SITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

SITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

In Her Shoes

If I were in her shoes, I would have asked him what his plans are about “us”. Should we remain “just friends” or risk the friendship and take our relationship to the next level?

There is no denying that there is “something” between the two of them. They constantly talk to each other over the phone, over chat, over text even via email. They keep each other updated with the current happenings in their lives; even the minutest detail is shared between the two of them. They don’t merely talk; they also meet up for dinner or watch a movie.

Boy makes girl smile. Her face lights up when her alert tone rings, it lights up even more when she sees his name registered on the phone. They would then have their texting marathon/telebabad until the wee hours of the morning. This happens every single day. However, there came a time when she begins to feel disappointed whenever he doesn’t reply back as quickly as he used to or whenever no message was received from him for the whole day. Paranoia would creep in; thoughts that she might have said something that may have offended him come into play; even thoughts that he might have already met someone would set in. She begins to hate herself for allowing herself to be vulnerable; to be in this pseudo setup and swears never to talk to him again.

When boy suddenly makes his presence felt once again, everything goes back to the old arrangement. Girl succumbs to talking to him again… until the wee hours of the morning. This becomes a cycle that develops into a habit that’s slowly leading to a pit; a trap that’s hard to get out of once one has fallen deeply into it.

If I were in her shoes, I would save myself the huge emotional investment before I run out of resources to sustain this pseudo setup. Who knows, boy just needs a little shove to get him to admit and formalize this crazy setup. But then what if he’s just playing around and sees the girl as just a mere fun companion, a friend, worst his best friend?! At least girl already knows where she stands and no longer wastes her time over someone who doesn’t deserve to be an issue in her life.

SIDE COMMENT:
Pero on second thought, masarap din ma-involve sa isang pseudo relationship, the emotional rollercoaster is exhillirating! It gets better when you’re already at the edge of your seat as you approach the 360 degree turn. Sad lang when you’ve already reached the end of the ride. Well, you can still fall in line again and hop on the next ride.

Peyups @ Smart

Another long overdue post. :p

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Dahil ngayong taon ay ika-100 taon ng aming mahal na unibersidad, ang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, nagkaroon ng pagkakataon ang mga empleyado ng Smart na nagtapos sa UP na magkatipon-tipon para bumuo ng mga programa para sa selebrasyon ng sentenaryo ng UP. Ang nasabing GA o General Assembly ay nangyari noong nakaraang Miyerkules, July 16. Ang akala ko noong una ay isang simpleng meeting lamang ang magaganap. Laking gulat ko pati ng aking mga kasama dahil isang magarbong selebrasyon pala ang aming matutunghayan. Para talagang org GA yung nangyari. Binigyan kami ng sig sheet (blue book), merong mga palaro upang magkakila-kilala ang bawat isa at meron ding munting salo-salo na kwek-kwek, pritong lumpia, fish balls, bananaque, at camoteque. UP-ing UP talaga! Nakakatuwa dahil damang-dama nang bawat isa ang kaligayahan sa pakiki-isa sa selebrasyon ng sentenaryo ng UP. Andun din ang pagnanais ng bawat isa na makatulong sa mga programang nakalatag upang tumanaw ng malaking utang na loob sa institusyong humubog sa aming karunungan at kamalayan.

Mabuhay ang ika-isandaang taon ng UP! :-)

-Mga Isko at Iska ng CPG-
-Mga Isko at Iska ng CPG-
-Peyups@SMART Bus para sa UP Maroons Athletes-
-Blue Book Sig Sheet-
-UP Centennial Commemorative 100 Peso Bills-


The Rihanna and Chris Brown Experience

Yes, another blog post re the Rihanna and Chris Brown concert. I’ll just make this short as what we’ve experienced may have already been blogged about by the 69,000 others who went to the concert.

All I can say is, it was all worth it! The silver tix priced at 1,500 each (thank God for the early bird promo), the long queue, the humid weather, the terrible traffic going out of bonifacio, not to mention my only 3 hours of sleep as it’s a work day the following day.

Chris Brown, as expected was a stellar performer! No one can pull off those moves than him. He’s definitely the Michael Jackson of this generation. Rihanna was equally fantastic! I was not really a fan of hers prior to the concert. Sure I’m familiar with her songs and all, but I was not really a big follower until I actually heard her sing and perform. I’m instantly converted into a huge fan after the concert. Her voice was so amazing! At the same time, you can’t help but be drawn with her presence on stage. Galeng, sobra! My favorite part of the show was when they did the Umbrella/Cinderella duet. Kakakilig!

Rihanna and Chris Brown definitely deserve a big round of applause for the superb show! Come on guys, take a bow!

Silver Tix :-)

Met friends at Seattle's Best High Street

Met friends at Seattle's Best High Street



ms independent

i'm currently lovin ms independent by ne yo.

here's the lyrics:
Oo there something about just something about the way she moved
I cant figure it out, there's something about her (about her)
Say oo there something about,
What kinda women wants you but you dont need you
Hey, i cant figure it out, there's something about her
Cuz she walk like the boss, talk like the boss
Manicured nalis, just like the pedicured roll?
She's fly effortlessly
Cuz she move like a boss, do add a boss
Do, she got me thinking about getting involved
thats the kinda girl i need

She got her own thing
That why i love her
Miss independent
Wont you come and spend a little time
She got her own thing
That why i love her
Miss independent
Love the way you shine
Miss independent

Oo there's something about that a woman that can do for herself
I look at her and it makes me proud, there's something about her
there somehting oo so sexy about the kinda women that dont even need my help
She ses she got it,she got it, no doubt, theres something about her
Cuz she work like the boss, play like the boss
Car and a crib, she about to pay em both off
And her bills are paid on time
She made for a boss, Solely a boss,
Everything like, she telling em to get lost
Thats the girl that on my mind

She got her own thing
That why i love her
Miss independent
Wont you come and spend a little time
She got her own thing
That why i love her
Miss independent
Love the way you shine
Miss independent

Her favourite thing, is to say dont worry i got it
And everything she got, best believe she bought it
She gunna steal my heart, aint no doubt about it,
Girl your everything i need, said your everything i need

She got her own thing
That why i love her
Miss independent
Wont you come and spend a little time
She got her own thing
That why i love her
Miss independent
Love the way you shine
Miss independent
Thats why i love her

a difference a cup of hot choco makes

last friday was simply not my day. basta sobrang bad mood ako nung biyernes! hindi ko matago at pati sa ym eh "bad mood" ang status ko. arnel noticed it and asked me if i'm okay. i told him the reason why i'm feeling pissed. he told me to cheer up kasi malapit na naman daw mag-weekend. he offered coffee para daw mawala yung pagka bad mood ko. sabi ko, baka lalo akong ma-high blood at magpalpitate kung iinom ako ng kape so i asked kung meron na lang siyang chocolate. he told me to wait for 10 minutes. akala ko manghihingi siya sa katabi niya ng chocolates. then after 10 minutes, he came back with a cup of hot chocolate na binili pa niya sa 7-11. sobrang na-touch ako sa gesture niya. sweet pala sa kuya arnel! hehe :P true enough, with that simple gesture of his, my mood shifted to the other end of the spectrum. thanks po ulit, kuya arnel for making me feel a whole lot better last friday. :-)

Super Support

Ganito ang itsura ng mga next-day support while trying to resolve an issue at 12:30 AM.

Mother Sol's puyat look. Fresh pa din! :-)

"Mukhang alam ko na kung anong problema!"

"Yey! Mukhang okay na!"

My cluttered desk after being invaded by a Java God! :P



Mga Dayo Sa Dumaguete

Been on blog leave for quite some time. I know dami ko nang backlog na mga posts and here's one. Sobrang long overdue post na nito.

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Juk, Ric, Trish and I went on another fun trip/photo shoot session last June 6-9. This time, to Dumaguete, Negros Oriental. Ang primary motivation talaga namin for this trip is for the Inday Part 2 photo shoot. Hehe We shot the first of the two part series in Ilocos last September. 9 months after bago kami nakapagplan ulit for the sequel. We thought of going to Dumaguete because we heard that it’s nice there and there are lots of beautiful places to explore. In short, a very fitting setting for our “Inday” shoot.

Another motivation to go on vacation is the amount of stress that we face in the office on a daily basis. Sabi ko sa kanila, kung hindi pa kami magbabakasyon any time soon, baka masiraan na talaga ako ng bait. I badly needed a break. Hehe So napressure si Trish (our ever reliable Travel Agent) to book us a flight to Dumaguete. Our trip schedule was perfect because we only filed for one day leave in the office kasi Independence Day weekend that time. So everything’s all set, we were all very excited as we count down the days to our trip.

Come June 6, Juk and I agreed to go to the airport together since we’re both coming from Makati. Ric and Trish on the other hand, also agreed to go together. Trish was already at the Domestic Airport when we arrived there but Ric was not with her. As we got in line, we noticed that the check-in line was quite short and the officer at the counter was already yelling “last call”. When we checked the time, it was already 6:30 AM. Our flight was at 7:10 AM. As we got nearer the counter, we called up Ric to check up on him. He told us that he was still in Ortigas. WHAT?! Nung nasa counter na kami, we told the officer that another companion was still on his way. He told us that he can’t promise if he could still be admitted kasi ico-close na daw ang check-in counter. So medyo nagpapanic na kaming tatlo dahil baka nga hindi umabot si Ric. To make matters worse, the e-ticket was with us. So we decided to wait for him near the entrance. We found two airport officers there and we asked for help regarding our situation. They told us that if ever hindi umabot si Ric, he had to go to the Cebu Pacific office to check on the next flight and he needs to pay an additional amount for rebooking his flight. We were already thinking of the worst. I called up Ric and asked him if aabot pa kaya siya and was already discussing with him the worst case scenario. The officer told us to go check on the express check-in counter to ask if pwede pang humabol. So I decided to go with him while Juk and Trish waited for Ric. As I was telling the counter officer about Ric’s situation sakto namang dumating na si Ric. Lumabas yung hidden talent ko sa acting that time kasi as if iiyak na ko sa pakiusap para makapag-check-in lang si Ric. You have to hand me the best actress trophy kasi nagwork ang pagdadrama ko. Haha J This is the first flight ko na hindi na talaga ako naka-upo sa waiting area after check-in. As in direcho board sa eroplano! Ganun kami ka-gahol sa time nun!

Anyway, despite the stress that we went through we were just glad that we were all able to arrive in Dumaguete together in one flight.

DAY 1
- Harold’s Mansion Check-in
- Lunch at Lab-as Seafood Restaurant
- Tour of Valencia

- Twin Lakes
- Forest Camp
- Dinner at Jo’s Chicken Inato

Highlight of DAY 1:
- Yummy lunch at Lab-as Seafood Restaurant
- Long and winding road going to the Twin Lakes. Grabe magdrive yung Manong driver na nahire namin! Medyo hindi siya mahilig gumamit ng brakes eh ang dinaanan namin eh pagkahaba-habang rough zigzag road sa tabi ng bangin. Kung marunong lang ako mag-Bisaya tinanong ko na siya ng “Manong, are we there yet?!” ng ilang beses. Eh among the four of us ako yung hindi masyadong nakakatulog sa biyahe. Okay na ako sa short nap pero after a while, wide awake na ako for the rest of the trip. Feeling ko din, being the “ate” (Oo na, inaamin ko na ako ang pinaka-senior sa amin!) among the four of us, instinctively, I feel na responsibility ko na mag watch over them. So ako yung nakawitness talaga sa napakagaling na driving skills ni Manong while the three of them are in dreamland. Hehe When we finally got to the Twin Lakes, super worth it yung napakahabang biyahe and scary zigzag road. The sight of the lakes was indescribable. Natanggal lahat ng stress na dala-dala ko just being there. The air was fresh and cool, as in super breezy when we got there. Lake Danao was another story, it was incredibly beautiful! Kung pwede lang dun na lang tumira para walang stress and super calm and serene ng surroundings.



DAY 2
- Dolphin Watching
- Sand Bar
- Bais Mangrove
- Dinner at Mamia’s Bar and Restaurant
- Photo shoot at the Rizal Boulevard
- Drinks at Coco Amigos
- Fish Balls and Tempura at the Tempurahan along the Boulevard
- Coffee at Why Not Café

Highlight of DAY 2:
- We went dolphin watching at Bais. Super early kami umalis from Harold’s kasi the boat that would bring us to the dolphin watching spot was supposed to leave at 7 AM. Sobrang disappointed pa kami ‘cause it was raining so hard that time. Well, siguro, malakas kami kay Lord kasi when we got to the pier, the skies began clearing out. As in nakisama ang weather sa dolphin watching adventure namin. Kuya Art, our guide told us that the dolphins that we are about to see are different from those that we see in zoos and ocean parks. They should not be fed and should not be touched. Wild kind daw kasi yung andun. So we just had to be content in watching them swim and jump near our boat. As our boat slowed down, Kuya Art began clapping and a little later the dolphins began surfacing and swimming near our boat. They are so cute! Super swerte daw kami kasi some tourists daw who go there were not able to see even a single dolphin.
- Before heading for home, we had coffee at Why Not Café along Rizal Boulevard. Juk ordered for iced latte. Nung dumating yung order niya, binigyan siya ng isang baso na may yelo at isang mug na may latte. Iced + Latte nga naman. Hehe :p

DAY 3
- Silliman University Shoot
- Quick Stop at Sans Rival for pasalubong shopping
- Check-in at Bahura Resort and Spa
- Apo Island Adventure
- Dinner at Bahura Resort

Highlight of DAY 3:
- Check in at Bahura Resort. Anyone who wishes to go to Dumaguete must go and see Bahura Resort and Spa. It’s one of the best resorts I’ve ever been to. World class facilities, yummy food, friendly staff, perfect vacation place! Actually, we were contemplating on whether to stay in Antulang or Bahura. Reviews from the net showed that Antulang is perfect for couples and honeymooners. Bahura’s rooms and facilities, on the other hand are more for barkadas or groups. Based on this and the many great reviews we saw on the net, not to mention the nice pictures of the resort, we decided to go ahead and book an overnight stay in Bahura.

And we we’re so happy with our decision. We can’t help but be struck with awe upon entering the resort. We were greeted by coconut trees beautifully lined up in front of the resort. Our room was not a disappointment either. Everything was BIG! The room was so spacious, the bed was huge and the bathroom was also humongous! We

- Near death experience going to and from Apo Island. Feeling talaga namin mamamatay na kami nun kasi we rode on a small motorized boat na wala man lang upuan sa loob. As in naka-indian sit lang kami sa ibabaw ng bangka. Can you imagine that?
At ang maganda pa dun, wala kaming life vest! Kaya pala upon registering for the trip, we were asked to log our names and contact numbers. Little did we know that what we were about to experience was one helluva ride! Half of the trip, we were all screaming at the top of our lungs dahil sa sobrang lalaki ng alon and feeling namin, maooverturn yung bangka namin! ¼ pa lang ng ride, we were already soaked wet dahil sa lakas ng splash ng alon sa bangka. Wala ding safety harness or contraption na pwedeng hawakan kundi bamboo poles lang sa magkabilang gilid ng bangka.

Was just glad that we were able to survive the whole Apo Island boat ride ordeal. Worth it naman yung experience dahil super ganda ng Apo Island. We were not able to go snorkeling and scuba diving, though kasi ang lakas talaga ng alon that time.

DAY 4
- Breakfast at Bahura
- Swimming
- Lunch at Juk’s Folks
- Pasalubong Shopping
- Flight back to Manila

Highlight of DAY 4:

Bahura MTV! :-) If you want to view the video, please send me your youtube account so I can grant you privilege to access it. Sorry, it's not for public consumption. Ayaw kasi naming madiscover ni Ellen at ni Oprah. Low profile lang kasi kami. hehe :P

UP Survey - Dahil Centennial Year

Dahil Centennial Year ngayon ng UP, marami sa aming mga Isko at Iska ay madalas mag-reminisce about our good old college days. Si Tintoots yung madalas kong kachikahan sa office pagdating sa buhay peyups kasi halos same year kaming grumadweyt. Let's reminisce some more by answering some survey questions. Got this survey from her blog:

1. ANONG STUDENT NUMBER MO?
96-14045

2. NAKAPASA KA BA OR WAITLISTED?
Pasado

3. PAANO MO NALAMAN ANG ENTRANCE EXAM RESULT?
Sinabi sa 'kin ng classmate ko tapos pinuntahan namin sa PHAN
to see for ourselves.

4. ANO ANG FIRST CHOICE MO NA COURSE?
BS Business Administration, Diliman

5. SECOND CHOICE?
BS Psychology

6. ANO COURSE MO NA NATAPOS?
BS Hotel and Restaurant Administration

7. NAG-SHIFT KA BA?
Yup!

8. CHINITO/CHINITA KA BA?
Nagiging chinita kapag nakangiti.

9. NAKAPAG-DORM KA BA?
Nope, pero dapat magdodorm ako sa Kamia kaso nasaraduhan ako.

10. NAKA UNO KA BA?
But op kors! If I remember it correctly, Business Law and HRA 100 yung mga subjects na naka-uno ako.

11. NAGKA-3?
Yup, Chem 16 :p

12. LAGI KA BANG PUMAPASOK SA KLASE?
Yup, sobrang diligent student ako nun. Notes ko nga yung parating phinophotocopy ng mga classmates ko. :p

13. MAY SCHOLARSHIP KA BA?
Wala.

14. ILANG UNITS NA ANG NAIPASA MO?
Naku, di ko maalala yung total number of units namin sa course.

15. NANGARAP KA BA NA MAG- CUM LAUDE?
Oo naman! Konti na lang laude na sana. :p

16. KELAN KA NAGTAPOS?
March 2001

17. FAVE PROF
Nat Sci 2/Geology Teacher - Super Cool! Nambato ng igneous rock sample sa klase pero made of foam lang pala. haha :)

Socio 101 Teacher - Dito ako gumawa ng deviant acts in public. Kung ano man yun, let's leave it in the past. haha :)

Madami din akong interesting classmates sa class na 'to:
- commercial model
- transgender
- frat man na nakasuhan sa kasong hazing

Table Tennis Teacher - Galing mag pingpong kahit matanda na. Peace, ma'am!

PI 100 Teacher - Isa pang cool prof ito! Nag-attempt na nakawan ako ng buko pie habang nakasakay sa jeep pauwi galing sa Mt. Banahaw. Of course, practical joke lang yun! :p

18. WORST TEACHER:
Math 17 Teacher! Grrrr

19. FAVE SUBJECT:
HRA Series - Sobrang Saya, lalo na yung Catering and Beverage Mgt subjects namin
Soc Sci 1 - dahil parati kong nakikita yung crush ko na Psych Major

20. WORST SUBJECT:
Math 17

21. FAVE BUILDING:
CHE at CBA

22. PABORITONG KAINAN:
- Tea Room sa CHE
- Green House, yung nagtitinda ng Roast Beef with Chips Sandwich
- Of course, Beach House for the yummy bbq and red egg
- CASAA - chicken roll na may gravy yung favorite ko dito
- SR Thai sa Katips
- Walang kamatayang Mcdo and Jollibee sa Philcoa

23. NONG ESTUDYANTE KA PA MAGKANO BA ANG BINABAYAD MO SA JEEP?
P1.75 or P2.00 pa lang yata ang pamasahe nun (Circa '96) wehehe :p

24. LAGI KA BA SA LIBRARY?
Yup, tambay ako sa CHE Lib at Main Lib

25. NAGPUNTA KA BA SA CLINIC NUN?
Once lang, nung nagpamedical exam. Requirement sa pagpasok.

26. MAY CRUSH KA BA SA CAMPUS?
Oo naman!

27. ANU-ANO ANG MGA NAGING PE MO?
Ang gaganda ng mga PE ko:
- Cheerleading
- Stretching
- Table Tennis
- Folk Dance

Ganda di ba?! :p

28. KAMUSTA NAMAN ANG BLOCK NYO?
Oks lang.

29. MEMORIZE MO BA ANG ALMA MATER SONG?
Oo naman! Requirement sa Cheerleading dahil kinakanta namin ito after manalo sa game.

30. MEMBER KA BA NG VARSITY TEAM?
Nope.

31. NAKA-PERFECT KA NA BA NG EXAM?
Don't remember.

32. DITO KA BA NATUTONG UMINOM NG BEER?
Oo! We have an excuse to drink and go to bars sa Bev Management class namin. Lahat ng klase ng drinks natikman ko dito sa class na 'to.

Try ko mag-post ng mga pix. Kailangan ko pa lang siyang ipa-scan. :p

Swerte

Minsan napapaisip ako kung meron bang taong sadyang pinagpala o swerte…yung tipong nagkakataon na parating tama ang tiyempo ng tadhana sa kanyang buhay. Maaaring ito ay swerte sa pag-ibig, sa karera, sa pamilya, atbp. Yung tipong dumarating na lang ang magandang pagkakataon sa kanyang buhay nang walang kaabog-abog. Hindi nila ito pinlano, ni hindi nila pinagsumikapang gawin o hanapin pero ito ay kusang dumarating. Swerte nga sigurong maituturing ang mga ganitong klaseng mga tao…parati siyang nasa tamang lugar, kasama ang mga tamang tao sa tamang panahon.

Alam ko, walang perpektong buhay pero bakit may mga taong higit na pinagpala kaysa iba? Mas mataimtim ba siya kung manalangin, pinanganak ba siyang walang balat sa pwet, meron ba siyang swerteng nunal o taling, pinamanahan ba siya ng anting-anting ng kanyang lolo, seiko ba ang kanyang wallet, nagpa-fengshui ba siya?

Maaaring isipin ninyo na may pinaghuhugutan ang mga katanungan kong ito. Hindi kayo nagkamali, meron nga. hehe Ang mga ito ay bunga marahil ng aking obserbasyon sa mga nangyayari sa aking personal na buhay, mga pangyayari sa opisina at sa aking paligid. Ayoko nang maging detalyado sa kung ano man ang mga ito basta yun lang. Labo ko ba?

Making a Life, Not a Living

Been contemplating a lot lately about the current status of my life, I guess this is what they say a phase called Saturn Return. Let’s see if it is indeed Saturn making a come back. According to my astronomical reading, my Saturn return will happen from September 3, 2007 to October 29, 2009. (Check!) Saturn return according to the book I’ve read is a time in a person’s life when Saturn returns to its original position when the person was born. It usually happens when a person is about to reach the age of 30. (Check!) -Yes, the big 3-0 is on the onset.- It is a time when a person starts to rethink about the life he has lived, about his purpose and decides to make a drastic move to start his life anew. (Check!) With three check marks there, it’s absolutely certain that there’s no one to blame but Saturn doing a “Mac Arthur” for my recent introspective and emotional streak.

Recent events in the office prompted me to think about whether I’m happy with the life I’m living. Lately, I’ve been spending up to 15 hours of my day inside the four walls of the office. You would ask how come?! Actually, 15 hours is still not enough with the avalanche of work that need to be accomplished. As proof, let me have you take a peek at my “To Do” list: finish testing a whole platform, monitor bugs, manage difficult vendors, attend to everything from stakeholder’s requirements, developer’s code, database developers’ db tables and stored procs, sys ads’ deployment, network ads’ firewall connectivity. Oh and before I forget, the UAT and deployment is already next week. With still a buggy application do you expect me to spend a restful weekend?! Rather than spending my weekend at the mall or at the spa, my presence can still be found in the Data Lab performing regression testing. Reading what I have just written, I realize that my life has been so consumed with work. Ryan, my friend based in Saudi pretty much gave me a slight slap on the face when he sent me this message upon reading my YM status (“busyness is next to godliness”); “baka naman pag-uwi ko niyan mukha ka nang paperwork!” haha Joke but ouch at the same time. Tinamaan ako dun! :P

Now that I’m back to renting again in Makati, I should no longer be hindered from going to after-office activities, like badminton, bowling, going to the gym, movie, coffee, dinner with friends and dates, right? But the ironic thing is, the convenience of the proximity of the office to my home has hindered me from going to these after-office activities and prompted me to go on OT to finish my tasks instead.

A recent conversation with Mia, my best friend also made me realize that I should now start doing something about my situation. I could no longer afford to miss out on my life and happiness just because of work. At the end of the day, my boss would not be there to ask if I’m feeling okay or not, his only concern is to get the project deployed. Enough with trying so hard to make a living, I should instead start making a “life”, a fun and exciting one that is. ;-)

Abangan ang susunod na kabanata.

If you want to know more about Saturn Return, visit these sites:
http://www.newage-directory.com/saturn.html
http://www.saturnreturn.net/where_is.html

Moving Out, Moving On

Last Friday was my moving out day from Prince Tower. I’ve decided not to renew my contract of lease anymore to pursue my moving on plans. Of course it’s not easy; Prince Tower was my home for more than a year and I have already grown attached to my unit. Despite its cute size, I always felt comfortable, not to mention safe and secure during my stay there. It is also where I experienced to be truly independent. I never knew that I could really, actually live on my own, as in alone. Kaya ko pala! It was truly a character building experience.

Some of the things that I’ll surely miss about condo living are the following:

- Convenience of the condo from the office. I can practically wake up at 7:30 AM and still make it in the office by 8:30 AM. At the same time, overtime and overnight activities are not a problem since I can safely walk the streets of Valero and Tordesillas without thinking of any lurking holduppers and snatchers. Oh well, time to say hello again to the FX, bus and the MRT. Also time to put my driving skills to good use.

- Impromptu shopping, gimmicks, dinners, movies and meet ups. Since travel time to Valenzuela takes about 2 hours, now, traffic and travel arrangements would have to be considered for any gimmick plans.

- KFC and 7-11. These two establishments kept me nourished for more than a year. The extra pounds can definitely be blamed on my Hot and Crispy Chicken and Mashed Potato nightly dinners.

- Star World, Lifestyle Channel and Velvet Channel. I’ll surely miss these channels since Destiny; our cable provider in Valenzuela doesn’t carry these channels.

- The kind Manongs and Admin Personnel of Prince Tower. They are all very approachable and always willing to help.

To be honest, I have not fully absorbed my new arrangement just yet. It would take a while before I can fully adjust again to waking up at 4:30 AM, commuting and driving to Makati. But it’s all good. I welcome the change as I prepare myself to the bigger challenges that lie ahead.

all packed

mumble, my trusty companion

one last shot of my room

goodbye, unit 1001!

TTMO

TTMO – that was my YM status yesterday. Upon first glance, it would seem like an obscene word or expression. Some of my friends even messaged me and asked me about it. Some thought that it was funny in a “green” kind of way. Hahaha It actually is just an acronym for Time To Move On. If I remember it right, I got that from my college friend, Mario. He was one of my constant companions back in the day when I was nursing a broken heart. He would always say, "TTMO, girl".

Well, I posted that acronym as my status because of a recent event in my life. I realized that it’s about time to make things happen in my life and move on from my dormant existence. The signs are now clear; it seems that everything is falling into place. There’s no more point in delaying, the time is now.

Swak Article

Sharing the article I chanced upon peyups.com and the email conversation I had with Juk regarding said article.

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From: Cris Lauranne Sumera, CPG/
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 11:39 AM
To: Jucyn B. Gargalicana, CPG/
Subject: Swak Article
Importance: Low

Sharing… sobrang swak ‘to! Got this from peyups (http://peyups.com/article.khtml?sid=4362).

Why I Wouldn't Settle
Contributed by joycemorrison (Edited by arwen)
Friday, August 31, 2007 @ 06:35:04 PM
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I'm in my thirties and a victim of those rude questions as to why I'm not yet married, why I don't have a decent boyfriend to speak of, what the hell's wrong with me. But why force myself? If I don't feel it in my bones that I'm supposed to be with a guy, we surely wouldn't be. I mean, we could be "okay" together, and fine, we'll be friends. But if he can't get past my black nail polish or I don't dig his chain-smoking habit, there's zero chance for us to be more than pals. I'll get off at the next stop, thank you very much.

It doesn't even sound appealing, "settling down." It's not like you find the chair you are most comfortable with and then sit on it like a Lazy Boy. Is that what a relationship is? There might be some who'd say, why yes, that's exactly what a good relationship is. But I trust it's more than that. I need no Lazy Boy -- I want a rocking chair. Comfort is good, but I need Passion. I need Fire that will be stoked with an equal Fire of my own. Carrie Bradshaw couldn't have said it plainer to the Russian: I want a ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can't-live-without-each-other Love. A tall order but hey, it's worth the wait.

It's not that I don't go out and meet guys. I do. I understand that I have to do my part of being -- what do you call it? -- "out there". Jeez, I've been out there for as long as I can remember. I enjoy and have fun hanging out with them. And I must admit that there are a couple of "prospective" blokes around, a few even quite perfect to be with, you know? Just not the one for me.

So what do I look for in a man, I've been asked countless times. None of your freakin' business, I've replied. But once and for all, here goes.. it's pretty simple, actually: I want someone who'll make my heart bounce. For the rest of my life.

No "honeymoon period" for us. I want a relationship with a honeymoon all throughout, right until our dying day. Is that too much to ask? Perhaps. But I'm stubborn as stubborn does. I just know that there's a guy who's capable to perpetually woo me even after we've had 3 children, 6 grandchildren, and 12 great grandchildren. And he need not worry for I shall as well accordingly respond to his courtship.

I never forgot what I read in one of my personal bibles (The Bridge Across Forever, Richard Bach, Dell Books). It went something, like, we must not settle for a lukewarm lover and mild happiness. For deep down we know that lukewarm will turn cold, and mild happiness will become a nameless sadness.

I certainly will try my darn best not to fall into such death trap. I agree that it's nice to have someone to share things with and all that. But if it were merely for the sake of having a boyfriend, let alone a husband -- I wouldn't be only fooling myself, but also be leading the poor guy on. Being selfish is purely human, but I'll take my chances. Besides, I'd rather be single and endure the tactless comments of relatives and old schoolmates, than be with someone who doesn't have the gift to good-naturedly suffer my querks.

And what would make my heart bounce? Aarr. Let that be the deliciously incandescent quality of the man. Really, if I have to give out instructions.. man, I'd rather kill myself.

So I sound a tad jaded. Big deal. Even my own best friends accuse me of being a.. commitment-phobe. Now, waitjustaneffingminute! What am I, a man? Heaven forbid. Please. I don't chicken out of engagements. I don't dangle my mate like a puppet. I don't string along.. oh alright. I don't mean to offend the opposite gender, considering my would-be significant other is part of the male specie. Come to think of it, I think these commitment-phobic people only seem that way because they simply haven't met their match, you know? And when they do, they'd just know it. Just the way I would, too. I don't jump into pseudo-relationships because of the sole but crystal clear reason that I'm holding out for The One. Yes, The One Who Will Make My Heart Bounce. Is that so hard to understand?

The ever cynical Janeane Garofalo reckons that there might be one person in the world for you, but you don't get to meet them. But there are some people who are good at making the person they're with the one. Not bad. But, who really knows, eh? I follow my own heart. Period. When it's time, it's time.

Listen, I am not made of stone, even if others around me think otherwise. I know that there is that one man who can take my many-times-broken heart and magically, effortlessly make it as whole and as bouncy as it could ever be. I confess that it's taking ages for me to find him (and him to find me) but it will all be worth it. I just don't want to end up with a prick, that's all.

From: Jucyn B. Gargalicana, CPG/
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 11:42 AM
To: Cris Lauranne Sumera, CPG/
Subject: RE: Swak Article

Hhaaha! Oo nga!! :)

The books she's referring to is one of my favorites. Sobrang totoo ;)

I never forgot what I read in one of my personal bibles (The Bridge Across Forever, Richard Bach, Dell Books). It went something, like, we must not settle for a lukewarm lover and mild happiness. For deep down we know that lukewarm will turn cold, and mild happiness will become a nameless sadness.


From: Cris Lauranne Sumera, CPG/
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 11:47 AM
To: Jucyn B. Gargalicana, CPG/
Subject: RE: Swak Article

I like this line: I want a ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can't-live-without-each-other Love. A tall order but hey, it's worth the wait.

Haaaaay! When it’s time, it’s time.


From: Jucyn B. Gargalicana, CPG/
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 11:51 AM
To: Cris Lauranne Sumera, CPG/
Subject: RE: Swak Article

It's all Cupid's fault. Haha!


From: Cris Lauranne Sumera, CPG/
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 11:52 AM
To: Jucyn B. Gargalicana, CPG/3875
Subject: RE: Swak Article

It’s about time somebody shot that little shit! Bwahaha!

Photo-gulat!

Ang bilis talaga ng panahon. Parang kelan lang nung makita ko siya na nag-iimbita na siya ay aking tingnan at pansinin. Animo’y nagsasabi na siya ang piliin laban sa ibang kagaya niyang kapwa nanunuyo. Lahat sila ay makisig at matipuno, bawat isa ay may handog na galing. Sa puntong iyon, labis ang aking pagkalito sa kung ano ang dapat kong maging desisyon. Kinonsulta ko ang opinyon ng mga kaibigan, ngunit sa bandang huli ay sinunod ko din ang aking kutob. Napagtanto ko na siya ang piliin dahil mukhang madali ko siyang makakasundo. Isang malaking kosiderasyon iyon para sa akin na baguhan pa lamang sa larangang aking papasukin.

At hindi nga ako nagkamali sa aking naging desisyon, naging napakasaya nang aming pagsasama, napakarami naming nabuong mga ala-ala. Tukso man nang mas bata at mas matipuno ay dumating, hinding-hindi ko siya pagpapalit dahil labis na siyang napamahal sa akin.

At dahil diyan, nais kong ibahagi ang ilang tanda nang masaya naming pagsasama nang aking camera! Haha Akala niyo kung sino ano?! Happy Birthday to my dear Yoji (Fuji Finepix S9600)! :)




Will post my favorite shots soon. :)


27 Dresses


Flipped Over Chick Flicks

I have been addicted lately to collecting DVDs. Whenever I'm at the mall, I could not resist not passing by Astrovision/Odyssee. I must always get at least 1 to 2 DVDs a month. Grabe, sobrang na-addict talaga ako! I was surprised at how my DVD collection has grown since the time I started collecting. Initially, my goal was to collect Academy Award winning films, as well as critically acclaimed indie films. But lo and behold, whenever I’m in front of the DVD store rack, I was always lured to check out titles with Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler on them. Oo na, the hopeless romantic in me always overpowers my artsy fartsy side.

For a single woman like me, chick flicks can be a good source of inspiration that someday, somehow, somewhere my Mr. Darcy would come right along, sweeping me off my feet. The downside of it is, after watching the flick, I snap back to reality and then I realize that my Mr. Darcy still is not there, I wonder what’s taking him so long and then I start to envy Bridget Jones. Oh well! :p

But despite that, you would still see me at Astrovision the following week can’t quite figure out if I’d get a Cameron Diaz flick over a Julia Roberts flick, I would still gush and be wrapped around with mush for 2 and a half hours. And even if harsh reality would slowly creep back in after, I still like to be captivated by the notion of love and a happily ever after ending. Who knows? Maybe these fantasies do become a reality soon. Calling, Mr. Darcy. Hehe :p

Difficult People

I just dealt with an extremely difficult person a while ago and I must say that my patience was really put to a test. I don’t normally flare up easily but when extremely provoked, you would not like what you would see and hear. Some of the signs that I’m extremely pissed are the following:

- my voice is louder and higher pitched than usual

- my voice is shaking

- my hands are shaking

- my heart is pounding

- I talk fast

- I cuss

You would not want to mess with me now, right? Well, all of those things happened a while ago. It came to a point when I really could not control my rage anymore and I was already shouting at the person. Honestly, I don’t have any guilt feelings with what I did; I don’t see the need to apologize either. He deserves to be treated that way because he’s such a huge pain!

Difficult persons such as those blinded with ambition, to the point of having no consideration whatsoever to the people surrounding them –for me- are so pathetic. These individuals really stand out from the crowd as they push their way to be noticed and to get attention. Well, I pity their lowly tactic. I pray that they would realize that they would end up nowhere if they still continue to pursue their selfish motives.

Eyeball Rolling Moment

I never felt more inadequate than today. Who wouldn’t be pissed when you can clearly see that people get better treatment/get noticed because they’re prettier and they’re good at kissing asses?! I’m just not any of those things. I’m not a stand-out and I’m definitely not an ass-kissing suck up. These things really make me sick. It makes me hate the world that I’m in right now. It just doesn’t seem fair. Why can’t people be treated fairly and be given equal opportunities?! Why can’t people be noticed for the effort they exerted and not on the amount of make up slathered on their faces?! Why can’t silent and efficient individuals outshine the aggressive yet stupid ones?!

Oh well, there’s nothing much I can do but roll my eyes out of annoyance and frustration. I just can't wait to breakout from this $^&*@#% system.

Finding Hope

Sharing an article that I chanced upon at philstar.com. Pretty much sums up what I'm currently going through.

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Dreamlings
ASHTRAY GIRL By Regina Belmonte
Friday, November 30, 2007

We have all sorts of hopes when we are young. All sorts of dreams and ambitions. When I was eight, I wanted to be a marine biologist. I read dozens of books on marine life, and to this day, I can probably still recognize some kinds of fish and coral, and any kind of whale, dolphin or porpoise. (Yes, there is a difference.)

I had all these wonderful plans to go diving and discover the mysteries of the deep as soon as I was old enough to get my license. I got a bad ear infection from a resort’s swimming pool when I was nine and have since been unable to swim any deeper than six feet without feeling excruciating pain.

Bye-bye, marine biology. Of course, there were still other things to hope for, and like all resilient children, I would continue to hope.

By the time high school hit, I decided that I would be two things when I grew up: a writer and a rock star. I had a notebook everywhere I went and put pen to paper every time a pretty phrase or idea popped into my head. I didn’t think myself too bad at it. A bunch of friends and I put together a cover band that played emo before it was even called emo. (At least we weren’t doing Matchbox 20 covers. Oh, wait: we were, too. Shame!) We weren’t that good, but we had a deaf, otherwise healthy fan base of friends, classmates, and boyfriends’ classmates.

I thought I was well on my way to achieving everything I wanted, but then college came, and with it, disillusionment, further insecurity, and the intense fear of failure. There is nothing quite like a new environment and lots of strangers to shake your confidence. Everything stopped. The writing, the music, it was all gone. Whatever faith I had in my abilities, gone.

I still hoped for the same things. I decided that I would wait for opportunities to present themselves to me. Needless to say, I waited for a long time. The things I used to want for myself were happening to my friends and people around me while I was wallowing in bitterness and disappointment, wondering why I never got my chance.

Last Saturday, I got what might be the most important lesson of my life from my favorite writer, Neil Gaiman. He is the literary equivalent of a rock star. He told an early-morning audience of 300 people that the advice he always gave to people who said they wanted to write was to just write, and it dawned on me that this was exactly what I was not doing.

It happens to a lot of us, and it’s not just about writing. It’s about everything. It’s about your entire life. There’s a line between dreaming and achieving, and some of us never cross it. I was dreaming, yes, but not actively pursuing any of my dreams. I was too afraid to try, too afraid to chase after what I wanted, too afraid to take my chances and take my own destiny into my hands.

Mr. Gaiman said that the artist Dave McKean (his frequent collaborator) was once told that there were a million crappy drawings in him, and he had to draw them out before the good stuff could start coming. Not bothering to try because you’re afraid to fail is failure already. I finally got it.

A book I read for my photography class says that you are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true. “You might have to work hard for it, however,” it wisely adds. I feel like I’ve been given a new lease on life, like suddenly I have all my dreams again and the hope is back. With these gifts from the Dream King himself, I have renewed determination to work hard and find ways to get what I want and become who I want.

I’m still a little scared of failure. Who isn’t? But I’m more scared of never giving myself a chance to discover exactly what I am capable of. The world is what you decide it is. The world is what you want it to be, what you make it to be. I’m not going to wait anymore.

Birthdays in the Data Team Family

It was Baby Peachy's birthday last November 6. The team surprised her with spaghetti and cake from Red Ribbon. Hindi ko sure kung na-surprise siya kasi ako yung nagpprepare eh I'm just an arm's length away from her. For sure, na-oobvious niya na we're preparing something for her pero dedma na lang siya kunyari. hehe

happy birthday, peachy pie!

hat full of messages

with friends

sarap ng spaghetti

with aldrich

with chevy

with alvin

with gino

Exactly one week after Baby Peachy's birthday is Mother Sol's birthday! O di ba?! Ang saya-saya. We surprised her with a Krispy Kreme party. Peachy and I went to Bonifacio High Street over lunch to buy the yummy donuts for the party. Since andun na din kami, we went shopping na din on the side. I was able to buy new shoes from Charles and Keith. hehe

Ang saya ng surprise! Everyone was in hyper mode! I guess it was from all the sugar that they consumed.

happy birthday, sol!

picture muna while waiting for the birthday girl

blow out your candle

whoah!

yummy krispy kreme donuts

o wag kayo mag-agawan dyan!

ismayl!

sol with friends

with arnel, juk and sir hen

peep hole

with mother sol and baby peachy

picture picture

with NSD's sir allan and sir patrick

after all the fun, work work work na ulit