Glee

This is pretty much my newest obsession. Glee. It's my favorite new show. It adds all the elements that I love in a TV show. It has comedy, it has drama, it's realistic, yet it pokes fun of that realism and most of all, it has music.

Yes, that's right, it's high school musical meets boston public? lol. I don't know. I might have to find a better comparison. In essence, Glee is about a group of students who are part of a Glee club. They're all a bunch of misfits who come together to form one amazing talented group of people. Here is the synopsis of the show from their Fox website:

From Ryan Murphy, the creator of "Nip/Tuck," comes GLEE, a new comedy for the aspiring underdog in all of us.

The series follows an optimistic teacher, WILL SCHUESTER (Matthew Morrison), who - against all odds and a malicious cheerleading coach - attempts to save McKinley High's Glee Club from obscurity, while helping a group of aspiring underdogs realize their true star potential. It's a tall order when the brightest stars of the group include KURT (Chris Colfer), a soprano who hits a high note in fashion; MERCEDES (Amber Riley), a larger-than-life diva with a voice to match; ARTIE (Kevin McHale), a geeky guitarist who rocks and rolls; and TINA (Jenna Ushkowitz), a punk rocker who hides behind her stutter and blue hair extensions.

Will is determined to do whatever it takes to make Glee great again.

Will's only hope lies with two true talents: RACHEL BERRY (Lea Michele), a self-proclaimed star who is convinced that MySpace and show choir and are her tickets to fame; and FINN HUDSON (Cory Monteith), the popular high school quarterback with movie star looks who must protect his reputation from his holier-than-thou girlfriend and "Cheerios" head cheerleader, QUINN (Dianna Agron), and his arrogant football teammate, PUCK (Mark Salling).

Everyone else around him thinks he's nuts. He's out to prove them all wrong.

Will is determined to do whatever it takes to make Glee great again, but his only ally is fellow teacher and germaphobe EMMA PILLSBURY (Jayma Mays). Everyone else around him thinks he's nuts - from his tough-as-nails wife TERRI SCHUESTER (Jessalyn Gilsig) to McKinley's scheming cheerleading coach SUE SYLVESTER (Jane Lynch) - but he's out to prove them wrong.

Here's a little sneak peek at Glee. Enjoy.

Excited

Excited to hike up Mt. Maculot. :P

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New! Hotmail sign-in on the MSN homepage.

The Woman in Yellow - a tribute to Corazon Aquino

The Woman In Yellow

By: Jan Paolo Recarro

I didn’t know her. She was a nameless face. Her name did not invoke any thoughts for me. In essence, she was nobody. She was simply, the Woman in Yellow. That’s how I saw her then. Give me credit though; I was born the year of the EDSA Revolution. I left the Philippines too young to appreciate or recount anything I learned about Philippine History in school except of course for Jose Rizal. This Woman in Yellow was the image that would occupy my mind when hearing her name. Yet, when this woman passed away, a surge of emotions started to fill within me. I started to feel regret, regret that I had not invested more of my time to get to know this woman. I felt saddened, saddened by the loss of an icon, I felt inspired, inspired to know, to learn, and to make a change. Tita Cory, as many had called her, is as much as an inspiration to me as she had been to Filipinos, and others the world over. My very little knowledge of her comes from, and thanks to, my parents’ stories, stories that were invigorating and awe-inspiring. My dad talked of the times of Martial Law. He spoke of the crimes committed and the corruption that ensued. I could imagine the freedom of our country being diminished day by day, and the only hope for it was shed in the tears of its citizens. My mother spoke of the days she marched in rallies alongside others who were seeking change and those whose hopes had not yet diminished. She was just pregnant with me then. I didn’t realize it then, but I myself was part of that historical event. I was in the heat of it all, be it while in my mother’s womb. The stories were recounted to me through the years, but I did not find much interest in such topics. The Philippines that I had known as a young teenager had been that of a hopeless, diminished, poverty-stricken country. And I strongly felt that no one had done or can do anything to change that. I felt my parents were providing me with a blunt one-sided view of the country that they loved, a country that I, at the time, had no wish to return to. I tell you now I couldn’t have been more wrong. As I grew older I started to feel a renewed a sense of patriotism to the country that welcomed me to the world. It was the country of my ancestors, of my family, of my early childhood. I started to read books, stories, watch documentaries, and googled and wiki-ed the Philippines and its telenovela-like history. It was right out of a bad soap opera plotline. The stories that caught my attention and drew me closer to loving the country I now call home were those that were told to me by my parents; the stories of Martial Law, of Ninoy Aquino and former President Corazon Aquino. Ninoy Aquino became my hero. He became everything that I always hoped to be: successful, driven, passionate, loving, commanding, with journalistic tendencies and with a political idealism that many may have viewed futile and yet had the will and courage to stay the course. He was a political prisoner, something that I had, shamefully admitting now, always wanted to become. Moreover, his wife, the revolutionary leader of a passionate people, became more of an inspiration. I never had imagined the people of the Philippines to be of the passionate nature, loving their own. And yet, this Woman in Yellow, she was able to unite a crumbling opposition, inspire the citizens of a torn, shattered country to come together, and bring back democracy to the country that wept for it.

For me she symbolized what I did not think the Filipino had in them. She symbolized courage, a peace-loving nature and a pride for one’s own. To this day, she is a symbol of those things and many more. Behind her, Filipinos stood their ground against a tyrant who committed crimes of humanity against his own people to befit his own musings of the country he had come to pillage and destroy. She was an inspiration to us all, even myself, a young self-loathing cynic at the time. This Woman in Yellow, soft spoken and calm-mannered, it was she who gave me a free country to be born in. It was she who gave us a free country to love.

I will never forget what her and her husband has done for me, for my family and for our country. Today, regardless of where my travels have taken me, regardless of where I grew up, regardless of my citizenship, my passport, regardless of the friends I gained, the values, the morals, the language I speak, regardless of where I am or will be in the world, I can shout out loud to the world, because of her, that I am proud that I am Filipino, born and will die a Filipino.

My sincerest thanks and gratitude goes out to you, the Woman in Yellow.

What Hurts The Most?

This weekend I had a really good conversation with some new friends. After a few equations solved here and there, we put our books away and just got to talking. Someone brought up losing someone and never being able to see them again after having breaking up and stuff. Mark was saying that for him, the hardest thing, what hurt the most for him was breaking up with his girlfriend and never having the chance to see her again. It hurt him not to know how she was doing and whether or not they could still be friends or even still be together. Mark’s ex-girlfriend is now in the US.

Janine said that what hurt the most for her is seeing the person she loved with somebody else. Jose said that the feeling that the person you love has moved on and you haven’t is what hurt the most. It’s like they were able to forget about you and yet you can’t sleep without having dreams about them.

Those are all quite true. Everything they said was true. It all hurts. But for me, what hurts the most, is having the chance of something great, screwing that up, and everyday having to be reminded that what you used to have together will never be again. Having to see that person that you love everyday, having to talk to them everyday, and knowing that their feelings are no longer there. They’ve moved on and everyday you’re reminded of that. You try to let go and yet because they are there, not knowing how much pain they cause you just by their utter presence, you can’t.

You struggle to find the means to move on. Look away and try to involve yourself with other things. They think you’ve moved on too. They’re wrong of course.

That’s what hurts the most. Being with the person you love almost every day and not being able to say how you feel, not being able to express how you feel for fear of how they would react. They are part of your everyday, yet they are not part of you. You stay friends and not more than that. Everytime they flash that smile towards you, you don’t know how to react. They ask for a favor, you do all that you can to please them. You try to impress them, in hopes that they’ll notice. But in reality, you lost your window of opportunity. It’s come and gone. It was a once in a lifetime deal and you screwed it up. And everyday, the forces that work around you throw it at your face.

Whoever it may be that works the forces of love must be vindictive. They aim to either please you or to hurt you. So to whoever is controlling the lines of love, let me tell you this. You’ve succeeded. You’ve succeeded in making me love like I have never before and now you are succeeding in making me hurt like I’ve never have.

This is more painful than a knife through the chest. This is a constant pain, a needle that slowly but surely is piercing through my lonely heart. It carves a niche and never lets go. It’s torture.

I hope one day, I too can move on like you have. I wish I too can feel nothing when I see you. I wish that the thought of you doesn’t bring back memories so diffcult to let go.

-JP

I'm Home.

It's so good to be home after being away for over a year and a half. It feels as though I've only been away for a few weeks though. I've never been this happy and comfortable in a very long time. It's nice, you know, the feeling of knowing you're so safe and secure. It's a good feeling.

I don't know why I even gave this up! Haha. It's just nice to have it back. As soon as I got home, I got messages and phone calls from my friends. Friends that I missed so much, that it hurts my insides when I think of not seeing them again. My room! which by the by is gone! All my stuff have been moved to the smallest room in the house, when I used to have the nicest room with the nicest view, other than my parent's room of course. Now, I'm reduced to some of my stuff being in boxes in the basement. My shoes and clothes now belong to my brother. Yet, still I'm home, and I feel at home.

I saw my mom, my dad, my brother Emer, my sisters, Nicole and Erika. I saw my sister Nicole's baby, James Tyler Kendall-Recarro. He's so delicate. I haven't seen his father though. I haven't seen the rest of my relatives and friends yet. I can't wait to see them. I know they all have a plot to make me stay.

I miss Langdon. I miss Calgary. I miss Alberta. I miss Canada. I miss it all. And now I'm here.

I'm so happy.

I shall return...

Like MacArthur once said, "I shall return". And so shall I...eventually. For now, all my emotions are concentrated on my return home. Yes my real home! It's where I grew up, where my friends from way back when are, my family, my comfort zone, everything I need and want, well almost haha. There are a few things in the Philippines you could never get anywhere else in the world, you know, those things uniquely Filipino.

So goodbye to you all. I'll miss you Philippines. I'll miss the smoke that fills the air, the vendors on every street, the drivers who don't adhere to road signs, the influx of people going in and out of the malls and the heat! Goodbye! text text na lang! haha.

Canada, here I come...too bad I'll miss Canada Day....which by the by, tomorrow is Canada Day!!!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY
CANADA....eh!?
I'll just have a belated celebration with ya when I get home!

Looking forward to:

1. HOCKEY! even if it is the summer.........
2. CANADIAN BEER! MOLSON!
3. The Rockies, The Prairies, The Great Lakes, and....Saskatchewan. haha.
4. Poutine! Montreal!
5. The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth! Calgary Stampede!
6. West Edmonton Mall the Gigantor! lol.
7. The Red Mile!
8. Rogers Pass
9. Banff
10. CowTown! booyah!

40 Secrets

Forty Secrets About Yourself. Be

honest no matter what.

Grabbed from Miko!

[One] from whom was your last text

from?

- Angelo Ramos, telling me to make sure I had oreos.

[Two] Where was your primary picture

taken at?

It was in 'Wade' at SM MegaMall.

[Three] What's your middle initial?

E.

[Four] Your current relationship

status?

Recently single and livin it up boring style!

[Five] Does your crush(s) like you

back?

No...i'm going to cry in my little corner now haha!

[Six] What is your current mood?

Very Content.

[Seven] What's your mom's name?

Emelie Grifalda Evangelista Recarro

[Eight] What color shirt are you

wearing?

Orange

[Nine] What was the last thing you

drank ?

Water...cold water!

[Ten] If you could go back in time

and change something, would you?

yes, maybe just one thing.

[Eleven] Have a crazy side?

I'm crazy on all four sides! (I'm a quadrilateral)

[Twelve] Favorite song/s?

Today, favorite to listen to: Forever by Chris Brown or American Boy by Estelle and Kanye

[Thirteen] Something you do a lot?

Look at a monitor. Stare blankly into space. Daydream.

[Fifteen] Do you wanna see somebody?

Yes! But...it's forbidden.....dun dun dun (with matching music in the background)

[Sixteen] Name someone with the same

birthday as you?

Mark McLarty

[Seventeen] When was the last time

you cried?

Hmmmm...June 4th? Yes. I remember the date. I'm lame I get it.

[Eighteen] Who would you do anything

for?

#1.

[Nineteen] Who is your idol?

Andersoon Cooper.

[Twenty] What's the first thing you

notice about the opposite sex?

Their looks of course. You said first thing.

[Twenty-two]What was your biggest

secret?

My biggest secret ...well I think my biggest secret which I share with someone else is being spread around everywhere nowadays. It may just be a secret to me, haha.

[Twenty-three] Where is your ex?

Uh. I'm sure asleep somewhere...on a park bench perhaps! haha just kidding, peace XO

[Twenty-four] Favorite movie?

Donnie Darko, hands down!

[Twenty-five] Do you still watch

kiddy shows?

Yes! Who doesn't like those?!

[Twenty-six] What are you eating or

drinking at the moment?

nothing at the moment.

[Twenty-seven] Do you speak any other

dialect?

dialect, is broken tagalog a dialect. I speak french, it's our national language in Canada. :)

[Twenty-eight] Whats your favorite

smell?

i love the smell of freshly baked cookies!

[Twenty-nine] describe your life in

one word, what would it be?

Complicated

[Thirty-three] What should you be

doing?

Taking a shower.

[Thirty-eight] Do you act differently

around the person you like?

well i treat them a lot better than i treat everyone else...apparently i'm a mean and vindictive person. haha.

[Thirty-nine] What is your natural

hair color?

Black

[Forty] Who was the last person to

make you smile?

Yung super smile talaga? The one who always makes me smile :)