From the monthly archives: October 2006
It’s Halloween and some of my friends who are working are on half day today. I’m itching to go home already — and I have about less than 3 hours before I can finally say goodbye to this working day. I think it’s because tomorrow is a non-working holiday that I just want to go home and plan my NaNoWriMo novel and get ready for tomorrow’s writing bonanza.
And I’m supposed to be in a meeting right now. But I’m not. Oops.
I want to go hoooome. Although…some said there might be some people trick or treating here today. That should be interesting. Haha.
Anyway. It’s the last day of October and tomorrow is the first day of the National Novel Writing Month! There is another reason for November 1 being a holiday (here in the Philippines, at least), is that because it’s the start of an all-month writing frenzy. 50,000 words in a month. Call me crazy, but I love every bit of it. :) From the early headstart of more than the scheduled word count per day to the weekly emails of encouragement, to the people from the NaNo boards, to the downtime sometime around the third week and to the finish at the end of November. True, it’s okay if you don’t get to finish up to 50K words…but it’s so much fun if you can do so! :)
I’ve posted about my novel twice (one, two), and I have a page full of notes for it in my planner, but I still feel so unprepared. My main character’s pretty solid already and I think she can stand on her own after a while, but I still need to give characters to her brother, her best friends and some of her cousins who will be making appearances in the novel. Plus her boss, one annoying officemate and some possible love life angles here and there. My plot feels so scattered too, and though I know the start and the end of my novel, I don’t know how to bridge the two. HELP!!!
This means I should focus on this one tonight. I must!
I won’t be putting up a separate blog for this like I did the past two years (and I never updated them after posting Chapter 4, haha!). Instead, I’ll just be posting some excerpts of the novel here in this blog during the month, as well as some progress reports here and there. You’ll see my NaNo widget over there (look at sidebar!) where you can see the number of words I have written so far. :)
Wohoo. And yes, I am also thinking of how the heck I am going to write given the work I am about to be given starting next month. It’s part of the thrill. Haha. Again, I’m crazy. :P
On other news. Like I mentioned, work is coming this month, and I’ll be doing some things under supervision of a vendor…which scares me a bit because I don’t know if I’m ready just yet. There’s still a part of me that’s afraid of messing up, and I really wish it would go away because I know I’d end up messing up if I keep on thinking that way. :-s
More thoughts on this on the next post. In the meantime, I shall go and read some slides I need to study, which should be easier than writing phentermine reviews. :) I might get interrupted anytime now and I won’t be able to post this.
4:01pm! Two and a half hours till quitting time!
Hello, what do we have here? :) Finally a new layout. :) I wasn’t supposed to let this out until Wednesday but I decided to go ahead and have this up now before I lose interest in it. So here. Layout information will be updated here by tomorrow. This is the first dark layout I’ve done for my website! Like it? Comments are appreciated. :)
I missed RJ‘s celebration today because I fell asleep during the afternoon and missed the meeting time. Oh well. That’s why I went to finish this layout. And okay, fine, I was feeling a bit lazy to go out already. I swear, I have no social life. Well, little. I wish I have enough drive to go out and gimmick every weekend so at least I have enough activity. Haha. I feel like such a social loser. :P I need to get my act straight. Anyway, tomorrow is another Monday, and I am facing a lot of work for this week, I’m pretty sure of that. I’ll take it one day at a time, thank you very much. :) There’s a mid-week “vacation” for All Saint’s Day, and I kind of wish Thursday would be off too, but then, that’s work for you. Things to look forward to next week: payday and the possible lunch out with some officemates on Tuesday. :) Yeah yeah.
This weekend felt long. I need to fix some things here first before hitting the sack. Good night everyone! :)
It’s another Friday, and today is actually quite stressful. For a change. Right up to before lunch, people were rushing around the office to figure out where the system error was coming from. I wasn’t directly part of it, but I did some monitoring which made me feel oh-so-important. Or not. Haha.
Other than that, I made some reports this week, only to have them shortened and to be asked to understand all the fields. This goes to show that copy and paste is never the solution. Monday will resume with more things to read, understand, ask and some new things to test. :)
I also learned some things outside work which I have no intention to let public consume. ;) Haha, seriously, it’s about the light and darkness, and how messy and beautiful it is at the same time (thank you, Bebo Norman). I’m feeling quite uncomfortable about the entire thing, but at the same time, I know that this is good for me too. Sooo…Lord, it’s all Yours.
It’s almost Halloween, and I’m stopping myself from watching scary things for fear of not being able to sleep or take a bath without getting scared. I know it’s fun to be scared once in a while, but not always in this time and one after the next. Haha. You know. ;)
Tomorrow is the 5th YFC Metro Manila Conference and I’m not going because I didn’t register on time. Plus I feel too old and moved on already. I feel kind of wistful not being able to go (I wonder how they would do their worship this year? Last year, the night worship was just awesome) because…well, it’s like missing the ILC. Oh well. It’s time to move on, plus tomorrow’s the pray over ceremony for our SFC CLP, so I shall go there instead. :)
My mom’s watching Maalaala Mo Kaya…and they’re showing a scary story about a policeman who didn’t get to help his prisoner friend be relieved from the death sentence. I have NO intention of watching it but it kind of reels you in after a while, even if you’re just hearing it.
Noooo. I want to sleep peacefully tonight.
It feels weird growing up, you know? I wonder, if I was thrown back into school again after the almost two-month experience I have now with work, will I still be able to enjoy it? I don’t know. But you know what? I am not regretting a single thing that has happened since I started working. :) I think I can really say that this is where God really wants me to be. :)
I got some weird ink writings on my hand and I’ve been trying to recall where I might have gotten them. Hmm. Anyway, happy Friday everyone. :)
It’s the last Thursday before November starts, and in connection to last week‘s Thursday Thirteen, this week will still be my upcoming NaNo. :) I’m actually having a hard time deciding on the major plot point among all the plot ideas I want to put into the story. :-s Maybe you guys have some suggestions? :)
Anyway…
Thirteen Things about my NaNoWriMo 2006 Novel
- The main theme of the novel is based on the story of Jacob. I got the idea from one of the chicklit authors interview I read, where they based their novel on Job. I was emailing with my friend Chris (which reminds me, it’s his birthday today! Happy Birthday Chris!) once and he explained to me Jacob’s story and I researched it and I knew then that Jacob’s story would be the theme of my novel. To make the long story short, the point of Jacob’s entire story is that God often has to break us to make way for His plan in our lives.
- My initial idea for the novel is that Rain (my MC) would quit her job to look for a better one, one that she dreams of having. Now is it possible for someone to be so near promotion but wants to get out of her job only she doesn’t because it’s already comfortable for her? It is, right? If so…then I have one plot point. Yay! Now the question would be…when should she quit? Is it good to start it in the novel or should it be somewhere in the middle? Hmmm.
- Rain is not close to her cousins…but she wants to get to know them ever since she saw them again in RJ’s wedding. A chance for her comes when her younger cousin Lissa moves in with Rain because of her call center shift. Rain plans all kinds of things for them to do but Lissa doesn’t seem to like what her cousin has planned. Also, Lissa would do everything Rain doesn’t like: leave a mess, bake haphazardly, bring guests in the condo without asking permission and mostly, play mainstream music (which Rain absolutely hates) out loud all day when she’s home at the condo. I’m thinking that Lissa really likes Rain only she is jealous of how well off her cousin is…only that seems kind of shallow. Or is it?
- And again, more on cousins: the cousin get together. I’m choosing between two options: Rain decided for herself to plan a cousin get together for their entire clan or Rain ends up having to plan a cousin get-together for all of them, as suggested by one of their relatives. I’m not sure which would fit for now since Rain is supposed to be a control freak, and she likes well thought out plans…so should she volunteer or should she be forced? Hmmm. Then again if I’m following the story of Jacob…I think it would be better for her to volunteer, thinking everything would be smooth sailing.
- Aha! And there’s the love life angle that everyone loves to read about! Rain’s male best friend Mark was her most recent love interest, who unfortunately, doesn’t have interest in her. As always. Mark disappears in Rain’s life…or rather, Rain disappears from his life when he got a girlfriend, masking the hurt she felt in her work. Mark shows up again with some sort of tragic news (his girlfriend dies from a car crash that Rain didn’t hear about) and becomes more visible in Rain’s life again. Is this typical or not?
- There’s the best friends plot point. Rain’s two best girl friends, Meah and Faith comes back to Manila. First, is Meah’s issue. After staying for two years in the US, she manages to stays thin, which makes Rain marvel at her discipline. However, Meah seems to be too aware of her nonexistent weight gain everytime they eat. I plan to give Meah an eating disorder, specifically Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS)…how they resolve that, I’m still working on it.
- Faith‘s issue comes from her boyfriend who the three of them knows back in college. Martin, the guy is someone they all knew back in college who they admired and sometimes made fun of because of his devotion and how funny he can be as the head of the a big Catholic Singles group that they are not a part of but help in. Faith and Martin end up in the same mission area, and became a couple in the span of two years they served together. The thing is, Martin’s status would affect Faith’s thinking once they are back in Manila.
- And since Rain quits her job, she has decided to look for The Ultimate Job that she dreamed of ever since she graduated. The thing is…what is that job?
- Rain’s parents, who live in another country, urge her to try looking for a job in the US, where they are staying already. Rain refuses to listen to their offers because she likes living in the Philippines…but what if her parents are right? Hmmm.
- Of course, with all these events (and some more, I hope?), it would drive control-freak Rain up the wall. She would be hurt, broken and all that…but obviously in the end it would all work out.
- And finally, there’s the entire raining issue. Rain dislikes rain…and for all unhappy events that happen in the story, I want it to rain. The entire part about rain being a cleansing thing will come at the end though. Is that too much?
- I think I’m having difficulty here because this is the first novel that I didn’t base on any of the events that happened in my life. I need to make my imagination work. Work work work! Hmmm.
- Now for the last number in this list…which plot point sounds like the best one to expand and tackle for the novel? Can I just play with the theme and stick all the ideas there or should I focus on one big plot point and tie the subplots in?! Help!
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
…can God say “Go and sin no more”? Just a thought.
It’s true that the moment we let our guard down, the devil pounces on us. He tempts us at the moment we feel satisfied at how good and at right we are with God. At one moment we are walking all proud and upright, then all of a sudden, we trip and fall face first in the mud otherwise known as “sin”. And because we are embarrassed of our fall, we stay in that mud instead of trying to get out of it. When we do try to rise, we realize that we don’t have anything to clean ourselves with. But it is also true that the moment we fall, the moment we see and realize and admit how filthy we are and cry out to God in sincerity, He immediately runs to us and wipes away the dirt from our faces with His own pure white robes. He doesn’t mind the stain; all He cares about is to get us clean.
Anything that makes me feel comfort with God’s moral standard, anything that makes me feel, “At last I have arrived,” is a cruel deception…anything that makes me feel discomfort with God’s forgiving love is also a cruel deception.
- The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey
I don’t like myself right now. Pfft.
I’m pretty sure You don’t like what I just did either.
:-<
I think I could make posts like these every Friday, because the longer I am here at work, the more I love Fridays. So really, it’s Thank God it’s Friday. :) Wheee.
What do I love about Fridays? It’s the feeling that the week is ending, and that there’s an entire two days ahead of you not to think about work. Everyone gets the chance to shed their stiff-looking business attires and dress down (or, in our case, slightly dress down because we’re not allowed to wear jeans and shirt and rubber shoes unless it’s announced by the HR). For some reason, everyone laughs louder, smiles wider and feels better when it’s a Friday. :)
Friday is truly one of God’s best gifts to the world. Agree? :)
My SFC household head told us last Sunday to compile our own Joy List for this month and then we’ll talk about them in our next household. :) I used to make lists like that, and I called them The Positives. Since today is a particularly happy Friday, here’s this week’s Joy List/The Positives. :)
- Early morning and lunch time sessions with Jane, Anne and Reg a.k.a. “The Gang”.
- Learning more on my “new” job.
- Getting my permanent ID.
- My new boss assuring me that he won’t surprise me with all the things I have to learn, and that he’d try to make it easy for me to transition to my new job.
- Free merienda at Pancake House yesterday c/o Kok-see.
- Being told that I’m photogenic (aww :D).
- Free movie passes for World Trade Center last Thursday.
- Lots of free food thanks to our SVP who is celebrating her birthday today (Happy Birthday po!).
- Being able to accomplish the work given to me on time and correctly.
- The newly established carpool and the fun times on the way home.
- Free day tomorrow to work on a new layout for refineme.org.
- Serious talks with my brother about our family and love life (!!!) among other things.
- New music! New music!
- Being able to break out of my shell and talk to more people in the office.
- Being able to laugh, laugh and laugh some more.
I’ll post more later. Now it’s time to get fixing because it’s almost time to go home. :)
Have a great weekend everyone. :)
Rating: 
The World Saw Evil That Day. Two Men Saw Something Else.
Directed By: Oliver Stone
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Michael Peña, Maria Bello, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Runtime: 129 minutes
September 11, 2001, around 9:00pm Philippine time. I remember I was at home, on the Internet, minding my own business when my dad switched to CNN and saw a pillar of smoke coming from one of the Twin Towers. He told me about it, and all I did was glance at the TV, thinking it was just some kind of special movie effect, forgetting that it’s on CNN. The next day, I woke up to the news video of the two towers collapsing and going up in smoke. That afternoon, I went online and saw most of my online friends in one message board I post in all sharing sorrow over the tragedy.
It’s been five years since that happened, and since I wasn’t affected directly being on the other side of the world, the tragedy didn’t really have that much bearing on me. It saddened me mostly because of all the deaths, but I didn’t share the same sadness Americans felt for having to witness and experience such a big blow like that.
Last night, I was given a chance to watch World Trade Center, the true story of two Port Authority Police members John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) and Will Jimeno’s (Michael Peña) attempt to evacuate people, in turn getting trapped under the collapsed buildings and their rescue. It also shows how their families went through the entire ordeal, and how people, not only Americans, can find goodness amidst all the tragedy and evil in the world.
“It’s like God made a curtain of smoke, shielding us from what we’re not ready to see.”
- Staff Sgt. Karnes, before going to Ground Zero to help in the rescue mission.
The movie is quite long, and since it’s based on a true story, don’t expect anything other than a display of the buildings, some flashbacks, their families and their conversation as they wait for rescue underground. The movie was panic-inducing because of the idea that the rubble around them could collapse any time if there were more sudden movement. I was half-covering my eyes and fighting back the tears as I felt myself empathizing with the Americans, especially the families of John and Will. Although I don’t really know the two officers that the two actors portrayed, I think Cage and Peña were perfect for the roles.
My favorite part would be when Jimeno saw Jesus giving him a bottle of water when he closed his eyes. I think that is the best thing they included in the movie. :)
After watching it, I immediately read all the information I can on McLoughlin, Jimeno, the movie, the other casualties and the survivors. The movie sure opened my eyes and became more aware of the tragedy that happened five years ago, but it also made me see that people are born with good hearts. :)
And after watching the movie, do say a little prayer for all the people who lost their lives in this tragedy.
It’s two and a half weeks before NaNoWriMo 2006 starts, and to be honest, I haven’t done much preparing. ^^; So to practice and to provide something intresting for this week’s Thursday Thirteen…here’s…
Thirteen Things about my NaNoWriMo 2006 Main Character
- My main character’s name is Anna Rain De Castro. She uses the nickname Rain because there were five other Anna/Ana’s in her old school and someone else already claimed use for it.
- She was named Rain because her mother likes rain and she was born on an unusually rainy April day. Ironically though, she doesn’t like rain — she thinks it makes the day sad.
- Rain is a 24-year-old systems analyst/programmer/technical writer for a business process outsourcing company in Makati City, the business center of the Philippines (comparable to NYC in the US :D). She’s on call 24/7, in case some of the systems they implemented for their clients go down.
- She lives with her older brother in a condominium in Ortigas (the next business/mall district in the Philippines), near her brother’s workplace. Rain’s parents moved to the US after she graduated from college. Their family is pretty well-to-do, which is why Rain basically grew up getting what she wants.
- Rain is a neat freak, coming close to slightly obssessive-compulsive and is very much of a control freak in her own life. She doesn’t like it if things suddenly get thrown off her schedule. Consequently, this attitude of hers shows in her love to bake, where things are pretty much controlled.
- Rain is a devout Catholic, with a strict 6:00am prayer time. She has a fixed routine for her quiet time: listen to at least three worship songs, read the Bible and her devotionals and then pray silently. During Saturdays, she does her own morning worship by singing along the songs. She also has a “song for the day”, which basically speaks of God’s message for her that day.
- Rain’s is really close to her older brother RJ and his oldest best friend, Raymond. Her other best friends are Meah, who went to the US for graduate school; Faith, who became a full time missionary for their singles group and was on mission for 2 years somewhere in South America; and Mark, her only other male best friend who semi-disappeared from her life when he got a girlfriend.
- Rain likes long drives (alone or with someone) in her red Honda City she named Betty.
- Rain’s favorite comfort foods are vanilla ice cream with bananas and Nutella, toasted wheat bread with thick cream cheese spread.
- Rain dislikes mainstream and secular music, for she only listens to Contemporary Christian/Christian Alternative/Christian Rock and Praise/Worship songs.
- Rain is not close to her cousins unlike her older brother, because she was too immersed with her work to socialize with them during family gatherings. Whenever she is free, she usually ends up resting or sleeping or just silent on the corner, observing people around her.
- Rain likes her work, but she also wishes to be a magazine editor, a web designer and even a manager for a band.
- And finally…Rain is a not so proud member of the No Boyfriend Since Birth club. She doesn’t mind, really, until lately, of course. :P
Note that these are still quite rough, and I’m still in the process of creating Rain’s personality and character. :) If you have any suggestions, I’d like to hear them. :D
And for the record, although Rain has some of my characteristics…she’s not me. :P Haha. I made sure of that. :)
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
I remember seeing you the first time during my covenant orientation, I think, where you gave a talk. I was always shy around you then, because I really didn’t know how to talk to you. The first words you actually spoke to me was during the Sumulong Mega Camp, when I was looking at the participants in our classroom while Talk 4 was being given…I think you said, “Don’t be afraid…the light will shine in the darkness. God loves you.” Something like that. :)
Then I missent you a text quote, and then you asked me if I wanted to have YFC in my high school alma mater. Of course I said yes, because I’ve been dreaming of that since I got into YFC. It was then I became “volunteer-ed”. :P Haha.
You’re one of the people who really inspired me in my service in YFC. Your famous, “Mahal mo ba si God/Do you love God?” line always gets to us when you’re asking us to do something difficult but important. Your words are always comforting, and you never failed to make us happy just by smiling and greeting us. :)
I’m really, really thankful that I missent that message because if not, I wouldn’t have known someone as great as you. :) Happy birthday, Kuya Don, East High School’s own Winnie the Pooh! :) I miss you so much! Hope to see you soon. God bless you! ♥
