Red

The red-haired masterpiece smiles. And she smiles as well, assuming that the distance between them is immaterial. As always, assuming that the slight movement of his lips is meant for her. But he is a masterpiece, he is meant for perfection. He wants his equal. She, on the other hand, is a non-conformist who loves her imperfections to the dot. Opposites attract, but I guess no, not this time. 

+++

Thanks Jabey for the picture.

Inked!

Finally!!! I'm inked! I didn't know I'd be able to muster enough courage. It's no secret that I have a very low pain tolerance, and just imagining the needle pricking through my skin is just crazy. But I really want to get one, so yesterday, I went to Toxztattoo in Robinsons Pioneer. I really don't have any design in mind. But when I saw this tattoo design in front of the shop, I know, this just got to be it. 

***

And so there you go, little stars, shine your brightest. 

***

26 before 26 Update!

1. Get a tattoo. Uber low ng physical pain tolerance ko, pero gusto ko magpa-tattoo. Astig lang. Chos! Here’s the henna tattoo I got in the UP Fair last Feb 2009. =)

The Lotto Fever!

I am no fan of the lottery game. It is a game of chance. What is the probability that I’ll win? Deeemmnnn the permutation, I am not going to compute. But I know, I am sure, I have the slimmest chance to win. But when the prize reached the P400M mark, woaaa, fan or no fan, I’m going to bet!

My first bet was two Saturdays ago, right after class, I went to Trinoma, I’m not even sure that it is the 6/55 game that I should be betting until I heard the people around me. So, I selected few numbers like my birth month, birth day, my work start date, his birth day and then randomly picked for the remaining numbers. I only bet for P40 by the way. Each bet costs P20. =p As expected, I didn’t win. I didn’t even get to match at least 3 winning combinations.

 

Now, the that-lottery-which-is-only-a-game-of-chance is now giving away P685 million. Imagine that?? Where the heck I’m going to spend that much money? Let’s assume that I’ll get the 6 winning combinations. Let’s assume that I am the sole winner. OOkay, scratch that. There are two winners – and I am one of them. (Hahaha. I’m sharing the luck, guys! =p) What would I do with my whooping millions?

Aside from the usual you-must-claim-and-put-it-in-a-bank intelligent response, I think I’m going to:

- Buy myself a house and lot. It’s everyone’s dream.

- Buy my family a house and lot. Set aside another million for them.

- Buy a car. Although, I don’t drive, I could always hire a driver. =p

- Travel ala Eat, Pray, Love for a year as well.

- Invest in real estate properties.

- Start a business.

- Build an orphanage.

- Build schools.

- Set up scholarship funds.

For the rest of my millions, probably, I’ll let it sleep on the bank until I can think of what to do with them. Ooohh, the happiness of wishful thinking.

Kidding aside, with all the hype this lotto is getting, I wonder why we can’t just donate the winning prize to charity. I mean, let’s face it, someone would definitely win and they would give away the millions. Why don’t we just give a million each to 685 charitable organizations/public schools? It’s Christmas anyway. I will not complain promise. =P

***
Update (11/30/2010)
So, it's final. One lucky bettor gets to take home the millions. Story here.

How to Use Custom Domain in your Blog?

So, now that I have my own domain name. I’m going to share what I did in order to use the registered domain name from www.godaddy.com in my blogspot.

Initially, I planned to get my domain from Blogger, but because I encountered error on that night, I opted in getting it from GoDaddy. I searched for my preferred domain name to ensure that it is still available. Then I created an account before I registered the domain name. I received the order confirmation from GoDaddy.

I login to GoDaddy and then went to My Account> Domain Manager to create the CNAME record. I scrolled down to DNS Manager and then clicked on Launch. The newly registered domain should be associated to ghs.google.coom.

Check if there is already a record for www, if there is, click to edit , otherwise create a new record. Remember that on Host column, put in only www and not www.tsinatown.com (Okay, we're talking about putting in  your domain name.) I didn’t change the value on the TTL column. For other domain name provider, Blogger has this very helpful article.

Then, I went to Blogger> Settings> Publishing> Custom Domain. Since I already have the registered domain name, I went straight to Switch to Advanced Settings. Put in my registered domain name. Ensure to tick Redirect.

I tried http://www.tsinatown.com on my browser and it went fine. I also tried www.tsinatown.com, and it was okay. But when I tried tsinatown.com, it is displaying that GoDaddy has parked it free. So I googled. I realized that I have a naked domain. I need to forward my bare domain to my custom domain. Good thing I came across this article. I went back to GoDaddy> Domain Manager. Selected my domain name, and then clicked on the Forward icon. I put in my domain name and then checked again. Poof, it worked!

But you bet, it would have been easier if I had it straight from Blogger. =p

My .com! Yipeeee!

I hope you do notice – I have a new domain name! Shala. =)

I’ve been wanting one ever since. Then, a week ago, I have this strong urge to get myself a .com. And please, do not ask why, I have no idea. Compare it to impulsive shopping, that is.

But then again, I also wondered whether it is worth getting. I mean, it is worth getting, I’m sure of it. But is my blog worth my own domain? My entries are all truly personal. Few are travel accounts. That is my primary reason for not getting it last weekend.

So while I’m slacking on a Monday, I asked a friend about it. Well, he asked me, first and foremost, if it is for a hobby and if it would be of any use to me. I said, yes. Sort of a hobby. But I am not sure if I can monetize it, I don’t know how, and my entries are all personal. You know, he said, then get one, it’s a hobby. It is just like photography. The difference however is instead of getting a DSLR, you get a domain name. With that, I just know, I’m getting one.

So the next step is to choose the domain name to register. I really don’t have many choices in mind. First, I don’t think, I am that creative. Lol. Second, my mind is settled on what I want – sorry, it’s not flexible, when it feels so sure. Not on this lifetime, I’d like to get www.iamtsina.com. No serious reason though. Sadly, before I even get to register www.tsina.com, it becomes unavailable. It was available just the weekend before it!!! I was devastated. Honest. So the next day, I pinged/texted friends again, and conducted my little survey. The results are in. See below.
www.tsintsina.com got 6 votes
www.tsinatown.com got 8 votes
www.supertsina.com got 5 votes

Yup. I only have few friends, so the figures. Lol. Moving forward, I logged in to www.blogger.com, went to Settings> Publishing. I clicked on Custom Domain. Input the preferred domain name. Input my information. But failed, tsk tsk. So, I asked Meri to register the domain name directly in www.godaddy.com. She has a PayPal so that's better. In few minutes, I received the Order Confirmation. I got the domain name for $12.17/year. Thanks, Meri!!

I went back to Blogger, then input the domain name. I thought, I'm going to wait for a day for it to be set-up. But noooo, it was just in an instant. I'm superglad. Blogger will automatically redirect my blogspot address to this new one. Isn't that great?

So that’s how I end up with my new domain name. Hey, by the way, www.tsinatown.com is originally suggested by Silina to tease me because I've been bothering them a lot with my domain name issue. Thanks, Silina!

By the way, is there anyone out there who is willing to create me a good/simple/minimalist layout? I’ll pay you with kindnesssssss. =p

A Trying Hard Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

*Spoilers ahead

So, there you go. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows opened yesterday. I miss miss miss Harry, Hermione and Ron. They are my most favorite people in the literary world. Promise. =) 

I made up my mind that I’m going to watch on the first day. (Demmmnnn, I didn’t know there would be advance screening here in the country.) So, I asked my friends if they could join me on the first day in the last full show. Sorry, it has to be last full show. I had a class yesterday and as much as I want to skip it, I couldn’t. =( 

I retrieved my login details to www.sureseats.com because I do not have time to go personally and reserve seats. Sad to say, the only available schedules that I could reserve a seat is the 9.30pm and 10.55pm. For some unknown reason, I couldn’t reserve a seat on 10.10pm screening. So we took the 10.55pm schedule, so much for wanting to watch on a first day. Well, technically, I watched on the first day. 

Anyway, we were in Trinoma at 9.30pm. We purchased the 10.30pm screening. So there goes my SureSeats membership, now my account is locked out because we didn’t claim the later reservation. 

 

So we grabbed a bucket of popcorn, and lined up with the kids (lol). The start of the movie is a little poignant. We saw Harry sending the Dursleys away, Hermione casting Obliviate spell on her parents and Ron with the Weasleys. Then, we saw Snape and Voldemort. Forgive me, but is it mercy that I saw in Snape’s eyes in seeing Charity Burbage being tortured by Voldemort? Then, we saw Nagini. I didn’t expect him to be thaaat big. I do have a poor poor imagination.

I love love love Dobby here. He’s very funny especially when he accompanied Kreacher in bringing Mundungus (which is not part of the book, btw). And when he died, I think I lost a friend as well. The added lines are just heartbreaking. You couldn’t help but cry. 

By the way, I dislike the part where they show Grindelwald telling Voldemort that Dumbledore had the Elder Wand. That is so not true, the book had it in him as part of his remorse to every single bad thing he’d done. But well, life could not be perfect. 

I hope in the second installment, Neville would have way better screen time. He is my next favorite person in the series. But what else do we expect on the second installment? As much as I could remember from the book, the break in to Gringgots is not yet shown and then also the Battle of Hogwarts. I wonder if the movie would stretch to 3 hours again. But I do not mind honestly. =) 

I enjoyed the light bantering of the characters. Every one is at their best. But what I love the most in the movie is how they show the friendship between the three characters – Harry dancing with Hermione when the latter is sad on Ron’s departure, Hermione comforting/saving Harry in the Godric’s Hollow and Ron saving Harry in the lake among others.  While watching the movie, all I could ever wish is to have friends like them. 

Over-all, I think that this movie installment is the most faithful to the book. It is also visually entertaining. I can’t wait for the second installment. =)

++

And hey, this is my first ever movie review.=)

Deactivated

Ooops, don’t try to find me in Facebook. I’ve deactivated it.

I’ve been thinking of doing it for a quite a while, and despite my pure love and admiration to The Social Network movie, I’ve deactivated my account. 

I’ve even tweeted about it before, and my ex-officemate-slash-friend asked me why. I told her that “Tumi-TMI na ako.” Yup, I think, I’ve been sharing too much information already. I know, I know, it’s part of all the social networking hype-slash-rule, but I think, anything too much is not good. 

You see yourself pouring your heart out in that box where it says" What’s in your mind?". You put in your whereabouts, lifelong wishes, dreams, family issues, love, work dilemma, frustrations, anger and all sort of emotions a person is capable of. You will be tagged by those that you go out/drink/party/socialize with. Then there you are – vulnerable as ever. 

 

Do you know how it feels awkward seeing in person a Facebook friend that you have not talk face to face but is in constant FB-status-comment-conversation with? I should know. 

When another of my friend asked me why I’m going to deactivate my account, I blurted out “I have too many acquaintances in Facebook. They are not even ‘close friends’.” I have more than 600 Facebook friends. Most of them are classmates/batchmates/friends from elementary to college - people whom I have never talked/seen/communicated for the last years. Some of them are colleagues from work whom I have never shared a real conversation. There are also a few from my masters whom I’m still on the getting-to-know stage with. There are my friends – in one level after another.

But let’s also face the fact that Facebook has connected us to the people who once matter the most. Sadly, for myself, it couldn’t rekindle the same level of friendship that we once had.

I know, someday, I’m gonna miss Facebook again. Where else can I play Mafia Wars, Family Feud and Writer’s Blox? Where else can I be reminded of someone’s birthday? How else would I know who someone is in a relationship with? Only in Facebook. 

But for now, goodbye Facebook. 

I want my privacy back!

A for Apol

Nakatitig ka lang sa pangalan niya sa Communicator. Umaasa ka na makita yung notification sa gilid. Hinihintay mo na sabihin niya sa’yo na aalis siya. At baka matagal-tagal na hindi mo muna siya makikita. Sasabihin niya sa’yo na may Communicator naman, may Facebook, may Yahoo Messenger kaya parang hindi din siya mawawala. Nakatitig ka lang. Naghihintay.

Pero hanggang sa mapagod ka na, yung green ay green pa din. Wala pa din na notification sa gilid. Nag-sign out ka na.

Ang bagal ng lakad mo. Baka sakali, pauwi na din siya. Pero nandyan na ang elevator, wala pa din siya. Dumaan ka pa sa Mini-Stop. Dumaan ka pa sa grocery. Bumili ka pa ng dalawang apol kahit sa tingin mo, hindi siya masarap. Kasi, baka mamaya paglingon mo, makita mo siya naglalakad papunta sa’yo.

Tiningnan mo yung telepono mo, baka sakali, may text mula sa kanya. Pero hindi nga pala niya alam ang number mo.

Pagdating mo sa bahay, natuklasan mo na hindi pala masarap ang apol na nabili mo. Tama nga ang hinala mo, hindi pala siya malutong. Napa-buntunghininga ka na lang. May Communicator man, may Facebook at may Yahoo Messenger, alam mo na wala ka matatanggap na message mula sa kanya.

- Tsina

When words are not spoken, hearts break!

Link

It sucks when you know that you could be reach via text, call,fb message, tweet, yahoo messenger, personal email, work
mail and communicator yet you feel so disconnected to the world. I hate technology for slapping me the hard truth!

*posting via bb

MTM

Sinadya ko talaga na hindi mag-blog agad tungkol sa masters ko. Ako kasi yung tipo ng tao na mahilig mag-risk pero tahimik lang. As much as possible, hindi ko siya ida-daldal. Ayoko kasi napapahiya. Hindi naman sa gusto ko i-please ang mga tao sa paligid ko, pero ayoko ng may nangingialam sa mga desisyon ko sa buhay. 

Last year ko pa talaga pina-plano na mag-masters. Kaso naunahan ako ng insecurities ko. Baka maging miscast ako sa kwentong ito. Baka ma-intimidate ako. Master of Technology Management (MTM) kasi ang gusto ko sa University of the Philippines (UP). Sa mahal kong probinsiya ako nag-graduate ng college, at hindi naman ako yung may magandang academic record talaga. Ayun, naunahan ako ng lahat ng negative thoughts. 

Pero earlier this year, March, nag-settle ako sa thought na gusto ko ito gawin. Gusto ko mag-masters. Nag-download ako sa website ng application forms. Nag-email ako sa professor ko nung college for recommendation. Humingi din ako ng recommendation from my Team Lead. Hindi muna ako nagpaalam sa manager ko. Naisip ko, pag pumasa na lang ako sa entrance exam, at saka ako magsasabi sa kanya. March 5, nagpunta ako sa Technology Management Center (TMC) sa CP Garcia para mag-submit ng requirements. At naligaw pa kami ni Meri, take note. =p Sunday of the said week, exam na pala. Kinabahan ako. No preparation at all. Naisip ko, hindi yata para sa akin ito.

Gusto ko ito -

ang mga panahon na nakakalimutan natin ang mundo..