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! :)