The Problem with Bucket Lists

  By zarine | October 21, 2011 - 1:32 pm | -The Z Diaries-
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… is that when actually you get to cross out something, you’ll think of something else you’d like to accomplish. Here are some of mine, in no particular order:

Visit Singapore, but now
Visit Singapore often or maybe live there

Watch Wicked live (will do in January, in SG)

Watch Next to Normal, but now…
Watch Next to Normal in Broadway

Watch Les Miserables in Broadway

Watch Roger Federer play live

Watch a Wimbledon final live

Get a picture with Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi

Invest on a would-be abode

Write a book (it doesn’t have to get published)

Write a song

Visit my sister in Canada

Send my parents to Canada to visit my sister

 

Wow, I could go on and on. Why can’t I just list something like buy my brother a PS3?

 

Songs for Driving

  By zarine | October 21, 2011 - 1:02 pm | Music
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Sometimes when I listen to music, I get this image that I’m driving around a place with a beautiful view while blasting music from the car stereo. Also, I’m the only one driving in those roads because, you know, I can’t really drive and it’s easier if I don’t have anybody else to worry about in my head. And it’s always morning so I have perfect sun and breeze and I won’t have to worry about not having Off Road Lights.

Right now, I’m listening to an album of Missy Higgins (The Sound of White), and it’s kind of perfect. The Wrecker’s sole album is good, too. Cigarettes, for one, is an angst-filled song good for self-reflection, although it would probably not make you want to press hard on the accelerator as much as Pink’s girl anthems (Most Girls, I’m Not Dead) or Kelly Clarkson’s Never Again.

So, all I’m missing is a car and an actual ability to drive. Not much, huh?!

The Worst Relative

  By zarine | October 21, 2011 - 12:37 pm | -The Z Diaries-
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That’s me. Maybe not in the whole wide world, but probably in both sides of my family. I mean, my aunts keep on telling I don’t visit them, and what did I do? Visit them once then not do it again for a long time. I’m not too fond of texting either, just because I really don’t normally send text messages unless I really have something to say. I always say they live too far away from my place. And here are my other cousins from the other side of my family, who live just a few blocks – and a jeepney ride – away, and I wasn’t even there when my cousin’s baby’s first birthday was celebrated, and I adore that kid to pieces. (Well, they didn’t celebrate at home, so I guess that’s kind of an excuse.) Anyway, she’ll be two pretty soon, so let’s see if I can at least give her a nice gift and give it to her myself.

 

Tropical. Depression.

  By zarine | October 12, 2011 - 9:21 am | Random Thoughts
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So every week a new tropical depression visits the Philippines. It’s really depressing when we think about all the losses  – not to mention the loss of lives and the impact on thousands of others. I remember when I was very young, although I fear the howling winds that seem to be ripping out our house’s roof, I relish storms because that means no classes, cold weather, hot soup, and all members of the family are staying at home for the whole day. Back then it doesn’t flood that easily and you can sleep through it in your heated blanket without worrying that you’ll wake up soaked in water with all your possessions floating around your home.

I guess it’s a good thing, then, that I work from home. Although the possibilities of power interruption and loss of Internet connection are my worst enemy in such days.

Reflections

  By zarine | October 10, 2011 - 9:15 pm | -The Z Diaries-
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It’s been almost a year since I left my job to lead the solitary life of a freelancer. For someone who had never been very sociable nor outgoing in the first place, that decision seemed like a step in the wrong direction. I actually thought about my mental health when I was making that decision. I mean, I’ll never be one fit for Networking & Telecomm Jobs, much more a PR job – those are just not my thing. But I was enjoying my time with a company of friends and colleagues. For 10 years, I managed not to screw up my relationships in the workplace, except maybe for one or two lessons in error of judgment, but even the worst of those experiences came full circle in a way that actually led me to where I am now – perpetually sitting in the small living room of my rented apartment – or sometimes inside the bedroom – in front of my computer day to night, hoping for an opening in my schedule that will allow me to wander around outside with no other reason but to go out.

That sounds rather pathetic, but the truth is it’s not that bad. One year after, and I am sure I made the right  move. Well, I guess it helped that my sister is living with me so I’m not completely solitary – hence, my fear of ending up staring in space or talking to myself consistently didn’t really happen. Or the fact that I realized nothing can ever leave me bored as long as I am connected to the Internet and I have my books, movies, and TV shows. I guess I just want to celebrate my choice right this time. There’s always tomorrow to think about the cons.

 

 

Soap Operas

  By zarine | September 22, 2011 - 9:44 am | TV
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I’ve been watching a lot of U.S. TV shows since I discovered the wonderful world of Internet streaming and that-thing-I-really-shouldn’t-name but, OK, torrent! But somehow I didn’t realize I’m not that knowledgeable (or that much aware) about their TV shows after all, because I was only following primetime shows. Not that it’s a bad thing, apparently everywhere else daytime TV is not quite as special as primetime. But not to categorize or place judgments; I was so surprised to read that they actually have long-running soaps, and by long running I mean shows that started from 40 to 50? years back! I think I may have heard of it before, but it’s only now that it dawned on me how freaking crazy (and incredible!) that is. I mean any more than decent primetime show is lucky to get to the fourth season (4th year) these days. Imagine having characters be born, grow up, get married, die, get resurrected (it’s soap opera!), and live almost their entire lives before the eyes of the public. Imagine the work of actors and actresses who never left those shows. But I also read that soaps are dying now because they’re not profitable anymore. I’ve always found soaps ridiculous, our local soaps can prove that. Only now when I open my TV to a local channel and see that a teleserye now only has a life span of 6 months, and they actually write tighter stories now that are more or less enjoyable, if not actually free from ridiculousness (it’s TV!), I now appreciate that this is some kind of progress. This is a way of having reel life catch up to real life, although sometimes people can have a hard time separating them. At the same time I also realized how incredibly sad that must be for long-time fans. I get attached to once-a-week series and get depressed when they get cancelled after a few seasons; how much more can soap fans be feeling losing something they look forward to 5 times a week that has been part of their daily existence for so long?

Well, with that thought, I’ll leave you with this clip of Sara Michelle Gellar, as she makes one final cameo to the soap that launched her career -- All My Children -- which is on it’s final week in network television. It’s a short scene in a hospital with people in Cherokee scrubs, but as a big Buffy fan I love the meta-references.

“So I see vampires … that doesn’t make me crazy; I saw them before they were trendy”

he he he

Still Coupon-ing and Voucher-ing

  By zarine | September 22, 2011 - 7:40 am | Random Thoughts
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Has it been a year since I started getting addicted on Groupon and all those deals websites that suddenly popped out of nowhere? I used to have a pretty decent amount of savings in my PayPal account – I was trying very hard to keep myself from using it since I want to see it grow. I sort of look at it as my “virtual monies,” especially since I used to think that those came from some trivial Internet “jobs” that I am allowed to reserve them for stuff that I wouldn’t normally buy out of my truly hard-earned cash. But then I thought it might be better to save it and then buy something big out of it. Well, I’ll be damned, I guess thinking that way made me feel sort of entitled but at the same time impatient that I spent everything – and with every new incoming amount I’m still spending – on such deals! Too bad I only have $8 left right now. I really want the home theater system that I saw with those sweet surround speakers. That one is going to have to wait.

Time of the Month

  By zarine | September 1, 2011 - 11:25 am | Work
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Speaking of favorite points in time, my second favorite time of the month is right about now – time for creating and and sending invoices to clients. You can imagine what’s my favorite time, then, right? It’s when I receive those payments, of course! I’ve been following a lot of blogs on freelancing, and I’m glad they’ve led me to some great discoveries like those sites that helps you create (and send and track!) professional-looking invoices. They introduced me to real paperless office software. It’s kind of cool.

Anyway, it’s a cycle I will not get tired of. On to September…

-Ber Months

  By zarine | September 1, 2011 - 11:19 am | Random Thoughts
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Generally, that now is the official start of the -ber months holds no special meaning for me. Except maybe it means it’s not going to be all hot weather anymore, or at least that’s what I hope. But I see people in my various social networks are excited about it, so I’m going along. Like Greenday will say, “Wake me up when….” yuck, why am I quoting that?

Anyway, happy -ber months to you all! Whether you’re starting your Christmas lists or looking for halloween accessories first, have a blast! They’re meant to be the most exciting part of the year anyway, so let’s have some more fun before we get all introspective about a coming new year all over again.

Lazy, Lazy Sunday

  By zarine | August 22, 2011 - 12:15 am | Random Thoughts
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This Sunday was not supposed to be a “lazy” day. I am so behind one of my projects that I scrapped all other things I was planning for the weekend just to be productive on this front. Alas, I was unsuccessful. If I write the things that went on in my head today into thought bubbles, they will look like this:

 

- Eff, my deadline is so close and I am soooo late on my projected schedule. Eff.

- But I’m so sleepy. All the time. I just want to lie down the whole day.

- [Waiting for my bestfriend in Singapore to reply to my urgent messages] How is it possible that someone living in a very progressive country can be so hard to reach with all my technological aids working in full force?

- Eff, my deadline! I can see blinking projector bulbs giving warning

- More coffee please.

- I am so not making progress this month. I hope the next one is going to be better.

- I give up; I’ll try again to be productive tomorrow

- Goodnight