Last Friday and Saturday, I felt a sudden pain on the lower right side of my abdomen. It was a bit alarming because the pain was beginning to get uncomfortable. I tried not to worry much about it. However, by nightime, the pain was worse and I was feeling nauseous and dizzy. I felt different. Hoping that it was not anything bad, I tried to sleep it off.
When I woke up Saturday morning, the pain was still there although not that intense as the night before. I checked our medical encyclopedia whether my symptoms were indicative of having appendicitis. Unfortunately, they were but I still went to school and ignored it.
It's now Monday and the pain is not anymore there although I think my belly's full of gas. I keep on belching and excuse me, breaking wind. I think my abdominal pain was partly caused by that.
My gosh, I'm so tired of guessing. Might as well see a doctor this Wednesday.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Tagaytay Highlands
Went to Tagaytay this morning with my SO to spend the day with his family.
We first proceded to their Tagaytay house where we met up with his immediate family. When his other relatives arrived, we headed for Tagaytay Highlands where we had lunch at this really classy Chinese restaurant. I can't recall much of the stuff we ate, but their sweet and shour pork was really good! We spent around 2 hours at the restaurant. We young'uns just sat there and waited for the adults to finish their conversation (one of my SO's aunts also just arrived from the US). We returned to the house where I bonded with one of Leo's aunts. Really a nice bunch.
The weather up there is really great! Really cool. Just like being in Baguio, minus the pollution. Wonder how it will be at night?
His nephew also got into an accident yesterday. He fell off his bike and his face hit the pavement. When we saw him this morning, his nose was all sore and red and his front tooth (which was a permanent) was wiggling. He was not his usual bubbly and malikot self since his accident left him a bit subdued.
Spending that much time at their Tagaytay home, I get to peruse some of the photos displayed there of Leo's really cute nephews. Saw some of the old photos when they were just babies. They were SO cute. All cute and chubby the way babies are. They're still cute now, but they were the epitome of cuteness then (white rosy cheeks and the such).
We first proceded to their Tagaytay house where we met up with his immediate family. When his other relatives arrived, we headed for Tagaytay Highlands where we had lunch at this really classy Chinese restaurant. I can't recall much of the stuff we ate, but their sweet and shour pork was really good! We spent around 2 hours at the restaurant. We young'uns just sat there and waited for the adults to finish their conversation (one of my SO's aunts also just arrived from the US). We returned to the house where I bonded with one of Leo's aunts. Really a nice bunch.
The weather up there is really great! Really cool. Just like being in Baguio, minus the pollution. Wonder how it will be at night?
His nephew also got into an accident yesterday. He fell off his bike and his face hit the pavement. When we saw him this morning, his nose was all sore and red and his front tooth (which was a permanent) was wiggling. He was not his usual bubbly and malikot self since his accident left him a bit subdued.
Spending that much time at their Tagaytay home, I get to peruse some of the photos displayed there of Leo's really cute nephews. Saw some of the old photos when they were just babies. They were SO cute. All cute and chubby the way babies are. They're still cute now, but they were the epitome of cuteness then (white rosy cheeks and the such).
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Femalenetwork.com
It's odd that it had to take a guy to introduce me to this website--moreover, registered as a member of girltalk (where he is an active post-er). It basically has the stuff that I've been looking for for quite some time (e.g. housekeeping advice and tips, recommended restaurants etc). Best of all, I get to watch over my SO (ahurm::bantaybakod::ahurm).
I actually found a thread that's about housekeeping stuff and I get to post my query about groceries. Hope I would get an answer for that one.
Stayed at home today. We were supposed to have a field trip at the local Gardenia plant for our Production/Operations Management class. Unfortunately, it was called off and I'm here at home. I did ask my boss if she needed me today because I can go to work, but she told me to take my leave since I have lots of days to take (not couting those carried over from last year).
I can do something productive today--like start on my two case papers due this week, but I'll do that this afternoon. I'm exploring Gtalk and finding some very very interesting posts.
I actually found a thread that's about housekeeping stuff and I get to post my query about groceries. Hope I would get an answer for that one.
Stayed at home today. We were supposed to have a field trip at the local Gardenia plant for our Production/Operations Management class. Unfortunately, it was called off and I'm here at home. I did ask my boss if she needed me today because I can go to work, but she told me to take my leave since I have lots of days to take (not couting those carried over from last year).
I can do something productive today--like start on my two case papers due this week, but I'll do that this afternoon. I'm exploring Gtalk and finding some very very interesting posts.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
My bookshelves
This is my bookshelf--or my bookshelves. It may not look much, but there's actually three layers in each shelf. See, behind every book that you see, there's another two behind it. There's a lot of clutter too. And my Legolas poster too.
All my precious hardbound books are on the far left at the top shelf. There's my DLSU yearbook, my textbooks for Economics and Information Management (SO's dad was my prof in this subject), Sword of Truth (just a couple of them), Harry Potter series oh and my Almanac of the Uncanny (thank you Reader's Digest).
Now you see how much I have to catalogue!
Reading List
I added my reading list as a permanent feature of this blog. Hopefully, I'll get to update it often (read: finish at least one book from that list). I've mentioned that I love to read. I live by it. If I don't get to read at least one new book a week, I'll go nuts. I end up reading one of my old books.
I've lost count on the amount of books that I have. I managed to catalogue them last year but I ended up losing the only softcopy (I never learn my lesson. I'm so lazy to back-up!) that I have. Thus, I have to do the task all over again. Last count I had around almost 700 books (non-fiction, fiction, pamphlets and whatever. As long as it's reading material and bound, it's considered a book. E-books are not included. Hmmm, maybe I should do a catalogue for that too). Maybe during the summer break. Besides, I have to clean my room. I was not able to do that during the Christmas break.
One thing I hate about cataloguing is the dust. I'm asthmatic and dust is my number one enemy. With the amount of books that I have (lining one wall), you could just imagine the amount of dust that has already settled in my room.
UNDEAD and UNWED; UNDEAD AND UNEMPLOYED and other books
These books are entertaining to read. Never encountered a story about the undead (vampires) told in a humorous and cosmo way. I scoured Powerbooks for the author's other books or those of the same genre.
Buying Davidson's books were a big gamble for me. I don't buy books of authors who I barely know--unless they are recommended. Books are so costly these days that I could buy two lunches with just one book, thus I choose them carefully. I made a bad decision last week when I decided to try an author with dozens of books on display at National (Nora Roberts' Key of Knowledge). I threw the book on the floor after just reading the first chapter. I don't know if I outgrew those kind of stories or I was looking for something more interesting.
Davidson's language is very apt. She uses language used by the common person. The basic premise of her story is that a secretary died and rose to become queen of the vampires. You might think it's a common thing, but what makes it unique is that queen's fetish for shoes. She was easily persuaded by a pair of Jimmy Choo's.
A friend once recommended Jose Saramego to me. I had a crush on him that time so I forced myself to finish the books even if the language was so tedious, just so I could talk to him about the books. I would recommend Saramego although only to the serious reader. His book that I first read was entitled "The Gospel According to Jesus Christ". You might think it's a religious story--it's far from it. Saramego is a Nobel Prize winner too.
You might think that I'm a serious reader. I'm a "voracious" reader actually. I can read anything--well, almost anything. Textbooks tire me but I can still speed read them. I also and still read "pop" stuff--you know, stuff whose main purpose is just to entertain and not to feed the mind. I have lots of those. I've been an avid subscriber of "People" Magazine (the US version) for almost two years now. I also subscribe to Reader's Digest (their book compliations are also good. I got my "Encounters with the Unknown" and "Quiz Night" from them). We also subscribe to "Time" but that's our boarder's. Since she's moving out by month end, I guess I have to start my own subscription. I'm also thinking of subscribing to "Fortune" as a support for my MBA readings. Gosh, so many stuff to read. My brain is in heaven. And my eyesight will pay for that I'm sure. My grade might go up an notch (groan).
I've lost count on the amount of books that I have. I managed to catalogue them last year but I ended up losing the only softcopy (I never learn my lesson. I'm so lazy to back-up!) that I have. Thus, I have to do the task all over again. Last count I had around almost 700 books (non-fiction, fiction, pamphlets and whatever. As long as it's reading material and bound, it's considered a book. E-books are not included. Hmmm, maybe I should do a catalogue for that too). Maybe during the summer break. Besides, I have to clean my room. I was not able to do that during the Christmas break.
One thing I hate about cataloguing is the dust. I'm asthmatic and dust is my number one enemy. With the amount of books that I have (lining one wall), you could just imagine the amount of dust that has already settled in my room.
UNDEAD and UNWED; UNDEAD AND UNEMPLOYED and other books
These books are entertaining to read. Never encountered a story about the undead (vampires) told in a humorous and cosmo way. I scoured Powerbooks for the author's other books or those of the same genre.
Buying Davidson's books were a big gamble for me. I don't buy books of authors who I barely know--unless they are recommended. Books are so costly these days that I could buy two lunches with just one book, thus I choose them carefully. I made a bad decision last week when I decided to try an author with dozens of books on display at National (Nora Roberts' Key of Knowledge). I threw the book on the floor after just reading the first chapter. I don't know if I outgrew those kind of stories or I was looking for something more interesting.
Davidson's language is very apt. She uses language used by the common person. The basic premise of her story is that a secretary died and rose to become queen of the vampires. You might think it's a common thing, but what makes it unique is that queen's fetish for shoes. She was easily persuaded by a pair of Jimmy Choo's.
A friend once recommended Jose Saramego to me. I had a crush on him that time so I forced myself to finish the books even if the language was so tedious, just so I could talk to him about the books. I would recommend Saramego although only to the serious reader. His book that I first read was entitled "The Gospel According to Jesus Christ". You might think it's a religious story--it's far from it. Saramego is a Nobel Prize winner too.
You might think that I'm a serious reader. I'm a "voracious" reader actually. I can read anything--well, almost anything. Textbooks tire me but I can still speed read them. I also and still read "pop" stuff--you know, stuff whose main purpose is just to entertain and not to feed the mind. I have lots of those. I've been an avid subscriber of "People" Magazine (the US version) for almost two years now. I also subscribe to Reader's Digest (their book compliations are also good. I got my "Encounters with the Unknown" and "Quiz Night" from them). We also subscribe to "Time" but that's our boarder's. Since she's moving out by month end, I guess I have to start my own subscription. I'm also thinking of subscribing to "Fortune" as a support for my MBA readings. Gosh, so many stuff to read. My brain is in heaven. And my eyesight will pay for that I'm sure. My grade might go up an notch (groan).
January posts
I'm posting all my January posts from my old blogspot here.
===================================
18 Jan 2005
BADMINTON
I played badminton again after being dormant for almost a year! I'm readying my Ponstan and Alaxan because I know regardless of the stretchings that I did prior to the games, I'm still going to hurt all over.
It felt great to sweat that much. I could feel my fat melting.
Unfortunately, I can only do this once a month. Badminton with my officemates is scheduled every Tuesday and Thursday (the courts are only free during those days. We can't very well reschedule since we're playing for free anyway). I have prayer meetings every Tuesdays (except for the third Tuesday of the month) and I have classes on Thursdays. If I could persuade our household head to move our prayer meetings, I would be able to play.
=====================================
15 Jan 2005
SANS LAPTOP
It's amazing how much stuff I've accomplished this week without my laptop. My brother sequestered my laptop last weekend since he had to do some maintenance work on it. For the meantime, I used his desktop for my email checkings and updates. It did not give me enough time to update my blog though.
Anyway, I had no class last Monday to Wednesday, so I spent the evenings reading through my notes and organizing my desk. See, my laptop is taking 50% of my desk space. Thus, I'm confiscating a desk from my sister's room (the one who moved out) and I'll use that as my laptop desk so I'll have enough space on my study table to actually do some readings. Both my subjects (management accounting and operations/production management) require heavy reading.
Got my grades for last term. I made it to the Dean's List again. It's not much of a big deal since my subjects last term were relatively light. Both subjects had no finals, only one had midterms (and it was even take home!) and a final paper. It'll be a miracle if I even get high grades this term.
It's not a good day today. I was in a warpath wherever I went. I had an argument with the staff at the Registrar's Office when they charged me Ph65.00 additional for a piece of paper which I wasn't able to submit immediately (it's a long story which I'd rather not narrate again since it still pisses me off). People inside the office suddenly went quiet and started looking at me. I didn't care since I was very irritated.
After class, Leo and I had lunch at Shakey's and toured the La Salle campus again. Last time I was there, it was 1996 and there were fewer buildings then as compared to now. They actually have a sports center now which is very humongous!
After the tour, we went to Market Market! to watch "Kung Fu Hustle". Since it was a new mall, we wanted to try their moviehouse. Unfortunately, we should've listened to our professor when he said that the mall caters to the C and D crowd instead of the initially A and B crowd. Call me "matapobre", but the crowd is really different from what I'm used to. While we were watching the movie, my seatmates were this group of teenage guys and were talking in loud voices. There's this one guy in particular who kept on asking his seatmate on what happened and what should happen. I kept on giving him dagger looks, but apparently, it was lost on the guy. While we were also waiting in line, one "lady" tried to cut in front of me. Aaargghhh! It's probably Ayala's answer to Sy's Megamall. Nevertheless, it's not a place that I would want to go to if I want to relax.
Kung Fu Hustle is an entertaining martial arts movie. However, I enjoyed Shaolin Soccer more. Stephen Chow is still in his funny best. Which reminds me, I should get another copy of "Volcano High". Someone borrowed my copy from me and neglected to return it. That's another martial arts movie that I really enjoyed. And I'm also looking for a DVD of "The Princess Bride".
Oh yeah, got this quiz from Ri's blogspot:
================================
7 Jan 2005
LEAVING ON A JET PLANE
My mom returned to the US this morning. I feel sad that I wasn't able to say goodbye to her. I was expecting for somebody to wake me up (her flight was at 6 am so she left at an ungodly hour of 3 am) but nobody did. Or somebody was trying to wake me up but I did not wake up.
Life returns to normal although I personally saw how different things are between her and my dad. We keep on having these family pictures taken yet I don't know if we're still a family. I'm just so numb.
BACK TO SCHOOL
School officially started last Wednesday but my first class was yesterday. I think I've vacationed enough because not only did I miss school, I'm also missing work now. I had lunch with my officemates yesterday and I caught up with them regarding office news. I did not like some of the stuff that I heard but it still did not bring my spirits down. Hopefully, I can start on cleaning my room today. It's going to be very busy for me for the next couple of days. I don't know if I can still clean my room when I return to work.
=================================
6 Jan 2005
WEDDING #2
At last, the weddings are over.
Mhon and Cheryll's (my sister and who we fondly call "Dabing") had their wedding yesterday at the St. Pancratius Chapel at Paco Park. It was my first time to go inside the park and it's a really wonderful and historic place. I wasn't able to explore much since I was formally decked and walking around in sandals with 3-inch heels is not exactly that comfortable. However, my grandfather and cousin told me that Rizal (our National Hero) used to be buried there.
My mom, sister and I checked into the Diamond Hotel along Roxas Blvd. Tuesday evening. We were supposed to check-in at 2 pm, but due to logistical problems and other errands, we arrived at the hotel sometime past four. We got an executive suite and the view was really nice.
Good thing I got my palm back and I was able to get some really nice pictures. The above picture was taken from our hotel room. It was sometime past five and the set was setting. Unfortunately, it was too cloudly for me to get a nice shot of the famous Manila sunset.
Hotel food was expensive, so we took a cab to Aristocrat (which was only less than a couple of minutes away) where we had our dinner. I was still feeling funky from the lack of carbo (my mom and I ran errands earlier. I was not able to eat breakfast and only had Starbuck's Caesar salad for lunch. This was my chance to get a full meal) so I opted for their yummy Palabok and two sticks of pork barbecue (horrendously expensive at P95 a stick). My mom was also enticed by their roving carts to get a half roll of Mango Roll and a pack of small ensaymadas (which turned out to be very delicious! We came back the next day and bought P2,500 worth of Mango Rolls and mini-ensaymadas!). We walked back to the hotel to burn off some of the stuff we consumed.
Due to the excitement, we retired around midnight, with my mom and I staying up further as we made some last minute computations and double-checking our figures. It was my time to bond with my mom. We were ok with each other, although I doubt I'll be as warm like my sisters. We treated each other with respect. She asked me some personal questions like what Leo and I are planning to do in the future (a.k.a. wedding plans) and of course, her tirade on weight loss. At least she didn't dwell on the latter that much.
I was not able to sleep much. Blame it to the new surroundings. I think it's called "namamahay". I always have difficulty adjusting to a new bed. Nothing beats the comfort of sleeping on my own bed--though how small and hard it can be. Moreover, my brother-in-law was snoring (and he claimed I snored as well! God forbid! I blamed it on my tiredness and my asthma). My sister was so irked at us since she could not sleep due to our noise. My mom was having her own problems in the living room (where she slept in the sofa) since the window was overlooking Baywalk. Even if we're 14 stories up (and with closed windows), we could still hear the music generated by the bars along the bay.
I got up around 630 am and read a bit while waiting for the rest of my family to get up. My sister and brother-in-law had their complimentary breakfast buffet while my mom and I took a cab over at Aristocrat (again), for breakfast. They made up for their bad service the previous night and I happily partook of my tocino with 2 eggs, garlic rice and coffee meal.
We went back to the hotel where we watched tv and made some last minute preparations. The make-up people (c/o Jessie Mendez) were right on time and they started to work on the bride and my mom. I also had my hair and make-up done there and I honestly like my make-up from the wedding last week. My family claimed that my hair and make-up this week was better though. Take a look at my hair from the back. I do concede that the curls are a nice touch. That's my real hair by the way.
Like all well-planned weddings, there were hitches involved (although nothing major). The video and camera people were late (nevertheless, I would still recommend them. We're still waiting for the official shots to come out. If they're as beautiful as my sister claims them to be. I'll definitely recommend them). Moreover, the modista was nowhere to be found. The wedding was at 430 and at 330 pm when Leo and I left, the modista was still not there. My sister was panicking already since the modista was the only one who can put together her whole wedding outfit.
When Leo and I arrived at the church, there were guests already milling about but the chapel was still closed! They opened it at around 4 pm and when they tried turning on the air conditioners, the electricity short circuited. By the time they got the electricity working properly, it was sometime past 5 pm. It was a good thing that the ceremony started late since it gave the very late modista to put together my sister's wedding gown. The picture above is the chapel.
I took my usual place at the lector's podium and waited for the wedding march to begin. My sister walked down the aisle accompanied by a violinist and guitarist with vocalist singing "The Way You Look at Me". It was beautiful and fortunately, I did not break down in tears.
The reception went by almost without a hitch (we again can't find the place cards. This time, the principal sponsors' place cards were missing). Their AVP looks wonderful and the caterer made up for their bad service last week. We did break down when my sister danced with our dad. That was when she broke down and cried all over our dad's barong, and we followed suit--on our own hankies though.
Leo and I had a wonderful time as well. I'm so thankful to him for playing driver, photographer and gopher for these past two weddings. We haven't really talked how our wedding will be like (as if!). We did agree on having a wedding coordinator, a morning wedding and a blue motiff, but that was it. Maybe in the near future.
=======================
2 Jan 2005
MY VICE
Ever since I had a taste of a full-body massage some years ago courtesy of my mom's masseuse, I was hooked. With the boom of spa places and the such, getting a massage is easier. I'm always ready to try any spa place that would offer massage services. This afternoon, I tried Let's Face It's massage at Greenbelt 1.
I was hesitant to try it at first since the establishment is more known for its facial and derma services. But my legs and back were hurting and in need for some TLC. While my SO had his facial (with whitening treatment), I was led into a small room with a bed that has a hole on the head end. I love these kind of cots since I can lie literally face down with no difficulty breathing. I also loved it that there's some kind of nice smelling concoction underneath the bed which helped me relax even further.
Before the start of the session, they made me fill up a sheet where I get to answer questions whether I had any recent operations and which kind of massage I would prefer whether Swedish, Shiatsu or Combined. For the uninformed, Swedish massage was developed in the 1700's by a Swedish guy (thus the name) Per Henrik Lang. The technique involves long strokes, kneading, friction, tapping, percussion, vibration, effleurage, and shaking motions. Shiatsu is a Japanese word meaning "finger pressure". A shiatsu treatment involves not only finger pressure but thumbs, palms, knees, forearms, elbows and feet. (By the way, my source for all of those stuff about swedish and shiatsu came from this website). They even asked me what kind of drink I would like after the massage!
All of my previous massages started at the back, thus, I was surprised when the masseuse started on my toes and worked her way upwards. It was also the first time that somebody stood on my back and literally kneed me too. In other words, it was the best massage that I ever got. I don't know if it's because I badly needed it or if the masseuse was really good. Nevertheless, it was my money's worth. Not to mention being affordable too. I think it was only Php400+ for 60 minutes. Not bad considering I paid Php600+ at David's Spa at Megamall and I was not happy afterward (considering it was a place that I frequent). At least now, I have a new place. Maybe I'll try their body scrub next time.
Speaking of services, might as well speak up on some of the restaurants that my SO and I have been too. I won't rate them or anything, but will only state whether I'll recommend them or not.
My SO and I have been to really good places. One of the best restaurants that we've been to is Recipes at Greenbelt 3. Not only is the food good (try their General's Chicken and Gising-gising), but fast too! Your food will be served within 10 minutes and they have never let me down. Their iced tea is bottomless and they'll even leave a big pitcher on your table. I love it! I've eaten there more almost 10 times last year. That's a big thing considering it's classified as a posh restaurant due to its location. You will really get your money's worth.
The worst so far, is Cravings at Festival Mall. Man, that was really the worst. I'm thinking whether all of the branches are like that. We arrived at Craving Festival at around 1 pm where the lunch crowd has thinned. We both ordered for Chicken Cordon Bleu. We specifically asked whether it was still available since in our experience, they usually run out of this and the waitress said it was still available. So we eagerly ordered and while waiting, we headed off to the buffet table for the unlimited salad and soup bar. Fifteen minutes later, the waitress approached us telling us that they were out of Chicken Cordon Bleu. We just sighed and ordered another dish. My SO was almost pissed by then but I managed to calm him down.
When we were going to pay, my SO pulled out his card and we were told that they were having problems with their POS and they cannot process credit card payments as of now. Leo was on the verge of exploding and he told the waitress how unsatisfied we were with their service. Good thing I had some cash on me and I paid for lunch. She came back a few minutes later asking if I had change for a hundred. Leo just laughed and walked out of the restaurant while I settled the bill.
I can't understand why restaurants like those still bother to open. Leo and I vowed to never ever set foot on that restaurant again.
Got this from a friend's blogsite.
=================================
1 Jan 2005
NEW YEAR'S EVE
For the first time in 8 years, we spent the New Year's at BF. It's definitely quieter than here. I know it's very KJ of me to want peace and quiet on the New Year's. But my asthma has forced me to stay inside when the fireworks go off. I would go on wheezing spasms if I breath in the polluted air. It was fun in a sense that I got to spend more time with my favorite godson. Although there was not much celebrating on the actual hour itself. We were so intent on watching the fireworks display that we forgot to greet each other Happy New Year. I was standing between my mom and dad and I was not able to wish them so.
This New Year's Day, we had lunch at Dampa Sucat. Lots of sea food!
I'm supposed to make an entry on how my 2004 went. Well, it's great in a sense that I finally found someone this year. Someone who loves me for who and what I am, and vice versa. I will remember this year because of that.
On the other hand, this year has also been full of woes. I've cried so much than I have ever cried in the past. Both family and professionally. I seem to have suffered. I guess life can never be too perfect. Having someone to help me shoulder those woes made them more bearable.
Checking my things to do, it seems I was not able to go out of the country and a term GPA of 3.5 can only be known on January. We'll see. I wasn't able to watch a musical though
NEW PICS
Got more pictures from BJ and Nessie's wedding from Leo's camera. He got some really good pictures. The rest of the pictures can be viewed in my fotopage site.
Here's a picture of Leo and me taken after the reception. My make up was a bit worn off, but my make-up still looks good, if I can say so myself. I will definitely recommend Piandre to anyone who would want a good hair and make-up job. Although one should be ready to pay the price. I think it was P1,000 each.
Here's a solo picture of yours truly taken near the confessionals.
And of course, here's another look at our family picture -- at another angle.
===================================
18 Jan 2005
BADMINTON
I played badminton again after being dormant for almost a year! I'm readying my Ponstan and Alaxan because I know regardless of the stretchings that I did prior to the games, I'm still going to hurt all over.
It felt great to sweat that much. I could feel my fat melting.
Unfortunately, I can only do this once a month. Badminton with my officemates is scheduled every Tuesday and Thursday (the courts are only free during those days. We can't very well reschedule since we're playing for free anyway). I have prayer meetings every Tuesdays (except for the third Tuesday of the month) and I have classes on Thursdays. If I could persuade our household head to move our prayer meetings, I would be able to play.
=====================================
15 Jan 2005
SANS LAPTOP
It's amazing how much stuff I've accomplished this week without my laptop. My brother sequestered my laptop last weekend since he had to do some maintenance work on it. For the meantime, I used his desktop for my email checkings and updates. It did not give me enough time to update my blog though.
Anyway, I had no class last Monday to Wednesday, so I spent the evenings reading through my notes and organizing my desk. See, my laptop is taking 50% of my desk space. Thus, I'm confiscating a desk from my sister's room (the one who moved out) and I'll use that as my laptop desk so I'll have enough space on my study table to actually do some readings. Both my subjects (management accounting and operations/production management) require heavy reading.
Got my grades for last term. I made it to the Dean's List again. It's not much of a big deal since my subjects last term were relatively light. Both subjects had no finals, only one had midterms (and it was even take home!) and a final paper. It'll be a miracle if I even get high grades this term.
It's not a good day today. I was in a warpath wherever I went. I had an argument with the staff at the Registrar's Office when they charged me Ph65.00 additional for a piece of paper which I wasn't able to submit immediately (it's a long story which I'd rather not narrate again since it still pisses me off). People inside the office suddenly went quiet and started looking at me. I didn't care since I was very irritated.
After class, Leo and I had lunch at Shakey's and toured the La Salle campus again. Last time I was there, it was 1996 and there were fewer buildings then as compared to now. They actually have a sports center now which is very humongous!
After the tour, we went to Market Market! to watch "Kung Fu Hustle". Since it was a new mall, we wanted to try their moviehouse. Unfortunately, we should've listened to our professor when he said that the mall caters to the C and D crowd instead of the initially A and B crowd. Call me "matapobre", but the crowd is really different from what I'm used to. While we were watching the movie, my seatmates were this group of teenage guys and were talking in loud voices. There's this one guy in particular who kept on asking his seatmate on what happened and what should happen. I kept on giving him dagger looks, but apparently, it was lost on the guy. While we were also waiting in line, one "lady" tried to cut in front of me. Aaargghhh! It's probably Ayala's answer to Sy's Megamall. Nevertheless, it's not a place that I would want to go to if I want to relax.
Kung Fu Hustle is an entertaining martial arts movie. However, I enjoyed Shaolin Soccer more. Stephen Chow is still in his funny best. Which reminds me, I should get another copy of "Volcano High". Someone borrowed my copy from me and neglected to return it. That's another martial arts movie that I really enjoyed. And I'm also looking for a DVD of "The Princess Bride".
Oh yeah, got this quiz from Ri's blogspot:
|
You Are 23 Years Old |
|
23 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax. |
================================
7 Jan 2005
LEAVING ON A JET PLANE
My mom returned to the US this morning. I feel sad that I wasn't able to say goodbye to her. I was expecting for somebody to wake me up (her flight was at 6 am so she left at an ungodly hour of 3 am) but nobody did. Or somebody was trying to wake me up but I did not wake up.
Life returns to normal although I personally saw how different things are between her and my dad. We keep on having these family pictures taken yet I don't know if we're still a family. I'm just so numb.
BACK TO SCHOOL
School officially started last Wednesday but my first class was yesterday. I think I've vacationed enough because not only did I miss school, I'm also missing work now. I had lunch with my officemates yesterday and I caught up with them regarding office news. I did not like some of the stuff that I heard but it still did not bring my spirits down. Hopefully, I can start on cleaning my room today. It's going to be very busy for me for the next couple of days. I don't know if I can still clean my room when I return to work.
=================================
6 Jan 2005
WEDDING #2
At last, the weddings are over.
Mhon and Cheryll's (my sister and who we fondly call "Dabing") had their wedding yesterday at the St. Pancratius Chapel at Paco Park. It was my first time to go inside the park and it's a really wonderful and historic place. I wasn't able to explore much since I was formally decked and walking around in sandals with 3-inch heels is not exactly that comfortable. However, my grandfather and cousin told me that Rizal (our National Hero) used to be buried there.
My mom, sister and I checked into the Diamond Hotel along Roxas Blvd. Tuesday evening. We were supposed to check-in at 2 pm, but due to logistical problems and other errands, we arrived at the hotel sometime past four. We got an executive suite and the view was really nice.
Good thing I got my palm back and I was able to get some really nice pictures. The above picture was taken from our hotel room. It was sometime past five and the set was setting. Unfortunately, it was too cloudly for me to get a nice shot of the famous Manila sunset.
Hotel food was expensive, so we took a cab to Aristocrat (which was only less than a couple of minutes away) where we had our dinner. I was still feeling funky from the lack of carbo (my mom and I ran errands earlier. I was not able to eat breakfast and only had Starbuck's Caesar salad for lunch. This was my chance to get a full meal) so I opted for their yummy Palabok and two sticks of pork barbecue (horrendously expensive at P95 a stick). My mom was also enticed by their roving carts to get a half roll of Mango Roll and a pack of small ensaymadas (which turned out to be very delicious! We came back the next day and bought P2,500 worth of Mango Rolls and mini-ensaymadas!). We walked back to the hotel to burn off some of the stuff we consumed.
Due to the excitement, we retired around midnight, with my mom and I staying up further as we made some last minute computations and double-checking our figures. It was my time to bond with my mom. We were ok with each other, although I doubt I'll be as warm like my sisters. We treated each other with respect. She asked me some personal questions like what Leo and I are planning to do in the future (a.k.a. wedding plans) and of course, her tirade on weight loss. At least she didn't dwell on the latter that much.
I was not able to sleep much. Blame it to the new surroundings. I think it's called "namamahay". I always have difficulty adjusting to a new bed. Nothing beats the comfort of sleeping on my own bed--though how small and hard it can be. Moreover, my brother-in-law was snoring (and he claimed I snored as well! God forbid! I blamed it on my tiredness and my asthma). My sister was so irked at us since she could not sleep due to our noise. My mom was having her own problems in the living room (where she slept in the sofa) since the window was overlooking Baywalk. Even if we're 14 stories up (and with closed windows), we could still hear the music generated by the bars along the bay.
I got up around 630 am and read a bit while waiting for the rest of my family to get up. My sister and brother-in-law had their complimentary breakfast buffet while my mom and I took a cab over at Aristocrat (again), for breakfast. They made up for their bad service the previous night and I happily partook of my tocino with 2 eggs, garlic rice and coffee meal.
We went back to the hotel where we watched tv and made some last minute preparations. The make-up people (c/o Jessie Mendez) were right on time and they started to work on the bride and my mom. I also had my hair and make-up done there and I honestly like my make-up from the wedding last week. My family claimed that my hair and make-up this week was better though. Take a look at my hair from the back. I do concede that the curls are a nice touch. That's my real hair by the way.
Like all well-planned weddings, there were hitches involved (although nothing major). The video and camera people were late (nevertheless, I would still recommend them. We're still waiting for the official shots to come out. If they're as beautiful as my sister claims them to be. I'll definitely recommend them). Moreover, the modista was nowhere to be found. The wedding was at 430 and at 330 pm when Leo and I left, the modista was still not there. My sister was panicking already since the modista was the only one who can put together her whole wedding outfit.
When Leo and I arrived at the church, there were guests already milling about but the chapel was still closed! They opened it at around 4 pm and when they tried turning on the air conditioners, the electricity short circuited. By the time they got the electricity working properly, it was sometime past 5 pm. It was a good thing that the ceremony started late since it gave the very late modista to put together my sister's wedding gown. The picture above is the chapel.
I took my usual place at the lector's podium and waited for the wedding march to begin. My sister walked down the aisle accompanied by a violinist and guitarist with vocalist singing "The Way You Look at Me". It was beautiful and fortunately, I did not break down in tears.
The reception went by almost without a hitch (we again can't find the place cards. This time, the principal sponsors' place cards were missing). Their AVP looks wonderful and the caterer made up for their bad service last week. We did break down when my sister danced with our dad. That was when she broke down and cried all over our dad's barong, and we followed suit--on our own hankies though.
Leo and I had a wonderful time as well. I'm so thankful to him for playing driver, photographer and gopher for these past two weddings. We haven't really talked how our wedding will be like (as if!). We did agree on having a wedding coordinator, a morning wedding and a blue motiff, but that was it. Maybe in the near future.
=======================
2 Jan 2005
MY VICE
Ever since I had a taste of a full-body massage some years ago courtesy of my mom's masseuse, I was hooked. With the boom of spa places and the such, getting a massage is easier. I'm always ready to try any spa place that would offer massage services. This afternoon, I tried Let's Face It's massage at Greenbelt 1.
I was hesitant to try it at first since the establishment is more known for its facial and derma services. But my legs and back were hurting and in need for some TLC. While my SO had his facial (with whitening treatment), I was led into a small room with a bed that has a hole on the head end. I love these kind of cots since I can lie literally face down with no difficulty breathing. I also loved it that there's some kind of nice smelling concoction underneath the bed which helped me relax even further.
Before the start of the session, they made me fill up a sheet where I get to answer questions whether I had any recent operations and which kind of massage I would prefer whether Swedish, Shiatsu or Combined. For the uninformed, Swedish massage was developed in the 1700's by a Swedish guy (thus the name) Per Henrik Lang. The technique involves long strokes, kneading, friction, tapping, percussion, vibration, effleurage, and shaking motions. Shiatsu is a Japanese word meaning "finger pressure". A shiatsu treatment involves not only finger pressure but thumbs, palms, knees, forearms, elbows and feet. (By the way, my source for all of those stuff about swedish and shiatsu came from this website). They even asked me what kind of drink I would like after the massage!
All of my previous massages started at the back, thus, I was surprised when the masseuse started on my toes and worked her way upwards. It was also the first time that somebody stood on my back and literally kneed me too. In other words, it was the best massage that I ever got. I don't know if it's because I badly needed it or if the masseuse was really good. Nevertheless, it was my money's worth. Not to mention being affordable too. I think it was only Php400+ for 60 minutes. Not bad considering I paid Php600+ at David's Spa at Megamall and I was not happy afterward (considering it was a place that I frequent). At least now, I have a new place. Maybe I'll try their body scrub next time.
Speaking of services, might as well speak up on some of the restaurants that my SO and I have been too. I won't rate them or anything, but will only state whether I'll recommend them or not.
My SO and I have been to really good places. One of the best restaurants that we've been to is Recipes at Greenbelt 3. Not only is the food good (try their General's Chicken and Gising-gising), but fast too! Your food will be served within 10 minutes and they have never let me down. Their iced tea is bottomless and they'll even leave a big pitcher on your table. I love it! I've eaten there more almost 10 times last year. That's a big thing considering it's classified as a posh restaurant due to its location. You will really get your money's worth.
The worst so far, is Cravings at Festival Mall. Man, that was really the worst. I'm thinking whether all of the branches are like that. We arrived at Craving Festival at around 1 pm where the lunch crowd has thinned. We both ordered for Chicken Cordon Bleu. We specifically asked whether it was still available since in our experience, they usually run out of this and the waitress said it was still available. So we eagerly ordered and while waiting, we headed off to the buffet table for the unlimited salad and soup bar. Fifteen minutes later, the waitress approached us telling us that they were out of Chicken Cordon Bleu. We just sighed and ordered another dish. My SO was almost pissed by then but I managed to calm him down.
When we were going to pay, my SO pulled out his card and we were told that they were having problems with their POS and they cannot process credit card payments as of now. Leo was on the verge of exploding and he told the waitress how unsatisfied we were with their service. Good thing I had some cash on me and I paid for lunch. She came back a few minutes later asking if I had change for a hundred. Leo just laughed and walked out of the restaurant while I settled the bill.
I can't understand why restaurants like those still bother to open. Leo and I vowed to never ever set foot on that restaurant again.
Got this from a friend's blogsite.
|
Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence |
 You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator. |
=================================
1 Jan 2005
NEW YEAR'S EVE
For the first time in 8 years, we spent the New Year's at BF. It's definitely quieter than here. I know it's very KJ of me to want peace and quiet on the New Year's. But my asthma has forced me to stay inside when the fireworks go off. I would go on wheezing spasms if I breath in the polluted air. It was fun in a sense that I got to spend more time with my favorite godson. Although there was not much celebrating on the actual hour itself. We were so intent on watching the fireworks display that we forgot to greet each other Happy New Year. I was standing between my mom and dad and I was not able to wish them so.
This New Year's Day, we had lunch at Dampa Sucat. Lots of sea food!
I'm supposed to make an entry on how my 2004 went. Well, it's great in a sense that I finally found someone this year. Someone who loves me for who and what I am, and vice versa. I will remember this year because of that.
On the other hand, this year has also been full of woes. I've cried so much than I have ever cried in the past. Both family and professionally. I seem to have suffered. I guess life can never be too perfect. Having someone to help me shoulder those woes made them more bearable.
Checking my things to do, it seems I was not able to go out of the country and a term GPA of 3.5 can only be known on January. We'll see. I wasn't able to watch a musical though
NEW PICS
Got more pictures from BJ and Nessie's wedding from Leo's camera. He got some really good pictures. The rest of the pictures can be viewed in my fotopage site.
Here's a picture of Leo and me taken after the reception. My make up was a bit worn off, but my make-up still looks good, if I can say so myself. I will definitely recommend Piandre to anyone who would want a good hair and make-up job. Although one should be ready to pay the price. I think it was P1,000 each.
Here's a solo picture of yours truly taken near the confessionals.
And of course, here's another look at our family picture -- at another angle.
New Blog
I deleted all my archives and saved them in my local hard drive. It was distracting to see all those months down there. I also learned a valuable lesson in blogging.
Anyway, I'll try to maintain some of my old stuff and hopefully that this works.
Till more posts...
Anyway, I'll try to maintain some of my old stuff and hopefully that this works.
Till more posts...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)