EDELWEISS
Written by: Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
Edelweiss, Edelweiss,
Every morning you greet me,
Small and White,
Clean and bright
You look happy to meet me..
Blossoms of snow
May you bloom and grow,
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss,
With great joy and pride, I am congratulating the whole staff and cast of one of the most beautiful and unsurpassed masterpieces of the Philippine cinema – Himala (Miracle), which was from the legendary filmmaker and National Artist of Philippine Cinema, Ishmael Bernal.
Recently, the said film won and hailed as CNN APSA Viewer’s Choice Award for the Best Asia-Pacific Film of All Time. It was the right choice and that film really deserves the award because it is really timeless together with one of the brightest stars of the Philippine Movies – Ms. Nora Aunor (who played as Elsa). The cinematic quality and dimension of this film remains unbeatable.
I quoted Nora’s dialogue from the film, which is one of the best movie quotes in the
“Walang himala! Ang himala ay nasa puso ng tao, nasa puso nating lahat. Tayo ang gumagawa ng himala. Tayo ang gumagawa ng mga sumpa at ng mga diyos. Walang himala!”
Hat down to all casts and staffs of Himala. It really deserves to be the best!
Additional Sources:
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/11/13/himala.asiapacificscreenawards/index.html
http://www.asiapacificscreenawards.com/news_room/media_releases/apsa_winners_announced
Synopsis:
Four years since the final battle between Celestial Being and the UN Forces. Humanity, having established the Earth Sphere Federation, forms an independent security preservation force, Arrows, separate from the formal Federation army to further unify nations and the will of mankind. But the reality was the inhumane oppression of anti-government powers, doctrines & ideologies in the name of unity.
Saji Crossroad, who followed the path to becoming a space engineer to keep a promise to Louise Halevy and fulfill a dream, is also compelled to become involved in Federation government reform.
Meanwhile, Setsuna F. Seiei, surviving the final battle 4 years ago, saw the future of the world that had been changed by Celestial Being. With the defeat of guardian Alejandro Corner, he dreamed of a peaceful world without conflict. But before his own eyes was the reality of the continuing strain on peace, the oppression caused by Arrows. He decides once more to fight with Gundam, the power with the potential to change the world.
Where will Setsuna's and Saji's paths take them as the world is set into motion once more?"
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I can't wait na... It's October now, the SECOND SEASON'S beginning is at hand...
This is the continuation of my previous blog, which I posted weeks ago, about another embassy we tried to get Schengen Visa.
After the disastrous response from the German Embassy agent, I contacted quickly the organizers of the event that we’re going to attend. In my email, I explained everything that happened, including my complaint to that rude embassy agent who kept putting “sorry” word on every end of his sentence!
On the next day, with excitement, the organizers replied and told us to try Embassy of Austria in Manila because it is the neighboring country of the place in which we will be going—SLOVAKIA! And the Deaf sports organization of
At the top of my speed, I sent text message to Lovella and told her everything the organizers had told me thru email, and I also encouraged her to check email too. She agreed to go with me to embassy couple or three days after. Before we went there, we made sure that everything is set and complete.
A night before the day we went there, I received a text message from Lovella, who told me to make sure that everything is ready and be there 1 hour or 30 minutes before our appointment time. My reply was very short, it consisted only of three letters—OPO!
The day finally arrived; I left home early, and of course, with excitement! After three hours of travel from my home to
Upon our arrival at the lobby, the guard asked whether we had an appointment with the embassy. With pride, we replied – YES and pointed our names listed on the paper which lied just beside the guard. He let us proceed to fourth floor via elevator; upon arriving there Lovella tapped my back and scolded me about something.
“Bear this in mind you ruddy pig! Be nice and kind when facing an embassy agent! A single raise of eyebrow, knotting of your lips, flaring of your nose and staring dangerously to embassy agent could bring another disaster to us like you did in German Embassy. Worse we might not be able to get a Visa. Control your temper! Your words are too sharp sometimes like your tongue, or I can say sharper than a blade! Do I make myself clear?” She said.
“I will if he will do the same! Pft!” I fired back.
“Heh! Just remember to control your temper. If something unpleasant happened, I will have to scold you!!!”
I hate her…Tsk! I said in my mind.
After few minutes of waiting, the embassy agent called us, as we walk towards him, Lovella signed:
“Mark my words… I’m warning you!”
Grrrrrrrr…
Within few steps, we faced the embassy agent. He requested all our papers, I go first then Lovella. Few minutes after, I noticed him pulling something blue.
“That’s blue stub” Lovella said, “it means we passed.”
I hope… if he failed us, he’ll be my next victim on Death Note! Bad timing… Ryuk’s on vacation!
“Are you sure that blue stub means passed?” I asked.
“Yes! I know better about embassy system. Just trust me.”
“Care to explain further?” I asked again.
“Well, in US Embassy, blue stub means you passed. Yellow means you failed, good thing we didn’t get it or the orange stub.”
“So, there’s orange one which means on hold?”
“Excellent.”
Lovely…
And we finally went back to school together. Both of us just crossed our fingers until the release of our passports.
I was inside LRT Monumento Station on that gorgeous Friday morning. As the train’s speed increases, I leaned on the glass window, gazing at the old buildings and houses of
The news absolutely made my beautiful and lovely day crumble!
“Merlin’s beard!” I said as the train draws closer to Blumentritt Station. It was like someone had just thrown a hot coffee straight to my face. An explainable pressure quickly crept over my whole being as I dropped at Blumentritt Station and rushed to ride a jeep that took me to the consulate of Schengen state which resides along Rizal Avenue Extension.
When I reached the consulate office, the assistant of the consul met me and her lips thinned and thrown a blank expression upon seeing me. I felt that it was like the Christmas had been postponed. She gave to me all the documents that I submitted, and of course, the amount that I paid for the process.
After few minutes, I’m inside the train again, and my whole fingers are busy pushing buttons of my mobile phone, typing message that will be sent to my companion, who are also going with me on the same Schengen state. I informed to her the grieve news and added that all documents were returned to me. Also I added that the consulate suggested that we try to look for other Schengen embassies around
“You got list of Schengen embassies?” I asked via text.
“Yes! I have, I’ll meet you at the back of CSB. Hurry up!” She replied.
“I’ll be there in few minutes.” I replied back.
Within few minutes upon reaching Vito Cruz Station, I quickly sprinted out of the train, dashed quickly to the stairs, ignoring people I bumped as I went down, and then raced with the cars that passed
I met my comrade at her office; her face was blank of emotions.
“Damn consul! What the hell is he thinking?!?” I said.
“Don’t mind it. Let’s hurry up. I have class at
“Okay! I hope we find a better embassy that is more appropriate and sane than that stupid one!” I fired back.
“Calm down…” She assured me.
“Calm down? Eh, that assistant told us to write to embassy to explain the reason that our Visas need to be released immediately, also the consul and ambassador are both aware that the organizers told already all Schengen embassies about the event, and I did what she instructed. Now their assistant just ruined my day by texting me that they’ll not able to process that on short amount of time because the consul was on vacation! Why she didn’t suggest that we try other Schengen embassies earlier? Oh! Where’s my death note?!” I signed at the top of my speed.
“Would you mind to shut up? Or I’ll bump this car to your butt?” She fired back.
“My sister works here.” I said with dignity and pride.
“Great! My sister-in-law too works here in Australian Embassy.” She said.
“Really?” I said, “I hope she works at German Embassy and she’ll be able to issue us Visa immediately.”
“I doubt that.”
“Why?”
”Biases are not allowed in embassy.”
“Lovely,” I said in my mind with raised eyebrow.
We deposited our bags and other nonsense belongings to the guards at the lobby, and quickly sprinted towards elevator that took us to 25th floor of the
“Wow this place is heavily guarded,” my companion said.
“Why so?” I asked.
“No idea. What do you think?”
“I think it’s weird. Inquirers are never going to attack them with any weapons or clenched fist. Duh!” I said irritably.
“Sometimes it is possible, I think.” She replied.
“What? Does it ever happen? Inquirers threatened embassy agents?”
“I think so.”
There was a large square hole on the table desk of the agent, and the same goes on me. The agent opened the box and put the bond papers and pen, and he pulled something that delivered it to us.
“Really a weirdo… can they just give the pen and paper normally than adding dramatic entrance to our communication needs? Pft!” I said irritably.
“If you don’t stop signing discriminately, I’ll push your head hard on this bulletproof glass! I’m warning you!”
“PFT!!!”
Then, I started to write, explained that there will be a coming prominent activity of the Deaf in
The agent put down the paper on the table and started to write. He wrote directly in position which I can see clearly. His response totally added another unforgettable destruction that ruined my afternoon!
AGENT: Sorry. We cannot issue you a Visa because… (I forgot what he had just written).
MYSELF: Sorry? I don’t understand you sir. Can you please explain?
AGENT: (I forgot what he told first, but the last five letters of his last word was “SORRY”)
MYSELF (signing to my comrade): This man added pain in my ass!
COMRADE (signing): Ask him why.
MYSELF (signing): I already asked. He just keeps putting that disgusting “sorry” word in the end of his every sentence.
COMRADE (signing): Ask him. Just ask.
AGENT: About two weeks.
AGENT: Maybe. But I’m not sure whether your visa will be released on second week of September. Sorry.
MYSELF (speaking to myself): Fuck you! You said processing takes two weeks, now you’re denying that our Visa might not be released in two weeks. What kind of communication is this? Your brain must be malfunctioning dude! You’re the most pitiful species on earth I’ve ever seen… Tsk!!!
COMRADE (signing): What did he say?
MYSELF (signing): I asked how long the process can take, he said two weeks. I explained that it is fine because our departure is second week of September and it is only third week of August, we have still enough time. But, he just said that it might not be released before our departure. What the hell is he thinking?! He’s mental! We better help him find is brain somewhere around here, it might be roaming unconsciously! Pft!
COMRADE (signing): Hey! Calm down. Better ask him the requirements.
MYSELF: May we have the requirements for the process of our Visa?
AGENT: You may download the form on our website, and you’ll also able to read the requirements there. But, I’m still unsure whether we can issue you a Visa. Sorry.
MYSELF (speaking to myself): Go to hell sir! My eyes are really tired of reading that “sorry” word on your paper. If this bulletproof glass is not standing here, I already grabbed you out of your seat and give you a black-eye! Fook!
COMRADE (signing): Why did he said sorry?
MYSELF (signing): Nevermind! Let’s leave and look other embassy. This embassy sucks!
We thanked the agent, but before we reached the exit, he wrote something and showed it to us.
AGENT: Do you know Mr. B_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _n?
MYSELF: Yes! He was my professor during my tertiary years.
AGENT: Send my regards to him. I’m his good friend.
MYSELF: Sure. I will.
MYSELF (talking to myself): Good friend? You’re not only a pitiful species, but also a big fat liar! Bugger off!
And then, me and my comrade exited the embassy, upon our arrival at car park, we drove to other Schengen embassies around
Here's the link for interested ones: http://www.faceyourmanga.com/homepage.php?lang=engJoin now! To participate is very easy, just view the attached photo, correctly answer the following questions and send your answers to the International Olympic Committee:
2. Which ones are male twins?
3. Which ones are the female twins?
4. How many women are in the group?
5. Which one is the teacher?
Good Luck!!
Olympic time again and this is how they come up with the Beijing 2008 Olympic logo design.
This is the prequel that J.K. Rowling wrote for the Waterstone's Auction. It earned more than $50,000 for charity. Here it is:
The speeding motorcycle took the sharp corner so fast in the darkness that both policemen in the pursuing car shouted, "Whoa!" Sergeant Fisher slammed his large foot on the brake, thinking that the boy who was riding pillion was sure to be flung under his wheels; however, the motorbike made the turn without unseating either of its riders, and with a wink of its red tail lights, vanished up the narrow side street.
"We've got 'em now!" cried PC Anderson excitedly. "That's a dead end!"
Leaning hard on the steering wheel and crashing his gears, Fisher scraped half the paint off the flank of the car as he forced it up the alleyway in pursuit.
There in the headlights sat their quarry, stationary at last after a quarter of an hour's chase. The two riders were trapped between a towering brickwall and the police car, which was now crawling towards them like some growling luminous-eyes predator.
There was so little space between the car doors and the walls of the alley that Fisher and Anderson had difficulty extricating themselves from the vehicle. It injured their dignity to have to inch, crab-like, towards the miscreants. Fisher dragged his generous belly along the wall, tearing buttons off his shirt as he went, and finally snapping off the wing mirror with his backside.
"Get off the bike!" he bellowed at the smirking youths, who sat basking in the flashing blue light as though enjoying it.
They did as they were told, finally pulling free from the broken wing mirror, Fisher glared at them. They seemed to be in their late teens. The one who had been driving had long black hair, his insolent good looks reminded Fisher unpleasantly of his daughter's guitar-playing, layabout boyfriend. The second boy also had black hair, though his was short and stuck up in all directions; he wore glasses and a broad grin. Both were dressed in t-shirts emblazoned with a large golden bird; the emblem, no doubt, of some deafening, timeless rock band.
"No helmet!" Fisher yelled, pointing from one uncovered head to the other. "Exceeding the speed limit by-by a considerable amount!" (In fact, the speed registered had been greater than Fisher was prepared to accept that any motorcycle could travel.) "Failure to stop for the police!"
"We'd have loved to stop for a chat," said the boy in glasses,"only we were trying--"
"Don't get smart-you two are in a heap of trouble!" snarled
"Names?" repeated the long-haired driver.
"Er-Well, let's see. There's Wilberforce...Bathsheba...Elvendork..."
"And what's nice about that one is, you can use it for a boy OR a girl," said the boy in glasses.
"Oh, our names, did you mean?" asked the first, as
"Things'll be seriously black for you in a minute, you cheeky little-"
But neither James nor Sirius was paying attention. They were suddenly as alert as gundogs, staring past Fisher and Anderson, over the roof of the police car, at the dark mouth of the alley. Then, with identical, fluid movements, they reached into their back pockets.
For the space of a heartbeat both policemen imagined guns gleaming at them, but a second later they saw that the motorcyclists had drawn nothing more than-"Drumsticks?" jeered
"Right pair of jokers, aren't you? Right, we're arresting you on a charge of--"
But
The policemen wheeled around, then staggered backwards. Three men were flying-actually flying- up the alley on broomsticks-and at the same moment,the police car was rearing up on its back wheels.
Fisher's knee bucked; as he sat down hard;
The motorbike had roared into life again. His mouth hanging open, Fisher mustered the strength to look back at the two teenagers.
"Thanks very much!" called Sirius over the throb of the engine."We owe you one!"
"Yeah, nice meeting you!" said James. "And don't forget: Elvendork! It's unisex!"
There was an earth-shaking crash, and Fisher and Anderson threw their arms around each other in fright; their car had just fallen back to the ground. Now it was the motorcycle's turn to rear. Before the policemen's disbelieving eyes, it took off into thin air: James and Sirius zoomed away into the night sky, their tail light twinkling behind them like a vanishing ruby.
From the prequel I am not working on-but that was fun! J.K. Rowling.2008
The Wizard and the Hopping Pot
The Fountain of Fair Fortune
The Warlock’s Hairy Heart
Babbitty Rabbitty and her Crackling Stump
The Tale of Three Brothers
These are the five stories that make up one of the most expensive book of this century, which was handwritten and illustrated by the popular author of Harry Potter series Joanne Kathleen Rowling, the Tales of Beedle the Bard.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard was mentioned in the final installment of Harry Potter series, in the Deathly Hallows. It was a small book Dumbledore left to Hermione. Readers knew well the rest of the story.
It was published on
Who bought it?
Actually, the book was expected to be sold at £50,000 (US$103,000) but it was bought by Amazon.com for £1.95 MILLION (US$3.98 MILLION)! Wow! Very expensive! It was “the highest achieved at auction for a modern literary manuscript.”
Where did the money proceed? Well, it was donated to The Children’s Voice charity campaign.
It was described as “one of the most exciting piece of children’s literature.”
“A painless lesson is one without any meaning.
One who does not sacrifice anything cannot achieve anything.”
-- Full Metal Alchemist (Episode 1: The Two Alchemists)
The Principles of Equivalent Trade (or the Law of Conservation) was something that made me think after watching the Full Metal Alchemist series. It even brought me to different internet sites browsing and goggling related articles to Principles of Equivalent Trade or even the Law of Conservation. I even asked myself, if that law is something that governs our daily routine in life.
At first, I believed that the principles do exists, and they are just here around me, around us all. For an example, I cannot buy foods without paying the price requested! One will never able to have money if one does not work hard to earn it! You will never be able to pass subjects if you don’t study hard! You cannot steal if you don’t know what and how to steal! That’s it!
In Full Metal Alchemist series, two young alchemists, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who wanted to revive their dead mother, attempted a dangerous and forbidden alchemy. At first, they thought they succeeded, but sadly they failed. The worst, something was taken from them. Edward had lost his right arm and left limb, while Alphonse’s body was completely taken, but with Edward’s help, he immortalized his brother’s soul inside the suit of armor with a blood seal, written by Edward himself, to keep his brother’s memory alive. All that was left in Alphonse was his voice and a memory fixed by his brother.
breaking it down, then reconstructing it as something else.
It can even make gold from lead. But alchemy is a science,
so it must follow the natural laws:
To create, something of equal value must be lost.
This is the principle of Equivalent Exchange.
But on that night, I learned the value of some things
can't be measured on a simple scale.
My brother and I knew the laws of science,
of Equivalent Exchange, that gain required sacrifice,
that something had to be taken from us.
But we thought there was nothing more we could lose.
We were wrong.”
As they gain closer to finding the Philosopher’s Stone, they came to realize that whoever draws closer to it suddenly gave up or worse, died.
“Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return.
To obtain, something of equal value must be lost.
That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange.
In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one,
and only, truth. But the world isn't perfect,
and the law is incomplete. Equivalent Exchange
doesn't encompass everything that goes on here,
but I still choose to believe in its principle,
that all things do come at a price,
that there's an ebb and a flow, a cycle,
that the pain we went through, did have a reward,
and that anyone who's determined and perseveres,
will get something of value in return,
even if it's not what they expected.
I don't think of Equivalent Exchange as a law of the world anymore.”
-- Alphonse Elric
For traces of the love you left inside my lonely heart
To weave by picking up the pieces that remain
Melodies of life--love's lost refrain
Our paths they did cross, though I cannot say just why
We met, we laughed, we held on fast, and then we said goodbye
And who'll hear the echoes of stories never told?
Let them ring out loud till they unfold
In my dearest memories, I see you reaching out to me
Though you're gone, I still believe that you can call out my name
* A voice from the past, joining yours and mine
Adding up the layers of harmony
And so it goes, on and on
Melodies of life,
To the sky beyond the flying birds--forever and beyond
So far and away, see the bird as it flies by
Gliding through the shadows of the clouds up in the sky
I've laid my memories and dreams upon those wings
Leave them now and see what tomorrow brings
In your dearest memories, do you remember loving me?
Was it fate that brought us close and now leaves me behind?
* Repeat
If I should leave this lonely world behind
Your voice will still remember our melody
Now I know we'll carry on
Melodies of life
Come circle round and grow deep in our hearts
As long as we remember
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 5
Volume 6
Volume 7
Volume 8
Volume 9
Volume 10
Volume 11
Volume 12
Volume 13
Volume 14
Volume 15
Volume 16
Volume 17
Volume 18
Volume 19
Volume 20
Volume 21
Volume 22
Volume 23
Volume 24
Volume 25
Volume 26
Volume 27
Volume 28
Volume 29
Volume 30
Volume 31
Volume 32
Volume 33
Volume 34
Volume 35
Volume 36
Volume 37
Volume 38
Volume 39
Volume 40
Volume 41
Volume 42
Volume 43
Volume 44
Volume 45
Volume 46
Volume 47
Volume 48
Volume 49
Volume 50
Volume 51
Volume 52
Volume 53
Volume 54
SECOND EDITION
Volume 20
Volume 23
Volume 31
Volume 34
Volume 43
Volume 44
Volume 45
Volume 46
Volume 47
Volume 48
Volume 52
The six volumes of 20th century material consisted of the following:
Volume 55
Volume 56
Volume 57
Volume 58
Volume 59
Volume 60
