Ran over by a death cab

I was in college. And I was heartbroken. And thus I met Death Cab for Cutie.

Their first song I heard was their cover of Bjork's All is Full Love, from a mix CD called Let Go of Your Bad Days made by my friend Kathy for me. When I heard Photobooth, I decided that I will love this band. This band with songs that are seemingly happy but turn out to be sad when you listen to the lyrics. Happy on the outside, sad inside. Just like me, I thought (Hey, I was in the middle of an emotional revolution!).

And so it was that I found myself in the middle of NBC Tent last March 5th, 2012. Oh man. That night was more than I ever thought it would be. Standing there, legs cramping and shoulders aching, watching one of the bands I love most give the best show I have ever seen. Wow.

 I don't think I have screamed, jumped, sang my heart out and shook my head as much as I did during that night. And when Ben Gibbard said that this is the "start of a long and beautiful friendship" I think I peed my pants a little in glee. Well not really. But I think I almost did.

Every person in that venue sang each and every heartfelt word to each and every song. Why wouldn't you when the band playing in front of you is so good it made me happy for once that I am not a musician because they would make me look bad puny if I was. I have always gushed and gushed about What Sarah Said and how amazingly sad it made me feel. When they played it that night, oh wow, the place suddenly turned very dusty. And then they followed it with I Will Follow You Into The Dark, which made the place even dustier. Ben singing solo with his acoustic guitar made the song sound sadder, and it didn't help that the hundreds and hundreds of people in that venue sang with him as if comforting him. Somewhere after the first chorus, Ben stepped away from the mic and smiled. I'd like to think that it's because he's so touched that Manila loved them so much.


 I didn't get any videos and my crappy point-and-shoot can't get decent shots. But never mind that. I was there! I was dancing! I watched Ben Gibbard sway from side to side, raise his guitar like a proper rockstar, jump up and down! I watched Nick Harmer rock that bass like there's no tomorrow! I watched Chris Walla be charming and golden and be a guitar god! I watched Jason McGerr errrr... drum! I had a solo moshpit during The Sound of Settling! I got hoarse singing and screaming!

I was there. I made this tweet happen.

A Beginner's Notes on Bikram Yoga

When I first fell in love with Bikram Yoga, I was trying so hard (so hard!) to convince my friends to go to class with me. They all came up with very creative and never-ending excuses not to go. I have since given up trying to get people in the hot room. If they want to, they will come. For the benefit of those who are more seriously curious (is that a thing?) about trying out Bikram, I have come up with the following "tips" from a fellow beginner. :)
1. Remember, "practice to be flexible" and not "be flexible to practice". A frenzied Googling of Bikram yoga would surely yield pictures of the postures. Chances are, those pictures are the ideal. They show you what you can do with several years of practice. There is no pressure AT ALL to do the full expression of the postures on your first day, or even your first month!
2. Water, water, water and more water. Since I started practicing, I have been drinking at least three liters of water everyday. It is a pain to have to always go to the bathroom especially on the days they decide to crank up the office aircon, but hey, think of it as additional exercise. Hehe.
3. Do not eat anything heavy a couple of hours after class. For me, my last heavy meal before class must be at least four hours before the start of the class. I guess some people digest food faster, so for them maybe it can be a little closer to class time. Just remember that practicing on a full stomach is Not Pleasant At All. Those forward bends will drive you crazy.
4. The very first class may be hell but just be a crazy person and come back as soon as you can. Give it a few tries before you decide if you like Bikram or not. Believe it or not, practicing as often as you can would make the yoga easier. When I miss three or more consecutive days of practice, it sometimes feel like it's my first class all over again!
5. Don't expect to see any drastic or major changes with just three days of practice. Don't expect to lose those extra 20 pounds, or for that backache to completely go away. There are no shortcuts and you would have to work hard for it. I have been practicing for about six months now. I haven't lost any weight, but my clothes fit better. The jeans I bought less than a year ago is so loose now. It's either from doing as much Bikram as I can, or I was very full when I tried the jeans on. It was a strange coincidence, but since I started practicing, I haven't had any migraines or lower back pain.
6. If you go with friends, do not practice beside each other. If you do, resist all urges to talk to each other. Especially during final savasana! I will give you the nasty look if you talk. Besides, how can you have the energy to talk after all that hard work?
7. Stop moving! Do not fidget, stop wiping your sweat, stop checking yourself out, stop fixing your clothes, stop touching your hair. Be still and concentrate. It will be easier for you and for those around you. It is very distracting if the people beside you keep on moving. Stand straight with your feet together and arms by your side, look at yourself in the mirror, let the sweat drip.
8. Wear as little clothes as possible. I used to go to class in a tank top over a sports bra; it wasn't until I went without the tank top that I realised it is so much easier to bear the heat. I have flabs and a seemingly-always full tummy, so what? No one's looking at me during class anyway. At least no one should be.
9. Do not wear perfume or cologne. Strong odors in the room are distracting, and can make others feel nauseous. I once practiced beside a guy who seemed to douse himself with a musky perfume. I was so dizzy the whole time.
10. Have fun!

You know you're getting old when...

You have a cup mug of Earl Grey for an after-lunch drink.

Because the Origami

Bus ticket cranes

To say that 2011 was full of surprises for me is an understatement.
At the end of 2010, I was feeling lost and confused. It seemed like my career was going nowhere and I was making wrong decisions left and right. I decided to quit my job and start fresh for 2011. And so here we are.
+ Started the year right with a short Baguio trip. Did nothing but eat and sleep. Walked around in 9C weather.+ Spent lots of time with the mighty fine people of DAS.+ Rekindled my love for board games (which means more stuff to buy!)+ Went to Hong Kong and Macau. Walked around in 7C weather. Went to Disneyland! Discovered Gong Cha, Honeymoon Desserts, Western Market, that supergood bakery in Western Market.+ Saw the Stone Temple Pilots live.+ Watched Zsa Zsa Zaturrnah for the second time. Still as fun!+ Chicken-all-you-can!+ Spent a weekend in Tagaytay, eating and playing games the whole day long.+ Discovered Ugu Bigyan and Casa San Pablo during a family Holy Week getaway.- Waded in knee-high floodwater to go home. Yuck!+ Fell in love with Bikram Yoga. One of the best things I did for myself. Met amazing people. I have never been sporty or health-conscious, but Bikram made me want to sweat it out every single day. So, yay me! (I guess?)+ Went to Bacolod and Iloilo. Attended MassKara and ate probably the best (tasty and cheap!) cake ever from Calea.+ Saw the return of Boldst*r. Favoritest band ever, yo!+ Witnessed friends get married.+ Said hello to people.- Said goodbye to people.+ Acquired more books this year than any other year.- Didn't get to watch Ben Folds. Again.+ I actually got to save a little money. Little lang.+ Got obsessed -- OBSESSED, I tell ya -- with Game of Thrones.+ Learned a LOT of new things at work.
So I guess all in all, 2011 was pretty good to me. Sure, things were looking spotty at times but I'd take that over a repeat of 2005! So thank you, 2011. And hello thar, 2012!

Happy new year!

This 2012, may the Universe grant all your heart's desires and more.

Happy new year to you and yours!

Globe sucks. Really.

Globe's service really really REALLY sucks. But I have been a Globe subscriber since 2000. How ironic is that?

Last Friday, 16December2011, I had one of my worst experiences with Globe.

When I tried accessing Facebook from my phone (a Samsung Jet), I was taken to a landing page that offers unlimited access to Facebook for P50 for three days. Seemed like a good deal, so I clicked on the link and waited for the confirmation text. After a few seconds, I got the text message and it told me that I can now access Facebook via http://m.facebook.com. I went to that URL, and then again I was shown a confirmation page that I am now registered to unlimited Facebook access for three days. I clicked through and I was taken to the Facebook login page. I logged in my credentials waited through endless redirections until I ended up in -- TADA! -- the log-in page.

I decided to call 211 to: a. verify that I have not been charged twice, and b. ask what I should do to access Facebook. I called 211 from my mobile phone, but try as I might, I cannot figure out how to talk to a customer service representative. All I got was lots of advertisements for the iPhone 4S. The voice prompt said press 8 to go back to the previous menu, but all it did was repeat the whole _current_ menu. Eh? I tried calling again, to make sure that I did not just miss a menu level, but again it was in vain.

After several tries, I pretended to want to buy an iPhone 4S and as expected, I was connected to a CSR. FINALLY!!! I told the CSR about my inquiry, she asked me to explain the details, verify the account, blah blah blah. After all the explaining I had to do, she told me that she cannot do anything about my problem. She said she'd transfer me to the appropriate department and that she had already noted of my problem so that I do not have to explain again. Okay fine.

I got connected to another CSR, Ron. He then asked me to verify my account again, blah blah blah, and then asked me what the problem was. Eh? I thought it was already noted and that the previous CSR had explained it to him? Apparently not. Ugh. So I explained again. And again because he didn't get it the first time. I told him that I was prompted to register to Surf All Day when I visited Facebook on my mobile phone, and so I did. So now I want to know why I am being continuously redirected to the log-in page. Imagine my irritation when he said "Ay Ma'am, wala pong ganung promo." EHHHHHH??? If the promo doesn't exist, why am I being prompted to register to it? "Hindi ko po alam." Why did I get a confirmation text then? "It is system-generated po." So why is it in the system if it shouldn't exist?

I went to Globe's website and true enough the promo is there: http://site.globe.com.ph/prepaid/call_and_text_offers/surf-all-day-and-night?sid=TuhX8MuxpRYAAD9qT3EAAADGe . It also said that the promo is available for both prepaid and postpaid subscribers. Ron said he'd double check. After putting me on hold, he said that the promo is not in their system. I told him to go to the website, click on links until he gets to the offers, and sure enough, he saw it there. Then he said he'd check again. And voila, like magic it is in the system. HAY NAKU.

So finally we can talk about my problem! He said that my number is not registered to any promo, and that I should just register again and call them again. WHAT? After the hell that they put me through, they want me to go through it again? WHAT? Hay naku Globe, you suck.

You see, I can't call them again after an hour because by then I will be at home. And I DON'T HAVE RECEPTION AT HOME. What is this, 1999? I have reported the problem several times already, they said system maintenance (oh my God, that system ha!). Really? System maintenance for over a year? It used to be okay before, then suddenly the signal disappeared. To receive or send messages and calls, I either have to dangle my phone out the window or go out to the lobby. HAY NAKU.

So I have been using this number for ten years now, and last year when I claimed my loyalty reward, all I got was a lousy Nokia C2730. That phone is given away for free when you get Sun's Plan 350. I guess Globe's and my definition of loyalty is different. How come they can afford to give new customers a good phone when they get a new plan but existing subscribers get crappy phones? When I was following up my reward, I told the customer service representative that I might as well have my line terminated and get a new one, so I can have a better phone than the one they're offering. And she said, "Yes, you can do that."

HUH.

A Bikram Yoga Love Affair

When I hit my third month of doing Bikram Yoga, I wrote a long-ish post about it in Facebook. I wrote about how I got to start Bikram, how I felt during the first three months, and the differences between the first class and the third-month classes. Just last week, I went (and finished!) my 100th Bikram class. That's 100 classes in five months! Yay me! Joyce poured water on me right before breathing in fixed firm, and it felt so gooooooooood!

Transformers 3: Or how my brain cells died

Yesterday, Ninoy and I watched Transformers 3. I am not really that invested in this franchise so I was not in a hurry to catch it. An hour into the movie, I decided to give up looking for the storyline and just let Michael "Mr. Explosion" Bay get away with blowing things up.

• How did Bumblebee become a POW when just a second before he saved Sam and Carly?
• Why is Carly's suit still spotless and her makeup not running after all that running around?
• Why is Sam's wrist or shoulder not broken after swinging from that long wire he shot into the Decepticon's eye?
• What's the sense of Carly's scene when she was standing amidst the rubble?
• During the sequence when Sentinel was setting up his columns or whatever, the time of day changes from afternoon to night to afternoon again. Why?
• Do they really need the one hundred or so columns for the teleport thing to work? Why was he able to teleport Decepticons using only the five that he initially had? It was only after that that he asked the "Decepticons around the world" to setup their columns.

Anyway, I wasted enough brain cells as it is trying to follow your story. I wasn't even surprised when towards the end of the movie, your Cool Guys didn't look at the explosions and were walking in slow motion.

Hola Mi Amigos!

Woooooow! Four years since my last update! Blame it on LJ, then on Friendster, then on Facebook, then on katamaran.

Time to resurrect the blog eh?