mood: energetic
song: Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra

a roundup of my January: i spent almost 3 weeks down in a state of exhaustion and depression (total mental and emotional breakdown, man!), and not only that, i fell sick on the last week due to salmonella! (it was really horrible.) i guess all these stemmed from the slew of activities we've had (quizzes, the prelims, the research paper, projects, overall anxiety from schoolwork) and that i haven't been well-rested since christmas vacation. those awful days also brought the worst of me, and i thought i could never recover.

so after what has seemed to be the crappiest month of my entire life, things have slowly started to breeze the right way. something tells me that everything will be f-i-n-e!

----

... need i say that february 13 was one hell heaven of a lucky day!

fresh from the euphoria of getting a 98% on our much-devoted research paper the other day, and seeing my crush (woo!) that morning, i thought the fun ended there. so my friend L. and i went surfing on the internet after lunch. i mindlessly scrolled around and decided to check my Gmail account, which i rarely use. imagine my shock when i actually had new email -- and from Sony Ericsson!

backstory: December 21 friday afternoon, when i got hold of the Philippine Daily Inquirer's Dec 19, 2007 paper. my favorite Lifestyle 2bu! section. (that was the weekly youth section that got my "Vertical Challenge" published) had a feature on the new Sony Ericsson walkman phones, and a contest was open and they were giving away the phones! ... the task was like: what music do you listen to while commuting / on the road. make it funny and unique, and you win! deadline is December 22 midnight --- i have only hours left to submit!

being the consummate dilettante that i am, i grabbed a pen and paper and started squeezing my brains out, thinking about all my commuting heaven and hell. i wasn't even in the house that time, so when i got home that evening, i zoomed to the computer and banged away what was supposed to be my entry. it's funny i rode the usual public bus that night, only giving me much more food for thought. (90.7 Love Radio, anyone?)

so i sent in my entry at about 10:40pm of Dec 21. whew!

[[ Click here to read the contest entry. ]]

shameless plugging : while you're at it, do check out The HT Project as it's been newly updated. :)

[[ and here's the email they sent. ]]

upon reading it, shock swamped all over me and i was nudging L to read it too. OMG, I WON!!! ^.^;;; ... my brain zoomed in all places and i couldn't stop squirming in my seat. it took me several minutes to digest (yeah right haha), and started writing my reply. i was overcome with a joyous feeling, because i knew i wanted the phone all along. well to be honest the news came unexpectedly, and due to the many unfortunate events the past month i felt despondent about the contest (i thought i didn't win, and that a month has already passed since), and so i threw the Dec 19 article away. who'd da thunk?

[[ The January 30 announcement ]]

when i got home i called up Sony's PR firm and got the details. they actually published the winners last January 30 (my salmonella week), and i was the only one who hasn't claimed the prize yet! and so i hurriedly called my parents, and silly enough, my dad volunteered to go with me to claim it -- the next day, Valentine's Day! what a lovely coincidence. i was absolutely thrilled when we got there and claimed it, and to be able to actually see and feel the phone (wahaha i've never won anything like this!) was so surreal.

i remember telling my parents the day i sent that entry that i was positive i was going to win it. a Sony Ericsson was always my dream phone, and i really poured my energy out, even with the limited time and the fatigue. miracles do happen! therefore i say: never underestimate the power of the mind. :)

because i'm still speechless right now, the medium is the message:



~~ I LOVE MY W660i!!! ~~

====

and one last thing that made my Feb 13 crazy:



we finally got tickets for the Maroon 5 - Live in Manila Concert!
i thought we were never going to watch it anymore. countdown: just 2 weeks away (march 5 baby!)!!! i will be loved!~~

Libellés : life, love

---

mood: happy

song: My Funny Valentine - Chris Botti

*something beautiful i read that's perfect for the day*

Me gustas cuando callas (Poema XV)
Pablo Neruda

Me gustas cuando callas porque estás como ausente,
y me oyes desde lejos, y mi voz no te toca.
Parece que los ojos se te hubieran volado
y parece que un beso te cerrara la boca.

Como todas las cosas están llenas de mi alma
emerges de las cosas, llenas del alma mía.
Mariposa de sueño, te pareces a mí alma,
y te pareces a la palabra melancolía.

Me gustas cuando callas y estás como distante.
Y estás como quejándote, mariposa en arrullo.
Y me oyes desde lejos, y mi voz no te alcanza:
Déjame que me calle con el silencio tuyo.

Déjame que te hable también con tu silencio
claro como una lámpara, simple como un anillo.
Eres como la noche, callada y constelada.
Tu silencio es de estrella, tan lejano y sencillo.

Me gustas cuando callas porque estás como ausente.
Distante y dolorosa como si hubieras muerto.
Una palabra entonces, una sonrisa bastan.
Y estoy alegre, alegre de que no sea cierto.

======

translation:

I Like For You to be Still

I like for you to be still: it is as though you were absent,
and you hear me from far away and my voice does not touch you.
It seems as though your eyes had flown away
and it seems that a kiss had sealed your mouth.

As all things are filled with my soul
you emerge from the things, filled with my soul.
You are like my soul, a butterfly of dream,
and you are like the word Melancholy.

I like for you to be still, and you seem far away.
It sounds as though you were lamenting, a butterfly cooing like a dove.
And you hear me from far away, and my voice does not reach you:
Let me come to be still in your silence.

And let me talk to you with your silence
that is bright as a lamp, simple as a ring.
You are like the night, with its stillness and constellations.
Your silence is that of a star, as remote and candid.

I like for you to be still: it is as though you were absent,
distant and full of sorrow as though you had died.
One word then, one smile, is enough.
And I am happy, happy that it's not true.

---