AFRICA

Let us take a moment to sit back, bask in the hot hot summer heat, listen to the steady drone of the electric fan no doubt trained on you or the hum of the air conditioning unit and appreciate the beauty of the Dark Continent otherwise known as Africa. 

Colored pencils on an index card hehe I went on a spontaneous room cleaning spree last night and decided to let my paints rest by keeping them inside a box underneath my desk. Since I had the urge to do something fartsy earlier, instead of creating a huge mess, I made a smaller mess by using colored pencils. It's been such a long time since I last used them and it feels weird but at the same time oh so nice, I'll surely use them more often now!
On another note.................................
Did you know that African elephants are the largest living land animals? Now you know! 

Africa has been dubbed as the Dark Continent since at the time that the dubbing was taking place, it had yet to be explored thoroughly by..explorers. I was planning on bombarding you guys with a buttload of facts but then after wracking my brain for anything juicy that I learned from my Social Studies class, I couldn't come up with anything hehe.

I love Africa; the wildlife, the culture, the people and especially their music. I am such a sucker for songs that have strong drum beats or whatever you call them. I actually cannot bring myself to call the music from that continent, songs because the word 'song' seems so flimsy and that it's simply not enough to name such wonderful sounds. I'm really having a hard time translating what I feel whenever I hear something African-y into words, all I know is that for me it is pure eargasm especially when I hear the very low bass notes being hit and then all of a sudden a chorus of girl voices go on top and then LALALA I'm drowning in warmth because of the sounds hehehe. 

Here are just the gems I unearthed on youtube that urged me to write (and draw) about Africa! I hope you guys like them :D







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I Fink They Freeky and I Like Them a Lot

Yesterday, the Journalism students of our batch were pulled out since we had to have the elimination for the upcoming city-wide journalism contest. We were asked to try out for 2 categories and since I am nearly clueless when it comes to journalism, I chose Feature writing. In this category, we had to write a personality sketch about anyone. This really stumped me. Who would I write about? I asked myself who my favorite person was but I came up with a blank. I was gonna settle for Leonardo da Vinci when it hit me that I should write about Die Antwoord.

Yo-Landi says hi

And now since I've missed blogging, I decided to write about the duo because I really like them and..maybe you guys might like them too weee!!

I first heard about Die Antwoord a few years ago while I was looking for a new artists I could get addicted to. I watched a video of theirs and I totally got creeped out so I immediately crossed them off my list but just this year I saw someone make a post about them saying that they TOO were scared of the duo before but after watching Fatty Boom Boom, their views apparently changed. And since I had nothing better to do, I checked out Fatty Boom Boom as well and..........fell in like with Die Antwoord. The first time I watched the video I was all yeah no I still don't like them. But I couldn't stop hitting the replay button and I couldn't stop thinking and talking about them and so after a while, I got hooked huhu.

The tandem is composed of Ninja, a tall gangly guy with tons of tattoos and a very sick imagination. He came up with the costumes and almost everything about Fatty Boom Boom and Yo-Landi Vi$$er, is his very mischievous sprite-like spouse. They perform with the ever mysterious DJ HI-TEK who never shows his face even when he's topless already, he has to have a mask on. 

Their style is as functional as their name. Their South African alias, Die Antwoord, sounds so foreign and mystical and so voodoo voodoo-y. While the translation of their name, The Answer, is what they really are. The Answer to the music industry's dilemma which is the lack of freshness. Ninja was interviewed before and asked about his previous rap groups and he said that he dabbled on various groups since he was looking for something and that somethaaaang turned out to be Die Antwoord hihi. 

Voodoo voodoo voodoo roooom

After watching their behind the scenes video, I saw that they're just very weird and equally artistic people and I really like that hehe. 

Die Antwoord on Facebook

Official Website

Uno Dos Tres Mdhsbjhsddjhsd Maria

For our project in Spanish class, we were tasked to film a music video for a Spanish love song. Sexy Lady came to my mind but then I deemed it too dirty hehe but we didn't know it'd be hard to look for a purely Spanish song that we were quite familiar with. We almost settled with La Cucaracha since apparently a verse of it is about love. Thankfully, after browsing through different youtube videos, we came across Maria by Ricky Martin! It is purely Spanish AND it's very catchy!! So after we had lunch, we headed outside to shoot our video.

It was so hot out but it was very very very fun. We took lots of photos in every place we shot at. The video hasn't been edited yet so I haven't got anything to show you guys but here are some of our tourist shots HAHA!

NonaG and Erik

Fierce daw e

@ the ruins hahaha

Nona being Nona

@ the basketball court haha

@ the playground hehe

The birds, (are they turkeys?) who came out of nowhere and surprised us HAHA

Shooting today went really well hehe. If only projects could always be this fun..........

Very Pubertial

You know that feeling you get when you hear a really really really good song? It's like your're in on a little secret of life like when you hear it, you know it in your bones that this is why we're here and alive. I don't really wanna sound cheesy but sometimes there are just songs that when you hear them, it's like your mind clears up and you understand that this is why we were made. To experience stuff and to see beauty in its raw form or something. 

This song just takes the proverbial cake. I can imagine like a band of survivors in a duh post-apocalyptic setting with only a scattering of zombies left and you've gray grungy buildings with paint peeling off on both sides of a very long road and the whole scene would just be so serene but you know there's an underlying tone of danger because of the zombies they have yet to kill but the entire aura is still calm nonetheless hehe.

This one has me picturing a very simple lifestyle in a cabin in the woods or on top of a hill with the sunlight just warming my skin and the occasional mehhhhh's from the goats outside and the sound of the tiny bells around their necks filling the room hoho. Its such a nice and peaceful song.

This song has a special place in my heart hehehe. I always turn gay when I hear this hehe. The image that comes to my mind whenever this plays is the time we spent New Year's Eve at Eastwood. The place was packed with people and it felt like I was being submerged in a sea of bodies or something. After the concert thingy, the people started the count down and they were playing songs and when it hit midnight, the fireworks just started going off and I was surrounded by so many people and this song was playing and hehehe it just felt really nice like I was in touch with humanity.....hehehehe I was all 'wow so this is what it feels like to really be a human being' hehe cos all of my senses were working I mean I was hearing the song and the people talking and shouting, I could definitely smell the smoke, I could see the fireworks display and again, the people hugging and taking pictures and craning their necks to see if there were celebrities milling about and random people would just bump into me but it felt really really really good hehe.

Night Terror

The Philippines has been experiencing heavy rains for the past 2 weeks. A multitude of suspensions have been issued, houses have been flooded, people have been stranded and lives have been lost. I was sort of closed off from what's happening that I got so shocked when I decided to join my parents in watching the news. They featured this guy who just lost 5 of his kids, 3 of his grandkids and his wife on top of all that. He was just so grief stricken and I think every person who was tuned in to the television at that time finally felt the gravity of our country's situation. I hope everything gets better. Please pray for the Philippines. 

 Night Terror by Gab Mesina

I felt kinda terrible for not uploading any cover for 2 months in a row hehe. 

Musical Book Flaps

Music is not really my life but I can say that listening to it does make the world seem like such a good place to be in. At times, I usually go on youtube and just spend the day looking at a ton of covers and feeling like an American Idol judge with the way I listen and look out for those who have 'potential' haha! Anyhoo, since  I've immersed myself in good songs while working on my homework this weekend plus the fact that the MSHS Chorale is having another audition this Friday yay, I just wanted to share with the internet world these 5 totally amazing covers. 

PFox and PMane. What can I say? They are THE quirkiest and most adorable duo I have ever seen on youtube. They are so cute and the blending of their voices is so clean and just so....right. 

I recently fell in love with the song Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes and I stumbled upon this cover. I expected it to be not so good since the video was so shaky and stuff. Hem hem what is judgemental hem hem. But then ahhhh!! I was proven wrong meheh once again the blending left me speechless. A bit shaky on some parts but still, their cover kicks ass.

I seriously just watched this tonight and I instantly fell in love with it. At first I got nervous with the instrumental substitute that they did with the empty carton but man did they pull it off! I really like how Lennon's raspy voice complements Maisy's crystal clear one heehee. Oh and did I mention Lennon and Maisy are just 12 and 8 years old respectively? Are you asking yourself now where were you when God gave out talents and wondering what you're doing with your life? Hahaha just kidding!

THIS. THIS VIDEO IS JUST MADE OF PURE TALENT. Hehe. I've known this video for a while and I've always dreamt of making something as cool as this. I can't express how I love this video. They just look so comfy and relaxed...and they still managed to perform like THAT. 

Lastly, this girl. This girl, and let me borrow Randy Jackson's line, is off da hook. I mean, really? Covering a Gorillaz song like that and pulling it off like nobody's business? Get outta here! No. Joke please come back and make a ton of crazy videos like this one hehe.

Ta-da! If you know any nice covers that you want me to know about, why not leave me a comment so I could listen to it and crawl into a fetal position and die from beauty HAHA. 

May Weather

I'm gonna try and post a cover of any song every end of the month starting now. I will try my best to keep you guys entertained tho since I have to rely only on my voice because I seriously suck when it comes to playing any sort of musical instrument heehee. 

'Behind the scenes photo' haha this is me trying to set the camera

3 reasons why I chose this uber sappy song. 1) I used to sing this ALL the time because of its easy flow and it doesn't have any 'omg that is so high' moments. 2) My nose is all stuffy right now haha just thought that my nasally would suit this song well. 3) I was using my mum's laptop which has the most nostalgic iTunes in the house because its the one both my sister and I turned to back when we only had 1 laptop; I had it on shuffle when suddenly this song came up and I found myself singing along!

The vid is seriously 50% my voice and 50% the rain!

Of Sand Filled Shoes & Listening To The Blues: Manila Music Festival 2012

I am probably the last person who will post about the Manila Music Festival that was held last Labor Day haha. I only brought my film camera so after a series of delays in the developing, my dad finally took it to Photoline and had the pictures developed. 

I'm not really well versed when it comes to the local music scene so on the day of the concert, I was really preparing myself for a day under the sun with Chloe, to live out my music festival dreams sans acts from Florence and the Machine and the like and to feed my xenophilia hehe. 

The super super super super duper duper duper wild crowd

Chloe with her float on

Squinty squint squint. Too bad this is my only picture from the concert huhu

 I couldnt really keep track of the set list since we moved around a bit. I liked Nameless Heroes and totally adored June Marieezy. The Nameless Heroes was the band that got the most votes and thats why they were given the first slot to perform yay for them. June Marieezy on the other hand was such a cutie! She gave off this very fairy like vibe hehe and the way she talked to the crowd just goes to show how charismatic she really is.

There were triangular canvases scattered between the main stage and the redbull stage, they were to be painted on by very talented graffiti people

Cotton Candy man hmmm someone should tell Stan Lee to make a superhero with the same name

I think it'd have been nicer if the venue was a wee bit smaller and if there had been more stuff to do albeit it was still fun to spend the day with Chloe milling about, talking, eating and having a kickass background music. I hope to attend next year's shindig with more of our friends tho, I think we've had enough of the questioning glances that came our way deciphering if we were a couple hahaha.

Ultimate Feel Good Day

This year was supposed to be the 3rd year that my mum and I will join Takbo Para Kay Kristo. Due to my dental woes, my mum was the only one who registered for the run. It was supposed to be my first ever 10k run but then the surgery happened and the days leading to the run was spent by me looking like hell and totally not fit to run. Today however, I was contemplating whether I should join as a bandit runner or whatever haha. In the end tho, I didn't join. Instead, my dad, my nephew Tiantian and I headed to the nearby mall while waiting for my mum to finish.

It's my mum's first ever night run!

This is my dad

That's how he looked while taking pictures hahahaha

My mum!

Im getting some serious 'The Mist' vibes hereeeeeeeeee

The PA system was announcing that registration was still open...I was so tempted but I was wearing my chucks huhuhuh

 We killed time at Festival. Looking for a place that could develop my pictures in an hour was futile. The swiftest they could do was 1 week erghhhh. So my dad and Tiantian ate a bit while I tried in vain to look for any issue of SFX while I was at Book Sale.

After eating, we headed to Octagon to buy a printer. Haha its so weird! We spent a few minutes installing our new printer and ta-da we were done. We went our separate ways after our time in Octagon. My dad went to Ace Hardware while Tiantian went to X-Site. I on the other hand visited my favorite shops hehe. It's too bad they were so far from each other. I went to Astrovision, Odyssey, National Bookstore, Power Books and other random stores that caught my eye. 

I really love this photo <3

After barely an hour, the three of us met up at Power Books since it was my dad's landmark as to where we parked our car. After a drought of new books, I finally bought myself a new book! It's called Zombiesque and it features 16 stories by different authors that revolve around how life would look like in the eyes of a flesh eating ghoul hehe. 

That's how the rest of my Saturday went. I must say after a week of my self-proclaimed house arrest, it really feels good to be around people again hehe.

P.S. Good news!!!! I can smile again!! I've had a hard time smiling after the surgery because the wound would still be too tender that I couldnt lift my upper lip, but now that it's quite okay, I can smile again. Maaaan it feels good to not feel like such a grouch anymore!

Digital Summer Cleaning

My mum and dad asked me to clean my mum's laptop since it was running slower than rheumatic snails. I planned on doing it earlier today but then I had a sudden urge to be helpful so I did it last night. It was a huge pain in the neck, but it was well worth it because of all the embarrassing and weird and highly nostalgic stuff that I found. One would be the drawing above that I scanned last year and below would be the various fanfics that I wrote for Twilight herrrrng.

This one's called 'Born For This'....it's about zombies

What I had to check to see if theyre still needed or not

EANDJ continuation.doc

I also found a TON of friendster profile codes and multiply ones as well. I swear the txt files even had names like 'retro.txt'

One of the weirdest things I stumbled upon was this powerpoint! It's apparently some sort of diary of a character from the movie Bend It Like Beckham. It was so weird and very comical to say the least. I have no idea why we'd have the file hahaha.

Erghhhhhhhhh

.......................

This one's actually about music....but still mainly about Twilight huhu

I seriously was having the time of my life rifling through all the files in my mum's laptop last night. I was going haywire on twitter haha! I finished deleting, transferring files and uninstalling a bunch of applications at around 4 in the morning o.0. Feeling quite inspired, I also fixed/cleaned my laptop! And after lunch, I finally got to organizing my pictures stored in my lappytoppy. It seems I can't wait for spring what with all my digital summer cleaning hehe.