Another Lovely Surprise!

Yesterday I received another award from an awesome fella, a super mom and a wonderful blogger - i'm no miss. Thank you soooooooo much! It's so nice of you to pass the ONE LOVELY BLOG award to me.

Two awards in a week! I say that's A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

You guys are great! Don't spoil me too much I might get used to it hahaha!

Now I want to share this lovely award to the following lovely ladies:

1.) Rachel W. - Faithful Fashionista

2.) Lorna - Getting Legless with Lorna

Have fun!

fed up with CEBU PACIFIC!!! (Part 2: The Sorry Story)

This post is actually a sequel to my unfinished rant on my supposed "FREE FLIGHT" privilege from Cebu Pacific. I was pondering whether to blog this or not because I don't want to sound like a senile, old woman fuming over some petty, insignificant matters. But as expected my impulses and annoyance got the better of me and I thought that unloading these shrapnels of disappointment would be a better way to get even (at least) with them.

So I went a bit overboard and called up nine times already since last week. In case you're wondering if I don't ever get tired? Well, I do and I'm totally fed up. Imagine how many times they had to put  me on hold while they check on their records. I was disconnected twice and I would redial and wait for a good three minutes before the call went through. I patiently obeyed, not a single whine, when they said to call back after 24 hours coz they have to re-evaluate, re-check, re-validate my concern. Notice the prefix "re", it's getting on my nerves! And so after I e-mailed the scanned copy of the callling card they gave to me at the airport, at the time of my disrupted flight, I was keeping my hopes up that I would FINALLY get that fucking FREE FLIGHT.

The operator, in her most soothing, sympathetic voice (take note that I was already on the phone for five minutes and have been put on hold twice) broke the sorry news to me. MY FREE FLIGHT VOUCHER IS INVALID.

Wait. Say that again?

My free flight voucher is invalid.

After all the calling, the follow-up, which totally made me look like I'm a cheapskate, this is the answer I'm gonna get??? What the ****!!!!
The reason? Cancelled flights due to bad weather do not entitle a free flight. Apparently, their staff made a mistake of issuing a travel voucher to the passengers.

Fine.

I was trying to be in my best behavior despite the nagging feeling, the clenching fist and the urge to transform into a psycho-freak godzilla. I've been running profane words in my head that I wanted to scream at them while my mouth is ready to curse at 60 words per minute at any given time. Before my sight went blank I took a deep breath and told the operator I'm fine with it and put down the phone. (I really wanted to slam the receiver but I'm not willing to pay for the damage.)

Here's my message to CEBU PACIFIC :
SUCK.YOUR.FREE.FLIGHT!

CRAP!

You made us (me in particular) fool at your scheming tactics by not informing us right away that it was all a mistake!


I was on that special flight which you set up the following day for those passengers whose flight have been disrupted, yet no one bothered, no, make that CARED to inform us that the travel voucher you issued was a fucking piece of shit!

What an efficient system you have. You made me call nine times before you finally figured this is another slip-up on your part?!


Well, thank you for making my day. I really look forward to fly with you soon! (note sarcasm on the tone)


P.S. I really wanted to throw more harsh words to them but i'm no miss sent me ONE LOVELY BLOG AWARD this morning. Yayyy!!! That definitely made my day and mellowed my rage. I'll be posting it tomorrow since I wouldn't surely sound lovely after I've blown my top.




Related post : fed up with CEBU PACIFIC!!!

I got tagged!!!

I thought today's going to be another awful Monday. But hey, I was wrong. I was oblivious to the surprise that awaits me. I got T-A-G-G-E-D!!!!!!!!! By no other than Gnetch , a fellow 20sb member and whom I consider one of my haven't-met-personally friends in the blogosphere.


Thank you Gnetch!!! Mwaahh! I've said this already and I'm saying it again - You're the first one to give me this!!!! (I hope there'll be more to come, yikes!!!) hahahaha!!

I'm soooooooo happy to have received this HAPPY 101 award! It means a lot to me. Being new to this whole blogging thing, I can't help but feel overwhelmed to the responses, appreciation, welcome by the 20sb gang. I don't know them personally but they all had compassionate and kind words for me and it makes blogging a lot more enjoyable.


Since my brain cells are now in full-function mode. I re-read Gnetch's post and finally understood (after 48 years hahaha!) If someone receives this award you have to thank that person, which I already did and I don't intend to sound like a broken record. In this case, you have to list the things that make you happy and pass on the award by tagging your friends.

Here we go :

Things that make me happy

1.) Whenever I get the chance to go home (in my hometown) and spend time with my mother and my dog. I work faraway from home and I kinda miss them most of the time.

2.) Travel. Travel. Travel.

3.) When I'm not working (Saturday, Sunday & Holidays)

4.) When I'm eating chocolates and pizza (I guess the right word would be "delighted" but anyway chocolates do make you happy)

5.) Payday

6.) When I have a new gadget

7.) Shopping for clothes and shoes (ewwww..I didn't know I'm materialistic! tsk, tsk...)

8.) When the program I'm working on runs.  Or else I'm running my way out hahaha!

9.) When someone says nice things to me or they appreciate my actions

10.) When someone leaves a comment on my posts or on my FB account. You're feedback means a lot to me. It's another way of showing you care huhuhuhu....

11.) When someone becomes a follower

12.) When someone reads my blog (even if they don't leave comments)

13.) When someone gives me a gift especially if it's a tweety bird stuff.

14.) When I'm hanging out with friends

15.) When I read a good book

16.) When I hear my favorite song

17.) When the weighing scale says I'm losing weight, yay!!!!!

18.) When it's time to go home after a hard day's work!

19.) Concerts

20.) Party

Haaayyyyy...I could go on forever. There's just too many things that make me happy and so many things to be thankful about.

And for the tagging part :
1.) judz - I Still Can't Think of a Decent Blog Title
2.)  kira - UT Four Point Zero
3.) jill - Jillie Side Up
4.) megha - Thinking Hat

If you HATE MONDAYS then we really should be friends

First of all, I would like to thank The Bangles for coming up with song Manic Monday. Hahaha! I think my intro was way too serious. The lyrics couldn't have been more perfect for someone who truly loathes poor Monday. They must have been thinking about us working girls and all the hassles and stress we go through while writing the song.

Here are my top reasons why I want to abolish Monday from the calendar :

1.) Maybe it's just me but I really find it hard getting out of bed on Monday morning. My alarm would went off 4-5 times before I practically pull myself out of bed and take a shower. 

2.) Maybe it's just me again but the traffic seems heavier on Mondays. I assume the number of people that go to work and to school, so as the number of public and private vehicles off the streets on Monday morning are relatively the same on the other days. So what's up with the traffic jam especially when you're running late?

3.) Monday it is so you're looking ahead at 4 more days before emancipating yourself from work slavery. Aryt, I'm just talking about how work appeals to me.

4.) I hate meetings and Mondays are full of that. Meeting here. Meeting there. Meeting everywhere! 

5.) I need to make room for myself after a weekend's hang-over. And speaking of hang-over, did you know that I often have momentary memory lapse on what's my job suppose to be because my brain cells are malfunctioning and have not yet recovered from the weekend's blast? Well, it's my other way of saying I'm not really myself come Monday.

Aside from those raves and why I feel like campaigning Monday to become a rest day (three rest days in a row, yay!!!), today is another terrible-day-in-the-making. Here's why :

I wasn't able to sleep a good 8 hours because our fucking neighbor and a bunch of his asshole friends had a drinking session last night. You know how it is when you're intoxicated? (a.) You're noisy. (b.) You'd throw a joke that's not even funny and you're jerk friends would laugh out loud but they don't even know why they're laughing in the first place. (c.) You'd think you're a singer and tries to carry a tune that even Elvis Presley would feel sick in his grave. (d.) You're just simply annoying and NOISY!

If I hadn't been considerate to my roomate I would have snarled and threw small rocks at them. Of all the days and the nights, they unmindfully chose to booze on a Sunday night. Damn!!! How I wished they'd choke on their own vomit. Yuck!!!

So I woke up feeling sluggish coz I have no choice but to come early for work. Apparently we have visitors and we need to prepare for our morning activity so I was on my feet when the alarm clock screamed.

When I walked into the office, the visitors were nowhere in sight! They postponed. Urrgghhh!!!

Then come the meeting...

My boss is making innuendos that we're going to be busy in the next couple of months. Read : we're going to render overtime starting next month. OH. MY.GOD. Loads of work + overtime + monday blues = I would like to stop working for the next two months!

I don't usually complain about work coz I love my job. But the management has been a pain in the ass lately changing directions from time to time. And because I'm a mere employee-slash-programmer-slash-technical support, I have no choice but to abide to their wishes and reprogram their brains, I mean the system.

Ok I don't mean to sound rant-y. It's just that Mondays are full of bad news and it gets into my nerves. Not to mention my PC is making me exasperated right now. Why do my boss have to run the anti-virus in the middle of the day for christsake?! Doesn't he know it will cause the computer to slow down? I'm working on a very important task right now - my blog. Hahahaha!!!!

Lord, help me make it through the day.

Great Monday everyone!

Whaaattt??! I have ADHD?! (shock)

My body has a weird reaction to coffee - it makes me sleepy. I told my friends about it and they all just laughed at me. The kind of laugh that tells you "are you out of your mind?". Fine! I get their point. Caffeine is suppose to perk you up not slump you down.

Incident #1 : One time my bestfriend and I decided to chill in her place. We were both craving for ice coffee so off we went to Starbucks and grabbed my favorite caramel macchiato. Back in her place, I was lying on my belly at the cot, eyes glued on National Geographic channel, downing the last drop of my coffee when I started to feel tipsy. You know that feeling when you had a couple of beers? We were in the middle of our conversation when my eyes could no longer hold it and I drifted to dreamland in an instant. The next morning she told me I slept sound while she didn't. See?

Incident #2 : I always have an afternoon crash like most people do. I feel sleepy-slash-tired-slash-bored when the clock strikes between 1PM to 3PM. I would have coffee by then to keep my focus intact. But even after finishing the second cup, drowsiness gets even worse.

It  happens everytime I drink coffee and it begins to puzzle me. Why oh why? So I googled it, surprised to learn I'm not the only one who suffers from this odd symptom. I went on to read one post at Yahoo ANSWERS and I froze :

" Relaxation from stimulants is one of the physiological indicators of ADHD. All the meds they use to treat this condition are SPEED, pure speed. May not be the only reason. Caffeine often helps people focus when they have ADHD " 

Wait a sec! What did I just read?

Are they implying I have ADHD? Wow! I mean that's the most mind-blowing thing since that bum cheated on me. Come on...! I know what those people with ADHD are like and I never had behavioral issues such inattentiveness ( i once got the most attentive award in grade school. would you believe that?), hyperactivity (but you can often see me in a dance number at the school program) and impulsiveness (the only time i'm impulsive is when i like a guy. just kidding!)

I was in pure disbelief so I dig in for another answer and here's what I found:

" Psychologically speaking, you may have coffee in your mind as a part of a relaxing ritual, similar to that sleepy feeling you get from hot chocolate or warm milk...in which case it will not be the picker upper it's supposed to be. "

Thank God I'm relieved to hear that! But I don't deny the fact I'm paranoid sometimes. Better paranoid than sorry, they say, so I googled the signs and symptoms of ADHD in adults. Take a look at some facts below. If 70% of those magnifies your personality then it's time to see a shrink.

• Chronic lateness and forgetfulness. - I'm tardy and forgetful sometimes but in general I have a good memory and I hate people who show up late especially those who never show up because they simply forgot.
   
• Anxiety -none that  I remember.
   
• Low self-esteem. - Not guilty!
   
• Employment problems. -  Yes but the typical ones only. I guess every employee at some point in his/her career have had problems.
   
• Difficulty controlling anger. - I count 1 to 10. I take a deep breath and then growl haha!
   
• Impulsiveness. - check out above explanation.
   
• Substance abuse or addiction. - No way! Never!
   
• Poor organization skills. - Well I'm not pretty bad at organizing things.
   
• Procrastination. - errrrr.....sometimes when I'm too lazy.
   
• Low frustration tolerance. - arrgghhh... I never thought its going to be this hard.
   
• Chronic boredom. - Not guilty!
   
• Difficulty concentrating when reading. - Not guilty! I'm a wide reader and I read most of the time. I can finish a paperback novel in less than 2 hours.
   
• Mood swings. - c'mon! who doesn't have mood swings?
   
• Depression - Not guilty!
   
• Relationship problems. - uhmmm...next item please..

So what do you think, guilty as charged? Of course not! I maybe pathetic, loser, crazy sometimes but I'm not suffering from any developmental disorder. Hey me, why so defensive? Haha!

In the end I found the answer to my mysterious-coffee-after-effect syndrome.

" Caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands to release adrenalin, the ‘flight or fight’ hormone that prepares the body to react to a threat. It increases your heart and breathing rates, dilates the pupils and increases blood flow to the muscles. Ideally this adrenalin release happens very occasionally during times of great physical stress. However, when we consume excessive amounts of caffeine we promote a sustained adrenalin response, which exhausts the adrenal glands. As a result, these glands are unable to produce even the small amounts of adrenalin required to help us maintain focus and concentration, which in turn creates feelings of physical fatigue and malaise. "
 
Now I won't be confounded when I get sleepy after a cup of coffee. Come to think of it, I found a new solution to my insomnia.

fed up with CEBU PACIFIC!!!!

I've had enough!

So they think it's fine for their paying customer to call over and over and over to their goddamn hotline and wait for 3-5 minutes before an operator picks it and attends to your concern?

So they think it's perfectly fine that after calling for the fifth time, the answer I'm gonna get from them is to call back after 24 hours?

So they honestly believe that I'm enjoying every single minute of my precious time on the phone reciting about my concern for the nth time until they finally get the message across that all I want is to get my FREE FLIGHT ticket for crying out loud!!!

I sounded cheapskate, didn't I?

Before you mull on the impression that I'm indeed a cheapskate - HEAR ME OUT!

Last March 31, the flight back to my hometown was cancelled due to bad weather. If you happened to read my blog, My first taste of flight inconvenience you already know how messy that day was for me, and I refuse to recall the summary of events on that day simply because I just don't want to remember it. Period.

Okay. Let's cut to the chase. As a way of making up for the disrupted flight, the airline gave freebie to the annoyed passengers. In this case, the freebie is a FREE FLIGHT to any local destination, valid for 6 months. Yay!!! Isn't it such a great idea? I have an upcoming trip this June and I might as well make use of it.

So last week I called the number on the card eager to claim my free flight. The operator asked for the travel voucher number. Hell, what is that? That personnel in the airport only gave me a card which resembles a calling card with their hotline number on it and an instruction at the back on how to redeem the free flight. There was no writing of any number of sorts that would look like a travel voucher or whatever.

Then she said "Ah, they must have given you the old tavel voucher. I'll just check our record for the number." So we're settled then.

After two minutes......

Apparently, Cebu airport hasn't updated their system. Meaning - they haven't allocated a travel voucher yet for those flight cancelled on March 31st. Meaning - I won't be able to redeem that effing free flight yet, though the guidelines clearly said it is redeemable 24 hours after flight disruption. 24 hours had definitely passed. It's been almost 2 weeks my friend. What the heck!

I made another call after an hour (coz she said so) hoping their system has been updated. And probably by then she can see my name on the list telling her I am entitled to that damn freaking free flight. Well, looks like I'm into some wild goose chasing. Their system cannot put up with my simple demand coz until this very day, this very hour, they still ask me to call back tomorrow. Then the day after tomorrow and so on and so forth. C'mon! I mean we're not in 1960s?! We're suppose to have real-time data and information as commnication is getting better and sophisticated these days.

I really had enough!

Screw Cebu Pacific and your fuckin' free flight!!!!

How do you react when a friend tells you he/she is getting married?

"Wow! Congratulations!"
"Oh I'm happy for you."
"I'm glad you and (state fiance / fiancee's name) are finally settling down."

How do I write this blog without sounding pathetic?

When two of my best girl friends tied the knot after college I couldn't be happier. Who doesn't love weddings? The sight of someone close to you donning her white wedding dress, walking down the aisle, looking beautiful as ever, on her way to start a meaningful life, to leading a happy family is what every friend wants for her friend. I become exceptionally emotional and excited at the sound of wedding bells even more if it belongs to someone you grow up with, went to school with, who's been with you on girl night-outs on a Saturday night, someone you could share your darkest deep secrets, your shopping and parlor buddy. Imagine the whirl of emotions ramming through your heart. What makes it even more difficult is to face the fact that everything you've shared and went through will never be the same again.

I know it's normal to feel that way, to feel sad. But years ago I'd feel ridiculous about the idea of getting married at a young age. I had a promising career, on my way to becoming my dreams a reality. With career opportunites within reach, enjoying singlehood, constant dates, simply put, having the time of her life would certainly put marriage idea on the far end list. I didn't see myself staying at home, cooking for my husband, waiting up for him until he arrives from work then we'll have dinner together. I didn't see myself conceiving, giving birth and raising my kids.I hated the thought that I could no longer decide on my own, go wherever I want, do whatever pleases me. I hated the word COMPROMISE.

I was also in an "unhealthy" relationship back then, coupled with financial obligation to my family, made me stood my ground that marriage are for those who have nothing else to do with their life. Uh-oh! Married people are gonna hate me for saying that. But that was a long time ago when my brain used to think like a twisted rod. I mean there was so much going on with my life that I could not stop for a moment and think about finding the right one and settle down.

Before I knew it, everyone's walking down the aisle like it was some kind of fad I know nothing of. Everybody were so into it until it finally hit me that one by one, one after another, those people I knew and grow up with, my classmates, playmates, colleagues had already pledged "I DOs".

Two years ago my bestfriend texted me she's getting married and all I did was cry. That was the first time I cried over a wedding news. I felt so alone. It seemed everyone is leaving me behind. As if I was doomed to remain single and alone forever. I dreaded that thought. I dreaded that possiblity. I dreaded that looming fact like death itself.

That's when I knew I was being hypocrite all along. That I took high regard of myself. That I was pretentious. That I was conceited and egoistic. It had to take all of my relationships to falter and my friends to get marry before I'd realize that.

As if the realization that struck me wasn't fair enough, the conjuring universe is up for yet another trick. Another close friend of mine texted this morning that she's getting hitch next year. I carefully digged for the right word to say and I was like " Really?! Good for you. I'm glad you found the one." But deep inside I'm praying and hoping that one day, I'll find the right one too. For when that time comes, when it's my turn to break the news, that's when I can finally say I'm complete. That's when everything I worked hard for will see its purpose. That's when everything I went through life will find it's meaning. That's when I can say I wasn't born to be alone.

the search for the perfect blog template

I didn't know that looking for a fitting and perfect blog template poses to be a tedious task. It all started with my desire to modify some settings, and eventually decided to change my template into something that would signify my taste and personality. Initially I wanted a black background with bright sparkling font colors embellished with girly stuff. Something refreshing and easy on the eye. Something that speaks about my blog with just one look at it. Simple but not too plain.

I found a couple feminine, arty designs and downloaded it immediately. Heck, the posting date doesn't work. It just says "undefined". Crap! Scratch that. I scoured several websites, downloaded a dozen template, uploaded the xml file at least 12 times until I finally settled with the "one", yes, the one I'm using right now. It's not exactly what I've been looking for but I love the color combination. And the caricature of that girl on the left is very much like me - loves to dress up, loves boots - stylish and fashionable in her own right.

the good old days

I was on my desk, facing the computer, willing my mind to finish the task at hand when I heard a music coming off from my boss' PC - New Kid in Town by Eagles. Suddenly I was singing along and to my surprise I knew the whole lyrics. Can't help but smile with that thought. My boss might actually think I was born in the 60's or when Eagles dominated the music scene in the 70's. For the record I was born in 1981, a decade of best music, strange hairtstyles and worst dresses.

Growing up in an old-fashion family at an old-fashion way offered some perks you learn to appreciate in the long run. Music is one good example. My parents don't like to listen to obnoxious rap songs and noisy, heavy metal bands. Of course, you can't blame them for that! Literally I grew up with The Beatles, The Cascades, Eagles and the likes. The Eagles is one of my personal favorite band from the 70's. I love their songs. Simply classic and cool. And the way they do the harmony? Amazing! They have one of the best voices. Glen Frey is one hella guitar guy. I remember my uncle used to imitate him. He (my uncle) is a great guitar player too until paralysis crippled him. He and his friends used to hang around the old house playing guitar and singing their heart out. I would sit at a corner and listen to them from afar. My father is also a music lover and jams with them occasionally. He loves to play the piano and I can remember them taking a stab at Hotel California. Though they didn't sound perfectly like Eagles, it wasn't bad either.
Hotel California is my most favorite and I envied the way they tickled and plucked the guitar, and how the song sounded enthralling and mesmerizing to my ears. There were issues then, purporting the song is satanic, conceals a different meaning and mocking God. It was very controversial at that time, and at my age, I could not fathom the meaning behind the song. And now that I'm older I still can't figure out why was it dubbed demonic.

I was kinda inspired by this song, actually. Would you believe that? Because I wanted to acquire just a little of Frey's ability to strum the guitar like that, I begged my uncle to give me a guitar lesson for beginners. In a matter of days I learned to strike a few chords until I was able to work my way through the song I was practicing. But I wasn't born to be a guitar genius. My earnest desire to learn the guitar soon became stale and I stopped playing eventually. Now whenever I see someone who is really good at it, it makes me cringe with envy and wished I should have considered that leisure seriously.
So I ended up digging my old MP3s and played them while long-time-ago memories came flooding back. It felt nice to reminisce those good old days when life was still stress-free and less complicated. It felt nice to look back at those times when my father was still around, my uncle at the prime of his health, doing the things that make them happy - singing and playing guitar. It felt nice to realize that music had truly became a part of the most unforgettable days of our lives. It felt nice to know how our family bonded together despite the difficult challenges we have had. Those good old days are priceless, yet nostalgic. Good thing the songs are still alive to remind me of the childhood I used to have.

Shoes to die for

We girls love to dress up, have our hair done, & put on some make-up. In plain simple words, we love looking good. However, looking good means donning the right pair of shoes to match your outfit. Once you found the perfect pair, you're on your way to glamour.
I browsed yahoo's main page and came across with extreme high-heel shoes, up to 12 inches! No kidding!!!! Thrilled, I went on to see some pictures, and boy, look what we got.
*****Photos courtesy of www.yahoo.com********

Absolutely, towering!!!!! I wonder if I can manage to walk in these. I love shoes, high-heels in particular but I've gone to wearing up to 4 inches only. And these would have been more than 6 inches. Ouch!!!

Now these are crazy!!! Really. Who on earth would like to wear these kind of shoes????? Correct answer.... Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga wore the 12-inch Alexander Mc Queen shoes in her Bad Romance music video. Yes, 12 inches!!! If it's hard to imagine, go pick a ruler. I've yet to see the video but clearly I could not see myself strutting on those danger-posing, fracture-prone, weirdly designed shoes EVER!
While these are the ones to die for :

Who wants this? Who wants this? Me! Me! Me!
This one is a sure fire hit. It ROCKSSS!!!! Whew! I've always love boots. I wish I would have the nerve to wear one like this someday.
This is Gucci by the way, so don't dare ask how much it costs.

This one's super nice also. Simple yet elegant. But the heel is too high (that's why its called high-heels, idiot!)
Perfect for casual and jeans.

I have a shoes similar to this, except that it was color brown, snake skin, pointed, minus the tie.
I think this is cool too!

Cute! Though I still think my Charles & Keith wedge is the B-E-S-T!!!

MERALCO's crazy power surge

While checking out my twitter, one of whom I follow posted a link to Chuvaness' blog. The post is about her MERALCO bill last March that went unbelievably high, doubled her Feb's bill. PHP 41,902.95 beat that!!!! What makes me even wonder is the rapid increase in KWH rate from PHP 5.02 in March 2009 to PHP 6.67 in March 2010. That's a whooping 32.8% increase! OH. MY. GOD. PHILIPPINES.
I didn't know electricity in this country is quite a luxury. Why is it so expensive? PHP 6.67 rate per KWH is quite big. An average household normally consumes 1000, multiply that by 6.67 gives you PHP 6,670 excluding charges and other add-ons that believe me, is as high as Mount Everest itself. That's big money already. And that's if you exert an effort to minimize monthly power consumption by taking measures such as unplugging unused appliance, switching off lights when not used, using power saving bulbs, flatscreen monitor instead of CRT (yeah it helps), electric fan instead of aircon, defrost fridge at night, using gas stoves, clothes hand washed and hung to dry and so on and so forth...
I don't live in Manila that's why I'm not aware of this whole MERALCO crazy power rate. Back home, in Mindanao, my mother would go nuts when our electric bill looms around PHP 1000.00 and that didn't even come close to Chuvaness' amazing 41K bill! I'm not sure how much we pay for every KWH consumption, surely it's not PHP 6.67 though. I don't go into details and our electric bill hasn't gone insane as far as I could remember.
However, it doesn't mean I'm not livid with this kind of oppression. This is clearly another "electrifying" cruelty among our people by the tyrant, almighty government. A lot of people think MERALCO (Manila Electric Company) is solely owned by the Lopez Family, but check this out : The government actually holds the biggest share, 24%, and holds three (3) of the eleven (11) board seats. And they did this to us? What happened to "government is for the people, by the people and of the people"? Damn this administration! Damn you Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo!
Now I understand why many investors fled out of the country. Why we don't go forward, why we are poor, why we are always behind. Our nation is corrupt. Our government officials don't feel any sort of sympathy to the people. I hope someone out there will make a stand to stop this deliberate oppression and abuse of power. I hope whoever will be the next president will remain truthful to his word in advocating interest and welfare of the Filipino people.

My quest to an effective weight and fat loss (And I mean R-E-S-U-L-T-S!!!)

I'm not dreaming.
I'm wide awake.
I'm not making things up.
I'm not insane.
I've got the results and its waaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

Okay.

Flashback...

Last month I blogged about going to the gym and enrolling myself in aerobics class (see Something to look FORWARD) and promised to share whatever result will come out of it. Before I sweat out my butt on those grueling bench press and before I found myself catching for breath after an exhausting cardio session, I took time to jot down my weight and body measurement. Anxious to know had my body responded to the program which I painstakingly followed for a month (3-5 sessions per week), I collected the courage to grab the tape measure and see for myself!

And now for the results..... Drum roll please.....

As of March 2010 :
shoulder - 35.5 in.
back - 32 in.
hips - 34 in.
waist - 31.5 in. (really???!!!)
thigh - 20.5 in.
arm - 10.5 in.

As of April 2010 :
shoulder - 34.5 in. (-1 in.)
back - 31 in. (-1 in.)
hips - 32.5 in. (-1.5 in)
waist - 29.5 in.  (-2 in.)
thigh - 20 in. (-0.5 in.)
arm - 10.5 in. (right! it's not a typo error)

My weight dropped to almost 4lbs from 120.2lbs to 116.8lbs

Isn't that great news? I know, I know the differences are not quite huge and significant. Take note I've been working out for a month yet. Experts at the gym say it usually takes 2-3 months before results are noticed. Yay!!!! At least I have some ground to hold on to and I'm glad the excruciating sit-up and leg raise did pay off hahahaha!!!

Though I would like to give the gym thing more credit for, it is of no doubt that my calorie intake and food choice also did the trick.

Here are some eating tips I incorporated during my month long weight loss saga. And I don't intend to sound like a slimming guru here, aryt?

1. Calories count, so count the calories. I'm saying, be mindful of what you eat. You won't believe me but I tell you what : I once kept a calorie list for a week. I write down everything I eat, as in everything that goes through my mouth that requires swallowing, from candies to beverages (except water, my gosh it's zero calorie!), from breakfast to dinner, from morning to afternoon snacks. You might have pondered what a challenging, mind-cracking activity I've gotten myself into, don't you? But wait  until I tell you the real challenge : I will also write down the equivalent calorie for each entry I made. This is when the information super highway (internet) becomes indispensable. From there, I can compute my average daily calorie intake. And since I am nosey, I found a site where you can inquire about your Basal Metabolic Rate. So simple! Just enter your height, age, and weight info then you're on your way to finding out why the last diet attempt didn't work out for you. By the way, BMR is the number of calories you'd burn even if you stay all day, everyday in bed!

So now I have an idea what is my ideal calorie intake per day and how much of the extra I need to burn.

2. Don't skip meals. If you're a believer of this nonsense then stop it now. You're just hurting yourself and ruining your health. Skipping meal will only prompt hunger and the next thing you know, you're devouring all the food at the table on your next meal. What did I say about excessive calorie intake by the way?
I read this somewhere and I think it makes sense. Our body seems to have it's own mind. If you eat too little and exercise too much, chances are, your body will go into starvation mode and hoard fats instead of burning it. Just so you know, fats are essential to our survival and so our body thinks it is wiser to keep them if we're starving ourselves.

3. Eat 5-6 small meals. Are you kidding me??! I'm going on weight loss yet you're telling me to eat more than 3 meals a day? That's exactly my initial reaction. But when I read back, I noticed the word "small", which means you will divide your daily caloric requirement into 5 or 6 times. Accordingly, this will aid to increasing your BMR.

There you go.... I hope next month I'm going to discover another significant result in my quest to regain the figure I used to have.

I'm such a cry baby

The last time I cried over a heart-warming novel was when I read Dear John by Nicholas Sparks. Two weeks later, I read another best-selling book by him, The Last Song, and you guessed it right - I cried, nonstop.

A lot of you might think I'm OA (overacting), exaggerated, silly, or perhaps stupid. I'm just a cry baby. And I realize that just lately.

When  I read, I don't simply read the lines. I put myself into the main character's role making myself engrossed and engulfed in his/her fictional world. I feel happy when he/she is happy. I get mad when he/she is betrayed. I'm hurt when he/she is hurting. It seems like an invisible, thin cord connects my consciousness to the role which in turn control my reflexes and emotion. Even if I could relate to the character's loss and/or triumph, that doesn't make me cry easily. Like I've said, making me cry is like making a stone to bleed. That masquerade, however, is subjugated whenever the subject at hand talks about dogs and fathers.

I always have soft spot for dogs. But this novel isn't about dogs. There wasn't even a single mention of man's bestfriend on it.

The Last Song talks about first love, summer love. Talks about life, the choices you make and how these choices affect relationships. It's about second chances, forgiveness and how to make it up to someone you've caused hurt.

No, these are not the factors that made me cry. It was when Ronnie learned to forgive his father, they we're making up for their lost time together, then she found out her father had barely a year to live. Her father died.

I lost my father when I was 13 years old. He died of a heart attack. It was his first heart attack and little did we know it was going to be fatal. We didn't sense he was having a frail heart condition at that time. I never remembered him sick, went to the doctor, having chest pains, breathing problems or even complained he felt anything weird in his body. Everything about him was normal. Healthy. Until one fateful night, past midnight when my mother woke up to the sound of his persistent, breath-catching cough. He was having a hard time breathing.

My mother brought him to the hospital. I don't know if he was still conscious or not when they reached there. The last thing my mother remembered, they were ushered to the emergency room, nurses putting in tubes for the oxygen tank, and then, came the dreaded news. My father didn't last an hour in that emergency room. He left us.

I still remember well, how the sad news came to me.

I thought I was dreaming.

I heard someone crying.

I thought it was my mother's.

Sure enough I opened my eyes, got on my feet and went straight to the kitchen. I saw my mother, crying. Hysterical.

For a second there I couldn't move. I wasn't quite sure if it was reality or nightmare.

When the bad news dawned on me I still couldn't believe it. It was like a practical joke that didn't seem funny. I'm not sure if I was in denial then. I just couldn't process the fact or the thought that last night I was still talking to my father, having dinner, discussing plans - and suddenly he is gone. Forever.

Being the eldest and only daughter, I'm very close to  my father. A daddy's girl - as my mother would point out. He was my teacher when having a hard time solving math problems. He would obligingly do my art project because I'm too clumsy to even draw a straight line. He's always been proud of me and he's the kind of father any daughter could ask for.

That was 15 long years ago yet the pain still throbs whenever I think of him or whenever I stumble upon a similar situation that would clearly remind me of the loss. I would cry, unable to hold up, sustain and will my emotion. There was no getting over with the feeling from his demise. It remained fresh and unsullied.

How I wished my father was there when I graduted from high school, when I received my scholarship in college, when I became a Dean's Lister, when I finally got my diploma, when I turned eighteen, when I fell in love, when I had my first boyfriend and first broken heart. I wished he was there when I set out for work, when I got a call to my first job, when I had my first salary. All the important, memorable moments of my life I wished with a fervent heart that he was there.

What aches me even more is the fact he won't be walking with me to the altar when I get married. That he won't be able to hold, see and play with his grandchildren. (that remains to be seen as getting married and have children is far from the list right now.)

I missed him. I wish I had the chance to tell him how much I love him, how much he means to me. I hope I was able to make him feel I'm proud to be his daughter, that I will never trade him for any man in this world. He will forever remain in our hearts and he will always be the man whom I truly love.

Obsession

Obsession comes in different forms and varieties. I don't mean to sound overboard coz I'm definitely not talking about the other despicable side of obsession which is the compulsive disorder. But wait, obsession is indeed compulsive. Isn't your mind go screaming when you want something badly? Isn't that you can't sleep at night coz your thoughts are on the latest gadget you saw on iStore? You can't shake off that feeling of wanting, needing, longing for that stuff that's been hunting you, screaming "Get me! Get me!". We'll that's I'm exactly feeling right now.

I'm obsessed with techie stuff. The apple of my eye right now is apple's iPod touch. Okay, okay, I get it. I'm a bit late in professing my desire to own an iPod touch since it's been in the market long ago (like long time ago, iPad is on its way, idiot!) and I'm pretty sure most people are enjoying it right now. I've heard about it. Seen it at iStore last year. But I didn't dig into it's ability and functionality like I always do when there's a new kid in town! Not until my boss brought his daughter's iPod at the office and I was like "Ok, let me check this out." From the very moment I held it and scrutinized all its application and functions, I knew I'm in big trouble. I knew myself well. When it comes to gadgets and techie stuff - I'm a sucker! And I can hear that little evil voice inside my head screaming "I want that iPod!!!"

It's expensive. The fact that I don't make enough salary to splurge on everything I want at any given time is frustrating, add that to the fact I'm saving up for a trip on June. Haayyyy... Why doesn't money grow on trees? I would have planted a forest.

Another entry on my to-buy list : x-mini.

If you're fond of music including those amazing, portable gadgets that goes along with it, then you probably know what I'm talking about.

Big things truly come in small packages. That holds true for the x-mini. It's a small, portable, capsule speaker with a superb, crisp audio quality. You won't believe your ears when you hear the sound, it's like coming off from an altec lansing complete with bass and woofer.

But before that I was actually thinking of buying a new phone and a laptop. But way to go... My travel syndrome is kicking in as much as i want to buy all Tweety bird collectibles. You won't believe me but I find tweety adorable and I "wav" (tweety's way of saying love) her. And oh I want an e-book as well. I'm a huge reader and it's going to be perfect. I can buy all Nicholas Sparks, James Patterson books I've been eyeing at my favorite bookstore.

Hair is my problem

There's no point denying that every single day I get pissed off with my hair. It's dry. Unmanageable. Tangles in all direction. The mortifying split ends. And verbally suggests a comb should come handy and ready at all times. We all know for a fact that for us, girls, our hair is a crowning glory. Isn't those shampoo commercial implies a sunny disposition when you have a smooth, shiny, lusciously black long hair?I guess that's the reason why saloons are there in the first place - to cater to your hair needs and magically turn it just like the way you've seen it on TV.

Hair treatment and all sorts of make-over have seriously put a dent on every woman's financial earning. I've learned long ago that most women are obsessed with their hair as much as they are with their bodies. We can't hide it, beautiful hair equally gives you a stunning impression and an envy of the less fortunate females who constantly suffer on bad hair day moments.

Last year, I started contemplating on having my hair curled. I have this unexplainable delight with curls that everytime I see celebrities donning curly hair on TV, I can't help but admit they look sexy and sohisticated on that. Well, who doesn't want to look gorgeous? The scientist in me decided to buy a curling iron, experimented with it and see what will I look like in curls. And... drum rolls please.... tada!!!! Thank God I don't look bad. Most of my friends even complimented it suits me and I look more feminine.  And when I asked my best friends if I should consider a career in the curly-hair department - they all said yes. They've always been very supportive of me even at my most idiosyncratic behavior. Even if I go bald Britney Spears style they would still be as encouraging as ever. Yes, they are my friends.

Now the irony is I've tried to keep my hair straight for years. I would undergo a hair straightening session once a year just to achieve that ideal, model-look kind of hair. So I'm confused. Should I go curl? Or keep it straight? Ugghhh.. Why are girls born fickle-minded? It would have made decision-making way lot easier. It would be easier to choose curl from straight. And I would no longer be blogging about it. And I would have gone straight to the saloon and tell the stylist what exactly I want. And now I'm out of my mind hahaha!

Another Vampire craze

Vampire.
Werewolves.
Witches.
Supernatural powers.

I don’t know why most people are so into it. 

When 2008 saw the coming of the most popular and irresistible vampire of all time, Edward Cullen, I found those tales of creatures with fang and blood-shot eyes enchanting. Just so you know, I got so hooked with the Twilight saga that I watched it more than once and read the entire four books (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn) with so much passion. But to tell you frankly, if it weren’t for Edward Cullen’s character, I’m sure as hell that I won’t be spell bounded by the book’s charm. Why? Coz Twilight is just another high-school romance novel except that the male protagonist is a vampire who falls in love with a clumsy, accident-prone human girl. But damn, Stephanie Mayer is one hell of an author who knows what lines to say, when to say it and somehow I find myself wishing I was the lucky Bella Swan. I can’t help but fall in love with Edward.

Not long ago, I read somewhere about ‘The Vampire Diaries’ gaining positive feedback from viewers. It’s a weekly series in some cable channel which I didn’t pay much attention to, until I went home for a holiday and heard my friend talking about it. The next thing I knew I was watching it on DVD compilation. The first episode didn’t seem compelling (as always) but as the story progressed, I wandered through the mysterious, baffling fold of events and I’m hooked.

The story revolves around Elena, the subject of the vampire brothers’ affection. Stefan is a 145-year old, good vampire who feeds on animal blood (just like Edward) while his older brother, Damon , who is, obviously the opposite of good, feeds on human blood. Their rivalry sprang from the year 1864 when they both fell in love to Katherine, who was a dead ringer for Elena. Needless to say, Elena and Stefan fell in love leaving Damon the history-repeats-itself kind of feeling. Later in the series I found out that Katherine was a vampire and the one who turned Stefan and Damon. The story has lots of complex characters and settles on the history of Mystic Falls (the name of their town), which literally had a bunch of mystifying facts and events looming around. There was also an unlikely participation of witches, and my hunch silently whisper there’ll be werewolves too since I learned from Twilight and any other blood-sucker movies that werewolves and vampires are a package deal. Well, that remains to be seen. I’m still halfway through the first season and I’m bugging my friend to lend me her copy coz mine’s not complete. See how desperate I can get.

One thing I like about Vampire Diaries is it keeps you edgy on your seat. Surprises you with new revelations and new characters that add  more mystery  and bemusement to the supposed simple plot of the story. And I love Elena's character. She is rational, pleasant, responsible and sensible young lady. Though she loved Stefan, she never let her feelings went pass through her when she found out the scary truth about Stefan, which is very much the opposite of Bella Swan - rebellious, judgmental, unreasonable and selfish. But hey, love conquers all. No matter how she try to drive Stefan away, she's falling harder for him.

So what’s with vampires that make us fascinated by their legend? Are they for reel or real? Could they be out there hiding for hundred years? Is there such thing as immortality? Could someone be invincible and fast as a speeding bullet? These questions often pose speculation on my part each and every time I’m immersed into the world of vampirism. For one, I want to be an immortal. I want to be in this world forever. I want to stop aging and overrule human frailty and vulnerability. I want to be faster than the fastest racing car (it could save me a lot of time and money haha!). I want to be indesctructible. I want to use that mind-compelling spell to anyone I want to charm. And above all, I wonder what human blood taste like. Yuck!!!

That's what I get for going gaga over these vampire tales.

Get a life! You, Adam Corolla!!

I heard another controversy during the primetime news last night. A radio host apparently threw off some degrading racial slur to the entire Filipino nation. Here's what he said :

***Quote :

" An Italian-American radio host is in trouble for lashing out at the entire Filipino nation including Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, calling him illiterate and for implying that the Philippines is a nation of whores 
Adam Corolla, an Italian-American comedian who made a name as radio host in his own shows known as 'The Adam Corolla Podcast' , 'Loveline' and 'The Adam Corolla Show', is in big trouble for verbally attacking Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao in his program. 
(See the above video to hear Carolla's remarks) 
Not contented with his racial assault on the Filipino boxing icon by calling him "a f****ing idiot" and illiterate, Corolla continued his tirade on the entire Filipino nation by implying that the Philippines is a nation of whores. 
Examiner.com reports: 
Adam Carolla starts off his vulgar tirade by bashing Manny for not giving blood before a fight. He then proceeds to say that Manny is off “praying to chicken bones” and that you don’t have to respect him because he’s a “fu**ing idiot”. “Someone has to tell him that it doesn’t make a difference.”[/i]“Here’s how you know when your country doesn’t have a lot going for it: When everything is about Manny Pacquiao...Get a fu**in life as a country” 
He goes on to say, “All you fu**in got is just an illiterate guy who happens to smash other guys in the head better than other people. Really, you want some guy with brain damage running your country? Why don’t you get your sh*t together?” 
He added: “All they have over there is Manny Pacquiao and sex stores. Get your shit together, Philippines!...What happens when Floyd Mayweather beats him? Then what? Does the whole country go into depression?” 
It is quite clear from the statement made by Corolla that he was attacking Pacquiao and the entire Filipino nation. 
Whatever his motivation in uttering these racist and degrading statements, he did not share them with the public. 
In the meantime, damage has been done not only in the person of Manny Pacquiao but to the entire Filipino nation. 
A timely apology could prevent the Filipino people particularly the millions of Pacquiao fans from taking radical actions that will prevent this comedian from repeating the same irresponsible action. "

Unquote ***

Who the hell are you ADAM COROLLA?????

This wasn't the first time I heard someone humiliated the Philippines and the Filipinos in general. Normally, my reaction would be : "uh yeah?" But this time I couldn't help but feel sick to my stomach. This man's really gotten to my nerves.

First off, I don't know who you are Mr. Adam Corolla. I don't know what you're trying to pull off. And I don't care if you're famous, respectable in your field or some big-shot radio host. All I know is you are PATHETIC. Read that? P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C! And you are a sore LOSER! Coz if you're not, then you should not be dragging Manny Pacquiao's name and our country's reputation into your shameless kind-of-circus radio program. And for what? For a few minutes of fame? To draw more listeners? To create some hype and you, of course, is the center of attention. Shame on you!

Yes, Philippines is not a great nation. Yes, we have the most corrupt governance (if there's going to be a ranking of the most corrupt government in the universe, I'm pretty sure we're on top!) Yes, we are poor. Yes, there's a lot  going on in our country - but that's the least of your concern.

I'll tell you what :  Just because Manny Pacquiao is not fluent and articulate in speaking English doesn't mean he's illiterate. Just because he wants to run for public office instead of focusing on his match with  Mayweather doesn't mean he's a "fucking idiot".  And oh, this whole Mayweather fight is not the be-all and end-all of our existence. We have so many problems going on and we've gone through many calamities and disasters unimaginable. So if ever he losses over Mayweather, that will not make us succumb to depression. Coz you know why? We're one STRONG nation and we are far BETTER than you are.

But this sex stores really bothers me. Forgive my ignorance but I didn't know there are lots of sex stores here in the Philippines. You gotta be kidding me. Really! Educate me please... Can you tell me where these are? Coz if you happen to know these sex stores, it means that you've gone to them, which makes you even worse than all Filipina whores combined!

I feel lucky and happy that I don't share the same blood and race as you are. It sucks being you! And if one day I'll die and live again, I'd still want to be a Filipino. No amount of humiliation, disgrace, insult and racism can put us down. And for the record, we do not step on somebody else's toe just to get a good mileage of our show.