Oh My Janey

That One Time I Pretended I Was Japanese

(This is way overdue but yeah. When am I ever not late?)

Here in the Philippines, Valentine’s Day is often celebrated by boy givings chocolates, flowers or whatnot to the girls they like. When I was still in school, my father used to send me flowers while I was in class. (One time, I got the flowers while I was in a contest, writing an essay haha) I appreciated it very much. It also proved to me that my father is the sweetest man in the world, no questions asked. I really don’t think I’d meet a sweeter man.

But in Japan, we all know that it’s the opposite. It’s the girls who give gifts to the people she likes. Though Valentine’s Day is commercialized, I still think it’s a pretty nice day. I don’t get flowers from anyone but my father. When I was younger, that would cause me to be all angsty on V-day. I’d get all gloomy when I see girls carrying flowers and teddy bears. And my foolish high school self would dream about getting flowers from my crush. Delusional high school student right thur. Dammit. But I grew up (a little) and realized that V-day is not just for lovers. When I was in high school, I’d give little chocolates to my friends. But never to my crush because I’m like Sawako who’s to shy to give chocolates to Kazehaya. Whut.

This year, though, I decided to try something else. I decided to bake cookies! Alex and I don’t really celebrate V-Day. I mean, we meet on that day but we don’t really do anything special. Last year, we didn’t even see each other that day. We also usually don’t give gifts because we’re not that kind of couple. Heh. But different is good (sometimes) so I decided to bake him some cookies last V-day. I wanted to bake him a cake, actually, but I’m no baker.

Also, I do not have an oven and I do not know how to bake. Lulz.

Good thing, I have a friend who likes to bake and was willing to help me with my plans. Thank you May for being such a good baking teacher! She just gave me a list of ingredients and I did the grocery shopping myself! I decided to go all out and to bake cookies for my family and officemates, too. Am I bored or what. Anyway, we didn’t have an oven but May agreed that I could bake at their place. Yay yay yay.

I made Peanut Butter with Choco Chips Drop Cookies, and I must say that it was pretty good. I’m not saying that just because I made them, too.  Wehe

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And I Feel That Way Still

6 years later, I’m still pretty close to my high school barkada, and I don’t want that to change. Ever. Though we don’t see each other as much and some of them I don’t even see for months(!), there are instances like this when we gather and bond over food and laughter and sometimes, booze.

Karla started working in Singapore on 2010 and this is the first time she came back to visit! It was a bit too short since she could only stay for 7 days. I’m just happy that despite having a really short vacation and having so many people to meet, she still had time to grab a bite with us. Kat was also there! I haven’t seen her since Fifi’s baptism last March. That’s a year already, I think.

We had a late lunch on Soledad (where else), and Kat and Karla were late so Jen (and her boyfriend, George), May, Riya and I ate first. The four of us are actually the ones who see each other quite often (once or twice a month!). Then we ate some more when Karla and Katch arrived. I haven’t seen the two for such a long time! Too bad Eneng couldn’t come because of her hospital duties. /sob I think the last time we were complete was back in 2008 during my 18th birthday.

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9G: The Red Room

I guess February 25 now marks the day that I went back into the DongBang fandom. I never really left but for the past years, I really wasn’t there. I make sure to update myself every now and then but I wasn’t the same fan back in 2007. 2004-2008 were the peak of my fangirl days. It was the time when I would save every picture, download every video, and cry over all the break-up rumors. Then college happened and I suddenly didn’t have enough time to be a fangirl. I never stopped being a Cassie but it’s hard when life is getting more interesting. I suddenly couldn’t afford to just stay in front of the computer as much as before.

Then the lawsuit happened and I suddenly felt like a failure as a fan. I’ve been itching to get back into the fandom even though there are two groups now. I didn’t know it would take me this long to fully understand that I may fall in love with other actors and boy bands but my fangirl heart will always, always belong to DBSK. Nothing will change that, I guess. Cassiopeia Philippines’s 9th gathering is like an epiphany for me.

Anyway, enough with the drama. Saturday has been one of the best days of my fangirl life (April 19-23 , 2012would definitely be the best!). The last time I attended a gathering was on March 2007. Yes, the first gathering! It’s nice to say that I was there from the very start but I simply am not a consistent fan. But like what I’ve told Haszelle, I’ll make it up to the boys somehow.

I was really planning on going but it was Haszelle who made an effort to make sure that I would go. Haha! When I was an active DBSK fan, Haszelle that time still wasn’t into them. When she became a fan, that’s when I was already lying low from all the emotional hurdles of being a fangirl. And now, we’re finally fangirling at the same. It’s fun to be a fan (no pun intended!) but it’s really more exciting when you have someone to fangirl with. She already has a lot of Cassie friends, and she’s truly my only one. Haha.

9G was held at the top floor of Fully Book The Fort. Haszelle still wasn’t there when I arrived so I panicked a little. I attended the KPOPCON3 alone and I didn’t plan to do the same for 9G. I don’t know. I was really nervous going to 9G especially when I started seeing people wearing the CassPH shirt. I know how Cassies can be extremely devoted to the boys and I haven’t be as crazy and devoted to the boys as these girls. I started wondering if a fangirl like me is still welcome. And I am glad to know that I still am. (/crying)

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Trese: Popularizing Filipino Folklore Through Komiks

It’s one of my goals this year to read more works by Filipino writers. Though I have yet to fully indulge myself in Filipino literary goodness, I started the year right by allotting a weekend to read Trese, a komiks created by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo. I am quite late into getting into the illustrated novels since it’s been around for a few years. I only learned about the graphic novel when they released the fourth book last year. I wanted to buy it immediately but I know that I have to read the first books before that. Sadly, the time I inquired they only had the fourth book. I had to wait for a few weeks before National Bookstore re-released copies of the first three books. But since I was a cheapskate, I only bought the first book.

The first book, Trese: Murder on Balate Drive, introduces the reader to Alexandra Trese, someone who obviously knows how to deal with supernatural crimes. She’s the one person Captain Guerrero contacts when an unusual case pops up. The first book only gives a glimpse on the true nature of her job and shows very little background of how Trese ends up with the job. There are four stories in the book, and once I finished the last one, I regretted not buying the three other books at the same. It’s so easy to read, something you can devour for an hour or so. It’s something you’d end up reading in one seating because it’s really engaging.

trese komiks book 1 and 2 [Read more…]

I shall call you…

…Yong Choding. Bahaha.

I haz a new lens! Finally, finally! Remember how I said I wanted to buy an 18-55mm? That’s my old kit lens, the one I also broke about a year ago. But I decided to buy a Tamron AF 18-200 because I realized that if I’m going to buy a lens, I might as well upgrade to something better and with a longer range to do all my stalking, yeah? And it’s damn right better! I’ve been using it quite a lot these past few days. Yaaaay. I really hope I get my photography mojo back.

I bought my Tamron lens from Dbgadgets and I must say that I love their service! They’re incredibly easy to deal with, and I didn’t have any trouble in whatever aspect. I agreed to meet up with them last Thursday, and the kuya from Dbgadgets had to wait for me for an hour. Since it was my first time buying anything online, I got too nervous to go to the meetup by myself so I waited for Alex first. And that’s why I was late. I’m really sorry, Kuya from Dbgadgets. I know I’ve already said sorry about ten times but I still feel guilty. Anyway, thank you, Dbgadgets. Heh.

So! Here are some test shots. Can I say I’m in love with Yong Choding? Yes, I decided to name the lens Yong Choding because I’m still high on Goguma spirit. I’m so sorry.

Of course, Alex has to be the first subject. And of course, he didn’t want his picture taken.

Ate, watching We Got Married YongSeo episodes!

An Apple Jelly Drink that I don’t like so much but my sister loves a lot. Yes, that’s our usual set-up at home when she’s here. When she’s not here, I often take the bed. Being the bunso can be sad sometimes. Haha. [Read more…]

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