New Home

I have transferred to my new place at Cityland 8. I still have the big stuffs (bed and an Orocan drawer) left at Asian Mansion, but I already have the basic things with me - my PC, clothes, toiletries (for my beauty rituals) and a full-body mirror (bought at SM for just 499) - I have all the essentials to survive in my new home, hehehe. Even if my boy wasn't here to help me, I have another "boy" - si Jaspher (boy as in katulong, hahahahaha!). Truly, ang bait na bata ni Jaspher, he never hesitated to carry our things and he admirably installed my pink Venetian blinds. Nevermind that the blinds are a bit lopsided, I truly appreciate the effort. And there were also Rose and Ria who helped me assemble my computer table - we did it all without a guy's help, yey! :)

Though I now live alone, I don't feel alone because within the vicinity my friends also reside - Ria's and Jaspher's units are at Makati Executive Tower while Rose and Stella's is same floor with mine at Cityland 8. It's like the Friends setup, cool :) I have my friends to run to if ever I need something like kung gusto ko makinood ng Maging Sino Ka Man, e di punta lang ako kina Rose, hehehe.

I already feel at home in my new place. The first night I slept there, I didn't feel something eerie. When I woke up in the middle of the night, there's no child sitting at the room's corner and staring at me with all black eyes (shocks I shouldn't entertain this thought, tinatakot ko lang sarili ko e, grrr!) Ah basta, it feels comfy and warm - though a bit oldie, it's good enough for me. They say that the area (Gil Puyat Ave.) gets flooded during the rainy season, we don't have to worry because Jaspher has recently bought an airbed - we'll just use it and float away to our respective offices hahaha!

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Happy BingDay!

I never expected that Bing and I will get this close – close kasi in our humble abode she sleeps on the lower deck of our double-deck bed, while my turf is the upper deck (o diba close.. oo corny :p). When she came to live with us last year, I thought our relationship will never go as far as housemates or dating project-mates (sa NEC). I’m so glad I was wrong… now we are close friends.

Bing has a very BIG heart, not only for her family and Lingkod sisters & brothers but also for her friends. Oh I wish that if I’ll trace our family tree I’m her long lost pamangkin. Kasi pag may sale sa Mall, she buys more clothes for her nieces than for herself – mga branded pa! What a generous Tita! =) She’s very considerate – she automatically thinks of others first than herself – she's very manggi-ikugon (with tail? hahahaha I don’t know the English & Tagalog word for this). She also never hesitates to correct you if she thinks you’re doing something wrong to the point of ruining yourself. But if she thinks you’re not open to criticism, stubborn or hardheaded (oo guilty ako dyan =p), she’ll just keep her opinion to herself and say “bahala na mo oi, mga dagku na bitaw mo” hahahaha! She’s also very wise, she’s the one you can run to for sound advices or if you just need someone to listen to you. She also cares a lot for our less fortunate brothers and sisters. I remember, when we had BIBO last year (we tutored Grade 4 kids at Baseco), she's very passionate of her commitment. Teacher Bing would stay up late to research for her English lessons or to prepare diagnostic exams and visual aids.

What I admire most about Bing is her close and going strong relationship with God. She didn’t badger me to join Lingkod, I joined because watching her live her life faithfully and contentedly in His arms and getting to know her more, she’s inspiration enough. I received a good news last week – that she’s going to be my Action Group leader in Lingkod (an Action Group is like a support group composed of 5 to 8 sisters). When I found out about that I was so glad because even if we’ll no longer be housemates next month (our contract in our condo will end by then and we have decided to go our separate ways and live independently) she’ll be able to guide me in my spiritual life and this will bring our relationship to the next level (naks!). Truly God has a way to steer me to the right path =)

I am so thankful of Bing for a lot of reasons. I hope all her dreams – for her career, her family and future family – will come true. She deserves all the blessings this world can offer. Bing, stand firm in your faith – keep up the good work, hehehe =) May you continue to inspire others to embrace God’s love as you inspired me.

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VDay: the Tagalog way

I can't help but compare between how Valentines is celebrated in Cebu and in Manila.

In Cebu, I noticed that guys only give flowers only to their girlfriends/wives. Though I also know some sweet Cebuano guys who also give flowers to their moms (but they’re so few, perhaps just one or two). In my previous workplace, NEC-Cebu, I don’t know if this is still the case now but back then if VDay would fall on a workday, guys there seem obligated to give bonggaciously arranged flowers, or at least nice bouquets to their girlfriends who also work in NEC. But if VDay would fall on a holiday or on a weekend, the guys will just give 1 stemmed rose to their gfs, if they’re lucky, or none at all with this explanation: overpriced man gud ang flowers gud, i-date na lang nato oi, kita pa duha malingaw! Nyehehehehe :p The guys don’t feel pressured to give bouquets because others won't see anyway. Now I wonder did we receive those wonderful bouquets because we really deserved them? Or it’s because they wanted to show off, so others could praise and see that they’re generous and thoughtful bfs?

Here in Manila, VDay is sweeter. Yesterday morning, as I walked on my way to the office, I already noticed several guys carrying bouquets, and some with huge balloons pa! Hindi naman sila mukhang delivery boy kasi nkacorporate attire naman. Napasmile ako kasi they’re not embarrassed (or it they were, tinitiis lang siguro) although mabibilis ang lakad na parang na-e-ebs, hehehe. After lunch I noticed on my desk a pack of chocolates. I looked around and also noticed that all the girls in our team had the same pack. It turned out our team mate, Happy, gave us those as VDay presents. Last year, I remember, the guys in our project group convoyed to Dangwa during lunchtime to buy bouquets for their wives/gfs (mas mura daw kasi dun), they surprised us when they came back because they also bought a bouquet of each girl in the group. Yesterday evening was another PDL night - the men serenaded us girls with a paulit-ulit na “All My Life” (yun lang yata napractice nila eh) while giving each of us a single rose and a piece of Ferrero. When I arrived home, my favorite IslandRose bouquet was waiting for me at the guard/reception area; it’s from my Pangga, of course … my Valentine’s couldn’t be more complete =)

Iba talaga ang VDay dito sa Manila. It’s better and sweeter. Tagalog guys go an extra mile to make their wives, girlfriends and even their girl friends feel special. It’s really a woman’s day.

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How sweet it is to be loved by you!

Pangga surprised me with a detailed accounting of our first date. It's long, and so descriptive. Currently it's two-part but since there's still the to be continued note at the end so there's more to come, hehehehe. It's like a novel sa haba, ang cute!!! When I first read the blog entry, I couldn't help but smile, kinilig ako sobra. It's indeed a sweet way to start the Valentine's Day :)

Here's the link: http://yelraharley.blogspot.com/2007/02/two-sweet-october.html

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PDL

Ever wondered why it seems that you have to meet some people in your lifetime (whose names would appear numerous times in your life's journal), while there are just those that you're not meant to get to know better although you really would want to (remember your first crush in high school or your favorite star that you’re dying to catch a glimpse of). Ever wondered why you find yourself working/living/migrating at a faraway land when five years ago you had never imagined of setting foot on it. Ever wondered why some things just don’t happen to you, the “big break” you want has remained elusive, but other opportunities unexpectedly knock on your door. Ever wondered why you’re born the way you are – na maganda lang, di mayaman (like me! LOL :p) or mayaman pero di maganda (buti na lang afford mo si Belo or Calayan) or sobrang swerte ka na maganda na, super yaman pa na ang kelangan mo lang na effort ay maging mabait (hmph!). Oh well, there's a reason for everything. There's no such thing as accidents, coincidences or mere strokes of fate. Everything that happens in our life is His doing, no matter how trivial it may seem.

You get to know only certain people because they’re meant to play a major role in your life or you have a supporting/contrabida role in theirs. You only get the breaks thrown at your way because you’re one of the right persons who can handle them and that big break you’re waiting for is simply not meant for you. You’re at a certain place, at a certain time because you have a purpose to fulfill there.

Ria and I are joining a PDL (Purpose Driven Life) discussion group every Wednesday at King's court. Not because we wanted to catch a Maging Sino Ka Man shooting (FYI King's court is actually the Madrigal building…), although I really hope I'll see John Lloyd again or Anne Curtis in person, it's because we want to embark in a journey about finding life's purpose through the infamous book of Rick Warren. Don't we all ask that question what on Earth am I here for? It's a wonderful group of Makati (or those who work in/near Makati) young professionals. They've had these discussion groups for years and we are the nth group. Those who already graduated (yes, there's a "graduation" after a group finishes the book) from previous years still meet at King's court to bond and worship God. It's a place regardless of religion - by this I mean, it doesn't matter if you're Catholic, Baptist, Jehovah's Witness, as long as you're a Christian because it's about building a closer relationship with God.

I still can’t figure out what is exactly my purpose in life should be, though, I do have an idea. After the PDL sessions, I’ll get back to you. I hope by then I can give you more sensible, more philosophical opinions :p Actually I’m experiencing midlife crisis, aw quarter-life pala kasi I’m too young for that, about what I really want in my career. Gusto ko ba talaga magIT? Or maging Financial Analyst (hehehehe)? Or maging housewife forever na maghihintay lang ng allowance for my regular spa/salon visits (uyyy pinagpapawisan na naman si Pangga, hahahaha!)? I hope by the end of this year I’ll know what I really want so that I get to wake up each day with a passion and experience euphoria everytime I fix a bug (OA!). But whatever it is, I must remember I am here for a reason. As Einstein said, God doesn’t play dice – I couldn’t agree more. I just hope I’ll bloom wherever He plants me.

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Blogsvertise

Ey guys, this is a cool way to earn money. Claire has earned $45 daw through this. Hmmm, masubukan nga...

http://www.blogsvertise.com/

Just register and blog away! :)

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Restless

I'm restless because I am excited to move into my new place... my own bachelorette pad... my own private space where I can sing my heart out anytime I want to and I don't have to worry that somebody else's eardrums will get busted.

I'm restless because I don't know where I'll be when I reach my anniversary here in the workplace. Will I still be here or somewhere else - Lawson? Riverio? Canada? US? Hahahahaha yes pula ko og lubot. But why adamantly stay in a place when there are open doors somewhere else that can give you better opportunities for career growth? Trabaho lang, walang personalan :)

I'm restless because I don't know when I'll see my Pangga again. End of March? Oh how I wish. April so I can celebrate my birthday with him? Hayyyy sana Lord. Or May? June? July? Naku po Lord tagal nun... To date we've been apart for 91 days. That's 9 days shy from the 3digit mark. Sana naman noh di umabot ng 4digit...

I'm restless because I wanna know lahat ng katotohanan na ibubunyag ni Mang Oca at ni Chin-Chin ng Maging Sino Ka Man! Who is Eli's father? I'm 99% sure it's Fidel. But who's his Mom? Gloria? Chin-Chin? So shocks, magkapatid sila ni Jackie. Or si Jackie pala anak ni Mang Oca? Hahahahaha! I am excited to know how this soap will end. Ang gwapo talaga ni John Lloyd!!! Sigh...

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2007 First Entry

Tadaaa!! Welcome back to blogging :) The truth why it took me this long to blog again is because I forgot my password shocks akala ko I will never access my blog again... But well I got lucky this time when I tried it. Weee!!! Now before I welcome 2007 (the year of the fire pig.. ewww I hate pigs), though so many exciting things happened, especially involving ala-roller coaster emotional rides, let me enumerate a few of my 2006 highlights.

2006:

1. Ang pinakahighlight ng lahat kaya number 1 sya, I finally found someone who knocks me off my feet - my future-husband (dati kasi future-bf lang sya, now tumaas na level nya, naku baka pinagpawisan na pwet nun hahaha), ang pinakagwapo kong bf (as in! hayyy) na si Harley :D Ang saya saya talaga :) Uyyy malapit na kami mag 3 months.. Huwaw! :

2. Transferred to another company again - all in the name of career improvement pero ingon si Claire pula lang dyud ko og lubot.

3. Joined Lingkod ng Panginoon (Makati branch) and through this I got involved with community-service activities like tutoring Math to kids at Baseco. It really feels good to help and share your God-given gifts and skills.

4. Trips: Boracay - sa wakas natupad na rin ang dream kong maglakad na naka2-piece na walang paki sa ibang tao. Sagada - nature trip to the max, don't be deterred by the 12 hours bus trip, it's worth it. Baguio - with my colleagues at work to attend a friend's father's wake pero nag side-trip kami.

5. Nagpakulot ako and I love it! It's really low maintenance because it's literally "wash and wear". So, I'll keep it like this for another year or two :)

6. I completed the Simbang Gabi - secret na lang kung ano wish ko *wink*

My hopes/dreams for 2007:

1. Out of the country trip - may it be leisure or work-related, basta out of the country.

2. Be able to find a place on my own. I just wanna try to be independent, have all the responsibilities re. bills, keeping the place clean or at least livable.

3. Work in Dubai.. gusto ko mag Dubai! Hehehehe

4. Be financially stable. Ayoko na maging poor! :( Paano ba to? ha? ha?

New Year's Resolutions:

1. Quit being tamad. Shocks, the very reason why I'm blogging now is because tinatamad ako. Naku I have failed this resolution na :

2. Complain or whine less.

3. Be less critical, look for the good side in everyone. If I don't have something good to say about someone, I'll just zip my mouth. Uhhh okay, good luck :

4. Eat less sweets kasi it's not good for the body eh, hehe. Basta, be physically fit...

5. Ayoko na, hindi na ako magpapaloko sa mga SALE na yan! Nakakasira talaga sya ng budget e. From now on, I should avoid it like the plague. Good luck again :

It's another year and I am excited what this year will bring. I am positive this year will be more adventure-filled, more exciting :) So let's pop that bottle of champagne and welcome 2007...

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