Ain't No Devil Who is Wearing Prada

"They like to be us." - Miranda Priestly

The movie gives me an impression that fashionistas are sores to the world - sores in society's overly blurred eyes in seeing the real score of humanity and integrity. It may sound literally rude to put up these two things altogether, but hey let me see if I can state my point. Andrea Sachs is an epitome of a lady who just wants to be into real life adventure (think about a fresh college graduate) no matter how risky it may seem. And Miranda Priestly is a modern day Cruella de Ville, who plays as Runway chief editor or something. The movie portrays her like a little devil walking fresh here in earth - she has got all the reasons and as if the freedom to give insults and nasty comments to her subordinates. Working with her would be like Depression-era-workplace taken back from the past. Yet despite this Andy still has her grip on it as if trying never to lose grip with what seems to be the real world. But for long, she realized it was NEVER the real world after she ignored and compromised her relationships with her family and friends. It came to a point that she has to decide whether to stand up with her work ethics and her integrity. Wow! The flick was equally comical and entertaining plus with a little moral for the heart.

Yet at the end of the movie we can realize that some worst things in this life are packed in beautiful packages. Though, no matter how much you make it appear beautiful it would still remain as worst as rubbish. Life, after all, is not all of how much you did for yourself. It IS about what you did for others and society as a whole - pure truism, indeed.

But as I was thinking, given the opportunity to work in such a situation I could may have given it a slot despite the working ambiance as long as I still have in me the slightest love for whom and to what I am doing. Maybe, just like Andy even if that job would be the greatest job in the world I wouldn’t have the least pleasure to work on that for long if the most precious things in my life are slowly taken away in exchange of the luring fame and fortune ahead.

"...That's all."

COFFEE

Enjoy The Coffee
-Author Unknown- A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all his former students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: 'If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups and were eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee, and the jobs, money and position in society are the cups.

They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and do not change the quality of Life.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided.

So, don't let the cups drive you... enjoy the coffee instead

“The paradox of our time is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine but less wellness….

“We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We’ve conquered outer space but not inner space.

“We’ve done larger things, but not better things. We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.”

Literary mind!

If only The Da Vinci Code is not a fiction novel, I would have convinced myself that each detail in it is nothing less than a fact. Eight minutes before midnight, I finally crushed through the last verse of the book. After barely two days of stop-believe thrills and nerve-cracking twists, the book devoured my mind. I would have never thought that this book would be this amazing and literary-wise, flawlessly spectacular. Forsaking a few people's advice to give this book no slot in my schedule, I grabbed one copy and started reading it. Undeniably, there were some truth in it, it's just that the plot is fictitious, thus, it logically follows everything as fiction.

In every part of that 105-chaper book, there were unexpected stuff & shocking revelations. An unsuspecting mind could easily fall itno the author's exceptional wit. Brown has somehow never gave me a hint to what is next. No wander The Da Vinci Code is #1 New York Times bestseller, a controversial story and now a sought-after movie (So sad that MTRCB rated it R). The whole of that 489-pages or so novel took place for less than 20 hours. Imagine that! Such a witty plot! These are evidences, very meticulously engraved in every twist and turn - unpredictably mapped - that show this man's genius in his writing stances. Shew to all controversial air - Dan Brown rightfully deserves the winds that are blowing into his fame and wealth now (Imagine being paid $125 Million for the world-wide sale of this book, excluding the fee he has to get from movie, etc.). And yes, the movie is a must-see too. I just wish that the producers would give justice to Dan Brown's obra maestra.

And with this phenomenal success, this is not just a book for the decade, but for ages. And, oh, Mister Brown, I would really be glad if you'll be the head of that Priory of Sion. You deserve that, after all Sophie Neveu's grand pier is dead.

And why on earth is Mona Lisa smiling? Check it out!

A photo...

Taken in Sandbar, Bais, Negros Oriental... With my classmates and in the far right is my clinical instructor.. Come on! It's not just all about nursing stuff; more so with life and fun!

You can take a look for more pics on this site http://chimneyhouse.multiply.com/photos/album/16

B-R-O-K-E-N DREAMS

As children bring their broken toys
with tears for us to mend
I brought my broken dreams to God,
because He is my friends.
But then, instead of leaving him
in peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help
with ways that were my own.

At last, I snatched them back and cried,
"How can you be so slow?"
"My child," he said, "What could I do...
You never did let go?"

This is really a good poem. I like it!

Why there are very few Blonde Doctors ? This one is hilarious. Before you start out, please keep some towels handy...there're going to be tears streaming down your cheeks.This is the story of a Blonde who took a medical entrance test. Given below is a portion of the test answers he gave. Read on.......

Antibody - against everyone
Artery - the study of fine paintings
Bacteria - back door to a cafeteria
Benign - what you be after you be eight
Bowel - letters like a, e, i, o, u
Caesarian Section - a district in Rome
Cardiology - advanced study of Poker
CAT Scan - searching for lost kitty
Chronic - neck of a crow
Coma - punctuation mark
Cyst - short form of sister
Diagnosis - person with slanted nose
Dilate - the late British Princess Diana
Dislocation - in this place
Duodenum - couple in blue jeans
Genes - blue denim
Enema - not a friend
False Labor - pretending to work
Impotent - distinguished / well-known
Labor Pain - hurt at work
Lactose - people without feet
Lymph - walk unsteadily
Microbes - small dressing gowns
Obesity - City of Obe
Pacemaker - winner of Nobel Peace Prize
Protein - in favor of teens
Pulse - grain
Red Blood Count - Dracula
Rupture - Ecstasy
Secretion - hiding anything
Subcutaneous - not cute enough
Tablet - small table
Tumor - extra pair / you die
Ultrasound - radical noise
Urine - opposite of you're out
Vein - at what time?

TIRED BUT NEVER WASTED

Oh! I thought, today, this day would be the sun 's revenge to my skin . I thought that golden yellow planet will hurt my skin much. But well, that's all what I thought. Today is not one sunny day neither one wet day to rest my body in my rather warm room. And so as I was so eager to go on Sanbar, I actually did, and we conquered that wide white kingdom of dusty coral sand or something. It was a blast especially that everybody was so wacky with the exceptional talent of Vicfel, with every joke ready and your blue is out! Oh, well, things went right as we were on our way, only that we cannot find a store or a restaurant maybe that sells lechon manok in that early part of the day, say 8 am. Anybody, who can sell me that gold, roasted chicken in a stick? But well, again as never expected, it turned out that nobody along our way to Bais ever had that already roasted chicken. And so, we decided to look for any good store that can kill a chicken, remove its feathers and asal it for us. (That's too literal! But heck!). And so we got a pair, instead of five. But that's fine!

We had that wonderful experience in Sandbar. With that wide, white island, and that so green cottage that we rented. Everything's almost perfect, only that the sun is not on its full strength to give us that tan. But anyway, it was an extravagant way to spend a day - laughing our hearts out, fill our stomach until nauseated, shouting and doing nothing but kill time. Oh, what an experience that was!

Without rest, workaholic/energy waster that I am, I went straight to poetry reading at Cafe Antonio, Spanish Heritage. That was a wonderful time, reading their poems and with everything. There are, indeed, more life in the literary world. And not only that, I headed off to the internet cafe to do some browsing and clicking that mouse. As I am so exhausted for that long, tiring, yet fun day, I decided to stop myself from doing something more. I just stopped, resolved not to go anywhere else.

Summer Greats

Life in a city as many may have thought lies in the perplexity of the people who live there and the infrastructures that pose big before every commuter's eyes. But well, that's maybe true, but for me life in the city is much more than that. I appreciate and yes, love the malls, the restaurants and the cinemas - these are boredom-breakers actually. Not-much-on-beach thing, this summer is more on malls and shopping treats for me.

As summer could have been an ideal time to actually swim and bake-my-skin-till-charcoal, I am afraid it is not so. Aside from a seven-day-vacation-cum-business trip to Davao, there's nothing really summery that I did. When I envy my friends who are tanned to death from their beach escapades, I can only wish things were otherwise. And so, to satisy this ego in me, in exchange of beach games, of swimming, of wearing that white, cotton shirt, of a glassful of thirst-quenching iced tea, I go beating off summer heat and feel the chill inside the mall. Things change when you're inside: Summer outside, near winter inside. And so, with no one to beat like in a beach volley's competition, I can only fight for my cravings for more of shopping. And, oh, in exchange of a bright, sunny day and breezy, blue sea, I find myself in a dark, and chill-to-the-bones big, big room with almost every couple in the row and a large, silver screen at the far end. By the way, Mission Impossible III again showcases Tom Cruise's every beautiful angle. And Michelle Monaghan is stunningly dead gorgeous. And yes, this another summer adrenalin-filled flick has become even better and more thrilling - impossible stunts, really.


But I am telling you, I still have twenty days to prove that Summer 2006 is a blast. It may be too late, but never a miss at all. I may have been preoccupied with school works, but summer would be great! And so, to start kick off this summer treat for myself, I will be happily heading my way to Sandbar in Bais City (North of Dumaguete, A two-hour ride from Dumaguete/three-hour ride from Bacolod). Summer sun is waiting for me. Bake me, bake me. Oh, kill my skin! I am now heading home to pack up my summer wear and stuff that will make my day and that's tomorrow! Oh, that deep, blue sea, come on, wait for me!




Pictures courtesy of http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_3/photos.php for Mission Impossible III http://butchgjimenez.blogspot.com for Sandbar in Bais City.

Summer Fever in Davao

I call it summer fever because my stay in Davao was a blast especially that I was with my friends that I long missed. And also, summer fever because I literally got fever due to cough and colds, although I never allowed it to stop me from enjoying much. I was in Eden Garden Resort, Davao City last April 3-9. I went there for an annual meeting with Compassion Int'l, a charity foundation that provides scholarship grants and trainings for deserving students (like me!). I thanked them for helping me earn a university degree. Anyway, Eden Garden is much like a paradise with lots of facilities to enjoy from horseback-riding, mountain trecking, basketball, Indiana Jones crazy rides, zoo, bird watching, swimming, beautiful gardens, forest to get lost in, delicious food, and many more. Eden, a sprawling 80 hectares or so property owned and managed by, guess who, the Ayalas of Davao, is one major tourist spot in this Southern part of Philly together with the Pearl Farm Resort. My experience in Davao is full of fun, memories and friendships. Just look at the pictures and decide for yourself why it was such a blast. And so the story unfolds:

These are the people closest to my heart. We spent sleepless nights only talking about virtually anything that comes into mind. Even if we come to sessions still sleepy, uhm, we managed to actually appear that we have rested so well so that the facilitators won't suspect that we spent the night like nocturnal animals. That is taken in Eden's scenic amphitheater overlooking Davao City.

Meet Ate Michelle and Benster. Ate Mich is close friend and and so is Benster. Haha... As you can see, we squeeze each other like there's no tomorrow. Maybe because we are just too tired and bored that we decided to make some fun.

I know pictures paint a thousand words, so I would like them to speak for you.

Shopping blues!

An ultimate rule in life: Don't go shopping without money in your pockets!

Well, that is unfortunately true to me since I just got from shoppping without nothing in hand when I return home. I went to Dumaguete's Lee Plaza for some unwinding after a week-long toxic hospital duties. But sadly, my allowance is not in yet, and all I have to do is to wait and contemplate for a pair of Chuck Taylor shoes, a simple white shirt and a jacket (I don't know why I'm interested in buying one when I now pretty well that it's summer). My dad does not have any plan in mind to be at least merciful to me this summer. Hey, summer is perfect for money spending, right? All I depend on for my survival are my sisters. Thank God, they are generous enough to give in to some of my clothing and food indulgence!

I don't know if going downtown is a relief, an ominous sign for my financial insufficiencies, or maybe a realization that you can't have everything you like even if you feel like having it NOW. I guess, it was both a relief and a frustrating thing. Relief because I got the life of my time fitting in clothes, shoes, and sunglasses and frustrating because I can do nothing in acquiring them let alone a thousand pesos poorer now(huhu).

I guess it was never, thankfully, a big deal for me in experiencing this sad delayed gratification thing, just maybe in the right time I will know why I have to delay things that cause a bit of sadness. Maybe, just maybe. I leave that to decades more of existence in this world. But for now, I am resolved: NO SHOPPING 'TIL THE POCKET IS FULL or perhaps 'til the ATM/VISA card is ready for spending.

Picture perfect

When friends come together
everything change.

Happiness.
True self.
Realization.
Indulgence.

an amateur in this genre called poetry

when people come and go
i just wish the world stops
even just once.
i wish the world would cease a year
that at least i got to do what i want to.
and when it stops
friends will come and see
and enjoy each others' company.

duh. what if again after a year?
when everything will come to
a start once.
oh, it's parting time.
sad and gloomy my days will be
when all my buddies will go and be free.

life is a box full of friends and company
and if that box will be filled
my, oh, my it will overflow.
just like with friends, they have to go.


***Duh. im just trying out poetry making if i can make a good one,
but i think this is the worst . whahah***

The Unexpected

I wrote in my previous post that I was too depressed and a little hopeless because I cannot make it to something. (Just see over it if you wish to know). I was grieving then in and out of me. I was truly disappointed and bleeding.

But here, I am just experienced some sunlight of hope. I coulnd never imagine how this could be fast, so fast that the transition gives a sense of illusion. I was in hurt then a few days ago, but now. oh, my, i cannot contain the joy I have insde me..The Lord has answered my prayers then, Oh, my.. I made it!!! I was so happy, so happy that I wanted to cry and scream. All I have now is to thank God>. Thanks God, He does answer prayers...

A Lesson of a Lifetime. Perfect.

Oh my, this week - practically a week before graduation is one characterized with turmoil, sadness, depression, anxiety and almost everything. It has been one hell of a roller-coaster week actually, I got a lot of things to do yet despite the fact that finals is over. Despite the absence of stressful overnights, still I find myself busy with small and big things. But it is different now, when before I had exams and pop quizzes to worry about, now I got to worry about the unknown - life after graduation, and life a little before this.

It bleeds my heart everytime I remember the stupidity and laziness I have in the past two semesters. I hate it. The idea that I can make it to cum laude makes me sick and it brings hell closer to me. It is as if my heart is having the severe pain accompanied with pagsisi or something. I hate it because I can never meet my expectations, my family's and everybody else's. I hate it because all the efforts, the blood, the sweat, the humiliating 'humility' somethimes intellectually insulting, the pimples, delayed gratification of my cravings, etc., all the dedication I have, all are gone into nothing like a mansion turned into ashes. Damn it! Everything's turned into total nothingness..

These may be very stumbling, very heartbreaking, but I know deep inside me I will become better and even stronger. It was clearly a failure, a candidate for cum laude but never been one. When someone asks me if I made it to that, I discreetly reply, "almost, but not quite." Arrogant in the strict sense, but maybe that's one way to cope up with the grief I am feeling, and at least I still am protecting the ego in me. Time as everybody says, but no one could ever make me sure how long would that be. And even if that will take me any longer, I still will be willing to go through it, if that would mean healing and at the ame time growth, why not, right? Perfect.

I have been affected by the way Providence guided me or what, but I know the Creator has something in store for me. This incident may be a failure in one side, but I know He has some perfect plan or something. I may have never known the answers now (even if I continue asking him), but i know the perfect Planner will make that clear one day - if that will take me a lifetime, then maybe I will have to. Success after all never means honor, fame, or money, but it always is paramount to the act of standing everytime one falls. And that's how I am actually doing now. Despite the pain, the anger!!, the hatred maybe, I know this would just tell me to do otherwise. One friend told me that what matters most is not other people's afffirmation, but one's affirmation that in spite of others' disbelief in one's ability or capabilities still one continues to believe in self, and eventually fly even to higher heights. Don't get me wrong, I may sound robbish or something, but that is just how I want it said.

I hate this and I love this still. The pain, yet the coming joy, the failure, yet still with hope of another victory, and the line goes on and on. In life one cannot really has the monopoly to hold everything in one's hand, nor a wish-granting-sexy-seducting fair lady (sorry!) to give the wants, but I know it is worth knowing that there is Someone out there who has better plans than mine. I may never know now and how, but Im sure it will come. The answers may be too hard to find, but Im quite confident that they're there. It might be confusing this time, but one thing is sure it will be OK. Rain now, sunlight tomorrow. I may have lost this one battle, but I know I will be winning the war.

For the moment, life has to go on.

Politicos!

Well, still in my 20, I dont think I could care more about politics in the Philippines. Maybe I got a lot more things to care like me exams, my projects, my love life, everyday financial battle, and everything. But I guess I couldnt stop myself from feeling sympathy in this country I am happily living in. Happy because I am satisfied with how much life this place offered, maybe not of monetary importance but of priceless memories I have here and the relationships of course. Anyway, I was so furious about this middle-class anger that has been circulating the net, the news and of course, seen very obviously in the streets these past days.
Everytime I surf the net, I see to it that I can check out the latest news and current events in here and abroad. I never missed checking out Inquirer's user-friendly site. Youngblood usually takes much interest since I can really relate to it, plus the editorial and commentaries or opinions rather of Conrado de Quiros, Rina Jaminez David, and the immature yet very unique column of Patricia Evangelista. When Ms. David reacted to an open letter that circulated, the middle-class anger and the rebuttal of the real-man behind that open letter, I got into my "political consciousness" if I may say so. People Power or EDSA movements and disparities had made me numb, numb to the point of insensitivities. I have become numb of social, political and economic changes. People shouting and expressing themselves in the boob-tube as if trying to convice every viewer to get into their cause. Come on, let us be realistic, you cant get everybody's sentiment, and sometimes, not the sentiment of tha majority. That is sadly one thing these irritating politicos, self-proclaimed advocates and activists, and politicians have been shouting at loud that I can no longer take it, as if earwax has accumulated in much amount that nothing except reality sounds, mask-off whispers can only be heard.

I really don't like the idea having Luzon or specifically Metro Manila to be the representation of almost everything about the Philippines. Come on. I have been sick already of this mentality, the imperialism that seems to eat up the esteem of the people in Visayas and Mindanao. But even if, we still has our voices heard despite this, and fortunately enough, these silent two has now risen up to their feet and fought back, even defend the share they rightfully own. It was clear enough in the ways things come out in the unsuccessful attempt of militants, and the opposition to oust Ms. Arroyo.

I voted for her, and I am happy that I did that, even if my father, who is a government employee, does not want me to do so. And even if things turn out to be not so OK, even if the military becomes sour with her, even if there are coup attempts, even if former presidents wish her to make that "ultimate sacrifice" or even religious groups had been cold to her. I think what makes a good president is that his/her ability to stand up the waves of politics, and I believe that the greatest sacrifice one has to give to this country is to stand tall and unwavering despite the fact that there are strong winds that are trying to put you down. When one ethical postulate says that "the end does not justify the means" I think that's foolishess when it is rather used in politics, because even the greatest president of a great nation commits mistakes and will continue to coomit mistakes. let us be pragmatic in this age where transitions occur at all times. I do not mean to be very liberal in looking at mistakes or whatever legal violations, but I think that is the best way for this country to move on. Look, our country has been moving stronger against the dollar, economy seems to be rising up once more albeit in little scale, and investos are slowly coming in starting new year. I thought this would be one great gift for me after Christmas, that there will be something new in the year 2005, in the Year of the Dog. But it appears to me that when dogs are considered to be man's bestfriend, that there would be a little bit of love or friendship in that sense, I was wrong. It seems that the dog was infected with rabies that he kills anyone that comes along his way. It appears to me and I assume to the rest of the world that in this country dog eats dog, and worst the dog eats his master. Ugh, I was a liitle far-fetched, but this I know is justifiable with the idea I'm trying to point out.

To all the politicos out there including those who act demigods, and maybe to Cory, and maybe to those who can be rightfully labeled as 'political butterflies' you will have your own share of nightmares and the moment they strike you, please for your children's sake, try to wake up. But if, even with much attempt you never do, maybe heaven can no longer take your arrogance. And if by chance, you manage to save yourself from them, try to make up and do some good things, correct the mistakes you did, and promise this blogger (Close your heart!!) that you will not be doing these things again. I said these things because I know I'm not in the position to reiterate all the misfortunes you brought into this country. Wahahahah....

After friendster, here's another

Having another blog site for my opinion, and almost everything under the sun is another one great thing that clued me to the computer and the net. Well, i just got this "blog attachment" when friendster.com offered this feature. friendster freak that i was (and still am!), i decided to make myself something like a post board or what where i suppose to place every single emotion that i want to share out from myself. and oh, so unfortunately, i cannot really make my friendster blog private since a lot of people used to read it because friendster well, sends email to your contacts/"friends" that I had updated my blog and that if they wish to see it they can click that bar and be directed to my blog. Well, sometimes i just wanted to share everything, but i cannot do it. and maybe, trying some luck in this one, maybe, just maybe i can stretch myself more and express more freely that ever (That i refer in the net).

I am the type of blogger (and oh, i am comfortable with that word now!) who wants to take out some piece of space in the realms of cybernet, making a little congestion in this already crowded system. but well, i think i just have to take my share. To tell you honestly (Yeah, i admit it's you. But i do not suppose anybody else would wish to read this.. hopefully. Hhehe), i was quite hesitant at first, but when i read the blog of a certain bong (sorry Mr. Austero???, cant acknowledge you coz i forgot your site's name..), his "open letter to leaders" to the congressmen, rallies' organizers, to Cory Aquino, irritating senators, and everybody else involved made some sort of excitement and whatever and that interests me to open this up and make my own. Not because i wanted to show up any creative writing skill that i have or showcase my literary side, whatever, it's just that maybe i wanted an avenue for my grievances, my outburst, my angst and a sharing board or diary (corny!) to express every single battle I am fighting, I am winning, battles that sometimes cry foul and battles that shout victories. And oh, also, the fact that Silliman's Internet System has blocked friendster.com make me as well find new way to have myself something alternative to replace it. Truly human. Making ways to satisfy one's needs. And that sums to SURVIVAL. I just would wish this would be another great thing that will happen this year and maybe, hopefully improve some proficiency in me in terms of English use or creative writing that my Basic Communication or Literature professors would be happy of. *wink*

A TRY!!

Try lang muna..