Don't Cha!

View from Tuktukish

Almost didn't make it to the concert...like most days these past few weeks, it was raining cats and dogs, and I had to rush to Araneta amidst Friday rush-hour traffic in EDSA! I'm not a huge fan, but I do love their songs (Buttons is sooo hot! I swear... I converted Eds to a PCD fan after that video!) so I was pretty excited to see them in person. It was a long wait though (good thing Eds and I decided to eat first at Pancake house... or else I wouldn't have been able to ogle Jayson! haha) and after three excruciating front acts, popcorn mania and sudden urges to buy hundred-peso binoculars, our tired butts can finally stand up and shout with the PCDs :-)

I love Nicole! She's the best singer, the best dancer..the group seemed more like Nicole and the Pussycat Dolls. She still has the Filipino accent ("Mga mahal kong kababayan!" hehe), but most memorable was when she choked up after the whole coliseum sang Stick Wit U. It was really touching :-) Kudos to the dance showdown as well, I'm glad that kid with the monkey moves won--he gets an A for effort! The only downside was when the whole crowd was still waiting for a second encore because of the DJ's announcement 'Do you want to see more of the Pussy Cat Dolls!', and realizing after several blank minutes that they really weren't performing another number. Still, it was great to see everyone dressed up to see the PCDs, that even for just a few hours we felt like hot, sexy PCDs as well!

Me Sign Books Pretty One Day

David Sedaris and "my Melvin"

Went to my first book signing yesterday! I'm so starstruck with David, even I'm probably his most recent fan. Unfortunately I only came in around 6ish (thanks to Unilab's compressed workweek sched!) so I got number 57 instead. Lots of cute guys who attended though, surprisingly, but I had to check if they were really cute guys-- my Maximo Radar was ringing off the hook all night!

David was mean and sarcastic as usual... my kinda guy! He even called Makati Cinema Square, "a mall with cancer"! haha! He read the Easter Bunny Chapter in Me Talk Pretty (good thing that was the book I read, I can relate!) before proceeding to sign from his hordes of fans. Good thing the line was not too crazy like Neil Gaiman's so I was able to wait a good two hours before my turn.. not too bad right?

Funny story: while waiting for my turn in line, I could hear the guy in front of me (#56) telling David his name was Melvin, and David saying incredulously "Your name is Melvin?!?! What kind of name is that?!?!" I smiled to keep myself from laughing. True enough, when it was my turn to identify myself, he had the same reaction: "Your name is Gladys?!?! Now that's a name I don't hear much everyday." And then his eyes popped out, and I could almost see the light buulb flash above his head: "You know, that guy ahead of you, he's a doctor and you're in pharma, and I think you'd be perfect for each other. Besides, your names are both weird." I wanted to stalk Melvin right after the event! I think I giggled and laughed the whole time while he asked whether I lived in a village, and I recommended that he see UP and the Ikot Jeepneys and the Fishballs. It was laugh trip all the way :-)

When I opened my book to see what he wrote, I can't help but laugh out loud:

"To Gladys,

I have a good feeling about you and Melvin.

David Sedaris"

Nice one David. I now have a celebrity matchmaker! Hahaha!

Ang Haba ng Hair Ko

This is by far the best and the sweetest compliment (and pick-up line!) I received in my entire life--from a DAYS participant whom I met only twice:

"I saw Jesus in you, because when I woke up to your serenade, I heard the voice of an angel."

Months after, in a long distance email to our common friend:

"Please say Hi to the girl (yep, he forgot my name! haha!) who sang You and I magnificently..."

Can I just melt now? :-)

Dr. Love Kuno

Ironic Story: one minute I'm dispensing love advice to seven grown men, whose questions range from the absurd ("Bakit ang paa ng babae hindi nadudumihan? Bakit ang paa ng lalaki laging maallikabok?") to the obvious ("Bakit ang tagal niyong mga babae mag-banyo? Saka bakit lagi kayong sama-sama pag nagpupunta dun? Ano bang meron sa loob ng ladies' room?"). Most of the answers would have seemed common sensical, so even without valid personal experience on the "love" angle I was stereotyped as an expert on the matter.

Barely several minutes later, I found myself face-to-face with an old ghost I haven't seen in what seems like years. I was ecstatic of course, but as the minutes passed we were trapped in this big awkward silence. We ran out of small talk, and even worse, he made a pass at my friend--in my face! Kamusta nman un???

There were some moments when I saw him glimpse in my direction. Or he'd say to his friends, 'Gladys lives in Pasig, right?' and we'd share a smile because I know we both remembered when he used to fetch me from the office and bring me home. The teasing from his barkada was still there: 'Gladys, punta ka nman dito sabi ni --'; 'Pumayat ka daw ah sabi ni --... seksi na sha!' Some things never change--there's never really a dull moment when I'm with them. :-)

We had wonderful memories, and in those silent moments I remembered them all fondly and wished with all my heart that I could bring things back the way they used to be. I think, more than the petty jealousy, what frustrates me more are those little things that makes me still hope we have a chance to make this work the second time around--little details that I get from his friends, not from him. The fact that he himself remains so cold and aloof, and maybe ilang, still holds that maybe he's really not just that into me (yup, Greg's voice rings constantly in my ears!). All along, talagang pinaasa lang niya ako. (yuck, ang drama...ewww... haha!)

And I had all that figured out after crying my eyes out to Milo and Benson, and after a fitful night's sleep. How come we can give advice so easily to others, yet remain so clueless and helpless when we become the subject matter? Oh well, so much for being the love expert no?

3pm Random Rant Break

Having major migraine.

I love IMS--it's the perfect brain torture. I think my brain's going to explode soon from too much info overload. Pages and pages of data, tables, numbers, percentages now looks 3D to me, any second now a mystery figure's just going to pop up.

How do you do forecasting and trending again? I'm getting rusty.... *scratch head, heave sigh*. Can I order a new brain--one that can bend spoons?

Time for my hourly ration of free Nescafe. Yup, I'm now officially caffeine-dependent.

...TheresultsoftheClopidogrelforHighAtherothrombotiRiskandStabilizationManagementandAvoidance(CHARISMA)studyshowedthattheuseofacetylsalicylicacidinmonotherapyismoreeffectiveinprovidingprimary preventionagainstdeath,myocardialinfarctionandcardiovasculardiseases,andthatthedualcombinationtherapyof clopidogrelplusaspirinforsecondarypreventionwasnotsignificantlymoreeffectivethanaspirinalone... (repeat chant one thousand times)

Aww shucks! Who stole my PLDT phone? *scratch head harder*

What's APSA, KOL, ASA, MAT, YTD, PAI, CAGR, PSR, (fill blank with gazillion more acronyms)?

Omg, it's 3 o'clock na pla. Do they still serve lunch/PM merienda/early dinner? *search bag for week-old Sky Flakes*

This is the life. I'm glad I went back to Corporate... *shed a tear, shed a tear*

:-)

Good Omen, Bad Omen

Time to bring out the champagne glasses: I survived my first week at LRI! The people are really nice and warm, and I'm enjoying my first two weeks as adviced by my brand colleagues who told me that after that leeway, I'll be going home with them at around 9pm as well! Haha!

It was a long difficult road to get here. In retrospect, I endured 5 grueling interviews, a tense two-week wait to know if I got in, and a very rigorous (yet slimming!) medical exam. My first day in the office was even met with a heavy downpour! But I'm glad for all these--it makes me appreciate the promise of a fulfilling and challenging career life ahead that Unilab has to offer.

I was never a fan of horror movies, but I'm grateful to Drew for bringing me that fateful day at Galleria to watch the Omen. It turned out indeed to be a good omen, for it was at that moment that I received THE CALL telling me that I was accepted into Unilab. I prayed really hard for God to guide the new direction my career was going to take, wherever that may be. And I thank the higher powers for granting me such a blessing, that even if I was not able to change paths as I originally planned to, maybe this is a sign that I'm indeed destined for the healthcare industry. :-)

Now as I await my trainings and orientations, I currently busy myself visualizing how to decorate my new cubicle and memorizing everyone else's names.. hehe! Cheers!

Money Pakyaw

Round 12 KD

Congrats to Manny Pacquiao for winning the match over Oscar Larios!

I never had so much fun watching a male-dominated sport. It seemed that time stood still during the match--no cars nor tricylces could be heard in the highways as everyone paused from their busy lives to take part in this momentous event. It was fiesta time also at home--coousins came over so we can all tune in to the TV together. And Manny, being the clever businessman he also is (I never knew he owned his own promotions company till now!) exploited this opportunity by promoting all his endorsements and extending the bout till the last round. Sure, we do celebrate and toast to the People's Champion, but one can only take so much of the multitude of commercials all viewers were subjected to during the fight day and the succeeding week as well.

As of present, Manny's camp reported that he's already starting training for his upcoming match with Morales, a stronger opponent no less. We can only hope that he can give his first major concert a second thought to concentrate on his training more, lest he lose to Morales, retire early and become a full-time showbiz entertainer instead.

Superman Returns

How I Wish I Could Be Lois Lane

Watched Superman Returns with friends Drew, Care and Oryx last Friday at Eastwood. It was a date we all set with each other a few months back, but I guess we were not prepared enough... Oryx and I got to Eastwood, through cartwheels and back flips, at 730ish, but all the cinemas were full until the LFS at 1110! Good thing Ina was holding her despedida at Bedroom Bar so we kinda chilled a few hours with the UPD people while we waited for the other two to arrive. Since we still had time to kill, Drew "forced" us to spend an hour of Videoke where we did some crazy back-up dance moves (yes, they were all AIESEC dance potentials) and where Drew and I went head-to-head for a tiebreaker: BSB vs the Spice Girls :P Challenging, I know...

Crazy Commentaries went on throughout the film--Care and I held hands during drool-worthy moments, Oryx hugged me during my pseudo-cry episode, and we all looked at Drew from time to time to see how he was seriously contemplating his "alter ego" (Read: "If he is the man of steel, how did he and Lois... get it on?"... mahaba-habang inuman to!) We got home around 2am already (good thing my Dad was out-of-town this weekend!).

Brandon Routh is just so perfect! One thing that endeared me to this film was how Superman was created into a perfect balance of handsome hero (whose hair never gets screwed!) and earthly being--a raw and emotional human. The twist at the end was a welcome surprise as well.. So cheers to you Drew, I'm now forever YOUR fan! Haha :-D

I definitely had a great time with them--my "anaks" who have been my confidantes and stamm buddies these past few months. I think sometimes that my life would have moved on after my term had ended in AIESEC, but these friends have slowly re-integrated me into this crazy, stressful life that I once led and still love. I never did hang out with my "batchmates" this much before--we all got together only if there was an event, or because we had work, or after our terms ended.. I wonder why. No doubt though: I'm glad to still have AIESEC friends in my life, even more grateful to have these AIESEC friends with whom I can watch movie marathons with and yet still learn so much from...

Till Pirates of the Carribbean! :-)