Like You've Never Seen Her Before

Who would have thought that this actress and in-demand cover girl in the Philippine entertainment industry had thought of dressing as a man? Anne Curtis bid good-bye to her girl-next-door and classy image to say hello to a tougher and fearless manly figure. Well, she did it for the third anniversary issue of The Philippine Star Supreme section. I agree with Anna Canlas, who featured this one yesterday in her article, when she said that “she sort of looks like Johnny Depp”. I honestly think that she really pulled off this look. Stunning and convincing indeed. :)

*Credits to Gene Paulo Bautista*

Because Every Girl is Amazing

A girl is beautiful in a lot of ways. Take it from Bruno Mars who sees the beauty of a girl that is found not only from the outside but also from within. Just the Way You Are is his first single from his debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. :)

P.S. To my beautiful bestfriend, Maggie. I visit your blog whenever I have the chance and I really enjoy reading your entries. You and Danica are so adorable! And regarding the tape on your face with my name on it, I'm still trying to look for it. :))

The Unexpected Good-bye

(University Week Culminight: February 19, 2010)

Meet my friend, Kat Reyes. We met and became friends when we were still in college. She's fun to be with, and I admire her for being so optimistic, wise, thoughtful, friendly and sweet. I also like the way she gives advices to people around her, and how she expresses herself without offending anyone. Because of these qualities, it's no surprise that she has gained a lot of friends.

I never thought that our graduation dinner last June would be our last day together. Just last week, I was surprised to know that she's leaving for Doha. (that's why she invited everyone to come to Batangas, for a weekend getaway... to say good-bye) Our other friends prepared a despedida party for her last Thursday night because it will take such a long time for us to see her again. Lo, Mye, Icca, Tasha and Sab sent me text messages to convince me to come but due to some unexpected circumstance, unfortunately, I did not make it. Kat left yesterday at 10am.

To compensate for my absence, I'm planning to do something which I've never done before.

Kat, I will miss you! Take care and have fun in Doha. See you soon! :)

Down the Memory Lane

Don't Say You Love Me by M2M is one of the songs that brings me back to my good old gradeschool days. I was in third grade when I first heard and watched its music video on MTV. After a decade, I got the chance to listen to this song again. It feels good to be back in the 90's era! If only there's a time machine... :p

And then I realized something.

It's not bad to reminisce. However, we also need to keep moving forward. If we continue to cling onto our past, we wouldn't be able to enjoy what the present has prepared for us. Having said this, moving forward will help us become more open to the world and grow as a better person.

Let me end this entry by quoting what Oogway, the wise tortoise, told Po in the movie Kung Fu Panda, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is gift. That is why it is called a present". Have a happy Sunday night everyone! :)

Action Speak Louder than Words

My fellow colleagues in the preschool were talking about this video that they've seen on Youtube some days ago over lunch. I was intrigued because they seemed so enthusiastic while sharing their experiences upon watching it. Feeling a little bit left out, I searched it on Youtube to satisfy my curiosity.

Maria Venus Raj was the controversial Miss Universe finalist because she had to face some issues regarding her nationality before representing the Philippines in the glamorous Miss Universe pageant, which was held in Las Vegas two weeks ago. Filipinos all over the world cheered and screamed when she was named as the fourth runner-up. She almost had the crown in her hands but being a fourth runner-up is not bad. After all, she has brought pride and happiness in the country, amidst the hostage drama which somehow changed how the international community sees the Filipinos.

On a much brighter side, Veejay Floresca (a fashion designer who's making a name and waves in the fashion industry), Martin Bautista (a young fashion designer too), Lex Librea (a corporate travel consultant), and Aleq Africa (an employee in a leading real-state firm) were among the Filipinos who went wild and crazy for Venus. The expression on their faces and the way they behaved when they heard Venus' name were definitely an epic and sensational. And did I tell you that these guys were also featured in the different international shows such as The Tonight with John Leno and MTV? Now, that's awesome.

Watch the video and see it for yourself. :)

I Should Prepare My Colored Pens, Paint Brushes and Poster Paints

This is what the President of Cambridge (here in the Philippines) told me when I had my on-the-spot interview with her last Friday. She is definitely a woman of substance and I learned a lot from her. I am looking forward to hearing more inspirational things from her, now that I'm already a part of the Cambridge family. Yes, I’m going to teach at Cambridge. Finally! I feel so happy and blessed at the same time because God has granted my long-time wish. In seven days, I will be a real preschool teacher. :D

By the way, I’m not giving up on my tutorials in the afternoon because for some weird reason, I’m beginning to enjoy teaching algebra, the Asian countries (for Araling Panlipunan), Filipino and English to my second year highschool, grade six and grade two students. Oh, my nerdy self comes back to life. :p

Free Ice Cream, Anyone?

Because the Green Archers beat the Blue Eagles in yesterday's much-anticipated game, Fruits in Ice Cream will be giving away free ice cream! Ah, this piece of good news makes me want to go to school tomorrow. :D

Just Because I Feel Like Posting My Own Picture

(The Graduation Day: June 19, 2010)

Please bear with me, I'm quite vain today. :p

The Last Chapter of Our School Life and the Beginning of Our New Life in the Real World

(My Lovely College Friends: Cheska, Trish, Raymund, myself, Mye, Sab, Icca, Mau, Nikki, Kat, Danielle, Maryse and Lo)

June 19, 2010 was an unforgettable day for all of us, the graduating batch of De La Salle University. After three years of learning about early childhood education (while the others, on the other hand, learned about engineering, business, English language, literature, computers and the like), at last, we marched down the aisles of the Philippine International Conventional Center. Happiness and excitement were all over the place, especially when we went up the stage to get our temporary diplomas and had our hand shake with none other than Brother Armin Luistro, who is now the newest secretary of the Department of Education. We felt we were like the A-List celebrities when photographers and our parents started taking pictures of us to document this wonderful event. It was definitely a “surreal, but nice” experience for all of us. By the way, that quote came from Hugh Grant and Julia Robert’s movie, Notting Hill.

(The Handshake with Brother Armin:"Dana, be an inspiration to your students";with my proud parents )

Graduation, I realized, is a bittersweet ending. It is the day when students feel exceptionally happy because they are finally reaping the fruits of their hard-work. And at the same time, it has become the period of their lives wherein they have to say good-bye to their friends who made their entire stay in school extraordinary. That’s the way it is.

(Happy Preschool Teachers: Dana, Trish, Maryse, Lo, Raymund, Sylvia, Mau, Mye and Cheska)

Now, we are all geared up for our next journey into the real world. Wish us luck. Cheers. :D

Disclaimer: Most of the photos are from my friends' cameras.

Coming Soon

(The View: June 19, 2010. Philippine International Convention Center.)

It is definitely coming soon. I already started writing about the "second part of the epilogue" last week and I might post it some time this week. My work as a part-time teacher in a preschool somewhere here in Laguna keeps me busy recently (Yes, you read it right. I'm working already). I'm active on Facebook and Twitter but that's a different story. Since I'm not using my YM anymore, these two websites serve as my communication tools to get in-touch with my former classmates, friends, and fellow colleagues. I hope you understand. :)

The UAAP Season Has Begun

There are more important things to blog about but I really wanted to post this photo of Enchong Dee, who represented DLSU yesterday for UAAP's season opening. I was able to watch the first half of the Archers' game against the Fighting Maroons (also yesterday) and I'm quite satisfied with the scores. (I honestly think that the latter has improved this season) And then a while ago, my friends from UP informed me that the Archers won the game. Not bad. I hope they make it until the last days of 73rd Season (keeping my fingers crossed). :)

Hi, Zac!

I watched your movie, 17 Again, last Sunday night on HBO. Yes, I did not sleep early just because I wanted to know the reason why millions of girls are so “head over heels in love with you”. Now, I think I know why. Vanessa is one lucky girl. :)

*Note: The second part of the epilogue will be posted soon.*

The First of the Two-Part Epilogue

(Meet my friends from left to right: Trish, Icca, Mye, Nikki, Mau,
Kat and Lo)

This photo is a sneak peek of what happened in school today. We’ve been active participants during the recognition rites, baccalaureate mass, class picture taking and graduation rehearsal. It’s definitely tiring yet fun day. Anyway, in general, the place was filled with an extraordinary level of craziness, because it’s two more days before our much-anticipated graduation! :)

See You Tomorrow

(Yuchengco: February 10, 2009)

This building has been a witness to a number of events that increased the awareness of not only the students, but of other people as well (in the field of politics, arts, literature, business and the like). The auditorium in the seventh floor is the “Araneta Coliseum” or the "CCP" (Cultural Center of the Philippines) of this prestigious university. If you, by any chance, get to perform on its stage, you are indeed lucky. :)

By the way, I'm going back to school tomorrow! We'll be having our academic attire fitting (the toga), class picture taking and recognition rites in the morning, and baccalaureate mass and graduation rehearsals in the afternoon until evening (9pm to be exact). It's going to be a long day but I don't mind. As a matter of fact, my friends, myself and our other common friends in our department are planning to have a mini-pictorial during our free time. It would be fun, I'm sure! I can also imagine that tomorrow will be like our first day of school, without the first day jitters.

Taft, here we come! :p

Surprise!

Look what I found while surfing the internet two nights ago!

Isn’t she pretty? She was born on the 28th day of March 1986. When she was eleven years old, she studied at a private Roman Catholic school somewhere in Manhattan. During her highschool years, she played the lead roles, Adelaide and Philia, from the plays Guys and Dolls and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum respectively. At the age of seventeen, she enrolled at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she learned more about music. Here, she was able to improve her songwriting skills as well.

In 2008, she became one of the successful artists in the field of music. Her music influences include David Bowie, Queen, Madonna and the late Michael Jackson. She fondly calls her fans, “Little Monsters”.

Friends, her name is Stefani Germanotta. Or should I say was.

Does the name ring a bell? Not yet? :p

She won as the Best New Artist in 2009’s MTV Video Music Awards. She also won the Best Dance Recording Award and the Rising Star Award. Recently, she collaborated with Beyonce and their song, “Telephone”, became a hit. Her new music video/song, Alejandro, is in the Top 10 of Billboard Hot 100.

Are you ready? Brace yourselves.

She is none other than THE Lady Gaga. :)

P.S. I was so surprised when I saw this photo. I can’t believe that it was her (if I remember it right, she was 17 years old here) before she started wearing eye-catching clothes. She’s so pretty! :p

Reference: Wikipedia, Billboard.com, Modern-pop-music-suite101.com

The Best Batch

Okay, the school spirit is hitting me. I feel like posting stuff that is related to my college life. Well, I just want to share with you an interesting site which I found while browsing through my Facebook page. It's still "developing" though. Well, I honestly believe that every batch in my alma mater is cool and unique in any way. However, because of this site, I can't help but agree that our batch, the ID 107, is the best among the rest. Do you want to know why? :)

Where Heroes Are Made

The De La Salle University has been chosen to host the 73rd season of the UAAP games this year. I remember the times when my blockmates and I grabbed the opportunities to watch the games of the Green Archers at the Araneta Coliseum during our frosh year. Some of our professors were cool and nice enough about canceling our classes, so we could join the Animo Squad and the other supporters in cheering for our team. It's totally one of my best and most memorable experience in college. And oh, did I mention that I've learned how to ride the LRT and MRT because of this?

I hope to watch another game this coming July and feel the animo burning once again. It's been a long time since I screamed with my college friends to inspire and motivate the players, most specially if they're playing against the Ateneo Blue Eagles. I also miss the over-all craziness inside the big dome. :p

Green Archers, let's bring the crown back. It's our time to shine (again). :D

P.S. I got goosebumps while watching the video. Heehee.

Chocolate Madness

Here's a photo of the "chocolate sauce" that my aunties and not-so-little-brother loved so much. They said that the it tasted better than the one we ordered in this posh Spanish restaurant. They were surprised when I told them that it's just Milo and not cocoa powder, which is usually used for baking. And they gave me two thumbs up. Yay! :)

A Sweet Sunday Afternoon

I had a very productive Sunday afternoon. Ate Rosie and I made churros con chocolate merienda. It was nice seeing Papa, Mama, not-so-little brother, and our three aunties enjoy it. Yummy! :)

Mischief Managed

Hermione, Harry and Ron are all grown-up! I’m looking forward to watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. But it also makes me sad because we have to finally say good-bye to people whom we learned to love and hate. :(

On the brighter side, I’ve read that the Harry Potter theme park is opening soon (Spring 2010). I will really save a lot of money so I could visit the wizarding world in the future. The people behind this brilliant idea are making my dream to explore the corridors of Hogwarts and the busy streets of Hogsmeade come true. :)

P.S. I visited this site and it features the wizarding world. If you are fond of Harry Potter, you might want to see it too. http://www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/ :)