"the imagination needs moodling, --long, inefficient happy idling, dawdling and puttering." ~Brenda Ueland
"moodle, verb., to allow procrastination to take over to the point where your imagination is fully engaged and does whatever it wants to." - Keri Smith, wish jar journal
With gigabytes of storage and super zoom, with blogs and message boards, I believe we have lost some of that closeness of the family identity, some of that creativity. We have become so focused on capturing the facts – who was there, what was said – that we have forgotten the pleasures and benefits of creating a subjective oral history. Rather than share within our families, we have become too focused on sharing with the world.
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in a polar bear game,
:: i am not a small group leader (or worship team-mate, or KC teacher, or friend...)
:: smiling sometimes works, sometimes it doesn't. learn how to put on a polar bear face.
:: don't challenge hilary-real-chieftain or gayette-real-chieftain. it's scary O_o it makes your hands shake .. wahaha
:: listen very, very carefully. watch out for the "i think"s. verrrry important to not say "i think". kahit villager ka lang...don't say "i think"
:: BUT ... think before you speak. if you talk too much...you're a polar bear. if you don't talk at all...you're a polar bear. good luck.
:: you can be exposed as an undercover polar bear...but if you're cute enough, they won't vote you out yet (thanks yas!)
and lastly, what i learned about playing polar bear,
:: iya and i suck at being a polar bear chieftains
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photos courtesy of
gayette, a beary beary fun evening
hilary, of maya birds and polar bears / singles reunion
veejay, singles night
mai hern, sg photos
sometimes an unplanned tuesday is the best day in the week for discovering fresh ideas, new faces...and good chocolate cake :P
There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want. ~Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes
You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it. ~Charles Buxton
Enjoy yourself. It's later than you think. ~Chinese Proverb
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pictures at lambert's site, the day we kidnapped ms polly pocket
of the 10... 3 of them are in the Philippines (Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM North)
wow...considering we're so much smaller than Canada and China, where the others are located.
[edit]
check out the photo slide at Forbes.com
it's a Monday... it's a holiday...and it's raining :P i feel so lazy...like this cat here. :P
i want to do so many things...start some changes and just...do so many things i don't know where to start... for myself... at home...at work... in church...
but today... i'll just rest.
just like this cat here. :P
so many people talaga are being touched by our amazing grace series :)
last night we sang the song Amazing Grace (for both afternoon and evening services), one of the most hymns of all time. Jose sang it beautifully...many people were crying. (i actually had to choke back my tears singing onstage...) it was composed in the 18th century, and hearing again the Chris Tomlin version i remembered the movie "Amazing Grace" about William Wilberforce. i haven't seen it yet, it wasn't shown here in the philippines i think. Wilberforce's story is truly yet another example of God's amazing ways, and his grace.
the song's composer, John Newton, was a slave trader who transported thousands of human cargo for many years. he got saved and underwent a dramatical religious conversion when his ship went through a storm. repenting all the misery he had caused, Newton became and evangelical pastor, devoting his life to the church and wrote many songs...among them Amazing Grace. Because of his preachings he influenced many people, and one of them was William Wilberforce...who was the driving force behind abolishing the slave trade. he preached until the last year of his life, even though he was blind by that time. (my summary was taken from the movie website)
with 972 arrangements, the song has appeared in over 1000 albums... it was sung in freedom marches and soldiers' hymnals, and after 200 years, we're still singing it today... amazing :)
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Amazing Grace
original text by John Newton
Amazing Grace (How sweet the sound)
That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ'd!
Thro' many dangers, toils and snare,
I have already come;
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall profess, within the vail,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call'd me here below,
Will be for ever mine.
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i posted a video of the trailer but you can also view it on the website
jose's picture c/o elain ojeda's album here
ok, i have to leave in a few min for church but i just need to post this quick. wil post a more comprehensive blog maybe tomorrow or tuesday.
last night's Awards Night was a great experience for me...not because there were hundreds of people, not because it was a red-carpet event (which it wasn't), and not because there were celebrities there (i see more celebs at church! haha).
thank you Manny for going to the screening even tho you were weak and really sick that day...and even picking me up at home because i was stranded because of the rain! (and thanks for the Mongkok treat to celebrate!) thank you Gayette for watching the film even tho you had work, and staying with me during the awards night and being my "official photographer"! haha. dami kong photo requests noh? i owe you! thank you pastor paolo and ate jenn, pastor carlos and belle, and all you guys who texted me about watching it! i feel the love. (haha. is that how you say it?) and of course my mom and sisters, mike and mic... mwah. love you guys. oh, and terrence, kenneth and hans...kahit na-late kayo and didn't reach my screening, i really appreciate parin the effort noh, haha...so thank you!!! *HUGZ* you guys are the best, hahaha :) thanks zel and yuklid for going with me sa first screening, to the whole team (rizz, ej, mund!) for the support.
it was my first time to ever attend an awards night where i was actually a part of the "nominees". i felt like a winner already! ganun pala feeling. even if you don't win (which i didn't, but thanks to all who texted!), you're really just glad to be there :) galing. and if you've noticed, i've stopped promoting na my film to everyone and just really urging all to watch the film fest...ANY film. it's really an eye-opener...like one volunteer said, it's impossible to go in and watch and not learn anything. if you didn't, then you're not human. (wow.)
fyi, the top films that were nominated (and awarded) for ALL award categories were Lawa ng Bae (winner of the Grand Charlie..congrats jameel! jamel? argh..sowee can't remember) Syokoy, Sa Ngalan ng Mina and Caubian: Island under siege, so if you can't catch my film in the time slots, do try to watch any of these. short films lang naman sila, 20min or so (syokoy is an hour long)
the winners were truly deserving, the films were excellent! it must've been really hard to judge. :P
i wanted to quote jameel(jamel, jamil) on his speech when he got his award, but i can't remember the exact words. but anyway, what he said really struck me...after saying all the usual stuff about doing our part in helping the environment, making a difference in our own way etc etc...he talked about visiting schools, promoting the festival...even being rejected in some when he tried to sell tickets (wow..), but in the end he'd make a survey...he'd ask who's watched Harry Potter, or Transformers, or any of the latest films...and almost all would raise their hands. but when asked if they've seen a documentary about the philippines and our environment or culture, at any time, only a few did. and it saddened him daw...how we're all willing to spend so much for box-office hits, but not much to educate ourselves about our country. tsk. (i'm guilty of this too...sometimes i even watch a movie twice or thrice... :( )
i didn't want to sound preachy, and i'm not pointing fingers either. like i said, i'm guilty of that too. but this recent filmfest was an eye-opener for me. watching "Syokoy" the first time made me furious at what was happening in Guimaras...and i wasn't aware of it! and the most amazing thing about all of this is that film festivals like these hardly have the budget! like our church, they thrive on volunteerism, and donations and sponsors. each year, indie fests barely survive the financial burn of organizing a film festival and yet they're still at it... even those making the films have little or no budget at all, risk so much just to make it, and it's not fiction...these things are real and happening to our country.
anyway i'll stop here, haha. for just a hundred bucks, and a little of your time, you can learn so much more than you thought you could watching the news or reading the paper. and i'm not talking about boring talkies here...cinematography, art direction and musical scoring are excellent. we are artists after all :) 2 more days... catch the Moonrise Film Festival, if you can...Be moved, be educated. go! :)
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last words. support our indie artists...! whether in music, film, art... :) ok, ba-bye, late na ko...
rubbing elbows on the lot...:P
last week i was invited to a "Directors' Dinner" meet for all Moonrise finalists. it was a chance for me to meet the people behind the film festival, it was their way of saying thank you for making the moonrise event possible, and also an opportunity to meet the other directors, discuss preparations and awards and maybe some questions or concerns we might have.
i rsvp-ed that i'd most definitely be there, and when the day finally came...lo! the storm (chedeng?) had hit. i was seriously thinking of not going...i mean, it was all the way over at Mordor (new manila, quezon city to be exact), i'll only be commuting from makati...who knows what horrendous traffic or flood i could face? by 5pm i was set on not going. i told myself that i dont know anyone anyway, it'll be awkward meeting strangers, and competing ones at that! the weather was bad, etc etc.
my friend ej, on a whim, suggested that maybe i can ask our friend cha who happened to live there, if i could maybe hitch a ride. even though i knew she usually OT-ed in the office (fat chance getting there in time for the dinner), i did, and yahoo! she was leaving office early! ok Lord, if you want me to go, i'll go.
i'm so glad i did :P
although not everyone was able to make it, it was a pretty good fun bunch i got to meet (and all that extra food!).
CEAE's founder Jukka (pronounced "yuka") Holopainen, was this easy-going, globe-trotting driven young filmmaker with a strong voice...straight away, as he talked about their vision for Moonrise, i could sense the enthusiasm and fervor he had for this cause which they have continuously fought for for the last 7 years. (actually, the way he talked reminded me a lot about Kawayan de Guia when i interviewed him for Aramiden...!)
the director of "Sa Ngalan ng Mina", Girlie Brilliantes, i thought was a soft-spoken woman, quiet and shy...not! as we talked about our films i found myself in awe at her daring attempt in exposing the mining programme in the ravaged areas of mindanao. she told me how, in one area, she was given just an hour to shoot (hidden) with only 30 minutes to do her interview, while on another trip, the road was so bad their truck overturned, throwing off all their equipment and crew but she managed to save her camera and tapes...and even just staying in the camps where we hear horror stories of ambush by the MILF or such... these accounts made my tiring bus trips to baguio quite pale in comparison!
Golda Mae of "Kalimed" entered the student category, and she was this smiling friendly Kalinga girl who acquired a scholarship to study in the University of Makati, and their film, sponsored by the university, relays that story. Seymour, of "Bodong (Peace Pact) and his wife happened to be alumni of UP Eng'g...small world! and Froilan Grate is a dedicated leader and ceae volunteer from Greenminds.Net, a website portal dedicated to everything about and for the philippine's mega-biodiversity.
there was nothing in the air that felt like competition at all... we were all artists with a cause...hearts bleeding for a culture, a people, a hometown... all having stories to tell. jukka was right... when it comes to films or documentaries about the environment, we have to localize it... how can students from our country have sympathy for illegal logging when they watch documentaries that show caucasian people with chainsaws, halfway across the world? or saving the egrets when we don't even have egrets? just like they said in their site,
"One of the biggest frustrations of environmental education is its slow pace and limited reach to instigate change. Often, crude imagery and intense visuals are necessary to shock audiences into more immediate forms of action."
we have all sorts of documentaries from around the world, recently the eye-opener "An Inconvenient Truth", "March of the Penguins", HBO's "Carandiru"...and hundreds of others on National Geographic or Discovery Channel...
but we think it's about time that we focus our eyes on our own backyard. Watch the Moonrise Film Festival, August 15-21, featuring more award-winning films (best of 2005 and 2006 moonrise). see the places, the riveting footage...hear the people, our language.
this is OUR country...let us tell OUR story.
baguio, 2004
just promoting the festival :) Venue is Robinsons Galleria, tickets are i think 100p for each film block.
my short, Aramiden (in red) will be shown 3 times before the awards night. all competing films will be shown on Saturday and Sunday.
see you all at Moonrise!
this is so true. thank you for this Lance... :) i think i needed to hear it today...
"It isn’t the mountains that wear you out. It’s the grain of sand in your shoe."
--- Author unknown
- - - - - - - -
ok, you can look at the quote above two ways...it can encourage you, or it can dishearten you.
reading it again now, it seemed as if i was sad, and daunted by things i'm about to face that could wear me out.
but i'm not sad... actually, there are so many things i should be thankful for right now. many things are happening all at once, and i guess what struck me more about this is that the quote made me think...
i should be mindful of the little things that i'm choosing to ignore, or overlook, that could very well be the very thing that would hinder me from doing great things... the sand in my shoe -- a forgotten phone call... an unspoken word... swallowing a bitter pill of truth... a person i should forgive...
- - - -
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139: 23-24
guess most of you have read Gayette's blog about me. thank you for the texts and messages online... i received this email from CEAE last week, and i can now officially share the good news:
July 27, 2007 Greetings from the Center for Environmental Awareness and Education! Congratulations! We wish to inform you that your film has been selected as an official entry to the 2007 Moonrise Film Festival. ....
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yup! my college thesis, a Baguio documentary, is a finalist in the moonrise film festival! 
All the hard work, sweat, tears, (transpo expenses) and prayers ...all boils down to this. God's timing is never early, never late.
here's the announcement my officemate EJ made for my company entitled "Diane Sipin is a goddess!":
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In ancient Roman mythology, Diana is the goddess of the moon.
She protected the wild places and animals, to her was known the deep
places in Nature where one could rest and regain strength.
In (very) recent Campaigns and Grey history, Diane is the goddess of the
moon...that is, THE MOONRISE FESTIVAL! :-)
Yup, our very own Diane Sipin has conquered the 3rd Annual Moonrise Film
Fest with Aramiden, A Glimpse of the City of Pines!
The festival is a venue created to encourage filmmakers to turn their
cameras toward conservation and cultural issues. Since 2005, it has
attracted both amateur and professional film makers to create
documentaries dealing with critical national issues, the finalists of
which are honored in public screenings in selected theaters.
This year, out of almost 60 entries, Diane's college thesis made it as a
finalist!
(side note: imagine that! and she did it mostly on her own, whereas others
had full crews working with them)
The top documentaries will be shown in Robinson's Galleria starting August
13, and will culminate in an awards ceremony on the 18th. Diane's Aramiden
will have 2 screenings:
2-4 pm on August 13, Monday
6-8 pm on August 16, Thursday
To give you an idea, here's a synopsis:
What we know as the "City of Pines" has become a highly urbanized city
with the trappings of any modern-day metropolis, corrupting what once was
a dearly unique culture and environment. This film is about the locals'
continuing effort to save what is left of the glory that is Baguio.
For more info., check out this link...
http://www.ceae.org/film_moonrise2007.htm
Let's all congratulate Diane with a warm hug -- one that she usually
gives out so unselfishly herself! :-)
BRAVO, DIANE!
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it's finally happened...after almost 3 years, my film will be on big screen. wow. i've always wanted my film public... it IS an advocacy piece after all... but somehow it never came to pass. i don't know what's so special about 2007, but here it is. :) and talk about timing:
• 2005... one week before my thesis panel presentation, my ibook hard drive crashes. i had no backup, and i lost pretty much everything -- my film edit, captured video and digital stills. i had to start from SCRATCH, a whole month's work! somehow though, re-editing it again gave me a new perspective and the story flow came out a bit differently the second time. with help from my thesis adviser, i was able to get another schedule and graduate on time (nothing short of a miracle that time..)
• that same year, there was a call for short-documentary entries for a Channel 5 competition called "Dokyu". i did all the requirements for that, and submitted my tapes, even cut down my 12-minute film to 8-minutes (boy was THAT hard),submitted the paperwork needed, etc etc. first prize for that was P10,000, plus a showing on channel 5. after 3 months waiting for results, i finally called the station...it turns out, due to some problems (financial and whatever else) they cancelled the contest and the show went on hiatus. i was SO bummed! and mad. i felt it was a waste. buti nalang pala hindi natuloy...
that would've disqualified me for Moonrise because you can't have an entry that was previously submitted elsewhere. i believe God wanted what was best... He didn't want me to settle for TV only, hehe
• 2005... the year i finished my film was also the same year that Moonrise Filmfest started. Everyone urged me to join. syempre excited din ako, but call for entries wasn't until July...i got accepted in Campaigns and Grey the month before that and somehow i plain forgot. a week AFTER the deadline my friend called and asked if i entered. AUGH! i missed the deadline! that year, they chose 10 (or 13?) finalists from only 16 that joined. nainis ako. i figured i would've had a better chance of winning back then.
• 2006... sabi ko, eto na. i'll join na. february palang, excited na ako. months passed and... i FORGOT AGAIN! waaaaah. 'lam nyo naman ako, forgetful diba, but 2 years in a row? i wanted to kick myself! 
anubah! i remember pa nga when i finally thought about it and called up CEAE, the deadline had JUST passed. AUGH! i remember trying to convince the organizer for me to submit anyways, 
but they were strict. owel.
• and... like salt in an open wound, Campaigns and Grey was hired to do the ad campaign for the festival.. *sniff* not only that, i was the one assigned to do the 2 minute trailer for the finalists. waaaah. 
so of course, i had to watch the 16 final films. wow 
, ang gaganda. i remember secretly being relieved that i didn't join anymore, because it would've been a waste of entry fee. grabe! some of the films were full production! i was so intimidated, and i even felt ashamed to even think i can try going up against these great film-makers. 
*sigh*
• 2007 - i pretty much forgot about Moonrise. i even made my thesis into dvd-copies as Christmas gifts to my bosses. Pinamigay ko na... at least who knows, mejo ma-publicize sya konti...giving it away to some friends. kawawa nga ako, ang dami ko pang copies at home. (haha). But i guess, just like Joseph, waiting in his prison for 2 whole years just because the cupbearer PLAIN FORGOT about him and his request... God had bigger plans.
sometime last month, while OT-ing at work, i suddenly thought about Moonrise. so i looked it up online and...waaaaah! the deadline was one week away! should i join? i figured, nothing to lose (except the 2000-peso entry fee haha ).
now, im so excited! i dont care if i win...at least my dream of Aramiden showing on bigscreen is coming true! and who knows, maybe even in the US next year!
to all those who helped me throughout... my family, cousin larry who helped me during my frequent stays in Baguio, my friends in fine arts (ay, teka...speech na, wala pa nga yung award eh...)... and of course ms. may (now mrs. may papa), for all your advice, support and seeing my film through to the end!
1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: ... 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain... 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time.
-- Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
1 year in the making, 3 years in the waiting. (P100,000 for the taking? hahaha!)
12 minutes onscreen.
pls pray for me :)
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p.s.
why baguio, you ask? well, haven't i mentioned...? i grew up there :P
for more pics, check out:
Baguio Sept 2004
Baguio pics
hehee...i'm gona plug this for KC... you guys would've loved to have been there to see this!
Kids Church used Transformers theme for the AWESOME skit for Every Nation 2007 Sunday service. we were in Gateway Cinema 3...and can i just say they sure made an impact on the kids (and teachers)! nagphoto-ops pa with the kids, parents, and of course the KC team for almost an hour after! hehe. wawa si Tim, Carlos, Benj, Edroy, Sherwin (happy birthday!) and Norvic...they must have sweated buckets.
amazing planning, designing and executing by KC's own alfred, wood and reb, plus sleepless nights painting, constructing and assembling by their team of KC teachers...if any of you are connected to them here in multiply i'm sure you've read lots of blogs or seen albums of the behind-the-scenes by now (for example, gayette's "Buzzy with Bumblebee")
Lel Jingco of team2 did a great job doing Prime's lines backstage on the mic with his booming bass voice...and Bumblebee was, of course, the favorite, esp when he went out with the other robots to dance (yes the robots danced) to praise songs with the kids! and despite the sleepless nights and meticulous planning by all the teachers involved, KC was still high on the energy level scale...way way way over! the praise dancing, the games, Pastor Pao's excellent preaching, kids moved to tears during worship... of course, security and classroom management was tight, reg and admin was all in order and...tacos for everyone! (wala lang...haha)
and the kids...of course the kids were simply amazing...seeing them on fire for God, dancing their hearts out, singing and crying to worship, laughing and interacting during the skit and games...we had our own little foreign delegates from all over the world there too!
i saw this picture on ram's album and my heart made a big *twang* seeing the group...i was so proud being a part of this amazing day. big thanks also to the heads of basically organizing everything (i dunno if they have official titles haha)...ms weena and jerry (not in pic) ,necy, mike p. and jorge :)
and of course, i'll never forget the part where me, p. pao, the teachers and basically the WHOLE theater kept roaring with laughter during the skit watching Optimus Prime bug Megatron for...what else? One 2 One.. hahahahaha! :P
hay. ang haba na pala. anyway, this'll be a topic of conversation among KC (and beyond) for weeks to come so i'll stop here. :) and my title...well, KC is more than meets the eye (ay, corny ba haha)...sure we have fun games, creative skits, great props and good-looking teachers but...underneath all that is the heart to serve and worship God, to raise the world-changers of TODAY and to advance His kingdom and reveal His glory to the ends of the earth!
Whatever it takes! :)
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pics courtesy of Ram, Jomi and Alfred. check them out :) (im sure there are tons others here on multiply!)
Transformers at Kids Church
Every Nation 07 World Conference
KC Every Nation 07 July 22
video link:
fanning the flames of christianity :P
bugging "Meggie"
one would not realize the power of correct trailer-cutting... :P
check these out:
Scary Mary
The Shining - Recut <-- hahaha, kainis talaga 'to
Sound of Music <--- eeek!
The Ring - Recut <--- *sob sniff*
I got tagged too... by Elain!
alright..., i don't normally do these things coz it takes me forever...i have a "100 facts tag" thing on my old blog that i'm STILL not done with (i started it in 2005...bwahahaha) buti nalang 7 lang 'to...
so... sorry if it's spam to you, but elain is a sweetie pie and i miss her, so there. this is for you dear!
============================
Instructions: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!
1. i love to eat raisins and cheese, together, as a snack. :P
2. ...also microwaved garlic (of course, only when i'm home and sure of not seeing anyone that day...) and eating calamansi, peeling them like tiny oranges. :P
3. i don't like waking up early, but i wake up 5 or 6am everyday, like clockwork, without any alarm. (hay. when there's no need to, i just go back to sleep
4. i once was a fishball/kikiam vendor. with cart, sago't gulaman drink and all. (with hotdog pa!) no kidding! ask me about it
5. i can play the accordion, a bit. (haha...any chance using that in the music team?)
6. i can't say sinangag right. at least not the first time around. :P
7. i sleep talk/walk...when i'm half asleep (or it's past 3am). then i don't remember a thing.
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hm...i don't know who'd answer, but for the spirit of the game, i tag
EJ - *evil laugh*
Jewel - miss you!
Lester - coz he's my favorite AE
Lance - see if he answers this
Gayette - are there stuff pa that i might not know?
Gabe Gabriel - the muffinman who makes me laugh
and Chiko! - freaky friend!
hm...couldn't think of a title yet, and this'll be short.
my best best best bestest friend in the whole wide world is moving to Canada... CANADA! 
we've been friends for almost a decade now. that's almost half my life. my emotions of late have been up and down... one time i called her at 7 in the morning in tears. hay. i posted a song, and it was for her (For Good). waaah.
*sniff* ok...to be continued nalang to.
ptr. robert mentioned in his blog entry that summer time is usually also the time for new hair...and i agree... ANG INIT!!! i'm taking a survey...i want to chop my hair off, just like how it used to be in my pictures here. oh...that's Jewel by the way. my best best best bestest friend 
