I need to be more active.

Last Saturday, hubbie and I went to a Filipino party at Washington, DC with another couple friend. We had the time of our lives just dancing.  There’s 3 things that Filipinos love doing – eating, dancing and singing.  So it won’t be any wonder if you’d go to a fancy Filipino party and see all three activities in full swing – lots of good food, karaoke singing and ballroom dancing.   We actually saw a few couples who were very good at ballroom dancing that I told hubbs maybe we should follow up on that thought we had a year ago of going to a few ballroom dancing classes. Thing is, I should look for an affordable dance school cause the ones I’ve seen so far are priced so steep.  Do you know that there’s this school of thought out there saying that couples who dance together build a better relationship between them?

I had fun that Saturday night. Hubs and I were just enjoying ourselves dancing silly. Come to think of it, that was actually the first time we went out to a formal social event.  It was something we both needed to refresh ourselves what with all the work and commuting and housework we always did.  We vowed we’d have more of this kind of fun next time.

One thing I also miss is tennis. I used to take tennis lessons years ago. Altho I wasn’t really that good at it, admittedly, I could return a serve (but my backhand’s bad, ha ha ha). The only bad thing that time was that I had a heart problem that prevented me from running after the ball too much. Thus, I never got to pursue learning the game after one summer. (This was years before I had a heart surgery that now enables me to do marathons if I want to. ) You know what else I loved about the sport? The gear! The ladies’ tennis shoes, the tennis racquet I picked out and the cute tennis gear. Ok, so I’m going about this for the wrong reasons, but I’m a girl, so sue me ;P

Speaking of tennis shoes, there was a time during my college years that I got so crazy with tennis shoes. All the colors, all the popular brands. My favorites then were Nike’s and the popular K Swiss tennis shoes. Maaan, if you had K Swiss then, you had style. I think I had to prod my mom to buy me two pairs – and that was an enormous feat, if you know my mom. On and off the tennis courts, they were the “official shoes of summer” for the teens during my younger years.

Not only did I go crazy with the shoes. Since I had noone to borrow my tennis racquet from, I had to ask my mom to buy me one. It took me a long time to pick which one I liked and would be good for my size. And when I did, my mom still didn’t buy me one.  Dismissing me by saying that we didn’t have the money for it.  But later on that same month, my dad gave me one for summer. I can’t remember very well what brand they gave me.  But I do remember that there was this one babolat racquet that made my mouth water that time.  Well my tennis racquet was also cool and that was what I used the whole summer. I know that before I left for Canada that racket is still in my closet.

One of these days, I will go back to playing tennis. Maybe when the summer comes and the weather gets warmer, I’d be able to think about this again and be serious about my need to exercise

They had the primaries here last Tuesday.  I can’t vote yet, but hubs did.  I guess with all the excitement sorrounding the presidential elections, he has that urge to be a part of history in the making.  Which is really good.  I would’ve done the same thing if I could.

We’re indeed living in interesting times.  Whoever thought that an African American or a woman would run for president here in good ol’ USA?  Not that I do n’t welcome any of it:  

I came from a country who has had 2 women presidents already. – one, I’m proud of, and one, I wish would step down – like, YESTERDAY.  But nonetheless, the idea of a woman running the country isn’t new to me anymore.

As for an African American president, I’ve always wanted to see the day when that might happen eversince I read this fictional novel about the first black president of the US when I was a teen-ager.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember the title nor the author of the book.  It would be absorbing to compare it with what’s happening right now.

What’s new to me tho is the rule that either Barack or Hilary would still need to garner enough number of pledged delegates in order to be declared the official presidential candidate for the democrats.  And if neither gets the desired magic number, the “super delegates” would decide which one of them would run.   I wonder why they had to have that rule?

But on the other side of the fence, I think McCain’s a shoo-in already for the Republican Party.  I’ve read some opinions that he’s much more liberal for a Republican.  But I guess that’s why I like him and am not opposed to having him as president should he win.  

Nevermind that I can’t vote yet, but I think I consider myself a Democrat.  There was this article in Time Magazine showing a comparison of where each party stands on important issues and going thru the article, it made me realize that I agree with the Democrat’s points of view more than the Republican’s.   

I guess, I am a donkey.

But there’s this notion in the air that most immigrants have a Democrat leaning anyway – maybe because the Democrats have a more lenient policy with regards to immigration.  *shrug* Don’t know who said it, I just heard that. 

Also on that same issue, the cover story talked about young Americans who are now suddenly enthusiastic about voting.  I guess, recent economic and political situations have convinced them that they need to make a stand.  The article says that this upsurge hasn’t happened since 1972 and they’re pointing this change to Obama.  He’s bringing in the young voters.  As the article says, “For a group of voters with no memory of a time before Bushes and Clintons, Obama is a fresh face. His opponents promise to fight, but Obama promises healing. His is the language of possibility, which is the native tongue of the young.”

Altho I’m sure that not all of these young people are democrats, but they’re now out there, more actively exercising their right to make a difference.  It symbolizes that they want to be part of the change, they want their voices heard. 

Interesting and exciting times ahead.  Makes you hopeful amidst the weakening economic conditions right now.

They say that the music you play reflects your moods, if not your personal taste.

I am a child of the 70s and 80s and I love the music during those times. (Yes, children, I am OLD – chronologically speaking, hahaha.) There’s just so much memories when I hear those songs. I know my childhood wasn’t really the stuff made for fairy tales – much alone my teenage years. But now that it’s been decades since then, I have this tendency to romanticize them all. Maybe because whatever hurt or angst I felt then, I have either come to terms with it, or have just forgotten the hurt altogether. Age does that to a person.

Ok, enough rambling.

So what’s in my player?

I don’t just have oldie music in my mp3 player, tho. Which, btw, isn’t an iPod. I have the Zen Vision:M. Why? Because I’m the kind of person who always, always, ALWAYS chooses to get more bang for the buck. That, plus, I’m a cheapskate. Ha. Ha. Ha. But seriously, for the features my Vision:M has and for the price I got for it (which I have to say, I got on sale at Circuit City), it beats the iPod. Not that I don’t want an iPod. Just that… yeah, I’m a cheapskate.

Ok, I’m rambling again. Where was I? Oh, yeah. I always have some new artists on my player. I love Alicia Keys! That woman can write music. I got her latest CD from Starbucks. The barista, maybe due to boredom, let me listen to their own copy (while she yakked about how good it is) before I bought one from her. Not that I was doubting Alicia’s talent… I was just excited to hear right away what she has in that CD.

I also have Vanessa Carlton. Have you seen her mtv of “A Thousand Miles”? Gosh, that girl can play the piano! I’ve never learned to play the piano and I really, really envy anyone who could play it good. I loved that song that much that I made a video of my sister-in-law’s reunion with her high school classmates using this song as the background music.

And the Corrs. This group’s music is so fresh. I have their song “Breathless” on my ringtone when my hubbie phones me. Which reminds me, I have to get their latest CD next payday.

Oh, and I also have Maroon V. The major reason I love this group – Adam Levine! And what else do I have? Amy Winehouse, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Janet Jackson, Clazziquai Project, John Legend, John Meyer, Mandy Moore, Norah Jones, and so many more. I also have a lot of Filipino artists – Bamboo, Orange and Lemons, Rivermaya, Sitti Navarro, Up Dharma Down, 6 Cycle Mind. And these are just some of them. I have the usual here and there, one hit wonders, once seen and never heard of again.

I’m a lover of Jazz music. Fusion, Classic, Smooth, Latin. From Ella F. to Workshy.

I actually have a lot more – not as many as the others I’ve asked. But I’ve got abot 863 songs. Enough for me to forget that I have some songs that I didn’t remember I already have.

Does this give you an idea of who I am?

Yes, a part of my 2008 resolutions – I am reviving my old domains that have been sitting in limbo for a loooooooonnnnngggggggg while and I will be active in my newly-acquired domains. (I have devised a schedule in my head already.)

Getting this domain (manilena.com) off the ground has dragged on for forever! I first planned on making this the home of the website designs that I do. As much as I love designing, it’s the HTML and CSS coding that I seem to have a problem with – I get lazy doing them. So for what seemed like since the ice age, this website has gone to limbo, waiting for me to give it the much-needed attention.

But this time around, it will be revived! I have a very significant aim for 2008 and reviving all my sites will help me get there. I would like to tell you about it, but I want to keep it under wraps for now. Let’s just say that I’m still experimenting on it. Soon enough you’d know. Once I see even a small ray of light at the end of this tunnel. *keeping my fingers crossed*

It wasn’t that easy tho. My domain, having felt neglected, seemed like it was punishing me for ignoring it. I had a struggle installing wordpress for one – it just didn’t want to install completely. ‘Made me convinced the domain was taunting me (“I won’t give in to you this easily! You want me, you have to sweat it out!”) But I said “screw you it!” and deleted the folder’s contents and the folder itself. And while I did, I swear I heard it shrieking (“you haven’t seen the last of meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!”). I removed the domain’s registry from my server (“aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!“). And then I reverted the registration back which created the folders again and then I installed WP again.

And it worked.

And now you can see this (“You better be a good human from now on, girl! Or you’d have the wrath of me all over again!”)

uhhhhmmmm…

So what do I plan to do with this domain now?

I still plan on doing website designs, but I won’t be pressured now to do so (this ain’t no sweatshop). Instead, I’ll post actual websites I’ve designed and put up for friends. And to make good use of the DSLR my husband and I bought, I’ll also include photographs I’ve taken – I have sooooo many photos that are just waiting to be posted (I don’t want to face their wrath either). What else? Oh, maybe a glimpse of the digiscrap kits I’m doing. And, of course, a few rants about whatever sets my ire. What’s a personal blog without the usual bitchy rants, ha-ha-ha!

So many things…

So basically, this website will now be my “artistic” outlet. And don’t worry, even my rants would be executed aesthetically.