Start today!

Was watching the movie My Big Love this afternoon. I've seen it a few times before but you know me, I never get tired of Pinoy movies. Anyway, I remember I promised my mom to get a blood test when I go home to Iloilo. When I was in high school, we take annual blood tests for the heck of it. Just for monitoring purposes coz my mom has hypertension. I always manage to be normal in all levels except uric acid which caused most of my kidney illness back then. But now I'm fine. But I have to admit, I've kinda forgotten to watch what I eat (haha it's obvious). Maybe because I've never really had a blood test in my whole college life. Therefore I don't have acid levels to remind me to watch it. I'd always think minsan lang naman, but then again, if you combine all that 'minsans', it makes a difference.

Anyhooo my point is, I gotta seriously watch it. I don't want to die young noh! So back to My Big Love, Sam was sooo fat, like 300 lbs. and then Toni was his personal trainer who has a five-step program to managing one's weight.

1. Goal setting.

2. Start today.

3. No shortcuts.

4. Motivate yourself.

5. Be happy.

My goal now is just to eat healthy. It's better to be realistic because I know myself. I know what I can and can't do. I can never promise not to eat pork. Because baby back ribs is one of my favorites. And funny I had to go visit Raisia's post on how she lost weight in law school. (No it's not stress, she ate healthy stuff!) I'm so glad to see she recommended cereals because I have a box of Mueslix that I eat when I find myself hungry late at night. I'm doing something right haha.

Okay enough of the writing and get working. And yes, I'm gonna take that blood test when I go home.

What's next?

Earlier Ruffa Gutierrez and Miriam Quiambao tweeted that there's a Tattler ball tonight and the theme was 20's. I always get confused which look is from which so I researched a bit and here they are. haha

10's

Reminds me of Titanic.

20's

Burlesque. Like the theme of Chuck Bass' bar. haha

30's

Movie Star glam

4o's

Remember the Thomasites? The first teachers in the Philippines? haha

50's

Grease-ish fashion

60's

Definitely Hairspray!

70's

Disco Fever!

80's

Big hair/ punk

AAAAND THE 90's! My favorite era! Where everything's in moderation.

Kids nowadays look skanky. When I was a kid, I'd go to church in a dress. Now these kids wear clothes that seemed like tinipid sa tela. On the other hand, teens look too funky- hoodies, eyeliners, chunky rubber shoes. It looks good yeah, if you're sosyal. Oh well, I guess that's how it is goes. Fashion evolves. Maybe...I'm just a little stuck in the 90's. HAHAHA

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY PAMANGKIN, the cutest baby ever,

JULIAN!

(Tune in my head: 'bulilit, bulilit, sanay sa masikip' hahaha)

I LOVE YOU TO BITS CUTIE PIE!

I can't believe it's been a year but I'm very happy! I'm excited to see him grow up but he's sooo cute I hope he doesn't grow up too soon. He's like my kid except I don't discipline him. I spoil him. hahaha But yes, like a mom, I've changed his diapers when he pees and poops (hahaha), put him to sleep, play with him, fed him, etc. And like a good ninang, I buy him, what else? SHOES! Awwwww I super love Julian!

Kwento kwento lang

Literally. haha I'm so stressed and I haven't really thought about things lately so I'll just kwento stuff.

ORPHANAGE VISIT

Yesterday Ana, Mau and I visited the orphanage in Binondo. It was all good except the part where the tricycle driver charged us 100 pesos for the ride from Ongpin to DelPan. I was so pissed but I believe in karma so Manong Driver, mamalasin ka rin one day. Or malay ko ba minamalas ka na kaya dinadaya mo na rin yung mga taong tulad namin.

The nuns were so accommodating. The Indian nun who showed me their grocery list even reminded me that we need not donate everything on the list. She said something like "Whatever you can give, even if it's a small thing, we are very grateful for the blessing." She kept repeating "That's very nice of you and your friends to help us here."

Anyway after the visit we made our way back to Quezon City. It was a very tiring ride because it was rush hour and well, Manila does not have the widest roads so it took us 1.5 hours to get from Quiapo to Trinoma.

STICKER-HAPPY

After dinner we went to Starbucks in the garden of Trinoma. I was telling my friends to give me their stickers if they don't have plans of getting a planner. Then this guy on the next table approached and said "excuse me, nagcocollect ka ba ng stickers?" Shempre I was surprised! In my mind I was thinking 'Shet maybe he's selling his stickers to me. SCALPER?! NO WAY!' So nag inarte ako and replied "Uhh, yeah...-ish." HAHAHAHA Then he said "You can have my sticker card. Pwede naman i-combine yung cards eh." So I accepted it and thanked him nicely. SOOO AWKWARD! Buti nalang cute siya. haha But minutes later, a girl arrived and left with him. haha oh well papel. Such a sweetie.

ORGANIC SOAPS

I purchased my organic soaps online and met up with the seller today at SM Fairview. Organic soaps don't come cheap. Each bar sells from Php95 to 125. I wanted to try these because I guess I just got bored with the commercial soaps (my staples are Johnson's citrus fresh, Safeguard white, Biolink papaya soap which all sell for less than 40 pesos each).

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

I'm not halfway my Christmas shopping. I've only bought gifts for my Mom and Joop. Sooo hard to think of gifts! haha

RED RIBBON

If you love bangus, you have to try Red Ribbon's bangus ala pobre. Super yummy, super cheap! For Php 137, you get the bangus meal, a drink and a slice of cake for dessert. yehey!

FOOTWEAR

Found really cute and affordable oxford leather flats at Manel's. I didn't buy it coz I wanna finish my Christmas shopping first. I'll buy for myself last. hehe

I'm really loving the Christmas spirit! I just wish it's colder, like back in senior year, there was a certain month (or months) that I'd wear a jacket and socks to sleep! In school I was always in jeans and a jacket. It was even colder outside our air-conditioned classroom. Feeling ko winter! I really miss that time.

RENOVATIONS...AGAIN

Mom called me up two nights ago to tell me to shove all our stuff in the room before I leave because the house will be renovated again. This time it's gonna be the floor. The crazy cut marble floor will be replaced by uhh, probably huge granite tiles. It's not that I don't like but this is another waste of time. Our floor is as good as new. Really! No cracks at all. It's the only reminder that this house is 'old' (in a good way). And I hate it that they're changing it! My mom hates it too coz it's an unnecessary change and a waste of money.

GLOBE

I hate Globe for a crappy service! Weeks ago when dad and I traveled to Bicol, I was using mobile web to tweet and check my emails. I was aware of their two ways of charging mobile browing- the default is kb browsing which charges you per kilobyte sent, and then time browsing that charges Php 5 for 15 minutes. Of course I switched to time browsing (send TIME to 1111). Then I got a notification today that my bill is 2500! LIKE WTF?! I am sooo gonna get to the bottom of this and crucify them. hahahaha oveeeerr?! Ah basta, I hate Globe for cheating on their subscribers. Good thing the message they sent me about having switched to time browsing is still on my phone. Patay talaga kayo sa akin. haha

Anywaaaay, dapat good vibes na! Christmas is super near and I'm excited! For that I'll try to tweet about things that I love. Pang dagdag good vibes diba? This 'tweet what you love' was inspired by my friend since grade school Chris Orleans. haha

(Btw I watched New Moon again this afternoon shet. hahaha Will kwento my experience tomorrow.)

I JUST DIED AND WENT TO ABS HEAVEN :)

I love Edward but I'm for TEAM JACOB!

I can't wait for Eclipse!

* * *

The line at Eastwood cinemas was like a line for relief goods! But the movie was sooo totally worth it! Everyone was squealing in the cinema, especially the young girls. There were two occasions when a single voice stood out to react. As in she said "AWWWW" alone! The whole cinema laughed at her, whoever she is. hahaha Really really funny!

AMAZING!

As early as now, I really want to thank my friends who responded to my email. It is very heartwarming to know they're willing to help. I got twelve yeses in 24 hours and two more today. I mean that's a lot considering I only emailed a few friends for this project.

I'm so excited to do my ocular visit on Monday. Or maybe I should call them nalang. Bahala na. All I want is for this to be meaningful. Not only for me but for everyone who's coming.

Spread the love everyone!

Sharing the blessings

After reading this article, I sent an email to some friends asking for a Saturday visit to Alay ng Puso so spend time with the kids. I hope many will respond positively. (Two emailed me back minutes after.)

That lady is the lone caregiver in Alay ng Puso. Photo from Chuvaness.

But then again, big or small group, I'll push through with this project. I want to find a new meaning in life. A fresh outlook. Anything that can inspire. Maybe some of you are looking for that too.

Bakit magastos maging masaya?

If you're a material girl, that is. haha

I purchased a Longchamp as my Christmas gift for mom. I think it has eaten half of my salary. ghad. But then again, it's something I've always wanted to give to mom plus, I can borrow it when she's tired of it. I guess I just have to scrimp on my other gifts. hahaha

And then I found another bag for myself. How would you like your two loves combined? As for me, that'd be bags + flats!

I DIDN'T BUY IT, OF COURSE! (Wala na akong pera hellooooo?!) It's just an addition to my never-ending wishlist. haha

Gosh, I need to rush my Christmas shopping na! One month to go before I fly to Iloilo. I'm staying there for a month so I can attend Dinagyang. Yay! I'll also visit Bacolod. More on that in another post.

Happy Christmas shopping! :)

The price is right

How much are you willing to pay for a bag? What is the maximum amount you'd pay for any bag?

This is a pretty cluttered post but I assure you, the pieces will fit. haha

My friends know I love bags and when I'm bored, I kill time reading blogs on bags and checking websites of different brands of bags. And I also have bags in mind that I'd love to own one day. But I also don't believe in ULTRA HIGH-END BAGS. Owning a six-figure bag in a third world country is an insult to poverty. A pre-owned Hermes Birkin will cost you at least $6,000 (around Php 300,000) and could go s high as Php 2M. A Chanel or a simple Valextra bag will cost you about Php 150,000. Imagine how many classrooms that can build, or how much capital that is for a business (so you can create jobs), or how many scholars you can send to school.

Today I spent the whole afternoon reading Philippine Star. I'm amazed how Jaime Zobel de Ayala (JAZA) finds happiness in road trips and reading on his Kindle. Or Jose Mari Chan being very happy with his comics collection. I mean, they're really big people in their respective fields but they find so much happiness in the simplest things.

"...in life, one has to strive to be happy.” -Jose Mari Chan

So if my happiness are bags (and shoes, and watches haha Overrrr), I draw the line at 30k. A little allowance so I'd extend that to 40k tops! NOTHING MORE THAN THAT. Of course I won't afford that now. And the only way I'd own a bag worth more than 40k is when someone gives it to me as a gift. So goodbye Chanel 2.55. Ask my would-be husband to buy you for me. hahaha

P.S.

My real happiness isn't really bags and shoes. Watches yes. But the first two, they're just my luho. My real happiness...has yet to arrive. ;)

KALOKA!

Lots of kalokas today!

CONGRATULATIONS TO MANNY PACQUIAO! MONEY MONEY MONEY PACQUIAO! hahaha Seventh title, why noooot?! Kaloka! I sooo bet he's gonna fight Mayweather Jr. next. But according to Julius Babao, it won't happen next year coz of elections. I love Pacman as a boxing hero but not as a singer, an actor, and definitely not as a politician. Hohum, it doesn't make him less of an icon anyway. hahaha

As if my post last night wasn't kaloka enough for me, I had another kaloka moment today. I tried to rebook my flight to Iloilo from Dec.17 to Dec.19 to allow me to attend the lantern parade and the batch party (in the works). OMG IT'S SOOO NOT GONNA HAPPEN. Rebooking would cost me twice the amount of the original ticket.HELLO?!

And lastly, this one really cracked me up! I was sooo determined to get that cappuccino wash on ebay so I signed up for an account and sent an inquiry. Juskolaaard I got a reply IN CHINESE! hahahaha I'm still determined to get that cappuccino wash so I'm hoping powerretail can do the purchasing for me. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW PAYPAL WORKS SO SCREW THAT. Or wait, any of you here purchase on ebay? help me please! hahaha

I just fainted (kidding)

Was checking out shoes online when I saw the Giuseppe Zanotti heels that I've always wanted...only, it wasn't a Zanotti.

Check this out...


SUPER CARBON COPY, DANG! The Zanotti heels (top photo) cost $325...The Urban Vibe heels cost $15. I WAS SOOOO SURE I'M GONNA BUY IT until I saw the biggest size available was 8.5. I'm a 9. boohoo.

Now I'm just excited to go to Trinoma next week to check out the new shoes in all the stores. HAHAHA

Robinson's Supermarket

Earlier today Dad and I went to Robinson's at Berkeley Square. It's along Commonwealth Avenue, near Power Up (if you've taken wall climbing for PE).

Anyhooo, I just want to share that the people of Robinson's Berkeley are sooo mabait! Like my dad couldn't find Reno liver spread in its usual space on the shelf. We asked and the shelf filler said "Dun po sa mga palaman" (points to the shelf). So I walk there and got the spread then back to the cart again. He even paused filling the shelves to check if I got it. When I thanked him he replied "Welcome po and thank you for shopping here."

Many times I passed by the seafood section and got as much 'good afternoons' from the man stationed there. Everyone whom I came across with in the aisles greeted me good afternoon. And finally when we were paying already, the bagger was alert to transfer our goods from the cart to the counter. Apparently he was also manning the package counter. Double duty, kaloka. After assisting people at the package counter, he came back to do his bagger duties and then brought the cart to the basement parking where our car was. After placing the last plastic bag in the car, Dad handed him 20 pesos as a tip but he declined saying "Ay sir, ok lang po, huwag na po. Balik nalang po kayo ulit dito."

Soooo cool diba? Talk about quality customer service! What amazes me is how they're so energetic and courteous the whole time. I know the management told them to be nice but the way they do it, it feels so natural! haha Unlike in SM Supermarket, it's not all the time that everyone's nice to you. Another amazing thing is that they actually say no to tips. I mean it's also additional income especially in these hard times. Let's say a bagger assists 3 customers with their grocery, each gives him 20. He gets an extra 60 pesos at the end of the day. That's enough to cover transportation and probably a small merienda. Amazing that they actually smile and decline nicely. Bilib rin talaga ako sa HR nila. I hope more supermarkets have that kind of people.

Yay to great customer service! :D

Exage

Exage talaga. I can't find the energy to write a decent post. I wanna post about my Bicol trip but I'm so lazy I opted to post photos on my Multiply account. I wish I can have my blogging energy back. 

My theory is... all my energy is on twitter. HAHAHA  It's just so much fun to tweet! Aside from seeing real time musings of my friends, I also I get so much updates there via TIME, Inquirer, and Julius Babao, showbiz feed and funny jokes from Ruffa Gutierrez, Mariel Rodriguez, Bianca Gonzalez and Pokwang, inspiration from Paulo Coelho and TheLoveStories,  pop culture and couture from Bryanboy and Tim Yap. 

I use twitter to a fault. As in minsan it's like a chatbox na between me and a contact. EXAGE I hate myself for doing it. I don't really log on to YM, nor do I post stuff on Facebook so this is the only chance I get to chitchat with them. 

Oh well, I'll leave you with this photo I took. Para naman worth it yung pag basa niyo ng post ko. HAHA

Barcelona Church in Gubat, Sorsogon