Miss Photography

Ever since I was a kid, I already love taking pictures. I even got my first ever camera when I was in first year high school.

I still take photos but not that much anymore. Looks weird coz it's easier (our first camera has a separate bulky flash) and less expensive (wastage of film) now to take photos compared to before, but still I don't take that much pictures anymore especially compared to my friends.

But I still love to take photos especially of candid shots of people. I think I just want it to be as real as possible. And I love taking back shots of friends.

Yes, I also sometimes take pictures of sceneries and food (especially for food report) and those usual stuff but I admit that I'm not good at it.

Anyway, I met up with friends who are really active in Instagram who posts really good pictures that they even win contests and have a number of followers. And I suddenly have this feeling to also open an Instagram account for photos that won't include my face. That it would have a certain theme.

But I'm stumped. (1) i don't know what username to use; (2) what would be the contents of the account? I would like to have a theme but I don't have any idea what my theme would be. Food? Scenery? Fashion?

One thing for sure. I don't want my friends to know about it. I want it to be an anonymous account. If ever in the future I will discover that my friends are following me, it would be like I achieved something. It would be like somehow I passed their standards.

2014: ???

???... coz i don't know how to describe my 2014. honestly, the first thought was shattered dreams. but then i kinda remembered that there had been some good things that happened in my life. i really am not sure if 2014 had been a remarkable year for me, like it's a year i remember for something. all i can think about is how heartbroken i was for having my dream shattered. maybe it's because it happened at the latter part of the year. okay, let's enumerate the highlights of the year:

1. shattered dream. this is number one since i've kept on mentioning it since earlier. what made it more heartbroken for me is that it was not really shattered by other people (yes, partly) but the decision of not pursuing it and losing confidence in myself (the reason i didn't pursue it) hurts even more.

2. monthly meeting friends who i have not seen for a very long time. well, it's not really super every month but i think i only missed 2-3 months. i'm glad last year that i was able to see some friends again. friends i have not seen for years.

3. out of town with the dilags. finally! i got to join the dilags in an out of town trip that needs overnight stay. i just followed them but still i got to be with them for more than a day.

4. visayas exploration with the spammers. we conquered visayas in september: dumaguete - siquijor - oslob - cebu city

5. cliff diving! i don't know how to swim and yet i jumped cliffs with deep waters. i'm so proud!

6. the birth of the facebook thank you posts. it all began when i was starting to lose self-confidence. i need to counter it with something positive. i need to be reminded why i should be thankful. thus the birth of the thank you post. i just post when i feel so down.

SHOOT! ...Not...

my friends and i did the beer pong challenge last night. beer pong is there are glasses of beer on the table, and you have to shoot the ball in the glass. if you shoot it, the other person will drink that glass.

and of course, i didn't get to shoot any. as expected. hehe. and it brought me memories of my basketball class for college p.e.

i can say that my basketball teacher came to know my name. why? because she waited for me with two of my classmate-friends for almost 2 hours i think.

the exercise for that day is really simple (if you're good in basketball). just shoot two consecutive free throws then you can go home. that's just the activity for the day. and you guessed it.. i was not able to get in the free throws consecutively. i think 15 minutes before the class ended there were still a few of us left. so our teacher decided that we  just have to have two throws in, even if it's not consecutive as long as it's two. all of my classmates were able to finish it. so they all left. i was left alone shooting. our teacher of course was still there, and two classmates (who were my friends) stayed. i can't shoot two. after a long long long time, finally! it's in! and then we went home.

do you know the anime Free!? i think i have some similarities with rei.. he knows all the theories and technicalities, but not the application. well, our difference is at the end, he became good.
i suck at sports (except being a goalkeeper for soccer, naks!) but for basketball, i know a lot on its technicalities since i had been watching basketball since i was a kid.

this is a nonsense post but i just want to post something here in my blog again. and well, just sharing something about me :)

When Is My Birthday?

i have a group of friends who i have known for more than 10 years already. actually, i think half of my life already. they are telling me that i am keeping my birthday a secret or i am being mysterious about it.

actually, i am not. it is just because i have known them for more than 10 years but they never asked for my birthday. they didn't notice that they never greeted me in a year for my birthday. and it was just recently that they became aware of my birthday.

that's why when they ask me now when my birthday is, i prefer not to answer. can you blame me?

i'm not mad. i just want to explain my side.

2010

let me sing first: "2010 big bang.. uh-huh.. it goes.."

2010 is an unforgettable year. lots of things happened this year that don't happen regularly. good and sad things happen but comparing to 2009, i like 2010 more. yes, even if i lost papa this year, i still don;t consider 2010 a bad year. so what's different with 2010? let me count the ways:

1. i traveled all by myself. well, it still seems like not travelling on my own coz it is just like i went to makati and met with friends. everyday i had lunch and dinner dates with friends. my time alone was only 2 hours a day. hahaha. but that travel really made me feel blessed with friends. thank you my dear friends.

2. i DJ-ed online. it was a fun experience. will try to do it more often next year. hehe.

3. had a lunchdate with Papa on a weekday. of course, it won't happen again. but it was really memorable for me coz Papa was the only one i had a lunchdate on a work day. i don't meet friends during lunchtime when i'm at work.

4. first time to travel with my sister and friends at the same time. and got to explore the streets on my own looking for a church and hearing mass all by myself even if i don't understand a word said. hehehe. also it's possible to still be able to fly even if you leave 5pm from qc and your flight is at 7pm. hahaha.

5. attended youth camp for the first time. i may be the oldest participant but still i had lots of fun. and this year, somehow i am like a part of the youth ministry again. and became participative with bld activities

6. resigned from work even if i still don't have a work. and til now i still don't have a fulltime work, but i don't regret my decision. it was like Papa God was arranging everything for me.

7. first time to travel to tagaytay just by commuting and all by myself

8. becoming a tutor

9. this year my sister met most of my friends

10. i didn't attend any weddings. if last year i had been so active in weddings as part of entourage or mass. this year, i only got invited once (as a guest) and i was not able to attend

11. papa passed away. but am happy that i got spend time with him in the hospital even if all we did was fight. hehehe.

12. super backache. as in i can't stand. i don't want to experience that again

(edit: added 13 & 14)

13. for the first time in my 30 years of existence, i didn't go to the beach this year

14. my bday was great, full of surprises. received video greetings from friends (i really love it). received a special cake delivery. started my bday week with a korean dinner and ended my bday with a korean dinner + noraebang

after writing the above, i realized that most of the things that are memorable to me are good things. that is why i know i am blessed. but it was not only good or fun memories for 2010, there also had been those that really made me down. and having an outlet really helped me keep my sanity. that is why i am thankful for my online outlet. and to all those who read my everyday rants, raves, spazzings, thank you! thank you! thank you for your patience.

i may not have been to a new place this year, nor went to the beach (first time after 30 years), i am sure 2011 would bring me more fun adventure and new places to explore.

i am still thankful for 2010. and i am now claiming that 2011 would be a wonderful and really blessed year for me, for all of us :)

Link of the Moment: Kpop Dances

when people saw me last week, i heard several comments that i'm slimming down. and all i can think of is.. "wow, digital bounce is effective." what is digital bounce? my exercise. hehe. it's a song by se7en. i dance to it, i (try to) follow the choreography. hehe. it's a cool choreo, even my brother likes it. he hates kpop, but the choreo for this song passed. hehe.

here's the vid and you'll know how great the choreo is...



dancing to kpop had been my form of exercise since late last year. i don't know why but ring ding dong had been my official dance. when they hear ring ding dong, they would remember me. and my mom's ringtone for me is even ring ding dong. hahaha. i haven't really said goodbye to this song, i still dance it (almost) everyday. but i dance to digital bounce more now. i really don't know why i chose this dance/song from all the dances/songs out there, maybe you'll know?

What's Up?

i have been active in other sites, hahaha. updating my status every hour(?). anyway, just want to share some of my status for the past week so you'll know also what's up with me.

- yipee! several ppl are telling me that i have slimmed down. i guess digital bounce is effective :)

- i'm really inlove with kenshin of samurai x. hihi ;p

- if 2009 had been a year of disapointments, 2010 is a cheerful year :)

- weee! I passed the exams. Thank You Papa God. ok,let's wait for the next step

- my mom & i are having an argument right now about pnoy not talking to tsang when he called (during the hostage)

- okay. it's not horse shit but the fan. it could have exploded anytime if we haven't seen it -- i posted earlier that it smells like horse shit at home and i don't know where it's coming from

- in memory of lfo's vocalist, am now listening to i don't want to kiss you goodnight. i love this song

- "i'm your sister. it's my job to terrify you." - going the distance.
this is true with my sister. that's why i love her. she is supportive but she is also honest

- i want to visit a science museum

- it annoys me when people doesn't know how to say thank you. its just basic

- though i can's make you smile, i ain't gonna make you cry. - girl rock, epik high

- i know now my purpose in life while i have no job. to wake my brother up. i've been waking him up everyday. dunno know y i wake up rly early

Confessions of a (Non) Shopaholic

i'm not a shopaholic. actually, i hate shopping.

i just came from a workshop and we went to duty free shops. they were able to buy something, i didn't buy anything. i just roamed the store once, then sat down and just watched a movie. hahaha. then we went to a 2nd store, they all said it's okay not to go there anymore coz they won't buy anything, but they all left again the store with something. and once again, i roamed the store, sat down somewhere and continued my movie. hahaha.

when i went to singapore on my own and got a 2 hours free time for myself instead of going shopping, i went ot the national library. hahaha. oh! and i went to mustafa (almost everyone told me to go there so i can find goods that are cheap). so i went there the next day on my own and really looked for it. but when i got there, i just roamed the store and was not able to buy anything. true! it's really cheap there, but nothing captured my attention. it's like i just went there for adventure and experience.

so how do i shop clothes for myself? i bring my sister. she'll choose the clothes, ill fit it and pay. unless, something really grabs my attention.

that is why i'm really confused why my sister likes me as her shopping companion.

2009 in a Glance

2009 is like a blur for me. i really didn't notice it passing. i'm surprised that it's already coming to an end. and for the first time in my 29 years of existence, i forgot that it was my birthday. i think three words that can describe my 2009. it's the year of anti-socialness, rejection, and kpop.

1. anti-socialness - i rarely saw my friends this year. it's really sad that i can't join them. and one day i realized i don't know them anymore. so for december, i try to catch up. i tried to accept all the invitations of my friends

2. rejection - several applications (no, not for work. well, except for fso) and got rejected on all of these. well, i understand what happened with fso. took the exam in my worst condition (super backache and runny nose) that i really can't concentrate on the exams. for the others, i also understand. except for my last application, totally can't understand it but i'll try to accept coz i know God has a better plan.

3. kpop (korean pop) - my connection with my sister. hahaha. also with two other friends. when i'm down, i just try to watch the variety shows. and my song of the year is ring ding dong. my family knows why, and they said that it's effective. hahahaha. i'm just not sure if i'll say goodbye to kpop next year. i hope not

and to my dear blogsy friends, thank you for visiting my blog this year. i pray that 2010 will be a good year for you. God bless :)

Findings

i found out some things about me this week

1. i can survive even without eating anything for 24 hours, just give me water. and i'm not on a diet okay? which i need actually
2. i'm not really a multi-tasker. all my life, i consider myself as a multi-tasker. but this week proven me wrong
3. i'm kindhearted to the point of people taking advantage of it
4. i'm too generous, just like the story inj the gospel who just gave 2 coins but in reality has given her everything. i think i'm like her. and the people around me thinks i'm thrifty, but honestly it's all i can give.. it's everything i have
5. i seriously need an extra income... seriously
*edited*
6. i give in to peer pressures easily
7. i should not plan or get excited on anything coz it doesn't happen (haay... vina and neko, when will i meet you?)

Driving 101

my brother, eric, has his driver's license already. and last night was the first time we experienced his driving.

unlike my two siblings who went to driving school, it was just my dad who taught me how to drive. we would go every weekend to the mountains of binangonan. he would teach me on a mountain, that's why i'm expert sa mga hanging. there are three memories that i have for those driving lessons..

1. when we nearly fell a cliff. i don't know what happened but we nearly fell a cliff. my dad was panicky. hahaha. and he asked me to get out of the driver's seat, he'll be the one to drive. hehe.
2. when he let me drive for the first time in the highay. i can only hear one thing from him... "slow down, slow down." that's that happens when you're used to driving in arcades. hehehe.
3. when he let me drive first time to show my family what i learned. take note, this is in one corner where there are no cars. as in i just have to go straight... and eric (who was less than 10 that time) was at the backseat really crying and shouting and heading to the door. he was really scared. he didn't trust my driving. but nothing happened to us. hello! it was just less than 5 minutes and just a traight line. no challenge really. hehehe

now, eric is already driving. i have my license also (and you saw it), but i don't drive. why? i just don't want to. not yet the time :)

Specialty is the Best

a virtual kiss from ate ghee

i love pleasant surprises. i guess people who get text messages from me or is my ym buddy would know that.

i admit, i would like to have a surprise party. well, ace tried.. but not really that surprise coz i also helped with the food preps. but when i was in 4th year highschool, i somehow had a surprise birthday, more of a surprise greeting.

last day of newspaper drive. newspaper drive is like a big event in our school. the batches really compete. so it's a busy day for our school. come lunch time, i was in the canteen with my friends when one group from the lower batch went to us and started singing happy birthday. with matching balloons and all. i was really surprised. and i received lots of bday cards that day. it was really a good feeling since the day before, i was talking to a friend and told her that my bday would just be another day. that's why i didn't expect that some people would make it special.

this is my birthday post, but i would like to greet ate ghee happy happy birthday :)

My 2008

2008 had been a different year for me. i guess if i can describe it in one word, it will be work. hehe. but summarizing my year would be:

1. meeting long-time blogsy friends. i've been blogging for four years with blogspot. and besides those that i have known before i started, i've only met two bloggers. but for this year, i've met four. and the funny thing is, these are the bloggers that keep themselves anonymous. Abaniko, Wil and Ate Toe. they had been in my blogroll for the longest time. abaniko and ate toe, being one of my first blogsy friends.

2. the angels. i've met most of them last year, but it's just this year that abet's angels had been a reality. it's also great meeting Meyms in person. also meeting Abet, Sally, Jassy and Nona for the first time.



3. meeting new people. i've met a lot of new people this year. most of them from Multiply, starting with Yen. these are great people, funny people. i would not enumerate anymore, okay?

4. going to new places. compared to last year, i've travelled less this year. first time to go to hot air balloon festival/tacsiyapo, visit anawangin, seeing taal volcano upclose, surf in la union. and of course visit singapore and malaysia.



5. being healthy. as i've told my friends, i've never been sick this year. only got hit by a truck. hahaha. i guess i have superpowers. getting hit by a truck and yet, only got a bodyache for a few days? whoa!

6. sseayp. we became host family for two sseayp delegates. this gave me an idea on their life and got to be inside the ship! fyi, i had applied for sseayp on 2004 and didn't pass. sad but that had been like my funniest application/interview/audition

7. getting thin. this is one achievement for me this year. to shed some pounds. something unbelievable happened. hehe. but really a big thanks to ate rezza.

8. weddings. i've attended a lot of weddings this year. and got a chance to be a coordinator (for the day) and be the host.

hmm.. as i am writing this, it dawned on me that still a lot of good things happened to me this year. what i've mentioned above are just a few. for all those who had been part of my 2008, thank you. and hope i'll still encounter you in 2009. and i hope to meet more blogsy friends in 2009. have a fabulous year everyone :)

20 Years Ago...

this was supposed to be my birthday post but i did not have any time to post and i kinda lost the pictures. hehe.

these are my pictures 20 years ago. do i look the same? do i look cute? bwahahaha. but am sure they can't be used for blackmail :)
3 months?


1 year old?

kinder graduation

7th birthday

nearly 3 years old

Reunion

they say that reunions happen during two occasions, weddings and funeral. i believe this is true. even with the limited guests in weddings due to budget, this is still a venue to see old friends. and this had been proven for my highschool barkada. every year, we try to get together and yet, we never get to be complete or even close to completion. good thing there are three weddings this year, and i got a chance to see those i've last seen during college (like ton and gian). hopefully in december for richie's wedding, those who are in another country could also attend.

though it had been years already, and we've lived our own lives, i've noticed that we have not changed. we're still the same people as before. of course, change is inevitable but still as a whole the same old person is the same only better.

i've met the girls second year highschool, we had been classmates. and the guys, we've met in bld youth. it is during the times that there are just few members who are from north. since we are included in the few, we would go home together from prayer meetings until we all became friends.

since it's only again now that we've seen each other, we can't help but reminisce. it is funny to remember them crying because of heartaches from each other. funny, walang nagkatuluyan sa kanila. but as jay said, it is better that way since we get to attend more weddings and see each other more. hehe. highschool...

*pic from batts

Getting Big

a lot of people when they see me now tell me that i'm getting thinner or narrower or whatever. but honestly, it's the opposite. and it's not because i'm getting anorexic or what. promise, i'm really getting bigger. my pants are getting tight again. sad... hehe.

and what made me decide to lose weight again? i was supposed to wear this black dress in a party. but when i tried it on, it won't close!! ugh!!! that means i'm really bigger now. until now, i still can't accept that it doesn't fit me. the pic was taken three years ago. it's just three years, right?


i really need to lose weight. and i don't know how i'll do it especially if your friends influence you to pig-out (ate mei and jassy, hmph!). next month (sorry, i won't follow sam milby's movie to start right now), that would be what i'm doing. i'll exercise and have balanced diet.

but that means, i'm still big on birthday. waaah!

My Name Is...

was supposed to post this before, but instead posted Forgotten.

i have several names.. some call me tin-tin, kristine, rocha, pretty tin...

and i like it that way, because i know how i met them, thru the name they call me.

most of those who knew me as rocha would always be unsure on how to introduce me to other people, if they'll use rocha or tin-tin or kristine.

anyway, i am okay with having plenty of names, since i get to have an idea who is calling me.

if it's rocha, it would be from highschool or bld. that is why, i still am not used to bld people calling me tin.

kristine is for work. in my work now, only those from our office calls me tin. the consultants call me kristine.

tin-tin is for family, college and after college friends.

and pretty tin, mostly for econsoc. it started there, so i guess that's the reason why most of those who call me pretty tin are from econsoc.

well, you can call me however you like. as long as it's not bad words, okay? :)

License to be Pretty

one day, Ate Toe and i were chatting and she told me that after five years she once again got her philippine driver's license. welcome back ate toe! i asked her how was her picture. she said that of course, no one is beautiful at their driver's license photo. i totally objected. i'm proud of my picture on my driver's license. hehehe. i remember when i got my license. i really smiled for the camera. and my sister was like saying that i was OA. but when we both got our license, she kept on asking why i looked good. hahahaha. even if it's not a picture for friendster, still i smile like it's going to be my primary pic in the internet. of course! coz i'm sure other people would still see it.

what i just do not like with my license is my signature. i really can't understand how my signature here is way different than my original signature. oh well...



so what can you say about the picture? i'm sure it's not also obvious that i haven't taken a bath yet when that was taken. hahahaha

An Update on The New Tin-tin

so what is the update on my post The New Tin-tin? am i successful? have i achieved my goal? i still cannot see my collarbone. but when people see me they say that i'm really thinner. but when i weigh, our scale would show no change. i even gain weight. but my clothes are somehow more loose now. or maybe zasam is right. manang luz, our dear laundrywoman, is not good in washing my clothes anymore that's why they became loose. hehehe.

sorry i can't show any pictures. the latest picture that i have is last July 6. but 5 days after that (after not going home for three days), when my mom saw me she did not recognize me because according to her i look like an addict. weh!

i'd like to thank ate rezza who helped me achieve my goal. well, i still really have not reached my goal but it's okay coz at least from this point, i know that it is possible and i'm really headed towards there. thanks ate rez!

Jeepney Ride

one of the facts i mention when i get tagged is that i would rather walk than ride the jeepney. but i do ride the jeepney. when i ride the jeep before it was not a big deal, but now...

four hours of bus ride would give you and your companion a chance to talk anything and everything under the sun. that's what happened to jason and i when we went to Anawangin. we talked about everything, as in everything, even economics! so don't be surprised that we talked about riding the jeepney. i remember telling him that as much as possible i don't ride the jeep. that i just walk home from the office than ride a jeepney. and why is it?

(1) i really think that i smell more polluted when i ride the jeep
(2) i just don't like the feeling of having your skin touch your seatmate who is sweaty

i'm not being mean. i'm just being honest. and i'm not being maarte or judgmental. i still ride the jeepney. when i go the prayer meeting, i sometimes ride the jeep. so why am i writing this and sounds defensive? it's because of this picture...

it was taken inside a jeepney. that's me in green! and i did not just photoshop myself there. and to clear to Yen that i do ride the jeepney.

is my preference not to ride the jeep makes me maarte?

and if there's a jeep from west ave. to coron, i'll definitely ride that! it's an airconed jeep, right?