Pinoy Big Brother Teen Plus

I have been a big brother fan during the first PBB celebrity edition. Though I wasn’t able to watch it in TV every night, before I start to work I always check the updates in the internet. I am one of those people who were so kilig with Biance and Zanjoe. Then the teen edition came, I get so annoyed yet entertained with teen’s present generation. But I wasn’t able to continue following the PBB Teen happenings when I went abroad. And so, here it comes again – with major changes with Kuya’s house, the teens from different places are doing their best to catch the viewers’ heart.

Each 14 teen housemates have his/her own story to tell and definitely they all possess unique charms to be the future ‘crush ng bayan’. Among these teens and after scanning their background through the PBB website, my bets are Ejay and Priscilla.

Ejay was the first one who entered Kuya’s house. He’s wearing the tarzan outfit that time and when his fellow housemates came in, unfortunately were talking in English. Some of them where half-Pinoys and knows few Tagalog and most of them came from rich family who have been used to speaking in English. Ejay kept silent and some of the teens asked him why, he shyly answered, he can only speak Tagalog. He came from a typical town in Oriental Mindoro. Being promdi, although he understands English, he is still not used in using in casual conversation.

Priscilla, on the other hand, came from Mindanao but studying in Ateneo de Manila. She won several beauty pageants. But what keeps her stands out among her fellow teens is that she’s deaf. She only read people’s lip as they talk for her to understand what they are saying. Despite this disability, she managed to live a normal life. During Kuya’s first greeting to the housemates, Priscilla looks pitiful as she cluelessly watched her fellow housemates’ reaction to what Kuya is saying. And Kuya didn’t let Priscilla to feel discouraged with this, for him to be understood by the deaf beauty titlist, he showed his lips to Priscilla while in the confession room. She’s the first housemate to see Kuya’s lips!

Well, let’s just wait if one of these two will emerge as PBB Big Winner.

An Angel in Pyjama

I am in blue and I can’t hide it too.
The tears just let go…
My child pushes herself towards me,
Asked my hand to hold her palm

What more a mother can ask for,
With her child lying and sleeping peacefully beside her?
Their arms wrapped around each other’s bodies…
Quietly saying, I am here for you.

The First Shop Of Coffee Prince

I definitely don’t drink coffee because it always makes my heart out of beat but The First Shop Of Coffee Prince is definitely must-see Korean teleserye to take out one’s everyday stress. GMA 7 aired the teleserye on a very late schedule and changed its title to Coffee Prince, it still caught the heart of many Filipinos because of its cute stars. The plot is quite not-so-ordinary but it is indeed a variety to see a Korean actress in men’s outfit and still shine as a princess.

A synopsis from wikipedia.org:

Choi Han Kyul, played by Gong Yoo, is the cocky son of a rich family who runs a food corporation. He doesn’t believe in love and certainly doesn’t want to get married despite his family’s requests. On the other hand, Go Eun Chan, played by Yoon Eun Hye, is a 24-year old tomboyish  female who gets mistaken as a guy quite often. She takes up every job possible - waitress, food deliverer, etc - and has the responsibility of taking care of her mother and younger sister. Eun Chan accidentally meets Han Kyul twice, once on a delivery and once during a robbery. During the robbery, Eun Chan’s delivery motorcycle ends up being damaged. Han Kyul, not knowing that Eun Chan is actually a girl, decides to hire Eun Chan as a false “lover” so that he can escape the blind dates arranged by his grandmother. Meanwhile, Han Kyul’s cousin, Choi Han Seong, is an established music producer and his ex-girlfriend Han Yoo Joo, who Han Kyul secretly loved for nine years, is a famous artist who studied in New York. The two were lovers for about 8 years but their relationship ended when Yoo Joo broke up with Han Seong. Two years after they separated their paths cross again when Yoo Joo returns to Seoul.

After getting an ultimatum from his grandmother, Han Kyul takes over a run-down old coffee shop, later renamed Coffee Prince, to prove his ability, both to his grandmother and Yoo Joo. In order to attract female customers, he only hires good looking male employees. In a struggle with money, Eun Chan, whom Han Kyul has already mistaken as a boy, hides her gender identity to get a job at Coffee Prince. Soon feelings start to spark between Eun Chan and Han Kyul. Because he’s unaware that Eun Chan is a girl, Han Kyul starts to question his sexuality.

Angel Locsin as LOBO

I know this is corny but I really like the ABS-CBN’s teleserye LOBO by Angel Locsin and Piolo Pascual. I don’t find Angel Locsin that attractive at first but now, me and my husband both has a crush with Angel! She had a really sexy body and what makes her so-attractive is that she doesn’t flaunt it all the way! Other young and sexy stars that pose in front of the camera wearing barely anything at all, Angel keeps her ‘wholesome’ image.

Many had criticized her when she made an unexpected career move as she transferred to ABS-CBN. Some of her Kapuso fans turned her back on her thinking that her fame had ended. But Angel’s talent is not beyond what TV station she belonged. She definitely proves her critics wrong because as the LOBO TV series goes on, her versatility as an actress is clearly and visibly enhanced. And Angel’s fever just not simply ends; she’s still the most sought after celebrity in the Philippines. You can check the billboards around you if you have doubts.

I envied her sexiness especially when she woke up the morning after she had her first transformation into a wolf. The scene was a bit dark but the curves on her body were really accentuated.

Below were excerpts from Wikipedia.com about LOBO’s story.

The plot revolves around young lovers Lyka Raymundo and Noah Ortega. Lyka is a young woman aspiring to be a fashion designer and is currently working as a fashion assistant in the House of Elle. Her decision to pursue the arts is frowned upon by her Tita Clara Rivero because it according to her, it is not a practical choice.

Lyka and Noah are childhood friends but they were separated from each other. Years later, their paths shall cross when Noah became a second lieutenant of the Phillipine Army. During a crucial mission, he saved Don Manolo Sebastian and became involved in the battle between the Luna and the Waya.

Now Lyka is working under the House of Elle, as Lady Elle’s assistant. She has been accepted into the job as Lady Elle thinks Lyka is their last hope: “Ang Huling Bantay”. Lyka meets Noah, Lady Elle’s bodyguard and driver. Little did she know that he is actually her childhood friend, “JayJay” whom she thought was long dead.

The blossoming romance between the two is hindered by the presence of Gabrielle Dizon and Anton Rivero. Gabrielle is a deep-penetration agent who attempts to distract Noah while Anton is in love with Lyka and will do anything to prove his love.

Lobo borrowed the mythology of Nine-tailed fox from other Asian countries. There are two opposing groups in the story-the Luna and the Waya. The members of the Luna organization have a grudge against the werewolves while the Waya are the protectors of the lobo. The Waya are protectors of the werewolves and they want the lobo to co-exist harmoniously with human beings.

Baskin and Robbins 31 Ice Cream

It’s summer time! I can’t stop thinking about ice cream and not just an ice cream but Baskin and Robbins’ ice cream! I haven’t seen any Baskin and Robbins’ store here in Davao (what a pity) but a friend of mine told me there are franchises of this store in Metro Manila.

My ever-favorite is the Jamoca Almond Fudge. I used to buy the pint size of this flavor (it costs around 1,200 yen) when I was in Japan and eat it little by little for a week. And as a weekend treat, I go back to the ice cream store to eat and take out another ice cream for the week. I don’t care what season it was, all I know is I love eating the Baskin and Robbins’ ice cream especially during my ‘emote mode’.

I even influenced two of my friends there to eat Baskin and Robbins’ ice cream. Since it’s a bit expensive, they have hesitations to try it at first. But after that, they are the one asking me to go and visit the store in white and pink colors.

When I’ve tasted the Baskin and Robbins’ ice cream, the taste of Philippines’ local ice cream turn out to be so-unnatural and cheap (Yeah, I know, sorry for the harsh words). I’ve been tempted to try different ice cream flavors because of the oh-so-delicious posters of Selecta but still, I am disappointed. Maybe I should look for something for expensive. Hehehehe

I just can’t wait to go back to Japan and eat ice cream and bring some for my Angela and Rommel!

Hana Yori Dango 2 Theme Song

I have posted this song lyric on my friendster account. For those who have watched Hana Yori Dango, it’s the Japanese version of Taiwanese boy group F4’s Meteor Garden, this is the theme song of the said soap drama. I think it is being aired by GMA7; I never had the chance to watch it because I’m a certified Kapamilya. And I already watched bits of it while I’m still in Japan. I really love the song; even my daughter can sing the chorus line although it is Japanese. You can see the video of this song in youtube, just look for Utada Hikaru’s The Flavor of life. Also, I recommend you to try Utada’s other song like First Love, it seems like Toni Gonzaga’s We Belong (I am not sure with the title) has the same beat or even line! Can’t tell if who is the original and the imitator. But definitely, good music… so try it! It is not only the beat but the meaning of the song is also nice.

Flavor of Life

ありがとう、と君に言われると
なんだかせつない
さようならの後も解けも魔法
淡くほる苦い
The flavor of life

友達でも恋人でもない中間地点で
収穫の日を夢見てる青いフルーツ

あと一歩が踏み出せないせいで
じれったいのなんのって baby

ありがとう、と君に言われると
なんだかせつない
さようならの後も解けも魔法
淡くほる苦い
The flavor of life

甘いだけの誘い文句
味っけの無いトーク
そんなものには興味をそそられない

思い通りにいかない時だって
人生捨てたもんじゃないって

どうしたの？と急に聞かれると
ううん、なんでもない
さようならの後に消える笑顔
私らしくない

信じたいと願えば願うほど
なんだからせつない
愛してるよよりも大好きの方が
君らしいんじゃない？
The flavor of life

忘れかけていた人の香りを突然思い出す頃
降りつもる雪の白さをもっと素直に喜びたいよ

ダイアモンドよりもやわらかくて
あたたかな未来手にしたいよ
限りある時間を君と過ごしたい

ありがとう、と君に言われると
なんだかせつない
さようならの後も解けも魔法
淡くほる苦い
The flavor of life

 

Here’s the romanized lyrics of the above song.

Arigatou to kimi ni iwareru to
nandaka setsunai
sayonara no ato no
tokenu mahou awaku horo nigai
The flavor of life

tomodachi demo koibito demo nai
chuukan chiten de
shuukaku no hi wo yumemiteru
aoi furu-tsu
ato ippo ga fumidasenai sei de
yeah… oh jirettai no nan notte? baby~

arigatou to kimi ni iwareru to
nandaka setsunai
sayounara no ato no
tokenu mahou awaku horo nigai
The flavor of life
oh hu… ah …ai.. yea

amai dake no sasoi monku
ajijke no nai toku
sonna mono ni wa kyoumi wo
sosorarenai ah…ha

omoitoori ni ikanai toki datte
yea… yeah… yeah…
jinsei suteta mon janai tte
doushita no? to kyuu ni kikareru to
“uun. nandemo nai” sayounara no ato ni
kieru egao watashi rashikunai
sinjitai to negaeba negau hodo
nandaka setsunai
“aishiteru yo” yori mo “daisuki” no hou ga
kimi rashiin janai?
The flavor of life

wasurekakete ita hito no kaori wo
totsuzen omoidasu koro
furitsumoru yuki no shirosa wo motto
ahh…sunao ni yorokobitai yo
daiyamondo yorimo yawarakakute atatakana mirai
teni shitai yo kagiri aru jikan wo kimi to sugoshitai

“arigatou” to kimi ni iwareru to
nandaka setsunai
sayounara no ato no
tokenu mahou awaku horo nigai
The flavor of life

 

Supernumerary tooth extraction

After being identified as having a mesiodens inside my gums, I underwent a minor operation last Monday, March 17, 2008. It was scary, of course. It’s my first time to have an operation that I am conscious with my mouth wide open. My hands and feet were really cold.

So the operation had begun. I’m thankful with my dentist and the oral surgeon who really took care of me. They put around four shots of anesthesia in my mouth and I didn’t feel any pain at all. Since I am awake, I can’t stop my mind imagining what they were doing with my mouth. They peel off some portion of my gums, and then locate the mesiodens. Unfortunately, the suppose to be mesiodens turn out to be not a simple mesiodens case because its sizes is bigger and has its own root, thus they called it as supernumerary tooth. It was a tooth but an excess to the ordinary numbers of a set of teeth. The operation was about two hours because they had to do lots of drilling due to the complicated roots of my teeth. In the end of the operation, they had to close my gums again through stitching. It was really tiring. And since I’ve been pumped up with anesthesia, all I ever wanted was to sleep.

Sex Volunteers

Everyday news here in the Philippines has always something about rape incidents. But rape or even sexual harassments issues always pertains to ‘men’ as the culprit. No offense to all the feminists out there. But have you ever heard about women looking for male sex volunteers? I was also shocked when I read about it…

Here’s some excerpt from The Japan Times Online - Modern Japanese women: dealing with sex, lies and the dried-flower syndrome:

Who wants to be a woman in Japan? Misery can’t get much worse than the sexless relationships, dreary marriages, loneliness, patriarchal blues and stressed out women portrayed in these riveting interviews. These ordinary women, and one rather different man, tell it like it is and force us to reconsider contemporary Japan and its modern pathologies.

Finding the right lover is not so easy, but we learn that at least women can avail themselves of a clinic that offers them intimate encounters with sex volunteers. Women can select their volunteers from a catalog brimming with intimate details, and, yes, size does seem to matter. The clients say they are grateful for the service while there appears to be no shortage of male volunteers; money isn’t everything.

Misa confesses she wishes her husband’s mistress was much younger or at least a sex worker, saying, “This is a pride thing, I know, but I couldn’t get over the fact that she was not a pro and was almost the same age as me.” And so in her prime she resigns herself to a sexless marriage, a bleak trudge through life shared with someone she can no longer love.

We also learn why, in dealing with personal problems, Japanese prefer fortune tellers to psychiatrists. Kawakami writes: “If you say you are going to counseling, it sounds like you have a mental problem. But if you are going to have your fortune told or a purification ritual done, there is no social stigma attached.” And, if you need a fail-safe reason to dump a butthead guy, nothing beats fate!”

Mesiodens –perhaps a tooth nightmare

I have planned to have my teeth re-structured since I got back here in Davao. I am guilty of not properly taking care of my teeth when I was young; I just realized the importance of my teeth lately. Last January, I had three teeth extracted. Quite plenty? Those were lower molars that have been decayed for years! And now, I decided to consult an orthodontist for braces. I really don’t have a good set of teeth; most of them were not aligned and this is one of my insecurities.

As a requirement before the placement of braces, I had undergone two x-ray procedures. And while waiting for the dentist’s go signal, I am already dreaming of my well-structured teeth. But worst thing happened – through the x-ray result it has been found that I have a supernumary tooth called mesiodens.

A mesiodens is the most common supernumary (extra) tooth. It is located in the maxilla in the midline (hence the special name which means “middle tooth”). They can be well formed or just little clumps of tooth like stuff. A related phenomenon is the odontoma. They are often discovered on a routine x-ray or perhaps if the teeth are not erupting in a normal manner. (Source: http://cyberdentist.blogspot.com/2007/01/mesiodens-or-extra-tooth.html)

The cause of mesiodentes is not fully understood, although proliferation of the dental lamina and genetic factors have been implicated. Mesiodentes can cause delayed or ectopic eruption of the permanent incisors, which can further alter occlusion and appearance. It is therefore important for the clinician to diagnose a mesiodens early in development to allow for optimal yet minimal treatment.

Treatment options may include surgical extraction of the mesiodens. If the permanent teeth do not erupt in a reasonable period after the extraction, surgical exposure and orthodontic treatment may be required to ensure eruption and proper alignment of the teeth. In some instances, fixed orthodontic therapy is also required to create sufficient arch space before eruption and alignment of the incisor(s). Early diagnosis allows the most appropriate treatment, often reducing the extent of surgery, orthodontic treatment and possible complications. (Source: http://www.cda-adc.ca/jcda/vol-69/issue-6/362.html)

Being ignorant and having these kinds of tooth abnormalities, I personally encourage you to have your teeth x-rayed and consult your dentist!

Girls want to be in a men’s magazine…

While stretching my body and head, I can’t stop myself in thinking of the next topic to boost up my motivations in blogging. And what caught my awareness were those sexy pictures that now scatter in the cyberspace.I’m sure most of us know about friendster, one of the most social networking sites in the internet. And I have been a member of it for around three years, as I remember. I even posted around 50-60 photos there. And some of it, I admit, was bit sexy. But not as bold compared with other members. I don’t know what to say to those people, mostly girls, who put their almost naked photo over there or as if they are a model of some magazine. Some of them really have the face and body to do that, but most of them, only guts. It’s like they are translating the social network into some sort of cyber prostitution. Sorry for the harsh words, just a thought.

Sexy pictures don’t end with the internet’s social networking. It has been a trend nowadays among photo studio to offer naked pictorials for those who are willing to take it off all over. Or girls are having fun time where girls themselves took pictures of their own daringly. That’s why there were lots of photo scandals spread out in the internet or even in the nearby market.rnrnIs this the influence of the present statuesque of local and international show business? Or simply self expressions? It’s no longer shocking to find out that you’re adorable favorite young star becomes one of the girls posing for men’s magazine or be one of the flavor of the month of alcoholic drinks. As they frequently reasoned out, all because of art.

I know I’m not in the right place to judge other people on what they are doing. But based on observation, every girls dream to be noticed and looked upon. And the easiest way to do that is to expose their body and faces in a very bold way. Carelessly upload their photos in the internet or send it through mms to their ‘friends’ disregarding the risk or consequences just to tell the world, “Hey! Look how pretty and sexy I am.”

As a woman, and as I admitted earlier, I also did this sort of vanity picture taking. Yes, I call it vanity because it made me feel how cute I am (it’s ok if you won’t agree with me). It helps me feel that somehow through pictures, I can be a model on my own studio. To unleash the shyness in me and to believe that I can be beautiful in my very own way.

To finish, if it helps you to feel better and be a better you, it’s ok but let’s all be open-minded and be responsible with your acts and to other people around you especially to your loved ones, I’m sure you don’t want to disgrace your family’s reputation.

Study Japanese by Yourselves

Learning a new language isn’t easy. It takes years to fully grasp it. But what more difficult is when you have to study a language with a totally different writing system from what you’ve been used to. Some of these languages are Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, etc.Studying Japanese language is a trend nowadays especially for young professional who wishes to build a career in one of the most progressive country in the world, Japan. For individuals who can’t find time or can’t afford to enroll into a decent language class, you’re left with no option but self studying. I find self studying as advantageous because you’ve got to be the teacher and the student at the same time. However, studying by yourself requires you to be more resourceful than ever, and of course, keep believing in yourself and lots of motivation.

For beginners, I suggest you start first with the basic writing system; Hiragana and Katakana. That way, you’ll know the correct pronunciations and spelling of Japanese word. For Filipinos, like me, Japanese pronunciations is very easy, it’s like Tagalog with a little variations. Try to write the each character with the right stroke and you’ll never hard time memorizing it. Simply picturing it in your head can cause you some confusion especially for those characters that look alike.

When you are already familiar with hiragana and katakana, it’ll be better if you have something to read written in kana. Try to visit http://study.u-biq.org; they have a Japanese tutorial that is plainly written in katakana and hiragana for beginners. I think its best when you’ll study basic Japanese grammar in written in Japanese. It’s learning new things and a practice for your reading skill at the same time. The site also offers online test to measure your progress in learning the language.

If you think you’re ready to move your level up, fill up your heads with kanji! Personally, I love kanji very much! It’s a Chinese character which also comprises the Japanese writing system. What’s so exciting with kanji in Japanese is that each character has the Japanese reading (kunyomi) and Chinese reading (onyomi) and there are about more than 6,000 kanji used in the Japanese language! For people like me who have been used with roman characters (the abc), kanji is really mind boggling but if you’ll just have patience to scrutinize each character and you’ll find out that complicated-looking kanji is only derived from combinations of simple kanjis arranged in a specific manner. These arrangements when disintegrate will give you that meaning of that particular kanji based from the combined meaning of the different kanjis it was comprised of. I really recommend for you to try this, and I’m sure you’ll be amazed with your analytical skill and fall in love with kanji like me! Aside from that, some kanjis are too literal. Their appearance bluntly tells you its meaning, just use your imagination with those stick-like figures.

For kanji practice, I find jlpt-kanji.com very helpful. They just didn’t simply show each kanji’s meaning and reading but also words that are frequently used with the presence of that particular kanji. Besides, it’s also a good training ground for those who want to take the Japanese Proficiency Language Test (JLPT).

Are you afraid of Japanese websites? Or didn’t trust your Japanese reading proficiency? Well, start changing your internet browser and use Mozilla Firefox. Firefox offers use of plug-ins and it’s nice to know that there is a plug-in that can read Japanese when your cursor moves above it. Download rikaichan plug-in and dictionary in polarcloud.com and start hang around and learn more about Japan with Japanese websites. This plug-in will be enable by toggling the rikaichan on (right click your mouse while using firefox) and viola! There will be a pop a tray that will describe you the word’s meaning and reading in detail.

There are also electronic dictionary that lets you write or draw kanji as input and it will search its contents for the all the entries that contains that kanji. It also illustrates example in different situations. I bought my electronic dictionary in kakaku.com, just look for 電子辞書（でんしじしょ）and choose from variety of selections that will fit to your interest and budget. It’s a bit expensive but if you’re a die- hard to learn Japanese, it’s really worth the price. And most of these electronic dictionaries are bundle of with so many features that will help you survive in Japan.

Jazz up your learning capabilities; plunge yourself by watching Japanese movies and anime. But while doing so, try to hide the English subtitle so you won’t be tempted to read it. Enjoy listening to Japan’s fascinating music genre.

Patience and practice are very good ingredient towards perfection. There are lots of websites offering Japanese tutorials, so go and utilize what the world’s widest dictionary can offer you!

皆一緒に、日本語の勉強を頑張りましょ！(Let’s all study Japanese with our best!)

The edge of teleport period – how far are we?

How easy it is when you don’t have to wake up early in the morning and not be caught in a traffic jam just to reach your place of work? Or work abroad yet you can still eat dinner with your family every night!? These are some of the things we can benefit through teleport.

I have been a Harry Potter book fanatic and I find it cute when they have to use the fire place and sprinkle some dust of floo powder on them to travel from one fire place to another. How about the use of portkey? Ordinary objects became the key to a distant place; just how Harry met You-Know-Who unintentionally on the Goblet of Fire. Or simply disapparate and apparate? These are just some of the ideas tempting the human race to dream that sooner or later, there will come a time that anybody can do teleport. But how close are we to that?

From the primitive way of communications, we are now in to the stage where we can enjoy talking to our loved ones thousands of miles away and seeing how they look in real time. From the Bell’s first telephone, we now have celphones that aside from calling and sending sms, are also capable of surfing the net or watch your favorite tv show, not to mention its other multimedia features. With just a small gadget in your hand, you know you can reach any part of the world anytime. However, these do not entail that the possibility of teleport is visible.

As we have watched it in different movies, teleport enables a person to be present in a different place within just seconds. A person is transferred from one place to another in just a short span of time regardless of how far the distance between the point of origin and to the destination. But our latest technology of communications nowadays can only transfer a replica of the ‘information’ from one place to another. The fax, for example, transmits the contents of a sheet of paper to another yet different paper in other place. The transmitted data is like the original but not the same with the original. Quite confuse? The contents maybe objectively the same but the way it was written, where it was written was different. The original paper remains on its origin. This same way goes with our telephone calls. Our voice, when calling over the phone, was converted into a different form of data so that it can pass through wires and airwaves to reach our correspondence’s location. Still, our voice didn’t actually been transferred to its destination, only its replica. That’s why our voice quality changes or degrades when we are talking over the phone.

With present researches being done in relation to teleportation, the only thing possible right now is what they call quantum teleportation that relies on the process they call quantum entanglement. It is simply like having separate particles behaving as if they were only one and the same, yet located in different places. The changes to one particle will be mirrored in the other. As they have plainly described, it’s like scanning one person in a sort of technology like MRI scan and transmit that accumulated information somewhere else. Still, not the teleport we’re all dreaming. Although it captured approximately all of the person’s physical characteristics without violating any fundamental laws of physics, it simply doesn’t give chance for a person to travel from one place to another in an instant.

Sadly, teleport is still not yet reachable within human hands. Some scientists believe that teleport is not going to happen. Nonetheless, let’s not underestimate the power of human mind. One thing is for sure, I still have to ride the taxi if I want to go the mall or take the airplane if ever I’ll go back to Japan. To teleport will remain to my dreams until my life ends, I guess.