I Blog, Therefore I Am.

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.

Pinoy Big Brother has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. I even wrote a couple of post on it and its housemates in the past. When the new celebrity edition was announced, I made sure that I was free on the scheduled showing of its grand Opening Night back in October.



It was my utter surprise and disbelief when I figured out that one of the housemates due to enter the house is non other than Gaby Dela Merced! The advertisement teaser on her (dubbed as the Racing Godeess) was fool-proof! After all, who else is the most popular female racer here in the Philippines? I immediately sent an SMS to Mikko, a good friend and Gaby’s former handler, to ask if Gaby is indeed entering the big yellow house, he answered yes and said that he only learned it the previous Thursday when the PBB staff fetched Gaby. I was surprise and excited at the same time! I texted my friends, former officemates and former suppliers about Gaby’s entry to PBB. I still cannot believe that Gaby’s entering since she’s always been a private person.

I’ve known Gaby for a long time. It was Mikko who first introduced us when I was still working at Honda. She’s still starting her racing career then and Mikko was one of her first racing partners. I even remember seeing her in one of those long endurance races at Subic that last for hours and hours without a mere break.


Gaby and I at Goodyear's Dealer Conference

I was able to work more with Gaby when I transferred in Goodyear in 2005. Gaby is one of Goodyear endorsers together with the other popular racers here in the Philippines. She’s always been our popular endorser. She’s the most sought after, the most requested to attend in our events and activities, and definitely the most photographed. Even our foreign bosses are totally enamored with her. Gaby has always been very kind and accommodating. She’s unassuming and simple. She’s one of those few people I know whom you will not notice at first but will eventually leave a definite mark once you get to know her.


With Goodyear friends and endorsers

One of the most memorable events I had with her was our trip to Naga during the Penafrancia Festival two Septembers ago. Gaby shared some defensive driving tips with the car show attendees and signed hundreds of copies of Hotwire Magazine where she was featured at the back cover. We also held a press conference about the event but most of the questions were directed to her rather in our products and services. Gaby did all of these without a mere complain. That’s how great she is!


Gaby signing gazillion autographs!

I am very proud of her and the way she’s handling herself at the very crazy and emotion-filled Pinoy Big Brother house. She started simply and mostly stayed at the background during the first few weeks. She let other flamboyant housemates like Ethel, Mariel, Baron and Jen to steal the show. But Gaby being Gaby, she slowly (but surely) made her presence felt through her good natured ways and perseverance inside the house. She was active in their weekly tasks, she gave sound advices and moral support to her housemates, and she stood by her principle every step in the way. She’s astig! She rocks! A lot were truly inspired by her actions so it’s no wonder that there are gazillion Gabsters (Gaby’s fans and friends) in the world right now.

There may be other housemates who’s deserving of the prize money like Ruben but the TITLE of the BIG WINNER should undoubtedly belong to Gaby. She’s one person in the house who is very passionate on everything she cares for and who will not think twice in helping a friend in need. Just think of what she did to Yayo and all the neat selfless things she did while inside the house. Gaby has a genuine heart full of generosity and kindness but with a strong and tough exterior that will make one proud. Gaby is our Big Winner. She should be THE Big Winner.

GABY FOR THE BIG WIN!

To vote for Gaby, text BB GABY and send it to 231 for SMART, Talk N' Text subscribers and to 2331 for Globe, TM and Bayan Wireless Landline subscribers.

For international voters, you can purchase your e-pins at Digital Martian and Load.com.ph and then proceed to the PBB Voting Page.

More Gaby pictures here.

[Photo credits to Solmux of Pinoy Exchange and Richie Castro.]

I've been out of Goodyear for more than two weeks now and I must say that I already miss the people I left behind. I don't miss the gazillion work and the endless nights but I definitely miss the company of friends and the people I worked with for more than two years.

So, it was really a welcome change from boredom when I had dinner with my Goodyear friends Binchy, Ros and Eric at Una Mas, Greenbelt 2 last Friday. My friends and I absolutely love and crave Spanish dishes. Our favorite Spanish restaurants include Minggoy's, Azul at SM Mall of Asia, and Una Mas. We especially love the Angus Beef, Paella, Spanish Sausages and Paella Negra that were served at the sumptuous buffet. We, of course, also ordered one of the best cheesecakes we ever tasted - Toblerone Cake. We first had a taste of it at Fork The Fort (from the same owner of Una Mas) and we've been hooked since.

We capped the night at the very noisy Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf where Karl, Ros' hubby and my future officemate, met us.

Here are some of our snaps:

I'm in-between jobs right now. The next job, my ultimate choice (back-read if you must), was already offered to me weeks ago. I am very happy about it but I cannot be fully excited...YET. I am still in the process of completing my medical exam requirements. I already stumbled a few roadblocks on it but I hope that I would be able to get the final results by early this week so I can settle things. Tuned in.

Here are some updates before we go into the merry month of May.

JOBHUNT

~ Pardon if this is the first on the agenda. I am just too edgy about this since I love toooo much my top job choice and not getting it will surely disappoint me. I made my follow-up this morning with the HR Officer who first interviewed me and the Executive Assistant of the Head of the department who interviewed me last Wednesday. They both told me that my future boss is already making several follow-ups on MY application with their Human Resources. The HR Officer said that she's just waiting for my papers and will call me within the week. She thinks that I'm already in "favorable" status and the next process is the Medical Exam checklist issuance from their department. She told me to wait since she have to speak with her Supervisor first. So near yet so far. I am getting too impatient and it's not very good. :( I just want to settle things so I can already plan and move forward - whatever the result may be. Ugh, the agony and pain of waiting.

~ I received another call last Saturday for an initial interview for a Brand Manager position at a certain huge pharmaceutical company somewhere in Shaw/Pasig on Wednesday. I am grateful for it and it will be a nice fallback position and company if ever my top choice will not hire me. I love Brand Management and its many fascinating components. I love focused marketing and enhancing the image of a certain brand and its consumer life cycle.

FRIENDS

~ My Forces Girlfriends and I went to Enchanted Kingdom last April 21 to celebrate Aileen's Birthday. Our park tickets and lotsa wizard money were from Aileen in celebration of Kodak's Summer Outing. I arrived later than the girls since I rested that day. I am still recuperating and there were still shooting pains every now and then from my recent surgery. I love EK and almost all of its rides. But since my operation is barely a month old, I was able to ride only the "safe rides" like Jungle Log Jam, the 4D Pirates of the Caribbean, and the sure-you'll-get-wet Rio Grande Rapids. It was such an enjoyable night nonetheless.

~ Since I've been serving my Goodyear resignation grace period since February, I am now less stressed and pressured than usual. This paved the way for having more time to meet with my old dear friends. My bestest girlfriend from Honda, Olen, and I spent so many afternoons and evenings in the past month. Since she's now eight months pregnant with their second baby and moving around is becoming quite uneasy for her, I became her designated driver in a couple of occassions when hubby Bim is out. They also dedicated their wonderful new home in Cittadela recently. Too bad I wasn't able to take some pictures.

~ I also met and dined with Aimee two Fridays ago at SM Megamall after Goodyear's Transportshow event at the Megatrade Hall. Aimee was my sparring partner in my bittersweet days at Carrier. We sure did a lot of catching up. It's been years since we last sat down and really really really talk. It's truly funny to answer her questions about events in my life that transpired over a year ago.

~ As for my Goodyear friends...well...parting is such a sweet sorrow. I know that I will surely miss them. Our days of togetherness are now numbered. I plan to blog this topic at length but if ever that I wouldn't be able to; I would like to say that I am really blessed and lucky to have met John, Marge, Ros, Binchy and Eric. I will surely miss them and our unusual gimmicks and boring Friday worknights.

~ I recently watched Music & Lyrics since I truly like the "Way Back Into Love" song by Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. I have four versions of the song in my iPod and it's my default cellphone ringtone as of the moment. It truly has very nice lyrics. TRIVIA: Tin, Aileen and I were set to watch Music & Lyrics last February when it was still in theaters but we decided impulsively to just drink and pour our dramas and troubles again and again to each other.

~ iPod Update: Grey's Anatomy Season 3 new episodes (as usual), John Mayer's old album - Room For Squares, Maroon 5's Songs For Jane, Way Back Into Love (4 versions), Barbie Almalbis' Barbie/Singles, Ally McBeal soundtrack and The Best of Bukas Palad. Thanks for the CDs, Aileen. I've been ripping 90's to early 2000s CDs lately. : )

~ Grey's Anatomy is still my numero uno favorito and I am still up to date with all the fresh episodes save for the last one (Episode 21 - Desire). Thanks to Mitzi for the regular video streaming. GA is becoming more and more complicated than usual and the current plot is centered on Izzie and George. My favorite Cristina will have her moment next month when she goes tan-tan-tanan with Dr. Preston Burke. I can't wait!

~ Aside from Grey's Anatomy, my TV nights are occupied by Ugly Betty, Pinoy Big Brother (still an addiction) and Brothers & Sisters. I also started watching Heroes and The Nine. Let's see what they have to offer.

~ I am a SIMS2 addict once again. I recently bought an all-original SIMS2 Seasons Expansion Pack at Datablitz! Such coolness! : )

ON LOVE

~ None. None YET. Yeah, yeah, there are some guys who are texting, e-mailing and calling...but well...let's leave it at THAT for the meantime...

~ I have a crush though! : ) And it's such a girly highschool crush kind of thing! He's one of the sons of one of our Goodyear dealers who I see on a regular basis because of our monthly karting event. But that's it. We are just friends. Nothing will come out of it. Period.

Have a merry May!

I both loved them. I both love them. Love, loved, love, loved? Who knows if it is still present tense or now past tense? I am crummy with my grammar at times.

I call them my ONE and TWO. They are two of my lifetime's greatest blessings who showed me great happiness and made me realize how great my life can be.

I met One two and a half years ago. We got together after a couple of months.
I met Two several years ago but only got together two years ago.

One is smart, gentle, has quiet demeanor, sweetness and humility.
Two is strong, a leader, caring to a degree, forgiving, tolerant and assertive.

One is full of poetry, quotes and flowery words.
Two is full of hard-hitting numbers, straightforward essays & articles and a PR mileage that would impress anyone.

One has the top score in the boards, the great friends and the Baguio vacation house.
Two has the car, the cellphone and the laptop (with WiFi to boot).

One used to call me Sweetie, Bie and Babe.
Two used to call me Herbie and "the royal blood".

One and I used to love movies, wines, spa & massages and fine dining.
Two and I used to love tires, events, "Bayani Ng Kalsada" and dealer conferences.

One used to be so fond of me. It texted me day in and day out.
Two used to be so fond of me. It even paid for my parlor fees so I will look good in functions (voluntary at that!).

One used to make me feel as the "Prettiest Girl in the Planet".
Two used to make me feel as the "Smartest Girl in the Planet".

My best month with One was December 2004.
My best month with Two was December 2006.

One took me to Baguio, Anilao and Puerto Galera. All-expense paid including taxes.
Two took me to Pampanga, Baguio and Naga. Don't forget the receipts though.
(Sadly...all I want is Boracay but it both slipped in their minds).

One satisfies my emotions but Two stimulates my mind.

There were several occassions when I called both One and Two as "THE ONE".
I have my hesitations but God knows that I want them both to work.

When One is concerned...it's the avoider.
When Two is concerned...I am the avoider.

Did I ever blog about One and Two in the past?
Yep. At great length.

I often ask if I can ever have both One and Two both in my life or would it be just TOO much of a blessing for one person? Apparently...I am still not confident that I deserve ALL the good things in life.

At some point, I tried to have One and Two both in my life. I honestly cannot juggle them both at the same time. Both complained the lack of time.

One used to say that being with Two too much is just plain crazy. It said that there are more things in life than Two. Agree.
Two used to say that being with One too much makes me unfocused. It said there are other important things than One. Agree.

I fought for One until the very end. If it will give me another chance, I will fight for it even more. No questions asked.
I fought for Two until the very end. If it will give me another chance, I will fight for it but I might have to ask several questions since Two is very demanding.

Both One and Two thinks that I did not "fight for them" enough. Apparently, my "flight club" is different from theirs.

One was my inspiration to make Two work.
Two was my welcome diversion when things did not work out with One.

Both offered me forever.
Two even promised to double my savings after a certain time - making me rich for life.
Both left me.

Can I ever replace Two? Yep. But I dunno if I will love it as much.
Can I ever replace One? Let's just say that I really don't know and I am praying for answers.

Can One ever come back? Would I be blogging if I know the answer?
Can Two ever come back? I don't know. It's not over until it's over, right?

When One left I turned to "Grey's Anatomy" for distraction.
When I had bad days with Two I turned to "Grey's Anatomy" for inspiration.

When I was still hoping and praying for Two...One stood by me.
When One left... I have Two to take care of me.

My best bud John doesn't want to talk about One because it makes me depressed.
My best bud John doesn't want to talk about Two becuase it also makes him depressed.

When I told John about what happened with me and One....we talked about it for days so I can get it out of my system.
When I told John about what happened with me and Two...we avoided talking about it hoping it would creep out of our system.

Is it NOW time to let go of two of my most precious blessings? Is it now time for a clean slate? Is there a THREE and FOUR waiting for me?

I have so many tragedies and dramas lately. I have so many unanswered questions and unanswered prayers. But losing Two after I lost One (albeit a year ago) is really the huge one. I am not yet done with One and now...Two??? What is left of me? Can I ever survive this?

I honestly don't know.

One thing is sure though...I am now scared...I am very very very scared.
This is truly the big one.

1. Friends told me that one of my strongest suitS is my INNER STRENGTH. They said that I have this knack to face whatever trouble that comes my way. Yep, in a way it's true. BUT let's just say that facing trouble is one thing but actually surviving from it is another.

2. I lost 3 lbs. in the last four days (I believe that most are water though). Half of it was from the food poisoning that we had when we attended a party and the other half was from a diet I am having that ends all diet. :)

3. There are days when I feel that I am looking through an opening of a black hole. I am in the dark, the outside is in the light, and there are shadows all around us. Whew! I can definitely use a vacation to clear my mind!

4. Ms. Nitz, one of my elder officemates, whom I am close with, gave one of the best advices ever: ENJOY!

5. I'm fascinated by my old pictures. Life is uncomplicated in the olden days. Things are light, goals are easier to reach, it takes very small amount of effort to make people happy, and contentment is within reach.

6. This is such a SARCASTIC week here at the office. People kept on biting each other's head, sending SMS with snide remarks, and just plain bitching around.

7. Recent guilty pleasures: Desperate Housewives, The OC and CANS Nail Spa.

8. Superman Returns is one of the best movies of the year! I watched it with Aileen, Tin, Charo and Jako last Friday at ATC.

9. Everyone has a kryptonite. I definitely know mine. What's yours?

10. I went out with some old officemates from Carrier the other day. I had fun. It's nice to drink, unwind, and hang-out with people outside the office. :)

11. I SO love my new hair! Its been three weeks since the rebond and I've been getting lots of compliments from it. I was in a limbo for quite a while - whether to grow it long as usual or curl it. The tried and tested route won.

12. I made some invitation lay-out for a formal event that my officemates found so nice. The font was the IT about it. I am so good at these things. It could have been my wedding invites though. Yeah, bittering. :)

I've always wanted to post a blow-by-blow account of my day. Here's a try. I tried to document some bits on what happened to me last Friday - May 26. Hit it!

5:30 AM - My alarm went off after barely two hours of setting it. I woke up with a monstrous-lack-of-sleep headache but nevertheless turned on my computer to check some videos that we will use for the Excellence tire launch set at 9:00 am.

6:15 AM - Went to the washroom to take a shower. Had my usual dose of Vaseline, Cream Silk White and J&J Foam Bath.

6:58 AM - Started the engine of Porshie (my car) and listened to Morning Rush's Top 10 (Top 10 Reasons It's A Sign To Move Out From Your Parents' House) and prepared myself to the drive to Makati. I took the Skyway and braved the no-coding early morning traffic.

8:01 AM - Turned right at The Fort leading to the Manila Speedzone to attend the Excellence dealer launch.



10:39 AM - Had brunch with Bless, Ron, Maita and Marge while the product orientation is ongoing at the Conference Room. We had a taste of one of the best cheescakes ever (Toblerone Cheesecake from Fork/Una Mas) while talking about Ikea.

1:08 PM - Drove back to the office in Las Pinas with our MIS/IT guru, Ron. We talked about the ages of our officemates, badminton, and common friends at the office.

1:45 PM - Arrived at the office, changed attire to GY Racing shirtjack, read some e-mails, straightened my hair with my trusty hair gadget and prepared for my next meeting.

2:18 PM - Rode with Binch to our meeting with Chairman Bayani Fernando at the MMDA office in Mandaluyong for our Bayani Ng Kalsada campaign. Met with Jeanette Tuason and Aracel.



3:40 PM - Went back to the office, dropped Jeanette off at their office in Pioneer, and took gazillion of pictures in traffic with our favorite caps.



5:15 PM - Arrived at the office, read and replied to e-mails, continued a "procastinating" report and had a talk with my boss Ron and Binch.

7:31 PM - Drove to ATC while talking to Marge on the cellphone.

7:54 PM - Met with Binch and shopped for CD cases & holders, checked some cool sandals I'm intending to buy, and bought two X-Men tickets for the 10:20pm screening for me and Aileen.

8:48 PM - Had dinner of Sinigang and Spicy Chicken at Gerry's Grill while talking about work, day-to-day observations, and our latest favorite "moral" topic and conspiracy theory.



9:50 PM - Aileen arrived at Gerry's from Vic's bridal shower in Makati.



10:15 PM - Met with Charo and Jako in time to watch X-Men and bade goodbye to Binch.

10:24 PM - Watched X-Men: The Last Stand! It was so great! I really really and absolutely love it. Did you stay at the very very end of the movie? If you did not, you missed something!

12: 54 AM - Arrived at Starbucks Petron SLEX and had a very lengthy "going back memory lane" and reminiscing with Aileen, Charo and Jako. We had a blast! We talked about ex-crushes, our past adventures (Ivy's van-stuck-in-the-mud and Aileen's drunk-as-a-cow were still the best), gossiped about our classmates, and me and Aileen's lack of lovelife and moving on progress.



4:14 AM - Called it a night with a last picture! : )

Tonight is my last night in Baguio City and I am here alone blogging in my hotel room. It was a very tiring but nevertheless productive four-day work trip for me. My Baguio work-slash-adventure started when Binchy dropped me off at the Victory Liner terminal after our meeting with the Tuasons at The Fort. I took the 10:00 pm trip alone along with my trusty laptop and big bag full of clothes and shoes. It was a very relaxing, thoughtful, and enjoyable night trip. I arrived around 3:30 am in a very cool and welcoming Baguio air. I immediately went to the hotel and rested until mid-morning.



My Trip Ticket To Adventure

I went to Baguio to oversee and direct the set-up of our corporate display for the 2nd Sum-Vac Transport Show at the Baguio Convention Center. I also arranged some pre-event publicity and PR for the weekend thus my early and solo trip while the rest of the GY contingent went up Friday morning. The advantage (and at the same time disadvantage) of being the lone female on the team is having the hotel room all for myself. And if there's one thing I am so OC about, it's hotel rooms. It must be close to the city's hub if I am alone so I can always go out when I get bored. But I prefer private/secluded ones when I am with friends or family. Internet connection capabilities is a definite must. (it will have my whole-hearted praise if they have broadband). I am also nit-picky on closet space, pillows, and lights. The one where I am staying right now (together with the rest of the team) is okay but I prefer the new Pines View Hotel at Legarda where we had our sub-dealer meeting earlier. It has a country/rustic design patterned after John Hay's Manor. I initially planned on staying at the Manor but the cost is too high and it's also a bit off-city.


My Baguio Essentials: Laptop, Piccadilly journal, Body Shop Born Lippy & African Spa Lotion, the new Candace Bushnell book, my trusty Nokia 6230, and leather-bound day-to-day planner.

It was such a busy trip for me. We started the set-up for the event at 6:00 pm on Thursday night and it lasted until the wee hours of the morning the following day. Thursday was also very tiring since it was the first day of the show and there were still some things that needs adjustment and gimmicks and activities to lure the crowd to our very "dominating" booth. I am very happy since I believe that we came very strong. Goodyear is super all over the place! It reminded me of an event that I organized for Honda two and a half years ago. The activity was the Philippine Motorsports Festival held at Subic International Raceway. It was generally a good event where we spent mininal bucks in exchange for sponsorship, Run-What-You-Brung race for Honda Club members, access to the hospitality/VIP rooms, and display area with test drives for our cars. What made me insecure and uncomfy about it was this very huge, very influential, very dominating presence of a certain sponsor (that is neither Smart nor Globe). They had millions of tarpauline streamers all over the place, a big inflatable balloon and skydancer/air puppet in the middle of the track, rights to "own" several activities, kick-ass merchandising stuff and uniforms, and a strong show of force in attendance. Guess what is that company? None other than my beloved Goodyear. Thinking about it now makes me proud and happy. And that's the very ingridient I applied on the sponsored event we are having - show of force and strength in numbers! : )

Here's a show and tell:


The exciting and sought-after Goodyear Booth


The Goodyear Team
Mon, moi, Roy, Race Car Driver Jeff, Dianne, Ron and Rey


Me together with my good friend Norman.
(he owns the kick-ass Goodyear-Eclipse car that you see above.)
Thanks for lending it to us, Norms!


The Goodyear Eagle F1 models with me and Bruce Martin, organizer of the auto show.


Sun Star Baguio's OBC (outside back cover) for Sunday was devoted entirely to Goodyear.

It was indeed a productive and - I must say - therapeutic work for me. It's no secret that I am undergoing some kind of emo battle within myself lately and I am glad that I was given this task to oversee and deliver. Even if there will be no pats on the back or congratulations, I am personally proud on the success of "this weekly task". I hope that these baby steps will soon get me to higher leaps.


"Goodyear All The Way"


On a personal note, I haven't been going around Baguio save for several trips to the one-of-a-kind SM Baguio (where I shopped and splurged a little), a resto-bar called Chillout where our team had some drinks last night, and walk at Session Road in search for a perfect dinner place the other night. I believe that I am too old to go to Mines View, Wright Park, or Burnham Park but I might take an hour or two off tomorrow to attend mass at the Cathedral, check those UK shops, buy Tamtanco's ube and those favorite flannel blankies of mine, take walks at John Hay, or pray at Pink Sisters. I am actually dying to go to Cafe by the Ruins (which I heard is just doors away to where I am staying) but it might get a little too lonely for me. Solitude have some limits at times.

Everything is great here in Baguio. The weather is actually just right. I usually fret at very cold atmosphere hindering me to do anything productive. But Baguio's pre-Summer weather is perfect for me - not too hot but not too cold either. It's very ideal for leisure walks, heart-to-heart talks, OR even blogging at solitary nights.