Sexy.Naughty.Bitchy

2011 in Retrospect

2012-01-23T15:34:00.009+08:00

For a change, i'm posting my personal highlights of the year 2011 in pictures. Well, some of it in pictures since I wasn't able to capture every highlight of 2011 in a photo.

So...here it goes. Enjoy and Kiong Hee Huat Chai everyone!Ü

US Visa renewed!Ü
RAPID 2.2
Bin Laden's capture
Promotion

2011 of course had it's share of (ups and) downs, and this blog wouldn't be complete without mentioning some of the lowlights for 2011...

Japan tsunami
Work stoppage in September
That nasty website
Sendong
And the sudden passing away of my dear Lola Celia...

I wouldn't want to end this blog with a sad note and if you actually think about it, there were more highlights than lowlights for 2011 =) So here's wishing everyone a great year of the DRAGON and that may 2012 bring us more good luck, happiness, peace, prosperity, and lots of love!♥♥♥ Once again, Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! *MUAH!*

Margarita...not the cocktail

2011-03-01T21:00:00.002+08:00

Originally posted @ http://cdsaint.blogspot.com ♥

Margarita...pizza? Anyone?Ü

Bistro Coron in Coron, Palawan has the best pizza i've ever tasted! It's the first time i've ever had egg with my pizza. Yes, you read it right: EGG! Raw egg placed on top of the pizza that just came out from the oven! The looks on our faces when we saw that our pizza had a raw egg on top was priceless (well maybe the "priceless" expression was also due to the fact that we were hungry as ever when they served our order)! This was one of the toppings in a pizza with crust that's thin-and-oh-so-crunchy! I'd go back to Coron just to eat pizza at this place!Ü

And while you're at Bistro Coron, I suggest that after you dine there (if you're still hungry or for take out purposes) you try the isaw sold at the ihawan right beside Bistro Coron (sorry, forgot to take pictures). I sooooo love their isaw! The taste is yummy, with a little bit of sweetness to tease your tastebuds!

And these are the reasons why i'm going back to Coron: Margarita Pizza and Isaw. In that particular order.Ü

When in Bora...Tesebel

2011-02-20T09:30:00.004+08:00

When in Boracay, go to Puka Beach and dine at Tesebel Ihaw-Ihaw Restaurant. Their Garlic Prawns with Honey are to die for! This is their best seller and many have tried to copy this dish but nothing can really compare to Tesebel's cooking. The garlic bits are toasted to perfection and the sauce really as sweet as honey! Some may find the sauce too sweet but I personally love it! This dish includes three pieces of prawns and costs P195. A must-try to anyone visiting Bora!

How to get there: From the main beach (where Stations 1, 2, and 3 are located), ride a trike going to Puka Beach which costs P20-25/pax if coming from Station 1 (it might cost more if you're coming from Stations 2 or 3). Just tell the tricycle driver that you're going to Tesebel Ihaw-Ihaw at Puka Beach. The trike going back (from Puka to Station 1, 2, or 3) should cost the same as long as you hail a trike from Puka Beach and not ask for a ride from one of the tricycles parked there. If you get one of those parked tricycles, that would cost you P150 for a one-way trip (i'm not sure if this is per pax or for the entire trike regardless of the number of pax...maybe it's the latter). If you're pressed for time, then the parked tricycles are your only choice. But if you're not on a tight schedule (tricycles passing through this place are not as many as those that are found along the main road of Stations 1, 2, 3), then you can just wait at the shed right in front of Tesebel's until a tricycle comes along (make sure you ask the tricycle driver how much the ride going back would cost otherwise they'd jack up the price).

Aling Tessie (the owner) also suggested that we can ride a multicab going back to the main beach, so I guess you can hitch a ride on whatever comes first.

Puka Beach is also one of the stops in the island hopping tours offered in Boracay so you can just probably tell your bangkero that you want to have lunch at Puka Beach and i'm pretty sure Mr. Banker (a.k.a. Mamang Bangkero) will make sure you're at Puka Beach in time for lunch.Ü

Little known fact: "Tesebel" came from the names of the owners: Tessie and her husband, Billy. On my next visit I will ask why it's the letter E that's found between B and L and not I (I forgot to ask).

2010 in Retrospect

2011-01-18T21:14:00.000+08:00

It's 2011!!!Ü And just like in the past years, i'm back to give a recap of the year that was: 2010. So...what will I remember 2010 for? One thing stands out above all but before we get to that, let me first share to you the highlights of my year...

I got to visit Japan and Coron, Palawan for the first time!Ü

Oh my! JAPAN, JAPAN...where do I begin?Ü Hello Mt. Fuji and that scary-looking roller coaster ride at Fujiyama! [Too bad I was not feeling well that day so I didn't get to ride the roller coaster...featured pa naman sa Guinness Book of World Records yun! Di bale, next time...Ü] And the Matsuri Festival...glad to have taken part in that...in a hapi outfit to top it all off and for that full Japanese effect! Thanks Auntie Marivic for being our most wonderful host in our Japan trip! And to Ninang Merl and family, it was fun joining you guys in your annual family reunion! Hope you guys invite us still in your future reunions to come!Ü

And oh CORON turon!Ü This is where I had my "comeback" dive as I would like to call it. After a year and nine months of diving hiatus, I said hello to the deep blue ocean and went wreck diving (for the first time!Ü) with the ISD Divers.

Also went to Boracay with my office lunch/merienda-mates (the Zorb is a must-try!Ü)...Tagaytay Highlands and Baguio with the family...and that impromptu Alaminos, Pangasinan trip
2010 was also the year that we welcomed Julianne Faith and Haya Sophia to the Lomibao and BWP Family (respectively Ü)
Maan & JT got married!Ü [YAHOOOOOO!!!Ü]
Some friends who moved on to greener pasteurs: Maan, Jing, Jovy, and Joanna
SPCM High School Batch '95 reunion...get together after 15 years of not seeing each other!!!
First time to try shisha at Bora
First time to issue a cheque
First time tumaya sa lotto Ü [Hindi nga lang nanalo...hehehe!]
Joined my first ever run [The Century Tuna Superbods run!Ü The first two runs I joined in 2009 got cancelled. LOL!]
Applied for and got 1 year, multiple entry visa to the Land Down Under [Sana lang magamit ko na 'to! Calling calling Kat & Jing!Ü]
CqBA Graduation
Goodbye Canon IXUS 400, Hello Trippy [Canon Powershot SD 970 IS]!
Goodby Motorola V3X, Hello Pinkberry!Ü
Hello Subie!Ü
Switched to the E-passport
Tried out the following sport: Boxing & Wakeboarding @ Lago de Oro [Ayun naman, hanggang 'try out' lang...Ü]
Voted in the first ever automated Philippine presidential election
Discovered the uber yummy Crispy Dinuguan at Jay-J's!Ü [Sorry, na-adik na sa Dinuguan!]
Mom and Pop had an extended Shanghai vacation [I always try to see the positive side of things so thank you Lord that everything turned out a-OK!]
Mom and Kyle got upgraded to Business Class in their return trip from LAX to MNL! FTW! I envy you guys!Ü [Speaking of...may utang pa ko'ng pansit kina My at Ai Ü]
Angsanto family reunion during Vian, Rysh, and Ry's Manila trip!
I got to be a "teacher" for this year and taught BA Concepts Echo Session to all those who were forced to listen. LOL!Ü
Implemented the Cargo International AWBs Interface Ü

So...that was basically 2010 in a nutshell. To those close to me, you know what I will remember 2010 for the most!Ü So.....may we all have continued luck in 2011 and may we always remember to see the positive side of things.Ü I know it's already 18 days late but, what the heck: Happy New Year everyone!Ü

Bag of Beans' Pinoy Toppings

2011-01-09T11:41:00.000+08:00

Originally posted @ http://cdsaint.blogspot.com

Yesterday was go-to-Tagaytay-at-magpalamig day!Ü And true enough, Tagaytay did not disappoint! It's my 2nd time to go to Tagaytay on the early days of January and like the first time that I was there, the weather was oh-so-cool...one that you'd dream of having in Manila one day (libre naman ang mangarap Ü). But enough about the weather coz i'm here to talk about this new great find at Tagaytay: Bag of Beans' Pinoy Toppings.

It was around dinner time and we were looking for a place to eat. We checked out two places before seeing this place and decided that this is where we want to eat. The name "Pinoy Toppings" itself made me hungry (the first two restos failed to do that).

From the looks of it, the place is fairly new, although I forgot to ask when they opened. The resto is from the same makers of Bag of Beans located a little further down the road in Aguinaldo Highway. They have similar dishes like the pies and their famous coffee but on the backside of their menu is where you'll find the distinct Pinoy Toppings dishes that (i'm assuming) you'll only find in this particular branch.

After checking out the menu, we decided to ask what their best sellers are and the waiter said Kalderetang Baka and Bistek Tagalog, so we ordered that, plus Cream of Broccoli Soup. At first I was actually torn between Kalderetang Baka and Lechon Kawali with Bagoong Sauce, but since the waiter mentioned that the former is a best seller, I decided to order that but only after he said YES to my question if the beef of their Kaldereta is tender.

True enough, the beef of the Kaldereta is tender! And the overall taste is a thumbs up, with just a bit of spicyness and sans the lingering taste of the bell peppers. It also had a bit of cheese for toppings, which melted perfectly on top of the beef and the rice. Their Bistek Tagalog tastes good as well, with just the right blend of saltiness and sourness...and a bit of sweetness too! Their toppings came with a bowl of hot soup, which was perfect for Tagaytay's cool nighttime breeze. The soup was both a pleasant surprise and a disappointer: It was a pleaseant surprise because I initially didn't know that their rice toppings came with soup, so that was a plus. A disappointer because I was expecting to taste Bulalo Soup, which is famous in Tagaytay, but the soup was Sinigang instead of Bulalo. But overall, the pleasant surprise outweighed the disappointer Ü [Next time, Candy, manage your expectations!Ü]. The Cream of Broccoli Soup was just the right mixture of creaminess and broccoli taste, and being a fan of creamy soups, i'll definitely come back for more of this (or probably ask Mom to add this to her home-made, signature dishes...so Mom, start experimenting please!Ü). However, at P120 worth, you'd get more bang for your buck with the rice toppings which is just at P150 each. Although the soup came with two slices of bread and butter.

Had we known that their rice bowls are actually good for two (well, it seems like it), we would have just ordered one and shared the meal since we actually had a hard time finishing all those food that we ordered. We actually didn't get to finish all the rice that was included in our order because we were just so full. Maybe Bag of Beans' ought to "re-size" their rice toppings and offer a P100-worth regular-sized meal aside from their current P150-worth large-sized ones.

All in all, our dining experience in this new nook in Tagaytay was an enjoyable one that we'd definitely come back for more.Ü The rice toppings are good and reasonably-priced at P150 each. Parking was just a-OK since only around 6-7 cars can fit in the resto's parking area which is located in front. The place is quite new so the furnitures and overall look of the place is still clean and well-maintained. It would have been fun to dine in their open-air area to complete the Tagaytay-dining-experience, but the breeze at that time was just too strong that it was just not a wise idea to dine outside.

To those going to Tagaytay and are in the lookout for a cozy but reasonably-priced place to dine, i'd definitely recommend Bag of Beans' Pinoy Toppings!Ü

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Bag of Beans' Pinoy Toppings is located near the rotonda at Aguinaldo Highway (on the left side of the road if you're headed to Batangas).

Cream of Broccoli Soup (with 2 slices of bread & butter)

Bistek Tagalog Rice Toppings

Kalderetang Baka Rice Toppings

PCOS I am a Filipino...

2010-05-10T19:16:00.004+08:00

Originally posted @ http://cdsaint.blogspot.com

I am currently waiting in line in order to exercise my right to vote. I arrived at 0916H at the school where I am registered in at dahil engertz ako at may short term memory loss, I forgot what precinct number i'm assigned to (kahit na I checked it online two days ago). Good job, Candy! So I spent 30 minutes in line just so they can check what precinct number i'm in. 1148F. I am forever saving that in my memory bank. Meaning: I'll save it in my mobile phone for future reference. It's now 1030H and i'm #449 in line (thank God they have a numbering system here). The last number called was 180 and that was 10 minutes ago. Ano'ng oras kaya ako makakaboto? So while i'm waiting in line, i'm doing what I do best in these situations: BLOG.Ü

So what should be one's survival guide when voting in the Philippines? I have five so far:

1. Water & Food. Cold water or drink to combat the heat & food to keep the tummy happy. I wasn't able to bring any of these coz I didn't expect to be waiting in line for so long but had they not implemented the number system in our precinct, i'd be dying of thirst & hunger by now.

2. Fan. Need I explain why expecially in a tropical country like ours? If you have one of those battery-operated fans, that would be better.

3. Something to while the time away. Good thing I brought my iPod and a pen so I was able to blog (and listen to music) while waiting in line. I'm actually also thankful for the sample ballots that were being given out since this blog is being written at the back of it.Ü But if you have some other thing that would keep you busy...a PSP perhaps, deck of cards (is this allowed? i'm not really sure...), sudoku, magazine, brick game, jackstones, tamagotchi, monopoly, cluedo, snakes & ladders, chinese garter, jump rope...whatever will make you happy while waiting in line then bring it. So that you're ready just in case you'll have to wait in line for a really long time.

4. Something to sit on. You can just use the sample ballots being given out at the entrance of your voting place. Oh diba, naging double-purpose pa yung sample ballots! This is for those instances where you don't really have a choice and have to sit on the floor because the vacant classroom used as a "holding area" is already full.

5. Lots of patience. Patience is a virtue as my friends would say. And for this specific election where precincts are clustered, you got to have lots of this.

I can only think of five so far. If you guys have something that you want to add to the list, feel free to post it as a comment in this blog. And to answer my question above: Ano'ng oras kaya ako makakaboto? I got to vote at around 1515H. Imagine that. But I would have done everything in my powers just so I can exercise my right to vote. I hope you guys did too.Ü

Random Thoughts 7

2010-04-27T22:08:00.001+08:00

Originally posted @ http://cdsaint.blogspot.com

It's the 27th and I haven't written anything in my blog. I refuse to break the promise I made to myself so here I am, trying to write anything that comes to mind and trying to make it all coherent.

Crispy Dinuguan at Jay-J's. I was craving for dinuguan for the longest time and one Sunday night, I finally got my wish! And it wasn't just any dinuguan for that matter, it was CRISPY! Oooh...yummy!!! I was actually apprehensive at first, asking the waiter if it has enough sauce (or should I say, dugo?) since I love putting lots of the sauce on my rice (I've always eaten dinuguan with rice...i've never tried it with puto. But then again, I'm a recent "dinuguan-convert", probably less than a year since I started liking dinuguan and it's because of my very lovable lunchmates at the office Ü Thanks guys for introducing dinuguan to me Ü). When the dish arrived, it did not disappoint! It was crispy indeed and with just enough sauce to satisfy one's cravings! I l♥ved it! SUPERB! KUDOS! I loved it so much that Tuesday lunch after that night I was back at Jay-J's eating crispy dinuguan (and the "classic" dinuguan too Ü) with my lunchmates. If only eating dinuguan wasn't that sinful, I would eat it everyday. Well, maybe not. But i'd eat it a lot! LOL!Ü

Goto & Lugaw at All About Goto in Tagaytay. On a recent trip to Tagaytay, the entire family (wow, akala mo marami! eh apat lang naman kami...LOL!) ate at Josephine's and we weren't that happy with what we ate. So on our way back, we decided to stop at this place named All About Goto that was just along the highway. Mom and Dad ordered lugaw while my brother and I shared a bowl of goto. I liked the goto that they served although i'm not sure if I liked it because it was actually good or dahil gutom lang ako. LOL! I'll try this place again next time then i'll let you know if they really are good (i'm guessing they are since the place is called All About Goto) or if it was just hunger that made the goto taste nice that night.

Chocolate Roll & Ube Loaf at Tagaytay Highlands. Can you spell Y-U-M-M-Y?!??!!! Of chocolate, I AM definitely a fan but UBE? I really wasn't (sorry, Maan! Hehe!) but this loaf changed my view on ube. It was yummy and the bread was soft. You can really taste all those ube goodness up to the very last bite! And the chocolate roll? Oh my goodness...it was choco bread heaven! I loved it so much I asked Dad to buy 3 rolls to take home! Now, there goes my diet...Hahaha!Ü

Bioman. Ako si Yellow 4. Kahit na namatay sya at napunta sa Bio-heaven. Napalitan naman din sya so keri lang. LOL! Anyway, it was Bioman madness for me several weeks back. It was fun reminiscing those days when i'd sit infront of the TV waiting for my favorite Bioman show to air. And thanks to my officemate Dean, I was able to get a copy of the first 17 episodes of the show. And it was not just any copy but one that was dubbed in english! As in the actual dubbed episodes that was shown on Philippine TV! How cool is that?! Hahaha! Wala lang...I hope to get a copy of all 51 episodes dubbed in english Ü

Thunderbird Resort Poro Point. This is a resort and NOT a night club somewhere in the metro (teka, White Bird ata yun. LOL!). The resort got featured on a show at QTV and what got my attention was the nice beach (well, it looked nice on TV) and the fact that it's just in La Union, meaning: No need to take a plane to go to this place. A simple road trip is all it takes to get there. So I immediately googled this place and found their website (see link) and it didn't disappoint. The fact that the place is inspired by Santorini in Greece made it more intriguing. However, you won't view any of their rates in their site. So I emailed them and in just a few minutes, I got a reply. Needless to say, their prices are not cheap. Not Amanpulo-high but definitely not cheap. The cheapest room for a weekend trip is P7,500.00 nett for single or double occupancy. Pwede na...kailangan lang pag-ipunan ng kaunti. I'll definitely visit this place in the future. If not overnight, maybe for a day trip (but overnight is definitely much much better). I can't wait!Ü

Of Goodbyes and Kababawan ng Luha. I've been emotional for the past week or two. I'd like to blame it on my period (that's what my friend said) but hello, it's been two weeks! And the last "emotional strike" was just yesterday, and my period was like ages ago! Hahaha! I'm sure it sounds funny but I shed tears yesterday when I realized that I might not be able to say goodbye to my old digital camera...the one who's shared 6 years and 5 months of digital memories with me. Good thing some of my plans changed and I was able to say my last farewell to my good ol' digicam. Goodbye IXUS 400...you will be missed...Ü

Hello Haya Sophia! Let's end this with a HELLO and not a Goodbye.Ü My good friend Aya just gave birth to a healthy baby girl last April 24 and her name is Haya Sophia! Welcome to Earth, Haya Sophia! (Yes, parang nagwewelcome lang ng alien...LOL!). Congratulations to her very proud parents, Aya and Jomike!Ü

OK. I think i'm not successful in making my blog for this month sound coherent (from food to a 5-man fighting team to a resort to hellos & goodbyes) but at least I was able to blog. I actually didn't know I had that much to say especially since I started with nothing at all. Not even an idea of what to write, that's why I had to resort to my default title for a blog: Random Thoughts. I actually want to write more of hmmm...what I'm feeling perhaps? The elections? How life must go on? But then again, I guess those should wait for another day. So guys, that would be all for this month. This is Candy, signing off for the month of April. TTFN!Ü

"Xerox" is NOT another word for "copy"

2010-03-07T14:16:00.001+08:00

Originally posted @ http://cdsaint.blogspot.com

"Xerox" is NOT another word for "copy".

And "MTV" is NOT another word for "music video".

Just like "Colgate" is NOT another word for "toothpaste". Thank heavens we've surpassed that era (Have we, really?).

I came across a notice in the Manila Bulletin - March 3, 2010 issue with the heading "XEROX. It's not just another word for copy." Hear, hear! I cringe every time I hear someone say: "Papa-Xerox ko lang 'to." or something to that effect.

Now, don't get me started with "MTV." Goodness gracious! I hear this every time...especially on those noon time shows or when singers plug a new single and they say: "The MTV was shot by..." Oh my golly! When will they learn? I sure hope they learn soon...

So...let me reiterate:

Xerox is NOT another word for copy.
MTV is NOT another word for music video. [MTV is a brand, dear people.]
Colgate is NOT another word for toothpaste.

Now, I rest my case.

In The Orb of The Zorb

2010-03-01T10:00:00.009+08:00

On a recent trip to Boracay, my friends and i decided to check out the latest craze to hit the island: The ZORB BALL. I first saw this on Sports Unlimited where Diane & Marc tried to Ride the Zorb in a trip to Boracay. And since it looks fun, I told myself i'd try this out on my next Bora trip. And that Bora trip came sooner than I expected.Ü

So what actually is a Zorb Ball? A Zorb Ball is an inflatable hollow ball with a wide enough opening for a person to be able to fit through. Where did this craze originate? From New Zealand, where the original Zorbers are (www.zorb.com). The Ride The Zorb place at Boracay is said to be a franchise from NZ (although i'm wondering why it's not listed in the Zorb site), and they offer two types of "rides": (1) The Hydro Ride and (2) The Harness Ride.

The Hydro Ride, as the name suggests, involves water since the riders are placed inside the Zorb Ball together with a depth of an inch or two of water. The purpose of the water is to let the riders glide inside the Zorb while the ball is rolled down a not-so-steep hill. Up to three riders are allowed to ride the Zorb at one time as long as the total weight of all riders do not exceed 180kg, hence the mandatory weigh-in before you are allowed to ride any Zorb (So all weight watchers out there, beware! Now is the time to know the truth & nothing but!). Oh, and standing inside the Zorb is a big NO-NO! And cameras are not allowed while inside the Zorb for the very reason that this might rupture the Zorb Ball and deflate it in no time (so we weren't able to use our waterproof camera). Hence, watches, rings, and any accessories with sharp edges will have to be removed before zorbing.

The Hydro Ride prices vay depending on the number of riders: a SOLO ride costs P580; a DOUBLE costs P380; while a TRIO costs P300 (all costs are on a per person basis). The Harness Ride, on the the other hand, is fixed at P380/person and it is mandatory to have two riders in it (otherwise you'll end up with a lopsided ball rolling down the hill).

More stringent rules are applied in the Harness Ride as compared to the Hydro Ride. First is that the rider must not exceed 80kg in weight. And since the riders are on opposite sides of the ball, their weight difference must not exceed 20kg. Since we didn't do this Harness Ride (we're reserving it for another Bora trip Ü), I didn't ask the reason behind this rule. I'm guessing it's to prevent that "lopsided ball rolling down the hill" kind of thing from happening. I'll ask next time.Ü And one last rule for the Harness Ride is that the riders must be at least 5 feet tall. So does this mean that our dear President GMA won't be allowed to ride the Harness Zorb? LOL!Ü Good thing there's the Hydro Zorb without any height limit!Ü

Since doing the Zorb Ball was my idea, and no one wanted to go first, my friend and I were the guinea pigs in our group so to speak. We headed up the incline without our slippers on (they asked us to remove it at the foot of the incline or what I want to call as "base camp") and when we got there, they were already putting water inside the ball (the balls were already inflated, thank God!Ü). When the water was already enough (how do you measure "enough"...i don't really know...), they asked us to go inside the ball, one by one, head first. When we were both inside the ball, I told my friend: "Ganito pala ang feeling ng nasa loob ka ng ball." So, what actually is the feeling of being inside a hollow ball? Hmmm...nothing special actually. When they covered up the hole where my friend and I got in and started inflating the small ball that they used to cover it up (imagine a munchkin fitting in the hole of a donut), I got a bit nervous coz I was afraid our oxygen supply inside the ball would run out. And then I told my friend: "Kaya pala sandali lang ito kasi baka wala na tayong hangin pagdating dun sa baba." So I guess you can't Zorb from the top of Mt. Everest coz your oxygen supply would run out. (But who would want to do that??!!!???!!!Ü)

When we were all set, the manong removed the rope stopping the ball from rolling down the incline and let us loose. Of course we started shouting (or at least I started shouting Ü) as we started rolling down the not-so-steep incline. I remember thinking: So this is how it feels like to be inside the washing machine. Cool!Ü And one other thing I remembered is my friend's legs being right in front of my face the whole time! It was so funny! And lots of fun! I actually didn't want it to end yet but 20 seconds was all it took to get from the top to base camp where everyone was waiting with their cameras. The manongs stopped the ball by guiding the ball up the small incline at the base (to stop the ball from accelerating...hello, laws of physics!) and then guiding it as it goes back down to a full stop (this is hard to explain...just watch the video Ü). And then they removed that munchkin of a ball (Hello air, I missed you!) and asked our friends to take our photos while we were still inside the Zorb. Of course we were all wet with all the rolling and sliding inside the ball but hey, it was 101% fun! When the photo ops were done, we were asked to slide out the Zorb, one by one, feet first. When I got out, I told the manongs: "Ganito pala ang pinapanganak!" LOL!Ü It was my re-birth! Right there in Bora! (So...can I now start celebrating my re-birthday every February 7th?Ü)

Since my friend and I were the guinea pigs, we didn't know that you can actually ask to get rolled over by the Zorb Ball. Apparently, one of our friends was lying face down on the grass, trying to be as flat as possible, while we were rolling down the incline inside the Zorb. When we learned about this, we decided to get rolled over too! Must make the most out of this Zorb experience! So we did! And all I can say is: Na-bale ata yung tenga ko! Hahaha! Since we were trying to be as flat as possible (the manong will teach you how to do this), our face was facing one side while on the grass. There's nothing more that can be done with the ear that's exposed so when the Zorb rolled over, that was the only body part that was not as flat as it can be. Hence, the only body part that hurt (not too much...just a bit) when the Zorb rolled over. Or maybe the weight of the riders is also a factor...I don't really know! But still a must-try! Just so you know how it feels to be rolled over by an inflatable ball.Ü

Will I do this again? Definitely! How I wish it was only P100/ride, we would've zorbed ourselves over and over again! Next time, i'll definitely try that Harness Ride...I wonder how that would feel?Ü

So guys, while in Bora, make the most out of your trip and try riding the Zorb! It's definitely one fun ride!Ü TTFN!Ü

A shout out of THANKS to the following for allowing me to post the photos they took during our Zorb experience: Dexter Lao, Jennifer Cruz, and My de Jesus.Ü Thanks guys!

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Post Script: After browsing & reading through the Zorb site, I now have reason to believe that the Ride the Zorb in Boracay is NOT a franchise of the one in New Zealand. The girl behind the counter told us otherwise (when I asked for a discount...LOL!). Tsk, tsk, tsk...

E-Passport: Some Lessons Learned

2010-02-20T17:51:00.006+08:00

We have finally applied for an E-Passport. Just yesterday actually. Took us an hour and a half but there were four of us and there were three pitstops all-in-all (application window, cashier, data capture) so it was not actually that bad. Especially for a government office (no offence meant Ü).

I am not about to tell you how the entire process took place since I wouldn't want to bore you guys to death (But the online appointment process was a different story. Hehehe!), so i'm just going to write about some lessons learned in our application for E-Passport:

The last page of the old passport should be photocopied as well. » The DFA website did not list this down as one of the requirements. It only said "photocopy of old passport data page" so that was the only page of the old passport that we all had on hand. Good thing that there was no line in the photocopy station which is conveniently located in the same room as where the applications are passed so the only downside here is that I had to pay P3.00 for each copy made, which I could have copied at less than P1.00 per page if outside the DFA.

Each applicant should have a copy of the confirmation letter. » Since we were applying as one family, I only printed out one copy of the letter. Turns out, each person should have a copy of the confirmaton letter. My bad.

Practice smiling without showing any teeth. » Or don't smile at all. I wasn't able to practice this hence, mukha akong natatae sa passport picture ko. Goodness gracious! I'd have to endure 5 years of this picture. I guess it's OK to request for several shots of you to be taken (I only had two shots) but since my 2nd take looked a lot like my first one, I decided that this was going to be a lost cause so I just chose the picture depicting a less natatae version of me. Afterwhich I realized, I should've tried NOT smiling in my picture. But this realization came after everything has been said and done. Oh well. Lesson learned. Practice makes perfect.

Conceal those eyebags. » To make matters worse, aside from looking like i'm about to head to the nearest toilet, I also had major eyebags in my passport picture. I was just too shy to re-touch my make-up while already on the seat to have my picture taken so I just decided to let it be since I already looked stupid in my picture anyway. Oh, but don't put too much make-up. You still have to look like yourself in the picture.

Remove any unecessary objects in your face. » And I mean contact lenses and bangs (and I guess nose rings or eyebrow rings or any other what-have-yous that did not originally come with your face). The person behind the counter asked me if I was wearing contact lenses and I said "No." then wondered why he was asking me this since my eyes are black. Or brown. I don't really know. But It's not as if I was wearing colored contact lenses. Maybe it was just mandatory for him to ask. And then came the bangs. Both eyebrows should be seen in the picture so I had to put my bangs all the way to the side, which was such a feat because it kept falling back to my face. But all's well that end's well. Or in my case, all's not well but everything has to end.

Double-check all details. » A family friend wasn't able to properly double-check his passport details and was one letter off in one of his details so he had to start all over again (this was after he received the actual passport). The data capture people (those who took our pictures & fingerprints) will request for you to double check the details that they've manually inputted in the screen so it's your responsibility to double (or triple) check everything. Plus, they'll ask you to sign a waiver saying that should there be any wrong details in your passport, DFA won't be held liable and that you'll have to do everything all over again. And that includes having to pay for the P950 processing fee. Again. And waiting for another 14 days. Again.

Gate 3 is along Libertad St. » The confirmation letter told us to proceed to Gate 3, the entrance of which is actually located along Libertad St. So park along this street if a parking spot is available. I parked along the service road (P30/4 hours), near the front of the DFA building (infront of Maliziia Bar to be exact) thinking that that's where the entrance for applications are. Apparently not. But it's not a long walk anyway and a bit of exercise doesn't hurt.

I hope these lessons I've learned will be able to help out at least one other person applying for an E-Passport so that i'll be able to say: "Mission Accomplished!" This will be all for now. If you have anything to add to this list, feel free to do so by adding a comment below. And to all those applying for an E-Passport: I hope your picture turns out decent...unlike mine. HAHAHA!Ü Til then, guys! TTFN!Ü

Nuvali

2010-01-24T21:20:00.004+08:00

One Saturday morning: “Let’s go to Nuvali this afternoon!”

“this afternoon” came one week after.Ü But at least, I’m glad to say, we finally got there.Ü

How to get there:

The Nuvali website gave several options on how to get there. Since I was torn between Mamplasan and Sta. Rosa, I asked my cousin what better exit to take and I was told to take the Sta. Rosa exit. So I did. And with just a text message as a guide (Sta. Rosa exit then take the way going to Tagaytay, a little bit after Paseo de Sta. Rosa is Nuvali on the left) I got to Nuvali without any hassles. You won’t get lost anyway since they have signs on the way going there and it would be hard not to notice the big NUVALI sign on the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay highway.

It took me around 40min. to get there coming from Sucat on a Saturday afternoon. I was a bit surprised that traffic was not heavy at the time I was driving at SLEX (except from Sucat to Alabang, but it was moving) and I was just too happy to traverse SLEX with its now wider road and still without any lubak.Ü

What to do:

There are several things that you can do at Nuvali: Eat, bike, feed the fishies (this is not a typo error, I really call them "fishies" coz it's cuter Ü), ride a boat, at gumulong-gulong sa grass.

Eat: Some of the few establishments at Nuvali are Yellow Cab, Crisostomo, Starbucks, Bona Coffee, Brothers Burger, David’s Tea House, Pig Out, and Conti’s. The latter two is where we had dinner & dessert. We were joking around while eating at Pig Out coz it took them forever to serve us our food when we only ordered crispy pata & fish and they weren’t exactly brimming full of customers at that time. But lo and behold! Come 7:30pm the waiters, who were wearing superhero costumes, started dancing to the tune of Insomniac & this other song that I don’t know the title. We were just laughing our hearts out coz it was the first time for all of us to see Batman, Robin, Supergirl, Batgirl Jasmine (teka, hindi naman superhero si Jasmine???), and that girl counterpart of Robin (who’s she? "Robina", according to my friend? LOL! And when we asked her, hindi rin nya alam kung ano’ng superhero name nya. Haha!) dancing! I actually took a video of them so that I’ll always remember the first time I saw superheroes dancing.Ü Oh, it also took them long to bring our bill.

Bike: This is what we did at Nuvali. P60.00 to rent their bike for an hour. They only have mountain bikes for rent but you can choose the bike that fits you best in terms of height. Bawal umangkas. Only 1 person per bike. And no slippers allowed. Good thing my friends brought shoes along otherwise, one hour kaming magtititigan dun. Or maybe they can just run while some of us ride our bikes. LOL! Helmets are a must and must be worn at all times. Plus, you have to sign a waiver and surrender an ID before you can rent one of their bikes. What’s nice about their bikes is that it has a basket in front, very much practical especially for girls so that we have a place to put our bags or any what-have-yous. You can only bike on the designated paths which means you’ll have to share the lane with the people walking around the place, which wasn’t actually that crowded when we were there (but it was still a challenge for me coz I was like a drunk driver on a bike. Such a laughtrip for my friends. Such a nerve-wracking experience for me. Haha!). Our motto for the day: "Have bike, will go anywhere." So we got to the farthest part that our bikes can reach. I was just too happy to get there because we were able to bike on the road (no need to stay on the path) since cars were not yet allowed to pass and there were no other bikers around. Oh heaven! This is my ideal biking situation.Ü By that time, I ♥ biking already.Ü

Feed the Fishies: For P15.00, you can feed the Kois in the big pond. But you can only feed them from 8am-5pm because the fishies are on an “After 5” diet. So get there early. I’m just wondering if you can bring your own feeds to give to the fishes. Wag lang sigurong bread, kasi masisira ang diet ng fishies. Bawal ang carbs. They’re on a diet, remember?Ü I was actually surprised to see all the fishies in the pond. They were just oh-so-many! Too many actually that my heart goes out to them coz they were like fighting for dear life just to get some of those feeds that the people were giving them. It was like the feast of the Black Nazarene, fish-style, minus the rope.

Ride a Boat: P30.00 per head for a round trip ticket. They don’t offer one-way tickets. I don’t know why. Hehe! A special trip (I guess this means you get the boat all to yourself) costs P180.00 for a minimum of 6 pax (I didn’t ask what the maximum is). I’m not sure how long the boat ride is. I don't know where they'll bring you. I’m not sure what you’ll see or what you can do at the boat aside from sightseeing (mag-gupit ng kuko siguro pwede…but why would you do that?Ü). Next time I visit Nuvali, I’ll ask them these things so I have something to tell you guys. For some reason, riding a boat doesn’t appeal to me that much so I’m not sure if I’ll ever get to do this activity here.

Gumulong-gulong sa Grass: Need I explain more?Ü Kidding-aside, Nuvali is a place where you can just sit on the grass and enjoy the scenery…if biking, boating, or feeding the fishies is not your thing. Take lots of pictures. Go on a jump-shot-picture galore or do one of those nakapabilog-ang-mga-ulo-habang-nakahiga-sa-grass pictures. I’m sure you’ll have loads of fun doing these things. And the people around you will have loads of fun watching you do these things, so it’s a win-win situation.Ü

Will I go back to Nuvali? Sure! Why not?Ü Will I go biking again? Of course I will! I won’t stop now that my biking skills are slowly coming back to me. Even though my body’s aching all over because of the experience.Ü Will I feed the fishies? No. Kasi naaawa ako sa kanila. Will I ride the boat? Please read above.Ü What I’ll definitely do the next time I’m at Nuvali is to take a lot of pictures (Hey, I might even do the suggestions I gave above…di na baleng mag-mukhang weird.Ü). For now, I’m just going to look forward to my next Nuvali side trip. TTFN!Ü

Oh, btw, here are the rates.Ü

I ♥ HK

2010-01-21T20:30:00.009+08:00

Last year, I just really wanted to get out of Manila for my birthday. So when our Australia trip, which became a Singapore trip, didn't push through, I was devastated (ask Jovy...she knows. Hehe!). Anyhow, I figured, maybe i'm just really meant to spend my birthday with my family. True enough, this was the trip that did push through...with just a little planning. Kaya next time, ayoko na mag-plano. Hahaha!

It was actually during Ondoy's wrath that I was booking our trip. All we needed was land arrangement anyway and we're good to go. At that time, www.horizontravel.ph was offerring this really cheap travel package at USD48/pax for a 3D2N at Panda Hotel in Hong Kong (at the end of this blog are some pictures of the hotel.) The only catch was that the deadline to book was on that day that Ondoy was wreaking havoc in the entire Metro Manila area. Seeing as it was really impossible for anyone to leave the house at that time, the person whom I talked to tried to work things out so that we can just pay on the next working day. Good thing everything went well and in just the few hours since I suggested that we all go to Hong Kong for a short vacay, our entire trip was all set.Ü

The package actually included, aside from the hotel: roundtrip airport-hotel-airport transfer, a half day Hong Kong city tour, and complimentary breakfast at the nearby McDonald's. If you're more than 3 pax in the group, you can also avail of the Shenzhen tour that they're offering at no additional cost.Ü However, the Hong Kong city tour & Shenzhen tour are not worthit. Although both are offered for free, you'll be better off just planning the entire tour on your own. All you have to do is get that Hong Kong Visitor flyer at the airport and it shows you all the Hong Kong tourist spots...where to shop, where to dine, what to do, including how to get there via the MTR. No need to join any packaged tour. And with an MTR station at almost every corner in Hong Kong, you won't get lost, I promise (given that you know how to interpret a map Ü). However, the Shenzhen tour is a different story 'cause you'll be needing visa to enter China, which the tour company already took care of. However, it's still not worthit since they just brought us to a place selling Jade, a place selling Silk, and a place selling Tea. Totally not worth our time...unless Jade, Silk, and Tea are your thing.Ü

Oh, btw, we didn't go to HK Disneyland anymore coz we've all been to Disneyland in LA & from what i've heard, ga-tuldok lang daw ang HK Disneyland and we wouldn't have enjoyed it seeing as we've already been to a bigger Disneyland before. Besides, the goal of this trip was for food tripping...Roast Duck toppings galore! And we didn't have to go to Disnyeland for that.Ü

So...what are the essentials needed by any Hong Kong tourist? Aside from the Hong Kong Visitor flyer that I mentioned above, you'll need a map of the MTR (get it free at any MTR station) and a map of Hong Kong (I got this at the hotel lobby). Of course you have to take note of where your hotel is and what MTR stations are the closest to your hotel so that you can find your way back home...unless you leave bread crumbs along the way like Hansel & Gretel.Ü Aside from those two things, you'll need moolah of course and a comfortable pair of walking shoes. Needless to say, we were armed with all these essentials as we trooped around Hong Kong for 3 days.

And what do I love about Hong Kong? Roast Duck Toppings. MTR. Wellcome. That big & clean airport. Sephora (Oh yes! They have Sephora there! No need to travel all the way to the US!Ü). Everyone walks the same pace as I am (I'm a fast walker. And even their escalators are faster! Or was that just my imagination?Ü). And the fact that it's just a few hours flight from Manila.Ü I'm sure I'll find more things to love about Hong Kong, but for now, that's all I can think of. BTW, of the many times i've been to Hong Kong...i've never been to Ocean Park. [Hahaha! I don't know why...]. TTFN!Ü

2009 in Retrospect

2010-01-10T14:45:00.006+08:00

It is, once again, the start of a new year. And same as in the past years, we (as a nation, and the whole world, I suppose) are welcoming the new year with new hopes, new desires, and a dream that the new year will be the start of a better life for all of us. But before I embrace the year that is forthcoming to all of us, let me first reminisce the year that was, which is 2009. So…what would the highlights of my year be? Let me see…

Rang in the first day of the new year with an impromptu Tagaytay day trip with mom’s side of the family [I just love reunions & impromptu trips! Note to self for 2010: Be more spontaneous!Ü]
I got to go to the following places this year: Calaruega, Pinatubo, Boracay, Subic, Bicol, Bataan, Hong Kong, US.

Some trip highlights:
That heavy rain (with matching blackout & baha) while eating at Aling Lucing’s Sisig place on our way back home from Pinatubo
First time to try Parasailing at Boracay [So much fun!Ü]
Bumping into Jay-R at Boracay (with bonus picture c/o Mom…hehehe!)
Vacationing with typhoon Dante while in Bicol
Wakeboarding at CWC [This is us making the most of our Bicol trip with typhoon Dante Ü]
Bicol road trip on our way back to Manila [12 hours on a rented bus Ü]
Ninang Merl & Uncle Ken’s and Tatay Wenceslao & Nanay Conchit’s renewal of wedding vows (25th and 50th…in this day & age, this is such a milestone!Ü)
That Black Friday sale in the US [I finally have a laptop! After 14.5 hours of waiting outside of Best Buy…hahaha!]

Some close friends who got married: Aya & Jomike [and now with a BWP Junior on the way!Ü], Charm & Kim Ü
Got to attend the following PAL-sponsored trainings: Presentation Skills Workshop, Basic Family Assistance Training, BA Certification
Passing the BA Certification training and being a certified CqBA!Ü
My high school batch’s 10th year reunion [It was so nice seeing old familiar faces again.Ü]
That Pussycat Dolls concert [Thanks Shiela!], Club LAX [Thanks Jen!], Transformers & Harry Potter @ Director’s Club, MOA [Thanks again, Shiela for organizing Ü]
First time to try Pole Dancing and Lazerxtreme Ü
Single Ladies/La Perla Ladies night out [First time to ____ (fill in the blanks). You ladies know what happened that night. No need to elaborate. Hehehe!]
Got to see that partial solar eclipse on the 22nd of July [Candy: “Amazing!” O ha, partial solar eclipse pa lang yan! Pano pa kaya kung total (eclipse of the heart)? LOL!]
Celebrated Father’s Day at Circles in Shang [Thanks to the promo!]
First time to join two "run for a cause" events this year…and both got postponed because of typhoons [Sana hindi ako ang dahilan. LOL!]
Lunchmates photoshoot for Maan [I ♥ that white blanket. LOL!]
Did some catching up with best friend Silver, long-lost college batch mate Derek, and Vegas tripping with Tita P Ü
Tried to reinvent myself with an eyeliner & hair highlights towards the end of the year. Hehe!Ü

Some not-so-nice things that happened in 2009...

Manong Guard’s scrutiny of my outfit on a Saturday morning [Manong: “Ma’am, bawal po yung naka-shorts.” Take note: I was wearing knee-length shorts. HOWEVER, (even) short(er length) skirts worn during weekdays are allowed. Kung alam ko lang na sisitahin nya ko, I would’ve worn super short shorts para justified naman ang pag-sita nya sakin!]. However, I’d take this anytime compared to that BDO fiasco back in 2008.
Used up half of my allotted ELs for this year (which is actually not a good thing coz I only use my ELs if there’s flood due to heavy rains)
Typhoon Ondoy. Although I’m thankful that all we had to deal with was that 12-hour blackout at our area. It’s just heartbreaking to see those who were not as lucky as we were.
Failed attempt to reformat my PC from Vista to XP on Christmas Day. Hay, it was just so frustrating.
FB taking over the time that should've been spent writing my blogs [Currently contemplating on killing my FB account. Hindi ko pa ata kaya. Hehe.]
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And quite a few personally unrelated matters that I just want to take note of...

Obama’s inauguration
Death of the following icons: Michael Jackson, Cory Aquino
AH1N1/Swine flu
Typhoon Pepeng

So...that was 2009 for me. For 2010, I only have one resolution and that is to: SMILE. Always.Ü Good luck to me on that! Hahaha! TTFN!Ü

Random Thoughts 6

2009-11-02T10:13:00.003+08:00

This is an unedited version of my blog. It's been in my flash drive for months now and i'm finally posting it (Sir B, you have a way of making me feel guilty! HAHAHA!). So...here goes nothing (or something)...

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Passed by a house with Christmas lights decoration on the way home. It made me smile.Ü Ang aga talaga mag-umpisang mag-celebrate ng Pasko ang mga Pinoy! September 2 pa lang, may Christmas decorations na!

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Head hurts after listening to the car stero on full blast.

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I've been sitting at this small bench near the escalator for almost 30 minutes now while Mom and Pop shop. Yes, I am one of those people who braved the crowds & went to the 3-day Mall-wide sale @ SM Mall of Asia. Come to think of it, I was also here yesterday...which is not unusual seeing as I consider MOA my 2nd home. Ü I'm actually writing this blog on a receipt from Naf Naf where I bought my new black boots (woot woot!Ü). I was just so happy for not buying those boots when I first saw them coz now I got a 20% discount off it! Yippee!!! Glad I waited...and it just means that these boots & I were really meant to be! HAHA!

Going back to my escalator escapade...those of you who know me well knows that I have always got the energy for shopping. But now I find myself resting on this bench, listening to my iPod while the girl beside me has been burning the mobile phone lines for as long as we both have been sitting here (naka-SUN siguro...unli-calls. LOL!). I dunno why I just lost the energy to shop...maybe because i've spent more than what i'm willing to spend for the past month so now is the time to start my abstinence from spending. Thanks to my iPod, i'm actually enjoying my rest on this bench while I people watch at the same time. So what have I seen so far? This little boy, prolly around 1-1.5 years old, who's sporting skinny jeans while malling! He was just the cutest! I bet this is how JLC would look like if he had the same fashion sense that he has now when he was just a little kid. Then there's this little girl who tried on a onesie which I believe should be for teens to adults but the smallest size got to fit her just right so she was just the happiest girl in the world (just like me yesterday with the boots Ü). I told myself i'd check out the price when I get up from this bench (I was too lazy to stand up though the rack was just 3 feet away. The onesie was P700 w/ 10% discount).

So there goes my escalator escapade coz Mom & Dad are now a-callin'...they're probably done shopping or are about to change venue for more shopping. Either way, i'm happy to have just people-watched on this little nook by the escalator.

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Gloria has spoiled us as a nation with lots of long weekends for the past two months. Don't get me wrong but I actually like & enjoy these long weekends. What I don't like is the getting back to the 5-day work week routine (5.5 for us with Sat work). I feel like i've gotten used to starting the work week on a Tuesday and i'm no longer used to working on Mondays. Oh well, today's the last of the long weekends. Reality, here I come.

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Oh...but GMA just recalled that Nov.27-29 holiday. I'm sure a lot of people out there would want to strangle Gloria now for un-declaring that long weekend...especially those who have already made plans. Wala lang...ang gulo mo, GMA.

Bicol Food Trip

2009-08-16T13:00:00.007+08:00

Laing Pizza This pizza actually tasted good. Its thin crust was just right to the bite and crunchy as ever. As a person who's not really that fond of eating vegetables (I admit that I really should eat more veggies), I must say that I would choose this pizza if given a choice between one that has bell peppers in it (not a fan of bell peppers, thank you very much!Ü).

Laing Pasta For a pasta lover like moi, I was actually quite apprehensive at first and was quite unsure if I'd like this dish. But since it has white sauce as its base, I took quite a chunk of it (sorry guys, naubusan ata yung iba...hehe!) and swore that I'd finish everything in my plate whether I liked it or not. Good thing was, I LOVED IT! I even went back for more but there was no more left so I was just happy to have gotten a lot on that first round.Ü

*Both Laing Pizza and Pasta available at Small Talk Cafe...a cozy little resto at Legaspi.Ü

Bigg's Sizzling Tapa If only all breakfast meals were created equal. I think this was the first time I ate breakfast on a sizzling plate. Just thinking of it now makes me hungry!Ü I know, I know...TAPSILOG lang naman yan na nilagay sa sizzling plate but still, you gotta hand it to them for bringing their food presentation up a notch. And their tapa tastes good! I'm officially a fan of Bigg's Diner! Sana mag-open na sila dito sa Manila!Ü

Bigg's Korean Spare Ribs We (the entire group) became such a fan of Bigg's that we decided to have dinner there as well (after having breakfast the same day...lunch was at CWC). I couldn't decide on what to order so I asked the resident Bicolana of the group what she was ordering and she told me this was her favorite Bigg's dish. So I tried and it was yummy as how she described it! It's a bit sweet to the taste so those who love a bit of sweetness in their food (like moi) would enjoy this meal. And at P135 for a meal with rice and veggies, it's good value for your moolah.Ü

Sili Ice Cream
On our unplanned extra night in Bicol, we got invited to a dinner hosted by our resident Bicolana's uncle, where we were served Sili Ice Cream and Chocolate Cake. I didn't know how to react at first but...Sili Ice Cream? Meron pala nun?!??!! Well, apparently, there is such a thing and who else would've thought to concoct this unique flavor of ice cream but the Bicolanos themselves.Ü But...not just that...we were told to match it up with Chocolate Cake...which I found a bit puzzling but decided to trust the "experts" on this so my friend and I decided to try it and needless to say...we weren't able to finish that one cup of Sili Ice Cream which we so willingfully shared. Haha!Ü Hmmm...let's just say...it was weird...like you're not eating ice cream at all. I guess those who are fans of spicy stuff would love this but since I am not...then at least I can say i've tried Sili Ice Cream and it tasted like sili!!!Ü

So...when in Bicol...try everything of the above...especially the first two.Ü

Candy Designs™...SLIPPERS!

2009-06-10T14:55:00.007+08:00

Presenting...my project for the last Sunday morning of May2009...Candy Designs™...SLIPPERS! Hehehe!

My Inspiration: I've been looking for black sandals that I could use for malling or just about anything but couldn't find the right fit for me. Most of the time, it's not to my liking: doesn't look good on my feet, too chunky, too much bling, no more size available, etc. So I just decided to make my own since my months of search has turned up nothing. Zilch. Zero.

Materials:

Grosby Rubber Flip Flops bought at SM for P179.75
Carolina's Blings (I dunno what to call it Ü)
-Silver Circle Blings @ P24.00 for 20pcs
-Blue Circle Blings @ P16.00 for 20pcs
Mighty Bond @ P44.75

The BEFORE shots:

IN BETWEEN...

The AFTER look:

Nice ba?Ü Total Cost (minus labor and Mighty Bond Ü) for the Black Slippers is P216.15, while for the Blue one P199.25. Not bad right?Ü If I could find cheaper slippers, eh di lesser cost. But i'm biased with Grosby...I love the fit and it is of good quality (my mom and I have a pair for almost a year now and it still looks brand new). Plus, i'm not really into those slippers with prints in the upper sole (well, it really depends on the print). And since i'm gonna be adding blings to the slippers, i'm afraid it might be too much if there's bling AND prints in the upper sole. I guess this is just me...I love keeping things simple and classic (naks).

So...what do you think? Pwede na ba ibenta sa P300? Hehehe!Ü

A Peek at Mt. P

2009-05-28T21:37:00.001+08:00

A group of 50 PALers, ex-PALers, and a bunch of Plus Ones boarded a bus on the 29th of March 2009 and on the wee hour of 0315H was en route to the peak that caused a massive explosion on the year 1991...MT. PINATUBO. This was NOT a company-sponsored trip, mind you. It's just that Ai, the ultimate trip organizer, was able to gather 50 people to join the trip to Mt. P, that's why it looked like we were on a field trip (oh how I miss those days...Ü).

We only had a 20-minute stop over at Shell NLEX (where a bunch of us had a super early breakfast) for the entire trip going to Capas, Tarlac, which was our first drop-off point. This is where the Pinatubo Spa Town is located and where the 4x4 ride going to Pinatubo started. The 4x4 ride comfortably seats 5, but can fit up to 7 pax, which is what we did since there were 5 of us plus a driver and the guide. Our group chose the "open-air" 4x4 (as opposed to the "closed-type" Ü) because it matched our yellow outfit, and eventually found out that:

None of the instrument panel in this specific 4x4 was working
Our driver was probably the youngest among the bunch (there were 10 4x4s rented for this trip)
There was something wrong with our 4x4 because we had to stop several times for the driver to tinker with something in the engine & tumirik kami at one point in the "skyway" (the guide had to go down, look for a rock and place it in one of the rear wheels just so that we wouldn't go downhill)

That last part was actually scary but we just made fun of the situation to make things light (although deep inside I was already worried that we might not make it since we couldn't even make a call because there was no signal in that part of the world). And since we didn't understand the dialect that the driver & guide was speaking, we just made our own interpretations of their conversation like: "Wala tayong preno. Pero tawa lang tayo para di nila mahalata." just to keep our mind off some major matters, like being WAY behind the other 4x4s (although I think our interpretations were even worse...hehe!).

Alas, after a little over an hour in the 4x4 (the 4x4 ride was supposed to take less than an hour but our trip took longer because of all our detours), we arrived at the second drop-off point, which is where the trekking started. Although we were the last to arrive at the 2nd drop-off point, we knew we were on the right track since we saw all the 4x4s of the other teams parked all over the place. Not really knowing what to expect, we started our trek as a team and surprisingly, the trail was not hard to traverse. It (the trail) was mostly rocky and all you really had to do was concentrate on what rock to step on. What made it more fun is that there were parts of the trail where water was flowing freely, which was a pleasant surprise for us all since the cold water on our feet (most of us were wearing trekking sandals) was a welcome relief from the summer heat (although it was not that hot when we were trekking up since it was only around 8AM and it rained the day before).

After a few minutes of trekking, we were able to catch up with the other teams because their picture taking extravaganza took as much time as the entire trek itself. This made the trek more fun because aside from the fact that, the more, the many-er...este, merrier...witty remarks were exchanged by those in the group and since there were more of us, meaning more cameras, all you really had to do was smile and pictures were being taken of you from every angle! Grabe, ang hirap maging celebrity! HAHAHA! Anyway, after almost an hour of trekking (which would've probably taken less time if we weren't taking pictures of each other every minute Ü), we reached the top of Mt. P! Or at least the topmost part of Mt. P where trekkers are allowed to set foot on. [Additional NOTE to those reading this: You know you're near the top once you see the portalets to the left of the trail...just try not to breath deep when you get to this part.Ü]

I was actually surprised to see a lot of people at the peak, a lot of them campers who probably spent the night at Mt. P. I later learned that you can actually camp overnight at Mt. P as long as you've asked for permission at the "base camp" (which was somewhere at the part where the Pinatubo Spa Town is located) since there has to be a military (??? not really sure) escort before you can stay there overnight. After the initial shock of the number of people at the place (I wasn't expecting the place to be that crowded) only did I notice the beautiful background which was Pinatubo. It was a breathtaking site...something that would let you forget the two hour trip you just made (mind you, that 1 hour 4X4 and 1 hour trek that we took was the SHORT CUT Ü). When you get there, it's like you've been transported to another place. An officemate of mine even mentioned: "Parang wala ka sa Pilipinas!"...which was actually true. I personally found the aqua blue waters the most amazing among the many wonders of nature to see at the place. Never in my life have I seen such aqua blue waters which I previously thought to be true only in paintings or digitally-enhanced movies, but not in real life.

After taking in the beauty of the place (and a lot of photo ops Ü), we headed down the cement staircase which leads to Mt. P's crater. I'm actually not sure if this is really the crater where lava and that mushroom-shaped pyroclastic flow came out from or if this is only "named" as the crater to make tourists believe that they've reached that part of Mt. P (if anyone reading this blog knows the truth behind this "crater", please do let me know Ü). Nonetheless, I'm just happy to let everyone know that I've reached that part of Mt. P! YEHEY!

Once we got to the crater part of Mt. P, we settled down by laying down our picnic mats and taking a lot more pictures. It was around 9AM when we got there and several of us dipped into Mt. P's crater while the rest played cards, listened to their iPods, took a lot more pictures of the place, or just simply rested under the shade of some of the trees there. Those who went swimming (or "dipping"...I personally didn't swim) had to brave the really cool sulphuric-filled-waters of the crater. It was really, really cold! And here were were expecting it to be warm, if not hot. I'm now regretting not asking the guides if the water there was really that cold or if it was only cold because it rained the day before. Oh well...I can probably ask next time.Ü

Anyway, come lunch time, we all gathered together like one big, happy family Ü and shared in enjoying the lunch prepared for us by some of our officemates (Thanks to Shiela, Megs, Janette, Jacky, and Dulce!!!Ü). Since it was already 12noon, the sun was now shining all over the place (it was actually not that sunny the rest of the morning). Good thing there were trees near the area where we laid our mats so we didn't have to eat lunch under the heat of the sun. After lunch, several groups went ahead and started their trek down so that they can avail of the massage & spa services at Pinatubo Spa Town. The rest of us stayed behind and spent the remaining time by chatting, playing cards, and taking more pictures (Hahaha! Hindi kasi kami camera shy!Ü).

A few minutes before 1PM, we all started to get ready for the trek down. The one and only portalet at the crater was emmitting a pungent smell by then but since there was no other choice, a bunch of us had to brave the smell (or not breathe for the whole duration you're inside the portalet) just so we can relieve ourselves knowing that the nearest decent washroom is two hours away (although you can always be one with nature and do your thing in the talahiban...hehe!Ü).

We finally started our trek back a little past 1PM and this took a good one hour of our time. It was already sunny then so we donned our hats to protect our heads from the heat of the sun. I was also a bit disappointed because some parts that we passed by before where there was water flowing was now dry. I don't know why but the trek back actually took longer than our trek going up. Anyway, after an hour of walking (and taking pictures...ulit!!! hehehe!), we finally reached the place where our 4x4s are parked and immediately climbed in so that we can finally begin our ride going back to base camp. Despite the super bumpy ride, all 5 of us in our 4x4 actually got to sleep the entire trip back. I was actually surprised with myself coz I don't usually fall asleep easily but I did, probably due to exhaustion and lack of sleep the night before.

When we finally got back at Capas, I was feeling "grainy"...literally. I felt like I was a vacuum cleaner and I sucked up all the dust in the world! My white hand towel, which I used to cover my nose for the entire trip back, was now gray in color upon arrival at Capas. And when I tried combing my hands through my hair, it wouldn't go through! As in! Hahaha! It was the dirtiest I felt my entire life! I've never looked forward to taking a bath as much as I did after that 4x4 ride back. Apparently, we were lucky because it was not maalikabok during our 4x4 ride going to Pinatubo because it rained the day before, so we were not "grainy" when we got to the peak (and we looked good in our pictures Ü). But since the sun has already dried up any remnants of rain in the area, we experienced the exact opposite on our ride back. We were so full of dirt to the point that, when I started showering and tried to comb my hand through my hair with water running through it, my hand still wouldn't go through! That was how dirty we all were! So NOT taking a shower was not even an option! I swore, from that point onward, that taking a shower will not be taken for granted anymore (you're talking to someone who would rather be placed inside the washing machine instead of taking a bath. hehehe!).

The shower we took at Pinatubo Spa Town costs P100 and it was the best 100 pesos i've ever spent. The P100 comes with a free soap, use of locker, and towel (which you should return back after use...hindi pwedeng iuwi...not that you would want to...it's just an ordinary towel Ü). They also sell shampoo and conditioner in sachets just in case you forgot to bring your own. I'd give the shower room a grade of "OK" (if there's such a grade Ü) since it was clean and I didn't feel yucky (ano ba yan, so coño! hehe!) when I took a bath there (I actually felt more yucky with myself. Hehe!).

So that was our Pinatubo trip. We just went to Aling Lucing's for dinner (got lost in the process) and experienced the worst rain, flooding, and blackout one could ever imagine for a day trip but at the end of the day, we all got home in one piece, so in my standards, the trip was the best adventure one could have in a day. We got back at PNB at around 11PM, all tired but happy with the adventurous day that we had. My estimated total spending for this day trip is a little over P1,000 (a bit of a breakdown below Ü). And to end this blog, I just have a few notes to leave you with:

If given a choice, choose the “closed” 4X4 (not the “open air” type...maybe there's a lesser chance of getting dirty with the "closed" type 4x4 Ü)
Next time: try the “long cut” (trek time approximately 2 hours, one way)
Next time: try the kayak/boat to the other side of the crater (which you will have to arrange at "base camp"/Capas...prior to all that riding and trekking)

I know this blog is kinda late but I hope it's worth the wait.Ü TTFN!

Money Out...

P15,000 - Bus, Driver, Gas (div by 50)

P 2,500 - 4X4 (div by 5)

P 500 - Skyway Fee (div by 5)

P 250 - Conservation Fee (div by 5)

P 500 - Tour Guide/Porter (div by 5)

"Thank You"s are in order...

Thanks to Ai for being the ultimate trip organizer...for conceptualizing the ala-Amazing Race theme of the trip...and for providing the colorful bandanas for each group! Ang galing mo Ai! Sa uulitin ha?Ü

Thanks to Sir Poch a.k.a. Kuya Kim for giving me an idea on the title of this blog Ü

Thanks again to those who made our lunch! Super sarap! Yum yum!Ü

Thanks to those who took the photos posted here (I can't remember whose cameras these were taken from sa sobrang dami!)

BDO means Beware: Delinquent Office

2009-03-01T00:36:00.000+08:00

It all started with Fitness First encoding my card number in another member's account. To make the long story short, Fitness First billed me wrongly, and they admitted this in a letter that I got from them on the 10th of October 2008, which I faxed to BDO the next day, Oct. 11, 2008. All the while, I was thinking BDO would reverse the finance charges that got accumulated because of the wrong billing (which happened in May 2008) since:

This is the logical thing to do after an investigation where the party is proven innocent hence all charges should be dropped (in this case, reversed), and
That was what their call center agent, Marby, told me in a conversation I had with her last July 21, 2008

But NO!!! BDO DID NOT ACT UPON MY REQUEST...not until two months AFTER faxing that Fitness First letter to them on Oct. 11, 2008. They finally had a resolution by December 4, 2008, after having talked to eight (8) call center agents...and what was their verdict: The request to reverse the finance charges was DISAPPROVED! WTF!

I am not going to write about my travails with this credit card company since that would take forever (but if you want to, i've included at the bottom of this blog the entire history of my problem with BDO). Instead, i'm writing about the reasons why i'm super pissed off with this ****ing credit card company. Now, let's begin...

(1) They have the lousiest sytem for a credit card company that I know. A case in point: They didn't have a copy of all the documents that I sent/faxed. I got this idea because at least 2 agents told me that only the first P420 was approved for reversal. I kept on pointing out to them that HELLO! yung dalawang P420 ang approved...you even reversed the amount of P840 on October 23, 2008 as reflected in my bill. Now you're telling me isa lang yung approved for reversal? Duh! I asked them if they have a copy of all the documents that I faxed to which I found out they don't. Why? I don't know. But what I know is that a big and known company such as theirs should've invested on a system and implemented a process where they can ensure their customers that everything is recorded, saved, and easily-accessible in the system.

(2) Agents who seem to change their statement every time I call:

Cases in point:

Janna Magalong, whom I talked to on 13JAN2009, told me that when I fax the documents, I can call right after to verify if they received it.
Joseph Ramirez, whom I talked to on the night of 13JAN2009, told me the same thing that Janna said.
Air Delfino, whom I talked to on the morning of 14JAN2009, told me that it takes 1 banking day for them to verify receipt of faxed documents.
Odette Lozanta, whom I talked to at 7:50 in the morning of 15JAN2009, told me to check later in the day since the office who receives all faxed documents start work at 8am.
Jrose Espiritu, whom I talked to at 12:30PM of 15JAN2009, told me that it takes a maximum of 2 banking days for them to confirm receipt of faxed documents.

So...gaano ba talaga katagal before they can have the documents that you faxed reflected in their system? Apparently, 10 DAYS or 8 BANKING DAYS! It took them 10 DAYS to confirm receipt of faxed documents. Documents were faxed on 06-JAN-2009, and it was only on the 16th of January that they confirmed receipt of the 06JAN2009 fax...and that wasn't even the one that I called to inquire about...I was inquiring about the fax that I sent on 13JAN2009!

(3) You tell them to call you when they're about to review the case, you even leave ALL of your contact numbers (home, office, mobile...kahit na dapat yung system nila has these information at hand), but THEY DON'T CALL. I had to find out that they already acted on my request when I called to inquire. I reiterated my request that they CALL me when they're about to review the case but all they did was text. So...what part of the word CALL do they not understand? Takot lang ba silang kumausap at ma-bara ng customer? Baka hindi lang marunong mag-english kaya ayaw tumawag...hanggang text lang kasi pwede ipa-check sa ibang tao kung tama ang grammar at spelling.

(4) Annual fee was charged after just ten months of usage of card. Why? Apparently, their charging of annual fee charge is based on the date that the card was released from their system, which was Dec.2007 as I was told. I received and had my card activated on Feb. 20, 2008. That's two months of time where I wasn't aware that BDO was even sending me a credit card. So...logically speaking, how am I supposed to use a credit card that I haven't received? I wasn't even aware that they were sending me a credit card, for Christ's sake! OK lang sa akin that they charge me with annual fee if I didn't reach the agreed annual spending, but ilagay naman sana sa lugar. "ANNUAL" nga eh...meaning one year, which is equivalent to 12 months...HINDI 10! Good thing this additional headache didn't last for long because they reversed the charges by next billing but it just goes to show how lousy and base-less their system is.

(5) Sam Serrano: She had the audacity to tell me that she was monitoring my account the whole time. Oh, really now? If she really was closely monitoring it, then the Finance Charges would've been reversed a long time ago (like 3 months ago, when she first called to inform us that once they have a copy of the credit memo/reversal request letter from Fitness First, they'll reverse all charges ASAP). She even told me na sayang naman daw if I have the card cut-off, with which I told her: "Yung sama ng loob na dinulot nyo sa akin (Yes, I used the word "dinulot") it's not worthit. I'd rather pay P9,000 than continue being your customer. I'd rather have other credit card companies profit from my purchases but definitely NOT BDO." [NOTE: The P9,000 is for the iPod that I availed through their promo] All she could say was sorry and apologize. Don't get me wrong, this is not an attack on the person but on the company she represents, which has the worst system you could possibly think of for a credit card company.

I asked her why it took them so long to reverse the finance charges (it even got disapproved several times...4 times if i'm not mistaken)...to the point that I even had to ask for help from a relative who works at Equitable (which we all now know is BDO) to help me out and it's actually because of this that my request got immediate action (no thanks to any of the agents or to the office to whom these agents forward my requests), and all she could give me as an answer was: Nagpatong-patong na po kasi Ma'am yung request. To which I was not able to give her any reaction because of sheer disbelief to what she just said.

All in all, I talked to a total of 34 people from BDO in a span of 8 months. The headaches finally ended on 12FEB2009 (no thanks to these call center agents) and just last weekend, I got the billing statement with all charges reversed (the finance charges total came up to P6,911.98) and yours truly having no pending balance with BDO. I also already had my card (and the supplementaries) cut off as soon as all charges got reversed and all purchases have been paid (we stopped using the card last December 2008).

So...kung gusto nyo ng sakit ng ulo, go ahead, apply for a BDO Credit Card. Don't tell me I didn't warn you.

Some additional notes:

Since most of the calls I made with BDO was done during lunch break at the office, my officemates can't help but hear all the discussions I had with these BDO agents. When they learned about my problems with BDO, they willingly shared their problems as well...and these are some of them:

My officemate had her BDO credit card cut off because they were charging her finance charges due to late payment. But why was her payment late? Kasi late dumating yung bill ng BDO. She was very angry with BDO that, aside from having her credit card cut off, she closed all her & her husband's accounts with them. And she's not the only one with that same case. Another officemate of mine has been having problems with the receipt of their statement kasi laging just in the nick of time kung dumating. There was even one time, kinailangan pa nila takutin yung kausap nila from BDO telling them that pag hindi dumating yung statement, hindi nila babayaran yung bill. Ayun, the next day, the bill arrived. So...kailangan may pananakot pa'ng involved bago dumating yung bill? Shame on you, BDO!

Post Script...I was asked to try to end this on a "positive" note, and here's all that I came up with: BDO credit card should really try to improve the way they handle things and employ call center agents that can decide right there and then, which is how things are with other credit card companies. They at least owe this to the customers they have left.

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My BDO credit card, all cut up, along with my mom's and dad's

Letters faxed/emailed to BDO (in chronological order):

[Feel free to click on the picture to read the entire letter/history]

All Calls History

From PADI to RETRO

2009-02-25T18:52:00.007+08:00

I could sum up the highlights of my day with these three letters: P, Q, and R.

P: PADI License

While heading to the bathroom this morning, I saw a PADI envelope in our nook and immediately got excited. If i'm right, this is the license I've been waiting for: My PADI Open Water Diver License! True enough, it really was!!! Because of my rush and excitement, I tore off the part of the envelope with the PADI logo in it. This isn't actually much of a big deal but i'm sentimental that way. Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk, right? Besides, I got my license just in the nick of time since my temporary license is about to expire (its validity is only 90 days from issuance).

What made this more special is that, in the group of 7 that went diving in Davao last year, I was the first one who got the PADI license. Yippeee!!! Naka-lamang ako sa inyo guys! HEHEHE! Although Angel's might be in the mail already.Ü

Q: Queen

I've been reading mixed reviews about Miley Cyrus' dress at the Oscars. Some love it, some hate it. When I first saw it on Yahoo, I didn't know what or how to react: Do I love it? No...not lovin' the look. Do I like it? Hmmm...i'm not sold out about it. Will I wear it if given a chance? I guess I'll do in the very remote possibility that I will be crowned the next queen of Britain. Haha!

My officemate and I had a brief discussion about the dress today. We both had the same sentiments about it: The dress was not bad but it was not great either. She said it was just too bejeweled, and I agree. I told her my thoughts...that I'd only wear that (if given a chance to) for super special occassions like getting crowned a queen or princess (do they crown princessess? anyhow...)....but a thought occurred just now: Will that be a nice wedding dress? Not my cup of tea but I guess it would look good as a wedding dress once the blue accents are replaced by white or champagne-colored ones. Hmmm...I guess this would be a thought to ponder on.

R: Retro

Wednesday nights, for me, are Retro nights at the gym. Fitness First's Mall of Asia branch has this one hour Retro class every Wednesday at 6:30PM and I never fail to attend such class except:

When I have my monthly period
When I have other important matters to attend to (I even go out of my way not to schedule any gimmicks on Wednesday nights or schedule meetings that might go beyond 5:30PM on Wednesday afternoons)
When I'm not in town
When I'm sick

So imagine my disappointment of not being able to attend today's class (obviously, coz i'm writing this blog) mainly because my brother failed to pick me up on time. He was at the office at 6:30PM...and what time does the Retro class start? 6:30PM!!! Ano pa'ng aabutan ko dun given that I still have to change clothes when I get there before I can attend the class? I would've told him to bring me there had there been space in the car for me to change, but NO. He had the entire back seat removed and covered the entire space with a humongous sound system that I don't see the point of! He's such a spoiled brat! And, guess what? He had the nerve to tell me (NOT in a polite or sorry manner, mind you), "Ano ba talaga? Sabi ni Mommy i-hatid daw kita." after I told him to just head home because I obviously would be missing a big chunk of the class anyway (of course I was mad when I told him this). Aba! Nagawa pa nyang sabihin sakin yun? If I was the one who's wrong I would've said "I'm sorry" but it looks like he's not even sorry at all. I want to shout, cry, or throw something but I know that's just not the right thing to do for something very minor like this. I'm just really, very, super pissed off!!! =(

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Pictures from www.padi.com and www.justjared.buzznet.com.

Old Movies

2009-02-21T20:58:00.000+08:00

Not really one to brave the crowds and traffic on Valentine's Day, I opted to stay at home and initially planned to start watching the 5th season of House. But on V-day itself, I was given a copy of an old movie entitled Same Time, Next Year (thanks Sir K!) so I spent V-day watching old, romantic movies instead, which was really not my cup of tea but I wanted to "discover something new in me" last V-day so I did something that I've never done before...which was to watch old movies.Ü

Same Time, Next Year (1978)

In a gist, these two individuals, who are married to their respective spouses, met by chance at an inn in 1951, spent the night together, and after having shared a lot of their thoughts and feelings to each other, decided to meet up again at the same time of the next year...and they did for the next 26 years or so (the film ended in the year 1977 with both characters still alive...thankfully!Ü).

To the guys out there, this is a chick flick so you might not find it that interesting. I actually almost decided not to finish the film after having seen the first few minutes of it but the movie's soundtrack featured a song that I liked so I couldn't dare myself to stop the movie right in the middle of it, which was good since I ended up liking the film. The song, which was played every so often in the movie, was one of the things I liked in the film. It's The Last Time I Felt Like This, which you might not recall now but I'm sure you've heard of this once or twice before (the song starts with "Hello, I don't even know your name, but I'm hopin' all the same, this is more than just a simple hello..."). Oh...I just love it! I downloaded the song immediately after. Anyway, enough about the song...let's get back to the movie. So, why did I like it? The thought of having someone who's not a constant factor in your life, who doesn't have any connection to any of your family or friends, but whom you can share all your thoughts and feelings with is something that intrigues me...and something that I wish to have if life permits (of course minus the "sleeping together" part if we're both married Ü). It's just such a refreshing idea knowing that any judgement he (or she) has of you is based on how he (or she) has known you over those one-weekend-a-year that you get to spend together. So that's my two cent's worth about the movie, which I recommend if you just want to watch a light-hearted, romantic comedy.Ü

Somewhere in Time (1980)

One evening, while waiting for my mom to finish up at the gym, I browsed through the VCDs available for borrowing at the gym and came across this Somewhere in Time VCD which apparently stars Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. We all know who Christopher Reeve is (need I mention Superman?Ü), while Jane Seymour will forever be etched in my mind as one of the celebrities who competed in the 5th Season of Dancing with the Stars (US). Anyway, since this movie will be blending well with my Old Movies for V-Day theme, I decided to download it and watch it last V-day weekend.

In a nutshell, the movie revolves around Richard Collier's (Christopher Reeve's character) quest to go back to 1912 where he apparently met Elise McKenna (Jane Seymour), the love of his life. Oh, by the way, the movie's setting started in the year 1972. How he got back 50 years earlier? Apparently by tricking his mind that it's 1912. Anyway, that part's well-documented in the film so I'll just go straight with my views and opinions about the film. To say that the movie was mind-boggling is an understatement. I actually had to write down all my thoughts right after watching the movie, and here they are:

(1) What happened to Elise after Richard went back to the present? -This one I got to answer after a few minutes: Ayun...nabuhay sya without Richard. Hinanap nya malamang si Richard and saw him in the play where she gave the watch back.

(2) Why did Elise say..."Is it you?" (or something like that) when she first saw Richard in 1912? -I still don't get this up until now. Maybe i'll find the answer when I watch this movie for the 2nd time.

(3) How could Richard have existed in two different eras? -Well, I guess this is just something you'll have to accept when watching a film having a tag phrase of Someday in the past, he will find her.

So those are my thoughts about Somewhere in Time. Did I like it? Well, I guess I did, but not as much as Same Time, Next Year. Will I watch it again? Why not? Christopher Reeve was just super handsome in the movie that you really can't take your eyes off him. And Jane Seymour was beautiful in the film. Such a perfect pair. And Arthur's character (the one person who was alive as a very young boy in 1912 and as a hotel bell boy in the present) was just so endearing to watch.Ü I also loved the movie's soundtrack, which has the same title as the movie...a timeless classic indeed (well, what can I say, I just love sappy, old love songs Ü).

That was how I spent last weekend. I have a few more old movies here, which was lent to me by my officemate: Casablanca, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Funny Face. I'm not actually sure if I'll get to watch these...it depends if I like the plots of these movies after I Google it. Nonetheless, i'll copy them just in case I feel the urge to watch old movies in the future. That's all for now folks! Happy weekend!

Old Movies OST

2008 in Retrospect

2009-01-04T13:20:00.003+08:00

For lack of a better title, I'm recycling one that I used before...but with a different year, of course.Ü So since we've already bid goodbye to 2008 and 2009 is already 4-days old, I'd like to take the opportunity to look back on the year that was and try, as much as possible, to remember the highlights of my year (which would entail browsing through my ever-reliable daily planner since I have this sickness that you call memory gap...Ü).

I got to go, for the first time, to the following places in the Philippines: Boracay, Davao, and Hundred Islands Ü
I became a Licensed Open Water DIVEr (hindi DRIVEr ha...hehehe!)
I got promoted Ü (I know promotion's a great thing but I now have half-day Saturday work)
I got to see and hang out with my best friend Silver when she had this spur-of-the-moment Manila vacation in September Ü
My mom stopped smoking!!!Ü
My brother Kyle graduated high school and started college at CSB
The re-opening of the small rotonda at Domestic Road...after less than a month of closing it AND yours truly bombarding the **** traffic enforcers with snide comments, suggestions, opinions, justifications, and all what-have-you's every time I get the chance to (I literally go out of my way to talk to them about this impractical traffic scheme that they implemented)
Acer replaced my problematic PC (i'm actually not sure if this should be here or on the 'other' list since I am NOT happy with its OS)
Went on a "spree" towards the latter part of the year
Got addicted to Gossip Girl and House
Had a room makeover (I am still about to blog about this Ü)
The entire Philippines had a super long Christmas/New Year vacation
I had my first ever Rafting and Zip Line experience
Bumped into Anne Curtis and her model friends at the Araneta Center's washroom before the Bench Blackout Fashion Show
Finally solved that "Ñ check printing" problem at work (yippeee!Ü)
And since I love weddings, I got to go to the following weddings this year: Corina & Chito, Ian & Ethel, Ella & Marvin, Eli & Joseph Ü

The CONS of 2008, on the other hand, are...

Problem with Fitness First & BDO
My birthday fiasco (dalawa yun, but I don't want to reiterate)
I lapsed in my "blogging promise" (to myself) of 1 blog per month

Forgive me if I don't want to elaborate on the last three since I want to remember 2008 for its happy-happy, joy-joy moments and not on those things I'd rather forget. And since 2009 has already begun, my wish for everyone is a year where the fun and happy moments totally outweigh the not-so-happy ones.Ü TTFN!Ü

New Year, New Layout

2009-01-02T18:33:00.004+08:00

Since it's the new year, I decided to update my blog's layout. I found this Mont Tiara theme from Wordpress that I fell in love with and after a whole day of updating...PRESENTING...my blog's updated layout! YIPPEEE!!!

I hope you guys find the black, red, and white color scheme appealing...and I hope you'd still continue reading my blog even if there's an image of a bed in the header...i'm hoping it doesn't actually make you want to go to sleep when reading my blog. Hehehe...

HAPPY NEW YEAR Everyone! May 2009 be worry-free and fun-filled for all of us! *HUGZ!*and*MUAH!*

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I was watching the Today Show (i'm not actually sure if it really is the TODAY Show) the other day (now, that's a bit confusing!Ü) and heard that "Twittering" is OUT and that "Slow Blogging" is IN! This just means that I am actually part of the IN thing (I'm probably the slowest blogger in town)! What actually is Twittering? It's posting what you're actually up to via www.twitter.com. You're supposed to update this every minute of every hour if you can...I actually signed-up before...but never really got the hang of it. Which is apparently a good thing since it's OUT now...and SLOW BLOGGING is IN! So, what is Slow Blogging? Basically what I'm doing...blogging only as often as once a week or once a month...actually posting something that you've thought about rather than whatcha-doing-right-now-spur-of-the-moment thingies. Anyway...i'm just glad to be IN!Ü

Once Upon A Long Weekend

2008-12-30T11:17:00.000+08:00

The Bonifacio Day (Nov.30) long weekend was even longer for us working in Pasay since Dec.2 is Pasay Day. Hence, we had a 4-day weekend this year, which a lot of us at the office took advantage of. From what I've heard, some went to Singapore, others to Boracay, while a bunch of us...13 to be exact...went to Davao for some fun and adventure.Ü

It was actually my first time in Davao and if you ask me to describe the 4-days stay that I had there i'd say: It was an adventure that brought me from under the sea to the top of the mountains...literally.Ü So without any more delays, let me share to you the activity-packed long weekend that my friends and I had at the Durian capital of the Philippines...DAVAO.

Day 1: Under the Sea

The whole group of 13 actually went to Davao in batches: Batch 1 was a group of 5 guys...Batch 2 was composed of two pretty girls...and Batch 3 was a mixture of 6 people. Now, guess what batch I belong to? Shempre Batch 2!Ü LOL! Anyway, Batch 2 caught the earliest flight on that Saturday morning which was PR809 (shermpre dapat PAL Ü) leaving at 4:30AM. The adventure...for me at least...began even while I was still in Manila, with Jovy (the other pretty girl Ü) arriving at the airport 30 minutes before departure! Good thing she told me about this habit of hers (of arriving just in the nick of time at the airport) so I was expecting her to be late already...but still, this didn't stop me from turning in my seat (while waiting) every now and then especially after seeing the people at the check-in counter dwindling down by the minute.

Alas! She arrived, and we checked-in. The person at the counter scolded us for being late and told us that we couldn't check-in our bags anymore. Good thing we just had a duffel bag each plus our hand-carry so this didn't cause much of a problem.

We arrived Davao around 6AM and proceeded to where the Batch 1 guys were staying: The Green Heights dormitory (i'm not sure how to call it but it was definitely not a hotel). Their rate was P1,100 per day and the room can fit up to 4 persons.

After settling down, all 7 of us went to the Davao Scuba Dive Center, where we all availed of the P8,500 Scuba Course. The Batch 1 guys already started with their scuba course the day before so us two girls were pressured to catch up (good thing we did Ü). We took a boat going to the BlueJaz Resort where Jovy and I were to take our first scuba class at the resort's pool with our Dive Master Frank, while the boys dove at the beach with Dive Master Caroline (they already did the pool thing the day before).

We all finished our first dive of the day at around lunch time, and after lunch, Jovy and I got to join the boys diving in Davao's open water...yoohoo! I would say that this second dive is something that Jovy will never forget given the amount of saltwater that she got to drink (Hehehe...Hi Ati!Ü). Nonetheless, I admire her for her perseverance given that this is her first time to dive...EVER...while I, on the other hand, already had two intro dives before.

After our dives, we headed back to the Scuba Dive Center where we had a brief lecture on diving. Jovy and I also got our Open Water Diver Manual which we were supposed to read entirely before we were to take the exam, which was scheduled on the following day. I thought to myself, this was going to be impossible given that we (Jovy and I) didn't actually excel in our practical exercises that day and there was just not enough time for us to read the entire manual before the exam.

After the lecture and heading back to the dorm for our bath, we took a taxi going to Jack's Ridge which is apparently a must-see place when you're in Davao. Going there was like a roller coaster ride with the taxi driver who drove us, so we were just happy to have arrived alive and in one piece.Ü After a bit of picture-taking and dinner, we headed back to the dorm since we had another activity-filled day waiting for us and we all needed our R&R.

Day 2: Still Under the Sea

Day 2 started with all 7 of us packing up our things and checking-out since we will be spending the next couple of days in a different dormitory-slash-hotel. We ate breakfast and bought our lunch at Jollibee. Since we will be taking the licensure exam this evening, we were all studying while waiting for our orders to arrive and even while we were eating our breakfast. It was like we were all back in college cramming for the final exams...a panicky-but-nostalgic feeling all at the same time.

Earlier on, Jovy and I actually talked and psyched ourselves that we might not be able to get our certification during this trip since we both had a hard time with the exercises at the pool...and we were to do those at the beach today! Needless to say, we were freaked out about it and the feeling of excitement to us was mixed with fear of the unknown. Luckily, we survived...and enjoyed...all three dives of the day at Limao, Samal, even if we didn't see much interesting sea creatures in the 40 feet maximum depth that we reached (though some of us saw a seahorse...I excluded *sad*...and a crown of thorn starfish...the bad kind of starfish).

As I said, we had three dives for the day, each lasting around 50 minutes, where we did some of our exercises (not the ones that Jovy and I were dreading Ü) and a lot of swimming under water...just simply taking in the vastness of the sea surrounding us. We finished just before the sun set and when we got to the Dive Center, we knew that we had to embark on another challenge: the licensure exam (wow, parang board exam!Ü). We had some lecture first...got a few pointers from our Dive Masters...took a few quizzes...then started on our exam. Caroline took care of checking our papers after each of us finished and to everyone's delight...WE ALL PASSED! Yippee!!! All we had to do next was fill-up the form certifying that we indeed passed and are Licensed Open Water Divers. We finished at past 11PM then took a cab going to D' Counter Executive Dormitory, which is near Davao's People's Park.

After deciding what room to take at D' Counter and finally checking-in (we took the De Luxe Rooms, which were in their newest wing, good for 3 persons at P1,350 each inclusive of 3 breakfasts...plus an extra bed since there were 7 of us), we finally got to eat dinner (yes, dinner!) at around 12MN at Taps, which was walking distance from D' Counter. We were all super smelly by then (to the point na nakakahiya na sa mga katabi namin) but hunger got the best of us (after 3 dives and an exam, who wouldn't?) so we decided to eat first before taking our much-needed bath (ang baho talaga namin, super!). An incident actually happened to us while we were there but I wouldn't want to elaborate on that since everything ended well anyway. Let's just say it involved one of us, a wallet, and two guys.

Day 3: Over Rocks & Water

Day 3 started with breakfast and all 7 of us heading to the Davao Crocodile Park, not really to see the crocodiles (but we did in the afternoon), but to start off with our rafting activity at the Davao Wildwater Adventure. We met up with the Batch 3 people there and as an entire group of 13, joined two other groups who were there for the white water rafting adventure as well.

Of course we were the last ones to arrive so after watching the video and getting our life vests and helmets, we rode the van going to the Davao River. The trip going to the river probably took around an hour and a half (we all didn't have a watch since we left all our valuables...cameras included...in the lockers provided for us at the park) and we had to stop by for a minute or two to pick up our lunch, which is included in the P2,000 that we paid per head (grabe, for all 13 of us kumita sila ng P26,000!). The package also includes a souvenir shirt for each person and 2 photo/video CDs per group of 6. All pictures and videos were taken care of by the guides and are included in the package seeing as our cameras would've gotten wet with all the river action we were to experience (unless you have a waterproof camera, which one of the other groups had, then you could bring that Ü).

When we got to our destination, we were given a briefing on how to properly wear the vest and helmet and on the do's and don't's in white water rafting. What stuck to my mind was that if you fall from the raft, these are the things to remember: (1) Don't Panic; (2) Don't Stand (since there are parts of the river that are shallow); and (3) Don't Swim (and just let the water bring you to wherever it takes you...and pray hard to God that you get out of your ordeal alive Ü).

After practice 'falling' off the raft and getting 'saved' by your buddy, we were all ready to start our white water rafting adventure at the Davao river. I took a mental note not to drink the river water if given a choice since the water looks...uhm...very uninviting to drink...not that i'm planning to do that anyway.

After getting through with the first half of the rapids, and having drifted in the river water [What is drifting? It's basically, getting out of the raft (with the guide's permission, of course) and letting your body flow with the river water. I tried this one out and it was fun, but I held on to the raft for dear life since I haven't gotten enough courage to let go of it.], we stopped by at the batuhan (Haha! It sounds better in Filipino) for our lunch of chicken, pork, veggies, and Mentos candies.

We resumed our rafting adventure after lunch where we encountered the most exciting rapid of all! All rafts actually had their little misadventures in this particular rapid except for us since...I dunno...we were better paddlers? HAHA! Anyway, the Batch 3 people actually had a nasty tumble during this particular rapid which left one of them dazed for a good minute or two. But after having saved her (we actually put her up for ransom for the other group to retrieve...hehe!) and recovering from the excitement of it, we continued on with the adventure, but no rapid came close to that exciting one we just hurdled.Ü

We had a brief stopover during the 2nd leg where we were able to take a leak (guess where? haha!) and have our jump shot pictures taken. When we finally reached the end of the river, we were told that there was a pool not too far away where we can swim for a bit (it was actually more of making babad rather than swim Ü), so we did and in just a few minutes there were 13 people wreaking havoc in the mini pool near the river.

We were all tired en route back to the park and it seemed like a long one (for me, at least) even if it's supposed to be shorter compared to the route going to the river. Anyway, we got to immediately see our pictures and videos from the guide's cameras and we all had a good laugh seeing our mini misadventures. We got our souvenir shirt and CDs after then decided to look around the park and see the crocodiles, parrots, and snakes there...all these we did while we were still wet from the rafting adventure we just had since they (the park) didn't have a decent bathroom where we can take our bath, change, and dry ourselves off (although we came ready with our toiletries and stuff).

On a personal note: The entire experience was not complete for me since we didn't even fall off our raft! I was hoping we would, but we didn't, so i'm coming back for more!Ü Probably not anymore in Davao but in Cagayan, where white water rafting is actually more popular.Ü

After a few minutes of sight-seeing & picture-taking at the zoo, we took our much-needed baths (but this time, we weren't as smelly as the previous day Ü) then met up with Batch 3 (they were staying at a different hotel) at Banoks for dinner, which was walking distance from where we were staying. After a hearty serving of Lechong Manok (I think that was what we ordered...and it was really very good Ü), we went to People's Park for some sight-seeing but since it started to rain, we all decided to take a cab and have coffee at Bluegre Coffee at Matina Town Square (i'm guessing this is their mini version of Libis).

When we got at Bluegre, Jovy and I decided to share orders since we both wanted to try their Choco Torte with Cream Sauce and this other dessert recommended by Angel who's been to Bluegre before (sorry, I couldn't remember the name of the dessert but I have its picture Ü). And since we're in the land of Durian, this coffee shop offers (drumroll please...) Durian Frappes! Cool, huh? But i'm not a Durian fan so I didn't order that, although one of us did and I got to try it...it tasted like Durian of course (well, what would you expect?Ü).

Thankfully, this was our last activity for Day 3, and after having our coffee and dessert, we all headed back to our respective hotels to rest and get ready for another full day ahead of us.

Day 4: Of Mountains & Rainy Weather

As with the previous days, Day 4 started with breakfast while waiting for the van that will take us to our destination for the day: Camp Sabros. We got to rent the van, that will fit all 13 of us plus the driver, for P2,500. We had to check-out already so that we wouldn't get charged for another day at D' Counter. Good thing they allowed us to leave our things (sans valuables, of course) at the lobby, so we did just that.

After picking-up Batch 3 at their hotel, we were finally en route to Camp Sabros located at Kapatagan, Digos City, which is approximately 2 hours from Davao's city proper. Since it was going to be a long ride, a lot of us tried to catch up with our Zzzz's, which we all badly needed. Our ride was actually uneventful up to the point where: (1) we got lost...(2) the van overheated...(3) then we got lost again. Apparently, the driver of the van hasn't been to Camp Sabros yet so he didn't know exactly how to get there. But we got there anyway, after a lot of asking around and after we actually missed and passed the point going to the camp...TWICE (the first was when we missed the turn coming from the highway...next was when we missed the point where we were to park the van and start our ascend to the camp).

Anyway, before that second miss, we had one more mini misadventure with the van overheating and all 13 of us staying by the road side for a few minutes while manong driver poured water over the van's engine. When the van finally started working again (after a good push by some of the boys), we had to travel the rest of the way without aircon. Good thing we were by the mountains by then (kinda like Baguio) so it wasn't much of an inconvenience coz the air outside kept us cool & sweat-free.

When we finally reached the PNP check-point (this is the farthest that any land transportation can go when going to Camp Sabros), our foot race going up the mountain began. No one was actually prepared to hike up the mountain at that point. A bunch of us were wearing flip-flops and I was actually wearing my favorite white sandals, which is so NOT for going up mountains. Add to that the fact that it was drizzling outside...but nothing could stop us from going to Camp Sabros, so we all started going up the mountain, without any idea of how long this climb would be (it turned out to be around 20 minutes).

After the 20-minute or so hike, I was just grateful to have reached the camp in one piece...with muddy slippers and all. From an Amazing-Race-point-of-view, I was the 10th person to arrive out of the 13...i'd take that any day...wag lang ma-eliminate...haha! Though I later on learned that this was a non-elimination round (ay, sineryoso? haha!)

We were all starving when we reached the camp (since it was already lunch time) so we immediately ordered food and had lunch after an eternity (ang tagal kasi dumating nung food!). Of course while waiting, we bought some souvenir shirts which we wore during our photo shoot around the camp (hayok kasi kami sa picture!). Had we known we would be waiting that long, we would've started with the zip line since the weather started to clear up during lunch time. But there's no use crying over spilled milk.

It was already past 2PM when we started with the zip line, which was a tandem zip (with a partner)...and at around that time it started to drizzle again. My partner at the zip was Jovy and we were screaming when we started the zip...stopped in the middle...then started screaming again when we were about to reach the end. I actually got scared towards the end because I didn't have any idea how these guys were going to stop us given our speed. I thought it was going to be an abrupt stop, which was unimaginable with the speed the zip was going. But it was wrong for me to underestimate these guys who's been running the place since 1994. The stop was definitely not abrupt, but nerve-wracking nonetheless. And being the scaredy-cat that I am, I closed my eyes for fear of what was about to happen when we stopped.

The next zip was a solo one, but we had to climb up a bit to reach the starting point for that second zip. Having now known what to expect, I was a bit braver than the first one, but still a bit scared. So, still armed with my digicam (I have both my zips documented in videos Ü), I solo zipped going back to the starting point just as it was starting to rain.

After we all finished that second zip, the rain started pouring in. We tried to wait for it to stop but it didin't so the camp refunded us back P100 each from the initial P300 that we paid since we didn't get to do that last zip which, I think, was supposed to be like an open air cable car ride (had we known lunch was going to take a while to get served, we would've started zipping earlier on). We still tried to wait for the rain to stop since we didn't want to go down the mountain with the rain pouring down on us but we were left with no choice but to face the rain head on seeing as we all had a flight to catch (and we were two hours away from the city proper). So with our things protected from the rain with plastic bags, and my head wrapped in one as well (I was trying to make a fashion statement, but failed Ü), we headed down for that 20-minute walk to the foot of the mountain.

Upon reaching the van in one piece and cleaning up our muddy feet, we started our way back to the city-proper. I was asleep throughout the first leg, which I learned was the scariest part of the trip since the road was like going to Baguio via Kennon Road. Good thing, I thought, since I didn't want to stress myself even more with worrying if we were going to get to our destination safe and sound or not.

When the 7 of us got dropped-off at D' Counter, the rain started pouring again so it took a while for us to hail a cab going to the Dive Center, where we were to get a copy of the videos of our dive, as well as give them a copy of our ID pictures (for the license Ü). Only three of us got to the Dive Center since the rest had a hard time hailing a cab and when they finally got one, decided to go straight to the airport since it was already getting late. The three of us at the Dive Center waited quite a bit for a cab to bring us to the airport but to no avail and it was already getting late and we had a flight to catch. Since it was already getting late, Maeng from the Dive Center, decided to bring us to the airport despite the distance and the flood (it was really raining very hard at Davao that night). Thank God for people like Maeng!Ü All 3 of us would've kissed him with delight when he offerred to bring us to the airport, but of course we didn't. We actually didn't know how to thank him since we have nothing to offer but our dirty clothes (we haven't been able to shop for pasalubong yet) so we just decided to thank him by sending food via LBC once we get to Manila.

We arrived at the airport just in the nick of time (told yah this was going to be an adventure 'til the very end Ü) but still with a bit of time to spare to freshen up (we hadn't had time to do that since we arrived at the city from camp) and buy pasalubong at the airport (Jovy and I finally got to buy suha at the airport at P650/crate with approximately 14 pcs. or 9 kilos of suha). Needless to say, we were the last passengers to check-in and we actually had a bit of chit-chat with those at the check-in counter when they learned that all of us were actually PAL employees (if you're wondering where the Batch 3 people are, they caught the earlier flight...the 7 of us were at the last flight, PR22). That last flight was at 9:40PM and we haven't had dinner yet so imagine our hunger when we got to the plane. We survived though, with the barquillos bought at the airport's pasalubong shop and the japanese cookies (those were yummy!) served at the plane.

We arrived Manila at past 11PM that night. We all went straight home since we all had to go to work the next day. Talagang sinulit namin ang 4-days sa Davao (the Batch 1 boys were there for 5 days), with the trip starting early in the morning in Day 1 and ending super late in the evening of Day 4. And talaga nga namang araw-araw kaming umuuwi ng basa: Days 1 and 2 with salt water...Day 3 with river water...and Day 4 with tubig ulan. We thought we'd be dry that last day but no, we still got wet...kasi yun ang trend.Ü Hehe!

So that's the end of the 4-day Davao trip I had with friends over the long weekend. Will I be doing this type of from-under-water-to-the-top-of-the-mountains adventure again anytime soon? Hopefully YES! And with the same group of people that I was with coz they're just super fun to be with!Ü

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Post Script: The Divers...especially Jovy and I...were still having dizzy bouts even 4 days after that last dive of ours. I'm guessing this is just normal since it eventually stopped. Oh, and we were also a bit bingi after...but that too went back to normal after a few days.Ü

Eyebrow-Raising Chuva

2008-12-28T12:37:00.000+08:00

Talk about wrong timing. I've been growing my brows for a month or so now and just decided to have it plucked the other day, courtesy of Mommie Dearie, since I have plucking issues with the third-sex-of-the-salon-kind (a.k.a. badinger-Z's) who always seem to overpluck my sparse eyebrows (though I trust them a lot when it comes to cutting my hair Ü). The only eyebrow re-shaping that I liked so far was when I had my brows threaded (for the first time) at the World Trade Center during one of those beauty bazaars that they had before my college graduation. I liked the shape of my brows after the threading, though it was still a tad too thin for me, which my sister unfailingly noticed.

Since then (and after two eyebrow-shaping incidents involving the third-sex-of-the-salon-kind), I promised myself not to trust anyone else (well, except my Mom...and anything that the Style SOS ladies recommend Ü) with my precious and sparse eyebrows. So for years i've been plucking them just so it's got a decent shape that I wouldn't be embarrassed to show in the public. Until a month or two ago when my mom noticed my brows and had not-really-good remarks about them. That's when I decided to let them grow and let them be...for a while, at least...until it's grown as much hair as it can.

But of course, my brows didn't grow as much hair as I wanted to in the areas where I wanted hair to grow. And since I'm too lazy to go to Robinson's Galleria to check out the Suregrow Eyebrow Restorer recommended by a Style S.O.S. reader a few months back (the 27th of February to be exact...see this link for the article), I decided to end the battle with my brows and asked ever-trusted Mommie to pluck it for me.

And then I woke up this morning, picked-up the paper, and read an article about a newly-opened store at Serendra named Browhaus offering brow services to its customers (see this link for the article). Now...wasn't that just two days too late? Oh well...maybe God has His reasons for doing so. I'm guessing i'm gonna have to re-grow my brows once again...maybe actually buy and use that eyebrow restorer thingy at Galleria before heading out to Browhaus so they can contour my brows the professional way (not that I don't like how my mom shaped it now...it's just that I really find my eyebrows too sparse for my liking), which i've been wanting to do but never did coz the places i've read about who are *apparently* good at such services are in places that I'm not familiar with. At least this one's at Serendra, and i'm pretty sure I know how to get there in one piece.Ü And i'm sure this place wouldn't be featured in the paper if it wasn't any good. Browhaus, according to the article and their website, actually has branches in Singapore (where it originated...I think Ü) and Indonesia, and now in the Philippines at Serendra and Greenbelt 5 (according to the website).

So to those of you out there who are seeking professional eyebrow help, you can include Browhaus as one of the options to check out. I'm sure I will...in hopefully a few months time...and I promise to blog about it when I do (whether it's a good or bad experience for me...i'm hoping it would be the former Ü). TTFN! Happy Sunday, Everyone!Ü

Red Flag Alert

2008-12-26T14:36:00.001+08:00

I'm sure all women can relate with what I will be writing about. Actually, ONLY WOMEN can relate with what i'll be writing about. And if the title isn't obvious to you, then I guess you're of a different gender or have been hiding under a rock since birth. (hehe!)

If it's still isn't obvious to you, the topic of this blog is that monthly visit a genetically-true and anatomically-normal woman gets every month. And if you're an OC like me, you'd like to know more or less WHEN you'll be expecting the visitor to arrive every month. It just makes planning your activites easier when you at least have an inkling on when this particular visitor will arrive. And for the longest time, I was manually counting the days of the next visit, which is normally 28 days starting from the first day of your last period. So, for years, since I started getting these visits, I counted...MANUALLY...which is not that hard actually since the only mathematical skill you need to have to do that is to know how to count...and I'd like to believe that I do have that skill. But of course, it would have been easier if someone (or something) does the counting for you.

I don't know why but it's just this year that the thought of searching if there's a tool that does this exact thing crossed my mind. So search I did and Google gave me quite a few hits, ranging from applications that need to be installed to websites that do the exact same thing. This got me thinking: What actually do I need? I needed something that I can update anytime, anywhere...so this rules out the "application that needs to be installed" option seeing as I needed something that I can update even when i'm out traveling the world.Ü So, I picked a website...and it led me to the period counting tool that i've been using for several months now, which is MyMonthlyCycles.com.

I have to admit, I haven't actually been able to fully utilize the entire site seeing as all that matters to me now is their Period Calendar and Menstrual Calculator. But aside from that, they also have a Fertility Calendar, Ovulation Calculator, and Pregnancy Calculator. Definitely, I won't be writing about the latter three functions that I haven't used...so all that I can give insights on are the former two (Period Calendar and Menstrual Calculator). All you ladies out there who would want to use the other functions will have to discover those yourselves...which I think won't be that hard since I easily learned how to use the first two.

So, how does the site work? Well, upon signing-up, you'll have to give them a brief history of when your last period (or last two periods? I can't recall exactly...) occurred so they'll have a basis on calculating the next one. To tag the day where you actually had the first day of your period, all you have to do is click on that specific day while on the Period Calendar screen. It's that simple. You can also view the following information while you're on this screen:

The most helpful information for me is their compuation of the Average Cycle Days...which is 32 Days for me now (a whopping 4 days off of the 28 Days that I used as an average during the Jurassic Era...LOL!) based on the 15 Total Periods that I've actually provided them. This is also the number of days that they use in calculating the day of my next period, which can be done in the Menstrual Calculator screen.

You're given a choice on how to calculate your next period: through the Tracking History or Quick Calculate. I've always used the former since it's easier and all I have to do is click a button and voila, they've calculated the probable start date of my next period in the screen that shows up. You can actually view up to 3 months ahead, which comes in handy if you're planning a vacation in the months to come.

Aside from tracking & calculating, they also provide you with an option of sending you an email alert through the Remind Me screen. The only reminder I have in my account right now is to inform me a day in advance of my calculated next period. I'm sure other reminders can be added as well, depending on what your personal needs are.

In a gist: I'm glad I discovered this site (and have actually recommended it to some of my officemates Ü) and I just wished I discovered it sooner since it would've made my life easier and my calculations would have been more accurate. More power to MyMonthlyCycles and I'm hoping they don't "close shop" (recession diba? LOL!) anytime soon.Ü

Visual DNA @ Youniverse.com

2008-12-26T11:45:00.003+08:00

As I was browsing through my high school batchmate's Friendster profile, I got intrigued by a flash application running in her profile page. It says there (only a part of it) "MY VISUALDNA...READ MY VISUALDNA PROFILE...GET YOURS IN youniverse (beta)." At first I didn't know how to read VISUALDNA correctly, only to find out that it's actually Visual DNA. But what actually is a "Visual DNA"? I checked it out and it turns out to be a socializing network (like Friendster) where you are 'matched' by the site to those people who are most likely similar to your personality, likes, and dislikes. So, how does the site do the 'matching'? By letting you take quizzes where you answer by clicking on the picture that best describes your answer. Cool huh? A quiz with a twist. So this is where the Visual DNA comes in.

I'm actually interested on the quizzes and the results and not on the socializing/matching service of the site. It's fun to know what your visual answers to their questions say about you. And they have several quizzes that you can answer. I'm guessing their Personality Quiz is the most popular for obvious reasons, so that's the first one that I took. The result says i'm a Go Getter under the Mood category...a Thriller in the Fun category...a Junkie Monkey in the Habits category...and just simply Fun in the Social category. Of course it goes on to describe how you got grouped per category and I must say they are at times accurate and some of their assessments are quite obvious given the answer you chose for a particular question. Nonetheless, it's fun answering their quizzes which range from Careers & Well-Being to Movies, Love & Dating.

I'm sharing with you some of the quizzes that I've answered which the site has conveniently made available through widgets that you can post anywhere in the web or wherever you wanna post it. You can actually choose from either the Landscape or Portrait version...i've chosen Landscape for all the results that i'm sharing below. I suggest you check the site out (at http://youniverse.com/) and answer some quizzes there (signing-up is not required when answering a quiz) and see for yourself what description they'll give you based on your answers. Happy visually answering!Ü

PERSONALITY: Go Getter

MIND: The Reformer

TRAVEL: Nature-Lover

MOVIES: Escapist

Of Cars and Food Tripping...

2008-10-21T21:53:00.000+08:00

Prologue...Pro-blog-ue...

I don't know why i'm on a blogging hiatus for the past month or so...and my non-blogging has actually haunted me since the calendar turned October 1st of this year. *SIGH!* I guess it's just one of those phases in my life that i'd like to call "Procrastination in C Minor." Don't get me wrong, it's not that I have nothing to write about coz I do...it's just that all are half-baked...it's always never done. There's a beginning...a middle...but no end. Oh well...so to make up for my non-blogging months (namely, May and September), I made a vow to myself that i'd finish two for tonight. So here we go...

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I was at Pampanga last weekend for a car show that I got dragged into by my brother, mom, and dad. This is what happens if you don't have a social life. Your Saturdays are spent malling (or going to car shows) with mom and dad...add to that Sunday as well. I'd like to call it "quality malling time with the family." Anyway, under the heat of the sun, I got to see cars in their all-out-glory! I'm guessing these cars on display never get used by their owners. I don't actually see the point in it but hey, it's their car...they can do whatever they want with it. Besides, it's actually nice to see sparkling (literally) cars on display with clean engine, interiors you wouldn't even dream of (I saw a car once with an aquarium in its trunk! I can only wonder why...), in colors you wouldn't even know how to pronounce, and sounds that can actually battle with the best sound system in the world (well, maybe the last one is a bit exaggerated but you'll never know what these guys are up to next!).

So, like in every other car show I've been to, I busied myself with taking pictures of the cars with my almost 5-year old Canon Ixus camera (to view the amateur photos I took, see this link). What stood out for me is the Ariel car (you know, Ariel...the Little Mermaid?Ü) with the pink interiors and a quasi-aquarium in its trunk...all because I find it very unique. I also liked the Concept One mags on this red (or is it maroon?) Vios that was on display at the show. It's simple and clean-looking...just how I'd like the mags on my imaginary car would be. And by the way, my imaginary car, is pink. <*WINK!*> Ü

It took me only 30 minutes to take pictures of the cars on display, afterwhich I went to the coffee shop (to escape the heat) in front of which are displayed the four grupoRAV4 entrees for the car show...three of which won an award: One for Best SQ (apparently, SQ means "Sound Quality" Ü), Best Paint, and Best SUV. Congratz guys! (Kahit hindi kami close...hahaha!Ü)

Dinner that night was spent at C' Italian Dining restaurant just at the outskirts of Clark, Pampanga. We ordered Kristina Panizza (just so it's clear, "Panizza" is the common noun or the generic term while "Kristina" is one of the few choices of Panizza available in their menu), which is yummy and is served with Arugula, Alfalfa (not the one in Little Rascals Ü), and Olive Oil with herbs. The Panizza is actually like a pizza with a twist, and can be eaten as-is or stuffed with Arugula & Alfalfa, rolled, then dipped in Olive Oil. Our other orders included Wood-Roasted Chicken, Black Angus Steak, Caesar Salad, and one pasta dish in white sauce and another in red. Needless to say, I found the Panizza and pasta dishes uber yummy, while I wasn't much of a fan of the chicken and steak that they served. But they do have a way of using herbs in their dishes that make it unique and tastey. If you ask me if i'll be coming back to this place if i'm in the vicinity...i'll definitely do. But i'll just order the Panizza and pasta, which is basically what Italian food really is to me.Ü

For lunch the day after, we headed to Aling Lucing's Sisig place, which I think is near the market area in Balibago (???), Pampanga. Obviously, we ordered sisig at this place and I have to say that it didn't disappoint. Although I like my sisig toasted and crunchy (the sisig at Aling Lucing's was not), I still enjoyed my sisig lunch together with a Royal true orange on the side (my friends out there know i'm not a softdrink-drinker so this is such a big event for me...haha!).

All in all, my weekend was an event of cars and food tripping in two very extreme places: One was at a semi-fine dining resto that serves Italian food while the other was at a palengke where I enjoyed sisig at its original and finest (they say sisig actually originated at Pampanga). Oh, and did I mention that I saw Martin Nievera's back at C'?!? I'm sure that was Martin...although it was only his back that I saw. Well, that's all for now. Hopefully my non-blogging hiatus ends soon! TTFN! (Ta-ta for now!)

Active Desktop Calendar

2008-10-21T21:52:00.000+08:00

An officemate of mine has this software that sits on her desktop which she uses to track events in her calendar. Intrigued by it, I asked if she can share this software to me since I've been actually looking for a program that can remind me of certain calendar events that I want to take note of most especially birthdays & anniversaries. However, when I used the program in my PC (it's the freeware version of Desktop Calendar & it doesn't require any installation), I found that it doesn't actually serve the purpose that I was looking for, which is a desktop calendar/reminder that can allow events to recur weekly, monthly, yearly, etc. So I went & searched for a torrent of the upgraded version of it (which can do the "recurring event" function I was looking for but costs $14.99) but found the Active Desktop Calendar (ADC) instead. I decided to check it out & am glad that it didn't disappoint...although it takes a bit of getting used to.

So...why am I loving this software so much? Let me count the ways...

-Adding birthdays, special occasions, events, etc. is probably the most tedious thing you'll ever do in setting up your calendar, but once done, everything will be a breeze! (I tried the Import via CSV tool but it didn't work since I was not able to replicate the formatting it needs for the CSV import to be successful.).

-The Export & Import facility allows you to easily add events to another PC running ADC, which is the case for me since I have it both at home and in the office. That's why I was easily able to import the birthdays that I manually added in my ADC at home to my ADC at the office (Needless to say, it was just a one-time set up of birthdays for both my home and office PC).

-The software also has a "Task" pane which can act as a To-Do list...but it would have been nicer to have checkboxes as the bullets for this list to be able to easily put a check/tick mark on it once a task is done

-There's a lot of cute icons to choose from and options to change how the calendars & notes are shown on the desktop

Well of course, if there are positives, then there are negatives as well. One of which is that the program takes quite a while to load on startup, which is a letdown, but you can always choose for it NOT to load upon startup if you're the type of person who wants to use the computer as soon as it loads. Also, there's no facility to sync calendar events from Lotus Notes, which is the facility we use to schedule meetings at the office. But it has options to sync events from Microsoft Outlook & Google Calendars...so I guess if you're a user of that then "YEY!!! I'm happy for you!"

I'm glad to have stumbled upon this software since it's made it easier to setup reminders especially those TV shows that I download a day after it is shown in the US. If you guys want a copy of the software, let me know...i'll try to find the torrent like that I used to download it. In the meantime, feel free to view my desktop with ADC in the images below.Ü

Are You Fabulously Independent?

2008-08-14T21:21:00.004+08:00

It's only now that I got to read my July ish of Cosmo magazine, and one of their features there is the Cosmo Quiz on Are You Fabulously Independent? Since it's just a 5-question quiz, I decided to answer it to find out if i'm a: (1) Clingy Thing...(2) Indie Chick...or (3) Lone Ranger. So...here are my uber-fabulous answers (in bold...and the corresponding points attached to it):

1. Your work motto is "If you want a job done right, ___"

a. "Ask everyone in the office how they'd do it."
b. "Do it yourself." - 0 point
c. "Turn to a few trusted colleagues for advice."

2. Who typically pays on a first date with you?

a. You, so you're not obligated to him for whatever happens post-meal
b. Him, if he offers, but you don't mind splitting it - 1 point
c. Bring your wallet to dinner? Ha! He'd better pay up or get ready to scrub some dishes.

3. The biggest thing you'd ever do alone is:

a. Visit a foreign country. It would be an incredible adventure.
b. Eat dinner by yourself in a restaurant, though just the idea of it makes you a little sad.
c. Have a kid, buy a home, and any other thing you want. Who needs someone else around to screw it up? - 0 point

4. On Sunday mornings, you:

a. Text everyone in your phone book until you have afternoon movie plans, even if you have to be a couple's third wheel.
b. See if a friend wants to catch a movie but see it alone if no one's free. - 1 point
c. Turn off your cell and be MIA for the day. It's your time alone, intruders be damned.

5. You're most likely to break up with a guy because:

a. He makes you claustrophobic, wanting to sleep over more than once a week.
b. He can't give you the attention you deserve.
c. You're just in different places right now --- no harm, no foul. - 1 point

For a total of three fabulous points, it turns out i'm a LONE RANGER (which is actually kinda sad...):

You're so hell-bent on being self-sufficient that you're as approachable as a feral cat. "You may be isolating yourself from others because you're afraid of looking weak," says Squyres. "But showing vulnerability is attractive." So, ask for a friend's opinion on a dilemma, suggests Hassler. "Even if her advice doesn't fit, you'll find out how nice it feels to have a pal care for you."

Well...i'm not that surprised actually. I know, and have been told, that I am a bit too independent, and that I should learn to be otherwise sometimes. So, i'll make it a pact (to myself) that i'll try to be less independent from now on. Can anyone give me some pointers or suggestions on how to do this? =)

Ready...Aim...Fire!

2008-08-12T22:08:00.002+08:00

Sunday is family day for us four, and it's usually spent at home resting and watching the weekly noontime and chismis shows. But last Sunday was a bit different since my dad and brother had this bright idea and we ended up at the Armscor Shooting Range at Makati Cinema Square. Needless to say, that was the first time I was able to hold a gun with my bare hands. And I actually thought, on our way going there, that the shooting range would be outdoors. But lo and behold, it was indoors, on the basement of the mall actually (when they told me it was at Makati Cinema Square, I thought that what they meant was it's NEAR the mall and not actually INSIDE the mall...Ü).

We wasted no time when we got there. I initially got 10 bullets to fire, but before doing so, was given a short lecture by one of the employees there (also known as the "range master") on how to grip the gun, the correct way of standing, and a reminder to always wear the ear muffs (I don't know what you call them but i'm sure you know what I mean Ü) and the protective goggles. And you sure really have to wear both AT ALL TIMES while inside the firing range. Why? Well, each shot creates a really lound bang, hence the ear muffs. And the goggles are to protect your eyes from the empty shells flying all over the place everytime a shot is fired (mind you, these shells can be a bit hot). I never really thought about what happens to those empty bullet shells after a shot is fired. Heck, I never even thought that empty bullet shells do exist! I thought that the bullet leaves the gun and hits its target intact...no shells...no remnants...no nothing left behind. Oh well...I guess I learned something new that day.Ü

After using up all of my 10 bullets, Dad treated me to 20 bullets more! Yippee! Today's my lucky day (HAHA!)! At P9.00/bullet, that's already P270 total...and he actually ended up spending P900 for all four of us...my brother had 50 bullets, while Mom and Dad had 10 each. A bit pricey for my taste but I'm not the one spending anyway (hehe!) and it was actually a nice and different experience. Something out of the ordinary for me.

Well...what can I say? It was a bit nerve-wracking...knowing that you're holding a real gun with your hands and that you can really do quite a big damage with it just in case your mind starts to go wild and run amok (Even more fearsome is when someone else in the room runs amok and decides to make you a target). A bit scary...yes...since the gun kicks back after every shot and it's very much forceful...for my frame/body type at least. And mind you, I was just using the 9mm gun, which apparently has the "least kick back" at all (I asked my Dad if there was a gun with lesser kick back and he said: "Meron, anak. Toy gun." NYAHAHA!Ü).

So...will I do this again? Probably yes, as long as it's Dad's treat.Ü The range master there said I'm OK for a first timer since most of my shots were in the region just below the white target, and my aim was much better than that of Mom's and Dad's. But it's my brother who's the best among us four. He had some shots right in the white target and he even changed his gun from a 9mm to a 45 (whatever that means...haha!).

Well guys...that was my Sunday. Now, how did you spend yours?Ü

Random Thoughts 5: Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream...

2008-07-29T20:39:00.003+08:00

Just wanna goof off with the title but what I'm about to write doesn't actually have any connection at all...except that I just watched Mamma Mia (the movie) last last weekend with friends and that last night, I had a very weird dream (told yah, NO CONNECTION at all...). Anyway, first, the movie: Mamma Mia starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and the others (too many to mention Ü). It was a fun movie. Definitely a chick flick. A guy friend of mine got dragged into it by his officemates and he left the theater even before the movie ended. That's how much he didn't like it. Haha! But my friends and I did. It was a mixture of funny moments with a bit of light drama and of course, lots of singing. Definitely a feel-good movie i'd recommend to any one of my girl friends. Another good thing about the movie is the beautiful scenery...the nice, clear blue water and the chapel on top of a huge rock (that was a rock...a very big one...right???). Surely a great place to get married at (only if you can magically make all the guests appear at the chapel without them having to walk the million steps to get there).

Next...the dream. I'm actually not comfortable writing about it so i'll just speak in general terms here. It involves someone that I used to love. Someone that I wanted to get to know better. A few friends. A wedding. And what seems to be a carefully planned plot such that it's something that can actually happen in real life (not those far-fetched dreams that you're definitely sure is impossible like flying or running naked in the streets). That's all that I'm willing to share for now.Ü

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I am a Tortillos addict! Just for today...I think (and I hope). What's bothering me is that I was never a fan of Tortillos. Sure I've had a bite of it here and there but it was never in my "Favorite Junk Foods" list. But today, I had it for lunch, merienda, and dinner. Yes, you read it right. I had it for lunch together with my gambas and rice...for merienda with my assorted fruits...and just now for dinner with spaghetti. I blame my hormones for this Tortillos craving since i'm about to have my period soon. Gheezh! Bloatedness? CHECK! Cravings? CHECK! Pimple/s? CHECK. And this happens every month. Who said that we girls had it easy? Ugh!

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I went to Araneta last Friday to check out the latest Bench fashion show aptly titled: BLACKOUT. Well, it was a blackout, alright. Disappointing to a certain extent. It definitely didn't live up to my expectations seeing as the previous shows were really spectacular! (see link for my write-up on the previous show) Super bitin...and not in a good way. I guess what made it disappointing, for me at least, is that: (1) Piolo was not there. Why oh why is Piolo not there? He's a Bench model, right? Then why is he missing? I just don't get it. But I guess I shouldn't have expected him to be there since I've never seen a billboard of him promoting the show unlike Sam, Dingdong, and others. However, a friend pointed-out that John Lloyd wasn't there (in the show) but we actually have a newspaper clipping with pictures of some of the Bench celebrity endorsers and John Lloyd was one of those in the clipping. So we're just wondering what happened...(2) The show just failed to tickle everyone's delight. Sure there were a few highlights like Rafael Rosel naked and revealing his behind (but he was behind a curtain and only a camera was projecting images to the big screen...and it was actually only just his behind that got shown...well, duh! It would not have been just R-18 if they showed more than that!)...and Dingdong Dantes unzipping and removing his pants onstage to reveal an itsy-bitsy underwear. But aside from that, nothing else stood out in the show (at least in my opinion).

Well, being the optimistic that I am, all was not lost in this sea of disappointment since...drum roll please...I bumped into Anne Curtis in the Araneta washroom with her model friends! They were all super tall...but maybe because they were all wearing platform shoes with gigantic heels...and their mini dresses actually made them look taller. Had I known that I'd be bumping into them, I would've worn my mini dress and high heels para hindi naman ako ma-OP in the washroom. HAHAHA!Ü Anyway, I actually didn't recognize Anne at first since she had heavy make-up on...and it was not one that flattered her looks. I actually think she would have looked prettier sans the heavy make-up...especially her heavily-drawn eyebrows (WOW! That was a lot of "heavy" in one sentence...haha!). But boy oh boy, her nose is super tangos. Very nice indeed.Ü How I wish my shyness didn't get the best of me or else I would've asked for a picture with them...right there in the washroom (well, it was just them, me, my mom, and the cleaning lady)!

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Well, well...I just noticed that the last "Random Thought" entry I wrote was more than two years ago, in May 2006. That's a good sign actually seeing as I only make these "Random Thought" entries whenever I don't have anything concrete to write about and when I just want to air out my thoughts to anyone who would listen (or read, in this case). This is actually the first one with a subtitle...I just thought I'd mention that. HAHA!

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Before I end this entry, I would like to post a shoutout to my good friend and officemate, Jacky: HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKY! May you have more to come and I wish that the years ahead would be full of happy memories and pleasent surprises! My ultimate wish for you is...well, we both know what that is...no need in letting the whole world know about it.Ü Pag nagkatotoo na lang, that's when I'll mention it here.Ü Again, Happy Birthday! Enjoy your BL/LTO license renewal day...hehe!

For SALE: Nissan Serena @ P500,000

2008-06-29T16:28:00.000+08:00

2002 Nissan Serena - QRV-R Limited (w/ VCD Player)
Php 500,000
Mileage 66,000 km
Plate ending 5
Silver, In very good condition, 1st Owner

Additional Setup:
- American Racing Chrome Mags
- Dunlop Lemars Tires (90% Thread)
- Fog Lamps (Original Japan, Newly-installed)
- HID (High and Low: 8000 Kelvin)
- Newly-installed Velvet Seatcover- 3M Tint

See link for photos: http://cdsaint.multiply.com/photos/album/34/For_SALE_Nissan_Serena_Php500000

For interested parties, just send me a message here or email me at snb.cdsaint@yahoo.com

Rainy Days & Sundays

2008-06-22T19:50:00.002+08:00

I woke up at 330AM on this rainy Sunday with intermittent electrical power and typhoon Frank knocking on our door (both literally & figuratively). By 4AM, our street completely lost all electrical power (and I guess a big chunk of Metro Manila) and I completely lost whatever sleepiness I had in my body. In other words, by 4AM I was wide-awake with nothing to do. This got me thinking...what can one actually do on a rainy, "electrically-challenged" (did I just coin a new word?Ü) day? I obviously can't watch TV or surf the internet, so I got my iPod and portable speakers and played some of Chico & Delamar's Top 10 which I downloaded and have stored in my iPod. Good thing I just recently charged my iPod so I had full battery power, but I can't say the same thing about my mobile phone (which is about to conk-out any minute now).

So aside from listening to your iPod (or any mp3 player), what else can one do? After a bit of thinking, these are what I came up with:

THINGS TO DO ON A BLACKOUT & RAINY DAY:

(1) Listen to AM Radio. On a bad weather day, this is the best thing one can do to be updated with what's happening in the surroundings. This requires that you have a working battery-powered radio & batteries to power it. Good thing we had a working radio requiring only 2 AAA batteries since the other two radios we had requires 8 medium-sized batteries, which we unfortunately didn't have on stock at home. So, moral of the story: stock-up on batteries that can power any battery-powered radios you have so that when the situation calls for it, then your home will be "battery and radio-ready."

(2) Blog...which is what i'm doing right now. If you have a laptop with a bit of battery life left, then good for you since you won't have to re-type everything you've written down. If not, then do it the "old-fashioned" way: using a pen and paper (like what i'm doing now). If you're not into blogging, then just write on your diary (if you have one) or just simply write down any thoughts you have on your head. Try it out, you just might like it and who knows, you might just discover that inner writer in you.Ü

(3) Clean or organize your room/cabinet/drawers. This requires a bit of dedication seeing as cleaning is not really on top of one's list of favorite things to do. But hey, what better time to do such thing but on an electrically-challenged, rainy day seeing as the list of things that you can do are limited on such days. So rather than just sitting and doing nothing, go grab a flashlight (or if your room is situated in a place that reaches the light of day, then a flashlight is not necessary) and start cleaning and organizing. I'm sure, once the lights are back on and the rain has gone away, you'll get to appreciate more all those hard work on cleaning and organizing any what-have-yous in your home.

(4) Call a long lost friend using the landline. Gone are the days when the only means of communication was through a PLDT landline. In this day and age when accessing the internet is easier and mobile phones are a necessity, a lot of us have replaced long talks on the ever-reliable landline with texting, instant messaging, and short conversations over the mobile phone. Which begs the question: Is it really worthit? Replacing juicy & friendly conversations with SMS or instant messaging where the only emotion one can view and convey is when the other party sends a winking ; ) , smiley =) , or lonely =( face? I don't think so. So on a day when going out to the mall is out of the question (since it's rainy), texting is kept to a minimum (so as to conserve as much of your mobile phone's battery power as possible), and the internet is not within reach (duh! there's a blackout!), why don't you try picking up the phone and check if you still know how to dial a phone number in your landline. Who knows, aside from learning what's up with a friend (and hearing someone's reaction on what you're saying rather than "reading" it), you might just get to catch some juicy gossip as well.Ü

Well, that's all that I got to think of for now (since the lights just came back on...YEY!). If you still have some ideas on what to do on an electrically-challenged, rainy day, let me know by posting a comment here. Hope you guys enjoyed reading this humble blog of mine. 'Til next month's blog! Ciao!

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As a post script, I'd like to ask those reading this blog to offer a moment of silence and prayer to the victims of typhoon Frank and to those who perished in the sinking of M/V Princess of the Stars. May their souls rest in peace.

GrupoRAV4's Subic Fun Run

2008-06-05T20:44:00.002+08:00

http://www.gruporav4.com/

A convoy of RAV4s on the road? Why not! And that's exactly what we did last Saturday en route to Subic. True enough, the line of RAV4s traversing the expressway is a sight to behold. Add to that the numbered bond paper that was placed infront and at the back of the cars, to make lining-up in sequence easier and ensuring that those in the convoy would indeed standout from the other vehicles in the crowd. It would have been better though if there were ribbons tied to the side mirrors to make the convoy more distinguishable, but the identical vehicles was enough to steal the show.

So...what does one do on a fun run, actually? I was at a loss at first but as it turns out, it's just similar to an outing planned by a group of friends. Except that this assembly of sorts was fueled by the group's fascination about anything RAV4 and I think (with emphasis on the "i think") that some of these guys haven't even met in person at all. This is just an assumption since I saw some of them shaking hands just like introducing one's self when meeting someone for the first time.

For this particular fun run, the group prepared an itinerary with the following activities:

6:00AM - Meeting @ Petron NLEX
7:00AM - Depart Petron
7:20AM - Stop at Total or Shell NLEX regroup
8:00AM - SCTEX Expressway
9:00AM - Subic International Raceway (orientation); Need 750 pesos and helmet / swimming @ Camayan just in case walang gusto mag-circuit
11:00AM - Zoobic Safari/ Ocean Adventure / Extreme Adventure
12.00NN - Lunch @ Boardwalk
1:00PM - Shopping @ Royalle
2:00PM - Carting, Horse
3:00PM - Freetime
4:00 or 5:00PM - Go back to Manila

As with any other plan, there were quite a few flaws with this one, but none that would spoil the fun for everybody. First off, we got to depart Petron at 8:30AM instead of 7AM as planned. Hence, we only got to do one activity in the morning which was running the circuit (sorry guys but I don't really know the correct term for this Ü) at the Subic International Raceway. If racing is your thing and you love the smell of burnt rubber, then I strongly recommend that you try this one which seems like an adrenaline rush from what I've heard from my brother and the rest of the gang.

We were all hungry and sweaty by lunch time so we specifically wanted some place airy (with airconditiong if possible) to eat so we ended up at Pancake House in Subic (of course!). Afterwhich, we went to Royal Subic (I can't remember the name exactly...memory gap...hehe) for a bit of shopping and cooling off since it was really just too hot outside. When we were done, we went to Zoobic Safari, which we were supposed to have gone to earlier in the day. It was already almost 4pm when we got there and the tour apparently lasts for about 2 hours. Since we (my family and I) had to be back in Manila by 8pm to pick-up my older brother from the airport, we weren't able to join the group at Zoobic Safari anymore. Too bad since we were looking forward to seeing what Zoobic Safari has to offer. Anyway, there's always a next time, but little brother was a bit miffed about it, which is understandable. I, on the other hand, was actually looking forward to the Extreme Adventure part of the itinerary, which seemed interesting after having read the printout lying around the house together with the above itinerary. As it turns out, the group wasn't able to do that either (i'm really not sure since the events that happened after we left are a bit hazy to me...obviously...Ü). Well I guess we'll just have to do that some other time.Ü

All in all, even if we (my family and I) didn't get to join the group in all the activities, I had fun seeing and checking out new things, mingling with other people, and learning a lot about cars, RAV4 in particular.Ü By the way, for those of you wondering, I was just a 4th wheel in this day trip seeing as it's actually my not-so-little brother who's a ka-GrupoRAV4.Ü So, who are the 2nd and 3rd wheel? My dad and mom of course, who enjoyed this day full of activities as much as we all did.Ü So...if you own a RAV4, then I suggest you sign up and join http://www.gruporav4.com/ and learn anything and everything that has got to do RAV4 and meet fellow RAV4 enthusiasts.Ü

In a Baguio state of mind...

2008-04-26T12:34:00.009+08:00

My family and I just recently came home from a trip to Baguio and during our stay there I got to thinking just how much I take these "Baguio trips" for granted...especially after learning that someone close to our family hasn't even been to Baguio (and here I was thinking that EVERYONE's been there...wala lang...feeling ko lang...hehe...).

Anyway, seeing as we've been there countless of times, the allure of going to Baguio's must-see places like Burnham Park, Mines View Park, Good Shepherd Convent, and other places, has diminished over time that we actually no longer go to these places anymore. But I guess Baguio really just has this inherent charm that we keep coming back to this place despite the fact that we've gone to every nook and cranny in this place (well, not really...but it feels that way Ü).

What makes Baguio special anyway? After a bit of wondering and thinking, i've come up with a list of things that makes Baguio special for me & our family. It's actually more of like a-visit-to-Baguio-is-never-complete-without... list. So here it goes...Ü

A Trip to Baguio is Never Complete Without...

Having buffet lunch or dinner at Baguio Country Club. Because of some really mabait and superb (Haha! Sipsip!) family friends, we get to stay here as their guests, and one of the things I look forward to in staying at BCC is their buffet. They serve different cuisines every time so you won't get bored with the dishes their serving coz there's always an element of surprise of what food they will be serving for the next buffet. During our recent stay there we availed of their Saturday Dinner Buffet and Sunday Brunch Buffet (too bad I didn't take note of the "titles" of these buffets). They stop serving buffet by Sunday dinner and resume Thursday Lunch (if i'm not mistaken) but no worries here...you can always order ala carte from their menu, which leads us to the next thing that I look forward to when going to Baguio...

BCC's Gambas Al Ajillo. I know it's weird seeing as we're in the mountain and yet I choose to eat seafood which i'm sure is not within close proximity from any point on this City of Pines. However, I just truly love BCC's version of Gambas Al Ajillo...it's not spicy (a bummer for some, i'm sure, but i'm just not much of a fan of spicy food), has got just the right amount of sauce, and it's not too bell peppery. Just writing about it now actually makes me hungry! Yum yum!

BCC's Raisin Bread and Hot Chocolate. A Baguio trip is never complete without having raisin bread and hot chocolate for a room-serviced breakfast. We usually order this on the morning of our 2nd day since we usually don't get to finish the entire raisin bread and we most of the time have leftovers of it for midnight snack or breakfast the next day. We also take home loads of it (the raisin bread) back to Manila to stock some in our freezer and for pasalubong since BCC's raisin bread is really very, very good. So good in fact that they're famous for it and to the point that they just recently 'baptized' their coffee shop with a new name which is now called 'Raisin Bread' (of course they have other stuff aside from raisin breads that they sell there).

A visit to Camp John Hay. There's an entrance to CJH near BCC and that's usually where we pass through to get to CJH. What I love doing every time we're at Baguio is to walk the entire way going to CJH's Commissary coming from BCC. It's a good 10-15 minute walk uphill but is definitely worthit coz I get my heart rate up and at the end of it all is the commissary where I can shop a bit for some anik-anik.Ü But if we intend to go a little further to Chocolate de Batirol or the Mini Golf, we bring the car since that's a little further up. There's actually a bit more to see now at CJH since The Manor (a new hotel place there) is now open and I read in the paper that their raisin bread is up at par with that of BCC's and that it's gearing up for a bit of friendly raisin bread competition between the two. I also read in a blog somewhere that the 19th Tee restaurant is now also up and running after a bit of hibernation. Well, i'm not really sure if they closed down the place or maybe they just transferred to a different location but I remember in one Baguio trip that when we visited 19th Tee in the location where we knew it stood, it was closed and we didn't notice any sign anywhere to inform travelers of where it transferred. So all these time I thought it closed down for good. I'm happy that it actually didn't.Ü

A visit to the Palengke. We usually go to the Baguio Market at least twice per trip. The first is to buy some strawberries & Tantamco's ube halaya to take home to the hotel so that we have something to munch on while watching TV or to eat as dessert after a hearty lunch or dinner. The strawberries we store in a container and pour sugar over it after cutting off the leaves so that we can still bring them back home to Manila without it getting lamog, which will definitely happen if we just take it home as-is after buying it at the market. The ube halaya, on the other hand, is a favorite of the entire family except yours truly.Ü It's not as if I didn't try to like it...I did, for several times already...it's just not 'liked' by my tastebuds.Ü
A second trip to the market is almost a necessity for every Baguio trip that we have. This usually happens on the day of our departure from Baguio where we'd buy pampasalubong items and fresh vegetables to take home to Manila. I especially look forward to buying my favorite kutsay tips (Does anyone know the translation of this in English? Coz I don't...maybe someone can share it to me so I know...Ü) which can be very cheap in Baguio when it's in season (it's quite pricey in Manila and you don't actually get to see it often in the palengke or supermarket).

Well, I guess that's all for now. After writing all of those stuff, i'm actually missing Baguio already.Ü If you guys have anything to add in the list above, let me know by commenting...wookie?! 'Til next month's blog!

___________________________________________

Before I end this, let me give a shout out to my Lolo who's celebrating his 72nd Birthday today...HAPPY BIRTHDAY Lolo Er! *HUGZ!*and*MUAH!*

Boracay Virgin

2008-03-30T16:22:00.000+08:00

Last Holy Week was a memorable one for the entire family (Mom, Pop, Kyle and I). It's the first time in the longest time that we went out-of-town for the Holy Week and it was our first time as well to visit the famous island of BORACAY (yep, first time for ALL of us...Ü).

I know...HOLY WEEK + BORACAY = NOT a good combination. But on the contrary, the island was NOT as crowded as I expected it to be. I was brazing myself for a crowd as big as that of Puerto Galera during summer weekends, even preparing myself for long queues in the restos there, but that was not the case at all. I guess everyone was expecting Bora to be crowded this summer so they opted for another vacation spot, which all ended up on a good note for us Bora-Holy-Week-Vacationers.Ü [According to the son of my dad's friend who's been to Bora on a Holy Week before, and was also in Bora the same time we were there, it was much crowded then than it was now so...YAY! for us! HAHAHA!Ü]

Seeing as we went there on a Holy Week (Wednesday to Saturday), the rates of all the hotels there were at their peak. And seeing as the place we were aiming to stay at was already fully-booked (we were trying to book at around January and they were already full), we had to stay at a much more expensive place, which was the Boracay Regency Beach Resort. We got a Superior Room (P8,993.60/night with complimentary buffet breakfast & welcome drinks for 2) at their Garden Wing, which is the newest wing in their lot and is actually located at the back of the resort for those aiming for "seclusion and privacy...without sacrificing the convenience of being within close proximity to the beach." Since there were four of us and the maximum capacity for the Superior Room is only 3 adults, we had to get an Extra Bed at P1,200 which includes a complimentary buffet breakfast and welcome drinks. [NOTE TO SELF: Room # 276, where we stayed, is a-OK coz it's facing the morning sun, hence presko in the afternoon when the sun is at its hottest].

Since PAL flies only to Kalibo (and not Caticlan), we had to take a bus ride, a boat ride, and a van ride to get to the island of Boracay. We availed of BR's (Boracay Regency) roundtrip land and sea transfer via Kalibo which is P850/pax (P600/pax if via Caticlan), and is still exclusive of the P50/head Environmental Fee (for some reason, they forgot to charge the four of us with the P50/head Environmental Fee...hehehe!) and P100/head Terminal Fee at Cagban Port (P50 upon arrival, P50 on departure).

We left Manila via PR321 leaving at 0925H and landed in Kalibo Airport after a very quick 45-minute plane ride. Had an hour and a half bus ride (the bus was fairly new and is operated by Southwest Tours Boracay) to the Fairways & Bluewater Resort's port (the other passengers of the bus who won't be staying at Boracay Regency were dropped off at a different port), then took a 10-minute boat ride to Cagban Port at Boracay Island. We then had a 15-minute van ride going to our ultimate destination which was Boracay Regency. We were starving when we got there since it was past lunchtime already, so after checking-in, we headed off to find a place to eat and ended up at Gasthof, which is famous for their ribs. True indeed, their ribs are a-OK but I can't say the same to their Tenderloin Steak which is NOT GOOD. It wasn't tender to begin with (what a contradiction!)!

Aside from Gasthof, the other places where we dined at Boracay are:

BR's Prince Hendrik Cafe - This is where we had our complimentary buffet breakfast for the 3 days that we were there Ü

BR's Cafe Christina - We ate here for Thursday dinner and needless to say, I probably wouldn't be coming back anytime soon (or, ever?). Had a traumatic experience where I threw up everything I ate for dinner at 2AM Friday and Dad even had to call the front desk to ask for 2 pcs. of Kremil-S...one for me and one for Kyle, who's tummy was acting up as well. Then whole day Friday I was sick with fever [I stayed in the whole day...what a bummer =( ] which is probably still an effect of the food poisoning incident from the night before (for some reason, I was the one who got struck the worse)

BR's Room Service - We ordered Calamares, Pansit Bihon, Pansit Sotanghon, and Mushroom Soup from their menu (on 2 different occasions) and the food is fairly good. Their pansit were full of sahog, but their mushroom soup is just the Knorr-type (hindi man lang Campbell's...I should know, i'm a mushroom soup expert! Hehehe...)

D'Talipapa - Boracay's version of Dampa. We at dinner here twice and here is where I saw the largest prawns I've ever seen in my life so far. They were huge! And they cooked it inihaw-style and it was really yummy!Ü

Of course, one goes to Boracay not really to eat but to bask under the sun and enjoy the sand and sea. And that was exactly what we did. My initial reaction when I got there was: "Oh my God! Ang ganda ng sand!!!" I cannot begin to explain how divine (huh?Ü) the sand is at Boracay...it was white and fine and for some strange reason, it doesn't get hot even if it's exposed for hours under the sun. And the beach...WOW...super clear. However, the water was cold so it would usually take me a few minutes to get used to the water's temperature before I can fully submerge myself in it. Also, there were seaweeds (is that the english for lumot???Ü hmmm...algae? well, anyway...) getting washed-off along the shore, which happens every year when the cold weather exits to give way to summer...that's according to our dive instructor friend who works at Boracay. Anyway, once you get past the lumot-full shore, you'll get to appreciate just how clear the water at Boracay is.

We went to Discovery Shores on our 2nd day at Bora to visit Mom's friend Corina who's a pastry chef there. And with her boss' permission, we were given a beach bed infront of the resort, a butler named Hector, and brownies & cookies made by Corina herself (yum yum! especially the cookies...crunchy on the outside but with a chewy center!). Hadn't the resort been fully-booked at that time they would've shown us the different rooms that they offer (lowest price for that Holy Week is a Junior Suite at $650++...not sure about the "++" part)...but they were full so I guess we'll have to try our luck next time.Ü

Personally, I don't think there's any difference between the beach in Station 1 (where Discovery Shores is) and Station 2 (Boracay Regency, etc.). They're practically the same so I guess the very big difference in price are: (1) the crowd - although the difference is not too obvious during our stay there; and (2) the facilities and services offered to the guests - you have your very own butler who immediatly comes at your beck and call...arranges your slippers or any what-have-yous...gives you cool cucumber for your eyes...anything and everything that you can think of you can ask from them and they'll give it to you in a jiffy.

We were there for half a day and had to say goodbye around lunch time in order for Kyle and I to make our 1pm scuba diving appointment with Corina's husband, Chito, who works at Seraph Hotel which caters more to the Korean crowd. We joined in on 2 Koreans who were also on their introductory dive. We were first taught how to breathe underwater in the pool then we all rode a van to get to Station 1 where their speedboat is parked. The speedboat took us to the middle of the ocean where they have a boat stationed that contains all the equipment needed by the divers. I let out a sigh of relief when I learned about this coz it means I wouldn't have to carry the heavy oxygen tank on my back from one point to another. They actually put it on me when I was already in the water, sparing my entire body from carrying such a heavy load (Yay!Ü).

Good thing my brother and I had that scuba activity on our 2nd day in the island because as fate would have it, the parasailing activity that I promised not-so-little brother will be going down the drain because of me getting sick the next day =(. We actually scheduled it already and mom and I even had to haggle with Mang Ago (referred by a friend, contact # 0927 635 6961...i'm sure he wouldn't mind that I gave out his number.Ü) about the price, which he could only lower to P1,900/head (others were offering it at P2,500/head). We were supposed to parasail at 10:30am on Friday but I was too sick to get out of bed so we had to cancel it at the very last minute (I was still hoping against hope that I would get better, but didn't). So...that parasailing promise to not-so-little brother still remains...maybe on our next visit to Bora or to wherever place that we get shipped off that offers that activity.

On our last day at the island (Thank God I was feeling much much better!Ü), we tried to fit in as many things to do as we could so we ate breakfast at the hotel's cafe, went shopping for additional pasalubong at D'Talipapa (we already bought some keychains and magnets at 7 pcs for P100 the night before), swam at the beach, swam at the pool...all on top of fixing our things and getting ready for check-out which was 12noon. We also availed of our 3 complimentary "Welcome" Drinks on our last day (so it was more of a "Goodbye" drink...Ü) and what we ordered was their Green Submarine as suggested by Rainier, the one who accomodated us at the Front Desk (Mom said, "Ano nga yung ni-recommend nila? Green Barracuda?" Huh?!?...HAHAHA!Ü). By 1pm, we were already on the bus en route to Kalibo to catch our PR326 flight back to Manila. We had our late lunch at Latte Cafe at the Kalibo airport while we were waiting for our flight. The food was decent enough, especially if you're hungry, and the place had better air-conditioning than that of the departure/waiting area, which was small and got so full since there was also a Cebu Pacific flight departing at probably the same time as ours.

So...I guess that's all I have to say about this trip, which will forever be embedded in my memory (until the next best trip comes along, I guess...hehehe!). But before I end this, I just have a few more additional NOTES TO SELF:

(1) The tricylces traversing the main road (behind the beach) charge only P7/pax if you stop (make para ??? hahaha!) them in the middle of the road. But if you ride those tricycles that are lined-up on the side of the road (those waiting for passengers), they charge you as much as P50-100 (I guess they get to fool a lot of foreigners with this jacked-up price). Also, don't ask "How much?" (Magkano?) since that's a dead give-away that you're a tourist and they'll probably charge you much higher than usual.

(2) BR didn't provide any newspapers during our stay there (we got spoiled by Baguio Country Club where we even get to choose what newspaper we want Ü)...probably because it was the Holy Week and there aren't newspapers published during those days. But how come there was no newspaper for Wednesday and Saturday (i'm assuming newspaper companies have published on those days...It's usually just Thursday and Friday that they go on "vacation leave")? Oh well...just my thoughts...Ü

(3) Park N' Fly rates are as follows: P280/day; P11.66/hour...exclusive of 12% VAT. But if you'll be leaving your vehicle for more than 3 days (like us), they give discounts so we just had to pay a little less than P1000 for the 4 days that our loveable "school bus" was parked there. Also, their service is a-OK...we didn't have to wait a long time for a van to bring us to the airport, and we also just waited a few minutes for a van to pick us up at the airport when we arrived.

(4) D'Mall...for when I feel the urge to shop, I drop by here.Ü I didn't realize that this "mall" strip is actually quite long...from the beach all the way to the main road...and there are a lot of stores to see (they even have a Crocs store there!).Ü I so wanted to try this crepe store there...I think the name is Crazy Crepes...but I just completely forgot about it. So I guess i'll just try their crepes next time. Also, i'm a suki of the Budget Mart there. I keep on dropping by here to buy cup noodles and chips, while my dad gets his midnight snack essentials at the Julie's Bakeshop across Budget Mart.

(5) Have my hair braided the next time i'm there.Ü

Gosh...kasing-haba ng NOTE TO SELF ko ang aking blog! HAHAHA! 'Til next time guys! Ciao!Ü

How Much Are You?

2008-02-28T12:22:00.007+08:00

Before your mind starts wandering, let me start off with this: Have you ever wondered about your website's worth? Naks! HAHA! I personally haven't until I found out about this site in the internet: http://directory.sootle.com/website-worth/.

According to them, they calculate a website's worth via checking the backlinks, from which they make their estimate. Oh well...whatever that means. Hehehe...I just got curious and checked out my site's worth. According to them, it's $378.00...not much if you compare it to some of the popular sites around (I checked out Ms. Noemi's website http://aboutmyrecovery.com/ and her's is worth a whopping $473,047.00 as of this writing!Ü) but at least i'm getting my fair share of viewers (as I would like to think...hahaha!).

According to them, they compute the site's worth daily so I guess we'll see the numbers below increase (or decrease? hehehe...) as the days go by.

For more info on Website Worth, see this link. Enjoy!Ü

This website is worth
What is your website worth?

Yahoo! Messenger Skins

2008-02-23T11:20:00.004+08:00

Tired of your old YM Skins? Then listen up!

I found this site: http://www.wackyb.co.nz/ while searching for the old YM alerts sounds (I am NOT a fan of the alerts of YM V.8) and decided to click on their Yahoo! Messenger Skins link and in an instant, I was brought to a world (well, a webpage actually) where I've never gone before. A world where different and interesting YM skins abound! And I realized, I've been living under a rock all these time (in terms of Yahoo! Messenger, at least) because right before my very eyes are skins I've never even imagined before! And here I was thinking that I was just limited to the plain old Classic, Maverick Blue, Indigo, etc. that Yahoo! has to offer. But I was wrong. Extremely wrong!

So, I decided to download WackyB's Cupid skin first mainly because it's pink and it's REALLY pink. So I gave it a shot. Downloaded it, scanned it with my antivirus, ran the EXE file, then excitedly changed my YM's skin to the newly downloaded WackyB Cupid skin. Then lo and behold...it was like being in Candy Land or it's equivalent (for a preview, click on this link). It's so cute with the little heart and a little cupid smiley on the side. It's what every girly-girl would love as a YM skin! HAHAHA! Guys, don't fret though. They also have other skins that would definitely suit your taste. I've actually downloaded quite a few already but i'm sticking with WackyB's Cupid skin first until I get tired and decide to change to a new one.

So, what are you waiting for? Download some new YM skins now and make the world a better place (well, not really...hahaha!Ü). But before I end this, let me give a shout out to those who made the YM skins: You rock, guys! All the work you've put into these skins are very much appreciated! I, and all those using the skins you've created, salute you! Kudos!Ü

NOTE: All the skins posted in the WackyB webpage are compatible with Yahoo! Messenger versions 6 to 8.1.

Coffee Jelly Galore - Part 2

2008-02-22T22:35:00.003+08:00

Since I've established in one of my previous entries that I'm a coffee jelly (and 3-in-1 coffee) addict (Coffee Jelly Galore and Piolo in the Morning), I might as well continue that article with some of the other coffee jelly drinks i've tried so far in the market after having written that article 2006. So, here it goes...Ü

(1) Brownies Unlimited's Coffee Jelly Frostee

The coffee part is masarap! If i'm not mistaken, this is made of Nescafe's iced coffee freeze with just coffee jelly added to it.
The jelly is OK but not comparable to that of Starbucks (which I believe has the best jelly among those that i've tried). Their jelly is probably the one that comes from the can which I've seen is being sold at supermarkets.
Very much affordable that's why a visit at SM Makati is never complete without me buying this drink (Actually, if I just need an iced coffee fix without the jelly, also known as Nescafe Coffee Freeze, I just have to walk from my office to the Quickstop store nearby and get my coffee freeze fix sans the jelly. Still yummy but would definitely be better if there's coffee jelly in it.Ü)

(2) UCC Park Cafe's Coffee Jelly

The coffee jelly drink is not sweet. My friend even had to add sugar to her drink, though I didn't since the coffee's not strong, it's really just not sweet.
There was just probably around 10 coffee jellies in it (OK, OK, I didn't count...but it was a very small amount, not what I expected and not what I've grown used to in the coffee jelly drinks I've had before)
It didn't get my money's worth (although I can't remember now how much it is)

(3) Figaro's Coffee Jelly Float @ P125

The coffee is STRONG!
Has, what I believe is, vanilla ice cream on top, that even if I already mixed-it up well, you can still taste the very, very strong coffee flavor in the drink.
The jelly is not makunat and rather bland, which was such a bummer.
Same as #2...wasn't satisfied with it.

(4) Quickly's Coffee Jelly @ P65

Makunat yung jelly, yummy! Needless to say, I loved the jelly, especially after having tasted the last two entries above.
Love the pearls (black sago) that came with it! Goes very well with the jelly.
This will definitely be another alternative aside from my usual (and what used to be my all-time-favorite) STI or Super Taro Ice Ü

(5) Tokyo Cafe's Symphony @ P126

It's actually a mix of coffee jelly, chocolate whipped cream, whipped cream, iced coffee, and vanilla ice cream all in one!
Very yummy! The jelly is makunat and they even gave us extra jelly in a separate cup (actually, my friend and I were quite unsure if it really comes with the extra coffee jelly or they just placed that cup on our table by mistake...hihihi...well I guess I'll know for sure the next time I order this)
Definitely worthit! Will be going back for more!

So, I guess that's all for now guys! 'Til I get to taste some more coffee jelly in the market! Ciao!Ü

MagMyPic.com

2008-02-02T21:59:00.000+08:00

I've discovered yet another site that will let you turn any picture into a magazine cover! Cool, huh?!?!!! It's MagMyPic.com. I actually had fun tinkering around! The only downside is that there are just 14 magazine covers to choose from as of press time. But don't yah worry...the site says Choose from 14 different magazines - more added all the time! So I guess they'll have more options to choose from soon! I can't wait!!!Ü Oh, and one more thing...their site doesn't offer moving the picture once uploaded so that you can position it better in the magazine cover you've chosen...so any editing must be done outside using whatever tool you have (Photoshop, perhaps?). But what's nice about it is that the site doesn't take long to upload your picture so you can immediately see what the effect of the picture is on the magazine and then just adjust it accordingly in the photo tool you're using.

Once you've uploaded the picture, the next thing to do is to choose what magazine cover you want for your pic! My personal favorites are Cosmopolitan and Seventeen (seeing as these are magazines that I actuallyl read Ü). Then after choosing, the site will be asking you if you want it in Small or Medium size (I wonder what happened to Large?!???). I've always chosen the Medium option since the Small one might be too tiny.

When you've gotten this far, you have quite a few options of how to share your picture: (1) by Quick Post to some of the partner sites they have like Friendster, Blogger, MySpace, Multiply, Wordpress, etc...(2) by Copying the Code that they'll be providing...and (3) by right-clicking on the picture itself then selecting Save Picture or Image As. I've always done Option 3 so that I have a copy of the picture itself. What's not so nice about it is that the personalized magazine cover is just 397x514 in dimension. So it's really not that big, but I guess OK enough to see who's on the cover.Ü

You actually have an option of letting the world vote on your personalized magazine cover by ticking the Let others view and vote on my magazine! at the end of the entire process.Ü Then if you have time, you can actually browse through some of the posted magazine covers then and vote if you like them or hate them! HAHAHA!

Well, to end this, I'll just leave you with some of the magazine covers i've done so far. Hope you enjoy viewing the 'zines!Ü

PRC Adventure of Charm & Candy

2008-01-31T20:52:00.000+08:00

Another just-in-the-nick-of-time blog. And like the last one, I was planning to write a blog of an entirely different topic than what I will be writing about now. But, because of very recent events inspired mainly by my and my friend Charm's experience at PRC (Professional Regulation Commission) this morning in renewing our PRC license, I decided to write about that instead of what I originally had in mind (don't yah worry, i'll write about that in the future...maybe next month Ü).

So, our adventure began when I failed to make a U-turn infront of FEU and instead, had to take a detour at Recto, Legarda, Figueras and Earnshaw Streets. WHEW! That was a handful and a long way from our intended destination...and only because I didn't make the @*%$^ U-turn. Anyway, we had to "call a friend"...Charm's friend, Carol, who is an expert of the place (coz she lives somewhere there Ü) and actually gave us in correct sequence the streets that we'll be passing by en route to PRC (Thank you Carol! You're heaven-sent!). Good thing I brought my ever-reliable Metro Manila map and along with Carol, Charm and I were able to easily navigate our way back to where we really should be.

As suggested by Carol, we looked for a parking spot at P. Campa St. and I was able to secure a parking slot infront of a store that makes uniforms (Note to self: There are parking spaces infront of PRC itself. From Morayta a.k.a. Nicanor Reyes street, just make a U-turn infront of FEU, then turn right at P. Paredes, which is a one-way street). As we're about to leave the vehicle, the guard approached us since we're not allowed to park there coz we didn't even visit the store. We told him we'll be quick so he let us pass, but boy-oh-boy, we were very, very, very wrong (well, I wasn't exactly expecting us to finish quickly anyway).

So, our PRC adventure started at 10am. We had to fall in line to get our cedula, which only costs Php5.00 but it was the long line that made this a bit dreadful. Good thing mura lang sya (this is the kuripot me talking), I was actually thinking they'd jack the price up to maybe P20 or P25 but they didn't. Anyway, while I was in line for the cedula, Charm secured us the "renewal" form that we needed. But instead, we were given an "oath" form since they were in the process of changing our title from Electronics and Communications Engineer to just Electronics Engineer. Well then, fine by me. At least the title's shorter. Less ballpen ink and space needed when writing things down. But I guess I will be missing the "communications" part (of our title...our job description remains the same) since that's what I actually like better, even during college. And I think that Charm hasn't even gotten over that fact yet. I think she may still be in a state of shock (hehehe) and probably in denial of everything...until we actually get our license which will now just say Electronics Engineer (and which we'll be getting around March).

Anyway, we of course filled-up the "oath" form while in line for the cedula, and after we got that, we had to fall in line (once again) for the documentary stamps, which costs P21/stamp for a total of P42 coz we needed two stamps per person. The lady there provided us with 1 receipt which says "P21" (just for one stamp) and she then proceeded to stamp our "oath" forms, which I guess is where the other P21 went.

Then, off we were to Window 16. Once again, there was a line (no surprises here) and I actually thank God that we got the right form coz there was one guy there, also an ECE, who had to find out when he got to the window that he filled-up the wrong form (he was probably given a renewal form instead of an oath form) and has to fall in line once again. Am I just glad not be in his shoes! Anyway, once we got infront, the lady there gave us an index card-sized form to fill-up plus she indicated the amount that we had to pay (Php1,380). She also told us that we had to photocopy our existing PRC IDs, go to the 2nd floor (she didn't say why), pay at the cashier, then go back to Window 16. So, being the diligent little girls (ngyak!) that we are, we had our IDs photocopied (for just P4.00), filled-up the new form, glued our passport-sized ID picture with name plate, and affixed our right thumb mark print on the box in the form that says: Right Thumb Mark.

We then proceeded to the 2nd floor and the guard there (who welcomed us with: "Kamusta na ang mga girlfriends ko?" Which made me wanna laugh and puke at the same time) looked at our forms and instructed us to go to the last door on the left, which turned out to be a Notary Public. This was a welcome relief to both Charm and I coz: (1) it was an air-conditioned office and (2) there was no line. So the lady there wrote some scribbles on our "oath" form, we paid her P40 each, then off we were to the cashier, hoping against hope that their office won't close down for lunch since it was almost 12noon (thankfully, they didn't Ü).

At the cashier, each of us had to actually pay Php1,380.00...which was broken down to P600, 30, and 750. I don't know what each amount represents but I think the P600 is the normal processing fee, then the P30 is some other fee (of course), and I guess the P750 is the surcharge (or probably just a part of it) since both Charm and I have expired licenses (we forgot to renew last year...hehehe). Apparently, the surcharge depends on the quarter of the year that you were born...at least that's what I was able to understand on what the lady on the counter was saying.

While in line for the cashier, Charm and I decided to split up: she will be falling in line at Window 16 while I remain at the cashier line to pay for both our fees. So once I was able to pay and secure our ORs, off I went running to Window 16 since there were only two persons left infront of Charm before she reaches the counter. We submitted all the forms, surrendered our old licenses, and placed everything in a short brown envelope with our full name, license #, profession, and contact numbers written infront of the envelope. The lady there told us that they will be issuing a new certificate for us (because of the change to Electronics Engineer) and that they'll be calling us up once these are available for pick-up, which we should do personally =( . She then gave us our Claim Slip, which will allow us to get our new PRC ID once it gets released on March 6, 2008 (as indicated in the slip). At this point, Charm and I are exhausted but happy having been able to accomplish everything we planned to do for the day. But there was one more thing left to do: go to the 2GO counter and pay for the delivery of our license to where we want it to be delivered so that we won't have to go back to PRC again in the very near future. When we got there, the man at the counter has just finished eating his lunch and there was actually a sign infront saying ***LUNCH BREAK***. Charm used her charm and I used my effervescent smile (haha!) to persuade manong to accommodate our request, even though it's his lunch period. I guess he just couldn't resist two tired and perspiring, yet still beautiful (hehehe) ladies so he gave in. We paid him P50 each for Metro Manila delivery (P70 for outside Metro Manila, P225 for Out of Town deliveries) and surrendered our Claim Slip since they will be the one doing the claiming for us. He said we shall be expecting our licenses 2-3 days after the release on March 6th. Okidoki! No problemo, manong!Ü

Well, I guess that ends our PRC adventure! When I checked my watch, it was already 12:30PM, so we basically spent 2.5 hours of our morning there. When we got back to the car, I said sorry to the guard since it took us quite a while to get back and he just nodded. I guess he just couldn't resist two perspiring, yet still beautiful (talagang inulit eh!), gals! HAHAHA!Ü

As a future guide (to me) and to those who will be renewing their license, here's a list of what to bring to PRC:

Two (2) Passport-sized ID picture, white background with name tag (1 for the renewal/oath form, 1 for the index card-sized form)
Old PRC ID
Photocopy of old PRC ID, front and back
Cedula
Glue
Short brown envelope with Full Name, License #, Profession, and Contact Number/s written infront

And here's a breakdown of how much everything costs:

P 79.00 ID picture @ Digiprint
P 5.00 Cedula
P 42.00 Documentary Stamps
P 4.00 Photocopy of old ID
P 40.00 Notary Public
P 1380.00 Processing fee (with surcharge)
P 1550.00 TOTAL

As a last note: I shall thank God for the day when PRC License renewal goes ONLINE! Hopefully in less than 3 years (in time for my next renewal Ü).

Ta-ta for now!Ü

Quizzes...quizzes...quizzes...

2008-01-12T20:35:00.000+08:00

I came across this website: http://www.blogthings.com/ and they've got lots of quizzes that are quite interesting. Some are funny, weird, curiosity-shakers, but shouldn't be taken seriously. So, to kick things off, here are some of the quizzes I took and the results that I got.Ü (This will probably be a first of many parts...hehehe)

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Your Birthdate: October 12

You're a dynamic, charismatic person who's possibly headed for fame.
You tend to charm strangers easily. And you usually can get what you want from them.
Verbally talented, you tend to persuade people with your speaking and writing.
You are affectionate and loving, but it's hard for you to commit to any one relationship.

Your strength: Your charm

Your weakness: Your extreme manipulation tactics

Your power color: Indigo

Your power symbol: Four leaf clover

Your power month: December

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

What Age Do You Act?

You Act Like You Are 17 Years Old

You are a teenager at heart. You don't quite feel like a grown up yet, but you don't feel like a kid.
You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

You're quite rebellious, and you don't like being told what to do. You like to do things your way.
You have your own unique style, taste in music, and outlook on life.

What Age Do You Act?

What's Your Native American Name?

Your Native American Name Is...

Olathe Kuwanyamtiwa

Your name means: Beautiful Beautiful Badger Going Over the Hill

What's Your Native American Name?

HAHAHA! I'm a badger??? Funny! And does it really have to say "beautiful" twice? Over naman yan! HAHAHA!

What's Your Pilgrim Name?

Your Pilgrim Name Is

Love Doughty

What's Your Pilgrim Name?

What's Your Karaoke Theme Song?

Your Karaoke Theme Song is "I'm Too Sexy"

You're a total goof ball and a bit of a nut job. You don't take yourself seriously at all.
And while you may not be the greatest singer, you're the first to volunteer for karaoke.

You have a wild and unpredictable sense of humor that always gets people cracking up.
Irreverent and rebellious, your humor knows no bounds or limits. You enjoy shocking people.

You might also sing: "Like a Virgin," "Ice Ice Baby," and "Hey Ya!"

Stay away from people who sing: "Sweet Home Alabama"

What's Your Karaoke Theme Song?

I AM a goof ball AND a nut job! And to tell you frankly, I actually like this song (I'm too sexy)! Though i've never sung it on karaoke ever before. But i've sung "Like A Virgin" last Christmas, so I guess this quiz kinda hit the spot! HAHAHA!

Are You Ready for a New Boyfriend?

You are Almost Ready to Date Again

You're over him... well, mostly.
Truth be told, you still think of your ex on occasion.
Enough to effect any new relationship you may start.
Give yourself time and space - you are 90% there.
And don't swear off men, just make sure to play the field.

Are You Ready for a New Boyfriend?

WHAT THE...!!! You must be kidding me! This quiz ain't right. I demand a recount!Ü

The It's Its There Their They're Quiz

You Scored an A

You got 10/10 questions correct.

It's pretty obvious that you don't make basic grammatical errors.
If anything, you're annoyed when people make simple mistakes on their blogs.
As far as people with bad grammar go, you know they're only human.
And it's humanity and its current condition that truly disturb you sometimes.

The It's Its There Their They're Quiz

HAHA! And if I may add, I get annoyed at people who say "MTV" when what they really should be saying is "music video." Hay...gets to my nerves all the time!

What Kind of Ex-Girlfriend Are You?

You Are an Indifferent Ex

You're not one of those girls who thinks about her exes - or even remembers them
"Love 'em and Leave 'em" is your motto. And your break ups tend to be a clean break.
It's a nice strategy to have, and guys appreciate your total lack of emotional baggage.
But just a little reminder: it is okay to remember the good parts of your past, even with exes.

What Kind of Ex-Girlfriend Are You?

OK. Sabi mo eh.Ü

Are You an Independent Woman?

You Are 53% Independent

Overall, you're a pretty independent woman. You don't follow trends just to fit in.
You've got your own cool thing going on, though you sometimes still care too much about what other's think.

Are You an Independent Woman?

Where Would Your Dream Guy Take You on Your Honeymoon?

You Should Honeymoon in the USA!

You and your sweetie want a fun filled honeymoon
Without the hassle of food poisoning or learning a new language
The USA is perfect for you (even if you already live here)
You can kick it at a spa, go to an amusement park, or explore a new city

Suggested destinations: Disneyworld, Vegas, NYC, Napa Valley, Palm Springs

Where Would Your Dream Guy Take You on Your Honeymoon?

HUWAT!!! No, no, no, no, no...my dream honeymoon is in Paris...and anywhere else that we could go to in Europe. Not the USA! Mali nanaman sila...hehehe...Well...the quiz may be partly correct coz I also want to go to Bahamas anyway...Ü

2007 in Retrospect

2007-12-31T23:00:00.000+08:00

It's an hour away from my self-appointed deadline for this month's blog and also an hour away from the entire Philippines (and those sharing the GMT +8:00 time zone) welcoming the new year. I actually started this blog thinking of writing about those things that I miss when I was in the US. But now that the firecrackers outside are getting plentiful by the minute and my television tuned-in on GMA7's Celebr8 to '08 party, I can't help but to think of the year 2007, which will, in about an hour, be known to everyone as the year that was. So I guess i'll just reserve that blog that I have in mind for another time and right now try to focus on reflecting on the good, the bad, the nice, and the ugly about the year 2007.

To make this easier (mostly for me Ü), i'll enumerate some of the highlights of my year...coz i'm sure all the TV stations out there will be enumerating the highlights of the year 2007 in their end of year specials, so i'll just leave that to them. At para maiba naman, i'll just list down the highlights of MY year...since blog ko naman 'to! HEHEHE! So, here it goes (in random)...

For this year, I increased my number of inaanaks by 3: Renzo, Iya, & Gaby Ü
I had my eyes lasered at St. Lukes last Feb.14 (so doctor ko ang ka-date ko nung araw na yun! hehehe)
The passing of Tito Andy & my Ama
I bought, with my own money, my first non-Nokia cellphone (a pink MotoRAZR Ü)
I saw through the implementation of a project (that's close to my heart...hehehe)
I got to show my dancing prowess 3 times this year...hehehe!
My family and I celebrated my maternal Lolo & Lola's 50th Wedding Anniversary
I had my first diving experience with friends at Anilao
I had two of my colleagues moving to greener pasteurs...Dio & Jacky
I had a drastic haircut (the first in years), the Mega Bangs 'do Ü, on the month of August
I experienced my first ever "company" outing (although it was just our group who went out of town...and it was not even an overnight thing...hehehe)
I voted...for the 2nd time around.
I danced at Obando (not to get pregnant, ha!) with a few of my colleagues
My family and I celebrated my Dad's surprise 70th birthday at Gloria Maris, Greenhills, wherein all 6 children of Papa were present (Vian flew in from Canada, Walter flew in from Shanghai, while Bambi was already here coz of her schooling Ü)
I got sent to my first ever "training/workshop" at work (all the past ones got cancelled...hehehe...)
I joined a gym
It was the first time that the entire Philippines celebrated my birthday...hehehe...holiday kasi (Ramadan)
I experienced the worst emotional rollercoaster ride to date
I had a 2-week US Vacation!!! YIPPEEE!!!
My mom and I celebrated thanksgiving in the US for the 2nd time
My mom and I got great deals during the after-thanksgiving (or "Black Friday") mega sale! (We got to buy a laptop, digicam, digital photoframe, and a whole lot more!)

Well I guess that's all that I can remember for now.Ü Here's to the year ahead! Cheers to 2008! Thanks for visting my blog! *HUGZ!*and*MUAH!*

Hail to the Alma Mater

2007-12-31T10:45:00.000+08:00

To all Lasallians out there, listen up (literally)...a new twist to our beloved Alma Mater song...reggae version (naks!). It's nice actually...I like it. Feeling ko ako si Bob Marley every time I hear this (it's in my phone, under my Pang Ubos Batt playlist Ü). I got this from Jerome, my officemate, who's from USTe, so I don't really know where he got this but he just came up to me one morning and said: "Diba from La Salle ka? Pakinggan mo 'to, yung Alma Mater song nyo." So I listened and I liked it then he sent it via bluetooth from his phone to mine. And that's the story of how I got this version of our Alma Mater song.Ü

Here's another version...in a cappella, sung by the DLSU Chorale. I got this from another blogsite (Nekti Ka No? Rektikano!), which I learned about when an officemate told me about it a few months back. May added bonus pa kasi may kasamang video yung song.

Well, what other line to end this blog but to borrow a line from a song: I'd rather be green than be blue.Ü True yan!Ü Animo La Salle!

Of Holidays and Vacations

2007-11-30T06:17:00.000+08:00

A colleague of mine has been telling me for months now that I badly need a vacation. Well, I guess he's right coz a day or two before leaving for my much-awaited US vacation, I realized that a week before, I implemented the wrong customized program in production (PROD). To make it easier to understand, rather than implementing Program A to PROD, I mistakenly implemented Program B. Imagine my horror after I realized this mistake! My oh my...I really DO need a vacation!

Well, I finally had my vacation and headed to the US with my Mom last November 15. Imagine my excitement knowing that I won't have to think about work for two whole weeks! Yippee!

Our first stop, after landing at LAX and heading to San Diego where my Godmother lives (and where we'll be staying for our entire trip), was Las Vegas to attend a fund-raising event that my Ninang organized. After the dinner event, we partied the night away at the newly-opened Planet Hollywood (PH) hotel. At first I didn't know what "PH" meant and kept on asking "Where's the hotel?" (coz we walked from Monte Carlo, where we were staying, to Planet Hollywood), and they said, "Ayun oh! Yung may 'PH'!" And I replied, "Ah, yun ba! Akala ko kasi 'PH' stands for 'Philippines'!!!" HARDIHARHAR! Stupid me!

Well, there are actually two things that I wasn't able to do in Vegas: (1) Gamble...I wasn't really planning to anyway, I'd rather spend my money shopping rather than gambling; and (2) Get Married...this, I think, I really should've done. HAHAHA! Well, with drive-through weddings available in Vegas, it really IS very easy to get married in this place! I should've thought about that in the 4 days we were there. Oh well, there's no use crying over spilt milk anyway.

After the "Vegas Event" (as I would like to call it), we were back in San Diego to spend one of the most awaited holidays in the US: THANKSGIVING. It's actually the 2nd time that my mom and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving with my Ninang's family (the first was in 2004) and it has always been fun spending Thanksgiving with them seeing that my Ninang's family is quite big and very close-knit. We had fun eating all the food in the table (we had Turkey the day after, but that's a different story), singing the night away with the videoke/karaoke, playing poker, and just sitting by the fire pit in the backyard talking about anything that we could think of.

The day after Thanksgiving is the biggest sale of the year for the Americans: the After-Thanksgiving Sale, where all stores offer discounts that one can't just pass off! We were actually at Best Buy by the crack of dawn: 5AM! Imagine that! HAHAHA! But it was all worthit coz we got to buy, among others, a Digicam with Digital Frame for only $100, and a 2GB RAM, 250GB HD Laptop worth $600. After that, we went to a few other stores like Walmart and Staples, then headed back home to rest.

That night, after resting, we headed to Pala Hotel and Casino, which is about 40 minutes from my Ninang's place. We stayed there to relax and gamble (but my mom and I didn't), then had our facial and massages the next day at the Pala Spa. The one who did my facial was actually half Pinay! But she looked more American than Pinay. Anyway, we also celebrated Ate Ping's birthday (Ninang's youngest sister) there with a heartful lunch at Noodles, the Chinese resto there.

Oh my...I can't believe that my vacation's over. =( We'll be heading back to Manila tomorrow night and i'm sure it would be very hard to get my mind and body into 'work-mode' once again. Oh well, that's life. Gotta enjoy the happy moments while you can. For now, i'll just try not to think about work and make the most of the remainder of my vacation.

Til next month's blogs you guys! *MUAH!*

Dancing With A Crash

2007-10-31T23:01:00.000+08:00

I'm not embarrased to admit that I do LOVE the National Geographic Channel (and Discovery too!). I specifically am fascinated watching these two NatGeo shows: Air Crash Investigation (ACI) and Seconds From Disaster, but i'm more of a fan of the former than the latter. I'm not sure if working in the airline industry has influenced my fascination for ACI, but it's just very informative to know the causes of some of the air crash accidents that have headlined the news in the past years. If not for that reason alone, then you at least have an idea what to specifically pray for before boarding, through the course of, and during landing of a flight.Ü

Seriously speaking, every episode of ACI just rouses my curiosity. At the beginning of each episode you'll start asking why and how did such a thing happen? Then bit by bit and like pieces of a puzzle, the reasons and series of events that occured resulting to the accident is given to you in a way that could be understood by a 5-year-old (well...probably not a 5-year-old, but i'm sure you understand what I mean Ü). Then, by the end of each episode, all of your questions are answered, leaving you with a sense of satisfaction knowing the cause (or probable cause, in some cases) of the accident tackled in that particular episode.

Having downloaded Seasons 1 to 3 of this series (If i'm not mistaken, Season 4 is currently being shown in the National Geographic channel), two of the episodes that I vividly remember (and i'm not really sure why) is Ghost Plane (Wow! Very timely for Halloween...Ü) and Hidden Danger.

In Ghost Plane, Helios flight 522 is found circling the sky with all of its passengers, pilots and cabin crew included, seemingly unconscious, as described by a fighter plane that flew beside it. As it turns out, all those on board suffered hypoxia (a shortage of oxygen in the body) which was a result of the pressurization panel switch being left in MANUAL rather than AUTO mode without the pilot knowing about it.

In Hidden Danger, three different aircrafts (United Airlines 585, US Air 427, and Eastwind 14) suffer what seems to be a very similar problem: the pilots being unable to control the rudder of the plane resulting to the aircraft spinning out of control. As it turns out, the mechanism that controls the rudder gets jammed due to extreme changes in weather temperature. It took 10 years and 3 aircraft mishaps for NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) to finish their investigation, the longest ever to be performed as mentioned in the episode.

One other TV show that started another season this fall (in the US) is Dancing With The Stars (DWTS). I originally didn't pay much attention to this show since it's not shown in any of the cable channels here in the Philippines, and I just often hear about it in US gossip shows like E!, Insider, and The Daily Ten. Funny though coz it's also through these gossip shows that I learned about Jennie Garth's guesting for this season (DWTS Season 5). [Snippet: To those who don't know, Jennie Garth played Kelly Taylor in the long-running-but-now-defunct-TV-show Beverly Hills 90210...the BEST TV series of all time...from a very biased point of view...Hehehe...]

I got excited after learning that Jennie Garth will be guesting in this season's DWTS because i'm such a big fan of hers! So, come 2-3 days after it premiered in the US last September 24th, I was up and about tinkering with my PC, searching the net for Dancing With The Stars Season 5 torrents.Ü After being able to download all 3 of their season premiere episodes (it was a 3-night season premiere that started with Ladies' Night, Men's Night, and the Results Show), I began watching what I didn't know then would be a weekly addiction to celebrity dance competition.

I don't know if this just fascinates me because I love to dance but this show is very much addictive! Trust me! The celebrities really put their hearts into making their dance numbers great such that you wouldn't even know that they're novices to dancing (unless you're a professional dancer or one of the judges, I guess)!Ü Plus the sneak previews that are shown before each dance allows the viewers to have a behind-the-scenes view of how big of an effort both the celebrity and their partners (professional dancers) put into each dance, making us, the viewers, appreciate their performances all the more.

Just so you know, stars of the show have been known to lose quite a lot of weight during the course of a season. For this season alone, Wayne Newton and Mark Cuban have been the biggest losers so far (they've also been voted-out so the term "loser" can actually mean two things...LOL!). Well, I wouldn't be surprised. Imagine having to add several hours of dance practice to your existing routine and on top of it, trying to do your day job! Whew! Quite an exhausting (but I guess, rewarding) endeavor indeed! But it's not just the celebrities who put in all the hard work. The professional dancers should be given equal credit as well, since they're the ones who choreograph their weekly dances and are responsible in making their celebrity partner look good on the dance floor. So, BRAVO! to them!Ü

Well, there you have it. Two of the TV shows that's keeping me busy at night and on weekends (aside from Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives, of course). To those who want to catch these shows: Air Crash Investigation is currrently aired every Tuesday, 9pm @ the National Geographic Channel, while Dancing With The Stars Season 5 is aired every Monday and Tuesday (Results) Nights in the US @ ABC.

Please do vote for Jennie Garth (to those who can Ü) and her partner, Derek Hough (who, BTW, is a cutie!Ü) in this season's Dancing with the Stars!!! As of writing this blog, there are 6 pairs left, and Jennie and Derek are one of those pairs!

For AT&T Subscribers: call 1-800-VOTE4-01 (1-800-868-3401) or text "VOTE" to 3401.Ü Thank you!Ü

Too Cute!

2007-10-05T18:29:00.000+08:00

This is just too cute not to share!!!

I actually got this twice already, via email...and both times, it never failed to give me a huge laugh! That's why I decided to share it to you guys...so that if you're ever feeling a bit blue, then you're just a click away from having something that will temporarily turn you to any other different color other than blue...Ü Enjoy!

Exercise Muna Tayo!!!

1st - Warming Up
parang nagsasayaw lang...

2nd - Stretching
istretch-istrech

3rd - Upper Body Exercise
gwaping pose

4th - Lower Body Exercise (Moving to the Left and Back)
circle, circle, slide, slide...

5th - Lower Body Exercise (Moving to the Right and Back)
again...

X-cess: I think I actually do numbers 4 and 5 at the office...except for the "circle, circle" thingy...hehehe! Whatchuthink, Maan?Ü

6th - Head Exercise (Make sure to do the 2nd part, it works!)
hiluhin ang sarili, then sumuka...

pampatalino!

7th - Whole Body Exercise
parang bangag lang...

parang tanga lang...

parang sinasaniban...

8th - Reaching-Out Exercise: Remember, the pose is the key!
go! abutin ang langit!

9th - Relax
the exorcism of emily rose...madali lang yan...effortless...promise!

maghanap ng kasama...yung papayag na pareho kayong magmumukang tanga...

sumayaw sa galak dahil you've completed the exercise for the day! tomorrow ulit...Ü

Puzzled Over Facebook

2007-09-29T13:47:00.000+08:00

There's this new "Friendster-like" application/website/whatchamacallit in the web called Facebook that my friends are going gaga over. Personally, i'm still such a newbie to this thing and am super lost (as in!) as to how to navigate and do anything with it! Do I go to the Requests page first and answer all the requests and invites sent out by friends? Do I accept everything they send? How come it always asks me to invite friends whenever I add a new application? Gosh! All these drama! HARDIHARHAR! Right now I'm just playing around with it...tinkering here and there...trying to figure out some of these stuff here.

I guess this site's selling point is the user's ability to add numerous "applications" where you can do just about everything you can think of! Ergo, if you want to "spank" someone online, you can do so via the "Spank" application. If you want to have a food fight with your friends, go ahead with the "Food Fight" application. Wanna know your stripper name and ask your friends to rate it (mine's Heidi Dreambutter...hahaha! Parang Anchor Butter...Ü)? Use the "What's your stripper name?" application. Want to share a Cosmopolitan or a Margarita with your friends? Send them a drink or two using the "Booze Mail" application. The possibilities are endless. And I literallly mean ENDLESS.

So to those who want to join FACEBOOK, go ahead and sign up. Add me up too if you want. And to those who'd want to help me out in figuring out this website, feel free to do so by posting a comment on this blog. I'm sure i'm not the only person you'll be helping out.Ü

Facebook's Homepage

Facebook's Profile Page

Confessions of a Fashionista

2007-09-28T21:28:00.000+08:00

I don't know if you'd consider yours truly a fashionista, but I do love dressing up! I sometimes look forward to weekends just so I could wear an outfit in mind that would never be allowed at the office. And sometimes, I do get excited to go to the office just because of an outfit i'm planning to wear for that day...even though I know no one's gonna see me at the office anyway! HAHAHA! Call me "praning" but I just always get a certain high when I'm in the mood to dress up and when I do achieve my goal of looking the way I want to look for that day. You can probably blame my mom for this characteristic of mine...being a fashion designer during all of my growing up years (she used to make ready-to-wear and made-to-order clothes for women...mostly office attires) and making me her Barbie doll during all of those years, it's just a matter of time that some of her fashionista-self would rub off on me...albeit a bit too much actually. But I don't mind...and I actually love it! She now acts as my "fashion consultant," the one-woman-jury who decides whether my outfit for the day is nice or just so-so.Ü

Anyway, let me share to you the one thing that transpired that led me to write this particular article. One morning, a prominent figure in our department asked me out of nowhere: "Where do you buy the outfits you wear at the office?" And I was stunned. Wierded-out by the question and stunned. Then she goes on to say that she considers moi a fashionista and that her apo, who's a graduating student, needs to buy some corporate attire as it is needed for school (probably for a thesis defense or a similar event), and she just wants to know where I buy my outfits so she can suggest to her apo to go to those stores. I was actually caught empty-handed and I didn't know what to say, but eventually blurted out: "Maldita. The Black Shop. And Divisoria." HAHAHA! I don't think I even own an outfit from The Black Shop. But I love the style of their outfits (it's just not within my budget) and I'd go to their store every now and then just to check out some of their new styles. Anyway, this got me to thinking: Where exactly DO I buy most of my outfits anyway? Well, after a careful scrutiny of my wardrobe cabinet, here's what I got:

MALDITA
I just love their clothes! They're a bit pricey for my taste though but I sometimes stumble upon a piece or two that are just within my budget, hence I've collected quite a few pieces of clothing from this brand. I also love their new alter-ego, Black Sheep, which is more casual, caters to the younger crowd, and are much more affordable. Their "fill-in-the-blanks" shirt is such a hit (to me, at least)! I have one that says "I Dig _______" (you fill in the blank...hehe...) although I like "I Love _______" better, but they didn't have one in my size the time that I bought mine. Anyway, back to Maldita...as I've mentioned, I slowly grew to love this brand coz their pieces (most especially their tops) are hip and stylish, and can be worn to the office. I have only one pair of pants from this store so far and it's actually my most expensive purchase by far (from Maldita) at P1,500+, which is already discounted by 15% coz of an HSBC credit card promo. Basically, the reason why I'm now in love with Maldita, is because they cater to the urban and yuppie gals (And guys too! They have Maldita Men now) like me.Ü

FREEWAY
I've got quite a few clothes from this store that stand out, not just in my closet, but everytime I wear them out as well. One is a black bolero with fur piping (that I wear to the office when I want to cover up a sleeveless top), and another, which is a battle green, sort of crocheted, bolero-type sweater with hood, and lining the hood are fur (HAHA! Ain't I a fur fanatic!). I got those two on sale because I never would've bothered buying those in their original price. Anyway, aside from my fur-mania at Freeway, I also often buy my swimsuits here because the prices of their bra and bikini sets are affordable (And by "affordable" I mean "does not exceed the 1,000-peso mark") and cute.

LANDMARK
Now that i'm an office girl, my wardrobe has changed through the past two years. It used to be full of baby tees and sleeveless/spaghetti strap/haltered tops. But now, you'll find knitted tops and collared blouses since the place I frequent most nowadays is the office. And when it comes to knitted tops, I often get to buy those at The Landmark, 2nd floor, near the shoes section. They have lots of knitted tops there that are great for office wear and are very much affordable, being in the 300 to 600 price range. My most favorite buy there is a black, 3/4 sleeves, V-neck top that never fails to get compliments from family and friends.

DIVISORIA
This place is a shopper's haven! That is, if they're willing to go through each and every aisle of the stores there, weaving in and out of human traffic (not the illegal kind), and at the same time being wary of pickpockets and taking very good care of your valuables. If you're lucky, you'll stumble upon a great buy that is of good quality and cheap (I know I have Ü). If you are a follower of fads and want to join in the current fashion trend but are not willing to spend too much on a piece of clothing that you know you'd only wear for a few months (or until the fad fades away), then this is the place to be. I'm sure that, with all the stores here, you'll definitely find something that will suit your trendy taste and is within budget. You just have to be patient and be very good in bargaining (my mom and dad are experts!). The places I frequent here are 168 Mall (and the adjacent Meisic Mall), Divisoria Mall, and Tutuban...but I find myself going to the latter 2 more often nowadays.

BENCH

Probably the reason why I have quite a few Bench pieces is the fact that I have a discount card at this store (10% discount on cash purchases, 5% on credit card, but not all of their items are covered by the discount card). My most treasured and loved Bench item is a plain white shirt that I got at P399 (or was it P299???), which you can actually find under their Bench Body or underwear line (although it's a far cry from being an underwear). I love it so much that I bought another one (exact same thing) and got one each in other colors too (baby pink and light blue)! HAHA! Talk about being an addict! I so love this top because it fits just right and I just love wearing the color white coz you can do anything with it! Accessorize it and match it with a different bottom every time and you've got a whole new outfit! Aside from this major love affair with Bench's white top, I also like their Bench Body line, mostly their panties, because their bra needs a bit of work (especially the straps...it gets all tangled up after a trip to the laundromat).

SHOES...

VIA VENETTO
Their shoes are so comfy that it compensates with the quite expensive price tag that comes with it. But it's all worthit though coz they really manufacture quality shoes that will last you quite sometime (depends on the use...mine's still in good condition despite the mostly everyday use that it has endured for the past two years). HOwever, they don't have a lot of style that you can choose from...and would you believe that the shoes I bought two years ago is still on display until now? Which goes to show that they really don't invest much when it comes to styling their shoes. But comfort-wise, I give them an A+.Ü

LACOSTE
An expensive store indeed but their walking shoes is comfortable and not to mention, stylish as well. My only pair costs a little less than P4,000 (got it on sale at 20% off) and I just love wearing it coz it's sooo comfy and ideal for walking (great for out of town trips where you know you'd be on your feet most of the time). My mom just recently bought hers at 30% off, which just goes to show that our family really adores this alligator (Or is it crocodile? I always get mixed up!) brand when it comes to shoes.

Well, that's it guys! Those are the stores I love and often frequent. So if you bump into me in any one of these stores, give me a nudge. Maybe I can give you a suggestion or two on what would be a good buy in the said store. 'Til next month's blog!Ü (As bonus, you can check out some of the outfits I mentioned above in the picture-slideshow below Ü Enjoy!)

Rediscovering Bun on the Run

2007-08-01T22:54:00.000+08:00

On my first visit to TriNoma, I headed for the floor where the cinemas are located to catch the 2PM Harry Potter movie which I had advanced tickets for. And just as my friends and I were walking to the cinemas, a small burger joint caught my eye: Bun on the Run, it says. And my reaction was: WHOA! It was like Davey Jones resurrecting from the dead! I thought Bun on the Run was gone for good, never to be seen (and tasted Ü) again. But I guess I was wrong, coz right in front of me is a Bun on the Run burger joint...or so it says. I was skeptical at first. Maybe this was a different Bun on the Run...or maybe I read it wrong or just simply remembered the name incorrectly (which I doubt). But NO! This really is THE Bun on the Run that I remember so vividly. One look at their menu and i'm sure that this is IT!

Standing there, overwhelmed by this wonderful feeling, I vowed that I must not leave TriNoma on that day without having a taste of any of BotR's classic burgers. Hence, after the movie and walking around the mall a bit, my friends and I decided to check out BotR's burgers. We all ended up ordering their Chori Burger and I must say, I was NOT disappointed (I even texted my dad in my excitement Ü). Two of my friends who've never heard and tasted BotR before agreed with me and said that the burgers are indeed delicious. I was actually torn between Porkloin Sandwich --- a favorite of mine when I was a kid, and their Chori Burger --- something that I grew to love after having some bite off my mom or dad's order. Well, as I've mentioned, I ended up ordering the Chori Burger and I can't actually wait to get back at TriNoma (no matter how far it is from home and my usual hang outs) and have a taste of the Porkloin Sandwich, which I also truly miss!

I must say, even after several years in hiatus, BotR's burgers are still the same as how I remembered it: the bun, oh-so-soft; their coleslaw, very tasty; and their mayo (or is it cheese? it says "cheese" on the menu...??? Anyway, whatever...Ü) super yummy! Their mayo (or cheese) is so unique that i've never tasted anything like it in any of the burgers i've tried before. I don't know what it is that they put in that unique concoction of theirs but it truly is a hit! Well, with me at least.Ü Probably the only thing that changed in the several years they've been MIA is their price (of course, their burgers now are pricier than before at P68 each) and their logo, which is now updated with a modern look.Ü

There's one thing I miss though: it's seeing their staff prepare and cook the burgers while customers are waiting for their orders. Their old store at Park Square 1, which my family and I frequented before they moved to Glorietta then closed down, gave customers a chance to view what is going on in their mini kitchen since their oven is placed against a glass divider for people to see how burgers are prepared and cooked. And I remember as a kid that I love watching them prepare and cook burgers while at the same time guessing what burger among those being cooked is mine. But that was then. The TriNoma branch now doesn't offer this kitchen preview, but they do have tables and chairs in front, which is something that the old-and-now-gone Park Square branch didn't have.

I sure hope BotR opens a branch in Makati, Pasay, or Parañaque area because they surely have at least one avid fan (That's me! Two if you count my officemate, Jacky Ü) who can't seem to get enough of their burgers.Ü I read in another post that they have one other branch at Metrowalk, but that's still far from the places that I frequent. So I hope that this blog reaches the BotR owners and grant an avid fan's request!Ü If not, then i'll just have to think of other ways to make BotR come to me! Hmmm...I wonder: how much do you think it costs to franchise? Hehe! Let's wait and see...Ü

'Til the next blog everyone!Ü

FYI: Writing this blog made me crave for BotR even more!!! Someone ship me off to TriNoma...NOW!!!Ü

Thanks to Dulce for bringing along her NEW camera for taking all those pictures of BotR!Ü

What Your Mobile Phone Says About You

2007-07-21T02:31:00.000+08:00

As most of my friends know, I am a proud owner of a Motorola Razr V3X in Pink. And according to the Yahoo Tech website, owners of this type of phone are fashion conscious, under 24, fun seekers, and individualistic. It's the "it" girls must have phone. And, I have to say, I do agree.Ü I basically bought this phone not because of its features, but because I like the color (but mind you, my favorite color is blue, not pink Ü). If you think of it, it's such a shallow reason for one to buy a phone just because of its color. But what the heck! I like it. I can call and receive calls with it. I can text and receive text messages. And it reminds me of my friends' birthdays and other events that I need to take note of. If you ask me, that's all I need for a mobile phone. True, its camera is just so-so, especially if you're surrounded by people with SE Cybershot phones, but...a girl's gotta have what a girl's got to have.Ü

Wanna know what your mobile phone says about you? Check out this site: http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/hughes/10074 which I stumbled upon a few months ago. The site also mentions the type of phones some celebrities have so it's actually nice to have an idea who uses what.

So...what mobile phone do you have? And what do you think it says about you? Share your thoughts...Ü

My 101 Wishes

2007-07-10T20:26:00.000+08:00

One night I felt the urge to fix the top cabinet where my old high school and college text books, projects, and board reviewers were kept. Browsing through all those stuff, I saw some of the projects I made in High School and felt some sort of nostalgia upon seeing those things. Needless to say, it was a happy & giddy feeling.Ü One of the things I saw was an assignment for our Literature (or was it Grammar or Speech?) class under Ms. Bediones (Yep, you read right. Sister of Paolo Bediones. Her name's Lara. She was one of my teachers in St. Scho Ü). It's a 2-page long bond paper with the numbers 1 to 101 and the heading MY 101 WISHES and I wish for... on top. It was fun reading through it because it truly was a list written by a 14-year old girl.Ü

Albeit embarrassing to the point that I want to hide myself under a blanket, I'm sharing the list with you to remind us all that wishes do come true (some of mine already did...I highlighted those in bold font), and maybe solicit a few laughs from you guys seeing that most of these wishes are hilarious!Ü

MY 101 WISHES

I wish for…

Jonathan Jackson to court me and kiss me & marry me -WOW! proof that this list was written a decade ago...i've had several celebrity crushes since then.Ü
a cute and beautiful house in Miami near the beach -I can't remember now why I singled-out Miami of all the places in the U.S.
a blue convertible -"Santa Baby, a '54 convertible too, light blue..." Ü
someone to discover me and make me a model/actress -"I wanna be a supermodel!!!" HAHAHA!Ü
a world tour
an amazingly big house in L.A.
a smooth skin -Yes, please!
a perfect stomach and abdomen or in other words, a perfect body -Yes, please...again!
school to be banished in the universe -HAHAHA! What was I thinking?!!!
a boyfriend right now!!! -HAHAHA! Grabe, 10 years ago, wish ko na 'to?!?!???
a personal housemaid who will always be on my side
a trip to Paris and to go shopping there and buy lots of beautiful designer clothes
an expensive van that my family could use when we go out -Ditto!ÜÜÜ Pero hindi sya expensive, ha.
a blue mountain bike
a tour to Disneyland with my friends and family -I've been to Disneyland with my family...not yet with my friends.Ü
a black horse
a breakfast in bed which will be served by my crush
many beautiful dresses, shirts, shorts, pants, shoes, accessories -High school pa lang, fashionista na!
a college scholarship to one of the prestige schools in the U.S.
the Hanson, Boyzone, and Backstreet Boys to be my friends (or boyfriends!)
honors when I graduate from H.S. & college -ÜÜÜ
trillions of money -Still a wish!Ü
my life to be happy and safe; the same goes for my family -ÜÜÜ
my mom and dad to stop fighting
my brother to be successful in his life
Mike Tyson’s house to be mine -I can't remember why I specifically chose Mike Tyson's house...hehehe!
a driver’s license by my 16th B-day -I now have a driver's license...I just can't remember if I got it by my 16th birthday...
a happy family of my own by the age of 40 -Grabe, buti nlang sinabi ko "40" kasi kung "30"...Oh My!
a gym membership in our village
my lower jaw to be in the right position -ÜÜÜ After 2 years with braces, I finally have an a-OK bite!Ü
my cabinet to be fixed -It still gets messy from time to time but i'm glad that it's most of the time tidy now, rather than messy.Ü
a box of Ferrero Rocher -I was probably craving for Ferrero while writing this assignment.Ü
the shoes/sandals I saw in Sari-Sari to be mine
a bath in the rain with my crush
a black, elegant prom dress
a computer -ÜÜÜ
my dad to be able to sell more insurance policies -So far, so good...Ü
my mom to find an honest and hardworking sewer and cutter -Mom closed shop already...but it's OK, it was all for the best.
my brother to be able to speak fluent Chinese and write Chinese
a new schoolbus -My busmates and I never got this wish. HAHA!
a trip to Boracay with my friends -Still a wish!
me to learn how to play the guitar
my crush to visit me at home and bring me to the prom
an older brother (1 year older)
me to meet new friends in our village
my room and cabinet to be neat & tidy always -Was I a super messy kid?Ü I already mentioned this in #31!Ü
a blue wallpaper for my room with blue Venetian blinds -I got green & pink wallpaper and green venetian blinds.Ü
my dad to be able to walk me to the altar on my wedding day -Still a wish!Ü
my family to live abroad
a cute date on date night
a larger room with a bigger bed
high grades -I got fairly good grades...Ü
my crush to send me roses and love notes
a Tamagotchi
a big and attractive house with a swimming pool (w/ slides); a large garden; lots of rooms; jacuzzi; a mini theater; a library; a basketball court; a music room; a den; an attic; a nice dining room, kitchen & bathrooms; with a grand reception area; located at Los Angeles, CA -Hindi naman demanding at specific, noh?Ü
my own movie theater
my father to be king and for me to be a beautiful princess -HAHAHA! Funny and sooo impossible!
knowledge of the Chinese language -Yah...I would reallly love to learn...Ü
a stable job when I grow up
a lifetime supply of Combos (Cheddar Cheese flavor), Maltesers, Toblerone -I'm not much of a fan of Combos now...my dad loves Toblerone so we always have this at home...it's the Maltesers that I miss.Ü
a French Coffee Vanilla ice cream -Wow! San ko naman kaya natikman 'to?Ü
lunchtime in our school to be longer -Don't we all wish this!
a Birkenstock (shoes) -Shoes ba talaga or sandals?ÜÜÜ
Prince William to be my boyfriend
a cute cousin (boy)
a whole pan of Leche Flan
a whole lechon on my birthday -Talaga nga naman!
a high grade on our Eco 2nd L.T. -Ngyeee...can't remember what grade I got for that specific exam.
a little sister
a change in our SSC jumper/uniform -Wishful thinking!
a Jansport bag -ÜÜÜ
a BSB tape & CD -ÜÜÜ
a picture holder for my organizer -ÜÜÜ
Michael Jordan to teach me how to play basketball
a lesson in Hockey
a pair of ice skates
a lesson in ice skating
my dad to “accept” my cousin, Sha Sha
an elegant ecru gown with sequins on my wedding day -Proof that I plan ahead. Haha!
my friends & I to form a band
my friends & I to be friends forever
Joy to get well -I miss Joy.Ü
a camping trip w/ my friends to Mt. Makiling
my dresser drawer to be neat & tidy -HAHAHA! No comment. (Also see #31 and #46)
a new school shoes -I probably got this.
a sleeping bag -ÜÜÜ
a gift for my friends on their birthday -ÜÜÜ
a Marvin the Martian hat
an Angel’s Love cologne
a discman and a walkman -Well, I got these...but I want an iPod now.Ü
beautiful black hair
a collection of Love Stories -I stopped collecting by book #23.Ü
a VHS tape of Mighty Ducks D3
a role in the movie ‘Now & Then’ -Aba! Best Actress?!?!??!!!Ü
Juliet to be my part in the play Rome & Juliet -"Rome" talaga ang nakasulat dun sa paper...I probably forgot to add in the "O."
a bracelet to be given to me by my boyfriend
a diamond ring -"Diamonds are a girl's best friend."Ü
my crush to call me up
a lovely blue dress
trip to Ocean Park -I've been to HKG a lot of times but i've never been to Ocean Park!!!
new school shoes -I already wrote this in #85...grabe, sobrang luma na ba nung school shoes ko nung time na yun? Twice ko pa'ng ni-wish! HAHA!Ü

Hope I made you laugh with what a 14-year old, 3rd year high school girl wrote for her 101 Wishes assignment. I don't even want to count how many times I mentioned the words "crush," "boyfriend," or anything that pertains to love life seeing as those were the most embarrassing parts!

I'm planning to write another list: My 101 Goals, which should contain things that can actually be achieved (not things like: for my dad to be king and I to be a princess Ü). And hopefully, 10 years from now, when I read that list, I'll be able to highlight some, if not most, of what I've written and have again that same nostalgic, happy, and giddy feeling that I'm feeling right now.Ü