I Blog, Therefore I Am.

I was labeling and fixing some old blog entries when I saw this 2004 post. I decided to copy it and do another round of describing my day through one-liners - version 2010.

Got my first sweet call of the day.
Thankful that it was Tom who drove this morning.
SLEX will always be irritatingly SLEX.
Discovered that the presentation I did last night has some holes.
Called Joy and Chat for a short pow-wow on the missing revenue.
Skipped lunch (again) to finish the revisions.
Jane of CDO was God-sent. She came bearing with yummy Pastel Breads for me. 
Boss arrived to check my presentation. He quickly ate his lunch on my desk.
Presentation time. There were so many people. I was surprised.
Learned about a new and important project. Glad I was picked again.
E-mail, Calendar Invites, Tweet, Facebook, Adgitize.
Called Witt. Not picking up. Probably on a meeting.
Went to the last meeting of the day. Productive. Seeing the direction now.
Should I go to Baguio next week? That's the question.
Realized that I only had two Pastels and a fruit platter the whole day. Hungry.
Finally got hold of Witt. He's on his way home.
Welcome Home dinner for my bestfriend, Kat.
Happy for her new job and new life here in Manila. It's not goodbye, it's see you later.
Niece was already sleeping but opened the door for me. It's one of her nice days. Heh.
Opened my Macbook and decided to post this.

I've been blogging for more than six years now. My love for blogging and writing started with my fascination with Friendster and its testimonials. Then it evolved to something more concrete and 'formal' through a blogsite called Xanga, which I abandoned 3 weeks after I saw the user-friendly and good platform of Blogger.

I started blogging not because of a love problem or a sad break-up story (unlike a friend of mine, hehe!). What prompted me to start a blog was my frustration and indecision to resign at my first job at Honda. I never had one of those "it's my first job so live and let live" moments. I was really happy that I landed in a very good company for my first work post-college. It was such a bittersweet moment when I finally decided to leave and this blog truly helped in unleashing those angst and feelings.




Honda World Event at Glorietta, 2003



Honda's ASIMO Event in Manila, 2003

I spent five long beautiful years at Honda and I truly learned a lot from it; from identifying car mechanical stuff like head gasket to appreciating the feel, beauty and grace of a newly-launched Honda Civic. Aside from the actual resignation and the pain that goes with it, the hardest part was leaving the great pals I made who are now my lifelong friends. We are a tightly-knit family in Honda and I admit that I still miss at times those crazy-fun times and adventures that we had.

Despite everything, I owe and acknowledge that part of my success today is attributed to  Honda for giving me the ultimate bootcamp and the first taste of career achievement. The other part of course was due to the Tire Company, my third job, which made me realize that the automotive industry is not cut-out for girls like me. I learned this after spending so much time at the company's Servitek Shops, which is just similar to those Los Angeles auto repair shops, sans the prestige and the efficiency.  But that story and all the gory details about it is reserved for another exciting blog post. Stay tuned.

I am so behind with my blog posts. This entry was supposed to be posted two months ago. I've been busy with work and personal stuff so I wasn't able to update. I have a whole lot more to tell about the summer that was and I'm really hoping that I would be able to blog them all.

Our first family adventure for the summer was a Visita Iglesia of Laguna churches. I've been to Ilocos, Batangas, Cebu and other old Spanish towns and provinces but nothing beats Laguna when it comes to its abundance of historical churches. I've always been fascinated by churches so this trip is both cultural and religious. The goal of the travel was to visit 7 churches which includes a trip to the popular Kamay Ni Hesus religious grounds in Lucban, Quezon. We had two Stations of the Cross for each visit to complete the 14 stations.

OUR LADY OF THE HOLY ROSARY CHURCH
Our first stop was the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish at Luisiana, Laguna. It's a very simple church but is very popular among Visita Iglesia goers. It's also said that it's the oldest parish honoring Nuestra Senora del Rosario in the Philippines.

It was a very busy and stressful week at work so I was not surprised when I woke up with two annoying zits on my left cheek. I rarely get pimples nowadays so I figured that work stress is truly taking a toll on me. So I did what any sane woman would do, I booked myself a facial! I left work early tonight and had a relaxing and rejuvenating night to beat the stress away. I am not really a "girly" girl but I always give time to pampering myself by regularly getting facials, foot spas and massages.



Flawless Face and Beauty Clinic
Petron Bel-Aire Square

I went this evening to Flawless Face and Body Clinic at their Petron Bel-Aire Square branch along Makati Ave. It was the nearest branch from my office and I love that it has extended service hours up to 10:00 pm. It's perfect for women like me who cannot leave the office early. I chose Flawless because it's different from the other beauty services that abounds the metro. It's more of a medical clinic than a beauty salon or spa. For one, they call their clients as "patients" instead of customers. They also have in-house doctors whom you can consult first before availing any of the offered face, body or medical services. This is a plus for me because I'm quite iffy to try anything (even a simple cleansing facial) without a consult from a Dermatologist.

As a break from all the election talks and to celebrate a very tiring but fulfilling week at work, the boyfriend and I went to The Ultimate Taste Test 4.0 event of one of our favorite blogs, Our Awesome Planet. The event, on its 4th offering, was a gathering of the foodie community and up-and-coming food suppliers and their 'winning' dishes.

There were more than 50 food suppliers who gave portions and samples to the hundreds of foodies who attended. The foodies in return served as amateur "food critiques" for the night and rated the dishes. Food suppliers who will get high ratings will be featured in Anton's Our Awesome Planet blog.

The event started at 7:00 pm and it ended 10:00 pm. Though we were prompt, the registration lines at NBC Tent were already long when we arrived. It reminded me of the long election queue we had just last Monday.



The event is actually a very good venue to discover good and affordable food and restaurants in Manila. We only paid P200 ($4.43) each and we were able to taste and experience more than 20 different food choices and variants. It was truly a money well spent. We were stuffed from all the appetizers, main courses and desserts we had.

Here are my photos for Weeks 12 to 14 of my Project 52. I haven't been neglecting the project. I was just busy last week thus I wasn't able to post the photos.

WEEK 12: MINE IS PURPLE!
The photo for Week 12 is, of course, my new MacBook Pro in Speck Satin Purple cover. A lot of people are telling me to remove the cover so that they can see the spanking aluminum unibody design. What's the point in buying a Pro, right? But I love the Purple color and I love how it looks on my MBP so it's going to stick in there - for a while at least.



WEEK 13: LAKE & MOUNTAIN
I spent Maundy Thursday and Good Friday with some of my favorite people - Witt, Tin & Ylette - in San Pablo City. The photo below was taken in one of our walks in Sampaloc Lake, the largest of the Seven Lakes in the city. The shot was taken with the majestic and miraculous Mount Banahaw in the background.

More photos of our San Pablo sojourn soon!



WEEK 14: SUMMER SHOES
I was at the mall last Friday and I fell in like with these wedges. I am not really fond of wearing bulky platform shoes but this pair is so summer-y so I decided to buy it. There are other colors of this style but I chose yellow to match my newly-bought yellow statement tops.

This is definitely going to be my summer & election shoes!

I was fortunate to be in Boracay last Labor Day weekend for the Smart Buddy Hot Summer Samahan event. I was not really expecting the work trip and I only learned that I was going less than 24 hours before my actual departure. I went to the island to oversee one of the activities of Smart's premiere summer event.

It was only my third trip to the island and it was fun to learn and experience new things and visit different places which I haven't been. It's also nice to discover a different Boracay apart from the watersports and beaching that we all love. Read on!

1. I was "almost" and "mostly" solo on the trip and it was both good and bad. Good because I can do all the things I want and bad because I don't have anybody to share it with.

2. Labor Day weekend was the second busiest period of summer! I was early at the airport but I was still bumped off because PAL Express overbooked my flight due to four canceled Caticlan flights that day.



3. PAL Express transferred us to Seair and it was my first time to ride a 20-seater plane (I counted)! The plane was bare and I can't sleep. I was finally able to sleep 30 minutes after take-off but the repeated turbulence woke me up.

4. The upside of Seair? We were only 9,000 ft. high so I was able to take some overhead shots; and land and sea travel to Boracay were also free!





5. There were so many people in Boracay that weekend! It was so crowded! You have to line-up for almost everything. It was also raining on and off but the people were dedma about it.

6. I met and worked with colleagues from Boracay, Iloilo and Makati who helped me with agents stuff, booth supervision and reaching the target. :)

7. First lunch meal was at The Big Mouth in D'Mall with colleagues. I ordered a small bowl of Pesto Pasta and a glass of Coke. Damage? Php 200! Welcome to Boradise of Expensive Everything!



8. I was supposed to stay at Patio Pacific (it was overbooked) or at the Fairways (it was so far) but I ended up at this simple, beachfront hotel at Station 1 called Casa Fiesta. It was right in front of our event venue and it was just less than a hundred feet from our Wireless Center. Perfect!

9. The lady who owns Casa Fiesta was very kind and accommodating. She did not ask for even a deposit or a down payment for my 4-day stay. She just asked me to fill-out some forms. The room was spacious and the bathroom was clean. It has a double bed, a TV, a ref, a/c and a veranda overlooking the beach.

10. Work on my first day was very stressful. The target was high and it was really stressful working in the beach. Unbelievable but true.



11. I took a break and a stroll along Station 1 mid-afternoon to check out the scenery. I was hoping for a Jonah's shake but it was jam-packed as usual.

12. I'll be fit as a fiddle if I live in Boracay with all the walking and strolling. I loved all the solitary walks I had.



13. I love great hotels so I took note of all the resorts and boutique hotels I want to stay in. Here are some of them: Zuzuni, Las Brisas, Residencia Boracay, Two Seasons, Bluewaves Beach House, Seawind (always been on my list since 2001), Boracay Regency and, of course, DS.



14. Since it was a work trip, we obviously had meetings! I had two on my first day.

15. I love the I-don't-care Boracay attitude that gave me the convenience of wearing anything I want. Shorts? Check! Floral overload? Check! Non-black stuff? Check! It was also the first time I wore white in years!

16. Our first day dinner was buffet at Seawind where I was able to taste one of the best pastas I've ever had = Oil & Garlic With Mushrooms and Hams. I am now hunting for a recipe!




17. There was also something in the Boracay air that makes one thirsty! So I ordered a glass of Bailey's on one of the beach bars near my hotel. I had the shock of my life when the bartender gave me two glasses. I apparently ordered one their "buy one, take one" drinks. Geez!



18. I was up bright and early on my 2nd day for our actual Summer Samahan event. I was happy and excited. I was up until 2:00 am devising a strategy that would "sell". It DID sell and we had a favorable outcome. Yey, me!

19. I was busy the entire day working non-stop. I only stopped for a well-deserved lunch at Tribraz along Station 2. Tribraz is a french bistro near Cafe Del Mar. I had Potato & Meat Casserole and Rice Pilaf. Yummy!

20. I had an EX moment across the miles. I can't believe it! *shakes head, roll eyes*

21. Speaking of #21, I learned that all my pasts and possible future are all Smart subscribers. Galeng!

22. The Summer Samahan event was so great! Bosses will be happy. I realized that I can also be an excellent frontliner and on-ground person. Chat will be proud!



23. I would like to thank Aqtiv 100 Plus Energy Drink (Hi, Jomar! Hello, Mark!) and Colgate for the support and sponsorship. Until next time!

24. I was so exhausted the whole day but it did not hinder me to peek at my Social Networking Sites and tweet.

25. Second night's dinner was another buffet at Le Soleil De Boracay at Station 2 with colleagues. It was just so so. Nothing spectacular.

26. I strolled along Station 2 and 3 after dinner. I discovered new restaurants, saw the new Mandarin Spa and took note of all the places I can take my family on our trip in June.



27. Looks like the best chill-out places in the island are (and still are) Guilly's, Bamboo Lounge and the new Obama's Grill at Statiton 1; and Bombom's, SummerPlace and Hey Jude at Station 2.


The new Obama Grill at Station 1

28. Spongecola is the best! 'Nuff said, love 'em. The Summer Samahan Event culminated with a concert of Spongecola, Rocksteddy and Bamboo. Rock on!

29. I caught a fever because of the on/off rain and the high temp of my room's AC. I spent the night on-line with my favorite fattening snack bought from D'Mall: Lays & Coke.

30. I am the biggest loser in Boracay because I spent the day in bed resting and nursing my colds on my 3rd day. I was awoken by cheers before lunch as a result of Pacman's greatest boxing battle against Hatton. I wasn't able to watch the match live but I learned from Twitter how the bloodshed happened.

31. I spent my final afternoon doing usual Boracay stuff like eating Chori Burger, strolling along Station 1 and sipping Jonah's Fruitshake. I tried the plain Mocha flavor and it was delicious.



32. There was, of course, the Sunset! It was not a magnificent summer sunset and it was very cloudy but it was great nonetheless.





33. I love the All Flip Flops By The Beach store at Station 1. Nice lighting, too!



34. My favorite Boracay activity is Massage By The Beach so I obviously did not leave the island without it. It was relaxing and refreshing as usual.

35. I had my first-ever Henna Tattoo! I was so happy about it so I had two. One on my right ankle and the other one on my right leg.



36. One of my best ever meal was at Aria. I had the Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncino pasta for my last lunch at the island. It was so delicious. All the raves about Aria are indeed true!



37. The flight back home was breeze. I took a PAL Express flight and I must say that it's the best ride I've ever had from Caticlan to Manila. It's not as "uncontrolled" like Cebu Pacific and Seair.



38. I arrived around 4:00 PM on a Monday and was both happy and sad about it. Sad because I just came back from one of best places in the world and happy because I am back in my beloved city with my family and friends on it.

I'll be going back to Boracay in June but this time with the family. We will be celebrating my brother's 27th birthday there. Hopefully, I'll be able to swim and do beach stuff and watersports by then.

Viva La Vida. Live The Life.


This came from my blip.fm player.
And "Anna Vida" is my full name - in case you don't know.

I survived February & March! These past weeks were definitely some of the most hectic ones I had in the last few years thus the non-post.

Work was a blast with all our new responsibilities and stuff to do BUT it also came with a lot of pressure and stress. Days were jampacked with meetings, overtime at the office, e-mails, work at home, number crunching and business trips. Though I am loving every bit of what I am doing, I am also missing some of the ME time that I had to give up to cover more work stuff. My group's functions and targets (even our KRAs) dramatically changed this year thus we also picked the pace and worked as if there's no tomorrow.

Everything is quite cool at the moment and we seem to be more in control of things now so I hope that April will not be as busy.

Thank God for the Lenten break. Catch you all later! Updates soon!

Here's a meme entry just to let everyone know that I am still alive and kicking. I'm re-posting this from my Facebook as an answer tag to Rica.

Rules: Answer the 100 questions and tag people to do the same.

PERSONAL INFO:
1. What's your name → Anna Vida Theresa
2. Nicknames → Abbie, Abs
3. Relationship Status → Single But Happy
4. Zodiac sign → Leo
5. Male or female → Female
6. Elementary → Mary Help of Christian School
7. High School → Canossa School
8. College → Assumption College
9. Hair color → Black with natural brown mix
10. Long or short → Layered and NOT so long anymore
11. Height → 5'2"
12. Do you have a crush on someone? → Now? Not sure.
13. What do you like about yourself? → My bubbly personality
14. Piercings → Ears
15. Tattoos → None
16. Righty or lefty → Righty

LAST
17. Last beverage → Coke Regular
18. Last phone call → My mom asked me to join her at my aunt's place.
19. Last text message → Chika with Libay
20. Last song you listened to → "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz
21. Last time you cried → Can't remember. I'm not keeping tabs anymore. :)

FIRSTS:
22. First surgery → One of my right fingers had grafting.
23. First piercing → Ears
24. First sport you joined/played → Kick Ball in elementary
25. First pet → Dog named Giorgio
26. First vacation → Baguio
27. First concert → Eraserheads
28. First crush → Someone from Third Grade! He's on my FB friend list so I am not telling who.

HAVE YOU EVER:
29. Dated someone twice → Not just twice but thrice! It was a vicious cycle.
30. Been cheated on? → Yes
31. Kissed someone & regretted it? → Yes
32. Lost someone special? → Yes
33. Been depressed? → Yes
34. Been drunk and threw up? → Yes but only twice in my whole life! Both happened in San Fernando in two different occasions.

LIST FOUR FAVORITE COLORS:
35. Blue, Plum/Violet, Black, Red

HAVE YOU:
36. Made new friends → Yes
37. Fallen out of love → Yes
38. Laughed until you cried → Oh yeah!
39. Met someone who changed you → Yes
40. Found out who your true friends were → Yes! Yes! Yes!
41. Found out someone was talking about you → Yes and I "heard it" literally. How's that?
42. Kissed anyone on your FB friend list → Ummm...yes.
43. How many people on your FB friend list do you know in real life → Almost everyone.
44. How many kids do you want to have → Two or four
45. Do you have any pets → We have lots of cats but they are definitely not mine.
46. Do you want to change your name → Nope
47. What did you do for your last birthday → I went to Boracay with my friends. Yey!
48. What time did you wake up today → 1:30 PM! So tired from yesterday's SMART EK Day.
49. What were you doing at midnight last night? → Internet
50. Name something you CANNOT wait for → Planned travels
51. Last time you saw your father → 30 seconds ago
52. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life → What else?
53. What are you listening to right now → "Lucky" by Jason Mraz feat. Colbie Caillat
54. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom → Yep. Met a random Tom before.
55. What's getting on your nerves right now? → A couple of "Batirol" incidents last week. Heh!
56. Most visited web page → Twitter, Facebook, abbieunreal.blogspot.com, Multiply

RIGHT NOW:
57. Eating → I had Jollibee Chicken Joy an hour ago
58. Drinking → Coke
59. I'm about to → Resize and upload photos
60. Listening to → Jason Mraz's "We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things" album
61. Waiting for → .............................

YOUR FUTURE:
62. Want kids? – Yes
63. Want to get married? → Yes
64. Careers in mind? → I am fairly satisfied with what I am doing now.

WHICH IS BETTER WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX?
65. Lips or eyes → Eyes
66. Hugs or kisses → Hugs
67. Older or Younger – Older
68. Nice stomach or nice arms → Nice arms
69. Sensitive or loud → A little of both
70. Hook-up or relationship → Relationship, of course!
71. Trouble maker or hesitant → Hesitant

HAVE YOU EVER:
72. Kissed a stranger → No
73. Drank hard liquor → Only once or twice in my life
74. Lost glasses/contacts → I lost my first and only pair of prescription glasses! Then I learned from my 2nd Opto that I don't need them after all. :)
75. Sex on first date → No
76. Broken someone's heart → I think so. Once, twice or thrice.
77. Had your own heart broken → Yes
78. Been arrested → No
79. Turned someone down → Yes
80. Cried when someone died → I was the loudest "wailer" at my lola's funeral 11 years ago.
81. Liked a friend that is a girl? → No

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
82. Yourself → Yes
83. Miracles → Yes, I do!
84. Love at first sight → Love? No. Like? Maybe.
85. Heaven → Yes
86. Santa Claus → I wish!
87. Kiss on the first date → No. Cheeks? Not even. Conservative? Yes.
88. Angels → Yes
89. Love → Yes
90. Sex after marriage → Ideal

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
91. Is there one person you want to be with right now? → I'm not so sure. I am still thinking and contemplating. Please give me time. :)
92. Had more than one boyfriend at one time? → No. Loyalty & faithfulness are my strongest traits.
93. Are you in love right now? → Nope.
94. Longest you got over an ex? → Two freakin' years!
95. Are you happy? → People may not believe it...but I am actually very happy & contented.
96. Posting this as 100 Truths? → Yes

*There were only 96 questions so I guess that the favorite color part equals to four.

I went to Cebu a week ago and to Davao last Thursday. Both are quick trips where I attended two important regional meetings. Both were good trips and I feel confident that the huddles we had will yield positive results in the next months (Go, Team!).

I requested too late for my trip to Cebu so I was very unfortunate to be booked on a Cebu Pacific flight outbound. It was terrible! The ground staff were so impolite and they ask embarrassing questions to passengers out loud! I will really try my best NOT to take any Cebu Pacific flights in the future - cheap rates or not! There's absolutely no excuse for bad customer service. They were very different from the personnel from PAL who even gave me a seat upgrade on my flight to Manila from Davao.

Cebu was a delight as usual! I stayed for less than a day but it was still a joy nonetheless. I arrived 8ish and immediately checked-in to my hotel. I was upgraded to one of their suite rooms but I soon realized that it was freaky to spend a night alone in a very huge room (but the plasma TV was great). I had a late dinner at Bigby's at my now-favorite Ayala Terraces, browse a few books at Fully Booked, took some night shots, and had a very relaxing well-deserved massage at The Spa at Cebu.


The new Ayala Terraces


Grilled Rodeo Chops

I've wanted to try The Spa at Cebu since last year but I never had the chance until last week. The facility is okay and they truly made the effort to make the place relaxing and zen-ish. They adapted some styles and elements from the original The Spa here in Manila (but I think they are not related) and it turned out great. It was by far the best spa massage I had in Cebu. Try it on your next visit.


The Spa at Cebu

Davao did not fail to excite me as always. I was unbelievably stressed and anxious on the trip because I left a ton of work at the office and I unknowingly lost my ATM card on my way out. I only realized that it WAS gone when I was about to withdraw money at the airport. Good thing I have SMART Money so a colleague was able to lend me some moolah through our mobile phones and I was able to withdraw it instantly. The joys of SMART Money! Clearly one of our best innovations ever! It's really handy on "ooppps" moments like these.

The highlight of my Davao trip was probably our dinner at Pard's. Davao is known for its hole-in-the-wall restaurants which serve delicious seafood and grilled delights. We had prawns, fish, crabs and one of the best tasting tuna sashimi I've ever had! It was fresh, thinly sliced, and it doesn't have the funky taste that sashimis usually have. Too bad I wasn't able to bring home some because of an early morning flight the following day.


Durian - the most misjudged fruit in the Philippines


I ordered Chocolate Mousse from Room Service. Yummy.


Early morning at Davao International Airport.
Travel SMART, of course!

One of the most memorable moments I had on this trip was my first taste of Durian (the most misjudged fruit in the whole Philippines). I've had durian candies and shakes before but I've never tasted the actual fruit. The smell was so weird that even if it was good it was still weird for me. I took just a bite and gave up on it entirely. Sorry! :)

Facebook is the new battleground for memes, surveys and quizzes. A certain meme is making the rounds among friends and I was tagged to do it by no less than 17 people. I finally succumbed to it tonight and answered it.

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged.

1. I have a very long name, Anna Vida Theresa, and I love it. I hate it when people do shortcuts on it or omit one of the names in documents. I want it long and complete.

2. My mom told me recently (like a month ago) that I almost died when I was 7 months old. She said that I had non-stop diarrhea and they even had my IV on my infant head!

3. I am generally a nice person. I am also very optimistic. I am the epitome of sunshine!

4. My mother is the most important person in my life. Period.

5. I have a very weird personality. I am very extrovert, loud, and can talk non-stop for hours BUT I also enjoy being alone and just staying at home. I often prefer eating or watching movie alone. I definitely want to shop alone.

6. I am literally a "dreamer". I always have vivid dreams when sleeping.

7. I chose the right course in college. I know what's my calling even then.

8. I have gazillion friends and acquaintances but I learned in the last few years that quality is better than quantity. I am still friends with a lot of people but I hang-out with just a few.

9. My favorite time of the day is early evening. Creative thoughts and ideas usually kick in at 7:00 at night and it can last until 4:00 am. I am usually mentally "dead" in the morning!

10. My first love is reading. I read everything from carton boxes to hard-bound novels. One of my resolutions this year is to read more. Six months into the new year and I already finished The American Wife (Curtis Sittenfeld), Sisters (Danielle Steel) and I am currently reading Living History (HRC's autobiography).

11. I've been blogging since mid-2003. It was Aileen who influenced me and I plunged into it because I need an outlet for my then 'quarter-life crisis'. My entries evolved since then and gone now are the drama and love dilemma posts of my 20s. My posts now are happier but less personal.

12. I won in Pond's Age Miracle's 7-Days of Beauty blog writing contest last year. My prize? A 3G iPhone.

13. What to know what I'm up to at this very moment? Try Twitter.

14. I religiously download the following shows every Friday night for my weekend watch: Grey's Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters, Gossip Girl, Privileged, 90210 and American Idol. I am also watching old West Wing episodes via DVD.

15. I am very OC when using punctuation marks and small/upper cases/capital letters in writing. i hate seeing small letters in beginning letters in sentences like THIS sentence. I also hate seeing "I" in small letters.

16. Two of my ex-boyfriends got the same name. How weird is that?

17. I enjoy driving! After years of procrastination I finally learned how to drive in May 2005. My fastest driving speed is 140kph at The Skyway on my way to Makati; and my longest drive was 5 hours straight to Quezon then back to Laguna again for another 5 hours of drive (with only 3 hours of rest interval).

18. I've been wearing my hair long and straight (with the occasional layers) since 2001. I am not going back to short hair...ever!

19. I got myself a new toy last Christmas: a Canon DSLR. I'm fascinated with food photography and it's something I want to delve into. I am going to enroll myself in a Basic Photography class but I can't find time to do it at the moment.

20. My word of the year is "collaboration". Last year's was "project" and 2007's was "celebration".

21. I am a closet politics fan. I don't express my views and opinions often but I am fascinated to hear what others think. Politics is fun!

22. I am an information junkie and a history buff. I usually spend at least an hour a week reading Wikipedia or other information sites on random topics, policies, views, opinions, scorecards, statistics and articles. Last week's topic was the evolution and history of Roe v. Wade.

23. The last three weeks at work were super busy ones. A new job function that was given to me is making me anxious but excited. I am literally tired from working BUT I am not complaining and is actually grateful about it. I love my job! :)

24. The opposite of love is not hate but indifference. Too bad I'm indifferent about love at the moment. Heh!

25. I am such a great believer of love and all the neat things it can do to people. I was fortunate that love found me in the least expected moment in my life. Unexpectedly love also went away and broke me into pieces. I've longed moved on from the pain and hurt and is cool about it. Despite everything I am still a big believer of love...I am just too damn scared to fall again.

Some of the items above were actually taken from the former memes I had before. I recycled some because thinking 25 random things about you in one go is a bit narcissistic for me. :)

Now it's YOUR turn! Tag, tag, tag to anyone who wants to do this!

Today, January 5, 2009, is probably the most unpopular day of the year so far. Everyone was too hung-over to work or too tired from vacation to even pretend to work. The last holiday vacation was probably the longest I can remember since I started working. I took a leave on the 24th of December so I had 12 days of non-work including those holidays declared by the government. It's common for me to have January blues so I usually extend my vacation until the 3rd working day of the year. But the vacation was too long already so it's too much to even consider on extending for that long.

The first four days of the year were uneventful ones for me. I spent most of the day sleeping, surfing random blogs and websites, resizing pictures, reading The American Wife, and watching old episodes of Project Runway and Lipstick Jungle. I was too tired from all the holiday celebrations and was preparing for the work stress thus I spent 10 to 14 hours a day just sleeping after the New Year celebrations.

Now that we covered the mundane things I did during the long vacation, let’s now take a look at the few exciting events and get-togethers I’ve been in the last weeks of 2008.

YEARLY CLAN REUNION
We spent Christmas Eve at home with the usual Noche Buena and opening of gifts. My niece, Gabbie, had the biggest loot as expected. Christmas day was spent at home resting and lounging in preparation for our annual clan reunion with my mom's sisters and their families in the evening.


One of the gifts I received! This is truly a favorite.


My nieces Nica, Gabbie, Casey and Jana on our Christmas party.


My niece Icee counting her Christmas cash

BAGUIO ONCE MORE
My good friend Tin asked us to join her in celebrating her 30th birthday at the City of Pines. It was my second time in Baguio for the year but I still had fun. We went around Session, Burnham & Wright, had Strawberry Taho, coffee at John Hay, dinner at Volante and celebration drinks at Northgate.


Tin and her birthday cake of 12 years ago


At the El Cielito lobby


Ylette at Burnham. One of my favorite shots.

POST-CHRISTMAS DINNER WITH FRIENDS
My forces girlfriends Tin, Aileen, Charo & Jako had our holiday dinner at Italianni's before the end of the year. We haven't seen each other for a while so we spent the night catching up on things and exchanging gifts.


Me, Tin, Charu, Aileen


What's with the knife?


The Mac Keeper

WELCOMING THE NEW YEAR
We spent New Year's eve at home quietly despite the loud bangs outside. We gave thanks to the Lord for all the blessings He gave us for the year. We also prayed for good health, prosperity and joys for the coming year.


Gabbie and her three trumpets


Fireworks on a school zone? How weird is our neighborhood?


More holiday photos at my Multiply photo site.

It's more than twenty three hours since the New Year and I am still stuck on 2008 (but not because I want to). It's just that I was too tired in the last few days to make a serious and emotional "looking back post" and it's only now that I become inspired to actually write one.

I usually describe my years according to the major milestones I felt or experienced in that year. Like 2004 was The Year I Fell In Love, alternately 2005 and 2006 were the The Year I Messed Up and The Year My Heart Got Broken In So Many Ways (I still can't decide which is which) and 2007 was The Year I Became Smart - literally and figuratively.

2008 was a year of great blessings for me. Yeah, I still have the occasional trials and hardships in various aspects of my life but it was nothing compared to the tumultuous years I had in the past (Hello, 2005 & 2006!). 2008 was very generous to me even if I don't deserve all the things that were given to me.

The Year I Turned Thirty was probably the best description I can give to 2008. Turning thirty years old (and single at that) can be a dread. I used to fear it when I was still on my twenties. But being on this year actually opened doors for me. Come with the age is the respect and a certain reverence. I am still funny, clumsy and carefree but I already sense a certain maturity within me which I've been hoping to achieve for years. My views and convictions are now on the serious path compared to the ideals I had a few years back. Oh, and thirty is "happiness". I'm now happier and more contented with my life compared before.

The most-asked-and-I-often-despise question of the year was of course the boyfriend question. "Do you have one?" "When are you going to have one?" "Mag-diet ka kaya so you can have one?" I am tired of answering these questions so I often answer in jest or sarcastically. My usual answers were "I am not interested!" or "I've long given up on love!". Then there will be another batch of questions and opinions ranging from "But why? You're still young! Don't give up!" to "Why? Are you now interested in women?". Oh well! The truth is I feel so indifferent about it. Yeah, there are guys out there who asks; and friends keep on fixing me up with people BUT I just don't feel it. The past, though very painful and a bit traumatic, is no longer an issue for me. I have longed forgiven myself and moved on from it. I just want to be happy all by myself for the meantime. I want to be single and discover things for the meantime. I want peace and serenity for now. I'll be ready when I'll be ready. :)

It was a less emotional year for me except for the fact that one of my good friends unexpectedly died last February. Binchy definitely struck a cord in all of us but we believe that he's now in a happier and better place. Aside from that, everything was smooth-sailing and drama-free. My relationship with my family and friends became stronger than ever and I was also given a chance to bond more with my bestest friends through several trips, vacations and travels last year.

Work is great and I learned a lot last year. There was the usual pressure and competition but it helped us more than it broke us. Heading a team was really a challenge especially if you were out to prove something. There were a lot of guts, second guessing and prayers involved as we launch one project after another. I am definitely happier and more contented with my current career compared to all the other past jobs I held. It allowed me to have independent ideas, kick-ass diskartes, and most importantly it gave me the opportunity to have a work and personal life balance. The pay-out at the end of the year were just icings on the cake.

I sailed through in 2008. It's a neutral year for me (boring at times actually) and I will definitely miss it. I am sure that 2009 will be a bit different since I know it will involve a lot of challenges and risk - not only for me but for everyone (Hello, Economy!). I also know that I will be fighting a lot of internal battles this year with the choices I will make...so help me God. Stay tuned!

Let's rock 2009! Happy New Year!

I was really fascinated by Time Magazine's Top 10 of Everything for 2008 and I think that it would be cool to do one for myself as a year-ender. "Ten of everything" would be too much for me so I am just limiting my list to my ultimate "tops" and favorite things.

TOP PEOPLE

Family
In sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, until death do us part. Enough said.





Forces Girlfriends + Jako
We've been through a lot this year - travels, dinners, quarrels, success, misunderstandings, profound e-mails, unions, engagements, singleness, happiness and broken hearts. Despite everything we've gone through we realized that we all love each other at the end of the day! :)



My CLRD Angels
The year will not be as sweet if not for my dear Marj and Kathy. We worked very hard and delivered a lot of projects that helped build subscribers' loyalty. I'll miss you, girls! Thanks for all that has been and for all that will be!

Gabsters
Our fondness and support for GDM was the one that introduced us to each other; but we discovered along the way that we have loads in common other than our PBB obsessions. Our BBQ Boy dinners were always riot events!

Ros + John + Eric
A common tragic event early this year made us closer to each other. It was not a "good year" for us but we all believe that it's already time to move on (Binchy would want it that way).

TOP TRAVELS

Boracay Birthday
This is my most traveled year! I'm out each month except in January. The one that stood out is my 30th birthday celebration in Boracay. My friends Tin, Aileen, Charo and Jako went with me last 888 (August 8, 2008) and had the time of our lives. The highlight of the trip? The Paraw Sunset Sailing!

Viva Vigan
My friends and I had a memorable roadtrip to Vigan last May. Aside from the cobblestones, the picturesque Spanish houses, and the yummy delicacies (I'm still craving for Martha's Bibingka until now), the trip was one for the books because we were were stranded in La Union for hours because of Typhoon Cosme. Our trip back home was 17 hours long. Whew!



Beautiful Bohol
Our Team Celebration Program in Bohol last September was great because there were only four (4) of us on the trip and it was my first time in Bohol! I can't wait to go back for more! Bohol is truly a relaxation haven!



Travel To Meet Subs
A huge chunk of my work-related travel this year was because of one of our loyalty programs. I was able to meet various subscribers all over the nation through this activity. They were all fun and enriching events and it gave me also the opportunity to visit Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija and Balanga, Bataan for the first time. I also visited Cebu (twice), Davao (thrice), Baguio and Cagayan de Oro this year.

TOP EVENTS
(These are my non-travel events this year that are memorable. "Memorable" can either be happy or sad and a couple of entries here were unfortunately sad ones.)

My Pond's Beauty Blog
One of my non-work achievements of the year is winning the Pond's 7-day Beauty Blog. The "essay" (as my dad puts it) won me a new iPhone 3G and gift certificates.

Binchy's Passing
My good friend's unexpected death usually trumps the happy events of the year. We are still grieving but we know in our hearts that he's now in a happier place.

NatCon 2008
Customer Care's National Conference 2008 became a memorable one for me because of some unexpected twist of events. It still haunt me at times but I already learned from the experience. Things that doesn't kill you truly makes you stronger! :)

Vince & Eliza's Wedding
Ate finally tied the knot last November! The event was a joyous one and it gave me the opportunity to be reunited with my Real relatives whom some I haven't seen in years.



TOP GADGETS

Canon 1000D
Santa came this year and got me this! Eyeloveit! Definitely the gift of the year (or even the decade).



Nokia E71
Nokia did everything right with this phone. It's perfect (or perfect for me at least!). The slim design allows you to text using one hand, it has WiFi, cool interface, huge LCD screen and its HSDPA! Definitely one of the best Nokias in the market today.

iPhone 3G
Dubbed by most as The Gadget of the Year, it is not on top of my list because it's not the best - for me anyway. It has its greatness, ganda points, Internet anywhere and everywhere, and it's the best iPod ever...but it's far from perfect (jailbroken or otherwise). But I still love it to bits because it's "my trophy".

TOP TV SHOWS

Grey's Anatomy
The plot with Denny coming back to life is beyond absurd and George may be resigning but I still love this show! Nothing can keep me away from it despite the cheesiness of Mer and Der. My only wish? End the dead guy story and let Izzie fall in love with Alex.

Gossip Girl
One of my Twitter buddies thought I was on my early twenties because of my great love for these Upper East Siders. Season 2 made me fall in like with Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass together with the teens and tweens of the world. I still love Serena and Lily but I just can't stand the Humphreys especially Dan, the over-analyzer.



The West Wing
It might have ended a couple of years ago but I am still on Season 3 of this great political drama. I am so fascinated with life at the White House and my week is not complete without hearing the "CJ! CJ! CJ!" of the reporters at the make-believe press room.

Brothers & Sisters
Who doesn't want to be part of the Walker family and their famous dinners? I've decided this season that Kevin is my favorite Walker (aside from Nora of course). Who's your favorite?

TOP MOVIES

Sex and The City Movie
Seeing Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte once again is beyond words! Watching it at Powerplant with great friends after Pepper Lunch was also great.



Twilight
Seeing Bela and The Cullens come to life is more than enough to land this movie on the list despite its crapiness. Sorry, Twitter movie fans.

TOP BOOKS

Twilight Series
It was the much-hyped launch of Breaking Dawn in August which prompted me to read the series. It somehow filled the void that Harry Potter left me. Stephanie's writing was so bad (grammar and punctuation errors, over-plot, under-plot) but her great storytelling skills compensated for it. My favorites are Breaking Dawn, Eclipse and Alice Cullen.

American Wife
Time Magazine agrees with me that this is one of the best reads of 2008. It's a story of a librarian turned First Lady of the United States of America (sounds familiar?).



Remember Me
Another chick-lit of Sophie Kinsella which was patterned after the humor and sweetness of tUndomestic Goddess and Can You Keep A Secret?.

TOP RESTAURANTS
(Funny that everything on this list is a destination restaurant.)

Bigby's
I fell in love with their Grilled Rodeo Chops and Iced Tea! I had it four times this year: Bigby's Davao, Bigby's LimKetKai, Bigby's SM Cebu and Bigby's Ayala Center Terraces. They will open a branch in Manila soon! Yey!

Cyma
This was my "supposed" 30th birthday dinner. The Cyma feast we had in Boracay was one of the best dinners that my friends and I had of late. Greek food is truly love! Best Moussaka I've ever had!



Breakfast at Antonio's
I came back this year to this beloved restaurant that hold so many wonderful memories of yesteryears. Their steak is still tender and I still love it! Yum!

TOP ON-LINE SITES

Twitter
I tried Plurk for a couple of months but I came back to Twitter. If I can't blog then I usually express myself via Twitter's 140 characters. According to TweetStat, my average tweet per day is 7.3 and I usually send them 8:00 pm onwards. My most replied twitter friends are taetin (Tin), rivengodwind (Rodge) and lilacstardust (Aileen), siaz (Mitzi) and charuzee (Charo). No surprises here since they are also my real-life best buds! Twitter is our cheesmux extension.

Facebook
I joined Facebook in mid-2007 but I only realized its full potential early this year. Everyone who's anyone is on Facebook; and it's the best Social Networking Site ever!

Multiply
This has always been my favorite repository site for photos, videos, blog entries and music. Add me up!

iGoogle
A customizable one-stop shop for everything Google (and some more). It's always a joy to see my e-mail, google search tabs, Remember The Milk tasks, Google Reader feeds and various news all in one place. Thanks to Marj for the tip!

Thanks to 2008 for being such a wonderful year!

Credits to Bordoy Viterbo, Charo, Aileen and Marj for the photos.