http://pastelsandneons.tumblr.com/

Hi po :) I saw your post about your experience with the NMAT and I just wanted to ask some questions. When can you take the NMAT, third year or fourth year? I'm actually an incoming freshmen in UPM and my course is Nursing. Do you think my course would help me in my NMAT? I know it's too early to think about it, but my dream is to become a doctor. :) Thank you and I really think the both of you are awesome and pretty :))

Thu, 02 May 2013 03:51:00 -0400

Hi there! Thanks for dropping by. :)
I’m not really sure. I think you need to be graduating when you take it, but I took mine right after the second semester of my third year, so it’s kind of in between.

Oh good! Ivane’s at UPM too, taking up Dentistry. For your question though, I’m not really sure. It could help you with the Biology part, and maybe some parts of Chemistry, but other than that, I think all NMAT takers stand equally, except if your majors are any of the sciences in part II.

Imho, it’s never too early to think that! You must really want it; I envy you, I’m still a big ball of uncertainty. Just don’t stress over it too much, you still have a few years to prepare. Hope this helped! God bless!

P.S. Ivane, awesome and pretty daw tayo.. Giggles blushes

NMAT - experience, and some of the things I wish I did

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 02:43:00 -0400

Finally! We apologize for the hiatus, school just won’t get out of our way. We promise to post more, now that it’s finally summer.

With that, I’d like to share a snippet of my experience with the NMAT. If you found this blog by googling “NMAT tips” then you probably know what it is, but if you don’t and you just happened to read this, click here. For the NMAT requirements, click here.

The NMAT is a mixed IQ+Academic test. It determines how well you did compared to the others, not by your performance alone. IMHO, this is kind of unfair. Wouldn’t it be better if they just set a standard score, and that would determine whether you passed or failed? But that’s just me.

Anyhooooo, on to the “tips”!
(I made these tips based from my experience, and from what others have told me. I hope and pray that they help you!)

Register early (NMAT is held twice a year, pag March or April, and December. So check CEM every once in a while to see kung open na ang registration.), para makuha kaagad yung practice set. This is the pseudo-NMAT exam that CEM will give you to review, upon registration. OR borrow from friends who previously took the NMAT, kung papayag sila.

STUDY THE PRACTICE SET. It consists of 2 parts, PART I – IQ test & PART II – The Sciences, much like the actual exam.

Bring extra pencils, a sharpener, and erasers. EraserS. I know it’s kind of a hassle but it’s really helpful when you have something to cover the wrong choices when you’re eliminating, especially in Perceptual acuity, since you’re not allowed to write on the questionnaire (but of COURSE we do, we just erase them afterwards. But then, erasing takes time, precious time that could be used to go back on unanswered numbers).

Know your schedule, building, and room assignment. Arrive early. You should be there before 7AM. Also, don’t forget the things you need to bring (NMAT Identification form, I.D. etc).

Bring packed lunch, OR if you have someone with you who will wait until the exam is over, have him/her buy you lunch and/or reserve seats at a nearby place. No matter how many those stalls may appear, they will all be packed during lunch time. We ended up eating at Jollibee Dapitan with roughly 30 mins left for lunch. Lesson learned. Don’t eat too much, aantukin ka for Part II.

Dress for cool-cold conditions, with comfortable clothes. I remember waiting outside our room, sobrang init. Nung pumasok na kami sa loob, it was freezing naman.

Also, if you’re like me, bring anti-histamines. I get hives whenever it’s too cold. Just in case. 1st protection: Clothing. Don’t take it unless you’re absolutely sure, ‘cause they’ll make you sleepy. But hey, being a BIT sleepy is better than being uncomfortable, swollen, and itchy, right? Or worst, suffer anaphylaxis. So just for precaution, bring them meds!

This is just me, but I think it’s better to use a Jumbo Mongol 2 pencil than the regular sized one. Why? Because the lead is bigger. You’d need less time to shade = More time to answer.

Wear a watch. Yes, common sense, but sometimes under stress, we tend to forget things. We were blessed with a kind examiner who gave us words of encouragement and regular time updates, but you might not be so lucky. So yes, please, wear that watch.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Don’t review too much on the night before the exam. You need to be up early, and you need a good night’s sleep. Answer as much as you can; it isn’t a right-minus-wrong point system, so better have an educated guess than nothing, right? Just do as much as you can.

Lastly, pray. Pray that He would guide you throughout the exam, and that you may be able to accept whatever it would result to.

Review tips:

The exam is time-pressured, so it would be advisable to time yourself while answering the practice set. This is hitting two birds with one stone: Training yourself to answer under time pressure, and finding out your weak points. You can answer the following subtests in whichever order suits you, but you can also just follow the time table given.

This would sound really bad, but since the exam is graded by percentile rank, it would be better to do good in all subjects, BUT also to really do good in subjects where others are most likely to fail. I hate this kind of mentality but if you want that 99+, you have to do everything you can. And no, it’s not really “harming” others, it’s merely trying to give yourself that extra “oomph” to the top.

Study the practice set. Please. Don’t do it once, or twice, but as much as you can. It’s constructed similarly, and it would really help you practice your “testmanship”, as well as get the “feel” of the actual exam. Promise talaga.

Part I consists of Verbal, Inductive Reasoning, Quantitative, and Perceptual acuity.

You don’t need to review much here, it’s mostly basic algebra, vocabulary, but you really need keen eyesight. To prepare for this test, you need to practice, practice, practice. Especially with Inductive Reasoning. You’ll develop your own techniques of elimination.

With the mirror images and finding the difference, you could compare the choices FIRST, find the odd one out, and compare the remaining ones with the original image. Wish I did this, instead of comparing the original image to each choice. Waste of time, Pau.

Writing the letters of the alphabet and it’s equivalent number (For example, A is the 1^st letter of the alphabet, so A =1, B= 2, and so on) on the scratch paper given would really be help you see the sequence and patterns.

It’s up to you if you would buy MSA reviewers or if you would like to enroll in a review center. I didn’t; I wouldn’t be able to attend review classes since we still had OURS (at school, I mean.). Still don’t know how that would turn out. :(

Each subtest consists of 40 items. You need to finish this test within 3 hours.

Part II consists of Biology, Physics, Social Science, and Chemistry.

Some consider this as the “easy” part of the exam, because we already tackled these in high school, while some consider this the difficult part, because when you’re a graduating student, or a graduate, some of the lessons here need RE-reading, RE-learning, RE-viewing.

The topics (in our exam) were fairly basic – basic as in it’s better to understand the principle, than memorizing the definition, formula, etc. (EXCEPT PHYSICS. Formula = relationship. Remember that.) In other words, you should be able to apply the lessons learned. If you HAVE TIME, I would suggest reading those “summary” or “key points” at the end of every chapter of textbooks, OR if you’re a crammer like me, review the questions of the practice set. Don’t be satisfied when you get a number right; you also need to know WHY the other choices are wrong. Don’t memorize the questions, just study the principles behind them.

Social Science should not be underestimated. I’m not saying dito mag-concentrate, ha! It’s just that it needs a different approach sa pagre-review. This is where I THINK I failed (haven’t seen my results yet) because I was totally clueless while I was answering it. All the while I was muttering “50 points down the drain. Why didn’t I read more. Why” So yes. Heads up. Unless it’s your major and you’re confident with your stock knowledge, you should really make time for this and read as much as you can.

Each subtest consists of 50 items, and you need to finish it within 2 hours.

Don’t forget to read this!

You don’t HAVE to follow these tips; you may or may not be comfortable, or you absorb more when you review closer to the exam date, instead of 2 months before. You may have monster math skills. Or fast eyes. Or you really have good “testmanship” skills. Nevertheless, take all these tips with a grain of salt, because it all boils down to YOU. I wrote this to give you an overview of the preparation I did, some of the things I wish did, as well as what you should expect on the day of the exam.

(I needed this to wash out the anxiety of knowing my NMAT result. See, when I applied, I wasn’t nervous. While taking the exam, I wasn’t nervous. It all hit me after I took it. It happens every. Single. Time. *insert scary music here* Doomsday for me.)

Using the words of my good friend, Rodrigo, “Take the NMAT, they said. It’ll be fun, they said.”

Good luck and God bless!

Feel free to submit your tips, too! Just hover above the icons at the top of our page; farthest right to submit tips, and next to that, is the question mark, where you could ask us anything! :)

Paranoid and anxious,

Pau xoxo

Update: To God be all the glory!

fishingboatproceeds: inescapableillusions: look what i...

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:30:45 -0400

fishingboatproceeds:

inescapableillusions:

look what i made

Thanks to inescapableillusions, I just signed your tumblr dashboard.

JOHN GREEN HAS SIGNED PASTELSANDNEONS

I felt obliged to share it with you, please watch it,...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:17:00 -0400

I felt obliged to share it with you, please watch it, it’ll be worth your 3 minutes.

I admit, I’m still bothered by insecurities of my own. I’m not tall enough; I think I stopped growing when I was 13 y.o. My nose isn’t exactly the pointiest. My hair has this weird end length where it doesn’t really grow much anymore once it reaches that.. length (Ugh redundancy), so no, I haven’t experienced Rapunzel hair. I really don’t know how to put this in English so I’ll just say it: ‘di ako ligawin. It hurts a little, when they ask me kung may nanliligaw na. Until one day, my aunt just gave it to me straight: “May mga di talaga ligawin.” So well, thank you for pointing out that I am unattractive. I’m shapeless. I have weird skin conditions. The list goes on.

This video touched my heart, mainly because I was on the road to recovery. Or at least, finding out how to overcome those insecurities.

In a world where you are judged by your physical appearance, sometimes, it’s best that you look and feel your best. You should do what makes you feel good, but keep in mind that you should develop into a better YOU. It’s okay to idolize people, but in the end, make sure you’re still you, not a replica of your idol.

Never compare. You only compare, when they are supposed to be the same. We are all born unique; even twins have differences! You should love yourself, accept yourself. Coming from a person with a truckload of insecurities, that’s saying something.

Being vain is not THAT bad, as long as you’re not being shallow. Make sure that pretty face has more to offer than a few looks. Make sure it’s worth a few laughs, a few tears, and a whole lot of happy memories. In the end, we’ll all be wrinkled anyway.

Never be afraid to be judged, as long as you’re not doing anything wrong, because even if you would become the best peach in the entire world, there would always be someone who would hate peaches.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 03:26:00 -0400

Publisher: Quirk Books

Published: June 7, 2011

I came across this book more than a year ago while I was going around a bookstore with my roommate, Kleir. She was actually the one who showed it to me, and the moment I laid eyes on the cover alone, I was creeped the hell out. Kleir bought the book and read it as soon as she could with her showing me the photos at random just to freak me out.

And as the saying goes, first impressions last. And I’m telling you, despite all the good reviews and persuading Kleir did for me to read the book, I always said no; I’ve always thought of it as some kind of a horror story which is the last thing I want. But curiosity won although it took me roughly two years to gather the courage to go get the book and, well, read it.

But I was wrong with my impression. The story I thought it was, was whole lot scarier than the actual story. Although it is in the YA category (which is my probably my favourite genre; I’ll explain why on a different post), it’s also under supernatural or fantasy which I’m not a fan of.

So Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham Portman, told him stories about his childhood – particularly during the time he spent at an orphanage with ‘peculiar’ kids who levitated, some were invisible or had body parts that aren’t what we consider normal. Growing up listening to these stories, Jacob saw his life rather ‘ordinary’ relative to his grandfather’s, and he envied the old man for this. Soon, he outgrew these stories and dismissed them as ‘fairy tales’ or tall tales. Until one unfaithful event that made him think otherwise. This also led him to seek the truth about his grandfather’s childhood by visiting the old home, and only then did he realized how extraordinary his life is.

It’s hard to write a review on this book without mentioning any spoilers, so I’ll leave you with that.

However, the story as a whole was a bit sluggish but it effectively creates anticipation. Thus, I kept going, along with Jacob’s search for closure, I turn every page hoping for an answer to questions – “Who is Miss Peregrine?” “What makes the children peculiar?” or “Why was Abe in the orphanage?” were answered throughout the story. If you’re still thinking that it’s creepy, it is not.

Despite the lack of vivid descriptions on the characters, especially of the peculiars, the photos did help in creating a picture of the story in your mind. They play with your imagination even with the inconsistency of what Riggs says and what the photo shows, though sometimes the photo itself is incorporated in the story, but I won’t dwell on the photograph situation anymore and other technicalities. Yet, I still wish Riggs gave each of the characters more background story, too; all of them were interesting and they stir your curiosity well enough to get frustrated on the lack of their history.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is an unforgettable read. The history that’s tied into the plot and the photos adds up to the mystery, the magic and the characters that made this book worthwhile.

Ivane gives it a: 4/5

Love,

Ivane xx

Muscle T's

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:25:00 -0400

So, Pau and I were talking the other day and she told me that she wanted to buy some muscle tees but she was having a dilemma - she feels that we should dress more like a lady ‘cause, well, we’re almost 20. But as a fan of muscle tees, or just about any loose piece of clothing, I just had to disagree on this idea that muscle tees can’t be lady-like.

Muscle tees may have started as a guy thing, but nowadays, they’ve become a staple piece for girls, too. I started seeing them mid last year but they went mainstream early this year, becoming a must-have in street style.

I love muscle tees ‘cause generally, they give off a boyish look, but I’d prefer calling it laid-back. And they’re perfect for our freaking hot summer days here in the Philippines. But how do you work a muscle tee and still have a girly vibe?

Apparently I don’t have any photos of myself wearing muscle shirts, so I just went looking for some on Lookbook. Here you go, Pau:

(@lovelybylucy http://lookbook.nu/look/3756901)

This one is probably my favorite. It’s simple and clean. Just add up a statement necklace and you’re good to go. Pau, this is so us. Haha

(@caseymarie1327 http://lookbook.nu/look/3985268)

(@high_stitched http://lookbook.nu/look/3714879)

(@walkinwondrland http://lookbook.nu/look/2111087)

A muscle tee could deliver both a sexy and a grungy look all at the same time. It just depends on how you style it and all. It’s a self-proclaimed must-have. :>

Love,

Ivane xx

PS: We don’t known any of the photos and all credits goes to the owners. :)

Big Shirts and Bandage Skirts (by Ivane L)#simple #casual...

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 03:55:10 -0400

Big Shirts and Bandage Skirts (by Ivane L)

#simple #casual #streetstyle #daily #classy

Black and White Hey, it’s been a long time since we last...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:22:48 -0400

Black and White

Hey, it’s been a long time since we last posted here. Our academics took over our lives but finally, it’s summer! How’ve you been?

So, I’ve finally created my account on Lookbook! Yay me!And this is the first ever ‘look’ I submitted. What do you think?

Oh, and now, let me say the obligatory “hype this look”. :>

Love your blog!♥

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 02:57:14 -0500

Thank you so much! :)

Pampered and POLiSHED!

Sat, 06 Oct 2012 10:46:00 -0400

After almost a month of schoolwork toxicity, we finally had a short break from it all! The calm before the storm, as they always say (Next week is finals week.) So we took the opportunity to relax, and detoxify.

And relaxing = PAMPERING.

All girls, at one point, tried doing nail art. Some of us, including Ivane and I, do it occasionally, and honestly, we can’t get enough of it! So whenever we see something done differently, or a different concept or design, we try our best to paint it on our digits.

With that being said, say hello to..

POLiSHED! THE NAIL ART BOOK

You also get 4 free baby polishes that are named cleverly:

L-R: PINK A BOO, WHITE A MINUTE, BLUE ME AWAY, AND ORANGE YOU GLAD

The book is divided by technique, and every technique develops from a beginner’s level to an expert’s level! Here’s a sneak peek of what’s inside:

Some of my favorites:

Sailor nails!

Harry Potter? or The Flash?

Galaxy nails!

Adorable cupcake nails

Of course, any nail art done based on this book would be published with a tutorial! You could also get your own! I got this from Watson’s, for P195.00.

Pau xoxo

Aal izz well. / 20 out of 10

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 10:58:37 -0400

We don’t always watch bollywood movies, but when we do, it leaves a movie hangover of 1 month…. sometimes, it doesn’t leave at all.

It’s plot revolves around a prestigious engineering school, where the characters all learn from Rancho, the main character, about engineering, education, love, life, and passion. He was not a professor. He was a student. Probably a student like you. He was also a friend. An ideal friend.

Whether you’ve encountered your own “Virus” (in HP terms, Snape), the unending pressure that we all get from school, the love we sometimes fail to show to our families, or just the good times that we have with our friends, we will all learn one thing or two from Rancho. My favorite lesson so far? A new mantra from Rancho:

Aal izz well. / All is well.

Rancho: All is well. ‘aal izz well’. Our heart scares easily, you have to trick it. However big the problem, tell your heart, ‘all is well, pal’.

Raju: That resolves the problem?

Rancho: No. But you gain courage to face it.

fishingboatproceeds: ofpotterandwho: John Green: What To Do...

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 10:20:19 -0400

fishingboatproceeds:

ofpotterandwho:

John Green: What To Do With Your Life (x)

17,000 notes? That’s insane.

(I just imagined a world in which tumblr reblogs could be exchanged for the weird circular baby cheese that Henry eats every day, and then I would have like a lifetime supply of that surprisingly expensive baby cheese. BUT NO.)

HAHAHA the pictures from our recent “out” together....

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 06:34:34 -0400

HAHAHA the pictures from our recent “out” together. The magic of Picasa.

Tune in, tune out.

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 06:12:00 -0400

It’s been a really stressful week, with exam week coming up, expect the oh-please-don’t-come-week-before-exam-hell-week. And nothing says stress than pre-labs, labs, and post-labs. (Symbol of the month: HYPHEN. )

Anyway, being all drained, I saw a wonderful status on Facebook, from my dear friend Kat:

In which I replied: “Just chilling. :)” which was supposed to be with a for in between, but whatever, it still rocks.

Hence the title; I’ve been tuning out of my stressful school life whenever I can, and tuning in to these songs (currently playing Sleep Through the Static while writing this):

Baleen Morning - Balmorhea
Walking with Happiness - The Best Pessimist
Turn Me On - Norah Jones
Golden - The Boy Who Trapped the Sun
Walking After You - Foo Fighters
Morning Swim - Turbo Goth
VCR - The xx
Sparks - Coldplay
Sleep Through the Static - Jack Johnson

My personal favorites: #2, #3, #8, and especially #9!! :)

Just thought I would share some of the things keeping me busy throughout the week. More DIYs post-exams, I promise!!

Believe in the magic of music. :) (Still hooked on The Piano Guys though, they’re really good!)

Pau xoxo

Stripes and Dots

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 10:46:00 -0400

We all know that having your nails done in nail bars can be pretty heavy on the budget. But Pau and I, we’re all about DIY’s - it’s cheaper and well, entertaining. Pretty much our outlet of our so called creativity. And if you’re in the mood to let your creative juices flow, I have for you two simple nail art tricks that you could try.

You’ll just need at least two colors of nail paint, some tape and a pin.

To start, apply your base color. It would be better if you apply the lighter color first.

For the stripes, let the base color dry before placing the strips of tape according to the pattern you want. Cut the strips depending on how thick you want the stripes to be, it’s more convenient to do this beforehand.

Make sure the strips are well placed, then apply the second color.

Before the second color totally dries up, remove the tape carefully. Ta-duuuh! Stripes :D

Now, for the dots.

Place a small amount of the second color on a patch of tape. Then, dab the blunt end of the pin on the drop of nail paint. Remove the excess by dabbing the end once on a clean surface before applying it on your nails.

Apply the paint carefully, making sure the dots have a good distance from each other (for this case).

To finish it off, apply some clear coating.

And there you go, two basic tricks that you could do in a variety of ways - create different patterns and use different colors - don’t limit yourself, love. Go and let your creativity flow.

Wishing you lots of love and fun,

Ivane. xx

PS: Pardon my ugly fingers. :p

Just saw “Something Borrowed”, which was about 2...

Sun, 19 Aug 2012 04:08:18 -0400

Just saw “Something Borrowed”, which was about 2 best friends, and whenever a Darcy-Rachel scene came up, I just went overboard emotional. I understood where they came from, with the “sister-I-never-had” or the “mother-I-need” (on the watch) statements, and especially the “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Ivane, (and I’m quoting you), “What we have, this is for the long run.” I know I’m not the most expressive friend, and certainly not the most outgoing (It’s not my fault….ok maybe half.You know.), and maybe I’m a little biased in saying this, but it’s still completely true; You’re an amazing person, and it’s practically not possible for anyone NOT to love you.

You know what I’m talking about; Ivane’s the “It’s okay” kind of person. Whatever you do, it’ll either be “That’s great” or “It’s okay”. And, it’s not a fake statement either. It’s genuinely okay with her. And that’s just on the surface. She’s one of the most thoughtful people I know, one of the most patient too. And I’m just really lucky to have her as my best friend. I could screw with people and not worry, because I know she has my back. And she’s just the sweetest.

BUT ANYWAY!!! I really miss you (it’s been ages since we last saw each other), and you should see Something Borrowed. or read it. Basta check it out. And stop being sulky and gloomy (If you are.) I miss you!

“Life is one hell of a dance, good thing I have a great partner. :>”

fishingboatproceeds: Everybody was told to make a funny face,...

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:42:24 -0400

fishingboatproceeds:

Everybody was told to make a funny face, but I didn’t get the memo.

Esther Earl would’ve been 18 tomorrow, a real adult. I miss her.

It’s very easy to turn the dead into Lessons for the Living—to say that Esther taught me to Live Life or To Be Grateful or Not To Take Beauty for Granted. But honestly, in my opinion at least, any lessons learned from her death could’ve been learned in some other, easier way. I think the universe overall would be better off if she were still making videos.

I am so glad that I knew Esther, and that she was a nerdfighter, and that through Esther’s family and This Star Won’t Go Out we can still decrease suck with her. But I am also really pissed off that she died.

She was young, blessed with a genuinely sophomoric sense of humor, silly, empathetic, madly in love with her friends and family, and a very gifted writer. It’s hard to isolate why, but I’ve never liked a teenager so much—at least not since I was a teenager. She was just really cool, in the best sense of the word. She never made me feel uncomfortable. She listened to me and responded thoughtfully, and was also happy to tell me I was full of shit.

(On the day this picture was taken, I generally did a not-great job of being an Adult and cried a lot, and at one point Esther was talking about her complicated relationship with the idea of heaven, and I answered that there were all kinds of ways of imagining an infinite afterlife, some of which weren’t even necessarily that supernatural, and she just cocked me a look like, “You need to learn the meaning of the word infinite.” She was right, of course. Back in my hotel room that night, I jotted down easy comfort isn’t comforting, which ended up in TFiOS.)

The nearly two years since her death have complicated my relationship with Esther because now of course there is not only time but a book between us: I could never have written The Fault in Our Stars without knowing Esther. Every word on that book depends upon her.

But at the same time, I don’t want people conflating Esther with Hazel (they’re very different), and it’s extremely important to me that I not claim to be telling Esther’s story. Esther’s story belongs to Esther and to her family, and they will tell it brilliantly and beautifully.

When I was doing publicity for the book, lots of reporters wanted me to talk about Esther because these days novels “based on a true story” do so much better than novels that are just novels. I never really knew how to deal with these questions, and I still don’t, because the truth (as always) is complicated: Esther inspired the story in the sense that I was very angry after her death and wrote constantly, with a focus and passion I hadn’t known since I was rewriting Looking for Alaska in 2003. And Esther helped me to imagine teenagers as more empathetic than I’d given them credit for. And her charm and snark inspired the novel, as did her idea of incorporating an author she liked into her Wish. But the story is also inspired by many other people—by my son, by my wife, by the kids I knew and loved who died in the children’s hospital when I was a student chaplain, by my own parents (my dad is a cancer survivor), etc.

I wish she’d read TFiOS. I suspect she would’ve found it a bit far-fetched, but I do hope she’d have enjoyed it anyway. I’ll never know, though. I am astonished that the book has found such a broad audience, but the person I most want to read it never will.

Esther has become a hero in our community, and the heroic narrative doesn’t always line up perfectly with the person she was. (Heroic narratives never do.) But this much was true, at least as far as I knew her: She was generous, and loving, and full of grace—which was, after all, her middle name.

Plus, she knew how to make a funny face on cue.

When I told Esther we wanted to celebrate her birthday as long as there were vlogbrothers videos, and that videos on that day could be about whatever she wanted them to be about, she waited a couple weeks before getting back to me. She finally decided she wanted it to be a day that celebrated love in families and among friends. I think of Esther Day as a kind of Valentine’s Day for all the other kinds of love.

It was a brilliant idea, Esther. Thank you for Esther Day. Thank you for helping me say to my family and friends what I still hope I can say to you, even over the great divide: I love you.

(You can support This Star Won’t Go Out, the organization founded in Esther’s memory that helps families of children with cancer, directly here or by buying a TSWGO wristband.)

Once upon a time, I had this obsession with SDEs (Same Day...

Sun, 29 Jul 2012 01:24:00 -0400

Once upon a time, I had this obsession with SDEs (Same Day Edits) of practically anything; debuts, weddings, events, etc. My favorite, so far, is my cousin’s (Nicole), made by the wonderful Ryan Puno. She had this masquerade crossed with a concert theme. (Watch it here!)

That pushed me to come up with my own SDEs, made last Christmas, New Year, and Valentine’s Day (which is coincidentally, our university’s anniversary as a Catholic university.) I was supposed to make one for Ivane’s 19th birthday party, but since …. (WHAT HAPPENS IN IVANE’S PARTY, STAYS IN IVANE’S PARTY.) we’re all too happy and busy and having fun, I wasn’t able to do it. I did get some clips though, but I don’t think Ivane would be happy if I posted those. :>

So here it is, by far my favorite of all the videos I made.

Here’s the description:

My New Year Video! We didn’t have a lot of our skylight moments, we were too busy partying. Thanks so much to Kuya Eman and Tom Santos (brothers, and my cousins) for shooting some of the clips, and my brother, Josh, for the count-down concept.

Finally had the chance to play with the clips thanks to their camera (3/4 of the video was shot by it) and thankful to my baby digicam for being there when the big boy ran out of juice, temporarily.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope this one pleased you as much as the first one did!

Music:
The AfterMash by DJ McFLY (Though I shortened the song to accommodate the clips)

Shot with:
Canon IXUS 130
Canon EOS 600D

Love from an amateur videographer,

Pau

P.S.

We’re supposed to make a class video, and I really want to make one. We need concepts though. Message me on my facebook page if you have any. Thank you!

LIBRARY OF THE WORLD!

Sat, 28 Jul 2012 10:56:00 -0400

Modesty kicking in, I tend to read at a really fast rate. I noticed this first when I was back in high school; my very good friend Ayra would sometimes read a book, that I in turn would borrow, and surprisingly be done with it at the end of the day (BTW Ayra has THE biggest book collection I know; she would go to school with a different book everyday, and I bet she still does that now, amidst all the Medical Technology stress. I miss you, Ayra.)

HP Hardbound bookset - Birthday wish

Before that, I was immersed in my little HP world, where thick was the only option (Goblet of Fire? Order of The Phoenix? Half-Blood Prince? Deathly Hallows?), this may be the reason why I “speed-read”. Just last week, I finished Fifty Shades of Grey/Darker/Freed in a matter of two days (I had the whole weekend!). Of course, this book addiction also influenced Ivane, and since meeting new friends (Esp. Kleir!), she has had a vast collection; with this, we’re all on our way to building our humble bookshelves!

Part of Ivane’s book collection on Instagram

And thanks to Bianca (my close friend and classmate!), let me introduce to you, Tuebl.com; it’s a good site if you want to download ebooks. Though most, if not all, of us prefer the real thing, having all the books that you ever wanted in a single gadget would be really handy. I thought of sharing it with you since I got so many “Saan mo galing yung books mo?” when I posted this photo on Instagram.

Pau’s iBooks on Instagram

Sorry for the long post, I got carried away. Happy reading everybody!

Pau :)

P.S. Although I told myself to never read eBooks again, I couldn’t help but download some since I never really had the time to visit a bookstore lately. I shall post a photo after this post because apparently I don’t know how to add a photo using an iPhone. ~ Ivane

I can’t even.. God, this is beautiful. I could listen to...

Sat, 21 Jul 2012 10:53:00 -0400

I can’t even.. God, this is beautiful. I could listen to it for hours.

Oh, I actually did.

As a kid, I was taught how to play the piano for a short period of time but I never really got good with it. And after I saw this, I regret how I never spent all my afternoons practicing the freaking thing.

But as much as I’m bitter about the whole I should’ve-took-it-seriously thing, I still love listening to it. I’d instantly fall in love with any instrumental that has a piano in it. Though this one is really special because other than the piano, it’s a One Direction song! Yes, I have a little Directioner in me and I believe that this amuses Pau ‘cause I was never the boy-band type. But what can I say, I got infected by the One Direction Infection. ;) Haha!

Oh, and Pau, they have a HARRY POTTER THEME cover!

Anyway, you guys (and Pau) should check out these guys on YouTube! They have some of the most amazing covers I’ve ever heard. Click here to get directed to THE PIANO GUYS’ channel. :)