just-ine-here

I have a messy hair and a thirsty heart.

[justineloise]

Showtime Experience / ABS-CBN Studio Tour

 My very good friend Jex was one of the semi-final round contenders of Showtime’s Tawag ng Tanghalan and he reserved us seats for us to be able to watch the show live! If you’re not aware, to be an audience, you have to either line up around 1am (one of Jex’s fan even lined up around 7:30pm!!) or make a reservation 2 months before. So yeah, being able to watch in such a breeze is a big thing! HAHAHA

I came with my childhood friends Aldrin, his wife Ishi, and Kuya Mity. Aldrin was able to pull in some inside connection so we were also allowed to tour different ABS-CBN studios!! Cool!! (Thank you Kuya Mark! :D)

I’ve got to learn the basics of music recording and how the studio’s acoustics work. It’s actually a lot to take-in in one explanation so I pretended that I understand some of it. :p

Of course I won’t miss the chance to act like one of the recording artists. HAHAHAHA

Finally It’s Showtime!!

Waiting for the show to start :)

Floor director giving instructions to the audience. He is actually kinda strict. :o

Girltrends and Hashtags for opening number.

Darren Espanto of The Voice Kids Philippines (He’s one hell of a performer!!)

Jhong, Amy, Darren, and Karylle

This is it!! TNT Stage has been set up!

The contenders: Jex, Daddy D, Froilan, and Rachel. GO JEX!!!!

Jex sang Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing” and we were so nervous because when we had breakfast with him in the morning his fever was running so high and he has no voice!!! But thank God he pulled through! He was fantastic!! 

I have been waiting for Anne Curtis to come out because I absolutely adore her, and when she did...HOLY CRAP SHE IS BEAUTIFUL AF!!! It’s no wonder people call her as DIYOSA (Goddess) because she flipping deserves it!

Look at that beautiful human being HUHUHU

After the show, Jex introduced us to some of the contenders. Here’s Carl Malogne. He’s such a sweetheart. :)

We plan to eat after but Jex asked if we could accompany him because he had to go out and meet his fans, commonly known as JEXTERS, (YES MY FANS NA SYA HAHA) who some unfortunately were not able to get inside the studio and were waiting the whole day in front of ABS. 

Jexters waiting outside... and me trolling Jex. :p

We finally pulled him out of the crowd because he still needs to rest for tomorrow’s another round... plus also the fact that it’s almost 5pm and we haven’t eaten anything but coffee. :p

We ate inside the ABS-CBN food court. This is me with my Dona Maria Iced tea. hahaha

Overall it was a fun experience and I got to take home a bag of detergent soap. Please continue to support Jex on his music career. Byeeee :)

[justineloise]

Yellowcard Final World Tour - Manila

Got to see Yellowcard play here in Manila for the last time. Here are some photos I took using, of course, my phone cam. They were so great and I got one of their guitar picks! (which my boyfriend then took from me. :p)

Tickets cost PHP4,500 for VIP. Comes with a free poster and baller bracelet.

Open act was Gracenote. So talented plus the vocals are legit!!

They played Paramore’s That’s What You Get :)

A video posted by Justine Loise (@justineloise) on Feb 10, 2017 at 4:42am PST

And also their originals :)

A video posted by Justine Loise (@justineloise) on Feb 11, 2017 at 1:46am PST

Finally Yellowcard!!

Ryan Key 

Sean Mackin 

Ryan and Sean - Empty Apartment

A video posted by Justine Loise (@justineloise) on Feb 11, 2017 at 1:31am PST

Ocean Avenue

A video posted by Justine Loise (@justineloise) on Feb 10, 2017 at 4:30pm PST

Thank you Yellowcard for almost 20 years of amazing music!!

[justineloise]

Switchfoot in Manila

My favorite band for all time came back after 5 years!! 2nd time watching them live :)

Here are some photos I took. :)

Tickets are purchased with Church Simplified shirts :)

Watched with my closest friends :) #hagardoversozaonthefloor

Jon Foreman <3

Tim Foreman (I was literally in front of him and when he saw that I was taking a picture of him, he smiled at me. I almost died HAHAHAHA) This is the closest photo of Chad that I have :(

Jerome Fontamillas thanking his kababayans :)

Drew Shirley. :) 

Where I belong.

Got a copy of their set list! :)

Love these guys so much!!! <3

[justineloise]

Death Cab for Cutie in Wanderland

THE SOLE REASON I WENT TO WANDERLAND!!! jk not really but mostly. :P

Anyway, I’m so happy they came back here in Manila! I was at their first concert here that was held in Taguig around 4 or 5 years ago. When I heard DCFC will be headlining Wanderland, budgets be damned because I need to see them again. :)) It’s just sad though that Chris Walla isn’t part of the band anymore. But they are still great nonetheless.

Here are some photos I took.

Ben Gibbard

Sorry the photos are blurry - just used my phone cam and was busy singing my lungs out. :D

I will follow you into the dark. (I might have been bawling at this point haha)

<3

He said the stage was made from trampoline because it’s so bouncy hahaha. 

[justineloise]

Wanderland Music Festival 2016

HOLY CRAP THIS HAS BEEN ON MY DRAFTS SINCE MARCH 2016!!

Everything about the Death Cab for Cutie will be posted in a separate entry

Yesterday, March 05, 2016, I was fortunate to attend the annual music and arts festival. This year's line up is a combination of local and foreign acts coming together. Some of the local bands include Cheats, Jensen and the Flips, and the Wanderland band contest winner Oh Flamingo. Panama, San Cisco, and The Naked and Famous all flew from the other side of the world to also perform. The main highlights of the festival are the famous Bon Iver, and of course (the band I am most obsessed with aside from Switchfoot) Deathcab for Cutie!

Here are some photos/videos I took. SLRs are not allowed so I just used my camera phone.

Tickets to Wanderland were sold at the range of 5k-10k but we got the early bird promo for about 2.6k :)

Came with friends. Take note of that place. We guarded that spot for 10 hours so we'd have the best place on the final act. haha

Before I continue, I would like to say that I wish I have listened and researched about the other bands that came but there was work and life so during the concert... I don't know much about them except for maybe 1 or  2 acts. Sorry.

First band that performed was Oh Flamingo.

Second, Jensen and The Flips. Their last song was a part of Bieber's Sorry. Cute.

Third act: Cheats! This one I know 2 of the song they played.

Relationship Goals. <3 lol

Next: Panama. The duo was the first foreign act for the day.

Next: San Cisco. Again, due to lack of research, this was the first time I saw them and the drummer/vocalist instantly became a "life peg". char! Due to all the screaming fans, I soon found out her name's Scarlett.

Band's so chill, they look like going to the beach. :p

I got to take a photo with my favorite DJ, Suzy of Magic 89.9 <3 Kaso I was so haggard na because... HIRAP BUMILING TUBIG TE!!

The Naked and Famous also performed. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH <3

Bon Iver

To be quite honest, I was so tired at this point and so thirsty I was getting impatient to see DCFC that I did not enjoyed much of his performance :( Plus at this point people have started to cramp up the front part of the venue and I feel like being crushed :( 

[justineloise]

Calligraphy!

I can’t remember if I have already mentioned the time when I transferred to a new company. Well anyway, in case I haven’t, I recently applied to Xerox as a financial analyst. So there.

Why did I mention that? It’s because our HR department is smart enough to offer free Calligraphy seminar hosted by the one and only Alessandra Lanot of Life After Breakfast. 

When I saw the announcement, I immediately registered. I was so excited! Believe it or not, during elementary one of my favorite subjects is Penmanship (Yes we have a separate subject for penmanship. Hail Theresian, Hail!) and I’d like to believe that my cursive game is strong. haha

Picture above is our practice sheet. I failed to take a photo of it after all my doodles. :(

This is my nametag that Allessa personally made. God she made it seem so easy!!

During the workshop we were asked to write one word that we would like to have/experience this new year because this happened last January. After that we were given “like” stickers to paste on the one we like the most. We were not allowed to vote for our own works. Guess which is mine!

Tada!! I won! Winning comes with a prize of a Vikings Buffet GC (which I really love. Yummy!) Honestly, more than how much I wanted to have it, I chose to write Serenity because I thought the curves on the letter S is pretty. Hahaha! I still need a lot of practice though, but I think it’s a good start. :)

I recently bought my own oblique and nibs. I also bought calligraphy ink but I think it’s not the best to use because the ink tends to blot and spread so easily. I need to research more on which ink to use best. But for now, I’m just going to enjoy writing! :)

[justineloise]

Book Review: Uprooted by Naomi Novic

“And I wasn't old enough to be wise, so I loved her more, not less, because I knew she would be taken from me soon.” ― Naomi Novik, Uprooted

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood. The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her. But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.

Fantastic! Fantastic! Fantastic! Easily one, if not the best book I have read this year. This book is perfection I love everything about it. I love how simple and articulate this book was written. I love its creativity and originality. I love the way it teaches about family, friendship, sacrifice, and courage... that light always triumphs over darkness, good over evil. I never mind if it is quite longer than a regular YA novel. On contrary, after the last page, I was left wanting for more! (Is there going to be a sequel? Because I need it in my life... right now!) And lastly, the romance. Oh by the gods I am obsessed with this book's romance! I love how it took its time to build up so it won't feel like it was forced to be in the story. I love how the readers were given only snippets of it making us appreciate it even more! Here's to hoping there is a part 2!!

Taken on my goodreads account.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1398352851?book_show_action=false

Feel free to visit it for more book recommendations.

[justineloise]

CHVRCHES is back with a new album called Every Open Eye and I am currently obsessing over their first single Leave a Trace.

[justineloise]

Book Review: Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

“Any one of us could be made to look a monster, with selective readings of our history.” ― Abigail Haas, Dangerous Girls

It's Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations. As Anna sets out to find her friend's killer; she discovers hard truths about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love. As she awaits the judge's decree, it becomes clear that everyone around her thinks she is not just guilty, but dangerous. When the truth comes out, it is more shocking than one could ever imagine...

(Writing this about 5 minutes after reading the book)

I would have to admit I started this book twice and did not finish it. The intro is set on a highschool club party which I am not really a fan of. I thought this book would just a typical highschool drama YA novel. This is where the value of having good book bffs arise. My good friend Nikkie has been constantly telling me to read this book and when the time I finally gave in, she was patient in listening to all my theories and even make-up part twos. If you ask me if one of my theories nail the ending, let me tell you, none of them did. I was so dumb struck after reading the ending. The first three words I spoke were... "WHAT THE HELL?!" This book is one of the best ones out there. Totally unexpected and twisted! I love it so much!

Taken on my goodreads account.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1271563290?type=review#rating_43357737

Feel free to visit it for more book recommendations.

[justineloise]

Yesterday, I bought my first car... and it felt so awesome.

Me.

[justineloise]

Book Review: Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . . Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Beautifully written, heartstrings-plugging, captivating, sad and happy story at the same time. The fairy tale written in Tiger Lily's perspective. The story of her first love and her heartaches. The twist and turns of this book left me craving for next. This masterpiece is bound with life lessons and a story of love and lost in a land where nobody gets old.

Taken on my goodreads account.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1160599847?book_show_action=false

Feel free to visit it for more book recommendations.

[justineloise]

Death Cab for Cutie’s new album Kintsugi is already out and I am so obsessed with it! This is one of my favorite tracks in the album. Enjoy! :)

[justineloise]

Couch Potato: Once Upon a Time

OUaT has long been recommended to me by 2 of my closest friends. I have put it into wait until last week when I binged watch seasons 1-3, Wonderland, and Season 4. Now I am currently waiting for episode 18 to air! I am so hooked!!

According to wiki, Once Upon a Time is an American fairy tale drama series that premiered on October 23, 2011, on ABC. The show takes place in the fictional seaside town of Storybrooke, Maine, whose residents are characters from various fairy tales transported to the "real world" town and robbed of their real memories by a powerful curse. Episodes typically feature a primary storyline in Storybrooke, as well as a secondary storyline from another point in a character's life before the curse was enacted.

Favorite Characters: 1. Regina / Evil Queen

This show got me obsessing with villains! Regina is the evil queen who enacted the curse to destroy everyone’s happy endings. She then turned into Madam Mayor when they all transferred to Storybrooke. What I love about her is that no matter how evil she is, she loves her (adopted) son so much and that she gives the best comebacks. 

2. Rumplestilskin / Mr. Gold

Again, a villain! Rumple’s character is sooooo well played you cannot help but love him…and hate him. It also doesn’t help that I’m on team #RumBelle

3. Captain Hook / Killian Jones

Because…duh. Obvs.

[justineloise]

Book Review: All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Taken on my goodreads account. 

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1160599847?book_show_action=false 

Feel free to visit it for more book recommendations. 

Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful.

I couldn’t have chosen the best book to read in a new year. All The Bright Places is an honest story of struggles, love, family, and mental health. It is one of the few books I’ve read that dealt with suicide with absolute understanding and authenticity. Niven’s writing is direct yet poetic, on point but captivating. I couldn’t help but fall in love with the characters. I too wanted to experience the Jovian-Plutonian gravitational effect before the time of my Great Manifesto comes. I definitely recommend this to everyone. PS: If you feel alone and somehow at the back of your mind you feel like ending it all, please speak up. You are never on your own, help is waiting. Let them hear your voice, someone is willing to listen. You are special and one of a kind. You’ll pull through… hang on.

[justineloise]

Marie Lu in Manila

Last November 2014, the brainchild behind one of themost amazing young adult trilogy – The Legend Trilogy, Marie Lu came here in Manila.

As fanatics, we lined up around 1am outside National Bookstore Glorietta. I was 15th in the line, thanks to a friend who lined up the day before the event around 2pm. We sent her home when we manned up the line so she can sleep before the event.

The event was jam-packed! I think more than 500 people came. The line was so long it almost circled the mall.

Marie Lu came wearing casual shorts, but what really struck me the most is her tattoo at her back. Good lord that was one beautiful art.

Marie told her story of how she was accepted in law school but chose to pursue her passion which is writing. I believe she was not mistaken. Marie also draws and once worked as an artist in Disney where she met her Filipino husband, Primo.

What I like most about Marie’s writing is that it’s simple and very easy to understand yet it is so creatively written that I feel like I am actually part of the story! I felt Adelina’s pain, admired June’s intelligence, and most of all fell in love with Day. <3

At the time I was close to her and she was signing my book, I was soooo star-struck I cannot even talk! So I wrote a note and told her that I would practically read everything she writes even her grocery list. She thanked me and I had a photo with her which is like the most amazing thing ever.

Check out her books: The Legend Trilogy – Legend, Prodigy, Champion; and The Young Elites Series – The Young Elites, The Rose Society (to be released.)

[justineloise]

CHVRCHES Manila

Last November 2014 the Scottish Electronic band Chvrches went to Manila and I got to see them perform live... in the FREAKING FIRST ROW!!!

Okay, before I went into fangirling mode, let me tell you some of the things that happened before the concert.

The event was held in SM Aura, and I didn’t go to work so I could come early with the boyfriend. My older brother and another friend agreed to follow later at 5pm since the start of the concert is 7pm. The important thing is that we were first in line. But my brother, being his true self, hasn’t arrived until past 6! Imagine how stressed I was thinking they would not make it! Until Martin arrived and...

TOOK A MAJOR SELFIE WITH US!!!!!! see: https://www.facebook.com/CHVRCHES/photos/a.708568129169783.1073741826.334533196573280/996539843705942/?type=1&theater

Chvrches performed almost all their songs in their Bones of What You Believe Album plus the Mockingjay soundtrack Dead Air.

Here are some photos I took during the concert. :)

I also managed to record some of their performances:

Mother We Share: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152950551958530

Gun: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152950761733530

Night Sky: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152950793253530

[justineloise]

UPDATE: I’m back!

Hi! I hope you still remember me. Well if this appeared on your dashboard then that means you are still following me! Yaaay!

The last post I made was last Nov. 2012! Holy cow, that was more than 2 years ago! I have been very busy, I just finished my academic courses for my post-grad degree! I took up MS Accountancy in DLSU Manila, and it took almost all my time... almost.

Anyway, I’m back... well sort of. I promise to update this page about all the things that happened for the last two years and the future things that will happen.

Thank you and TTYSoon!! :)