Short break...

... from my busy schedule and all the drinking and partying I have been doing. Just wanted to stop by and wish you all a...

Merry Christmas!!!

This proves to be a great Christmas because my mum, Arnie, and I have discussed and decided after a lengthy phone conversation with my relatives back home that we will be celebrating Christmas and New Year in the Philippines! Yay! I can't wait!

Have a safe and happy holiday everybody! Catch y'all soon!

Running for charity

Last December 4, my workmate/friend Rebecca and I participated in the annual Sussan Women's Fun Run at St. Kilda. We both signed up for the 5 km walk/run, which we both finished within the reasonable 30-40 minutes. There was also the 10 km walk/run but Bex and I thought we'd be nuts if we went for that - considering we both ran/walked 55 floors on foot up the Rialto building a few months back, our sanity is already a bit questionable isn't it?

The fun run is in support of the charity called the Make A Wish Foundation. It is a charity geared towards the needs of children with illnesses.

Check out the pictures below:

Pinning on my race number

Bex and I before the race

Race participants getting ready to warm up

Bex and I warming up before the race

At the start line

Bex and I after the race, tired but happy

These blokes obviously thought they'll pass as women to join the fun run - NOT!

Check out this short video of me about to cross the finish line. I'm the one wearing a white cap and pink shirt. (Let me just say that this tool is sooooo cool!)

I guess along with the Rialto run, this will be something that I'd endeavour to do every year. I'll just have to maintain my workouts and the like.

Christmas let downs...

I have been feeling angsty lately. I should consider myself luckier than most Filipinos especially during this time of the year. I've done my Christmas shopping, will be hosting an elaborate party on the 27th (it's Boxing Day holiday here), and will be spending heaps of time with Arnie, family and friends.

The reasons for my "downer" feeling lately are:

1. I miss my family and friends back in the Philippines.
2. The racially fueled riots in Sydney between the White Australians and Lebanese. It's the year 2005, for crying out loud!
3. I'm missing my DLSU block reunion this year.
4. I won't be having a holiday till February.
5. I have a feeling that I won't be going back to Manila for a visit before I get married.

I know, such simple things, but I can't help feeling sad about it. I guess this is part of living in a foreign country. It ain't all steak and onions...

HP madness is still going...

I am beyond happy today… take a look at these beauties!



I got the first three Harry Potter Audio Books! Bwahahahahaha!

All these were read by Stephen Fry.

I am starting on the first three chapters of the Philosopher’s Stone. Bloody fantastic!

Each audio book is about 8 – 10 hours of Harry Potter goodness! I’m in heaven!

Christmas countdown...

It's exactly 16 days till Christmas. Wow. This is my 6th Christmas here in Australia and I spent the past five without my mum. My mum works nightshift at the Casino and she's been unlucky since her shift always included Christmas and New Year's day. I have spent those Christmases and New Years with Arnie and his family. I'm not really complaining. As much as I love Arnie and his family, I do miss spending the holidays with my mum. After all, we haven't spent Christmas together for about 3 years prior to my migration because she was already here.

Oh well, no need to get mushy about it now. I'm sure we will be celebrating Christmas and New Year's day together next year since it falls on her off days.

Christmas is such a different feeling for someone like me who has grown to love this particular holiday. Growing up in a city like Manila where Christmas is an excuse for everyone from different backgrounds and lifestyles to celebrate it with absolute vigor, I can't help but feel nostalgic about the whole way how Filipinos celebrate it. I miss being with my family back home and my crazy cousins. Even if we're already adults, we still act like children whenever we are together - frolicking around like mad, laughing about everything and anything, and playing silly stupid games. When I'm with my friends, we celebrate in a more "adult" way - drinking wine, having excellent conversations about books, music, and the like, and generally just catching up.

Hay... nakakamiss...

I might try and celebrate Christmas and New Year in Manila next year. I wish to visit my hometown one last time as a single woman. I'll just see how the wind blows around that time...

Hmmm...

There are actually people out there who think I'll be better off with Migs, my brother, my best mate, rather than with Arnie, the love of my life, my soul mate.

Hmmmm...

Funny how people think they know what's best for you, huh?

People, I love Arnie. His family loves me. I love his parents. I love Migs too, but the thought of actually getting it on with him just makes my gut wretch. Incest! Ewww!

Thanks for the concern (rolls eyes) but I know what I'm doing. I am perfectly happy with Arnie as my fiance and Migs as my best mate. Besides, he is very much in love with his girlfriend.

Psychics indeed (rolls eyes).

Edit: I have looked at my shoutbox account and found that a few people who do not have the courage to leave an email address or website link have the same IP address. That means it's the same person responding to their own comments. How pathetic!

Please stop flooding my site. I will keep on deleting your comments. I do not appreciate being called a "playgirl" and such on my own site. I do not appreciate you passing judgement on people like my fiance's mother when you can't even string a decent, grammatically correct sentence together. This is my site and I have every right to kick people out of here.

If you don't like what I write or who I am or you think I'm a total slut, then leave me alone and go bother someone else...

My HP day...

Finally saw Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire this morning at 9:30 first showing, thinking the cinema won't be filled with mad kids. To my dismay, the cinema was packed not with young kids who tend to be quiet throughout the movie because of awe but by teenagers all gushing at how cute Harry/Ron/Viktor/Cedric are!

Sheesh!

Well, aside from that annoying little tidbit I have only two words to describe the film: Ruddy brilliant!

Like, wow! I agree that there are so many deviations from the book but the story telling was amazing. I especially enjoyed Mad Eye Moody's characterisation. I thought he was an absolute riot! Ralph Fiennes played an excellent Voldemort. He always played very good evil roles.

Daniel is growing up to be oh-la-la. Gosh, I've always had a weakness for the dark hair and blue eyes. Sheesh! Too bad he's jail bait! Hahahahahaha!

As I always said to my friends, I'm waiting for him to turn 20 and then he'll be free game! Bwahahahahahaha!

Anyway, it was very entertaining. The humour, the slight innuendo, and the obvious raging of hormones was a very good change from the "children's book movie version" concept that the past three films have had. Fair enough, the characters are growing up and they should be portrayed as such - Hermione talking about Viktor being more "physical" than the talking-to-a-girl kind of guy (the look Harry was giving her when she was saying this was so funny), Harry blubbering in front of Cho, and Ron showing mad jealousy towards Viktor and Hermione. I also thought Hagrid trying to grope Madame Maxine's bottom was a good touch :)

I can't wait for the DVD now. I also can't wait for the 5th movie. I especially hope the kids continue on with the 6th movie. To see Harry and Ginny get together would be a sight to behold! I am an avid Harry/Ginny shipper, so sorry to other ship supporters there :p

Ruddy brilliant!

Kill or be killed

The whole issue of death penalty has been a topic of discussion these past few weeks here in Australia. This morning, a convicted drug trafficker from Melbourne by the name of Nguyen Tuong Van was sent to the gallows in Singapore's Changi Prison for possession of 400 grams of heroin. Nguyen had been imprisoned for three years in the said prison before a ruling was finally made around a month ago.

People were divided almost equally with regards to death penalty being a harsh punishment for drug traffickers. Bear in mind that Australia does not have capital punishment whilst most Asian countries do. I believe that other than Singapore, Malaysia also uses the medieval method of hanging.

I personally believe that drug traffickers rank up there with murderers and rapists. They may not kill people immediately, but they do contribute in a person's destruction of oneself - their family, their friends, and their lives. People who sell drugs do not have a social conscience. They do not care about whom they sell these drugs to just as long as they get the right amount of money for it. In Nguyen's case, he decided to traffic drugs to help out his twin brother in paying off debts that were also drug related. His twin brother was a heroin addict.

Tsk. Did he honestly think that getting into the drug trade will solve his brother's problems that involved drugs in the first place?

Nguyen was 25 years old. His life was cut short unfortunately because of a very stupid mistakes, albeit with the best intentions at heart. This may sound callous but he got what he deserved. He was intending to supply drugs, he knew what the consequences were, and he still went for it.

The only person I feel sorry for is her mother, who honestly still thinks this was her fault.

Poor lady.

So, is capital punishment a good thing or a bad thing? My only answer is this: there is a reason why Singapore is what it is today. Crime lords would always think twice before they do anything there. They know for a fact that if they were caught, they will never get away lightly.

I personally think Australia should do something to be harder on drug convictions and the like. The last thing I want is for this country to be laden with junkies all over the place... tsk, tsk.