Independence Day!

Happy Philippine Independence Day!

I remember when we celebrated our 100th year of independence. My family and I went to Roxas Blvd to watch the festivities. It was such a big event and there were so many people. I remember how expensive a bottle of water cost and at the end of the day, all the drinks were sold out and you couldn’t buy water nor pop anywhere.

They had the parade which was both interesting and beautiful. It was the most lavish parade I’ve seen in the Philippines. I haven’t really seen any other major parade except for the usual Santacruzan although I wanted to see the Mask parade in Bacolod City which takes place during lent. Come to think of it, I don’t think Santacruzan is considered a parade… it’s more of a procession really.We had taken some pictures but I can’t remember where we kept them.

I also remember the fireworks that night. We were staning along the coast and they were lighting fireworks off a barge. It was the longest fireworks display I’ve seen and it apparently cost the government billions of dollars. If only I had a video camera back then…

I remember we were so hungry after the whole event and we had such a hard time looking for a place to eat. Every place we went to, the lines were so long that they stretched all the way out the door. We were starving so my parents decided to just eat anywhere where we can find food. After much walking, we found a Joe Kwan and decided to eat there. Of course the food wasn’t that great but when you’re hungry you become less picky. It actually tends to taste better than it really is. LOL. The funny thing is, after we ate, we noticed a bunch of restaurants lined down the road. If we had walked a bit further, we would’ve been able to choose between Pizza Hut, Wendy’s, etc.

It was about 1am when we finally finished eating and our next dilemma was how we were going to get home. We didn’t bring a car with us at the time because we knew parking would’ve been impossible. At 1am, the LRT is closed and there are barely any buses. We had to take a bus to Makati City and then take another bus to Alabang and then take a jeep to Las Piñas from there. We literally went all over the place just to get home. It was past 2am by the time we arrived home and I remember being so tired that we literally fell on our beds.

Eventhough it was very exhausting, we had so much fun and we really enjoyed the celebration. I was glad we went because I felt it was worth it. Plus, how often does one’s county celebrate a hundred years of independence right?

Bits and Pieces

I was updating my Multiply site this morning and I realized it doesn’t actually transfer all of my posts in Blogger. I have no idea why.

Anyhow, I rented some DVDs last night and one of them was Russel Peters’. I’m telling you, that guy is so funny. If you haven’t seen him, go to YouTube and search for his videos. I especially love it when he imitates accents. He’s so good at it.

Another DVD I rented is The Celestine Prophecy. I’ve seen the book several times before at Indigo and Chapters and have always wanted to read it. I never really read the book but I was curious when I saw the DVD. The movie wasn’t too impressive but maybe the book’s better. I know I like the Harry Potter books better than the movies.

I’m so sleepy. I got 7 hours of sleep last night but I really feel like I need more. Doesn’t your bed feel so much softer when you’re tired? I had such a difficult time getting out of bed this morning. After taking a bath and getting ready for work, I leaned my head against a pillow and closed my eyes for 5 minutes. I wish I could just stay in bed until noon.

I was reading the Metro on the subway and there was a brief article about a one-year old baby who fell from an apartment window on the 14th floor. A bunch of clotheslines had broken the baby’s fall and the baby actually landed on the grass unharmed and just crawled after landing. How amazing is that?! It truly shows that God is watching and nothing happens without God’s permission. Don’t ask me how a one-year old baby could fall out of a window because I have no idea.

Names

You know that silly thing most women do? Ya know, when we think of names we’ll give our kids someday…?

I’ve done it and I’m pretty sure you’ve done it at some point too.

It’s funny because I’ll hear or read a name that I will like and then at some later point I will meet a girl or a guy that has that name and he/she turns out to be a real….a real… am I allowed to say a**? Okay, let’s just say that person turns out to be someone I really don’t like. You know what happens? It ruins that name forever for me. For instance, I think I will never name my boy Michael because I know so many Michaels who are pretty notorious and arrogant (no offense to the Michaels out there who are genuinely nice).

Sometimes I’ll meet someone and I’ll say to myself, “that person has such a cute name…” and then I get to know them a little better and get disappointed. And then I end up saying, “too bad, that name’s out the door!”.

I am afraid my kid will turn out the same way (although it is more of a superstition rather than a fact). Bottomline is, I don’t want to give my kid a name that reminds me of a person I dislike.

Cherry, cherry black

The other night while having dinner with the family:

Me: Ma, these cherries are so good!

Mum: Hay naku! Do you know how long it took me to pick the good ones?!

Me: Mmm… yummy! The darker ones, the ones that are almost black in color are so much sweeter than the red ones…

Dad: That’s how you tell the ripe ones… di mashado masarap yung red…

Me: Mmmm... talaga ha... we also had them at work the other day.. Steve got them... I finished the entire pack all by myself...hehe


So there we were, sitting and eating a bowl of cherries… after awhile:


Me: Ma, your teeth are turning black… and so are your lips! Katuwa!

Mum: Onga eh… nevermind, it will go away when I brush my teeth after…


after a brief pause...


Me: Shites! You mean my teeth and gums were black when I was eating them at work?! I kept smiling at people pa naman whenever they passed me… shiyet…

Workaholics

On MSN:

Paolo says: hey

Karen says: hey

Paolo says: Are u also waiting for Friday?

Karen says: definitely

Karen says: Fridays are the only reason I go to work on Mondays really

Karen says: LOL

Paolo says: I know.


Where art thou Friday?

Another Late Night

Last night I had decided that I was going to go to bed earlier than usual. I’ve been having a lot of late nights and it’s getting to a point where I can almost hear my body begging for more rest. I did a bit of shopping (hey, it was on sale okay! Don’t be too hard on me…) and was home a little after 7pm. I had dinner and then watched “Signs” on TV with JR. I was right on schedule (I planned to be in bed by 10pm) but as I was about to go to bed, I decided to go on YouTube just to see if there are any videos of Russel Peters (for those of you who are not familiar with him, he’s a comedian who does stand-up comedy). That was a mistake.

I got hooked. DAMN YOU RUSSEL!! I ended up going to bed at midnight instead of 10pm. Yargh!

The Early Bird

I am proud to say I started working even before 9am today. Aren’t I the eager one?

I arrived at the office around 8:40am like I normally do. I grabbed a cup of coffee and half a bagel with cream cheese and told Steve to go on MSN. Usually, both Steve and I grab our coffees and our bagels and sit down and eat together until 9am and then we begin our work day. But since Mr. Pres is in town and was in the office so freakin’ early today, we couldn’t afford to have our morning chat and were forced to go back to our individual desks and eat by ourselves. I checked my e-mails, forgot about my food for a bit and started replying. Since I’m already at my desk, I figured I might as well get started early.

It actually feels good knowing I’ve accomplished more than half the tasks I have for the day. I am hoping (cross my fingers) that I will have an easy afternoon. After all, I did bust my ass in the morning.

What?!

A career in IT is not one of the 12 Indestructible careers??

What am I going to do now??

12 Indestructible Careers on MSN

Not Fair

It’s so beautiful outside that it’s such a shame we have to be at work today. It’s such a crime to have beautiful weekdays and rainy weekends. It just isn’t fair.

If I could, today I would:

Get a bit more sleep
Go to a breakfast place and order bacon and eggs with toast and a glass of OJ.
Go to the beach, or park or Wonderland or all three

I would have been able to do something fun outdoors! Instead, I am sitting in front of my PC at work, doing QA and answering e-mails in between.

At least I get to write posts.

Interesting...

I need to get myself one of these jobs:

Eight Super-sized Salaries

Wow. They make the job sound so easy don't they?

Slower than a Turtle

Today couldn’t have gone by any slower. It was another one of those really slow work days and although I had stuff to do, I also had a lot of free time on my hands. I decided to take advantage of said free time to re-do my layout, create some posts and label all of my posts. I had long been thinking of labeling them but have been procrastinating since I already had so many posts and labeling all of them would be time consuming. It wasn’t as hard as I had expected it to be since there’s a function that allows me to select multiple entries and label them at the same time. It was actually very user friendly and so easy to use.

All throughout the day I kept looking at my watch and expecting to see an hour closer to 5pm but to my surprise and bewilderment, it seemed to crawl. Mind you it wasn’t just my imagination because a co-worker also said the exact same thing, “Is it just me or is the time going by really, really slow?”

I dunno but it certainly felt like late afternoon already when in reality it was barely 2pm. Normally time goes so much faster when I’m busy but once I swear it felt like I had been working for an hour and when I checked the time, only 15mins had gone by!! It was very weird.

I think it’s time’s way of mocking me.

Kitchen Duty

We have kitchen duty at work. Our small company provides us with lunch and so we come to work everyday without having to spend lunch money. It is pretty convenient and the food is always good. The one downside to it is that we all take turns doing kitchen duty. Normally, we’re grouped together into smaller teams and each team gets a week of kitchen duty every month. It rotates so we often find ourselves in different weeks of the month and in different teams. It’s not the idea of kitchen duty that bugs me. It is the fact that some people are plain lazy. I don’t understand why some people leave their dirty dishes and utensils on the sink when the dish washer is right beside it. How hard could it possibly be to put your dirty dishes away?

Another thing that bothers me is the fact that not all team members do their part. We all don’t like it but we still gotta do it… We get free lunch everyday and not just any food but really good food and our kitchen is always full of snacks and fruits. The least we can do is to help keep the place clean.

Just because it isn’t your week to do kitchen duty doesn’t mean you have to be a slob.

"Happy Friday"

“Happy Friday!”

Steve’s first words today when I saw him.

I couldn’t help but smile. I love Fridays. It means…

No work the following day
I get to sleep in
I can stay up late
I get to do whatever I want
No pesky co-workers
The weekend’s just beginning
I’ve survived another week of torture

I feel like doing a little dance. LOL.

Laptop Reformatted

After much bugging and procrastinating, dad finally decided to back my files up and re-format my dear laptop. I, apparently, had over 1GB of files in total and could not fit in his USB memory stick. I don't know where he put my data into and I could only suspect he moved everything into an external hard drive since I saw it hooked to my laptop the other night. Last night was the first time I had actually used my laptop again since he wiped it clean. I was surprised to find that he had installed Windows VISTA as my OS instead of Windows XP. It took me a few seconds to grasp what I was seeing. No wonder everything looked a little off.

Personally, I don’t like re-formatting my machine. I know it is good to re-format once in awhile but it’s always such a hassle to have to put everything back in again. I have to look for my CD installers again, re-install all my programs and put all my documents back in. I always worry that in the process, I might lose something – an important file, my purchased music, photos or projects I’ve spent a lot of time on. Not to mention all the links I’ve saved in My Favorites. Ugh.

I know VISTA is still relatively new and like any other, it still has some problems. I am a bit hesitant to use it but dad seems to really want it so I’m letting him do whatever he wants. Anyway, if it doesn’t work out, I can always re-format again and put XP back on.

The Hidden Good

There are so many hidden talents and so much good in the most unlikely people. What’s sad about it is that we are far too busy minding ourselves and taking notice of the flashy things that surround us that we fail to see the light in others.

It is true that we should be wary. There are a lot of bad people out there who have malicuous intentions. But we forget that there are also a lot of good people out there who have such kind hearts.

Sometimes I encounter people who seem to have extinguished the good in them and then there are times when I encounter people who I am sure would go straight to heaven if they died. I am thankful to encounter such good people that help restore my faith in humanity.

Work

I’m totally glad I am done with my training session for the day and that I have the rest of the day to myself to do other things… except now I am left thinking of things to keep me occupied till 5pm. Tsk tsk. Steve was just saying how we both complain when we’re swamped and we complain when there’s absolutely nothing to do. LOL. Why can’t the world be perfect?

It looks like there are impending changes within this small company of ours and both D and I will have to move to yet another section of the building. I’ve moved a total of 3 times and moving again means a fourth time for me. I love my spot right now and would hate to move but then again, it isn’t up to me and I pretty much have to suck it in. Bummer. I can only hope for a quiet, decent spot somewhere.

I hate this company. Unfortunately, looking for another job is also a lot of work. I’m being lazy, I know.

Out of the Loop

I’m so out of the loop when it comes to Philippine news and gossip. Not that I followed it before anyway but lately I realize when someone mentions a name, a show, some new dance move or a new expression, I feel my eyebrows crease and my whole facial expression turns into one, big, puzzled look. I realize I have no idea what they’re talking about.

And so lately, Google has been my friend, providing me with enough info or at least giving me an idea of what it is. Of course Google can only do so much and it doesn’t really help when you are trying to find out what a certain Filipino expression/slang really means. In fact, Google is only useful for tracking news and a few pictures here and there.

You don’t notice the changes that happen around you, the different little things that evolve and take place and then you move half-way around the world and every little thing is magnified.

Do you realize I have no idea what Big Brother is?!

Embarrassing as it is, I have to admit I am getting pretty slow on some of the goings-on.

Unplanned experiences

Last night I was able to watch another episode of So You Think You Can Dance. I was really touched by some of the people who auditioned because they had physical disabilities and yet they try and some of them actually dance so well. It just shows that anyone can do anything if they set they heart into it.

I was just thinking of how funny life is sometimes. During last night’s episode, they featured a guy (we’ll call him John because I can’t remember his name) who played as the quarterback for the school football team. John’s dad was saying how proud he was of his son because he was the perfect son – had a good personality, played sports really well, was popular in school, dated a cheerleader… and then John got into an accident and was forced to take ballet lessons as a form of therapy to help improve his leg work. During therapy, he developed an interest for dancing and decided to quit the football team to focus on dancing. It really is amazing how one life experience helps a person see things in a different light. It took for an accident to happen for him to even consider dancing. When I saw him audition, I was impressed at how well he moved considering he just started dancing. Perhaps God has other plans for him. It’s truly amazing how something unplanned happens and yet everything falls into place.

YM Integrated with Yahoo Mail

I’m grateful for the warm temperatures even though we’ve been getting rain for the past couple of days. I would very much rather that it rain as long as it’s warm, than to have snow snow with the cold. It’s much easier to bring an umbrella instead of needing to wear several layers of clothing.

Today I was very pleased to find out that Yahoo has integrated their messenger into e-mail. What this means for me is that I get to chat with my Yahoo contacts just by signing into my e-mail even though I don’t have Yahoo messenger installed on my PC. This is beneficial to me since I only have MSN messenger at work and is limited to my MSN contacts. I know I can always just add my Yahoo contacts into my MSN contact list since it allows for cross chatting anyway but since I already have so many YM contacts, it’s tedious to have to re-add them all over again. I’m lazy I know.

They Obviously Thought They Can Dance

Ever watch the show So You Think You Can Dance?

Last night while having dinner with Steve and Fey, we were watching the show. It really amazes me how gutsy these people are! I have to say there are those who are truly talented and really know how to move. And then there are those that are…uh…how shall I put it… plain horrible. I admire them for trying but maaannn… one guy was dressed in a very weird costume and basically stomped his feet through his audition. What were you thinking? One girl proudly said she had been training for 15 years and when she got on stage, everyone said she was horrendous. She didn’t know how to dance. At all.

I would understand if it were the first season when people didn’t know yet what to expect and were auditioning for the show but if you followed the previous season and you know damn well how difficult the competition is and who you are up against, wouldn’t you be more prepared? Wouldn’t you choreograph something that would compete with the top 20 finalists of the previous season? I would think so.

At least I can admire them for trying and going for what they want. One thing’s for sure, it was fun watching the whole thing.

Professionalism

Most days I hate having to train clients. But then once in awhile I’m fortunate to get someone who is not only nice and smart but also makes my job so much easier by being generally pleasant and professional. You would think most professionals would have a certain level of professionalism but professionalism is apparently not a common characteristic even with individuals who attended reputable schools and hold such high professions. It always surprises me when I speak to a CEO or a president who is rude and very unprofessional. How do they manage to keep their businesses running I wonder?

People often forget that the only way the other person is ever going to know you is through the sound of your voice over the phone or through your e-mails. They will not spend weekends with you nor be able to witness all the other things you do. So sometimes, that one phone call or that one e-mail you send is all the impression they are ever going to get. It’s your only shot to a giving a good first impression. Regardless of what position you hold within your company, it does NOT and will NEVER be an excuse for your bad attitude.

How often do I find myself either working with or talking to someone who’s obviously had a rough day and is not in the most pleasant of moods? I do understand how difficult it is to do your job being in such a bad state. But being a true professional means leaving your personal problems at the door and putting on your best “work attitude” just as you should leave your work issues at the door when you come home. The entire office does not need to suffer just because you had a bad night. It does not give you the right to yell or be rude to the people around you. If you can’t smile, at least be polite. Be mindful of the people around you who also have personal issues to deal with but come to work not only delivering a good job but also displays the right kind of attitude. True, there are people who are very annoying and who really try your patience but always, ALWAYS try your best to be professional. Try your best to smile, remember to say “please” and “thank you”, be polite, maintain a positive attitude and if you are ever on the phone or writing an e-mail be mindful of the tone you are using.

How easy it is for us to forget that we are dealing with others who are also making a living for themselves, who also have lives to live and personal issues to deal with. How hard is it to do your job and try your best to make someone’s else job easier?

Rant

What do you do when you come across a person who clearly WILL NOT and WILL NEVER admit she is wrong? Do you fight back until every bit of muscle on you begins to shake? Or do you simply bite your tongue and let it slide?

In the situation I was in this afternoon, I should’ve kept my mouth shut and let it slide. I was asked a question to which I gave an honest answer according to how I know it is. Plain and simple. But no, she insists she is right and goes on to make a mess out of things. Things I do not need to worry or think about and could care less to be honest. This is the part where I normally break down into fits of anger and start tearing up because I am clearly upset. But sometime ago I have decided that there are things which are simply not worth my time and that I should accept the fact that there will always be people who simply are a certain way and there’s nothing I can do about it. Perhaps one day it will bite them in the a**. I sure hope so.

Linked to Multiply!

This morning I checked my Multiply Site and was surprised to find out that the automatic importing feature actually works! The last time I logged in, I was trying to set it up in such a way that when I post in my blogger account, it would automatically import it to Multiply. I thought it didn’t work since I didn’t see the posts but it actually did! Now I’m even more motivated to maintain my Multiply Site since I know I can keep posting here and it will update my Multiply blog right away! Kewl.

Victoria Day

Victoria Day, Steve and I decided to go to James Gardens since it was beautiful out. We were lucky enough to find a parking spot when we got there. It was really nice. We had brought a blanket with us to sit on, some chips and bottles of water. I’ve never been there before and niether has Steve so we decided we’d walk around and see the place a bit. We didn’t really know where we were going so we just kept on walking.

We were hoping to see some interesting animals like a beaver or maybe a frog. Frogs are common in the Philippines (you see one almost everytime it rains) but I’ve never seen one here in Canada. Of course I’ve never seen a beaver either so I really wanted to see it. Unfortunately, we don’t think you can find one in James Gardens. We saw a few interesting birds including a red cardinal which I wanted to take a picture of but I was far too busy trying to take a picture of the chipmunks. I’ve never seen a chipmunk before so imagine how excited I was to see not one but two! Someone had left nuts along the wooden fence which we guessed were meant for the birds to eat but the chipmunks were having a go at it. They’re so cute! I didn’t know they were tiny and very agile. Their cheeks were so round and I really wanted to touch it. Take a look!

The cutest little thing ever! After walking around for awhile, we got tired and decided to head back and find a clear spot to lie on our blanket. We ate a few chips, drank water and just laid down under the warmth of the sun. It was such a nice day.

Later that night we went to the Ontario Place to watch the fireworks but I forgot to take pictures! It was nice too and we got there just in time. Had we been a few minutes late, we would've missed the entire thing. It was a nice day altogether... I even had an opportunity to take a nap in the afternoon. Such a great day.

H's Big Event

The long weekend went by in a blur. H’s wedding was simple but nice and Steve and I spent most of our time listening to the guy beside us who couldn’t stop talking. He was nice and so were the other people in our table but Steve was pretty tired and was really hoping for a quiet evening. Poor guy.

We forgot to bring a camera so we ended up using my camera phone to take a few pictures and pretty much relied on others to take pictures for us. H’s little sister was having way too much fun with the disposable cameras on each table and was taking pictures of anything and everything. She took one of me and I can only hope it’s a decent shot. After all she was aiming at uh… my..uh.. chest. Little kids should never be allowed to play with disposable cameras and take pictures of unassuming guests.

There was a cute little boy who was in a very happy mood and was playing, running and rolling on the floor a lot. Whatever that little boy had to drink was pure energy in a bottle. One thing’s for sure, he’ll be fast asleep by the time he gets home.

We danced to a few songs which I thought was pretty nice. All in all, it was good but I was dead tired by the time I got home.

Bummer.

Too bad the tickets for the Maroon 5 concert were sold out. They should’ve done it at the ACC instead. Bigger venue would’ve meant more seats and more seats would’ve meant more tickets and more tickets would’ve meant me going to a Maroon 5 concert.

Me Wishes

I wish I didn’t have to work today and still get paid…

In fact I wish I don’t ever have to work and still be able to afford all the things I want.

If only it were that easy…

I wish.

Dress Stress

After much searching, I finally found a dress to wear to the weddings I’m attending in the next couple of weekends. It’s so hard to find one that fits me well… too long, to wide, to tight, too expensive… and everytime something comes up where I have to wear a dress, I can’t say I’m too thrilled with the idea.

I love wearing dresses just as much as wearing jeans. It’s finding the right dress that makes the whole thing so unappealing. I have to start looking for a dress to wear atleast a week before the event just so I have enough time to go around. There are stores where it’s easy to find a dress that would fit me but they’re freakin’ expensive. I just don’t think it’s worth spending over $400 for a dress I’m going to wear once… maybe twice. If it were a really big event then maybe I’d consider it. But otherwise, I’d rather look for something that’s nice and not too pricy.

Maybe I should buy a dress everytime I see one that fits me and is within my budget and just keep it until I need one. That way if something does come up, I can just pull one out of my closet.

Top 10 Most Bizarre Foods

Yey Friday!!

I came across another interesting article on MSN this morning. Click here to read it.

I'm familiar with some of them although the only one I've ever eaten out of the 10 as it is, is Durian. A couple of them I think I've also eaten although not exactly with the same ingredients.

1. Durian
Location - Pinang, Malaysia
An extremely odoriferous (some would say noxious) fruit with custard-like flesh. Native to Malaysia, the oblong, thorny fruit can be deep fried, formed into cake and candy, or made into flavorings for ice cream, beverages, and other food items. Durian is considered a delicacy in some parts of Malaysia, and has been known to sell for $50 (U.S.) for one fruit. Many people love the taste of durian, but its powerful aroma is so offensive to some that airplanes, trains, and buses often prohibit the fruit in passenger areas.

I had no idea Durian originated in Malaysia. We have it in the Philippines too although I only eat it as a fruit and I don't really like it as an ice cream flavor or anything else. I have to agree, it does smell bad but man, it tastes good!

2. K'lia
Location - Marrakech, MoroccoAlso spelled khlea, this meat (usually lamb) is salted, dried, and preserved in its own fat. A traditional specialty of Morocco, k'lia is often served with lentils and spices at the outdoor market, Djemma al Fna in Marrakech, Morocco.

I don't think I'll like it. I'm not so huge on Lamb.

3. Mangrove Worms
Location - Palawan, Philippines
Worms that live off dead wood pulp. Eaten raw. Popular in Sabang Beach in the Philippines, these long, slimy worms are said to be high in iron and taste similar to oysters.

I have to ask, WHY? Why oh why? I wouldn't eat it even if it did taste like Oysters. I wouldn't eat it if my life depended on it! They're worms that live off dead wood pulp people! The first person to ever try it must have been extremely desperate.

4. Callos
Location - Taberna de Antonio Sanchez in Madrid, Spain
A casserole made with blood sausage and tripe, which comes from the intestines of various domestic animals. This dish is popular in Taberna de Antonio Sanchez in Madrid, Spain, where it is often served as tapas, small dishes designed for sharing.

My grandma makes this although slightly different. Not too sure if she makes it with blood sausage (whatever that is). Would I eat it? I think I already have... I knew it, sometimes ignorance is bliss.

5. Coconut Grubs
Location - Coca, Ecuador
Larvae that live in dead palm trees. Zimmern tried the dish in the home of a member of the Pilche community in the Amazon rain forest.

One word: Larvae. Can I just say yuck?

6. Menudo
Location - Motes de la Magdalena in Quito, EcuadorSoup made with tripe and beef hearts. This soup is also popular in Mexico, where it began as a peasant dish. Menudo in Mexico can refer to "raw stomach meat" as well as the stew. The recipe for menudo varies in different regions of Latin America.

My mum makes this at home although differently. Mum makes it with pork instead so no harm there! No strange, disgusting ingredients either.. just pork, green peppers, potatoes and green peas i think. Whew!

7. Goose Intestines on Bean Sprouts - Goose guts.
Location - New York's Chinatown
Served at Congee, a restaurant in New York City's Chinatown. Goose intestines are not uncommon fare in China, but then again, neither are duck feet or frogs.

Stick with chicken. I personally don't eat goose, duck nor frogs. I've heard it tastes really good but I just can't. eat. it.

8. Nutria in Sauce Piquant - a large semiaquatic rodent.
Location - Morgan City, Lousiana
Eaten in the home of a trapper in the bayou in Morgan City, Lousiana. Dining on nutria is not for the faint of heart. The rodents resemble large rats with bright orange incisors. Still, the nutria is probably safer on your plate than alive in your yard—the animals are a host for a nematode parasite that can infect human skin. Yummy!

Um... yeah.. sure.. excuse me while I go vomit.

9. Soup No. 5 (Yes, that's the real name)
Location - Balaw Balaw in Luzon, Philippines
Soup made from the back and testicles of a cow is eaten at Balaw Balaw in Luzon, Philippines. In the United States, cow testicles are also sometimes referred to as "Rocky Mountain oysters" and can be prepared in a batter and then fried in oil and eaten with hot sauce.

"Rocky Mountain Oysters"... funny. No thanks!

10. Haggis - Assorted sheep parts mixed with oatmeal and stuffed into a sheep stomach.
Location - Edinburgh, Scotland
This traditional Scottish dish was originally a common peasant meal, but can now be found in grocery stores year round all over Scotland and other areas of the United Kingdom.

Let's go take out some Chinese instead..

Maybe the foods mentioned above aren't as bad as they seem. I mean, it's different when the recipe is written down as opposed to seeing the finished product. Although I have to ask, the people who first tried/made these dishes... why? Was there a lack of food that they started eating whatever they could find??

Huh?

I was trying to type blogger.com into my web browser to go to my blogger page and accidentally typed in blogger.ca and viola! It took me Google! WHY??

No point to this post really... I just wanted to tell you. LOL.

Happy note on "Happy Slip"

I recently came across an interesting website: Happy Slip!

I love how she imitates her parents and her aunt. It’s so funny! JR and I were watching some of her videos on YouTube the other night and we couldn’t help but laugh because we can relate! She’s so entertaining to watch. JR said that fellow Filipinos would find them funny more than others but I don’t think so. I mean there are people of different nationalities who gave good comments too. I haven’t had the chance to browse all of her videos on YouTube but among my faves are:

Help
Peelings
Morning Meest
YouChoob
Mixed Nuts
Home

Pinoy and proud! It’s always nice to find Filipinos who despite growing up outside the country still retains their values and still recognizes their roots.

Take Me Home

I’ve done my time in this crazy world
What trails have I left behind?
No matter what I’ve done
I know I can always come home

So take me home
From the beach to the bay
Take me home to good old Cambridge way
Take me home
Coz there’s nowhere else I’d rather be
Than to come back to the place that made me me
I’m coming home

When I see this world
And all it has to offer
I know I’ll stand amazed
No matter what I see
I know there’s just no place like home

So take me home
From the beach to the bay
Take me home to good old Cambridge way
Take me home
Coz there’s no where else id rather be
Than to come back to the place that made me me
I’m coming home
I’m coming home

No matter what road I take
It never feels quite the same
Yet it’s all the same
So here I am another night
I can’t ignore you sixty-four
You bring me more than words can say
You bring me home

So take me home
From the beach to the bay
Take me home to good old Cambridge way
Take me home
Coz there’s no where else id rather be
Than to come back to the place that made me me
Coz there’s no where in this world I’d rather be
I’m coming home
I’m coming home

Home

Josh Verdes

I found this song from a website I was browsing and happened to like it a lot.

Layout Change

Yup, I changed my layout again.

See, this is what happens when I have a bit of free time on my hand. I end up playing with my page and re-doing the whole thing. It’s really fun playing with it though. There are so many different things I can do with it… I just have to be patient enough to read through the code and make changes to it slowly.

I’ll probably be changing this again after awhile… LOL

You think it's healthy?

Read this Healthy Habits That Aren't

It certainly seems like everyday people are learning new things that contradict former “beliefs”. I would say former “studies” but now when I think about it, how many of these so-called “studies” were actually performed?

Peanuts cause Acne, Coffee’s bad for you… do this, avoid that, this is good, that’s bad… where do I even begin?

And as soon as you decide to follow these “health” advisories and when you’ve been following them for quite sometime, a health bulletin or another study will come out contradicting whatever it was they said before which just makes it all the more confusing.

Maybe I should be more conscious about my health. Sometimes though eating healthy takes the fun out of it. If I had to choose between a regular health bar and a chocolate coated one, I’d choose the chocolate coated bar.

Maybe I’ll feel different when I get older.

Google Me

I googled my name out of curiosity and none of the first 2 pages were me and I didn’t bother looking at all the other pages. I was just surprised to see that most of them are in the medicine field. None of the results I saw were remotely interesting but it was interesting to know how many people have the same name as me. I wonder if I’ll ever meet anyone of them in my lifetime.

Yesterday I was posting about how glad I was that I didn’t have any full-day training sessions this week. Now it seems I have a few meetings that might be difficult. I guess one easy week is asking for too much. I shouldn’t have said anything. Eck.

Living in a country that’s normally very dry sure makes me notice humidity so much more. Even though it’s only 28 degrees outside, it sure feels like it’s 30. I’m not complaining about the heat because I like it. But it feels a bit uncomfortable with the humidity. Feels like all my clothes are sticking to my skin. This is the type of weather where all I wanna do is jump in the shower.

A few things I need to do after work today and I really hope I get to do all of them.

Rambling (again)

I just have to survive this week and then it’s the long weekend! Yay! I don’t really know what the fuss is about with Victoria Day or why it’s a holiday. Sorry guys, I’m still familiarizing myself with this country and I still know Philippine holidays better. Although I have to say I forgot all about Philippine Labor Day and was wondering why people were home on a weekday.

Leslie just told me she’s planning to come here for a weekend to visit. I’m really looking forward to seeing her since I haven’t seen her in awhile. We have yet to figure out where she’ll be staying.

Oh, the song they’re playing on the radio right now sounds like The Corrs. Now that’s a band I haven’t heard on the radio for a while now. I like their songs. They’re playing such good songs on the radio right now and I can’t help but reminisce about older times. I make myself sound so old by saying this don’t I? I can’t help it, a good song comes on and a flood of fun memories come rushing back to me. Always happens.

I’ve been reading other people’s posts a lot lately and I can’t help but feel a bit envious of how good they are when it comes to writing. They almost make me feel jealous of their lives because it just sounds so interesting. Argh.

5pm where are you?

Borrowed Post

Came across this from another blog: Click here to view original post

Since I'm running out of ideas to post about, I'm borrowing this feast!

Appetizer
Name two things that made you smile this week.

Victoria Day weekend! Who doesn’t love a long weekend?! Of course, I can’t help but smile about that…

No all-day training sessions! It’s so nice to be able to go to work and not have to train all day. It’s just so tiring.. it really gets me.

Soup
Fill in the blank: Don't you hate it when ________?

People are so inconsiderate and they only think of themselves. How selfish can you possibly be?! No, the world doesn’t revolve around you and it’s sad you haven’t realized that yet. No worries, what goes around, comes around.

Salad
When you can't go to sleep, what is your personal remedy to help yourself drift into Lullabyland?

One of three things: Read, listen to music or just lie in bed with my eyes closed.

Main Course
What is something which you've always wondered but have not yet found a good answer?

What really happened to the freakin’ dinosaurs! Really.

Of course I also wonder about life, religion and the universe but mostly about dinosaurs. Haha.

Dessert
What is your favorite pasta dish?

I like pasta with white sauce. Oh sorry, let me rephrase that. I LOVE pasta with white sauce!!

It could be carbonara, fettucini, penne… it could be chicken and mushrooms or seafood… as long as it’s white sauce, I’m good.

Saw it, Filled it, and re-posted

Found this in a blog I was browsing.. I thought it was kinda fun to fill it out and re-post.

I AM: pining for the weekend
I WANT: to go on vacation
I WISH: I earned more money
I HATE: inconsiderate people
I MISS: my college friends
I HEAR: my co-worker talking in the other room
I WONDER: how many people in the world really love what they do.
I REGRET: being so nice sometimes
I AM NOT: dumb
I DANCE: when I feel like it
I SING: whenever I hear a really good song
I CRY: when I’m hurt, mad or frustrated
I AM NOT ALWAYS: okay
I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: not a lot of things
I WRITE: mostly about little, mundane things
I CONFUSE: some Filipino words
I NEED: a dress
I SHOULD: save more
I START: playing with my thumb when I’m nervous or stressed
I FINISH: what I start
I TAG: rarely.

You're My Everything

You're a falling star, You're the get away car.
You're the line in the sand when I go too far.
You're the swimming pool, on an August day.
And you're the perfect thing to say.

And you play you're coy, but it's kinda cute.
Ah, When you smile at me you know exactly what you do.
Baby don't pretend, that you don't know it's true.
Cause you can see it when I look at you.

[Chorus:]
And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

You're a carousel, you're a wishing well,
And you light me up, when you ring my bell.
You're a mystery, you're from outer space,
You're every minute of my everyday.

And I can't believe, that I'm your man,
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.
Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,
And you know that's what our love can do.

[Chorus:]
And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La
So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La

[Chorus:]
And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.
You're every song, and I sing along.
'Cause you're my everything.
Yeah, yeah

So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La
So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La

Everything
- Michael Bublé

Sandal weather

Mr. President is back today and will be here for a few days. Yikes! It doesn’t bother me so much that he is here when I’m busy because I can go through the entire day without bumping into him. But on a day like today when I’m not overly busy, I do mind. I’ll have to try very hard to look very busy. He makes everyone in the office uncomfortable and stresses everyone out which in turn stresses me out. Ugh.

At least it’s Friday again! Yey! Woot woot!

I was so glad to finally catch Juhl online. I hadn’t spoken to him for awhile now and was curious as to how he was doing. I was a little bummed out because just when I finally had a chance to chat with him, I was asked to take over a training session. I honestly wanted to kick someone. Or something. I only had enough time to ask him how he was doing, if he brought his cellphone with him and to compliment him on his new haircut. I guess 15 minutes of chat time with him is still better than nothing. I’m actually quite glad that I was able to talk to Arlene, Pao and Juhl all in a single week. Too bad I didn’t get a chance to talk to Shey but I did call her on her b-day and was able to hear her voice again after such a long time. I always feel good after I talk to anyone of them. They’re such great friends and I can’t help but feel like they’re family. I love these guys.

The weather has been really good lately and luckily, we’ve managed to avoid rain. I love being able to walk out the door without needing to wear a jacket although I still bring one with me just in case. It feels so nice to be wearing light clothing and sandals. I was considering wearing capri pants to work today but decided I should save it for another day. Sitting on the bus with the windows cracked open and a little bit of wind blowing in is awesome.

Little Ms. Shiny

You want the things you don’t have. Maybe not all the time but still holds true.

I am the splitting image of my mum (or so everyone says). She doesn’t look her age either and a lot of people actually mistake us for sisters rather than mother and daughter. No, she didn’t have me early. In fact, she had me when she was 27 years old (oops, I think I just told you how old she is…hehe. Sorry mommy!) I have the same set of cheekbones, the same smile, same hair, almost the same everything. The only physical characteristics I took from my dad are my limbs, fingers and toes (oh yes put our hands and feet right beside each other and you’ll be amazed at how similar they are! Lucky for me, the shape of my dad’s fingers and toes aren’t the typical male’s and in fact bodes well for me. LOL), my grey hairs and of course my super oily face. Although I look like my mum, I’m as oily as my dad. Ugh. Thankfully, it’s only my face and not my entire body.

So you ask me, what’s up with the first line of this post? Simply put, I don’t like having such an oily face and would really love to have inherited my mum’s instead. That way I don’t have to constantly reflect light off my face whenever someone takes a picture of me. I would also be saving money from buying oil blotters and blot powders. Super ugh.

I have failed

I am failing miserably at the art of saving... this is so depressing.

Today I went to the mall to return a top I bought a few days ago because I realized it didn't fit me well and actually looked kinda funny on me. But later, I came out of the mall with a new pair of Capri pants, conditioner and a new wallet.

What good is my wallet for if I won't have money to put in it?

Like I said, very depressing.

Useless

There are a lot of things I learned in school while growing up. All these things I've learned I'm sure are tucked away somewhere in my mind, meant to be retrieved when needed. You know what they say, the human mind is pretty powerful and that it acts like a sponge – absorbing and processing information. Unfortunately, no one bothers to tell you that squeezing the info out of your sponge is not as easy as it seems. Sure you can store them, there's just no guarantee you're going to be able to get them out of there.

Sometimes I’ll come across a situation where I can’t help but say to myself, “If only I paid more attention to it when I was being taught…” or “if only I used the things I learned then maybe I wouldn’t have forgotten…” Take for example, crocheting. I learned that in high school. But ask me to make something and I’ll look at you with a quizzical expression, trying to remember the different types of stitches (if you even call it that) and how the hell I managed to make those coasters back in school. I did a good job at it. I even remember the color of the thread I used - they were peach. But now, I wouldn't know where to begin or how for that matter.

I also learned ballroom dancing in school but now I can only remember four of them - waltz, swing, LA walk, and a bit of cha cha. All the other ones, I've already forgotten (although I did know back then there was no way I was going to remember Tango.. there were just too many steps and too many rules). I also took a few cooking lessons - I can't remember any of the dishes I learned back then. It's frustrating when I think about. There are so many little things we take for granted while growing up. Some these things would have been useful to me. It would have been cool to know so many things.

Last 2 Episodes!!

The Heroes episode last night blew me away! Only 2 episodes left and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen. I hope it’s not one of those open-ended shows. That would be so disappointing. In a way I’m glad it’s the last 2 episodes already and that it isn’t one of those shows where they keep putting fillers in the story just to extend it. You really think Peter Petrelli is the exploding man? What about Sylar? What’s saving the cheerleader got to do with it? So many questions, so many possibilities.

I came, I saw, I gave in

I was reading Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella and every time Rebecca Bloomwood is tempted to buy something, I have the urge to yell at her and say, “No! Don’t do it!!” Even though it’s a book and she’s just a character in the book. That book is a painful reminder of how close I am to becoming her. It’s so hard to not go inside a shop and it’s even harder to come out without buying something. I know I should be more practical and I am trying. But sometimes, the temptation is so freaking hard to resist! I know I'm supposed to be saving...but damn why does it have to be so hard?! And sometimes I think there must be some sort of conspiracy going on because every time I decide that's it, it's the last purchase I'm making and I'm saving every penny from now on, the mall will suddenly come out with so many nice clothes, cute little things that I just want to buy. Awful I tell you.

Just the other day I was at Yorkdale and I told myself that I was only buying what I needed and that I was going to go straight home...guess what?!? I passed by Jacob, went in and out came me with a bag in hand. A freakin' $55 top that I didn't need. It is a very cute top though. Hmpf.

No place like it

It’s so hot in my office. I share it with D, our new trainer, and our tiny space, although it has a door, does not have any windows nor any form of ventilation. We do have a sun roof which allows a bit of sunlight into the room but it doesn’t open. If we close our door, we end up boiling. We could keep the door open but since we both train and are on the phone a lot, we have to keep it closed to keep the noise out. I can tolerate heat more than D since I’m more used to it. Poor guy is suffering so much that he decided to bring a fan to work. Being a girl definitely has its advantages because I can go to work wearing lighter clothes while he normally goes to work wearing long-sleeved clothing. Told him he should invest in lighter clothing.

I was able to chat with Arlene this morning for about an hour or so. It feels good to talk to someone who also misses home as much as I do. We were both talking about how much we missed all our friends from college and how different it truly is to be living in North America. Not that it’s bad, it’s just different. She had posted a picture of all of us from college on her Friendster page and seeing it made me a little sad. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever stop missing home.

It’s funny she said she feels like all of the people she’s close to has either left the country or is leaving and she feels like she’s being left behind. It’s funny because I feel the exact same way. I kidded around saying I started it all by leaving first. It’s part of growing up I guess… sometimes we need to leave not necessarily because we want to, but because we have to.

Sometimes I worry that if I go back home for a visit, I might want to stay.

Yay Friday!

Once again I have my morning to myself. I don’t have to train and there are hardly any e-mails coming in. I’m just sitting in my office, listening to D train a client for the first time. He sounds a bit nervous. I still remember the first training session I did more than a year ago and it was pretty nerve racking. But after awhile you start getting the hang of it and it sort of flows out of you naturally. The only way to learn is to keep doing it.

I’m so glad it’s already Friday. I have to admit the week went by pretty quickly. I guess it’s because I was extremely busy and when you’re busy, time just seems to fly. I slept late last night. Blame it on the 2-hour episode of Grey’s Anatomy and then I had to do some chores and then I had to wait for my download to finish. I was trying to download Sims Online and I didn’t know it was going to take more than half an hour to finish. I was already so sleepy but it had already downloaded half of it and I would hate to stop in the middle and have to do it all over again so I decided to just wait and let it finish. Unfortunately, the download didn’t go so well so I got upset and just decided to go to bed. All that waiting for absolutely nothing.

I got up at 6 am this morning like I always do but I was surprised I felt fine and I didn’t feel tired at all even though I got fewer hours of sleep. My guess is that my body’s gotten used to getting 6 hours of sleep every night instead of 7 or 8. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I don't know. But when I was in school, 6 hours was plenty. There were nights when I'd get only 2-3 hours of sleep and sometimes none at all.

I think VP hates me. I get that vibe off of her. I don't know why but she and I can't seem to get along. Mum says maybe it's because she views me as a threat. A threat in what way? I have no idea. As far as I'm concerned, I'm the least of her worries. I'm really harmless. I don't bite, you know. Maybe she doesn't like me because I refuse to play her games? Sorry, I don't kiss a**. I've got dignity and dignity stays with me. You may be the queen and yes, I will show you respect but don't expect me to kiss the ground you walk on. Not my style missy.

My eyes are so tired. I’ve been staring at the monitor all day and every bit of light coming from it hurts. I’m dying to rub my eyes but since I’m wearing eye shadow today (yes, you heard right, I am wearing eye shadow… I do wear it once in awhile you know) I can’t touch it. I don’t really wear a lot of make up because it’s too time consuming to put on and through out the day I have a tendency to forget and I’ll end up rubbing it off or smudging. Not to mention that fact that I’m pretty oily by the end of the day.

I have to do some QA on one of the databases but I’m so tired I can’t concentrate. Force myself I must. Maybe a little snack will help...off to the kitchen!

A small post

This morning wasn’t as busy as I thought it would be. Of course I was working but none of it was urgent. It’s such a relief to be at work without an e-mail notification popping up every few minutes. A small relief but still very much appreciated.

I’m so ready take some time off work and just go on vacation. Even for just a few days.

Shopping has always been such a good outlet when I’m stressed but I’m trying to cut back on the spending so I can save more. Not that I’m saving for anything specific, but just saving because it’s always good to save. As the saying goes, you’ll never when the rain’s going to come.

Off to sleep I must go.

Be considerate.

Inconsiderate people… hmpf. Pisses me off.

Keep the golden rule in mind:

"Do unto others what you want others to do unto you"

New job, new city?

It looks like the number of posts I manage to write per month has been less and less each month. I would’ve liked to have been able to post more but I just haven’t had the time. Gone are those slow days at work where I could afford to sneak in a post here and there. I barely have time to finish all of my tasks for the day let alone have time to spare. I’ve been a busy bee.

I keep thinking that being a student is still so much easier.

There’s a classified ad in the Toronto Star for a company in the US that’s hiring. They’ll provide paid training which I think is pretty cool. I want to apply for it but do I really want to relocate?

Feeling sick (again)

I feel sick. It seems I haven’t fully recovered since Wednesday when I had to miss a day of work. I hate being sick… it’s such an awful feeling. One minute you're cold, the next minute you're hot. You have a headache, tummy ache and all sorts of weird aches or just an over-all feeling of being unwell. All I want to do right now is crawl into bed and die. Except I don't really want to die. Atleast not yet.

I was able to spend some time with the girls over the weekend. I hadn’t seen them in awhile and it was nice just sitting down, watching a movie, eating pizza and doing a bit of talking. Our original plans of doing make-overs didn’t go through because we got hooked on Pretty Woman and just didn’t have enough time to do everything. Nonetheless it was fun. I fall in-love with Richard Gere everytime I watch it. What can I say, I'm a die hard fan of chick flicks.

Thankfully, we had better weather during the weekend. The past week was cloudy and rainy but the weekend turned out nice. Although Saturday was still pretty cloudy, atleast it didn’t rain. I was able to make a short trip to the salon before heading out to girls' night. The next day, Sunday, was beautiful and it truly was a day meant to be spent outdoors. Both Steve and I love being able to sit in the car and drive with our windows down and just enjoying the sun.

The weekend went by all too fast it seems.

Read the manual dummy!

On a manual for a DVD player we bought awhile back...

"If remote does not work, use properly"

Ranting about nothing but work (again)

"Your leadership qualities will shine soon"

This is what my fortune cookie said.

Do you believe in fortune cookies? I don't necessarily believe in them but they're fun to open. Sometimes you get something that doesn't make any sense and sometimes you get a good laugh just from the grammar mistakes they make which of course either results in a funny bunch of words or a phrase that makes you go "huh?"

Anyhow, going back to my fortune cookie prediction: Your leadership qualities will shine soon... I sure hope so. Lately I've been feeling unappreciated for the work I do. I am now officially a member of the disgruntled employees club. No membership card required, all you really need is a long list of complaints about the work place and the people you work with specifically those who are above you who don't know what they're doing. A must-have on the list of complaints is the lack of compensation. Sometimes, all I ask is a little bit of respect. Learn how to say please and thank you. If you need something, ask nicely. Why is that so hard?

Looking at my past posts, I notice I rant about work an awful lot. I think maybe I should consider other options.

Warm weekend!

The weekend went by in such a blur. On my last post I was just talking about how glad I was that it was finally the weekend and now it's Monday again and I'm dragging myself to work.

Can't complain about the weather. Although it rained hard this afternoon, I'm still pretty glad that atleast it isn't cold. Give me rain over snow as long as it remains warm. The weekend was awesome! The temperature was above 20 degrees and it was sunny so Steve and I took advantage of it by taking a walk Friday night after dinner. We were originally planning on having ice cream but since it was a bit past 9 pm, the place was already closed. We ended up sitting on a bench talking which I thought was nice. Saturday and Sunday were also just as pleasant as Friday and of course, on a warm day the best place to be is out on a patio having cold drinks and that's exactly what we did. Steve and I met up with Denny and Dave and hung out on a patio for a few hours. Afterwards, we went back to Denny's and played boardgames. I am proud to say I won 2 out of the 3 games we played! Woohoo! Denny and Steve were so busy trying to get each other that they completely forgot about me which I, of course, took advantage of and ended up winning the game. -Grin-

I am still amazed at how warm it gets during the summer and how cold it gets during the winter. Complete opposites!

18 degrees! Woohoo!

It’s been awhile since my last post. I can’t believe my last post was before the Easter weekend! I’ve been so busy at work that I haven’t had the chance to do anything else besides work. By the time I get home, I’m far too tired to want to do anything else besides sleep. Lately I’ve been so tired that I’ve lost my appetite and I fall asleep everytime I lean my head on something. In the mornings I have to drag myself off the bed and stumble my way to the bathroom to take a bath. Awful.

TGIF. My training session ended prematurely so I am left with a few minutes to spare. These precious few minutes I have I am spending on posting. I can’t disappoint those who read my page every now and then can I? LOL. Anyhow, I am in a good mood not only because it is Friday but because for the first time since winter, the temperature outside has risen to a warm 18 degrees. For those of you who don’t know, everytime I get warm weather, I feel the need to post about it. It’s a way of documenting every warm weather I get since warm weather is something I just can’t take for granted living in a cold country like Canada. So please let me indulge a bit. Earlier I was complaining how hot it was in my office and Steve said, “You’re complaining about the warmth?” Of course I shouldn’t be complaining because I absolutely love the warm weather. Give me summer over winter any time.

I'm just so glad it's the weekend. Finally.

A short work week!

I have to go do my taxes on Monday. As much as I would love to get some money back from the government, doing taxes can be a pain sometimes. Good thing I have all my T4s safely tucked away in my drawer and all I have to do is bring them with me. I hope it doesn’t take long because I have to rush to work after. I wonder how much I’m going to get back… I doubt it will be much. A few hundred dollars would be a surpise and almost impossible. But a girl can hope right?

My tummy’s singing. Need. Food. Now. Anorexic chicken sounds yummy right about now. We call them anorexic chicken because they’re tiny and not as big as the regular chicken. LOL.

It was raining yesterday and mum lent Miguel the umbrella I bought for her. Miguel already lost 3 umbrellas, 2 of which I bought for him. I told mum she should have just given him a different one since the one I bought for her cost a bit of money. She said it will be fine and that Miguel will bring it home. I doubted that. This morning, while brushing my teeth, I heard her say, “Miguel, where’s the pouch for the umbrella? Did you carry it to school? Where did you lose it?” I just rolled my eyes. How did I know?

I'm so excited about the long weekend!

Spring backed out

Pao, I loved the pictures of Pagudpod you posted on your blog and on Multiply! Absolutely amazing. You’re right, it might not necessarily be as beautiful as Boracay but it holds its own charm. Never been but dying to go.

I’m so glad it’s already Thursday! I have a resolution and it’s to not sress myself over things that are out of my control. It’s just too tiring and a total waste of my energy.

Nelly Furtado was in town last night for a concert and I missed it! Bummer. I had no idea she was coming until about a week ago and by then it was too late to buy tickets. We’d be lucky to even find tickets and if we did, they’d be crazy expensive and we’d be sitting so ar away that Nelly would probably look miniscule. So Steve and I decided to let this one pass and we’ll just catch a different concert. Hopefully, Maroon 5 will come to town because I love them and I would definitely go to see them perform.

It snowed last night. SNOWED! Very. Very. Annoying. I was really loving the warm weather and now we’re back in the zero degree high. What is this? A winter reprise? I took one long glance at my spring coat and reluctantly pulled out my winter jacket instead. I even brought a scarf just in case. Eck! I walked out the door, saw the snow on the ground and made a face. I’m telling you, it was a Kodak moment. Hmpf.

Simple Things

Im checking out the headlines,
They say the human race is dying.
Boys and girls are crying
In a picture of their nations fighting
The more I think about it,
The harder it gets for me to find the things that
Used to make me happy and I know its all been said before but

I need peace and I need love,
I need all the things sent from above,
I need chocolate cake and lemon pie,
I need all the things that make me smile,
I want rain, and I want sunshine,
I want all the things sent from the sky
That put a smile upon my face,
And make this world a better place

When Im feeling down, I think of
Simple things that help me get by

Power and religion
Are holding hands against all reason,
Soon the politicians
Will be touching little boys with the pops permission
I never thought Id cry
From seeing people die for their own convictions
I know its all been said before
But still you dont seem to stop the war

I need peace and I need love,
I need all the things sent from above,
I need chocolate cake and lemon pie,
I need all the things that make me smile,
I want rain, and I want sunshine,
I want all the things sent from the sky
That put a smile upon my face,
And make this world a better place
I need the simple things that help me get by

I give no name to those who claim
The right to use our lives for power games
Leaders and rulers
I believe will soon shoot us
If we dont stand and fight
For our right to a better world
And I know its all been said before
But still you dont seem to stop the war

When its all too much
And Im feeling low
When its all too much,
I need simple things like peace
And I need love
I need all the things sent from above,
I need chocolate cake and lemon pie,
I need all the things that make me smile,
I want rain, and I want sunshine,
I want all the things sent from the sky
That put a smile upon my face,
And make this world a better place

Simple Things
- DB Clifford

Where did the warm days go?

Where oh where did the warm days go? I cannot believe the next few days are going to be chilly again. And during the long weekend too. MAJOR BUMMER.

I bought a book a few weeks ago and it sits at the corner of my bed, forgotten. I’ve been meaning to read it but as soon as I get home after work, all I feel like doing is lying down and sleeping. I thought of just bringing it with me to work and reading it on the subway but I’ve been falling asleep on the train and so again, I still haven’t read the book.

I’m so glad that this week is a short work week. Maybe the long weekend will lighten up my mood. I’ve been moping around for the past few days partly due to stress and partly due to PMS. I haven’t been getting enough sleep either and it isn’t helping. Steve called me last night and spent an hour on the phone with me trying to make me feel better. I think I worried him. I think my body has gotten used to getting 5 to 6 hours of sleep every night because even if I go to bed early, I wake up as soon as I hit 5-6 hours. I have to get 7 hours of sleep to actually feel good and I need one day of the week to sleep in.

I need to get a hair cut soon. I like my hair long but I can only grow it up to a certain length and then I feel the need to trim. I am trying to decide whether I should stick with Leo or if I should try a different hair dresser. Fey got her hair done recently and it turned out really well. It’s so hard to find a really good hair dresser though. I’m in the mood to try a new hair style but I’m worried it might not turn out well and I’d be wasting money.

I wonder what movies are out in the cinemas this weekend…

My weekend

Went shopping (again) over the weekend. Poor Steve consented and accompanied me to Sherway Gardens despite the fact that he wasn’t feeling all too well. Told him he didn’t have to go with me if he still wasn’t 100% but he insisted that he was ok to go and so we went. Why did I go to a mall that was so far from me you ask? It’s because it’s the only other mall that carries A&F and Hollister and I wanted to see if they had those cute tops I saw online. No one will understand this better than another shopaholic like me. I know.

Did I tell you that food at Mezes is pure heaven? Mezes = Yummy! If I ate there everyday, I’d gain weight for sure. Everything is soooo goood!

Anyhow, mum had been telling me how much she misses me because I’ve been going out a lot and haven’t been home for dinners. I felt bad so I decided to take the family out for lunch yesterday after church and grocery shopping. We decided to eat at my dad’s fave Chinese restaurant downtown. It’s not a very posh place and it’s not in the best location either but the food is amazing. So off we went. It was soooo goood.

I think I need to start going to the gym. I feel so out of shape already. I just have zero motivation to do it.

Oh and I just heard on the radio that if you want to lose weight, you should eat with “dainty” eaters… what is a “dainty” eater anyway?? Anyhow, according to studies, you tend to adjust your eating habit according to who you’re regularly eating with. So if you eat with someone who tends to eat very little all the time, you will eventually eat little too. Stevie, this probably explains why you’re losing weight... 'noh? LOL

Ticked off

I wish I could say that I am in a good mood today. But I’m not and try as I might, I just can’t force my mood to change. People just tire me out sometimes. My fault I guess because I don’t like confrontations and avoid it as much as I can so I tend to keep the things that bother me to myself. And then this happens… me just waking up one day, exhausted. My patience is running thin and I feel like one more push could seriously make me blow up. Rarely does that happen though… I have good self-control.

I just can’t believe how selfish some people are. There are so many good people in the world and just as many bad ones. I still think that people are born good and somewhere somehow something happens and they change. I just don’t understand why some people will do anything to put themselves on top regardless of who they step on or who they hurt in the process. How do you sleep at night?

I can’t stand fake people. If you have something to say, say it in front of me. And I hate people that tell their own version of my life. This is why I find it hard to trust people. There are so many that are not trustworthy at all. And please, if it doesn’t concern you, stay out of my business. I don’t interfere with your life, I don’t make it difficult for you and I certainly won’t do anything that would bring you harm. So please extend the same courtesy to me.

I’m very patient but I have limits too. It takes a lot to tick me off but when my patience has run out, I’m telling you, it’s best you stay out of my way.

The years go by...

5pm can’t come soon enough. It’s one of those slow Fridays where I find myself eagerly waiting to get off work and since I’m not overly busy, time seems to go by so much slower.

Last night while lying in bed, I was thinking of how fast the years go by. All of a sudden, 30 doesn’t seem that far anymore. I am still in my early 20s but I’ll hear a song on the radio and realize it’s been 10 years since that song came out. 10 years!! For me it sure seems as though it were only yesterday that song was on the weekly countdown. It made me realize that 10 years really doesn’t take that long to pass. I mean, highschool is almost 10 years ago. Gee. Sometimes I still think I had just graduated when in fact it’s been almost 3 years since I got my degree. 3 years… and yet so much has happened in those 3 years. So many things happen in a year!

When I was younger, I remember thinking to myself, “I’ve got lots of time… I’ve got so many years ahead of me…” but once you turn 18, the years just seem to go by and before you know it, it’s another year, another birthday. Now when I think about it, life really is short. If you’re lucky enough, you get to live to a ripe age of 80. But how many of us really do get the chance to grow old? I don’t even know how many years I still have left to live. At the rate years are going, I’ll be 40 and then 50 and then 60 and then I’ll die. And that’s it. Game over.

People I knew from school are getting married, having kids, buying houses, travelling… when just yesterday our major concerns were composed of school plays, cheering competitions, intramurals, surprise quizzes, staying awake in class, project deadlines, first boyfriends/girlfriends, and dances. All that time trying as hard as we could to be cool or “in” or atleast be normal enough not to be cast out. Before, we would speculate about what we’ll become after we finish school, what professions we were going to pursue, what kind of careers we were going to have, and who were going to date. At 14, 15 or even 16, we felt we were no longer kids and that we were grown up just because we were highschool students. We thought our first boyfriend/girlfriend was going to be our last. We thought we’d know what course to take after highschool. We thought we knew… or atleast we thought we had an idea of what to expect. And then we graduate from highscool, enter college and suddenly we realize it wasn’t as simple as we thought it would be. Some of us find ourselves second-guessing the path we chose. We break hearts and get our hearts broken, we fall, we get back on our feet and we realize we’ve changed… the people around us and our experiences shape us. Although in most ways we are the same, we really have changed in one way or another. Some for the better, some for the worse.

Although it is true that life is short, it really is pretty amazing. It’s a combination of highs and lows but everyday there’s something new… a new face, a new experience, a new feeling. There are a lot of good byes but there are also a lot of hellos. There’s just no knowing what to expect. Tomorrow could either bring a tear or a smile. But either way, it’s an experience that’s bound to teach us a thing or two. I may live to be 80 or I could die tomorrow, I could miss out on a lot of things, I could rise to great lengths… I just don’t know. All that I hope is that I take something meaningful with me when I go and that I’ve touched someone else’s life… that my life doesn’t go unnoticed, that I am happy and content. If I have this, I don’t really care how long I’ve had to live.

Funny Little Disaster

Of course where else could I possibly be but at my desk at work, typing away into oblivion. I’m actually running some tests on the next version of our software but it’s so boring that I would fall asleep if I didn’t take a break from it every now and then. Like Pao said in his blog, what would my blog be without my ramblings about work and being bored? LOL

Anyhow, Steve picked me up from the subway station this morning and gave me a ride to work. Very sweet. Rounding the corner to the office, we looked at the parking lot and realized that Mr. Pres’ Mercedes (It's a 2005, SLK 350) had been robbed of its rims and tires. It was literally balancing off a few blocks and the front was tilted against the pavement. We couldn’t believe it! We just had to laugh. Mr. Tech Manager wasn’t too happy about it since he was the one who left the car in the parking lot overnight when Mr. Pres had told him to bring it to the shop. Tsk tsk! Good thing Mr. Pres is out of the country and won’t be back till the weekend. So now, the car has to be fixed and ready by the time Mr. Pres comes back and everyone is supposed to keep it a secret. Who leaves a shiny, red Mercedes in a parking lot in the middle of an industrial area overnight anyways?! And guess what, no cameras! Dun dun dun dun… more like, dumb dumb dumb dumb… LOL

Sometimes I can’t help but laugh at all the things that happen in this company.

pppuurrffeeccttt weather!

Spring is finally here and me likes the weather today. –GRIN-

If only the weather would stay this way and not fluctuate between -5 and +15, it would be pppuuuurrrfffeeecccttt… At least I’ve been able to get my feet out of my boots and into wedges and I’ve been able to wear jeans without the discomfort of a thermal underneath and at least I’ve been able to temporarily put away my winter jacket in exchange for a light corduroy blazer and on certain days a spring coat. It’s been raining some days but I don’t mind the rain as much as the cold so I can tolerate it. I’m praying that weather would remain warm during the weekends instead of it being warm during the weekdays and cold on the weekends. That would suck big time.

I am so proud of myself, having done all my chores on Sunday and then getting a short nap afterwards. I have yet to organize my closet and put away clothes I will no longer be wearing. I am trying to decide as to whether I should go ahead and buy a dresser since my closet is becoming a disaster. I like to keep my things organized as much as possible. Just look at my desk at work!

Another reason to be proud is the fact that I, yes I had 2 shots Saturday night and didn’t even get drunk… I got a little dizzy and felt a bit sleepy but I didn’t feel sick or anything. It must be because I had dinner before and the shots I took were probably quite mild. But still, it’s an accomplishment for someone who doesn’t drink. I still don’t get it why so many people like to drink alcohol when it tastes so bad. I know I know you’re supposed to “acquire” a taste for it over time… but I’ve never acquired it and I don’t think I ever will. And what’s so good about drinking and getting a hang over the following morning any way?

Saturday night was a blast! Steve took me clubbing with a few of his cousins and their friends at Cheval downtown along King Street West. They knew the PR person for the club so we got in for free and we had our own VIP section. Very cool. Our drinks were paid for and we even had a few snacks and we didn’t have to spend a dime. Awesome! I’m not much of a club-goer and it was my first time being in a VIP section of a club getting VIP treatment so I was blown away. I was drinking water for the most parts except for the vodka and coke that Steve mixed for me by accident. Very little vodka and lots of Coke. And the 2 shots I had. I was so amused with everyone dancing around me even though I sucked at dancing. Steve was a much better dancer! It was probably because he wasn’t as shy and self-conscious as me. The music was good and everyone was just having a good time. Around 2am, most of us decided to go home since Steve and I both had church the following day while the others were hammered. I am so glad I went. It was quite the experience for me.

Where do butterflies go when it rains?

we've grown...

I was on Facebook this morning, thinking of changing my profile pic when I came across an old picture taken with a dear friend. I love that picture… it still feels like only yesterday we were sitting side by side under the sun with our picture being taken and now it’s been 3 years since and in a lot of ways we are all still the same but in a lot of ways we’ve also changed… I guess the proper word would be “grown”. Yes, we’ve grown…

absolutely amazing

Isn’t it amazing to look into another person’s eyes and see you? To know he/she sees you and loves you for you? To know that he/she adores you, accepts you, rejoices with you and cries with you? To know that in this big, big world, you do not go unnoticed because there is this special person whose life is complete because you’re in it?

Don't do it Karen!

Awww… darn it. I promised myself I would do my darndest to keep myself from spending too much and what happened? Whhaaattt happened?! I came out of Eaton Centre with a new lipgloss and a pair of new shoes. Both of which are absolutely gorgeous by the way. But still… Why can’t I walk through the mall and only get what I absolutely need? Why oh why can’t I pass through windows and not look? And why oh why can I not keep myself from trying on clothes and shoes and make up? I know for a fact that my eyes will always look through the window, I will see something I like and then I will want to try them on. All that time saying to myself, “You’re just trying it on… no harm in trying…” And of course it’s crap because I know for a fact that once I try it and it looks good, I’m definitely getting it. It’s an addiction I tell you!!

I’ve got a plan. I am going to look for pictures of the places I want to go to and place them strategically where I can see them and I will be reminded of why I need to save money. And then I will tell myself that I will be with my sweetheart on a beach somewhere so I better keep my money in my wallet if I ever want that to happen.

If worse comes to worse, I might just have to give my money to someone who will keep it away from me. Or I could get one of those bands that you put around the neck that would give me a shock of electricity everytime I stepped into the mall. LOL.

Every Little Thing

I love this song...


Let me in
to see you in the morning light
to get me on and all along the tears they come
see all come
I want you to believe in life
but I get the strangest feeling that you've gone away
will you find out who you are too late to change?
I wish I could be
every little thing you wanted
all the time
I wish I could be
every little thing you wanted
all the time
some times

lift me up
just lift me up don't make a sound
and let me hold you up before you hit the Ground
see all come
you say your all right
but I get the strangest feeling
that you've gone away- you've gone away
and will you find out who you are too late to change?

I wish I could be
every little thing you wanted
all the time
I wish I could be
every little thing you wanted
all the time
some times

Don't give me up
don't give me up tonight
or soon nothing will be right at all
salvation
will you find out who you are too late to change?

I wish I could be
every little thing you wanted

Every Little Thing

Dishwalla

Remembering

I was purchasing some songs from iTunes and came across Air Supply: Greatest Hits. I couldn't resist it. I had to listen to some songs. Immediately, a thousand memories and emotions came back to me. It's funny how a song could bring back so many memories associated with it. It honestly caught me by surprise.

I remember summers spent in our tiny living room, front door open, wind blowing in and the scent of trees... i remember the sound of the fan, song playing on the radio, and everything was just quiet..peaceful. Between 1 and 4 pm in the Philippines, everyone seems to disappear and everything is still.. except for the slight bustling of leaves. People at home are asleep... siesta. My nanny would ask me to sleep... "afternoon nap.. good for you.. go lie down now.." I would always beg.. beg to be allowed to stay up and play. I'd either be given an extra half an hour to play or I had to go lie down. Nap time was never negotiable. It was always mandatory. You'd think after all those afternoon naps and the amount of milk I drank back then, I would have grown a bit, gotten a little taller atleast, but no. I think I barely stretched.

There's something about growing up in one place. You tend to fall in-love with it..the place, the people, the little things that surround you... the garden where I spent so many afternoons playing hide and seek, the big tree in the front yard with bright, yellow green leaves, the may flowers (we didn't know what they were called but we called them May flowers since they always bloomed in May when the first rain started to fall.. then they would lie dormant the rest of the year), the shrubs beside the house that had sap that made you itchy, the gates surrounding the house which we had painted white one afternoon, the rooftop where JR and I were only allowed to sit on once in our entire life... so many other little things that are just forever etched in our hearts and minds.

I will always miss the place where I grew up.

a bit of slack time

Why is it so hard for some people to follow instructions? Arrgghh!!

Don’t mind the first line, I just needed to vent.

Anyhow, the past couple of days have been super nice. It really felt like Spring! Unfortunately, it looks like this weekend will be chilly again. Bummer. It’s so depressing to think of the weekend being cold especially when I know I’ll be going out of the house. I hate going out in the cold and having to wear so many layers and still feel cold.

I know I’ve been neglecting my page. I’ve just been really swamped at work and at times I feel overwhelmed. So far I’ve been able to do 3 things at the same time. I’ll be on the phone training a client while writing some marketing blurb for our corporate website and mentally keeping track of all the other things I need to do as soon as I get off the phone. This does not count all the times I signal outside my window to co-workers asking me questions and silently mouthing the answers. Steve said it’s hard to believe how I’m able to do so many things at the same time. Told him, I’ve been practicing multi-tasking since I was in school and I really have no choice. There are so many things I need to do and so little time to do all of them. Right now I just feel exhausted. Physically and mentally. I’ve been quiet all morning, answering e-mails and setting up client databases and I think I must look different or must have been too quiet because several people have asked me whether I was feeling ok. I think I’m going to do a bit of shopping after work and de-stress. LOL.

You must be thinking, “if she’s got so many things on the go, what the hell is she doing blogging?”. Good question! If you must know, if I don’t write now, I’ll be screaming my head off at the end of the day. Writing is always a good stress reliever. Plus, I write pretty fast so I’ll be done with this post in a few minutes and I can get back to what I was doing.

Boardgames

If there's one thing you should know about me, it's the fact that I absolutely love playing boardgames.

It must be from all those afternoons spent in my grandparents' house in QC playing boggle, snakes and ladders, scrabble, and bingo (although I don't think Bingo is a baordgame) with my cousins and all those times I played Monopoly with my neighbors.

A couple of months ago I learned how to play Taboo, courtesy of the Jacobs' and the gang. It was soo much fun! I could play it all night if I wanted to. And then last night, steve, and some of our friends decided to play Balderdash and Pictionary. I've never played before so they had to teach me the rules of the game. I didn't do so bad, considering I've never played them before. It was hilarious! Steve and Danny took the game seriously and wanted to win real bad while Dave, Georgina and I were just laughing our heads off. Winning is nice but it's playing the game that makes the whole thing so much fun.

Danny and Steve ended up winning. For now anyways...

Bored

It's funny... I came across someone else's page and she wrote about how often do we find ourselves wanting something so bad for so long and when we finally get it, we're not so sure we want it still. I found myself nodding in agreement because I know exactly how it feels. It's sorta like my crushes... I like them but if they went after me, I wouldn't go for it. Weird huh?

Anyhow, I've been pretty good with getting to work super early for the past week or so. I love being one of the first people to arrive at the office. I dunno why.. I just feel more relaxed that way. I can walk in and not have to work right away. I can just grab a cup of coffee, have breakfast and spend a few morning minutes chatting with co-workers and having a laugh or two. Not that they're strict at work anyway, even if I walked in at exactly 9am, I could still grab coffee, eat breakfast and chit chat a bit.. but I wouldn't be as comfortable.. there will still be that nagging thought at the back of my head telling me I need to check my e-mail, voicemail and start my work day.

Miguel just asked me if I had Facebook and I told him I did. He just added me so I decided I should go check out his page. I just realized my baby brother really is a teenager now. He's got a totally different lingo and he's acting and talking like a teenager.. but a good teenager if I may say so. He still and will always be the baby of the family.

Super sleepy... must go to sleep.

Ha! Two Hundred!

My beloved page has reached another all-time high! This is officially my two hundredth post! I would have reached two hundred posts a long time ago had I not slacked off on posting. I'm still quite proud... I never thought I'd write this much when I started.

All the more reason to keep writing! Cheers!

When I See You Smile

Sometimes I wonder
How I'd ever make it through,
Through this world without having you
I just wouldn't have a clue

'Cause sometimes it seems
Like this world's closing in on me,
And there's no way of breaking free
And then I see you reach for me

Sometimes I wanna give up
I wanna give in,
I wanna quit the fight
And then I see you, baby
And everything's alright,
everything's alright

When I see you smile
I can face the world, oh oh,
you know I can do anything
When I see you smile
I see a ray of light, oh oh,
I see it shining right through the rain
When I see you smile
Oh yeah, baby when I see you smile at me

Baby there's nothing in this world
that could ever do
What a touch of your hand can do
It's like nothing that I ever knew

And when the rain is falling
I don't feel it,
'cause you're here with me now
And one look at you baby
Is all I'll ever need,
you're all I'll ever need

Chorus

Sometimes I wanna give up
I wanna give in,
I wanna quit the fight
And then I see you baby
And everything's alright,
everything's alright

So right...

When I See You Smile
Bad English

For my college friends who I miss everyday...

Sleep...need it

oh boy I'm exhausted from work today. On top of it, stubborn ol' me decided to pass by the mall on the way home because I somehow convinced myself it was necessary. I thought of a particular shirt I wanted to get from Hollister but for the life of me, I cannot justify why oh why I would go out of my way to pass by the mall and get it eventhough all I felt like doing is crawl into bed and sleep. For those who are curious, no, I didn't end up getting the shirt I had in mind. It didn't fit me well. Yeah...go figure.

Atleast I didn't have to do the dishes tonight.

Funny, Tim had sent me a message and I replied to it only to realize later on that it had a gazillion spelling mistakes. This is what I get for attempting to do anything else but sleep. This is sleep deprivation getting revenge on me. I hastily sent him another message telling him I was sleep deprived hence the spelling boo boos... hey, I didn't want him to think I was a natural idiot.

I have a new theory: if I keep my bedroom door open, I seem to have a better wireless internet connection. This is partly good news because it means all I have to do is open my door if my internet sucks. This is also partly bad because it means I paid for an N wireless router only to find that I still need to keep my bedroom door open to get a stronger signal.

My bed is my friend today. I better go say hi to my friend. Sleep is the dominant word ringing in my head.

Annoyed

4 posts till 200! I can’t believe how much I’ve written since I started my page. I’ve been slacking off recently though... just finding it difficult to think of anything to post about.

Very annoying that Mr. Pres.’s back from wherever it is he came from. I was really hoping we wouldn’t see him for a month or so. He just ruins everything and he’s really just getting in the way instead of giving us direction. I am annoyed with him all the more today because he has taken precious time away from me. I overheard him say he’ll be leaving a week from now. Why can’t he leave tomorrow morning instead? It’s not like anyone would miss him anyway. Sorry guys, just really pissed off right now so I am venting.

Looks like tomorrow will be another chilly day. Oh sorry, let me rephrase that… I meant to say that tomorrow will be FREEZING! I guess I’d better wear layers. Dammit, where’s spring?!

Memories

It is such an amazing feeling to be sitting across the table from someone or just sitting in the car talking. I can think of so many conversations with so many different people and the ones that remain in my memory the most are those conversations I shared with someone who made me feel like they really understood and that every word I said mattered even though what I might have been saying didn't necessarily make a lot of sense.

Looking back in my life, I realize it's the little things that I remember the most. A person's smile, the scent of the morning, conversations, meaningful experiences, thoughtful gestures... sometimes I even surprise myself when I recall certain things from my childhood that I thought I would have forgotten by now. There are things I remember so vividly. Nothing big. Just little things that made such an impact in my life or things that have stayed, forever locked up in my heart. Some memories are good, some are bad. Some made me cry, some made me laugh. But mostly just things and experiences that helped shaped me into the person I am and remain as a constant reminder that although life can be painful sometimes, it is also beautiful.

I wonder, several years from now, what memories will I be keeping?

A normal day

This morning started out really bad. Mum woke me up at 6am to inform me that we had no power which means we have no heat, no light, and no water. She suggested that I skip work altogether since I can't walk out of the house straight from the bed. I, of course, agreed. I too do not wish to walk out of the house without atleast brushing my teeth and washing my face. I need to take a bath everyday. If I can't take a bath, I'm not going anywhere.

To make the story short, the power eventually came back on. If it hadn't, I would have been disappointed. This is North America after all. A first world country. If I were in the Phils, losing power for a few days is pretty normal.

Anyhow, I came across a friend's blog and came across a post he wrote about some of the things he wants to be able to accomplish this year. I must say I am pretty impressed with his ambitions. He is a smart guy after all. Probably one of the smartest people I've known in my entire life so far. But looking at what he's already done and the things he wants to be able to do, just makes me look at my life and go, "What the hell am I doing with mine?" I suddenly feel the need to go out there and study some more, take more certifications, just freaking do more! I probably shouldn't be comparing myself to him of all people. He is super smart and can probably do anything he wants to do.

I was just thinking, how many of us really end up doing what we want to do?