MISTERYOSA.COM

This is the end of the line for Misteryosa.com.

Blogging should have been a fun pastime, but I’m no longer feeling it here. This just isn’t me anymore, and I’m sad to say that.

I probably won’t close down the site, but there definitely won’t be any updates from here on. Well, maybe some announcements from time to time, but no more of the personal stuff.

This isn’t an easy decision for me to make, but it must be done.

Besides, I’ll probably take this decision back by tomorrow.

USTedyante

If you think you’re a coffee addict, then what can you possibly think of 28-year-old Sunshine Plata?

She uses instant coffee to create a masterpiece, and the above painting is her first with the style. She approaches art with a relatively unique medium, and this has proven that innovation, as well as taking chances, is the key to success.

It all started one fateful day when she saw a 19th century artifact with a signature done in coffee by the artist. And to think that it survived all these years was an exceptional thing on its own. Then, an idea. It was perfect, and it was ingenious.

Why not use coffee to paint?

El Hada Encantada

Who needs expensive painting materials when you can probably afford a watercolor brush and a sachet of 3-in-1 (much preferably black though, heh) stacked away somewhere in your cupboard?

I know I don’t.

If you can create something so big out of something so small and cheap, why not take the chance and allow your creative juices to flow freely, instead of making your meager budget a hindrance to your dreams?

Sunshine’s artworks are incredible and impressive in their details. I’m immediately taken in by their aesthetic value and success. Who wouldn’t? Even Ripley’s Believe It or Not thinks hers is a noteworthy talent and method, and is impressed enough to buy 2 paintings for $2,500. One of her works has been featured on The Martha Stewart Show.

My favorite of her works?

Fairy of Sorrows

The Fairy of Sorrows. In fact, it has inspired me enough to plan to write a short story in the near future, although, of course, it would be a fanfiction by nature. And oddly enough, it’s the one featured on The Martha Stewart Show.

When asked what her message is to inspiring artists, Sunshine has this to say (or write, ’cause, well, we’ve never met personally…yet :)):

Message to artists/non artists, to pinoys, to everyone: If your intentions are good and noble, u should never let whatever circumstance u have in life to hinder u from expressing ur creative self in whatever form. If people without limbs can use their feet or their mouth to paint how much more ourselves who are not put in that kid of a dilemma? all we need is that passion, perseverance and that spark of creativity flowing in our veins in order to be another creator of beauty and pure honesty.

Theres a book entitled “dream and ur dreams will fall short” and i can see the truth in that now! i dreamed but not this gigantic and all the things i am getting now are bizarrely beyond my wildest dreams! i encourage everyone to pray, only God can help u attain the utterly unexpected! filipinos are known to be pious and i say ur not born a filipino for nothing, there is absolutely a purpose! remember bamboo’s song ‘pinoy ako”: “sabi nila may anting anting ako pero di nila alam na diyos ang dahilan ko”

Maraming pang magagaling na pinoy talents na undiscovered at naniniwala akong kayang-kaya pa nila higitan yung mga natamo ko! kailangan lang sila mabigyan ng pagkakataon, suportahan at paniwalaan! Hiling ko po sa mga kapwa ko pinoy: ‘ipagdasal niyo po ako kailangan ko yun araw-araw, salamat po”

YUN TINAMO KO PONG KARANGALAN AY HANDOG KO SA BAWAT ISANG MAMAMAYANG PILIPINO, MATAPANG KA, KAYA MO….PARA SAYO TOH!

And I think to myself, if I truly was a coffee addict, I would have thought of something to do with coffee other than drink it.

To you, Sunshine Plata, I send all the good luck and thanks. For your cunning, your creativity, and your love for the art AND the Filipinos. Keep on painting. I know our kababayans support you all the way.

(Wonder if, despite my apparent disdain for Nestle products, we can invite her for a talk session in Bloggers’ Kapihan? He he.)

In the span of 1 day, I’ve been demoted/promoted (depends on how you look at it) from blogger to shrink.

Yan ang sabi ko almost 2 weeks ago.

Pero ang totoo niyan, nauna akong naging shrink bago ako naging blogger.

It’s nothing new na marami akong kaibigan na nagco-confide sa akin dati, when I was younger. Sabi nga nila, ako ang ultimate choice pag hihingi sila ng adviser ng mga nakakakilala sa akin. Malupit daw ako magbigay ng advice; sagad sa buto at tagos sa puso.

Psychic nga ako kung tawagin ng iba dahil alam ko raw kung may problema ang isang tao kahit hindi niya sabihin. Malakas ako makiramdam pagdating sa feelings ng ibang tao. Maingat.

Pero lahat yun ay naglaho nung nag-3rd year high school ako (syet, dramatic).

Marahil alam ng iba kung anu-ano nangyari sa akin nung 3rd year that eventually led to my stopping school. Na-alienate din ako sa father’s side ng family ko dahil sa mga nangyari na yun, pero buti na lang at kahit papano ay tight ang bond namin ng mga insan ko kaya hindi rin ako masyadong nahirapang mag-cope sa mga pangyayari. Pero yung mga tito at tita…it’s another story. Lalo na nung ni-reveal ko sa isang Friendster bulletin ang mga sentimyento ko noong mga araw, linggo, at buwan na lumayas ako ng bahay at natutong mabuhay mag-isa, sa tulong na rin ng nanay ko at ni ate Susan. Si lola, iniyakan lang ang predicament ko at sinabing mag-stay na lang ako sa Marikina (iyakin kasi talaga yang si lola…sa kanya ako nagmana, hehe). Nanirahan sa isang boarding house habang nag-aaral (although fluctuating yung attendance ko…50% ng school year ay di ako pumasok), nagpunta ng Baguio ng isang buwan para “magpahinga,” umiyak araw-gabi para ilabas lahat ng hinaing ko sa mundo.

Simula noon, naging…callous…ako. Manhid, to a point. Malaki ang pinagbago ko, at maraming tao ang nakapansin nun. Di na ako ang masayahing si Shari. Para na akong wa care sa mundo, basta mag-survive lang ako bawat araw ng hindi nasasaktan ang feelings ko ng sobra. Naging maingat ako sa pakikipagkaibigan. Naging maingat ako sa pakikihalubilo sa ibang tao. Naging maingat lalo na pag involved ang feelings ko.

May mga tao na, when I most needed them, eh inabandona ako. Kung kailan ko kailangan ng understanding, dun sa punto ng buhay ko ipinagkait yun. Kaya ngayon, kakaunti lang ang matatawag ko na kaibigan. Samantalang dati, naive ang definition ko ng kaibigan, dahil lahat ng tao, para sa akin, ay kaibigan ko (except for the leeches they call politicians). Na dahil nandoon ako para sa kanila all throughout the storms in their lives, in-assume ko na ganun din ang gagawin nila para sa akin. Pero hindi pala, may mga hangganan pala ang suporta at pang-unawa.

Nagalit ako sa mundo. At blogging lang ang naging solusyon ko para mapahupa ang hindi kaaya-ayang pakiramdam na yun. Mahirap kasi magdala ng galit sa puso eh, mabigat sa pakiramdam.

Ang hirap pa ‘run, ang galit ko ay mostly directed sa sarili ko. Lahat ng nangyari, kasalanan ko rin naman. Kumbaga, sa lahat ng problema ko nung bata ako na tinago ko kung ano ang tunay kong nararamdaman, sumabog lahat bigla dahil sa iisang pangyayari. Di ako proud sa naging reaksyon ko. Noong mga panahon na yun, ang inisip ko lang ay kung paano ako makaka-survive sa punto na yun ng buhay ko nang hindi magbe-break down ng husto.

Oo, inaamin ko, suicidal ako. Ilang beses na rin akong nagtangka during the years na naghihirap ang puso ko. I didn’t know pa’no ihandle yung ganuong problema, kasi sanay lang akong ihandle ang problema ng iba. Hindi ko akalain na yung mga nangyayari sa iba ay maaari rin pa lang mangyari sa akin. Kasi shempre, alam niyo naman, madaling magsalita pag hindi ikaw ang agrabyado.

Inamin ko sa sarili ko na mahina ako. Di ako kasing tatag tulad ng iniisip ng iba. I’m an emotional and psychological mess, to put it simply. Kaya ang nagiging scapegoat ko ay ang blogs ko, dahil kahit papano, kahit di man ako maintindihan ng mga tao, at least may’ron akong mapaglalabasan ng mga iniisip at nararamdaman ko.

I want someone to listen, not just merely hear what I have to say. And I think I’ve found it in the form of blogging. Even if my blog can’t talk back, the notion that it’s “listening” is enough of a comfort for me.

Yes, yah read that right. My fucking Palm Treo has been lost. Or/and taken. I should blame this all on Kevin, Bleue, Rens, and Aaron James for convincing me to stay for a couple of hours past my self-imposed curfew. I doubt I’d even remember if I got robbed. Basta the only thing that comes to mind is that I was so sick I vomited my gut off when I told the taxi driver to stop for a minute on the road. Well, actually, I’ve been doing that since I woke up earlier this morning.

Heck, even the BayanTel man who fixed the DSL connection a few minutes ago found my demise highly amusing and worthy of a good chuckle.

I wouldn’t have gotten drunk. I wouldn’t have forgotten how in hell I got home in the middle of the night. And most of all, I wouldn’t have lost my phone.

It hurts so much because aside from the fact that almost all my files are saved there (via my 2GB SD card), that’s Php7,000 of pure blogging earnings. Php7K down the drain. Damn it all to hell. And now, it’s all gone *poof* and I can’t possibly do anything about it. Filipinos are ingenious; I’m sure one way or another, the one who got the so-called blessing will find a way to crack the intricate password I’ve set on the phone.

Gone are my Kurama/Botan fanfictions. Gone are my contacts. Gone are my life and blood.

So, Drew’s (it’s in Katipunan, almost across McDo, behind Shakey’s), here’s to you and your power to make me drunk as hell. Guys (those I was with yester night), here’s to your haggling prowess when it comes to my curfew. I lost my frigging phone, and I thank you all for that. Yes, yes, I’m acquitting myself of this crime.

(Or maybe it’s karma for speaking ill about *some* bloggers, he he.)

In the meantime, you can text me at +63 928 206 2263. Be sure to tell me who the hell you are and what your business is with me.

Thank you.

Finally, after about an hour of hair-pulling and screaming, WordPress is doing what I’ve wanted it to do: display my friends’ feeds in the dashboard. I ran into a problem the first time around and blamed it all on Google Reader, but it turned out that I was the one at fault for not clearing up my private data.

Really, how dumb can I possibly get?

Obviously, this “technique” won’t be able to display all the feed items, especially if you’re like me who’s subscribed to more than a hundred blogs and news sites. Still, it’s a bit convenient and spiffy, if only to find out the freshest blog posts in all the blogs I frequent.

Alternatively, you can use the one “reserved” for the WordPress Development Blog feed.

And to tell you the truth, I used to tinker with the core files just to do this. I know, I really am such a loser.

PS: I’m still in the process of re-subscribing to other blogs, so pardon if it seems like I’ve forgotten yours.

I’m taking a break from all the animé-related stuff for a while. This very much needed breather is brought to us by my newly purchased Nancy Drew books. Close friends are well aware that I’m a huge fan of the teenage detective while I was growing up (not that I’m insinuating that I’ve stopped growing up, mind you), and needless to say, I’m very happy with the addition to my precious collection. The online list of books I have, however, is yet to be updated; I’ve sold some of the paperbacks I was ready to part with. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that the Yu Yu Hakusho addiction has been put on hold…until further notice.

My dad has decided to have some house glitches fixed these past few days. Took him long enough. But it doesn’t matter. The toilet’s flush is now working, and I’m a very happy waste-excreter again. I no longer confuse my facial wash to be a toothpaste when brushing my teeth because the tiny sink in the bathroom has been restored. The kitchen’s worn look is now gone, replaced by sparkling white tiled walls that look more glamorous than my fanciest wardrobe (in short, it doesn’t look that creepy and dirty anymore).

Dad’s also been thinking of actually going through the age-old plan of adding a new bedroom so my mom would stop bunking over at my room (it’s the way things are since the ‘rents had a falling out years ago). My huge pull-out bed is destined to be “mutated” soon, poor bed (since I keep complaining that it’s too big and takes up much precious space of my little room). I don’t know what’s to become of my hanging room-wide bookshelf because it seems that my dad thinks that the new room should be mine (yeah, he’s still busy making up for his…*ahem*…whatever). It’s also supposed to make the house a little cleaner…like that would work. We have too many furniture in the house to last us a lifetime. And dad’s already planning to buy another TV for the room. A TV! My mom and I sometimes joke to him that he should install a small TV inside the bathroom, and he’s seriously considering it! Holy crap, what is it with TVs that he fancies?!

*heaves*

Uh-huh. Okay. I’m fine now. *sighs*

The drawback in the whole experience is that the man who works to repair and reconstruct the house, Kuya Buboy, is here every single day. The consequence of this isn’t at all funny. I mean, really, it’s no laughing matter that he’s become involved in my dreams. Sometimes when I see him in the house, I’d wonder if I was dreaming or not. Not that the dreams are erotic in nature, but still….

I’m even beginning to build the room in my mind. I’m not much of a designer (digital and otherwise), but I see my room with apple green walls and light pink closet. It’s beginning to cloud my senses that at one time, I woke up screaming, “Holy shit! Pink!” Seriously, pink?! Although I admit that while I get sick of looking at pretty pink blogs (no offense meant, but there’s just too many of them proliferating the web for me to bear), I’ve grown fond of the color. And it’s not because Botan-chan’s eyes are a shade of pink and violet (depending on her mood) too, so, uh, yeah.

My mom and I have also persuaded dad that the gate should be painted mint green. See, my mom’s favorite color has recently changed from violet to green. What brought about this change, I don’t really know, but at least we agree on something as major as the color of the gate (haha). My color preference is no more than profound than my mom’s; I just fantasize that my future car’s color is green. Don’t ask.

But I honestly don’t know where the pink came from.

So anyway, the huge change is expected to take place this summer. I hear we don’t even have to move out from the house while the new room and upstairs bathroom are being constructed, but I’m definitely not looking forward to the noise that comes with the change. I may have to take a little “vacation” to my grandma’s house in Marikina and be less of a sloth than I already am. That is, if I can stand being away from the “pleasures of life” available right here in the Cruz residence.

Before I go, I have a life-changing question. If you were to choose between the concert of Toto and Swing Out Sister, which one would you go to? Decisions, decisions.

Till the next update, people! It’s good to know I’m not the only one who’s been afflicted with the mental disease that comes with liking animés, harhar.

Uhm, and maybe the “further notice” I mentioned earlier about the YYH addiction came sooner than expected. I just received notices that 3 of the stories I’m following have been updated with a new chapter.

Konnichiwa minna-san! O-genki desu ka?

Gomen for the long absence. I’ve been too busy hiding my big ass from everyone to update, and the will to blog has, honestly, *poof* gone.

You see, I blame it all on my phone. As per the recommendation of our very own Ederic Eder, I have acquired a second-hand Palm Treo 650 roughly the same time of my last blog entry. Needless to say, I’ve become much attached to the entertaining contraption. I’m too occupied maximizing its PDA features to even text, and people actually have to give me a ring for me to spare them a minute.

When I say PDA features, I actually mean its capability to store word documents that enables me to read anything on the go. Cool, huh? Even the laptop that we finally have has taken a backseat when I got this spiffy thing.

Aside from the techie reason, my other excuse is that the animé fanatic in me has burst forth. See, since I was in grade school, I’ve been a major fan of Yu Yu Hakusho (Ghost Fighter in the Philippines). It’s the only animé I’ve ever bothered watching in my whole pitiful existence. I’ve seen every episode and OVA there is, and I still crave for more. Darn my insatiable craving for this foolish thing.

So anyway, the point is, to satisfy the monster inside me, I’ve decided to read *drum rolls* fan fictions! It’s actually quite a ridiculous thing. I have never taken notice of this particular genre of fiction because…well, just because.

And then I accidentally stumbled upon FanFiction.net (okay, so maybe it wasn’t so accidental) and read a couple of stories, the most notable being After the Fall by a certain J.D. Fielding (which seems to be a favorite for many). Who knew that fan fictions could be so engrossing? I certainly didn’t realize its potential until I read the aforementioned work of fiction. And then I “discovered” Between Death and Reality & its sequel Forever Fornever Tantei, and the Just Like Heaven-like story of The Ghost of You.

Of course, it may be because I’m just biased.

I like Botan (Charlene). Hell, I adore Botan-chan. I love her. To say that I’m almost in love with her would be an understatement. If I could fuck her, I probably would. While I don’t really like any male in the series, I, uhm, support the relationship between my favorite ferry onna and the bishounen kitsune, Kurama (Dennis). Either as the silent Shuichi Minamino or the cunning Youko Kurama, Kurama-kun is, in my opinion, perfect for Botan-chan. They look good together, and their personalities complement each other, and that’s that, really.

Still, Botan is mine, mwahahaha!

Have I sunk too low for you yet?

Good, coz I have more disgusting revelation.

Let’s see…The appropriate mathematical equation for it would be:

Treo 650 + fan fictions = hours of reading fan fictions on Treo 650

Neat, right? Thank goodness there are at least a few decent K B writers in FanFiction.net. I keep saving stories on my phone to keep up with my YYH hunger.

So…ahem…yeah. That’s really all there is to it. If you still don’t believe me, just notice the random Japanese words scattered in this blog entry.

Funny, ne?

Anyway, doumo arigatou. Thanks so much for sticking up with me no matter what. I take my leave now.

Ja ne!

Note: Please understand that I did “research” on the Japanese words that I’ve written here, so I’m perfectly aware of their meaning and if they’re informal or impolite or whatever. That’s all.

…is such an incredibly stupid thing to do, don’t you agree?

Like, maybe, doing something stupid?

Ahh, such a stupid thing to do!

Bloggers’ Kapihan 3.0 has come and gone. All thanks to Mr. Dohn Nalumen Jr. of Kape Tasyo, Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, Cristina Palabay of Gabriela, and all the attendees for the support.

Vencer did live blogging while I did live twittering (well, I tried). Hot damn that was hard! I easily lost focus on things partly because Robby was badgering me all the time. Blah. Tonyo released a press statement shortly after.

After the event, brother and I went to Gateway to meet up with our mom. I finally got to spend the Rustan’s gift certificate my dad gave me last year, and what better item to spend it on than a pair of new sandals from Havaianas? My first Havaianas, actually. I had to settle with the it because everything in Rustan’s was overpriced and absolutely way out of my league (both in size and price, haha). I could feed a family for a week with my goddamn slippers. How frigging unnerving. Imagine stepping on a thousand-peso cake.

Moving on…So my mom and brother and I waited for my dad at Seafood Island. This time around, we ordered the Bento Boodle - a classic feast of tuna sashimi, tofu nuggets, miso soup, salmon belly teriyaki, crab tempura, beef yakiniku, pork tonkatsu, chicken teriyaki, sauteed vegetables, and Japanese fried rice - all for PhP660. The order is good for three to four people, but we still had a little difficulty licking the leaf plate clean like this one. And agaaaiiiinnnn when I tried to order Piña Colada, the guy inspected me and told me it’s an alcoholic drink.

Like, really! Do they do that all the time?!

Now where am I?

Oh, yeah. The title of the post.

My brother’s feeling a bit sick (no doubt because of his kakulitan) so my dad went to fetch the car instead of all of us going at the parking lot. And just when my mom and I were about to get in, mom heard meows…coming from under the vehicle. At first we couldn’t find the damned cat that was doing all the meowing. After a few minutes parked in front of the restaurant looking like complete idiots, looking for an invisible meowing cat, the security guard of Seafood Island approached us and asked what was wrong. A couple of eras later, a black kitten finally emerged and ran off to where the car was parked earlier. Like hey, we could have catnapped a damn black kitten!

And to think that if my mother’s hearing ability was a little less sharper, the poor kitten would’ve been home with us, if not poor-kitty dead.

See you all later today at Kape Tasyo for the much-awaited Bloggers’ Kapihan 3.0 Event! Topic is People Power 2. There’s gonna be unlimited coffee and Wi-Fi access for free! Kitakits!

Bloggers’ Kapihan 3.0
Jan. 19, 2008, Saturday 2:00-5:00 pm
Kape Tasyo (Freedom Bar)
2/F Anonas Commercial Complex
#3 Anonas St., Project 3, Quezon City

Note: Instant after-event party. Kape Tasyo becomes Freedom Bar in the evening.