Pentatonix!

I'm actually on a WickedManila high/hangover. The show just closed last night and although I didn't get to watch again especially on their last show, (though I badly wanted to), I've been stalking those instagram posts and videos of random people and the cast members themselves. I turned into an online semi-fan of the show and the touring company. Thank God for hashtags! Unfortunately, I've already dedicated an entry each to Wicked since after watching the two shows, one in Seoul and one in Manila, I know I have to write about something else. Maybe next time, when I get to watch it again in some other country. Still deliberating on whether or not, I will drop a note to Suzie Mathers as Glinda on a tumblr page, real Wicked fans have set up for her.

So instead, I will rave here of another musical addiction of mine, Pentatonix! I am so hooked on this group as well. I am tone deaf and sing off-key but I do enjoy random music from time to time. I've watched all their performances in The Sing-Off 3 through youtube (again thanks technology!) several times already. I like most of their performances but the following stand-out:

Video Killed the Radio Star - it was so fun to watch this one and their choreo.

Sometimes, it's a tad bit hard to believe that they are singing a cappella. Also, they should be listened to with decent headsets to give justice to Avi and Kevin, dubbed as 'meat and potatoes' by the judges.

Dog Days Are Over - their performance level here was just intense!

from then on, they've been putting out great a cappella covers on their youtube channel such as the Daft Punk medley among others:
 

Just recently, Say Something by A Great Big World. I particularly liked their cover considering I wasn't a fan of this song which I first heard from the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Somehow their cover is sad in a good way and soothing.


The first songs I legally downloaded from Itunes are from their Christmas album.

 I did say I'm hooked on this group. I hope there'd be more fans so that they'd cast their nets in Asia one of these days, then we'd get a chance to catch them live! So if you liked any of the videos, go ahead: like, share, subscribe!

If you still aren't overwhelmed, do check out their performance in youtube of Ellie Goulding's I Need Your Love during the finale of last year's the sing-off (2013). Again, they were awesome! And the live clips of them singing an original "Natural Disaster". Watch out for Avi's bass with great headphones if you can. Don't say I didn't warn you though.

I know that this is the most youtube embedded ladden post but one last. This video has that vsco-ish filter vibe. Love it! Just the kind of feels for a dreamy date. (probably too old for that, but hey a girl is a girl and she can still hope right?)

All the love in the World

Boracay 2013

I may have found my new "theme song".

All the Love in the World

The Corrs

I'm not looking for someone to talk to
I've got my friend, I'm more than O.K.
I've got more than a girl could wish for
I live my dreams but it's not all they say
Still I believe (I'm missing) I'm missing something real
I need someone who really sees me...

(Don't wanna wake...) Don't wanna wake up alone anymore
Still believing you'll walk through my door
All I need is to know it's for sure
Then I'll give... all the love in the world

I've often wondered if love's an illusion
Just to get you through the loneliest days
I can't criticize it
I have no hestitaion
My imagination just stole me away
(Still...) Still I believe
(I'm missing) I'm missing something real
I need someone who really sees me...

(Don't wanna wake...) Don't wanna wake up alone anymore
Still believing you'll walk through my door
All I need is to know it's for sure
Then I'll give... all the love in the world

Love's for a lifetime not for a moment
So how could I throw it away
Yeah I'm only human
And nights grow colder
With no-one to love me that way
Yeah I need someone who really sees me...

(Don't wanna wake...) And i won't wake up alone anymore
Still believing you'll walk through my door
You'll reach for me and I'll know it's for sure
Then I'll give all the love in the world
(Don't wanna wake up alone anymore...)

BUT

Ted: The but is there's always gonna be a but. No matter how great things are going sooner or later it's gonna get ruined.

Robin: Ted, everyone has baggage you just gotta look past it.

Ted: You see, everyone's got some baggage. It's part of life but like anything else it's easier when someone gives you a hand with it. - HIMYM

This is probably one of my favorite episodes in the series since I first watched it a few months back. I love how emotional baggage was objectified as actual baggages.

inifinity

the message is just too good not to repost.
Calvin: If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I'll bet they'd live a lot differently.
Hobbes: How so?
Calvin: Well, when you look into infinity, you realize that there are more important things than what people do all day.

Now I remember, I haven't finished reading the two Calvin and Hobbes comic books someone lent me (which I did not get to return). Makes me wanna read them. I should finish the other books/ebooks first though.

Day 5

So it's been 5 days since I last left the comforts of home. It's been an overwhelming learning experience so far. Compared to the 4 months of stay in the US, it was one heck of a walk in the park. This is the real thing. It's more than just a challenge at work but living alone outside my comfort zone. We were not particularly well-off but now I realize my life has been pretty darn easy. I was pretty pampered and sheltered. Compared to what I have and experiencing so far, I was quite spoiled. I don't know if it's a good comparison, but I guess ganito pala ang typical OFW. My other colleagues don't probably qualify as they earn a lot but my measly allowance has to be squeezed to the very last drop to cover the higher cost of living, expenses for the bare apartment, the lack of appropriate clothing for this darn cold weather and the personal costs of meeting with friends whether here or at home. Yes, I need to plan those as early as now if I want to stretch my allowance otherwise I'd end up not saving anything. I can't say it's a good thing because I am having a hard time with the budget and all but that condo purchase adds to this whole experience. And now I learn that the ipad is out... But I might have to save up for a wireless router or a mobile internet...

How can I forget that the language barrier is also a struggle. Step by step I am finding my way around... Hopefully, I discover more and learn the language. I have a whole year of learning experience ahead of me... The people here appear to have really nice, almost flawless skin and somewhat fashionable. I see a lot pretty girls too, I do feel insecure.

Tomorrow, we head to site. Another new thing. So we'll see how that goes.

Hopefully, I get to shop this weekend for winter clothes because I am literally shaking and freezing during my commute or even just going out for lunch. Besides that I have a lot of chores ahead of me both work and non-work. Yes, this is LIFE!

Sidenote: I am happy to have found stores/fastfoods I know in the area though: KFC, Burger King, Subway... whew... If only I can stand the weather I can walk around some more. My heels and the backup together with the weather are too much to handle at times.

burger king and kfc on the opposite side of AK Plaza (at least the one nearest me).

Way back into love

... Of reading.
Well, I wouldn't really claim to be a wide or avid reader as opposed to some who probably get to digest books at the average of 3+ per week but I guess I try to read from time to time...
It hasn't been the case lately. I took a break from both reading and watching koreanovelas/jdramas in favor of apps galore. It has not stopped me from buying books though. So now, I have 6 books bought as early as july last year which I have yet to read.
I think I am finally making some progress though as I finished two already as of this writing and getting ready to start the hunger games trilogy. (yes, finally!) It took me quite a while to get to finish Love in the time of Cholera but I finally managed to do so after prolly a month or so. Don't get me wrong it's not that the book isn't that good, it actually was. I guess my attention span has just deteriorated so much that genre is not really working for me anymore. So it will be a challenge to finish Zahir (which I actually postponed) lest it be cast together with foucault's pendulum, the curious incident of the dog in the night-time, the god of small things among other unfinished-save for whenever ones.
Meanwhile, I find The Emperor's Tomb quite enjoyable in a Dan Brown kind of way. I'm actually lining up his other books on my reading list. Will buy The Jefferson Key as soon as I finish up the books of 2011.
For the most part though, 2011 was a year of YA books. It started with the twilight series some years back, followed by artemis fowl, then percy jackson now there's of course hunger games, incarceron (+sapphique), divergent, mortal instruments... Harry potter is still in the list though and maybe a series of unfortunate events. Given the state of my attention span , looks like YA books are going to be a mainstay in my list.
I guess you can also say this rediscovered love of reading is partly due to the growing fondness for hardbound books with dreams of having a library to store them in, in the future. Given the money, i'd probably buy more but I still have to work on actually reading them. That said I managed to restrain myself from buying those half-priced hardbound YA books on sale at powerbooks. Whew! BUT Donations are welcome especially jimmy liao's which I recently grew to like/appreciate as well. :)