December has been a very busy month for me... i didnt had the time to sit down, collect my thoughts and put them all in writing....OR better yet stop and smell the roses...
but it was a good kind of busy! so many fun activities, so many memorable things happening, i felt as if i was a social butterfly! hahaha from someone who is comfortable with staying at home or an intimate get-together over coffee or dinner, last december was truly a different one!
things i were busy with were as follows:
1) panic-buying of gifts
i remember that i only had about 3 days left before christmas and my presents for peeps were only 50% done! i blame it all in my undecisiveness when looking for the "perfect" gift.. at the back of my mind, everything i saw was not good enough for my friends and family... there were 2 weekends when i planned on buying gifts but i ended up buying one for myself, darn! hehe
whew...i made it!
2)my niece's 3rd birthday
i was in charge of the cake... i looooveeet! its princess-themed birthday apt for our very own princess..
the happy birthday girl!
blowing her birthday candle
participating in the whole thingimajig
3)misa de gallo
when december 16 started, my 3.30am wake up call (uhhmmm ALARM, in my case) also started. i had to get ready early as i have work after the 4.30am mass. this misa de gallo (simbang gabi) has been a tradition of my mom and i ever since i was a little girl..:D it was soooo nice!
4)christmas parties
there were a LOT of christmas parties to go to, i remember from friday night until wednesday night (i think that was december 23) i had one or two parties to go to per night! i was truly exhausted, that i spent my lunch breaks snoozing just to catch some sleep
5)seminars i have to attend.
i dunno about my office, but it seems that there were a lot of seminars scheduled for this month! from wellness to making lotions, hand sanitizers and massage oil and even franchising seminars!... whew!
hand-lotion making
massage oil making
hand sanitizer-making
6)grocery-shopping and making sweets
i have no idea how tiring it was to do the grocery and make some cheesecakes and pies... haaaay! but i sure fed not just my sweet-tooth but others as well! hehehe
banoffee pie for Christmas
blueberry cheesecake for New Year
7) family-bonding.
december 24 and 25 were reserved for my family... bonding with all of them... a bit rowdy but it was sure fun!
some of my family members (emphasis on SOME) me and my cousins
8)tita-niece boding
its rare that i get to spend time alone with my one and only, uber cute niece. that's why days ahead, i asked permission from her parents if we could spend december 27 together. i brought her to the mall, then we went and see some dolphins and lions, i (naturally) took a lot of her pics, then we ate some dinner. (note: my niece is 3 years old) by the time i hailed a cab for us to go home, she was already too tired. she fell asleep inside the cab but was not able to forget to grab her inflatable dolphin, i bought her.
my happy niece
cutie-lovey-dovey dolphins
we got stamped! :D
haggard, right?!? :D
9) get-together with friends
i had a LOT of get-togs to go to (and attended) this month! plus a lot of weddings!!!! i cant believe how many friends and former classmates of mine who were married for the month of december alone... what the heck?!? (sorry naman, bitter ang lovelife!hahaha)
10) i bought my guitar
i named her Pilar...its Pulse (the brand) and guitar combined. that's why i'm having a hard time following the guitar for beginners dvd i bought. sooner or later, i shall prevail! hahaha
meet Pilar... :D
11) i'm thinking of getting into "wellness"
broad as it may seem, i have no definite wellness planned for me yet! (wish me luck!). this is in preparation for my 30th BIRTHDAY! :D
im grateful for these things, despite my busy sched..i'm truly happy
2010 has been super good to me...i just hope and pray 2011 would be better! i'm claiming 2011 as MY YEAR! :D
happy 2011 to all of us... may this year be BETTER than the last!
i think thats the only form of "exercise" i get to do, EVERYDAY.
i like it simply because i love to observe people, appreaciate the views...
...and mostly i love it because when i take my long walks, that's the time i get to think things through--long and hard.
[side-note: my (now deceased) tita, once saw me walking in a mall near our place. she later told my mom that when she saw me, she started to smile at me since i was walking towards her, thinking i'd smile in return. then much to her surprised, i walked passed her, without even a nod to acknowledge her existence. i just learned ALL about the whole thing when i came home that day and my mom told me about it. i swear, i didn't notice her at all!--that is how i am sometimes... especially when i am quite engrossed with my thoughts. i tend to get lost in it while i do my daily walks.]
so now, i've decided, why not try to share to the whole universe--well, cyberworld that is--tidbits of my sometimes crazy, sometimes absurd, and sometimes sane thoughts during my so-called "walks". (what the heck, right?!?)
my thoughts for today---uhmmm, i forgot due to the long introduction! hehehehe
seriously, here are my thoughts:
you know what's nice about the whole relationship thing? its not actually the whole having a "relationship" that sometimes you missed the most when you're not in one. more often than not, the nicer parts are those "kilig" moments, especially when one relationship is just about to start or have just started. those are the moments when you feel your heart fluttering (if only it has wings!). you know, that moments when its as if your heart will explode from too much happiness?
sometimes those moments are crazy as well, coz at the back of your mind, the fear that, THAT moment of extreme happiness will end anytime soon... ayayay *sigh*
somehow, if one has been in a relationship long enough, partners tend to lose those "kilig" moments. probably because they've already gotten used to each other. maybe due to familiarity with each other, one might tend to think that some things are already considered "given" when in a relationship. a surprise here, a sweet gesture there has become a sort of remote, often-out-of-the-blue possibility.
is there an apt English translation for the word "kilig"? hmmm, i think the closest English words to describe it are "butterflies in your stomach".
whenever i try to reminisce my "almost but not quite" romances (sablay pala hehehe), all i can remember are the fun parts--the "kilig" moments. such a nice feeling, noh?!?
those were the good times.
i like those days... i want those days, again! hehe
so if you're in that stage in you lives where "kilig" moments are still ongoing--savor the moments! coz no matter what happens in the future, whether you end up together or not, you'll look back at those days..those moments with a smile plastered on your face!
better yet fan the flame to make it alive again...bring back those "kilig" moments!
my friend Kimmy posted this on her facebook note and i thought this is a very good guiding principles in life... and i want to share this to all of you. spread the word, spread the LOVE! :D An Angel says, 'Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain.Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.' 1. Pray 2. Go to bed on time. 3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed. 4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health. 5. Delegate tasks to capable others. 6. Simplify and unclutter your life. 7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.) 8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places. 9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together. 10. Take one day at a time. 11. Separate worries from concerns.If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety.If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it. 12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases. 13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc. 14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble 15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday. 16. Carry a spiritually enlightening book with you to read while waiting in line. 17. Get enough rest. 18. Eat right. 19. Get organized so everything has its place. 20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life. 21. Write down thoughts and inspirations. 22. Every day, find time to be alone. 23. Having problems?Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray. 24. Make friends with Godly people. 25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand. 26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus' 27. Laugh. 28. Laugh some more! 29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all. 30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can). 31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most). 32. Sit on your ego. 33. Talk less; listen more. 34. Slow down. 35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe. 36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU. 'If God is for us, who can be against us?' Laugh and laugh some more! :D prettytwistedchick
First things first, I’d like to say brace yourselves...this is going to be a long blog entry! Because I really had a loooong Friday night/early Saturday morning.
Now that you’re well aware of what’s in store for you…proceed with caution!hehehe
I must say that when it comes to friends…I’m super blessed!
Last Friday, I had a dinner with my lawschool friends. I’ve been working my ass (pardon my french!) off the whole week, and I terribly miss my girlfriends. This “meeting” is long over due. I think the last time we had our dinner was last September and I had a near-death (or mutilation) experience as I wait for others to arrive…anyhow that is another story.
The traffic was hell, by the way. What I surmised to be a less than 15-minute cab ride took me about 45minutes! I dunno if it’s the weekend coming, or the Christmas rush,the sudden rain-pour or a highway accident...but it was terrible! I think it would’ve been better if I took the mrt, but I was wearing a dress and heels so double no, no!
I was about 30minutes late…but so was C, who also got stuck in traffic coming from the other end of Quezon City! The Ortigas/Pasig peeps came (surprisingly) just on time. Yes, I used the word “surprisingly”, because V is more often than not late during our “meetings”. And since we (C and I) were not at Podium yet, they decided to shop a bit at St. Francis Square. I was too tired to look for them so I told them that since C is expected to arrive anytime at Podium, I’ll just wait for all of them at the mall’s Starbucks.
I read my book as I waited. I also ordered a tall Toffee Nut Frappucino (just to complete the stickers for my planner!—I still have 2 more to go, yey!) Then came C. We chat for awhile about horrors and romance in the office until M and V arrived.
M and C were terribly hungry thus we scoured the whole 5 levels of Podium just to look for a good place to eat. I think I’ve went up and down the escalator 4 times just to look for good restaurant.
Earlier in the morning before we met, I googled the restaurants in the mall, but to no avail…(V was teasing me about this...she said that "googling" was such a nerdy-behavior! what can i say, inside of me is a nerd) In the end, I still wasn’t able to find which resto is good for us. Later on they (well, we all did) settled to dine at Banana Leaf.
the name and soon...uhmmm the name?!? hehe
true to its name, we used banana leaves as our plates
As this is my first time there, I can say I am quite disappointed—BIG time! V and I teamed up for our “meal” while C and M decide on theirs. As C and M were pretty hungry, they ordered three meals, while V and I were confident (based on pictures) ordered just two meals.
the appetizer
C and M ordered baby back ribs, some vegetables (we later on referred as “damo”), fried rice and a sort of garlic calamares. On the other hand, V and I ordered plain rice, grilled squid and fried chicken with stuffed sticky rice. We even almost not include the plain rice since we said that the chicken we ordered is stuffed with rice, as it is! Good thing we came to our senses and ordered one or else we would've starved!
baby back ribs
the infamous fried chicken stuffed with sticky rice
(we were trying to illustrate its size, but we too, failed!)
my plain rice
i forgot what this was...we just called it "damo"
C and M’s baby back ribs arrived first. It was big enough for the two of them. Then came our fried chicken order…too small! The picture in the menu did not give justice to its size!!! We were truly disappointed… bordering on the feeling that we were somehow, in a way, deceived. And the taste is not so good either! The sticky rice inside was too sweet. One bite and we all lost our appetite…ayayay! How they come up with such dish, we cannot fathom! Promise! C tried it also and she is not contented with it either. (note: C is not the type who usually say no to food…but this one she declined!) We suggest that it’s a good meal for those on diet because you will surely forget that you’re even hungry to begin with! On the other hand, their garlic calamares was GOOOOD! I loved it! Their grilled squid is just alright. The baby back ribs are good too. So was their “damo!” hehehe. Over-all, the food was just okay for me...if there’s any consolation, I liked their ambiance!
our table, filled with food...
this is the only pic that captured how small the
fried chicken was--just look at upper left side of the picture!!!
Next stop, we (well, THEY) had to have alcohol in their system. I have loooong ago sworn off alcohol (due to my allergies) but that night I had re-lapse! Yes, my sobriety coin was ignored that night! I’ve forgotten the name of the resto/bar where we had our drinks…all I knew was that its somewhere on the ground floor of El Pueblo—a walking distance from Podium. (we literally walked all the way there!)
our drinks
(clockwise:) V's San Mig Light, M's Margarita,
C's Margarita and my two Screwdrivers
My friends are truly hilarious! Even before we had our drinks, we were emphasizing the first syllables of the words (which we found funny—that time!).
Just to give you an example:
Waiter: your order ma’m
C: let’s have cocktails. What do you want to drink?
(We saw that its buy one take one for cocktail drinks for P165. I decided to share it with C.)
Me: Oh, I’ll have a cocktail too!
V: Oh you want a COCKtail?
Me: Yes, I want a COCKtail…how about you?
V: I’ll just have a beer…San Mig light .
C: I want a margarita.
M: I want a margarita as well… (simply put C and M teamed up!)
V: so, what’s your COCKtail?
Me: my COCKtail is…SCREWdriver, please! (note: that this time, I’m not even drunk…not even a little bit! I’m blaming the craziness to that nasty chicken we ate earlier in the evening!)
my culprit # 1
my culprit # 2
For someone who is trying to shy away from alcohol, I ended up with two glasses of screwdriver, since there was a buy one take one promo. C and M just had one margarita each while V had two bottles of beer. It was a fun time indeed. We never run out of crazy topics to discuss.
One fun topic we had was about my happy crush. Yes, I know. Its sooo highschool, but what the heck! They were giving me tips on how to “snag” happy crush. V was so graphic with her descriptions, it was sooo funny!
Examples:
Tip 1: They said that I should say to happy crush these words…”let’s role play...” (this is more of an inside joke…if you knew us, you’ll understand)
Tip2: Pretend Freudian slip! ”So this orifice…uhm I mean office…”(PG 18?!?)
Tip3: Pretend wardrobe malfunction! A slip of the sleeves here, a low neckline there…a missing hemline! You imagine it!
Tip4: Cherries. Have a jar full of cherries on my table while I practice knotting the stems… then say (while knotting some stems-repeatedly wahahaha), "how do you prefer your knots?" and must be said in my sultriest, most alluring, husky voice ever!
I swear, there are more funny lines and scenarios given that they said I should utter and do to happy crush! I don’t think I have the guts to pull off any of what they’ve advised me to say/do…PLUS I don’t think THEY can say/do those stuffs either! But it was sure fun imagining them hahaha
It was raining when we called it a night since C still has work in the morning. We got drenched in the rain. Only V had the enough sense and foresight of bringing an umbrella!
We accompanied C in the parking lot and she dropped us off at Megamall thinking that there will be less competition there at the taxi bay—we were wrong! We thought we could stay a bit until only few people are on the line (at taxi bay) however Megamall's Starbucks was filled as well and we had no choice but to brave the rain and go back to Podium.
By the time we arrived at Podium, we were soaking wet! And we were uber COLD brrrrr! Starbucks Podium is quite filled with peeps… then we then went to UCC (a thundercats venue, based on the customers waiting outside!). M and V ordered a cake and a soda, respectively. I, on the other hand just wanted some water. Their espresso machine is already closed for the night and they can only offer brewed coffee. I don’t like brewed coffee in the evening, when I know I’ll be hitting the sack right after I arrive home. So just house water please.
V was already freezing cold. Her jacket got wet from the rain...we cannot afford to get sick, with her having tons of work waiting to be accomplished and us, (well, we too have things to do! hehehe). We then hopped to Starbucks Podium and ordered frappucinos (decaffeinated!) which doesn’t help coz they’re cold drinks! Even I were freezing…my legs, mostly! We chat for a little bit hoping the rain would stop. But when 2am came and no signs of the rain slowing down, we went ahead and hailed for a cab.
The actual “hailing” of a cab was no so smooth-sailing either! I think, it took us about 30-40 minutes waiting for a cab.
They said that traffic was still not good along EDSA. M and V let me took the first cab and they took a cab home after I left.
It was a loooong night, indeed! But I have the bestest friends ever…and the day didn't seem long while I was with them! It was fun being with them, not minding the worries of work, family, other friends, lovelife and life in general!
blowing her birthday candle
some of my family members (emphasis on SOME)
me and my cousins
