A bag and a lesson from Up (the movie, not our school)

Today I stumbled on a photo of a beautiful luggage.

I knew I had to check this out. To my surprise it's a Samsonite collection designed by no other than THE (late) Alexander McQueen! I love his works. Ever since I've been exposed to designer labels (exposed doesn't mean I have them hahaha coz really, I don't) I've been following McQueen's works. One day news and tweets flooded saying he took his life. (Read more of that here.)

This is like hitting two birds with one stone because I also looove Samsonite. My family loves Samsonite. I've had my Samsonite backpack since 2002 and it's still very much usable til now. It was my bag during our recent beach trip to Zambales. Although the waterproof lining is now tattered (brother overused and abused the bag for almost two years) it's still pretty tough. Love it to bits! My dad and Joop have Samsonite bags too. Mom doesn't coz she doesn't need one while Jom doesn't coz he's a Jansport guy back in high school.

Anyway back to my story haha, I practically spent the whole day looking for the best deals. Scoured ebay and all other luggage sites. It's pretty hard to find pala because this is an old collection- released in 2007 I believe. I showed it to my mom just to get a second opinion whether I should get it or not. I was expecting her to say no but ohemgee she liked it! She didn't even stop me from considering purchasing the bag. A little later I found a seller located in the Philippines. This time it's the luggage bag that I want - the duffel in the photo above. (The one earlier was the same collection, different bag.) It's 20 effin thousand. I DIED. I showed it to my mom and she laughed at me! hahahaha Because I would need a little less than two months worth of salary to pay for it. My dad just looked but he didn't give me the look that spelled NO. So now I'm kinda contemplating on which bag I'll pick. Bag A- smaller case (half the price, half the size) or Bag B (hand carry-ish for travels) - 20k.

Now this bag brings me to the lesson from the cartoon Up. Remember Ellie (the wife of the old man) was saving up to travel to the falls? And she ended up not being able to go because they always use up their savings due to a lot of reasons. I feel like it's the same here. I've been listing the major expenses I'll incur this year and early next year. That includes my trip to Singapore (I am sooo not shopping there. Just a few packs of Famous Amos), a Rimowa or Samsonite ultra light trolley, and a camera that I promised to get for my brother if he graduates with good grades (because he wants to be a photographer). And just now I remembered it's Mom's birthday next weekend. Gotta grab a gift- I'm thinking of an eye serum for her. Been planning for the future and then a lot of stuff happens now.

So really, my money isn't anywhere near the amount of these things. But when you find one thing that makes your heart skip a beat, you don't just let it go right?

hahaha excuses, excuses! I know.

This is Bag A. I'm thinking if I should get it in black instead. I really find white awesome.

OH WELL. Love it. I'm hoping my aunts and uncles from the States send me dollars next month. It's my birthday anyway. hihi ;)

Like any 'sane' shoppingera, I shall sleep on it and see how I feel about the bag when I wake up. HAHAHA I think I can tell. Bayeeee!

BAR EXAMS!

UY GRABE! Sobrang intense to wait for the bar exam results ha? Like major! But congratulations to my mom's cousin, my next door neighbor ATTORNEY LEOPOLDO AQUINO III (San Beda)! And of course to Third Bagro who ranked 8th! SOOOO PROUD OF UP!

Anyway, the point of this post is just to say...I guess I never had the guts to take LAE because I cannot imagine taking the bar exams and wait to see if I passed. Wala, mahina lang talaga ang fighting spirit ko. hehe So I super salute my friends who are in law school right now- Raish, Pat, Nica, Jam and Archie. (Did I miss anyone?) Next sem Janica and Janina will be joining law school too. Iba kayo, promise!

Grabe talaga, imagine studying almost every night. When Kuya Pol was still a student, no one dared to talk to him. He brings a book and highlighter everywhere- even to the mall! You'd never see him smile. Ganun siya ka serious. Pero iba charms ko. Or better yet, makapal talaga mukha ko. I always greet him when I drop by the house. Sometimes he talks to me also which is a relief because it's hard to see him stoic.

Oh well. What if I took LAE? Would I be in UP or Ateneo? Will I meet Attorney 1? hahaha okay sabaw now. bayeee!

Makati day

Dad and I went to Makati today. He had a meeting at Greenbelt and he invited me to tag along so I can visit the mall. We left the car at Trinoma and took the MRT to Makati. Dad didn't want to bring the car coz he isn't familiar with the road network of Makati.

When we got there, Dad immediately went to Sugi. I was left to decide what to have for lunch. I went around for about 30 minutes before finally deciding to just eat at Flapjacks. Good thing I arrived a little earlier than the usual lunch time because minutes after I was seated, groups came to have lunch too. I guess we are all there for the same reason- Flapjacks is the cheapest(ish) meal in Greenbelt. Well not really. I saw Spicy Fingers had meals for Php120 but it was so dark so parang hindi nice to eat alone. Bizu had meals too but I got intimidated coz mejo donyahan yung kumakain. hehe Anyway my meal cost Php 522 - that's the lemon seared fish meal and a plate of calamari (my forever favorite). Good thing I asked for an OR! (Dad reimbursed my meal later that day yay!)

After lunch I went around Greenbelt. I almost wanted to check out Hermes but of course no one would believe I'm buying anything there. With what I was wearing, I could pass for a Bayo or Kamiseta customer but not Hermes. People enter Hermes in stilettos. I could probably pass as their yaya. (Kawawa naman ako ahaha.) I did see the manong guard at Hermes though. He was elderly and seemed nice.

Moving on...I also checked out Jurlique in GB5. They were on sale but still the brand is not my thing. I did try their lotion though. Good smell. It was very thick I almost thought I was slathering liquid soap because it formed a white layer on my skin. *starts to panic* I started spreading the lotion to my arms and elbows. I think I placed too much on my hand. It formed a sparkly, almost shiny tint on my skin but minutes later it was ok already. If you're interested in Jurlique, I don't recommend it to people who stay outdoors a lot. It gets sticky when you sweat. Use it when you know you'll be in an airconditioned place.

Okay now to the ADORA incident. I have to admit it's my first time in Adora. Hello I can't afford stuff that cost me more than my tuition fee. That's just crazy. Well not everything in Adora cost that much. But gets? So I was about to leave because I couldn't find the escalator (I saw it but it wasn't working so I thought there should be another way up.) On my way out the lady attendant at the door said 'Ma'am we have ladies' wear in the next floor. You can take the elevator here (points to the wing where I could ride the elevator). It was surprising to see a luxe chair inside the elevator. It was purple and black with velvet upholstery. So I clicked the 2 button ans closed the door. I thought ultra hi-tech lang na it prevents the riders from feeling the motion of the elevator but when the door opened, I was still on the same floor! hahaha shempre taranta ako diba? So I tried it again and still the same floor. So I had no choice but to approach the guard and ask if it's working. Apparently I was clicking the number of the floor where I'm in! GRABE nakakahiya. The guard and another male attendant accompanied me back to the elevator and clicked the floor for me. shit I wanted to disappear. hahahahaha Buti nalang they were very nice. Na feel ko naman yung sincerity.

Then the last crazy thing happened to me at L Manila. It's Filipino couture-ish store. I saw shoes by Joanne Litton. Won't post the story here but if we're tweet mates, you'd know why it's significant. Anyway I was looking at the shoes and the SA said 'They're designer shoes ma'am". I'm like 'Duh, I knoooow.' And it didn't stop there. They sales lady said pa talaga 'YOU TRY IT!' I felt like she was ordering me to try them. Maybe that wasn't the intention pero namaaaan! She didn't have to say it in English if she didn't know how to say 'Ma'am pwede po i-try' WINDANGLOO.

Anyhoo, in conclusion I think this part of Makati is 'detached' from the real world. Of course this is real. The reality is marami talagang mayaman. I bet the kids I saw at at GB never even stepped into an SM mall. That's why I feels it's so detached. Crazy prices. (There was one old woman asking about a pair of earrings. The SA said 'Php 115, 000 po ma'am'. They lady was pretty shocked even if she looked like she can afford it. Ayun lang. I just wanna say I love Quezon City! Just the right mix of masa and high-end. Just saying. :)

ZAMBA 2021 Travelogue (long post)

It all started with the Wonder Girls dinner at Eastwood. We found out that Tim got assigned in Zambales (for Unilever) so he invited us for a weekend trip.

Everything else fell into place including our transportation. To cut the long story short, I was able to find a van rental service online. I totally believe Kuya Henry is heaven sent. He was very nice, our van is new, rate is sulit. Kuya Henry isn't just any driver. He worked in the States when he was younger. He worked for a dairy company, a company that makes scanners and Bank of America among others. After a while, he was tired and didn't want to work for a boss anymore so he retired and moved back to the Philippines. He got into exporting as a supplier of sweatshirts for brands like Marks and Spencer. Recession affected his business and his clients began outsourcing from China. So he had to search for other businesses. This van rental is one of them. He bought three new vans and is still learning the loops of the business. Our van was only three weeks old by the way. It smelled new, it super looks new, and we all felt like first timers. haha loveeet!

On our way to McDo in North Ave. to pick up Dianne, Karen and Cheska, we had sooo much kwentos already. Best kwento (that made us tear) was from Farrah. hahaha Can't kwento here. Dapat harapan.

Anyway, the drive to Zambales usually takes four hours. We weren't even 1o minutes on NLEX when Kuya Henry declared a flat tire! We were in such good moods that we ended up enjoying the hi-way. Emm did a photoshoot, Farrah and Rhett got to see an actual changing of tires (hope they got a few tips!) and weng stepped on what we'd like to call 'suka ng kabayo' HAHAHA

Here comes the patrol car.

A few minutes in the changing of the tires, an NLEX Patrol car pulled behind us to check what's up. We said we're just changing tires. We thought they were gonna scold us for whatever reason. But of course our energy was so contagious. They even posed with Emm during his photoshoot. Apparently, (I figured) it's SOP lang that they record emergencies along the express way so yun, they got the van details and made sure we were all safe and that the tire was properly changed. So cool of the manongs, they said 'Sige ingat kayo, enjoy the beach ha?' Awww I love people like them!

Before they left, photo op muna with the model.

We stopped over the nearest (3 minutes away) gas station for vulcanizing and to meet up with Tim, Lori and Punky. They ate breakfast first. Minutes later we finally started our road trip. Ang usapan convoy but Tim is just too kaskasero and he had no system (napaka walang systema, we'd say in the van haha) so we always end up missing turns, toll exits and whatever shizz. The lack of system was the cause of delay talaga. We finally arrived at Tammy's beach at past 1 pm. First thing we did was have lunch at the beachfront resto. Lunch was care of Tim so yehey! The mango shake was super mega yummy. Punky and I were so addicted!

The very makulit manong offered us to go snorkeling for Php150 per head. We were tying to bargain it (Emm tried to bargain at Php 145 which sent us all laughing coz sobrang banu mag bargain ni Emm) hahaha He said to the manong 'Ay mali. erase your memory' hahaha We left the bargaining to Tim and we were able to haggle it to Php 120.

We spent the afternoon in our rooms because it was too hot for a swim. Farrah was an outlier of course. Right after lunch she immediately went to the beach to toast her skin. haha

When we finally left our rooms to go snorkeling, we saw Fa trying to skimboard. She opted to stay and skim while we go snorkeling. Nakakaloka. Our life vests and goggles were hilarious. It's even more hilarious because there weren't enough goggles and vests for everyone. We couldn't control our movements. Sobrang laugh trip. The photos were so random because it was hard to pose and go underwater.

When we got back to the shore, we had to jump from the boat to the sand. Weng and I were magkasunod. Rhett helped all the girls. When it was Weng's turn, she made so much buwelo- sobrang babaw pala nung tubig. I was next but when she warned me about the water level, it didn't register because I was already preparing to jump. Tawa kami ng tawa ni Weng and Rhett kasi it was a grandslam touchdown. Hilarious. Na shock ata yung knees ko. hahaha

We saw Fa this time she was zipping. We all tried zipping and then Tim and Lori rented out a skimboard. We all tried it too but we were so inggit and didn't have the patience to wait for our turn so we rented another one. Grabe lang. Adrenaline rush, mega grand slams for everyone! My right shin had scratches because I fell too. As in major. Ay grabe talaga. Actually hindi nakakahiya. Nakakatawa talaga siya. We laughed at each other. At the end of the day the most improved skimmer was Cheska. She could pull off three-seconders and fall so gracefully.

Dinner time by the beach. So cute. Pa special kami hahaha Tim asked the manongs if they could set up a long table by the beach for us. They failed to take my order and the kitchen was already closed. Good thing Weng and Rhett ordered three meals so they gave me the other one. hehe My hunnies saved me yay! Punky and I had another glass of mango shake after dinner. Addict much?

Anyway, inuman was crazy. It was Emm's shining moment. Tim and Rhett did the mixes, Lori was the alcohol pusher, Tim was trying hard to be an alcohol pusher but he didn't have enough charms as Lori. Emm danced all night. He performed for us. Multiple performances - he did renditions of Telephone, Empire State of Mind, Bad Romance, and many more. I bet everyone's albums have Emm on half of their photos. WIN!

Tim as Jay-Z and Emm as Alicia Keys singing Empire State of Mind

Lady Gaga's Telephone

Bad Romance

When some decided to call it a night, the rest of us went to the beach for the real conversations.

Tim was still pushing alcohol shots and ended up almost finishing the bottle of Alfonso with Rhett. Tim became more emo that he already is and the bigger surprise was Rhett who became The Sandman! ahahaha

Day 2: My roommates decided to not swim anymore. Our bodies where aching from yesterday's activities. Punky and I went to the resto to have breakfast and huling hirit of mango shake. The rest of the morning was about packing and lying in bed.

Morning stroll

Punky and I spotted these guys making sand art. They're the same guys who do henna by the beach.

We set off for Subic at 11 am so we can have lunch there. We arrived at 1 pm and had lunch at Seafood by the Bay. Really bad service. Imagine I ordered Buko shake which was priced at 95. The waitress said it wasn't available but when I asked the barista, he said there is. Then the waitress explained

'Bale ma'am, dalawang buko po gagamitin.'

So I asked 'Oh so?'

Bale po maam 95 plus 95

po.

Eh bakit dalawang buko pa?

Hindi po kasi sure kung enough yung laman ng isang buko para sa shake'

I was already pissed so I said Hindi, wag na.

Punky said it was a bit mataray but I couldn't help it. It's 95 on the menu. I don't care how many bukos you'll need. It's per glass, not per buko. DUH.

All our food were served except the rice. It took like 10 years before the rice finally arrived. Because of that we didn't leave a tip for the waitresses. Very bad service. I don't care if the food is good. I hate bad service.

Next stop was Cold Spoon in Clark. Tim claims it to be the best yogurt ever so we all got curious. Frankly, I don't agree It's expensive, the toppings aren't even close to that of White hat or Red Mango. But the place is cute.

After dessert, we made our way to Manila. All those Quezon City bound rode in Tim's car. That's Punky, Cheska, Lori and myself. Everyone else were c-5 bound so they stayed in the van. On NLEX we spotted two different accidents. One involved four vehicles and the next was five vehicles. Parang uso yung accidents dun. Kaloka. We also witnessed a beautiful sunset. Imagine orange skies, rice fields and a natural pool with a flock of ducks swimming in one direction. Wasn't able to take a photo because we were moving. It was grand. We loved it.

It was a great weekend. Last night I was struggling to stay awake during mass. haha When I got home I started uploading the photos. Parang I felt I wasn't home for so many days when in fact I was gone for just one night. haha Glad we made so much memories in such a short span.

Cheers to the next 2021! To contact Kuya Henry, visit his multiply site http://henrystransportation.multiply.com/

Watch up?

Do you remember your first watch? What's the story behind it?

I still remember my first watch. If I remember it correctly, my parents got it for me while we were on a vacation in Cebu when I was a kid. I got to pick the design. Because I was a kid back then, I picked Mickey Mouse. It had a round gold case with Mickey on the dial and a thin tan leather stap. I remember wearing it even at home because it I love it so much! hahaha

something like this

I got another watch from my Ninang. Also Mickey. It was silver rectangular dial with dark plum leather strap.

something like this

Then my parents got me another watch. This time it's digital. It was a Winnie the Pooh necklace watch where you swing the pot of 'hunny' to show the digital screen. It was a reward for being a good student.

They discouraged me to get digital watches because they wanted me to learn reading the analog properly. Glad I obeyed! Ever since then I looove analog watches. So classic and 'intelligent'. haha

After that I had a yellow Swatch watch which can double as a stopwatch too! Looove it! It's from Auntie Beng, my mom's sister. Then Lola also gave me my first metal watch. I think it was Citizen but I lost it in school some years later.

Dad's brother Tito Gerry made me love watches even more. He always brings us (my cousins and I) Swatch watches! I really get excited when he tells me he's coming home for a visit because I know I'll be getting a new watch.

Because my brother Jom is picky with watches, he didn't like the leather Fossil watch Tito Gerry gave him. It was oversized and not bagay so my brother gave it to me. What he wants is an average sized metal watch. So Two Christmases ago I bought him a watch because Timex had a promo. I got the same watch too, only mine had a white dial, his was black. It's our default watch now.

And then my brother Joop was given a Lego watch by Auntie Beng and didn't like it also. (He was young that time. Wala pa siyang taste haha) So I 'borrowed' it indefinitely. Now he claims it's his but never really took it from me. It's one of my favorite watches!!! Lots of people said 'Cute, mukhang Lego' and then I'd surprise them by saying "It's Lego!" Then I start disintegrating the pieces. hahaha

My actual Lego Traveler Watch

My latest watch was a graduation gift from Lola. I love it but haven't really worn it much. Once palang yata, during Chloe's debut.

I guess I'll never get tired of watches. It reminds me of how valuable time is. Ika nga ni Kris Allen 'live like we're dying'.

Mental note to self: find all watches (incuding Mickey mouse!) when I go home next month. And replace straps of all old Swatch watches. Will start my serious collecting of watches. :) Not bags and shoes because they wear out easily. Watches. :)

Tawa ka nalang :)

I woke up to the sound of raindrops. LOVE! It's actually the first time I didn't complain about the rain. I was scheduled to buy groceries so on a normal day, I would have been pissed that it's raining but we need rain and I prayed that it rains soon so yey! Not just me. As a matter of fact when I heard mass at Quiapo last Wednesday, the priest led a prayer for rain. So glad it was answered!

Anyway, so I went to SM to get some groceries because dad is arriving on Sunday. On my way home, I dropped by Starbucks because I've been craving for caramel frappuccino for two weeks and I knew I just need to get one. While waiting in line I decided to do something just for kicks. When it was my turn to order, the male barista asked for my name. I said 'Ruffa'. Yes as in Ruffa Gutierrez because of the recent award winning news of her walk out. hahaha

The barista smiled as he scribbled my name on the cup. The other guy who was on the counter said to me 'Your bill is 135 Ruffa'. I couldn't stop grinning THE WHOOOLE TIME. Barista 1 obviously noticed and said 'Parang ang saya saya mo ngayon Ruffa ah'. In my mind I wanted to say 'Shempre noh bati na kami ni Kris. love love love!' But I was alone so wala akong lakas ng loob to do it. I just said 'haha wala lang' (still smiling but trying hard not to. haha)

The girl who prepared my frap called out 'One grande caramel prappuccino for Ru...Ruffa' hahahaha natigilan? nakakaloka! HAHAHA So there, I had fun! Next time I'll do a Sam and Piolo with some friends. I heard that story before. Some guys used Sam and Piolo for their drinks and then the other people inside Starbucks went looking for Sam and Piolo. HAHAHA LOOOOVE! Or maybe Juday-Gladys, or MARA- CLARA, or AGUA-BENDITA.

Flashback: In the spirit of Ruffa-Kris eksena, I remember doing a Kris in Starbucks Intramuros. It was a spur of the moment road trip after ABAM induction. Went there with Caloi, Tim, Ace, Jam, Aldren and Elai.

That time the McDo 'deal or no deal' ad of Kris just launched. The barista suggested a lot of drinks to us and when we finally placed our orders, he asked me something (I can't recall) basta I replied 'DEAAAAAL' with matching 'damoves' (in picture). Tawa kami ng tawa pati mga barista. hahahaha

Hope you had a good laugh today! :)

Because they need us

I am happy to announce the second project: BACK TO SCHOOL! (no official title yet but we don't really make titles. But if we're doing this every year, we should make one. And maybe a Yahoo group haha)

I've started asking for support from friends for this one. It'll be bigger and better! We're reaching out farther- this time to our Aeta fellowmen. So happy more people are interested this time. I really hope we're more prepared this time- in logistics and donations.

photo from hometownboy.files.wordpress.com

Friends who are graduating and have no plans of working immediately also pledged support to the project. YEHEY! I know these projects are all 'cash outflow' but really, there's nothing more fulfilling than giving hope to others.

And like they say, share your blessings to receive more blessings. Good karma diba? If you're interested, in cash or in kind, let me know! Thanks!

Where: Most probably in Pampanga

When: May 2010, after elections para iwas gulo

What: BACK TO SCHOOL! Let's paint their rooms, chat with the kids and inspire them, and give them school kits!

3 P's TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT:

PERA. Donate cash in any amount. Cash donations will be pooled to purchase paints, paint rollers, mechanical pencil sharpeners, and canvass bags for the kids.

PANAHON. Be a volunteer! If you have a car and you're willing to drive, we will be forever grateful! Or if you wanna join us, be with the kids, or paint the rooms, GAME NA! Remember, in the absence of private transpo, you must be willing to take the bus, the jeep, or even ride the carabao. Fun noh?

PANGANGAILANGAN. Donate in kind! You can donate old but still usable school books, kids encyclopedias, flash cards. You may also give pencils, erasers, art materials, pads, pens, products from your company (yes! shampoos, toothpaste, soaps, milk, crackers, juice drinks, chips, cupcakes, etc!)

INTERESTED? email me or leave a comment here! Let's go Team Friends! hahaha tumi-team? kalowka. Will email this after I've confirmed with the school. :)

Re previous post

Yesterday I spent the whole day being with friends. Lunch with Dianne, checked out ABAM's event and then dinner with my groupie loves. It was amazing!

* * *

Sometime this afternoon I had a conversation with a friend and this person made a comment comparing me to one of our friends too. (Won't use he or she coz it'll be pretty easy to figure out haha)

Anyway, friend said "Ikaw, anong ginagawa mo? Nagso-soul searching ka ba? Para kang si *insert common friend's name*"

It came as nega to me (mamatay na lahat ng nega hahaha) because this friend was sort of implying na wala akong ginagawa in my life. Dude kung alam mo lang. Ang saya ko. Una-una lang yan. Kung busy ka ngayon at ako hindi, pasensyahan tayo. Dadating rin ako sa point na busy ako. But one thing's for sure I am busy.

Busy enjoying the benefits of my job. Imagine spending time with your family, friends and with yourself? Imagine taking a break if you want to. Imagine doing everything else that you like because your work allows you to do so.

This friend even said 'Wala ka bang balak ipractice yung inaral mong field?' Definitely I have plans to be in the field of business. I am in the field of business. Just not the same industry as yours.

OKAY ENOUGH SAID.

That's the 'problem' with the way our school reared us. Everyone expects that after school, you'd enter law school or the corporate world- banking, finance, consumer goods. Anything outside that, outlier ka, wala kang plano sa buhay. BS. And for that alone, I appreciate Ateneo's way of rearing business students to have an entrepreneurial mindset. Ateneo entrep mindset+ UP CBA culture + UP campus = perfect. Maybe in the future.

YUNG TOTOO?

Me.

Dude, it's not that I'm doing nothing. You're just doing too much.

You

Tried explaining above statement but am too tired from an amazing Saturday so will kwento when I wake up. Or maybe, I'll just kwento in person. haha

*photos from Google search