I've Moved!

New blogosphere home: aleafofgrass.wordpress.com

This is a sickness!

I'm in the processing of moving to a new blog site. I'm a very visually-oriented person and I've found much better looking templates in this other site. I don't know any programming language so I'm pretty much stuck with the default templates. I've also changed my nickname. No longer will I be 'macgirl'. Check out my new site when it's done to see who I am now. ;-) I've decided 'macgirl' doesn't really encompass everything about me. It was just the first thing I came up with when I started this blog.

I'm not sure about the psychological implications of all the changes I've done on my blog, but I think it's bordering on multiple personality, ADD, and whatever other disorders associated with not being able to stick to one thing. ;-)

I'll post a link to my new blog site here when it's done.

(edit): I just checked my blog and found that I've reverted to the classic template. I was fiddling with templates last night. Since I didn't save anything, I figured nothing would change. Well, something did – the entire template! It's really time to move.

I am Spiderman!

If I'm a superhero. I prefer my villain alter ego though – Dark Phoenix. Bwahahaha!

But according to the test, I am Spiderman because: You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.

Spider-Man		90%
Superman		85%
Wonder Woman		82%
Green Lantern		80%
Supergirl		77%
The Flash		70%
Robin		64%
Hulk		60%
Catwoman		50%
Iron Man		50%
Batman		45%

Take the superhero quiz.

I can write in verse!

Huh, never thought the day would come. I'm more of a prose gal. Yes, I do like reading poetry, I just can't write it. Or so I thought, until last night. I don't know what came over me. I was just eating dinner and suddenly I can't wait to write the words. So I did afterwards and finished in ten minutes. Earlier, in the afternoon, I was working on a writing project. I was tasked to make a jingle for a stomach disorder drug. I thought it was going to be a drag, but to my surprise, I found it so easy. The words just flowed naturally and I finished it in less than an hour.

My muse finally woke up and decided to give me a nudge too. I don't know if what I wrote was any good, but I don't care. At least I did it and it wasn't forced out of me. The only other time I clearly remember writing in verse was in a Creative Writing class back in high school. Our teacher propped up a framed picture of a rose in full bloom, moist with dew. We had to write a poem using that image as an inspiration. I can't remember what I wrote, but I'm certain that it's a very cheesy, corny poem, written just to fulfill a requirement. I'm glad it's no longer the case now. My muse has had a very, very long sleep so I hope she can now stay awake for a long time.

child of the moonlight

release your sigh
darkness is the light
in your mind's eye

the shadow is your shield
your spirit will never yield
yet out you burst
released from the worst

rest in the light now
rejoice in the morrow
when you climb to the crest
to lay in your heart's nest

Firefox it is!

I've completed a switch to Firefox from Safari. I'm a Macgirl through and through, but lately, I've been enjoying Firefox better than Apple's built-in web browser, Safari. Previously, I only used Firefox to blog because it has better compatibility with Blogger. However, I started experimenting along the way. I was eventually won over by the extensions and themes. That's a given considering the number of times I've changed this blog's template, hehe! I'm feeling childish today hence, the kiddie theme.

Firefox is slower at start-up, but I find it quicker than Safari in most things. Also, it somehow appears to be more stable. Safari sometimes quits when I try to do so many things at once. Never thought I'd say these things about an Apple product, but there it goes. I'm now officially an Apple + open source fan.

Making Me Mad Again

I don't believe it! I don't watch Wowowee (a noontime variety-cum-game-cum-whatever show that has great mass appeal), yet on the very rare times that I land on it when I channel surf, something on the show makes me mad. This time, they brought in a mass of Aetas (one of the earliest tribal inhabitants of the Philippines) to participate in the show. They are not in the audience, they are PART OF THE SHOW! The usually topless women were even given clothes – quite obvious that it was provided by the show since they were all dressed alike (plain tube dresses in assorted colors). Actually those looked more like skirts with garterized waists but worn around the chest instead.

Maybe I'm just over-sensitive, over-critical, over-whatever, and too biased against the show, but I really feel that this is a disrespect to the Aetas and to their culture. I also feel that this is also almost akin to tampering with a national treasure, tampering with a Filipino heritage. I am fine with the idea of entertaining them and helping them in the process, but the show should have been brought to the Aetas instead of the other way around. They have become the entertainment instead of being the ones entertained. I just feel like it's screaming EXPLOITATION, like we'll do a good thing for you, but do a good thing for us also. That's not entertaining, that's not helping. That's just plain business. Ratings. Income. Ugh!

In my book, indigenous societies and cultures are sacred things that should never be a victim of modernity and progress for progress' sake. It is true that they need to be educated and they need to have some awareness of the world outside their communities. A lot of these indigenous people who were fortunate to receive education have gone to build successful careers in cities, which enabled them to help their people in big ways. They are now reaping the benefits and are able to enjoy a lot of the things that we do. However, there are some things that should remain untouched. They should never be brought out of their communities just to be put on display to the public. Let them participate and enjoy but never turn them into a spectacle.

The bottom-line here is respect. And proper appreciation. Indigenous societies are great national treasures. It gives us a perspective of where we came from and how there were great civilizations way before the age of money, computers and the internet.

Up In Smoke

I'm sad. I just found out that one of my favorite haunts in Dumaguete was razed by a fire last week. It was the Body and Sole Spa. A client introduced me to that spa in its Cebu branch, then we also went to the one in Dumaguete. That was back in 2004. I loved it there because of the full body massage that costs only P250, around half of what it normally costs here in Metro Manila. When I went back to Dumaguete with my friends this summer, I was glad to see that the price of services remained unchanged for the past two years! It's cheap, but the quality of service is comparable to Manila's good spas. The staff is friendly and the place is so relaxing (of course, it's a spa, hehe!). One time, I had a good chat with a friendly local while I was waiting for my oficemate. He told me about living in Manila – and how he hated it! – during soccer training (he played for Negros Oriental). It easily became one of my must-go-to places in the city. Sometimes when I'm really longing for a full body massage yet my budget won't cover it at that moment, I tell my friends that I want to go to Dumaguete so I can have it for only P250. Of course I'll have to add around P3,000 for the airfare, haha!

I'm just sad that it won't be there anymore when I go back to Dumaguete (every year, if I can have my way). Maybe they'll rebuild it, but it won't be the same without the old structure. There was something charming about that one. Thank God Jo's Chicken Inato was spared. That's another favorite. Oh well, I hope no more of my favorite places would burn down. I love having that familiarity with a place other than my hometowns, Metro Manila and Capiz. As of now I can only claim that with downtown Dumaguete, Cebu City, Baguio, and some parts of Bacolod and Davao City.

Happy 23rd birthday, Mac!

Here's to 23 years – and lots more coming – of the Macintosh! The video is Apple's '1984' ad announcing the Mac. It was based on George Orwell's novel of the same title. Down with Big Brother!

What my heart is singing right now

I've been down this road walkin' the line
That's painted by pride
And I have made mistakes in my life
That I just can't hide

Oh I believe I am ready for what love has to bring
Got myself together, now I'm ready to sing

I've been searchin' my soul tonight
I know there's so much more to life
Now I know I can shine a light
To find my way back home

One by one, the chains around me unwind
Every day now I feel that I can leave those years behind

Oh I've been thinking of you for a long time
There's a side of my life where I've been blind and so...

I've been searchin' my soul tonight
I know there's so much more to life
Now I know I can shine a light
Everything's gonna be alright
I've been searchin' my soul tonight
Don't wanna be alone in life
Now I know I can shine a light
To find my way back home
Baby I've been holding back now my whole life
I've decided to move on now
Gonna leave all my worries behind

Oh I belive I am ready for what love has to give
Got myself together now I'm ready to live

I've been searchin' my soul tonight
I know there's so much more to life
Now I know I can shine a light
Everything's gonna be alright
I've been searchin' my soul tonight
Don't wanna be alone in my life
Now I know I can shine a light
To find my way back home

(sung by Vonda Shepard, from the Ally McBeal Soundtrack)
••••••••••••••

It's not about giving up. It's having a free, joyful, and hopeful heart.

So close...

I've always had a crush on former PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) player Hector Calma – one of the best and brainiest pointguards ever, in my opinion. I've always wanted to see him in person. I almost did, if only I wasn't too shy to stare longer at a table in Seattle's Best in Katipunan. I was there this morning to meet with an ex-officemate and a videographer for a project. While waiting for them, I glanced at the next table and saw Chot Reyes, Pido Jarencio, another guy with a familiar face (can't recall his name), and a bunch of other guys. They were all in similar sports outfits and they were deep in serious basketball talk. Coaching staff, I presumed. I told my dad about it when I got home and he said that was the San Miguel team coaching staff. Darn, Hector Calma is part of that! I should have looked at each one of them. Granted, some of them had their backs to me, but still...had I remembered right away what team Chot Reyes is currently coaching, I would have found a way to get a glimpse of Hector Calma. He was literally just two or three arms length away (I have long arms, haha!).

Only in The Philippines

There's a new 'No Loading or Unloading At Any Time' sign (yeah, complete with the ubiquitous pink post) on the main road behind our house. A traffic enforcer was standing right beside the sign. In front of him and the sign, three jeepneys are lined up, unloading passengers and waiting to load new ones. Said traffic enforcer was just staring along, a pleasant look on his face, not even just a little bit annoyed. Also, the sign is planted right smack in the middle of the sidewalk, which according to a city ordinance should be free of obstructions.

I made this to use as a header, but I still can't figure out how to make it stretch almost the entire width of the page. It keeps coming out centered, but too small. Any blog template experts out there to help?

This is final...more or less

Less than 6 months of blogging and I've changed my template almost as many times. However, this will be the last for quite some time...promise! I'll be tweaking it every now and then to make it more interesting and to finally achieve the look and feel that I want for my blog. This is what happens when I visit other bloggers' sites. I get 'blog envy' and this is the result. The thing is, I don't know html, css and whatever else one needs to fully customize a site. I'm just learning as I go along. Right now I'm still stuck with Blogger's options.

I am Dark Phoenix!

Took the villain test. Here's the result:

You are Dark Phoenix – A prime example of emotional extremes: Passion and fury incarnate.
Dark Phoenix 70%
The Joker 60%
Riddler 58%
Juggernaut 56%
Poison Ivy 54%
Apocalypse 52%
Venom 51%
Catwoman 50%
Lex Luthor 48%
Mystique 48%
Magneto 48%
Dr. Doom 45%
Two-Face 36%
Mr. Freeze 33%
Kingpin 32%
Green Goblin 20%