I’ve always been interested in the crafting aspect of life and it extends to games and fantasy worlds. I love collecting materials and ingredients and then turn them into something more valuable. I prefer a peaceful existence, distancing myself from combats and guild wars. I can picture myself living in small but beautifully crafted cottage in the forest, surrounded by huge oak trees that shield my home from extreme heat in the summer and from the strong winds brought by the chilly winter. I can hear the steady stream of flowing water from the nearby, where all kinds of magical forest creatures stop by for a drink of refreshment. Whenever the wind blows a soft whistle, it forms a wonderful melody with the rustle of leaves and the chirping of birds nested on the thick and high branches of the majestic oak trees that surround my home.

One can usually see me walking around the forest, poking and peeking on thick shrubberies and searching for ingredients I can use for my potions and crafts. I am always looking around for herbs and spices to use on the rejuvenating snacks and breads that passersby purchase for their long journeys and training. I also frequent the clearest area of the river to get the fresh cool water for my fruit juices. Novices in training love to purchase them because they’re cheaper and pack a punch even if they’re in small vials.

Passersby who are quite hungry but have no coins to spare, usually offer materials they gathered in exchange for some food and temporary shelter. I do accept these materials, especially the fabrics and threads, as well as precious stones and gems. I love to sew in the afternoons after I’ve finished all work in the kitchen, so I create comfortable and sturdy clothing that I sell to other passersby. In the weekends, I love to spend some time creating talismans from the precious stones and gems I received. I wrap each of them delicately with a silver transparent thread that I weaved from the air and water during each months full moon and attach it into a cloth neck strap that people can wear comfortably around their neck during their journey. This protects the stones from harm and allows its powers to protect its bearer each time he goes into battle.

That is how I envision my life in Taborea. Peaceful and content, thriving with happiness from the ability to do what I want. We all need a little magic in our lives, this one is mine.

I have been always drawn to digital art. It started with 2d and 3d characters on the games I played and eventually moved on with adoptables and pet site art. I still spend a lot of time browsing through finished digital artworks in DA and wonder how people can do them. I spend some time each week trying to learn more about the tools of my trade which consists of Photoshop and Paint Tool SAI. I still feel that I need to learn more and I am considering applying in a digital art school once my budget allows me to.

I found out about First Academy of Computer Arts a year or two ago through Google while was searching for a school that offered web design and PHP courses. I even went on to inquire through email about their courses back then but wasn’t able to actually attend their courses because I was still finishing school then. Last year, I learned that one of my classmates took a course there and she recommended it highly when I mentioned I was interested. I’m glad I stumbled upon their website again now that I am focusing my career into pet sites and adoptables. I find their list of courses interesting and I am highly interested with their multimedia arts offering since I would like to learn more about concept art. Here are a few examples of their students’ works:

Basically what I found is that they offer the following main courses:

3D Arts that includes 3D Modeling & Design, Texturing & Rendering, 3D Animation and 3D Effects.
Multimedia Arts that tackles Concept Art (2D), Digital Animation and Basic Motion Graphics.
Print Media which contains Graphic Design, Graphic Illustrator and Page Design & Layout.
Web Design which includes techniques in Photoshop, xHTML, CSS, and Dreamweaver.

They also offer several workshops in case you have a specific area you want to focus on. In case you are interested to find more information First Academy and their programs, you can check out their website, www.firstacademy.net or call 898 27 24 to 26 and ask for Ms. Ciel C. Luy their Marketing Manager. The school is located 2F Saville Building, 8728 Paseo de Roxas corner Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Makati City.

I was in the mood to watch a movie and I wanted to watch something that had food and love as its theme. I couldn’t find anything good on cable so I thought it was a good time to use some of my funds in my iTunes account. Initially, I thought of getting “No Reservations” which starred Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart but was swayed by the reviews saying Mostly Martha (the original movie where No Reservations was based) was better.

I decided to get Mostly Martha since people thought it was good enough to have an American remake. So I waited for around half a day for my download to finish and I settled comfortably in the couch with my iPod Touch in hand. I was a little worried because someone mentioned that it was hard to read the English subtitles because it was too little and it was in yellow but I found it pleasing to the eye and easy to follow.

Martha Klein is a beautiful character. She is determined to be the best chef and is passionate about her cooking, this passion and determination makes her seem cold and oblivious to everything else. The movie started out with Martha lying in a couch talking about food with her therapist. Her therapist asks her why she goes to therapy and she says that her boss would fire her if she doesn’t. Then cue in the opening kitchen scenes where food and dining preparation is shown and it was made so beautiful you’d want to go out and eat dinner. The next scenes show the audience the reason she was sent sent to theraphy. Martha has self-control issues and is prone to outbursts whenever a customer complains about her cooking. Whenever she’s stressed, she goes into the meat locker to think clearly.

Once she’s home, she gets a call from her sister who would be visiting Martha with her daughter, Lina. You can hear from her voice that her sister is one of the few people who really knows and understands Martha. She goes to work as usual and receives a call in the kitchen where she is informed about her sister’s car accident. She then goes to the hospital to see her neice and takes her home with her until they find her Italian father. She is unable to connect comfortable with her niece especially when its time to eat. Lina hasn’t touched any of her food since her mother died and it has started to worry Martha.

Once she goes back to the restaurant, she finds out that another chef (Italian chef named, Mario) has been hired to assist in the kitchen especially because one of the kitchen staff is soon to give birth. Her control and trust issues start up again but she tries to control it especially since she has to take care of her niece.
Mario then tricks her into eating one of his cooking by pretending it was a recipe given to him by her dying mother on her deathbed and when Martha finds out, she storms back into the kitchen even more pissed at Mario. They continue on without talking much in the kitchen but then Mario confronts Martha if there was anything wrong with his work and Martha tells him its her kitchen and wont let anyone take it away from her. Mario then tells Paula that he was quitting and the only person who can decide if he would stay was Martha. She concedes and Mario stays.

Martha then enlists Mario’s help in finding Lina’s father. Martha brings Lina to the kitchen since Martha doesn’t have anyone to babysit and Mario finally gets her to eat. Martha and Lina gets into a fight when Martha forgets to pick Lina up after school so to make it up to her, Martha tells Lina she can have any wish.
Lina starts becoming close to Mario and she tells Martha her wish. Martha’s day off was spent with Mario and Lina, and for the first time you’ll see Martha really letting her guards down. The school official calls on Martha to tell her that Lina hadn’t been attending classes and that Lina has been spreading lies about Martha. They both get into a terrible fight with Lina running away from Martha. Troubles start brewing in the restaurant as well when one of Martha’s patrons call on her to praise the dish they ordered which was actually prepared by Mario.

Lina then runs away from home but gets caught in a train station buying a ticket to Italy. They finally make amends in the car and by the end of the day Martha and Mario finally gets together. The next day, Lina’s father arrives and takes her back to Italy to live with his family. Martha starts becoming cold again and pushed Mario away from her life. Mario stopped going to the kitchen and when Martha finally couldn’t focus on her cooking, she left the restaurant to ask Mario for help in getting Lina back. In the end they got married and is shown to be looking for a place which might be their own restaurant.

The movie was really good and I did enjoy it. It has replay value as well which is very important for me when purchasing movies. Its one of those good finds that I’ll be sharing with my family and friends. If you don’t have the money to get your own copy, at least rent it out from your local video stores. It’s worth it.

If you haven’t seen yet this adorably sweet viral video going around the internet, you should.

I seriously love this clip. It was so sweet and cute that I was going, “Awwww!” and smiling seeing her throw a foul ball back on a Phillies game and then getting a bearhug from her Dad after. Some people might have freaked out but its really adorable how Steve Monforto hugged her daughter Emily Monforto after she threw the ball. I kind of had a feeling she would do that because children has a tendency to throw especially when given a ball. My younger siblings used to do that when given a ball when they were little.

If it weren’t for her throwing the ball back, they wouldn’t get to appear on the “Today Show“, get a ball signed by Jason Werth and get personalized Phillies jerseys from the team. Her cuteness and throwing reflex definitely paid off. Who knows she might even become a softball player in the future.

Wow. Just, WOW!

I am seriously amazed at the video for Oprah’s kickoff party. xD I saw it earlier when someone shared it through Facebook and I was really speechless while watching it. At first I thought, what’s up with the girl in front cheering madly? Then when the other people started dancing, it reminded me of that train station dance I saw in YouTube.

They said it was 2100 fans who were taught the dance a day or so before the kickoff party to surprise Oprah. If I was in Oprah’s place, I’d be very surprised too. I really am amazed at how they were able to successfully pull it off with the huge amount of people in the crowd. I think it would have been more amazing if you were personally there. I wish I was. xD

The second time I watched it, I was more observant and realized that it was practiced because the crowd wasn’t relaxed and moving with the music like one usually would when there’s a group singing/performing on the stage. Still, the whole dance was amazing.

Are you an avid viewer of AXN Asia’s new channel AXN Beyond? The channel that brings the best of sci-fi, fantasy, horror and suspense shows in Asia that will take you beyond the realms of imagination, or so they say. If you like “out-of-the-ordinary” story lines and themes, AXN BEYOND has come up with a programme line-up that includes several movies, drama and reality series which run across genres such as sci-fi and fantasy, horror and suspense, paranormal and supernatural.

They’re having an exclusive party this coming August 1 at the Embassy Club.

Quoting from their site, AXN BEYOND:

AXN Beyond offers a blend of the best thought-provoking entertainment that will stretch your imagination and transport you to a mystical world. With a strong programme line-up of drama series, movies and animations that have great mass appeal and yet have a niche of its own, it is the destination channel for entertainment that is truly “out-of-the ordinary”!

* Beyond the Ordinary – get immersed in the alternate reality where supernatural powers and unseen forces blur the line between “reel” and “real” world, in top-rated global hits like Lost and Supernatural.
* Beyond Reality – be transported to the parallel universe with these sci-fi and mystery/fantasy series, where your imagination is the only limit e.g. Pushing Daisies and classic favourites like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
* Beyond Imagination – witness the unbelievable to the unexplainable with shows that never fail to thrill and captivate, and leave viewers gasping in amazement and disbelief e.g. all-time favourite TV series The X-Files.

Now I do like these kind of shows. I like getting the chills and getting my imagination run wild with mysterious stuff so I enjoy their line up. Though I am not into parties so I wouldn’t be lining up for their exclusive party. If you’re the kind who enjoys parties you might be interested to join their Out of This World Party.

AXN Beyond Out of This World Exclusive Party Details:
Be the first 100 to come dressed in your most out-of-this-world outfit, be it fantasy, sci-fi, the supernatural or horror, or even your favorite character from any of the series shown exclusively on AXN Beyond to Embassy Club at 7pm on August 1.

And get free entry into Embassy Club for the exclusive AXN Beyond party and free entry into Embassy Club for the next three Saturdays, plus and exclusive AXN Beyond goodie bag.

Log on to www.axnbeyond-asia.com for more details.

My little sister who has a penchant for watching animes (aside from the common ones that fill our televisions and local cable cartoon networks these days) told me that she had a new movie that she liked.  My curiousity was piqued since her tastes are quite good for her age. I decided to go take a look at this movie she has been raving about to which she said, “I really liked it, I can’t stop thinking about it even when I’m in school.” Turning on the DVD player, she motioned me to play, “Spirited Away“.

Spirited Away is a story of a girl named Chihiro who is quite a bit whiny child. She, along with her Mom and Dad, would be moving to a new town and while taking a shortcut, they end up towards a mysterious tunnel which it turns out was an abandoned theme park with restaurants that are oddly filled with many foods. Her parents start eating up and they get turned into pigs. Then Chihiro who was quite overwhelmed with everything started telling herself that it was all a dream and that she wanted to dissapear. Oddly enough, she started to fade, luckily she meets this boy Haku (called Master Haku by most of the mysterious and  bit weird inhabitants of the realm they were in which is a spirit world) who saves her from vanishing and smuggles her into the bath house ran by Yababa, an “evil” sorceress. Haku is her apprentice and he does many jobs for her.

Chihiro’s name is changed into Sen, because that was the way Yababa binds her captives to her. Once her captives forget their name they can never leave the spirit world so Haku makes a note to remind Sen of her real name. While working in the bath house, Sen (Chihiro) meets many characters which helped turn her into an individual that cares for those around her despite the unfortunate circumstances that she seems to be in all of the time. Those characters were Haku, the River God, No Face, Zeniba, Boh and even Yababa herself. Sen started to mature and change for she has learned how to have compassion for others. The events that took place in the spirit world helped transform her from a self-centered individual into a hard-working and compassionate person. Though in the end she was seperated from Haku, who finally lost Yababa’s bind to him when Chihiro remembered his real name which was Kohaku because of the river’s name where she fell into when she was a little girl, Haku promised Chihiro that they will meet again someday.

I really loved the way the story went since I love stories that show how much compassion there is inside people, and sometimes it takes a bit of adversity for it to finally shine through. The movie also carry a lot of themes such as maturity, greed and environmental issues which were subtly presented. Its one of the movies I’ll be sure to watch over and over again not just because of the beautiful graphics but because of its rich story and characters.

If you are interested to learn more about it, you can check out the following websites that talk about Spirited Away:

Spirited Away
Wikipedia: Spirited Away
IMDb: Spirited Away