Flying High (Things We're Thankful For)

Rainy nights, crisp nippy air, frosty winter mornings, calf-high leather boots, warm company of our own families, new acquaintances, and insightful comments from close friends and blogmates.

Decent site traffic, relative absence of the “writer’s block,” passing the boards or prelims or a much-needed exam, sweat-ful yoga and gym sessions, guilt-free shopping sprees, and paid credit bills.

Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Go Nuts’s cupcakes, guiltless confectionery delights, coffee breaks and splurges, Heroes/Betty marathons, laughers-filled-tête-à-têtes with really close friends, a glimpse of your crush or sweet private nights with the ones you love.

Attaining that much-wanted personal dream, getting a new job, eight hours of nightly sleep, a very meaningful year so far, really good health, peace of mind, and YOU.

Those are the things I’m really thankful for.

To the rollercoaster month of August, I bid you Adieu and here’s to wishing that the months to come will be a bountiful one for me and you.

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Hoping this quote (and my personal philosophy) will inspire you in your quest for true joy and purpose:

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“God made you in such a way that when the people of the world would be sitting, you would be standing…

"When the world is standing, you will stand out…

"When the world stands out, you’ll be outstanding…

"And when the world dares to be outstanding…

"You will be the standard.”

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This smile and kiss is for all of you.

What are the things you’re thankful for?

Remember Me This Way

I have been here in the Unbearable Lightness for 3 years already and ever since I began blogging, I still haven’t posted my real image. Aside from some readers who also read my other blog somewhere here in blogger, which is still active by the way, this post will be your most precious opportunity of ever seeing the real me.

Have your bibs, suction apparatuses and popcorns ready. And if you’re ready, slowly browse down.

Ready?

Ready!

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Elloh ev-wee-one, I’m Nurse Wuff!
Happy to meet you! Can I give you a kiss?

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And please don't copy/repost/reproduce the images posted in The Unbearable Lightness without my permission, or whatever. So un-classy. =) See ya.

Deja Vu

“They say when you die your whole life flashes before your eyes. If let's say for some reason I get to kick the bucket during the boards [e.g. choke on my #2 pencil], will all the stuff I reviewed flash before me?

“Yep. It flashed. But the answer ain't nowhere to be found.”

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June 10-11, 2007. Nurses Licensure Examinations. Last year I took it somewhere at the outskirts of Manila, almost near Pasay City where public transport no longer could reach. This time, I took it somewhere in the University Belt. At the lair of the Red Warriors. A place too hostile, and polluted, for a tame tiger like me.

Initially shocked with the questions. Some are lifted from a 2,304-page book, while some, from the testmaker’s personal and private experiences. Results pending, everything is in a halt. The verdict, on the other hand, was promised by mid-July.

Mid-June 2007. Went to Boracay with family, most of them from the States. Wallowed under the sun praying to Ra for a good, even tan. End result: pallor-be-gone, welcome my glorious tan (imagine Addison’s disease, or Stevens-Johnsons Syndrome).

Mid-July 2007. PRC made a statement. Too many examinees, so few optical checking machines. 36% of the total examinees, however, passed. Guessing whose papers they were, er, matching the papers from the serial number I mean, will take an eternity. PRC promised to release the results by August 15.

July to August 2007. Prayed to God that the results will be favorable. Wholeheartedly accepted the possibility of failing. Failing because of low grades, okay; but failing because of simple erasures, incorrect shading or clerical errors, not okay.

August 14, 2007. Received rumors, er, messages that the results will be out by midnight. Darn, has to be awake by midnight. Resting heart rate accelerated at 133 bpm, a few beats more and I might have a heart attack. Had to do something to divert too much adrenaline. Updated my blog, concocted Colors of the Wind and Vanessa Williams post.

August 15, 2007. 12 midnight. Checked PRC.gov, Inquirer, Manila Bulletin. Shoot no results. Had that sinking feeling that everybody knew except me and that no one had the courage to tell me. Message received in the morning that the testmakers are still finalizing the checking of the papers until the 20th.

August 20, 2007. Testmakers must be finished checking by now. Read from an Internet site that an insider from PRC said that results will be released by the 27th. On the other hand, a professor said, it will be on the 29th. A blogmate said, on September. I said why not December?

August 25, 2007. The rest of my plans are still in a gray area. For the past couple of days, I have waited. Waited and prayed that I may accept whatever the results may be.

We wait. We pray. I blog.

"I should’ve choked on my #2 pencil. At least if not for lead poisoning, I would have had a perforated esophagus. And the healing time will be not this painful."

August 26, 2007. Received an SMS that results have been finally released. And I guess, all the waiting is worth it. Yup, I passed. Just like a Déjà vu.

"And this time, it flashed. And the answer is exactly the one that I want."

Nursing license, here I come. Again.

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Once again, I would like to thank every one of you for your prayers and well-wishes. Thank you for sticking with me through these trying times. Filled with eternal gratitude, I offer back my sincerest appreciations to everyone who have held my hand as I travel this tortuous and thorny path. For that, I will be forever indebted. Again, CONGRATULATIONS to all of us and GOODLUCK.

The Real Me

Are you an honest, faithful and loving person? Are you plain and simple, but undeniably attractive? Are you arrogant? Or just simply energetic? Are you romantic? Or you’re just plain monkey?

Everything you know about yourself will change in an instant after taking this simple algorithmic test. So clear your mind of all your life worries, grab some popcorn or quesadillas if you may, and honestly answer all the questions in this simple flowchart.

You may also indulge my simple request of clicking the “Post A Comment” link below and truthfully jot down your result. After a day or two, a tally of the readers’ personalities will be likewise posted.

Ready? Ready!

(Open image in a new window for a larger view.)

And by the way, if you would ask, I am the playboy type, er, I am a simple and attractive girl, or boy for that matter. How well do you fare? Be honest ha!

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The posted image is a copyright of its respective owner (upon which the URL I could no longer recall to the best of my ability, hence, I could not give due credit) and the author does not, in any way, claim the ownership of the aforementioned image. Thank you. =)

Turn Back Time

One week has passed and despite the weather condition returning to normal, having my DSL services restored to its bliss-like grandeur is still eternities-away. But don’t fret. This catastrophe, indeed, has a therapeutic purpose. It made me cherish long waits, appreciate how webcams and eyeball addicts in a computer shop have become inseparable entities, and taught me that patience, undeniably, is a virtue.

This post will be about: a Music Meme (which I incredibly enjoyed), my take on an Emmy nomination for a Filipino show (a first in Philippine programming), and why Bandila holds such precious memories in my heart.

Music Meme

Immediately after I’ve read this post from Saisho, I quickly turned my iPod on, and tried this meme faster than a man with premature ejaculation could even reach his climax.

The RULES couldn’t be any simpler:
1. Put Your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc on SHUFFLE Mode,
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer, and
3. YOU MUST WRITE DOWN THAT SONG NAME NO MATTER HOW GAY IT SOUNDS.

But I added a personal twist, I listed down both (1) what song played and (2) what would be my ideal answer. This is fun! Ready? Ready!

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
iPod: Midnight Coward (Stars)
Me: From The Bottom of My Broken Heart (Britney Spears)

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
iPod: Pretty Baby (Vanessa Carlton) =)
Me: Better Man (Robbie Williams)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
iPod: Making Love Out of Nothing At All (Air Supply)
Me: Live and Learn (The Cardigans)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
iPod: Makulay Ang Buhay Sa Sinabawang Gulay (Tres Lukring Kids)
(Rough Translation: Life Is Colorful If Your Veggies Are Wet or whatever...)
Me: Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own (U2)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
iPod: Beautiful (Christina Aguilera)
Me: No One Else Comes Close (Joe)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF OFTEN?
iPod: The One (Shakira)
Me: The Sweetest Days (Vanessa Williams)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR ENEMY?
iPod: Reflection (Christina Aguilera) shoot!!!
Me: DIE Another Day (Madonna)

WHAT IS 2 + 2?
iPod: Irreplaceable (B Boy Truth)
Me: Power of Two (Indigo Girls)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BESTIE?
iPod: Little Wonders (Rob Thomas)
Me: That's What Friends Are For (Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Beverley Craven) love you all my bestie's!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE ONE YOU LOVE?
iPod: Nothing in this world (Paris Hilton)
Me: By Your Side (Sade)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
iPod: On Bended Knees (Boyz II Men) - This can't be serious?!
Me: Go The Distance (Michael Bolton)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GROW UP?
iPod: Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Jewel)
Me: The World's Greatest (R. Kelly)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
iPod: On Bended Knees (Boyz II Men) Just kidding.
iPod: When You Tell Me That You Love Me (Diana Ross)
Me: God Bless The Broken Road (Rascal Flatts)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
iPod: Africa (Toto)
Me: Dance With My Father (Luther Vandross/Celine Dion)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL
iPod: La Isla Bonita (Madonna)
Me: Angels (Robbie Williams) or Gone Too Soon (Michael Jackson)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST??
iPod: Umbrella (Rihanna ft. Jay-Z and Chris Brown)
Me: On Bended Knees (Boyz II Men) again. =) kidding.
Me: Try It On My Own (Whitney Houston)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
iPod: Gasolina (Daddy Yankee)
Me: Alone (Heart)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
iPod: I Hate Everyone (Get Set Go)
Me: There's No Easy Way to Break Somebody's Heart (James Ingram)

It’s fun isn’t it? Try this one. Feel free to tag yourself.

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Emmy Nominates “Bandila”

ABS-CBN late night newscast “Bandila” (Banner/Flag) earned the Philippines’ first-ever Emmy Award nomination for its report on the promulgation of the Subic rape case last year. The US International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences picked the “Bandila” report over 800 nominations from around the world together with seven other finalists from the United Kingdom, Brazil, Romania, China, and Russia vying for the news and current affairs category for the International Emmy Awards (Source).



TV Patrol World, ABS-CBN flagship news and current affair show, made it to the top 8 but failed to pass through to the final screening. This nomination will be another good reason to watch the Emmy’s this September. Bandila's nomination is not only a testament of the Filipino's high standard of media excellence, but is moreso a source of national pride--"sa ngalan ng bayan, sa ilalim ng nag-iisang Bandila."

Bandila and My Life Memories

I hold such fond memories of Bandila. When the Nurse’s Licensure controversy last June 2006 was in its impetus, Bandila, specifically the reporter Apples Jalandoni, was the first News/Current Affairs entity to contact me personally for a professional advice and personal opinion. I prophesized with certainty that if a retake is not to be implemented, serious global repercussions about Filipino nurses will ensue. After the show aired, I received contradicting reactions from various bodies including the academe, the student bodies, some government officials and laypersons alike.



My advocacy to have an immediate Board retake failed and I was scorned by many. But to quote President Arroyo, it is, indeed, better to be right than to be popular. I hid from the public for a while, refused a number of media exposure, and lived a normal, decent life. It was only early this year that my cause came into fruition and my detractors finally get a dose of their own medicine as the CGFNS (a regulatory commission for foreign nurses planning to work abroad) demanded the much talked-about retake.

After too much wasted time, and more waiting for this year’s boards, I feel like I have become a part of Philippine Nursing history, albeit a trivial or a mundane one. But then again, maybe that’s just me.

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P. S. My personal appreciations to Niki’s Blogspotting for the sweet words “I've always admired those people who can write so honestly, without fear of standing naked to the universe…,” Richard for featuring Unbearable Lightness, and KC for the triflex gloves. Complete list of Emmy nominees here and here.

Hero

I’m blaming my call-center friend for not shoving me to watch Heroes when what we did every night at the office is to abuse the free Internet benefits in my previous company. Instead, I wallowed on YouTube-ing episodes of American Idol and tidbits of my then favourite Grey’s Anatomy.

Now it’s a bit too late, but then again, it’s better late than never ain’t it. I spent Internet-less weekends having Heroes marathon—the new Sci-Fi/Drama series from NBC. I sacrificed cold, wintry nights, fought sleepiness with coffee and donuts, woke up early to watch again, turn the cellphone off as it keeps on ringing incessantly because a potentially new Significant Other wants to talk, and by the grace of pirated DVDs and a laptop, I completed watching the entire 1st season (and a bit of the 2nd) and it just felt incredibly good.



Heroes is superb, beautiful, spectacular, and everything positive I could ever think of. Consider Heroes as the TV version of X-Men, only better. Characters have specific genetic mutations that allows them to do something out-of-the-ordinary, only they look like normal humans (unlike Beast, Nightcrawler, etc), and of course, there are nemeses who rip heads open, eat brains, and do something like that. This is TV Sci-Fi at its premium. Probably the best show of its kind for this season.

Indulge me again for a tad shorter “stream-of-consciousness”-type post, but I promise it is not too lengthy. I hope Heroes and non-Heroes fan will find this post a light and fun-read.

Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia). An empath with the ability to absorb other people’s power. At last, a nurse protagonist, and he’s cute too. Love love the way he tucks his long hair to the back of his ears. Sooo sexy. And pretty please, make more love scenes to attract wider viewership, and not to that Simone girl (or Fergie in Big Girls Don’t Cry MTV), you need someone hookerish like Paris or Ashley Simpson or whoever, just deduct the singing part.

Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere). Spontaneous regeneration. Sings “I can’t get enough of you baby…” oops, that were sudden surges of testosterone talking. This woman is pretty, pretty, pretty. I couldn’t help staring at your face and imagining spending my future with you. I endow you your new power: turning gay men straight. My suggestion, more skin my Claire Bear, get back to cheerleading, have an accidental exposure of the un-see-ables or something to that effect.

Noah Bennet (Jack Coleman). Claire’s father, no superhuman abilities. I just want to marry your daughter. But seriously, if the one reading this is a Filipino, you must’ve noticed something pervert-ish in his real name. Jack Coleman? Are you inviting me to do something naughty? Get it? Get it! I’m sorry my future dad. I only do that *thing when I’m thinking about your daughter. Okay, enough promiscuity.

Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka). Manipulating time/space continuum. Wait, you look familiar. Ooooh, you’re the lab guy Franklyn from Scrubs. Anyways, love your power, and your performance too. Truly deserving of your Emmy and Globe’s nomination. Witty, classy, full of emotions, and brilliantly portrayed—what more could I ask for? About my Emmy forecast, if you win against TR Knight, it’s acceptable with me, I won’t get mad.

Ando Masahashi (James Kyson Lee). Hiro’s sidekick; no known super-abilities. I know you don’t have superpowers but you got me with your charm and deep manly voice, baby. You are so yummy. Ask me the question you asked Miss Timbuktu from the most recent Miss Universe, which is, what kind of superpower I wanted to have and I will immediately answer “to see everybody naked.” That is of course, with Hayden’s permission. Hot young pretty chick (Hayden) trumps yummy gorgeous hunky guy (Kyson). Or maybe not. You aren’t thinking of sleeping with Hiro in the 2nd season, are you?


Heroes Main Cast.

Niki Sanders (Ali Larter). Superhuman strength when in an alternate personality. Wait, you’re the aerobics girl at Legally Blonde right? Yes you are. Brooke Taylor Windham! I won’t critique you here. You might just hurt me. But you’re pretty. Just want you to know that I’m a huge fan. Next…

Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy). Geneticist from India who holds knowledge about the Heroes. I once had a customer at a call center with the same surname as yours and he almost cursed me as I could not spell his surname correctly. It’s not you isn’t it? Not my type, knowing that you’re already married in real life. Non-heroes-but-Grey’s-Anatomy-fans? He’s the patient who does Meredith but ended up with persistent erections. Readers with persistent erection? Better have it checked, it could be a tumor you know.

Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg). Reading other people’s thoughts. The axed fatty guy from Alias (Eric Weiss), now a cop/FBI agent in Heroes. I don’t like you. But perhaps you must’ve read that from my mind already. The way you act? So over the top! But I love Clea Duvall (from HBO’s Carnivale), so don’t hate her okay? (Oooh, might review Carnivale next.)

Isaac Mendez (Santiago Cabrera). Paint/draw the future. Your bad boy/dirty look? Not my type. But the clean cut look? Oooh me likey. Why did you die? Aside from Peter and Ando, you’re one of the most aesthetically endowed characters in Heroes. You do fulfill my fantasies of cobedding with a hot guy with long hair. Please don’t wake me up. Yet.

Micah Sanders (Noah Gray-Cabey). Control electrical devices. Don’t come near me or I might just eat your brain, you prodigious little child. Getting all that money from the ATM? You are such a genius. Might not work that one here on the third world though, ATMs here are always offline, hence, moneyless.

Gabriel Sylar (Zachary Quinto). Nemesis who eats other heroes’ brains to obtain their powers. The old you—nerdy, geeky, watchmaker guy, I’m so digging it. Your grin is so devilish and your stares make my knees melt. If you weren’t the nemesis, I would’ve fallen in love with you. Just don’t kill my cheerleader Hayden eh?

You must have noticed that I really really love Heroes. I swear. I just couldn’t wait for the second season. I heard David Sanders (cute guy villain Julian Sark of Alias) will be joining the cast, and I’ll be seeing more of Peter, Ando and Sylar. That’s one great ensemble. But then again, scenes with Claire would suffice.

See I told you, this entry is short-err. =) Is it? Am I making progress?

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Images from SeenOn and Chud.com. This entry is still posted on Dial Up. Sorry for the errors, etc. Will make the necessary revisions once services are restored.

Wreck Of The Day

After my Ugly Betty and Vanessa Williams post, just like a regressing tumor, my Internet connection miraculously disappeared and left me debilitated for a day or two. I spent yesterday calling for the Internet repairman who is never-on-sight after I brazed the thundering cold for an Internet shop selling prepaid cards so I can update Unbearable Lightness and do bloghop in the comfort of my own home without the perils of thunder striking me alive (me and my iPod are inseparable) or the floods carrying me till I disappear (my swimming skills is pointless against the flashflood current) or whatever. So far, here I am, alive and unscathed… but still disappointed as my DSL connection is nowhere near to restoration.


iPod and Lightning = Catastrophic (but still) Cute Guy

I’ve been using a DSL connection since late last year and being back on Dial-Up is like literally hell freezing over. I visited my site, of course, after trying to connect for almost 20 minutes of unsuccessful dialing and boy oh boy, it just took forever to load. This incident gave me much needed realizations: (1) my site is not Dial-Up friendly, (2) there is too much information/accessories present on my homepage, and (3) waiting for everything to load is plain acceptable, even for me.

Not everyone is endowed with the luxury of High Speed Internet, which may either be a DSL or a Wi-Fi connection. In fact, even with a 1 MBPS of DSL connection such as mine, some pages take incredibly long to load. Blame it on the long posts, or the abundance of images and videos, or of the preponderance of widgets and whatnots, a homepage that is not user-friendly could be a bit turn-off. So in this episode of Unbearable Lightness, I listed down some tips on how we can make our homepages a very user-friendly site for me and you.



1. Do not put all your entries in the main page. Unless extremely necessary and all of your posts are a must-read, and by all posts, I mean everything you have written since your childhood or something, do not put too many entries on your main page. 7-10 is a fairly decent amount. At most would be 10-12 if the entries are not that lengthy. Anything more than 13 must be truncated.

2. Create a personal limit in the length of the entries and the number of images and videos or slideshows per post. UNLESS you maintain a vlog (video blog) or pictoblog (picture album blog), upon which this maxim does not necessarily apply. I have a personal limit of 12 images and/or 3 videos per post, which I unavoidably violated with my Emmy Forecasts upon which I sincerely apologize. Please, pretty please trim down on videos. No biggie for me, as I might have my DSL back sometime, but for Dial-Up users, this is such a big No-No.

3. Tone down on too much ads that take too much time to load please, and besides, your readers won’t buy in there anyways. I guess. Unless you really earn tonloads of money from such ads, or you are dead-sure that the ads do not interfere with the functionality and purpose of your blog, it would be better off without them.

4. Keep widgets to a minimum please. Remove useless widgets, those that consume too much time to be retrieved (slideshows, mp3 playlists, etc.), and those that won’t enhance the appearance (anatomy) and purpose (physiology) of your site. A Message Board, a Twitter, an Archive list, Site Statistics provider, Bookmarking/Feeds Service, and of course, a Links List, could be all that you might need. Too much animations that take forever to load, and the oh-so-annoying BlingyBlobs and NetGlitters could be a bit *just over-the-top. Remove, remove, remove…


Do not get your own glitter at BlingyBlob.com


5. Though I still don’t know how to do this one, a peek-a-boo link, more colloquially seen as, “Continue reading…,” “Complete story, click here…,” or “Keep reading here…,” or seen so fancy like, “The adventures go on here…” or “Satisfy your curiosity here…” They keep the appearance of your site neat and well-organized, and this is the one *most important thing that I definitely have to learn. Fellow bloggers, teach me how to do this one please. I beg of you.

6. Please make a simple, straightforward translation of your written chronicles if they are written in vernacular or in your own dialect. You might never know the nationality of your readers but with the power of the Internet, readers from all over the world could land at your site and might offer you a record deal, a book deal, a new job or something. You are not required to complicate your translation. For instance, minahal ko siya could be easily translated as “I loved him/her,” and not “I have sacrificed too much of my time and effort for his/her happiness.” Being over-rated does not apply to you, unless you’re Paris Hilton, Tessa Valdez-Prieto or Malou de Guzman.

7. Some blogs cater to a specific type of audience. For instance, some of my posts tackle some medical issues and medical terms have to be used inevitably. There is nothing wrong with that, but a short definition/explanation about the term could prove to be useful. For example click here and here. A brief explanation could be enough. For instance, Brugada Syndrome = fatal heartbeat, or Reality = female condoms. Provide links if the topics do need to be elucidated further.

This line, “Brugada syndrome is characterized by pathologic delta-positive sloping of the electrographic R-wave as Na ions influxes and alters the myocardial membrane potential” is better off in a medical journal than in a blog. (Unless of course, if your blog provides technical, comprehensive information about certain topics).

8. Kindly update your blogs once in a while. Read your comments and make sure you reply. Not everyone has the time to make one but in case you’ve read one, have the initiative to (1) reply back, (2) let the person know that you have replied to his comment, (3) look at that person’s site if he/she has posted something new, and (4) return the favor. If you don’t have the luxury of time reading everything, HINT: just read the 1st and last paragraphs. You’ll never go wrong in your comments once you’ve read those. Trust me on this.

9. Blog what is in your heart. The readers know when what they’re reading is coming from the heart or just plain crap. Inject your personality and emotions in the things that you’re writing. Do not repost other people’s ideas, images, or videos in your site UNLESS you think that they are worthy to be reposted and the source wouldn’t mind you replicating their ideas. Memes and tags do not apply of course. Even though this is just a blog, Intellectual Property Rights do apply too, you know.

Lastly:

10. Enjoy writing. Blogging serves a purpose. Some people write to express themselves, while some blogs are there to inform other people. Some blogs cater to the businessman or porno-man inside of them, while some blogs are just there to make you feel bad about yourself. What matters is not the amount of traffic you get, but the personal satisfaction that you get from writing. A post that has no comments does not mean it’s bad, or it is not worthy to be read. After all, a writer does her craft not for the number of comments that would be made, but how many lives and emotions would have changed by her entries. Blogging is meant to be fun and therapeutic too. If blogging makes you feel otherwise, then it is serving no purpose to you. Just let go.



Okay, there are my top-ten realizations and tips on how everyone’s blogging experience could become more fun and enjoyable. Of course, I’m not the legitimate source of everything blog-worthy or something but following such simple rules would never hurt. To summarize, just remember three things:

1. SIMPLIFY YOUR SITE,
2. WRITE TO EXPRESS, NOT TO IMPRESS,
3. LET YOUR HEART DO THE WRITING.

Write lightly, read critically, and enjoy blogging as much as I’ve enjoyed making this one (and every entries posted here). See you soon and I hope this entry helped you in anyway possible. Write on!

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P. S. Sorry if the lay-out is still haywire. Blame the Dial-up Internet. Images from Cultofmac, CherryPacheco, ColinFahey, some Vanessa Williams fan site, some Ad sites and some medical journal sites.

Colors Of The Wind

Hi. My name is Ruff, I’m a Bettyaholic, and I need help.

It was said that the steps crucial to initiating a change process are to (1) admit the existence of a problem, (2) accept your inability to change that problem, and (3) eliminate behaviors of denial. And I guess, this is me… exactly doing that.

The last weekend was crazy. I spent more time watching Ugly Betty, all 23 episodes and special features of it, than making something more productive like pottery or something. This little Betty addiction of mine has been outlandish and I need to purge it out of my system. Or maybe not.



I have professed my undying devotion to Betty in my last Emmy Forecast post and I’m hitting myself in the head for not *watching the Colombian Yo Soy Betty La Fea telenovela when it was shown almost a decade ago in Philippine TV. It was said that this Betty remake was the farthest version from the original but I still want to watch the original one for comparison’s sakes. *Tears tears.

Anyways, I am soo loving this Americanized Ugly Betty. Most of you might already be familiar with the story so I won’t blabber too much information here. I just want to say this simple truth with my simple post; Everything I needed to know about life, I’ve learned it in Ugly Betty.

From Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius), Betty’s uber-yummy boss and confidante. Not really my type of guy, but his arrogance and boyish charm is soo appealing.



Nobody’s perfect. Behind everyone’s perfect façade lies a flawed interior. No amount of cover-up, concealer, or arrogance will disguise the fact that people needs other people in order to survive. And too much of something is always dangerous a thing.



From Alexis Meade (Rebecca Romijn), Daniel’s dead brother who turned out to be a post-op transsexual. This lady is gorgeous. Need I say more?


What you don’t see is hidden under the skin and it may be more important than physical beauty. Happiness lies for those who cry, those who are hurt, those who have searched, and those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives.



From Justin Suarez (Mark Indelicato), Betty’s nephew. Watching this little boy reminds me of myself—both of us are passionate with our desires and won’t accept being second best.


Follow your heart’s desires. Do what makes you happy, because in the end, the only person you are answerable for is yourself. Be steadfast in your convictions. Do not let other people define the real you. You are fabulous. Deal with it.



From Marc St. James (Michael Urie), Wilhelmina Slater’s Assistant. Marc is flamboyance personified and I know that most women, and some gay men, could definitely relate to his character.



Be true to yourself. Protecting someone with deceit does not make you a hero, but a liar. Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck, and write them on the tablet of your heart.




From Amanda Tanen (Becki Newton), Mode’s receptionist. If ever I become a straight man again, I will definitely look for this gorgeous woman in NY or somewhere. She is sooo my type of girl!


Looks could be deceiving. Do not dismiss a person just by his/her appearance, first impressions, or what you can get from him/her. Self-respect is important, and so is a healthy insight about yourself. Life is short, so pop up that bottle and sip the champagne.



From Henry Grubstick (Christopher Gorham), Betty’s officemate and love interest. This guy breathes new life into the show—a nerdy, geeky guy who shares the same interest with Betty—I so so love this guy even when he was still Jake 2.0 or Dr. Miles McCabe from Medical Investigations. I’m glad to see him back on the TV scene.


Honesty is always the best policy. Fight for someone you really love. Don’t let that person slips by your grasp. Holding on is sometimes more important than letting go.



From Wilhelmina Slater (Vanessa Williams), Daniel & Betty’s archnemesis.

As (1) the first African-American woman to win Miss America, (2) a prolific singer-actress who should have won the Grammy's for singing Pocahontas’ Colors of the Wind, and (3) an uber-lovely woman whose fashion style I adore and worship, this lady epitomized John Keats’s saying “truth is beauty… beauty, truth. That is all ‘ye know on earth, and all ‘ye need to know.” No need to explain that. Vanessa Williams, you are my hero. You are true beauty personified! Exquisite, rare, delicate…

From Betty Suarez (America Ferrera). Daniel Meade’s loyal assistant and true friend and confidante. And of course, the show’s heroine.



Intelligence is power and personality is *everything. People don’t care whether you are beautiful or not, what matters is what’s inside your head and your heart. A true woman never frets about her place in the world, but just slides into it by the gravitation of her nature, and swings there as easily as a star.



Ugly Betty is definitely a feel-good dramedy series that evolves around the concept of beauty, friendship, loyalty, honesty, love and acceptance, amidst the world of superficiality, deception and lies. There is something in each of the main characters that makes them worth imitable, and even the worst nemeses possess intrinsic goodness that balances their evil sides. The outstanding ensemble of characters and a light, but exciting storyline will definitely crave a Betty fan more and more of this hearty and jovial series.

And to borrow Betty's mantra (repeat after me, if you may) “I am an attractive, intelligent, confident businessman/businesswoman,” and I am beautiful, if I might add.

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Originally I wanted to post a separate entry about my *new icon and heroine, but whattheheck, since we’re/I'm in this Ugly Betty phenomena, I want to publicly profess my renewed love and dedication to the most beautiful Miss America that ever graced our TV screens—my current obsession—Vanessa Williams.



Vanessa Williams became the first African-American woman to win the coveted crown of Miss America 1984 on September 18, 1983 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In July 1984, she had to relinquish her crown due to previous nude pictures of her that were published in Penthouse magazine. After the pageant controversies, Williams rebounded by launching consecutive album deals, theatrical and film roles, and television career; topped by performing the Grammy-Award Winning song from Pocahontas, “Colors of the Wind,” and her Emmy Nominated portrayal of Wilhelmina Slater, Betty and Daniel’s nemesis in Ugly Betty.

All I can say is that, this woman is pretty pretty pretty!!! I could not get over with my Williams obsession. In a span of a week, my iTunes list are topped by her songs “Colors of the Wind,” “The Sweetest Days,” and “Save The Best For Last” among others. The list does go on.


She also launched a Christmas album, to which the preview can be heard here. (Too bad I couldn't find a free download.)

And here are my most-loved songs from this gorgeous lady:

The Sweetest Days
The Sweetest Days (1994)

Her voice in this song is soo crystal-clear—unmistakably Vanessa Williams’. Just perfect for the melancholic mood the song exudes. (She even looks like Tyra Banks in some shots.)

Save The Best For Last
The Comfort Zone (1992)

Oooh, Vanessa’s signature song that propelled her to stardom. Love love this one. It was said that this song covertly retells her life post Miss America-Penthouse controversy and was noted to be teeming with redemptive undertones. Notice the words: “all I did was wish,” “not the way I hoped or how I planned,” “when I thought our chance had passed” among others?

Colors Of The Wind
Pocahontas Soundtrack

This is Vanessa at her finest, prettiest and most stunning. That face, my friends, is beauty personified. This music video makes me want to get my grandma’s shawl and sashay in a jungle/zoo, wear animal hides, or something. Timeless and enduring, this song marked William’s status as a brilliant artist-performer in US R&B history.

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Yeah, I know that my Wilhelmina Slater/Vanessa Williams obsession shall pass, but for now, allow me to indulge my sweetest days trying to paint the colors of my wind as I save the best for last. Okay that was too Williams-ish. Totally uncalled for.

Do not be surprised if my header transforms into Vanessa William’s images and my blogger name turns into Vanessa, Wilhelmina or Pocahontas. This is just a phase, Ruff. You’ll pull through this. This “corniness” must stop. But then again, maybe not.

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Sorry if this post is so senseless and narcissistic. I just need an outlet for my Betty obsession or else I might become insane or something. Images from Wikipedia, ABC.com, and some random Vanessa Williams fan sites.