and we don't do work

guess who worked day after thanksgiving when most of america is busy elbowing each other at the shopping malls? I DID! that's dedication, my friend. only half the people in my office were there. and since i work for a 30-person firm, it was nice. none of the principals were there - except for one but he was only there for a couple of hour. surprisingly, the day went by really fast.

i know i should be working on personal statements and essays and filling out forms for my grad school apps, but i think i need a break. well....it is after all a holiday weekend. and since i went to work today i think i deserve to take it slow. i do have a three more weeks before my first deadline and i already took care of the recommendations and GRE's. my portfolio's about 15% done. i just need to finish the one project i'm redesigning so i can include it. i don't know how much help it'll be, but it will at least show that i took the initiative to do some "independent study." yeaaaaah...in short, i am procrastinating. again.

like i said, yesterday was thanksgiving. lots of food and plenty of love. since i like being at the kids' table, my brother and i volunteered to make the kids' menu: chicken lollipops and mac+cheese! oh yeah..that's right. laugh all you want. my chicken was a hit. everyone in every age group loved it. take that, kare-kare!

the night before that, i went to happy hour with two of my co-workers. two of us are lightweights and one is a heavy drinker, so it evens out. the conversation was heated at times and i was cut-off after half a pint. (in my defense, i think i actually drank more than half, and i still believe that the bar stools were wobbly to begin with.) i managed to get to the supermarket and home without problems so it's all cool.

last friday, i went to tower records for their store closing sale. yes, it is true. tower records is going under and is closing. i guess music downloading (both legal and not) is really affecting cd sales. sad...especially since i love buying cd's. if you download, you don't get the cd art laid out as originally intended. i hear if you download the whole cd you get an image file of the cd art. that's sooo lame compared to the actual artwork. so i went in there and bought 4 cd's: guster's newest cd (soooo good...it's on loop in my car stereo), futureheads, belle and sebastian, and athlete's vehicles and animals. i have a long list of cd's i want to buy (the decemberists, keane's new one, etc) but i'm going to hold off until i get all the christmas presents i need to buy.

so there you go...five paragraphs later...and i still don't feel like dealing with my applications. and so tv it is. haha!

busy bee

i have not seen the last five or so episodes of prison break. i am seriously having a wentworth miller craving. darn. why am i not watching tv? (((shocking!))) me the tv addict. me who desperately needs tivo so i could stop prioritizing what i need to watch and tape. GRAD SCHOOL APPS...that's why! the checklist seems to be getting longer and longer everytime i finish something.
GRE's: check. thank goodness!
visit a school: check.
write personal statement: check.
send recommendation forms to former professors: check.
finish all application forms: half check.
pay application fees: half check (btw: i am so poor right now).
finish several versions of portfolio: quarter check.
optional (ie. will not hurt if you do it, so why didn't you do it?) essays: uuuuh.
fill-out supplemental forms: no check.
contact alumni/current students at each school for info: no check.
pay more fees: nooooo!
ask for official transcripts: no check.
pay transcript fees: grrrr!
run marathon: i had my friend do that for me. (she did think about me at the 17th mile as i requested so it was sort of like i was there....NOT. but that was a nice thought.)
go crazy: check. check. checkcheckcheck.

even though i'm complaining about shelling out all this money, i did something pretty awesome today. i paid off my unsubsidized loan! the subsidized part still needs to be paid off, but i least i paid off a relatively huge chunk of my undergrad loan. i'm not drowning as much in debt. and that should look pretty good on my credit report. better interest rates here i come! sweet!

the co-workers i hang out with are great! most of them - meaning everyone except for one - are older than me, but it's all cool. we all think at the same age level: 12. hahaha! we do use big words like "tryst" and "divulge," but most conversations are laden with sexual innuendo and sarcasm. and since i'm the queen of sarcasm, i get my fair share of wins in our battle of wits (maybe it's more "nitwits"). i sometimes lose in one-upmanship. but it's ok...i get them with my corny puns and randomness. we're starting up a quote sheet on "stupid things said during the lunch hour." i hoping to not be quoted as often...but unfortunately, that might not be the case.

a look back

I think I finished writing this when I was a third year in college. Maaan, those were the days. 2006 comments are written in bold.

101 Things That Make Life Fun
(in no particular order)

1. hot chocolate on a really cold day
2. falling snow
3. breaks in between classes - yeah...there are no long enough breaks in between work
4. talking to friends until the wee hours of the morning
5. finding a really good sale at Banana Republic
6. having no classes on Fridays
7. the fresh smell of clothes right off the dryer
8. multiple channels of HBO - we don't get hbo anymore! booooo! thank goodness for tv dvds. i still get to watch entourage.
9. getting real phone calls
10. The O.C. (Benjamin McKenzie is from UVA! yay!...but ultimately...it's all about Seth Cohen)
11. Kodak commercials - My favorite commercials now are the MasterCard ones.
12. Jason Mraz - he's still good...but i haven't been listening to him as much
13. Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream
14. the feeling you get after the last final exam
15. FRIENDS (the TV show) - there are so many more great sitcoms now that FRIENDS has been cancelled. I think these are actually better (all the hardcore friends fans are going to hate me): ENTOURAGE, THE OFFICE, FAMILY GUY (my top three sitcoms that aren't cancelled)
16. Tobey Maguire as Spiderman
17. your real friends
18. home cooking
19. Sunday Brunch - oh the dining hall!
20. Sundae Bar on Sundays - O-hill does have its great moments
21. Starbuck's Brownie Frappuccino
22. Christmas Eve...
23. Christmas Day
24. Big-screen TV
25. sharing an umbrella with someone
26. Ocean's Eleven (the 2001 version)
27. screaming your head off while watching a game
28. not having to stand in line to get food
29. cooking your own meal
30. Travis (the band) - haven't listened to travis in forever..i probably need to listen to my old cd's again
31. watching a live concert
32. visiting new places
33. the toy train that dispenses hotdogs - thanks to the guy who put up the condimentalism exhibit
34. Tim Hawkinson art exhibit
35. sleeping in on Saturday mornings
36. a fast internet connection
37. getting letters
38. The Rotunda Cam
39. Fall Break
40. Spring Break
41. Winter Break
42. Summer!
43. taping your favorite show so you can watch it over and over
44. QuizYourFriends.com
45. a professor who says "fuggly"
46. John Mayer
47. that show Trading Spaces - I don't watch this show anymore...they emphasize the drama than the design now..tsktsk
48. 80's sitcom Family Ties with Michael J. Fox as Alex P. Keaton
50. calling someone famous
51. your handy camera...for those picture perfect moments or the not-so-perfect times
52. magic 8 ball
53. A desk at studio...hey, i get a lot - i mean a lot!- of work done there
54. my power drill...vrrrm...vrrrm (i love tools now) - i think someone took it...cry!
55. Lambeth...it's so close to the A-school - but our apartment in JPA totally kicks ass!
56. Zoolander...F-U-N-N-Y movie!!! see the website
57. Saturday Night Live
58. Not having to spend all day and all night at studio
59. When charrette is over
60. Chivalry is NOT dead....thank goodness.
61. Quote wall
62. People on your TOP 5
63. Norah Jones
64. My Christmas Survey
65. Guys who open doors for you
66. Pictures
67. IM
68. Getting gifts
69. Volunteering...seriously, it makes you feel good inside
70. Sunsets
71. BILB party! double yay with caramel popcorn!
72. mmmm...chocolate cake
73. my bernz-o-matic soldering torch
74. OYFA
75. NU107's live internet feed - now more obsessed with WNRN (c-ville's awesome college/indie station!) and virgin radio uk live feeds
76. Seth Cohen (Adam Brody in real life) of The O.C.
77. crazy random sounds
78. Syndicated versions of your favorite TV shows
79. Jack and Karen from Will & Grace
80. Free cone day at Ben and Jerry's
81. learning something new
82. turning 21
83. driving around
84. people who say funny random stuff - check out overheard in new york
85. Lord of the Rings...it kicks ass
86. The Matrix: it's just plain cool...accept it. the first one...the last two didn't live up to the hype...i don't think
87. having your own room
88. critics that care
89. doing nothing on a rainy day
90. birthdays (doesn't matter whose) - because there's always cake!
91. Monopoly...the board game
92. singing along the car radio
93. the ancient Greeks...have you read about them lately?
94. rubber ducky
95. tiny alcohol bottles, mini muffins, single-serving condiments, sample-sized soap, shampoo...small objects
96. rain drops tapping your window
97. feeling really smart when you get to answer Jeopardy questions
98. sunglasses: "'cause the sun never sets in the land of cool"
99. keeping in touch with people you know...i'm trying hard to do this
100. the beach
101. ....and lastly...whatever it is that floats your boat!

are you all fastened in?

this vw jetta ad is from 2001 and in my opinion the best one that year. we were obsessed; my roommates and i even went online to look up the name of the guy in the car. (fyi: he was in that episode of friends where he was phoebe's overly sweet bf and monica's incompetent sous-chef.) oh, kevin rahm, where are you now?

get a clue

caution: major update overload. get ready for an extra long blog. get yourself something to munch on or to drink. sit on a relaxing chair. don't worry about bathroom breaks; there are intermissions.

first off - update on my volunteering gig. i really love volunteering for the national building museum in dc. i know it sounds geeky. (why do you want to work in a museum? why?!) but it's so much fun. since i'm new, i meet a couple of people every time i go in for a shift. and they're around my age, which is a little surprising. i also get 20% off everything in the museum shop which is btw one of the best giftshops ever! i already bought a keychain and a money/card holder and received tons of compliments on them. the most unexpected benefit of being a volunteer is discovering all the city has to offer. we're blocks from other museums and a block from chinatown. also i recently just found out about the "arts on foot" festival. apparently this occurs every year but since i'm rarely in the city, i was missing out on such an event. we had a table set up to promote the museum and demonstrate "building origami." after my 2-hour shift i walked around and saw a cooking demonstration from a famous restaurant in dc and got to sample a dish for free. i saw art produced by prison inmates. and i saw this: a one of a kind bag made from the hardcover of a book. of course, it and all the other "book" bags (like the harry potters, the classic nancy drews, and your college textbooks) sell for $100 apiece since they're original and hand-made - a utilitarian work of art indeed. (and still much less expensive than a prada.) i liked this one the best mainly because of the book title. i haven't read the book but putting a title like that on a handbag is nothing short of irony for me.

i'm really attracted to unique objects...cool design in general - from architecture to the kitschy stuff in your kitchen. when i get my own place, i will fill it with awesome stuff so there's so much more to talk about than what's being shown on tv.

||update on gre studying:
i promised my friend freni that i'm going to pull myself away from the tv and study more for the gre's. (i've been studying for a while now but still probably waste a lot of time watching television.) so until october 21st, tv is put on hold during weeknights. (i do still watch an hour before dinner time...just a break between work and studying.) i'm taping and/or downloading all the shows i'm watching...err..could be watching for viewing during the weekend when i'm braindead anyways. we really do need to get tivo. seriously, i really feel like i'm improving and actually getting it. i don't feel as stupid as when i started. i'll be kicking it's ass during exam day!

||ok go = ok great
speaking of kick ass. you should definitely check out ok go. feel good songs with lyrics like "sweetheart, you'll find mediocre people do exceptional things all the time." nice catchy beats. awesome dancing. yes...dancing. and yes, everyone in the band does it. just check out the video from my previous blog. also if you pass youtube on your way to or from checking your email, search for their video of their song "a million ways." trust me, it will be most amusing.

||annual company golf tourney + company picnic
so remember last year when i said that i could be good in golf if i only play it more often? uuuh...i take it back. that was beginner's luck. i did much worse this year...but i did get a back-to-back hole-in-one during the putt-putt section of the tourney. fortunately our team captain was the principal who takes time off during the work week to play golf. talk about an avid golfer. fyi: at around 4pm, two or more of the principals practice putting in the office. it's a big no-no to walk into a shot or kick the white-out bottle they use as the hole marker.

the company picnic is fun also. because of three things:
1. we played kickball. i wasn't the last one picked to be on a team. everyone from age 6 to 60+ played. there were too many people in a team. there was a flying birkenstock at one point. one team had a two year old as a sub shortstop. everyone had a different way of keeping score so in the end both teams won.
2. the food was freakin' awesome.
3. a dozen or so people threw water balloons at one of the principals (we have five btw). he did throw a revenge balloon aimed at no one in particular, but it hit his wife! the fact that this was caught on video is even more hilarious.

||let's hug it out, bitch!
ENTOURAGE = GENIUS. that's all i'm going to say.

||how to feel smart
i've been reading the new yorker fairly regularly now. i still haven't read an issue cover to cover, but everything i've read is thought-provoking and informative. i liked that article about the fields medalist grigory perelman and the world of mathematics. i also am checking out the economist. i got a free four-issue trial of the magazine. now i know that i don't know squat about current events. i like that the articles present issues, events, and commentary in a relatively succinct manner. i'm almost done with ayn rand's the fountainhead - required reading for architects. (and everyone in the design field. actually, everyone should read it.) even if it's been more than sixty years since its first publication, most of the issues and moral dilemmas faced by the characters still apply to today's society. next stop atlas shrugged and the philosophy of objectivism.

||christmas '06
yes, it will be great. i will be in manila for two weeks! i get to see family and friends i haven't seen in three years. i'll get to experience new year's with deafening fireworks again. i have so many people to see. there will be lots of pictures taken and lots of presents opened. it will definitely be a hectic, action-packed two weeks. get ready. i'll see YOU with your party shoes on. ;)

music player survey

so what happens when you put your music player in shuffle mode and then answer questions? 1. you realize you have songs downloaded that you're kind of ashamed you still have on your player (example: that first song that happened to pop up when i hit next after i turned on the shuffle mode.) and 2. you hear songs you haven't heard in a loooong time. enjoy.


What's the song and what's the 6th lyric?: (oh for shame..haha) "ice ice baby" by vanilla ice - 8th word: "baby"
What's the song and what's it about?: "forever young" by youth group. wishful thinking? nostalgia.
What's the song and why do you like it?: "take your mama out" by scissor sisters. the beat is catchy.
#1: "there's a fire" by ok go
Who does this song remind you of?: honestly, i don't know who.
#2: "unnecessary trouble"
Who sings this song?: hard-fi
#3: "a million ways" by ok go
What word is said the most in the song?: "zero"
#4: "shut us down" by lindsey buckingham
What's the first line?: "oh you and i, we sure can dream"
#5: "head over heels" by the go-go's
What's the last line?: "looks like the whole world's out of sync"
#6: "hide and seek" by imogen heap
What song number is this on your player?: 226
#7: "cupid" by 112
What's the mood of the song?: hurt and betrayed
#8: "crash the party" by ok go (is it obvious i'm obsessed with ok go right now?)
What number is this song on the album?: 10
#9: "uki uki watching" by various superfantastic japanese artists
What instrument is most prominent?: synthesizer...and i think trumpets
#10: "hardcore days + softcore nights" by aqueduct
What language is the song in?: english
MORE RANDOM
Is your boyfriend shiny?: "still take you home" by arctic monkeys
Where's the best place on earth?: "loop + loop" by asian kung-fu generation...i guess that means a merry-go-round is the best place on earth
Do you go to church?: "decent days and nights" by the futureheads...so that means yes
What do you like to say?: "reason why" by rachel yamagata (fyi: this song is highly recommended for rainy day listening.)
WORD ASSOCIATION
Luca: "shortly before the end" by ok go...who the heck's luca?
Church: "even if" by ken hirai
Castle: "when the sun goes down" by arctic monkeys
Shiny: "around the world" by red hot chili peppers
Metal: "will i ever make it home" by ingram hill
Rome: "rewrite" by asian kung-fu generation
Steel: "cash machine" by hard-fi...oh yeah, armored car!
Music: "paper bag" by fiona apple
Friends: "your ex-lover is dead" by stars...thank goodness for friends, huh?!
Traveling: "kimi wa tomodachi" by ken hirai....it's a sign. i HAVE to go to japan.
Darkness: "love is" by vanessa williams with brian mcknight....sheeet...i still have this song in my player? haha
Swords: "the middle" by jimmy eat world...good advice: don't get in the middle of swords
ALMOST DONE...
What's your favorite song?: "heal over" by kt tunstall...according to the shuffle feature...but in reality, i can't tell you one favorite song.

OK Go - Here It Goes Again

OK Go, Dancing on Treadmills proof that treadmills could be fun...at least for some people. check out the bald guy in the pink shirt. he is soooo into it. it's very amusing indeed!

too much

too much to say. so little time. always the case for me.
will enumerate what i have been doing these past couple of months

1. attended a birthday celebration once every two weeks (july/august definitely takes the cake - pun intended - for "most family members born within a two month period")
2. saw friends from way out of town - from the caribbean and san francisco
3. have seriously started studying for the gre's. this time it's for real. it's not fun discovering you're stupid. i totally forgot geometry. but i think i'm doing better with my verbal stuff. i definitely know more words than from four weeks ago.
4. started volunteering for the national building museum. met at least five people already. so far i'm keeping up with my new year's resolution.
5. working on my portfolio. i've re-designed a previous project. it's not any easier the second time around.
6. applied for the idp (intern development program...ie. step one to become a registered architect). being an architect takes lots of time and money. A LOT OF MONEY. dang...i'm gonna be sooooo poor by the time i go to grad school. but i see it as an investment to myself. it's a good thing. investment + me = good = good = good. repeating it makes it real. hahaha
7. saw little miss sunshine. by far the best movie i've seen this year. i definitely recommend that you get yourself to the nearest theater and watch it. soooo freakin' hilarious!
8. stressing out over the submission of permit drawings for building construction...aaargh! the deadline is coming

that's a few. i've done much more. will have to make another entry in the future.

genius!

candy cake!
alright guys: this is what i want for my birthday...or Christmas...or any time during the year. hint hint!

the joys of google

i stumbled upon this video as i was searching for people's names in google. i typed in my name too...just so you know. this is from the UVA QSU Modern Spring 2006. i believe it was performed during Drag Bingo in April. i know the choreographer! he's the guy on the very left in the first dance (after they get into formation). Song (fyi): Make A Girl Feel (Tearrra Mari), Conceited (Remy Martin), and Temperature (Sean Paul)

twin tops

this survey is brought to you from my friend myra. she's really nice to re-post it so i could rip the questions off her blog.

Top 2 lines you always get from the opposite sex:
1.) where are you from?
2.) you're still here?! (oh, studio days. where have you gone?)

Top 2 things the opposite sex does that piss you off:
1.) eating loudly (i don't mean eating and talking), especially when they do that lip smacking sound. (that actually goes for everyone not just the opposite sex.)
2.) when they think they know it all but clearly they don't

Top 2 physical assets a guy must have:
1.) great hair
2.) a smile worthy of a toothpaste commercial

Top 2 guy names you find gwapo (handsome):
*this is tricky because this doesn't mean if you have this name, you're automatically handsome too.
1.) Brandon
2.) Kyle

Top 2 disturbing comments you got from someone:
*why even dig up the past? i seriously don't remember. i'm really good at repressing bad memories. hahaha!

Top 2 sweetest childhood memories:
1.) when my neighbor who is a year younger than i am insisted that we be in the same classroom in nursery school. the nuns were fine with it. she even got special instruction and different books from the rest of her "classmates". (this reminds me that i need to contact her in some way.)
2.) when our parents let us rush to the swings after church and let us play for a while before heading home

Top 2 feel-good-nostalgic songs:
1.) "landslide" - the smashing pumpkins cover
2.) "big me" - foo fighters

Top 2 most played songs on your playlist (right now):
1.) "hard to beat" by hard-fi
2.) "goodnight and go" by imogen heap

Top 2 weird things you do:
1.) i smell random stuff
2.) i still read under bad lighting conditions. i am soooo gonna need glasses in the future. i'm just amazed i don't wear a pair right now.

Top 2 everyday beauty essentials:
*i'm too lazy to put on make-up in the morning. it's an extra five to ten minutes i would rather spend sleeping.
1.) face moisturizer
2.) lip balm/gloss

Top 2 signs that you're really mad already:
1.) i'm usually quiet...but when i'm silent and have a scowl on my face - that's a sign
2.) i start banging and slamming stuff and curse under my breath

Top 2 names you'd give your future daughter:
1.) Natalie (i really like this name)
2.) Hazel (like my cousin's)

Top 2 names you'd give your future son:
1.) Christopher
2.) Joshua

Top 2 names you wish you had:
1.) Parker
2.) Yvette

Top 2 things you ought to do before you die:
1.) visit all 50 states
2.) buy a house in a foreign country

Lastly, top 2 things you want to do right now:
1.) watch finding neverland or eternal sunshine of the spotless mind again
2.) finish reading the fountainhead

this is really hard to fill out. i usually have one answer ready but coming up with another one is something else. i think i pulled a brain muscle. ouch! brain muscle?! what?! does that even exist? :) duuuh!

the intern cometh

we got an intern a little over a month ago. let me tell you: it is one of the best things that happened at work. i - the least experienced worker in my firm - got to tell someone else what to do. the people who first decided to hire an intern were brilliant! it gives even the lowest ranked, entry-level worker a chance to be a boss even if it's a few days or a couple of hours. i've actually only given her work when she asked for it and when i have something else to do that is very low on my priority list. this means i've only "used" her twice: once to trim drawings to the correct size and once to send out drawings to vendors. they're tedious to do but someone has to do them. and that someone used to be me. but until the end of the summer, i don't have to deal with it because i can pass the buck to someone else. sweet.

best work comment. EVER.

and the winner of "the most inappropriate metaphor for mixed building construction" is...
"we have horses. we have ho's. let's make a building!"

that is by far the most amusing comment ever made since i started working almost a year ago. but here are some worthy runners up:
"you remind me of the lady in the 'what happens in vegas stays in vegas' commercials."
[me reading the sign-out sheet] "what's 'man stuff'?"
"there are no long questions. only long answers." [then i got a glare from my project manager]
"Alex - 20% sick"

halfway there

it's almost july. it's been over a year since i graduated. almost a year working as a staff architect. i usually do a year end blog but most of the time i forget little things that happened and leave them out in my entry. maybe they weren't meant to be remembered but they still need to be acknowledged. so here we are at the halfway mark, and here's my recap:

january: nothing quite exciting here.
-we did get a new guy in the office and i'm now permanently located in the mezzanine overlooking everyone. i like pretending i'm in charge of everyone when in reality i'm the lowest ranked person there.

february: another blah month.
-aside from the monthly get together with the crew, nothing very exciting. don't get me wrong. i really love seeing the people i used to see on a daily basis.

march: another birthday. older. wiser?
- i went to my first uva architecture alumni event. i honestly didn't want to go but i was persuaded by a co-worker and the free "refreshments".
- one of the ladies i work with left this month...right about the time when we started to get to know each other better. if i weren't constantly thinking of saying something stupid when i talk, we probably would've known each other way better now. we sat next to each other but i rarely talked to her. but anyone who knows me will realize that that's just how i am.
- i also joined a gym. i try to be diligent about going. i. am. trying.

april: back to c-ville; nyc, round 2
- went to visit shraddha in nyc for "spring break". as always it was a weekend chock-full of awesome stuff. about five blocks were closed to traffic for street vendors to peddle their stuff. rockefeller and central park in the morning; times square at night. chinatown and it's dirt cheap food. we walked from the east to west and everywhere in between. we rode the subway only three times. but the best part was seeing gorgeous bradley cooper at friend of a farmer during brunch. as i've said: awesome!
- i also went to charlottesville for the mahogany dance show. it looks so different now. so many things are being built or are going to be built. it also feels different. you know how you feel when you're in a museum? everything is on display for you. you can touch some things but you aren't exactly involved. not to say that i have no ties to uva. of course, i am always going to be part of the university. i spent four years there. but that weekend made me realize that i am gradually moving on.
- a new crepe place popped up in c-ville. find the hole in the wall near the 2nd street gallery and you're there. side note: food in c-ville is very inexpensive - compared to dc. you gotta love a college town!

may:
- saw freni who i haven't seen since christmas. she's still doing medschool in the carribean.
- also started seriously thinking about grad school. i need to pick a school. i don't have the money to apply to every architecture program out there.

june: independence. surprise. funnel cake.
- made extra cash cooking/serving food at the philippine independence day festival in dc. sweet
- finally went to the fairfax fair. saw a laser light show, creepy yet amusing carnies; got free stuff. and i ate a frozen banana and a funnel cake for the first time. yum.
- threw a semi-surprise party for greg. first the hostess told him about the cake. then everyone who came late was signing the card in front of him. he did get surprised by the balloons. used the chef's knife to cut the cake. who knew such a posh japanese restaurant would allow outside food to be kept in their kitchen? maybe they did it because we were a party of 20!

one decade

as i do now and again, i shamelessly take someone else's survey questions, replace the answers and regurgitate is as something brand-spankin' new from me. however, i believe that the person i'm ripping this from deserves a special mention. jacqui, this is for you. (haha)

Ten years ago, it was 1996. Take this survey, post the results, and see how many things have
changed since then.

1) How old were you?
THEN: 14
NOW: 24....daaaaamn time does fly

2) Where did you go to school?
THEN: colegio san agustin
NOW: no school for me...i'm now a cube monkey at an architecture firm

3) Where did you work?
THEN: i didn't work...school's already too much
NOW: rv architects (looking back...school's for amateurs - pun intended. i wanna go back.)

4) Where did you live?
THEN: metro manila
NOW: virginia (is for lovers)

5) How was your hairstyle?
THEN: shoulder length, middle part
NOW: layered shoulder length, side part

6) Did you wear braces?
THEN: no...my teeth weren't so bad that i needed them
NOW: no

7) Did you wear contacts?
THEN: no...perfect vision
NOW: no...and even if i need them i don't think i will (see next question)

8) Did you wear glasses?
THEN: again, no
NOW: not yet...although i feel like i will in a couple more years. as long as i continue to abuse my eyes by reading/working/studying in the dark, i will be on track to wear those awesome glasses architects wear.

9) Who was your best friend?
THEN: i don't like answering this question because: a) it's hard to choose and i don't want to; b) someone is usually going to feel left out in a way.
NOW: of course it's you! duh!

10) Which of your pets were still alive?
THEN: our deaf dog....i think she's deaf since she's not afraid of fireworks. and a bijillion guppies who remained nameless.
NOW: i don't have pets

11) Who was your boyfriend/girlfriend?
THEN: uuuuuh....imaginary or real?
NOW: i will not acknowledge this question with an answer

12) Who was your celebrity crush?
THEN: patrick garcia....sheeet i'm such a dork
NOW: peter sarsgaard (i know he looks and acts kinda weird and he's having a baby with maggie gyllenhaal...but whatever! also since i saw bradley cooper when i went to nyc last april, he's also way up on my celebrity crush list.)

13) Who was your regular-person crush?
THEN: wow...so long ago....Red J?
NOW: hmmm...the ups guy? hahahaha....hell no! he's not cute even if our receptionists think he is. i really don't wanna drop names. so if you want to know, leave me a message. hahaha

14) How many piercing did you have?
THEN: none
NOW: none

15) How many tattoos did you have?
THEN: none
NOW: if i'm too lazy to punch a hole on each ear, what makes you think i'd have the energy to have someone prick my skin several hundred times?

16) What was your favorite band/singer?
THEN: eraserheads, wolfgang
NOW: death cab for cutie, hard-fi...and soooo many others...just check out previous blog with the album covers

17) Had you smoked cigarettes?
THEN: no
NOW: no...and i'm definitely sure i will never do

18) Had you gotten drunk?
THEN: naaah....i would have had extremely serious issues if i were drinking then
NOW: yeah i'm pretty sure....i'm a lightweight

19) Had you DRIVEN?
THEN: nope
NOW: i drive to work everyday. i'm one of those people who are half-awake, screaming inside, and think everyone else is a worse driver than themselves. yeah...welcome to f'n rush hour

20) If so which car?
THEN: not applicable
NOW: honda accord

21) Looking back, are you where you thought you would be in 2006?
yeah..since i'm psychic. well, when i was fourteen i wouldn't have thought i'd go to the US, so that was a major change in my 10-year plan. but other than the location change, i think i'm where i'm supposed to be. if not, then that 10-year plan was horribly drafted.

whatever...major...loser...what's the point 

sooo...

i am really not good with dealing with people who cry. today a co-worker, actually one i hang out with, wasn't feeling well and started crying near the stairs. i think she has a really high fever and apparently was a little delirious. several people went to ask her if she was ok but i just sat in front of my computer. before you get all, "you're so insensitive. you don't care..blahblahblah!" I just want you to know that the reason why i didn't go to help her was that i didn't know how. i never know how to react if someone's already crying. i usually panic or freeze and make matters worse. i thought about helping her but by that time the debate in my head was over, three other co-workers have attended to her. if it was any other co-worker, i think i wouldn't feel so guilty but she has been nice to me and i feel like i should have done something. anything. i hate feeling helpless and guilty at the same time.

timberrrrrr

so today i saw a tree turn into woodchips. and it only took those guys 15 minutes to do it. they started hacking the tree with their chainsaws after my second bite of sandwich. by the time i finished eating, they were feeding the last piece of wood into the huge ass chipper. think about the time it took that tree (about 2o-25 feet high) to grow. yeah, i know....whoa! i don't call myself an environmentalist but i do think that forests and wildlife should be protected and that natural resources should be conserved. i don't go to capitol hill to protest nor write to my representative about this issue. i'm very passive although i don't think that makes me a bad person. i try to "save" the environment in my own way in my own time. little things: recycling once in a while, turn off lights when not in use, turn off faucet while brushing teeth, roll windows down when driving.

by the way, i was observing people's reaction to this. it's like rubber-necking during a car accident. everyone's looking, maybe shaking their heads, but no one's stopping....just slowing down. then it passes and it's back to normal life speed.

nyc in the springtime

sunny washington square


rockefeller center


ooooh...aaaah....lights! we are such tourists.

music mania

Create your own Music List @ HotFreeLayouts!

someone cracked

we've been joking about it for years: how easily the a-school could burst into flames with all the flammable materials (glue, stain, spray adhesive, rubber cement, etc) and the paper products and wood cluttering the place. how someone so frustrated during charrette could easily torch something just to get out of a deadline. well, folks, i read online that a few days ago there was a fire in the a-school. it's nothing major. someone forgot to put their cigarette out completely before throwing it on the mulch. smart. none of the buildings were damaged. classes were disrupted for approximately two hours. the red fire trucks are gone. back to work.

when i was in school, we never had a fire but we did have a bomb threat or two, power outtages and server breakdowns. server breakdowns are the funniest because they were during charrette when everyone needed the computers, and resulted in impromptu partying complete with booze. it was technology's way of telling to take a break.

i am so smart...S-M-R-T

d'oh!
oh homer simpson, i'm glad you're more stupid than me. i think being out of college...well, school in general, makes me less intelligent. my brain cells are dying faster than if i were drinking every night. i noticed the "degeneration" when i started studying for the GRE's. I registered with this free online test prep website since I am cheap and won't shell out money for learning stuff i already know. (I know that information is lodged in my brain somewhere. i just need enough motivation to dig it out.) When I took one of their practice tests....well, let's just say the results are not up to par. so sad. it was like seeing a grown man ride a bike after a long time of not doing so only to end up wobbling and crashing into his garbage bin at the end of the driveway.
i'm definitely out of practice. i forgot about half the words i learned for the SATs. i mean, seriously who uses inundate and specious in daily conversation? (go on...it's ok...you can go to wiktionary and look it up. i actually did a few days back.) i also forgot the quadratic formula except the part that has plus/minus and a square root. (alright you can laugh like you just saw someone fall off a bike. it's ok. no one's looking.)
if you ask me to take the GRE's today, i would fail. right now, i might only be smart enough to bubble in the letters of my name and to get my address correctly written. check with me in october maybe i'll make it past the block.

a simpsons like segue

i remember having this conversation with duey and ana a few weeks before graduation. we were discussing what our plans were after graduation. ana and i came up with the usual "pssssh....i don't know what i'm gonna do. probably be a bum for a while." duey one-upped us by saying, "i'm definitely going to be homeless in california." (or something to that effect) riiight....that's what uva grads end up being. as if this wasn't odd enough, count on ana to take it to the next level. she posed the question, "if you're going to be a bum, which city/state would you like to stay in?" of course we all wanted to stay warm so we picked florida. apparently if you're a bum and you get buried in snow and the snow plow gets you (ie. kill you), it's no one's fault and is not considered murder. scary. other questions such as "how long does it take before you to start looking like a bum?" came up in that obviously odd and random conversation.
homelessness is not a joking matter, neither is poverty. i have just turned in my entry for a design competition dealing with this very issue. the idea is to design a cart that can provide storage and shelter since many homeless people use a cart to carry collected items that they can eventually turn in for a bit of cash. i entered the competition mostly because of the message behind it, and partly because i felt the need to get into the design process once again. so i guess it's true you can't kick the habit as easily as you thought.

temporary insomnia

so what do you do when you realize that it's already 3:30 in the morning and you're still wide awake? you write a totally random email complete with pictures. i was contemplating on either cleaning my room or continuing to my second load of laundry. but i decided not to, so as not to wake the rest of the household. i could also continue reading The Confessions of Max Tivoli but i don't think i'd understand anything printed on those pages. emailing does not require much brain power and people don't care as much about grammar and spelling. as you can see i don't bother capitalizing my I's, and i excessively use the period even if a conjunction would suffice.

(although i really hate it when people send me text-message-like emails. i don't get it. all the letters are right there at your disposal. you don't need to press a certain key two or three times to get the letter you want. however, i sometimes i let it slide especially if it's only a few words in the whole email. i try hard not to use text shorthand mainly because i don't know how to properly abbreviate words....if there's even a standard abbreviation for those words. speaking of pet peeves: i also hate it when people use capital and lower case letters in random order. For example, "oH mY GoSh! hE IS suPer HoT!!!" what the hell!? that takes more time than necessary. i can tolerate people capitalizing random words for emphasis. but why do you need to capitalize a letter that's in the f'n' middle of the word?)

got carried away there. so where was i? right...the email. it took me an hour to write two emails. they're not very long either. i think around 6:30am i started to lose my ability to formulate complete sentences or even phrases that make sense. being sleep-deprived is much worse than being drunk although they have almost the same effects on you. you musn't operate heavy machinery. your conversations start making no sense except to someone else who is as drunk as you. your eyes glaze over. you tend to use the same two or three words over and over.

hopefully this doesn't become a nightly habit. i really don't think i can get away with being unproductive at work.

'05 in random pictures

central park


nyc subway


graduation


mahjong!


redskins vs. eagles


philippine independence day celebration in dc


christmas