Strictly Senyorita: the beginning of everything else.

Goodbye 2011.

2011-12-31T17:17:00.000+08:00

2011. This is my fourth attempt to blog about EVERYTHING I went through this year. This is my least favorite year in all of my existence. I reached breaking point and the only thing I look forward to is the end of each month. But then again, I would realize that after an end is the beginning of a new month. And the cycle would continue again. Every day, I wish I could fast forward to 2012 because I became paranoid that if the year continued, the streak of unfortunate events would go on and on. I lost everything just when I was starting to get 'comfortable.' I mean EVERYTHING. I got hurt, mad, almost gave up.

I learned to be wiser, stronger, keep calm, and the biggest lesson of all: keep the FAITH. As long as you have faith, you will understand that nothing is too much to take, you will have a bigger threshold for bad vibes, and have powerful strength to soldier on. Believe in God's higher purpose and leave everything up to Him. I owe a LOT to him and after all the trials I went through, I am still standing.

Time's up, 2011. You can leave now. Hello, 2012. I have a good feeling about you. <3

Buwelo.

2011-11-17T14:32:00.000+08:00

Slow down to speed up. Sink to swim. Fall down to get up. I'm looking forward to the day when I am ready to pick up where I left off. For now, I need to be low key. Buwelo muna.

breathe

2011-10-06T12:42:00.000+08:00

As the Michelle Branch song goes, "Everything is alright if I just breathe." On my way to work this morning, I was wondering how many songs were written about taking a step back and breathing. I checked my iPod and I have 6 songs:

"Breathe" - Michelle Branch
"Breathe" - Faith Hill
"Breathe (2AM)- Anna Nalick
"Breathe Again" - Sara Bareilles
"Breathing"- Lifehouse
"Breathing Underwater"- Marie Digby

Each song has a different meaning, especially Lifehouse and Faith Hill's songs but the other 4 all say that when it gets too much to take, when you reach that thin line between giving up or seeing how much more you can take, breathe. You'd be surprised at how much your mind would get clearer and make more rational decisions.

Breathing is also a core yogic principle that got me drawn to the practice. See, when you attend your first-ever yoga class, the instructor will always teach you to breathe. Breathing is more important rather than perfecting the poses or being flexible. One of my instructors would always say that "As long as you are breathing, you are doing yoga. True practice begins outside the mat." I live by this principle, and I think it has helped me get through my toughest moments.

2011 is the worst year of my life, and that's an understatement. I wake up each day wishing it was a different day because I am not used to living this life. There's three more months left in the year and honestly, I am expecting the worst. I know that if I get my hopes up, I will prolly set myself up for even more disappointment. Each time I talk to God, I pray for more strength because I don't think these problems would go away anytime soon. I don't ever want to reach the point where I won't care about anything anymore. Now I can't think of any quick, logical solution but to BREATHE and have faith.

yep. it's everything.

2011-09-23T12:16:00.000+08:00

"Chemistry. If you have chemistry, then you only need one thing. TIMING."
- Robyn, How I Met Your Mother

Cebu-Bohol Vacation Part 3

2011-09-10T11:16:00.000+08:00

The next morning, we slept in and woke up in time for the trip to Alona Beach. We didn't visit Virgin Island or go island hopping because we were pressed for time and because of the ferry experience, tried to stay away from anything sea-related- so to speak. Wouldn't you love waking up to this view?

Bohol Wonderlagoon pool

saw this hammock right outside the room

Good morning, Bohol! (Achi Helen and me)

After breakfast, a van dropped us off to Alona Beach which was only 10 minutes away from the resort. The strip reminded me of Boracay but with less people.

sand is also similar to Boracay, except less powder-y

perfect coconut tree with shadow post!

The water still didn't seem too safe to swim in so we spent time at one of the restaurants to eat peanut kisses and hang out. I ordered mango shake and they had a couple of beers by the beach.


saw this cute bench

We still had an hour or two before checkout and the resort's mini lagoon was all ours. (We went night swimming the night before.) We loved the poolside bar so all our photo-ops.

planking with Achi Cha!

Because there were no people around, I couldn't resist doing planking shots by the pool so I'll show you one! (But I hope I don't get in trouble for posting this planking pic. Hahaha!)

Before lunch, we checked out and had lunch before heading to the ferry back to Cebu. Thankfully, there were no more waves, no more barfing and the ride back was 10x smoother and we all fell asleep for 2 hours.

We were all so tired but still managed to continue the food tripping. We had dinner a Co-Jordan, which was similar to dampa but with a fishing village. We ate fresh crabs and shrimp with our hands. Yummy! One of the best things about Cebu is the yummy, cheap food at almost every corner.

Then we had coffee at La Marea in IT Park. I ordered a caramel machiatto and they served the espresso and milk separately. We also had brownie cream pies, cheesecake which tasted good too.

It was 11PM but we wanted to maximize the vacation so we went to Thai Boran for a foot massage. The foot massage is only P199 but it's one of the best! We had the whole room to ourselves which was filled with reclining lazyboy sofas, relaxing music plus a lavender-minty smell. They also call the service "foot massage" but it's like a semi-full body massage. They massage your hands, back, neck and head They give you hot towels and tea at the end of the massage. Hay, so relaxing!

We went back to my cousin's house that night very relaxed and almost ready to say goodbye to Cebu the next day.

Bohol Bee Farm

2011-09-10T10:27:00.000+08:00

My most awaited part of the trip: Bohol Bee Farm!!! After reading about it online and recommendations from 4/5 friends who went to Bohol recently, I am so glad this became part of our itinerary.

Bohol Bee Farm is an organic farm that is "a sanctuary hidden from the world."

It's roughly 20 minutes away from our hotel but the extra travel time, not to mention transportation fee, was well worth it. The place is perfect for R & R because you'll really feel close to nature. The sign from their Buzzz cafe says "Live Well. Laugh Often. Love Much," -a good reminder for me these days and why I actually went on this vacation.

We went inside the store to check out their products for sale and we saw a lot or spreads, honey, wine, cupcakes, coffee, tea, sugar, and ice cream to name a few. I bought wild honey bottles for my mom, pesto spreads, and lemongrass tea while my cousins got coconut wine. (They said it was yummy). They offer free taste of almost all their food too.

organic sandwich spreads

honey

tea

I loved this separate room inside the store so my cousin took a picture while I was on the phone with my mom.

After shopping, we went to their restaurant. On the way there, you'd pass by their living room and indoor pool. They also had a hotel room but we didn't get to see the inside.

indoor pool

our only group pic in Bohol!

They offered different kinds of food and even a buffet that costed P420 per pax but you have to be at least 11 in the group to avail. We chose the special set which consisted of basically the same items on the menu but only one serving. Check out all these delicious, healthy food!

hungry family haha

mango, pesto and honey spreads. (Pesto is my fave! I brought a bottle home.)

cassava chips + pesto sauce

Bread for starters

seafood lasagna

salad with real petals + balsamic dressing

soy glazed chicken, ribs and seafood soup

grilled blue marlin

brown rice with margarine

mango + malunggay ice cream

We drank iced lemongrass juice with honey which was not in the pictures. It was refreshing and tasted like salabat (ginger tea) but milder. We weren't able to finish all the food so we took it back to the hotel for breakfast the next day. I tried everything including the fish and veggies which is a BIG achievement for me! Afterwards, we went back to the hotel and went to bed happy and healthy. I'm not a big fan of healthy and organic places but trust me, Bohol Bee Farm is a very very relaxing and nice way to detoxify and wash all the stress away.

Cebu- Bohol Vacation Part 2

2011-09-03T22:31:00.001+08:00

Starting the morning early, we all went to the port to secure tickets to Bohol since we all anticipated the high volume of people spending the long weekend there. We got tickets at around 6AM and left Cebu at 8:30. I also realized that the Cebu-Bantayan route is even more exhausting because it's 5 hours away from the city. Bohol is the ideal choice for beach bumming + countryside tour.

The 2-hr Supercat ferry experience was the choppiest, scariest ferry ride my whole life. There was a typhoon on that day so that could be the culprit. Good thing they warned us about the HUGE waves beforehand so I was able to take Bonamine 3 minutes into the ferry ride. We all took meds but we didn't expect it to be that bumpy. It felt like being on Anchor's Away (a ride at Enchanted Kingdom) for two hours! At first, the kids were even shouting and cheering because of the waves but half hour into the ferry ride, it was a completely different story.

They started handing out motion discomfort/ barf bags around and the crew couldn't even walk straight so they had to crawl to reach the seats in front. My iPod saved my life. Whenever I started to feel sick, I would crank up the volume and look out the window to have a view of the water. I didn't want to throw up! My sister, who was sitting beside me, was also listening to her iPod in full volume but started crying because she was on the verge of throwing up. (Hahaha!) Then my cousin who's a pediatrician already started throwing up after an hour, followed by my other cousin, who's a nurse. I didn't want to panic so I closed my eyes and meditated (as in slow, breaths like in yoga) and it was somewhat effective, but in between music tracks of my iPod, you could hear barfing sounds around and then the smell has gotten worse. I finished an entire Mentos pack because I was really determined that I wasn't going to throw up. I kept looking at my watch but it seemed like time wasn't moving either!

When the captain announced we were already docking, I wanted to scream for joy. By the time we got off the ferry, the crew informed us that the sea is usually calm. It just happened that there was a storm and it was the strong breeze that caused the hardcore waves. Other passengers looked pale and terrible and they also said it was one of the worst experiences ever. I'm so proud I survived without throwing up and for sure, this is a ferry ride experience to remember for the rest of our lives! Like my cousin said, "Through seasickness and in health, till barf do us part."

We hired a van to tour us around for P2500. The van can fit around 10 people so it's cheaper if you're a big group. The first spot we visited in Bohol was the famous Loboc River Cruise in time for the lunch buffet. We paid P450 each and they served veggies, chicken, pansit, fish, etc. Nothing special, except for the relaxing view of the Loboc River and being serenaded during the lunch. I'm sure it would be a romantic place for couples especially if you cruise at night. However, we didn't enjoy too much because we were all still seasick. :-S

After lunch, we headed to the Philippine Tarsier Conservation Center. Flash photography and making too much noise isn't allowed inside the center. Visitors are no longer allowed to touch them too. We were told that tarsiers are nocturnal "Pero meron namang mga naka-day shift!" Hahaha! There were a very few that were on top of the trees because I guess most of them are in cages sleeping.

The next stop was the man-made forest which was situated in the middle of a highway. Another destination one shouldn't miss in Bohol because it is beautiful. You can actually feel the cool breeze en route to the forest and even smell fresh air- nature at its best.

Then we climbed the picturesque Chocolate Hills. The stairs are worth it because it felt like being inside a postcard, so beautiful. It was green rather than brown when we went there.

Bohol is also famous for a lot of churches including Baclayon Church, which is the oldest coral sandstone church still standing. It's also where the face of the famous Padre Pio appeared in one of the pillars. The church had a very strict dress code and because I was wearing an uber short dress and shorts, they gave us shawls to cover the legs and the back while inside the church. I found it slightly eerie, especially when I imagine all the old friars holding masses years ago. By the time we reached the confession box, I didn't want to take pictures anymore because I started having goosebumps all over. (and not the good kind!) There was also a museum that said "You've never been to Baclayon if you didn't go the museum." but there was an entrance fee and we were pressed for time. After whispering prayers and lighting candles outside, we went to the next stop: the Xotic Zoo with the giant python.

Two shawls for the back and legs.

Outside the church

The zoo was a waste of time for me. There were ostriches, iguanas, the giant python and other exotic pets but I wasn't really interested. I read on a forum though, that it's the cheapest place to get peanut kisses so we hoarded 10 packs. Hahaha! They weren't lying though. We checked other stores and the prices were double or triple so we got a good deal.

With only two hours of sleep, we were so tired and caught naps in-between tourist spots (as in lahat tulog!) so we went to the last tourist spot for the countryside tour: the Blood Compact Monument. We took pictures quickly, and went to our hotel: the Bohol Wonder Lagoon Resort.

It was all our first time to stay in the hotel-resort and were pleasantly surprised with the room and the service. Their pool also had a bar which I found pretty cool and the room was huge. We were 6 people inside the room and we only had to request for an extra mattress to be able to sleep comfortably.

Each room had a different line from a poem or song. Ours was "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. Reminded me so much of high school! :)

We were also famished so we decided to order merienda even if dinner was an hour away. Being a Korean-owned resort, they served Korean noodles with Kim Chi plus complimentary barley. I loved their noodles! Spicy but really yummy.

While waiting for the van to take us to Bohol Bee Farm, we all went night swimming first. The next post will obviously be about Bohol Bee Farm and you'll know why it's my favorite part of the trip! After dinner, we were dead tired so we all slept 10 glorious, restful hours of sleep.

Cebu-Bohol Vacation Part 1

2011-09-02T10:20:00.000+08:00

4-day long weekends are the best. I was able to join my sister and cousins for the Cebu-Bohol trip last August 26-29. It's my second time in Cebu but during the first time, we spent time at Bantayan Beach. This trip was very last-minute that I had no idea what time our flight was and what the itinerary is the night before. I also packed for stuff last minute because to be honest, I wasn't too excited about this trip.

Being a bit OC (a bit lang, promise!), I usually carry around a timed itinerary and is in charge of printing the plane tickets, hotel bookings and even at budgeting. This time, however, Dichi did everything because I wasn't in the original cast. She just told me to bring gimmick clothes, comfy flats, and a swimsuit.

I also had to deal with drama of my own and got sick two nights before the trip and carried over to the first day of the trip. Lesson learned: I will try not to fly again with a cold or flu because your ears really hurt like crazy. It took my ears 12 hours to "pop back" so I was pretty much deaf the entire day. Hassle! It was my first time to fly Zest Air and flights to and from Cebu were not delayed. They were even 10 minutes ahead of schedule. I booked on non-promo fares too and it was pretty cheap. (P3,000 roundtrip)

with Ninong Weng

Achi Charlotte picked us up from the airport and we immediately went to the first stop: Lapu Lapu Shrine. This is also the cheapest place to buy accessories so I hauled a bunch of bracelets and necklaces right away.

The next stop was Neo Neo Grill where my uncle treated us. It's my second time to eat there and their food is really yummy. Their mango milkshakes are awesome and are only P35 per glass. It's basically like dampa so food is always cooked fresh.

After lunch, we didn't waste any more time and continued going to the tourist spots.headed straight to Basilica de Sto Nino. We went around, took pictures, offered a prayer and headed to Fort San Pedro.

Afterwards, we had coffee and cake at CBTL in IT Park. I tried their Espresso and Cream to perk me up because I felt sleepy because of my colds. Then we went to Taoist Temple.

Then we dropped by Cebu Waterfront Hotel and went around Duty Free. I was almost tempted to buy another Longchamp bag because everything was so cheap and you don't need a passport to enter. So cool!
We had dinner at the Alipio residence (fried crabs and pasta!!), took a shower, and went to Nuvo bar for drinks.

Unang gimik! Hahaha

We got home at 2AM and were up by 4AM because we had to catch the earliest ferry ride to Bohol the following day.

one day at a time

2011-08-11T18:47:00.000+08:00

The 'Notes' application in my iPod is pretty useful because during my alone moments such as walking around Makati, in the car going to work or home, and window shopping, thoughts start to pop up and I know I have to keep track. July was particularly hard on me, and I sank to the lowest point of my life. You may think I'm exaggerating when I say that at one point, I was ready to lose everything because I didn't know what to do anymore.

Of all the cliches I've heard from people, the only thing that I can attest to is that time is powerful. It allowed me to see things from a different (or better) perspective, to hurt, to understand and eventually heal and forgive. I don't want to set a deadline on things and decisions to be done but I am slowly taking things one day at a time.

For everyone I've hurt, I am truly sorry but this is my way of dealing with things and all I ask is a bit more time and respect. Problems don't go away if you ignore them, and this is my way of coping. I don't want to control my emotions because this is the only time I've really allowed myself to feel. As selfish as I may sound, sana ako naman ngayon. I'm so tired of being positive and strong for others; moreover pretending that everything's okay. Honestly, if you ask me how things are, I don't even know what to answer. One thing's for sure, I am not 100% back to myself. But at least I can sleep without the help of sleeping pills and I started eating again.

This list is what keeps me guided right now. I've crossed out two of the things and this week I am finishing "The Chocolate Lovers Club." The fave drink at Starbucks is quite easy, but the only time I get to visit the coffee shop is through team meetings where my standard order is caramel frap. I also take Wednesday classes in yoga which is more advanced. The Greenbelt chapel has been one of my usual places to drop by during lunch or after work because I know I need to talk to Him now more than ever.

I am worried about the future- what might happen next, and if I can ever go back to the way things were. But for now, I think this list will help me "breathe"- literally and figuratively.

blank

2011-07-12T21:08:00.000+08:00

To say that I'm going through something tough for the couple of weeks is an understatement. And to say that I'm sad is an even bigger understatement I don't even know if I should still feel something at this point. I want to feel numb rather than the pain, hurt or anger because it's been taking a toll on my health. My nape has been aching for a week now, I was useless in yoga yesterday, and I get nauseous and dizzy while at work. Since Monday, I have only gotten a total of 10 hours of sleep. I survive the normal routine on caffeine.

If you've been following my Tweets lately, you probably can tell how destroyed I've been feeling since Monday last week. I am also back to my jaded self and has been flooding my timeline with every bit of negativity. (Sorry friends!) I will spare you of the other painful details because this is really not the purpose of the blog entry.

I felt like my happiness and future that I've been working so hard for since 2008 was taken away from me in an instant. The one thing that's keeping me sane and afloat when things started to take a wrong turn, the reason why I feel blessed, the one that assures me that everything's going to be okay, and the reason why I wake up happy every single day. It's not a question of fighting for happiness because I didn't even have a choice. The circumstances didn't give me a chance to choose. It's a matter of right and wrong and sometimes you have to sacrifice and do the right thing even if it's wrong and you feel like hell.

Sadness would've eaten me up alive if I didn't have a solid support system and a strong faith in God. Over the past couple of weeks, I've learned to accept things as they are and be patient as life unfolds. These are some pieces of advice I've heard from people closest to me. These little reminders keep me going and help fight the emptiness I feel each time I wake up.

It's okay to cry. Everyone knows how 'strong' I am in holding back tears and being feisty so it's quite a shock to see me shed that much tears in a week.

Parents only want the best for their kids, and we should never resent them no matter what.

Everything happens for a reason, and we will only realize His higher purpose after the problems have passed.

Treasure every single moment you have with the one you love, because you don't know if this is the last time.

It's not healthy to harbor hatred and negative feelings so it's best to let go of as much anger as you can however possible.

Take everything one day at a time. Go with the flow.

Sometimes, you should not try to plan everything because you'll wind up getting hurt.

Closure isn't always needed and sometimes, the lack of closure actually means that it's okay to be hopeful.

Expect the worst and hope for the better.

Think before you speak.

Nothing is permanent. Everything will pass.

Prayers do wonders. Yoga poses, sleeping pills, and meditation didn't work.Talking to Him was the only thing that helped me calm down.

I've never been this sure about someone before. On the same note, I never realized I was capable of falling in love this hard. I'm still very hopeful that fate will bring us back together. Like any other love story, love always prevails.

Like he said, "Things will turn out fine."

Like the blog entry title, I will also leave the ending blank. I will let life take its course and patiently wait for the next few days, months or even years. I have no regrets and I won't attempt to correct any of my mistakes because what's done is done. At the end of the day, it's comforting to know that I did the right thing.

playing with nail polish

2011-06-17T21:36:00.000+08:00

I bought a bunch of nail polish from Etude yesterday and tried applying them to my nails last night. I tried the matte nail polish in gray first, because this is my only matte nail polish. I’ve been looking for one but they’re always either too expensive (over P500) or out of stock. So when I saw this last bottle displayed yesterday at the department store for P98, I bought it. I wore this to work today:

I also got curious about the Crack nail polish so the SA tried it on my nails. She used white as the base and then applied blue over. I loved the effect! I guess it's not for everyone though, because Dichi hated the texture. However, my younger sister was curious so she asked me to paint her nails. We both liked how it turned out!

I'm thinking of applying rose, yellow or brown on Monday so I was about to rest my nails from nail polish for the weekend. However, I tried the crack nail polish on the gray matte to see how it will look like. Surprisingly, it was cute! So now I'm letting it sit for another day before removing it. I guess I'll just rest my nails on Sunday. Hehe!

I can't wait to try the other colors. I'll definitely Tweet/ blog about it. :)

The Simple Girl Test

2011-06-11T20:13:00.001+08:00

One of my friends tweeted about "The Simple Girl" test and I decided to check it out. My total is 150/380. Almost half, pwede na! Hahaha. Here are the points I got scores for:

Long, straight, perfect "virgin" black hair (I've only tried coloring it once.)
Opts for the "no make up" look
Doesn't like to accessorize except for giant pearl earrings
For special occasions, will take out the one-strand pearl necklace
Wears flats of havaianas on weekends
Will always have a pocket anti bacterial bottle attached to the handles. (Currently using "I love boys!")
Favorite perfume/ colognes are bath and body works, Clinique Happy, Tommy Girl/or Ralph Lauren Romance (I have all of them but Bath and Body Works' cotton blossom is my current fave.)
Goes to Cibo
Went to the first day screening of Sex and The City with girl friends (or sisters)
Owns a hairy, small dog (Kitchie!)
Loves Glee, Gossip Girl and Desperate Housewives (I stopped watching Desperate Housewives.)
Also has complete seasons of Friends DVDs (all 10 seasons!)
Reads the Sohie Kinsellas's "Shopaholic" series
Listens to whatever Magic or RX plays on the radio (Especially RX!)
If into "rock", it is usually Coldplay or U2 (Love them both.)

Although I have other "simple girl"/ manang traits that could score a lot of points but are not on the list:

Usual bedtime is around 10-11PM, even on weekends
Prefers hanging out in coffee shops rather than going to bars and clubs
Doesn't own more than two pairs of high heels
Prefers to travel with a backpack rather than suitcases with trolleys
Has never bought a watch for myself. (I know, I should really buy one soon!)
Wears loose yoga/ workout attire. (I prefer jogging pants and a shirt to tights and sleeveless because it's just more comfy.)
Goes to bazaars to buy clothes, bags and other stuff

For the boys, here is your index. Of course these are not super duper accurate but they're fun! Try it! :)

The Spiral Experience

2011-06-05T11:55:00.000+08:00

My friends Cherry, JR and I decided to save up for one of the best hotel buffets in Manila: Spiral in Sofitel Philippine Plaza. We've only read about the buffet in blogs and from friends so when we finally made reservations, our tummies got really excited too. I love eating so the plan was to get there early and pig out for 4 hours.

As soon as we were ushered to our table, we took pictures of our table. We were seated in a couch with pillows with a nice view of the pool. Because we got there around 11:30, the place wasn't full yet. Around 12:30, people started coming in.

We weren't sure at first if people are allowed to take pictures inside the buffet area, but we saw others doing it too. I guess it's okay, as long as you do it discreetly. We checked out the Chinese food selection first where they had all kinds of dimsum: siomai, hakao, wanton, scallop dumplings, noodles, xiao long bao, spareribs, chicken feet,and more. We got a little bit of everything and then proceeded to get the Roasted Prime Ribs beside the Salmon Puff (not in pic).

Cherry and JR raved about the salmon puff, but since I don't eat fish, I didn't get to try it. The fish had lemon butter sauce while the roasted prime ribs had red wine sauce. I like my meat well-done, but the medium rare of the prime ribs was so juicy and flavorful! We also stopped by the tempura station in the Japanese menu. They had vegetable tempura, shrimp tempura, crabstick tempura, and potato balls.

Introducing: my first plate! siomai, wanton, scallop dumpling, hakao, peking duck, shrimp and crabstick tempura, roasted prime ribs.

They also served bread with butter and the yummy pesto filling.

After the "warm-up," we went to get our second plates and try all the seafood, pizza and pasta.

seafood paella

Holiday ham! hehehe

ham and cheese

shrimps

mussels

crabs

california maki

sushi station

We had bolognese pasta (which we all shared, pero 3/4 ata sakin) cooked on the spot before we went back to the table.

My second plate: shrimps, squid, pizza, crabs, and cookies (pampaalis umay).

Then it was time for dessert! These are just some of the dessert stations they had. The ones not in the picture are the crepes, pannacotta, creme brulee and ice cream station. We got so full so we weren't able to try it.

fruits

gummy candies

white chocolate, dark chocolate, and the green one I'm guessing is pistachio or green tea.

mini cake slices

My dessert plate: pistachio ice cream, vanilla creme brulee, strawberry cake, pistachio cake, mango cream and Bailey's panna cota, and a melon I dipped in dark chocolate.

candies!

We were stuffed by 2PM, but I really wanted to see if their xiao long bao is good. The pot was always empty so had to wait for a fresh batch. While waiting, we rested and used their free Wifi and read a magazine. (Hahaha parang nasa bahay lang!)

It's finally here! It was okay, but because it felt kulang, I paired it with some more hakao and stir-fried spicy noodles.

We finished eating at 3PM because the stations were also closed by then. Sofitel has one of the best hotel swimming pools ever since they renovated so we went around and took some pics. The weather was beautiful too and the pictures came out well.

We took one last picture before saying bye to Spiral. It was worth it, but I think it's one of those things that you should only try once. The food selection was impressive and the service was great.

Shopping Date Part 2

2011-06-03T11:30:00.004+08:00

After my swimsuit shopping date last March with Julls, we went back to Glorietta for another girly date. First stop was Landmark for these hand sanitizers with holders for our bags.

Then we went to Rustans to check out other Longchamp bags and makeup but didn’t buy anything. Forever 21 was the next stop. We checked out the Love and Beauty collection and bought matching Smoky makeup palettes. I couldn’t resist the small eyeliners and because they were so cheap too. We didn’t get to check out the clothes but I saw a couple of yellow tag deals.

After shopping, we went to Cibo for dinner. I had the Florentina (sausage and cream) pasta and lemon iced tea. Julls had roast beef salad (I think) and peach iced tea.

We talked a lot during dinner and caught up with lots of stories. We used to be officemates but we never got to hang out even for lunch. (Ang weird noh?) I think we bonded over Twitter and YM and then started planning trips and dinners together. Then we took pictures of our matching stuff: matching bags, cameras, hand sanitizers.

Of course we took pictures of us holding our new babies! Hindi pwedeng mawala!

Let’s schedule Part 3 soon because I’m sure madami pang natirang chismis! Chatime na next time. :)

yoga fun

2011-05-29T21:11:00.000+08:00

Our yoga instructor made us try Partner Yoga a couple of weeks ago because there were enough of us in the class. The first pose was the “Double Downward Dog.” She asked us to choose a partner and then let us do it on our own. I was scared to do it in class because I might hurt my partner’s back and we’re not that close yet. Hahaha!

I decided to try it tonight with my cousin and we took pictures! It was so much fun. It took more than 3 tries (5 I think) but we got the hang of it. The end goal is to help the heels touch the floor. When you’re under, the pressure is just right, it actually feels like a massage.

On the same note, we were all sweaty afterwards which means I really need to get yogitoes soon.

Gorgeous Weekend at the Beach

2011-05-10T10:58:00.000+08:00

I went to Nasugbu, Batangas over the weekend with Billy, Ann, Aferev, Mel, Ivy, Yaba and Chester. We've all been friends since elementary days which means we've been a barkada for more than half of our lives. Growing up in a 'controlled' environment, we didn't have the luxury to have sleepovers or go out-of-town without parents until after high school.

We all went to different high schools, colleges, and workplaces but we made it a point to still keep in touch and meet once in a while. In that almost 15 years of friendship, this is the first ever out-of-town trip we took together. It took us 6 months to pick a date which our schedules would permit and another 3 months to book a resort. That's why we all knew that although we were just going to Batangas, pushing through with this first-ever trip was a major achievement for all of us.

Our group is called "Gorgeous 6" not because we are feelingeras and like being called pretty, but it started out as a joke. Back in college, when it was uso to come up with group names, we started thinking of a group name. I remember stopping by Tickles during one of our dinners and seeing an item with a statement that said "Gorgeous." As a joke, we said "E di Gorgeous nalang." The name grew on us and we never attempted to change it. Tsaka, hndi ba obvious? (Of course I'm only kidding).Too bad Chesca wasn't able to join us, so it was just "Gorgeous 5." Hahaha. But it was okay because Billy, Aferev and Chester joined the trip.

We got to the resort around 10AM. It wasn't as nice as expected but we all decided to make the most out of the stay. While resting, some of us played the "In-between" card game which was a lot of fun. (All in!!!) Here are pictures from our kubo just before grabbing lunch.

The In-Between Game

After lunch, we went back to the hotel and Aferev suggested we go island hopping. The resort didn't have a nice beachfront and pool that's why we figured out we had to get out of there. We went island hopping to Kawayan Cove. We left the room at around 3:30PM which meant that the waves were stronger. Good thing it was only 15 minutes away from the resort.

Kawayan Cove was nice. They said it was the shooting place of a TV show called 'Mutya.' The sand was off-white, but what we liked was how less-crowded the beach was. The place also had a cave which we went to. It was hard swimming in the beach because of the rocks but the water was clear.

Going to the cave was a struggle especially for non-adventurous people like me. Haha! We had to concentrate on balancing between slippery and sharp rocks or you'll fall flat on your face or worse, hit your head. The cave looked really nice in pictures though, and that was my motivation. It was so easy for Billy though, and he told me to "cup" the rocks before stepping on them. He was really strict the whole time! When I would stand up and take breaks to stretch, he would shout "Wag ka na tatayo! Basta gapang, dere-derecho! Ayan! Nice form! Dalian mo! Cup mo ang bato! Wag ka diyan, madulas!" Instant workout! I made it in and out of the cave with a few small bruises and scratches but it was okay. Billy said crossing the rocks was part of "life lessons" that I have to learn so I'll survive. (Either that or because I was starting to get really grumpy.) Check out the pictures.

First ones to make it!

But Billy had to go back for me. Haha!

Balancing for pics!

Naiinip na maghintay!

Chester chillin'

Whew! Nakaupo rin. Bilis picture!!

Finally! :)

Look at Ann and Af at tbe background waiting for us to cross haha!

Struggle!

Ann and I went swimming in the pool while waiting for our turn in the shower, while the boys had a few drinks at the veranda. Then we all had dinner at Jollibee. The resort had a very convenient location complete with drugstores, fastfoods, convenience stores and banks so I thought that was cool. It was also less than an hour away from Tagaytay so we all decided we would grab brunch there in the morning. Bi and I wore the couple shirts he gave me last March. It's cute!

When we went back to the room, we played a round of "In-between" again while having chips and drinks. There was a lot of booze so we didn't want them to go to waste so we played another drinking game and we kept laughing the whole time. We finished a bit after midnight but I decided to call it a night because I was already dizzy and I needed help going up the double decked beds. (Ihateyou Tanduay Ice!)

Surprisingly, we all slept through the non-stop videoke parties from our neighbors and the smell of katol so the mosquitoes would go away. During the morning, we all had breakfast in the veranda, packed our things, and went to Bag of Beans in Tagaytay. The ride was really chilly and foggy and we found out there was a public storm signal raised by the time we reached Manila.I can't remember the last time I went there, but the place is fancier now. We stayed at one of the cabanas and their coffee was good. Some of us ordered food and we all had coffee.

This is a special vacation for me because it proved that as long as with you are with good company, the trip is all worth it. I'm so happy Bi decided to come along too, because I also wanted him to meet my first-ever barkada and dearest girlfriends. He also said he had a lot of fun and "understood" a lot of my quirks. Hahaha! We were also celebrating our 26th month that Sunday so sakto lang.

I think this is the last trip for me this year. I am saving up for other stuff I want and I can't afford another trip.Gorgeous, let's make this a yearly thing! Next time with Chesca na ha! :)

update: couple shirts

2011-04-29T12:12:00.001+08:00

Bi gave me this shirt a little after the 2nd year together. It's so cute but I think the girl's shirt should be the "target." Unfair! Hahaha. He bought it the minute he saw it in their building because it's black and he loves being the "target." He actually gave me the shirts in Boracay and too bad, we didn't get to wear it there. It's so unlikely for us to be wearing couple shirts, but I will update this post when we finally wear it. ♥

Update: We finally wore them last weekend during the beach trip with my friends. As promised, here is the photo.

torture

2011-04-28T10:41:00.000+08:00

I have a new addition to my iPod's 'Torture' playlist."Someone Like You" by Adele. It talks about a guy she loves but has already moved on and married someone else. Every line is so sad, I love it. I heard this at Araneta Coliseum before The Script concert.

"Never mind I'll find someone like you.
I wish nothing but the best for you too.
Don't forget me I beg
I remember you said:
"Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead."

And while we're at it, why don't I share the first 20 songs in my "Torture" playlist? I listen to this when I can't sleep at night and I'm really sad. It's very therapeutic. :)

1. Make You Feel My Love- Adele
2. Signal Fire- Snow Patrol
3. Gravity- Sara Bareilles
4. Taya- Up Dharma Down
5. Another Song All Over Again- Justin Timberlake
6. The Hardest Part- Coldplay
7. Almost Lover- A Fine Frenzy
8. Broken- Lifehouse
9. Breakeven- The Script
10. Empty- Click Five
11. Dreaming With a Broken Heart- John Mayer
12. Same Ground- Kitchie Nadal
13. Look What You've Done- Jet
14. Out of Reach- Gabrielle
15. I'm Still Breathing- Katy Perry
16. Coffee and Cigarettes- Michelle Featherstone
17. The Truth- Kris Allen
18. Between the Lines- Sara Bareilles
19. Cracks of My Broken Heart- Eric Benet
20. Someone Like You-Adele

to each his own

2011-04-25T22:09:00.002+08:00

The first quarter of the year didn't turn out as well as I hoped, especially for me and my family. I'm grateful things are better now, and over the past couple of months, I learned this hard truth from Achi when I said I was getting tired of being disappointed.

To avoid disappointment, you have to be able to let go of any expectations you might have for a person or a situation. You cannot dictate people's reactions to certain things because we are all different.

What you can do is challenge yourself to see things from a new perspective and learn from this new experience. If you don't stop being disappointed every single time, you'll absorb all the negative energies of the universe or worse, end up being sad and bitter.

defying the odds

2011-04-15T15:56:00.000+08:00

My best friend sent me this quote way back in college and asked me to save it in my inbox because she told me that this will come in handy in the future. She was right. While I was on Tumblr hiatus, I flipped through my old Starbucks journal and found this.

(Sidenote:Pay attention to the second quote, and sorry for the sucky penmanship.)

"I guess when you love someone, you will realize that it would never be about you and how you want your relationship to be. It's about staying intact and finding ways of making things alright when life says they shouldn't be. It's called defying all the odds for something they call everything."

signing off

2011-04-10T12:43:00.000+08:00

Starting today, I will be on Twitter/ Blogger/ Facebook/ Tumblr/ YM leave for who knows how long. I won't delete my accounts but I figured it might be easier not to log in for a few weeks/ months. I'm pretty sure this will be very, very difficult for me since they're part of my everyday routine, but things are getting too complicated and difficult for me to handle. I need to do this to get away from all the problems and to make a clear sense of things and live a more peaceful life.

Today's the last online update you'll get from me. So if you really need something important and you can read this, you probably already know my cellphone number. I'm always a text/ call away. I'm not giving up my mobile phone so we can still keep in touch.

I'll definitely be back happier, hopefully more mature and stronger. See you soon!

thank you

2011-04-09T14:00:00.007+08:00

Last night's conversation was one of the most intense conversations we had. As I was mustering my courage and fighting tears to ask you questions, you held my hand and used this hanky to wipe my tears. Truth is, I was scared to show you how weak I was. But your composure, honesty and reassurance made all the uncertainties go away.

Thank you for not breaking my trust and I so lucky to have someone like you in my life. ♥

boracay 2011: day 2 &3

2011-03-18T17:04:00.002+08:00

We all got a restful sleep and started the second day in the island a bit late (which I regret!) We were supposed to wake up at 6 to catch the sunrise or at least 7AM but we all decided to sleep in. We got out of bed at 10AM and it was around 11 when we decided we were going to have breakfast at Jammers. This wasn't the first choice but after walking around and not being able to decide, we chose it. The food was a bit pricey for a simple breakfast but I think we all paid for the ambiance because the resto was right in front of the beach. We were all happy that the sun was beginning to shine.

Tapsilog, coffee and taho!

Papparazi shot (Credits: Kenneth Gaerlan)

After breakfast, we decided to explore the island a bit so we went to D' Mall to buy pasalubongs. Julls and I decided we would get sarongs in case we decide to go island hopping. I wasn't too up for it because I had 'red tide' (I know. Wrong timing!) but I figured it was still going to be fun.

Verns, Billy and Luis stopped by Ice Monster because the sun was getting really hot.

This sign at the hotel got me all confused! The sign said "For Taj's Guesthouse only. Please use deeper to wash your foot Thank you." I was thinking, "How am I supposed to put my feet inside without breaking the banga?" Hahaha. Yun pala, dipper! Dipper= tabo.

Buti pa si Verns naintindihan!

Then we went island hopping. We stopped near Puka Beach and they went snorkeling (Stupid girl problems, I swear!). We took a lot of pictures, went by Shangri-la's resort, and then Manny Pacquiao's mansion by the beach.

Starbucks, Gerrys Boracay

We made it back to the island in time for swimming and taking a lot of pictures in the water using my awesome TX5. Yes, I had to put that it. It was the third time I soaked it underwater and it's still holding up well! I love how clear the pictures are, and check out some panoramic shots below:

More pictures:

After swimming, we were able to squeeze in a bit more shopping. Verns and I had crepes and hotdog because we got hungry. Street food is another thing I love about Boracay . It's soooo yummy! Next time I'll try the chorizo burger. We didn't get to take a picture of the street food because we finished it even before going back to the hotel. Hahahaha! However, here is a picture of the hotdogs and bbq from the inuman the night before:

Because we are such girls, we bought dangling earrings and wore it to dinner on the last night. This is us right outside the hotel lobby:

We chose Bom Bom Bar for dinner because of the ambiance. It also had a reggae singer who sang a lot of nice songs (including The Script!). The food was okay too, but I was to tired to take pictures. Below is a group shot while waiting for dinner.

We initially planned to go bar hopping after dinner but we got really tired and had an early flight the next day. On our way back to the hotel, we saw fire dancers by the beach.

We went back to the hotel to have a few drinks at the other hotel room. Tanduay Ice is so yum! :)

The next morning, we woke up early to go to Real Coffee because according to the Boracay guide, their calamansi muffins are to die for. The guide was right! It was so yummy. The muffins were freshly baked and I love its sour aftertaste. I bought a box home, and now I know what to answer when people ask me what I want from Boracay as pasalubong. Hehe

We had a quick breakfast at the tapsilog place near our hotel and then we bid Boracay goodbye. The trip was really short, especially because Friday was spent worrying about the tsunami. I enjoyed the trip though because it's the first time we've worked with each other for more than a year but it was the only time we all went on a trip. It's hard to plan a dinner where we all could make it so Boracay was truly an achievement.

We should make this a yearly thing! :) And next time, we'll plan a time-based itinerary to maximize the time. Sa uulitin!

boracay 2011: day 1

2011-03-16T14:17:00.004+08:00

I went to Boracay with the Plicker group over the weekend. It was my third time to visit the island and I still get the same giddy feeling every time. This is my first time going with friends though, so it was different. I wish I can post all the pictures, but I'm still waiting for pictures from other cameras.

Waiting at the airport.

So excited!

When we were on our way to the Boracay, we all got news about the tsunami disaster in Japan causing Philvolcs to issue a tsunami warning in 13 RP islands. Boracay isn't one of the provinces mentioned but we all got nervous because we cannot stay away from the water! When we were in the boat, the waves were huge. Good thing the ride only took 10 minutes. We all kept getting Tweets, text messages and calls from family and friends asking us to either go home, or stay in high places.

We stayed at the Taj Guesthouse. The resort was a few steps away from the beach and inside D'Mall, where all the establishments were. I'm glad we chose to stay in this place because the rooms were nice. One room can fit 5 people and the other room had a veranda. After checking in, we were shocked when we turned on the TV and saw the news about Japan in CNN. The first place we chose was Andok's because we were all tense, tired and starving. The group decided we would choose a nicer place to have dinner and drinks when everything settled down.

The weather was sunny when we got to Boracay too, so it calmed us a bit. After lunch, we strolled along the brach and made it just in time for the sunset! We took a lot of pictures and then the next stop was Jonah's Shakes for their yummy shakes. I had banana mocha peanut!


The girls! (Credits to Kenneth Gaerlan for the photo)

Lying down game: Julls, Paolo and Billy

Credits to Kenneth Gaerlan for the photo

After Jonah's Shakes, we went back to the room, watched more news and found out that the tsunami warning hasn't been lifted. The cellphone signal back at the Taj Guesthouse is not that good, but they had pretty fast Wi-fi so I was able to chat with my sisters and my mom and everyone who wanted to know where I was every minute.

It was around 9PM when we all decided to stop being scared by turning off the news and enjoying the vacation. We changed clothes and went out for drinks. I forgot the name of the bar where we had drinks, but we chose one that had nice seats near the beach. I tried mango daliquiri and it was surprisingly yummy! It only took two drinks to get me tipsy and grumpy. Hahaha! The boys had buckets of beer and Red Horse.

Luis, Julls, Aleq, Hanna, Pao

Kenneth, Verns, Me, Billy

Cheers!


Fave pic! (Credits to Kenneth Gaerlan and his awesome cam)

Around 11:30 PM, we got news that the tsunami warning has already been lifted so we really had time to celebrate. They continued drinking inside the room but we decided to call it a night and go to sleep. It was a good first day! The flight was a breeze, we were able to get a good deal with the van who picked us up from Kalibo, and we were safe. :) Wait for Day 2!

P.S. New pics are "borrowed" from Julls. I hope you don't mind. :)

awesome news

2011-03-03T10:58:00.000+08:00

Pictures taken last week at home when she invited her PT’s over for a thanksgiving dinner at home. The PT’s from St. Lukes are the nicest and very easy to work with. They played a huge role in Mama’s recovery that’s why we couldn’t thank them enough.

Yesterday, I was at work when I received a text message from Mama saying that she was able to go up the stairs on her own to the master’s bedroom after 2 1/2 months. They weren’t able to get it on video but I saved the text message saying that Mama was overwhelmed that she cried tears of joy. I admire Mama’s strong motivation. The doctors said her recovery is dramatic, and she always says she has a good support system. But Ma, it’s all you. You’re doing awesome.

God is good, all the time. :-)

(Sidenote: I actually have goosebumps writing this entry.)

first hand life lessons

2011-02-02T22:31:00.001+08:00

The past month hasn't been exactly easy for me and my family. We had to go through a trial and I knew when Papa woke us up early December 28 morning and told us to file emergency leaves, we were in for a long haul. Mama's recurring back pain turned out to be osteoporosis and the doctor broke the news to us: she had to undergo spine surgery to fix the problem. Let me spare you the details and make the long story short. She's recovering quickly (faster than we all thought, thank God!) and is so much better now. However, I would like to share these first-hand life lessons I learned over the past month.

-Keep the faith. Up to this date, we all believe that the reason why my mom was healed faster was through prayers. All we had to do was ask and believe, and God found a way to mend the broken pieces. I can't thank everyone enough for including our family in their prayers. God is good, all the time.

-Patience is a virtue. I'm super impatient about the littlest things, including waiting for an order in a restaurant, waiting in line, waiting for a download to finish, etc. However, I realized these are nothing compared to what we had to go through. We all had to be patient and optimistic because Mama said she draws strength from all of us.

-During times like these, you really know who your true friends are. This fact hit me like a ton of bricks. Enough said.

-Everything happens for a reason. There were no symptoms and we were not ready for something as serious as this. (No one really is, right?) But Achi always reminded us to never question God's purpose. We all have to deal with the problem because things will turn up in the end. You know what? They did. :-)

-Mama is my role model. I want to be like Mama when I grow older. I never saw her lose hope and her motivation was incredible. She's recovering quickly and she'll soon be back on her feet in no time. I admire her courage because she conquered all her fears. Her love for her siblings and all our relatives is praiseworthy. Even if she was the one in the hospital, she made it a point to always check on each one of us to see how we were doing both at home and at work. She's not afraid to show her emotions either. Best of all, she never gave up.

-I have an awesome family. Mama and Papa did a great job of raising us well. My sisters and I always made it a habit to talk about the issues to come up with a conclusion. Our communication was always open and we talked things out. Papa took it the hardest and I admire his strength too. Even at his worst, he had presence of mind and was able to think logically. When emotions would get in the way, he would take time off to be able to weigh the situation and think about things. I am lucky I have a family that is always there to back each other up and I wouldn't trade it for anything else.

-During my worst moments, you stood by me. You never left my side even if I would cry out of the blue, when I'd have a blank stare for days, or in moments that I lose a sense of myself. Like you said, these are all part of life and you understood me every step of the way. It's an unexplainable feeling, knowing someone's got my back. Thank you. ♥

Finally, I learned how not to sweat the small stuff. The small stuff are nothing compared to all our worries and problems. We're almost there. We'll all come out of this a stronger and better family. :-)

warning: cheesiness ahead

2011-01-24T13:50:00.001+08:00

I had to take a screencap of our cheesy conversation today.♥

Hay naku, I still have no idea about what he's going to get me but now I'm a bit nervous because I tend to lose things. Plus, I still don't know what to give him for March. Hmmmm!!! Ano kaya yun?!

2010 survey

2011-01-22T12:57:00.000+08:00

The past month has not been easy for me. Things took a turn and my family had to face one of the biggest trials in life. Since I wasn't able to make a year-end or new year entry, I borrowed this from Dichi's LJ to sum up 2010.

1) Where did you begin 2010?
-with my family. According to my planner, we went to Power Plant to eat at Sango and watch a movie (to be exact). Hahaha.

2) What was your status by Valentine's Day?
-Happily attached.

3) Were you in school anytime this year?
-Nope.

4) How did you earn your money?
-Through my full-time job and a couple of side projects.

5) Did you have to go to the hospital?
-Almost did in October because of intestinal flu.

6) Did you have any encounters with the police?
-No.

7) Would you relive 2010 over and over again?
-Some parts, yes.

8) What did you purchase that was over $1000?
-I think a total of my new babies: iPod Touch, Sony TX5, and Nokia C3.

9) Did you know anybody who got married?
-Yep, friends from high school and college

10) Did you know anybody who passed away?
-Thankfully, none.

11) Did you know anyone who had a baby?
-Yes.

12) Did you move anywhere?
-Nope.

13) What concerts/shows did you go to?
Oohh let's see: Timbaland, JT and Jojo, and John Mayer.

14) Are you registered to vote?
-Yep, and I did get to vote in May! Woot!

15) Do you still have the same job as you did in 2009?
-Yes.

16)Has anyone betrayed you in 2009?
-Not that I know of.

17) Where do you live now?
-with my parents!

18) Describe your birthday?
-I enjoyed the day with my loved ones. :)

19) What's one thing you thought you'd never do but did in 2010?
-went drinking with my high school barkada at a party place called Central. It was fun!

20) What has been your favorite moment?
-Too cheesy to post. Hahaha.

21) What's something you learned about yourself?
-I have to stop trying to sweat the small stuff.

22) Any new additions to your family?
-just a cute puppy named Miley. :)

23) What was your best month?
-Hmm, I can't pick a fave month. 2010 was year of the tiger (when I was born) and I really think the year treated my well. I have LOTS to be thankful for, from start to end.

24) Were you in a relationship this year?
-Yesh.

25) What music will you remember 2010 by?
-Train's "Hey Soul Sister."

26) Who has been your best drinking buddy/buddies?
-I rarely drink alcohol, so my preference is highly selective. I only drink more than a glass with my high school friends!

27) New friend?
-Yes, friends. From yoga class and at work!

28) Favorite Night out?
-Probably the John Mayer concert with Achi and Eugenne because we got drenched in the rain but our tickets were last minute VIP so it's okay.

29) Would you say you've changed since the beginning of this year?
-Yes. Became wiser.

30) Do you think 2011 will be better or worse?
-We can only hope for the better! 2011 will be amazing, for sure!

:-'(

2011-01-07T13:11:00.000+08:00

"I become much too good at being invincible
I'm an expert at play at safe and keep it cool.
But I swear
This isn't who I meant to be
I refuse to let my life
Roll all over me.
Let me feel, I don't care if I break down."
-Bethany Joy Lenz

This stanza sums up what I'm feeling for two weeks now. It just hit me last night. I'm so scared of the day that I can't put on a brave face anymore. Being strong becomes tiring too. :-'(

B

2011-01-02T21:58:00.001+08:00

It's moments like these that make me realize I made the right decision saying yes to you 21 months ago. ADL! ♥

status collage

2010-12-18T10:15:00.000+08:00

I tried this application on Facebook that summarizes all your status updates for 2010, and I therefore conclude that my Twitter account is MUCH more exciting! But what I also find interesting is that I started the year with a line from a song "We'll fly until there is no end," and those are still my thoughts at the end of the year. Kilig. Hehehe.

starbucks drive thru!

2010-12-06T16:11:00.000+08:00

One night after yoga class, I was craving for a toffee nut latte but since my muscles are sore, I can't really move much. Then I tweeted about wishing there was a Starbucks drive-thru in the Philippines, just like the ones in the US. And after only about three days, lo and behold, my wish came true! Starbucks posted photos from their newly-opened and first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) store and drive thru at The Fort! My sisters and I tried it last night and it was so cool! See our pictures below:

Entrance to the drive thru

Their menu

At the backseat!

Kitchie was with us too!

Busy baristas preparing our drinks

Look who got her red planner!

Miley, Achi and Kitch. Hahaha!

Our orders!

The Starbucks drive thru is across MC Home Depot in Fort Bonifacio Taguig. Our orders were ready by the time we got to the payment window and we ordered around 8 drinks. After ordering, you can also confirm your drinks and how much your bill costs from their POS. Cool, huh?

I peeked into the store and it looked awesome too. It has a different ambiance and you won't even feel like you're in the city. I'll drink my coffee inside this store next time. Kape tayo friends! :D

secret shifters part three

2010-12-05T14:51:00.000+08:00

So I was checking Facebook this morning and I noticed a LOT of negative status updates from a friend. Well, we're not really close and just met recently but I'm surprised at how this person whines and complains about the silliest things and wants everyone to know how much her (oops I revealed the gender, who cares?!) life sucks.

I really have nothing against people who post by-the-minute status updates but please be considerate of your 400 friends (which might even include strangers) that read them. Negative energies won't bring any good to the world too. Thanks to Facebook's "Hide from Wall" functionality, I have hidden quite a few people who abuse status updates on their profile. Again, and I couldn't stress this enough, look up Twitter and Plurk. They're built for posting EVERYTHING you're doing. Post responsibly too.

This status update thing also inspired me to write a "secret shifter" entry. Read all about what the term means here and here. We all have bad days, but I think we should keep a list of the things that could instantly life our spirits up like:

Glee! They really have a lot of good songs and every new episode just outdoes the previous one. I love how I discover awesome songs from the show and get to listen to the original and the Glee version and decide which is so much better.
A rigorous yoga session. I know you can't really imagine yoga to be tiring because the movements are slow, but trust me, it's so much difficult than you think. The best thing about an exhausting class is that you notice changes in your body and how much you become flexible each session. Never mind the fact that I can't raise my arms or feel a burning in the hamstrings the following morning, because I really feel energized.
Kitchie's new playmate, Miley.
Listening to Chico and Delamar's Top 1. They are interesting and funny most of the time. I even download their podcasts and listen to the topics before going to sleep.
Long weekends! Last month we actually had two. It's the perfect time to catch up on sleep or spend time with the family. I love the feeling of not having to face Monday blues.
Level ups. I play a lot of games on my Touch when I'm bored, and lately, checking the games have become part of my routine. Level ups are so much fun! Some of my favorite games are Zombie Farm, Tiny Chef and Coin Dozer. They are not even popular (probably because they are free) but they are so addicting.
Reminiscing. I don't know if it's a sign of aging, but I tend to do this a lot lately. I always look at old messages, old emails, and pictures. I know I'm sentimental which is why I get emotionally attached to the littlest things, but reminiscing is nice too. Plus good memories are hard to forget.
Food finds. Even better? Cheap food finds! Just discovered Hawker House at Urban Ave in Makati and we have been eating there for long lunches every payday. It's a 30-minute walk from our office but the food is so worth it. Love their teh tarik (milk tea) and cereal prawns! Price is not to bad too.
Long, fruitful conversations. Fun and pointless conversations are fun once in a while, but lately, I love how our conversations become so serious and even lead to arguments. (Now I'm thinking if this really belongs to this list hehe). But this pertains to our most recent convo in the car about a topic I never thought you would bring up. I was speechless for over a minute! Details are too personal to blog about, so I will just leave this at that.
Scratching off tasks in my worksheet. I'm pretty OC, and so is my boss, so we have a weekly list of tasks that we use to keep track of the amount of work we do everyday so we don't go overboard. (Cool huh?) At the end of each week, it feels awesome to remove the highlights and I just beam at how much I've accomplished.
End-of-the-month entries at my journal. I like summarizing monthly life events in my journal because I find out how much I spent, saved, and even realizing my personal goals.

There you go! What are your secret shifters? These things can really go a long way and it helps me not sweat the small stuff. :)

sad and happy songs

2010-11-18T15:12:00.001+08:00

So I was looking through my old blog posts about depressing and bitter I wrote years ago so I decided to come up with another list. But since these songs seem to be spreading negative vibes, I am going to mix it up by making my choices of 5 sad and end on a happy note through 5 feel-good songs. Let's strike a balance shall we?

You might be wondering why I like listening to sad songs, huh? Well, it helps me write better whether it's for work or a scribble in my journal. And sometimes, listening to senti songs is a good way to let go of whatever issues you have in life. These songs can help you find comfort and somehow make you feel that other people go through rough patches too. Like I always say, it's healthy to become sad at times and let it all out. Trust me.

1. "Make You Feel My Love" by Adele. Another song about unrequited love, this is the ultimate martyr song. This stanza prety much sums up what I'm trying to say:
"I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue. I'd go crawling down the avenue. No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do to make you feel my love."

2. "Empty" by The Click Five. I didn't expect a sad song from the band because of their songs, but I learned about this song by mistake. I was looking for another song with the same title but liked this better. Also, I was going through something that time so I was able to relate to the following lines:
"Maybe we're trying, trying too hard. Maybe we're torn apart. Maybe the timing is beating our hearts. We're empty." I also loved the ending of the song because somehow, it's still hopeful when you reach the end. "There's a reason why they say that we should give it time."

3. "Magbalik" by Callalily. I think this is the first Tagalog song I ever included in the list, but this song is talking about losing that spark and what happens when the other one falls out of love. "Pagsasamahan tila nawaglit. Ang dating walang hanggan, nagkaroon ng katapusan."

4. "Look What You've Done" by Jet. The melody of this song is the sadder part because the song talks about the consequences of deceiving. (Correct me if I'm wrong though). The best lines for me is "Give me back my point of view cause I just can't think for you." *long sigh*.

5. "Broken Strings" by Nelly Furtado and James Morrison. The fact that the song is a duet makes you feel sadder because you are able to say that both of them are hurting pretty badly. It also says that sometimes, love isn't enough anymore. "It's like chasing the very last train when we both know it's too late."
"I tried to hold on but it hurts too much. I tried to forgive but it's not enough to make it all okay."

How are you feeling? Still okay, I hope. Moving on to the happy songs.

1. "Happy" by Natasha Bedingfield. "Got my dreams got my life got my love. Got my friends got the sunshine above. Why am i making this hard on myself when there's so many beautiful reasons i have to be happy?" This song is a perfect reminder for worrywarts (like me!) to embrace life and having a blast! :)

2. "Truthfully" by Lisa Loeb. This song talks about picking up the pieces again and finding a new love. Because sometimes, we're too busy looking at the other direction that we don't notice the one who truly loves us and matters the most. Best line? "Truthfully, I really can’t explain, I’m floating, I’m smiling again."

3. "You Got Me" by Colbie Cailatt. I heard this on the movie Letters to Juliet for the first time, and fell in love with the melody instantly. The lyrics are awesome too. This song is perfect for the moment you miss someone even if you've just seen each other, or when you can't stop thinking about the person and just thinking about him leaves a warm and fuzzy feeling. (Oh memories! ♥) "I give up, I give in, I let go, let's begin. 'Cause no matter what I do. Oh my heart is filled with you."

4. "Terrified" by Katharine Mcphee feat Zachary Levi. Yes, falling in love is a terrifying feeling so you have to make sure that when you find the person, he's worth it. "You set it again. My heart's in motion. Every word feels like a shooting star."

5. "If It's Love" by Train. You've probably seen this song in one of my entries and in my status message in Facebook. This is because the song started playing in my head one night after one of our silly fights. I don't know how it happened so don't ask me to explain. It just did. And since I already posted some of the lines, I'll use different parts this time. "And if I'm addicted to loving you, and you're addicted to my love too. We can be them two birds of a feather that flock together. Love, love, got to have something to keep us together. That's enough for me."

I could go on and on about my sad and happy songs especially since I have my iPod beside me, but this will do for now. So the next time you feel a bit lonely, why not crank up the volume and sing your heart out? It's good exercise and works for me! :)

pictures that make me happy

2010-10-26T12:21:00.000+08:00

The first picture was taken by Dichi's own TX5 when they dropped me off at High Street a few Sundays ago. Do you see me in green? Kitchie was crying because she was sad to see me go.

Awww Kitchie! :-(

Then I discovered the wonders of Instagram yesterday and decided to edit some of my most fave pictures in my Touch. This picture doesn't look like me! It was taken in 2008 after a friend's wedding. The added effect just makes it nicer.

The next picture is from the same wedding, but a candid shot by the official wedding photographer. It doesn't look like me either, plus ang sungit ko, which is why I always smile on pictures! Hehe.

This last picture was taken at my friend's wedding. It's my fave shot because my date rarely smiles on pictures (or takes pictures period). But when he offered to take our picture, I thought he wasn't serious, hence my confused-or-wacky-ba-or-hindi face. No worries though, because it still looked awesome with the Instagram effect.

Sidenote:
I have a new baby! I finally gave in and bought the Sony TX5. It's underwater, shock proof and dust proof. More amazingly, it takes really sharp photos and has a panoramic feature. It's our first week together and I'm still playing around with the camera's features. I'm sure it would be super fun to use for out of town trips and special occasions! I was planning to get it for Christmas but I was able to save up for it earlier. Thank you Lord for showering me with blessings! Hard work does pay off. ;-)

the john mayer experience

2010-10-04T14:15:00.002+08:00

"The John Mayer experience." I love how this blog entry has a sexy vibe to it! Hahaha. I saw his concert at the Mall of Asia open grounds but it was a super awesome experience for me, Achi and Eugenne.

John Mayer was initially planned back in June, so when we heard about it, we really wanted to watch and buy early bird tickets. But then it got postponed (probably because of the elections) so I thought I wasn't going to see him live. I bought tickets two days before the concert because I wasn't sure if it will push through because of the rain. Plus, there weren't too much advertising and I didn't know anyone else who has plans of watching the concert.

I kept monitoring the weather that day and I thought they would move the venue to SMX (like they did with Alicia Keys' concert.) The concert was at 8PM and by this time, the rain was pouring with matching lightning and thunder! I couldn't afford to get sick because I was heading to Batangas the next day for our office team building. Then my mom saw VIP tickets up for grabs on Facebook. She immediately called up Tita Ollie to ask if the tickets were still available. My tita didn't promise anything but told us to get to Hooters in Moa before the concert starts. We decided to leave home with just umbrellas and hoodies. We didn't bring cameras because they might get drenched.

When we got to Hooters, we found out that we were getting 2 free VIP tickets!!! Omg. I almost fainted. We decided to buy another one so we could all get in. We wanted to go back to get our cameras because we were so close to the stage but it might be too late! By the time we got to the concert area, Aiza Seguerra was already playing. Her band fronted for John Mayer.

The VIP section had seats and cool ushers like DJ Mike of the Akafellas and Paolo Santos. Hayden Kho was right in front of us and Gary V was seated in the same row too. Hehe! Here are some pictures with our ushers before the concert:

Set List:
*Vultures
*No Such Thing
*Perfectly Lonely
*Ain't No Sunshine (Bill Withers Cover)
*Slow Dancing in a Burning Room
*Waiting for the World to Change
*Stop this Train (and the rain! Hahaha)
*Your Body is a Wonderland
*Who Says
*Heartbreak Warfare
*Gravity
*Do You Know Me
*Why Georgia
*Half of my Heart / Don't Stop Believin'
Encore: Edge of Desire

His adlibs were funny because he said "Manila, you waited for four months and then it rained." and he also said "It's slippery, I don't want to end up in a Youtube video." (ahem Mariah Carey!) Hahaha! John Mayer was a super rockstar too, he didn't have a presscon before the concert and left Manila the next day. I managed to take videos on my cellphone but they aren't as good as the one above. Now I need an underwater camera for the next rainy concert I'm gonna watch! Hehehe.

It was raining cats and dogs until after the third song that we got super wet even with our jackets and umbrellas! It was my first time getting drenched at a concert, but for John Mayer, anytime! I always say that his songs sound good when they're acoustic, but seeing him perform live was an entirely superb experience. He plays the guitar so well and almost didn't take breaks between songs! His voice sounded so sexy without him even trying. Now I understand why girls go crazy over him. In his set list above, the ones in bold are the ones I super enjoyed. During the week of his concert though, I couldn't stop listening to "Heartbreak Warfare."

Here is a clear video I borrowed from Youtube. Credits to skuidward for the video.

Heartbreak Warfare

I am ending this blog entry with one of my favorite lines from his songs:
"Twice as much ain't twice as good." -Gravity
"It's better to say too much, than never to say what you need to say." - Say
"Then you come crashing in, like the realest thing. Trying my best to understand all that your love can bring." - Half of My Heart.

He also said "Thank you Manila, I'll be back sooner than you think." I'll hold on to your promise, John Mayer! I'll see you again! :)

i try

2010-09-29T09:50:00.001+08:00

I'm not sure if I already blogged about this before. But I can't help but think of you every time the song plays on my iPod. The lyrics are so me. ♥

"I play it off, but I'm dreaming of you
And I'll try to keep my cool, but I'm feelin'

I try to say goodbye and I choke
Try to walk away and I stumble
Though I try to hide it, it's clear
My world crumbles when you are not here.

And I may seem all right and smile when you leave
But my smiles are just a front
Just a front, hey

With all my might I try
But this I can't deny, deny."

-"I Try," Macy Gray

24!

2010-09-11T20:08:00.002+08:00

24! Gosh, where do I even begin? I had so much fun celebrating my birthday and I can really say it's one of the best birthdays ever. I got awesome presents and spent it with precious people in my life.

The night before, I got advanced birthday gifts from my family. I got a pair of flipflops because the Havaianas I bring to yoga class were wearing out. My parents' gift was super special because it was a Hallmark card! It has been our tradition to write greeting cards when it's someone's birthday, anniversary or just because. This is one tradition that I really want to pass on to my future kids because no one writes greeting cards anymore because of email and Facebook, so I found it really sweet. What's sweeter is the ang pao inside. Hahahaha! Just kidding. :P

Fast forward to the next day: my birthday. I had breakfast with Billy at Krispy Kreme and he gave me a present. I was so surprised! He always complains how much I need to have a watch but I would always say that I'd rather spend on clothes. This is my first watch and I am still not used to it, but I will surely wear it everyday. See this Tweet and here is one more picture!

He didn't want to take pictures because we were facing the window. Di naman halata diba? :)

This is also the first birthday I'm celebrating at work so I treated my office friends to KFC for lunch.

Then my family and I had dinner at Kimono Ken at Blue Wave.

Camille, Me, Dichi

Achi and Eugenne

Mama and Papa

Me blowing candles on my birthday ice cream

with Kuya Kris and Tito Venie

There.I was expecting an ordinary birthday but thanks to everyone who greeted me via SMS, Facebook, Twitter, Plurk and everyone who emailed me. I had a blast and I am truly thankful for another year of blessings. :)

birthdays

2010-09-07T12:01:00.000+08:00

I've been feeling very sentimental lately, I'm not sure if it comes with the age. Take last week, when I was fixing my room when I was looking for an old mobile phone and ended up going through these old planners. Four years worth of memories got me curious, so I started to check what I did each year for my birthday. Take a look:

This was taken from my Starbucks planner in 2006. I was still in college. Spent the day with my family at Dampa in Macapagal for a seafood fest.

In 2007, I was already working and I remembered receiving a birthday leave from my boss, Ms. Ams. It was the Webbies season too, so I was able to take a break even for just a day and get away from all the stress!

Was 2008 a leap year? I think so, because my birthday fell on a Sunday and I remembered it being a regular Dimsum Sunday with my family and then dampa at dinner with my barkada because my best friend and I share the same birthdays.

Last year, I watched a movie with Billy at Glorietta 4. I remembered he had a fever and was struggling(literally) to get to Makati because I asked him to. (Hahaha, sorry na bratinella. :-( ) Anyhow, we had a fun time watching Kimmy Dora. We didn't even get to have dinner because he had to go home and rest. BTW, my birthday fell on a Monday but it was declared a special non-working holiday because it fell on the last day of Ramadan. Perfect timing! :)

As of this moment, I am at work celebrating my birthday. Awesome day so far. I will make a separate entry because I have lots of pictures to share. Even Plurk gave me a birthday cake, look!!

I am overwhelmed with the greetings via Facebook and SMS. I will surely remember this year, and hey, 24 isn't so bad after all! :)

long weekends are love!

2010-08-30T13:58:00.002+08:00

Today's National Heroes Day, and luckily, another long weekend for everyone. I loooove long weekends because I no longer have to worry about Monday blues, and I have more time to meet with friends and spend time with family. We got paid three days early, so I was able to start the weekend right away.

August 27, 2010 (Friday)
I went to Greenbelt to buy accessories for my iPod and mobile phones. I finally got the matte screen protector for the Touch so it won't have fingerprints, especially since I carry and use it around almost all the time. I also bought my C3 a jelly case so it wouldn't feel "fragile."

Then I met up with him to have dinner at our fave resto, Teriyaki Boy! The restaurant unknowingly became our favorite because most of the time, we can't decide where to eat and would always end up in Teriyaki Boy. I have been craving for their chicken teriyaki and rich miso soup for weeks, and the branch nearest to my office closed down so we headed to the Glorietta branch to have dinner. I had the Teriyaki Boy bento which was sulit. It had rice, tofu, kani salad, miso soup, coffee jelly, chicken teriyaki with rice, and iced tea. Yummy!

Then we strolled at Glorietta and Greenbelt because we still had time left. Our birthdays are coming up so I thought this was a great way to secretly get ideas for his birthday gift. I found out he was doing the same. Hahahaha pasimple. So now I still don't know what to get him because he kept dodging all my questions. But hey, I still have 3 weeks. Luckily, ako ang unang magbi-birthday.

August 28, 2010 (Saturday)
I met up with my high school barkada at Central Bbq in Makati. Being the manang that I am, I was surprised to see bouncers at the gate and didn't know it was a popular party place. As in par-teh. The place was packed by 6PM and everyone was dancing and drinking, having a good time. Since we met up to celebrate a friend's birthday, we had cocktails and this is one of the rarest occasions that I will have alcohol on my system. Hahaha. We enjoyed the night and I realized that I wasn't such a lola pala. :P We should do this again sometime. Cheers!

August 29, 2010 (Sunday)
We picked Dichi from the airport at midnight because she came from Hong Kong. We waited at the Mcdonald's across NAIA 3 and had our midnight snack. The strawberry float was super yummy. It's my new favorite. Look what she got me as pasalubongs:

I am addicted to puff sleeves lately, so she got me a top and a dress plus a Shu Eumura eyelash curler as an early birthday gift. Yey!


I love love this dress, but I have to lose a bit of weight to get rid of the bulges. :P

August 30, 2010 (Monday)
There is nothing special about today, really. I am just at home resting for a busy workweek, but I also wanted to remember that today is Day 21 of the good habit I am trying to make. You see, in my Belle de Jour planner, there is a section where you can make a habit and keep track of it for 21 days. If you reach Day 21, then you have just created a good habit. Guess what? Today is the last day. Kudos to me! I wish I can tell you what it is. Hmm, let's just say I am trying not to sweat the small stuff, and I can proudly say I am doing an awesome job! :)

How did your long weekend go? I hope it was as fun as mine. Good vibes! :D

A Day in Yoga Class

2010-08-05T12:13:00.002+08:00

I remember writing this post almost a year ago but I never really got the chance to re-edit the blog entry with pictures and details on what really goes on in a typical yoga class. After a year, I can finally manage to attend classes twice a week and do a bit of yoga at home on weekends. I still have short hamstrings and I am not yet flexible enough for some poses but I can say that I've improved a lot.

I got to class really early even if the rain was bad because the place is just across my workplace and I was able to get off work a bit before 6PM. My class starts at 6:30 and ends at 8:00PM. Yesterday was the perfect opportunity to document the class because there were only few people in the studio and the instructor wasn't there yet. Sorry for the super blurry pictures though. I don't know if you are allowed to take pics of the studio so these are semi-stolen shots by my C3. Plus, the studio only uses dim lights.

Here is the door of the studio, with all kinds of brochures about yoga, tai chi and meditation.

Outside is a weighing scale and a shoe rack where you are required to leave your shoes before entering the studio.

When you arrive, you are required to sign up, have the class card signed, and get locker keys. I wasn't able to take pictures of the reception area. Then you proceed to the locker/ changing rooms.

My typical yoga outfit consists of jogging pants and a shirt. (which reminds me, I should get shorter pants so I don't trip!)

The bath tub where you can take a shower after the 90-minute session.

And finally, the hallway and the studio itself. This was the best shot I could take because I might disturb my classmates who are in chavasana (corpse pose) waiting for the class to begin.

The empty mat is my purple Nike yoga mat, which I got as a birthday present last year. I need to change it though, because it has some scratches when I have long fingernails and get to the poses. I hope I can find a mat that's as light as this one though. But at least I have a bag to store it in so it doesn't get wet in the rain.

Then the yoga class begins and the sequences depend on the instructor. The headstands are becoming quite regular though. (I'm still scared to do one without a wall.) I bought a new class card yesterday and I really want to finish it in a month or two so my body could improve.

To close this entry, let us all keep good things for ourselves, families and loved ones. Namaste! :)

Meet my newest baby

2010-08-03T10:14:00.002+08:00

I came across this ad in Shopcrazy last week and it was love at first sight. I shared the link with friends and family and they felt the same way. What caught my attention was the hot pink casing. I've never been a fan of Blackberry-type phones because the QWERTY keypad is a learning curve. What made me think twice though was when I found out that the phone has Wi-fi and only costs P6,295 if you buy on July 31.

I couldn't stop thinking about it. I don't need a new phone because I have two units (one for Globe, one for Sun), I just bought an iPod Touch, and my Nokia 5130 hasn't even reached a year. My Sony Ericsson W960i is also Wi-fi enabled, and I need a portable hard drive to store my files in so my "rainy day funds" were saved for that gadget. I also need a digicam at the end of the year, and I am eyeing the Sony TX5. So I realized the cons outweigh the pros of getting a C3. I really didn't need it.

But when I dropped by the Nokia store Friday after work and they handed me the flyer, I seriously couldn't sleep that night. I imagined how it would be so cool to have a fashionable phone with Wi-fi, radio, music player, and an expandable memory of up to 8GB for a bit over 5,000 bucks.

The hunt for the Nokia C3 started Saturday morning. After calling more than 4 Nokia outlets in Greenbelt, Power Plant, Fort, Glorietta, all the Nokia stores said the units were sold out (Yes, for every color.) I tried an authorized reseller in MOA. (Siyempre hindi ko naisip na kapitbahay ko lang ang MOA.) I found out that the promo had a limit of 30 C3 units per outlet too. So after lunch, I went to MOA and finaly found a unit and bought my newest baby. Everyone, meet Nokia C3.

It's so cool because it automatically pics up your Twitter profile photo and places it in the homescreen.

Isn't she pretty? :-) (Never mind the fact that I'm going to be broke for the next couple of weeks. Hahaha!)

The phone takes nice pictures too. Take a look:

First pic on the phone, taken while we were at the store.

On my way to work, just woke up with no makeup!

~~P.S. I accidentally dropped my W960i last night while I was carrying a fat toy poodle and now the touchscreen got messed up. I think it got jealous of my new phone.~~

Edit: I was reading forums on how others are dealing with their faulty W960i screens and saw that you have to apply "soft pressure" at the back of the phone. So, I sat on it, switched it off. When I turned it back on, it was working fine! :)

we're going to be okay. :)

2010-08-02T10:32:00.001+08:00

"I'm not in it to win it,
I'm in it for you. ♥

If it's love

And we decide that it's forever

No one else can do it better.

If it's love

And we're two birds of a feather
Then the rest is just whenever."

-Train

random thought

2010-07-29T17:28:00.003+08:00

I saw this on my Mom's dresser this morning.

"Look for what makes you feel good."

I think she got this from a self-help book she's currently reading. I completely agree! And to sum this up (based on what's been happening to me lately),

"When you find it, try your hardest not to lose it."

car rides

2010-07-18T18:39:00.004+08:00

*picture was taken by a friend while we were riding the "tok-tok" in Davao City.

I’ve had a driver’s license for more than three years now, but I don’t really drive. I always include “driving by myself” on my new year’s resolutions for the longest time, but for some reason, I’m too lazy to drive on my own. I don’t know how to commute (except riding a cab) and get to places with Mang Ben, and I seriously don’t know what I would do if he retires.

Anyway, one major reason why I don’t like driving by myself (aside from the horrible traffic) is how much I find car rides enjoyable. Whether it’s the regular Monday traffic in Makati, a random car ride to the mall, or road trips with friends and family, I absolutely take pleasure in people-watching especially in the mornings.

I have a knack for multitasking in the car. I can apply makeup, eat breakfast, write on my journal, cut my fingernails, text and call my friends and fiddle with my laptop while in traffic. I always find something to do and I rarely get bored in traffic. I also love listening to RX and other radio stations to find joy on hearing a new song and looking for it when I get to the office. Believe it or not, after a long stressful day at work, I sometimes look forward to being stuck in traffic on the way home to have more “me” time.

I contemplate and think about tons of things during car rides. There are times when I am in a bad mood when I get in the car, and happy when I get to my destination. Call me crazy, but I’ve managed to make lots of life-changing decisions while crawling in the middle of EDSA.

Then there’s the rain. I think I’m one of those people who can easily get affected by a gloomy weather. The “Rainy Day” playlist on my iPod Touch filled with sentimental and sappy songs is one proof. The rain makes car rides more interesting because when it’s raining, there are certain flashbacks that play on my mind as if on queue. Around two or three blog entries I’ve posted here are actually the result of 2-hour car rides in the rain, saved in my mobile phone or jotted down in receipts and napkins. (Ok, I need to carry a small notebook with me!)

Yesterday, I really really screwed things up. I am truly sorry but I know that there’s not much I can do now because what’s done is done. :-( I came up with answers that will manage to sort things out, but I am still on the verge of figuring out which choice is better. I needed to get out of the house this afternoon because I couldn't breathe of sadness. During the car ride though, I realized I can only hope that what we have now is enough to make us both understand.

Cringe.

2010-07-11T23:06:00.002+08:00

Blogging from my Touch because I really really need to let this out. From gush to cringe. Four years ago I couldn't even imagine this was possible. I can't explain it without sounding too obvious and I can't find a song to best describe how relieved I am. I guess I would end by saying "Good things come to those who wait."

And as it turns out, I wasn't waiting for you. How ironic.

I hate being sick.

2010-06-28T15:37:00.002+08:00

I had the flu and was sick for four days (again!). But during the first night of being sick, I don't know if it was the amount of antibiotics I downed that caused the dream. I dreamed about him again, but it was sad. All I could remember was riding on an elevator and seeing him alone, saying he had just dropped her off to work. I was with my friends, but had time to spare so we hung out for a bit. Right after the elevator ride, we walked for a bit and rode an escalator at the mall. (At this point, I'm not even sure if it was a mall or a hotel.)

He immediately draped his hands over my shoulder comfortably and I was so shocked that I didn't even have time to react or push him away. Then I asked him if his S.O. knew that he was with me at the time, to which he replied. "Hindi. Pero sana nga makita niya tayo eh. Hindi na ako masaya ang tagal na." At this point, I was dumbfounded. He requested to go somewhere quiet where we could talk.

We saw some of his friends on the way to a coffee place and I knew one of them. His friend had a weird look that somehow translated to "Kayo na ba?" but he told his friend that she was at work. Before even getting drinks, I started fumbling for my phone to text. He realized this and grabbed my phone and said "Wag ka na nga magtext, ok lang yan." But I immediately said, "Sira, hahanapin ako non. Akin na. Tawagan ko lang." While waiting for me to finish the call, he rolled his eyes while waiting like his usual self.

After a few minutes, he went on to rant about his own problems. He asked me what we had that made us so happy. I never said anything, he just said that I was always glowing and it was evident on my status messages and posts on my online accounts. Before even answering my question his S.O. storms into the coffee shop and asks us what's going on. I didn't even get a chance to talk and explain because he dragged her out of the place and they had a fight outside.

Then I hear "Hey Soul Sister" by Train- which is my alarm tone. Time to wake up.

*cue Lou Pardini's "What Might Have Been"

This is so weird. First of all, it has been soooo long since I last dreamt of him, and secondly, I hate myself for still hanging out with him even if it was just a dream. Lastly, I don't understand why it was so hard to write this entry, or why I even bothered posting it here. I had to really try my best not to feel sad and I don't know why. Maybe it's still the antibiotics talking. I hate hate hate being sick.

Davao Trip Day 3

2010-06-18T12:25:00.004+08:00

The schedule of our last day in Davao was pretty tight. We had to be at the airport at 2PM and we planned to go to Eden Park and Nature Resort which was two hours away from the city. We had heavy breakfast at the Microtel and checked out at around 8AM.

We got to Eden Park at around 9:30 AM. People said that it normally takes around two hours to get to the resort, but we were lucky because there was no traffic considering that it was a holiday. We paid for the entrance fees which are inclusive of the snack plate, as well as the guided tour of the place. We went to the zip line first, which was called the Skyrider.

I was so scared the entire time because it would be my first time to try out the zip line and the weather was cold at that time. Good thing I was wearing jeans and sandals or it would’ve been more uncomfortable. The facilitators of the Skyrider were friendly and ensured that the ride was 100% safe and briefed us on what to do during the zip line. Here are our pictures. Check them out and see our facial expressions. I swear, you could tell how nervous I am. I was asking myself, “Bakit ba hindi ako nahilig sa adventure?”Hahaha.

But at the top of the mountains, it wasn’t too bad! It was an exhilarating feeling because you can smell the trees and the cool breeze. The speed wasn’t too fast. The zip line was also 200 meters so I was relieved when I got to the end and screaming my lungs out.

After the Skyrider, we went back to the reception to catch the 10:45 tour of the park. Ate Debie, our tour guide was super nice because she made sure that we took pictures of every stop over in the place. The place had veggies and fruits that they harvested themselves and sold at the restaurants. I swear, the air smelled so good. Some of the stops included the deer park, the lodges, fishing village, and the cultural villages.

We went back in time for lunch and claimed our snacks at the reception area. The choices were a tuna sandwich and soda, or the oriental noodles and soda. The veggies in the restaurant are freshly grown and are organic too. Our last stopover was at Citra Marina, where we went shopping for fresh tuna belly and a lot of other tuna variants. My mom said that the tuna in Davao were 50% cheaper so I brought home a big box full of tuna goodies.

Then we made it four hours earlier for our flight to Manila. Hahaha! It was fun though because Davao International Airport is nice and there were a lot more pasalubong shops inside the area. We had late lunch and early dinner at Suka at Sili and tried durian ice cream because we knew that was the last time that we’re going to try it.

There you go. I had to divide the posts in three entries because there were a lot of pictures! I hope you enjoyed reading the entries as much as I did. We all had a blast. It’s super clean in Davao, and the air is clean and not polluted. Cab drivers are all so nice and the people are always so accommodating. It was a fun trip. I can’t stop looking at our pictures, and it’s been almost a week and we still can’t stop thinking about fun moments on our well-deserved break. Next stop: Bangkok?

Davao Trip Day 2

2010-06-17T21:47:00.002+08:00

For the second day of our trip, we went to the famous Pearl Farm Beach Resort in Samal Island. It was the rainy season but the weather was sunny which was a perfect day to enjoy the beach. We almost took this off our itinerary but as people would say, “Davao isn’t Davao without a visit to Pearl Farm.” And so we did.

We reserved day tour tickets a week before the trip so we were all set. After having buffet breakfast c/o Microtel, we went to Marina Wharf for the 1-hour boat ride to the island. The first boat left at exactly 8:00 AM so we were just in time when we arrived at 7:40. The boat ride was short (compared to other trips I’ve taken in the past) and there was a cute Pearl Farm mineral water bottle that was given to passengers while waiting.

When we got to the resort, we were greeted with welcome drinks: freshly squeezed pineapple juice. It was SO good! Then it was time for the short orientation at the parola while everyone was in awe at how beautiful the place was. It was like walking inside a postcard. The beach was stunning. We wanted to take pictures at every corner because everywhere you look, the view was picturesque.

We didn’t waste any time and changed into our swimsuits and headed to the beach. Nerizza and Cherry had underwater cameras, which made the trip more fun especially when we were taking pictures of starfishes. Here are our pics:

Then we took a dip at the infinity pool and I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. (Pearl Farm’s even more beautiful up close.)

It’s so hard to open your eyes underwater. I don’t know how these girls did it, because ALL my pictures look like I’m in some sort of pain.

Among the underwater shots though, this is our favorite. Back story: We asked a daddy to take our picture underwater since we wanted a picture underwater with the four of us. After handing the camera to him, we went underwater but he didn’t! When we got up, he confusingly asked us, “Ah, ilulubog niyo ba talaga ang ulo niyo?” Hahahahahahaha!!! While fighting the urge to burst into laughter, we explained that he should go underwater with us at the same time. He realized it and just laughed about it and tried taking our picture too. The picture wasn’t that clear but we got shy to ask for another shot. We were laughing about this for days! This picture is priceless.

The day tour was inclusive of an 11:00AM to 3:00 PM buffet at the Maranao Restaurant. The food was de-li-cious! Salad, meat, chicken, rice, pasta, seafoods, cheesecake, bottomless iced tea, coffee, juices, and a LOT more. While you are stuffing yourself with food, you also get to enjoy the spectacular view of paradise. As my friend Nerizza would put it, “Good food + Good friends + Good view = Perfect life.” At that moment, everything was perfect. :D

After lunch, we went to the “Butik” for souvenir shopping and then signed up for the boat ride to another island, Isla Malipano. The island was more peaceful and quiet than Pearl Farm, and I guess a diving spot because there was gear that’s being provided when you get there. We spent around half an hour just taking pictures and went back.

We rode the golf cart for a view of the entire place. Our final stop was the hilltop infinity pool with Jacuzzi and hammock with a view of the Davao Gulf.

We had to catch the 4PM boat to the city but we were able to take last pictures of the place and took a cab to Alde Vinco and Lola Abon’s for pasalubong shopping. By the time we got to the place, it was already 6PM and stores were starting to close. Good thing we were able to get pasalubongs.

Dahil active kami, we still went out to look for a place to eat and found Hola Espana which is a block away from Microtel. It served pasta, pizza and a lot of other stuff and the interior, plus the staff were really nice so we had a blast.

So the question is, pagod na ba kami?

Answer: Hindi pa, nakapag picture pa nga eh! :P

Pearl Farm is the best beach resort I've ever been to. I like it better than Boracay or Bantayan. It's a honeymoon place, and I hope to be back someday. *wink wink*

Davao Trip Day 1

2010-06-17T20:38:00.001+08:00

I went to Davao with my closest college girlfriends over the Independence Day weekend. This is my second travel for 2010 and we booked our flight four months ahead to get a good deal on the plane tickets. It was also the first time that I went out of town with Sue, Cherry and Nerizza because we rarely see each other due to the hectic work schedules. So when we found out that PAL was having an P888 sale which included June as the travel period, we booked for Davao.

At the airport, we were asking each other why we picked Davao as our destination since we were initially planning to go to Bohol or Bangkok, but we never found out why. We’re just sure we did! I’ll try to make this entry brief and squeeze in 3 days worth of chismis and events during the trip.

Day 1: June 12, 2010
I love going to the airport early just to have time to prepare for boarding. We even had time for breakfast. Just like my Cebu trip, we had breakfast at Ya Kun Kaya Toast. I like the coffee in this place, but the toasts are not that good. We left NAIA Terminal 3 at 9:40 and got to Davao City before lunch time.

We got a cab from the airport and went straight to Microtel Inn where we were checked in. I texted my cousin Ahia Andew who is based in Davao for 5 years now to ask him about the tourist spots in Davao, but he gladly obliged to pick us up from the hotel and have lunch with us. So after leaving our stuff at the hotel, our first stop was one of the most popular restos in Davao: Penong’s. The chicken was so juicy (even yummier than Mang Inasal) and the place was cheap. Rice-all-you-can, plus a 40-pesos pitcher of iced tea!

After lunch, Ahia Andrew dropped us off the wharf going to BluJaz Resort and Waterpark. We initially planned to stay here for a night, but I am so glad we changed our minds. The resort is accessible since the boat ride only takes 5 minutes, but the resort was far from what we were expecting. There was a P120 entrance fee for day tour and the place wasn’t nice at all. They didn’t have a clean beach front and there were a lot of people in the resort (probably due to the holiday). To get on the giant slides, you need to pay an additional P90 and the inifinity pool wasn’t, well, infinite. I don’t know if we’re too picky, but in the resort, you couldn’t even wear a bikini because of the people (if you know what I mean). Here are the pictures: (Tip: The pictures are about ten times nicer than the resort itself.)

We decided to go back to Microtel and visit another tourist spot instead. We picked Davao Crocodile Park and got there just in time for the afternoon show. The first show was the wildlife arena where the host played with birds, snakes, crocodiles, and an orangutan. Then it was time for the tight rope walkers with crocodiles under them. It was a good show.

The ticket we got was a package for three places: including the Butterfly Farm and Tribu K Mindanawan. The butterfly farm was closed so we just went to the cultural village to take pictures.

For dinner, we went to Jack’s Ridge where we enjoyed a dinner overlooking the lights of Davao City. It was raining when we got there and since the restaurants were at the hilltop, we just enjoyed the good view and the cool breeze while having dinner. Food was not too expensive but yummy nonetheless.

After two hours of chikahans and non-stop laughing, we went back to the hotel. We got hungry a little bit before midnight and since our hotel was in the middle of everything, there was a Pancake House beside it, and a strip of fast food diners across including Mcdo, Dimsum Diner, Brothers Burger, etc, we went to Mcdo to get fries and sundae.

Facebook Pet Peeves

2010-05-27T18:06:00.006+08:00

I’ve never been super active on Facebook, even if I’m online for about 12 hours per day. But since my current job entails social media sites, I’ve been noticing a lot of pet peeves on Facebook. I’m sure we all have one. But here are mine: Bato bato sa langit, ang tamaan, guilty. :D

• Liking your own status. I see a few people do this on Facebook, probably because A: You’re a loser. B: You’re a loser. I don’t even understand why Facebook allowed people to like their own statuses because it just doesn’t make sense. What’s even worse is that some people comment on their own statuses.Example: Cielo has a splitting headache. Cielo likes it. See what I mean? That’s like talking to yourself in public.

Edit: And of course, to annoy me, Z did this and asked me to print screen it for him. Hahaha. Buti nalang friends tayo or I would've hidden your posts in my wall!

• By the minute status updates . Speaking of Facebook status, do you have a friend who floods your news feed with his/her status by the minute? I think it’s wrong to announce to the world about the littlest details like “My bladder’s about to explode any minute. Going to pee now.” Or “Fire!” and a lot of other stupid statuses. Don’t get me wrong, I update my status when I need to hear from my friends or if I’m super happy or feeling miserable. But updates by the minute belong to microblogging sites like Twitter and Plurk. Use them.

• Lover / Kiss of the Day Applications. I’m sure you’re pretty familiar with this application too. Apparently, with a few clicks of the button, Facebook picks out your “lover of the day” or “kiss of the day.” How convenient. I’m sure it would be nice if you used it for fun, but if you actually believed it and post it to your news feed big enough for everyone to see, it’s, uhm, absurd (for lack of a nicer term). The worst part it, I know of a friend who believes in this crap. She’s 29 years old btw.

• Tagging photos. Be careful who you tag by putting yourself in your friend’s shoes. Do you really want a picture of you with spinach stuck on your teeth or booger out of your nose showing up in your profile? Once every week, I “clean” my Facebook profile to remove tags of the pictures that I have been tagged but don’t even have my face on it or related to me whatsoever. These include pictures of weight loss supplements, slippers for sale, or a Photoshop-ed picture of some celebrity who’s an object of ridicule. Seriously, it’s annoying.

To end this entry, I found a video by Happy Slip on Youtube that explains my sentiments. Watch it.

2010 Checklist

2010-04-29T21:27:00.001+08:00

I was planning to do this entry in June so it’s the half of year, but I always check it once in a while to track my ‘progress’. If you have a BDJ planner, there’s this 2010 checklist that I found so cool because of the list of things to do inspire me to try out new things. There are a total of a hundred things on the list and I’ve segregated them into three major categories. Here they are:

DONE:

1. Be more physically active to keep the flab away. (Still going to yoga at least once a week.)

2. Do something special for Mom.

3. Do something special for Dad. (We threw them a surprise 30th anniversary party.)

4. Stick to a daily beauty regimen to ward off skin aging. (Been doing this since high school.)

5. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator whenever possible. (Well, I do this more often now because the elevator in the building takes forever.)

6. Make a new friend. (Hey Chee!)

7. Be more serious about my savings and finances.

8. Organize my closet. (I do this every month.)

9. Be more thoughtful to people.

10. Fall in love. ♥

11. Buy one gadget I really covet. (the 64GB iPod Touch, woohoo!)

12. Count blessings. (This is really important.)

13. Stay away from toxic people. (One step at a time.)

14. Do something new with my hair. (I’m back to my old ‘do!)

15. Go to the spa.

16. Learn from a mistake.

17. Sing your heart out with some friends.

18. Do something unexpected for someone you care about.

19. Write your goals for the year.

20. Go on a Philippine tour. (Does Cebu count?)

21. Cry your heart out. :'-(

22. Update your resume.

23. Crack a joke.

24. Swim in the beach.

25. Watch the sunset.

26. Know your weaknesses.

27. Play up your strengths.

28. Go home early from work.

29. Set aside funds for a rainy day.

30. Get a sexy new dress. ( I already have a few. I’m so into dresses this year.)

31. Hug yourself. ( I just did! Hahaha.)

TO BE DONE SOON (I have 8 whole months to try!)

1. Learn a foreign language- or at least 50 words to string together a sentence or thought.

2. Go for an annual checkup with my physician and OB-gyne.

3. Learn how to cook a mean pasta dish.

4. Go on a trip on my own, to have some serious “me” time.

5. Faithfully keep a grateful journal where I’d list down things to be thankful for.

6. Kick an annoying habit, say, smoking, or biting my fingernails. (For me though it’s walking barefoot almost everywhere.)

7. Volunteer for a cause. And really stick to it!

8. Learn how to fix a flat tire.

9. Read at least one book. (Gosh I can’t believe I’ve never laid a hand on a single book this year!)

10. Create a soundtrack for your life. (This is exciting.)

11. Try out a new cuisine.

12. Go on a retreat.

13. Sign up for a self-defense class.

14. Take up a new sport. (Does yoga count?)

15. Dare to try out a new trend.

16. Face a fear.

17. Meet a hot guy and don’t feel self-conscious while flirting with him. (Ooooh, matry nga! Hahaha.)

18. Visit a foreign locale.

19. Watch a play.

20. Work out every other day for one month.

21. Write your life story.

22. Get lost and explore a new place.

23. Take crazy photos of yourself. (I never take pictures of myself anymore and I don’t really know why.)

24. Vote. (Next week!)

25. Isolate yourself from the rest of the world for one day.

26. Segregate your trash.

27. Let yourself go crazy for a night. (Hmm…)

28. Watch your favorite series 1 day/ night straight.

29. Buy yourself new shoes. (This is easy.)

30. Quiet your mind for one whole day. Don’t talk.

31. Live in the moment.

32. Think about your life dream.

33. Decorate your desk.

34. Create something completely your own.

35. Host a party for friends. (On my birthday!)

36. Cook a meal for a special someone. (Oh noes.)

37. Paint, even if you don’t know how.

38. Dance like no one’s watching.

39. Write yourself a love letter.

40. Play like a kid.

41. Pray for world peace.

42. Learn CPR.

43. Watch cartoons.

44. Visit a museum.

45. Wear costume.

46. Make a speech.

47. Stand up for yourself.

48. Contact a long lost friend.

49. Buy a workmate coffee.

50. Start or add to your vision board.

51. Catch the sunrise. ♥

52. Walk in the rain. ♥

53. Quit a bad habit.

54. Make a birthday wish.

55. Clean your bathroom.

56. Fake an accent.

57. Donate to your favorite charity.

58. Expand your identity.

59. Promote a cause.

60. Learn to play a musical instrument. ( I would love to learn how to play the guitar.

61. Read an autobiography.

62. Learn sign language.

WILL PROBABLY NEVER DO:

1. Get over that no-good-for-me ex. ( I don’t have an ex, and I hope I never have one.)

2. Gatecrash a party. (It just sounds, uhm, wrong.)

3. Get drunk. (I don’t like alcohol that’s why I don’t drink.)

4. Start a club for something you like.

5. Fake an accent.

31/100! Not bad, huh? I still have 8 months to try doing the other stuff in the checklist for that feeling of accomplishment at the end of the year. I will re-edit this entry once in a while too. ;-) And now I leave you with this inspiring quote on top of the BDJ checklist: “Life is not about the moments we breathe, but the moments that take our breath away.” :-)

Changing Lives: Timbaland, Jojo and JT

2010-04-01T21:39:00.002+08:00

Back in high school, I remember having a keychain with Justin's Timberlake face on it, when he was still part of N' Sync and had curly hair. Then People R People came out with the Mrs. bags of celebrities, and I bought the Mrs. Timberlake even during college days. I also have the original DVDs of N Sync concerts and I especially love their version of "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You" on their concert in Madison Square Garden.

When JT went solo, I remember memorizing "Like I Love You" and buying his CD, the original and repackaged version. He had a song called "Senorita" and easily claimed that he wrote the song for me. (Hahaha, feeling!) Senorita later became my online username in chat rooms and blogs, hence the URL of this blog too.

Imagine my excitement when I saw the poster for their Changing Lives Concert. Even if Justin's only a featured artist on the concert, I wouldn't miss it for the world.I said I was going to watch it even if I was alone no matter how much the tickets cost too. But for some strange reason, all my friends were busy and couldn't go to the event. I was dismayed since I thought I was going to miss the concert altogether. Rumors started that JT wasn't going to perform live and just in the LCD screen so I thought it was fine. But I was having second thoughts and I couldn't risk it. (Hahaha, kala mo kung ano e noh. But I was dead serious.)

Two days before the March 27 concert, I got a text from my friend Verns who works for one of the media partners of the concert. She said she had spare invites and was asking if Julls and I wanted to come along and watch. Of course I said yes! I got so kilig that night that I wasn't even able to sleep well. Ever since she informed me of the concert, I kept texting her for updates. If JT was really gonna be here, what time his flight is, etc.

And then the night of the concert, we arrived at MOA at 6PM and decided to have dinner at Tempura Grill first.

We got to the concert grounds at around 8PM, found ourselves a perfect spot, and then stood there for a couple more hours before it started at, (I'm guessing) 9:40 PM. The concert started with the DJs from U92, and then the "Mainet" song from Fil-Am hiphop groups O.N.E. and the Philippine All Stars. The show started and ended like one big hiphop party. There was a DJ who was mixing songs to get the audience hyped up for the main acts.

After the long wait, Timbaland started the show with "Timothy Where Have You Been," which is a song from his album Shock Value II. I've never been a fan but I had most of the songs he wrote and collaborated with other artists like Nelly Furtado, One Republic, Keri Hilson and JT on my iPod (when it was still alive). I was surprised when he did impromptu beats on stage because he was realllly good! He was funny too, and everyone had a good laugh when he talked to the audience and included "Manila" in the raps and turned it into a whole new song. He's really talented and it's no wonder why all his collaborations always made it on top of the charts.

Among the songs he played (and that I could remember) are "Say Something," "The Way I Are," "The One I Love," the Twilight song "Morning After Dark," and a couple more others before singing "Lose Control" and Jojo joining him on stage. Jojo was really pretty. She's all grown-up now, and she was wearing a red dress on when she started singing. Her last song was "Too Little Too Late." Too bad she only sang two songs. Then Timbaland came back on stage and sang "If We Ever Meet Again" and the audience (including me) went wild. I wish he brought Katy Perry with him but I guess that was too much. Hahaha!

Then Timbaland sang "Apologize" with JT's voice in the background 'helping him out.' He even played around with Coldplay's "The Scientist" before singing "Carry Out" and bringing out Justin Timberlake on stage! ♥♥♥

I couldn't believe I was watching Justin Timberlake live!!! He was awesome: he sang, danced, played the piano, and beatboxed. He should've taken his shirt off too. Hahaha! Ang saya saya. He sang about 8 to 9 songs including "Carry Out" (with Timbaland), "Summer Love", "My Love", "Cry Me a River", "Lovestoned", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Until the End of Time", and ended the show singing "Sexyback" with fireworks! I loved the part where he sang "Manila, won't you help me sing..." Hay nako Justin.

I wasn't able to take clear pictures because I was busy screaming, singing and dancing. :D (Trivia: My leggings tore from too much jumping too. Verns and Julls tried recording some parts of the concert too but all they could hear was me squealing and singing along, and well, going crazy. (So sorry ulit! Hahaha.)

Here are pictures some pictures courtesy of Verns' friend Bernard, who brought an awesome Canon Powershot S200 with him. Now we're all lusting after the camera. He had the best pictures because his camera took sharp and clear photos.

Needless to say, I'm a bigger fan now. It was a fun fun night!!! Hay JT, you are ♥. See you when you visit Manila again!

C to the E-B-U! Part 2: Cebu City is a happy place!

2010-04-01T16:16:00.004+08:00

From the beach, we went to explore the city with my cousin who happens to live there. During the first night, we were so tired from the travel to Bantayan that all we could afford to do was to have dinner at Neo Neo Grill House and an awesome foot massage at Nuat Thai. What made the massage awesome (aside from the massage itself) was the serene ambiance and the price! Where would you find a P150 foot massage that also came with free back, neck, head and face massage? After the hour-long relaxation, they would also offer free water or tea to make you feel more relaxed. It took our stress away, and the place is at par with those overly-priced spas in Greenbelt or The Fort.

The next day, we woke up early to explore the city. After picking Chester up from the airport, we proceeded to Lapu Lapu Shrine for pictures and then went accessory (necklaces, earrings and bracelets) shopping at the nearby stalls. It was awesome because those pieces are pretty expensive in the malls here.

Then we went to the different hotels in the city. We went to Shangri-la Mactan, Imperial Palace, and Plantation Bay. My friends and I said we would go back to Plantation Bay someday and spend a night at the amazing place. Check out these pictures:

Then we stopped by Starbucks on the way to Taoist Temple and Magellan's Cross.

Then it's the highlight of the city tour. The Skywalk and Edge Coaster at Crowne Regency. I'm not afraid of heights, but not a fan of it too. We decided to go on both trips since our Cebu city tour would be incomplete without the tourist attraction, and for the thrilling experience. The way the Skywalk works is that you get to walk around the edge while in harnessed suites with a see-through glass flooring. It sounds easy, but when you're up there, it's a totally different experience. It might get windy and cold so it all adds to the challenge. While walking around, you would also be asked to pose for souvenir pictures. We were on perfect timing when we skywalked because the kuyas were able to capture the sunset. Look:

The Edge Coaster, on the other hand, which I found more scary is a ride where you are tightly secured in a coaster which is tilted 55 degrees while you rest on the 38th floor of the hotel, with a spectacular view of all of Cebu City. Here are some pictures of the SkyWalk: We weren't able to take pictures of the Edge Coaster because we were scared of it and it was around night time too so all you could see were the lights.

Then we capped off the day to go to Ayala Center (which was like Greenbelt, only fancier) and then ate at Tsim Sha Tsui for their all you can eat dimsum! It was yummy! :) We went back to Nuat Thai to try their other massages. I tried the Thai massage with oil. I think it was priced at P200. It was different but nice too. It had a lot of stretching following the massage and I felt like I was in yoga class. It was perfect. My friends tried the Swedish massage and they said it was just as good.

Too bad we only spent four days in the city. We weren't able to go to Larsian, and Kawasan Falls. But we managed to squeeze in some pasalubong shopping too! (otap, mangorind, dried mangoes, barquillos, rosquillos!) I will definitely go back to Cebu and include Malapascua or Camotes Island as the beach itinerary. I love Cebu. Just like what my sister said, it's a happy place! :)

alter the ending

2010-04-01T11:10:00.004+08:00

If you've been following my Tweets and FB stats, you'd probably notice how emo my posts have been. Because I'm so freaking tired of having to explain to everyone about what happened, here's a lowdown.

I remember posting this entry when March started, and being psyched for events that I was waiting to unfold. Somehow, I completely got lost. The odds weren't in my favor, and no matter how I tried my best to fix it, I just couldn't do it. I felt like everything was wrong and I was on the bad side of things. This is not just about the matters of the heart, but everything about my life. The moment I strive to become steady, things begin to fall apart.

Things at work were far from being steady and I felt like I was headed nowhere. I couldn't understand what was going on, and every single day felt like a blur. Reality check: I wasn't happy at all. I couldn't even begin to describe how I was feeling, because seriously, hindi ko rin alam e.

We almost didn't make it. I wouldn't go into details but I'm just glad we got through the rough patch. Sorry for being difficult, you are the best.

Now I'm in the process of tying up loose ends and won't even attempt to try to understand what happened. I'm so exhausted of trying to fix things and figuring out what went wrong.

Like i always say, when you are feeling down, there's no way to go but forward. I am so glad you are over, March. Leave me alone now, please. I've had enough. Ktnxbye.

C to the E-B-U! Part 1: I just want to be on the beach!

2010-03-21T21:04:00.018+08:00

Late November of last year, Philippine Airlines had a promo fare of only a thousand and five hundred bucks, round trip to any local destination. Since my friends and I have been itching to travel to a new destination (local and/ or internationally), I immediately called them up and pressured them to go with me to Cebu. The nice thing about the seat sale in PAL is that you don’t have to go through hell when booking a flight. Once my friends have confirmed, it only took me 10 minutes to get us booked for the March 12-15 trip bound for Cebu!

We were lucky because March is the perfect time to hit the beach. It’s the time when the sun is hot but not scorching, and when the beaches are not yet too crowded. We also picked Cebu as the destination because we have been reading/ hearing a lot about its pristine beaches and those that are not yet as commercialized and congested like those of Puerto Galera and Boracay.

To make the long story short, here are some of the highlights of our Cebu trip. We all felt so grown up and fulfilled after the trip because we experienced a lot of firsts.

March 12, 2010

Yaba, Mel and I took the 6:30AM flight (because I was stupid and booked the wrong flight and the rebooking fee would cost us more than the airfare). We later found out that the timing was just enough for us to get to our first spot: beautiful Bantayan Island. Another good thing about PAL flights is that they are right on schedule most of the time and we didn’t have to worry about delays.

From the Mactan International Airport, we took a 20-minute cab ride bound for the Cebu North Bus Terminal. We were initially looking for air conditioned buses because we knew it was a long trip, but we couldn’t find any. To make matters worse, all the people in the bus ‘pressured’ us to get our seats quickly because the bus was going to leave any minute. Since it was a busy trip, Yaba, Mel and I were forced to take seats a row apart from each other. Trivia: I don’t commute in Manila, and have never ridden a non-air conditioned bus. We had to carry our luggage from the airport and endure the 3-hour ride to Hagnaya Port.

I was a bit nervous because I was seated between a mom and a kid, and a manong who was in his 50’s and I was away from my friends. I didn’t put any of my things down which was probably why my seatmates were giving me this weird stare. Hehe. I was so afraid of losing any of them. The seats were fine too, they weren’t cramped at all. The only worse thing that we had to deal with was the pollution and the bus driver who was driving like a madman on the highway and on the mountains. When we got to Hagnaya Port, we couldn’t comb our hair dahil parang namatay na lahat. Ang dumi rin ng mukha namin. But I guess we couldn’t complain because it was the only way to get to Bantayan- and the fare was a mere 50 bucks!

When we got to Hagnaya Port, we rode a 1-hour ferry to Sta. Fe. The waves were calm and the weather was sunny (I heard it was raining in Manila during this time.) so the travel was very smooth. After getting to Sta. Fe, the jeep service for Budyong Beach Resort where we reserved accommodations for was waiting for us. After about a total of five hours of getting to the place and freshening up, we were on Paradise.

The sand was as white and as fine as Boracay’s, and the water is crystal clear. We even saw fishes swimming around. The sandbar (which disappeared during high tide) was also a great help for our pictorial, este, pictures. Hehe.

Bantayan is definitely a honeymoon place and the perfect spot for some R&R, or soul-searching. The locals were very friendly too. After beach bumming, we went to D Jungle, which had a 65-course buffet spread consisting of crispy pata, prawns, salad, fish, crabs, steak, chicken, squid balls, and fruits to name a few. The 295-peso buffet also had bottomless iced tea and started from 5PM and ended at 10. We ate for three hours and then went back to the hotel for an early island hopping trip to Virgin Island. Bantayan has a few bars, but most of the place is deserted by 9PM so if you are looking for party, dancing and booze, you might not like it in Bantayan.

March 13, 2010

After having the pandesal at kape breakfast at the hotel, we decided to take a trip to Ogtong Cave. The three of us rode a habal habal which took us up the mountains in about 15 minutes. Sta. Fe Beach Club and Ogtong Cave are also nice places to check out, especially if you have enough budget. The water in the cave was super clear too. The cave may be a bit small, but the water is nice to get soaked and relax for hours. Too bad we had to get back after an hour because we still had to go to Virgin Island.

From Budyong, the boat ride took around half hour to reach Virgin Island for some snorkeling and a sumptuous seafood lunch. While we were waiting for the food to cook, we went playing around and snorkeling in the beach. After about an hour, look what we had for lunch! The seafood was SO fresh and juicy! Scallops, crabs, fish, squid and rice and the yummy yummy sauce. We ate with our hands which made the experience even better. Sarraaaaappp talaga!!

By lunch time, we had to bid Bantayan goodbye because Cebu City was up next.

aw shucks

2010-03-21T12:44:00.009+08:00

I'm so glad I only found this song a week after the 'heartbreak.' Listen to the lyrics, and the melody. I really really hope you don't sing this to me ever again. :-'(

LYRICS:
Pansin mo ba ang pagbabago
Di matitigan ang iyong mga mata
Tila hindi na nananabik
Sa ‘yong yakap at halik
Sana’y malaman mo
Hindi sinasadya
Kung ang nais ko ay maging malaya

Di lang ikaw
Di lang ikaw ang nahihirapan
Damdamin ko rin ay naguguluhan
Di lang ikaw
Di lang ikaw ang nababahala
Bulong ng isip, ‘wag kang pakawalan
Ngunit puso ko ay kailangan kang iwan
BRIDGE:
Di hahayaang habang buhay kang saktan
Di sasayangin ang iyong panahon
Ikaw ay magiging masaya
Sa yakap at sa piling ng iba
Di lang ikaw
Di lang ikaw ang nahihirapan
Damdamin ko rin ay naguguluhan
Di lang ikaw
Di lang ikaw ang nababahala
Bulong ng isip, ‘wag kang pakawalan
Ngunit puso ko ay kailangan kang iwan

Great. Now I' m all sad again. I just had to blog about it as a reminder that we made it through and to let you know how sorry I am for everything. Promise it won't happen again.

something to think about

2010-03-10T09:47:00.003+08:00

This was my horoscope yesterday:

Daily Planetary Overview

Venus opposite Saturn today will put a strain on your friendships and close relationships. You'll have to find the perfect balance between doing things for yourself and taking care of others. Duty and responsibility will be strong, but remember your needs too.

Check.

Your Horoscope - Today, Mar. 9, 2010
Issues of love and romance are apt to be extremely climactic at this time, c. You may be in a phase of your relationship where you are approaching a major twist in the road. Perhaps there is a sudden breakdown in communication. Perhaps you realize that you rely much more on this person than you may have first thought. If you aren't involved intimately with someone right now, you should probably consider this for the better.

Check.

And when I browsed the monthly horoscope, look what showed up:
Your Horoscope - March 2010
The Moon in your sign on March 1 will bring the need for perfection. You may have to deal with several disruptions and confusing situations that will make it difficult to meet your usual standards. A friend or loved one will frustrate you by being easily distracted or late for something important. Many planets in Pisces this month will test your patience and force you to deal with chaos. A fast pace and too many commitments on the weekend of March 6 will leave you frazzled and out of your comfort zone. On March 8 and 9 you'll have a chance to use your organizational skills, but you'll have to contend with many variables and fluctuating situations. Mars will turn direct on March 10. After facing some delays for the past few months, you can now move forward with projects. Don't feel guilty about wasting time and resting on the weekend of March 13. With the New Moon in Pisces on March 15, you'll be able to develop spiritually and have more faith and compassion. Unexpected developments on March 17 will take you by surprise. It will make you feel good to be of service on March 19. Try not to be too set in your ways on the weekend of March 20. You'll have to be more spontaneous for a short time. You'll have to take charge of unruly situations on March 23 and 24. Deal with paperwork and errands on the weekend of March 27.

Notice the things in bold? Those actually came true. To say I'm relieved that things are resolved is an understatement.

not what you think

2010-03-05T21:48:00.006+08:00

Reblogging this one from Z's Tumblr:

"Wut? Episode 1

herfemalefriend: hinahanap hanap ko ung sakit, ‘sweet pain’ lam mo un?
myfemalefriend: oo gets ko. sakit sa first time, pero sarap na noh pagtagal
herfemalefriend: yes. korek. di pa makalakad minsan
myfemalefriend: at least nalalaman mo effective

Girls love yoga."

Hahaha. I have a confession to make, I am 'herfemalefriend.' This was my wholesome Skype conversation with my yoga buddy! It was SO funny that I sent it to Harvey and decided to blog about it as well. Below is the raw and unedited transcript:

her: hinahanap hanap ko ung sakit, 'sweet pain' lam mo un?
me: oo gets ko. sakit sa first time, pero sarap na noh pagtagal
her: yes. korek. di pa makalakad minsan
me: at least nalalaman mo effective
her: sheesh. basahin mo ulit ung pinag uusapan natin
me: bakit?
her: pag ibang tao nagbasa akala bastos natin. lol
me: hahaha baliw. (pero o nga noh)
her: just in case. yoga ito, yoga. it's not what you think.

See? We were talking about yoga, you naughty you! :P Hahaha.

march!

2010-03-02T10:55:00.007+08:00

It's the second day of March and I just finished plotting my schedule for the month. My gosh, it's going to be a full (and expensive) month for me, but I'm happy because I have so many things to look forward to!

1. Movies I want to watch: 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'When in Rome.' (Click to watch the trailers!)

Reasons to watch 'Alice in Wonderland': Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. 'Nuff said. 'When in Rome,' on the other hand, has an awesome OST (Starstrukk by Katy Perry, Kicking with You by Jason Mraz), and I like watching Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel. They're pretty cool.

2. Concert I don't want to miss: Changing Lives- Timabaland, Justin Timberlake and Jojo. Gosh, JT! I already get 'kilig' at the mere thought of seeing him perform live. He's just part of the show, but I don't really care if he sings just one song. I just want to get a glimpse of him. Plus I'm sure it'll be fun. So I can't wait to buy the tickets already. (Harvey and Chester, let's goooo! NOT my treat! Hehe)

3. Cebu trip with friends! This is the longest trip (4 days and 3 nights) that I'm going to take with my barkada and I'm sure it will be awesome. Our itinerary includes a tour of Cebu City and Bantayan beach. Beach bumming, island hopping, food tripping and great company. Ten days to go! And this is also my first VL in 9 months. (Yep, I've never been absent!)

4. QT. Yes, it's been a year. More on that on my next post. ;-)

out of hand

2010-02-11T14:06:00.003+08:00

"When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?"
-"Fix You," Coldplay

I was listening to this song nonstop last night. It's so sad that I can't ask you to "fix me." I never implied anything selfish. All I was asking for was for you to say that I had nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, you couldn't do it. Now things are out of hand. :-(

The Surprise Pearl Anniversary Party

2010-01-28T20:15:00.006+08:00

Last night, my parents celebrated their 30th year of marriage. I can still remember celebrating their silver wedding anniversary and didn’t realize it was five years ago. Since Mama and Papa always plan their anniversary celebration every year, we decided to do something different this year.

It started two weeks ago, when Achi and I were in the car on our way to Makati. 30 years is a milestone in their marriage, and we knew they wanted some sort of dinner with their closest friends. Being a natural event planner that she is, Achi decided to come up with a guest list of our parents’ closest friends and relatives. After finally agreeing on the budget, location and the souvenirs, she texted everyone to conspire with the surprise.

Two days before the anniversary, our parents were asking us where we wanted to celebrate their 30th. We said we all wanted a simple and intimate dinner, just the 7 of us. When they would suggest that they invite other people, we made it clear that we wanted the occasion exclusively to our family. We thought they found it weird, but didn’t really talk about it much. It was really hard to keep secrets from them since we talk to them everyday during dinner and they kept on trying to plan a celebration.

Yesterday, the day of their anniversary, was the hardest part of the whole surprise. We started the day by leaving the greeting card on their table like we always did. When it’s someone’s birthday, we usually left the gift with the card the night before. And then we would text each other saying thank you and stuff. We didn’t receive a text message from Mama or Papa yesterday. I knew they were making tampo because they didn’t find a gift next to the card, which was very unusual for us.

Around 10AM, their friends started texting us saying that Mama and Papa were asking them to join us for dinner. Naturally, they all pretended to be busy and said they couldn’t make it. My sisters and I were texting the entire day yesterday that I couldn’t focus on work anymore. I was super excited about the party.

During lunch, my mom started to talk to me and Dichi over YM and was asking about dinner. They suggested we eat at Kimono Ken since we’re a small group. I insisted eating at Legend Restaurant because that’s the place we made reservations for. They (especially Papa!) were avoiding that place because they said the place was always full, the dishes were greasy, and all the other excuses. In short: they didn’t want to eat there. I came up with a lame excuse that sort-of worked. Haha. I said that we had to eat somewhere fancy because I was wearing nice clothes. Plus, I was craving for salt and pepper spareribs so we just had to eat at Legend. I wasn’t able to convince her. (Told you my excuses were lame!) Dichi and I pretended to be busy that we couldn’t answer her messages anymore.

Around 3PM, Achi texted me that she was finally able to convince them that we eat at Legend. She even said sorry for ‘backstabbing’ me and saying “E ano naman kung maganda suot niya? Ang arte arte talaga ni Lo. Pati sa damit at pagkain.” Hehehe. (which she later admitted that the remark was half-meant. Hmph!) So we were able to breathe until 5:30.

Mama and Papa went to Landmark in the afternoon to find comfort food. According to them, they were feeling really sad and a bit mad because all their friends were busy that night. They were making more tampo too because we wouldn’t agree on the restaurant that they picked. It was their anniversary, after all. They were still determined on eating at Kimono Ken and called up Achi to tell her that they really wanted Japanese food. Achi agreed. Hay! I had to go home after work and pick them up so it was all up to me to persuade them into eating in Legend.

When I finally got home, Mama wasn’t dressed yet. Papa was clad in a normal shirt and jeans. I had to ask them to change into nicer clothes and use another lame excuse (which I couldn’t remember anymore). It was a good thing my mom always put on makeup when going out, and she used a pearl necklace since it was their Pearl Wedding Anniversary. Then Achi asked me to inform them that Kimono Ken was closed due to a function.

When I told Papa, he didn’t believe it. “Pano magasasara yung Kimono Ken? Hindi naman yon nagsasara.” I asked Achi to call Papa up and think of any excuse just to convince him. They were already a bit mad because everyone was late, and they felt so unimportant. They initially requested for us to leave work early so we could spend more time together, but we all pretended to be uber busy. Hahaha. So Achi called Papa up and said that we could still eat at Kimono Ken but we had to stay outside. Mama said we could just eat at Legend, but Papa still insisted. (Sobrang kulit! Promise!!!) Achi said that Eugenne and Dichi were also on their way to Legend so we had no choice. That’s when he finally agreed.

On our way to Legend, I was seated between Mama and Camille so they saw the screen of my cellphone and can actually read what I was typing. I was only able to send “Get ready. Lapit na kami.” to Achi and Dichi because I was so tensed. We were all quiet inside the car and I could tell they were furious and sad. Nothing was going according to plan.

When we got to the restaurant, all the trouble was worth it. Their reactions were priceless. Achi and Dichi were also able to find a last-minute priest who could conduct the renewal of vows, and that’s what Mama and Papa wanted. Here are some of the pictures.

Mama couldn’t stop crying and Papa said that this party was even better than their silver wedding anniversary. They’re still on Cloud 9 as I write this entry. They kept on saying thank you and couldn’t be happier. The party was a success. They also said that were the luckiest parents in the world. Well guess what? We feel the same way.

To Papa and Mama: Happy 30th Wedding Anniversary. Just like what I said in the card, I hope you stay in love forever. If I’m half as happy as the two of you are after all these years, I’ll be fine. You guys are the best parents in the world. We love you so much!

two thousand and nine

2010-01-01T22:28:00.024+08:00

Just like last year’s entry, it’s time to take a look at how 2009 went. I know that last year was pretty rough for some people. Calamities, problems that never seem to end, plus a lot of celebrity deaths. Before we completely say goodbye to ’09 and welcome 2010 with a bang, here are some of the most special things that took place the entire year.

January
I started the year being super busy preparing for the Webbys, which was scheduled on February. Every second at work was stress (I’m not exaggerating.) and all my workdays were spent with either a frown or a scowl. It was worth it though, because I learned lots of things not only with work, but also about myself.

With matters of the heart, this month was probably the most “perplexing” time of my entire life. I was shocked to discover certain things I never ever thought could happen. I learned that I was either oblivious, or just brushed things off knowing that some things just won’t work out.

Luckily, our family friends from the US flew here and we had to take them to Boracay for a weekend. That much needed break gave me time to think and the chance to “digest” everything that was happening. Nakakaloka.

February
The Webby’s was finally done and over with. I couldn’t imagine going through all the stress again and I only want to remember good memories, I only want to look at the nice pictures that would remind me that the event was a success.

I also went on my first formal date this year. (I know, at 22.) Surprisingly, it didn’t feel weird and awkward at all, and I didn’t almost want the day to end. Even my parents and my whole family was surprised to find out about my blooming lovelife and "interviewed" me during dimsum (alone) the following morning! Hahaha.

March

I watched the Eraserheads concert at SM Mall of Asia and I was proud to have survived the venue! Seriously, around 100,000 people watched the concert and the place was super full we couldn’t breathe. If you put your hands up, good luck putting it down without hitting the head of the person in front of you. Hahaha. I made a decision in March that I know I won’t regret for the rest of my life too. Go figure. ;-)

April
I started getting sick at the start of the year due to stress. Things were pretty tense at work that I had no more reason to stay. If it weren’t for the constant headaches and non-stop period (three weeks?), I wouldn’t have gone to the doctor for the checkup. The doctor was right. My body couldn’t handle any of the stress anymore. My family and I then spent the weekend at Makati Shang to take a break. Mid-April, I quit my first job.

May
I finally had my life back. I made major changes in my life including spend more time with my family and friends, starting to get fit through brisk walking in the morning, and visiting the doctor for weekly checkups more often. I went to Batangas with friends which was a blast.

June-July
After the long wait, I was able to find a new job. My workplace is still in Makati, but it was a slightly different field from my first job. It was a fresh start because I prayed for a “peaceful” and “professional” working environment. I also knew I needed a more stable job and I’m so lucky to have been accepted in Neuron Global. Now it’s been 6 months since I started working there and I have absolutely nothing to complain about. In the past 6 months, I’ve learned to cope with new rules, make new work friends, as well as keep the old ones from my first job. Now I wake up in the morning without having to worry about how to face negative energies around me.

Speaking of negative energies, I enrolled myself into a proper yoga class which is bliss. More info here and here.

August

This month was pretty easy for me. I was a bridesmaid for Von and Karla’s wedding. It was also Camille’s 21st birthday and she celebrated the party at home and we invited our closest friends over.

September
The month I turned 23! What can I say about this month? Aside from feeling old, my birthday was spent with people closest to me. This month was probably one of the toughest times for Ondoy victims because almost everyone in Metro Manila was affected by the typhoon. We did our part in helping the victims out and it felt really good.

October
I couldn’t remember a single event that’s worth blogging about that happened this month, even in my planner. Now I’m wondering how that happened. I could remember though that during the last month, we were undergoing a rough patch that I thought we wouldn’t survive. Good thing we did. Thank you Lord!

November

This month was pretty active social life-wise. My high school friends and I attended “Uno Rocks at 50” which was a concert in celebration of the 50 years of my high school Uno High School. It was pretty awesome. The school looks so different now. I watched the Katy Perry concert with Chester and enjoyed the Katy Perry experience. I dropped my iPod in the toilet which got fixed miraculously.

December

I finally got the gift that I’ve been saving up the entire year: the Nintendo Wii with the Wii Fit bundle. (which reminds me that I have to post another entry soon!) We spent Christmas and New Year’s eating, visiting relatives and catching up at Bulacan, Laguna, Yakimix, Makati Shang, a lot of other malls and other people’s houses. I was able to meet up with most of my friends, but it was super fun seeing my CSB barkada again. The last time we saw each other (as in all of us) was still during college. It was a blast.

There. I can’t believe the year’s over. If you had a good year like me, then let’s thank Him for the blessings and pray for a better 2010. If you had a not-so-good year, don’t fret. I’m sure 2010 has tons of good vibes in store for you. Let’s all move on and look forward to the brand new spanking year. 2010 is also the Year of the Tiger which means I’m 24!!! Omg. This year, I won’t make any resolutions and try not to plan every single thing and just let things flow. I learned that the hard way in 2009.

As I close my year-ender entries every year, Cheers to a sparkling 2010 everyone! :-) Let’s all have fun and enjoy every minute of it. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-30T20:59:00.013+08:00

I can't believe 2009's almost over. I was about to write an entry about how my year went, but I figured it would be nice to share how I spent Christmas before the year-end entry. I had no office parties this year (BOO!) because I moved to a smaller US company and parties aren't celebrated much in the US.

I was able to have dinner with most of my barkada before Christmas and it was really cool. I look forward to December because it's the only time that my friends and I see each other for coffee or to exchange gifts. As for the celebrations with my family, we usually go to Bulacan to visit relatives on my dad's side on Christmas eve, and then Laguna the next day for my mom's relatives.

December 24, 2009

We went to Achi and Eugenne's place to celebrate Chrismas Eve with them, since our parents were super tired from running errands the whole day. Ever since we were young, Christmas eves aren't complete without ham. This is why we went to Achi's place and particularly requested for her to cook ham and exchange gifts at midnight.

December 25, 2009

We spent Christmas at Laguna with the Bandoys. We do this every year too. Years ago, we even had themes and costumes and each family had to perform a song and dance number. Too bad the kids are all grownup now and that everyone's too busy to prepare for a proper Christmas reunion. I like going to the province because of the relaxing atmosphere. We ate lunch at the fishpond and we usually eat using our hands, and then sing the afternoon away with the old school videoke machine.

December 26, 2009

My family and I ate lunch at Yakimix in Macapagal. I've always wondered why this place was packed and we couldn't get reservations even on weekdays. The P499 buffet consisted of different seafoods, pork, beef, chicken, sushi rolls, and a variety of desserts. Like other shabu shabu places, you can choose from the marinated foods and then cook it on your table using the smokeless grill. The food were very tasty, but honestly, I think the place is overrated. I don't think this would be advisable for big groups especially when you all start grilling. After a few minutes, you wouldn't be able to tell which is which; everything tastes the same!

One thing that always gets to me during buffets in the country are the takaw-tingin groups of people who fill their plates with food and not finish it. Seriously, I wish restaurants would implement tighter rules on leftovers. In Yakimix, people were trying to grab all the shrimps even before it reached the buffet table. OA. In the Resorts World buffet too, I remember seeing a table of two persons who had about seven plates on their table. And then finishing only about two plates of food. Sa dami ng mga nagugutom ngayon sa Pilipinas, di nare-realize ng mga tao na 'to na masama ang gluttony. Tsk.

I remember going to one of the most expensive buffets in Vegas and it was a completely different thing. People didn't get as much food, took time to eat, and didn't leave leftovers. I wish it was the same thing in the Philippines. Oh well.

December 26-27, 2009

We spent the night at Makati Shang. Since no one was going to be left at home with Kitch, our parents stayed behind during the first night. We spent the day swimming, going to the gym, and then dinner at Gbelt 5 at night. Before dinner, he surprised me by going to Gbelt 5 and we bought a new pair of Havaianas for me! It's silver and white and this is my favorite pair so far. After saying goodbye, I thought he was on his way home when he called me up saying he was outside the resto we were dining at. I was so shocked that he wanted to join the family for dinner. Hahaha. He walked me back to the hotel and then had coffee with me and my sisters after. Talk about a merry Christmas! ♥

So how'd you spend your Christmas? I hope you had as much fun as I did. This is one of the most memorable Christmases ever.

random, feverish ramblings

2009-12-13T19:47:00.004+08:00

I got sick with a viral infection that lead to pharyngitis over the weekend and it was torture. I scheduled a couple of dinner parties and a Christmas shopping day with my sister but they all had to get cancelled because I had a fever that soared to 39.6 on Friday night. I skipped work on Thursday night to sleep the entire sickness away, plus I had an important meeting scheduled for Friday. But the next day, my cold got worse and turned into a sore throat.

Since I couldn't talk because my throat hurt so much, and I also couldn't swallow anything solid, I could only watch TV and watch series eppys on my iPod. But most of the time, I spent the day thinking about a lot of things so here are my feverish ramblings. I know they don't make much sense but I tried hard to remember all of them by using my phone's notepad to jot them down.

-I should've started Christmas shopping in November, when all my weekends were still free and malls were not packed. Now I don't have a single gift for anyone yet and it's Christmas in less than two weeks.

-I am SO glad my iPod got fixed. I seriously don't know how I'd survive without it. I have to gift our technician a Christmas gift. But wait, I still haven't bought a gift for anyone!

-Now I know why I can stay in front of my notebook all day but NOT on the TV. There are no good local shows left. I can't stand watching VJ Bianca on Myx for three minutes. Ang arte arte arte magsalita. Well, scratch that. I can watch her because she's pretty but maybe I'll put the TV on mute.

-I tried watching Smallville's latest episode and I couldn't understand a single thing. Probably because the last season I watched was the third. But Erica Durance makes a pretty cool Lois Lane.

-I realized I become more needy when I'm sick. Hahaha. If *you* are reading this, I am so sorry for being such a brat. Thank you for being super patient with me and my feverish mood swings and non-stop text messages. Sorry for being difficult too, even on YM. I promise to make it up to you. :-*

-Which is a better Plants vs Zombies weapon? The Watermelon, the Squash, or the Tall-Nut? Probably the Tall-Nut. Because it blocks all types of zombies, even those that jump on poles. :P

-The instant crab and corn soup mixtures are sooo delicious when you're sick. And it's the only good food I've had since I've been sick. Way better than plain lugaw and bananas.

-I miss caroling during Christmas. It's fun to practice with friends (especially now that Glee is so popular), plus going to houses and bothering people with songs. I wish I could go caroling, if only I wasn't too old for it. Hahaha.

-Sweetest, feverish rambling: Kitchie never left the room the whole time I was sick. She didn't play with her toy, or asked for food. She didn't go downstairs when my sisters or parents came home, she would follow me around with a worried face, and even cry when I would cough hard.

On 2AM of Saturday, she woke me up by licking my nose and my face and that's how I found out I had really high fever. Hay. I would never trade this loyal, adorable, spoiled, and smart poodle for anything else. As we would all say, the dog always "absorbs" and saves us from the sickness every time. :)

So there. I think it's the cold weather that's making everyone sick or susceptible to viruses going around. To enjoy the Yuletide, maintain a high dosage of Vitamin C. Trust me, being sick during Christmas is not fun. Keep safe everyone! Advance Merry Christmas!

growing apart

2009-12-01T10:54:00.001+08:00

It just hit me last night. We're not even friends anymore.

"If anyone asks,
I'll tell them we both just moved on
When people all stare
I'll pretend that I don't hear them talk
Whenever I see you,
I'll swallow my pride
and bite my tongue
Pretend I'm okay with it all
Act like there's nothing wrong.

If anyone asks,
I'll tell them we just grew apart.
Yeah what do I care
If they believe me or not
Whenever I feel
Your memory is breaking my heart
I'll pretend I'm okay with it all
Act like there's nothing wrong."

-"Cry," Kelly Clarkson

the lucky one

2009-11-24T10:19:00.003+08:00

"Tell me something
When i'm 'bout to lose control
How do you patiently hold my hand
And gently calm me down?

I don't think that you even realize
The joy you make me feel when I'm inside your universe.
You hold me like I'm the one who's precious
I hate to break it to you but its just
The other way around
You can thank your stars all you want but
I'll always be the lucky one."