Hiatus!

Been a long time since I last wrote in here... well, new year, new skin! Will try to do multiple blogs for the meantime. Hehe :-)

Find Your Favorite: The Starbucks Coffee Planner 2006

After 21 crème brulees and peppermint hot chocolates (among many others), I finally claimed my Starbucks Planner at Starbucks Petron Station, North Expressway (yep, we were on our way to Bulacan and Nueva Ecija then). Too bad my friend Jonjon was not there with his usual perky smile and warm hugs, but thanks still to baristas Ren and Lea who made me feel welcome during my stay at the store.

A lot of people have said that buying that much coffee does not compensate for just a planner. But for the collector in me, it was the process in itself that I cherished. I did play Santa (as their ads suggested), as around half of my precious stickers were through freebies I gave out to family and friends. It felt good to treat them to Starbucks, because it gave me a chance to catch up with them—what’s going on in their lives at the moment, how they’ll be spending Christmas--a welcome escape from our usually hectic work schedules.

This year though, the planner itself was indeed worth it! The whole thing works as a journal in itself, encouraging the owner to write not only appointment schedules, but their most intimate thoughts as well. That’s convenient for me since my 2005 Starbucks planner was more of my diary than a planner anyway (the first one that I actually finished after millions of required homework and online journals!) Each month features a flavored drink (which is actually cool because I get to learn the Starbucks lingo a little bit more) weaved into a blog-inspired entry. The GCs are a plus to help you find your favorite Starbucks concoction—something that actually inspires you to pursue life’s choices and make each experience as personal and memorable as possible. Wow… I never appreciated poetry until now. And I didn’t know that there were so so much more coffee variants to choose from… so much more to get you hooked into the Starbucks Coffee Culture! I know I’m now a full-fledged convert!

As for my drink… I’m still torn between a venti green tea frappucinno with extra whipped cream, a grande hazelnut caramel affogato, or just a good old white chocolate mocha with a ham and cheese croissant… gotta go find my favorite! 

The Company of Fools @ the Metro Bar!

Company of Fools @ Metro Bar

Finished my last event for the year-- sponsorship at The Metro Bar for the Company of Fools concert! Was really down with fever last night, but a they say, the show really must go on. So take pictures I did (thanks to my new sony cam!) while samples were given away to the events' audiences... Too bad I was only able to catch the opening song for the Company (I'm a fan pa nman!), but I really had to rest as the flu was really starting to affect me alte into the night


The Company! :-)

Thanks to Les, Dick, Dessy, Dianne and Cris for helping out! I wouldn't have survived the night without you guys...Hope you enjoyed the concert as well :-)


with Cris and Dianne :-)

Carabiners! Carabiners! Carabiners!

Carabiners!

The Carabiners are finally here!!!

After months of sourcing out a Chinese supplier, negotiating for colors, wire payment transfers, dealing with customs and brokers, deliveries to warehouse and plant... I finally have in our hands 60,000 carabiners (figuratively of course!).

It's a nice way to end the year, work-wise. I was quite afraid that we would not be able to see those cartons until next year, good thing it pushed through this week still. Importation was quite an interesting experience--there's so much I have learned about this industry for the past months. Thanks to Tito William for being patient with all my seemingly stupid questions, and for mentoring me about the tricks of the trade. I hope I can learn about export really soon as well--can't wait to ship Felinas out to Vietnam! :-)

Lost and Found (Returned)!

Was about to actually create an entry to warn friends to take better care of their phones.. as a couple of my friends had their own mobiles lost or snatched in public places, even in broad daylight... when I myself experienced the same thing!

I was on my way from the bank to see my dermatologist, when I realized that I left my phone in the trike! All color drained from my face, as I struggled for a minute on what I should do. I left the derma clinic immediately and took another ride to the tricycle terminal, waiting desperately for the driver to return. Surprisingly, this was the first time that I rode a tricycle without taking note of the body number and driver's name, as I have always been trained to do. Good thing my mom was able to contact him and he promised to return my phone. I gave him an extra jacket and 500 in gratitude.. I was really thankful to have my phone back.

There are not too many good men out there who would have returned lost cell phones... as they say, times are hard and I know he could have sold it somewhere. But I really am grateful and lucky I guess... I hope my friends have had the same fate. Not that I wish them to lose their phones, but that if ever misfortunes strike that their belongings would be misplaced or left somewhere, that they should also be lucky to find a good-hearted person who will still return them :-)

Big Winner Nene!

Congrats Nene!

Congrats to Nene for being the first Big Winner!

After 110 days, the show we have religiously followed is now over. Congrats to Nene (who was my bet, same as Jason) for winning the hearts (and text votes obviously) of 500,000++ Filipinos. I know that she will use the money well, as she is really quite smart. I actually like her, most of her qualitites and values I really admire and hope that I can also emulate--leadership, independence, optimism. I just hope she doesn't let her mother abuse her newfound fame and fortune (yup I can feel that vibe... too bad)

On to the re-runs, reunions and DVD versions then. Congrats to PBB and Direk Laurenti Dyogi for a great first season!

New Cam: SONY CYBER-SHOT DSC-T5!

new cam!

After months and months of saving up, I finally bought my cam! Yayness! It's sleek, gold and Sony, exactly how I wanted it... a little more than my budget actually (good thing for credit cards! Thanks for my red card Tina!), but I don't think I wouldn't have been happy with any other brand or unit. It was really love at first sight! Plus, I got a 3000 worth of GCs for accessories!

Thanks to Eds also for helping me buy the cam, and for all the questions I wouldn't have asked, techie-challenged as I am.

Trigger-happy time! :-)

iMac Fanatic!

iMac G5 :-)

I am now an iMac convert.

War Room now officialy has a Mac.... a new toy to be exact. I can spend hours downloading from BitTorrent or Posioned.. and learning about design has never been so user-friendly! No cables, everything is already plugged in the system. Just your trusty keyboard, mouse, and the wide-screen monitor with built-in hard drive. Best of all, no viruses!!!

Just hope I can learn photoshop soon also! Oh well, one lesson at a time... besides, I'm still not done downloading all seasons from Friends anyway! haha :-)

Back to Baguio

Baguio is now my second home. Well, next to boracay that is :-)

Turista sa Mines View... :-)

I loved going back to Baguio. Though the trip was really tiring (6 hours for the climb up and 6 hours again going down) by Victory Liner (my longest commute so far!), we slept most of the time and tried to watch movies (pacifier, dodgeball and white chicks to be exact) anyway. Lesson Learned #1: Buy Bus Tickets in advance, especially during looong weekends!

Shempre, me and Eds can't help but go on a food trip pa din--Baguio style! For some reason, we always ended up at Session Road... Visco's had the best baked lasagna; Jumongous Mongolian Rice Toppings at Gobi; Chopsuey Heaven at Star Cafe (love baguio veggies!). We took the best and most pictures at Kenny's and Pizza hut though... dessert sampler forever! Loved chokolate-eh at Cafe by the Ruins... hated my brandy-coffee combo at Ionic Cafe! That was weird... Lesson # 2: Have maps ready, but if you can't afford it, drop by National bookstore and read on travel guides. Know the most happening places to hang out, the best / cheapest buys, the native delicacies and cafes (opening and closing hours are also vital infos!)

Food Trip Galore!

Spent wads of moolah at the shopping places as well: Mines View, SM Baguio (love their centralized airconditioning! haha!) and Central Market... went overbudget and withdrew twice just for choco flakes, peanut brittle, knitted stuff, baguio shirts, keychains, knitted sweaters... mostly non-useful cute stuff... :-)

Even if we splurged on the trip, our savings at the Navy Base guesthouse more than made up for all our shopping sprees. It was quite cozy, American - style, and we can cook our own breakfast at the kitchen or enjoy the fireplace. Best place for bonding with Eda and Marianne! :-) But I don't think our trip would have been the same if we didn't have a cam with us. Each pic would take around 4-5 poses before we perfected the "look" or the "scenery"... good thing we had enough funds for "disposable" energizer batteries! haha! Lesson # 3: when bringing a camera, make you sure you also bring with you rechargeable batteries (or spare change for energizers!)

pa-cute effect chuvaness! haha!

I love being a tourist--the late nights, the no-curfew-stress-free life.. Mass at Baguio Cathedral was one of the most heartfelt and solemn masses I've attended. Iba ang kirot sa puso pag Ilokano ang misa. Everyone was singing from the heart, and at that moment I think I missed home more. Fortune telling at Bell Church was memorable as well.. it was my first "oriental" experience, and I think I'd go back to Bell Church here in Araneta in February to have my fortunes read again :-)

Going on a vacation with only a few people instead of the whole barkada was definitely a blessing in disguise: at least I was able to do everything I wanted to do and go to the places I really wanted to see. I know that it may be a long time before I go back to Baguio again. It may be a different experience altogether (I may drop by Masinloc on the way the next time), but this trip will definitely be one of my favorites :-)

centralized aircon anyone? :-)

HP4: The Goblet of Fire @ Eastwood Cinemas

...cedric and cho... :-)

Watched Harry Potter today on its's first screening day (what can I say, I'm really a fan!). Was my first time to actually enjoy Eastwood Cinemas, and I'm gklad to have gone with Eds. As usual, when the two of us are together, food trip galore talaga! Binged on Heaven and Egss (Three Sausages and Eggs again.. my fave!)... quick stop to tiangge (bought matching oriental wallets) before having a coffee break at mocha blends... fun fun fun!

The movie itself was great! As expected, it was quite long (almost three hours I think), but they were able to religiously show the crucial parts of the book. Ralph Fiennes is the best antagonist without a nose, and Cedric is simply the cutest! :-) I really missed Sean Biggerstaff when they took him out in HP2... good thing there's always Cedric now to look forward to! Cho Chang was adorable as well.. I wished they would have shown more of the Hermione-Ron angle.. oh well, maybe in the next film installation. Have to finish Half Blood Prince first!

Can't wait for Narnia, Chicken Little, Memoirs of a Geisha and Pride and Prejudice! (thanks for the wonderful trailers! haha)

KFC's Fast Food

KFC Counters

It's been a long time since I last ate at KFC, a far cry from the days when Chicken Caesar Salad was considered my staple rice at every meal. So I decided to have a go at it again after the mass last night, only to find out that nothing really changed that much since my last visit. The food's still great (I missed the salad terribly!), but the service still sucks. I wondered, as I waited at the counter line for almost fifteen minutes just to get a salad, a 1-piece meal and mashed potatoes, if the crew even knew the definition of fast food. Heck, I don't think a supervisor was even around to explain what the concept meant. There was chaos all over--the frontliners repeated my order thrice, scrambled to the back to shout out weird food codes and were slipping all over spilt soda just behind the counter. The result? Around 8-9 angry customers per queue, still waiting in line, wondering what the fuss is all about and what the hell is taking them sooooo damn long!

What's surprising is that those angry customers are just that-- just waiting. Nobody I think bothers to leave the line, or complain to the manager, or do anything about it. I did certainly raise my concerns, only to a food service crew unfortunately, for the supervisor was nowhere in sight. I guess, the people at KFC thinks that their food must be so great that even if their service sucks big-time, people will still flock to their stores. Sure, that can work for a while. But how long till people get tired of their crappy service, that is also uncertain. I hope, for their sakes, it's sooner than later, so they can get their acts together and start giving us loyal customers the service we truly deserve. That means FAST!!! :-)

Body Wellness Body Scrub

Body Scrub... Heavenly! :-)

Got myself a really really good body scrub this afternoon! I've never felt so well-rubbed, well-scrubbed, well-exfoliated in my entire life! My initial irritation at having to wait beyond their promised time (even if I extended over an hour at the sauna!) is now forgotten and forgiven for. My skin feels so smooth, so rejuvenated... I think I'd want to go to the beach again just to get myself another scrub! Haha! And it's quite cheap also, just P400 (exclusive of tips of course) for a full body service... This is the life...

Can't wait to get my body spa at Nurture Spas for my birthday!!!

BORACAY INVASION!!!

With Cris and Wangbu @ Bora! :-)

Yep, for the second time this year, I was blessed to be given the opportunity to invade the white sand beaches of Bora once more!!! Was super excited, I bought all my beach gears early on, planned my outfits and packed two days ahead of my departure date. Of course, this particular Bora visit meant work for both Bliss and Summer Monkey which is why I had to really contribute something as well. And I believed I also went the extra mile--negotiations at Paraw, booking the tickets for the Intras and the models, coordinating with everyone... it was tough but I really had a lot of fun! I'm glad the sampling and the oculars went just fine (except for the Jude incident that is… but that's water under the bridge now...)

This Bora was definitely one of the best vacations I've had in a long time. I guess it pays to know what you're expecting, so you already have an idea of what you won't miss doing the second time around. And I did have a list (so I'll forever be OC, sue me! Haha) so I wouldn't forget this time what I should have done last May: night swimming, early morning dip(of course it didn't help that I had my monthly the second I stepped on Boracay shores! Good thing that was only for 3 days!), henna tattoo (cute flower, stemmed rose at my back, and a free one at my right hand! Thanks Long for the freebie!), massage by the beach (full body this time! Super heavenly!), sunbathing (got my tan line! Yesssss!), walk from stations 1-3 (okay, so it was in installments, but I still walked that whole lot... pwede na din!), beads bargain shopping (completed my pasalubong list! Yay!), and partayyyyyy!!!! (bish and booze and a wholelotta dancin'!!!!). I even stayed up two whole nights to make up for all the dinners and bars I missed with the Intras when I'm in Manila. I was even able to visit the Church, and pray for the souls of my loved ones I wasn't able to visit this years' All Souls' Day. What to add next time: Braids (if I'm not rebounded anymore!) and Banana Boat definitely!

Totally loved Paraw (Cris and I danced it up alright! Haha) and Bom-bom's (I'm now a certified Reggae convert! Bob Marley all the way! "I don't wanna wait in vain for your love...Idon'twanna Idon'twannaIdon'twannaIdon'twanna... Idon'twanna wait in vain!"). We had different choices for our meals and restaurants, which I also loved: Make your own breakfast at Paradiso, milkshakes galore and 6am-before-we-sleep-pampatanggal-amats-omelettes at Jonah's, Baby Back Ribs and Baked Oysters at Gastrof, Heavenly Crepes at Cafe SanMichel, sinigang at Smoke Resto D'Mall Talipapa, even Longganisa Burgers at BBQ Stands at the Beach Front (the one I threw up though later after five beers at 3pm!). Who said anything about dieting anyway?!?!?! Definitely one of the most fun food trips I've had... which is why I'm in Nesvita and C2 Detox mode now! Haha :-P


Bliss Night @ Cocomangas

Celeb Sighting Galore as well! Mygash, my mom would have a field day if she was there with me the whole time! I spied (and stalked a bit): Angel Aquino, Maui Taylor and Brian Revilla (PDA all the way at Paraw... ewwww! That was not a pretty picture), Gwen Garci, Katya Santos, Jennifer Lee, Vandolph and Grace, Sunshine Dizon, Karel Marquez, Paula Peralejo, Luis Alandy (total Baldwin!), John Hall (ulam sobra!), Phoemela Barranda, Rachel Lobangco (the Firedancer!) among others I might have forgotten already. Not too mention a few of my friendsters as well: shout-outs to Dianne Aquino, Buona Lacaba, Parx Jacinto, Faith Manguiat, Ter and Nina (who's apparently a couple now! Kudos to you both!), Amy Ang, Andrea Logarta, and special mention to Harvard, whom I wasn't able to say Hi (twice!), but can now admit I was happy to see at Bora.

Even now I can still imagine the sand beneath my toes, the chilly but clear water waking me up early morning, and the waves as it crashed towards the shore---I'm longing for and missing terribly that carefree feeling when you're in a wholly different world like Boracay. They say you can assume a different identity when you're in a foreign land--I can say that I felt more like myself while I was in Bora. No pretentions, no expectations. It was fun and liberating at the same time... Part of it may be because of the people I'm with also--it wouldn't have been as great without this right mix of people: hugs, toasts and thanks to Dennis, Cris, Brian, Kiko, Monica, Lynne, yep even Jude. You guys made my Bora experience truly unforgettable. Can't wait for Summer Monkey next year!!!

The Perfect Man

Perfect Man :-)

Was looking forward to a no-brainer flick this week, and I knew I had a lot to choose from. Mom and I ended up with The Perfect Man, with Hilliary Duff and Heather Locklear. It was a feel-good romantic comedy, even though the story really had no backbone.. the girl was cute (i think i'm quite the Hillary Duff fan, more than Lindsay actually), the boy was cute, the story was cute... everything was oozing with the "cuteness factor, which was exactly what I was looking for so I was quite happy with it. A friend was actually disappointed when he watched it, probably coz he was looking for something worthwhile to watch (click here for the full review in his blog). Will most likely include this in my romatic comedy collection, must-buy in my next DVD shopping galore. :-)

Footloose!

Me with Iya at Footloose... mas maganda ako! haha :-)

Went with Monna to the last weekend showing of Footloose... almost didnt make it, tipid kse. Pero was thinking that this was one opportunity not worth missing. Besides, matagal tagal na din ako hindi nanonood ng musical, and I kinda missed it. Lesson learned though: don't get tickets at the last minute! Or else, you'll be sent to different National Bookstores in Ortigas just to catch the Nice Ticketnet Lady... sayang yng taxi!!! :-P

Our seats were at the far end, and Monna and I changed seats twice just to get a better view of the stage. The kids (Scholars by Lito Atienza) around us were hilarious, maraming hirit (at one "senti" moment, one kid shrieked..."kamukha ni Santa Claus o!". Umurong Luha ko!) They were quite generous also with their applause; we felt like we were at ASAP and not Meralco Theater!

After the performance, we went onstage to catch a closer glimpse of the actors, and even went backstage to get pictures. Groupies tlga... Fanatic na ito! It's always fun to be "showbiz" with Monna, coz we're always game to meet the artists and get juicy gossips along the way!

The play itself was one of the best ones I've seen... it made me want to rent Kevin Bacon's original film version right after! The veterans gave outstanding performances, as expected(Audie Gemora and Agot Isidro were personal favorites), but I'll have to say that "Almost Paradise" is still my favorite number. Have new crush though: Gian Magdangal (who plays Will) is apparently really good looking up-close. Kilig tlga! Haha :-) Can't wait for the next play! [Hope Jude can get us more backstage passes in the future... Christian Bautista anyone??? :-P]

On Startups

"In a startup, you want people who can survive without structure."
-Tony Zhang, Founder, AskMeFinance

Amen.

Real Estate Hunt

My boss gave a speech today regarding Robert Kiyosaki's book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad... I've read that book and finance explained in layman's terms really made a lot of sense. The only problem was, it was based on american culture, so most of the examples used may not be applicable to the Philippine setting, especially in today's economic and financial crisis. He showed us then a recently published Filipino version of the book: "Think Rich Pinoy", but it also stresses the importance of having the right mix of business, portfolio and real estate to gain financial freedom.

They say that the best time to invest in real estate is NOW, when most businesses are closing shop and the lots for sale are pegged at lower market prices. On my way to work today, my eyes caught at least ten "for sale" signs, that would have been good investments (for buy and sell) if only I had the capital. Which is why now I have four jobs! One resource to take would be to buy assets foreclosed by the bank... you can leverage capital investment first on a loan based on future sale, and still get profitable margins net from market rates. I personally prefer real estate over stock exchange which is more volatile to changes based on political and economic crisis. It's lower in risk, and has bigger chances of return as well. The concept may seem easy, but it takes practice I guess. And the good thing is, there is no age limit to real estate! (Which is why you see older moms leafletting at mall entrances everywhere!) May want to late this year, when my savings are more stabilized... consultancy with Dennis and Tito Romy may be good options to take as well :-) Happy House and Lot Hunting For Me! :-)

Welcome and Farewell

The group said goodbye to Kiko, who will now concentrate on Hotshots for the meantime.... Will miss having his company at the war room...

Welcome to two new Intras: Monna (who is my work buddy for three companies now! haha :D) and Jude (GameKNB-slash-Batibot veteran-slash-Grease director-slash-new theater buddy=Christian Bautista! harhar)

Out of Sight, Out of Mind (?)

Last week was a reunion of sorts. Met up with old friends in AIESEC whom I haven't seen for the longest time (thank God for neverending welcome dinners and stammtisches!). And as expected, usual topics for small talk involve current relationship status... to which I automatically answer "same old, same old".

Thing is, most of us are still single, and only a few people has even the tiniest spark of change in our love lives. Maybe we have already been trained by AIESEC to put work first before everything else, or lest we really have no other social lives besides those friday night dinners. Other than that, I really can't quite put my finger into it... why no one else (besides our lonesome selves) consider our company equally interesting to pursue...

For me and Marc at least, we realized that it's a case of not letting the past go. We're still hung up on people we (think we) are in love with... even if we don't see them quite often. I don't see my guy as often as I wanted to, but we do talk more on the phone these days. Sometimes I even find myself making up excuses just to meet with him (talk about pathetic no?), and I'm getting pretty tired. How long do I have to wait? How long before he realizes that the two of us might perhaps have a flicker of a chance of working out as a couple? How long before I open my eyes to the greater possibility that maybe, just maybe, he's not really that into me and all we are are merely really really really good friends?

How do you stay friends with someone you're in love with?

I look back at my decade-long infatuation with a certain childhood friend, whom I was able to forget only after finding another soul to fantasize upon (this being my current inspiration). I sigh, because I don't want to go through another decade of having unrequited feelings forever. Frankly, it's getting boring and predictable. Thing is, I really can't let go of him, of this. Out of sight, out of mind they say... so I guess I should stay away more, huh? That's my cure?

If only I can stand to be out of touch for more than a month, which is my quota so far... I'll be out of the woods in no time... free as a bird Ü

EX Factor

Recently, I’ve been having weirdly vivid dreams of certain, um, people in my life. I guess what they say about dreams is true… your subconscious desires are more cognitively realized when deep in slumber. … My latest obsession, it seems, involves “the could have been’s”… those that at one point or another, have gotten away…

I think Jonjon was the one who pulled this particular trigger.. discovering that he himself has moved on and found his own “puffin” brought out mixed emotions for me. I know that in this lifetime, things might be difficult for the two of us, and that another person will be able to make him truly happy. I sincerely do wish him happiness.. walang showbiz. But I wasn’t ready to hear that he has moved on so fast. And to hear from his own words that she was the best girl he ever met… um, leaves me exactly where? :-(

Backtrack to memory lane, leaves me with painful memories of ER, whom I just dreamed of last night. Yep, even if my dreams he was still egotistical and controlling, but underneath was the sweet malambing person I fell in love with. Of everyone, he was the only person I like willing to take the risk with me. Only I was too damn scared. So the guy isn’t perfect, I’m not either. Too late for that realization. Up to thi day, I still wonder what ifs… would my life have been different had I taken that road? Should I just have defended him to my friends? *sigh* He’s still with hig girlfriend, good to know that like he promised, he is indeed capable of long-term relationships. Only wishful thinking can tell if the same fates would have befallen us if I had said yes in that now nonexistent parking lot…

Maybe I’m just being melancholic. Or sentimental. Sometimes I hate this feeling of the month when all I can do is daydream and sigh and wish for some other life… wish for a different past. But, like all things I’ve learned the hard way, life has way of making you stronger for future things to come. Maybe, like I’ve always believed (to keep me sane), things that don’t happen are not always meant to be… well, maybe not right now… :-)

5 Questions from Eda :-)

1. So how come wala pa rin boyfriend?
Because I don't want to settle...and because I haven't met anyone who was willing to take me seriously. And because I'm still waiting for a certain person.. (yeah, yeah I know... battered wife syndrome...hehe)

2. Bakit ka ganyan?
Bakit ako ANO? Bangag? Dahil sa trabaho. Martyr? Dahil matigas ulo ko tlga... hanggang ngayon, mahilig pa rin ako sa "malalansa". Magastos? Kse collections ang hobby ko.. kaya nga ngpapakalunod ako sa starbucks ngayon para makuha yng npkamahal na "backpack".

3. Are you happy with your job?
It's a love-hate relationship. Most of the time I feel soooo tired of thinking about everything all the time.. suppliers, inventory, med reps and sales reps... headache tlga! I have to keep up with the fast-paced work environment or else the business goes down with me.

But I'm loving the challenge... I learn something new everyday, like being more professional for instance. The pharma industry has opened my eyes to how certain businesses operate in the Philippines, and I wouldn't trade that for any corporate experience. The intrapinoys are my new fam as well.. so in the midst of all the paperwork, at least we can still laugh it off and just head to a food trip afterwards.. the perks of having flexi time as well ;-)

4. If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?
Um, I wish I had stronger knees... para mkpg diving ako sa Anilao :-) Other than that, everything's good!

5. So sinong mauuna satin ikasal?
With the rate things are going....... hard to tell! Haha! Feeling ko IKAW :-) Mas adventurous ka sa akin eh... at least you get to fulfill your part of the dares!

So you people know the drill...
1. Leave me a comment in the tagboard, saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

New Friends, Old Habits

Last weekend at MJ's Batch was my first time to staff in DAYS totally alone... no sisters, no Mommy Rach to keep my company and sort of be my "safety net". I went back because it was my personal commitment to Him--to continue staffing and serve others who are continuously searching for their own paths to Him, regardless of friends who may or may not staff with me.

It was a little difficult this time, because I was forced out of my "comfort zone". Admittedly, I am still quite the introvert... I can keep silent the whole time, merely being the observer or a listener in the background. Which was mostly what happened this weekend. Surprisingly though, the situation provided me the opportunity to get to know other staffers din... spent a lot of time with Jhoolz, Milo, Roda, even Sam and Mac during our all nighter adventures at 7-11... went to Ababu (yep, my first time) with Pat, Amy, Carla, and Allan... croaked my lungs out at the choir with Jun and Trix (super tiring yng three hour's worth of finishing the entire song book! but it was fun nonetheless :-)

God really works in mysterious ways.. and I'm always happy to go back because I can spend real, quality time with Him... I always feel overwhelmed with all the blessings, and this is one of the times I can truly thank Him for everything that is good in my life. The prayers and reflections give me so much strength to face the challenges ahead, especially in work. I may not go to Mass everyday nor do my vigils regularly, but I'm grateful for this opportunity to grow spiritually with Him. In a way, it's my pledge to go back again to help others feel the same way. I hope I can bring more friends to experience Days as well, we stopped after October last year... For the meantime, will go back and support my friends' weekends next September... Till then! To all my sisters and Mommy Rach, whom I miss very much... to all my new friends as well: bimmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmk! :-)

Franchising Fiesta

Went to Megatrade today for the Franchising Fiesta Expo... most of the participants were in the food business (which I hope to get into someday). Franchise Fees ranged from 150K for food the carts to 350/450K for the small to medium-sized restos. Total investment ranges from 500K to 2M. Though I was still saving up for a potential franchise, it was a good learning experience to scout for potential franchise owners that can accommodate my budget and has workable requirements.

Primary consideration, besides financial capacity of course, would be the location for the franchise. This I have to still check out, but with the onset of Malls, I think that is most likely where I will be venturing in. Rent will be another major factor to consider, however. But knowing these rates and how basically the franchising system works, what I can do now is to save up for the investment and learn the tricks of the trade from Halfmoon, Bossing and Hotshots :-)

Hopefully I'll get my own franchise food store by the time I'm 30... Time to get out of the "rate race"!

Upside and Downside

Today's definitely one of the weirdest days... was feeling giddy, melancholic, frustrated... all in just a span of 24 hours...

Went to get Julius' college app form at DLSU. As agreed on months before, Allan went also to accompany me on the trip, not just to get the documents (that was both our excuse for meeting anyway) but to give me the grand tour of LaSalle, and to treat me out to lunch.. both of which were long-overdue promises...

The grand tour was really what it was: a grand tour! We literally went in every building, I learned all the acronyms there is to know (CC, SJ, LS, Z2...), but it was definitely fun. We laughed a lot, hysterical even. I've never seen him joke around that much, and I really had a great time. He was such a gentleman, treating me to a wonderful lunch at La Pacita (might probably get them for catering in the future) always opening doors for me, introducing me to his old frinds whom we met during the tour.... even rescuing me from an old man on the street who had didn't have the best (nor cleanest) intentions--speaking from a girl's perspective....

Was really happy to see him (even if I forgot his gift from vietnam and my hair clips... super hot day!), but deep inside, like I've always known... I'm now totally convinced of the truth: we're really not meant to be. Though he's really nice and friendly and accommodating, and while I truly appreciate his effort to spend the whole day in DLSU for me... there were no sparks. All it was were two old friends catching up and hanging out. Which may not be so bad after all. Still many many many thanks to Allan for an unforgettable day at DLSU! Time will only tell when I can really let go though, but at least I'm getting there... ;-)

-----------------------

Scheduled dinner with Tina tonight after ten million years of not seeing each other! After a few minutes of stories and catching up, Dad calls me and tells me we have to go earlier than expected. Bummer! And he calls again telling me that he'll just pick me up, which he did, but since we were still getting the bill, we were late in getting outside the door.... triggering again his notorious temper. I can't believe he was so pissed off and cursing me with my "insensitiveness" and "stupidity" within Tina's presence! I was so embarrassed and humiliated and angry at the same time!

It was so unfair! why do I feel like such a brat whenever my parents are around? It's like I can't even get off their shadow... even if I say I'll jsut commute home, they won't let me because it's too late. And they blame me for making my dad stay out late also because of my evening commitments. It fells like a trap... I can't work at night nor have night socials with colleagues (which is semi-required.. pakikisama sa office) because of my Dad! I wish I could just grow up and be independent for once...

And I've enver felt so unappreciated as last night.. when I came home with GO Nuts, Shawarma, Chinese food takeout, Halfmoon for pasalubong (my salary day blow-out)... nobody even bothered to say thanks.. they just continued being pissed off at me! I couldn't do anything about it. I was so mad and frustrated at the same time, I just slept it all off... hence, I was already asleep by 9pm...

----------------------------

Maybe what they really say is true.. sometimes, you can experience being on the upside and downside all at the same time. I sure felt both yesterday... and though I'm typing relentlessly to cool off and try to explain what just happened, I feel I can't. All I know is that life still goes on, and that's just the way things are... better for me to just accept it and move on to more pressing matters (like my reports due! my new sunblock project!) than dwell on it further...

Flipped!

Totally "Flipped"!

LOVE THIS BOOK! Haven't adored something so much in a long time, and a Children's Book no less! It's no Harry Potter, but it surely got a charm all its own (not to mention a really cute cover! )

"Flipped" reminds me so much of my grade school years, when I was so much like Juli Baker, who had her own mishaps and adventures as well. In every childhood girl's dream, they each had their own "Bryce Loski" to which they fell really hard for--enough to make them bold and commit stupid acts just to get their attention. The boys, in turn, would realize in the end that they feel the same way, only to find out too late that the girls have already matured on moved on to, erm, greener pastures and bigger oceans with bigger fishes. Kids are like that... all of us have been like that.

True enough, I had my own "Bryce". I didn't exactly climb any sycamore trees nor gave away eggs from my own chickens... but I did "network" hard to people really close to him jsut to get real-time tidbits about his personal life. Well, that certainly backfired on me... I did get close to the family (yes, until now), but never really close to him. All I have left is some childhood fantasy... that lasted ten loooong years!

Looking back, though I did a lot of other crazy antics just to catch his eye... some of which I'd just cringe and wished I wasn't too weird and forward. But hey, at least I can smile and laugh now with funny anecdotes to narrate at dinner parties: "One time... at band camp..."

Many many thanks to Eda for lending me this piece, and for always listening to all my childhood brouhahas... Got to get my own copy soon! :-D

Summer Movie Marathon!

Lots of good summer movies out this time of the year. Went ahead and saw almost two every week at the cinemas:

A Lot Like Love, which I have seen alone at Sta. Lucia because Coni forgot our moviedate! Loved this feel-good piece.. makes you think if you really have an "Ashton / Oliver" in your life.. sure sure, I know I was being melodramatic alone inside the theater! Was all alone anyway right?

Sin City, skipped this one because of not-so-great reviews from friends. I wasn't up to seeing it myself anyway

Star Wars 3, Revenge of the Sith, which I finally saw with Marc and Cris at Mega. Allan was my original movie partner for this, but since he watched it already on DVD, went ahead and caught it with two of my oldest friends... bonding time galore with Marc as well, haven't seen and talked to this guy for the loooooooooongest time!

Mr. and Mrs. Smith, saw it with Eda (G4, first showing! yep, we were that excited!) and Mom (StaLucia).... not the world's best script, but the two leads were soooo hot anyway it was a visually stimulating treat! That's Hot :-P

Batman Begins, saw it with Mom(sta. Lucia) and Eda (Powerplant, my first time there... love seats galore! harhar!... my two eternal movie dates! The only film from the franchise that I sincerely appreciated. Very philosophical, not too much action, didn't like Katie too much (her smile is just way too crooked), but totally digged Christian Bale! That's really HOT :-P

Still waiting for Narnia (sources say this will still be up and running by December, kinda like Polar Express with its really early trailers!) , and War of the Worlds (though I'm not too keen to watch the latter either)....

Wonder if they have DVDs of all these... miss Virra Mall already! :-D

Housekeeping with DAYS

Was assigned housekeeping for DAYS this weekend! That was super challenging for me because I rarely did sweep and take out the garbage at home (I was more kitchen duty!), but I welcomed the opportunity to do something new. Even though I became sick the next day (probably because of the stress at work--had deadlines to pass every night during that weekend!-- and of the ehavy downpour), I felt really fulfilled that I was able to accomplish something outside my comfort zone. It was scary though when I was the only one left to clean and close the place up!

Just like every weekend when I staff, I'm glad that I was able to still go on DAYS. I always feel renewed when I staff, as if I'm a participant for the first time... I still get teary eyed and emotional. Jess really works in mysterious and wonderful ways...

Was glad to also meet again with friends I've made within the community, with my sisters and in aiesec... Till next batch, when I'll be a sponsor again... :-)

Trip to Vietnam!

"Disneyland" in Vietnam

(Nah... it's their Cultural Center, just a block away from our hotel at HCMC)

Right after Bora, just went home to pack and came back again to the airport next day for my business trip to Vietnam (was also my first trip abroad so was doubly excited!)

It was a rainy flight, but we quickly got settled at Rex Hotel with Dennis, Tita Nida, Tito Jun, Tito Eddie, and Joyce--who was also my batchmate from St.Paul (talk about small world)!

For the first few days, all we had were meetings with distributors, importers, lawyers, advertisers... my mind was going crazy with all the meetings! Good thing we did go at night to do some "sight-seeing". Admittedly, I wasn't really able to divulge much of the tourist spots because of the fully-booked agenda, but what I learned from the culture is something really valuable and life-changing for me.... I was not totally culturally shocked from the trip, because everything looks like Manila, only 10 years behind and non-English.

Some things I loved in Vietnam:

1. No traffic! Everyone rode in scooters! In a highway, three lanes were full of motorcycles, one lane would only be occupied by other vehicles (read: luxury cars). Rode one through the market side streets (10,000 dong for public transport)... super fun!

2. Safe streets. I can walk until 2 am and I need not worry about someone mugging me or snatching my bag. There are VietCongs everywhere. ;-)

3. Beautiful girls! Nope, i'm still straight... they're just really nice to look at. I get envious sometimes... everywhere I look, there are those slim, straight/long-haired, fair Vietnamese women... it's like Temptation Island but in the city!

4. Being a millionaire! 1 USD = 15,000 dong (approx)... I had about 2M worth of shopping receipts in Ho Chi Minh! Felt good to have all those money.. hehehe :-)

5. Soup and spicy noodles.. their specialty!

Some things I missed in Manila:

1. English. No need to sign language with the taxi driver!

2. Jollibee, and all food restos! Filipinos love to eat definitely... I love our taste! And jollibbee there was depressing (was like twilight zone from the 80's). Lotteria was good though, have to go back for their chicken burger!

3. Smart AND beautiful girls! Nuff said... :-)

4. Starbucks (with no beer! haha)

5. Bars (with real happenings! Felt like I was in Havana back there... uh-oh!)

6. CUTE GUYS! All the men there looked like Manny Pacquiao! :-(

7. San Miguel Beer!!! Heineken was good, but there's nothin like good 'ol SMB pa rin ;-)

7. My family and friends (of course :-)

Definitely missed Manila and all its chaos, but HCMC and Vietnam will definitely have a special place in my heart. Will have to go back soon there anyway, for business (and a little bit of pleasure!) I'm grateful for the opportunity and the experience to have gone to a foreign land, it indeed open up my eyes a bit to the world and its possibilities. There's so much out there to learn and grow from, both personally and professionally. At least I'm one step closer to my dream of travelling all over Asia before I'm 30... Europe after, of course.

I'll visit Indonesia soon before the end of the year, and China in 2006 (cross my fingers! Hope I'll push through!) For the meantime... Tiger Airways, here I come :-)

AIESEC @ Bora

Work Hard, Party Harder! Bikinis and Beers all around with AIESEC Friends at Bora :-)

B O R A !!!

Paraw Beach Front :-)

After ten looooooooooong years (not kidding!) finally made my way back to Bora. DEVCON was going to be hosted by UPD there, and this time I'm finally looking forward to being an alumni and enjoying the beach all day all night! mwahahhahahahaha :-P

Friday, May 20
After being stuck at the terminal for what seemed like hours and only Pringles Cheese as lunch, our delayed Asian Spirit flight finally made its boarding call. One turbulent, sleepless hour later, I finally can see the white sandy beaches of Caticlan! :-)

We rode a trike to the port where Cris and I met again with Kristine Largo, got to the boat and rode to station 1. Hannah Hotel, where we were staying, was a cozy place just behind the beach front hotels, but we got a good room (all 7 of us squeezed in it!) where we met with Ding, Chouie, Anne and Rowel... the seven of us partying as the "oldies" in aiesec... :-) miss all my beach buds!

After a cutie handed us a flyer, we quickly headed to the Pearl of the Pacific beachfront where Kevyn Lettau was giving a free concert! Jonah's milkshakes in hand, we crooned away to "Sun Light... oh sunlight" songs until sunset, walking away with one of our memorables quotes from the show: "If you're thirsty, that means you're already dehydrated"! Harhar! I changed my top and had early drinks at Paraw (our unofficial hangout for the rest of our stay at Bora) with the trainees... dancing with Brazilian guys on ledges, then finally bringing the house down with all aiesecers delegates... all 97 of us! Parteeeeh Time!

Saturday, May 21

Trainees and alumni joint forces for island-hopping and snorkeling along crocodile island... my time to sunbathe and get that tan line finally! My defective snorkeling gear took out all the fun of feeding the fishies, so I chose to watch them from the boat instead... It's ok, took lots of cute pictures anyway...

Last dip with the girls before heading out to Station 2 for South Border Concert, an attempt to have a spa massage, then party away again at Paraw where I had heart-to-heart bonding sesh with Drew :-) Drunken Cris and I had to take Ding to "authentic" Forest Hills (with authentic pre-ordered animal sounds!) before snoozing away ourselves...

Sunday, May 22
Had the best breakfast ever! My choice of 2 scrambled eggs, sausages, pancakes, hash brown, and garlic rice with fresh juice! Jsut the way I like it... Yumyum!

Walked along the beach with stroll master Rowel before we finalized our discharge reports to deliver to the plenary that evening. Legislation took about five hours, while Rowel, Anne and I drowned our waiting time on that mysterious blue drink and more yosi. At three am, finally, "may beer na!".. like kids we shouted in glee! Ding, Cris and I judged Bb. Devcon, as tradition, and got ourselves tipsy again until sunrise where we took loads of pictures again by the shore... :-)

Sunday, May 23

My last attempt at a complete stroll with Rowel and last-minute shopping never pulled through coz we slept until lunchtime! By then, we had to check out and plug APXLDS at closing plenary...

Said last goodbyes and rode the boat back with Monna and JP to Seair where our plane awaited to take us back to Manila...

--------------

Admittedly, I feel like the four days were such a blast but there were things I wished I did: (1) get visible tan lines! (mine disappeared after only a day! aaaargh!); (2) go shopping for P10 beads! (3) ride the banana boat or the flying fish; (4) get a henna tattoo (even just the cutesy little butterfly one... naaah, was too scared kse); (5) go night swimming; and (6) walk from station 1 to station 3 (do 10 laps like Rowel! Harhar!)

Oh well, I guess that means I just have to go back SOON to get those things done then! I miss the beach, spent more time by the sand than the water this time, because of the algae also... Promised Nate I'll go with him this time... Oh yeah, saw JC also, that was one of the things that made the trip really worthwhile :-)

Reunion trip with Cris, Ding, Anne, Kristine, Rowel, Chouie and me already in the works... can't wait to see Bora again....

Life's a Beach :-)

Instant Blog

Was staring out in(to) space this morning, trying to mentally tick off my to-do agenda while obviously envying my whole fam preparing for the beach today...

And i thought that maybe I should just get myself a voice recorder, and my own transcriptionist... *hint hint*i think i know someone like that.. para instant blog na and I dont have to go online just to type in random weird stuff like these...

Hmm....just a thought... :)

Happy Birthday ER!

It's ER's birthday today... too bad I can't greet him coz I dont have his number anymore...

Not that I didnt try finding it, contacted Noel, one of our common friends but he doesn't have it either...

Maybe it's really meant to be that I wont be able to really get in touch with him anymore.. some things should remain in the past where they belong... even "that damn parking lot" has been renovated now....all I have to remember him by are mere memories...and a twinge of regret...

Still, thinking about him makes me smile, albeit wistfully... I hope he's doing ok, wherever he is... :)

On Javi

Met with Javi yesterday in halfmoon (like I've been trying to meet all my friends there, promotions tlga :), and the guy is glowing. He smiles more often... it suits him well. He really seems happier than the last time I met him. I'm envious actually.. he's happy because he has all the time now to do what he wants before settling down to work...learn Chinese and go to China (which is both what we dreamed of doing before, go to an AIESEC traineeship there, but learn the basics first here), read all those branding and business books lined up in the to-do list, join seminars, lose weight! All those things I really really want to do right now but can't because of work obviously....

I missed talking to Javi. He's the one who keeps me up my toes, especially when we were still LCPs. There was pressure for me to do exceptionally well, because it seems he always watches what I do. When we did Coaching for ateneo, I was mostly coaching just him, not the whole team. Our talks would go from purely AIESEC, to business, to what we both wanted to beyond our AIESEC careers... He was one who was so principled that he was always able to see beyond the operational requirements, but the vision and the big picture--why we do what we do and what values we should emulate to the members as well. I miss his idealism and zest, often misunderstood by many because he often keeps to himself. But to the rest of us who are lucky enough to know the real him, Javi sure is a one-of-a-kind individual...

In a way, I owe him thanks... He was able to inspire me, even in the briefest moment, to indulge and enjoy life more... Not to be drowned totally in work and in the harsh cynics and bureacuracy we encounter everyday, but to actually pursue those dreams we made back when we still had that youthful idealism...

Cheers, Javi! See you at our AIESEC dinner soon... :-)

Friendster Blog

Weird... weird... weird...

Kept mumbling that for several seconds while I tried to configure my friendster blog. Yep, finally joined the bandwagon and tried to create another one (as if I can't manage three enough db?) It's settings are not too user-friendly. And I actually find it stupid to "announce" the blog to all your first degree friends when there's nothing in there yet anyway... wala lang.

If I tried to link about everyone who created a blog through friendster, I'd have about 100++ links in this blog now. But that's useless anyway, all I get are empty pages of people who wanted to try something new but failed to follow through with it...

Oh well... no harm in trying I guess... I hope my own "announcement" was cancelled before I clicked "send"...

Oh yeah, if you're curious... the link is http://gladaxjudai.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog. For those who might be bored and want to see it... don't say I didn't warn you....wala tlga laman, pramis!!!!

Animal Farm: Trip to Avilon Zoo

My Pet Eagle... Field Trip to Avilon Zoo :)

Early morning, my Dad had his "bright idea": let's bring the whole fam to Avilon Zoo! Oh well...since we were never really at home all at the same time, and it was once in a blue moon that my Dad wanted to go on those long road trips, so we decided to pack a quick lunch basket, my cutie safari attire and headed on to Montalban, Rizal to meet 'em animals....

No one among us was a navigator, because we didn't really have the faintest clue where it was! So we asked random people for directions, looked for "this way" signs, and at last we found the gates to the 7.5 hectare zoo... Felt like twilight zone for a minute there.. the gates looked like Jurassic Park's!

The zoo was well-kept, very clean... similar to a park or even Enchanted Kingdom. Our tour guide Mark was cutie!!! Haha.. flirting with parental guidance nman eh ;-) After a really really quick picnic lunch, we walked on foot with the tour for two hours at 1 pm! Scorching heat I know!... I enjoyed mostly the birds which they had the most number of (Hence the name "Avilon Zoo"). Got even really close to a bird of prey! My dad's favorite was couple of mating tigers... inspired by Felina I guess! Haha :-)

It was really hot trip, but I learned a lot of scientific names and animal trivia for the day. I'm glad I went, can't wait to see the aquariums they'll be building soon though... Maybe we can bring AIESEC trainees there one of these days ;-)

Intrapinoys Punta Fuego-Sonya's Trippin!

Intrapinoy Beach Babes.. Haha :P

Went to Punta Fuego today with Intrapinoys... mega fun! The infinity pool was sooo soothing, and the water was lukewarm, just as I like it. Got sunburned though, my face was all red from all that frisbee at the beach, and i didn't even get my tan lines! Grrrr! Ish okay i guess, all that beach and sun was still a welcome break from the usual office work...

Ate dinner at sonya's in "yatyagat", as Kiko calls it, my first time as well to frequent the place! It was soooo nice! Proposal place tlga. I believe "organic" was the word of the day--everywhere bloomed wild flowers, and they had little beds with canopies on hidden snooks and corners, super romantic Ü We ate buffet of salad and pasta (their only menu for three years!) and true to their nature, everything was organic food! Super memorable, would probably take Eda there on her birthday for our usual pasta-and-salad diet! (If only I can remember how to get there db?) Ü

After dinner snacks at hotshots again, my brother's loving the crispy burger so much he wants to eat it everyday! Haha Ü Food Galore tlga, pero really fun. Hope we can do this again next time... unles it's really Intrapreneur's Extreme Adventure Sports next summer... Haha Ü

Shabby Chic Bed&Breakfast Nookie at Sonya's :-)