Honestly Grateful

Despite all the fuss, mush and hullabaloo, 2011 has been a pretty good year.

Hiked Batad. Revisited Cebu and discovered the Golden Oreo there (among many other things). Roughed it out in some island in Quezon with the best girlfriends in the world. Flew out to Bacolod for the first time, and ate and ate and ate. And traveled out of the country (KOTA!).

Reconnected with old friends and made new ones. Realized some things really aren't meant for me while others just feel like  home. Celebrated my 1st year of running with a half-mary. Started yoga on a (semi) regular basis, and loving every session of it. Still somehow writing given the near lifeless situation of the workload. Quit that one vice I was unable to give up for how long, though granted I slip up sometimes...  (ahihi!) Found love in a Dot. A sour dot. A box of sour dots. Five boxes per purchase actually, but who's counting! (Gourdo's broke my heart when they decided to stop selling food stuffs in their stores, ergo obliterating their distribution of Dots Sour Slices. I swear to love the man who give these back to me eternally.)

Family's still in one piece. Friends from abroad came home and some lost in translation have been found. A cousin got married and she was a beautiful bride. A good friend also announced her engagement and I'm gonna be a bridesmaid! My Ninang from Australia also came home this year and spent her Manila days with her hubby in our house. The dogs had the time of their lives running after their toys every morning in their playtime with Uncle Mike.

I saw a sting ray this year in the shallow reefs of Pulau Mamutik, was attacked by wild fishies in Pulau Gaya and discovered THE BEST green mango concoction on the base of Mt. Kinabalu. My book collection just keeps of growing (The Hunger Games being the latest addition), likewise the bikinis and shoes. I discovered PAYLESS IN MANILA this year, and thought I was in heaven because I nearly died with happiness. Also bought myself  proper snorkeling gear, in PINK!

Looking back, 2011 wasn't just a good year. It was great. And I think 2012 might just be greater. So here's the the future and looking forward to the grand year ahead. If it really will be the last one, let's run through it like wildfire!

Life of the FILO

In Accounting 101, one of the very first things we are taught is the concept of Inventory Management. "What comes in, must go out," in the barest of descriptions. I always thought that FIFO was the most reasonable way of doing business. Naturalmente, ang unang dumating sa warehouse abay sana yun lang din ang unang lumabas papuntang tindahan, so goods won't go bad, right? Right...

But there are other ways of managing inventory, lest the term LIFO and LILO would never have been created. But no idiotic accountant or inventory manager or warehouse personnel would ever in their life ever do a FILO. Having a First in, Last Out plan is crazy!

Apparently, such is not the same for the workplace. Or for me. I don't know why I do this, what moves me to get to work early and stay here until the wee hours. We had our department Christmas Party last night, people had an excuse to come in late but noooo, I had to be in by 9! And now, because of a stupid mistake that I had no control over, I'm the last person on the frikkin' floor!

FILO!!!! FILO!!!! Stupid FILO!

I think its time to rethink this whole thing.

Whatta Mom!

I had another extremely long day/night at work. Got home at around 3:30 AM because of this project I've been working on since October (I had to wait for off-air hours to do a test run. Don't ask. It's complicated.) and finally last night was a successful session!

I get home and fall immediately into bed, dead tired and sleepy as hell! Then after what seemed like 5 minutes of my eyes closed, the alarm rang. Haring Araw was shining happily in his 7 AM spot; a sure sign that I had to grudgingly get up and start prepping for work (again).

(If it were any other day, I would've snoozed the damn phone about 5 times before actually picking myself off the bed but my dad had an early meeting to attend to so I couldn't dillydally.)

So up I was and off to the breakfast table, where my mother sat eating her oatmeal. She looks at me calmly and says, "Alam ko na yung chicken dance. (I know how to do the chicken dance already.)" and proceeds to do a step by step of the dance for me... in the middle of breakfast.

STEP 1 - talking hands (teret teret teret tum)
STEP 2 - flapping elbows (teret teret teret tum)
STEP 3 - twisting knees (teret teret teret tum!)
Clap clap clap clap.

Of course it made me smile. Who wouldn't find a chicken-dancing mommy in the morning funny?!

Mama, I love you.

Good morning, world!

I have a Yaya

I've known Mau since... elementary! (OMG! You're so old!... To which you say: NAGSALITA!)

I think I used to swap pocketbooks with her then. We were part of the Sweet Valley Twins craze; when the girls in class strove to be an Elizabeth but deep down dreamt of being a Jessica. There would be new books coming out every month and the entire 7th grade was a race to complete the series.

(Speaking of book swaps, you still have my "Chasing Harry Winston" and I still have your "Catcher In The Rye." I think I win in that swap.)

Then it was High School and the pocket books played second fiddle to the boy bands. They came one after the other back then, didn't they? Backstreet Boys, Boyzone, Code Red, 911... Watching MTV was our daily afternoon habit, Mau's and I. We would tune in soon as we got home from school, ring each other up on the telly and scream to our heart's content whenever Shane Lynch's pretty face froze on air. It was insane! I think she was the only friend who got as fantardic as me. When everyone was into Limp Bizkit and Prodigy, we were belting it out to the tune of "Isn't it a wonder."

(Pause for a moment... Imagine Ronan Keating in his sleeveless white shirt... *sigh* ... and go.)

College came and went, then we started our careers. She ended up being part of Trend, as an anti-virus engineer no less. While I hopped in and out of jobs. One of my job hops led me to working in Eastwood, just a building away from Trend's office and suddenly we had an excuse to spend nearly every lunch break together. It was high school all over again! And that was when our term of endearment, "Yaya" was coined. Put to fame by Michael V. and Oggie Alcasid's "Yaya and Angelina" skits in Bubble Gang, we adopted the term to insult one another as we vied for the heart of  Danny O'Donoghue. (Who incidentally was part of an Irish boyband back in the 90's! I swear! Yaya found a video of him dancing away on youtube. Yaya, get me that link!)

Then I resigned. Eastwood must've been so bleak without our daily lunchies.

Now, Yaya and I lead completely different lives. I basically have none other than my job in the "surely-#3" network of the country. While she has moved to Ireland to get the wheels of "The Script Entrapment" masterplan going.

We don't get to "petiks" on YM as often as we used to (She discovered taboo on the web and we would play like crazy during office hours. Haha!) but there are days when it seems like she's still just a building away. Apparently, distance means nothing to us.

She's one of my bestest, dearest friends in the world and I would do anything for her.  Except give up money because she has more of it than I do. Haha!

And today's her birthday!!!!! (Woot woot! Parteih!)

So, to my yaya, I dedicate this song. Yaya, I love you. You are a rock in my world and I've never been more grateful to have you in my life. *HUGS* Hope my hugs warm you all the way from Manila!

When you're tired...

... all you can think about is being tired.

What is chaos?

It's likely why I haven't been posting anything here in a while. Because when I do write, the content will be something exactly like this: how I'm so stressed out, how I miss getting to do the things I used to do on a near daily basis, how I wish I could exert more effort into my extracurriculars but for some reason I can't...

:(

I hate this feeling of being stuck between a rock and a hard place but at the same time... it's become a very sad comfort zone.

What makes the situation even sadder is I seem to be looking for thrills in all the wrong places. Hay ija, que horror the insanities you get yourself into. And you've got no one to blame but yourself.

Dear Lord, please don't make me work on New Year's Eve. That would just push me even closer to the path of the suicidal.

I want to write, "Tonight I run" but seems like every time I declare it, I jinx it. So what I write is "Tonight I won't run." Hopefully the reverse psychology will work miracles and Lula will be 'neath my feet later.

Wish I could sleep.

Actually, wish our boss would finally have time to look at my preso so I can move on and implement the event I've been planning. (Trabaho pa rin!!!!)

Chop chop, brain! Gotta keep up with the program, lest you get too far left behind. I need sleep.

Places We've Been

Gone fishing with mi familia in Apalit, Bulacan

Saw the sun rise from the sea in Apo Island, Mindoro

Walked to the rocks in Borawan, Quezon

Swam in crystal clear waters of Kayangan Lake, Coron

Nuni-nuni'd along the shores of Corregidor

Broke the calm of Muntingbuhangin, Batangas with my ever-loud-and-proud friends

And basked under the sun many-a-time with them in San Juan, La Union

Hung out with mi familia in Tagaytay

Saw the breathtaking view of Batad, Banaue

I'm blessed to have seen such beauty among great company.

To my friends and family, here's to seeing more of the world together.

Thank you. More please.

I stumbled across yet another golden movie nugget last night when my channel surfing led me to watch the oddly titled feature Happythankyoumoreplease on Star Movies. Written, directed by and starring Josh Radnor (of "How I Met Your Mother" fame), the story told of friends on the cusp of adulthood.

"Happythankyoumoreplease is a story of relationships that deal with the struggles of people trying to find their way. The film centers on Sam (Josh Radnor), a writer having a bad day who meets a Rasheen, a foster care child abandoned in the subway. Through this story we learn of Sam's best friend Annie (Malin Åkerman), an Alopecia patient trying to find a reason to be loved; Sam's cousin Mary Catherine and her boyfriend Charlie, a couple facing the prospect of leaving New York and living a different life all together; and Mississippi, a waitress/singer trying to make it in the Big Apple." (Thank you wikipedia, for the very apt summary.)

All in their late twenties and living in the greatest city in the world, our characters struggle with curveballs that force changes in their lives and destroy comfort zones. Sounds familiar? Yeah. Even the movies know these harrowing facts of life.

The scene, however, where it was basically explained why the movie is entitled as such, was refreshingly new. It presented the concept of The Law Of Gratitude. An addendum to the law of attraction (attract whatever you think about into your life... want something bad enough and the universe will conspire to give it to you), the law of gratitude equates what you have with what you deserve.

"With gratitude, the universe is eternally abundant." Annie explained, when the guy she was dating asked why she says "More please" after her thank-yous. When you express gratitude for what is given to you, you exude that you deserve what you have and therefore the universe will conspire to give you more of that.

Besides corruption, it's a highly plausible explanation why the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer. When a rich man is thankful for his blessings, he is given more of it. When he is not, the universe thinks "Hey, maybe he doesn't want it afterall" and takes the blessings away.

It's an interesting concept. Something worth trying, don't you think?

So...

Thank you for friends, thank you for time, thank you for the love that surrounds me, thank you for family, thank you for my Belle, Bubu and Brandy, thank you for my work and thank you for my life.

:)

More please. I'm waiting...

Hello from the city of smiles

It's a quick trip to Bacolod for leg 2 of our Vismin tour and my first time to step foot in the land of smiles as sweet as their sugar. Arrived at Silay Domestic Airport at approx. 4:40 PM after an EE (exceeds-expectations) flight from Zest Air. :)

Bacolod is gorgeous at first sight. Greetings for the landing plane were beautiful fields of sugar cane. I've never seen more organized farmland. It's different from Batad's awe inspiring terraces, in the sense that it's just this expanse of green green GREEN fields with so many crisscrossing lines for paths. Its like a giant jigsaw puzzle!

First stop from the airport was EL IDEAL, a local bakery and pasalubong shop in Silay. Their guapple pie was cinnamon-y crisp, with a buttery flaky crust. It made me miss the guapple pie of Breadbox (+), the old cafe across Saguijo.

Then we set off for our hotel to check in and settle our stuff and ourselves. El Fisher is nice enough; spacious rooms, comfy beds, nice large baths, scalding hot water in the shower. It's a bit "old" though, but employees can't be choosy! Haha!

Dinner was at MANUKAN COUNTRY, right across SM City Bacolod (giving us our first glimpse of the next day's epic mall show venue). It's this truly local row of restos that served the specialty of province. We had (of course) inasal manok, (Petcho please!) and surprisingly, roaster oysters! The oysters were yuuuuummy! And huge!

Then, we went to Calea for desserts, this happy cake cafe across our hotel. I had a cup of good Cafe Americano and a slice of heavenly White Chocolate Cheesecake with strawberry jam of the side... do I have to say it was delicious?

So day one ended with an extremely full stomach, just as day two was beginning in the very wee hours of the morn. With a wake-up call of 4:30 in the friggin morning, day two's palengke tour was a resounding success that ended with a well-deserved culmination at Pendy's, the pasalubong shop.

I spent too much on food again. Because there were cheese tarts and mango tarts and butterscotch squares and piayas and too many other things to be had! The pasalubongs, of course, was the cause of the miraculous multiplication of baggage (flew in to Bacolod with 2, flew out with 4).

The rest of the trip was basically work-laden so nothing interesting there anymore. Overall, my first ever Bacolod trip was a foodie's dream come true. Thanks, City of smiles for the great "escape". I'll be back, hopefully on more relaxed terms. :)

Get Busy Living

Disclaimer: I've been meaning to write this post for a while now. Still finding the right words so this particular entry is a work in progress.

I remember when I first saw The Shawshank Redemption in laser disc waaay back when... I found it to be such a game changer. It shook the limits of my youngling, spoiled-brat paradigm and introduced harsh truths like corruption, injustice and the cruelty of the power hungry. I was watching a masterpiece, one that would transcend time and age. I knew if I saw it again later in life, the film would still have a profound effect.

I was right.

One miraculously slow weekend, while surfing SKY's digibox channels, I stumbled upon the opening credits of The Shawshank Redemption on HBO. As its been more than 15 years since my original viewing of the feature, the cable recap was like watching the movie for the first time all over again. This time though, a line Andy Dufresne said to Red in their last prison yard discussion struck me most. Andy was talking about what he'd do once he got out of prison; move to Mexico, build a hotel by the beach, buy an old boat and fix her up to take guests out fishing... Red took the realist's road, bursting Andy's bubble early so he won't get his hopes up too high. To that, Andy's last words were "I guess it comes down to a simple choice really. Get busy living or get busy dying." then he walks away.

Red feared Andy meant to commit suicide. He seemed to have lost his hope, his patience and his marbles, and Red seemed to have lost his friend in the conversation. But of course, we know its to the contrary. Andy was just putting the last finishing touches to his escape plan, in hopes that his friend would remember their last conversation so they could meet again beyond the walls of Shawshank. Andy refused to let the dreary prison life bring him down, and he tried as best he could to infect his best friend with his hope.

Get busy living was his choice because the walls enclosing him were not the limits of the life he wanted to live. Get busy living because dying is way too simple... and easy. Get busy living because life is good and is meant to be experienced to the fullest every damn day.

I choose to get busy living.

Life Lessons

No one lives the ideal life. There will always be something wrong, something crappy, something blue and something nasty happening every other day. Shit happening on a near-daily basis is a fact of life; its how we deal with the shit that makes the difference.

Despite it all, be thankful. Whether its for a piece of bread passed over the table, the pre-opened door, or the 14-month paycheck your boss decided to award you on Christmas, say thank you. Even the tiniest of actions deserve gratitude.

Smile. Besides triggering endorphin production and less stress on facial muscles, smiling is the easiest way to make a day brighter. A generally happy disposition is better than a sour one any day.

Whining gets you nowhere. Don't get me wrong, though. A good rant every now and then is a great way to ease up tension and release pent up anger. But don't be a whiner. Nobody likes the negastar.

Breathe and be centered for a few. Watching TV (talking to self here) doesn't count. Goofing off with your dog (again talking to self here) doesn't either. Yoga once a week, though, does! Goojab, girls!

And, the latest from Chris G... Never save it for later. Do things now, while we're young and able. There's no point putting things off (like writing a quick blog entry) for another day, because you just never know when the other days will end. What we have is the here and now. Make damn well use of it.

Tonight I Write

... because I haven't written anything... serious... in a while.

And I thought I'd be able to write something now... but Kim's Fairytale Wedding is distracting me.

Idiotic guilty pleasure. Grrr.

You will be mine

Lela Rose Summer 2011 for Payless

 I am absolutely obsessed with this design.

Yeah, yeah. I know I fall in love all too easily with shoes but MAN when I saw this one at the Trinoma branch... it was love at first sight.

I swear! I keep thinking about it. I worry that someone else might have gotten my size already. I check and make sure its still there in every branch I visit (Rockwell and Megamall still had my size in my last trip to the mall). I put it on just to make me feel better. I LOVE IT! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

*sigh*

Lord, someday, I hope to write something similar to this post, but hopefully the subject of interest will be a living, breathing person of the opposite sex. Wish ko lang ma-in-love na. Please. Let it happen soon.

Ktnxbye.

The Good

I took a cab home late one evening. I was coming from a late night in the office and followed my mom's advice to take EDSA-Q.Ave instead of the shortcuts we normally use to avoid traffic. Smart move; apparently, EDSA's empty when its past 11 o'clock on Thursday nights so my trip home was nearly "stop" free.

There was a bit of a build-up on Q.Ave-Araneta, though. That danged bottleneck of an underpass construction can cause a jam even in the wee hours of the morn. Sigh.

So there we were, Kuya Driver and me. Him humming along to the 90's OPM of his station of choice, and me slumped on the backseat, too tired to make small talk. I was looking out my window, trying to figure out how we could advance in the bottleneck faster. I may not drive, but I do know how to get ahead in the world.

Then I noticed a man in a "wheelchair" on the road's shoulder, just about beside my cabbie. I place "wheelchair" under quotations because the shabby, rickety old thing he was on barely looked like one, with a few parts missing here and there. He was rolling himself along with only one hand because he was trying to steady the small rack of wood-made bracelets atop his lap with the other. His wares, obviously. He was probably a vendor, on his way home from a long day of work, too, and one-handedly struggle to get there.

But observant me wasn't the only one who took notice of Kuya Vendor. There was a bunch of thin, rugged looking teens on the sidewalk almost beside my cab. There were three boys with hoodlum-looking hairstyles and tattered shirts, and a girl with a wild laugh and shorts that show almost everything. They didn't look like the best crowd to be around on a bad day, what more at past 11 on the road? Those who pass through this side of the city know its riddled with the slums.

One of the teenage boys took notice of Kuya Vendor likely around the same time I saw him, and he slowly swaggered up behind him, his friends following only with a squinted gaze.

I was about to protest and call Kuya Driver's attention for help when the boy took the wheelchair's handles and started to help Kuya vendor push himself on the bumpy construction of Q.Ave-Araneta.

In my head, his intro was "Para makauwi na po kayo agad." ("So you can get home faster.")

Kuya vendor himself was obviously startled at first, but the smile that lit his face after a half-second later than made up for the jolt. The boy had no bad intent at all. He was only lending a helping hand to a weary man on his way home.

The world is awesome and filled with the good. We live in a world full of good people, they're found even in the places you least expect. I am honored to have witnessed that moment.

In memoriam: The Man In Black

I'm not related to him. I never worked for him. I'm just a fan. A fan in mourning.

I know very little about Steve Jobs. I just know him as the college drop out who challenged the world to think differently, opened minds to take risks, built the Apple empire and came out with the most beautiful, sleek, I-don't-care-what-you-think brand in the whole universe: Mac.

Veering away from PC's functionality (though there's absolutely nothing wrong with functionality), MAC brought beauty to the world of technology. It was the first brand to proudly say, "Look at me, I'm pretty and pretty smart all at the same time." and it was brilliant.

MAC brought back the power of the niche. While everyone else was going for the masses, Mac took on the market no one dared mess with: the innovators with the buying power. They're the damned hardest crowd to please and they all fell in love with the brand, and with the man who brought the brand to life.

My real marketing career started with the Mac. Back in '05, I was this silly little girl with a dream to be an influencer, and the brand makers of Beach Hut took me under their wing. They had an amazing passion the brand they'd created and it stemmed from the inspiration of Steve Jobs. Dennis was already a Mac user, he had purchased the giant 3rd gen iMac for us office minions to use and get creative with. Myles taught me the wily tricks of the trade on that iMac; how to force-quit, how to tab thru applications, how to scroll with the amazing mighty mouse, how to appreciate the wondrous simplicity of technology as the Mac does everything else for you behind its pretty white frame. Kelvin introduced me to the wonders of other Apple products, namely the iPod. It plays music without CD or cassette?!? AMAZING!

They were my Mac godfathers: Kelvin, Myles and Dennis. And I'm superbly lucky to have been mentored by three of best apple users in the country, because they didn't just teach me how to use the mac; they taught me its roots, what it stands for, how something so simple can be so beautiful all at the same time, and about the man behind the genius of it all.

They were the first three people I SMS'd when I heard the news.

Rest well, Sir. You've done an excellent job and you deserve your peace. Thank you for everything.

The Beach Is My Home

Borawan, Quezon; Sept. 2011

I belong where the sand meets the sea.

Okay... so maybe I exagerate.

Look. Here's the thing.

Despite the downs and the roller coaster rides and the stress-that-knows-no-bounds... I love what I do for a living. I deeply enjoy the company of the people who surround me on a daily basis. I get along great with the team I'm a part of. The banter of ideas that happen in our little merry world of consumer marketing; and sometimes the chismis and other unintelligible whatnots... just makes everyone happy and fun to be around.

Of course we're not happy-happy all the time. We're in TV5 Marketing, not the psyche ward of a mental hospital.

So... really, there's no need to panic, folks. I'm just a gal who's got so much on her mind, and sometimes just needs to rant. Then when that's done, we move on.

Thank heavens we move on the weekend that will be gloriously spent on the beach.

B-)   Looking forward to soaking up the sun.

And hey! Possibly a light Friday afternoon spent blogging some wiley thoughts, and then to an evening with the Younghusbands. Media, I *heart* you.

Someday...

I'm starting to hate that word.

I forget which movie said it, but someday is a dangerous word. Because its code for never.

I don't remember when exactly it happened to me... wait, I do but I choose to be in denial and not blame my job for my lifelessness... but my someday has turned into never. And it's freakin' H-A-R-D to turn it around!

"I'll get back into running soon"... said that three weeks ago.

"I'm losing the damned 10 pounds I gained ASAP!" Said that 'round the same time... and it's not HAPPENING!

"A blog a day was supposed to keep the crazies away"... but the frikkin crazies are HERE!!

"I'm saving up for my NAUI course because my gift-to-self on Christmas will be a bad-ass diver ID." Where the h*ll am I getting the money from? DREAM F-ing ON!

"I'll stop using my credit card"... HOW?!?!?!? Stop it on the shoes, the dresses, the weak superficial things. When did this obsession with the material begin? I used to prioritize travel and knowledge and art and experience. What's so wrong with me that I need the immediate pick-me-ups to give me joy? (I do know what's wrong with me but I choose to turn a blind eye.)

Because I know when I look, seriously look... I'll find something broken. Something I've been meaning to fix. Something I'll get to someday.

But someday has turned to never... and I'm afraid. Dear Lord, please help me.

Annual Markers

Just realized that I define my year differently now that I'm a workin' girl. Back in the day of textbooks, terms papers and getting to school on time, annual markers were quarterly exams, intrams, the fair and summer vaca.

Now... besides the standard Christmas, Semana Santa, and birthday rundown, these are the things that mark each year's passing:

UAAP Bball Season on S23
I've never been a basketball fan, nor do I think I will ever be, but the UAAP Senior Basketball Season is something I look forward to on an annual basis. For one, it tells me students are officially settled in their respective schools and the alumni have nothing better to do that plan for the next bonfire. UAAP now also marks my annual lap around my old campus. Whilst everyone struts their ass to the GS Parking Lot, I head off running (literally) to the other direction. HS and Bell field have never been more quiet. :) Ooh! Plus the fact that our family favorite local band Parokya Ni Edgar are Bonfire staples and I need my annual flirt-mode-on with Vinci.

Halloween
We never, and I mean never, celebrated Halloween back when I was a kid. It was always All Saints' Day and Araw ng Patay and Sembreak. Trick or Treating was something reserved for people Stateside, like Hannukah and Thanksgiving. But recently, with its sudden popularity, even the poorest of the poor get to trick or treat nowadays! And Trick or Treating in a media company is F-U-N! Two years ago, we set up an entire casket with ghoul in our area. The ghoul was even sitting beside me in the empty cubicle. He kept me company during the cool November days. Last year, our scary set up was accompanied by creepy sound effects downloaded off the internet. We scared the kids crapless, it was hilarious!

Dear Lord

Please help me find the strength to always, always, ALWAYS see the good in people...

Or simply pull away from those who exude evil.

Okay, evil may be extreme... but please please please Lord... give me strength.


GAH!

Amen.

Candy Coated Drops Of Happy

Just another manic Monday

This is what the working portion of my desk looks like. Okay, looked like because it is now sans candy-coated colorfuls. They're now all happily tucked in my tummy.

If you guessed those to be M&Ms... Na-ah! They're the local version, and I like them more. Given the choice between Nips and M&Ms, I'd choose Nips any day. I don't know what it is exactly that makes them so damn addictive... or maybe I'm just really into sweets that way.

Nips is quintessentially local! It can't boast to be true chocolate because its made mostly of milk solids. The candy coat is oftentimes too thick that it doesn't melt in both you mouth and hand. And the colors they use spell t-o-x-i-c, as in artificially toxic. But I don't care!

Nips reminds me of lazy weekday afternoons, when school and homework is done and I pass my time slowly with TV and junk. Ah, the good old days. Long gone. Just like the Nips formerly on my desk top.

The 10-Pound Challenge

I've gained weight!

It cannot be denied anymore. The excuse "I'm wearing dresses to work because pants are tighter" has come true, and its major suuuuper dislike. I think its all the Dots Sour Slices I've been wolfing down... useless calories... useless, sweet/sour, amazingly addictive, oh-how-I-miss-you calories... (of course I'm suddenly craving for my Sour Dots... that's what happens when you write about them.)

But NO! I have what we call "self-control" and it starts now!

*Put hand on imaginary diet bible and say* I solemnly swear that from this day on, I shall:

1. Run even when I'm tired. No reason will be acceptable for not running at least twice a week.
2. Do my weights and crunches when I get home. Get that flabby tabby stomach out of the way!
3. Stop it with the midnight binges. Goodbye Cheddar & Sour Cream Ruffles. It'll be a while til I see you again.
4. Do more chores on the weekend! I've been meaning to clean out my closet.

Writing it all down is one thing. Staying true to each is another. Dear Lord of all things Holy, please give me the strength to pull this one off. The blog a day promise hasn't happened yet. Let this one not take as much time.

So, 10 pounds people! That's the number to beat. And today is Day 1.

A blog a day...

... will keep the crazies at bay.

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

Got a nice ring to it, eh? :)

So it shall be my new motto. Wonder how long I can keep it up, though.

Brown paper packages tied up with string...

I have another new favorite thing: Coupons from exclusive online deals!

A blogger friend wrote an entry about dealies.ph, a site that compiles the online discount deals of various sites into one user-friendly location, a few weeks back and after reading her positive review on it, I decided to give online coupon shopping a shot. And another shot... then another!

So yeah, I'm kind of hooked. I'm now a registered user of multiple sites such as cashcashpinoy, metrodeals and dealgrocer, and have thus far purchased for mi'self:

• A yoga exercise set by Made For Movement at 73% off, delivered straight to my doorstep, and came in my favorite color! *blush*

• Two laser hair removal treatments from Power Peel 90% off (from 3k to 300!), conveniently usable on weekends, and not all that difficult to get to (their clinic is on Panay Ave. I can do a stopover at Tops Timog on my way home!).

• And most recently (i.e., just a few seconds ago), multiple Manels GCs being sold at 50% off, in 400-peso denominations. I got 6. I'm not kidding. That adds up to Php2,400 worth of Manels stuff. That's got to be at least 2 pairs of shoes. Three if I hunt good. Plus a bag if I do better!

Ain't it amazing what one can do on the wonderful world wide web of today! :)

Give online deals a shot. It's shopping from the happy convenience of your laptop.

Untitled

I've been wondering what my "Hell yeah" is for a while now, since that entry by Chris G. I think I've finally figured it out.
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What I do for a living is stressful. It eats up into my weekends, makes my week hours unpredictable, and hopes to destroy whatever semblance of balance I have left in my life.

But I love it. I was telling my best friends that, while others feel bad when work takes over their lives... I feel no remorse. Sure I complain when the long hours come but I still get up the next day and head off for work bright and early. And it's not like the stress-levels are overly dreadful. Actually, compared to some of my colleagues in creatives, my job is a breeze!

I can't even pinpoint exactly what about working in media that gets me so riled up. The politicking is horrid, HR needs work, I still haven't been issued a proper computer, meetings are too long and sometimes painful... and although I am still trying to perfect the ability of looking past these flaws, I have to say they're really just pebbles in the grander flow of it all.

I'm happy. And at peace with the choice to come back. It feels more like coming home than anything else and I can't wait til I hit my first year again.

In loving memory

That's our Lola Becky in the middle. She was 84 in this picture, when we celebrated her birthday last year. We were supposed to get all together and celebrate again tomorrow for the big 8-5, but she passed away... just a few moments ago actually.

Didn't think it'd be painful to write but it is.

Lola Becky (or Auntie Becky, as I'm more comfortable calling her) is my 3rd lola's sister (our family tree's complicated). We're actually not related by blood but she's still always been family.

Mama and Papa are heading out to Antipolo now to help with the wake arrangements. Days like these I wish I could drive and be more useful.

Shoe Fix

Dear Lord,
Please don't ever let me loose on Rockwell again. I spend too much...
------------------------------------

It's finally happened, boys & girls! My season-long drought has been quenched by a much deserved spree in shoe shopping goodness. I say season-long because I don't really recall when the last time I bought mi'self a new pair of shoes... Ah, wait I do... (Ahihi!)

BUT ANYWAY!

Yesterday, the stars aligned and I ended up with a bit of time to kill at the Powerplant. That mall, I swear, is the weak chink in my chain. Last time I was there by my lonesome, no one was around to stop me from buying the entire Temeraire series of Naomi Novic from Fully Booked. Then last night, about an hour before closing, as I meandered aimlessly through its upscale halls... okay it wasn't aimless. I was supposed to head for CBTL on the 3rd level when ... Aleluia ... like a miracle, this store beckoned and I had no choice but to oblige.

Payless Shoesource 3/L Rockwell Powerplant (aka Heaven on Earth)

I'm telling you, my first thought was... "Have I died and gone to heaven? Is this for real?"

Since the Payless Shoesource franchise opened on Philippine soil in July 2010, I've been wanting to visit and scour its vast shelves. But I'm hardly in the locations they decided to open up in so the chance never presented itself... until yesterday! Oh, happy day!

Payless Shoes aren't, by Manila working girl standards, the cheapest in town... I'd normally go to Tutuban or Greenhills or Divisoria with just a thousand bucks in my wallet and come home with 4 pairs of shoes, but of course, those would be generic-looking things that one wouldn't really take notice of when on one's feet... Shoes from Payless, however, are PRETTY!

Pretty darn hard to find too, but when you do find the golden nuggets, they are things you do NOT let slip thru your fingers. The only sad thing about Payless is their slightly small selection for the size 6-6.5 foot (my size. Cry.) when compared to numerous size 10's and 12's. They do have a wide array of designs for men, but apparently I'm so much easier to please, shoe-wise, than my dad. He walked away whole, while I stepped out nearly 3K less. But it was worth it!

So, let's move on to the latest additions to my ever growing shoe collection!

:) And they came in a reusable bag to promote eco-friendliness :)

 Yes, I bought two. TWO and proud of it!

Fioni demiclogs in brown suede.

These Fioni Bootie Clogs came in grey-blue, too. But I figured that brown would be the more practical pair to purchase.

Black Glads from Zoe And Zac

This pair caught my attention just before I was about to check-out.

Last pair in my size = It was meant to be mine.

Thing is with Payless, you have to be patient and really let the experience of going through the stores collection take you. I know I sound like an addict, and I am, but seriously, I was so happy to have finally been able to shop in its heavenly walls. The overall shopping-as-if-in-the-supermarket style really got me going!

This first trip, unfortunately for my debit card, won't be the last. *Sigh*

Payless Shoesource has 9 (and counting) stores in the country: Powerplant, Shang, Market! Market!, Marque and Ayala Mall Cebu are the branches I recall now. Visit a store near you. :)

Pamper Thy Self

I'm not vain.

I've lived some twenty plus years without make-up and moisturizer and whatnot, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy a luxurious massage or spa session every now and then. Actually, my real prettify-me indulgence is an afternoon at the nail salon.

I was a nail biter in my younger years. Sometimes, the horrid habit manifests itself; especially when I'm stressed out but I kicked it years ago with the help of the manicure (plus my stint as Caronia brand manager, that got me in the mindset of loving my nails a bit more). The wonders of manicure taught me polish colors and cuticle pushing and how hands simply look cleaner when topped off my perfectly manicured fingernails. Of course, the pedicure wasn't too far behind then. And ergo the foot spa.

Heading off to the nail salon has been my thing for a while now, so imagine my happiness when a very posh yet professional place opened up oh-so-near our house!

 

The Nail Fairy And Day Spa is my kind of place.The ambiance is perfect, the simple combination of teal with white and pink is enough to sooth the tired sole. Their black chairs lean all the way back and the playlist isn't obstructive to the chill process.

Great spacious set-up. Perfect for Spa parties!

The fact that their services aren't badly priced either is just icing on the cake!

I had a luxurious foot spa with wax mask, mani/pedi cleaning with Orly polish all for under 500 bucks. It was too good. I'm coming back soon for a deep cleansing facial and a whole body massage. :)

If anyone's interested to have a fun spa day with me, here are the contact details of The Nail Fairy:

126-B Speaker Perez St. Brgy. Maharlika, Quezon City.

(Near Starbucks N.S. Amoranto, formerly Retiro St.)

Call ahead for appointments!

Tel. (632) 806-1078

Mobile: (0923) 588-8742

See ya there!

Love sings when it transcends the bad things

Wise words from Brandon Boyd, god of rock hotness.
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I'm not an Incubus fan... really I'm not. I just thought, why waste the opportunity to hear good music live for cheap? My sister's friend offered his lower box tickets to us at half price; the deal was simply too good to pass up.

So yesterday, July 28, 2011, I ushered m'self into the throngs of rush hour MRT in vain hope of getting to the Smart-Araneta Coliseum before the orcs do. Of course they got there before I did. Orcs are jobless halfwits who have rocks for brain matter. Thank God they were mostly in Gen Ad. I'm so going to hell for those last two sentences.

The normally cramped ways of Cubao was tripled by a rowdy crowd of young ones on the verge of bursting with noise anticipation. Not entirely the most ideal place to be for claustrophobes like me but I huffed and I puffed and just took it all in, 'cause just like the tour title said "If not now... When?"*

Incubus has been making waves in the international music industry since 1995. They've released anthems like Megalomaniac (the opening number), Drive, Promises Promises and Nice To Know You (their last song last night), and have earned a generation's love and respect for the kind of music they produce. My generation's love and respect. I only wish they slotted in Are You In instead of Talk Show On Mute in the concert playlist. Are You In has been haunting me for weeks and I really wanted to hear Brandon Boyd croon "oooh-wooo-oooh-oooh!" I guess seeing his lankyman abs blown up on big screen will have to do.

Okay so I am a fan. Just not the hardcore, lyric memorizing addict kind. Watching the concert at the big dome was well worth the effort, it reminded me of my 'Guijo hoppin' days, sans the overcrowdedness (I know that's not a real word. Deal with it!).

But you know what really made the worth every penny? The fact that I didn't even have to pay for my ticket. Yes, Incubus for free... it's a good thing.


*By the way that, my non-rocker friends, is also the title of Incubus' latest album. Download-worthy.

Gaining A New Perspective

This one song by The Script has been my Achilles' heel for about a year now. "If You Ever Come Back" broke my heart because it sentimentalized emotions I was going through, and I both loved and hated Danny O'Donoghue and his crew for penning such brilliance.

A few days ago, however, I came across the band's official music video of the song and it offered a new perspective.

***********************************************************
I never thought about listening to the song from a parent's point of view, talking to her runaway daughter. I guess I was too hung up on what the song meant to me to realized they were personifying something even more meaningful.

Now, when the song plays on my iPod, it doesn't hurt as much. Maybe the new perspective was just what I needed to take yet another step in the right direction.

IF YOU EVER COME BACK
Songwriters: KIPNER, STEPHEN / FRAMPTON, ANDREW / O'DONOGHUE, DANIEL / SHEEHAN, MARK

If you're standing with your suitcase but you can't step on the train
Everything's the way that you left it, I still haven't slept yet
And if you're covering your face now but you just can't hide the pain
Still setting two plates on the counter but eating without you

If the truth is you're a liar when you say that you're okay
I'm sleeping on your side of the bed going out of my head now
And if you're out there trying to move on but something pulls you back again
I'm sitting here trying to persuade you like we're in the same room

And I wish you could give me the cold shoulder
And I wish you could still give me a hard time
And I wish I could still wish it was over
But even if wishing is a waste of time
Even if I never cross your mind

I'll leave the door on the latch
If you ever come back, if you ever come back
There'll be a light in the hall and a key under the mat
If you ever come back
There'll be a smile on my face and the kettle on
And it will be just like you were never gone
There'll be a light in the hall and a key under the mat
If you ever come back, if you ever come back now

Now they say I'm wasting my time 'cause you're never coming home
But they used to say the world was flat and how wrong was that now
And by leaving my door open I'm risking everything I own
There's nothing I can lose in a break-in that you haven't taken

And I wish you could give me the cold shoulder
And I wish you could still give me a hard time
And I wish I could still wish it was over
But even if wishing is a waste of time
Even if I never cross your mind

I'll leave the door on the latch
If you ever come back, if you ever come back
There'll be a light in the hall and a key under the mat
If you ever come back
There'll be a smile on my face and the kettle on
And it will be just like you were never gone
There'll be a light in the hall and a key under the mat
If you ever come back, if you ever come back now

If it's the fighting you remember or the little things you miss
I know you're out there somewhere, so just remember this
If it's the fighting you remember or the little things you miss
Oh just remember this, oh just remember this

I'll leave the door on the latch
If you ever come back, if you ever come back
There'll be a light in the hall and a key under the mat
If you ever come back
There'll be a smile on my face and the kettle on
And it will be just like you were never gone
There'll be a light in the hall and a key under the mat
If you ever come back, if you ever come back now

Oh if you ever come back, if you ever come back now

And it will be just like you were never gone
And it will be just like you were never gone
And it will be just like you were never gone
If you ever come back, if you ever come back now

:)

My letter to Balyena.org

I chanced upon an Orca documentary on the Animal Planet today.  It reminded me of the latest item on my bucket list: be part of Balyena.org and join the annual whale migration count in the Babuyan Islands. Below is my love letter to them... I hope they find it in their hearts to let me be a part of their great work.

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Magandang umaga!

I'm Tippie and I'm a 29-year old non-scientist lass, who barely passed HS Bio back in the day. I graduated from college tucking a BA in European Studies under my belt. Please read this as I am not your ideal volunteer, but I hope you still hear me out because...

I love animals*. I'm one of those people who come home from a long day at work and turn on the TV immediately to the nerd channels (i.e. NatGeo, Discovery and Animal Planet). And though I know the tidbits I get from watching their programs are more than most people, I also know there's a deeper way of learning and of loving: through volunteerism and conservation.

True that our tiny 3rd world country has one too many humanitarian/political issues, but we are also so privileged to be living in the epicenter of Gaia's biodiversity, that efforts such as what you do can mean monumental changes and discoveries for the natural world around us.

I think you're amazing and it would be nothing short of an honor to be able to volunteer for your organization in whatever way I can. Being part of the annual balyena survey would be a dream come true, though. I'm just sayin'!

Anyway, you have my e-mail and I have yet to further explore your website. Thank you for your time and I hope my letter finds you well.

Happy whale counting!
Tippie Tan :)

*Okay... to be honest, those whose blood runs cold aren't on the lovelist, but I still respect them... in my own way.

Bobo o Gago?

Disclaimer: I'm sorry. I tried, really, to stop myself from writing this entry but when you deal with the idiotic drivers of the Metro on a daily basis, from QC to Makati, stopping yourself from exploding in cusses and rants is just darn impossible. This is going to be a bad one. You've been forewarned.

You know what, assholes I can take. I call them gago drivers (gago being our tagalog counterpart of asshole); they're motorists who assume the road is theirs and theirs alone, that they can do whatever the hell they want on it. Gago drivers are generally those who earn a living off driving: bus, jeepney and taxi cab drivers, truckers, delivery servicemen... that sort. They tend to be gago because in this horrid state of Metro Manila traffic (and the overpopulated roads of the Philippines) every man has to serve himself, especially if driving is rooted in the only income your family lives on. Public transport operators stop and go as they please, getting more passengers or letting them off right smack in the middle two lanes. They run their rides like there's no tomorrow then suddenly pull on the brakes when a someone hails them over. They're stressful, I know, and honestly, I dislike them as much as anyone else but as simple members of a DE society that's just trying to put food on the table for the night... can you really blame them for being foolhardy and reckless?

However, the gago driver is not to be mistaken with the bobo ones (bobo being our tagalog counterpart for STUPID!). Hay yay yay, people! Like I said, assholes I can deal with but people who are just naturally stupid drivers... Please get this mantra through your head: if you can't hack Metro Manila traffic, then get off the road, b*tch! To the bobo drivers of my fair country, this is for you:


1. No to cutting corners!
Please learn how to turn left properly. Were you so God awful at geometry that you can't make a clean 90-degree turn to save your life? Or, oh, you say you're in a hurry? ... DUDE! Cutting corners won't get you anywhere any faster! In fact, it can even NOT get you anywhere at all 'cause you'll likely run over some pedestrian looking in the right direction or get yourself in a head-on collision with some other car who's on the right lane. Jeez!


2. Trak ka, teh?!
Now, when you turn right... dearie, your Honda Civic is nowhere near as long as the 10-wheeler you're following, ergo you don't have to turn corners the way he does! You're driving a sedan or an SUV, not a truck. Underestimate your left turns but overestimate your rights: what the freak's wrong with you?


3. U-turn headache.
Ah the dreaded U-turns of Q. Ave., Commonwealth and Marcos Highway. Yes, I agree they're not the best things that happened to MMDA ruling under Mr. Bayani's reign but what can you do? Dare you cross the sementado islands that mar our intersections? (No.) I thought so. As such, drivers of the Metro have to adapt. Adapt. ADAPT, I say! For the love of all things good and Holy, why can't you do a decent U-turn?! When you make the U-turn, you're not supposed to go into the middle lane straight away. (But how do you expect me to get off at my "intersection"?) By taking it one friggin' lane at a time! See those big cement blocks on the road, they're protecting you from the traffic flow. Use them wisely. Egads, what is it with you and turning?


4. Taking up two lanes.
No no no no! NO! Lanes are painted on the road for a reason. You're not supposed to be on top of one line, following it like Dorothy on the yellow brick road. That's not how it goes! What, scared of on-coming traffic? Scared to let the jeepney pass lest he scratch your new caroo? Do I give a damn? Do I seem like I give a damn in the tiniest bit? Get over it, moron, or take out the old jalopy from the garage. Scratches, bumps and bruises are a fact of driving life. If you can't deal with it... (Get off the road, b*tch!)


5. Dalawang lane na ngang kinain, nakuha pang magbagal.
Ganda mo rin, eh noh? Here's a little something from Yahoo! Answers for your pretty little pea brain: "People need to realize the right lane is the slow lane and the left is the passing lane." No, that doesn't apply to just SLEX and the the other expressways of GMA. If you choose to drive slow, stay on the right so other vehicles (like our car!!!!) can pass you. Gad, who issued your license?!?


6. Don't block the intersection.
Imagine this. You're on the main road. Traffic is bumper to bumper and you're not going anywhere. There's an intersection coming up ahead but you pretend not to see it and just keep on going at snail's pace, blocking other people's way. Since you're stuck in traffic, everyone else might as well be, right? WRONG! What is the matter with you and your danged crab mentality? Other people have a road clear of traffic ahead of them, why can't you just not block the damned intersection and let them pass? What? No yellow box painted on the road for your guidance? Do you seriously need the yellow box to know something as basic as DO NOT BLOCK THE INTERSECTION?!?! Just how dumb are you?


7. Ped Xing please.
Oh, here's something painted on the road that you just looooooove to run over. See those white vertical lines at nearly every stop light? Their called pedestrian lanes. Say it with me now, pe-des-tri-an lanes! They're for, you guessed it, PEDESTRIANS! I didn't know they spelled pedestrian as C-A-R nowadays! Oh, wait, that's just you being your idiotic self! Let people cross the road, you nitwit!


8. No such thing as toll on the railway.

You know why juan-tamad bums like to stand on the middle of the railway crossing collecting coins from cars that pass by? Because there are geniuses like you to take advantage of! Tolls fees are collected only from authorized venues, and generally go to the government, not straight into the pocket of some bum off the street. Wait, lightbulb! Why don't you do just what the sign says: STOP LOOK AND LISTEN! Then you won't need that toll-faker bum to tell you when its safe to cross the tracks.

9. "Stop the car and buy me that fruit." said Senyora.
But idiot-you can't find a spot to pull over into... What's a wee driver to do? Pull up the handbrake and turn the flashers on before getting out of the car, of course. WRONG! It doesn't work that way. Having your flashers on doesn't mean you can just stop in the middle of the road, without having the decency to park your stupid vehicle properly, and just get out of the car to do as your pretty li'l senyora says. Chop, chop, Juancho! Get with the program. She got you as a driver because she doesn't know any better. BUT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO. Flasher or no flasher, you know stopping in the middle of the road is wrong. (But them jeepney drivers do it...) Jeepney driver ka ba? You're trying to be an asshole when you're naturally an idiot. Gago sila, bobo ka lang! Here's an idea: if you can't find a spot to park in, why don't you KEEP ON DRIVING! "Senyora, paumanhin po. Wala po tayong mapagpaparadahan. Maghahanap lang po ako ng maayos na lugar para hindi po tayo sagabal sa trapiko." Now, was that so hard to do?

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Yes, I'm angry. And this is me not even driving yet! Pray you never cross me on the road in the middle of a rage. I swear I'll take out a pen and scratch your car from head- to taillight. I've done it before.

Hope the mantra has stuck. If you can't hack Manila traffic then... (get off the road, b*tch!)

Must Love Dogs

I'm relishing a rare moment of downtime here at work by writing down a few non-negotiables in my tick-list of boyfriendom. Spare me the emo talkback; its my blog and I write what I want to.

So, here we go.

1. English please.
My very essence cringes when it encounters embarrassing grammatical errs, whether read or heard. I'm not saying I have the best English speaking and writing skills in the world (according to my sister, I'm actually quite bad at it) but I'm confident that my knowledge of the language is decent enough. And bad English has just always been a pet peeve! Take for example, over lunch today, my colleagues and I had a bit of a discussion on the correctness of a sign that said "Please watch your steps." Hmm, I say... but then it was stuck on a flight of stairs so we supposed watching your steps would be a good idea. Still have my doubts, though.

2. Tagalog, too, please.
Mahal ko ang wikang Filipino. Even if I practically failed every single Filipino class throughout elementary and high school; even if you can't make me read an entire sentence in tagalog out loud, I still love the language of my homeland. Ergo, I think it abysmal when the Filipino youth of today can't speak or comprehend their native tongue. Fine, exemption may be extended to those who grew up abroad and hadn't necessarily grown up speaking Filipino as naturally as I have all my life, but if you're no Fil-Am and the shallowest of your backroots are buried in Luneta, you have no right not knowing what "Bababa ba?" "Bababa." means.

Ooh! Here's another Pinoy-speak cringer: "Yung ano..."! Idiotic politicians who can't defend what they have to say properly just looooove that phrase. Coining something as "Yung ano" assumes that every other person knows what you're referring to. They don't. When you assume, you make an ass out of you and you. There are names for things, please don't generalize them all under ano.

3. Reads.
I sometimes read 5 books at the same time. Yes, I finish them all. Yes, I can keep track of their different plotlines and/or topics. Reading takes up a giant chunk of my life; you can leave me alone somewhere with a book and I would never notice that you've gone and left me. I'm not saying I'm looking for someone who reads as much as me, or heaven forbid someone who reads more than I do. I'm just looking for someone who won't laugh when I spend three thousand bucks on books I'll get three months after purchase. (Amazon buyer. Sorry.) Finding someone who appreciates my genre wouldn't be half bad either. Though I must warn you, my taste isn't for everybody. World War Z anyone?

4. Must love dogs.
No, not the movie. It did, however, put the criteria on the map. I know its sinful to admit but I sometimes love my dogs over friends and family. OKAY, FINE! Since we're being honest here... in some cases, its more than "sometimes." Whether its that mangy old askal on the sidestreet or the rich neighbor's Afgan Wolfhound, they're all adorable in my eyes, all deserving of all the love in the world, all in need of good homes which I, if only I could, would willingly provide.

As a kid, I was notorious for bringing home strays. And according to my dad, we once housed as many as 16 four-legged best friends because I refused to give away any of the puppies our females, Dusty and Whitey birthed. I remember this one incident when my dad tried to sneak one out of the house and I ran after the car they loaded the puppy in. Seriously! I ran after it out of the gate and into the busy avenue that is D. Tuazon. I cried and begged for my dad's friend to give my puppy back to me. He obliged, more so from the guilt of almost running me over than for making a little girl cry over her dog.

I'm not as ga-ga as I used to be (denial!) but if you're a dogfight gambler or if your cheap thrill is watching horrid Pitbull fights on youtube, or worse if you like that taste of dog meat... Sorry, I only wish the deepest fires of hell on you. And you're off my list.

Now, that wasn't too long a list now, was it? Givens like mabait, has a "job" worth keeping and can support a comfortable lifestyle need not be written down, of course. The HR desk is ready to accept applications from those who dare. :))

Kani-kanina lang...

9:30 pa lang ng umaga...

San na naman napunta ang araw ko???

Bright Copper Kettles And Warm Woolen Mittens

It's time, kids, for Favorite Things part 2!

When I get hooked on something, I'm like an addict that needs to be holed up in rehab. Remember my board game phase? Looks like it's going to hit another level this July with the upcoming Hobbes & Landes anniversary sale. (Speaking of board games, I miss Cranium with my korakchas. When are we playing, luvs?)

But for today, I'd like to share with y'all two new foodie items I'm absolutely raving over.

New Favorite Thing #1: Caramel-Filled Kisses

You know I love my sweets. I've proclaimed that desserts are more important than entrees or the main course, but chocolate is one thing I can actually live without (I'm more of a cheesecake/flan kind of gal). But these are to DIE for! This recent discovery from Ayala Mall Cebu's Metro Gaisano Supermarket just blows my mind.

They're smooth as any Hershey's chocolate ought to be; gooey because of the sweet/salty caramel inside; and just plain perfect tiny bites of heaven! It's a miniscule Milkway, sans the nougat. I have yet to check Market! Market!'s Metro Gaisano branch if they too have this particular product of Hershey's Kisses... 'cause sadly I think the two bags I bought from Cebu won't survive the weekend.

New Favorite Thing #2: Dots Sour Slices Pink Pomelo

I'm hooked on this like an addict can be on coke, I kid you not! I went through an entire box while watching X-Men First Class, poppin' them away like pills by the minute.

Dots are gummy candies with bite. They're not soft like the standard Gummy Bear treat, ergo making them more chewy and gnaw-wy and yummy and... okay, stop. Anyway, I've long preferred Dots over Gummy Bears.

Dots Sour Slices, however, are hard gummy candies covered in (you know it) sour salts! Have you ever had a sour gummy worm? Take that sourness and multiply it by, say... threefold, and you've got sour Dots! It comes in three flavors: Watermelon, Peach and Pink Pomelo. Of course, crazy me gunned for the SKU in pink. Haha!

These sweet/sour must-haves are only available in Gourdo's Specialty Store. I have yet to hunt down who the distributor is, to personally shake his/her brilliant hand and maybe ask for a year's supply. That'd be 365 boxes, please. One for every day of the fiscal year.

There! These are but two of my new favorite things. Hope y'all give 'em a shot. :)

Life Update

Who am I kidding? What life?!?!

It's been two weeks since my "return-of-the-comeback" to TV, to the loving arms of the media industry; and I've had 5 overtimers and two working weekends... this weekend included.

Okay, okay. My weekend work is very minimal compared to the stuff I throw over to our brilliant arts team, so I really have no right to complain, but the point is: IT'S BEEN HECTIC! But! (of course there's a but...) I'm so far loving it. It may be the adrenaline just pushing me on or the endorphins I get from finally being able to run again, (although this week, I wasn't able to do my rounds. There was just so much to do for work! Lord, please don't let this be a habit...) but seriously so far, it's been good. Stress levels are manageable. Hours are (as rightfully predicted) ungodly. Politicking (another bullseye) is insane, but that's all part of the media-corporada I've come to love and accept.

And I'm proud of my outputs! FOINE, nitty gritty credit goes again to the arts team but we do the JOs. AH BASTA! Things have just been really... better. :)

A-game's on! Bring it!

LOVE 'EM SHOES: Happiness is a privy invite to an exclusive shoe sale

I'm no fashionista nor have I ever dreamed of being one. I'll be the first to admit that I'm nowhere near being a trendsetter but that doesn't dampen the fact that I adore all things pretty and most of all, all things that make pudgy li'l feet like mine look haute!

However, my friend Sarah, writer and creator of the blog Ms. Eggplant's Chronicles, is and I've never been more thankful for being a follower. Her latest entry gushes about gorgeous Jeffrey Campbells and led me to an amazing site!

AVA is the Philippines' first invitation-only online shopping community. As per their website, they "offer fashion's finest pieces for fashion's finest women at discounted members-only prices of up to seventy percent off." I'm loving the fact that the Filipina fashion community has evolved electronically that we're now on the brink of creating our very own net-a-porter!


I'm now an excited new member of AVA and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's Jeffrey Campbell sale. If you want to join the funtabulous shoefest, click here and register into AVA for free.

Oi, heaven help my poor credit card...

What makes the long hours worth it

Media is known for ungodly work hours, stress of epic proportions, and politicking that can top corrupt governance.

Despite all that, I choose this industry because of the perks...

 Meeting the young Felix Roco was a happy little perk I got to enjoy on my 2nd day on the "new" job. We're kicking off the 3rd Q of 2011 with a new show and he's part of the cast. Never mind that Oyo (who's now married and expecting his first child) is the lead of the show. Never mind that Bangis is the first HIGANTE-SERYE to hit Philippine Free TV. Never mind that Yul Servo was also in the same presscon. Never mind that I looked like a total fool while being introduce to the young man (...was too giddy for my own good...). Never mind that I've never even seen the boy act, for cryin' out loud... I still crush him.

Okay... enough of this foolishness. Back to work.

Quick note: Rowena called dibs on his twin. Yes, there are two of those (*points up*) roaming the world today. Drool.

Clash Of The Titans (2010)

- Not as innacurate as I'd originally anticipated. Although my source's reliability is a bit questionable... seriously, Wikipedia, how true are you?

- Explosive action, ergo highly entertaining. There were a few gory scenes I wish I was pre-warned about but that may be just me and my weak stomach.

- Will be well used as Greek Mythology reference, much as Troy is used for everything Homerian.

- Overall, I liked it. Good small screen choice but I am kinda looking forward to Wrath Of The Titans (2012) and to Sam Worthington's comeback on the silverscreen.

- Downloading the original 1981 version for archival purposes. Popcorn will be a-ready!

Love 'em Shoes

If I were filthy rich, I'd have a shoe collection larger than Imelda's.

I love shoes. Since I quit that other vice my parents can never know I ever had in the first place, shoes are now my one and only addiction. Family have lost me in department stores because of them. I've gotten into fights over them. Thankfully I haven't lost anyone truly dear to them yet.

This pair you see on the left is by Lanvin. I stumbled over these patent pink pretties when Mau, my co-shoe-addict, shared the net-a-porter site on her YM status, declaring all out love / drool for a pair of Jimmy Choos.

The Choos were the classic black sleek heels ladies should never be without, but I was more attracted to the pink pumps in the picture. Today, I visit the site again and discover they're on sale. Thirty frikkin' off!

Days like these make me wish someone else was paying for my credit card bill... Dagnabit.

The Discipline of Cleaning

I'm thankful that I've thus far lived a life of comfort. My family is lucky to have always had help on doing the basic chores, to cook and clean for us, to wash our laundry, etc. etc... its a real easy privilege to take for granted and likely I have in the past.

But I try my best to stay grounded and do, in my own small way, my own contribution to keeping an organized household. There are just some things I'd prefer to do myself. Unfortunately making my own bed ain't one of them.

I know my weekend chores are but a pinch to everything our helpers do on a daily basis but I still get a hint of satisfaction whenever I do them. Take bathing Belle for instance. I've done it religiously since the day she came home with us from the kennel, except for the few Sundays that I was away from home. I can't imagine anyone else scrubbing her ass clean because I'm the only person who'd literally dare do that. Of course, she resents me whenever I do but who else will meticulously pick off the crap stuck on her backside's hair other than me? Nasty details aside, I enjoy knowing that fact that my dog is soaped and groomed well on a weekly basis and that only I can soap and groom her right.

My other chore is cleaning my fish tank. Now this is one task I don't really like to do, but someone's gotta bite the bullet every few weeks and its no one else but me. Although I never really did ask for my own aquarium, Papa just assigned me one when he and Achi decided to revive all three tanks at the same time. What was a girl to do but sigh, "Okay." Scrubbing the glass clean is one thing, but its the cleaning out of the filter that can be a real headache.

Have you ever cleaned out the filter of an aquarium filled with 7 goldfish and 5 angels? They can produce muck like a school of sardines! But, after the ordeal, I always sit in front of my tank and watch my fish revel in the new clean. I swear, after every cleaning, they swim faster. I guess the freshly oxygenated water really liven them up.

I know not everyone can live the way my family and I are used to, and I try in my own way to be reminded of that. There's a certain discipline in doing chores no one asked of you to do: one learns of levels of responsibility and independence that no book or teacher can ever impart.

Wonder what sort of thing I can clean this fine Sunday afternoon...