Zhullie

http://www.zhullie.com/

2009-10-10T19:49:00.001+08:00

Visit my site -> http://www.zhullie.com/

Bye bye blogger! xoxoxo

the ondoy experience

2009-09-28T22:16:00.006+08:00

When the flood was setting in, everyone was picking up things and bringing them upstairs. I rushed to the lanai. No one bothered to check the lanai since there were more important things to carry from the living room and the kitchen. But I wanted to save our pet fish!x_x I know they can swim but I couldn't let them go in the flood. And I was thinking maybe after the flood they'll be our only pet left.

When the waters stopped rising, we checked to see how big the damage was. A number of furniture and electronic devices drowned in the flood (including ~10 CPUs in the lanai, some monitors and stray hard disks). We stared at each other, smiled, and began singing 'With Christ in my vessel, I can smile at the storm'. We thank God we're all safe. Our pets outside also survived.

I could say we suffered minor damage compared to most of the flood victims. So many people lost their homes. Some even their lives.. I hope this is not because of global warming and the country just suffered a rare catastrophe. If it is, then we should be prepared for more floods to come. Nevertheless, ALL of us should start taking care of the environment. I hope and pray that the country can recover faster.

the right job

2009-09-25T10:05:00.004+08:00

I can't believe I now have a job offer at a gaming company. Developing games has been my dream job since I was little but I did not see myself being a game developer so soon. I wanted to work at large companies first to decorate my resume and earn fast and do game development when I'm financially secure. But after a year of hard work at a large I.T. company, I didn't seem to gain any self-fulfillment. And I was even more demoralized by the fact that I was getting overworked at something I do not enjoy. So I resigned. Better to lose the job than lose oneself in the job.

I gave myself a 3-month vacation to think about what I would do next. There are so many paths to choose from:
1. Web development. I have a background on web development. I'm just not familiar with the new web dev tools that are coming out but 3 months will be enough for me to learn.
2. Security research. I took a hacking class and I find it really fun. Security research, however, is too low-level for me (assembly). This might wrack my brain.
3. Game development. Hardcore yet fun.
4. Teaching programming/computer subject. Easy mode. Earning and learning at the same time.
5. Go tell my dad and pretend I have the passion to be a pilot. Boom! (Yes, he's willing to invest on that.)

If I'll get a new job, I'd like it to be the kind of job I would keep forever. The kind of job that when I wake up in the morning I'd be excited to go to work. So I decided to pursue game development. I downloaded and read tutorials and refreshed my C++, then I began my job application to game companies as game developer, game tester, or game master. As far as I know, game development has a lower pay compared to business programming. Surprisingly, I got a competitive salary offer. And I would NOT decline that!

I have 1 week left to savor my current job - bum. By then I should have finished arranging the 2nd song, farming for 5 epic items for my night elf hunter, programming tetris, wallowing over that boracay thing...

Oh.. I just remembered why I wanted to blog.-__-

I am overjoyed I got accepted but, at the same time, sad and bothered because this means I won't be joining Bojeck and his relatives on his cousin's wedding at Boracay.T_T I CANNOT BE ABSENT FOR 3 CONSECUTIVE DAYS DURING PROBATION! This is so depressing. I was really looking forward to that.

Hay...:-<

My 1st Ableton Live Project - We're Over

2009-09-21T00:58:00.000+08:00

(Reposting info from Youtube)

I just learned how to create music using Ableton so I experimented with my least like song - We're Over. I wrote this song 7 years ago. I had a chance to play this with a band along with my other songs (but we disbanded a long time ago).

THE SONG
I wrote this song the year I learned how to play the guitar. So it's just a simple D-A-Bm-G progression and I came up with lyrics using rhyming words and filled the remaining line with what can possibly make it comprehensible.-_-

THE MUSIC
Vocals: I bought a cheap mic from Cd-r King and tried to edit the vocal atmosphere. [I like singing but I don't think it likes me.-_-]

Guitar (Plucking): I recorded the plucking and the instrumental part with my Yamaha Pacifica.:)

The rest are arranged using Ableton instruments. The later part of the song - I tried to make it sound it is being sung over the telephone. (My sister likes it but my 2-year old niece doesn't.-_-)

THE VIDEO
LOL

THE LYRICS
We're Over
Zhullie

Its been a week, so quick
I feel sick I fell for the trick
I had a doubt, now I figured it out
I think its all gone out
Its just so tough so rough
Its enough, I'm not likin this stuff
I wanna shout and cry it out
Inside its getting loud

I wanna go away
I just dont want to stay
But I just cant believe
Why you had to lie

Chorus:
I screamed to let you know
I said it wasnt so
But I cant let you go
I miss your kiss
It scares me off, somehow
It must have ended now
Dont wanna remember
Coz now were over

Thats not a good trip Im ripped
I cant sleep, Im taking a grip
At our picture, one moment captured
Ive torn it all apart
Thought were doing good
Now you had me fooled
But I ask myself
Why youre still on my mind

[Chorus]
[Instrumental]

I wanna go away
I just dont want to stay
But I just cant believe
Why you had to lie
Thought were doing good
Now you had me fooled
But I ask myself
Why youre still on my mind

[Chorus]

Can't forget the past
It happened oh so fast
Still the feelings last
I tried you lied I cried
I screamed to let you know
I said it wasnt so
But I cant let you go
I'm pissed I miss your kiss
It scares me off somehow
It must have ended now
Dont wanna remember
Coz now were over

It scares me off somehow
It must have ended now
Dont wanna remember
Coz now were over

Subic's Zoobic's So Big

2009-05-03T20:01:00.000+08:00

My boyfriend and I took a road trip to Subic and we decided to visit the Zoobic Safari. The entrance fee is P449.00 for Adults and P349.00 for Kids. (Children below 3 feet are free.) It’s quite expensive for a zoo entrance fee but it’s worth it. This zoo is really big. It took us 2 and ½ hours to tour the whole area, with a tour guide and a ‘train’ for the latter part.

The first part is a tour inside Zoobic Park. Some animals (pictures below) are scattered around and they’re even walking alongside the visitors enabling us to pet them.

Inside the Zoobic Park is a sub-area called the Rodent World. I’m not fond of rodents so I didn’t really enjoy this part. I love rabbits though, but they’re a common sight for me. (Rabbits aren’t rodents but were previously classified as one.) Exiting the Zoobic Park, we headed to the Serpentarium where the cold-blooded animals are kept in glass displays.

For the next part, we paid an additional P50 for the train ride – (resembles a train but runs on the road instead of rail). We stopped at Tiger Safari where we transferred to an ‘armored’ jeep which goes around the area full of tigers.

If adventurous enough, the visitors can buy a chicken to lure the tigers to the vehicle. The next stop is an area where the tigers are being kept and displayed in cages for a closer encounter. The train also passed by the Savannah. We saw lots of ostriches and boars.

For the last part, we visited the Animal Muzooeum where animal bones are displayed. Afterwards, we headed to Croco Loco – crocodile area. I took pictures of sleeping crocodiles. I find them cute and gay.

Same with Tiger Safari, the visitors can buy a chicken if they want to feed the crocodiles. The last attraction is the Aeta’s Trail. We were given a demo of the Aeta tribal dance. After that, we followed a short trail until we reached the exit.

All in all, it’s a nice place – great for nature and animal lovers, for families and for photographers. ;)

how I lost 12 lbs in 4 weeks

2009-04-28T23:15:00.000+08:00

I started my weight-loss plan last March 6, 2009. I recorded my weight – 132 lbs. Back in college, my average weight was 120 lbs. When I checked my weight and saw 132, I couldn’t believe it. I thought I was reading 122. So I googled lots of diet tips and stuff until I came up with my own diet plan.

Week 1 – I switched from rice to bread, and exercised (jogging) daily for at least 30 mins. On the last few days, instead of eating bread for breakfast, I started eating flavored oatmeal. At the end of the week, I lost 4 lbs.

Week 2 - I learned that white bread can cause bloating because of the yeast so I switched to whole wheat bread. Plus I really got super motivated to lose weight so I decided to just eat yogurt for dinner. So, flavored oatmeal for breakfast, whole wheat bread with tuna + apple for lunch, and yogurt for dinner. Also, aside from my 30-min jogging, I added another 30-min exercise – dancing. At the end of the week, I lost another 4 lbs.

Week 3 – Even though I knew my calorie-intake was already very low, I still sought ways to further lower it. Instead of whole wheat bread, I decided to try eating salad for lunch. My salad consists of lots of lettuce, corn, bacon, parmesan and Caesar salad dressing. I’m not sure if my calorie-intake indeed lowered because of the bacon and dressing so I decided to wait for the results. At the end of the week, I didn’t lose any pound.

I didn’t really like how week 3 turned out but here are my theories for the result:
a. My calorie-intake was super low and it might be the yoyo effect. The metabolism slowed down because the body is not getting enough energy.
b. I’m building muscle mass because of the 1-hour daily exercise.
c. It’s the bacon.
I didn’t really believe b and c much so I googled ways of undoing the yoyo dieting.

Week 4 – I switched back to whole wheat bread and I tried the small-frequent-meals plan. I did this before but I read somewhere that the number of meals is not important, only the calorie count is, so I stopped. But the benefit from small-frequent-meals is its effect on metabolism. Frequent energy intake tells the body that it no longer needs to reserve energy since there’s a constant supply already. I also slightly increased my calorie-intake.
Breakfast – oatmeal. Brunch – crackers. Lunch – wheat bread + tuna. Snack – high-fiber snack (granola or Nova). Dinner – oatmeal/yogurt + energy drink (for the 1-hour exercise).
At the end of the week, I lost 4 lbs.

Having reached 120 lbs. at this point, I started to focus on maintaining the weight rather than losing. I’m sticking to the small-frequent-meals plan, and I give myself 1 cheat day per week where I eat high-calorie food I currently miss (rice, pizza, ice cream, etc.) Surprisingly, on the 7th week I lost 2 more lbs. So I am currently maintaining my weight of 118 lbs.

=)

i am blogging again

2009-04-27T20:13:00.000+08:00

A sudden realization came to me - youth is fleeting. I’m already 21 and there are lots of things that I need and want to do. I became very conscious of my game addiction, my spiritual growth, my career goals, my frustration in music, my love and care for my self (and others as well), etc. Unlike before, nothing hinders me in doing what I want so I often have those If not now, when? moments. My To Do list keeps on getting longer. Now that I'm no longer studying, I thought I could have more free time in my hands. No more tests, homework, and readings. But work consumes at least 40 hours/week. Add to that the travel time to and from the office and rest time to get rid of the stress. So I'm left with only a few hours per day for my Bible time, game time, exercise, plus other stuff. But it's not really that bad with proper time management. It's actually fun I'm now able to explore myself and discover more about my different sides.