Ramblings

My mind has been so kalat these days. i've been having quite a bit of financial problem lately which i think are brought about by the typhoon milenyo and the 6 day-brownout that ensued. Its been difficult and what keeps me going is the thought that I went through so much worse before and God didn't forsake me. But still, I keep wondering when will I ever be able to breathe a sigh of relief and not worry so much about everything or anything. But being the regular worry wart that I am, I dont see that day coming, well not in the near future.

I just started going on duty on different hospitals around metro manila. I feel so incompetent sometimes I wonder if I ever will be good at being a nurse. I know I'm a competent optometrist (ahem...heee) but will I be a good nurse in the future? Is the decision to go into nursing at this point in my life a wise choice? What if i graduate and then not make it through the NCLEX? What if it was just a waste of 2 years and my bro-in-law's money? what if, what if? See...I told ya...Im a worry wart.

I feel like I just cant talk to anyone or even blog about anything because I dont want to expose too much of what I'm feeling to everyone. I dont want to hear about i-told-you-sos even if i know they are all well-meant. It just adds to the current confusion I'm going through.

Lately, my SO's constant calls and text msgs has been bugging me a lot. I feel that it isnt necessary for him to ask me how I'm doing, what I'm doing, where I am, etc, etc all the time. I especially hate it when he calls with nothing really important to tell me. He tells me where he's going, what he will be doing for the next hour or so without me asking about them. I've taken to turning my cellphone off when I'm out just so he won't be able to reach me. I feel like I always have to have an explanation why I'm here or there, why I'm not home yet, why I'm with this or that person, even of he isn't asking for one. Nakakasawa na. I'm bad, I know. But I can't just tell him to stop. I know he thinks its sweet, but I just feel so constricted.

All these things depress the heck out of me and I dont know how to cure it. Shopping just doesnt cut it anymore. I havent shopped for 2 months! I think Im cured of shopping addiction. If only for that, a mini-wave for me! whoo!

Tickle Me Elmo X TMX Elmo

Soooooooo cute! I want one!!!

Mid (aged) Schoolers

know what i love about being in school again? It makes me feel young. The studying and cramming for exams, the worrying about your grades, the fear of getting reprimanded by the teachers about some little misdemeanor or when you and your clasmates get a little noisy..Things i used to hate back in the days, I find myself enjoying now. Weird, huh?

What I also like about my class is the diversity of the people in it. Im lucky I found a great group of people I enjoy hanging out with, in and out of class. We enjoy a lot of laughs (courtesy of some other peeps in my class...think MEAN GIRLS haha!..no, we're not that cruel..) and a lot of good food. My group sure enjoys eating, we've sampled quite a number of restaurants along Visayas Avenue already. When we're in class, i sometimes forget we're a group of professionals already, for we sure act like we're in high school again. Middle-aged high schoolers! haha!

haay..the 80's..

Your 80s Heartthrob Is

Jason Bateman

Who's Your 80's Heartthrob?

of course it would be so much better if it would be the CURRENT Jason Bateman...

As if I needed a test for this...

You've Been Bit By the Shopping Bug!

You're constantly adding to your wardrobe - and it shows However, you can show some restraint. You love good deals. Your love of the clearance rack has paid off... You probably have only maxed out card or two, if at all!

Are You a Shopaholic?

So Shoe Me

You are Slinky Heels!

You're an uptown, well put together woman But you're not too uptight to enjoy a hot club You're always the best dressed chick in the room And you'll only settle for the best in men

What Kind of Shoe Are You?

Hapy Birthday Paola!

One of my nieces celebrated her 18th birthday recently. She's so pretty, isn't she? Man, I sure am getting old. If ther are getting older, then I'm getting ancient! But I sure hope I don't look like it. Mwahaha!

The tita/ninang with the pretty, pretty nieces.


With some members of my family, plus Mann.

With my sisters and sisters in law. One sister is not present though.

Happy happy birthday Peng! May you have all the happiness you deserve in life. You've been a good girl and a good daughter to your parents. Stay as sweet as you are. Make your parents proud someday!

Hong Kong High

It has got to be one of my most favorite places ever. I've been to HK so many times but I still never get tired of it. Each time I come back to Manila, I'll always be dreaming of the next time I'll return. Maybe it's because I'm such a shopaholic and HK is a shoppers ultimate mecca, or maybe it's because it's so easy to get around there you won't feel like a tourist at all. Their transport system is so efficient which makes me so envious, why can't our government do that here? It was sale season over there and there were loads to buy,if you have the mooolah, which I don't. Boo-hoo. I've never seen so many Gucci bags in use! Almost every other local I saw was toting one, males included. Gucci is THAT big over there apparently, well, based on the long queues outside every Gucci store I saw. And it's not cheap in HK I tell ya.

Anyway, this time around, I went with my sister from NY, her kids and her (mine too) cutie pie grandson. They visited the amusement parks and had so much fun shopping, my sister being an incorrigible shopper herself. I didn't go with them to Ocean Park because I've been there several times already. Instead I strolled around Causeway BAy and Harbour City by my lonesome and did a LITTLE bit of shopping. It was fun though. I enjoy shopping alone even when Im here in MAnila. I notice that I do the most damage to my cards when I shop alone. Haha! I went with them to Disneyland. It was Ok..Just a bit bigger than Enchanted Kingdom. I enjoyed the parade though. The production design is amazing! There are so many pinoy performers among them. Too bad we didn't get to see any of the shows because we had to wait 45 minutes just to get in! We tried out a few of the rides. They were fun. nothing heart-stopping, and that's how I like it.

I didn't take too many pictures because I have like tons of them already, from my past trips. I only took a few when we were in Disneyland.

Gaya-Gaya

because i'm just too lazy to think of a topic...

LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN A THEATER: The Lake House--A feel-good movie that has many loopholes and a very pinoy ending.

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW: Geez...there are so many i've started, but the one that's on my bedside table now is We were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates.

FAVORITE BOARDGAME: Scrabble!

FAVORITE MAGAZINE: In Style

FAVORITE SMELLS: a baby, CLEAN perfumes, fresh from the oven pizza, and the smell of ginger being sauteed.

COMFORT FOODS: hot, hot pizza, lucky me supreme la paz batchoy, chips and dips, and a cold glass of iced tea.

FAVORITE SOUNDS: cooing ang laughter from a baby, early morning sound of waves on a beachside, birds chirping, the noise my pamangkins make when they get together.

WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD: The feeling of helplessness and desperation when a loved one is gravely ill.

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING: Lord, thank you for this brand new day.

FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE: KFC!!

FUTURE CHILD'S NAME: Maxine or Maximillan

FINISH THIS STATEMENT "IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I WOULD.." : Travel the world.

DO YOU DRIVE FAST? I'd like to say I drive carefully...hahaha!

DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?: I think i have a small stuffed elephant somewhere in my bed, but i didn't put him there.

STORMS, COOL OR SCARY? : scary! I worry and i can't sleep when a storm is raging outside.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR? : a red kia pride

FAVORITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK: vodka tonic

FINISH THIS STATEMENT- "IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD LOVE TO" : go to the gym

DO YOU EAT THE STEMS OF BROCCOLI: yes. i love veggies.

IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY COLOR, WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE? : medium brown with light brown highlights.

GLASS HALF-EMPTY OR FULL: half-empty, always.

HOW MANY TOWNS/CITIES HAVE YOU LIVED IN? : one--good ole manille

FAVORITE PLACE TO RELAX: the beach!

FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH: tennis and gymnastics

WHAT IS UNDER YOUR BED? : dust bunnies...hehe..

TOILET PAPER/PAPER TOWEL-OVER OR UNDER?: over of course. it SHOULD be that way.

Back to School

It all happened so fast. And now I find myself in the middle of waking up very early on mondays and tuesdays, taking down notes, cramming for exams and most off all, wearing a UNIFORM. Ugh. I never thought I'd wear another uniform in my whole life. But here I am, back in the campus and taking up my second course, nursing. It felt strange at first, going to a new school after a bazillion years, meeting new people, and the prospect of a career change. If not for a benefactor, this would never have happened. And now, I find myself enjoying all these new things that are happening to me. I liked going to class, hanging out with my new friends, basically, just being a student again. I just don't know if I'll still feel this way once we start our tour of duty.

God help me.

Cause I'm evil....Mwahahaha!

You Are 40% Evil

A bit of evil lurks in your heart, but you hide it well.In some ways, you are the most dangerous kind of evil.

How Evil Are You?

It's father's day today. My father would have been 80 years old if he was still here with us. I miss him everyday. We were not the best of friends but when he got sick and eventually died, I felt like a fish out of water. He was not one to spoil his kids, but he literally took care of everything for us. Who he got sick, I didn't know what to do with the house, the business, everything. And slowly but surely, I got the hang of it and it made me what I am now, a semi-responsible adult, I hope...

Happy Father's day Tatay.We miss you so much. We love you.

Better late than later

Just got back a month ago from a long-delayed trip to Boracay. It was fun, albeit short because we have jobs and responsiblities we have to get back to..ho-hum... Next time, I promised myself I'll be staying longer, like a week? yeah right...that will be the day...

While we were there, we met up with my sister's household helps who went home to their hometown for a vacation. They were just a tricycle and a boat ride away, and it was their firat time in Bora! Unbelievable!

Boracay is great as usual..., crystal blue water, white powdery sand amazing weather, and great food. Especially the food! I had the most delicious roasted garlic and prawns pasta in CYMA at D'Mall. Good thing they also have a branch here in Manila, at Shang. I plan to check it out soon! Yum! There's also the Hawaiian Barbeque, A japanese resto which unfortunately I forgot the name, and the usual buffet places in the island. Plus there's also the old reliable Binalot and Andok's if you want the familiar. What I was pleasantly surprised to find out was service in boracay is very good. Anywhere you go.

And of course, you can't leave Boracay without experiencing the whole body massage by the beach from the manangs. Ahh..heaven!

LOLA?!?!

Dont' look now, But I already have 4 grandchildren! That's by way of my nieces and nephew of course. I have yet to have one of my own and already..I'm a lola!? I'm not complaining though...I love them to bits..including my other nephews and nieces. Here I am with one of them..pretty, pretty Dani.Her sister Francine, refuses to have her picture taken, she clung to her real lola, my eldest sister. She's a real cutie though, with her long curly hair and cute button nose. But Dani, she's the sweetest, the most mild-mannered-girl you'll ever know... One day, she'll grow up to be one fine lady, I should know...who does she have for a lola?! Mwahahaha!!

August 1

Following Mano's lead...

Three neat facts which happesned on this day:

1.1774-The element Oxygen is discovered by Carl Wilhelm and Joseph Priestly.

2. 1944- Anne Frank makes the last entry in her diary.

3. 1981- MTV's first broadcast. The first video played was "video killed the radio star"

Two births

1. 1936- Yves Saint Lauren- French fashion designer

2. 1965- Sam Mendes- British stage and film director (Kate Winslet's better half, I believe...)

One death

1. 2005- King Fahd of Saudi Arabia

Tagged!

Four jobs I've had in my Life
1. Err...I've only had one job. I've been an optometrist for half my life now.

Four films I can watch over and over
1. The Last Emperor
2. May Minamahal
3. Love Story
4. The Breakfast Club

Four places I have lived
1. Err...again, I've only lived in good old Tondo all my life

Four TV programs I love to watch
1. FRIENDS
2. Sex and the City
3. LOST
4. House

Four place I'd love to visit if I have the money

1. New York
2. Austria (the hills are aliiive.....)
3. Angkor Wat in Cambodia
4. Italy

Four websites I visit daily

1. Friends and relatives blogs
2. Eonline
3. Pinoyexchange.com
4. yahoo

Four of my favorite food
1. Pizza
2. Lumpiang Ubod
3. Holy kettle corn
4. Chicken Inasal

Four places I would rather be
1. Boaracay
2. New York ( i miss my sister)
3. Hong Kong
4. the mall (shopping!)

Fire alert

It's the most horrible experience ever. One I wouldn't wish even on my own enemies. March is known as Fire-Prevention Month, but ironically, most fires occur during that time. It was a very close call, and thank God we were spared. The house behind ours, (on the next street parallel to ours) burned up March 4, around 1 am. Two people died in what they say was a case of arson. I can't describe the feeling, of opening the window, looking out and seeing these huge tounges of flame. It looked like it was already licking the back of my brother's house. I ran around not knowing what to do. I tried calling 166, and guess what, nobody was answering the call. So much for our government's efficiency huh? I ran to my sister's house nearby, banged on their gate and told them about the fire. It never occured to me to save anything. All I could think about was saving our house. My sister in-law had to shout at me to get my car out of the garage. I couldn't even remember where i put my keys. I was crying and out of breath from all that running. We all went out of the house and by the time i came back, there were already firetrucks in front of our house. I was still crying and praying, please, please Lord, help us. After about 30 tension-filled minutes, they have managed to kill the fire. But not after 1 person died, and 1 was critically injured. Later, that person died too.
Now, I'm afraid to go to sleep at night. It seems I'm always on guard, afraid that if i fall into deep sleep, I might not know if anything happens. Prayers calm me down though. I can never thank the Lord enough for looking after us.
So, be wary, and be very careful.

Ho-hum

I am so lazy.

It seems I have no energy for anything these days. Maybe it's this blasted diet pills I'm taking. They make me want to snooze all day. Diet pills...hehehe...Can you tell I'm getting desperate here? And it doesn't help that one of my dearest friends have been bugging me to go to Boracay next weekend. Ulk! I am sooo not ready for bikini season!

Though it would be fun to go to the beach again. I miss my back-packing days. That's how I learned to travel light. For local travels I can get by with one medium sized backpack. Save all those heavy luggage for trips abroad. Even my boyfriend is amazed. Who wants to drag around things that aren't really necessary? I'm low-maintenance when it comes to that. Well, only that. Ha!