Christmas Eve. Am in the office.

I'm in the office. I didn't get any sleep at all today. It's 230 pm and it's Christmas eve. And did I mention I'm in the office today?

Oh yeah. Anyway, let's backtrack a bit... Got off from work at around 1:30am, the earliest time we've logged out in 4 weeks. Raffy Bogus was going to dj again in Government that night, so he texted me to join him. Alvin, Shaba, Stephen and Miel were already there. So after work, I went straight to Makati Ave. We, well, they had 2 pitchers of the Long Island Iced Tea, which in my opinion just tasted Long Island, no Iced Tea. Ang tapang, sobra. Anyway, while the queers were having fun groping each other, we were just dancing and drinking.

Shaba got wasted. the first time I saw Shaba really drunk. By 330am, we took Shaba to Raffy's car. He was so wasted we had to let him rest for like an hour and a half, half-sprawled on the pavement. Ahahaha! Laugh trip but he was okay naman. By 5am we were on the road to my house.

Since I had work today at 1pm, I was resolved to sleep once I get home. So I fixed myself then went straight to bed, laid down and closed my eyes, relaxed. But, hell, I couldn't sleep. Argh. I toss and turned, and when I looked at my phone it was already 7am. Ack! Pagod na pagod ako, but still no sleep. I mean, I was thinking and pondering on some things, but kaya ko namang itulog yun. Hmmm. Then I remembered, I had coffee before I logged out of the office. P*7@! hayup talaga. I think I fell asleep right after that realization. Hehehhee. Woke up at around 11am, then by 1230pm I arrived here in the office.

Whew. Happy Christmas!

Uhhmmm.... did I mention I am in the office today?

...

Just got home. Watched National Treasure in G4 with Marco C., Alvin and Bryan. Good thing Bryan texted me, I really wanted to go out and not stay at home. Thank God for friends like them :D After the movie, we ate at Hen Lin sa Select going to the Fort. Kwentuhan about what has been happening the past week, then they took me home.

It was a good movie. Mahilig kasi ako sa mga ganung type ng movie, about facts, history, legends...you get the picture. That's why I can't wait for 'The Da Vinci Code' to be shown. Tom Hanks will play Robert Langdon.

Tom Hanks...hhhmmmm. I was thinking of Liam Neeson or Ralph Fiennes for the role of Robert Langdon. I just couldn't imagine Tom Hanks. But, hey, Hanks is a good actor, one of the finest, imho. I'm sure he can pull this one off. I don't know how he's gonna do it, but sabi nga ng sister ko, naging Forrest Gump nga siya eh, Robert Langdon pa. Hehehehe.

A different kind of Christmas Party.

Last Sunday, we had our company Xmas party in PICC. Was fun. And the food, amazingly, was great. My crush was not at the party, or I just didn't look hard enough siguro. When we were able to talk last Friday, I wasn't able to ask him if he was there. Oh well.

Last Friday naman, we, SBU QAs, had our department Xmas party in an orphanage in Pasig, Jesus Loves the Little Children Foundation. 4pm. Sobrang saya and the kids were really sweet. We played games with them and then they presented 2 dance numbers. Galeng. We had such a great time that we forgot that we had to go back to the office to work. When the time came that we had to go, the kids were asking if we could sleep there or just stay a little longer. Aw, man. But we had to leave or risk having backlog. They understood that we had to go, and we said that someday we'll be back. We didn't want to promise them anything kasi baka hindi mangyari. But hopefully the SBU QAs would really go back and spend time with the kids again.

Boom, Grace and I were really taken with RJ. He was 7 or 8 years old and he was really cool. Tinuruan nya kami ng handshake niya kasi mga 'besprends' daw kami apat. Then when he would hear us swear or cuss, he would say, 'Bad yun!' and then would make us promise not to say it again. Grabe, sobrang nakakatuwa. I cannot recall all of the kids' names, but Honey, Marlon, Peter were the ones na talagang nag-stick sa sa akin. I can still remember paglabas namin ng sasakyan nag-mano agad sila saming lahat. Melo, Krissy, Kerry, Janey, and I were the first ones to arrive. And what a welcome.

It was a really memorable Christmas party, not just for the kids in the orphanage but for us grown-ups as well.

MSN Spaces Beta

http://spaces.msn.com/members/beachlovergurl2/

Wala lang. Try it out and get your Space. Naks, promote talaga ito. Ahahaha! It has a photo show and you can load up to 10MB of pictures. And what it does is that gives you a slideshow of your pics :D Nice!

I love MSN. Well, some of its products. I worked as a TSR before for another call center, Sykes. I was part of the MSNIA-TS Voice account. Was part of the MSN 9 Beta and MSN Direct teams. Sobrang saya nun.

I'm still an MSN groupie. Even my internet software is MSN 9! :lol: I can still pretty much fix sasser viruses and blaster worm infections, thank you very much! My favorite issue then was 'Page Cannot Be Displayed' issues or the infamous 'secured sites' issue.

I still remember getting bobthebestthebest. Ahahha! MSN Direct people, you know what I'm talking about! Or getting really irate beta MSN Direct customers because they haven't received their updates on their Fossil or Abacus or Suunto watches. Getting confused if you should reset or restore or just resend!

I miss calling the L2s and then letting them handle the issue at hand (no pun intended!) I remember Kat or another L2 saying to me that when they see an MSN Direct team member calling the L2 split, they instantly panic or kakabahan sila kasi baka escalation. Or kaya pagsagot nila, tatanungin nila agad kung L1 or Direct yung issue. Hehehehe.

Best of all, I remember the picture-takings, the excel files we finished dahil no-browsing-non-work-related-sites-because-we-have-visitors-on-the-floor night yun, the food trips, the raaaaaaakrakan, breakfast buffets (pan de manila rocks), PBJ and corned beef sandwiches, sex and freaky talks with Dr. Boko, Neopets training, fastest-finger-to-log-out races pagpatak ng 9am, group IMs in MSN Messenger kahit 100 calls ang queue, ang mahiwagang mapa ng Inay, ang kadramahan sa mga ping...

Putcha ang dami. Being part of the Beta team was a real boost for my ego because that meant I was a good performer in the account and I got to work with some of the coolest, techy-est, smartest people in MSNIA-TS voice. Kahit night shift, kahit 12mn to 9am, okay lang basta sama-sama sa 26th floor.

Miss ko na rin yung picture ni Timber wearing the butterfly costume. Bwahahahaha!

Of Red rooms and OTs

My usual get up in the office. Hahaha! It's too damn cold in that building. When we were barging in and monitoring on agents' calls last November, I was stationed in one of the coaching rooms, and it was freezing cold. I had 2 jackets with me, one I used to cover my legs and the other one I wore with the hood on. Hay naku.

Also, I fixed my OT form earlier and I found out that I had rendered 20+ hours OT for just 9 days. Yikes! And I just got home a few minutes kanina because I spent 2 hours OT finishing my tasks. Excited nako sa sweldo! :lol:

Wala lang. Kunyari happy ako. Ang weird talaga. Actually, bad trip talaga ako because I found out something na sobrang hindi ko ini-expect. Maybe I wasn't supposed to find out. The power of the internet talaga. Dapat hindi na lang ako nag-research. Dapat hinayaan ko na lang yung status quo. Now, I feel miserable. Pareho pala kami. Leche. Ano ba, Rose, wake up. Itigil mo na ang kahibangan na ito habang maaga pa. Iuntog mo na yung sarili mo. Habang hindi ka pa nababaon. Hanggang hindi ka pa nasasaktan. Tanginaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Sabi nga ni Melo, matanda ka na, kaya mo nang desisyunan yan.

I wish life was that easy. Punyeta.

Beach me.

I need the beach. Now. More than ever.

I just want to lie on my sarong and cry my heart out. I just need to hear the waves crashing on the beach and watch it ebb away...like everything else. I want to bury my feet in the sand and feel the heat of the sun on my back. I want to swim, I need to dip. I need the sun to tell me that no matter what happens, no matter what I feel, another day will begin for me, with new hope and vigor.

I need to smell the sea breeze. I just want to lie in a hammock and dream my worries and pains away. I just need to forget everything. I want the sea to take my inhibitions away so I can live again.

Wish List and Whatever

Might as well join the bandwagon and post here my Christmas wish list. But, really, just have nothing to do this 10 something am.


1. iNMotion speakers by Altec Lansing for my iPod mini. Ever since I bought my sweet mini, I've been buying accessories for it like it was child wanting toys...ay, ako pala yun. Hahaha. Bought a leather case, new earphones, iSkins in different colors...grrrr. Ang saya! The speakers will really top it off! Really good for those chilling-out nights in the beach.


2. LOTR: RoTK DVD Extended Edition. Can't wait for this one, had one pre-ordered in this small video shop in Park Square. It will be available by December 14 (daw...ack...sana naman). My sister-in-law's Christmas gift last year were premiere tickets to RoTK. Sana ngayon yung EE DVD naman! Mwehehehe. Once I get it, I'm going to put out the projector and speakers, buy some really good chichiria and drinks (both the wholesome and bad-spirited kinds), turn down the blinds, and have some friends over for a marathon LOTR EE DVD movie-watching experience! I have estimated the time it will take up...Three 3-hour and something movies...nearly 10 hours of Legolas, Faramir, and Eomer. Oh yeah.

3. To finish building resthouse in Tanay for my Mom. All we have now is a small hut and several hammocks hanging under the mango trees. My mom bought the land because it was Dad's wish that we have like a resthouse somewhere near. Tanay is like Baguio. Fresh air, cool breeze throughout the day, cold nights, great sunrises and sunsets. Basta, for my Mom. For her happiness and good life.

4. New books to read. I love going to BookSale. I was really disappointed that someone never gave back my Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradfor). But really ecstatic that I found a battered but good copy in BookSale in SM Bicutan for just Php50! Aaaaack. (I know, some of you may be asking kung anong ginagawa ko sa malayong lugar na yun...Hahahaha...quiet friends...ssshhhh...). I've missed out on new John Grisham books, and I would really like to buy them but the prices are so ridiculous nowadays. I'm also looking for books on Mythology. My Edith Hamilton Mythology book is by far the best book I've read about mythology. Want more, more, more. :)


5. New additions to my Sylvannian Families collection. I'd love to have the Pizza Store and Restaurant. (Must go to to Japan...) I'm a kid at heart. Never outgrew my love for toys :)

6. For my sister ate to be really, truly happy.
7. For my kuya dear to fully attain his dream.
8. For my nephews, soon-to-be 7-year old Dominic and 3-year old Raymund to grow up as the good men they should be.
9. For my niece Regeena to be a better dancer than I am. Bwehehehe. But true.
10. For my friends, acquaintances, and so on; more years of get-togethers and inumans, chilling-out days and nights, beach trips, out-of-towns, out-of-country escapades, small talks, deep thoughts, and revelations. Whew.

11. A 2-week long beach trip to Bali, Indonesia. Damn. Or a 2-month long backpack trip through Europe.

12. Get my Masteral Degree. Grrrr.

13. WORLD PEACE.

Of course, my wishes for my family will take precedence over everything else. Wish I felt Christmas-y.

Overtime lang ng overtime. Hala, sige.

The stress. It's finally getting to me. Imagine spending 16 freaking hours in the office: Monday, I had to go on pre-shift OT because we had to have a team meeting to discuss tasks for sorting... then we had 6 hours of OT to finish sorting the sales for Friday and Saturday. Pu7@%*&n@!!!

But, y'know, it was okay. I can handle that.

Then came Tuesday, no pre-shift OT but again post-shift OT for 4 hours. Then we found out that for our 7-hour OT for Monday, only 4 hours will be credited to us. Can I just cry?! Can I just curl up and just CRY?! If this goes on for the rest of December... geesh, I don't want to think about it.

And I thought my Sunday was a really, really good way to start the week. Damn, that was good. Oh, crap. Don't want to think about this too much. I always end up getting hurt. Blah, blah, blah.

Tama na nga. In a few hours, back to work. Again.

What to do.

Funny talaga. I was somehow prepared that I would be going to work tonight even if there is a typhoon. So is the work ethic of a call center employee. Hahahaha! When I transferred to this new job of mine, I brought with me all knowledge, know-how, and ethics that I have learned from my previous job. And I was ready. I've been to work on Christmas eve, on Christmas day, on New Year's eve, on New Year itself, Holy Week, etc. Have been so accustomed to 'no Holidays' that when I received TL Kit's text that we don't have to report for work, I found myself thinking of what to do.

Melo, an officemate of mine, texted me, 'Rosy, sarap mgsnuggy-woogy wd honey ngyn, malamig. hehe.' Hayup talaga yun. Ininggit pa ako.

Hay naku.

Damn.

I changed my tag board last night because I wanted the tagboard to contain the link to the blog of the person who leaves a message. So I deleted the code in my template and placed a new one which I liked. Simple.

When I checked just this morning ------holy fuck! ------ my hit counter was gone! Grrrr. Aw, man. And I had 540 hits already! Argh.

So now, I have a new counter.

Lesson learned. Ugh.

Anyway, will be going to Alabang for Flip and Dino's bday inuman and pakain. Wow, can't wait to see little Joaquin again. Better ease up on the perfume if I want to carry him. Kulitan na naman to. Alvin also texted that we will be watching Alexander, last full show daw. Okay. Buong araw na naman akong wala rito sa bahay. Oh well.

Was in Greenhills earlier with my sister and I bought some things. Useless things, I may add. Grr. I was really looking for an 'Ocean's Eleven' dvd but wala akong mahanap. I'd really like to watch it because 'Ocean's Twelve' will be released this december. And it's on my must-watch list. Sabi siguro ni Lord, original na lang bilhin ko. Hehehe.

O siya. Makaalis na nga.

Cancel Galera...

'Unwind trip' to Galera didn't push through because of the typhoon. It was signal #3 in Batangas. Mayette and some friends still stayed in Anilao, but the rest of us who were still in Manila decided not to go. Oh well. I was so, so ready to get a tan, to get my skin color straightened out. Argh.

Can't be idle this weekend, God forbid. So I had to think of things to do to keep my hands and my mind busy. Teehee!

Well, Tin-Tin gave birth last Thursday, so Joaquin Albert Abdon was born November 18, 2004. Matt, Alvin, Chee, and I, then Carlo and his lovely wife, Jhan, were in Alabang last night to visit the baby. He was so beautiful; he had cute eyes, a button nose, and a lovely, thick mop for hair. Little Flip ito. Yesterday was also Flip's birthday. We stayed until 2 am this morning just talking and drinking. They all kept reminding me that I was the only female left in our circle of friends who does not have a child yet. Nina has 3 already, Cheloy has 2; then Chee, Gen, Ces, and now Tin, one each. I just kept on replying, 'Ang tagal nga eh!' :P

Well, I'm not in a hurry. I mean, I'd love to have a family of my own someday, I'm sure about that, but I'm enjoying my life as it is right now. I'm just not ready yet, and there are so many things I'd like to do and experience first before I finally settle down. I know, I know. I'm not getting any younger. But, hell, so what? I have come to a realization that I want something more from this life. I want to be uninhibited and, for lack of a better word, liberated. I'm in this stage in my life that I don't really care what people think of me. I don't try to conform with the norm, and as long as I don't hurt anybody, I will continue to do things my way.

Someone once asked me, 'Isn't there something you wanted to try out without being judged?' And I answered, 'Yes.' But what was it that I wanted to try? What was it that I wanted to explore? I'm still trying to answer that question until now. It haunts me. And it makes me think.

I really, really, really need to unwind. Asap.

Daddy.

Time does not heal wounds. It just lets you get used to the pain.

Dear Daddy,

I miss you so much. It's been 5 years since you died, pero I still can't get over the fact na wala ka na.

I wish you were in my graduation. You could have been so proud of me. Nung nag-march ako papasok ng PICC, I was thinking of you. I know that I am not the ideal daughter for you. But you still loved me and protected me. The thought that you won't be able to see me when I get married makes my heart constrict.

I'm so sorry for all the things na alam kong ika-gagalit mo, nung nabubuhay ka pa at ngayong wala ka na. I know and I felt your disappointment when things didn't work out with your dream for me. I was disappointed, too. And hurt. And I was so afraid during that time kasi wala ka para pagtanggol ako. Kuya did everything he could, but he wasn't you. Siguro dad, hindi talaga para sa akin yun. I hope you understand. I am so sorry.

I love you, daddy. I know that you are my guardian angel. And I understand that God called on you because he had other things for you to do. But, I miss you so much.

Don't worry daddy, we'll take good care of mama. I miss you.

I love you, daddy.
****************

^^^^The entry I posted in 2002 in one of the forums in PEx. The search function is already up so I was able to read my past posts. When I read this, it all came back to me.

My dad died April 11, 1997. It was his first and last heart attack. The night before he died, he was complaining of chest pains and he said he was having difficulty burping. Ako naman, walang pakialam. Nagno-nod lang ako. Ni hindi ko tinanong kung ano pang nararamdaman niya or sana sinamahan ko siya sa sala. Napakawalang kwenta ko talaga. Walang kwenta talaga. Tangina. I have never forgiven myself.

I'm missing my dad. I'll just let the tears flow. It has been 7 years. Tangina, ang hirap talaga. I was actually reading through my past posts in PEx when I came across posts that I had made about my dad and his death (one of which I poster above). Yan tuloy, iyak na lang ako ng iyak for the past few days. I just miss him so much. He was my everything. I was his girl. All I could think about is how I miss him so much. And how I love him so much but never had the chance to say it before he died. Just thinking about him, sumisikip na yung dibdib ko.

When my dad died, it was a shock. It didn't register immediately in my mind. All I could remember was looking through the glass panels of his closet, sliding it open. I just broke down when I opened his closet, smelling his polos, his barongs, his shirts. I just stood there, crying, holding on to his clothes. And I could smell him. Ang sakit, ang hirap. Oh God.

It was the hardest, saddest, and most painful day of my life.

Lui.

Luigi (left-most)! I think I'm the only one who calls him Luigi, everybody else calls him Luis. Another dear friend. Etong tao na to, he will always update me sa mga escapades nya kahit ala-sinco na ng umaga, basta kailangan nya makwento sakin yun. I will never forget the night or shall I say the 3am call he made asking me for the time. F*ck talaga! Also he will always remind me of the time namuntik na siyang makipag-away dahil sa akin. Hahahaha! Basta. Love ko tong taong to. Treats me as if I'm one of the guys. Hell, everybody does.

Pillars.

Some of the dearest men in my life: Raffy Bogus, Philip, Alvin, Bryan. Never had they left my side in times of my sadness and loneliness. They have been pillars of strength when all hope has abandoned me. I love these guys and will do anything, as long as I'm able, to be with them in any way. At any time of the day. I remember a time na halos hindi ko sila nakikita, ni sa mga birthday nila hindi ako nakakapunta. My man and I were just new then and he was sort of jealous of these guys. Syempre, the good girlfriend naman ako, hindi ako sumama sa kanila. But after a year or 2 of this, I had to break free. I had to be with my friends. So, I said to myself, as long as I have the opportunity to go out and have fun, it should be my prerogative, not anyone else.

So here I am.

Jenina & Binky

2 of my closest friends from high school were also there. That's Jenina Alli in the middle, and then Binky Belardo. During this time, Jenina was the Associate Editor of FHM, so you could imagine the requests she was getting from the people around her... the girls asking for a chance to model or the guys asking for a year's subscription of FHM. Binky naman was also working for Summit Mags, kaya may nagre-request din sa kanya! Aahhaha! Laugh trip talaga!

Nothing happens to me on my party.

Back in college I was known as the girl who threw the craziest birthday parties and I check attendance, too. I'm actually proud na my friends await my birthday kasi they never know kung anong mangyayari sa day na yun. For some apparent reason, something always happen in my parties, kung hindi away (oh man, may girls na nag-aaway, tas after nung party mga lalaki naman... ahahaha), may mangyayaring himala (alam nyo na yun :P). Pimp house daw ang bahay ko pag-birthday ko. I always tell them, it's the booze. Ewan ko ba.

Usually, we'd ask permission from PLDT's admin if we can use their parking as an extension of our house when I throw a party because I also get a band for music. It was across from my place, so you can just imagine the people crossing the street from my house to the lot and then back to my house. Sometimes, we'd just close the road (o di ba?!) Hehehe. I miss throwing parties like that. Pero napagod na rin siguro ako. For the past 4 years, I've just been holding small inuman get-togethers with some of my closest friends. I find it relaxing and easier to arrange. PLUS, less chance of something happening to someone. Ahahaha! I'll post more pictures later :)

Of Birthdays and Tears Part I

Taken during Mayette's birthday inuman, October 14, at Pam's house. Not planned at all, She just texted us that we had to be there and so we were. It was a Thursday night. I didn't go home, I went straight to Alvin's condo and then we waited for Maebs to pick us up. About Alvin's condo... wag na nga... I promised him I wouldn't tell on him... ahahahahaha! Anyway, the party was in full swing by the time we arrived. Soon, Raffy brought out his CDs and then dj-ed for a while. By 2am, we were all ready to go home, because almost all of us had work that morning. Matt, Shaba, Bryan, Raffy, Maebs, and I were craving for Burger Machine so we decided to swing by Jupiter for a quick bite. When we arrived and had parked our cars, Matt then said that he wanted to eat in Whistlestop. Breakfast daw. So we bought the burgers and then proceeded to Whistlestop. By the time we decided to go home it was around 5am. It was hilarious, all of us picking on poor Raffy. Andres kasi eh. Kasi naman eh. Ika nga ni Maebs, 'Honey, I want to go home na!' Hahahaha! So funny. Buti na lang nakapasok ako ng Friday :)

On a more serious note, while going to Mayette's party, Maebs was telling me her predicament about her ex-boyfriend. I won't go into details but what happened is that she has been seeing her ex for a while now. She still loves him but she doesn't know if he loves her still. They kiss and all, but where was all this leading to? A reconciliation? Or was it just a pastime for him? She said that earlier that afternoon she was studying for her board when all of a sudden she had this urge to write him a letter asking him, 'What's it gonna be?!' (That's not exactly what she said of course) All she wanted was an answer to all her questions: Do you still love me? Why are we still seeing each other? Why do keep on texting me? Why do you look for me? What are we? She said she was crying at one time while writing it. She was afraid of the answers to her questions but she needed to know. If there was nothing, then might as well stop everything and move on. And it got me thinking, why do men have this effect on women, that they lose all inhibitions and just give in? I mean, I have been prey to this I admit. Oh God, many times. But why do we fall each and every time?

Asalto.

I'm holding a small asalto for my birthday tomorrow, here in the house. Just a few friends, those who really matter. I hope everyone comes. I think the best time to celebrate one's birthday is actually greeting it with some good friends and family. I can't think of anything else. I'll post pictures later, if I'm able to remember to take them, though. ;)

Altarboy.

Bogus talaga. I attended the pep alumni overnight in Raffy's resort. It was crazy. And it was one of those times na all of you would reminisce about an event that really stood out, then matatawa na lang kayo. My batch in the squad, we were the notorious ones. It's been quite a number of years since we have all graduated but we're still together, kahit anong mangyari. A really stable group of friends na alam everything about each other. Walang humpay na pagpupugay talaga.

Soul sister.

Mayette and I :) We've been through a lot, this girl. I consider her one of my best friends. One of the few people who know me inside and out. Never thought we would end up as such good friends. Kakunchaba in everything. She was one of the members before na madalas kong pagalitan because she was so magaslaw and always moving out of formation. I'm not sure kung nabato ko na siya ng pom2, pero malamang. But she turned out as one of the best captains the squad has ever had (syempre, after me...ehem...ehem..). Mana-mana, ika nga :P Pag pinagsama mo kami, wala nang makakatalo samen. Pep days talaga. Oh well.

This has turned out to be a damn testimonial! Ahahaha!

Yey! Pep girls in Galera!

You'll never know that at one time, hindi kami magkakasundo. Really. That was a really turbulent time in the squad. May mga sariling factions within the group. Trusts were broken, lies spoken, backbiting, meetings that I did not know about. Talagang bastusan na. Never thought that we all could be good friends again. I call them 'my anaks,' and they call me Mamy Rose. Funny, but true. Claudine started the Mamy thing, then eventually everyone followed suit. Now even the new members of the pep call me that. Even Raffy Bogus! Hahahaha! In a way they are truly my kids. I've seen them through their own heartaches and tears as they have seen mine; they always ask me kung okay ba yung guy na nanliligaw sa kanila or kung may umaaway sa kanila. I would take them home pag wala silang way pauwi, if they needed money for something, basta meron ako pahiramin ko sila. Even their parents know me as Mamy Rose and they trust me with their daughter. They would ask for advice sa relationships nila, sa family, sa friends... believe me lahat na ata, I've heard it. And until now, ganun pa rin. I'm not complaining, though. I love these kids to bits and would do anything to keep them safe.

Finally. A weekend.

Finally, it's Friday. Ewan ko ba. This week has been really stressful and confusing. When I woke up just a few hours ago, I felt so tired and weak. The only thought that has been giving me quite an excitement is that it's already October! My birthmonth! Mayette (October 14) and I (October 18) were supposed to celebrate our birthdays in Galera on the Hallow weekend but she has to attend a wedding where she will be a bridesmaid. Aaawwww. I know, delays. But matutuloy din yun, most probably in November nga lang.

Oh damn. I forgot. I have to render overtime this Saturday. Argh.

No money but happy.

Who would ever thought that I could go out on a Saturday night, with only Php 300? I mean, sa totoo lang, if you go out nowadays, you'll spend around Php 500-1000. May inumin, pulutan, gas, at parking. Kailangan tiba-tiba ka kung aalis ka talaga. But lo and behold, when I met Mayette and Tricia at Sheila's party in Astoria, we found out that we were somewhat broke: Tricia had only Php5 in her bag, Mayette had Php20, and I had Php300. We were going to meet some friends later in the evening so we were discussing pano kami makakaraos sa gabing yun. Funny talaga. Anyway, we had to take Tricia home by 1am because she was going to attend a baptismal early Sunday morning, so our money decreased by 5 bucks. By 1:30am we were at Tiananmen in Makati Ave. We met Say, Norman, Maebelle, and Alvin. We weren't able to sit in the smoking section because it was consumable (Php1000... but with red wine... hooookay). We knew the others had money but we just settled dun sa non-smoking as Alvin and Maebs finished their 'modest' dumpling dinner.

Hahahha! Katawa talaga. We had to go down sa parking para lang makapag-yosi. While we were there, Bryan and Marco C. stopped by and nagyaya sa Dusk since Luigi was already there. So we said na wala talaga kaming pera pero what the hell, mag-tutubig na lang kame. Since I had more money than Mayette, I offered to pay for her parking which was Php 40. 8( So we were left with Php280. Haha! Bilang an bilang ba?! Ganyan talaga pag-gipit ka!

Anyway, off to Dusk. It was a sort-of-reggae-and-hip-hop-night, which was fine with me, since hip-hop is my second love (cheerleading, is my first). It really makes me groove. (I'm not really into trance, techno, or any of those...well, minsan pag maganda yung beat) Anyway, we asked for water. Then Bryan offered to buy us drinks, we declined but then opted to just get a Sprite. :D Luigi, who just came from Tagaytay, para mag-casino, bought us beer, because he won daw pero konti lang. So ligtas na naman. Hahaha! We just spent the next 2 and half hours standing and dancing (if you've been to Dusk, you know what I mean). Sarap! We didn't notice na 4:30am na sa sobrang saya. When we found out na malapit ng mag-5am, we decided to go home na because most of the girls had cars. While going home, Mayette and I were talking about how we missed night-outs like just the one we had. Yung tipong hindi mo namamalayan yung oras because you were having so much fun. No pressures, no hassles.

Haaaay.

Oops. Forgot. So we had to pay for parking again, which was Phph10, then we had to get gas for Php90, since Taguig pa nakatira si Mayette and she was taking me home. So that's Phph180 left! Whew! Panalo pa rin! :D



Now if I could make Phph180 last until my next payday.....

Boracay.

Boracay sunset. Sorry. Had to post it.

It's so beautiful.

Boracay holds some of my fondest memories, well, those that I can remember at least, for the past 2 summers. A few firsts in my life have happened on the island. I am not at liberty to list them down as other people were involved, and they may read my blog, but all I can say is, those things will remain 'firsts.' No more second or third helping.

How can some things be so overhyped? Maybe it was just the booze and the bump-and-grind rhythm. Or maybe it was the salty breeze and the rays of the full moon.

Must've been the sunset and the sunrise.

My suspicions have been correct after all. I fell ill in the middle of the night. I couldn't breathe properly, I was having a hard time standing up because of the dizziness. Ugh. That was around 3:30am (manila time). I drank lots of water and then I ate an orange. I fell asleep na around 6:00am. Bummer talaga. Good thing when I woke up around 9:00am, I was feeling much better. My baby was able to visit me before I went to work.

I like this 12pm-9pm shift, although I don't get to see my boyfriend of 5 years and 6 months, Allan, that much now. When I was on the 5am-2pm shift, we usually just have dinner with my family and then watch tv and then he goes home at around 9 or 10pm because I have to sleep early. We don't even get to 'play around' as much as we did before :( . It's okay naman, we try to talk to each other everyday but minsan hindi talaga so text lang. Makes me excited when the weekend draws near, that means we'll be able to spend more time together ;)

75 lessons that MUST be learned in relationships

Read this in daesdemona's blog. And I knew I had to post it in mine. Too true.

Check out her blog-----> http://applejane.blogdrive.com/
Thanks daesdemona!

75 lessons that MUST be learned in relationships:
1. If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away. If he doesn't want you, nothing can make him stay.
2. Stop making excuses for a man and his behavior.
3. If you have ANY doubt in your mind about a man's character, leave him alone.
4. Allow your intuition (or spirit) to save you from heartache.
5. Stop trying to change yourself for a relationship that's not meant to be.
6. Don't force an attraction.
7. Slower is better.
8. Never live your life for a man before you find what makes you truly happy.
9. If a relationship ends because the man was not treating you as you deserve then heck no you "can't be friends." A friend wouldn't mistreat a friend.
10. Have faith in God regarding your relationship, but don't let faith make you stupid. God does things decent and in order.
11. Don't settle.
12. If you feel like he is stringing you along, then he probably is.
13. If he keeps changing his mind about the relationship--take that as a BIG sign that he is unstable. Do you really want to be with a man like that?
14. Don't stay because you think "it will get better." You'll be mad at yourself a year later for staying when things are not better.
15. Honorable men take care of their business and aren't involved in a whole lot of mess.
16. The only person you can control in a relationship is you.
17. There's only one 'reason' a man dumps you; he doesn' t want you.
18. Avoid men who've got a bunch of children by a bunch of different women. He didn't marry them when he got them pregnant, why would he treat you any differently?
19. You really do have to kiss a few frogs before finding the prince.
20. Always put yourself and your happiness first.
21. Always have your own set of friends separate from his.
22. Maintain boundaries in how a guy treats you. If something bothers you, speak up.
23. Like from the show Sex and the City, if he doesn't call, he just isn't that interested.
24. Be honest and upfront.
25. Know when to cut the cord, don't be strung along.
26. Don't fall for the "I'm confused role." Remove yourself from the situation to let him figure things out (but don't wait for him, move on).
27. If you want to have a clue as to how he will treat you, watch how he treats the WOMEN in his family (not just mom).
28. There's more than physical abuse, there's emotional and mental abuse. If he causes any of them...flee.
29. You cannot change a man's behaviors. Change comes from within.
30. Don't let him place rules on you that he is not willing to follow himself -- double-standard.
31. Don't EVER make him feel he is more important than you are...even if he has more education or in a better job.
32. Do not make him into a quasi-god. He is a man, nothing more nothing less.
33. Demand respect and if he can't give it, he can't have you!
34. Don't compete with other women, but be aware that men are attracted to what they see.
35. If you think he is cheating, he probably is. Confront him right away and if you feel he's lying, let him go.
36. Actions speak louder than words.
37. Never let a man define who you are.
38. Never rely on a man for compliments, look to yourself for that.
39. Never borrow someone else's man.
40. If he cheated with you, he'll cheat on you.
41. Just because he says he loves you, doesn't mean that he won't hurt you and it doesn't mean that you are meant to be with him.
42. To use painful hard-won wisdom -- 'get it right' the next time.
43. Know that you deserve to be the number one person in the life of the #1 person in your life.
44. Love is a verb ...
45. Learn to give up your lifelong task of trying to make someone unavailable-available, someone ungiving-giving, and someone unloving-loving.
46. A man will only treat you the way you ALLOW him to treat you.
47. All men are NOT dogs.
48. You should not be the one doing all the bending...compromise is a two-way street.
49. If you don't love yourself...you can't love anyone else.
50. You cannot mend someone else's broken heart.
51. You need time to heal between relationships...there is nothing cute about baggage...deal with your issues before pursuing a new relationship.
52. You should never look for someone to COMPLETE you...a relationship consists of two WHOLE individuals...look for someone complementary ...not supplementary.
53. Dating is fun...even if he doesn't turn out to be Mr. Right.
54. NEVER give more in a relationship than you are getting out of it.
55. Never become your man's "therapist".
56. When actions and words conflict, believe the actions. Respond to the actions.
57. A real healthy relationship requires two people. One person can end it - but it takes two to make it work.
58. Don't fall for the "I'm not the loving type"...when a man loves you there is nothing in this world (within reason) that he wouldn't do for you.
59. Make him miss you sometimes...when a man always know where you are, and you're always readily available to him he takes it for granted.
60. Give him his space...let him go out with his boys, don't pressure him to spend time with you, You can't force a man to hang out with you.
61. If you wouldn't allow your daughter to be with him YOU shouldn't.
62. Never let a man know everything. He will use it against you later.
63. Never move into his mother's house.
64. Provide financially for yourself and don't depend on anyone.
65. Never co-sign for a man.
66. Never believe you have the perfect guy and he is so innocent.
67. Never spoil your man; let him spoil you.
68. Never let a man mess up your credit.
69. When it's time to let go; let go.
70. Good men should be treated like good men.
71. Don't play games.
73. Don't fully commit to a man who doesn't give you everything that you need. Keep him in your radar but get to know others.
74. Compatibility in terms of educational attainment, values, beliefs, personal and career goals, and socioeconomic status, are important.
75. Never date a guy who wears colored contacts (hahahahaha).

What a way to start the week...

What a day. I was 1 1/2 hours late for work and I feel a cold coming on.

My nephew, 3-year old Raymund, woke me up. If he hadn't then most probably I would've woken up at around 4pm. What a God-given child that one is. He said to me 'Tita, anong oras na, tulog ka pa? Nahatid na namin si Kuya Nikki sa Ateneo." They leave the house at 10am to bring my eldest nephew to school. Right after he said these words, I was up and about, rushing to get my things in order. I was still dizzy and tired but I didn't want to miss a day of work for fear of having backlog that would force me to work on a weekend. Everybody loves Raymund!

When I was on my way to work, that was when I felt my throat being itchy and when I swallow, it was uncomfortable. That's usually a sign that I was going to have a nasty bout with the flu. Ugh.

Back from Galera.....

It was a great weekend with friends in Puerto Galera. I've been to Galera before but usually with officemates or with relatives. This time I went to White Beach with some of my closest friends. Then, the next thing we knew we were a group of close to 30! A good thing was that I didn't have to pay for a drink, it was puro libre. Mapadaan ka sa isang table ng katabi mong room, sigurado may shot ka na agad ng Mindoro Sling! RAAAAAAAAAKKK!

Say was totally wasted (a first). When she woke Sunday morning, she turned to me and said 'I have a headache." I replied 'That's what you call a hangover.' Hehehehe! Mayette admitted that she was almost drunk, she opted to sleep it off (also a first, she never gets drunk nowadays). Mayette also brought her new skimboard but a friend accidentally broke it (Note to Mayette: have one made from fiberglass!). Mishee (you birthday girl, you!) and Tricia were both wasted. Carla, as usual was dramatic, but hopefully happy during Saturday night. Bianca and I, after Mayette decided to call it a night, remained the only 2 girls sober. We just danced na lang. Fats, pala, was also sober. Marco S. kept on buying drinks and pulutan because it was his birthday (Sept 19 naman, Mishee was born Sept 17). Luis, Bryan, Alvin and the others (Marco C. and Miguel, Shabba, Ryan) were keeping their eyes on all of the girls, making sure we were complete and safe (naks, mga bodyguards!).

Some members of the men's basketball varsity (CSB) were also there, some of my ex-officemates, and then some common friends back from high school or from someone's neighborhood. We also met new friends in Galera and we hope see them here in Manila. It was a blast that we wanted to extend our stay until Monday (tomorrow) but most of us had to work and we really didn't want to lose money na pang-Galera din sa susunod. Sarap. An absolutely great weekend.

It was all good.

My first blog post...

So, here is my first post.


There.