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9Dec/100

2010 Year-End Wish List

Since technically, I don't celebrate Christmas, I'd like to call it a year-end wish list rather than a christmas wish list. So, any gifts that I will receive this time of the year will be considered as offerings to the mighty Cleve celebrating the end of a productive year.

This is an official act of communication and plea for my friends and to other people I know to actually give me things as gifts things that I like. So, hey, pick one.

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1. Personalized Name Stamp

I would like to receive a name stamp, of course, with my name in it because I want to name all my readings and other priceless paper possessions. Look for it! Not pricey, I think. It should be small like this and I don't want the rubberized manual-type of name stamp. I already have a rubber stamp.

2. Sidewalk Surfers from Sanuk

I want to have one of these cool footwears. This is a bit pricey, I know. But this is my wish list. I know someone financially able can give me one of these Sanuk wonders! But hey, could be any other cool footwear.

3. Plain V-Neck Shirt/s

It should not be any other shirt. First, it should be a shirt. Second, a v-neck shirt. And lastly, a plain v-neck shirt. Any color would do. This is not expensive, guys! C'mon, I know you can buy a plain v-neck shirt for me! You just have to visit the nearest department store to you or any other clothes store and you can already find one. I actually like the plain V-neck shirts from Oxygen. But, I don't mind, any plain V-neck shirt would make me happy for a day ( or for weeks).

4. Slim Automatic Umbrella

I saw this at an SM department store. This is very practical and very helpful. If you know me, I always use my umbrella, mainit man o maulan. So, if you want to give me something that I will always use, this can be it. I like this particular umbrella in the picture. It's very thin or slim and it's automatic. Sleek! Any dark color! We can walk and use this umbrella. Just if you want.

5. Green Tumbler from Starbucks

This! I want to have a tumbler because I would like to drink more water for next year. Part of being healthy shizz. I want it to be green because it's an awesome color. And I like this green tumbler from starbucks. But I don't know if it's still available. I think it's pricey because of the fact na starbucks siya. So, any green tumbler! Plain, simple, sophispicated.

6. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

For the record, if no one is willing to give me this book as a gift, ako nalang ang bibili. Michael Crichton is my favorite author and this books is actually one of the remaining three works of him that I was not able to read yet. But if you love to read, you know how much this will mean to me as a gift. Buy me this book!

7. Leather Phone Case

Under the assumption that I will have a new mobile phone before the holiday season, I want to have a leather phone case similar to the one displayed in the picture. I'm not a good owner of anything especially cellphone. So I want to have this to protect my cellphone from myself. Are there other colors for this? But black is fine. This one is relatively cheap compared to my other wishes. But hey, quality control guys.

8. Dinner and Movie Date

I want an awesome, cool, amazing and epic end-of-the-year date with someone special to me. It can be a friend or someone more than that. But the only thing that would make the date awesome, cool, amazing and epic is the person that I want to date. I know, this might be too early. We need to step back, don't rush and all those shizz. But this is like the end of the year. Any chance you might want to spend a night with me? Can someone ask the person to actually spend the night with me? Seriously, I know a friend can do it for me.

9. Doodle Notebook ala Moleskine Ruled Notebook

I can use Moleskine first class imitations especially if it's green. But what I just want is a decent doodle notebook. If you could look for a PAGEONE notebook, that would be awesome. But I'm having a hard time looking for it. So, any cool but not that artistic notebook. It will work. I just need a notebook for my doodles.

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Because it's in this time of the year that our materialist tendencies are re-energized and that consumerism is at its peak! So, why not channel your materialist tendencies and feeling of consumerism into shopping gifts for me? Why not? But if you could re-channel those tendencies into a year full of support to the mass organizations and student council campaigns, I can and will forgive you.

Happy end of the year! May the capitalist earn double this time of the year!

Popularity: 5% [?]

Tagged as: 2010, arguelles, end, list, personal, wish, Year No Comments

23Jan/1025

Arroyo or Estrada?

President Gloria Arroyo

Former President Joseph Estrada

Hindi man katanggap-tanggap sa atin ang naging pahayag ng COMELEC na payagang tumakbo muli sa pagka-pangulo si Estrada kahit labag ito sa Saligang Batas ng ating bansa, mas kinikilala ko parin siya bilang isang Pangulo kaysa sa naka-upo ngayon. Mas tanggap ko na ang pagtakbo niya muli kaysa sa pagtakbo ng isa sa Kongreso. Kahit ano mang sabihin ng iba na intellectually superior si Arroyo kaysa kay Estrada, wala pa ring patunay ito. Hindi naman napaganda ng current administration ang ekonomiya kahit mas matalino ang pangulo. Mas mataas pa nga ang GDP growth noong panahon ni Estrada kaysa kay Arroyo. Yun lang, talo na siya. Hindi rin natin dapat kalimutan that Estrada willfully faced his accusers. Binitiwan niya ang pagka-pangulo. Hindi naglabas si Estrada ng CPR o Calibrated PreEmptive Response para lang kontrolin ang mga mamamayang nagagalit sa kanya. Wala ring Oplan Bantay Laya na haharang sa mga babatikos sa kanya. Hinarap niya ang mga accussations sa kanya. Hindi siya nag I’m sorry pero patuloy paring hinawakan ang pagka-pangulo. Walang nangyaring pag-sesensor sa mga nagsasalita laban sa kanya, radyo man o TV. Corruption at plunder ang pinakamalaking pagkakamali ni Estrada. Pero ang pangulo ngayon, siya na mismo ang pagkakamali. Si Estrada, ibinoto at inihalal ng mga tao, naluklok siyang alam nating naging tunay ang eleksyon hindi katulad ng pumalit sa kanya na walang mandate at nadaan lamang sa Hello Garci ang pagkahalal. If I were to choose between the two, Estrada is the man.

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I’ve just read a 150 peso autobiography of Senator Chiz Escudero. It’s entitled Say ni Chiz. It’s quite revealing and entertaining. The whole book is written in conversational Taglish. I tried to copy his style by doing a Taglish post here. Anyway, you’d really love how he told his life in the book. It is also accompanied by simple drawings known as comics. It also revealed the personal side of him. Give it a try!

Popularity: 7% [?]

Tagged as: Arroyo, bantay, book, chiz, CPR, ejercito, erap, escudero, Estrada, Gloria, joseph, Laya, Macapagal, ni, Oplan, or, PGMA, Philippines, president, say, Senator, versus 25 Comments

10Jan/1014

Magazines

Because my friends and other people I know cannot stand my haircut anymore, I decided to visit a salon near our place and have my new haircut. The place is fine. There's a home-y feeling, the people are friendly and its services are way way cheaper compared to mainstream salons.

Before

After

I used to patronize Bench's Fix Salon services but it turned out to be not good. It's just a hype! You don't get the service that you deserve even if it's costly than most other salons. I find it difficult to patronize a salon where people are just too tired to give you a good service or even a friendly smile. If not for the magazines, i'd rather have my hair be cut by my mom. Not serious.

This salon that I visited serves fast. As if it's a food. And you will not be bored because of the television set. But even if they're fast, I still have to wait for my mom because girls loves to overdo it. You know how girls manages to overdo everything (from cooking up to dressing up). I tried not to be bored. Magazines rescued me from the boring trip.

After reading two magazines, I realized that i'm not reading magazines recently. I used to read magazines. I used to buy magazines. I used to borrow magazines. I forgot why I chose not to read magazines anymore. Maybe it's because of the lack of time or it's costly.

Not interested in Wine and Martha though

So, this year, I think I should start reading magazines again. The articles are entertaining and sometimes, helpful too. You just have to pick the right magazine for you. Match it with your interests, hobbies or even with your frustrations. Find a magazine that you can relate to and can be helpful in the things that you do.

I've been reading Bluprint last year. It's an architecture and interior design resource by a Philippine media company. It's refreshing to see well-designed houses and sometimes inspiring too. But sometimes the thin line between inspiring and intimidating suddenly cease to exist. It's available for just one hundred and fifty bucks.

Bluprint Spread

Can you recommend a good magazine for me? I'll be checking the magazine stand and start reading again. Online magazines are welcome.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Tagged as: bad, Bench, bluprint, choose, Fix, haircut, magazines, manila, picking, reaction, review, right, Salon, tips 14 Comments

16Dec/0917

The List

I know Santa is not real, but I know my friends and relatives are altruistic enough at this time of the year to buy me a gift. Yes, this is the right day to post a Holiday (that includes Christmas and New Year/ My Awesome Birthday) Wishlist. Tomorrow will be my barkada's pseudo-party, or maybe it will happen today. Yes, we're all like that. And Christmas is so near, i think my aunts and uncles are reading my blog, hey guys! :D Friends and relatives, here are my wants.

Green Christmas!

Don't worry guys. These are just simple things. I know we're all in a tight budget this year because of the Global financial crisis done by the ever failing United States of America kaya the things here are all simple and, ahm, cheap.

BOOK/s. Something that is about politics, history, religion, or, ahm, well, something cheesy will also do. You guys know what I mean by religion. Please, don't give me a Meyer.

MEDIUM GREEN SHIRT/s. Green is my favorite color! I want a closet full of cool green shirts. Any brand will do! :D

PERFUME. Need I say more? I like Hugo Boss and BVLGARI but they're expensive. So, any perfume will do.

CD FOR A GLEEK. Yes, i'm a gleek. A CD. Not downloaded songs stocked in a flash drive or anything. A CD. All you need is effort.

PENSHOPPE's Stand UP For Rights Shirt. Because it looks like a UP shirt and it's speaking about standing up for our rights. But if you can find a SERVE the PEOPLE shirt that would also be fine.

LASALLE/UP Shirt. Yes, a fan of both universities. DILIMAN REPUBLIC is awesome.

CHRISTMAS CARD. Green Christmas card, FTW! :D

BLUPRINT MAGAZINE. You know it too guys. I'm an architect (?). Old issues will do. Will love them if it's new!

That's all for this year's holiday season. I hope my wants will all be given as gifts by my friends and relatives! But if you think that it's really the thought that counts, don't bother to give anything, just say, hi, you look awesome! That will be fine. At least you're not affected by the consumerism virus. :D

Enjoy the vacation! Happy Holidays!

Popularity: 100% [?]

Tagged as: bluprint, Books, christmas, gifts, Glee, green, holiday, magazine, new, shirt, wishlist, Year 17 Comments

13Dec/0910

Christmas Shopping

Girls need two lifetimes to shop. I know it's very given. But it's really amusing (and at the same time, irritating) to see and experience how this kind of thing really happens. They really make you wait.

Yesterday, my family had our annual Christmas shopping. We went to SM Makati, Landmark, Glorietta and Greenbelt. I was with my mom, sister, two brothers and a girl cousin. The girls did the digging first. It's really hard to wait especially when you don't have money and you don't have a cellphone. Eff. Anyway, they always make us wait whenever we shop together. Just, unfortunately, my father will not be here for Christmas, for the second time.

Greenbelt is still intimidating as always. Landmark is like an upgraded Divisoria. SM and Glorietta was made for the middle class. We found most of our buys in SM and Glorietta. It's kinda off to shop at this time of the year because people are in a hurry to buy stuff (take note, without an s) because it's Christmas and it's high-time for consumerism without guilt. We're on a tight budget this year because Dubai is in a crisis. We're seriously worried because only my Dad works. But we were able to buy all of our wants.

I was not able to find gifts for my two exchange gifts. It's hard to find a 200-peso unisex thing and 100 peso gift for a not-so-straight-friend. Well, do I have to give gifts to my friends? It's the thought that counts, right?

There were a lot of good jeans in Greenbelt and Glorietta. But most of them were very expensive. When will I be able to have my Viktor Jeans? When? I think this season's color is violet. Most of the collections in the shops were violet. It's very amusing for my little brother Arvin. No green loves this time. But, hey, i hate it when wait-this-is-what-i'm-really-looking-for-but-i-already-bought-something-that-i-don't-really-want-kaya-i-will-not-be-able-to-buy-the-thing-that-i-really-want happens. Depressing. This post is so gay 'no? Yes, because i'm gay like that. We are all gay when it's Christmas.

Anyway, the National Bookstore in Glorietta 5 is awesome. You get to read and check all your favorite books without the annoying dim light. The store is lighted perfectly. But Powerbooks will always be for the readers. NBS is for the buyers! We all know that books are cheap in NBS. And that Fullybooked is for the Rich Kids! Aside from the bookstores, i also visited some of the ID and furniture stores there. The stores were intimidating but most of the them offers modern collections. I just hate it when christmas trees that are supposed to be chrismtas trees don't look like one. I know designer things should be unique and cool but too much uniqueness is not good. Sometimes, eclecticism and modernism is not good. Anyway, anything that's too much is not good.

We now have a Christmas tree! :)

Popularity: 9% [?]

Tagged as: bookstore, christmas, Dubai crisis, eclectic, family, fullybooked, girls, glorietta, greenbelt, jeans, landmark, modern, National, powerbooks, shopping, SM Makati, tree, trees, viktor 10 Comments

5Oct/080

Congratulations! And Boo!

Congratulations!

There are few things that I need to commend.

Congrats Dad!

My dad will soon be promoted in his work. He's working in Dubai. We're/I'm proud of you! He is an architect/Auto Cad Operator in a government company in Dubai. Note: Almost 80% percent of companies in Dubai are government-owned/owned by the ruling/royal family. He works for Emirates Stone Co. Ltd. He handled projects like school housings, palm jumeira's landscaping (man-made island) and the likes.

Congrats Fix San Lazaro!

Since fourth year high school, I always have my haircut in Bench Fix in SM San Lazaro. Earlier today, I went there to have my haircut and I found out that there is something commendable. Usually, one stylist would attend to two customers at the same time. Nakakainis 'di ba? Pero ngayon, 'di na! From what I see, the number of stylist is tripled including the crews who shampoo's and blow dry your hair.

Congrats Nokia!

Nokia launched its new phone today. Nokia's long-awaited touchscreen phone is unlikely to give Apple CEO Steve Jobs any sleepless nights. Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic, also known as the Nokia Tube, comes with unlimited access to Nokia's music service. And yes, it bears a strong resemblance to the iPhone. But like T-Mobile's Android-based G1, the 5800 is just the first volley in a larger strategy. The touchscreen phone will be among the first devices from Nokia's stable to support Comes with Music, a Nokia service that offers one year of unlimited access to the company's music store catalog.

Boo!

There are also few things that are far from being commendable.

Boo Catholic Church!

I'm not an atheist. I'm a Catholic. I'm just very annoyed by the way they are announcing their stand (anti) regarding the Reproductive Health Bill. "The bill allows abortion to be legal." I don't think so. "It also legalizes the use of contraceptives which is very contrary to God's given life to us. "He used the Holy Spirit to give us life, only He through the Holy Spirit can take it away from us." Contraceptives are making us safe, I think. We are on the 21^st century na, c'mon! Can we move on? They are also persuading church goers to sign a petition against the Reproductive Health Bill. Is this what we call the Separation of State and Church? Or the intervention of the church in state matters? Or is this divine intervention? I beg to differ.

Boo SM San Lazaro!

Upon entering the mall I thought I've mistaken SM from Divisoria. I always hate sales. Lalo na yung mga 3 day sales dahil madami talaga ang tao. There are too much people inside that you will expect the mall to collapse on an instance. Few people are buying. Most of the people inside are just roaming around. Dapat may entrance fee eh! I just wish Bonifacio High Street, Powerplant and Galleria are not ocean's away from our home.

Popularity: 2% [?]