think rainbows

I'd have to say that yesterday was yet another one of the most laid back gimmicks I've went to. Yet it was super fun and I was genuinely happy at the end of the day. We watched a movie, watched a game, and ate Korean dishes (which was a first for me). Even if we went from Manila to San Juan to Makati, I didn't feel tired at all not until I woke up this morning.

This is one of the reasons why sometimes I like going out with lesser people involved. You don't need to ask a lot of other opinions, lesser confusion, and it's easier to go with the flow of things. Especially if the people you're with are the kind of people whom you could talk to about anything under the sun. I'm just really thankful that I had that opportunity yesterday although not everything went smoothly. I really didn't even care at all.

I look forward to the next gimmicks that we'll have. I hope there's more to come. Thanks to you for keeping me company. I hope you do realize how happy you make me feel, and this isn't even the first time. Don't change, araso? :)

I haven't really been able to blog yet about one of the biggest decisions I've made earlier this year. Maybe in my previous posts I've hinted about it, but this time, it has really happened. I've resigned from work. My last day was March 16. I've been thinking about doing it since last year, and so once I decided, there was no turning back. I have been with the company for almost three years, and I'm thankful in a way for the experiences and especially for the people I've met.

Why did I do it? Because I wanted change, as simple as that. I was starting to look for something different. I'm still trying to figure out what it is, but I still haven't found it. I am happy though that now I have the time to create a different chapter in my life story. I don't know where I'll be headed next, but I'm hoping for the better. I've learned a lot of things that I know I would be able to use in my succeeding endeavors.

I feel like there's always not enough vacation, and so we just have to be content with what we're given. It is a blessing to have the time to relax, to be away from stress, and just let things be. So as I figure out my next step, as I'm nearing the end of this temporary bum life, the feeling of wanting to go on but needing to stop arises. And so as not be saddened, I have to be content, accept the things that have to happen, and just enjoy everything that life has in store.

There is fear in me, because of not knowing where I should be going. That I might not be able to do what I want to do, or it's not something that I'd love. Right now I'm trying to conquer the fear and replace it with excitement; clear my mind so as to be able to see the horizon. I always think that things happen for a reason even though the reason may be unknown. I turn to Him for help because I know He knows what's best for me. In all the decisions that I make, I seek for His help and guidance. Because at the end of the day, it'll still be Him to whom I turn to.

I started this bum life with a vacation at our province in Mindoro, and now I am ending it there as well. All I wish is that we enjoy this trip once again. Even better than the first one. And that it would make me ready for whatever I'll be facing once we get back in Manila.

So here's my thoughts about today's performances...


Hollie Cavanagh 
Rolling in the Deep
One of her better performances, could even be the best for me.
Son of a Preacher Man
I think she found her confidence already. She seems different on stage and yeah this was kind of better than her first song.

Colton Dixon 
Bad Romance
Rockin' performance as always!
September
I get what the judges were saying that it wasn't as exciting as they would've expected of Colton but I liked his arrangement. And it always gets to me when he does that stare right at the camera. Swoon.

Elise Testone 
No One
Just an okay performance.
Let's Get It On
There was just a lot of things going on. Just another okay performance. I'm thinking she might be in the bottom again.

Phillip Phillips 
U Got It Bad
Goosies all over. Right on J.Lo, that was sexy!
In the Midnight Hour
Oh yes, Phil, more please? Another great performance!

Jessica Sanchez 
Fallin'
Awesome. What more to say? I just love hearing Jessica sing.
Try a little tenderness
Goosies for Ms.Sanchez this time! And it was a bit of Haley Reinhart I heard right there. C'mon Jessica, give them that moment again! (I'm a bit nervous for her though, I wish she doesn't end in the bottom again.)

Skylar Laine 
Born This Way
Really good arrangement, she did great for her first song!
Heart it Through the Grapevine
It was another good performance from Skylar but I didn't feel anything special with it.

Joshua Ledet 
I Believe
I got goosies! Usually doesn't happen with Joshua but he did really good with this song. Not much screaming and all that. I liked it.
A Change is Gonna Come
There he goes again. He's good, but I really don't like all the over the top screaming and everything.

Round 1 winner: Phillip/Jessica/Skylar/Joshua (can't choose!)
Round 2 winner: Phillip

Most Improved Award: Hollie
Underperformer Award: Elise
Most likely to be in the bottom Award: Elise
Achiever Award: Phillip
Biggest hair award: Jessica (lol, just had to add that)

Let's wait and see tomorrow who goes home!

I have been wanting to blog about American Idol's performance shows but it's only now that I'm actually going to be able to do it. These are just my opinions, simple opinions from an avid watcher of the show for I am no professional singer or whatever. So I'm going to be telling you about what I think of each singer in general, and then what I think of their recent performance.

I did not fully understand what the theme was but from what I heard from Ryan Seacrest, they chose songs from 2010 up to now. That's a loooooooooot of songs to choose from. They also got Akon as this week's mentor. Okay, on to the show.

There's been a couple of times already that I feel I get too easily attached to certain people. Certain people who might have shown "too much attention" to me. I start to always seek for their attention, for their companionship, for their conversations, and simply just to seek for them. Not that I always want to be the center of attention of everybody, but once in a while, you get to like the attention given to you, especially if it's particularly just for you, even if it's just for a while. This happens, and then expectations happen; you look forward to things. I know, expectations are pretty much a no-no, but I just can't avoid it sometimes. Don't worry, I won't get mad at you for thinking that I'm selfish, because I feel that I really am sometimes.

There are times I really try not to get too close or too comfortable, but I do want to spend time with them. So how do you do it? Because I don't know how to. It takes time before I start not to expect, but usually I get hurt or pissed first before I eventually learn. "Experience is the best teacher.", ain't it?

I get frustrated, because when it happens, I know that it's not the first time that it's happened, and I can't seem to get it out of my system. I get frustrated and sometimes think that am I being too good? Am I too easily fooled? (I certainly hope not!) Am I just really selfish? (partly yes?) I continuously try to come out of this and change this attitude because I know I will come upon these kinds of people more, and I can't let this happen over and over again. One day, it will come, I will just realize that "Hey, I've changed!", for the better. :)

I know this is a late post, but better late than never!
I've already missed two concerts early this year; Simple Plan and Avril Lavigne. There is no way that I would be missing the next concert I planned to watch.

The Greatest Hits Tour with A1, Blue, and Jeff Timmons from 98 Degrees was held last February 25, 2012 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. This was my chance to see A1 live on stage. The boyband which I was totally fangirling way back in elementary/high school. I even have a poster of them which I can't find anymore, and some clippings from song hits magazines, and one of their CDs which was my most prized possession then, since CDs were very pricey, and it was a special edition too!

Of course I wanted front row seats but since I can't really afford them, we satisfied ourselves with Upper B section tickets. We were at the venue early so that we could get good seats. To say that I was so excited would be a bit of an understatement. Then it was time.

Jeff Timmons of 98 degrees was the first one on stage. He performed their group's greatest hits together with South Border, and even sang one of South Border's songs, Rainbow. I thought it was kind of weird the way the show/his set started, but nevertheless, it was still a good set from Jeff Timmons. Can I just say that he's hot? Even though he wasn't with his own group, he still gave a good performance and I'm pretty sure the girls (yes, including me) in the audience enjoyed it very much.

On to the last performer muna...
Blue was the last to perform. I was actually expecting that their set would be like the most highlighted since they're complete, and they're the last. Their stage setup was simple, unlike Jeff Timmons's and A1's which had a whole band setup. They performed the way they performed years ago and they still have it indeed. After all these years. They were singing and dancing their greatest hits to the delight of every Blue/boyband fan in the audience. I appreciated Lee Ryan's singing more after their performance. After they sang around 7 songs in total I think, their set was over, and we were all like "That's it?" They didn't even sing Guilty and Best in Me! It was super bitin but nevertheless, I'm glad I was able to see them live, and they were such a joy to watch. It was also fun singing to old time hits. And oh have I mentioned that Duncan James is so gorgeous?

Now, on to the highlight of this night for me, A1.

Since it's all over the news, I just want to say a few personal opinions about this Azkals-Cristina Ramos issue.

As we all know, it's not the first time that the Azkals have been in this kind of situation. I do not know them personally or whatever personal activities they do so I am in no place to judge the kind of personality that they have. All I know is that they play football for the Philippines even though most of them are not purely Filipino, and everything else is based on what I see and hear on the telly, and what I read when they tweet.

Thanks to all these media interviews, we now know Cristina Ramos's side of the story. How she felt disrespected with what two particular Azkals players did. I'm all about respect for women because it's something that's so important in this world, really. And I understand that what the Azkals did was really disrespectful in a way to think that she is the match commissioner, and that she's a girl. But then, can it really be considered as something as grave as sexual harassment? I would expect men's locker rooms to be in that kind of an atmosphere in that kind of situation, but I am still not sure if the things that those guys did are enough for it to be considered as such. I think sexual harassment may be a bit too much.

She's even got James Younghusband involved, the captain of the Azkals during that match, because he didn't do anything about it; and now even the whole team, because they were all laughing at it. I get the point that the Azkals have to make up for what they did, or simply be punished. After all, what they did is still wrong and higher officials can't just let this pass, because what message would it relay if that happened? And they're going against the daughter of a former President. And there would definitely be more issues to arise. (The rape issue was totally different. I personally thought that girl involved there was kinda weird.)

Anyway, she's mentioned too that she was with two other guys when they entered the locker room. I was just thinking, didn't any of those guys she was with do something to prevent this from happenning? Didn't the first guy to enter the locker room to check and see if they were ready saw that Angel was still only wearing his briefs and not called his attention and reminded him that a girl was to enter? Didn't they at least talk to the players about the way that they're behaving right then and there? Also, why didn't they call to attention the coach and the manager or the other team officials, didn't they have to be there when the inspection happens? They knew the schedule, yes, but what if some other thing came up or they weren't aware of the time? And why didn't she tell/inform the coach or the manager first about what happened before she filed any complaints or told the media about it? That part is kinda unfair for the Azkals.

These are just my thoughts. Of course I haven't been in the kind of situation Cristina Ramos was in, so I wouldn't know how it felt or how I would react. We still have yet to hear the Azkals' side too. Although just earlier Angel Guirado tweeted something about what happened. Wherever this goes, I hope it will be fair to both sides, and that this will be the last. And why does it always happen whenever the Azkals' are in the middle of important competitions? Just when they're showing good improvement. I just hope that they still do good in the AFC Challenge Cup despite of all these issues. Good thing too that they've already left before everything went out.

Good luck Azkals!

P.S.
Not being judgemental or racist or anything, but I think the attitude of Filipino men are still different than that of the foreigners. Foreigners are more open-minded, or liberated, compared to Pinoys. 

It's that time of the year once again where we witness the 'gorgeous journey' to crowning a new American Idol. It is American Idol's 11th season this year, and the talents just keep getting better and better, and the number of auditionees get so much bigger. It is both fortunate and unfortunate in a way; fortunate because we get to see and hear all these amazing talented people while unfortunate because as we know only a few can go through.

It's not enough that you're good to be able to make it in this competition. You have to be amazing, or at least be able to blow the judges' minds away even with just one line of a song. During the auditions we've seen people who are pretty good, but they don't make the cut because something's still missing. Then hollywood week came and the pressure was so intense that a lot of the contestans suddenly were fainting here and there, as we also see more talents facing the end of the line of their journey. Not everyone can be accommodated and only the best of the best can stay.

Then the contestants are down to the top 25, and the live shows start. 13 boys and 12 girls battled head to head to sing and fight for their survival, and for a spot in the final top 13. I personally liked Jessica Sanchez's and most of the guy's performances; Colton Dixon, Phillip Phillips, Reed Grimm, Deandre Brackensick, to name a few. There's a lot of very talented guys in this year's American Idol!

After two nights of perfomances, the results are in...