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Last week, I got a glimpse of slum area life. Yes, slums, as in squatters. I had to go to a slum area for a class, and it was a very enlightening moment for me.

The slum area I visited was almost inside our subdivision. I say “almost” because the slum area shares the same main entryway, but has a different gate and road, which was bordered by a concrete wall. It was like the subdivision management didn’t want the homeowners to see the slum area road.

Entering the slums made me feel like I was entering a prison. And it was quite a prison—the place was surrounded by a creek on one side and tall walls everywhere else. Everything seemed darker and blearier, all hues of black and gray and rust. There was almost no sign that an affluent subdivision was just around the corner.

There were some shanties perched precariously on the edge of the creek. I know, we see them on an almost daily basis along the banks of several major rivers in the metro, but this was the first time I was able to see some up close. And funny enough, I didn’t feel disgusted or repulsed. I didn’t even worry about what the people who lived in the “water-slums” would do when there’s a flood.

Instead, I was amazed. Amazed that these people managed to make a house out of completely nothing—even land. Amazed that they managed to find a way to make the house stand on the water. Amazed at the fact that the builders of the house probably dove into the polluted creek to secure the house’s tawdry foundation. And amazed at the courage of the inhabitants to continue living there, day after day, with the knowledge that a single untimely earthquake can topple the house, and with it all the family had worked for.

This led me to realize that I’ve been very lucky to enjoy all the simple pleasures that I take for granted right now. I have everything I need and a lot of the things I want (but don’t really need), and I still complain that my life sucks (on really unlucky days). What right do I have to say that, when I know that I’m still very blessed, even on my worst days?

What I’m just trying to say is that since all of us Candy Girls are blessed with a good life, we should make the most out of it. Don’t let it go to waste! Study hard, spend wisely, be thankful for little blessings, make your parents proud. Don’t be content to live a sheltered life—know what’s going on beyond the cozy walls of your home. Can you handle living in a shanty by a river, like hundreds of our less fortunate countrymen? Or spending the night in a dark alley, curled up on a bed of cardboard and newspapers, with no proper home to speak of? Only then would you realize just how lucky you are.

Ever wondered what it’s like to be in the spotlight 24/7? The Disney Channel Original movie, “Starstruck” has all the ins and outs of the celebrity life that every teen dreams to have. Here are the things that got me starstruck when I watched the film:

Story. It is a reality versus fantasy story that has an underlying message about celebrities that we should all know. I learned that celebrities, despite the fame and fortune, also yearn for a normal and simple life. Living in the public eye and living up to people’s expectations take a lot of effort and pressure. Celebrities need a break too and most of all, they are real people; they also make mistakes.

Songs. The music is one of the best that I heard. The songs really fit the theme and the story. My favorite track is “Hero (Unplugged Version)” by Sterling Knight. When I heard the song, it never left my mind so much so that it was the most played song in my iPod! The lyrics are so beautiful and sweet and the tune is so mesmerizing! It will leave you hoping that someday a guy will sing you a song with lyrics like this:

I, I can be everything you need
If you're the one for me
Like gravity
I'll be unstoppable

I, yeah I believe in destiny
I may be an ordinary guy
With heart and soul

But if you're the one for me
Then I'll be your hero

Danielle Campbell. A fresh faced beauty and an actress to watch out for! I like the way she portrayed her role: a down-to-earth and opinionated girl who doesn’t care about celebrities and Hollywood. I find her acting natural that to me, it didn’t look like she’s acting. I also like the way she gave off that I-don’t-care-about-you-stay-away-from-me attitude towards Christopher Wilde. It was so funny! She got love-struck with Christopher at first sight and denies that she likes him even if it’s obvious already. The typical pakipot girl! Eventually, that attitude was what drew Christopher to know her better. So cute!

Sterling Knight. We saw him on 17 Again as Alex O’Donnell and as Chad Dylan Cooper on Sonny with a Chance. But I guess it’s in Starstruck that he swept girls off their feet. If I’m not mistaken, this is his first role as the lead and he pulled it off! His smile has the ability to make hearts pound like crazy, his voice oozing with sweetness that can make you sing “you’re the voice I hear inside my head the reason that I’m singing,” and those tantalizing blue eyes that can make you melt like popsicle. What more can I say? He absolutely makes it on the list of every girl’s dream guy. Who wouldn’t wish for Sterling to be their Knight in shining armor?

My, my, times have changed.

Back when I was in flared pants and bandana headbands, the cool thing was Pokemon, Tamagochi, “Who scored highest on Tetris?” and straight haired thin girls with amazingly-shaped eyebrows matched with a perfect pout. The boy of our dreams? Tall, not so dark and very, very, very handsome.

So here is the reason why I am blabbing on like an old lady that was bitter about beautiful people and their super power to turn all guys into mush and have all their professors give them As: The Geek’s Guide To World Domination.

*Angels Singing* AHhhhhhhhHHhHhH

Utter genius, this book.

Basically, it equips you with the necessary skills to really control the universe.

Wanna learn how to:
Brew your own beer?
Build a laser beam?
Clone your pet?
Exorcise demons?
Grasp the theory of relativity?
Kick ass with sweet martial-arts moves?
Master the Ocarina of Time?
Pimp your cubicle?
Write your name in Elvish?

Or better yet, when you graduate from business in college, create a company called “The Universe” and be the president of it so you can properly and legitimately introduce yourself as “The President of The Universe”.

Get this book on your hands girls!

The Future President of The Entire Solar System,
Jaz R.

I don’t know how to use Photoshop. There I said it. Not that I’ve been denying it for the past years or so, I just didn’t want to admit that when it comes to graphic design, I have no knowledge whatsoever. Nada. Zero. None.

So when Toycamera Analogcolor was introduced into my life, you have no idea how glad I am. Finally… vintage-feel photos without the headache!

I know how some people say that post-processing of photos is so not in the spirit of photography, but I guess people will continue to have their opinions on what is and what isn’t. As for me, I’m very happy with how my photos always turn out and how they always look so much better after I run them through this easy and nifty application.

Here are a few of my favorites.

1. The Makati skyline in daylight. You know how God is forever greater than man? I think this photo captures that idea so very well.
   
2. Overlooking Manila Bay.
   
3. Mykah (my youngest sister) at the Baywalk.
   
4. Kerren. My younger sister doesn’t like this photo very much, so posting it here is kind of a secret. But I just love how everything around her is a blur, while in the middle of it all, she’s the only thing that’s definite and real. Thank you, slow shutters.
   
5. Racing fireworks.
   
6. Toy. My only brother doesn’t really like being photographed, thus the hand.
   
7. And the obligatory hand-on-the-nose self-portrait. Taken by photobooth.
   

Toycamera Analogcolor may be downloaded online for free. Please click this link.

Have you ever experienced Murphy’s Law at its finest? You know, when everything you do just seems to go wrong, just when you need things to run perfectly?

I have. Many times. And it is never pretty.

Last week was the latest. Everything was going fine until Wednesday.

Then Thursday happened.

What was the incredibly unlucky thing that happened last Thursday, you ask?

Well, our landline and internet decided to go bust.

I know what you’re thinking: that’s so lame. Don’t get me wrong, I normally can function properly without those two. Unfortunately, it just so happened that I had a huge paper due the next day, with the sources only available online. Among other important internet-dependent things to do.

Can you spell DEDZ?

But thanks to the wondrous gods of procrastination, I managed to pull through. I lugged my laptop to school the following day at 8:30 AM (thank god my Friday classes start at 1!), parked my bum in a wi-fi zone and literally crammed my way through the paper. I’m pretty sure everything I wrote was complete nonsense, since I read the source article in about two hours and did the paper for about another two hours, finishing at exactly one o’clock on the dot, with no lunch break. But hey, I managed.

Now, our printer’s saying that it has no more black ink, just when I needed to print something ASAP. Come to think of it, isn’t it annoying that you can’t print at all even if just a single color cartridge is empty? I mean, do I really need black ink if I just wanted to print something in cyan? COME ON. Oh, and our doorbell’s also busted, so people have to knock on our gate for like ten minutes before someone opens it. (I know, totally non sequitur, but it’s so not a good thing on days when you get home and you really feel the urge to pee.)

But hey, I’ll get through. And so can you. I know life can seem totally hopeless at times. Feel free to blame that spoilsport pessimistic Murphy guy, whoever he is. But in the end, it’s just another test, designed to make you a better, awesome-r person. Because I’m sure that the higher beings up there won’t give you a challenge you can’t conquer. Whether it’s a busted internet line or a backstabbing friend or something that’s more on the level of a national disaster, you can pull through. We all can. It’s just a matter of being optimistic and staying positive (and being extra hardworking for a few days). Then you’ll see.