog book, and upon reading the first few lines, it was like I was brought back to the 1800s - complete with the archaic spellings (instead of the letter 'k', it uses 'c' or 'qu'... and the 'w' was replaced - instead of 'wi', it uses 'oi' and for wa - 'oa'... how cool is that!). 
Here's a snapshot of their Yesterday's Top 100 downloads: 

Picture
Click the photo to go to site... and check out Number 8.

 
Picture
I don't know what's with me these days.  Feeling kinda gloomy, senti and hmm cheesy. 

Click the photo to listen to Martin's song.  It's so.. so... nakakasenti.


 
Yeah, I know we shouldn't be dwelling on the past, but hey, these were good memories.  And I will cherish them forever.
I was able to upload some of my farewell party photos when I worked for more than a year in Thailand.  Happy days!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.


 
End of February 2006. 
Around 3:00 AM. 
The day she said goodnight.
Lalong sumakit ulo ko. mwehehehe. =)

 
Picture
It was sooo weird.  There he was, Kris Allen with his dreamy eyes and singing to me.  But the weirder part was that he was singing a Chris Daughtry song, "Home".  Anyway, I really couldn't forget how Kris Allen was looking at me.  But yeah, only in dreams.

It's Kris vs. Chris.  Oh, I love love them both.

Here's Chris Daughtry singing "Home".
 
Picture
First, it wasn't as bad as the cartoon shown here.  Just a minor scratch at my rear bumper, and I let the driver get away with it.  This is how it went:

Sunday noon, I was to pick up my daughter Pauline from her church meeting a few minutes away from our house.  When I got there, Pauline was not yet around so I parked at the side street (it wasn't even a busy street), near the entrance of the building.  I put the handbrakes on, had the hazard lights blinking and started to text my daughter.  While I was texting, I suddenly felt the car jolt, I thought I was still on gear but I was in neutral, and when I checked my rearview mirror, there it was, an SUV was backing from the parking space beside me and hit my rear.  Gaad!  I couldn't go out of the car right away because I was just wearing my pajama tops and haven't even combed my hair.  Good thing I put on my shorts and bra, hahaha.  I checked my rear bumper, there was a long scratch, but it wasn't so visible.  Besides, the front bumper was already full of scratches thanks to my hubby's very offensive kind of driving.  When I checked the SUV, it had a longer, deeper and much visible scratch.  And it was brand new, hahaha.  So I just pretended to be a bit annoyed, told the driver to be extra careful next time and to check his mirrors often.  Well, in short, I just let the driver go, but of course, I got to say the last words.


 
Picture
Kenny Rankin (1940 - 2009)
I heard on the radio this morning this song, "Next to You" by Kenny Rankin.  It has been a very, very long time since I've heard this song, which brings back memories.  Well, Kenny Rankin songs are just soo soothing and relaxing, you just want to close your eyes and think of the good old days.

But then when I was searching this song in the internet, I found out that Kenny just passed away last July 2009.  My heart skipped a bit for a moment.  So long, Kenny.  Your songs will always be close to my heart.

Here's Kenny Rankin, singing "Next to You". 
Next to You (Lyrics)

If I had me a bag of good wishes
There's no mystery to what I would do
I would use all my magical powers
And try to get next to you

I would bring you a field of flowers
As your lucky star would do
With my heart I would paint you a rainbow
If I could get next to you

There's so much we can share
However far too long

We both know that there's so much here
This is where I belong

Late at night when I close my eyes
Make believin' that you are here
Dreamin' of the things we do
If I could get next to you

In my mind, Ooh ooh, I have kissed you
And it feels like a thousand times
I'd lose track of all the hours
Dreamin' I'm next to you

This is where I belong

Late at night when I close my eyes
Make believin' that you are here
Dreamin' of the things we do
If I could get next to you

In my mind, Ooh ooh, I have kissed you
And it feels like a thousand times
I'd lose track of all the hours
Wishing and hoping
That I could get next to you





 
Picture
I'm home today coz we have no work on Fridays.  Part of the company's cost cutting measures.  My salary remains the same though because our Fridays are charged to our 'leaves' .. so there - same salary but we don't earn additional leaves.  Good enough for me, that's better rather than having no source of income at all.

So for this year I resolved to take charge of my finances better.  Before, it was just 'come what may' for me, because I know that I have a fixed regular income.  I came across a site on how I can control my budget and stick to it.  It was fairly simple, how couldn't have I ever thought of that.  The idea was to have several envelopes, mark each one with the regular expenses, then put the required amount on each envelope.  So that's what I have been doing since last payday.  Yesterday was again a payday, I withdrew almost everything in my ATM last night (I saved some for the credit card payments which I pay online) and now each of the envelopes (I got 10 envelopes!) has a certain amount, including 1 envelope intended for the family annual vacation. 

I hope I can stick to this routine.


 
Not that I dream of going to these places.  But out of curiosity I checked out these videos just to see what's going on with these far-flung areas.  I salute these guys who risked their lives just to get a glimpse of these places and share their vids to us.
**

Beast of Chernobyl

Liberia

 
Picture
Ok, I must say that I'm a movie addict.  I rarely watch in the movie theaters though (except if the movie requires really large screen to better appreciate it, like 2012 and Avatar), because it takes too much time and effort for me to prepare and schedule my trip to the mall.  And yes, it's rather expensive nowadays.  So I befriended Sadikh and I get my regular *stash* of DVD movies and tv series from him.  They're pirated, obviously.  Yeah, shame on me.

Needless to say, last Christmas holidays, I got to watch several DVDs - from tv series (I'm loving "The Closer") to concerts (MJ's 'This is It" and Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" concert) and to movies of course.   Let me see... Inglourious Basterds (love you Brad!)... The Taking of Pelham 123 (love you Denzel and John!)... Jennifer's Body (hate you Megan!!!)...  I also watched some movies which are not that memorable so I won't mention them here anymore.

But what is this I just saw last weekend at the mall?  I saw a rather intriguing movie poster.  I took a closer look and the actor was... yummy Paul Bettany.  I love love Paul since I saw him in "A Knight's Tale" starring the young Heath Ledger.  In the movie, Paul was the one introducing Heath before each match, and what do you know, I fell in love with the accent.  I'll attach the movie trailer here and find out for yourself.  By the way, Paul's new movie is "Legion" coming in January 22nd.  I won't miss that one.

Here's the trailer of "A Knight's Tale"... Check out Paul introducing Heath's character... yeah, it's the accent.
*
Here below is Paul Bettany's upcoming movie, Legion.
**
Sorry, can't help it.  Here once more is Paul, in the movie "Wimbledon'.  I'm proud to say I watched this in the movie theater. =)
I could have added also the trailers of "A Beautiful Mind", "Master and Commander" and "Da Vinci Code", but this post is already getting too long.  (Of course I also saw these movies!)