You give land a bad name

HAHAHAHA! Come on now and laugh at my very creative title.

My friends and I decided to take a short trip to release some school stress and to soak some sunlight! So we went to Cheltenham Badlands Trail. Fun, no?

What is it anyway?

“Badlands” is a geologic term for an area of soft rock devoid of vegetation and soil cover that has become molded into a rolling landscape of rounded hills and gullies. Such areas are rare in Ontario and this is one of the best examples. They exhibit the reddish hue of the Queenston Shale that forms them; the iron oxide in the shale produces this colour (source).

For you to visualize clearly, here are some of our pictures captured using HDR app of iPhone 4s (this is an inside joke because I have the oldest iPhone among my friends, I hate you, Debed).

And suddenly I forgot my 12 page essay + 10 page essay + 3major exams all due next week! WAY TO GO ME but I regret nothing. This is us greeting Spring Time! Happy Spring Season, Canada!

 

 

Read, it sure helps!

If there is one thing I regret in this lifetime, it would be not reading early on in my life. Because of the realization, I forced my sister to read and to start early. And I know she benefits from it now. I started immersing myself when I was almost done High School. The books I read before that phase would only be the ones that were required by my teachers. If I had known that reading can help me so much I would have started like Matilda and never stop until I die. But as they say, nothing is ever too late. So I started  reading and it got crazy especially when I first had my own laptop. I named him Torch. I would ask Alvina for free ebooks. I would read everything off my computer until I fall asleep. It was weird to look at. But I also buy the actual books if I find the story dear to me. I have my standards in doing this. It also depends on my budget.

Reading helps my writing. It helps me discover new words and new ideas. It even takes me to an Alice-kind-of-Wonderland. It is unbelievable. Sometimes books make me so immersed that I skip meals. It makes me forget that the story is fictional and I have to let go of the characters once I am done reading their stories. Books are good best friends. They give you power you don’t even know you have.

And in that cue, let me share The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. It won the Best Animated Short Film Award in this year’s recently held Oscars. It is for all the book lovers out there. It made me tear up a bit. Enjoy!

READ READ READ!

My Racing Thoughts

The last day of January was the highlight of my month even better than my birthday. January is my birth month and it can’t get any more awesome than yesterday.

I saw Andrew McMahon once again after more than a year. It was August 7, 2010 when I first saw him live when he played with his band Something Corporate at Kool Haus. Yesterday January 31 2012, I saw him again and this time he played with his band Jack’s Mannequin.

Guitars are too mainstream. WANT TO KNOW WHY? 

 I have to thank Alvina for sharing their music to me. Hi Alvina! Thank you! Pictures for you!

I had been following Andrew McMahon from Something Corporate to Jack’s Mannequin. Andrew is a cancer survivor. He used to have leukaemia. He also has this Dear Jack foundation. I think that the experience just made him a better musician. I love how he explains and tells the stories behind his songs. Yesterday he told us about the story behind the Last Straw. He said he does not want to be political but he hated the president the time he wrote the song explaining the line “..how did he become the president?” (i.e. President GB). He told us we can download that specific song illegally and he would not care. He made cursing so damn sexy and  classy. That, I still have to learn. And they have confetti! I love confetti! They had the confetti during their last song LaLaLie (…and I’ve got friends *confetti* help me pull through la la la lie the space man that can’t get high I’m coming back to my girl by July).

Their live performance is flawless. I have to say that whoever the light guy is, you have done a wonderful job. The stage production with all the different lights manipulated made the performances awesome, great, terrific, superb (sorry poor dictionary). Sometimes you would think that you are watching a music video because of the rays of lights coming from the back of the stage perfectly shining through Andrew and his grand piano. YES, HE HAD HIS GRAND PIANO. I have so many emotions that words are failing me right now. So for you to visualize here are some shots taken by my sister Kim.

Jack’s Mannequin’s recent album is People and Things with the first single My Racing Thoughts. I suggest you go check it out.

Mind blown

Things that gave me sleepless nights in the year 2011:

 

Hunger Games  

It was only in the first quarter of this year that I found out about this awesome trilogy. And it took me about 8 weeks, 2311231 tumblr posts,  5 new books and 7 other shows to get over the novel. I was just obsessed with the heroine and the fact that it was not just a love story but a revolution of some sort. I talked about it at work, I bought the hardbound which I rarely do since I love reading the electronic version of books, I dreamt about it and even fan girl with my girlfriends endlessly in various networking sites. It was crazy. I cried in the bus upon watching the full trailer which was released on a Monday morning here in Canada. This trilogy made me look like an idiot sometimes but yeah I would still take that  regard since I adore it so much. I am a fan.

 

Breaking Bad

I heard about the show from a friend so I checked it out and found the 9.4 rating in IMDB. The other shows I watched does not even reach 9. Well I thought to myself maybe I should watch more sensible shows so I could not only fan girl but actually learn from what I watch. Breaking bad asks you questions about morality that sometimes I reflect about it at night before going to sleep. It is not about plotting and scheming to get at someone but it puts the audience in a position where they can think if the character’s choices were right or would they have done the same if they were in the story. The badass Mr White plus his partnership with the hot Jessse Pinkman does not hurt the good plot of the story too.

Like crazy

You’d think that Like Crazy is just a typical kind of indie movie with all its silent stills, its slow sometimes annoying pace but I relate to it. Not gratifying the ending kept me some nights thinking about it that I recommend it to some of my friends (Hi Nash Albacea) so we can discuss because I was lost, I felt like how I interpreted the ending was not how it is supposed to be understood. I can’t provide any spoilers because as I said the ending was a mind fucker. But it was one of the better love stories I have seen in a while because it was a depiction of how real love can be. It was not perfect and ideal but it shows different sides to it.

Josh Hutcherson

You don’t even want me to begin my love for Josh Hutcherson. I never thought he can turn out to be this hot. Oh Peeta, my Peeta! I had loved him from the Bridge to Terabithia and even Zathura and I will love him more now that he is about to portray the boy with the bread in the Hunger Games franchise. His perfect jaw shall make good babies. Well that’s what he said!

Josh Hutcherson as Peeta (with his blonde sexy hair) :

His jaw is enough to keep me up all night. For like til the release of the movie in March. You grew up to be a fine young man, Josh, indeed.

AP COMN 3350: Communication Policy

This, unlike the above entries, is different. It roots deeper. It is a school requirement that I find so stressful. There will be no pictures, no videos, no memes, just plain school requirement that is finally over. Well I hope to pass the course. It is about communication policy so this is a warning to those who go to York University and who major in Communications. AP COMN 3350 is a challenging course that will shake your brains and eat you alive (no, I kid about the eat you alive of course). But seriously if you enjoy law-ish things, go ahead but if not, this is a fair warning.

 

“Life is something that happens when you can’t get to sleep.”

 ~Fran Lebowitz

Happy New Year to all  

 

this is what I hear pretty

It is not new to anyone that I, Ericka Mercado, love to watch any kind of films, shows, broadway, etc. Low and High Culture, it would not matter as long as it is decent. So when it comes to music, I rarely have any opinion, I am almost afraid that it only means I know nothing about music. But let me share to you some of the artists that I find awesome with the respective songs I find appealing to my ears.

 

Vampire weekend has been on my loop since 2009 when I came to Canada. I don’t know if you find it emo but I find it so classy. Their songs fit perfectly for one spring drive right about when the air’s not that hot as in the summer and not as cold in the winter.

 

I got acquainted with Jack’s Mannequin back as an undergrad in UP. Alvina told me about the good news. The band is good news and since watching them live back in 2010 I fell more deeply in love with their music, most especially with the main man and his grand piano.

 

Rise Against is actually a rock band that has some serious yelling-in-your-ear-it-will-bleed-and-fall factor but regardless, their song swing life away speaks gently in your ear and will make you wish you can hear them live.

 

The foo fighters is classic. I mean who does not know them? This particular song if you read through the lyrics demands your emotions to be taken into a different level (or maybe it is just me) though the music video says otherwise.

 

Same as the Vampire Weekend, Raveonettes has been on my loop since 2009 and I heard them live in 2011. It was the exact same thing on how they record. They are crazy talented. I can listen to them all day while I read my favourite book in any given free day. But I would prefer the summer season.

 

I don’t want to call them my favourite songs or anything like that rather they are my type of music. You are entitled to your own and I would continue sharing more of these types as we go into 2012. I am still in the process of immersing myself into more music though I don’t have really any specificity since I am the girl who loves Justin Bieber (go ahead and judge) well he doesn’t sound that bad. He is adorable that’s all. Music is art and art is subjective.

 

 

Branding in America’s Next Top Model

One of my classes when I was an undergrad in the University of the Philippines was about Public Relations. Up to this day I still look back and visit my memory bank for the lessons that I would need to represent myself well out there. Our professor did not teach us solely for the corporate world, he also helped us be prepared for the real (this is more of an inside joke) world. In this season’s America’s Next Top Model, previous contestants from the past seasons were invited. They were invited not only to be models but to represent a brand that is mostly who they are in real life. They were called the All Stars.

Branding became very crucial and was an added challenge because the models’ picture should reflect whatever their brand is. Branding should be consistent. One episode in specific emphasized the importance of the consistency of branding. The episode highlighted branding during the elimination between Allison and Laura.

Unique VS Loveable

Unique was Allison’s brand (model on the left) while Laura (model on the right) should own the Loveable word. But somewhere along the way, Laura’s pictures turned very sensual as what the judges say. Nigel Barker in particular said how Laura’s quirky behind the scene personality did not match how she was photographed. She did not represent her brand well.

Those two models were my best bet this season and I was sad that Laura was sent home though I was happy Allison made it to the finals but unfortunately didn’t win the season. But Allison is the perfect example of being consistent with her branding. She lives it.

 

 

Branding is not only important in the corporate world. In our lives, we each have our own branding and the good news is we choose which branding best suits us. Branding is not permanent because there would always be a re-branding. You can always change and innovate. But remember like in the rules of Public Relations, there is also the element of timing and re-branding is not something you do everyday, you sometimes wait for it until the perfect moment comes.

wala daw ganyan sa states

TABO at BALDE

Bilang asa first world country na kami (ayun e) shower ang means ng paliligo (pag kasi sa Pinas pang mga sossy yun madami pambayad sa water bill). Isang dahilan kaya siguro shower sa first world countries ay para di masyadong malamigan. Para mabilis ang ligo, maginaw kasi e. Pero di ko maiwasan ang pagkamiss sa tabo at balde sa Pinas. Dahil na din sa pagtitipid ng scarce na malinis na tubig kailangan may pang salo sa tubig galing sa gripo. At shempre dapat may pang salok. At diyan na papasok ang tabo. Ang tabo ay di lang sa paliligo napapakinabangan kundi pati na rin sa palikuran. At ang tabo, dagdag yan sa ligo experience. Feeling ko pag may tabo, may additional linis factor na yun. Ang tabo ay iba iba ng sizes at dito sa Canada nung di pa nabibili ng tatay ko yung ORANGE namin na transparent na tabo, kung ano ano ang nagamit naming pangsalok ng tubig para sa palikuran experience. I don’t want to share anymore kasi baka naman ma-visualize niyo pa at itakwil ako bilang friend. Basta isipin niyo na lang yung mga pwede para kunwari may mystery pa din kaming pamilya Mercado. Lesson ng tabo: “mas fulfilling ma-accomplish ang any activity (paliligo) pag todo-effort (ang pagsalok gamit ang tabo) pwera na lang kung wisik-wisik” (OOOOPTH).

I told you! We have an Orange Tabo (taken with instagram)

BENTILADOR

Kanina pagkagaling ko sa police station para sa clearance, aba, may nakita ako, pamilyar! Kala ko di gumagamit ng ganun ung mga foren-jer e. Pero andon ang isang puting standing elektrik pan! In tagalog tagalog, ISANG PUTING NAKATAYONG BENTILADOR! Napawafaz ako at napa-giggle inside, kukuhanan ko sana ng litrato kaso bawal daw ang use ng phone e. Mahirap na baka makasuhan pa ako kesa makuha ung clearance. May iba ibang klase at kulay ang bentilador. May standfan (tulad ng nakita ko sa nasabing sangay ng kapulisan), may deskfan at ceiling fan. I bet pag mayaman ang tawag lang nila diyan ay “FAN” kasi pag mas mayaman pinapaiksi mga terms e para tunog sossy (eg undies= underwear, pants = pantalon). Anyway nung asa dorm pa ako sa Manila sa may CWL, pula ang bentilador ko at isa itong deskfan. Nilalagay ko pa ito sa ibabaw ng isang monoblock chair para maabot ng hangin ang pes ko. Miss ko na ang pula kong bentilador, ito ang pinakamalakas magbigay ng hangin. Hinihiram pa nga ito ng mga roomies ko para lang magpahangin. Ito din ang personal blower ng hair ko dahil sa lakas ng hangin niya. I MISS YOU, REDDIE!

Promac 'windy' deskfan -- Reddie's sister

SAMPAYAN NG BRA’T PANTY BRIP ATBP

At dahil wala namang masyadong maaraw days sa Canada wag ka na umasa na may sampayan sila. And thats so old school por dem. Everything is instant here you know. So ang uso ay dryer kahit nakakashrink ng mga damit (OWS SHRINK BA O TUMATABA KA LANG) at minsan nakakadamage ng ‘materials’ ng damit. Bigyan mo ng maximum na two hours ang isang week worth ng labada at boom tiklop tiklop ka lang wala ng plantsa and you’re ready to go. Pero sa Pinas, isang buong araw ang kailangan, lalo na sa probinsya. Pag di pinainitan ang labada, mag aamoy kulob daw. At dahil mataas singil sa kuryente, kesa dryer we rely on the natural kind of pagpapatuyo at yun ay ang sun. At ano ang downside nito? Ilang beses na ito sakin nangyari na pinabantayan sakin ang mga sinampay at biglang ayun, naulan. So takbo ako at ni-knock out ang screened kitchen door para masagip ang mga naglalakihang coverbeds at mga bulto bultong bra’t panty na nakasabit sa octopus hanger. May mga times na nabigo ako pero di ako naggive up, pinilit kong isalba sila lahat tuwing may ulan. Ang painful part lang pag joke pala ung ulan tas aaraw uli, kailangan mo tuloy ilabas at magsampay namang muli. Pero it teaches you to “weather the storm”. As in dapat alam mo kung ulan ba talaga o may nadaan lang na matabang clouds.

TRICYCLE AT JEEP

Ito ang aking mode of transportation hanggang makaalis ako ng Pinas. Wala akong kotse at di ko naman pwedeng i-bus hanggang Taft. Ang bus hanggang 5th avenue lang  tas Jeep o LRT. Bilang nagtitipid magjijeep ako non. Kailangan lang listo ka pag sakay mo, well, kahit san naman basta asa Pinas ka. HARHAR. Tapos pauwi ko ng Bulacan at pagstop ng bus sa may palengke, no choice ako. Maswerte na pag may nagiintay sayo at sinundo ka pala ng tatay mo pero karaniwan, combo ng jeep+tricyle or kung may extrang pera, special tricycle mula palengke hanggang bukid or pag sinuswerte ka at natyempuhan mo ang kasing rare ng meteor shower na diretsong jeep pabukid, yun na! sakay na and cease the moving jeep. Isang jeep yun  from palengke to your customize stop (just say “para po” “sa tabi lang kuya” or pag bingi si manong “kuya kuya lampas na, baba na ako”) OO NA AKO NA PROBINSYANA. Huy pero ang perks ng tricycle, ang sarap ng hangin lalo na pag sa special, wala ka kasing katabi bukod sa bag mo ng maduduming damit. pero yun lang langhap mo din ang polusyon ng tricycle sa harap mo. but it is part of the journey. it makes the commute sweeter (ano daw). pag sa jeep naman feeling mo sulit na sulit binayad mo un nga lang kapit amoy yung anghit ng katabi mo. badtrip lang din don ung pag aabot ng bayad. pero ang masaya dun pag biglang preno ung drayber at prepared ka, deads ka sa kaka-giggle inside dahil sa itsura ng ibang pasahero na hindi nakahawak at unprepared hihihihi. Isa itong life skill na di maeexperience ng mga first world people. Aba mas ma-appreciate mo ang destination pag pinaghirapan mo ang journey.

At masarap magcommute pag kasama mo ang peyborit people mo in the world (as seen below) :

2nd year for OrCom 140: Me, T- Bell &Arvin

So ayun na-share ko lang at nasayang na ang ilang minuto ng araw mo! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! And you can never get that time back. XOXO

Di ako hopeless romantic. Di din ako bitter (parang lang).

Okay, siguro nagka-phase ako na naniwala din ako sa romance-romance na yan. Pero, NO, isa lang yang malaking ilusyon na pinapalabas sa TV para  lokohin ang mga manonood. Isang lang itong stratehiya ng mga advertisers para mag appeal sa mga ‘love fanatics’ at kumita sila ng limpak limpak na mga salapi. Tapos ano ending? Feeling mo naman magkaka happy ending ka tulad ng mga karakter sa TV? Isang malaking NO. Sorry to say.

Sa lahat ng mga kinasal, ilan na ang naghiwalay? Sa lahat ng kakilala mong magsyota na nagpromise ng “baby, you’re my everything and I will love you forever”, ilan lang ang nagtagal hanggang ngayon? Tantanan mo ako sa mga excuses na “it’s not the right time e” o kaya naman e “bawal kasi sabi nila mommy” o kaya ung infamous na “we fell out of love”. Isa lang ang katotohanan diyan, wala naman kasing everlasting love talaga except ung kay God. O sige given yung matanda na kayo tapos kayo pa din, e pano kung namatay ung isa? Ode di na forever, asan everlasting don? Sige banatan mo ko nung “e yung sa The Notebook?” Tingin mo makatotohanan yun? Yung sabay namatay? Yung mga sulatin ni Nicholas Sparks kathang isip lang yun (pero shempre kahit ako kinikilig at nagwish na sana maging ganun din love story ko). Kaso walang ganun sa real life. Tayo author ng love story natin pero shempre i-wiwill muna yun ni God.

Huwag mong isipin na bitter ako or kung ano man (pero maybe). Ang love masarap yan na feeling pero di naman yun nakukuha lang sa opposite sex na kilig na kilig ka pag nakikita mo, na tipong kahit yellow ung ngipin niya feeling mo pang CLOSE UP smile pa din siya at kahit na ang laki ng tiyan niya feeling mo siya pa din ang hottest person on the face of the Earth. Ang love pwedeng galing sa nanay, sa tatay, sa aso mong si Bantay o sa pusa mong si Kitty. Di din ibig sabihin na pag nabigo ka na sa isa e bitter ka na forever (medyo makakamove-on ka din naman). Konting time lang, sabi nga nila, give yourself time. Pero wag ka kasing magexpect nung parang One More Chance o kaya ung Won’t Last a Day Without You. Sino ka si John Lloyd at Bea? Feeling mo ikaw si Sarah at partner mo si Gerald? (Pero shempre winish ko na partner ko din sana si Gerald, my love).

Kanya kanya tayo ng love story. Lahat may umpisa, lahat din may ending. Kaya pag may syota na yung cras mo, wag ka magalala. Maghihiwalay din yun. May pag asa ka pa, boy! Hahahahaha! Habang may buhay, may chance! At kung High School ka pa lang, please tigil tigilan ang paglalandi, madami ka pang kakaining bigas. Wag mong problemahin kung kelan ka magkakasyota. Problemahin mo ung algebraic expressions na kailangan mo i-solve at reading reports na bukas na ang deadline! Meron ka nga din palang experiment na gagawin sa Chemistry subject mo.

Basta ang point, wag kang magpaka-hopeless romantic dahil di sine ang buhay mo, totoong buhay ito, girl! GO FIGHT WIN!

Simbang Gabi

The Simbang Gabi is a series of masses held before Christmas. It is actually a type of a novena mass. Back in the Philippines this means waking up early, grabbing a cardigan or a sweat shirt or something thicker than the usual and attending the mass at 4 in the morning. Well it varies depending on your Church. It is sometimes 5 or 6. But anyway there is also the nigh version of the Simbang Gabi. They say this is to accommodate the people who are not able to attend the early morning one. I say this night version is for the lazy people like me. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! But hey, A for effort since it is still a series of masses you have to come to.

My mom and dad are both Christians like most people in the Philippines and they always take my sister and I to attend the Simbang Gabi. This is one of the highlights of my year back then. To be able to participate and complete the series of masses is something huge for a kid. Simbang Gabi signals the spirit of Christmas for me. The cold weather, the puto bumbong, the Christmas songs, the familiar faces who also join the masses these all speak of December. It is going to be Jesus’ birthday soon!!!

Good thing in our Church here in Canada they have the Simbang Gabi too. And it is in Tagalog. OHA, no nosebleed for me only runny nose. And this is the only thing that gets me excited as of the moment. I wish to complete this year’s Simbang Gabi because it is one fulfilling event that I can commit to this year

(c) http://eueh15.deviantart.com/

respect.

I love joining bandwagons so I am going to write about Manny Pacquiao versus Manuel Marquez fight. And hello I am 100% Filipino in mind, heart, spirit and everything else. Anyway, this third and final fight between Marquez and Pacquiao seemed to be the most controversial among the others. Some say it was not fair because it was obvious that Marquez had it in most rounds. I did not personally watched the fight, yes boo me, because I fell asleep. I watched the news though through the Filipino Channel and what I saw was Manny Pacquiao’s faith.

 

During the final round when it was all over, did you see Manny Pacquiao? Did you see how he did not raise his gloved hand unlike Marquez?

 

Instead, Manny knelt down and prayed.

That made all the difference.

Pacquiao may had had that feeling of

 uncertainty with regards to winning

but he let go and let God.

 

A lot of people said Marquez should have won. Experts said Pacquiao was not aggressive as before. Fans were reportedly disappointed by Manny’s performance.

 

But what I learned from the fight was not the unfairness of it all — of the judges and such — because the judges were there for a reason. They were chosen as the authorities for that specific fight because they were qualified so we can never question their decision on who they think won the fight. We can give our opinions, yes, but that does not qualify us as the authorities to make decisions for the fight.

 

Let us not make bad assumptions about Manny, his team or the judges rather let us be thankful and be happy that Manny won and once again put the Filipino flag up for us Filipinos. Let us pride ourselves with his victory instead of starting gossip and criticizing the judges for their decision or Manny because of his performance. It is what it is.

 

Not happy with the decision?

One word: Respect.

It is not easy to fight those 12-round of unstoppable rain of punches.