we're not dust, we're magic

17th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Festival 2012 (caveat: to people with allergies, can trigger dust allergy)

2012-02-12T02:57:00.000+08:00

Hot Air Balloons are what childhood dreams are made of!

Fly me to the full moon

Since it's the time of the year again for the annual Hot Air Balloon Festival at Clark, we decided it's the best time to get a mini-vacation, an advanced Valentine's Day celebration and get a really good view of all these flying objects (and people!) up close!

We left Manila a bit late (by Hot Air Balloon Festival standards), just enough to get off the MMDA's number-coding radar last Friday :) If you are able to see the schedule of activities for the 4-day festival, you'll easily see that being early has it perks - like seeing the balloons in flight at dawn - but due to the late nights I had in the previous days, I couldn't quite get myself to keep up with the ideal 3:30 AM schedule to Clark; you wouldn't even be able to drag me out of bed.

We chose the easy-breezy-laid-back schedule, with basically no itinerary in hand. Anyway, I liked it better that way as we still had time to enjoy our Chowking Almuchow breakfast (mine consisting of Yang Chow Fried Rice, Tocino and Egg...yum!) and get cinammon rolls for the road trip.

After around 2 hours driving time, we reached Clark Airfield at 9AM and from the highway, we could already see the exhibitions in the sky. It was really hot (smoldering hot), thankfully I was able to bring my 'girl scout' stuff provisions for this kind of weather. Parking is not a problem except that it is kind of an off-road and very dusty lot. If you want to get around Clark without leaving your precious parking space, you can coordinate with the organizers on shuttle services to and from SM Clark where most of the jeepney terminals are in.

When going to festivals, say Coachella or Glastonbury, people would busy themselves planning wardrobes - like which shorts or boots to wear. I guess it's the same for the Hot Air Balloon Festival except that there are really no cold winds here in the Philippines so you have to really give this a thought. Most of the people were clad in shorts, jeans, thong sandals, sneakers, slippers and a couple of girls were even in 3-inch wedges (!). Fashion or comfort, that is the question. Well, regardless of your attire, if you can wear it well and if you can clean up all the dust later, people won't really mind. But I hope for the sake of your feet, you'll choose comfy footwear.

We were pleasantly surprised that aside from the scheduled flights and exhibitions in the air, there were also a lot of activities on the ground - from booths selling food and souvenirs and fun sponsors' booths, hangars were also converted into mini-museums with military personnel showcasing their battle gear and guns. They let us wear their uniform and camouflage but I politely declined their offer to put face paint :)

Feel na Feel!

Hunk Team Leader and Cute Tail Scout

While you may initially see this unique photo-op as a fun thing, once you give back the gear they let you try on, you'll realize how hard their job really is and that we should be more thankful.

In the picture below, you can see the helicopters and the big plane (what's its name?) which they so kindly let us explore.

When the heat was too much to handle, we decided to head to SM Clark to try our luck in getting a halo-halo, a delicacy Pampangga is famous for (aside from Sisig of course). Unfortunately, the one recommended to us is at the foot of Mt. Arayat and it will probably take us close to an hour to reach Kabigting's Halo-Halo (sigh!).

We just waited it out at SM and at a Duty Free shop and returned in the afternoon to see a nice kiddie view of kites. Not one to get bored, I found a parachute-type of contraption to get my photo-op in full mode. Ain't the superman colors lovely?

It was getting dark and I was getting scared because I know my point & shoot cam is not very powerful in the night shot department. I tried experimenting with different settings so I won't end up with just black shots. If you also have a p&s, I recommend not using flash in the evening because you'll just end up capturing the micro-particles of the dust in the air.

Kites at Sunset

Paraglider Troops

Lighting up at Twilight

2012 Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Festival

All in all I had a really fun time, I just wish we were able to see more of the Hot Air Balloons. :) We capped off the night with a hearty dinner of Mechado, Tocilog and Halo-halo at Razon's.

For those who still want to catch up on the last day of the festival, here are some things you should definitely bring:

What should be in your bag:

Sunblock (face, body, lips)
Shades
Cap / Hat
Umbrella
Wet Wipes / Facial Mist
Alcohol
Camera
Blotting Papers
Towelettes
Schedule of Activities
Mat (they sell kid's mats at PHP 100.00)
Water (I downed 3L for the whole day)
Gatorade or 100Plus or Pocari sweat
Take Vitamin C
Anti-histamine (I developed hay fever from the dust in the area)
Some snacks (I brought almond nuts with me)
Jacket or pashmina for the cooler temp at night
Eye drops
change of clothes

Yuletide Cheers from the Philippine Skyway System : Toll-free Skyway!

2011-12-27T09:08:00.001+08:00

If you are one of the many motorists who have to ply the long southward stretch of the Philippines' Skyway System everyday or if you really just have to brave it for the holidays - say on your way to visit friends and relatives or to go to nearby Tagaytay, Batangas or Laguna - then be of good cheer as the Skyway System will be toll-free for Christmas and New Year's Eve as per their 12-year tradition. Yes, TOLL-FREE baby! :)

Philippine Star's Businessline reports:

"Motorists using the Skyway System’s 13.5-kilometer Magallanes - Alabang at-grade and the 16.2 kilometer Buendia - Alabang elevated sections will enjoy toll free travel starting at 10 p.m. on Dec. 31 to 6 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2012, Skyway O&M Corp.’s external affairs head Ed Nepomuceno said. “The toll-free Christmas and New Year’s Eve has been a tradition followed since the opening of the Skyway System in 1999. It is our way of sharing our appreciation to our motoring patrons every Yuletide Season,” said Nepomuceno. Nepomuceno added that Skyway System motorists who do not normally use the elevated section to save on toll cost will have the opportunity to experience or enjoy shortened travel time on the elevated toll road. Meanwhile, due to the usual heavy holiday traffic volume, motorists are also reminded to keep their vehicle roadworthy for their own safety and convenience and those of other motorists. To ask for assistance or report stalled vehicles or unusual incidents, they can call the Skyway System hotline at 776-7777; Globe: 0917-900-5248; Smart: 0919-560-1163 or Sun: 0923-953-6189."

IMAGE SOURCE: skyscrapercity.com

There may be no such thing as a free lunch, free media noche or even a free ride but at least the Skyway team gets to play Santa on hours you wish you weren't on the road at all.

Stay safe guys! Happy New Year!

Make-up by Karen Jean Santos

2011-12-25T23:30:00.001+08:00

Ever since discovering the magic of make-up, I've been hooked! I've gone on to build my own personal collection and know-how by reading blogs, watching videos (hello Michelle Phan!) and attending make-up courses offered in Manila.

My first try at a make-up course was through Suesh, same company I bought my 16-piece make-up brush set from. This was in April 2009 and they held it at a condominium in Eastwood City for a group of 8 or so girls. I was so ecstatic to get a one-on-one time with a Kanebo MUA so I can build my HG day & night look. I remembered looking and feeling fab afterwards whilst trying to memorize every stroke and color that we did that day.

As memories don't always serve us well, over time I forgot how to re-create the same perfect smokey eyes they did to me that day. It was a good thing that my office mate Maan, invited me to a make-up workshop of her classmate, Karen Jean Santos. I have honestly not heard about her from before but since it was a referral by a friend, I trusted her good judgment.

So on October 2011, off we went to H Studio (right inside Liberty Center in Mandaluyong) for a half-day worth of make-up basics, actual application and professional photo session. The fee is around PHP 1,500 for 1 session (BONUS: you get to attend a free session afterwards. yes, in case you forget...make-up after all, is so complicated at the onset). Although they provide the basics like a few drops of liquid foundation, few ounce of powder to set your foundation, I suggest that you just bring your own make-up. Why? So you don't feel pressured to do everything right the first time and you have a free hand to explore how heavy you want for coverage or how colorful you want your eyes to flutter. You don't have to buy your MACs right away; I believe you can consult with her through Facebook and she will recommend less-pricey products that will still give you your money's worth.

Karen Jean Santos showing us how to do day make-up

What should you expect? The works! Expert advice from a former MAC Rockwell MUA, basic skin care, basic color wheel explanation and how it relates to your skintone and undertones, photo shoot from 2 or more photographers. They even had full-on vanity mirrors with Hollywood-ish flashbulbs that would instantly make you feel like a pro!

That's me in white and my friend Maan donning a floral frock

If like me you have a budding romance with make-up, always keep an open eye and an open mind, watch videos if you must but from time to time, make sure you get in touch with people who have proven themselves in their respective fields and learn actual tricks of the trade from them. You'll never know what new worlds would just open up for you!

That's me (in white) and make-up artist Karen Jean Santos (in black) after the half-day session

Karen will be holding more basic make-up sessions in 2012. For more information, add her on Facebook.

Enjoy! :)

stranger a'lurkin..

2010-01-25T20:44:00.001+08:00

There's a strange and scary man-lurker at National Bookstore Shangri-la Mall (business section) - at first i thought he was either a promodizer for new books or an NBS salesperson..he asked what i was looking for but i said i was just browsing..i expected him to sales talk me into the book I thought he was promoting (really big and thick hard-bound book he was clutching) but instead he extended his hand and introduced himself and I, so dumbfoundedly and absentmindedly shook his hand and even gave my name as well (aaackkk!!) and probably one other detail best left out for strangers..hunter on the prowl...yikes!!

Lessons learned:

1. Always have a screen name

2. You don't have to answer all questions

3. Really, don't just talk to strangers

Morning Headstart

2009-04-28T06:56:00.004+08:00

I'm not usually or rather, I'm really not a morning person..I usually set my alarm to go off at 6.30 and then finally get out of bed from 7-7.30!! However, I noticed that lately I've been able to get up way before the alarm goes off - usually from 5 - 5.30.

My old self is pleased with itself as I'm able to wake up early but I still manage to sleep 2 more hours. Today it happened again and luckily this time I was able to wake the more logical/awake side of me who happened to think - What do I do with this morning headstart?

I was thinking if I continued my sleep I would just end up with a headache and groggy feeling later..I decided to get up (as in out of bed) take a bath and just do a run through of the things I should be doing today.

I realized that it was the best decision to get out of bed as soon as one really wakes up (and not haggle for 5 more minutes which really stretches to some more hours)..

I thank God for waking me early and giving me a generous headstart for this hectic day - it definitely felt much better not having to rush in the bathroom, I was able to apply my make-up quite well today (yes, very straight liquid eyeliner!! yay!!) on top of that traffic will be much less this early and I can get the plum parking slot!

...I should do this everyday then... = )

Hope you all have a great day too!

Beauty School Drool...

2009-04-18T10:17:00.004+08:00

This morning I woke up with a smile on my face as the day I have waited for for almost two months has finally arrived. I'll be off to my half-day make-up class care of Suesh.

I'm really impressed with their previous classes seeing the transformation of the attendees from simple to stunning = )

Here are my make-up loot (as well as tools) for later:

Sooo excited to finally be able to use my 16-pc Suesh brushes properly..hahahaha = )

For info on their classes and make-up brushes (which both amateurs and pros can take delight in), check out their site: Suesh Site

sooo happy with my brand-spankin' new white ray ban wayfarer

2009-04-07T16:59:00.005+08:00

Remember when I said I won't buy new shades because I just bought my Aviator RB3311 late last year...?

When I saw the Rayban's Wayfarers (2140), I just couldn't contain this little kid inside of me wanting to splurge impulsively! To lessen my "guilt", I tried to scout for the cheapest one available and somehow thought I could convince myself not to buy it or at least hold out a few more weeks/months..

Call it OA but I couldn't hold out much further than a week! So before our next camping trip to Anawangin Cove and Capones Island, I decided to finally get it.

Ending? Gelaine would testify I looked like an overly satisfied / amused / bewildered little pup with my new shades in hand...i love it!

Anawangin Cove

2009-03-03T21:54:00.003+08:00

Can't wait! :)

bagay ba sakin ang kuloooottt....?

2008-11-09T19:24:00.005+08:00

Well guess not! Finally after months and months thinking it over, I finally decided to have my 3rd LOREAL X-TENSO treatment (Loreal's version of the standard rebond). I was actually choosing between going natural (like using gata, olive oil and other all-natural but eeeky stuff when applied to your hair and scalp) vs. having a treatment and whether i would go straight (x-tenso) or have it permed (oh such lovely curls).

I was almost on the verge of choosing having it permed except that my hair is still a little too short for that; I'd look like Kirara once it's done! There's always a next time for that but for now I'll just enjoy my wash and wear, balik-ayos, super manageable hair! tralalalalala = )

Just remember to book in advance so you'll have a slot reserved for you, better to bring your car and your friends (make it a barkada bonding session..haha) too cause it takes a while to finish..a good book would do too!

Total Damage:
Extenso Treatment - Php 2,875.00
Loreal Liss Extreme Shampoo - Php 532.00
Loreal Liss Extreme Conditioner - Php 840.00
Time Spent - 4 hours on a Sunday afternoon

RECOMMENDED (2 thumbs up!)
Substance Day Spa and Salon
T / 925 - 6743
A / #18 Mystic Rose Drive Sanville Subd., Visayas Ave., QC., Philippines
(near Fernwoods)

Remembering the 1st of November

2008-11-02T13:56:00.004+08:00

November 1 had always been memorable for me...Of course aside from the holiday-mode (meaning no classes!!) it was the total experience that made it the annual event that it is. I'd get to spend the entire day in the cemetery with my lolo and lola, cousins together with the sea of people bringing in candles, flowers and even food for their dearly departed, we get to play in "our little playground", imagine scary scenarious of the dead mingling with us, eat-all-you-can pizza/gulaman/hotdog, etc. and the routinary sleep over at my lola's house afterwards = )

Yet over the years and as I grew up, it became more of a monotonous obligation lest 'they' be the ones to visit me! (nyiii!!!) It can get boring to the point that I just wished I was home; and sometimes you just feel like not going since there are too many things to do (school/work)..besides, there's no sleepover at my lola's place afterwards anymore..

Smartbro Prepaid: Plug and PRAY!!

2008-10-12T20:46:00.002+08:00

Earlier today my mom had to pay her Sun bills so off we went to Megamall to take care of those cellphone bills. While waiting in line, I saw Sun's flyer on their wireless internet connection package. Of course I was intrigued because I figured I'll be needing this for times when I'll be in Cebu or Davao for product trainings, launches, reseller visits or simply to while the time away waiting in airports or catching up with friends (online) in my hotel room.

BAD NEWS: Sun only covers less than the 13 Metro Manila cities!! Which is really bad I can't use it in Visayas or Mindanao regions..

GOOD NEWS: The Smart Wireless Center is just a few cartwheels away - this has been a company known for its (relative) reliability and extensive breadth of coverage so I took a consumer sales ticket to buy myself a smartbro prepaid kit

This product didn't need much selling to me as I've been aware of their campaigns (with Sam and Toni running like crazy) and of course I understand the concept behind the product offering. It also helps that from the PHP 5,800.00 price from months ago, the kit is now down PHP 2,800.00 with 100 PRE-LOADED VALUE (The kit is actually only 2.5k, PHP 300.00 of that is regular load already). Sweet deal isn't it?

The transaction went fast, I paid through credit card at the cashier, and went on my way to shop shop shop some more before going home.

I didn't foresee any mishaps trying the smartbro but now I'm almost bordering on being a very disgruntled customer!!

First of all it wasn't really Mac friendly, had to search the web to find the download site for smartbro's Mac portal. When I finally installed it, the device could not be found!! Their FAQ cannot be found, the user's guide is not helpful at all, I have to rely on the feedback from fellow bloggers and the web community to make sense out of this.

So I tried installing the modem on my brother's Windows-based laptop, the signal was great (4 bars!) but Dialing always failed.

I called their customer service only to find out that the dialing failed due to zero balance!

WAPAKK!!!

Now how is that possible when I wasn't even able to connect in the first place??? Isn't it supposed to have been pre-loaded with PHP 100.00?? And then I asked what would happen if I'll load the extra PHP 300.00 here? She just told me it's better not to load it so that the "pre-loaded PHP 100" will not be forfeited!

WAAAAAHHHH!!!! It's just crazy!!!

So tomorrow I have to return to Megamall again (together with the laptop this time) so that they can fix whatever needs to be fixed before I go to Cebu!

Very frustrating...really...

--------------------
On the side:

I was proud pa to tell my Mom that smartbro was the brainchild of the owner of the previous company I worked for. It was actually Meridian Telecoms but the lady owner sold it to PLDT which even caused a rift between her (MV) and her dad (MJ). After that sale, it became known as Smartbro!

(My) Consumer Truth: Mario Badescu Drying (Pink) Lotion

2008-10-02T22:05:00.004+08:00

I just want to say that it simply does not work, at least for me!

For the longest time I've been meaning to get me this special potion as I've been reading about it in the news, in femalenetwork, even in mags where beauty correspondents all over simply rave and gush about this product.

It promises the disappearance of unsightly pimples OVERNIGHT! Wow isn't it? For someone who've been suffering from pimples post-puberty this seemed heaven-sent. So with a Rustan's Gift Certificate (thank God it was not hard-earned PHP 1,200.00 I spent for it), I got myself a bottle with a promise of magic in it and dabbed the pink stuff on my pimples that night...naively believing (and hoping) that the next day i'll see a clearer skin.

The day after, it didn't happen but I decided to be more forgiving and patient and more naive. That dragged on for almost a year before I bumped my head to realize that maybe it just isn't for me...(sigh)

Now I'm back to my BP lotion (I think it's benzoyl peroxide) as prescribed by my derma, relatively cheap and available in different brand names and the best part is that it just does it job! I guess it helps that it's suited to my oily skin. A no-frills spot treatment (you put it only on your pimples) and literally the next day they flatten out!

Caution though, you have to consult with your derma as it might not be the best solution for your pimples/acne. As for me - I'm just so happy = )

Tuesday Marathon

2008-10-01T08:57:00.004+08:00

I'm no track athlete but what happened yesterday truly felt like a marathon to me. I was rushing from one place to another to get things done:

7:45 Mandaluyong City Hall to get my cedula/Community Tax Certificate
I was there early to avoid long queues but I guess I was too early because they start serving only at 8am!! I guess I was lucky / or charming enough to get my cedula even before they started office hours = )
8:00 Seattle's Best Coffee (Tektite, Ortigas) meeting
I already informed Di that I might be a few minutes late cause I had to get my cedula. However, with some luck again, I was able to arrive there on time but I didn't see her so I just proceeded to the 18F and waited for her. Meeting went well but I was very challenged with the feedback she gave.
Reports to Cisco in between
1:00 Funnel Meeting, etc etc
Had to meet up with my girls to check on our funnels, forecasts especially since it's month end and almost quarter end for Cisco. We also had to discuss for our disti planning, their incentives and I had to relay the feedback I got
5:00 Reporting to boss
OMG I kinda wished I didn't get some snacks so that I'd get this done earlier. But I needed the nourishment for another marathon ..I set my sched so that I could leave by 5:15 which would give me ample time to get to school but there were last minute PRs which I still had to sign
5:30 Finally left the building
So absent-minded I clocked out!!grrrr..
Got on an FX to megamall nuninuninu...
But I got off somewhere near EDSA Shang and walked through Shangrila Mall to the MRT station
6:00 Boarded the south-bound train/MRT
Thank God for Stored Value Cards!!! And thank God for the kind man who let me have his seat = )
Been keeping a close eye on my watch as every second every minute counts!!
Walked briskly to the LRT station..
6:20 Boarded the north-bound train/LRT
After a few skip trains, I finally got on a spacious train.
6:30 Vito Cruz Station/DLSU
6:35 Arrived at Doc Nards' IMC Class!
Probably all sweaty (eeewww) and a few minutes late...
Anyway, just made bawi on my recitations, and group presentation for my much needed case points! In fairness, he said I can be a good psychometrician (whatever that is..hehe) = )
9:00 Andrew picked me up
Shared my frustrations and how my day went while on the road
10:00 Arrived home
Played with our puppies, got to talk some more, ordered Tapa King for dinner/breakfast - Tapa Queen for me (I like it a bit spicy) and Longganisa for him

It's nice to know that after a day's worth of marathon, you can slow down a bit in the evening and take stock...or simply spend time with someone very special over Tapa King delicacies = )

Did You Know?...Clear Shampoo

2008-09-28T08:00:00.000+08:00

Early this year, Unilever began a massive, all-out launch of it's new anti-dandruff shampoo, CLEAR. In the Philippines they even used Bea Alonzo, John Lloyd Cruz and even (papa) Piolo Pascual for their Black Valentine's campaign (oooh...so expensive) add to that roster Korean hit sensation Rain. After all those months, I never heard anything from Head and Shoulders (H&S).

As a person interested in marketing (then.....now I really have to be interested in it! hehe) I was intrigued how they would retaliate to this full-on attack by a new entrant in the market. Would they launch a new line? Get a new endorser? Cut prices? Launch a counter campaign too??

NO! The best they can do is to shove up our boob tube Richard Guttierez of Asero letting us know what's on his mind/life because he doesn't have dandruff. Another is an ad of people (including Angel Locsin) unified in saying that Head and Shoulders is number one in the world.

Well okay, I just don't see the point of the H&S commercials..it's like a person asked you a question and the answer you gave is totally off!! Still waiting for them to make a better retort.

So after that long introduction on why this popped out of my mind, I basically shared this thought in class to be discussed..to which a classmate of mine told us that...

CLEAR is the re-packaged, re-branded GARD!!
How's that for clever(?) I mean bringing back to life a product that has long been in decline!

happy saturday!

2008-09-27T07:57:00.002+08:00

Today I'll be spending much of my time (READ: 8 am - 3pm) at school for my Research Methods and Marketing Strategy classes. Most people would find it very nerd-ly or nerd-some hahaha but I guess I'm enjoying learning new things and getting to know most people. So much so that I'm willing to forego late Friday night outs or over-sleeping on Saturdays...for real!

It wouldn't hurt too if you have great friends at class! = )

Catch ya later!

my baby gabby and our photo shoot (happy dog and happy human)

2008-09-11T22:51:00.006+08:00

It wasn't love at first sight..but now I still can't get over how cute he is!!

So who's this new guy?..my dog, silly! = )

Gabby at 4 months - partida, di pa yan naligo for almost 1week na!

I never thought the day would come that I would be wrapped up in this pup's little paws..so adorable, lovable..he's just super!!! He loves me and I love him sooo much in return..but maybe he loves me a little bit more (hehe) he's just so frantic whenever I approach the door (any door!), probably scared that I will be gone for long (you know, this human has a life to live too!) Guess I just have to teach him puppy manners...

He's smiling coz I'm already home and hugging him tight (at our newly-renovated kitchen)

So much pent-up energy in this little furball! We love to lounge around, walk outside our house in the company of his 'friends', take pictures, buy toys, play with his toys, play with his tennis ball, eat, chase bigger dogs and our ultimate date is his monthly visit to his doctor (okay, his vet!)

A very brave boy, he keeps on following me even upstairs..considering he doesn't know yet how to go down the same flight of stairs he braved to climb! When we're on the sofa, he'd willingly leap even if I leave for just a few seconds..and he's always by my side following me like an angel = )

Best pick-me-upper when tired and stressed...best to share joys with too!

Oh, I just love him to bits! = ) Watch out for our upcoming imovie! hahahaha = )

5 years...and ever after?

2008-09-11T21:42:00.004+08:00

Nobody thought we'd last this long..but I'm just so happy that we're keeping up this fight! hahahaha....=)

So much for our much-anticipated 5th Anniversary..thanks to bagyong Marce, we weren't even able to see each other (poor babies..)..we've planned so much pa naman to do either (or ALL) of the following:
1. Dinner - of course!
2. Record our own CD - yeah it's still there at the lower ground floor of Megamall's Bldg. A..di bale, more time to practice
3. Glamour shots - considering I didn't have a very happy prom and he did not have any at all, we wanted to re-live that high school experience with each other..sayang no?
4. Movie! - with each other's fave movie buddy
5. Mass - it's Mama Mary's birthday after all..

BUT!!! and a very big but..

I realized that sometimes, there are ways to make your love and presence felt even without being there physically...and that day I got one of the best surprises ever! = )

A big bouquet of pink stargazers delivered to our office..and people there thought I got these flowers because it was my first day at work =) yay!! (i can be THAT mababaw)

I take that back, it's not mababaw at all....if you get to know Andrew (like our friends and I do) you'll see immediately he's not the type of guy to indulge a girl with nice surprises..but this time he did just fine... = )

I love you baby! more anniversaries for us to come....mwah mwah mwah!! = )

August Decisions..superstitious much?

2008-08-29T23:47:00.006+08:00

OMG! I'm so confused right now! Just last week I had the shortest interview ever of my life - 5 minutes with HSBC's Call Center..guess we figured out early enough that there really was no fit between me, my experience and the position. (Sayang pa my effort in dressing up and going there..although their HR could have informed me that it was for that position so that I would have informed her as well of my preference..hmmpph!)

And yesterday I think I had the longest (3 hours) with my previous employer's biggest competitor, and probably the biggest IT distributor in the Philippines - L! I walked out of their office with job offer and package which I said I would have to think about for at least a day..so the next day i got back to the hiring manager and told him that after careful consideration, I'm declining their offer for that PM post. I also emailed him my decision, for formality's sake.

No regrets, I told myself.

Sure it was a great company, great position, great product (Cisco again) but my gut feel just tells me there's something 'wrong' or 'amiss' and I really can't pinpoint what that was!

So here I am still mulling over the events that happened - as they say (and I know this is true), people will 'kill' for that opportunity - and I'm just throwing it out the window. Kinda reminds me of Jo in the movie Little Women where she threw a perfectly good proposal from her childhood friend/sweetheart just because she felt it's not right.

And when I open my Apple Mail - a totally unexpected mail from the hiring manager was there! Asking me if it was really a lost cause or if there's something else we could re-negotiate...

So there, my dad told me never to make big decisions in the month of August because it will be "agaw-gusto" in Tagalog. Problem is, I have to make the decision ASAP (and I hate being rushed with things like this..hehe).

And when I sleep tonight, I hope I'll be able to process everything that happened and make a clear, firm and informed decision..

Older than their years

2008-08-23T08:00:00.001+08:00

Didn't we just celebrate Beyonce's 2nd birthday last week? Well it turns out that we should've had celebrated her 24th birthday - in dog years that is.

Been reading around dog or shih tzu forums to learn more about my pups and turns out we've been mistaken. Anyway, so our dogs may be a lot older than we thought (hehe) but we still love them the same!

Here's the Dog Years Chart for your reference:

SOURCE: Philippine Pet Finder

The iPhone is here!!

2008-08-22T15:36:00.004+08:00

After the long and arduous wait, Apple fanboys and fangirls can now catch a whiff of (the official) iPhone in the Philippines!

Caveat emptor - this is only available from Globe and watch out for the exorbitantly HIGH(!) subscription rates for this! Arrggghh..

For more information, visit Globe's iPhone 3G site

happy meal at circles

2008-08-19T08:00:00.000+08:00

Every meal is a happy meal

especially when shared with you..

[and especially if it's free!! hehehe = ) ]

These are just some of our pictures from our Circles dinner at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel.

Just remember to book a reservation at least 2 days in advance and make sure to get there on time otherwise your reservation will be forfeited!

And to validate your complimentary parking ticket so that it won't cause you the same hassle it caused us! Grrrr!!!

Contact Circles Event Cafe here!

Phone

(63 2) 840 0884

Hours

6am – 12 midnight, Sun-Thurs
6am – 2am, Fri & Sat

Location

Lobby Level

Dress Code

Smart Casual

Smoking Policy

Smoking is not permitted in Circle’s Event Café.

A Lucky Dog and A Really Bad Joker!

2008-08-18T19:56:00.006+08:00

Beyonce our shih-tzu was turning 2 years old and well because I was pretty amused with Apple Mail's stationery, I sent out invites for her party to friends and relatives here and abroad. And since it was also my cousin's birthday, we decided that it will be a double celebration and a mini-family reunion all in all. Just so you know I even missed my stat class for this!!

The Apple Mail Stationery invite that started it all!

Ate Diana (the "other" birthday girl!) with Derich, her son = )

I started a joke, which started the whole world crying,
but I didn't see that the joke was on me, oh no.

Yep, that was exactly how I felt when after I sent out an invitation for our dog's birthday, some people took it seriously and well, we had to go a-planning!

We had kare-kare (with bagoong of course), spaghetti, bbq, cake, donut, chicken, asado, chocolate fondue (belgian chocolate yummy and the fruits) while the dogs had their share of doggie treats: Pedigree and Cesar (Beyonce's fave)

Ang aming Handa - also with Ate Diana's creations

Doggie Treats for Beyonce and her dog guests

Everyone had fun eating, singing, beer drinking and in the end, it was really worth it! Even the staff at Goldilocks got a kick knowing they were preparing a birthday cake for a dog!

My mom and I with the birthday girl (dog) and her huge cake!

Just remind me not to joke again like this when Gabby's birthday comes around! Hehe.. = )

Mommy carrying Beyonce, I'm with Gabby our 3-month little rascal!

888

2008-08-08T01:05:00.002+08:00

Today is the 'mythical' 888 from August 8, 2008 supposedly a very lucky day and the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing = )

Well, I BELIEVE that it will really be a lucky day (positive thinking!) moreso a happy day for me and my baby as very soon we'll be celebrating our 5th Anniversary (September 8)! I keep telling him and myself, "Who knew?"

Feng shui and I go way back as I can be very superstitious hehe..that's probably one of the reasons our anniversary date is September 8, 2003. Of course, aside from the fact that we were both in college then in Catholic schools and I anticipated that it will be a feast day on Sept-8 and there will be NO CLASSES! Yipee!! An instant free day for an anniv date!

1 month to go till our special day!

my stratmark experience

2008-07-30T00:55:00.002+08:00

2 out of 5 stars = ( for the total experience

First, kudos to me for being able to wake up VERY early (5 am, man!) despite having to sleep very late (2 am..or is it very early? hehe). See, I can be a morning person with the right impetus! As I said, I had to manage my time very well so that I can arrive at the venue early as I knew that there'd be a lot of students..

My bro and I arrived 30 minutes before the start of the program; sadly, I couldn't go in just yet because my ticket was with Lysa - who was forever in EDSA! hehe = ) Anyway, Lysa and her friend arrived at around 9am and we still had to wait for another friend of theirs. Remember, I'm only "singit" here and I have to adjust to their scheds. We were able to get inside Araneta at around 9.30 through the backdoor after a few rounds of waiting, sitting at Starbucks, a few wrong turns at the coliseum, finally ordering at Starbucks and whew we found our seats (thanks so much to her classmates Giselle and Marvin who reserved the seats!)

We all were able to get in beyond an hour late but guess who was more surprised? Yes folks, the program was just about to begin! Although disappointed that the PMA-led event followed "Filipino time", I was partly happy that after all that happened that morning (with the waiting and all) I was still given the chance to listen to all the presentations.

THE BAD.
- too much echo from audio their voices just seem garbled
- crowd/guest control was just not right (e.g. if people would say they're going to the lower box seats to watch they wouldn't be let in vs if you tell the ushers that you'll just buy from taco bell in the lower box area
- super cute (i mean super small) fonts used in presentations...even with 20/25 vision, hey, I'm not superwoman!
- the food was just..oh no don't want to comment anymore about it

THE SUPERBAD.
I guess superbad has something to do with my expectations. I came to the conference because I thought that I'd be able to learn new things from the presentors. But all that learning was made very difficult by people who went there only for the sake of required attendance or just for a field day. Some thought it was a way to sashay down an imaginary catwalk and strut their stuff.

It's just so sad that I guess majority of the students there did not share the same intentions as mine. boohoo! I'm not trying to be self-righteous here or anything to that effect..what I mean is that if you will be shelling out Php 400.00 and a whole day for this event, might as well make the most of it!

- students passing around copies of FHM to pass the time
- boisterous laughter for I don't know what reason!
- students generally not paying attention to the presentations
- very very short attention span! (ADHD rampant!)

THE GOOD.
Despite all the bads and the superbads (and then some - which i don't want to mention here anymore), I would like to commend the PMA and the member schools for being able to put up an event like this and manage the logistics and everything else. Wish they could make it more economical especially for those students who don't have much.

A presentor commented that PMA changed how conferences should be and thereby made it available to more students..yes I agree that it was really jampacked BUT, is this method effective?

Hopefully in the following years, PMA could change or tweak some more the way they want conferences to be:

* Effective at driving their point and conducive to the learning process
* High student attendance and not just by "hoarding" students to the venue..isn't there an 'optimal' level for things?
* Profitable without milking students dry - more partners perhaps?
* More professional-looking presentations ... keynote, anyone?

I hope this can be remedied sooner than later so that students will not be traumatized and get the value for their money when the time comes that they'll be able to say, "It's so worth it and more!"

StratMark (July 29, 2008 | 8-5 | Araneta)

2008-07-29T00:03:00.005+08:00

Serendipity is what I call this!

For the past two weeks, my brother has been waving a ticket he says is for StratMark which I totally gave no attention to because I thought it was purely college stuff and well - I'm not in college anymore.

I'm so glad that I caught Lysa (dyosa) online JUST NOW! and we talked about it and turns out it's big stuff, organized by the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) no less!! They're so lucky the famous "Doc Nards" invited them personally to attend this event while Sir Benny..hmm, may have forgotten to inform us about this altogether..

So, curiosity and spontaneity got the better of me. I decided to scrap all my plans for tomorrow (not that I had any important matters to attend to save for an interview which I wanted to esacpe from...bad!) and just be there in Araneta to attend this conference and yeah, skip the interview *lol*

At my age, I'm lucky I can still camouflage myself into a sea of college students = ) but still be able to bring it with my masters classmates.

Excited excited!! I have to wake up extra early tomorrow so that my bro will not leave me in the house harhar..but then again, his ticket is with me so I guess he has no other choice! = 0

Details of the event:

StratMark (Strategic Marketing Conference and Competition)
29 July 2008 | 8am - 5pm | Araneta Coliseum

credits to PMA for this

TOSHIBA Warehouse Sale! (Jul 31 - Aug 1 '08)

2008-07-25T13:48:00.005+08:00

Looking for a new Laptop??

Visit the Toshiba Warehouse Sale from the 31st of July til the 1st of August and get

HUGE DISCOUNTS on various models of TOSHIBA Laptops/Notebooks!

click on the image to view the map

**Major Credit Cards Accepted**

where have all the children gone?

2008-07-22T18:37:00.005+08:00

is this the little girl i carried,

is this the little boy at play?
i don't remember growing older,
when did they?

-Sunrise, Sunset from The Fiddler on the Roof

Time seems to be moving at an UNconstant rate. It does not feel like it's ticking with a fixed interval..sometimes it's oh so slow and sometimes you never know just what hit you. Wasn't it only a few years back when I had to don a high school uniform everyday, making new friends and sharing my life (and of course my food) with them? Those were the days when I only had to worry about my homeworks and exams - no heavy stuff! Fast forward 10 years, nothing really is the same!

I wasn't able to keep all the friendships I made from those years of my life but luckily I've managed to maintain a network of very close friends. Some I have lost track of...some of them I only see through Friendster. When I see their pictures and the updates on what is happening now in their lives - where they're working, who's the current boyfriend/boytoy/fling...I feel transported back to our days of innocence and bliss - the happy feelings that high school just keeps on giving and giving. Of course I feel happy but when all the memories flood my mind, sometimes I can't help but feel melancholic and long for that kind of life again..it makes me smile but it makes me pine for those days and my friends as well.

Imagine my surprise when I learned that 1 of them has gotten married already (and didn't invite me! hmmph...kidding!) and 2 of them are already moms or soon to be moms!! There seems to be a disconnect in my mind probably because I never saw the events unfolding with my eyes or probably because to me we still are the happy high schoolers, unmindful of the things that are happening outside our walled school...

I'm happy for them both as I'm sure they are also happy with their lives now. It's just that it has never been more certain than now that we cannot anymore go round and round our batibot (aside from the fact that it's not THE batibot anymore), or talk for hours with our nightly telebabad (gushing forever about our crushes and the latest nakakainis girl), attend marian campings (i believe the sisters of st. paul abolished this one...) or just do whatever underneath the sky that's above SPCP (labo no?!)

To the new moms, Rain and Joanne, I salute you and wish you all the best..the oft-spoken phrase, "Ninang ako ah!" will now see fruition.

Baby Mama Joanne, Baby Daddy Rhecster and Baby Sophia Ysabelle

Baby Mama Rain and the baby boy growing inside her tummy

it pays to ask

2008-07-16T19:20:00.005+08:00

omigosh i have literally spent an entire day worrying (again) whether i was doing the right thing or not. you see i have to report on developing marketing strategies tomorrow for my masters (marketing management) class.

i pretty much got everything in the bag except for one sub-topic: types of strategies for primary and selective demand. i kept searching and searching my memory if i have encountered this topic during my college days...hmmm..NOPE! i asked around to check if my friends have tackled this too well it turns out that this is a phantom subject! kidding! hehe..imagine it's written clearly in the syllabus but i can't find it anywhere - not in our book, not in the other books (i borrowed 4 from the library), not in the internet!!

the only thing that stuck to my mind were porter's basic strategies and for a good 4 hours i had decided to bet on that path. yet and still a feeling that something's wrong kept lingering..so i thought that something definitely was wrong.

i was getting frustrated that i can't find the answers in these books little did i realize that maybe i was searching for the wrong things or maybe i was searching the wrong way..guess what, i was doing both!

i researched again on the topic and found a new set of answers..somewhat related to the first but they're still world's apart ---> product life cycle strategies. now it felt wrong-er..which should i choose?

this just made me realize that even in the advent of the internet or of subject indexes at the end of each book, you still have to use that thing between your ears to process the information available to you and make something intelligent out of it. life should not be mechanical or automatic at least in this sense. just because we're having things easy, we should not let go of our human functions of curiosity, analytical thinking and resourcefulness.

just because the topic is written that way doesn't mean that it would also appear that way in the book and in the internet.

of course, if you really can't find the answer within...what are teachers for? so to stop this nagging feeling (you know of doubt, of worry, helplessness) i called up my prof to verify if it was indeed the PLC strategies..bingo! got it!!

felt more like a challenger on survivor or other reality tv shows..you're only given the problem, the riddle and the clues..it's up to you to solve it = )

=======================

Update!! Update!! ---download my presentation below--

The report went okay! Or more than okay I should say = ) I'm glad and proud I was able to do it by myself successfully (while some groups were in 2's or 3's..i did this by myself because my groupmate quit masters this early!!)

For those who would need a reference material, here's the copy of my Keynote presentation (in pdf version). Please click on the link to go to the download page:

>>Developing Marketing Strategies

the psychology (pathology) seminar

2008-07-13T23:14:00.006+08:00

Today I had a blast to be with 70 or so delightful kids for the psychology seminar that my friend and classmate Don, had arranged. It was held at the Pope Pius XXII hall (U.N. Ave., Manila) and although it was raining, I'm really glad that attendance was 99%!!

Me, a resource speaker? Yeah it was my first time to do it I guess..even more shocking I suppose were the topics assigned to me: cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus and mental retardation. It took me a week to research and read up on the topics (no matter how draining they were) and a couple of days to put together my presentation.

I'm really thankful to have been given that chance to share a part of myself to those kids. I also love that although these were "nosebleed-inducing" topics, they were able to listen intently and participate in the discussion. Most of all, their very welcoming attitude and their playfulness. = )
I just hope that all the things I have shared to them, they will be able to apply in their lives.

Just too bad I don't have a picture huh?! Well, as they say, there's always next time!

To the kids if you're reading this, download the file after this jump>>

the powers of friendster

2008-07-13T20:24:00.009+08:00

Remember the survey I was ranting about?

Well, I need to finish that soon...as in soon! For now the areas of concern are Quezon City, Muntinlupa and Las Pinas. I'm glad that someone gave me a bright idea (i think...i suppose it is and it should work!) to use Friendster to accomplish this endeavor.

I'm really preventing myself from having to waste a whole day in Mcdonald's or Jollibee or in some mall ambushing people for this survey so I'm giving this game plan a shot. As you know, Friendster has millions of Filipino users - and counting. What's good about this plan is that I don't have to disturb everybody by sending mass e-mails/personal messages which might only make me look like a spammer; prospected survey respondent's profile can be actually streamlined to target just who we need. And even better - I can do it in the confines of my home while the respondents can also accomplish the survey with the same comfort.

Bright idea isn't it? I *heart* Friendster!

As for the success or hit rate...I'll let you know next time!

Thanks in advance to everyone nice enough to accommodate my request!

=========
By the way, if ever there are helpful visitors in this area, kindly help me with the surveys by clicking on these links:

Please click this link to download the Survey Form

thanks super!!!

change of blog design/template

2008-07-11T23:46:00.004+08:00

Hi everyone, although I had much fun with the blog template I was previously using (Thank you very much to Isnaini [Music]) you know the one where it was all white/gray, with a girl in the corner listening to music through very big earphones and over-all zen-ish feel..unfortunately I had to retire it already.

Reasons:

It's not that easy to customize / manipulate
If I was highly knowledgeable in HTML it might have worked for me but I simply don't have the time to learn all that stuff
Well...there are lots of options which are much easier to use (such as the ones already here in blogger)
If one would want to earn through blogging, I realized that that template was not the most effective one to use. = p

Actually, the single most important (underlying) reason is simply everything I learned from the Internet Marketing Workshop of Jomar Hilario that I attended today. I would love to blog about it now but DAY 2 is not for tomorrow...so just hang on and I'll probably post the things I learned here..(why not?)

adidas is IN, universidad is OUT!

2008-07-11T23:28:00.003+08:00

DLSU Marketing Communication Office
Have replies sent to the DLSU MCO

TO: THE DLSU ACADEMIC COMMUNITY

Part of our recent partnership with adidas Philippines is the license to exclusively use the University's registered and applied trademarks to co-brand official DLSU merchandise such as t-shirts, jackets, caps, and jerseys, among others. All other entities are prohibited from the production and the commercial selling of merchandise bearing DLSU trademarks.

As such, please be advised that Jardy Marketing, as a manufacturer of the brand Universidad, is no longer authorized to produce and sell merchandise bearing DLSU trademarks. Please do not patronize their DLSU products, for they continue to deprive the University the opportunity to raise funds that will support efforts to provide more scholarships to the less privileged. Their refusal to abide by the rules of trademark ownership and intellectual property are considered illegal, and therefore, must not be condoned.

Thank you for your support.

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

There you go..so from now on forward, please patronize only DLSU sporting products made by Adidas Philippines..not just for trademark issue...it's for a good cause (education advocacy or scholarships for the less privileged!)

i can cook pala!

2008-07-09T19:13:00.007+08:00

I spent most of my morning worrying on things I should do and things I should have done concerning my masters and my other extra-curricular activities. I know it's a bad thing to do to keep on worrying but sometimes it's the first thing one does upon realizing that your pending tasks are indeed worrisome. = )

For starters I was supposed to go the whole nine yards to survey (the S word!) moms from all over the Metro. It's good that I have 2 other very efficient and reliable groupmates (Hi Crissy and Don!!) but this task (survery close to 300 people) we had to divide among us three. I know I should have started the past weekend but physically, I just couldn't. But I'm all better now and am really raring to tick this off my to-do list - only to realize that I might have started too late. Looking at my assigned areas is enough to make one's head go loco loco!! Add to that the sheer number of respondents I have to accomplish!

Mandaluyong - got this covered since I'm from here
Manila - bf got this covered (thanks so much baby!! super life-saver..more on that later)
San Juan
Las Pinas
Muntinlupa
Pasig
Pateros
Quezon City

It was just so overwhelming for me, I guess that my mind went to panic mode!! In times like this, who ya gonna call?? I'm so glad that there are very generous and gracious friends who were more than willing to help a crazed and dazed girl!

Really it felt more like a test on how well you'll be able to manage logistics, time and your network. So instead of me having to go around like a headless chicken, thinking how to juggle all these activities, I stopped my panicked self, sat myself down and just really fixed my gameplan. So since photocopying is much cheaper in the UST area, bf got on to it. He'll take 20 and distribute to his classmates. My brother (also studying in UST) will bring home the rest for me and will also distribute some to his friends. Internet power was also maximized as I sent copies to my former officemates and classmates. As Bo Sanchez said, if you just bite-size things and plan ahead, everything seems more manageable - indeed I agree!

But before I calmed down to that level, I paced the house like crazy thinking and worrying of all those to-do list that I simply had to go out and do something! And then I remembered the episode on Quickfire (a QTV-11 production) where they made a simple (read: easy to cook like I can make this on my own) and seemingly delectable dish (EVOO fried chicken breast fillet, with taco salsa, cheddar cheese, buttered corn) which I intended to make this weekend. But it can't wait anymore so off I went to Pure Gold (just a Php 8.00 jeepney ride away) and bought the stuff needed. Despite the possibility of rain, I went anyway.

Not a pro in the kitchen department but I think I did a pretty good job cooking it. The second version tasted better - and everyone in the household gave a thumbs up! I'm so happy! = ) This is the first time I realized that cooking has its calming, soothing effect too! And the happiness grows once you see everyone enjoy the food!

THE VERDICT:
1. Mom: Do this again on saturday and I'll give some to Tita Rica for her to try
2. Dad: Uno!

With a fuller tummy, and a less-tense me..now I can concentrate on my next immediate task:

preparing for my pathology presentation for sunday!!
will write more about this by sunday! gosh i'm excited! (wheee!!)

and my second immediate task:

my (masters) presentation on developing marketing strat!

======================
so no to panic-stricken, downtrodden, tense spirits and YES to cooking, eating and enjoying!

The case of the chori burger fix

2008-07-08T00:04:00.006+08:00

I don't know why I've grown hungry tonight, probably because I had been sick for the last 4 days (and i need all the nourishment i can get..yeah!!) but I feel that my stomach has hit this state of emptiness - like vacuum empty!! Could be the coffee or the medicines I took..I really don't know.

What I know is that out of this hunger grew a deep craving for....CHORI BURGER!!! But I know it's only available in Boracay so I began my search for the chori burger recipe. Spent an hour looking for it in the internet but to no avail. What I found were only pictures of it and how other people longed for it too - both of which only intensified my craving..big time!

That's me enjoying every bit of my chori burger and jonah's shake in Bora (Mar 2008)

But not to despair...I found out that although I may not get the real thing as of now, there are worthy alternatives. From other people's blog I discovered that I need not board a plane to bora just to eat chori chori burger..all it takes is a drive to Metrowalk or an MRT ride to Trinoma and I can eat (read: hoard) all the choris I want from Bun on the Run (BoTR)!! Well, that plus a great deal of other burgers to try next time - Brother's Burger, Bite Club, Cafe Breton's Mozzarella burger...oh the list goes on and on and on...

I just hope the chori burger tastes as Boracay-ly (not the sand okay?) as the one I had in Bora. Otherwise I'd be forced to concoct my own recipe. Now I just need to go get a fix of Jonah's mango milk shakes!

Jonah's pricelist (Mar 2008). What's your favorite shake?

how tech savvy are you?

2008-06-26T22:30:00.004+08:00

Two years into my corporate life (oh what a jungle it was!), I decided to go back to school and take up Masters in Marketing..primarily to develop myself and my potential and partly to get a much needed respite from all the hulabaloos of work.

As a part-time student, I only took 2 classes this term, and one of them is Statistics. Though not really my favorite subject in the world, it's something that I have a background on as a Management student, something I can be average or excellent in..depending on which side of the boat I wish to sit.

Classes and lessons started slow because as expected, there would be some sort of introductions among the 21 or so students in that class; which by the way my professor is disappointed in as she had wished that it would be a smaller class size so she can manage to teach us one by one. One by one?? Are we not masters students?? Or does she think of us as some grade schoolers?

I was actually shocked that she may be thinking lowly of us. Not that I'm a computer genius or a statistics whiz but I guess her expectations were really that low.

Imagine my surprise when at the end of the introductions, I found out that there were some classmates who did not even own a computer - even a desktop computer at that! Luckily, the school is able to provide students with fully-functioning computer labs. But how would they get by knowing they do not even know the basics of using a computer or its applications?

My hunch proved true that come laboratory time, there'd be disturbing buzzes among those who did not even know the following:

Log in to the computer
Save the downloaded file as an Excel file
Copy and Paste an entire column
Create new worksheets

My professor's perception of her students are REAL now! The need for a smaller and more manageable class size is real too!

On my part, I do not fault my classmates because they do not own a computer nor because they do not know how to use the applications. I just wish that there would be a desire on an effort on their part to learn. As it is, most of the oldies are just complainers at this point. Well, they have to start somewhere before they gain that proficiency. In the long run, it would really be annoying if all they ask the professor is how to save or how to copy this and that...I would appreciate it more if there would be more insightful questions and analytical discussions on STATISTICS!

Maybe DLSU should look into this too when screening their potential students. Not really to reject those who are not tech savvy but to help those deserving students use technology better as a tool, as an aid to their learning and development process.

our comic life..

2008-06-24T01:34:00.003+08:00

Secrets to Dominate Your Niche

2008-06-23T01:36:00.009+08:00

I agreed to help my friend and former classmate, Nikko Lim, promote the new book that he has worked so much on to bring to the Philippine shores..not so much as "malakas siya sa akin" (as he had originally thought) but because I believe that this book will beneficial to our country and the society in general.

Article clipping was sent as is, sorry I can't link back to the publisher or the author

I believe that much business heartache will be eliminated just by reading, understanding and applying what the book wishes to share on taking your business to the next level, making your competitors irrelevant, choosing your niche and being different. You know, don't be in business just for the sake of having a business or just because you can despite eroding market share, revenues and margins...It will be much easier and much rewarding if you know what you are doing and what you have to do to be successful.

N.B. Will be available soon in our local bookstores!!

girl on tv

2008-06-23T00:42:00.004+08:00

Today i received surprising messages from my friends that i was on TV. No way I say...

But Madz it's really you! Lining up in a cafeteria!!

Thoughts and memories rushed through my brain...

"Eeeeeaaaahh.....it must really be me!!"

Funny how incidents that happened less than a month ago have been completely forgotten..turns out it was that Mel and Joey (GMA-7's) coverage of our favorite nearby carinderia-eatery-cafeteria. I was more concerned whether I looked PG (patay gutom or very very hungry) on TV than my telegenic appeal...hah! yes i have that! = )

It's a quaint place, the "low end" counterpart of Cafe Juanita, both owned by Dr. Vasquez (an ob-gyne). That's low end with quotation marks because the Mechado and Caldereta viands sell for almost a hundred pesos each! Nevertheless, it was very Filipino the way they use the antique stuff they sell as the resto's furniture and how they play Bayanihan songs (think, Ang Pipit) each and every day.

Yeah, how could I really forget..the place whose walls have heard almost every juicy office gossip or latest lovelife chikas..the place I shared with my old colleagues..and a place that I now miss..

Well it's just too bad that our cable connection had a problem due to typhoon Frank...phhuuey...

the heat is on!!

2008-03-30T14:12:00.002+08:00

whew, it really is soooo hot here in manila...mercury rising (gulp!)

i know i'm living in a tropical country plus it's summer but this is something else, not funny anymore..imagine:

- having to wipe off sweat right after you've toweled yourself dry from the shower
- feeling a single sweat dripping on your back only to realize that it's not a single sweat after all and your sweat has formed diff shapes and sizes on your shirt
- feeling tired and lethargic all day long

..if i lived on the beachfront or if we had a pool it might be more bearable..otherwise, it's just humid and sticky all day and unfortunately, even at night.

what to do what to do..i guess this is nature's way of telling us that we are really going overboard in environmental abuses; thus, greenhouse gases and global warming.

i pity the daily commuters and PUV drivers who have to go through all these plus smoke emmissions too! ditto for those living in slum areas who don't have proper insulation, nay electric fans! think of their galvanized iron roofs absorbing all that heat and the danger that can ensue...

as for me, i guess i'm lucky that i stay in an air-conditioned office most of the time and that there is proper insulation, ventilation and air conditioning at home..although it really doesn't solve the problem here are just some of the things that are must-do's to prevent yourself from getting scorched:

1. Take a bath daily or even twice or thrice a day if you can.
2. Stay light on make-up, lotions. It just adds to that heavy, sticky feeling.
3. Drink lots of water, really! Don't disregard possible dehydration because of the heat...Make sure you have a safe and clean drinking water by your side at all times even at night.
4. Avoid going out when the sun is at its brightest (?). If possible, use an umbrella or hat, and apply sunblock to your face and body.
5. Wear light clothes.
6. People that are high-risk for strokes, beware!
7. Know the first aid treatment for dehydration, heat stroke, rashes, etc.
8. Lastly (because I can't think of any..hehe) - Always stay cool!

huraaay for imovie! congratulations to the cfad team but archi is still the best (for me)..hehe..

2008-03-09T23:02:00.003+08:00

i'm so lovin' my macbook now!! and i wish i had one ages ago!! imagine, i used to pay a few thousand pesos for movies of the same length for a school project...sheeesh...people could make a fortune with imovie alone...or even just have that sense of fulfillment with making something nice out of it..

yes folks, today is the day that i have made my contribution to the digital world with my first ever mini movie and i'm so excited about it!

SUBJECT: UST Archi - CFAD Men's Football Championship Game

of course I was rooting for Archi (my bf's team) to win especially since the scores were 3-0 already when i arrived. but i guess their best wasn't good enough as the CFAD team was able to turn the tide to bring a 5-4 win! archi placed first runner-up for the championship game, which isn't as bad, i guess...

i'm really excited about this that it's already in youtube, multiply, and now blogspot..hehe..bf is both happy and embarassed with this - happy because of his personal papparazzo...embarassed because well, he's the star of this clip and people might think he's a show-off..well, i wouldn't be his girlfriend for nothing..more than being proud of this video, i'm foremostly proud of him (contributing 2 goals out of 4! good job, eh?)

here's the alternative link to my movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tuNMOZBDIQ

enjoy!! : )

losing my temper

2008-02-24T20:21:00.000+08:00

Today was the first time I threw a fit at a supplier.

Dreaming of beautifying my living area, I began buying things for my room and water closet (a.k.a. banyo). So last week, as I accompanied my Mom at Ortigas Home Depot, I also shopped for things/accessories/fixtures for this great dream. I placed an order for CR shelves to be picked up the following week.

Today was the supposed pick up day. Lo and Behold it wasn't there. They said that it would be ready after 2 days more.

How come? I thought it was a 1 week lead time?

"Mam, hindi po kasali ang weekends (please don't count in the weekends)"

That really got my blood boiling as they didn't inform me that for (2) 3" x12" glass slab it would take 7 working days - not in their sales order, not even verbally. All I remember after that is me mumbling some things about them not informing me and then I asked for a refund. No cuss words or shouting, thank God.

However, despite the adage that "the customer is always right" it really felt wrong. Though they had their misgivings, I felt really bad that I let that get to me, that I got angry, that up to now I feel bad about having done that. See, I'm so affected that I'm even blogging about it now.

There's nothing left to do but to not do that anymore (or at least contain my anger and release it safely and diplomatically) and to say

I'm really sorry...

That goes out to the staff of MIRAGE @ Ortigas Home Depot.

restless hearts

2008-02-18T21:10:00.001+08:00

I've always been a fan of pure unadulterated true love...that is, until I went on OJT (on the job training) and started to discover for myself the flip side of the world I believe I live in.

It saddens me to know that there are people who,

:: despite having a legal wive and 3 kids already, still finds spare time to maintain 3-5 girlfriends on the side. Alongside with that he's damn proud that he doesn't use any sort of protection ergo, nobody gets knocked up.

:: still phones/texts/dates (?) the girl his wife caught him in bed with (through pictures)

:: profess that he really loves his girlfriend of 10 years (!!) while still flirting/sexing up other women. He reasons that it's better to do it now than when they get married. He wants to "make the most of" his bachelorhood.

:: beds prostitutes in each town he visits - for the simple reason that he can and nobody would know.

:: plans with gf A to have a baby so that he can have a reason to break up with gf B. So when it finally happened, he just doesn't have the heart (or balls?) to break up with gf B. This depresses gf A but lo and behold, there's gf C too!! This is just too much trauma that's why she had a miscarriage.

:: claims it's not infidelity if it's just a blowjob

While there may be more restless hearts scenarios, I don't wish to elaborate further. It just makes me sick to my stomach the way they justify their action - that it's a man's life, it's just a diversion, a pastime of sorts. And the men I have interviewed gamely answered that not even STDs, AIDS, or having their wife catch them in the act will make them stop this promiscuity. The only thing that will "probably" deter them from this lifestyle is if their children knew about it; apparently they don't want to be hated as the cheating Dad. But will they really stop?

I really hope that this would soon change. Even with the glaring evidence and confessions, please don't cheat like dogs who lick their balls - just because they can..

boracay on my mind..

2008-02-17T20:36:00.000+08:00

Most people may find it strange but believe it or not, I haven't actually been to Boracay - ever! That is why I'm both happy and excited that this summer, I finally get to go there!! The beach, the crowd, the sunset, the shakes..Whee!!!

Fortunately, the trip is free and I only have to bring pocket money for pasalubong, mango shakes, snorkeling, night outs, etc. Unfortunately, the schedule won't coincide with the block bora (college block outing/get-together which will be on April 17-21). It's a tad bit earlier at March 14-16, which means that by Palm Sunday I'll still be there with my officemates - all 80 of us, all Philippine offices at that. With a relatively old population (only a few of us pull the average down to 20's), I just hope I'll be pleasantly surprised with what's going to happen there. Hopefully the summer committee could cook up games, awardings, triathlons (hehe), bonfires, to keep everyone in the mood despite the pending reorg.

Ah, the planner in me relishes all that is to be planned for this "occasion"...in that all-important file:

MONEY AND TIME BUDGET

1. Wardrobe

This one is really tough. For only 3 days and 2 nights to be spent in that island, I know that what I currently have is more than enough. Presently I have 3 swimsuits, 5 cover-ups, 3 slippers, 2 shades - but my vanity is telling me that I should buy something, at least one thing for this summer even though I know that I'm gonna be using them max 3x this year!

First of course, is a new suit. Definitely a non-negotiable each year. It's really hard to decide which one to get but guided by my budget, I've decided to get either of these designs by Soak Swimwear..although I'm partial to the pink/brown one since I don't have that style yet.

...and I'll just buy an additional one in bora ---->that's my souvenir, silly! (hehehe)..

Next is the shades..yes I love my eyes so much (everyone should too because it is a rare commodity these days!) that's why I was contemplating on getting the Ray-Ban shades I've been eyeing since November of last year, or not.. It looked so good that I could've sworn not to buy any shades for this lifetime. That's a joke of course but really, you'd feel like a beach goddess wearing it. I could've sworn too that I would buy it the next day as in A.S.A.P. but it would set me back 7 grand, an amount I could have better use for so it only took me overnight to convince myself to use my 4-yr old Harley D shades, or borrow my dad's Ray-Ban and just save up for the one I like and buy it late this year (yipeee!!). Besides, I could always find a worthy deadringer for that shades..

For the slippers, it is almost always automatic Havaianas for most of the beach-lovin' Filipinos. I have a blue pair and would love to have a white one (I dunno, guess it would look great on any suit I have....hehe) but for now I'm settling for my trusty blue Joy pair and will just get a Banana Peel white pair - that's only PHP 100.00 or less! Still crossing my fingers here, haven't completely convinced myself yet..teehee!!

And lastly for the cover-ups, hmmmm...I totally have no idea. Though I think this will be a must for this trip because I'm with my officemates. God knows who the D.O.M.s (Dirty Old Men) are in that crowd, yuck! Plus bf is asking me to wear tadaaaah - t-shirt and shorts!! - wow...that's all I can say with his request. Baby, this is will be our compromise, okay? I think I'll just bring my beach shorts, "surf" shorts, beach dresses, and etc. Will get the rest of my stuff there...

2. Activities

Since I haven't been there, I'm just relying on my friends' suggestions on what to do there. Lemme see, aside from office activities, I want to:

- get a henna/glitter tattoo
- bask in the sun
- watch the sunsets
- forget my problems and get drunk..just kidding!!
- go snorkeling
- write my name on the sand
- go skim boarding
- drink mango shakes all day
- food trip (moderately) don't want to get bloated or have digestive problems there
- make the beach my ramp..harhar..
- sleep
- shop
- take pictures
- meet new people (wink!)
- bond with friends
- spa
- document my officemates' scandals..(hooting!)
- meet my friends who are in bora (soo lucky people!)

^is that all that people do in bora?

-->course not..I'm saving some of the good stuff for when special people are with me...such as parasailing, scuba diving, diving with the funny helmet, trekking, skinny dipping (ooops..joke!)...
3. Body

I'm not a hag so there's no reason for me to look like one. Besides, with all that I think I'm going to spend all in the name of vanity, spending time to beautify, tone, sculpt my body should be top priority! Those new suits will be of no use for me if I will not be confident with my body. So my gameplan is...

...from now (Feb 17) until the day before BORA day...

:: absolutely no softdrinks (shucks, this is gonna be hard!!)
:: no saba con hielo, leche flan, halo halo dessert after lunch
:: sleep by 10-11 PM
:: run on the treadmill at least 20 minutes per day (huray to this, this is a check for today!)
:: do boxing once a week
:: do strength/weights training every other day for arms, legs, buns, thighs
:: do abs exercises on the stability ball every other day
:: run on the bike to cool down

there, I've officially turned into Jane Fonda! hahahaha...of course I wouldn't discount the fact that there'll be days I'll be tired (ows?) or unmotivated and that's what the Hip Hop Abs DVD is for!

I've got less than a month to go and I'll be keeping my eyes focused on my target.

4. Toiletries / Skin Essentials

I don't want to spend too much on this so I've trimmed down my list to the following:

:: Sunblock for my face - has to be VMV Armada
yes guys, girls have different sunblocks for the body and face
:: Sun protection for my hair
:: Hot Oil - I have this already..so that I can pamper my hair in the evening despite the sun-filled days

Ain't that a short list? hehe..Though short as it is, I hope I could finally be a 'light packer'. Right now it's a plentiful list of things I'll be brining for this trip and with a miracle, hopefully I can pack them all in my backpack.

Fun, flirty, sexy, happy, sunny Boracay......here I come!!!! : )

and as they say, "What happens in Bora, stays in Bora! (wink, wink!)"

To my valentine

2008-02-13T23:27:00.000+08:00

I'm going to share now what I've written 2 years back. It's basically a list of everything about Andrew - things I absolutely adore or hate about him but nonetheless are things that make him who he is - the person that I love.

This was written during a break up period when I was reassessing our relationship, how well we knew each other, how well we loved each other. And between sobs, I decided that the best way to let him know how much I appreciate him, the strengths and nuances of his persona, was to read to him this list; such a brave thing to do for a girl (you know, having to fight your tears and breaking voice and all that)

So to my baby, Happy Valentine's Day! Hopefully as the years go by, we'll get to know each other more and I'll be able to list down a hundred more!

1. Always fixes things for me
2. Looks so cute with his eyes closed while kissing me (mine are open..sometimes!)
3. Very sexy firm butt
4. Does not wear his seatbelt..bad!
5. Tighty whities..
6. Secretly jealous of stuffed toys
7. Has a carebears stuffed toy (care of me)
8. Forgot my 2005 birthday (oversleeping)
9. But quickly made up for it the next day
10. Wants to be an architect..and is gonna be a great one!
11. Formerly addicted to computer games
12. Gave me a real hard time reconciling with him
13. But he asked me back in the end
14. Sings I’ll be, Harana and Happy Birthday for me
15. Wants to buy men’s mags; only, I won’t let him
16. Is always my movie buddy
17. Is afraid of the future?
18. But loves kids
19. Conservative kuno
20. Detests mushrooms, papaya and other healthy foods
21. Can’t sleep without me giving him a kiss and saying ‘I Love You’
22. Loves massages
23. Is very ticklish
24. Has strong legs and big calves
25. Is afraid of the dermatologist
26. Rarely smiles in pictures
27. Always finds time to visit me (1x a week = 4x a month = 52x a year, approximately)
28. Does not get drunk
29. Borrows toiletries from me when on a trip
30. Loves badminton so much
31. Allows me all exceptions in his room…i can eat, sing, talk a lot
32. Is learning how to swim
33. Loves pinching my butt (ewan ko ba)
34. Had his nose hit by a softball
35. And bit by a dog a year later
36. Leaves all the ‘date’ planning to me
37. Gives romantic but practical gifts
38. Is so huggable (lika nga rito!)
39. Jokes around a lot
40. Is so malambing all the time
41. Doesn’t like giving flowers (but he still does)
42. Gave me a green heart-shaped tikoy on a valentine’s
43. Was forced (by me) to wear a black hi-cut trunks in Ace Water Spa
44. Doesn’t smoke (he decided to quit on the very first stick he tried)
45. Is very helpful to everyone
46. Loves cheese-flavored popcorn, fries and nuggets
47. Not a fan of softdrinks
48. My Divisoria buddy (guard..hehe)
49. Is such a gentleman
50. Goes to a PHP 30.00 barbero
51. Downloads _orn (corn?)
52. Does not want to ride the cruise ship
53. Has the same room color as mine (green!)
54. Has a growing beer belly
55. Was a blue baby
56. Is torpe! Hehe..
57. Was crushing on me during COMP1BU (feeling!)
58. Painfully shy
59. Has improved his dancing skills (even taught me the jive)
60. Loves to sleep
61. Is a good son, but a strict kuya
62. Takes care of me when I’m sick
63. Happily obliges to help me shop for swimsuits/lingerie
64. Very spontaneous
65. Always automatically places my head on his shoulders when I’m sleepy
66. Brings me home even if it’s late
67. Is my bestest friend
68. Loves to tickle me and make me laugh
69. Listens to my daydreaming
70. Is very good in math
71. Waits for me patiently, while I dress up
72. Loves very loooong walks
73. Someone very special to me
74. Willing to wait (y’all know what this means)
75. Just automatically finds my hand when walking…
76. Wrote me a totally unexpected monthsary letter
77. Almost (?) cried with my 1st Anniversary gift – a powerpoint presentation of us
78. Very honest with me
79. Wants me to change for the better
80. But accepts me for what/who I am
81. Lets me have the remote
82. Help me with homeworks/projects/brainteasers
83. Cute, plump, kissable lips
84. Respects me
85. Wants me to hug him while driving
86. Made my college life so wonderful
87. And up until now…

i feel good nanananananana....

2008-02-05T21:30:00.000+08:00

I'm probably at my heaviest now at 105 lbs but I feel great nonetheless. No exercise (bad), lotsa lotsa food, and sweets at that! I used to weigh anywhere between 95-100 lbs which made me kinda underweight. Back then I used to celebrate every pound added to my weight only to realize that I just lose it with the next bowel movement.

One would say that I'm the quintessential slim/petite girl who keeps on eating but never gets fat. Older people/girls in the office would really go green with envy since despite their efforts in trimming down, they just keep piling up the pounds. Whereas I...ah, nevermind! They just try to console themselves that I'll get fat too once I get married, or have a baby..etc. The typical crab mentality...

While I don't have a drop dead gorgeous body (just my face..hahahaha..), I honestly feel great about myself. You want flaws? Let's say my tummy is bigger now and my arms are not as toned as they used to be but I believe that those are just minor stuff to worry about. Why? Because I believe that in 3-4 weeks I can get them to their glorious state. Kidding aside, (but I'm serious) besides our body type, I think that a lot also depends with how we perceive ourselves. Sexy or not, it is important and a must for us to have a positive self-image. In the simplest sense it's simply loving yourself enough to accept the way you are and loving yourself enough to act on the change that needs to be done. In the real world, this means that I love my body enough not to starve it just to keep a "sexy, body-beautiful, beach babe" image but I also love it enough not to overdo eating, or have an unhealthy diet and lifestyle just to give in to my cravings/gluttony/food binging moments.

In the end, balance is still key.

But you must know though, I really had REAL toned abs last summer! Looking forward to a healthy, beautiful, sexy body not just in time for beach season but for a year on year satisfaction!

P.S. I love you

2008-02-02T20:16:00.000+08:00

Wow..I can't wait to watch this film! It's been almost a month since I've seen the poster in newspapers but I didn't really pay any attention to it because I thought that it would just be another-run-of-the-mill-tear-jerker-with-an-oh-so-predictable-plot-and-storyline; something that could wait until it's aired on hbo.

Well I haven't seen it yet but I'm guessing my initial presumption is wrong. I've seen the trailer and I was throroughly amused by the movie, the novelty of it all. It could still probably induce tears but I believe it's more of a laugh actually. Something surprising for a movie that involves a dead person.

I'm not going to go into full details now so as not to ruin your interest in case you want to watch it also, besides..I'll only be able to watch it next Saturday!!

much a do about cleanin'

2008-02-02T15:48:00.001+08:00

With so many things going on for me right now and still so very many things to do, I think I just have to stop and clean my room while my Martha Stewart attack is kicking in. I'm not really a neat-freak and not even my Mom's nagging could up my cleaning frequency. Aside from the simple throw the trash, pick up the dirt, bring down the glasses, change the sheets and etc, I rarely find time to actually deliberately clean my room!

Don't get me wrong though, there are probably 5 events in a year when I actually turn my room upside down and won't stop till it's spic and span:

1. New Year of course
2. Chinese New Year - a great second chance when I didn't make use of No. 1
3. A rather disturbing night when something just prods me to get the vacuum and zap away and really this happens at night
4. When I buy something new - which just has to have a really neat place to be put in
5. And on some occasions when my Mom REALLY nags me enough - otherwise I just put up a "fight" trying to protect the status quo

Mom tells me that a person's room is a reflection of how the room owner thinks. That could probably be true since (and I'm not claiming to be a very deep thinker here by the way) I find myself always lost in my many thoughts (think this: look at picture below).

Besides, I think I'm somewhat of a sentimental person and it's hard for me to just throw things away - yes, even my high school test papers are still filed in my room. Despite the "mess" she claims it is, everything is accounted for and I sure know which crevice to find it.

I think I'm really good at frustrating her in this regard because to her "girls' rooms should be clean all the time". And boy does she get a high everytime my brother's room is immaculately clean (won't compare it to mine though). Note to mom: sorry mom i'm wired this way..i'm trying though and one day you'll just be surprised! : )

I'll admit that it is such an effort on my part whenever I clean my room. An effort to start and an even larger effort to see it through. Aside from getting tired, I think it also frustrates me to know that at the end of a cleaning session, there would still be stuff lying around .. well not because I forgot about them but because there's no place to store them in yet!

My mom would really laugh if she reads this but believe it or not I have a grand plan for my room..my furniture/things have to be special or I won't have any (I'll leave my things first in the floor instead of buying substandard furniture lacking in taste and beauty). Things I'm saving up for would be the ff:

1. A decent bookcase/shelf that would really protect my books, preferably with a smoked glass top where I can place my milk at night.
2. Curtains - I've been searching and searching but to no avail. Sigh....but not to worry as I have the design in mind..guess I just have to customize it to my own liking
3. Pillowcases and beddings old world - in pure white, eyelet/lace trimmings complete with my monogram in red
4. More shelves for my closet
5. Feng Shui paintings for my walls
6. A table against the wall along the path to my comfort room..sorry it's not the best description but rest assured i know how it would look like and what it's for
7. lot's more!

Who wouldn't want a clean room? It's just that if my room is to be cleaned and tidied up, it has to be done by me and nobody else because it's my room in the first place and I think I can do a better job than anyone at it. And on the day I succeed (think April - May of this year), I'll be the one having the last laugh while they envy my sanctuary...

the bitch that i am

2008-01-24T19:56:00.000+08:00

It's funny how I've been alluded to a dog - by my own boyfriend nonetheless! As art imitates life and life imitates art, so do dogs imitate men as men imitate dogs.

You see, I have a pet shih tzu named Beyonce and I love her to bits! She's very cute, friendly, pretty, adorable, lovable, huggable, kissable, every positive +able word I can think of..but those are not the reasons he has for likening me to the pup (well, not that I don't have those qualities but I'll explain later on)..

As a person, I really appreciate open communications with other people. Be it the randomest of strangers, my parents, brother, maids, drivers, officemates, friends, basically everyone and anyone who's not so scary. It relieves me to know that they actually see me (hehe...that pun was intended for Emer in case he gets to read this) and just maybe are enjoying my company as well; or even if it's otherwise, as long as they are talking to me it's still okay.

Until I met his dad - the biggest communication barrier I have ever encountered. For starters, I knew that in the beginning, he wasn't totally for the relationship because we were still students (my response: duh, as if I was the one who courted his son..peace!). But when we both graduated from college, I think that it was already okay with him whatever his son wanted to do. 4 year later in the relationship was when I frequented their place as bf requested so that I can get to know his kin and they can get to know me too.

Don't get me wrong, his family (of course his Dad is included here) are all alright..but more often than not those meetings make me feel VERY uncomfortable. Quite ironic how you would feel welcomed yet still feel uncomfortable. I don't know if I'm just overacting or if I just have the wrong set of expectations but from childhood to adulthood, I always kinda knew that you would at least say "hi" to visitors.

But a man of few words he is. While he's not mute, Andrew says he's just shy (wtf?! I can't imagine me being shy in my own house...then again, we're two different people) Our encounters are only confined to the following:

Good morning/afternoon/evening (uttered by me upon arriving)
Thank you po! Mauna na ako (Thank you! I'll go ahead!) (uttered by me when i'm about to leave)

and his responses:

O sige (Okay)
A quiet smile

At this rate, I'm quite happy that he at leasts gives me a smile. Yet I still long to be able to confidently ask him:

How he's doing / How's the family doing / How's Andrew?
How's the business?
etc.

..just like how he converses with Andrew's friend (Big Bro Ry). I've been pestering them both on the secret to making him talk like that. They just say that it's "pakapalan ng mukha" or "feeling close". But I'm not like that, although I crave attention somewhat (sige na nga..) I can never seem to intrude his personal bubble/wall just to be noticed. I still respect his personal space.

So like my dog I'll just sulk in a little corner or focus my attention elsewhere when it just isn't happening even with a Happy New Year / Birthday, Merry Christmas SMS.

It's actually quite frustrating already on my end because I have already communicated this concern to bf hoping that somehow he'll be able to facilitate even a simple conversation between me and his dad..but he too won't budge! As to him, his dad is really like that and that it isn't necessary. That I should stop being KSP and just leave it at that. Said he, "were I a dog, I'd be the strong big one who wouldn't mind being left alone.."..if only he'd understand that I feel like isang malaking tae (a big shit) in the midst of them in their living room while watching TV.

I don't know whether it was flattery or sarcasm that he was going for but it's actually kinda perceptive of him to see how my dog has become so much like me or how much I have become like my dog (without the furball effect, paws and cute but sharp teeth plus peeing everywhere!)..see, my dog is thinking! However, I just don't know how to put it quite right as the general temperament of my dog's breed has been put to test whilst mine is being tested every second, every minute, every hour of the day...

Well shih tzu's are the patient type and the loving type and I think I'll just settle with me imitating my dog...for the meantime..

blogging like a virgin

2008-01-13T14:31:00.000+08:00

Sexual under- and over-tones aside, yes i feel like i'm blogging like a virgin. This would probably be my nth blog account over a period of 5 years. I started in my first year of college just for the heck of it or just because other people had blog accounts of their own - never mind if all they do is smother their site with gazillion pictures --> that's what blogs are (for them) anyway.

I signed up for Friendster, Multiply, Myspace, and other forgettable sites such as ____blog or blog____, I really don't remember. I think I had a maximum of 3 posts per blog and that was it - so very forgettable. Yet this time I'm blogging again - not because others are doing it but because I want to do it for myself. There's a very liberating and comforting feeling to be able to let out hidden or suppressed feelings or thoughts when society is not looking at the "public you". Without having to worry what others will think of me, I feel I can fully exercise my freedom of expression (of course with the tiny limitations that blogspot set).

I hope to be able to show the world the intimate part of the "real me". Just to clarify though, there might be some words or phrases that might be suggestive of things beyond what is wholesome but believe me, 99% of this blog will be very much wholesome..that's probably just how my inner workings are..

..and with that i do blog..