It's the last day of 2007. I'm sure a lot of us are going back from month to month, reassessing what we've done right and what we've done wrong. And with it, hoping for a better and more productive 2008. I've already listed what I liked about my year and decided that I'm not going to make a list of the opposite. I'd like to live by this - "No regrets." Which doesn't mean I'm making it an excuse for bad behavior or any missteps I might have taken. Nor does it mean that only a new year should inspire us to make necessary changes, formulate new plans, chase dreams, or retrace steps.
I probably should take a break from quoting musicals, which has taken up almost an entire page of this blog. But this is just so fitting.
There's only us
There's only this
Forget regret
Or life is yours to miss
No other road
No other way
No day but today
From Rent
I guess that says it all. Here's hoping I'll have the strength to practice what I preach. Another 12 months may not be enough to reach the destination but there's only one road - and it leads to the end of the rainbow. I hope to see you all there.
Dear Diary,
Today, I managed to accomplish something I've been dreading to do for months now. There's another one coming. I'll tell you about them when everything's done and over with. I'm still miles from tying up loose ends. But I'll get there. I just have to be brave, right? Right. Brave and a little more disciplined. Which reminds me, I need to sleep now because something needs to be done about my legendary lateness. Let me just go back to my blog for a little while because I want to share this song which inspired me today to face my fears. I might do a little plugging, too, for this girl who I find is living my dreams (sure, she's extremely skilled). Oh, didn't I tell you where my dreams are at? Geez, I just realized. Well, I'll let you have that sink in for now. Good night.
Z
Album release: January 29, 2008 (from artist's site)
There's this woman glowing with the warmth of new love. Fresh and full of promises…
"I'm gonna love you like nobody's loved you, come rain or come shine. High as a mountain and deep as a river come rain or come shine…"
And then sccrrreeeeccccchhhhhh! That's the sound of the love tires stopping when there seems to be more rain than shine.
I guess what I'm saying (and forgive me if I don't exactly know what I'm saying) is that I find that people value commitment less and less these days. It's like we're free to jump from one relationship to the next, not because that's what's in style (although this may be the case for some), but because we feel we have the right to test the waters and eat as many fish as we can. I find that a little arrogant. And that's saying something because I actually believe I have a radical mind.
Well at least I'm talking about the with-strings-attached variety. That which might end with one party getting hurt more than the other over mundane things that should've been obvious from the start. I believe that no relationship is going to work if everything is going to be about just one of you. Might as well hire a poster boy, if you're a girl; one who can carry your bags and write poems (OK, that might be a stretch) and tell you everyday how wonderful and beautiful you are. If you're a guy and you just want company, well go where you guys go. And I have no idea where that might be.
Goodness, I'm turning into a full-fledged spinster! Better get my dancing shoes (I don't have one and I don't really dance), make a little twirl and sing…
"I am a good person; I'm an attractive person; I am a talented person; grant me grace!"
[That's an actual song, by the way]
Of course I can't talk about Wicked without having to share these treasures I found on YouTube. [And here's hoping they won't be taken down.]
These videos feature the original leads, Idina Menzel as Elphaba (the green, "Wicked" Witch of the West) and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda the Good. I found other versions but no one beats the originals. Song lyrics and interpretations can be found here. Beyond the spectacle, Wicked is about keeping your integrity despite losing your reputation, doing what you believe is right, and above all the power of friendship.
Song: Popular
Song: Wizard & I
Song: Defying Gravity
I know. People are celebrating today. People are happy. At least we're trying to be, aren't we? Because that's what it is all about. To try and be.
Maybe 'tis the season. With everyone scuttling about, I spent days of being entirely useless, thinking about my future prospects. Comes with the year ending and all, you know. As if keeping still and looking up a dark night sky would solve everything. If only every worry I have will go when the calendar ends.
But I don't want to ruin the fun, no. I'm actually being hopeful the best way I know. I have always been grounded, but lately I feel like I'm sinking. Looking ahead, a change is in order. It's time to defy gravity; to fight that which pulls us down because "everyone deserves the chance to fly."
Of course, I borrowed those from my current fixation:
Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by
The rules of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes
And leap…It's time to try defying gravity
I think I'll try defying gravity
And you can't pull me down
From Wicked, the Musical
Cheers to you all!
I'm not an audiophile, no. I don't have the resources for that. But I'm rather particular about the clarity of the sound coming out of my head/ear phones. I don't know much about noise cancellation and stuff and I don't care much for high-end audio equipments; but lately, while trying on the different headsets I have at my disposal I noticed that each one has its own unique sound (for lack of a better word). This won't be some sort of products review. My choice depends mostly on mood and song selections. And, of course, where I'm using them.
When at home, I usually attach to my PC speakers this headset my sister took home from her call center job - Sony MDRG051 (Internet price: US$52)
This one sounds great but is too bulky for the office. At work, I have my ever-reliable Sony headsets that were bundled together with my phone.
I honestly can't say if it's the phone or the headset but in my experience, Sony Ericsson phones play better-sounding music than those from Nokia.
Of course, there's always the IPod [which sadly is not allowed in the office (that is to say, never be caught with one)] for use during long trips or when I'm in bed trying to sleep. My IPod earbuds broke down a long time ago and because I didn't like to use those in-ear headphones available in Apple stores (they're pricey and uncomfortable to use because they are pressed into the ear canals), I searched for alternatives. Which introduced me to Sennheiser MX-500 - an excellent and relatively affordable (Internet price: US$20; I bought mine at Php 1,400) replacement.
My first pair was the blue model, but since it broke down after more than a year of heavy use I bought another pair in white. So far, I'm very much satisfied with it.
Of course, it's wise to stay away from these things from time to time. Why, damaging your eardrums with the " too much-too loud" habit is quite a contradiction to the purpose of using them in the first place. And I can only shake my head when I see people walking down a busy street with earphones. That's not safe, y'all.
Bear with me now but this will be about a lot of things. The old, the not so new, and everything I love about entertainment! A book that gave birth to a classic movie which inspired a revisionist novel that was translated into a hit Broadway musical which will soon become a full-length film.
This weekend, I got a copy of The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland. Yep, the 1939 movie that was based on L. Frank Baum's children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It's been a while since I last saw the movie and I wanted to review the film before I read the book I recently purchased,
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire.
Now, this book reimagines Baum's fictional Oz before Dorothy dropped in and followed the yellow brick road to the Emerald City in order to see the wizard. The main protagonist in this story is The Wicked Witch of the West, here known as Elphaba. While the original story portrays the green witch as simply evil, Maguire's novel presents her as a misunderstood and victimized woman, who actually has a good heart. The story also explores her friendship with the good witch, Galinda or Glinda (who's more of a self-absorbed crowd pleaser than she is a hero).
Then came the Tony award-winning Broadway musical, Wicked, created by Stephen Schwartz after reading Maguire's book. It opened in 2003 and is continuing to be a strong mass favorite among theater goers (I've read this is a $14 million production, so I can only dream of seeing it staged here in the Philippines; but if ever I learned anything from Dorothy…well, among other things, I CAN dream). The original cast includes Kristin Chenoweth (from Pushing Daisies) and my new favorite Idina Menzel (who burst into fame by playing the original Maureen Johnson in Rent, and you may have currently seen as Patrick Dempsey's girlfriend in Enchanted).
There's a wickedly good video of the trailer in the UK website if you want to take a peek.
A little high school science review:
Earth, the third planet of our solar system, revolves around the Sun once every 365 1/4 days. The Earth rotates at a uniform rate on its axis once every 24 hours. Turning in an eastward direction the Sun 'rises' in the east and seemingly 'travels' toward the west during the day.
Quote copied from uwsp
Sure, we know that already. But I have a bone to pick with time. It just occurred to me that, maybe, I'm not really busy; maybe it's not that things to do pile up each and every day; maybe I'm not mismanaging time.
What if the Earth is actually rotating faster around its axis and is revolving faster around the Sun than it did a hundred years ago? What if our 24 hours now are actually fast-forwarded versions of our ancestors' days?
Highly unlikely? Preposterous! Besides, our planet is for sure a lot heavier these days, how can it move faster? Any layperson can reason that.
But I need time - unlimited time! I feel like a slug (though how on earth would I know how a slug feels, duh!) and I need a little pushing. As my current theme song says, "I am not always on time; please don't expect that from me. I will be late but if you can just wait, I will make it eventually." Hate me for it, but I'm a fan of eventuality. All you need is a little patience.
I suppose this is a late 20s sickness [remember Monica in F.R.I.E.N.D.S.?]. Well, at least for those who don't have kids and especially those who are not likely to have one any time soon. I suppose. But lately, I see babies everywhere. Beside me in a jeepney on their mothers' arms, in strollers at the mall, even on my friends' online photos. Babies everywhere! And I can't stop looking at them.
In 30 Rock, Liz Lemon was asked to hold a baby for her show's make-up artist. A career woman in her late 30s, single and having relationship issues, she got too engrossed with the baby that she temporarily lost her mind and took the baby home with her. By the time she realized what happened, the people at her office are already trying to pacify the mother so she will not file kidnapping charges. I fear something like that might happen to me. And, goodness, I don't have people who will get me out of a trouble like that.
Recently, I saw pictures of my college crush's baby and my heart melted. The kid looks not more than 6 months and he's already quite a personality! And that boy is so cute, I wish I am his mother! I really do. Really.
