I'm No Saint

Caveat: Written in state of fury with the eerie silence of the hour past midnight.

One of the most essential things I have learned in life is to honor thy word. I'm not talking about the divine word here since "thy" apparently is not in upper case.

For the sake of logical order of things and in the hope of getting my point, let me re-stress my point.

If I tell a person that I don't like a certain res*, I don't expect that person to agree with me or take my side. But if you see me not 100% happy with it, then deal with it. I hate pretending I'm happy and I hate it when a person forces me to be happy when I'm not. I appreciate the effort but, no, thank you. My problem? Yes. Your problem? No.

So if that person noticed that I'm unhappy, the natural course of universe comes into play. The person will now join my very own state of unhappiness regarding such res. Reason for joining? I'd like to think it's a sign of loyalty. Pure loyalty, not half-hearted. Days, weeks, months passed by and, unfortunately, my exclusive state still didn't change. My problem? Yes. Your problem? Now I think it's yes.

The days, weeks and months I'm talking about were filled with pledges. A pledge is a pledge. A promise is a promise. So when a person promised me exactly what I wanted, I will be undeniably in high spirits. Who wouldn't be?   Loyalty is bliss. I'm fiercely loyal.

And here's the crucial point. Don't give me the classic lame excuse that promises are meant to be broken. I don't buy that. Either you tell me the truth that you don't agree with my dislike for that certain res or let's play the game of hard feelings.

If a person gave me his/her word, I expect him/her to honor thy word. I can only tolerate minor yet unguarded violations of the promise. When I say "minor yet unguarded", it means three strikes ONLY. Uno, dos, tres. I can be forgiving to a certain level only. If more than that, then deal with my fury. News flash: Three strikes already! Didn't I warn you before that I'm no saint? Didn't I tell you I'm a living example of "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"? 

Red alert: I'm now H-E-double-hockey-sticks serious with fury.

*Go figure.

The Amelioration of Goya Choclits Part 2

I still can't get enough of Goya chocolates. This chocoholic entry came to light from reminiscing my childhood. Yes, the rewind button's still switched on.

So behold my Goya chocolate discoveries for today.

Look, three more Goya bars for the child in me! They are Almonds in Milk Chocolate, Cookies & Cream and Krispy Krunch: Dark Chocolate with Crisped Rice.

Apparently, Splendor is a major category of Goya chocolates and I found three varieties of Splendor: Crushed Almonds in Dark Chocolate, Crushed Almonds in Milk Chocolate and Crushed Almonds in Cream White Chocolate. Oh, this makes me think that Goya is a many-Splendored chocolate. Hahaha!

I call this as Goya-standing-proud pose. Goya Dark: Whole Almonds Covered in Dark Chocolate (left), Goya White: Whole Almonds Covered in White Chocolate (center) and Goya Nuggets: Milk Chocolate (right).

These two are my instant favorites among all the Goya chocolates I discovered today. Both Goya Raisins (covered with milk chocolate) and Crispy Chocs (crunchy rice crispies in milk chocolate) are miraculously good.

I'm still looking forward to more varieties. Re-discovering Goya is like hitting two birds with one stone: first, mission accomplished for life in rewind and, second, instant happiness! Yey Goya!

The Rest Will Remain Unwritten

You'd know you're bored by simply recalling the older and the oldest posts of blogspot. I'm guilty of this right now.

In addition to being bored, I'm thinking of scheduled activities this weekend and how in the world will I'm going to fit all of them this coming weekend.

First off, my boyfriend will go condo-tripping on Saturday afternoon. According to him, my opinion does matter so I'll go with him. Probable sites will be in Mindanao Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue because those locations still offer condo deals below 1M. Finding your own spot in the metro isn't cheap.

Second, a college friend will have her bridal shower on Saturday night. I'm one of the chosen few who witnessed how her love story began within the walls of Intramuros. I'm still contemplating whether to attend or not. Some of our old college friends have not yet confirmed their attendance, so I really don't know. It will be sort of a reunion since the couple are based in Shanghai.

Third, a law school buddy has been constantly pleading me to go somewhere in the South this weekend. I think I'm very much excited with this one. I can still remember our single, carefree days where nothing else mattered but our childlike happiness. But some things have changed. I'm now in a relationship and I have to think twice in bringing him. One thing I don't want anyone to feel is the feeling of being "OP". Or maybe, I'm just way too pessimistic about this.

Lastly, another law school friend (a fellow Fing Ting also) is pretty much anxious to have another girl bonding this weekend. Plus, it's her birthday this Saturday.

Oh, the rest will remain unwritten. Selective rambling alert's on. 

Good Lordie, Thy will be done.

The Amelioration of Goya Choclits Part 1

I feel that I am entering a phase in my life where I want to rewind the life I had. A big part of this rewind will probably come from childhood, a stage where candies and chocolates are more than enough to cheer me up. Life then was so uncomplicated I'm tempted to go back.

So while on my way home, I made a quick stopover at Mercury Drug and found the kiddie treats I used to enjoy. Yey Goya! Back when M & M's chocolates were a little bit expensive for daily consumption, Goya was there.

In high school, it was a running joke that if someone courts you and gives you Goya chocolates, the logical thing to do is to dump him instantly. Well, I'm guilty of belittling Goya then. I even stopped buying and eating it because my taste buds worshipped the taste of imported chocolates. Plus, the forex rate was $1=Php 25 in Clark Duty Free shops back then.

I'm impressed that Goya chocolates are becoming competitive similar to the modern Pinoy. The packaging and variety of flavors reminds me of Swiss chocolates such as Cadbury. Seeing these kiddie treats in Mercury Drug shelves was very nostalgic.

As seen from above, the Goya bar varieties are: Raisins in Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Raisins and Nuts in Milk Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Cream White Chocolate and Krispy Krunch: Milk Chocolate with Crisped Rice.

I immediately gobbled up the Cream White Chocolate and it was really good. I could easily mistake it for Toblerone white chocolate were it not for its wrapper and, of course, the shape.

There's Goya in a box too. It's labeled as Black & White: Dark & White Chocolate. For one sec, I got confused with that. Hahaha! I also found two varieties of Goya ChocoMax: white chocolate coated vanilla filled chocolate wafer sandwich and milk chocolate coated chocolate filled chocolate wafer sandwich. That's Goya tongue twister for you.

I look forward to more Goya varieties. Yep, still on rewind button.

Kitkat Entry

Luckily, I'm on a break from browsing the laws of the Land of Enchantment. A couple more days of browsing and all rusty hinges of the door to enlightenment will be devoid of squeaky noise. Squeak, squeak, squeak.

I could feel the throbbing of a potential migraine right now. Rapid browsing and too much flourescent light are the key contributors of this annoying headache. Argh.

However, common sense dictates to me that I should not be complaining. Porquoi? C'est simple, messieurs et mesdemoiselles. I'm one of the lucky underbars who have jobs.

For two weeks now, my inbox has been flooded with job-related queries from my law school friends. Although my boredom in the corporate world sometimes plagued me until midnight, I should be thankful. In fact, this simple albeit precious blogspot was born out of boredom. Merci beaucoup, Netopia.

Back to Reality

After almost three months of hibernation and unlimited net surfing, our five-member team* in fictional Netopia finally felt the initial rush of work responsibility.

Since yesterday**, we are obliged to attend live meetings until January 29 for some training. However, the trainors and the trainees (that would be us*) are on different time zones, so we have to adjust. Memories of my Old Dominion experience are good enough to go hand in hand with my dedication to work. I hope so.

The sepia theme was on purpose. Really, I suddenly felt so Ice Age viewing the Makati skyline. Up until now, I still couldn't believe I'm a corporate refugee for a year. I ain't complaining though.

 

And the Oscar goes to...

Fellow corporate refugee finds it hard to stay candid. Hahaha!

Hello... Good morning... We're fine... No questions.. Thank you... Bye..

All things considered,  I have to kiss my fling*** goodbye. It's back to reality.

*assigned to diligently browse the laws passed by the Land of Enchantment

**It's officially Wednesday as I write.

***Google

Roscas of Barugo, Leyte

Just so you know, my boyfriend flew back to Manila just in time for New Year's Day celebration. My foodie self requested for binagol, a local delicacy from his province Leyte, as I haven't tasted it yet. Anyway, in lieu of binagol or he simply doesn't want me to be irked or maybe both, he brought some roscas.

According to my boyfriend, roscas is a butter cookie (obviously, dear) which is native to Barugo, the town where he grew up. He also told me that baking roscas requires technique as the baker will have to separate the U-shaped (reverse version, that is) cookie dough while the same is still half-baked. Once parted, the cookies will then look like question marks, especially the right part. However, I think it looks more like a comma. Whatcha think?  

There are two things worth remembering of Barugo's wonder cookie: first, its unique shape and, second, the fact that tuba (a local palm wine) is one of its ingredients.

And I can only hope that the person who introduced me to this will be proud.

"Wonder" Woman Rants

I wonder when will I get a clearer vision. I wonder if I can save my dreams from floating in limbo. I wonder how long will I put my dreams on hold.

I wonder how long will I gather all my strength to hold my life in neutral. I wonder how long will it take me to figure out that I'm just buying time. 

I wonder what's waiting for me at the end.

I wonder how mysterious mystery is. I wonder if some mysteries are better left unsolved.

I wonder when to take the first step. Seriously, when is when?  

I wonder where wanderlust will take me. I wonder if work will grant my little pleasures. I wonder where to get money for that.

I wonder if freedom will actually mold me into a better person or render me unproductive.

I've been wondering how long this mythical virtue called patience will last. If it won't, is there another mythical virtue in lieu of patience? Or, simply put, will it turn out to be another misguided idea since patience is, in reality, a minor form of despair?

I wonder if I can firmly grasp both my body and soul and, for once, order them to willfully work in harmony.

Why do I wonder all these things? I think it's another bout of wondering. Again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

The cycle of wondering simply never ends.

Happy Birthday, Netopiac!*

Today, I celebrate my one year as a corporate refugee.

Before I go home tonight, I just want to make a tribute to an important milestone in my Netopia* career. Hence, this post.

On the same day last year, I signed a contract with the company. I remember I was very happy then. It ended my domesticated life. I felt the comforting breeze of freedom wafting through my wan face after three weeks of hibernation. Prior to my sorry state of hibernation, I worked as a legal researcher in a law firm. It was a pretty challenging job and I've learned many life's lessons from that short stint.

It's worth telling that fate has brought me here.

*unlimited surfing takes place here just like in a popular computer shop in the metro where I borrowed this name... What can I say? I'm a Netopiac.

"Celine" Finds

I'm not sure exactly what I'm trying to post right now. Maybe it's my way of thanking the boyfriend of his post-holiday generosity or I'm directly amused (I noticed I'm fond of this word lately) of the two "Celine" purchases yesterday. Both reasons are intertwined, so I'll be honest. It's both.

Personally, I put a lot of (possibly undue) pressure on myself to look presentable at the very least in every occasion. It's easy to ask why. I'm the eldest child and people sometimes look at the first born as the yardstick of a family's measure of success. Success is susceptible of many interpretations so let's skip that topic for now, please.

So since I'm going to attend my first cousin's wedding which calls for a semi-formal attire, I have to look for some dress. Truth to tell, I only own a few decent semi-formal dresses. I noticed that wearing a dress requires an enormous amount of (real) pressure to shave my legs and sit so femininely.

Below are the "Celine(s)".

This is the first "Celine". It's a simple denim-like dress designed by Celine Lopez for Plains and Prints. It stuck to my mind because I always read her lifestyle column in The Philippine Star every Sunday. We bought this for only Php 350. Wide grin.

This is the second "Celine". It's really from Celine boutique at Glorietta 5. It's been a long time since I had a red footwear. Something new for 2010.

When I got home, I immediately tried the dress and the sandals. It was pure bliss, so much so that I even took pictures of them.

Penny For My Thoughts

The long holiday vacation helped me contemplate on a couple of things. And I find one thought excitingly alarming in a good way. This thought might be fleeting and in just one snap, it may suffer the same fate as any other thoughts I had. It may evaporate. And any unknown possibilities of this nugget will just be hidden under the cloaks of my forgettable self. So here I am trying to make that thought counts, and I think publishing it might help. One step at a time, so goes the cliche.

This quite sums up my thought: There will be a few times in your life when your instinct will tell you to do something, something that defies the odds or even logic. When that happens, you do it. Ignore logic, ignore the odds and complications, and just go for it!

The word "something" is vague, and it may demand a bucket of translations. I don't intend to swim in a dark pool of vagueness or be lost in translation. I have to be clear and sincere.

I need an emotional overhaul to render such thought operative. It is getting exciting. I hope I'll be up and about the minute it happens. So penny for my thoughts?

List the movies you've watched with your BF

This is another no-brainer list. I think watching a movie is one simple way to bond with your partner. In every movie date, two persons shared some things we all seek: a warm hug and a hand to hold for the duration of the, oh yes, movie. I told ya, I'm made of cheese.

As seen in my daisypath anniversary ticker, we've been together for 6 months, 2 weeks and 3 days.

1. Monsters vs. Aliens*
2. Angels & Demons**
3. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen***
4. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
5. Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince
6. And I Love You So
7. The Time Traveler's Wife
8. Kimmy Dora
9. Michael Jackson's This Is It
10. 2012
11. Avatar
12. Ang Panday
13. Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

 I hope to see more. 

*The first 3-D film I've seen in my entire life. Somebody paid for us, and it was in Charlottesville, Virginia. And most significantly, the boyfriend and I were still complete strangers during that time.

**Dating stage; presumed malice. I think it counts.

***Still on dating stage; actual malice.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

I'm the long-lost Chipette!

I had an entertaining Sunday afternoon.  

Uber thanks to the Seville furballs - as the jock Ryan calls them - for making me laugh.  Although the movie overall has little to no basis in reality and/or intellectual value (who needs it anyway?), the following is a list of squeakquel moments that I feel merit a space in my fun bank:

1. When Dave first yelled his signature "Alvinnnnnnnnn!!!", I was very amused.
   
2. I suddenly craved for a bag of UTZ cheese balls, the yummy treasure which Alvin found in the kitchen cupboard. I suddenly miss Kroger in Barracks Road. Damn.
   
3. My heart leaped when The Chipettes sang "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae, one of my favorite soul singers. Who would have thought huh?
4. Theodore was the cutest when he almost die (I think so) under a blanket of intestinal gas.
5. I think it was very clever of Alvin to use the remote control helicopter as their lifesaver. Talk about pogi points to Brittany.
6. In an amusing manner, I felt pity upon Eleanor when she was forced to wear clogs to look tall, as ordered by the evil Ian Hawke. 
   
7. Lastly, I was happy when I saw Charice Pempengco as herself in the music contest. Proud to be Pinoy!

I do wonder what song will the Chipmunks sing next.

List your favorite music artists

I do enjoy music a lot, but I don't really think the type of music you prefer defines you as a person. Music fills up the blanks and the gaps in my mind. Although my music of choice lately has been the  Legally Blonde  soundtrack, so that may say something about me considering I'm rewinding the life I had.

Anyhoo, here goes. Judge away...

1. Regina Spektor
2. Lenka
3. Regine Velasquez
4. Sarah Geronimo
5. Natasha Bedingfield
6. Alanis Morisette
7. Michael Jackson
8. The Fray
9. Paramore
10. Miss Saigon, Sound of Music, Phantom of the Opera, Dawson's Creek soundtracks (those aren't musical artists per se, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
11. E-heads
12. Freestyle
13. Switchfoot
14. Jason Mraz
15. Corinne Bailey Rae
    
16. Augustana
17. Duncan Sheik
18. Howie Day
19. Maroon 5
20. Dave Matthews Band
21. The Carpenters
22. The Corrs
23. Lighthouse Family
24. Martin Nievera
25. The Cascades
26. Kelly Clarkson
27. MYMP
    

To quote ABBA*, "thank you for the music!"

*not my official favorite but Mama's

January 9: Double Up!

January 9 is the ninth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar.  Also, as far as the Pinoy Catholics are concerned, the Feast of the Black Nazarene takes place every year on January 9. But for our family's 2010 calendar, it's a double celebration.

Welcome to the wacky Christian world! 

First, my eight-year-old nephew Dave was baptized at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Scout Ybardolaza. I stood as the principal ninang (godmother), the boyfriend as the principal ninong (godfather) and my two brothers as godfathers too. 

Dave had a little pep talk with the priest before the baptism rites. The boyfriend and I were amused with the foreign priest who speaks Tagalog so fluently. See below.

Father & child

In his homily, Father said that the baptism was very timely because tomorrow (January 10) is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.*

This should've been a solemn moment but, look, I just couldn't hide my amusement. Joint forces... Hahaha!

The Godfather Trilogy + Daddy + Auntie Ninang

Second, today is my beloved Papa's 56th birthday. As always, I wish Papa good health and more blessings. 

My "donation" to the salo-salo: Yummy Estrel's caramel cake

Happy burp-day indeed!

  

I hurriedly took this pic, hence blurred.

We've grown up with... the wisdom of your words, the cheerfulness of your laughter, the strength of your mind & the warmth of your love.Thank you for all that you've been. You've inspired the best in us. 

HA-HA-HAPPY 56th BIRTHDAY, PAPA! Good health as always!

*The Baptism of the Lord (or the Baptism of Christ) is the feast day commemorating the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptist.

2009 Wanderlust

Year 2009 confirmed that I suffer from wanderlust. Since I landed in fictional Netopia and began my saga as a corporate refugee, I just could not help it. Come along as I chronicle my wanderlust case last year.

BAGUIO CITY

February 2009

Together with a couple of friends, I went to Baguio City to witness the Panagbenga (Flower festival) and to take the 252-steps challenge at the Lourdes Grotto. We also visited the famous landmarks of the summer capital, to wit: Burnham Park, Camp John Hay, Session Road (where floral parade took place), Wright Park, The Mansion, Mines View Park and the Bell Church. We also sampled local cuisine at Pizza Volante, Cafe By The Ruins and Everything Nice Cafe at Camp John Hay.

After Baguio, we went to Our Lady Of Manaoag Church in Pangasinan to pray for the inevitable.

July 2009

It was our first out-of-town trip as "lovers", and Baguio seems to be the perfect getaway. Warning ahead: I'm made of cheese. It was the start of my relationship journey. Click at your own risk. And here's more... and more... and some more.

U.S.A.

April 5-May 19, 2009

Virginia

Last April 5 2009, I was sent to Charlottesville, Virginia for on-site training at LexisNexis, a publishing company which offers a widely used content from legal documents, among others. Our group of four flew via Narita and Detroit on Northwest Airlines. We travelled for almost 24 hours on different time zones.

I fell in love with the suburban Charlottesville at first sight. The Marriott Residence Inn in Millmont Street near the Barracks Road shopping district was our home for six (6) weeks, save for some days when we flew to other states. I was amazed with the beautiful campus of the University of Virginia, which is only a stone's throw away from the hotel.

Virginia has lots  to offer to its tourists. We explored the mountaintop home and the vast and colorful gardens of Thomas Jefferson called Monticello. We also did the Monticello Wine Trail wherein we had wine-tasting at three wineries located in Greenwood, Crozet and Afton. It was followed by a hiking activity in a pioneer homestead in Blue Ridge Mountains. We saw the famous bluish haze of the mountains, hence the name. We also did some outlet shopping in Williamsburg Prime Outlets where signature items are way much cheaper than in the Philippines. As if shopping still did not exhaust us, we went to Colonial Williamsburg, the historic district of the independent city of Williamsburg, Virginia. The Lanthorn Tour in the place was simply magical, and I captured lots of spirit orbs in my digicam. On Easter Sunday, we did some hiking near the Rivanna River. We also had a Jamaican dinner in a trainor's house in Palmyra. On our last weekend in the Old Dominion (Virginia's nickname), we explored a geologic cave in Front Royal, Virginia called Skyline Caverns, where the largest calcite anthodite in the world is on display. We also passed by the scenic Skyline Drive of the Shenandoah National Park in Front Royal to take pictures.

Texas

Last May 1, 2009, I went to McKinney, Texas to visit my aunt and her family via U.S. Airways. It was pretty challenging to fly interstate in a foreign country for a neophyte traveller like me. All in all, travel time from Charlottesville to Dallas lasted for six (6) hours, waiting time included. I flew via Charlotte, North Carolina to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport where my aunt welcomed me with open arms! During my first day there, my aunt brought me to Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas, where she shopped for pasalubong for me to bring home. After shopping, we went to Downtown Dallas, the main business district in Dallas, Texas. The windy yet sunny atmosphere contributed much to our leisure walk in West End Historic District. Sights like Dealey Plaza, Old Red Museum and Sixth Floor Museum, the building from which Lee Harvey Oswald shot President JFK, were captured by my cam.
 

New York City

I also had my first bite of The Big Apple last May.

First day: We flew via U.S. Airways in Richmond International Airport, which is a two-hour drive from Charlottesville. Due to zero visibility, the plane had difficulty landing in LaGuardia Airport in Queens County. Instead, we landed in Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania and a three-hour road trip ensued from there to Marriott Fairfield Inn in Astoria where we stayed. We rode the famous subway to Battery Park. From there, we saw the Lady Liberty amid the foggy afternoon. As we walked along Wall Street and Broadway, sights such as the old U.S. Customs House, the Charging Bull, Trinity Church and Isamo Noguchi's Red Cube fascinated us. Then, we saw the Ground Zero site and shopped at the nearby Century 21. We wasted no time exploring "the city that never sleeps", hence we went to Times Square and had dinner at TGIF. We also saw the glittering lights of Broadway theatres on the same night.

Second day: After breakfast, we went to Battery Park which faces the New York harbor. We rode the Staten Island ferry and the famous Statue of Liberty left me in awe. The ferry made a quick stop at the Ellis Island. After the breezy ferry ride, we immediately went to Manhattan area and had our pictures taken at some landmarks such as Grand Central Terminal, Koreatown, New York Public Library, Empire State Building, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Saint Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, Trump Tower and the Apple Store in Fifth Avenue. Our last stop was the famous Central Park before we headed off to LaGuardia Airport for our flight back to Richmond. I'd like to think that we were able to drop by at all the landmarks in our short visit to The Big Apple.

Washington, D.C.

Also during May, we visited the state of Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. From Fairfax Country, Virginia, we rode the Metrorail (popularly called as "Metro") to Smithsonian station. We saw the Washington Monument  and the U.S. Capitol from the National Mall, an open-area national park in downtown D.C. We took pictures of some Smithsonian museums such as the Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle), Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, National Air and Space Museum (where we had Mcdo "museum" lunch), National Museum of the American Indian and the National Museum of American History. We continued our walk-a-thon till we reached the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Supreme Court and the Library of Congress. Of course, we didn't the miss the notable spot in Pennsylvania Avenue - The White House. I also caught sight of the Freedom Plaza, which was renamed in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., who worked on his "I Have a Dream" speech in the nearby Willard Hotel.

BOHOL

June 5-8, 2009

Our family bonding in Papa's hometown in Loay. If interested, click here.

CORON, PALAWAN

September 16-19, 2009

It was probably the most unforgettable island adventure in my dormant life. Our trip to Calauit Safari Park brought out my boat phobia. Still, it was an oddly amazing getaway.

BORACAY

November 19-22, 2009

The boyfriend and I pledged that we'll go back to this island paradise. And yes, I'd bring the same tsinelas.

My Morning, Overrated

The vibrating alert of my cell phone buzzed furiously under my pillow. I opened my eyes, and voila it's morning. I could hear Annabelle Rama* barking orders to my siblings. I closed my eyes again, an attempted escape from military orders. Beneath my closed eyelids, I tried remembering dreams of the past night, if any. If there was, I'd recall the happy part. If there's none, I go back to sleep. Aha! Talk about cheating your own alarm clock.

Still in my floral pajamas, I will fold my blanket. Tidying up my bed is one crucial task. I'm the most lazy among Annabelle Rama's boarders. I folded the goddamned blanket ala The Flash mode, and the smell of fabric conditioner woke up my nostrils. Okay, it's mid-week. If it smells of my own body scent, I'm screwed. I forgot to change blankets.

I hurried down to inject caffeine to my system. I scooped a half-teaspoon of instant coffee, a teaspoon of brown sugar and powdered milk and poured lukewarm water into my cup. Ah, my life's blood. The addictive aroma signaled my brain to think, but failed. I slathered cheese spread unto a thin slice of bread... cheesy spurts emerged on the edges. My still drowsy self managed to eat three hotdogs with the bread.

I surveyed our box of an apartment, heard the deafening ticking of the clock and Wonder Pets theme song on TV. Sing along if you wish:

Linny: "Linny,"

Tuck: "Tuck,"

Ming-Ming: "And Ming-Ming, too!"

All: "We're Wonder Pets and we'll help you!"

Linny: "What's gonna work?"

Tuck and Ming-Ming or All: "Teamwork!"

Linny: "What's gonna work?"

Tuck and Ming-Ming or All: "Teamwork!"

It's my morning theme song. On second thought, was this played on purpose?

I caught myself in the mirror and asked, "Where do I go from here?" My waist circumference is getting bigger, or so I think. I noticed some potential breakouts beneath my jawline, a sign of sleep deprivation. I ignored the same, and thought whether there's anti-dandruff shampoo waiting for me. Let's not talk about hair, at this point, as this has been a bad hair day, literally. I've been wanting to devour loads of peanut butter just to see my hair longer.

My morning bath is so routinary for years. Johnson's Milk Bath serves as my bath soap and lotion rolled into one. Irony it is whenever I'd skip applying lotion when in fact I hate dry skin. Other details are not blog-worthy so I'd rather not babble.

When strong sun rays hit my face when I step out of the box, I  hopped on to another persona. I let the "Carpe diem" mantra seeped into every pores of my now refreshed body. It was surreal.

*Ruby, the bida/kontrabida of my life

Perfect outlet

This is what I recently discovered about myself: I want all things reduced into writing.

During grade school, I always get awed by the excessive sentimentality of some poems I've read in the library. As a kid trying to express her feelings out, I tried writing poems at the back of my notebooks. Sometimes, I'd draw flowers and hearts to vivify the prose. But at the end of the school year, off they went to trash cans. I usually told myself that those can be easily replicated.

In high school, I joined the school paper as the features editor. I somehow felt that my thoughts indeed count, and my creative ideas impressed my Journalism teacher. He handpicked me, by the way. No one could ever dampen my spirit everytime I bring home a copy of the school gazette and show the same to my parents. I even dreamt of becoming a journalist. Never mind the fact that I could barely finish my "sulating pormal" in our Filipino subjects. My CAT tickler sometimes played the role of a literary journal. And as a lovesick teenager, I wrote poems and, beat this, love letters! I had to  express the lovely emotions of my then fragile heart. Otherwise, I'd be like a constipated teenager denied of her regular toilet habits. Our former househelp even appointed me as her personal ghost writer in terms of sending love notes to her palangga (translation: loved one). To my mind that time, I may not have the most perfect grammar and literary inclinations but I have the overwhelming passion and the heart to express myself in any form of writing I can. Somehow, my English teacher noticed that, and I was hailed the Literary Awardee of our batch.

In college, some things changed. I took the editorial exam for the college newspaper (The Sentinel), and I was one of the two non-Journalism students who passed. My fellow non-Journalism editorial staffer is now a lawyer, by the way. However, I felt I was not welcome to the cult of aspiring journalists, maybe because my course (Foreign Service) was different from theirs. Just because I'm no Journalism major doesn't mean I'm a stranger to their so-called exclusive domain. I left the school paper after a year, and a void was left in my heart. Hence, I wrote to please myself and express myself as well. I kept journals all through my college life. They were silent witnesses to my daily struggles; they became my sounding boards of my childish yearnings, imagined cases of unrequited love and more. If I were to read them again, the journals will surely receive a bunch of chuckles and sheepish grins from me.

Law school came along quite unexpectedly, but I know very well it involves writing. It started from a heartfelt conversation with my parents, a cornucopia of good parental intentions for the eldest child which boils down to one thing - they want me to become a lawyer. I could not complain anymore; law school is half-writing and half-reading, mixed with logic and good grasp of the language. And as the ever dutiful daughter, I obliged. I had to reinvent my writing style all of a sudden. I had to stick to the basics, and most significantly, I had to forego my poetic style. I joined the College of Law's official organ "The Law Forum" as a writer. I was proud when professors acknowledged the paper's editorial staff in between nerve-wracking Socratic sessions. There are times that I enjoyed the writing part of law school, but most of the time it's reading which thrilled me. I even wondered how my "idol" (this was and still is the term) Miriam Santiago, a fiery lawyer and the femme fatale of the Philippine Senate, surpassed the straightforward legal writing when in fact law school frowns upon her trademark colorful language. Note to self: It's fate, darling. 

It's more than a year after law school. I could not believe that blogging occupies my time these days. This is far more better than handwriting into a journal. I could erase letters or words without traces of mess afterwards, and I can even pause for a few seconds while composing thoughts without worry of having ink blots. Perfect outlet. 


So as far as my recent discovery is concerned, it comes with a twist. You can publish it without printing costs.

Midnight Madness

Before I sleep, I badly need to speak out against the nonsense wastage of time. Why so? It's totally ruining my immediate goals for this year. I want to unleash the metal tiger in me. Check this out: monkey + tiger = monger. Good Lord, I'm horrified.

Imagine this, I spend at least nine hours in the office everyday doing, Mon Dieu, nothing. I kid you not! I'm paid to stick my ass in a swivel chair for nine hours and some minutes. I'd be willing to bet that most people's total hours of net surfing will pale in comparison next to mine. At least, for almost three months now.

And here I am, utterly restless and desperately wanting some change. A glimmer of hope briefly flashed through my eyelids just now, but unfortunately it was so brief I barely noticed the details. Sigh. Now, I wish I have a crystal ball to help predict my future. Predictability is sometimes oddly satisfying, don't you think?

So here's the catch: I'm ready, 2010!

I have to say this out loud so all my body systems will be in sync and ready too. My mind is ready but my sleep-deprived body is not. Flabs, please cooperate now.

I swore to myself that my positivity will never run out of stock for it fuels my dreams. A liter of liquid positivity will take me miles and miles. Wow.

Apparently, I'm making sense even though I'm speaking out through a cluttered mind. Good  night.

List your celebrity crushes

This is another cathartic yet enjoyable experience. Below are my eye candies through the years:

1.  Johnny Depp
2. Mark Harmon
3. Brendan Fraser
4. Leonardo di Caprio
5. Julian McMahon
6. Robert Pattinson
7. Clive Owen
8. Mel Gibson
9. George Clooney
10. Richard Gomez
11. Albert Martinez
12. Matthew Mendoza
13. Edward Furlong
14. Jonathan Taylor Thomas
15. Fernando Colunga
16. Mario Cimarro
17. Patrick Garcia (there was a time, really)
18. Bamboo Mañalac
19. Ely Buendia
20. John Lloyd Cruz
21. Raymond Bagatsing
22. Shane West
23. Mark Ruffalo
24. Dougray Scott
25. Brad Pitt

My 2010 Planner

Getting this wasn't cheap.

I have a new planner! This is pretty much a delayed reaction since I got this planner mid-December last year.

On my way home, I finally decided to put my 2010 Starbucks planner into good use. Since today is the first working day of 2010, it's only proper to start scribbling on this pricey planner. Yes, it's free but it took me and other fellow S'buckers almost two grand bucks  just to bag this!

Hey, people from Rustan's Group of Companies, you should be proud that lots of yuppies and urbanites are willing to burn bucks just to grab your planners. Perhaps, adding a free pen wouldn't hurt.

One foggy morning

I'm back to foggy Netopia today.

My reliable swivel chair now accomodates my ass as I do swings every so often. A clear sign of restlessness or a comfort reflex, whatever.

When I look at the window glass, the whole metro is covered in fog. Or is it smog? I barely know the actual difference. What the heck lies beyond the skycrapers? When mindless thoughts spurt out of nowhere, my adrenaline comes a-racing. Snapshots of my dreams seem to flash through my mind, swirling faster as they get nearer to my eyes. I hope they won't blind me though.

I intend to kill my stagnant state soon. This lull, more of a dilatory tactic really, is killing me. I don't want to stay under this fog forever. I want to escape this as soon as I have the power and means to do so. I want to escape just because... Okay, I'll stop in mid-sentence so as not to jeopardize the unthinkable.

I am not blaming the fog, but blogging surely helps me see through the fog.

List of Favorite Films

I'm ready to hit the sack and yet all the cells in my body seem to be engrossed with blogging. But lo and behold! I'm too tired to think of anything even mildly interesting enough to write before I say good night, so I suppose it's about time for a random list.

1. Amelie
2. Frida
3. Titanic
4. The Other Boleyn Girl
   
5. Catch Me If You Can
6. Legally Blonde
7. Dirty Dancing
8. Phantom of the Opera
9. Elizabeth
10. Dirty Dancing
11. The Little Mermaid
12. How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days
13. Twilight & New Moon (looking forward to Eclipse & Breaking Dawn, regardless of production quality)
14. Seabiscuit
15. Jose Rizal
    
16. El Crimen del Padre Camaro
    
17. The Sound of Music
18. Anne Frank: The Whole Story
19. The Godfather series
    
20. Music and Lyrics

Going further would destroy my body clock. Bonne nuit!

Renewed Faith in the Feast of the Epiphany

Happy Three Kings!*

I remember that one of my goals for 2010 is to renew my relationship with the Almighty. I ought to be punished for not hearing mass on New Year's Eve. My fear of being wounded by firecracker-totting and drunk revelers in the middle of the street while going to church is the culprit. Oh God, when would firecracker zones be clearly established?

So the boyfriend and I went to Monasterio de Sta. Clara in Katipunan Avenue for Three Kings celebration. I was hardly awake during mass since I was deprived of a deep slumber the past few days. Blame my Patterson mania. The boyfriend revealed that everytime he hears mass at Sta. Clara, something good happens to him. I long to experience that also.

Just want to share some pics from Monasterio de Sta. Clara.

 

 The altar

A curious shot, that's all. My father's only sister used to be part of the Poor Clare Monastery in Cebu.

 

St. Clare

I'm slowly making my way to renewed faith, but I'm finding that praying for something big just isn't as fun and exciting anymore the second time around. There's an invisible pop-up which says, "Here we go again!" (nervous laugh)

I hope to discuss my state of renewed faith in a more meaningful manner next time.

* Got this from Wikipedia:

In the Philippines, the Christmas season traditionally ends on this day, known colloquially as "Three Kings" or "Tres Reyes" (Filipino:Tatlong Hari). Filipino children also leave their shoes out, so that the Kings would leave behind gifts like candy or money inside. Most others on this day simply greet one another with the phrase "Happy Three Kings!". In some locales, there is the practice of having three men, dressed as the Tatlong Hari, ride around on horseback, distributing trinkets and candy to the children of the area. The collective name for the group is immortalised as the Filipino surname Tatlonghari, and the Spanish name for the day has survived to the present in masculine given name Epifanio (e.g. Epifanio de los Santos).

A Big "Yes" to Twenty Ten!

"In two small, unconscious moments, I said, without hesitation, 'Yes.' After those affirmatives, everything changed. I found a side of myself I'd never known, a fresh excitement, a fascinating art, and an amazing new friend and collaborator. I believe such illumination comes if you're open to the surprises the universe throws at you. You must be able to let go of the past, whatever successes you may have seen, whatever your comfort, whatever your habits. To me, that's the key to loving life: enabling yourself to step bravely into the unknown. Only there will you find yourself again."

~Juliette Binoche