It Is Bigger To Receive

For the first time in my whole entire life, I am enjoying giving more than receiving this Christmas season. No, really, I mean it. I'm totally content with buying gifts that people would enjoy/appreciate, not caring about what, and if, I would be getting anything in return. I'm just as confused as you are about all of this, but it really does feel good. HeHe.

I think in the past years, I have always looked forward to opening those gifts, but getting really disappointed. Not necessarily because I didn't get what I wanted, but I was more disappointed to find out that the person didn't know me well enough, judging by the gift itself. Does that make sense? This year, by some divine intervention, I simply have peace of mind regarding gift-giving. I have no expectations, no care about anything that has to do with "To: Romina," no bitterness whatsoever. Hooray for me.

But just because I have no expectations, doesn't mean that gifts that come my way don't deserve any attention either. HeHe. As Belle found out, my happiness is equivalent to P75. It doesn't take much to make me happy, folks. LoL. My boss today also gave me a bottle of "champagne" (sparkling cider) to celebrate my new job come 2004...of course, this gift was given before getting counseling from her. After our talk, I realized that there were more negative aspects than positive ones regarding my JWM/JWB. {=/ I have another round of thinking to do. *SIGH.

Regardless, I'm feeling warm and fuzzy about...the most wonderful time of the yeeeaaarrrrrrrrr.... Are you? =)

Not Everything

You can't really have everything in life. Trust me, I know.

I now have a job offer. Actually, I've had it since Thursday of last week, but I wasn't able to connect with the hiring manager by phone until today (there goes my no-cellphone self again). It's a JWM (job with meaning) as well as a JWB (job with benefits, as RJ would say). The catch? Since it's a job with meaning, I have to sacrifice salary. *SIGH.

Those who know me know that my life does not revolve around money. I don't desire every single nice thing that I see and I don't mind not having what everyone else has (except when it comes to boyfriends, I want one of those. HaHa). So it's not really about the amount of money, but what that amount of money equates to. Does that make sense? I know what I'm capable of and what kind of an employee I am so I expect to be paid fairly for it. I've deserved every single salary that I've gotten thus far in life...except for this new job offer.

However, it's beyond anyone's control since I'm dealing with a non-profit organization. My confusion comes from deciding whether I should take this job, or wait forever to find "the one" (need I explain my luck about waiting for anything and anyone that has to do with being "the one"? LoL). There are two consequences that I see: a) my first real-world salary will be the basis for future salaries, b) my salary should get higher as the years pass by and not the other way around.

I am thankful for getting such an offer during a time when families are struggling to make ends meet. I would also rather be a contributing member to our capitalist world rather than a wanna-be. Heck, I guess I'm just creating a dilemma for no reason. Shut up and work it, girlfriend! ;P

The Creative Side

I went to work on my off-day to witness one of the annual holiday events at work. What was posted all around the hallways? The poster that I made for the event! Who needs a professional graphic arts designer when you got me around? HeHe. I was beaming with pride to say the least. =D

CPK Style

I finally made the pilgrimage to the one and only CPK in Seattle! Prior to this visit, the only CPK branch I've been to was the Tomas Morato one (where Robin Padilla was stalking me. HeHe). Why does the Philippines have more American-based restaurants than Seattle? HaHa.



I want my future apartment to have the same ambiance as CPK. It's so nice and cozy!



I have sinned yet again: tiramisu. You know you're not a poor college student anymore when you can afford to have dessert after your meal at a restaurant. ;P Ang saya-saya!

WONDERful

I seriously think that no CD collection should go without Stevie Wonder's The Definitive Collection CD. It's so awesome! If you're an 80s kid, I think it's a must have.

Some random thoughts:
Overjoyed - On heavy rotation right now. It's my "let me make this Christmas the coldest ever" song. =P

For Once In My Life - Waiting for the day I can relate to this song. HaHa

My Cherie Amour - Just one of the songs that reminds me of JC Chasez; he sang this song on MMC back in the day ::memories::

Signed, Sealed Delivered - Makes me want to do the "Carlton Dance" each time I hear this. HeHe

I Just Called To Say I Love You - It's been awhile since someone has done such a thing to me *parinig* HaHa.

Diploma Arrival Date

I got my diploma in the mail today. Now I know why someone would spend like $180 on a diploma frame: the diploma itself looks horribly plain and cheap. It looks like anyone could've printed it on his/her computer. If you ask me, the Annual Dean's List certificate that I got earlier in the summer looks much better than this diploma. Why the hell am I talking smack about my diploma?! HaHa. It's just that my parents' diplomas are much bigger and look more official than my little dinky UW one. Tsk. Tsk. After six months, I kinda want to cash the check my brother gave me as a graduation gift; I want to use it to buy a diploma frame. HeHe.

Now that I have my diploma in my possession, I think it's time for me to take down this little thing hanging in my room: it's a stuffed doll, dressed in a cap and gown, holding a diploma in one hand, while sitting on a moon. It's been there for at least ten years to remind me of my goal. Now, the goal is now a reality. I would love to give it to my eldest nephew, but he's a boy and I don't think he would want a stuffed doll hanging in his room. He might disown me if I insisted. HeHe.

On a more surprising note, my mom, out of the blue, said to me, "If you want to go to the Philippines in August, go. Don't worry about the conflict with your cousin's wedding." I can't believe that my mom was actually volunteering the thought of me taking a plane to the Philippines! How crazy is that! I didn't bring up the topic; she did. So I'm guessing that she's sensing my sadness over not being in the Philippines this Christmas. Halata ba talaga? I mean, I know I refused to put up any of the Christmas decors around the house this year, but I didn't think that the reason was that obvious. LoL. So I'm guessing that this is why my relatives are trying to set me up with any human being with a male organ...because they think that I'm sad, therefore the solution is to add a boy into the equation. Puh-lease! How many times do I have to say that my happiness is not dependent upon having a significant other?! Okay...maybe 40%, but that leaves a bigger 60% on other things, right? Hence, I simply need the 60% and I'll be fine. *coughsomeoneisindenial*cough

Christian = Chinese Food

It's December already?! Time is flying by way too fast. For someone who isn't doing much these days, I'm quite surprised that I'm feeling this way.

Anyway, you know how Nanette Inventor makes these weird comparisons of the contestants in Star In A Million? Okay, maybe I'm the only one who knows since I have a feeling that I'm the only one who watches this show...at least the only one who would admit it so openly. HeHe. If I were in her shoes, my simile would be like this: Si Christian Bautista parang Chinese food: gusto kong i-take-out at i-uwi. ;P

Gifts, Gifts, Baby

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, Version 2003:

Pogi Boy #1: Ray Allen's Replica Jersey ($43 for a piece of mesh?!)
Pogi Boy #2: GameBoy Advance + 3 GameBoy games
Pogi Boy #3: Transformers Armada
Ganda Girl: super duper cute Cinderella chongsam and a Mulan Doll

Who knew that I'm the culprit behind these kids' spoiledness? For the first time in four years, I'm actually happy about the holiday season. Because I don't have finals or team projects to worry about before Christmas, I actually get to enjoy the spirit of the season. And because all the kids now live within 5 minutes from our house, I get to interrogate them and ask them what they want instead of me staring at the store aisles 2 days before Christmas and crying my eyes out of frustration. It's definitely a different year this year for the Grinch. =D

I also found out tonight that I get a high off of wrapping gifts. As soon as I got home today (from buying wrapping paper), I started wrapping the gifts and got a kick out of it. Ang babaw talaga! HaHa. If you're one of those who are wrapper-challenged, I'd be more than happy to wrap your gifts for you as long as I get a gift myself (and no, I don't accept people as gifts, hahaha).

So, I'm all set. I just need to ship Belle's gift (ang lakas mo talaga sa akin! LoL); and buy my mom, 2 brothers + 2 sister-in-laws, the 4 people at work; and Chelle gifts (all of which are already pre-determined). I anticipate that I'll be done by this coming week. Go MiNA, it's your birthday...you're gonna party like it's your birthday... :::cabbage patching:::

JB

What sad news. =/ I still vividly remember Anne and I watching "Ladybugs" at Oak Tree Cinemas in the 5th grade. Her mom gave her money for the tickets. We still had some cash left so we went and bought Sour Patch Kids, only to find out that we were about $1 short. The nice man behind us took care of the rest without us thinking twice about receiving the help. The world was a little less dangerous back then. ;P

If I look hard enough, I would probably still find posters of Jonathan from Bop and Big Bopper magazines in my room (Pre-SeaQuest days; I wasn't a fan of the show). He was part of my pre-teen years and it's sad that his life had ended this way.

Wishful Thinking

Did you all know that the Swedish meatballs in Ikea are really good? I had no idea until today. Anyway, being in that store kind of makes me a little bit sad. Well, not really sad, but just wishful, I guess. As I look at the different displays and decors, I can't help but wish that I have my own apartment. How nice it would be to decorate it the way I want to. *SIGH. Patience, my dear.

Flying Back

While starting on my Christmas toy shopping (no procrastination this year, baby!), I ran into high school friend/co-dance team member Jaymie, whom I haven't seen for four years, at my beloved Target. Although I've been saying to people that four years of college went by so fast, high school seemed like it ended decades ago. Jaymie had a lot of 411 about our classmates, while I had none to share. I never kept in touch with them. Heck, I didn't even keep in touch with my very own cousin, who graduated the same year as I did, until this year. Don't get me wrong, I loved my high school life. I also think that I had the most balanced life during that time: school, dance team, work, volunteering, and church (only during the holidays, HeHe). But once I got out, I never looked back. I guess because I had been with these people since elementary school; I was so ready to see what the outside world had to offer (Elevator Boy, Cutieboyflyguy, Dancing King, some good stuff, I tell ya!). Maybe it was also a case of growing up, and thus, apart. It took me until senior year to figure out that I had been hanging out with the wrong group of friends. However, my new senior year friends and I never managed to keep in touch once college began. We tried, but it didn't work. Then, while in college, I hung out with people from high school whom I never spent time with during high school. Confused? I am, too. So either, a) people changed and I didn't, b) I changed and they didn't, c) we all changed, or d) we didn't change, but found better people to spend time with. Who knows?

Anyway, I did expect to start running into high school alumni after college graduation: a simple case of eaglets flying back to their nests. However, that might not be the case after all. According to the 411 grapevine, a bunch of people are already married, and married with children (no, not the show). Geez. Hence, I only have six words (and a question mark) to say to Prince Charming: Why, are, you, taking, so, long, ?. ;P

I'm A Staaaaarrr

This entry by far will label me as jologs and I don't think I can handle the truth. LoL. The truth is: I watched the first round of Star In A Million on Saturday. *GASP. I didn't plan on watching it, but it was right after Berks so I couldn't help it (You watch Berks?! *LOUDER GASP). Forgive me for I have sinned! LoL. Anyway, for the first time ever, I seriously think that ABS-CBN should have just copied every single thing about American Idol. It's not a great idea to kick someone off at the end of the show; you send the viewers away all depressed (plus it's so awkward to sing the theme song of the show right after). Who would want to watch next week's show?! I'm also not seeing the validity of the judges' scoring. I think it would be better if each one of them judge a different criteria. The personal "profiles" are a tad bit cheesy, too. Why just not let the contestants talk about themselves freely, instead of having them read off of the idiot board? Pilit na pilit! I also hope someone had advised the four guys that they will have to do more if they want to win this contest. The girls are by far overshadowing them already, especially that Dessa look-a-like one. As my ebonics-plagued self would say, "She good!" Also, if anyone has the means to do so, please tell Christian Bautista that if he doesn't win this contest, I have a job opening for him. HaHa.

Bringing Home Nemo

I found Nemo in Wal-Mart today. I kept telling him to stay away from me. I kept telling him that I'm "Finding Prince Charming" and not him. I told him that I don't have $14.87 + tax. But the darn fish took my wallet out of my purse, paid the cashier, and went home with me anyway. That sneaky son of a clownfish!

Divine Intervention

Dear God,

Let's talk, shall we? I know I've been joking about my lovelife to You lately. However, as You and I know, it's career first, then lovelife. But then again, by now the quest for a lovelife has turned into a career, dont'cha think? Just kidding! So okay, here's the deal: I need a job. Okay, so that's nothing new, but I really need a job now. My insurance coverage will be terminated by the end of the year for good. My mom's job cruelly changed its insurance coverage plans so I'm out of the picture for being over the age limit. Hmph! You know...if You give me a husband...I can be under his insurance coverage and I'll be fine. I'm sorry, I'm just weighing out the options. {;P So anyway, I need a job to have my own insurance. I already figured out that You and I are on the same track because I miraculously found that Sales and Marketing Director position this weekend. The company had all the qualities that I have been looking for! But since I applied one day before the end of the application period, I'm a little worried that someone might have beaten me to getting that position. But as You have always told me, whenever the front door closes, I can always go through the garage or patio door. Hence, I found those other job postings yesterday that got me uber excited. Another set of applications will be in the mail tomorrow, provided that after calling one of the companies, they will tell me that the positions are still open. I'm just asking for a little guidance in producing these applications. Nothing grand, just some help in unblocking my umm...writer's block. You know how it is. And just for my information, if I become a nun, does the Church provide free insurance coverage? Again, just checking my options here. =P

Love,
Me

Occupational Hazard

The #1 occupational hazard when working with fellow Filipinos is...being asked if I have a boyfriend. It's an occupational hazard because I already know what's going to happen next. Today, I laughed out loud after discovering who Manang was trying to set me up with: an ex-seminary student! I'm really starting to think that God is reading my website. HeHe. At least, the quality of guys is getting better. Maybe, just maybe, Prince Charming is on his way. ;P

Halloween Aftermath

I took Ganda Girl trick-or-treating last night. This was her first time doing it. Grabe, she was soooo cute in her puppy costume! It was very appropriate too because she was able to stay warm under the furry costume despite the bone-chilling weather. As predicted, my sister-in-law and I had to take turns saying "Trick or Treat!." If any of you doubted that I really look like a 12-year-old kid, here's some more evidence: people gave me candy, too! They probably thought I was the older sister. We also ran into some firefighters doing their rounds around the neighborhood and was able to snatch up some glowsticks. I didn't check to see if any of them were cute; I was too giddy about the glowsticks. HeHe.

Anyway, we also tried the mall, but was disappointed to see all the "Sorry, out of candy" signs outside the stores. What's up with that?! You know it's Halloween, you know there's going to be a lot of kids, the least you all could've done was spare $100 to buy candy from Costco or something. I mean, the holidays are coming up anyway so you're bound to make up that $100 in no time. Hmph.

---

Right now, Freestyle is in Vancouver, possibly performing right this very minute. *SIGH. Since I thought I was going to Manila this Christmas, I didn't buy a ticket to the concert. I thought it would be cheaper to watch them in Manila instead. How many times do I need to get it in my head that I shouldn't pass up the opportunity to buy love whenever the opportunity presents itself? HaHa. I really miss Totop, though. Naks, inamin! HeHe. I miss being giddy at the sight of him. I've never gotten that giddy with anyone before, not even during the peak of my *NSYNC days. LoL. This one time I told my cousin, "Sa sobrang kilig ko, I can't even look at his face anymore when he's singing!" Being the smart ass that he is, my cousin said, "Eh kung hindi sa mukha, saan mo tinitingnan siya?!" Kainis talaga! HeHe. God, I still vividly remember that very first time when I walked into Suburbia and saw him on stage. Even though they were singing, I couldn't hear anything. I was just staring at him and blocked out everything else. Then there were the conversations backstage...and the walk along that street...and "the look" when we went to Dish. (Pabayaan na ninyo ako mag-reminisce! HaHa). It was my last day of the internship/last night in Pasay/last night of freedom. One of the Embassy kids and I went to PowerPlant to celebrate the occasion. As always, the tables around us at Dish were already empty by the third set so kitang-kita kami from the stage. Top looked my way and started smiling. I didn't say anything to the Embassy Kid because who am I to toot my own horn? And maybe, I was hallucinating yet again, right? Well, Embassy Kid nudged me and said, "He just looked at you and smiled! Did you see that???" I looked behind me and no one was there. Eek, I'm getting giddy again just thinking about it. HeHe. It is no wonder that I get all hot when I hear "Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang." But as my ninang clearly pointed out, there's no future there and I agree. I just like getting my hormones all up and running. ;P

Enlightenment

If there's a book out there that I would like to hug and hold while I sleep and eventually marry, it would be the book that I am reading right now. In August, I reserved a copy in the library and didn't expect to get a hold of it until early next year. The last time I checked, I was like the 98th person in line. The next day, I found out that the book was in transit already, coming my way. I think it's safe to say that God was reading my website last week...and that there's internet "upstairs" so we all need to start being good so that we can have a couple of "unlimited access" privileges in the future, if you know what I mean. HeHe.

So this book is my new best friend right now. Like a true friend, it doesn't give me answers. It doesn't tell me what to do. It's simply there to let me know that I am not alone...that it's okay to be scared (scurred for those Nelly fans out there)...and that I'm not as crazy as I thought I was. I find enough comfort in that.

I'm only 1/4 done with the book and so far it has addressed topics like fears, destiny, religion, class, being privileged, basically every single question that has ran through my mind since the start of my "recent college graduate profession." However, by the end of the book, I am almost certain that it will not answer one question: "Why someone would like to find their destiny/calling/whathaveyou in a land where FPJ might be The King in a palace by the Pasig River, where the word "mall" is a verb (ex. Let's go malling tomorrow!), and where people memorize cellphone model numbers?"

On to more shallower topics: the flavor of the month for November is Letran's Ronjay Enrile. I saw this guy last year on the pages of Chalk's UAAP issue and thought he was already cute then, but didn't give him much attention since I was already busy daydreaming fantasizing about The Atenista and The LaSallista. Lately though, I've been catching the reruns of this year's NCAA games and have seen this guy in action. Wow. And let me not forget he's 5'11". HeHe. I just think he's cute, nothing more...unless God wants to do something about it. Who am I to interfere, right? ;P

No DST = SAD

It's the end of Daylight Saving Time today. Although we do get an hour of extra sleep, it's not one of my favorite events of the year because it's also the start of my Seasonal Affective Disorder days. I have to wait until April 4 to feel all cheeryfied and human again. (For those who think this is all in the mind, let's trade houses shall we? I'll have you put up with the gloomy gray skies for weeks on end and let's see if SAD doesn't bite you in the butt! See the crankiness? It's definitely starting! HeHe).

I just have one question for today: what makes Filipinos support FPJ? What makes them think that he can turn the country around? What can he do that Erap couldn't? What makes him any different than Erap? Okay, apparently I can't count. {=P I wonder if the Philippines will ever see another president who's intelligent, unselfish, and who truly cares about the country's future. Nakakalungkot isipin.

Capris

I went "capri pants crazy" today. I never had a pair of capri pants, nor low-waisted pants (I was never a fan of butt crack exposure). Now, I have 4 different low-waisted capri pants in 4 different colors. And just in time for winter. HaHa. If the trip to Manila pushed through, perfect sana. So are capris pants or shorts? By definition, shorts are shorter than pants. So if capris are shorter than pants, shouldn't they be called capri shorts? Ahh yes, the things that occupy my mind these days. ;P

Unmotivated

I need a huge kick on the buttocks. Really, I do. I'm just not motivated to start my career. Even after watching Condoleezza Rice and Vera Wang on Oprah last week, I didn't get the "umph" that I badly needed. I'm not sure why. My theory is that I'm still clueless about what I really want to do for a career. Hence, I can't "go for it" if I don't know what "it" is. For the most part, I've been practical with my previous part-time jobs. You know the deal: work to earn money to spend. With whatever I subject myself to, I usually just go with the flow and do my best at it. Who cares if it's not the most fulfilling 12-15 hours/week? However, now that it's career time, my idealistic side is getting the best of me. What makes me happy? What's my passion? What career will not make me feel like it's work? What career will make me want to get up every morning and conquer the world? Sadly, I don't know the answers to those questions. And I'm scared that it will take me forever to find out.

Jinxed

Let's all have a moment of silence and shed a tear...It's official: I'm not going to the Philippines for Christmas. *SIGH. On my way to the travel agency, I had numerous signs that I wasn't going to have it my way. First, it was raining cats and dogs. Normally, I wouldn't risk my life and would postpone the road trip for another day. But since I had promised a few people that I would finalize my trip decision today, I got in the car. Second, there was a huge backup because of an accident on one of the freeways that I had to get on. God was blocking the way to the travel agency. Third, I couldn't find the travel agency when I finally got to Federal Way! Mapquest did me wrong again. I also blame Weyerhaeuser for screwing up the roads around their company headquarters. I was driving back and forth (and around) Weyerhaeuser Way to find the street that I was supposed to turn to. Usually, I don't mind getting lost because I tend to find new routes/places that way, but driving conditions were not exactly excellent today. But the biggest sign of them all, was my fortune cookie last Saturday: when I opened it, it didn't have a fortune! *GASP!

By divine intervention, I did find the travel agency only to be told that flights are full. There are tickets still available, but they are expensive. I looked on the web yesterday and the I found the same conclusion. *SNIFF *SNIFF. It's times like these that I wish I knew someone who worked for an airline...or that my love could be bought with a round-trip plane ticket. HeHe.

I am truly heartbroken. I had it in my head that I wasn't going, but there were a turn of events last week. I found out that twin Mayie now has a bf and as always, I need to interview the boy to find out if he's good enough. {;P I also found out that a bunch of super ganda balikbayans (naks!) still want to accompany me to Boracay...and that Erwin is going there, too (damn stalker, haha). I'm also feeling guilty because instead of just one person having a very cold Christmas, it will be two people. Poor Cousin Hans will not have the courage to go up to girls (because there's no alaskahan moral support coming from me, haha) so his Christmas will be malamig, too. I was even gungho on getting a job as a barista for a month just so that I'll have money for the trip. Tsk. Tsk. It wasn't meant to be.

So to those fortunate souls going to the homeland, pasalubong please. ;P

Tabing Ilog Finale

They finally ended Tabing Ilog! Salamat naman! They should've ended the show a long time ago when Eds and Rovic got married for the first time. It was a fitting finale already. Anyway, can someone tell me what had transpired in the last 3 years of the show? HaHa. Okay, maybe in the last two months na lang. ;P

Deja Vu, One Year Later

I meant to watch the full coverage of the Bush visit, but it didn't work out that way. I started watching it after Bush had already left Villamor, and the last thing I saw was his speech at Batasan. To make my unemployed self feel better, I kept thinking "Been there, done that" while watching the coverage. Although that backfired quickly because for someone who had access to the second (or is he third after the Vice President?) "most powerful man of the free world" last year, why the hell am I unemployed these days? HaHa. However, everything that transpired last year was subpar compared to the events that happened today.

First, the clear roads going to/from the venues. We definitely didn't have that last year. We traveled on Roxas Boulevard by using the service road. I think one of the cars got into an accident with a taxi seconds after we left. Once we turned onto EDSA, nagkawatak-watak na ang motorcade/convoy namin because of all the traffic. I found it hilarious because only drivers in the Philippines can literally tangle up a long line of cars even with police escort. We finally got the line going again when we got inside Villamor. What was the first station I saw? ABS-CBN. Its van had a bright light beaming on my window as we passed by.

Unlike Bush who landed 6 minutes earlier than planned, we waited hours for Powell. The only excitement I got from that was when the news reporters were let in and allowed to position themselves on the tarmack. We were ways away from them. Suddenly, we heard a loud roar. I thought it was trouble, but it turned out that it was only the reporters scrambling to get the best position they could.

When the plane landed, you can't help but be in awe (and happy, because you can only sit and stare at the sky for so long while famished). After Mr. and Mrs. Powell did their "publicity wave" and left, we left our positions and moved towards the plane. I was literally beside Air Force One, err, Air Force Two...whatever. I did stare at the plane during the whole time that I was next to it. It was another one of those moments in my life where I had stood there thinking, "Am I really experiencing this?! Me? College student me? Are you sure it's not some other person who's supposed to be standing here? Why am I standing next to one of the planes owned by the most powerful government in the world?!" But really, a "Look, Ma!" would have been fine also. HeHe.

After that, we proceeded to The Manila Peninsula. Does anyone have a copy of ABS-CBN's coverage of the Powell visit because I am super duper wondering now if I got on TV last year. HeHe. There were a lot of cameras/reporters outside of The Pen when we got there. Since I had to wait for the driver to lock up the back of the truck after everyone else unloaded all the baggages, I was just standing off to the right of the group of cameras with my badge around my neck and a walkie-talkie in my hand. Does anyone know if I got my 5-10 minutes of fame (I still have 5 more in the future!)? HeHe. After getting the keys, I was left all alone to proceed upstairs. To this day, I am so glad that there were no cameras allowed inside the lobby of the hotel because had there been cameras there, they would have surely caught on camera this super lost-college senior-girl roaming around the lobby, trying helplessly to find the mahiwagang elevators! I was totally embarrassed during this time, but I soooo needed to find those elevators because I didn't want to be left behind for good by the rest of the entourage. For those who don't know, The Pen elevators are "hidden;" the doors don't face the lobby so you can't see them right off the bat. At least that was my excuse, ok? HeHe. To make it worse, while standing there, waiting for the elevator to come, one of the hotel workers (I think...or one of our people...not too sure of his role there) ushered me to this other "special elevator." I saw this guy a couple of times already while walking back and forth in the lobby, and I'm like, "Why didn't this dork help me out earlier?!" Ugh! Yes, this can be a running joke on me now...to make sure to give me a map of where the elevators are whenever I'm in a hotel. Har Har...not funny! {;P

Okay, enough reminiscing. Here's my "mini-hirits" of today's events based on the things I got to see:

- Calm down, ANC anchor people. They were trippin' (excuse my ebonics) because Bush made an unannounced stop at the Embassy, and thus the ANC folks' given itinerary became obsolete. Quit crying about it and just wait. Goodness.

- Bush standing alone in front of Jose Rizal, at the same location where Jose Rizal was put to death, and surrounded by men with guns. It wasn't a comfortable sight to watch.

- Why are Filipino children taught to be cheesy? "That was a good story, Mrs. Bush!" in that horrible tone that is so familiar to those who have seen Little Miss Philippines Q&A portions on Eat Bulaga. Gag! I don't blame the kids, I blame the adults who teach them to use that trying-hard tone.

- I smiled when I saw the St. Scho students inside Malacanang. Someday they will grow up to be just like me. =P

- Bush's speech to Congress. It is not bad to accept any forms of help, especially ones that are really needed by the country. However, I do hope that any help that is accepted is not just taken at face value (as with many other things). Possible benefits and consequences should be looked at (Being friends with someone means being enemies with his/her enemies, too). Also, it would be helpful to look at our interests first. The Philippines is so supportive with the US's war on terrorism, but what about the country's needs? Definitely, getting rid of ASG will be a big help to the country, but is that the #1 priority for the Philippines? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. However, I do know that the Veterans' benefits and waste at the former bases have been issues for a long time already. Since our friend is so appreciative of this friendship we have, why not talk about the issues just like good friends do all the time?

- The economy. During the bilateral meeting, PGMA mentioned the numerous new investments that the country is receiving. I'm happy to see that, but I hope that there are laws already imposed to prevent some of the negative consequences (further degradation of natural resources, waste management, human rights violations to name a few). Also, we really need to fix the infrastructure of the country. I think investments will be plenty if there's a better way to transport goods to/from/within the country. Businesses today emphasize JIT and such a process cannot exist with the kind of infrastructure the country has today. For someone who once experienced a travel time of 5 hours from Pasay to Quezon City, I say the infrastructure of the country is a nightmare. I don't believe that flyovers = solution, either. Lastly, population control is badly needed. To me, more people = more poverty for the Philippines. With the "modern problems" facing the Catholic Church today, isn't it time for them to start thinking like it is 2003? Is the Church doing more harm than good by tightly holding onto some of its values?

Cruelty

It's 10:58 a.m., I'm listening to *NSYNC's Home for Christmas CD while eating ChocNut, and looking at a bunch of Atenista profiles on Friendster and people have the nerve to tell me that the world isn't cruel?! LoL.

Get A Move On It

I'm proud to say that yours truly is finally getting a move on it. I have begun working on my "job portfolio:" a small compilation of what I have achieved and done in the last four years. I am hoping that after this is done, I'll finally be inspired to declare war on this horrible economy.

Bumming around the house ain't as fun as it used to be. Well, it was never fun, but I found escape through my daily doses of Morning Girls, Balikbayan Trail, In Fitness & Health, and Breakfast. Sadly though, all good things must come to an end: Kris isn't as kalog anymore, I can't find Jinno Rufino on Balikbayan Trail episodes anymore, it sucks waiting for In Fitness... to come on only to pay attention to the first 5 minutes when Tina Juan answers those wonderful fitness/health inquiries, and Bam Aquino is still great, but I can't stand seeing Ryan Agoncillo on Breakfast (Please bring back JC Gonzales na lang!). Reading books and watching all those movies I never watched in the last four years are still fun things to do, but the librarians might be tired of seeing me na sa library since I'm there almost every other day ata. Yes, my ganda points are slowly decreasing by my "tambay sa bahay" antics so I really need to do something about it.

For those who know a thing or two about page layouts/designs, care to help me out? I just need suggestions on how to make words on a paper look interesting to anyone who cares to read it.

Damage

My Tito and Tita left for Chicago today. Balik drama na naman dito sa bahay. Anyway, let's see how much damage was done in the last 10 days:

- Sansrival from Goldilocks-Vancouver
- Manicotti and Tiramisu from The Olive Garden
- Filet Mignon from The Keg
- 2 trips to 2 Chinese restaurants
- 1 Caramel JavaKula, 1 Javanilla Shake from Seattle's Best Coffee
- 2 bags of roasted chestnuts
- Cinnabon eaten at home
- White Chocolate & Macadamia Nut cookies from Mrs. Fields
- Shakey's Pizza
- various Filipino foods eaten at others' houses

*Sniff, *Sniff. My two weeks' worth of walking/jogging everyday went down the drain. Sayang talaga, but then again, I had fun tagging along. Since it was a male blood-relative of my dad's (versus his sisters), walang pintasan na nangyari about my weight. Wala ding pintas about my lovelife, but the subject did come up numerous times.

"Madaming foreigner sa Boracay kapag Pasko."
"Eh, ayoko naman po ng foreigners."
"Gusto mo talaga Pinoy, no?"
"Opo."
"Ano mas gusto mo, mga Pinoy laking Pilipinas or Pinoy laking dito?"
"Sa Pilipinas po."
"Dapat yung self-made man."
"Oo nga po, kaso mga ka-age ko, puro umaasa lang sa mga allowances from their parents."
"Ay, hindi ka na hahanap ng mga estudyante. Yung mga graduate na sa college, no!"

May point si Tita. Medyo natahimik ako pagkatapos kasi naisip ko si Atenista. Siguradong hindi pasado siya sa criteria. HeHe. So maybe, I should wait some 5-7 years to go back to the Philippines para yung mga med students ngayon eh mga doktor na at that time, and the less ambitious men among the rest will be easier to detect. {;P

FYI, the Christmas trip is still up in the air. Pero I mentioned to my mom the alternative plan: if I don't go to the Philippines this Christmas, will she let me go next summer to find a job there. Medyo mas okay ata sa kanya to do that because she mentioned how much cheaper the ticket will be then, and that I should get a ticket in March if that's what my plan is going to be. Trust me, that's a lot coming from my mom.

I've personally harassed asked a few people about their opinions regarding this topic. By all means, if you want to sway me one way or the other, please sign the guestbook or send me an e-mail. I would love to hear people's pros and cons about working in the Philippines. If you want to call me tanga in the process, okay fine whatever sa akin din.

Shutting Up Is So Hard To Do

I need to learn how to shut up.

For the past twenty-something years, I have been keeping things to myself and solving my problems on my own. Suddenly, in a year's time, I have been opening my mouth to anyone who is willing to listen, never thinking twice about what things should not be said around certain people. And I blame all of this to Belle and Jio and our little all-out drama session inside Sbarro in Megamall last year. Who knew that an Italian fast-food place can bring out all the drama?! HaHa!

The perfect time to get the latest scoop about family members is to listen in when all the women are sitting together, talking. Just sit your butt down, act like you're an innocent little kid, don't say anything, and just listen. At least, that's what I used to do. Nowadays, I tend to join in and give my two cents about things. For crying out loud, that's what I learned in my Interpersonal Communication class! Starting today though, no more talking. No more participation points for me. I'm only going to listen from now on. At least, that's my plan for now.

What do I learn during these chismisan sessions? Lots. Unfortunately, they all don't help me paint a pretty picture of being married. I now believe that my DVDs contain endangered species and should be treasured for life. *SIGH. But before I start making plans to join the Good Shepard Convent in Baguio (ube and peanut brittle, what incentives!), can I just say that Coyote Ugly *is* a chick flick? I never listened to people when they told me this; I was thinking that they were just trying to get me to watch the movie, but dang, it is a chick flick and I loved it! Someone remind me to get myself a copy once funds are present again...or get myself a Mr. O'Donnell...whichever is easier to obtain. Just kidding, just kidding! HeHe.

Five Weeks

I should've known better than to be melodramatic again on here kasi palaging the opposite happens. I went out of my way to drive to work today to speak to my boss face-to-face. I got my 5-week vacation request without even batting an eyelash. In fact, she was even relieved to find out the reason for my visit to her office. She initially thought I was quitting by how I approached her (you know the sad puppy eyes look). Quit the only job I have right now?! Never!

Anyway, I got the 5 weeks, but, do I even want the 5 weeks now? Yes, my mom's words penetrate my conscience all the time without mercy. Kainis! She even promised an all-expense paid trip to Europe in the spring if I don't go to the Philippines. Ugh! Bribery at its finest! But on the other hand, this won't be a backpacking trip plus kasama pa si mommy dearest. It can't be THAT fun compared to the Christmas in the Philippines, di ba? But certainly, a trip to the Philippines isn't helping me with my "around the world" goal. But then again, that's frequent flier miles right there. Ay nako, another day, another thing to stress about! Tomorrow is my final decision. Abangan ang susunod na kabanata...

Decisions Again

Being the #1 contrabida in my life, my mom does not approve of my going to the Philippines this Christmas. I thought a college degree would allow me to make decisions for myself, but apparently it's not that easy. Although she does have a point: with so many cousins, it's going to be very expensive (Normally, I wouldn't mind forking over the dough, but this time around, talagang wala akong pera!). My solution is to spend Christmas in Boracay alone. I just don't want to end up crying alone in my hotel room if loneliness does creep up on me.

Tomorrow, I'm going to drive to work to ask my boss if I can make it a 5-week vacation instead of the 4-week approved one. I finally got around to calling travel agencies yesterday and the cheapest ticket I found would make me miss another weekend of work. If I get the 5 weeks approved, I'm off to the Philippines this December. If I don't, I'll postpone my trip until next July. At that time, it won't be a vacation, though. I'll be including copies of my resume in my luggage and I won't be packing lightly. Since I never "rebelled" during my teenage years, I guess I'm making up for it now.

Who knew being happy requires so much effort and thinking these days?! *SIGH.

ProcrastiNATION: Philippines

Dear God,

Please give me the strength to hand over my credit card number soon to buy the plane ticket to the Philippines. Otherwise, it will be the end of November, I still won't have a ticket, and it will cost me 10 times more.

Thanks!

Walking Away

I'm starting to think that Kris Aquino and I live parallel lives (minus the incidents of the last two weeks ha). It also doesn't help that people, including my Tita and mom, keep saying that smart people become dumb when it comes to love. For those anti-Dancing King fans out there, it wasn't my fault that my gaydar was malfunctioning for 1.5 years, okay?! Besides, something did come out of it: I learned to always listen to the majority of people when it comes to detecting one's sexuality. HaHa. I was just in denial. See? I have even admitted it na.

Since I am now regarding Kris as my long lost twin sister (in love and life lang naman), my question to her detractors is this: why need to hate her for loving someone? Shouldn't we chastise those who are hating others instead?

The only problem (based on my experience only) is that Kris doesn't know how to walk away. Just like a box of Krispy Kreme donuts, you leave those "innocent" things alone. Don't pick it up, don't get a taste of it, just walk away. You also burn calories in the process which is killing two birds with one stone, really. Kidding aside, the rule of thumb is to know you're worth as a person. Don't go drinking other people's coffee when you can buy your own...and have it twice the quality of the others' coffee. Get it? Just because the donuts and coffee are there for free, it doesn't mean that you can't buy your own and have the donut and coffee the way you want it (not settling for those nasty creme-filled ones because all you really want is a simple glazed one).

But just like people who indeed have learned from their past mistakes, I'm happy to find out that Kris is finally walking away (insert Craig David's "Walking Away"). She said it best on The Buzz today: you can't start anew when you keep coming back to the past. In order to move on, you need to let go of what you don't want/need. I agree and I'm putting on my walking shoes as I type.

Chi-Town Relatives

My Tita and Tito from Chicago arrived today so one big, happy family na naman ang drama namin sa bahay. HeHe. And as always, when there's guests, there's lots of food in the house. I must have The Atenista in my head at all times or else I'm doomed. ;P

This Christmas

*I dedicate this entry to Pen, who ruined the surprise of the FEU-Ateneo game for me. HeHe.*

I feel loved.

E-mail #1:
"ayan mas masya na ang pasko sa ___ side! tagalan mo pa stay mo para makapagbonding ulit tayong magppinsan!"

E-mail #2:
"I'm always ready. Dami ko nga ipon since nagbreak kami ni ex. Punta ka before Christmas ha para madami tayong gimmik. Ngayon pwede mo na ipakilala si ___ sa akin kasi as you have read in my profile, I'm single. hehehe"

Those were e-mails that I got from my two male cousins after having told them that I'll be home for Christmas. Super excited na talaga and I spent most of the day daydreaming about the wonderful events to come. Here are ten things that I'm looking forward to (off the top of my head), in no particular order:


1. Starbucks Greenhills: Enough said. HeHe.

2. St. Scho reunion with the tres marias: Should not be conducted over lunch/dinner; wala na naman makakakain!

3. Meeting my new inaanak for the very first time, Jerzee Robe: You make me feel old, but it's your mom's fault. HeHe.

4. Kamiseta: Can I buy everything in the store?

5. Ateneo: Whoo hoo!

6. Simbang-gabi: May Piolo din kaya sa loob ng church namin?

7. Bar-hopping and always only ordering bottled water: Mahirap humanap ng pogi kapag lasing! {;P

8. Texting!: Pen, your prayers have been answered!

9. Food: I have nothing to lose, just gain. HaHa.

10. Occupying 4 tables when eating, riding sik-sikan style in the car, and making fun of each other: That's what cousins are for!

Hindi malamig ang pasko this year; I'm going tropical this Christmas, baby! {=D

Mother-Daughter

I should've known better than to stop by my brother's house before I did my errands. How could a person leave a child if she keeps on saying "I missed you, Ninang" over and over again?! Because of those four words, I put up watching Blues Clues, Mr. Rogers, Sesame Street, etc. for four hours and neglected all of my errands. And just like her oh-so-very-sexy-cute-mabait (and makapal!) na ninang, Ganda Girl innocently said "Ang cute nung mama sa Blues Clues, no?" Namana ata sa akin. How many times have I said "Ang pogi ni ____ (insert Marco, BJ, Jericho, Jinno, or Bam)" while watching TV?! Bad influence din pala ako kahit papaano.

At 2 p.m., I went home to discover that there's no food for lunch. My mom then dragged me to eat out (Den, I think I'll be the one owing you the lunch at Saisaki). Of course, you can't just sit at a restaurant and not talk. So yes, after one year of barely speaking to each other, okay na naman kami. Afterwards, we went grocery shopping and I'm happy to announce that I resisted the urge to buy any junk food. After getting home, we walked around the neighborhood for an hour. It was a mother-daughter bonding event...and I blame Kris Aquino for it (I was crying buckets yesterday with her "I love Cory" spiel during Morning Girls. Afterall, I have my own Cory!).

I also broke the news to my mom that I'll be spending Christmas in the Philippines this year. She didn't say it, but I know what she felt, being that this will be my first Christmas away from her. I also told her that if "things don't change around the house" by next summer, I'll be off to another state (or country, but sshhhh).

The mother themed day didn't stop there. My "The Joy Luck Club" video came in the library today. It was my first time watching it and of course, I was like a leaking faucet as always. I'm still trying to figure out who, among the four daughters, represented me. Regardless, someone give Kris a copy to watch.

Anyway (I think I say that word on every entry), I agree with what Kris said yesterday: we don't often declare to the whole world how much we love our mom. How many times have I publicly written about Elevator Boy, Cutieboyflyguy, Dancing King (yes, he's gay, I accept!), The Atenista, The La Sallista, etc.? However, I've never written anything about my mom. Well, I love my mom and I'm fortunate to have her. I also don't think that she deserves me. Unfortunately, she has no choice. >=P The birthday card that I sent her last year from the Philippines read something like "I know I've given you so much trouble over the years." Inside it said, "I'm just an overachiever." Ahh yes, Hallmark always knows what to say. I am proud to say that I will always just have a few friends in this world because I already have a family who will be there whenever and wherever I need them.

On that note, nasaan ang drama? Pupunta pa ba ako? HeHe.

UAAP 2003

I stayed up until 3 am to catch the Ateneo-La Salle game live. Last week kasi, I taped it and then watched Breakfast before I watched the tape. It was a big mistake since Bam Aquino and Ryan Agoncillo gave all the details away before I could find the remote. Nawala tuloy yung suspense. Anywhoobers, what an exciting game! I was all alone in the middle of the night, covering my mouth while swearing and screaming at the TV. Katawa talaga. I was very impressed with Larry Fonacier. He's cool, calm, and consistent. When he's on the court, he just means business and I think the other players (as well as the alumni!) could learn a thing or two from this guy. What I didn't get was why Ateneo was giving up the baseline in the second half of the game. It gave Joseph "F4" Yeo to do his acrobatic shots tuloy and allowed La Salle to get back into the game (and consequently, almost gave me a heart attack). I also didn't understand why Wesley Gonzales was even put in the last quarter. Naging panggulo lang and almost took away the team's concentration again like what happened last Thursday. If he were put in there to psych Joseph Yeo out, I think it was already evident during the first half that no trash-talking could ruin Yeo's focus. The more you talk to him, the more he was determined to show you that your talk is trash lang nga. I am looking forward to more no-sleep nights to catch the rest of the games. Ang saya-saya!

Gaydars

How to test if your gaydar is malfunctioning:

1. After logging on to Friendster, click on one of your very own friendsters.
2. Click on his/her list of friendsters.
3. Select a guy that you're interested in and tell your friendster about it.

As Kai found out last night, my gaydar is definitely mahina. Out of her 100+ friendsters, the only guy that caught my eye happened to be a gay guy. Kainis, di ba? Napipikon na talaga ako! LoL.

Something Is Wrong, Body

If anyone is selling an immune system, please contact me. I would very much be interested in buying one. Since Sunday, I've been immobile because of the flu. Although, I shouldn't really be blaming my immune system. I probably got sick from not watching what I ate on Saturday. I think that's what's great about getting old: your body speaks up ASAP if you've done something wrong to it. You don't have to wait 10 years to figure out that you shouldn't have eaten that donut or that you should've bent your knees more when you were lifting that 10-pound box in the basement earlier. It's a beautiful thing really.

And It's New Again

I can honestly say now that I am a safe driver. Actually, I always have been, but now, I'm a safe driver using a safe car. I got brand spankin' new tires and I'm very giddy about it! Yes, after seven years, I parted with the original tires that my car came with. It wasn't easy, but it was for the best. HeHe.

Motivated by the "new feeling" of the car, I also did an "overhaul cleaning" after two years of not doing so. Calm down, I'm not a messy individual so the inside of my car wasn't that bad. *cough* As another gift for my car, I bought it new floor mats (again, after 7 years). I didn't realize how yellowy my previous then-clear floor mats were until I took them out. Sorry to my previous passengers.

What's left to do...Let's see, wheel alignment and front brake replacement for sure. And as if the car gods have taken over my brain, I'm even contemplating about buying a CD player. I know! How crazy is that?! Anyway, someone lead me to the tree that's sprouting money right now to make this all possible.

Data vs. Music

I swear you learn something new everyday. I was reading the Roxio Easy CD Creator 5 help topics earlier and found a wealth of information! No wonder someone took the time to write them and include them with my computer! Wow!

So apparently there's a huge difference between a Data CD-R and a Music CD-R. If you record music on a Data CD-R, it will not play on a regular cd player/stereo. No wonder Justin won't sing in my bedroom! I've been wondering why that was so! I also found out the difference between WAV, MP3, and WMA files. Ooh la la.

The bad news to all of this is that I have 100 blank Data CD-Rs and no Music CD-Rs. Note to self: find out first what you need then get it, instead of the other way around. Note to self #2: the same should be applied when looking for a man. *cough*

Ala Emeril

Today was yet another unsuccessful attempt to have a healthy lifestyle. Actually, it was more of my inability to create something edible in the kitchen, but why blame myself when I can blame the diet industry that is depriving me of food worth eating? Instead of driving to pick-up something from the drive-thru window, I opted to cook lunch myself. I got three pieces of chicken strips out of the freezer and put it in the oven. Since I haven't eaten vegetables this past week, I decided to change that. I found a can of baby corn in the pantry, as well as a can of green beans. I put some canola oil in the sauce pan and a few drops of sesame oil (because the smell of sesame oil makes everything worth eating, you know). I dumped the two kinds of vegetables in and proceeded to stir fry. I added some black pepper and a sprinkle of seasoning salt...because I can hear Emeril Lagasse telling me to make those vegetables happy (Bam!). After three minutes, I transferred the contents into a casserole dish. While waiting for the chicken to finish, I decided to start on the vegetables...only to find myself spitting them out. As far as I'm concerned green beans in a can should not be sold in stores! Those are nastaaaaaay. Not nasty, but nastaaaaaay. They were THAT bad! Who eats these things?! The can said it was an easy way to add vegetables to any meal. I guess they didn't really say that they tasted good. Dang, so why is the Jolly Green Giant jolly then?! Anyway, I ended up separating the green beans from the baby corn and throwing away the green beans (yes, those poor starving children of the world are going to kick my butt). After lunch was over, I could still smell the stench of those green beans lingering upstairs. Blah.

The Library Is My Friend

My most visited website in the past week has been my library's web catalog. I've said before that after I graduate, I'll re-discover the things that I've put off in the last four years, which includes "reading for fun." I've finished two books in the last three days and I'm loving it (I think that sentence is in the running for the geekiest thing I have said in the past year!). Anyway, I also discovered that the public libraries "are down with it." I never knew they had contemporary stuff until today. I just borrowed "You've Got Mail" and Aaliyah's last two albums from the library. Who needs Kazaa when you have a library card! (If you read between the lines, you would find out that this effort is simply to save me some money for the Philippines 2003 trip. HeHe.)

Early Winter Blues

I'm sitting here in front of the computer wearing my pajamas, my old UCLA sweatshirt, and thick socks on my feet. One look at me and you would think that it's the middle of winter. But that's just it, the past three days have felt exactly like winter. Can the weather change be any more abrupt?! I can already feel my Seasonal Affective Disorder genes getting excited and waiting for the right time to strike. Goodbye beautiful summer, hello 10 months of rain. =/