It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I've started wrapping my gifts already! Although I still don't have one for Mom, Jom, Sarah and Julian.

I really enjoy wrapping stuff. I love doing the plastic covers of my books, notebooks, giveaways and yes, gifts! Despite loving wrapping gifts, I still scrimp on the wrapper itself. I just buy whatever 'okay' wrapper there is. Of course, there comes a point when you're not satisfied with just wrapping something properly. I've moved to wrapping stuff beautifully!

This year, I vowed to not scrimp on wrappers. I even bought ribbons to match them. LOVE IT SO MUCH! And I love tying ribbons too! Not everyone appreciates little details such as how nicely ribbons are wrapped but for the sake of satisfying my wrapping-OC-ness (yes, exclusive to wrapping because I don't consider myself OC), I still spend so much time typing and retying the ribbon until I manage that only the shiny side of the ribbon appears and that the tails end up right where they're supposed to be.

Finally found use for the rubber stamps I bought on impulse at ArtFriend in Singapore.

It is sad sometimes that people just slash the ribbon off the gift as soon as they receive it. HAHA I'm not holding any grudges though. The ribbons are meant to be removed and the wrappers, to be torn. I guess I just want to say that thoughts are placed not only in the choice of gift but also in the way the gift is presented.

This year it's gold-chocolate-forest green. I really really love this color combination.

Hmmm, maybe I should have themes every year. haha

From now on, I'm wrapping my gifts in the best wrappers I can find. I'm not gonna settle for jologs wrappers because it's not everyday we can give gifts. Might as well do a 'total package'.

Now that I think about it, I guess it's one reason why I enjoy buying gifts* even if it's sooo stressful to find the perfect ones (yes, I had to order glow-in-the-dark drumsticks from the States for my brother Joop). Because I have something to wrap. :)

*I'm the only one in the family who gives gifts. My dad has shifted to giving us cash. My brothers are the most barat ever. My mom takes care of us all year round. She doesn't need to give us gifts.

I just finished watching a video of my nephew Julian. He was laughing and giggling and clapping. I find myself crying after.

I miss Julian so much. He rarely spends time with me- not that he has to. He's visited only once in each of dad's last two visits here in Manila.

I feel so much injustice not being able to spend time with him. And I say this without (hopefully) sounding like his mother. I dunno. I guess kids just have this effect on you. You become kinder, and more hopeful of the future. And you become 'meaner' to bad people because it is sort of your contribution in making the world a better place for the kids.

Okay, I'm stopping now. I just had to write this down.

Lotto

Two days ago, I played the lotto. It was my first time. I even had to ask the lady beside me how I should mark the numbers. The reason I played was because the jackpot was, at that time, 354 million pesos. Well, by now you might have already heard no one won in last night's draw. I didn't even get a single number right! HAHAHA So much for beginner's luck. The jackpot already reached 380+ M today but I'm not getting another ticket. Maybe I'll have a better chance in jueteng. (Which I haven't tried yet and I have no idea how to play.)

If I won that 354 M, I wonder how I'll spend it in my lifetime. Like they say 'madaling ipangako ang bagay na wala ka'. But I'm listing it anyway.

Definitely charity is there. Sounds like a cliche noh? Everybody claims they'll do charity work if they get rich. My kind of charity is this- build the children's library my mom has always wanted to have and donate a building in UP- maybe a Student Center. An integrated student tambayan for all or most organizations in the campus much like CBA's 4th floor but a whole building. It'll have conference rooms, a cafeteria, study halls- the works! And then upgrade our labs and equipment to support more research. I'm kind of vain so maybe I'll have some rooms under names I specifically picked. No one cares about room names anyway- just me. HAHA

I also want a foundation that's self sustaining. The worse part of doing charity work is begging for money. Definitely with that much money from the lotto, whatever foundation can 'live on interest' from the money in the bank. Not quite sure if the foundation is for kids, indigenous people, oldies, animals, whatnot.

Then maybe I'll buy Villa Garcia from my dad's auntie. Villa Garcia is the ancestral house where my dad grew up. Now it's old, torn, and not even safe to live in. I've never been inside. They don't allow us for fear that the house might collapse. Anyway, I'd like to buy it and restore the house. Maybe build a new house if the structure isn't restorable but in the same look as it had before.

I'll keep enough money to also 'live on interest'. Maybe I'll save some to support future researches of my younger brother Joop who wants to be a marine biologist. Definitely I'd give Jom some too. I'll give my mom a retirement fund. She's never worked since she married dad but she's done so much for our family. It's hard to run a household noh! So she deserves this. Of course Dad, so he can take mom to dates wherever. Even in Paris.

Whatever's left with the 354 million after all these, maybe I'll give it to another private institution. I'm tired to dealing with the government supported institutions. They are inefficient and uninspiring so I'd much rather give the money to the private sector.

Oh well. All these are written on sand. I don't have 354 million anyway. But if one day I manage to have that much money, I swear I'll work on this list one by one. *now playing Billionaire HAHAHA*

Brother

It's my kuya's birthday! I love him more than he thinks I do. I just never tell him because we didn't grow up like that. We grew up having wrestling matches everyday. In some days I win, in some days he does. But I guess we've consumed all our fight cards when we were kids that we ran out of fight cards for latter use. (I clearly remember we wrestled on the bed because 'nagkapikunan', I had this silver ring with a silver playboy-ish bunny design and during the fight, it hit his forehead. He was so mad at me coz it bled a bit. Then we stopped the wrestling match. Believe me it was a daily thing for us to fight.)

Like I tweeted a few days ago, "You can never abandon your brother. Your heart won't let you."

When my brother needs something from me, I scramble to help him in the best way I can think of. Because to me, it's a chance to let him feel I love him. After all, action speaks louder than words.

Sometimes I cry at the thought of things that might have been if he stayed with me here at home back in college. Would we be closer? Could we have gone to spur of the moment roadtrips to the beach when we don't have classes? Would we have watched UAAP matches together? After graduation, would we have gone to the States for a vacation as a graduation gift?

I have two vivid memories of time well spent with my brother. One was over dinner back in second sem of my sophomore year- I think we had yellow cab chicken and pizza. We talked all night. Until 10 pm if I remember it right. He told me about his 'then' love life, I told him about my (imaginary) love life. HAHAHA It was one of those 'I don't know why we're telling each other these things but I like it anyway' moments. The second one, he got so hungry at midnight and he asked me if I wanted to have McDo delivered. I declined because I didn't have money and he agreed to pay for whatever I want to order. So I got sundae and fries. He made the call. Our eyes have rolled and gone white and the food never arrived. I went to sleep. He stayed up. In the morning I asked 'dumating yung pagkain?' HINDI. hahahaha The only time he offered to pay for a food delivery and it never arrived. Hilarious! I wonder if he remembers that time.

Maybe one day, one way my family will find my blog and read each and every entry here. I guess that's the only way my siblings will know that I've declared my love for them countless of times in this vast cyberspace.

I tell my friends I love them but with sibs...I guess they just know.

Anyway, Happy birthday Jom! I love you.

Ohana

My Lola Ampy is sick. She's my Dad's stepmom but she's the lola I grew to know because my Lola Adeliza passed away when Dad was just a kid.

Lat week, Lola Ampy had a stroke that affected her left brain. Now, she couldn't not recognize anyone in the family. At one point my Tita Mel said she was talking to our dead relatives and was telling them she still has to do something. It's freaky. But the fact that she isn't willing to go gives us hope. She is in San Diego which is a good thing because they have better healthcare programs in the States. They can take better care of there there.

I worry for Lolo. It's his birthday on the 12th. It's definitely not the best birthday but I still wish they celebrate it.

We're planning this grand reunion of the Garcias in June. With lola falling ill, I'm not quite sure if it's pushing through. I haven't tried asking because it's really not the best time to discuss the reunion. But if it doesn't push through, maybe I'll arrange a visit to the States. That's if I can convince my dad to let me off from work for at least six weeks. (Sayang naman if I go for a quick visit lang hahaha) Then maybe I'll visit my relatives in Florida too (Mom's side).

Right now I just pray that Lola gets well. I'm not that close to her unlike my cousin Dawn who practically grew up with Lola as her mom. My siblings and I are grew up independent from our cousins so we tend to stick together unlike my cousins who are super close- almost like siblings. She's still my lola. Lolo loves her.

Of bad vibes and good

BV #1: No dance class today! Ugh. Hassle talaga coz hello, they didn't text, nor announced it in class and even on Facebook. So talagang mega hassle.

BV#2: I got scammed on Multiply! Grabe. Long story short: Ordered stuff, paid for them, the never arrived. And now the scammer cancelled her multiply account. I'm okay now though. Coz Last week I met our accountant who had employees who stole at least a million pesos from her. I'm charging this to experience...worth Php 1340. haha

Here comes the good vibes! Farrah and I originally planned to meet for a merienda date. We picked Eastwood which is our default venue and some hiphop event was happening that night. We've never seen a hiphop event (except Step Up 1 and 2, if that counts). We had merienda at My Thai. The event took so long to start. We've already cleared our plates and it still hasn't started. Then it began to rain. The hiphop people had to move to the roofed area of the mall. Fa and I stood at the second floor and spent a few minutes profiling the hiphop kids and assessing the event.

When the rain stopped, we walked to Watsons for an impulsive shopping spree and we saw Coach Prince. Apparently he's part of the organizing team. We didn't say hello. He looked stressed (because the rain caused so much hassle and delay). I bet he was too stressed to even remember us.

After Watsons, we went back to the mall and finally the event started. They had hiphop artists as their opening act. My goodness Fa and I have no idea about the songs. Sobrang pa-swagger effect kasi, nakaka asar. haha We were the typical usiseras- we did not know anyone, we were sooo not in hiphop clothes (read as baggy everything plus hi-cut sneaks), and we had shopping bags. We passed by Coach Prince again. He was carrying his daughter who is sooo cute. And he looks every inch a proud father. I guess it's true- kids change you. And for the second time we did not say hello. Hahaha

We went up to Red Mango to kill time but my gosh they had all these dragging opening acts that ate up our patience. Finally we went for one last look and left.

On our way to Katipunan where Fa usually drops me off, we decided to grab dinner at Banapple. Fa and I had those hilarious thank-God-we're-not-driving-or-else-we're-gonna-die level of conversation! We discussed random things. From serious stuff like careers and office happenings, to milder topics like boys, Vampire Diaries, travels, showbiz chikas, Shalala, Cristy Fermin, Juday and Ryan and everything else! Eto nalang ha- imagine dalawa lang kami pero kami yung pinaka maingay na table. HAHAHAHA ANG SAYA!

I'm so happy I spent the afternoon and evening with Fa. So much fun even if we see each other almost every week. We never get tired of talking. I kinda kidnapped her from work but I'm very happy she gladly stayed and extended to dinner.

LOVE IT WHEN FRIENDS DO WHAT THEY DO- BEING A FRIEND. AND A GOOD ONE AT THAT.

Thank you, Lord that I became friends with my weird NatSci seat mate. She's amazing!

Crushes

Do you keep a list of crushes? Be it mental or a physical list, I'm sure there's at least one person who qualified as a 'crush'.

If you follow me on twitter, you probably read this:

Last night I went out with Fa, Jen and Ja to watch a movie. (I confess. We watched the new Kimerald movie which btw sucks. Thank God for Matet's funny lines which I think saved this movie.) Anyway, we grabbed a late dinner at Cookbook Kitchen and had the chance to catch up with everyone's lives. Fa, Jen and I see each other more often because we take dance class every Saturday while Ja, on regular days, is flanked with so much law school readings.

Probably influenced by the movie to a certain extent, we ended up writing on the paper placemat our list of 'pegs' of our respective dream guys. It'll be our checklist when, one day we finally meet someone that's worth all the trouble. haha I did tell them about the aforementioned tweet and explained how only two qualified.

You see, it's easy to call someone a crush. Someone becomes a crush for so many reasons- he's cute, funny, hot, charming, sweet, engaging, whatever. But from a crush, one needs to go through many levels that will filter that solid idea of the guy one wants to end up with. Meaning, ALL ENCOMPASSING. You have to be able to accept his personality, his profession, way of living, his way of dressing and in extreme cases, even his name. If he makes it through your filters, that's when he becomes the 'partner' material.

So just to illustrate our pegs- I will not reveal who owns the respective pegs (you can guess or maybe you saw on twitter) so here goes.

The good geek who can tame a wild girl.

The bad boy who will eventually reveal his good side when he meets the right girl.

The family guy who communicates well, loves kids and loves love.

And the artsy dude who will introduce a whole new, different, and exciting world to the lady he loves.

The best and probably the most exciting part? We are so sure of what kind of guy we want, and we just might end up with the complete opposite! Like if the girl who originally wants the family guy material falls for the bad boy. Stuff like that. HAHA

Last night's dinner was, like I put it, 'productive' for our future. If it ever happens, that is. :)) And it was one of those feel good dinners- just good friends hanging out.

P.S.

We did Michael Jackson in hiphop class today. For some weird reason Coach Prince picked me, along with Punky and two other classmates to do the sample. Punky, I understand. She always gets picked coz she's really good. But me? I couldn't even finish the routine properly. Of course I was happy but I'm puzzled. Maybe he wasn't watching me closely. HAHAHA