more today than yesterday

Yep, We Got A Mean Walk

2012-01-31T20:28:00.003+08:00

Here's another video from my group The Stylettos during one of our rehearsals. This time, we dance to Mean Walk by Mrs Daja and Nicki Minaj! Choreography by Dianne Sulit and Kheng Francisco. Taken at the ACTS Dance and Arts Academy.

Hunt for the Best Tea Shop in Manila

2012-01-19T01:20:00.003+08:00

I drink tea (ex: iced tea) and a few other types, but I'm no fan of milk teas. However, as this seems to be the latest craze in the city (and with all the tea shops sprawling here and there), my fiance and I can't help but be curious and therefore have tried a few of these shops. Like I said, I don't like milk tea at all so my dear would always order milk tea, and I would try out all the other drinks that do not have MILK and TEA together on its name. Here's our adventure!

This is one of my favorites! The Mongolian Choco Rock Salt and Cheese with Pearl from Caprice! Back when they weren't offering this, I would always order Wintermelon Fruit Tea, the perfect drink to bring inside the cinemas. The store is conveniently located at the Eastwood Citywalk cinema so I would always grab a drink before we head to watch a movie.

Our latest discovery in Marikina City: Zentea. Conveniently located within walking distance of my fiance's house, we can simply go there to satisfy our cravings. The store is quite small but cozy and is always packed with youngsters who cannot afford Starbucks anymore. I ordered a safe wintermelon tea drink, as pictured here.

Here's my most favorite drink from my favorite tea shop! The Cocoa Rock Salt and Cheese from Happy Lemon. The store in Eastwood Mall is always packed, and I would always have to stand in line along with noisy (but entertaining) teenagers during weekends.

Even my nephew loves the Lemon Peppermint Tea!

Then there's the Moonleaf Tea Shop in Marikina, which is a jeepney ride away from my fiance's house. We would go here before we discovered Zentea, but I think their Wintermelon Black Tea is too strong for me. Last time I had one, it was so hard for me to sleep that night! The store is student-friendly, since it is located in front of a school (OLOPSC). Proof that students hang out in this shop often can be found on their vandalized tables.

I must say that Serenitea serves my favorite Wintermelon Tea. They also have a store in Eastwood where I usually hangout, so I go there when I am not in the mood for Happy Lemon (like when Happy Lemon weren't serving my favorite drinks because they ran out of water).

While I'm happy that I can have Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Red Mango all to myself because all the people are flocking to these tea shops, I must say that I hope they are not a fad and would stay in business for a long time. The affordable drinks make it easier for pinoys to know that there are other beverages aside from Coke and coffee. Hope to try our more tea shops soon! I haven't gone to Chatime, Sharetea or Bubble Tea but I will one of these days!

Why I Love My BlackBerry

2011-11-29T01:18:00.003+08:00

I've been a BlackBerry user for almost a year now. I bought my first Blackberry Curve 9300 around the end of December last year and since then, I have loved and I guess will always be a BB babe. I have tried different mobile phones in the past--from the ancient Nokia 5110 to Sony Ericsson and even the touch screen Samsung Corby mobile phones. But why am I so sold at my BlackBerry that I might have convinced a few friends--and my iPhone fan fiance--to switch to a BB?

BlackBerry Messenger

This is the ultimate application that beats texting, provided your whole set of friends and family are on BBM too! Of course I have to be subscribed to BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service) but it only costs roughly Php300 a month for unlimited BBM and social apps, or Php600 if I also want to use email services. I know a lot of friends who significantly reduced their monthly phone bills when they started using their BBMs! Plus, I can BBM anyone even if they are abroad, perfect for families and friends who are away. Oh and there is no need to be connected to WiFi in order to use it.

Social Apps

Being a Twitter and Facebook junkie, I love how I can also check my friend's updates in the absence of WiFi connection or a laptop. It also gives me freedom to post photos and updates in real time. These apps also allow me to contact my friends who are not on BBM (but who are always on Facebook and Twitter). Nice, huh? Again, this is another load-saving benefit, decreasing the need for me to visit the nearby sari-sari stores (variety stores) to buy load.

Yahoo Messenger and GTalk

Because my fiance's iPhone was stolen a few months back (and he refuses to use any other mediocre phone), it is very hard for me to get in touch with him. However, since I have YM on my BB because of the BIS, I can message him anytime while he is at work, informing him about my whereabouts. A freelancer like me never stays at one place in a single day so it is very useful. In addition, I can also go online on GTalk so my clients can send me messages even when I am not online on GMail. Isn't that cool?

Email

I can also receive and send emails using my phone without having to install a new app. When I send emails, you will see that cool message at the bottom that says "Sent from my BlackBerry Mobile Device." It makes my emails look cool-er-rer. Yeah.

More Features

BlackBerry Protect app automatically backs up my messages, contacts and apps so I can still install the same information on a new device. My first BB was broken and I had everything restored on my new BB, without the need for me to sync it with iTunes, etc. My Facebook and Google calendar syncs with my phone's so I would never have to forget a birthday because my phone would remind me with an alarm. I can also purchase paid apps using my Paypal account, unlike iPhone Appworld that only accepts credit cards.

Most of all, I have to say that the QWERTY keyboard makes the BlackBerry very attractive to my eyes. I am not an iPhone hater, in fact, I enjoyed tinkering with my fiance's iPhone before it was stolen and I even plan to purchase an iPad 2 so i could still enjoy the Apple apps (I am a MacBook user too). Still, BlackBerry will be my top choice when it comes to mobile phones. The phone is far from perfect--I could use a better battery life or fewer instances of the phone freezing--but it's something I could certainly live with. What about you? Why do you love your BlackBerry? (And what's your BBM? Haha!)

Whip My Hair

2011-10-12T12:12:00.002+08:00

Our trip to Cebu last July was not all about food. We held dance workshops at our friend's studio, Spotlight Dance Co as part of the ACTS Academy Workshop Tour. This is a video of my Ladies Hiphop dance class, featuring music by Willow Smith and Nicki Minaj: Whip My Hair.

I must say, despite the hardships that all the ladies like me encounter everyday, it's a must we whip our hair through it and rock this life like crazy. (That's just me trying to put a little drama into this otherwise usual dance video. Haha!)

I teach at the ACTS dance studio regularly, visit their website for class schedules and updates. :)

Eat and Be Merry

2011-10-08T00:37:00.001+08:00

On days when I find myself unable to finish writing my articles for work, I usually become creative enough to write for my blog. Tonight, I find myself unable to do both. Still, I have a strong urge to add something to this blog, and so I would attempt to write anything from the top of my mind. Because my Happy Lemon craving wasn't satisfied tonight, I would write about food!

I am one of the lucky ones who can eat a ton and yet never gain weight. I never have to worry about eating food that may contain high calories or fats. It could be that I have so much physical activity that keeps me from gaining weight or I simply have a very fast metabolism. I'm sorry, friends, but I'd like to be mean for one second and say this--EAT YOUR HEART OUT! Haha! Anyway, I can literally eat with all my heart because I don't have to worry about counting calories. My point is, I'd like to share the best and worst foods that I have ever tasted. These are mostly deserts--I always have room for desert. Again, please discontinue reading if you are famished, the following photos may be harmful for your computer screen.

This is the Tempura Ice Cream from Ramen Bar in Eastwood. It was good, but the ramen and their fried rice are certainly worth going back for. At Php120, two people can share this already.

I originally wanted to try their mango crepe, but when I saw on the menu that they have double chocolate fudge brownie crepe at La Creperie in Eastwood Mall, I just had to order it. Well, my fiance loves chocolate, and although I am not a chocolate lover, I sort of want to see his reactions whenever he tastes chocolate that is "heavenly". This costs around Php220 and is also good for 2.

This next one is a birthday ice cream from Chili's at Greenbelt. Nothing special here, but the vanilla ice cream goes well with the crust. Not bad for free ice cream!

I was not sure if I wanted to grab the boy or the slice of cake. This is a slice of banoffee pie from Banapple in Katipunan, adorned with a birthday candle for the little boy to blow. I always leave the restaurant superbly full! And they also serve the yummiest mango shake I have ever tasted in my life.

I love pizza and I love steak, and Uncle Cheffy serves really good ones!

At Myron's place in Greenbelt, they also serve heavenly steaks to die for!

Then there's the chilled taho from King Bee at Marcos Highway. I could probably gulp down 2 to 3 of these in one sitting!

This nasi goreng (fried rice) from Biku in Bali, Indonesia was my basic food when I lived there. It has just the right amount of spices and flavor! I want to learn how to cook this, since it would cost me a lot before I get another taste of Bali!

At the same restaurant (Biku), I tasted the sweetest and freshest strawberries and cream in my life.

I had a lot of good food in many other places and will start posting them one at a time. I realized I have this habit of taking photos of food that I eat everywhere, so I might as well share. Hungry?

Hiphoppin'

2011-09-08T21:30:00.000+08:00

I have not shared any dance videos recently in this blog, as I have not really been very keen to share any of our recent performances. Here's one that I am happy to share. One of these days, I will post a video with these lovely hiphopping ladies dancing to my choreo. Watch out for it!

The Stylettos dancing to Muny by Nikki Minaj. Choreography by Dianne Sulit. Taken at ACTS Dance and Arts Academy. :)

Cebu Trip Turned Food Trip

2011-08-23T08:49:00.002+08:00

My first trip to Cebu was a total relaxation and a feast for my appetite! Our Cebuana friend, Marie, took us in her house-turned-dance-studio (Spotlight Dance Co Cebu) in Mandaue City where we did a 3-day workshop series during our stay. We arrived very early in the morning from a very early flight (4am) so despite our hunger, we slept as soon as arrived at the house, but that day's lunch was the beginning of an almost week-long food adventure! Warning: I am about to post photos of food. Make sure you are not famished otherwise you might smack at your monitors...

Day 1

We had lunch at Harbour City where there's really affordable but very delicious dim sum.

The desert I had was equally delicious considering it only costs around Php50! Choco bavarian creme for the win!

We spent the rest of the day going around Ayala Mall and exploring Magellan's Cross before our dance classes that evening. We had our late lunch at Chowabunga in Cebu IT Park, where they serve rice wrapped in scrambled egg. It was yummy!

The highlight of the day! Desert! Always my favorite part of the meal, we had our first warm brownie cup from La Marea for desert and we felt like we were in heaven.

Day 2

We cooked breakfast that consisted of spam, eggs, tuna and corn--a great way to start another long day.

Our second day in Cebu was reserved for a fishing trip, but before heading to the marina, we stopped over a store by the street to grab some halo-halo! This is one of the best I've tasted my whole life, as it was packed with fresh fruits (including avocado).

We ate the fish we caught for lunch, but before it became the bangus sisig, it looked like this. Nice catch, right?

We had dinner at Abuhan Restaurant where they serve great pochero (Cebuano's version of nilagang baka). Desert was epic, as it was spent at East West where we had our dose of mango sushi crepe. If Jon went crazy about the warm brownie cup, I went crazy for this. I could eat a whole plate on my own!

Day 3

We woke up just in time to watch Captain America showing at 1pm. Thus, we had a very late lunch at Sunburst, a place that's very popular for their chicken and crispy chicken skin.

It was the last day of workshops so we hung at the studio a little longer with the students, and we realized that if we have dinner first, La Marea will close before we get there (it closes at 11pm). We therefore decided to go to the shop before having dinner. Yup, desert came first!

After that, we headed to Larshian for the real dinner.

Day 4

Beach bound! It's the weekend, and we headed north to San Remigio beach where our friend has a beach house. The halo-halo store was on the way so we had our usual stop over.

Our Cebu trip will not be complete without it, so guess what we had for lunch and dinner by the beach: lechon! Stuffed myself silly and slept all afternoon, woke up for dinner then had a massage. I wished I could like that everyday, but I wonder if I would still appreciate it. Hmm.

Day 5

Our last day on the beach, we woke up around 5am to go to this store in town that serves very good puto maya and pure hot cocoa.

After overdosing ourselves with cholesterol from the lechon, grilled fish and squid were served for lunch!

Everyone else flew back home that night except me, my fiance and another friend of ours.

Day 6

Our last day in Cebu. Marie treated us to a goodbye lunch at Chika-an, where we had kare-kare, kalderetang kambing (I did not try it), Monggo soup, sizzling squid, ensaladang mangga and cucumber lemonade.

Of course we had both a warm brownie cup and mango sushi crepe for desert as it's our last hurrah to get it. The trip was fun, not only because of all the places we went to and the food we ate but because of the company and the new people we met during our dance workshops. We promised it's going to be an annual trip. On that note, and because I am writing this from the studio, I shall go ahead and grab breakfast from McDonald's!

On A Serious Note

2011-07-22T01:31:00.008+08:00

A few hours ago, I was annoyed to my core and could not help but burst into a controversial tweet and Facebook status. The reactions were pretty amusing and I eventually felt better after reading and replying to all the witty comments from friends. The best part? I think the person I was mysteriously referring to KNOWS that I am referring to no other person but HER. Entertaining, right?

Disclaimer: I am about to write something very vague. I don't think I'm supposed to write about this but for the sake of making myself feel better, I will ramble anyway.

I have always been misunderstood in one aspect of my life and opinion, and after what happened last year, I could no longer fight for any case regardless if I could die knowing I am right, even if that case was already my case even before last year's turmoil (and partly may have even caused the turmoil). Now that I have more valid and rational reasons to put this case forward (example: greener pasture), it's still ignored and I am more evidently misunderstood. Got it? I know you didn't. Haha.

Today, I think my dear one somehow forgot one of our rules or he may have deliberately done it to piss me off. He lost something valuable (wasn't my fault in any way) and I took most of the blow, which I don't really mind as it is my pleasure to comfort him. However, things from the past were brought up and I just felt completely depressed. Still, I felt it's not the time for me to bring it up and discuss as he still copes from his loss. Besides, he made me feel how I'm such a burden to him right now and I didn't really want to validate that.

The tweets and facebook status: "The Strike 2"
I went on and replied to tweets that for me appear to be flirtatious. Take note: this is not the first time it happened, but this is the first time I reacted publicly and I made sure the person sees it. Can anyone blame me if I think the tweets are inappropriate for a girl who is in a relationship? What if it was me who send tweets like that to someone else? Can I pass it up as wholesome and brotherly? I don't think so. Well, she did not reply directly to my supposedly friendly tweet that simply show I am supporting my better half to encourage her. I guess she was smart enough to see the sarcasm. I know she realized I was referring to her in my Facebook status when she started acting innocent and tweeting about people being judgmental. How entertaining!

"The Strike 1"
Several months ago (shortly after I arrived from Bali), my fiance tagged me along to a party. When this girl in question arrived, she greeted my man, he greeted back and she demanded that he kisses her too instead of giving her a plain and simple hi. My man was caught in a rather awkward moment knowing I heard and saw everything and simply told her that I was there (in embarrassment). He knows me so well that this is not the kind of thing that is acceptable in our relationship. We established already that it was him who allowed people to treat him like that and have agreed to do otherwise. I have nothing against the girl, but the question still remains--if she is really like that why not ask everyone else in the room to kiss her? What if I wasn't there, would he have given her the kiss she was asking for, regardless if it was a "friendly" one on the cheek? Would she ask my guy to kiss her if her boyfriend was standing right next to her? How would she feel if another girl asks the same thing from her boyfriend?

On A Serious Note
My rage aside, and even if there is no history of jealousy and cheating involved, I think it's a matter of respect which this silly girl doesn't seem to have. It's hidden in innocent tweets and church-going facade but she doesn't know how to act appropriately as a person who is in a relationship. Even if there is truly nothing going on, there should be a certain level of distance. I do not ask my best guy friend (a close friend of mine since high school) to kiss me in place of a simple hi. Any person who religiously attends church should know that. I am not coming clean but having done both the right and the wrong, and taking responsibility as well as the consequences for my actions, I reckon I am in a very good position to recognize it and stop it at its onset. I expect more from this educated person and I am truly disappointed. Is it really hard to respect other people?

I feel somehow better now because I know that the case I have been fighting for since time immemorial (even back before our first breakup in 2009 happened) have a solid grounding. No amount of invalidation can discourage me now, at least in that aspect. The only difference is I get more assurance now that I am the only one but I also always get reminded for getting derailed for a while. I feel pathetic at times, but I figured love sucks like that. I am just really scared that there might come a day when I would grow tired and simply stop fighting or caring. I am not very difficult to love, but because I give a high regard to myself and value things that most people don't, it can be quite challenging to keep up.

I have to admit that my Facebook status was a little harsh, but I enjoyed the reaction I gained afterwards. After all, that's freedom of speech, right? If she has the right to bluntly flirt with my man then I am free to bash. I could be a witch with a capital B when I want to, and I mean it.

Who is wrong in this sticky situation? My man, the little miss, or me? Your opinion is welcome.

Dance Trip to Singapura

2011-07-21T21:03:00.000+08:00

We found out about a seat sale online, our friends are convincing us to fly to attend classes and the next thing we know, we booked a flight to Singapore in three weeks' time! That was a very short notice for us who like to plan our trips well but we figured we just have to do it now or never.

The flight was pretty smooth and fun, I experienced the most comfortable descent ever. It was raining when we landed at Changi International Airport. We will stay at a friend's house for the rest of the days but we booked our first night in a cheap backpackers hostel where we shared a room with 8 other people, 4 of which were white European men (who were probably our age). It was a shock when we found them shirtless when we went back to our room that evening. I did not like any part of that stay, but we were on a tight budget and would rather spend on a dance class. Like I always say, it's another story to tell! It was a relief to finally move to my friend's house at Marymount.

July 1, Friday
We explored Marina Bay during the day before we attended our first dance class at Recognize Studios in the evening. I took Reggae and Vogueing, thus giving me several bruises on my knee and elbows after my FIRST dance class. Gosh. We also took a bus back to Marymount only to realize we got off on the wrong stop that we had to take a taxi cab! The bus was impressive, we can use our "MRT cards" to pay for the fare.

July 2, Saturday
Universal Studios! I enjoyed the shows. I am not of fan of rides that make me feel as if I left my soul somewhere up in the air so I was only able to really appreciate the ones that put the movies to life. My favorite attraction was Waterworld, being a fan of this movie since I was a little kid. Perhaps I would enjoy it even more if I was with my fiance or my family.

July 3, Sunday
We attended our first Brian Puspos class at DanzPeople. After the class, I met up with my fiance and I's best friend who has been working in SG for a year already. They took me around Orchard Road, which was probably a bad idea because of the crowd--it was Sunday and payday so everyone was out spending their money! I enjoyed sitting down with them though and catching up as well reminiscing our stories. Nothing beats seeing a good friend that I haven't seen in a while. I met up with my friends again and we had a very late dinner at Newton Circus with our newfound friend/dance teacher Brian.

July 4, Monday
Watched the Transformers movie in the afternoon then headed to the studio again to accompany my friend Apple as she takes another BP class.

July 5, Tuesday
Went to Bugis for shopping! Well I did not really shop as I was saving my money for classes. I just bought a few strands of blonde hair extensions for only $1 each. All of us attended another BP class--it was frustrating as his style is so different from mine but I was very challenged at the same time. We headed to Recognize after class to watch the class of Mike Silas (Lady Gaga's choreographer). We arrived in time to catch his very inspiring talk--I was in tears when I left the studio. Never have I been so sure that I am in the right industry, doing what I love.

July 6, Wednesday
Our last full day in Singapore. Attended the Jazz Funk class (finally, something I can do very well!) with Mazlan. Also, we were so blessed to have been allowed to join the BP class that night even if the class was full already. My friends and I ended the night with Jack Daniels, Tiger and some Bacardi!

I didn't want the trip to end but my resources are already at its lowest (READ: wallet seem to be on a diet). After the trip, I have never been inspired to teach and train at the same time. I felt good about myself because of this trip, knowing that I can still improve and that there are many opportunities ahead of me.

Singapore Trip Teaser

2011-07-06T04:25:00.001+08:00

This entry is not the full account of my one week trip to Singapore. I simply want to write how overwhelmed and thankful I am to have gone to this trip (which we booked in a whim). We went here to attend dance classes that are not usually offered in the Philippines, as well as to catch a dance class or two from an international choreographer that my friends really like. The classes and the teachers I have met have all been inspiring.

I am reminded of why I love dancing and how much I love performing. Most importantly, my passion to teach and share my talent to other people was re-ignited. I have not been very confident so far about my skills in terms of choreography and execution. After this trip, I am humbled, more inspired to increase my talent and to keep working harder. This is love.

With Izzy, Vogueing Class

With Brian Puspos

Boracay

2011-06-12T23:31:00.002+08:00

I should be writing 3 overdue articles for one of my clients, but here I am tapping my keyboard away to write a blog entry. But hey, it's Sunday evening so I guess I deserve a little bit of break to write about the beach!

Yup! Last month, I spent 3 days and 3 nights in Boracay Island. It was my fiance and I's first time to go there, and the flight we took was hours earlier than the rest of the gang we are spending the holiday with. It was quite an adventure to get there, as we did not know exactly how plus we relied solely on the advice of several friends. I was hesitant at first to take a Zest Air flight, but I was generally comfortable and satisfied throughout our short flight from Manila to Kalibo. The 2-hour shuttle ride from Kalibo International Airport to Caticlan Jetty Port was rather boring and could've been more exciting had I taken it with people I know. When we finally arrived at the Boracay Island, we still had to take a tricycle to the beach and we were surprised at how expensive the fares are!

My fiance and I spent the whole afternoon by the beach with our bags still with us, as the owner of the house we were going to stay at took a later flight. It was a lovely feeling to watch the sunset again after having done it almost everyday for over two months when I lived in Bali last yeat. It is even more wonderful that I got to watch it with my love. I watched two more sunsets in Boracay during my stay there, and all were breathtaking. I was also able to put my expertise in beach photography into use. The long walks from Station 2 to 3 was quite enjoyable too, at least for someone like me who likes walking. :)

We went island hopping, food tripping, happy hour (at 2pm!), snorkeling (which I did not enjoy because of the huge waves), and sun bathing--I couldn't help but wish to live like that everyday! Our trip was concluded during our last night in the island, when we were invited to someone's beach party with free flowing cocktails. The highlight of the night? I jammed with a reggae band (after a little persuasion from drunk friends) and danced with Jon at the beach under the moonlight.

I must say that we fell in love with Boracay because of its beauty. I would definitely go back next year.

Engaged

2011-05-05T02:29:00.000+08:00

After 5 (long) years and 5 (long) months, I am engaged! The heartaches, pain, negativities, as well as the joys and laughters have all been summed up and taken on a (slightly) higher notch. I honestly did not think that my relationship, after all that we have been through, would still reach this stage. I have to admit that deep inside me I wanted it to happen but on the surface I simply stopped believing it will.

Our trip to Baguio last February was highlighted by a surprise proposal from my dear boyfriend of five years (and my best friend for like, forever).

Obviously, I said yes!

And I'm thankful for having polished my nails for this picture perfect effect. :D

Insensitive

2011-01-24T21:41:00.001+08:00

Can't believe how some people can be so insensitive. Valuing something else so petty instead of how the person you say you love would feel. Sometimes, I wish I could be like this.

Maybe you might have some advice to give on how to be insensitive?

Insensitive - Jann Arden

How do you cool your lips after a summer’s kiss
How do you rid the sweat after the body bliss
How do you turn your eyes from the romantic glare
How do you block the sound of a voice you’d know anywhere

Oh, I really should have known by the time you drove me home
By the vagueness in your eyes, your casual good-byes
By the chill in your embrace, the expression on your face that told me
Maybe you might have some advice to give on how to be insensitive

How do you numb your skin after the warmest touch
How do you slow your blood after the body rush
How do you free your soul after you’ve found a friend
How do you teach your heart it’s a crime to fall in love again

Oh, you probably won’t remember me, it’s probably ancient history
I’m one of the chosen few who went ahead and fell for you
I’m out of hope, I’m out of touch, I fell too fast, I feel too much
I thought that you might have some advice to give on how to be insensitive

Brain Farts from my Facebook Profile

2011-01-23T22:52:00.001+08:00

There's this app in Facebook that I tried out and it sort of extracts all the status messages that you posted for the whole year. Here are some of what I wrote since 2009. I only picked out my favorites--some were quotes I found somewhere, and some are lines of a song. What's your favorite?

2010

Everyone has the right to love or hate you. It's how you respond to it that makes the difference.

Lifelong relationships require FAITH (believing the best) and FORGIVENESS (forgetting the worst). Dear God, please let me have both.

Love sunsets. Reminds me how a day, or anything else, could end so beautifully.

I choose to respond to cruelty with love. Will you?

Learn to say sorry, value the people you love and who loves you, and say thanks to people who exert an effort to care.

A girl doesn't need to take her shirt off for a guy to have a view of her heart.

If you did not bother to ask me how I am doing, how I feel, hear my side and ask if I'm okay, then you don't have the right to judge me.

People laugh at me because I'm different. I laugh at them because they are all the same.

2009

Ang mga gamit, kahit papaano kayang bilhin. Ang buhay hindi. Thank God that all my friends and family survived the horrible weekend. Walang tulog, takot at gutom pero we survived. I now pray for comfort for the families who lost their loved ones.

Once lang ang ligaw. Pero araw araw ang panunuyo.

You fall, I rise.

Roller Coaster Ride That's Called 2010

2011-01-10T21:29:00.001+08:00

I'll be so happy one minute then incredibly sad the next.

Like riding a rollercoaster. You are up at the top for a second, but will be at the bottom before you know it. It comes with thrills that are uncomfortably pleasing but you don't want to be on it forever. Good thing is that every ride will come to an end eventually. And so my 2010 did.

I lost faith in myself, in people and most especially in God. I sought refuge in all the wrong places when I didn't get what I want right away. I ended up losing more than I ever bargained for. Last year probably marks the record number of tears that I cried. The laughter I had didn't quite catch up.

At the time when I left Manila 2 days after my 26th birthday, people took me for granted and no one trusted me. My accidental 2 months in Bali found me new people--some trustworthy and some who are just not worth it. The place loved me and I loved it back wholeheartedly. It helped me find myself and realize what I really want and where I should be. Perhaps it also made some people realize my worth because I wasn't around.

2010 ended well anyway. I was full of hope that "every little thing is gonna be alright". I am still so tired of bargaining and compromises but I guess life is never complete without it.

This 2011, I am determined pursue the life-long goals I wrote down when I was still young and innocent. Focus on things that I have and I can do rather than those that I don't have and which are out of my control. Grab opportunities that come my way. Make things happen.

I don't want to write another blog a year from now, wishing that I had done these things last year. I will write about adventures and achievements as much as I write about heartbreaks and love stories. Hello, 2011!

My 2010 in photos:

Surprise birthday treat for Apple: March 2010

Trip to Calaruega: April 2010

Danced with Charice: May & September 2010

ACTS Summer at Calatagan: June 2010

New ACTS Dance and Arts Academy studio: September 2010

Party nights in Bali: November 2010

Found my Storm Trooper: November 2010

Jeff and Meg's Wedding: December 2010

Zachy is a big boy now: December 2010

When A Heart Breaks, No It Don't Breakeven

2010-11-15T13:10:00.000+08:00

I just don't want to hurt anymore. Is that too much to ask? How do you teach one's self to let go and move on?

Down to my last few days here in Bali. I came here with a broken heart and I really don't want to take it back home with me. I know I'm a different person and if nobody wants to believe it, it's not my loss. Bali loves me and so does Manila. No one should be able to take that away from me unless I allow them to.

I'm falling to pieces anyway.

Breakeven - The Script

I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing
Just prayed to a God that I don't believe in
Cause I got time while she got freedom
Cause when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven

Her best days will be some of my worst
She finally met a man that's gonna put her first
While I'm wide awake she's no trouble sleeping
Cause when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven, even, no

What am I suppose to do when the best part of me was always you
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're okay

I'm falling to pieces, yeah
I'm falling to pieces...

They say bad things happen for a reason
But no wise words gonna stop the bleeding
'Cause she's moved on while I'm still grieving
And when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven, even, no

What am I gonna do when the best part of me was always you
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're okay

I'm falling to pieces, yeah
I'm falling to pieces (One's still in love while the other one's leaving)
I'm falling to pieces (Cause when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven)

You got his heart and my heart and none of the pain
You took your suitcase, I took the blame
Now I'm tryin' to make sense of what little remains
Cause you left me with no love and no love to my name

Sunsets in Bali

2010-11-13T20:17:00.000+08:00

I love sunsets and here in Bali, they are really beautiful. Maybe it's because there's no smog at all which makes me see the sky clearly. The sunsets I've seen recently reminded me that a day, no matter how bad it was can end so beautifully. All days wouldn't end like these all the time, as you can see in my pictures, even the same sunset in the same place can look differently but it's good to know that it's capable to do so when it can. Made me realize that anything in life can end beautifully, although it won't all the time.

I'm on my last week in paradise and who knows when I will be back here, but I am sure to treasure the sun and the whole experience forever.

Better in Time :)

2010-11-01T14:21:00.001+08:00

I've been through so much for the past months but this is me now. Growing, getting better, wiser and most importantly, stronger. And prettier. Haha. Well there's still a hint of sadness in my heart, but I know this will be gone soon enough. I am amazed with how I have helped myself survive the past month with: yoga, dance, music, writing and photography and of course a whole new set of wonderful people I can call friends. What I learned? Just rely on yourself to make you happy and all the other things and people should just be bonuses. I couldn't agree more with Temple Grandin--the world is cruel but I don't have to be. Especially not to myself. One day, all my sufferings would end and I wouldn't be surprised if I see myself forgiving and surviving without those things and people that contributed towards my pain.

I just gotta smile coz I deserve to. :)

Better in Time - Leona Lewis

It's been the longest winter without you
I didn't know where to turn to
See somehow I can't forget you
After all that we've been through

Going coming
Thought I heard a knock
Who's there no one
Thinking that I deserve it
Now I realize that I really didn't know
If you didn't notice you mean everything
Quickly I'm learning to love again
All that I know is I'mma be ok

Thought I couldn't live without you
It's gonna hurt when it heals too
It'll all get better in time
Even though I really love you
I'm gonna smile cause I deserve to
It'll all get better in time

I couldn't turn on the TV
Without something there to remind me
Was it all that easy
To just put aside your feelings

If I'm dreaming don't wanna laugh
Hurt my feelings but that's the path I'll believe in
And I know time will heal it
If you didn't notice boy you mean everything
Quickly I'm learning to love again
All I know is I'mma be okay

Thought I couldn't live without you
It's gonna hurt when it heals too
It'll all get better in time
Even though I really love you
I'm gonna smile cause I deserve to
It'll all get better in time

Since there's no more you and me
It's time I let you go so I can be free
And live my life how it should be
No matter how hard it is I'll be fine without you , yes I will

Thought I couldn't live without you
It's gonna hurt when it heals too
It'll all get better in time
Even though I really love you
I'm gonna smile cause I deserve to, yes I do
It'll all get better in time

Life is Beautiful

2010-10-30T02:08:00.002+08:00

Many people say that when one is hurting, he or she becomes creative. Here are some of the photos I've taken recently. Aside from writing and yoga, this is another way for me to vent out my frustration, anger and pain. I hope my life is as beautiful as these.

I wonder why the tsunami earlier this week did not hit Bali instead... I have been praying for an end to all my sufferings but no answer seem to come.

Like We Used To

2010-10-21T03:53:00.011+08:00

Will he love you like I loved you?

Will he tell you everyday?

Will he make you feel like your invincible with every word he'll say?

Does he hold you when you cry?

Of course not! Unless hibang ka, then you'll expect someone to do this for you. Niloloko ko lang sarili ko. This is never going to get right, and I will always live under that shadow kahit wala akong gawin para magtrigger. Gaya nga ng narealize ko recently: care less, give less to prevent disappointments. Napaka-tanga ko para umasa na magbabago ang lahat, to have given so much, to have cared so much at umasa na makaramdam ako ng suyo at pagmamahal. Hindi na pala uso yon!

Cheers to a new life in a place where nobody knows me. Oh hello, Bali! It's just you and me now. I'm all yours, love. ♥

Sa lahat ng hindi naniwala at nag-down saken at nagsabi na wala akong kwenta, etong sayo!!

Like We Used To - A Rocket to the Moon

I could feel her breath as she's sleeping next to me

Sharing pillows and cold feet

She can feel my heart; fell asleep to its beat

Under blankets and warm sheets

If only I could be in that bed again

If only it were me instead of him

Does he watch your favorite movies

Does he hold you when you cry

Does he let you tell him all your favorite parts

When you've seen it a million times

Does he sing to all your music

While you dance to purple rain

Does he do all these things

Like I used to

14 months and 7 days ago,

Oh I know you know how we felt about that night

Just your skin against the window

Oh we took it slow and we both know

It shoulda been me inside that car

It should have been me instead of him in the dark

Does he watch your favorite movies

Does he hold you when you cry

Does he let you tell him all your favorite parts

When you've seen it a million times

Does he sing to all your music

While you dance to purple rain

Does he do all these things

Like I used to

I know that love happens all the time, love

I'm a sucker for that feeling

You're on my mind, love

I always end up feeling cheated

And that happens all the time, love

Oh darling, I know I'm not needed

Will he love you like I loved you

Will he tell you everyday

Will he make you feel like your invincible

With every word he'll say

Can you promise me that this was right

Don't throw it all away

Can you do all these things

Will you do all these things

Like we used to

Celebrating My First Month in Bali

2010-10-18T23:40:00.001+08:00

I was able to go out a couple of time this weekend, and unconsciously celebrated my first month in Bali.

Friday

4:30pm. I took a walk and explored the fancy concept shops along Laksamana Street in Seminyak. I found a decent tatoo parlor which is a little upscale an might not actually be the best anyway. I also saw rice fields behind some shops that has glass windows at the back. It's a pretty sight.

6:30pm. I practiced hot yoga until around 8pm went back to my villa to attend the ACTS Board meeting via Skype. I cooked dinner too.

11:45pm. Picked up by my yoga teacher/dance core student/studio owner and her boyfriend and we went out to a party in Drupadi Street in Seminyak, in a nice open place beside a rice field. I tried taking pictures but it was just too dark for my humble cellphone. I really found it funny for a restaurant/bar to be beside a freaking rice field! I had fun and it actually kept my mind away from being paranoid and pessimistic.

Saturday

A slow day.

1:00pm. I taught one hiphop class in the afternoon and then slept for the most part of the day. This is the day when all body ache decided to manifest from all the physical activities I did for the week.

Sunday

Woke up at around lunch time and cooked food.

4:00pm. Hot yoga class. One of the best classes that I enjoyed. There were only 3 students (including myself) so the teacher really got to focus on us and correct our postures.

7:00pm. Dinner at Sea Circus Restaurant again in Seminyak (Oberoi Rd) with yoga-mates and some new friends. The food was good, the place is really cozy and hip and the company I was with was better. I was the youngest of the bunch and I extremely felt like a kid.

What I realized? I have been too hard on myself over the past couple of weeks and that I should start taking it easy.

10-14-10

2010-10-15T00:57:00.007+08:00

October 14th is a month after my 26th birthday ♥. And a month away from our supposedly 5th anniversary.

Today was a better day than the previous days. I guess all the dancing, students and new acquaintances helped greatly. And listening to songs as always.

It's my rest day from teaching tomorrow but I hope to practice yoga and at least walk around again. Not part of my exciting and should be forgotten list of things to do in here (I made a personal vow to marry my villa for the next month as shown in my previous post), but at least I get to breathe some fresh air for a few hours. I shall find my own happiness and stop relying on other people to make me happy. Still looking for a good tattoo shop.

September - Daughtry

How the time passed away
All the trouble that we gave
And all those day we spent out by the lake
Has it all gone to waste?
All the promises we made
One by one they vanished just the same

All the things I still remember
Summers never looked the same
Years go by and time just seems to fly
But the memories remain
In the middle of September
We still played out in the rain
Nothing to lose but everything to gain
Reflecting now on how things could've been
It was worth it in the end

Now it all seems so clear
There's nothing left to fear
So we made our way by finding what was real
Now the days are so long
That summer's moving on
Reach for something that's already gone

All the things I still remember
Summers never look the same
Years go by and time just seems to fly
But the memories remain
In the middle of September
We still played out in the rain
Nothing to lose but everything to gain
Reflecting now on how things could've been
It was worth it in the end

Yeah, We knew we had to leave this town
But we never knew when and we never knew how
We would up here the way we are

We knew we had to leave this town
But we never knew when and we never knew how

All the things I still remember
Summers never look the same
Years go by and time just seems to fly
But the memories remain
In the middle of September
We still played out in the rain
Nothing to lose but everything to gain
Reflecting now on how things could've been
It was worth it in the end

Random Reflections

2010-10-14T01:36:00.002+08:00

How to avoid disappointments: care less, give less. When you don't get things your way you can't complain and get disappointed since you don't care and you didn't really give much. It's a dilemma, because I like giving and caring. In fact, I think I cared too much and gave too much and thus, the heaps of disappointment I get now.

I can't and won't really fully enjoy Bali. I've been here for almost a month now and I have been miserable 80% of the time. So far I have spent 90% of my time inside my villa alone, doing laundry, cooking, washing dishes, trying to dance, reading maps, crying, sleeping, waiting for people to go online and killing boredom by chatting with random people who I haven't had an actual conversation in years.

When I get home I have nothing waiting for me. No job, less friends, no boyfriend, no money.

I am so PATHETIC.

I shall forget about you, Things to do in Bali.

I'm sorry, Bali, I'll make it up to you next time and when I do, I'll do it with a bang.

Visiting Kuta Karnival 2010

2010-10-07T03:02:00.000+08:00

In my efforts to kill time, find myself and enjoy Bali, I found out that Kuta Karnival 2010 is coming up a day before its opening. So I did a little internet research and found out they started holding Kuta Karnival after the Bali Bombing about 8 years ago, to attract tourists again to go to this place. Anyway, the event opened on a Wednesday--I missed the opening parade but I was able to drop by on Friday afternoon. I didn't see much, though. I caught a beach soccer match, kite flying event and the food festival. There was some kind of fashion and music awards happening that night by the Kuta beach but I decided not to be there and be in an awfully crowded place alone.

I went back to Kuta Beach on Sunday night to have dinner with a couple of new found friends. We ate at Pizza Hut (so much for wanting to try out local restaurants!)

We braved the crowd at the food festival and caught some kind of cultural show. It was pretty. There was also a band playing onstage.

That's one thing off my list of things to do here in Bali. :)

Iiyak Na Lang - Calzada

2010-10-03T13:55:00.002+08:00

Dati laging magkatabi
Masaya araw at gabi
Magkasukob s iisang bubong
Pareho ang ibinubulong

Mahal kita, Mahal mo rin ako
Habang atin ang mundo
At para bang walang kapaguran
Ang ligayang nararamdaman

Isang iglap lahat ay nag iba
Mga mata ngayo'y may luha na
Di rin pla magkakasundo
Kaya biglang nagkalayo

Iiyak na lang, iiyak na lang
Di mo ba alam mayrong nasasaktan
Iiyak na lang, iiyak na lang
Di mo ba alam ako'y nasasaktan

Dati laging naririnig
Ako lang ang bukang bibig
At para bang ayaw maghiwalay
Pagmagkahawak ang mga kamay

Parang bula damdamin nawala
Kaya ngayon mata'y lumuluha
Di rin pla tau magtatagal
Mayron ka ng ibang mahal

Iiyak na lang, iiyak na lang
Di mo ba alam mayrong nasasaktan
Iiyak na lang, iiyak na lang
Di mo ba alam ako'y nasasaktan

Dati laging magkatabi
Masaya araw at gabi
Magkasukob sa iisang bubong
Pareho ang ibinubulong

Iiyak na lang, iiyak na lang
Di mo ba alam mayrong nasasaktan
Iiyak na lang, iiyak na lang
Di mo ba alam ako'y nasasaktan

Ubos na ang luha ko
O manhid ka lang talaga?
Alam ko may mahal ka ng iba
Kaya di na ko aasa pa

Yeah Right.

2010-10-02T23:38:00.002+08:00

I know that nobody really reads this blog anymore, I'd very much like to lash out some angry thoughts and emotions here now. This seems to be a much safer option than Facebook or Twitter where a lot of people might overreact and take this in a different way.

I am just so angry right now. Why are some people really just insensitive? They know what would annoy you and make you tick. They know what would hurt you. But forgets about you during all the important moments. Assures you that they care but their actions speak otherwise. When you explicitly made it clear a thousand times what bothers you the most. While it's very obvious that it caused the major problems you went through. I just can't understand it. Then it will all go back to you anyway because you chose to accept that kind of life and who are you to complain?

And they tell you they are not doing anything wrong. Yeah right. I'm still fuming mad anyway. I'm totally shaking and cold from anger.

Losing Grip - Avril Lavigne

Are you aware of what you make me feel, baby
Right now I feel invisible to you, like I'm not real
Didn't you feel me lock my arms around you, why'd you turn away?
Here's what I have to say
I was left to cry there, waiting outside there burning with a lost stare

That's when I decided why should I care?
You weren't there when I was scared, I was so alone
You, you need to listen
I'm starting to trip, I'm losing my grip
And I'm in this thing alone

Am I just some chick you place beside you to take somebody's place
When you turn around can you recognize my face
You used to love me, you used to hug me
But that wasn't the case, everything wasn't okay
I was left to cry there, waiting outside there, burning with a lost stare

That's when I decided why should I care?

You weren't there when I was scared, I was so alone

You, you need to listen

I'm starting to trip, I'm losing my grip

And I'm in this thing alone

Crying out loud, I'm crying out loud
Open your eyes, open up wide

Why should I care?

'Cause you weren't there when I was scared, I was so alone

Why should I care?
If you don't care then I don't care, we're not going anywhere

Things to Do in Bali

2010-09-28T19:31:00.007+08:00

Today marks my 12th day here in Bali, Indonesia. So far I have seen quite a lot of places (Kuta, Seminyak, Legian) but have not explored it thoroughly. I have noticed that there are loads of restaurants, shops, spas, beaches and temples that I have yet to visit and see more closely. I have seen the famous Kuta Beach sunset and it was indeed beautiful, although I'd say the sunsets in the Philippines are more breathtaking. It was a cloudy day when I saw it so I guess I'll have to see it again.

I made a mental checklist of things to do and it's about time I put them in writing. Some of these are within reach, some might need more guts (and money!) for me try out. This is also a good list of things to do for those visiting Bali soon.

~~Visit Kuta Square again and make sure to buy stuff from my favorite surf clothing brands! Prices are 30 to 50% lower than back home.~~
~~Watch another sunset in Kuta Beach, cocktail and camera ready with me.~~
~~Attend the Kuta Karnival 2010 and pig out at the food festival area.~~
Go to Padang-Padang Beach where the bigger waves, hot surfers and white beaches are.
Ride a motorcycle going to Ubud, where there are still plenty of rice terraces.
~~Improve on the 26 bikram yoga postures I am practicing.~~
Visit at least one of the nine directional Hindu temples, perhaps the Uluwatu Temple, which is about 45 minutes taxi ride away from my villa.
Take surfing lessons.
Get a Balinese massage from any of the fancy salons.
Drive a car! It's right-hand wheel drive here, so that should be challenging.
Buy coffee from Starbucks AND Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. I wonder if it will taste differently.
~~Learn how to cook good nasi goreng, an Indonesian fried rice.~~
Walk from Seminyak Beach to Kuta Beach. I heard it's an hour's worth of walk and a lot of people have discouraged me from doing it, but I don’t practice yoga and dance for nothing.
Eat at a restaurant called Warung Murah. Cheap but good food made it popular among expats and tourists here.
~~Party at one of the hip dance clubs by the beach.~~
Attend a Hindu ceremony at the Pettitenget temple.
Watch a cultural show or cabaret show at one of the theaters.

These should keep me busy on days when I don't have dance or yoga practice. I will keep adding things to this list, and I shall cross out those that I have done.

First Day in Bali Indonesia

2010-09-19T00:28:00.003+08:00

After an exhausting flight from Manila (1:30pm - 4:40pm flight to Singapore and 9:00pm to 11:30pm flight to Bali), I spent the next day with my friend Jane walking around the streets of Bali. In this picture is my favorite street where most of the shops that I like are located. My favorite isn't D&G by the way, but Roxy, Quiksilver, Volcom, Globe, Hurley made me drool! This street is a little far from the villa where I'm staying--we had to take a taxi going here. Of course we went to the beach but we did not swim, we just walked around. Today we went to the studio where I will TRY to learn Bikram Yoga.

After all the news I heard today that was mostly disheartening, I walked around the vicinity of where I am staying for the next two months--I breathed some fresh air and explored the night lights in Bali. I didn't walk very far though because I got a little scared when I reached a poorly lit street. But the rest of the lights and architecture (which was one of the things that impressed me about this city/town) are quite pretty at night. I wish a have more money to spend here though so I could visit the concept restaurants and maybe go to a spa but perhaps I'll save it for next time!

I think Bali is a place that I will learn to love for the next few weeks that I will stay here.

Unexpected Weekend + Monday

2010-06-21T23:14:00.007+08:00

I had an unexpected weekend. =) Well, most of the events that happened over the past year of my life have been unexpected and, in my opinion, almost unbelievable anyway.

Friday. I was supposed to celebrate my officemate's birthday after work but I ended up having a spontaneous dinner and drinkies with my other officemate at Pasto in Eastwood. I also had the option to go to Baguio with my BFFs but I need to be home this weekend. We unexpectedly swung by Guweilo's to "watch UFC" or "meet some friends" who "didn't show up." Yeah I know you can't relate to that. Shrimp alfredo and four glasses of lemon margarita made this night complete.

Saturday. Bummed the whole day. Indulged myself in snooping over other people's live through their Facebook profiles. Also tried to do some work for ACTS but was slightly unsuccessful. Baby sat Zach which was the most fulfilling task of the day.

Sunday. Father's day. Almost crazy with loneliness and too much thinking, but looked forward to going to church and dinner with family. Zach enjoyed the outing so much that it was so hard to make him go to sleep that night. Funny but so lovable little man.

Monday. Unfortunately, it's another work day. Although it was not as hectic as I have predicted it to be, it was still a little too stressful for my current over-sensitive self. Spent half of the day feeling dizzy, hungry and frustrated. Watched a good movie, had some post-father's day bonding with my dad and I realized that the day did not turn out so bad after all.

This week is indeed another chance to start and make things right. I am so looking forward to the next weekend.

Proud Tita

2010-05-30T02:28:00.004+08:00

It's been almost a year! I've been busy with dance and work as usual but I plan to revive this blog despite the availability and convenience of microblogging sites such as Twitter and Facebook. I figured I need to brush up on my writing skills. Yikes.

What happened over the last year? Quite a lot, I should say. I wouldn't be able to put it in one post without sounding boring so I'll write about them in separate posts.

First off, I am an official Tita (aunt) now! Two baby boys are now the apples of my eye--if I am allowed to have two at all. Hehe. Miggy and Zach: the sweetest, most adorable little boys I've seen.

My loves.

Fly High in the Sky of Love

2009-07-18T02:17:00.007+08:00

I always liked this song back in high school. Having stumbled upon this acoustic version on my iTunes playlist (I forgot I have this version!), all the mushy cheesy eeeewy feelings in me were stirred up. Teeeehee.

High
by: Lighthouse Family

When you're close to tears remember someday it'll all be over
One day we gonna get so high
Though it's darker than December what's ahead is a different color
One day we're gonna get so high

And at the end of the day remember the days when we were close to the edge
And we'll wonder how we made it through and at
At the end of the day remember the way we stayed so close to the edge
We'll remember it was me and you

Cause we are gonna be forever you and me
You'll always keep it flying high in the sky of love

Don't you think it's time you started doing what we always wanted
One day we're gonna get so high
Cause even the impossible is easy when we got each other
One day we're gonna get so high

After hearing the song, I wanted not only to be loved but to actually feel loved again. To feel the way I feel upon seeing my crush early in the morning at school. In fact, I want to FEEL again. I have been THINKING and THINKING and THINKING for the longest time and right now I just want to fly high in the sky of love. A few things of the past have somehow turned my heart into a cold, unfeeling, stony heart.

And it's about time I reawaken the cheesiness in me.

It's time I started doing what I always wanted. Fly high in the sky of... love. :'(

All 'Bout Us 'N Dance

2009-05-19T02:46:00.003+08:00

Jazz.

It's what I've always wanted to do and I feel I'm getting there. One day I'll see myself making triple turns. It's not easy, but practice makes permanent. Hehe.

Coffee after rehearsals.

If we can stay up late rehearsing, then we can definitely stay up late having fun. Or is it the other way around? Either way, I know we enjoy spending time with each other through work and play.

It's all about us and dance.
Coming June 2009.

Need A Twist to Help Me Turn This Story 'Round

2009-02-15T14:48:00.004+08:00

It was Valentine's Day yesterday and it was a very different day for me. Not like last year, it was relatively "dance-ful" and exhausting. Not that the dancing exhausted me, but the past two weeks has been a roller coaster ride. Last night, the ride went to a halt.

This is how I feel.

This Love Is Taking All of My Energy...

2009-02-10T18:58:00.002+08:00

I wish I could rip out a page of my memory
Cause I put too much energy in him and me
Can't wait till I get through this phase
Cause it's killing me
To bad we can't re-write our own history

Such a mystery when he's here with me
It's hard to believe I'm still lonely
Chances fading now, patience running out
This ain't how its supposed to be

I'm having nightmares from sleeping with the enemy
How did we reverse the chemistry
I don't want us to be the end of me
This love is taking all of my energy

Seems only like yesterday, Not even gravity
Could keep your feet off the ground when you're with me
How can two be as one
We've become so divided now
There's no use hiding from my misery

Such a mystery when he's here with me
It's hard to believe I'm still lonely
Chances fading now, patience running out
This ain't how its supposed to be

I'm having nightmares from sleeping with the enemy
How did we reverse the chemistry
I don't want us to be the end of me
This love is taking all of my energy

Now I can feel a change in me
And I can't afford to slip much further from the person I was meant to be
I'm not afraid to walk alone
Not giving up but moving on before it gets to deep
Cause you're taking all of my energy

I'm having nightmares from sleeping with the enemy
How did we reverse the chemistry
I don't want us to be the end of me
This love is taking all of my energy

I'm having nightmares from sleeping with the enemy
How did we reverse the chemistry
I don't want us to be the end of me
This love is taking all of my energy

Last Christmas :)

2009-01-10T23:27:00.001+08:00

Our last performance for the year 2008.

2008: An Eventful Year

2009-01-07T18:11:00.003+08:00

The Year 2008 is over and as I recall everything that happened to me, I realized it's been quite eventful--dramatic, full of joy, thrilling, and heartbreaking.

I'd say... it was a year of struggles.

I had a very good summer which was filled with two dance concerts, one which I was a performer (Sync) and another one that I co-produced (Force). These events truly tested my faith and taught me to hold on to what I really love doing: dancing and teaching. It's making a difference in people's lives by sharing what I have and what I know.

When there are weddings, baby showers follow shortly. Thus, if I was the bridesmaid of the year last 2007, I was ninang of the year 2008. I gotta start hiding every Christmas season! Haha! Everyone seem to have given birth last year, or at least have started to grow bumps on their stomachs. I am a proud tita now anyway!

The major lesson I learned was that I have to obey God's instructions for me to receive his promises. 2008 started with a blast--I knew it was going to be a year of breakthroughs. However, by the middle of the year, I found myself struggling with a lot of things. I felt I am not receiving God's blessings fully and that I am not truly walking down the path He paved for me. I asked God so many times why I was unhappy and even felt guilty about feeling that way. I had a great job where I excel, great friends and a loving family. When the answer came, it struck me like lightning. I knew what I needed to do right from the very start but I kept denying it.

My hands were full and there was no more room for God's promises.

It was a tough time--I knew I had to quit my job but I was scared that it would make me financially unstable. I was so scared to get out of my comfort zone, but at the same time I knew I could do so many other things if I leave.

I resigned anyway and I have been a full time entrepreneur and freelance teacher since October. I miss my workmates but I know our relationships didn't end there anyway. And I miss the British accent sometimes. Haha.

It is definitely not easy, but I am beaming with joy each day knowing I am doing what I truly love to do. I am thrilled at what 2009 will bring--as I list down my faith goal for this year, my heart is pounding so loud, I could almost feel everything happening as I write them. =)

Tonight, I Finally Cried

2008-09-20T02:53:00.001+08:00

I've been keeping it bottled up inside me since time immemorial. And tonight, I finally let it all out. I poured my heart out to Him. Nobody else listened to my sobs and saw my puffed eyes but myself and God. Just between me and Him. I cried till my eyes hurt, my head throbbed, my chest ached and till I can't cry any more tears. I was surprised it felt so good to express my frustrations, anger, fear and pain without saying a single word. Nice to know He knew and understood everything with every tear that i shed.

I wept and wept as if there's no tomorrow.

When I got over it, I pulled myself together, sat in front of my PC and here I am, writing, living and moving on as if nothing happened.

SYNC Concert - Final Piece

2008-08-06T02:17:00.004+08:00

For those who didn't make it to the concert, I just thought I'd post the Stylettos' final piece. Can't wait til next year's concert! It's already cooking. =D

A Trip to the Nails Spa

2008-07-16T13:37:00.008+08:00

My colleague, Gen, kept on raving about her recent trips to a nails spa and I often find myself being jealous of her pretty nails. Hehe. I was extremely busy the whole summer that I never had the time to pamper myself so I finally gave in to Gen's invitations to come with her and get a manicure and pedicure treatment.

Believe me, I am not a big fan of spas as I always think it's over priced and besides, I usually don't have the luxury of time to lie down and be pampered anyway. It was a day before Jon's birthday and the first time I'll be treating myself since my salon trip last summer (I got blonde highlights before our concert) so I considered it a valid reason.

That's my french tip done at the California Nails and Day Spa in SM Hypermart/Tiendesitas. It took almost two hours--it was not only my nails that were taken care of. The manicure and pedicure treatments included a heavenly hand and foot massage. I highly recommend this to all hardworking ladies out there. The treatment may be a bit pricey than the usual salon manicure and pedicure, but you sure get your money's worth. I'll definitely go back!

Walking Is A Great Exercise

2008-06-13T15:00:00.005+08:00

That's Jane, Dianne and I as we walk our way out of the Ateneo De Manila University grounds after our dance recital last May31. As soon as we everyone has left the theater, we realized we were car-less and extremely hungry, thus, we walked and hailed a taxi cab. So much for being CEOs (ehem!) of our own company. This was our first major event for the year--took us 6 months to prepare for it. I will be posting the recital photos soon. =D

7 Months

2008-05-07T01:57:00.017+08:00

I was cleaning my Yahoo! Mail Inbox and I've stumbled upon Meg's email entitled "Stylettos Concert". It was sent on October 7, 2007 and is the first of many emails we have sent to the group regarding our concert. Her next emails were sent from New Jersey. Meg was appointed as the project head, thus, she was planning for the concert despite the distance until she got home on December. We initially planned to hold it the concert on Feb 2008 then it was later moved to May to give us enough time to look for sponsors (and learn the new choreo!). We have also managed to partner with the Cross Effects.

We were all acting by faith--many have discouraged us and asked, who would watch the concert when nobody knows us? We would tell them: "We can fill the theater with our family and friends--we just want to unite the group." Silly as it may sound but for us it was enough of a valid reason to exert all our efforts for this.

We are three days away from the concert and I can say that the past 7 months have been a roller coaster ride. Since that first email we've lost a few people, but gained more. Most of us didn't get enough sleep as we would've wanted but I can barely remember anyone who complained. We not only stretched each other's skills but also our character.

It was a struggle for us financially, considering we had to pay for studio rent, fare/gas, etc. We've cried a few tears as well, occasionally raised some voices and have shared countless laughters and bruises. And most especially, we've found new friends we can share our lives with.

I am extremely nervous, having rehearsed only on weekends and holidays. I was almost discouraged because of recent events that I didn't expect to happen. However, I am determined to dance my heart out on Saturday--not with a heavy heart but with a heart full of joy and gratefulness. And so do the rest of my 31 friends who will be on stage.

This Saturday, nothing else would matter but to please my Creator with my talent and I am DETERMINED to do it--whatever it takes.

Ellaine.

2008-04-22T02:45:00.001+08:00

I am a dancer.

I try to dance despite my full-time, odd-hour job. Grabbing every holiday and free time that I could to work out and practice what I have missed during the rehearsals. I only attend rehearsals on weekends and holidays, thus, I try to make the most out of it despite the lack of sleep and bruised knees. One day, I would dance all day and work part-time. Hehe. It isn't bad to dream, eh?

31 people more share this passion.

2 dance groups.
1 stage.
SYNC.

A Stylettos and XFX Dance Collaboration.
May 10 at the Henry Lee Irwin Theater.
For ticket reservations, PM me or contact Jaja at 09052979479.

8PM: Memorized the Jazz Choreo

2008-04-12T23:30:00.000+08:00

5.30PM: Same Stuff. Different Day.
Taught street dance class to irresistibly cute kids. Went to the bank to get my Credit Card replacement (I lost it 2 weeks ago) then drove my brother to work while nagging about how odd his work hours are.

Sometimes I wish can be in two places at once.

8PM: Memorized the Jazz Choreo

I Want My Chicken Sausage!

2008-04-01T14:38:00.003+08:00

I am at the Coffee Bean in Galleria right and I am very pissed off.

I came from my first street dance class in Megamall, and having eaten nothing for breakfast, I was starving. Not wanting to walk because I was carrying my clothes and laptop, I took a taxi from Megamall to Galleria to have lunch at the Bean, thinking of ordering my favorite Chicken Sausage Sandwich (in Foccacia bread with cheddar cheese and scrambled eggs).

I was disappointed when my favorite baristas told me that they have phased out the Chicken Sausage Sandwich, however, they offered an alternative. So I ordered Brek O' Day instead--it's sausages, bread and scrambled eggs. My order took a little longer than usual and I just thought that it must be something special for them to take so long to prepare, and considering it costs a whopping P229 compared to the P169 chicken sausage sandwich that I used to order.

When my order arrived, the eggs were cold already and they are not the same sausages that I love. But because I am so freaking hungry, and I went all the way here, I ate it anyway! I didn't want to throw a tantrum and complain to the baristas here because I understand it's not their fault that my favorite meal was phased out. And like I said, they are very nice people who I like seeing at this branch. Thus, I am ranting now (oh, I love freedom of speech LOL).

Don't get me wrong, I love CBTL, the baristas here are very friendly. Perhaps someone new was manning the kitchen when I ordered and she forgot to bring out the food? Argh. I can't help but feel robbed, considering I am pressed for time but I still went here and now I have to walk all the way back to Julia Vargas Avenue where I work. And I could've bought a small pizza from Yellow Cab with the money I have spent here.

I have finished eating and I am still hungry. And pissed off.

I'm Flickr-ing!

2008-03-18T04:15:00.000+08:00

A recent acquisition of a pretty dSLR named Lilo (hehe) made me even more "click happy" than I already am. I am uploading my artistic efforts to my Flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/llainey/.

The rest of the ugly photos will be still be uploaded to my Multiply account. Hehe.

I took this photo from a glass window inside my office, overlooking the Ortigas City lights. Photo taken using a Nikon D40. Its name is Lilo, short for Little Olsen (named after Marielle's D80, Olsen). Teeehee.

Summertime... Is that you?

2008-03-13T02:48:00.004+08:00

It has started to get really hot (I mean the weather) which makes me feel that it's already summer! I am really excited for this year's summer season, as my friends and I have cooked up something really big with the dance workshops that we will be organizing. (Find out more about the summer dance classes here: www.actsworkshops.net) It's our 5th year now to do this and I can't help but be ecstatic yet nervous at the same time. I am going to teach three different street dance classes for kids at different venues which I am foreseeing will be a challenge in terms of schedule. I'll be in constant Busy Mode for the next couple of months. Exciting! =p

I do have a lot of things to look forward to this summer--new things to learn and relationships to build. God has given me a lot of open doors, favors and opportunities for me to grow, thus, my arms are wide open to embrace these.

I'm Flickr-ing!

2008-03-06T04:15:00.007+08:00

A recent acquisition of a pretty DSLR named Lilo (hehe) made me even more "click happy" than I already am. I am uploading my artistic efforts to my Flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/llainey/.

The rest of the ugly photos will be still be uploaded to my Multiply account. Hehe.

Photos taken using a Nikon D40. Its name is Lilo, short for Little Olsen (named after Marielle's D80, Olsen).

Jumpin'

2008-02-25T03:32:00.001+08:00

My friends Julienne and Cyrus. I was trying and testing features of the camera and they were very willing models. I was trying to capture action shots. This photo is also on my Flickr.

Facebook Addiction

2008-02-05T20:46:00.000+08:00

I've had a Facebook account for a while now, but I never really paid attention to it until quite recently. I was and still am overwhelmed with the number of Notifications/Requests I have received from a handful of friends that I have in Facebook. Last week I had over a hundred, and I am proud to say that it's down to 56 today. Thus, I have added loads of applications to my profile and accomplished a dozen other quizzes and tests. I found it annoying at first, having to respond to all those requests but it has recently become therapeutic and relaxing for me. It's fun to do no-brainer quizzes every once in a while--especially during my lunch break here at the office. Hehe. And speaking of which, my lunch hour is almost over and I am off to work again now. =D Here's a screenshot of an application/quiz I added to my profile yesterday:

Finally, My Drivers' License

2008-01-28T02:15:00.000+08:00

Almost a year ago, I blogged about learning how to drive and getting my student permit. I did not apply for a non-professional license until about two weeks ago when I actually had the free time to do so. I waited this long because I really dread going to any government office as it's always a bad experience when I visit one. I knew that it's going to take me hours to process that, so I gave my boss a heads up that I might be late for just a few minutes. I start work at 4:30pm and since we are planning to be at the LTO office by 7:30 am, we might be done by lunch time or 3pm at the worst.

It was a Friday, and my dad and I were at the LTO licensing center in San Juan by 7:30 am. We really wanted to finish early so I could make it to work on time. I even wore a nice, decent outfit so I can go straight to the office as soon as I get my license. I timed everything so could blog about it as I am doing now. Hehe.

7:45 am DRUG TEST. The LTO offices are still closed at this time, and it's a good thing that the drug testing clinic was already open. I got the result three minutes after I submitted my you-know-what. I paid P250 for this.

8:00 am MEDICAL EXAM. Well, it was more of an interview rather than an exam. The 55-year old doctor just asked me how old I was, how tall I am, and if I wear glasses. He even cursed while he was writing my (long) full name. But I did step on the weighing scale. He filled up the certificate, signed it and gave it to me. I paid a hundred pesos for that.

9:26 am PHOTOSIG. After almost an hour and a half's waiting, my name was finally called. There I had my photo taken and my digital signature saved. The lady at the window told me to wait for my name to be called at the cashier. So I sat down and waited. And waited. And waited. And waited.

11:27 am PAY FOR APPLICATION FEE. Finally, my name was called! I was at the verge of throwing a tantrum and creating havoc. Two precious hours of my time have been wasted sitting down and doing nothing but play the boring games in my cellphone. There was only one cashier available, who operated a computer and a dot matrix printer that prints the receipts. All payments for license renewal, application, and other license-related fees goes to just one slow cashier. One receipt is printed every 2 minutes or more. I asked some people why it takes them so long--most of them said that it's because the computers are slow. Aren't computers supposed to make everything faster? I really wanted to volunteer and help out the lady at the cashier, or donate a faster PC. The irony is that I paid a small amount of P96 which covers the application fee and the COMPUTER FEE. Yes, I waited almost 2 hours to pay P96. (I can teach a dance class that runs for 2 hours max, where I get paid about P500-P1000 per hour. Or I would've slept the whole afternoon instead and wakeup feeling refreshed. So you could imagine how I considered this as a waste of time.)

11:45 pm WRITTEN TEST. I was called for the test shortly after I paid the silly fees. Obviously, the cashier has really been the cause of delay the whole time. I took the test which I already know the answers to (thanks to the reviewer!). I only took about 20 minutes to do this because the government employees in the testing room are talking and laughing out loud and they started to annoy me. After the test, I went out to meet my dad and we had lunch together.

That's already half a day down the drain. I noticed that at around 12:30pm, the people are being ushered out of the waiting areas--the office will be closed because the government employees are going to have lunch. That really pissed me off a bit.

1:56 pm ROAD TEST. I was already in panic mode by this time. I realized I won't be able to make it to work on time anymore at the rate they are going. I have managed to speak to a few more people and they said that it would really take me the whole day, because everything is computerized now. It doesn't make sense, right? My anger was just fueled when I heard these comments, thinking that my hard-earned taxes go to these people plus I had to pay a computer fee to keep their slow computers going. Argh! Anyway, the road test was quite easy especially if you already know how to drive. My heart was broken further when I was told that the next step was to pay at the cashier again.

3:35 pm PAY AGAIN AT THE CASHIER. This is for the license fee and COMPUTER FEE. I really don't understand why this was not charged earlier. I really wanted to cry while I was waiting. My dad and I are trying to entertain ourselves by telling each other corny jokes and talking about Popi. I was really dismayed and frustrated at the whole process, and it reminded me of why I sometimes want to move out of the Philippines. The system is so rotten.

3:45 pm GOT MY LICENSE! My dad recognized someone he knew who is working at the LTO--the guy pulled out my papers and had my license printed out right away. It was still warm when he handed it to me.

Because I already smell of smoke and sweat, I decided to go home first before going to the office. I was a couple of hours late. If I was working 9am-5pm, I would've missed a day's work already just to get my license. Is that even fair at all? It really sucks.

But at least, I have license to drive now. I certainly hope I don't need to visit any government office anytime soon.

Vintage Bridal Car

2008-01-21T03:13:00.002+08:00

This is the bridal car of my friend's wedding held last December. We all lovvved it!

My Name on a Latte

2008-01-07T12:43:00.001+08:00

I was in Figaro Gateway with Jane last Friday. We stayed there so we could plug our laptops and enjoy the free (yes, FREE) WiFi internet that Gateway offers. I ordered a cafe latte and was surprised/delighted/pleased when it was served:

I loved it! I was a bit hesitant at first to stir and ruin this piece of art. I've seen people on TV decorate lattes like this and as an avid fan of coffee, it's a pleasure to have it made for me right at a true blue Filipino coffee shop.

Third Time Bridesmaid

2008-01-03T22:46:00.000+08:00

My bestfriend from grade school got married last December 5, 2007. The ceremony was held at the Our Lady of the Abandoned Parish in Marikina City, right beside Marikina Catholic School where we all met, and where their love story began. Xyrus and Camille started out as childhood sweethearts. All three of us were classmates when we were in 6th grade, when they started calling each other "honey" or whatever pet name that I can't remember. What I remember instead are the code names that Camille and I used to talk about boys! They've had their ups and downs but still end up together. (Hmmm... I'm inspired!)

I was a bridesmaid again--for the third time now. It was fun to wear another pretty dress and most especially to walk down the aisle! Have a look at some of the photos here. It was a simple yet very intimate gathering. And we loved the vintage bridal car.

Who's next?

Ending 2007

2007-12-31T17:53:00.001+08:00

This is not how I have imagined myself to be as the New Year starts. I have just realized something and now I am in turmoil, battling with my own self to accept the things as they are. I am quite morose as I end 2007--but in high hopes that things will be better as the new year starts.

Happy New Year everyone.

Checkered Green

2007-12-31T15:03:00.000+08:00

Another photo taken at the Blue Wave Marquinton in Marikina City. It's a wall in a lousy restaurant.

Four-Cheese Pizza

2007-12-22T04:01:00.001+08:00

My four-cheese pizza from The Old Spaghetti House in Galleria. Yes, I ate it all myself! Yum!

My 2008 Starbucks Planner

2007-12-22T03:09:00.001+08:00

After gulping down 24 fraps and lattes, I finally got my Starbucks 2008 Planner! This is my third planner from Starbucks--I also got the leather-covered planner from last year and the hardbound one from 2006.

I love the classy look of this new planner but I am scared that the garter might be a "bacon" already by the end of next year. I also wish there are bigger spaces for Saturdays and Sundays--that's usually when my schedule is jam-packed. And I miss the "Treat a Friend" coupons they used to have. Other than that, I am loving it!

Christmas at Starbucks

2007-12-11T03:39:00.000+08:00

My tall Praline Mocha latte from Starbucks. Only this holiday season. I love it!

Back to Virtual Reality

2007-12-10T03:13:00.000+08:00

I haven't been online recently because we lost our internet connection at home. We were subscribed to Digitel's DSL since June 2005 and after a mixture of bad service and overcharging, we decided to opt out. We then bought Globeline's Broadband wireless internet and phone package but it was an even worse nightmare than Digitel.

A few days after we submitted the application, a crew of testers came to our house to test if it really works and since it's wireless, to make sure that there is a signal/network that the wireless modem can connect to. Needless to say, we were impressed at how fast the internet connection was, we were even able to download a song via Limewire. And so they promised to have the router and the wireless phone delivered in a couple of days. Those couple of days turned into a week or two, and when it finally arrived, the delivery man just left it and said he doesn't know anything about installing it: "Taga-deliver lang po ako." (I am just the delivery man.) I called the customer service but all they could say is that everything is in the manual, and that the internet will be activated in 24hours. To our dismay, my dad and I tried to figure it out ourselves--the modem was to be plugged to the PC's USB port, and we had to install the software/driver that comes with it. We complained about a hundred times because of the very slow internet connection. Well, it was barely a connection--we can't even access the basic google page!

After weeks of hounding the Globe's customer service hotline (who just kept promising that they will escalate the problem), my dad finally went to the Globe office in Blue Wave Marikina to return all the stuff and guess what--they did not accept it! They promised, however, that they will send someone to check and fix the problem. Someone did arrive to check but it was never fixed, until our first bill came! I was annoyed because they are charging us without making sure they are giving us the service we deserve. I called the customer service hotline (again!) that day and he finally admitted that our modem barely receives any signal at all that's why we have a very poor internet connection. It was alarming because it was the opposite during the test run, and the agent said that they used a different modem to test. And then that was it. I told them I won't pay for something I didn't use and to cancel my account. The agent even told me to just go to the Blue Wave office and return the phone and the modem! I told them I won't because they have caused us so much trouble already, and that if they want it back they should get it. Nobody ever came to get it, and we received our 3rd bill this week. It's horrible! I was and still am utterly disappointed.

Last weekend, I went to a Smart Wireless Center and applied for a SmartBro. I received a call the same day I applied (which was a Sunday) and confirmed that they will visit our house on Tuesday to test. I was a bit skeptical about this--I asked them if there's a possibility that what happened to Globe will happen again--they said it won't. What they tested was the same thing they installed on that same day, and they didn't leave until it worked perfectly fine. A day later, someone called to check if the engineers came over to install the internet and if it works. I should say that I am impressed--they never left us hanging and made sure they did what they promised. I hope they will be able to sustain this. Kudos to Smart!

So I am back to virtual reality and will be able to blog more often!

Yellow and Pink Sofa

2007-12-10T03:04:00.001+08:00

This is another chair/sofa I came across with last month. It's in Bacolod Chicken Inasal, if I remember correctly, in Blue Wave Marikina. The color reminds for marshmallows.

Santa For A Day

2007-11-23T14:55:00.000+08:00

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Jane and I was invited to the Coke Caravan launching at the Araneta Center. We were gonna dance with a group of other girls, and little did we know that we have to dress up in Santa costumes! It was horrible, but heck, I'll just dance away and pray that nobody I know would recognize me. Well, it turned out to be a pretty fun event plus the moolah after the show. Hehe. And like I always say, it's another story to tell!

Happy Christmas!

Coin Slot

2007-11-12T01:27:00.001+08:00

I was at the LRT Purple Line V. Mapa Station when I noticed this sign on the ticket vending machine. I took this photo using my camera phone when I realized that "Hulog Coin" doesn't quite justify "Coin Slot". Don't you think?

Thrilled with Tumblers

2007-10-22T00:44:00.000+08:00

We found these Halloween tumblers at Starbucks Emerald. We loved it and can't help but take our pictures with it. And no, we didn't get them as well. Just drooled on it. Ewww! =p

The Real Birthday Post

2007-09-18T04:01:00.000+08:00

I am a year older and wiser, I hope. I had a great birthday--I would like to take this time to thank everyone who has made this year extraordinary.

My family

A great thanks to Mama who did most of the cooking and preparations for my birthday dinner, and to Papa who fried the lumpiang shanghai. Hehe. (Special thanks to myself too for grating the cheese for the spaghetti.) I am so grateful for my parents for taking good care of me and my brothers, always trying to give the best for us. It has been a different year, with my new job and one of my brothers living away to study. It felt as if I have spent more time with parents than before. I am also thankful for my brothers, who make my days funny despite smelling their stinky shirts.

Jon and I

A very special thanks to a very special person--Jon, who bought me a pair of Nike Jordan rubber shoes. Hehe. Seriously, he was with me during the toughest days and is loving me with no questions and despite my sometimes haughty nature.

MIST High School Friends

ACTS Team

And where would I be without my friends? The ACTS Team, Stylettos and my high school friends. They shared my laughter, tears and even farts. My officemates also shared some of those, and I am happy to know they can be part of my family.

I can't wait to spend another year with these wonderful people that God has given more. I couldn't ask for more.

Birthday Post

2007-09-15T03:57:00.000+08:00

I just had one of the most interesting birthdays ever. A lot of unexpected things and some little surprises came up--it was a lot of fun!

Thanks to everyone who remembered and sent text messages, emails and gifts (hehe). I am really tired and sleepy right now but I will definitely write a better thank you post to everyone who made this day extra special for me. Besides, my "birthday" is not over yet--I have the rest of the weekend to celebrate and only after that will I write a decent birthday post.

Sunset in Zambales

2007-09-14T04:12:00.001+08:00

Another one of my sunset photos. Taken on April 2006 at Iba, Zambales. On the photo is my boyfriend's 13 year old nephew attempting to swim through the waves. Fun, eh?

Starbucks Tumbler

2007-09-12T01:38:00.000+08:00

I love orange things. I love Starbucks too. And so i looooooove this Starbucks tumbler I found at the Blue Wave Branch last summer. I took this photo using my camera phone. But no, I didn't buy it. Budget constraints!

Gots the Flu

2007-09-04T03:32:00.000+08:00

Well, I am actually over the flu but I'm still coughing.

The recent long weekends has got me up and about the city. I took advantage of the time to indulge in dance training, parties, events meetings, unlimited late night internet surfing, dates and dance training again. The first long weekend (Aug 18-20) was an all out physical activity weekend for me. My throat was already feeling funny and it was aggravated by a scoop of ice cream I so happily ate at the Fun Ranch in Tiendesitas on Monday night.

I woke up the next day not wanting to move again ever in my life and wishing I could sleep for 100 more hours. I could barely walk that whole week.

Of course I still went to work and looked forward to another long weekend to rest. BUT! We have booked a gig that Sunday for an event in Eastwood thus I went to dance practice again. And since I did, I thought I'd party anyway and attend a couple more event meetings and go to another dance training. I was drugged that following week at the office and still struggled to walk.

After taking Bioflu, Decolgen, Solmux and Ventolin--I am still alive! And coughing. Promising never to abuse my body ever, ever, ever, ever again. Promising never to abuse my body ever, ever, ever, ever again. Promising never to abuse my body ever, ever, ever, ever again. Promising never to abuse my body ever, ever, ever, ever again. Promising never to abuse my body ever, ever, ever, ever again. Promising never to abuse my body ever, ever, ever, ever again. Promising never to abuse my body ever, ever, ever, ever again. Promising never to abuse my body ever, ever, ever, ever again.

Innocence

2007-09-04T02:43:00.000+08:00

Obviously, I like taking pictures of sunsets by the beach. This is my boyfriend's nephew as he plays by the beach of Iba, Zambales. Don't we all wish we could be playful and innocent like this again? Taken on April 2006.

Mood Rings

2007-09-02T14:29:00.000+08:00

After a nice dinner at the Fun Ranch in Tiendesitas, my friends and I bought mood rings for ourselves. For only P20! We felt like we were kids again! Taken on August 2007.

Poor Kitty

2007-08-31T03:22:00.000+08:00

I found this cat at a pet shop in Tiendesitas. It was a heartbreak for me not to have taken him home. Look at his eyes! It says, "Take me home!" Taken February 2006.

Wedding by the Pool

2007-08-26T03:07:00.000+08:00

Taken at a clubhouse in Alabang during my cousin's wedding. (June 2007) For the full scoop about the wedding, visit my online journal More Today Than Yesterday. =)

Lame Lamp

2007-08-23T04:05:00.000+08:00

This is just a silly lamp I found at Tiendesitas. It's inside a washroom! Sometimes, waiting for a friend to get out of the loo can be boring... so meee take peekchurr! Weeee

Casa Manila

2007-08-21T00:01:00.000+08:00

Casa Manila in Intramuros. (View from Barbara's restaurant). This place allowed me to experience the ancient Manila that I have only read about in Noli Me Tangere. I would've loved to live in that era.

Coco Beach

2007-08-20T12:13:00.000+08:00

Shore of Coco Beach Island, Puerto Galera. June 2006. I spent the Independence Day weekend on a trip there with my friends a few weeks after we spent the Labor Day weekend at the very busy White Beach. Coco beach was a far cry--it was so peaceful and serene! I've blogged about our adventures in my online journal: More Today Than Yesterday.

Small Boy, Big Sea

2007-08-19T03:04:00.000+08:00

My nephew as he plays by the beach of Laiya, Batangas. Taken on Summer of 2007 using my cousin's overpriced Sony Alpha dSLR camera. I absolutely had no idea how to use it, but it was fun and I'd definitely put that on my wishlist. ;)

Fake Flower

2007-08-18T03:05:00.000+08:00

This is an artificial flower from an artificial tree. Lol. I found it at Barbara's Restaurant in Intramuros Manila. The food there, by the way, is definitely worth coming back for!

Strawberry Margarita

2007-08-17T02:56:00.000+08:00

TGI Friday's Ultimate Strawberry Margarita. Yum! Took this photo using my old Nokia 1.3 megapixel camera phone. The photo is tricky--the glass looks small but this is more than enough alcohol for one small lady like me! :)

Battleground

2007-08-16T03:19:00.000+08:00

Ruins of Mile-Long Barracks at Corregidor Island. I took this photo on June 2007 during a company-sponsored trip to the Island with my officemates. I have blogged about this trip in more detail in my online journal: More Today Than Yesterday.

More Today Than Yesterday

2007-08-15T02:29:00.001+08:00

I have noticed on my site stat reports that quite a number of people who stumbled upon my blog were those who typed the title of this song on the Google search box. I bet they were disappointed that this is not a site about that classic-Spiral Starecase-revived-by-Goldfinger song.

Because I am relatively young, I haven't heard of this song before until I watched The Waterboy again quite recently. I didn't even know it was a remake! I don't like mushy songs much--in fact, I don't like anything mushy at all--but this is one of the songs that give me these mushy feelings. (YUCK!) I have then decided that it's the perfect title for my blog. So much about creativity and originality! Haha.

Anyway, I have uploaded Goldfinger's version on my Multiply account should you want to listen to it or download it. You may want to sing along too. =D

More Today Than Yesterday
- Spiral Starecase/Goldfinger

I don't remember what day it was
I didn't notice what time it was
All I know is that I fell in love with you
And if all my dreams come true
I'll be spending time with you

Every day's a new day in love with you
With each day comes a new way of loving you
Every time I kiss your lips my mind starts to wander
And if all my dreams come true
I'll be spending time with you

Oh, I love you more today than yesterday
But not as much as tomorrow
I love you more today than yesterday
But, darling, not as much as tomorrow

Tomorrow makes springtime's just a day away
Cupid, we don't need ya now, be on your way
I thank the Lord for love like ours that grows ever stronger
And if all my dreams come true
I'll be spending time with you

Oh, I love you more today than yesterday
But not as much as tomorrow
I love you more today than yesterday
But only half as much as tomorrow

Everyday's a new day, everytime I love you
Everyday's a new way, everytime I love you

Puerto Galera Sunset

2007-08-15T02:19:00.000+08:00

Since I am on it, I have decided to post another sunset photo. I took this using a humble Nikon digital camera on the Summer of 2006 at the White Beach, Puerto Galera. And boy, I am already missing summer!

Boatman

2007-08-14T02:09:00.000+08:00

I can't remember if it's me or my brother who took this photo. It was taken during our 15-minute boat ride from the Coral Gardens back to the White Beach (Puerto Galera). This was just taken using a Sony Ericsson camera phone. Nice, eh?

I Love Starbucks

2007-08-13T00:05:00.000+08:00

A hot Peppermint Mocha and a Mocha Frapuccino from Starbucks. I love my coffee--hot or iced. :) This was taken Christmas last year, using my beloved camera phone. Starbucks Christmas = Warm feelings. Yum.

Orange Chair

2007-08-12T00:18:00.000+08:00

This is an upholstery of a seat at a new steak house in Blue Wave Marikina. They are the most horrible steak house ever (I won't mention their name) but I like their chairs anyway. Update: the steak house finally met its doom and has closed. Lol.

Stranded

2007-08-08T18:58:00.000+08:00

I did not go to work today. I am stranded inside our house because once again, Karangalan Village's streets are flooded with water. Due to the heavy rains that's been pouring nonstop since yesterday morning, it's now impossible for me to go out without getting soaked. Thanks to the internet and the television, I think I can entertain myself for a day. I am so glad this typhoon did not cause power outage, at least not in our town.

I am over-indulging myself with Friendster and Multiply profiles of people I know. I have also tried to do some work from home but I can only do so much without my work phone and Outlook. It's even more difficult to do that when I smell food cooking every couple of hours and knowing that my bed is just a few steps away.

This is fun, just bumming all day and doing no-brainer tasks. However, another day of lounging around like this and I am sure I would go mad! I certainly hope that the weather gets better and that the flood would subside so I can go back to my normal, geeky weekday.

Out of Place

2007-07-28T03:47:00.000+08:00

When my friend, Jane messaged me last Wednesday that we are to perform at an event in Makati that same night, I didn't think twice anymore about going. I was in the office when she told me this and I had on a dorky top, flared khaki jeans and black flipflops. The event was a hip hop night so I knew I wasn't dressed for it. I asked my dad then to bring me loose/nice clothes (hehe).

I didn't bother to change before I left the office because I just wanted to get there real fast. I thought that I would have time to change when I get there.

However, it was way different when I arrived.

It was quite a small venue, and the place was packed with people who were definitely dressed for the occasion. (Dorky note: I was also clutching a huge paper bag and a leather purse on top of my dorky clothes--can you imagine a lost kid now?) None of my friends were picking up their phones--they must've left it in the dressing room already or something. In short, I had to parade my under dressed self through the whole floor and the hip hop crowd before I finally found familiar faces. I was right on time to catch the AllStars perform their piece for the World Hip Hop Championship '07. It was awesome. I didn't know they'll be there too.

Being under-dressed and perhaps out of place didn't stop me from having a fine time with my friends.

With my group Stylettos

With Maui of Cross Effects

With Dianne and Kuya Froilan--ay!--Jhong of AllStars

A Bridesmaid the 2nd Time Around

2007-07-10T03:11:00.000+08:00

I have recently blogged about one of my friend's wedding held last December. It was my first time to be a bridesmaid then and I am happy to say that I have been a bridesmaid again at my cousin's wedding last month.

I am the same age as her, and we literally grew up together. We are more like sisters to each other since we both have two stinky younger brothers. We are also the first grandkids from my mom's side (well, she was born three weeks earlier than I was).

It was also very nice to see the whole family gather in one place. I used to go into a state of panic whenever my parents announce that we are going to our grandparent's house that coming weekend. I know I will be seeing my cousins there and we can run around as much as we want, climb all the trees that we possibly could, and pick all sorts of fruits that we can reach. And so I wake up way too early on days that we are supposed to leave for the province, making absolutely sure that I wouldn't be left home alone. Things have changed as I grew up, my weekends are now filled with dance rehearsals, business meetings and night outs so I rarely go with my parents now when they visit, except maybe during Christmas!

I believe more than ever now that we are already grown ups, with responsibilities and jobs and real relationships. A fact that I so tried to run away from for quite some time now. As I see my grandma wipe tears of joy from her eyes while my cousin walked down the aisle I can't help but be moved by it as well and again look forward to the day that I would walk that walk too. I was even more stirred up when my grandpa asked me when I plan to get married. I just smiled at him and asked him to just stay alive so he can see me walk down the aisle too.

I know that it is not my time to get married yet--I would be the bridesmaid of the year (and maybe next year's too) but I hang on to God's promise that he has not only planned a special wedding day for me but also a beautiful marriage and a loving family that's definitely worth waiting for.

Attachments

2007-06-15T03:34:00.000+08:00

My brothers sold my old Sony Ericsson T230 cellphone at Greenhills the other day. He honestly thought I allowed him to do so when he has mentioned to me that he is selling his phone too. He sold it for P500.

I have recently blogged about how I give sentimental value to this old, ugly phone. I was in so much disbelief that I even tried to convince my brother to tell me that he was just joking. He wasn't.

The next day, I went to Greenhills with my brother to buy the silly phone. I paid P800 for it.

So now my whole family thinks I am odd or even crazy that I went out of my way to get the old, ugly phone back. No, I am not going to let it go just like that. Not again.

Trip to Corregidor

2007-06-01T03:07:00.000+08:00

My last hurrah for this summer happened to be in a very interesting island. Not in Boracay island as I would have wanted it to be, but in Corregidor, which is not too bad anyways. The company I work for sponsored this trip to celebrate our second year of operation here in the Philippines.

My workmates and I met at around 6:30am at the port at CCP complex because we were told that the boat leaves at 7am. We started boarding at around 7:30am. I was relieved to find out that we were boarding a ferry boat, not the usual outrigger boat that we ride from Batangas port going to Puerto Galera. It has air-conditioning, nice cushioned seats and a decent restroom. I just despised the fact that we had to wait for another half an hour or so after boarding. One of the crew members announced that they were finalizing some accounts (which thinks is rubbish). I should have gone to Starbucks during that wait and grabbed my dose of caffeine before leaving civilization. I was so hungry that I just took advantage of the one hour boat ride to catch up with some sleep.

We arrived at around 9:30am. We were welcomed by a pretty cranky tourist guide who insists that our group is not supposed to be on his bus. I realized later during the trip that he didn't mean to be mean. We still ended up riding with him and he turned out to be nice old man who probably has seen history for himself. He actually narrates the war stories as if he's been there the whole time, just watching history unfold before his eyes.

We explored the island for the rest of the morning up to around 2pm. I had an extremely bad lunch, I was so hungry that I ate really fast and ended up having my usual acidic stomach ache. I wasn't able to enjoy much of the afternoon tour because I was in excruciating pain (okay, that's a bit exaggerated). I am posting some really nice photos here, but if you want to see the rest of them I have posted them here.

This building used to be a cinema. They were at war, Corregidor is quite a popular base at that time and they have still managed to build a cinema! Soldiers know how to have fun after all...

At the light house. It was a breathtaking view from up there. One thing you shouldn't miss when you visit the place.

Inside Malinta Tunnel. It was my favorite part of the tour.

According to our tour guide, this was the longest barracks in history. I haven't decided yet if I should believe him, and I am too lazy now to look it up. Hehe.

As soon as the tour was over we were asked to stay at the recreation hall where there is a bar, a billiards table, a videoke machine, and a COUCH. I friggin sat on that couch the moment I laid eyes on it! And I slept. I slept on a couch in front of a billiard table inside a public, open air room, where all sorts of strangers can so freely see me. I was in so much pain that I wasn't really thinking of anything else but sleeping it off--it only hit me when I woke up and found three more of my colleagues sleeping on the same couch. It was so embarrassing. I really hated the fact that we had to wait for two hours before we can check in to our hotel rooms.

It was a great relief it when we have finally checked in. We decided not to join the scheduled "ghost hunting" trip to the hospital ruins (it is not a very good idea for a wimp like me) so we chose the funNERER activity, which is to go for a swim. We found out later that night that frogs like visiting the pool during sundown. Eeww!

Marielle and I spent the rest of the night and the morning after snuggled on our beds watching the 2nd season of Grey's Anatomy (yes, I brought a DVD player with me!). We figured that this is our type of vacation: lying down and thinking of nothing. Just bumming.

We had a fancy dinner at Barbara's in Intramuros to conclude our trip. Of course, Marielle and I dropped by Starbucks first before going to home to satisfy our cravings that started just before we left for Corregidor.
Silly as it may sound but it was an educating trip. Corregidor is quite a popular historical place and it's a shame that I was only able to visit now (thanks to my British boss who I'm starting think is more Filipino than me). Hopefully, I will write about Boracay or Palawan islands next year.

When I Grow Up, I Want To Be A Doctor!

2007-05-22T02:07:00.001+08:00

I have been neglecting sleep for the past few days because I am very busy not only with work and dancing, but also with watching Grey's Anatomy.

I started to be interested in this series about a month ago when I noticed that my mom gets so engrossed every time she watches it from a cable channel and she even patiently waits for the next episode the following week. I began watching it with her whenever I am at home, but because of my irregular schedule I barely watched two consecutive episodes. Everyone knows how I get squeamish at the sight of blood and wounds and medicines (*faint) but I seem to have gotten a bit used to it by now. Thus, when I had the chance to buy the whole 1st and 2nd season, I grabbed it right away.

Thus the eye bags and an overwhelming crush for McDreamy.

This series brought back all my mushy childhood feelings of dreaming and wanting to be doctor. I remember that I was considering it when I was in college and after dissecting those real brains (sorry to be morbid), I though that perhaps I would be a brain surgeon if I am to pursue medicine. But no med school for me after college. I took AB Psychology which is not a pre-med so it would probably take me another year to take all the science labs I missed. No, I did not want to spend the next 7-10 years of my life studying and working 16hour shifts like what the interns do at the series.

And on that note, I should go back to watching now if I want to catch up with the current season. I just realized, Grey's Anatomy is the only series I got hooked into after Meteor Garden.

Pink Phone

2007-05-14T02:59:00.000+08:00

I have said goodbye to my SE T230 mobile phone.

Flashback
On my way home from my small group meeting, I was mugged in Katipunan on September of 2004 where three men pointed a butterfly knife at me and took my humble Nokia 8210 cellphone. This was the second time I lost a phone, I misplaced my first one during my freshman year while I was strolling at the Galleria. I was hesitant to ask my parents for a new phone so I decided to buy a new phone for myself instead and I did so--I got a Sony Ericsson T230.

I held on to that phone for the longest time. Despite the fact that I have dropped it countless of times, it is still working perfectly fine and I found no reason at all to replace it. Add that to the sentimental value that I give to this phone since someone very special to me helped me buy that phone. I have ignored the temptation to purchase the newest walkman phone and settled for my beloved T320.

It was only recently when I took a new job that I had a nagging voice in my head (and some few voices outside, too) that I should replace my phone with a new one. I still hold this phone dear to me, so I did not "swap" it with the new phone that I got at Greenhills.

And so when I have achieved a specific target at work, what better way to reward myself but to finally buy a clamshell phone, with a 2 megapixel camera and music player. A Sony Ericsson Z610i. And it's pink. Not bad for a not-so-expensive phone. (Big grin on my silly face.)

I am known to my friends and family as a lazy texter, one who would usually reply to texts after four hours (or days) later. Prior to knowing that I bought a new phone, they noticed and commented that I actually respond way faster now. Hehe. Text me?

Blog Break

2007-05-04T02:53:00.000+08:00

I haven't written anything for a month and I have a VALID reason. I have been very busy. In fact, this very reason still applies now so instead of writing a bunch of words, I am posting pictures of what I have been busy with.

Became a director/switcher/PA in one.

Took the role of an extra.

I did some babysitting, too.

And tried to formulate a brilliant plan while eating red gummy bears.

That's all for now! (Haha laziness on the loose...)

First Day of Summer

2007-03-30T02:18:00.000+08:00

My cousin, John, who is now based and working in Singapore went home to visit us (and to attend his friend's wedding) last March 10-12. We decided to take advantage of the weekend that he's here and planned an overnight trip to nearest beach-- Laiya, Batangas. And so my summer began.

I barely had time to sleep before we left off for the three-hour drive. I got home from work at about 4am. Well, I didn't work that late. I didn't ask my dad to pick me up that night so he can have a good night's rest for the next day's drive, thus I had the opportunity to join my officemates' Friday "drinkies" at Somethin' Fishy. I finished a glass of strawberry margarita, which was quite stronger than usual (or maybe I am not used to alcohol anymore) but nevertheless, I got home feeling really sleepy but instead of hitting the sack, I had to pack! Good thing I still had the sense to realize that I haven't prepared any of the stuff I have to bring for an overnight at the beach. I slept for only an hour (which felt like 5 minutes) and then we had to hit the road.

It was quite a fun drive because I was sitting in the car right next to my adorable nephew, Popi.

He points at every body of water he sees--including the Pasig river/floodway--and exclaims, "Tubig! Miming!" (Water! Swimming!).

We finally arrived there at around lunch time and the only thing I did right after eating was the only thing I ever wanted to do that day, I slept. Hehe. I went for a swim that afternoon and watched my nephew play by the beach.

Oh and I also played a silly volleyball game with my cousins, brothers, and Kuya John's friends who tagged along with us.

No, you won't see me in that picture. I was the one who took that using my cousin's overpriced SLR camera.

Well, I slept and ate and slept the next day until we had to leave the place. My crazy family decided to drive to Tagaytay for dinner, and when we got home, I felt like I needed more sleep and rest than ever. It was a short-lived vacation but we were all happy that for at least two days, we didn't have to think of work. And most of all, the fact that the family's baby (Popi) enjoyed it so much made us all feel happy and content. It was his first time to go a beach and his excitement at seeing such a wonderful body of water made me excited too.

And so my summer has started and I can't wait for my next trip to the beach!

Drinks, anyone?

2007-03-05T00:25:00.000+08:00

I was organizing the pictures saved in my computer and I can't help but notice these shots. I am with Marielle in these photos--both of us caught holding an alcoholic drink! Uh oh! (Marielley, please don't kill me for posting these!)

This was taken last May 2006 at White Beach, Puerto Galera. You guessed right, we're holding our shots of Mindoro Sling. Take two:

We rarely went out for a drink (except for coffee drinks) after that summer. We are not really party animals. So this next picture was taken sometime in November 2006, where we went to have some drinks in Makati for my cousin's despedida.

That's a glass of lemon margarita. I am NOT gonna say how many of those we gobbled down. This photo was taken the same night--

Lesson learned on that WEEKnight: never ever order an alcoholic drink when you're thirsty. Especially when you have to go to work the next day.

I am holding a really awful-tasting margarita that I ordered in a Family KTV in Tomas Morato. It was our company Christmas party, so I drank it anyway. And then I ordered a Vodka Cruiser afterwards.

I'd like to say though that we are not drunkards who drown ourselves with alcohol. We only allow ourselves to drink and be merry because we know we are not driving ourselves home and that we are with good company (cousin and/or sister). We may be self-proclaimed dorks but we do know how to have fun.

There's one dorky picture where we are holding a non-alcoholic drink--

Want some?

Student Permit

2007-02-21T02:40:00.000+08:00

I dreaded the day that I will have to go the LTO office to get my driver's license. My bad experience in obtaining my NBI clearance, TIN and SSS numbers when I was a fresh graduate sort of traumatized me and made me avoid going to any government office as much as I can.

I have scheduled myself to go to LTO Cainta to get my Student Permit, so I can start driving with my dad during the day. My dad picks me up from work every night and lets me drive the way home for about two weeks now.

And so we went to the LTO office, and when we got there, I was disgusted when a man asked us to pay for parking fee! Well, it was ony P30 but I was thinking that they shouldn't be asking for parking fee for a lousy, uncovered, unpaved government parking lot. Not to mention P30 is the same price you pay if you park at Eastwood City's covered, paved and guarded parking lot for three long hours.

We arrived there at about 8:30 am, which I thought is early, but the line was already at the far end of the room. I wanted to go back home and sleep on my nice comfy bed while I let A1 or Dynamic Driving Institute work on my license. But I wanted to appreciate my dad's efforts to wake up early and accompany me in such a dingy place. It was a covered area, with some stores inside and various drug testing centers and there wasn't ANY form of ventilation. I was sweating the whole time while I was just standing there in line. After about almost an hour's wait, I was already halfway the line, between all sorts of people (mostly men) who look like they haven't even taken a bath in years. It scared me that these guys will have a license to drive. I also realized that the line I was in (which I thought was the line ONLY for student permit applicants), was the same line for license renewal, and license upgrade. And then I heard the PA: "Hindi na po Kami tumatanggap ng Student Permit application. Cut off na po. First 50 lang tinatanggap namin!" (We're no longer accepting applicants for the Student Permit. We have the reached the first 50 cut off.") Now how lame is that? Shouldn't the lazy guard in the front door have counted or kept track of the number of applicants in the first instance? Or shouldn't that be job of the guy who was giving out the forms? I was so angry on our way out especially when I remembered that we have to pay for parking.

We decided to go to LTO in Marikina the next day. We arrived there at 8am, and I got my permit a little more than an hour after. No fixers. I had it better in the Marikina office, but I understand why some people (who doesn't have time and has little money to spare) resort to fixers.

Stay Out of the Road!

2007-02-07T04:07:00.000+08:00

I drove a car today for the first time in my entire life.

My odd hours at work obliged my dad to pick me up every after my shift. However, after weeks of consistently staying up till 2am to wait for me, the stress kicked in that he finally suggested that I get a student permit and start learning how to drive. I would've jumped up and down upon hearing this should this happened a few months ago. I remember that I was so determined to learn last year but my parents burst my bubble and said that I should pass on it since I don't have a car yet and it's less likely that my dad would allow me to bring his car. But it looks like the situation has gone a 180 degree turn now.

I was waiting for my dad after work today and when he finally arrived, I noticed that he had a few drinks. When I got in the car, I told him that I already checked the LTO website and took down the documents I need to bring to apply for a student permit. I mentioned that casually just so he knows I'm on it--he even reminded me to work on it this morning. I'm not really that excited to learn--I sort of started to enjoy being in the passenger's seat. But as we turned right at the Industria Road, I was astonished when he pulled over and told me "O, ikaw na mag-drive habang nasa mood ako." (You drive while I'm in the mood to teach.) I REALLY didn't want to. I was tired from work and was a bit sleepy (I stayed up late last night to write my previous blog entry) and on top of that, I know he's a bit tipsy so I'm not sure if he will be able to pull the hand break soon enough before I bump into anything. The next thing I knew, he already stepped out of the car and is walking his way to the passenger seat door so I realized there's no sense arguing and I'd do it anyway. We stayed there for about a couple more minutes ONLY as he showed me the gears and the pedals then asked me to go and drive. I had to tell myself that it's just like driving a bump car with more pedals except that I'm not supposed to bump into anything.

This all happened at the Industria Road, a street in Pasig City where a lot of warehouses and factories are situated so trucks and tricycles dominate this street. Trucks are all over this place at this time of the day. So I drove.

I didn't drive all the way to our house. I allowed my dad to drive when we reached the highway. I was sort of proud though--after that COUPLE OF MINUTES lecture, I was able to drive a stick shift car amidst the trucks and tricycles. Although I was in total panic, I was able to get a hold of myself and fortunately didn't cause the car any damage. My driving career has a long way to go, but yeah, I guess this is a good start.

I really gotta work on my license now.

Wedding at Dawn

2007-02-06T03:29:00.000+08:00

Last December 16, 2006, my friends, Jane and Vincen t got married. The event was held at the coconut palace, at 7am. It was the first time that I attended a wedding of a friend--someone who is really close to me. I've known Jane since college. We were in the same dance group and she was the one who first invited me to attend the youth service at Victory. Our friendship grew even outside the dance group and as my faith strengthened, our relationship was deepened as well. We even started our own company, ACTS, together with our other friends. She is the first one in our peer to get married so the event was really exciting for all of us. It was also my first time to be a bridesmaid. As the couple exchanged vows, I couldn't help but cry--I was deeply moved by the event. I'm sure my friends Dianne and Janina (who were also Bridesmaids) were just as affected as I was. It shows in this stolen shot--

Since all of the bridesmaids and groomsmen are dancers, we prepared a dance number with the newlyweds in place of the couple's traditional first dance. And no, it's not a ballroom-type of dance! We moved to the tune of Boogie Wonderland, OST of the movie HappyFeet. I don't even remember doing the steps well--I just remember I was laughing too hard.

The wedding was quite simple and intimate. There was nothing fancy at all. What made the experience magnificent is that the wedding was carefully planned by the couple, and that they really made it personal. It wasn't planned to show off but to bless people by their love. I've seen this couple right from the very start of their relationship and it is truly a testimony of how God works in our lives and how He writes our own love story.

Now I can't wait to blog about mine.

What Flavor Frappuccino Are You?

2007-01-26T21:03:00.000+08:00

For lack of a meaningful thing to write about, I am being naughty and posting something nonsense during my lunch hour here at work. *wink*

Java Chip Frappuccino

You're a caffeine addict and pretty high maintenance about your coffee. There's a good chance that everyone at your Starbucks knows your name.

What Flavor Frappuccino Are You?

Moments of Silence

2007-01-09T13:51:00.000+08:00

I am truly enjoying this solitude.

It's almost 3am and I just got home from work. This has been my "normal" routine for almost a month now. By the time I get home, my parents and siblings are already fast asleep. I take advantage of this time to do something productive because no one is likely to bother me at this ungodly time of the day. I go online and spy on--errr--check out my friends' and long-lost friends' blogs, Multiply and Friendster accounts to keep myself updated. I surf the net and read news about what has happened in the world while I was slumped on my seat at the office. Last week I was able to finish reading two books.

This is one thing I have always wanted to do. If I'm not working, I spend most of my time with my loved ones and it's rare that I get to reward myself with something. Simple things make me happy, one of which is being able to write a journal entry like this without being pressured to hurry because someone is awfully waiting for me to give them attention. I can eat without gobbling my food down because I know that I don't have anything else to do but to kill some more time for my workaholic self.

The best part is that I get to do everything in silence. It's a perfect getaway from the fast-paced, noisy corporate world that I got myself into.

Texts Gone Crazy

2006-12-27T19:18:00.000+08:00

I used to have my own company phone back in C-cubed. I get in touch with applicants and colleagues using that phone. And boy, these applicants sent texts that are just out of this world! You've read my entries about how the grammatical errors of people I interview keep me sane at work. I followed it up with "Confessions of a Recruitment Assistant", then I finally concluded that we need new english teachers. Now before my entries here turn British, let me share the text messages from different applicants that I have received during the year that I had a company cellphone. (I am writing the texts exactly as I have received it.)

I was trying to call one applicant, but he wasn't picking up. He sent me a text a few minutes later: "i cnt answer d fone,cra ung earfist.hus calling?" (I can't aswer the phone, my earPIECE is busted. Who's calling?)

"gudpm! mom elaine, dis is ______ u just interviewed me a while ago about da call center, its just i found out dat i lost da brochure, mom is it ok if i ask da complete address of the company..? sorry to disturb u mom elain. Tnx. God bless!" Not only did this guy mispell my name, he also made me his mom! After reading his text, I can't believe I invited him over for a second interview. Me sleeping on the job eh? Haha.

I keep getting disconnected everytime I try to call this applicant. She texted back to explain: "Im sory my pone turns of."

After the phone interview, this guy texted me: "gud afternun mam,just wnt 2 thnk u 4d tym, im rily sori but it rily kip me nervouse wen sme1 wud interview me in fluent-english,i admit im not gud in oral-eng.-commun."

"Gud pm ma'am..diz iz _________ d1 wu talkd 2 u awhle ago..is it ok if u txt me ol d inf0. Coz ac2ly im runing out of bery..im intrstd ma'am..tnx"

"Ma'am, can u please re-sched my interview.. Something just g0t happened to my grandmother.. I was here at the h0spital right n0w.. If its okay?" Argh. Me sleeping on the job again.

I was interviewing this guy but then we were cut off. I tried to call him again but he's not picking up. I sent him a text message the next day asking him if he's still interested. He replied, "Oh! U'r fr HTMT! Our interview was cut yesterday. & when u called me again, i didnt g0t d chance 2 answer c0z im traveling.."

"Ms. I just want 2 ask about the words u've told me, if its ok w u, am i going to hear a cal frm you again or am i going 2 ur company nxt." He sent me this tear-jerking message right after I told him that he needs to work on some areas before I can endorse him for the 2nd interview.

"This ________,i just wnt to knw for what call cnter are you from?"

"Im sorry if i was not really good at answering your questions but i really appreciate you have called..." Talk about transliterating.

"Gud pm Mam Ellaine dis is Jeremiah Santos. Mam sori if advice u 4 not reporting 4 my 2nd interview 2day at your office. D reason i hvnt report 2day bcoz i jst got home and read ur txt and my couzin has got into labor lst nyt and gave birth 2 a baby boy. I hve come 2 her aid coz she in custody whyl her husband in aboard. Hope u understand and give me another chance 4 my 2nd interview by 2m. Coz im stil very interested in that position. Thank you very much." Aaahhh me sleeping on the job caught the third time!

I was trying to conduct a phone interview with this lady, but i can hear her daughter going ballistic in the background so I told her I'll just call her the next day. She sent me a text saying: "Sori ma'm i can't understand u'r call l8ly, it is because of my daughter..if u would gve me a chance,i can go 2m for an interview..Thnx 4 undrstandng!"

And this is the bestseller, all my friends and family members can't seem to get over this text: "Hi dis s _______! I'm rily rily sory! I was not able 2 atend my appointment 2 u n myt not b ds coming days dis wik bcoz my tempry tit kip falling all d tym. Dis Fri. wil b my lst sesion w d dent. nd he'l b plcing my tit permntly after my rut cana. Sory n many tnx! Hope I cud stil merit and intrvw w/u nxt wik!" So, what do you say?

I don't know if it's just the text language. I don't mind if words are misspelled or shortened as long as it's still said/written correctly. Remember, call center recruiters look first at how well you speak in English. If they see you can't write, they will assume you can't speak either. I hope we all learned a lesson here--if we are to text our future employers, let's make it professional. It wouldn't hurt us if we do.