Azurris and Anton Adventures at Ponti!

Anton, Eda and Me at Ponti :-)

One night of Eastwood trippin' and psychic readings (which was NOT even close to my expectations) ended up in a surprise spree at our fave hangout: Il Ponticello at Salcedo Village in Makati. Road trip to the max, even Eda said that we crossed 4 cities just to satisfy our momentary spontaneous mood....

Ponti's sooo very homey. Rene, our favorite homie, greeted us (that person is truly the place's asset! He knows everyone by name and by their drink!) and seated us at the smoking section (yep, had a few sticks here and there)... while Eda splurged some more and called one of our fave guys as well. Anton came in a few minutes earlier, still looking for his "kanin", and both of them immediately launched into those animated conversations. I, for the meantime, covered up and enjoyed my sunburn drink and their Über expensive yosi... Minutes later, high from alcohol and nicotine, Anton offered to escort us back to my place (because my driver was beginning to giggle a wee bit too much!) ... What a sweetie!!! Ten Thousand Brownie Points from me!... but we lost him en route to a creepy beerhouse for a quick trip to the loo! Too much azzurris kse! Haha Ü

Was tipsy and tired to pack for punta fuego trip, but had a great great time! Ponti ulit!!! Gotta get my blue card soon :-)

Davao Memories :)

It’s been how many days since I last came from Davao… and what an experience it was! Admittedly, it’s my first time to travel alone anywhere… even if my boss and his wife was there, they left earlier and they were in a separate room. My first time to also enjoy hotel life without a roommate, and while I lavished in the freedom… it was an eye-opener as well…

I would always be grateful to ADDU for making me feel welcome in Davao, I would have been a lost, confused foreigner if it weren’t for them… I’m doubly blessed that my distributors also extended their hospitality to me (it pays to really know a local when you travel!), and I’m certain that I will return the favor to them once they visit us in Manila as well…

In more ways than one, I think I left my heart in Davao City... I've never felt more at home anywhere than I did at that place. My hotel was not the best, but the people were most accommodating... the food was cheap and bottomless! The mall had a food court in every floor, and I once ate four dinners at one seating! Hehe :) And I found someone special there as well...

Sadly though, that part of my trip I have to really leave behind... my heart still feels that longing for him, but my eyes were opened to the truth that he and I will truly never be... no matter how much you feel for the person, sometimes you know in your gut that the relationship will go nowhere, and the guy is out of your league...it hurts to face the truth, but at least for a few moments, he was mine... and the memories are all I have to savor what we had that night...

For now, I still have this stupid punto as proof of my stay in Davao... kapoy gyud! Life goes on I guess. I don't know when I'll be back... when work or life would permit me to fly there again (hopefully my flight won't be delayed anymore!) hopefully sooner than later. By then I would have learned my Bisaya well, and I'll be happier, or more at peace, to face him again... =)

POGS Davao Team @ Jack's Ridge, April 2005 

JOhn Paul II... We Love You... 

Tara FT SEring's Between Dinner and the Morning After

After a long hiatus from the shelves, Summit books are back with their newest baby: Between Dinner and the Morning After by Tara FT Sering. I was so excited to get a copy of this book, knowing finally that cosmo editors reversed back to their women writers after Vince's Life, and convinced that this would definitely be a good read based on Sering's previous work with Summit. I know that growing up, my choice of literature should have matured with age as well... but what can I say? Summit books remain to be my guilty pleasure, apart from my Sweet Valley days and historical romances saga-ish collections...

Disappointingly, however, I was not even able to finish the book before I finally dozed off. The author was for the most part trying to be witty but ended up merely whining and justify whining, while moving from current story to multiple flashbacks... I was bored and confused!!! And the ending even was nooooot satisfying (considering I'm a BIG ending fan--that's the make-or-break of the story for me!) . Sering failed miserably in tying up the characters and the plot and the resolution...it was like reading a series of blogs, with no coherence whatsoever.

I hope that Summit would be able to release instead the second installment to Vince's Life... the lesser of two evils.

For another review of the book (yet with the same passionate furor), check out my friend's site.

ME List... wala lang :-)

Got this from someone's site while i was blog-hoppin:

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Copy this whole list into your journal.

2. Bold the things that are true about you.

3. Whatever you don't bold are false

01. When I was younger I made some bad decisions.

02. I don't watch much TV these days - couch potato all the way :P

03. I love psychodelic mushrooms. - meron ba nito?

04. I love sleeping

05. I have loads of books.

06. I once slept in a bathroom

07. I love playing video games - thanks to Julius!!

08. I adore marijuana

09. I watch porn movies

10. I watch them with my father – eww!!!

11. I like sharks

12. I love spiders

13. I was born without hair and I still have no hair

14. I like George Bush - I like Michael Moore more...

15. I am cool – haha! Of course! Love your own =P

16. I have changed a lot mentally over the last year

17. I have a jacuzzi and a Porsche

18. I have a lot to learn

19. I carry my knife everywhere

20. I can be really really smart - I think so… sometimes ;)

21. I've never broken someone's bones – I broke my own! Haha :D

22. I have a secret - Everyone does...

23. I hate snow

25. Punk rock rules

26. I hate Bill Gates

27. I love Chinese food - everything chinese...

28. I would hate to be famous

29. I am so not a morning person

30. I wear glasses

31. I don't need glasses

32. I have potential – a lot… panay potential na nga lang ata! :P

33. I'm pure Japanese

34. My legs are two different sizes

35. I have a twin

36. I wear a padded bra sometimes.

37. I can ramble on about absolutely nothing.

38. I'm left-handed

39. I hate llamas, but I'm one of them – huh?!?!

40. I don't like horror movies

41. I suck at climbing, but I love it anyway

42. People hate me usually

43. I love pop music

44. I hardly ever go to bed before midnight – before yes, nocturnal by choice, but now I’m early2bed!

45. I hate parking fines.

46. I know the national anthem of my country by heart

47. I know more than three languages

48. I can spend too much time on the computer. - duh!!!

49. I often want to throw out the computer in a window

50. I live on a ground floor.

51. I don't like chocolate

52. I'd like to be more original

53. I've lied - lahat nman eh

54. Cocks are my favorite birds – huh?!?!?!?! Hahahahaha!!!!

55. I want to conquer the world

56. I wonder what happens when I die

57. I've read all books about Harry Potter

58. I love my dog(s)!

59. I love to exercise – wish I still have gym, maybe next year!

60. I hate chemistry with a passion and math, too!

61. I love to write but I wish I could be as interesting as some people

62. I love the nightlife.

63. I hate going to class. – Nerd ako eh! I like class, I like seminars… :P

64. I am afraid to die

65. I hate dish washing with a passion

66. My hair is long, brown, and incredibly curly – not anymore! “shinampoo ko lang yan” :P

67. My nails are nine inch long – witch?!?!

68. My favorite color is black – purple!

69. I like to sleep on the floor

70. I am hopeless at cooking

71. I sucked my thumb when I was little

72. I should be doing something else rather than doing this

73. I am online a lot

74. I hate government – yup, bureaucracy really sucks…

75. I don't have a girlfriend/boyfriend – yet! Haha…

76. I'm too nice for my own good

77. I love to read, I read as much as I can

78. I don't trust newspapers

79. I like debating

80. I live in a wagon

81. I clean my room once a month

82. I'm scared of american fast food

83. I have a third eye

84. I love Mozambique - ?

85. I don't trust any religion

86. I used to play with barbies only because all the other girls were doing it

87. I wanted to be a super hero when I was little – artista actually :P

88. I like listening to wind chimes

89. I'm very disorganized

90. My hair is long and straight

91. I earn a lot - would like to... really soon :)

92. I don't like spicy food

93. I keep a diary – blog will do?

94. I can't do cartwheels

95. I can be very lazy

96. I'm sarcastic more often than not

97. I think my hair can be annoying

98. I could be sensitive

99. I love being "ab-normal" – most of the time! OC-Neurotic paranoia.. best feeling in the world!

99. I love being "ab-normal" – most of the time! OC-Neurotic paranoia.. best feeling in the world!

Bonding with MCP Cris and MCP Halmen =) 

Havaianas Hunt!

I'm so frustrated! aaargh! Went with eds all psyched up to get moi a pair of havaianas... but when we got there, it was all sold out! Bad trip! I mean, there were still some pairs there, but i didnt like 'em much, so I ended up drowning my sorrows over loads of SPAM... hmmm..interesting yng waffle dog-ish look alike, but I still crave for my slippers! It's just sad they don't take reservations anywhere.. will try to visit rockwell and shang soon... I vow to get my own before march is over... will bring it to Davao! Samal island here we come! :-)

Congrats GIONNA!

Gionna Cabrera (center)

It was BB. Pilipinas Coronation Night last saturday at Araneta Colisuem (yup, same time Eda and I were there!)... and surprisingly, my batchmate from HS was crowned as BB. Pilipinas Universe!

I was happy for her, though I only have a vague memory of what she really looked like in HS. We were not close, nor were we classmates even in any sectiona lll throughout my St.Paul life. Interestingly enough, she was not the first among our batch to vie for the crown--Angela Silverio was also a finalist and was awarded Ms. Congeniality years back.

With Gionna now a titlist, I sometimes wonder about our different lives... all of us started the same way but I feel like we're separated by different planets, let alone different universes. I can't even believe that I went to the same school with her... I'm the ugly duckling compared to what she has achieved now!

I wish her all the best though... I'll be watching the pageant from cable in Bangkok this summer. Good Luck Gionna! =)

Cubao Cubao!

Eda and Me on our Cubao Adventure =)

Super adventure last Saturday! Eds and I went to National main store, the four-storey one. Amazingly enough, it was first time to really browse all the books there... I only go to that branch to pick up a textbook I reserved... When I got to the top floor, I was really in a daze! It was Disneyland for BOOKS!!! The books were really cheap, around PhP100 to 200 for the paperback, and PhP300++ for the hardbound, because they were already second-hand. The quality is still good though, almost brand new, so it was a really good buy. After a basketfull of books and difficult decision-making, I settled for the Tao of Pooh (a book Ive always wanted to read), and Eda bought her own copy of Memoirs of a Geisha.

Food trip afterwards at KFC, MCDO, and Go Nuts! Fast food galore, perfect for dieters no? Hehe =P Dinner was worth four hours! Kikay shopping after at SM.. lip gloss galore... Hmm, will have to find my own loyal brand for lipstains and lip gloss; I only have clinique to rely on for now...

Laugh trip all the way! I really enjoyed Cubao with Eds because I think we were game to anything, and I felt like we were able to accomplish a lot even with tight budgets, and only train commutes to and from the mall area...

Next time, adventure ulit.. Divi nman! hehe =D

MRT Panic!

Rode the MRT from Ayala to GMA last night, was supposed to go home when suddenly the train stopped midway from Boni and Shaw. Something smelled funny... literally. Apparently, the coach car I was riding had burnt some cable wires on the way from Makati... it was awful! The woman beside me was already praying the rosary, while I was busy memorizing the emergency instructions by the door.... After an hour, they finally fixed it. It was the longest train ride I've ever had!

There are some things we really take for granted, like riding safely in trains that might go off any second because of malfunction... sometimes, we can't do anything about it, but we might as well be cautious and careful always. Which also reminds me, I should really bring my rosary next time I ride....

DAYS staff meeting at uap =) 

DAYS High

Went to DAYS last weekend, my 4th weekend staffing after being a participant. It was my first time to staff as a head, fiscal to be more exact, and the challenge both scared and excited me at the same time. Though I'm used to being the front person for finance in aiesec all my life, it was my first time for DAYS, and i was quite a bit unsure on how to approach strangers, asking, well more like begging for donations of any amount, for the community fund. It was weird, when at the end of the day, everyone kind of knew who I was already (in a not so good way), because now they knew who to avoid and keep their wallets from for the rest of the weekend! hehe =P In the end, I think it was a worthy cause.. we were able to raise around 6,500 pesos from the visitors, staffers and sponsors who came to Bambi's batch...an increase from the previous collections. Thanks Kuya Jess! I hope it would be more than enough for the next batch, I'm staffing again, but I'll be a sponsor this time for Coni Ü

This is one of those DAYS weekends that still gets me high... "Basta Ikaw Lord"... but for some reason, there as something special and magical about those 3 days I spent at Pollock. It was the first weekend that I spent a lot of time in Disco, really pouring my heart into that room... between my sisters and mommy rach, and with my aiesec family... and a lot of vigil time also alone with just Kuya Jess. There were lots of personal issues I lifted to Him in that room (lots of tissues spent as well), and now I feel somewhat light and relieved. Hmm... I can't say that I'm not troubled anymore, but somehow miraculously, I found comfort in just praying and talking to Him, knowing that somehow He can hear me and lift all those troubles away, even for just mere moments....

I guess I've always been more of a spiritual person than a religious one. I don't believe much in ceremonies that I've been accustomed to all my life, thanks to both sides of the family being strictly parishioners and supporters of the Church and its practices. I do thank DAYS for strengthening my faith, but I guess there would always be that continuous skepticism on some practices of the Church that up to now I only receive with accept with mute resignation. My enlightenment always comes during those silent moments that I pray to Him, and that is one of the reasons I miss DAYS also, when I can just go to the Disco where I can find solace to be myself and reflect. It's hard to come back to reality after DAYS high, when I know I'll be facing all my issues again.... but I know that because of Mommy Rach's talk about loving hearts, Jess was giving me a sign. I know now what to do because I can feel his presence still. I'll just have to keep that personal "disco" with me, until the next batch again... Ü

UPD Alumni Dinner

Went to an alumni party last night for UPD.. was fun because I was able to meet Agnes and Ana again, whom I haven't met for the longest time! I know in speeches I always say that "I'm already old.. I have "anaks" and "apos" already in AIESEC", but attending that party as an alumni made that feeling more real than ever. Talangang matanda na ko sa AIESEC. There were lots of newies that I didn't know anymore, and the more common question was: "How are you guys doing these days", and it felt weird and relieving to be asking that question as a concerned alumni (read: outsider)

It's true what they say: the longer you stay, the harder it is to let go. Yup, I have the symptoms. Even attending the induction party and turning over the torches still feels surreal for me. Until March 31st is over, I guess, I'm still holding on to this post and to all the free food and all the exchange problems as well. Hmm... enjoy till the party lasts right? I still have APXLDS anyway. But I'll enjoy myself in Devcon for sure, one discharge report and I'm all set for the beach... BORA here I come! Haha =)

Passport Day!

Finally got my PASSPORT!!! After ten million years, I finally got the urge to actually compile my requirements, submit it to DFA and claim it.. all in a week! Bilis no? (I hope I can help Eda as well, haba tlga ng pila sa DFA... miles and miles and miles of waiting applicants.. tsk tsk.. major bonding adventure ito!)

Feels good to actually accomplish something I've been wanting to do for a looooooong time. That's one more item to cross on my to-do list for this year (see archives under January's New Years Resoulations for 2005).. next stop: driver's license! Coolness! =P

Courtesy Lanes at DFA

Courtesy Lanes at DFA

After 10 thousand years... finally found the time to apply for my passport at DFA! After putting it off for months and months now, I'm happy I was able to file it already. Getting and compiling the requirements was quite easy given the "network" Batas has, and submitting it to DFA (at "courtesy lanes" no less) was also a piece of cake.

Tito Erning was an expert at dealing with DFA officials already.. he can maneouver the ins and outs of all the windows and offices with his eyes closed! All we did was give him the papers, sit and wait to be called... sobrang walang hassle!

I couldn't say the same for the rest who were applying though. Even at courtesy lane, it was still chaotic--there were no queues, and each applicant was trying to plead with the OIC to accept their documents (somehow, a lot of them had delinquencies still, esp at the Diplomat window). Much more with those lined up downstairs, waiting from 6am to have their papers authenticated. There were miles and miles of people wanting to go abroad... I haven't seen that the last time I went with my mom to get her passport (I was grade 5 then, but still...)

It's always sad to blame the system for inefficiencies like this. Now that more Filipinos want to go abroad, there is much demand for their papers to be processed immediately, and with less hassle and costs as possible. Even if there are so many fixers lined up, it would take you around a week or two just to get your paper to the window and have it filed. Add that to how many more weeks to claim your passport.. it's a wonder this government still can accomplish so much. We would have said that the DFA should put in more people to make the processing faster and the lines shorter, but with budget deficit issues and oil price hikes and the VAT increase still to be resolved... For the meantime, I think this is one request that would be left for another pile, and not even courtesy lanes can do its magic this time...

Artificial Leg

While I was meditating aimlessly on the back of the FX on my way to Rustans Makati to meet with Eda, a man struggled to get on the vehicle also, pleading with another passenger to exchange seats with him because of his artificial leg. I tried not to look but I felt pity for the guy. Somehow, I felt guilty (because I felt luckier than him that my leg was not amputated in any way, despite my recurring knee mishaps), but also blessed at the same time.

When he got off, I said a silenet prayer. May God bless that man, because despite his physical incapabilities, he still was quite a jolly fellow... he was smiling and whistling all the way down Buendia...

Pasta & Salad at Italianni's

Carbonara... Last Call!

Had dinner at Italianni's Tomas Morato yesterday... yummy! Was so hungry coz I wasnt able to grab breakfast nor lunch the whole day.. this was my first meal! Devoured Sicilian Chicken Salad and Carbonara... Sobrang Saraaaaap! Of course, can't hurt that the waiter was really warm and accommodating as well... (ok ok, so he was cute! Guilty! Sheesh.. I really have a thing for this no? haha =P)

Was really full by the end of the meal, everyone at the table was, that we can't finish anymore the last bite of carbonara... I wonder, is it really a Filipino trait? We leave just that measly piece on our plates (in this case, this small forkful of pasta)... others find it an annoying habit, thinking of other kids who actually haven't eaten for more than a day or worse, a week...

I wanted to eat, I really did.. but my stomach and spirit was weak. Hmm.. next time, I vow to be more "sensitive" and always leave my plate clean (except when buffets! hehe)

The Aviator

The Aviator

Watched the Aviator tonight with Ma... all three hours worth of it. Was actually anxious to see it coz I wanted to know what kind of chances it had gunning for the big ones on Monday's Oscar Night. At the middle of it, I was kind of bored already, and wished Howard Hughes dead just to get the movie over it. Too bad he lived through all the planes that flew throughout the film... Mababaw comment: I was tired of seeing Leo's eyebrows together all throughout the film! How can he be so goddamn angry all the time?!?!

Ma liked it though, I'm glad she did coz it was my treat after all (money well-spent I guess, at least for her!). My bet? It has good chances to win. Although I'm still rooting for Hillary Swank vs. Cate Blanchett (even with her uncanny portrayal of Kate Hepburn), and Jamie Foxx over Leo. Kudos to Martin Scorsese though, I hope he gets the gold this time. And I'm crossing my fingers for Best Picture for this one: they're the best so far out of their contemporaries.. even against personal favorite Closer.

All bets are off on Monday! Can't wait--Oscar fever here we go! =D

Watched The Phantom of the Opera yesterday with Coni (yup, our first date movie!) and now, I can't get this song out of my head! It's always been a favorite, no wonder I cried during the movie when it played... poor phantom! hehehe.. Enjoy!

ALL I ASK OF YOU

No more talk of darkness
Forget these wide eyed fears
I'm here, nothing can harm you
My words will warm and calm you

Let me be your freedom
Let daylight dry your tears
I'm here, with you, beside you
To guard you and to guide you

Say you love me every waking moment
Turn my head with talk of summer time
Say you need me with you now and always
Promise me that all you say is true

That's all I ask of you
Let me be your shelter
Let me be your light
You're safe, no one will find you
Your fears are far behind you

All I want is freedom
A world with no more night
And you, always beside me
To hold me and to hide me
Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime

Let me lead you from your solitude
Say you'll want me with you here, beside you
Anywhere you go, let me go too
That's all I ask of you