Hailie

Of the past and its effects on Hailie

2009-02-08T12:22:00.000+08:00

Three pseudo-relationships. All ending up with the guy 'cheating'. End result is Hailie with a broken, nay MANGLED, heart. I remember her saying, a month after the last guy ripped her heart apart and amidst buckets and buckets and buckets of tears, that she'll never love the same way again. Or that perhaps she'll never really love again.

And I thought she meant that she'll never enter a psuedo-relationship again. That she'll stop being so giving. That the next time around, she'll be as heartless as the guys who've broken her heart have been.

That's what she thought as well.

And we were both wrong.

She did let herself enter another pseudo-relationship. She never stopped giving. And she can never bring herself to being as heartless as all those guys who've broken her heart.

So what's changed?

She doesn't know how to trust anymore. Her once blind faith has been totally wiped out...

Perhaps because of her failed relationships, she's resorted to always thinking that her guy will cheat on her eventually. So that when it finally happens, it will be easier to accept. So now, every little thing make her doubt... And she's almost sure that when things end with her current psuedo-relationship, it's because the guy cheated on her.

But she's soon realizing that being in the other end of the spectrum is not a good thing as well. She ends up being too much to bear that she ends up pushing people away.

She badly needs to find her middle ground. Soon.

Feeling: bored
All ears to: the TV, showing October Road
Curled up in bed with: Tuesdays with Morrie Mitch Albom

Zenni Optical makes the New York Times

2009-02-08T09:20:00.002+08:00

"Seeing Straight Without Breaking the Bank", goes the New York Times' article about Zenni Optical.

I can just hear some of you saying, "Zenni Optical in the New York Times?!"

Oh yes. And why not? Zenni Optical sells Prescription eyeglasses for only $8! That in itself merits it a space in the New York Times. what's even newsworthy is the fact that not only are Zenni Optical glasses cheap, they're also very, very stylish. Take this choice of mine for example (the 4620 Metal Alloy / Stainless Steel Half-Rim Frame):

Aside from this Zenni Optical glass coming in my favorite pink (and also black, purple, blue, gold, gray, and silver), the glass is also uber simple it just screams of class.

So if you're in the market for a really good pair of glasses that does not 'break the bank', head over to Zenni Optical's site.

Random thoughts on a lazy Sunday morning

2009-01-18T10:27:00.002+08:00

...is fun. But can get pretty tiring. Especially when you've started to invest more than you should.

* * * *

I woke up to a dramatic SMS from a really good gay friend. S/he shared about how a months long unrequited love is still making him/her shed tears. And I honestly, honestly felt the pain.

It's easy to say, "Move on. There are still other fishes in the ocean." but when you're in that position where my friend is (and where I once was - is?), it's hard to heed that advice. Because deep inside, you do know that letting go and moving on is the best thing to do but that no matter what you do you just can't seem to do so. It's not stubbornness; it's that hope that perhaps you didn't make a wrong decision after all and that one day, your love becomes not so unrequited after all. Choosing to hang on may be a stupid decision, but as they say, heart is the dumb blonde of the body and no matter what you tell it, it stands with its stupidity.

All these makes me remember the latest McDonald's commercial...the one that makes me teary-eyed everytime I see it:

* * * *

For some weird reason, I feel like The Cranberries' Linger is my 'song of the moment'.

Sigh.

Feeling: melancholic

All ears to: Stars: The Best of 1992 - 2002 The Cranberries
Curled up in bed with: A Personal History Katharine Graham

Saturday survey

2009-01-17T15:19:00.000+08:00

...para matuwa-tuwa naman ako. (Ninenok kay Olai)

1. What is your best friend's name?
Erm, andami nila eh. Hehe!

2. What color underwear/boxers wearing now?
Black lacy underwear. OO, dapat vivid description. Haha!

3. What are you listening to right now?
Secondhand Serenade's "Awake" and "A Twist In My Story" albums. The first one's still way better.

4. What's your favorite number?
For some weird reason, I love the number 8. Must be the curves. ^shrugs^ I also love 25. Because it holds something significant for me (no, not my age)...

5. What was the last thing you ate?
A Crunch chocolate, post breakfast of tortang talong and kanin.

6. If you were a crayon what color would you be?
PINK!!!

7. How is the weather right now?
Sunny and windy at the same time. Come to think of it, the perfect weather to stay out. Pero tinatamad ako, that's why I just decided to stay home and park myself in front of the PC. LOL.

8. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
"TL" Biloy called, asking me if I wanted to transfer to the graveyard shift. (NooooOOOOOoo!!!)

9. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
Hmmn. The bukge? Hahaha! Nah...second na lang 'yun. It's the smile. Hehe...

10. Do you have a significant other?
Nope.

11. Favorite TV show(s)?
Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, House, American Idol, and October Road.

12. Siblings?
A younger sister and brother.

13. Height?
5'1"

14. Hair color?
Black

15. Eye Color?
Black

16. Do you wear contacts?
Nope.

17. Favorite Holiday?
Halloween!! Tee-hee.

18. Favorite Month?
Summer months, April and May!

19. Have you ever cried for no reason?
Yes. Because I tend to be a bit on the paranoid side. Haha! Pero binabalanse ko naman...tumatawa din ako for no reason. LOL.

20. What was the last movie you watched?
Sa Cinemas? Hmmn...I think it was "Desperadas 2" with Jen and Loki. Haha! Watched "Malena" at home just the other day.

21. Favorite Day of the Year?
Hmmn. None in particular.

22. Are you too shy to ask someone out?
Sometimes. But mostly not. Haha!

23. Can you do a headstand (not using the wall)?
No...

24. Hugs or Kisses?
Dahil maganda ang sagot ni Olai, gagayahin ko lang sagot niya --> hug AND kisses... and so much more! bwahahahaha

25. Chocolate or Vanilla?
CHOCOLATE, hands down!

26. Do you want your friends to respond to this?
Err, bahala sila.

27. Who is most likely to respond?
...

28. Who is least likely to respond?
...

29. What books are you reading?
Katharine Graham's "A Personal History" and "Ladies' Erotica" (hindi joke 'yung last one).

30. Piercings?
Ears and navel.

31. Favorite movies?
Super dami! But "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance", "Beauty and the Beast", and "Monster" top the list.

32. Favorite football team?
Err, am not into football.

33. What were u doing before this?
Watching "House".

34. Butter, Plain or Salted popcorn?
Buttered and salted!

37. Dogs or cats?
Not much into pets but dogs, I guess.

38. Favorite flower?
Tulips and white roses.

39. Been caught doing something you weren't supposed to do?
HAHAHAHAHA!!! 'Yun lang.

40. Do you have a best friend of the opposite sex?
Yup.

41. Have you ever loved someone?
Yeah. Fell in love twice.

42. Who would you like to see right now?
My college and high school friends! And Jeypi.

43. Are you still friends with people from kindergarten?
Hmmn. I don't think so. Haha, I don't remember who my classmates were back then.

44. Have you ever fired a gun?
Yup, during Sir Palmones's BC 186 Seminar in Broadcasting class. And I wanna do it again!!!

45. Do you like to travel by plane?
Yeah. But I like travelling by water more.

46. Right-handed or Left-handed?
Right-handed.

47. How many pillows do you sleep with?
Usually three. Pero kapag may katabi, isa lang pede na. Hahaha!

48. Are you missing someone?
Yeshie.

49. Do you have a tattoo?
No. I'd like to get one pero papatayin ako nang nanay ko if I ever do that.

50. Anybody on Friendster that you'd go on a date with?
... ... ...

I'm beginning to think...

2009-01-17T11:02:00.002+08:00

...that I'm just a meantime girl.

Feeling: pensive

All ears to: Forget About Me A Little Bit
Curled up in bed with: A Personal History Katharine Graham

He's coming to the big screen. WHEE!

2008-11-29T19:36:00.005+08:00

Lots of things to blog about but I just HAVE to repost this. Taken from Olai:

Oh yes! Oh yes! Oh yes!!! Astro Boy's going to the big screen! Set to come out on October 2009, the movie will be produced by Imagi Studios and will be in 3D. I'm not sure though if that will work well with me. I'd eternally prefer this:

over how the movie will look like:

But with top-billed actors voicing the film (Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy, Eugene Levy, Matt Lucas and Freddie Highmore), Astro Boy just might turn out to be one highly-anticipated movie. And the trailer's also looking good. Check it out:

More details in the movie's official site.

Whee! Astro Boy!!! (Sorry, just had to squeeze that in.)

Feeling: happy
All ears to: Miss Saigon Soundtrack London Cast
Curled up in bed with: The Kitchen God's Wife Amy Tan

Movie in triplicate

2008-11-20T06:00:00.008+08:00

(A post...FINALLY.)

Got home last night at around 11 pm and I'm now groggy as hell at 6 am, trying to get myself in work mode (yeshie, guilty as charged: am posting this while at work *ibil grin*). But it's all good, because yesterday was such a happy day spent with a good friend, trippin' at the mall. What was supposed to be a trip to have my ears pierced and our feet (or backs) massaged ended up being a movie marathon at Glorietta 4.

We started the after-shift date with James Bond. I've never been a big Bond film fan - fan of Bond actors, yes (Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan, anyone?), but not Bond films. I've never really seen a single Bond film so I cannot explain the aversion, save for maybe because it's just too, uh, manly for me. The "new love interest every movie" doesn't mesh well with me either. So when my friend asked (cajoled?) me to give Quantum of Solace a chance, I was really iffy. But spending for tickets for this Marc Forster-directed film was worth it. Contrary to my prejudice, this Bond film actually had a story to tell. And Forster was wonderful in that he injected a lot of pretty and amazing juxtapositions into the movie. The chase scene right after the movie's OBB was especially remarkable -- I loved how Forster smoothly transitioned Palio di Siena from being a background to a foreground. There were at least two more scenes of the same style, demonstrating the director's mastery of this seat-grasping style. Other things worked to the film's advantage: it was action packed, it still had its share of pretty women fawning over Bond, etc. And oh yeah, Daniel Craig's bluest of blue eyes sure can make a woman glued to her movie seat.

Next up on our movie list was Sex Drive, but not before we had dinner at Wendy's -- a dinner that was both nice and cozy as we got to talk and talk and talk and eat delicious burgers while talking. Sean Anders' Sex Drive (apparently, there was a Tagalog Sex Drive film directed by Robert Quebral) pleased my movie companion as he says he loves watching films where the 'loser' guy end up being cool. As for me, I enjoyed the film: it was good for a couple of afternoon laughs and momentary kilig. Josh Zuckerman, who played the starring role, looks like your typical coming-of-age star; and James Marsden, who played the "tough but apparently secretly gay" older brother, was enough eye candy for the film. I loved how they made Clark Duke, who is not your typical "come hither, I'm hot" guy, the one character that always gets the girl. Seth Green was also just plain lovable. Sex Drive was a little on the predictable side, being a mish-mash of everything American Pie, Road Trip, and Harold and Kumar, but it was still a nice to movie to watch when all you want is to just sit back and have fun.

Speaking of fun, my friend and I had loads more of that as we trooped our way into Time Zone. Karen realized that she misses the arcade. She still loses in linked hoops game and rounds of air hockey but she doesn't care -- she's having too much fun to care. Even with her friend constantly teasing her and calling her a wuss, Karen still remains happily flushed from all the playing.

The night was capped with a dose of Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa, where my friend suddenly felt all tired and apologetically dozed off towards the end of the film. I, on the other hand, laughed my way throughout the movie. There were "aaw" moments as well -- my heart melted when Melman told Moto Moto (the name's so sexy, you gotta say it twice...lol) to treat Gloria like a queen and to bring her flowers ("Tulips are her favorite flowers," Melman dramatically declares) everyday. There were also moments when the movie lagged and I felt like dozing off myself but overall, it was as funny as the first one. Gotta love those penguins!

When the third movie we watched ended, I had no choice but to let go of my friend...lol -- I was still in the mood to watch Burn After Reading but I knew I'd be heartless if I force him to sit through another movie when he can barely keep his eyes open.

The day was uber tiring. But it was fun. I liked that I got to meet his high school best friend, whom we bumped into at the movie ticket line. I liked that we can still sit down for dinner and have honest-to-goodness conversations. And I liked that, at this point, I still am pretty much happy just spending time with my friend...

This is all for me now. Heads up: Baguio post, coming soon.

Ciao!

Feeling: sleepy but uber happy
All ears to: Broken Secondhand Serenade (plus the office noise, agents taking calls)
Curled up in bed with: The Female Eunuch Germaine Greer and The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty Anne Rice

Roland Garros 2008!!!

2008-06-02T00:47:00.004+08:00

Ok, so I've been too busy (or too...heartbroken?) that I haven't really noticed that Roland Garros 2008 (a.k.a. French Open) has already started. Thanks to my channel-surfing uncle, I glimpsed my most-awaited tennis court (clay, baby, clay) being played. It's my favorite, obviously, because it's where my beloved Rafael Nadal reigns supreme.

And he's still raking in the wins.

He has now eased into the 4th round and another Nadal-Federer toss-up is in the horizon. As I'm typing this entry, my baby's making a killing against another Spanish guy -- no. 22, Fernando Verdasco.

I'm getting excited... I live for the tennis season(s)! ^__^;;

Feeling: excited
All ears to: live performances from Dicta License and Urbandub (listen to them here)
Curled up in bed with: New Moon Stephanie Meyer, Fear of Flying Erica Jong, and Haunted Chuck Palahniuk

Lesson learned

2008-05-24T05:06:00.003+08:00

In an attempt to escape from my reality, I watched 27 Dresses the other day. James Marsden's character said something that struck me:

"I think you deserve more than what you settle for... I think you deserve to be taken care of."

Someday soon, that one person I truly deserve will come walking into my life.

(P.S. I do believe in karma. I'm leaving it all to faith...baby.)

Feeling: pensive

All ears to: Almost Lover A Fine Frenzy

Curled up in bed with: Haunted Chuck Palahniuk and New Moon Stephenie Meyer

"Hindi bagay sa'yo ang cheap. Hindi bagay sa'yo ang karma."

2008-05-20T07:24:00.000+08:00

...'yan ang sabi sa'kin ni Mabie nang mag-kape kami kagabi sa Gloria Jean's V.A. Rufino. Kasama namin si Karl. Tatawa-tawa lang siya. Pero alam ko kahit paano, agree siya sa sinabi ni Princess. Sa panahong 'yun, nararamdaman ko nang nangingilid ang mga luha sa aking mata. Sabay humirit pa siya ng,

"You're too good of a person for that."

Gusto ko na noon umiyak. Pero hindi pa din rumolyo ang mga luha. Sa sarili ko kasi, ayokong isipin na may ginagawa akong ka-cheapan. O na may cause para ma-alarma ako na hahagupitin ako ni karma ng napakalupit. Sa isip ko, this is a way for me to save myself from too much pain. Na ayoko lang matali sa isang sitwasyon kung saan sa dulo ako na naman ang talo.

Pero sa dulo, napag-isip pa din ako. Bakit umiyak ang una kong reaksyon? Kasi alam ko din, kahit paano, tama si Mabie. Slut has never been my forte. I'm playful, yeah. I may be open to try new stuff here and there and willing to learn new things but I've always been the "bubbly, secretly hopeless romantic" one. The one who, despite being a hurt a couple of times, keeps her belief in being happy with just the one. I always fall hard. I keep crushes yeah, but I've always been the loyal one. I still am. But I came so close to being that one girl whom everybody brands as "easy". Nang sabihin sa'kin ni Mambie na I shouldn't be blowing my chances with this one person, 'dun ka na-realize kung bakit ginusto kong umiyak. Kasi naalala ko na in the deepest wells of my heart, I want things to work out with him. That at the end of the day, kahit ayoko lang matali sa isang sitwasyon kung saan sa dulo ako na naman ang talo (gaya nang nasabi ko na), I'd still willingly throw everything away para matali sa kanya. At alam kong hindi ako talo.

At isa pa. Masaya din naman maging hopeless romantic. It's like being a kid forever; which means that even as your classmates tease you so hard, you still hold on to the hope that Santa Claus will give you a gift on Christmas night if you become good all year round; and that the tooth fairy will leave you some cash if you leave your tooth underneath your pillow; and that the Care Bears do exist; and that you can be one of the Bioman if you wish it really hard. Yeah, just holding on to the hope that love can be true and love can be pure and love can -- eventually -- be bliss is a happy thought. Just as much as the feeling of being in love itself.

At doon ko na-conclude...

Hindi bagay sa'kin ang cheap. Hindi bagay sa'kin ang karma. I'm too good of a person for that.

The first (and hopefully not the last) letter

2008-04-30T07:47:00.003+08:00

Dear,

All I expected to come out of our first meeting was a light, cutesy flirting moment. I never thought that that 15minutes of coaching session will lead me to now, a moment when I feel like I'm lost when I don't see you around. When I get paranoid when you don't text back. When I'd feel a stab of jealousy everytime you think of your "alaga". I never wanted things to get this deep. Not now. Not ever.

See, I have commitment issues. This is not saying that we're already in a commited relationship, but sometimes it feels that way. And those sometimes are enough to make me feel guarded. For someone who falls so easily (I hate admitting that but it's unfortunately true), I have a heart that has big, strong walls. I've put up these walls caerfully after being hurt numerous times before. I know that guys can be huge a$$holes at times and that no matter how stubborn my heart can be, falling even to the baddest boy of them all, I'll never, ever be the fist to say, "Hey, I love you." I've never been in a relationship to date because of this. I think it's only now that I realize that I've forever been in pseudo-relationships because of my own choosing. Pseudo-relationships come with the perks of relationships, sans the things that make me fear them: the bounds, the restrictions, the possibility of a heartache. Yeah, heartaches may also come with pseudo-relationships but they hurt less and sometimes are easier to soothe.

So here I am. 25 years of age. With a heart that's been bruised and broken a couple of times. And a defense that, I thought, is harder to break -- especially after my last heartache. Then you come walking into my life. And you come armed with a sensitivity that is slowly melting all my defenses away. And as much as it makes me afraid, I can't deny that I want it all. That despite this sense of an impending heart ache (aren't all love stories built that way -- impending heart aches?), I'm willing to risk my heart once again.

Less than a month ago, I was telling one of my closest wavemates that I'm not going to give in. That despite your oh-so-wonderful words, I'm going to stick to my resolve: that I'm just going to have pure fun. No strings attached. But recently, when you walked into your favorite pizza place and told me you loved me, my resolve dissolved. And I wanted to say "I love you back" but I was still struggling to keep a piece of my old self. I was debating with myself whether what we have is worth leaving my comfort zone. And I think I hurt you by not saying those words back. But I figured if you really loved me, you'll let me take my sweet time.

What's the point of this letter then? To let you know that I love what we have. That I'm happy being with you. That in fact, I've never been happier. But that if I can't say the words back, it's not because I don't love you. It's just that I'm still struggling to keep my ground. To convince myself that letting go of my single blessedness ain't that bad.

Stay. The same way I said I'll wait...

Karen

Hailie's back with a corny post...

2008-04-05T18:42:00.003+08:00

Lotsa things to blog about. But I don't have the time right now. So I'm just going to post this entry I've typed weeks ago...sorry for the mush...

"Of Trouble Sleeping"

It was a surprise. Even to me. Finding out that this guy I've been crushing on is more than just a crush. I prolly knew that. But I never owned up to it until that Sunday morning when I cried talking about him. Or perhaps even before that. When I woke up on Saturday night, hard of breathing, afraid that I'll never see him again -- all because I had this bad dream that he died in an accident. I wanted to send him an SMS then and there, just to make sure he was ok. But I didn't want to appear like I cared so much. Sounds crazy, I know. But when you're a woman, experiencing a rare moment of insecurity because object of affection is currently involved with a model whom you're pretty sure has everything you'll never measure up to, you end up feeling there's no sense in trying.

You know how, in your life, everyone you end up liking seem to fall under one category? And then you meet this one person who deviates from your template of the 'likable' guy and you think to yourself, "I'm never going to crush on him." Then boom, one day, you know you're not just crushing on him but you're actually falling for him. Because as you spend more and more time with him, you find out that there's more than that initial reaction of boringness. In fact, you find out that he's everything but boring. What's more, he makes you feel like you don't have to pretend around him. Everything just comes so naturally. It was especially nice when you found out that you can actually drag him to a carinderia and he won't mind. And that he actually enjoys it. Then without a warning, you start thinking about more simple mornings spent with him. More laughters. More talks. And more of those rare, effortless moments that are so mundane but are able to make your heart go aflutter. But just when these moments - or the mere memories of them - paint a smile in your face, he talks about the special girl in his life. Then you realize that these moments only evoke special memories in you and that he'll never see them in the same way you do. Perhaps even then, when you start recalling about these moments more and more, you already felt that you were falling. But since there's this seemingly perfect girl who's making him happy, you tried to suppress the emotions. So hard. That one day, it just came bursting out and you had nothing else to do but confess - even just to yourself - that you've fallen for the one guy you said you never will.

I know this is an overly dramatic post about someone I'm pretty sure is going to stay as just a friend. But sometimes I can't help but wonder why it always has to be a case of unrequited love. And this time, I'm wondering more and more because for the first time in all the unrequited loves of my life, I'm wishing so hard that this is the one that will make me say, "Hey, it wasn't unrequited after all..."

Feeling: in love, unfortunately
Curled up in bed with: Fear of Flying Erica Jong
All ears to: Is It You? Cassie

New template

2008-02-24T22:49:00.002+08:00

Yes, summer is here. And I decided to upgrade my blog's look to match the season. Makes me wish I'm free to go to the beach...I can almost hear the waves chanting my name. And I miss my healthy, sexy tanned look. Puerto Galera, Pagudpod, Hundred Islands, wait for me. I'll be there by May. Hopefully. ^___^;;

Simba almost re-emerges

2008-02-24T18:09:00.002+08:00

It's a curse, I swear. The first time Karen goes out for drinks with new officemates, she ends up making a fool of herself. The only time it didn't happen was with her Eat Bulaga workmates.

In RMH, when Bacth Zion 'graduated' from voice and accent training, we went out for a celebratory inuman. By the end of the session, Karen was all tears, pouring out her heart's deepest secrets, and unknowingly showing things she would have otherwise kept secret had she been sober. And her hair was all wild and wet, hence making her officemates dub her as "Simba".

In QJ, Karen, Rem, Jerico, and another officemate whose name she now forgets, decided to grab some drinks at a place near ABS-CBN. Halfway through the inuman, Hailie barfed and slept until it was time to go home. Amazingly, she was able to take a cab home without manong driver cheating her out of her money. The driver must have taken one look at her and said, "She's almost dead. It doesn't feel right robbing her." Or Karen just might have been lucky enough to have a really pure-hearted cab driver.

The curse shows itself again last Saturday. After ECE and CCT training, Karen and her wavemates went to Dencio's Paseo Center to celebrate having passed the first batch of training. Karen was her usual self: that means she decided to drink Red Horse using straw. She downed four or five bottles. And whaddya know, Karen fell asleep again. She even needed someone to carry her downstairs after the inuman session. The bad thing was, she was wearing a dress. It wasn't quite a Simba moment but it almost morphed into one. Gawd. I don't know why this keeps on happening to me! *whapak*

So to all my wavemates, sorry that you had to tend to me. Thanks Loki for carrying me. Thanks to April whom I distinctly remember saying, "Takpan niyo si Karen." Thanks to BJ, Mark, and Alex who all had to go out of their way to take me home. I swear guys, I'm not always like this. Tee-hee! Babawi ako next time. One round's on me. *winks*

Feeling: woozy
Curled up in bed with: False Impression Jeffrey Archer
All ears to: Future Urbandub and Dicta License

Blogging hiatus

2008-02-20T18:01:00.005+08:00

I am on blogging hiatus. Aside from my PC breaking down, I am also undergoing graveyard shift training, making it diffiult for me these days to go online. So to all my cyber friends, I apologize if I'm not able to drop by your sites as often as I can. Once I get my groove back (and my PC fixed, of course), I'll go and make my usual rounds of your pages.

Okay, since I'm online I'll go and post some update on what's been happening.

I've left my module writing job and started on a new higher-paying (*winks*) job. I never thought I'll be going back to the call center industry but here I am, on my sixth day at a new call center. This time though, I won't be an agent but a communication coach, which is why I decided to take in the job offer in the first place (and the pay is, of course, very, very appealing as well). Teaching is my thing, I think. I feel most special and worthy when I am able to help out other people. And being a communication coach will allow me to be sort of a teacher. I also realized that I work best when I'm in the night shift -- I am awake until 5am most days anyway and my mind is always a-buzzin' at night time. In the morning, it's just dead. Beside, working at night makes it easy for me to lose weight. Yay! Perfect timing for the beach season.

So yeah, I'm once again in the call center business and I hope that this will be the job (and company) that will make me stay put for more than just 11 months. Wish me luck everyone! Details the next time I go on line.

* * * *

Oh BTW, belated Happy Valnetine's Day everyone. Did you know that "Condom Awareness Week" was launched on February 14? Ain't that weird?

One more day 'til the end of "Condom Awareness Week". So, borrowing a phrase from one of my friends: NO GLOVE, NO LOVE!

Ta-ta!

Feeling: giddy
All ears to: Complex Dicta License
Curled up in bed with: False Impression Jeffrey Archer

Best identity theft protection with LifeLock

2008-02-15T18:23:00.004+08:00

With the expansion of the worldwide web and the increasing popularity of online shopping that sometimes requires one to provide information that can easily be tapped into by technology evil geniuses, probably everyone is so afraid of one thing: identity theft.

When I worked as a call center agent before, not a day will pass by that I will not get a caller who has been a victim of someone posing as him/her. Good thing that there are now websites that offer the best protection against identity theft. And LifeLock.com just might be one of the best website of that sort to date. Not only do they assure you that your identity will remain exclusively yours, they also offer hefty discounts that make identity theft prevention so much more affordable.

LifeLock Promotion Codes has already helped lots of ordinary people keep their identity secure. Using a LifeLock.com Promotion Code will allow you to enjoy one of the best identity theft protection programs available for a really tempting discount. LifeLock is very confident that they can deliver a good job, they re the only company that stepped forward with a guaranteee to their identity theft protection services: a whooping US$1,000,000! This only means that if they fail to keep your identity secure, they will shoulder lawyer, accountant, investigator, and case manager fees just to restore your credit and good name. But hey, no worries, nobody is known to have had reasons to incur this guarantee yet.

Money is but a small price to pay to keep you and your loved ones safe. But if you feel like other identity theft protection services are justa tad too expensive, go ahead and use a LifeLock.com Promo Code and get that very needed discount. You won't get disappointed.

Post-WGA strike

2008-02-08T15:07:00.000+08:00

The WGA Strike is abo0ut to end. And about time! Fans are getting restless, waiting for their TV series to resume. But we do know that the end to the writers' strike does not necessarily mean our TV addictions will immediately jump back into new episodes. So, where does this end to the strike leave our favourite programs? TV Guide has the answer.

It's nice to know that Criminal Minds, Desperate Housewives, CSI, Grey's Anatomy, and Ugly Betty are going to get new episodes and that House and Heroes are not exactly being axed (a TBD is better than a "never going back"). One question though: where's Avatar?

Feeling: curious
Curled up in bed with: If Only Geri Halliwell
All ears to: the Loco Roco Theme

Looking for a good medical school? Easy.

2008-02-08T14:58:00.000+08:00

I've been teaching oral communication and skills for IELTS to nursing students in the past five months now. The kids that I teach all have dreams of making it big in their chosen field. Hence, they know that to make it in other countries - the States particularly- they need to still acquire further learning.

With lots of medical schools popping up like mushrooms, one might think it will be hard finding the right school. With Medical Career Training though, finding the right school for medical careers is a breeze. Aside from nursing schools, they also have a great listing on ultrasound technician school. So if you're thinking of scouting the market for a place where you can better yourself as a nurse, an ultrasound tech, a healthcare IT, etc., check out Medical Career Training - they have the best listings of schools from nursing schools down to ultrasound tech school. I know I'll be recommending the site to my students!

Dreaming of Paris

2008-02-08T14:46:00.000+08:00

If there's any place in the world for which I'd give anything just to visit, it would have to be Paris, France. In pictures, Paris is breathtaking, kind of like a place where you can pretend to be a princess.

I've been so fascinated by the place that every once in awhile I find myself scrounging the 'net not only for drool-worthy Paris tourist spots but also for hotels in Paris. Reality check makes me realize though that Hotel Paris just might be too expensive (when and if I do decide to fulfill my dream travel) for my taste. And, based on experience, it may also be a little too stuffy. Hotels do give you a wonderful view into a city but they do have a tendency of taking away that "authentic" feeling of being in a place. A friend of mine suggested that instead of a hotel, I might want to consider a Paris bed and breakfast. He's been to Paris twice (lucky, lucky kid) and his latest Paris adventure landed him in a bed and breakfast. He says that Paris bed and breakfast is the best way to actually enjoy Paris. You get to mingle with Parisians, which means you get to hear the oh-so-romantic French being spoken and you get insider tips on the must-visit places, shops, and restaurants.

All these talks of Paris is again driving me into looking at Paris bed and breakfast then I'll daydream about the day I'll finally afford to actually be there...

A new high (low?) in fangirlsm

2008-02-06T20:52:00.000+08:00

Photoshop does take fangirlsm to new heights:

Thanks to Ryan M. Tee-hee! ^_^;;

Feeling: better
Curled up in bed with: If Only Geri Halliwell
All ears to: Torpedo Eraserheads

Of diamonds and engagement rings

2008-02-06T16:51:00.000+08:00

Simplicity at its best. That's what the James Allen website is all about. The clean and super accessible web page makes the site so beautiful, almost as beautiful as the diamonds and rings that they have for sale. JamesAllen.com does have a wide selection of anniversary rings and wedding rings that it almost makes me wish I am getting married.

Well, JamesAllen.com does have other diamond jewelry available and hearts' day is just around the corner. If you're thinking of wooing me by Valentine's head over their site. Y0u'll stumble upon a lot of things that will make me über happy. +winks+

I am 2:11 a.m.

2008-02-06T15:39:00.000+08:00

Stumbled on this on Mika's LJ. She got me hooked when she wrote, "the questions sounded smart". Besides, it's interesting to know exactly what time of the day you are. I got an interesting answer:

Your time of day has a split personality -- sometimes it's sweat-streaked and loud, and you're on the dance floor, getting your third wind, and shouting lyrics like you'll never run out of energy. You are the time of night that carves itself into your memory forever, because you'll never forget how much you love these people and this moment and this song. It's not always about unforgettable parties, though. Sometimes your late night (err… early morning) burst of energy happens when you're home alone. Those are the times when you say, "I flat out refuse to go to sleep until I finish reading this book, or typing this page, or reorganizing my entire closet." In either case, you are the time of night when it feels sort of forbidden to be awake, but you love accomplishing something special long after everyone else went to bed. And hey -- you can always catch up on sleep tomorrow, right?

The answer is so freaking true! I just feel most awake at around 2 in the morning. When all my housemates will be sleeping, I'll have a hard time getting some winks as my mind will go, "Wait, time's a wasting. There's still so many things to do!" It's at this time that I usually try to finish a book. Or squeeze in a few more episodes of "Ugly Betty" or "Coffee Prince" or "America's Next Top Model". It's also during this time that I try to finish a few more of my office work.

The quiz is such a fun one. I encourage everyone to try it out. ;-)

Feeling: frustrated
Curled up in bed with: If Only Geri Halliwell
All ears to: Ale Bloomfields

Get your money's worth with Price Point office desks

2008-02-06T15:16:00.000+08:00

I remember back in 2006, my previous company decided to transfer offices because the company was expanding and the current space is just way too small. Being close to our operations manager and our HR assistant, I was able to pick up some word on how difficult it is to actually find quality office furniture that falls within the budget. They were most concerned with the office desks, because those that they see around look like they'll give in to heavy weight. They finally decided on buying the expensive desks, in the belief that they are of good quality.

Lo and behold. Two months later, the desks - already out of warranty - started to show signs of weariness. And the company had to buy new ones.

If I've only known about Price Point office desks back then, I could have tipped off our operations manager and saved our company lots of money. Price Point desks have been servicing UK offices for two years now. And they have certainly established a name that's closely connected to simplicity, affordability, and durability. Their offering? Instead of the 18mm thick top that most desks have, Price Point comes with 25mm thick top. Also accounting for the sturdiness of their desks are the double upstand legs and 2mm thick edging (compared to other desks' 0.6mm).

Perhaps the most inviting feature of Price Point desks is the price. Their desks sell from £53 (to look at what's being offered and to check out the price listings, click here) -- definitely a huge difference from the £125 our company paid for new desks back in 2006. To top it all, Price Point Desks come with an eight year guarantee.

If you're thinking of buying office furniture, please don't make the same mistake as my former company. Think quality within budget and get your money's worth with Price Point office desks.

More awards and tags

2008-02-05T22:00:00.000+08:00

Got some really nice tags and awards from one of the nicest cyberfriends I ever had, Hye. Here's the awards she bestowed on me:

This award says, "It feels great to have a friend like you" - the very same thing that I want to say the sweet lady who gave the award (and the same thing I want to say to those whom I shall pass the award to - Kistna, Macy, Annabs, Fran, Angel, Chochi, Mabie, Rem, and Jex).

This pink one is something that Hye herself created. She dubs it as a "small token to all my friends who had been great and wonderful visitors and commentators of Space of Reality". It was a super nice gesture and it's very much appreciated! It's not hard to visit her blog everyday, anyway. It's a fun read and very intellectually stimulating. As I mentioned before, if you're looking for braingasm, visit her site as well. You won't regret it. =)

On to the tags, all from Hye as well...tee-hee!

I'll skip the tag about defining love because I haven't really found the time to stop and think about it. I think love is something I just take as it is and has never really defined up to now. I'll try to define it before the day of hearts (which is coming pretty, pretty soon).

The second tag is about my five favourite posts: one will have to be about my family, one about my friends, myself, something I love, and the last will have to be of my choice. Here's my rundown:

1) [Family] Isang masayang mini-family reunion sa Pansol, Laguna -- This one is actually on my Multiply account. It's a collection of photos taken during a family reunion.

2) [Friends] Puerto Galera 2007 (Anna's and Jean's cameras) -- Still on my Multiply. But I love this post because it commemorates the 10th anniversary of a wonderful friendship.

3) [Myself] Advice ni Hailie para kay Karen -- It's in Filipino but to those who won't be able to understand it, it's a testimony to how vulnerable I can be when I fall truly and deeply in love but it also attests to the fact that I'm strong and can pick up after a bad break-up. Hailie is Karen and Karen is Hailie, this post sees my stronger side talking to the hurting side of me and telling her that all will be okay.

4) [Something I love] Hailie's simple joys #2 -- Just goes to show how easy it is to make me happy. I get ecstatic over the simplest things.

5) [Anything goes] Pochoy!!! (^_^)v -- Because I'm super in love with Pochoy. And along with that is my love for the band Dicta License. Since they have decided to disband last November (*weeps*), I've decided to reserve the last spot for them.

Now on to the list of Things/people I love and hate...

The "HATE" list:

* People who smoke while in public utility transportations
* Racists and discriminatory people
* Garbage lying on beautiful landscapes
* RATS!!!
* And COCKROACHES!!!

The "LOVE" list:

* My family
* My friends
* Smart, funny, and socially aware guys
* Blogging
* Colours and colouring books
* Anything Hello Kitty
* My iPod
* The DS Lite (which I'm about to get in a few weeks!)

Anyone who stumbles upon this and fancies doing the tags above, feel free to do so. ;-)

Feeling: loved

Curled up in bed with: If Only Geri Halliwell
All ears to: 3 Libras A Perfect Circle

A great guide to online casinos

2008-02-05T21:07:00.000+08:00

Online casinos are big nowadays. But with so many online casinos, one can get iffy to try out any casinos that's spotted in the worldwide web.

That's when GambLux.com comes in. The site's homepage has a lot of things going on but the seemingly cluttered first page fulfills what GambLux.com is all about -- presenting a detailed (and up-to-date) information of the best casino online. Aside from dishing out a very useful casino guide, this site is also an amazing gambling portal. Click on the very accessible links above this site and you'll have in your hands access to a variety of games: baccarat, blackjack, poker, roulette, and so much more.

So if you have money to spend and is wondering where you can place your money, head over to GambLux.com.

Let's play slots!

2008-02-04T20:19:00.000+08:00

Ever since I saw Las Vegas, I've always dreamt of going there and trying my hands on those slot machines. Alas! I'm already 24 and have yet to see an airplane going to the Sin City.

That's why I'm thankful for Sloterix, the (yes, the) oldest slot site in the worldwide web. For a website that's old, Sloterix just keeps getting better and better. Take for example their new site design that screams "Clean, simple, and FUN, FUN, FUN!!!" And if you've never tried playing slots before, this site also dishes out useful slot info. Plus they're also continually increasing their offering of amazing online slots game. No wonder the number of their registered players keep on increasing everyday!

School essays made easy

2008-02-04T20:03:00.000+08:00

Since the recent holidays have been a witness to so many reunions with high school and college friends, I got nostalgic as of late. I remember the friends that I met, the terror teachers that I had, the teachers that helped shape my life, the fun and the sad times, and the lessons that I learned. Aside from that though, another vivid memory that rushed into mind were the endless papers I had to write. Oh the torture.

In another of my web-browsing moments, I've discovered that a lot of websites now offer essay services. One such website is Custom-essay.org. With a wide array of UK and US writers, the website allows students to buy essays that are done by a complete professional. The practice may seem a little dubious at first but the custom research paper, which is 100% devoid of plagiarism, only serve as aid for students to churn out really good reports. With a detailed and well-researched essay, a student now has an easy time to write a smashing A+ paper. Let's admit it, it's not so much the writing that pains us - it's the painstaking research. With Custom-essay.org offering to eliminate that headache-inducing process, writing will be such a breeze.

Oh lucky, lucky students. Kinda makes me wish I'm a student again!

Hailie's simple joys #2

2008-02-04T18:55:00.000+08:00

Buying this made me really happy today:

Feeling: super happy
Curled up in bed with: If Only Geri Halliwell
All ears to: Jenny Click Five

Review: Repertory Philippines' Hamlet

2008-02-04T17:52:00.000+08:00

/5 stars

Got another set of free tickets for a Repertory Philippines' play. This time, I got to watch "Hamlet" as directed by Ms Ana Abad Santos-Bitong. The director describes her "Hamlet" as Hamlet "stripped to its core". I'd say the description is pretty accurate. Instead of an uptight Prince of Denmark, whom we see in a lavish environment and is expected to speak in British accents and wear those oh-so-uncomfortable looking tights (no they're not sexy, even if they hug so close to the crotch), we get a Hamlet that's in rugged (leather?) clothing living in a land that rings true to my image of Saudi Arabia (sand, baby, sand).

"Hamlet" started with a bang. With an emphasis on red lighting, the audience can get the sense of fear that the director surely wanted to establish. Although the scene that succeeded the opening was a bit disappointing, the play picked up and lived up to its grand opening.

The play, being such a long one ("Hamlet" is considered one of Shakespeare's longer plays) had some glitches. Joel Trinidad's Claudius kept on losing his audio. It was a good thing that my friends and I were in the first four rows and were still able to hear him when his mic went bonkers - but what about those who were seated far away from the stage? There was also this minor glitch with the lighting, where all the lights onstage were lit and everybody could see the stagehands setting up the props for the next scene - supposedly, only a spotlight on Horatio is on.

But these were but minor glitches. I'd say despite these glitches, the play deserves 4 stars out of 5. This fresh take on the classic Shakespearean tale is indeed a welcome change. The acting was also superb. I felt Hamlet's pain, Ophelia's sorrow, Claudius' repentance, Laertes' hatred, and so much more.

I love Shakespeare's plays. But I must admit that most of the time, onstage, I have a hard time understanding his words. But Repertory's rendition of "Hamlet" did not pose that problem. Sure, there were still throw ins of "thou", "thine", "thy", etc. but the language used were fairly understandable.

Though I'd say "Tuesdays with Morrie" is still the better play, "Hamlet" still provided good entertainment. It was a good way of spending a Sunday afternoon. If you're a big Shakespeare fan, go grab a ticket - Repertory Philippines never disappoint.

New month, new Neopet

2008-02-01T18:12:00.000+08:00

Since I'm starting to get really hooked on Neopets again, I decided I'm going to make a new pet every month.

Since it's the first of February (happy new month everyone!), I have just created a follow-up to my beloved Veeva2008:

His name's Rhettbuttler2008.

And yeah, I have now decided on the 'theme' of all my NeoPets. If you know where I picked Rhett's name, then I'm sure you can easily guess the theme.

Feeling: happy
Curled up in bed with: If Only Geri Halliwell
All ears to: One Minute Man Missy Elliott

My very first award!

2008-02-01T17:17:00.000+08:00

Hurrah for the very first award that I received. This one's from smart Hye (if you want a real braingasm, drop by her site -- she usually throws in questions that really stimulate your brains to think).

Thanks, Hye!

Passing this on to Macy, Annabs, Tonton, and Myx.

Feeling: ecstatic
Curled up in bed with: If Only Geri Halliwell
All ears to: Big Girls Don't Cry Fergie

The perfect new glasses

2008-02-01T15:33:00.000+08:00

My friend has been bummed for a week now because she was unable to purchase that "oober funky eyeglasses" (her own words) that she's been fawning over. She thought that the glasses will be the perfect replacement for the corrective graded glasses she lost some time back. Of course there were other glasses she could have bought but since she's into being stylish as well, she just wouldn't settle for anything else. Until I showed her my Great Discovery: Zenni Optical. Then she started fawning over this:

Aside from being available in her favourite purple, Zenni Optical $8 Rx Glasses also fit well into her tight budget. And with an affordable clip-on sunshade that is perfect for the coming summer, she can now truly say "Best Thing Found: Zenni Optical".

Ga-ga over blank t-shirts

2008-02-01T14:50:00.000+08:00

My friends consider me as one of the trendy ones. For one, I love wearing platform go-go boots in this god forsaken tropical country. I also have in my closet a collection of pretty trench coats that I can only wear once in a blue moon. Another favourite of mine are cute tank tops, complete with laces and frills. But even in my desire for clothes that scream "Look at me!", my closet will never be without the ever comfortable, always in style t-shirts.

Despite my love for the trendy clothes, I am still admittedly a big fan of t-shirts – one can never go wrong with just a simple shirt (and a nice pair of jeans). Lately, I've been going ga-ga over blank t-shirts because they're easy to customize. So imagine my joy when I encountered this website that sells cheap quality t-shirts.

Wholesaledirectusa.com has got to have one of the (if not the) widest selection of wholesale t shirts online. Their wholesale shirts come in all sizes (from small to 8X-Large) and colors (of course I'm raving over the fuchsia, red, and pink ones but there are also other pretty picks like royal blue, Kelley green, the classics black and white, etc.) possible. Aside from that, there are also really cool shirt types – they sell wholesale urban wear like HOOD shirts 7.1 and 7.0 plus long sleeved shirts, sweatshirts, golf-polo shirts, ladies' polo shirts, and even kids' shirts. I especially like the fact that they also sell baby doll and spaghetti tops. They will surely go well with my own brand of clothing.

If you're also thinking of doing decent business, shirt selling will definitely hit the spot. And with Wholesaledirectusa.com's affordable offers, you can surely rake in good profits. I've actually recommended the site to a friend of mine who's thinking of venturing into a signature shirts business. She swears she's going to order her blank t-shirts from them. I personally am placing some orders on pink ladies' tops - and in as soon as 24 hours, I'll already be rockin' those t-shirts!

Online billiard just got better

2008-02-01T12:50:00.000+08:00

Billiard has always been a big thing in the Philippines ever since Efren "Bata" Reyes started dominating the game, giving young Filipinos someone to emulate. Now while I'm not really interested in taking Bata's place, I'm surely interested in playing the game. I think it's more than just hitting balls and making them shoot in the pockets. It's a game of strategy and whoever is the smartest, wins the game.

Unfortunately, I don't have the smarts to actually succeed in real-life billiards. Thank god for online billiard - I get to play the game and get some practice to prep me for the real thing. Now if you ask me what the best online billiard site is out there, I'd have to say BilliardMagic.com. Aesthetics-wise, their site is very pretty. And easy to use. Everything is laid out in the front page and texts are big enough to see and click (even the graphics are very sleek and not too distracting).

When it comes to variety, BilliardMagic.com also takes the cake. Their site has a wide range of cue games: you can now play snooker, pool, 8-ball, and 9-ball all from one website. My cousins and I are currently addicted to the online snooker game because the 3D environment is just amazing. Besides, we're only just learning the basics of snooker - thanks to the tips and advices that the site also boasts of.

Now if you're the competitive type and you feel like you play like a pro but is not quite ready yet to face the billiard biggies, this site also has billiard tournaments that pits you against really good players from around the globe. And that's another thing that you might like about BilliardMagic.com: it lets you meet interesting people from different parts of the world.

Indeed, BilliardMagic.com is more than just an online billiards site. It is a complete package.

Revisiting America's Next Top Model past cycles

2008-01-30T20:43:00.000+08:00

If you've been looking for me the past few weekends and were unable to locate my whereabouts, I was just at home. Doing DVD marathons. What can I say, I'm a couch potato.

Anyhoo, since school has hit the midsem and I'm once again burdened with checking paperworks, recording scores, and churning out my students' grades, I've put Ugly Betty aside (I'm missing Christopher Gorham already). And of course, the 2008 Australian Open has given me a new preoccupation.

I can never work in a quiet environment. And sometimes, music alone can make me sleepy. Now that Ugly Betty has been put on pause, I needed something that will accompany me in the wee hours of the morning as I labour over my students' grades.

That's when I rediscovered America's Next Top Model. Sometime last week, I got hold of DVDs of the said show, cycles 3 to 9. I've already seen cycles 3 to 8 on TV (ANTM is actually one of the reasons why I think the etc channel is *love*) but I think the show is worth revisiting - it makes me relive my childhood dreams of becoming a model (I've long given up on that dream when I realized that my height is stuck at 5'1").

Without a plot to follow, ANTM became a perfect companion while I cry over student essays. The show may sometimes feature catty, irritating girls (it's a competition, what can one expect?) but the Tyra Banks-created show has also given me girls I can totally relate to, love, and admire: Eva Pigford, Joannie Dodds (I loved Danielle Evans but I still think Joanie should have won), Renee Alway. But my all-time favourite ANTM contestant (and winner) will have to be Naima Mora.

The first time I saw Naima, I just fell in love. She's edgy and pretty at the same time. And with all the spunk she projects, she just has the sweetest and the loveliest voice. I feel like if I'm going to talk to her, I'll be so entranced. I'm just so in love with her! Last night, I finished cycle 4 (I started with cycle 8 then back to 3 and 4) and I still get goosebumps while watching her dance (second to the last episode) and work that pretty, pretty runway (cycle 4's final runway remains my favourite).

My company later will be cycle 5...I'm not too excited though. I don't like Nicole Linkletter that much. She's...blah. Pretty yes, but I just didn't think she should have won as America's Next Top Model. I'm actually thinking of skipping cycle 5 and go straight to Joanie's cycle. Haha...

Anyways, I still have some modules to write and some papers to check. Before I go, I'd like to know everybody's thoughts on America's Next Top Model.

Oh well, ta-ta for now!

Feeling: giddy after three cans of Coke
Curled up in bed with: If Only Geri Halliwell
All ears to: Bubbly Colbie Caillat

Coming soon: my friend's 'funky' guitar business

2008-01-30T19:01:00.000+08:00

My friend has been talking about setting up her own business soon. She has this funky, edgy concept of designing personalized guitars. She even has a catchy name for the said business. The business has not started yet but she already has a customer base of three.

Yes, three. So I tell her, "Hunny, you're not going to earn money with just three customers." And so we think of strategies on how she can boost her customer base. Perhaps the most vital plan that we came up with is setting up her own online store - that way, her funky guitar designs will reach the international market. And we all know that there are just so many rockstar wannabes out there who'd like to get started with a really unique guitar that will eventually become their trademark.

Now there are a lot of eCommerce software out there that my friend can use. Taking cue though from another friend who is already reaping success with her online store (she's selling statement shirts), I suggested that my 'guitar' friend also use Ashop Commerce's shopping cart software. Since she's basically a noob, this shopping cart software will be perfect for her. It is very easy to set-up and she does not need advanced HTML skins to have her own shopping cart. And since this eCommerce software is affordable and offers free tech support, it will be a great start for my friend's business.

Now if you're a rockstar wannabe who wants to have a funky guitar, watch this page. I'll let you know when my friend's online store goes live.

The "Leave a comment, receive a reply" promo

2008-01-30T14:36:00.000+08:00

I actually got this idea, and the title, from Ainj. Since I left a comment in his blog and received a reply, I'm returning the favour right here.

Leave a comment and I'll reply by answering the following.

1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a flavor of Jell-o to wrestle with you in.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal.

Fight!

Feeling: sleepy (haven't had any sleep since 10 a.m. yesterday)

Curled up in bed with: If Only Geri Halliwell

All ears to: Over It Katherine McPhee

The 2008 Australian Open, The 2008 French Open, Rafel Nadal, etc...

2008-01-29T22:30:00.000+08:00

The 2008 Australian Open was, in one word, interesting. For one, the men's singles finals was devoid of a Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal - a first since 2005. Next, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a number 38 tennis player (and Congolese...he probably was the first - somebody correct me if I'm wrong), gave a surprise performance, overtaking #14 seed Mikhail Youzhny, #9 seed Andy Murray, #8 seed Richard Gasquet, and - it hurts really to reminisce this *weeps* - #2 seed Rafael Nadal to reach the finals. The finals is another interesting moment: Novak Đjoković becomes the first Serbian player to win a Grand Slam singles titles (not just an Australian Open title, mind you). And oh yeah, Đjoković is the first player since 2004 to beat Roger Federer in straight sets.

The women's singles finals was also a noteworthy event. Although the crowd favourite Maria Sharapova won, it was still pretty much historical. Sharapova (whom I super love, BTW) became the first Russian woman to become a champion in the Aussie Open. And Ana Ivanovic giving a good fight also made the women's finals an engaging watch.

Now the Australian Open has wrapped up. And the next Grand Slam event, the Roland Garros Tournament a.k.a. French Open, won't happen until May 25. I'm excited - I expect my favourite (Rafa Nadal, duh?) to make a killing.

Speaking of Rafa, I read somewhere that the next tennis event he'll be participating in is the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships. Does anybody know if this is being shown in the Philippines?

I can't wait for May 25!!!

EDIT: My bad. Rafa's next tourney after the Australian Open will not be the Dubai Tennis Championships but Rotterdam/ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament. Same question, will this be shown in the Philippines?! (I doubt it. Bummer.)

Feeling: like pornstar (LOL)
Curled up in bed with: If Only Geri Halliwell
All ears to: Paghilom Dicta License

Falling in love with computer games all over again

2008-01-29T20:00:00.000+08:00

Ever since I worked for a gaming website, I have become a gaming addict. I used to not care about computer games but having my eyes opened to such wonders as the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii surely made me snap and pay attention. But not everybody can really afford these nice, shiny gadgets right? This is why I've always loved independent game developers - they make gaming so much more fun. And affordable of course!

Phelios has given me my dose of computer games as of late. They have everything from RPG, classic arcade games, to sports games, down to my favourite puzzle games. I am, admittedly, a Windows user. But if you're a fan of Steve Jobs and is more comfortable using Mac, the guys over at Phelios has a lot to offer you as well. They have Mac games like Mac mahjong and so much more.

Now I'll leave you guys for awhile - I have yet to finish checking out their tycoon games (being the Broadcast Communication major that I am, I'm super in love with their TV Tycoon)...

Damian 2k mini get-together: 26 January 2008

2008-01-28T18:11:00.000+08:00

I think at one point in our lives, we get over high school and realize that that point in our lives was something we all just had to get through. It is not the be-all and end-all of things.

But this does not mean that we forget about everything in high school. If anything, high school is the richest source of memories. And friends...

Hence, it was a nice thing to actually have a mini get-together with some of the most memorable people I met back in high school.

My high school is a blur of memories and girlie writings (I've unearthed the journal I used to write back then and I cringe at how immature my writings were) but a few people stayed vivid in my memory. And perhaps one of the most vivid of them all (the most vivid, of course, being my high school barkada) was Damian 2K - my fourth year section. We dubbed ourselves to be the section of student leaders, talented individuals, and young, bright minds and well-rounded people. We took pride in each others' accomplishments. And, together, we also achieved a lot of things.

Stephan (taking cue from a suggestion of Floyd's), arranged a small "reunion" of sorts for what most of us considers as the best section of our high school life. And after eight long years, Damian 2K reunites. Only six people were in attendance - Kistna, Rica, Karen Lyn, Rac, Stephan, and myself - but it was surely good for starters.

Here's a peek at the night of Japanese food, Fuzion desserts, good talks, and fun company (more pictures here)...

Feeling: still sleepy
Curled up in bed with: If Only Geri Halliwell
All ears to: Over It Katherine McPhee

I've been tagged...

2008-01-28T15:53:00.000+08:00

Number 1
From Macy: For One More Day
(This was such a long time ago...but I only got around to hearing the song this weekend)

After hearing the "For One More Day" soundtrack, Ordinary Day, Macy threw us this question (the same question Mitch Albom threw to Oprah): "How would you spend one more day, with someone you loved and lost?"

If I'd have one more day with someone I lost, it will definitely be with my Tia Ly. Her death was so unexpected because I always saw her as someone strong and smiling and healthy. It surely came as a shock to me upon knowing that she was ridden with cancer. Because it was my graduating year and - I now have the courage to admit it - because I was then in denial that such a terrible thing can be happening to her, I spent so very little time in the hospital. Yeah, I did pop in every now and then but I never stayed too long in the hospital. Seeing one of the very few people I truly loved and admired lying in bed, helpless, it made me feel helpless as well. That was why back then, I tried to stay away from the hospital as much as I can. But when Tia Ly died, it was heart-wrenching and I suddenly wished I did not clam up at the sight of her weakening body.

If, like Charley Benetto in the book, I was given one more day with Tia Ly, I'd tell her everything I never got around to saying. I will thank her for all the years that she stayed with me and my family, for all the help she unconditionally gave us. I will apologize for being such a brat at times and I will tell her that, eventhough I rarely say it, I love her very much. And that she should be proud for raising three beautiful, responsible individuals.

Not being able to say these words to Tia Ly in person will forever be one of the biggest regret of my life. But I'm sure she can still hear them, wherever she is...

Side note: Mitch Albom's For One More Day is, in my opinion, the best he's written so far. If you want an easy, heartwarming read, this is definitely the book you're looking for.

Number 2
From Hye: How Happy Are You?

You Are 84% Happy

It's unlikely that you know anyone happier than you.
You know how to be happy, no matter what life throws at you.

How Happy Are You?

I wonder where the 16% went? It bothers me, really. Because I like to think of myself as a really happy individual. But there are times when I think that all the happiness is just a way of masking the pain I feel inside. This seems to validate that thought.

But I guess it's better to mask all the pain...it makes life easier to live. And nobody can really be a 100% happy, right? Sadness is still an essential part of life - it makes us appreciate those moments that make us truly happy.

Feeling: sleepy

Curled up in bed with: If Only Geri Halliwell
All ears to: All At Once The Fray

Roger Federer, NOOoooOOOoo!!!

2008-01-25T17:56:00.000+08:00

Okay, Federer and Djokovic's semis match is on its second set. And Federer is trailing behind, 7-5 and 4-1. Will this be, as Loi has dubbed, a year of upsets? Or, if we'll be optimists, a year of underdogs?

I love underdogs. But since I won't have Nadal in the finals, I was hoping Federer will be there at least.

Feeling: happy still, even with this news...it's still payday...lol

Curled up in bed with: If Only Geri Halliwell
All ears to: Kuwentuhan Sugarfree

Have more fun (and more winnings) with poker

2008-01-25T17:31:00.000+08:00

Orange is such a nice color. It's very pleasing to the eyes. So imagine a site that's just rich in that color, is very easy to use, and helps you increase your winnings in poker. That's what MagicHoldem is all about.

Known for their Poker Odds Calculators, which a lot of users have testified to have helped them win like pros, MagicHoldem also offer poker tips and poker advise. Their Poker Odds Calculator not only increases your winnings, it actually lets you enjoy the game more. Because, as those who were smart enough to have used it, a lot of the nerve-cracking decision-making is put off your shoulders. Now if you want to see those poker winnings increase big time, head over to their site and give the free trial a go. I'm pretty sure once you see those money increasing big time, you won't stop with just the free trial. ;-)

Personal loans sans the headaches

2008-01-25T16:40:00.000+08:00

I've said it before, but I'll say it again: sometimes having a job does not guarantee that you will have 'unlimited' supply of spending money. If anything, working only equates to having bills and more expenses.

The frustration of being able to earn your own money but not actually having enough to spend on other things that you want to buy (like in my case, my gadget love DS, Wii, and iPod Touch) or invest on (I've always fancied having my own computer shop or a really small production outfit) makes me want to apply for a personal loan. But based on what my friends have experienced, personal loans can be a pain in the ass. Especially now that the economy seems to be falling, I reckon getting a personal loan will be so much harder than it already is.

Then comes America One. They tend to take away the nightmares connected with personal loans. They promise that with them, applying for loans will go like a breeze. No collateral is actually needed, just a good current credit standing. What's more is that America One also boasts of a professional staff that is always ready to help you out...for free!

So if you're thinking of getting a loan sans all the headaches that seems to be associated with it, head over to America One.

A virtual upset: Tsonga defeats Nadal in Aussie Open semis

2008-01-25T11:26:00.000+08:00

I was still at work, far away from a television set when Loi sent me this SMS: "Are you watching? Rafa is losing to Tsonga (who looks like a tsonggo)".

My initial reaction was, "What? No. Where's the TV? I need to watch this!" But as I said, I was faraway from the TV set and the rational in me said that I cannot go home just to watch the match. So I just asked Loi to keep me updated.

At around 7:30, 8pm, he told me that I can officially weep: Nadal lost to the Frenchman -- 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. It was really a huge upset, especially since Nadal is ranked 2nd and Tsonga not even seeded in the Top 30 (he's number 38, to be exact). It was more upsetting because, well, where will I get my Nadal fix now? Damn that Tsonga! I wish Federer will make him weep and bleed during the Finals!!!

On a happy note: Look at the picture above. Rafael Nadal has to-die-for muscles! I can just imagine being wrapped in those arms. +cue daydream+

Feeling: happy because it's payday
Curled up in bed with: If Only Geri Halliwell
All ears to: Torpedo Eraserheads

Mario is <3

2008-01-24T14:02:00.000+08:00

Mario never fails to amuse me! I can't explain why, but I laughed a lot while watching this clip. Maybe it's the concept of Mario being so afraid of taking his dry cleaned clothes? Or his lame (albeit cute) attempts to thwart the bellboy? Or perhaps it's simply because he's Mario. And he still looks oh-so-adorable in those red and blue overalls!

Feeling: like a giddy school girl
Curled up in bed with: If Only Geri Halliwell
All ears to: Last Train Home Lostprophets

In need of a vacation

2008-01-23T18:04:00.000+08:00

I remember saying the other day that working is fun. Mostly because earning your own money is a different kind of high. But after a few months of working, everything can get pretty stressful. Especially in my case: I am juggling two very demanding jobs and I'm actually working 14 hours a day - more on days when I have to check papers, compute grades, and take home unfinished module pages. It is at this point in time when I tell myself, "Gahd, I need a vacation."

My dream vacation destination has always been Europe. Occasionally, I'll find myself looking at tourist places in France, Britain, or Ireland. Then sometimes I'll fancy myself staying at hotels in Spain and experiencing the Tappas bars or the seemingly heartless but nevertheless must-see bull fights. A stay at hotels in Barcelona is also a nice option. In this place where Picasso was born, I can immerse myself in the rich history of the place. I can go see the La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's wonderful architectural works, and so much more.

Europe offers more than the popular places I've mentioned, though. Daydreaming that i can already afford to take a leave from work and go backpacking in my dream destination, I stumbled upon CheaperthanHotels.co.uk (which is a good site if you're 'shopping' for affordable places to stay in when going to Europe). The discovery opened my eyes to other destinations I can list in my "must go to before I die". The site, which lists cheap hotels in Malaga, said that I can visit that pretty place in Spain and take a peek at the Picasso museum and Caves of Neria. The site also points me to hotels in Palma, a place where one can find the Caves of Drach and one of the largest underground lake, Lago Martel.

I was uber glad I found this site. I'm actually keeping tabs on it for when I can actually stop dreaming about going to Europe and actually be able to go there. Perhaps with the help of CheaperthanHotels.co.uk, my dream vacation may actually happen sooner than I thought. For those who can now afford my dream vacation, go check out the site. It might save you buckets and perhaps you can afford to treat one deserving young lady to a trip to Europe. *winks*

Heath Ledger: In memoriam

2008-01-23T14:01:00.000+08:00

I woke up to a shocking news from Jex: Heath Ledger is dead. And after a few minutes of denial, Myx and the Internet portals told me that it's time to face the truth.

I first fell in love with Heath Ledger in, uh-huh, "10 Things I Hate About You" (I hate the way you talk to me/ and the way you cut your hair/ I hate the way you drive my car/ I hate it when you stare. / I hate your big dumb combat boots/ and the way you read my mind/ I hate you so much it makes me sick/ it even makes me rhyme. / I hate the way you're always right/ I hate it when you lie/ I hate it when you make me laugh/ even worse when you make me cry/ I hate it that you're not around/ and the fact that you didn't call/ But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you/ not even close, not even a little bit, not even any at all.). But I fell for him the hardest in "A Knight's Tale". I fell so hard that I watched the movie three or four times in the cinema! And who would forget Heath Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain"? Okay, I wasn't really in love with him in that movie but I was in love with his acting. He has proven himself to be one of the edgiest, most original actors in Hollywood.

Heath Ledger may have the "personality of a cardboard" (Gino's words) but his cinematic persona is very commanding. I admire him for his ability to tackle a variety of roles. I believe him to be a man of intense talent. He sure is a great loss to moviegoers and lovers.

Heath Ledger...I'll miss you...

P.S. Yes, there were sleeping pills beside Ledger when he died but an autopsy is yet to be done. Best we steer away from the 'suicide' talks until anything has been confirmed. Respects to the family of the guy I once dreamt of kissing. XD Surely though, his death will rake in more interest in the already much-talked about "Dark Night".

P.P.S. Ledger's death got me thinking, "That's it! I'm really tracking down Josh Hartnett, Devon Sawa and Jonathan Jackson. And I'll tell them, "Drugs are very bad. they make fangirls like me really, really sad."

Feeling: really sad
Curled up in bed with: If Only Geri Halliwell
All ears to: All at Once The Fray

Weekend recap

2008-01-21T18:36:00.000+08:00

Sisters' bonding on a Saturday

I received a nice surprise last Friday: an SMS from Loi saying that he has free tickets to Repertory Philippines' "Tuesdays with Morrie". My sister and mother being big Mitch Albom fans (I like his books, I'm just not as huge a fan as the rest of the family), I grabbed the chance to make use of the tickets.

The play was a beautiful start to a great sisters' bonding day - my mother was not able to join us because she already had a previous engagement. It was such an emotional play and my sister and I silently let our tears fall as Morrie tries to break down Mitch's hardened outlook in life. (Read my full review over here.)

After the play, my sister and I trooped to Cubao. We had dinner at Shopwise's cheap selection of fast food because we were both on tight budget.

Since my sister had her first taste of a paycheck last Thursday (woohoo!), she treated me to a full body massage at our favourite spa in Cubao, the Heaven and Earth Spa. Side story: The Heaven and Earth Spa has this sign on the door that says, "Clean massage only". Because it is situated right across Eurotel, people apparently mistake it for one of "those" kinds of massage places. True to their word, they only give "clean massage". And a good one at that.

The lovely "clean" massage ended at 10 p.m. and since Anne has duty at 6 a.m. the next day, we decided to call it a night and went home to rest our sleepy heads in bed.

* * * *

Karen becomes an "Ugly Betty" fan and a Christopher Gorham lover

Okay, I'm kinda late when it comes to riding in the "Ugly Betty" love bus but the two weekends has turned me into an Ugly...Betty addict.

I've always loved America Ferrera. And I found her adorable as Betty Suarez. She gives the character the right mix of being confused, smart, composed, and charming.

I did not open up to "Ugly Betty" immediately despite my huge love for America Ferrera because I thought the show will be a tad too boring for my taste, just like its Colombian counterpart "Betty la Fea". But because I failed to find the Daniel Henney DVDs I've been searching for, I settled for "Ugly Betty" (and Cycle 8 of "America's Next Top Model"). Now, I'm really glad I did.

I'm finding the show super funny. Wilhelmina cracks me up with her witty, sarcastic lines. And it's nice to imagine, once in awhile, that I'm living the fast-paced life of those working in a fashion magazine.

And yesterday, I think in my third hour staying glued to the sofa, munching on cheez curls, and immersing myself in Betty's life, I met Henry Grubstick. And fell in love (yet again). Ain't he such a hot geek? While surfing the 'Net for some info on this cutie, I found this and almost fainted:

Christopher Gorham is so yummy.

* * * *

Speaking of yummy...

I haven't been able to watch the Australian Open the past few weeks but I was able to catch a glimpse of the Rafael Nadal-Paul Henri Mathieu match (which Nadal won as Mathieu threw in the towel at the second set because of an injury). Then I realized: Rafael Nadal is so sexily tanned and buff these days. Yummy indeed.

* * * *

To cap it all off...

I'm really loving this pregnant (and naked) Christina Aguilera picture at Marie Clare's January 2008 cover:

Feeling: just great

Curled up in bed with: If Only Geri Haliwell
All ears to: Paghilom Dicta License (aaargh...I miss them already!!!)

Review: Tuesdays with Morrie The Play

2008-01-21T15:47:00.000+08:00

/5stars

I would never really list Mitch Albom's "Tuesdays with Morrie" as one of my favourite books. I liked it. It was truly a book of meaningful life lessons. It's just that the book, for all its tear-jerker moments, swings to great heights then flops down really low only to pick up and take you to highs again when the book was just about to end. The book is a sure-fire crier but it became boring during the mid-part that it took me three months to actually finish the book.

That didn't stop me though from getting curious with Repertory Philippines' staging of "Tuesdays with Morrie: The Play". And when a good friend of mine offered his complimentary tickets, I knew I just had to go see the play.

To be perfectly honest, I came to the show half-expecting it to be boring - I mean, just how much excitement can one get from a two-character play that is surely going to be mostly talkies?

Jose Mari Avellana and Bart Guingona gladly trampled my expectation. Though there really was not much excitement, the play was anything but boring.

Jose Mari Avellana was a really charming Morrie Schwartz. His voice was very engaging that I can't help but wish that he was also a college teacher of mine. And everytime he'd utter, "Extra credit?", I would always feel the urge to go on stage and to take on the offer. My favourite Morrie moment was when he was talking to this "phantom" Janine. He was so sweet and cute and I'm pretty sure everybody in the theatre was remembering the moments when they'd sit on their grandfather's knees and listen to him telling a story.

Bart Guingona was also an effective Mitch Albom. He knew exactly when to pause and leave the audience wanting to hear more of what he has to say. His anger was powerful yet a bit controlled that the audience does not hate him for being aloof towards Morrie. In fact, with the way Bart Guingona portrayed Mitch, the audience reaches out to him. I personally wanted to go up to him and tell him that his Uncle Mike's death was not his fault and that Morrie is actually giving him that chance to say goodbye - a chance that he never got with his beloved uncle.

I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one who was captivated by this show. In the scenes where Morrie was nearing his death and Mitch was finally starting to soften up and enjoy his visits, the shushed audience broke into sniffles - it was as if everyone suddenly got a cold.

I'm glad I watched the play. Though the tickets that I had were free, I'd say money won't go wasted on this Repertory offering. The play was, in all honesty, better than the book. Jose Mari Avellana's and Bart Guingona's acting conveyed powerful emotions that Mitch Albom's words alone has failed to evoke.

*Edit: I got the names of the actors jumbled. Haha! Fixed that now. Thanks to Kathy for pointing out the error. ;-)

Farewell, Brad Renfro!

2008-01-16T15:17:00.000+08:00

Although most - okay, all - of my Tiger Beat and Bop magazines were bought because of Devon Sawa (and occasionally because of Eddie Furlong), I won't deny that I also spent some "I'm still young, I can do anything with my time" pre-teen hours scanning Brad Renfro's pictures (who actually read the Bop and Tiger Beat articles?).

Now, although I'm not a big fan of Brad Renfro, it sure is sad to learn that he just passed away. He is very young at 25 and it is too bad that a talent such as his has gone to waste...

...and oh yeah, I learned from Mika, who was also the first person I know to blog about Renfro's death, that Jonathan Brandis committed suicide?!?! (Yahoo! Search says "yes".) This makes me want to round up all my poster boys and make sure they're all safe from drugs and alcohol. But what makes me think they'll all listen to me?!?! LOLz.

Feeling: shocked
Curled up in bed with: For One More Day Mitch Albom
All ears to: Hedonism Skunk Anansie

Super Smash Bros. Brawl delayed

2008-01-15T17:00:00.000+08:00

Being a big fan of the Wii and a lover of the still-to-be-released title Super Smash Bros. Brawl, I should be sad of this little piece of news: Super Smash Bros. Brawl will no longer bear a February 10 launch date; release of the much awaited game is now cited as March 9. The game's official website reads:

Due to delays in the completion of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, we’ve had to change the release date of the game to Sunday, March 9th.

I deeply apologize to the people who have looked forward to playing the game for so long and ask that you hold on just a little longer. Thank you for your patience.

Yet, I'm not sad. I don't think I'll be in possession of a Wii by March 9, anyways. So the news does not affect me. But just in case you're one of those lucky, lucky ones who already own a Wii (curse you) and who have been saving their precious money to be one of the first few who'll be able to play this game early February, this news is for you. Just think of it as having more time to save up for the game. ;-)

Feeling: still like a kid

Curled up in bed with: For One More Day Mitch Albom
All ears to: Follow Through Gavin DeGraw

Me want a DS Lite. NOW!

2008-01-15T14:33:00.000+08:00

I've made up my mind: I'm finally getting a DS Lite!

I've been meaning to get one since...erm forever. Okay, not really forever, but I think for a year and a half now, the top spot in my "must have gadgets" list always belong to the cutesy Nintendo handheld (with the MSI S262 YA! Edition laptop coming in as close second - mostly because its pink and not because of any jaw-dropping features it might have). I fell in love with the DS Lite when Sony and I had a falling out and I stopped being in love with its handheld, the PSP. But with everything I needed to pay in the last year and a half - bills, my sister's tuition fee, allowance, etc. - the DS Lite (and everything under it) was soon forgotten.

Recently, though, I visited my one-time office. Former officemate and friend Chochi bought herself a DS just before Christmas and she was so excited to show me the black beauty that is her DS. It was pretty, pretty, pretty, pret -- Karen, stop.

Okay, it was pretty. And though I'm still very much in love with Mario Kart DS and Coooking Mama (whom I've learned has become the ultimate sell-out with the sequel Cooking Mama 2: Cooking with Friends, which lets players customize the way Mama looks), what convinced me that it's high-time I get myself this pretty, pretty toy was this:

The video you just saw was for Taiko Drum Master Portable (Taiko no Tatsujin DS). It's not exactly a new game but I only recently got acquainted with it. I had so much fun in this sort of drum/rhythm game. The song choices were oh-so-cute. Okay, so my fingers are ill-coordinated and I was bad at the game but what matters is I had so much fun!

I swear, before February ends, I will have my own DS Lite! And anybody who knows me will know what color my DS Lite will come in. (Although I wouldn't mind getting this yellow one.)

Feeling: like a kid
Curled up in bed with: For One More Day Mitch Albom
All ears to: the office's very, very noisy AC

On Improving Thyself

2008-01-15T13:30:00.000+08:00

I have never been a big fan of self-improvement magazines, books, and websites because they almost always turn out to be boring reads. Though I sometimes let myself fall prey to what these personal development materials say, I almost always never imbibe them. The writing just falls flat, making it hard for me to actually remember what is being said.

The Diet Mind Spirit site just might be the exception. The site is an amalgamation of articles from different websites but what make it unique are the short introductions that prelude the actual article. By picking up from popular lit (I especially liked the reference to Silence of the Lambs) or by putting funny, shocking titles, the site is able to grab the attention of anyone who wishes to get information about self-improvement. The website is even updated daily, giving the personal development-junkies their daily dose of articles.

Body mind spirit - these are three aspects that Diet Mind Spirit focuses on. And whether you're looking for a good aromatherapy place, DVDs and books for self-help, inspirational stories, lifestyle tips, etc., this site sure has it under its bag. So if you're big on those kinds of things - I am most certainly now a convert - give Diet Mind Spirit a visit and enjoy exploring all those witty articles!

Reasons for going to Divi

2008-01-10T21:11:00.000+08:00

I have been meaning to go to Divisoria the past few weekends but something always comes up or I get bitten by the lazy bug and I end up staying at home.

Now, though, I have the perfect reasonS to risk getting manhandled by the many people who troop to cheapskate heaven:

Seducing Mr. Perfect

My Father

Coffee Prince

Spring Waltz

I can't wait to get my hands on these DVDs (three of which star my current poster boy, Daniel Henney)!!!

Feeling: in love with Henney
Curled up in bed with: Enheduanna in the 21st Century Eileen R. Tabios
All ears to: Over It Katherine McPhee

I'm on Technorati!

2008-01-10T16:34:00.000+08:00

I've always loved Technorati. It has helped me a lot when I was still working for a gaming website. And now, I'm on Technorati! Woohoo! Check out my Technorati Profile, aight? See yah there.

I have a pet!

2008-01-09T19:26:00.000+08:00

Meet my new pet:

Her name's Veeva2008 (yuck, korni!). I have always loved NeoPets but I've always been too lazy to manage my account and my pets end up dying (poor, poor NeoPets). Now, though, I'm online most of the time and the past few days, I've been finding myself repeatedly browsing to the NeoPets site. After a hundredth visit, it hit me: Why not create an account now? With me online 18hours/day, I'm pretty sure I can squeeze in a few minutes (err, hours) taking care of my NeoPets. (Yeah, it took me that many visits to realize that I can create an account after all, instead of just browsing at the site wanting to own a NeoPet!) And voila, Veeva comes to life (erm...sorta).

Now, if you guys will excuse me, Veeva is already hungry...

Feeling: bored and sleepy
Curled up in bed with: For One More Day Mitch Albom
All ears to: Mamaw Michael V.

Looking at silver linings

2008-01-09T16:53:00.000+08:00

As much as we want to believe that we and our loved ones will always stay safe, reality is very far from the truth.

Just recently, I learned that a very good friend of mine was confined in the hospital. At the young age of 22 (or 23?), she had cysts appearing on both her ovaries. But as we are believers in the old saying that "Everything has a silver lining", we're thankful that her doctors were able save her ovaries. And she can still hold on to her hopes of her having her own child in the future.

Now, while it may be true that we cannot stop our friends from being ridden with disease, it is also true that when they do get [terminally] ill we can at least help them make their journey a bit better. Thank God for the Internet, which now makes it easy for us to search for ways on how to take care of ourselves and the people we love.

It's true though that sometimes, when a person is terminally ill and (and, not OR) terribly old, it can get pretty tiring to take care of him. Although I personally don't approve of nursing homes (I'd rather retain my mom at home, no matter how cranky she can get), it is good to know that there are indeed care homes (it's a much better term, neh?) that will treat your parents/relatives/loved ones right. Now, if you do decide to put your beloved in a care home, you no longer have to worry that the nice nurse that helped her settle is not a mass murderer in disguise...

Random Quote #1

2008-01-08T18:28:00.001+08:00

Seen posted in a PUJ...

Kung pangit sa tingin ng iba
di bale na,
kaysa maganda
dinadali naman ng iba.
-Bos'n Er Schiffahrt

Pamatay eh 'yung pangalan ng "nagsambit" ng quote na 'yan. Sounds shala, neh?

Feeling: feeling uber pretty...harhar!
Lost in: The Female Eunuch Germaine Greer
All ears: Always All Ways Lostprophets

Hailie's 2008 Planner(s)

2008-01-07T15:00:00.000+08:00

When it comes to my organizer, I'm such a big geek. Imagine, I bought my 2008 organizer as early as, ehem, (early) September.

Back when I was shopping for the organizer, I fell in love with this instantly:

If you see the inside of this planner, you'll also fall in love. Especially if you're into keeping "trash" like me - receipts, candy wrapper, and the like. The planner is standard notebook-sized but has enough space to accommodate my kalat. I tell you, it was love at first sight for me and my "This Journal will actually change your life!!!" planner.

That's why I instantly bought it when I saw its beauty for sale at Powerbooks Mega.

Only for me to regret the decision four months later. I'm still pretty much fascinated with my current planner (who wouldn't be, when there are such holidays as "World Book Day", International Day of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination" and, uhm, "Pamper Thyself Day" written in the crispy, white pages?). But I'm willing to ditch this Php800-something planner for this:

(more pictures of this wonder over here)

I want. I want. I want!!! To borrow words from a dear friend, I am 'profusely sweating and salivating' for the UP Centennial Planner! And once I get my hard-earned cash this Thursday, I'm trooping to U.P. to pay for my copy. Too bad, it won't be in my hands until mid February. Guess my Php800-something planner will be put to use in the next month and a half.

Anybody wanna buy a 'slightly' used planner by February? *winks*

Feeling: wishing for my first wish of 2008 to come true
Lost in: The Female Eunuch Germaine Greer
All ears: One Love Acel Bisa

Conversations with Madama

2007-12-18T18:02:00.000+08:00

The Friday after I dragged Dexter along to my high school 'kada gimmick, I talked to a former boss whom I'll dub as "Madama". I don't know whether I'd be pleased or irked or super kilig at what he said that day. Here's bits and pieces of our IM conversation (pagtiyagaan niyo ang thread at malalaman niyo kung bakit kailangan isingit si Dexter sa introduction):

[13:46] Madama: (I've missed the pink!)
[13:46] Madama: (I've tried to get Max to type in pink, but he won't)
[13:46] Madama: We were talking about you just the other day...
[13:46] ulzzanghailie: really?
[13:46] ulzzanghailie: what did you talk about? hmmn...
[13:46] Madama: Had a team building retreat, and we were imagining what it would've been like had you been there. LOL
[13:47] Madama: You woulda been crazy.
[13:47] ulzzanghailie: I've tried to get Max to type in pink, but he won't -->haha! good luck on that one. XD
[13:47] ulzzanghailie: you betcha! haha...Gino said he really wanted me (and Jex) to come
[13:47] ulzzanghailie: he was asking if i had any background on facilitating
[13:47] ulzzanghailie: haha!
[13:48] Madama: THAT would've went over well. LOL
[13:48] ulzzanghailie: true, true.
[13:48] ulzzanghailie: it's so sad you were not at their team building...
[13:48] ulzzanghailie: you should've been there...
[13:48] Madama: I know.
[13:48] Madama: I hope to make the next one in about 6 months.
[13:49] Madama: I would've just been a distraction for the first one anyways.
[13:49] Madama: Believe me, when I'm in Manila, we're soooo going out.
[13:49] ulzzanghailie: yeah!!!
[13:49] ulzzanghailie: i'll look forward to that!
[13:49] ulzzanghailie: i know the places we can go to.
[13:49] Madama: Me too! But I have a feeling I won't remember much of it.
[13:49] ulzzanghailie: haha! why not?
[13:50] Madama: Because I've heard you're a party girl... not sure how vicious rumors like that get started.
[13:50] ulzzanghailie: what?! who said that?
[13:50] Madama: Psh, you know it's true.
[13:50] ulzzanghailie: i party...but, i'm a "controlled" party girl (whatever that means)
[13:50] ulzzanghailie: haha
[13:51] Madama: Sure, sure. LOL
[13:51] ulzzanghailie: LOL

... ... ...

[13:51] ulzzanghailie: speaking of going out, I was out with Dexter last week
[13:51] ulzzanghailie: +ssh+
[13:52] Madama: No way!!!!
[13:52] Madama: Like, as in, a date???
[13:52] ulzzanghailie: Yes way...
[13:52] ulzzanghailie: Like, as in, a date??? -->I don't know if it was a date...
[13:52] ulzzanghailie: but we went to a bar and just...talked
[13:52] Madama: That. Is so. Not right.
[13:52] Madama: Had you talked to him since you left?
[13:53] ulzzanghailie: we just send each other SMS once in awhile
[13:53] Madama: Can I tell you how bizarre I find that?
[13:53] ulzzanghailie: go ahead...
[13:53] ulzzanghailie: (0.0)?
[13:53] Madama: I find that bizarre.
[13:53] Madama: There.
[13:53] Madama: LOL
[13:53] ulzzanghailie: LOL
[13:53] ulzzanghailie: no explanation or anything?!?
[13:53] ulzzanghailie: haha
[13:54] Madama: Well...
[13:54] Madama: I mean, I slightly remember that when Dexter and **** (I edited out the name and didn't even bother to think of a code - but if I'll replace this name with a code, it will be a compound word of seven letters starting with A and ending in E) first started up over there, Dexter thought you were pretty hot and all.
[13:54] Madama: But after a while, he just had nothing good to say about you and was constantly on your ass.
[13:54] Madama: And even after the floors split, he was on MY ass to be on YOUR ass, constantly.
[13:55] Madama: Or maybe, he was just noticing things because he was using the cams to watch YOU.
[13:55] Madama: So it's bizarre.
[13:55] ulzzanghailie: I mean, I slightly remember that when Dexter and **** first started up over there, Dexter thought you were pretty hot and all. -->and where did this come from? haha..
[13:56] Madama: It was like "oh em gee, how long were you watching Karen to get a snapshot of her skirt going higher than regulation, or having her shoes off, etc".
[13:56] ulzzanghailie: i thought it was **** who was on your ass to be on my ass?
[13:56] Madama: Well, ****'s on everyone's ass.
13:56] ulzzanghailie: well, yeah...
[13:56] Madama: But as far as "I saw Karen doing this..." it was Dexter.
[13:56] Madama: (Don't you DARE tell him I told you any of this!!)
[13:56] ulzzanghailie: tsk, tsk...
[13:57] ulzzanghailie: (Don't you DARE tell him I told you any of this!!) -->LOL. sure..it will be our *little* secret
[13:57] Madama: It better be! LOL
[13:57] ulzzanghailie: LOL
[13:57] Madama: Was he flirting on your un-date?
[13:58] Madama: (But yeah, I remember him specifically mentioning you as one of the hot Filipino girls that had taken a job... you were in the very first batch of hirings, weren't you?)
[13:58] ulzzanghailie: uhm, i honestly don't know! (bops self in the head)
[13:58] Madama: Do you care? LOL
[13:58] ulzzanghailie: LOL. I don't
[13:58] ulzzanghailie: haha!
[13:58] ulzzanghailie: yeah, i think i was on the first batch...
[13:59] Madama: You were a founder!
[13:59] ulzzanghailie: or was that second? because i came in a month after rica et. al came in
[13:59] Madama: Ohhh...
[13:59] Madama: Maybe you were.
[13:59] ulzzanghailie: You were a founder! -->no i wasn't haha! that would have to be chris and rica and maricar
[13:59] Madama: But yeah, I find the Dexter thing oh-so-hilarious.
[13:59] ulzzanghailie: LOL
[13:59] ulzzanghailie: me too...in some ways.
[14:00] Madama: I didn't think you liked him in the least.
[14:00] Madama: (Granted, you didn't like anyone who made you do things you didn't want to do, but... LOL )
[14:00] ulzzanghailie: i used to have a HUGE crush on him!
[14:00] ulzzanghailie: i even made a blog bout him. LOL
[14:01] ulzzanghailie: and. uh.
[14:01] Madama: What?!?
[14:01] ulzzanghailie: i was actually the one who asked him out. *blush*
[14:01] Madama: Just an entry, or an entire blog? LOL
[14:01] ulzzanghailie: oh, just an entry
[14:01] Madama: You DO care!!!
[14:01] ulzzanghailie: haha
[14:02] Madama: Who else knows that you went on a date? LOL
[14:02] ulzzanghailie: LOL! Mabie, of course
[14:02] ulzzanghailie: and perhaps she's told Max and Gino as well...
[14:02] Madama: Oh well, then everyone knows.
[14:02] Madama: LOL
[14:02] ulzzanghailie: they've all been rooting me to ask Dexter out
[14:02] ulzzanghailie: *out
[14:02] ulzzanghailie: Oh well, then everyone knows -->LOL!!!
[14:02] Madama: That's so bizarre.
[14:03] Madama: You're such a goofball. Go find someone taller!
[14:03] ulzzanghailie: haha!!
[14:03] ulzzanghailie: i will...
[14:04] ulzzanghailie: besides, that was just one un-date..

... ... ...

[14:07] Madama: Oh... I guess I never realized YOU were so short, so I guess Dexter works. LOL
[14:07] Madama: You're an inch away from medical midgetry!
[14:08] ulzzanghailie: that's the typical Filipina height!
[14:08] Madama: Really?
[14:08] ulzzanghailie: yeah...

* * * *

Another IM conversation with Madama led me to showing him this video of mine. At sa comment na ito, eh tunay naman akong natuwa:

[13:31] Madama: BTw, I was just watching it again and the hubby (who knows you enough because I've talked about you) said "She is a very pretty girl, tho."

Haha. Woohoo!

Feeling: lito sa modules na ginagawa
Lost in: The Female Eunuch Germaine Greer
All ears: Hiling Paramita

Having fun at work

2007-12-04T18:38:00.000+08:00

Ok. Hailie was not necessarily booted out of her previous work. Her countdown to bumhood was actually pointless because TAPE decided to renew her contract. The problem is, she didn't want to renew the contract anymore. The work was fun. In fact, Hailie thought it was something she really wanted to do. But then, after some serious soul-searching (which must have stretched a week, no thanks to her imediate supervisor's insistence that she stay with the company and this very tempting offer to be an accent and conversational English coach at a call center in far-flung Novaliches), she realized that she'd rather opt for some office job where there's more security and where she can enjoy benefits and the possibility of a yearly increase (that is, if she can actually stay in job for years).

So after some job applications, Hailie landed herself a job as a module writer-slash-editor. The job is turning out to be tedious in that the boss's mind keep on changing from time to time but it is sprinkled with that kangaragan that keeps Hailie alive.

Besides, editing the old modules provides her with some classic, unexpected fits of laughter (na minsan ay kailangan pigilan dahil she's surrounded by teachers talking really slowly to Korean students). Take this module for example:

Can anybody say racist? And, pinkish color? Yellowish? Yet nothing beats "Are you happy with your skin color?" Haha!

And there's another one. The JPEG file has been edited though. But what appeared on the PowerPoint presentation that I needed to edit sure was hilarious:

I can't wait to edit more of the modules. I have a feeling I'll stumble upon more of these comic gems.

* * * *

The reason Hailie had a hard time looking for a new job was because she cannot let go of her teaching stint (yes, she's been teaching - and she's finding it a really worthwhile career path). The thing is, she's just not yet ready to nosedive into full-time teaching, which is why she has not decided to focus full force on this particualr vocation.

Anyways, Hailie has another funny kuwento. This time about her teaching. When a dear friend of mine tells Hailie before about getting kilig when her students compliment her, Hailie sort of doesn't understand. But now she does. Because it sure was flattering reading this on a student's activity paper:

I love girl wear stripe blouse with necklace of slipper.

...which was exactly what Hailie was wearing the day the activity was done. It would have been doubly-flattering had the "profession of love" been constructed in a grammatically-correct sentence. Haha!

Anyways, I've been dilly-dallying from work for a long time now. Gotta go back to looking busy.
Toodles!

Feeling: like a rakstar

Lost in: The Female Eunuch Germaine Greer

All ears: Tuloy ang Ikot ng Mundo Dicta License

Getting too old to party? (a.k.a. mabenta talaga ako sa Indians)

2007-12-03T20:10:00.000+08:00

Dahil sa naudlot na coffee bonding with Jex, Rem, and Chochi last Thursday (buwisit na curfew 'yan - wasn't Thursday such an overkill?), I woke up Friday morning wanting to stay out super late. I was already feeling malas kasi lahat ng inaya kong samahan ako sa balak kong magpa-umaga sa daan ay hindi puwede when dear Barrie sent me an SMS: "Bebe, are you free tonight? Wanna meet for coffee?"

Sakto.

And the good thing is we've been trying to meet each other for the past months but something always comes up. And sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon ay natuloy din kami mag-kape. Bitbit ko din si Olai because apparently, ayaw din niya umuwi agad. And so Hailie, Barrie, and Olai met at Seattle's Best The Block (it was my first time there, would you believe? Antagal ko na palang hindi napapadpad sa may gawing SM North...). Ms Ria(ganda) was also there and it was nice to bond with her - biruin mong co-worker ko siya sa Magister but it was only now that we really got the chance to talk (the first and only time we saw each other was during my orientation).

When Ms Ria left at around 12mn, Hailie, Barrie, and Olai were not yet ready to go. And so they trooped to McDonald's T. Morato for late dinner and fries, fries, and more fries (yes, I'm near the Super Size Me status...haha). We stayed there until 2am and somehow, bitin pa din kami. We all just had an early Saturday and needed to really go home.

It's always a pleasure meeting these friends of mine. Because. Alam na naming tatlo 'yun. *winks*

Anyhoo, it was during this particular coffee date that a night out was decided upon. And so the night of December 1, we partied the night away.

The four of us (Barrie, Ms Ria, Olai, and I) started the night at Blue Onion, Eastwood. And we were, uhm, surprised (and disappointed) that the crowd was really young. But the music was kinda great and we had two bottles of beer each so we decided to stay anyways. When the eight bottles of beer have been downed and the music turns to an RNB-ish mix of Thanks for the Memories (believe me, it was not good), we went to Guilly's near the ABS-CBN compound. The plsce was jam-packed with people and we were asked to wait before we can get in. Since we're pretty sure that it will take awhile before we can get a spot inside and that if ever we do get inside we'll have a hard time breathing, we decided to head over to Formula T. Morato.

The entrance was a cheap Php100 (which comes with one beer) and the music was pretty nice. The crowd is still a bit too young for us but what the heck, we wanted to burn the dance floor so we danced.

I got tired too easily though. Which is weird. Because I used to be indefatigable in the dance floor. And let's just say, after three hours of dancing, I suddenly felt like na-achieve ko na 'yung purpose ko. And biglaan eh ayoko nang sumiksik sa dance floor - partially na din because of the "weird" smell of the Formula Bar dance floor (read: body sweat + onion = yuck). Suddenly, it dawned on me: matanda na ako!!! I still will always go back to craving the call of the dance floor. But if before it's something that I just have to do weekly, ngayon now I'll only be heeding to the call just because I'm with good company and because I really, really wanna dance.

I bet most of you will be wondering about the "mabenta talaga ako sa Indians" part of my title. Ganito kasi 'yun. Ilang beses na din akong nalapitan ng Indians. The most famous kuwento would have to be the one where this old Indian guy approached me at McDonald's, offering me a job. After an initial interview, tinext niya ako about a final interview: 1am. Not bad, with the slew of call centers that invite applicants for interviews at ungodly hours. But this one was really dubious. Why? Venue of interview: Indian's condo. Hmmn.

Anyways, the fact that I'm always approached by Indian guys out of the blue has been established. At talaga namang sa dami ng tao sa Formula bar at sa siksikan ng dance floor eh Indian pa din ang nakaisip na makisayaw sa'kin neh? Kasi ang ata na si Karen, dumeretso sa dance floor, thinking that Ms Ria and barrie are at her heels. Haha...nagulat ako na mag-isa lang akong sumugod sa dance floor. Keber. Sumayaw ako. Mag-isa. Not for long. Maya-maya ay may mga kamay nang nakalinkis sa tiyan ko (yes, sa TIYAN ko!!!). And erm. The hands belonged to someone who must have been dancing for quite sometime in that packed dance floor. And perhaps eh nabuhay din siyang ngumangata ng sibuyas. Because he smelled badly of that combination. All together now: yuck. At kahit na gusto ko 'yung kantang tumutugtog, humiwalay ako kay Indian guy, with a lame, "I need a drink." But really. I needed a drink.

Hay naku. Bakit ba 'yung mga kamay na gusto kong humalay sa'kin, hindi ako hinahalay?!?!

Anyways, that's why the next time I went to the dance floor ay bitbit ko na si Olai. Naging buffer ko (at ni Ms Ria) siya that night.

Side kuwento: Panalo si Ms Ria. Sabi niya 'dun sa isang batang gustong makipagsayaw sa kanya, "Do you want me to smack you in the face?" Haha! Winner. Magamit nga sa susunod...

We capped the night (err...morning? As we left Formula at 4:30-5 am!!!) with snacks at the nearby 7-11 and breakfast at Kalye Juan (where a really cute drunk guy was also eating with his barkada - Barrie and I attempted to take his picture but failed. And sa kakatitig ko ay hindi gumana ng maayos ang utak ko tapos eh hindi ko ma-shoot 'yung tubig na iniinom ko sa bibig ko - straight from the baso to my lap. 'Wa poise! Haha!)

That was such a fun night! Mostly because I was with a fun company. 'Til next time, guys.

Feeling: Pensive
All ears: Like A Virgin Incubus
Lost in: The Female Eunuch Germaine Greer

May karapatan pa pala akong kiligin

2007-11-30T19:51:00.000+08:00

Kilig kuwento #1

Alright. Guilty as charged.

I'm a raging pedophile. Not as bad as Jex, though (peace!) because object of, err, lust is already of legal age (18, sakto). But we do have one big problem. And I don't feel safe sharing it here because who knows who might stumble upon my site. If somebody from +bleep+ reads this, it will be BIG trouble. Haha!

So...moving on...

* * *

Kilig kuwento #2

I have been spending the past few months feeling content over my single-blessedness. There were ocassional feelings of kilig, but nothing major as to make me want to pine over the non-existence of a love life. In fact, I have actually come to like not being "attached".

But last Friday, November 23, something happened and I was awashed with that major kilig-ness that has been rare in the part (counting...counting...) eight months. And at once I realized, "Masarap pala kiligin."

If you know me, alam mo na hindi na iba sa'kin ang tinatamaan nang matinding kilig. Mabie and Jex (and perhaps si Annabs - kapag hindi siya distracted at hindi siya nandididri sa object of affection ko at talaga ding tinatamaan siya nang matinding desire to disown me...hehe) will attest to the fact na ibang klase din ako kiligin minsan: I'm almost speechless because of the fact na talaga namang nanginginig ako and I blush to the point na I can really feel the heat up to my ears. And I really haven't felt that way for such a long time (save for the two times I saw Pochoy this year - kailangan ko pa pala ikuwento 'to...it's hilarious!). And so when the feeling once again descended on li'l me, I remembered just how good it feels. It was nice, really...

So. What happened?

Ok. The object for the kakiligan is not somebody new. In fact, I've talked about him before (here, here, and here, --- to all QJ friends who did not know about this - because I'm pretty sure Dexter's picture gave away the identity of this person - yeah, I had a crush on him...MAJOR). And I guess all this while, I was still majorly crushing on him, based on the fact that I'll still get that funny, fuzzy feeling whenever he'd send me an SMS or IM me.

Back to the kuwento. Last week, he sent me this SMS about a Jack Daniel's party at Capones. Hailie was in Laguna, feasting on buko pie and espasol (yum!) so I obviously wasn't able to go. Forward to Thursday, November 21. My "breaking the curse" gimmick (looong story) with my high school barkada was finalized. And sa ano mang powers ni Lord eh naisip kong i-invite si "Dexter" (yeah, let's call him that). Come Friday, Hailie sent the text message: "Ei, you wanna go to Alchemy tomorrow night?" A string of SMS exchange occurs pero pamatay 'to: when he says, "we will see. :) no promises", Hailie goes, "Aight. Hope you could come though". Yeah...I still cringe when I think about it. Haha!

So. Well. Yeah. He did go with me and my HS 'kada to the "breaking the curse" gimmick. We were at Capones first (Urbandub!!!!!!!! Ayan, Mabie...Dubista na din akong malupit at naka-repeat ang "Soul Searching" sa iPod ko ngayon) then we trooped to Alchemy. Pero hindi naman kami nakapasok kasi naka-shorts si Dexter.

Side kuwento: Okay. Dexter was a bit furious about the fact that he was not allowed inside Alchemy because he was in shorts. When in fact, most of the girls who were already inside were in shorts (I, for one, was also in shorts). And suddenly, I knew both of us were thinking about that incident where we had this heated debate about open-toed shoes. And - a little too late - I understood what the dress code policy meant.

Oh well. Back to my story.

Since Alchemy is no-go, we trooped to Jaipur. No comment about the place...I wanna live out my natural life span. Haha!

Anyways. I wasn't able to dance. I just sat at our table, with Dexter, ocassionally trying the shisha (the smoke of which smelled oh-so-good). We just talked. I swear. As I told Mabie, nakakainsulto nga kasi hindi man lang ako binastos! (Haha...I'm so weird.)

So there. I spent 4-5 hours with Nido kid (yeah, that'll still be Dexter) just...talking. Kinda disappointing. Haha! But it was nice just the same. Because at the end of the day, I finally got to feel that nice feeling again...

Sa lahat ng problema. Sa lahat ng kangaragan. Ang sarap isipin, na may karapatn pa pala akong kiligin.

*smiles that stupid smile associated with people in love*

Feeling: In the mood for videoke
All ears: Breakin' Up Rilo Kiley
Lost in: The Female Eunuch Germaine Greer

No cash? No fret...

2007-11-29T15:00:00.000+08:00

I'm pretty sure everybody has, at one point in their lives, experienced running out of cash when payday still seems like a date that's still to come in the very far future. I myself have gone through looooong stretches of being without expendable cash. And days like these just makes you want to go crazy, neh?

Thank god for CashAdvance1500.com! This site offers payday loan for people who always seem to have a hard time keeping their measly income stretch until the next payday.

As the site mentioned, it's the better alternative! Since the Internet is the proponent of the fast-paced life we now live in, you can bet fast fundings of your personal and savings account. And it's way safer and less emotionally piercing than issuing bouncing checks and selling precious items for less than their worth. Agree?

Online Casino, anyone?

2007-11-21T13:14:00.000+08:00

I love Internet surfing. There are just way too many things to do - download music, watch videos, read some pretty interesting blogs, etc. etc. etc. But sometimes, all these can get a little
boring and you constantly find yourself looking for newer things to find.

Lucky me, I found a new pasttime over the 'Net: Pro360.com. I'm definitely not big on online casino but I found this website über interesting. They have a whole slew of useful reviews which you can read just in case you're feeling lucky and want to engage in a little online gambling but don't know the sites to visit. And just in case you're too lazy to muddle through a full review, Pro360.com opens with this really useful table that sums up the important details you need to know about the casino: max bonuses, certs, plus editor and player ratings.

The site has been churning out reviews since 1997 so you can bet your boots the editors know their business.

Well, ta-ta for now. I have some online casino reviews to read - I suggest you do the same. =)

Feeling:
All ears to: Tuloy ang Ikot ng Mundo Dicta License
Lost in: Memories of My Melancholy Whores Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Getting Paid to Blog

2007-11-18T11:53:00.000+08:00

Amidst my struggle to find a new job (I was on the verge of getting axed from my current job because my contract was about to expire - the dreaded thing did not happen because my boss deided to renew my contract, thank goodness), I found this amazing way to earn more money. And the cool thing is that it allowed me to do one of the things I loved most in life: blogging.

I was just browsing through my frined's site when she mentioned that she now gets paid to blog, makingg her gain spending money while studying. That's when I discovered Smorty.

Smorty connects advertisers with bloggers, allowing writers to get paid to blog. Blog advertising is a big thing nowadays but nobody does it better than Smorty. It does not put a blogger's words in a box but actually encourages unique, interesting content. What's more, you get your moolah weekly.

I've been doing blog advertising for just a few days but I'm already loving it. Oh well, toodles for now - I still have more advertising to do. ;-)

Feeling:

All ears: the telly, Disney Channel's showing Totally Spies

Lost in: The Jane Austen Book Club Karen Joy Fowler

^^^ WISH LIST (part2) atbp.^^^

2007-10-29T12:56:00.000+08:00

I don't know why...perhaps it's because the Christmas breeze is high in the air and I'm lacking of cash for some Christmas shopping that's why I've taken to listing wish lists. Walang pera? Mag-lista ka na lang. Some rich guy might take pity and give you your heart's deasire. Hehe...yeah, right. This time, DVDs version ito. ;-)

1. Ten Years of Howie Severino (Yeah, I super love him. If he's single and he'll take me, I'll marry him. Amen.)
2. Hwang Jini
3. Maging Sino Ka Man (Uh huh...I'm jologs like that.)
4. Heroes Season 2
5. Will and Grace (Any season, save for the last two ones.)
6. Friends (Kahit anong season uli.)
7. How I Met Your Mother Season 1
8. Is there a Desperate Housewives Season 4 already?

* * * *

I have a new addiction as of late: Shelfari. Because I'm admittedly a bookwhore, the idea of a website where I can talk about books with my fellow booklovers is a nice thing. So to any who's as crazy as books as me, sign up with Shelfari and invite me as a friend, kk? ;-)

* * * *

If it weren't for my Uncle, I wouldn't have voted in the barangay elections. I hate indelible ink! Haha! Oh well...hope my Uncle wins. +crosses fingers+

* * * *

Countdown: 5 more days to bumhood!

Feeling:
All ears: Sayaw Darling Willie Revillame (yeah, still monitoring and Willie's energetically singing his latest novelty song)
Lost in: Still Life With Woodpecker Tom Robbins and Fear of Flying Erica Jong

^^^ WISH LIST ^^^

2007-10-27T12:33:00.000+08:00

For Christmas or birthdays or New Year or even, heck Valentine's Day. Walang espesyal na okasyon, naisipan ko lang gumawa ng wish list...walang pakialamanan.

1. The Dicta License shirt/s (preferably the brown one, pero oks na din na 'yung dalawa...hehe)
2. The upcoming Bacsktreetboys album, Unbreakable (yeah, I am a BSB fanwhore)
3. High School Musical 2 Official Soundtrack (yeah, you read it right...and I'm not being sarcastic)
4. Kami nAPO Muna Uli, 'yung may kasamang original APO recording
5. The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
6. A Night Without Armor by Jewel
7. The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler
8. Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk
9. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
10. The Lost Diary of Don Juan by Douglas Carlton Abrams (gusto ko 'yung ganito ang cover)
11. A pink DS Lite (anyone who'd actually consider giving me this is either filthy rich - at wala akong kilalang ganun - or plain crazy...and I honestly, I'd think it's the latter)
12. a nice backpack

Feeling:
All ears: Sayang Claire dela Fuente (contestant kasi siya sa Wowowee at nagmo-monitor ako nung show)
Lost in: Still Life With Woodpecker Tom Robbins and The Phantom of the Opera Gaston Leroux

I swear it's not the curly hair...

2007-10-27T00:03:00.000+08:00

...pictures of which I have yet to post. I'm so loving my hair now. Haha! I'm never going straight. Uh, I was referring to my hair, kk?

Anyhoo, contrary to what Annabs and Macy believe, the earlier crankiness was not (I repeat, not) about the curly hair. It was just a combination of the kainitan, the kangaragan, and all the singing of "Iyugyog mo, iyugyog mo" and "Sayaw darling, sayaw darling". But after a well-deserved cheap ice cream from Mini Stop, I was okay.

But I just hope this episode never gets to repeat itself. *cross fingers*

* * * *

And yeah, I had coffee with Ivy this evening (uhm, Friday evening? Because it's already Saturday...). Oliver was supposed to be with us but . Good friends that Ivy and I were, we let him do his thang ehem, Olai, you owe us...haha!).

Well, when Ivy told me last Thursday na kailangan namin sulitin ang pagkikitang ito (last we saw each other was in January), eh dinibdib ko 'yun. And we stayed in Gloria Jean's Valero from 8:30 pm to 1:30 am. [Side note: I've officially become a coffee person. For the first time in my life ay nagpa-extra shot ako sa aking coffee. Impluwensiya 'to ni Jex.] I really missed Ivy. And I'm looking forward to seeing her again this Tuesday. I always feel like time passes by sooo fast when I'm with her. At lahat halos ng bagay napagkakasunduan namin. I'm so happy that everything's turning out really great for her. And for me, kahit na mawawalan na ako ng main source of income soon. Hehe!

* * * *

I missed blogging! Whew.

Karen cranky. >_<

2007-10-26T11:33:00.000+08:00

Don't ask.

I woke up late today and decided I'm not coming to work. But then my pride told me that even with my contract ending soon (as in nine days soon) and not getting renewed (or so we assumed, but Miss Shiela said this is not the case - oh well, whatever...), it still is not a good thing to not be going to work. After all, I'm still employed. And just what will everyone think when, a day after being given a memo, I won't be coming in. Plus, Rhen did tell me that she won't be able to go to work. So, Karen, despite being late, dragged herself to work.

Nung una ay nahihiya pa ako dahil sabi nila manong guard sa TAPE, "Oh, late ka na naman." But the hiya soon shifted to ngarag when Miss Rolet (who mans the front desk) said, "Karen, bakit ikaw lang? Wala pang dumadating sa inyo." And the ngarag soon dived into crankiness bordering on bitchiness when, unexpectedly finding myself as the only person in the office, I had to monitor two shows by my lonesome. That also meant I have to do two reports at the end of the day. Believe me, watching two television sets AT THE SAME TIME gives one person massive headaches. I even almost snapped at a caller...

Grr.

*Karen, breathe. Deep*

I have to treat myself to ice cream.

Dumbledore is gay?!?!

2007-10-20T09:40:00.000+08:00

Oh yes. He is. It actually came from J.K. Rowling herself.

I can't say I'm disillusioned. But I was surely surprised. Honestly, I didn't see that one coming.

Since Rowling says that Dumbledore's 'great tragedy' was his love, could it be possible that he found himself not just loving but being in love with Harry? Hmmn...

Anyways, read the whole article here.

Rang Wo Ai Ni

2007-01-11T22:50:00.000+08:00

歌曲：让我爱你
歌手：周渝民&徐熙媛(大s) 专辑：MARS战神电视原声带

大s:没有起伏的情绪因为你出现后划破平静
震撼我已紧封闭的心冰山河雪在融解
仔:回到初次的相遇风在吹一个人独自美丽
灰的天空为何没有表情你的心相遇
大s:就让我爱你没有了自己
仔:残破的光影黑暗中深深吸引
仔:绝对地就算生命所剩无几
合唱:只要拥抱瞬间的默契
大s:就让我爱你证明有奇迹
仔:再狂野的心灵魂的深处有你
我愿意放弃世界微笑而去
合唱:幸福和缘却在一起
大s:过去总是挥不去
仔:再坚强记忆仍像恶梦不醒
大s:我的泪水淌过你的天空
仔:雨下不停心好痛
风像画笔看着我
你的容颜尽在风的前头
大s:我的心划出第一次的彩虹
合唱:因为你我相信
合唱:下一个世纪让我爱你……

Happy and Sad and Happy again

2006-12-16T00:39:00.000+08:00

Dinner and coffee with friends

Went out with a couple of really good friends last night. And it was fun. And I honestly didn't think it would be fun - not because the people I met were not fun people but because at the time we were meeting, I came from a 16-hour shift and was really, really sleepy.

Anyways, back to the story. I met Pima and Dex at Cafe Ten Titas (Gateway) at around 8:30 p.m. (okay, maybe 8:45 - stupid Karen got lost). Then we talked. At around 10 o.m., when Cafe Ten Titas started to close for the day, we trooped to Starbucks. And talked some more. We said adieu at 11:30/12. Three and a half hours of catching up with what's going on with friends I haven't seen in quite awhile. The stories were not always happy (Pima, huggles!), but the company always was.

Here's to another night out soon, Pims and Dex! =)

====

Of a botched attempt at breaking the cycle?

I really don't know what to say. Or how to say it. All I know is that - as my instant messenger says - my mind is a hazy mess.

Fuck.

====

On to happy things

I so love this game!!! Watch and you'll understand why:

Feeling:
All ears: Damaged Plumb
Lost in: Stainless Longganisa Bob Ong

Let's load up on Happy Meals

2006-12-14T03:01:00.000+08:00

Here's Karen's latest obsession:

Aren't they oh-so-cute?

I feel cheated though. Manufactured by Ty Inc., these teenie beanie babies/bears were free with McDonald's Happy Meals during the fastfood chain's 25th Anniversary..which was way back in 2004! And there were 12 teenie beanie babies back then: Birdie the Bear, Golden Arches the Bear, Ronald McDonald the Bear, Hamburglar the Bear, Happy Birthday the Bear (originally Happy Meal 25th Bear or Happy Meal 10th Bear for Canada), Fries the Bear, Grimace the Bear, Burger the Bear, McNuggets the Bear, Shake the Bear, Happy Meal the Bear, and Big Red Shoe the Bear - our Happy Meal is missing the last five on the list. Andaya!

Anyways, happy pa din. At least we get Grimace. He's just so cute. And so is his beanie bear version Tee-hee! ^__^

Feeling: giddy
All ears: If I Fell The Beatles
Lost in: Stainless Longganisa Bob Ong

. . . . . . . .

2006-12-12T21:06:00.000+08:00

This is not normal PMS behavior. Mood swings are crazier than usual.

Just now, I'm feeling so melancholic, I wanna dive into the seaa, never to return again. And no, this is not because nangangarap akong maging sirena; but because I just wanna be enveloped by water...forever. But just 30 minutes ago, I was so giddy and it seemed like there was this stupid smile already plastered on my face.

Eventhough I don't really wanna admit it, I think I know where this abnormal PMS-ing comes from. But I don't wanna talk about it.

Sigh.

I badly need a walk in Sunken Garden...

Feeling: oober sad
All ears: Damaged Plumb
Lost in: Twisted II Jessica Zafra

Hailie's simple joys

2006-12-08T01:43:00.000+08:00

15. Free WWE slam cards from 7-11
14. Rayman's rabbids and Loco Rocos
13. Stabilo's point 88 pink and Staedtler's fine-liner blue
12. The sight of Hello Kitty and Won Bin and Kim Rae Won
11. Eating the last okra in nanay's sinigang
10. Cute post-its
09. A text message at the wee hours of the morning when I'm already almost dozing off in front of the PC
08. Super pop-py songs
07. Chocolates (special mention: KitKat White)
06. Swiss Miss
05. His hand resting on my back
04. teddy bears
03. Cheez Whiz
02. Bart Burger with cheese
01. His hand resting on my knee

Tula

2006-12-04T23:50:00.000+08:00

Sa dinami-dami ng tulang naisulat ni Prof. Reuel Molina Aguila, hindi ko alam kung saan ito naoulot ng kaibigan kong si Sophia. Saan man siya nagmula, gusto ko siya...

Kasi.

Basta.

May mga dahilan ang bawat bagay sa mundo, 'di umano.
Gaya ng pagsilang at pagkaagnas ng buwan.
Ngunit may mga mapagkait sa paliwanag, tulad ng pag-ibig.
At ang luha sa aking mga mata sa aking paghihintay
Tuluyang nalunod ang buwan sa sariling luha.
Ngunit hihintayin pa rin kita sa gilid ng buwan.
-Prof. Reuel Molina Aguila

Feeling: wishful
All ears: June Up Dharma Down
Lost in: The Art of Seduction Robert Greene

Samu't-saring pagmumuni

2006-12-03T20:44:00.000+08:00

Sunken Garden

The other day, I was greeted by "n" number of miscalls ("n" standing for SUPER DAMI) and two dramatic SMS that went "Karen, kailangan ko ng kausap. Puwede ba kita i-meet today" and "Busy ka yata. Salamat na lang" from a college friend . When I finally got to answer her call(ssssssss), the poor girl was crying - the first time I actually heard her cry. And although I was coming from a 15-hour duty and had to return to work in nine hours' time, I said yes to meeting her. And then we trooped to our little piece of heaven on earth, Sunken Garden.

We never really talked about why we're even meeting up. She never did go into details as to why she was in tears when she called. We just made happy kuwentos. While sitting in the oh-so-comfy grass of Sunken. Surrounded by people making out. And practicing soccer. And making music. And teaching catechisms. And just basking in the peace that Sunken brings. Like us.

I always love the effect that Sunken has on me (and my friend, and apparently other people as well), especially when I stay there during the afternoons when students are just about ready to go home, the soccer team's practicing, and the sun is setting. I can't describe just how lovely the feeling is...it just is.

Sigh.

I love Sunken. ^__^

====

Spectacular Siren meets Demonic Rake

When a spectacular siren meets a demonic rake, what happens?

I'd like to think that the siren - being the "most ancient seductress of all" - will take over the rake. After all, women - if they're deceitful enough - can never be overpowered by men (or so says Marguerite of Navarre).

But then again, since not all woman "can maintain the image of being devoted to pleasure completely comfortably" even sirens will try to "distance herself from [the image]" and pine for "attention that is not sexual". But not all guys will understand this. In fact, guys, once entranced by the siren, will most likely keep showering her with 'sexual attention'.

Now if a demonic rake can speak intertesting words, "alliterative phrases, charming locutions, poetic images, and a way of offering praise that could melt a woman's heart", does this mean he can also flatter a spectacular siren and shower her with the right words that will make her believe that there's this one guy who actually looks at her beyond the image of sexuality she projects? After all, a demonic rake "know[s] each woman's weakness". And if that is true, then he can see through a siren and know what she wants - serious, non-sexual attention.

But.

A demonic rake always drops words that are "suggestive, hinting at sex or romance". So is he even capable of showering the serious attention that the spectacular siren wants?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Yet there's this one spectacular siren who actually wishes the answer could be "yes" all because of one demonic rake.

Except on days when the siren in her is just so strong she wants to dominate the rake. And sometimes she's given the impression that she successfully has.

And then...

There will be this one moment - just one seemingly unimportant moment - and the seducer turns into the seduced into the seducer into the...

And the cycle goes on and on.

All because a spectacular siren met a demonic rake.

Fuck.

====

What's in a name?

Because of site fuck-ups (when did we NOT have site fuck-ups?!?!) or because of the effect of watching too many "break dance / street dance showdowns" over at YouTube, officemate Max spent some time at UrbanDictionary and looked up meanings of our names. And only two showed up for Karen:

(1)

Karen is the perfect woman. She has no flaw. She's funny, sweet, smart as hell, and above all, she is extremely gorgeous. She doesn't let anyone push her around and she has a great personality. She has some awesome goals set and always wins my heart. Has great taste in guys. Don't listen to what the other jack-off put. Everybody loves Karen.

If you were to look up the word "amazing" in the dictionary, there would be a picture of Karen.

(2)

The person in the group of friends that you constantly make fun of when they aren't around. Derived from Dane Cook's comedy album Retaliation.

I'm not so sure about the first definition...pero hindi din ako aangal. Tee-hee! And the second definition's just so mean...and eventhough I don't wanna be associated with it, apparently, I already am. So there...

And here's another thing Max saw and it's really....interesting. And I don't know if I wanna laugh at the absurdity of it or if I wanna cry at being identified with such definitions...

karenmonger

(1)

A person with an insatiable appetite for sexual activity who through an act of grandeur, or as the result of copious intoxication, refers to all sexual partners as 'Karen'.

(2)

A person who preferentially seeks sexual relations with women named Karen.

And of course I looked up my alter-ego:

Hailie

Eminem's little angel, his greatest gift in life

...plus countless more definitions all referring to Hailie/Hailie Jade as Eminem's daughter. And funny enough, I really lifted the name Hailie from the white rapper's daughter's name (yeah, I used to lust over the guy and, uh, nothing).

Oh yeah, this has nothing to do with my name but I decided to post it as well, just to piss off my friend Jex (tee-hee!):

Jex

(1)

The kind of dancing one does when deeply inebriated, e.g.: swaying, staggering, stepping on toes, and the tendency to perform inappropriate hula dances.

(2)

Masturbation. To "jerk-off."

And since I have been talking about Max, *ehem*, here's how he is defined:

(1)

Short for "Maximilian", a russian name meaning "Large Penis."

(2)

+ hung (as in max hung): used to describe the condition one is in after a severe evening engaging in consuming many alcoholic beverages

And a definition of Cuteness' name (guess what his name is...it starts with "R"...):

A man who possesses a penis of nine inches or longer

*ehem*

Feeling: oober kilig
All ears: Toxic Britneyt Spears
Lost in: The Art of Seduction Robert Greene

Of Rs (and an H)

2006-11-26T21:10:00.000+08:00

From the previous entry: "My thoughts revolve around three Rs right now."

...and it's down to two.

Or not.

Or...I'm not really sure.

...

...

...

* * * R1 * * *

The first of the Rs - the one who was supposed to be eliminated from the list.

I don't really know if I wanted to write about you. Or how kilig I get (or got; or whatever) whenever I'm around you. Or whenever you send me a "you look like a Playboy bunny" text of sorts. Or...stop. Stop. Stop.

That day you sent me an offline message asking me if it was my off, I didn't close that window until the end of shift. Yeah, pathetic. But can you blame me? Every inch of my body was awashed with kilig.

Was.

Because the morning I saw you next, I felt, bleh. And there was a part of me that wished - and knew - it will stay that way.

And I was wrong.

Dead wrong.

And then there was this day - I can't remember when exactly - where I looked at you and all I could notice was how red your lips were. And how long your fingers are. And how effin' hot you are when you're just sarcastic. And I said to myself, " God, he *is* fuckable."

Fuckable. Yeah. That's how I used to call you.

I mean, that's how I call you. Without the "used to".

Or...

I dunno.

I'm confused.

Or just plain fickle-minded.

But this I'm sure of: I loved it that you found the site of my "black brasserie's right cup" an "intriguing distraction"...

* * * R2 * * *

Probably the biggest crush I have at the office right now.

One.hot.guy. (At least that's what I think. Gay friend Mhac *ehem* thought otherwise...until this morning, that is, when Mhac saw R2 upclose and all he could mutter was "Who was that? Me like him...")

R2 is the star of Hailie's "push pin" daydreams (yes, you read that right - DAYdream). In short, I wanna be dominated by him.

Yet when we face each other outside of my dreams, the interaction becomes so...highschool-ish. Or even gradeschool-ish. Yet somehow, I'm loving it. This sense of innocence only heightens the air of sexiness his presence brings.

And the next time he threatens to throw his bag at me, I know I'll be retorting with another smart comment. But deep inside, I'll be saying, "Ooh...yummy."

(And BTW...R2 looks like the guy in upcoming ABS-CBN Kdrama Princess Hours. Yummy, indeed.)

* * * R3 * * *

Cuteness.

That's how I call him. And I don't know when or how or - my god - WHY...but I just fell for him.

All I know is that when I'm around him, I feel so happy. And safe. And myself.

And I haven't felt that way in a long time.

But I now know that it's so hard to hope. So eventhough I'm so aching to take things a step further, chillax lang muna. Besides, kahit na masakit aminin (at ayoko aminin), alam kong ako lang may gustong i-take siya sa next level...

Why do R3 - and the things happening - remind me oh so much of Hallel?

* * * ...and the H * * *

Speaking of Hallel...

There...I said (or wrote?) his name. The ever-elusive "Charles".

I really, really, really have to have that closure. He gave me that opportunity. And just when it was about to happen, he took it away...AGAIN. And that was the second time.

Fuck.

When will I ever learn?!?!

Tanga nga ako.

Tanga.

Sana naman I've learned enough to let go.

To move on.

Shit...I really need to move on.

But I have this feeling it's gonna take another seven months.

Or more.

Pathetic.

And I've officially turned yuckers with all these mush. Sadly, wala akong pang-kambyo. Talagang I need to end this entry in mush.

Happily, meron akong pang-kambyo...

* * * Seven songs * * *

Tagged by Tonton...

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your LiveJournal/blog along with your seven songs.

Jealous by Nina (ayan ka, mush pa din pala)
Promiscuous by Nelly Furtado
Start of Something New by Zac Efron and Vanessa Anne Hudgens
What I've Been Looking For by Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel
Mata by Mojofly
Who The Hell Are You by Madison Avenue
Variation on Canon by Pachelbel (the My Sassy Girl version)
*alam ko seven lang...pero last na...promise - tee-hee!* Erase and Rewind by The Cardigans (kasalanan mo 'to Mabie!!!)

Feeling: Confused (yet again)

All ears: Jealous Nina
Lost in: Ladies' Own Erotica Kensington Ladies' Erotica Society and The Art of Seduction Robert Greene

Another set of one-liners?

2006-10-30T04:10:00.001+08:00

Because I haven't been articulate recently, I cannot write beautiful paragraphs describing what's been happening and how I've been feeling these past few weeks. So for now, I'll dish out another serving of one liners. Well, not as "one liner"-ish as the last post, but...you get my drift...I hope...

* I don't know why, but I feel so detached from you right now. But I honestly hope you'll be okay. Honest. Sometime, someday, we'll have that bond again, the one we had before things got...ugly. And before you started to lean on me at a time when I wasn't ready yet. When I still wanted to have fun. To be a college girl without much worries but her thesis.

* I wish you could look at me beyond the bread that I put in the table.

* Mailap pa din si closure. And I've been wanting to compose this open letter that I really, really wish could reach you. Blame it on katamaran, kapaguran, or the ever-corny "hindi pa ako ready" excuse, but here I am, still unable to pen the closure letter. Maybe next week. Next month. Next year. For now, I leave you with this song: Mata by Mojofly.

* My thoughts revolve around three Rs right now.

* It was nice, trying to break the cycle. And in some ways, I can say that I have successfully done so. Well, not as successfully as I want to - I still get kilig when I'm around the fuckable officemate (who said - or rather implied - that he has a girlfriend) and I still can't help but crush on the very much married Jofer - but the fact that I have stopped quote-unquote-falling for the attached guys and that I'm already seeing the advantage of actually quote-unquote-falling for the unattached ones is actually a good starting point. Mas masaya. Pero *ehem* old habits are hard to die. Sabihin na natin mas exciting pa din kapag ang isang tao ay hindi masyadong available. Challenge, eh. Pero *ehem uli*, one has to stop heeding to the challenge...

* Speaking of "Mas masaya"-ng unattached guys. Or guy. "Disguised" in the name of Cuteness. I love seeing him. Being around him. I don't know if you can say I'm actually falling but I think I'm getting there. Which scares me. And excites me. And I don't know. I just know that everytime I think about him, that I'm around him, I'm happy. And safe. And yuck, mushy. So I'll stop now, before I spit more mush.

* And he's been sweeter and nicer recently. I just have to be eternally prepared for those curve balls he still throws once in awhile... But let me just say that I loved how he laughed awhile ago. Dangerous.

* Okay, I've been camping out in geekland recently and I haven't been watching too much media (and by media I mean non-videogame related) and I have missed out on a lot of good stuff. Take High School Musical, for example. Been seeing this on Disney Channel for quite some time now and I read about Mika's and Ros' entries about this latest Disney Original and I know Zac Efron is love (ain't he?) but I just haven't found the time to actually sit down and watch the movie. And now I finally have. And it's just...love. Sigh. How fun it is to be a high schooler.

* I have to make another trip to Quiapo. I just have to buy It Started With A Kiss. Joe Cheng is heaven! ^__^

* I never thought wanting to help was gonna be interpreted in a wrong way. It's - I can't put a word on it, so for now I'll use depressing - depressing when people don't appreciate the help you're offering. I could put all expletives in here to express my disgust, frustration, and utter disbelief - but they will all be senseless. So, for now, I'll just lie low and mind my own business.

* I would have expected this from my friends, but not my family...

* Whoever said that birthdays are just for kids? Don't adults sometimes wish they could be the focus of their own fuckin' birthday? And I'm not talking about cakes and balloons and ice cream and the works. Just the attention. A simple, "Happy Birthday, Karen" would have sufficed. But no. Everybody went on talking about their own lives that until 7 p.m. when I said goodbye to go to work, the only people who greeted me were the little ones aged 6, 7, and 9.

* Did they even ask me if I wanted to go videoke?

* I want chocolates. And Japanese food. And a new stuffed bear.

* I just want my birthday to be happy. Not fun. Happy. Genuinely happy. I don't think it will happen, though. =(

Feeling: Confused

All ears: Mata Mojofly
Lost: Eleven Minutes Paulo Coehlo