Diet on Summer?

That seems impossible. Summer and Christmas months are my favorite months of the year. But these months are also the months when there are plenty of food in the table so gaining weight is inevitable. My dad comes home during summer so all our postponed birthday and other family celebrations, we spend it all on summer when he's home. It's the only time of the year when we can ask him to buy any food we want to eat so I don't really care about getting fat. Yes, I'm not one of those who go on a diet the whole year just to get a nice bod for their bikinis. It's the only time I can eat as much ice cream and chocolate as I want to for free so might as well take advantage. But now that summer is almost over, I'm starting to worry about my weight again. Maybe my friend's worries about how to lose weight is contagious, or maybe the mirror is really telling the truth that I'm getting fat again.
After last year's Christmas vacation, I managed to get my shape again after one month of diet and exercise. By diet, I don't exactly mean a strict one because I have stomach ulcers so I can't really skip meals or eat lesser than I should. What I do is just skip snacks, have healthy and hearty meals, and the secret - drink green tea and lots of water. I actually like tea and water so much. I think I'm already addicted to tea. I like trying out any tea I see in the grocery. Green tea, they say, can help your body burn calories faster, thus aiding to weight loss when complemented with exercise, so I guess it really worked since people around me said I lost weight after a month. But I stopped my routines because on March we had so many project deadlines to chase and I wasn't getting enough sleep anymore so I also stopped exercising. Then my father came home so my stomach flabs are here again.

Gotta go back to exercising and diet. Maybe I should try new whey too.  My happy days are over and it's time to get fit not only to lose the chubby image but also to have a healthier body. But how thin is healthy? How about Megan Fox as an example? ㅋㅋㅋ

I Miss DBSK/TVXQ!

I suddenly miss Yunho, Xiah, Hero, Micky, and Max. I was about to turn off the computer when I saw one of their old videos. Seeing them with those ridiculous hairstyles and baggy outfits, make me remeber how cute and innocent they were back then. I'm not a true blue Cassioppeia but I love DongBangShinKi. They are really talented. My favorite is Xiah Junsu, the cute Junsu. I love his voice. Plus I love the fact that he likes or sometimes called 'dolphin.' I don't really know the story behind this though. 

They became controversial last year because of their lawsuit against SM Entertainment. Micky Yoochun, Hero Jaejoong, and Xiah Junsu, specifically had some issues about their contract with SME. Theirs was dubbed as slave contracts. I can't really remember the details, I don't want to read more about too because I know I'll just be sad. I like them. DBSK, like Super Junior, are also brothers to each other, like family. But it's been a while since they performed as 5 in Korea, it's been awhile since they released and album in Korea or even attend a variety show. I just miss the dorky, cute, and funny DBSK and amidst all the controversies, I hope they will come back someday. I want to see them in variety shows, music shows, and concerts again.

Here's one of their oldest songs, Hug. I love this song. I miss DBSK. >_<

P.S. Did you know that DBSK has the largest fan base in the world? That's how lucky they are. So many Cassiopeias love them. :]

I Have Found My Happy Place

in the IT field that is.

I can't believe one year have already passed since my on-the-job training. It was hard to adjust at first. Leia and I had a rough start. The only thing that kept us going was knowing that we were living in a very beautiful subdivision for free, we get to eat in almost all restaurants/food chain in the nearby SM every weekend, and I get to wear (and buy new clothes for) corporate attire (which honestly, really makes me feel happy. :).Despite all the stresses, the endless photocopy jobs, and the little trouble we went through during that 250-hour OJT, I am so thankful because I learned a lot (both IT-related and not). Since the call center I had my internship on was catering technical support for Linksys devices, and we were assigned in the Training department, we get to listen to the lectures and before our intrernship ended, we had a special mini-lecture series from the trainers there. We also get to harness our computer troubleshooting and reformatting skills, plus a lot of tips and tricks in computer security from our boss, the lab administrator of the training lab. So yeah, that was my first time to be exposed to networking devices, and learn how to configure routers and all. We also did an inventory of all the networking devices there so up until now, I am still a bit familiar with the model numbers of some of the devices. Haha! I actually enjoyed the training and I'm happy that I learned a lot during our OJT.

Then I took up Network Administration as an elective. And the rest is history. Haha! I fell inlove with the subject. Our teacher also inspires me and my classmates a lot. His encouraging stories give me hope and patience to endure BSIT, a course I never liked ever since I realized it was not as easy as I thought and flunked my first major subject. Yesterday, we had a meeting. Our teacher wanted to confirm who are the ones who are really committed to join the review and take the exam. I never thought it would be an inspirational talk kind of meeting. Haha! His stories about people he trained who are now at the peak of their careers now and of course stories of his own life of course. Imagine, there are only more or less 30,000 people in the world who passed the CCIE exam of Cisco. Wouldn't it be nice to be known as one of the 30,000 elite and unique people on earth? We are only gearing up for the CCNA. I'm not aiming for the CCIE yet. But this is already a big accomplishment and a big stepping stone for me and my classmates. For me, I'm just loving networks more and more now. Partly because of the demand of network engineers abroad, and partly because all this time I thought I can never love IT and now, here comes a field I know I enjoy studying and will still enjoy studying in the future. No matter what happens, if I go that far or not, this step is a very crucial part of my studies so I really need to do good. I want my dad to be proud of me. Review classes will start soon and I'm excited and nervous at the same time. So wish me luck in this endeavor.

Celebrations and Summer

Last week I went out-of-town with my college classmates to celebrate our classmate's graduation. We went to a beach resort in Talisayan, Misamis Oriental and stayed there for 2 days. I definitely had a blast during the whole time we were there. The sun was lovely, the beach looks so good, we had unlimited swimming pool and billiard hall use privilege, not to mention it was an all-expense paid trip. The best things in life are free. What's more fun than being in the beach, and playing under the summer sun with the best and most fun-to-be-with people in the world? I'm a very beach person. I just love the feel of my feet walking in the sand. Until now, I still get a wonderful feeling whenever I remember that weekend.

Just 2 days after, my stepmom's daughter came to visit Iligan City so we took her to the famous Timoga Spring Pools. It was actually an impulse decision for me again to join them since my best friend and I was supposed to hang out here in our house that day, I didn't know my step sister is coming and all. So yeah, since my sisters didn't want to swim anyway, my best friends tagged along and joined our "family day." I had a great time catching up with them and at the same time hanging out with my family.

So this summer has been soooo fun so far. It's just so good to bond with great people, eat good food, and just have fun under the summer heat. This summer is definitely another unforgettable summer. I can't wait to have more beach fun in the next weeks. But even though I'm not a sporty person, trying into sports activities for the rest of my summer would be a good idea too. I wonder how my other close friends are spending their summer. I guess most of them are into basketball betting now since the NBA Playoffs are already underway. My sister has been playing frisbee and I've been really meaning to join her but I can't wake up early in the morning. Haha! I want to learn how to swim too. Yeah, I love the beach but I can't swim. Such a pity, but I'll learn how to swim soon. My reviews for the certification exam I'm going to take will start next week. I hope I can still squeeze in some out-of-towns or beach outings with friends before that. It's just April and I'm very excited for the remaining one month of the summer.

Is Hankyung Really Leaving Super Junior? Part 2-Interview

I think this is not the same interview for the interview teaser that first came out but apparently this is about Hankyung speaking up about his current condition, what he went through before, and about SM Entertainment.

I'm happy that he's doing great these days. I'm also glad that he's spending more time with his family especially his mom. Honestly, even though I'm such a big fan of Super Junior, I didn't know about the mask incident(s). I'm a Ryeowook die-hard so please understand ㅋㅋ. But, of the 13 of them Hankyung is the one I admire the most because of everything he went through. I know about his visa problems, how hard it was for him to train in Korea away from his family and away from the way of life he was used to, but nobody truly knows how much the boys (all 13 of them) have suffered but themselves and their families. All of Hankyung's sacrifices to make his dreams come true in Korea and China, I'm just amazed how he endured it all. He even had gastritis. I know how painful it is to have gastritis. T_T

The part where he talked about the unfair treatment/contract he had with SME really touched me. He said that he can't really say it's unfair because if it really what you want to do, not everything is going to be fair. It was clear to him that the number of sacrifices he had to make was normal in that line of business. He even said that if not for all those hardships, like wearing a mask while performing just for Super Junior to have a complete appearance on TV, he wouldn't be who he is now. I admire him more because of that statement. Maybe it just finally came to a point that to Hankyung it's enough, the company has crossed the line. Hence, the lawsuit. I'm glad that to his statement I can still sense a feeling of gratitude he has for SME, despite everything. I'm pretty sure it wasn't all nightmares for him when he was in SME.

Everyone is still waiting for the result of the lawsuit. It's sad if Hankyung will really leave. I want Super Junior to be 13 again. But if Hankyung will be happier if he's out of SME, then I think I'll have to accept that. I don't know how I'm gonna do that, it's hard, but if it's going to happen, I can't change the decision of the court. haha! So I think I can eventually accept it. It's hard to see Super Junior lacking one member. I hate seeing them incomplete. Even when it was Kibum, Heechul, or Kangin's case, when they were frequently absent in Super Junior's appearances, it feels like the stage is really incomplete. The carnival is incomplete. But as one said, Super Junior can't stay together forever. One day, they will eventually disband. I'm still living for beacon of hope that Super Junior is going to be 13 forever though. No one can replace any member. As what Donghae recently tweeted, Super Junior + ELF = One 1. ELF, I know, will always support them whatever happens. I just hope the result of the case will be for the good of Hankyung, the remaining Super Junior members, and the fans.

Super Junior is in the Philippines! Part 1

 (how it feels)

Super Junior is in the Philippines..
and here I am, feeling like the whole world is on my shoulders, problematic because I can't go to their concert tonight. Super Junior arrived yesterday, April 9, 2010, in NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) in Manila.

As I'm writing this (it's currently 5:02 pm, Philippine time), the concert gates are already open for thousands of Filipino ELFs who are attending the last part of Super Show 2. I can't believe I'm sitting here, mourning, trying to find things to make me busy so I can forget about SS2. This is Super Junior's first time to be here in my country and I won't be able to see them. I'm a very big fan. I love them to bits. I can't believe I won't be able to sing Marry U and Shining Star to the boys I really adore. It's one of my dreams to be in one of their concerts and do the famous Marry U chants with my co-ELFS and watch them perform at their best and sing in front of me. I want to see them bow at the end of the concert, LIVE! I want to see them live! But for now, for this Super Show, I just can't..

I found out about the concert last January. Being miles and miles away from Manila, I know, with my meager allowance, I can't save enough money to go to their upcoming concert. But I tried. I knew there's a way if there's a will. But since I'm a very impulse driven person, plus all the expenses I had to give for school stuff, my personal savings went bankrupt. Someone offered me a plane ticket (round-trip) to Manila but it's just impossible that I can accept it without hurting my family. (damn, if only i can be insensitive and ungrateful for one day. but i can't. I can't take putting the ones I love to that much trouble.) With my blogging I earned enough to buy a ticket for the concert but not sufficient for my ticket to Manila and back. My only way to get to the concert was that if I graduated last April 7-8 since I (think) can ask for the plane tickets as a graduation gift. But yeah, I didn't. I didn't finish my thesis and I wasn't able to attend this year's graduation ceremony. So yeah.. It's so sad. So sad.

But last week I had a very wonderful time with my family. My dad only comes home once a year and summer is just the happiest, happiest days of our year. No one can buy that. No concert can top that. Another good news also is that my blog, this blog, reached PR3 yesterday(or 2 days ago I think). Yep. I'm happy. I feel so thankful because of these blessings. But *cries on the floor like a baby* Super Junior.... Ryeowook.. T__T

I don't know when they will come back to the Philippines. I don't even know when they will be together as 13 again. This is a chance of a lifetime and I'm letting it pass. But I still believe that someday, I'm gonna be in their concert again. Maybe in the Philippines or not, but I'm definitely going to a Super Junior concert before I die.

To all ELFs who are in Araneta Coliseum right now, I hope you enjoy the concert.

To Super Junior, THANK YOU for coming to the Philippines. THANK YOU for working so hard for your fans and your families. THANK YOU for being Super Junior.


PS. Ryeowook.. T__T I'll see you someday oppa. Someday..

P.P.S. There will be part 2 of this. I'll post Super Junior's pictures and videos in the Philippines including some pics in the SS2 tonight. If I can get fan accounts from my friends I'll also try to post them here. 

*SIGH*

[Life Update] It's Been A While

So many things happened the past month - my dad arrived, bad news about me not graduating, I attended a Summer Retreat, we went to my dad's province for the Holy Week, our yaya left (or should I say was fired. tsk. that means all the housechores will be done by me and my sisters. sigh.).


Since I came back from vacation, I haven't accomplished anything except reformat my laptop and successfully run Windows 7. Finally, I'm using Windows 7 now. Goodbye stupid Vista! Haha! Why did it take a long time for me to switch? It's a long story. My dad loves Vista's environment too much plus he doesn't want to deal with the driver compatibility issues (my laptop's built-in OS when it was bought was Vista, so yeah..)- that's the bottomline.

I'm actually looking at some graduation albums in Facebook right now. Even though I have already accepted the fact that I can't graduate this year, I still can't help but feel sad and jealous of my highschool batchmates who accepted their diplomas today.

I know my time will come but.. Hmm.. It's just hard to explain.

I think I'll just sleep all these worries away for now. I just posted this update to let you know I'm still alive and that I'm back in the blogosphere.. :]