Bon Voyage Maitz!

Maitz is now in Singapore...walking around while she waits for her room to become available. I dealt with it even better than expected! I shocked even myself. I fully expected myself to bawl my eyes out and cry. But I didn't. That was good.

I did shed tears when Tita Bubut asked me to lead grace before dinner. Mommy took over because I couldn't complete a coherent phrase. Jeez.

It's just that this is the first time someone in the family will be moving out, and coming from a very tight-knit family, it's difficult. At least our titas and titos and cousins were there and made the affair a lot more fun and lively. And even Tita Nina (in the US) and Tita Este (from Manchester, UK) Skyped us so we really saw the support. It was a fun and light affair, and thank God Jeng was also here to cheer me up when I start to dwell on the negative.

Maitz' flight was 8:20 this morning, so I woke up a little before 5am to give her a hug and to tell her she better behave herself. :) I'll be visiting her real soon.

I shouldn't worry, she'll be just fine, and this is a really good move for her. And right now, all I can think of is saving up to go and visit her. Thanks to all the budget airlines around (and the miles I'll be earning from SQ), it won't be too difficult. :)

Good luck again Maitz, and I'll see you soon. Mwah!

Well, La Salle lost to Ateneo... no big surprises there. Hehe... seriously, congrats to the Eagles for the win. See you on sunday.

In other news, the fall season has arrived and the Internet is once again littered with torrents of season premieres and episodes. :) I'm keeping busy with keeping up with my favorites, Heroes, CSI, CSI NY, Prison Break, House, Greys Anatomy (and the spinoff-Private Practice) and of course my favorite forensic scientist/serial killer, Dexter. :)

And lastly... two more days and it's bye bye Maitz. I'm coping... I really am, thanks to my every supportive friends, most especially to Jeng and Louie, and of course Mich, Les and even Irene from halfway across the globe. Thanks girls. :)

I'll be treating Maitz to a massage at Blue Water Day Spa later at 5PM. I availed of an undertime so I can get in at that time. Why, you ask? It's because aside from bonding time with my sis, I am serving a much higher purpose. :) Maitz' best friends from HS are planning a suprise despedida at our house later. This event is spearheaded by Sol and Josefa, so I have to get her out of the house and back by 8. she has no idea of course. And I'm not worried about her finding out thru my blog, as she can barely operate the PC (hehe, I'm heavily exaggerating, she just doesn't know the link)...and she doesn't have time anymore.

So, anyway, that's my update for now. Gotta go and get ready for my massage! :D

Reunited!

I finally have my passport back after 2 months! Reunited and it feels so good! Hehehe...
Yay! Now I know I can travel to (where else) Singapore if I miss Maitz too much...

In addition to my US visa, I have now been issued a Ukraine Visa, and a Slovak visa. I always liked visas... they're so pretty and official-looking at the same time. =D Granted, they also allow entry to many different, exotic places. Hehe, I guess mabilis lang talaga ako maaliw.

Now all I need is a travel advise!!! =D

Maitz is moving to Singapore this coming weekend. Just a couple of weeks ago, she was wrestling with the idea of moving, and I can remember myself being all gung ho and telling her to go for it, and how I kept convincing her to accept the offer, all the while thinking that when she was there, I'll have a place to stay when I go to Singapore.

Selfish. I know.

But now that her move is just a couple of days away... I'm beset with a heavy heart, perhaps a tinge of guilt, and a loneliness that I can't seem to put into words.

I'm on the verge of tears every time I think about it.

And I know I'll cry if I dwell on it too long.

But I know that this is a good move for her, and I know she knows. She got a very good offer, a chance to be independent, good working hours, and the possibilty to continue her CFA studies. Things that she can't get here if she stayed.

I know it's going to be great for her, but I can't help but feel sad all the same... but it would be more selfish of me to try and make her feel bad about leaving, because when you look at it objectively, she is going to be better off.

And it's not as if Singapore is half a world away, right?

Maitz, I wish you all the best, I'm going to miss you, but I'll be sure to sneak in as many visits as I can. Mwah! Love you ate!

Trading Up

Did you hear about the guy who traded one red paper clip for a house? No, not a joke. This really happened. Talk about trading up. :D

I also did a bit of trading up recently. I'm now a proud owner of an HP iPAQ HW6915 Mobile Messenger. At the cost of my four month old SE Z610i clamshell... sadness. No more pink, flip phone.

It all started when my dad got a new SE K810i from SMART. He started looking for a replacement phone for his iPAQ...something slimmer, or smaller since both phones were bulky, and it was tedious to bring both. Besides, he barely used the iPAQ except for making calls, and keeping reminders, something that can be handled by his new SE.

I then offered to buy him a replacement phone, in exchange for his iPAQ. At first, I researched small, basic phones (in short cheap) to replace it. But then I realized I didn't have a need for 2 phones, but I was reluctant to part with my Z610i since it wasn't even fully paid yet!

And then I thought of my older sister, who also happened to have 2 phones, 1 was a Nokia E61. My dad expressed interest in this model, so I asked Maitz if she was willing to trade her E61 for my phone. If I were to let go of my phone, I'd rather family have it.

So the deal was done. And it took me a week, but I've finally customized my pocket PC to my specifications. Still getting used to it though because it's so much slower than my SE, and heavier, and of course there's the QWERTY thumb board...but for the week that I've had it, I've already used it to read an e-book, review functional specifications, set up reminders & appointments, keep notes while canvassing for Maitz' external HD and used Wi-Fi and GPRS for various surfing needs. All in all, I think I'm pretty much maximizing the use of the Pocket PC... Not a bad trade. :)

Sweet Victory!

This is my 3rd UAAP related post in a week...but bear with me, as nothing else is happening in my life right now. :)

The De La Salle Green Archers finally triumphed over archrival Ateneo in the high stakes battle for 2nd place (and the twice to beat advantage) by a slim 1 point margin, 69-70. I think the Eagles were aiming for overtime, but Laterre missed and shot a two instead. I was monitoring the entire thing over the hoopaddict live score blog (Thank you hoop addict!) and was definitely not in work mode from 3PM onwards.

La Salle will now wait for the winner of the ADMU vs. UST match for the semis, the winner of which will face still undefeated University of the East for the Season 70 title.

Animo La Salle. :) Great game Ateneo - one big fight indeed, you had us all worried. Cheers!

So close...

If only Casio had shot 2/2 from the free throw line at 3.5 seconds left...
If only Rico caught the pass and shot the basket at 1.8 seconds...
If only we were able to keep up the momentum in overtime.

I guess UE wanted the win more, they were relentless. The game ended at 84-92, in favor of the Warriors. A perfect 14-0 sweep. And La Salle is now in 3rd, waiting for the outcome of the ADMU vs. NU game (which the Eagles will probably win) on Saturday.

If Ateneo wins, La Salle will wait for the winner of the FEU-UST game for the first round of the playoffs. If Ateneo, by some chance, loses to NU, it's an ADMU vs. DLSU battle for 2nd. Of course, this is my preferred scenario, as we still have chance to get the twice to beat advantage... keeping my fingers crossed.

Animo La Salle!

UPDATE: I owe NU an apology for thinking that ADMU will beat them. :) Yesterday, the NU Bulldogs won over the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 96-88 in overtime. It's DLSU vs. ADMU on Tuesday, 3PM @ the Araneta Coliseum for the twice to beat advantage. Animo La Salle!

Animo!

At 17.8 seconds, to go, La Salle with a one point lead, Chris Tiu shoots another 3, Ateneo erupts in cheers. With La Salle in possession, enough time for another shot. We tense up, watching as Casio tries a jumper, no go, gasps and groans from La Salle all around, Maierhoffer has the ball, the buzzer sounds and the shot goes in.

OVERTIME!!! We jump and cheer like crazy people, Araneta was in chaos.

But our hopes were quickly dashed. They say we did not beat the buzzer.

A review of the tape, Ateneo cheering, La Salle booing. Not another loss!

Tape proves we did lose. Ateneo celebrates, we protest for another couple of seconds more, then their Alma Mater is sung.

Gracious in defeat, we applaud our conquerors.

Then, it was our turn...

Hail, Hail
Alma Mater,
Hail to De La Salle!
We'll hold your banner high and bright,
A shield of green and white,
We'll fight to keep your glory bright,
And never shall we fail,
Hail to thee our Alma Mater!
Hail! Hail! Hail!

Now, defeated twice, we can only look forward to our next meeting. But first, we have to deal with undefeated University of the East. Voice hoarse, legs aching, arms tired, we went home, still dazed at the turn of events. The cheers of "Beat Ateneo, Animo La Salle" seemed so far away...

Congratulations Ateneo. It was a great game. See you in the playoffs. :)

ANIMO LA SALLE!

Avenue Q...A Must See!

I haven't been this entertained in years! =)

Maitz, Jeng and I joined Jeng's officemates to catch the premiere of the newest show from Atlantis Productions, Avenue Q won 3 Tony Awards including Best Musical in 2004. The fact that it featured puppets and dealt with issues such as sex, racism, unemployment, singlehood and the uses of the internet made it much more appealing.

Watching Avenue Q was reminiscent of the beloved Sesame Street characters of our youth, with a more mature flair, and a lot more humor... it's a story about Princeton, a college graduate with a BA in English who struggles to find his "purpose" in life. While looking, he stumbles upon Avenue Q, and moves in to join the rest of the tenants, Kate Monster, Brian and Christmas Eve, roommates Rod and Nicky, Internet addict Trekkie Monster, and the super, Gary Coleman -- yes that Gary Coleman.

Rachel Alejandro played the roles of Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut really well, voice and attitude shifting effortlessly even during times that both puppets were onstage. You can't help but root for Kate in this one. The ever-talented Aiza Seguerra plays Gary Coleman, and Frenchie Dy plays Christmas Eve - whose accent falters every once in a while but she was entertaining nonetheless. Playing her fiance was Rick Everley as Brian, convincing as the wannabe comedian who just doesn't seem to have the talent for his craft. Theater veteran Joel Trinidad (my favorite in this one) plays the roles of Trekkie Monster, Nicky and one of the bad idea bears. He was really, really good. :) Teenee Chan plays Mrs. Thistletwat and the other bad idea bear, she was very funny, hehehe. Felix Rivera plays Princeton and in-the-closet, Republican investment banker Rod. I liked him better as Rod...for some reason Princeton's character just seemed too, um, weak.

With a lot of witty one-liners, and in your face realizations, this is sure to draw laughs from the crowd - "if you were gay...i'd be okay..." and "it sucks to be me.", and tug at your emotions during it's serious moments - "there's a fine, fine line between love and a waste of time..." Not for kids though... definitely not for kids. As it says on the poster, there WAS full puppet nudity. And some swear words and explicit lyrics in the mix - "the internet is for porn!". But watch with an open mind, and you're sure to love it.

And to complete my Avenue Q experience, we waited around for the cast after the show. Took pics of Jeng having her poster signed, and of course, I had to pose with some of them, Aiza, Felix and Joel. :) They were really nice, a really great cast. Avenue Q is a must see, it runs until the 23rd, highly recommended!

New iPods! I'm in love!

The Beat Goes on event did go on and left the world wishing for new iPods (myself included). To view the The Beat Goes On Full Coverage (courtesy of Engadget), just click on the link.

In summary, they revamped the entire iPod line, with new colors for the iPod Shuffle, a (slightly) chubby Nano, better storage and battery life for the iPod Video, and an iPod with touchscreen...or an Iphone, sans the phone, called the iPod Touch. Oh and yeah, a $200 price cut on the Iphone, more affordable iPods, the new Itunes Wifi Store and a partnership with Starbucks coffee. :)

For the iPod shuffle, new colors, including a Product Red line to help fight AIDS in Africa (Available for shuffle and Nano). Nothing really exciting yet. $79 for a 1GB ultra-portable mp3 player. But the purple one is nice, and so is the red and the green...oh what the heck, I like them all!

The iPod Nano... apparently, this and not the iPod Video, is the most popular music player in the world, got a revamped look. Fondly(?) called the 'Fatty' for it's wider body... now carrying a 2" screen. But it's even thinner than the original Nano... and IMHO that's saying something. It can play 24 hours of audio and 5 hours of video on a full charge. $149 for 4GB and $199 for the 8GB. The tagline... 'A little video for everyone.'

The iPod Video...now called the iPod Classic comes with bigger storage and a slimmer frame. My 30GB iPod now seems paltry compared to a whopping 160GB iPod classic model. It has bigger capacity than my portable HD! The 80GB model plays 25 hours of audio and 5 hours of video, while the 160GB plays 40 hours of audio and 7 hours of video. The Classic retails at $349 for the 160GB and $249 for the 80GB model. Oh and yes, it has a slimmer frame compared to its 5th Gen predecessors.

And now... the iPod Touch. Basically, the IPhone without the phone features. It's gorgeous! The most obvious of all features of course, is the touch screen interface, set on a 3.5" screen. It plays 22 hours of audio and 5 hours of video. It has Wi-fi and a built-in browser. You can watch YouTube on your iPod Touch! Endless hours of fun. :) 8GB models are up for grabs at $299, while 16GB are at $399.

I like! But I think I'll wait for when the 3G IPhones become available here in the Phils. Oh and more storage please! If you ask me, if I were to upgrade my iPod, I'd choose one of the Classic models. :D It's an all in one music player/external HD in one! Or maybe the new Nano coz it's so thin and light! Or maybe even a red shuffle as a secondary iPod, for those times I just want to listen to music without the bulk. Hmmm... that's the entire iPod lineup, save for the Touch, hehe...but that's just wishful thinking. I'm perfectly happy with my 5th gen iPod so I won't be upgrading anytime soon. :)

Images from: Apple.com

Lunch break = blog break = I need a break.

As my deadlines loom closer... I'm now feeling the pressure.

Good thing I have something to look forward to this weekend. First, I have tickets to watch Avenue Q with Jeng and her officemates this Friday. They say Avenue Q is a mix of Rent and Sesame Street, with a large dose of PG humor addressing issues such as drinking and sex, and songs with titles like “It Sucks to be Me” or “If You Were Gay”? and "The Internet is for Porn". Rachel Alejandro, Aiza Seguerra and Star in a Million winner Frenchie Dy are just some of the cast in this play.

And then on Sunday...ADMU vs. DLSU!

I coerced Tere into buying tickets for the game... well not really coerced, since when I offered to pay for her ticket, she happily lined up for it. So this Sunday, Jeng, Tere and I will be in our green-and-whites cheering our heads off at the jam-packed Araneta Coliseum.

Really excited about that since I haven't watched a game live in *counts* three years. And we're definitely hungry for this win after a disappointing loss to Ateneo a couple of weeks ago, so it's going to be another 2 hours of screaming ourselves hoarse, chanting our cheers, jumping up & down and pumping our fists into the air while watching our teams battle it out on the court. :)

ANIMO LA SALLE!

My, my, my...I wonder what Steve has in store for us today. :) Only a few hours left until we find out.

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