| Tuesday, March 30, 2004 |
| The Da Vinci Code |
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
This book has been on the bestseller list for so long, I cannot imagine life before wihtout it. Essentially, it is one of the most well-written books ever published. I found myself turning the page constantly, eager to find out what was going to happen next. I don't get to sleep at night very well because I was constantly thinking about the book.
Dan Brown manages to "implant" an interest for Leonardo Da Vinci in his readers. Personally, I have become curious about Da Vinci and have looked up the paintings Brown mentioned in the book.
However I was disturbed by its whole plot. I do not want to reveal the plot here since there may be people who have read it and want to read it. Needless to say, I had to stop in the middle of reading this because I eventually broke down and cried.
But I realized that this was, is, simply a work of fiction. And, in the end, all details the reader has read is up to him to analyze.
Would I recommend this book?
As a writer, yes. Dan Brown is a good writer. He is a page-turner.
As a Catholic Christian, I'd have to say, read it at your own risk. I seriously went through personal issues with this book. If you think you will be able to cope with that, then be my guest. |
posted by Jax @ 6:00:00 PM   |
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| Political Campaigns |
In around a month and a half, Filipinos will be voting for the people to lead the Philippines again. And right now, candidates are busy trying to "convince" the voters to vote for them, either with their words or their money.
I was watching a news program where they featured the political campaigns of the candidates. Most of the time, these candidates hire local talents to provide entertainment for the people. Some of these talents were interviewed and commented that they were glad to do it because it was easy money. One of them was even paid P100,000 (US$2,000) for one night's show! Not bad.
Well it got me thinking if these entertainers truly supported the candidates they performed for. Or is it all just for the money? |
| posted by Jax @ 3:55:00 AM |
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| Wednesday, March 24, 2004 |
| Star struck! |
It's official. That Rainier guy from Starstruck cannot act. So what is he doing acting on Philippine TV?
Your guess is as good as mine. |
| posted by Jax @ 1:44:00 AM |
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| Tuesday, March 23, 2004 |
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Jax Place will be turning one soon.
And in honor of this occasion, I have decided to change my lay-out once again. Do you like it? |
| posted by Jax @ 6:00:00 AM |
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| Thursday, March 18, 2004 |
| Layers |
I'd like to pull a Shrek and peel all my layers
LAYER ONE
- Name: Jac
- Birthdate: 11/05/80
- Birthplace: Davao City. Philippines
- Current Location: QC, Philippines
- Eye Color: dark brown
- Hair Color: black
- Righty or Lefty: leftie
- Sun Sign: Scorpio? Is that it?
LAYER TWO
- Your heritage: 100% Filipino
- The shoes you wore today: rubbershoes then Birks
- Your hair: really short hair
- Your eyes: are very unclear
- Your weakness: green mango and bagoong
- Your fears: snakes
- Your perfect pizza: cheese pizza with mushrooms
- One thing you'd like to achieve: to be able to share God with everyone
LAYER THREE
- Your most overused phrase on IM: haha
- Your first waking thoughts: is it morning already?
- The first feature you notice in the opposite sex: smile
- Your best physical feature: my black hair
- Your bedtime: anytime between 11pm and 4am
- Your greatest fear: my loved ones dying because of me
- Your greatest accomplishment: rediscovering God
- Your most missed memory: high school
LAYER FOUR
- Pepsi or Coke: i don't drink soda
- McDonald's or Burger King: BK (Mushroom Swiss!)
- Single or group dates: group
- Adidas or Nike: Nike
- Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Nestea
- Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate
- Cappuccino or coffee: coffee
LAYER FIVE
- Smoke: no
- Cuss: no
- Sing: every moment of the day
- Take a shower everyday: yes
- Have a crush(es): right now? yeah!
- Who are they: Jude Law and Billy Boyd!
- Do you think you've been in love: no
- Want to go to college: graduated from college almost 2 years ago. i want to go to grad school though
- Like high school: i loved it, especially my last two years in HS.
- Want to get married: yup. i want my own family, the bigger, the better!
- Believe in yourself: yes, i do.
- Type with your fingers on the right keys: no.
- Think you're attractive: no, not really. but i don't let that get me down.
- Think you're a health freak: no!
- Get along with your parents: yes
- Play an instrument: no
LAYER SIX: In the past month, did you...
- Drink alcohol: yes
- Smoke: no
- Do a drug: no
- Make Out: no
- Go on a date: no
- Eat an entire box of Oreos: no
- Eat sushi: yup!
- Been on stage: no
- Been dumped: no
- Gone skating: no
- Made homemade cookies: no
- Been in love: no
- Gone skinny dipping: no
- Dyed your hair: no
- Stolen anything: no
LAYER SEVEN: Have you ever...
- Played a game that required removal of clothing: no
- Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: yes
- Been caught "doing something": no
- Been called a tease: no
- Gotten beaten up: no
- Shoplifted: no
- If so, did you get caught: no
- Changed who you were to fit in: yeah, back in my first years of HS i think
LAYER EIGHT
- Age you hope to be married: 28?
- Numbers and Names of Children: i want to have 12 children! (hehe. i just saw cheaper by the dozen) but seriously i want to have lots of kids. i don't have names yet. but on the top of my head, i want to name some of them george, cassandra, bituin, lualhati, william, bughaw
- Describe your Dream Wedding: i want it either at Caleruega in Batangas or the Shrine of Jesus in Manila with a Filipiniana-themed wedding.
- How do you want to die: with the people i love around me
- Where you want to go to college: went na. but i want to go to Europe for grad school
- What do you want to be when you grow up: a filmmaker, bookshop proprietor
- What country would you most like to visit: Spain, Vancouver, Sweden, Prague
LAYER NINE
- Number of boys I have kissed: 0
- Number of boyfriends you've had: 0
- Number of drugs taken illegally: 0
- Number of people I could trust with my life: a lot
- Number of CDs that I own: a 100 or so
- Number of piercings: 2, 1 on each ear
- Number of tattoos: 0
- Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper: i don't think it has
- Number of scars on my body: 1 or 2
- Number of things in my past that I regret: 1
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| posted by Jax @ 6:53:00 AM |
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| Letter to a Celebrity |
To Mr. Richard Linklater
You are underrated but nonetheless one of the better filmmakers out there. Your films may seem stupid at first but in the end, they are some of the most introspective movies out there.
This is not just a letter from a fan to a celebrity. I write not because I want to gush or to idolize. Rather I want to invite you to a discussion. About Waking Life. Disturbing yet interesting. It has amazed me yet has left me asking more questions than Wiley Wiggins did in this movie.
How about a small talk about it? And no funny stuff.
From,
hazpafis
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| posted by Jax @ 1:38:00 AM |
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| Sunday, March 14, 2004 |
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| I was bloghopping when I read this. A very nice insight on how life should be lived. |
| posted by Jax @ 8:45:00 PM |
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| Saturday, March 13, 2004 |
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To all the Filipinos out there, read this (March 12, 2004 entry). You won't regret it.
In other news, Passion of the Christ opens March 31, 2004 in Metro Manila cinemas!Labels: movies |
| posted by Jax @ 6:52:00 PM |
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| I Confess |
I Confess
Instructions:
A. Copy this whole list.
B. Highlight the things that are true about you.
C. Whatever you don't touch is false.
01. When I was younger I made some bad decisions.
02. I don't watch much TV these days
03. I love psychodelic mushrooms
04. I love sleeping
05. I have loads of books
06. I once slept in a bathroom
07. I love playing video games
08. I adore marijuana
09. I watch porn movies
10. I watch them with my father
11. I like sharks
12. I love spiders
13. I was born without hair and I still have no hair.
14. I like George Bush
15. I am cool -- hehe.
16. I have changed a lot mentally over the last year
17. I have a jacuzzi and a Porsche
18. I have a lot to learn
19. I carry my knife everywhere
20. I can be really really smart
21. I've never broken someone's bones -- just mine. hehe.
22. I have a secret
23. I hate snow
25. Punk rock rules
26. I hate Bill Gates!
27. I love Chinese food
28. I would hate to be famous
29. I am so not a morning person.
30. I wear glasses
31. I don't need glasses, except sunglasses
32. I have potential
33. I'm pure Japanese
34. My legs are two different sizes
35. I have a twin
36. I wear a padded bra sometimes
37. I can ramble on about absolutely nothing
38. I'm left-handed
39. I hate llamas, but I'm one of them
40. I don't like horror movies
41. I suck at climbing, but I love it anyway
42. People hate me usually
43. I love pop music
44. I hardly ever go to bed before midnight
45. I hate parking fines
46. I know the national anthem of my country by heart
47. I know more than two languages -- well, sort of.
48. I can spend too much time on the computer
49. I often want to throw out the computer in a window
50. I live on a ground floor
51. I don't like chocolate
52. I'd like to be more original
53. I've lied
54. Cocks are my favorite birds
55. I want to conquer the world
56. I wonder what happens when I die
57. I've read all books about Harry Potter
58. I love my dog!
59. I love to exercise
60. I hate chemistry with a passion and math, too!
61. I love to write but I wish I could be as interesting as some people
62. I like changes
63. I hate going to class
64. I am afraid to die
65. I hate dish washing with a passion!
66. My hair is long, brown, and incredibly curly
67. My nails are nine inch long
68. My favorite color is black
69. I like to sleep on the floor
70. I am hopeless at cooking
71. I sucked my thumb when I was little
72. I should be doing something else rather than doing this
73. I am online a lot
74. I hate government
75. I don't have a girlfriend/boyfriend
76. I'm too nice for my own good
77. I love to read, I read as much as I can
78. I don't trust newspapers
79. I like debating
80. I live in a wagon
81. I clean my room once a month
82. I'm scared of american fast food.
83. I have a third eye -- all of us do
84. I love Mozambique
85. I don't trust any religion
86. I used to play with barbies only because all the other girls were doing it
87. I wanted to be a super hero when I was little
88. I like listening to wind chimes
89. I'm very disorganized
90. My hair is long and straight
91. I earn a lot.
92. I don't like spicy food.
93. I keep a diary
94. I can't do cartwheels
95. I can be very lazy
96. I'm sarcastic more often than not
97. I think my hair can be annoying
98. I could be sensitive
99. I love being "ab-normal"
Labels: surveys |
| posted by Jax @ 7:27:00 AM |
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| Saturday, March 06, 2004 |
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I'm leaving for Cebu tomorrow. Hopefully, by the time I get back, I'll be thinking clearly. I'll be better than now.
I'm just so out of it. |
| posted by Jax @ 7:23:00 AM |
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| Friday, March 05, 2004 |
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Got this from Vikkicar
So, say you were meeting a new person --- blind date, new friend, who knows. And you wanted them to have some idea of what kind of person you are, and who you are. But you can't actually tell them in so many words. Instead, you have to give them a box, with a dozen things in it for them to look at/read/listen to/taste/whatever. What would you put in the box? And a copy of your journal or a link to your journal would be the same thing as just telling them directly, yourself, so that's not allowed.
1. My bookcase
2. My Bible
3. My closet
4. My wallet
5. My bag
6. My mobile phone
7. Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
8. My digicam
9. Jude Law, my PC
10. My bed
11. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
12. Annie Lennox, Bare
Labels: surveys |
| posted by Jax @ 2:22:00 AM |
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| Thursday, March 04, 2004 |
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I was eating lunch today and was suprised to find myself sniffling. I struggled to find out why.
Was it because I missed my friends?
Or because I haven't realized my dreams yet?
Or was it because I just came from watching a movie that forced me to think about my life?
And then I knew.
It wasn't because of these things. The reason for my runny nose was, none other than, the spicy chicken I was eating during lunch.
Hehe. |
| posted by Jax @ 5:22:00 AM |
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| Wednesday, March 03, 2004 |
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Monk
A note to RPN 9
MONK IS NOT STUPID! STOP SAYING HE'S STUPID! HE'S NOT STUPID!
Okay. Now that I have that out of my system.
I ran into an old college friend of mine this afternoon. She's back from studying in Indonesia and, if she didn't call out my name, I wouldn't have recognized her.
She looked so different! And married. She told me she also had a feeling she was pregnant. Wow. Good for her!
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| posted by Jax @ 2:42:00 AM |
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| Monday, March 01, 2004 |
| Singapore |
The last time I went out of the country was in 2002, when I went to Europe. I had the most amazing time there and couldn't wait to go back. Almost 2 years later, I still haven't gone back there and, instead, settled to go to Singapore, 3 hours and 25 minutes away from Manila.
Singapore, Day 1
Since our flight was at 8:15am, we had to leave the house at 4am to go to the airport, which was an hour away. So naturally, our day started at 3am. We got to the airport at 5am, 30 minutes before the check-in counter opens, only to find out that our flight was going to be delayed for 1 hour and 20 minutes because of the Asian Aerospace show in Singapore. Great. Stuck inside the airport for four hours with nothing to do. Nothing to do but sleep, I guess, which I tried to do.
Finally, 10 hours after, at around 1p, we arrived in Singapore, we arrived in the Singapore Changi Airport. Around an hour and a half later, we were scouring the streets of Singapore to have money changed and for some lunch. An hour later, we still haven't had our money changed, therefore, we haven't had any lunch yet. Then I remembered, I had some Singaporean dollars that the tour booking guy gave me as change. We had our very first meal in Singapore of Nasi Goreng and Chicken Briyani for only S$14! That was our first and cheapest meal.
That night, we went to the Night Safari where nocturnal animals were put on display. A forty-minute tram ride took us around the "establishment" and take a look at all these creatures of the night. I did not take pictures for fear of any attack.
Singapore, Day 2
The Singapore Art Museum was the first agenda of the day. There was one show called 4Stories that blew me away. It featured the four seasons of Sweden and was just amazing.
That afternoon, we went to Sentosa Island where the only highlight of the excursion was the Underwater World which we only got to enjoy for 40 minutes. Damn.
Singapore, Day 3 & 4
Day 3 had no more tours for us but a tour of Orchard Road and some shopping. Similar to Oxford Street in London, it is absolute heaven for a shopping enthusiast, like me. Wow. I must have spent around US$300 (S$504) that place alone! Books, clothes, shoes, DVDs...name it, I've bought it!
Day 4 is the day we had to leave for Manila but since we were set to leave at 4:55pm and the shuttle was picking us up at 1:50pm, guess what we did? That's right! Shopping! This time at Raffles City, 2 blocks from our hotel.
And because we were short of time, I didn't get to meet up with my friend, Eileen, who migrated to Singapore early this year. Oh well.
Right now, I'm seriously considering going to Singapore to take my Masters because I truly fell in love with it. The last time I went to Singapore, which was almost 9 years ago, was so different from the present Singapore. Architecture's evolved, lifestyle's changed, everything's different.
I'm raring to go back to Singapore!
*By the way, if you click the headings, you'll get to see the pictures I took of the trip. |
| posted by Jax @ 9:57:00 PM |
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