The Magic Still Remains

It was ten years ago when I got introduced to Harry, Ron and Hermione. The film adaptation of The Sorcerer's Stone was a box office hit at the cinemas then and I used to be out of place whenever my classmates talk about it. The ten year old me felt like a loser at that time so I asked my bestfriend, Margaret, to explain to me what's going on because she watched the movie. I also borrowed a classmate's book so I would have a background of Harry Potter. Since that one fateful day, I got hooked on reading the book and started saving my allowance to buy the other volumes. I finished reading all the books and I never get tired of rereading them again. They are one of my most prized-possessions.

I admire J.K. Rowling for her wild imagination. She changed the whole world by simply writing about the adventures of the "boy who lived". Most of us have grown up with Harry, Ron and Hermione and they will be forever a part of us.

I'm 20 now but I'm still looking forward to receiving an acceptance letter from Hogwarts. ;)

P.S. This video gives me goosebumps. The title of the song is Marchin' On by One Republic.

College Life Time Machine

We are all happy to be back in school. Just take a closer look at our photo. It is worth a thousands words. :)

*Photo from Lo's camera*

Crazy Over Peppermint Mocha

Others say it tastes like Colgate but for me it isn't.

I'm talking about Starbucks' Peppermint Mocha. Since the famous coffee shop started its yearly tradition last November 3, I've been dropping by the place just to buy a cup of this popular holiday beverage. I am not a fan of coffee but the combination of espresso, milk, bittersweet chocolate, peppermint flavor and whipped cream makes me appreciate it. It may be too pricey but the happiness I get in return is priceless. On a different note, I can feel the spirit of Christmas whenever there's Peppermint Mocha around.

The baristas give me weird looks for not availing the sticker so I could have the limited edition Starbucks Coffee planner. Unlike the others who are willing to fight tooth and nail to own one, I always say "no, thank you" with a smile. I guess I'm the only customer who does not care about collecting the stickers. A Papemelroti planner is still the best, at least for me.

After working a while ago, I went to Starbucks with my fellow colleague and new friend, Kaye. The day that we've been waiting for has finally come! It was nice talking to someone who can listen and understand what I'm going through. It also feels good to listen, share my thoughts and give friendly advices. I didn't have a dull moment with her because what we talked about was interesting and insightful. Those two and a half hours were not enough, believe it or not. Nevertheless, I enjoyed our short yet meaningful coffee date. Starbucks' theme this Christmas season is right, a cup of Peppermint Mocha (or a Toffee Nut Latte or a Praline Mocha) is a perfect drink to tell stories over. :)

By the way, I'd like to share with you what I discovered while writing this entry:

(Hi, I'm Nana!)

I'm pretty sure I said my name correctly and clearly but look! I have a new name! :p

The Happy Saturday

These are my college friends. You probably know Lo and Icca by now since I blogged about Lo's birthday bash some weeks ago. The girl on the right is Danielle. :)

It was taken last Saturday when the four of us went to La Salle to get our yearbook. Danielle was on the "hot seat" since she didn't make it last October 30. We learned new things from her and she really surprised us with her big news. Lo, Icca and I were kinikilig while she was sharing the big news to us. We're so happy for her! She deserves all the blessings that are coming her way for she's a responsible, obedient and God-fearing friend, sister and daughter. We're undeniably lucky to have her as our friend.

The saying "big things come in small packages" is absolutely true. From our two-hour bonding time, I realized that life surprises us with good things when we least expect them. Ahh, I can't wait to see all of them again in December! :D

Paparazzi, Cars, Carousels and Moving Walls

(A scene from the music video, Overprotected. Photo from Google Images)

Just watched Overprotected from a local music channel. Britney Spears has been a big part of my growing up years! I grew up listening to her songs and she used to be my favorite international singer. At such a young age, she went through a lot of struggles in her life but she was able to overcome all of these. Having said this, no wonder why she's considered as an influential icon in the pop music industry.

Here she is with the music video (I can't put it here because there's no embed). The dance moves are amazing! The song, on the other hand, I believe it's coming from the heart and inspired by her personal experiences. Overprotected is the second single of her third album Britney. :)

If You Ever Loved Somebody, Put Your Hands Up

It was in the year 2002 when I first encountered Nelly in my life. At that time, I was just a simple grade 6 student then who never appreciated rap and rock music. For me, rock and rap music were only played if you wanted to make some noise or annoy some people. I only listened to Mandy Moore, Backstreet Boys, and other artists who's known for singing bubblegum type of music. But when I heard Dilemma and Cleanin' Out My Closet, a song by Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child and Eminem respectively, my view on rap and even rock music changed. I started to memorize the lyrics of these songs, sing my heart out whenever I'm in the shower or my room and the rest, as they say, is history.

I'm glad that Nelly's (also Eminem) back this year with his new single, Just a Dream, from the album 5.0. This one is quite different from his past songs such as Hot in Here and Party People because it's more mellow and heartbreaking. This song probably reflects his softer side since we are more used to his tough image, as shown in his previous music videos. I wish this would put him back to the top of the charts again. Afterall, it's been eight years. :)

Guess Who's Back?

Twister Fries is back in town! Didn't attend my tutorial class because my students don't really come every Friday (they have this so-called "Friday Sickness). So instead of going to Sta. Rosa, I headed towards the newly opened SM here in Calamba and went to McDonald's to buy some Twister Fries and a Coke Float. I missed Twister Fries and I'm so happy that it's back. :)

Mind-Blowing

There are so many what if's and but what if's in my mind right now. If thinking too much was a job, then I'd be a billionaire. *sigh* Who wants to eat ice cream with me? :)

The Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

The night of October 30^th is a memorable one for me. My college friends and I celebrated the 20^th birthday of our beloved friend, Lo Chua. Let me share with you some of the photos taken on this day.

(The Gustavian: Eastwood, Libis)

We started the night by eating a sumptuous dinner at Gustavian’s. I was so glad to see Bethel, Lo’s bestfriend, again. The last time I saw her was when we practiced for our graduation rites last June. On the other hand, I enjoyed listening to my friends’ experiences at work. It’s been four months since we graduated from college and a lot of things have already changed. Haay, time flies so fast. It really does.

(From left to right: Bryan (Lo's boyfriend), Lo, Sab, Maryse, Raymund, Mye, Ocha, Icca, Me and Mau; Lorenz is at the back of Maryse)

While walking around the malls’ outdoor attraction, they decided to go to a bar to dance. It took them a long time to decide because most of the bars don't have dance floors (people were just sitting down, drinking and talking). We ended up in The Manor.

(My lovely college friends: Lo, Sab, Icca, Mau, Mye and Maryse)


(This shot has a striking resemblance to Saab Magalona's photo with Diego Mapa. Check it out and you'll know what I mean)


(Dance the night away! Party! Party!)


(They all look so happy, aren't they? Specially the birthday girl.)


(That's me with my forever groupmate, Maryse)

It was the Manor’s Halloween party as well. Guests should be in their costumes so they could go inside. I don’t know how Lo or Bryan (or Mye or Icca or Sab) did it but the bouncers allowed us to enter the bar even if we’re not wearing a costume. We didn’t even fall in line, unlike the others (maybe, we’re VIP’s?). Well, my friends never fail to do amazing things. ;)

Thank you for this extraordinary treat, Lo. It was indeed an EPIC night. :)

So Long, Farewell

This video reminds me of the Eraserheads’ reunion concert two years ago. Everybody sang with Ely, Raimund, Marcus and Buddy when they played their famous classic, “Ang Huling El Bimbo”. I will miss NU107, the radio station that brought Spongecola and Urbandub, my favorite Filipino bands, to St. Scho when I was still a highschool junior.

Thank you NU107.

When in Doubt...

...ask THE Ramon Bautista. He is the guy from Enervon’s Hapontukin commercial. My fellow Humblebee, Ayeen, inspired me to ask him a question on his Formspring account.

I’ve been looking forward to his answer since I pressed the send button last night. It took me a lot of courage to ask him a question so this is quite an achievement. And I'm glad he answered it. Thank you, Mr. Bautista! :)

PS: Besides being a TV star and a film enthusiast, he is also teaching at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. And he is on the cover of the latest issue of UNO Magazine. Amazing. ;)

Old School

Gemini by Spongecola used to be my favorite song when I was still in highschool. You have no idea about what I did, just to have my CD signed by Yael, Armo, Chris and Gosh. ;)

Because I Cannot Sleep

Some people count sheep when they cannot sleep. I also tried counting sheep before, hoping it would work, but it didn’t. As a matter of fact, when I reached 100, I could still hear the snores of the people around me. I envied them, really. Reading a book didn’t help either. I ended up feeling bored but not sleepy. How tragic.

It’s 1:15 am, past my bedtime.

Today is the first day of November. It’s raining and somewhat cold. It is definitely the perfect time to hop in that soft and comfortable bed of yours, to hug those big pillows and hide under the blanket. Everyone else here at home, except me, is fast asleep and probably having the time of his/her lives in Dreamland. Again, I envy them.

Now, the wind has joined the rain. It’s a little bit creepy because it’s getting colder. And it will be creepier if the winds begin to make sounds. Yes, I’ve started to imagine things. I just remembered the horror movies I watched a while ago. They were not really scary, but I can’t help it. It’s the season of jack-o-lanterns, Halloween parties, you name it. I hope this rain stops.

Oh, the random thoughts keep on flowing in.