eLeanor

The other side of the world.

2007-07-01T23:06:00.000-07:00

Hello India! I just arrived at the Delhi Airport this morning, and I'll be off to the office in a bit. It feels like I'm in Manila, except everyone's Indian. :P Traffic's the same (sucks) roads are filled with people randomly crossing, lots of trees and greenery, and they even have trikes (rickshaws here). I still can't believe I'm travelling for business. How old-sounding. :P

I didn't take the picture up there btw, I just wanted to include a pic. Although I think i will be visiting the Taj Mahal this weekend.

Hmmm maybe I'll go vegan for the two weeks I'm here... think I'll lose some weight?

On a random note, my flight (stopover and all) took me 23 hours. 23 freakin hours!!!!! Oh well.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

2007-05-16T17:57:00.000-07:00

to me! so i've been living here for 2 years (2 years!!! gasp!!) already, and i've been working for Tribalfusion for 1 year!!! man how time flies. i just wanted to take the time to greet myself happy anniversary, so there. yay.

on a sad note, bye bye to the Warriors for this season. i really really thought they'd make it to the finals, but they just couldn't hold their own against the jazz. oh well. next year!

it's almost summer! woohooooo.

580

2007-05-05T23:35:00.000-07:00

You'd think that since your freeway wasn't affected by the accident, traffic wouldn't be so bad going home. But noooo... of course people have to stop and slow down and stare at the collapsed freeway.

Oh well. It COULD'VE been worse than this for me. Thank goodness no one was hurt.

I miss manila already! And it's only been 2 weeks! I was just looking at the pictures (yet again) and we all look older. I can't believe we're all almost in our mid twenties. Time flies.

Back from Manila!

2007-04-26T21:53:00.000-07:00

I'm still a bit jetlagged but I just wanted to write a quick post. So I was in Manila for 3 weeks! It was soooo much fun. Tom was with me for 2 weeks, and we had such a blast! I miss Manila already, my house, the people, my family, my friends. Hay. Sa uulitin. :)

More pictures in my multiply.

and pix below!

congratulations again cathy and jope!

I'm 23!!!

2007-03-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

Tom's happy because now, in his mind, he's only 3 years older. But anyway. Yay! I'm 23! Grabe tanda ko na. My birthday was great! Unfortunately I wasn't able to take lots of pictures, and the ones I did take are crappy (since it's a pic of me late at night after work, so I look so tired.) BUT it's the only picture of me on my birthday so there. i'll put it up anyway.

My Mom was here on my birthday so i stayed in my tito's house. she wanted to go out for dinner but I said that i'll just celebrate when i go home (which is in one week!!!). Tom came over anyway and brought me a cake and flowers (such a sweetheart), and my mom fed him some pancit. the picture was taken right before we were about to sleep, so i'm in my pantulog and i look so sabog. my mom and i were about to go to bed and we're like, let's have some cake! oh, and let's take some pictures before we cut the cake! :P sayang tom wasn't there na.

my company got me a carrot cake which was super yummy, and the girls from work took me out for lunch and gave me this really awesome giftcard to forever21. too bad it's for the online shop only, so i can't shop now because whatever i order won't get here in time for my flight since it'll take 5 days, and i leave saturday 1am. speaking of my trip, yay, 5 more days until i fly home! tom is coming with me, and he's pretty excited coz we're going to bora and everything. i'm excited coz i'll see my family, my friends, and i'll get to attend the wedding of one of my really good friends from school (aka my best friend here in the states, as her mom said :P)

back to my birthday, it was really good--i thought it would make me homesick, but i really love the people i work with, and it also helped that my mom was there, and of course, tom. :)

oh and guess what. i went through major surgery last feb. all 4 wisdom teeth were extracted in one surgery!!! grabe noh? 2 of them were impacted pa. it really hurt afterward, but it was tolerable pain. now i have 4 holes in my mouth :P yun lang.

yay 5 days nalang. see y'all in a few!!!!! :) woohoooooo.

hello 2007!!!

2007-01-20T11:15:00.000-08:00

okay so after months and months of not writing anything, i've been itching to update my blog. i got a new look too, the old one was just so blah. i WAS gonna add to it, but i just got lazy and busy and etc etc etc.

so it's a new year... lots of things to look forward to, lots of things that've happened. first up is cathy a. moving back to the PI! :( sadness. but it's for the best. i mean, i totally would go for it if it were me (i still love you tom) so i can't blame her for moving back. i just wish that she'll come back with nico and live in sf, so we can all hangout again. oh well guess we'll have to wait til april for that. (nico sabi ni tom, "classmates...?" siyempre naalala niya.)

it was also my one year anniv with tom! too bad we weren't able to take decent pictures. we just had dinner at this yummy restaurant in the city, but we were all fancy and dressed up. i DID get pix of the flowers he sent to my office, which was incredibly sweet of him.

cathy b. visited sf! although i just saw her for a day, it was so much fun! she went last minute shopping, we watched grey's anatomy and just basically hung out until her whole family came home to prepare for her flight. i'll see you in april cathy! nagpapapayat na ako!

oh, i also finally took pictures of my new apartment. i also bought some furniture, but it's still pretty bare. i have yet to think of ways to decorate it. catalogs, anyone?

oh and guess what. if you have a ds, you should go buy this game that comes out in march, coz i'm one of their voice talents! hahahaha. o diba? as soon as i have the details, i'll post it. recordning was fun though, definitely an experience!

i also had my winter dance performance last december. in 2005 i joined the beginner/intermediate class, so this time i joined the advanced. it was kind of tough but it was definitely fun. this year i'm planning to try the pole dancing class... hahahahahaha. hey, they say it's a great workout. and i DO need the extra cash... JOKE! :P

a lot's happened, but those are the highlights. i can't wait for april, when i'm flying back home (again)!!! woohooo.

Yay!

2006-09-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

Today was such a crappy day. Maybe I'm pmsing or whatever, but I just felt so tired, crappy, bloated and just totally blah. The horrible traffic didn't help either. BUT my mood changed when I opened the package that was waiting for me at the doorstep. Helloooooo my pretty pink ds lite!

So there. I'm happy na. She's so pretty and pink. Wala lang. Yay.

......

I've been so busy these past few weeks I haven't been able to blog. I watched 'A Chorus Line,' which is set to open in Broadway either this year or next. It was great, but I have to say I appreciated it more afterwards when I was listening to the songs I downloaded. But it was still pretty awesome. Someday, I'll be part of all that again.

......

Can I just share that I've been going credit card crazy? Since I've been working for about a year now, between my car payments and miscellaneous bills, I've managed to get a high credit score. That said, all these companies have been offering me credit cards. And me, being credit card deprived, I applied for a bunch. Now I have 4 credit cards. 4!!! Imagine. And the credit limit isn't a lousy 300 bucks, it's like, a lot. I'm just so overwhelmed. Now I dunno what to do with the cards. Hahaha. I need a new wallet though. One with more card slots.

......

And then Cathy and Nico and RJ visited from LA! Yay! It was sooooo much fun, we did a ton of stuff. From going to Costco, to the city, to Alcatraz, to the club, to dinner and drinks, to the BART, etc etc etc. Iba talaga kapag kasama mo mga kaibigan mo. Wala lang, iba lang yung feeling when there's someone familiar around. It's almost as if you're back home, hanging out with the usual people. Haaay miss ko na kayo!

More pix in my multiply.

......

And of course, a very very happy Birthday to Tom, who turned 26 last Friday.

mwah!!!

Woopwoop!

2006-08-15T22:07:00.000-07:00

So every year at around August, my whole company goes to Lake Tahoe for vacation. And everyone's invited. From our sales reps based in the east coast, to the newbie at work (that's me), to the spouses, kids, siblings, significant others and even friends and pets. And everything is paid for; the place, the food, the alcohol, the activities, boat rental, etc etc etc. And as i've only been with the company for 3 months, it was my first time to attend the annual Tahoe trip. In fact, it was my first time to go there ever. And man, Lake Tahoe is nothing like I thought it would be.

First off, I thought it would be suuuper cold. But since it's summer, and we were in South Lake Tahoe, we had perfect 80 degree weather. Not sooo hot that we would be sweating under the sun, but not waaay cold that you can't swim in the lake, or wear a tank top and miniskirt. Secondly, I thought it would be some tiny lake with murky water, like those lakes you see in movies with the kids swimming in dark brownish water. But noooo--the water is soooo clear, soo clean, and the lake is sooo huge. Third, I thought we were gonna rough it by staying in some cabin with the rest of the employees. But no, the place, Lakeland Village is sooo nice, and the cabin where we stayed was HUGE, and it was just me, destinee and tom. Well, it was partly because that's where we had karaoke night, but still. Speaking of karaoke, they actually rented the karaoke equipment from this events company, and the equipment was worth 13k!!! sure beats singing with the magic mic. BUT it didn't give you a score, so it wasn't as fun. And it had no videos. Haha wala lang. Anyway. It was big enough for the three of us, and tom's cat, kat. And we had such a great weekend, I finally tried wakeboarding (unfortunately I was never able to get up. but my body hurts anyway), we had poker night where I outlasted many of my fellow employees by being part of the final four, and karaoke night where my rendition of britney spears' oops i did it again (lee you would be so proud) was sobrang bentang benta we were sooo noisy the cops came, shined a flashlight on me, and so, thinking my coworkers were just having fun, made me actually sing louder and wave at the person with the flashlight. (my coworkers will never let me forget that) But anyway. At least I won best performance in karaoke night along with my other coworker john, and we each got a $250 amex gift card. i guess all my videoke sessions finally paid off. :P all in all it was such a perfect weekend that it royally sucked when we had to go to work the next day. but anyway.

it's late and i'm sleepy and i'm kinda getting tamad to make kwento. pics of the tahoe trip below. for more pics go to my multiply.

Burnout.

2006-08-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you get so preoccupied with random things that time just flies by. In my case, I've been so busy with work, with apartment hunting, with tom and my other obligations that i've forgotten how much i missed living in manila. how much i missed my family, my friends, my house, my cats, the music scene, the theater scene, the parties, the videoke sessions, the non stop talking with friends, the beach, red horse sessions, the weather, etc etc etc.

hay. if only i can drag everyone here, i would be living in a perfect world. hay. 3 years and 9 months to go. i think that once i get my citizenship, i'm gonna take a year off work. maybe freelance a bit to earn SOME income, but i wanna travel, relax. who knows, maybe i would've saved enough to just franchise something in manila... hay. basta. there's no place like home.

homesickness triggered by watching this video on YouTube.

AAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGH.

2006-08-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

Apartment hunting is driving me crazy. CRAZY!!! It's either too expensive, no parking, not in a good neighborhood, a more qualified tenant, etc etc etc. Grrr. I wish I had someone to live with (hint hint CATHY AVENIDO!!! :P i'm only half kidding though... miss you honey! mwah!) so I could get a 2 bedroom place instead, which would be so much cheaper. If I don't find anything soon, I just might end up with this studio... It's cozy (in other words, small) but it's cheap and it has a month to month lease, so if anything comes up, I can just move out and look for another place. Oh well. On to happier but less exciting things.

So I'm back! Work's kept me busy these past couple of weeks, and they definitely weren't kidding when they said there will ALWAYS be something for me to do, and it will surely be challenging. I've become a workaholic to the point that I actually worked at night, AND even asked Tom to help me out with advanced technical stuff. But all's good... I'm learning a lot from my company, and although it keeps me extremely busy at times, it's way better than my old job. It may not be the best job out there, or even the best job for me, but it's interesting and fun enough, and it pays the bills. Hahaha. What a sellout. In it for the money. Well, aren't we all? ;)

Oooh I just remembered that I had a pretty exciting weekend. So aside from work, I've been helping Tom move into his new place, I've been looking for my own place, and I've been helping Tom take care of the cat, named Kat. (I know i know, how original. But he wants to rename her now coz she's getting sooo fat... but we'll see.) But finally, after weeks and weeks of working our asses off (moving into a new place and looking for a place is no easy feat) we finally decided to take a weekend off to do something fun. So last Saturday, we went to the Gilroy Garlic Festival which had the yummiest garlic fries with crabmeat ever. Ever. Hands down. I wish there was a place in the city or nearby that had garlic fries like that, but sadly, it's only in the garlic festival. Oh well. But anyway, we had super yummy food like calamari with this garlic dip (almost as yummy as the garlic fries) and a bunch of other dishes that had tons of garlic. Needless to say, by the time we got home all we could taste and smell was garlic. We even stayed a bit for the Garlic Idol ( sounds weird right, I don't even remember if that's the right name) and the bazaar, but eventually the heat was too much we just decided to head home.

Speaking of the weather, we had the worst heat wave in the history of the Bay Area. I kid you not. Approximately 132 people, young and old, passed away from the heat. Even I was walking around in a tank top and capri pants, wishing that I was wearing shorts instead. And that's a shocker, since all my close friends know I'm the most lamigin person around.

Sunday brought us to the movie theater, since I was dying to watch John Tucker Must Die. It was a cute enough movie, hot guys and hot girls, but of all the chick flicks I dragged him to, I'd say that movie was part of the bottom 3. (Along with Antonio Banderas' Take the Lead and... hmm. Okay fine, bottom 2 then. It's not that the movies were bad, it's just that they're the kind of movies I'd rather watch at home. Trivia, the pinoy dude in the movie is the cousin of my coworker. Betcha didn't know he was filipino... but he is, and I find him really cute. I love guys who can dance. End of trivia.) But Sunday wasn't a bad day... far from it actually. Because guess what my pre birthday gift for Tom was? One of my gifts anyway, since it's not even his birthday yet. I got him tickets to see Dave Chappelle at the Punchline! Before sunday, I knew of Dave Chappelle, but I never watched a single show (not counting the DVD Tom MADE me watch after finding out I got tickets) or sketch by him. But after sunday, man, he is sooooo funny! I'm a fan! I swear, I've never really watched stand up comedy shows before, thinking that it's going to be corny, I won't get the jokes and I won't have fun. But comedy shows are fun! I enjoyed the opening acts, and I totally enjoyed Dave Chappelle's act. It wasn't even an act, more of a dialogue with the audience. Did you know he's married to a filipina? He said he's had enough of a-dough-bough, and puhn-sit (adobo and pansit!). Anyway. It was such a perfect way to end the weekend, it was great.

And we have a bunch of stuff to look forward to this month, with his cousin's wedding, and my company outing Tahoe weekend, and we also have tickets to see A Chorus Line 2 weeks from now. And of course, Cathy and Nico's visit! I can't wait!

Oh and guess what! I'm going home next year again, late March to mid April. :) See y'all then!

Oh and can I just share. 2 people actually though that I grew up in the South, because apparently, my accent sounds Southern. Not the y'all Southern, but more of Iowa. Not that I even know what that sounds like, but I swear, that's what one of my coworkers told me. One even asked if my English teacher was a Southerner. I'm like, wtf?? Since when did a pinoy accent sound Southern??? Hahahaha wala lang, funny.

happy anniv!!!

2006-06-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

i may be late, but i just wanted to wish myself a very very happy anniversary. i've been living here for over a year now, and it's been fun, it's been sad, it's been scary and at times depressing, but overall it's been great. i've done more than i would've been able to back home, i've been to so many places, met so many different people, that i just can't say this enough--moving was the best decision i've ever made. so yay, here's to a year in the bay area, and 4 (or more) more happy years to come!

so far i'm really loving this year. just the other week, i went to Great America with Tom, and we rode ALL the heart stopping rides. The first one we rode was Top Gun i think, and my eyes were closed the whole time. Hahaha such a chicken. But after the third ride, i'd started to open my eyes little by little, that by the time we rode the last rollercoaster, i kepy my eyes open the WHOLE time. *clap*clap* i even won this HUGE toy. if you know amy rose from sonic, imagine her the size of an 8 year old. she now resides in my closet, taking up a relatively big amount of space. and then there was the zoo! i don't know why but I've never been to a zoo, so it was quite an experience seeing all those pink flamingos, armadillos, peacocks, kangaroos, bears, ostriches, zebras, monkeys, birds, hippos, etc etc etc. i even got to pet the goats! you know all those goats in children's books? with the huge horns, and the goatees, and the gleaming white fur? well i saw them! and i saw sheep! and they felt so soft, exactly like a sweater! (i'm sorry. at least they don't kill sheep when they take their fur... right?) and then there was cooking class with my team at work. every month, we have a team outing where we go out and do random stuff. i heard they were deciding between karaoke and cooking class for this month, and the cooking class won (darn. maybe next time) so we went to this place in berkeley, and cooked an extremely yummy meal made up of veggie spring rolls (which i made, along with 2 other people!) chicken kebabs with pesto sauce, pizzas, and dark chocolate lava cake with a berry coolie. mmmmm. i took pics, but haven't uploaded it yet. this month we're having a barbecue and watching a baseball game, and i get to bring tom, so that should be fun. but i can't wait for august when we go to lake tahoe! i've never been there, only read about it in (i'm sorry for this pathetic moment) sweet valley, so i'm definitely looking forward to it. yay!

i've also been watching lots of movies these past few weeks. you know it's summer when all the good ones come out, like MI3, X-Men3, Da Vinci Code, etc. I think among those three movies, i liked x3 the most, only because Da Vinci code was slightly dragging, and MI3 was... well yeah it was a great movie. BUT, i also really really liked Jennifer Aniston's latest movie, The Breakup. If you've ever been through a breakup, or you want to know what a real breakup is like, watch! I liked the script, it felt real. And although I haven't seen a lot of movies with Jennifer Aniston, I liked this the best because it was the first time I didn't see her as Rachel Green, but as her character, Brooke. it was such a good movie, with a lot of tear jerker parts. i especially liked the first part when they get into the major fight that breaks them up, when jennifer says something like, "I want you to want to do things without me having to tell you what to do." or something to that effect. basta. i liked the script, and i liked the way they portrayed the characters. a must see movie for females (and males you can drag along). you'll be saying in your head, that is SO true.

anyway, yun lang. belated happy birthday nga pala to glenn and nikki d! and advanced happy birthday to earl v! mwah.

reminiscing...

2006-05-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

got this from mitzi's blog. hi mitzi! :)

Checklist for Ateneans.

(X) eat at Manang's -- but of course!
(X) learn the alma mater -- had to... i still think it's incredibly senti though.
(X) get on the dean's list -- yep! :) woohoo.
(X) sleep on a bench -- um... i think so. or maybe not. i always went home when i was sleepy. does having someone sleep on me count?
(X) be a TNT! -- like mitzi, for my whole college life i was also one. :)
(X) jog around the campus in the evening -- i think i walked around the campus... i used to go to moro at night and once, i walked from prince to moro.
(X) visit the art gallery -- Yep, during Checky's thesis!
(X) know at least one xerox lady, manong, or technician by name -- Ate Alma! :) and there are others but I forgot their names... but I'd always say hi! :)
(X) get a Jesuit for a teacher -- I love Fr. Dacanay! :) The best. My Ateneo College life wouldn't be the same without him.
(X) itch from higad bites -- Hmm... I think so too but I don't remember.
(X) have gotten an F in something -- F as a final grade? No... but I remember getting an F in Eco for one of the long tests.
(X) have taken a crap in school -- heehee. haven't we all?
(X) watch a La Salle vs. Ateneo UAAP game -- thinking about that 13-1 game still gives me goosebumps.
(X) give a powerpoint presentation -- but of course. :P
(X) study in the caf upstairs -- yep, and had group meetings there too.
(X) watch a T.A play -- there was this horrible play i watched, i forget the name, but the actors were speaking in such a rapid manner it was the worst play i ever watched. but i like TA.
(X) sit on the SEC ledge and watch the stars
(X) eat in Full House, Martha's Kitchen, and Ken Afford -- Sliced Corned Beef, Beef Strogannoff (did i spell that right?) and Squid Ala Pobre. 'Nuff said.
(X) sleep in the lib -- Yep, I think I did that too when I was first year. Cathy and I would always always hangout in the lib. Awwww first year mems...
( ) visit Mr. San Andres -- Nope, I don't think I ever did. I did go with one of my friends though to visit him. Does that count?
(X) go to the chapel -- Love the chapel. :)
(X) have gotten a pebble stuck in your shoe/slippers in the middle of the quad -- Unfortunately. :P
(X) cut class with your block to watch a movie -- Not with the whole class I think...
(X) sign up for those institutional (i.e. difficult but brilliant) teachers: Ferriols, Dacanay, David, Manacsa, Ang, Escaler, Arcilla, Totanes, and many others -- Dacanay!
( ) go to CERSA night -- Never did... I wanted to though!
(X) have tried siomai rice -- Yummmy!!! Maan i miss caf food.
( ) learn how to smoke -- Not in college! Bawal eh. :P
(X) fall in love -- But of course. ;)
( ) actually read the book you keep borrowing from the lib -- I don't think I ever borrowed anything from the lib... Did I?
(X) play cards during your free time -- Yep!
(X) dress in business attire -- My least favorite, as it meant walking around in heels.
(X) learn to stay awake for more than 24 hours straight -- I would fal asleep for a few minutes, but yeah. That was the general idea.
( ) have gotten side comments from ASSOC -- I'm sorta oblivious to my surroundings so I wouldn't know. I do know some of the guys there, so hopefully I was overlooked.
(X) take (and enjoy) Saturday classes -- I liked LAW 11. Sir Temporal!
( ) go to your immersion -- I was late... woke up late the next day and missed the jeep. I just made a paper instead. :P
( ) eat Food for Thought sandwiches -- I don't think I ever did.
(X) get a boyfriend/girlfriend -- For most of my college life, I had one. :P
(X) take time to read the vandalism in the CR doors -- Haha. I guess so, due to lack of other reading material.
(X) watch "Minsan Lang Sila Bata" and "Macho Dancer" for class -- Minsan Lang Sila Bata is such a sad documentary.
(X) do a last minute paper -- Ultimate crammer. :P
(X) have spent a lot for 1x1 ID pictures (for index cards and teachers' seat plans) -- I wonder what teacher's do with our pictures after the semester?
(X) get exempted from final exams -- Yep, woohoo! :)
(X) attend a college mass -- Yep, in Quad.
( ) promise to quit smoking -- Didn't smoke at that time, and never got addicted.
( ) play hide-and-seek in the mini-forest -- Hahaha. Can I just say this sounds really cheesy? No offense to those who did this.
(X) know where the best restrooms are on campus -- CTC bathrooms!
(X) join an org -- ACTM rocks!
(X) allow yourself to make mistakes -- That's the only way to learn.
(X) take summer classes -- requred summer classes! Grrrrr.
( ) admire the sacred heart statue in the evening -- Ummm.. where is this again?
(X) make a video for a project -- Yep, which was totally dissed by the professor. Grr.
( ) have a crush on a teacher -- Um... not that I remember.
( ) attend a Jesuit retreat (a must for everyone) -- Don't think so.
( ) have gotten a parking ticket -- Never brought a car to school.
(X) come to school in your crappiest yet most comfy clothes -- Hahahaha yeah, tamad outfits. :P I know someone who went to school without taking a shower. :P
( ) learn how to use the Bayantel pay phones -- nah.
(X) participate in school activities -- Of course! Show that school spirit!
(X) catch the Blue Babble Battalion tryouts -- Hahahaha yep. Funny.
(X) date an Atenean -- Yeah.
(X) ride a tricycle on campus -- Death tricycles. Ang bilis kasi nila eh, sumasabay sa mga kotse!
(X) find a tambayan -- Yep!
(X) admire the marikina valley at night -- Yeah.
(X) go drinking along Katipunan -- In Prince David, does that count? :P
(X) learn how to beg for a higher grade -- I didn't beg, I negotiated. :P
(X) use your cuts wisely -- Is there any other way? ;)
( ) volunteer to be class beadle -- Hmmm... I don't think I ever did.
( ) had the worst lottery schedule for reg -- Well, I was always in the middle, and then there was early reg for Varsities.
(X) admire the trees on campus -- That's how I fell in love with the campus.
(X) have forgotten about your freecut and gone to that class
( ) eat in the ISO canteen
(X) be active in your org -- Semi active. ;) babble kasi eh.
( ) have signed up on an ACP class just because the girl or guy u like signed up for it -- I was always the one who picked my ACP class.
( ) get as many app forms as you can during the job fair -- I knew I was leaving, so why bother?
(X) learn how to cram (and still get A's) -- totally.
( ) sell tickets (or watch) an org-sponsored movie premiere -- unfortunately i don't think i ever did.
( ) save money to Xerox all of your seatmate's notes -- nah.
(X) have accidentally seen a make-out session -- In the CAF! It was no accident, they were at it in front of everyone.
(X) check out the Meron Lagoon and Lambingan Bridge -- Had to pass it going to the Eco bldg.
( ) have dozed off in class in Bel right after a class in CTC/SOM/Comm. Bldg or vice-versa
(X) learn how to work with groupmates from hell -- Unfortunately.
( ) perfect the art of parking on campus -- Didn't know how to drive then.
( ) had a bad encounter with one of the guards on campus
(X) develop a love for sisig -- I looooove sisig from World Topps.
(X) learn how to pronounce "AEGIS" properly -- Ae-Jis.
(X) have used typing rooms at the library -- For last minute papers!
(X) have reserved a classroom, AVR, etc. for a class or org function -- Yep.
( ) have asked the library for an endorsement to research in other libraries -- Exag. :P
(X) have lost a perfectly functioning umbrella -- YES! :(
(X) have used consultation hours properly -- Of course.
(X) Looked forward to lab breakage refund, in case you didn't break any equipment -- That was only during first year, but of course.
( ) visit the Guidance Office -- I never had the need to...
(X) and Infirmary -- I did, once. For... I forget for what.

Wow it's been over a year since I graduated. Sometimes I feel that it wasn't so long ago, but when I think of how much time's passed, it's been a while. I miss college life. It was fun... there were some pretty bad times, there were really good times. I'm so glad I lived in Prince David with the 1610 chicks, as it made my stay so much more memorable. I'm so glad I joined Babble as it was there I met the nicest and the nastiest people. And although college wasn't picture perfect for me, I wouldn't change a thing about it. Well, maybe sign up for Ibarra in Accounting. Hahahaha. Anyway. I should've bought a class ring! Sayang.

Bora Videos!

2006-05-11T08:10:00.000-07:00

Parasailing videos! Pardon the cheesy music, i didn't put in my own music and that was what was playing on the boat. Thanks to Anchot for taking the video!

Part 1

Part 2

More pickies!

There are some pretty cool Mac commercials in Jepoy's blog too, so you might want to check that out.

For better quality videos, (just in case you want to see it again) you can see it in my multiply.

so

2006-05-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

when it rains, it pours.

if you've read my previous posts, you'll know that before i left for manila, i quit my job. the job i was hoping for didn't work out... it was with google. it would've been really cool to work there, what with the googleplex and everything, but the pay would've been a big step down. so it's good that that didn't work out. and since getting back, i've been job hunting for the perfect job for me, a job that would pay well, and of course, a job i would like, if not love. and i found it!!! yahooo. don't get me wrong. i always knew it was only a matter of time before i found a job (i don't mean to sound so cocky, it's only because the job market is booming now!), i just didn't know how much time would have to pass. pretty perfect timing actually, i just finished all 10 seasons of friends, which i'm tempted to start all over again this week. so how did it come to this...?

i always thought that if you're feeling pretty unfulfilled and dissatisfied at work, you should look for something else. now, this may not be the case for some people, as others have to take into consideration the family they have to take care of, or the bills they have to pay, but in my case, i'm young enough to take that risk, and so i did. i figured as long as i didn't shop, my money would last me a while, and so far, i haven't missed bill payment (well it's only been a little over a month), and i never needed to borrow money from anyone. of course, tom's been spoiling me but hey, i try to pay my way most if not all the time! anyway. so there. i quit my job and decided to look for a better one. and to make my job hunt story short, a few weeks ago, i submitted my resume through craigslist. the following week, i got a call from a recruiter, asking if i was going to attend AdTech. She asked if i could meet with her and someone else. we met, they invited me over to their office the following week, i met the team, and two days later they offered me a job. so here i am, jumping for joy at their amazing offer, thanking sir choob medalla for teaching flash and photoshop and html, bumming for the last time this year.

after my first interview, i thought i had a pretty good shot. both interviewers liked me, and i had the skills they were looking for. the second round wasn't so great. i was extremely sick that day, but they scheduled for me to meet with 9 people, and by the time the last interviewer entered, i was hoarse and could barely speak. i was happy though that one filipina interviewed me, asking,

"What school did you go to again?"

"Ateneo de Manila University."

"Wow...that's a pretty good school."

YAY! finally. someone who actually knew Ateneo. And this other dude even commented on my HS, saying,

"So I noticed you went to a Lasallian school... My wife goes to St. Mary's too."

And I just nodded and kept smiling, since although i know there are Lasallian schools here, I don't really know much about it.

another reason why i thought i wouldn't get the job is because the next day, i looked through craigslist for other job openings and saw that the company placed another ad for the very same position i interviewed for. so i thought they didn't like me, because why else would they advertise the very next day? but anyway. bottom line, he called me yesterday, offering me more than i asked for, asking if i could start the following monday. and so ends my job search. now i'm east bay hunting. the job is in the east bay, which means i have to drive 30+ miles each way to work and pay 3 bucks for toll every single day. i told my mom i'll give it a month, and if i can't take it or it proves to be too costly, i'll just move. so last night i was looking at places online, and all of a sudden... this panicky feeling comes over me. i know i've always wanted to move out, but now that i have a valid reason and the means to move, i'm sort of getting freaked out. only because i've never lived totally alone. i always had a roommate. and it might be lonely to live all by myself in a place where i'm not yet totally absolutely comfortable. but we'll see. maybe cathy can move here. hehehehehe. or rach. oh well. time will tell.

and now that i have a job, i've been getting these calls from recruiters and companies about the resumes i sent out. sheesh. why didn't they call me earlier??? but i don't think they'll beat my current offer, so it's all good.

i've written a long entry, and it kinda doesn't even make sense to me, so sorry about that. bottom line. i have a job again! shopping galore woohoooooooo.

;)

HAPPY DAY!!!

2006-05-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

happy happy happy happy.

HAPPY!!! :)

everything happens for a reason! and this is the reason! YAY!

Sick.

2006-05-04T17:26:00.000-07:00

I'm sick. As in, hoarse voice, sore throat, clogged up nose, watery eyes, aching head, aching chest, feeling like i want to die sick. I hate it. I hate not being able to breathe through my nose. I hate dry coughs. I hate swallowing and feeling prickly stuff in my throat. Grrrr.

Sorry I just had to complain.

Product of Boredoooooom.

2006-04-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

So i was looking at the different applications in my MacBook. I was jealous of all the games in Windows (minesweeper, solitaire, etc.) that I wanted to see if Apple had anything like that with their OS. And guess what I discovered. Only ONE game came with it, and it's chess!!! I mean, i like chess and everything but come on. BUT! I also discovered a program called comic life. It's pretty cool actually, look at what I was able to make! I used pictures from bora, and one picture of me and tom! That was taken right before my flight to Manila. FYI, that's not me and tom kissing. 'La lang!

If you want to see the rest of the pictures, go to my multiply.

March 25-April 9

2006-04-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

So I'm here at the airport with nothing to do again, Why oh why did I not bring the friends dvds? Why didn't I ask tom to bring me some videos? Why didn't I bring a book from the house? At least I have reader's digest... and a laptop. I can play around with it, get used to a Mac OS. Nuninuninooooo.

So I quit my job. Today was my last day, It was pretty sad... All week this week I was thinking, am I doing the right thing? I don't even have another job, I just quit because, well, I just wanted to. Well not really. I'm still really really hoping on this job. I had my final interview last Tuesday but they still haven't gotten back to me yet. If I don't get it, I'll be totally sad... but people keep on telling me that I should be happy I even got to the final interview. It's a really tough company, so I guess, yeah, in a way, I should be happy I got this far and just charge it to experience. But it would be really awesome if I get the job. If I get it, I'll say what company and you'll realize just how awesome they are. ;p

I'm sleepy. Maaan and when I get home I'll be so jet lagged, Okay think about what you'll do when you get home. I already told my mom that as soon as I'm unpacked, I want to go to town. I want to go shopping!!! I've been so shopping deprived. And I miss all the really nice shops! And I can finally shop all I want! Well not really all I want... almost. Hahahaha. Nooo. Save money if you're not gonna have a job yet. Basta we'll see. I want a white string bikini top. And a pink string bikini bottom. I want to get my eyelashes curled. I want to get a haircut. My hair is soooo incredibly long it's scary. I want to see my cats. I want to see alabang. I want to see my family and friends. I want to watch a movie that doesn't cost me at least 300 pesos. Maaaan I miss my room. I miss my house! I wanna walk around in a tank top and shorts! And slippers! And a miniskirt! I want to get a tan! Speaking of tan, I went last minute shopping and I bought a golden tan tanning lotion from rite aid. I hope it works. I want a long lasting golden tan!

Anyway. So it's been a year since I graduated. In a year, I bummed, moved to the other side of the world, looked for a job, found a job, resigned from the job, bought a car, and now I'm going back to where I started. But at least I'm not totally back to square one. I have something to show from my 7 month stint with LC. I have job experience that will definitely land me another job. Maybe not soon, but it will eventually. Haaay what to do what to do. This is why I hate traveling alone. No one to talk to but yourself. Alone with your thoughts.

I can't believe I'm 22. I'm a year older but maybe not a year wiser. Well, maybe. Just a little.

Girls. We always say one thing but mean the opposite. I wish guys could read minds. That way they'd always be so perfect, catering to your every wish and desire even before you utter a single word. Hahahahahahaha. I'm so spoiled I know. Wala lang. Sleepy sleepy sleeepyyyyyyy.

.................

Okay so now I'm in Taiwan. Taipei. Chang Kai Shek (Did I spell that right?) International Airport. Terminal 2. I always thought Chang Kai Shek was just a Chinese school in Manila, I never realized it was a real place. It's so incredibly foggy it's weird. I always imagined Taiwan to be a sunny place, since it's so close to Manila. Although I dunno why I ever thought that, when the last time I was here (more or less ten years ago) it was nighttime and it was kinda foggy. I hope it's sunny in Manila, but not sooo incredibly hot. Yuck, now I'm remembering the sticky humid feeling in Manila. But that was during May. I hope March isn't as bad. I can't wait to go home. It's gonna be so… surreal I guess. After months of dreaming of town, of my house, I'm actually going home! Yahoo. This is just so fantastic. Chesca was saying that when I home, I won't want to come back. I was even telling Tom I'm not coming back. What if I don't? I wonder what will happen to me back home? But I know that whatever I say, I'm going back to SF. It may not feel like home, but I guess in time, I'll learn to love it almost as much as I love the Philippines.

So in my flight to Taipei, there were two girls beside me. I think they were Taiwanese, but anyway. They were so incredibly nice! The one beside me tried to make conversation, but she didn't speak English very well and I obviously cannot understand Chinese/Mandarin so we just spent the flight in silence. Well, they talked, I just watched Zathura and Harry Potter and read my Reader's Digest. How pathetic. I really wish I brought a book or videos or something. I'll probably get a book back home, I hear Powerbooks has a sale. And then when we landed, the girl in the aisle seat even got my carry on for me. So nice! I wish everyone was as nice and accommodating as they were. Oh well. Bored bored bored. I'm almost sick of the videos in my iPod I need new videos. I should learn how to use bit torrent so I can download more. Anyway. So that took me 12 minutes to write. 2 hours and 10 minutes to go til boarding time! Nuninnuninoooooo.

....................

So before my trip I was telling Tom that I'm sooo excited to go home, but I'm scared it might not live up to my expectations. So far I've been home one night and it's been sooo awesome! I love my friends! They planned a surprise party for me and I was able to see almost everyone in one night! I had sooooo much fun, I got sooo incredibly drunk but I figure, it's my first night. I won't get that wasted in bora coz this time I want to remember everything! But so far it's been so great. Yay! I'm so glad I came home! I can't wait to go to bora! And I have the bestest estest friends ever!

....................

Finally back in San Francisco. Still cloudy and semi raining, but the weather's not as bad as it was when I left. I'm back with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I was sooo happy to see Tom waiting for me in front of the airport. It just felt so good to be home, to be in cold weather, to unpack and settle down again. And of course, to see Tom after not seeing him for two weeks and two days. After being surrounded by all my friends and their boyfriends. :P On the other hand... I miss my family and friends. At least my dad's coming over soon, and my mom's coming in may. Oh well. So I was saying before that I might enjoy manila so much I might not want to come back home right? Well, I'm glad I was wrong. Although it would be so great to stay in the Philippines, since all my friends were able to land fun jobs that pay relatively well and I know that if I work hard, the same thing will happen to me, I'm still better off here. I'm not saying I'm better off than everyone else, but that for me, this is the best decision I've made. Only because living here made me independent and challenged me in ways I never would have imagined happening to me back home. Okay stop with the corniness but it's true!!! I'm so excited na nga for my friends cathy and rach who're also moving here. I know that it's different for each person, but I'm sure they'll make it through, and make it big. so yay, here's to the California chicks!

Side note, bora was fun but I'm too lazy to make kwento. Basically, it was steady, fun, and not as alcohol filled as last years. And not as drama filled that's for sure. and I want to say something but I must restrain myself. I must. Hahahahahahaha.

Almost there...

2006-03-24T12:52:00.000-08:00

In less than 12 hours, i'll be on a plane going to Taipei!! Which will then go to Manila!!! YAHOO!!! I'll see you all soon! MWAH.

Wish me luck. I'm not yet done packing!

3...2...1...

2006-03-21T20:21:00.000-08:00

Woohoo! I'm 22! In 3 days I'm going home to Manila! YAY!

Thanks to everyone who remembered and greeted me... I'm so touched you guys remembered! I was feeling pretty down a few days before my birthday coz i was thinking that i'm a million miles away, my friends aren't here to celebrate with me, neither is my family, blah blah blah. but everyone who's special to me remembered! yay! and i'm gonna see them when i get home! yay yay yay!

3 days! i sooo cannot wait.

15 days! yahooooooo.

2006-03-10T17:30:00.000-08:00

So here I am, at the office with nothing to do. I actually have stuff to do but I'm just too lazy. Nuninuninuninuninuninoooooooo. Okay, some random stuff.

Tom is the best ever! Guess what he got me for my birthday! The limited collector's edition of friends !!! Isn't he just the best? I love it I love it I love it. That's all I've been doing at home… watching friends hahahahaha. Yay! And then I'm finally gonna be able to update my blog everyday and do lotsa stupid stuff because I'm finally finally finally gonna get my own notebook! Yahooooooo. Hay, but please please please wish me luck and pray for me… Hay. Yun na lang. Hay.

15 days to go before I leave for manilaaaaaaaaa. I'll see you all soon!!! Bora! Bora! Bora!

What happened??? (28 days to go!!!)

2006-02-24T16:46:00.000-08:00

This is so depressing. I switch on my computer at work, to find my YM bright orange. The first message I see is from a friend back home, saying something to the effect "Our country is so messed up. Marry me!!!" To be honest, this made me laugh at first... But it made me wonder what could have happened, that so many people were IMng me about arrests and recent events.

And now, I'm still not clear with what happened. I read the Inquirer Online and it mentioned rallies... and proclamations... and political arrests... but I still don't fully understand what's happening. This has been going on for some time, and I guess I always thought it over... apparently, GMA is just getting started. Can anyone briefly explain why she thinks the military is after her??? Is it the military? Or Erap? In any case, this really sucks... When will our country ever be at rest???

On a selfish note, I hope that they don't do something stupid like cancel flights to Manila or something because of all the controversy. I still want to go home. Despite the mess and the arrests and the safety issues.

******

YAY exactly 4 weeks from now, I'll be on my way to the airport! Yay! I can't believe I've been away for 9 months already... ang bilis. Anyway. Pray for me!!! I'm working on something, and if it pushes through I'll be so incredibly happy. Soooo yeah. Cross your fingers!

(Random note. I always "sign" emails at work with a Thanks, Eleanor. I can't believe I've been working so hard that I was about to sign my post off with a Thanks, Eleanor. Isn't that so pathetic?)

I'm alive!!! 45 days to goooo!!!

2006-02-07T21:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, so although it hasn't been THAAAAT long since i last posted, i haven't talked, chatted or emailed with ANY of my friends in a while, so i'm kinda feeling out of it. i miss you all!!! graaabe. lee's right. countdown na 'to! 45 days til i go home woohoo!

okay on a random note, for those of you who've been religiously reading my blog (feeling ko talaga) umalis na si kyutie! si cute kong nagtatrabaho sa opis, dahil bumalik na siya sa bayan na pinaggalingan niya! hahahaha sorry tagalog, baka kasi may maka basa at mahalata pa ako. ang lungkot ko talaga kasi super ma mimiss ko siya! so sad. but oh well makikita ko ulit siya sa Hunyo. (hahahaha. o diba. tagalog talaga.)

i hate goodbyes. goodbyes are so sad. it's like, you get close to someone, you get used to that person being there, and then all of a sudden they have to go. and it's weird, when i left manila last year, i wasn't all that sad, but now that i'm here, it's like everytime someone leaves, i cry. :( so sad. i hope i don't cry when i go home. bah. i probably will. i'm so homesick.

so what have i been up to. i'm sorry, i'm kinda pressured to write something coz this isn't my laptop and i don't want to take my sweet time writing, so i'll just write really random stuff. so if i don't make sense, well, sorry. hahaha labo. anyway.

masaya ako. uuuy. yes. bakit kaya. notice i'm not writing in english. that's coz someone might read it and ayaw ko basahin niya. but anyway. guess what. hindi na ako single. heeheehee. wala lang. at masaya ako ngayon. masaya sa mga pangyayari sa buhay. yun nalang. can't wait to see you all so i can make kwento.

i'll make sense next time. promise.

belated happy birthday auds!

YO belated din sa yo! kala mo nakalimutan ko noh? Lee pakisabi nalang. :)

2006-01-21T11:50:00.001-08:00

Out of a desire to post and a lack of something to actually blog about, i ripped off this survey type thing from jamie's blog. (hi jamie! :P)

5 years ago (January 2001)...

How old were you? ----- 16

What grade were you in? ----- was a junior in HS

Where did you go to school? ----- De La Salle Santiago Zobel

Where did you live? ----- alabang! :)

Where did you hang out 5 years ago? ----- town probably... or was festi already open?

How was your hair style? ----- short. boy's cut!

Did you wear braces? ----- nope... never did!

Did you wear glasses? ----- well i wore contacts, and glasses when i was home?

Who was your best friend? ----- chesca, ana, kris, yanee!

Who was your girlfriend/boyfriend? ----- nyeh. me??

Who was your celebrity crush? ----- i think i was past my devon sawa brad renfro stage by then... but i don't remember who.

Who was your regular-person crush? ----- hmmmm.... secret! hahahahaha.

How many piercings did you have? ----- 2 i think.

How many tattoos did you have? ----- none. needles scare me.

what was your favorite band? ----- hmmmm. i honestly don't remember.

Had you smoked a cigarette yet? ----- not yet!

Had you gotten drunk or high yet? ----- drunk? nooo, i'm a good girl! hehehehehe.

Had you driven yet? ----- nope.

Which of your pets were still alive? ----- eddie the dog, the cats, the turtles and the lovebirds.

Present Day (January 2006)...

How old are you? ----- 21

What grade are you in? ----- just graduated March 2005, currently working as a SPAMMER!!! hahaha joke lang. we are totally can-spam compliant.

What school do you attend? ----- i turned traitor after HS, when I went to Ateneo.

Where do you live? ----- in Pacifica California! brrrrr it's freeeeezing here.

Where do you hang out now? ----- at home, or at the mall, or in Millbrae.

How is your hair style now? ----- really long (still straight) hair, with a soft layer in front.

Do you wear braces? ----- nope

Do you wear glasses? ----- yep, am wearing glasses right now. still wishing for laser surgery though.

Who is your best friend/s? ----- do i have to say each one? i'm still in touch with pretty much everyone, but have made new friends in the process. mariel and the party peeps, and of course, the LeadClick people!

Who is your girlfriend/boyfriend? ----- for me, he's your boyfriend/girlfriend if you're in love. so, no boyfriend... yet.

Who is your celebrity crush? ----- hmmm. there are so many cute guys but i don't know their names. like the dude from wedding date (who was also in My Best Friend's Wedding) and i forget who else.

Who is your regular-person crush? ----- heehee. this dude.

How many piercings do you have? ----- 4. one on my right ear, 2 on my left, and my belly!

How many tattoos do you have? ----- dapat one, pero hindi natuloy eh. ask me again in a few months, i might have a different response.

What is your favorite band? ----- hmmm. i still like bamboo, session road, sugarfree, and a lot of other bands. but i'm currently loving OPM right now.

What is your biggest fear? ----- being disabled.

Have you smoked a cigarette yet? ----- yep! and a cigar!

Have you gotten drunk or high yet? ----- drunk, one too many times. high? never.

Have you driven yet? ----- yep, gonna be a year now in march!

Which of your pets are still alive? ----- all of them are still alive and purring/barking/flying/swimming around!

Hahahahaha.

2006-01-07T20:32:00.000-08:00

I got this from Kris's blog. Funny. So what does this say about 2006 for me??

In the year 2006 I resolve to:

Be kinky more often.

Get your resolution here

Hahahahaha. Wala lang.

Happy Holidays!!! :P

2005-12-27T20:59:00.000-08:00

Hmmm. This blog may not make much sense to you, i just want to write random thoughts and feelings, knowing that whatever/whoever i write about, no one will know or really care. hahaha well not really but anyways. it's just so weird. you know that feeling that you just want to talk to someone and hang out and i dunno. na wala lang. ang saya kasi. nakakatuwa. hahahahahaha. ang labo ko talaga. but anyway. this is such a weird feeling. i'm excited about this weekend, i'm kinikilig about random stuff, and i'm feeling so whatever i can't seem to collect my thoughts and write an entry that makes sense. anyway.

i had chinese food the other week with my brother, and i had a fortune cookie. my fortune said that the future holds a gift of contentment. it's interesting how that's slowly coming true. maybe it's psychological, i wouldn't really know. bottom line, it's slowly coming true. and it's such a nice feeling.

it's funny how you think you know yourself and then boom. something unexpected happens. something totally random and different but certainly not unwelcome. wala lang. interesting. anyway. hahahahahahaha. :P saya.

this is probably the most senseless and malabo entry ever.

......

so 2005 is finally ending. it's like a... a... i can't seem to find the right word. landmark? whatever. it's a pretty special year for me. i don't want to be corny and talk about how much i've changed, so i'll just talk about the things that changed me. in chronological order.

it was my first plane ride alone. when i arrived in manila last january 10 (i spent christmas here in SF) i had so many plans. for me and my ex, for grad, for my birthday, for my last summer before i started working. it was then i realized that i was really gonna move in a few months and that like it or not, i was gonna leave everything behind.

unfortunately upon arriving i was met by a halfhearted boyfriend who apparently changed his mind about things. as trivial as it may seem, the breakup was a huge part of this year. now, i'm not one to rehash the drama, but let's just say the breakup forced me to grow and see things as is. oh yeah, i'm still pretty idealistic and when it comes to guys, and i still can't tell the difference between sincerity and bullsh*t. sometimes. but in the long run breaking up (or him breaking up with me, whatever.) was the best thing that happened to me this year. it's sad we're not really friends anymore, coz for such a looooong time, he was my bestfriend, blah blah blah. and it's sad how i lost some "friends" in the process, but oh well. we're both happy now, and that's what's important.

and then there was my birthday. as uneventful as it was, it was just athlete's night and dinner out with my friends, it proved to be incredibly important upon arriving here. more on that later.
and then there was bora, which for me was the turning point for... a bunch of people. let's just say i got incredibly super drunk and did some things that ultimately paved the way for some realizations. it was fun nonetheless, and i'm soooo looking forward to going back this march/april.

and then there was the move. the three months of bumming/job hunting/freelancing/gaining weight. and in those three months i learned how to commute by myself, how to job hunt without the connections i had back home (hey everyone has connections back home okay) how to drive (again), how to survive without any friends, how to start my new life here. starting over is always hard, wherever you are or whatever it may be. and it definitely wasn't easy. but hey. i look at it as an accomplishment. i have a good job, i've made lots of new friends (and got in touch with old ones), i bought my own car, i'm financially stable, and slowly, i'm making it on my own. everyone deserves a pat on the back every now and then, and this is my pat on the back. i'm even gonna invest in stocks. isn't that so cool? hahahahaha. and it doesn't hurt that i'm 21 and very legal. otherwise my stay here wouldn't be half as fun. :P

but of course although the hard part is over, i still have a lot to learn and yet achieve. and acquire. hehehehehe. so some things i'm dreaming about:

the 15 inch PowerBook
a rain coat
speakers for my iPod
income tax return
my own place

i figure by May i would've saved up enough to finally be on my own, but you can never tell. i hate how whenever i go out, i always see something i need. like a good coat or a nice pair of boots. hay priorities priorities. shopping or to be independent? (shopping!!!) time will tell. but anyhow. i like this year. this was a year for change. for starting over. and now that i've started, i just have to keep the ball rolling. not downhill i hope. i'm crossing my fingers.

so here's to 2005... and to the upcoming year ahead. i can't wait to go home, i can't wait to see my friends, i can't wait to get into so many other things here. yay.

happy holidays everyone, and have a wonderful amazing and awesome new year. don't forget to be with someone special when the clock strikes 12! *MWAH*

Mark Your Calendars Folks...

2005-12-14T20:17:00.000-08:00

Coz I am GOING HOME!!! Yes... it's official. I booked my flight and I leave March 25, and I'll arrive March 26, Sunday, 11:35 AM. I'll be there for two weeks, but it's better than nothing. I still can't believe my 2 week vacation leave was approved... Waaaah I'm sooooo incredibly excited, naiiyak na ako sa office kanina. :) Okay stuff to do in Manila.

1. Hangout with my family!
2. Visit friends (woohooo you'll see me driving around!)
3. Go to town, festi, greenhills, divisoria, tiendesita or whatever that shop is, greenbelt, glorietta, megamall, shang, galle, powerplant, and SHOP TIL I HAVE NO MORE MONEY LEFT.
4. Get a haircut... maybe.
5. GO TO THE BEACH!!! shiyet i miss the beaches in the Philippines!!!
6. Go to ponti, xaymaca, racks, maaaan i wanna attend an OPM band concert!!!
7. Go jogging around alabang!
8. Visit Ateneo (maybe)
9. Visit Zobel!!! (Definitely)
10. Visit friends in QC! Woohoo, for once ako naman yung mag ddrive!
11. Relax and rest and sleep and eat and have fun.
12. Oh and I want to get my eyelashes permed pala. HAHAHAHAHA! :)

WAAAAAAH I MISS MANILA AND I CAN'T WAIT TO GO HOME!!!! Seriously I'm gonna start bawling right in front of the laptop. Yes, I MISS THE PHILIPPINES THAT MUCH!!! OMG I'M SOOOOOOOO UBER TODO INCREDIBLY EXCITED. I'm sorry ang jologs ko, but hey, this is like the best news ALL YEAR. Aaaaah. Warm tropical weather. Tank tops galore. Finally. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!!

Who wants to go to boracay???

i hate being right.

2005-12-13T21:39:00.000-08:00

post has been censored due to... an unwarranted reaction. ;p will post next time.

Haaaapppyyy Biiiiiiiiirthdaaaaay...

2005-11-26T10:50:00.000-08:00

to my dear sister Clarisse and my wonderful Dad!!! Clarisse, wish you and Yelle were here to celebrate with us! MWAH*

Soo... I'm back! Since it's thanksgiving weekend, I decided to copy Cathy B. and make a list of all the things I'm incredibly thankful for.

(in no particular order whatsoever.)

1. My friends, wherever you are, be it Canada (Hi Chesca! ;p) Manila or America! And special mention to Rach who was in San Francisco a few weeks ago... HI RACH!!! Send me the pic okay? :)

2. My family and relatives who celebrated thanksgiving with us last thursday

3. Holidays that give way to looooong weekends!

4. And of course, the one reason (well, one of the many reasons anyway) why I was MIA for a while... my brand new (well, brand new for me, secondhand for some) car!!! (and that's exciting news #1 i was referring to in the previous post)

Yes folks. Just the other week I brought my car home. Well technically, my tito brought the car home since I was too scared to drive it. But it's home, and that's what matters! Please excuse my materialistic side, but this is not just a wala lang thing. This is huuge for me. This means I'm one step closer to total independence... which might take a while for me to achieve, but hey, every step counts, right?

Hmmm what else have I been up to? Oh yeah. I've been so family deprived these past few months, but thank God, since I won't be home for the holidays, my parents are here to celebrate with me! And my brother of course. Sayang sana nandito din sina Clarisse and Marielle, but oh well, can't have everything. There's always next year, when I go home to Manila! (exciting news # 2!) Wooohooo. Party na 'to. I'll post my sched as soon as I have it, but most probably either Feb, March or April. Hahahahahaha. Or May or June or July or August or September... yuck corny. Hahaha sorry. I don't know what's up with me I'm kinda weird today. Yes, today lang!!!

Ooooh I know what else I'm thankful for! The other week my brother and I watched the Harry Potter movie (which is the best for me so far) and for some reason, the format wasn't right. It wasn't full screen for the opening credits and they kept on stopping it and resuming it and all. But finally after about 5-10 minutes, they got things right and Harry Potter started without any problem. But because we (the audience) were hassled for a few minutes, the theater gave us free tickets so we can watch another movie anyday, anytime, for free! Isn't that so great? So i'm thankful for the "must-please-customer" attitude of America. Yay! And so my brother and I are gonna watch Rent the movie sometime this weekend. Yay!

And guess what I did the other day during my lunch break!!! I'd post pix but it's still with my officemate (coz I forgot to bring my darn camera grr. anyway.) I went ice skating!!! Yes Lee, ice skating!!! Finally after sooooo many years (haha exag) of wanting to go ice skating in southmall or megamall, I finally went ice skating in the embarcadero center. Fine, so i lost my balance a few times. But at least I didn't fall on my butt AT ALL! (Which is kinda impossible since I was holding onto the railing like, more than half the time. But still!! And Jacqueline said the ice wasn't that great coz it was uneven and all, so there. ;p) Oooh and I had a kilig moment pa coz of my not-so-great-ice-skating-skills. My cutie officemate who isn't my crush but kinda is helped me skate for a while by holding me while skating. O diba, classic corny movie? But it was very nakaka tiny kilig. Kulang nalang mag snow. Hahahahahahaha. Maan, WHAT is UP with me?? Anyway.

Yesterday was the biggest sale so far in the US of A coz it was after thanksgiving. The night before my mom and I were actually debating whether we should go to the mall at 6 or what, since some shops were opening at 5 and some at 6. I even set my alarm for 6:30, but in the end, we got to the mall at 9. But that didn't stop my mom from spending soooooooo much, it was pretty funny. Me, i wanted to shop but between my car and car insurance and saving up for my plane ticket home, i didn't want to buy stuff i didn't really need. So i just bought this shirt i'm going to deconstruct (is that the word?) for my hiphop performance, and (drumroll please...) a leather jacket! i've been dying to have one, and now that it's getting reaaally cold, i decided that it was the perfect time. and of course, it didn't hurt that it's exactly the kind of jacket i've been looking for since i decided i wanted one. it's brown, and nice and leather. wooohooo. pero basta. no na. the next major thing i'll buy for myself will be the last thing. promise. well... unless it's something i need. so the next major thing i really don't need but i buy anyway will be the last thing.

Oh, I have a new name for a diet. It's called saving up for a plane ticket home. Because I don't want to spend unecessarily anymore, I bring baon (sometimes) to work, or I don't eat at all and just walk around. And my tummy got smaller. My face is still round though. Advice, anyone? Haircut? Well, I tried that already and my face is still round. Grabe I just had 3 inches cut off and the other day my dad said my hair was so long na. Haaaay. Is it time to get it cut suuper short again? Or curled? Hmmmm....

Can I just share... So the other week I picked up my dad from the airport. My mom's been here since september so they haven't seen each other for a while. And so when we got home, when they saw each other they hugged each other sooo tight and for sooo long, it was incredibly sweet. Haaaay. And next week it's their 30 something Wedding Anniversary. Basta ako rin. Someday. ;p

hahahahaha. sorry for the long but weird and very random post. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

my view on long distance relationships.

2005-11-05T00:32:00.000-08:00

this post was bound to happen, one way or another. sure, it's a couple of months late... talk about delayed reaction. but i just have to say this, not for me, but for others who may be in the same situation.

grrrrr. why is it that when 2 people separate, sympathy more often than not lies with the ones left behind? don't take me wrong... no offense to the ones left behind because i'm sure it can be hard, missing someone, going to all the places you used to go to, surrounded by so many memories, people, places and things that make you miss the person who left you even more. and then there's the one leaving, the one who'll get to experience new and exciting things, who'll get to go places, meet people, the one who'll have an adventure.

but the thing is, it's not automatically like that.

you don't just go to a place and immediately have a new and exciting life. you go to a new place with almost nothing... just memories of the people you left behind. and so you have to adjust, adjust to the fact that you no longer have the luxury of friends you can be with if you're feeling down, adjust to the fact that you're basically on your own... and then after a while when you DO finally get settled in, it's still not the same. imagine... you left your whole life. not just friends and family, but the familiarity, the comfort, the security, stability and regularity of your life back home. sure, you'll get some of it back after staying in a certain place for a while, but still. nothing is the same as being back home, surrounded by... everything. by everything near and dear to your heart.

i'm not saying things are harder on the one leaving... it's just that things are just as hard... and the sad thing is, you don't have your friends around to cheer you up.

notice. why is it that the one who left is more often than not the one who always calls? okay, maybe it's KINDA cheaper to call back home especially if you're earning in dollars. but there's another reason, and it's called homesickness. while the ones left behind are missing just that one person, the one who left is missing everyone else.

how frustrating. i can't seem to aticulate my thoughts as well through this laptop and i sound just a tad bit bitter. hahaha i'm not. i just felt like explaining the other side to long distance relationships because few seem to understand it.

......

watch out for my entry next week. i have very exciting news. :) well, for me anyways. cross your fingers!!! ;p

whew.

2005-10-27T22:21:00.000-07:00

finally, time to breathe. work's been keeping me busy (well, not really but... well, kinda. basta.) and during weekends i'm out with my mom so i haven't been able to spend time with myself. and i have nothing to blog about really, except the fact that if all goes well for me, i'm gonna have a very very happy year next year. so far i have sooo many plans that will hopefully push through in 2006. so i'm keeping my fingers crossed.

i wanted to go home this christmas. i was this close to buying a ticket home, but my lazy side won, reminding me that if i was to go home i had to fix my vacation leave, my flight, my blah blah blah. so anyway i decided next year nalang. it's still too soon for me to go home. sabi ni mommy magpayaman na daw muna ako. hahahahaha!

okay, so some things that make me happy.

my new iPod video!!! yay!
my upcoming promotion! (still in semi training... but by the end of this year hopefully... it's gonna be official!)
halloween!
the fall performance of rhythm and motion!
and it's friday tomorrow!

so yun lang.

sorry. it's one of them lazy days. i miss my friends!!! :(

peechurs!

meet my new baby.

2005-10-12T20:18:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry i'm sorry. i can't help it. once again, i'm in love. thank God for alec who told me about the apple announcement before i splurged on a photo. so in a few days, this baby will be mine. darn shipping. but yay, i'm so happy!!! :) here's to the iPod video.

so for the next few days, no more spending for me. grabe wala pa nga akong credit card nagkakaganito na ako. cathy a! nahawa na ako sa yo! hahahahaha. :)

tagged by LEE!

2005-10-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

(i'm alive!!! ;p)

Google image search the following:
- Get the most interesting picture.
- To save your friends' pages from mega loading, just get the tag of the thumbnail.
- Right-Click the picture, then get the url of the thumbnail (properties)
- [img src="url"] then replace the brackets html brackets.
- If you want to see some of the pics in actual size, just get the url from the thumbnail properties. I need not explain, for if you are a true blogger, i'm sure you can do it on your own.

1. The age you will be on your next birthday: 22!!! same as lee. :)

2. The place you live: pacifica!!! nice noh?

3. your favorite color: blue and white! i actually like a LOT, but default yung blue (and white) that's actually a blue and white swallow.

4. The place you want to get married: st. james! :)

5. Your first love: when i was a kid, like 3 or 4, i remember i liked the baby of my neighbors. he was this blond haired blue eyed baby named robert. well, this is the cutest "robert" in google images so it'll have to do.

6. Your favorite fruit or vegetable: vegetable nalang coz i love all kinds of fruits (and vegetable for that matter, but anyway.) radish! :) yummy.

7. Your favorite animal: cats!!!

8. The last name of your favorite actor or actress: sandra bullock! (i looove while you were sleeping!)

9. The name of a pet: my cat arvinne! hahahahaha the pic is so funny!!!

10. Your favorite song right now: gold digger! (kanye west)

11. A bad habit of yours: spending waaay too much (the picture seems appropriate)

12. Your middle name: punzalan! (pinsan ko si marts!) the pic is this glass bird, it was taken by carlos punzalan who won third place... somewhere. :)

i tag...anyone who wants to do this too! :) go go go! it's fun!

......

i'd write a longer post, but i'm dying to finish reading this book. so i just wanted to say i love you esh, and i had sooooo much fun when you were here! thanks for visiting! :)

pictures in my multiply.

who's game??

2005-09-25T22:06:00.000-07:00

stolen from rax's blog (heehee, i hope you don't mind! ;p)

1. Reply with your name and I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song or movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle with you in.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you it would be nice if you'd post this on your blogetty, or maybe do the same for me here.

biliis. comment na! :)

......

since i still want to answer the survey thing, i'll just add this tiny post.

there's this smile on my face i can't get rid of. i'm so giddy and happy and i'm suuuuper kilig. i just love this feeling... when the mere thought of someone can make you smile, and you just can't stop it. this is what i want. i want to meet someone who'll do this to me and make me feel this way (and vice versa of course) forever and ever. who can make me laugh sooo hard, make me feel sooo cared for, and make me sooo happy. tell me, am i hoping for too much?

happy happy haaaaappppyyyy day. make that happy week. or rather. happy month. :) happy me! yay! :)

Bo.

2005-09-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

So I had a very interesting experience. In my 4 months of stay here, I've met different kinds of people. From the typical clingy American kid who thinks one date is a promise of forever, to the over-friendly Indian in the train who seems to want to find out every single detail of my life, to the nice barista who gives drink upgrades on Fridays, and of course, who can forget the nice Filipino taxi driver named Hernan? But the person I met last Thursday was the most interesting (and creepy) one yet.

While walking along market on my way to the dance studio in mission, I felt someone staring me down. There's a difference between looking/glancing at people and staring, and I could feel his eyes just looking at me intently. Being the person I am (and a lot of people can attest to this, because when I walk around, I never look at people. I dunno why, I just tend to focus on my destination. I don't try to look around for people I know. Anyway.) I ignored him and looked straight ahead, walking towards the closed pathway by the street. And then I heard it.

"Hey baby. Can I talk to you?"

So I walk faster. I tune out his words and I hold onto my bag tightly and pray that the mace in my pocket is enough to keep would-be snatchers away. But wait. Did I mention that this dude was walking his bike when I saw him, and now he was following me down the closed pathway, now on his bike?

"Hey. Can I talk to you for a minute? Would you go out with me?"

This goes on for a few seconds, and I ignore it for a while. But finally exasperated and holding onto the mace in my pocket, which is fortunately not on lock mode, I don't stop walking but turn to him and say with an apologetic smile on my face, thinking that my words would shoo him away.

"I'm sorry, but I already have a boyfriend."

And (not surprisingly) he says

"Well he don't gotta know..."

At this point, I'm still totally creeped out but it strikes me how surreal the situation is. I swear, those were his exact words. He looked like some latino dude from the ghetto (and so now I take it back, not all latinos are hot) who wasn't exactly ugly, but normal looking. I dunno, you know what I mean.

"Well, I would know, and it ain't gonna happen."

Hahahahahahahaha!!! Yes. Those were my exact words too. I am soo feeling ghetto. But the words just came out! I wasn't thinking!

"Come on. Please? What's your name?"

My mind races. I'm thinking he's just a harmless guy who's never seen a Filipina before, so I debate in my head whether I should say anything or just scream and run away.

"My name's Mary." Which is actually true.

He stops his bike, sticks out his hand (gasp!) for a handshake saying

"My name is Bo. Well I do hope we can meet again someday Mary."

He had this sincere look on his face, kind of sleepy/wistful looking eyes, the kind that would normally make me go awwww, but in this case... Well, no.

I shake his hand and say, "Um. Okay." And walk away quickly, not looking back. I could still feel him looking, but after a while, I hear the sound of the bike against the gravel, and thankfully he's going the opposite direction, and he never bugs me again.

Whataday. Hahahahahaha!

......

I just started one of my dance workshops yesterday! It's called elektra modern funk. astig noh? and tomorrow i'm starting my hiphop jazz workshop. after 10 weeks, we're gonna have a performance so yay! i'm gonna get to perform again! :)

need money?

2005-09-19T12:30:00.000-07:00

check this out. seriously, it really works. ;p

and new pix in my mutiply!

will post next time. :)

peechurs.

2005-09-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

or you can go to my multiply for more pix. wala lang, i just wanted to put up some pix. most were taken in berkely, when i went to the solano festival with laya and the gang. (hahahahaha) and then ayun, since most of my friends don't believe that i drive now, there's a pic of me in the car. not that that's actual proof because i could've just sat inside, but still. and then some random shots i took when i was trying to channel a professional photographer. and of course, me and patrice, my cousin. cute namin noh? it was so sweet, as in i just woke up and then she crawls under the covers, asking if she could cuddle beside me. she even calls me ate. :) and then the beach in pacifica. i love pacifica. yay.

it's funny...

2005-09-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

...that i should talk about being in the right place, at the right time, at the right moment.

so last night i was supposed to go out with a bunch of friends because this really great place had free entrance. but it got cancelled, because no one could really make it except for me. of course, it's no fun to party by yourself (well i've never tried it, but i don't think it's gonna be fun), so since i haven't been getting a lot of sleep, i decided to just go shopping after work, and then go home to relax, fix my room, read a book, sleep, and do all the things i haven't been able to do. now, i usually walk to the BART with two of my officemates/friends. yesterday, when it was almost time to go, i messaged my friends if they were ready to go. well, apparently, one of them is leaving the company next week, and they were gonna watch the NY/Boston baseball game in this bar and grab a couple of drinks afterwards and they invited me to join them. so i weighed my options. shopping/going home to fix my room/surf the net/read/sleep or watch the (extremely boring) baseball game/hang out with my friends, with one of them leaving work/drink? well i haven't shopped in a while so i really had to think about it but in the end, the alcoholic in me won. it was fun... my first time to have dark beer. and i totally enjoyed hanging out with them, and i'm so glad with the way things are working out for me because i'm getting to meet people my age i can hang out with after work. yay! downside, i didn't bring my camera. that should teach me to always bring a camera because you never know what's gonna happen, who you'll meet, see or hang out with. fun fun. :)

night before, i hung out with another officemate and we went to oakland hills to watch another officemate (yet again) perform in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. Inggit ako sobra. Not of the musical (although yeah, inggit din ako dun but at least he forwarded me a bunch of sites who'll have auditions for plays. i saw one, auditions for (drumroll please..!) FOOTLOOSE! yay!!! but that's not til may of next year, so i have to wait til then.) but of my officemate, who's my age but she has her own place. coz after work we took the bus to her apartment to get her car and eat food and get warm clothes (ampitheater in the hills=freezing cold). it was soo cool, a real apartment and all (as opposed to a fake one right, haha)!!! i want one too. but one thing at a time. first things first, so i MUST not be sidetracked by other things. hay money. you always want more than what you have.

time flies. i've been here almost 4 months now. ooooh guess what i have my driver license! it came in the mail yesterday. i had the paper kind before, now i have the card kind, yay! and i'm an organ and tissue donor, because i signed up for it. so at least í can still make a difference through death. ;p for those who live in california and who want to sign up too, visit Donate Life California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. Save lives and make a difference! Woohoo. Now i only need my debit card, and i'm all set.

CHESCA. i made the font bigger just for YOU! :)

there was a time...

2005-09-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

...when i used to blog everyday. even if i had nothing to say, i'd still blog out of sheer boredom. now, i find myself thinking up sooo many things to blog, but i get home late, and i have to wake up early the next day, so even if i'm online 24/7, i can't write. in my blog i mean. anyway.

so the other day, my good friend nino (o ayan ha! hahahahaha ;p) and i were chatting. it was one of those slow days at work when i had nothing to do, sort of like the calm before the storm. anyways. we were chatting about being single and all... apparently, he's been single for quite a while now, and me, well, i've been officially single since feb. and so we started talking about soulmates, and he said that he wanted to meet his soulmate now na. and then it just got me thinking... being someone's soulmate or perfect partner or the one or whatever doesn't just involve compatibility. or personality. it involves circumstances and timing. it means being in the right place, at the right time, with the right person, under the right circumstances, possessing the right mindset. and those are a lot of rights. kind of reminds me of... was that kant? who said something about... being prudent? i forget. anyhow. so there, i just realized that finding that one person who will make you happy for the rest of your life is very very hard to do. hahaha, everytime i think about these things, i remember my friend cathy b. who recently got engaged. she used to say that she didn't want to marry yet, she had so many things she wanted to do, people to meet, places to go... (which is exactly the way i'm feeling now) and now she's engaged. i guess you can say a lot of things... but it all boils down to whether you've already met that person you want to share the rest of your life with or not. pero sobrang bilib ako sa mga taong nagpapakasal... i mean... that's such a big step. imagine. the rest of your life. iba talaga when you meet the person who will never cease to amaze you with the little things they do... i remember in friends, ross was trying to cheer rachel up coz she broke up with her cheater bf (coz he hit on phoebe), and he was saying that she deserves someone who, when he wakes up in the morning, will say to himself i can't believe i'm with rachel. the most amazing and wonderful person. (or something to that effect.) i want that too. i want to be with someone who will find me forever interesting. i want to be with someone i can talk to about anything. where silence doesn't mean boredom or awkwardness, it just means comfort and security. and of course, i want to be with someone who will never cease to amuse and amaze me, and make me happy. hay i can go on and on. i'm such an idealist. or a romantic. wala lang. nino kasi eh. he made me think. but anyway. even if some people may view singlehood in a negative light, maybe because they've been single for too long, i'm still happy with the way things are. i just met up with a friend from back home this afternoon after work because he's in town for a few days, and one of the first few things he said to me when he saw me was that i looked happy. i thought he meant healthy, coz my face is sooo round na, but no, he said happy. so that's me. happy. and round. hahaha!

i got lost again. clarisse, if you're reading this, yes i got lost after i dropped you off. i soooo need a navigator. i drove 170+ miles just this morning, finding my way back home. isn't that crazy? tuloy, i was in such a hurry to get home because i was late for work that i drove my fastest ever... 85 to almost but not quite 90 MPH. it even scared me a little, because i don't usually drive so fast. thank God i have a guardian angel watching over me (and God of course) because i got home eventually, safe and sound. never again. at least, never again i hope.

btw, belated happy birthday mum! and happy birthday to my grandma who just turned 88! woohoo. ;p

surprise surprise.

2005-08-26T22:21:00.000-07:00

so you start learning how to drive. obviously, you're hesitant at first. you don't know what to do, because driving apparently is more than stepping on the gas pedal and praying nothing is in your way. since the car is manual, it takes you a while to learn how to balance the clutch and the gas. the car stalls a few times, shudders once in a while, but finally, you're driving smoothly in the parking lot of Town Center. after a while, you're even able to sing to your favorite kelly clarkson (yeah girls rule!) song, no matter how corny it seems. you learn the basic parking styles, and then finally, you get on the freeway. it doesn't matter that a wrong turn brought you there, it doesn't matter that your palms are sweating so much you have little control over the wheel, it doesn't matter that all the cars are passing you by even if you're going (the amazing speed of) 40MPH, and of course, it doesn't really matter that your passenger is holding onto the hand brake for dear life. what matters is that you're still alive and able to control the car. and afte all that, what matters is that you actually got through it.

and now look at you. going 80MPH without a second thought, dancing to the music blasting from your speakers, talking on the phone with a friend, a little buzzed because you're on your way home from a night out in the city. you don't know exactly when you got your act together, you don't know exactly how you're pulling it off, but you are. you're doing it. and you knew that you could do it all along.

hmmm. life and it's surprises.

boo.

......

the other day, a bunch of us went to Cigar Bar in the city to give a little send off to Ben, my officemate who's about to take up his... masters? PhD? Something. Anyway, since i was driving home from the BART, i told myself that i would just have 2 drinks. and i did! well, 2 and a half coz the bartender gave me half a glass of sangria. the first drink i had wasn't strong, just right. maybe around, 10% buzz. but the second drink... i was supposed to order a gin martini, but i guess he heard me wrong and thought i wanted a gin on the rocks with a twist, because that's what he gave me. imagine. a full glass of pure gin. sheesh. but anyway. at least i didn't get drunk, i was just a little buzzed. and that didn't stop me from getting home safe and sound. ;p

or you can also check out my multiply for more pix.

oh and btw... have you heard??? Esh is coming to sunny california this september!!!!!!! YAHOO!!!!! :)

:(

2005-08-23T23:12:00.000-07:00

i want to watch wicked.

*sigh*

First day of work!!!

2005-08-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

First off, pardon my vanity. I wanted to take pictures, and there was nothing else to picture but myself! Hahahaha.

So last wednesday I started my work as a traffic coordinator. I was supposed to report at 9am, but being the praning person i am, i woke up at 6, left the house at 730, and reached the office at 820ish. i thought i was right on time, because being the newbie, i didn't want to arrive at 9 exactly. but apparently, that's what i should've done, because there were about 5 people when i got there. so one of my bosses showed me around the office, where the CEOs are located, the snackroom, and finally, my workspace. now please forgive me for the tiny little things that make me happy, (or whatever) but i got sooo excited when she showed me where i would be located. i admit, it's not prime location since anyone can see what i'm working on because i'm right in the middle, and in front, but at the same time it's fun because i get to be in the thick of it all. and i also got excited coz i have my own computer and phone as you will see in the picture (and own extension of course! with VM!), and new office materials! like post its, and a stapler, and drawers, and a pad, and pens! the whole deal! hahahahaha. i am so mababaw. i'm sorry, it's just that this is my first office job as in job, and it's all new and exciting for me.

after being in the office for about an hour, my officemate asks me if i want to go out for coffee, so a bunch of us walk to this coffee shop. back home, i was never a coffee drinker. in fact, i hated going to starbucks because i thought it was pretentious and overpriced. but now, i need coffee to wake and warm me up. and starbucks is my favorite since we have one right in our building, and this dude gives me discounts. (but for some reason, my officemates like going to the one a couple of blocks away) and then a few hours later we have lunch together, and before i know it, it's time to go home. most of my friends who start with work say that during the first few days, you don't really do anything because you're new, which is true to some extent, but in my case, i started my training in the afternoon of my first day, and although i'm not doing something all the time, i do enough for me to lose track of time. and that's one of the things i really like about my job. it's fast paced, you're constantly learning and doing something, and even if i'm online the whole day, rarely do i use the net for personal stuff. (hahaha. of course, i gotta check my email from time to time.) and the people are sooo friendly. i mean, i know, maybe because i'm new and all, but i really like everyone i've met so far. they're all being nice and helpful. and the snackroom...! hay. it's the kind of food you'd bring back to manila as pasalubong. (well, for me anyways.) but! i have willpower. and i will not gain any more weight.

one thing that caught my attention though. we use YM to "talk" to people in the office, and nakakatawa lang how even if that person is seated right next to you, YM parin yung ginagamit. hahaha wala lang.

and i soo love the dresscode in the office, or the lack thereof anyway. i wear jeans and sandals to work (but of course for my first day i wanted to look business like.) and i can get even more casual than that on fridays. the only time we have to dress up is if we have clients coming over, which hasn't happened yet so far.

so all in all, after 3 days of being an employed person, i can say that i am totally loving it. i love the independence, and even if i hate waking up early (at least now i wake up at 645 instead), i love the fact that i am slowly inching my way into adulthood. it's scary, with all the things you have to think about like the bills, and insurance, and taxes blah blah blah (zzzz....) BUT it's exciting. i love new things and the thrill that comes with it. i know it won't always be like this, but so far, so good.

however. my day, as exciting as it seemed, didn't end with my work. as i was going home from the BART, it suddenly dawned on me that i forgot how to get back to pacifica. i know, i know, 280. but i dunno, blame it on my work high, blame it on being in front of the computer the whole day, blame it on me for not mapquesting it the night before. but the moment i saw the 280 sign, i immediately followed it, not noticing the fact that it was 280 NORTH. apparently, north is very very different from south because if you go north, you'll end up in San Francisco, and not Pacifica. which is exactly what happened to me. before i knew it, i was back in the city, looking for 280 south. it was a good thing i was able to get my friend on the phone, and he gave me directions that got me on the right street. but for a while i was honest-to-goodness scared to death, because i was on the freeway with no idea whatsoever where i was headed. and it was my first time to drive to the city, and that was sooo scary coz i had to pass this bridge, and the flyovers and all that. and then it was so hard to drive and talk on the phone at the same time (coz of course, my friend was trying to calm me down and give me directions, which ended up making me MORE lost. but all's forgiven because i was able to get home anyhow.). it was much more exciting than my little narration, but it's better if i just tell you in person with matching actions and all. but anyway. bottom line, i was shaking when i got home, and i literally collapsed in my room from relief. to think that i don't even have auto insurance. (thank God i didn't get into an accident!)

check this out. pardon the quality of the pictures, i totally messed with the camera and i forgot to put back the original settings.

i'm in love!!!!!

2005-08-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

i usually wake up around 10am, just in time to roll out of bed and eat the remaining breakfast egg. i don't like eating a lot in the morning, because i like leaving space in my stomach for lunch. anyway. so i wake up earlier than usual, with a tingling feeling all over my body. i kid you not, i was crazy with anticipation. this is the day, i thought to myself.

so i switch on my laptop to confirm what i already know. and true enough, he's just a city away and will be here in a couple of minutes, at the most, an hour. an hour! i hate waiting, but trust me, he is so worth the wait.

a car pulls into the driveway, and i can't help but wait by the window to watch for the person coming out. after an excruciating 5 minutes, i hear a knock on the door, and the doorbell rings.

and i welcome my baby home. ahhh... so this is love.

meet my camera...

isn't it just absolutely gorgeous? i'd name it, but i can't think of anything yet. you should've seen me this morning. as soon as the FedEx truck pulled up, i was out of my room and in front of the main door waiting for him. i cannot wait to take pix. it's so tiny pa... tinier than my cell phone. oh happy day. nothing can make me sad today. i love it love it love it!

some random pix i've taken.
View from my backyard. cool, huh?

View from my room. If you look real close you can actually see the screen of my windows.

Gigil me. And my cute little coin bank.

I'd take pix of my room but i have to fix it first. hahaha!

this is me being steady.

2005-08-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

Three names you go by:
1. Eleanor
2. El
3. eeLy

Three screen names you have had:
1. Lavender
2. Maiya (go figure.)
3. eL

Three physical things you like about yourself:
1. Eyes
2. Shoulders
3. Hair

Three physical things you don't like about yourself:
1. Hips
2. Thighs
3. stomach

Three parts of your heritage:
1. Spanish
2. Filipino
3. Chinese?

Three things that scare you:
1. The dark
2. Flying Cockroaches
3. Getting lost (with no phone, money, nothing.)

Three of your everyday essentials:
1. Lotion
2. Lipgloss
3. Face powder

Three of your favorite musical artists:
1. Sugarfree
2. Joss Stone
3. Norah Jones

Three of your favorite songs:
1. Burnout
2. Fell in Love with a Boy
3. Emotional Rollercoaster

Three things you want in a relationship:
1. Honesty
2. Respect/Fidelity
3. Spontaneity

Three lies and truths in no particular order:
1. I'm happy.
2. I'm excited.
3. I'm rich. (hahahahahaha.)

Three physical things of the opposite sex that appeals you:
1. Eyes
2. Arms
3. Legs

Three of your favorite hobbies:
1. Dancing
2. Shopping
3. Reading

Three things you want to do really badly now:
1. Go shopping
2. Start working
3. You don't wanna know. ;p

Three careers you're considering/you've considered:
1. Theater Actress
2. Pediatrician
3. Teacher

Three places you want to go on vacation:
1. Europe
2. New York
3. Brazil!!!

Three kids' names you like:
1. Erin (for a girl)
2.
3.

Three things you want to do before you die:
1. Sky dive
2. Bungee Jump
3. Travel all over the world

Three ways that you're stereotypically a boy:
1. I can burp like one
2. I can easily unattach myself from things.
3. I (used to) eat like a guy

Three ways that you're stereotypically a girl:
1. I'm kinda kikay. hahaha! (kinda lang.)
2. I'm ma-drama
3. I'm iyakin.

Three celeb crushes:
1. Prince William
2.
3.

Three people I'm tagging:
1. Lee
2. Chesca
3. Cathy A.

......

save me. take me away.

i need enlightenment. please please *please* enlighten me.

hmmm. i think too much.

just some of the random thoughts running through my head.

badabingbadaboom.

......

as a wise man once said. give me back my kleenex. will scrub.

yawn

2005-08-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

you are reading the ramblings of a person who got less than 4 hours of sleep. me, an unemployed bum who, really, has nothing better to do than to go to safeway to buy kikay stuff.

you know why i slept so late, when i don't even have work to do? because aside from the fact that i had coffee at 11PM (i don't know why, when i don't even HAVE to stay up late.) i have discovered the exciting world of eBay. do you know that you can get a 5megapixel camera for only 200 bux there, plus shipping? well fine, being an auction, it could be a little more, but considering the retail value is 300 and up, that's not bad. this is my new addiction. online shopping. tax kasi eh, ang mahal. there are so many things i wanna buy, but so little time to buy it!

aha!, you may say. (or whatever.) but where-oh-where will i get the money? me, someone who's been unemployed for the past (almost) 5 months?

well i've got news for you. and this is no joke, as in, talagang totoo na 'to. in a few hours i will be employed. why? because in a few hours, i will sign the offer letter of Leadclick Media, Inc. with all it's legal thingies and fax it back to their office, which will ultimately lead to my employment starting august 17.

yahoo!!! after months of searching. after good-but-not-good-enough job offers. i am a soon-to-be assistant web developer/trafficker (or something). o diba, napaka-comtech nang dating. but that's not the best part. it's in the city! with all the tall buildings! and the BART! i am so in love with san francisco, and my job location, it's like a dream come true. i can't wait to take pix, because you gotta see how beautiful it is. i'm so happy. i'm so blessed. ;p

and i'm suuuper excited. the people i've met (so far, during the interviews) are really nice, and it's a mix of asians and caucasians and all that. i totally can't wait to start! wednesday cannot come soon enough.

the downside however, is the fact that as an employed person, there are so much things to think about! insurance, taxes, bank accounts, credit cards, blah blah blah. and soon enough, i'll be getting a car and with all the available cars nowadays, it's so hard to pick the best deal. (i won't be getting anything brand new though, maybe after a while.) right now, i'm looking at this '98 eclipse... it's gorgeous, it's used but it looks brand new, and the price isn't bad (presyong kapatid!) but it's manual!!! manual...! but we'll see. as for now, i'm just looking around, and when the time is right, you will see me zooming away in my own car. i may have no money left, but i WILL have my own car.

it's funny, two weeks ago i was telling a friend that i absolutely had to have a job in 2 weeks. i told my dad i'd have a job in two weeks. i believed in it so much that voïla, i do have a job now! where there's a will, there *truly truly truly* is a way.

an hour left til the eBay listing ends. wish me luck. i hope i get it! ;p

Sunny California...

2005-08-07T23:12:00.000-07:00

Some action shots... in chronological order. Hahahahaha!

My friend Mariel needed help to move into their new place, so we decided to help them out with moving the beds and assembling their furniture and all that. well... they helped. i came just in time to go swim, because i had some chores to do at home. ;p i never would've thought that i'd be able to use my bikini in the bay area... i'm so glad i was wrong.

i love summer. ;p

I love suprises!!!

2005-08-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

don't you? don't you just love it when you're going about the things you normally do, and then bam--something unexpected happens. not a bad thing of course, because who likes that anyway? something nice, something out of the blue, something... sweet. i'll bet you know who you are, so thanks. i loved it!!! hahahahaha... ;p 'la lang.

......

singit: sobrang natawa ako when my relatives were talking about the kind of music we have today, and then someone said, "50 cents and Britney Spear."

......

Sorry, this is another one of my driving highs. For the first time ever, I drove by myself on the freeway... highway 1 and 280 to be exact. woohoo!!! i didn't get that nervous, surprisingly. considering i'm not insured yet. steady lang... it was fun, i totally can't wait to get my own car... or insurance first, or whatever.

......

my tito invented this device that, if you own one, will decrease the cost of your long distance phone calls, or even totally kill the cost. galing noh? he assembles it himself, and it's totally cool. but anyways that's not the point. he's trying to market it to more people, because not many know of the product, so we're trying to figure out ways on how to create awareness and all that. now, his lawyer said that he has these business contacts that are interested in finding out more about it, and with that said, he asked me to make a business plan and presentation that he'll show to these potential backers. when he asked me to make one, my mind was all "Aaaaaugh... ctk all over again..." But anyway. It's a challenge, and i like making presentations, so i'm all excited about it. hahaha. just wanted to share.

btw, if you wanna buy one, just ask me about it. i can't say much right now coz the explanation gets a bit technical, but you can just leave a comment or whatever. (haha, taking advantage of free promo.)

After all this time...!

2005-08-01T21:52:00.000-07:00

Back in HS i was such a net addict. I'd chat all the time in mIRC, surf the net, and *ahem* work on my website. But that was about 4 years ago... maybe more. On an impulse, I decided to check whether my old site was still up, and what do you know, it's still alive! It has these poems, and quotes, and old pictures of me when i was still active in YFC, when i was such a die-hard DLSZ fan (still am! walang kamatayang pag-ibig sa pamantasan nang de la salle zobel... animo la salle! ;p), pix of my HS barkada, student council, and all that. it was so weird going through it... the last time i updated it, i was just about to enter college, and now, i'm in another place, literally and figuratively. but somehow, looking through the stuff i put in my website, i think i changed, but i'm still kinda the same. still a hopeless romantic. hahaha. ;p but i no longer go by the name Lavender, which was my chat nick because of this sweet dreams book i read in HS. and i'm still pretty much into the same stuff; i noticed i loved eating back then, and i still do now. the only thing i don't do anymore is play the guitar, and that's because i don't have one here. but in general, i'm a 17-yr-old trapped in a 21-yr-old body. hahaha! ;p the pic to the left is of me and yfc friends, mela and kat. bata palang, pa-cute na. hahahahaha!

If you have time, you should really check out my old website. It has some interesting stuff to kill time and boredom. The senti stuff is very senti though, that was me before. actually... i'm still senti but not as sappy as i was in HS.

the pic to the right is another yfc pic, that's me and nino, who after all these years, is still a good friend of mine. aggie and mela are there too, though i'm not in touch with them anymore, and the rest are yfc friends. i miss yfc. ;p too bad i never became active in admu.

Some cheering pix in HS, when my batch finally became champions in the inter-batch cheering comp.

My HS barkada. It was the junior prom... i think? Check out my hair. Watcha think, should i get it cut that short again? ;p

I miss HS. Don't get me wrong, I love my college years, but HS was still a looot of fun. I don't know what i like more... ;p But anyways. I'll always be blue-green. And seriously. Check it out. Ang senti ko, exag.

On any other day...

2005-07-31T16:09:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we want something so bad, but we just can't have it. Maybe the timing isn't right, maybe it's against what you believe in, maybe it's just plain wrong. But you want it. But... you can't. Oh well. Hmmmmm.

(Note: After re-reading my entry, it struck me how if i know that it's wrong, why still want it right? you should just let it be, and do what you think is right. hahahahaha. right right right. anyways. ;p)

......

So. I had another capoiera class yesterday. At least my body doesn't hurt as much anymore. Or maybe I'm getting used to my sore and tight muscles. Either way, i'm having a lot of fun learning how to play the instruments, the songs, and the moves. Brazil, here i come! ;p

Afterwards, I went to the beach with some friends where we had a sorta picnic/inuman thing. I love the beach. I love the sand, the surf, the air, the salty smell, everything about it. Hay. But the beach we went to was just a poor man's bora. Bora pa rin talaga! But as always, it's the company that counts, and we all totally had fun yesterday. The club after was fun too, and i didn't even spend money! Haha. ;p Fun fun.

......

BLEAH. I want sushi. Not ana's dog with the crazy licking action. Food. Food!!!

par-tay!

2005-07-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

what i like about going out in SF is that there's always dancing. and not just some people dancing, but a lot of people, as in grabe. more than in cocomangas, and that's saying something. so a bunch of us went out last saturday to celebrate my license, and mike's last drink ever (not that he ever started, according to him.) we partied hard, but no, i did not get drunk, despite the amount of alcohol i drank. although my feet incredibly hurt afterwards, which is kinda weird since i wasn't even wearing my really high shoes. but anyways. In the picture to the left, feel na feel namin yung westcoast. this was after a couple of drinks (for me anyways) and i was just a *little* bit tipsy, maybe around 20%. really! i should know, i remembered everything! haha!

when i was back home, i remember going out with sina lee, making the most out of my remaining days there because i was thinking i won't be able to go out as much here because i don't know that many people yet, no money, stuff like that. well, i'm glad to know i was wrong. i mean, it's understandable that you won't know a lot of people, being in a new place and all, but you'll always make new friends. or meet old friends. and about getting a job, so far, nothing has worked out for me. it's a loong story, but i'm just thinking the right job will come in its own time. the right job meaning it has the right pay, benefits and compensation. although sometimes, i kind of wonder what if i accepted the offers i had? almost everyone i've talked to about getting a job said that i shouldn't be picky with the kind of work i do, because what's important is getting work experience and all that. but what if i don't like commission based pay? or the kind of work? or the industry? am i being too picky? hmmm... nah. i should go with what i want. and anyway, everyone i talked to said i shouldn't rush into a job, because once i get one, tuloy tuloy na yun, no time for vacation and fun. so that's me, taking baby steps at a time, and partying in between. ;p

suite one8one pix.

More pix here.

......

Hey, be proud of me. I've been driving around by myself and i am the official driver for my tito. and since he's always making me drive around, he's allowed me personal use of the car. so far, i've parked by myself (i know, mababaw, but hey, it's no easy feat driving a chevy sedan. it's so huge!) and as corny (again) as this may seem, i feel so independent. and old. BUT i'm still me, because i keep on doing stupid things, like forgetting to press the hand brake (or foot brake, in my case), forgetting whether i locked the car or not, forgetting where i parked, and being incredibly paranoid that the car might get carnapped.

so far it's been good. i've only taken the car to linda mar, and the daly city bart, so i don't have to ride the bus to the bart when i go to my dance classes. speaking of dance classes, i love it that i'm finally getting some exercise. although the steps in the hiphop jazz are kinda weird (weirder than ate naths') it's all good. and even if i've only just started capoiera, i'm enjoying it so much! it's really a battle of some sort, with a little flair here and there. my goal: to be able to do a headspin. haha! well, i can always dream, right?

wala lang.

2005-07-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

i just felt like it needed a change. anyways. if you know how to remove that bar with the blog this next blog blogger blah blah blah that always appears in blogger blogs, please let me know. i can't seem to figure it out. thanks. :)

and thanks lee, coz this design is from the one who designed your blog too. hehe. ;p

......

Yay. I'm happy with my blog. Supahfly. Fo' shizzle. *Wink*Wink*

Hahahahahahahaha. That's me. Corny and mababaw.

courtesy of esh.

2005-07-26T00:53:00.000-07:00

man oh man... how absolutely true...

......

capoeira rocks. although my body begs to differ. it rocks. ;p

......

i've been in such a melancholy mood these past few days. hmmm... what if what if what if... ;p

i don't like harry potter 6.

2005-07-22T22:39:00.000-07:00

you know why? DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO SPOIL IT FOR YOU!!! because dumbledore died. IT'S OKAY NOW.

I'm seriously tired right now. I've been going to the hospital everyday to visit my lola, who was confined last week due to a broken hip and at the age of 88, she had to go through hip surgery. Some of the random experiences related to her confinement.

My first 911 call. I actually met firemen. In uniforms. Riding a fire truck. (duh, what else should i expect right?)

My first ride in an ambulance. It would've been exciting, except i was totally worried about my lola.

My first night in a hospital.

I also wore my varsity jacket to the hospital one time, and i met a fellow atenean, among other people, who also know of ateneo.

I also drove to the hospital. freeway, as in freeway talaga, na 65 mph. very scary. but exciting nonetheless.

I also drove through the fog. i swear, i couldn't see 5 feet in front of me. okay fine. maybe not really 5 feet, more like 30 feet, but it felt like 5 to me. imagine, freeway!!! cars going by at 65 mph! and immense fog all around you! ...but i survived, so it's okay. i occupied 2 lanes at one point, but it's okay, nothing bad happened.

anyways. despite my very boring and flat entry, (and the fact that i didn't like harry potter 6 coz it made me cry), believe it or not, i'm really happy right now. because... (drumroll please!) i finally have a driver's license!!! woohoo. so congratulate me. ;p 9 mistakes! not bad, huh?

Je m'ennuie.

2005-07-12T14:31:00.000-07:00

Je manque la langue française, que j'ai apprise en La Salle et en ma deuxième année dans Ateneo. Ainsi j'essaye d'apprendre la langue encore, et j'écris en français pour fâcher ceux de vous qui sont assez curieux pour se demander ce que dans le monde j'écris environ.

Hahahahahahaha! Est-ce que ce n'est pas de l'amusement?

Alors. Je ne suis pas parti de la maison hier, mais par l'Internet, je suis passé faire des emplettes. Juste une certaine information aléatoire. La chose au sujet de la langue française est qu'il est très difficile si vous ne savez pas la comprendre (évidemment), ainsi si vous savez parler français couramment, Í pariera que vous riez de ma tentative pathétique en ce moment. Mais c'est amusement.

Je me demande qui sera curieux assez pour traduire cette écriture comptable.

Je m'ennuie.

......

Anyways. i came across an interesting set of questions, and being the unbelieveably bored person i am right now, i decided to answer it. ;p

What IFs:

1.what if someone asks u out on a date?
if he's my type, why not? ;p

2.what if that person is your ultimate crush?
hahaha... well then... no need to ask twice right?

3.what if nalaman mo na may anak na bf/gf mo?
aww man... well it's not like we're getting married, right? i dunno...

4.what if someone gave u 1 million dollars for a nude portrait?
hmmm... interesting. hahaha! well, if i had the body but even then, i'd totally chicken out i think?

5.what if ung nanliligaw sau / nililigawan mo ay ngtxt na break na kau?
well we're not even together in the first place...! sheesh. a date is just that.

6.what if kung umulan ng pako?
kinda weird question, but i guess... run for cover? ;p

Who`s

1.who would u like to give thanks to?
God and everyone else... :)

2.kanino mo gustong sabihin e2, pls give me a chance
to the companies i applied to! hahahahaha :)

3.eh e2, I dont wanna see u anymore
this creepy dude... yiiii.

4.who would u like to get stuck in an elevator with and ano sasabhin mo?
hahahahahahaha... *secret*

5.Who would u like to have a cup of coffee with?
friends! :)

6.sinong gusto mong maging presidente ng Piipinas ngayon maliban kay GMA?
not Noli... I dunno... i think GMA's the least evil.

Where`s

1.where would u like to get married?
church wedding! st. james or some other church...

2.where is your favorite hang out?
hmmm... none yet actually... anywhere is fine, it's the company that counts.

3.where was your first kiss (pang bf/gf)?
my bf's house hahahahaha! oooooooh. ;p

4.where did u meet/see your ultimate crush?
ultimate? for the moment? this hotel in embarcadero. :)

5.where were you before the computer?
umm... had dinner? so, kitchen?

6.where did you spend your summer vacation?
in Manila! and in SF, since technically, it's still summer right now.

What`s

1. what gift did u receive on your last b-day?
well... iba-iba... :)

2. what would u give to a dying friend?
his/her dying wish? ;p

3. what were the last words from your ex?
i actually don't remember... umm... goodbye? hahahahaha...

4. what did u say to him or her (ref. to ques. Number 3)?
we had fun. hahahahahahaha! or something. ;p

5. what was the last gift u gave to someone?
this string of jewelry beads for my mum.

......

dumdeedum... *ooof* ...that was me, hitting myself for being such a bum. get off your butt. go to work!!! work work work!!!

sorry. aside from talking nonsense, i also tend to talk to myself.

hmmm...

things accomplished today:

1. Checked email.
2. Checked blog.
3. Checked second email addy.
4. Checked third email addy.
5. Checked status of shipment.
6. Bloghopped.
7. Checked email again.
8. Checked blog again.

...and so on and so forth. I guess you really have days with nothing to do.

oh wait. i downloaded friends episodes. :D okay time to watch...

i'll be more productive tomorrow. i will i will i will.

me? fickle?

2005-07-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

i know i know, i should stop blogging about my job interviews and what-have-yous, since i always seem to change my mind. so okay, i'm not saying anything that i'll accept it, or that i definitely have the job, but i had the most fun job interview this morning! and i like the job. and i'm not just saying i like it coz of the stability, or the profitability, but i think i'll really learn a lot from it, enough to put up my own business after a while. and since it's for a radio station (well, more or less) it's very involved in music, and events, so aside from being a lot of work, it's going to be fun... just thinking about it makes me excited! hahahaha ang babaw. my only problem is saying no to AMEX, since i sorta agreed na to their offer. but it's not like i signed anything, it's just that they might get mad. or something. hay whatever.

happy day today! :)

side note, congratulations to Cathy A. who'll be representing our country in an internationally acclaimed shopping competition (woohoo!) and Cathy B. for her recent engagement! :) I'll be praying for you guys! :)

omg.

2005-07-07T14:27:00.000-07:00

okay, i just read something today that shocked me. kicked me in the ass, knocked the wind out of me, stunned me, and everything else to that effect. if i read it a few months ago i would've broken down, cried, freaked out, become hysterical, but now that i'm more mature (hahaha, okay, now that i'm more aware. or something), i'm clammy and shaking from the shock, but i'm happy to say that i'm laughing about it. you should see me. i'm really, honest to goodness on my bed, laughing out loud.

some guys are just too pathetic for words. some guys are so in love with love, they try everything just to be in love, without really knowing what it means. and some guys use the same lines over and over again in every relationship in the hopes that the girl will actually believe in his love for her. lifelong courtship? (HA! i guess lifelong means a few months.) grow old together? you're different? i've never felt this way with anyone? thinking about us brings tears to my eyes? (now that one really made me laugh.) we have a connection i've never felt with anyone else? hahahahahahahahahaha... what a laugh. really, it's pretty funny. i'm not being sarcastic okay. because i haven't had this good a laugh in a while. and some guys are actually good coz it sounds believable. okay, so fine, not all guys are like that, but please. if he's treated you horribly before, don't believe him. he may think he's in love with you, but he's just in love with love. or better yet, he's just in love with himself. wait til the going gets tough, because the tough will get going. as in, will go away. and leave you behind.

i was right to wonder if it was for real. because really, it was too good to be true. so beware. and don't say i didn't warn you.

i wish i could post it here. but i'm just too nice. hahaha. feeling ko naman ang bait ko. sometimes i am. but after reading that, that thing, i just had to blog about it. it was too much. hahaha it really is funny. if you were in my position, you'd see it the way i see it. basta. sorry if it doesn't make much sense, but when have i ever made sense?

anyway. enough with the comic relief.

......

yesterday i attended a hip hop jazz class in mission, and it was so much fun! i haven't exercised in a while (i'd say dance, but then i realized i've been going out so i HAVE been dancing.) and it was nice to stretch and sweat. i arrived in the studio an hour early (thanks to the efficient bus and bart service) and the owner allowed me to hang out in the studio alone. i love studios! mirrors all around, wooden floor... so what i did, i practiced my headstand, i jumped around, did turns, jetes, everything and anything i used to do in babble. i miss dancing regularly, so i think once i finish all my free classes, i'll sign up and pay. it's okay, it will be money well-spent. and once i get my license, i'll attend the evening classes! yahoo i can't wait.

i decided to wait a while until i start the financial adviser thing. so here i am again, back to square one. thank God my parents aren't pressuring me to find work ASAP, and after getting my first paycheck (freelance woohoo), i can afford to wait til i find the perfect job.

......

during lunch this afternoon my uncle mentioned the al-qaeda bombing in London, and the Parliament proposal of Ramos. and then he said to me, "ang swerte mo, naka-alis ka na sa Pilipinas." and it's true, i am lucky, but i just feel so bad for the people affected by the huge mess going on. here's to wishing parliamentary is the answer.

I'm ba-ack!

2005-07-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

...in the bay area. After two weeks of freelancing as a graphic artist, shopping with my tita, eating ice cream from coldstone and NY cheesecake from Porto's, and going hotel hopping in vegas, I'm back in Pacifica, back to the cold cold weather, the mountains, to resuming my "serious" life in the states. It was fun while it lasted, i had my much needed break even though i haven't really been doing anything stressful. I was able to meet with friends in the area, watch movies, go shopping, go to a theme park (finally!), visit my relatives, and basically just relax and have fun.

......

i went to a trade expo today, and there were a lot of stalls selling jewelry similar to what you see in greenhills, from the dangling earrings with swarovski crystals, to the shell bracelets and pearl earrings. it was pretty interesting, i bought a lot of things coz the prices were less expensive compared to the accessories you see in nordstrom, but still, shopping today made me want to create my own accessories because based on retail prices, the jewelry business seems to be very profitable.

checky, you have a future as a jewelry designer/producer here.

afterwards we ate in this chinese resto (yummy), so i came home with an almost empty wallet and a very satisfied tummy. but now that i actually have money to spend, i'm starting to become very picky with the things i buy. i figure i'll just wait til i earn a looot of money, and only then will i go crazy.

it's funny how much entertainment a hula-hoop and a 7-yr-old kid can provide. i'm in the living room and i can hear my tita's, laughing and shrieking over my cousin, hula-hooping away. it's a good thing she (patrice) is enjoying all the attention. i remember when i was a kid my parents would always always ask me to perform in front of relatives and friends. "O, kumanta ka nga..." "O, ipakita mo yung cheering mo..." with a matching push or subtle kurot. I hated it because i hated being put on the spot in front of so many people, looking at me with this expectant look on their faces. I usually didn't do it because i was afraid that i'd just mess it up. it's only now that i realize that even if i did mess up, it really didn't matter much, as long as you appeared charming and game and confident, because then, you'll still look cute and adorable and your relatives won't help but coo and applaud your attitude.

......

it's nice being back home. back to the boring routine of waking up, checking mail, setting interviews, grocery shopping, eating, sleeping, bumming around, exercising (sometimes ;p). as much as some people want change and crave for something other than the same old thing, (like me), i don't think anyone will ever not want stability, security, knowing where you are and where you're headed. not that i know what i want to really do just yet, but one thing's for sure, i know where i want to be and that's right here.

yuck. sounds like a line from some cheesy movie. but anyway.

happy 4th of july!

some pix. please refrain fom stating the obvious. i know. and yes, i will exercise.

In Knott's Berry Farm, and in Rodeo Drive

By this random wall in Melrose, and in front of the Victoria's Secret thing in vegas

San Francisco Cable Car! and by Lake Mead/Lake Las Vegas i dunno.

shopping woohoo!

more pix here

First paycheck woohooo!

2005-07-02T00:23:00.000-07:00

I know, i'm not employed employed, but i worked on some hang tags and a catalog for my tita's company and she just paid me. so yahoo for me, i have some cash! this should last me for a while, since i don't have a steady job yet. because although i'm gonna accept that AMEX thing, i won't get paid til i get my license and that's gonna take a few months. anyhow.

vegas was soooo much fun! it's definitely a place i'll visit again and again, and on my next visit i'll bring lots of cash so i can go on a major shopping spree. unless someone wants to sponsor me? ;p i also went to knott's berry farm the other day with my tita and her daughter, and about 15 other kids from my cousins summer camp. it was a loooot of fun because i love kids, and they were so funny. we only went on the kiddie rides though, so i'll just have to go back so i can ride the rollercoasters and everything.

enough with the mindless kwento of daily activities. i miss manila. for the first time, i actually got homesick today, missing everyone and remembering how happy i was back home. i think watching wowowee triggered it. yes, i watched wowowee for the first time today in my tita's house after having dinner. it was sooo funny, and i think i missed the craziness of filipino people. it was so stupid, from the jokes, to the tacky dances, to the willie hirits, but i was laughing so hard i actually got tears in my eyes. tuloy, i remembered my mom who has her moments of silliness, and my friends, and well, basta. bottom line i got a little sad today, realizing how much i'm missing, what with the admu-dlsu game coming up (go la salle! hahaha and fine, go ateneo.). but anyway. what i don't miss is the craziness of the philippine government. i swear. it's such a mess. have you watched the news lately? rallies AGAIN? and who's gonna replace gloria? is noli de castro even any good? hay.

i'd write something worthwhile but i'm kinda sleepy and tamad.

The city that never sleeps

2005-06-23T18:58:00.000-07:00

I feel like I'm back in Manila. The sun is scorching hot, the air is humid at times, and the traffic is incredible at night. But I love it! Outlets, performances, concerts, plays, designer shops---you'll never get bored in Vegas as long as you have money to burn. We drove here yesterday, and it took us about 4 hours to get here from LA. Of course, the first thing my niece wanted to do was to go swimming, so we did and i *think* i got a little bit darker. Just a little. :)

On our way here we saw a bunch of outlets for GAP, Coach, Billabong and i forget what else, and i cannot wait to go shopping...! Although of course i don't have a lot of money to spend but still, i'm bound to find something nice. We'll stay here til sunday then we'll drive back home.

Home. I feel like i've uprooted myself again since arriving in Glendale. Honestly, I know what I want to do but i don't know what i should do... i want to go back to SF and just take the AMEX job, but at the same time it's hard to turn down help from relatives here... and believe me, everyone's been so helpful and my auntie is saying if i want to stay in LA, i can easily stay with her, and my other aunt is referring me to all these jobs and fixing interviews with these people so i can get in her company. oh well time will tell what i should do. whatever will be will be...!

......

on a lighter note, for those who've been reading my blog since i got here to the states, you'll remember that latino dude who was supposed to interview me for this job. well.... he called me up yesterday! after apologizing for such a delayed call, he invited me to come in for an interview, and i'm supposed to call him as soon as i get back to the bay area. hihihihihi... he's such a cutie and even though i don't like sales, i'll give it a shot. hahahahaha!!! :D but i really like the company okay, so it's not as if i'm going just to see him. haha defensive ba? ;p anyway, yesterday was just a kilig moment for me kasi ang gwapo nang voice niya eh.

wala lang. :)

I'm getting a job!

2005-06-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, after being a bum for a month, I've finally been offered a job I actually want to take. But first things first... I'm in LA! My tita, who just invested in a company that's gonna be launched this july, asked me to make their catalog and to work on their webpage, and since it's based in LA, she flew me over so we could talk about it and work on it together. So last thursday, i packed my bags yet again to prepare for the 45 minute plane trip to burbank early the next day.

i like LA, there're so many things to do! so when i arrived, my tita picked me up and we had lunch in this japanese resto, and i was able to fulfill my sushi craving. yummy unagi, yummy maki... she's not working right now (long story) so we had the whole day to kill. we went to this place and decided to watch batman begins, but the next showing was in 2 hours. so we ate ice cream (i had the hugest banana split from cold stone. hay.), and she took me shopping! i bought a new bikini (hehehe) coz we're also going to vegas this week and there's this amazing pool in the hotel where we're staying. wish me luck, i hope i win big so i can go back to manila na. haha just kidding! anyway so far it's been fun here, we went cherry picking yesterday, and we always eat out coz my tita doesn't like cooking, so it's different from my life in the bay area where i'm always home if i have no plans for the day. my tita's sort of pushing me to look for work here coz i think she wants me to stay here with her nalang, but i dunno. as it is, i just got a job offer in the bay area... yes, a few months from now i will be a licensed financial adviser. american express financial advisers, after 3 interviews and 2 tests, offered me a job, and i'm supposed to call them on monday with my response. i like the job, because i actually sort of like finance (aside from the accounting part, that is) and at least in a few years if i decide to go live in manila, i can put up my own practice there. and at least not only will i be helping people with their finances, but i'll also learn enough so that my future is secure too. and it doesn't hurt that the benefits are good, and the pay is, well, yeah. ;p

yay for me. :)

anyone need a financial adviser?

i don't know how long i'm staying in LA, it depends on AMEX if i can stay in LA for a month. I want to watch the hilary duff concert kasi eh, but it's on july 12. yes, i have tickets!!! sorry, teenybopper. :) so what, i like hilary duff. ;p

Happy Monthsary! ;p

2005-06-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

I have been a permanent resident of the United States of America for exactly a month, today. (59 more months til i can apply for citizenship woohoo...)

I arrived here not knowing anyone, (well, yeah I have relatives here but hello, who doesn't? ;p) not knowing how to get around, no job, no car, no nothing.

Well, I still have no job, no car, and I don't know a looot of people, but I know how to go to Union Square, I know that there is no Route 14 on sundays, I know that montgomery and new montgomery are one and the same, I know that a stop sign means that the wheels of your car MUST stop rolling, I know that you should never ever drink 2 shots of liquid cocaine (no, it's not some kinda drug, it's an extremely strong alcoholic drink) if you don't want to do incredibly stupid things in front of your friends, like headstands, egg rolls, and other various balancing acts you would otherwise have a hard time doing sober.

I may not be "living the life" yet, as anchot put it one time, but i'm proud to say that I'm getting there. It's only a matter of time.

You know why? Because like cathy b., I'm also one of God's favorites. Yay for me! :)

i love being single. ;p 'nuff said.

......

I drove around last sunday with my uncle who gave me words of encouragement by telling me that when i have enough money to buy a car, "...bumili ka nang secondhand, dahil siguradong makakabangga ka." And my other uncle following behind, saying, "...yung insurance! yung insurance nang kotse nasa likod nang driver's seat!"

how very reassuring. ;p

of course, they said these things jokingly, so i know that they know I'm a capable driver. because i am. really. me? of course.

randomness.

2005-06-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

i like blogs. blogs are fun. i love reading about other people's lives and seeing how my friends are doing.

i'm glad i am where i am today. although i miss my friends so so sooo much, there are so many new things keeping me busy here, and anyway, i'll see them again, i'm sure of it. and when i do, we'll be older, more mature, richer... haha!

i'm happy. even though i don't have a job yet, i'm in no rush to work. the right job for me will come in time.

life is good.

......

there are so many things i want to say, because so much has happened over the last few days, but i'm too tamad. let's just put it this way... you know the point when, after having a couple of drinks, you start to feel the alcohol creeping up on you? just enough to hit you, not enough to make you drunk? it's like a 20-30% tama. you start to loosen up, you start to have fun, you're not as inhibited as before? where a lot of crazy things can happen, but you're still aware of it, and you're still somewhat in control. that's how i feel now. i'm loosening up. and anything can happen. am i making sense?

maybe i should stop drinking too much. hahaha... nah. i'm a good girl.

pix!!!

2005-06-09T15:57:00.001-07:00

here are some pix of me with jepoy and his relatives. siyempre ako pa-cute diba, sabi kasi nila pose eh. so of course, being the usual makapal self i am, i posed! hahaha!

Taken in jepoy's house, and me, jepoy and his relatives (and jon!) in front of union square.

pix of me, mariel and her brother leandro when we watched a movie!

Some of the last few pix taken in manila... :(

More pix here.

why?

2005-06-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

cathy wrote something in her blog that got me thinking. why is it than in manila, when you're born into poverty there's little chance for you to get out of it, while in the states, there are (almost) equal opportunities for everyone if you just work hard enough? yeah okay so america is a first world country, but what does it have that seems to be missing in the philippines? i'm sorry, i'm not really into politics and i'm not aware of world issues or stuff like that, so bear in mind that these questions are coming from someone who is not aware of current events and what-have-yous. bottom line is, it's just sad that there are some people in manila who work their asses off each and every day, and they get so little in return.

you know what i wanna do? although i don't know if i can do it. i wanna earn lots of money here, go back to manila, put up my own events company so that i can not only be my own boss but i'll also be able to provide much needed jobs for the unemployed. how ambitious. but you never know.

......

i attended another job fair yesterday with sina jepoy, but none of the jobs really interested me. it was too bad really because i wore my killer shoes (lee you know the one) and i was all dressed up and everything, but oh well. although there was this marketing specialist job for this childcare center, and i'd love to work for them because i love kids, but they haven't called me yet. time will tell. so far i'm leaning towards being a financial adviser even if it means studying for about 3 months to get my license, because it will really help me in the future. managing your finances is important, and i think more and more people are looking for advisers so it looks promising. and at least i can work while i study, so i'll still be earning a little. i had another job interview this morning for a marketing job; since the main office is in the east coast, the HR person interviewed me through the phone. they seemed to like me, and i like what i heard so far. it's not a sales position so yahoo! and the office is in the city as well, so yahoo again! the VP will interview me (via phone) this friday, so maybe they'll offer me a job. at least i hope. the thing is, if they do offer me a job they want me to start asap so we'll just see. job hunting is so hard. how will you know when you should just take the job or hold out for something better?

anyway so after the fair we ate in in n out and then hung out in jepoy's house for a while. then we had dinner in castro! hahahahahahahaha. kinda culture shock, i'm not used to seeing so many gay people but it sure was an interesting experience. we went inside this toy shop (yes, the kind of toys adults play with) and well, interesting... hahahahahahahahaha! i wanna have a gay bestfriend! gay people are fun to be with. haha! ;p

me me me!

2005-06-05T23:19:00.000-07:00

* Section 1: YOU YOU YOU! *
+ Known as: eL/eLeanor
+ Lives in: Pacifica, CA
+ Birthday: March 21, 1984
+ School: Ateneo de Manila University
+ Religion: Christian
+ Shoe size: 6/6 and a half!
+ Hair color: Black
+ Eye color: Dark Brown
+ hair Style: long hair, kinda layered.

* Section 2 - Have you ever... *
+ Cheated on someone? depends on what the definition of cheating is..? :D
+ Been Cheated on? hmmm... i think so.
+ Fallen off the bed?: yeah hahahahaha!
+ Broken someones heart?: unfortunately yes...
+ Had your heart broken?: many many times.
+ Had a dream come true?: yeah... :)
+ Done something you regret? What about regretting not doing something? ;p
+ Cheated on a test? of course... hahaha

* Section 3 - Currently *
+ Wearing? pink pj's, gray lsgh shirt and a turquoise jacket
+ Listening to? : silence.
+ Located?: my room.
+ Chatting with? lee and geric.
+ Watching? nothing. haha i'm so boring.
+ Should REALLY be doing? : sleeping...!

* Section 4 - Do you... *
+ Brush your teeth?: of course!
+ Have any piercings?: yup... 2 on one ear, one on the other ear, and a belly ring
+ Drive?: well yeah... sometimes? :)
+ Drink?: hehehe yeah, but not in the past 3 weeks. good girl.
+ Smoke?: me?

* Section 5 - The last person you... *
+ Hugged?: earl haha. hope you had a safe trip!
+ Kissed?: on the lips? secret. hahahahaha :) for me to know and for you to wonder about.
+ IMed?: leeleeboo.
+ Talked on the phone: mariel.
+ Yelled at?: no one really... i don't remember.

* Section 6 - Personal *
+ What do you want to be when you finish college?: PR/Events/Advertising/Marketing
+ What has been the best day of your life?: in my whoooole life? the day i was born! yay!
+ What comes first in your life?: family!
+ Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend/crush?: nope!
+ What do you usually think about before you go to bed?: well i pray... so i think about myself, the past, the future, God, stuff like that.
+ Did you lose someone you really loved?: As in, did someone i really love die? No.
+ How many times have you fallen in love?: i don't know eh. as in real love? genuine love? maybe... wait, or how many times did i think i was in love? maybe like, 5 times. haha!
+ Love your family?: of course.
+ Love your friends?: absolutely!!!

* Section 7 - Favorite *
+ Movie: LOTR, While You Were Sleeping, Disney movies
+ Song: a looooot.
+ Store: safeway. hahahhahahaha yummy.
+ Relative: cousins
+ Sport: pwede ba dancing?
+ Ice Cream Flavor: dreyer's pecan butter or something
+ Fruit: cherries! mangoes and papaya.
+ Candy: mentos fruits.
+ Day of the Week: monday
+ Time: late afternoon
+ Color: brown. :)

* Section 8 - Do you *
+ Like to give hugs? of course! but it also depends on the person.
+ Like to give kisses? depends on the person of course
+ Like to walk in the rain? if it's not cold. haha!
+ Prefer black or blue pens?: black all the way.
+ Like to travel?: yeah!
+ Sleep on your side, stomach or back? : side and back, sometimes stomach
+ Have a goldfish?: haha weird question... nope.
+ Ever have the falling dream?: once i think...?
+ Have stuffed animals?: i left betsy at home... :(

* Section 9 - What do you think about... *
+ Smoking: yuck to secondhand smoke.
+ Eating disorders: how can you not want to eat food?
+ Summer: boracay baby!
+ Tattoos: ouch!
+ Piercings: ears, tongue and belly are fine. and nose.

* Section 10 - This or that *
+ Pierced nose or tongue? tongue.
+ Single or taken?: i'm finally single woohoo!
+ Sugar or salt?: sugar!
+ Silver or gold?: white gold?
+ Chocolate or flowers?: flowers para hindi nakakataba.
+ Color or Black-and-white photos? colored!
+ M&Ms or Skittles? skittles yummy....
+ Stay up late or sleep in?: sleep in... hahahaha!
+ Hot or cold?: cold!
+ Mustard or ketchup?: ketchup!
+ Spring or Fall?: summer? hahaha. i guess spring.
+ Happy or sad? : happy... :)
+ Wonder or amazement? amazement!

Happy Birthday jepoy!!!

......

2005-06-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

I walked home today. Recent developments in my life got me thinking about some things, and I think I've finally figured things out. I live in a fantasy world. Where love conquers all, where people stick to their word, where if there's a will there's a way, where the perfect guy exists, where if you truly love someone, no problem will be too big, no distance too far, where if you're meant to be with someone, you can never fall in love or be truly happy with anyone else but that person, where when you're genuinely in love, you can never imagine yourself with any other person but that certain person, and it will be that way for the rest of your life.

Maybe I'm idealistic, romantic, or maybe I'm just plain stupid.

I don't know, but a part of me really doesn't care, because I'd rather live in a so-called fantasy world where anything is possible if you're willing to take the risk, than live the rest of my life wondering what could have been.

Malay mo.

I'm sorry, I have this tendency to make sense only to myself. :)

......

I was supposed to go shopping in Gilroy today, but because my tito made plans, I wasn't able to go. So instead, I met up with an old friend of mine in the city, who's in town for a few days. So far, I'm really loving it here. Everyone is just so friendly and nice, it's weird. And it's fun to meet fellow pinoys, and to speak in filipino when everyone else can't understand what you're saying.

So anyway, like every other day when I go out, I took the bus to Linda Mar and waited for the bus to the BART. The bus driver was pinoy, and so was one of the passengers. There was a 35 minute wait for the next bus, so there I was, walking to the shed, when the driver starts talking to me about life here in san francisco. I have a new friend. :) haha! Apparently he saw me before when I rode the bus, and thought I grew up here, but after hearing me speak in filipino, he started asking me stuff about my stay here. After a while the other passenger joined in and soon enough, we were chatting and laughing and talking in filipino as if we'd known each other for a long time. An unlikely situation in manila.

Half an hour later, I was in macy's in union square waiting for earl. Window shopping, because with the prices there, even if some items were on sale, it was still veeery expensive. One blouse even cost 200 dollars. 10,000 pesos!!! Or more!! Imagine that. Crazy. The only way I'd buy a blouse worth that is if the buttons were gold. White gold. Anyway. So earl came and we went around union square, window shopped in niketown, chinatown, wala, we just walked around checking out the places. And then we rode the cable car! For the first time! It was fun, from union square, we got to fisherman's wharf where we had lunch in pier 47, baby back ribs yummy.. I finished all my food but only because it was really half of a full meal. And then we saw the sea lions!!! Yun ba yun? Or seals? Basta. The big fat lazy creatures with whiskers who just sunbathe the whole day. They were sooooo cute! And lazy! And this cute american kid was trying to scare me with shark stories, it was pretty funny. Haha! Fun day today. Today also marks my 3rd week anniversary, I've been here for 3 weeks now. It doesn't seem so long, but I feel like I've done so much already, which is good. At least diba.

I start dance classes a week from now woohoo! I was able to get this work exchange deal with this dance studio, and in exchange for being a sort of production assistant for one of their shows, they'll give me free classes! For a limited time only of course, but still it's going to be fun. I wanna take capoeira, latin and hiphop. Yay I can't wait!

And did I say that people are really reeaaaaaaally friendly here? Hmmm... hahaha! ;p really friendly... in a good way of course. :D

......

Eleanor Punzalan Nadal's Aliases

Your movie star name: Dried Mangoes German

Your fashion designer name is Eleanor Italy

Your socialite name is Piglet Makati

Your fly girl / guy name is E Nad

Your detective name is Cats De La Salle Zobel

Your barfly name is Candy Azurri

Your soap opera name is Punzalan Taysan

Your rock star name is Mentos Cars

Your star wars name is Elearv Nadian

Your punk rock band name is The Happy Glasses

The Amazing Meganame Generator

this is incredibly stupid. hahahahahahahahahahahahaha thanks jingo! :)

imagine that...

2005-06-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

Me!!! I actually opted to stay home tonight rather than party. For someone who hasn't been out in a while, that's a big thing. But I couldn't help it, I'm just sooo tired. Because I went out last night woohoo. And I had another job interview this morning, but first things first. My first night out since I got here.
So I went to San Bruno yesterday coz I had this interview with this agency, (I know I know... again. I'll get a job soon promise.) and on my way back I decided to text my friend who lived in the area, coz maybe we could meet up or something. Well apparently it was the birthday of his brother that day, and they were having dinner downtown and he invited me along! Offering transpo and all which is a big thing (again!) coz otherwise, I had no way whatsoever (some things never change). So jepoy and his cousin christina picked me up from my house and we hung out in their house for a while. After some time we went to Union Square, and we ate in the Cheesecake Factory where they have the most amazing cheesecakes...! (And amazing view!) Yummy... not too sweet, not bland, just right...mmm perfect. I totally enjoyed meeting his family and friends coz they made me feel really welcome and they're a lotta fun to hang out with! And his mom really really reminded me of geegee, his gf. Parang long lost daughter si geegee haha! Anyway. Afterwards we went bowling and I'm sorry to say but I suck. As in. Andaming gutter ball, and I actually accidentally let go of the ball in the opposite direction one time, away from the pins! Isn't that just... I dunno, crazy? Haha, well, that's me. Not a bowler or bowling player or whatever you call people who bowl. But I had lots of fun, there was a DJ playing hip hop music and I was itching to dance, but maybe I'll do that next time. Yay! :)
So I got home past 2... and I woke up at 6:30 to prepare for my interview. I had to be in the office by 9, and I gave myself a little over an hour for travel time, which should have been enough. But I didn't take into consideration getting lost. Hahaha! For the first time, going to a place I've been to before, I got lost. Because usually, from the montgomery station I just follow the signs pointing to montgomery street, but what I didn't know was that there's a difference between New Montgomery and Montgomery... at least I think so. Anyway. So it was 9 am, I was walking around trying to find my way, on the phone leaving a message for the recruiter saying I'd be late, and I finally decided to just go back to the station to ask for directions. 10 minutes later, wild-eyed, out of breath, still frantic, I was being interviewed. It went pretty well though... apart from my mababaw answers. Coz he was asking questions that were related to work experience, about my integrity, overcoming adversity, stuff like that. And in one question, I actually told him about a HS experience in the Cheering Varsity...! HS experience na nga, cheering pa. Ano ba 'yan. But it was all good, he was pretty nice and we even talked about cheerleading a bit haha! After the interview, they tested my people skills, like the way I'm able to relate to the customer and things like that. I was nervous coz I had to talk to 3 "customers" about financial stuff, which I don't know anything about, but to make the long story short, I passed and they're calling me back for the final interview more or less a week from now. Yay again! But I dunno if it's the job for me. We'll see...
I'm finally taking the DMV written exam tom... I hope I pass the first time. Wish me luck!

STEVE!!!

2005-05-31T20:41:00.000-07:00

Warning: No this is not about my life here. Just a little favor for a friend. :)

......

This is just me. Do not click if you do not want to read.

......

I left behind a lot of people who meant a lot to me. How dramatic. But this guy really helped me out with a lotta things and never failed to tell me the truth no matter how much he knew it would hurt me. He was the one who fed me when I was hungry (literally) who cheered me up and made me laugh during bad moments when I’d be in one of my crazy fits. Who tolerated my flooziness. Who granted me my every wish and desire. Haha I wish!!! Steve I miss you! Can’t wait til you and geric come to the bay area.

burp

2005-05-29T21:29:00.000-07:00

i've been eating too much. again. i think i'm PMSing, coz this usually happens, aside from me being emotional and weird and crazy and everything. anyway.
today was a fun day, i went to the city again and my relatives and i drove around the streets, and i swear, that alone amazes me coz you see so many sights, and people, and places and it makes you wanna visit those places again and go around on your own. so this week after one of my job interviews i'll go to chinatown to check it out. but if it's too far a walk, i'll just go around the city, i'm bound to see an interesting thing or touristy sight on the way anyhow.
we ate in the stinking rose, this really popular place in broadway street (i think) and the guy who got our order was soooo hot. hay. sorry ha, naninibago kasi ako andaming mga mukhang model dito kasi eh. grabe i wish i had a camera or something. if i see him again, it's fate. i wish i had a camera nga, i saw so many cool things today... anyway. the stinking rose. weird name right? but it's because most of the dishes they serve have lotsa garlic, thus, stinking rose, coz it's an awesome place with great ambience but afterwards, your breath will smell like garlic. i had prawns and mussels with some kinda sauce and it was sooo yummy, and i finished the whole thing...! if you've been to the states you know how huge their servings are and yes, i finished it all by myself, aside from the apetizers i ate. so this week, i'm planning to jog/walk to the beach, it's about a 35 minute jog from my house so it should be fun, and i should lose a lotta calories. i've been gaining weight and i feel full all the time, so i really should start cutting down on my food intake.
anyhow. tamad to type. watch TV first. (aaaaah, the life of a bum. eat,watch TV, sleep.) btw for the first time i tried carbonated water. yuck is all i can say.

yay.

2005-05-25T22:26:00.000-07:00

i got a job offer woohoo. it's this marketing company that handles clients like sbc, ups and first horizon. but i'm still not sure if i'm gonna take it or not. weird... i don't wanna work yet. i enjoy job hunting and going to interviews haha! :) the only thing i don't like is not shopping. i was in target today and i wanted to buy lots of things... as in hawak hawak ko na. but my sensible side got the best of me and convinced me to drop everything and just get away. and so i did. congratulate me.

i met up with mariel and her brother in the theaters yesterday coz i watched EP3 (and i looooved it), and we totally pigged out on refillable popcorn. first we had kettle corn (yummy...) then buttered popcorn. the bag was so huge we didn't even finish the refill during the second movie we watched which was the house of wax. creepy movie btw but no scary after effect. i'll post pix as soon as i have them. you'll see that some things never change. matakaw parin ako. slowly day by day i increase the amount of food i eat... unconsciously. :( i have to be more aware of my food intake...! but i did go jogging the other day. yay for me.

anyway. senseless entry. i'm tired but you have to excuse me coz i'm still not totally adjusted to the time here and i had like 4 hours of sleep and i was out in a 9-6 job interview. in the field, as they call it. so there. i'm tired, and full. bad combination i feel so sluggish. hmmm should i take the job? i'm just typing whatever pops into my head. the job is good for a long-term thing, but if i want lotsa money NOW i should see what the other jobs i'm applying for are offering. so i dunno. i said give me two weeks. actually i said i'd start in 2 weeks. but it's not like i've signed anything yet, so if in the two weeks i find a better job, bahala na. we'll see how things go. you should see me now. blistered feet, eyebags, big tummy. haha. this is such nonsense.

woohoo.

2005-05-23T00:55:00.000-07:00

i miss qc.

don't mess with us!

Before Red Horse... And After.

Group pic and pic with Hannah of Session Road!

Happy pix...

And more happy pix!

Help.

2005-05-21T22:26:00.000-07:00

I miss dancing, and dancey music. Please give me suggestions on what songs i can download. I want music na tipong sa cocomangas, or ponti, or basta. Hiphop, RnB, House, whatever, basta I want lively music. PLeeeeeeeeaaaaaase? Thank you thank you. :)

Yahooo.

2005-05-20T21:52:00.000-07:00

I went to the mall today for the first time since I got here. Well, technically second time since I went with my uncle last night to buy load but i digress. I can totally see myself living here for a very very long time. Well, i better anyway since i will be living here for a very long time. But now, i'm so happy with the way things are going kulang nalang my own car and a job. I love shopping here if only i had lots of money to spend... i bought this "I'm-a-mature-person-going-to-work" kinda bag, and a scarf that can double as a belt. I have to start buying more things to wear though, since most of my clothes make me look like a high school kid. I just can't wait to work... and get my first paycheck. When I do, 50% will go to the bank, 25% for expenses and the rest for shopping wooohooo!!! I hope I get a job offer soon though... I hate the thought of spending without earning anything to balance it out. So far I've only had one job interview, but there are more to follow next week. Wish me luck!
I'm kinda getting the hang of public transportation here. And it's a good thing the buses are relatively always on time... it makes things so much easier for me. But still, I can't wait to get my own car so I don't have to wait around so much.
So far I haven't had a day wherein I didn't do anything. Back home, there'd be days where I'd just sit around and watch TV all day, eat, sleep, read and basically just do couchpotato stuff, but here, if I'm not out, I cook! Just the other day I made spaghetti, and it was really really yummy... Just thinking about it makes me hungry. And then yesterday I cooked fried chicken! But... it was more fried than chicken if you know what i mean hahaha. Well at least it was yummy in a way. Anyway. Okay I'm hungry. Will eat.

Hernan.

2005-05-18T23:52:00.000-07:00

So I went around the bay area today. I had this job interview in emeryville that took me all the way to the east bay area, then i had to go back to embarcadero for this job fair i attended. I had sooo much fun! Since I don't have a car yet, I took the BART (bay area rapid transit? transport? train? something.) all the way, and i had a lot of fun watching people, listening to their conversations and wala, just plain people-watching. I really like the culture here, people are very friendly to each other, especially fellow pinoys. On the way home since I got to the colma bart at around 830, I had to take a taxi coz the last bus to my place left at 730. I really really didn't want to take the taxi coz it was late, and i didn't know the way home, and i was worried that i didn't have enough money but thank you thank you Lord that the driver i got was this very nice pinoy named Hernan. At first I didn't know, I just entered the taxi and said in a "I-know-where-I'm-going" voice the address of my tito's place. After a while i noticed his accent and skin tone, so i asked him pinoy po ba kayo? And he was! So we started chatting about filipino's here in the states, how we're treated, news about life back home, the usual. And well, can i just say that God is really watching out for me because i honestly didn't know where i was going and i was really planning to rely on the driver to take me wherever. Thank God even if Hernan didn't know the way, he knew the area and we figured out how to get to the house. And he didn't even charge me full price! Hay I'm so glad I'm pinoy. And I'm so glad that there are still people out there as nice as him. Yahoo! It was such a nice way to end my happy day. I like today. I liked traveling, walking around the city, meeting new people. I was also able to set up more job interviews, and things are really looking up for me here. And the compensation and benefits...! Yahoo is all i can say.

And guess what!! I met a latino dude... a very cute one at that. Wala lang. I might see him again coz I applied in the place where he works hehehe. Maybe the one thing that i really like now about living in the states is that you get to meet all sorts of people, not only from different walks of life but from different cultures as well. They're all just so interesting, the Chinese lady beside me during the job fair, the african-american man beside me during the train, the caucasian dude who talked to me about his company, and this european woman who interviewed me this afternoon. I'm overwhelmed by my experiences today. Hay. It's been only about 4 days and already I'm loving it here... I hope this isn't some honeymoon period that will wear off after a while. I mean, i know eventually the novelty of living here might or will wear off, but there are sooo many things i haven't done yet, hay i can't wait. I can't wait to create my life here... and live it.

Wanna see where i went today? Here's a BART map. I started in Embarcadero, went to MacArthur's Station (but emeryville is about 15 minutes away from MacArthur coz i had to take this emery-go-round bus to the building where i had my interview), went back to Embarcadero then finally went to Colma. From Colma was a 20-30 minute taxi ride going home.

i wanna sleep.

2005-05-16T04:12:00.000-07:00

but i can't. i slept most of the day away today and now i'm paying for it. so i'll just write in my blog, hoping i can bore myself to death with stuff about me.

thanks for the idea jamie. before you know it, everyone will be posting 50 random things about themselves. hahaha! :)

50. It's 4am and i can't sleep.
49. I had three full meals today but I'm starving. Literally.
48. I love reading books, and am starting on the Last Don by Mario Puzo. (thanks gabs!)
47. I haven't been tipsy for about a week now.
46. I like beer.
45. I miss my cats creamy and arvinne.
44. I'm actually thinking of staying awake til aound 7 so I can go jogging around the area.
43. I love sushi! Yummyy...
42. When i was a kid i used to cry only when someone was watching me.
41. There was this one time i was walking around the house barefoot, and my sister saw that i'd stepped on a thumbtack.
40. I'm very moody. And I have weird tendencies. Haha!
39. I can't wait to be on my own.
38. I sing and dance around the house when I'm alone. As in ala Britney Spears backup dancer.
37. I like looking at myself in the mirror while lip-synching to some diva-ish song.
36. I talk to myself.
35. I eat like a pig but never gain a lot of weight. Just a little.
34. I like being alone.
33. I've never gone skinny-dipping.
32. I'm scared of the dark, and I tried to remedy that as a kid by sleeping alone in the sala with all the lights switched off.
31. I'm legally blind in one eye.
30. I can never have enough of McDo fries.
29. I love vegetables. But i hate ampalaya and that soft squishy thing they turn into loofahs.
28. I love surprises... surprise visits, calls, gifts, basta surprise.
27. Apparently, as this Malaysian dude told me in my stopover in Singapore, I don't look Filipino. I look "mixed."
26. I've always had this dream of playing Kim in Miss Saigon.
25. As a kid i had my whole career planned out for me. From joining Ang TV to being discovered to flying to London to join Miss Saigon by the age of 14.
24. Now I have this dream of joining a Broadway musical, even if I'll get to be onstage for only 5 minutes.
23. My first ever alcoholic drink was spiked punch in Drinie Aguilar's house. I was 13.
22. The first yosi ever offered to me was in Richie Lacson's house by this girl named Karla. And no, I didn't take a puff.
21. During Ateneo-La Salle games I'd secretly cheer for La Salle and would always sing the La Salle alma mater song in the end.
20. I had this phase when I was sooo happy with my life, I wanted to die. Seriously. I thought I'd done all I had to do and I was just so contented and peaceful. Weird.
19. I was awake when my Uncle slept around 5 hours ago, and now I'm still up and he's up as well.
18. I can read a book in one sitting. As in a whole novel like Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
17. Incidentally, i've read all of Dan Brown's books.
16. I still read Sweet Valley and Sweet Dreams.
15. I used to have this crush on Todd Wilkins.
14. I've written down all the traits I want in a guy (it changes though from time to time) and you should know that God answers prayers. He gave me what I wanted, and yet didn't give me what I needed but failed to ask for.
13. I believe in serendipity. For me, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be.
12. I can tickle myself and make myself laugh.
11. I'm not hungry anymore. So that's what they mean by 'nalipasan nang gutom.'
10. I've been wearing glasses since grade 3.
9. I'm very protective of my friends. Kung awayin mo sila, aawayin din kita.
8. I can appear very masungit, but I'm just misunderstood. Haha no, I actually am masungit, but sometimes people mistake my quietness for snobbishness.
7. I'm a shy person. Really...!
6. I'm so young but I feel like life is slipping me by.
5. I don't get attached easily.
4. I'm craving for a hungry hippo burger right now.
3. I miss ateneo.
2. I've been in bed since 7 PM. It's now 4:12 AM.
1. I'm still not bored enough to go to sleep.

sleep. sleep. sleep. maybe i should try counting sheep.

The product of boredom.

2005-05-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

Yes. I’m all alone. I have a 5 hour waiting period before my flight to San Francisco and I have nothing to do but play games on the laptop and read the two books I brought in my carry-on. I’m bored out of my mind. My head hurts, probably from playing Russian squares and I kinda want to eat, but it’s so far away and I don’t want to push my cart anymore. Traveling alone is exciting in an independent kind of way, but it sucks if you wanna go around, like go to the bathroom or go buy food. I actually went inside the bathroom a while ago and brought my cart with me, carry-on, laptop and all. Maybe it’s just me, but I think I looked pretty funny trying to get my cart inside. The airport in Singapore is really nice, clean and everything and it sort of reminds me of the one in San Francisco, but the one in the states is still better. Singapore Airlines is pretty cool too, like what lee and gabs said, they DO have that game pad kinda thing and I was playing Super Mario World in the plane, after watching Spanglish. The movies they’re showing are pretty cool actually, movies I haven’t seen that I really want to watch, like Phantom, Hide and Seek, White Noise, Elektra, etc. I wonder what they’ll show later and I wonder what I’ll be having for dinner. Anyway, waiting around has its perks, I get to see all sorts of people pass by and their accents are so interesting, I’m having fun trying to figure out what country they’re from. And I’ve also seen lots of cute guys (hehe) but they were all Caucasian, and that’s really not my type. It must be such fun traveling with your friends… I remember when I went to bora with cathy, it was fun but it wasn’t really challenging or anything because we were just in the Philipines, and so what if you missed your flight right? But if you travel to another country with your friends, wala lang, saya.

Somehow I’ve sort of realized that yes, Eleanor, you will now start a whole new life in the states, but somehow I can’t stop feeling like this is just going to be a really long vacation for me. I’m excited to work in the states, to meet new people and to go to different places; basically I’m excited to be independent and everything, but somehow it seems so surreal and I dunno. I don’t think I’m making much sense again, but anyway. Forgive me, I’ve been alone with my thoughts since this morning.

To all those who texted me, I’m sorry for not replying, because for one, I didn’t have load anymore and for another, I was pretty busy fixing things. Up til now I’m still worried I left something at home, and I don’t have a lianne or a nikki I can call up to bring the things I left at home. But seriously, there are no goodbyes for me. As nikki D. told me, farewells are necessary before meeting again, and that’s the way I’d like to look at things. I’m saying goodbye to everyone for now, because I know that one way or another, I’ll be seeing you all again. As a friend of mine said, ayoko magsalita nang tapos, because with all honesty you never really know where you’ll end up, what you’ll be or who you’ll be with.

For the past few weeks I’ve been seeing the people I’ll miss the most… and grabe, you can’t imagine how I’ll miss everyone who’s touched my life one way or another. But if you’re thinking that I cried when I said goodbye to my friends, you are mistaken. Me? Cry? Elweezy? No way. I didn’t cry. Not because I wasn’t sad, but because I knew that once I started crying I wouldn’t stop…

Okay enough about that. I finally bought the boots I wanted!!! Yahoo… I’m actually wearing it now; it sort of makes me feel older, haha! Maybe it’s because the heels are pretty high, or maybe because I dunno… people who wear boots look more mature? Haha. I don’t know. Basta. Yun.

Okay I just spent the last 15 minutes or so typing all that and I still have 2 hours before I can board the plane. So last night I was with sina Katie, Lee and Nikki boo and we started wondering where we’d be a year from now. It started when I said that life now is so uncertain; last year I knew that okay, by this time next year I’ll be an Ateneo grad, going to bora having fun, and maybe I’ll finally go to the states. But now I don’t know. I don’t know what I’ll be doing a year from now so I decided to exercise my imagination to see where I’ll be a year from now.

-My friend who moved to the states last year now has his own place and his own car. So maybe by next year so will I!
-I plan to look for theater groups in the states so maybe I’ll be a part of some really fun musical next year… then all of you can come and watch!
-Cathy might go to LA next year, so maybe I’ll move to LA and we’ll be flatmates!
-Hey, I might meet some rich and handsome dude who wants to marry me, so I might be engaged next year! (But I don’t think so, coz I really wanna marry when I’m in my mid-late 20’s.)
-I might be the next American Idol! Haha!!!
-You might see me in the Amazing Race!
-(Or elimidate, change of heart, or 5th wheel. Hahahahahaha! That is SO NOT gonna happen.)
-I might find this awesome jazzyish band in need of a vocalist so I might be part of a band!
-Or I can still be a bum a year from now. Hope not though!

Just keep swimming just keep swimming...

2005-05-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

Just keep swimming, swimming swimming... Okay, it's official. No, not what you're thinking, I mean, the date I'm leaving is official. This saturday, yahoo! I can't wait, but i'm kinda not done packing yet, but still... i can't wait! Not that i'm not gonna miss my life here, but while i'm still here i feel like i'm on the tip of an iceberg, not sure of where to go or what to do or what i want. It's like either way, i don't know. Okay there i go again not making much sense. So anyway i'll just keep swimming swimming swimming... hahahaÜ I'll go wherever the current will take me.

After the 14th, my life won't ever be the same again. [cue background music "GONE"]

I'll really miss alabang, and town, and the rustan's grocery just a few blocks away. i'll miss hanging out in lee's house, dancing to britney spears music video's and singing oops i did it again. i'll miss texting the ___ channel hahaha. i'll miss lee's amazing house in fuego, and the yummy food of tita claire. i'll miss the 1610 girls (1-6-1-0 Price David uh-huh). I'll miss spur of the moment gimmicks with chesca, planning it through YM. I'll miss the never complete barkada dinners in ana's house or in town, whenever someone has the time to actually plan and text everyone the plans. i'll miss ateneo and the UAAP basketball games. i'll miss ateneo-la salle games and the dirty looks of kris hahaÜ. i'll miss jogging onto the court during halftime to face the hugest crowd of ateneo supporters who never fail to cheer with us. i'll actually miss mico and the way he talks to babble. i'll miss the people from babble who changed me and really made my stay worth my while. i'll miss waking up 10 minutes before the end of my ctk class. i'll miss beef terriyaki and tang from the caf. i'll miss the nice ladies in the nestle booth in the middle. i'll miss eating one helluva lunch with chachi, complete with salpicao, bibingka and kwek kwek. i'll miss the Sec C cats and kittens, and the kostka vendo, the source of many meals for me before. i'll miss the gonzaga exhibit hall and fine arts room, and the galian room, venue for my artsy side. i'll miss the HS and college cov courts, and the dirt that would cling to my body every after training. i'll miss the stinky carpet of the HS cov courts. i'll miss the blue eagle gym. i'll miss ate naths hahaha. i'll miss the colayco pavillion and footloose rehearsals. i'll miss chari and rony and everyone in bluerep. i'll miss the rcbc theater and rehearsals that last til after midnight. i'll miss the guards in prince david who never fail to greet me as i enter the condo. i'll miss the lrt to araneta. i'll miss big R, galle, mega and shang (yes, spoken like a true northerner). i'll miss spur of the moment inumans in prince, just because we killed the hugest cockroach. i'll miss dancing in ponti, dancing with cathy (my bitch!) and lianne (who can sway her hips like no other). i'll miss girls nights out and the uber successful one we had. i'll miss soccer games and watching the cute soccer players hehehe. i'll miss swimming at esh's house and videokeing at cathy's. i'll miss gizmo, and the countless other pets i've met. i'll miss miscellaneous rehearsals and watching sex and the city with headphones in geric's house. i'll miss being spoiled by miscellaneous, especially by steve who's never failed to feed me. i'll miss ctk meetings and the food in aisa's house. i'll miss bonding sessions with cathy bustos in Sec C. I'll miss McDo (it's not the same in the states!). i'll miss bento box and world top(p?)s and hungry hippo and happy homes and lutong bahay. i'll miss unplanned nights with kakki and gabs. i'll miss pretending to study in prince when sina lee are there (and sleeping instead when they're not looking). i'll miss cheky's i can't feel my face! i'll miss harassing jover and bri. i'll miss doing silly things when i'm drunk. oh wait, i can still do that. i'll miss seeing cathy everyday. i'll miss drinking everyday. i'll miss being able to see or talk to any of my friends whenever i want to. i'll miss the horribly hot weather here. i'll miss finishing everyone else's food. okay i have to stop the list just goes on and on. hay...

i'll miss you all.

So you really wanna know huh.

2005-05-07T21:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wish I lived in a world where it was either this or that. Black or white. Good or bad. Where people didn’t go back on their word, their promises. Where morality wasn't relative to each situation. Where for each event that happens, certain rules and conditions follow. What a boring world. Because then, you'd know exactly what will happen next. But then again life would be so much simpler. You'd know what was right from wrong. Because some people just do not understand what respect means. Or friendship. Or real, unconditional love (not that I know what that is… apparently). Some people just refuse to acknowledge the truth, and choose to believe what they want to believe, even if it totally does not make sense. Come on. People judge you based on your actions, not on what you’re thinking at the moment. Actions speak louder than words… the way you act says it all. And that is the last I’ll say about it. Pramis.

Ika nga ni Phil, it’s never a crime to state the obvious.

tiny post.

2005-05-04T19:41:00.000-07:00

i decided to start commenting on other people's comments. i was too tamad before, but lianne convinced me. yun lang. :)

and happy happy birthday chexysexy!!! mwah!

Thank You God.

2005-05-04T03:51:00.000-07:00

This is gonna sound medyo cheesy but I'm so thankful today. Here are some things I'm thankful for.

1. For listening and answering my prayers.
2. For giving me the strength to accept the things i cannot change.
3. For giving me this wonderful opportunity to make something of myself, to start over and forget the past.
4. For giving me wonderful wonderful friends who accept me for who i am, and who can cheer me up like crazy.
5. Of course, a wonderful wonderful family too.
6. For the yummy butterfingers i ate today. Chocolate does wonders for bad moods.Ü
7. For the gorgeous skirt i saw on sale kanina.
8. For strangers who make me smile.
9. For the beach, the center of many many awesome memories.
10.For videoke. Enough said.
11. For music, without which I'd probably be fat and bored to tears by now.
12. For iPods that provide you with your own little world.
13. For automatic cars. No more clutch yahoo!!!
14. For book sales.
15. Actually, for books, period. I'm such a bookworm.
16. For the longganisa meal of McDo. I'm gonna miss that... :(
17. For arvinne, creamy and eddie... I'm gonna miss my pets too. :( Oh and pacquito and the lovebirds.
18. For people who keep their promises.

Whenever I'm done with one I always remember something else I'm thankful for. Hay. Life. I can't wait to get away. Get away get away get away. Okay I'm PMSing again. My mood swings are incredible. One moment I'm screaming my head off, the next moment I'm laughing. I'm going crazy. I need to finally get away.

And yes. It's been confirmed. I knew it. Everyone knew it but him. Wish you all the best. Told ya.

You Tell Me

2005-04-26T23:33:00.000-07:00

...I'd rather end up
Dreaming and remain a star
You'll always seek and remember
Than sink down and regret
You're like other men
Who make their women cry.

-excerpt from You Tell Me by Marra PL. Lanot

I can drive...!

2005-04-26T04:51:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! I just finished my driving lessons, and my dad's been letting me drive around the village, drive to town, drive him to work and it's such fun! (or maybe he's secretly taking advantage and letting me think he's allowing me to drive out of the goodness of his heart... haha! ;p) but seriously, i learned how to drive a manual car and it's really confusing! and hard! it's hard to balance the gas and the clutch, and the brake, and to look at all the mirrors, and to focus on the road, and to look out for hazards... hay. but it's still fun and i wanna get used to driving around before i leave for the states. at least i was able to learn manual, and drive an automatic car coz we don't have manual. yahoo! fun fun. ;p

......

just got back from punta fuego the other day, and it was sooooo much fun! especially the first night hahaha just kidding. coz i got totally wasted (yet again) and i only remember half the night. lee, you're the best! and you have such an amazing house!!!

but the best part came when i got back home. i didn't get any darker! yahoo! ÜÜÜ

bora bora bora!

2005-04-20T23:26:00.000-07:00

More bora pix... ;p

sigh

2005-04-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

i just watched the wedding date starring grace (from will & grace) and the best friend of julia roberts (from my best friend's wedding), and it is such a date movie. it's so sweet and so hopeful, and it totally gives a person a very unrealistic view on life... or maybe that's just me. i mean, come on, do people seriously act and think that way anymore? right now it seems to me like it's every man for himself, and too bad for you if you get hurt or left behind. self-preservation is all that matters. oh well anyway, still, i was left with that usual warm fuzzy feeling after the movie that made me wonder when i'll meet the guy who'll be able to make me feel the way the guy from my best friend's wedding made grace feel, until the day i tell him to stop.

so i finally told my sister to book me a flight on the 15th. as much as i wanted it to be a round trip ticket, my mom insisted that it be one way. it makes more sense actually, since i really don't know when i'll be back. but still, having a round trip ticket was kinda comforting, since you know you have to be back within a year. but then again that's life. my mom also bought me luggage today, so i guess i really have to start packing my things already... actually i already started a bit by dumping some things in the balikbayan box, things i know i'd want to bring. but now i have to really start, since i might forget something here. how sad. the other day i was talking to my mom, and she said that she might not stay long in the states, and she might just go back and forth if she dosn't find work as a nurse. and i asked her, can i come home every so often as well, even if i have work? maybe during holidays, or every 6 months or something. and she said "eleanor, it's understandable if your dad and i come home every now and then kasi may babalikan pa kaming bahay, lupa, trabaho. eh ikaw, ano ba ang iniwan mo?" and i said, "ang buhay ko..." in this very pathetic but joking manner. honestly, i was kidding, but that doesn't mean it's not true. hay. life. how sad.

i've been peeling like crazy and i'm still very dark. i thought i'd at least lighten a bit, but i guess not. some bora pix. more to follow. ;p

i don't know anymore.

2005-04-13T03:18:00.000-07:00

I was reading kristine's blog and she's right. why is it that we have to put meaning behind every little thing that happens to us, even if in reality there's nothing at all? why do we get so affected by things that shouldn't even concern us? why is it that even if we know we'll get hurt again and again, we still fall for the same thing again and again? why can't we just stop it. stop things, and stop getting hurt. why?

black is beautiful...

2005-04-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

i am soo sooo soooo dark it's like i was dipped in chocolate. i swear. i hadn't realized how dark i was getting until friday, when i had two days left in bora. at first i thought i was just a good kinda red, but then after a while... hindi pala. oh well, i can't wait for my skin to start peeling already so at least i'll be a shade lighter or something. at least i hope i will be. Ü

boracay was so much fun! the first night my friends and i stayed at home, since we were tired from the flight and we wanted to get ready for the next 5 nights we had left. but during the day, as soon as we got to our place cathy and i changed and headed to the beach to tan ourselves. the beach just does amazing things to a person. do you know that saltwater is good for the skin? they say it cleares it out and makes it smoother. and of course while walking along the beach, the sand just exfoliates the soles of your feet, and it's like you're having a foot massage at the same time. and sunbathing just relaxes me, the feeling of the sun on your body, hearing the waves as well as the distant sound of beach music... hay. it was a good thing we went there on a monday, it wasn't really crowded during the day; you only see the people at night when you go out. although can i just say that the dj in cocomangas totally sucked. but that didn't stop us from dancing like crazy. not that i went crazy or anything... ;p hehehe. more bora updates and pictures to follow (i'm kinda sick, and i gotta get some rest already. my body is in shock after all that fun in bora.), and then you'll see how dark i got!

I'm off to Boracay!!!

2005-04-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Haaaayyyy... see y'all when I get back! ÜÜÜ

hay. life.

2005-03-30T22:44:00.000-08:00

well at least i'm in a better mood now.Ü i went to that synergy one international, and it was quite interesting, but i don't think i'll go for it. hahahaÜ i had dinner last night with some friends, and can i just say that girlfriends are the best. no one can sympathize with you better, no one can listen better or be more supportive. thanks chach cathy and auds. and esh, who was my red horse partner last week. hahahaÜ it was just pretty funny last night, how we couldn't stop talking to the point na we were all talking in really loud voices just to make ourselves heard. hay i love them. and thanks steve, you really helped me a lot today. hay what will i do in the states, without my friends to talk to? :( hay i think that for the first few months i'll be stuck to the laptop like glue. oh well... i can't wait to go to bora! 4 more days...!!!

......

I also hate people who aren't honest with themselves, or with the people around them. I wish i could read minds, so that i can tell whether whatever a person is saying is true. nowadays people just tend to say things they don't really mean in order to protect maybe themselves, or maybe in order to project a different image of themselves. i wonder what would happen to the world if everyone just said whatever they really wanted to say, whatever they were really feeling at the moment. hmmm... oh well.

bad mood. beware.

2005-03-29T06:19:00.000-08:00

Would you knowingly do something that would hurt someone else? I just hate it. I just hate caring about things I shouldn’t care about at all, I hate thinking, worrying and obsessing over the littlest things I shouldn’t even be giving a second thought. I hate disappointment. I hate getting hurt. I hate people who just mess up your life for the most selfish reasons. I hate people who never keep their promises. I hate people who go back on their word, and then blame you for it. Ang labo diba? I hate dishonesty, and I hate people who knowingly lead you on. I hate people who don’t mind their own business, I hate people who talk about things they don’t understand, I hate people who don’t have respect for others, I hate fakers and plastic people, and I just hate, absolutely hate people who twist your words in order to use it against you. And I hate myself right now for being in such a hateful mood. But most especially I hate the people who put me in this mood. Haaay I just want to get away already… Boracay I need you.

Yes. I’m PMSing. Too much info? So what, it’s my blog. I’ve been in a very sour mood lately and I’ve been taking it out on everybody. Well, not everybody, but on the people I’ve been with for the past few days. And it seems like when something happens that lifts up my mood, something just HAS to happen that will make it come crashing down again. And I just hate feeling this way.

Anyway. Just thinking about it makes me mad, so I’ll talk about something else. I finally enrolled in the driving school in town! Yahoo, I can’t wait to learn how to drive already, so I’m not always stuck at home. Usually I don’t mind staying at home, but sometimes you just wanna get out. The weirdest thing happened to me the other day though… This guy from Synergy One International called me up, about this part-time job training thing. It sounded pretty interesting so I agreed to meet with him, and a bunch of other people. I just hope it’s not one of those call-center things. No offense to those who work at call-centers, but it’s just not my thing. If it’s not a call-center, I hope they get me and I hope the experience is worth it, if not the pay. Hehe.

hehehehehehe...

2005-03-23T22:42:00.000-08:00

my mom's been fixing her things in the room, old pictures and stuff like that, and she gave me old pictures of me... hahaha! Ü

i swear, it doesn't look like me...!

very random thoughts...

2005-03-23T00:02:00.000-08:00

don't you just love it when something happens out of the ordinary? like an old friend calling you up, or someone giving you a surprise or thoughtful gesture, or waking up with nothing to do or worry about, or coming home from a spending a great day with a friend, or seeing everything in your life just fall into place, exactly the way you want it, or getting what you truly and really want, be it material or otherwise. there are so many things that can put a smile on my face, that makes me feel special, acknowledged, remembered.

anyway. the reason for all this is because an old friend of mine called me up the other night to wish me a happy birthday, and i was really pleasantly surprised because i haven't seen or spoken to him for over a year now, and it's nice to know that although we're not in touch anymore, i'm still remembered by him at least once every year. or make that twice since i also greet him during his birthday. wala lang, saya. ;p

......

i think that what cathy said in her blog is true. although it's more romantic to think that for every person, there's only that one person meant for him or her... can that really be? is there really just one as in one person you're destined to end up with? or do you get to choose who the one will be for you? i dunno. because if the decision is up to you, then anyone can be your the one, so it won't be that special anymore. sometimes i like to think that if it's meant to be, it's meant to be, but in the end, are you just fooling yourself that it's meant to be? what if by thinking that you're meant to be with this one person only, you miss out on the chance to be with the person you're really meant to be with? or you miss out on the chance to be with other people? haha labo, i don't think i'm making much sense. but i've always wondered... if you do meet someone you really really love, as in truly love, how would you know if you should hold on to it or just let it go?

......

there's this book i read before, and one of the characters was this historian who wrote every single happening in the world down to the littlest detail, like the conversations, actions, everything. sometimes i wish that there was such a person in the world today, because then, everyone would be forced to stick to their word, everyone would be forced to keep their promises, and there'd be written evidence for words claimed to not be said or spoken. i also wish that people would just say what they mean, and not, as they say, beat around the bush by saying something in order to mislead the other person from thinking something else. i mean, masaktan na kung masaktan, pero mas masasaktan ka pa kung hindi mo na diniretso yung dapat mo talagang sabihin. i just hate the feeling of finding out that you were mislead by someone into thinking something else, because you just end up getting really hurt and betrayed. okay, i'm not saying i don't or didn't or will never do that, but i would never do something to intentionally hurt someone else... but in the event that i do, it must mean that i was extremely hurt and felt justified in my actions. nowadays i feel that there are only very few people who understand what i'm going through and the rest just take everything as they see it. even the people who i thought would understand me best doesn't really seem to truly understand what i really feel, and i guess it just makes me sad.

i just realized i haven't updated my blog since blueroast, and a lot has happened since then. blueroast was so much fun, i love sugarfree! and the after party in ave's house was like blueroast all over again, hahaha. Ü but it was really fun, thanks to the music of dj switch!! ;p who, of course, was also one of the headturners along with gabs! woohoo! some pix during blueroast and in ave's house, me between the headturners!

......

Things i hate about graduation day.

It's long.
It's hot.
You go to school fully made up and you go home sticky, with your ironed hair all wavy instead.
The shoes you thought looked so good on you apparently aren't great for your feet. Blisters galore.
You prepare so much for a ceremony where people will see you for less than 30 seconds.
You don't even get to see your friends from other courses.

But most of all...

It's sad because you begin to realize that it will be the last time you'll get to see your friends, and it's hello to the working world for you. No more classes you can charm your way through, papers and tests you can cram for hours before, friends you can meet up with between classes, sem break, summer vacation, christmas vacation and school holidays.

How sad... I really enjoyed my stay in ateneo and i don't regret anything one bit. It was fun, fast, and truly truly memorable. Congratulations to Batch 2005! And to patrick who was also the valedictorian of my HS class in zobel. ;p

One thing i DO love about grad are the after grad parties. Like the one in ponti last friday, and the one in Abu's house last saturday sponsored by the H bench. It was fun to see the seniors again, even if i just saw them nung grad. some pix.Ü

......

To those who remembered my birthday, thanks! Ü It was a fun day, pao gave me a bunch of books i've been dying to read (yes, dying. haha!Ü) the comtech launch was fun (and very informative!) and athlete's night was fun as well. the program was pretty short though, and sayang people left when the bands started playing, some were pretty good. afterwards me and a bunch of other friends decided to continue partying in gweilo's, although i wouldn't call it a party party. We just celebrated my birthday, and i can't believe i'm now 21. yikes. old. legal. adult. oooooh. hahaha ;p i went to ponti again last night, but too bad not a lot of people were there. the music was great pa naman, very danceable. heheÜ

Hay i just can't wait to go to boracay!!! ÜÜÜ
And thanks gabs! You're the best haha! Ü

Sugarfree!

2005-03-15T23:20:00.000-08:00

Ayoko nang mag-sori
Sawa na 'kong magsisi
Pasensya ka na
Mabilis lang ako mataranta...

I can't wait! Sugarfree is performing during Blueroast tonight, and Sugarfree is currently one of my favorite favorite OPM bands today. And my favorite song is... (obviously) Hari ng Sablay. I dunno, that verse just speaks to me. Haha, drama ba? I guess because i can just relate to it, what with everything that's been happening to me lately. I just don't wanna think anymore, I just wanna enjoy and enjoy... and because of this, sometimes i just end up doing things i wish i hadn't. It's kinda annoying really, how when some things occur, it just messes up my whole life. Not in a bad way, but it just puts a certain complication to things, and i wish that everything would just be so much simpler. Anyhow. No regrets. Whatever will be, will be...

......

If there's one thing i will never ever do, and i can speak with finality because i'm absolutely positive i will never do this, it's to go for an ex of a friend. I mean, yeah, maybe after YEARS, it's okay, other than that, it's just plain bastos. What a friend... And it just says a lot about the kind of person he/she is. Yun lang.

......

I had dinner with my family last sunday to celebrate marielle's birthday, and as usual, the topic of my leaving came up. My mom was saying i should leave as soon as i can because the earlier i leave, the faster i'll be able to look for a job in the states. In my mom's defense, i guess she was pretty confused too because before i'd say i'll leave june, then i said march, then i said april, and now, i'm saying i'll leave around may. But she doesn't understand how hard it's gonna be for me to leave my whole life here. She was even saying stuff like ano ka ba, you've been saying goodbye since last year! But can i just say that no matter how long i've been saying to my friends that i'm leaving, it's still very hard to actually do it... leave i mean. I'll just really miss everyone so much... Hay.

i can't stop eating...

2005-03-12T20:02:00.000-08:00

*I've been bloghopping, and i decided to link up some people to my blog. to the people involved (and to the others that i will also add) i hope you guys don't mind. yun lang. peace. Ü

when i got home yesterday, i was so hungry i had to eat. my dad came home with his breakfast from the plane (i love the food during plane trips! AND it was tocino and egg, my favorite favorite food.) and i ate that too. i fell asleep for about 2 hours, woke up and ate, coz my mom made spaghetti and i just couldn't resist. i went to mass and when i got home, i ate some spaghetti---again. i went to megamall and yes, i ate again coz we ate in tokyo tokyo and i just love sushi. i went to the marikina shoe expo in cubao (haha, weird noh. a little bit of marikina in cubao) and we ate again, because i love seafood pasta. i went to the concert of norah jones, afterwhich, yes, big suprprise, i ate again, well, just because my friend was eating and i couldn't not eat. but you're missing the point here... the point is i watched norah jones in concert!!! (haha, i'm kinda weird today coz i didn't get much sleep again.) it was AMAZING, norah jones is so amazing! and she sang all the songs i wanted to hear, and i'm so thankful to my sister who had her birthday yesterday for treating me and pao to dinner and a concert. hay she's so talented... she sings and plays the piano... hay... and her voice... amazing.

......

so i went to the marikina shoe expo yesterday, and it is boots heaven!!! i've been looking for a nice (and cheap!) pair of boots to bring to the states and i found not one, but two pairs of boots i wanna buy! One is around 1500, and it's genuine leather with lining and everything and it's really really comfy to wear. the other one is 750 (but it's not their last price... if i haggle enough, i think i can get it for maybe 600-650. woohoo! Ü) it's really nice and soft too, but i don't think it's leather. But it's still really nice! i can't wait to go back so i can buy it already. or if anyone's nice enough to give it to me for my birthday, well, i wouldn't say no to that! ÜÜÜ

caught in the act...

2005-03-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

no, not that naughty thought! i was out tonight, just a little inuman at rach's house with some friends, and migs brought me home. we were talking about some matters (it's okay migs, i don't mind! hahaha Ü) and i guess we hadn't realized how late it was... my dad got back from abroad today, and my mom was gonna pick him up, and, well, apparently, they were leaving the house just as i found the time to go inside. hahaha, very funny situation. my mom asked me, where did you sleep? who brought you home? but it's all good now, they're gone and i'm gonna try and be the nice dutiful daughter i truly am. hahaha... ;)

BTW, happy happy birthday to my sister marielle!!! :)

one big fight!

2005-03-09T19:37:00.000-08:00

I was just reading chesca's blog, and i started to wonder about my what ifs. Like...

What if I went to taft?
What if I didn't join babble?
What if I had the guts to join bluerep back in first year instead of waiting til my junior year to audition for footloose?
What if I was more active in school orgs, instead of bumming around in the condo?

...and yes, the list just goes on and on and on... I'm glad I didn't go to taft actually. I love La Salle, but i knew that if i went there i'd just be seeing the same people everyday. AND it didn't hurt that going to ateneo meant that i was going to live in a condo, far away from my parents. Again, i love my parents like anything, but the call of independence was just too irresistible for me. Joining babble was a great thing for me, because i absolutely love dancing and there's nothing like the feeling of jogging onto the court in araneta with the whole ateneo crowd cheering you on. Added to the fact that that's also where i met a great bunch of friends; but i can't help but think what if i joined something else intstead? And i totally regret chickening out of many bluerep auditions, because what if i did audition, and what if i passed? Oh well bottom line is i finally did audition for a play, and that's also where i met the people who are so pasisonate with their work and who truly truly love what they are doing.

A good friend once asked me, if there's anything i really regret in life, or if there's one thing i wish i could change, what would it be? And i remember answering that i wouldn't change anything in my life at all, because if i did then i wouldn't be who i am now. Although that's true, you really can't help but think about the things that you could've--or would've done differently. And sometimes, you just can't help but wish that you had the power to turn back time. But oh well, all's been said and done, my life as a college student will be officially over in a week, i'll be leaving around may, and, well, no regrets. As of now, i'll just be making the most out of my time here and just take it day by day... y'know, see what happens. Ü hay buhay parang life...

i love bamboo!

2005-03-06T08:31:00.000-08:00

i watched the bamboo concert last friday, and i swear, bamboo is soo hot... and so is their guitarist, although i forgot his name. i love their music, and i love the way they're so into what they're doing. and i never noticed before but bamboo has a dimple, and i'm just a sucker for dimples... hay.

i just watched hitch, and can i just say that guys can get a lotta tips from that movie. y'know, like listen to women, surprise her with little things... for me, it's the little things that say a lot about a guy. if he actually listens to you when you talk, and then he remembers the things you say in passing, and then he surprises you with a note, or a piece of candy or something... it's all very sweet. whatever happened to guys like that? or yet, why is it that in a relationship, it's so hard to sustain the initial "in-love" state you get into when you first get together? how come after a while things just dwindle and fade away and everything just becomes a complicated mess? relationships are so sad because more often than not, you just end up getting hurt again and again. but then again there are some relationships that are so inspiring, and you can't help but think, when will i find my lobster? (lobster as defined by phoebe from friends. i want my lobster too.) i'm not making sense. but then again, love does not make sense.

thanks to lee and yo and the rest of the people who helped me out last night. i swear i dunno what came over me, i was just really messed up that night. you know why. but at the same time i'm sort of happy too... and wala lang. heeheeheeÜ gabs sorry again for your jacket, haha!

i'm getting my grades later.... oh noooooo...

happy birthday yo!

Some pix from yo's party... twas a really fun night, videoke and drinks galore. yo, i did it all for you! happy birthday! ÜÜÜ

......

yahoo my mom's finally home! I thought she was coming back tomorrow, but apparently not. my sister woke me up at 6am, and she was all like wake up wake up, mom's back na, and then i said, but i thought she was coming back on tuesday? I thought march 7? but wait... it's march 7 today! hahaha... and i was thinking last night that i can take my time today getting out of bed, but i guess not. oh well! 14 days to go til my birthday! yahoo! Ü

chesca, ana and mayk, i had a great time last night, although you know me, i always get sleepy. it wasn't you guys, i was just being my normal self. now don't you miss that? Ü and lemony was boring (you're right mayk) and i guess it just made me want to fall asleep. i'm having so much fun nowadays with nothing to do but bum and go out, that i forget sometimes it's just the admu seniors who have so much time on their hands. sorry kris! and i promise i'll make it up to you, i'll buy you fries sometime. i can't help it, i love mcdo fries and sometimes i can't stop myself from eating and eating, if it's just right there in front of me. yum yum!

well...

2005-03-03T18:06:00.001-08:00

I'm slowly getting the hang of it. At least i now know how to put pictures and everything, thanks to marielle. anyways...

since school is over i've been back in alabang, bumming around. being so far away from 'civilization,' my qc friends decided to visit me here, and we had lunch in my house, and went shopping in town (alabang town center to them hihihiÜ). it was so much fun because first of all, i haven't been to town in a really long time (well, i haven't been there to shop anyway) and second of all, i bought this really nice dress on sale! i got it for less than 50% off its original price, and nothing beats buying something you really like on sale. so yahoo for me! we totally pigged out too, eating pizza, pasta, chips and chocolate... a healthy combination of junkfood haha!

Chicks in the house! HeheheheÜ And me curling ester's hair Ü

btw happy birthday to cathy and aisa! march babies who just turned 21! Ü

hmmmm...

2005-03-03T03:15:00.000-08:00

my first post... i have no idea what to do! i'm really bored that's why i'm doing this, i'll just probably fix it up later, add pics and stuff when i finally get the hang of it. hehehehe...

Anyway. I'm sad. Now that school's over, the reality of my moving is looming closer and closer... and as i was telling chesca, it all seems so surreal. I can't believe I'm leaving everyone, all my friends... i'm just gonna miss them all so much. I hope you guys come visit me though, coz i have to stay there for at least 5 years before i can come back and live in the philippines again. In the meantime, I just want to make the most out of my stay here, go out with my friends, drink and drink (hehehe), have fun, go to the beach and make up for lost time with friends i haven't really been in touch with.

...but at the same time I'm really excited. It's starting over, new friends, new place, new everything and it just seems so exciting! hay i dunno how i feel. i just hope my life there will be as great as my life here at home... Ü