A friend posted this in one of the social media websites - where else - I have an account in, and I think it’s a funny way of explaining social media though not something that doesn’t make sense. Look
However you feel about it, however private or open you are about sharing your life with other people - not to mention the never secure and ever-changing rules of the Internet - we cannot deny that social media is now something we cannot ignore. [Of course, this statement is refutable. My parents and older relatives don’t give a frak about them, and they continue to live their lifes contently. But if you’re reading this blog, you get my drift.]
Twitter has been, and probably still is, my favorite. I love it for easy access to any kind of information - and I mean ANY kind - and the ability it allows you to ask questions and converse with anyone from any side of the word, all in real time. It’s probably also the most used media by professionals to promote their products and services.
Facebook, of course, is something huge. I’ve been reconnected with hundreds of high school acquaintances, most of them I don’t even remember by name or face anymore. I even see grandmothers of friends actively commenting on posts and pictures.
Another favorite, LinkedIn, is one I use for professional stuff. If you know how to use it, it’s a really great avenue to keep abreast of things about your profession, including job openings and subject-specific discussions. It’s not just a way to display your professional profile - companies also use it to promote their business, like that of National Biweekly Administration, and individuals use it to promote their services.
I’m still warming up to Google+. I think it has potential, but Facebook is just too huge to tackle now. Besides, like they say, if it ain’t broken don’t fix it. Maybe Google+ is not meant to “fix” any low points of Facebook, but I can imagine it’s just too tedious for most people to make a transfer or even maintain accounts on both sites at once.
Well, YouTube is great, too. I use it all the time; the other ones on that list above, not so much.
What makes a man who he is? Is it the worst things he’s ever done, or the best things he wants to be? When you find yourself in the middle of your life and you’re nowhere near of where you were going, how do you find the way from the person you’ve become to the one you know you could have been? - Allie Keys (Steven Spielberg’s Taken, 2002)
I don’t know about you, but I sometimes wonder how else I could’ve turned out - personally and professionally - if I have made different choices in life. Like if I had been bolder or more self-assured early on, would I have been more successful in my career? And what kind of career? Would I have had my own family - husband and growing children - by now? Or would I have been traveling places and getting enriching life experiences, or could I have had become that adult woman who sits in front of her house all day, smoking cheap macanudo cigars while ogling my neighbors’ bigger houses and shiny cars?
It’s sometimes fun to speculate and dissect which littlest step could’ve possibly turned our fortune around if we only were a bit more attentive and perceptive and wise. But it’s never good to have regrets, especially ones that go deep, because those will only make us unhappy. I’m not an authority here - or in anything for that matter - but I do believe that there is not much point in dwelling in the past, except for letting what’s in them to teach us and guide us moving forward. As the cliche goes, you can’t change the past. Can you?
Another Monday, another start of the week for most of the working population. So how are your plans for this week shaping up? Mine’s quite hectic, the highlight of which would be sending my sister to the airport on Saturday - she’ll be migrating to Canada (*sob*) to finally live with her husband.
So our mom’s staying with us to help my sis pack her stuff, and I really need to make a quick run to the grocery to buy some supplies like toiletries - I’d love to buy some bulk shea butter lotion - foodstuffs, and all that, and I have a lot of other things on my plate workwise, so fingers crossed I hope I’ll get to accomplish much of the most important stuff.
So let’s get started then, shall we? Here I am sending the blogverse all my best wishes for this week. And for those that will follow.
So, much of the Internet is abuzz yesterday with the release of the new operating system for Apple computers — OS X Lion. Since my Macbook Pro is just under a year old, I only have come to know Mac OS X Snow Leopard (earlier versions are Cheetah, Puma, Jaguar, Panther, Tiger, Leopard), and what can I say but the experience has been nothing like I’ve ever had before, being a Windows user my entire computing life. I was discussing this with my sister a few days ago - I think it’s true that the cost of buying Apple products may not be justifiable for most uses, considering that you’ll get Windows-based laptops and PCs at half or more than half the price for almost the same hardware specifications. If you only need a computer for basic typing, e-mailing, or Internet browsing, then sure, a Macbook is not a lot more than a style upgrade. But I’m talking not just about outward style (i.e., looks), but also applications style - the best I can describe is that if you have an iPhone, which basically functions as well as your old Nokia or Sony Ericsson phone, but somehow there is that a little bit extra, something quite amazing that makes you love it a lot more than any of your old phones … I don’t even have an iPhone, but using a Macbook and an iPad gives me an idea. Ok, well, maybe I’ve been brand-brainwashed. That’s why I’m upgrading to Lion on the eve of it’s release without even giving it much thought. It’s new tech, not urban clothing; how can I ever go wrong with that?
I was watching the video of Andre Agassi’s ITF Hall of Fame induction speech, and what caught my attention the most is when he quoted Nelson Mandela - from their personal conversation when they met once. I already know why he professed to hate tennis early in his life and now is thankful for it for everything that he now holds dear in life. I already know how his tyrannical father ruled his life but they are now at peace and he’s even thanked him for always telling him what to do when he was young. I already know how he describes tennis as the loneliest sport out there but how he makes analogies about every struggle, every strategy, every match to be a teacher of many things about how to deal with life itself. I already know how much he loves and adores his wife and children.
You only have to listen to him talk to see all these (starts at 10:11):
But what he said at the end, that Mandela told him that “There is difficulty in all human journeys. But there is nobility in just being a journeyer,” is something that stayed with me because I’ve always believed in that, although maybe not in those exact words. He told his children and all the children of earth to take this world that their parents are leaving them with and not just live it but improve on it. Inspiring stuff.
Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf are among my favorite people I only see on TV. Although it was their sport that shoved them to the spotlight (which is not a bad thing; looking at Steffi now in her 40s makes me want to look for diet pills that work and spend hours and hours at the gym), it is their humanity, and especially to me their success in surpassing their personal limitations by having perseverance, a lot of hard work, and a not just a little grand passion, that makes them such great role models. If I can take something from that, it makes me think that my own journey is not futile, regardless if my own achievements, milestones, and recognitions are far too miniscule in comparison. You cannot be everything, but you will always be a part of something. I can only hope that I can keep myself in the good parts and almost always contribute positively.
So you loved F.R.I.E.N.D.S? Maybe you’ve heard “Monica” has moved from New York to Florida and is now called “Jules”? Well, not really, but Courtney Cox’s new character in this unfortunately titled but brilliant show is as lovable and hilarious as one of our favorite “friends.”
It took me a while to try watching an episode of Cougar Town, and yes because of that title, but continuously reading rave reviews and pleasant words about it finally convinced me. And, boy, didn’t I love it! It’s like I grew up watching that other show and in now served with a more adult but equally funny version. I say that because Cougar Town is not really about what the title suggests; it’s about friendships, family, and of course finding love. Still not convinced? Do I need to drag you with rud tire chains just to make you watch? Or can I just tell you that this show will NOT tell you it’s bad to drink wine all the time when you’re with your friends? Yeah, that’s how I convinced my sister, and now she’s trying to convince her own friends to watch as well.
We all live such elaborate lives
Playing games we can’t all win
The moment I realized that Atlantis Productions is staging AIDA, I know there is no way I will not watch it. With the musical score written by Elton John and Tim Rice (The Lion King), the original Broadway cast’s recorded soundtrack is one of those I can recommend to any one who appreciates love songs and emotional tunes. It’s definitely more accessible than the lyrics and score of my other favorite showtunes such as Rent and The Last Five Years.
Well, in not so many words, I loved the local interpretation! It’s not perfect, with technical glitches (even a couple of errant deliveries from actors) and all, but the powerhouse casting of Ima Castro and Rachel Alejandro is something I’ve been missing from other musicals I recently watched that left me wanting for much more (West Side Story, Spring Awakening). I don’t care much for choreography, blocking, orchestrations, and all those other stuff; I just want the leads to move me enough to appreciate even more material I already love. Nothing can replace the experience and efficiency of these veterans in almost every aspect of performance, but especially Ima (Aida) sings so beautifully I wish I didn’t watch the closing show so I can do a repeat. Rachel (Amneris) is a very engaging presence on stage, with perfect comedic timing she’ll knock you down with an emotional punch without you realizing the shift. Myke Salomon, first time I heard of him and heard him (sing), was a revelation. He fits the role and rocked it. All in all, a Sunday well spent. Sorry about baptism invitations from invitationbox.com I ignored.
Just a couple of clips from the original cast (promotional videos):
I started writing this post a few weeks a go but never got around to finishing it. I guess I’m posting this today just to get it out there that I don’t intend to let this blog die a natural death, regardless of what nonsense it carries.
So how has your life been? Because mine is rather typical - long hours in front of my laptop for work, occasional trips to the mall to buy some groceries, a karaoke night with friends, and a visit to uncle mikes. Those are the highlights of my past two months. I’m rather looking forward to a few things before the end of this month, though, so that should cheer me up and maybe even give me a few things to write lengthily about.
For now, I say, I’m still here and able to write, just a tad too busy to do so more often. Ciao.
For the first time in such a long time, I realized that the one month that has just passed felt like a long period to me. I’ve always felt that days are just whizzing by me and that I’m not feeling them. I mean, I’m still amazed that it’s almost June, which means half a year has passed since I’m officially not employed by one company. I met with a friend from my previous work this week, and I learnt that if I ever go back with the team, half of the people there would be new to me already. Things, like people, move forward it seems. I can still remember when I would not give up my job for anything else, much less for the no-security world of freelancing.
I’m not having regrets; not yet, at least. I think I’ll only feel that when things go bonkers and can no longer find work (*knock on wood*). I feel that I’m in a good position to make use of my time, and the relative freedom, in a really good way. Somehow, I still can’t strike that balance. Work is still an all-consuming aspect of my life, and although I do enjoy it (certified workhaholic, at your service), I want to do more stuff. I know I have to look at other things in life, and I have a few in my urgently-waiting-for-your-attention list, but I’m still stuck somehow. I understand I have responsibilities, and I don’t mind that they have to be my priority at all times, but I should take advantage of my situation to reach that place where I can be confident that I’m doing things right, in the perspective of living life at its full potential. But do people ever really get there, or does that place even exist? Is it time I get a life coach or something? Or maybe I really just need to go back to the gym, burn out the negative energies, and take that creatine supplements for women, or something.
We all have something we wish we have. Of course we have those, despite feeling quite satisfied with ourselves most of the time (or not?). Like, I’ve always dreamed I can write music since the time I was a teenager taking vitamins for acne. But somehow, I didn’t end up learning that skill, or maybe that’s really just something I am not meant to do in this world (translation: I don’t have the talent). I can accept that, and it doesn’t take away my love for music despite me simultaneously realizing that I can carry a tune but that I’ll never have the pipes nor the tone like those who are really good at singing.
I was watching Sara Bareilles’ concert DVD last night and my fascination with those who write their own music, play their own instruments, and sing their own songs (for pay) came rushing back. How fun to have their job! Of course, I know it’s not as easy as it looks and that not everyone gets to make good money out of it—unless you’re supremely talented and lucky OR just really, really lucky. But I admire those who were able to stick with what their good at, which also happens to be what they’re most passionate about, as their means of living. Mostly, though, I’m really just envious of their talent (and Sara Bareilles? very witty and funny writer, too).
