new life

this is it! natapos na rin sa wakas ang phase ng project namin na andun ang bulk ng trabaho. fine, na-extend kami ng 1 day. pero grabe, ang saya-saya ko. feeling ko kanina, kung ipagpapabukas pa ang sign-off nito, mamamatay na ako. walang halong biro.

pero ok na. so buhay pa ako! salamat! may mga araw na inaalat ka... pero naisip ko, grabeng kaalatan naman ito! maalat pa sa dead sea! pero ang mahalaga, natapos na rin. ibang yugto naman bukas. pero feeling ko, mas masaya na ang mga susunod na araw. wag lang sanang aalat pa sa pinakamaalat na araw nitong mga nakaraang linggo.

hay. siguro, makakakain na ako. siguro, hindi na ako magigising nang 6:00am na natatakot kung anong mangyayari sa trabaho. siguro, hindi na masyadong bibilis ang tibok ng puso ko. siguro, may panahon na akong chumika (nang konti). siguro makakauwi na ako nang maaga pa sa 8pm. siguro, this is a new life for me!

thank you, Lord at natapos din ito. ang galing galing mo talaga! love kita super! :) thank you kasi love mo rin ako. :)

baon

every friday night, we buy groceries that will sustain us for a week. we haven't mastered the art of estimating the just-right amount of food yet and as a result we throw away so much extra food. last friday, while loading the ref with the new supply, we threw around .25 kilos of chicken breast, some old tomato sauce (which, i figured could have been enough to make a simple pasta), a bowl of ginataang kalabasa and sitaw, and some more leftover food.

i was not happy about it. i know what all grandmoms and moms say: marami ang nagugutom. and this is so true. this is not the first time we threw away leftover food. at times, the amount is enough to feed a whole family. and to think the poorest of the poor eat only rice and salt (if they get lucky). and here we are throwing away what could have been a feast for another family's table.

throwing away food at the office is another story. my appetite easily gets affected by stress. as an effect, i find it difficult to swallow and finish my lunch. what could have fed 2 hungry children goes down the drain.

i know i'm already rotting in hell... to think i'm not even there yet!

as a resolution, kuya bought glass food containers so we could take packed lunch at the office. baon for tomorrow: tirang chicken pastel from yesterday and tirang sopas from today. i know i still have some frozen nilagang pork that could easily transform into tapa in the following nights, go into our baunans, and become a hearty lunch somehow.

we could not save the world with these simple gestures... but it's worth a try for now.

good night, world!

so inviting

so inviting!

if only i don't feel lazy

almost feels like summer

with the "summer breeze" coming from an old fan

i remember there's some ice cream somewhere in the ref

and there are frozen strawberries too

might be a good idea to make a yummy fruit shake!

go go go!

barenaked

my last dark purple nail polish is all chipped off. around 1cm of new nail has grown. what a repulsive sight. i tried to apply a platinum/peach nail polish on my own and it became even more repulsive. hehehe. because 1) i am not an expert and, literally, the colors came flying all around! 2) platinum/peach flatters only fair-skinned toes 3) maitim ang paa ko 4) at ako.

now this one's better. bare. naked. basic. toned down. missed this. i like.

wow

'm gonna be here for you baby

And I'll be a man of my own word

Speak the language in a voice that you have never heard

I wanna sleep with you forever

And I wanna die in your arms

In a cabin by a meadow where the wild bees swarm

(Chorus:)

And I'm gonna love you like nobody loves you

And I'll earn your trust making memories of us

I wanna honor your mother

And I wanna learn from your paw

I wanna steal your attention like a bad outlaw

And I wanna stand out in a crowd for you

A man among men

I wanna make your world better than it's ever been

Chorus

We'll follow the rainbow

Wherever the four winds blow

And there'll be a new day

Comin' your way

I'm gonna be here for you from now on

This you know somehow

You've been stretched to the limits but it's alright now

And I'm gonna make you a promise

If there's life after this

I'm gonna be there to meet you with a warm, wet kiss

Mmm hummm

And I'm gonna love you like nobody loves you

And I'll earn your trust makin' memories of us

Ohhh

And I'm gonna love you like nobody loves you

And I'll win your trust makin memories of us

Mmmmm

Ohhhhhhhh Oh Baby Mmmmmmm

making memories of us

- keith urban -

... but is there such a man? hehehe

frenzy

i think i am an addict. whenever something catches my interest, i put forth all energy to know stuff about this something. call it a frenzy... and my frenzy changes every week or so.

when mj died, i spent so many hours watching old documentaries, reading mj stuff, following news about him, watching the memorial, and searching for old, old videos of him. i was amazed and moved by his personality. two things that got stuck on my mind was 1) jane fonda's remark: "who are we to judge?" and 2) some man's remark on the memorial: "there isn't anything strange about your daddy. it was strange what he had to deal with, but he dealt with it anyway."

a few weeks ago, i finished reading "memoirs of a geisha". while reading it, all the while i thought it was a true story. i was so engrossed and i tell you, this japanese mmk story mentally took me to japan! i was so devastated to learn that it wasn't a true story after all! then i started with my geisha frenzy by searching for geisha youtube videos. i then learned that the book is actually based on a true story. this geisha mentioned at the credits of the book claimed that 90% of the story was her life story and that she was surprised that her name was mentioned when, in fact, they had an agreement that her name won't be revealed. she sued the author and after a good agreement (probably monetary), the news died down. the other geishas were not thrilled that their pact of secrecy was broken. apparently, geishas never talk about their clients. my geisha frenzy went on for about a week.

next addiction was marie digby. we watched her concert in clark quay and i got mesmerized by her super puting kili-kili :) i like her so much! she seems very sweet and kind and her voice is really good. i like her first album better, though. it was more of acoustic and patweetums love songs. the 2nd one is more of a mix of everything. i honestly think her voice is good enough as it is and she doesn't need that much pa-effects. i still like her super, though! so what did i do? i signed up and followed her on twitter. i feel like an ultimate stalker! my gulay!

my marie digby frenzy isn't over yet but it seems that another one is on the queue. tita cory :( we were at the library this morning when i saw a news flash around 9am - saying that tita cory passed away. i was shocked and determined to search all that i can about her. videos, write-ups, news, and all. what is it with tita cory and her charm to win the hearts of people? she definitely made a difference in this world and i admire her for this.

ubo

i've been coughing for the past few weeks.

i've always been like this when i have cough. it lasts for a long, long time! once when i was still in manila, i had a cough for more than a month. being ms. paranoid, i consulted a doctor and told him outright i wanted a chest x-ray because i fear i might have tb. he laughed at me while evaluating the results. my lungs are healthy daw. hehe. better to be sure than sorry.

now, the cough season is here. what's more, there's still the h1n1 scare. i've been coughing for the longest time but i haven't had the chance to consult a doctor yet because work is putting its toll on me... big time!

as each day passes by, i realize there's a nasty pattern going on here. on weekdays, i bark nonstop. and what's with weekdays? WORK! not just work, but stress that hammers on me like crazy. since the cut of employees, work load doubled overnight and i'm not used to this kind of pressure. waah! whatever happened to good, old petiks days? i'm not used to attending meetings and talking with lots of people and doing testing all at once. i was just a simple girl who went to work to test. and i miss this badly.

anyway, as i said, i bark nonstop and my cough sounds like i need a bed rest. hehehe as in ubong kailangan nang ihiga! but what can i do? so i just cough it all out and work just the same. come friday, the cough relaxes a bit and by saturday morning, i tell you the cough is gone! like magic! so i go by my weekend cough-free and carefree. i feel well and relaxed despite humongous house chores.

the mystery starts again on sunday evening when the cough finds its way through my system again :( therefore i equate this cough with work :( and stress :( and pressure :( psychological cough? meron ba nun? eew.

showbiz

i am watching asap at the moment. trip lang. here are my thoughts...

i think juday is very beautiful. i'm glad she had this wonderful transformation from being the pambansang siopao to being ms. fitrum. i really think she's very pretty. :)

i don't like bea. i don't like her singing voice. i get annoyed when i see her on tv. as in ANNOYED. affected si ate?!? haha

i like anne! she's very arte but carry nya ito! i like her face. i like that she's super true, walang panggap, very cute and very sowsyal. i like her!

i like zsazsa too. i think she's elegant and i like her voice. i'm not too fond of karylle though. hihi. sorry!

i'm beginning to appreciate billy joe crawford as a performer. haha! in fairness, he's magaling naman kumanta and sumayaw, he's magaling ;) and bagay sila ni niki.

i think echo is tooooo pa-sweet. ulk.

piolo. NR. hehe.

i like john lloyd! he's funny and witty, i think. i like his porma. kakaiba.

of course, sarah! she's very charming and cute and galing and very nice.

oh, and i love the sessionistas!!! i love aiza and nina and mymp!

haha... ang arte ko. kaasar.

regrets

being a bitch last night

being a bad girl at times

cultivating tiny negative thoughts into monstrous schemes

acting as if don't care

spilling

pretending i didn't see it

not understanding

thank God for understanding, forgiving people.

$37

my, my. i'm so happy!

last week, i bought some goodies: 3 laundry nets @ $3, my favorite loreal tecni art liss control @ $19. i put them all in a plastic carrier along with my old umbrella ($15 then). all along, i knew i took the carrier home with me. but somehow, the carrier disappeared :( you just don't throw $37 away! life is hard, every cent should count and be saved.

i just didn't know how it disappeared.

yesterday, i was cleaning the house when i spotted the carrier inside this drawer by the dining table!!! and i was soooo happy when i found it! i don't have to buy new laundry nets, hair conditioner, and umbrella after all! yahoo!

purple toes (and purple veins)

mama

i am a member of the friday club. we are (not so) young employees meeting on fridays, sharing good food, good stories, good laughter... sharing the good life! we take turns cooking dinner in our homes.

last friday, it was held at jan's house. we had pasta. mike brought videoke - or what might have been videoke. hahaha. it was a bit bizarre because what started as a good dinner ended up being a care group sharing the deepest, darkest moments of your life. i learned so much from them that night. it was like watching 4 different episodes of MMK in one session. but how i loved it!

when i was younger, sharing family problems with classmates and friends was a struggle. it was almost taboo. but as i grew older, both body and soul, i found i easier to open up about the drama of my life. not that my life is or was sad. in fact, my troubles are very trivial if compared to others. i thank God for this blessing.

mama. she was the object of my sharing last friday. i told the group that my mama is my strength. mama knows the right thing to do and say - all the time. i'm not exaggerating. she has been the pillar and light of our family. when the boat is sinking, she knows how to save our lives. and everyday, i dream that i will be like her when my turn to be a mama comes.

i feel so blessed because i still have mama with me. i can't imagine how painful and dark and empty life will be without ma's laughter, words, silliness, wisdom. we have never been affectionate when we were growing up. we didn't hug, we didn't say i love you. we only kissed when we said good bye and good night, but that's it. so now, i am trying. i say i love you when we chat and it's a wonderful feeling. i don't want to wait for the day when she can't hear me say that anymore.

mama's coming on august. i can't wait :)

it's been a while

it's been a while since my last post. i've been really lazy. work has been crazy and will be crazy for the next couple of weeks.

it's been a while since i last saw mom. i miss her. but hey! wawin's here! he finally decided to look for a job here. it's been a while too, but there's no rush. :) the perfect time will come.

it's been a while since i last played monkey bars (or baras sa pagkakaalam ko simula bata). it's been a while because the last time i tried was kindergarten. i was good at it! and all the while i thought i'm still good at it. last saturday, i tried it again. i was able to go forward by one bar! :( i'm old!

it's been a while since i last held and played the guitar. i'm not good at it. i've never been. hehe. but i learned to play the intro of "the best i've ever had" by vertical horizon. hehe.

it's been a while since i last jogged. had a good jog last saturday at east coast with wawin. nice one :)

it's been a while since i last played on a swing! and i had a grand time last saturday! woohoo!

red toes

yay! red toes! i never thought i'll ever wear my toes red. metallic red even! april invited me to try a pedicure/foot spa. i was supposed to have tan or something less obvious because i don't usually color my toenails. i think this is just my 2nd pedicure and the first was something very discreet. kuya said, "try something that will give your toes attitude!" wow kuya kelan ka pa naging concerned sa attitude na inaalay ko sa mundo? hahaha!

ok fine, try something new na lang :) so red it is! i actually like it. medyo maikli nga lang ang kuko ko. haha pero nakakaaliw syang pagmasdan. parang tumitingin ako sa christmas tree. ano raw?

the foot spa was very good. i enjoyed it! maka-avail ng package hehehe. enjoy! next time, parang ok din ang dark purple. o dava! attitude kung attitude! bwahahaha!

all you need is...

i found another yummy love! this is gardenia banana walnut bread.

at the bottom of the pic, there's this heart-shaped banana. or walnut. whatever. it's yummy :)

happiness is...

devouring on mom's favorite breakfast!

minana ko sa kanya ang pagkahilig sa nilagang itlog sa agahan, sawsaw toyo! yum.

ang dali naman naming paligayahin. hehe! 

awww, i miss mami. kung sinong maunang magising, syang maglalaga ng itlog! hahaha!

ang sabi nya...

"do you have to mightily wave the banner of your so-called perfect life just to make me feel i am living in a miserable slum?"

sometimes

- it doesn't feel so right -

- i feel there will never be a hundred percent -

- it just seems to be a hundred percent, but it isn't and it will never be that -

- there is a thought that the tip of the pyramid is just an illusion and it does not actually exist -

- i run (britney) -

- not sometimes, but always, i yearn to be a good girl (so help me God) -

happiness is...

walking leisurely on my way home...

while reading a good, addictive book :)

this is a 15-minute walk/read i'm talking about :)

and this is undomestic goddess by sophie kinsella i'm talking about.

it's a good read. thanks to april for lending the book.

(however, hmm, i don't like it when i step on something i'm not supposed to step on. hehehe. i stepped on something that looks like gum today. please, let it be gum. hehe.)

the saddest eyes i've ever seen

went to toys r us earlier today. kuya was looking for a toy for his colleague's kid. amidst the happy, bubbly, soulful faces in the stuffed toys section, this bear caught my attention. it has the saddest eyes and expression. poor bear. 

i guess i could pass as a sad, sad bear the other night and the whole day yesterday. give me a faintest hint of drama and i cry right away. i cried sadly when kris allen won. it was supposed to be a happy moment! 

feeling better now. for now, i leave dear bear in his despair. smile for me, dear bear? hard. but it's worth a try.

happiness is...

going home from work and catching the last few minutes of the warmth and gentle glare of the sun :)

found it!

wow! sinuyod ko na lahat ng tindahan dito, hindi ko nakita itong collagen elastin na ito. nagpatingin din ako kay ma nung nasa is-tates sya. 'di rin sya nakabili.

sa pilipinas ko lang pala matatagpuan! yehey! salamat kay mama sa pagbili ng 2 malaking garapon :) 

pero 'di ko pa napurbahan ang bisa nya sa mukha dahil may mga ginagamit pa akong gusto kong ubusin muna. yehey!

pagkain ng gutom

yum. tipak-tipak na kanin. tipak-tipak na menudo. cheez whiz on rice. yum.

(babala: walang tabang nakain sa hapunang ito. yum.)

comfort food, comfort beverage

comfort food

napakasarap ng cheez whiz. wee! matagal-tagal na ring panahon na hindi ako nakakain nito. nang maglunch kami sa LP nung friday, ay! may i buy talaga ako ng pinakamalaking bote :) yum. perfect sya sa gardenia bread - natry ko sa banana walnut at calfornia raisin. naiimagine kong masarap lalo sa corn bread. ay kahit saan sigurong bread masarap sya :)

comfort beverage

uso ang ubo't sipon. panong hindi e lahat ng nakapaligid sa 'yo sa bus at sa opisina e umuubo, sumisipon, dumadahak na parang wala nang bukas. walang takipan ng bibig! ayos! hay. sige hawa-hawa na tayong lahat. isama mo pa ang panahong matindi pa sa babae kung magpalit ng isip. masarap sa pakiramdam ang hot tea na may lime or calamansi. wow katamaran, delatang calamansi. hehe.

comfort. hay. sarap. ginhawa. :)

literally bottled up

i saw the poorest things in a restaurant in manila. i'm not 100% sure if these are lobsters caged in soda bottles (green bottles are sprites and clear ones are cokes hehe). i didn't find them yummy or tempting in any way :( i asked mike why they are kept this way. he said it's because they tend to eat each other so they have to be isolated from the time they were tiny babies until they reach their maturity and become ready for someone's plate.

sigh. it's a sad sight. talk about freedom. those in green bottles are even worse! imagine growing in a very secluded green world! hindi kaya magkaron sila ng deperensya sa pag-iisip? :(

naapektuhan na naman si ate. haha. i don't think i could eat them. ewan ko lang din. depende siguro sa gutom. hehe. susme e ganun talaga sila palakihin e. anong magagawa ko?

oh well. it was in that restaurant that i tried shabu shabu for the first time. dined there twice. one prior to the teeth extraction and one after. well, yung second time ata hindi na shabu shabu kundi sabaw sabaw. weeh corny. both times were superb!

all you need is...

one afternoon, i found a treasure while eating calbee chips. yummy love :)

healing

no, i wasn't knocked out by manny. this was me two weeks ago after the excruciating battle i had with, um, my 2 wisdom teeth. the lower left one started giving me pains a few weeks ago. i asked around and found out wisdom tooth extraction in singapore costs 900SGD per tooth. 900! there are so many things i could do with 900! no way will i have it done here. 

the dentist in MOA charges 10k PHP, 20k max. simple math and my heart told me to book a flight back home and have the surgery done there. furthermore, mom referred me to her dentist in sucat and the dentist estimated 4k per tooth! my my. fly home it is, with twinkling eyes and a hope of somehow going for a quick summer swim at the beach. nagbaon ako ng swimsuit :)

the day came. the dentist advised that we should extract the lower right one as well. keeping it, he said, will only cause similar problems some other time. fine. matapang ako. go for it, doc! fine. after the surgery, all energy left my system. all i wanted to do was lie down and be still forever. wow! try it... search for "wisdom tooth extraction" in youtube and see how bad it looks like.

thus the picture above. i would like to thank my mom and my brother for taking care of me during the first few days that i was incapacitated. susme saksakan ng oa. they were the best nurses, waking up to feed me with ensure chocolate drink (which sustained me for a week) and give me the meds that i had to take strictly every 6 hours. the first 24 hours was unbearable! more painful than my first extraction  a few years ago.

so i thought i could have a good summer swim?! suntok sa buwan. hahaha! wish ko lang. was lucky enough to meet a few friends - maria and college friends - during my last days in manila. i was simply not in good shape to have too much fun. 

on my way back here, the H1N1 flu hype was starting so i was a bit nervous. what if i had a slight fever due to my wounded gums? what if they stopped me and detained me? that was my negative, dark self thinking. i got back safely. safe doesn't mean well, though. my mind wandered to the darkest alleys, searching online for complications after extraction. dry socket scared me to death. it's a condition when the protective blood clot of the gum wound gets lost. in effect, your gums will heal slowly - it is a painful state! BUT only less than 10% of patients get  it :)

mind over matter works. i got the complication after all. hahaha. kakaisip ko, nagkaron ako ng dry socket. so i ended up consulting a dentist here. magaling sya. idol namin sya ni jan. he gave me a medicated mouthwash (pearlie white). i call it miracle mouthwash.

akala ko'y wala nang bukas. akala ko'y wala nang liwanag. napagtanto kong, umaarte lang pala ako. i became better eventually :) all i have now are two holes on my gums. and i realized just this lunch that i am eating normally again :) now i could say i'm healing.

music please... 

Now that we have gotten through 

One more fall

I can just admit I've got it all

Cause I do 

Cause I've got you 

We've crossed these battle lines too many times

It passes through the heart

But it never leaves a mark

Cause Your love just keeps on healing me

No matter how I bruise

If I just trust You

Your love just keeps on healing me

One more clue

One more chance that wasn't there before

In your arms

No pain can harm the way I'm feeling

Lord I know that Your love is healing

I've kicked around those lines in my head

But I've never listened to the words that You said

See where it's lead

Well I know I have it now

Cause You showed me how

And all I had to do

Was just to keep my eyes on You

Cause Your love just keeps on healing me

No matter how I bruise

If I just trust You

Your love just keeps on healing me

One more clue

One more chance that wasn't there before

In your arms

No pain can harm the way I'm feeling

Lord I know that Your love is healing

(Break)

Cause Your love just keeps on healing me

No matter how I bruise

If I just trust You

Your love just keeps on healing me

One more clue

One more chance that wasn't there before

In your arms

No pain can harm the way I'm feeling

Lord I know that Your love is healing

genius

whoever invented this screen frying pan cover is a genius. i love him! frying becomes a breeze with it. :)

tilansik is a pain. with this mesh cover, you get protected from the hellish pain of tilansik plus it doesn't "steam" the food you are frying. a regular pan cover doesn't do the trick. fried stuff becomes steamed stuff.

this one's fried fish for sarciado :) 

100 truths

1. Last beverage→ ensure chocolate drink
2. Last phone call→ mike
3. Last text message→ received and sent: mike
4. Last song you listened to→ song playing on michie's facebook video
5. Last time you cried→ dyahe... last sunday

SIX HAVE YOU EVER:
1. Dated someone twice → yes
2. Been cheated on? → yes
3. Kissed someone & regretted it? → no
4. Lost someone special?→ yes
5. Been depressed?→ yes
6. Been drunk and threw up? → yes.

LIST FOUR FAVORITE COLORS:
1. white
2. pink
3. red
4. hmm, blue

HAVE YOU:
1. Made new friends → yes
2. Fallen out of love → yes
3. Laughed until you cried → madalas
4. Met someone who changed you → everybody i meet changes me
5. Found out who your true friends were → yes
6. Found out someone was talking about you → yes
7. Kissed anyone on your friend's list -> yes
8. How many people on your friends list do you know in real life → mukang lahat naman
9. How many kids do you want to have→ 3
10. Do you have any pets → na-dead na silang lahat
11. Do you want to change your name→ no. i just don't like it that much if people pronounce it like "katerin" yung matigas ba.
12. What did you do for your last birthday → aaah! enjoyed a surprise birthday party in our zurich apartment :)
13. What time did you wake up today → 1am, 3am, 7am to drink meds
14. What were you doing at midnight last night? --> sleeping
15. Name something you CANNOT wait for → can't wait to heal
16. Last time you saw your father→ hmm, jan, 1999
17. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life → i love every nook, highway, and spot i've been through in my life :)
18. What are you listening to right now → a tricycle passing by
19. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom → yes
23. What's getting on your nerves right now? → nothing
24. Most visited web page → facebook, yahoo, blogger

1. What's your name→ catherine michelle
2. Nicknames→ caths, cat, katuting
3. Relationship Status: in a relationship
4. Zodiac sign → leo
5. Male or female or transgendered → female
6. Elementary→ st. paul college of paranaque
7. high School → st. paul college of paranaque
8. college → de la salle university manila
10. Hair color → dark brown
11. Long or short - long
16. Height → 5 feet, without osteoporosis hehe
17. Do you have a crush on someone? → hmm, parang wala ngayon
18: What do you like about yourself? → hmm, siguro yung hindi nalulugmok for a long period of time. mabilis lang tapos bangon ulit!
19. Piercings → ears lang
20. Tattoos → none, and i don't intend to have one
21. Righty or lefty → righty

FIRSTS :
22. First surgery → first - wisdom tooth some 3 years ago. my last was last sunday for wisdom teeth again!
23. First piercing → ears, was still a baby then
24. First best friends → hmm, the paranaque girls back in elementary
26. First sport you joined → volleyball
27. First pet → a dog named lucky
28. First vacation → i think it was mindoro with my mama and papa. i still remember my first memories of foamy beach water touching my feet. was fascinated back then. i think i was 4 or 5?
29. First concert - eheads at st. paul. high school days!
30. First crush → a guy named mark hehe

RIGHT NOW:
49. Eating → goodness. i haven't had a decent meal since sunday. ensure has been sustaining me. i tried lucky me beef and chow king lugaw but i am afraid something will go wrong with my stitches. hehe
50. Drinking → ehem, ensure and water
52. I'm about to → go to MOA. yes, despite swollen jaws. uso yan, boxing season
53. Listening to → electric fan hums
55. Waiting for → mama

YOUR FUTURE :
58. Want kids? - yes
59. Want to get married? → yes.
60. Careers in mind? → i want to have a business

WHICH IS BETTER WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX?
68. Lips or eyes → eyes
69. Hugs or kisses → hugs
70. Shorter or taller → taller. hello, may liliit pa ba sa akin?
71. Older or Younger → older
72. Romantic or spontaneous → spontaneous
73. Nice stomach or nice arms → nice stomach
74. Sensitive or loud → sensitive
75. Hook-up or relationship → relationship
77. Trouble maker or hesitant → hesitant - would mean he is exercising his brain. hehe

HAVE YOU EVER :
78. Kissed a stranger → no, and i don't i can
79. Drank hard liquor → yes
80. Lost glasses/contacts - not yet
81. Sex on first date → no. ehem.
82. Broken someone's heart → yes yata. or kebs lang sya. hehe
83. Had your own heart broken→ yes
85. Been arrested → not yet, but i've been to a police station in zurich for some trouble during october fest. mantakin mo yun! ni hindi ako nabarangay sa pinas!
86. Turned someone down → yes
87. Cried when someone died → yes
88. Liked a friend that is a girl? → like as in... attracted? yes, uso ito nung high school e. hehe

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
89. Yourself → yes
90. Miracles → yes
91. Love at first sight → no
92. Heaven → a big yes
93. Santa Clause → i used to
95. Kiss on the first date? → 'di ko pa nagawa ito, but i think i wouldn't mind a kiss on the cheek
96. Angels → yes!

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
97. Is there one person you want to be with right now? → yes
98. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time? → no. bad yun.
100. Posting this as 100 Truths? → yes

on science and miracles

i was watching national geographic while having breakfast earlier today. they featured a plane crash some years ago and the lone survival of a flight stewardess. there was an unexplained explosion which caused the head of the plane to disintegrate and the tail to dive to death.

at the crash site, rescuers were awed to hear screams coming from the stewardess. she survived - but all the rest did not make it. then they went on to give scientific explanations on how she managed to escape death.

(i can't recall the accuracy of the following medical/scientific details, but i will give it a shot...)

• while the tail was heading down, she was pushed to the far end of the tail, together with the food cart. 
• the same food cart pinned her to her safety and acted as a seat belt. 
• at the ground, after the crash, the temperature was less than 0 deg. this, experts say, helped to reduce the brain activity and further damage to her internal systems.
• prior to the flight, she was almost not given clearance because of a slight low blood pressure. but she flew anyway. they say this also helped reduce the damage done to her systems. 
• she woke up after 2 days. she had therapies. she went back to work.

and it still comes back to God being so great to let science do its work to help her survive! there is science, yes. but i believe that there is also God behind every wonder of science.

wow. haba ng kwento ko. for me, it's a miracle. ASAT - as simple as that. :)

i have also had my share of big miracles in my life.

it was dec. 1996. it was the time when dengue was at its finest. hehe. being the mosquito magnet that i am, i got the disease. i had typhoid at the same time. my platelet count dropped to critical level and this required white blood platelet transfusion. after consuming the first bag of the blood platelet, my body reacted to the transfusion. i had convulsion and was in a coma for some 8 hours. and then i woke up.

the other dengue victims in the hospital on my floor didn't make it. :( but i did and i am forever thankful for this second life. i believe this is a miracle!

wawin is another story. he has a congenital hole on his heart. it doesn't grow, but neither does it heal. it's just at a constant size and state. his doctors are amazed why he's still alive 'til now. he appears to be healthy. he's even stronger than i am! but there is still this undeniable fact that there's a hole on his heart!

doctors say that the hole is located in a very strategic location - it missed all the vital spots... so he lives until now. it doesn't mean he is immune to danger, though. because of this hole, his lungs are working double time to compensate the limitations of the heart. and this is the greatest risk: his lungs might collapse one day because it is under pressure.

for now, we appreciate wawin's every breath and every waking hour - truly a miracle!

chimni ulit

while kuya was still looking for work, life was easy for me. he did all the laundry. i didn't have to lift one finger to sort clothes and wash them. he also prepared dinner. when i get home, all i had to do was eat. life was easy.

today is kuya's first day at work. when i got home, 3 loads of dirty clothes are waiting for me. there's no food on the table for dinner.

so am i complaining? definitely not! :) i washed the clothes, i cooked sopas for dinner. now we go back to the routine of alternate turns in washing the clothes. i go back to cooking.

welcome back to the club, kuya! 

chimni na ulit ako. hehe. tapos na ang buhay prinsesita! bwahaha!

side A, side B

side A

watched side A concert last sunday with liza and michelle. super sulit ang SGD22 namin :) galing galing pa rin nila! nakakaindak. nakakaiyak. kasi ang daming love songs. at wala kaming kayakap. hahaha!

maraming pinoy sa event. nakita ko ang HS schoolmates kong sina katrina, che, at attila. ok din naman yung band sa 1st half ng show. sa dxo sila kumakanta everyday except mondays. o diba may recall ang schedule nila sakin? hehe!

naalala ko side A ang pinanood namin ng perslab ko. kasama namin si ecel nun. pagkatapos ng grad pic taking, derecho na kami sa concert. susme medyo may mga mekup mekup pa kami haha! 

sabi ni liza, nag concert daw ang side A sa la salle nung college. at nanood daw kami. pero di ko maalala :( shumoshonda na?

i'm in the mood for download mania -- for side A songs! i love them!

side B

after the concert, derecho na sa birthday party ni epril sa bahay nya. kumpleto and klassic court peeps. kumpleto rin ang friends ni april from city bank.

masarap ang food :) parang bonding moment na rin with housemates.

lumpia ang contribution namin. kaya lang namali ang prito. hahaha naging tustadong lumpia! hindi na rin nila inihain. pero ayos naman pala, naiuwi rin namin at nakain yung iba. hahaha!

happy birthday, epril!

unholy holy week

i don't feel that it's holy week at all :( last year was good. prior to the holy week, we attended a preparation retreat courtesy of lingkod. we also had visita iglesia on maundy thursday.

this week is really different. i didn't do preparations for the coming holy week. instead of fasting or abstaining, we had feast-y lunches since monday to either send off or welcome friends. no visita iglesia last night because it was april's birthday and we dined out. 

i was hoping we could go and do the church visits today. so i made a list of all the churches we could visit and i also searched for the stations of the cross prayers. when kuya and april arrived they suggested we just do the stations of the cross at the holy family church instead of the visita iglesia for 7 churches since it was quite late.

however, when we got to the holy family church, there was an ongoing mass - in mandarin - so we couldn't really proceed with the stations of the cross.

we ended up at suntec city. and i ended up having my new macbook! they have a promo for trading in old laptops. my old one is 3 years old and the battery is no longer in good shape. i guess it's about time to change it! but the timing is rather off. argh. sorry. promo is until april 12.

all the while, i thought churches have vigils on fridays. i was wrong. when we got to the cathedral for the stations of the cross, the church was closed. oh well. i guess i'll end up having my stations of the cross here on my bed tonight.

"i" stuff

i went to raffles hospital for x-ray today. i need it for the PR requirements.

i enjoyed dinner: pork chop - cooked by kuya; mushroom soup - cooked by campbell.

i have more good news: marlon also received his job offer! happy mood in the house!

i feel so tired because i haven't taken my vitamins for some weeks now.

i want to go home to have a wonderful, relaxing time at the beach.

i am annoyed at the moment.

i think facebook is like being an observer in your friends' daily lives! and i think this is cool!

i think the rule in the philippines about the driver being punished even if it was clear that it was the pedestrian's fault is foolish.

i had a quick chat with my HS teacher in facebook! she looks great!

i am sleepy but waiting for tayong 2 in tfc.

i think santino is soooo cute.

i am ending this post now.

all you need is...

spotted: clouds forming patterns of love in the sky! if this is what you see every time you wake up, then for just a fraction of the hours of the day, you feel worry-free and light and loved and just wonderful! a gorgeous way to start the day last saturday. :)

i love

i finally had my immunity syndrome with clinique 1-2-3. as in wa epek na sya! my whiteheads on the nose, chin, and between the eyebrows are enraged everyday!

time for a cool change! nagwewelga na talaga ang mga kung anu-ano sa mukha ko! ok, kalma kalma...

i tried st. ives apricot scrub and clear pore cleanser. they are, by far, cheaper than clinique. i remember trying apricot scrub in manila but i didn't like it. it made my skin dry. naturalmente, dahil i don't use moisturizer back then. aba, ikaw na ang kaskasin at hindi i-moisturize. ewan kung hindi ka matuyo! susme.

anyway, i am still consuming the clinique toner and moisturizer dahil sayang naman at marami pa. but i swear, the stubborn whiteheads are tamer now! i use apricot scrub every other day and use a good, generous amount of moisturizer. in fairness, 'di naman natutuyo masyado :)

dahil natuwa ako sa st. ives, naghanap na rin ako ng toner and moisturizer and i found very good reviews for st. ives collagen elastin facial moisturizer. yun nga lang, nilibot ko na ang lahat ng drug store at kikay stores na abot-tanaw e wala silang lahat nun. i'm really intrigued if it will work in the same way as others testify.

tawag ako kay ma, na nasa NJ ngayon, at nagpatingin ako. sana meron hehe. susme 'di naman ako masyadong atat. aba minsan ka lang makakita ng produktong mura na, effective pa! pati si mama na-intriga. ita-try na rin daw nya dahil sobrang mahal ng clinique. kapag wala pa rin, i-try ko bumili online. i've never been this desperate over something to buy it online!

wow healthy

sabado night, i was alone. kuya went to a birthday party and i wasn't in the mood to cook and prepare for a dinner for 1. i raided the stocks and i found century bangus in can and a campbell instant cup soup. voila. instant dinner! main ingredient: preservatives! woohoo!

it's good to dance once in a while

last friday night was a night out with liza and michelle. long, long time no see!

we agreed to have dinner at amici restaurant at holland village. thanks to adrian for taking us there. who is adrian? we saw him at buona vista station and we asked him for directions when we got lost. good thing he's pinoy. i don't want to recall the things we asked him and the types of conversation we had with him. it was just embarrassing. mantakin mong tanungin ko syang, "pwedeng magpa x-ray?" nang malaman naming radiologist sya. pagkatapos kong tanungin, naisip kong parang kakaiba ang tanong ko. bakit ko tinanong yun? ewan. gusto ko lang naman gumawa ng conversation :-S pero parang bastos...

well, disappointed kami ni liza. hahaha. single sya. liza asked for his name. he didn't ask for our names. somehow, liza fished that he is single. "pero marami akong pinapaaral" hahaha. ok kuya! we get it that you're not interested. hahaha. sayang "pwede" pa naman sya sabi ni liza. sabi ko nga, baka thizizit for you! pero torpe si kuya. torpe or marami lang talaga syang pinapaaral. hehe.

oh well. food at amici was great! i had tortellini pasta. i loved it. we somehow made our way to attica at clark quay. ang daming boys! hahaha pero ang shy at suplada naman ata namin. hahaha! susme makalandi lang kay adrian pero pag marami nang boys, tiklop na. haha natuod na! mahirap sumayaw kasi masikip sobra. mas marami pa atang moments na umiilag kami sa dumadaang tao kesa sa nagdadagrooves kami e. hahaha!

we felt we're getting older. mabilis nang mapagod. but it was a good night! siguro kahit 40s na tayo, it's still good to dance and loosen up from time to time :)

some good, some bad

i checked my last post. only a week has passed but so many things transpired. the past week dragged like crazy.

some bad
the closure of the project took its toll to half of the team. the remaining of us just got lucky, but we don't know how long luck will take our side. everybody's hanging on a thread. changes happen overnight. co-workers AND good friends have to go. the mood was, and still, that of loss and grief.

some good
kuya found a job. or should i say a job found kuya! after 5 months of unemployment, he will start on his new work on easter monday. and easter it is! the world comes alive again. minus one worry. i have always worried that i can't lose my job while kuya is still jobless. then the next day, i received my PR approval.

i believe there is balance in life. bad things happen and these are inevitable. but it can't always be bad. there is a time to mourn and a time to appreciate blessings. at the end of it all, i still believe that all things happen for a reason... that all these are preparations for God's perfect plans for us all.

my mom said she prayed for us 3: kuya, win, and me. i said God is so good. 'di pa man kami dumadaing, kumakalabit pa lang, nagbigay na sya. thank you po.

the next hope is for the recovery of friends and acquaintances who lost their jobs. i always say, tomorrow is another day - another day to wait for God's wonderful schemes for us all. He makes all things beautiful in His time!

photograph and buko juice

what a weird combination :)

i was having a shower after i cleaned our room. i don't know why all of a sudden i started to sing ariel rivera's "photograph". full of emotion ang pag-awit kong para bang may pinagdaraanan ako! hehehe wow. i can't even relate with the song but i don't know why it seeped into the [shallow] crevices of my mind.

i still have a photograph of you
i've keep it all these years
i guess it would make you laugh to know
it still brings back the tears

from another place and time
when your love was mine

wow, and then my thoughts ran to "where is ariel rivera, btw?" and is he happy now with geli? and what about that regine incident before? hmmm. susko... bakit ko naman sila naisip?

***

there's this buko juice in can that i am learning to like. it's called "ice cool young coconut - juice with pulp" it doesn't taste artificial at all. pero syempre, iba pa rin ang buko juice galing sa lupang nakasangla sa lola ko. hehehe. sa mindoro, libre ang buko juice. :) yum

earth hour in spirit

i was so excited to take part in the earth hour. i was planning to have chocolate ice cream in the sala with the housemates during the one-hour-lights-off session. i was imagining we'll tell crazy stories and laugh out loud. this is something good that we could do for mother earth, i thought.

it didn't push through. come 6pm, we went to hear the anticipated mass and then have dinner at nihon mura after the mass. we didn't make it home at 8:30. too bad. to take part somehow, i shut down my laptop and switched off all lights and electricity plugs in the room. i know the housemates will put out all lights at 8:30 since they're here.

we were having dinner when the earth hour struck. the mall didn't participate. too bad. it could have been a unique moment to have all lights off everywhere. i heard the sydney opera house in australia shut all lights during their earth hour earlier today.

oh well. does that count? earth hour in spirit? hehe. that's my vote.

your firsts

1. Who was your FIRST prom date?
- hmm, i didn't have dates on my junior and senior proms.

2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love?
- no

3. What was your first alchololic drink?
- tequila

4. What was your FIRST job?
- OJT at amkor laguna as software engineer. first real job was at spi tech as software engineer.

5. What was your FIRST car?
- none

6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today?
- mike

7. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning?
- mike... napanaginipan ko e

8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher?
- mrs. dela cruz! she was one scary teacher. if you want to go to the rest room, you ask her, "miss, may i go out?" she just says no! and you go back to your seat with your bladder exploding! my my!

9. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane?
- aklan to boracay!

10. Who was your FIRST best friend & do you still talk?
- carmela dizon on grade 3? we were the 2 smallest girls in class. we don't talk anymore

11. Where was your FIRST sleep over?
- i think during college project days on riche's house.

12. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today?
- kuya

13. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time?
- wedding ng kapitbahay namin

14. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning?
- hmmm, nagcheck ng mail

15. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to?
- eraserheads concert.. 3rd year HS at the school gym

16. What was the FIRST record/tape/CD you bought?!
- cruisin'

17. FIRST hospitalization?
- dengue fever during 3rd year HS

18. FIRST foreign country you've been to?
- HK

19. FIRST movie you remember seeing?
- never ending story

20. When was your FIRST detention?
- hmm, wala? good girl ako e. hehehe

21. What did you do with your FIRST paycheck?
- odd. i can't remember

22. Your FIRST social networking site?
- friendster

23. Who FIRST invited you to Facebook?
- joerg, our boss. he sent the invitation to the whole team.

in love

i was ill today. my abdominal pain started yesterday afternoon, it went away, then the pain hit again this morning. i called in sick and went to the doctor for a check. i wasn't expecting that the doctor will pin down what's wrong with me. i was only after the MC. ang hatol ni doc: kabag. wow.

i didn't take the medicines he gave me. i don't think i need meds for gas. wow marunong pa ko kay doktor! i just took glasses of warm water. pain is still there but it isn't as bad as this morning.

so what kept me busy today?

it was a bit boring compared to the mesmerizing zara series. it's comparable to the nights in rodanthe, i think.

i wonder if there really is such a thing as love at first sight. hmm, i haven't experienced it yet. the francesca-robert love affair is definitely the most mature relationship i could ever imagine. they knew they love each other the first day they met, they made love for 4 days, and never contacted each other again to respect francesca's decision to attend to her responsibilities as a a mother and wife. oh, yes... she's married hehe. just 4 days - enough to have a permanent imprint and discern that they found their soulmates. the thing is, they chose to do the right thing. was it the right thing, though? hehe

i had a chat with a friend today. she's so in loooove! she's a happy, jolly person even before she met her guy. imagine her bliss level now that she found her man. it must be love! :) she's definitely so in loooove! i wish i could go home to attend their wedding :)

remind me again why i don't love coffee

• my heart palpitates
• i get jumpy and sweaty and nervous
• i'm like on drugs
  
• i want to throw up
• i feel acidic

but i like coffee :(

i have completed the zara series

este... i have completed the twilight series pala hehe. marlon borrowed the 1st book so i could only show 3. hehe. i don't know what hit kuya when he decided to cover the books using zara paper bags. dyahe tuloy pag nagbabasa sa bus, people tend to stare when they see the cover. they seem to think, what is this crazy girl doing reading a zara book? and what is a zara book?

my favorites are books 3 and 4. i could tell because i didn't want to put them down. especially book 4! i slept at 2am last night but i spared 20 pages for today. it was not because i was sleepy, it was because i feared i won't wake up early for work today. so i read the remaining 20 pages on my way to work this morning. 4 pages to go and i had to alight. bwisit. 4 pages na lang nabitin pa ko. so i had to endure the agony of waiting for 9 hours before i finished the last 4 pages. oa.

nakarelate akong big time kay bella when she said that she has learned to accept the fact that she was just an average girl. feeling ko, parang walang bagay na masasabi kong magaling ako. hahaha! susme naging negative lang ang effect ng book sakin. ano ba yan. naging pessimist na ba talaga ako? no. let me explain.

i was just an average student. i never excelled in terms of grade. i don't have a "real" talent. umiindak pero hindi dancer. kumakanta pero hindi singer. nakakabasa ng nota at nakakatugtog ng simple pieces pero 'di pianist. alam ang A-G chords, isama mo na ang minor chords pero 'di guitarist. mahilig mag draw pero hindi kaakit-akit. favorite mag swim pero breast stroke lang ang kaya kong languyin nang 'di napapagod, may kabagalan pa. hahaha! nagluluto pero who couldn't (i believe anybody who could read could also learn how to cook)?

i don't mean to degrade myself... my point is, i don't have an expertise. i could "somehow" do things, but hindi pang medalya. haha! just the average. when asked, "marunong ka ng ganito?" i answer, "medyo". hehe. hindi ba yung "ay oo magaling ako dyan! ganito yan o..."

my connection with bella snapped when she said she was just an average until she became immortal, it was then that she radiated and beamed! bongga! not that i want to become a supernova someday. that's why the connection snapped. i feel this is just me. i don't want spotlights. i don't want to shine. i just want to be a speck among the crowd, the staff of the lead role, the tire-changer of the racer. i don't want power! hahaha ang taas ng pangarap!

i will miss the stardust effect of this fairy tale book. i love the concept of imprinting. i love nessie's character. and charlie's. and seth's. i love their little house in the forest - where magic is made. hehe. i love bella's mind power. i love the mala-nancy-drew-hardy-boys-mysteries twists. i love how edward reads jacob's thoughts. and how the wolves couldn't hide anything from each other.

i'll have to say meyer is one cool writer :) i love the zara books! woohoo! i don't love the mushy scenes, though... i read those parts in a haste (uuy mashonda na, di na masyadong kinikilig). is it really over? i would love to read a book 5.

* because of the zara wrapper thing, only the title "twilight" registered in my memory. i don't have recollection of the title of the other 3 books. hehehe. that's why i call them the zara books.

anong ginagawa ni wawin?

a. nagtatanggal ng buntot ng toge

b. nagtitiris ng garapata or lisa

c. nananahi

d. none of the above

ang tumpak na sagot ay: d! dahil nag gugupit sya ng kuko! pareho sila ni kuya na ganyan gumamit ng nail cutter. i find it a bit weird. weird brothers. eeew.

miss you, waw!

at the end of the rainbow

• my worries are eating me alive
  
• it's hard to think positively on days like this
• life is indeed a wheel - you can't always stay on the top
• you can't be tucked in the safest confines of your comfort world forever
• i feel so hunted and haunted
• what's next after the cleanup?

i am on my insane mode. times like this, i just can't eat a juicy fruit gum. hehe. times like this, i feed my mind with the nastiest thoughts. it's like feeding cancer cells so they could keep on multiplying. what a comparison. even my comparison is so negative.

and then i saw this on our way to parkway:

i just want to see what's at the end. for sure there is something there. but show me, show me! my pathetic rendition of a smile ----> :)

adorable foot

bus 36 was packed with people rushing home. i was standing. in front of me was a mom with her 2 adorable kids. the older one appears to be 4 yrs old, the baby was around 6 months old.

he (for all i know, he could be a she) was this bald cutie. his skin was soooo white, his eyes were blue. he was staring at me. most of the time, he was playing with his brother's ears and nose and eyes. his his foot was dangling in front of me. i just had to secretly touch it. hihihi... was so smooth and soft!

a minute of thought - on feeling good

i feel great today! so it's not about the rain and it's not about the pms. i had both today... well, minus the headache... but i feel absolutely fine. in fact, great! i feel i am full of energy even if i just had a mug of choco for breakfast! yey!

bubbles

they have this giant inflatable pool in front of parkway mall. and they have giant bubbles... kids could get inside the bubbles and play bump-bubbles with other kids! wow! i love it! i wish i could "ride" a bubble once in my lifetime! hehehe. it looks soooo fun! it's very tempting to ask if they allow adults to play too. but that would be a stupid question... hmm...

wonderful things to do

i'm feeling down. pms and rain - a bad combination. i have a terrible headache. i look out the window and i see the melodramatic rain pouring, purring, sending my emotions in a swirl of negative vibes. argh.

i suddenly think that i'm turning 29 and i haven't made anything of substance or significance in my life yet. what have i done, actually? hmmm... ponder, ponder. i couldn't be proud. all i could say is i've done things that are sort of "required" and "standard" in this society. so far, i've finished a four-year course and i've set my ship on sail on an ocean of a decent job.

i feel i'm running out of years! this is ms. negative acting on full throttle! people are dying younger. maybe i don't have 50 years more to live... maybe not even 30!

so i thought of wonderful things that i would love to do. in my imagination, i can conquer the world!

in chronological order:

• i would love to start my own business. i'm not a rich person. i'm targeting a small-cost business. multi-million franchising seems dim for me. i'm a bit afraid to take risks so i would rather start small and grow from there.
  
• i would love to teach children to read. and what an accomplishment that will be! this has been a long-time dream for me. maybe to start, a small room will do. anybody could come in and learn for free. once a kid learns to read, we will make a pact that someday when he becomes capable, he will teach at least one child to read.
  
• i would love to help in a charity... hmm, not only financial but also exert physical effort. i don't have an idea which institution yet. maybe more research has to be done for that.
• i would love to have my own family! who doesn't want to? i want to have a responsible husband and 3 wonderful kids. we'll live in a small house in a safe environment - where we could jog or bike on the streets on weekends. wow! susme.
• i would love to travel the world with mama, kuya (and family), wawin (and family), my hubby, and three kids. wow, pangmayaman! hahaha! teka, if not the world, then spend a weekend a month with the complete family. anywhere is good, even if it's just bbq at the garden! bongga!

what have i done so far? i spent a few hours searching for good small business ideas. wasn't that successful, though. hehe. but i feel lighter.

i love this list! and someday i will accomplish them all!

light and shade

i love the view from our window. the clouds become an art canvass and each picture is so unique everyday. God is so great! sometimes i sit by the window and pause and stare at the great view outside. i am mababaw. i know.

this is a blue gray painting, the sun just hid behind the row of houses. darkness is starting to envelope this side of the world!

this is a yellow-orange art work. the clouds are on a roll. the sun is still exuding a sense of power despite its setting.

i rarely see these sights now, though. the past 2 weeks were spent stressfully at work. long hours. i want to complain but i will not. i'm just tired. that's all. but being tired just means i still have work. that's all that matters now. it's a saturday and i will get my calming view in a few hours. :)

haven

we went to the library to kill some time. medyo high tech ang library nila :) nakakaaliw. to borrow books, you have to become a member and pay a yearly fee of 50sgd (if you're not a PR) or 10sgd (if you're a PR). they'll give you an atm-like card as your library card. to borrow books, you go to kiosks, you put the book on this borrowing device, and insert your card in the card slot. that's it! no more stern-looking librarians wearing their hair on buns and wearing old fashioned glasses (which i incidentally have). no more stamping of cards.

when you want to return your books, you just drop them on drop-off machines. books are automatically scanned and marked as returned. :) life is simple!

all those glorious rows of books!

and more of them!

some interesting finds:

from a book called "plastic" -- this is a pen holder. a very brutal and morbid piece... but very creative!

from a book called "japanese designs" -- i found it very striking :)

"many appreciate the simple life. but living a life of simplicity is not simple. rather, trying to simplify one's life is a constant challenge to embrace discipline-to edit out unnecessary items and to minimize desires that fuel their acquisition."

from a book called "odd jobs" -- odd nga! the first one is an armpit sniffer and the second one is a make-up artist for the dead.

completed!!!

sa wakas! ayaw ko nang magpuyat! hehehe! good bye, cake mania!

i am an addict

cake mania addict! woohoo! d na ako makaalis sa level na to. linsyak...
hehe sorry ayaw ma-rotate.

and he's gone

i remember when i received wawin's last phone call yesterday. He was on his way to his boarding gate and he was on his way to fly back to the far, far away land that is home. :( and we felt sorrow. Last sunday night, while he was packing his things, the drama began. Ate couldn't take it and broke into sobs. So did wawin. It's the first time I saw him cry since papa's death some 11 years ago.

Kuya seemed strong and didn't break down. He remained busy, helped wawin pack, and ignored our restrained cries.

we pleaded for wawin to stay for a month. he almost agreed but his meds supply will only last for 2 weeks and pharmacies here require a local prescription. So the option was ruled out. he had to go.

The 2 weeks went by quickly. We went to a few spots and, most of the time, just bummed in the house and behaved like little children. I forgot how it feels like to be together with wawin and kuya at the same time. It feels so good. kulang na lang si mama. hihihi.

when kuya brought him to the airport yesterday, he hugged him for the last time and cried like a little child :( awww. he just sent me a message yesterday that he wasn't able to contain the emotion... we'll miss wawin... our little vacuum boy...

sunog-baga

uso rin pala ang sunog-baga dito. pic taken from our window. in
fairness of them all (wow), maganda ang mga kotse nila. hahaha!