One thing about me, I get a fearless streak sometimes when it comes to troubleshooting things I really, truly, honestly do not understand. I’m talking computer stuff here, just to be specific. Once, I volunteered to install a friend’s new DVD burner. Because her computer does not have the same configuration as mine (one that I’ve already tinkered with so many times), I accidentally attached the wrong wires that when I was testing my handiwork, I almost got a heart attack when I saw smoke coming out of the device as soon as I turned on the power. Well, I guess I didn’t learn from that. I did learn to be more careful and more logical, but I still experiment on things at least as long as I own them. Makes me think of needing to find student loans just so I’d have a real, well-founded knowledge about this stuff. But I suppose that would take away the thrill. It would be like doing work, then. There’s a beauty in trial and error, see. You just have to set limits so you won’t reach the point of being destructive.

For many of us who have been caught up with day-today living, pursuing higher education, or even college education for others,  gets to the bottom of the priority list. What, with the state of the economy and the very limited time, it’s not that easy to plan on going back to school, even if it is an honest-to-goodness noble pursuit. Good thing, there are now several online universities where one can enroll and pursue studies at his own time and pace, and at the comfort of his own home. The tricky part, however, is to look for an accredited online university that not only offers reasonable fees but also ensures quality education. That’s where providers such as the Western Governors University comes in. They have excellent online degree programs thatyou can choose from. What’s more, it’s a nonprofit university, that’s why their tuition fees are low. Sounds like something anybody who’s hoping to continue studying should look into.

Kumareng Grace had a successful contest in her blog and I didn’t get to join. But because it was about favorite places and dream destinations, I put some thoughts about mine.

Because it’s a dream, I’d write down my loftiest ones.  Like London and New York – I’d watch musicals at the West End and Broadway and then watch Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.  Then there’s Paris for the city and Roland Garros. I’m skipping Melbourne, as far as watching live Grand Slam tennis goes.  And then I saw those huge, and very heavy, wedding magazines at home my sister has been collecting with suggestions for wedding invitations; browsing through them, I’m adding  Spain to my list. There was a feature on Santiago de Compostela and Seoul, South Korea. Closer to home, I’d like to see the beaches of Thailand. Much closer, I wish I can finally make that trip to Coron, Palawan, next year!

(1) She started with a set of pop songs in a pretty/casual black outfit.  I was thinking, “O-oh, please don’t have a mostly pop repertoire.” Lea as a pop singer to me is a great singer, but she doesn’t shine with those. It’s when she hit those theatrical tunes that her clarity and technique become no-one-else-can-sound-like-that amazing.

(2) Song: Rehab! Gee, mommy can dance.

(3) She had to give the stage to those urban pop/hip hop youngsters. They were good, but the number felt out of place. They were shouting and jumping all over the place, urging the unimpressed audience “If you’re a Pinoy, when I say Oh, you say Yo!” (No reaction). When they finally bowed, I can almost hear a collective, “Thank you but go away now.”

(4) Song: Poker Face. Ahh, so that song has lyrics pala! Nice.

(5) Most of the earlier songs featured Lea’s lower-register voice. I didn’t mind.

(6) Jet Pangan! Song: Salamat. Last time I saw him was on “Spring Awakening”. He didn’t have a singing number there. The other (balladeer Richard Poon) guest was OK.

(7) Lea says, “I’m a huuuge techie. Girlie things don’t impress me.” At least I have that in common with her. But I can’t afford her most cherished possessions yet- her iPhone and her Mac book.

(8) My, my, Ai Ai! It was a R-I-O-T! Essentially, she was there to poke fun on Lea’s “sosyal” concert being held in a “sosyal” venue, where she only sings “sosyal” songs. Their Aegis’ “pang-Japan” duet was the highlight.

(9) Songs: Broadway medley – I Dreamed a Dream/On My Own/Memory/Defying Gravity (with all-green lighting that makes it all the more “Wicked-y”). If this were tennis, then that is her money shot. Lea is the quintessential Broadway star; what she isn’t is a belter. I love “Wicked” so much, and I’ll put my money on anything Lea, but I’m still convinced she shouldn’t do Wicked as Elphaba.

(10) Overall it was a great night. PICC is such a lovely place. The only thing that marred my excitement was having to wait for a cab for so long, but, sure, that was forgettable, compared to the one before that. I’d vow that I’m going to watch every Lea Salonga concert from here on, as long as it’s geographically possible. Or maybe someday I’ll get to go to the States to visit Disneyland and stay at orlando condos and she’ll have a show there at the same time; two birds in one stone.

Sometimes you take a ride on a public utility vehicle and you’ll get to overhear a few funny conversations from your co-passengers. I was on my way to work a couple of days ago when this couple beside me got into a heated argument that became cringe-worthy PDAs after a few exchanges. What happened was the jeepney came into a halt due to traffic, a group of teenagers in flashy clothing passed by, and the boyfriend couldn’t stop himself from making a remark. His statement actually sounded neutral to my ears but the jealous girlfriend didn’t think so – he simply said that those girls were too young to be parading on skimpy clothes and it that it could get them into trouble. The girlfriend then went into a full tirade about her love’s wandering eyes and his admiring other girls. The boyfriend tried to explain, and after a some cooing and hand touching, the girl was appeased and happy again. They probably didn’t see me rolling my eyes at them, or they are too preoccupied to care.

First, not that I don’t like it – because I really enjoy looking at stuff for sale, especially those items that I can’t afford (like modern furniture maybe) – but even after all these years, I still find it odd to find a bazaar in the middle of our office grounds. I mean, I’m sure other workplaces have those once in a while; it’s a specific bewilderment on my part. Maybe it’s because I don’t really go to shopping places a whole lot. Again, I’m not complaining. Truth be told, I dig the food stalls and I collect flyers from the tech stores.

P.S. I did get a flyer with furniture items.

How cool is this?

The kids from the hit TV show Glee are a supertalented lot. They’re fresh, they’re great performers, and they seem to be genuinely having tons of fun playing their parts.  Singing, dancing, goofing around, jumping on a mattress? That’s got to be a dream job for any young actor.

It’s too bad that the show is going on a hiatus and will not be back until April of 2010 because Fox is giving way to American Idol. Those who haven’t caught up with the episodes will have plenty of time to get their Glee on.