What can I say?  Nikki got the mole! ;-)

A broken heart is the single greatest pain you will ever have to endure...

In fact, the most hurt you can ever imagine.

And the one who commits this emotional crime is not someone you hate...

It is not even someone you dislike.

No, because the only person who is capable of breaking your heart is the one who holds it precociously in their hands,

the one whom you have shared your dreams, your secrets, your fears

the one you love more than anybody else in the world.

And therein lies the irony.

Vote fellow Davaoeña, former classmate and schoolmate, Ms. Philippines Lia Andrea Ramos for Ms. Photogenic of Ms. Universe 2006 by clicking on the link below.

Vote Lian!

Here's an excerpt from her interview:

Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was like.
I was born and raised in the lovely city of Davao, known as one of the largest cities in the world and located in the southern part of the Philippines. What makes Davao unique is that despite its recent economic development, Davao has retained an almost rustic ambience, flanked by oceans and islands on one side and rolling countryside on the other. Declared as one of the most liveable cities in Asia, Davao boasts of clean air and water and a very low crime rate. I have a lot of fond childhood memories. I come from a very close-knit family. I am the eldest, with two brothers and a sister. My grandparents lived nearby and we spent a lot of afternoons playing in their yard; Sunday lunches and holiday reunions were usual events held a very active student in school, participating in school variety shows and student politics. My mom enrolled me in various classes to develop my interests in music and the arts. Unfortunately my art, dance and music lessons didn't make a great artist out of me, but they made me an art aficionado nonetheless.

Full interview here.

N.B. As of posting, only about 24 hours of voting left, so vote now!

photo credit: http://missuniverse.com

A recent blog reminded me of this beautiful poem which we used to have framed here in our library. I've highlighted my favorite points. :-)

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Copyright 1952.

The lyrics may sound real cheesy but the song's catchy with a reggae feel to it. Very beach-y.  Yes, beach. Not the other spelling of it. :p

I don't know if Paris' being a Hilton heiress gives us the excuse to leech her song from the internet.

Here are the lyrics:

Stars are Blind - Paris Hilton

I don't mind spending some time
Just hanging here with you
Cuz I don't find too many guys
That treat me like you do
Those other guys all wanna take me for a ride
But when I walk their talk is suicide
Some people never get beyond their stupid pride
But you can see the real me inside
And I'm satisfied, oh no, ohh

Even though the gods are crazy
Even though the stars are blind
If you show me real love baby
I'll show you mine

I can make you nice and naughty
Be the devil and angel too
Got a heart and soul and body
Let's see what this love can do
Baby i'm perfect for you

My love, ohh oh

I could be your confidante
Just one of your girlfriends
But I know that love's what you want
If tomorrow the world ends
Why shouldn't we be with the one we really love?
Now tell me who have you been dreaming of
At night at home? oh no, ohh

Even though the gods are crazy
Even though the stars are blind
If you show me real love baby
I'll show you mine

I can make you nice and naughty
Be the devil and angel too
Got a heart and soul and body
Let's see what this love can do
Baby i'm perfect for you

Excuse me for feeling
This moment is critical
Might be me feeling
It could get physical, oh no, no no

Even though the gods are crazy
Even though the stars are blind
If you show me real love baby
I'll show you mine

I can make you nice and naughty
Be the devil and angel too
Got a heart and soul and body
Let's see what this love can do
Let's see what this love can do
Baby I'm perfect for you

Baby I'm perfect for you

Even though the gods are crazy

Even though the stars are blind

Even though the gods are crazy

Even though the stars are blind

It was lunch break and it was getting boring so I teased Amy into singing for the small crowd in the classroom. She obliged and did a lounge act for us.  In the photo, Amy's looking at the door because a review assistant came in and told us her singing could be heard all over the floor! Hehe.

I think it was the next day, when the class needed an ice breaker that she did a Shakira for us.  I told her she was really good and maybe she should try out for the Philippine Idol auditions. She did and she passed the first round! ^.^

The second screening was done last Monday and unfortunately, the celebrity judges thought her voice was "underdeveloped." As she promised us, she got herself an autograph of the celebrity judges and hugged Ryan Agoncillo. Let's see if that gets her featured on the show. :D

Cheers, Amy!  You can always sing for us in class. ;-)  As you've said, career muna.  Good luck sa exams. :-)

It's all set, come the 9th of next month, I will be flying to Cebu for an exam and will be staying there 'til the 15th. My friends and I will be staying at a place called Cendet as planned. As planned because according to our contact in Cebu, you cannot book for a room in advance at Cendet. My friend Pam, who suggested the place, told me it's not going to be a problem since we're going to be there midweek and the dates fall on non-holidays. Now, I don't want to take chances since I will be arriving there first with my gay friend who knows Cebu just like he knows, well, Kazakhstan.

So now, I'm looking for alternative places to stay in should the horror of my life happen that Cebu will have no bed to spare me & my party.  If you have any place to suggest, I would be very happy for as long as it is not in the likes of Waterfront.:p  We'll be staying there for a week, we're students, and you get the point. :D

And while I'm at it, any suggestions on places to visit in Cebu? Coffee shops, nightspots and art scenes? :D What are the best malls, best eats and where can we find good bargains? ^.^

'Hope this post generates replies. :D

Cheers.

If you like things Japanese, you'll like Simone Legno, eventhough he's actually Italian.  He created the brand, Tokidoki, which is a Japanese word meaning "sometimes."  According to his site, Simone chose the word "sometimes" because "everybody waits for moments that change one's destiny."  Tokidoki actually started as a personal website of his until he received an email from two entrepreneurs who offered him to transfer from Rome to LA to share his works to the world by creating the Tokidoki brand.  Very tokidoki, indeed.

Looks like he's following the footsteps of famed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, he already has a bag line with LeSportsac.

Check out his site at http://tokidoki.com.it.  Be sure to launch the Flash site, I'm sure you'll love it.  Very interactive, with games and all.  So kawaii*, I love it!

*kawaii - Japanese term for cute

Well, so I found a lovely pair and they were just my size.  Horror of horrors, I decided to make the purchase after watching the movie, thinking that it was green and nobody probably wanted it.  When we came back, it turned out that somebody (much wiser, I must say) who probably has the same taste as I and who has the same shoe size purchased the last pair!  That was like 2 to 3 weeks ago and I still feel the regret of letting it go.. To add to my remorse, it was only later that I realized MK wore a similar pair when they appeared on TRL and I found this picture of Maggie Q wearing green pointies.  Argh!!!

You might want to check out this link. The results I got are somewhat reflective of myself.

My Personal DNA

I'm a Concerned Creator

Click on the link below to view my results.

My Personal DNA Report

Finally, finally, I have a tagboard! ^.^ Well, what do you think, is it cute or what? XD Not that I have a choice. This was the only one that successfully uploaded after trying out the more popular ones. The downside to this one is that it has no smiley shortcuts unlike other tagboards and chatboxes. Smileys are enabled though, you just have to know the syntax. Enjoy!

Smileys:

 Ok, so which one would you choose to have, practically that is.  I'm not a phone junkie, so I'm not into phones with integrated functions and what-nots.. IMO, they're better off by themselves. By "practically" I mean which one would last longer with wear and tear and the "la-os" factor. Hehe. I'd really appreciate replies from those who have the phone or who have friends who have the phone, or anyone who has an opinion for that matter.

The clamshell one is the z520i the other two are pics of the w550i.

My brother!!!

Take a close look at his skin, the webs are forming.