oh look what i found!

my personal johari window! http://kevan.org/johari?name=ariannegrace

and please, your input is very much appreciated! just click on that link and pick 6 words that you think describe me best... someone needs some ego bolstering in here HAHA

so according to the thing, 59% of respondents (that's 13 or 22) think i'm friendly! thank you very much, i think so too. HAHA >XD

why do i feel like i have a freakin lot to do but i'm yet again losing that sense of urgency? argh. haha

haha wala lang

Was back reading my june 2010 blog posts earlier and what can I say, actually wala, I just kept on laughing at myself, at the seemingly shallow situations i was in and what I wrote about them hahahaha. Eto yung “one day I’m gonna back-read my journal and laugh at my silly writings…” days I always tell myself. There’s just so much to read duh 8 years ba naman? (okay, I’m actually proud that I’ve been blogging since 2004 waha)! Some of them I don’t even remember na, like most of my “hate” entries. I can’t figure out which person I’m referring to. Odiba, that means I’ve forgotten na! >XD I’m such a good girl!

May na-realize nga ako sa sarili ko eh, ang sama sama ko pala talaga HAHAHA. Maybe the only thing that has changed about my bad attitude is that I quit giving a lot of f*cks in my recent entries. And I mean that literally, cos you know uhm I swear a lot in my old old entries and that four letter expletive is my favorite so yeah. I feel bad if I’m making you feel stupid by having to explain that still. HAHA. Sorry.

Oh btw, terai and I just signed up for Million Volunteers Run 2013 by Red Cross Philippines. I think it’s my first time to join a fun run… for fun? Hahaha also because it’s cheap hahah online registration costs only 100 hehe >XD and yeah. Feb 10 orayt! >XD a good excuse to buy new rubber shoes HAHA

May problema ako. I feel super duper judgmental. As in! parang lahat ng taong nakaka-salubong ko iju-judge ko. HAHA but just so you know, everytime I do that, I counter myself naman and apologize to my father above and try to look on the, errr, brighter side of the person! I mean, it’s awful enough that my default judgment is set to negative, (napaka-perfect ko eh no?) so in the same minute that I do that, I repent. Hehe the only chance I get a positive value for an initial judgment is when I see someone wearing a cool bag. A bag I want to have! HAHA covetousness chuva amp.

Have you noticed? I’m not complaining a lot about work na! yeah right but that’s not because it’s becoming bearable, but because I’VE GOT NO TIME YO. HAHAHA kainis. Andali na nga nung task ko hindi ko pa maperfect… since when did CSS pose such a big problem to a programmer? Apparently when it’s your only task. >:P I feel… useless? But the appreciated kind of useless naman… labo e no, in the end… I’m useless. Huhu? No really.

I’m starting to doubt the “attitude is more important” clause at work cos no matter how cheerful and perfect your attitude towards working is, the main job still goes to the skillful nerds with no social life. Or just the skillful ones. Why? Because in reality, even though it’s not fun working with nerds who don’t give a fck, as long as the project gets done and delivered on time, you’re all safe! a positive attitude can only keep you from jumping off the rails.. and, and help you in making friends! But professional-wise?

Disclaimer though, above statements are purely fictional and exaggerated… just so you see my point. Right now I’m unsure if my attitude is still enough to keep me going. Cos you see, 8 months at work and I still feel lacking in skills. Haha >XD

I survived java… why can’t i C that? WAHAHAHA

sorry natawa ko dun.

hm wala lang, feeling ko lang kulang parin ako at hindi parin ako handa at wala parin akong alam. Pero feeling ko feeling ko lang naman yun e. cos even though I always tell myself that I can’t do it, at the end of the day magugulat na lang ako na, kaya ko pala? J

catching up <3

hey it's my sister's birthday today! mommy just left for hong kong earlier and i didn't want terai to spend her birthday alone so i came so early here in the office (after sending mommy to the airport) so i could go home early too and spend the rest of the afternoon watching Les Miserables with her! gaaah i'm excited hahaha and yeah, ikr? i'm the sweetest sister ever!!! haha don't tell her that, she'll choke. i kinda did too.

hey hey, this is the earliest i've worked (so far) like 5am hihi so while waiting for the coffee to settle in my nerves (you see i still have a freaking lot to do but my eyes are all down and drowsy.slept at 12, woke up at 230. grarr) imma watch pretty little liars! >XD

speaking of! oh finally i'm catching up on PLL! i'm on season 2 episode 23! a few more hours to go and i'm bound for the 3rd season which sucks cos it hasn't been completed yet so i'm kinda in for a very long wait (hey but at least i'm updated haha). hay. just like korra. haha see now, the problem with finally catching up on your favorite series is waiting for the next installments to arrive! it can be very frustrating. so, after PLL season 2, i'm gonna stop and wait for the entire season 3 to finish (maybe) first, then.. hello torrent!

hey! here's a crazy dream, i want to cosplay korra in the future (and jeckie will be my naga... or appa! bwaha joke)! which is why i'll try not to cut my hair short every 3 months hehe. and i'll also try my best to lose weight, tone up...and, and... WATERBEND! that would be totally cool. there were quite a number of times i hated her guts but well... i really like the story. and the graphics, specially the backgrounds... it was painted really well! >8D amazing artists!

hey hey again. i'm really starting to get hooked on the concept of investments, or specifically, STOCKS! both of my parents are financial planners so saving is already a part of my lifestyle. they're the ones who pushed me AGAINST MY WILL to commit into saving 5k a month to pay for my mutual funds. believe me, it was hard. that 5k means a lot. but eventually i learned to budget and live with just my net income. but just now, i was able to look into my policy and saw that that i've already saved 25k! i was shocked, i couldn't have saved that much on my own bank account and not touch it. seriously, i have like 3 atms labeled as 'allowance', 'personal' and 'savings (do not touch)' but i never stayed true to the latter's label. why? because it's in the bank! and banks are for short-term, volatile savings. meaning, there is so much temptation in it, you can withdraw anytime. blah blah blah... my point is. if you really want long term savings, INVEST on mutual funds. i'm saying stocks. with our country's bull marketing economy, there is no better moment to invest but now. but i'll cut you all the hassle of watching the stock market fluctuate and guarding the state of your shares all the time. invest at Philamlife and pass on the worry to our reliable fund managers. i can help you, i'm a registered financial planner! call me, maybe? 

Lexcode’s Les Miserables Blocked Screening Contest Promo

my sister is a sucker for period films and this is one movie she's been waiting for for months, and what makes it really special is that it's showing right on her 24th birthday! it would be an awesome gift to win a pair of tickets from Lexcode’s Les Miserables Blocked Screening Contest Promo. that way i wouldn't have to spend for 2 movie tickets and snacks (haha)!

wonder how i learned about this promo? I SEARCHED FOR IT. seriously, i'm not exactly a movie buff so i'm not the type to spend money on movies, and when my sister watched the trailer she knew she had to block her schedule on that special day, she was so excited, and i knew this has to be my gift to her. and because i'm quite a budgetarian (haha), i figured there has to be online promos about this movie because it's so going be a hit! a voila, Lexcode's (@lexcodeinc) generosity hit the search pages through this blog entry i found at The Intersections and Beyond (@ronivalle)

So there you go, crossing my fingers on my two tickets! hehe

for when i am weak, then i am strong.

oh now that clears it. today's message (from my daily devo hihi) is just super duper cool, it answered one of  the biggest questions i asked myself, "why am i here?" when i should be out there... learning art and doing art for a living... instead of programming. and of course, i've always answered myself like this.... "you know arianne, the truth is, no matter how much you'd love to shift careers, you are not courageous enough to take the leap. that, and it's never too promising out there. believe me, you'll barely make it. mwahahahaha" err, yeah. so it kindof roots to my lack of self confidence (and also funds).

but just now, i realized that you don't always have to focus on developing your strengths. because no matter how strong and big it gets, it's not gonna remove your weaknesses, someone (or something like a situation, or a prick) will always find out about that blind spot and use it against you.

here's my most important learning of the day, God is not limited to working with our strengths alone. see 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 -- But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

grarrrr i just about cried you know. >:'((( that verse really hit me. so whenever we feel we're at our weakest, do not fret cos that's when we have to trust God to work through us. and He surely will! didn't He just say, "my power is made perfect in weakness"?? >8D

orayt (i'm getting sleepy na haha), in my life here's how it applies. i've always (mentally) complained that i'm not cut out for this job (programming) because i'm not smart enough, not fast enough in absorbing instructions and stuff, not logical enough to create optimized programs, and that this job has barely anything to do with art... which i consider my strength, so that makes me sad haha. in fact, during the 'Dark Ages' (referring to the first few months of work) i felt like i was on the wrong track, doing something i don't like and failing horribly at it.

but going back to the message and that mega powerful verse, i realized that HEY! God put me here to work on my weakness and turn it into a strength! isn't that awesome? >8D it really is! so yeah, my confusion just cleared out! i'm not lost anymore!

so yeah, if you feel like you're stuck doing something you don't usually like, something you think you're bad at, think of it as a 'weakness transformation training'. it has an aweful start, the first stages will kill your resolve. you will have doubts. you will think it's a waste of time. and it will make you want to run back to your comfort zone where your strengths lie. but in your struggles you will realize that your only weapons are your weaknesses, and in your desperation you have nothing left to do but to use them. but after that awkward fight, you'll find yourself a master of your weaknesses! and voila! you've just conquered the world!

haha good night! >XD

How to turn off camera shutter sound of Lenovo P700i

Unfortunately, the stock camera in Lenovo P700i doesn't allow you to turn down the shutter sound using the up and down volume buttons, instead it adjusts the call ringer tone and that's hardly what you want when taking pictures right?

Here's the easiest fix i got:

Download Camera ICS+ here or go search somewhere else if you want. It will let you use the volume buttons to adjust the Media Sound (which controls the shutter and also game bg sounds). It's a 3rd party camera but the UI is entirely like the stock ICS camera so i had no problems adjusting. :D

Another option is to root your phone and locate the camera shutter sound file, something like camera_shutter.ogg, then delete or rename it so it doesn't get called in every shot. But of course, rooting the P700i is a painstaking method so i don't really suggest it. This was my first option though, before i realized that the shutter sound is a Media Sound and whenever i play games and lower the volume, it also lowers the shutter sound with it haha. >XD

Problem solved (at least for me) ! Hope it works for you. >:D

If you find this solution helpful, please do comment! :D

on the other hand, still crossing my fingers on a non-root solution for the same problem on the Lenovo A60+ though haha >XD

2013 Daily To-do List (instead of the usual NY Resolutions)

I figured, instead of creating a new year's resolution (which usually gets ignored for the rest of the year), i'd turn it into a 2013 Daily To-do List so i get to check myself everyday. Hardly any progress is done on my NY resolutions and it's totally uncool how i keep on repeating the same "promises" every year like nothing happened, like 12 months isn't enough to resolve what needs resolution when in fact that's already one hell of a year. I believe a to-do list is more practical and more challenging if we really want to work on the stuff we promised to work on EVERY YEAR. The items are pretty much the same, just redefined to fit into a do-able daily activity in order to reach a bigger goal which is the usual "resolution".

1. be more hydrated

drink at least 1.5 liters of water everyday, that means i have to be able to refill my water bottle at the office for 3 times. Also, whenever i feel the need to pee, i must drink water first so my bladder is kept hydrated always. haha i know 2 liters is the recommended minimum but i can't commit to that just yet. i'm hardly a water person so imma start with 3 bottles first! haha >XD

2. be fit!

that means 500 counts of alternate knee raises every day in the office. that's the least i can commit to for now haha

i dunno how you call it, it's just doing something like bicycle paddles... irdk. basta yon. i've been in a sedentary lifestyle since i started working and there's barely time for me to exercise so i did a research on stuff i can do to keep my body uhm, stretched? and yeah, i found that haha

counts != to seconds though hahaha, it's just me counting how many raises i've done. of course i'll distribute that 500 into hundreds and do it like every 2 hours... or something? haha >XD

3. quit nail biting

i'll keep a daily tab of this... starting tomorrow LOL cos i just like involuntary bit my nail just now. argh. >:(

4. devo daily and sincerely

i'm heavily guilty of using my daily readings as a sleeping pill. while it's pretty effective for the past months, that's the devil's work and i can't allow such heresy to ruin my spiritual life. so from now on, i'll keep it a point to really take my devotions seriously. tita ruth gave me an awesome book, Experiencing God (Daily Devotionals) by Henry and Richard Blackaby, and so far since January 1 i've been thoroughly blessed by the message i get daily.

5. sleep at 10pm

gone with the 12mn limit, let's lower it down to 2 hours and be at bed at 10PM. of course, this goes to say that the maximum time i can stay in the office to be home before 10 is 7pm. hehe that gives me to time to organize myself (ie. change clothes, eat dinner, and clean my stuff) and do my devotions hehe.

6. at least 1 good deed a day (priority: strangers)

even though i believe i'm a "naturally" good person (HA-HA-HA), i would still want to do so some small volunteer good work around me (not on an organizational level tho), on top of the involuntary good things i do HAHAHA like you know, holding my sarcasm to some irritating good friends, or or... okay, fine. not much goodness in me i guess? which makes this to-do item so so valid. haha it doesn't matter to whom the act is targeted to or how big it is, as long as it's good and i was able to help... i'm cool. i just want to end each day knowing i did something good to others. what really inspired me to do this is this video, https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151211016113780 it's not really hard to follow is it? plus it'll make the world a much a better place to live in!

7. at least 1 artwork a month
so i'd have 12 by the end of the year and be able to do a personalized calendar with it! haha >XD that's one of the goals though more importantly, i'd like to keep my creative juices flowing and remind myself that on top of everything else, i'm really an artist at heart.

That's pretty much all i have in mind! >XD quite a challenging list for me but nothing I can't do with proper discipline and faith (in God, in humanity and in myself that i can do this)! >XD

Good vibes, everyone!