For the past two weeks, I’ve been glued to this Romanov story, particularly with the mystery on Tsar Nicholas’, the last imperial ruler of Russia, youngest daughter, Grand Duchess Anastasia. The Romanovs were murdered by the Russian rebels, Bolsheviks, in 1918, and that was the end of the imperial rulers of Russia. All of them were reportedly dead, but in 1920, a young woman named Anna Anderson, surfaced in Germany claiming to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia.

Ever since I watched this documentary in Discovery Channel when I was in high school about Anna Anderson, I never let any article or tv feature, or book about Anastasia pass without me reading or watching it. I was obsessed with Anastasia. The mystery was so intriguing and exciting!

Anyway, for those of you who do not know yet what I’m blabbing bout here, well, here’s the story (as briefly as I can possibly present it, coz ya know I have a lot of sources and its just so complicated and mind-boggling if I’ll tell you all the details):

As I’ve said, Anastasia Nicholaevna Romanov is the youngest daughter of the last tsar of Russia, Tsar Nicholas II and his wife, Tsarina Alexandra. She had three sisters; Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana (Isn’t Tatiana a nice name? I’m gonna name one of my daughters Tatiana), and Marie; and one younger brother, Tsarevich Alexei. (a hemophiliac). Alexandra is the granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England. Before she married Nicholas, she was Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt (Germany), daughter of Princess Alice of England and Grand Duke Louis of Hesse. The grand duchesses were very close to each other. They often sign collectively as “OTMA” (Olga, Tatiana, Marie & Anastasia).

The trouble really started ten years after the birth of the Tsar’s fifth child and only son, Alexei. Alexei had hemophilia. This was, however, kept from the Russian people. It might have been better if the people knew the truth about the tsarevitch. The people might have understood why their Tsar seemed to pay more attention to the needs of his family than to their needs and pleas. The Tsar spent more time with his family due to Alexei’s condition, and he was never in touch with the common people. People were starving and their country was at war. The people needed their Tsar, but Nicholas was nowhere to be found. This ignited the revolution. People soon hated the imperial family. Another reason for the fall of the Romanovs was believed to be their association with an evil monk, Rasputin. Alexandra needed Rasputin for her son’s serious illness, but Rasputin was hated by the people. Because the Russians did not know the tsarevitch’s illness, they though Alexandra and Rasputin had an affair.

In 1918, the Tsar and his family were arrested and placed under house arrest. They were soon exiled to Tobolsk and then to Ekaterinburg, a  town in Siberia, where they were executed. According to some articles I’ve read, Anastasia and two of her sisters survived the first wave of bullets. The rebels soon found out that the duchesses sew diamonds on their clothes, thus, the bullets ricochetted when they shot them. The mystery really started after this scene. Some say that a soldier found an unconscious Anastasia and helped her escape. There were even accounts telling that the said soldier married Anastasia.

The mystery went even deeper when…. (to be continued)

Because of you

I will not make the same mistakes that you did
I will not let myself cause my heart so much misery
I will not break the way you did
You fell so hard
I've learned the hard way, to never let it get that far

Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side
So I don't get hurt
Because of you
I find it hard to trust
Not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you
I am afraid

I lose my way
And it's not too long before you point it out
I cannot cry
Because I know that's weakness in your eyes
I'm forced to fake a smile, a laugh
Every day of my life
My heart can't possibly break
When it wasn't even whole to start with

Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side
So I don't get hurt
Because of you
I find it hard to trust
Not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you
I am afraid

I watched you die
I heard you cry
Every night in your sleep
I was so young
You should have known better than to lean on me
You never thought of anyone else
You just saw your pain
And now I cry
In the middle of the night
For the same damn thing

Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side
So I don't get hurt
Because of you
I tried my hardest just to forget everything
Because of you
I don't know how to let anyone else in
Because of you
I'm ashamed of my life because it's empty
Because of you
I am afraid

Because of you
Because of you

Me and Janice (one of my college buddies)

I’m sooo glad our vacation in Camiguin with icholle, rj, and ceangy will finally materialize this May 21-25 (im still crossing my fingers, though). I am so looking forward to this vacation. Aside from the fact that I haven’t been to Camiguin yet, this is so important to me coz this would be our first major barkada outing! Not that we couldn’t find time before, it’s more of we couldn’t find the MONEY before, hahaha!!!

I’ve done my research on the internet and I’ve run through many gorgeous spots to visit to in Camiguin. I particularly adore the white-sand beaches and the hot and cold springs! I’ve never been to any spring before and I’m so excited! We also plan of staying a couple of days in Cagayan de Oro. We initially planned of doing white-water rafting and canopy walk in CDO, unfortunately though, we realized we could not afford them. Hopefully, hopefully…….

It’s been quite a while since I actually wrote something on this journal. I’ve been pretty busy for the past 3 months! Whew!! What a relief!! April 15 is just 11 days away and oh this is getting so exciting!! Actually, I’ve finished all of my accounts – finished all the fs, itrs, gffs, etc…. I still have 1 pending, though. But I think I can finish it before our vacation (hopefully again!!). I really, really should finish it!!

Anyway, I couldn’t get my thoughts off of regine velasquez. Girl you screwed it big time!! I was watching thebuzz yesterday, and some members of the press interviewed regine. I guess she was asked if she’s insecure on some new singers and her reply was something like this “I’m freaking Regine Velasquez!!! I’ve been in this industry for like forever!!! Why would I be insecure???!!!!” – (with matching arrogance on her face). I don’t hate regine, I actually adore her voice. It’s just that I’m not used to her acting that way. She was usually sweet and nice… Ok enough with all this rubbish! It’s none of my freaking business anyway! Hahaha!

Oh and one more thing, I was looking for my headband last night since I needed it so badly when I came across an unfamiliar greeting card inside my drawer. That’s weird. I haven’t seen this card before. But why would it be inside my drawer? I figured it must have been my mother’s. I opened it and saw about 10 or 15 familiar signatures and short greetings written all over it. I then realized it was the card my high school friends and classmates gave me on my thanksgiving party (for passing the board exams) which I never read, or perhaps I have but couldn’t remember reading it, something like that. I’m so sorry, I never meant to neglect your card – in fact, I remember reading it just now!! Really, I mean it!! ----------- Ok, fine!! So that was a lame excuse… But still, I want to say thank you to all the badsaintz -- for all your prayers and encouragement. It really helped me a lot during those difficult times..=)

That’s all for now folks!!! Ciao!!!

Love Moves In Mysterious Ways

Who'd have thought this is how the pieces fit
You and I shouldn't even try making sense of it
I forgot how we ever came this far
I believe we had reasons but I don't know what they are
Don't blame it on my heart, oh

Love moves in mysterious ways
It's always so surprising
How love appears over the horizon
I'll love you for the rest of my days
But still it's a mystery
Of how you ever came to me
Which only proves
Love moves in mysterious ways

Heaven knows love is just a chance we take
We make plans but then love demands a leap of faith
So hold me close and never ever let me go
'Cos even though we think we know which way the river flows
That's not the way love goes, no

(Repeat chorus)

Like the ticking of a clock two hearts that beat as one
But I'll never understand the way it's done, oh

(Repeat chorus)

Love moves... in mysterious ways....