Helpful Tips for Students on the road

As a student, it is my own duty and responsibility to keep myself safe. This is actually my own compilation of safety tips... Helpful tips on which I have found very useful over the years. Most of them are actually based on past experiences. It wont be necessary if you do have a car or your mom/dad/driver fetches you from school, but it would still be useful if you're usually on the road.

1. Look for safe and familiar routes to- and from- your school.

2. Do not bring large amounts of cash, if you dont really need to. I usually bring only what is needed, sometimes, I tag along with me my ATM card.

3. Avoid displaying your phone in public places (ex. jeepneys, sidewalks). This seems to bring unwanted presence of snatchers.

4. When riding a jeepney, use coins for your fare and make sure you put them in a separate coin purse. Aside from not giving the driver any hassle, this prevents you from taking out your wallet. Remember, snatchers could be found anywhere.

5. Do not wear expensive jewelry.

6. On rainy days, keep an umbrella in your bag so you wont get all soaked up.

7. Never talk to strangers, neither accept their invitations for a ride home, etc.

8. Use closed bags. This avoids incidents of pickpockets.

9. When riding a taxi cab, do not forget to note down the plate number. This makes your parents know you're on that cab and can immediately report if it ever happens that you dont get home on time. This also helps you contact the taxi cab driver if ever you left something on that cab.

10. Lastly, pray to your guardian angel for safety -- the most powerful safety tip.

Almost ready for school...

I'm taking up Computer Engineering in USC-TC (Talamban) and classes will be starting on June 9, 2008. I may say that I'm a bit excited but I'm also nervous being in a new environment, with new people. Considering my kind of "topsy turvy" schedule, I dont think I could adjust to it right away. Since first year is under block sectioning, we cant choose our schedule.


Yesterday, I went to National Bookstore to buy a couple of new things for school. 3 MixPrints Spiral Notebooks, 2 G-TEC Pens, Staedtler color pencils and a Pink Highlighter.


     

Crazy Crepes are oh! so Yummy

This morning me and my grandma went to SM to get my passport at Grand Hope Travel and Tours. The taxi dropped us off by the Northwing Entrance. When we got there, a newly opened store caught my attention: Crazy Crepes. I believed it opened just this month because I did not see it the last time I went there through the Northwing Entrance last April. There were a lot of fillings to choose from. Strawberry, Raspberry Choco, Blueberry, Mango, Banana Butterscotch and so much more. In my case, I picked Peaches (I go bananas over them!). The guy preparing it, laid down the crepe on a round turntable, placed whipped cream over it, a scoop of ice cream, a couple slices of peach and a splash of chocolate syrup. Yummy!


     

And the winner is...

DAVID COOK! yep, the David from Blue Springs, MO won. I was updating my friendster account when my grandma tuned in to StarWorld to watch American Idol. Unfortunately, we were unable to watch the whole show. We were only able to watch the part when David C. was already singing his winning song, TIME OF MY LIFE, after being proclaimed as American Idol Season 7. I also want to share this article which I stumbled upon on Yahoo! News, written by Derrik J. Lang, AP Entertainment Writer.

---

"And yet when Cook was crowned 'Idol' on Wednesday night, it was a landslide: Host Ryan Seacrest said he'd won by a margin of 12 million votes out of the record 97.5 million cast by viewers.

"I actually walked into this with no expectations, and I'm walking out of it with no expectations," Cook told reporters backstage after his win. "This show is a springboard, but it's still a crapshoot."

From the outset, the ex-bartender provided soaring vocals and just enough outside-the-box behavior _ see his rendition of Chris Cornell's version of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" _ to keep viewers cooking up votes for Cook every week. Neither Cook nor Archuleta was ever a low vote-getter.

But it was Archuleta who always received the most praise _ by both judges and loud fans _ right up until Tuesday's final performance, in which judge Simon Cowell declared that Archuleta had scored a "knockout" over Cook, who sang Collective Soul's "The World I Know," U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "Dream Big."

Or maybe being rebellious turned out to be worth the gamble for Cook; it's been suggested that a poor showing with the judges can drum up support from indignant or sympathetic voters.

Criticism may have made Cook's win sweeter for some, but don't call it an upset. Several online outfits predicted he would take home the top prize: a record contract and an SUV. DialIdol.com, which tracks busy signals on the separate phone lines dedicated to each contestant, correctly projected him the winner Wednesday morning.

So why did the older David best the younger one _ the one who couldn't take a step on the "Idol" stage without a collective shriek coming up from every under-13-year-old girl in the audience?

One reason for Cook's winning appeal may be found in a rustling in the show's recent ratings: Viewership for teenagers 12-to-17 for "Idol" was down this season, and the median age of an "Idol" viewer, once in the mid-30s, is now up to 42, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Cook was, after all, the first "rocker" of many to take the crown from a steady stream of pop- and R&B-type singers. Perhaps an older contingent helped push Cook over _ way over _ the edge. The upper age limit was raised from 24 to 28 in season four; could another increase be on the way?

Another reason could be that Cook was so genuinely humble _ and not as quiet or obsequious as Archuleta _ throughout the competition, even until the very end. On Wednesday, he told reporters it was an honor to share the stage with the teenage singer from Murray, Utah. Cook said Archuleta had more talent at 17 "than I know what to do with at 25."

Cook was overcome with emotion when he won, bending down toward the stage, his eyes filled with tears when he stood back up. It was the second time in as many nights that the scruffy, grainy-voiced belter had broken down. And a few weeks earlier, when he seemed edgy and distracted, he acknowledged that he had "things going on," perhaps a vague reference to the struggles of his older brother, Adam, who is battling advanced brain cancer.

On Wednesday night, Cowell saw fit to apologize to Cook for casting him as an also-ran to Archuleta. Just before the winner was announced, Cowell uncharacteristically backtracked on his words of the night before, telling him he was one of the nicest and most genuine contestants the show has seen, and allowing that the competition 'wasn't quite so clear cut as we called it.'"


More on Yahoo! News


Here's a look at his performance of TIME OF MY LIFE after being proclaimed American Idol Season 7

My cellphone at the moment

When my dad arrived from Dubai last month, he bought me a Nokia 3500c as a Graduation Gift. It was a very handy phone, not to mention that it has a Music player. It even came in a very affordable price at DHS 503.00 (around P5000).



Small, sleek and styled for fun. A black, smoked screen gives the phone a fashionable edge, with the added reassurance of a solid metal rim to protect from scratches and bumps.

Experience pure enjoyment with a 2 megapixel camera. Keep your music at hand with up to 2GB external memory, a built-in music player and FM radio.

More on Nokia

---

Unfortunately, it broke down a few weeks ago. So I had to rush it to a Cellphone Repair Shop. But until now, they seem to have seen no progress since it did not respond to the newer version they installed to it. But still, I'm keeping my fingers crossed, in case it comes springing back to life.

So as of now, I'm using a Nokia 6101. I bought it yesterday for a cheap price of P2700. Its a colored phone, comes with a camera and a built-in FM radio. Not that bad, isnt it. Well at least I can now call and/or text, and keep in touch with my friends.

Tokio Hotel

After I ditched on Linkin Park, I now have a new favorite band. Some of you may have not heard of them yet, but one thing's for sure: I love Tokio Hotel!

"... A band from a town in East Germany become the biggest stars of the past 20 years in their native country, charting records at No. 1, playing to ten or 20 thousand each night and being feted with every German industry award. Before long, the four musicians are travelling farther afield, and demand is growing fast - not just from an increasingly manic fanbase, but from the mass media too. Much attention is focussed on the frontman and the guitarist - identical twin brothers with a potent 'fight for your dreams' philosophy. The former is a striking, androgynous-looking performer, pierced & tattooed, an artist effortlessly able to drive his followers into a frenzy, whilst the latter cuts a distinctive dash of his own. They record & release two full albums of memorable guitar-driven anthems, complete with German lyrics, and Tokio Fever rages out of control..."

More on The Tokio Hotel Official Homepage



Tokio Hotel: Georg Listing (bass), Tom Kaulitz (guitar), Bill Kaulitz (vocals) and Gustav Schafer (drums)


Oh yeah, Bill and Tom are twin brothers... and they are both hot!