holiday!!!

Spent the whole day vegging out at home.. woke up at 11:30, had a lazy lunch, spent the entire afternoon in bed watching my tv series-- Greek Season 1, Gossip Girl and Privileged... now I'm about to start on the 2nd season of Greek, then on to Project Runway Philippines later at ETC. I love this day! This kinda day does prop up few and far in between, but when it does come around, I just love love love it! I actually thought of correcting the papers for the class I'm teaching, or doing some advance reading for my MBA class, but decided, nah! Today is veg-out, rot-my-brain day, complete with dvds, my computer, my chips and chocolate bars! Yay for holidays! :p

please...

give me some good news.. anything! I hate this feeling of doom, gloom and more doom.... So sad....

I can't wait for the weekend, to purge all these negativity and to refocus my perspective on the blessings I have and the good things I have going on in my life... to be thankful again for what I've been given...

Hay....

save save save save save!!!

My family was discussing the recent financial meltdown in the States, and my dad believes we haven't seen the worst of it.. and despite what the government says, the Philippines will be affected one way or the other.. Hence, he has this edict laid down for us: Save save save save save!

As in, do not buy him Christmas gifts daw. Knowing that his "gift" is sitting safely in our bank accounts, tucked in for a rainy day, is enough satisfaction for him, maybe even more than an actual material gift. Holidays are not supposed to be about material things anyway, he says. People just get carried away...

Oh..

Okay..

Though I may not agree with the moratorium on presents, I do think that my generation seems incapable of saving... I don't know if it's technology that's at fault, or the emergence of credit facilities, consumerism, or just the culture.... but my generation does seem to live for the "now" more than ever before. Unlike our predecessors who's main purpose for toiling is to save, save and save, to forego immediate gratification in the pursuit of a secure, worry-free future. There's definitely some wisdom there.. maybe it just all got lost in translation when passed on to the young..... :p

Watching CNN and BBC feature the US financial system is scary, though... maybe it's what finally does the trick in making me trim down the expense fat... :p

work trip again!

This time to Taipei. Let's see if I enjoy it better than I did Bangkok :p

Rushing everything now, my gosh.. Rushing to finish my presentation for my boss, my packing for tomorrow's 8am flight, rushing my MBA homework.... aaaaahhhh!!! I haven't even started on my lecture for this Saturday.... Too many things on the plate, tsk tsk tsk....

new bag!!!

It may not be the Neverfull I wanted, but it's also a bag I've always liked.. At the risk of sounding like a total LV-holic, I am so so so thrilled to have this bag!



My mom was the one who bought it in HK, after much prodding from my dad. She actually liked a different kind of bag- the Amarente Bellevue-- but my dad told her it doesn't suit her.. So, she went against her gut and got this Alma instead. Though I tend to agree with my dad, I think she should've listened to herself and got what she wanted...

In any case, I'm the lucky beneficiary of the buyer's remorse, so I should just shut up and enjoy the new bag :-)

*P.S. Another work trip coming up! This time to Taiwan... My first time in the land of Republic of China! (The real China is called People's Republic of China, while Taiwan is formally called Republic of China.. Not a lot of non-Chinese people know this.. :p hehehe)

damier neverfull

Mommy, I want one.....!!!!!!!!!!



BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love love love love love love it!!!!!!

PF

It was pretty funny how our office janitor shyly handed me this month's PF magazine yesterday, and I had to stop and wonder why he was doing that.. Then it occurred to me! He's handing it to me to show me.... because it's the issue that included my feature....!!! Nye!!

That was my first reaction. Nye!! Then I thanked him and flipped the magazine over to my section. My second reaction was.... Hahahahahahahaha! I found it so strange to see my image stare back at me, then another image, and another image! Hahahaha! True, I did the photo shoot and interview, and all, but those things never felt real..... but here is the evidence staring at my face! Hahahahahaha!

Showed it to some friends at the office and finally took the copy home to show my family last night. My cutey father said he'll go out today and buy copies for everyone he knows. True enough, he bought himself 10 copies today. Shocker for me on the part where he plans to show it to everybody in his contact list, but a really good, appreciative feeling for his being proud of my little shot at fame. Hahaha! I still can't believe it.. Even Dennis is looking all smitten and proud.. :p

Oh well... in fairness, the feature is actually not bad... The writing was pretty decent, although I think I looked really pale in my photos :p Hehehehe...

new book!

Got this book today, with Darling Hub in tow because he wanted to buy comic books... Told him I didn't really get the allure of comic books, to which he replied, well, I don't quite see the point of that book either... Hehehe... sa bagay....

Presenting--



Based on real accounts, this book chronicles the adventure of one fashionista in the constant pursuit of the famous yet unattainable Hermes Birkin :p Should be a fun fun read :) Hopefully I get to start reading it tomorrow, after I finish grading the marketing papers I assigned to my class... :)

immune shots...

Finally, I completed the 3-installment anti-cervical cancer vaccine shots... Hurts like hell, but at least it's finished :-)

medical exam....

Had my annual physical exam the other day. I'm feeling a little nervous about the breast exams, as the doctor not only reacted with mild concern over my ultrasound results, she also requested that I take a digital mammo and an actual mammogram. I'm scared. I've never even considered the possibility of having something wrong in that area... at this age. I mean, I'm barely 26. It just can't be.

Darling Beau is also in denial, insisting I'm perfectly healthy and it's impossible that they'll find anything. Hay..

I'm tempted to research online about this, but I'm scared of scaring myself to death. So I've decided to just wait for the results to come out and worry about things when they're actually written down on paper for me.

Please pray nothing is wrong.

8/8/08!!!

I came home early tonight to catch the 2008 Olympic opening ceremony in Beijing, China. At 8:08pm, I sat down with my family to watch....

And it was nothing short of amazing!!! I'm so proud, at this very moment, to be Chinese. Many have considered this to be China's coming-out party, and it definitely didn't disappoint. After so many years of seclusion and isolation, China finally came out, and came out with a bang, it did!!! I love it! We even sang the national anthem along with the people watching live... :)

Happy 8/8/08!!!! :)

bkk....

I'm on my third work trip of the year.. this time to Bangkok. I've never been, and I hope it's as good as people make it out to be :p

The only trouble is I've missed my MBA class for the second time so far, because of work trips.. Tsk tsk... Hope this is the last one...

updates!

Haven't updated this blog for the longest time. Been sooooo busy with:

1. MBA: Even if I only have 1 class this sem (in an effort to manage my time better given #2 item below), my economics class is super challenging! As in, it's the toughest class I've had so far in my fledging career as an MBA student, that it's almost like taking a full load.. Hay..

2. Teaching: I started teaching about three weeks ago, and so far, I'm proud to say that it's been going well. Partly because I've had the chance to really sit down and plan my lectures ahead of time. My problem now is that the next few weeks is gonna be quite hectic for me, so I don't know how my next few classes will go. Wish me luck. Hay, and oh, I almost forgot to mention that... it's true what they say about nobody ever becoming rich from teaching :p Hehehe... So, if you're in it for the money, don't even bother, man...

3. Work work work: For some reason, just when my school work started and my teaching load commenced, my work load also started intensifying. Totally unexpectedly! My bosses just started paying intense attention at my business and started demanding more and more of my time and efforts... gosh! :p Though it's a good thing, really, as Dennis keeps reminding me, that at least they keep on appreciating my worth in the organization, it's also incredibly tiring. Plus the fact that I have a work trip this week, which I wanted to avoid and was desperately hoping will be cancelled, in light of #4 below... But, oh well, it's pushing through. So, hello, Bangkok, here I come....

4. Kaye's wedding! Yay! : Kaye's wedding is coming up in 6 days. MY GOSH! It seems only yesterday when we were saying Kaye's wedding was still 1 year and a half away and she has all the time in the world to get it all together... and now, ilang tulog na lang, it's here! Guia is picking up my dress for me since I'll be abroad when it's ready... My plane from BKK arrives on Friday afternoon, which gives me just enough time to fit a nail spa appointment in before a family thing in the evening, and before I'm supposed to take my beauty rest for the early wakeup call on Saturday morning. I'm so excited! :) Beyond excited, actually :p

Boy, time really flies when you're having fun.. or when you're really busy :p hehehe. Before I know it, one of my bestest friends in the planet will be married and get swept off her feet for her honeymoon... then, it's Darling Beau's 29th birthday, then it'll be finals season (for both MBA and my teaching classes.... OH MAN!) and then before I can get a wink in, it'll be my birthday, then Christmas, then 2008 will be over, then 2009 will be here and it'll be my best friend's wedding by May. Woah, time, please stop for a bit! You're going way too fast for me :p

i can't wait!!!!!

Go to www.powerbooks.com.ph to make an online reservation :)

new slippies! :)

Yay! I love it! :D

i can't wait!

http://www.sexandthecitymovie.com/

dress in the making...

So, we had our second fitting yesterday for our bridesmaids' dress, to be worn to the First FILC wedding.. I'm so excited, you can totally see how the dress will more or less look... it's so beautiful! I love it! Can't wait to see the finished product :)

wife fund

So, for some strange reason, my mom sat me down tonight to give me a talk about saving more and spending less, as I'm approaching marrying age, and therefore, I need to prioritize increasing my assets... and no, bags and clothes are not "fixed assets" :p

She told me that, while it is true that this is the one time in my life (now that I'm not married yet) where I can spend my money in whatever way I want, without regard for what anyone else thinks, it is also the one time in my life where I can (and should) save my money as much as I can. Once the husband and the kids enter the picture, I will find myself spending at a rate that's so much less controllable than it is now. While I can think of this time in my life as a carefree time where I should enjoy my money, she says it's wiser to think of it as the time in my life where I can accumulate as much wealth.. (aka the wife fund)... as I can, because I will never be able to save as much as I hypothetically can right now. Now that, in her words, kargo ko lang ang sarili ko.

Well, in light of my previous post, that's going to be challenging.

But she's right. I have approached this single life thing all wrong. Instead of appropriating my money in "life-enjoying" manners, I should be saving substantially so as to cushion myself for married life, where costs will inevitably balloon, given the ff reasons:
- I currently do not pay for utilities like electricity and water, which when I get married, would not be the case anymore
- I also currently do not pay for maids, groceries, etc. Again, such won't be applicable in married life
- Should darling beau not able to buy me a home and I refuse to live with his folks, we'll need to rent our first home.. (Though thank God I managed to have a car already for us...)
- Baby = haaaaa?!?!?!?????

There you go. So, now, my wallet will be on a strict diet.

Or at least I'll try...

Good thing darling beau and I managed to land teaching gigs recently. Hopefully they pay a decent amount and hopefully they are not just one-offs, so the money generated can go towards the new save-money plan...

:p

at the rate i'm going, i'll have no savings when i turn middle-aged...

'nuf said..

turn your trash into treasure...

happy 3rd anniversary!

So, I was in Cebu last April 28, which marked the third anniversary of my relationship with Attorney. Good thing he's so understanding, and he didn't give me a hard time about it. We just celebrated on April 26th to make up for the lost time together.

As agreed, we presented each other with our less-than-two-thousand-bucks gifts. I gave him a black leather Fino wallet to replace the dillapidated one he's using, and he gave me---



He gave me the entire trilogy of Twilight, which amounts to roughly 2k! Sakto! Hehehe. So, admittedly, using a criteria of judging by the degree by which the gift reflects the recipient and the happiness level it is expected to bring to the recipient, he is the runaway winner.

However, seeing as how I was such a sore loser, we decided the final decision is a draw and that we split our anniv dinner date. Hahaha! I love this guy! He makes me pag-bigyan even if I don't deserve it. Hahahaha!

Happy Anniversary!

little surprises

I was pleasantly surprised last Saturday when the former dean of my college course, who now serves as Communications Director of the school, invited me to join the faculty as a part-time professor. He offered me to teach 1 block on the subject of Marketing Management. Coolness! I was flattered and surprised, so all I could initially say in response was "Sure!" Then I followed it with a standard line "as long as it's on a Saturday, preferably afternoon", to which he gladly responded, "of course!" He said it's for first sem, so it should start in June, when I'm well on the way through my 2nd sem in my MBA course. My gosh. This year is going to be one busy year!

I'm excited. I've been thinking of the possibility of teaching for quite some time, and I'm happy it will be at my alma mater, and it's about a subject matter so close to my heart and to my everyday job / life. Plus, the added income would be very much welcome, though money is definitely not my main motivation. I am just really excited to teach. :) Hopefully, everything goes well.

Apart from that, this weekend was full of other little surprises, like my darling beau's mom gifting me with really nice pasalubongs from her cruise trip, and my grand-tita who's fresh from overseas just met Dennis for the 1st time, and despite my earlier estimations, she really liked him! As in, two thumbs up si Attorney! Naks! :)

Happy, happy, happy... :)

jetting off...

to Cebu tomorrow... Actually, in about 6 hours nalang, since my flight is at 4am tomorrow :p First business trip of the year... :)

WWE and boys

As soon as we step into the restaurant yesterday to have dinner with my family, my brothers immediately signaled to darling beau to sit next to them. They looked so excited, I found myself intrigued to know what's up. Turns out WWE Wrestlemania is being shown live in Glorietta tomorrow night, and they were inviting Dennis to join them in watching.. Shelling out P320 per person to watch a bunch of sweaty, over-muscled men jump on each other while wearing neon colored tights with paint on their faces.

My darling beau, on the other hand, the ever-so-graceful and dignified attorney, didn't waste a single breath before he agreed whole-heartedly and asked what time he had to be in Glorietta, since he had a full day packed with hearings. Then the three boys proceeded to spend the good first quarter of the dinner chatting and debating over wrestling news and trivia. Hay, boys and wrestling....

Though I have to admit a big part of me was kilig to see how my brothers have embraced Dennis as practically their new older brother. I love it! :)

a good partner

I feel so bad for my friend, who married a good man who is turning out to be not as good a husband. Not that he's abusive or anything like that. He's the perfect gentleman, giving her everything she needs materially and allowing her to relish in the returns of her materially fulfilling job. He indulges her whims and lets her do whatever she likes. At first, I thought things got better when they got married. After all, you're supposed to imbibe those very vows you spoke at the altar, when you promised to give all of yourself to another. Turns out a good wedding doesn't always make a good marriage.

I worry for her. Worry that she walks her path separately from her husband's, which is precisely what marriage is not supposed to be about. I worry that, as much as he does genuinely love her, he isn't capable of giving her what she truly, desperately wants-- a true partner. Someone who's totally devoted to you, someone who actually hurts more than you do whenever the world hurts you, someone who's your biggest fan and your staunchest ally, someone who doesn't only support your dreams but owns them as his own as well, someone who lives and breathes you, someone who's dedicated to live his life to make yours easier, someone who is with you 100%, truly, madly, deeply, someone who will marry you over and over and over...

Because if you don't have that, you don't have a marriage. You don't have a partner. All you have is a ring on your hand and the memory of a grand party. All you have is a roommate, a housemate.. All you have is a sounding board, not a soul mate. All you have is a companion, not a kindred spirit. All you have is a life you settled for, not the life you dreamed about... Happiness shouldn't be something you have to convince yourself you have.

I don't know how to help her..

HK money meltdown

The HK trip proved very costly for me... very costly... hahaha! But I love my purchases. Beautiful beautiful beautiful :)

In fairness to this company, despite all its flaws, it has allowed me to afford all the things I want. So in fairness... pwede na rin... hahahaha!

HK, baby!

Off to HK tomorrow... Can't wait! Need a vacation... BIGTIME!

.. The only thing that bums me out about this is that I'll be leaving Dennis behind. I really can't wait til the day I get to bring him with me everytime I go abroad...

Other than that, I'm excited :) See yah!

i love friendly competition

Attorney's and my 3rd year anniversary is coming up in about a month, and to make gift-giving a little more interesting, we decided to have a little contest. Whoever gives the best gift under 2,000 bucks wins! The loser treats the winner to anniversary dinner at our annual haunt-- Lolo Dad's... :)

Not only have we managed to give the occasion an extra exciting punch, we've also saved each other lots of money by opting to cap the value of our gifts this year. I love it! Total win-win situation :p

Ready, set, lovers, go! :)

a numbed life

Through various discussions today, I realized that there really are some deeply unhappy, deeply unsatisfied people in the world-- people who go through life settling for diluted versions of happiness often found through overdrinking, abuse of substances, materialism and superficial conversations full of air, air and more air. These are people who, whenever they talk about their "happy" lives, attempt to convince themselves more than the ones they're actually speaking with-- convince themselves that the path they have chosen is one they have actively selected and designed for themselves, instead of the empty, pathetic excuse of a life where injuries and insecurities are bandaged haphazardly by alcohol, drugs, money and fluffy talk. They think they have people fooled but really, the fakeness is so, ironically, real. They fail to realize that the relationships they forge are very fake and superficial, because they are not offering their true selves in the relationships and instead keep up this pretense of always showing a happy, content, and often carelessly carefree face. No one in the world has a perfect life. I don't know why these people seem to think they can get away with projecting that they're an exception to that rule. Don't they know that the greatest equalizer in this world is that no one's life is absolutely, completely perfect? It's okay to have flaws, it's okay not to have or be certain things, it's okay to just be yourself.

More than disturbing, it's actually really sad. It's so sad to see people with so much potential and promise fall into a vicious cycle of pretentiousness, just to fit in, just to put on an act and just to feel temporarily better about themselves. Aren't they scared that one day, they look in the mirror and cannot recognize themselves anymore? Aren't they frightened that, at the end of the day, when it truly, truly counts, they do not have people in their lives to depend on? Aren't they terrified that, when stripped of all their lies and deceit, the people they choose to surround themselves with will leave them like a bag of garbage? It's so sad.

Life doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be real.

the best thing with fighting with the one you love...

is making up after.

:-)

twilight!

Most of my Feb 25 holiday was spent in bed, devouring this book--


I love it, I love it, I love it! Once I was knee-deep in the story, I couldn't let the book go without knowing how it ends. Only to find out that the book is part of a trilogy! I have to get my hands on the 2nd book and know what happens in this uncanny, unlikely yet totally believable love story!!

shocker!

Opened my four credit card statements tonight and got my biggest credit-card shock ever! As in! I've never seen bills rake up this high. My god! First time in my life that I spent more than I earned. Tsk tsk tsk. Some remnants of holiday shopping was still there, hence excusable to a certain degree, but I have to admit a lot of things there weren't supposed to be there anymore. Tsk tsk tsk. Should really tighten the purse strings now. Shocker, shocker, shocker!

Another total shocker of the day is when I watched ARA2 this evening and disappointedly discovered that Marc and Rovilson didn't win the race after all. I was sooooo rooting for them, but sadly they lost to the Singaporean boys. It all boiled down to the last roadblock, and unfortunately for the Pinoy boys, they were out-flagged. :( Oh well...

I sure hope to be shocked by good news in the next few days. To counter-act all these rugs being pulled from under me lately... Tsk tsk tsk....

new target acquisition..

While lazily browsing through Greenbelt 4 with Darling Beau last weekend, I chanced upon this beautiful bag... It's not only lighter than the Griet, it's also cheaper and much more versatile. It can be used everyday for work, for school or for play :)

Presenting.. the Monogram Montorguiel---



Isn't it nice? Love it! Finally, a more reasonably priced target acquisition... Now if only I get my bonus already..... :p

love love love love love

In the spirit of window shopping---

Presenting, the new LV Damier Griet.. Beautiful beautiful beautiful bag.. I'm so in love...

happy slip!

Pinoys are really something else. First there was Rex Navarete, and now there's Happy Slip...

Spent a good part of tonight just going through the vlogs at www.happyslip.com. I just love love love Christine Gambito, aka Pinoy internet queen. I love her humor and I love her silly antics. My favorite are the soap operas and "French Fries". Laugh trip, man!

epiphany time!

This week has been a time of realizations.. of epiphanies. I feel like I've been conked in the side of my head and was made to realize that I've been in denial over some things lately. And that I have to learn to accept the added responsibility that came with added perks, and that I now have to learn to develop a higher tolerance level for shit and a thicker outer skin so that I can better serve my new role.

Admittedly, I've been spoiled in lots of ways lately and now is the time to roll up my sleeves and seriously embrace this new role with all that I have. I owe it to my mentors and to myself to give this my best shot. I've been cowering against the added pressure, admittedly, and I've only been relishing the rewards without being prepared to take the accompanying flak. I've realized that to really grow into this new skin of mine and to really flourish in this new environment, I have to suit up as necessary and face things head-on.

I'm maturing. Hahaha!

God's responses...

Darling beau shared something very nice with me this weekend. He told me about this thing he read recently.

When you pray to God for something, He responds only with 1 of the following answers:
1. YES!
2. Not yet.
3. No, I have something better planned for you.

Makes so much sense, and makes you feel better about seemingly unanswered or seemingly belatedly fulfilled prayers. I love it. :)

what's in a name...

I don't agree with some parts. Whatcha think????

What Gladys Jane Means

You are deeply philosophical and thoughtful. You tend to analyze every aspect of your life. You are intuitive, brilliant, and quite introverted. You value your time alone. Often times, you are grumpy with other people. You don't appreciate them trying to interfere in your affairs. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row. You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace. People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care. You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do. You are fair, honest, and logical. You are a natural leader, and people respect you. You never give up, and you will succeed... even if it takes you a hundred tries. You are rational enough to see every part of a problem. You are great at giving other people advice. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

great start...

This is going to be good, I can just feel it in my bones. Just got home from my first MBA class an hour ago and I had such a great time. I was just telling my darling beau how excited I am about this MBA stint. It's going to be a good thing, I just know it.

In other news, just heard today that JT is coming over for sure. In March. Though sponsored by the competition, I'm excited to watch. Also, U2 is under nego to visit Manila too. What great news to kick off the year with :)

resolution

I never make resolutions because they never ever worked for me in the past, but there's always a first time. My 2008 resolutions are:
1. Pray more. And be more thankful.
2. Spend less. Stop spending on unnecessary things. Revisit definition of "necessary". Decide on what's priority and allocate some room for indulges, and STICK TO IT!
3. Work harder and be more forward-thinking.
4. Be more patient. Good things come to those who wait.

Here goes nothing...

big day tomorrow...

Tomorrow officially marks the day when my MBA starts. I have my first class tomorrow evening at 6pm-- Business Law. To commemorate the occasion and to jumpstart a hopefully smooth-sailing MBA career, my dad gave me a leather-bound notebook and Dennis bought me a black and a blue ballpen, to use in my new life as a part-time student. Hehehe. The nerd in me is really excited. Wish me luck! :-)

.....

Not having it because you choose not to have it and not having it because you're not given a choice are definitely two separate matters.

Two very separate matters.

But it really shouldn't matter that much. I should always keep my eyes on the goal. Always have the right perspective on things. What matters is what's at the heart of it all, not the trappings and perks that surround it (or supposed to surround it).

Tsk tsk.

2008, baby!!!!

Thank God the mood changed drastically after Christmas (see depressing post below). Now, I can't even remember what kind of funk all that was about. New Year's rocked!

Since our family isn't Catholic, New Year's celebration tends to be more meaningful than Christmas. In the sense that we have a lot more traditions to uphold on the New Year holiday. For instance, Dec 30 is the staple family reunion date, where all our relatives from all ends of the country come down to our little place in Paranaque to greet my lola happy birthday and to ring in the New Year together. As a result, the house is crammed to the fullest with people sleeping over, crammed to the fullest with food, food and more good food, and crammed to the brim with laughter and chatter. Love it! And my personal favorite is when the clock strikes twelve, my dad and uncle start the "money rain" tradition where coins are tossed from outside into the house, then all over the house... for all of us to pick up (and therefore pick up the good fortune in 2008). And media noche is capped off with a classic Co-family breakfast! Happy New Year!

Darling beau and I were having holiday dinner together at Diamond Hotel and we got to discussing traditions. We decided what traditions we're going to start once we're officially together (if you know what I mean :p ) Even the ones we'll have once we have tots were also discussed. It was such a great topic we talked about it for over 2 hours. Hahaha! We also got to talk about 2007 and how it was such a great year for us both. For me, as I said in the digdipper party, it's really a year of rewards (woohoo, 22 months!) and awakenings. Travel peppered my 2007 from start to finish, and it was also when I concretized my intentions for further studies. It's also the year where I feel I got to know my family the most (lots of stories behind this) and where I feel I got even more comfy in my own skin (again, lots of stories behind this). It's such a great feeling. As 2008 rolls in, I'm so optimistic that an even better year is in store for me. And I thank God more than anything for being so so so so good to me every year of my life.

As for darling beau, this is the year where he made major career realizations and hopefully jumpstarted the one career move that will take him where he wants his lawyering to go. It's also a year of challenges for him and his family, but as I pointed out to him, they still survive and they do it together, and that's something to be grateful for.

I'm excited for 2008. It's gonna be such a rockin' year. Kayers is getting married. Li will be preparing for her wedding. I'll be starting my MBA, and hopefully, more traveling is also in store for me. For darling beau, hopefully, more career wins will go his way, and I pray that he continues to be as optimistic.

2008 is here! :)

christmas 2007

I'm not sure if it's just me (or darling beau since we were just discussing this earlier and he agrees with my sentiments) that this Christmas seems to be not as festive / not as celebration-worthy as previous years. We're hoping it's just a temporary bump in the I-love-Christmas choo choo trains we've been on since we were tots, and not because this is a sign of old age. This Christmas season just seems a little more commercialized than usual, a little less festive, a little bit depressing...

I actually have some trouble analyzing why. Most of the factors are the same as in previous Christmases. We both spent the holiday with family and with each other (me and darling beau, I mean)... We both got to rest and relax and really catch up on things we've let pass in the past 12 months of the year (i.e. catch up with old friends, sleep, etc). We also got some really nice pressies and got to go to our fair share of parties. But, despite all of that, there's just less of a Yuletide spirit this year. I couldn't quite put my finger on why, exactly, that is. It's just how I feel... and apparently, darling beau felt the same way. Weirdness.

Hope this doesn't become a habit. And I sure wish that New Year's will be a whole lot better, because this feeling isn't a good one to welcome a new set of 12 months with.

This feeling notwithstanding, I'm still very very thankful for 2007. It's been full of priceless blessings and pleasant surprises, new and old friendships, cool adventures and golden life lessons. The Lord has continued to bless me, my family and all my relationships this year and for that, I am eternally grateful. He's kept all my loved ones safe and sound. He's also helped me achieve some of my dreams and preserve my hopes for the ones still to be realized. He's given me the courage to go for the things I've been wanting and has guided me against those I should be fighting against. I am so thankful for 2007. And this strange feeling I have towards the end of it is by no means an indication to the contrary. Thank you, Lord, for 2007.

please please Lord!!!

Dear God,

I know that rumors are bad and you shouldn't count your chickens 'til they're hatched (something like that, hehehehe). But I really really pray that this particular rumor is TRUE. Honest-to-goodness, 100% purely true! Lord, please! I feel that it's the ultimate reward to people who've struggled and pushed, through hell and high water, to get things done despite numerous setbacks from all corners. Please please please.

Plus, I really really need it :p hehehehe. I promise I'll continue to do good and give back to society and be a responsible responsible citizen of the world.

PLEASE!!!!!

:-)

weekend recap

I got a call the other day while I was at work. It's right in those rare moments at work when I'm deeply concentrating on the task at hand. I was on a roll-- words were coming out of (or typing out) of my hands straight from my brain-- and the last thing I wanted was to get distracted.

Ring!

Oh man! Who's this? I answered it with a snooty "Yes?", not-so-mildly irritable at being interrupted.

"This is M---k from De La Salle Graduate School of Business."

Nyek!

To hide my surprise and to make up for my less-than-friendly hello, I replied with an enthusiastic good-afternoon greeting and asked what I can do to help this nice gentleman from DLSU.

He then informed me that I had passed the exam (thank God there's no test for politeness at inopportune times!) and I had to come in for an interview on Tuesday. I quickly thanked him and hung up, embarrassed at my behavior yet ecstatic for passing! YAY!

That totally jumpstarted my weekend! Spent this weekend with my beloved and my family, happily finishing up my Christmas shopping. Yes, yes, it's technically not finished yet but I sort of already know what else to get for the rest whom I haven't purchased anything for yet.... which sort of counts as halfway done. I also got to buy wedding-registry items for some friends getting married. So accomplished-- that's how I felt this weekend :) Hehehe...

Was a really good girl this weekend too. Didn't buy anything for myself except some magazines and some books. That's it! Hehehe, though this definitely caught my eye... I think I'd want this in patent blue, if I had the moolah to spare---



Nice no? Hehehe.. Twas a happy weekend all in all. Makes me feel not up for working tomorrow.. :p

heroes season 2

Just saw the concluding episode of Heroes season 2, thanks to the wonders of the Internet. I know that the season length was cut short (only 11 episodes!) due to the ongoing writers strike in the US, but nonetheless, the series totally did not disappoint. WOW! Fantastic work :) Love it!

insatiable, fallible...

It's true what they say: Man is truly an insatiable beast. Whatever we have, we want more of it. Or we want better. No matter what sort of blessings we may already have in life, we always seek to have more and do more and get more and enjoy more. It's a dangerous, dangerous slope.

I mean, I'm not one to talk. I also have my own little luxuries, little leisures, little cravings for material and worldly things. God knows how many times I've wanted to buy a certain item, obsessed over something I can't afford or endlessly plot and rationalize in my head how I can cough up enough moolah to buy something my current means cannot satisfy. It's a sin everyone is guilty of commiting.

That's why it's good when God bonks you on the side of the head from time to time, to remind you that possessions and blessings are not one and the same. That you're wealthy because of the people who love you and the quality of relationships you have with these people. It's good to realize that once in a while and take the time to realign your perspective on the world and on life.

Only then will your material possessions be relegated to their rightful place as mere adornments. Adornments to this beautifully charmed life you lead, by virtue of the family you have, the friends you choose to keep and the love you choose to nurture and care for year after year. :)

silver lining amidst the hassles of today....

Today was indeed a sad day for Philippine politics. I seriously don't know what Trillanes was trying to accomplish by doing what he did. I mean, I get it, he wants her out of office. He wants her to account for all the anomalies she's been involved in so far. He wants things to change in this country and he wants change to start asap as he (and the people, allegedly) "have had enough." I get it, really. But I don't understand how he could've thought what he tried to do today would result to the things he wanted to happen. I don't see how taking a private business hostage, inconveniencing guests and diners, inconveniencing office people and scaring the shit out of this investor-courting economy would make things better. I really don't get it. If you're one of the few who actually sees the logic in all this, please explain it to me. How disappointing. He's a senator, for heaven's sake. And to think he's supposed to be this smart military man set to effect change. E, judging from today, he's just as clueless as the rest of them.

In any case, given the hoolabaloo of today, we were sent home early by our employer. Good thing, since if you add the rain and the little puddles of flood across the city, it would've been a nightmare going through Manila's roads if we didn't leave Makati before 2pm. And since I couldn't very well go out with friends and kick off this long weekend, I had no choice but to sit at home so early in the afternoon and aimlessly eat junk food while watching the news with my two just-as-helpless siblings. Then, I realized, I can make good use of this unexpected gift of free time by starting my Christmas gift-wrapping! So, I took out all the presents I've bought thus far and wrapped them in pretty paper and ribbon. Such joy! I loooooove gift wrapping!

And so, tadaaa, the 60% of my gift list has been prettily and neatly wrapped! Now tucked in a corner of my room, the presents happily await the upcoming holiday month 'til they fulfill their reasons for being by landing on the arms of their intended recipients. Such a great use of time. So there, at least there was a benefit to today's dramatics.

Wow, it'll be December already on Saturday. How time flies. Which reminds me, I should finish my list (the remaining 40%) within the next few days to avoid the holiday rush and panic purchases. :)

Have a good long weekend, guys! :)

that's love...

You know someone really loves you when they do something they otherwise wouldn't do just because they know how much it means to you and how happy it makes you. You know someone really loves you when they sit through this while listening to you oooh and aaah---



I love you, darling beau! Thanks for watching this with me :-p

skype heaven!

Tried out Skype-to-Skype for the first time last night with my good friend Baby Bay. I've used Skype a couple of times before to call friends on their mobiles, but have never used it for Skype-to-Skype calls since my friends abroad and I usually find it hard to be in front of the computer at the same time (hehe, blame the time zone diff plus semi-active social lives). But last night, by some stroke of luck, Baby Bay and I found ourselves logged on to Skype at the same time. And so she called me, and the rest, they say, is.... a 5-hour FREE conversation over internet protocol (sorry, my job entails me to refer to this technology in the real scientific term.. I can't seem to shake it...)

I loved it! I loved how, since my macbook has built in microphone and speakers, I could just lounge around, fix stuff around my room and even put on moisturizer and brush my hair while talking to my friend. It's the coolest! Technology really makes distance disappear and can even enable you to stay closer to someone abroad than someone in the same town/city/country as you. We're really a global village and with things like Skype, a difference in location is just that, a difference in location. There's no excuse not to stay in touch now :)

yay!

My best friend is engaged! :)

Congrats, Lianne & Sterling!!

weekend to weekend update

Haven't blogged a bit because I've been saving up all the tidbits of update til this very minute--

My birthday weekend last week went so well. Had a little celebration with my best girls (and our boys) on Friday at TRIO at the Fort and then at PIEDRA afterwards for some drinks. Then, had a separate celebration with my darling beau on Saturday night at Chef Laudico's. Yum yum yum. Just remembering what we ate is enough to make my mouth water. On Sunday, not only did Lianne and Sterling arrive in Manila, I had my own little celebration with my family.

Glad this past week was a really short work week because I really really loved the rest days. On Monday, Dennis and I hiked off to Tagaytay to show Lianne and Sterling around in Sonya's Garden. Oh, and we used my new car, which was super cool. I loved seeing him drive my car and get all awed by the transmission, suspension, whatever you call those car things :p Hehehe, spoken like a true girly girl :p

We had a lovely little lunch in Sonya's... actually, it wasn't exactly little, as we had mega tons of food for the P560 per person I paid. We had all you can eat salad, pasta and drinks. My gosh.

Then the boys had a little casino fun, where they won more than 3k bucks between the two of them.. Not a bad haul, for a 40-minute stay in Casino Filipino Tagaytay :p Then we checked out some real estate stuff on Sterling's behalf, bought some classic buko pies and then came back to Manila where we had dinner with our high school barkada. 'Twas a great day. It was nice to relax and unwind, and see old friends :) Dennis really made an impression with Sterling, who later on kept raving about what a darn decent guy my boyfriend is and asking when we're gonna meet up again. Hahaha!

Then Tuesday and Wednesday were really really really light work days. Took half of Wednesday off to take Li and Sterling shopping at, where else, SM! Sterling loved SM's prices, hahahahaha, he bought like 24 items for 5k! Not bad! We also took them to McDo for a snack and it was a riot hearing his reactions to "Wow, they have Chicken with rice here... Eeeew... and Chicken Nuggets with rice... why?!?"

Then Thursday was a total rest day where I did nothing but lounge around and pigged out with my brothers. Friday was me and Dennis having a really lazy day (read: WIFI and Youtube day) with coffee sessions at Coffee Bean and a really long dinner date at Bubba Gump. I love lazy days!

Then today, my parents came home from Germany and Paris, so we all stayed home... and tadaaa... presenting my two new babies, aka the reasons why I'll be destitute for the next few months----


It's my much anticipated LV Epi Speedy in black and Goyard Fidgi in black. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM! I got them both at bargain prices (again, a very relative term, as "bargain" just means cheaper, not cheap) and they are beautiful beautiful beautiful! The leather of the speedy is just exquisite and the Goyard is, as promised, light as a feather. I love the handpainted little chevrons too, and I love love love the texture of it. Such a steal! I love love love love my new babies!

My mom had a pretty good haul too. Esp considering she has way more money than me, hehehe. Note to self: Only buy luxury goods in Europe. Anywhere else is just a ripoff, plain and simple.

Hahahahaha, well, that's to hoping that there will be a next time. It sure won't happening in the near near future... :p

So that pretty much wraps up the past week. Sunday (tomorrow) is the usual family day, then another (full) work week starts yet again. But it's okay. This past week has been so awesome, that the thrill of it will last way until December. Which is when my favorite holiday comes along.

:)

excitement!

I'm so psyched! For the following reasons:
1. My birthday is coming up this Sunday. Celebrations will be held for it on Friday with my FILC girls and our boys, on Saturday with my darling beau, on Sunday with my brothers and grandma (my parents are in Europe), and on Monday with my best friend who's visiting from Canada. Love it! Back to back to back celebrations :)

2. As mentioned above, my best friend will be visiting from Canada. She's bringing her boyfriend with her too, and we've planned out some exciting trips and tours to take them on. Should be pretty exciting, especially for Sterling since it's his first time ever in Manila.

3. All the holidays coming up are just so so so timely! We'll have a 3-day weekend this weekend and a 4-day weekend the next. I can't wait to relax, unwind and recharge. Been a hectic couple of days at work...

4. An upcoming trip to either Rome or Madrid for work (read: FREE). Hopefully everything goes as planned and I get to haggle with my teammate to get the Rome leg instead of the Madrid. Can't wait!

5. I'll be finalizing my application to DLSU Graduate School within the next few weeks, then will take the test on Dec 1. To be honest, I'm quite apprehensive about the exam (read: WHAT IF I FAIL IT?) but hey, let's cross the bridge when we get there. Lest you think I'm some sort of freak plagued with fake-humility or, worse, a pathetic loser fishing for compliments, you should know that I do very badly on aptitude tests. I have records to prove it. Especially when they're about abstract reasoning. They're really abstract to me. I'm soooo not a visual reasoning type of person.

6. CHRISTMAS! About 8 weeks to go nalang before the holidays roll around. Can't wait because not only is it my favorite holiday of all time, it also marks.. you've guessed it, bonus time :p Well, this time around, being a manager, I won't get to receive the bonus at year-end like before but it gets announced then anyway at the Christmas party, which is always a happy factor of the event. :)

PSYCHED PSYCHED PSYCHED!

.....

You make life worth living.

yay!

Congratulations to my darling beau for being invited to teach in law school! He's one of the youngest lawyers to get a teaching post. I'm so proud! :-) So now, all his Wednesday evenings will be occupied... reserved for the learning minds in his legal forms class.

Congrats, Prof Chan :p

*In other news... Can I just say... LV's Spring/Summer 2008 line is just plain ugly. I don't care what "fashionistas" say about it but I think it's just plain hideous. As in hideous! I don't know why one would even want to carry those kinds of bags. Ugly ugly ugly. Please. Let's call a spade a spade.

shopped again!

Wasn't supposed to shop anymore, given my recent splurges, but as I was hanging out in Loraine's store today, I just couldn't resist getting this pair of Melissa Campana Zigzag III in gold--



Love it! It's super comfy (even more comfy that Crocs) and just as light. Oh, and prettier too :-) I highly recommend them :-)

grateful

Someone reminded me today just how lucky I am to have him in my life. Someone who loves me more than he does himself, someone who'll put me ahead of anything and anyone in his life, and someone who makes me the center of his every decision and his every day.

Someone reminded me today that though the frills may not be there and that some things I would want are not currently available, I'm still better off because, in all areas that matter, I've hit the jackpot.

Thanks, L.

new gadgets!

I've never been a gadget fiend or a hard-core techie, which is ironic given my tech-heavy profession. Which is why it may be a little uncharacteristic for me to be over the moon over my latest purchases:



and



I've also never been a mac user until now and have never really been much of an ipod person. So, let's see how this goes.. It should be fun :-)

This habit can really get very expensive though. Tsk tsk tsk.. My wallet is bleeding again. Account is fully depleted :-( Thank God for gas allowances...

weekend recap

This weekend started either early or late for me, depending on how you look at it. My family thinks it started early because I went out of town on Thursday morning. It's not what you think though. It's not for fun. I went to Antipolo for work (haha, is Antipolo even considered out of town? It did to me.. It was just soooooo far!!). We had our team-building there for all managers in my division. The thing was supposed to be until Saturday morning, but I managed to get myself out of there legitimately on Friday mid-afternoon.

Anyway, even if I didn't get to finish the entire session, I believe it went really well. For the ff reasons:

1. It made me get to know better the ones I already kinda knew and always admired. I loved the first break-out session we had, because I was grouped with people I've always admired and always wanted to know more about. True enough, the discussion covered so many things, from work to personal to family to interpersonal relationships that it gave me a whole new look into the lives of my officemates. I truly felt honored to be in their midst-- all of these people went through a much tougher childhood and life than me and survived so much. In comparison, I felt like such a pampered, naive little child who only knows the tip of the iceberg when it comes to surviving and triumphing past life's worst blows. It also gave me a lot of realizations and lessons on the things that are truly important.

2. It affirmed certain suspicions I had about some people and their motivations. It also gave me a look into the psyche of certain people and why they behave the way they do.

3. It taught me so much about trust, about good faith, and about what "quality people" really are. It pointed out to me just how much fakeness there is in this world, and in contrast, the people who remain pure and true to themselves and their pure intentions must always be appreciated.

4. No matter what the company, at the end of the day, you work for a boss. And I'm so mega grateful to have such a wonderful boss.

5. No matter what our differences about work style may be, my teammates are just some of the safest, best people to work with. I'm so grateful to be surrounded by people I can trust... people who have more dignity and integrity in the hairs on their heads than some people have in their bodies.

6. Its in moments of crisis when one lets his or her true colors come out. And some people's true colors are about as bad as colors can ever be.

7. For all its faults, this company does make it worthwhile for you to stay. If you don't need its rewards, then well and good. But I doubt one can find it so easy to just let "it" go and not miss it :P

So there was my teambuilding. After coming home from Antipolo, Dennis picked me up on Saturday for Karen's despedida de soltera. I've never been to one til that day, so it was refreshing to see what went on in such an occasion. Karen was radiant and beautiful in her Joji Lloren pink gown. I was so happy to see her so happy.

Today was family day, where apart from spending time with my family and Dennis, I also spent a ton of money. Hahaha! Not that those two things necessarily follow, but I just couldn't pass up a good deal when I see it. I bought myself a designer leather bag, with the justification that it was secondhand and therefore at a good good good price. I also told myself that since it's leather, it's bound to last long and really, for the price, what else is there to consider? Dennis was right beside me as I went through this internal debate. He just looked at me strangely and said, "well, if you like it, get it. That's how simple it is, if you ask me!" Haha, my darling boyfriend, if I followed that rule everytime I saw something I liked, I'd probably be starving from sheer poverty now. :) Hehehe. Still, it's so cute to hear something so simplistic :p

Today was also when I got two super cute summer dresses made by Dennis' mom especially for me. I loved how cute they are and the care that went into making them. For all their faults, this family of his has always made me feel welcome and special.

Oh, and we also watched No Reservations today too, which is your typical chick-flick except the little girl is just sooo adorable. You gotta hand it to Dennis-- it's not usual to have a guy who doesn't mind catching chick flicks with ya. :p

So that was my weekend. Very fun, very interesting and very expensive ;p Hehehe.. It's bound to get more expensive though, as there's something really big I plan to buy on Wednesday evening... Hay, will this cycle of purchase ever end?! (That's a rhetorical question..)

back!

I'm back! Finally, the series of back-to-back overseas trips have ended. As much fun as the trips have been (and they're super fun, especially this last trip to China where my family bonded like there's no tomorrow! Hehehe!), I must admit I feel really tired. I really need a massage, after all the walking and the not-sleeping-enough we did in our trips.

The China trip was great, as usual. We went first on our pilgrimage to the temple that's about 2 hours away from the city. We also went on a side trip to my lolo's old hometown, where he was born and where he spent the first few years of his life. My dad was especially wistful in this trip, I don't know why, but he kept bringing up old stories about my lolo and kept saying just how happy my lolo's soul must be just knowing that his grandchildren were stepping on the very same ground that he once did. Awww... I just knew how much my dad appreciated that the three of us agree to go on this trip year after year, no matter what our schedules were like and no matter how tiring and taxing the trip gets. He even made a comment that such trips may even include Dennis in the future. Hehehe :)

My gosh, it's almost October! (what an abrupt change in topic, hahaha!) I can't believe how fast this year has gone. It all just went by in a blur. I can hardly remember things that happened in Q1, Q2, Q3... Hehehe. Also, since October is almost here, so is my birthday. And then in just a few short weeks, the Madrid trip. Then finally Christmas! I'm so excited. This year has been sooooo good to me. I really love 2007.

off to china!

Going on our annual family pilgrimage to China! Wish us luck :)

grrrr...

I really really hate stupid, slow people. People who just ask for answers instead of taking time to think about their questions first to see if they can arrive at the answer themselves or realize that their question is plain dumb and doesn't deserve the light of day.

I also hate really slow people who need to be told a simple thing over and over for them to get it through their thick skulls. Some of these people are actually nice and don't mean to be slow, but still... Just because you're a good person doesn't mean that I have the patience to say something about 4 or 5 times to you just for you to understand it. Sorry, but stupid, nice people are still stupid.

GRRRRR!!!!

Hay, all the stress yesterday and today just erased all the relaxation I achieved in HK. Hay....

HK!

Off to HK tomorrow! Goodbye, work. Hello, family time, lots of dimsum and hopefully a bit of shopping! :)

it's here!

Tadaaaa! My brand new, almost free car is here!

I've never had a gwapo car before.. Scrap that, I've never bought a car before. So, I must say, it feels so damn good :P

current obsessions

1. Avenue Q


Can't wait to catch the Philippine staging of Avenue Q on Friday. I watched this in NYC with my good friend Karen and we loooved it! It's such a happy play and everyone who ever went through college will be able to relate with all its messages. I even bought the soundtrack in NYC and I listen to it every so often especially when I need a pick-me-up. Go watch it! You won't regret it.

2. Brothers and Sisters

Thanks to Guia, I got acquainted with the new series Brothers and Sisters, and I'm sooo obsessed with it now. Bought the 1st season DVD and I've been watching it til the wee hours every night ever since. Love it! Go watch it! You'll love it too! :)

OK enough plugging. Back to work :P

milan or madrid....

This company and this job has certainly spoiled me to bits, sending me to different places in the world for absolutely free (in fact, with pay pa if you count the per diem) Just heard that the next destination will either be Milan or Madrid.

OH MY GOSH! Lord, please make it come true! Please make everything fall into place so I can set foot in either one of those countries for FREE! Please!!!

:-)

looks like an exciting september...

September has me going on two definitely-going-to-push-through trips to HK and China, and one not-sure-yet-but-I-hope-it-does trip to Madrid. If all goes well, these three trips would happen one weekend after the other, with my 2nd to 4th weekends of September all booked up.

Also lined up for September is the despedida de soltera of K, my very good friend. It also marks the 2007 bar examinations, and I have two very close friends taking the bar this year. So, aside from the usual rounds done by D for his brods, I also want to drop by my friends' review rooms before the exams to wish them good luck.

September is also when I finalize my decision to take up further studies and hopefully make it to the upcoming exam schedule so I can start immediately this coming semester. I've come up with a pro and con list and it looks like the pros are winning... Hehehe...

An exciting September talaga!

journalistic boo-boo

Heard about this incident earlier and decided to check it out. Well-known Journalist MF wrote in two publications about a trip she recently took to Greece, with pretty deliberate insults directed at OFWs. This obviously earned the ire of many Pinoy workers and gave birth to so many seething reactions from Pinoys the world over.

Read the original articles at:
http://selvo.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/people-asia-p30.jpg
http://selvo.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/people-asia-p31.jpg
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=goodLife2_april16_2007

As I read these three articles myself, I couldn't help but feel offended on behalf of OFWs. I myself have flown coach on Emirates and Qatar Airways on more than one occasion, and I do have to agree on the noise-level complaint of the writer. Pinoy workers do tend to be quite noisy and chatty. Though understandable because this tendency to be talkative may be their best outlet for the anxiety of going somewhere totally foreign, when you're tired and sleepy, this can be very very annoying. I'm also personally not a fan of very cramped places, but this holds true whether I share the space with a roomful of OFWs or a roomful of kings and queens. The discomfort mainly comes from the "sikip"-ness, not from the fact that the sharers of the space are Pinoy workers. And, since I've been in the same situation as her, I can safely say that a lot of her statements are truly OA, such as her insults re their smell. The problem with the articles she wrote is not that she's overly sensitive (to smell, etc), but that she's not sensitive at all.

Which leads me to her initial reaction to the negative responses that her articles elicited. Check it out at the last paragraph of this article-- http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=goodLife1_july30_2007

Really, nothing has ever sounded so dumb to me. Esp from someone from the supposed upper crusts of society. She's mistaking humor for cruelty and prejudice. Good thing she finally came to her senses and issued a proper apology to the public:
http://www.geocities.com/fernandez_malu/

I don't think she deserves the death threats, but I seriously don't feel sorry for her either. I mean, she is reaping what she sowed. In a country that's 99% poor, it's almost a crime to say the things she did. She sounded like a bigot, for which there is absolutely no excuse. And it's an even bigger crime against the Filipino people to thump one's nose at the very group of people who are holding up our economy. The Philippine economy is not propped up by the "have's" as she termed it, but by the very people whose smell seem to have offended her so much she had to put it on paper.

Oh, and I also blame the editors and publishers for even giving an avenue for these irresponsible words. They're just as guilty as MF for giving these hurtful things the light of day. Let this just be a lesson to everyone that just because someone's not at the same level as us financially doesn't mean they deserve any less respect. And just because you were given a pen to write with doesn't mean you can write whatever you want. Part and parcel of press freedom is press responsibility. What a sad day for Philippine journalism.

THANK YOU!

I woke up this morning thinking about how blessed my life has been and how thankful I am to everyone who helped it become as full and as fulfilling as possible. So to you guys, God being #1 in this list, thank you thank you thank you! You cannot know just how grateful I am and how much this has all inspired me to do better and be better. :-) So, at the risk of sounding redundant.... Thank you, thank you, thank you!

longchamp les pliage

Have recently reignited my love for Longchamp Les Pliage bags. I love the fact that you can fold them up and stack them in your luggage, to accomodate those last-minute shopping sprees.. I love that it's the ideal travel bag because it can carry so much. And I especially love the fact that it's waterproof and can perfectly protect all possessions it contains vs. all kinds of rain. I love it, I love it, I love it!

I just found out that you can customize your Les Pliages too! You can choose the color combination and even get your name embroidered on it! I tried it out online ---



*Just because I'm on a shopping ban doesn't mean I can't window shop...even online! :-p

creed love

My darling beau is sooooo cute!

Last Saturday, we were in Rustan's Makati and found ourselves in the middle of the perfume section. We did our usual duck-and-avoid stance to get away from the various perfume salespeople waving their spray bottles in our faces.

However, in the midst of our duck-and-avoid dance, we noticed a new area in the perfume section-- the House of Creed. One of Creed's salesmen was too quick for us and held out a sample for Dennis to sniff.

Now, my darling beau ain't the fancy type of guy who has to use a certain branded perfume or have certain branded clothing and shoes... He's the if-it-works-and-is-priced-reasonably-then-maybe-I'll-buy-it type of guy. Which is why I was surprised when he actually took the sample and paused. He handed it to me as if to tell me to smell it....

And hey hey hey, it smells quite good!

Milismie Imperial is what caught my darling beau's and my attention. It has that nice, fresh, clean scent with refreshing marine and musk notes. Presented in a special “Antique Gold” glass bottle and with the added plus that it's unisex, my darling beau was actually tempted!



The price was a LOT to ask though, even if it's parfum... So, my darling beau graciously put it back on the display and calmly told the salesman he'll think about it.

...still, it's a feat bigger than the average perfume salesman has ever achieved with my boyfriend! Mr Creed Salesman should be proud of himself. Hehehe :)

shopping abstinence

Given my recent splurges, I've decided to take a shopping abstinence, a.k.a. a purchase ban.. on clothes, shoes, bags, accessories... anything fashion-related that I have NO need whatsoever for.

And this time, I'll stick to the real definition of "need." Not the self-justifying kind that wraps "want" under the guise of "need", especially when presented with a "good buy" (which for the time being is erased from my vocabulary)

Lord help me and give me strength!

:p

Wish me luck! Happy weekend!

HP7!!!!!

Bought the final book of the Harry Potter series last Saturday and was so excited I had to sit down in the coffee shop inside Powerbooks Greenbelt so I can immediately start reading HP7. Good thing my darling beau was also a book lover and didn't mind grabbing a book from one of Powerbooks' shelves and sharing a mug of coffee with me as I devoured the first twelve chapters of HP7 in one sitting.

Finally, by the next evening, I've finished the last chapter and read the epilogue of this wildly anticipated book and.... WOW! I loved loved loved loved it! Don't want to ruin it for anyone else out there who's still reading the book, but all I can say is JK Rowling definitely did not disappoint. And all those malicious people out there that released those false "reviews" and "spoilers" can go stuff themselves. None of their predictions turned out to be true. So, fellow fans out there, don't worry, your reading pleasure as you go through HP7 is intact :-) Happy reading!

london, baby!

I loved London!

Ok, let's start from the awful beginning. When I arrived in Heathrow (all by myself, I may add), I was so tired that instead of figuring out the cheapest way to get to the hotel, I opted for a chauffeured service instead. Had I stopped and gave it a moment's thought, I would've figured out that the hotel is only a subway stop away. Anyway, the service driver is now 32 pounds richer because of me. What a rip-off. Shit.

Anyway, after that, I met up with my colleague Gayle and we spent the next two days feverishly working to make the show as successful as possible. Given there's only two of us when usually we'd have at least a 5-person team, we divided tasks between the two of us to be able to cover as much ground as possible. Still a little jetlagged, I navigated the streets of Hounslow all the way to Central London all by myself. At first, I got a little lost... Ok, a lot lost. I remember calling Dennis all upset, swearing off London and telling him about how exhausted and hopelessly lost I was. After he calmed me down, I decided to save time and just shamelessly ask bystanders for directions. At the end of the day, I accomplished all my tasks, with a little time to spare to explore a bit of central London. All thanks to the London Underground-- the highly efficient underground transport system without whom I wouldn't have survived and in whose debt I will forever remain.




The show then took up the next 2 days of our trip, with each day ending with the two of us shlumped on the bed, unable to move and hopelessly hungry and thirsty. Because a bottle of mineral water costs 2.50 pounds in London, we reluctantly shared 1 bottle over the two days. Result of which is two very thirsty and very cranky girls.

We then had two days (well, 1.5 technically since the second day is when we fly out) all to ourselves. We then decided to make those two days count like anything. So, we went all around town, went to all the sites. I loved loved loved loved Central London! The architectural sites are just too beautiful to take in all at once.



We went to all the must-sees and ate hearty Chinese meals at Chinatown (hehe, sorry, you can take the girl outta China but...) On our last night, we watched the musical Mamma Mia, with Epy Quizon and Dong our friendly Pinoy tour guide. Mamma Mia ROCKED! I loved it! Couldn't stop singing the songs with Gayle all the way back to our hotel..

The final day we were in London was spent feverishly going through all the shopping sites naman. As I said before, it was right timing that we were in London (or bad timing, depending on your perspective) because the whole of Central London was on sale! It's their annual July sale! We went to Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Piccadilly Circus. We also made some time to pass by Oxford Street, where I went to Selfridges and Topshop while Gayle went off to look for her dad's and brother's pasalubongs.

Loved London! Can't wait to go back :-)

... where I don't feel like going back to right now is WORK. THE OFFICE. Hay, how I wish I can just travel for a living :-p

This weekend has a lot of good things in store, though. ---
1. HP7 book is finally out tomorrow! Can't wait to crack it open and start reading.
2. Darling Beau and I are celebrating his birthday tomorrow night, since I was in London on his birthday.
3. My cousin and her hubby are visiting from Canada. Will get to spend some time with them before they leave for Japan.

That's it! Happy weekend, folks!

going home!

I'm now back at the Emirates lounge in the Dubai airport, waiting for my flight to Manila to board. How was my trip, you ask? I don't want to get into the work part of it right now as I'm trying real hard to forget it (hehehehe), but the personal part of the trip was, contrary to my expectation, FABULOUS!!

I not only had enough time to see some of the best sites in London (i.e. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, etc)., I also happened to be in London right when the entire place is having one big massive sale! London shopping, which is otherwise totally unattainable (with the astonishing P92 to 1 pound exchange rate we have), suddenly became affordable! I even found myself at Harrod's yesterday! Beautiful stroke of luck!

Riding the Underground all around town, taking the bus, taking in all the beautiful sites, going around and doing a bit of shopping = one hella fun London trip! Loved it! :-)

If only I won't have to go back to work right away....

Hehehe..

That's it for now! Let you know more when I get back!

en route to london

Here I am at the Emirates Business Class Lounge at the Dubai International Airport, enduring the 4 and a half hour wait for my connecting flight from DXB to Heathrow International. As is obvious, I'm in en route to London today, given the fact that my VISA was hastily approved and delivered yesterday morning. Sucks, really, as I was actually looking forward to NOT going. Didn't want to miss my darling beau's 28th birthday on Tuesday, and didn't want to endure two 20+ hour flights just to be in the UK for a grand total of 4.5 days. Arg. Adding to my misery is my cheap-ass 6131 phone breaking down on me a few hours before my scheduled departure last night. I dropped it in my haste to get to the bank before it closed, and since dropping and spilling its battery and guts out, my stupid phone refuses to turn back on. All the contacts that I need are in there! Arg again.

Oh well. Might as well try to hold my chin up and enjoy this trip as much as I can. What else can I do anyway? I'm already here...

Hay... Will blog again when I return next Thursday. See you guys!

UK

I should be excited to be sent to London for work, really. But the combination of PMS, the stress of having so much work to do, the pressure of proving myself to upper management, and the overall fatigue I still haven't gotten over since my last trip, just takes out the excitement about the entire thing.

Add the fact that I'll only be there for 4 nights, with 3 out of those four filled with back-to-back work, plus the fact that our per diems rarely cover the cost of 2 meals a day, I'm finding it quite hard to look forward to this UK trip. If only it was at least for a week, and I'm allowed to extend, and I have enough money to actually go around town (oh, and take out the high-alert status now of the entire country due to those terrorist attempts), I'd be more than raring to go board my Emirates flight on Thursday.

But at this point, the way I see it, this trip will do nothing more than add to my lack-of-sleep quotient + cause me jet-lag to death + bloat my monthly budget + let me come home to even more work waiting for me.

Sounds like tons of fun, eh????

a spa treat and a celebration

My darling beau treated me to a spa day, after hearing my complaints day in and day out of sore calves and an aching back. One of the pitfalls of going on long vacations is that you usually abuse your body with the lack of sleep and lots of walking, and you end up with a really bruised, acutely aching body when you return.

So, anyway, given my rants about this, my darling beau decided to rescue me and take me to a luxurious pampering session at Suriya Spa. Aaaaaah.... Every stroke of the masseuse was heavenly! I loved loved loved loved it!

After spa-ing, the question then was... what now? Since I've sworn off shopping for the next few months and since we've already seen Transformers last night and a second viewing today was a little challenging to do given the hordes of people that reserved tickets online and were lined up at the theater, we decided to have a really long dinner instead, to celebrate my recent promotion. We headed off to Chef Laudico's at the Fort, where we ended up staying for about three hours.. relishing every bite and talking, laughing and enjoying each other's company all night long...

I loved Chef Laudico's! The adobo with foie gras and the prawns with the laing tempura were oh-so-tasty! Loved them soooo much! Dennis' eyes kept rolling upward with every bite of the foie gras, hee hee. The ubod spring roll with the vinegar sorbet was also very good-- totally worth the price! The ambience tonight was also perfect, because there were very few diners. The waiters were also at their most attentive and the place was so conducive to intimate talks and the occasional loud guffaws of laughter that usually accompany any conversation held by myself and my beau ;)

All in all, 'twas a simple day. Yet, in so many ways, 'twas also the most perfect of days. :)

reunited!

Reunited with my darling luggage, FINALLY!!!! Yeah!!!

I was so excited to get them, I really didn't mind the hassle of going to the airport, going through security, and picking them up at the Interline Baggage room, which is just a big empty warehouse where delayed, damaged and unclaimed luggage is stored.

As soon as I got home, I eagerly opened both bags and sighed a HUGE sigh of relief to see that everything is on tip-top shape. I thought it would be anti-climactic to go through the spoils of my trip 1.5-weeks upon arrival, but seeing all the stuff in there quickly reminded me of my sweet vacation... and then all my annoyance at United Airlines disappeared into thin air...

:-)

YAY!

to the god of lost luggages...

Please send my two luggages back to me. I've invested so much in the goods lying therein, and I would really really appreciate it if you can send them to my delivery address.

PLEASE! It's been a week already!!!

7 random things about moi...

Tagged by Kaye :-)

1) I have very slow reflexes. Whether it's catching things in time or dodging things that flying in my direction, my limbs somehow suffer from an invariable lag from the time my brain sends signals for them to move. I don't know why, but I've always been like this. It may be why I make for a very lousy driver.

2) I rarely have a hard time sleeping. There are some people who experience the namamahay syndrome, but I'm definitely not one of them. I can sleep easily in new places, like hotel rooms, and I have no problems sleeping in moving vehicles and airplanes.

3) I tap my fingers on the table when I'm thinking of something to type.

4) I took piano and voice lessons as a kid.... to no avail....

5) I don't know how to play chess.

6) I have a certain procedure when getting ready in the morning. Any disruption or change in the order in which I do my "brush teeth, wash face, step into shower, get dressed, put on contacts, put on moisturizer, put on shoes, get bag together, and dry hair" routine causes me to get confused, leave things out/behind and get in a really really foul mood.

7) I rarely oversleep. And I hardly need an alarm. If I tell myself the night before that I need to wake up by a certain time, almost always, my own body clock wakes me up in time.

I'm tagging... everyone who hasn't done this yet :-)

trip recap!

OK, I really think I'm getting old. I never used to get jetlag before. EVER. No matter what time zone difference I go through, I always hit the ground running on local time. It's always been this easy (snaps fingers) for me to adapt to my new location. My dad had always said I'm lucky to have this kind of system.

But, alas, I think age has gotten the better of me. Not only did I suffer from slight jetlag when I arrived in Canada two weeks ago, I am also undergoing enormous jetlag now that I'm back home. Why else will I be blogging at freakin' 5 o'clock in the morning?! Anyhow, since I'm up anyway, I figure I'll just make a recap of the US/Canada trip that was:

1. Canada-
I was just in Vancouver and Toronto three years ago, and not much has really changed. So, when I was in Vancouver, Lianne and I decided to go to Whistler, which is about 3 hours away from Vancouver, since I've already seen most of Vancouver already anyway. And, my uncle and aunt took us to Seattle too, which is about three hours from Richmond, BC, since I've also seen Richmond the last time I was there. So pretty much, I was only in Vancouver to sleep and eat. Hehehehe. Oh, speaking of eating, since we have so many relatives there and my parents have so many friends, we ate BIG lunches and dinners the whole 4 days we were there. I'm scared to even look at the scale now... It was so nice to catch up with Li, though, and see how her new life is, post-accident, and meet her boyfriend. I'm just soooo enormously proud of her, for being so strong, for being such a great sister and a great daughter. I don't know if I can handle the same situation with as much strength, as much faith and as much humor as she does. I love her :-)

As for Toronto, when I arrived, preparations for my cousin's wedding were in full swing. Since it's fairly uncommon to have a wedding planner in Toronto, the maid of honor and I took on majority of the tasks, with the best man and my other cousins taking up the rest. In spite of that, I still managed to sneak in a few hours of shopping (woohoo! More on that later) here and there.

The wedding went so well! Save for a few bloopers, the program went smoothly. Oh, and save for my mom's injured toe too, which is a really long story to tell. Suffice it to say that her big toe is gonna be MIA for a while.

Met some new friends too in Toronto while I was there, as well as reacquainted myself with relatives I rarely keep in touch with. :-) Twas really nice.

2. Boston-
So, after the wedding, my parents and I parted ways as they went off to NJ while I went to Boston to visit my friend Karen, who's taking her MBA at Harvard. She toured me around her campus, showed me the main hangout places, and basically gave me a little orientation of her life there as a Harvardian (don't know if they call themselves that but that's what I call them, hehehe). Harvard is a beautiful campus and looks like a really tough institution to enter and to go through, but, as nice as it is, I doubt MBA is for me. I considered it before, and I think this trip has definitely led me to the conclusion that further studies just isn't my cup of tea. Just looking at her pile of readings makes me wanna puke. Hahaha!

Oh,and I got to meet her German boyfriend too, as well as some of his friends. A good mix of people from various nationalities and backgrounds. I guess that's one of the good parts of MBA school, should one decide to go that route. You get a vast network of people from a vast array of industries, nationalities, skill sets and personalities. You draw wisdom not just from the academics but from your social life as well. And in most instances, people can teach you way better than any book or reading ever can.

Also got to meet up with an old college friend of mine, Gen, and her boyfriend Reagan. They took me around downtown Boston, my favorite of which is Newbury Street! It's such a quaint little street at the surface, but when you look closely, it's full of little cafes, interesting restaurants and a peppering of vintage stores, ultra-designer couture shops and little boutiques of clothes, makeup, home accessories and shoes! Loved it!

Karen and I also went outlet shopping on my last day in Boston. Haha, such a quintessential US-trip activity-- outlet shopping. Our original plan was to go to the mega huge outlet in NY but, since Boston was such a small town, I already toured it in 1 day and knowing how NYC is such a big big place that outlet shopping there would be a waste of time, we decided to hie off to Wrentham Premium Outlets on my final day in Boston. Spent more than I should have yet again, but had tons of fun anyway.

3. NYC-
Definitely one of the best cities in the world! No other place is ever so full of life, so full of activity and so full of different things and people, it's like the whole planet condensed into a little place called Manhattan. Granted, things were very expensive (at least 200% more than Manila prices) but hey, the experience is worth it! Our hotel, firstly, did not disappoint. The bed was so comfy, we slept like babies on both nights we were there. The service was also good so I don't regret paying $200/night.

We also went on a foodfest while we were there. Iron Chef aficionados would be familiar with Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill and Chef Nobu's, well, Nobu Restaurant. Karen and I looooved both dining experiences! Iron Chefs do live up to the hype after all :p After that, we took the Sex and the City tour, which is my favorite tour to take, as it takes you to all the sights of Manhattan yet with that special SATC flavor added to it all.

We also went shopping (any of you surprised at this point?!) all around Soho, 5th avenue and Lower Manhattan. Again, spent more than I should've, but really, I got two pairs of Tod's shoes for about $200 each-- if that's not a bargain, I don't know what is. Though, speaking of shoes, I do admit I may have gone just a tad overboard with the shoe shopping, coz my shoe-purchase summary totals to 10! Can you believe it?! I bought 10 pairs over a 14-day period. Waah! Ouch goes my credit card bill.

Of course, no NYC experience is complete without catching a Broadway musical. We watched Avenue Q on our last night in NYC and it was FANTASTIC! No exaggeration here. I can so understand why they won that Tony award. It's definitely as they describe it-- Sesame Street for adults. But the play is so full of insights about 20-somethings (so people such as ourselves can definitely relate!), their struggles on jump-starting their life, their doubts on the right and wrong turns to take, their initial forays into true love and the struggles with money and how to have enough of it. I loved it so much I bought the CD. The music is just so phenomenal! I wish they'd stage it here in Manila...

Oh, and got to see my cousin Ann too, who just got married. Loved seeing her again, catching up and sharing good good food together :-)

4. Home sweet home-
Just when the trip wrapped up and I thought I'd be on a smooth way back home, it turns out fate had different plans for me. To start this last part of my story, I'd have to first explain my route to Manila. From NYC, I'm supposed to take a NYC-Chicago flight at 3pm, arriving in Chicago at 4:30pm, in time to take a 5:10 Chicago-SFO flight, which arrives in SFO at 8pm, in time for my 10:30pm PAL flight back to Manila. Granted, the timelines are kinda tight, but my travel agent assured me over and over again that she's had millions of clients take this route without a hitch, and United Airlines (for all the domestic trips mentioned above) also reassured me that the route is safe to take, I took their word/s for it.

So, I boarded the NYC-Chicago flight at 2:50pm. I breathed a sigh of relief, maybe I was overworried for no reason. It's early! And I was so tired from my 14-day trip that I fell asleep as soon as I took my seat. Two hours later, I woke up from my nap. I thought to myself, hey, this looks way too familiar...

Wait...

WE HAVEN'T FREAKIN' LEFT YET!

It's 5pm already!

OH MY FUCK!

After finding out that the reason we haven't moved an inch is because of bad weather at Chicago, I resorted to the last option I had at the time-- PRAYER. I told the Lord that my fate is in His hands, and if He means for me to arrive in Manila at the originally-planned time and date, He'll figure out a way to get me there. Divine intervention, please come! And please hurry!

So, finally, at 5:15, the flight took off. I arrived in Chicago at about 6:15pm. As soon as I deplaned, I saw on the board that there's a 6:30pm flight to SFO, after which the next flight leaves at 8:45pm-- way too late to make my PAL flight. I had no choice but to make it to the 6:30!

So I ran all the way to gate 62, coming from gate 69. Note that Chicago O' Hare airport is HUGE, and my physical fitness isn't very.. well, fit. So, panting, I asked oh-so-nicely the gate attendant if I could possibly switch my 5pm boarding pass to the 6:30. The blondie stared at me blankly and said, "For all rebookings, please go to Customer service over at Gate 52."

WHAT!!! So, I ran like I've never ran before, to Gate 52.

When I got there, hooray for United Airlines, their Customer service counter is unattended. But, there was a bunch of machines labeled E-ticketing and Online Rebooking. After I punched in my reference number, the system replied to me that they've rebooked me already.... to the 8:45pm flight!

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!

So I ran back (at this point, I was so hingal, I could barely breathe!) to gate 62. The blondie was just closing the gate's door, with about 4 other people from the same delayed flight as me right in front of me pleading with her to let them take the flight. Blondie kept shaking her head and saying "Sorry" in the way people say sorry when they don't really give a rat's ass about your problem.

I had about 2 seconds to weigh my options...

I pushed my way past all the other 4 people and grabbed Blondie's arm. Almost tearfully, I said, "You don't understand. I have to take this flight. I have an international flight to Manila from SFO. I have to make this flight. I have to go home. I have to go home. I have to go home.." In hindsight, the way I said "I have to go home" sounded like a little child's plea, which may have been why Blondie looked at me suspiciously and asked, "how old are you, young lady?" I decided I had no time for niceties, because the freakin' plane was about to leave. So I said, "please please please....." and tugged at her arm like no stranger has ever tugged another stranger's arm. At this point too, I've started to really tear up. Desperation and the hingal just got the better of me.

Which proved to be the cincher to the deal! She took my boarding pass from me, punched some stuff into her screen, printed me out a new one, and said "ok, stop crying, you can board now." I hugged her in sheer relief and screamed THANK YOU so fast, it sounded like THYOU! The guard opened the gate for me to go through, and alas, I was on well my way home.

At least that's what I thought.

As is quite obvious at this point in the story, my poor little two pieces of luggage were still stranded in the Chicago airport. When I landed in SFO at 9:15pm, I went to the Customer service counter to ask about the whereabouts of my precious little cargo. They told me it's still in Chicago and what they can do is ship it to me. They'll let me know in two days if they can ship it all the way to Manila or just to Hong Kong. I had little time to shake Ms. Customer Service by her shoulders and ask WHY OH WHY will I have to hike over to HK because their flight was delayed?!?! My PAL plane was gonna board in 30 minutes, and I was still over at the domestic terminal. I have to take the train to the international terminal, find PAL's counter in the huge airport and make it to the boarding gate, all in 30 minutes! So, again, lots of running happened and I finally got to board. My luggage issue just had to sorted out when I get home.

You may be glad to know now though that, per my discussion with United when I landed yesterday, my luggage will arrive here, hopefully, by tomorrow. At least that's what United said. I just have to trust them for now and pray my dear two little babies get here by tomorrow.

So that was my trip. Full of new and old faces, new and old places, new adventures, lots of shopping, and a nightmarish plane trip back home. But I made it! Home sweet home :-)

office politics strikes again!

Some things never change. This company would really benefit tenfold if office politics is brought down a couple of notches.. not allowing it to affect business functions and disrupt organizational stability. My gosh. Can't believe this is happening... again!

....

Maybe sometimes all you need is to relieve yourself of your everyday distractions and the pull of the old and dry routine to discover things about yourself that are difficult to admit.. things in your life that are less than perfect and the way you feel towards those imperfections. Truly, stepping back is the best way to see what's going on and to judge what lies ahead.. to know what you can live with, live without, and what (or whom) you wish you can change.

This vacation, thus far, has been full of little reunions with friends, little touristy jaunts and little shopping trips, but hands down the best gift this vacation has given to me is a reflection of what's really going on in my system and the opportunity to address those things little by little when I get back to my real life.