between me and my thoughts

It's MORE FUN in the PI

2012-01-11T11:38:00.000+08:00

Recently, the Department of Tourism unveiled their newest slogan "It's more fun in the Philippines".

Tourism had always been controversial in this country, even to the point of coming up with a good "come-on-over" slogan. To be honest, I liked the "WOW, Philippines" slogan even better. It was simple, clear and straight to the point. And when you say 'wow', you know for certain that it implies amazement. But I don't know why they decided to change it. Well, knowing the people in this.... anyway, the new slogan sounds OK despite the criticism that another country had used that shoutout some 50 years ago.

Just an opinion : Nobody owns the word 'FUN'. The hell if they've used it! At least it's MORE FUN in this side of the planet...

The DOT is making a huge campaign on this by inviting everyone to submit photos telling how fun it is to visit, travel and experience the beauty of our culture, the sights of nature and the warmth of the people. The trick is you have to come up with a witty, funny description that goes along with "more fun in the Philippines".

I'm a self-confessed adventurist. I've been to a lot of places which left most of my friends drooling (haha!). These places, the memories and fun that came along with it are priceless. So I made some photo memes to show my support to the campaign.

Here are some of my pricey photos from my memorable trips :

I wanted to make more photo memes. But when I browsed at my photo archive I was stunned with my enormous collection. It became harder which photo to choose. Well anyway, as soon as my perky mood kicks in, I'll make more of these.

And So I Realized There's Something GOOD Left In Me

2012-01-06T10:41:00.004+08:00

I did something good today...

That kind of thing I don't "normally" do...

I texted my estranged friend...

" I just wanna say sorry for everything. I realized how far apart we've grown because of my stupid pride. Hope we could still be friends after all."

The last time I checked, I've eaten my breakfast and had my coffee. I also had a good sleep. But I don't know why I suddenly missed her.

We've been friends for many years. We took care of each other like sisters do. She has been a good friend to me until that heated discussion and my pride got in the way. We have not been talking for more than a year. All those times I secretly loathe her. And I don't know why.

All the people around us have been trying to help patch our differences. But I won't flinch. I stood my ground. I made a firm resolve that I don't wanna be friends with her anymore.

And that is why I don't know what happened to me this morning. For the rarest time, I swallowed my pride.

She did not reply though and I understand coz I hurt her too much. What's important is that I've set off my grudge on her - finally.

Hi there 2012!

2012-01-03T16:19:00.004+08:00

Hey guys! Haaaappy New Yeeeeaarrr!!!

My first post for 2012 and I don't know what to write...

Anyhoo, my new year's eve was just so-so. Cooked, went to church, had the traditional meal at the onset of new year, stared up at the fireworks and almost blurted out that I saw a UFO when in fact it was a sky lantern. Guess I've been watching too much TV shows.

The next day we had a slumber party with my girlfriends. We crashed at one of my friend's house and had a night full of talk, laughter, teasing, champagne, desserts and movies. We watched the Millenium trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who played with Fire, The Girl who...forgot the rest of the title) in one sitting. Good thing : I wanted to read the book but couldn't find time so watching it on screen was a pretty good idea. Bad thing : We downloaded the "not english version" (not sure but i think it was Swedish?) so we ended up reading subtitles for the 3 movies. Great!

So. 2012. What's in store for me?

They say this is a lucky year for roosters. I was born on the year of the rooster, which means... I'm luckier this year. Luckier because 2011 was already a great year for me. I was able to visit many places, I got promoted, dated someone 5yrs younger than I am. (nyahahaha..aryt, don't judge. it all started with the teasing and the next thing I know I was kinda attracted to him like he was to me. We hangout for five months and it didn't work out).

But the "bestest" thing that happened in 2011 was finding the one person who really mattered to me. Yay!!!

For this year, I pray that :

> it will be more peaceful
> the end of the world scare is NOT true. Though I firmly believe that no one knows the exact time but sometimes thinking about it really does get into my nerves.
> more career growth and opportunities
> good health for my love ones
> safety for everyone (think how disastrous 2011 was)

Resolutions??? Uhmmm.. I'm not really good at this but maybe I can take a stab. So for the sake of having a new year's resolution, here are mine:

> won't be late for work. Ahhh, wait. Except on Fridays coz it's my fab day, yah know?
Trivia : I got reprimanded for being 5x late in a month last December. The downside is : as a disciplinary measure, I'll be suspended for 2-5 days (I think). And the upside??? Hell yeah! I can use that for my next travel!

See that? There's always a rainbow after the rain. Ewww. Whatever!

> i'd try to be as understanding as i can be
> won't start a fight (This is negotiable. Depends on the issue)
> lessen my being unreasonable
> stretch my patience on colleagues who can't get instructions easily
> be more attentive
> be nicer to people who aren't nice to me (seriously? me?)
> blog as often as i can (2010 - 104 posts. 2011 - 40 posts. not even half of it. tsk, tsk...)
> to be more daringly honest on my blog (there are issues that i want to share on my blog but i'm having second thoughts whether to share them or not)

Okay. that's it for the resolution. I wish i can make some of it especially the first one before my boss thinks of kicking me out hehe...

Here's to a wonderful 2012 everyone!

Facebook Ethics 101

2011-12-26T11:12:00.006+08:00

I have a love and hate relationship with Facebook.

No. Not only because they constantly change layout, but because it's become a hub of annoying, pretentious, goody-two-shoes people. Huh! Like I don't know you guys!

So what the fuck am I still doing there?

That's the love and hate story I'm talking about. Sometimes I'd really want to deactivate my account. And then I'd shove that thought aside. Sometimes I'd tell myself "no facebook for the next 30 days". Deep inside I was asking "Am I sure?". Coz really after a week I'll end up peeking at my profile.

There are certain things I about facebook...

And I have one million reasons to counter it. Here are some of those :

1. Getting friend requests from people you don't know.
Don't you have something better to do? This is not a contest of having 1000 friends on your friend list so why bother?

2. Posting your photos- close up, lifesize, portrait - at every angle!!!!
Come on! I'm pretty much interested on your background view rather than memorizing your face. I even get constipated looking at Kim Kardashian's photos (OMG, they're everywhere), how much more.... yours???

3. Photos of sensitive type.
Yes, you CAN DO anything you want coz it's your account, right? You can upload as many photos as you'd like (i just wish your browser would hang up). But please... I'm begging, think of your 'friends' who will see these photos. Do you think it's appropriate to post photos of mutilated bodies in a social network? I.DON'T.THINK.SO. I'm browsing facebook because I want some nosy information about my friends. I'm not looking for something that would make my stomach turn. Next time, if you're really a fetish of gross photos - make your own website!

4. The tell-all-status.
What's on your mind? And clearly some people have abused that question. It is alright to share your random thoughts (at least your friends would know what's going up with you, dude!), if you feel like ranting, or if you wanna post something just to let people know you still know how to use facebook. But pleaseeee...(again) do we really have to know what time you woke up? What you had for breakfast? Your itinerary for the day? That the lady in the bus has hair full of lice??? Dude. You should have been a reporter. I mean, for you to be keen on details? You have the potential.

5. The "making-us-envy" status
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We all know how sweet your boyfriend is, and how lucky he is to have you because you are sexy, pretty, smart (talk about narcissism) and... wait, did you just say pretty and smart? Ah... okay.

6. Filling your status with quotes.
The reason why they call it 'What's on your mind' because you have to SAY what's on your mind. So you mean you're also thinking what Albert Einstein was thinking and all the other famous authors?

7. Proposing on Facebook.
Last night I saw one who proposed. He took a picture of the ring. Posted it on his wall. Tagged his girlfriend and 21 others while saying - "(name of the girl), will you marry me?"

Awwww.... was that sweet? Nope. To me it was disgusting. Why propose on facebook? Unless you want to invite us all on the big day!

8. Using your status to attack your enemies, officemates who can't get their job done, or your boyfriend's other girl.
My god, this has become rampant. People, if you have personal issues, deal with them upfront. Ranting on FB does make you look even more coward.

9. Liking your own status.
I've said this before and I'm saying this again : "Liking your own status in FB is like high-fiving yourself in public." PATHETIC! The reason why you wrote it is because you LIKE it in the first place. So why the hell click LIKE?

10. Facebook is FACEBOOK. Not YouTube, alright?
Please... I can already make a playlist out of your video posts.

Those were few of the reasons why I want to UNFRIEND facebook sometimes.

What about you? Any similar issues?

The "So" fad that is soooooooo annoying

2011-12-21T15:53:00.005+08:00

I'm not gonna beat around the bush... Here's the case:

I have this classmate in MBA who constantly, abusively, excessively, overly and extremely uses the word "so". Like every sentence that comes out from his friggin' mouth should / has to start with : "So, ................."

I noticed it at the start of the semester when we had our individual reporting. And then I noticed there are actually two of them who have this chronic, annoying... can I call it behavior? I mean, I can't come up with a better word. "Impediment" would be too harsh.

Really guys. We should trade places. Try sitting on my chair while I stand in front and do your "so" behavior. Let's see if your ears won't bleed.

Come on! It's not like you can't use that word EVER, coz I use it too when (1) I'm trying to emphasize something, (2) what I'm about to say next is very important that you have to hang on to my every word, (3) when it's necessary.

But for you to use it EVERY.FUCKING.SENTENCE.IS.TOO.MUCH.FOR.A.HEADACHE.

Just SO you know, it's NOT a LINKING VERB. Why the heck you use it like this? :

"So I was on my way to school when I passed a bunch of bummers. So I stared at them trying to tell them hey what are you gonna do with your lives? But I know it's not a good idea So I forced my way to school. So when I get to the school building the class is about to start so I entered the room and sat on my chair. It was my turn to do the report so I stood up, gathered my report materials and made my way to the front. So I start to discuss my topic and I can't help say So, So, So at the start of every sentence. Maybe I'm not aware of that so forgive me.

So I didn't know that my classmate janjan is jotting down how many times I uttered the word so. So this girl is really a bitch. So who the hell she think she is? She's not perfect either!

So for every 10 minutes, I use the word so in my sentences 55 times. So??? Does that bother you? If it does, then don't listen to my report. Let's see if you will pass the subject...

So normally, in a masteral class, a single report can last up to 30 minutes. That's maximum already. For one reporter. So imagine if I talk 30 minutes straight. So that's 3 X 55, because on average, I use "so" 55X every 10 minutes, so that's roughly 165X. Wow!!!! So, can you do that? Huh? Huhhhhh????? "

Now guys, I'm sure you can feel what I feel.

So?

Britania

2011-11-10T10:48:00.016+08:00

As early as 4AM we took off and headed our way to San Agustin, a municipal town in Surigao del Sur. It was a 3-hour drive from my hometown. Seated comfortably in the car, I could see the quite road and the lush trees sleeping in the morning mist. It was a long drive and at some point I could feel the eerie silence. Well, must be my imagination, it's gonna be Halloween in a couple of days.

Speaking of Halloween, I realized it's becoming a tradition, my personal tradition every Halloween that is, to take some time off and indulge myself in beautiful places. This year, I've decided to go to Britania, a place composed of 25 islands and islets.

With my camera and wandering feet ready, here's a glimpse of Britania.

view of the islets from afar

passed by this rocky dome on our way to Hagonoy Island

first stop : Hagonoy island

the fine sand of Hagonoy....

next stop : Naked island. Naked because its pure sprawling sandbar. Not a single tree. Even grass.

view of Hagonoy island from Naked island.

3rd stop : Hiyor-hiyoran island. It started to rain when we get there. Good thing there are trees around so I didn't get soaking wet. While my companions were busy dipping in cool waters, I had the opportunity to roam around and take many pictures.

4th stop : Buslon island. It was crowded when we get there coz most hoppers usually take their lunch here.

I took a lot of pictures and I was so mesmerized by the cupcake-shaped islands nearby.

this is a small opening beneath the rocks. It's like a cave but not sure what it's called.

Lovely place isn't it?

I had a wonderful time in Britania and the good thing was that I didn't spend much unlike in my previous travels.

This is what I do when I'm BORED

2011-10-21T19:39:00.002+08:00

Aside from food tripping, movie marathon and net surfing - this is what I do when I'm bored. And I mean reaaalllyyy bored!

NAIL ART.

Gotcha! What were you thinking, huh?

This was my first attempt - flowers.

Sorry for the blurry pic. I took this using my camera phone. I was trying to do the checkered design but because the angle is so bad, you can't actually see that it's a checkered. But yes, trust me, IT'S CHECKERED!

This is not a nail art though. I just like you to know that sometimes I can't decide on what color to use so I paint them all.

And it's because I'm a big Kung Fu Panda fan. :)

The Newspaper. It looks difficult but this is actually the easiest.

Redefining french tip...

One thing I like about nail art is that it tests my patience. And improves creativity too.

But sometimes it can be frustrating when you're trying to come up with a design and it turns out to be something else.

The Coron Experience: Day 2 - Island Loop Tour

2011-10-18T17:28:00.002+08:00

Our second day in Coron was the most exciting. We toured the island and there were lots of activities in stored for us.

The boat was ready by 8AM. We were joined by 3 more passengers, so that makes 7 of us. Refreshments were served as we head our way to our first destination - siete pecados.

Siete Pecados or seven sins is a cluster of seven islets. The boatman switched off the motorboat engine right at the midst of the islets, lowered down the anchor and immediately we grabbed our snorkel gears and down we go.

After feeding the fish and saying "hello" to them we moved to our next stop - Kayangan Lake.

Kayangan Lake is said to be the cleanest lake in the country. We climbed a rough and rocky terrain and when we got to the top we could only feast our eyes on the magnificent view. It was uberly AMAZING!!!

We swam in the lake for like eternity. But technically speaking, I wasn't swimming - I'm floating in my lifejacket (that's what people do when they don't know how to swim so please don't judge).

We took our sumptuous lunch in a secluded beach. When I say sumptuous, I meant seafood galore!

Sampaloc Beach and it's white, fine sand

We snorkel, played with the waves and explored other spots such as Barracuda Lake, Diwata Lagoon, Twin Lagoon to name a few. The most interesting was the ship wreck. It was my first time to see a ship wreck and I could feel the goosebumps all over me. Bad thing? I don't have an underwater cam. Damn!

******************************************************************************************************************
UPDATE : I thought of posting my expenses for the sake of those who are planning to visit Coron. This will give you a ballpark figure of how much to spend.

My expenses (in Philippine Peso) :

Tour package (3D2N) - 2,500/person (inclusive of accommodation, breakfast, buffet lunch during the island tour, airport transfers, boat, tour guide)
Airfare (cebu-manila-cebu) - 2,020
Terminal fees (airport) - 500
Airfare (manila-busuanga-manila) - 1,784
Entrance fees :
maquinit hotspring - 100
Siete pecados - 100
Kayangan lake - 200
Sampaloc beach - 100
barracuda lake - 100
twin lagoon - 100
Diwata lagoon - free
ship wreck - 100
snorkeling gear - 150
souvenir shirt (yeah i collect stuff) - 560 (Php280 x 2)
Other expenses (food, cab, etc...) - 1,000+++

Coron is quite expensive. If you like to travel Palawan on a low budget, I suggest you visit Puerto Princessa. I had a very nice time at Puerto and I must agree it's the cleanest city I've been to.

The CORON Experience: Day 1 - Mt. Tapyas Trekking

2011-10-17T09:58:00.005+08:00

This is probably the best place I've been to this year.

To say it's beautiful and scenic is totally an understatement. I've never been this nature-struck (hell yeah, that's corresponding to starstruck hehe...), leaving me awed and gaping for what seemed to be perfectly sculpted limestone cliffs and rocks, rolling hills, turquoise-clear lakes and white sand shores.

Coron is the top tourist destination in northern Palawan and is part of the Calamianes group of islands. Though it's my second time to set foot in Palawan, I couldn't contain the excitement as I boarded the plane. From Cebu, I took an hour flight to Manila, and another 45-minute flight from Manila to Busuanga, Palawan.

aerial view of Coron island

we passed through a herd of Brahman cows as we exited from the airport. The airport is about 10-12 kilometers from the town proper. And for the first 6 kilometers? You can't see anything but the vast land, cows, mountains, trees, grasses and the cemented road. No houses. Not a single soul.

that's my famous jump shot.

looking at Coron island. >>>> Me thinking : "That's where I will be... tomorrow."

we started our trek to Mt. Tapyas in the afternoon. This is the place to go if you want to have an overlooking view of the island, and of course - the sunset! But the catch is, you have to stride out the 720 steps!

Just think of the 720 steps as a warm up. Once you get to the top, you would never want to go down.

After that, we went to Maquinit hotspring to invigorate our tired feet and cramping muscles. It was a long day, but the truth is, we've just get started.

I'm not ever gonna give up on writing

2011-08-29T12:04:00.003+08:00

"Hello stranger!"

Oh that's me sayin' to myself. :)

It's been two months since I've written a post and I've barely written a good one. I'm not gonna point my fingers at my growing-busy-day-everyday-at-work ( I know. Confusing right there.), but somehow life over the past days had been one hella ride. It needed me to think, rethink, assess every situation. And for that, I've unknowingly shoved blogging aside.

It's kinda frustrating too. You know when there are lot of things going on with your life and you wanna write about it but you just can't find the time and you can hardly squeeze your brain to come up with the right things to say, it gets you down and you get the feeling of being detached from the very own world that made you comfortable.

Aryt, that was a 63-word sentence right there. Good sign. Must be my writing mode kicking in.

Anyhow, nothing has changed much, except that I had my hair permanently curled (for the lack of something worthwhile to do hehehe). I've also knocked one item down on my travel list (more on that later), the heavy days at work, and the usual random experiences which I think are worth sharing.

Meanwhile, I'm happy to be back (back from the grave haha!) And oh, this is my birth month. Don't yah think this post is kinda significant?

Just sayin'... :)

Ok fine! I stutter…errrr… stammer!

2011-06-21T14:59:00.003+08:00

Hey I’m back!

Uhm, just thought you should know. :)

Anyhoo, I’ve been meaning to write for the past days. I have so many things to share, so much had happened but I’m too busy to log in to blogger - too exhausted to gather my thoughts, too lazy to write.

But today is different. I decided to sit down and tap my writing mode. I need to acclimatize myself once again with my comfort nook. I need to get that feeling, the need to keep my thoughts flowing and ideas growing. I need to get this stress out of me.

I wanted to write something...

Yesterday I went to school. It was the second session for my masters degree. I have 3 subjects for this semester. The first one tackles global business management, the trading system and, yes you don’t want me to start talking about it. At this early, I have a feeling I wouldn’t be interested in the topic. I mean, come on! I was never interested in economics. I was never into World Trade Organizations and how it affects oh no don't get me started! I’ll leave it up to the business-minded, to the CEOs, to the thinkers. Duh! I’m more interested in algebra and physics than studying the global economy.

When the next subject rolled in, I was more than happy to learn that it speaks my language. I took that up in college, only that it was named differently. But the principle, the framework –man, I can actually guess the next thing that the professor would say. It was like listening to my college instructor all over again. It was like re-reading the same page in the book. The only difference is that I took it on a different level now than I did before. I understood it clearly now than I do before. I guess this is what they say experience is the best teacher. I learned more in the battlefield.

The most dynamic subject of all is the effective communication. The professor made us read 9 tongue twisters. We started with “The big black bug bit a big black bear at the end of his big black nose.” It was as easy as closing our eyes. Then the fourth came with “A twister of twists, once twisted a twist, and the twist that he twisted was a three-twisted twist. Now in twisting this twist, if a twist should untwist, the twist that untwisted would untwist the twist.”

Fuck it man I couldn't finish the first line without stammering. What’s up with this twisting twister? It totally twisted my tongue! For heaven’s sake I always ended up pronouncing “twist” with “twits”. Damn you twitter. I secretly hate you now. You’re the culprit!!!

The last one was even harder, (for me) “A tooter who tooted a flute tried to tutor two tutors to toot. Said the two to the tutor, ‘Is it harder to toot or to tutor two tutors to toot?”

I hate you letter TTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!

Then the professor said we will play a game. A challenge of who is the best tongue twister(er) in the class. The student who can read all nine with the least time and less stammering will get a free handbook (which she had written, of course). So when she looked at me, I abruptly told her: “nah, I’ll just pay for the book.”

And she laughed so hard.

I'd rather sing than do the tongue twisting.

The Monday After Tomorrow

2011-06-05T13:21:00.006+08:00

I don't really like Mondays nor that I hate it. It just signals the start of another long week to battle. In most cases Mondays are hellish busy and yeah - manic.

For school girls and working girls like me, Monday would never appeal except if pay day falls on that day. But somehow I'm excited for the next monday to come. Nothing special though. It is but the onset of another milestone for me... I'll be a school girl once again!

After weeks of careful thought, consideration, weighing options, identifying pros and cons and consulting my mother, relatives, friends and even colleagues - I finally decided to go back to school and get an MBA.

I never thought of the idea before. It wasn't included in my plan to cover 1% of the Philippine Islands but I guess some things just pop out of your head. The thing is, it isn't just "some things". It's an opportunity to learn more, to gain leverage and challenge myself a bit farther.

One of the factors that got me paused for a decision is the cost it incurs. You know how I am when it comes to spending money. I'm in for the pleasure rather than for anything else. But I thought of making a little sacrifice. A little modification of my habits. Just a little change. The wanderlust would still be on my list though I have to minimize it a bit.

I also asked myself if I can do this. I don't wanna trouble myself in to something which I can't finish. Work plus school needs balance, or you get axed in between. I set crazy expectations for myself and I'm myself's worst critic. To fail at this is not an option. It's balls and all. Not to be half-hearted about it. And I've decided to choose the hard way...

It's going to be ALL my friends!

3 IDIOTS (were not idiots after all)

2011-06-01T10:54:00.005+08:00

I've never watched a Bollywood movie before. Probably because it is not widely available in the country and also because I'm not familiar with the actors (yes, I find it easier to go through the whole movie if I know their names).

When my friend told me about this top grossing comedy film in India, I was kinda reluctant to watch it at first coz I don't know what to expect. Yet again, curiosity got the better of me. Besides, I watched Korean, Thai and French movie for the past week so why not try Hindi (it's Hindi, right?) this time.

3 Idiots. Fom the title itself, you're sure to guess that's indeed comic. Well thanks to subtitles I was able to enjoy and understand the whole story fully well. You just have to read fast coz the lines will fade out in a second haha! But some lines are in English.

The movie begins with Farhan and Raju's journey in search of their lost friend Rancho, whom they haven't heard a word from after they graduated in College some 10 years ago. Then enter flashbacks of those good old days when they were still striving engineering students. It depicts the "craziness" of the engineering world, the prayers uttered and promises said to gods just to PASS the subject, their adventures and their only villain - the College Director a.k.a Virus.

Beneath the hilarious scenes and funny lines is an epic tale of friendship who have stood the test of time. First half of the movie I was laughing hard. Favorite funny scenes? The wedding, the speech during the teacher's day, their first day at school and the classroom scenes, one where the professor asked for the definition of Machine. I can't contain my laughter when their classmate literally recited the definition, word for word, memorized the textbook including 'etc.' hahaha! I remembered a college classmate who was a trying-hard-smart-ass.

Although the second half was not as hilarious as the beginning, it will make you contemplate on the movie's message. Each character have their own issues that they must face head on. There were crossroads and detours. But Rancho summed it up : "Make your passion your profession and success will chase you - pants down."

What I like about the movie is the witty humor. It was natural and heartwarming. The cast were really good and the plot superb. It's hard to be entertained nowadays without taking on nonsense, offensive, toilet humor. I'd say this is one of the best comedy film I've seen.

Profile of the HATER

2011-05-25T09:50:00.005+08:00

So. As you know I have a hater. *clap, clap, clap* I'm quite a celebrity duh! Flatter me some more (hahahaha!)

It all started 2 weeks ago. An unregistered number keeps ringing my phone. The thing is, I don't answer anonymous caller right away. So when the dumb bitch (let's call her that for purpose of reference) texted why am I not answering my phone, I took it as a sign to pick the call the next time my phone rings. And when I did, the dumb bitch on the other line won't talk. No single evidence of someone trying to do a conversation. Just silence. And silence.

I got pranked. Tsk, shame on me!

Then she keeps on calling which has become annoying so I sent her a trashy text message "who the fuck is this?"

And she replied : "Just a fucking bitch like you".

Whooahh!!! Did she just try to scare my wits off? Sadly, NO! I've heard enough people calling me bitch so it's not kind of new to me. Just a suggestion: try slutty. It might work. Yeah, slutty bitch. I'd like that (smiling).

Now where was I?

Since this dumb bitch started this face off match, then I'm not going to take this lightly. Guess what missy, a garbage text deserves a more garbage reply. You didn't think you're the only one good at this or did you? Now that's SHAME on YOU!

A couple more replies had me figured I'm not going to win coz I don't know her identity and she wouldn't tell me (that's obvious) and I'm pretty sure she'll do what she can to hide herself. So let's just wait for the truth to come out. I did not bother to reply anymore.

Her messages continued the following day and I really really wanted to hit the reply button and slap her with her own shit. But doing that would make me worse than her. I'd just read her text, type my reply and save it in my draft. Arrggh!

One thing I learned about my hater is that we probably work in the same company. Apart from the fact that she knows my job, she told me she sees me everyday. She's also in my circle of friends coz she knows where I come from. She's probably between 25-30 years old, not yet married and maybe lives alone. Why? Because she disturbs me at the wee hours of the evening. Maybe she can't sleep, she doesn't have someone to talk to, she's bored and she's ENVIOUS.

I'm near to unveiling this mystery she's created and once I get to know her I swear I'll make her regret messing up with the wrong person. And she's trying to pull off another scheme... After I blocked her number, she used another one. Hmmm nice try. Now I blocked all numbers that aren't in my phonebook. Bring on some of your schemes bitch and I can surely find ways to counter them. I'm brilliant like that! (well, that's what my mother thinks hehehe...)

From one bitch to another

2011-05-20T14:12:00.008+08:00

Dear Hater,

First of all I'd like to applaud you for going through the effort of getting an anonymous number, persistently calling my phone, then wouldn't answer if I'll pick up and sending nasty text messages.

So cowardly.

I don't know who you are and the fucking hell I care. All I know is that you hate me for being me. Sorry missy, whatever you do you'll never be Me. Either deal with it or live with that. Your choice, LOSER.

Though I find your bitching annoying and irritating, it will not shaken me. Sticks and stones may break my bones but none of your words will. So go on creep! Keep hating me and keep talking. You've no idea how much you make me feel like I'm famous. You're creating this little drama out of pure insecurity. Oh by the way, did I tell you that insecurity has no cure? Well, goodluck with that! Eat your heart out and die.

I wanted so much to reply on your nasty messages. Believe me, it took a lot of courage for me not to. I won't play with your games coz I'm far better than you are and you know that! Just make sure I'll never find out who you are. Coz when I do, it won't be pretty. If you know me that much, I'm sure you know not to mess up with me. So keep hiding from that anonymous number. Mask your face with those text messages. You're doing yourself a big favor for doing that. Or should I say, saving your face for doing that.

And what is it that you said we see each other everyday and how much you wanted to grab my hair? Hmmm..interesting. That's why I never changed my number. Coz each time you text me, you subconsciously reveal your identity. See how stupid can you get? Say whatever you want to say. No matter what you do it won't change the fact that between you and I, you're the one who needs a big slap on the face. Pathetic!

And while I'm reading your "bothering" messages, I can't help but laugh. Sooner or later I'll find out who you are. So be careful bitch - one false move and you're down.

Anyway, expect not to get any replies from me. Haaayy... waste of time, waste of money, waste of effort. And what is it that they say about holding grudges to other people takes a toll on your health? I won't waste my life on you psychotic bitch. I live a fabulous life which I'm pretty sure you don't. So again, eat your heart out!

I know you won't be able to read this blog. But in case you stumble on this page, read every word carefully coz I'm not going to warn you again. From one bitch to another -BACK OFF CREEP!

The Damon Humor

2011-05-17T12:53:00.007+08:00

Probably the only TV show that had me so hooked (okay after Charmed and Prison Break) is Vampire Diaries. I have always loved vampire tales. Be it in movies (Underworld -seen them all) and books (Twilight - read them all). There's something about vampires that make their story all the more intriguing and charming.

Anyway, what makes this show so addictive? I could do a little rundown of the story in a heartbeat, the compelling twists in the plot plus the complex characters - but... it all boils into one thing - DAMON SALVATORE.

Ooppss! Team DAMON here! Sorry Stefan fans... This is my blog so I can pretty much profess my love for Damon Salvatore (Ian Sommerhalder).

He is smoldering hot. Gorgeous. His bad ass attitude is sooo sexy. His character keeps me eager to watch every single episode since Season 1.

I've never admired any bad guy in any movie - except for this eternal stud.

Damon is famous for his one liners. His funny, witty quotes are hard to match. There's something with the way he delivers his lines, the way he does the "eye" thing, his brows, his facial expression - incredibly Damon.

Whenever Damon talks I'm all ears. And I take note some of his famous lines.

Here's my list. Those in blue are my faves.

“Don’t mistake the fact that we haven’t set you on fire in your sleep for trust.”

"I’d fight me" – to Stefan (ensuing fight with Stefan)

“Aren’t you worried that one day all the forest animals are gonna band together and fight back?” –to Stefan (re stefan’s diet preference)

“This is reality and there’s no such thing as werewolves or combat turtles.” – to Stefan

“Tried to kill a werewolf. Failed. Now I feel like I’m not living up to my best self.” –to Katherine

“If we start believing in some supernatural, witchy-woo legend from a picture book, we’re idiots.” – to Alaric

“I look at you and I see myself. A less dashing, less intelligent version.” – to Mason

“Can we not do the whole road trip bonding thing? The cliche of it all makes me itch.” –to Stefan

“What I’m about to say is probably the most selfish thing I’ve ever said in my life. I just have to say it once, you just have to hear it. I love you, Elena. And it’s because I love you that I can’t be selfish with you. And why you can’t know this. I don’t deserve you, but my brother does. God, I wish you didn’t have to forget this. But you do." –to Elena

“If you are setting me up in any way I will rip you heart out and shove it down your throat. It’s something I’m very good at.” –to Katherine

“I find hilarity in the lengths that I have to go to to repeatedly save your life.” –to Elena

“I have a secret, a big one. But I’ve never said it out loud. What’s the point? It’s not gonna change anything. It’s not gonna make me good, make me adopt a puppy. I can’t be what other people want me to be. What she wants me to be. This is who I am.”

“You are my existential crisis. Do I kill you or do I not kill you? But I have to Jessica, because I’m not human. And I miss it. I miss it more than anything in the world. That is my secret. But there is only so much hurt a man can take.”

“I’m changing and evolving into a man capable of greatness. Better watch your back, cuz I may just have to go get a hero hairdo of my own and steal your thunder.”

“Come back as a vampire, I’ll stake you myself, so don’t. Cuz I can’t stand the idea of you hating me forever.”

What's so special about this Bella girl? Edward's so whipped!

“There’s no such thing as a bad idea, just poorly-executed awesome ones.” (double like!)

"If I see something I haven't seen before,I'll throw a dollar at it.”

"If this Wolf Man thing is true, I’ve seen enough movies to know it’s not good. It means Mason Lockwood is a real-life Lon Chaney and that little Tyler punk may just very well be Lon Chaney, Jr. which means Bela Lugosi, meaning me, is totally screwed." – to Alaric

"You call, I come. I'm easy like that."

"Great Elena. I`m walking on sunshine. Thanks for asking." – (in a sarcastic tone haha!)

"That`s me. Your trusty bodyguard. Calm in a crisis."

"Yes Stefan, I`ve become you. How tragic for both of us. Gotta run. Have a murder to plan. Busy day"

“Katherine, there are six other bedrooms in this house, go find one.”

Dude? Really? Dude?

That's for me to know and for you to dot, dot, dot(…).

“BTW, that means by the way.”

"... My infringing ability to listen to Taylor Swift!"

"You see, that's why I didn't tell you. Cause you would have never been able to do it. Don't get me wrong, Stefan. I don't mind being a bad guy. I'll make all the life and death decisions, while you're busy worrying about collateral damage. I'll even let her hate me for it. But at the end of the day, I'll be the one to keep her alive."

"So, let me guess... in addition to the moonstone, the doppelganger, the lion, the witch and the wardrobe you need to find this witch burial ground."

Whoever wrote his lines is a freaking genius. And I salute Ian Sommerhalder for being so clever in it.

Movies, Movies, Movies and ... Movies!

2011-05-10T08:47:00.009+08:00

Guess what?

I'm back in the movie game!!! Hahaha.

Been awhile since the last time I did a sort of "movie review" if you can call it that one.

Well this time, I'm not only gonna pick those that I like. I will also comment on movies which I think are either stupid or REAAALLY stupid.

Anyway, just a disclaimer. This is not a review. Just my thoughts and opinion on the films I've watched in the span of 2 weeks.

First off, the crazy, hilarious stuff which I liiiiike! Recommended!

1. Hot Tub Time Machine (John Cusack)
Released last year, this movie is about, well, you guessed it - going back in time. A story of 3 friends who are not doing well in present life decided to bond and re-live their younger days. Went back to town where they used to hang out, stayed at the same hotel, same room and party on the same hot tub. Apparently, they spilled drink on somewhat electrically charged button of the tub and things just went odd. Everything seemed normal when they woke up the following morning except that everyone in sight is wearing warmers, guys in faded jeans, girls in colored, tight-fitting...you know the 80s fashion. Yes, they're back in 1986!

The fun begins when they start doing the exact same thing they did 24 years ago - it's their only ticket to the present. But despite putting a lot of effort to re-live their wild teenage life, strange things happen that would seem to implicate their "future" life.

I personally enjoyed this movie. If you're on for a laugh trip, this should be on your list.

2. Just go with it (Adam Sandler & Jennifer Aniston)
A comedy/lovestory about a plastic surgeon (Sandler) who pretends to be married. He believes that girls are more attracted to married men and so he goes on pretending until he met a girl who doesn't want to commit to a married man. Realizing the flaw in his strategy, he asked her assistant (Aniston) to pretend as her ex-wife.

Complications start to arise as Sandler tries to unloose every string in his lies.

3. Grown-ups (Adam Sandler)
I hope I'm not making it obvious that I've been watching a lot of Sandler's film lately. :) This one's funny too. Will make you appreciate of your childhood.

4. Here comes the bride (Tagalog film)
That's right! A corny title for a very funny movie. Calling it funny is an understatement actually. The cast, story line and plot is superb. I watched this last Sunday (while the whole nation is waiting for the Pacquaio - Mosley fight) and I still can't get over with how hilarious it was. I was laughing from beginning 'til end. Not only it was directed remarkably, the lines are witty and this movie doesn't take on toilet humor.

Filipino film makers have a lot to learn on this one.

5. First Love (A little thing called love)
This is a thai movie. ~~I’m multi-lingual. I can read and understand thai.~~ Actually, there's an English subtitle so better download a VLC player if you wanna watch this.

The story revolves around a 14 year-old girl named Nam. (Yes that's her name. Not the thing you say when you eat something delicious - nam, nam, nam, nam, nam....) Nam is plainly simple, unattractive, dark colored skin girl. Simply put, she is NOT pretty. She's in love with an older guy in grade 10 named Shone who is hot, gorgeous and drop-dead-gorgeous. Wait, did I just say gorgeous twice? Damn yes! He's really gorgeous that I watched the movie twice hahaha! I know you hate spoilers so I'll just shut up.

I got so caught up with this movie. It will definitely remind you of your high school crushes, the friends you made in high school, the crazy things you do just to get HIS attention and how your friends support you all the way.

There was a part in the movie where I cried coz I suddenly remembered my friends and I missed them. I could see a part of me in Nam's. I can laugh with her silliness. I can identify with her innocence, on how she tried making herself pretty by putting on whitening products and buying how-to-get-the-guy-of-your-dreams kind of book.

This movie is just so nice and pretty. You better watch it!

Next, the "okay" movies.

1. No strings attached (Ashton Kutcher & Natalie Portman)
Reading from the title I'm sure you know that this is about friends with benefits. And since when did Ashton became a porn star? A year ago I watched his movie "Spread" and I can't believe that that movie is all about f****ng.

This movie is the tamer version. Not too many pumping scenes and yeah, he's got a nice butt. ;-))

2. Big Momma's Like Father Like Son
Hmmm...I'd say this movie is good enough to keep me entertained for 1hour and 50minutes.

Lastly, the "stupid" movies.

Stupid movies can be sometimes entertaining. But not these :

1. Scream 4
Really. I was just ranting about this in twitter. The most stupid horror movie of all time! I mean, come on! The scenes from 1 to 4 are all just... the same! Can't they think of anything better? Honestly, they're leveraging on how gross the victims got butchered.

2. Get him to the Greeks
This is eww... Very gross and offensive. So full of racial humor and penis joke.

That's it for today. I still have plenty to watch for. :)

Things That Would Make Me Look Like An Idiot

2011-05-04T10:33:00.005+08:00

I'm not the smartest girl in the world but I try not to fall short on people's expectations. And sometimes my superhuman powers a.k.a. multitasking abilities do wear off when I'm too tired and stressed. Well, I'm just human.

About 70% of my job is correspondence. Most of the time my boss would ask me to proofread or write/reply an e-mail on his behalf. Now would he entrust those things to me if he finds out my e-mail bloopers lately? I bet he will have second thoughts.

I don't know why I have this non-focused mode lately. So if you spot inconsistency, incoherence, misspelling and wrong choice of words and phrases in this post, that's the non-focused mode I'm trying to say, slowly kicking in.

So. On to my bloopers. E-mail bloopers. I have a lot actually but these two had been haunting me in my sleep and I will never ever forgive myself for this. You see, when I type in the computer I look at the monitor. Not on the keyboard. The reason for this is to avoid misspelling and so that I can review what I'm writing right away. What happens during the last few days is that I'm not actually reading what I'm typing. It's more like looking straight into the monitor but seeing past through it.

Blooper # 1 :
I typed : His assport is with me.
That should be : His passport is with me.

Blooper # 2:
I typed : He went to the hospital to tender the injured partners.
That should be : He went to the hospital to tend to our injured partners.

Aside from misspelling and wrong word choice, what's the difference?

The first one was sent internally and is obviously a case of misspelling. Besides, the three recipients will just laugh at the 'assport' word. I'm not perfect you know, but I created a new word that will line up with 'asshole', 'assbag', 'ass', and 'kick my ass'. Whatever!

The second one... Well this, this caused the nightmare in my sleep. I was cracking my brains if I really wrote 'tender' instead of 'tend' when I went to bed. I immediately retrieved my sent items folder when I sat at my office chair the following day. And there I saw, re-read my email, and for the first time I could make out the grim expression of my face reflecting on my screen. Ohmygod what a shame! Seriously, tender the injured partners? What are they? MEAT???! Arrrrgh!

And the worst part? I sent them to our Operations Director in the US and Europe. Daaaammmmmnnnnn!!!!!

For half a second I want to blame my boss for asking me to send that e-mail. He was suppose to have a conference call with these guys but he was in a hurry to go to the hospital. And who was I to say, "no"?

There! I have completely made an idiot out of myself. I wonder what will these people think of me (sighs).

And when you insist on texting someone who doesn't bother or too busy to reply coz maybe that someone has completely and utterly forgotten you is also a serious case of STUPIDITY. Well, I'm gonna pass on that. To HELL with you!

Goodbye Friendster

2011-04-28T15:51:00.004+08:00

Long before there was twitter and facebook, there was friendster. Long before we're eager to read the comments in our shoutouts, there were testimonials. There were glittering texts. Skins to match your mood.

Can you still remember them?

I still can.

I always thought friendster is the be all and end all of social network. Then came facebook and it proved me wrong. I was one among the many guilty people who tried creating an account in facebook, hated it at first, logged again, played the games - until one day I just switched to facebook and never looked back.

It all seemed history until I read the news from yahoo that friendster will be doing a major website reformat and it may delete old photos and files. The news tugged a little nostalgia in me. I suddenly recalled how I used to spend hours giving face-lift to my page. From skin color to text fonts, to whose celebrity face will grace on my page, to what will I say on "about me".

There was no wall where you can vent yet. There was no friend suggestions. No notification whatsoever but I can manage to connect with my friends, peek at their profile , see the photos, find out who commented - very much like today. Except that facebook made it a lot easier. And convenient.

As you know, convenience always have the edge.

I took the time to revisit friendster after a long time. I must say, I miss the old friendster. It's pretty much like facebook now where you can see updates from your friends and you can post shoutouts. Then I made a round down testimonials. I read each one them barely noticing that those were written 4-5 years ago by my friends. Some I couldn't figure who because of their aliases. Some I lost contact with. Old friends. Old colleagues. Old times. I couldn't help but smile.

When I was done reading the testimonials, I realized they all said one thing about me : BITCHY hahahaha! Yeah I could be mean at times but I don't bitch other people just for the heck of it. I just have a strong personality. Agree or not but that's it! :)

I browsed at my old photos too. They are silent witnesses of how much I changed over the years. Errrr... make it : how much I gained (in lbs) over the years. Hahaha!

I don't know if this is some kind of publicity fair on friendster's part just to create a hype and bring their old "followers" back to their website. Whatever it is, I can't deny the fact that this social network became part of my teens. I have so many memories imprinted on each one of the photos, on every single word of my friends' testimonials. There's so much of me in there...

Over and done

2011-04-20T13:49:00.007+08:00

I'm not really good at keeping promises. I said that I won't blog at the onset of Holy Week and yet here I am. There are just some things I want to unload. And since writing is therapeutic, I can't think of any other ways to relieve myself from the shock and surprise that got me pause for a while and mull.

Last year I wrote a blog post which remained in the draft. Never published. No one has ever read. But I mentioned about it in one of my post and even told my blog friends that I'm gonna post it when courage finds me. Well, I think the time has come to let it out and make the world know that it's definitely over and done.

Here it is :

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5/20/2010

EXes Baggage

I don't talk much about my love life. I just don't. I'm not comfortable discussing it with other people. Even to my closest friends. Whenever the subject of ex-boyfriends come to life, I would try my very best to avoid and adamantly refuse to talk about it. I'd become pissed off at the mere mention of their names.

I have what they call an "EXes baggage".

An "EXes baggage" is (by my definition) a chip on the shoulder, a nightmare in your sleep. It's something you want to leave behind but you just can't, and you unwillingly carry it with you as you go. Exes baggage isn't all about hatred, resentment or grudge. It's half filled with regret and disappointment. It's a mixed emotion of "should have", "would have", "could have". I should have done this... it would have been like that... we could have been... It's a remorseful feeling.

I didn't have a clean break-up with my exes. It always starts with a fight, exchange of harsh text messages, pointing fingers at one another, then ends up acting like total strangers.

The last one was an exception...

He went cold. We hardly see each other. He can't seem to find a way to spend time and talk with me. Even his texts have gone sour.

After a couple of weeks of no word from him, he finally called - at my office! Imagine my surprise. I never expected he'd call me at work coz he never did it once. So we talked on the phone. I thought he's gonna be sorry for his absence. I thought he'll make amends. But I was wrong.

HE BROKE UP WITH ME. Man, I never thought I would ever have the courage to say this but yes, he called it quits.

To be jilted was never easy... especially for a girl. It was like my self-worth was crushed and stomped a million times. He didn't realize how painful it was for me. It was hundred times more painful than being cheated. And it was so unfair! Because he didn't give us a chance to work on our differences or whatever problems we had. He didn't think about me. Of what I'm gonna feel or how will I take it. He simply did not care... at all!

It seemed to me that he planned it all along. So cunningly of him to break up with me over the phone, at the office, so I would never have a chance to say or do anything stupid. So scheming. That's how it seems to me. Would I cry telling him to compromise, beg him to stay, ask him to give our relationship another try while my co-workers are eavesdropping? Or would I rather keep silent? I'm the type of person who doesn't want to draw attention. Exposing my wrecked love life to anyone around is certainly not one of my greatest idea. So when he said that famous break-up line "It's not you, it's me", I just took my defeat.

After our conversation I rushed to the ladies room and relieved myself from the sorrow waiting to outburst, of the looming tears and occasional sobs that wouldn't wane. I was deeply hurt. And the hardest part? I have to go back to work and pretend and act like everything is alright. That it was like any normal, ordinary, usual day. And when my friends asked about him, it would take all of my strength and self-control not to bawl while telling them what happened.

It's been 3 years, 3 months, 10 days since then. Yet it would still haunt me like it was yesterday. 3 years, 3 months, 10 days of my non-existent, dehydrated, humdrum life. I had suitors after that and God knows how much I tried to like every single one of them. I practically pulled myself to go on dates. I tried to forget and move on with the rest of the world. But I just couldn't bring myself to fall in love.

******************************************************************************************

It was weird coz a few days after I wrote that, he emailed me. Out of nowhere. MIA for three years and he just emailed me catching up like nothing ever happened between us. Guys are really dickheads. Maybe not all of them but 99% of them.

Now, you might ask where did this emotional outburst come from. I learned that he just got married. When I found out, I wasn't hurt. I can't say that I'm happy for him but I wish him well. Maybe this is the closure that I've been waiting for. This time I can really say to myself that I'm over him and I'm done with this EXes baggage.

And in that case... Hello world!

On the first sign of summer

2011-04-16T20:43:00.011+08:00

It's been sizzling hot for two weeks straight. I haven't seen the rain. Oh did I miss it? Not really. I've had enough of that for the past months.

A summer wouldn't be complete without a summer outing. That's according to...ME! Anyway, thanks to my boss for sponsoring. Errr wait. I'm not sure if it was the company who did but thank you still coz I was able to go to Talima Adventure and Water Park in Olanggo Island for FREEEEE! ( Yeeaaahhh that's the most amazing part!)

Just a 15-minute boat ride from the mainland, we feast our eyes on blue waters and flatables that promised us fun and play. So play we did and fun we had. I nearly injured my foot on the trampoline. What with the poor sense of balance I have? I did not mind trying the water slide and the orbit-shaped like flatable. Call me a killjoy but I really had a hard time moving around with a lifevest. I realized I exerted 5 times more effort just swimming around and trying to stay afloat most of the time. I guess I should be serious in taking a swimming lesson.

photo courtesy of the web...

Actually I was a little disappointed when they told me that the spintacular (the zorb thing) is out of order. So the big beach ball has been busted for months and they didn't replace it? Come on! I also thought that the zip 'n splash (you do the zipline and I assume you'd fall into the water) is kinda exciting and I was eager to try it. But when I saw how short the distance is between the two points? Ahhhh.. I'll make a pass. It doesn't seem so tempting at all. The ATV (all terrain vehicle) was pure adventure. The guys' driving skill on a very rough road was put to a test. Except that one of them bumped off all the sticks which were placed on the road (those sticks were placed as markers). Ooopppss! Sorry.

After we took our lunch we head straight to another island. Sulpa island this time. It was my fourth time to be there so I did not took any more photos.

sulpa island from afar...

It was low tide when we got there so we were not able to swim (as if I can). We were content watching small fishes swimming around the corals. It was a refreshing sight!

At the end of the day - I had fun. I was tired. And I have sunburn on my back. Perfect!

My Lenten Season To-do List

2011-04-12T09:35:00.006+08:00

I think I'll start making this a tradition to make a to-do list for the whole Lenten week. Because what usually happens is that I just stay at home doing movie marathon like it's the most "meditating" thing to do.

To start off, I already did confession, at last after 6 long years. I could not forget the feeling when I did confession 6 years ago. I was really nervous. Huh! That goes to show how much of a sinner I am haha! Okay, I'm not making this a joke but it does get into my nerves when I'm spilling my sins to the priest. And last Friday was no exception. I had to muster enough courage to do it. But you know what? When I walked out of the room, I 've never felt so light and so happy. So happy that I did it.

But the downside was, that Friday night I went to have dinner with my colleagues. And who knows what happens after dinner? We had some Margaritas and sang our heart's out. Anyway that was clean fun. So I guess having multiple swigs of Margarita doesn't make you that much of a sinner, right? Right. I'm just human!

So when morning came my head was slightly throbbing and I knew why it was. Too bad for me.

Oh wait. I'm out of line. Isn't this post suppose to be my to-do list for the holy week?

So. Confession? Check.

Fasting? I haven't done this before. Maybe the only chance I could get closer to fast is because I'm too lazy to cook my own meal. But they say fasting isn't just about "not eating". It's about restraining yourself from doing the things you like doing. Like what? Like blogging? Facebooking? Texting? The whole nine yards? Uhhmm... can I negotiate? Blogging, maybe. But facebook? Ahhhhhhh!!!! Okay. Will try. After all it's sacrifice. What's 3 days without social network? waaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!

And because it's holy week - I must go to church. You know, exercise... Walk the faith. I won't just sit at home watching re-runs of my favorite TV show.

Most of all - PRAY. I missed a lot on that one. I'm not a prayerful person and it sure takes a lot of willpower to do it every night before going to bed and every waking day (which until now I'm a failure).

Lastly, I wanted to renew ties with a friend whom I haven't spoken to for 6 months. I don't hate her anymore. Or maybe I still do subconsciously... but I can't find it in my heart to talk to her. I don't know. Maybe I've reached saturation point whatever!

One thing I can give myself credit for is that I'm a good friend and I treat my friends well. But once I get hurt, I'm hurt and it won't be easy to mend it.

All in all I'm excited coz I'm going home and I get to rest for 4 days! Yeah baby yeah!

So if you won't read any post from me - that's because I'm serious about this!

Get a pup or not?

2011-04-08T08:45:00.004+08:00

NOTE : This is going to be a "pet" talk. So bear with me.

************------------*****************--------------**************-------------******************

It's been 2 months since my dog passed away and I kinda missed the feeling of having a canine friend. I grew up with dogs. I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't have a pet. I usually have one and it's always a dog. (sorry. i'm not a cat lover)

When Piper died, I'm not sure if I'd like having a pet again. Call it mourning but yeah I guess I'm badly hurt that I didn't want to have another my-dog-died stint in my life. I've had many dogs in the past and everytime they say goodbye I would always cry a river (you have to be a dog lover to understand the feeling). The last one was the hardest coz I had her for 10 years.

Two weeks ago, a friend asked me if I'd like to have a puppy. I said, "of course". She said she'll give me one and jokingly said it will be her early wedding gift to me. Hahaha! Thanks but I want to kill her for having said that.

The pup is a mongrel. I usually go for mongrels coz they're not hard to take care. They are less maintenance, they can eat whatever, sleep wherever and most of all they are intelligent and protective making them a good house dog. Though I wanted to have an akita (like that of Hachiko's breed), or a retriever or a labrador but they're damn expensive and taking care of them could be costly (if they get sick) and it would entail me to spend more time with them coz they're very needy of their owners. (Except for akitas. they're independent. *trivia*) Well I don't have the luxury of time coz I'm working and I'm renting a place. There's no one to look out for them when I'm off to work and that's where mongrels become the best choice.

Now my dilemma is if I'm ready to have a puppy. Would I be able to take care of him properly? I don't want to send him home either. I want to bond, play and talk to him like I do before. I want to see a tail wagging when I get home. I miss getting those scratches in my arms whenever a dog jumps at me in mere happiness to see me.

Having a dog is like having a baby. Uhm I'm not sure if this is a good comparison but for me it is. You take good care of them, feed them, understand what their needs are - which can be a challenge since they don't talk. From my years of bonding with a dog, I can say I became good at telling what they think, what they feel and what they need. But still I'm not sure if having a pup right now is a good idea.

Im....

2011-04-07T12:23:00.003+08:00

Disappointed.

Very disappointed.

That's what I'm feeling right now. I'm disappointed when someone doesn't seem to know I care about them. When they take me for granted. When they shove me aside.

I'm not a wall made of stone. My feelings are not numb. And I'm human. In case they forget... A little gratitude can go a long way. And by gratitude, I didn't mean you have to say "Thank you" coz I can tell if you're saying it just not to make me feel bad.

It's the credit. You don't recognize why would I do such a thing that's not even innate to me. And with that you fail. You absolutely failed. It goes to show you know nothing about me and you don't even care. And why would I care about you? You no longer deserve it. You just made it easier for me to see what kind of a person you are. You just made it clear where do I stand from your stance. And I just don't wanna take more of it. More of your games and pretensions.

Ask me that question again and I'll throw a tantrum. Seriously!

2011-04-04T14:29:00.012+08:00

Funny how a 150-page novella can make you think and reassess your sanity.

I made a trip down to National Bookstore last Wednesday looking for some nice reads. I can't remember the last time I stepped into a bookstore. I got so busy and caught up in my little world that I temporarily ceased from book hunting. And last Wednesday , the supposed whiling away the time at the mall made me realize I need to catch up on my reading. I decided against James Patterson's books and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (which I've been planning to read since last year) coz I wanted some light (light as in I can finish reading in an hour) and easy (easy as in I don't have to contemplate who the real serial killer is and his motive) material.

Then I remembered reading a local magazine that featured a local author who was actually good in writing chick flick novels. I scoured the shelves and bingo! Found it.

It was not until last night when I remembered that novel. Still wrapped, complete with the receipt, sitting coldly on my table. I grabbed it, reclined on a cot and started leafing through the pages.

The story was simple. Nothing fancy about it. It was so simple that I could relate to everything the main character is going through. We had a lot of similarities and issues. If I didn't know anything better, I would have thought it was the story of my life (with a little modification of course!). I can so relate when it was revealed she's turning 30 in a few months and her bestfriend is constantly setting her up on dates, pressuring her to settle down.

I stopped right there. I stared between the words. God, this is me! I'm turning the big three-oh in a few months and a lot of people have been asking the harshest question no single lady would want to hear : when am I tying that friggin' knot?

As if to add insult to my already injured disposition, I meet up with an old friend a day before I bought that book. While catching up what's IN and what's NOT in our humdrum lives over dinner, she shoot that silliest question out of nowhere.

The golden question?

My friend : So it looks like you've been wandering a lot. When are you planning to get married?

Me : (staring blankly at her)

I was trying to process what she had just said. We haven't seen each other for 6 months. 6 months! And that's all she's gonna ask? I was in the middle of gnawing my food when she asked that marriage thing bluntly. IN.MY.FUCKING.FACE.

What? Is the church going to run away from me? Is there some sort of deadline for this?

I know I'm getting old but I'm not yet that OLD and I'm not acting that way.

To make the long story short I went on reading. The writer was indeed good in keeping up the pace. It was comic, lively and straight to the point. It was also revealed that Carla (the main character) is dating, or more like having a fling to someone younger than her. 5 years younger that is.

Alright. This isn't my biography of some sort is it? What the hell? Why the cradle snatching thing? Did I ever mention on this blog that I once had a boyfriend who was five years younger than I am? I didn't? oh well, now I am. Surprised? Wait 'til you hear this... (I'm ready to lose my followers after this) I dated 2 younger guys some 3 or 4 years back, and I had a non-serious relationship with a 25-year old.

I'm not writing this just to prove a point to the world that I'm a magnet to the younger generation. Coz even I, have a hard time figuring out what could possibly they saw in me. Maybe because I can be with myself, no pretense, not trying to prove anything and I can get by with the little expectations. Or perhaps I don't need another one to boss me around.

If I were to scale resemblance of that story with that of my personal account? I would give it a 9. The only notable difference is that Carla had her happy ending while I am unsure what will be mine.

Would I recommend this novel? Yes if you don't mind reading chick flicks and if you are :
-single . Check
-your friends are already married and they're pushing you to join the marriage club. Check
-dating/fling(ing) with younger guys. Check
-confused with what exactly you want in your life. I already had it figured after reading the book.

But I'm afraid it's only available in the Philippines. :(

>>No Strings Attached by Mina Esguerra<<

Travel Syndrome strikes again!

2011-03-28T13:43:00.012+08:00

I went over with the post I wrote a year ago - Travel Plans. It's basically a travel wishlist of the places I wanted to visit in 2010. Exactly a year and 27 days later, I re-read the post to see if I was able to realize them. So far, it's quite a feat since I was able to visit majority of the places I've mentioned except for the trip abroad which hopefully I'll do next year, plus I've visited two places which are not on the list, so that's already a bonus. Though my trip to Camiguin and Manila was kinda late from the supposed schedule, but nonetheless I moved mountains and crossed the sea just to get there anyway (exaggerating).

Now I'm making another list. This is how I motivate myself to get things moving. Planning isn't just talking, but doing the talk. Also, it adds pressure when I'm writing it down. So here's my travel plan for 2011 :

BATANES. I've been dreaming of visiting this remote island which is at the northern tip of the country. It is soooo far that it's almost near to Taiwan than it is to Manila (i'm not kidding!) They say that getting there is a big challenge as much as going out coz most of the time tourists are standed because the plane can't land due to bad weather. That is why despite it's outstanding beauty, it has not become a tourist destination due to its inaccessibility. And because of its remoteness and inaccessibility that I'm more drawn to visit it. I guess I'm crazy like that.

Anyhoo, got these pics from the web. This is why I wanted to set foot in this island. There's so much beauty in there.

Can't wait for the day to come when it is my turn to see these pictures transform into reality right before my naked eyes.

But there's one big problem : None of my friends would want to come with me. For them no amount of persuasion and encouragement would compensate the Php 13,000 roundtrip ticket (wahahaha!) That expensive! I could have reached Hongkong or Singapore with that amount. So, I'm open for a travel buddy. Anyone interested???☺

Next, I want to spend a day or two in El Nido and Coron in Palawan. I fell so in love with Palawan that I wanted to visit it AGAIN, only that this time it will be El Nido and Coron.

Now who doesn't want to chill in that place, hmm?!

One thing I've learned about traveling is that nature is so generous to us. We should know how to take care of them. And I'm glad I'm born in this country (coz sometimes I'd think that if I can have it any other way, I wouldn't live here. that's another story), coz I get to enjoy these things without traveling halfway around the globe and at a minimum price.

Man's bestest friend

2011-03-17T11:11:00.005+08:00

The moment I saw this headline on Yahoo News, I knew I shouldn't watch this coz it will break my heart. But then curiosity and love for dogs got the better of me.

Here's the video, courtesy of youtube and yahoo news, I'm talking about.

"It's a universal truth that dogs are man's best friend, but they're pretty darn loyal to their own as well. Case in point: this tear-inducing video, via the website Jezebel, showing a dog, shivering and disoriented, remaining loyally by the side of a stricken fellow canine amid the devastation of the Japanese tsunami. "

-Source : Yahoo News

I fought back the tears.

This is one of the reasons why I love dogs and I have so much sympathy for them. They're loyal and they're capable of standing beside you when you're in trouble. They give lasting friendship and sacrifices. That. Is. Beyond. Me.

In this time of fear

2011-03-14T13:08:00.003+08:00

Political uprising, earthquakes, tsunamis, radiation. These make the frontpage of every newspaper, CNN and BBC news to name a few. The sight of Japan's aftermath is an utter devastation. I could not envisage the pain, the shock, the fear, the grief-stricken victims and families searching for their missing loved ones. And as they continue to pick up the debris of their once integral existence, there's another debacle that looms around the corner waiting to happen. Every day becomes dreadful. We dread the fear. The fear of uncertainty. The uncertainty of what will happen next. What happens tomorrow. Or a few seconds from now. It seems to me that our days are being numbered. I, personally, don't believe in that 2012 prophecy. In my humble opinion, no one knows exactly when. It could be today, tomorrow - nobody knows. But one thing is certain... it is near. And it is imminent.

Maybe I'm just too arrogant to acknowledge there is such thing as an end, an apocalypse. Maybe I'm so engrossed with the things our world has to offer that I refused to see the signs of time. When I wake up in the morning I'd ask myself if today is going to be better. Are we going to be safe? Can we live peacefully? Will the people in Japan start to live back a normal life? Even google and wikipedia don't have answers to these questions.

As much as I try to ignore the paranoid in me, I can't shove the fear inside. The possible radiation leak is the most talked about topic today. In fact, a text has been circulating that the Philippines may be hit by the radiation at 4PM today. Like I said, I'm not a believer. I dwell on facts not on hearsay. But who knows if this isn't a hoax. If this isn't a stupid text joke. The possibilities are endless.

To add to my already paranoid, crazy Monday, a colleague got a text from her aunt saying CNN confirmed a massive earthquake will jolt the Philippines tonight at 10:09PM. Hearing this I was like, "Okay, they can predict exactly when earthquakes occur?" I could be arrogant in saying that I don't think someone can ever predict an earthquake's exact time. Someone is playing God and I hate that. But then again, if this is true, we need your prayers. And I mean it. If Japan, despite its technological advances in preparing for earthquakes wasn't able to control the effects, how much more we are?

Prayers can move mountains. And we need those mountains to be moved now. Not just for Japan, New Zealand, Libya - but for the rest of the world.

Let's all pray for our safety.

Prayer is our only refuge in this time of fear and uncertainty.

If I could

2011-03-13T11:16:00.002+08:00

If one morning I'd wake up and I could decide what I want
I'd want to have super powers
That kind of power where I can do whatever I want at the snap of my fingers
And then I'd travel through time
Maybe I'll go back to the past or go and see the future
I want to go back to the time I was a child
Carefree, full of dreams, the whole world in her eyes
I want to go back to those times spent with my father
I would savor each moment coz I know later it won't last
I would play for as long as I can with my playmates
Coz they will become grown ups before I notice it and it will be their kids they're gonna play with
I want to go back to school
To kindergarten, grade school and high school where I met my "bestest" friends
I'd speak with each of my classmates, know them better
I wanna go back to college too
I'd probably enroll in my dream university and take up a different course
And before I knew it, I'm starting to live the world I used to see in my eyes
I'd become a part of it
Every turn of every minute, every night and day
The world revolves and I revolve with it
I watch every day unfolds just like yesterday
I'll live my dreams, trying to make it happen
Challenged, at times confused but struggled to make it through
I'll keep the faith, that fire burning
For I know someday everything will make sense
If I had that super power, I'd fly to the future
Fast forward through time
And see if everything I did now is all worth the fuzz.

Trippin' Manila

2011-02-24T14:23:00.005+08:00

***NOTE : This post had been residing in my draft for a week. I don't know why I couldn't get myself to focus and finish this up. But anyway, I'm trying. So forgive me if this is kinda late and overdue.

*************************---------------******************************-------------**************************

Probably the funniest and wackiest trip I've ever had was my recent trip to Manila. We had a good time, laughing, fooling around most of the time (a group composed of 8 dysfunctionals, what do you expect?) We fondly call ourselves DYSFUNCTIONALS. I don't know how I've gotten myself into this group. I mean, am I dysfunctional? Really? It's just amazing how you find friends at work, discover the things you have in common and tada....!!! you instantly click and evolve and the last thing you know you've formed a bond.

Anyway, this blog post is not about my dysfunctional friends. This is about my trip. Did I say it was fucking hilarious? Yes it is! Actually, I almost canceled but my restless feet think otherwise. I have more than one good reason why I should be there. And yes, it was worth the decision.

The first thing we did when we arrive, we hopped into the shuttle at the airport, had breakfast at McDonalds and spent the next 5 minutes arguing if we're gonna cross the street or not. The friend of my colleague who was supposed to meet us didn't make it. She just texted us the directions going to their place where we're gonna stay for 3 days. Since most of us are first-timers in Manila, we really don't know what route to take and which transpo to ride. But anyway, my colleague's friend wasn't good in giving directions. Or should I say, couldn't make herself clear in her text messages. Trust me, it won't be helpful if you mix up the word 'Sucat' (that's the name of the place we're staying) and 'Tatawid' (literally means "to cross" in english) in one incoherent sentence. I mean text.

After a series of talking, discussion, brainstorming, creative thinking - No, we actually didn't do that, we saw a passenger jeepney with the signboard : SUCAT Tatawid. Huh! Brilliant. She could have said to take that sucat tatawid route and we wouldn't have wasted our time.

Anyway we arrived at the place, settled for a few minutes and headed to Tagaytay. I was very excited coz it was my first time to visit Tagaytay and I'm eager to see Taal Volcano in its picturesque glory.

This volcano is surrounded by fresh water lake. It's been quiet for decades but a few years ago it showed signs of seismic activity. Nevertheless, we were all enthralled by it's unique beauty.

By mid-afternoon we were on our way to Enchanted Kingdom, a themed park in Laguna. The rides were exhilarating, and if not extremely heart-stopping - extremely dizzy-causing. I have this stupid fear of dizziness, so I didn't purchase the ride-all-you-can ticket. Asked what's the most challenging ride for me?: the carousel and the mini-train! HAHAHAHA!

We all fell asleep on our way home. No wait. We were LOST and it took us almost an hour and a series of Q&A on the street. We even got up on the wrong jeep (for non-filipino readers : that's our transpo mode in the Philippines) and then went down when the driver told us we hailed the wrong one. There was a time we were arguing how much we're gonna pay for the fare. The minumum fare was Php 8.00 and there were 9 of us. When my colleague asked how much is 8 X 9, someone blurted out 86! Then someone challenged the answer and said it's 64. Ahhmm..excuse me girls, what multiplication table you're using? Coz the last time I checked, 8 X 9 is 72. Okay?!

It was really funny and embarrassing and we can't stop laughing about it. Thank God we arrived home at almost midnight. Dead tired.

The following day, we went to another themed park. This time, it's meeting the sea creatures up close. And personal! Hehehe... We visited Manila Ocean Park. We went to see the dancing jellyfish, the sea lions' show and the oceanarium - a very huge aquarium where you can find different species of fish and corals.

For the whole experience, I had so much fun watching sea lions perform. It was my first time to see a sea lion actually (yah, yah, yah what a pity!). They did some tricks, danced and we could only say WOW! What's running through my head? : Hmmmm... can I have a sea lion pet? That would be really COOL.

By the way, there' s this kid who I really find amusing. While we were watching the sea lion's show, this kid kept on shouting : "Sea Lion King! Sea Lion King!" Uh oh!! He must have mistaken the poor sea lion to that famous animated movie. Then her mother told him, "No, that's not sea lion king." He kept quiet and then shouted : "LION! LION! LION!" Hahaha! Child, we're in an ocean park, we're not in the zoo. Tsk, tsk, tsk....

And for the most exciting part... tan tada dan................

The Blogger Meet Up!

Yes. Finally. I got a chance to meet personally my blog friends Sey and Gnetch. For the first time. Say Hello to us!!!

Ooopppsss! Just the back view. I haven't ask for their permission they might actually kill me for posting this.☺

I really look forward to doing this again sooner, girls. It was FUUUUNNNN!!!!

How to survive Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T22:38:00.001+08:00

So how did you guys spend your Valentine's Day? Candle light dinner, movies, walk in the park? I bet most of you received chocolates and bouquet of flowers. That is usually the picture when you're in a relationship or you have someone special. Valentine's day seems colorful, splendid and you're eager to celebrate it like christmas.

Well good for those who have found true love. But what about the single ladies? The available and ready-to-mingle ones? Hmmmm... that can be tricky. And tough.

Since I'm single and have skipped dating on Valentine's day, I have mastered the art of ignoring it and act like it is just an ordinary day. After all, it IS an ordinary day so what's the fuzz people? I mean it's not even "red" on the calendar. Okay I'll stop right here before I sound bitter.

Anyway, if you don't have that someone special to spend and celebrate VD with, here are some of the things you might consider doing to divert your attention to the overly-commercialized-notion-of-flowers-chocolates-candle-light-dinner-and-sweet-nothings. There! I just sounded hateful, didn't I?

First things first. Stay away from Facebook. When I say stay away, STAY AWAY! In my case, I opened my FB and found enormous, overwhelming love quotes posted in my friends' shoutouts. Love was truly in the walls of FB. They're everywhere screaming at me, telling me it's valentine's day right into my face! Ugh!!

Conclusion : Facebooking on VD is a bad move.

Second. Drown yourself with work. Render overtime if you must. With your deadlines hanging on the edge I'm sure you'll forget about red roses and chocolates. In my case again, my boss was absent and I was just staring at the computer for most of the time.

Conclusion : Tell your boss not to be absent on VD. If he insists that he would under unforgiving circumstances, demand loads of work from him. That's a good way to keep yourself busy, plus... you leave the impression of being a massochist employee.

Third. Don't listen to love songs or any songs that has L.O.V.E. on the title. So much for being a massochist.

Conclusion : Listen to korean songs. At least you can't understand the lyrics... Just don't look up for "Saranghae" on google. That means I LOVE YOU. Damn it!

Fourth. Stay at home and sleep early. That's what I should have done last night. But my friends suggested we dine outside and celebrate our being single and free. 3 against 1, I gave in. We went to a family restaurant and had a good time. The ambiance isn't romantic and most of the diners were, well, families. It makes easier for us to get through the night.

Conclusion : If you can't escape and you can't help but go with your friends, family restaurants are a better option.

So. Did I survive valentine's day? Yeah. Pretty much! Besides, VD isn't just for sweethearts. It is for friends, family, co-workers and even enemies. Everyday can be valentines day if you share the love, pass it on, and magnify it in deed.

Belated happy hearts day!

I can do this!

2011-02-10T08:44:00.003+08:00

When I said this is going to be my year, DEFINITELY it is! Uhm, I have to make sure I spelled "definitely" correctly coz when I posted a shoutout on Facebook I wrote something like : difintely. Argh! I'm screwed!

I got a good news two weeks ago. I wanted to share it to my mother, friends, relatives and of course to my awesome bloggy friends but I retreated coz it wasn't official yet.

I'm being offered a promotion!!! Yep! It really came a surprise and my first reaction was : Wait. Are you kidding? Then I could picture myself with the new responsibility and the pressure that comes along with it. I turned it down. When it comes to huge responsibility and commitment, I'm a runner. I always have this fear of disappointing people and I don't like it when their expectations on me aren't met. So I babbled NO without batting an eyelash, without even thinking I'm missing out an opportunity.

After that talk with my boss, I began to reconsider the offer. It's going to be a tough job but the perks are high. I weighed my options, the pros and cons, and it all lead to one thing - I would be the stupidiest girl alive if I'm not gonna grab it.

Good thing was that they were not giving up on me. I had another talk this time with our HR and she gave me a clearer picture of what lies ahead. 2 weeks. That was the initial plan. I'm going to try it for two weeks, get the feel of the job then I'll decide if I'm OK with it.

And so the 2 weeks of test began. It was a whole new experience. A bit challenging if I may add. I learned to like the job (the job I never ever considered taking at first) in the span of two weeks. I took in with me the same fervor, the same enthusiasm that brought me here. I set aside the fear, my personal concerns and focused on getting my tasks done as best as I could.

That must have done the trick. Last night before I went home, my would-be new boss and I had a talk. We sealed the deal. I'll be officially on developmental assignment (DA) starting next week. Wow! The years of pure hard work had finally paid off! This is the perfect time to put to the test everything I know. This is it! This is my time.

I'm gonna miss you, Pie.

2011-02-07T12:40:00.007+08:00

I never expected to start my Monday morning like this. Got a message from my mother that my dog, Piper died yesterday. It's a sad thing. Heartbreaking to be exact. Although I got a feeling she's not gonna live longer, (she's 70 in dog years) it is still difficult to come across with the fact that she's gone for good. I didn't know it will be the last time I'll ever spend time with her when I went home for the holidays. Last night, I was just talking about her to my roomates, telling them how notorious she was to other dogs, but sweet when we were around. I didn't know at that moment all I will ever have are memories of her.

10 years. That's how long she stayed with us. She isn't just a pet. She's a family member. My mother loves her. My brother loves playing with her when she was younger. Back in those times when she was full of vibrant chasing everyone in sight. That is why we have to put her on leash, she drives all our neighbors crazy.

I don't know where dogs go when they die. Is there a purgatory or heaven for dogs or something like that? My friend comforted me by saying all dogs go to heaven and I should cheer up. Whether true or not, I want God to tell her how much she's loved and missed. How much joy she had brought into our lives.

But do you know the hardest part? It's when you wanted to cry but you couldn't coz you were in the middle of a meeting. Yes. I was fighting back tears and trying very hard not to bawl in front of everyone. I would look ridiculous if I would, won't I?

taken on New Year's Eve. She refused to be taken that's why I held her face haha!

I know you'll understand... :(

2011-02-04T10:42:00.004+08:00

If Facebook has photo tagging, I'm coming up with post tagging. Whatever! This post is especially intended for Sey, Gnetch and Mitch. But anyone can read this of course!

I know you guys are eager for our Blogger meet up. And so do I. The thought of meeting my bloggy friends in person, and for the first time is thrilling and I couldn't wait for that idea to transpire. I can't imagine how much talk, and laughter, and fun we're gonna have. What's more exciting for me is that it's gonna be my first time to set foot in Manila! Yeah, been everywhere in the PI but not in Manila hahaha! Crazy.

As I've mentioned in Twitter, got the ticket like 6 months ago. I'm supposed to be there next week. So let's cut to the chase... Looks like my chances of going there are slim huhuhu... But I'm not saying that I'm NEVER going there.

Really guys, I'm twice as disappointed as you might be. It feels bad letting you down and all those anticipation and talking on facebook won't mean anything if I'm not going to push with it. I hate breaking promises, but as much as I wanted to keep it there are things beyond control that I just couldn't ignore.

It isn't final yet. I'm just telling you in advance how things look on my side. My fingers are crossed though. Hopefully we can do this sooner.

CAMIGUIN Day 2: White Island

2011-02-02T16:05:00.012+08:00

As early as 5AM we were up on our toes. The heavy downpour of the rain had finally subsided but the sky doesn't promise a warm day. We were itching to hop on the island even the night before. As we neared to the shore we can already see the bare, white sandbar that shifts depending on the tide. Then the rain was starting to pour again as we managed to cross the distance amidst bumpy waves. It was one hella ride - the longest 5 minutes I've ever had.

Here's a photo treat. Excuse the somewhat blurry capture. It was raining and windy at the same time.

View from our boat as we're about to dock in it's fine, white sands.

Torquise water surrounding the shifting sandbar.

Despite the rain, tourists don't seem to want to miss it.

Mt. Hibok-hibok on the backdrop. The only active volcano in the island.

The sandbar. It formed a slithering snake. Sometimes its a C or an I.

My friend and I trying to explore the island up to its tip. It's the only one that has white sands. The shores of Camiguin have black sands due to severe volcanic activity. Hmmmm..that's quite a trivia there!

There's another island that we wanted to visit, Mantigue Island, but the badass weather is sooooo uncooperative. Anyway, there's two more reasons why I need to re-visit Camiguin soon. :)

Come Hell or High Water

2011-01-31T14:03:00.018+08:00

That phrase perfectly describes my adventure last Saturday.

For the past weeks I've been begging for the rain to stop because I'm saving a trip.

Early last year I've been planning to visit Camiguin. I envied my friends who kept on going back while I haven't made a single, tiny step in that volcanic island. Yes, you heard it right. Camiguin is home to seven volcanoes. That's how it got the name : The Island Born of Fire.

But before I go on with my little story, let me tell you why I almost did not make it there. It's been raining for almost like a month now. Anyone in her right state of mind would definitely discourage a trip because the weather is unpredictable and not just suitable for travel... but, it's just NOT me. So I said to myself : If it's not gonna rain on Friday, then I'm going there! (huh! confident)

Friday came... And it was raining very hard. Damn! I conceded the fact that I'm going anywhere on the weekend. But wait. My lucky star is not giving up on me. The rain stopped and for the first time in weeks that I haven't seen the night sky dotted with stars, that was actually a good sign. So I went early to bed hoping it's not gonna rain at dawn and indeed when I woke up at 3AM, the stars were still up in the sky. I knew then it was time to go. I hurriedly packed my things and went straight to the airport.

We arrived at Cagayan de Oro by 6AM and took the 1.5-hour bus ride to Balingoan. There's actually a direct fastcraft from Cagayan to Benoni (camiguin) but since it will take us 2.5 hours in rough waters, we decided against it and took the 1-hour ferry ride in Balingoan instead.

We hired a multicab that will take us around the island as soon as we disembarked in Benoni. Our first stop was the Tanguines Lagoon. Unfortunately we didn't stay long coz it was starting to rain and our stomachs were growling. We proceeded to Sto. Niño Cold Spring for a cool, refreshing bath and a sumptous lunch. There we enjoyed the cold spring that sprouted from the sandy bottom of the pool. The area is full of native cottages for family picnics and a cookout facility that mostly serve seafoods.

Next stop was the Soda Water Swimming Pool. Well, yeah it's just a swimming pool but instead of using chlorine-treated water, they are using Soda. Don't ask me what it means coz I haven't figured it out even after the lady who was at the gate explained what is Soda. All I can remember is that she was saying it can heal diseases. But I'm still not sure if I heard her right, but anyway. The rain was incessant with its downpour, the coldness was growing and we were starting to shiver when we decided to proceed with our itinerary.

The Ruins of Gui-ob Church.
We're going down history this time. This is the remains of a 400-year old church that crumbled into pieces when the old volcano erupted sometime in 1871. Hundreds of homes and thousands of lives perished in that unthinkable tragedy. Even the city of the dead was buried deep into the sea when their cemetery sunk during the eruption. At present a cross marker was built along the area to commemorate their once community cemetery. Years ago, gravestones are visible during low tide. But now it is nothing but an interesting dive site.

From the Sunken Cemetery we went straight to old volcano. They made a walkway where you can climb to the top of the volcano. The volcano has been dormant for centuries. I guess there's nothing to worry about climbing it but I'm paranoid and I like to imagine the worst of things so I'm kinda hesitant to do it. Anyway, the walkway has the stations of the cross where devout Catholics flock during Lenten Season. This is the most visited spot in Camiguin on Good Friday.
Our last stop was the Ardent Hot Spring. It is located at the foot of Mt. Hibok-hibok, the only active volcano in the island. The water temperature reaches up to 34 degrees. Quite hot and is very ideal if you had a long day.

We were supposed to go trekking to Katibawasan Falls but we cancelled. Our guide told us that the way to the falls was closed because it's dangerous to go up there. The road is slippery and muddy because of the rain. Hmmp!! Maybe next time if I'll have another chance to visit Camiguin, I won't miss it.

And it was indeed a long day. I immediately hit the sheets as soon as we arrived at the place where we stayed for the night. One thing's for sure, Camiguin has an unspoiled beauty that would leave everyone in awe. It's very natural, historical and simply magnificent.

My Friends and their Diabolical Plan

2011-01-24T12:52:00.006+08:00

I don't know if I should be grateful for having a bunch of supportive friends coz sometimes they feel like a curse. I'm talking about my friends at work. Actually they're kind, cheerful and trustworthy. But they also have a dark side (exaggeration) and I'm often the victim of their wicked, viscious plans (puppy eyes). I guess they really love me like that.

Anyway, since it's almost February, our HR announced that we will be having a 2-week Valentine celebration starting next week. Cool, right? No. Not anymore when I found out they are up to something.

Our HR came up with "Battle of the Singles" game. Here's how it goes : All names of single ladies (which I am one) and men will be posted. On the first round everyone will cast a vote who they want to eliminate. The top 2 ladies and top 2 men who have the least votes to elimate will qualify for the next round. In the next round, employees will vote who they want to win. They will drop one peso (Php1.00) in the ballot box whenever they cast a vote. Whoever accumulates the highest sum of money goes on a date, with of course the money they've accumulated as the prize.

I can't believe I just explained the rules.

After the announcement, the three of them looked at each other, eyes sparkling, smiling scornfully. And I knew then they were up to something. I could actually smell it.

Their target? ME!!! Who else would be a better prey?

Their diabolical plan : For me to win that date!

Pathetic. I know!

Before I'm gonna divulge their strategy, you might wonder "what's in it for me?". If you have read my previous post you would know about Mr. Someone, right? Right. Mr. Someone-is-a-colleague-who-happens-to-be-my-partner-in-that-fashion-show-which-I-refused-to-join-at-first-but-my-sinister-friends-forced-me-to-and-now-I-don't-know-if-I-should-thank-them-coz-you-know... arrggghhh!!! fill in the blanks coz it's going to be another post.

During our lunch break at the cafeteria they were campaigning to everyone and I mean everyone inside the cafeteria. They're making rounds on all tables, telling everyone they meet at the hallway or wherever to vote for me and Mr. Someone! They are that crazy.

I know I shouldn't bother coz it's just a little thing and I would look so childish if I'd let the teasing get into my nerves BUT SERIOUSLY IT BOTHERS ME. I just don't like being exposed or put myself into the limelight. It feels like "showbiz" and I hate that. Not just my kind of thing. I'm the type who doesn't crave much for public attention.

And speaking of public attention, my friends are on their feet and they're serious about getting the voting public. They're devising a poster with our picture on it and they're going to post it in the bulletin boards. Whoooaahh!!! This is NOT so cool. I should do something to thwart their plan but it seems my tactics won't work. I tried bribing, treating them to dinner and booze but I get snubbed. Grrrr....! They are ridiculously serious. Or aren't they? Maybe I should start beating them until their bones crack... But 3 against 1? Nah! I won't stand a chance.

So let's just wait and see what will happen on Valentines Day. Before we went back to work I heard them talking about shelling out some cash just to make sure we'll bag the highest sum of money. Damn! This doesn't look so good. Tsk...tsk...tsk....

I want to scream at the top of my lungs!

2011-01-19T13:43:00.002+08:00

This is one moment in my life where I’m walking on sunshine, brimming with elation and smiling all to myself looking like a fool. Sorry, I have tendencies to overstress words and feelings but all I wanna say is that I AM HAPPY. This is indeed a good year for me. And I want to claim that! With the many good things happening around, I would say I am truly blessed and finally the tables have turned.

2010 ended up with good news from our management. We’re having a raise! Wow!!! Isn’t that amazing? The global financial crisis had crippled a larger sum of the import industry and we were no exception. Our annual increase had been suspended for two years and it had seriously left a dent on managing our finances. Every single thing from basic commodity to clothes to transport fares went up except for the pay. I’m glad we were able to get past the obstacles and managed to emerge as stable and as strong as we are.

Another reason why I seem to be on cloud nine most of the time is because someone is just making me happy. Wait, the next sentences are going to be mushy. So puke all you want until your eyeballs pop out of their sockets. No, seriously, I met someone. When I was dealing with heartbreak and trying to get myself back I met him. We instantly became friends despite the fact that we were two different worlds. I drink, he doesn’t. I love going out and traveling, he’s a home buddy. I talk fast, he’s soft spoken. I’m crazy, he’s well-behaved. If I’m going to put it bluntly – I’m the bad girl, he’s the good guy.

I’m starting to believe that opposites do attract. I never saw it coming and I never thought we would have the potential to get along. Our differences were making it exciting for us to discover one another. You can tell me I’m on rebound, but something deep inside tells me this could be something. We are not officially an item yet but we’ve been communicating and seeing each other since October. Everyday is a new day which brings us closer together. Though it’s quite evident that we both feel special, I still don’t want to rush into things. This time I wanna make it right and assure myself that I’m ready. All that’s important to me now is that I’m soaring through rainbows and I’m happy. And it can be hard to contain. :)

Some Thoughts on Writing

2011-01-18T22:39:00.001+08:00

Not only once did I profess my passion for writing. It has become my venue for letting out my frustrations, the sadness, happiness and everything in between. It made me become articulate on the things I struggle to impart. Writing for me, has always been easy like breathing. It's a way of life. But ask me if I ever dreamed of becoming a writer. I would give a straight NO for an answer.

Most people who indulge in writing often aspire or see themselves as professional writers. Others dream of publishing their own book. Or write a column in a magazine. I always have tremendous laud for these people. A writer isn't just a noble profession. It is sacred.

A priest once said in his homily that there are 3 ways to leave a legacy in this world. First, you've got to have kids. Second, plant a tree. And third, write a book. I wondered if I would qualify for that. I mean, I don't have kids - yet, but I have planted trees and been able to keep this journal for a year. But seriously, does that give me the right to call myself a writer? Does that warrant me the spotlight should I choose to heed on that direction? Do I have that gift to influence others and touch their lives? That fact remains at large.

A recent opportunity humbled me and had me mulling over the past days. Our company is relaunching the newsletter next month. I was astonished to find my name as part of the elite editorial circle. Honestly, I don't know how I ended up being on the list, but maybe the essay I wrote two years ago paved the way. I was thrilled and anxious with the news. Thrilled because I will cater a bigger audience. Thrilled by the fact that aside from blogging, I will explore a different perspective and a new path. I couldn't be more ecstatic! But I'm anxious. Anxious because it seemed such a huge responsibility. A chip on the shoulder. I'm anxious by the looming commitment ahead which is entirely on top of my regular job. The expectations, the series of brainstorming, interviews, proofreading and deadlines. Argh.. they're running through my head right now.

I'm deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity. Late last year I was appointed to lead the Scrabble Club which is a great achievement for me since I'm a certified scrabble enthusiast. And now, this! I'm thankful for the management's confidence and trust on my knack for writing. As far as "feeling the pressure" is concerned, well, yes I am.

Love to write and writing well are two worlds apart. What if I'm not able to convey the right words, the exact details, the focal point of the article? I've had contributions on school paper befere but that was like eons ago. I totally forgot how it's like. Article writing isn't quite the same as blogging. In blogging, I do my own rules and the scopes are usually subjective. With this new challenge, I shall learn to be straighforward, objective and oh, no cursing this time.

Though sometimes I feel like I'm a commitment-phobic, I do my best to gear up for the challenges that come my way. What better way to start a year than taking writing to a higher level? I may not trust myself fully on this. I may not be that confident. I may not be able to pull it off. But one thing is certain, one thing would remain constant, and that I'm sure - I'll always go after writing whenever there's an opportunity, whatever it takes.

Cheers to writing!

Please Rain, I already have issues. Don't add to it.

2011-01-18T10:16:00.004+08:00

There's no doubt about it... Rainy days are here!!! Well, looks like I'm going to miss Mr. Sunny for a couple more months, or a month if I'm lucky. It's no secret that I have more affection to Mr. Sunny but he's out there hiding beneath the gloomy clouds. It's alright though, I'll have plenty and more of him when summer comes.

So the rain doesn't have plans to stop anytime soon. Doesn't it ever get tired from pouring all day and night? I missed Sinulog because of it! Errr... I decided against going to the streets and watch the street dance because : (a.) it's unbelievably crowded. (b.) the long walks! damn. haven't I learned my lesson? if I'm going to sum up how far I have walked, it will translate into miles. that far! (c.) i figured i'm going to walk my way home (like last year). yeah! the roads were blocked and streets were jump packed. you've got no choice but to walk. (d.) crappy weather.

this is me striking a pose with one of the hundreds of contingents for the sinulog street dance. (taken last jan. 2010)

Actually, I can manage the crowd and the long walks. When you see people dancing in the street in their colorful costumes, it gives you a boost of excitement and you'll forget how tired you are. Oh and not to mention the stinky smell of some people around you. But the crappy weather? No! I've had enough. Last year we were soaking wet and our toes were draped with dirt. Besides, my partners in crime don't think it is a good idea for us to be out there so we just settled.

I missed a yearly event because of you RAIN! Don't tell me you will not let me enjoy my trip next week. Come on! Have a little mercy on the poor girl...

Okay. I'm going to compromise and make a promise that I'll stop cursing you and I will no longer write rant posts about you in this blog. Now do we have a deal? I'm fucking serious here! Just take a break and let Mr. Sunny fill your absence okay? A week without you is just what I need. Please! I'm dealing with lots of issues in my life today and you don't want to be part of it, do you? Thanks.

Hello Sunshine!

2011-01-12T08:47:00.005+08:00

I woke up this morning with sluggishness on my feet. My watching of movies late at night is starting to cause me trouble getting up. Then I noticed a faint band of light coming from the outside trying to get into the window pane. I gasp. For almost two weeks now I haven't seen the mighty sun. If it's not raining whole day, the sky is gloomy, dark and covered with angry clouds threatening to drench me with the heavy rain.

I don't hate the rain, nor do I love it. It just fills me with disgust when it dirts my favorite shoes with mud. When I have difficulty hailing a cab because it's all occupied and I'm soaking wet. When it leaves catasthrophe and so much misery.

Despite my less fascination of the rain I long for it on hot summer nights where the sound of raindrops make sleep more inviting. When it wipes my tears and hides me from crying. When I needed a good excuse to just stay home, sit in front of the TV and sip my coffee.

Well rain, you're overstaying. I missed the sun already. For two weeks your presence is dominating and I've seen you poured your wrath in different parts of the world. So imagine my surprise when the sun finally showed up this morning. I've always loved the sun. It warms my heart and makes me smile. It lightens me up when I'm having a rough day.

Hello there sunshine! I hope you'll stay throughout the day, tomorrow, the next day and the day after next. Damn! Can't wait for summer to come...

Hopes, Wishes, Resolutions...the things I need to do this 2011!

2011-01-10T09:38:00.008+08:00

I'm going to list down a few things which I think I need to do, focus more and hope to achieve this year. Not really a resolution coz I know I'm not good at keeping them. This is more of a "wanna" list and hopefully I'll be able to fulfill 60% of it.

Are you ready?

Ok, here we go.

First, I need to lose weight ASAP! When I slipped into my jeans this morning I had to breathe in radically so I can button it. I told you I've been eating a lot during the holidays and I'm too lazy to shed out some pounds. So now I'm suffering the consequences.

Exercise. Aerobics. Gym. Gosh! I've got to do something... Gaining weight is costly. Why? Coz you need to buy new clothes. Please, I don't have money to spare.

Next, I hope to realize my career plans this year. I'm up and ready for a new challenge. I'm just waiting for the right opportunity to roll in.

Also, I hope to travel and visit more places this year. Oh well, I think I'm going to work harder for that. Wait, I should consider a career on tourism. They should hire me!!!

Fourth, I'll try to be up early. I hate getting up early (except on weekdays coz I have no choice but to get up early for work). I found out that waking up early is beneficial - because you can do and finish a lot of things. So starting this weekend and on days where I don't have work, I'll wake up at 6AM (crossing fingers). Uhm.. can I just make it 7AM? Alright.

I also need to catch up on my reading. Seriously, when was the last time I read a book? When? I could not remember. My goal : read at least one book every month. Not just any book, a good book. Maybe I'll try classics (as inspired by Ratz) (wink)

And lastly, I hope to write more post. Last year I was able to make 104 blog posts. I was averaging on 12 posts a month but halfway through the year it went down to 5. I don't know what happened.

Well there's nothing life-changing on my list. Nothing crucial. It's because I decided to live one day at a time. For the past years, I lived my life based on plans I set for myself and on people's expectations. Now, I don't wanna plan anymore. I want to take and embrace whatever fate offers me and make the best out of it.

Adversities and Challenging Times

2011-01-05T13:47:00.011+08:00

Note : I'm gonna try to write this post in a sober way.

Okay, I'm not intoxicated (at least that I'm sure). I just came from a 12-hour boat trip from home, and believe me, it wasn't fun.

Two years ago, I swore I'll never ever take a boat no matter how much cost it would save me. After that island hopping incident where the ferry almost capsized, I developed a trauma on big waves and bad weather. But some two years ago was different. It was sunny. There was no storm. Not a slightest rain. But an hour after we departed, the ship began to rock and dance to the tune of big waves. I'm serious.

I've never been so afraid in my life. I couldn't remember how many Hail Marys and Our Fathers I prayed just to spare us from an impending mishap. I've traveled via ship countless times before but that was the worst part of them all that I would curse the wind and the waves everytime it clashed with the vessel. So I made a firm resolution : No more third time for me.

Then came last night...

It was raining nonstop in my hometown for four days already. And when I say nonstop I mean whole day and night. Because of the annoying, unforgiving rain - all flights going in and out were cancelled. And that left me with no other option but to take the boat (unless I'm planning to extend my vacation for another week, then I shall wait until they decide to open the runway). So that explains why I fee like I'm wasted today. I only got 3 intermittent hours of sleep. Why? Can you sleep when it feels like you're being tossed or riding in a swing? Roller coasters are indeed fun, right? But when you're in the middle of the dark sea and you know for a fact that you can't swim or even do the floating in the basic sense - it's a different story!

Thank God we arrived safe and sound. But that's not the end of my worries. I got a news back home that it's starting to rain again. Oh did I tell you that the streets were flooded and in our neighbohood the flood water was on knee level? What a great way to start the year! I'm worried coz word has it that they will release water from the dam anytime today. It could only mean one thing : flood water will rise and with the constant rain, only God knows what will happen next.

It fears me coz it's just my mother and my younger brother left at home. It fears me coz it's a disaster waiting to happen and yet some people would quip about it like a ridiculous joke. Hell, if they've got nothing good to say in their facebook shoutout then they should shut up. It infuriates me when some people are making fun of the current situation and posting stupid comments. It isn't funny!

Mother Nature has always her way of getting back at us for the things we've done. And when she does, it's not going to be pretty. I couldn't forget the time when our country suffered a massive flood and landslide. I don't want it to happen again. How soon do we realize it's time to take care of our planet? It's the only place we have and the only place we can live in. It's sad to ponder that it takes a calamity before we heed the warning. It takes a disaster to claim lives before we take a step. The signs are everywhere. We see and feel it everyday that something is not just right. But we are too busy to even listen what Nature is telling us. She's speaking to us and she's channeling it the way we will never forget.

To those who are reading this post, please include in your prayers those who are severely affected by flood and landslide in some parts of Visayas and Mindanao in the Philippines.

Okay, this is supposed to be my year end post.

2010-12-31T23:07:00.001+08:00

Before we finally say goodbye to 2010, I decided to look back and walk down memory lane. I would like to reminisce and recount all the good and “not so good” experiences I had this year.

2010 may not be a great year for me but, undoubtedly it brought so many changes that lead me to discover a lot of things. It has opened new exciting doors and allowed me to explore different things in different perspective. It was this year that I became active to blogging. I started this blog in 2009 and after writing a couple of posts, I took a hiatus. At the onset of 2010 I felt a new sense of passion to writing. I felt a need to speak up my mind every so often. I started joining forums, became visible to social networks until I came across with 20sb. 20sb inspired me to bring my blog back to life. I strived to publicize this blog and I was never wrong with the decision. I knew a lot of fantastic, awesome bloggers whom I considered friends even though I haven’t met them personally. These blog friends whom I was never ashamed or afraid of telling what I feel, what I’m thinking, and what I’m going through. This blog and my readers are the silent witness to my outrageous, somewhat borderline lunatic, yet ecstatic joyride to life.

This year was also full of travel opportunities. Thank God for the long weekends and holidays that I was able to spend some time on vacation. I’ve been to two beautiful places – places that I have always dreamed. Spending some time to those dream destinations was such a wonderful experience and a milestone for someone like me who adores nature and beautiful sights.

As they say, life isn’t always sunshine and blue skies. Halfway through the year was quite stormy for me. I was in the lowest point of my life. I found myself tangled in a confusing, compromising situation that eventually ended up in a heartache. It was on those times that I knew the real people who cared for me. The friends who listened, gave advice and pulled me into the right direction. I am just so glad I was over that situation.

I also had a lot of fun at work and enjoyed most of the company activities. Probably the unforgettable one was the fashion week where I get to represent our team for the 90s fashion show. Alright, I’m not gonna talk about it. I have written the details, so just re-read it.

There was much to tell about 2010. It was indeed a blast! Those wonderful memories I would surely take with me as I begin my journey to 2011.

To all my blog friends, cheers for the awesome year we had! Hoping to read more funny and inspiring post from you guys.

As for my wish, I pray for a better year ahead. More blessings, more travels, more blog posts, more blog friends, more fun, more enjoyable activities at work, less stress and no more heartaches hahaha!

Seriously, I hope I'd finally get to have what my heart truly desires....

Happy New Year to all!

Hello 2011!!!!

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

2010-12-27T13:16:00.006+08:00

Merry Christmas!!!!

I know, I know I'm 2 days late for that but I still want to greet you all a merry christmas just so you know that I am still, in fact, very much alive. I've been away from the blogosphere for the looongest time (3 weeks is long enough for me). I was busy. Yah it's a lame excuse but it's true. December has always been craaaazy for me, with lots of stuff to do and parties to attend to. So far, I've been to 5 christmas parties - and you know what that means : FORGET THE DIET. Anyway, it's alright. Christmas comes once in a year. And I've got plenty of time to get back in shape (if I'm not lazy enough to do it).

So. What are you guys up to this holiday season? Me, not much! I was more on tapping my spiritual side this year. I did mention on my previous post about the 9 dawn masses which we celebrate in anticipation of Christ's nativity and guess what???! I was able to complete it!!! 9 mornings of getting up early and going to church. Unbelievable!!!! For someone like me who hates waking up early, it was such an accomplishment. And I did make a wish. But I can't tell you yet. Not.Just.Now. Maybe one day when it happens you guys will be the first know.

Anyhoo, I went home to spend christmas with family. We spent christmas eve eating, eating and lots of eating. See, I'm serious about "getting back in shape". And I've got 2 weeks off work. Yay!!! That's what I look forward every december -our holiday break. 2 weeks of vacation is simply what I needed.

Since I don't get to spend much of my time at home, I lost contact with old friends. Some of them have settled to another place. So everytime I get home, I'm just stuck in our house doing nothing but watching TV, surfing the net, eating and sleeping. Whoaahh!! What a way to catch up with life. Well, I'm not complaining. This is the only time where I get to have a full rest without feeling guilty about it.

Anyway, I wish I could write interesting stories about my holiday vacation in my hometown but... there's not much to tell about. I'm stuck you know! Actually, my friend and I were planning an out of town trip to enchanted river but we canceled. I hope on my next trip back home I can visit some of the must-see places here and share it to you.

When they FIND WAYS to piss me off!

2010-12-06T09:15:00.011+08:00

Dear BDO,

I hate to start my week ranting but you're absolutely trying my patience!

First, I don't understand why you require all your internet banking users to change their passwords every 3 months. I know that is part of your security measures. Thanks! I get it. If you do the math, I get to change my password 4 times in a year, right? I was OK with that at first. But when I start running out of familiar password to use, IT WAS NO LONGER COOL. You see, I have 2 email accounts, 2 facebook, friendster, twitter, youtube, pinoyexchange, blogger, paypal etcetera.... I log on to 7 software applications in our company plus 6 administrative tools, and guess what? I'm using the same password for all of these. Coz you know why? Because it's hard to manage and memorize 25 different passwords at the same time.

Now with these frequent password change I ran out of new passwords that sound closer to my usual password. And the thing is you don't allow me to reuse my previous passwords, damn!

Earlier this year, I was locked out from the system. I tried the "forgot password" utility and when I fill in the 'mother's maiden name' field, the system won't accept my answer. Whaaaat???! So now I do not know what my mother's maiden name is? I'm pretty sure I filled in the correct data when I signed up. What the hell?!

I have to call customer service's hotline for that. And I hate calling customer service coz they keep me long on the line and they ask questions NBI-style. It was so tiring going through my personal info over and over.

I learned my lesson well coz after that 10-minute question and answer portion, I saved my new password on my cellphone. And I tend to do that every 3 months. Everytime you require me to change my password. Then lastweek, my forgetfulness got the best of me. I forgot to save my password and when I logged in - BLANK. I just can't remember. I tried guessing and I ended up being locked out. Again! For the second time.

So I clicked "forgot password" and somehow I was able to get through the gruelling question : mother's maiden name. But this isn't just my lucky day. There is more challenging, mind-boggling, unthinkable, inconceivable, bewildering question that I have yet to answer before I could reset my password.

NOT APPLICABLE?

Really, huh?! And since when did 'NOT APPLICABLE' become a question? Or when did it become a crucial part in changing password, huh?! Enlighten me please!!!!! Coz I don't understand and I don't know what's that suppose to mean or what should I put in there! Genius, BDO. Genius!!!!!!!!

You really stood up to your motto : "WE FIND WAYS" Yeah! You find ways to make our lives miserable! You find ways to piss me off! And I must say that you're actually good at it coz now I'm very much infuriated!

I need to gain access to my account. It's very important to me and convenient coz that is where I do all my payments. And it's been 2 hours since I sent you e-mail regarding that 'NOT APPLICABLE' field which you force me to fill-in which I absolutely have no idea about. But still I haven't gotten any word from you. So you really want me to make that call? Fine!!!! You really want to waste my time talking shit on the phone.

I wish your system will crash down and you will not be able to restore it for a year and you will lose all important transactions and all your clients will go after you and sue you! I.MEAN.IT.

All I want for Christmas... I know it sounds like a cliche but I still want it!

2010-12-02T15:54:00.011+08:00

I was suppose to dish out my christmas wishlist here on my blog but I don't wanna sound "worldly" and all so I'll try to keep it to myself. But if you must insist, I'll be forced to write another post for that, with the condition that you will grant one of it. Deal? No, I'm just kidding.

I don't make christmas wishlist at all. When there's something I want, I'd buy it (given that I can afford it. but if not, maybe I can save up for that or wait 'til someone gives it to me which do happen "sometimes". Thank God for Santa Claus). And speaking of Santa Claus, do you know that I really believed in Santa when I was a child? I mean, really! As in I really thought he was real. That he goes out on christmas eve giving gifts. I used to hang a stocking by the window and excitedly wake up in the morning to see if the stocking were filled with gifts from Santa. I know most children believed in this story, but it was more than just a story to me. I believed it with all my heart.

It was not until I was 10 years old when I realized that my parents were Santa Claus. And I was like "yeah right!". My playmates were right all along : Santa does not exist in reality. And I fought for my belief. I fought whenever 'Santa = Parents' argument is raised.

So maybe that's the reason why I don't make christmas wishlist anymore. Reality has taught me something.

But this time, I wanna be a kid again. I wanna re-live those times when I would fervently utter my prayers hoping Santa would hear them and would give me those gifts. Those times when I forced not to close my eyes coz I want a sneak peak of Santa in flesh! Those times when you don't have to work harder just to get the things you wanted.

Here are the things I want for christmas :

First, I've been itching for this small wonder since the start of the year.

x-mini capsule speaker

And I should have the pink one.

Secondly, what better way to pump up an x-mini? i-pod touch. Yes. I want that i-pod touch. No, don't tell me I should get an i-pad coz it's cooler. I don't think carrying a seemingly huge calculator-like is technically aesthetic. I'm just saying.

Next, I want an endless supply of Vitamin C. If colds are hunters, I'm their easy target. I get colds often like a woman does with menstruation. It has been the constant reason of my absences coz when I have colds I'll have fever and cough too. And the problem with me is that I don't take vitamins. That is why I'm making this as my advance new year's resolution : to be cold-free, or if I can't help it, at least it's not going to be every month.

Next, I wish I can get more promo airline tickets for my travel syndrome.

I also wish airfares will go down a bit so that I can still afford even if there are no promos available. See Santa? I'm begging here. Or you could lend me Rudolph.

And last but definitely not the least.... tan tada dan......

I wish my bloggy friends will not get tired of giving me blog awards like this one from Gnetch.

Thank you so much Gnetch!!!!!

I swear, Vanity Kills!

2010-11-29T09:54:00.000+08:00

Remember a time when you just want to look chic and fab? And you thought that a kick-ass high heel shoes would be the answer? Well, guess what?! Been there!

I met up with a college friend at the mall last week. After having dinner and coffee we both decided it's time to head home. But I don't wanna go home yet. So I killed the time wandering around, window shopping. I passed through a shoe boutique and saw a pair of stiletto.

I must have fallen in love with it's simplicity and the obvious 4-inch heels. Actually, I have a weird fetish for shoes. Whenever I go on movies or watch TV, I always check out celeb's footwear and I would gasps "Oh my.... her shoes!" then the person next to me rolls her eyes.

So. It's been long since the last time I wore stiletto. The only towering footwear I kept on wearing is my much-loved wedge. Given the nature of my job where sometimes we run errands around the building, wearing stilettos and crawling under the table fixing wires doesn't match. But I figured this will become handy on several ocassions and would go easily on any dress, so I shed some cash.

Excited! I wore it Friday morning for work and I thought life would be easy. I was wrong! The design doesn't suit me. I'm having a hard time walking around with it. Either I seemed like a tot trying to have his baby steps OR I look like an amateur model working up on her glide. That I need to concentrate on my walking more than I ever did while writing this blog. And the worst part? I have to walk down half a block just to get a cab. My toes were aching and I was profusely sweating when I arrived at the office. Damn! This is what I get for being so vain.

Later that afternoon, my colleague asked me to hang out and have dinner. We went around looking for some place to eat when my feet began to sore. I went home immediately, or should I say, I hobbled my way home. Needless to say, I did not enjoy the night and I have blisters to prove that it was indeed horrible.

Anyway, the cold cream was a lot of help...

'Til my next shoe disaster story!

Lifestyle Change

2010-11-25T08:53:00.006+08:00

I always believe in the adage that "Health is wealth". I'm not a health conscious myself but I always try my best to eat the right kind and amount of food. When it comes to taking regular exercise, I'm a bummer. So if you're looking for a gym buddy or a marathon partner, look somewhere else!

Last Sunday while I was volunteering for the free clinic, my colleague and I submitted ourselves to a cholesterol test. I really don't intend to at first but since it was for free and convenient for us (we don't need to go to a hospital) so I considered the idea.

The nurse took a few blood samples after pricking and squeezing my middle finger. They were using a digital device, so the result was up in 2 minutes. When she revealed my cholesterol level I was flabbergasted. It's 242. I.CANT.BELIEVE.IT.OH.MY.GOD. The normal level is 200. I reasoned that I did not fast and I had just taken my lunch so maybe that's the reason why the result went nuts. But lo and behold.... they told me the normal level for those who did not fast is 230, which means, mine was still beyond normal.

I'm aware about the implications of having high blood cholesterol in your body. It can increase your chances of having a heart disease and nooooooo I don't want to suffer from heart attack (knock on wood). With that in mind, I need to modify my lifestyle.

First, I enrolled back in gym class last monday. In case you didn't know, I enrolled in aerobics and PRT class last March (more on that here). I was battling with my weight gain issue for more than a year and only last March did I decided to take on my last resort - gym! For 3 months I endured the breath-catching, one-hour daily aerobics session and the gruelling bench press and sit-ups. I worked out so hard and forcibly shut off my lazy alter ego. My goal was to get back to my ideal weight. I started with 121 lbs., and by the time I quit I was 110lbs. I would have wanted to continue it for the rest of my life and eventually claim the figure and waistline I used to have (before everything else in my body started expanding), but I got tired and I was already happy with the changes. And now I have another reason why I need to increase my physical activity. I have to do this for myself. So hello gym! I'm back!

Next, diet. Uhhmm.. what's that again? Alright. I don't diet. Even before when I was gaining and gaining weight. I just love to eat. But when I started going to the gym, I learned the art of "moderation". I'd still eat everything - but in moderation.

Fruits, veggies, fish and going easy on meat is my goal. I also need to increase my fiber intake and to stay away from fatty and processed foods. From now on, goodbye seafoods. Goodbye pastries, desserts, ice cream, pizza and chocolate bars. Goodbye bacon, hotdog, ham, corned beef and egg. No, wait! JUST SHOOT ME!!!!

Why does a delicious meal has a price to pay?

Anyway, I'm planning to run another test on my cholesterol level next week. And this time I'm gonna follow the basic procedure, that is, to fast for 9-12 hours prior to the test. Maybe I'm a bit paranoid but I just wanted to be sure coz I felt that the result from last time wasn't that accurate. Seems this lifestyle change is not going to be easy on me (sigh).

On Volunteerism

2010-11-22T09:29:00.008+08:00

I was never into volunteerism. I never signed up for any community service back then. Not because I don't have the time nor the will - I am just plain lazy.

My first volunteering act came just a year ago when our country was rampaged by a strong typhoon. It brought heavy rains and flooded almost the entire capital city like seas. (See post here)

It was heart-wrenching and everything seemed hopeless. Seeing the awful situation on TV, I rummaged through my dresser and pulled out some of my clothes that I don't get to wear often. I placed them in the plastic bag, made a quick stop at the grocery and bought a few canned goods. I went straight to an organization which accepts donation for the typhoon victims. I was overwhelmed to see how much they have gathered for the day. Help was pouring from all parts of the country, as well as overseas. Yet I felt what I had given wasn't enough. The clothes would only accommodate a single household and the groceries would last a day or two. There are countless who needed help and I felt I got to do something about it. I don't have thousands or millions to donate. But I figured I could devote a little of my time.

When a television network announced they were looking for volunteers to segregate and pack the in-kind donations that keep coming, I knew it was my cue. I invited some of my friends to join and soon we found ourselves in the midst of the sacks and sacks of various goods from those who have big hearts. We volunteered for only 3 hours. It was hot and dusty inside the compound. I am allergic to dusts, but for the first time I stopped minding myself. It was my time to make a difference.

Yesterday I signed up for another community service. Our company launched a free clinic and they needed volunteers to assist the doctors and nurses in giving care to the patients. That was my first time to be part of a mini-medical mission (I like to call it that way so spare me!) I was assigned in the medicine dispensing team and boy, I was really having a hard time understanding a doctor's handwriting. Why do they like to chicken scratch it? And not only that, I was "nosebleeding" reading those lengthy, tounge-twistering generic names. The "cin", "fin", "tin" - they were haunting me in my sleep.

Anyway, the whole day activity was successful. We were able to serve hundreds of patients. It was tiring but surprisingly I was having fun! I've been thinking of doing it again. Sometimes you don't need a single penny to have your efforts compensated. It's when you know you have given something and you're not expecting anything in return is what makes it even more fulfilling.

~ If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else. ~

- Booker T. Washington

To my EX-FRIEND

2010-11-11T11:15:00.004+08:00

I did something MEAN.

I wasn't in speaking terms with one of my closest friends for more than a month now. We were completely ignoring each other and I wouldn't shrug even if she'll sit beside me or we'll brush shoulders on the stairs. I don't like to see her around. I can't stand the sight of her! I know I sound much of a hater but that's what I truly feel for her. This is not the first time we acted like total strangers, but this is the longest we ever did.

I can't say who among us is more hurt. I can't speak for her feelings in the same way that she can't understand how disappointed I am to her. I'm disappointed coz I thought she knew me well and she loved me despite all my flaws and imperfections. I thought she accepted me for all the silly things I've done. I know I'm not that good and I'm not perfect. I'm a "work-in progress". So don't expect me to act perfectly under an imperfect situation where my judgment could easily snap! I was going through an uphill battle that time, it was hard to choose right from wrong, and she, of all people knew that! She, of all people should have felt my emotional outburst. And she, of all people should be the first to understand me - NOT that I'm the one to seek understanding from her.

I know I have hurt her for things I've said. Maybe if I'll go back in time I would still say those words coz that's what I'm feeling right at the moment. I wouldn't pretend. Yet, I sincerely apologized for making her feel bad. And I would understand if she can't accept my apology when we had a heart to heart talk. But what I don't get is why does she have to pretend she's OK and we're OK when deep within her she was still hurting and she hadn't completely forgiven me. I would understand. Really.

And then after quite sometime she'll get back at me, accusing me of expelling her? What the heck?! I may not be the best person in the world but I'm the type who would cherish her friends and wouldn't trade them for someone who just came out to ruin my life. If she thinks I can let go of our friendship that easily, then it goes to show that she doesn't knew me that much and I'm quite disappointed.

I removed her in my facebook and blocked her. I know it's puerile of me but I'm just being true to myself - I don't want to do anything with her.

22 and counting!

2010-11-05T23:25:00.016+08:00

I've mentioned in one of my previous post that I love traveling and discovering new places. One of my dreams is to have at least one travel abroad. I haven't done it YET. I still need to make ends meet in order for me to realize that dream. But, I have a PLAN B in case I'm not able to do my "international invasion". And that is, to cover at least 1% of the Philippine islands! Huh! Just a recap : Philippines has 7,107 islands. Which means I have to explore 71 of it.

To be honest I'm beginning to have doubts if I'll be able to accomplish it. I guess traveling abroad seemed more feasible. But who knows?

For me to keep track of the islands and places I've visited when I started to have this wanderlust, I listed them all. I'm exhilarated to find out that I just had my 22nd mark! Yaaahhhhoooooo!!!!

BORACAY. You are my 22nd!

I took this pic when I and 3 more friends spent our Halloween vacay in this beautiful paradise. The island is approximately 7 km. long. Said it was used to be a secret island until a foreign movie crew accidentally discovered it. From then on, Boracay is widely known to both locals and foreigners alike. It was voted as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It is famous for its powdery white sand and clear torquoise waters. And not only that, it boasts a variety of adventures and forms of relaxation ranging from scuba diving, helmet diving, snorkeling, parasailing, kiteboarding, sunset cruise, island hopping and a lot more. But more often than not, tourists flock to enjoy its pristine beauty.

Getting there was easy. We took a 50-minute flight from Cebu to Caticlan. Then a 10-minute boat ride from Caticlan to Boracay.

It is best to visit Boracay during summer since the trade wind blows out to sea. But the resorts are usually expensive and full on the months of April - June where summer is at its peak.

Though there were casual rains, we were still able to make the most of our 3-day vacation. The island was pretty much lively when we got as everyone was busy setting up booths for the Halloween party. If you love the nightlife, Boracay won't be a disappointment. It is known as the party island where pubs and disco bars boom at night. Of course we couldn't miss it for the world. We hopped to Cocomangas, and tried one of their signature drink Illusion Shaker.

illusion shaker....

It has 5 shots (if i read it right) of vodka, pineapple and.... I forgot the rest. It tastes good and yes, it was served in a jar - not in a glass or jigger. I dunno why it bears the word "illusion" on its name. Maybe you will be into some sorts of illusion after drinking it. In my case, I find the bartender cutie (hahahahahaha!). No, I'm not drunk! He was really cute even before I started drinking it. Perhaps that's the reason why I didn't noticed I was holding my celphone on my left and I accidentally dropped it. Ugh!!! Thank God my celphone was still intact after it bungee jumped from the bar chair I was sitting, except that I couldn't use it for texting now coz some of the keys weren't functioning anymore. Damn!

Cocomangas is also known for the so called "Still Standing at 15..." drinking challenge. You will be given 15 different shots of booze. Drink it up and if you're still standing after the last shot, your nameplate will be placed on the wall plus you get a t-shirt. Cool. I actually thought of joining but when I saw the menu below, I think I'd do my country a big favor if I'll just step back hahaha! (I don't drink that much anymore)

We also did a lot of swimming. (uhm..technically, I cannot swim. so I'd just stand at the shallow and ocassionally dip my head). I love the feel of the sands on my feet. Sometimes we would walk barefoot along the shore.

One of the many things I look forward in my visit to Boracay is the sunset. Boracay is quite known for its breathtaking sunset and that is the reason why sunset cruise is a common leisure in the island. Apparently, the weather was in bad mood and so uncooperative. It would rain every afternoon. Fine, goodbye sunset!

sunrise in boracay....

It was quite an experience. I wish I could go back this summer coz I already made a mental note of the things I wanna do.

Hope to see yah soon Boracay...

A Halloween treat like no other!

2010-11-04T09:05:00.000+08:00

This post is 3 days late, I know. I was on vacation and the last thing I wanna do is face the computer. Anyhoo, how was your halloween? Me, I had fun! I was enjoying trick or treat here and there.

Trick or treat is something we Filipinos don't usually do. I never went to any Halloween parties growing up. I was never in fancy, scary costumes walking around begging for treats. Trick or treat was so foreign to me back when halloween was all about mumbling prayers and offering food to our departed loved ones. I remember hopping from cemetery to cemetery visiting our dead relatives bringing flowers and lighting candles for them. Some would build a kiosk near the grave, bring in food and drinks, stay there for the whole day and have a party-like atmosphere. Halloween was always like that. No costume parties. No trick or treats. We just celebrate it in an unconventional way that only us can understand.

Now that we have adopted this foreign tradition, halloween has never been exciting! We always make it a point to feel the halloween spirit by transforming our offices into something creepy. Then we will dress up in scary costumes doing rounds inside the building for the trick or treat. My throat went sore after eating all the candies I gathered hahahaha! Serves me right.

This year probably is the most fabulous halloween I've ever had because I get to spend it in Boracay. It was indeed a treat! Except that the rain was such a kill joy. Damn you rain! Told you not to be a badass but you still did. You poured more than 3 times that night and we were so soaked and wet. Yet, that didn't stop us from enjoying the night. Aside from beautiful beaches, Boracay is known for its feisty nightlife.

Roaming around the island I saw a lot of people dressed in scary costumes. I would stop to take pictures at them if I find them awesome, cool, and of course, scary.

Saw this child while walking around d'mall. She still look adorable despite the make-up.

While looking for some place to dine, we came across with this white lady.

Uhmm... can you help him find his head?

I just think they're gorgeous...! Like a royal family or something...?

WARNING : This place is haunted!

This witch is an adrenaline junkie. She was doing the zipline and we asked her to stop for awhile to have our pics taken.

I happen to pass by a fire dance party.

Yah right, the picture sucks! But I swear, they're so amazing. I just couldn't get a better angle because of the crowd.

I was hoping to catch some local celebrities but I guess it's not my lucky night. We were having so much fun and by the time we went back to the resort we were dead tired.

Where were you when I needed you?

2010-10-26T09:09:00.008+08:00

There was once a time in my life that I wanted to have you. It was when most of the people I know were having your unwanted presence. Though I really don't want you that badly, at least I thought you'll make up a good excuse for not coming to work. Ah, those times when work was so exhausting, demanding, and beating deadlines seems almost like fire fighting. Those times when I wanted to take a short rest, but getting a vacation is like hailing a cab under the pouring rain.

So I conceded the idea.

I'm not meant to have you.

For that time being, maybe.

Halloween's coming over. I'm quite excited! It's gonna be FOUR days off work. Perfect time to have a vacay. Just what I needed, wanted, and been craving for for the past weeks. My friends and I are off to that famous island. Everything has been booked - resort, tickets. We already made plans of where to go, places to check out, food and drinks to try out and what to do in the next 3 days that we're staying there. We are really excited. Just 5 days more!

But... YOU'RE RUINING IT ALL FOR ME!

When I woke up this morning, I felt my eyes heavy. My eyelids are getting crusty and I could barely open them. It felt like there are grains of sand inside it and it was slightly painful when I caught the streams of morning light by the window. And that's when it hit me. I know what this is!

I jolt out of bed and faced the mirror. There you are! Why now? Why ONLY now? I don't want you right now. Not this time!

AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH...........

SORE EYES!!!!!!!

Go away!!!!! I can't get on the plane with you. Grrrrrrr........

My new found addiction

2010-10-23T16:21:00.008+08:00

No it's not drugs, alcohol or something health-deteriorating like that...

It's kind of an ART.

Ehem! I don't consider myself as someone who likes to indulge at something that requires superior manual dexterity. I was never good at it, but I learned that I can try and I'm enjoying it so far.

My new addiction? ORIGAMI.

That's it! The Japanese' art of making objects such as flowers, birds out of paper folding. My friend learned it from one of her ESL student. Saw her trying a couple of objects last night and I find it amazing. She's definitely a good teacher and I, on the other hand was a BRILLIANT (hahaha!) student. I learned through her impeccable patience.

So check this out.

It sure took me a lot of effort and "papers" before I've satisfactorily did it. Worth the try isn't it?

Serendipity, is it?

2010-10-18T14:23:00.001+08:00

This story isn’t mine.

…………………………………

She has a boyfriend from across the miles. They have kept it together for four years. Her family approves of him. He was the perfect choice for her. And their wedding is set two years from now.

She sees love as practical. She doesn’t believe in butterflies, in shooting stars, in speeding rockets. She knows nothing of magic, of white knight who sweeps you off your feet. No. She’s not a believer.

Then she met someone while traveling home. They talked for hours. Shared their interests and passions in life with each other. Exchanged numbers and e-mail addresses. Soon they found themselves constantly communicating and seeing each other as often as they could. Until their friendship blossomed into something else. Something the two of them cannot deny. Something she couldn’t fight off. Something she knew she had missed all her life.

Now she’s faced with a dilemma. It could have been easier if her family’s expectation doesn’t get in the way. If their years together don’t compel her to disregard her feelings for the one she truly loved.

But she has to make a decision. A decision that will break someone else’s heart. A decision that will change her forever.

…………………………………………

Funny how life loves to poke at my ego. This is one of those times when the common phrase “Life is unfair” becomes clearer to me. I just came from a “broken heart” and here’s my friend who’s having a difficult time choosing whom she should end up to. Hmmpp!

I was never into that kind of situation or anything closer to that. But if I am lucky (or maybe not) to face with that problem (would you consider that a problem? Seriously? If that’s the case, it’s the only problem that most women would like to have. Come on! Who doesn’t want multiple choice on their questionnaire?), I know what I’m gonna do.

First, I don’t let others dictate me on what to do or who should I be with. Coz if I do, I’m living their idea of what happiness is and not my own. I’m not saying that they don’t have a say in my personal affairs. They can meddle for as long as they want. They can voice their opinions and advices – I’d love that! I like hearing from them coz it shows how much they care for me. But in the end, I still call the shots. I will decide for myself and I will run my life the way I wanted it to be.

I always tell my friends to follow their heart. Cynics call it stupidity, but I call it bravery and being true to your self. There’s no guarantee you won’t cry in the end, but I guess it’s better to shed a tear on something you did happily. The number of years is just relative. I won’t bet my happiness and the relationship’s success on it.

Maybe I’m a fool for saying this. But what’s more foolish is when you deny yourself to something you’ve been waiting for. Whatever is real is worth fighting for. And you know it’s real when it’s hard to walk away from it.

Those Amazing Four Years...

2010-10-14T13:14:00.011+08:00

I can still vividly remember my first day at work. I woke up so early, put on my uniform which I carefully ironed the other night, stood in front of the mirror trying to compose myself. I was so tensed and excited on my way to work. I caught the company bus, sat with my unfamiliar, new colleagues. They talked about how their weekend went. Some talked about their pending tasks and other job-related matters which I could hardly make out. I kept roaming my eyes around, scanning their faces, looking for potential best buds.

The anxious ride ended and I found myself inside the building. Then soon introductions were made. My first hours in the morning was spent touring around the plant, familiarized every area, and the traditional meet and greet with colleagues. I saw a strong bond in everyone. Like that of family. Most of them were smiling and welcoming, while others seemed scary and intimidating. But I learned later that that was just a facade.

That was four years ago. Four years had passed and I still wore the same uniform, still rode the same bus every morning, still took the same route to work. The routines were quite the same some four years ago. But I am not the same as I was before.

I have gathered so much in my stay here in more ways than one. They say that no company is ever perfect for anyone. I've been to three different companies before, but this one is the closest to perfection. Well, at least for me. For the last four years, I can wake up in the morning and look forward to going to work. There are times that I whine and feel a little disgruntled. But when I start to count the things I enjoyed because of staying here, I feel more blessed than most of my friends are. I know a lot of people who will kill just to be part of the team. Okay, that sounds exaggerated but I swear there's some truth to it.

The strong team spirit which the founders continually to inculcate in us is one of the many things I admire. Or maybe the annual teambuilding had paid off and brought us closer together. The beauty in working with expats is that it has taught us to respect each of our culture differences. We may have different views about life and many other things, but we simply blended and work as a team to realize our vision.

I never thought I'd become socially and environmentally responsible by joining this company. I adhere the laws in preserving nature but I'm not an advocate of any cause at present. Yet, by simply participating in the yearly tree and mangroove planting activities, I feel like I did something imperative. I feel proud of those indulgence. It may seem small but it surely goes a long way.

I also found a lot of friends. Friends that I could keep. Friends that I would still keep in touch if later we decide to part ways. They're not just friends who I hang out and have fun with, they are those friends whom I have shared some of the most intimate details of my life. They helped me grow and helped me discover a lot of things.

noteworthy memories...

As life is a journey, I'd be sure to keep travelling on. I know there will come a time that I will move forward and consider other options. Whenever I think of that, I begin to feel a sense of nostalgia. Probably the first thing I'm going to miss are the people I've worked with. I have learned so many things than the graduate school would impart in the span of time. I would miss the daily bus ride, the communal morning prayer and exercise, the chitchats during breaktime, the occasional late night drinks, the pressure from work which we have learnt to shrug off and laugh about as days passed. I'm gonna miss the teambuilding, the sportsfest, the birthday, halloween, christmas and anniversary parties. We're party animals. We party like 4 times a year!

Those four years had left an indelible mark. It has impacted my life more than I could hoped for and more than I've ever imagined. But more than anything else, I have taken in PRIDE like breath itself.

P-eople engagement
R-espect
I-ntegrity
D-iscipline
E-xcellence

These are the core values we live, for which I am sure I will continue to uphold.

Thank you _ _ _ _ _! (Sorry, I just can't disclose the name of the company this time)

Happy 4 years to me...! :)

thought it was gonna be romantic... i should have stayed home instead

2010-10-09T11:07:00.001+08:00

The badass asian, Gnetch, invited all her followers to participate in this meme :

I decided to join the fun. So here I am.

The rules are simple. By the end of this post, I'm gonna ask you guys if you wish to participate. Should you will, I'm gonna send you a question and make a post about your answer. I'm going to recommend a blog, which you haven't followed yet, for you to read. Then invite your readers too.

That simple!

Now, on to the game...

Gnetch recommended Sweta's blog, The Disappearing Caravan, which I absolutely liked.

And the million dollar question ... ???

"What's the worst date you've ever been?"

Ahem!

I've been trying to remember for days of the worst date I've ever been. I don't go on dates quite often so I was having a hard time contemplating if this story is worth sharing, OR ... if it would pass the category.

Let me tell you the story anyway.

It was Valentines day in the year 2006. My then boyfriend and I went on our very first valentines date. We were both excited that we forgot to book on a restaurant. You know how it is on Valentines Day. Couples and even non-couples swarm restaurants, theaters, parks, and malls. It's chaotic all over. But we still decided to dine at my favorite seafood restaurant, in the hope that there are still seats available.

We arrived at almost 7PM. As expected, the place was crowded with diners. NO SEATS AVAILABLE - that we were told. But we can wait. So we added ourselves on the lengthy waitlist.

Thus the long wait officially begun.

I thought it was just going to be 30-minutes or so. I stood, sat on the chair, paced back and forth, watched the diners silently as they slowly chewed their food, played with my phone for as long as my growling stomach could take. I was hungry and tired from work. The waiting area wasn't comfortable enough to distract me. HUNGRY and at the same time PISSED over the situation. The crew were starting to bring in tables and chairs placing them on any decent floor space they could make out. We could have settled in earlier but I refused when I saw that we'll be sitting near the alley and adjacent to the restrooms. Who wants to eat near the restrooms? Would you? I wasn't thinking about the "romantic" word anymore, I just want a "conducive" space and that means far, far away from the restroom.

We waited some more. We considered looking for another restaurant but the rain was starting to downpour outside. The walk to the parking lot and hopping from one restaurant to another would not compensate the fact that we have already wasted our time long enough just waiting for others to finish off.

Finally, for what seemed like eternity, dinner was served at almost 9PM. The food looked delish yet my appetite had long gone since we waited patiently on the line for 2 hours.

And I thought getting myself starve on a date is already worse! That's what I thought... Wait 'til you hear this :

Now it's pay time.

My boyfriend, errrr.... EX, left his wallet on the car. What the...???! So I ended up paying the bills. Ha! Shame on you!!!

End of story.

So guys, just tell me if you like to participate and I'll email you a question.

And.... just in case you're wondering what happened next, we broke up 2 months after.

Life is really so short

2010-09-30T09:17:00.007+08:00

I was working late last night when the sad news came to me. I didn't believe my eyes when the words in that e-mail slowly formed to make sense. As though it was some kind of a hoax playing tricks on me, but no, it was all so true and it left me with the surreal feeling that our life is full of twist and turns.

The wife of our dear CEO died yesterday after suffering a stroke during her pilates session. The news came as a shock. It was earlier this year when I first saw her during their visit at the plant. I don't know her personally but I've been hearing a lot of good things about her. And I can say that for the most part, all of those were true.

She's beautiful, tall and slender. She used to be a model and gave up her career when she got married. She's the type of woman that leaves everyone in the room gawking when she passes by. Not because she's beautiful... It's her personality that amazes everyone around. She exudes the kind of confidence that doesn't assert to flaunt. She's genuinely nice, compassionate, generous and warm. She doesn't make anyone feel a little less about themselves. She puts down their status symbol and reaches out to everyone in need.

It's so hard to believe that she joined our Creator sooner than we've expected (if I'm not mistaken, she's still at her forties). But like everyone else in this temporary world, we all depart in our own time when our very purpose has ended. And as for Ma'am Ann-Kathrin, I believe she lived a full life, a life well spent, a remarkable one.

No amount of words could ever comfort the pain, the pain of losing someone we love. To Sir Bobby, I offer my prayers and sincerest sympathy to you and your family. May you find the strength to accept God's will and courage to hold on. The whole team is saddened by the loss of the person we've come to love and respect.

To Ma'am Ann-Kathrin, may you rest in eternal peace...

The 7 Things Part II

2010-09-29T10:50:00.010+08:00

I wanted to make another post just before September tears its page off the calendar. As I was contemplating on what to write, I remembered Rachel over at The Diary of a Dreamer tagged me for the LOVELY BLOG AWARD. Thanks Rachel! This is actually my second time. Unlike the first one when you just have to mumble your THANK YOUs, this one comes with 7 Facts about you. In this case, ME! I hope I'm not making my way to becoming a self-absorbed creature.

Am I? Oh no...

S**t!

Anyway, I did rounds on my previous posts just to see what are those things I haven't shared with you yet. I realized I'm almost there to expose my deepest, darkest secrets. Kidding! So here are some of the things which I think are pretty interesting facts about me, which you might want to know (I hope so).

**** The 7 Facts *****

#1. When I was in second grade, I got hit by a vehicle.

Call it stupidity or lack of common sense but I crossed the street when a vehicle was approaching. Sure my parents taught me to look at both sides first before crossing. And I don't know what caused my judgment to twitch, that I decided to cross when THERE'S a vehicle. Luckily, the driver noticed me at once but he's short on brakes so I landed at the hospital with bruises.

#2. I listen to Taylor Swift.

Eyebrows down please... Alright. Not everybody loves Taylor and I don't adore her either. But I like some of her songs.

#3. I'm afraid of snakes, worms and anything that crawls.

They're just ewwww!

#4. There are two things I'm addicted to right now : Facebook & Vampire Diaries.

Facebook is like part of my system, and if vampires are for real, I would like to become one! Ssshhh.....

#5. I wanted to become a lawyer when I was a child.

But I realized that reading law books are BORING. I'd rather debate with my friends over who's hotter - Damon or Stefan, than defending my guilty or not client.

#6. I've always been mistaken to have a foreign blood because of my surname.

Yeah. And they change their minds when they start to size me up. I think that's just R-U-D-E.

#7. I'm a weakling.

Wait. I'm too harsh on my self... I have a poor sense of balance. Okay, that sounds better. I almost had my right arm broken when I slipped at a friend's house. Another incident had my right arm (again) bruised when I slipped at the workplace. I have countless humiliating experiences in tripping and slipping (note that those two words rhyme).

That's it!

I discovered that...

2010-09-27T11:18:00.005+08:00

I finally knew what it's like to be a sloth. Saturday was very exhausting. As if the tiring and LITERALLY long day during the teambuilding wasn't enough, we partied the whole night away! So there. I spent the whole Sunday sleeping and lying in bed. Neck, shoulders, waist aching like I ran a full marathon or did some serious weight lifting. Though I still managed to get up, eat, uploaded pics on facebook, watched INCEPTION (ok, I know I'm a bit late for that movie. it's just that I forgot I downloaded a copy and wasn't able to watch it until yesterday), even it's mind-blowing plot could not prop me up. I doze off to dreamland half-way through it.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed the event. The scorching heat of the sun didn't stop us from having fun. Though it seems the challenges weren't as backbreaking as the previous teambuildings, but surely the "Amazing Race" concept diluted all our energy.

Apart from gaining few more friends, one thing I look forward at teambuildings are the things I discover about myself. Three years ago, one of the challenges was rapelling. I've always been afraid of heights but I did it despite wobbling knees and sweaty palms. I discovered fear is just a state of mind, an illusion we let ourselves into. There's nothing to fear but fear itself. Doing the rapel challenge paved the way for me to try out some extreme adventures. I became an adrenaline junkie. The fear is still there each time I do some crazy stuff. What causes it? For one, I don't want to die - just yet. Or maybe I don't wanna die with a broken neck or shattered skull. So gross!

This year's challenges proved to be less daredevilry. But I noted some self-discovery along the way. First, patience is indeed a virtue and I needed more time to work on it. I got pissed when our facilitator failed to convey the instructions clearly and easily. I got pissed when some of my teammates could not remember the choreography to the dance (there was a sing and dance challenge). I nearly ranted but I held back when I reminded myself that not everyone got dancing skills. I should be more considerate.

I discovered I can get out from my comfort zones for the sake of winning the race. I discovered I can endure the grueling challenges without fainting from too much heat and suffocating body odors. I discovered I can be quite at times and just listen to what others say during discussions. I discovered I can be confident when an impromtu task is at hand. I discovered I can have fun over the silliest of things.

And most of all... I discovered that being a sloth for a day does make me feel sooooo much better! :)