Oh, love.

I totally get the Matty vs Jake thing. Dream boy vs. the perfect (for you) boy. A lot of girls will go for the dream and hope that the perfect one, being perfect, will wait.

Awkward definitely hit the spot right there.

You guys have to watch! It's entertaining at the very least. And if you're a hopeless romantic like me...alam na.

Hear ye, hear ye!

Let me tell you about shoes made of real leather and why you should get one.

Sorry PETA but I'm a leather lover. Real leather softens over time. That translates to a comfortable walk and and nice worn out look. Take note, not all leather are created equal. You will know this once you try different pairs on. Some leather may be stiff the first time you try them, but after a few days of use, it should soften and mold to the shape of your feet. Some pairs can go without a break-in period therefore no aching feet, and friction spots on your feet during your first few wears.

Synthetic leather gets brittle fast. You'll end up with cracked patches on your shoes. NOT CUTE. And most of the time, synthetic leather hurt! They're just not as soft. Sure you can buy three pairs of synthetic leather shoes for the price of a real one but trust me, they won't last long. You'll probably end up changing shoes each year.

Next time you hesitate buying a pair of leather shoes, do the math.

Divide the price of your pair by the number of times you expect to wear it in a year.

You may take it further by dividing the answer by the number of years you expect the shoe to last.

If you're willing to pay that amount each day to wear the pair, go ahead and get yourself those leather shoes!

With my pairs of leather shoes, I usually put it at 3 years for equation purposes. If they look good after 3 years, I still wear 'em. :) I have read that some people have their pairs for over 6 years. Super sulit nun hahaha!

Finally, I recommend the following brands. Hush Puppies (I've been wearing this brand since grade school; right now I have two pairs), and my most recent purchase Sebago. For men, my dad and my brother Joop love Florsheim, Hush Puppies, Sledgers, and Birkenstock (sandals).

They say good shoes take you to good places.

I say good comfortable shoes take you further! ;)

P.S.

FYI: Suede leather- synthetic or real, is generally soft. The difference would be on the thickness of the leather. Synthetic is usually thinner but both are difficult to clean and maintain. I wear my suede Hush Puppies flats only when it's not raining and I bring a foldable pair of shoes JUST IN CASE THE WEATHER IS SCHIZO. Been useful a couple of times!

Perfect!

Last night I made a last minute decision to attend the party that some August birthday friends organized.

I had a grand time laughing and catching up with everyone. Some friends brought their 'plus one' which made us singles discuss how we feel. A lot of us are okay but excited to fall in love. Some worry if they'll ever find one, and some just wanted to take things as they come.

Anyway, at mass earlier this evening, I just heard the perfect homily.

The reading said something like 'Ang nauuna ay mahuhuli, at ang nahuhuli ay mauuna.' (So the last will be first, and the first last.")

(read the complete gospel here)

Our parish priest, one of my favorites, Father Luciano shared a few stories in the homily.

He told us about his older sister who got married at the age of 26 but did not bear a child until she is 40. Another child just a few months ago. She is 44 now. She would cry to Father Luciano during the years that they were trying to get pregnant.

There is another woman who works at the parish. Father Luciano said 'Itong babaeng ito, mas matanda pa sa akin. Wala man lang kilalang naging boyfriend, ni crush wala. As in mula ulo hanggang paa, dalagang dalaga talaga. Akala namin at akala rin niya yun na ang tadhana niya. Eto ngayon, nagbakasyon sa Bicol. Siguro madaming bulag sa Bicol, nakaloko tuloy si ate. Ngayong November, ako ang magkakasal sa kanila.'

Yung mga nawawalan ng pag-asa, wag kayo susuko. Kasi hindi titigil ang Diyos, hahanapin ka niya para ibigay ang nararapat. Do not give in to the temptation of depression. Keep hoping. The Lord

I couldn't help but chuckle. I said to Joop 'Oh, magkaka boyfriend pa ako!' to which he replied 'Pag 40 ka na rin?' NAKAKAASAR! HAHAHA

But, yes Lord! I will wait. And while I'm at it, I'll work on being the person I want to be. And just enjoying the company of awesome people. :)

For more good read for the singles, here's one of my favorite blogs about life. http://everyday-isa.com/ Most of what she writes feel like my thoughts put into words. (Because I'm a better speaker than a writer.)

heart photo from blackmeetswhite.blog.com

HAPPY! Part 2

Dinner with my sibs, Julian, Sarah, cousins and Tito Gerry.

Me, Julian, Jom

All is well. :)

HAPPY! Part 1

I tried to delay deciding on wether I should show up at my masters program interview or not because it's an office day (Wednesday). I had to learn a new software, input some data to get things started, and really focus on finishing whatever needs to be done at the office. During the bus ride on my way home however, I realized I need to think about it already. Because I am such a girl, I changed my mind around 27 times during that bus ride. (No, I didn't count. I just feel like putting a figure out there. hehe)

I take the MRT from Magallanes to Trinoma every Wednesday. I'd rather be squished for 40 minutes (yes I timed it) than sit comfortably in a bus for 2 hours. If I'm lucky and arrive at the station before 4 pm, I am able to sit in the train. EDSA traffic is just horrible. Plus, the MRT is much more interesting than the bus. There are different people to observe, so much involuntary eavesdropping (and throwing thought bubbles about my take on the topic) haha. I'd take that over a boring, ass-flattening, classic FPJ or Vic Sotto-film viewing EDSA bus ride. (Provincial buses show pretty good movies though. I once rode a bus that showed Fast and the Furious 5 so I didn't have to watch it in the cinema.)

Sorry I have so much sub-kwentos. :) Aaaanyway! During the train ride, I didn't give the interview much thought because it was cramped, I was standing, and I was in a non-female coach. (The first four coaches of the train are exclusive for women, senior citizens and people with little kids. I hopped in a regular coach because I was rushing and didn't have time to run to the front.) When I got to the mall, I tried to distract myself by shopping. I ended up not buying anything even if I liked one shirt at Zara because I wasn't in the mood to spend. I mind was elsewhere.

I gave up and decided 'In case I change my mind at the last minute, I need to be pretty! (I know, I know, walang konek.) So I rushed to the FX terminal for a ride to SM Fairview where I can redeem my prepaid diamond peel session. I finished just in time for the mall's closing. When I got home, I picked two outfits just in case I want to go. I even washed my jeans.

Before I slept, I prayed to God to help me decide. I begged for an IN YOUR FACE sign. But anything will do, really. Told myself kung ano nararamdaman ko bukas ng umaga, yun ang desisyon ko. And then I went to sleep.

When I woke up, I delayed checking the time because if it was before or around 11 am, it means I have enough time to go to my interview. Anything past that, I'll end up haggard coz I'd be rushing. I gave up trying to go back to sleep. When I checked my watch, it was just 10:48. Ohgaaad. But I didn't take that as the sign. The big sign was how I felt and at that point, I felt heavy (okay, please don't take that literally!), I felt lazy. So I said 'okay I'm not going. If I need to drag my ass to leave this room, then my heart isn't totally into this.'

I assembled baked macaroni for lunch. (Yes, assembled because all I had to cook was the pasta.) I decided I'd eat in front of the TV. I checked the time, it was only 11:20- still enough time to change my mind. Just when I was about to take my first bite, it started to rain. It was a strong downpour. I instantly knew it was the in your face sign I begged for. If you know me, I hate the rain. It dirties my shoes, it causes traffic, and if super strong, my roof would leak. So I don't leave the house when it's raining.

Thank you Lord. :)