Pretty little pockets

Tito Ernie

2009-07-20T03:47:40Z

If there was one thing in my life that God always managed to fill, it's the presence of valuable and true friendships around me. ULTRA, who I called a family for the longest time, is really composed of 9 couples whose links between one to the other traversed the three main regions of the Philippines. They even put up a business, primarily to help another member-friend, and forge a stronger bond between the families. The dividends earned are mostly used to finance memorable out-of-town trips and reunion parties, that's always filled with fun and laughter.

I've been through so much with these people, and they are closer to me than my actual relatives. Last night, I attended the wake of my Tito Ernie, one of the original founders. He is the fourth parent to leave us and though mom was the third, I felt a deeper sense of remorse for his family. This is the first time that someone close to me lost a family member after mom, and as I've already been through it, I can say that I know exactly how they are feeling and will not want to go through that again. Behind the smile and controlled faces, their spirits are shattered and fear of missing him is ultimately running through their heads. Having people around helps ease the pain, and that's why it's important that we make ourselves available for them.

Tito Ernie, you will be missed. He was one of the good guys. He was unpretentious and selfless - he was blessed abundantly and dedicated his life by serving the Lord. He sponsored a lot of people who were in need; and he was one of the organizers of the rescue team for Quezon landslide. He even adopted a little boy during then, in hopes of creating a better future for him. He was unlike anyone that I know of.

It is no wonder that his wake was so packed despite renting two halls. There were people milling around the groundfloor of Manila Memorial because they couldn't get a seat during the service. Even Gary Valenciano sang for him, and everyone was moved to tears by this special gesture.

I know he's in a better place, with mom. I just pray for the strength of his family, who is going through this very difficult ordeal.

More than the memories, thank you for the life lessons Tito. You did more than teach us, you became an example.

Baguio

2009-03-30T13:16:41Z

Just came down from Baguio this morning via the midnight Victory Liner deluxe bus, which, I might say, is the most comfortable mode of transportation I've ever been in. It's got plush, over-sized seats that feels like a Business Class in a plane. I was pleasantly surprised.

In a nutshell, I had to go up for the wedding of one my oldest friends, Rinka, who I've known since the 6th grade. The groom, on the otherhand, is Zach, a good friend of Becky's and my good friend's Sara's ex-boyfriends best friend and I've known him in the party and band scene back in college. Because of these connections, I knew almost half of the guest personally, but in varying circles and network. Rinka also turns out to be my other good friend's Jenn's husband first cousin (are you getting a headache yet) so naturally, they're also part of the wedding party.

The ceremony was held in the putting green area of Baguio Country Club. Breathtaking place. My camera couldn't capture the effect properly but definitely can be considered the best places to get married. And though it was cold, the bright morning sun came down on us intensely and causing the groom to get a sunburn. I think I even got tanned! (No one will ever believe that story though).

The scenery is a nice change after the blistering Manila heat but after a day, i was ready to trade the mountain weather to sweltering Manila. It was so cold. My feet were frozen most of the time and I kept on shivering. It was getting be be quite uncomfortable too. To get out minds off it, Maui because our tour guide and brought us to awesome food places in Baguio. Got fatter and will now get involved in a no-eating vow for my Subic trip next week.

A.I.

2009-02-26T11:55:52Z

A.I. is so predictable. They purposely put the best people in the end of the show, probably because it gives more retention for the voters.

And they have to make sure they stay in.

Case and point. Danny Gokey and this week, Adam Lambert. Next week I bet it's

Bets this week:
Adam Lambert (he does not look like Robert Pattinson eck and apparently he loves the Twilight Saga. I think he's gay)
Megan Corkrey(I really love this girl! and she sang one of my most favorite songs)
Jesse Langseth/Allison Iraheta

Maybe Matt Breitzke or Nick Mitchell if they need entertainment.

I think I will be getting my tattoo VERY soon.

ValentiMes

2009-02-15T04:46:33Z

Last night, my V-day plan did not include wine, roses, and romantic dinner for two, because, well, i didn't have a date. So, as part of the annual celebration, our family along with my titas held a potluck dinner for everyone who were dateless or just too lazy to get out. Wierd thing was, with the exception of my brother who was out with his friends, EVERYONE was there. Like my titas, titos, cousins, etc/ What? Twenty years later and EVERYONE was spending their Valentines night the same way? Something is very wrong with this picture.

But nonetheless, we stuffed ourselves with great food and Asti. And as part of the the singles V-day plan, Marsha decided to throw a drink-and-jam-party for all the single ladies (and boys) out there. I invited my friends but you know what? Most of them were on a date and I think I was the only one celebrating this alone! Oh well. But it was a blast. We drank and we jammed (hence the party title) and I really, really missed that.

I barely knew the people there as it was the first time I hung out with Marsha's friends and it was part of extend-my-friendship circle pact I made with myself when Jana and I were talking about how everyone knew everyone else in Manila and people tend to cling to their own comfort groups. She pointed out that it's not that the circle is small - but the people are. They don't make an effort to expand their network of friends and befriend those who are different from them. Notice that most of our association know each other from school, band scene or the movie scene. But she makes an effort to join different social groups like diving, jujitsu and god knows what else to do something different and meet new people. This girl has only been in this country for 3 years but she has triple the friends I have, all from different walks of life. So, I decided to be a lot more sociable and try things I've never done and hang out with people I didn't know.

And it paid off. I had such a great time because they were doing stuff we did in college. Bring out the guitar, play and sing. I remember most of our pictures during those days involved people on a banig with a guitar on hand. It was brought everywhere - Baguio, Puerto, Bora, and every other bench party we had (and even the friday night party at Jun's place during freshman year!). The Bora was one of the best as Nino and Fort and Dave free-jammed by the beach. The feeling wasn't a reminiscent one but more like a pang on why we had to stop doing this. It was so good back then, laze around and listen to the strings, sing on top of your lungs, with a beer on hand. Now, I guess due to time and distance (and lack of talented people) constraint, our meeting places has either been restaurants or bars in Makati.

Funny thing was when I said that Manila is small, I guess Manila is small, no matter who you meet and where you go. In my 5-hour stay there, I met a couple of people who knew some of my inner circle of friends. I guess I expected that because they are from the band scene but you just can't escape that. I met Mo, who apparently used to produce shows in KAFE in Katipunan (aaah! That dingy old place!),and a Carlos, who, earlier that day, met up with Rinka, Enzo and Zach. Tsk. tsk.

Eh.

2009-02-07T02:36:43Z

I woke up this morning feeling just like the subject of this journal - Eh. There was a reason why I told myself to limit and even eliminate my beer intake. One, I am in a midst of a diet and beer will screw it up. 100 percent. And two, I don't really like the sensation of waking about a beer-filled night. I feel lethargic, exhausted and worse of all, depressed. Never failed to do that to me and has definitely creeped in this morning.

Actually, part of this unsettling feeling has to do with the events last night. Did the usual college "gimmick", gig and beer. It was nostalgic but it felt better back then. Now, I just feel like someone older who came in to watch the scene. I tried to get into the mood but apart from OBS, I thought everyone else was not up to standards. Even Kjwan - well, I just really liked one song (actually it was the only one I knew) but I guess I realized I don't like them as much as I think I did. I'd watch them live if my friends watch but they're definitely not hitting my IPOD anytime soon. The one thing that made it all great were my friend whose crazy pictures made the event looked more fun that it actually was. But it was great having them around because all we did was good off.

I think my cousin Marsha had a better time. Well, she's currently entering the band scene and reminds me of the gushy band-aid/groupie thing we had back in Sophomore year (which expanded until after college for some). The ones who go to gigs all the time. Never mind the location - be it provincial Alabang, a grungy bar in Manila or a trashed bistro in Aurora, my friends will be there. I feel old but I think I am so over that.

But, the worst part about last night was the drive home. I was cruising at 90kph in SLEX and suddenly, the hood of my car went up to my windshield! (For those who don't know, I was in an accident two weeks ago which caused my hood to loosen). I just heard a huge thud and a shriek of two of my passengers - my cousin Marsha and her friend Saki. I don't know what came over me but I was extremely calm. I knew right away it was the hood but since I couldn't see anything, I braked suddenly, but cautiously enough that none of the cars behind me will be caught unaware. I ran with that for a good 20 meters and I just kept on praying that God, none of the cars in front of me slow down or else we're screwed. When we stopped safely, Marsh and I got down to close the hood. Needless to say, the two were freaked out. Marsh thought we hit a truck and I think she's currently in a bit of a traumatic state. Then when I got in the car, I tried to look behind me and noticed, hey, I can't see anything! That's because my rearview mirror fell! In the midst of the horrors, I kinda found it funny.

So, the entire ride home, I was in blinkers and didn't run for more than 60kph.

The weird thing about that incident was that I didn't feel scared. Not at all. Just a bit surprised. A sense of calm held me through out - even though in theory, it's something that I would have been majorly freaked out over. But I still have this overwhelming sense of guilt to my passengers. They were kinda mentally affected and I was tossing all night thinking that what if there were stalled trucks in front of a us? Or a car that slowed down? We would have totally hit them and it would have been my fault to drag 2 other people (even though a hood opening is not something I expected). I know we are safe but that stupid nagging feeling can't get out of my head. Maybe it's because two weeks ago, I got myself into a head-on collision with a small truck. Or maybe because during that time, the 28-year old brother of one of my block mates in died in an auto accident in Commonwealth after hitting a stalled truck he didn't see. I don't know. All I know is that I'm allergic to road-related mishaps nowadays.

God I can't wait to earn enough to get a personal driver so I have someone to drive me all over.

Irked

2008-10-20T16:53:10Z

I know I'm being melodramatic but I get into a defensive mode every time Ateneo's credibility is questioned. It started with a casual conversation in the car earlier and I noted that Ateneo has become the top university in the Philippines given its ranking jump from 400+ rank in 2007 to 254 in 2008. http://www.topuniversities.com/worlduniversityrankings/results/2008/overall_rankings/fullrankings/

Then, my cousin, coming from UP (who previously held the top spot) said that that the survey was paid for and the reason why UP went down this year and Ateneo went up is because Ateneo paid and they did not. I was just annoyed at myself for not defending my alma mater outright and just nodded.

So tomorrow (or the next time I see her), I'll tell her off. I think we deserve, it after a number of years of trying so hard. I still believe that we have the best academic experience, not to mention campus and faculty (ok, maybe we need more who have better degrees). And this is not just the Ateneo ego talking.

Dilemma

2008-08-20T05:51:51Z

Globe will launch its IPHONE in 2 days and since I was up for a reward since my last lock-up ended last May, I inquired if I was eligible for it.

They said I could either get it for 10,000 or get a rebate of 1,800 for 24 months.

What a dilemma. Here's the thing. I really, really want that IPHONE. And its cheap if I get it as my reward. But again, I'm not swimming in cash right now, plus I don't really need it. And it's only $200 in the States and a lot of people got it unlocked here. And, come on, 1,800 rebate over 24 months is a lot.

BUT I REALLY WANT THE IPHONE. *tear* Gosh, if my budget control isn't in full-force mode right now, you would have definitely seen me with it by next week.

we're in perezhilton

2008-08-11T14:49:26Z

Nothing puts a country in a map than a feature in www.perezhilton.com, one of the world's most popular (gossip) sites. Ever since Belo flew Dita Von Teese for an astounding 8 Million pesos for Belo Medical's 18th anniversary party, that's all people talked about. And now, surprisingly, it found its way to Perez' spot.

Now, if only they featured good looking men. Those gigolos looked like they were just picked off from the streets!

check it out!
http://perezhilton.com/2008-08-11-thrilla-in-manila#respond

mad_overlord @ 2008-07-29T12:48:00

2008-07-29T04:51:58Z

God. I hate that I'm such a whore for all things popular. Right now, I want to read Watchmen, just because the movie is creating a frenzy. It's the new must-watch superhero movie of 2009 and I must say, the trailer is intriguing.

So, who has a copy?

Did I just do something wrong?

2008-07-22T14:20:54Z

I got an unexpected call yesterday from a good friend. She sounded strained and asked if she could stay over for around three days. Apparently, she's a victim of yet another spousal infedelity and was in a wreck. She needed a place away from her life so she could calm down and think.

I and two of our friends were with her in Alabang today trying to decipher the incident and put our opinions on the table. I can see it's very difficult for her - but it's a good thing I've seen my mom in a much worse situation so I was able to offer some healthy advice. I just find it ironic that how one of the world's most loathsome vice has a predictable behavioural pattern. From the way the cheating party acts to the reaction of the affected one. Her depression has been erratic. There are times when she's fine and times when she suddenly burst into tears.

On my part, I listen to her woes but learnt from my previous experience that you should also try to keep things in a normal state so I veer away from the subject when I can. The thing is, I also learnt that personally, I keep away from heavy emotional baggage. It's like incidents from the year before left a traumatic mark and I'm not ready to relive it just yet.

So, I did what any good friend would do. I gave her a sleeping pill.

Hey, she hasn't slept in 5 days and I think that it should help her regain her strength and induce some clarity. Right? Yikes.

Warning: Long rambles on The Dark Knight

2008-07-19T02:48:22Z

After the hype, pre-booked tickets and astronomical lines for Batman, I won't be surprised if there is hundreds of entry about the movie. In fact, I am third amongst my multiply list.

Early on, I blogged about being greatly surprised when I saw Batman Begins so consider this a part of an ongoing tradition. I did not see it in the theaters because I wasn't excited about it. I didn't even wait for it in DVD - it was something I discovered after a bored afternoon and decided to pop some ramdom DVD in the player. I enthusiastically watched the others before but it wasn't exceptional. It was mere a action-fantasy film that had predictable plots and two dimensional characters. Then, Christian Bale emerged. No, this is not a bias even though I love him. Like I want to be with Bruce Wayne-Christian Bale. Sigh. Christopher Nolan created a whole new realm of the series. It was darker, more meaningful and thought provoking. The action scenes were intense but subtle. As a girl, I've always felt bored watching an action-packed scene after 3 minutes. But, this time, it was too fascinating to ignore.

The Dark Knight hype did live up to expectations, and maybe even more. It's hard to keep that - a sequel to a mind-blowing movie, Heath Ledger's impeccable portrayal of the Joker, plus the fact that it was the last full movie he ever made, and the buzz this film just created (Kudos to the Marketing Team of the Warner Bros). Talk about leaving with a bang. I'm just glad this is the legacy that he left and not the grungy, teenage hotness rebel he was in 10 Things I Hate About You (even though I absolutely loved him in that especially with his rendition of "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You").

I've been reading reviews about The Dark Knight out of excitement and people have been commenting how Heath was frightening. He was brilliant, yes, but I don't think he really instilled fear in the audience. At least not in me. Maybe it was how the movie can seem strangely realistic even though it was set in a fictional town with super heroes and crazy villains and you begin to think it can happen in this world if someone was psychotic enough to bring about chaos. It helped that Batman Begins set the pace and tone for the entire series and it explained the beginnings of The Batman, thus, letting the audience accept him as a real person and not just as a comic book character. You understand his issues and conflict which continued on to the sequel. True to this light, even the villains (especially the Joker) development to their present mental stage was illuminated. Everytime there was a collision between the good and evil, tinges of the Joker's origin emerges and you understand.

I love the way how the theme of the movie was used and remained consistent throughout espcially with the latter scene. I wish I could explain more but I would spoil it for people who haven't seen it and would kill me.

Another note: I'm probably the only person in the world who said this but they should have kept Katie Holmes. Again, hard to explain without spoilers. No, I do not thing Katie is better than Maggie - in fact, I think she did a much better job than Katie but let's put it this way. If that's how the plot went, then it's more fun to see Katie in that position. Ayyy...hard to explain. Maybe I'll write about it next week.

So, the movie was yet another reunion for the bench. Thanks Terri for arranging everything! The last movie we saw together was probably the first Lord of the Rings.

And yes, I want to watch it again. Maybe IMAX but I don't really care. This definitely one of those movies that will make you buy the original DVD in blue ray, buy an 80 inches a high-definition TV and a full home theater system. Yes Mr. Bale, I'll do that for you.

And I forsee and additional person in our stalker list next year girls!

Boobie Name Generator

2008-07-14T14:12:17Z

I've been on a hiatus with my live journal and I thought I'd start again with a bang.

Love this!

Your Boobies' Names Are...

The Blind Melons

Boobie Name Generator

I have a new favorite breakfast

2008-06-12T02:30:00Z

Finally.

Something healthy to start off the day. I've been so used to skipping breakfast and it's been screwing up my eating regime that I end up pigging out by the end of the day.

So now, with the discovery of oatmeal with tableya, I feel like I'm one step in healthy land. I've hated oatmeal for as long as I can remember but now, I feel like I'm having chocolate from breakfast without feeling guilty about it. You guys should try it!

Feeling betrayed

2008-03-16T12:53:48Z

I've always thought I was a confrontational person but I realized I'm not as brave if there is a lot at stake. Though I've known that the company I'm trying to build and myself has been used as a scapegoat to cover her controversial relationship, I haven't gotten the nerve to tell her to just stop lying because I and the whole world knows what she's up to. I have to admit that her lies are pretty creative and believable but again, I'm not stupid. I guess part of it is that she might get defensive and might ruin the partnership but if we're going to be professional about it, it's something she and I have to deal with it.

People have been telling me to be careful when you build a business with a partner. Make sure that they are trustworthy, first and foremost because you will be dealing with money. I've always thought that Jeanne was someone I can trust and we work well together. But, lately, instead of pulling her weight, she uses her work to get to makati and do things she cannot otherwise do because of her parent's strong opposition with her current boyfriend. She's always prioritized her lovelife over anything else - even if she's pulling down everyone along the way. Heck, that's why she was in that horrible accident that almost killed her in the first place.

Like all of our mutual friends, we are so sick of this matter that we prefer not to bother anymore. We have other things in life to deal with. Better things. But if she's going to run out with her boyfriend instead of fulfilling her tasks, then something has to be done. I just need results from her - but I haven't seen that. I don't even see her monitoring her staff.

Even Joy is mad at her. I feel bad for her - she just had a bleeding from an on-going pregnancy, a condition that she trusted Jeanne and I with. She made us promise not to tell anyone but Jeanne had to tell Vic. Joy was really upset but she couldn't express her anger in fear of endagering her baby. But the worst part was that she had to lie about it. She was going to bring Vic to the hospital, which aggravated Joy. Apparently, she told Joy that Vic thought it was only food poisoning. Hello, the deal was this.ONE. Do not tell anyone she was in the hospital. TWO. Joy was in the maternity floor. I'm sure she knew that!

It's really infuriating. She's been betraying everyone. And I intend to let it all out tomorrow.

Looking for Programmers!

2007-12-02T04:36:43Z

To those who could probably help me:

The candidate must be willing to be based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and will start as early as January 2008.

My dad is in need of 20 computer programmers who have 3+ yrs of experience in Oracle, D2k, PL/SQL, forms, Reports etc. Salary will depend upon the experience and education of the candidate. To give you a ball park figure it will range from RM 4,000- RM 7,000. per month (P52,000 - P91,000). Apart from that they will also cover the individual, spouse & kids (if married) under medical insurance. They have an annual bonus component which can vary from 1-3mths salary depending upon the candidates’ performance during the year.

If you are or know anyone who is interested, you can text me at 0917.8928200 or email me at jenn.canada@gmail.com

Thank you!

Government Agencies

2007-10-30T13:18:38Z

am cursed. When it comes to government agencies, it takes forever with lots of complication for me to get it done.

Case and point: We had to renew our SEC application because the we were supposed to put Inc. insted of company limited, which was one of the choiced in the drop box in the SEC site for name registration. And we submitted the first draft too. So why didn't they tell us then? It's a good thing we hired somebody to take of this otherwise I would have gone nuts.

And today, I decided to get my exam permit for the broker's licensure 2 weeks before the due date because we were warned that the last day is crazy with the examinees lining up for hours just to get the documents processed. And today, when it's supposedly too early, took 2 hours with just around 10 people in line. There was no system! We kept on coming back to that one guy who processes the papers after each step. Oh my. I missed an appointment because of this but since I was pressed for time with the Cebu trip and all, I couldn't put it off to another day.

ayayayayayayayayay.

Missing Ateneo, Bbq popcorn, amongst other things

2007-10-30T13:09:13Z

Last week, I dropped by Ateneo to get my transcript and diploma for the Broker's Licensure Exam. I was surprised to see another building erected on my school's grounds. That's like the third one since I graduated. Are they really expanding that much? Do they need that many buildings? Go figure. I heard that there was even a Figaro inside. Whoa. Ateneo is stepping up. So on top of that, with two Starbucks, a Seattles Best, Xocolat and other miniscule cafes along Katipunan, students are now given a variety of options to choose an ambience fit for their academic needs. Sosyal.

I remember the days when we used to trudge to Starbucks half way down Katipunan keeping alert on all the suspicious characters for it was the height of holdups and petty crimes targeted towards the affluent Ateneo kids. There was only one cafe then and with the P150 lattes, we hoarded a table all day (preferrably outside for the smokers and distract ourselves in Beauty Bar while listlessly pretending to study) and paid for one drink (sometimes none at all with the justification that we sometimes bought their coffee to go and that should compensate for our table time. Hey, we did spend thousands on that branch over four years).I missed those days.

There was a pang when I drove through the grounds. It was quiet because the school was on a break but it was exactly how I liked it. I realized that part of me is always in that school and I will never not love it. I think every single person who's been and who goes to Ateneo feels the same way. We are the lucky few because I think people coming from other schools don't have the same sense of belonging. I don't know how to explain it. For most of them, they graduate for forget. For us, we keep on wanting to come back to relish old feelings and memories.

So for those who'd like to go with me to Simbang Gabi on December, let me know. I'll be there everyday. Cmon, who'll say no to a fully lighted Bel Field, puto bumbong, bibingka and Dulcenea's Churros con chocolate (only in Ateneo!)? Let's go!

....................

I didn't get to watch a movie with Trina over the weekend (my bad, I'm sorry!) but I was really craving for it that I dropped by Alabang Town today thinking I'll just watch one myself since no one was free. I had the Trick or Treat Ice Cream from Sebastian's - which is like the best ice cream in the world (a combination of snicker's, reese, butterfinger and another chocolate. Yum!), but didn't like any of the movies I bought the hugest to go bag of the bbq popcorn to watch DVDs at home.

Needless to says, as the pig that I am, I ate a lot. A lot. And now I have a stomachache. :(

Explosions, explosions

2007-10-19T13:35:37Z

Why is it everytime there's an explosion in the Glorietta area, I happen to be there. Around a couple of years ago, when that incident happened in the MRT, I was inside the mall walking towards the shuttle station when everyone started running. I was so scared. My heart was thumping out of my chest as I hurried towards the station.

And today, it wasn't even 10 minutes after leaving Tang's Restaurant in Glorietta 3 when we heard about the explosion in Luk Yuen, a mere 30 meters opposite from where we were. News said it happened at 1:30pm. My phone recorded 1:30 in the text message from Laidz, which I received upon going inside the car. Good thing I was in a hurry to get to go to our booth in UP otherwise we would have gone around and God knows what would have happened. Good thing there was a driver otherwise we would have gone to the parking area. Good thing none of us wanted to pee.

I was emotional when I first heard about it. I was driving along C5 when one of my former groupmates (whom I had lunch with earlier)frantically asked where I was. She calmed down when I told her I was on my way to UP. Apparently, my ex-boss called her just 3 minutes before that screaming over the phone to ask where were they. We all thought they went around Glorietta after lunch but thank God, they decided to go to Metro Walk instead. Ironically, none of my groupmates were in the area (which they call their 2nd office) and went to Alabang Town Center and Ortigas.

Phew. Good thing I wasn't there during the explosion though or I swear I would have been scared shit. And I would have cried.

Thank GOD. I am always protected.

Stardust and Real Estate License

2007-10-14T11:46:45Z

I was never excited about Stardust and was not even interested in wasting money for it. I don't know why - I thought it was some complicated science fiction story that might have some vague storyline expecting you to analyze every single frame. I have no idea why that came to my head - maybe it was the title or something. From all of Gaiman's works, I've only read Coraline (which was creepy in a semi Stephen King/Children's Story in a way) and Good Omens, which was hilarious. But others - kinda steered clear of it even though we have a copy of several here at home.

Anyway, Trina's been raving about it and when Rinka said she had extra free tickets for last nights showing, I dragged her thinking that I wasn't paying for it anyway.

But I LOVE IT. I REALLY LOVE IT. Everyone should watch it. It's like a children's adventure fairy tale in an adult world - I genre that I love. My first books were the ladybird series which I've been readinng it eversince I was in Kindergarten. I remember hiding out in the library while waiting for my ride since the nice new ones couldn't be taken out.

Watch it! Watch it! And yeah, maybe Claire Danes wasn't such a great choice.
__________

I came from my first session of the Realty Board Review today and I realised that I did miss lectures and lessons. Most of all, I missed studying law and analyzing the nuances in each article. We talked about a lot of "theoretical" situations that can help us solve our clients property problems like Bigamy (apparently, it's illegal to "donate" a property or asset to a mistress so the wife can go after it) and the rights of illegitimate children. I missed highlighting handouts and writing beside it. And believe it or not, I also miss taking tests.

Doesn't mean I miss writing reports too. No, that I can live with.

My new sheets

2007-09-24T11:55:22Z

I went crazy in SM today. I wanted to buy new chair because the plastic chair in my room is just not comfortable (think of those generic plastic chairs you see everywhere).

Thing was, when I was in Our Home, I saw these really nice curtains and I thought, hey! I want to redecorate my room. I want to buy new sheets, curtains, everything so I went down to SM who's currently on sale.

I just bought everything. New fluffy pillows, sheets, comforters and soft bedcover (like the ones in hotels). I am determined to create a new haven especially since I'm using my room for work. I think the sales person thought I was buying for a new place. Even our helper was a little bit flabbergasted with what I did (considering that we had stacks and stacks of sheets and pillows in the storage).

But I really wanted a different look. When mom was here, she filled up my room with pink and plastic storage. Yes, pink and plastic. I guess she still thought I was a kid. Or because I'm a girl. Once I said I wanted black sheets and she was just horrified. I think she thought I was going to hell or something.

Now, I'm opting for cooler colors - green and brown. There's still pink everywhere but I will get rid of that one by one. I think I would have bought more if we had more room in the house (actually, I think its a good thing I stopped or mom would haunt me in her grave. She was one of the most notorious shoppers I knew but she didn't like it when I buy too many things I don't need. Ironic no?).

Anyway, I just know that I now own the most comfortable bed ever. I'll be catching some good zzzz's tonight.

A change

2007-08-27T04:01:43Z

For three years I've been stuck in a rut. I didn't realize it until I left and it was the best decision I have ever made. This is not to say that I completely regretted my stay in Megaworld. It was filled with friendship, fun and the most unbelievable experiences. I learned a lot about sales, handling clients, and most of all, the power of positive thing and the ability to make it in this world. I owe a lot to that company.

But I did what I came to do. I built myself up, gathered clients and contacts and now I'm on my own. I'm starting businesses and I've never been more fulfilled. I know I can do this.

It's funny how things fall into place when you really want something. I guess prayers helped a lot and my state now is far who and where I was during the first half of this year. I can forsee the future now and it's going to be good. I am looking forward to all my activities, time with my family and friends and just experience life.

I read this somewhere before and it can't be more apt:

"LEAP AND A NET WILL APPEAR"

On A Break

2007-05-05T15:24:51Z

I've been on an indefinite leave for about a month now and there are times that I still feel lost. Don't get me wrong - I love my job and everything about it but I just needed this break, especially with everything going on around me. At first it was a blast - I got my REAL vacation. I haven't had one in ages and just went on a frenzy trying to fit all my trips into my schedule. I made sure my days were busy doing the things I missed, even though it's the most mundane thing in the world, like shopping in a grocery (the last time I did this was back in college). It just reminded me of the old days.

Though I relished these moments, I went back to work two weeks ago, sans allowance. I know most of you would think that I'm crazy as I'm not getting paid but my bread and butter lies on the commissions, not on the salary. So long as I sell, then I'm fine.

For the steep price of my monthly allowance, what do I get in return? First, I get to go to work late and leave early. I can meet my friends anytime I want to without the guilt and paranoia. And take as much day offs as I want to.

It's really been great but I feel that I need to settle something. I still feel aloof and no amount of shopping and petty distractions can solve it for me.

I need a goal. I need to set one, work on it and accomplish it.

electricity, tv, and the likes

2006-09-30T10:34:44Z

I guess I've been living my life in a semi-daze for the past three years that when the most basic survival needs is taken away from you, you realize that all the things that you take for granted should be appreciated and cherished. Yes, electricity and water are vital part of my everyday life and I should be conscious of wastage because we may not be so lucky in the future.

The typhoon hit suddenly and I didn't even realize the gravity of of the situation until the day after. Last thursday, during the peak, I just slept through the howling winds because listening to it was just scary. I had these paranoid thoughts in my mind - the glass wall might suddenly break or the roof might fly off or something and in order to silence these, I just gave in to stress and fatigue (I guess months of one-day-a-week offs has its perks). However, since I slept in for an entire day, I was irritated for most of the night due to the lack of air and a dying flashlight - which i used to read the NANNY DIARIES in vain. I was that desperate. I couldn't just lie in the dark. Good thing I dozed off after a few hours.

The day after, I left for the office early in the morning because I was hoping to get a glimpse of civilization. But I was really surprised with what I encountered. From the time I left my house until I reached the office, every single block had at least one uprooted tree and most of the trees were bent over. They actually loooked like they were dizzy from the storm. Even the rotunda in front of ForbesTown was unpassable - a number of trees feel. And when I got inside, a number of our glass walls were shattered because of flying debris. Fort is one of the worst hit because it's an open space and there are not much buildings to block the winds. A friend of mine even saw a cat taken by the wind and twisted in the air. And again, NO ELECTRICITY so we couldn't work. My boss let us out early but I didn't want to go home because what was I gonna do home so I just headed to Jenn's apartment (which had a generator thank God) and played with Andy (Imishthatlittleboy.aw).

When we finally got our electricity at 4 in the morning, I was so relieved and thankful. I was grateful that I get the use the internet again, even if there wasn't any cable. But heck, I have DVDs so that shouldn't be a problem. Only thing that we worry about now is water but if that doesn't get solved soon, we're just gonna run to my tita's house in alabang.

Thank god for electricity. Now I can watch my shows! yippee...and best of all, no work!

My celebrity look-a-like

2006-08-23T00:52:54Z

Ooohhh. Got this from my brother's blog.

So I look most like Jeneane Garofalo, apparently, and Tom Welling. And my personal favourite, George Benson.

Ha ha. I love this.

David's Despidida

2006-07-09T04:04:26Z

Last night, we celebrated Dave's despidida at Gizmo's house in Alabang. It felt so nice to be in the company of my friends and for the first time in ages, we were almost complete - except for Ala in Aussie, Jovinne who was stuck in Batangas and Kat - well, I haven't heard from her in a while so i don't know if she counts. It was nice reliving the college days - retro music blaring from dave's laptop, guitar-and-sing-a-long sessions, silly conversations and non-stop laughter.

To top it off, Becky took everyone's breath away as she presented Dave his going-away gift - a digital painting printed on canvas of every single person in the bench. It was a perfect rendition of our bench experience. Everyone was there - jenn+andy+sach, nino, naz, jonaks, etc. Becky said that she was supposed to put Plib but couldn't find a picture of him. She could have researched him in friendster but realize - hey, what's his real name again? (Speaking of Plib, Therese caught him in Law School for his freshman year. *shudders* I would never hire him.) Anyway, since it's digitally done, Becky will all email us a copy so we can have our own copy. Yehey!

Pictures in my multiply account: http://jenncanada124.multiply.com