...and the rest of what's left

how the thesis is progressing

2006-06-18T18:09:00.000+02:00

i promised to talk about my thesis in a previous entry. when i first started thinking about a thesis problem to work on, of course i was not set to save the world. keep it 'smart' was what a former professor and idol said: simple, measurable, achievable, reasonable, and tolerable. at that time, i didn't know what she meant by those words, but now i am starting to understand.anyhoo, i am working

not ranting today

2006-06-17T19:41:00.000+02:00

i noticed that i rant about school only twice a year: in early january and early june. these dates, of course, coincide with exam months here in brussels, so forgive the student in me.anyhoo, i am not complaining this time despite the stress i've been experiencing lately. i even found time to help the partner move in to his new apartment. how sweet, no? have i mentioned that we counted 130-plus

because i am happy lately

2006-06-08T09:57:00.000+02:00

like the scene candy remembered in felicity, for the mean time i am keeping away my sarah mclachlan cds.it's mozart for now and some jazzy nina simone. the other day, i brought out brand new heavies and incognito. if i still get a little sentimental, jeff buckley will stay playing in the background.*can you tell?

gentle reminders

2006-06-07T10:30:00.000+02:00

exams are coming up next week. waiting for positive news from the UK and my thesis promoter. thesis work needs more attention. abstracts now for review in bucharest and beijing. these are the gentle reminders of student life peeking its (ugly) head. but who's complaining? not me. the partner and i will be going to austria (

my oh my.

2006-06-05T11:56:00.000+02:00

two months after missing in action, i know i have to resuscitate my blog. lately i've been very busy, either with school work or catching a movie or a going to a painting exhibition or watching concerts or having a dinner date. sometimes all of them in a span of 12 hours.even with all this running round the city, i've gained weight. and that's why my exercise routine needs some stepping up. lucky

NOT just any other day

2006-04-05T11:49:00.000+02:00

when things fall in their proper places, when stars align at a perfect zenith, when missing socks are found, when the bus is not late, you know it's not just any other day.or at least the last five days have been for me.friday, my good friend in the philippines passed the bar (congratulations, sherwin!). then the weekend was spent with a new found friend (tsaka na ang kwento, basta i'm happy).

quel age?

2006-03-29T16:29:00.000+02:00

aside from asking where i come from, guys i meet here in brussels never fail to ask for my age. for some of you, it could be just that, a simple question that someone asks out of interest or sheer curiousity. but for this boy it seems otherwise. most of the time i fumble when i answer the question. forgetting how old i am, i do a mental calculation as quick as a geek can."uhm, 26. uhmm wait, i'm

xavier

2006-03-28T14:27:00.000+02:00

flipped me over. flipped me out.lipped me over.lipped me out.it's over. i'm out.listening to my grumbling stomach

last thursday

2006-03-27T16:53:00.000+02:00

first time inside la monnaie. first time to watch an opera. it was claudio monteverdi's L’Incoronazione di Poppea.mimoy and i were lucky to have sitted in a box by ourselves which had a nice view of the stage as well as the orchestra. great music, good acting. but opera will definitely need a lot of getting used to for me. maybe another try? maybe.listening to: nirvana's lithium

kitchen magic makes beautiful ceramics

2006-03-23T14:21:00.000+01:00

my friend lea here in brussels is an up-and-coming ceramist who creates wonderful pieces. just look at the picture, don't you think she is inspired by nature?on the contrary, ate malou and i think she is inspired 'by' and 'in' her kitchen. get the drift? hehehe. the numerous students who visit her home can attest that the kitchen has magic infused on its walls! right, alexie, belen and lea k?

burying the hatchet (or not) and living with it

2006-03-21T22:01:00.000+01:00

walking at the park unmidful of the cold winter night, i caught myself shedding dry tears after watching "the hours" at the film museum. the tears came as a surprise because it was not the first time i watched it. only this time i guess i was more moved by the intensity of the film's message given my present circumstances. i felt sadness.no, i am not thinking about committing suicide.

out to party, party to out

2006-03-17T15:27:00.000+01:00

a few weeks ago, we we're invited to a party by a friend of the friend of the birthday boy's neighbor. yup, that's five degrees measure of relationship from me and the people in the party. it also goes to show how friendster can work it's wonders for a thirsty student on a look out for a free booze.now you know that winter can be this boring.in the party, nonchalant to the many unknown yet

wishy-washy, mumbo-jumbo, hoola-baloolas

2006-03-16T13:33:00.000+01:00

things have been going slow lately. i have been busy working on my thesis for the past weeks, dodging away from a future responsibility, and finishing off a paper that will be reviewed in a journal. boring huh? that's how one spends life in grad school, well at least for me.i have been hiding in my humble attic, crunching numbers in my brain cells, figuring out how it is to determine the travel

coping under a state of emergency

2006-02-28T08:57:00.000+01:00

keeping up with news from home, let me tell you that the philippines is under a state of emergency. civil liberties have been suspended, anyone can be jailed for anything, the president is the almighty. like martial law.i was stunned. for 4 seconds. max.even friends and classmates here have been asking me about how things are over there. i assured them, these things are as common as dark skies

geeks are sissies

2006-02-27T09:11:00.000+01:00

"life is not for sissies."so said larry mcurtry, co-writer of the oscar-nominated screenplay of brokeback mountain, when asked about the message of his film.i could not help but to think that the message was aimed at me. out of sheer sissiness, my so-called relationships usually only have a shelf-life of three months, tops. either i say good bye or the guy's pissed off with my vacillations about

brokeback mountain opens in brussels

2006-02-22T22:26:00.000+01:00

brokeback mountain opened in brussels today.and this boy just came back from the cinema with the girls. we were surprised that the house was full. oh yeah, belgium is gay-friendly.inside, there was a hush during the scene where ennis finds his bloodied shirt at dead jack's cabinet. and when alma sees the two cowboys kissing, i thought i heard someone gasp.ah, my heart is still missing a beat. it

a moment of prayer...

2006-02-19T23:55:00.000+01:00

the beauty of this landscape is marred by the tragedy that occured last week.a whole village wiped out... more than a thousand people missing...let us offer a moment of prayer for the people of Guinsaugon on Leyte island...more info about the landslide disaster in the philippines can be viewed here and here.please offer your donations to your local charity groups who might be interested to send

antwerp grote markt

2006-02-19T22:56:00.000+01:00

i have been playing around with my camera these past few months, taking snapshots of whatever catches my fancy in and outside brussels. this image was taken at antwerp's grote markt (grand market) where the statue of the brabo by jeff lambeaux stands. it tells the story of a roman soldier (silvius brabo) who killed a terrible giant (druoon antigoon), chopped the giant's hand, and threw it in the

i just had to be at the door

2006-02-18T23:46:00.000+01:00

i fear to walk that street again.and to read the name.and to be at the door.i fear to discover that i still want to seethe books, the teddy by the window,to be inside that door.still i went, read the name,and stared at fear in the face.but i only saw myself and no one elsestanding by the door. thoughi am glad i did it because now i know.not anymore. no never againto be at nor inside that

i stick out like a gold fish

2006-02-17T19:02:00.000+01:00

"you seem more red now, or even browner, than other asians in class."it was alice, in her very little but sweet voice, wondering why my skin color has been turning darker compared to our other asian classmates even now that it is winter. funny that she noticed because yes, although it is still winter here in europe, i think i am getting a little bit darker than the usual tones of yellow in autumn

date night...

2006-02-15T07:59:00.000+01:00

...was spent watching this film over here.all the while i wished i wasn't with him as i watched him in the film and dreamt of him in another.i chilled out with the girls later that night, having a beer at a bar infront of this brussels landmark.then the night was over. i survived another v'day.what's the latest body count?listening to: the morning rain.

pop a bottle for me!

2006-02-13T22:39:00.002+01:00

wherever you are, please share with me three reasons to pop a bottle of champagne tonight!a book article and two journal articles published!yeheey! oh sh*t, does this means i'm now a certified geek?as emmett from queer as folk said,"Let us not sulk in despair or downfalls because they are many, but celebrate moments of happiness, beauty and triumph because they are few!">>thanks for the quote,

this one's for froggy

2006-02-13T19:16:00.000+01:00

last month, i was in antwerp to catch up with two friends whom i haven't seen in a long time. we were walking around the city, talking about life, helmut lotti, and the prospect of new jobs, when i saw this cute couple sitting by the street. they were oblivious to the crowd and to the winter chill.i snapped my camera, smiled to myself and said,"this one's for froggy."listening to: the hum of bus

back to school (my last semester!)

2006-02-13T08:13:00.000+01:00

i only had a 3-day holiday after a grueling month of exams!and now it's back to school again. or in my case, it's back to sleeping and vegetating.thanks phd comics for capturing my state of mind.listening to: arsenal

switching it ON, then OFF again ***

2006-02-08T19:43:00.000+01:00

yeah, i have been playing with the comments button.kasi, he came over to make basa my sulat na so long ago pa written. last august pa ata. sobrang tagal na.haler.and then, that kupal read something na hindi nya nagustuhan. tapos nagsulat ba naman ng comment.can't blame him though. we are guilty as charged.summary: hindi ko nagustuhan ang sinulat nya tungkol sa sinulat ko tungkol sa ginawa nya sa

bumming again...

2006-02-07T23:50:00.000+01:00

...kasi birthday ni ate lea.(happy bday mudra! ang ganda mo ever!)ang sarap ng niluto kong kare-kare. promise.kapag nakain mo yun you'd ask for my hand.pero hindi ko give, no.here's my feet na lang.bagong pedicure yan.

choices, choices

2006-02-02T10:54:00.001+01:00

an offer to do a phd has been put forward.now, i rack my brains again and again as i weigh my options.deep down i want to do it. but is it for me?so what now?let me vacillate for the meantime as i usually do. that's what i'm good at.images from phd comics.state of mind: comsi, comsalistening to: 45 dip's man & woman

incomprehensible how are you's

2006-01-27T19:37:00.000+01:00

the other week, while i was cleaning my humble room, which by the way is the attic of a homey 100-plus year old four-storey apartment in brussels, i accidentally tipped over a figurine that sherwin gave me almost 4 years ago for christmas. if he still remembers it, the figurine is a scorpion (Class Arachnida, Order Scorpiones), made of glass, as big as my thumb probably. i bring it to places i

enough of allende for the meantime

2006-01-24T01:21:00.000+01:00

i concede to andy's coverage of brokeback mountain for whetting my appetite to this movie. last week at the gay film festival i mentioned in my previous post, i grabbed a book copy of the short story by pulitzer-winner annie proulx.tough luck though: it's a translated version from the original english to french, which means now i will have to translate it back to english again. anyhow, i have

your turn to tell the joke

2006-01-22T23:45:00.000+01:00

cold feet"... and that's why they had high foreheads and small ears!" bram said laughing, beating isabel for the pun.we were hanging out at joey's cafe, which by the way is a name that i think is quite odd for a beer pub in a medieval city like brugge.as we cracked up at each other's jokes, our laughs were drowned by the song playing in the pub. if it was dolly parton singing again, i swear it

and i laughed at myself

2006-01-18T00:20:00.000+01:00

i got the idea to post this song when i saw the playlist of my friend, thess. she was playing collective soul's 'shine'.then i remembered that i liked this other song so much more:THE WORLD I KNOW (Collective Soul)so click if you want to watch and listen to the video.this is the song that i'm going to play in front of 10,000 screaming fans.it played during lazy afternoons that i spent at the back

golden globe says yes to gay spit!

2006-01-17T06:01:00.000+01:00

before i go to my first exam, this just in:brokeback mountain wins the globes!ang lee best director!globes snubs heath, says yes to felicity!check out the globe's website for the updated list.now my appetite's really wet for bbm. gawd, come to brussels already!

2006-01-16T22:09:00.000+01:00

nothing much to say today but this..

they're not showing brokeback mountain

2006-01-12T12:36:00.000+01:00

you know you're starting to like where you live when you try to regularly attend community events. starting this friday, to continue the tradition i started last year, i am watching three films at the XXe festival du film gay et lesbien de bruxelles (20th brussels gay and lesbian film festival). the festival will be held from 12-21 january at the cinemas of the lovely centre culturel du botanique

the geek is at it again...

2006-01-10T12:46:00.000+01:00

until the first week of february, it's exam period here in my university. my head is now in between thick readings about the johannesburg plan of implementation, economics and globalization, sustainable tourism, and sustainable energy use and transport. wish me luck!in the meantime, you might want to visit phd comic strip (where i borrowed this image, thanks!) for its funny and irreverent take on

thank you, helmut lotti

2006-01-07T20:38:00.000+01:00

"...i listened to a helmut lotti CD last week, and i think...""oh, he's awful, marc!" isabel remarked candidly, stopping me in mid-sentence as we entered a second-hand shop in antwerp as part of my city tour. bram looked at me and thought maybe i was saying something else and not helmut lotti's name."i'm glad you said that," i told isabel, "because i think he is, well in that CD in particular.

say hi to coco...

2006-01-06T13:17:00.000+01:00

...the family's newest bundle of joy!he is a month and four days old today.doesn't he look so adorable?!

and more smiles

2006-01-05T15:25:00.000+01:00

more pics from friends partying back home to celebrate the holidays. this year they said they went easy on the tequila.whatda?! i can't believe it.i am so lucky to be blessed with lovely friends! and did i mention that their hearts are as wonderful as their smiles?don't forget to drink for me everytime you go partying!(L-R: Ces, Sher, Mhayee, Alvin, Ogay, Jaymee, Thess, Rhea, Ayi, Piwi)

smiles that warm the heart

2006-01-05T11:41:00.000+01:00

nope, they're not modelling for a toothpaste ad.they're just so happy to be my friends!hehehehe!kidding aside, they came together to watch the annual lantern parade in diliman last month and to renew ties bonded here in brussels. thanks, christine for sending the original pic. hope you guys liked how i deconstructed your faces (:*)i love you guys!(L-R: yanni, rhia, christine, alexie, al, ando)

oh my, what big hands you got....

2006-01-05T03:00:00.000+01:00

just trying out the new lay-out...thanks becca!

to be laid back this year

2006-01-04T12:29:00.000+01:00

about the same time last year, i lamented spending christmas and new year by my lonesome. this year, however, was different. way way different. so, compared to the somewhat sad post i had last year, this time i am more positive. why? it's because of the wonderful people i met this year and our wonderful experience of how it is to be ourselves far from home. i miss them already since most of them

welcome 2006!

2006-01-01T04:13:00.000+01:00

happy new year!fireworks at the royal palace of belgium.here's looking forward to a new year of love and laughter! hugs hugs from me!

i lost my back pack in germany last october...

2005-12-31T00:59:00.000+01:00

... and it contained my passport, money, muesli bars, water jug, date planner, pens, lip balm and most of all, my laptop. that may explain why i haven't been blogging from that month until late november when i got my laptop back.yes i got my bag back. everything including the muesli bars. and it's one story that i have not blogged here because i know it deserves a perfect timing to share with

and while we're on the topic of praying...

2005-12-30T02:02:00.000+01:00

...you may want to watch this clip of the dalai lama speaking at stanford.by chance, i have just finished reading a good book co-written by the the dalai lama with howard c. cutler (courtesy of cands and emmanuel. thank you guys.)

drawing the line

2005-12-30T01:31:00.000+01:00

this is not fresh news anymore:coming to terms with my sexuality and going up catholic has been a constant inner battle.and i am about to draw the line mainly because of this one. it has been on my mind since last month and it had me thinking about my values. and how the church values me.it's been more than 10 years now that i am not practicing my religion. although i still go to church to pray,

it's belen and lea this time.

2005-12-30T01:19:00.000+01:00

aha! i am having a sudden spurt of i-miss-these-persons sydrome!it's belen and lea this time.i miss you girls, you are the joys of my year! i wish your holidays have been buen!cuidate mucho, un beso!

another sign that i am a geek.

2005-12-30T00:58:00.000+01:00

i almost asked elinor ostrom's autograph when i saw her for the first time in a scientific conference in bonn, germany, last october.call me a geek. i'm proud of it.

everyone says i love you.

2005-12-30T00:24:00.000+01:00

this guy is part of a long story that started in april this year. he's the most uncomplicated guy i met in this cold city. and i still see him, but not on a regular basis.so today we met again and had the usual (i don't need to tell you what).and then he said "i love you". and kissed me longer than the great wall of china. (did you know that if you're in the moon, you will see this wall?)

brokeback mountain broke my heart (the story, at least...)

2005-12-08T18:04:00.000+01:00

i have not watched brokeback mountain, but for the meantime, let me share with you the original version from writer annie proulx. got me all teary-eyed after reading... it is love... bittersweet love...thanks,towleroad for the updates...malco for the vid of the making of...god, when will i see this film?! brussels is SO far behind!visit the official website to watch the trailer.

i'm singing in the rain

2005-12-06T13:59:00.000+01:00

it must be the weather outside because i couldn't find my self doing anything related to school today.anyway, i found this site where sound files can be uploaded. now i'm testing if it works. so people help me out will ya? if the link below is ok (not my singing...) please drop me a comment. i found this short (very short !) record of me singing and playing the guitar to tracy chapman's for my

speaking of birthdays...

2005-12-06T11:22:00.000+01:00

mine was last month, and what a month it was!first, my laptop was returned after i lost it in germany! thanks thomas and nicole for all the help! this incident deserves a separate blog entry next time. promise i'll post it soon.the bday breakfast surprise from ate lea, mimoy and jenny! thank you very much for preparing everything, especially the cake and the orange juice! salamat salamat po!the

(belated) happy bday, candy!

2005-12-06T10:14:00.000+01:00

we had a great time cooking up the bday surprise for candy last week! we (moi, mimoy, and ate malou, the chief cook) wrapped candy's car in tissue paper and placed candy's favorite breakfast goodies inside. even getting the keys to her car and finding the car in the public garage were adventures themselves! thanks emmanuel for making up the lousiest excuses to go out of your apartment in the cold

dear girl,

2005-12-05T23:31:00.001+01:00

i was on my way to the movies when i got your message. it was one of those lazy sundays drenched in rain, when working the whole day on a weekend leads one nowhere but to the relaxing confines of the cinema, a smooth escape that rivals the solitude of my attic. my escape that afternoon was woody allen's matchpoint. it was a good one. but that's not the reason why i am writing you this.it took me

the blog wears a white band

2005-11-28T08:39:00.000+01:00

having been fired up lately by discussions in class about global poverty and how countries like the philippines will never get out of debt unless real measures are taken in the north, this blog will wear a white band in support of making fair trade and allowing debt relief without strings attached possible in the south.debt relief payments in the philippines take a big chunk of the national

running in the snow

2005-11-27T08:16:00.000+01:00

went out running with ate lea in this snowy weather yesterday morning to beat those pesky scalpers from getting the 50% off tickets to the le lac des cygnes (swan lake) ballet. it wil be presented by the Russian Ballet of St-Petersburg tonight at Cirque Royal. what a hilarious morning running in just a few layers of warm clothes! luckily we got the tickets, so tonight i am upping my cultural

the magnificence of nature in my hands

2005-11-26T11:09:00.000+01:00

how does it feel to hold the magnificence of nature in your hands? i felt it, but words failed to describe how it was. from this pic, i sure was happy.this was taken during a not-so recent mountain trek when i held the flowers of the lauan (Shorea sp.), one of the endemic hardwood species (and threatened to disappear) in the philippines. the tree flowers only every 12 years or so, depending on

the colors of autumn

2005-11-26T10:47:00.000+01:00

i know should have posted these pics from autumn before the winter snow set in. sorry, i was in complete limbo for the past months. better late than never i say. i hope these pics captured the colors of the previous season...here is ate lea, obviously enjoying the bench by her lonesome...and mimoy, our new student in brussels, taking a log between her legs... ah, uhm what i mean is...and moi, in

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

2005-11-26T09:14:00.000+01:00

here are some pictures showing how much it snowed here in brussels. these are pics from my window the morning after i posted my previous blog...kill me. i know i am such a snow freak! last year was my first time to experience snow (yes, i'm a virgin so go easy on me...), and i remember playing outside with friends throwing snowballs at each other. i didn't know it hurt when you're throwing

welcome back!

2005-11-25T23:26:00.000+01:00

it's the first snow of the year! and what a better way to be back at blogging again after so long.let me share with you a view of the snow falling over the city of brussels tonight from my room. imagine the kid in me giggle with glee as i opened the windows to welcome the snow!more stories to come real soon. i am definitely back!

ok, enough about being melodramatic...

2005-07-15T00:45:00.000+02:00

...like i have been for the past two weeks. i promise to pull myself together starting right this very minute.let me start by saying how much i am enjoying my first summer here in brussels. the music festivals around the city are to die for! it's a pity that i have only been to one concert as of today. that was that gig at klinkedenmund (i hope i got it right) last week where the band balkan

let the foam spill

2005-07-11T11:24:00.000+02:00

hell, i don't know what i am into. i enjoy the company and i look forward to the calls. but i sense my fears, coming, rising, and soon overflowing like the foam of newly poured beer in a scratched beer mug. but i say let the foam spill.i am bound to get hurt. actually, i am a little bit pricked right now, somewhere, somehow. it's just that i am too stubborn to give in to it. i believe i am made

back to earth. back on my feet.

2005-07-02T21:45:00.000+02:00

i was out partying from 4pm friday to 6am saturday. i thought i was tired of this scene already, but i danced until my legs hurt. i deserve to enjoy the night anyway. magna cum laude (with high distinction) for my first year of grad studies. not too bad no?ok, back to earth.

when good things don't mean anything lately because...

2005-06-28T19:29:00.000+02:00

i was stubborn.now it feels like winter again. i need to open my mouth and catch some wisdom from falling snow. and hope that the birds are not thinking of doing what i think they will. there's too much bird sh*t in me lately that the thought of dropping a few more will hurt.prick me little birds, i'd rather bleed.

waiting game

2005-06-27T20:28:00.000+02:00

a song that i haven't heard in a long time... Waiting Game by the Swing out SisterI've spent too much time Waiting for you in vain I can't hear your voice Although I call your nameI can't go on but I still hang on just the sameI've spent endless nights Crying you name out loudBut still remain Alone in an empty crowdAs time goes on I realize you'll never change I say a prayer I count the hours I

scientific names

2005-06-25T08:15:00.000+02:00

all from memory....onion: Allium cepamungbean sprouts: Vigna radiatacarrots: Daucus carotabeans: Phaseolus vulgarisrice: Oryza sativagreen bell pepper: Capsicum annumlychee: Litchi chinensisbeer yeast: Saccharomyces cerevisaecigarette tobacco: Nicotiana tabacumbanyan: Ficus benjamina crazy: me

off to pele-mele

2005-06-23T12:40:00.000+02:00

i am off today to pele-mele, a second hand shop in the city center selling old books, vintage and not so vintage cds and vinyls, as well as a lot of porn on the side (all straight though, what a lowdown!). i go there for the stillness that walls of books give me, the relaxing although pungent smell of old acid paper, and for the slouching but cute geeks in the shop that are quietly absorbed

there, i said it.

2005-06-22T01:17:00.000+02:00

i got myself the phone call that i wished for in my previous blog entry a few hours after i wrote it. roused up from sleep by the ringing of the phone, i opened my eyes thinking it was already a new day, until of course i realized that it was still 11 in the evening. i think i slept early at 9pm'ish.and then before the call ended, i told him my anxieties. there, i said it. i don't know, i just

today is the longest day

2005-06-21T19:35:00.000+02:00

summer begins today in the northern hemisphere and it is marked by the summer solstice where the sun is directly overhead the tropic of cancer. it is also the longest day of the year in the sense that the length of time elapsed between sunrise and sunset on this day is a maximum for the year.i welcome the summer by spending the whole day with a fellow filipino. we stayed in my room chatting about

no more teachers, no more books!

2005-06-21T01:45:00.000+02:00

i'm done with the exams! yiheee!just waiting for results now...it's gonna be all good!

and now for the late breaking news...

2005-06-16T18:09:00.000+02:00

my thesis proposal has been evaluated by the head of the programme department and was sent in an email. the following are his comments (in verbatim):1. Relevant subject; important issue in a (sustainable) development context.2. Soundly thought proposal. Appropriate literature review. Good theoretical basis. Feasible approach.3. Conclusion: A good proposal. Adjust minor points.the minor points

today i was allowed to whinge

2005-06-15T20:22:00.000+02:00

after taking 4 exams in 3 days, i felt like i had to take a few hours off to rest my fried brain cells. sleep was not hard to come because in a few minutes i was in lala-land.when i woke up from that nap, which was refreshing by the way, i saw that there was a missed call from him. in my mind i silently wished he calls soon. in a few minutes the phone rang again. wish granted, it was him.he asked

information overload

2005-06-12T12:14:00.000+02:00

this is me now after all the studying this past two weeks.i will walk tomorrow to my first exam to unload the information crammed in my being a day at a time until i'm back to my old self again.i will be ok. trust me.music in my room: candy's music compilation for mestate of mind: all overstate of heart: still beating

i will

2005-06-11T12:45:00.000+02:00

concentrate. focus. background music: the best of sade

photo moment (for alexie...)

2005-06-08T20:49:00.000+02:00

funny what memories a photo can bring. i got to see this picture only today and now i feel the exact emotions of that moment when the camera clicked.that's lea, alexie, me (in green, my fave color!) and ando. this was taken in the airport to see alexie off for home last month. my eyes were all puffy from crying that day.god i miss alexie and her lovable girl attitude! from the first day that we

2005-06-07T22:38:00.000+02:00

i can't concentrate!

i almost used my light saber

2005-06-07T01:52:00.000+02:00

when people are inconsiderate, what do you do?i pose this question to myself when at 12 midnight, the flat i'm living in got a rude buzz on the door. a guy was buzzing my flatmate's code, but my flatmate did not answer him. so this guy buzzed and buzzed until maybe someone opens the door. a stupid someone did. it was me.i am never a confrontational person. i leave unruly acts like this to settle

drama queen for a sec

2005-06-05T20:57:00.000+02:00

it's one of those days when i question myself about a lot of things. but mainly, those questions boil down to one major thing:why do i feel alone?i have friends and i love their company. and although i live far from my family, i am closer to them than ever before.but still, this feeling of being alone swallows me up. not lonely, that's different. alone describes it well.or solitude. it's more

feels like home

2005-06-04T14:45:00.000+02:00

today's weather reminds me of home.it's been raining since this morning and i keep my windows open to let the cold in. the gust of wind makes my curtains flap. i hope they'll rip off. it will break the monotony in my room. i sit by the window and slowly eat lunch. chicken curry with rice. with my eyes closed, i take a spoon at a time, picturing myself as if i am in our dining table surrounded by

thank god it's friday (yeah!)

2005-06-04T01:44:00.000+02:00

buuurrrppp! excusez-moi...that's for the wonderful lunch i had with caroline today in her veranda. the lunch was sumptuous and the chit-chat in between was heartwarming (wink-wink). thanks from the bottom of my bottomless stomach! and i haven't even mentioned the cheese raclette she prepared a week ago! whoa!it was an impromptu invitation from caroline after i needed to see her to photocopy her

my piece of heaven in brussels

2005-06-04T01:03:00.000+02:00

i think i found a piece of my heaven in this city. heaven, as i define it in my own small, selfish and egoistic world, is where the cutest geeks hang out! and i found the place, thanks to ate lea and candy of course, in a little corner here in brussels.the place is called musee du cinema, and tonight they showed one film no self-proclaimed film buff will dare not put down on his list of must-sees

a good sunday spent with violins and coffins

2005-05-29T22:14:00.000+02:00

in this city where one can only think of binging the palate with the world's best chocolates, brussels has something for the ears. it is surprising to know that it is where the saxophone originated as well as hosting the biggest city jazz marathon this side of europe.today, after sending off my friend rhia (i'll miss you girl!) who's going back home to the philippines, i went again to the musée

just being me...happy!

2005-05-24T21:11:00.000+02:00

the past few weeks have been very hectic in school. it was only today that i found time for myself to update my blog (this is my seventh entry today!). i am basically a happy person despite the world. although i worry a lot, it doesn't take me a while to remember that days do take care of themselves. i have a lot to be happy about this week: my family travelling to the island of boracay in the

rhia's back!

2005-05-24T20:35:00.000+02:00

or better yet, rhia's on my back! hehehe...rhia and dioli are back in brussels after leaving in october last year. they're just here for two weeks, but i know it will be fun! the sunday that they arrived was already a blast with all the stories from home. i went back to my room happy and with a sore throat!here's looking forward to the dinner this week!

someone's in love

2005-05-24T20:25:00.000+02:00

not me. although it won't hurt to be on that side either.anyway, it is always nice to be with someone who is in love. they see the world differently and in a positive light. what is it about love that gives one that wonderful twinkle in the eyes, that pinkish blush on the cheeks and that sweet smile? i think i forgot about it already. someone remind please.i am with my friend lea, and she is in

guitars galore!

2005-05-24T20:16:00.000+02:00

still on guitars as my previous blog (what was i saying in that entry?! i was being puwetic! hahah), i went with a good friend (wink wink) to the musee des instuments de musique in downtown brussels to see their collection.this photo was taken in the stringed section showing guitars from all over the world. the best ones are from spain, of course!although i can play the instrument, i have always

i went to sodom and gomorrah

2005-05-24T20:08:00.000+02:00

aside from going to kuekenhof for the flower festival, my friends and i visited the lovely city of amsterdam. i love this street photo that i asked my friend to shoot (because the guy at the back is so cute!).i was not surprised to see how sex is blatantly showed in an in-your-face manner in this city having stayed in manila and bangkok, but i sure was taken aback! i'm no prude though, believe me

lovely flowers

2005-05-24T20:00:00.000+02:00

last month i went to the netherlands to see the flower festival in the town of kuekenhof. the festival showcased tulips and other flowers. i tell you the place was magical!i couldn't contain myself from all the beautiful flowers that immersed my eyes that i had to buy a pot each of white and yellow-green orchids. the white orchids i gave to a friend as a token and the other one i kept for myself.

strumming a borrowed guitar

2005-05-24T11:31:00.000+02:00

i strum this borrowed guitar with a song for you.i met you in my dreams, melancholic as i hoped you to be.i sing from my heart with a song that streams from my mind.and it flows down to my calloused hands as i pluck the strings.i open my mouth and my voice quiver.i hear myself in the verge of crying. and i ache and hide behind the notes.i close my eyes and search my mind for your face,but there's

another tooth gone

2005-04-15T12:36:00.000+02:00

i have lost 3 teeth as of today. and i have stayed here in brussels for only 7 months now!so for the next few days or more, it's soft and cold food for me. huhuhu. what sucks the most is that i can't go out to be with my friends this weekend! i will be stuck in my room trying to finish a paper in class due this monday. i also bought magazines and newspapers to keep me company.tonight, i'll put my

things are looking brighter...

2005-04-13T00:43:00.000+02:00

i never really understood what spring can bring. growing up in a tropical country, it is sunshine the whole year round. plants grow, they flower and die. then grow again after the rain. it's just two seasons for us back home, dry and wet, but all sunshine!so my first taste of spring after 4 months or so of cold climate and short daylights in brussels has been a welcome relief. flowers bloom

take me to the laundromat...

2005-04-11T21:59:00.000+02:00

i had a wonderful blush with love last saturday.i'm tempted to write the details, but i'm keeping it as a good memory. although i know writing it down will allow me to remember every detail of it, i want it to remain as fresh as the time it happened by adding details to it in my mind whenever i want to, whether it actually happened or not.all i can say is that i went to the laundromat and came

birthday greetings for a dear friend!

2005-04-08T18:17:00.000+02:00

isabel (spanish name) meaning consecrated to god.brussels has gifted me with a person who has been a friend and a constant source of positive vibe. so today, i dance with joy for a dear friend's birthday! hehehe!she helped me conquer my fear of going to the dentist to have my aching tooth checked.she walks light and with confidence despite her bad back condition.she is surprised by sunny days in

now that explains it!

2005-04-04T22:12:00.000+02:00

tadaaaa! i have a bisexual brain! now that explains it! hehehe...after forcing myself to write an assessment of the european water framework directive, i was so exhausted that all i wanted to do was to sleep. but sleep is hard to come by for a brain still active after hours of mental exertion.to while away time, i went to browse the net for something light and funny. i was not interested to watch

glee points start here

2005-03-31T20:57:00.000+02:00

i have not blogged lately that tonight i'll try to catch up...i started this blog for myself so that when i go back to the philippines, i can remember with glee (or glum!) how it was for me living far from home.here are some events to score points for glee:the past two months have been spent hanging out almost every weekend with fellow filipinos here in brussels. they're a bunch of happy people

some people i know think highschool sucks.

2005-03-31T20:02:00.000+02:00

well mine doesn't. not that my college life wasn't good. it was actually fun. but the fun i had in highschool was different, it was "sweet" and "naive" fun.my closest highschool friends and i reminisced "the days of yore" last month to help me and another friend get by from the depressing winter that a temperate country life can bring. we are sun-soaked kids from the tropics who just can't live

wedding bells!

2005-03-31T19:25:00.000+02:00

it was sad that i wasn't able to be present during my brother's wedding yesterday in the philippines. the wonders of the the digital age, however, saved my ass again! i sent an audio message to the newly wed couple and it was played during the reception. while it was playing, they showed pictures of my adventures here in europe to everyone! whatda?!anyway, i waited yesterday for people back home

single blessedness

2005-03-29T12:00:00.000+02:00

my bro's getting married tomorrow.the eldest one just proposed to his girl this year.and where does that leave me?single blessedness, i suppose.

love in time of the world wide web

2005-03-15T12:42:00.000+01:00

a friend asked for my take on online love and it's intricacies. expertise? me? hehehe..well, they're all ok online and until they (men, in my case) just turn into the most unbelievable wuz when it's time to go un-virtual. here's hoping, though, that real men are left all in the parallel universe of online earth! i can't say that at this time.gerald (that f*ck from CDO) and i met online. it was

it's all water under the bridge.

2005-03-02T19:50:00.000+01:00

Y is a college friend from the philippines who came to brussels for a meeting. and since he's here, he thought it would be good to visit me on the side. although i thought otherwise, the filipino hospitality in me prevailed, so he stayed in my flat from friday until sunday afternoon before his flight.i wasn't too keen to see him. although we shared good times in college, we ended it in a

cold feet

2005-02-25T01:34:00.000+01:00

i don't know what got into me. cold feet? i don't know why. i just did. i look forward to seeing him though, i really do. i wait for him to pop up, but when he's there, i hide. i start playing julia fordham, then changed it to massive attack's man next door when julia became too cheesy, lest i be miscontrued to send the wrong signal.it's even harder now that i know his name. better that he stayed