Merry Christmas

Hoping this presentation would make you feel what Christmas is all about...

hay... kay hirap kumita ng pera.

Summoned by customs

Last Friday I was summoned by customs. This was due to the most recent purchase I made online, which was Granrodeo's G9 DVD. I hoped, like all the previous purchases, that it would arrive at the office. Unfortunately, customs found the item taxable and instead of the box with the DVD, this notice was sent to me last Friday. ヽ(´□｀。)ﾉ

So I googled and google map'd the way there and this site proved to be most useful. Since it was Friday when they gave the notice I decided to go there by Monday.

I had 2 more days to wonder about what was happening to my package and how much I needed to pay. The customs' site did have an online  calculator but who knew... it was widely known that customs was one of the most corrupt department in the Philippine government.

Speaking of corruption, there were a lot of  "horror stories" I found on the internet regarding this: 200% tax, bargaining to lessen the taxed amount, long lines, inefficient service etc.

I found myself getting terrified as each day passed by.

Monday came, woke up really early... I mean... earlier than the usual (*´∀`*) eh-hehe. So I went there by bus and I arrived around 10:30-ish.

I gave the notice card and used my passport as my ID. Waited and waited some more to have either my name or my number called.  They opened the package in front of me to confirm if that was my package... just to see Kiiyan peeking from the guy's hand made me really glad. They put the DVD back in the box and violently taped it. They separated us yet again and made me wait some more.

But that was the only beginning... the computation now began.

Luckily, I did not become a victim of corrupt officials who would charge even more than the item's price. However, the tax is still too big... why do they have to be that much?

Anyway, so I paid the charges and got my package. I did become one of those people who went out happily with their package in hand. ヽ(；▽；)ノmi bebe was finally in my arms.

Resibo with computations

Post office fee

FINALLY MY BABY IS HOME

Cosmania 2014

I went as Kirishima, complete with the cannons, and James went as Jesus. He had to do a simple cosplay because his actual task is to support me with the cannons he made. We were 'almost' prepared for anything. We had been planning for this. Our time has come. 

Seriousness aside, it was really fun. What made it fun was the Kancolle cosplay group we just happened to had met on that day. They were such a nice and fun bunch and I enjoyed how they love Kancolle.

The night/day before

We were cramming. We were cramming like there is no tomorrow... rather... we were cramming like tomorrow is just around the corner. 

But in the end, we didn't make it. for Saturday. To make it worse, it even rained. Props with water-based paint really isn't good to carry around in the rain. 

A decision needed to be made: I had to drop out of Potted Potter. 

Potted Potter was my Sunday thing. The plan was I'll go to Cosmania Saturday and Potted Potter on Sunday. I really wanted to see Potted Potter that's why I was determined to finish all my stuff before Friday. But not everything was just "my stuff" I somehow forgot a single important factor -James' stuff.

And we had to cram that all the way to Sunday. 

Come Sunday, we had another problem: the cannons were too bulky for public transportation! Only during these times do I wish I have a car. Good thing we found and rented a van.

In the end we made it safely to the venue and had fun. 

I have a thing for boxes

I really enjoy buying boxes or any kind of container for my things. I enjoy the feeling of putting my stuff in an organized manner inside the fresh store-bought container. The idea of keeping something and helping my future self to have an easier time to look for things… since the thing is already stored neatly… gives off a calming effect on me.

As I put my socks and towels inside a box I imagine putting also my negative emotions with it. The frustrations, stress, and annoyances will also go inside that box to be stored and to be looked into some other time. The moment I shut the lid I have this feeling of finality when I entrust my stuff to a future version of myself whom I don’t know yet. Whoever this future me is, I am sure she will look into the box and its contents as well. Who knows? The future me might thank me for this. Like a time capsule of emotions, where an older future me will look into it and learn something from the feelings of the past. I think this is what I enjoy thinking about the most.

Boxes are really nice.

I just hope that there won’t come a time when I have to put your body inside a small box too. :3

Rainy day thoughts: 7152014

I am in the middle of browsing stuff on the internet. A storm is passing by. I can hear the winds picking up and the rain falling outside. Here is me, hoping that the storm will pass by without actually causing harm to anyone. 

And out of nowhere I remember this one rainy night. It was a school night but I have forgotten what day it was, I remember that I was going home late from school. I was so afraid that time. I was scared that my mother would scold me because I went home late. It wasn't really late but it was already dark by then... so technically it is later than the usual time that I get home. I can't really remember the details anymore of why I was late... I think it was a legit school thing... but what is that school thing?

Nope. I can't remember. 

However, more than the specific details all I can remember is this fear of going home late. It was more than hearing from my mother when I get home. I don't really like the idea of going home when it's already dark out. No specific reason for it, I just don't like it. And it was not the kind of feeling where I want to rush home because I'm scared. The later it was, the more I don't want to go home. 

It's funny now that I think back. I was an amusing little girl. 

What amuses me more was that I even thought of stopping the tricycle into one parlor/beauty salon and asking the people there if they could take me in because I don't want to go home. I was seriously convinced that the people working there actually lived in their shops with their small beds and personal quarters inside that door that lead to god-knows-where. 

I was not just thinking about it. I was serious. I was already imagining what my life would be in the parlor.

But of course, that was all in my head. I didn't ask the driver to stop and I went home. My mother scolded me but it was ok. I went to bed and the day went on...

Someday, I would like to look back on all my anxieties now and laugh at them too. 

PS: I have no idea how they do shit in a parlor. I have 0 skills in making anyone pretty.

Since we're accomplishing stuff...

Been a while since I last blogged something but I am feeling productive today so let's write. Actually... I was productive this whole weekend.

I got a new phone. A red, flip phone too! I just can't resist the call of a shiny red flip phone. Nice timing too since my phone's keypad died and I needed to text people!

I got to visit the ophthalmologist. New glasses are coming soon. :)

I also managed to sew most of the stuff I needed to sew. Hades' hand stuff, cape and the main toga. I also got my costume and finished the tassel.



I also watched Uta Pri maji love live 3rd stage today as well. I cried at Kiiyan's solo song.. but what's new? XD


Also, something annoyingly funny happened to me. I lost 50 pesos because someone somewhere gave me fake money. I don't know where because I went to the mall to buy stuff so I didn't really trace my money. It's funny because I was duped by something so stupid.



JUST LOOK AT IT! WTF.

Anyway so there.. 2 more weeks before the con and I think I can pull it off.

For the first time in forever I finally uploaded a cover

It's already 2014 and I don't have a cover yet... I cancelled my Christmas and New Year's covers since I wasn't feeling well during the holidays. I know I have been lazy in recording and uploading stuff in youtube... heck! I've also been lazy in updating my blog... I did become lazy last year... 

But I said to myself: My goal this year is to make a cover a month!

This time it includes duets and chorus as well since it really eats a lot of my time.

So now here is my January cover. It's a duet with Chinx, who did an amazing job as Elsa. *u* Even if I didn't want to jump into the Frozen bandwagon I really felt a need to record/cover at least one of the movie's songs. I liked the songs and the constant LSS attacks were not helping. So as soon as I heard Chinx was going to do Elsa I thought that "hmm... maybe this is my chance to sing this song, why not?" 

I was supposed to do Scarlet Bomb from Needless for January but that song was not cooperating with me at all. So I had to find another one... yay for Chinx saving me from my trivial worries /o/

Behind the scenes

During recording I felt that Anna was annoying... or rather... my Anna was annoying. Especially the lines "It's ok you can just unfreeze it." after I hear that line I always have the urge to slap Anna or shoot myself. But then after a few comments from my roommates I realized that the reason why I felt like that was because my Anna was too "cute" and it was annoyingly done. XD 

So apparently there are some lines from our version that did not match the original at all, especially the spoken lines.. so aside from fixing the timing in the mixing I also adjusted the timing of the original scene from the movie... that is better than re-recording right?

In the end, even though I know there are so many things wrong with my lines I'm still pretty proud of this duet... hopefully I can move on from Frozen. Hopefully....