alchemist2

Updates

2010-02-14T18:26:00.000+08:00

On our 1.1, we finally checked off items on our checklist.

We might have started out a bit late today (the day's schedule was off by an hour), but we were able to book our photographer and make up artist. hahaha... even if it meant that we have to be in two locations today.

Good thing too, cause we were able to met our caterer. Buti na lang pumunta kami sa SMX. hahaha.

We were able to do all these, plus have a nice dinner at our fave place and watch a movie.

the challenge

2010-02-02T19:07:00.000+08:00

Challenge for the year: Lose 10 lbs by September, 2010.

Partner: Jon

Road Map to goal: treadmill 3x a week...45 to one hour a day.

The distraction: FOOD!

Will I make it?

Finally... We've Decided

2010-01-25T18:12:00.001+08:00

This is it... please block off the day.

September 19, 2010. The Loft at Manansala.

needs vs wants

2010-01-23T19:52:00.000+08:00

I need to save but i want to go shopping. I do need to set my priorities straight, but then again, i want to reward myself for all the hard work last year. hahaha

I know i do not need more shores, but i want to buy a couple of ballet flats and one pair of high heels. Best that i buy na lang something i can use for the big day... kaya lang di ko pa alam ang style ng gusto kong dress. bwahhaha... Shoe kaya muna bago dress?

I need to stay within the budget that jon and I have but i want to have nice pictures for the big day... mahal nga lang ang photos and videos. hayz.

I need to diet but i want to eat pizza and pasta and drink coke. bwahahaha. promise, cut down na talaga on fatty foods. I do need to lose weight kc ang bigat na ng katawan ko.

Stressing out

2010-01-23T01:28:00.002+08:00

It's 9 months to the wedding (we want an October date) and we still haven't book nor decided on a wedding venue and a date. Is it time to be stressed out?

New Year, New Shoes?

2010-01-17T12:49:00.000+08:00

This template is so me. :-) I love a great pair of shoes. hehehe

And now Martial Law

2009-12-05T07:56:00.000+08:00

Proclamation 1959 declares martial law in Maguinadao. Let's just hope that this will not trigger a repeat of 1972. :(

Only in the Philippines

2009-11-30T16:26:00.000+08:00

Only in the Philippines... where a massacre happens and the Government calls it an incident (between two warring clans). Hay naku, Malacanang is treating this with kids gloves. They did not even show signs of indignation. Tsk tsk.

Only in the Philippines... where a former president files COC for President and an incumbent President runs for Congress. Haven't they heard of delicadesa?

Only in the Philippines... where hard working individuals are taxed beyond belief and Politicians living beyond their salary range.

Only in the Philippines...where people smile inspite of hardships. Where christmas comes early. Where drinking starts way too early too. :-)

You are tagged!

2009-11-19T18:46:00.000+08:00

Laser Tagged that is.

Had fun tagging my officemates, my bosses and syempre si Usman. hahaha. First round, I was 6th out of 14. Determined to be on the top 4, i said yes to game number two and ended up being 2nd out of 12. Not bad.

2 games = 40 minutes of fun

Let's start planning

2009-11-17T19:05:00.000+08:00

I know its more than a year away, but let's start planning anyway. Time to put excel to good use. hahaha.

Here is the list of excel files I came up with:

Matrix of vendors, suppliers, venue and cost
Budget list ... must stick to the budget
Guest list

So far only the suppliers/vendors are being put to use. I still haven't tackled the budget nor the guest list...still having fun with formating the spreadsheets. bwahahaha

I should...

2009-11-17T18:30:00.000+08:00

I should...

...start blogging again. writing is one way to work those grey matters.

...start exercising (as if!)

...start planning for next year

Satisfied Customer

2009-08-15T07:33:00.000+08:00

I have always believed that when one is not satisfied with the service, he should always voice out his opinion. After all, how can a company or a restaurant improve? (actually, complainer lang ako. bwahahaha. I always have to get my money's worth)

A few days ago, i called Uniliver's customer service to complain about a defective product. They assured me that they will be replacing the product and will have the replacement delivered to my home at my convinient time.

Today, the company delivered the replacement product. Two thumbs up for them. See, it does not hurt to file or voice out a complaint. :)

it's summer

2009-02-28T14:17:00.000+08:00

It is now officially summer! Why?

Mainit na.

Nagkaka migraine na ako. :(

valentines day

2009-02-14T07:44:00.000+08:00

Instead of going to restuarants this valentines, why dont you try spending the day at home and have a home cooked meal? :)

Happy valentines day to all!

busy busy

2009-02-09T13:57:00.000+08:00

Been busy with work lately that i have no time to post a blog :(

Ay di nga lang pala work, may kasamang socials. :)

Anyways, i am trying to lose the 3kg i have gained in Dubai. Diet and exercise daw. hahaha.

High Risk = High Return?

2009-01-19T19:18:00.000+08:00

Life is too short to play it safe and not take risk. Sabi nga, you have not lived until you take some risk, to experience the excitement, the elation, one must learn to let go and take the fall.

This year, I have decided na I will take the risks. Sana this time, it is worth taking as i am giving it my all.

Confused, shocked, speechless

2009-01-19T19:05:00.000+08:00

I have been staring at a blank screen for a time now.

I have written sentences only to have erased them again. I mean, how would you start writing about a friend who is in critial condition?

I admit, i have been remissed in keeping in touch with her. Yes, we do text and send YMs once in a while, but sometimes things don't go out as planned. Life has a way of throwing us curved balls.

This post should have started with a disclaimer: Warning, the post you are about to read is was written under due stress... author has no thought consistency.

I have not checked my personal emails for the past two week, as i have been too caught up with work and the new developments on my personal life. (Things were supposed to be in the upswing... Hey, the year started out just right for me and my family; things at work looked good, our client seemed happy with the way things are going, I could not have asked for anything more.)

I don't usually open my laptop at home during weekdays as it is the last thing i would want to do after a long day at the office. But today, i just had to check my "personal" emails. I just had to.

The email came as a surprise...My dear friend Eileen is said to have taken a bad fall last Friday (the only details in the email said that she had a fall and hit her head) and is in critical condition. How I wish I could call her family and get more details on this. How I wish I am in Zamboanga right now. Kaso lang, wala eh...All i can do is pray for her recovery and wait for updates.

Supply and Demand in action

2009-01-19T18:01:00.000+08:00

My world was shaken last Thursday.

It started out pretty unremakable, just like any other day. As usual, I woke up a bit late, and as usual traffic in EDSA was really, really bad. Nothing remarkable really. Just another day in the office... reports to generate, meetings to go to, another ho-hum day.

The email came in around 9am. It was sent by top management and addressed to all. The subject - the company's redundancy program. The outcome - 500 "redundant" employees out of their jobs by the end of the day.

I never thought that it would come to this. Sure there were measures to address the growing numbers of resource on "bench", penny pinching was the name of the game. First to go were the iced teas and juices, next came the tissues, and the more subdued Chirstmas party. But in the end, the company could only do so much. In the end, it had to cut its losses.

It was an economic decision. A way for the company to survive. A classic case of supply and demand.

sira

2009-01-11T16:51:00.000+08:00

Sira ang laptop battery ko. It's no longer charging. How sad nman. :( bibili p kaya ako ng battery?

keeping up

2009-01-07T17:56:00.000+08:00

How can i keep up if...

I am tamad to open the computer on weekdays dahil pagod sa work.
I am busy with friends, family and "ehem"
I don't have anything interesting to say (chi, kitaun ku bang dii ku ibutang in updates, kung hindi, read the other blog na lang)
I am in one of my moods

I can keep up if...

I get home early from work and may time pa to update
Find time to update even if i am busy with socials
I bring the laptop on my travels
I find inspiration
There is something interesting in my personal and professional life

hello, good bye

2009-01-07T15:19:00.000+08:00

This is a late post.

While 2008 has been a turbulent time for the country and the world, it has been a milestone year for the family. (Don't we just love lists?)

The family grew larger in 2008. - The year started with Nageeb (my brother) and Marian's wedding in January. It was followed by the birth of Zaki (my sister Amina's baby) in July. Atchie's marriage to Al in December rounded up this remarkable year for the Family.

The first time in a long time that i got to visit and bond with all my first cousins (mother side). The last time we were complete was 10 years ago, though we might have been older and some are already married with kids, the bond between us cousins still stays. We are and will always be siblings. I miss brgy Shajah, the food trips, the bonding and the kids. I am looking forward to my next visit. Inshallah, attend another wedding soon?

I reached my goal of visiting a foreign country every year. Althought the Dubai trip was an unexpected event, it was one of the most fulfilling one. I am looking forward to more trips next year. Sana makapunta ako sa US, Canada and Singapore. hahaha

Although i was not promoted this year, I am happy with work. I might rant about it from time to time, but i love my work. My grey cells are constantly working. I love the work environment and i love the people i work with. My goal is to do good in what i am doing. I know that hard work and opportunity is what is takes to have that promotion.

back to work

2009-01-07T14:48:00.000+08:00

I arrived in Manila yesterday after a three week vacation (technically i only had a full two week vacation, the first week i had to do some work / reports). Although i my brain, mind and body is still on vacation mode, I had to force myself to get up work today. I was staring at my screen for several minutes and It took me a while for my mind to reboot and go back to work mode. Hahaha.

Kahit ganun, I was still in slow mo. It takes me a while to process stuff (especially work related). Good thing that I was allowed to work from home today. Tomorrow, it's back to the office for me. Hello traffic and waking up early. Good bye to sleeping till 9am and food trips.

I miss brgy sharjah.

My UAE experience (condensed edition)

2009-01-04T20:37:00.000+08:00

Since i arrived in the UAE three weeks ago, my family and I have been to several mall and each time i come home empty handed. :(

It is so frustrating to find the shoe you love but not in your size. hahaha. I am going home tomorrow, and all i can show is a couple of pairs.

Oh well, di naman shopping ang aim ko pumunta dito. I might be frustrated in looking for the perfect pair, I may be a few dollars poorer, a few pounds heavier but i am going home happy.

Happy to have bonded with my siblings, my cousins and my pamangkins. Happy to have bonded over food, malling and shopping. Sad nga lang kc tomorrow, its back to reality for me. :(

Happy new year

2009-01-02T20:38:00.000+08:00

Happy 2009.

Here's looking forward to a better year, a better life.

bondat

2008-12-30T21:18:00.000+08:00

At the rate I am going, bachoy na ako by the time darating ako sa Manila. hahaha

Since dumating ako dito sa Sharjah, wala kaming ginawa kung di kumain ng kumain ng kumain. Hahaha. Diet na lang ako after January 10.

Frustrating

2008-12-30T11:14:00.000+08:00

You know what's frustrating? Setting your mind to shoe shopping and having only one pair to show for it. hahaha

Frustrating is going into a shoe store, finding a pair you really, really love and then having the sales person telling you that they don't have it in your size. huhuhu. Nangyari n yun sa akin before. Nung nasa US ako, nahigh ako nung pumasok sa isang shoe warehouse store. only to realize that they only have a few pairs in my size, at ung mga d ko gusto pa. huhuhu. Hirap talaga if you love shoes and you have small feet like mine.

Oh well, siguro i just have to go back to the outlet store before i leave para makabili ako ng ibang pairs. After all, my goal for this trip to buy at three to four pairs of shoes. hahaha

What's on the agenda?

2008-12-29T14:37:00.000+08:00

It's 330pm, i just had lunch and i am super sleepy (hahaha babi si ako), but i have to write a post. Syempre ayaw kong matalo sa challenge. It's only the second day after all.

I really meant to write down my 2009 list, but i still can't. I have been staring at the screen for an hour but the most i can come up with is just one lousy paragraph. hay, ano ba ito, hirap naman pilitin ang sarili mag sulat. I wonder how the columnist does it. I mean they have to come up with an article on a regular basis. Do they have several articles drafted? Where do they get thier inspiration from? What is there to talk about aside from politics, love and rants?

Is there someone out there interested in your point of view? Will he be affected by something you wrote? What if, without you knowing it, you changed a person's view on life or love or on politics?

It is often said that journalist should write with an objective eye. But can it really be done? Or is the writing style clouded by his view on life, his prejudices? Can two different journalist give a diffrent spin on one story? Which story is the correct version of the facts? Whose agenda will be on the table?

an update?

2008-12-28T11:38:00.000+08:00

Wow, i can't believe he actually took up the challenge. He did update his blog and it's now my turn to update mine.

Hmmm kaso lang madaya un, may mga draft blogs na sya, so it's easier for him to post new updates. I, on the other hand, have to resort to inspiration or depen on my mood. But I guess, it is a good way to force myself to write things down. I kinda miss it.

I was going to post my annual "hello, good bye" piece. But i will save that for later kc naunahan na nya ako dun. What to write? hmmm, ano ginawa ko lately? ano nabasa ko? na realize ko? Wala akong maisip. This is harder than I thought it. hahaha.

So ano gawa ko today? Well aside from updating this blog, chatting with a friend, and reading the news on line, I am also watching an indian film. O diba, some kinda multi-tasking. hahaha kasya siguro ang short ng attention span ko.

Grabe nga eh, kung noon i could read a whole novel in one sitting. Now, i just cant. (well, unless it's a children's book or a business book). There are several half read books on my bedside table which i meant to finish but actually cant. hahaha. Na bore n ako halfway through the book. Hahaha bad annie. Siguro dapat gawin kong resolution is to actually finish reading one book a month, that would eventually be one book a week. hahaha.

2009 is shaping out to be a year of sheer will power. A goal to update the blog. A goal to actually finish reading one book a month. Ano pa kaya ang magandang goal? To look at the present and future more than holding on to the past?

Proof

2008-12-27T19:58:00.000+08:00

If this is a contest, my friend would win hands down. He has started his blog a few days ago and is updating it frequently. Ako? well, i haven't updated my on line journal in a while. tsk tsk. Well, competition is a good motivation. hahaha.

I am now motivated to update this blog. For every blog that he updates, i need to update my blog too. How's that for competition.

This entry is proof enough. Although this is not an update on my life, it is in a way an update on my thoughts. :)

Ayan ha, may update na ako sa blog ko. More updates to come.

work + vacation

2008-12-17T07:36:00.000+08:00

work + vacation is like oil and water. Dapat di talaga pinag sasama!

Moving to a new nest

2008-09-06T17:07:00.001+08:00

In a month or two, i will be moving to a new nest. :) I have been looking forward to this move since January and hopefully, I will be spending my remaining "ber" months in the new dig.

What does this mean to me? I can decorate my own pad. Buy my own stuff. Be closer to the office. But what it really means - GOOD BYE MRT RIDES! yahoo! Good bye rude passengers and hot, stuffy coaches. Good bye traffic. HELLO being home 5 minutes after I leave the office.

Hermit mode

2008-09-05T19:36:00.000+08:00

I have been staring at the screen for a while, not knowing what to write nor how to start. I know i have lots of things to unload, lots of stuff to do, things to reflect on, but somehow, i cant get my thoughts onto paper (or in this case, cyberspace).

Rebaselined goals part 2

2008-08-25T19:36:00.000+08:00

I decided to rebaseline my 2008 goals for 2 reasons:

One, I want to have clarity on what i really want, really need and how to get them
Two, give myself enough time to achieve them

There really is no use to cry over things that went wrong, or what we have time. It's time to move on, learn from them and pray that things will work out for the better. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger right?

It's time to start counting the blessings that came and letting go of the negative... So what do i have to be thankful for?

My Family
I am thankful for having such a loving and supportive family. They thought me the concept of sharing (try sharing stuff with 5 other siblings and 5 cousins), how to decide on our own, how to be responsible for our decisions and most of all, they thought me about life. I saw love (romantic love, love for family and love for community) through the eyes of my parents. I pray that as i get older, I can achieve even half of what they have achieved. We might not always see eye to eye on things, but in the end we are always there for each other.

My Friends
They say that you never meet anyone by chance, there is always a reason for them to be in your life. I am very thankful that in this journey called life, i found these people: My elementary / HS friends, my college friends (trumba, kailan tayo magkukumpleto? Miss ko na ang sunday brunch natin!), my MBA friends and those i met at work and through friends. These are my true friends, friends who have been with me through thick and thin. They know me inside out (hey, they may even know some secrets my family dont know). Salamat sa inyong walang sawang pag tiatyaga sa aking kalokohan, sa aking moodyness at sa walang kamatayang appetite for food.

My Company
I am thankful for having such a wonderful company to work with. Although i might rant about the stress and workload i have, I still find it fullfilling to work there. My grey matters are working and I get to work with great individuals. My next goal here: take some trainings to expand my technical and leadership skills, learn to be more patient with people I work with and have that work - life balance. Promotion by end of the fiscal year will be achievable since i intend to talk to my mentor as often as i can, clarify what is needed and of course, exceeding expectations. Goal setting is crucial, that and being open to changes and being "visible" to people that matters.

Life, Love and Career
Other things that i am thankful for:

Good health - I may not be the healthiest or the most athletic person there is, but i am thankful that i did not have 1 sick day this year. Health bonus here i come!
Travel - athough i only go to travel to Hong Kong this year, at least i was able to take some time off to be with friends. Hopefully, I will be able to visit LA, Las Vegas, Chicago, Sydney, Paris, London, and Singapore soon. Dapat at least one travel a year ha! (have to get that travel savings starting)
Meeting new people - I am thankful that i have met some new and interesting people lately. It have been a while since i had intelligent conversation with someone and i am really thankful that last week, i got to talk to one witty person. I am looking forward to having more meaningful conversations with him.
Having a roof under my head - although i am having problems with the condo, i am still thankful that we still have means to pay for it. I am looking forward to moving in and decorating my own pad before the end of the year (that and not having to take the MRT in going home).
Keeping my goal of having x amount in my eggnest - For months to go, and hopefully i will still have enough time to achieve my goal amount. Hey i might not have millions, but i know that i will have it in a couple of years.

Now what i really need is to have that plus one in glenda and bong's wedding on July 4, 2009. Sabi nga ng fairygod mother sa Cinderella, "Impossible things happen everyday", Who knows, maybe, just maybe i might still have that whirlwind romance before the end of the year (o walang cocontra ha!).

Tired

2008-08-22T18:13:00.000+08:00

While a four day work week gives you time to recharge or take an extended holiday / trip out of town, it will also give you four busy work days.

I am drowning in all the reports i have to generate for the week, plus report for the month, but i also have to come up with a better reporting tool for metrics, learn some additional skills in excel all by my lonesome and attend meetings. Hay kapuy! Kulang ang mga araw.

Dont get me wrong, i would rather be busy than twiddle my thumbs all day. Hahaha. At least my grey cells are working.

Work is not the problem, it's getting to and from work that is! Umaga pa lang maaasar ka na sa kakahintay ng FX at traffic sa EDSA. :( Mafrufrustrate ka lang sa walang disiplinang drivers (especially bus drivers) at commuters.

Sa gabi naman, sobrang daming tao sa MRT. Hay, mga bastos pa ang mga commuters. Now if they make the train intervals a little closer (say 3 minutes), d siguro dadami ang tao sa platform. Ang solution siguro, add more trains, and closer arrival intervals.

Hay Kapuy!

----------------------------------

I am also tired of waiting.

Tired of waiting for the ball to drop - waiting for that one call or email or ym or even that one encounter

Tired of waiting for other people to make their move.

Tired of promises that people dont keep.

Tired of doing the same thing over and over again.

Tired of trying to live up to expectations

Basta tired na. What i want now is a new phase - a new person, or thing or something that will shake my world. Ilang months na lang at 2009 na. Dapat may mangyaring maganda soon!

Rebased goals

2008-08-15T17:55:00.000+08:00

It's already August and still only met about 20% of my 2008 goals. I guess it is time to rebaseline this year's goals. bwhahaha. Para di naman mamula ang aking targets or ang aking "life project plan".

land far far away

2008-08-14T18:00:00.000+08:00

i sometimes wish that i am in a land far far away.

yung bang somewhere that you don't know anyone and no one knows you. Malayo sa lahat pero di naman sa isang isolated island. Di ko feel mag survivor, pero feel kong mag temptation island. hahahaa.

What i really want is to have some time for myself, a place to think, a place to be myself without the constrants of who ever or what ever, a place to find who i can really be. Minsan kc feel ko nasasakal na ako, and i just want my own personal space. Pero parang mahirap maintindian ng iba.

Tama nga ang isang friend ko, sometimes you need to get out to find yourself...I do hope i get to have that opportunity soon. I really, really miss the last 3 months of 2007. Those were happy times.

Boring

2008-08-05T19:00:00.000+08:00

All work and no play makes my life BORING!

time to take some action and party or better yet, plan another vacation. :) now if only i have the money to go to that one place i want to return to. Hay, miss ko na sobra yun, I could actually relocate and live there.

embracing my curls

2008-07-03T17:36:00.000+08:00

I had my hair cut last sunday and now embracing my curls. :) Time for a new look. Next up, hair color

firefox v3

2008-06-20T20:23:00.000+08:00

I just downloaded the newest version of mozilla firefox and i love it! Ang bilis mag load ng mga pages at pwede mo pang icustomize. :)

back to work

2008-06-19T19:34:00.000+08:00

It's back to work for me. Bitin nga ang bakasyon, para bang i need a vacation to get over this vacation. hahaha

Actually, i was not really off work while i was in HK. I was still checking my emails, doing reports till the wee hours of the morning but i was able to balance vacationing and work. :) Spent 1 whole day in Disney with friends and had bonding moments too. Not bad for a 5 day working vacation. :)

dole out society?

2008-06-03T16:54:00.000+08:00

I read today that GMA has a new initiative called "Ahon Pamilyang Pilipino". It aims to give the "poorest of the poor" a subsidy of 500php per month. In addition to this, the government will also give 300php per child, for a maximum of 3 children per family. So in a family of 5, each will recieve a total of 1,400php a month.

Government will be giving this to 300,000 families in 20 of the poorest provinces in the country. You do the math..1,400 x 300,000 x 20 x 12 months. How much will it cost the government? Where will they get the money to finance this? syempre from taxes... taxes that we pay!

Dont get me wrong, pero hello, if you really want to help the poor, di ba you should give them livelihood? Eh eto, they are given 1,400.00 per month, simply because... hay, and tell, me, kung bibigayan mo ba sila ng pera, would this encourage them to work or look for work or just depend on government to help them?

Pilipinas kong mahal?

2008-05-30T20:23:00.000+08:00

Have you seen the posters and tarpulins with the slogan "Pilipinas kong mahal"? That poster raises a lot of questions, namely:

How do you show respect for the Philippine flag?

Tama bang mag lagay ng poster ng flag na malapit na sa floor? If the flag is in the form of a poster, ok lang bang ilagay ito sa floor? Pwede ba itong gawing pamaypay?

Do you really love the country or are you willing to give up your citizenship?

Mahal mo nga ba ang Pilipinas or Mahal manatili sa Pinas?

Mahal mo ba ang Pilipinas dahil ito ang bansa mo or Mahal mo sya dahil marami kang makukurarot?

Do we have a sense of country? Tama bang i move ang independence day celebration to the Monday nearest it (like this year, instead na sa June 12 ang holiday, magiging June 9)?

long delayed

2008-05-24T06:42:00.000+08:00

I needed to do this... hit the delete botton and erase everything that is in the past. It should have been long buried. Dead.

My clothes are shrinking! (aka I am getting fatter)

2008-05-23T19:09:00.000+08:00

I can feel it. I am getting fatter every day. My pants are getting "smaller". My clothes are "shrinking". My left thigh is constantly saying hello to my right thigh. And i blame it all on my project and project mates. Bwhahaha

For the past weeks, wala n yata kaming ginagawa kung di kumain ng kumain. Nung una ay "kotong" kami ng "kotong" (i.e. forced donations) sa mga TLs (hmmm di naman ako police or politician in my former life. bwhaahaha) para may merienda ang team. Ngayon ay may common fund na kami for our bi-monthly pig out. Ang problema dito, instead of bi-monthly, nagiging weekly na or even daily ang mga merienda.

Just this week, may pizza, burger, tuna and egg sandwich. Tapos for breakfast, ayun, palaging Mcdo. Hay, samahan pa ng coke at chips. tsk tsk. Sa bedroom ko, ang nasa bedside table ko aside from the laptop and books are chocochip cookies and LOTS of dark chocolate bars. bwahahaha. Di kaya mag rereklamo ang mga doctor at nutritionist sa akin?

Pano ang sarap kumain. mas masarap kung nasasabayan ng ice cold coke, tapos for dessert, yum yum kung cake or ice cream or better yet, a piece of rich dark chocolate bar. bwahahaha

Pero since lumiliit na nga ang mga damit ko, at ayaw kong bumili muna ng bagong outfit, cge na nga, try ko to eat less... or better yet, eat healthy and sensibly na nga. Hay, i wonder how this would last. knowing me, siguro 1 day lang. I can hear the chocolates calling my name.

Mr. Big, where are you?

2008-05-21T16:30:00.000+08:00

If you are avid fans of "Sex and the City", you would surely know who Mr. Big is. Feeling ko nga, may Mr. Big din sa buhay ko. Ang tanong will my story be like Carrie and Mr. Big or will it take a different ending?

I am looking forward to watching the Sex and the City movie. Matutuloy kaya ang wedding ni Carrie at ni Mr. Big? Musta na kaya si Sam, Charlotte at Miranda? Did they get their happily ever after?

Hmmm, is there really a happily ever after or are we just hoping for one? Is it really achievable or like the holy grail, just a legend, something we all aspire for? Basta ako, ang alam ko, hinihintay ko pa rin si Mr. Big. Sana magparamdam na sya.

I miss...

2008-05-20T17:27:00.000+08:00

...SHOPPING!

I miss buying new clothes, I especially miss buying new shoes. It has been 5 months since i last bought a pair of shoes. That's 5 months which would equal to 5 pairs. I am still sticking with my NO SHOPPING TILL JUNE RULE. A few more days, then I am off to Hong Kong for vacation and a "little" shopping. hehehe. Syempre, priority ko ang shopping for my new nest next month.

...GOING PLACES

For the past few months, all i do is go from point A to point B (aka bahay - office). I am looking forward to my Hong Kong trip this June. It will be my birthday gift to myself din. Dapat nga mas malayo ang pupuntahan ko this year, kaso wala akong maaya to go to Canada and the US, plus ung gusto kong pumunta dun towards the end of the year, pero may mas important na darating sa Pinas. Syempre I will postpone my trip to be with my siblings. :) Miss ko na sila!

...MY SIBLINGS

I miss my siblings especially my baby sister and bully atchie. I am looking forward to their homecoming (kasama pa ang fave cuz ko) kaya dapat nakaplan na ang mga gimmik at food trips sa kanilang pag dating... Naka line up na ang Tempura, Cyma, Clawdaddy, Zong, Mr. Kebab at kung ano ano pa. Ang tanong, san ko kukunin ang budget for the food trip? hahaha. Atchie, help!

...TAKING CARE OF SOMEONE

I miss taking care of someone, and being cared for by someone. Ayan ha, out in the open na. bwahahaha. Miss ko na sya kung sino man sya. Hoy, kung nandyan ka man sa aking mundo, magpakita ka nman o. (alam kong maraming mag rereact dito...bwahahah, sino kaya si someone? ung darating sa december or iba?)

...MAMPALAM, SATTI, at INIHAW NA ISDA

Miss ko ang mga pangkain sa Zamboanga! Gusto ko ng mampalam, pastil, balu-balu, yellow rice, satti, at kung ano ano pa. Sana may mga ganun dito, pero wala, kung meron man ay super layo naman sa TS. Hay, konting tiis na lang...

busy bee (?)

2008-05-20T15:50:00.000+08:00

No time to be "petiks" this week for the following reasons:

Monthly meetings with the onshore managers and partner
Client / On-shore manager visit
Metrics and service reports to generate and analyze
Training on new reports / tool for MDC and Client team

Looking forward to MOVIE NIGHTS! Indiana Jones, here i come. hehehe

i confess

2008-05-14T17:24:00.000+08:00

I confess...

Maldita ako - pero mas maldita ang sisters ko. (bwhahaha) sila lang ang nakakabully sa akin. Marami na akong naaway. Chi remember the boxing incident sa elementary? siguro mga 2x minimum nangyari sa akin yun... once with a boy over a game. hahaha. How about the chicken bone throwing incident? Gosh ang dami ko ring napaiyak. Kahit bata or matanda, wala yata akong pinaligtas. tsk tsk. Bad ako, pero buti na lang things get mellow with age. Bwhahaah.

I love eating and food - I may be petite (size 0) pero i can eat like a construction worker. Mas maraming rice than ulam. :) nung mas bata pa ako, siguro mga 5x ang minimum na balik ko sa buffet. Hahaha. Running joke nga ang sa amin na may anaconda ako sa tyan. :-). Medyo bumagal na nga ang metabolism ko kaya instead of 4 slices of a large pizza medyo 2-3 na lang ang kaya ko sa isang sitting. hehehe.

I eat at least 1 pc of chocolate (i love dark chocolate) a day. :) I always have chocolates and other junk food sa aking table. Kaya siguro mahilig si mickey mouse magpakita. bwahahaha. Namimiss ko na nga sya eh. Ang tagal ko na syang di nakikita. hahaha

Madali akong mafrustrate at magalit - di lang yun, pag nagalit ako, aba, biglang nag eenglish ako. bwhahaha. Bad nga ako eh. Pag nagalit ako or nainis ako sa isang tao, that person will no longer exist (sa world ko). Alam mo ba ang motto ni hulk? ako yun. Plus wag na wag kang magpacute or makulit pag bilog ang buwan, baka kung ano ang gawin ko sayo.

Makulit ako - my friends and family will agree super makulit ako. :-)

Malakas ako tumawa - parang di girl kung tumawa.

Wala akong magawa kaya ginawa ko itong blog na ito. Bwhahaha

busy busy

2008-05-08T23:11:00.002+08:00

been busy as a bee since i arrived. Have no time to blog nor to shop (i miss shopping for shoes!). Hopefully, i can balance work and life soon.

Thanks 2007

2008-01-04T14:15:00.000+08:00

2007 has been a great year for me. It was a year of changes and blessings. I hope that 2008 will be as great or even better than last year. Looking back, I would not do things differently (well maybe some i will but generally i will not change a thing). :)

This was my wish list last year and i guess i fulfilled at least half of it. I will be making another wish list / goal for the year and I hope that i would accomplish more than half of it.

Wish list 2007 (plus comments)

A planned visit to Canada and the US. (i really do have to take care of the visa requirements soon). - i was not able to go to Canada, but was in the US for training. Hopefully I could go back to the US this year.
The turnover of our (aka the 3 marias) unit in pioneer. - still waiting for the papers and loan to be released.
My sister's wedding - what can i say except that i will be an aunt!
A family vacation to Hong Kong - moved to 2008
A great family reunion - happy happy times. Had a great family picture.
A better life, career and love - the only thing missing is a love life. Sana meron na sa 2008
Knowing myself and my religion better - carry over to 2008. I want to do a better job this year.
Challenging myself more - carry over to 2008.
A diamond ring (?) -- kung walang mag bibigay, eh di bibili ako ng sarili kong ring! bwhahahaha. - wala akong diamond ring, pero may laptop, camera at bags. bwahahah
More shoes! - hirap lang humanap ng size ko. hahaha frustrating mag hanap ng size 5 sa US. Ang daming magaganda at murang shoes pero wala akong size. huhuhu.

What do i have to look forward to in 2008?

Spending the holidays in Canada and the US. :) Planning to spend xmas and new year with my friend in Canada and 2 weeks for fun, relaxation and sight seeing in the US.
Working/training in the US for at least 3 months to a year. :)
Moving in to the new condo unit.
Having a love life.
Visiting and being close to my special friend and spending time with my friend. Miss ko na sya.
Aiming for promotion and syempre salary increase.
Knowing myself and my religion better.
Loving myself more.
A diamond ring and an engagement or wedding for me! (hanap muna ng partner)
More shoes, bags and travel.

two weeks na lang

2007-12-11T11:28:00.000+08:00

December 10, 2007 930pm Chicago, December 11, 2007 1130 am Manila

Grabe two weeks na lang at alis na ako sa Chicago. Parang kahapon lang ako dumating ha. How quickly time flies when you're working and having fun at the same time. hahaha. Teka, bakit parang ayaw ko pa umuwi? Di pa ako nahohome sick? May mali ba sa akin?

There was 5 inches of snow last week but guess what? WALA AKONG PICTURE IN THE SNOW! huhuhu. yun lang ang masaklap pag mag isa ka mag travel, walang mag pipicture sa yo in the snow. Nahihiya naman akong magpapapicture sa mga tao kc parang nagmamadali silang lahat. hahaha.

Tapos nung weekend naman natutunaw na ang snow. Yup, the snow was turning into ice and it was dangerous to just walk from one block to another. sobrang slippery ang mga sidewalks (yung mga walang establishments in front of them) at ilang beses na rin akong muntik madapa. hahaha. Pero Pero Pero, wala pa rin akong picture in the snow. huhuhu. Ano ba to? Magkakaroon ba ako ng chance to take some pics in the snow? 2 weeks na lang ako dito!

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Hmmmm... gusto ko lang ipost ang mga napansin ko dito. TV ads - kung sa atin ay ads for shampoos, laundry detergent and beauty creams, I noticed that most of their ads are either sale ads (parang every weekend may sale ang mga stores dito), medicines, cars or air fresheners. hahaha. kakaiba ano? Parang ang sarap tuloy mag shopping. :) Now if only i have the means to do it. hahaha.

I wonder, are the kind of ads reflective of the society or the country? bakit karamihan ng tv commercials natin laundry detergent, shampoos, beauty creams? at bakit dito sa US, they do not focus on laundry detergent? Siguro iba ang important sa kanilang society. Siguro mahilig tayo mag linis? Ah ewan.

bed weather day

2007-12-04T11:03:00.000+08:00

December 3, 2007 9pm chicago; December 4, 11pm Manila

The sun was shinning this morning but it was one of the coldest day i have experienced so far (i know it will be colder soon). It would have been the perfect day to just stay in bed with a hot bowl of soup or a cup of hot cocoa. But, as luck will have it, it's MONDAY. The first day of the work week so I have to brave the cold and go to the office for my "training". Notice ninyo ba na pag lakwatsa ang pinag usapan ay ok lang ang lamig pero pag time to work parang hirap umalis sa kama?hehehe

It just does not seem right na super lamig tapos sunny. Eh sa atin kc pag lumabas na si amang araw, hala, labas na ang mga payong at shades natin. Di lang yun, lahat tayo pupunta sa mall para magpalamig o di kaya di lalabas ng bahay at mag bubukas ng aircon. Eh ngayon, eto ako, kahit super sikat ni amang araw ay naka ilang layers ako, may scarf, gloves, bonnet at kung ano ano pa. This kind of weather makes me long for pinas heat (but not during the summer). bwahhaha gusto ko ang heat but not the humidity that comes with it!

Anyways, i think i would rather have some degree of cold than have the heater on. Notice ko kc if the heater is on, mas nahihirapan ako - mas feeling ko mag kakasakit ako. Eto pa ang nakakatawa, di ba malamig ngayon? hala, every day pa rin ang ligo (minsan 2x a day) pa. Eh pano, ang sarap ng hot shower after being out in the cold. bwahhaah. sira talaga ako noh?

Ano pa ba? Ah oo nga, I still cannot get used to (it) being dark at 4pm! Di yata tama yun ha. Parang, hello, where did my day go??? Ang aga na dumilim dito. Diba pag madilim na parang gusto mo na umuwi o mag dinner? Eh hello, merienda time pa lang yun ha. Kaya siguro parang ang bilis ng oras dito. Di lang sa dami ng ginagawa o di kaya dahil everyone is always on the go, but because it gets dark real early. :)

Hay, malapit na pala ako umuwi sa pinas. Grabe ang bilis ng panahon, parang kadarating ko lang ha. Di ko pa yata na experience how it is to live in america. Ni di pa nga ako nakakapag lakwatsa at shopping ng todo. :) hopefully, i can pick up a few items for myself and my siblings this weekend. Hirap nga lang talaga to live within a budget. Hay, how i wish marami akong salaping pang shopping.

Winter is here - my first winter storm

2007-12-02T11:12:00.000+08:00

December 1, 2007 9pm Chicago; December 2, 11am Manila

A winter storm warning has been up since last night (expected to hit Illinois between 1-2pm today) but it did not stop me from going downtown even for a few hours. :)

Knowing that it would be freezing today (and expecting snow) I really bundled up today - layers and layers of shirts, pants, socks, etc (i looked like a snowman). Nothing can keep me away form what i planned on doing - buy the books atchie ordered before it gets really cold. hehehe. Siguro bored lang talaga ako from being in the hotel that i need to go out into the city. Either that or matigas lang talaga ang ulo ko. :)

What i planned to do was just to get the books in borders and do a little window shopping in Macy's or in the shops in state st. and michigan ave. Hey, I have been here for 2 months (and will be leaving in 3 weeks) but still have not done any pasalubong shopping. Bad noh?

When i arrived at the union station around 11am, the weather was cooperating with me. Although it was cold, at least the wind was not blowing nor was it snowing. But i was not taking my chances. Although i loved walking around the city (medyo alam ko na how to go from point A to B), it was too cold to walk so i decided to take the free trolley and just go down at the Macy's stop. This way, I would be keeping myself warm and since Borders is just a block off Macy's, I would be killing two birds with one stone - get some frango chocolates for ma and pa and atchie's books. :) Plus a little side shopping for me.

I first went to borders for the books and spent considerable time browsing. :) Chi, was able to get the two books - the grand tour and mislaid magician- and they were the last copies in the store. :)Yahoo for me! At least that errand was successful. One pasalubong down, a few more to go. After that i went down the road to have my lunch before going to Macy's, Old Navy and other stores.

It was then (siguro mga 1230pm) that the wind picked up and snow was coming down like crazy. Syempre, unang pumasok sa isip ko - will the trolley service still be running kahit sa ganitong weather? Hehehe, Yan at syempre first snow storm ko, hey i want to be outside (kahit super sandali) to experience it. bwahahah. baliw noh? sayang nga wala akong picture today - nakakahiyang kumuha ng picture.

Anyways, seeing how quicky the weather changed (plus sinabi nila na in the late afternoon it would be snow and freezing rain) i decided to just take the trolley back to the union station at kahit maaga ako dun, ok lang. I would rather wait there than be stuck somewhere else.

So instead of doing some additional pasalubong shopping and also getting something for myself, i just picked up 2 boxes of frango chocolates (kung may time next week, balik n lang for a box or two), then headed straight to the trolley stop.

It must have been my lucky day since di naman ako nag hintay ng matagal for the trolley. Ok lang kahit i have to take the long route to the Union station kc i had time to spare. At buti na lang na yun ang naging decision ko. Had i waited for 30 minutes to an hour to take the trolley, i would have faced icy rain rather than snow. And i would rather have snow than rain kc mas nababasa ka sa ulan.

Good thing too that the train was on time and when i got to hinsdale nandun na ang hotel shuttle. It really was too cold to walk and to have gimmick. bwhahaha. Matigas lang talaga ulo ko - that i really had to go downtown today. As if! Kung nandito si mama or si papa I am sure na pagagalitan ako ng mga yun. :)

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The temperature says 33 degrees (zero in Celsius)but feels like 23 degrees due to windchill factor. The ponds near and around the hotel are frozen, i think there is ice outside my window and the wind is howling outside.

Buti na lang at nandito ako sa aking warm bed sa hotel with a cup of hot choco and a pack of chocolate chip cookies. Yun nga lang miss ko ang arroz caldo. huhuhuh parang masarap mag arroz caldo! Wala namang ganun dito sa menu nila. Di lang arroz caldo ang gusto ko, gusto ko rin ng chicken bbq at ng steak. bwahahah. Ganito ba talaga pag nilalamig? Parang ang daming gustong kainin? Tapos yung ibang gusto ko wala sa hotel menu, yung meron naman, sobrang mahal, ano ba to! I miss my comfort foods!

my many firsts

2007-12-01T01:59:00.000+08:00

November 30, 2007 1130am Chicago; December 1, 1:30 am Manila

The past 2 weeks was filled with many firsts for me - my first turkey day, my first snow, my first below freezing temperature and my first black Friday experience. Grabe! Di lang yun, it was my first real vacation in weeks. I spent it with my aunt and cousin and went to watch wicked. :) Di ako nag bukas ng laptop at nag trabaho for 5 days. Yahoo for me.

Ang dami kong gustong ikwento parng hirap mag simula. hmmm where do i start?

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My Wicked experience - I went to watch "wicked the musical" with my aunt the day before thanksgiving. Grabe ang ganda ng theater. How i wish we also have those in Manila. Kaso lang yung mga magagandang theaters in Manila are neglected. Sayang.

Anyways, my aunt and i really enjoyed the musical. I know that the book is kinda boring but the play, grabe it was really good. The music was catchy, the story is fast paced, it even gave a background to the characters of the the "wicked" witch of the east and the west, the good witch, the wizard of oz, scarecrow, lion and the tin man. Plus parang may commentary din about perception and the truth. I mean di ba, kahit alam mo ang totoo, minsan it does not really count? Kc people tend to judge you based on what they hear, read or on their first impressions? Ah basta, great play. Really recommended. Sana makabalik ako dito (or may ganitong play sa manila) with my parents and siblings. I am sure they will really enjoy the play.

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My First snow and thanksgiving - My first thanksgiving coincided with my first snow experince. :) snow was really magical although i really wont stay outdoors since lamigin ako. Plus since di nman ako magtatagal pa dito at di ko rin magagamit ang mga winter gear sa manila, i see no point in investing in winter clothing. (mahal ang mga damit dito) Good thing is aside from the thick coat na dala ko from manila (mura lang sa surplus), i can borrow coats and sweaters from my aunt and cousin. Yun nga lang wawa ang paa ko kc wala akong winter boots. hehehe.

I spent thanksgiving with my cousin and her in-laws. Sayang nga i did not get to take some pictures of the spread. Americans really make a big deal about thanksgiving. I guess this is one holiday that encompasses all religion plus a way for family to come together and EAT. boy, did i eat. hehehe.

I stuffed myself with good old home cooked food - miss ko na yun noh. :) I have been eating fast food and restaurant food since i came here, so I was really happy that i was able to eat hot home cooked meals for 5 days straight. I loved the turkey (dark meat than white) and pecan pie. :) In fact, i had seconds, and thirds, and fourths. bwahhaha.

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Black Friday - The day after thanksgiving is always the start of the holiday shopping here in the US. They really make such a big deal out of this (stores open at 4am!) that our midnight madness sales will pale in comparisons. Imagine mo ha, laptops na almost 50% off, shoes, bags, clothes, etc all almost 50% off. Sino ba naman ang di gigising ng maaga for this noh?

Ah kami nga pala ng pinsan ko gumusing ng maaga for this. Kc nga super ganda ng mga offers. Ayun ang dami nyang nabili na gadgets. Yun nga lang di namin nabili ang gusto naming laptop kc late na kami dumating sa store (530am ha, late na) at konti lang ang items na yun per store. Hay, parang kahit super ganda ng mga offers, di ko na gagawin uli ito. hehehe (parang feeling makakabalik sa US ano?) Sa manila nga, iwas ako sa mall pag sale, dito hala, pumunta. Oh well, just for the experience noh.

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Dami pa akong kwento -like not being able to go in a casino , etc, pero next time n lang. Dahil sa lamig dito, nagkakasakit na ako. Rest muna ang beauty ko. :)

count down to winter

2007-11-18T07:47:00.000+08:00

November 17, 550pm Chicago; November 18, 750am Manila

It's 4 degrees Celsius outside and it's drizzling. It is freezing and i never felt so cold in my entire life, and it's not even winter yet. Weather in Chicago has been steadily dropping the past couple of weeks. While tress are shedding off their leaves in preparation for winter, I on the other hand, have steadily adding on items of clothing to wear. Hay, ang hirap ha. Mahirap pag malamig, ang daming layers na gagamitin. Nakakainis.

Pag sa Manila ka, you try to wear things that keep you cool... shorts, skirts, tshirts. tapos flipflops na lang ok na diba? naku, dito ang daming layers na kailangang gamitin to keep you warm. :-P. Actually, i kinda like this weather now... bearable pa naman kung may coat ka, what i dont want is the cold wind. grabe, when it blows sobrang lamig parang may bumugbog sa yo or something.

Anyways, going back to clothing. I never wore so much in 1 day ha. Like now, i need to wear thermal pants and jeans, tapos socks, tapos may thermal shirt pa under my regular shirt. Aside from that my hoodie pa akong gamit at thick coat pag lumalabas... now dont forget to wear scarf, bonnet and gloves... so all in all, these days, i usually wear at least 5 items of clothing just to keep me warm on the train. tsk tsk. eh sa pinas tama na ang jeans at t-shirt. minsan nga short at t-shirt lang. bwahahaha.

Well kahit marami akong reklamo regarding keeping warm, as i said, i kinda love fall (at least early fall) kc its not too cold and wet and its not too warm and dry. Sana nga may fall sa pinas, its getting to be my fave season. :) Aside from the weather, i also like the holidays associated with fall like thanksgiving and halloween. I will be having my first thanksgiving and sana maging ok ito. I am really looking forward to it. Kc its one holiday na para sa lahat ng religion. Not like Chirstmas or Eid na specific, thanksgiving is for all. Kaya i really am looking forward to experiencing my first thanksgiving... bring on the turkey, and pumpkin pie!

I have tickets!

2007-11-12T06:48:00.000+08:00

November 11, 450pm Chicago; November 12, 650am Manila

After weeks of procrastinating, I finally got the nerve to order tickets to Wicked, the musical. :) I called ticketmaster and ordered 2 tickets for an afternoon performance on November 21. Luckily, there were still availble tickets on the price range we wanted. hehehe It might not be the best seat around (we might have limited view and all), but who cares, I am going to watch the show!

Now if i can only find someone to go with me to watch shear madness. :) Anyone interested?

what no simpack?!?

2007-11-10T12:10:00.000+08:00

November 9, 1020pm Chicago; November 10, 1220am Manila

What no simpack??? yan ang unang pumasok sa isip ko nung naghanap ako ng prepaid sim dito sa tate. I mean, sa atin di ba kahit saan mall pwede kang makabili ng simpack? Well, dito when you buy a prepaid sim, you have to buy the phone that goes with it!

Yup, package deal ang phone and sim dito. They call it "phone-to-go" and not all providers offer this service. Hey, they even only sell the phonepack and prepaid callcards on selected places (like walgreens, target and walmart). hehehe. Di gaya sa atin, kahit saang kanto, makakabili k ng load. Kahit sa ating sari-sari store may nagbebenta ng load. :)

Hmmm ano pa ba? Well unlike sa atin, where you can immediately use the sim, dito you have to call the provider to have it activated. You have to give a bunch of information (the simcard number, the phone SME, etc) to have the sim activated. You only get your phone number once the sim gets activated. O diba, ibang iba sa atin? :) sa atin, may phone number na sa simpack at ready to use. You only have to load a minimum of 50php (minsan nga 20 or less lang) para magamit mo ang sya. Dito? Minimum load is 10usd. Hay, kung di ko lang kailangan ng phone dito... hehehe.

Ay oo nga pala, all incoming and outgoing calls (cp man or landline) dito ay bayad. So parang mas ok pa rin sa atin kahit pangit ang service ng PLDT at bayantel. :)

one month na

2007-11-10T11:44:00.000+08:00

November 9, 10pm Chicago; November 10, 12nn Manila

Grabe, more than one month na pala ako dito and it feels like i arrived just a week ago. Ang bilis ng araw! Eh feeling ko wala pa akong masyadong nagagawa. Ni di pa nga ako nakakabili ng ticket for a play nor try the famous dog nor even shop.Di di pa nga ako nakakapunta sa taas ng sears tower. Pathetic ano? How is wish i could stay longer here, parang there are so many things to do and explore and i am running out of time to do it.

Anyways, I am planning to go to the shedd aquarium tomorrow. Sana nga di n nman ako mawala at malito sa mga bus routes. hehehe. Tapos bahala na kung ano ang gagawain ko sa Sunday. Di pa ako nakakapunta sa Navy Pier at di pa rin ako nakakabili ng ticket for wicked (sana makakuha ako ng ticket this month or next month). Hay, tapos pathetic pa going to places alone. How i wish may kasama ako dito or may pera ako to go to California for thanksgiving weekend. :)

familiar?

2007-11-09T03:51:00.000+08:00

alone and other kwento part 3

2007-11-05T08:26:00.000+08:00

November 4, 627pm Chicago; November 5, 827am Manila

Start ng fallback ng Daylight savings time nila ngayon. So medyo 14 hours advance ang Manila. Being someone who never experienced daylight saving, medyo nakakalito diba? :) Well, i get the general concept of DST (try to maximize daylight as much as possible during summer months, pero medyo nalito ako kaninang umaga. hehehe. I woke up at 7am, switched on the TV and checked the time. Turns out, it was only 6am. bwhahaha. (All) Clocks were turned back an hour at 2am so i had an extra hour of sleep today. :).

Downside, dapat pala i maximized my morning kc maagang dumilim na dito so sobrang dilim na dito at 5pm. Dapat pala i should have left at 9am instead of 1030am para mas maaga ako sa downtown and have more time at the Art Institute. Hay kulang ang 3 hours dun. di ko nalibot lahat ng exhibits. I hope may time akong bumalik dun. :)

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Hay naku, napagkamalan na naman akong student. :) I guess i should begin to take it as a compliment. Nung bumili kc ako ng ticket tinanong kung student ako, hehehe, the wonders of being pandak. Dapat pala dinala ko yung old ID ko, baka makadiscount. Come to think of it, may discount din pala ko - may discount coupon kc dun sa mga nakuha kong pamplets sa Cultural Center.

Maganda ang mga Exhibits, may asian art, may contemporay, european at american art at kung iba iba pa. I enjoyed the going to the paperweight exhibits at dun sa mga sculptures at mga painting ng mga greats. Pero i still can't really appreaciate all contemporary paintings. hehehe. Just goes to show di ako masyadong artistic or creative - although i Jasper Johns: Gray exhibits especially yung numbers series nya. I am sure my family would really enjoy visiting this museum.

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A pat on the back for me. This time, i did not get lost! hehehe syempre direcho lang ng jackson or adams at tumbok na ang Art Institute. Pabalik? Derecho din lang until matumbok ko ang Sears tower or ang union station. hehehe. Yun nga lang i had to leave at 345pm to catch the 430 train home kc walk lang ako to the station. I kinda enjoy walking in Chicago, kc parang in every turn may makikita kang interesting. :) plus marami ding nag lalakad kaya feeling safe ka.

Ano daw?

2007-11-04T10:38:00.000+08:00

These are Miro and Piccaso's Unnamed sculptures. What do you see?

Miro's Chicago

Miro's Chicago view2

Piccaso's sculpture

alone and other kwento, part 2

2007-11-04T08:20:00.000+08:00

November 3, 721pm Chicago; November 4, 821am Manila

How to take a tour of Chicago for free: Go to the Cultural Center and take all the free tours you can get. :)

Diba I was really planning to go to the cultural center and the art museum today? So before going downtown i already made my schedule and syempre i mapped out the route i was going to take for the day.

Fist stop was to an AT&T or cingular store to inquire about prepaid plans since it is expensive to be on roaming for the remaining 2 months that i am here. I searched on line and found 2 stores not far from the Cultural Center and Millenium Park. So being myself, I took out a map and drew in Red Ink the path that i should take for the day. Alam mo naman chi na ligawin ako at as much as i try, i really can't read a map. hehehe

Anyways, so naka set na ang route ko and since maaga nman ang lakad ko (11am - maaga na yun ha!) i have confidence in myself na mahahanap ko rin ang mga lugar na pupuntahan ko. After lunch at the union station, I made my merry way to my first stop - yung prepaid CP.

I have to give myself a pat on the back for finding the AT&T and Cingular stores (although sad kc Mondays to Fridays lang pala sila open - huhuhu di na yata ako makakabili ng prepaid), and the Cultural Center. Yung Art Museum ok na rin kc medyo alam ko ang Millenium park.

The Cultural Center Building

As usual budget mode ako, so tamang tama lang talaga ang aking first stop which was the Chicago Cultural Center. I arrived at the Center around 1pm just in time for the start of the free tour of the building which was scheduled at 115pm. While waiting for the tour to start, i checked out the visitor's information center and helped myself to another map, and a few brochures of what the city has to offer. It was then that i found out that there is another Free tour of the city (highlighting the architecture of Chicago)scheduled between 230pm and 3pm. Naturally, being me, i signed on for that tour too. hehehe (Since ang mode ko is to save para maka panood ako ng wicked or some other play - hala mahal ang ticket noh!)

Anyways, both of the tours were informative and really gave me an appreciation for the city. I mean, they really have a sense of history, pride and love for the city. Sana noh, ganon din tayo sa atin. I especially love the sculptures they have scattered around downtown. I guess, you will really appreciate Chicago when you take a walking tour kc ang daming little and big surprises - like Picasso and miro's sculpture, yung mga old theaters, and old buildings. Sayang wala ang family ko dito, I am sure that my siblings and my parent will appreciate the sights of Chicago. Insha Allah, we can all visit Chicago soon. :)

Anyways, the "walking tour" ended around 430pm, giving me just enough time to walk back to the union station to catch my train. I have to go back down town tomorrow for the art museum thing - O chi, cultured chenes ako na. bwhahha. Eto ang nakakatawa (i am so sure my siblings are laughing their heads off), Medyo di ko na alam kung pano bumalik sa Union station and to make matters worse, nadaanan ko ang route nung umaga ha! May map na nga ako, nawala pa ako! bwhahaha. I mean alam ko ang streets and how to get there, di ko lang alam kung saan ba ang south or ang north. heheheh And i can't retrace my steps kc di na ako bumalik sa cultural center kc nga hinahabol ko ang oras.

Anywas, i remember some of the landmarks i passed nung papunta ako sa Randolf st at washington st., yun nga lang di ko matandaan how to go back to adam's or jackson st kung san ang union station. Dito kc ang haba ng kanilang streets di gaya sa atin na after one corner ay iba na ang pangalan ng street. Dito streets can strech for miles at ang difference lang ay yun S or N or E or W na prefix sa mga street signs.

Tonk talaga ako... buti na lang di ako nag panic (hala dumidilim na noh - maaga dumilim ngayon dito) at pumasok n lang ako sa isang parmacy to ask for directions. :) It turned out that i was actually going the right way, yun nga lang sa kabilang street lang. hehehe. Anyways, I actually made it to the train station with a few minutes to spare (before boarding). Hay, ganito ba uli ako bukas? hehehe. Kaya, i really need someone with me - someone who knows how to read maps and NOT GET LOST! Chi, are you reading this? Brings back memories doesn't it?

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It is getting a lot chilly starting this weekend. Buti na lang medyo tolerable pa naman kanina. Sana ok din bukas. I just need to wear my thick coat, my thermal garments, long sleeved shirt, a scarf and a pair of gloves. Not much no? hehehe. Naku, kung nilalamig na ako today, what more kaya on Tuesday or Wednesday when it is said to be sobrang malamig na baka daw mag snow. huhuhu. I am sure my dad, atchie and my cousin will enjoy this weather.

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Sana I have enough dough to be able to watch at least 1 play. I will try to get a ticket to wicked or another play before the end of november. Yun nga lang, i do need to get a ticket for the afternoon show since i dont have a place to stay in the city. Eto yung time na sana meron akong kasama dito kc at least we can share a cab going home. :) Sana, sana i can watch a play. Insha Allah, 1 or 2 plays before i go home.

alone and other kwento

2007-11-03T11:33:00.000+08:00

November 2, 2007, 1030pm chicago; November 3, 11am Manila

After spending the past two weekends with a friend and cousins, I will be spending this weekend alone.

Sayang at hindi ako sa downtown area nakatira, kungdi I'm sure that i will have the weekend all planned out - like going to the park or a museum or watching a play without having to worry about catching the train home. hehehe.

Now being in the suburbs, i have to take into consideration the metra schedule in planning my weekend. That and syempre, i have to take into consideration my budget for the weekend. Hay ang hirap talaga kung working within the budget ka. bwahhaha. How I wish i could earn what the peeps here are earning. hehehe Insha Allah, baka may chance to come back here soon and who knows maybe stay for a longer period? :)

Anyways, I am planning to start my day tomorrow a bit late. I was thinking of taking the 11am train to the city (ETA to the city will be 1145am). I just hope that it will be warm enough (sabi kc high of 57 to low of 37bukas) to take a walk from the Union station to the Cultural Center and the Art Museum. O diba, feeling cultured ako bukas? hehehe. I was thinking of making this Saturday my Art and Culture day since I was not able to do it last week (bonding time with cousin and aunt kc ako last week).

Since i have the option of getting the 430 or the 530pm train (home), it would give me around 4 to 5 hours in the city. I hope it gives me enough time to visit the two places i mentioned or i could always stay at millenium park after the cultural center visit. Hay, sana di masyadong malamig bukas.

--------------------------
Since Chicago is known as the Windy City and it looks like the weather will be colder as winter approaches, I will be prepared for the sudden drop of temperature tomorrow. :) The first time I went downtown (at sa gabi pa ito ha), I was not prepared for the cold, chilly air. Nakajacket nga ako, pero yung manipis lang. bwhahha, i was freezing when i got off the train.

Since lumalamig na, I have to be ready - I already bought some winter stuff from manila, pero di ako nakadala nor nakabili ng gloves at thermal pants (mahal yung nakita kong gloves sa mango at di ako nakapunta sa greenhills for the thermal undergarments). Syempre nagkukuripot ako so sa Target ang punta ko and instead of buying women's leather gloves and thermal garments, i bought what i needed in the children's section. So what kung di stylish? Eh mas mura naman at medyo nasa size ko. hehehe.

Nakakatawa nga eh, yung nabili kong thermal medyo malaki sa akin ng konti. XL ang binili ko kc ang nakalagay dapat for peeps na 95-115Ibs, so binili ko, yun pala dapat yung L lang binili ko at di ako tumingin sa weight kungdi sa waistline. hehehe. Pero oks lang, more room to grow naman. With the food i am eating everyday, naku, I am sure tataba ako. Di n nga magkasaya yung isang jeans ko. hay, no wonder tumataba ang mga peeps dito, ang lalaki ng servings, tapos daming soda at fast food. Eh diba wla akong kitchen or microwave sa hotel room ko? so puro akong fast food and junk food. tsk tsk. I'm sure pagagalitan ako ng sister ko.

Kanina, dapat maliit na bag lang ang dadalhin ko kc i won't be spending the night in the city, but upon hearing the news, i had to repack everything to a bigger bag kc i will be bringing a heavier coat just in case. Plus medyo maglalayer na ako ng damit bukas, i will just take off the jacket if mainit. bwahaha... so ang laman ng bag ko ngayon: bonnet, scarf, mittens/gloves, and a thick down jacket. Nakakatawa nga eh, kc nilalamig na ako pero yung mga locals di pa nilalamig. May nakita pa nga akong nakashorts habang nagjogging. heheheh. Sabagay the sun was shining then at medyo parang tagaytay or Baguio lang ang lamig pero what i can't take is the wind. Grabe, sobrang lamig kung mahangin. (teka, parang mali na itong sentence ko, pero you get what i mean di ba? Kahit sinasabi nilang 45 degrees outside tapos mahangin pa, it would feel like 35).

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Kung ang Chicago ay Windy City, pwede rin kayang tawaing Windy City ang Manila? Yun nga lang Mainit na hangin lang ang meron tayo -- hindi dahil sa climate kung di dahil sa ating mga politicians! They sure are full of hot air!

six flags

2007-10-30T09:57:00.001+08:00

October 29, 830pm Chicago; Oct 30 930am Manila

I had the chance of going to six flags great america before it shuts down for the fall-winter season. It was fright week (for halloween - they sure do love halloween down here) and the park was decked to the nines in halloween frock. even the clowns were in their slasher costume. bwahahaha. some of the park guest even came in costumes kahit it was freezing last weekend. I was all bundled up tapos yung iba naka jacket lang. bwahahaha. ako naka downjacket, tapos may 2 shirts at isang light sweater underneath, plus naka bonnet at gloves pa ako ha! talk about freezing. hehehe di talaga kaya ng isang gaya ko ang lamig. Di sanay ang pinoy laking zamboanga sa ganitong lamig. Maybe i need 6 months to 1 year to get used to this climate. hehehe - wishful thinking si sharima.

Anyways, even if it was freezing, i still managed to sneak in a few rides (3 of which are tagged as max thrill rides) - superman, king chaos, ragin cajun, vertical velocity and a couple of “mild” rides. hay, by the end of the night (we were there from 6pm to 1030pm), i was just about ready to give up and throw up! It must have been the combination of non-stop ride - nag superman, tapos nag king chaos, ragin cajun at vertical velocity — sunod sunod yun ha! walang paawat. dpat nag rest n lang kami or nag try ng 1 or 2 mild rides in between. tsk tsk. buti na lang di ako sumuka after my last ride (yung velocity thing) nor did i throw up on the ride home. Pero grabe, i felt that i was floating. bwahaha. natadtad yata ako. My size and body is not meant for being thrown around in thrill rides plus yung sa isang ride, nahirapan ako getting up the seat. bwhahha. mahirap talaga pag pandak.

Fire alarm again!

2007-10-29T21:47:00.000+08:00

October 29, 7am Chicago; 7pm Manila

For the second time in a week, i have to wake up to the sound of the fire alarm! Talk about waking up to a great sound. :(

It's a good thing that this alarm went off at 7am and not at 12mn when i am sound asleep. At least today, it served as my alarm clock. bwahahaha. I am usally up by 630am but was taking my sweet time to get out of bed. :)When the alarm went off, i took some time to actually get dressed. heheheeh and I think i actually heard the "booming" sound before the (fire) alarm went off.

Anyways, knowing better this time (and i hope this does not get a threepeat), i actually took time get dressed, grab my bag and look in the mirror before heading out the door. bwahahahaha. The difference between today and last Friday was when i went out the door, i actually saw a pool of water a few feet from my room. Gosh, this must be the real thing! Buti na lang nasa third floor ako at ang room ko ay super lapit sa fire exit - now i know why my dad always insist that we get a room near the fire exit. Thanks for the training pa! :)

Anyways, after a few minutes in the lobby (I was even calm enough to get my morning coffee), we were told that we could go back to our rooms as there was no fire, but there was some activity on the third floor (my floor). The sprinkle system went off in a couple of rooms (buti n lang di sa room ko, kung di masisira ang office laptop) and were contained. Hay, what caused it to go off kaya? and WHY did the fire alarm go off twice in four days? Pareho ba ang cause nung friday at today? Abangan ang susunod na kabanata!

fire!

2007-10-26T14:15:00.000+08:00

Oct 25, 1230am Chicago time, Oct 26, 130pm Manila time

I woke up to the sound of the fire alarm today!And it is not a good sound to wake up to.

At first i thought i might have set the alarm clock on, since i was tinkering with it this afternoon. But then, the blinking lights on my wall told me otherwise. :( I was still sleepy and a bit disoriented... only when opened the lights and put on my glasses (since i cant see a thing without them on)did i truly realize that it was the fire alarm that woke me up. Hay what a way to wake up!

It took me a few seconds for my brain to fully switch on (matagal mag boot - hehehe). Nung una, i had to check sa labas kung ok ba and if tama bang fire alarm to. hay true nga, people were either peeping out of their doors or on their way out of the room.

I only had a few minutes to react, so ang ginawa ko, change into jogging pants (kc nga nakapantulog ako) and a light jacket - kc yun ang pinaka malapit, grab my wallet (for ID and some cash/card) and went out the door. Half way down the hall, i realized that i forgot the most important thing - My passport! bwahahaha

I had to go back to my room, grab my purse and phone then proceeded to the fire exit. Good thing too that my room is near the exit. bwahahah. Buti din at nasa third floor lang ako. hay, naku.

Ang nakakatawa nung pag dating ko sa lobby at nakita kong maraming tao, ang unang pumasok sa isip ko - do i look presentable? bwahahah. Maarte pa rin!

things that catch my eye

2007-10-25T10:37:00.000+08:00

a day in chicago

2007-10-22T11:32:00.000+08:00

My Chicago weekend

2007-10-22T07:29:00.000+08:00

October 21, 745pm Chicago time, October 22, 845am Manila Time

Taxi to the Metra Station … $12
Metra Train weekend pass … $5
1 Day City Pass … $5
Riding the “EL” … $4
Lunch and Dinner … $25

Meeting my cousin, seeing the sites of Chicago on foot … priceless

Massage for tired feet? there is always Visa or Mastercard. bwhahaha

13 hour workday

2007-10-16T11:10:00.000+08:00

October 15, 10pm Chicago Time; October 16, 11am Manila Time.

It’s 10 pm and I am still staring at my computer screen answering emails and reviewing reports and metics. I think I am pulling a 13 hour work day today. Hay! Kala ko makakapanood ako ng Heroes pero di pala. Bwhahaaha.

Lazy weekend

2007-10-15T08:05:00.001+08:00

October 14, 645 pm Chicago Time; October 15, 745 am Manila Time

It has been a lazy weekend for me. I stayed in my hotel room most of the weekend venturing out in the afternoons to stretch my legs, take some pictures and buy dinner. But mostly, the weekend was allocated to catch up on sleep. I can now say that my body clock is on the right track! hehehe.

The weather this weekend is just perfect for taking a walk. Ang ganda ang weather. Sarap mag walking. It wasnt too hot nor too cold. I just had a light jacket on, no need for gloves and scraf. And to think na lamigin ako ha. hehehe. Plus parang ang pretty ng lahat ng things and surroundings dito. Ang gandang kunan ng pictures. I hope i can get even more pictures next week. Kc parang point and shoot lang ako, ang ganda pa rin lumabas ng mga pictures. hehehe. Mukha nga lang ako loka-loka na kumukuha ng pictures kahit malamig.

Hopefully, i can get to a park this weekend and take some pictures of trees in their fall colors. Perfect pala ang time ng pag punta ko dito. Ang ganda lahat. Parang ang sarap tumira dito kahit for a year lang. Sana makabalik ako dito and stay for a longer time. I would love to experience all the seasons kahit alam ko that i will freeze during winter. bwahahaha

So far I have a plan for the coming week. Mondays to Fridays will be spent for work, meetings and report. Hopefully, by Friday, I can brave the metro and go to downtown Chicago to have dinner with a cousin (yes, may cousin pala ako dito. bwahahah. di ko pa nga namimeet yun, nag email lang ang isang aunt ko to tell me that i have a cousin based in Chicago). I might go back downtown on Saturday and Sunday and explore what Chicago has to offer. I would want to go to millenium park and take a picture with the “bean”. Plus gusto ko pa pumunta sa sears tower at kung saan saan pa. Basta, no shopping muna this month dapat magpa tourist muna ako at mag picture picture. bwahahaha

My Illinois Crib

2007-10-14T09:31:00.000+08:00

Presenting, my home for the next 82 days (este 76 na lang pala): The Marriot Chicago Southwest, Burr Ridge Parkway, Burr Ridge, Illiniois

A king sized bed with 6 comfy pillows all to myself:

My reading corner:

The view from my window:
The Market within walking distance:
Pumpkins for sale:
Pathway to the hotel

My first real weekend

2007-10-14T02:04:00.000+08:00

October 13, 1230pm Chicago time, October 14, 130am Manila Time

My first real weekend in Chicago land was spent in the hotel room catching up on sleep and emails. Hay, naku, looks like another boring weekend ahead of me. So, what else is new? Kahit sa Manila, pag weekend nasa bahay lang ako. Once in a while lang talaga lumalabas with friends. Boring talaga buhay ko.

I do hope mag kakulay na soon, or it will be another cold and lonely december for me. bwhahaha. Hmm.. ano ba ang gagawin ko today? Galing na ako sa target. Nakabili na ako ng gloves, and as usual, nag tipid na naman ako. bwhahaha instead of buying the cute, stylish leather gloves worth 16usd, i settled for kid’s gloves na 2 for 2 usd. hehehehe. yun nga lang sa sobrang gloves lang ang nasa isip ko, i forgot to buy thermal pants. tsk tsk. sabagay, pwede pa naman siguro na gumamit ako ng jogging pants under my workpants. Kasya pa naman eh, at di nman pangit tignan. buti na lang at medyo maluwag ang pants ko.

Sarap mag browse sa target, daming mabibili, from shoes to bags and accessories, from shirts to pants and groceries. hehehe. Kung di lang ako nahiya sa driver ng shuttle, eh mag stay pa ako ng medyo matagal to get some more stuff. Maybe next time. siguro for now, i will just buy the things I need rather than the things i want. I can always go back and buy the bags and shoes. Basta, sa November na nga ako mag shopping.

Hay, ang hirap pala talaga to travel alone. Wala kang makausap, wala kang kasama mag lakwatsa, at wala kang kasama kumain. I might have to get used to being alone kc pag uwi ko sa Pinas, ako na lang mag isa sa bahay. I do love where i am right now, and thankful for all the blessings this year, pero sometimes, i do want someone to share this experience with. I mean, di ba at the end of the day, you would want someone to go home to, someone to share your experience with and someone to talk to di ba? Sana makilala ko na sya soon. At kung kilala o nakilala ko na sya before, sna ay magpakita na ang mokong sa akin. bwahaha. To borrow a quote from a movie “kay tagal kitang hinintay”. bwahahhaa. Shocks, ano ba to, nahihibang na yata ako.

I miss the jeepneys

2007-10-12T22:44:00.000+08:00

October 12, 9am Chicago time; 10pmManila time

I never thought that I would say this but… I MISS THE JEEPNEYS! bwhahahaha.

I am staying in Marriot, Burr Ridge, Illinois. Burr Ridge is a suburb located outside Chicago. It is a pretty community with lush greens, trees that are changing color and rolling hills. The best i can describe the area is parang an exclusive village in Tagaytay or Alabang where you have to drive to certain destinations but one can take a walk to a small park or a village grocery store.

The place is begining to grow on me. At home and when staying in the hotel, i usually keep the curtains closed, letting in as little light as possible for me to get maximum sleep. But now, my keep it drawn. I like looking out my window, it overlooks a lake and it looks so pretty with the light reflecting on it and the lake framed by trees in their fall colors. grabe, i wish i have someone to share the view with. hehehe

Anyways, parang na off topic na naman ako. hehehe. I do tend to ramble on … Well, going back to missing the jeepneys. I really never thought I will miss the noise and the availabilities of the jeepneys. Sabi nga nila, you will never know how much a thing or a person played in your life until it is not there. (or something in that effect).

Grabe dito ha, you really need to know how to drive in order for you to go places. If you are living in a big city like New York or Chicago where there are public transport systems in place, ok lang if di ka marunong mag drive. You just need to know the schedule of the subway or the MRT or the bus. Pero kung naka tira ka sa suburbs, grabe, driving is a necessity. Di parang sa atin noh, kung walang jeep, for sure may mga tricycle. bwahahaha.

Sabagay, parang madaling mag own ng cars dito sa ‘Merka. Sa atin kc prohibitive ang price ang sasakyan. Kaya siguro mas madaling mag commute sa atin. Ang hiling ko lang, na sana mag karoon ng system talaga ang ating public transportation gaya nung system sa Singapore or sa Hongkong. Yung bang may schedule for the bus at may discipline ang mga drivers at passengers.

Anyways, balik sa kwento ko. Like I need to buy some gloves, eh ang pinaka malapit na store dito sa hotel that sells gloves and other stuff are Target and Kmart. It is like 1.5 to 2.5 miles away from the hotel. Naturally, di ko malalakad yun plus it is across the highway. So i need to take a car right? Buti na lang may free shuttle service ang hotel kung within 5 miles of the area lang, so hopefully, i can go to Target tomorrow and also to Mcdonalds to buy lunch.

Speaking of Mcdonalds, alam mo ba, that the closest fast food chain to the hotel is subway? Walking distance lang. Buti nga may subway at pizza place at small grocery store. At least I am assured that i have food on weekends. hehehe. Kahit nga sa office, walang malapit na store. People have to drive to Mcdonalds, Wendy’s, Taco bell, Buona, etc to get lunch. Buti na lang mabait yung boss ko at yung isang puti. they always ask me if i want to join them for lunch.

———————

Hmmm lunch… I am still in awe about the choices here. Grabe daming choices that i sometimes have a hard time making choices.

One thing i noticed about the food served here is the serving size. Ang laki ha! No wonder people here are big. Like yesterday, I ordered a roastbeef sandwich and fries in Buona, and my order was good for 2 peeps ha! I only ate half of the sandwich for lunch and had the other half for dinner. Ganun ka laki ang serving. hehehe.

So far I have no complaints on food choices, my only other complaint is the price. grabe ang mahal lahat dito ha. hehehe. Kaya pikit mata na lang ako pag nag order at magbayad for food. I usually spend 10usd or less for the food. eh kung icompute natin yan to php, parang maximun order ko could cost around 440 or 500 php depending on the exchange rate. Eh diba parang ilang araw mo nang lunch money yun? hehehe Kung mag cocompute ako, wala akong mabibili at gugutumin ako for sure. Eh isa sa aking goal dito ay food trip. hehehe. So far, so good naman. Basta basta dapat makapunta ako sa city soon para ma experience ko rin ang food dun at kung ano ano pa.

Up next: My whole foods experience.

Tiring

2007-10-12T06:01:00.001+08:00

October 11, 4pm Chicago time, October 12, 5am Manila time.

Ramadam Kareem to all!

————————–

It has been a long and tiring day. My day started at 5am and 12 hours after, i am still at work doing some reports due on Monday. I need to get all of these out of my way before end of day Friday so i can enjoy my weekend. I do plan to just scout the area near my hotel (note to self: buy gloves and thermal underpants) before even attempting to ride the metra and go downtown.

I just hope that i can stay up a little bit late tonight. Last night was just crazy. I was watching criminal minds, but i cant keep my eyes open. I was literally falling asleep while having dinner and watching tv. bwahaha. ganun yata ako kapagod yesterday. Sabagay, i was up around 330am yesterday kaya siguro antok na ako. Pero I think my body is slowly getting used to the time zone. medyo di na ako inaantok in the middle of the day. I am sure that I will be ok by tomorrow or saturday.

I hope that who ever called last night calls again to night. I was already sleeping when he called (and it was around 1030) that i was in no condition to talk. bwahaha. i kept falling asleep while talking. bwahaha. teka, ano nga ang pinag usapan natin kagabi?

Sana nga tumawag din ang cousin ko tomorrow para mag set up ng date for the weekend. This is my first time to meet her and her family. Pero I am sure I met her when we were kids, yun nga lang we both dont remember meeting each other. hehehe. Medyo marami kc akong cousins na nagkalat kung saan saan, so I am not really sure kung na meet ko na sya before. All I know is that her grandma and my grandma are sisters, plus I met her parents na rin. Hay, sana nga mag kita kami para may “guide” ako sa Chicago. I mean, who better to give you a tour of the city than someone who is living in it right? They know some places that are nice and not too touristy right? (hmmm is touristy even a word? bwahhahah).

Anyways i have 10 weekends to enjoy Chicago land. I just hope that i dont chicken out on this adventure.

freezing

2007-10-11T08:07:00.000+08:00

October 10, 7pm Chicago time, October 11, 8am Manila time

Grabe ang lamig bigla! Yesterday was such a perfect weather, na akala ko magiging pareho today. hay, was i wrong. tsk tsk

I never thought that i would be so cold. At take note ha, di pa daw ito malamig! grabe, ano ba to. huhuhu. normal lang daw ang lamig na ito for the locals pero for someone like me who is so used to the hot humid weather, ANG LAMIG! Hinanap ko tuloy ang init ng Pinas. bwhhahaha.

Dapat talaga, bumili n ako ng gloves at thermal underpants. Ok na ako sa pang taas at sa protection sa ulo, pero kailangan pa bumili ng thermal thing and gloves. Sana may makita akong maganda or cute na gloves na mura. Actually, i saw a pair in Mango in SM, the block. Kaso ang mahal for 1,500. So di ko binili. I might try going to Kmart or target this weekend to get some necessities. hehehe. Umiral na naman ang pagkakuripot ko. Sana may makita akong mura dito. Kc nga tipid muna ang lola for the first 2 weeks para may pang gala sa downtown. hehehehe

Teka, it’s Wednesday night here… nood muna ako ng aking fave show.

Overwhelmed

2007-10-10T08:21:00.000+08:00

October 9, 6:40pm Chicago Time; October 10, 7:40 Manila Time

Had a long day of meetings and expectation setting today. Boy, was i overwhelmed with the task at hand. Grabe, parang kulang ang 80 days ko dito to cover and really digest everything that is expected of me. Hay, i just hope that i will meet or exceed the expectations of my counterpart. Sana din makabalik pa ako dito soon for further trainings.

Parang na drain ako today but my mind is still active. Gusto ko matapos muna lahat ng mga gagawin ko for today before i call it a night. I still need to email my boss in Manila, submit my time report and syempre while catching-on on what’s new in P.I. hehehe. (that would mean reading on line papers and blogs, reading and answering emails). I also would want to get in touch with some friends who are in the US. Sana makausap ko at mabisita sila.

Ay oo nga pala, medyo nalilito pa rin ako sa currency dito. Ok lang ang mga paper currency, madali lang yun noh. Nalilito ako sa coins nila. bwhahahaha. For the first 3 days here, i always pay in paper or traveller’s check. ok lang, kaso dumadami na ang coins ko sa wallet kaya i need to use it di ba? So kanina at taco bell, i tried paying in bills and coins para sa lunch ko. hehehe. nakakatawa kc the cashier has to help me figure it out.

Actually ok n sana, kaso lang sa bansa ng milk and honey, yung nakalagay na amount sa menu nila ay di pa inclusive of tax, unlike sa manila, kung ano ang nakalagay dun, yun na ang babayaran mo. Dito amount plus tax pa, kaya kanina nung binigay ko sa cashier yung amount na nakalagay sa menu board ($3.79) sabi nya kulang daw, dapat daw $4 something. So what i did was just dump coins on my plam and asked him to just take some para mabuo ang payment. bwhahha.. My counter part even remarked “so you are still getting used to the currency”. bwhahaha ka loka.

Pag dito sa Merka, di ka dapat mag compute ng mga bibilhin mo. Kc kung nag compute ako, I’m sure di ako makakabili ng food kanina. Imagine mo naman, i spent more than $4 for food. Parang 200 or more na yun for lunch ha. Wala pa dun ang dinner ko at kung ano ano pa. bwhahaha. Tapos kahapon naman $8 for some pizza, water and a puff pastry. tsk tsk.

Sana nga lang at tataba ako ng konti dito. Ang payat ko n daw kc eh, parang bangkay. hehehehe… oks lang tumaba, wag lang sobra kc naman kasal ng brother ko sa January and I want to look fit not baboy noh.

The weather today has been great. A perfect weather - not too cold to need a jacket and not too hot. Parang weather sa baguio or sa tagaytay. Perfect for talking a long walk around the park (ang daming trees dito, grabe, ang ganda!) with that perfect someone. Yun nga lang, wala akong someone. bwhahahaa…may chance kaya ako to meet him here? hay, wishful thinking lang talaga.

Anyways, i hope the weater continues till the weekend. Sana i can go downtown and do some sight seeings. I would love to see some parks, the changing of the leaves, the sears tower, visit some museums and see a play. Shopping? well kung may pera pa at kung may mailalagay pa ako sa bag ko without going over. Why do i always pack too much stuff?

Mind and body

2007-10-09T09:18:00.001+08:00

October 8, 8pm Chicago; October 9, 9am Manila

The mind is willing but the body is weak. I really do want to blog about my day today, my first day at the office, my impression of the organic market/grocery store, my impression of the burr ridge area and all that stuff. But even if I want to, my body is screaming that i go to bed and rest. I still have a lot of sleep to catch up on. Hopefully, my body clock will be in tuned to chicago time by tomorrow.

Maybe i will have more time tomorrow… maybe

A new adventure

2007-10-08T11:15:00.000+08:00

October 7, 9:45 pm Chicago; October 8, 10:45am Manila

This is not my first time to travel alone, but this is my first time to travel to a new place where i dont know anyone. This is my first real adventure and my first time to be truly independent. For someone who has no sense of direction, this will not be easy. (Atchie, i’m sure you are agreeing to this. hehehe)

First things first, after shaking off jet lag, I will have to explore the area around the hotel. I saw a farmer’s market and a subway store nearby. I think it is within walking distance. Good thing that the walk from the MRT station to the FX station / office has given me training. hehehe

Second, I will have to ask the hotel front desk for help and directions on how to go to a bus stop, an MRT / Train station and how to go downtown. Since this hotel is located in the suburbs, i need to find a way how to go to some public transport system. Buses and trains in this place run on schedules, unlike in the Philippines where a tricycle or a jeepney is just around the corner. Although I do have a lot to complain about how public transport is run in P.I., I do miss and appreciate how they are very accessible to the public. No waiting, and sometimes, they even drop you off right in front of your gate. hehehe.

Third: I need to come up with an itineray on things to do on weekends. Although i have a high level idea on what to do and what to visit, i need to get details on what museums to visit, how much would it cost to take a tour of the city and the likes. I would also want to see a play or two and try out the local cuisine (the hotdog and pizza). hehehe. This is first on my list with shopping being the last priority. I might do some shopping in November or December. I am hoping that they will have some off-season sale racks. Hey, i don’t need the fall/winter clothes, what i need are the spring / summer line that would be really useful in Manila.

—————————-

I spent the whole day in bed. I only got up to do some reports and sent out emails for a couple of hours but went back to bed around 12nn. Woke up around 5:45 pm, just in time for bukah and magrib prayer.

After a much needed bath (to wake my body up some more), I went for a walk and got some much needed necessities. a bottle of coke, a box of juice, a bottle of water, bread and a pack of chips ahoy. I also had a subway sandwich for dinner. I think i need to go back and get another bottle of water tomorrow. hehehe. Mauubos ko itong 1liter bottle tonight. Yung chocolates, since marami pa akong chocolates, next week n lang ako bibili.

Since i went out pass 6pm, I was not able to get some picture of the pumpkins and the area. I guess i will have next weekend to do it. The only down side of traveling alone is that you dont have someone to take your picture.

Sleepless in Illinois

2007-10-07T14:12:00.000+08:00

Oct 7, 2007; 12:45am Chicago time, 1:45pm Manila time.

Although the mind (and my tired body) knows that i really need to get some much needed rest and sleep, my body clock is contradicting them. I arrived at 2pm in Chicago after a very, very long and tiring trip from Manila. It is true that i gained a day but why does it seem that the hours gained are not enough?

I still need to familiarize myself with the area, find the nearest public transport system going to Chicago from Burr Ridge, find a grocery store, and a fast food chain within walking distance of my hotel (which seems to be located right in the middle of nowhere.) I also need to send out emails and reports by 5pm manila time. Which would very well could mean that my Sunday will be spent in the hotel room. tsk tsk… given these tasks and deadlines, coupled with a lack of sleep, i just hope that my body won’t give up on me.

Anyways, the place i am staying is ok. Although it lacks some amenities i am familiar with in Manila hotels (ref and microwave), it has free internet access and big fluffly pillows!
I just love the bed and pillows. I am booked in a room with a king sized bed and i have 6 super soft and fluffy pillows. Heaven… (although i only have a couple of hours sleep so far. hehehe). I intend to get the most out of this bed. Too bad, i dont have anyone to share the bed with. bwhahaha

So while i wait for sleep to come, i might as well check my emails, blog, and make the reports. I might just finish all the work in 2 hours and get the rest i need after.

hoping to make a comeback

2007-10-07T12:19:00.000+08:00

It has been ages since i last blogged. I hope that i can make a comeback real soon

BORED

2007-04-07T21:26:00.000+08:00

5 days vacation = 5 days staying at home ALONE = nothing to do = BORED

family night = game night

2006-12-30T00:44:00.000+08:00

So far, every night spent in zamboanga this vacation is alloted for family night... which means, every night is game night. :)

Board games such as life, monopoly, uno are top picks. If we are too lazy to set up or play, nights are reserved for story telling. hehehehe

How I wish life is as simple as this all the time.

Thanks 2006

2006-12-23T22:32:00.000+08:00

The count down officially starts today, December 23! In a few days, we will be saying good bye and thank you to 2006 and welcome to 2007.

2006 can be considered my breakthrough year. It is the year when i said good bye to old friends, and to the "relaxed" office atmosphere. It is the year when i tackled new challenges, made new friends, found some kindred spirits and pushed myself more.

2006 is the year when i said "it's time to get out of my comfort zone!" A time when i took on more challenges, applied myself more and started to give myself a pat on the back. It is the year when i rewarded myself with shoes, and that trip abroad with friends.

What do i have to look forward for in 2007?

A planned visit to Canada and the US. (i really do have to take care of the visa requirements soon).
The turnover of our (aka the 3 marias) unit in pioneer.
My sister's wedding
A family vacation to Hong Kong
A great family reunion
A better life, career and love
Knowing myself and my religion better
Challenging myself more
A diamond ring (?) -- kung walang mag bibigay, eh di bibili ako ng sarili kong ring! bwhahahaha.
More shoes!

tired but happy

2006-12-23T21:51:00.000+08:00

Never again! Never again will i attempt to travel just a couple of days before Christmas. Never again will i arrive in the airport with just over an hour to spare before boarding. Never again will i take the early morning flight going home. Never again!!!!

Famous last words?? Well, yes!

Today has been toxic for me. Imagine starting the day with stress level so high you could snap at anytime.

My flight home is scheduled December 23, 530am. Which means that i need to be checked in 45 minutes before the flight (445am). Well, being me, i arrived at centennial airport at 410am with lines so long, that it would take at least 30 minutes to go through the first luggage check. Stupid me, forgetting my first rule of thumb... never fly 2 days before Christmas!

At around 430am, i was still no where near the entrance and started to panic... so i have to work my (ehem) "charms" and ask the guard if there was an express lane for passengers whose flights were leaving in less than an hour.

He pointed me to the guard near the entrance and told me to tell him that my flight was leaving at 5! Cut the line, he said... hmmm... pwede rin! bwhahaha. Good thing that the airport personnel were calling out for passengers whose flight are leaving in less than an hour or i would really would follow the advice of cutting in line. :)

Good thing that i had no check-in baggage (all i have is one knapsack) that i breezed through airport security (just 1 item to check and xray) and check in. As luck would have it, i was able to get the seat that i wanted - a window seat a seat away from the rear exit. :) and the first to board the plane. Looks like lady luck was smiling at me today!

Or was she? :)

Although we were able to board on time, the flight was a few minutes delayed due to the volume of luggage. I mean, hello, we have to wait for at least 10 or 15 minutes para lang matapos ang pag load ng bagahe! tsk tsk. Buti na lang at hand carried item lang ang dala ko... no more need to wait for the bags! bwhahahaha.

********

Since first day in the province today, dapat make the most out of the vacation.

Upon arrival (ETA 730am), i proceed home to drop off my bag, change into beach wear and then head for the beach immediately! Oks lang even if i only had 3 or 4 hours of sleep, i could make up for it tonight. I can hear my name being called by the waters of the south. :)

happy holidays

2006-12-23T21:25:00.000+08:00

I admit, i have been a bad, bad girl this year... i have been negligent on my duties to post my thoughts, to update my blog and to continually check on what is happening in this side of the world. But even then, i hope santa would bring me a gift. :)

Happy holidays!

BOO PLDT! BOOO!!!!

2006-09-16T01:01:00.000+08:00

I hate the PLDT service!

Last June, our PLDT phone line went dead. So naturally i called up the "customer service" hot-line of the company to complain and ask if there was any problem with the line. The one who answered the phone told me that there was no advice from the "technical people" about any trouble but would send out a team to our house to fix the problem. Expect DAW the team to arrive within the next 48 hours.

After a week, still no dial tone and still no technical support team to check on the problem. So i called them again. This time, their answer was the problem was caused by cable / copper wires being stolen in our area and that it would take a while for them to fix the problem.

Naturally, I told them that I will NOT PAY for the time of NO SERVICE (ie no dial tone). All they could tell me was: "Cge po ma'am, pag may dial tone na, itawag ninyo sa number na ito at bibigyan kayo ng rebate". ... That was what i wanted to hear, that i will NOT be billed for the period when there was no service. CLOSED BOOK... or Is it?

After more than 3 weeks of no dial tone, I finally got a dial tone, so i then called the PLDT hot-line to report that I now have a dial tone and that they should start processing the rebate. I got irritated when I got this answer "Sorry po ma'am di pa namin ma close yung ticket kc di pa tumatawag ang technical team to say na ok ang line ninyo"... WHAT??? I was using the line to tell them that it was already fixed, but they said its not? ano ba yan????

SO anyway, i called back in a couple of days to find out if the rebate has already been process... Still i got the same answer: "we cannot process the rebate until technical tells us its ok". After several attempts, i finally got the answer i wanted... REBATE under process.

Imagine my anger when i got a billing (last August) for the period that there was no dial tone. So AGAIN I called up the "customer service" line and got a confirmation that indeed there was a rebate and that i should wait for my next billing since it will be reflected there.

So what i did was just pay for the period (july) where there is a dial tone and NOT for the privious month's (june) billing thinking that the rebate will be given in september. Well, i was wrong. Not only was i billed again for the june period, but i was given a disconnection notice on top of the billing for august.

Hay naku ano ba yan! Padisconnect ko n lang kaya? All i really wanted with PLDT was that 10 php per call thing to any part of the Philippines. Parang gusto ko na igive up yung service na yun.

Bayantel has better service. I should know, also subscribe to it. It offers a quick turn around on issues (a 48 hour guaranteed service); an immediate rebate and lower international call. Besides, i dont think i need 2 lines. We only got the second line (PLDT) just in case calls cant get through the primary number (Bayantel) for reasons such as : telebabad, or when the bayantel line goes dead during typhoons. Since these reasons are no longer applicable due to celphones, texts, and better bayantel service, I might just give up the PLDT line.

The only thing stopping me from disconnecting it is that the line is under my sister's name. And only she could request for the discontinuation of service. Somehow, after several months, we still have the PLDT line as she is busy with work and other stuff.

Meanwhile, all i could do is rant and AGAIN call the service line to complain. BOO PLDT!

busy daw

2006-08-05T20:46:00.000+08:00

Been busy with work lately that i cant seem to find time to blog... that and the fact that i was down with the flu for a week. :(

The up-side to being down with the flu was being able to watch the complete season of my favorite shows (house - season 1&2; grey's anatomy - season 1&2, CSI, and desperate housewives). Bwhahaha. The only problem i have with this is that i have to wait for the new season to start in the US... Hay, can't wait to find out what will happen to Dr. House, the doctors in grey's anatomy.

Hmmm... ano pa ba ang latest?? Ah end of season sale pala... kaya nga dapat di ako dumadaan or pumupunta sa mall. Grabe, bought 3 pairs of shoes in just a matter of days! buti na lang at mga 50 to 70% off ang mga ito. Great buys naman, kaya ok lang. Now, if only i could resist the "sale" signs. bwhahaha.

superman rocks

2006-07-02T03:02:00.000+08:00

my fave superhero rocks!

my disney holiday

2006-06-12T10:24:00.001+08:00

All our bags are packed and ready to go...standing beside the disney train, eagerly waiting for departure.

Can't wait for my date with donald and mickey. :) (with my good friend christine at the disney train station in sunny bay... dont you just love the mickey windows?)

One could feel the excitement and anticipation in the air, after all when does a 30 year old get to be a child for one day? Here we are at the gateway of the magical realm

As Sharon qued for tickets, christine and i can't pass off another photo op. hehehe

Another photo op in adventure land... on our way to see the lion king show, take the jungle cruise and visit tarzan's treehouse.

After watching the Lion King show / musical.

Us trying to move the stranded jeepney. hehehe (as if we could!)

Sleeping beauty's castle

With Donald duck... Leo, me, donald, christine and sharon... now we all know why he has such quick temper... pano palaging may kabag dahil walang salawal. bwhahahah

The world on our shoulders in tomorrow land. Had a blast riding space mountain (rode 2x) hehehe

Sleeping beauty's castle at night. taken just before the fireworks show.

My day in disney? Tired feet, sore back, empty wallet, happy heart... a magical weekend!

Excited

2006-05-31T20:38:00.000+08:00

After a weekend in verde island, I am looking forward to a weekend of fun, shopping, bonding and Disneyland!

Not only am I looking forward to spending the weekend with Mickey and Donald, but i am even more excited to spend the weekend bonding with friends and enjoying my much deserved break. This will be my birthday gift to myself. Hey, even without a boyfriend, i could still enjoy right? (hmm. anyone there interested to apply? hehehe)

Kidding aside, the long weekend will be a chance for me to reflect (i hope) and look back at what i have done with (and in) my life for the past 31 years. (yes, i am not afraid to reveal my age). I am thankful to have such loving and supportive family and friends, a satisfying job (such an answered prayer this year) and a seemingly healthy life (pano kc tumataba na, hehehe... sarap kumain eh). What else can I ask for? Well, a loving relationship would be nice. hehehe

I am just counting the days till Hong Kong (9 days) and my birthday (17 days). You could just send all your gifts to *******. hehehe.

my summer holiday

2006-05-31T20:17:00.000+08:00

My summer holiday in Verde Island...

Just arrived in Verde Island with officemates... Too tired after a long journey, but couldnt help smiling (and posing) hehehe

Mga feeling models..

Rest muna dito, pagod sa byahe.

the water's too inviting. Don't you just want to take a dip?

getting ready for the climb of our lives

After a long, long climb (250 steps going up) we took a much needed rest... but couldnt pass the opportunity to ham it up to the cameras. hehehe

Parang di napagod sa climb ano?

The "models" taking another shot. (hmmm that's me with the blue hat).

A much needed rest. Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the _____???

more pics soon

my new housemates

2006-05-17T21:17:00.000+08:00

meet my new housemates... they will be dropping in on saturday.

How cute can these kittens be???

making room for the new housemates

2006-05-16T20:10:00.000+08:00

My sister is so excited to bring home her new babies (ie kittens) that she worked like a madman to clean the living room and make it a better place for the kittens.

I have never seen her as excited about something, grabe, she even bought some toys and pillows for the kittens, even buying a "tree" for them. (see image below)

So for the first time in weeks, my living space is a great place for entertainment. hehehe. Buti n lang darating ang bago kong housemates

if there is anyone out there who is a cat lover, we welcome any tips to make their lives (as well as ours) easier.

The good thing is, we won't be coming home to an empty house anymore. Can't wait till the weekend to see my "pamangkins". hehehehe

I'm back!

2006-05-14T19:10:00.000+08:00

After weeks of being busy with work, am i back and in charge of my life! The weeks of preparation for the audit has left us all tired but fulfilled as it seems we are going to pass the audit (which was conducted last week).

In the weeks preparing for the audit, meant sleeples nights (aka OT) and early days at the office... it was a good thing that we (my office mates and I) went to verde island in batangas for much needed R&R.

Needless to say, the trip to batangas was still part of the job but it was really a welcome break from the daily grin that is office work. I will be posting the pictures as soon as i can.

Meanwhile, i am looking forward to the company outing, my vacation in hong kong and my approaching birthday. I am also looking forward to movie nights (the da vinci code, over the hedge, x-men III, etc).

I am also looking forward to meeting new friends, conversations over coffee and lots of good places to have dinner.

Till then, Be Happy all!!

goodbye

2006-04-18T16:40:00.000+08:00

First lonely night
What will I do
I feel my heart breaking in two
I'm such a fool
When will I learn
I fell so deep
Then I got burned

If you gave just one reason why
My heart just might let go
Maybe one day I will fall in love again
But for now I'll just leave my heart in two

If I never fall in love again
If I never touch your skin again
If I never feel again this way
If I never see another day
Remember me
Remember this
'Cause one thing that will never change
Is the feeling in my heart
So broken by you

Love still remains
After you're gone
please explain where did I go wrong

*********

Thanks to kat, this truly reflects how i feel.

summer na!

2006-04-02T12:16:00.000+08:00

It's the official start of summer. Time to go to the beach, time to relax, and time to diet. hehehe

Summer na! Sobrang init na. Time for ice cold cokes, iced teas and halo-halo.

Summer na! Time for barkada summer outings. Time for Baguio, Tagaytay, and the Beach. Time for food and road trips with the barkadas.

La, lang... wala lang akong maisip na post. :) enjoy the season

hello and goodbyes

2006-03-18T13:53:00.000+08:00

Saying good-bye
Saying good-bye is not the easiest thing in the world but sometimes you just have to do it. It may be for a variety of reasons such as opportunity (such as a new job, better lifestyle, a new home, travel, etc) or circumstance (death, migration, exile, break-up, etc). But whatever the reason(s) might be, it is doubly hard when you don’t know when you will get to see / be with them again and extremely hard (and devastating) when you know that you will never see them again in this lifetime.

In the past two years, I have said my hardest goodbyes. I said good-bye to my grandma, to siblings and close friends who went abroad for greener pastures, to officemates and to a close personal friend.

Each of those good-byes was difficult at different levels. One of those last forever, others are only temporary, while others have no define timeframe (i.e. when I get to meet them again). Whatever it might me, I just have to learn to deal with it.

Making things easier
While the separation is hard for both parties (as in the case of love ones moving / migrating to another country), technology has made it easier for us to communicate.

My siblings and I touch base through phone calls (at least once a month), the frequent emails and sms. My college friends and I have YM and the weekly (and sometimes daily) email. There is also the occasional get-together when they are in town.

Emails, text / sms and phone calls (albeit expensive) are just some of the tools we use to find out how each one is doing (and letting them know how much they are loved and missed). Although these tools bridge the distance, by no means does it make up for human contact.

I do miss the the things my friends and I used to do.l.. The get togethers every wednesday and sundays. The late night talks, the spur of the moment out of towns, the laughter and what have yous. These days, i just have to contend myself to emails and texts. I just hope that the distance between us will never be a hindrance to what we have gone through.

Hello
I am looking forward to two asean travels this year. Hopefully, come June, I will have saved enough to visit my friends in China and HongKong. This will be my first travel abroad in 6 years! As such, I am really hoping for a grand vacation and birthday.

I am also planning to go to singapore by November and hopefully save just enough for a tour / travel to Canada and the US. I just hope that friends i have in these countries will welcome me with open arms as it will also be a chance to touch base with them.

So many plans, I just hope that I get the time to do them. Sana rin, payagan ako ng office to take a few days off.

ironic

2006-02-25T14:04:00.000+08:00

isn't it ironic, that on the 20th anniversary of EDSA, on the day where the Filipino people gained back their freedom, that freedom is once again in danger as GMA issues a state of emergency?

*********
People who have voiced their opposition to GMA have been arrested.

Some without warrants (as in the case of UP Prof Randy David) and others with warrants issued 21 years ago (Rep. Crispin Beltran). Cases have been filed against former Sen. Gringo Honnasan regarding the failed Oakwood coup 3 years ago.

*********
The right to an assembly has been curtailed. All rally permits revoked.

The Tribune newspaper's printing press searched by the police. Items sized. Media has been told that the government can and will take over their operations if they broadcast or publish news that would be against the government.

If this does not smell like martial law, i don't know what it is.

It is constitutionally illegal. The proclamation title and the body speaks of 2 different things. .. This president really wants to hold on to the position no matter what. Is she Marcos in the making? or is she more dangerous than him?

busy busy

2006-02-23T19:51:00.000+08:00

Been so busy with work lately that I dont have time to post... that and the fact that I have no access to blogger in my new environment. Blogger is blocked. :(

Anyways, will be trying to post soon! I have meant to react on that controversial cartoon. Might have time this sat.

Meanwhile, I still have some "alone time" ... Might as well watch TV and chill