Blood Orange

Blood Orange by keren-pascual featuring metal jewelry

Bardot open back top
$51 - bardot.com.au

Alice + Olivia high rise pants
aliceandolivia.com

Christian Louboutin platform high heels
net-a-porter.com

Gucci red leather handbag
$2,095 - profilefashion.com

NUR metal jewelry
yoox.com

ABS by Allen Schwartz hematite necklace
endless.com

Watercolor and Pencil Fashion Illustration print, Jessica Durrant -...
etsy.com

Invitation Background Cards Sundance Orange Gerbera Daisy
formal-invitations.com

New York Skies

New York Skies by keren-pascual featuring black wedges

Tee Cake print t shirt
topshop.com

Skinny jeans
tenover6.com

Black wedge
boohoo.com

Coach leather handbag
coach.com

Jamie Joseph opal jewelry
ylang23.com

Leather jewelry
$18 - diva.net.au

Under The Sea Neptunes Wrath 12 x 12 Double-Sided Paper
scrapyourtrip.com

BlackBerry Can Help You Become a Person of Purpose: A Philosophical Perspective (in Layman’s Terms) and Some Insights

This is my official entry to TechPinas.com Gadget Bonanza Blackberry Power Pair Edition.

Just last semester, I have taken a thorough 3-unit course on Ethics, a branch of philosophy, which deals with the moral quality of a human action in relation to his telos (end). Apart from that, I was also able to see how exactly the material goods of the Earth play a role in the fulfillment of man’s end. Though not often recognized as it is more usually taken for granted, the material goods (our possessions) are those that help bring man a step closer to his end—apart from his efforts, of course—by providing him with what he will need to do good on Earth. Moreover, in man’s constant search for meaning and his ‘purpose in life’, he would need all the aid he can get (both tangible and intangible) to unravel his potential as a person.

It has always been a constant struggle to improve ourselves. To some, this improvement would point to the physical and financial aspects. To others, improving oneself results to being able to do more things at once efficiently, exceeding the expectations people have of us, and freeing ourselves from—or at least, push back—the limits that bind us.  However, what add more weight to the ongoing struggle are the demands the present times bring us. Thankfully, technological developments come to our rescue and admittedly, they are assets we cannot simply forego as they lessen the burden of the tasks we carry out each day.

Photo source: TechPinas.com

While there are numerous powerful devices out in the market that promise to make our lives ‘easier’, BlackBerry is probably the one that is most committed to doing so. With BlackBerry gadgets, setting goals and actually achieving them are as easy as just pressing a few buttons. This leaves man with more time to attend to his other responsibilities and to do good. Hence, we say that man is becoming a person of purpose and in this sense, he improves himself.

Image courtesy of Google Images

Allow me to divert a little to share a slightly funny comparison of BlackBerry with a fictional handheld device in the hopes of illustrating how BlackBerry is a useful tool for man to develop into a person of purpose.  I used to watch a Disney cartoon called Kim Possible wherein the lead character, Kim, is an ordinary high school student and a secret agent at the same time. She has this special handheld device called the ‘kimmunicator’ (which is like a combination of a phone, a camera, a computer, and so much more) which, honestly speaking (absolutely no bluffs here), is like the fictional counterpart of the BlackBerry. The kimmunicator is that one gadget that has managed to make Kim’s missions easier for her to accomplish, leaving her time to do more good. Here we see that the more efficient we are, the more we will be able to take on the necessary steps to achieve our ends and as a positive consequence of this, we better ourselves as persons.

Personally, as a servant of the arts, a freelance writer, and a full-time college student, I do not have the luxury of time and other resources. I usually have to juggle three or more tasks at hand and unfortunately, I do not have BlackBerry devices that would help me manage them more easily. Apart from that, I cannot afford to get side-tracked from meeting the immediate goals I have set, which, of course, would lead me to my end whilst fulfilling my purpose in the process. BlackBerry devices, which serve as mini personal assistants, will keep me on the right track. I believe that this is precisely one of the best—if not the best—qualities of BlackBerry gadgets.

Referencing the article “Why Do Pinoys Choose BlackBerry?” Mr. Heins explicitly stated that “BlackBerry is all about success”. On face level, this would suggest that BlackBerry is appreciated for its productive and useful value. However, if one would dig a bit deeper, what this puts forward is precisely that BlackBerry (the material good) assists man in carrying out his tasks, which makes it a more valuable asset to man most especially in the process of fulfilling his ultimate purpose.

To answer the question of how BlackBerry can help me become a person of purpose, I would say it is precisely a companion that I will need to get things done as efficiently as possible, leaving me more opportunities to do good. Still relating this to what I have learned from my Ethics class and juxtaposing it to the practical uses of BlackBerry, I will be one step closer to achieving my end and my purpose because I will be equipped not only with knowledge and experience, but also with the right tools. I know that I may be speaking in abstract here but I wish to point out that there’s more to BlackBerry than just being a useful gadget. It is actually an indispensible tool that will help man get to his absolute end and that is something concreteness will not be able to justify.

My Friend Nicole

So I did something bad last night. I scared a good friend and she may lose two of her dream jobs because of what I've done. And I absolutely have no idea how to make up for it.

Okay, here's the thing: I trolled her. Though that's normal to friends, mine resulted badly. I didn't know that she's quite sensitive to scary things so I sent her a link to a creepy Korean comic (just for you guys to know how extremely scary it is, I sent the link to a ton of guy friends and 95% of them had a mini heart attack. These boys, mind you, could kick ass) and she wouldn't go out of her room because of it. I was told by JV Collado, our common friend, very early this morning that she had work that night and she missed it. Strike one for me.

JV also told me that she has a shoot today and her eyes are all puffy and stuff and that she needed sleep. But how could she sleep if she was extremely terrified by what she saw? She might get scolded by her boss because of my fault. Strike two.

I feel really guilty. Nicole told me that it's not really my fault because I didn't know about it. JV said that I should stop worrying too much but how could I when I might have just jeopardized my friend's dreams? Nicole has so much passion for what she does and she's really good at them. Which is why I'd feel much worse than how I already feel if she'd lose them because of the bad joke I played on her.

And she's a really awesome friend too, you know. I'd like to share with y'all a funny story about her. So I was part of a musicale and I got to sing this cool and catchy song called Superboy and the Invisible Girl from the musicale Next to Normal and Nicole was so LSS-ed to the song... Well, to just one line, actually (she said that it's the only line she remembers from the song. You could bet that one line was very catchy). And on the day before her surfing competition, she told me that she'd be singing that one line over and over again while she's catching those waves. True enough, she did. She really sang that line from my song over and over again. And she won 2nd place (maybe the song was like a lucky charm of some sorts)! But this is the best part:

Competitor: Hey, what's the title of the song you're singing? You seemed pretty in to it.
Nicole: Uhm, Superboy and the Invisible Girl... :|
Competitor: By who?
Nicole: My friend Keren
Competitor: Oh! I've never heard of that band before! I'll look them up!
*Nicole walks away*

And from then on, we became a band. Would you believe that she managed to get over 200 people to like our band page in less than a day? If that's not dedication, then I don't know what is. :)  

I don't know how I could get her bosses to read this blog post but I truly, deeply, and sincerely hope that they won't lay her off. She loves her craft and she excels in them. And I'm sure they could see that.

Nicole, if you're reading this, I'm really sorry. I don't know what else to say to you but that. :(

This is my friend Nicole. She's a DJ, a model, an awesome surfer, and now she's starting her own clothing line!

No more trolling people with scary stuff for me. And I hope I won't lose a friend.

~Keren

A poem I've written some weeks ago..

So, I figured that I'd post this latest poem I've written. I don't know what you guys would say about it but I guess, I somehow need to 'vent', creatively. Do post your interpretations of the poem as they always intrigue me and I get to learn more about what I've written because of them.

Deflection

By KZBPascual

--These powers mine pen shalt now behold
were sorrows, delights, of a tale I ne'er told.
With this ink bright, through a quill, mine abode
now cometh to end, betwixt one lad and an oath.--

They raise their glass with much delight;

you come home as bright as the stars at night

like Hektor celebrated by his Troy,

he who defended  his city from Akhilleus's assault.

Even the victors would bow their heads down;

the demented would relinquish his frown

for a marvel now you are,

from the muds of the Undersight, you've arise.

Should I cross your path, condemned I would be

I, now one not worthy of your apathy.

What for was it that I paid with my hopes?

Ah! It was for the once shadow to be crowned with sun's gems.

O how Fate turned the wheel

for an audacious call to be given heed.

Truth  locked in mirrors, deflecting the seeking

of the masked one in his quandary.

Shame be yours, O young lad!

Glories you took, against my name you assailed.

Honor once mine you bequeathed;

my soul seized, envenomed, encaged—

free yourself from vanity, this travesty—

as this reflection here you see

is vindication of the spiteful mind.

-FIN-

Looking for Something Exceptional? Go for the BlackBerry SuperUnli Postpaid Plan from Globe!

Last November, I have finished writing my first novel under NaNoWriMo, an international novel-writing event wherein entrants take on the challenge of writing and finishing an original novel with fifty thousand (50 000) words or more in thirty (30) days. In spite of the hectic schedule I have, I was lucky enough to have made it through. And it was one epic writing journey for me. (And I have yet to reward myself for winning!)


Throughout the novel-writing process, being a college student and a professional freelance writer made juggling between school work, work (I am a writer for one local writing company, and two international elite writing companies), extra-curricular work (theater, creative writing and a little modeling), personal life, social life, and all that jazz quite an arduous task. 


People I know have been asking me how in the world I am able to finish the long list of tasks I have in one day. Honestly, I don't even know the answer to that. Which is why a big part of me wishes to be like the characters I've written in my novel--Zac and Harper, also college students--who are both SO busy yet they are able to juggle through their everyday commitments as if they were just winging them. But coming to think of it, even if I've characterized both of them to mirror the workaholic me, I gave them something special and something unlimited--something that I do not have... at least, as of the moment.


I gave Harper and Zac the Globe UnliSurf Plan in tandem with a cool BlackBerry phone!

How could they not be ultra-productive when they are able to check and send their emails whenever, and wherever they are; go on Google in between breaks to do some reading for their next class; go online on Facebook or on Twitter to see if there are announcements to take note of without the hassle of going to internet cafes; and easily schedule meetings via BlackBerry Messenger? But the best part about all of these is that they are subscribed to a very affordable and reliable service from Globe Telecom, the only network provider that allows them to have things their way--whatever they want and however they want it--and they get a FREE BlackBerry phone along with it, too!


What could be better than that, huh?

With the Globe BlackBerry UnliSurf plan, just like Zac and Harper, you could avail of Globe's fast and unlimited mobile internet service--absolutely anyone enrolled in the plan could surf every single site on the web for as long as they want to--without having to bother about being disconnected! Ready for another exciting feat? BlackBerry Messenger could also be used for as much as you want--there are no such things as limits and subscription expiration dates! Apart from the awesomeness that Globe's BlackBerry UnliSurf plan already is, you as subscribers would also get to choose from the following freebies:

1. 10 minutes worth of calls and 200 text messages to Globe/TM subscribers
2. 5 minutes worth of calls and 25 text messages to other networks
3. 20 minutes worth of IDD calls and 10 international text messages to US, Canada, Guam, Hawaii, Alaska, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, and Thailand
4. Unlimited calls and texts to 1 Globe/TM number


Not only that! You could likewise customize your plan depending on your budget and needs! Below is the breakdown of the pricing for the plans, as well as the BlackBerry phones you could get

Truly, this is the ultimate deal and there's nowhere else you'd get something as awesome as this but from Globe, the #1 in postpaid telecommunication services in the Philippines!


Friends, if you do not yet have a Blackberry phone WITH an affordable AND exciting mobile internet subscription, go ahead and avail of the Globe BlackBerry Christmas Promo and be automatically on the loop anytime and anywhere! Just go to any Globe Store nationwide or call up the Globe Sales Hotline at (02) 730-1010. You may also apply for the BlackBerry UnliSurf plan online. Hurry up as the promo would end on the 31st of December 2011. 


Should you wish to know more about this fully customize-able and almost-out-of-this-world-awesome deal, you may check out their Frequently Asked Questions page here.


I already know what I'm getting myself as a present--hey! It could be my reward for myself too! How about you, do you already have something exciting for yourself this Christmas? Why not give yourself the best Christmas gift? Like me, avail of Globe's BlackBerry UnliSurf promo now!


Merry Christmas to us all!


~kzbpascual


Photos are taken from:
-http://www.globe.com.ph/blackberry-christmas-offer
-http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/156/blackberryglobemax.png/sr=1

Oh NaNoWriMo! (A Recantation of How I Survived and the Most Important Lesson I Learned From the Experience)

Last night, I have validated my NaNoWriMo novel which I have worked extra hard on last month. I must admit that it was something I never would have thought I would enter until my brother- and sister-by-bond have dragged me into this.

It was one of the wildest rides of my life, I must say. Just like ordinary one-month novelists, there were those days when I just bummed around in the middle of my novelling and not write because I was so tired due to schoolwork. And worse, there were those days when I feel like quitting. But hey! Who said that it was easy to write a novel with 50,000/+ words in less than or equal to thirty days?

Thankfully, I had lots of friends whom I have asked to write me messages of encouragement and because of that, I had thirty to read to kindle the fire back in my weakening novelist heart. It was a very helpful weapon I had against those voices in my head that were telling me to quit since my sibling-friends, the two have dragged me into this crazy experience, have already given up on their NaNoWriMo novels. But I still take my hats off to them, however, because they were able to bend my iron will. :))

I think it also helped that we made a deal months before NaNoWriMo that whomever does not make it to the finish line would have to buy the winners Venti drinks of the winners' choice from Starbucks. Though later on, just before NaNo started, we have upped it to a full Starbucks meal instead. (P.S. I am not advertising SB. LOLZ!) I, not liking the idea of spending heckalotta lunch money for them, was pushed to finish my novel.

Before NaNoWriMo proper began, I spent around two months preparing for the month-long event. I have looked for pictures--how my characters would look like; how their houses look like; their cars, and everything else I thought would help with their characterization. Apart from that, I have also been reading Chick-lit novels, as it was the genre to which the novel I was writing belongs, and surely, they have helped me when it comes to the structure, the language, and how the plot must unfold. One of the great modern-age writers from my country, Mr. Joachim Emilio Antonio, was surely right when he had written in my special notebook the following words:

Read. Read. Read.

Write. Write. Write.

In that order.

I did not say anything about editing yet.

But if I were to be asked to point out what the most important thing learned from the crazy NaNoWriMo experience was, I would say that it would be, aside from the overused 'do not give up' and 'just keep on writing' quote-unquote lessons, very important to have friends with you who would challenge you to go out of your comfort zone to achieve or be something or someone you never thought of having or being. Sure, it may sound as if you would allow them to push you around--I, admittedly, have an iron will and my friends always complain about how hard it is to even bend it; I am improving on it, though--but know that they would do so because they could not wait for you to get to the finish line and accomplish something spectacular. And trust me, they would be very happy to have been one of your cheerleaders. *wink*

P.S.
Another important lesson learned: have a bet with people you trust whenever you have a difficult task to accomplish and make sure that the stakes are high.

Until the next writing/blogging escapade!

~kzbpascual