great weekend

(Warning: This entry is sappy and very very cheesy. Proceed with caution. Read at your own risk.)

It's been a great, great birthday weekend.

Yesterday was family day. After watching the new Zorro flick, we came back home for a hearty family dinner to celebrate my birthday. Greetings all around and some presents came my way too. All in all a great evening-- relaxed and steady.. Tomorrow will also be family day-- his naman. Hehe :)

Today, though, was devoted to the two of us. After a spa treat (sarap ng massage-- aaaaahhhh), Dennis and I went to The Chocolate Kiss Cafe along Roces Ave in QC. (Check out http://www.thechocolatekiss.com for more details on this fabulous restaurant.) We both loooooved the food, especially the dessert-- and the price was great too, we ordered 5 dishes between the two of us and spent a little over P600! Wow, what a deal! It was a great date, reminiscent of our first fancy-restaurant date, where good food was abound and so was great conversation.

This great conversation I speak of started with some reminiscing on the part of my beau. He had spent most of his childhood in the QC area, having lived in their family's first house along Scout R (I forget exactly what R stands for... All I remember is R) for the first 22 years of his life. He told me of the benefits of living in that area-- it's secure, it's near all the important places (grocery, school, church, restaurant strip, mall and gym), it's close enough to the highway and is accessible to most nearby cities. Prior to heading to Chocolate Kiss, we actually passed by this old house, whom they had sold to a Filipino family, where he proudly showed off their huge gate and the lavish exterior of the Spanish-style home. It really looked like a nice house, judging from the outside look. He also painted a picture of the interior for me, so I can fully appreciate the beauty he saw in the place.

As I listened, I found myself getting carried away in his story. He recounted the many memories he had in that place, leading up to the day he heard of the sad news of its sale. He told me about how he and his brother would run up to the attic and play countless children's games... He recounted the many times he ran up and down the driveway, anticipating his dad's arrival from work. He told me happy stories, sad stories, and even the mundane, ordinary ones.. He obviously loved the place.

Instinctively, I said "let's buy back the place and live there!" He looked up in surprise, "Really? But you always said you can't imagine yourself living up North, coz you're a Southern girl..."

The next thing I said surprised me as much as it did him. I said, "But I want our kids to grow up in the same place you did." The actual words didn't surprise me as much as how much I meant them. From his stories I saw how much that house meant to him, and I realized I wanted him to get it back. True, the South has always been my home. But now that I'm with him, I realize home will always be where he is. So if that place is up North, so be it.

He looked so happy I thought his eyes were about to well up. But in typical Dennis fashion, he looked away and changed the topic. But before he did, I caught the smile that told me my statement made him happy. Which made me even happier. Because I meant what I said. I really did.

Hay, this is what life is really about. Spending it with someone you love so much that life just won't be life without him.

On my 23rd birthday weekend, that's my biggest learning. Love is what you make it to be.

it's that time of the year again...

Turned 23 today.

Sayang.. Had fun being 22 =P

Thanks to everyone who remembered!

tsk tsk....

1. If only I spend all this time and all these efforts doing something I really like. Hay. It's exponentially more tiring to do tasks you'd rather not do =P

Tsk tsk..

2. I now know how it feels to be the referee and shock absorber of 2 arguing friends. I'd really prefer not to be involved, but hey, it's a little too late for that now. Besides, they were the ones who put me in the middle, and leaving them alone (which was the first idea) didn't seem to help.

Tsk tsk..

168

Everybody is raving about 168. My first trip about 5 months ago was rather short, with the objective of buying DVDs (not exactly a rave-worthy shopping objective), so I decided to give it another try today with my mom.

So off we went to 168. I would think a lot of people reading this blog haven't gone there yet but, just like the rest of the population, are itching to go see what the big deal is. So I've listed some tips to help you-- some I picked up from certain people I saw there:

1. Don't take your car all the way there. We left ours in my maternal grandma's house, which was about 5-8 minutes walking-time away from 168. No way were we taking the car through that horrendous traffic and even more horrendous streets. Should you insist on taking your car, prepare to suffer through an hour or so of mind-numbing traffic. Caused by cars, humans, or both.

2. Do not wear jewelry and watches, and definitely do not take out your cellphone throughout the entire duration of your expedition. In fact, my mom and I didn't even bother bringing our bags with us. Both of us spent a great deal of our childhood years in that area... which gives us plenty of experiences with pickpockets, snatchers and other similar thieves. Do not give them anything to steal, because believe you me, they will.

3. Take note of where you came from and how you plan to go out. There are quite a number of entrances and exits, which all lead to different parts of Tondo. So be careful, lest you come out in the direction totally opposite from what you want.

4. Ignore the horse shit. It comes with the territory.

Now comes shopping time:
5. Haggle. My gosh, only in a place like 168 can my P1,000 stretch like the biggest rubber band ever. And a place like 168 can make you feel like ditching the mall for any kind of shopping need-- EVER. Hehe :) Enjoy.

6. If you plan to buy clothes, wear things that you can easily slip something on top of. There are no dressing rooms in this place. Oh, and it will also help to bring a good sense of what fits you and what doesn't. Otherwise, you'll end up with cheap deals you cannot use anyway.

7. Do not walk around speaking in English. Period. Hay... I overheard these 3 girls talking in outrageously arte Taglish, sounding all naive and innocent... Haay...

8. It would be a good idea to bring a big shopping bag that you can stuff little plastic bags into. It's a hassle to have to carry multiple plastic baggies that only contain 1 or 2 shirts or other small things. It's more convenient because you only have to look after 1 big bag as opposed to loads... and it's also safer when you hop onto a sidecar or a jeep on your way out of Tondo.

9. Take your time when you shop but don't dilly-dally either. Items are sold on wholesale in this place, hence there are very small profit margins per item. Not a lot of vendors are willing to wait the entire day for 1 person to make a selection. Know what you want, check if it fits or if the price is right, then get outta there.

Net-net, I had a super great time. My legs hurt from 4-hours worth of walking, but it was well worth it. I spent a quarter of what I would usually spend on the things I got... and I'm very happy with them. I wasn't at all surprised to find people from Valenzuela and Malabon there-- as in they endured the 2-hour ride to get to 168.. because the goods really are worth the trip. I just think you need to be prepared and level your expectations with the kind of place you're visiting. And, remember that you're there to shop, not to admire the surroundings or relish the sights and sounds and smells... You'll come out happy (almost giddy) with hefty savings and a big bag of great finds. :)

the IMC seniors this year...

Earlier today, I judged the IMC finals on Citibank Clear Card. It felt strange to be on the other side of the coin, this time being the evaluator and throwing the comments/ questions to the presentors. Given that it will be one of my major assignments next year, the client side of me really wanted to get good ideas for Clear. On the other hand, the alumni part of me understood that the students were most likely lacking in sleep and were running on empty. So I was compassionate and quite nice with my questioning. In fact, in some questions that Dr K threw, I even helped them along in the answering...

The SDL presentation was really the best one, objectively speaking. Dr K kept teasing me that they were my favorite, because I myself was an SDL-er. But, really, I honestly think they had a very good deck-- in fact, I want to show it to Citibankers on Monday. They had good research data to back up their strategy, and they defended their plan well. There was a solid link between different parts of their plan, and the budget they worked with was also very realistic. Even how they handled Q&A was impressive. :)

That wasn't the most interesting part though. What really caught me offguard was the team spirit in both blocks. During my time (yuck, that was 3 years ago), our block was united, but when it came to these presentations, it was each team for itself. Some of your close friends may come and attend your session, but mostly, each group just sort of fended for itself when time came to face the panel.

This batch is very different, though. In both presentations, the blockmates were all in attendance to show support and, in most cases, to serve as the cheering squad. Every praise given by the judges were met with an enthusiastic round of cheers and applause. Take note that today is a Saturday. Those other blockmates had no other reason to be in school today but to pull for their respective teams.

Also, the team spirit was very strongly felt in that they regarded team victory or defeat as block victory or defeat. When the SDL Citibank team was pronounced the winner of today's presentations, as well as the overall winner of the finals, the entire block jumped up and down and some were even crying with joy! Haha! I found it so funny! It may have been OA from an outsider's point of view, but considering the amount of stress and pressure the last few weeks must have been, along with the immense pressure to finally win 1 of the pitches (out of the 4 brands this sem, SDL only won one, which is the presentation today. But, sweet, they also won overall.), I think it was just normal, if not expected. It was also cute how those that lost their own presentation cheered and celebrated their blockmates' victory. You rarely see that kind of unity these days, especially in corporate settings.

Hehe. Needless to say, I had a lot of fun today. At times, I found myself reminiscing and recounting some presentations I had myself. But on the overall, nah, I think I like being client better =P

the Citi girls

I don’t know what it is about a four-some group of girlfriends, but it starting to seem like a trend in my life. Presenting my Citi girlfriends:

= Baby Bay: Though older than me, she’s the baby of the group. The most adorably naïve girl I know, she is also the sweetest girlfriend there is. She would bring you a treat when you’re down or a text from nowhere just to say hello. She’s also the kuwento-queen, always packing the latest story or chismis about anything and everything. Don’t think she has nothing between her ears though. She’s one of the fastest learners I know, and the savviest thinkers. :)

= The Hamptons Mama: She’s not much older than me and Baby Bay, but she’s totally the mom of the group. She’s the one who has the 3-way test for shopping—just ask yourself Hamptons Mama’s 3 simple questions to see if an item is worth the buy. She’s also the first one to caution you against making an impulsive move, the first one to give you a lecture when you’re in over your head, and the first one to tell you to go home and rest. :)

= The Vampy Van: Such the hotstuff, she has the assets, the voice and the personality to back up all the hype. She’s also ‘hot’ in the sense that she’s the feistiest of the four of us. Woe befalls those that attempt to hurt any of us. She’s the first to rush to our defense if someone makes us feel bad. She’s the best cheerleader of the group too—the loudest supporter of your wildest dream. :)

These are my Citi girls-- the ones I hang out with day-in and day-out.. companions in late-night SM shopping sprees and mid-day pedicure sessions, daily lunch&merienda-mates, fellow coffee&beer-junkies, comrades-in-war and definitely girlfriends to keep. :)

between a rock and a hard place...

How I wish I were one of those people who know exactly where they wanna go and are on the road to getting there. Or just plain one of those people who are happy where they are, not desiring to end up anywhere else.

I don't mean to sound ungrateful for what I've been given. My dissatisfaction comes mainly from my choices, not my blessings.

Second-guessing seems to be second nature to me nowadays.

a Citi-series of unfortunate events

It all started when my good friend "Bay" and I decided to take an afternoon merienda break from work and walk over to the food stalls next to 7/11 in Eastwood for a little chow, namely some sweet corn that was the rage among other Citibankers.

The skies were clear and the weather seemed fine, so we didn't think twice about walking the short distance from Citi. As we started eating and were chitchating a little bit... boom! It seemed as if the skies were going to fall down with the heavy rain that came pouring. At first, we didn't mind it so much, figuring it will slow down before we knew it.

20 minutes later, we were done but the rain wasn't. In fact, if it was at all possible, the rain came down even harder. And worse, the ground was starting to flood up.. Holy crap...

Bay: I know, let's walk to the front and see if the guard at 7/11 has an umbrella we can borrow. After all, our only problem is how to get to CyberMall. Once we get there, we can walk safely na to Citi.

Gladys: Great Idea!

Voila! The guard did not have an umbrella. How now, brown cow? The rain showed zero chances of stopping. And we were about to be late for a management meeting.

Gladys: Oh, let's run the 3 steps to 7/11 and see if they sell umbrellas.

Bay gamely agreed and we rushed to the convenience store. Once inside, whew, finally, something went our way. They did sell umbrellas-- the cheapest of which were the foldable, floral-designed ones that were 63 bucks each.

We looked at each other, shrugged, and just picked one each and paid.

We walked out of 7/11 and opened our cheap umbrellas. Tried to open, rather. 5 seconds went by with us trying to push open the gaddamn umbrellas, whose locks seemed to be non-existent. No matter how many times or how hard we push up, the umbrellas just wouldn't lock.

We walked back in.

Bay: Miss, miss, sira itong payong!

7/11 cashier: (rolls her eyes) Sagarin niyo kasi. (opens the umbrella effortlessly)

Bay and Gladys: (wide-eyed) Wow, ang galing mo, miss!

So we walked out of 7/11 with our open umbrellas and waded through the about-to-flood way to Cyber and then all the way back to home-sweet-home Citibank.

Once inside, you would think our ordeal was over. But no...

As we were waiting for the elevators, we were laughing at ourselves while shaking our 'brellas dry. Just as the elevator doors open and a bunch of guys come out, the tip of my umbrella's handle broke off! And, to make matters worse, 1 guy bent down and picked it up. With a look of uneasy disgust, he handed it over to me using only his thumb and index finger, as if the thing was full of germs he didn't want to spread to the rest of his hand. How embarrassing!!

And so we forged on, wanting nothing else than to have this string of bad luck to stop. We entered the lift along with 2 people from Credit (14th floor). The elevator moved on up and stopped at the 14th floor, where those 2 people got off.

A second after the elevator closed at the 14th floor, brownout! Bay and I looked at each other with disbelief. You've got to be kidding me!

Ironically, it didn't occur to either of us that we should push the alarm button in the elevator panel. We were just too stunned by the series of unfortunate events.. all in the span of an hour!

Sigh... So after a few seconds, the power came back on and we finally arrived safely in our floor and at our workstations. My gohd. All that trouble for corn!? Heck, I'm never touching that stuff ever again! =P

whirlwind romance

She was a friend of the bride. He was the brother of the groom.

They were strangers to each other until the day of the wedding. She found herself without a ride to Baguio, as her friend fell ill that day. He had the family car to himself, as he came to visit from the US and arrived just the day before (everyone in the family had already gone up by then). She gingerly agreed to ride with him, bereft of any other choice.

The first few minutes were awkward. They engaged in small talk, usually talking about the couple—the only people they had in common.

Pretty soon, even before they hit the expressway, they found more topics to talk about—their common interests, passions and experiences. Nothing had ever seemed so comfortable, she felt. It was a total meeting of souls. It felt as if they had known each other forever. Even if, just a few hours ago, they were unaware of each other’s existence.

They spent the entire 8-hour Baguio trip talking—about everything and anything under the sun. They made each other laugh, kept each other entertained and showed each other just what they’ve been missing their entire lives.

The wedding seemed the best place to cap it all off. Every corner screamed romance; everything celebrated love and all its wonders. It was the perfect venue to fall in love. And fall in love they did.

3 weeks later, he had to go. In those 3 weeks, they were inseparable. Now, they were about to be separated by oceans and seas after having been joined at the hip for almost 21 days…

He went back to the US; she stayed behind. Both resumed their old lives, though at the back of their minds, kept alive the memory of those fairy-tale 3 weeks…

A month later, he came back. On a surprise visit.

He came back with the sole intent of proposing to her. Be his wife, he said. I just know our lives are meant to be lived together.

She said yes. Nothing had ever felt more sure.

A year later, they’re about to join hands in marriage.

As she retells the story to me, I realize that these are stories that break even the most cynical of people, the most persistent of love’s detractors. When you’re meant to be, you’re meant to be. It matters not how long you’ve been together, or how many things you know of each other. Love is love is love. Time is but a factor. In her words, you just know.

thought for the day

Maybe at certain moments, it merits checking out the grass at the other side of the fence.

Maybe, sometimes, perception is reality. The statement otherwise just might be the illusion... Not the other way around.. Who's to say the way you see things isn't the way they really are?

Hay.. I don't know if I'm just justifying how I'm feeling, but I just think that there are times when one should assess one's situation relative to others. Not all the time. Just sometimes. At certain moments, for certain issues, in certain contexts... To make certain conclusions.

Dane's baby girl and Dane's chocolates

Went yesterday to visit my friend, Dane, and his wife.. and his new baby! Welcome, Marie Noelle, to the world!

And, another introduction by Dane: The world's creamiest, best chocolates ever!


At first, I thought Dane's gushing was over-the-top-- I mean, c'mon, it can't possibly be that good. Until we had the jetsetting Ronald buy some for us in Singapore...

I finally opened the complicated package ( a box is packed with dry ice, wrapped in plastic and covered in paper wrapper and finally stored in a thick silver foil-looking package), and finally tried 1 choco-powder-dusted little dark-chocolate cube.

Heaven.

Oh my gohd! No chocolate has ever tasted this good!

My Lord! It's pure indulgence-- pure happiness... It melts in your mouth-- you won't know what hit you once you put one of these little cubes of happiness in your mouth....

And that's no overstatement. Believe me.. =)

update!

Sometimes I get culture-shock when I find myself deeply immersed in my boyfriend's world. Such as last weekend.

They had their induction for new brods last Saturday night, and they had this totally elaborate formal affair. As in people dressed up like they do for the prom-- full-on gowns and makeup for the dates and tux and polished hair and shoes for the inductees. But of course, since my boyfriend is one of the barristers, he was not required to dress up. In fact, he was just in shorts and a plain T-shirt. Hehe. My boyfriend-- such the non-conformist. Whatever's comfy, that's what he goes for. =P

Anyway, before the ceremony, they informed Dennis that he was gonna get an award. How cool! It was a presidential citation for extraordinary service to the frat. After learning this, one would expect that he would hastily go back to his room to put on something nicer-- something more befitting an awardee. But no no... My boyfriend pa! He didn't care-- he walked up all confident, smiling and shaking everyone's hands-- and he even wanted to make a speech! Hahahaha! I was laughing my ass off! :)

Hay, finally, it's the last week of the bar exams. I know the stress is piling up now more than ever, especially after that last set of tests... I just pray he pulls through fine... Before we know it, this will be over. And we'll be back to normal.. Well, as normal as normal can be, as one awaits the results to come out 6 months later. =S

Oh, onto other news: Looks like our trip will finally push through (fingers crossed)!! I'm just hoping that the weather will cooperate with us, and that I lose weight enough to look decent in a swimsuit! Waah!... :)

Lastly, I think this dress is gorgeous..... I love the design, the color, the shape-- everything!

un-domestic goddess

My officemates often give me a lotta hell about my un-domesticated-ness.. I can't cook, can barely clean, can't wash clothes, can't iron-- the list goes on and on. At times they'd poke fun at my relatively easy life- about how I've never been required to pick up after myself, or lift as much as a finger to get anything done in the house. They'd tease me that, if left alone, I couldn't fend for myself. I wouldn't be able to survive living alone, if I didn't have the takeout counter, the driver or the nearby laundromat to help me out.

The sad truth is, they're probably right. My mom has even joined the ranks of those who tease me for my non-existent skills at household maintenance. She says whomever marries me is definitely not marrying a housewife. Just a wife.

Hay. I want to start taking cooking lessons soon-- I need to start building my resume for a different sort of a career-- one I'd like to start as fully prepared as I started my professional one. Hopefully, by then, all that my officemates can tease me for is not getting to work on time because I was busy at home. =P

hey, you, people pleaser!

I would really advise you against stretching yourself too thin and being too accomodating... to everybody! I understand the need to belong, the need to be liked and the need to feel comfortable around a certain group of people, but sometimes you just gotta watch your own back.

I find that, for most people, if you allow them to step all over you and take advantage, they will. And, what I find really disturbing is how they would sugar-coat these underhanded tricks by using sweety words and pa-close moves. I really despise such people-- people who think they're so cool and so above-everyone-else that they're entitled to certain favors. And you letting them get away with it does nothing to arm you against their dirty tactics.

Also, I find that people pleasers tend to share too many stories about themselves, (I guess) in an effort to forge immediate bonds and ties with people around them. I would also caution you against that. Resist the urge to share every single detail of every fight, every situation and every secret you have to every person you feel the need to please. Because all that does is give these people (the trust-worthiness of whom are yet to be determined) more ammunition to get the better of you.

I can't believe it, but I've quite possibly found someone more naive than me. Please, I hope you listen to these pieces of advice and choose very well the friends you want to have. It's just one of those things in life where quality totally wins over quantity.

what to do, what to do....?

Do you give up your old life when you allow someone to step into it? Just how much room do you free up for that person, and when you do free that space up, does that mean they have total domain over it? How do you keep the peace yet keep the love?

DH Season 2

I'm so excited! I can't wait!

Caution, this link contains spoilers:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8986378/

balancing act

If I can be really honest, I'm finding it increasingly challenging to balance everybody in my life. As we get older, life becomes more and more a matter of prioritizing and compromising. Keeping everybody happy, while keeping yourself happy, is such a precarious balance... With the simple little tip of the scale, everything can suddenly become uneven, unfair... Everything can turn upside down or go crumbling down, if you're not careful.

Makes me wish I don't have to be an adult. Or that, sometimes, I get a monopoly over my time and my energy... That would make life soooo much easier.

hay nako....

Here we go again.. You've re-entered my life to stir things up yet again, when all along I've written you off and considered you a closed book. Ano beh....

in a few days...

The best boyfriend in the world is about to take his bar exams. Though he may appear calm and collected, I know he's very stressed out and is feeling anxious and fidgety on the inside...

Hence, he was really looking forward to last night-- the send-off party by his fratmates for him and his batch of barristers. The party was jampacked with well-wishing people and, as is typical in all frat functions, overflowing with booze, yosi, and more booze.

Hay.. Only in frat parties do I see such a huge amount of hand-shaking and back-patting. Brods left and right were greeting each other and wishing each other luck, through the customary shaking of right hands and the vigorous hitting of each other's backs.

I met even more people at that party. A portion of the crowd was composed of girls-- who were either girlfriends or dates of the boys. I stayed with these girls on occasions where Dennis would wander off to other people. Some of those girls were from law school too, and they entertained me with stories of their encounters with my boyfriend. The stories were all good, of course, and were usually about how, even if he's suplado, he was always the perfect gentleman.

A lot of guys approached me too, not to hit on me (takot lang nila, ang laki yatang tao ng boyfriend ko! Hehe) but to tell me just how much they love the guy my boyfriend is. They told me various recollections of their experiences together, including the fights they went through and the binds he helped them out of. They told me of countless times when my boyfriend went out of his way to help a friend in need, no matter how inconvenient or problematic the situation. They gave me different testimonies on why they trust him-- with their secrets, with their problems, with their lives..

To-date, I've never felt more proud to love him and to be loved by him than I did at those precise hours. I heard various stories of my boyfriend as a freshman, as a sophomore, junior and senior.. as a friend, as a brod, as a classmate, as a person... All those stories lent me a look at Dennis through the eyes of other people. I felt like I was getting to know him all over again. Every good story, every single praise, made me fall in love with him a little bit more..

By the end of the night, all those stories made me adore him even more for being the person he is, both to me and to others. He's a good guy. Underneath that siga exterior is a very good person.

And he loves me. All of his brods that I spoke with told me the same thing. That no matter how much I believe that he loves me, I'll never fully see just how much I mean to him. And just how big an impact I made in his life.

That's another thing about my boyfriend. He gives justice to the meaning of the word love.

Hay... As I said, he's the best boyfriend in the world.

money, money, money,.... money!

I attended this Citigroup seminar in the office the other day, and learned a whole lot more about investment. It was amazing how, if you compare the interest rate in a regular time deposit account, factor in the current inflation rate in the Philippines, your money can be losing value up to about 5% every day that you keep it in that account. People may think they're saving by keeping their money in bank accounts, but if you consider inflation and the ever-rising cost of living and the ever-plummeting value of our peso, your money is actually spending itself away...

They also touched on mutual funds, bonds and other securities we may be interested to avail of. Being Citibankers, we had the advantage of getting these investment instruments minus the usual brokerage fees. Also, as opposed to entering, say, the stock market on your own and having to monitor the shakes and turns yourself, entrusting your shares to the professionals can save you lots of time and energy.

I happily took in all the info, listing down the products I consider investing in. At first, I wondered how I was ever going to afford to put in enough money to actually 'grow' my moolah considerably. After all, it's not like I'm earning millions every payday.

But, interestingly, when I was doing the math upon getting back to my desk, I realized that about a 10-15% monthly cut from my paycheck can amount to a substantial amount of investment per year. And, at the rate that some instruments go, it's very worth it to get in asap. 10-15% is, interestingly, doable on my part too! I just have to think of it as an 'expense'... like shopping or going out.

Hay, I sooo want to start saving up and making my money grow. I hope this is the start of it :)