This week for Music Monday, I feature a song from Marit Larsen.






Marit Larsen gained international popularity in the early 2000s as part of the duo, M2M. After Atlantic Records dropped the duo, Marit pursued studies, while the other half of the duo, Marion Raven, continued making music. In 2006, she made a comeback in music, performing soulful, heartful songs. Her albums aren't available worldwide (I am actually hoping to own her albums), so I can only listen to her songs via YouTube. I hope in time her albums will be released here, too. I really love her songs. Simple, yet wonderful.

This song was part of her album "The Chase." There were rumors that she wrote this song for Isaac Hanson, but that was just rumors. I chose to feature this song because I have been trying to play this on the guitar. I still haven't gotten the groove of it, but I will.

Have a great week ahead, everyone!

*** Jenn ***

Only one blog per person for "Our Weekend Memoirs" blog meme, so I decided to use my personal for it.

Monday last week was the day my friend Charmy gave birth. We weren't able to visit her at the hospital, so when they got home two days after, mom and I visited them. Well, they live just right next to us, it wasn't a hassle at all.

Hearing Charmy's story about giving birth gave me some thoughts about the future. Well, giving birth varies, I know, but somehow I am quite happy that I am still far from experiencing it. At one point I was happy I am single. Heheheh. But of course, there is no greater feeling than having a child. I am not a mother yet, but taking care of a little kitten really made me feel what moms feel (that's a different story).

I didn't really dare carrying the baby as I might hurt the little one. I just let mom carry the baby, and I just smiled for the pictures. The first picture I took the minute I saw the baby in their room, the second picture was taken by Charmy's husband - Jay. They named the baby Jamy (a mix of Jay and Charmy). A very short name for a baby with a long surname. =)

Welcome to the outside world, Jamy!

*** Jenn ***

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Ever since I had my cell phone, I was so happy that it was the phone I chose to buy. It's a cell phone camera, yet it is as powerful as the typical compact point and shoot cameras, only that it didn't have optical zoom (just digital zoom), that's why I still opted to buy a point and shoot camera for my blogging and traveling.

Just a few weeks ago, while waiting for a friend to respond to my text message, I played with the camera and checked the different settings. I knew back then that it had different white balance and effects settings, but I didn't get to play with it that much because I am more into taking pictures the normal way, only changing settings if I want to go sepia (since I don't know how to transfer a colored picture into sepia). I was quite impressed with the different effects, and again this week, I played with the cell phone's camera and took some pictures.


A self portrait on solarized effect. The flash was fired on this shot.


Solarized effect, no flash. I had a mattress laid out in the living room floor where I lay while watching television, and I found our cat Lilith so cute resting on the couch (taking a break from feeding her kitty), so I took a picture.


The electric fan on negative effect. This wasn't the original look of the picture; the negative effect had this bluish tone on the image, but this image I made a pass on Photo DJ (another software included in the cell phone) where I changed the white balance and brightness / contrast settings.

I am not sure if the images would appeal to everyone, but I kinda liked the negative effect. I guess the fascination I have on lomography is making me like this effect. Well, I still haven't tried lomography, but I am hoping to take lomo pictures. =)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

*** Jenn ***

Recovering from a crappy month of June, I am thankful that July promises to be a good month for me. I am both happy and thankful that things are much better, and I am not procrastinating and feeling lazy like I was last month. =) I might not be able to list up all, but here are just some of the things I am thankful from the start of the month up to this day:

>>> Receiving a CD from a person who I am still getting to know (details on the post before this one). As I always say - quoting my friend Nina - "The universe is working to your advantage." I guess when we want something so much, it just comes to us when we least expect it.

>>> Seeing my dear friend Halie again. The last time we were together was last April during the Aliwan Fiesta. Although we were together, we shoot pictures separately as she was near the stage, and I was on the street. After nearly three months, we were together again as we take pictures of the fireworks in SM City North Edsa Sky Garden.

>>> Reuniting with a high school friend. Well... reuniting of sorts. =) I was over my Friendster page when I saw (from the list of recent activities) that my high school classmate Avelino received a message from King, who is a classmate of ours as well. I instantly added him as a friend, and it just opened the doors to our friendship once again. When we were in 2nd year high school, the two of us were calling each other best friends, and it caused us some teases from classmates and some teachers because we were of different genders. After high school, I haven't heard a thing about him, and weird as it may be, although we haven't spoken for more than a decade, when we chatted on YM, it was like picking up where we left off. I am thankful that despite the challenges and trials that went his way, he was able to push through with life. He is now a husband and a father, and I am thankful that he is open about his concerns regarding work, family, and personal things.

>>> Just being healthy. I am thankful as well that despite the threat of Influenza A(H1N1) all over the world, none of us in the family are getting sick. Even if there's no Influenza A(H1N1), I am thankful that we didn't get colds or coughs or fever brought about the changes in weather and the rainy season here in the Philippines. I have had symptoms of colds and coughs last week, but thankful that all were just symptoms.


>>> A new baby is born. My friend Charmy gave birth to a very cute baby boy last Monday, and they got home yesterday. We weren't able to visit them in the hospital, so mom and I just went to their house last night to welcome the little boy. I am thankful for my friend that she was able to deliver the baby safely.

>>> My little kitten growing up nicely. When our littlest kitten (which I named Juno because he's born last month and "uno" means one or first in Spanish) was born, I was fearing he would die soon because the mother cat wasn't really taking good care of him, but I am happy that he is now roaming around the house with his wobbly feet (still trying to learn how to walk), and is now teething. For him to be born in my bed right next to me while I was sleeping, I feel the two of us have a connection, and feeling mommy as I am, I am happy whenever he would walk to me and give me a kiss on the tip of my nose before we sleep at night. I am happy, too, when he would run to me whenever I call on him. I am not a mother yet, but with this kitten, I feel the joys of being one.

>>> July trips push through. Thankful that despite facing problems financially, I was able to make it as a participant for the CFC Singles for Christ Metro Manila Conference, which will be on the last weekend of July. God really works His ways and I am just so thankful that I will be able to experience this great event. Of course, being in Baguio means going to Baguio and Vigan as well. Yihee!

So many more things, but these are just flowing in my brain. Will post more in the days to come.

*** Jenn ***

It is a very well known fact that I am a big Hanson fan. I have been loving the band for twelve years now, and aside from growing up with the band and their music, I am also growing up with some of the Filipino fans who are my friends for a dozen years now as well.

The front man of Hanson - Taylor Hanson - recently had a project with James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins and A Perfect Circle), Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick), and Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne and Ivy). They named their band "Tinted Windows" and the collaboration resulted in an album. In April of 2009, they released their album. As early as that time, us Filipino Hanson fans have been eagerly anticipating the local release, and the more we anticipated when some local radio stations played their first single, "Kind of a Girl."

On May 27th, my Hanson friend Anne posted in our fanblog that she has spotted the Tinted Windows CD in Astrovision Robinson's Galleria Mall. After reading her post, I remembered putting a message in a forum I belong to the words - "Happy sana kung malapit lang ako sa Robinson's Galleria para mabili ko ang Tinted Windows CD" (Happy I will be if I am near Robinson's Galleria so I could but the Tinted Windows CD). It was just a message of mixed rants and raves, and I was very surprised when someone sent me a personal message saying he read my message. He told that he's working near the mall, and if I want, he could buy the CD for me and I could just get it when we meet, since the forum has a weekly meeting / gathering.

Because going to Robinson's Galleria seemed to be a tiresome chore for me, I agreed to his proposal. I threw a joke at him, asking if he's giving it for free, and he threw back a joke saying that if it's my birthday, he will. I told him I just celebrated my birthday a few days ago, and after a short pause, he said he'll just give it as a birthday present. Come night time, he sent me a text message saying he was able to buy the CD. I told him I'd pay him when we meet, but he insisted that he's giving it as a present.




So many gatherings / meetings for the forums, but none of it I wasn't able to attend due to my schedule and location (add to that some financial problems as well). Last Friday, I was in SM North Edsa for the 4th of July Weekend Fireworks show. My forum friends and I were hoping to meet in Banchetto, so I told Praatz that if he's going to Banchetto, we can meet there for him to send the CD. Unfortunately, it was cancelled... but lucky for me Praatz went out of his way from Ortigas to where I am at just to send the CD.

I couldn't contain my happiness when I touched the CD - it was really surreal (I know I am that Hanson crazy). If I am not in a mall I might've gone giddy, but happy I was able to control it. I was really happy to have the CD after nearly two months, but happier was I to know a very nice person who's willing to go out of his way just to help someone. Actually, to call Praatz nice or very nice is an understatement. Thank you so much, Praatz! Mwah!

*** Jenn ***

PS - I hate to burst your bubble, but there is nothing romantic between Praatz and I. I see him as a baby brother (he's in his early 20s), he sees me as an older sister. Just making it clear.

Last week, one shutterbug in the forum I belong to told about a 4th of July weekend at the SM North Edsa Sky Garden where there will be some fireworks show. I have a schedule on Saturday, so I opted to check out the fireworks on Friday night instead. The fireworks didn't last long, and it wasn't a good time for me as far as photography was concerned, because I struggled with my camera's settings, and I pretty much concentrated on the dome as my foreground, not realizing that I wasn't able to see the other side of the show.

It might have been a crappy fireworks shooting for me, but I was happy that day because I was able to shoot along side my shutterbug sister, Halie. It's been quite sometime since we last saw each other and it was just so fun talking to her, sharing stories and opinions, and laugh... hard! It was just the two of us talking, but it's as if there were 4 people talking simultaneously! Heheheh. I hope we could meet as often as we could. I just love being friends with her.

*** Jenn ***

Lyrics | Michael Jackson lyrics - Man In The Mirror lyrics
Morning of June 26 (Philippine Time), I went online to see a news alert that the King of Pop, Michael Jackson was rushed to the hospital. It was a shocking news to hear / see / read... but more shocking was it that just a few minutes after reading the news, an update came to tell that the King of Pop has died. As a person who once considered him as a favorite singer, it was a news that was really hard to believe.

This is my most favorite MJ song. The lyrics are just so powerful and an eye opening one. Taking off my favorite line - "If you want to make a world a better place, take a look at yourself and make the change." The whole world will miss MJ, but I guess now he has found the peace he is constantly seeking. See you on the other side of the road, king!

*** Jenn ***