baby's 2nd birthday

my baby is now two "years" old! he does not take after me, he's more fair-skinned. actually, he's pale -- with yellow and blue "blotches". no, he's not sick nor extra-terrestrial. and two-"issues"-old is more appropriate. i'm talking about our company's newsletter, of course :P

i joined the company's newsletter team early this year because i was getting bored with my work (and i wanted to relive my glory days as editor-in-chief of our high school newsletter harhar :P ) but i'm not "editor-in-chief" of this particular newsletter. my official title is "coordinator/proofreader", since part of the bargain is that i wouldn't be required to write (i'm too lazy to even post on my blog often, let alone the company's ;) ) we had our maiden issue last august . the 2nd issue was last november. the 2nd issue was meatier, and we got more people to contribute articles -- which was really nice, because there was less pressure for me to come up with filler articles (i wrote 7 short articles for the maiden issue, out of sheer desperation :P ).

for the 3rd issue, which will probably be out by february, i'm thinking of dropping the "proofreader" part of my job description. you see, i'm also the content administrator. and sometimes i'm not able to proofread the articles well, especially when the deadline is near, and the contributors have just submitted their articles :P i don't like spreading myself too thinly (i'm so thin to begin with :P ), and i want to do my job as well as i can.

the Bible says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (james 1:17) this is one of those good things that God has given me lately for which i am thankful for.

mini-boss in another foreign land: land of the rising sun

i went to japan last week. it was neither a job-hunting trip nor a sightseeing tour. i was there on official business -- to gather requirements for some of the projects we will be doing for our clients in japan.

since i am too lazy to write, i will just quote some emails i sent while i was there.

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i'm already here in japan :P my flight was delayed for almost 2 hours. the client wondered why i was detained at the ticket counter -- he thought my booking was good and that there was no need for a ticket number. anyway, i didn't wanna think about whose fault it was anymore, although i really wanted to cry! because aside from the hassle about my ticket, it was already boarding time when i passed immigration, so i had to run towards the last security check. then, the flight was delayed because of some bad weather somewhere, so they had to come up with a new flight plan. when it was approved, they found out that one of the plane's computer systems was broken! my gulay! i think it was already 10am when we left manila.

my first authentic japanese noodles!
soba with radish and mushroom -- yum-yum!

of course, i was nervous when i disembarked. i had no roaming signal, i lost my contact numbers and i was late for our agreed meeting time. the client and i agreed before that he would meet me at the airport. i wasn't sure if i should go directly to the hotel, since it has been 2 hours since our agreed meeting time. i wasn't sure if i could go directly to the hotel, because the room was reserved under his name. i had exchanged some of my money to yen because i thought of calling him. the problem was i couldn't figure out the vending machine for the call card nor the public pay phone. i went back to the information counter to ask if they knew the airport control center phone number, because i thought i would just look for the client there. good thing i saw him! apparently he went back to meet me because he knew my flight was delayed.

anyway, we went straight to the office for some meetings and stuff. then we left the office to go to the hotel around 5:45. we got here around 6:30 (had to wait for the shuttle). we ate at 6:40 at the sports bar downstairs. i think we talked for about 3 hours, about work and life in general. it's hard to speak english for three straight hours :P anyway, i have to get up early tomorrow. and i'm already hungry now :P i might play first in a little while, and then i'll take a shower. i'll also eat a cup of noodles because i'm really hungry already :P

anyway, i hope it would be better on my flight back. it's already cold here -- it's a good thing that i brought my jacket. my room is lovely; it even has complimentary internet :P good night :)

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i'm here in my parents' house. i've unpacked some of the stuff, as i would be leaving some here coz i'm bringing home my laptop first.

i flew first class! the client upgraded me. the food was really good, and you can tilt your lazy-boy seat way back. we talked about many things. i didn't get to sleep coz i watched "john tucker must die" (though i didn't finish it) after talking with my boss for a long time.

i panicked when i got to manila, coz my phone's battery is almost empty, and my mom wasn't responding to my text or call. i texted her earlier that i had low battery, so she didn't text me. anyway, i figured that if they were there, they'll probably be in the parking lot, as my dad hates traffic and the hassle of waiting for me by the curb. i slept all the way back home, though i was sweating coz i've just been to an autumn weather, and you know how hot it could be in manila (also i was wearing a turtleneck blouse).

anyway, i might be coming to work after lunch tomorrow, as i'm really tired today, and the buses here take so long to get moving, as the drivers are still waiting for passengers. the client doesn't really need me in the office anyway, since we've talked about work for 3 days now, and discussed most of his plans for our team.

i'll sleep in a little while. i'm really so tired. i'm just charging my cell so that i'll have an alarm clock to use :P good night.

halloween in a foreign land

around this time last year, i went to my first "authentic" halloween party. sure, we've had halloween parties when i was child. i usually dressed up as a white lady, because it was easiest, and together with my siblings and cousins, danced the night away to the tune of the latest 80's disco songs in the glow of our christmas tree's blinking lights.

but last year was different, because i was in the foreign land, and they sure took halloween seriously over there. in the office where i worked, the adults wore costumes to work. there was one woman who dressed up as scare crow. one manager wore a grim reaper costume. another man wore a beach outfit (and it was autumn and freezing outside). well, nobody made rounds in the cubes asking for treats, but outside, kids made rounds trick-or-treating.

that night, we gathered in our boss' house for the halloween party. most of my officemates had "unscary" costumes because some of the parents requested that we don't frighten the kids with our costumes (they usually bring their kids to our parties).

what did i wear? there was this red dress i brought with me to the foreign land, and i was just dying to wear it. i thought the halloween party was a good excuse, so i thought i'd go as a red fairy :P i had also been itching to do something creative for the longest time, and i thought, i'd just make my fairy accessories from scratch (i think i was the only one in that party who made his own costume/paraphernalia).

i bought some red and green and silver ribbons from wal-mart, several little red fabric roses, and some silver wires. i fashioned a headdress and bracelet. and what is a fairy without a wand? i turned a pair of chopsticks into a wand. now that's what i call, "magic" ;)

i'm not sure if i looked silly that night (my friends assured me that i did not, but they were my friends), but what the heck? it was halloween after all, and i sure was having fun :)

"i've [got] my mojo!"

i've finally bought a pair of those rubber sandals i've always wanted since college. :D back then, we called them "mojos" (i think "mojo" is the brand that was sold in the university shopping center). but this particular pair, i bought in a sports shop in the mall, and was of a different brand. the straps are blue, and the base, black. on the underside, it's got an interesting pattern of a red gecko (or some other lizard).

it's nice to be able to buy the things you don't necessarily need ;)

wisdom comes at a painful cost

i had my first surgery today. my second wisdom tooth was growing, and it was causing me pain for several days now. it was so painful that last wednesday i went to my dentist, dra. grace, to have a checkup. she told me that there was an oricardial (not sure if i spelled it correctly) tissue that was on top of my erupting second tooth, and that it had to be removed. she said that the surgery will only take 30 minutes, but she recommends that it be done after office hours. i had it scheduled on saturday, since i had a ton of work to do, juggling 3 projects with a different project manager for each. yesterday, however, it was really painful even if i had already taken a pain reliever (mefenamic acid, 500mg), and i was having trouble concentrating because of it. i texted a.grace and asked if it was possible to have the surgery moved the earlier because i couldn't take it anymore.

i had my surgery around 12PM. she injected anesthesia into my gums, and let it settle for a while. i kinda like the feeling of anesthesia working -- my gums felt swollen and kinda numb (how can you feel your numb body part? :P ). it also prevented me from screaming out in pain when she did her stuff (i had my eyes closed the whole time, i didn't want to see what sharp thing she has on her hands 'coz i might faint :P ). my hands were also clutching the armrests hard, 'coz i was really, really scared (have i mentioned that i am deathly afraid of scalpels and other sharp objects?). there was just a sensation when she started cutting through the tissue. some minutes passed, however, and i started feeling pain already. ate grace was surprised that the anesthesia had worn off quickly. but the surgery was not finished yet, so she gave me another dose.

after more than thirty minutes of slicing and tugging and what-have-you, the surgery was finally over. she used a dressing that was like reverse bubblegum -- soft and pliable at first, but eventually hardened and covered the wound.

despite the pain and the stress, there were some things to be thankful for:

* doc gj (a. grace's husband) drove me home, door-to-door delivery. it was a good thing because 1) i couldn't speak (it was painful with the anesthesia wearing off, and i didn't want to spew blood all over my shirt) so i couldn't call a cab 2) free fare ;)
* rom was in the house when i came back, and he graciously bought my medicine for me.
* nez came home early and cooked my dinner for me (mushroom soup and soft fluffy scrambled eggs)

i hope i don't go through the same ordeal for my other wisdom teeth.

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Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
-- Lamentations 3:22-23

me?! a what?!

family picture taken new year's eve 2005
i attended my former church in the province at my father's behest because the pastor was going to pray for our family. if you knew my father, you'd know that i couldn't possibly turn down that request. so there i was, that sunday morning, attending that church with my whole family. when it was prayer time, a woman prayed for each of us sisters. and did you know what she said to me? "my child, you have a special calling. you are called to be a missionary."

i was dumbfounded. call it delusion, but i have always known i was destined for something great. but a missionary?! i have lectured a few times in a missions class (being a graduate of that same course), and missions is close to my heart, but i thought i was more of a mobilizer/trainer -- than an actual "goer". oh well, we'll see...

five things you probably don't know about me

I got tagged by mismo. So here's my list of five things you probably don't know about me:

1. superman returns is the first superman movie that i've watched from beginning to end.
2. i talk in my sleep.
3. i hate stepping on sewers and manhole covers, and i try my best to avoid them as much as possible.
4. i can eat sinigang on several consecutive meals.
5. i wanted to be an artist / fashion designer when i was in elementary.

bituing marikit, tap dancer, nunaynunay, jean grey... it's your turn :P

the land of smiles

my friends from the office and i went to thailand over the weekend. since i'm too lazy, i'll just let someone else tell the story :P

ultimate - immediate

"Do not sacrifice the ultimate on the altar of the immediate." -- Nathan Lee, CCF Pastor

more real than PBB (part 2)

i have cleaned the bathroom today! yey! only my section of the bedroom remains... i hope i can buy a study table tomorrow so that i can move some of my stuff downstairs.

more real than PBB

what would it take to bring six people with busy work schedules and active social lives to allot two days to clean a dust-ridden house? a miracle, of course. and a miracle was what happened last weekend, as my housemates and i, performed our annual (and much dreaded) general house cleaning.

added to the usual fare is the challenge of fitting another study table to our already crowded living room (we currently have 4 study/pc table, and i'm planning on getting my own so that i don't have to hog the dining table when i'm using my laptop. yeah, our living room looks like an internet cafe already :P )

i volunteered washing our shoe racks and scrubbing the floors (the bathroom was also my territory. as of the time of writing, i haven't cleaned it yet). i just love cleaning when there's water involved :) my other housemates washed the soap off the floors, dusted every imaginable surface and rearranged the furnitures (good thing we have three strong and able-bodied boys in the house to take care of the furniture lifting). by midnight, PBB was almost over, and so were we (at least for the day), and i was able to take a looong refreshing bath.



after the ordeal, my back was aching, my thighs were aching, my wrists were aching, my fingers were aching, the balls of my feet were aching -- every imaginable part of my body was aching. well, i'm kinda exaggerating, but you know what i mean ;) it reminded me that, as my roommate said, i'm "not getting any younger". but looking at our floor that was so clean i can lie on it, i tell myself that it was worth every single body ache.

the next day, it was our bedroom that my roommates and i took care of (the boys had already cleaned theirs the day before -- it was a prerequisite as some of the stuff needed to be moved to their room). to me, cleaning our bedroom was more difficult because: a) there was no water involved b) we've accumulated a lot, and i mean, a lot of stuff c) we've got such a small space. i wasn't able to clean everything in my area of the bedroom, but at least i was able to reduce by a third the space that my stuff occupied. that alone was a big achievement. now if i bought a study table, i can further cut that.

looking back, i can sincerely say that i enjoyed that house cleaning. we had a good time with my housemates cracking jokes every so often. everyone was cooperative (although there was a very long discussion about the furniture rearrangement) and even willing to make sacrifices (two of them volunteered to buy our dinner despite the heavy rain). and there's nothing like the quiet satisfaction of relaxing in a home you just cleaned. but make no mistake, enjoyable or not, general house cleaning is not something i would take up as a hobby :P

[All photos courtesy of Nez Fuertez]

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here's the more eloquent retelling of the event by my housemate.

terminated

i sealed someone's fate today. it was either him or me -- lose him or lose my sanity. the choice was, of course, obvious. i don't really regret what i've done, but i w(o)nder if i made the right decision. should i have waited for him to improve? was he really the problem or me? after all, they might add "the one who let a contractor go" to my long list of "titles". well, what's another notch to my notoriety meter? at least i would have less headaches at the end of the day.

simple pleasures

i got tagged by don. so, here's my list of top 10 simple pleasures (in no particular order):

1. sleeping in on a rainy morning
2. playing games with siblings/friends
3. watching a good movie with siblings/friends who don't talk much
4. eating chocolate
5. hearing his laughter
6. exchanging stories with good friends
7. going through memorabilia
8. cooking an edible meal
9. smelling freshly-laundered clothes rinsed with fabric conditioner
10. holding a baby in my arms

hmm.. who to tag next? tap dancer, nunaynunay, jean grey, mismo and nestor -- you're next :P

you're beautiful

this song, like the verve pipe's freshmen, makes me sad... maybe it's because of the lines, "but it's time to face the truth...i will never be with you."

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you're beautiful (james blunt )

my life is brilliant.
my love is pure.
i saw an angel.
of that i'm sure.
she smiled at me on the subway.
she was with another man.
but i won't lose no sleep on that,
'cause i've got a plan.

you're beautiful, you're beautiful.
you're beautiful, it's true.
i saw your face in a crowded place,
and i don't know what to do,
'cause i'll never be with you.

yes, she caught my eye,
as i walked on by.
she could see from my face that i was,
flying high,
and i don't think that i'll see her again,
but we shared a moment that will last till the end.

you're beautiful, you're beautiful.
you're beautiful, it's true.
i saw your face in a crowded place,
and i don't know what to do,
'cause i'll never be with you.

you're beautiful, you're beautiful.
you're beautiful, it's true.
there must be an angel with a smile on her face,
when she thought up that i should be with you.

but it's time to face the truth,
i will never be with you.

cravings... again

i have been craving again. this time, it's for banana cue. good thing that some of the jollijeeps near our office are selling them. there's also this g(u)y, buddy, who sells snacks (including banana cue) to us. but sometimes, there isn't any available outside, or buddy isn't selling any. or sometimes, the sugar is not enough, or the banana is too overripe. it got me thinking... maybe i should cook my own banana cue. that way, i would have just the right banana cue (hopefully :P). who knows, i can even sell some in the office (tee-hee). nah, they would only be for my consumption :P

i would definitely try to make some in the next weekends. taste-testers, anyone? ;)

cravings -- aftermath

i was able to do some grocery yesterday, and yes, i bought some cans of century tuna with calamansi and a small bundle of kangkong. i cooked adobong kangkong at last, and i think it will take me three meals to consume everything (it's surprising how much adobong kangkong you can make from a P6 bundle of kangkong). i almost wasn't able to cook the adobo because there was very little soy sauce left; good thing it was enough (housemates, i will replace the soy sauce :P ).

cravings

i have been craving for century tuna with calamansi for two weeks now. i have been eating tuna on weekends for several weeks. however, i have used up all my stock tuna, and i have been too lazy to do a little grocery. :(

i have also been craving for adobong kangkong for the longest time now. i have tried cooking some but to no avail. the first time, there was no available kangkong in the grocery. the second time, i have managed to buy some, but wasn't able to cook it. and now, like the tuna's case, i have been too lazy to go out of the house to buy some again.

as a result of this adobong kangkong craving, i almost always order stir-fry kangkong whenever we eat at Chowking (there's one in front of our office). and we eat there almost everyday!

quick, somebody cook me some delicious adobong kangkong before i turn into a goat or a green leafy vegetable!

mindanao adventure (year 2)

i went to mindanao last december with my good friends shine and rox. it was my second time to go to mindanao. here is a recounting of that trip by shine.

in front of the "gigonormous" pineapple, camp phillips, bukidnon

labsong

this is one my favorite Eraserheads songs. I took the liberty of re-wording some of the verses to make the song more "theologically sound". my favorite lines are "Ako ang Diyos at Hari ng iyong mundo...matakot sila sa 'yo..." ("I am the God and King of your world...they should fear you...") I keep this truth in mind especially when i'm going to meet a difficult client, or anyone who is out to make my life miserable. i am reminded that if God is for me, who can be against me (romans 8:31)?

*sigh* I can just imagine God singing this song to me. :)

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HUWAG KANG MATAKOT

Huwag kang matakot
'Di mo ba alam nandito lang Ako
Sa iyong tabi
'Di Kita pababayaan kailan man
At kung ikaw ay mahulog sa bangin
Ay sasaluhin Kita

CHORUS:
Huwag kang matakot na matulog mag-isa
Kasama mo naman Ako

Huwag kang matakot na umibig at lumuha
Kasama mo naman Ako
Huwag kang matakot

Huwag kang matakot
Dahil ang buhay mo'y walang katapusan
Makapangyarihan ang pag-ibig
Na hawak mo sa iyong kamay
Ako ang Diyos at Hari ng iyong mundo
Matakot sila sa 'yo

CHORUS:
Huwag kang matakot na matulog mag-isa
Kasama mo naman Ako
Huwag kang matakot na umibig at lumuha
Kasama mo naman Ako
Huwag kang matakot na magmukhang tanga
Kasama mo naman Ako
Huwag kang matakot sa hindi mo pa makita
Kasama mo naman ako
Huwag kang matakot
Aahhhah

CHORUS:
Huwag kang matakot na matulog mag-isa
Kasama mo naman Ako
Huwag kang matakot na umibig at lumuha
Kasama mo naman Ako
Huwag kang matakot

Huwag kang matakot (huwag kang matakot)
'Di Kita pababayaan kailan man
(Repeat till fade)

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5... because God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you."[a]
6So we say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?"[b]
- hebrews 13:5-6

abooboo no more

for several months now, i have been frustrated because i could not make a decent adobo. the first time i tried, it ended up like something a child would've come up with while she was playing playhouse. the second time, i almost got it right, but i ended up burning some parts of the meat because i mixed business with cooking :P i talked to my offshore team and forgot that i wasn't done cooking. anyway, i managed to salvage it, but i ended up making a new batch of sauce because i burned up all the initial sauce (shhh, don't tell my ex-foreign-land-housemates). i was resigned to the idea that i could never ever cook a decent adobo.

but two weeks ago, i was craving for adobong kangkong (water spinach). so i thought i'd try to cook some for dinner. i bought the ingredients in the grocery near our home. but they had no kangkong, so i had to buy string beans instead. i didn't follow the recipes i found on the web to the letter because they contradicted each other on some parts. but my adobo turned out okay. yummy! i know because i asked my housemates to eat the leftover adobo (turns out i cooked too much adobo -- but hey, i didn't follow the measurements in any recipe :P ), and there was nothing left the following day. or, they might have thrown it away, who knows? ;) in this case, ignorance is bliss :P

a.k.a buendia

i learned something new today -- "sen. gil puyat street" is the other name for "buendia". :)

bistro's twist

my friends and i went to st. luke's the other day to visit my boss who had just delivered her baby. we had dinner at pizza hut bistro across the street after. they suggested that i try the green tea twist -- green tea with kiwi. my, my, it truly was refreshing and delightful! i hope i can have some again soon. :)

m.m.d.a. (mhelpful men on dangerous avenues)

as a pedestrian who is deathly afraid of crossing the street, the presence of MMDA personnel in Quezon Avenue is a welcome treat for me. after all, no vehicle dares run past a traffic enforcer waving his "stop" placard in the middle of the street (who, in their right mind, would want to get pounded by the huge placard?). consequently, i can freely cross the street to catch the next MRT ride south. and for a short while, i can think of other things besides the idea of how unpleasant i will look like if i were ran over by a car. :D

thank God for these men.

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special thanks to ice for coming up with the first word in the acronym. tenks for being so mhelpful ;)

what video game character are you?

while i attempt to get my blogging groove back, here is another filler ;)

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I am Mr Do.

I am sedentary by nature, enjoying passive entertainment, eating when the mood takes me, and playing with my food. I try to avoid conflict, but when I'm angered, I can be a devil - if you force me to fight, I will crush you. With apples.

(If you were not Mr Do you would be a Defender-ship.)

I am a Defender-ship.

I am fiercely protective of my friends and loved ones, and unforgiving of any who would hurt them. Speed and foresight are my strengths, at the cost of a little clumsiness. I'm most comfortable with a few friends, but sometimes particularly enjoy spending time in larger groups.

What Video Game Character Are You?