home - michael buble

another summer day
has come and gone away
in paris and rome
but I wanna go home
mmmmm

may be surrounded by
a million people, I
still feel all alone
i just wanna go home
oh, I miss you, you know

and I've been keeping all the letters that i wrote to you
each one a line or two
"i'm fine, baby, how are you?"
well i would send them but i know that it's just not enough
my words were cold and flat
and you deserve more than that

another aeroplane
another summer place
Iim lucky, i know
but i wanna go home
mmmm, i've got to go home

let me go home
i'm just too far from where you are
i wanna come home

and i feel just like i'm living someone else's life
it's like i just stepped outside
when everything was going right
and i know just why you could not
come along with me
'cause this was not your dream
but you always believed in me

another winter day has come
and gone away
in even paris and rome
and i wanna go home
let me go home

and i’m surrounded by
a million people i
still feel all alone
oh, let me go home
oh, i miss you, you know

let me go home
i've had my run
baby, i’m done
i gotta go home
let me go home
it will all be all right
i’ll be home tonight
i’m coming back home

hayyyyzzzzzz

i

i don't know what to think anymore...

i am not sure about anything ...

but i feel like i am missing a lot.
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ode

how i miss our bed, and our room,
i miss tenderbob's and goldenspoon.
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scores

as promised, here are my my scores ....

reading: 8
no comment.

writing: 7
marilenn is able to write on both familiar and abstract topic. in her writing, she demonstrated an appropriate sense of audience. marilenn has very good control of simple structures and adequate control of complex grammar.

listening: 7
marilenn has no difficulty understanding questions or instructions. she was able to answer concrete and abstract questions regarding the listening. marilenn could pick out key words and phrases from the listening.

speaking: 7
marilenn speaks with confidence on familiar and abstract topics. she has very good control of grammar, and is able to use a wide variety of vocabulary. marilenn is able to make comparisons, give her opinion and provide supporting ideas.

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so why didn't i have a perfect score in writing where as their assessment stated that i wrote well, i have coherent ideas and that i know that i have a particular audience in mind? that my punctuations are okay and that i have a wide range of vocabulary?

well.... i have to write with correct capitalization. you see, since high school, my handwriting has always been ALL CAPS. all right, i know that when typing or texting, using ALL CAPS means shouting. and according to them, it goes with handwriting too. so now, i am trying to change my handwriting. and i am hating it.

i always take pride in my handwriting. i know i have very good handwriting, legible and with a sense of certainty. but all in capital letters. right now, writing in correct capitalization makes my handwriting a little bit awkward and unsure. i even had a hard time in spelling because i am so not used to writing in small letters. hayyy..

listening is what made me so anxious. i thought i would fail, because i really had a hard time "memorizing" all the sentences that i've heard, word for word. good thing that he noticed that i can grasp the keywords.

really, when i was listening, i was memorizing the sentences. but after i took off the headsets, there goes my sentences. hehehe .. maybe because i'm so used in jotting down notes if i have to remember anything.

in actual conversation, we also listen, right? but we can talk back immediately without having to memorize everything. in listening and then mimicking it, i found it hard.

what i did to somehow made the evaluator think that i am a good listener? i engaged him in lengthy conversation. heee .. when he asked me about something, i replied in lengthy answers with lots of side stories. hehehe that is the purpose of the evaluation, right, to see if i can communicate in the languate. i guess that paid off. i remember even telling him stories about the queen and the streets in london and the streets here in winnipeg (i was reading diana chronicles that time and the queen was in winnipeg for a visit!).

i don't know why i didn't get a perfect score in speaking??? hehe duh! of course i know. i am still not that confident in speaking in english. i still have that habit of constructing the sentences in my head before speaking. but having a score of 7 is not that bad. i am accepting it :)

after the evaluation, i told the evaluator i am interested in taking english classes. there is this intensive english program from the university of winnipeg, there is this eglish for technical purposes and enhances english skills for employment. i am particulary interested with the correct pronunciation, intonation, diction and accent.

but most specially, i just really want to practice speaking in english. plainly having someone to converse with in english without having to laugh at each other. it's hard to speak in english in the house, jason and both felt and sounded hilarious.

but i didn't enroll. maybe this fall. i can't afford to try and have the accent while aquim would be alone in the house. maybe this fall....

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english

two months ago or so, i've undergone an english proficiency test here in canada. they say it's not a requirement for work but it is required by some immigrant training facilities to have a specific score to let one in on any of their trainings, so i had to take the assessment.

there are 4 areas on which i was tested: reading, writing, speaking and listening. one would receive a score and accompanying narrative assessment for each area. the highest score for each is 8.

reading: it was just multiple choice. it started with easy ones like images of things of which you have to choose the correct "word" that identifies the image (like pencil, money, etc.). easy stuff. then comes reading stories with increasing number of paragraphs. no sweat. the answer is on the story itself. you really just have to read. the clinch is that it is timed, so you also have to read it fast.

writing: easy to hard again. first, i was asked to write what was already printed on the form. easy, eh? then the next ones are essay writing stuffs with a required number of words. i'm good. i can write anything. the topics are easy. let me say that writing means handwriting. and it also timed. this is quite hard because i've been so accustomed with computer where in there are the backspace and delete keys. building your thoughts and make it appear coherent while handwriting it is quite hard, for me.

speaking: i was interviewed by an assessor. no sweat. i'm used to talking with strangers. i was just worried if he would ask me about current events or anything related to canada, hehehe i was not prepared for that. but it was just a casual conversation. he asked questions and i answered. more often providing more information than what is expected.

listening: i was provided with headphones. the instructions was to listen to the taped series of monologues. after each one, i have to repeat what it has said as completely and identical the source. easy to hard again. first few ones were just a couple of sentences that i was able to repeat it word for word. but it was getting longer and i had a hard time repeating it identically.

my scores on my next post.
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balita!

nanay: uy ikakasal na yung dati mong crush ah.

moi: ah talaga?!

nanay: oo! invited ka nga eh!

moi: wow! kelan? sige sabihin mo attend kami. luluwas kami para diyan.... err... di pala. nasa canada nga pala kami akala ko nasa probinsiya lang...

***

panaginip lang ....
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what i love here: library

time to rave.

the winnipeg millenium library

one of the things i like here is the library! yey for library, yey! books for aquim, books for me, for free! they have dvds, audio cd, cds for kids, magazines. we can borrow the actual books (hard cover!) or the ebook online. please take a look at their catalogue, click http://wpl.winnipeg.ca/library/ and http://elm.lib.overdrive.com/.

searching is easy, borrowing is easy. you can either search it online and reserve it online. choose where you would like to pick it up (there's a lot of libraries). if it's an audio book or ebook, you can check it out and read in instantly.

picking up is easy, just give your library card and voila, your books are ready. if you would like to borrow additional books, checking out is done thru a lib staff or you can do it all by yourselves using this computer.

of course there would be fines if you forget to return the items on time. returning is easy also, you can return it to any branch and you just have to put the books on the counter, that's it!

they also some have computers there and they have wi-fi. they have mini museum and they have this ascending terrace where one can actually read, surf or just ... stare. hehe i was not able to take a picture, but i'm sure it would be great just sitting there hehehe.

they have some paintings on display, like this one:

and this one:

and this one:

which is actually, this just big (or small?)

i'd like to do that in our house. hehehe .

****

funny story...

last time, i asked jason to pick up some books that i borrowed, just 3 titles. when the lib staff gave him the books, he was shocked! what the.. they were giving him 12 books! he called me and asked "what are the books that you borrowed? they were giving me 12 books. they told me you borrowed the book club kit and it contains 10 books!"

me: hehehe! oh, i didn't realize that book club kit means there would be 10 books. i just thought it just comes with a special binding. because the actual book is checked out and i was like the 7th person on the wait list. and i saw that book club kits have several units left (3 actually). so i thought this is just a book binded differently. hehe i didn't know that it will be 10 books hehehe.

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i am spamming

after deliberately posting nothing, i am back into blogging. yes. i don't care if the posts will be too senti or full of rants. i want all of it to be here. i want something to make me remember when all of these has past.

so, just hang around.
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hello, stranger

i admire those OFWs really. i've already admired them when i used to watch wowowee and cried when they tell their stories. but now that i am here in another country, leaving my family behind, i can almost feel what the OFWs have to go through just to give their family a better chance in life.

i know my story is so much different from them and it is nothing compared to what they have to go through. but in terms of homesickeness, i guess we are on the same page.

even if i am with jason and aquim, i am still homesicked. i don't know. maybe i still need more time. how much more? afraid.

i really don't know if i want to cope. i don't want to not miss them. but i want to have a "new" happy and normal life here.

yes, i think of the philippines and my family back there every hour of the day, and it scares me that i am letting my day here go by without appreciating it, without even noticing it.

right now, i am missing one country while being a stranger in another. what scares me the most is, i'll end up being a stranger in both countries.
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namimiss mo ba ang philippines?

moi: namimiss mo ba ang philippines?

dad: ahhmmmm... hinde naman. lalo na ang weather. siguro yung mga tv shows pa. ikaw ba?

moi: ahhh... namimiss ko ang 9am sa philippines. namimiss ko ang 12pm. namimiss ko ang 3pm. namimiss ko ang 6pm. ang 7pm. namimiss ko ang 10pm at 11pm. yeah, na mimiss ko ang philippines.

yes. going on 3 months here and i'm still homesicked. everyday, everyhour, naiisip ko siguro ang philippines. kung 10am dito, naiisip ko ang feeling ko pag 10am sa philippines. or naiisip ko kung ano ang ginagawa nila ngayon 11pm sa philippines. pag sunset na dito around 9pm, naiisip ko ang 6pm atin or pag sunset na sa atin. namimiss ko ang tumambay sa terrace. namimiss ko ang hangin na medyo malansa at maalinsangan.

minsan nga namimiss ko rin ang traffic! hehehe.

kung ipapalista sa akin ang namimiss ko, everyday may maisusulat na ako dito sa blog ko. hayyy...
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i know...

of course, i know it. i am not posting as often as i used to. it's not that there is nothing to post. it's just that i dont want to post it yet. if i'd post it, this blog will be full of rants... and negativity.

i just want to attract positive vibes. so please bear with me, please, dearest blog.
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one year

it has been a year since I lost kutchie...wahhh!
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assiniboine park

the sun is up today. after a week-long rain. where else to go (everybody is there!) but to the park. good thing we went with our hosts to the assiniboine park. we had a great time. assiniboine park is so huge (biggest in winnipeg), we only get to see one part. hopefully, we can get to go there again. and explore each and every garden. eat on its restaurants. and visit the zoo.

http://www.assiniboinepark.ca/

In 1904, the City of Winnipeg purchased 283 acres of woodland and prairie along the south side of the Assiniboine River. Termed the “Suburban Park” for the first ten years, Assiniboine Park, as it was later named, was the first of the City’s Regional Park system.

Leo Mol Sculpture Garden

English Gardens

Formal Gardens

Flat Gardens

Abilities Gardens

Herb Garden

Garden of Life

Citizens Hall of Fame

Miniature Steam Train

Pony Rides

Bike rentals

Assiniboine Park Zoo

We didnt get to see all of these. Actually, i'm not sure where we were. It was just a vast green land. Defintely, would like to visit it again and check out the gardens.

one of the entrances. dont know which side it is.

we were on the other side of the park, where we had our little picnic.

aquim get to see new friends.

hello there

then we head off to a more open ground, where everyone can do anything,

under the sun! hehehe

frisbee with a fellow kid. they're the youngest in the group.

at one time, he asked me if he can kiss the trees. because trees are nice daw.

hehehe he used to see me hugging the trees. now he wants to kiss it.

playing (flying) around.

end of tour.

the rest of the pictures are in here

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steinbach

our hosts took us for a road trip to steinbach, south of winnipeg. we had lunch at a.d. penner park and then take a dip at the indoor pool of steinback aquatic centre. here are some of the pics. the rest of the pics are at http://jolen.shutterfly.com/ontheroad/2623


it was windy and the wind is cold. aquim kept telling me he is ginaw. tita peng lent us her fleece jacket. we are still not quite familiar with the weather. people here are actually relying on weather forecasts and they are quite reliable. our hosts say when we've been here long enought, we will know what to expect when it says 18 or 12 or 22.
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one of the things i love here in canada, are the parks! this is the first park we have visited, the a.d. penner park. i'll google later what are the parks in winnipeg. this is quite a large park. one can play soccer, beach volleyball and has a playground.

aquim having fun going up and down the "mountain". actually it is just a hill.

trying out the swing. it's just sad that he doesn't get to play with other kids. maybe because he still doesnt speak english. but heck, most of the kids here at the park are pinoys. or maybe because he is the new kid in town. maybe because he is still too small for their games. hayy...sad.

but even if he is the smallest in the bunch, he is the first to try this zip line. and he did it several times until his hands hurt and let go of the handle on his 5th try. you can see the video on the link i posted above. a 5 year old gets to try this the first time, and he let go and he hurt him self big time.


after lunch and some play time, we are headed to the aquatic centre. it's just a few steps from the park. the centre opens up at 1pm and there are already quite a number of people in line outside.

here's after the door has opened. people trying to get tickets. the centre only has a certain capacity and if they have reached that limit, no one is going to get inside unless somebody else comes out. and if you get out, you have to wait and pay again if you want to come in. drinks and food are not allowed inside. this indoor pool is quite popular you have to pre-purchased a ticket to make sure you can get inside.

here's what inside. on the right is still another pool, similar to an olympic size pool, though im not quite sure about that. but it's just a rectangular pool where one can do laps. on the left, there is a hot tub and a sauna. i tried both. the hot tub is really hot. the sauna is like being in a small room with galvanized iron as room on a 12noon in our beloved country, that's how i felt.

this facility is quite strict. there are several roving lifeguards and supevisors. kids 7 and below should be within arm's reach of an adult. and if you stray away from your kid, the supervisor/lifeguard will really approach you.

one is not allowed to swim without a proper swimming attire. cotton clothes are not allowed. kids who are not yet potty trained are required to wear swim diapers.

the hot tub should have a maximum of 13 persons only at a time and the sauna 15. and they are really checking it every 3 minutes or so.

once, there was a kid who almost vomitted in the pool, about a spoonful or so and but he actually caught it with his hands. but when the supervisor saw it and asked everybody to leave the pool at once and replaced the water. it took about an hour before they let everybody back in the pool. hence food and drinks, even infant's milk are not allowed.

after a couple of hours, we went out and enjoyed the park again. jason and i kept telling each other that it was good we get to enjoy the philippines heat and beach one last time before we get here in canada. imagine here, we have to fall in line just to be able to take dip and a splash and swim ???


since aquim has no one to play around, we just contented ourselves sitting on the grass, collecting twigs and branches. too good aquim still enjoys our company teehee.

we leave the park around 630 and slept the entire trip back to our hosts' house. and slept more once we get to the house.

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downtown winnipeg

last thursday, we began processing important documents here in canada. we went to downtown winnipeg to get our SIN, healthcards and open a bank account.

i wasnt able to take decent pictures cause i'm with a local so i'm supposed to do what a local do, no picture taking hehehe.. these pictures were all i took while inside the car. additionally, i wasnt also sure if it's okay to take pictures of people and buildings, i might get apprehended.

if i get to know my way around here, ill post more decent pictures with appropriate caption. right now, all i can say is these are from downtown winnipeg or the way from our host's house to downtown.


typical house in winnipeg. i guess these are all the kind of house that are being rented for. the minimum is 700 CDN, and can reach as high as a couple of thousand dollars.

parks and playing fields. the people are really making use of the sun. they are everywhere taking advantage of it. playing, or just simply lying around the parks and mostly, they are on shorts. while for us, we are still on pants and sweaters. it will take time getting used to :)

church

one of the lakes i guess

planetarium. ill take aquim here once i know my way around. he keeps calling this big egg.

a park full of people and hotdog stand everywhere. our hosts told us that during summer, hotdog stands sprout everywhere here in downtown. speaking of, i want to correct myself. it is still SPRING here. i kept telling summer a few days ago. official summer season starts june 21

aquim getting acquainted with the car seat. i actually miss snuggling with him during car trips. we used to tickle, joke around and chat while inside the car when we were still in manila

building

buildings here are quite old also.

downtown. there are also a lot of one way street and it's hard to find a vacant parking space. not much different in manila. 30 minutes is 1 dollar i believe, or 50 cents. if you parked more than you have paid, you'll have to paid 20 dollars (not sure but im sure its so much more that having paid a few dollars in advance). so it's advisable to pay for 30 minutes longer than you intend to park

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uploaded photos

here are the links of the photos that i've mass uploaded. i'm still yet to upload aquim's photos and photos he has actually taken himself.

sophie's 2nd birthday party at jollibee, 17 jan 2010 - http://jolen.shutterfly.com/celebrations/4

lolo jim's birthday eat out at claw daddy shang, 29 jan 2010 - http://jolen.shutterfly.com/celebrations/56

grandpa max's birthday inuman, 04 feb 2010 - http://jolen.shutterfly.com/celebrations/76

lola irene's 77th, 04 april 2010 - http://jolen.shutterfly.com/celebrations/105

anna and sherwin's shanaiah's baptism, 21 feb 2010 - http://jolen.shutterfly.com/celebrations/89

good friday procession, 02 april 2010 - http://jolen.shutterfly.com/events/4

amie's despedida, 18 april 2010 - http://jolen.shutterfly.com/jolenfriends/140

bowling night with usap's friends, 28 april 2010 - http://jolen.shutterfly.com/usap/88

last hurrah at usap, 30 april 2010 - http://jolen.shutterfly.com/usap/100

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photo backlogs

i have the time now so i'll be uploading photos that should be uploaded months ago. i'm still on the month of january. after this, i'll be posting aquim's pics and pics that he has taken.

don't be shocked if you'll be seeing january birthdays heheheh ... it's not time warp, i'm just catching up.
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EDIT: this is hard. looking at these photos makes want to come back to the cainta. looking at all these places... familiar faces staring at me .. wahhhh.... homesick galore...
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so, where's home now?

yes, thank, God, we have safely made here at winnipeg. last may18, officially, we are permanent residents of canada. today, we have strongly sealed that title a little more. we have already accomplished getting our SIN (social insurance number), which is like your identity here; health cards/benefits for the 3 of us and a bank account.

hopefully, in the coming week(s), we'll have a job and/or our house.

we are really thankful that jason's aunt and her family are really treating us very well. they are really generous, with their time, knowledge, skills and really hospitable.

we are living with them temporarily, with free food and lodging. jason's cousin even take a week of absence at work so thay they can really help us through with the first week. they drive us to the government offices that we need to go to. let aquim play with their kid's toy, even allowing aquim to bully him. they gave us tips and whatever help that we need to make us adjust here quickly.

honestly, right now, i'm still kind of lost and in denial that we are about to stay here for good. i'm still hoping that we can go back to the philippines the soonest time possible, say 2-3 years.

permanent residency is okay with me. the government here really takes care of their residents and citizens, which is so unlikely to happen in our country. and really i am grateful that we were given the chance to experience that and a chance to shape our future differently have we stayed in the philippines.

but i can't help but feel guilty. i guess because i left my "first" family there. that i've stolen priceless moements that could have been shared together for the sake of having a better and stable future. that it seems i've given up hope on our nation. hayy... we'll see.

i want to give this a try. and i really want to do my best. i will do my best here. this has better be worth it.

so help us God.

you can view our predeparture pics here and first day here in manitoba here

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zoe gabrielle

yey! i'm a brand new aunt! er... actually, this is a delayed post. i am now a 1 week old aunt :)

zoe gabrielle was born last week, april 29, 7.6 pounds, the normal way; to a mother who was born may 29th; with an aunt who was born september 29th (who has a husband who was born december 29th. oh yeah, mahilig kami sa 29! :)

welcome, zoe!

and, of course, hindi papatalo si kuya aquim. when aquim first met zoe, he drew zoe. o diba, first portrait of zoe, here.

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gusto kong matutong magdriveeeeeee ...

well, i've done 5 out of my 7-hour driving lessons, 2 hours of which is a 'matic car. the farthest i've been to is green meadows (from our house). o diba.

i've done parallel parking, maneuver, U turn, left and right turns. shifted gear up to the 4th. car died on me atleat 5 times. hahaha. so far, so good.

i'd like to do the 'hanging'. and practice more on handling the steering wheel. i am having a hard time on that. i suspect, maybe, just maybe, because i am accustomed on viewing the road from inside a vanette. i am driving now a vios. e diba me nguso yun? valid ba?

some comments from my instructors:

teacher: gigil na gigil ka sa manibela.

teacher: para ka namang nagkakambyo ng truck kung mahila mo yang kambyo.

teacher: pag di pa rin bumabagal ang sasakyan kahit inapakan mo na ang brake, ibig sabihin kulang ang apak mo, apakan mo pa.

teacher: magmenor ka naman pag me humps.

teacher: tandaan mo ang clutch.

teacher: wag mong pasingitin yan.
moi: okay, di ko yan papasingitin (sabay sumingit na nga yun isang car)
teacher: akala ko di mo papasingitin.
moi: hehe sumingit pa rin eh.

while trying to change lane
teacher: tignan mo ang side mirror mo kung sasakyan diyan sa kaliwa. meron ba?
moi: wala. and then turned the steering wheel to the left.
teacher: (sabay kabig pakanan) muntik mo ng mabangga yung motor.
moi: wala siya kanina dun eh.

everytime there's some driver/car messing my road:
moi: kuyaaaaaa
teacher: imbes na makuya ka diyan, apakan mo ang break, or mag menor ka or dumiskarte ka. chaka mas matanda ka pa sa akin, kuya ka ng kuya diyan.
moi: what i mean is, kuya ka pagdating sa experience sa pagdadrive.

don't get me wrong, those two instructors i got are all good and courteous. those statements were delivered in a nice manner, sometimes with 'madam' or 'ma'am'.
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how hot?

okay, just to emphasize and to have a point of comparison (though i know we can not really fully comprehend how hot the sun is, i sometimes wish i am superman so that i can see the sun closely and feel its heat without really killing me, but rather, nourish me wholly, just like superman nga.. er.. where was i?) -- how hot 50,000 degrees celsius is -- just an emission from the sun.

Typical temperatures of fires and flames

oxyhydrogen flame: 2000 °C or above (3645 °F)
bunsen burner flame: 1,300 to 1,600 °C (2,372 to 2,912 °F) (flame from the burner being used during our lab class?)
blowtorch flame: 1,300 °C (2,370 °F)
candle flame: 1,000 °C (1,830 °F)
smoldering cigarette:

Temperature without drawing: side of the lit portion; 400 °C (752 °F); middle of the lit portion: 585 °C (1,085 °F)
Temperature during drawing: middle of the lit portion: 700 °C (1,292 °F)
Always hotter in the middle.

The temperature of flames with carbon particles emitting light can be assessed by their color:

Red
Just visible: 525 °C (977 °F)
Dull: 700 °C (1,292 °F)
Cherry, dull: 800 °C (1,470 °F)
Cherry, full: 900 °C (1,650 °F)
Cherry, clear: 1,000 °C (1,830 °F)

Orange
Deep: 1,100 °C (2,010 °F)
Clear: 1,200 °C (2,190 °F)

White
Whitish: 1,300 °C (2,370 °F)
Bright: 1,400 °C (2,550 °F)
Dazzling: 1,500 °C (2,730 °F)
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so damn hot!

All from http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/

SDO - Solar Dynamics Observator

Mission: The Solar Dynamics Observatory is the first mission to be launched for NASA's Living With a Star (LWS) Program, a program designed to understand the causes of solar variability and its impacts on Earth. SDO is designed to help us understand the Sun's influence on Earth and Near-Earth space by studying the solar atmosphere on small scales of space and time and in many wavelengths simultaneously.

Science: SDO will study how solar activity is created and how Space Weather comes from that activity. Measurements of the interior of the Sun, the Sun's magnetic field, the hot plasma of the solar corona, and the irradiance that creates the ionospheres of the planets are our primary data products.

The picutures below are AIA data from March 30, 2010, showing a wavelength band that is centered around 304 Å. This extreme ultraviolet emission line is from singly ionized Helium, or He II, and corresponds to a temperature of approx. 50,000 degrees Celsius.