MIKAELA

.marikina city.philippines.

Day 1 – Introduce Yourself

Ok. I know I should’ve started this a couple of days ago. But I got sick. Me & Tala actually. I could’ve written just a simple “I am Tzy & I love purple” on my notebook, but my body just really ached inside out that I was practically just confined on my bed.

I opened my journal (the one Chelo gave me), and I glanced upon the card attached to it &  my brain said (Despicable Me), “Light bulb!” Coz what was in that card is who I am!

the card attached to Chelo's gift during our Kris Kringle

“To my darling Tzy-tzy!

I hope you like my gift: you can plan your new life in it AND it’s good for the environment… yay!!! Good luck with everything in the U.S. I’ll see you there! I Love You girl! Thank you for the friendship I’ll always cherish…

<3 Chelo

I will mishhh youuu:

-bugging me about paperwork
-joining every battle
-texting me your worries about Allstars
-joining me in the Funk classes
-encouraging me with Locking
-reading, writing, & drawing w/ me
-And, asking me about my lovelife “

I guess I am just simply transparent. My friends can see right through me… And if I somehow get lost in this road called life, they are there to straighten me up.

Anyway, when I was tagged in all those 30 Random sh*t on FB/emails, I started listing this down. I’ve only finished this now… So from my end, this is who I am.

1. I have always wanted to be part of a nature advocacy group, but I just have a lot of responsibilities in my hands now. All I can do is start small like using a recycling bag when shopping, not using aircon, spread LOVE MOTHER EARTH messages around, etc.

2. I have a short attention span, shorter than kids’… I tend to zone in and out of a conversation, or a dance class.

3. Jhong knows this… When I am trying to remember something, I count from 25 in my head. I don’t know why.

4. I have the ugliest hands and wrist, and long arms.

5. I only know how to play the 1st four lines of “The First Time I Loved Forever” on piano, and the whole of Jewel’s “You Were Meant For Me” on guitar.

6. I am not very musical. If I hear a song for the whole day, then hear it again one time the next day, I wouldn’t recognize it. (Daig pako ni Tala! One time during Funk For Life, You Should Be Dancing by The Bee Gees was playing & she started dancing & screaming “Unicorn! Unicorn!”–referring to Despicable Me). I wouldn’t recognize it if she didn’t point it out! Hahaha!

7. The first tape cassette I’ve ever bought (out of my own money) is the 1st Smokey Mountain Album (coz I was a fan of Ryan Cayabyab).

8. The last CD album I bought (before I joined the illegal downloading bandwagon) was the Eraserheads Ultraelectromagnetic Jam. Eraserheads was also the last band I ever followed. When they disbanded, I stopped following bands/artists totally. I think I also stopped listening fervently to music, yeah I broke up with it!

9. I am fickle. I guess it’s because I live in the moment.

10. I have weak lungs. I’ve had asthma since I was a little girl.

11. I am not afraid of cockroaches. When I was younger, I would grab one by its antenna then pull both off. Then I learned that those were the dirtiest creatures on earth.

12. When I was younger I wanted to be a scientist. Then an astronaut.

13. I was a Math whiz when I was still at school. I think it runs in the family, as my folks & siblings are very good with numbers.

14. I am extremely quiet when I just want to chill… which is most of the time.

15. I love all shades of purple, but it doesn’t manifest in all my clothes or things I own.

16. I am not into fashion. I don’t have that much shoes like every girl in this town. Hell I can wear the same pair for one whole year, be it on a rehearsal, party or movie night!

17. I had a 3-year long distance relationship. It was hard that time coz wala pang Skype. So if you are in one right now, things will be a lot easier… but it was still hard.

18. I had a band called Malt ‘n Pops in college.

19. I cut & dye my own hair (had even shaved my head).

20. I consider night driving & wall painting therapeutic.

21. I put up Allstars so I could see my family in LA. I wanted to have a tourist visa (which I was denied of 2 times). Now the group has been my life for 5 years…

22. My first plane ride was when I was in 2nd year college. I was one of the top 2 students chosen from our batch to go to a conference in Singapore. So my first out of the country destination was Singapore in 1995.

23. My left ear is busted. So I am half-deaf. I think I have vertigo so I couldn’t ride roller coasters anymore.

24. I know sign language coz I had non-hearing friends when I was in college. Lost track of them now.

25. I could count my real friends with my fingers, and they are scattered all over the world. Interestingly, most of them do not have Facebook. And their age ranges from 20 to 60.

26. I am a stick driver.

27. The farthest I have driven, alone, without a cellphone, was from Marikina to Sta. Cruz, Laguna.

28. My first love was Art. I was part of the Art class in HS where only a handful of “ma-Art-e” were accepted. The rest had computer class as elective.

29. When I was younger, I had a huge crush on Gio Alvarez. My cousin owned a bus company, and when Ang TV rented one of their buses during a concert at a nearby school (Marist), I became the happiest girl for a night coz I got to go inside the bus & have a photo & autograph with him! Haha fangirl!

30. I don’t know if I am an old soul but I am so into history, old music, old era… and I have always abhorred technology.

P.S.
Why MIKAELA? I didn’t like my very common name (Michelle). If I’d have a choice, I’d have changed it to Mikaela… Until recently, I’d always get a kick out of how Fil-Ams pronounce my name so I decided to not plan to change it anymore. :p

ONE ARTIST

(From my friend Sharon) Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Pass it on to people and include me. Try not to repeat a song title. It’s a lot harder than you think.

Pick Your Artist:
Incubus

Are you male or female?
Southern Girl

Describe yourself:
Priceless

How do you feel about yourself:
You Will Be A Hot Dancer

Describe where you currently live:
Clean

If you could be anywhere, where would you be:
Here In My Room

Your favorite form of transportation:
Battlestar Scralachtica

Your best friend is:
Megalomaniac

Your favorite color is:
A Certain Shade Of Green

What’s the weather like:
The Warmth

Favorite time of day:
11am

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called:
Made For TV Movie

What is life to you:
Diamonds & Coal

What is the best advice you have to give:
Make Yourself

If you could change your name, what would it be:
Anna Molly

Your favorite food is:
Oil & Water

What you want to do right now:
Drive

Love is:
Just A Phase

What you wish for:
Wish You Were Here

What you want to say to God:
Nice To Know You

Thought for the Day:
I Miss You *

* Jhong & Tala

105 QUESTIONS

Got this from Via Gail’s blog.

1. EVER BEEN GIVEN AN ENGAGEMENT RING? no. and if my other half really knows me, he better know what kind of ring to give me for engagement. coz i don’t like jewelries.

2. LONGEST RELATIONSHIP? 7 years (the latter 3 long distance–ended 2003).

3. LAST GIFT YOU RECEIVED? a blue Hollister summer top from my sister.

4. EVER DROPPED A CELL PHONE? always. i once dropped a cell phone and it went down the sewer. and i was hoping i could salvage it by frisking the kanal. yak. hehehe!

5. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WORKED? i’ve never worked a day in my life.

6. THING(S) YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON? don’t really wanna admit it but..  shoes.

7. LAST FOOD YOU ATE? Klondike ice cream. yum. i’m a Klondike addict.

8. FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX? i don’t really notice notice. like, they gotta have this spunk, or this nice-ness, or real talent & passion for me to really notice notice them. i don’t really care about the looks. i used to. not anymore.

9. ONE FAVORITE SONG? Me (Paula Cole)

10. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Sylmar, CA/Marikina/QC.. i’m a semi-gypsy.

11. HIGH SCHOOL YOU ATTENDED: St. Scho Marikina, i’m a full-blooded kulasa.

12. CELL PHONE SERVICE PROVIDER: Smart

13. FAVORITE MALL STORE? Power Books, ADIDAS

14. LONGEST JOB YOU HAD? if i could consider being in Allstars a job, this is it.

15. DO YOU OWN A PAIR OF DICE? no.

16. DO YOU PRANK CALL PEOPLE? yes when i was younger. besides, can’t do that now coz of caller ID.

17. LAST WEDDING YOU ATTENDED: my HS friend Rochelle & Jun’s.

18. FIRST FRIEND YOU’D CALL IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY: Hmmm.

19. LAST TIME YOU SAW YOUR BEST FRIEND(S): i dunno, it has been years. my best friends are scattered all over the world. some doesn’t even have an identity in cyberspace! only get to communicate with them through occasional text messaging.

20. FAVORITE FAST FOOD RESTAURANT: i love McDonald’s french fries. so Jollibee. hahaha!

21. BIGGEST LIE YOU HAVE EVER HEARD: oh you don’t wana know!

23. WHERE’S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT WITH FRIENDS? anywhere there’s good food!

24. CAN YOU COOK? a little.

25. WHAT CAR DO YOU DRIVE? (see previous entry)

26. BEST KISSER: my pamangkin Allen. the sound of his kiss is pwhup! hahaha love it.

27. LAST TIME YOU CRIED? 2 days ago. coz i couldn’t find my tsinelas. bwahahaha!

28. MOST DISLIKED FOOD: yung hilaw. ewwww.

29. THING YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF: (- Good head on my shoulder) ..yeah, same here. and my stubbornness.

30. THING YOU DISLIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF: that i use my heart more. and my stubbornness.

31. FAVORITE COLOR (s): purple. violet. lilac. lavander. mauve.

32. LONGEST SHIFT YOU HAVE WORKED AT A JOB?: if, again, being in Allstars is a job, well.. 2 years! we never stopped working.

33. FAVORITE MOVIES? Peter Pan (Walt Disney), LOTR, Ever After.. a lot more.

34. CAN YOU SING? relatively.

35. LAST CONCERT ATTENDED? Christina Aguilera’s, coz we were front act.

36. LAST KISS? Koy, before he left for Hawaii.

37. LAST MOVIE RENTED: dun remember.

38. ONE THING YOU NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT: here in the US, my passport. in the PI, my notebook & some cash. i can go about without my cellphone.

39. FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: beach. or mountain.

40. LAST VACATION DESTINATION: greece.

41. WHERE ARE YOU GOING NEXT VACATION: hopefully new zealand.

42. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO: outside this earth. i wana see how the world looks like from afar.

43. LAPTOP OR DESKTOP COMPUTER? laptop.

44. FAVORITE COMEDIAN? adam sandler. reagan cornelio.

45. DO YOU SMOKE WEED? just once for the heck of it. oh how juvenile.

46. SLEEP WITH OR WITHOUT CLOTHES? with.

47. WHO SLEEPS WITH YOU EVERY NIGHT? my books.

48. DO LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS WORK? only for a certain time.

49. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE? hmmm more than 5 i think.

51. DO YOU LIKE COFFEE? no. makes me sleepy.

52. HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS? semi-scrambled.

53. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ASTROLOGY? the philosophy of Astroboy? yes. hahaha!

54. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Mom.

55. LAST PERSON ON YOUR MISSED CALL LIST? don’t have my phone anymore.

56. WHAT WAS THE LAST TEXT MESSAGE YOU RECEIVED? haven’t had my phone since July.

58. NUMBER OF PILLOWS? 2. i don’t like my bed too crowded. i’m claustrophobic. but if it’s koy, i won’t mind hahaha!

59. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW? blue GAP hoodie & shorts.

60. PICK A LYRIC, ANY LYRIC:
Come Loyal Benedictine Children
O come and let us sing
Our voices raised with youthful hearts
With youthful hearts aflame
In praise of St Scholastica

Uhhh forgot na. hahaha, that was my Alma Matter Hymn. from 13 years ago!

61. WHAT KIND OF JELLY DO YOU LIKE ON YOUR PB & J? none. 

62. CAN YOU PLAY POOL? i can. not good though.

63. CAN YOU SWIM? no. hahaha! if i could, i’d brave the waters of Hawaii or Siargao & try to be the first Pinay to do tube riding.

64. FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Klondike.

65. DO YOU LIKE MAPS? yes. i’m actually fascinated with maps.

66. TELL ME A RANDOM FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: i am good in math. that’s why i suck in relationships. look at Einstein, hahaha! i was supposed to be an accountant. but i didn’t wana work & be confined in the 4-corners of an office.. but i’ve put it in good use now, coz i’m the group’s treasurer.  

68. EVER ATTEND A THEME PARTY? last Holloween.

69. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON? Summer coz i’m very productive. i could prick my pimples, cut my sister’s hair, i can count how many red cars will pass, i can touch my nose without looking.

70. LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED AT SOMETHING STUPID? today. coz my nephew was being stupidly cute.

71. WHAT TIME DID YOU WAKE UP THIS MORNING? i’m still awake. it’s 6am.

72. BEST THING ABOUT WINTER? furry jackets, hot choco, soup, cuddles, hugs, hearth, that everything is immaculately covered in white.

73. LAST TIME A COP GAVE YOU A TICKET? about 3 years ago. ndi ko nadaan sa sungit at iyak hahaha!

74. WHAT WAS IT FOR? coz i called him stupid.. nah, beating the red light.

75. NAME OF YOUR FIRST PET? Lucy (family pet). Boom Boom (my own).

76. DO YOU THINK PIRATES ARE COOL OR OVERRATED? cool! yea, without the stink hahaha!

77. WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS WEEKEND? spend my last weekend with family. i’m going home (PI) mon.

78. BIRTHDATE? before Valentine’s.

79. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE: a Unicorn.

85. ARE YOU ON A LAPTOP? yes.

87. ARE YOU SMILING? why? something funny?

89. DO YOU MISS SOMEONE RIGHT NOW? a big YES.

90. IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE WOULD YOU GO? Hawaii.

92. ARE YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL? no.

93. DO YOU HAVE A MIDDLE NAME? yes.

94. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NAME? Mikaela.

95. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR BATHING SUIT?  black.

96. DOES YOUR SCHOOL START IN AUGUST? no.

97. DID YOU GO ON VACATION LAST MONTH? i still am. since july.

98. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A CRUISE?: no.

99. DO YOU HAVE A SISTER? yes, 2.

100. ARE YOU UPSTAIRS? yes.

101. ARE YOU IN LOVE? yes.

102. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL? lots of times.

103. DO YOU WISH YOU COULD SEE ANYONE PARTICULAR RIGHT NOW? yes.

104. WHAT JEWELRY ARE YOU WEARING? none.

105. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AFTER THIS SURVEY? read Lolita.

TEN TO ONE

TEN Random Things About Me:
10. i have a very short attention span. i zone in and out of a conversation, dance class, reading, flying, errr. yeah
09. i have selective memory
08. i’ve experienced dying (or a taste of it) in dance, dancing a nierras piece. sarap
07. i came from a 7 year (3 years long-distant) relationship
06. i have multiple personalities which (may) follows that i am extremely moody
05. i had a band called Malt ‘n Pops in college
04. i cut & dye my own hair, (had even shaved my head)
03. i consider night driving & wall painting therapeutic
02. i put up a group so i could see my family in LA. now the group is my life.
01. i live vicariously through my domesticated sister knowing i might never get close to where she is now in her life

NINE (Favorite) Places I’ve Visited: (edited 08/23/01)
09. Canada
08. Singapore
07. Taiwan
06. Las Vegas
05. Seattle
04. Italy
03. Australia
02. San Francisco
01. New York

EIGHT Things I want to do before I die:
08. write a novel
07. dance in new york / LA (check!)
06. have a baby (check!)
05. jump from a plane to a sea full of shark
04. live in venice / NY / LA (check!)
03. be one of the best bgirls (awww no more)
02. meet the great people (check!)
01. marry that one great love (lapit na)

(oh no, 2 more and I can die now! )

SEVEN Ways to win my heart:
07. bring me to a pristine forest, mountain or beach (if there’s still any)
06. write me a letter, sing me a song or tattoo my face on your butt
05. be the best dancer… urrrhmmm…
04. play with toddlers… aawwww…
03. teach me the art of loving
02. converse with me non-stop anywhere
01. magtumbling ka sa harap ko for no reason or season

SIX Things I believe in:
06. love
05. freedom
04. strength of character
03. synchronicities
02. life behind all things
01. Faith

FIVE Things I’m afraid of:
05. dying without having a baby (no more!)
04. loved-one in a state of paralysis
03. losing my eyesight (i lost my hearing & sensitivity already but i’m still oayt)
02. not being able to dance anymore
01. …that i won’t care if any of the above happens

FOUR of my Favorite Items in my bedroom:
04. my stuffed unicorns
03. boombox
02. my notebook
01. pantyliners (hahaha!)

THREE Things I do everyday:
03. take a bath
02. train with Allstars
01. smile

TWO Things I am trying not to do right now:
02. kill someone
01. rob a bank

ONE Person I need to see right now:
01. mommy koh… =(