memoirs of a cheerdancer

hmmmmm

2006-11-07T15:02:00.000+08:00

Copy the list and then "bold" everything you've done.

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said "I love you" and meant it
9. Hugged a tree

10. Bungee jumped (sort of)
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (ateneo-la salle)

16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne (mimosa!)
24. Given more than you can afford to charity

25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight (lovely whistler!)

31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can (scary movies make me do that!)
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was s*** faced
42. Had amazing friends (thank God)
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign

46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan (just disneyland)
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke (with feeling!)
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain

65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class (taekwondo)
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an expert (expert on ateneo haha!)
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish)
9. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children
98. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication (will a magazine do?
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart (at least i was told i did)
111. Ridden a bike
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school (for Masters)
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read (jd salinger)
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language (in Spain and Italy!)
139. Been elected to public office (school counts right?)
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

i could probably

2006-06-05T17:15:00.000+08:00

i could probably tell you about happy hour and amazing sunsets in bora,

or staying in a ghetto hotel in la,

or attempting to eat the huge, and i mean huge banana split in serendipity 3,

or finally tasting white castle burgers,

or dawson's creek-ish houses in georgia,

or bungee-jumping (somewhat) in magic mountain,

or waiting behind velvet ropes outside new york clubs while it's freezing cold,

or freaking out when i couldn't find chris in the subway,

or seeing david blaine in person,

or $12 cocktails,

or my redecorated room (thanks to my mom),

or turning 25,

or throwing an amazing party in embassy and getting everyone super drunk,

but i won't.

BECAUSE IT WILL NEVER COME CLOSE TO THE REAL THING!

bora, georgia, new york, california and my bday dinner

2006-05-25T14:23:00.000+08:00

missing admu

2006-05-24T18:49:00.000+08:00

Checklist for Ateneans.

(X) eat at Manang's -- LOVE THE LIEMPO!
(X) learn the alma mater -- WORD FOR WORD...
( ) get on the dean's list -- DOES ALMOST COUNT?
( ) sleep on a bench -- NAH...MAYBE IN MY CAR
( ) be a TNT! -- NOT INTO THAT KINDA THING :)
(X) jog around the campus in the evening -- FOR CHEERING PRACTICE
(X) visit the art gallery -- UHUH, DURING A 6-HR BREAK!
(X) know at least one xerox lady, manong, or technician by name -- AT LEAST BY FACE :)
(X) get a Jesuit for a teacher -- YUP! ARCILLA AND DACANAY AMONG OTHERS
(X) itch from higad bites -- I THINK SO...
(X) have gotten an F in something -- MATH!!! UGH!
(X) have taken a crap in school -- GUILTY!
(X) watch a La Salle vs. Ateneo UAAP game -- ALL BUT 1 :)
(X) give a powerpoint presentation -- YES
(X) study in the caf upstairs -- A FEW TIMES
(X) watch a T.A play -- YEP, PRETTY GOOD, ACTUALLY!
( ) sit on the SEC ledge and watch the stars -- DIDN'T HAVE ANYONE TO DO THAT WITH!
(X) eat in Full House, Martha's Kitchen, and Ken Afford -- I MISS THAT!
(X) sleep in the lib -- DOZE OFF A LITTLE...
( ) visit Mr. San Andres -- I DON'T REMEMBER...
(X) go to the chapel -- LUNCH TIME MASS :)
(X) have gotten a pebble stuck in your shoe/slippers in the middle of the quad -- WHO HASN'T?
(X) cut class with your block to watch a movie -- RUNAWAY BRIDE!
(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 -- NOPE...
(X) have tried siomai rice -- YEAH
( ) learn how to smoke -- NEVER, IM A GOOD GIRL :)
(X) fall in love -- OF COURSE!
( ) actually read the book you keep borrowing from the lib -- DO PEOPLE ACTUALLY DO THAT?!
(X) play cards during your free time -- A LITTLE
(X) dress in business attire -- YUCK!
(X) learn to stay awake for more than 24 hours straight -- JUST FOR MY THESIS
(X) have gotten side comments from ASSOC -- THEY'RE IN THE BABBLE TOO, SO IT WASN'T THAT SERIOUS
(X) take (and enjoy) Saturday classes -- DOES COMM HAVE A SAT CLASS?
(X) go to your immersion -- I ACTUALLY VISITED THE ORPHANAGE AFTER COLLEGE!
(X) eat Food for Thought sandwiches -- I LOVE THAT PLACE!
(X) get a boyfriend/girlfriend -- BUT OF COURSE!
(X) take time to read the vandalism in the CR doors -- YEP!
(X) watch "Minsan Lang Sila Bata" and "Macho Dancer" for class -- MACHO DANCER! HAHA!(X) do a last minute paper -- ALL THE TIME!
(X) have spent a lot for 1x1 ID pictures (for index cards and teachers' seat plans) -- I WANT MY PICTURES BACK!
(X) get exempted from final exams -- UHUH
(X) attend a college mass -- OF COURSE
( ) promise to quit smoking -- DIDN'T HAVE TO
( ) play hide-and-seek in the mini-forest -- NO!
(X) know where the best restrooms are on campus -- SEC
(X) join an org -- AJMA AND CADS BABY!
(X) allow yourself to make mistakes -- PRETTY MUCH
( ) take summer classes -- NEVER!
(X) admire the sacred heart statue in the evening -- I THINK SO...
(X) make a video for a project -- ALL THE TIME!
(X) have a crush on a teacher -- MARK ESCALER!
( ) attend a Jesuit retreat (a must for everyone) -- I WISH I HAD...
(X) have gotten a parking ticket -- LOVE THE ILLEGALLY PARKED STICKER!
(X) come to school in your crappiest yet most comfy clothes -- DURING MATH EXAMS
( ) learn how to use the Bayantel pay phones -- NOPE
(X) participate in school activities -- ALL THE BASKETBALL GAMES :)
(X) catch the Blue Babble Battalion tryouts -- OF COURSE...HAD TO!
(X) date an Atenean -- UH-YEAH
(X) ride a tricycle on campus -- UNFORTUNATELY
(X) find a tambayan -- EDSA
(X) admire the marikina valley at night -- SOMETIMES
( ) go drinking along Katipunan -- HMMM...I NEVER REALLY DID THAT...
( ) learn how to beg for a higher grade -- NO TIME FOR THAT
(X) use your cuts wisely -- UP TO THE LAST ONE!
( ) volunteer to be class beadle -- HAHA NO!
(X) had the worst lottery schedule for reg -- 2 YEARS IN A ROW!
(X) admire the trees on campus -- BEL TREES DURING XMAS...
( ) have forgotten about your freecut and gone to that class -- WHY WOULD I DO THAT?!
( ) eat in the ISO canteen
(X) be active in your org -- IS BABBLE AN ORG?
( ) have signed up on an ACP class just because the girl or guy u like signed up for it -- ALMOST...HEHE
(X) get as many app forms as you can during the job fair -- NOT REALLY
(X) learn how to cram (and still get A's) -- FOR COMM SUBJECTS :)
(X) sell tickets (or watch) an org-sponsored movie premiere -- JUST WATCHED
(X) save money to Xerox all of your seatmate's notes -- ALL THE TIME!
(X) have accidentally seen a make-out session -- WHILE I WAS PARKING
(X) check out the Meron Lagoon and Lambingan Bridge -- TO GET TO MY CAR
( ) 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 -- I THINK IM THE GROUPMATE FROM HELL! HAHA
(X) perfect the art of parking on campus -- YEP, DIDN'T HAVE A CAR STICKER FOR 1 WHOLE SEM!
( ) had a bad encounter with one of the guards on campus
(X) develop a love for sisig -- I LOVE SISIG FROM GILLIGAN'S
(X) learn how to pronounce "AEGIS" properly -- HAD TO.
(X) have used typing rooms at the library -- JUST ONCE!
(X) have reserved a classroom, AVR, etc. for a class or org function -- YES
( ) have asked the library for an endorsement to research in other libraries -- NO WAY!
(X) have lost a perfectly functioning umbrella -- ALMOST!
(X) have used consultation hours properly -- A FEW TIMES
(X) Looked forward to lab breakage refund, in case you didn't break any equipment -- ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT!
(X) visit the Guidance Office -- YEAH..
(X) and Infirmary -- I did, once. I HAD ASTHMA, I THINK..

i miss college! i miss ateneo! definitely some of the best days of my life! :)

4's

2006-04-19T22:37:00.000+08:00

The Rule of Four

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Research Assistant
2. Writer
3. Account Executive
4. Preschool Teacher

Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. Cutting Edge
2. You've Got Mail
3. Bring It On
4. Fools Rush In

Four places I have lived:
1. Ayala Alabang
2. Valle Verde 6
3. Greenhills
4. Corinthian Gardens

Four TV shows I love(d)to watch:
1. Lost
2. Friends
3. One Tree Hill
4. The Apprentice

Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Rome, Italy
2. Madrid, Spain
3. London, England
4. Paris, France

Four websites I visit daily:
1. Blogs
2. Target
3. Old Navy
4. American Idol

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Calamares
2. Fried Chicken
3. Burger
4. Chocolates

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. None! 'Cause I'm in Bora now!!!
2.
3.
4.

Now that that's done, I am going to tag...
1. Cathy
2. Angel
3. Pia
4. Cathy

another saturday night

2006-02-11T19:58:00.000+08:00

before the madness
getting pointers from francis

on a high

2006-02-10T19:13:00.000+08:00

im really kinikilig! not because of chris, but because of the 8 cutest kids (at least after kylie) in the world! yesterday started out like a normal school day - 2 and 3-year olds fighting over toys that they seldom clean up. The difference was, a teacher was applying for a job in our school. and to test her classroom management, she was asked to teach my kids, who all have strong personalities, if you know what i mean.

so after circle time, i told the children that another teacher prepared games for them and that i have to stay inside our office. almost everyone said "no!" i didn't expect them to have any complains. but they did, and they weren't going to take it sitting down, literally! i eventually had to leave and heard them saying, "don't go, teacher karen!" it really broke my heart!

all throughout the lesson time, i hid inside the office. every 5 minutes, someone would bang the door of our office and shout, "teacher, karen!" it was so endearing! after all the games, 8 kids came knocking on the office door shouting, "we're finished, teacher karen!" one of them even told me, "don't go there in the office anymore!"

ahhhh...it really feels nice when someone notices that your not around. :)

who, me?

2006-01-27T13:05:00.000+08:00

In a Past Life...

You Were: A Charming Magician.

Where You Lived: Peru.

How You Died: Decapitation.

Who Were You In a Past Life?

my new year's resolution

2006-01-15T18:38:00.000+08:00

In the year 2006 I resolve to:

Learn how to tie my shoes.

Get your resolution here

a (sort of) year-end survey

2006-01-02T11:09:00.000+08:00

What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before?
teach.

go out of town with chris and our friends.

watch a concert (black-eyed peas) in the states.

Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
i kept some. i plan to retain the ones that i didn't get to keep. hehe

Did anyone close to you give birth?
our friend nem to baby leann.

Did anyone close to you die?
no.

What countries did you visit?
hongkong, china and the states.

What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
a concrete plan. a goal.

What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
boracay walks and driving to baguio with chris.

alternative nights in yaku and dancing in embassy with my girls.

fireworks in hongkong disneyland and las vegas.

my kids'christmas program (they danced to "chocolate" and "i saw mommy kissing santa claus")

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
teaching. finally!

What was your biggest failure?
getting fat!

Did you suffer illness or injury?
colds and cough, usually from my students. :)

What was the best thing you bought?
my ibook and my ipod.

Whose behavior merited celebration?
chris. he was very patient with me this year.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
brad pitt.

Where did most of your money go?
clothes and cocktails.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
boracay, baguio and hongkong.

What song(s) will always remind you of 2005?
"ever after", "i don't wanna be" by gavin degraw and "a lil bit" by 50cent

Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? -- happier
ii. thinner or fatter? -- fatter :(
iii. richer or poorer? -- poorer :(

What do you wish you'd done more?
think about others before myself.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
eat!

How many one-night stands?
none.

What was your favorite TV program?
lost, one tree hill, the apprentice, american idol, big brother (guilty pleasure)

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
random people...

What was the best book you read?
"the firm" and the last harry potter

What was your greatest musical discovery?
songs from one tree hill and the oc

What did you want and get?
laptop, ipod and a little freedom and independence.

What was your favorite film of this year?
"lord of war"

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
another surprise party in my house.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
not getting fat.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
a little more experimental.

What kept you sane?
chris, my family, especially kylie. drinking and dancing with my friends.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
chad michael murray!!!

What political issue stirred you the most?
the gloria thingie.

Who did you miss?
my friend pia. my tatits.

Who was the best new person you met?
my co-teachers. mela (sort of)

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005:
i should learn to forgive.

What was the nicest thing someone told you about yourself:
i can get into showbiz. haha

im responsible and hardworking (my driver said that to my tita)

im so thin! (at least during the 1st half of the year)

i matured a lot.

the most touching experience you've had this year?
getting back with chris after a week of break-up.

What did you like most about yourself this year?
my maturity.

What did you hate most about yourself this year?
dissing random people, especially celebrities.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"i don't wanna be anything other than what i've been trying to lately." - gavin degraw

Was 2005 a good year for you?
yes. i reconnected with my friends and went to lots of places with chris. :)

What was your favorite moment of the year?
every minute in boracay.

fireworks in hongkong and vegas.

watching oth and pigging out with chris.

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
fights. drama.

Where were you when 2005 began?
at home.

Who were you with?
my family and chris.

Where will you be when 2005 ends?
out in the strip.

Who will you be with when 2005 ends?
family.

Do you have a new years resolution for 2006?
to lose weight.

to have a plan.

What was your favorite month of 2005?
may, july and december.

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2005?
no.

Did you miss anybody in the past year?
yes.

What was your favorite record from 2005?
"a lil bit" by 50cent

How many concerts did you see in 2005?
one. black-eyed peas.

Did you drink a lot of alchohol in 2005?
a lot!!!

do a lot of drugs in 2005?
not really.

you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
yeah.

How much money did you spend in 2005?
definitely more than i earn!

What was your proudest moment of 2005?
a great day in school when everything went according to plan. :)

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2005?
i don't really remember...

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2005 and change something, what would it be?
i would eat less and go to the gym more. i would've spent new year (2006) with chris

What are your plans for 2006?
travel with chris. lose weight. graduate (masters).

How are you different now that the year has ended?
i'm more mature (i think).

What are your wishes for the new year?
to experience new things.

to spend more time with the people i love.

to be able to handle everything that comes my way.

a much-needed vacation

2005-10-07T19:36:00.000+08:00

riding the disneyrail
tita karen and kylie
brother and sisters
pasta at last!
princess karen

things to blame for my absence:

1. work
2. school
3. plain, old laziness
4. hongkong!!!

yup, i once again visited the shopping haven. i pity chris because he had to endure walking all around hongkong with me, my sister mariel and 6 of her friends! and he caried my shopping bags, too! that's why i love him so much! :)

but the fun part was visiting hongkong disneyland. it's my fourth disney park and it was pretty okay. yeah, it was relatively smaller than the others, but at least the park was tourist-friendly. me and my brother will never forget this ride in tokyo disneyland. it was supposed to be a 360-degree theater so we thought it would be cool and all. you can just imagine our dismay when we found out that it was a 15-minute movie on the history of japan...and it was in japanese! so i think it's good that the hk disney attractions are both in chinese and english.

anyway, it was really such a joy to see my niece kylie be overwhelmed by the whole thing- the rides, the parade and the fireworks (my favorite!). i guess it was one of my dreams as a young kid to go to disneyland, and i'm happy that she's experiencing it. you see, i only got to go to disneyland when i was already 15. but i enjoyed it nonetheless. my personal fave is of course the one in la. nothing beats the original. but experiencing the one in hongkong with chris was truly amazing. i guess the magic really is in disneyland, wherever it may be. :)

busy bee

2005-09-13T17:16:00.001+08:00

i feel bad that i haven't posted anything intelligible. laziness, combined with a thousand things to do, does that to a person. to take away some of the guilt, here are some pictures:

*before i forget, can i just say that i'm so proud of the ateneo bball team. we actually beat feu! i just hope we beat la salle on thursday too! :)

mild 7's most stylish event

mariel's birthday in prince albert

my sister mariel, moi and my brother king

on the way to la luz

cabana pose

congratulations baby!

2005-08-28T14:17:00.000+08:00

chris got promoted! and with no less than an A+ rating.

i do care you know. mwah! :)

3's

2005-08-21T11:33:00.000+08:00

for lack of better things to write about:

three names you go by:
1. karen
2. michelle (just with relatives)
3. kar (my mega officemates)

three screen names you have had:
1. champagne
2. heather
3. wabykaren

three physical things you like about yourself:
1. hair
2. lips
3. eyes

three physical things you don't like about yourself:
1. arms
2. thighs
3. tummy

three parts of your heritage:
1. spanish
2. filipino
3. chinese

three things that scare you:
1. snakes
2. scary movies
3. sleeping alone after watching a scary movie

three of your everyday essentials:
1. lotion
2. lipstick
3. face powder

three of your favorite musical artists:
1. usher
2. chicane
3. d' sound

three of your favorite songs:
1. i don't wanna be (gavin degraw, one tree hill)
2. take me home (sophie ellis bextor)
3. simple things (jim brickman)

three things you want in a relationship:
1. fidelity
2. respect
3. passion

three lies and truths in no particular order:
1. i'm happy.
2. i'm sad.
3. this is the life that i want.

three physical things of the opposite sex that appeals you:
1. eyes
2. lips
3. height

three of your favorite hobbies:
1. shopping
2. dancing
3. reading

three things you want to do really badly now:
1. lose weight
2. go shopping
3. sleep

three careers you're considering/you've considered:
1. tv host
2. something in advertising
3. preschool directress

three places you want to go on vacation:
1. new york
2. spain
3. russia

three kids' names you like:
1. matthea
2. camilla
3. samantha

three things you want to do before you die:
1. travel all over the world
2. own a really big and nice house
3. have cute grandchildren

three ways that you're stereotypically a boy:
1. i eat a LOT!
2. i'm competitive
3. i like sports and fast cars

three ways that you're stereotypically a girl:
1. i'm a crybaby.
2. i love nice clothes.
3. i adore chick flicks.

three celeb crushes:
1. chad michael murray
2. brad pitt
3. craig david

three people I'm tagging:
1. angel
2. diorelle
3. patching

fatty me!

2005-08-15T18:12:00.000+08:00

i have to admit it sooner or later. truth is, i gained so much weight! there, i said it. do i feel better? not even! why am i having an extremely difficult time to shed off those 5 pounds?! i even had to take out my fat jeans. how depressing. the more i tell myself that i have to cut down with the calories, the more i eat. it doesn't help to have a boyfriend who's unsupportive of my diet days. i. need. help!

it's not like i haven't been in a situation like this before. those who know me for a long time now are used to my yo-yo weight. let's just put it this way- my heaviest was around 130 lbs (yikes!) and at my thinnest (just early this year), i weighed around 95 lbs. give or take, i'm around 104 lbs now and i'd give anything to be 100 lbs again. and i mean anything.

but i have to admit that it's mostly my fault. i love eating! but chris is to blame too. everyday we eat at least 1 meal together. during my ms. piggy days and actually up to now, all we'd do is eat. we really enjoy eating out or at least ordering in. i just don't feel full after eating "lutong bahay". i don't know if it's psychological, but normal "ulam" doesn't quite hit the spot like mcdonalds or kfc.

i just hope i can lose the extra pounds soon. it's starting to really get me down. why can't we just eat that we want and never gain weight?! i guess i just have to stop whining here and start doing some pilates. ugh!

last weekend

2005-08-01T20:15:00.000+08:00

1. the cutest kids in the world!
2. a-choo!
3. yaku (dix, stef, me, pichon, katz, jols and diana)
4. maestro (katz, me, stef, diana and cheny)
5. me and a very drunk chris in embassy

i had a pretty packed weekend. see for yourself!

thursday

if you want to find me and chris on a thursday night, just head to yaku. the crowd's pretty nice, as well as the band. they play a great mix of 90's and more recent alternative music. it's a nice change from the usual r&b or house music that bars play all-week long. anyway, it was another fun thursday night with diana, katz, stef (and their boys! haha). for me and chris, weekends officially start on thursday!

friday am

our preschool had its first field trip for this year. we took the children to little gym in el pueblo. our kids had so much fun! with about 30 students running around all over the place, it was hard to keep track of every one of them. good thing their yaya's were with them! i was so tempted to do cartwheels and do pullovers on the bar. haha i had to settle with spotting the children while they do forward and backward rolls. all in all, i think i enjoyed little gym more than my kids. :)

friday pm

me, chris, diana, gio, paolo, katz, and stef celebrated with cheny in grilla and maestro. she's celebrating because her group finally passed their thesis! she's really excited about graduating and we're all happy for her. congratulations cheny! welcome to the real world!

saturday

me and chris attended the despidida of chris' friend, julian. it was actually a csa party, but so many of my high school friends (from miriam and lsgh) were there. in our table alone, 3 guys from csa had girlfriends from miriam. i'm sure not one of us imagined a scenario like this back in high school. it's funny how small this world really is!

after the party, we ate in embassy's cafeteria. we ordered tapa with rice, chocolate chip pancakes and arroz caldo! me and chris love eating after going out on a gimmick. guess that's why i've been gaining weight! yikes, i really have to go to the gym soon!

that's all for now. time to hit the books, i have a long test in my "statistics for teachers" class. wish me luck! :)

a little of everything

2005-07-26T12:38:00.000+08:00

1. punta fuego couple
2. chris' favorite girls
3. one of the boys
4. enjoying the infinity pool
5. vodka on a sunday morning

i can't believe i finally have the time to write a proper blog entry! needless to say, the past couple of weeks have been kinda hectic. it's nice to finally have some time to breathe and relax. :) here's a little of everything that i've been up to:

angeli's birthday party (friday, july 15)

it's really fun to attend a college party. reminds me of days gone by. seriously, i really envy those kids. i hope they know that they're having some of the best days of their lives! just wait until you have to start working! then you'll know that your thesis was actually a piece of cake compared to everything that your job entails! anyway, i just wanna wish my little sis (through chris) a happy birthday! it looks like your dreams are indeed coming true! i'm happy for you. :)

embassy and breakfast at mcdonald's (saturday, july 16)

it was another saturday night in embassy. only difference is when me and chris got out of the still-packed vip room, there were no people in the club! the waiters were actually cleaning up already. and as we got out, we were met by the glare of the morning sun! how did that happen? i don't know exactly. at least it was fun being able to eat sausage mcmuffin and hash browns before getting some sleep.

uaap

i know, i know. ateneo isn't exactly the strongest team in the league this year. but neither is la salle! and that's all that matters to me. i have more fun watching la salle lose rather than ateneo win! i don't even mind being really low in the team standings, so long as la salle is there with us. haha!

all-boys gimmicks with karen (yaku: thursday, july 21 & grilla: friday, july 22)

it's not a new sight- me being the only girl (with chris' friends) or chris being the only guy (with my friends) in gimmicks. two nights in a row, i was the odd woman out. hehe but it was all good. i like talikng to chris' best friends gio and francis. but the best thing about it is those little debates that we have. being the only girl, i often oppose all their opinions on relationships. don't worry girls, i don't take anything sitting down. if they say anything that is remotely unfair to women, they'll never hear the end of it from me! we girls should always stick up for each other!

punta fuego weekend (july 23-24)

we didn't let the erratic weather stop us. me, chris, diana, mela, katz, stef, peps, mike (and some of his friends) braved the rain to go to punta fuego. we stayed in mike's amazing house (it even has a sauna and massage room) and had a blast. thanks to the long weekend, we found ourselves getting drunk saturday night and again sunday morning! of course in between all these drunken merriment, we managed to catch some rays and swim a little. i can hardly wait for the next time!

the island (monday, july 25)

after hearing mixed reviews, we finally watched the movie "the island". we were actually watching it instead of the sona! anyway, i really liked it. i think the production was great. and i really love scarlett johansson! gosh, i'd really go for her if i were i guy! haha anyway, i really recommend the movie, even if chris didn't like it that much...he said it was kinda stupid. well, it's not as if it's the first time that we don't like the same thing. i guess opposites really attract.

i'm really looking forward to being able to update my blog more. and not just with recaps, which have a tendency to sound a tad bit ditzy! hehe i promise i'll find the time, better yet, i'll make the time! take care, little ones...and behave! :)

saturday to saturday

2005-07-13T23:08:00.000+08:00

im too busy to write a post, it's crazy! anyway, here's what i did last week:

thursday night in yaku

chris' bash in grilla

chris' 4th of july birthday in temple

kylie's cinderella party in mcdonald's

friday to friday

2005-07-02T12:33:00.001+08:00

it's been a really crazy and fabulous week. here's a little recap:

friday

me, iza, katz and diana headed to embassy for the 10th year anniversary bash of preview magazine. it was fun to dress up in modern-ethnic ensembles, but it was so much better to people-watch and see what everyone else was wearing. tim yap changed his outfit at least 3 times! although the party wasn't that hot, it was still nice to hang out with the girls. besides, i still got to spend time with chris after the party, which is always a good thing. :)

saturday

my brother king celebrated his 20th birthday in this bar, luce. i really liked the place. it was perfect for chilling and having a good time with friends. so much of my friends (most of which didn't even go to my birthday party) came, actually stayed and got drunk! it was so much fun. i've never been so drunk in my whole life! good thing chris was there to take care of me. :)

monday

back to work. if you're interested, see "sightings" below for work updates.

thursday

my absolute favorite aunt in the whole world arrived from the states. it's been 3 years since we last saw each other. im really excited to spend time with her and i hope she takes me shopping too! hehe

friday

me and chris finally watched "war of the worlds". we actually liked it, even if everyone we talked to hated it. it was really scary. i mean, what if something like that does happen? gosh, i don't even want to imagine it! anyway, i think the movie really captured all the emotions. and even if i hate tom cruise now because of all the pda with katie holmes, i have to admit that he's a really good actor. after the movie, me and chris wanted to have a few drinks before going home. good thing we bumped into some friends to drink with. all in all, it was a pretty relaxing way to spend a friday night. :)

i wonder what will happen this week? i guess i'll just keep you posted.

*sightings in teacher karen's preschool*

- teacher karen crossing the street with 7 children holding on to a jumping rope and imagining that they're riding a choo-choo train.

- student "a" drinking teacher karen's chocolait; student "b" eating teacher karen's crackers (note:both students have 3 different snacks each, as well as water and 2 different kind of juice, which all remained uneaten).

- 2, sometimes 3 children wanting to sit on teacher karen's lap...all at the same time.

- student "c" doing a finger-painting activity...on teacher karen's white pants.

*watch out for more of these sightings next week!

extended weekend

2005-06-22T14:33:00.000+08:00

i've been out so much lately, it's crazy. it all started last friday when me and the girls (katz, diana, stef and stel) went to embassy. we all got so drunk, thanks to stel's cousin jon who kept the drinks flowing in. it's a good thing that the music inside the vip room was r&b and we were able to dance to it. i got home at around 5am and i slept through my saturday class!

that night, yaku and then capone's were our bars of choice. yaku was pretty lame, and one of the part-owners even tried to hit on my firend iza. he even gallantly gave us a 10% discount on our bill. talk about cheap! capone's was laid back and just right. we drank shots of kamikaze which got us tipsy in no time. as usual, i went home at 5am, just as the night was slowly turning into day.

but apparently, our weekend didn't end there. last night we all headed to san mig, then side bar in el pueblo. katz said that starting the weekend on tuesday is really bad, but who cares? i got to meet a lot of new and inetresting people. too bad i had to go home early (around 2am) because i had to wake up at 6:30am for my preschool class! the weird thing is, i don't feel tired at all. i just love going out with my friends! we all can't wait for this weekend, which from the looks of it is pretty packed. i just hope we can restrain ourselves from going out before friday!

first day

2005-06-18T13:11:00.000+08:00

school started last wednesday. it was my first day as "teacher karen". once the kids started coming in, the 2 hours went by quickly. it was my most exhilirating experience in a very long time. i just have the cutest kids in the whole world! i love giving them hugs and hearing the funniest things from them. but don't get me wrong. what i quickly realized is that teaching's not that easy at all...

in this team-building seminar we had a few weeks ago, our facilitator (who also happened to be an early childhood educator) told us how she hated the usual reactions of people when told that she is a preschool teacher. they often say things like "you must really love kids" or "that's such a fun job". although we do love children (a lot, actually) and it is fun, it doesn't stop there. the reason why it's fun is because we love what we're doing. loving it means sticking with it even when it becomes frustrating or stressful...just like any other profession.

i think that the only rule when it comes to work is to do something you really love. im still new at teaching and i still have so much to learn. but im sure that my passion for it will keep me through even through the most trying times. or at least, i hope it would.

work, pasalubong and dating

2005-06-08T17:25:00.000+08:00

i've been very busy these past few days. school will start next week so all the teachers are preparing for the big day. i just finished the bulletin board for my class which is also called the "explorers". it's been very hard because as some of you may know, my handwriting is absolutely terrible! and drawing? forget it! i always have to rely on the computers for all the graphics and text that i need.

speaking of computers, guess who just got a 12-inch powerbook g4? moi! my parents felt so guilty for leaving me behind last weekend. you see, my whole family (even kylie) went for a little vacation, sort of a last hurrah before school starts for everyone. anyway, they bought me so much stuff, more than they bought for themselves. besides that, i got to spend a lot of time with chris. we did all the things that i wanted to do because he was trying to cheer me up. i guess it pays to be left behind once in a while.

anyway just like i said, me and chris had a really full weekend. to give you an idea, here is a rundown of all the things we did last saturday: we started it out by doing a winsor pilates workout, the video of which i got from the home tv shopping network. chris did it too because i was sad...hehe. then, we took a dip in our pool. after eating some lunch, we headed to power plant to watch madagascar. when the movie ended, we did some shopping, which is always fun. that night, we went to greenbelt and stayed there for 6 hours! we ate dinner in hue, had dessert in cafe breton, played with some board games in that hobby shop then stayed in red box for 3 hours. whew! i can't believe we did all that!

it's been a long time since we had a "date" like that. it reminded me and chris of our dating and "ligaw"days. it's actually fun to do something like that once in a while. like most long-term couples, we tend to take our alone time for granted. i guess in our case, seeing each other everyday is equated to quality time. we both realized this weekend how much we can really enjoy each other, not to mention how kilig it is to reminisce and do the things we did when we first started. it may not be as exciting when we first did it, but it's a lot more meaningful knowing that we got this far.

my passion

2005-06-03T11:54:00.000+08:00

when i was about 6 years old, my mom enrolled me in ballet class. i guess she wanted to make a ballerina out of me like most mothers. i can just imagine the disappointment that she felt when the instructor told her that i often disrupted the class and that i wasn't really focused in dancing. needless to say, i never saw that dance studio again. a few years later, she enrolled me in a hip-hop class. i remember enjoying it, but i don't really remember being good at it. my mom and titas would always be amused when i danced because "matigas yung katawan ko".

come 5th grade, cheering and gymnastics were the in things to do. not wanting to be left out, i took gymnastics lessons. during that time, if you knew how to do a cartwheel, you're surely in the squad. and that started my 11-year stint as a cheerdancer. i have to admit that my academic years were characterized by my cheering life. like in grade 6, when we were the grade school champions or 4th year high school when we were part of the J & J cheering competition or 2nd year college when we totally sucked in the uaap nestle crunch thing. looking back, i don't regret making cheerdancing almost the center of my life.

sure, i was never in a winning team. the miriam pep squad lost in the J & J during my senior year. i especially took it hard because i was co-captain. the admu squad was literally a work in progress when i got in during freshman year in college. we didn't even have an official name because the babble wasn't ready to take us (girls) in their wing. when i was captain during 4th year, major changes have been made and we improved a whole lot. but it still wasn't enough to compete with the seasoned veterans like ust and up.

now, the miriam and ateneo squads are flourishing and are given more respect. they are reaping the rewards of all our hardwork and i have to admit that i am sometimes jealous of them. but nothing can take away everything that cheering has given to me. it made me know and express the real me. it brought me closer to my family and friends who always supported me. it gave me friends who i will forever cherish. but most of all, it gave me the courage and confidence that i still hold on to up to now.

i probably am the stereotypical cheerdancer- short skirts, annoying pompoms, maarte, loud, always perky and is more passionate about cheering than studying and excelling in school. but at least i am passionate about something. few people can say that about themselves. the rest spend their whole life looking for one. im just greatful that im part of the few lucky ones who don't have to look anymore.

a tourist in shanghai

2005-05-30T17:17:00.000+08:00

shanghai was truly amazing! i didn't expect to like it, but i really do. the buildings, the lights, the weather...even our tour guide, judy. she didn't rip us off at all. she brought us to the really nice tourist spots like nanjing road, madame soong's mansion, yuan garden and the tv tower, which was very near our hotel. the only downside of the tour was eating chinese food everyday! im not really a fan and i don't think that i'll ever become one.

anyway, i especially liked being able to go up the tv tower because it's the 3rd tallest in the world. you see, im sorta "collecting" tv towers. to date, i've been up the cn tower in toronto (the tallest in the world), the space needle in seattle and the eiffel tower in paris. i wanna go to the one in russia next. gosh, i just love traveling! if only i had the money, i'd be a tourist my whole life. i'll just go back to manila now and then to eat authentic filipino food and to show off everything that i bought! :)

carrie did it!

2005-05-30T16:56:00.000+08:00

i guess my little crying incident after watching carrie sing isn't so silly anymore. after all, i really believe that song sealed the deal for her. im just so happy! it's the first time that someone i truly liked won anything. usually my bets just don't make the cut. you name it- the contender (gomez), the amazing race 6 (adam and rebecca), american idol 3 (jasmine), the apprentice 2 (jennifer)...the list just goes on and on. i even started to think that they do bad the minute i pick them. i guess im not a jinx after all! it's just too bad that i wasn't able to watch the whole show 'cause we had to leave for shanghai. whoever taped the show, please lend it to me!

next stop: shanghai

2005-05-25T16:21:00.000+08:00

tomorrow, me and my family are off to shanghai. i can't wait to see the "paris of the east". i even listed all the places that i wanna visit. last time we went to china, the tour guide just kept bringing us to different "factories" which sold us everything from herbal medicine to chinese vases. this time around, we vowed to ditch the tour group if it isn't heading to any of the tourist spots that we wanna see. im so excited! i'll tell you all about it when i get back. :)

carrie made me cry

2005-05-25T16:10:00.000+08:00

i just finished watching american idol and carrie underwood made me cry. i know it sounds stupid but i called my friends who were also watching and they cried too. i have loved carrie ever since the auditions, but there was just something about the way she sang the last song. i guess i noticed it more because bo sang the same song just a few minutes before she did. her rendition was just more vulnerable (in a good way), and she was clearly singing her heart out. all the judges, even randy who was never really into her, were blown away. simon even said that carrie had a lot of guts going against the older and more experienced bo, and that she did everything to win the competition. i don't know what will happen, but whoever wins, carrie will always have my vote.

the beach, anyone?

2005-05-24T18:55:00.000+08:00

memories of bora

if any of you are going to the beach, please take me and chris! i promise we won't be annoying tag-alongs. summer's almost ending, so there's little time left. gosh, i just miss the beachy life. *sigh*

surprise!

2005-05-19T17:29:00.000+08:00

i turned 24 years old last monday. can you believe that? im almost a quarter of a century old! anyway, my parents and chris threw me a surprise birthday party last sunday. that was my 3rd surprise party in the last 4 years so im kinda used to it. nonetheless, i still wanna thank everyone who came and those who didn't come but still greeted me. and to my family and of course chris, thanks so much for all the effort! i don't know why you keep doing that!

anyway, my only wish is to never have a surprise birthday party again. :)

congrats from chris

2005-05-10T13:25:00.000+08:00

congrats teach!

...waby......waby......waby......waby......waby......waby......waby......waby......waby......waby......waby......waby......waby......waby...

congrats on the new job! i know you'll do great!

Love ya!

Chris

teacher karen

2005-05-09T16:29:00.000+08:00

i got a phone call this morning from one of the owners of the preschool that i've applied to. apparently, they picked me for the job of teaching the toddlers class this coming school year. yep, im officially a preschool teacher. i still don't know how i feel about it. i guess i'll just know when i start teaching already. i'll finally find out if im really cut out for this job. but what if im not?

as fabulous as ever

2005-05-05T16:30:00.000+08:00

bora was a b-l-a-s-t! i have to admit that it was a lot better than the last time. i think the difference this time is that it was more relaxing. everyday we'd spend the afternoons swimming and hanging out in jonah's. sure, we had to wait close to an hour for our shakes but it was all good. another great thing is watching my niece kylie swim and play on the sand. you see, it's her first trip to the beach so everything is new to her.

my favorite part of the day though, was after dinner. me and chris would have our alone time and walk on the beach. it's been a while since we talked that way and just enjoyed each others' company. i guess everyday stress can take away things like that. needless to say, i always look forward to these moments.

i also found a new sport/hobby/thing to do when im bored. actually i don't really know for sure what it's called but i think it's poi or poi-dancing. those of you who went to bora would know it. it's like dancing with glow sticks but with a ball (usually on fire) on a cord instead. i only got the practice poi, which are ribbons that are made a bit heavy with pebbles or something. anyway, when i get better (yup, im sick with flu), you'd probably find me by our pool, poi-dancing and wishing that i was in bora instead!

bora bound (again)

2005-04-28T19:23:00.000+08:00

yes, im off to bora again. this time with mi familia. me and chris are so excited! we both deserve this trip. chris has been really stressed because of work and i just finished 9 units of grad school. im all set to wear my new bikinis, have a choco-banana-peanut shake in jonah's and get an even tan! so until further notice, this baby is officially on vacation. :)

america let me down

2005-04-28T19:14:00.000+08:00

my american idol just got voted off. yes, constantine left the show. i feel so sad. gosh, i really do. it was so unexpected. why did it have to be him? why do they always take away the good ones? and the cute ones, for that matter. i wish it could've been scott instead. he's such a weirdo! oh, well. i don't even know if i still wanna watch that freakin' show! im just so bummed...

at long last

2005-04-25T13:02:00.000+08:00

madel and matt met through a common friend. madel was actually seeing someone else, but matt persisted. she would come home from a date and often find matt waiting for her, with food for them to share. madel was half-annoyed and half-flattered. she just let him continue, thinking that he would soon give up. but madel was wrong. gradually, she warmed up to matt. she even agreed to go out with him in one condition- she would still go out with the other guy. matt, thankful for anything that madel could give him, happily obliged. this set-up continued for some time. she and her friends were constantly treated to out of town trips and good food. as time passed, madel started to get confused. who did she really want to be with? she prayed to God and asked for a sign. whoever visits her at home first is the one for her. deep inside, madel was hoping that it wasn't matt. but it was.

now, 25 years, 2 daughters (one of which is me), 1 son, 1 grandchild, 1 million trips, 3 million fights and 1 billion meals together, they are getting married in church for the very first time. madel will finally have the wedding that she has always dreamed of, not just with the man of her dreams, but also with the man who has always dreamed of her.

seeing for the first time

2005-04-14T20:13:00.000+08:00

i walked around my village yesterday for over an hour. no, i didn't want to torture myself. i just wanted to shed off some really unwanted pounds. you see, we might go back to bora before this month ends and i wanna look good. besides, i have a total of 3 new bikinis from the states (i had 2 shipped and tita malou got me another one) and i think they deserve to be shown off. anyway, i really enjoyed it. i never realized how interesting our village is.

to begin with, i hardly know anyone in our neighborhood. im just familiar with our area, not really aware of those around us. it's funny when i get to meet people who live here. like in my previous job, i had two officemates who did. anyway, i just fell in love with my village yesterday. after years of living here, i finally see why my parents just love it here. the parks are so pretty! like there's this one park that had a pathway lined with trees that bended and formed a sort of tunnel. and there are at least two parks with a gazebo. really nice.

the houses here aren't too shabby either. of course some are weird or old, but some are really beautiful. there's this house that looks like something straight out of london, iron gates and all. there's also this other one that had a mediterranean thing going on, and it really looks great. seeing them makes me want to have our house renovated!

before, i used to think that the best thing about living here was the proximity of ateneo, the different malls and of course, edsa. but after really seeing my village for the first time, i just know that this is one of the best locations to go home to.

wanderlust

2005-04-11T13:19:00.000+08:00

for some twist of fate, me and chris found ourselves driving to tagaytay last saturday. it wasn't at all planned and not even a welcome surprise. we just decided to make the most out of it and at least have lunch there. i picked the newly-renovated taal vista lodge. the food was just okay...we all know that antonio's is the best that tagaytay has to offer. anyway, the reason that i wanted to check it out is because i used to spend many weekends there. like i was telling chris, that place was a part of my childhood. it was interesting to see that although it had an updated look, it still seemed the same. at least it felt the same.

now that i think about it, i feel that way about a lot of places. traveling was something my family did on a regular basis. i just can't imagine not traveling. and now, when i revisit some of these places, i feel connected to them. i guess it's because of the memories that are attached to these destinations. i feel this especially when we go to cebu or to canada. some of my happiest moments were spent in those two places. sometimes i feel more at home there than here in manila.

i guess traveling is just a part of who i am. oftentimes i have this itch to get away, even just for a while. and when i do have a family of my own, i want my kids to develop this itch too. this way, they might still bring me along with them even when im old and gray. but for now, i just want to travel as much as i can with chris. i want to discover new places and revisit my favorites. we've already done a bit of traveling together and it's always a great experience. with him, things just look so much better...and feel just so damned good!

crazy over connie

2005-04-07T19:08:00.000+08:00

i am totally in love with constantine maroulis! he's the fairer rocker dude in american idol 4. even during auditions, he was already a favorite. admittedly, bo dice (the other rocker) is better vocally. but man, can constantine pout! also, all the judges are slowly falling in love with him. he just keeps getting better every week. whatever his song choice is, he makes it a point to give it a sexy twist. he's one of the two reasons why i even watch the show. the other is carrie underwood, who is actually my bet. im so into watching them that i almost didn't go to antonio's with my family yesterday. my mom wanted us to leave already but i said that i just had to watch ai! of course i had my way and as always, antonio's was great. too bad chris wasn't able to go with us because of work. anyway, constantine is through the next week and i guess i'll just have to wait until then.

sated

2005-04-04T19:08:00.000+08:00

bora babes

15 reasons why bora was oh, so fabulous:

1. the beach
2. our room...really nice
3. hanging out with old friends...
4. and meeting new ones
5. 4-cheese pizza in aria
5. hed kandi...
6. as well as bliss
7. jonah's choco-banana-peanut milkshake
8. happy hour conversations
9. sunrise...
10. and sunset
11. dokito frito
12. wearing a bikini all day
13. seeing people...
14. and being seen
15. knowing that im definitely going back!

bora bound

2005-03-30T20:09:00.000+08:00

yes, im going to b-o-r-a cay! if someone told me last week that i'd be going to the most beautiful island in the world this friday, i would've laughed to his face! while i knew that i was definitely going to bora this summer, i didn't think that it would be this soon. it wasn't at all planned. nem and abi just had this itch to go a couple of days ago. after pulling some strings (with parents and stuff), it seems that i am all set! im so excited that im practically packed! i have a lot of friends with me and there are a lot of things going on there this weekend like that bliss event. i just hope that i don't have to face any major glitches. but whatever happens, i just know that this trip will be extra special. after all, spur of the moment plans are often the best.

baguio revisited

2005-03-28T17:16:00.000+08:00

me and some friends

baguio was a little different this year. yeah, we still stayed in the manor in camp john hay, in practically the same room, with the same view and everything. we also did all the things that we usually do in baguio- go to the church, hangout in starbucks, have dinner in don henrico's (which i think tastes better there) and buy pasalubong in good shepherd. we also pigged out and got lazy most of the time, two very important elements of a great vacation.

the difference this year is that chris and i did a lot of new things. for one, we got to enjoy bagiuo's night life. it’s been a while since i last went to a bar in baguio. i usually go with friends or my brothers. this time, i was with chris and it was kinda nice. we also went to the butterfly sanctuary, which i didn't even know existed. it was actually kinda lame, but kylie enjoyed it anyway. plus, we got some cute pictures with the butterflies too. another new thing for us is going biking in burnham park. it was like being a kid again, at least for twenty minutes. the only difference is that when i was a kid, my mom had to literally drag me away from my bike to get me to stop. these days, i just don't have the same energy anymore. after that, we had a 1-hour massage in the spa in our hotel. it was another baguio first and a very relaxing one. i really believe that a full-body massage is good anywhere around the world.

anyway, we're back here in manila to our boring, old lives. i have to admit that im itching to get out of the city again, this time to any beach. my bikini's need showing off and it's just too f***ing hot!

off to someplace better

2005-03-24T09:19:00.000+08:00

summer officially starts in about an hour, well at least for me. why you ask? well, we're leaving for baguio baby! i know it's just baguio. gosh, we've been going there for holy week for as long as i can remember. but it's still great to be getting out of this congested city! besides, this is the 3rd time that chris is going with us. can you imagine, 3 holy weeks together. who would've thought? i sure hope we do more this year than just sleep and pig out though. i've been doing that for months now, so i think it's time for a break. see you when i get back!

pretty ironic

2005-03-22T22:54:00.000+08:00

i have good news and bad news. the bad news is i just had the worst job interview ever. the good news is i got the job! how did that happen? well, it was really my third interview with the ad agency (a pretty good one, actually). the president of the company was the one doing the interview. let's just say that he's one of the rudest people that i have ever encountered. he even went as far as insulting my previous company by implying that he wasn't familiar with it. all i can say is that he must be a really stupid advertising agency president if he doesn't even know of mega magazine or any of our other titles. i just wonder what he tells their clients when asked about the figures of the different magazines in the philippines. simpy put, some people are just plain jerks!

anyway, like i said, i still got the job. it's safe to say that my previous interviews went really well. my boss, if ever i do take the job, is really nice. and i do believe that i can learn a lot from her. to tell you honestly, i don't really like the job in the first place. the only reason i went to the final inerview was because i had so much fun during my second interview, which included all the members of the team i was supposed to join. i guess having that nightmare of an interview was some sort of a sign telling me how wrong that job was for me. but it's still an ego boost to get accepted...even if i knew that i would refuse it all along.

growing up

2005-03-22T22:37:00.000+08:00

last week, someone really close to me left for the states to find a "better" life. i know it's no big deal, people do it everyday. i guess i just really felt sad...and somewhat scared. sad for him being all alone there, and sad for everyone here who will miss him. scared to realize that we are all indeed growing up...

i know that i'm in that point in my life where i start to make life-defining decisions. what career path should i take? when should i get married? is this really what i want??? i guess i just don't want to waste my time in making the wrong decisions. but i'm pretty sure that in time, i'll know all the answers...at least i hope i would.

test, test

2005-03-17T15:12:00.000+08:00

just testing something...

embassy

2005-03-08T14:50:00.000+08:00

embassy virgins

last saturday, we finally set foot inside embassy, the current "it" spot in the metro. it was actually divided into two parts- the cuisine and the club itself. personally, i like the cuisine better. we didn't actually eat, we just had a few drinks before going inside the club. the interior was really great and it was a pretty good venue to hangout with friends. i also heard that the food is just like le souffle's, only a bit cheaper. that's more than good enough for me.

the club was another story. i don't know if i'm just getting old, but the club scene just doesn't appeal to me anymore. going in the club was like going back into time, specifically 1999, the year when raves and events were a weekend thing. it was just like a mini event inside, complete with people who had glow sticks or whatever they call those nowadays. i didn't even know that they still made those! in fairness to the club, the crowd was actually okay. after all, the place is fairly new so i guess it's still safe from being a sellout.

one of the cool things about the club is that it had a vip room. there was a password for you to get in. if i get to have a bar of my own, i'd also have a "members only" room with all the works- overflowing drinks, the most comfy couches, the right music to set the mood and best of all, it will overlook the regular bar so that the "members" can actually check out everyone else without being seen. and the password? well, did you really think that i'd give you the password?!

just shop

2005-03-04T14:36:00.000+08:00

borgy, our pool boy

hey guys! check out today's philippine daily inquirer. remember the shoot i was telling you about? well, it's coming out today. haven't seen it myself but i know it's pretty good. :)

edsa day and american idol

2005-03-02T12:27:00.000+08:00

although i technically live in edsa (well, at least our village has an edsa gate), i was nowhere near the shrine last feb 25. instead, me and chris headed to our friend francis’ house in batangas. diana, agnes and gio were also there. we were supposed to go wakeboarding first, but because it was out of the way, we didn’t want to get dark and we didn’t have enough money, we decided not to. i still plan to go one of these days, though. anyway, we had so much fun. we didn’t swim or anything. we just ate a lot, drank (at least they did), relaxed and had a videoke showdown all throughout the day.

i was so inspired by american idol that i practically hogged the mike. don’t you ever wonder what you would sing if you auditioned for american idol? i’d probably sing a whitney houston song like “saving all my love for you” or “run to you”. i’d love to hear what simon will say about my rendition…or maybe not. at least i think paula will say something like “you’re a very beautiful girl…” before flushing my pop star dreams down the toilet! haha i wish!

my favorite among the girls is carrie underwood. she’s so good! and i really think that america has had enough of the typical black singer (no offense, but the last 2 idols were black and i think 3 in a row is a bit too much). i have many favorites among the boys. constantine is sooo hot! that other rocker dude is admittedly a better singer, but like simon said, constantine has a certain charisma. i like anthony federov’s voice, too. it’s really effortless and soothing. surprisingly, i also like that scott savol guy, the one who looks like a serial killer. of course there’s anwar and mario vasquez. mario’s really good, but i think that he’s just like latoya last year. he’s arguably one of the favorites and he can really sing, but it still depends on america’s votes.

anyway, me and chris plan to go to the states this summer for our friends’ anya and paolo’s wedding. i hope that there’s still american idol by that time ‘cause im gonna vote for sure! you see, i have this bet with chris. he just picked mario vasquez and that lindsey girl (she’s pretty daw kasi) and the rest of the contestants are mine. im pretty sure that i won’t have a hard time winning this bet. :)

almost surreal

2005-02-23T14:07:00.000+08:00

for the life of me, i never thought that borgy manotoc, the cadness sisters (one of them was actually borgy’s girlfriend), phoemela barranda and tim yap would ever step into my house. some of them were even half-naked! it was actually for a photo shoot for just shop, a pull-out shopping magazine that comes out every 3rd weekend in the philippine daily inquirer. see, my friend katz works as a fashion assistant for stylist jenni epperson. they kinda borrowed my house, our pool to be exact, for their feb issue.

katz arrived with literally dozens of shopping bags filled with clothes, shoes and accessories that she pulled-out from different shops. the swimsuits were really nice and sexy, especially the white ones. katz offered me to try them out after the shoot, but how can i do that after someone as sexy as phoem (we're kinda tight na kasi...hehe) just wore it and posed seductively amidst the drooling eyes of my boyfriend, my friend pia’s boyfriend, my dad, our boy and all 3 of our drivers?! i mean, what would that do to my ego?

anyway, my brother king was pretty shocked when he got back from school. he got in his room only to find borgy and his girlfriend resting on his bed while waiting for their turn. i guess i forgot to tell him that his room was the dressing room for the day. being the ma-pr person that he is, he was chatting with all of them in no time. now that was a sight- my brother talking to tim yap (just calling him tim seems bitin) about his daughter kylie.

they were a really interesting bunch. borgy was quite charming. he easily talked to everyone and he gamely did all the goofy shots, like the one where he posed as a pool boy (i will post that picture soon!). phoem was surprisingly more attractive in person. i guess she just doesn’t look as good on tv. the cadness sisters were appealing in that model kind of way and tim yap was actually nice. i used to really hate him. i still do, but not that much anymore. after all, he was my guest!

having worked in a magazine, i have to admit that the shoot ran pretty smoothly. the only dead-tired person there was katz. she did all the odds and ends- from assisting in the dressing room to ordering pizza for everyone. she’s really giving a lot to her job. i guess she must really like it. anyway, check out the mag if you can. it’s coming out next friday, march 6. the clothes are really nice and our otherwise, boring pool actually looks good.

valentine's scrooge

2005-02-14T15:48:00.000+08:00

chris and me

it’s valentine's day. and like the rest of the female population, i am expecting an elaborate surprise or gift from my boyfriend. what can i do when all the love stories that i get to watch or read about portray men who would move heaven and earth for the woman that they love? i shamelessly crave for all those over-sentimental lines and mushy gimmicks. you guessed it, i am one of those hopeless romantics. actually, i think everyone is. some people just don’t want to admit it. we all want someone to sweep us off our feet and overwhelm us with their love until our hearts burst into a million peices.

i actually found someone who has literally blown me away. he has done so many things for me that will rival anything that any filipino or foreign actor has ever done in a movie for their leading lady. take for example valentine’s of 2003. after dinner in top of the citi, he brought me to his house but made me wait in his car first before going in. when i did go in, it was completely dark except for dozens of candles that were lit to create a pathway going up to his room. in the background was the song “out of my league” by stephen speaks. when i got in his room (which was also filled with candles), there was a cake waiting for me. he then turned on the tv and played a short video that he made for me. it was actually a talk-show wherein he was interviewed by his friends (all guys) about us and how much he loved me. the best part was that he openly talked about all those things in front of his friends. as we all know, guys try so hard to exude a macho image, especially when their friends are around. anyway, my point is, “pang movies” talaga the whole thing. except that is was better. way better.

this valentine's, i have to admit that i’ve been a major brat. i guess i just got used to being given the royal treatment and i have to admit that my expectations are kinda high. i’ve been blatantly hinting about it since december! we actually have great plans- a couples massage in neo spa and then dinner afterwards. for a time, i secretly thought that there was more to our night, maybe a surprise or two. my boyfriend kept telling me that there wasn’t any. and that he was very sorry. it’s just that there are bigger, and more important things that he is actually saving up for. not just for him, but for us.

at first, i was a bit disappointed. i guess i kinda equated his love for me with flowers, chocolates, candles and romantic dinners. it’s valentine's day after all. then i realized that those things aren’t necessarily love at all. love is braving edsa during rush hour everyday (even if you're sick) just to be with me for a few hours. it’s watching sappy tagalog movies and teleseryes with me even if you hate it with passion. it’s giving me the best part of the fried chicken and the last bite of the burger. i can’t believe how petty and superficial i was! how can I not realize what’s truly important?

bay, im sorry for being such a whining brat. those little things that you do (that I sometimes take for granted) are what really makes you special. our story will always be better than any of the most romantics movies ever. you know why? because you’re real…and we’re real. and nothing can ever change that. i love you so much. happy valentine's day!

jaded

2005-02-10T14:27:00.000+08:00

when was the time when you first felt ordinary? when the things that made you special weren’t as special anymore? was it when you first found out that you shared your name with a million other people? or was it during college, when you finally accepted that yes, there are people who are way smarter than you…a lot actually. however way it might have happened, that moment is one of the saddest moments of your life. at least it is for me.

i used to believe that i was slightly better than everyone else. that i had things going for me that other people can only dream about. i guess i thought i was invincible or something. that’s why it was really tough when reality hit me. and boy, did it hit hard. it was a very humbling experience. something to remind me that i am just like everyone else. which means that everything that i’ve experienced and every emotion that i’ve felt is everyone else’s. there just wasn’t anything special about any of them. i guess it’s like finding a treasure only to realize that somebody else was there before you. and in my darkest moments, i ask myself why i even bother at all.

being ordinary sucks.

the "bad guy" and telenovelas

2005-02-09T10:36:00.000+08:00

did you ever watch a movie where the bad guy faked being sweet and nice? and the good guy was the only person who saw through all that? and all throughout the movie he tries to tell everyone that, but they just won't listen? well, i feel like im living through a movie just like that. it's soooo frustrating! im so close to hiring a private investigator to follow the "bad guy" around. i'd have the "bad guy" videotaped all-day round. then i'll send the tape to everyone who knows said "bad guy" so they'll all know just how evil he really is! and the "good guy" (a.k.a. moi!) wins again!

how i wish life was always that fair. but like everyone else in the planet realized a long time ago, it's not. chris is so annoyed when i bring up that "bad guy". he says he doesn't like all the negative energy coming out of me. i can't help it. just the thought of that person gets me all riled up. i know that i really can't do anything about it. if i did, then my life would just like be the movies...

come to think of it, my life is more like a very long-running telenovela. it sure has the right ingredients- love, romance, betrayal, hate, deception, action, adventure, of course, some family fun and a bunch of quirky characters that make all that possible. but im not complaining. 'cause like in any telenovela, despite and inspite of all the missing parents, cheating husbands, horrible accidents, not to mention exaggerated bankruptcies, the "bida" always has her twisted version of a happy ending. and it's only hers, no one else's. and i think that is what makes it all worthwhile.

old friends and birthdays

2005-02-07T13:09:00.000+08:00

i had a pretty good weekend, that is aside from my neice kylie being confined in the hospital for some kind of infection. but that's another story. anyway, like i said, my weekend wasn't a bit shabby. me and chris "balanced" our friends. you see, right after college, we sorta maxed out chris' friends. we depended solely on them for our weekends. at times it became really frustrating when we were left in the cold, wasting a perfectly good saturday night. it's not their fault really, but frustrating, nonetheless.

for 2005, my goals include reconnecting with old friends. i was really off to a good start. my friends pia and katz are both january babies so that was 2 saturdays out of 4. not a bad start at all. february's in good shape, too. like i said earlier, i had a good weekend. friday was videoke night with my high school friends triccy, karina, sharyn and of course, their boyfriends. it was good seeing them. i usually get to be with them just once a year, twice if im lucky. it was really fun. too bad we had to go home early 'cause i had class the next day.

saturday night was a blast as well. it was our friend nem's birthday celebration. we had dinner in the fort then went to metrowalk for some drinks and dancing (yes, chris dances...and believes that he's good at it). technically, nem fell under chris' list of friends but i also got to see a lot of high school friends, so there.

this weekend is our friend diana's birthday. actually, she introduced me and chris but she never imagined that we would get together. oh boy, was she surprised! again, that's another story. going back, it looks like we'll be having a "balanced" weekend again. the party will be a mix of my friends (the usual miriam-lsgh crowd and a few ateneans) as well as chris' friends (dlsu people, with a few from csa, too). im really looking forward to it...so if you're invited, i guess i'll just see you there!

dreaming of summer

2005-01-28T13:23:00.000+08:00

punta fuego sunset

i've been in summer mode since last october, or in other words, since i quit my job. i just love summer. it's ultimately my favorite season ever! first of all, my birthday is during the summer. when i was younger, i secretly wished that i was born at least a month later. that way, my birthday would be in june and i would get to celebrate it in school with my friends. but my most recent birthdays proved to be worth the sucky ones that i had when i was younger. one of which was my birthday 2 years ago, which i celebrated in bora with my family, friends and chris. we had a blast, and of course bora was spectacular. who would've thought that summer and birthdays totally go together?

summer is also equivalent to the beach. this year, chris and i hope to go someplace new. maybe palawan, davao or even bohol. however, bora remains to be our top choice. i mean, who doesn't love bora? but whatever happens, we will go to the beach...even if it's just somewhere as near as punta fuego. i can almost feel the sand between my toes. god, i miss the beach!

another thing that i really miss is wakeboarding. it's been ages since the last time we got really stoked. me, chris and a bunch of friends used to drive to batangas every week just to go wakeboarding. no other sport can beat the thrill of wakeboarding, at least for me. it's such a rush. just thinking about it makes me feel excited.

i know, i know. im getting carried away. i just wish summer was here already. that's the only time when the real fun begins. until then, i just have to keep on dreaming...

cut me some slack, im new to this!

2005-01-24T17:45:00.000+08:00

here's one of the pics that i promised. i can't upload the shoes pic because it's not really clear. oh well, im still trying to figure this blogging thing out. where's chris when i need him?

with my niece kylie in chinese monk

for starters

2005-01-24T17:05:00.000+08:00

here are some of the reasons why i finally decided to be a blogger:

1. im a bum. i do absolutely nothing. i wake up each day and literally count the hours before my boyfriend chris comes over my house from work. and when he does, he talks about his day programming and i babble about the hours i spent watching the O.C. reruns on tv, checking the friendster profiles of everyone (who's "in a relationship" and who's not), what i ate for lunch and what new word my niece kylie said that day. so i guess this blog thingie is another topic that we can talk about.

2. i think my life's pretty cool. being the loser that i am, i like to think that the people who surround me and the things that happen to me are pretty interesting. just wait for my future posts and you be the judge.

3. i hold a degree in communications. i was a comm major in ateneo and i guess its about time to do a little "communicating" of my own.

4. i can do anything i want. and i think that this is something that i really want to do. really.

so here goes nothing...

yesterday was a pretty good sunday. me and chris heard mass, then after that, we ate lunch with tita malou (chris' mom) and angeli (chris' sister). we were also with this guy that angeli met on the plane on her way home from the states a couple of weeks ago. we ate in haiku and it was pretty okay. the last time me and chris ate there, we were kinda on budget so it was the perfect time to make up for it since were not paying.

after that, tita malou took me and chris christmas shopping. i know it's kinda late but im not complaining. i love recieving gifts and i love shopping! we decided that we both wanted shoes. as usual, chris took forever to choose. i swear, that guy is worse than a girl! 2 hours and 2 malls later, he finally decided on classic white lacoste sneakers. i, on the other hand got these really funky retro-ish pair from nine west (i'll try to upload pics of it but im not sure if i can). at first i didn't want to get them 'cause they're a bit pricey. but everyone else talked me into it. what can i do? im just a girl.

thanks tita malou! mwah!

later that night, we met up with my family in chinese monk. our relatives from vancouver were there and i realized how much i missed canada. we used to spend our summers there and even christmas several years ago. it's just like the states minus the freeways and of course a little more quiet. i really want to go back soon.

anyway, i hope i could upload pics of me and my niece kylie in chinese monk. im still figuring out how and im not exactly a computer whiz (that would have to be my boyfriend). im sure that i'll get the hang of this soon. and if ever you guys have any tips or suggestions, feel free to post here or whatever.

i have to go get ready 'cause were going to antonio's in tagaytay for dinner. yummy! hopefully, i'll be able to write about it here. see you soon!