When a Dragon's Soul Weeps...

Who is this DraejonSoul, and where did this writer go?

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:02:51 GMT

My shift technically ended eight hours ago, but got a lot of stuff to do, as usual. I'm tired and my mind is dangerously drifting to parts unknown, but not without feeling that sense of fulfillment of a job nicely done. Can't really say that it's well done, but I muddle through. ^^

As my mind was wandering off to vegging-dom (if such term even exists), I thought of visiting my profile page down at ffnet, and got some pick-me-uppers from gracious reviewers. I couldn't help myself to some mild ego-tripping lark and peeked inside my old fanfics... and saw how far I've regressed. I almost couldn't believe that I wrote this stuff! It's not that i think that my writing style is excellent; it's because my futile attempts at writing recently just... doesn't hit the mark for me. Not even close.

And since I've left a handful of multi-chaptered fics hanging, I'm beginning to doubt my capability of being consistent and faithful to their premises to see to writing the end. A lot of things changed in my life that I'm not sure if I have the luxury to let my mind graze into some semblance of creative writing.

I'll find a way... I hope.

Waht's tadoy aigan?...

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:56:48 GMT

(Rant-dom of nothingness)

My mind just wants to shut down right now. Been crunching loooong hours for two days now.

...

I don't want to entertain the notion that this job is starting to look like the last one I had, but I'd like to be optimistic. Yes, Daiji likes this kind of pain. Me likes this kind of paiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnn...

Ugh. Save me from the abyss of obscurity and help me write your story, Doc! *headdesk headdesk headdesk*

(end rant-dom of nothingness)

Yay, o yay, o YAY! X33333

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:59:42 GMT

Remember that wishlist of mine a few posts down?

~~17. The Canary Trainer by Nicholas Meyer~~

~~18. The Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes by Paul D. Gilbert~~

A friend who lives in San Diego emailed me earlier to say that she got the packages! Schweeeeeet!! XDDDDD

And so I tremble in anticipating glee while contemplating how my lovelies will be shipped. *goes off into a happy dance*

Aftermath.

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:51:00 GMT

... I had no idea. No idea whatsoever!

Because my sisters hogged the internet the past weekend, we didn't think of turning on the TV to cut down on the electrical consumption. I had no idea we were so fortunate! I even thought of going to the mall, but the bad weather that Saturday morning made me change my mind. Thank goodness I didn't go, and also cancelled an appointment to the opthalmologist!

And when my coworkers and I were talking about it in the break room a few hours ago, I wasn't hit with the gripping reality until I wondered if we were ever ready for such devastation, and it chilled me more when I knew the answer to that.

I'm just thankful we are safe. But there are many, many folks who are not so fortunate. My thoughts and prayers to my fellow men who were devastated by Ondoy. God will help us through all this...

Gotcha! It's STOP THE PRESS, part 2!

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:16:14 GMT

And yes, this is a sequel to the last post. You just gotta love how things work out sometimes!

I turned in late this morning in my enthusiasm to put it out there about my encounter with that nice driver. So I woke up 20 minutes later than usual, fumbled and bustled out of the house later than I ought. I always thought that if I left the house exactly around 7, there's a big possibility of being late because of unavoidable circumstances (rain, traffic, slow commute, crowded train, picky cab drivers, etc.) with little to no buffer time to slow down my pace.

And that's exactly what happened tonight on my way to work. First two commutes were slow because of the drivers' tendency to linger by the side of the road for fare, then a traffic buildup in the intersection I get off to get on the metro rail (which thankfully ran its route with no hitches), then a trek to my last pit stop for the jeep to work. I was gonna get a cab, but was torn because I didn't carry enough small bills, not trusting a cabbie to give me proper change.

After having no luck on a cab, I took my chances by taking a jeep. And, remembering my encounter last night, I glanced at the license plate when I got on, and sat just close by the front passenger side. And found myself in a curious happenstance when I recognized the same nylon rope contraption stretching more than half the jeep's length.

And when a passenger tugged the line and I heard that alerting sound unique to one particular commuter jeep, that's when I knew. It was the same jeep.

So, this time, before I got off, I gave a little awkward thanks, checked his plates again, then walked-ran the rest of the way to the office. And I was not late.

So again, to the young driver of the jeep with license plate# DKB 490, THANK YOU for getting me here in the nick of time, and for your brisk and gracious demeanor. ^__^

STOP THE PRESS!!!

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:59:57 GMT

I offer a simple testimonial to the power of affirmation, because it's not always the easiest thing to do in a society that seems to revolve around #1 (a.k.a., "me, me, ME!").

This is a shout-out to a certain young driver of the jeep I got on en route to work last night. I never thought of getting his name (which seemed silly under normal circumstances, even if I was sitting right behind him), never thought of getting the jeep's license plate, didn't even thank or acknowledge his actions with a nod or a smile. But let this cynical little city girl make up for it online, at least, until good karma finds its way to you.

Because never in my entire commuter life have I recalled such a courteous driver! I think anyone who has public transport a part of daily routine could tell you that a driver who acknowledges and thanks his passengers is just as real as... oh, say a perfect guy, perhaps? XP

For passing a fellow passenger's fare over, for answering him when he asks where you're going, or when he asks people to scoot to give room, a mild yet genuine THANK YOU is his automatic response. It just blows me away! I couldn't help but grin a bit at this small but quietly powerful gesture of kindness.

I even felt sorry for him when, a new passenger sitting at the end of the vehicle rolled her eyes when he didn't hear where she got on, and had to repeat about once or twice. I had this mental image of making a swing at her head for just being thoughtless at the time! Does she ever stop to think that drivers who have been operating on the streets for likely several years, exposed in the harsh elements and various decibels of the city's daily orchestral mayhem--not to mention their own vehicle's roaring engine--and plying their trade in more hours than what she clocks in her cozy air-conditioned office, will have supersonic hearing? We forget this simple fact most of the time, or turn off compassion when on the road. And before we acknowledged the use of the term multitasking, public transport drivers are allllll over it: watching the road, watching out for flagging passengers, reaching behind them for fare. And they drive, too. Too bad passengers do not know the unspoken rule among drivers that, ideally, they aren't supposed to speak to the driver because it would distract their attention.

Le sigh. So now you know the reason for the bat-swinging mental image. Frustrating, non?

Despite that, it was a humbling, yet very enlightening and warming experience to know that for all the travails and everyday grind my fellow man toils through everyday, some can still hold their head up and offer a glimpse of heart.

So I will make a small pledge to myself to be a lot more understanding to these servants of the road. I'm sure it's frustrating as hell, because the ones we usually encounter are reckless, inconsiderate self-serving assholes that you'd love to give them new ones. Oh, and I'm sure that there are as many decent folks on the street, don't get me wrong. But someone showing genuine unconditional courtesy to the people he serves? Again, it blows the mind.

So to you, Young Mr. Jeepney Driver of the Cubao-Ever route, I salute thee. ^__________________^

Ugh. And ugh some more...

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:03:56 GMT

I've always thought that I have a high threshold for pain. But sometimes, lowly mortals must give somehow. And so I'll whine.

I didn't think sleeping a day and a half of your weekend away would replenish one's strength. Nope, dead wrong! I woke up somewhere in a Monday morning with a sniffle, which worsened to a dry cough later into my first night at work. And when coughing gives me a headache and my joints ache a little, that is not a good sign. So I took an OTC tablet for flu Tuesday morning, and felt a little better coming to work.

Wrong again. Though coughing can be controlled, I feel kinda warm, my eyes are itching and tearing up, and they hurt when I put pressure on them. Joints are a bit of a bother, too...

Oooooh, three hours until I get home to be freed of my little agonyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy...

I feel your pain, leilawinters . Hope you're feeling better!

When you wish upon a staaaar~

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:46:49 GMT

Taking a page off of Angel of the Waters' post, I'm putting up my version of a wishlist. So from the doable to the far-fetched, let me play Material Girl for this one post and present---

My 100 Days to Xmas Wishlist!

1. Car, second-hand or not---preferably an Impreza, or a Galant from the 6th generation up. The big hulking 2010 Galant SE ain't so shabby, either... <3333333

2. Granada Sherlock Holmes DVD -- because I can never get enough of the loverly Jeremy Brett... ^o^

3. Nikon D40 or D90 with macro lenses.

4. A quiet weekend getaway with Gerard Butler (HA!!!) XD

5. Violin, and violin lessons to go with it, deQuervain's Syndrome be damned. ^_^

6. Compilation of any string compositions by the masters (Bach, Beethoven, Mendelssohn (sp?), Mozart, Vivaldi, etc.)

7. Wacom pen tablet, or any brand of good quality pen tablet.

8. Korg or Roland keyboards. XD

9. Durable earphones of good sound quality. I've gone through several now, and here's hoping my current Pioneer lasts more than a year

10. More pairs of shoes that I can actually use to walk with.

11. A world trip. Not just a simple tour.

12. Laptop or netbook.

13. An Aoshi Shinomori UFO doll.

14. A shelf to hold my little Transformers and car collections.

15. ... and a house to go with that. =3

... and most of all...

16. TIME in my young adult life to enjoy any and all of these.

ADDENDUM: Bowing to nieshka's wishes, I'm adding stuff that people (including myself) can really afford. Two of thse I'm sure some are familiar with, what with me whining and pining over them a few posts back. =3

17. The Canary Trainer by Nicholas Meyer

18. The Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes by Paul D. Gilbert

19. 1/32 scale diecast AE86 panda Trueno and/or the yellow Mazda RX-7 FD3S (because I realized me little FC is lonely. ^^). From Initial D... if you haven't guessed by now.

Napoleon of Crime shoutout!

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:56:58 GMT

Just randomness, don't mind! And I kinda miss posting...

I was listening to a call, and it tickled me that the caller's surname was Moriarty. In my head, I was going "oooOOOOOOH..." But nothing registered with the agent, and he didn't even get the name right! ("'G' as in 'good', 'y'?; "No. 'T' as in 'Thomas'."). No witty comeback line, nothing! Am I expecting them to know the notoriety of that name? Was that expecting too much? Reading into it too much? Or my mind is latching onto nonsensical things again? T__T

One for the blogs

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:23:56 GMT

I'm not a blog-every-moment type of person (if my posts aren't testament enough), but this day just needs to get up there in cyberspace.

One: Subieeee sighting!! XDDDD

I spotted a silver WRX at an intersection on my way to work. It's the fugly GD model, the one with fugly headlights. It's very rare to see any model on display (except the GC8 and GDBF I'm ogling at every passing moment when commuting), more so on the road. Still, knowing it's an Impreza (and seeing the wicked-looking scoop on the hood) makes me drooooooooool. <33333333

Two: Nothing is sacred.

Got to work to find that my old CPU was hooked up in place of my new one. Long story short: old CPU was to be formatted to be used as a test unit. What they didn't tell me was that they formatted it on my station. Where my clutter and two pairs of socks (I used during gym) are out and about--of course, said recalcitrant socks are flung behind the old CPU, and... you get the picture. ^^;;

I'm torn between embarrassment and amusement as I picture the hapless IT guy who was working then. In my defense, my socks weren't smelly... much. ^^;;;;

Way to go, me!

Heeeeeeeeeeelp...

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:48:39 GMT

Still no luck hunting down "The Canary Trainer" and "The Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes" locally. T__________T My options are either Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

I'm still waiting for the person whom I got two of my recent books from in the hopes of saving a killer shipping fees.

So now I'm beginning to get a headache trying to figure out the most cost-effective way to get these books. A teammate is being gracious enough to offer placing the order for me, but would have to wait until December until I actually get it. I can't wait that long, unfortunately. So the workaround would be to ship it to someone I know in the States or UK, then have them shipped to me. All expenses I will shoulder, of course.

...

After computing the possible combinations of buying from certain sellers that offer the books in the best condition possible (short of being new), is if I go with Amazon: buy Canary Trainer for $2.78 from THRIFT_BOOKS then Chronicles for $15.00 from A1Books. Computing what I understand would be the incurred shipping expenses, the total damage to my pocket would be $42.76--if shipped directly. And then there's the #$^&%**high and mighty Customs.

... Help? Now excuse me while I find a quiet corner to bang my head on a wall.

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:11:43 GMT

It's done. A great Filipino leader has been laid to rest today.

The burial was done in my city, Parañaque, just roughly a mile (estimated) from where I live. I was concerned that I'd be walking to my next commute (some 2 miles or 3 km?) if public vehicles won't be coming through because of the huge crowds. Luckily, there were, and I even got to work a lot earlier and managed to catch a few minutes of the mass at the cemetery on TV.

Yes, I'm ashamed to say that I'm one of the many who was too timid to take part of the crushing throng who braved the weather, the walk, and the long wait just to catch a glimpse of the hearse. I salute these people who had the guts to express their convictions and weather through the elements. Mabuhay po kayong lahat, mga kababayan ko!

And then there are the famed people that followed the funeral procession.

I heard that another former President, Joseph Estrada, and Senator and presidential aspirant Mar Roxas, were there waving and shaking hands with the crowd. It set people to thinking as to their true motive of being there. Be their actions innocent or otherwise, they should have had the decency to conduct their sympathy withthe crowd and the bereaved discreetly because they would have been misinterpreted. They would have served the long-suffering crowd better had they given away food and drink. *shakes head*

Eulogy

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:03:14 GMT

A stalwart of the Philippine democracy will be finally laid to rest this Wednesday.

It's like the burial of her late husband, Ninoy Aquino, all over again: hundreds upon thousands congregate to the streets to mourn a champion of the masses. History, indeed, repeats itself.

I was a youngster when the EDSA revolution broke out in '86. I don't remember much, wasn't fully aware of the implications of people's actions, but I vividly recall that innocent sense of pride I felt when citizens marched the streets to peacefully decry the oppression of dictatorship. How, people in linked hands and in fervent prayer had broken through the iron shackles of an iron-fisted government.

And, more so, how the leadership of the humble senator's 'housewife' had paved the way to make democracy possible.

I can still remember one of Marcos' ad campaign during snap election time. It was supposed to be Tita Cory's voice over a chaotic-looking scene of people (I can't really recall clearly). I do recall what her "last line": "Eh, tatapatin ko kayo. Panglalaki lang ito." (I'll be frank with you. This is for men). She was allegedly referring to the election, most likely.

Back then, I was thinking it was such a blatantly dirty and backhanded way to secure votes. It must have grated tita Cory's rivals to no end when all the rest of us watched how after every other coup attempt, this assassinated senator's wife weathered through all this violence and politics when she took over the Presidency.

And, like they say, you'll never know what you missed until it's gone.

I think I must be so inured to peaceful acts to resolve conflict, scoff at it and view it as some form of weakness. How foolish it is to think that way, when, if not for her taking the highest position in the land, having had no political background (when, in fact, she comes from quite a political clan!) had turned the government around in her quiet, but powerful way.

And now, to hear posthumous words of praise for her moral integrity, quiet strength and humility, I wish I paid more attention.

With her death, it was like Ninoy's death all over again: it's as if hope for a better country died with her. Who of moral strength of character, God-fearing, and of humble servitude, would come forward and lead?

Ninoy's old videos were played all over the media, where in one, he said that we must all be leaders. He said this in extolling everyone to be their own leader to bring this country back on its feet. Simple, yet strong words of conviction from one who had loved the land of his birth.

I pray that we all have the same strength to follow that conviction after this dark cloud.

Vaya con Dios, Tita Cory

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 01:18:06 GMT

To the real mother of the country, the humble housewife who paved the way for that elusive democracy, who fearlessly yet humbly fought the battles for the lowly, beaten fellow man...

You have fought well. May you find your peaceful repose.

(T.T) ...

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:48:32 GMT

I claim no authority in haute couture, nor am I that so updated on the coolest trends. I do respect people's sense of self and diversity. Still, there's such a thing in life as opposites: yin and yang, right and oh-that-just-looks-so-wrong. And people have limits.

I made these blessed encounters on my way home. Can someone be kind enough to explain these?

I actually saw this style of tank on the men's section at the mall earlier. So... how does a tank top that seems more flattering on a female form inspire über-manliness? I might have forgiven him had he kept his jacket on.

And now we get to this contradiction of sorts. How does this compute?

Shade + scarf (in currently warm weather??) + wife-beater + flipflops = just... WTF??!!-ness in my book

I'm reminded of that Sesame Street song: "One of these things is not like the other / One of these is not the same..."

A simple clean shirt would have sufficed. Lacking that, then they should have invested in nip-patches or something.

oh, aaaaaa-angelthorn

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:17:27 GMT

Thought you might wanna check this out. Don't worry; he's harmless. 'Course, that depends on your definition of the word. Buuuut you might wanna be careful opening it if in case you're at work. ^o^

*whistles innocently while walking away*

Why?? (and seeking help! from SH/JB fans)

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 09:12:11 GMT

I had every intention of making a drawing today, but what did I do? The supposed five minutes to check out titles at Powerbooks Megamall turned into an hour and a half (almost). I had browsed the Classic Literature section, the Gen Fic section, World-something where there were bios, even the books on sale in the hopes of finding Holmes pastiche or even anything on Jeremy Brett. And I could have tried their handy-dandy computer to look up titles and authors first and save me the effort . Can you blame me if I've got tunnel vision? =P

I did find Sherlock Holmes: The Unauthorized Biography in National Bookstore, though. But I didn't buy it right off; I vaguely recalled a not-so-stellar review on this book that stayed my hand from making a purchase. Good thing we can take a peek of its pages courtesy of Amazon, and so I did. I would have to agree with one reviewer who described it as "tedious, uninteresting, and downright plain dull". I guess I should have looked in the pages first. But I felt there was just too many historical information for someone who hardly knows European history, my eyes were glazing over at the names upon names thrown in to make up the Holmes genealogy. And my poor little brain hurt! (tease)

Seriously. To all canon fans out there. Is it really, really a good buy? Or should I just save up for that pastiche by Paul D. Gilbert that I posted several posts down?

But I didn't leave the mall empty-handed. I tracked down "Baby Bach", a collection of his for babies' listening pleasure. I actually bought this for myself. Hey, I'm practically a dunce when it comes to classical music! I like some of them because the music "speaks" to me in a way. It's hard to describe.

Anyway, I have told myself I was supposed to draw with my niece, and now I shall! Even if I lose some hours' sleep because I have a morning shift tomorrow. Ta!

Social Media Pitfalls

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:32:52 GMT

Be careful what you tweet at/for/to/with. Reading this makes me kind of proud that I have a small sense of anonymity online. And considered warned.

When I got my first webpage up at '99--though nothing much to look at, but it's technically called a "website"--I've always made it a point that under no circumstances should I post information that would give away my true identity. It's a paradox of sorts: I love the liberating feel of expressing one's self and still remain faceless. That's how I've always felt, and that hasn't changed. I haven't finished reading the entire article, but I kind of feel vindicated to have been careful thus far. At least, I hope that I have been.

Aaaand, over the years, I've colllected a lot of accounts online--LJ, DA, Blogspot, Friendster, Angelfire, FB, Twitter (I still can't believe that I've signed up for the last two, the social dysfunction that I am). Though my accounts can be somehow associated with one another, at least, there's nothing that can give any unscrupulous hack to pinpoint my location or anything. Yes, it's paranoia. But I still like to live my life quietly, thank you!

It's done!

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:57:21 GMT

After I've checked with a couple of people on what medium to use to post my niece's 'work', I've decided to set up a community. It would be more convenient for me this way, low maintenance. Then, maybe, hand it to her when I deem her responsible enough to maintain it on her own.

So I introduce to you, the p_nut_gallery, dedicated to simple works of the Little Peanut. Hope you can drop by from time to time.

A different kind of plugging.

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:28:31 GMT

I don't think I've ever talked about my nieces, specially the talent of the older one. I could just be blinded by being a stage aunt or something, or because she has flattered me time and again by copying some of my doodles. Still, one can't deny that the kid's got skills. You be the judge.

I've considered setting up a blog where we could put up her pictures. Or, maybe even her own DA. I see pros and cons with DA, and I'm not sure if the site would allow posting in someone's behalf. The kid will flip once she sees her drawing online.

EDIT: Did I mention she's seven years old? No, I suppose not... XD

Meme from ekmisao

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:41:20 GMT

List 10 of your favorite characters from different fandoms, and ask people to spot patterns in your choices, and if they're so inclined, to draw conclusions about you based on the patterns they've spotted.

I considered bending the rules a little by making two sets: one for my anime fandom, and one for the others. And since I'm spending too much time being stuck on both #7, I just picked from the best of the lot.

1. Rurouni Kenshin--Shinomori Aoshi
2. Slam Dunk--Rukawa Kaede
3. Initial D--Takahashi Ryousuke
4. Furuba--Sohma Hatori
5. Kyou Kara Maou!---Konrart Weller
6. Peacemaker Kurogane--Hijikata Toshizo
7. Samurai 7--Kyuuzo
8. Granada Sherlock Holmes--er, Sherlock Holmes
9. CSI: NY--Det. Donald Flack
10. Highlander: The Series--Methos/Adam Pierson

And more Sherlock Holmes/Jeremy Brett icons

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:14:38 GMT

Because of the warm reception of the humble little icons I've made over at this community, I got the huge urge to do three more before going to bed. X/

I'm relatively new at icon-making, so I did two versions of the third icon, see which text looks better/less obtrusive, etc. As usual, please cred when you will use it. Hope you enjoy. ^^

01| 02| 03| 04|

For cross-posting at

jeremybrett .

Su~bieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:42:46 GMT

Can anyone spot me 600K???? Oooooh, to have one, in its gas-guzzling, snort-roaring glory and all!

It's like eyeing that cute little puppy you've always wanted in that pet store. And said pet store is in the neighborhood, en route to work! Can you believe the daily torture?? I can't believe I DID NOT put my greedy hands all over it when I was taking pictures.... sigh...

We, the poor 'tao'

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:08:02 GMT

Just another one of those random thoughts that hit me whenever I make a toilet break at work. It's been happening more recently, now that I actually have time to let my mind graze for a bit while I take that break. Those occasions used to be precious moments of escape and despair about work when I used to do the old account.

I don't exactly know how I came to the realization. It's probably bits and chains of events around me that triggered such thoughts. I mean, we as a people do acknowledge that we are a poor country, a third world region this part of Southeast Asia. That sad fact has been ingrained to our very bones, I think, in the last thirty years or so. We are hit over the head with this that it feels like we're inured to this plight of ours. We joke about it, make light of the country's deplorable moral conditions, just let the corruption screw us to numbness and just accept.

It's not that we should wallow in self-pity and whine about the nation's situation, but... to lose all feeling and just be another diffident bystander?

My coworkers and I were watching the Discovery channel last night in the office cafeteria, about the top ten diggers with all their huge machinery. One worker walks six miles within his shift going across the machine! I brought up the subject how rocky hills in Saudi Arabia were dug right through the middle to install a highway; as opposed to cementing a road around a mountain as done here--if funds are ever made available at all. In that brief instance, it hit me how we lacked a lot of things, how shorthanded we are of movers and shakers, of progress. That it's sad to think that our Asian brothers sent their people here to learn how to cultivate rice from us. And now, we import rice from them.

Ah, yes, how we have fallen. Our heads have been muddled and our skulls hardened from bashing it against the wall of poverty, the concept is no longer alien to us, but part of our system.

Is it?

I want to capture THIS!

Sun, 31 May 2009 15:46:31 GMT

Would be a nice addition to my other non-canon, Seven Per-Cent Solution. Would they qualify as pastiches, then?