Dry run

On a regular day, around midday, it takes me an hour to an hour and a half to commute from our house to Bonifacio Global City (BGC). And since I will soon be coming to work at BGC, I tried to see how long it will take me to get there during the morning rush. 

I woke up later than I wanted to, around 5:30 AM. I left as soon as I could at around 6:10. It took me several extra minutes to reach the train station because of the volume of cars out and about. By 6:35-6:40 I was at the MRT North Ave station and in less than ten minutes I was on a moving train. By 7:15 I arrived at the Ayala Ave station then I headed down to the Fort Ayala bus terminal. This was the only time I had to really wait, because the East bus took at least 15 minutes to arrive. Before quarter to eight, I was standing in front of the tower we're in. Approximate travel time: 1 hr 30 min. 

I was rather surprised how easy it was to commute from QC to Taguig during rush hour, or start of it I guess. I thought I was doomed before I even left the house because I wanted to be at the train station by 6. A week ago I saw the line entering the MRT station up to about 100m outside the station and that was a quarter to seven in the morning on a Monday. To my surprise, it was a breeze to board the train. But I think I must arrive at the station at least 30 mins earlier during Mondays, to avoid the extra long lines. Of course commuting back home is another matter. I think the ease of my commute to work is aided by the fact that the North Ave station is the first station. Ayala Ave station on the other hand is a little more to the middle of the route so getting on the train would be far more difficult.

Here are some pressure points (Masterchef?) that I think are worth considering when commuting during rush hour:

• Five minutes makes a lot of difference in the volume of people you are commuting with. Leave the house/ office (hehe) as early as possible.
• Dress comfortably. It would kill me to be standing the whole way in heels. Or long sleeves.
• Be patient. 
• Be patient.

I have always regarded commuting in groups (in this case public commuting) better than traveling separately. It's cheaper and very environment friendly. Commuting in groups is more fuel efficient, contributes less pollution and erosion, and enhances traffic flow. But of course I'd like the luxury of commuting more privately, e.g. carpooling, so it would be easier especially during the rainy season.

I start work on Friday, srsly.

I secured a job a few weeks ago and they want me to start on the 16th, I guess so I can begin the day after salaries are handed out. It just feels weird though, to start on a Friday. I was told it would probably more of an orientation for me, being a noob and it being the end of the work week. 

I know my responsibilities but I don't know exactly how to fulfill these. Hello zero experience. I abhor uncertainty. Yes, I do know what I am getting into but I want to know the nitty gritty of it all. I have no work experience and I'll be learning from scratch. I dread that I may not perform well enough, this is not exactly the type of job an applied physics major is trained to do. Maybe I just have very high expectations of myself, I don't know. I am anxious to say the least.

I think what drove me to frequent Booksale was my hunt for Italian language books. I wanted to buy a second hand dictionary, since I was taking a basic course it makes no difference if I buy something a few years old. But it took me several months of browsing to discover an Italian language book that my Italian course was actually over when I did. 

And so, back to Italian and Booksale. Tita Vien, a friend of my Tia, borrowed my Php45 Just Enough Italian pocket reference for her trip to Italy. I was at Tia's during one of my job hunting escapades and we were having doughnuts (I think) when Tita Vien told us about her upcoming trip. Amazingly, I had my book with me because I had lots of idle time and I figured I should brush up on my Italian. Just Enough Italian was perfect, especially because of a dedicated chapter on shopping.

She just got back and so did my book. One of the tours she was in was on Leonardo da Vinci (and I guess somewhere along that leg is where she got me this Vitruvian Man magnet) and it can be concluded that he is becky! Or kami lang nagassume, kasi in addition to his scientific, mathematical and artistic endeavors ay events planner/ coordinator and clothing designer din siya. Hehehe

I am so proud of my cheap-o reference book! Naunahan nya pa ako pumunta ng Italia. :p

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

A while back, Jamie asked me why I don't blog much recently. I told her it's because I've been at home mostly and I haven't been doing much so I really don't have anything to write about. Feels a bit weird to say that, since in theory there'd be more time for me to blog since I'm unoccupied. But anyway, I am glad to say that today was a bit of a break from my usual routine.

Nins, Jomax and I went out to see Crazy, Stupid, Love. and it was really good. Yes it's hilarious and yes it has a gorgeous cast, but what's great is that everything works well even in the cheesiest moments. It's a light hearted movie but with notes of drama, just the right balance of both in my opinion. We all enjoyed the movie, and I mean everyone in the cinema. As if on cue, everyone would snicker (or laugh out loud) when a comical situation presents itself. Really awesome. I wouldn't mind seeing it again.

HBO's Game of Thrones Trailer

Must watch, check. Must read, working on it.
Below is the 2011 Comic Con trailer. It basically sums up what happened this first season, and if you don't want to be spoiled do not watch it. I just can't help posting it because I am in such a withdrawal, the second season is not until next year. Ugh.

Also, I'm back to watching True Blood this season. I just googled how seasons 2 and 3 went. Hehe.
Sookie and Vampire Eric ftw!

Napulot ko 'to kay BA weeks ago. Jaw drop inducing.

Via: Online PhD Programs

Buti nalang I'm not in grad school.
Yet.

The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold

Technical Stuff.

The main character Susie Salmon narrates, but the whole book isn't told in the first person. Up in her heaven, she observes her community and keeps tabs on her family. Alice Sebold created a gripping story of loss, through maneuvered turns in the story more than the prose itself. The tone was in the whole gloomy because Susie's death was always that big elephant in the room that while not always mentioned made its presence felt.

Story and Themes.

The novel kicks off with the death of Susie Salmon, a girl of fourteen. She belonged to a close-knit family, in a small town (from what I infer). Her untimely demise was crafted by a singularity in their neighborhood, a Mr. Harvey. He planned everything to the smallest detail, and was able to pull off his crime without leaving evidence. The rest of Susie's body was forever lost save for an elbow. It was not long though when the family, particularly Mr. Salmon and Susie's younger sister Lindsey strongly suspected Mr. Harvey of the crime and later driving him into hiding. For years, the Salmon family grieved and each in their own way. Mr. Salmon became obsessed with finding his daughter's killer and became very much occupied with her death. Mrs. Salmon tried to do away with what happened, resorting to starting an affair and then leaving town and separating herself from everyone she knew. Lindsey on the other hand tried her best to stay tough and helped her family from falling apart. The youngest of the Salmon kids, Buckley, was unaware of Susie's death for a while.

A major theme is loss and consequently how people  deal with it. The Salmons were part of a small community, and everyone felt the loss of Susie in their own way. From what I observed, Susie's father was most affected of her death. I can't even imagine a father feeling the weight of the responsibility of having lost a child. Mr. Salmon often resorted to his study and experienced the loss a hundred fold on his own. Mrs. Salmon, while deeply affected, became more distant after the tragedy. She no longer felt at home in her own home, she wanted a different life and even resorted to a little affair with Detective Fenerman who was the detective on the case. A few years after the loss, she left her family and her community. The Salmons continued even without her, but now with Mrs. Salmon's mom to look after the kids. Mr. Salmon, while aware of her disappearance, did not try to find her. I think he knew that she needed that time and space to find peace and compose herself. But for himself, he continued to be in a state of grief and seemed unable to move on. When Buckley tried to use some of Susie's old clothes for his garden that Mr. Salmon snapped and had a heart attack. On the up side, this incident is what brought everything into perspective.

I belong to a small and close family, and I can see how a loss can have so much more weight in those circumstances. While I am a scientist, I do believe in the gut feeling that people sense. One actually pursues lines of inquiry in terms of foresight based on known knowledge, and I think it's just the same in occasions that involve maternal instincts and whatnots. Susie's family especially Mr. Salmon suspected Mr. Harvey from the beginning, and they were quite right. What's so frustrating is the lack of evidence and technology to prove it that he cannot be held responsible. Of spirits and ghosts on the other hand, I think it's pure fiction but it makes for good reading. What is important is how much stronger people become after all the grief and sadness just as Susie's family and friends have become.

Overall.
Everybody is just too fragile after a loss and it manifests in different ways. It's interesting that the author chose to tell the story mainly through Susie's eyes, she was an integral part of so many lives and the disturbing fact that her remains are nowhere to be found made all the suffering more real. That said, I think the book was quite compelling. I give it a C+.

Teen heartthrob Neil Patrick Harris is awesome!

I started watching The Vampire Diaries yesterday.

I still haven't decided if I'm for Elena + Stefan or Elena + Damon. Hehe

Rad movie. Absolutely not your usual no brainer superhero movie. Showed a concise but coherent history of the main characters, had political tones blended well within the plot, had cool and appropriate effects, it's really good.

Of course these two make the movie worthwhile as well. Haha. I go for Magneto because he's a polyglot and his powers are were relevant to my research. Chos.

On Graduation Speeches

These are waaaaay above and beyond awesome compared to the commencement speech we received last April 17. Absolutely hilarious and inspiring. Naiingit ako. Haha

Brad Delson, Linkin Park's guitarist, gave the commencement speech during the UCLA graduation of 2009.

Part 1


Part 2


Ellen's at Tulane was great as well!

The Origin of the Exploding Fist Bump -- powered by Cracked.com

Live Streaming

Finally. A useful and simple live streaming aggregator. Yes, it's free. There are occasional ads but otherwise it's good.

http://www.fromsportcom.com/

Roland Garros starts in a a few days and it seems like the King of Clay has to get ready for a coup d'etat. I don't usually play favorites but yes I am biased. I mostly bet on Rafa, but I like Nole as well. I just don't like the implication that when Rafa loses this year's French, it means so much more than losing any other Grand Slam.

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While searching for a real live stream, I stumbled upon this site. Interesting. http://www.glogster.com/

Really really good TV

I've been bumming around, watching series here and there. I've finished two kdramas, and now halfway through another. That is, apart from the other shows I've been watching like Bones. And maybe because I've too much time in my hands or I've watched too much Castle, when I watch these shows I map out the possible future scenarios. Yep, kinda like spoiling myself. I actually find that if the ending is outside the range of my possibilities, the better. 

This is why I absolutely love The Good Wife. It's not a crime or love drama like most shows I watch, though it does hover on these themes. The best classification I can think of is drama in general, because  the law practice part is secondary in my opinion. Come to think of it, I've never tried to map out how this show would twist and turn. Maybe because it's not a crime series where you try to solve the case yourself. At the same time, it's over and beyond the usual dramas that have these ridiculous turn of events. It's like reading a memoir, the events seem so natural. But what makes it great is how they write these simple and ordinary events into big dramatic scenes that are so damn brilliant and witty. 

At this point, I'm anxiously waiting for the season finale that's airing next week. 

And oh, I'm also watching IRIS. It's a really superb kdrama. It's just as beautifully made as The Good Wife but in a different genre to say the least. Will rave about that after I finish it. :)

Munja wa shong!

Back when I was a freshman, I was glued to Crunchy Roll. Recently I've been hooked to US shows and haven't been able to catch up on what's fresh in the Korean drama scene, partly because Crunchy Roll no longer streams movies and series. 

The last kdrama I saw was The Coffee Prince and I count it as one of my favorites. Only now did I get to watch new kdramas, namely Secret Garden and My Princess. I plan on watching several more, since I went on a dvd shopping spree a few days ago. Tia has this list of kdramas to watch you see.

Sequined tracksuit, anyone?

Of the two I've finished so far, I loved Secret Garden. It's really fun even if I'm reading subtitles! Also because the lead characters are really good, the comic parts really crack me up. Okay, even the more dramatic turns got me. I think I found my favorite Korean actors after watching this series, Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won. 

My Princess on the other hand was kinda blah for me. I like the lead actors, though I think SSH looked better in the first Endless Love, and they played their parts well. But I hated how I predicted almost every turn and not get something more. More meaning novelty and comedy I guess. But it's still a kilig drama, so it's probably worth watching if you have the time.

I wanted to post videos of these but online kdrama videos are sort of volatile because they are taken off the web for copyright infringement every once in a while. But if you search in youtube for episodes of Secret Garden as of this posting, you might get lucky. :)

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Reminder to self: Finish The Lovely Bones blog entry and get moving on next book.

I cleaned my area last Thursday. 

And then I attended the NIP recog the day after.

This picture I grabbed from BA's tumblr.

  

Manong

There will always be time for fussball.

Geek stuff or fashion, there's always Ma'am May. ;)

Leaving NIP is bittersweet.

I don't have pics for a grad entry yet, next time.

IPL Grad Partey

I confess, I had a camera with me but I didn't cover the event. But quite luckily, because I didn't know I had little battery life left, I got Milli to snap a picture of our group before everyone headed wherever.

Top: Jill, Nicole, Tricia, Tin, Ganni, Eloi, Ianne, Master

Bottom: Jeff, Thirdy, Andy, Atchong

Shiz, the only way to see the pictures from my other labmates is through facebook!

Not that grad school is out of the question.

Ma'am May has asked me twice about my plans after graduation, the latest being in our walk back from Mang Inasal Katipunan to the lab. Sir Ganni, while knowing that I've decided not to take my MS this coming school year, has been wooing me lately with jokes that I should pursue grad school.

It's so comfortable to choose the grad school route because NIP is home, everything is familiar and I'm already part of the community. But I have to be more objective, so I decide not to go to grad school just yet. 

To start, I want to really want to go to grad school and realize what to take specifically. I don't want to proceed just because I don't have plans or because it's easier to choose to attend grad school. A change of environment should do me and my pocket good.

Secondly, my Tia is against the idea. Not that I don't have my own faculty of reasoning, but I value her opinion very much and I do live in her house. Besides, I hate making big decisions when someone's super nega about it. 

Lastly, I want to take a break in studying. I've been in school since I was three years old and I think I've earned at least a season's pass in studying. I'm not sure if this is the definition of burn out but I do feel tired. 

I find it hard to tell my superiors that I'm not staying. I don't have their audacity nor their drive to decide on a career in the academe just yet. On the up side, I feel happy that staff in the lab feel (I think) that I should stay. I'm not even sure if research is my thing, or if it could be someday so that's a pat on the back.

Just because Darren Criss (Blaine) said he loooooves Ingrid Michaelson. :)

And for some reason I remembered the Single Ladies episode but can't seem to find a good video, so here's the original.

Defensive

One step closer to graduation! Thanks to bear hands, friends, google, panel members, and of course dear adviser.

Past 3 PM yesterday, we lost power in the building. Andy and Jonats were still in the middle of their defense and I was cramming some fits in my plots. In the midst of UPS machines beeping annoyingly I almost thought my defense would have to be resecheduled. Gosh, how awful would that have been.

Ma'am Jing :)

Let's do this! 

Several minutes later my adviser and friends came up, Andy's defense was over. My turn wasn't until 4 PM but I was advised to get ready because my defense can still push through because it's still light outside and overall the situation was under control. When I got down to R211, there was a generator and a flat screen monitor. Love you VIP people. Pdfs of my slides were distributed to my panel members and we were set.

Nearing the end of my abstract slide, we gained power. Yes. The presentation went okay, though my panel members commented that I did not explain much and did a lot of hand waving. Sorry Sirs! And I will make my paper worth of the results, swear. I will take the revision notes very seriously.

We got the power.

Dakilang adviser, Sir Ganni.

The super Ma'am May.

The infamous bear hands!

Panel members: Dr. Almoro (front) and Dr. Ramos (back).

BA took pictures, posted on his fb wall. Pictures of other people who had their defense are there as well. I think it has sunk in now, we are done batch '06! Bar revisions, we are set to march! I'm so happy, I can't think of anything else to say.

Finally.

Sir Ganns treated our group to dinner at Kamirori. We even had a "bati na" picture taken, I think in Ate Ianne's camera. Then after, fellow IPL batchmates and I went to Padi's Antipolo and chatted away until 2 AM over drinks, pizza and sisig. The big hurdle is indeed over. Pirmado na! 

Everyone who helped make my defense possible, thank you. Special mention goes to Che, who according to Ma'am May has offered to give her laptop to one of my panel members so that my slides can be viewed. <3

Cheers!

--
Photos from BA :)

STS is over! Yes. I felt really good about the exam. My favorite topics were asked in my questionnaire so I had no problem answering the exam, I even had a few questions I wanted to answer but didn't have to. Kinda lucky I guess.

1. Language, Biology and Culture

2. Science Fiction Films and Critique of Society

Just love Adele.



Thanks for the heads up Jane!

In Denial

Each time we go to Crave Burger, Jane and I feel like we can't finish our burgers because it's so big. But we do finish our burgers every time, and I think it does get easier each succeeding visit. I wonder why. :)

Tonight's inductee is Cindy. She didn't quite finish her burger but she only left parts of the buns so I guess that's as good as eating the better part of the burger. 

And as if we weren't full enough, BA, Jane and I dropped by Moon Leaf to grab some tea on our way home. If you've been to Moon Leaf, you know that their only serving size is at least 500 mL. Mwahaha. Overload. But I guess this food de-stressing of some sort has long been brewing. Everything's been so hectic and it's hard to really plan. 

I suddenly missed back when we were BS3/ BS4. We can just go to Banapple or Kopiroti when we feel like it. Now, we're just too occupied.

Jane Eyre (2011)

Among the classic English romance novels written before the twentieth century, Jane Eyre is my favorite to date, though I haven't read much. I adore Pride and Prejudice as much as the average girl but I feel like Jane Eyre is so much bigger and grander, I can't find an exact word for it. 

I have been looking forward to this movie since I saw the gripping trailer last year. It appears to play on the gothic flavor of the novel, which is a good thing in my opinion. I haven't seen any of the earlier adaptations, but I bet only a small fraction if any were made in a dark tone such as this. It could also spark interest in those who haven't read the novel or do not fancy period movies.

Often, book to movie adaptations are horrible but I'm pretty positive Jane Eyre would be among the few exceptions (I trust RT). Below is one of the released clips from the movie, and as far as I can recall the book does not set up a kilig moment like this. Lovesit.



I'm not sure if I posted the trailer before, but I'm too lazy to check so I'll just post it. There are some spoilers extra clips here. Of course all official media can be found in the official website.

The casting choices are impeccable so I am even more excited to see this on the big screen. I'm still googling when it will be released in Philippine cinemas because I read that the March release is limited. :|

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In other movie news, I just found out that the Swedish adaptation of  The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo will be coming soon here in the Philippines. Yay!

New Disney Dream Portaits

Annie Leibovitz does it again!

These are so awesome. Of course there's a slight bias for the Beauty and the Beast shot, but I love them all! Too bad I can't find high res copies on the internet right now. My new wallpapers would have to wait.

A mighty dashing Jeff Bridges and a radiant Penelope Cruz portray Beauty and the Beast. 

Olivia Wilde becomes the dead gorgeous evil queen in Snow White and Alec Baldwin becomes the spirit of the magic mirror.

Queen Latifa gives diva attitude to Ursula.

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Images taken here.

Tuballa-Pang 2011

My long day ended in a very happy note. Thanks to Tracy and James for being so game and sport about their mock wedding! Their batchmates really supported the event, and so I think it's safe to say everybody had an awesome time. Seriously, sometimes it's really just the people that make everything come together even with the glitches or cracks.

Cheers to the completed Physics Month!

Jogging daw

My becky friends and I went jogging today! Hahaha. Not really. We got our adrenaline rush, or whatever, from dinner instead.

Friuli @ Maginhawa St

I was so famished by the time we got to Maginhawa, that I halved my tiramisu milk tea within the short distance we walked from Moon Leaf to Friuli. The drink Nins and Jamie ordered, lychee jasmine tea (ata) was good as well.

Gutom kung gutom.

Actually, we were all quite hungry that we barely talked while eating and I remembered to take pictures only by the time we were finishing what's left of two pizzas, two pastas and one order of mozzarella sticks.  

Of course, juiciness and kabecky-han ensued. 

A few people in the lab told me I was inexplicably happier than usual today, and maybe I am even with the ube jam high/ sugar rush. I was really looking forward to this jogging/dinner date, it probably showed. :)

No longer Sugarfree

Humahighschool will forever equate to Sugarfree. 

Dramachine. One of the actual CDs I own. :p

I was too antisocial go out tonight, so I missed Sugarfree's last event at Eastwood earlier. No matter, I feel confident they'll have a reunion concert much faster than Eheads did and I'm quite satisfied with seeing them a couple of weeks ago at the UP Fair. 

It was a good run. Thanks Sugarfree.

Physiklaban 2011

UP won baby!

We (org) really crawled our way to get our tasks for this competition completed. We have a flaky Acad Comm, which irritates each time I think about how bad things are in that corner of our org. Anyway, we got everything over and done with. I don't even care how dreadful EJ thinks of our questions, I'm just happy we made it through and that we didn't have to use our very limited clincher questions.

Overall, I think the event was a success~ attendance was great. There were little kinks but were easily resolved. As the emcees would say, "Good job!"

Proctoring Rm 411

HQ @ St. Joseph's 

DLSU + UP + UST

Tallying

Dr. Bantang, our awesome adviser!

Final Round

Little tarp :p

L-R: 1at Runner Up, DLSU; Champion, UP; 2nd Runner Up, DLSU

UPPA :)

I hope the younger members realize how important the external roles and relations of our org are.