Billions of people the world over, and yet they are the ones you get to meet, know or hear about.  Countless things to come across in this life, and yet they are the ones that leave a special mark.

They - the PEOPLE and THINGS - that have touched your life, inspired you, gave you joy, taught you, made you laugh, guided you, helped you know the person that you are, and made you appreciate the wonder that life is...are the GREAT FINDS.

In gratitude and affection to the Great Finds in MY life, I am creating this blog. 

Am currently here ==> Great Finds

I and my friend Ynnah agreed to watch this movie, with me thinking all along that I've watched the first one.  After all, who would want to watch the second installment without first acquainting herself with the first? 

And so, there I was, casually telling Ynnah as we were entering the cinema, that I honestly did not have any idea what the movie was about, except as a continuation of the first one.  And then, it hit me.  What the heck was the first one all about anyway?

Dang.  Goodness, I had it mixed up! With the help of Ynnah's all-too-convincing confirmation, I realized that the first movie I had in my head was "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood", a totally different movie (starring Ashley Judd)! LOL.  Geez, I just turned a year older but my memory seems to have added much more. Hehe. =)

So, it turns out, I hadn't watched the first Traveling Pants movie.  Ynnah's quick run-through of the gist of the first movie was a big help, still, it was up to Traveling Pants 2 to officially introduce me to the Sisterhood.

In a way, having missed the first movie was a two-edged sword.  On the downside, there were aspects in the current movie I couldn't quite follow because they seem to have alluded to events in the first one.  On the upside, I had no expectation, no bar from which to judge the current one.

Traveling Pants 2 is a well-crafted story of growing up, growing apart, moving on, and above all, deep-rooted, real friendship. The four friends were given unbelievably equal share of the limelight, as each had a story of her own to tell.  The acting was good and the comedy actually earned the laughs it sought.  Shots of the picturesque Santorini (Greece) were also a bonus, despite having been similarly shown in that Richard-KC starrer (For the First Time).

Traveling Pants 2 is not Oscar-material, but I doubt it ever meant to be.  However, for friends and peeps looking for a light-hearted movie, Traveling Pants 2 is a great pick.            

In the tradition of my affection for the music of singer-songwriters, Natasha Bedingfield's "Pocketful of Sunshine" is the latest addition to the fold. 

I think I've heard of her songs somehow, but it was when she guested on "Ellen" that I got really interested in her music.  Interested enough, that is, to eventually get my own copy of the CD she was promoting then.  It was a buy that I haven't regretted yet.

Honestly, I can't seem to find the words to describe her sound, but I do know that I thoroughly enjoy it.   My top favorites are the first cut "Put Your Arms Around Me", the title song "Pocketful of Sunshine" (it's genius to coin this endearing phrase), the duet with Sean Kingston (Love Like This) and the the reflective (questioning?) "Soulmate".  

It was a pleasant surprise to meet a former colleague today.

It's been years since we trooped to P&A as new CPAs.  As work got tougher and as pressure built, a prevailing question emerged: who would and could stand and stay?  Knowing the tenure statistics of audit firms, we knew it was only a matter of time before each of us found a new employer.  However, we hoped that someone from the batch would stay on to become PARTNER.

Eric, the colleague I met today, could be THAT someone.

Eric is one of the funniest guys I've ever met.  As the funny man, no one really took his take on the job seriously.  But, as fate would have it, Eric stood his ground and became our batch's last man standing.

Eric, you're THE MAN!  I am sure the batch is proud of you.  I am.  So, keep it up and BE the Partner that the rest of us in the batch can never be.

It's quite amazing to live in this time when almost anything is possible.  Take for instance, the wonder of SmartBro. 

SmartBro is a Smart broadband tool.  In particular, I got myself the prepaid one and it's such a cutie.  The USB-like modem is indeed a plug-and-play technology because you only have to plug it to your laptop, run the interface and connect to the net.  It's quite fast (compared to using your regular sim/phone to connect to the internet), saves the need to bring cable, provides useful info on how long you've been online, and fantastically mobile.    

 As a rule, I'm a Globe-loyalist.  But when it comes to internet service, Smart is the way to go. 

"I thank my parents for somehow raising me to have confidence that is disproportionate with my looks and abilities.  Well done.  That is what all parents should do."

- Tina Fey, Winner: 2008 Emmy for Outstanding Writer and Outstanding Actress, 30 Rock

What a way to thank your parents at a moment of tremendous success.  Some awardees don't even bother to remember them.  But Tina Fey remembered, and delivered the gratitude like a true winner - savvy, witty, cool.

Haven't really known her long.  Happened to hear about her in a feature somewhere sometime ago but it was the much-awaited Sarah Palin impersonation at Saturday Night Live (SNL) that prompted me to finally google Tina Fey.  Her bio is pretty impressive.  Who wouldn't take a bow at the first woman to become SNL's headwriter? Who went on to create her own show, write for it and star in it?   

Fey truly has it.  Looks.  Smarts.  Wit.  Talent.  

Geez, some people have all the good stuff.  And some, like Fey, deserve every bit.  

Got this hardbound gem from Ynnah for a birthday present:

Cool, eh?   Ah, there is no escaping the Twilight saga.

I was totally unaware of the books until I chanced upon this weird picture of an extremely pale, seemingly-dangerous, good-looking teener with the especially notable eyes and hair, in another friend's Facebook.  I had to ask who he was, what the picture was about and why she was raving about it much.  That's when I came to know about Edward.

The first book, "Twilight", was indeed a good read.  I couldn't put it down.  The thrill of the book for me, is not really the love story (I think Bella sometimes really gets way ahead of what it means to be 'devoted') but the anticipation of what's going to happen next.  The book's basic story may be nothing new but unlike other books where you more or less know what's ahead, Twilight abounds with possibilities. 

Then came "New Moon" which further made me think Bella is taking her relationship with Edward to unreasonable levels.  Still, the book got me hooked.  =)

And now, the third installment: Eclipse.  Ah, I wonder what awaits. 

Thanks, Ynnah.   

It was a good beginning. Loved the kid batman (batboy?), Christian Bale and the flying battie effects. When batman spread those wings, they came out so naturally.

Didn't like Katie Holmes playing the DA though. Her supposed affair with you-know-who (Tom Cruise!) unfavorably clouded my appreciative nerves. The moment her face showed up, I kept thinking how this supposed no-nonsense, woman-of-substance, crusader-in-her-own-right District Attorney could be the 20-something girl involved in a 'flaunted' romance with a 40-something guy. Ah, bad publicity is not always good.

Going back to BB (Batman Begins). Certain fight scenes got me confused. They were performed too fast. I had a hard time following who was hurting who.

Overall though, I think the movie was worth the more than 1 hour I had to line up to watch the premiere.