(also covered by Kris Allen)

Sometimes we fall down and can't get back up
we're hiding behind skin that's too tough
how come we don't say I love you enough
till it's to late, it's not too late

Our hearts are hungry for a food that won't come
we could make a feast from these crumbs
and we're all staring down the barrel of a gun
so if your life flashed before you
what would you wish you would've done

Yeah... gotta start
lookin at the hand of the time we've been given here
this is all we got and we gotta start pickin it
every second counts on a clock that's tickin'
gotta live like we're dying

We only got
86 400 seconds in a day to
turn it all around or throw it all away
we gotta tell 'em that we love 'em
while we got the chance to say
gotta live like we're dying

And if your plane fell out of the skies
who would you call with your last goodbyes
should be so careful who we live out our lives
so when we long for absolution
there'll no one on the line

Repeat Chorus

We never know a good thing till it's gone
you never see a crash until it's head on
all those people right when we're dead wrong
you never know a good thing till it's gone

Repeat Chorus

...

I'm really thinking of getting The Script's album..hehe. I like already, what, 5 songs? hehe.

WHOEVER DREW THIS, GREAT JOB!! hahaha.

wAHAHAHAHA. tawa ako ng tawa sobra.

i love it!

Hurray! It's finally done! Hehehe. Me and Kat finished the whole thing in 3 Days! =)) I think I nearly died drawing it, but it was worth it! hehe. Although di kami umabot in time for Komikon 2009, at least I'm super prepared na in time for the Mangaholix Con this coming November 21-22! hehehe.

SUPER THANK YOU TALAGA NE-CHAN! I couldn't have done it without you and your scary zombies and the amazing fight scene! hahaha.  Sabi na nga ba eh di na dapat ako nagddrawing ng Shounen..dapat BL nalang.. wahahaha. =))

Anyway.. Kung sinong gusto ng copy just comment here.. or on my deviantart.. :D This issue will have 20 pages of comic book content, and a few pages for extras.. hehe. It'll be worth your money, I promise! hehehe. :D

Yun lang! Hope to see you guys soon! hehe. Whee!

I woke up late this morning, since I was too tired from the Tagaytay Trip and Thesis Celebrations yesterday.. Today was the Nihongo Center Foundation's OPEN HOUSE 2009, held at the Morayta branch, where there are various activities in the school. Students and friends from both the Makati and the Morayta Branches came to celebrate Japanese activities..

Some of the activities included: Calligraphy, Origami, Anime viewing, Anime trivia, Fortune Telling, Ocha (Japanese Tea) Ceremony, Kimono Wearing, Judo, Aikido, and the best-selling booth: the OKONOMIYAKI!! (Japanese veggie pizza)

There were 4 of us out of the 10 in our class who attended.. and wow there were so many people! Ang haba ng pila grabe! hahaha.. When I arrived, I saw my classmates at the Origami booth..Since I arrived late, they were already starting, so I decided not to do Origami.. I then went to the Okonomiyaki booth and ordered 2 pieces. I was I think, 18th in the line.. so I just wrote my name and came back for it later.

Next, I went to the FORTUNE TELLING booth! =)) I love these kinds of stuff, so I waited in line. Lo and behold, it was A.D. Sensei herself who was doing the Tarot fortune telling.. haha.

MY FUTURE FORETOLD:

1. General Fortune- She gave a lot of predictions on what's currently going on in my life, and where it is going.. and for the overall fortune, she told me:

"THINGS ARE STILL GOING TO CHANGE."

I think got the Wheel of Fortune card.. so I think that's the interpretation of that card. hehe.

2. My Fortune for the next 12 months:

      Nov- "May mawawala. Sorry."

      Dec- "You'll be hoping for something"

      Jan- "You'll probably get a promotion"

      Feb- "You'll be given more responsibility"

      Mar- "Something will happen that will make you doubt yourself--"

      April- "--and eventually it will cause you to look for another job."

      May- (i forgot)

      June- "You'll get satisfaction"

      July- "You'll get more love"

      August-September- (i forgot)

      October- "You'll have to take the challenge!"

...

Haha.. I was quite amazed at this.. especially the January-April part.. since by January it'll be my 6th month at work and I'll probably get a raise, since I'll be a regularized employee already.. and by the April part.. well, it's just that I'm thinking that by April I'll probably be looking for a job at a smaller firm. I mean, it's not that I'm not happy here, it's just that I think I'll get the "laid-back yet lots of experience" a a small firm. hehe. But anyway, I'll just leave that to next year. hehe.

3. Specific Question: "Will I get the career that I want?" (I'm referring to my comic-book artist dream)

Answer: "After much competition, Yes."

...

Haha.. well.. the competition's tough, (really effing tough) but yeah, I'm up to the challenge.. so fight! fight! hehe.

4. Specific Question: (I can't post it here..haha.)

Answer: "Magbabago pa rin." (I got the Wheel of Fortune again..)

...

Hmm.. so there. Haha. The readings made sense.. and it's not like I totally believe in it and not like I don't believe it either.. I guess it's just amusing that some may just be true. hehe.

Anyways, after that, me and my classmates ate Okonomiyakis and I bought a Hazelnut-flavored Yan-Yan! It was so yummy! hehe. I left the Nihongo Center by around 1pm, since I was asked to come in for work that Saturday.. ugh.. but at least I was able to spend a few hours enjoying Japanese culture at a festival-ish setting..hehe.

Next year I'll DEFINITELY come in for the whole day and I'll DEFINITELY rent a yukata there to wear. hehe.

Tamad ka.. procrastinator.. pabaya.. You don't manage your time, you don't do anything for your goals.. WALA! PATAPON KA! Akala ko ba gagawin mo lahat para matupad yun? Nasan na yun ngayon? 3 days nalang natitira at kapirangot pa lang nagagawa mo! Wala! Wala! Wala!

I HATE YOU... Louie Lu.

*bangs head on wall*

Arggggghhhh.. I hate myself right now. (Wow, did I really say that?)

...

It all started just a while ago, when I checked my deviantart account and started reading journals on updates on upcoming cons and stuff. And guess what I found out?

KOMIKON'S IN THREE DAYS.

Aw shit. Can I just die now? Please? T_T

...

I really told myself that I'll finish it in time for Komikon.. and I thought Komikon was on November.. But as it turns out, it was MANGAHOLIX that's on November.. and that Komikon is THIS SUNDAY. O_O Craaaaappp!!! I hate it.. arghhhh... I'm going to be a common con attendee only and not someone who should've been selling his indie comic.. tsk tsk..

...

Sigh. I need to concentrate on doing this.

No more room for excuses. Only room for results.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! PASADO NA KAYO!!! GGRADUATE NA KAYO!!! WHEEEE!!!

Finally, after all the puyat nights going to Kat's house, rush layout and renderings for Erf and Jea, to running all the way from Morayta and Espana to SM Manila to print thesis boards, to the actual endorsement and defense.. All of you made it! Congrats super! hehe. I'm honored to have been part of your thesis experience.. Kahit na-kaboom ako sa work kasi di na ako pumapasok, worth it pa rin! hehe.

Don't worry, di pa naman ako tatanggalin sa trabaho dahil sa absences ko.. haha. At bumabawi naman ako ulit ngayon sa work.. hehe. =))

Ayun.. Celebrate na tayo! wheee!

Being a resident of UST for more than 5 years now, I've been accustomed to wading in flood waters, having classes suspended, and waiting for the flood to subside. But never in my whole life have i experienced anything like what happened last saturday.

...

*Espana corner P. Noval street: I live a few meters away from this building. It's Beato Angelico, the Architecture and Fine Arts building of UST. Photo courtesy of Kzar, a CFAD friend, from his facebook. hehe

Saturday, September 26, 2009:

6:00 AM- Me and Kat were going out of her house in Cainta and heading towards UST. It was their endorsement day, and we were in a rush to have her thesis boards printed. We rode a cab to UST, and over the radio I heard that a typhoon shall hit manila around 9:00am 'til mid-day. I didn't really pay attention to it because typhoons are a regular occurence here.

6:30 AM- We arrived at UST and went straight to Joli's. Joli's wasn't open yet, so we decided to get some sleep at my room in Galle, right beside Joli's.

8:30 AM- We woke up, kinda panicked since it was 8:30 already, and had Joli's print Kat's thesis and we had her book bound.

9:00 AM- While waiting for her boards to get printed, I gave Kat the key to my room and told her to wait there and probably get some sleep, while I go to my Japanese classes at the Nihongo Center Foundation, which is around FEU in Morayta.

9:00 AM-12:00 NN- The rain was pouring hard. And right there in class I knew it was already flooding. And soon as class was finished, typhoon ONDOY already made the waters in the area waist deep. I was really hungry, since I didn't eat breakfast.. and since I'm stuck at the building, no food there either. I was stuck with a bottle of C2 and hoped that it would last until the flooding subsided.

1:00 PM - Me and Malaine (a nihongo classmate) joined an Anime Drawing Contest. It was fun. I drew Kakashi. hehe. Anyway.. we finished in about an hour..and I got to talk with the principal of the Nihongo Center. And I found out that she actually grew up in Davao! And her place isn't far from my house too! She said she lived at La Verna, and she studied at Ateneo de Davao..

*note that we were conversing in Japanese, so hurray to me for understanding her! hahaha*

3:00 PM - 2 other classmates of ours who attempted to go home, came back. And the 4 of us, got free Kanji lessons from AD Sensei.. haha. And after, we played 20 questions *in japanese*, and talked about manga, J-dramas, and whatnots.

5:00 PM - It was still flooded, and it was already getting dark. I talked to Kat and heard that she's also stranded and stayed at my room. I wasn't keen on going home and wading through the flood waters; I was wearing new shoes and the dreaded sidewalk elevations in Morayta and all the manholes could mean an instant death, or a delayed one due to all types of diseases. But since everyone at the center were going to wade, I had no choice but to follow suit.

...

THE FLOOD:

Waters were KNEE-deep around the sidewalks of the Nihonggo Center. Cars were half-flooded in the streets. Me and the rest of the class parted ways around FEU. THey were heading to recto while i was heading back to UST.

Crossing the street was SCARY SHIT. The flood was up to the WAIST.. It was comforting though, to see other people wading the street.. it made me feel secure..kind of. hehe.

The worst part in wading, was at the alley right beside ALVA, near P. Noval. It was CHEST DEEP there, and for a moment, i couldn't even touch the floor of the sidewalk. But eventually i found a shallower part and crossed the alley. I then made it to Galle wet, yet safe.

...

After that, me and Kat kinda slept through the whole night. And by morning, we cooked breakfast with what's left of my cupboard.. And later on in the afternoon, when the flood waters were receeding, we took a pedicab to the nearest mini-stop and bought food. It was funny, because there was no electricity, we cooked at the HALLWAYS of Galle which had electric sockets powered by Galle's generator.. haha. Every other room had their laptops, cellphones, etc plugged in too..hehe.

THe flooding was gone by around 6pm.. and Kat was able to go home safely.

So far, I haven't heard news of any of my friends who're in real danger. So far I've heard from Yey that Joy's staying at a hotel.. and i know Erf and Jea are at Deb's house.. No news yet from other Cainta people, like Kiko, Smith, Vanessa..and Boogie's the only SC member who we haven't heard from yet, and he's also from Cainta. No news either those from Marikina like Ronald and Leccio.. Nii-sama called and he's safe, and i can see the others are safe also, online.

Ayun.. Hope everyone's safe.

Oh, and thank you to everyone who called me to see if i was fine. Even friends from Davao contacted me. Ma-touch man ta ana uy! hehe.

2 weeks, 14 days and 1000 philippine pesos for a spoiled kid living in a city where nothing is free and everything is expensive. How hard could it be, right?

...

I would be proud to say this, but it's going to be my 11th day today, Friday, September 11, 2009, and I still have appoximately a single hundred peso bill, and around 20 pesos worth of coins.

(oh, it's 9/11 pala today)

To have made it this far was no easy task. I had to commute the cheapest way possible, had to "invent" meals with whatever was left in my already sparse cupboard, and had to calculate every possible solution to what was "needed", what was "wanted", and what can be "recycled" with everything in my life.

Add work, lovelife, japanese lessons, drawing comics, facebook, and i'm surprised I haven't died yet.

...

But like all good things come to an end, a new dawn rises after the night. I'll be getting extra rations from my parents today..which means the end of my mini poverty crisis.

I guess this whole experience means that I've got to let my splurging lifestyle a notch down, especially with the going to the mall part and watching movies part. Having to earn extra doesn't mean I have to spend extra, but means that I should SAVE extra.

Yep, that's it. I've GOT to save extra. Mahal buhay sa Japan. haha.

P.S. If you're wondering about why "beggars can't be cheesy", it's because I ran out of cheese in my fridge. And since I can't afford to buy a bar of cheese with what's left of my money anymore, I'm having cheese-less ham sandwiches for work later. hehe. -__-

Goodnight everyone.

Oh, and Ne-chan.. meron palang FREE NIHONGO LIBRARY sa makati.. sa Pacific Star.. Tapos pwede kang mag self-study dun ng nihongo. Lahat daw ng books sa class namin from beginner to expert andun! Tas pwede ka daw humiram ng IPOD dun na puro J-MUSIC! Tas may mga Audio Tapes ata sila if you want to practice speaking! Punta tayo one of these days! hahaha.

2. I finished the thumbnails for my ISSUE 3.. whew! Hopefully it'll be my best issue yet! hehe. Takte, lapit na mag Komikon! Kelangan ko nang magdrawing! hehehe.

3. Work is doing fine. Dumadami na ulit ginagawa ko.. hehe. May "office outing" pala kami sa monday, kasi holiday.. hehe. Pupunta kaming EK.. wahaha. =)) Kasi 250php lang per person pag STUDENT ka.. so.. gumawa na ng magic yung officemates ko kung pano kami magiging "STUDENTS" lahat! hahaha. =))

4. GUsto ko ata magpaka EMO. joke. hahaha. =)) Not emo-sad emo... emo-creative emo! haha. Tagal ko nang di nakakapagdrawing sa wacom ko.. :(

ayun.. game! next project ko! bubuhayin ko Deviantart ko! hehehe.

...

hmm.. ayun. wala lang. really random blah. it's almost 3:00 am and i'm not really sleepy. Natulog ba naman ako buong hapon kanina. haha. Sira tuloy body-clock ko.. hehe.

Anyway, i'll try to sleep now. (As if i ever had trouble sleeping eh noh? haha)

Goodnight.

In a way, I need a change
From this burnout scene
Another time, another town
Another everything
But it's always back to you

Stumble out, in the night
From the pouring rain
Made the block, sat and thought
There's more I need
It's always back to you

But I'm good without ya
Yeah, I'm good without you
Yeah, yeah, yeah

How many times can I break till I shatter?
Over the line can't define what I'm after
I always turn the car around
Give me a break let me make my own pattern
All that it takes is some time but I'm shattered
I always turn the car around

I had no idea that the night
Would take so damn long
Took it out, on the street
While the rain still falls
Push me back to you

But I'm good without ya
Yeah, I'm good without you
Yeah, yeah, yeah

How many times can I break till I shatter?
Over the line can't define what I'm after
I always turn the car around
Give me a break let me make my own pattern
All that it takes is some time but I'm shattered
I always turn the car around

Give it up, give it up, baby
Give it up, give it up, now
Now

How many times can I break till I shatter?
Over the line can't define what I'm after
I always turn the car around
All that I feel is the realness I'm faking
Taking my time but it's time that I'm wasting
Always turn the car around

How many times can I break till I shatter?
Over the line can't define what I'm after
I always turn the car around

Don't wanna turn that car around
I gotta turn this thing around

...

1. Sometimes, some things could mean everything. But then you wake up and realize.. it's just not worth it.

Yes, it's called waking up to an emo morning. You wake up dazed, with your body on autopilot and your brain really isn't really working. (i can't believe i just typed "really" twice without noticing it) I can't even think of working today..

Really, it feels like i don't care about anything anymore.

2. Did i.. change? Because I seem to miss my old self. I missed the Lui I knew back in college. I miss how he was so independent, unattached, and was pure evil. He could even juggle everything single task he had in his planner without a sweat.. He was a fighter of all sorts. He fought for his rights, fought for what he dreamed for, fought for himself. Those were good times.

3. When did I become so.. useless? I don't seem to have the drive to dream to live anymore.. I miss Anberlin.

...

Mou genkai da.