my hotel booking and a new thing to buy :)

Finally booked an NYC hotel today, yay! Hello, New York Helmsley Hotel! I'm really really crossing my fingers that all the traveler reviews were right and that you'll be worth the $270/night rate that you're charging my poor ailing credit card :(

Speaking of money, I have discovered another new thing I want to get! Waaah! Can't talk about it though. I agreed with my girls. :P hehehe.. But I should really buy my macbook first.

Waaah! At least... Bonus month ang June for us!

getting ready to leave

I'm so excited to go on my 16-day trip starting this Friday, though of course I'll miss Dennis. He and I had a huge huge huge dinner last night as a little going-away thing, it being the last night we'll probably see each other before I leave. He'll be very busy kasi today and tomorrow. Oh, and Dennis got me seasons 1-7 of Gilmore Girls, and I love him oh-so-much for it! I'm such a fan, little do people around me know. Spent a good couple of hours last night watching some eps.

Anyhoot, back to our dinner, it was great!!! Granted, I ate more than I should've, but I just couldn't help it. The food at Conrad's was oh-so-good! I want to go back there when I come back on the 16th :p Hehehehehe..

I still don't have a hotel for my NYC stay, haha! It's just so hard to get a good deal yet still requiring the basics -- i.e. private bath (I don't think I'll ever be ready share a bathroom with strangers!), working elevator (no shlepping of baggages up the stairs please) and good nice beds (have a bad back and I'm super terrified of bed bugs). All these plus a good location just equals a whole lotta dollars. My dad keeps telling me not to "goof around" with my hotel choices, because he feels it's the one thing you shouldn't scrimp on. You get what you pay for, he always cautions me. So don't come complaining to me if you get robbed or get bed bug bites.

Huhuhu. But I have such limited funds! Waaah! Any suggestions, friends?

I pre-packed na my baggage last night. Pre-packed means I've gotten out the clothes I think I want to bring, subject to alterations tonight and tomorrow night. I've also gathered together my toiletries and shoes, as well as the gifts I'll be bringing for my friends and family there. I've also packed Li's magazine (YES!). So excited!

Can't wait to leave! I soooo want to go on vacation! :)

a hit!

I guested in Mr H's work and society class last Saturday. Though I must say my guesting was quite a hit (per Mr H, no other speaker ever got applauded that many times in the middle of her session), it was further validated by the reaction papers he forwarded me today. It was so flattering and incredibly heartwarming to see that the students benefited from the pieces of advice I gave and the stories I told of my experiences in college and in my professional career.

It also felt good to see how far I've gone since those early days. That's one of the perks of going back to school and giving those talks.

Oh, and Saturday also made me reminisce the past and get amused by all those reminders of the classic anxiousness and uncertainly that befall IMC incoming seniors a few weeks before the first sem starts. The worrying about the sleepless nights, the "legendary" upper class people and the shadows they cast, the stress over how to balance the work load, wanting to pass each class, and wanting even more to get to the 5th...

:)

Oh, the good ol' days...

politics shmolitics and the "easy" life

One of the unavoidable aspects of being in a very politically aware and socially conscious family and being the girlfriend of a lawyer is that you can't help but find yourself immersed in discussions about politics, politics and politics almost all the time. Not only do you hear about the latest in all developments about the recent elections, you also inevitably get yourself involved in heated discussions and debates without intending to. Hay. Most of the time, I like it. But there's such a thing as info and discussion overload.

Anyway, was whining earlier this evening to my darling beau how seemingly stress-free some people's lives are. I want the "easy" life, I told him. I want to spend my days leisurely, not have to have items on a to-do list somewhere and not have to chase after deadlines and follow unattainable budgets. Imagine leading totally free days, where the agenda of the day is to just be, without people calling your phone, emailing you urgent messages, etc.

Be careful what you wish for, my darling beau said. I never struck him as the homemaker kind of person. And this wasn't meant as an insult, he said. It just means that he's always seen me as a career-oriented type of person, who'll get bored with staying idle and who'll probably go nuts if she goes without intellectual stimulation for a few days.. or hours, even. You don't have to stay in corporate life forever, he said. You can always shift to something less stressful.. or perhaps, the more accurate way to put it, he said, is a life that's more under your control and less subject to another person's whims. After some amount of debate, I conceded. He's right. But still... The "easy" life still sounds like a good life to lead. In theory. :P

the pains of beauty

If only men knew how much pain women go through just to maintain and/or enhance their physical appearance, they'll surely have more appreciation for us. Not only do we have to endure the pricks, pins and discomfort that usually goes with beauty treatments, we also have to go through the hassle of remembering to schedule appointments, arranging transportation to get to the appointments, waiting at treatment rooms, agonizing over how to accomodate usual side effects of redness or sometimes even mild irritation.. I can go on and on...

Oh, and let's not forget the biggest pain of all... the pain that the wallet tries its best to tolerate and survive.

Hay, the pains of beauty... the lengths we have to go to...

something i remember..

As we were traversing the Emirates Mall in Dubai almost a month ago, Mommy J and I were talking about our respective significant others. In standard J fashion, she pointed out to me what a gem Attorney truly is and that I should always remain thankful to have him, regardless of what I think he can and cannot provide for me. It's very rare to find a guy who'd literally give you everything he had, whether it be the last spoonful of rice on his plate or the very last bill in his wallet. And she told me not to worry about money, because the most important thing I should remember is that it matters not how much he'll ever have. What matters is that he'll give me his everything. As little or as huge as those resources may ever become, the fact that "isusubo nalang niya, ibibigay pa niya sayo" is something I must always cherish. Not all girls are as lucky, she said. Not even those who actually end up with millionaires.

And believe you me, she repeated, that quality of his is the one thing you'll miss the most if things ever go bad.

Tonight, I think back to that conversation, as Attorney proves yet again just how much of himself he's willing to give up or give to me. And only me. In this whole wide world.

All girls should truly be just as lucky.

anniversary weekend and a really long break

OK, so I just had a 5-day break. Super sarap! Let me recap what happened.

Friday - We were supposed to kick off our anniversary a day earlier, but unfortunately, Dennis had to work on some super urgent election thing, so, since I had already gotten my leave approved, I figured, why waste it? I just went to the mall and got my hair cut and done. I also did a little bit of shopping (hehehe) on the side.

Saturday - Attorney had a daylong seminar at Manila Hotel on vote canvassing (or something like that.. It's so hard to keep up with all the election stuff) so I spend the day with my mom. Dennis picked me up at around 6:30 to go to Lolo Dad's, where we had the hugest meal ever known to man. I finally got to try the famous foie gras, which was HEAVENLY. As in! Totally worth all the hype! Except that you know how expensive it is, so you tend to take the smallest bites possible, and every bite reminds you of how fatty and totally unhealthy it is, but since you're in culinary heaven, all thoughts on dieting are out the window. (wasn't that the longest sentence?!)

We also had super good wine to accompany the food binge we were on, and super good coffee to cap off the meal. I love love love love it! Thumbs up all the way! I love Lolo Dad's! Apart from the symbolism of the place, I just love the food, love the service, love the ambience, love everything! 'Til next time, Lolo Dad's!

Happy 2nd year!


Sunday - After Buddhist mass, we watched Perfect Stranger in Shangri-la, after passing by Tektite for him to do a wee bit of work for the.. you guessed it, the big E. I kinda liked the movie, despite what the reviews wrote. And take note, I'm not a big fan of Mademoiselle Berry.

We then had another sumptious meal over at Cookbook Kitchen, where we had the softest fish in the universe and his super good chicken with the sausage and the ham thing. Loved it! I also loved the fact that we had dinner there this weekend, because it's also one of the most memorable restaurants in our life together as a couple. :)

Monday - Took this day off specifically to rest. Did a lot of napping and finished the 7th season of Gilmore Girls. Total coach-potato day.

Tuesday (today) - Had a buffet lunch at Red Kimono (P485 lang per person!) then headed over to Greenbelt 3 to have our usual foot massage over at Simple Pleasures (also highly recommended by this couple). We then caught the latest Spidey movie with Kaye, Rap, Anna and Ian (we missed Guia and Martin) and had dinner at Bubba Gump, where it was about 25% food and 75% talk. Hehehe. Had tons of fun! Hoorah for May 1 holidays!

So there went my 5-day mini vacation :) As you can notice, it's filled with only one thing= FOOD. Suffice it to say that no dieting was accomplished :P I loved it though. It was a good anniversary weekend (plus, I got a stunning new gold watch from my darling beau!) and a great chance to rest, lay back and have fun :)