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.