Thanksgiving

I had a fun time during my 4-day vacation, although I can't say I've had time as of yet to reflect on it. See, I went to Atlanta with the 'ex-jock' bf (wahahaha, sorry honey, I'm labelling you a jock for the blogerati...don't worry, I still love you hekhekhek), and had Thanksgiving with the family (a la-'Meet the Fockers mwehehehe).

It was weird(in a ha-ha-funny-slash-cute kinda way), unforgettable, and overall awesome for a couple of reasons:
1. I cooked them a Filipino lunch and everyone enjoyed the lucky me beef noodle soup (shhh, di nila nakita na instant lang yun wahehehe), tocino, and adobo with rice that I cooked (uuuy...pede na mag-asawa yeyz! Cheh!). It was the first time I cooked lunch for a whole family.
2. We had Thanksgiving not on Thursday, but on Friday. And we didn't have the traditional turkey. In fact, there was no turkey on the menu (huwaaaaatttttttt!!!!!! E di 'di na Thanksgiving yun nyehnyehnyeh...Shaddap!). We had a 6-course meal, prepared by the chef who just happened to be the housemate of the bf's brother (nakakalito, parang pinsan ng pamangkin ng kuya ng asawa ng tito mo).
3. It was the first time I went to a bar at 2pm and went home at 6pm (time space warp, ngayon din!). I had 4 white russians, but I didn't feel tipsy at all ebcause I was playing match-up games on the touch-screen video games wahahaha. I think the drinking-spree-in-the-middle-of-the-day sank in when we went home at 6pm to prepare for dinner at 7pm. I stumbled into the bathroom for a shower (o, wag na imagine-in! sus!), and I almost fell to the floor. The world twirled. 'Huh, shyet, may tama pala ako. Potah!sarap kumanta ng 'Toma' wehehe.
4. It was my first time in the bf's parents' home. Sure I went to their lakehouse, but that was different. Also, add to that that my dear bf didn't tell me much about what to expect with their home. As in! (Tatagalugin ko na, para di mabasa ng boypren, baka magalit pag nalaman na kinwento ko wahahaha). Natulala ang kajologan ko, joskoday. Kasi naman, bago kami pumunta dun, sabi ng isang friend nya sa akin (shempre english ha) "Yung bahay nila yung isa sa pinakamaliit dun sa area na yun. Pero pag nagstay ka na sa guest room, pagbalik mo dito, sabihin mo sa akin kung tama ako nung sabihin kong parang condo na sa laki ng guestroom ng bahay nila." Potah! Trulili (yung guest room, kasinlaki yata ng buong apartment ko dito sa VA)!! E hindi ba naman ako winarningan, so sa isip ko, mejo parang mga bahay sa valle verde-slash-kapitolyo (pasig 'to lahat wahehehe) na di masyadong malaki...yung katamtaman lang. Aba lola, mejo lampas walong libong parisukat na metro ang laki ng lote (paki-direct translation nyo na lang wahahaha) nila ngweweweweh! Shempre, kunwari 'di tulo-laway ko. Kiber ko naman kung mas malaki bahay nila kesa samin di ba (naks, langit at lupa epeks!). Pero, sus, parang feeling ko, papasok akong katulong. Mala-Mara Clara, widamatching circular grand staircase pa odiva. Hanlaki! Naknantokwa! Shempre, nahiya ako ng konti...kasi feeling ko tuloy, underdressed and underprepared ako. Parang mga pang-krismas caroling lang ang pagpunta ko sa mga bahay na ganun noh. Pinipigilan ko nga sarili kong kantahin yung 'Let's hear those sleigh bells ringin and ting-ting-ting-guh-lin-tooooo'. Oh well, lesson ko na lang sa sarili ko. Dapat lagi akong cowboy, laging handa mwehehehe. Pero si boypren, nagsorry naman, kasi sabi ko dyahe naman, na nahrap ako sa ganung sitwasyon na di ako mentally prepared. Oh well. Kiber. Labs ko pa rin naman sya kahit mas at home pa yung aso nila dun kesa sa akin. Wahehehe.
5. We were out and about town with the bf's brother. The brother was gay, and had a bf of 3 years. They were both cute (actually, handsome pareho, kung lalake lang talaga. and take note, they both looked and acted like normal men). We hung out at bars with their other gay friends, which to me was the coolest thing we could've done ever. Hahaha. In one bar, this one chick wanted to get laid so bad (she had new fake boobs, and very low self-esteem, you could tell) that she kept asking the bf's brother if he was sure he was gay. Mwahaha. She also tried hitting on his bf too. They were both just laughing at her. That was cool and fun that they were secure enough in their relationship to not have to blurt it out to everyone. Of course, the girl tried to pick up my bf too. She touched the brother's butt (the bro has a nice big tush wahaha), and wanted to see if my bf had the same nice bum. He said no. I heard that snippet of conversation but didn't even look their way. I was too busy playing the touch-screen thingy. Wahaha. And, fyi, her implants were 38 double D's. Eww. My scolio worsens at the thought wahehe. But now I know how fake boobs feel. They're a lot harder than the real boobies. Hekhekhek. Oh women!
6. The bf's brother and his bf (eto na naman, kakalito ha) had 2 great danes. And they were humungous!!!!!!! Charlie looked like Scooby-Doo, only he was around 4'0 (I'm guessing) standing up, and probably as tall as me when he's seated. Max, the younger one, was a spotted black and white great dane who seemed to have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Crikey! Whenever they went to the backyard, I hid behind the bf, not because I thought they'd bite me, but because I think if they played with me and accidentally put a paw on my shoulder, I'd shrink and die from the force. I think they said Max (the younger of the two) was around 10 months old and 155 lbs. IMagine what 4-yr old Charlie weighed. Nyaknyaknyak.

So there. I drank, ate a lot, cooked, played the touch-screen thingy, ate a lot, slept, played pool, read harry potter 5, ate a lot, watched movies (Elf, Bridget Jones 2, After the Sunset), went window shopping (ooh lots of sales, but I resisted whoopeee), took pictures, and uhm...did I mention ---ate a lot?

Hmm. Back to the gym for me.

The Tragedy of a Phone

These days (nay, these years), there is such a fascination with phones. It’s become more than a means of communication, it’s become ----
a status symbol,
"uy, nice phone pare, magkano bili mo? Tri-band ba? May camera, astig 'to dude."
a companion,
"hey, what’s up? Ano gawa mo? d2 ako office…sooo boring"
a scapegoat.
"hey, talk to me, mag-isa lang ako dito, waiting for my friend."

When I got my first cellular phone, I admit that it was because I was in college, and the other officers in the organizations I was a part of told me to get one. Those days, they weren’t so expensive so my then-‘boypren-boyprenan’ (ahem) got me one. I was happy. I lost that around a year later. Left it in a cab. I had to save up on my own for a new one because I had gotten dependent on the phone to communicate with friends/classmates/family. Now, I have a Samsung that I bought for around P26T around a year and a half ago, but only used for around 5 months. It was such a waste of perfectly hard-earned money. But a scorned woman’s mind thinks up devilish desires.

These days, I wonder.
What’s the big hooplah with phones?
A girl, barely 18, wants a new one. She roll-called the NOKIA model numbers in an email to her dad, like he was supposed to recognize them. ‘Dad, please buy me one of these. I promise to pay you for half the price when you get back here. Love you.’

Huh?

Why would someone who only recently started earning her own money (she took a part-time job in a call center. They do cold calls) decide to spend it on phones? Why not a discman? Why not her own tv set? Why not new shoes and a whole new wardrobe. For that price (around P20T, you could get at least 10 sets of clothes at P2T a set, and that’s NOT cheap)? Why not something that will help deepen her interest in what she likes doing? Why not save up for her first car?

I guess that’s youth’s folly through the eyes of a bah-humbug miser.
Miser.

You talkin' 'bout me?

Shaddap. It's the holiday season.

Bah-humbug.

Bah-humbug mo mukha mo. Ikaw nga bibili ng camera e.

Che! I haven't bought anything for myself in a long time. Susme!

Still.

I know, I know. In the end, it’s her money, and she can do with it as she pleases...

How I wish she studied Theology in college, and learned about social theology. Maybe then, she’d think twice about it.

(Ring)

Hello? Anyone out there?

Wish List

Because my birthday's just around the corner, and Christmas is not far behind, I have decided (with much cajoling from the boyfriend haha) to come up with my very own Wish List.

This is the first time I've actually done this for myself, so the wishes might be over-the-top or too blah for others. But It's MY wish list.....all mine. Wahahahaha.

The List is in order of preference (and I think in order of price too nyahaha). I was targetting Santa to read this, but if any nice young thoughtful souls out there want to give me any of these, feel free to do so. I'm sure you'll be greatly rewarded in heaven hekhekhek.

1. My very own RAV4 (click here), 2-door, 4-wd hehehe
2. Canon EOS 20D (click here). If I had enough cashish, I'd buy it now! waaaaahhhhhhhh!
3. 18 oz. Dufferin Phantom Cue Stick - billiards, billiards, billiards...
4. Shopaholic Series by Kinsella - aside from the reality that I've wanted to read them for so long, I need to read them to get styling input for my own long-overdue book hehehe.
5. The Ansel Adams Guide and Shooting Digital - again, for my increasing fervor for Photography.
6. Dave Koz' 'Lucky Man' and 'Off the Beaten Path' - to add new sounds to my gym experience harharhar
7. 3Com HomeConnect Digital Camera/Webcam - for LD friends, family, and of course, bf. Don't get funny ideas, you people. It's all PG-13 :P
8. 'Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife' and 'Persuasion' - to cap off my obsession with Jane Austen, although she really didn't write the former title. It was a continuation of one of her original writings.
9. Off the top of my head, I would like a trip to go backpacking in Europe. Yes, please. Yes, puhleeezzzzzz..
(Added 11/22/04) 10. Canon s230 Waterproof Case WP-DC600 - underwater, here I come!!!

Yahooeeeeyyy! I hope to add more to this list as the days go by. And of course, for those that know me, it's a given that I want flowers for my birthday. We'll see if I get any this year.

How Boylets Come To Be (part 2)

She had also developed an online friendship with this ‘intellectual’ chatter, Andre. They promised to meet up to play billiards. This happened on the second week, Monday night. But because he wasn’t very good at billiards, his cousin (‘pro yang pinsan ko na yan’) tagged along. She didn’t know the cousin, so she brought a girlfriend along. So there they were, her girlfriend and Andre were talking while watching them play. The cousin turned out to be good, but easily distracted. All she had to do was step up the teasing, laughter, and light-headedness she felt. Was it the beer? She didn’t know and didn’t really care. She was having fun. And winning. It was 3-2. And the cousin, named Nino, looked smitten with her.

The decision to have dinner wasn’t hard to come to. Once at Dencio’s, they met Andre’s other friend, James. James was a natural flirt, and seemed to want to practice on her. But she was having too much fun teasing Nino. Besides, of the two, Nino was the more genuine one. He had an air of gallantry that made it hard to stop teasing him.

But who was to drop by during dinner but King. She remembered last week. She had fun with King, but she was having more fun with Nino. Before the end of dinner, King found out that they had played billiards and wanted to play with them. He said ‘para naman ma-impress kita’. She laughed. She had had a full day and was tired. It was almost 10 pm, but she said yes, anyway. Nino said yes, too, and James, also said he would try his hand at it. So off they went to play.
It turned out that King, James, and Nino were ALL trying to impress her. It looked hilarious. Nino was doing it low-key. James was all-out flirting while her eyes were on him (he wasn’t any good at billiards), and King was being too competitive.

By the end of the night, they dropped her off at home. King won, but Nino was on her mind.

Right as she was about to sleep, they texted her. All four of them. Separately. Geez. She replied to Andre, thanking him for the night. She told King and James that it was nice to see them. And she was about to reply to Nino, when her phone rang. It was….Nino.

They ended up talking for an hour and set a date for Thursday (Tuesday was ‘doing stuff for her new job’ day, and Wednesday was ‘Girlfriends’ Night’).

Tuesday night, she had a blind date. Jun was nice, but very boring.

Thursday came around and they were together from lunch at the mall, until 10 pm, when he made sure she got home safe and sound. They talked about all sorts of things, while he accompanied her to do her errands. They talked about life in general, about how funny the Monday face-off was, stuff about him, her, and just laughed a lot. Time flew. King, Andre, and James sent her text messages, along with the other ‘new boys’ in her life, but she didn’t answer any one of them. She was having too much fun.

Friday was her last day of Freedom, and she invited him to come out with her and her girlfriends. They danced the night away, and Nino showed her his moves. He also told her he thought he was falling for her.

She laughed and danced.

Nino was a good guy and a good catch. But she just wasn’t ready.
He made her forget HIM. But she was just starting to enjoy The Single Life.
He was interesting for a week, but right now, she wanted a lifetime of pleasure.

After all, ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,’ right?

After that, she disappeared from his life. She changed her cellphone number, and moved out of her house to her own apartment. Her break was over. Real life was once again in front of her.

She found out, months later, that he fell in love with her. And that he got depressed for a month after that week. She was his 'new love that never was'. He was her 'boylet once upon a time'.

There was nothing she could do. She was playing. He was caught in the crossfire.

How Boylets come to be (Part 1)

Funny how God chooses His own time to give you the things you ask for.
‘Please God. Help me forget HIM.’
‘Is there any one else out there who can compare to HIM?’
She had exactly two weeks off before she started her new job. And she vowed to make maximum fun out of it. No HIM thoughts.

First off, there was ever-present boylet Andy --- an old friend who had gotten in touch with her via Friendster.
Then, there was Ton. She had a crush on him in high school, but nothing happened. Now, he worked in the same company she did. Coincidence? Divine grace?
Also, there was King. Met him when she attended a chat E.B. with her friend (‘Sasamahan lang kita ha. Mabilis lang tayo, promise?’). King IM’d her after that meeting (‘Hiningi sa akin ni King yung SN mo..binigay ko, lola ha. Cute naman sya, ‘di ba?’), and a ‘flirting air’ was developed.
So she had a Monday night date with King, a Tuesday lunch meeting with Ton. And Tuesday dinner with Andy.
She then went out with her girlfriends to party on Wednesday night. And there they bumped into Leo and Joel, neighbors of her girlfriend Cha. She initially thought Leo and Joel were a gay couple. After an entire bottle of tequila and around half a dozen beers, she found out they were mistaken. Both men were MEN. Big M. E. N. That was a crazy night, and they were dancing until no bars were open. She slept at 5 am.
Thursday was shopping day, and meeting with best friend day.
Friday was lunch with her officemates, and meeting up with Andy for dinner yet again.
10 p.m. found her in Q.C., in one of the hot clubs. She danced the night away with her girlfriends once more, and met a few ‘pwede-na-rin’ men who asked her for her ‘digits’. She obliged with the three cutest ones --- Jay, Randy, Sol. After all, this number wouldn’t be available after next week. She just wanted to have fun.
Saturday was her departure for Boracay. She settled in and walked around during most of the day. Got a massage, went snorkelling. After dinner, she went to Coco Mangas with her companions.
AJ, a friend, was interested in one of the waiters. Apparently, said waiter (named Paul) was interested in someone else. Her. And because she didn’t know how to turn guys down, or to get a clue when men were flirting with her (‘Malay mo friendly lang, ‘di ba?’), she gave him her number. Apparently, he was vacationing in Bora, and decided to stay. He was a student in one of the prestigious universities in Manila. ‘Sige, call me when you’re in Manila. Tambay tayo.’
But this didn’t seem enough for Paul. Sunday night, he entertained them yet again. He made sure he was assigned to their table. He even bought her a drink. She felt happy. Attention was always welcome. New friends were too.
Monday, Paul met them right as they were boarding the boat back to the mainland. She was friendly. He was sad. She kept her distance. This guy was definitely crushing on her, and she was definitely NOT.
So there she was at the end of week 1, cellphone in hand, eight men in tow --- Andy, Ton, King, Jay, Randy, Sol, Leo, Joel, and Paul.

A month ago, she felt sooo unattractive. This week, she felt like a princess.
She didn’t care whether they were just crushing on her, infatuated with her, or were genuinely interested. She just wanted to have fun. She was sure she wasn’t going to find HIS replacement any time soon, but no one said she had to. Ah, the single life.

TO BE CONTINUED...

To Look Into a Dying Child's Eyes

Mundane. That's where the danger lies. To live our lives not appreciating what we have -- eyes to see, ears to listen, hands to feel, legs to walk, and lives to make a difference.

It has been quoted to infinity --- 'to whom much is given, much is expected' -- and I couldn't agree more. However, the word 'expected' means someone else has raised the bar.

Should I raise the bar myself? Haven't I raised it enough yet? Everyone thinks I'm nice enough anyways. Come to think of it, some people even say I'm too nice. "You have to think of what's good for you too!", "Who will take care of number 1?", "What about what I want?"...

I never said I was perfect. Never once did I pretend to be an angel of love, compassion, and kindness. In fact, I do remember mentioning that people label me as a bitch. And I agree. I like you if I like you and I don't if I don't. I will laugh at your face when I think you're absurd, and I will mock you if I think you're being annoying. But does that mean I'm not up to par? Does that make me less than what I should be?

You guess so, huh? You could be right.

***

When I was in second year college, I wanted to join this organization in school. It was a support group for kids with cancer. It was Kythe. Everyone said the interviews were crucial and that not a lot made it in. I was challenged, plus, I have a soft spot for broken kids. I felt at home with them. I was (still am...you never really get fixed). The interviewer (my future Pol Sci teacher) was intimidating but I looked her straight in the eye as I answered her questions. "Why do you want to join this org?" Simple. "Do you think you'll make a difference?" Duh!. And then

"'Mahal ba 'ko ni God?' Now, talk to me. Pretend I'm the kid with cancer asking you".

My voice caught in my throat. And I was transformed into a scene where a five-year old kid was looking for answers through me. Holding my hand and asking me. Gasping or dear life.

"Oo naman, mahal ka ni God. Mahal nya tayong lahat."
"Hindi nya ko mahal. Ikaw lang mahal nya. Sige nga, baket ako may cancer at ikaw wala?"

Oh God.

I don't know how I answered that. I don't remember. I just remember how I imagined that child's face. Her eyes looking into mine. Searching. Expecting. Resigning. I passed the interview and became a member of the org. But 2 visits to the hospital, and I knew I was in way over my head. I couldn't (I just couldn't, I'm sorry, little girl) look into those kids' eyes and tell them I understand because I don't. I'm broken, but I have a lifetime of possibilities to heal me. And they have -- what -- 6 months, if they're lucky.

The second visit was horrible. I was stuck with a girl whose right eye was popping out because of the cancer. She was vibrant and had a wonderful smile, but I couldn't treat her normally. All I could think about was 'What if her right eye falls off? Will she die?' What will I do? What if it gets infected?' I went back to school that day, ran straight to the colayco hall, and started crying as soon as I reached my 'tambayan' table.

I couldn't relate. At all. I was scarred. But she was dying. This small child full of vibrancy was dying. And I was powerless. Powerless. What was I doing there? I couldn't give her anything of value. My time was not important to her. I never went back there. I quit the org after a sem. I quit. Because I tried to raise the bar. And I failed myself. But maybe I raised it too high too soon. I was too young and naive about happiness and about life. But now I believe I know better.

***

I never said I was perfect. Never once did I pretend to be an angel of love, compassion, and kindness. But I did raise the bar. And sometimes, a little at a time goes a long way.

'Mahal ba ko ni God?'
'Oo naman, mahal ka niya. Sabi nga nya sa 'kin dalawin kita para sabihin ko sa'yo e. Tara, anong gusto mong laro?'

Simple.

"If you believe in love at first sight... ---

--- Then you will never stop looking..."

Very catchy lines from the preview of the movie 'Closer' starring Julie Roberts and Jude Law.

I don't think I've ever experienced love at first sight. Ever.

But, then again, maybe that's a good thing.

Just some food for thought.

. So Techy

Just some random ramblings about some changes....

I have added jing and anna to my links. woohooo! I quit procrastinating and finally did it.

btw, the link to CAPI on the sidebar, that's my sis' site. Visit her. She's one of us, I assure you wahaha. Mas sex-in-the-city-like pa nga to eh. Mana sa ate kaya? Secret. Hehe.

The referrer's list has also been temporarily removed because I thought that was the source of the unbalanced template (as you see, the sidebar is on the lower right...ugly, ugly! oh well). Anyway, I emailed the techy guys of blogger and they said they had some stuff happening in the db that could have caused this and to just wait it out a bit. In the meantime, I apologize for my horrible-looking layout wahaha. It's like my personality. Unbalanced. Harharhar.

On that note, does anyone know how to change templates in blogger without losing all the comments on previous posts and the sidebar additives? I am such a procrastinator, I know, I know. Aminado naman e :P I just don't want to lose all of the nonsense stuff that I wrote about in the past months.

Finally, I must urge those of you with nothing better to do to visit/revisit my 'On Men and Relationships' links. You will not be sorry. I promise.

Okay, balik pagpapanggap na sa pagiging serious blogger ko hekhekhek.

Down with Drama

For people who grew up with drama, complacency in any relationship is a sign that something's wrong. Any moment of serenity is the calm before the storm. Relaxation is surrender to the fight. And trouble is the norm. It's the comfort zone. It's the 'known'. It's comfortability personified. Drama is life in the process.

But it doesn't always have to be that way. You learn by experience, you unlearn by observance. Maybe this is why psychology is a course I wanted to take. Analyzing other people's worries made me think my own were much simpler, much easier to handle. And the drama slowly becomes an undercurrent to everyday life.

The next step is to understand that there need not always be an undercurrent. That the drama you labeled your life to be was and is normalcy. That when you say "that's life," you really mean, "ah, this is the life". That each person has his/her own cross, but the drama need not always come out of it. We can look at the yin instead of the yang, the small rainbow reflected in the puddle of mud, the warmth indoors instead of the grayness outdoors.

No one's life is perfect. Not mine, not yours. But to add more drama to your life is just adding dead weight to your potential.

If you need to go through the drama, I say do it. But make sure you can still see the good side of things. Once you lose track of why all the drama 'is', then you've been sucked in. Depression. Sadness. Death. You do it to yourself. No one else pushes you there. If you enter the drama willingly, make sure you come out on the other side a wiser person.

Having no time for yourself, oversympathizing with someone, getting in the middle of conflicts, stressing over your love life or the lack thereof, obsessing over your looks, haves and not-haves --- these are all your choices. If you are strong enough to get on this roller coaster, you're strong enough to get out of it alive.

And if you're sucked in, give it your all, and then surrender. If there's nothing you can do but give advice, listen, or experience it, then do that. Take nothing more than what you had before you were sucked in. And if there are life lessons you get along the way, then that's an added bonus. That's the way life's supposed to be. You live. You grow. You move on. Drama need not always be in between the lines.

If you regress, then maybe you weren't as strong coming into it as you thought you were.

My point? Down with drama. Live, Grow, and leave life with as much footprints as you can. The kind of footprints that people should follow.

Trees spring forth in spring, flourish in the summer, bow gracefully in autumn, go quietly in winter, and leave bountiful memories of color, vibrance, and life. We would be so lucky if we lived our lives with this same principle of simplicity.

Oregon Loses to USDC

Me and the boyfriend had so much fun today. Woke up at ten am on a saturday, had brunch at Bennigans, went to Home Depot to get a hedge trimmer for his house, and then went to the DC zoo. Soooooo much fun. But I was myPunky Brewster self today.So while he was at the gym righht after, I cooked dinner. Fabulous. We ate, and then played sone RalliSport xbox. He won, 2 out of three, but only because he cheated and hit my car a couple of times. And then we decided to go to Bottom Line, his favorite hole-in-the-wall bar, and got drunk. I drove home, and here we are. Him drunk, and me on the verge of tispyness. God help me. I love this guy so much. I just had to say, before the drinks of the evening took a toll on me. Woooooohooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whapppppaaaaaaaaaakkkkk!!!!! Perfect day. And did I mention I love this guy????!!!! blah-blah-blah-blaf..Need some shut-eye now... Gnyt blogerati! (Can you tell the alcohol's hitting me??!!!) wahahaha.

Whappak ulet!

My Life in a Hundred Points

BASICS
1. My nickname is a guy’s name
2. I come from a little (nay, tiny) slice of the earth’s pie called the Philippines, and am proudly Philippine-made.
3. I was born on the morning of December 10, 25 years ago.
4. I am a Manila Girl, through and through -- born and raised. The real kind, not the fake kind.
5. I’m currently 111 lbs.
6. I have not hit the 5-foot mark for height.
7. I am Catholic by baptism, education, and self-proclamation, but I am not a SOCIAL practitioner, if you know what I mean.
8. I can speak English, Filipino, and en peu Francais soulement.
9. I’m normally labeled ‘mataray’ or ‘masungit’ (sassy or feisty), , in short, bitchy, but there’s always an explanation for why I am the way I am 1
0. My friends think I’m a rebel/wild child, and I guess to a certain extent, I am, because I say ‘Pak da Norm’.
11. I get irritated with people who try too hard to impress me with their broken, grammatically incorrect english, and I am so sure I’m not alone on this one.
12. I am jologs – I will eat fishball, isaw, double-dip if I need to, buy pirated cd’s, buy cheap jeans, and talk in full-on tagalog when I am in the mood.
13. The only thing I want on my birthday is a bouquet of flowers. Or bouquets.
14. I love the color blue in general, but now love wearing brown, red, and black. Can you spell classy? Haha.
15. I started smoking after college. Today, I still smoke. Period.
16. I hate drugs. Period.
17. I hate being made to wait and that’s why I try to give the same consideration when meeting up with people.
18. I am not your typical cellphone addict. I never forward messages, and reply only 50% of the time.
19. I cannot imagine myself wearing a wedding gown. Isn’t that weird?
20. I wanted to have a baby at the age of 23. Guess what? Wala pa rin hahaha. God has His reasons.
21. I have an attraction for very, very thin-banded rings.
22. I never wear earrings, unless absolutely necessary.
23. I can be a tomboy, I can be a flirt. It depends on who I’m with.
24. If I was a man, I would look for this physical thing in women --- eyes, butt, ankle --- in that order.
25. I can be gregarious and the life of the party WHEN I WANT TO BE.
26. I am stubborn when mad.
27. I always go for the underdog, unless the underdog already has the majority following, then I go for the minority. Just to keep things balanced in my own little way haha.
28. Everyone thought I would make one good lawyer when I was young. But I am an emotional person, so I wouldn’t be able to be a ruthless defense lawyer for the accused.
29. My favorite movies of all time are: Murder in the First, Sound of Music, and Princess Bride – in that order.
30. I looooooooove ceasar salad, katsudon, shrimp tempura, blueberry cheesecake (red ribbon), and, more recently, pad thai, in that order.
31. Since I came to the US, I've missed eating chickenjoy, tapa prince, and longganisa meal (McDo) in that order.
32. I hate liars. Hate ‘em. Hate ‘em. Hate ‘em.
33. Cheaters are cheaters are cheaters.
34. I am disgusted by dead skin cells.
35. I don’t ride the metro unless it’s absolutely necessary. See 34 for the reason why.
36. I cannot stand the sight of ‘yakadiri’ feet.
37. I used to be very easily attracted to ‘bad boy’ types. Yoko na. Blech.
38. My dream car is a RAV 4, 2-door, automatic, 4-speed, 2WD. Sigh.
39. I work as an IT consultant. For real. How boring ‘no?!
YOUNGER YEARS
40. I spent my grade school and high-school days in an all-girls private school
41. I learned how to wash clothes (maglaba) and iron them (magplantsa) when I was around 9 yrs old. Now, I detest them because they bring back so many bad associations. Still, I do what needs to be done to have clean, presentable clothes.
42. The first expensive thing I bought for myself was a Benetton bag I had saved up for (P500) when I was in 7th grade.
43. Like most girls who study in an exclusive all-girls private school, I had my girl crush when I was younger. Let’s call her P. Then, there was also J and I. 3 women crushes – P was just very cute and nice and friendly, J was superb in volleyball, and I was a fabulous dancer. Mwahaha.
44. I was on the running team all throughout my high school days.
45. I used to have a teenage-crush on Jonathan Brandis.
46. I got addicted to watching WWF when I was in seventh grade and it continued until my 3rd yr in high school. I LOOOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEDDDD Razor Ramon, and later, Shawn Michaels. Mwahahahaha.
COLLEGE
47. At one point, I was member of 8 orgs in college.
48. I think I should’ve taken psychology as a course in college. Instead, I took good ol’ BS Mgt.
49. I discovered the world of chatting when I graduated college, forgot about it for a year, and then chatted when I was with the fifth boyfriend. IF there’s one thing you learn about chatting, it is that you are but a spec in the cyberworld, and it’s fun, but ultimately, once you disconnect, you are still totally alone.
50. I color my hair at least once a year since I was in 1st year college onward. It boosts the reinvention energy, if you know what I mean.
51. I used to love playing bridge during college breaks with my ‘foyermates’, or hangout with then-pseudo-bf and watch movies.
52. For one class, Contracts and Obligations, I memorized – word-for-word – the law chapters that we were going to have our finals on. It was the ObliCon book, and I aced the finals.
53. My favorite subjects in college were Theology, Philosophy, English Writing, and Filipino Writing (not in that order).
54. In college, I hung out with a group of friends who were all from Assumption Antipolo(the girls) and Ateneo HS section A(the boys). I fit in so well that they (the girls, not the boys) sometimes forgot I wasn’t their high school batch mate.
PEOPLE
55. My father is my closest non-best friend. He is not perfect, but he is my foremost example of what good can come out of this world.
56. I don’t have a mother.
57. My older sister and I are not close. It will take time, but we’ll get over our differences, eventually.
58. My younger sister and I are closer now more than ever.
59. My youngest sister is like my daughter. I love her to death (tough love), but she’s 18 now, and I have to give her space to experience the world as an adult, and learn her own lessons.
60. I have a half-brother who is as adorable as any brother I could ask for.
61. I have had one person I have called my best friend in my ENTIRE life. His name is Jappy. And we’ve been best buds for 13 years now.
62. There’s only one group of friends I call my ‘barkada’, and those are my high school friends --- Kat, Jet, Carmen, Cheryl, Maan, Tec, Roanne --- and we used to call ourselves ‘Company B’
63. I have my 2 closest sosyalan girlfriends –Cha and Joyce. Both of them are married, but still look awesome, and we call each other "Ma’am".
64. I broke up with my first real boyfriend because he was too serious and I had just started college. Today, he still refuses to forgive me or talk to me.
65. I broke up with my college pseudo-boyfriend because he came from a traditional Chinese family, and his family did not want any Filipino blood touching their ‘baby’’. We are still very good friends to this day.
66. My third boyfriend broke up with me for 5 minutes because he was ‘testing’ me. When he wanted to take it back, I held my ground and said ‘NO’. Today, we are good friends, and we can still read each other’s minds like it was yesterday.
67. My fourth boyfriend was a mistake. He was separated, and I was lonely. It lasted 6 months, and oh-so-dramatic. Blech. (looks like my boyfriend-counting might go to a hundred, you think)
68. My fifth boyfriend was the one I could give everything up for. Apparently, though, my ‘everything’ would never be enough. He’s walking on his legs now, jaded, I think, and avoiding me like the plague.
69. Today, I have a mature boyfriend who’s as fun-loving and as outgoing as I am, not to mention he’s an ‘intelligent jock’, funny, secure, and chivalrous, all at once.
70. I have developed a weird but very comfortable friendship with the ex of my ex-bf’s friend. She’s a girl. And these days, we laugh a lot. We’re better off without them. Girls rule!
71. My 3 closest girlfriends today are Cha, Poch and Carmen, who I’ve known for 2, 4 and 12 years, respectively.
I LIKE
72. I love the challenge of playing billiards. I am not consistently good yet, but I am trying. Just no time right now. It’s a very expensive sport.7
3. I used to be good at bowling when I was young. Not anymore.
74. I love blogging.
75. I love clubbing – dancing, drinking, and chatting with old and new friends.
76. I am very, very, very addicted to taking pictures. I will call it photography once an "official photographer" says my pictures are better than average.
77. If I didn’t have to worry about money, I would sing, take pictures, travel, and write, in that order.
78. I have finished the first draft of a mini-novel, but I still haven’t gone and done revisions on it yet.
79. I like writing (obviously, duh!)
80. I used to read a lot, but now, I am one of those hooked by the quick-fix provided by the television.
81. I am a reality tv junkie (pass the popcorn, please).
82. I love a little of every type of music – 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, rock, pop, jazz. There’s very little music that I cannot appreciate.
83. I love coffee – Sagada, Starbucks, and Gene’s, in that order hehehe.
84. I have gone snorkeling exactly 4 times, and I’ve loved every single time.
85. I loooooooove dolphins. Seaworld rules!
86. I have tried skydiving and para-sailing this year.
87. Just this year, I have learned to love broccoli.
88. I adore Mariah Carey’s voice. I wish I could sing like her.
89. I love Calvin and Hobbes and I laugh to the comics, even alone.
90. I love to sing, have a knack for immediately memorizing lyrics of songs I like, and once thought I could sing in a band as a living.
TRAVELS
91. I had the privilege to swim in the Palawan waters when I was in first-year college.
92. I spent 4 days with an Negrito tribe for my immersion in 4th year college.9
3. I have been to Sagada twice, both on New Year.
94. I have just recently been able to visit the well-renowned beaches of Boracay.
95. My favorite US street so far is Bourbon St., New Orleans…wooohooo!
96. When I was young, we’d go to Baguio for a family vacation at least once a year. And we’d always go horseback riding.
97. I have gone to Bicol on a whim, via the train haha.
98. In the US, I’ve been to the following states: NY, PA, DE, VA, WV, NC, DC, MD, LA(Louisiana, not Los Angeles ha hehe), CA, IL, FL.
99. I have been to Canada and the Bahamas this year.
100. I promised myself that I'd go to France by the age of 25. Broken! I still dream of travelling to Europe and Scandinavia – France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Rome (a country in and of itself, I hear).