belle. who else? ♥

recently read - january 2012

2012-02-09T21:15:00.002+08:00

January has been a productive month. =)

Some Like It Hot - Louisa Edwards

Wild Thing - Robin Kaye

The Book of (Even More) Awesome - Neil Pasricha

When Harry Met Molly - Kieran Kramer

Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right - Kieran Kramer

Cloudy With a Chance of Marriage - Kieran Kramer

If You Give a Girl a Viscount - Kieran Kramer

A Home By the Sea - Christina Skye

Simply Irresistible - Jill Shalvis

It's All Greek To Me - Katie McAllister

Confessions of a Karaoke Queen - Ella Kingsley

The Accidental Courtesan - Cheryl Ann Smith

Destiny - Carly Phillips

Wild Heat - Bella Andre

Hot As Sin - Bella Andre

Swimming Naked - Stacy Sims

Whispers in the Dark - Maya Banks

Sweet Possession - Maya Banks

Summer Loving - Carly Phillips

this day has been a bitch to everyone

2012-02-06T19:30:00.003+08:00

I woke up today with my ankle swollen and way worse than yesterday. The pain started the other day, but it was so bearable so I didn't pay it much attention. But today, damn, it was really bad. I can't even put weight on it so walking is a bitch. It was so bad that I had to take pain-relievers, and I hate taking medications of any kind.

While I was on my way to a nearby Watson's (I took the taxi because I really couldn't walk) to buy some Ibuprofen, the car began to shake. Earthquake. God, people from buildings and establishments were running out to the streets. Turns out a quake hit the Negros and Cebu area with a magnitude of 6.9.

Our class starts at one, and with the ongoing traffic at the Capitol area, I arrived at school with only minutes to spare. I changed quickly (well, as quickly as my foot allows) and went to the bakeshop. We were about to start when Chef Nick got a call from downstairs that classes are suspended because there's a level two tsunami alert advisory.

We wanted to continue on with the class since the alert was only for the west coast area, and we are far, but they won't ignore the warning so we had no choice but to go.

My batchmates, Bogs, Ienne, Cheng, Adz, Joy and I ended up in McDo, though. We were chilling, talking, and trying to hide the fact that the earthquake scared us. Then in the middle of our conversation, two firetrucks went by. At first we were wondering where the fire was, looking up the sky for some indication of smoke. When we couldn't find one, we asked a lady where the fire was. She told us there's no fire, but water's coming our way.

People were panicking, so what do you expect? Fear is contagious, and we also panicked. We ran back to our school, which is just a few meters away, figuring that if the water hits, we'd be safe on higher ground. Plus, if we got stranded there, we won't be worrying about food coz the kitchen's stocked. It wasn't easy running with a sprained ankle, but adrenaline worked it's magic.

It turned out to be a false alarm, but the damaged was done. The mass panic caused traffic jams, people were running in the streets, stores were closed down. We didn't get to see it firsthand, but we heard that the flyover at Robinson's was crammed with people. People gathered around Fuente Osmeña circle for safety. And IT Park was full of people, too.

Apparently some fucking idiot called the fire station and reported that he/she saw a wave coming it. Bad news do travel fast. You can just imagine that mayhem it caused. Damn. So whoever you are, what you did wasn't even remotely funny. I hope karma comes and bite you in the ass.

Prayers for everyone affected by the quakes. God help us. I know He won't forsake us, so let's have faith. ♥

soft dough bread and chocolate cookies

2012-01-24T20:37:00.004+08:00

In one of my previous posts, I mentioned that my dog Reina gave birth to five puppies.. But right after I wrote that post, she pushed out three more, which brings the total to eight. Sadly the youngest puppy didn't survive for more than a couple of hours. I'm hoping the seven will, though.

So.. Today marks the first day of our bakeshop duty. We made soft dough bread, and while we were waiting for the dough to rise, we baked two batches of chocolate chip cookies.

Maybe I'm a little bit biased, but our bread was yummy. And.. Our cookies were amazing!

We gave my Culinary batchmates who were working in the hot kitchen a piece each, and they kept begging for more. Yup, that's how tasty our cookies were. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. And it was overflowing with chocolate chips, unlike those you buys at stores where you can only see several pieces.

I forgot to bring my camera today, and my phone's camera sucks, so I had to wait till I got home to take pictures. I wanted it fresh from the oven, but sadly, no camera.

The best part bout baking class is that I don't have to worry about breakfast anymore.

Chocolate chip cookies.

See those choco chips? =)

Mini burger and hotdog buns.

recently read - october to december 2011

2012-01-24T19:55:00.002+08:00

Hungry for You - Lynsay Sands

The Reluctant Vampire - Lynsay Sands

Before I Go To Sleep - SJ Watson

Lord Langley's Back In Town - Elizabeth Boyle

Mad About the Duke - Elizabeth Boyle

Slow Ride - Erin McCarthy

Handle With Care - Jodi Picoult

The Best of Me - Nicholas Sparks

All I Ever Wanted - Kristan Higgins

Catch of The Day - Kristan Higgins

Too Good To Be True - Kristan Higgins

Until There Was You - Kristan Higgins

Fools Rush In - Kristan Higgins

Maybe This Time - Jennifer Crusie

My Sister's Voice - Mary Carter

The Book of Awesome - Neil Pasricha

Code Blue - Richard Mabry, MD

Medical Error - Richard Mabry, MD

Diagnosis Death - Richard Mabry, MD

Sarah's Key - Tatiana de Rosnay

A Secret Kept - Tatiana de Rosnay

Along For The Ride - Sarah Dessen

Keeping The Moon - Sarah Dessen

School For Brides - Cheryl Ann Smith

Wouldn't Miss It For The World - Tara McCarthy

Hide and Seek - Fern Michaels

Sweet Revenge - Fern Michaels

Hokus Pokus - Fern Michaels

The Hiding Place - Karen Harper

The Falls - Karen Harper

Avenging Angel - Justine Dare

Take Me Home - Jerri Corgiat

puppy litter

2012-01-23T06:30:00.003+08:00

I haven't been updating my blog lately.. Mainly because of three reasons: I'm busy, I'm lazy, and I have crappy net. But this is just too "important" to pass up.

First, it's Chinese New Year, so I'm gonna give a shoutout to everyone, especially to my fellow Chinese and Fil-Chinese brothers and sisters. Kiong Hee Huat Tsai! Translated it means I wish you prosperity and good fortune. I came home for the holiday since I have a long weekend. Plus, I wanted some tikoy.

I'll be going back to Cebu later, but I had plans to come back when my dog Reina gives birth. We expected her to deliver her pups at the end of this month. We didn't expect her to do it today, though! Since my bed is currently out of order (don't ask), I bunked in with my parents last night. Something was obviously bother Reina last night, as she kept on moving from one area of the room to another; she kept scratching the floor and cannot seem to settle down. We all thought it was because she's nearing the end of her pregnancy. How right we are!

Around 4AM this morning, my Mom woke up and attended to Reina, before she start prepping herself for Mass. I woke up because she turned on the light, but I ignored them and pulled my blanket over my head. I was drifting back to sleep when I heard my Dad told my Mom that Reina already pushed out one puppy. That woke me up faster than any alarm clock did.

As of 4:43AM, Puppy 1 was born. After that, four more puppies came out. So Reina is the proud momma of five.

So there. Two events, one fine day. I just have to blog this, no matter how sucky and slow my connection is. Oh, and to make today's occasion three, lemme just greet my dearest crazy friend Jenny. Happy birthday Luka, best wishes from Sisa. I love you.

Pics of the smug bitch (Reina) and her litter of love.

"Think chidbirth is exhausting? Try giving birth to five."

Smug bitch.

"You can't even handle one, yet I have five!"

They take after their Momma.

the last day of the year ♥

2011-12-31T14:44:00.003+08:00

Another year is upon us. Thank you, Lord, for blessing us another year of life. I'll be the first to say that 2011 could have been better, but it could have been worse, also. All in all, I just wanna extend my thanks to the people who've always been there for me - my parents, my friends, my bf. I'd be lost without you guys.

It's been fun, and we're gonna rock 2012 together.

What my cousin got me.

And cheers to Janz for this shirt!

gingerbread starr ♥

2011-12-24T19:42:00.006+08:00

This morning, I felt the urge to bake. And being one who never turn down these urges, I did a quick inventory of what's in our pantry, and got to work.

In honor of the holidays, I made Gingerbread Men and Stars. I call this Gingerbread Starr. I would have make other designs, but I don't have a lot of cookie cutters, and hearts, flowers, and animals don't deem appropriate. Except for the one my friend Janz kept asking for, a rabbit with antlers. Some sort of freaky hybrid, but then, she's weird that way. LOL

I spent the whole afternoon baking. Jojo dropped by, and we kept talking, I almost forgot I had a batch in the oven. Good thing I remembered on time, else I'll have charred Gingerbread Men.

Oh, and here's one for the Idiot's Guide to Baking: Stop the chatter and pay attention to what you're doing when getting something from the oven. It leads to first degree burn, which I now have on my thumb.

I thought of leaving it to cool overnight, then decorating it tomorrow, but decided to just finish the job. So, I've made 84 cookies, most of which I'll give away. I'm gonna give them to our two salesladies' children, and maybe to some of the vendors outside our store. There' this one kid I'm fond of, coz she loves to eat. So cute.

Anyway, I'll end this post with a hearty Merry Christmas to each and everyone who might pass by my blog and happen to read this. May your Christmas be filled with fun, laughter, and love. ♥

The smiley is just from the leftover dough. It wasn't enough for either a gingerbread man or a star. =)

Sneaking a peek inside the oven.

With the cookie cutters.

Stacks of cookies.

Wish upon a Starr.

The Nightmare Before Christmas: Gingerbread Men Version

late christmas party post

2011-12-22T21:13:00.005+08:00

We had our Christmas party last December 16. It was the first time I attended a school party where the students did the table arrangement and skirting (our batch did this), cooked the food and made the desserts (done by the higher batches).

I got there early, around 5PM, and four of my batchmates were already there. Since we were early, we decided to go to the convenience store across the street to get a few drinks. The girls got T. Ice, while the boys went for Red Horse.

Ienne consumed three bottles, and Cheng and I finished two. But among the three of us, I was the only one who kept eating the chips, so the alcohol didn't have any effect on me. Wish I could say the same for both of them, though. It was funny, coz they got tipsy, and by the time we got to school, we were laughing so hard and they were starting to get noisy.

The party itself was fun. We got games, programs, food, booze, raffles, and gifts. Our batch bonded with the other batches, and we made new friends along the way.

Then there's the "tradition" that was saved for last. I don't know how that started, but it's always done to the new batches every acquaintance party. We were blindfolded and made to go around the school in a line, then we were led to one of the classrooms where we were told to squat or sit on the floor. Oh, the anticipation. After a short, or long (depends on how you perceive it, blindfolded and all), wait, we were drenched in a mixture of oil, water, flour, and eggs.

It's all good fun, but you can imagine the shock we got. The water was cold, and the oil made the floor (which was covered in garbage bags, by the way) slippery that some of us had a hard time getting up without help.

We were told to bring extra clothes for that, but nobody said anything about underwear. We expected getting wet, but we weren't expecting to be soaked. So yes. We went home with wet undies. Not to mention with chunks of flour on our hair, as a quick shower didn't do anything much.

Still, despite getting wet, having stinking hair and being unable to remove the flour chunks, we did have fun. Even though I still wasn't able to get rid of the flour-egg-oil-water-mixture smell from my shirt no matter how many times I washed it.

I cant wait to see my batchmates next year, when we return from our Christmas break.

I wish I had the complete list for the foods, but I don't know where our copy of the menu went.

why you should date a girl who reads ♥

2011-12-21T16:19:00.004+08:00

I saw part of this being reblog in Tumblr, and it was said that Robert Pattinson was quoted saying this, but turns out it wasn't. It was written by Rosemarie Urquico, who hails from Baguio City.

It's a really nice read, and I could just relate to it (the italicized lines are the ones that best describe me). I felt the need to pass this on, especially to fellow bookworms like me.

"Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag. She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn't burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes."

on shopping, attending mass, and going home..

2011-12-16T08:51:00.004+08:00

The other night, my high school barkada, Tif, and I went to SM. There was a humongous Converse sale going on at the Megatrade Hall, and we, along with throngs of people, were there with hopes of buying original Converse stuffs at the lowest prices.

It's like a big warehouse of Converse stuff.

The line at the counter.

There were a lot of people, and the lines were long. But we managed. And we both survived, with me buying two skirts, the kind with shorts underneath, and Tif sporting a pair of shorts. I got both for only 350 pesos. What up.

There were these pair of high-cut Chucks that I really wanted, but I couldn't find one in my size. Guess it wasn't for me. Fate is trying to tell me something. "Girl, you got two pairs of CTs already, why you need another one?"

What I bought.

And speaking of people gathering, I attended the first day of the 9-day novena to celebrate the coming of our Christ, more commonly called the Misa de Gallo. This is my fifth year of attending, and like the past four years, I hoped to complete this one, too.

It never fails to amaze me how many people would get up early in the morning, before the break of dawn, to attend Mass. The Mass was conducted in Bisaya, and I didn't really understood much of the First Reading, and the Gospel, but I'm glad Father said his Homily in English.

So many people attended, the church couldn't accommodate all the people.

It was a good one, too. Basically, what he was trying to tell us is that we should see the good in people, in thing, instead of always focusing on the bad. If we see the good, then change could happen, and peace may be within our reach.

It was short, succinct, and heartwarmingly satisfying. He got to the point. I don't like priests who go on and on and on without ever coming to what he really is trying to say. And I appreciate those who can deliver a good message without it becoming a 2-hour sermon.

On a much more lighter note, yesterday was our last day of school. And after class, we did arranged the buffet tables and did the skirting for our Acquaintance/Christmas Party tonight. We had a little bit of conflict with the other batch, and we don't really like some of them. They might think they can walk all over us because they're ahead, but we won't let them. We're tough. But what the hell. It's Christmas. Goodwill to men, and all that shit.

I'll be going home to Tacloban on Sunday, and I can't wait. =)

Shoutout to my good friend Jin, who's taking the board exam this week. Good luck, and may God be with you.

This is the face of the next board topnotcher. =)

not just older, but also wiser

2011-12-13T12:56:00.004+08:00

So I turned 19 20, OK, fine, I turned 23 last December 7. It's the first time celebrated my birthday away from home, away from my family. Not that I celebrated in any way, coz I stayed home alone after class, had to study for an exam (which I aced, BTW) the following day.

My Dad was here for the weekend, though, which was cool. He attended a convention, and we got to hang on his free time. Had dinner with him along with his friends, and their kids, and the awesome thing was I got to bring my friends, too. Great. We had free dinner.

I also got myself a new lappy, because Athena was passed on to Dad. He was supposed to buy one for himself, but I asked him if he'd buy a small notebook for me instead and he'd use mine. He agreed so now Athena is with Dad, and I got myself a HP Pavilion DM1 Notebook. Of course, I still think my Acer was better and faster, but it was also bigger and heavier, which makes me don't want to lug around. So HP (I'm still thinking of a name for it) is also good. Lighter, smaller, easier to carry.

Oh, and the DM1 is equipped with Beats Audio, which I so love! I don't need speakers anymore, coz the built-in speakers are loud!

Meet my new lappy, He-Who-Shall-Be-Named. Soon. =)

This is how it looks like, but I got mine in black.

Oh, and I'd like to end this post to birthday shoutouts to my Mom and my Dad. Mom had hers last December 9, and my Dad celebrated his yesterday. I'm so bummed I wasn't there for the party, but I definitely sent my love to them both! I miss you guys. ♥

random things that make me happy

2011-11-24T15:52:00.003+08:00

I've just finished reading Neil Pasricha's The Book of Awesome. It was a fun read, with Neil listing things that are "awesome" and it made me want to do a list of my own, on a much smaller scale, that is.

So, here are random things that are pretty awesome, to me. Some of these may have been in the book, too, but I assure you it's purely coincidence that both me and the author find it great.

Popping bubble wrap. Come on, who doesn't like to pop bubble wrap? My Mom wouldn't often get exasperated because she keeps bubble wrap for future use or for storing breakable items such as vases, mugs, etc. And everytime I see one, I pop it before my Mom can use it, which leads to her telling me how I wasted a good length of bubble wrap, yada yada yada.
The smell of freshly-baked bread. Ah, baked goodies. How I love them. Which is one of the reasons why I'm studying Pastry Arts. There's just something good about the smell of freshly-baked bread.
Freshly laundered sheets. They smell good, the feel good, and what's more, it's clean. They give new meaning to a good night's sleep.
Laughing over something that you just remembered. I do this. I'm the type of girl who laughs over something that happened yesterday, the other day, last week, last month, or even last year. When I remember something funny, whether it's something I read in a book, or one of my friend's crazy antics, I just give in and laugh. And this often happens while I'm alone, so people would look at me as if I'm crazy.
Jumping into the deep, blue sea. During summer, my nephews, my cousin, my cousin's friends, and I would go to Kuya Robert's hometown in Antique. Their house is right along the beach so we'd often go for a dip in the sea. They have this small floating cottage made of bamboo, and there's a diving board built at the side. We'd usually climb the bamboo poles till we reach the top (about 8 feet high, I think), then we'd pinch our nose, close our eyes, and just.. Jump. Climbing is a little nerve-wrecking, our knees start to shake, but the feeling of free-falling into the deep sea is just awesome. It's only for a few seconds, but those seconds you feel free. And once you hit the cold water, you get hit with this feeling that hey, I just jumped from an 8-feet high board to the 15-feet deep sea.
When my Mom cooks my fave dishes. My Mom never remembers what food I hate. She'd be all, "Why aren't you eating that?" during dinner and I'd go, "But Mom, I hate raisins." And the next time she cooks something with raisins, we'd have the same conversation all over again. But even with that one flaw, what's great about Mom is that she knows what I like. And nothing beats that feeling of happiness when I sit down at the table, and realized that Mom cooked all my favorites all at once.
The smell of onions and garlic being sauteed. Back at home, when I had nothing to do, I'd sleep late, and wake up around noontime. And since my room is just beside our kitchen, the aroma of whatever's cooking would usually drift into my room. I'd wake up to the smell of sauteing garlic and onions, and my stomach would rumble just from the smell of it. There's something very familiar and comforting about that smell, not to mention the awareness that, in just a few minutes or so, lunch will be ready. And it'll be eating time again!
The milky smell of babies. Babies have this milky-odor that's very comforting. And it's nice to cuddle with a baby, and maybe sniff him/her every once in a while.
New socks. They feel nice and soft, and it's like my feet's able to breathe even while trap in a pair of shoes for hours.
When my Dad texts me just to check how I am. I am a Daddy's Girl, but while my Dad and are close, we don't have that firmly-bonded relationship where we hang out together, do things together, and I share my everyday life with him. So when he texts me just to ask if I'm OK and to ask how I'm doing, it gives me a very warm feeling.
The smell of books. One cannot be a bookworm and not love the smell of books. This may sound weird, but while waiting in line at the cashier in a bookstore, I'd be sniffing and smelling the book in my hand. Just one of my little quirks.
Free WiFi. In this day and age of laptops, WiFi enable cellphones, tablets, iPods and iPads, wireless connection is a must. It's also the time where coffee shops and restaurants offer WiFi, but you have to order something to avail it. That's why it's so awesome when you encounter WiFis that aren't password protected. So, here's to people/establishments that share their wireless internet for everyone. Cheers to you!

my little home away from home

2011-11-19T11:27:00.006+08:00

Being an only child, I've always had to battle my parents (well, my Dad, especially) for independence. My Mom taught me to be independent at a young age - I was barely 8 years old when she taught me simple house chores like washing the dishes, sweeping/mopping the floor, doing my own laundry and ironing.

From there we moved on to basic kitchen duties, where I started washing and peeling veggies. Then came chopping, gutting out fishes, and eventually, cooking. I know how to cook basic dishes - adobo, sinigang (with the benefit of Maggi's sinigang mix), spaghetti, tinola, omelets, etc, thanks to Mom. Although when I get lazy, I do instant noodles and canned goods, but I try not to make a habit out of it, because it's not healthy, yada yada yada.

That was the time I discovered the miracle of cookbooks. Mom encouraged me to explore, so I'd make dishes on a trial and error basis (whatever the results, we'd still eat it), following the recipe. But cooking isn't my first love. Baking is. So, here I am. But I'll get back to that.

It's ironic, because from the time I was a kid, my Mom preached about how important it is to know my way around the house, because someday I'm gonna make my way in the world and no one's gonna be doing it for me, but I had to fight my Dad tooth and nail before he let me be on my own.

Granted, that if he said yes before, I'd be studying Medicine at Manila, not Pastry Arts here in Cebu. And baking being my first love, I'm not sure how I currently feel about that. I don't have regrets about not going into Medicine, but when the taxi I rode in (I usually take the jeep, but I went to Unitop and bought three mono-bloc chairs) passed by Cebu Institute of Medicine the other day, I felt a twinge of something. Just a hint of what could be.

So anyway, I was beyond thrilled when my Dad told me I could study here in Cebu. Of course, that might be attributed to the fact that there are no decent cooking schools back home. My Mom knows for a fact that I'd do fine by myself, but my Dad still needs a little convincing. After all, I'm his one and only baby girl. ♥

This is the first time I'm gonna be away from home and from my parents for a long time. The last time I was at Manila, I was there for about for months or so, but this time I'll be gone for a minimum of 10 months. I miss them both so badly, not to mention Lex, but still. This is exactly where I want to be.

I agree with Dorothy. Indeed, there's no place like home! But I sure put in some effort into making my little place feel like home.

From outside the door.

Another view from the outside.

Behind the door. Slippers, sandals, shoes. And I'm wearing the fluffy bedroom slippers.

Everything but the kitchen sink! =)

Making do with a table for my little kitchenette. There's my rice cooker, electric heater, and electric stove so I can cook.

My toilet.

My bed. The top bunk is messy, seeing as how nobody sleeps there. So I just dump my stuff on it. And there's my teeny, tiny electric fan. Plus my freshly laundered clothes beside it, waiting to be ironed.

Where I sleep. And there's my precious book, Professional Baking. ♥

My dining table, courtesy of Kuya Larry. Thanks! My laptop and Kindle take up space, though.

The closet. Messy, as always.

The small screened balcony where I hang the wet clothes after I wash them.

It's not much, but it's home. My home. =)

i survived my first week

2011-11-18T08:37:00.006+08:00

"The only way to master this is to answer more problems. So, I'm going to give you more problems."
-Chef Nick

Then he hands out papers. And everybody in class groans.

That's the thing about schools. No matter if you're elementary, high school, college, graduate school, or even in culinary school, homework and assignments are something to be groaned about. And, when Chef told us that he was gonna postpone our exam, everybody pumped their fists and said, "Yes!" School will be school, and students, no matter how old, will be students.

I love our school. We get free WiFi access, the bathrooms are clean (and they always have tissue paper), we can get water from the dispenser for free, and our classroom is air-conditioned (to the point where we all complain about the room being too cold). Of course, for the price we are paying, I'd say that we all deserve the best, don't you think?

I can't say the same for our current subject, though. Everything starts from the basics; and that's what we're doing right now. Math. Oh, I like Math, but now I'm rethinking it. Seeing all the numbers make me dizzy, and I'm starting to question myself if being a Pastry Chef is worth going through all these (yes, it is!).

So, Culinary Mathematics. We started with conversions, which is easy enough. And then we moved on to product costing, which made my hurt pound, but is fairly tolerable. But then there's the horror of recipe costing. and I don't know if I could take some more. At least our classes are over for the weekend. And thank God Chef Nick didn't give us any more assignments, like he did for the past 3 days.

Another thing about school that I just remembered, is how the students would go tho class early for the purpose of copying another classmate's homework. Not that we did any copying. But we did go in early, compared our answers, cheered when we got the same, then debated on who is right or wrong whenever the answers differ.

And I've made friends. Not the let's-hang-out-and-be-BFFs-together kind, though. Just the come-on-let's-sit-together kind. We still have more time to bond later on.

Oh, and speaking of friends, this shoutout goes to one of my BFFs, Janelle (I don't know why I keep putting her link, it's not as if she updates her blog, LOL). It's her ~~19th~~ birthday today!

I miss you loads! =)

back to school

2011-11-14T14:55:00.002+08:00

So.. Today was my first day. It was basic Culinary Mathematics, and it's basic Math all over again, but I had fun. All we did was introduce ourselves, listen to Chef Nick's short lecture (he's a Pastry Chef, and he's awesome), converted one unit to another (cups to pints, teaspoons to quarts, kilograms to ounces, etc.). It's not much yet, but we all gotta start somewhere, right?

And my batchmates are all nice (we're Batch 20). Most of them are under the Culinary Arts program, though. Only two of us are doing the Pastry Arts thing. But it doesn't matter, coz we're all together for our classroom lectures, and there are Pastry Arts students from the previous batch.

Chef Nick mentioned something about having all Pastry Arts students gather and making a gingerbread Christmas village, which is ambitious (he said it himself). But if we do proceed with that plan, OMG, I can't wait!

Anyway, can't blog long. I gotta make visual aids to help me memorize the conversion units. Gah. And we've got assignments. Boohoooo.

it's my first day alone

2011-11-12T10:27:00.004+08:00

I forgot who sang that, but when I was younger my Dad would play songs from the 60's, 70's and 80's, and I remembered that one.

So, last night was the first night I spent alone here. My friend, Jin, and I accompanied my Mom to the pier, where she boarded the slow boat leaving at 10 PM. My room feels so quiet with only me in it, but it's not unpleasant. I actually like being alone, and now I have more time to read (because I have no TV, and I have no desire to get one). Afterwards we ~~split~~ shared a banana split, then we walked all the way to my place.

I attended our orientation yesterday, and I got to meet my classmates. It's nice, because we sorta bonded despite our differences - courses, ages, nationality (we have a Korean classmate). Also, the one who oriented us, told us, "Students, what you cook.. You will eat." And I thought, "Oh God, hopefully I'd finally gain weight!"

Classes start Monday, and I'm so excited. My journey to being a pastry chef starts right now. ♥

Here's a little something one of my best friends, Janelle, gave me before I left.
It's a t-shirt, with the above picture printed on it. Fitting, don't you think?
*For your souvenir and printing needs, visit Janz' shop at Real St, Tacloban City, across the Medical Arts Bldg of Bethany Hospital.
It's kinda hard to miss. Just look for a cute, purple shop. =)*

love love love

2011-11-06T23:32:00.006+08:00

I got bored, I had nothing to ~~blab~~ blog about, so I thought, why not? I started the 10 Day You Challenge, and this is my second post about it.

So, here goes.

Baking. This is the ultimate hobby, stress-reliever, and anti-depressant all in one. A friend once told me my passion lies in baking, and I'm thinking she was right. I've always wanted to be a pastry chef, and I'm working on that dream.
Eating. This goes hand in hand with baking, and cooking, too. What I cook, I eat. What other people cook, I also eat. I'm not a picky eater, not much (I don't eat okra, though - even I have limits). If it's edible, and it's yummy, I'd eat it. Good thing I'm blessed with a fast metabolism, and I always maintain a 24-inch waistline no matter how much I eat.
Reading. Now, this is something I wouldn't be able to live without. To me, reading is a necessity. It's ~~more~~ as important as the air I breathe, and, no, I'm not exaggerating. I started ~~reading~~ looking at pictures when I was as young as 3. I remember my yaya (nanny) had a hard time feeding me, as I'd insist on eating with a book spread out next to my plate. Check out my Goodreads profile.
Travelling. We (me, my nephews, my cousin and her friends/co-workers) travel to a new place once a year, usually in the summer. So far, the best place I've been to was Coron, Palawan and Singapore.
Beaches. I love everything about the sea. Swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, jet-skiing, island hopping. I'm a certified beach bum. One of these days, I'ma try scuba diving, too. I love the Philippines, because of its pristine beaches. Proud Pinay.
Sunsets. I love watching the sun set. I like the way the sky changes its color from blue, to orange, red, purple.. Until it turns black as night.
My Ngit♥. I'm 22 years old, and I've been with only one guy. He was my first boyfriend; we broke up, then got back together. We call each other Ngit, short for Pangit, which is the Filipino word for ugly. Weird, huh? But that's a story for another ~~day~~ post.
My Mom and my Dad. That's two, I know, but I'm counting my parents as one. Because that's how I see them: they're a unit. Partners. I have the coolest parents, ever. I'm an only child, but I never had curfews. I never got everything I asked for (how only children get everything they want is such a myth), but I received everything I need. My parents raised me to be what I am today, and I think they did an awesome job. I love them both so much.
Last but not the least, I love my Daddy God. I know this is so cliched, but it doesn't make it any less true. My parents, my Mom especially, are both Catholics, and they raised me according to the religions teachings. Prayers and faith, those are two things my parents taught me not to lose. I believe in Him, and I know He's watching over me.

Before I Let You Go

2011-10-24T21:59:00.003+08:00

I was bored, then I saw this on my friend's Facebook. So I decided to give it a go. I already did something similar to this before, though.

-----------

1.) Put your Ipod/Mp3 on shuffle.

2.) For each question, press the next button to get your answer.

3.) YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.

4.) Have Fun!

-----------

1.) IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY', YOU SAY?

Fly (Nicki Minaj ft. Rihanna) | does this mean I'm ok?

2.) HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?

I Do Not Hook Up (Kelly Clarkson) | true. =)

3.) WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?

Run Joey Run (Glee Version) | so.. i like it when they.. run?

4.) HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?

Naive (Lilly Allen) | great. just great. haha

5.) WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?

So What (Pink) | so what, i don't care! hahaha

6.) WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?

I Lay My Love On You (Westlife) | makes no sense at all. hahaha

7.) WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?

Running (David Archuleta) | they think of me as always running?

8.) WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?

Please Don't Stop The Rain (James Morrison) | this is getting weirder.

9.) WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?

Viva La Vida (Coldplay) | i don't even know what that meant.

10.) WHAT IS 2+2?

Calle Ocho (Pitbull) | 2+2=1, 2, 3, 4 uno, dos, tres, cuatro. i know you want me, you know i want ya! haha

11.) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?

Any Way You Want It/Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' (Glee Mash-up) | that's sounds so lesbo. but we're not. i swear. lol

12.) WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?

Because of You (Kelly Clarkson) | i'm blaming you for my life. hahaha

13.) WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

Think of Me (The Phantom of the Opera Soundtrack) | i guess i wanted to be someone you'd think of.

14.) WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

Lucky (Glee Version) | lucky in a sense that i get to see him?

15.) WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?

Only Love (Trademark) | awww, i'd love that. ♥

16.) WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?

Jericho (Hilary Duff) | one more mile to Jericho. where is Jericho?

17.) WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?

Where Are You Now (Honor Society) | uhhh.. looking for people?

18.) WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?

What If (Ashley Tisdale) | i don't fear it, exactly.. but i don't really like what ifs.

19.) WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?

Thriller/Heads Will Roll (Glee Mash-up) | yes. i'm a zombie/exorcist in disguise.

20.) WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?

All I Ask of You (The Phantom of the Opera Soundtrack) | you ♥

21.) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?

Someone's Watching Over Me (Hilary Duff) | my friends? they got my back. always.

22.)WHAT WILL YOU NAME THIS NOTE?

Before I Let You Go (Freestyle) | so emo.

you know he's gonna break your heart, but you just can't stay away

2011-10-22T11:32:00.004+08:00

I've always felt that Nights in Rodanthe was the most heartbreaking Nicholas Sparks novel I've read, with At First Sight battling a close second. And while all of his books are great, I felt that his last few books lack.. Substance. I can remember reading Safe Haven and feeling a bit disappointed when I finished it. It was just.. Boring. There, I said it. I found a Nicholas Sparks novel that bored me to the point that I was willing to stop reading it. The only thing that got me going was the fact that I hate leaving books unfinished.

Usually, when a new Sparks novel has been released, I always get a copy and start reading at once. This time, though, I delayed getting a copy until I ran out of books to read.

The Best of Me, however, didn't disappoint as I thought it would. The story started simply: small-town high school sweethearts, a rich girl-poor guy thing, that didn't work out. Both led separate lives, until a circumstance forced both of them to come back to their hometown. The past caught up to them, blah blah blah, then comes the unfortunate twist that would break all the readers' hearts.

THE BEST OF ME is the heart-rending story of two small-town former high school sweethearts from opposite sides of the tracks. Now middle-aged, they've taken wildly divergent paths, but neither has lived the life they imagined . . . and neither can forget the passionate first love that forever altered their world. When they are both called back to their hometown for the funeral of the mentor who once gave them shelter, they will be forced to confront the choices each has made, and ask whether love can truly rewrite the past.
From FantasticFiction

The thing about Sparks' novels is that, halfway through the book, I'd already get this nagging feeling that it won't end well, but I'd still harbor that small sliver of hope that every thing is going to be fine, that love will prevail, and there's a happy ending for everyone. Maybe that's why it hurts so much. Because that hope, along with my heart, is crushed with the ~~tragedy~~ tragedies that befell the characters.

I started the book around midnight, thinking I'd read several chapters before I head on to bed and I ended up staying up till 5 in the morning trying to finish the book. When I finally went to bed, it was already daylight out, and I have this whopper of a headache from crying and lack of sleep - not a very good combo, I might add. And all the while I was reading, my subconscious is already mapping out what it thinks is gonna happen, and I'm like, "No, no. Please, no." Which led to more tears after because even though I know there's no happy ending there, I was hoping for something a little less heartbreaking.

But I guess that's the beauty of Sparks' novels - because it's not your typical sappy love story where the guy gets the girl at the end. It is real life, wherein sometimes, love just isn't enough. Not just romance, not just the good parts, but also the hardships and struggles in between.

Nicholas Sparks will be in Manila at the end of the month. I'm hoping I could attend his book signing, maybe meet him and shake his hand, ~~and inform him that I'm suing him for breaking my heart over and over again~~.

I'm reading the book again. Masochist much? Damn.

not so secret secrets

2011-10-20T22:55:00.006+08:00

It's been quiet lately. I've been doing nothing but sit at our store (business is slow, so I have a lot of time to kill till closing) and read. I did a little re-reading of some of my favorite books, seeing as I have nothing better to do.

I went to Cebu with the BF last week. I brought some stuff I need for my boarding house. I'm moving in with my bestfriend (hopefully) next month, and I still have a lot to transport/buy. The priority being a bed, else I'd be sleeping on the floor.

We arrived Friday night. We didn't do much, just hang out with a couple of friends. On Saturday, we went to SM, then to Ayala, looking for a pair of Nike slippers his brother wanted. We watched the movie The Change-Up, and it was fun. Especially since Denise had to ask a stranger if she could use his cellphone and text us, because her phone's battery was empty. It was epic. Then Kenj caught up with us and we played at Timezone for a while before heading to Teriyaki Boy for dinner. We then spent the rest of the night at Bo's, just talking, because we never seem to run out of stories to tell.

Saturday, I met with my bestfriend so I could show her where the boarding house is located, and we spent a long time chatting and catching up. Then we went to SM where BF and I killed some time before heading to the port. We arrived home around 10 that night.

It wasn't much of a vacation, but it was the first time we went out of town together, just the two of us. ♥

On another note, I saw this on Nikolett's blog, Better Than Coffee, last month. I've been meaning to do this, but I got sidetracked. I guess I'll start now. I'll do it backwards, though. Let's start from 10.

Ten secrets. Wow, this is tough. Secrets are supposed to be just that - secrets. And now that I have to list not only one, but ten of them, I can't seem to think of any.

*Now, these aren't exactly secrets. More like facts wherein only a handful of people know. In no particular order.

I learned how to swim when my cousin threw me into the sea while we were at a floating cottage.
I wanted to be a Psychologist so bad, that whenever my friends tell me about their problems, sometimes I ask them, "And how do you feel about that?"
I'm scared of large bathrooms.
Fish kept dying on me, I don't know why. I tried several times to have goldfishes as pets, but no matter what I do, they never last more than a month.
Christmas songs make me happy. So much that sometimes I listen to them even during the summer.
I love bargains and discount sale. I mean, who doesn't? I couldn't resist buying stuff (most of which I don't need) whenever I see them on sale. That's why my room always has clutter, because I have plenty of stuff I don't need or use.
I got high on paint once. Not intentionally, though. I wouldn't want anyone to think I'm an addict. LOL. I painted my room for hours and I guess all the paint fumes went straight to my brain.
Whenever I'd remember something funny, I'd laugh. Alone.
I'm a crier. Not in public, though. But books, movies, and sometimes seeing a friend cry can make me cry, too.
When I was a kid, I used to sleep in our living room while my Dad was watching TV just so he'd carry me to my bedroom.

kindle craze

2011-10-07T18:17:00.006+08:00

Lately, Amazon released a bunch of new Kindles. Usually, whenever a newer version of whatever gadget I own is released, I'd develop this sudden ~~need~~ want for that newer version. I'd beat myself up for buying it a few months earlier, and lament the fact that my Mom wouldn't like it if I sell it to buy the newer one.

But for some reason, this time, I prefer my Kindle WiFi (called Kindle Keyboard now) to the new ones. I'd list my reasons, but for now, I want to introduce to you guys my pimped up Kindle. I bought a skin online, and it arrived today. At first I was kinda hesitant to put the skin myself, because I kept thinking about how I might mess it up, but it was surprisingly easy to apply. I also bought a cool, clip-on booklight called Kandle II.

Not my first choice, but this design is also nice.

Back view. I love the way the white flowers contrast with the red background =)

My Kandle II. Because I like reading in the middle of the night. =)
This is the design that I first chose, but it's out of stock.
I really wanted this one, but when I asked, they don't have this skin.
So I settled for their stocks.

Now, going back to the newly-released Kindles, there are 3 new ones available.

First, we have the Kindle WiFi 6". Among the three released, I like this one best. Not only is this smaller and lighter than my Kindle Keyboard, it's also cheaper. What I don't like, however, it that it has a smaller memory (only 2GB compared to my 4GB), and it has a shorter battery life. It has a virtual keyboard, but I prefer the actual keyboard because I arranged my books by collections, and it's easier to type using the actual keyboard than a virtual one.

Second, there's the Kindle Touch. As the name implies, this has a multi-touch function. Same battery life and same memory as my Kindle Keyboard, but I'm not much of a touchscreen person. I'm very much obsessive-compulsive, and I hate seeing fingerprints on any surface. Even with a screen protector, I'd be rubbing the screen with a cloth just to get read of telltale signs of fingerprints. So obviously, this one's so not for me.

And lastly, the one almost everyone wants: the Kindle Fire. It's colored, it's touchscreen, you can enjoy your magazines in full-color, you can watch movies, play games, listen to music, and browse the web. What's not to like? It can do all that, and you can read your favorite books, too! It's like this all-around tablet you can carry wherever you go. So what's the deal?

I compare it with the Kindle I own, and I was all like, my Kindle Keyboard's better than that. I mean, yes, the Fire has a lot of amazing features, but for me, it just messes with the fact that Kindles are supposed to be eBook readers. I prefer mine, because it's simple and fairly easy to use. And I chose a Kindle because I want to be able to read a book wherever and whenever I wanted to without having to lug around a number of paperbacks. If I wanted a tablet, I would have accepted my Mom's offer of a Galaxy Tab, instead of declining it and settling for a meager Kindle. Plus, of course, my Kindle has a longer battery life. Well, duh!

Anyway, to each his (or her, in my case) own. Although nothing beats the feel of reading an actual book, an eReader is actually nice to have. It's like a library one can carry all around. I never regretted getting a Kindle, and I wouldn't trade mine for anything else. ♥

managed a haircut without hyperventilating

2011-10-04T22:42:00.007+08:00

I am well-known as always having my long hair, well, long. It's always been halfway down to my waist, or longer than that. Never shorter. I've been blessed with really thick, usually-wavy-sometimes-straight hair, and if I get it cut short, it goes poofy all of a sudden, especially with the weather here in the Philippines.

I started growing my hair long when I was in fifth grade; before that, I never had any say in how I want my hair to be. I grew up with my Aunt and Uncle (my Mom stayed in Manila to work, but that's a story for another day), and she preferred my hair short. How I hated it! I blessed the day when I was able to grow my hair the way I wanted to. That's part of the reason why I kept my hair long, another reason is that I think I look prettier with long hair, than with a short one.

I always need to give myself a pep talk whenever I get my hair trimmed. Cut away 2 inches or more, and I'd have mild panic attacks. And I just can't stand seeing my precious hair on the floor.

That's why my Mom was shocked to see me when I came home from the salon yesterday. I told her I was getting a haircut, and she expected me to do my usual trim. So I can imagine her surprise when she saw how short my hair was.

I had it cut to a semi-layer style, brushing just below my shoulders. Now, for some people that might already be considered long, but for me, that's just short. I never regretted getting it cut, though. My hair grows so fast, it'll be back to it's usual length before I know it!

Last May. We joined the locals for a Taebo session when we vacationed in Beijing =)
I had my hair trimmed when I got home.

Just last month, when Jen & I went to Cebu.

Shorter than usual. =)

My precious hair. =(

high school never ends

2011-10-02T12:08:00.006+08:00

My high school Alma Mater recently celebrated it's 90th founding anniversary, and alumni from all over came home to attend the celebration. So it's a given that some of my high school classmates, the ones who aren't here, all came home for a vacation.

We are a close batch, and we know almost all our school mates. In a school where every level only has one section, with 30-40 students per level, it's hard to keep your distance. And most of my classmates, we've been together since our Nursery/Kinder days, up until we've graduated high school. I've heard of schools where the sections range from 2 sections up to around 20 or so, but I've never experienced it. That's why when I went to college, I think I was a bit culture shocked over the number of students in our year.

This past week, I've been doing nothing but hanging out with my best buds in high school, having a lot of catching up to do. It's like we're compensating for the time we weren't together. I mean, it's really hard to get together when we've all got separate lives, what with work, school, and raising children. So we make do with whatever time we have, and make the most of it.

It's been fun, really fun. We ate out, hang at each other's houses, went on gimiks, watch DVDs, sang videoke, went wall-climbing, got drunk.

Yes, for the first time in my entire life, I got really drunk. I'm not much of a drunker. Usually, when I'm with friends, I just drink one bottle or one to two shots of whatever it is they're drinking (except beer; I can't stand the smell of beer). Enough to get them off my back for not drinking. But this time, OMG, I still can't believe we all got drunk in the middle of the afternoon. We were at my couz June's house, and we were doing videoke. Not good, I might add. Somehow when God gave out talents, we were sleeping or something, coz we never got them. That was also the day Pedring was wreaking havoc over Luzon, so.. =D

Anyway, my couz bought two bottles of The Bar, and although we keep telling her how strong it is, she kept saying it's OK. We told her to mix it with something, and while she mixed it with juice, it was still potent enough to scramble our brains, which is what happened.

Gos, we were so funny. Not that I remember much, the details are all fuzzy. I do remember Lei sprawled on the floor, June & I hacking each other's FB and laughing so hard I thought I'd stop breathing and die, and Shyn saying some thing and laughing with us. I remember belting out Like A Virgin, and Shyn singing sad love songs in tribute to her love life. I remember Lei singing Beer, and all of us singing along to the first line: "Nais kong magpakalasing.." I remember June choosing a song called Radio Ga Ga, and singing it but not really knowing the song, she ended up reading and rapping it, with the three of us clutching our tummies and laughing so hard.

It was a really crazy afternoon. We started drinking around 3, and around past 5 we were already bordering the thin line between tipsy and drunk.I don't even remember how we managed to go up the stairs to June's room that night. One minute we were singing downstairs, the next minute we were all up and lying down on her bed, fighting nausea and trying to make it to the bathroom to puke. Not our finest moment, for sure.

We laid in bed, and tried to sleep it off for a while. Then June did her nail art stuff, and gave us pretty nails. We then tried to shake off the lingering effects of our alcohol intoxication by talking about stuffs - love live, sex life, high school life, the future. Then Lei, Shyn and I went home around 11.

I've got the Panda nails =)

I woke up with a killer hangover the next day, and I told myself that would be the only time I'm ever gonna get drunk, but hey, I don't make promises I can't keep. My friend Jin is hell-bent on getting me drunk before I'm married, not that I'm getting married soon.

But despite all the nausea, the puking, the numbness, the hangover, I'd never trade that night for any other. ♥

recently read - september 2011

2011-10-02T12:03:00.003+08:00

Because there's nothing I love doing more.. =)

The Perfect Play (Jaci Burton)
Changing The Game (Jaci Burton)
The Bride Collector (Ted Dekker)
Boneman's Daughters (Ted Dekker)
I Shot You Babe (Leslie Langtry)
Mad, Bad, and Blonde (Cathie Linz)
Luck Be A Lady(Cathie Linz)
The Wedding Girl (Madeleine Wickham)
Too Hot To Touch (Louisa Edwards)
The Peach Keeper (Sarah Addison Allen)
New York To Dallas (JD Robb)
Serendipity (Carly Phillips)
Mischief Becomes Her (Kasey Michaels)
Chasing Perfect (Susan Mallery)
Almost Perfect (Susan Mallery)
Finding Perfect (Susan Mallery)
Only Mine (Susan Mallery)
Only Yours (Susan Mallery)
Only His (Susan Mallery)

recently read - august 2011

2011-09-14T20:24:00.004+08:00

Glitter Baby (Susan Elizabeth Philips)
Fancy Pants (Susan Elizabeth Philips)
First Lady (Susan Elizabeth Philips)
Call Me Irresistible (Susan Elizabeth Philips)
Breathing Room (Susan Elizabeth Philips)
It Had to Be You (Susan Elizabeth Philips)
Natural Born Charmer (Susan Elizabeth Philips)
Nobody's Baby But Mine (Susan Elizabeth Philips)
This Heart of Mine (Susan Elizabeth Philips)
Match Me If You Can (Susan Elizabeth Philips)
Guys & Dogs (Elaine Fox)
Beware of Doug (Elaine Fox)
Bedtime for Bonsai (Elaine Fox)
My One and Only (Kristan Higgins)
The Next Best Thing (Kristan Higgins)
True Love and Other Disasters (Rachel Gibson)
Any Man of Mine (Rachel Gibson)
In Bed With the Devil (Lorraine Heath)
Between the Devil and Desire (Lorraine Heath)
Surrender to the Devil (Lorraine Heath)
Midnight Pleasures With a Scoundrel (Lorraine Heath)
Passions of a Wicked Earl (Lorraine Heath)
Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman (Lorraine Heath)
Just Like Heaven (Julia Quinn)
Code Name: Nanny (Christina Skye)
Code Name: Princess (Christina Skye)
The Darkest Hour (Maya Banks)
No Place to Run (Maya Banks)
Hidden Away (Maya Banks)
Sweet Surrender (Maya Banks)
Sweet Persuasion (Maya Banks)
Sweet Seduction (Maya Banks)
Sweet Temptation (Maya Banks)

it's a go!

2011-09-14T17:54:00.009+08:00

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Because somewhere in between brownies and choco chip pancakes, my Dad said YES! OMG, I've been waiting for this, and I'm so glad I now have his permission. Although, granted I would go for it, whether or not I have his permission. I was about to ask Ate Juliet, a good friend of our family, how to get a loan. She works at Insular Life and handles our insurance plans, and she told me once about their loan policies.

Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm gonna backtrack a little.

Ever since I was a little girl, my Mom would let me help in the kitchen, although I don't think I'm much of a help that time. And ever since I learned how to make my way in the kitchen, I've always known that I wanted to be a chef. But college got in the way, and when my Mom won't let me take up Psychology or Journalism and I ended up in Nursing, my cooking has taken a backseat. Sometime during the middle of my first year, I asked my Mom if I could shift from Nursing to Culinary Arts. She refused. But she promised me that if I finish Nursing first, she'd pay for my Culinary after college, if I still want it.

But halfway thru college, I decided to pursue Medicine, and become a doctor. Well, that didn't happen, which suck, but I'm over it now. I know I would have been an awesome doctor, though. So, it's their loss, whoever they are.

Which now comes to this. I did 6 months as a nurse volunteer, and while I did enjoy the work, despite how tiring it is, I just don't see myself being a nurse for the rest of my life. I don't think I received the calling from Florence Nightingale. And that led me to reflect on my life so far. I tried to think of a work/business that would profit, but also something that I would enjoy, and I circled back to my first love: food.

I love to eat, but more importantly, I love to cook. Or rather, bake. It started as a hobby, and became my major stress reliever while I was at school. Now, I'm hoping it can be more.

So.. I'm going to enroll at the Philippine School of Culinary Arts. Hopefully, after 10 months, I'll become a full-fledged Pastry Chef. *fingers crossed* My Mom supported me from the time I told her about my plans, but my Dad had some misgivings. Probably because the school is at Cebu, and this will be the first time I'm gonna be away from home for a long time, but he finally said yes! And OMG, but I'm just bubbling with happiness.

Sometime next week, I'm going back to Cebu to get a city health card as part of the requirements, enroll, and find a place to live. I'm so excited!

I was bored earlier to day so I decided to make brownies and chocolate chip pancakes as our late-afternoon snack.

The brownie batter.

Brownies! Fresh from the oven. =)

Pancake batter. It's not much to look at, but it's yummy! I like the batter better than the cooked pancake!
I don't know why it rotates to this position everytime I upload it, though.

Teflon pans. The best kitchen tool, ever. This rotates, too. I wonder why.

Chocolate chip pancakes ♥

Pancakes and brownies together. =)

the queen city of the south

2011-09-11T13:13:00.001+08:00

Cebu is just a 30-minute plane ride, a 4-hour van/fast craft ride, or a 6-hour van/slow boat ride from Tacloban, you'd think I'd be going there as frequent as I can, but no. I live so close to Cebu, but I've only been there a handful of times, and the first time I did, I was in second-year high school already.

I remember feeling a bit burned out in my last year of college that I begged my Mom for a short trip, just a change of environment to settle me down, and we went to Cebu for a bit of downtime, and a lot of shopping. And sometime during February last year, I accompanied my Dad for a conference, and I caught up with friends while he attended it. That was the time my Dad bought me an iPod Touch, as a gift for me for passing the Nursing Licensure Exam.

My longest stay in Cebu, though, was during my third year in college, when we affiliated at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for our Psych duty. Now, that was fun! I love my patient. He was a schizophrenic, but he was fun to talk to in his lucid days.

Anyway, the reason I'm rambling about Cebu was because I just had a mini-vacation there. My main reason for going was because I wanted to see the culinary school I was setting my sights into, and I had some inquiries. Of course, seeing my friends and doing some shopping are added bonuses. I also got to meet my Mom's BFF and my former yaya, Ate Memie, along with his son Michael.

French fries break with Jen, Ate M, and Michael =)

Jenny and I arrived at Cebu on the 2nd of September, and Jojo joined us on the 5th. It was a fun-filled week, and we got to do a little bit of shopping. I got myself a pair of shoes, 3 shirts, a pair of shorts, an Angry Birds keychain, and a pair of Angry Birds flip-flops. Usually I'd take a picture and post them, but this time, I kinda forgot, and I don't want to postpone this blog post any longer, so never mind the pictures.

My new pair of comfy flats ♥

I got BF these, though. He's not much of an HP fan, but I am.
And they don't have female sizes of the shirt, so if I can't wear it, then I'd rather he did. =)

While waiting for Jojo to finish fitting his choice of shirts.

Jojo and Jin watched Zombadings: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington, and while they did, I walked around the mall, and bought the things my Mom asked me to. I didn't watch, because I seldom watch Filipino movies at the cinema (yes, I know, I don't support the Filipino movie industry, blah blah blah). After all that walking, I decided to have a bit of rest, so I went in search of my favorite FroYo store, The White Hat. And that was where they caught up to me after the movie.

Pizza Hut for dinner that night. Lasagna and mozzarella sticks. Yum ♥

And this is completely off-topic, but I just have to remember the time I bonded with my Sigaw Sisters Krissy, Kaiye, and Grace at The White Hat. Those were good times.

When are we doing this again? ♥

What we did in Cebu are all random,and I don't think I'll be writing down everything the happened. Those were the highlights. I know I had fun, my friends had fun, and that's all that matters.

I'll end it with this, though: Jin and I finally got over our Teriyaki Boy cravings!

Chicken Teriyaki ♥

Jen lost her space to Cookie Monster!

At the airport. Our last meal together before we went separate ways. Me to Tacloban, Jen to Manila.

packing my stuff early for a change

2011-09-01T19:57:00.004+08:00

One more night, and it's Hello, Cebu! My flight doesn't leave till 5 in the afternoon, and usually I prefer packing at the last minute, around 2 hours before I have to leave for the airport, but this time I decided to pack early, just so I won't have to do anything else tomorrow.

My friend Jen and I are off to Cebu tomorrow for a week-long trip. It's mostly vacay, and meeting up with friends who are there, but I have some stuff to see to, too. Hopefully, if all goes well, I can finally ~~tell~~ ask my Dad about my Pastry Arts plans. *fingers crossed*

I'm excited about this trip, even though I don't have much money, and by the time I come home I'll be virtually broke, because I'll be seeing my best friend again after 6 years. That's a really long time, but still, our friendship remains strong. We've known each other since our elementary days, became best friends in our high school years, and maintained that friendship to this day. I can't wait to see her, and I do hope she can bring her little girl Yzabelle (Yza, as she's called, but I prefer calling her Belle, so we'd share the same name), since she's the only inaanak (goddaughter) I have that I haven't seen yet.

I love promo flights. It allows me to travel whenever I want without thinking how expensive flying can be. Mind you, it is still expensive, but considering the original ticket price, it's a steal.

I can't wait! =)

love & angry birds

2011-08-15T22:38:00.004+08:00

Lex went to Manila last Tuesday with his parents. And even though he came home last Friday, today was the first time we got together since he came back. Yes, we talk every night, and we text each other all day, but still. Feels different when you're not in the same ~~place~~ ~~province~~ ~~city~~ street (yes, we live in the same street, his house is two blocks away from mine), and I missed him dreadfully.

I asked him to get a couple of things for me (Tacloban might be highly urbanized now, but there are things that I can't buy here still, ugh!) and added to those, he gave me something else.

Angry Birds purse, cellphone case, charm ♥

I'm such a sucker for Angry Birds. I love the games, love the birds, love the pigs! =)

Thanks a bunch, Lex. Love you much! ♥

a very fruitful day

2011-07-30T00:14:00.004+08:00

I finally bought a leather case for my Kindle, woohoo! I kept postponing it, since leather case aren't exactly cheap. I'm so glad that I stumbled upon a listing in eBay. What I got is practically a bargain, even at 2,500.00 PHP. The seller was selling her M-edge Executive Cover and E-luminator for Kindle 3, and it's in excellent condition. To top it off, she even added a black silicon case for free. How can I walk away from all that? So now, I'm 2650.00 poorer, but way, way happier.

My bargain buys =)

My Kindle in its new case ♥

I played yaya for four kids today. We went swimming, and I was their chaperone. I had so much fun with Stephie, Skye, Raine & Troy. It's like being a kid again.

The fun stopped for me when it started raining - hard. I didn't mind the rain, but with it came strong winds, and it didn't take a long time before I started shivering from cold. I had goosebumps up and down my arms. So I moved from the kiddie pool into the big pool and started swimming laps to warm myself up.

When the kids got tired (finally!), we all went home. I had dinner at my cousin's place, along with the kids and the rest of my nephews who just came home from school. My tummy's bursting from all the food and dessert we consumed.

And to make my day even better, my cousin gave me Victoria's Secret undies. I adore undies, no idea why. But I love buying them and receiving them as gifts (even better). They're pink - bright pink - and I'm no fan of pink. But hey, I was never one to turn down gifts. So pink or no pink, its hella mine. ♥

Pink VS undies ♥

Captain America (2011)

2011-07-28T20:35:00.004+08:00

Synopsis (may contain spoilers): Based on the Marvel Comics character from World War II. A brave, yet mild-mannered young soldier named Steve Rogers, volunteers to undergo a series of experiments for a US army Super Soldier program. The military succeeds in transforming him into a human weapon, but quickly decide that their Super Soldier is far too expensive a creation to risk in combat. So, they decide to put him to use as an army celebrity and parade him across Europe to boost morale by performing in USO shows for American troops. He is even given a costume that bear the colors of Old Glory for the stage. Then, when a Nazi plot reveals itself Rogers must rise up and and become the First Avenger, in order to save his country. Steve Rogers becomes Captain America and he earns his way into the hearts and souls of every American, bringing hope and justice to a war-weary nation. Later, during a mission to Germany to stop his archenemy - The Red Skull, from launching rockets at the allies, Captain America sacrifices himself and winds up frozen in ice for almost six decades! Revived, Steve Rogers now must join forces with new heroes and become an Avenger of the modern age.

Rating: 4.5/5

Comments: I'm a sucker for select action movies like this, and I do love films with explosions. Sure, there were flaws (I mean, what movie doesn't have them?) but all in all I think it was a pretty awesome movie. Just enough humor to counter-balance the action all around. The fight scenes were great, though it lacks that "edge of my seat" feeling. And the ending was a bit too anti-climactic, don't you think?

I'm not a fan of comic-books, hell, I don't even know the difference between The Avengers and The Justice League (loser, I know, as the Bf kept pointing out). But Captain America is one movie that should not be missed, even if you aren't a comic book fan.

I can't wait to see them all teamed up in The Avengers next May. *excited*

recently read - may-july 2011

2011-07-28T20:31:00.004+08:00

When I was finally able to download the last few books I haven't read from J.D. Robb's In Death series, I decided to postpone reading them and reread the whole series. Yes, all 32 of them. Quite a lot, so I decided not post post my recently reads until I've finish them all.

And in preparation (or more of anticipation) for the last Harry Potter movie, I reread the J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series as I always do every time a movie's about to be released.

Seems like these past 3 months had been months of rereading. Not really. I've also read a few other books apart from the In Death and Harry Potter books.

I'll Be Watching You (Andrea Kane)
Lead Me On (Julie Ortolon)
Dream A Little Dream (Susan Elizabeth Philips)
Cherry On Top (Kathleen Long)
The Heartbreak Pill (Anjanette Delgado)
This Can't Be Love (Kasey Micheals)
Hard Days Knight (Katie McAllister)
Code Name: Bikini (Christina Skye)

high on sleeplessness

2011-07-26T19:39:00.004+08:00

Oh my gawd, I have such a messed up body clock. It's so screwed up that I don't know how to fix it. Usually I just adjust my sleeping time gradually, until it goes back to normal (normal means that I sleep at night and wake up early in the morning), but it doesn't work. These past few days, I sleep around 4 at the earliest and 7 at the latest - yes, that's AM, not PM. I try to sleep a little earlier, but it's no use. I'd just lie in bed, tossing and turning all night, bordering between consciousness and unconsciousness, that I'd get no rest and my body would feel beat up in the morning.

Yesterday, I slept around 10 AM, then woke up around 2 PM. I was so tired and sleepy last night that I fell asleep the instant my head hit the pillow. That was about 9 PM. Imagine my delight (on a subconscious level) when I got the fall asleep that early. But of course, I should have known that it was too good to last.

I woke up sometime between 12 MN and 1 AM, and I was like, "Gawd, it's still dark. I won't get up. I won't get up." Because I know that if I give in to consciousness, I'd have a hard time going back to sleep. And I was right. 15 minutes after I woke up, I felt the urge to pee. Really bad. So I had no choice but to get up and shuffle my feet to the bathroom. Turning on the lights didn't help. Exposure to bright lights generally awakens a person, and I opted to keep the lights off, until I bumped my toe on our washing machine on my way to the bathroom. Ouch.

I wasn't able to fall asleep again. I spent the first 3 hours of wakefulness re-reading Rachel Gibson's Sex, Lies and Online Dating; and the next hour tossing and turning. Finally, I decided to stop fighting wakefulness and just take advantage of it, so I got up and booted my laptop. I spent the first half of my morning surfing the net, chatting with my friend Jen on YM, browsing Facebook, ans checking my mail. Come 9 AM, my Dad asked me to mind our store, since he's going out, and that's what I've done for the rest of the day.

I missed out on Jin's fiesta invite. Boohoo. =(

And now I think I should be going to bed, since I'm already having double vision. o.O

The Hangover Part II

2011-07-25T00:44:00.003+08:00

Synopsis (may contain spoilers): Two years after their escapade in Las Vegas, Stu (Ed Helms), Phil (Bradley Cooper), Doug (Justin Bartha), and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) are traveling to Thailand to celebrate Stu's wedding to his fiancée, Lauren (Jamie Chung). Much to Alan's dismay, they are joined by Lauren's younger brother, Teddy (Mason Lee), a prodigy and pre-medical student at Stanford University. At the wedding reception, Lauren's father shows his disapproval of Stu by comparing him to rice porridge in his toast. At the end of the night, Stu hesitantly joins Phil, Doug, Alan and Teddy for a beer. Sitting at a campfire and roasting marshmallows, the group toast to Stu and Lauren's future happiness.

The following morning, Phil, Stu and Alan, along with gangster Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong) (whom Alan befriended after Las Vegas) and a chainsmoking capuchin monkey, awaken in a dirty hotel room in Bangkok. Stu has a face tattoo, and Alan's head is completely shaven. However, they cannot find Teddy, only discovering his severed finger. Chow begins recalling the events of the prior night, but his heart stops after snorting a line of cocaine. Panicked, the trio dispose of Chow's body in an ice machine.

Through Doug (who left early the preceding night and is still at the resort where the wedding is to be held), they find out that Teddy is waiting in jail. Upon arriving at the prison, they are given a handicapped elderly Buddhist monk, who has taken a vow of silence. The trio and the monk travel to a bar after finding a business card only to see the entire neighborhood smouldering in ruins. They enter a nearby tattoo parlor, where they are told that they had started a fight in the club that escalated into a riot. The trio then return the monk to his Buddhist temple, where they are encouraged by the head monk to meditate to help remember past events. Alan is able to recall a strip club that they had gone to. There, they learn that Stu had engaged in sex with a katoey prostitute at the bar (with Stu being on the receiving end). Upon exiting, the trio are attacked by two Russian mobsters from whom they had apparently stolen the monkey, and Phil is shot in the arm.

After Phil is treated at a clinic, Alan confesses that he had drugged some of the marshmallows from the previous night with muscle relaxants and ADHD medication in order to sedate Teddy but accidentally mixed up the bags. Stu attacks Alan leading them to notice an address and time point for a meeting written on Alan's stomach. The trio arrive at a luxurious hotel to find another gangster, Kingsley (Paul Giamatti), who demands Chow's bank account code and password by the next morning in exchange for Teddy. They return to the hotel to try to find Chow's password, only to discover that he is still alive. After Chow explains that he had hidden the code in the monkey's jacket, they steal the monkey back from the Russian mobsters through a violent car chase, during which the monkey is shot and injured. After taking the code and leaving the monkey at a veterinary clinic, the group return to Kingsley's hotel to complete the deal. Suddenly, Interpol agents appear and arrest Chow. Kingsley turns out to be an undercover agent, who tells the trio that the police have searched all day for Teddy but were unable to find him.

Desperate and out of clues, Phil once again calls Doug's wife Tracy to inform her of their dilemma. Stu then has an epiphany and realizes that Teddy must have woken up in the middle of the night to get more ice for his severed finger (after the first bucket of ice had melted) but became trapped after the power went out while he was ascending. The trio rush back to the hotel and find Teddy in the elevator unharmed (albeit still missing a finger). The four use Chow's speedboat, the keys for which were in Teddy's pocket, to travel back to the wedding reception. Arriving just as Lauren's father is about to cancel the wedding, Stu makes a defiant speech where he rejects being boring and instead states that he is in fact quite wild. Impressed by Stu's sudden display of authority and confidence, Lauren's father finally accepts him and gives the couple his blessing. After the wedding continues on, Alan presents Stu with a special gift at the post-reception dance: a musical guest performance by Mike Tyson. Later at night as Phil, Stu, Alan, Doug, and Tyson reminisce about all of their crazy escapades, Teddy discovers that he had taken many pictures during the night on his mobile phone. Once again, the group agree to look at the pictures together once before erasing the evidence of their exploits.

Rating: 3/5

Comments: Same movie, same story, just a different setting. It's basically The Hangover Part I all over again, only less funnier. It has it's funny moments (I loved the part where Stu found out about his tattoo, and admittedly, some of the pictures shown at the end were funny), but it lacks the originality of the first movie. The only difference I could gather was that there's more full frontal nudity on this movie, and the part with the female hermaphrodite was just plain *ick*. But still, I've enjoyed watching this movie.

I'll say this, though: Bradley Cooper is still yumyumyum! ♥

-----

Mr. Chow: We had a sick night bitches!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2

2011-07-14T19:11:00.004+08:00

Synopsis (may contain spoilers): Following Dumbledore's death, Voldemort completes his ascension to power and gains control of the Ministry of Magic. Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave Hogwarts to hunt and destroy Voldemort's remaining horcruxes. They isolate themselves to ensure their friends and families' safety. They have little knowledge about the remaining horcruxes except the possibility that two are objects once belonging to Hogwarts founders Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff, and the third may be Nagini, Voldemort's snake familiar. The whereabouts of the two founders' objects is unknown, and Nagini is presumed to be with Voldemort. As they search for the Horcruxes, the trio learn more about Dumbledore's past.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione recover the first horcrux, Salazar Slytherin's locket, by infiltrating the Ministry of Magic. Under the object's evil influence and the stress of being on the run, Ron leaves the others. A mysterious silver doe leads Harry to the Sword of Godric Gryffindor, among the few objects able to destroy horcruxes. When Harry attempts to recover the sword, the horcrux attempts to kill him. Ron reappears, saving Harry and using the sword to destroy the locket. Resuming their search, the trio repeatedly encounter a strange symbol, that an eccentric wizard named Xenophilius Lovegood tells them represents the mythical Deathly Hallows. The Hallows are three sacred objects: the Resurrection Stone, with the power to summon the dead to the living world; the Elder Wand, an unbeatable wand; and an infallible Invisibility Cloak. Harry learns that Voldemort is seeking the Elder Wand, but is unaware of the other Hallows and their significance. Harry decides that finding Voldemort's horcruxes is more important than procuring the Hallows. They break into Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange's vault at the Wizarding Bank Gringotts to recover another horcrux, Helga Hufflepuff's cup. Harry learns that another horcrux is hidden in Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione enter the school and find the Horcrux, the Diadem of Ravenclaw, and destroy the cup and the diadem.

Voldemort and his followers besiege Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, their allies, and various magical creatures defend Hogwarts. Several major characters are killed in the first wave of the battle, including Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Fred Weasley, and Severus Snape. Harry discovers while viewing the memories of Snape that Voldemort inadvertently made Harry a horcrux when he attacked him as a baby and that Harry must die to destroy Voldemort. These memories also confirm Snape's unwavering loyalty to Dumbledore and his role as spy in Voldemort's camp. Harry surrenders himself to Voldemort, who casts the Killing Curse at him, sending Harry to a limbo-like state between life and death. There, Dumbledore explains that when Voldemort used Harry's blood to regain his full strength, it protected Harry from Voldemort harming him; the Horcrux inside Harry has been destroyed, and Harry can return to his body despite being hit by the Killing Curse. Harry returns, the battle resumes, and after Neville Longbottom kills Voldemort's snake Nagini, the last horcrux, Harry finally defeats Voldemort, and the wizarding world lives in peace once more.

Rating: 3.5/5

Comments: Sadly disappointing. Maybe I was expecting too much, maybe I am way too much of a fan of the book, that I could never appreciate it when they change or omit scenes in the movie. The problem is, they did omit - a LOT. And hell, what was the point of making the movie in two parts if they were going to rush the last one? They left out a lot of pertinent information, which left a lot of non-readers confused. And I wanted Snape's memories to be exactly, well, almost exactly as the one in the book, but no. The was the most heartbreaking scene for me, that, and Fred dying (but they didn't show that, bummer).

Sucks how they made it, but all in all, I really enjoyed the movie. Dammit, I'll surely miss Harry Potter and all it represented in my childhood, and most of my teenage-adult life.

broke.

2011-06-30T22:01:00.004+08:00

So. I lost all my savings to books. And I blame my friend Jel. We went to Booksale twice in two days per her request, and I've fallen prey to book bargains yet again. I bought a total of 10 books. Granted, they were cheap, the cheapest being only 20 pesos. Who could resist that price? And I wouldn't trade my Kindle for anything else, but I do miss the feel of turning pages from time to time.

time flies so fast..

2011-06-25T23:28:00.004+08:00

..even when you're not having fun.

I can't believe it's already June. It seems like yesterdays when I first started as a nurse trainee, and now my 6 months is up. I have three more days of duty left. Granted, I still have at least four days of make up duties due to my absences, especially when I went to Beijing, but hey. What's four days compared to a lifetime's worth of memories of Beijing, right?

I have duty tomorrow, but I'm still up editing the output of our case presentation. I also finished making the diagram for our pathophysiology. Gawd. Encoding it is even more toxic than making it. Nothing's changed since my college days, I still prefer working on the patho than on the history, labs, or NCPs. And for some reason, like in college, I'm still stuck with a group who tends to choose long diagnoses.

Our current case is Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding from Ruptured Esophageal Varices Secondary to Liver Cirrhosis with Portal Hypertension.

Sounds complicated, right? But it's pretty straightforward, actually. I love learning about diseases. It's so much fun, and cool. Although there's nobody else to talk about it other than fellow nurses, and doctors.

I can sense a headache coming, and hopefully a good night's sleep, albeit a short one, will cure it. I hope God will bless us with a non-toxic duty tomorrow. Plus, a less toxic duty means I can catch up on my reading. And yes, I read novels during duty. That's how much of a bookworm I am.

funsucker.

2011-06-14T22:31:00.002+08:00

Bitch.

Gawd, I love being with friends.

Bitch is like a term of endearment. Bitch is the new red.

seeing beijing

2011-06-08T10:44:00.015+08:00

So this is a really late post. But as they say, better late than never.

Being on duty 5 days a week is taking a toll on me. That's why I was so excited to be going on vacation. Little did I know, that there won't be any time for relaxation once we stepped foot on Beijing.

In a span of four days, we walked from the Forbidden City to Tour Tian’anmen Square; we climbed a part of the Great Wall of China; we visited the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven; we went to see Ming's Tomb; we took pictures at the Olympic Complex; we went on the Hutong Tour and got to ride rickshaws; we visited the Jade Museum and the Silk Factory; we drank different kinds of tea at the Tea House; we watched the Acrobatic Show; went bargain hunting at the Xiu Shui Bargain Market; went window shopping at Wangfujing Street.

Sounds busy, right? We kept on walking, and every night, my legs would be screaming for mercy. But all in all, it was a great vacation, and Beijing is definitely a place I'd like to see again.

---

What I Love Most About Beijing

It's a city rich in culture and history. They really preserved artifacts, relics and buildings from their past.
It's a very clean city.
The wild roses. You should see them in full bloom. Awesome.
Great food. We ate like emperors.
Pandas! So cute and "luggable" (according to my nephew, that's a mash-up of lovable and huggable).

What I Hate Most About Beijing

Their squatting toilets. Come on. Who would enjoy peeing on the floor?
The care squat about nudity. The reason doors have locks is so you could lock them. But a lot of them don't even bother to lock or fully close the doors while in the bathroom. And a Chinese woman wiping her ass is not something I'd care to see again.
They give you small plates in the restaurants. This is frustrating for a Filipino, and extremely vexing for me. I am a rice eater, and proud of it. So when given a plate that would hold only a small amount of food, it really annoyed me.
Rude locals. I mean, really. I could not count the number of times they would bump into me, and never look back and say sorry.
Locals can't speak English. I'm not judging, I mean, I am Chinese, but I'm a Filipino through and through so I can't speak decent Mandarin. What I'm trying to point out is that their country is a haven for tourists from all over the world. Learning basic English couldn't hurt.

---

Days Inn Joiest Hotel. Where we stayed.

The world famous Great Wall of China.

Chairman Mao.

Inside the Forbidden City.

Imagine preserving places like this.

excited does not even begin to describe me

2011-05-12T18:26:00.000+08:00

Only two more days of duty, then I'm off to my long awaited vacation. I could surely use the break. I've always known that being a nurse is hard work. Aside from dealing with patients with different kinds of diseases, we also get to deal with their significant others who are much, much more difficult to handle.

We're going to Beijing, out of the country this time. The last time my passport was used was when we went to Hongkong for my 18th birthday. God, that was such a long time ago. Last year was Palawan, and the year before that we went on a road trip that covered Iloilo, Bacolod, Dumaguete and Antique. We hit the locals, finally time to do some international.

We travel, every year, with small trips in between if we have the time - and the budget to spare. In my 22 years of living, I've been out of the country four times - twice to Taiwan (I was around 8 the first time I went there), once to Singapore, and once to Hongkong. And although I've enjoyed my visits there, nothing compares to the pride I feel whenever we go to somewhere local. Seeing amazing places and awesome sights in my own country gives me this giddy feeling of pride and joy, and it never gets old. (I love the Philippines, so sue me.)

Anyway, as I've said, it's Beijing this time. I was a bit (only a bit) disappointed, though. We usually pick places famous for it's beaches or some sort for the summer, and I was looking forward to it. I miss swimming, snorkeling, jet skiing. This time of the year, I usually whip out my swimsuits and get tan (ok, not tan. I burn baby, burn!). But hey, a vacation is better than no vacation.

I'm thinking of packing tonight. I usually leave it during the last minute, but I've got duty tomorrow and on Saturday, and I leave early on Sunday. I suppose I could do it after duty, but I'm usually beat. When I come home from work, I just basically lie down and fall asleep right after, waking up during dinner, check my FB and my mail, then fall asleep again. That's how tired I am.

So, should I start packing or what? =)

recently read - april 2011

2011-05-03T21:10:00.002+08:00

I may be busy, but I'm never busy for reading. And with my Kindle, I can read anytime, anywhere!

Can't Stand The Heat (Louisa Edwards)
On The Steamy Side (Louisa Edwards)
The Sisterhood (Michael Palmer)
Marley & Me (John Grogan)
The Angel's Game (Carlos Ruiz Safon)
Ice Cold (Tess Gerritsen)
Fatal (Michael Palmer)
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You (Ally Carter)
Cross My Heart & Hope To Spy (Ally Carter)
Private Pleasures (Bertrice Small)
Forbidden Pleasures (Bertrice Small)
Sudden Pleasures (Bertrice Small)
Dangerous Pleasures (Bertrice Small)
Scuse Me While I Kill This Guy (Leslie Langtry)
Guns Will Keep Us Together (Leslie Langtry)
Stand By Your Hitman (Leslie Langtry)
Twenty Boy Summer (Sarah Ockler)
Kindred in Death (JD Robb)
Sprinkle With Murder (Jenn McKinlay)
Buttercream Bump Off (Jenn McKinlay)
Just The Sexiest Man Alive (Julie James)
Practice Makes Perfect (Julie James)
Something About You (Julie James)
The Demigod Files (Rick Riordan)

after a long period of quietness..

2011-05-03T20:31:00.005+08:00

..I'm back with a vengeance.

I haven't been posting much, obviously, mainly because I'm either tired (usually), or just plain lazy. I frequently surf the net when I come home after duties, but I don't really feel like writing, so.. No blogging in the meantime. If there's one condition between me and writing, it's that I write whenever I feel like it. When the mood strikes, the words just flow out of me. But if not, then zip. Nada.

So, I'm on my 5th month on my 6-month ~~volunteer~~ training. Ma'am Fe, our Chief Nurse, prefers to calls use trainees, rather than volunteers, because of the issue that hospitals are charging the volunteers for their services. And to clarify things, our hospital never asked us money, nor do we receive compensation for our services.

I'm now rotated at the NICU, or the Neonatal ICU, which used to be my 2nd favorite duty area when I was a student (the first was the DR, or Deliver Room, but that's another story for another blog), but now, I don't think I like it very much. Sure, the babies are all awesome and adorable, but I get to do more work now that I'm a nurse, and trust me, going around the hospital to give meds to the roomed in babies is no fun. Plus, it's too depressing to perform postmortem care on a baby.

I'm done rotating at the ER (Emergency Room), OPD (Out Patient Department), Orthopedic Ward, Surgical/Trauma Ward, OR (Operating Room) & PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit), Medical Ward, Isolation Ward, Philhealth Wards 1&2 (for patients with Philhealth). My last three areas would be Pediatric Ward, Obstetric Ward, and finally, DR (Delivery Room).

I'll be glad when it'll all be over. Frankly, I'm so damn tired, but in a good way. I never thought I'd like being a nurse. It's not something I'd like to do forever, but for the time being, I'm content. Happy. And in my book, that's all that matters. Hopefully, I'll get hired in July. There's no other hospital I'd like to work in. *fingers crossed*

And since this is my first blog in a long time, I'll put everything in one long post. =D

I went to Manila last April 27, and I came home right after the following day. just had to put in an appearance at the Chinese embassy, because I was applying for Visa. We're going to Beijing this May! Vaycay time, yey! China is not my ideal vacation spot, but I really wanna see the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. I can't wait. I am in dire need of a vacation, and this is it!

We also got a new dog. The dog at the Sacred Heart Seminary had a litter of puppies, and Fr. Edgar gave one to us. He's a cute Mini Pinscher whom I suspect has ADHD. I dubbed him Rusty.

Isn't he adorable?

I searched Wikipedia for info on MinPins, and here's what came up that applies to my lil pup:

Miniature Pinschers are prone to overeating and therefore should not be free fed. True, my dogs laps up whatever dog food I put in his bowl, and despite how small it is, you'd be amazed at how much food he can consume, kinda like me. LOL
This breed has an insatiable curiosity. Rusty likes exploring every corner of our house. One time he sniffed our trash can and tried to get inside. Crazy dog.
Miniature Pinschers enjoy having a collection of such toys, which they will hoard and spend much time in moving from one collecting place to another. I woke up one day to find one of my white duty shoes gone. Took a long time to find it. It was in his doggy bed.
Miniature Pinschers are territorial, so they should be provided with their own place to rest and sleep. They prefer to sleep on soft objects as well as under soft objects, so a small blanket should be provided so they can nestle. I bought a small doggy bed for Rubeus before, but he preferred sleeping on the bed, so when Rusty came, I gave it to him instead. It's so nice seeing him sleep in his own bed with his head hanging on the side. Cute.
Miniature Pinschers will jump onto beds and crawl under the covers. One time, my mattress got wet so I had it dried out under the sun. I had no choice but to sleep in a small folding bed. It was only about a foot high, so Rusty was able to jump on it with no problem. And no matter how many times I put him back to the floor, he'd just jump back up and sleep beside me. Which was sweet, but I was so worried that I'd squish him or something.

I think this is long enough. Oh, how I missed this. <3

recently read - march 2011

2011-04-06T17:58:00.002+08:00

More this month. ♥

Romeo, Romeo (Robin Kaye)
Too Hot To Handle (Robin Kaye)
Breakfast in Bed (Robin Kaye)
The Winning Hand (Nora Roberts)
The Society (Michale Palmer)
The First Patient (Michale Palmer)
The Last Surgeon (Michale Palmer)
Salvation in Death (J.D. Robb)
Yours for the Taking (Robin Kaye)
Nauti Boy (Lora Leigh)
Nauti Nights (Lora Leigh)
Nauti Dreams (Lora Leigh)
Nauti Intentions (Lora Leigh)
Nauti Deceptions (Lora Leigh)
The Sparkling One (Susan Mallery)
The Sassy One (Susan Mallery)
The Seductive One (Susan Mallery)
The Marcelli Bride (Susan Mallery)
The Marcelli Princess (Susan Mallery)

recently read - february 2011

2011-03-10T21:08:00.004+08:00

Looks like I've been reading less ever since I started training.. Hopefully with my new Kindle, I can read more again. =D

The Fire Inside (Kat Martin)
Take Me There (Susan Colasanti)
Hot Stuff (Carly Phillips)
Hot Number (Carly Phillips)
Hot Item (Carly Phillips)
Hot Property (Carly Phillips)
Dead Man Docking (Mary Daheim)
Code Name: Baby (Christina Skye)
Hello, doggy (Elaine Fox)

recently read - january 2011

2011-03-10T21:05:00.001+08:00

Not as much as I'd like for this month.. Been busy. =/

Dance of Seduction (Sabrina Jeffries)
Married to the Viscount (Sabrina Jeffries)
The Truth About Lord Stoneville (Sabrina Jeffries)
A Hellion in Her Bed (Sabrina Jeffries)
First Comes Marriage (Mary Balogh)
Then Comes Seduction (Mary Balogh)
At Last Comes Love (Mary Balogh)
Seducing an Angel (Mary Balogh)
A Secret Affair (Mary Balogh)
You Had Me at Goodbye (Jane Blackwood)

pig slippers and all.

2011-03-10T20:36:00.005+08:00

I ~~haven't been blogging lately~~ have been neglecting my blog lately, and I'm sorry, blog. It's just that I've been busy with duties and all. Usually I come home from an 8-hour shift tired and ready to drop. Other times, I hang out with either my Bf, or with friends, that I feel as if I'm physically and mentally drained.

So far, I'm enjoying real bad. I never really expected to actually like being a nurse. I know I would have been a pretty awesome doctor, but I guess ~~life~~ God had other plans for me. Not that I'm complaining. Medicine's a bitch, with the 24- to 36-hour shifts the clerks, interns and residents are putting in. Oh how they envy us nurses when we leave after our 8-hour shifts.

Anyway.. Bf and I had a huge fight over a little thing, which was crazy. But we made up, and if there's one good thing that comes out from fighting, I must say, it's the making up. *And this is the part where I go "awwwwww". =)

I'm keeping my blog short, since I really don't have anything significant to blog about, except for these cute pig slippers that Bf got me. I squeal over pig stuffies, and you can imagine my delight when I saw this at the mall. People were staring, and I was in my uniform, but I didn't care.

The last pair in MY size.
It's destined for me. ♥

Pardon my ugly fat feet. =D

kindle. nuff said.

2011-02-14T17:42:00.007+08:00

So.. In my last post, I was debating on whether to get a Kindle or not. Guess what? I DID! Woohoo. =)

While my Mom was in Singapore, she called me using my cousin's (who is based there) phone. She asked me if I'm familiar with a Tablet. Our conversation went like this:

Mom: You know what a Tablet is?
Me: Yep. Why?
Mom: Kasi Edzel (my cousin) is suggesting na instead yung iPhone, tablet na lang daw.
Me: Ma, I texted you, di mo nabasa?
Mom: i left my phone at the hotel, mabigat.
Me: Sus, nag-roaming ka pa. I texted kanina saying na the iPhone was a joke lang.. I don't want one talaga.
Mom: So ano yung gusto mo?
Me: Alam mo yung Kindle?
Mom (talking to my cousin in the background): Kindle daw. Ewan. Kayo mag usap.
Edzel: Hello? Tinatanong ng Mommy mo kung gusto mo daw Galaxy Tab, kasi it's cheaper than iPhone, tapos with better features.
Me: I told Mommy na I was joking lang about the iPhone.. I don't want it actually.
Edzel: So ano na nam?
Me: May Kindle jan? I want the Kindle 3 kasi, ung WiFi lang, not the 3G.
Edzel (laughing): Mas cheaper pa un compared to Galaxy Tab ah.
Me: Kaya nga eh.
Edzel: Nakatipid pa Mommy mo sayo.

So there. Because Bookworm-Me is more dominant than Techie-Me, I said no to Mom's offer of the Galaxy Tab, a decision I'm sure to regret sometime in the future.But I didn't walk away empty-handed, oh no. Because I did get Amazon's Kindle 3 WiFi in Granite. Woohoo!!

Comes with a Certified Frustration-Free Packaging =)

It changes it's wallpaper everytime it's off.

More wallpapers - not just authors.

I can now stop buying way expensive books because I am running out of place to put them in.
Jane Austen - my favorite classics author ♥

And Mommy, i cannot thank you enough for being fully supportive of my one true love - reading =)

Oh, and Happy Hearts Day everyone! ^^

is the kindle 3 worth having?

2011-02-10T17:33:00.007+08:00

I know Amazon's Kindle 3 was included on my Christmas wishlist, and I know it'd be a perfect gadget for a book freak like me, but I started to wonder if it's worth buying. I mean, I saw the prices of eBooks being sold at Amazon, and I can't get over how freakin' expensive they are - that's the jobless, almost always broke part of me saying that, though. The book-hungry,I-don't-care-what-the-price-is-I-wanna-read-it-so-I'm-buying-it part says it's gonna be worth it - I mean, think of all the books I can access in one nifty gadget.

My Mom is currently on vacation in Singapore, along with my uncle, my cousin, and my cousin's hubby. Mommy asked me what I wanted for my pasalubong, and I said I wanted a car. She just laughed at me, and since I've been begging my Dad to get me a car, but to no avail, I know that was a lost cause, but hey, you couldn't blame me for trying. *big grin* I asked for an iPhone 4, mostly as a joke, since I don't really want one, she just said "We'll see." So if an iPhone 4 (which is way more expensive than a Kindle, I might add) gets the "we'll see" tag, I'm guessing the Kindle 3 we'll get the big OK. And therein lies my problem.

So.. To buy or not to buy? Or rather, to ask or not to ask? =D

So.. What do you guys think? =DI can't get over how slim it is! ♥

my ER experience

2011-01-20T08:04:00.003+08:00

Tomorrow's my last day of rotation at the emergency room (well, technically not, but I'm only there for half of saturday, so..). I wish I could stay in the ER forever. It was fun there, although tiring, plus the staff, even the doctors (mostly the surgeons) are great. And just when I'm finally well-adjusted to the things at ER, my rotation is over and I'm being shuffled out to the Out-Patient Department. Boo.

Of course, it's not all rainbows and butterflies. We have to deal with annoying significant others of patients, impatient one who can't seem to understand that when the doctor is at the operating room, the doctor can't just pack up and leave whenever we call them because we have a patient waiting at the ER. And don't get me started on the ones who think their cases are emergencies. God. You think they're bleeding to death they way they argue with us when we tell them to go to the OPD.

And while we do try our best to save all our patients, dying is sometimes inevitable. We lost 2 patients (on different days) while I was on duty. It's a sad thing, knowing full well that we all did what we could, and yet unable to help. Watching the family cry, not knowing how to offer comfort. I hope they are contented, and not in pain, wherever they are. God bless their souls.

I never thought i'd enjoy it this much. When I applied for my volunteer training, I was thinking that if I don't like being a nurse, I'd just get on with my Med plans (yes, I still think about it every now and then) and become a doctor. But here I am, 8 days on the job, and I'm loving it! It's really gratifying to hear our patients thank us, even though it's the doctors who treated them and all, because we are the ones they constantly see attending to them, even if we do scold them if they kept pestering us.

And well, I'm glad I became a nurse. ♥

my future starts today =)

2011-01-12T19:26:00.004+08:00

So.. My first stint as a nurse volunteer trainee started today. We had our week-long orientation and re-evaluation (where I scored a whopping 97 out of 100, woohoo!) last week. We had our contracts signed, then we had a hospital tour (interesting only to those who never set foot at EVRMC before), and then we were oriented to our specific areas assigned.

I was assigned at ER until the 22nd of January, then at OPD for the rest of the month. Hopefully my schedule will be good. Too bad we're always on duty during the morning shift, unless they give us an afternoon/night shift, which will be highly unlikely.

6 months of pure service and no pay. Oh Lord, help me make it through this, and I know I can make it through anything.

Let's see if I still feel like this after 6 months =P

hump day

2011-01-05T20:05:00.002+08:00

Today was my third day of orientation at EVRMC, where I'm applied as a nurse volunteer. So it's been three days of waking up early (we report to the hospital at 8), and being a night person, you can only imagine how big this sacrifice is.

We already took an exam prior to our orientation, but due to some who didn't take the exam seriously and got really, really low scores (i mean, come on, who doesn't know how to calculate dosages? That's like basic.), so they changed the requirements. Instead of having our contract signing last Dec. 22, 2010 and starting our orientation as accepted NVTs (nurse volunteer trainee), we are now supposed to attend the orientation first and be subjected to another evaluation. Sucks.

I am bitter, because I got a somewhat high mark. The highest got a score of 69 out of 80 items. I got 62, and I think I was the second or third highest (I'm not bragging; rather, I am justifying my right to be pissed because now I have to suffer through another exam, with the fear of failing).

Life is never fair.

I do hope I get in, and while volunteering, I'll also try to apply for a job order. I know I'll learn truckloads of stuff while there, and I know that when I make it through 6 months at EVRMC, I know I''l make it anywhere.

There goes my Med plans, right down the drain. Cheers to being a Nurse ♥

recently read - december 2010

2011-01-02T01:28:00.002+08:00

And the list goes on. ♥

A Dangerous Love (Swanlea Spinsters, Book 1) - Sabrina Jeffries
A Notorious Love (Swanlea Spinsters, Book 2) - Sabrina Jeffries
A Wallflower Christmas - Lisa Kleypas
After the Abduction (Swanlea Spinsters, Book 3) - Sabrina Jeffries
Beware a Scot's Revenge (School for Heiresses, Book 3) - Sabrina Jeffries
Don't Bargain with the Devil (The School for Heiresses, Book 5) - Sabrina Jeffries
Fanning The Flame - Kat Martin
Heartless - Kat Martin
In the Prince's Bed (Royal Brotherhood) - Sabrina Jeffries
Kiss Me, Annabel (Essex Sisters, Book 2) - Eloisa James
Let Sleeping Rogues Lie (School for Heiresses, Book 4) - Sabrina Jeffries
Much Ado About You (Essex Sisters, Book 1) - Eloisa James
Never Seduce a Scoundrel (The School for Heiresses, Book 1) - Sabrina Jeffries
One Night With a Prince (Royal Brotherhood, Book 3) - Sabrina Jeffries
Only a Duke Will Do (The School for Heiresses, Book 2) - Sabrina Jeffries
Perfect Ten - Janice Maynard
Pleasure for Pleasure (Essex Sisters, Book 4) - Eloisa James
Prada and Prejudice - Mandy Hubbard
Silk And Steel - Kat Martin
The Dangerous Lord (Lord Trilogy, Book 3) - Sabrina Jeffries
The Forbidden Lord (Lord Trilogy, Book 2) - Sabrina Jeffries
The Pirate Lord (Lord Trilogy, Book 1) - Sabrina Jeffries
The Taming of the Duke (Essex Sisters, Book 3) - Eloisa James
To Beguile A Beast (The Legend of the Four Soldiers, Book 3) - Elizabeth Hoyt
To Desire a Devil (The Legend of the Four Soldiers, Book 4) - Elizabeth Hoyt
To Pleasure a Prince (Royal Brotherhood, Book 2) - Sabrina Jeffries
To Seduce A Sinner (The Legend of the Four Soldiers, Book 2) - Elizabeth Hoyt
Wed Him Before You Bed Him (The School for Heiresses, Book 6) - Sabrina Jeffries

hello, 2011 =)

2011-01-01T22:58:00.003+08:00

2010 was a good year for me. It has its ups and downs, but all in all, it was an awesome year.

It was the year when I passed the Nursing board exam, the year when the Bf and I got back together, when my Dad bought me an iPod Touch, when I first met Sigaw sisters Krissy and Ate Cess way back in March, and then met Kaiye and Grace later on with Krissy, when I first went to Palawan, when I trained and got my IV license, when I enrolled at PHC's Critical Care Course and met new people who eventually became friends, and the year when HP 7.1 was shown.

Of course, 2010 wasn't all butterflies and rainbows. There were moments when it felt like it was the lowest point of my life, such as the time when I felt like everyone save for my Mom is sabotaging my plans to study Medicine. It was during those days when I'd be crying on either my Mom or my Bf, wailing about how people in my family can't mind their own business and how unfair life can be.

But I got over it, and although there were times when I'd really resent my Aunt for all her meddling, I was finally able to let things go. It was mostly due to Crit, for it was then that I realized that I really enjoy being a nurse. And as cliched as this might sound, it also gives me simple pleasures to be able to help other people. Yes, it's a job and we get paid, but being paid does not lessen the service we give to others as nurses. Hello, nurses are all overworked and underpaid here in the Philippines, but there are still a number of us serving here, mainly because we live to serve.

My Mom stood by me in everything; she listened to my incessant rants, and comforted me when I thought everyone was against me. Of course, my Bf and my friends were all very understanding and helpful, and without them, I don't think I'd be able to get through all those things.

2010 was a blast, hopefully 2011 will be better.

Happy New Year everyone! 1.1.11 ♥

christmas shopping ^^

2010-12-27T20:54:00.003+08:00

I love the Christmas season because it gives me a legitimate reason to shop. =)

Mom got me another pair of skinny jeans, so I now have four.

I'm a recent skinny jeans convert - I never liked them before.
But I like them now, coz it ends at my ankle, so when it rains, and I accidentally step on a puddles, my pants don't get wet. =)

I saw this on sale when I passed by Bum, they were half the price, so I got 3 shirt for myself.
I love Bum shirts =)

The Tom and Jerry tumbler is for my BF, since he is an avid T&J fan.
He's 22, and he still watches T&J. Kinda like me. =)
The Dora tumbler is for my little inaanak/niece Stephie.

Barbie backpack also for Stephie.
She loves Dora, Barbie,Disney's Princesses, and pink.
(For some reason, even after I rotated the pic, it goes back the same way when uploaded.)

Statement tees from Fun Tee for my nephews =)

And, last but not the least, kid's clothes for my inaanak/nephew Yance
and my dear friend Shyn's baby Alleena

getting into the spirit of the holiday season

2010-12-25T00:00:00.003+08:00

I've always loved Christmas. I mean, what's not to love? ♥

I completed the 9-day Misa de Gallo for the fourth year running. I'm not a morning person, and being that, I usually go to sleep around 11 PM or later. So it is really a big sacrifice for me to get up at 3 AM to attend mass at 4. It is especially hard to focus on the homily with only two hours of sleep, but I managed to get by.

We don't usually feast on Christmas Eve, we save all the celebrations for New Year's Eve. But that doesn't mean we don't have to prepare a little bit of something. Spaghetti is always a must, and I also made cupcakes to go with it. I added food coloring to my cupcakes, I opted for the colors red, green and blue (very Christmasy, don't you think?) but my Mom told me nobody eats green and blue cupcakes, and she made me go with red only. Bummer.

Adding the red food coloring. Kinda looks like drops of blood, doesn't it?

(Sorry, I can't keep my morbid thoughts out.)

Up close.

Red muffins for Christmas!

Before

After

I've been craving for Mango Float for a long time, so I made those, too. Dad ate my mangoes, but good thing I hid several of them in the vegetable drawer in our refrigerator. =)

Anyway, I'm having an awesome Christmas. I hope you guys are, too!

Nothing is impossible with God.
And because God loves us, he even makes the impossible for us.
-Fr. Ric

HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

flats ♥

2010-12-22T20:27:00.004+08:00

I am not, and never will be, a high-heel person. I prefer flats to heels, as wearing heels makes me wobble and lose what little poise I have. I am not a graceful person, nor am I a girly girl, but I do wear heels when the occasion calls for it.

For my daily footwear, I'm usually in flip-flops (Ipanema & Havs), sneakers (I don't wear them as often as I used to), or in flats (ballet flats are ♥). I never did ballet, but I do love them ballet flats. So as I was doing some online shopping for my Mom, I did a little side shopping for me. And look what I got: Frollic Rollable Take-Away Shoes.

The box.

Coz that's how they roll.

My Footsie Rolls in Pewter ♥

he's just the sweetest ♥

2010-12-08T16:53:00.007+08:00

Months ago, I ~~hinted at~~ told my guy that I wanted this Harry Potter charm bracelet for Christmas or my birthday (it was on my wishlist). He figured that it'll be hard to look for a store selling one like it, so he started his searched online. He found one in eBay, I think, but he wasn't inclined to buy it since it was an international listing. I was disappointed, but still I kept badgering him about it.

Any way, as ~~weeks~~ months passed, we both kinda forgot about it, until last Sunday, when I made my wishlist, and when my birthday finally came yesterday. I was texting with him, jokingly asking him if he got me my HP bracelet, but he just flat-out told me that he didn't. It was kinda disappointing, but seeing as how I never really expect gifts during my birthday (what sucks about having December as a birth month is that my birthday gifts are always mixed with my Christmas gifts, so I get one instead of two, boo), I never really minded. Then he told me he picked out something for me, just a teeny-tiny thing, but it sure did put a smile on my face.

Last night, he dropped by our house, and he gave me this small box. As is my habit, I started shaking the box to hear what's supposed to be inside, but strangely I couldn't hear anything. And imagine my surprise when I opened it and found out that there's absolutely nothing inside!

The empty box he handed me. =P

I was groaning from disappointment and was about to give him the verbal lashing I felt he deserved, when I noticed him grinning as he pulled something out from his pocket. I was squealing with glee when he handed me a charm bracelet. Mind you, the book covers weren't as clear as the one I saw on the internet, as mine has this brownish hue (from the varnish, maybe), but I didn't care. I never had plans on wearing them, I just wanted one for myself as a keepsake - sort of like a tribute to the years of adventures with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the others; and for the times when I would mark my calender for the release of the next HP book and/or movie.

For some reason, no matter how many times I tried rotating the picture, it comes out as this.

It's dark, and brownish, and the words aren't all that clear,
but it doesn't matter since the person who gave it to me is special.
And yeah, it's a cliche, but it's always the thought that counts. ♥

twenty-two blues

2010-12-07T08:47:00.004+08:00

I turned 19 20 21 22 today. Somehow, I don't feel any different from when I turned 19. I'm still the same old me, albeit older and, hopefully, wiser.

I stopped celebrating my birthdays a long time ago. My parents used to throw parties every year when I was younger - a typical children's party with food, cakes, sweets, party hats, balloons, games and everything. Complete with a party bag for the visitors, especially the kids, to take home after. Sure they were so much fun, but as I grew older, I find that I preferred intimate gatherings with just close family and friends more.

Ever since I hit the twenty mark, I stop looking forward to my birthdays, because it just reminds me that I get ~~younger~~ older each year. But my dear friends always remembered (so sweet of them), so, I'm always stuck replying thank you's to them. It's not an awful task, though, no matter how much I complain. I love reading their birthday greetings, and I feel so blessed to have friends who always remembered my special day.

As of 9:11 AM today, my friend Philip sent the best greeting I ever received - "Ei Bels.. Happy 17th birthday! Can't wait for next year when you hit Sweet 16." It's just that - short, simple, and a joke, really. But it made me laugh so hard, I just loved it! ♥

This isn't gonna be the stress-free day that my friend Shyn wished for me, though, as I have an appointment with my OB later. Boo.

But it's only for the morning, so.. I' gonna enjoy the rest of my day! =)

wishlish 2011

2010-12-05T11:06:00.006+08:00

It's time for my Christmas wishlist! This one's shorter than last year, but I do accept more. And I never got all my wishes for last year, so I made a page for my wishlist. I'll keep adding more, but hopefully I'll be able to cross a few out. =)

Harry Potter Charm Bracelet. Which self-confessed HP Addict can resist that?

500 GB (or maybe 1 TB) External Hard Drive. I need more memory for my movies and series.

3-Tier Steamer (I'd like a Black and Decker, but I'd go for any brand).

DiCAPac for my Canon Ixus 100. I love swimming, and I love taking pictures, so this is perfect for me.

And it's much cheaper than buying an underwater camera, since I already have my own cam.

Bellatrix Lestrange T-shirt. She is my Ultimate Favorite Death Eater.

The Amazon Kindle 3. Perfect for a book-lover like me. =)

we say no to child violence

2010-12-04T18:28:00.009+08:00

Facebook has been overrun by cartoons, it turned from the Social Network to being the Cartoon Network. It's all due to the circulating campaign against child violence. I must say, it's really nice that a lot of people are taking part in this, it's not much, but sometimes a little thing goes a long way.

The campaign ^^

See? Almost all my friends changed their profile pictures.

There's more like this on my news feed.

Now, as for my profile picture, I decided on Princess Belle, more commonly known as Beauty from the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast. She's always been my favorite Disney princess, and not just from the fact that we both shared the same name. Ok fine, so the name played a big role when I was younger, coz I thought that if I do become a princess, then I won't have to change my name. Stupid logic, I know, but tell it to my 6-year old self.

My profile picture. Isn't she just pretty? =)

She's my favorite because according to Wikipedia, She's a lovely free-thinker who likes to read and go on adventures within her own imagination. She is not shy and is not afraid to speak her mind, especially in tight situations, though she can be slightly hesitant when nervous. She is very compassionate and takes care of those in need. She can be stubborn and always tries to protect people she truly loves. She's also very patient towards others.

A true dreamer and a lover of fantasy and adventure, Belle is a shrewd nonconformist for her time in many ways. The most pronounced is her love of books, excitement and knowledge, which the townspeople find odd for a woman. Gaston says to her at one point, "It's not right for a woman to read. Soon she starts getting ideas and...thinking...". Belle also does not care about appearances, whether they pertain to herself or anyone else. This is highly ironic, considering she is seen as the most beautiful woman in her village. In the song Belle, a woman sings, "It's no wonder than her name means beauty. Her looks have got no parallel."

So I may not be all those things, but I do love to read and travel with my imagination. I am most definitely mot shy, but I do try to keep my opinions to myself, although there are times when I just blurt them out. I'm stubborn to a point, but I'm sadly lacking n patience.

And just to prove my belief that we are alike, I took this quiz and guess what the result is? ♥

According to the answers you have just chosen you are most like the Disney Princess Belle.

Belle is as lovely as her name implies but her natural unaffected beauty is far more than skin deep. An intelligent and avid reader Belle yearns for faraway places and exciting adventures. She is a loyal, loving daughter and when the beast finally wins her trust she gives him all her kindness and patience and then realizes she has also given him her heart. With her inner strength and outward beauty, Belle is a young woman who can and does make things happen.

I took another one -

You are part Belle.
You are strong, deep, and you are not a slave to petty superficial things. You are independent and allow yourself to see inner beauty without sacrificing your values. You are almost too good of a person.

You are part Cinderella.
You are hard-working and never complain, however, your trust is sometimes misplaced and people sometimes take advantage of you. Still, you are beautiful inside and out, and one day you will realize it and find true love.

I'm no Cinderella fan, but I guess I can share.

And another one -

You're BELLE from BEAUTY AND THE BEAST!
Warm, kind and caring, you always bring out the best in others, but tend to keep to yourself and a few close friends who you love dearly. You love books and dream of fairytale adventures. You know that beauty lies within and don't depend on looks alone. You think it's good to be individual and different to others, but don't go out of your way to be rebellious - you just naturally stand out. You're a strong person, but also ladylike and intelligent. You look forward to change. You'd definitely break the Beast's spell.

See? See?

I have a bookshelf full of books, too!

Aside from Belle, I also considered a few other possibilities for my profile picture. They are:

Little Lulu. I always watched this before. =)

Boo Boo Bear. ♥

Well, I mostly liked Scrappy Doo, but I just included the whole gang.

Little Foot and Cera from The Land Before Time.
My cousin's husband owned a video store before, and he'd let me borrow VHS's for free.
I watched all 13 TLBT movies (it's 13, right?) and I cried when Little Foot's mom died =(

The Addams Family. I like Cousin It, but I can't find a decent picture of him.

And lastly, Candace from Phineas and Ferb. She's so funny when she's trying to bust her brothers,
and I love it when she's making googly eyes at Jeremy. ♥

I tried looking for the Teddy Bear from Timeless Tales (anybody know about this?), but I couldn't find any. =(

So what about you guys? Reminisce, and share your childhood memories of your fave cartoons! =)

well, now i know

2010-12-03T09:27:00.007+08:00

I've always wondered about the abdominal pains I've been getting on and off since summer (or maybe way before that, I can't remember), and now, I finally know why I kept having them.

Yesterday morning, I went to Janz' Mom for an abdominal ultrasound, and when all my abdominal organs looked to be normal, she told me to return later that afternoon with a full bladder for a pelvic ultrasound. And I did. Return, I mean. With a full bladder to boot. I was to return at 4, so around half-past 2, I started drinking water at random intervals. And right before I leave, I finished drinking the remaining water in my bottle, all 300 ml of it.

So there I was, waiting for my ultrasound, fervently hoping there is nothing wrong with me. But there is, well, not entirely.

Turns out, I have a physiologic ovarian cyst. It's not as bad as it sounds. Physiological cysts usually disappear spontaneously within a few weeks or months. It's the waiting for it to disappear that's gonna suck, since it means I'll keep having pains while it's there.

I talked to Mom's OB friend on the phone, and she told me to observe it for a few weeks or so, and get another ultrasound then to see if it grew smaller or larger in size. She also advised me to go see an OB (I'd go to her, but she's old and retired) for a proper check up.

*sigh*

little miss hypochondriac, or not

2010-12-01T22:02:00.005+08:00

Whenever someone complains to me about the pains he/she is feeling, I'm always quick to dispense advice - be it as simple as taking an over-the-counter drug, or to the more tedious process of finding a doctor and getting a medical check-up. But the thing about giving advices is that you never seem to follow your own. Yes, I am a nurse who hates taking medications, and has to be coerced into going for a check-up when something is bothering me. I have nothing against doctors, needles, or laboratory exams - it's the results that I fear.

I am something of a hypochondriac -

Hypochondria is often characterized by fears that minor bodily symptoms may indicate a serious illness, constant self-examination and self-diagnosis, and a preoccupation with one's body. Many individuals with hypochondriasis express doubt and disbelief in the doctors' diagnosis, and report that doctors’ reassurance about an absence of a serious medical condition is unconvincing, or un-lasting. Many hypochondriacs require constant reassurance, either from doctors, family, or friends, and the disorder can become a disabling torment for the individual with hypochondriasis, as well as his or her family and friends. Some hypochondriacal individuals completely avoid any reminder of illness, whereas others frequently visit doctors’ offices. Other hypochondriacs will never speak about their terror, convinced that their fear of having a serious illness will not be taken seriously by those in whom they confide.

- Ok fine, so maybe not really. But I do have a penchant for thinking that my pains are something more serious, and I tend to diagnose myself with outrageous diseases.

Let me sight an example. There was a time when I had cough and colds, and a major headache. Carl and Jojo told me (as a joke) that I had TB Meningitis. And stupid me, I read all about it from my medical books, and I freaked out when I had most symptoms, and then I started to believe them. I never even stopped to think and consider that whatever I had is nothing more than just cough and colds. I was convinced I was dying, until Janz snapped me back to reality and scolded Carl and Jojo for convincing me about TB Menigitis.

I get a headache, I think I have a migraine. I get abdominal pains, I immediately think about appendicitis, salphingitis, diverticulosis, endometriosis, or worse, colon cancer. I once felt a lump in my breast (at least, I thought I did), and I thought about breast cancer. Turned out my breasts were just tender from the hormonal changes brought about by my impending menstrual period. God, am I paranoid or what?

The thing about studying Nursing is that you are privy to a lot of medical knowledge most people won't know about. You know which symptoms are indicative of a disease, and you know the possible complications that comes with it. If you're lucky (or unlucky, depends on how you view it), you also know how it can affect a person, because you've had/seen a patient saddled with it.

Anyway, back to me. I've been having right lower quadrant abdominal pains (usually indicative of appendicitis, but seeing as I never experienced fever, and no rebound tenderness upon palpation, I crossed it off my list) since last summer. My cousin asked me if I wanted to go see a doctor, but since I was busy with Crit Care then, I postponed it. Then my abdomen stopped bothering me, so I decided to forgo the check up. It comes and it goes, but it was tolerable, so I never really minded.

Until today. While my Mom and Dad were preparing to attend a wedding reception (I like weddings, but I decided not to go since, eventhough the groom is a relative, I don't know him personally, so why bother?), I was left to tend to our store until we close it at 6:30. It was during those times when I started to feel the now familiar sharp, stabbing pain at my lower abdomen, only this time it was more painful than before. I was toying with the idea of getting an ultrasound before, but I never really got to it. So i went up and told my Mom, and our conversation went like this:

Me: Mi, palagay mo kailangan ko na magpa-ultrasound?
Mom: Bakit?
Me: Kay yung tiyan ko gad sumasakit na naman. Summer pa to nag-start, pero since di man lagi masakit, pinabayaan mo lang.
Mom: Matagal na pala yan, ngayon ka lang nag-worry?
Me: Kay tolerable pa man.
Mom: Magaling ka din ano? Kanino ka papacheck up?
Me: Sa Mommy na lang ni Janelle. Sa clinic.
Mom: Oh sige, punta ka bukas.

That's how it is with my Mom. Straight to the point. No how-are-you-feeling-are-you-okay's with her, just okay-you're-hurt-what-are-you-gonna-do-about-it? But it doesn't mean she doesn't care, though. She'd show it in some other way, like tucking me in when I sleep (I love this, I feel like such a baby), buying me ice cream (oh, yeah, she does that), or cooking me my ultimate feel-better food - sinigang. I love sinigang, just thinking about it make me feel better already.

And so, that's the story of how I ended up with an appointment to go see Janz' Mom tomorrow. Janez told me I'm supposed to go on NPO, and I saw it as a challenge ("Challenge Accepted!" Barney-style), but then she said her Mom said that I SHOULD eat some crackers and drink a little water, which is a bummer.

I'm never one to follow orders, though, but I think I'll obey it this time. Not because I'm a good obedient child, but because I don't think I'll last 8 hours without shoving some sort of food down my throat.

recently read - november 2010

2010-12-01T15:51:00.005+08:00

You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page

and feel a little as if you have lost a friend. -Paul Sweeney

I just love to read. ♥

A Date With The Other Side - Erin McCarthy
Bridgerton Series (The Second Epilogue) - Julia Quinn
Under The Boardwalk (Costas Sisters 1) - Carly Phillips
Happy Ever After (Bride Quartet 4) - Nora Roberts
Hot Finish (Fast Track 3) - Erin McCarthy
Lola Carlyle Reveals All - Rachel Gibson
Love Letters From A Duke (Bachelor Chronicles 3) - Elizabeth Boyle
That Perfect Someone (Malory 10) - Johanna Lindsey
Memoirs of A Scandalous Red Dress (Bachelor Chronicles 5) - Elizabeth Boyle
Too Perfect (Perfect 3) - Julie Ortolon
The Book of Scandal (Scandalous 1) - Julia London
Highland Scandal (Scandalous 2) - Julia London
A Courtesan's Scandal (Scandalous 3) - Julia London
The Devil to Pay (MacLachlan 1) - Liz Carlyle
This Rake of Mine (Bachelor Chronicles 2) - Elizabeth Boyle
Smart Mouth - Erin McCarthy
Mr. Cavendish, I Presume (Wyndham 2) - Julia Quinn

ending november with a purpose

2010-11-30T19:45:00.004+08:00

I've been unemployed way too long, and no matter how much I ~~loved~~ liked being a bum (although it gets boring at times), I feel like it's time to end my really long vacation and finally start looking for work and doing something productive with my life.

After graduation, I gifted myself with a well-deserved it's-about-time-I-do-this vacation. It was something mega grand, because we (my cousin, nephews, and co-workers of my cousin who eventually became my friends, too) went on a road trip. We took the plane from Manila to Iloilo, from there it was Iloilo-Bacolod-Dumaguete. Then we went to Kuya Robert's hometown in Antique, a few hours' ride from Iloilo. We also visited Boracay for the nth time. It was freakin' awesome. Dumaguete has never been in my to-go list, but it was an awesome place, a place I'd like to visit again sometime in the future.

After my almost-two-months vacation (most of it was spent in Manila), I came back home to start reviewing for the Nursing Licensure Exam. It was torture, it's like being back in school, but it was much more fun, because there was no sectioning separating me from my closest friends. Plus we know most of the things they teach us, it was only a matter of remembering. My friends and I were always together, all 6 of us. We sit together, eat together, and here's the best part: we ditch review together. Ahh.. Those were the days. We'd leave, go watch a movie, or play games at Tom's World. Such fun times. Then the board exam drew nearer, and even laughter and bonding moments with friends didn't ease mounting pressure of the upcoming exams. And the big day finally arrived. God, it was such a relief when it was finally over. I was so happy, I felt free.

So free that Jojo, Cha and I went to Davao, along with Cha's parents. Cha and I went to take the NMAT (National Medical Admissions Test), but with plans to explore and see the city, too. It was such a nice place, clean and safe. We enjoyed our stay so much that we planned to return some other time.

Finally, 2010 came. And days went by, with me not thinking about the exam I took that much (I planned to study Medicine then, but my plans went poof). Anyway, with my Medicine plans on hold, it began to sink it that I need to care about the board results since it'll be my fallback job it I don't push through my plans. So the anxiety started again, but thank God I was among the 39,000+ who were blessed. I was so glad I passed, I was jumping up and down when I broke the news to my Mom and Dad.

You'd think that after passing the board and getting my license, I'd start looking for a job or starting as a volunteer at a hospital, but no. I stayed a bum. I even accompanied my Mom to Manila, and while she attended a convention, I was out with friends. It was when I first met my Sigaw Sisters Krissy and Ate Cess.

Then April, I went on our annual vacation, it was glorious Palawan this time. Sun, sea, sand - it couldn't be more perfect for a beach and nature lover like me.

After that vacation, I finally started doing something that would benefit me, and most definitely my future. I took an Intravenous Therapy Training, and then a Critical Care Course at Philippine Heart Center. For 2 months, I was busy. It's like I'm a student again, and it kept my days occupied, and I was glad for it.

I was bummed when it ended. I was glad to be back home, but it started to fade days after I came back, because I have nothing to fill my days. If it's possible to die of boredom, I'd be dead by now.

So I made a promise to myself to end it all now. This December I'll work really hard to find something - be it a full-time or part-time job. I'll even settle for volunteering for a while, as long as I get to do something nursing-related. I planned on studying Culinary for a while, but the tuition is more than I'm willing to let my parents pay. They already gave so much, it's time to do something and try giving back, little by little.

God is with me. Hopefully, His plans for me included a job in the near future. ♥

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 1

2010-11-19T18:41:00.003+08:00

Synopsis (may contain spoilers): The film opens as Hermione and Harry simultaneously prepare to begin searching for and destroying Voldemort's Horcruxes. Meanwhile, Severus Snape arrives at Malfoy Manor and tells Voldemort when the Order will move Harry from Privet Drive. Voldemort borrows Lucius Malfoy's wand to avoid doing battle with twin wands and murders Charity Burbage, Professor of Muggle Studies at Hogwarts.

The Order arrives to meet Harry, and six others, which include Ron, Hermione, Fred and George Weasley, Fleur Delacour, and Mundungus Fletcher, to take Polyjuice Potion to become Harry's doppelgängers. Harry and the six copies leave Privet Drive paired with a protector, with the real Harry riding with Hagrid on his flying motorcycle. They are intercepted almost immediately by Death Eaters, and the pairs scatter. Voldemort appears, but Harry's wand defeats Voldemort's borrowed one and they arrive safely at the Burrow. All but Mad-Eye Moody, who was killed in the skirmish by Voldemort, and Mundungus, who disapparated when he saw Voldemort, arrive after, but George has a bad head wound from a curse Snape conjured. Ron convinces Harry to remain at the Burrow until after Bill and Fleur's wedding, before leaving to find and destroy the Horcruxes.

Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour arrives at the Burrow and distributes the items from Dumbledore's last will and testament to Ron (the Deluminator), Hermione (personal copy of "The Tales of Beetle the Bard"), and Harry (the first Snitch Harry caught and the missing Sword of Gryffindor). During the wedding, Harry sees Xenophilius Lovegood and notices a strange symbol on his necklace. Harry talks to Elphias Dodge, one of Dumbledore's old friends, and Ron's Aunt Muriel, a gossiper, and learns that the Dumbledore family once lived in Harry's hometown, Godric's Hollow. A Patronus message sent by Kingsley Shacklebolt appears and warns that the Ministry has fallen, Scrimgeour is dead, and that "they are coming". Death Eaters appear, and Harry, Ron and Hermione disapparate to London.

Taking refuge in a cafe, they discuss their immediate plans, but before they can leave two Death Eaters arrive. The trio win the duel and escape to Grimmauld Place, where they discover that Regulus Arcturus Black, Sirius' younger brother, is the R.A.B. from the false locket found at the end of Half-Blood Prince. Kreacher reveals that the real locket was in the house, but Mundungus took it when he looted Grimmauld Place. Harry sends Kreacher to retrieve Mundungus, who explains that Umbridge extorted it from him in return for not revoking his peddler's license. They plan to break into the Ministry, now under the eye of Death Eaters, to recover it.

They capture and impersonate three Ministry members and enter, but are quickly split up: Hermione to the courtrooms with Umbridge to witness a false trial, Ron to the Head of Magical Law Enforcement's (Death Eater Yaxley's) office to deal with a lingering rainstorm charm, and Harry is left free to wander since he serendipitously copied the Death Eater Runcorn. Harry finds Umbridge's office, but not the locket, and makes his way down to courtroom, joined by Ron. They and Hermione stun Umbridge and take back the locket, and attempt to leave the Ministry. However, their Polyjuice Potion wears off, and during the battle to Floo away, Yaxley catches hold of them as they appear at Grimmauld Place.

Since they can no longer safely hide there with Yaxley now a Secret-Keeper, Hermione apparates them away to a forest. Ron gets splinched in the process, preventing the group from leaving their location until he recovers. They attempt to destroy the locket, but it proves indestructible to their magic, so they are forced to take turns wearing it despite its negative effect on their morale. While wearing it, Harry sees a vision of Voldemort interrogating and killing Gregorovitch the wand-maker, and going off in search of a mysterious teenage wizard that Gregorovitch said robbed his shop many years ago.

As they apparate around the countryside to camp in secluded places, Ron becomes increasingly suspicious that Harry and Hermione are becoming more than friends. While wearing the locket, he overhears Hermione discover that, if they can find the Sword of Gryffindor they can use it to destroy the Horcruxes. This realization that they must find yet another thing they don't know the location of, coupled with his increasing suspicion and resentment, drives him to leave the group and return home. Harry and Hermione are forced to teleport away, leaving Ron no way to return even if he wished to. Hermione takes his exit very badly, so Harry dances with her to a song on the radio to cheer her up--but the romantic situation is too much for Hermione, and she reverts to her sad mood.

Harry decides to visit Godric's Hollow, both to return there for the first time since Voldemort attacked him and to try and meet Bathilda Bagshot, a magical historian who "knew the Dumbledores better than anyone". They find the church graveyard, and Hermione discovers that a man named Ignotus Peverell's tombstone features the same symbol on Lovegood's necklace and in Dumbledore's book. Harry discovers his parent's gravestone, and an old woman approaches them while they pay their respects. Harry guesses that the woman is Bagshot, and they follow her to her home. Harry sees a picture of the teen from Gregorovitch's memory, and Bagshot takes him to the attic while Hermione wanders downstairs. She finds signs of a bloody attack, and realizes that the real Bagshot must be dead; the woman with Harry decomposes before his eyes into Voldemort's snake Nagini, and after a fight Harry and Hermione escape with the only casualty being Harry's wand. Hermione says that the teen from Gregorovitch's memory is Gellert Grindelwald.

In the forest where they spend the night, Harry sees a patronus doe while keeping watch, and follows it to a frozen pond. He discovers the Sword of Gryffindor at the bottom, but as he swims to reach it the locket goes berserk and attempts to drown him. Ron appears and saves him, grabbing the sword, and Harry convinces Ron to try and destroy the Horcrux. When Harry opens the locket using parseltongue, a monstrous black cloud erupts and shows Ron terrible visions--spiders, a ghostly Harry telling Ron that Mrs. Weasley wanted him for a son, and a ghostly Hermione mocking him and asking why she would choose Ron over The Chosen One, and the two forms begin kissing. Ron angrily attacks the locket with the sword, destroying the Horcrux, and the two return to the tent. Hermione is furious with Ron for leaving and returning like nothing happened, but the trio decide to visit Mr. Lovegood to find out about the symbol.

At the Lovegood house, Mr. Lovegood teaches them about the Deathly Hallows--an invincible Elder Wand, a Resurrecting Stone, and an Invisibility Cloak--and tells them the story of the three Peverell Brothers, who possessed the items. When the group attempts to leave, Mr. Lovegood reveals that the Death Eaters have taken Luna, and he must keep them there until they arrive to see his daughter again. They escape in the ensuing attack, but disapparate back to a former campground, where a group of Snatchers are waiting to capture them and take them to the Ministry. Hermione uses a Stinging Hex to disfigure Harry's face, but when the Snatchers see Harry's scar through the swelling they instead take the group to Malfoy Manor to collect a reward that was set for Harry.

Since the Malfoys and Bellatrix cannot be sure that the disfigured person is Harry, despite the fact that he is travelling with Ron and Hermione, they refrain from summoning Voldemort until the swelling dies down. However, Bellatrix sees the Sword of Gryffindor, which she believes resides in her vault at Gringott's Bank. She imprisons Harry and Ron in the cellar, where they find Luna, Ollivander, and a goblin; Bellatrix tortures Hermione to try to find out how they stole the sword. Wormtail takes the goblin upstairs to be interrogated, and Harry summons Dobby, who frees Luna and Ollivander before breaking Harry and Ron out. They go to rescue Hermione and the goblin, but despite winning the duels with Dobby's help, Bellatrix throws a knife that stabs and kills Dobby as they disapparate. Harry gives Dobby a proper burial on the beach where they appear.

The movie ends with Voldemort opening Dumbledore's tomb and taking the Elder Wand.

Rating: 5/5

Comments: Definitely worth waking up early for to watch the first showing on opening day, and more! Best ever HP for me, way better than expected. I'm so glad they didn't cram everything into one movie.

They made some changes, but it didn't do anything to change any vital details, so all is well. There were some details omitted, though, and I didn't like it, but hey, I'm not the director. But I still wished they followed the dialogues from the book. Jojo and I kept quoting lines straight from the book (yes, we are that much fanatics), line we thought (and hoped) they'd say.

I got a bit teary eyed when Hedwig and Dobby (sob, sob) died. It's not like I wasn't expecting it, but damn, I loved those two characters. And Dobby looked so cute in the movie, it's sad that's it'll be the last time I'm seeing him.

Bellatrix, however, was so freakin awesome! She's really my favorite Death Eater - both in the book and the movie - with Snape coming close in second. Her roles doesn't give her much screening time, but hell, it's always memorable. It'll suck to see her get killed off in the last movie.

My favorite part would be when Harry was coaxing Hermione to dance.. Not much of a scene, but very memorable because during that time I was trying to drink water, and ended up laughing when I saw Harry. Water shot up through my nose, and the front of my blouse was dripping wet. LOL

Anyway, for those who haven't watch the movie yet, I suggest you do. Soon. =)

the big day

2010-11-18T07:09:00.006+08:00

It's been a tradition for me and my fellow Dementeds (plus a few other people we've included as part of the group by default) to watch Harry Potter movies on it's first day of showing together. It started during the fifth movie, so this'll be the third time we're doing this.

We're all die-hard HP fans (hence the name Demented Eaters, taken from the Death Eaters, because we are ~~a bit~~ demented, and we all like to eat), and watching HP movies is 10x more the fun with them. I remember the time we watched OotP, it was like we owned the moviehouse, we kept cheering on the characters (especially Neville) during the scene at the Ministry. It was helluva fun.

And now.. It's time for another one! The second to the last one. I'll be sad when the last installment of the HP series is shown next year, the same way I got sad when the last HP book was released. Looking forward to more HP has always been a part of me, and it'll still be, for the last time next year. Then I'll just re-read the books, and watch the movies all over again.

I can't believe it's been 13 years since the first book was released, and 10 years since the first movie was shown. It's also been 3 years since the last book (sob, sob) was out, and I hope J.K. Rowling have more Harry Potter stories up her sleeve. I, for one, am not ready to say goodbye to Harry and the gang forever.

Too bad Bellatrix died, though. She remains to be my favorite Death Eater. ^^

The long wait is over..

This is it! ^^

Can't wait to see the Death Eaters!
(Yes, I've crossed over to the Dark Side)

My Favorite Death Eater, Bellatrix ^^

Voldy leads the pack =P

idiotic quotes, part one

2010-11-13T01:08:00.003+08:00

I already posted this on my FB, I just felt like posting it here. I'm fond of remembering whatever funny, stupid, crazy, (or all of the above) quotes that my friends blurt out without them meaning to. Sometimes I just overhear stuff, and I kinda collect them, too. People should be careful what they say around me. LOL

Ma'am C: "Women are like flat iron. You have to slowly make them hot."

Ma'am D: "Sthoap sthuds."

Ma'am M (sa ward, in front of the patient, the SO & all): "Patyun ta ka!!!"

Me: "Bahala na mahulog, basta busog."

Anj: "Snvrshwevrshversnvrsshwevrsnor."

Ate Agnes: "Bahala na mahulog basta mahamot."

Gaia: "We're rich!"

Janz: "Me like *toot*. Me wanna text him, but me texted you instead. So me like you too!"

Moi (asking about something censored): "Is it really that good?"
Janz: "Yeah boy!"

Janz: "Did you know that life has a cord? It's called the umbilical cord!"

Anj (to Janz and Me): "Why don't you just become lesbians together?"

Gaia: "You know how selfish we rich people are."

Cha: "Kay anooooo? Litik diri?" (in a high-pitched, gayish voice)

Janz: "..they're like two creams in a pod!"

Janz: "I don't want to marry a guy obstetrician, because what if they get tired looking at *censored*? I don't want him to get tired looking at it!"

Anj: "I look puerto rican? (amazed face). I look puerto rican! (proud face)."

Me: "How to grow big boobs?"
Janz: "You rub them with tissue paper."

Me: "I'm a growing girl. I need coins!"

Keng: "Debt of my intestines!" (Translation: "Utang na loob!")

Jojo: "Wheelbarrow! Wheelbarrow!" (with action)

Jojo: "Let's do frottage and effleurage at the same time!"

Ishan: "I love Valium! Hweeh! I love the power! Spell it with me! V-A-L-I-U-M!"

Ruel: "Fayalite means fight, fight, fight!"

Jihan: "Kita na mga Chinese.."

Jojo: "How would you introduce yourself to someone you've seen half-naked in pictures?"
Me: "Hi! I'm (insert name here). I saw you half-naked. Can I see the other half?"

Ma’am Nicole: “Diri pa na-activate it iya neurons asya diri pa hiya naka-interpret hit mga stimulus (i.e. janelle).”

Janz: “Yummy man your sapit!” (pertaining to *toot*)

Paul: "Smile and the world is round."

Jojo: "He doesn't eat pork eh. I'm pork!"

Keng: Mag-asawa ngan ak, gusto ko tak asawa bayot.
Me: Huh? Kay?
Keng: Coz I'll make him a man.

Me: How do you picture yourself 10 years from now?
Kenj: Me, I'm on the top of a billboard.. About to jump.

Cha (talking about ****): "Once matilawan niya hi Cha, magiging lalaki hiya."

Brian: "Are you drugs?"

May: "Haggardness is next to ugliness."

Me: (singing Just Stand Up. Very out of tune.)
Anj: Bel, what did you eat today?
Me: I don't know. I pooped them all out.

Janz: "People who have boobs, have power."

Anj: A child a day is another laceration.

Janz: The best things in life come as copy/paste.

Me: What's up with you guys dancing in your underwear?
My nephew: It's a genetic disorder.

Janz (to me): You can do driving! Just remember: do not hit people and cars have feelings to!

Krizzy: Sometimes I love you. Sometimes I hate you. Sometimes I nosebleed.

Anj: My big is not hole. No, wait. My hole is not big.
Janz: Do not say that in public.

Janz: *Sighs* If I only had a brain.. Oh, wait! I meant books!

Janz: Anu pa daw an katikangan han "Sana Maulit Muli"?
Bel (singing): Sana maulit muli..

recently read - june to october 2010

2010-11-12T23:42:00.005+08:00

Because I love to read.

Instead of individual books reviews on books that really caught my attention, I decided to just list all the books I've read. I'll do monthly booklists after this. It's to keep track of what I've read, and just because I like making lists. And yeah, I know it's a lot, but I swear I read them all.

Ever since me and my friends Jelai and Jen discovered mobile eBooks, we've been downloading and reading and recommending books to each other. It's a pleasure to read, bjut it's even better when you have friends who share the same love. ♥

Of course, nothing beats the feeling of holding a real book and flipping the pages with your fingers, but I'm currently low on budget (note to self: seek employment) so I'm sticking to eBooks for a while. Not reading is ~~not~~ never an option.

Elizabeth Boyle
How I Met My Countess (Bachelor Chronicles 6)
Mad A bout the Duke (Bachelor Chronicles 7)

Susan Mallery
Delicious (The Buchanans, Book 1)Irresistible (The Buchanans, Book 2)
Sizzling (The Buchanans, Book 3)
Tempting (The Buchanans, Book 4)
Sweet Talk (Keyes Sisters 1)
Sweet Spot (Keyes Sisters 2)
Sweet Trouble (Keyes Sisters 3)
Under Her Skin (Lone Star Sisters 1)
Lip Service (Lone Star Sisters 2)
Straight from the Hip (Lone Star Sisters 3)
Hot on Her Heels (Lone Star Sisters 4)

Rick Riordan
The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus 1)
The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles 1)

Janice Maynard
By Appointment Only
Hot Mail
Mating Game

Carly Phillips
The Bachelor (The Chandler Brothers, Book 1)
The Playboy (The Chandler Brothers, Book 2)
The Heartbreaker (The Chandler Brothers, Book 3)
Cross My Heart (Ty and Hunter, Book 1)
Sealed with a Kiss (Ty and Hunter, Book 2)

Erin McCarthy
Flat-Out Sexy (Fast Track 1)
Hard and Fast (Fast Track 2)

Kristan Higgins
Just One Of The Guys

Sarah Mason
Playing James

Kate Brian
Ex-Mas

Courtney Summers
Some Girls Are
Cracked Up to Be

Janet Evanovich
One for the Money (Stephanie Plum 1)
Two for the Dough (Stephanie Plum 2)
Three to Get Deadly (Stephanie Plum 3)
Four to Score (Stephanie Plum 4)
High Five (Stephanie Plum 5)
Hot Six (Stephanie Plum 6)
Seven Up (Stephanie Plum 7)
Hard Eight (Stephanie Plum 8)
Visions of Sugar Plums
Full House (Max Holt 1)

Jill Mansell
Falling For You
An Offer You Can't Refuse

Jenna Bayley-Burke
Compromising Positions

Lurlene McDaniel
Breathless

Janette Rallison
Just One Wish

Sarah Dessen
This Lullaby
Just Listen

Amanda Howells
The Summer of Skinny Dipping

Lynsay Sands
Born to Bite (Argeneau 13)

Nicholas Sparks
Safe Haven

Julia Quinn
Further Observations Of Lady Whistledown

Rachel Gibson
Sex, Lies and Online Dating (Sex, Lies and Online Dating 1)
I'm In No Mood For Love (Sex, Lies and Online Dating 2)
Tangled Up In You (Sex, Lies and Online Dating 3)
Simply Irresistible (Chinooks Hockey Team 1)
See Jane Score (Chinooks Hockey Team 2)
The Trouble With Valentine's Day (Chinooks Hockey Team 3)
Nothing But Trouble (Chinooks Hockey Team 5)

Emily Giffin
Baby Proof
Something Borrowed
Something Blue

Lauren Oliver
Before I Fall

Michael Palmer
The Patient
The Fifth Vial

Elizabeth Lowell
The Secret Sister

Tess Gerritsen
Gravity
Keeping The Dead

Dani Sinclair
Somebody's Baby

Julia London
Material Girl (Lear Family 1)
Beauty Queen (Lear Family 2)
Miss Fortune (Lear Family 3)
The Hazards of Hunting a Duke (Desperate Debutantes 1)
The Perils of Pursuing a Prince (Desperate Debutantes 2)
The Dangers of Deceiving a Viscount (Desperate Debutantes 3)

Jennifer Crusie
Strange Bedpersons
Bet Me

J.D. Robb
Creation in Death (In Death 30)

Anne Gracie
The Perfect Rake (Merridew Sisters 1)
The Perfect Waltz (Merridew Sisters 2)
The Perfect Stranger (Merridew Sisters 3)
The Perfect Kiss (Merridew Sisters 4)
The Stolen Princess (Devil Riders 1)
His Captive Lady (Devil Riders 2)
To Catch a Bride (Devil Riders 3)

Jodi Picoult
Change of Heart
Mercy
Nineteen Minutes
House Rules

Nora Roberts
Savour The Moment (Bride Quartet 3)

Annette Blair
The Kitchen Witch (Accidental Witch 1)
My Favorite Witch (Accidental Witch 2)

Tamara Lejeune
The Heiress in Her Bed

Mary Balogh
First Comes Marriage

Hell yeah. XD

maid of honor

2010-11-08T16:07:00.002+08:00

My cousin just asked me to be her Maid of Honor on her wedding this coming February. What does a Maid of Honor do? I was content on being one of her bridesmaids.. What changed?

But whatever. That aside, I'm so excited for her. I wish her nothing but happiness. And lotsa babies (one who is gonna appear sometime next year). ^^

the soundtrack of my life

2010-11-08T15:43:00.002+08:00

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?

So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc).
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press play.
4. For every question, type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button.
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool.

opening credits:
= Cannon in D Hiphop - I was hoping for something more dramatic.. Like maybe the theme of The Phantom of the Opera. LOL

waking up:
= The Art of Letting Go (Mikaila) - Letting go of what? My pillows?

first day of school:
= Party in the USA(Miley Cyrus) - I doubt it. The first day of school has never been a party.

falling in love:
= Lead Me Lord (Gary V.) - Lead me to the one who'll love me forever? LOL

fight song:
= Delete You (Ashley Tisdale) - Coz we're fighting, I'ma delete you from my life. Harsh much?

breaking up:
= Beat It (Michael Jackson) - More like Beat Him. Hahaha

prom:
= I Don't Want To Miss A Thing (David Cook) - Of course.

life's just ok:
= Lost In Love (Air Supply) - I can't connect it.

mental breakdown:
= Something Beautiful (Needtobreathe) - Is a mental breakdown something beautiful?

driving:
= I'm Gonna Live Forever (Fame OST) - No need to drive safely!

flashback:
= Seasons of Love (Rent OST) - 525,600 minutes.. =P

getting back together:
= Baby/Never Let You Go Mash-Up (Ahmir & J. Rice) - Could be. =)

birth of child:
= Telephone (Lady Gaga Ft. Beyonce) - WTH?

wedding:
= Gotta Go My Own Way (Hish School Musical 2 OST) - How can this be?

finale battle:
= Total Eclipse of the Heart (Glee Cast) - LOL

death scene:
= Cry (Rihanna) - I wouldn't be crying.. Coz I'd be dead.

funeral song:
= Like A Prayer (Glee Cast) - Praying for my soul?

end credits:
= She Doesn't Get It (The Format) - Huh?

eating:
= Ever Ever After (Carrie Underwood) - My fairy tale ends with me eating.

shower:
= Think Of Me (The Phantom of the Opera OST) - Think of me while I'm showering? Eeew.

bath:
= Evacuate The Dance Floor (Cascada Ft. Carlprit) - Hahahaha

car chase:
= Thriller (Michael Jackson) - Booyah!!!

while having sex:
= Take Me Out Of The Dark (Gary V.) - Ayaw sa madilim. Hahaha

emo scene:
= If I Were A Boy (Beyonce) - Oh yeah.

sleeping:
= Glory of Love (Chicago) - Yeah, this song will definitely make me sleep.

crying:
= Where Are You Now (Honor Society) - Hmmmmm.

during class:
= Dirty Picture (Taio Cruz Ft. Ke$ha) - I think this is inappropriate. LOL

while fixing up:
= When You're Good To Mama (Chicago OST) - Mama's gonna fix you. Hahaha

goodbye:
= Love Game (Lady GaGa) - What?

song for hugs:
= I Swear (Boyz II Men) - I don't get it. Hahaha

song for kisses:
= What It Feels Like For A Girl (Glee Cast) - LOL Is it different for a boy? =D

Megamind

2010-11-08T15:39:00.001+08:00

Synopsis (may contain spoilers): As two alien worlds were sucked into a black hole, each one sent out an alien infant to Earth. One lands in a wealthy mansion; he would be cheered and loved, and would grow up to the superhero Metro Man. The other lands in a prison; misunderstood and maltreated despite his best efforts, he is classed as a villain and would go on to become the criminal Megamind.

All is as usual in Metro City: the town felicitates is hero Metro Man with the inauguration of a museum dedicated to him, when it is interrupted by the appearance of Megamind, who announces that he has (once again) kidnapped Metro Mans girlfriend, the reporter Roxanne Ritchi, and dares Metro Man to rescue her. Metro Man sets off to rescue Roxanne, but when all seems to be going well, Metro Man collapses in an observatory lined with copper. He states that copper is his only weakness to an incredulous Megamind, who fires a laser that incinerates Metro Man, leaving only his outfit behind. Megamind has fulfilled the supervillains dream: he has vanquished the superhero, and Metro City is now his to take over!

Megamind revels in the joy of victory and domination over Metro City, but as time passes he gets bored and depressed, and realizes that his life as a supervillain has become pointless and meaningless without having a superhero to fight. He pays his respects at the Metro Man Museum, disguised as Bernard the museum curator; there he meets Roxanne, and the two develop an attraction to each other. This causes issues with Megaminds henchman Minion, who wants to be the perfect villains henchman and cant let romance ruin Megaminds villainy.

Megamind decides to create a superhero to fight, and extracts Metro Mans DNA from his cape to create a super-serum. This serum is ingested by Hal Stewart, Roxannes hapless cameraman, and grants him superpowers. Megamind works on anonymously making Hal into Metro Mans successor Titan, while at the same time he cultivates a romance with Roxanne in his disguise as Bernard. Megamind gets into an argument with Minion over the romance, which ends in Minion quitting because he thinks Megamind doesnt need him anymore; and at a romantic dinner with Roxanne, the Bernard disguise is exposed, causing Roxanne to outright reject him as a villain.

Heartbroken and friendless, Megamind does what supervillains do: take out their frustrations in a rampage on the city and a battle with a superhero. But Megaminds riot goes on without appearance from Titan, and eventually Megamind has to head to Hals apartment to pick him up. There, he discovers that Titan has decided to shirk heroics in favour of being a villain, which is less work and more fun. Titan offers a partnership with Megamind, who refuses and reveals his part in Titans creation. A furious fight follows between Megamind and an enraged Titan, who proves unstoppable; even when Megamind uses a copper capsule, Titan breaks out. Metro Man barely survives, and Titan proclaims himself Metro Citys new supervillain.

Wondering how Titan, who has Metro Mans DNA, could be invulnerable to copper when the original Metro Man said he wasnt, Megamind theorizes that Metro Man might still be alive, and drags a reluctant Roxanne into his quest to find Metro Man. The hunch proves correct; Metro Man is alive and well in his secret base. The bad news Metro Man has retired and refuses to return to heroics. He explains that, similar to Megamind, he was classed into his role as a superhero and had gotten sick and tired of it; he thus faked his death so that he could be what he always wanted to be, a musician. Metro Man, backed up by Roxanne, ask that Megamind become the new hero, but he refuses, saying hes condemned to be a supervillain for life and that he is beyond redemption.

Megamind sends himself to prison, and there he sees a TV broadcast from Titan, who has captured Roxanne and tied her to the top of a skyscraper. Roxanne begs Megamind to be the hero Metro City needs; this, coupled with Minions return to stand by his friend, inspires Megamind to escape prison and rescue Roxanne. A fierce battle follows, where Megamind finally manages to strip Titan of his powers, turning him back into Hal.

The film ends with Hal in Megaminds prison cell, while Megamind himself is felicitated as Metro Citys new hero, with his own museum, approval from a disguised Metro Man and love from Roxanne Ritchi.

Rating: 4/5

Comments: It's worth a watch, if you have kids, or a grown-up who's a child at heart and enjoys watching cartoons despite your age. Good humor is scattered all throughout the whole movie. Jokes are original and they have lines that can guarantee to get a laugh out of you. All in all, it was a very entertaining movie. ^^

Quotes:

Megamind: All men must choose between two paths. Good is the path of honour, friends and family. Evil... well, it's just cooler. Hit it!

Megamind: You've been blessed with unfathomable powers.
Hal: What kind of power?
Megamind: Unfathomable. It's like, uh, without fathom..

dead tired x.x

2010-10-30T21:10:00.003+08:00

At the risk of sounding like a spoiled, pampered princess, I must say, I hate it when our maid goes home. Ever since I was a kid, we always had a maid, and maybe I got a teeny bit spoiled. But it doesn't mean I can't do household chores if I needed to. I just don't want to, coz that's just how lazy I am.

I slept around 5 AM today, coz Lex, Jojo, Kim, and Raymon were here until past 4 AM. Kim passed by around 6 last night, and we both went to Rob together. While we waited for Jojo and Lex, we bought movie tickets for White House, and went grocery shopping. Because who does movie marathons without junk foods, right? Movie starts at 7:15, and the line at the grocery was so long, and by the time Lex and Jojo got there, we were rushing to buy something to munch on while watching. We opted for popcorns and hotdogs, typical movie house foods, and rushed in. And then the movie started, so I tried to focus on my popcorn.

I'm not a fan of horror movies, even thrillers and suspense, because I am a scaredy-cat. Yes, I admit it, and I'm proud of it. I seldom watch horror flicks, and I rarely watch them on the big screen. Mostly I give in due to peer pressure, but I find ways to amuse myself while inside the cinema. Last time my friends dragged me to watch the latest The Grudge movie, I plugged in my earphone, cranked up the volume, and spent the whole movie reading Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol on eBook.

So it's a big step up for me to agree watching White House without any pressure at all. I don't really mind, as long as I got to eat and close my eyes - plus it gives me lotsa reasons to cuddle up to Bf during the movie. ♥

Anyway, the movie wasn't even that scary.. It has its moments , though. Especially when you hear that creey, overused music destined to make your heart race as you anticipate.. Something. But then, nothing happens, then your heart rate slows.. Then the music plays again. It's a vicious cycle. We found humor, though. I don't know if it was really funny, or it was just a defense mechanism to keep ourselves detached from all those talks about the Black Lady. Whatever it is, I was glad for it.

After the movie, we waited for Raymon. Lex had a few errands to run, then we went for a bite. After eating, we all came back to my place for some DVD marathon. We ended up watching Case 39, half of Letters to Juliet, and White Chicks.

They all left at half-past 4, and I fell asleep around 5 AM. I woke up exactly 12, in time for lunch, and I never got any rest after that.

First, I went to my cousin's to welcome my aunt home. Dichi and Koa came home in time for All Soul's Day, as they do every year. And since Dichi just came back from the States, I got new perfumes and lotions, plus a Nine West sling bag. I ♥ Nine West, and I ♥ sling bags, so it's perfect. Then, when I got back home, I had to help my Mom pack for her 5-day trip to Bacolod and Bohol. My Mom is not a light traveler, so I had to be the one to control her urges to pack everything. While helping Mom, I was doing the laundry. And around 6 Pm, I went with Mom to Duptours, where she took a van to Ormoc. Came home in time to close our store, and cook my Dad and me dinner. Fed my dogs, ate dinner, and after that, it was dishwashing time. Then I had to scrub our floor with Lysol, because my stupid dog peed on it, even though we've been trying to train him not to. Tomorrow, I have to open our store.. Do the laundry, and some ironing.

I've been doing our chores for almost a week now. I'm so freakin tired, I just wanna curl up in bed and sleep for a long time. Zzzzzzz..

playing uno was the highlight of our night =P

2010-10-15T23:05:00.004+08:00

Went out the other night with friends. What was supposed to be just dinner turned out to be one of the best nights ever.

I was with Jen the whole afternoon, we went ~~window~~ shopping, then ordered take out and came back to my place. Jojo soon came around past 5, and we lay in bed, ate corn, and mostly just talked. Kim and Mon came by to pick us up around 7, then we went by to get Lex, and since Kim was craving for some streetside barbecue, we decided to eat at Manang's. We chatted about nonsense stuff while we waited for our food to be served, and then we ate with gusto.

After eating, we drove around without any plans on where to go, and we ended up visiting Raymon's pets. I wanted to see Kreus because I've been pegging him as a potential mate for my Rixia. We stayed for a while, because the rain won't let up. Jojo, Kim and I began quizzing Jenny about different Nursing topics to help her prepare for this coming Nursing Board.

Then we ended up going to Cafe Lucia.

And that's where the fun really began. We played Uno, and I don't know how it happened, but we all conspired against Lex. It's not really a matter of who wins, just as long as Lex loses. we all laughed so hard whenever me or Kim drops a Draw4 card, and he just mouths off foul words. We played for more than an hour, and the laughter just never stopped. Cafe Lucia closes at 12, but it waits until the last customer leaves, and around 12 past we decided to go since we were the only ones around.

We dropped Jenny home, then Jojo. And suddenly Lex remembered that Kim wanted to drink Tanduay Ice, so I texted Jojo to wait for us coz we're going back, then dropped by Karry to buy some chips and the drinks. We headed back for Jojo, picked him up, and went to McArthur. We drank TanIce, talked about serious stuff, goofed around, listened to waves crashing to the shore. We headed home around past 2 in the morning.

It was an amazing night, made even more amazing by great friends.

mother-daughter day, shopping, christmas trees..

2010-10-12T11:37:00.004+08:00

What more could a girl ask for? =)

Last Sunday, my Mom and I went of for some mother-daughter time. We went to the mall with the hopes of cooling ourselves as it was so hot outside, and to find a gift for my latest inaanak-to-be, Baby Alleena, the little girl of my dear friend Shyn.

Anyway, after we finally decided what to give for Alleena's christening, my Mom and I wandered around. We ended up buying 3 shirts, 2 shorts and a pair of jeans from Whatever! for me. Then my Mom spotted this sale/buy-1-take-1-on-selected-items crap; she is a sucker for sales and discounts. Mom chose tons of shirts while I was at the next stall buying a bottle of cheap imitation of Clinique Happy Heart. It's one of my favorite scents, and the very expensive bottle I got from my cousin a few Christmases back was long gone. So I'm limited to buying imitations, not that I mind since I get to save money and they both smell the same, branded or not.

So while my attention was on perfumes, my Mom was picking out jeans for me, and she bought me 3 skinny jeans, something I don't really wear coz I think they make me look more skinny than I already am. But hey, I'll take whatever I can get. And one come with a lavander belt, and I love jeans that comes with a belt. I also picked one pair of Bermuda shorts while waiting for my Mom to finish.

My shorts =)

Skinny jeans, Bermuda shorts, and the cheap Happy Heart ^^

Statement tees from Whatever! ♥

We were both tired from walking around, but we both enjoyed the day. We also had a good laugh from it because just as we were to ride the Multicab home, my Mom's sandal broke and I had to run to the department store to buy her a pair of slippers. Poor Mom, people were staring at us. Doesn't matter though, it's not as if they know us. LOL

When we got home, I ate dinner fast then got started on decorating Christmas trees. I was supposed to put them up last month, but I couldn't find where we store them. We have four trees at out house. One at the sala, one at the kitchen/dining area, one at our pharmacy, and one at my room (because I like looking at it).

Christmas is fast approaching, and I am so effing excited! I get a smile whenever I go to stores or restaurants and hear them playing Christmas songs. Santa I'll be good, please send me lotsa presents =)

Say hello to our trees =)

I love my camera's Color Accent feature ♥

catching up on blogging

2010-09-29T10:50:00.007+08:00

It's been a while.. And with so many things to blog about, I think I'll just skip to the highlights. So.. My internet still sucks.. Ever since I had our Globelines DSL disconnected way back, I've been demoted to using SmartBro and Globe Tattoo, depending on which one has load. For a girl who got used to unlimited fast internet, this is such a drawback. But our Globelines internet kept having problems, and everytime I called their customer service hotline, they kept telling me they's send a technician over but nobody came. I called several times, they tell me the same thing, nothing happened. I got fed up, went to Globelines to get our line disconnected, and no more DSL the next day.

My Dad's thinking about getting a BayanTel internet connection. He's been talking about it since last last week, and I hope to get it connected today. *fingers crossed*

Anyway.. I've been feeling really, really down these past few days. I miss school, review and Crit.. Because during those days I wake up each day knowing what I'm supposed to do. Now I feel like I'm floating and I can't get my feet to touch the ground. I'm floundering. I'm bored, and I hate being idle. I'm a lot of things right now, things I can't even explain. I've been crying a lot.. And just when I think my tear ducts are all dried out, I cry some more.

Then I've been fighting with the BF more often these days, too. It's like the Universe is out to get me.

So with the way I'm currently feeling, I turn to the number 1 thing that would always cheer me up, no matter what - reading. So far I've read all books I've bought during my 3rd to the last day in Manila. I spent most of my remaining money on these babies. On impulse. Talk about self-control. Apart from these, I also read Nicholas Sparks' Safe Haven, Janette Rallison's Just One Wish, Sarah Dessesn's This Lullaby, Rick Riordan's The Red Pyramid, Amanda Howell's The Summer of Skinny Dipping, Courtney Summers' Cracked Up To Be, and Elizabeth Scott's Stealing Heaven on eBook.

And of course, me being the impulsive little shopper that I am, I bought 2 new books from BookSale yesterday when I got stranded at Gaisano Central due to the rain. As I walk home when the rain cleared, I passed by this boutique and saw this bag, and bought it on the spot. Now I really am broke.

Broke but happy =)

On a much more positive note, St. Paul's called and informed me about the Pre-Orientation thingy on October 4. Finally, something to look forward to. But I'm still keeping my fingers crossed and hoping Bethany would call, too. I don't really like St.Paul's.. I only applied there because my friend Jojo dragged me to it. But I'm willing to settle. =)

I'm also updating my Tumblr more. Follow me? =)

"Change is constant. How we experience change that's up to us.
It can feel like death or it can feel like a second chance at life.
If we open our fingers, loosen our grips, go with it, it can feel like pure adrenaline.
Like at any moment we can have another chance at life.
Like at any moment, we can be born all over again."
-Meredith (Grey's Anatomy, S7E1)

i have crappy net

2010-09-18T13:46:00.002+08:00

I can't even make a decent blog post! Opening Blogger took me a long time I lost my mood to write.

Maybe I'll blog again tomorrow.

CRAP.

The Expendables

2010-09-07T13:40:00.004+08:00

Synopsis (may contain spoilers): A group of elite mercenaries, the Expendables, are deployed to the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia to halt local pirates from executing the hostages. The team consists of leader Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), former SAS soldier and blades specialist Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), martial artist Yin Yang (Jet Li), sniper Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), weapons specialist Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) and demolitions expert Toll Road (Randy Couture). Jensen instigates a firefight, causing casualties for the pirates. Yang and Jensen fight over moral disagreements about hanging a pirate, with Ross finally intervening. As a result of his psychological problems, Ross reluctantly releases Jensen from the Expendables.

Ross and his rival mercenary leader Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger), go to see Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) who names himself after the church they meet in. He offers them a mission in Vilena, a fictional island in the Gulf of Mexico, to overthrow a brutal dictator, General Garza (David Zayas). Busy with other things, Trench gives the contract to Ross. Christmas visits his girlfriend, Lacy (Charisma Carpenter), whom he discovers has left him for another man, Paul. Ross and Christmas do initial reconnaissance after meeting with their contact, Sandra (Gisele Itié), only for the mission to go awry. Ross learns that Garza is backed by ex-CIA agent James Munroe (Eric Roberts) and his henchmen Paine (Steve Austin) and The Brit (Gary Daniels), who manipulate and keep Garza in power by making his people fear him. Sandra is revealed to be Garza's daughter. Ross decides to abort and causes casualties among the army as they escape. Meanwhile, Jensen approaches Garza and Munroe to help their side.

Christmas visits Lacy again to find that Paul has beaten her. Christmas defeats Paul and his friends, showing Lacy what he does for a living and winning her over. Ross, Christmas, and Yang deduce that Mr. Church is a member of the CIA and that the real target is Munroe, as the CIA could not kill one of their own. Mission coordinator and former teammate, Tool (Mickey Rourke) makes an emotional confession to Ross about letting a woman commit suicide during the Bosnian War. Hearing this, Ross decides to go back for Sandra. Yang tags along, and they are chased on the road by Jensen in an intense shootout. The pursuit ends in an abandoned warehouse, where Yang and Jensen fight a second time. Jensen attempts to impale Yang on a pipe, only for Ross to shoot Jensen. A wounded Jensen makes amends and gives the layout of Garza's palace. Ross boards the plane with Yang and finds the rest of team, ready to aid their friend.

The Expendables infiltrate Garza's compound. Christmas, Yang, Caesar, and Toll plant explosive charges throughout the site. When Garza has a change of heart after Munroe tortures his daughter, Munroe kills him. The entire team fights and shoots their way through Garza's soldiers. Ross and Caesar manage to destroy the helicopter Munroe was to escape on. Christmas and Yang manage to kill The Brit while Toll kills Paine. Ross and Christmas catch up to Munroe and kill him, saving Sandra. Instead of taking the payment for the mission, Ross gives it to Sandra to restore Vilena. The team celebrates their victory at Tool's tattoo parlor, with the reformed and recovering Jensen. Christmas and Tool challenge each other to a game of knife throwing and Christmas recites a poem about his respect for Tool, before throwing the knife perfectly in the center of the board.

Rating: 4.5/5

Comments: I didn't really wanna watch the movie.. But my Bf dragged me to it, saying that he never complains when I want to watch some chick flick with him, and it's his turn to pick.. But we never even dreamed that I'd love the movie more than he did. I like Jet Li! He's one of my favorite actors, and it was such a pleasure to see him in the movie, especially the parts where he was teased about his height.

Oh, and I kept giggling everytime I see Terry Crews, coz I always picture him singing along to A Thousand Miles in the movie White Chicks. I have expected him to burst out singing. But he was so awesome though, when he came out carrying a big gun and killing everyone in his path.

I loved the movie. Lotsa explosions, and I adore explosions. This definitely tops my must-watch action movie list.

an awesome august

2010-09-05T07:47:00.003+08:00

This year's August was a great month for me - we finished our case pres with no major hitches, we all graduated our Crit Care after 2 months of didactics and clinical exposure, I finished my IV therapy cases and submitted it to ANSAP in just two days.. But what made August 2010 unforgettable was when I got to meet my awesome Sigaw Sisters in person, finally.

I met Krissy and Ate Cess last March, but this would be my first time I'm meeting Kaiye and Grace. Just like when I first met Krissy, I was a bit nervous before. I know we've been cyber friends for a really long time (almost 5 years, I think), and although we've shared correspondences over the world wide web and feel like we've known each other for centuries, I was still a little nervous on how we'd connect in person. But about 5 seconds into meeting them, all trace of nervousness were gone, and we're all chatting like we've known each other forever.

I waited for Krissy at National Bookstore (it's like our default meeting place), and we both waited for Grace. Then we walked around SM and did some window shopping. We ate lunch at Bigoli, and chatted while we waited for Kaiye. After, we walked across to Trinoma, and did more than window shopping. We shopped, for real. And finally, yogurt at White Hat - so yummy! After that, we walked around Trinoma and took pictures, then we got to meet Krissy's friends at Timezone, where Krissy did her version of Britney's Sometimes and Kaiye did a rendition of M2M's Don't Say You Love Me. Brings back memories of our ~~teen years~~ earlier years. We're all ~~nineteen~~. LOL

It made me sad when we all had to part ways and say goodbye, but I'll forever cherish the memories I've shared with them the whole day. And I thank God for whatever willed me to sign-up to Sigaw's forum years ago, for it was there where I met the most awesome people there is, and who became ~~good~~ great friends. Too bad that when they stopped publishing the magazine, they had to delete the website too. But I'll be forever grateful to Seventeen, for without it and Sigaw, I wouldn't have met Krissy, Kaiye and Grace. =)

major major hostage fiasco

2010-08-25T10:02:00.009+08:00

I'm sure everyone has heard of the hostage taking drama that took place last August 23 at Quirino Grandstand. Almost every news channel gave a blow-by-blow account of what transpired - the arrest of the hostage taker's brother, the driver escaping and saying everyone is dead, the assault team trying to take over the bus and failing miserably, bodies being carried out from the bus.

This is one of the time that I'm almost (keyword: almost) ashamed to be a Filipino. Granted, things like this had happened or could happen in other contries, I know, but when it happens in your own country, you go into a state of denial and say, "This can't be happening here." Or you think, "I thought this only happens in movies." And don't get me started on the media. Gawd.

Because of the disaster, Hongkong issued a travel ban to the Philippines. And according to my friend, California is closing its doors on Filipino nurses. Which country would be next?

Not so WOW Philippines now, ain't it?

But I believe we Filipinos will get through this, for Filipinos are a resilient bunch. Hell, we survived Ondoy, didn't we? And we have Venus Raj's victory from the Miss Universe 2010. She may not have won the crown, and she might have won it if only she didn't blew her chance during the Q&A portion, but you gotta admit, being in the top 5 is a great achievment itself. Congratulations to Miss Mexico.

The Philippines have a lot to offer - picturesque places, sparkling white sand beaches, authentic Filipino cuisine, lush greeneries, and more. I hope people look beyond the disaster and see the beauty of the Philippines. Don't judge the rest because of one man's act of cruelty. Filipinos are kind, warm, and generous. One man isn't going to change all that.

Despite everything, it's still the same WOW Philippines for me. ♥

Spiderman to the rescue!

Oh, and SWAT jokes are circulating right now.
SWAT means:

Sorry, Wala Akong Training (Sorry, I don't have any training)
Sugod, Wait, Atras, Takbo (Charge, Wait, Retreat, Run)
Sana Wag Akong Tamaan (I hope I don't get hot)

I know it's no time to make jokes, but sometimes a little laughter goes a long way. So.. Cheer up. Life is good. =)

cats, now and forever. meow!

2010-08-23T16:22:00.008+08:00

I'm such a huge fan of musicals - I watched a bunch of them, even the old ones like The Phantom of the Opera (my favorite!), My Fair Lady (Audrey Hepburn is ♥), Chicago (love the Cell Block Tango), Grease, and more. That's why, imagine my delight when my cousin told me we were gonna watch Cats! Aside from my love of musicals, I was also excited to see Lea Salonga perform as Grizabella (Pinoy pride!) She was awesome, by the way.

My ticket =)

CATS!

The Stage

The Cast =)

Mind you, we weren't to bring cameras, and picture taking isn't allowed. They said flash photography isn't allowed, but they never said anything about taking pictures without flash, so I took a few shots. Other people were doing the same thing, only they got caught and got reprimanded. Thank God I wasn't. LOL

For 4,000+ pesos, it was definitely worth it. The cast were great, the stage was artfully decorated, the lights were awesome, and the performance was legendary. I'm starting to sound like Barney from HIMYM with all my awesomes and legendary's. LOL

I'm going home on September 3, I already have my ticket, but I'm so glad I got to see Cats first!

already an RN, also a CCN =)

2010-08-22T08:57:00.004+08:00

After two months of my Critical Care Course, I'm finally proud to say that aside from being a Registered Nurse, I'm now also a Critical Care Nurse. The whole course was stressful and tiring, but I definitely gained a lot of knowledge and skills. But the best part of it all was the people i was with - strangers at first who became good friends along the way. I am surely gonna miss each and everyone of my 68 classmates.

On another different note, I'm currently at a loss. Before, I was so sure of what I want to do with my life. Finish nursing, graduate, pass the board exam, and proceed to study medicine and become a great doctor one day. But that was all before my plans crumbled. So I decided to take it slow. Take a training or two, maybe even work for a while, clear my head. Then proceed to study med if I still feel like it. The thing is, taking the CCC was a big mistake (not that I regret it) because we were exposed to different ICUs, and I saw how nurses provide care to really, really sick people of all ages. And I find it very fulfilling, and humbled by what I saw. I have nothing against doctors, I give them my utmost respect, but it's the nurse who gives round-the-clock care to the patient. The doctor sees that patient for what, like 5 minutes? Then charges a huge amount for it. Not that all doctors are like that, I know, but still.

So therein lies my dilemma - be a nurse, or be a doctor? Oh, I forgot, I have a third one. I want a baby so bad.. Too bad my bf won't cooperate. LOL But serously, I feel like was born to be a mother, and didn't the Bible say that we should go forth and multiply? My bf doesn't want kids yet, he has his reasons - whatever - I wasn't listening coz I was too busy imagining twins (a boy and a girl) who are miniature Belle and Lex =P

Another jump to a different topic. I read that Krissy got a Globe postpaid plan. I've been dying to get one, too, but I don't want to change my digits, so I've been postponing it. Maybe I'll get one soon. =)

I've been missing home so bad, i miss my parents, and my dogs, too. That's why I'm so excited to be going back home to my province next month. I can't wait to see my parents, my friends, and my dogs! =)

done with case pres - finally!

2010-08-16T20:31:00.003+08:00

After weeks of reading and breathing nothing else but Truncus Arteriosus and DiGeorge Syndrome, we finally got to present our case today. We were the third group to present (out of six), two more groups will present their cases tomorrow. Good thing our case was like, kinda rare.. I mean, come on, have you ever heard of DiGeorge? Even me and my groupmates never heard of it before, thus, the extensive reading. It was a lot of work, but I ~~was~~ am thankful we chose that case, for even the panel didn't have much questions for us. Either our case was well explained, or they just don't know what to ask since they never heard of Digeorge before. I'm hoping it was the former. They had a bunch of question about our NCPs, though. Mind your, our NCPs were good, but I guess they couldn't find fault with the rest of our manuscript so they decided to hit us in our weakest.

I don't mind, though. They could ask all the questions in the world for all I care - I'm just so effin' glad we're done - so glad that me and my groupmates went out right after the presentations. 8 of us went to Treehouse (2 went home coz they're both sick). I don't usually drink, especially not beer, so I got iced tea while they all chugged down bottles of San Mig Light. Amidst all the eating, drinking, smoking (not me!), forever friendships were developed. We never really got to bond often, and this is one of those days where we get together and just, you know, bond.

I really am gonna miss my Crit Classmates after this. :(

On a different note, I'm currently reading Jodi Picoult's Handle With Care, and I'm loving every page of it!

RIP Baby T =(

2010-07-31T08:55:00.003+08:00

In my last entry, I mentioned about our TGA case. Sadly, Baby T (i can't divulge the name for confidentiality and privacy purposes) died 1 day after being operated on. I got really sad that he didn't make it. =(

So anyway, we went to our second choice - an almost-two months old darling little girl with Congenital Heart Disease, Truncus Arteriosus Type I, and DiGeorge Syndrome. I fell in love with her in the two days that I rotated at PICU1. I kept talking to her, and hoping she'll make it. =)

The comparison between an normal heart

and a heart with truncus arteriosus

quickies

2010-07-27T05:11:00.003+08:00

Just a quick update for my blog. I haven't had much time for blogging these days, I feel so bummed. I used to blog at least 8-10 times each month, now I'm just down to 2 or 3. Hmph.

Anyway, the didactic phase of our Crit Care is over - it's clinical exposure time. So far I've been exposed to the Medical ICU (MICU) and Surgical ICU (SICU). Both areas were awesome. But I prefer the SICU - it's less crowded and the staffs aren't as toxic as the ones in MICU so they got to entertain our questions more. Plus there we saw patients who were like Christmas trees with all their contraptions - chest tubes, Swan Ganz cath, mech vent, IV lines, femoral cath, A-line, etc. It's also where we've seen an A-line, a Swan Ganz, and a chest tube removed for the first time.

Today, we'll be at the PICU1 or the Pediatric ICU. PICU1 is for pay patients, and PICU2 is for the service ones. 3 of my case presentation groupmates already went there twice, not for exposure but to pick for a case for our case pres. We picked a 4-month old infant with Congenital Heart Disease, Dextroposition Transposition of Great Arteries, Patent Foramen Ovale, Ventricular Septal Defect. Sounds like a lot, right?

Anyway, I can't wait to go on duty. Most of my groupmates don't like PICU because they can't stand to see babies in mechanical ventilators, tracheostomies, and etc. Mind you, I hate seeing them that way too, and it almost broke my heart to see an infant with a trach, but I prefer caring for pediatrics.

I think babies are miracles and they deserve to be treated that way. =)

going all toxic

2010-07-05T17:19:00.004+08:00

"Toxic" is a term most medical professionals (here in the Philippines, I don't know about other countries) use when we're bombarded with a huge workload, difficult patients, difficult patient's relatives, a patient with lots of complications, a very busy shift, etc. Students also use it if their clinical instructors give them a hard time, if they are assigned to patients hooked to a lot of contraptions, patients whose charts are filled with doctor's orders, or if they are busy with schoolwork.

In my case, I say my life is currently toxic, because I feel so tired all the time. My head's been bothering me for days, and I can't get as much sleep as I want. This critical care course is taking up all my time - it's like being back to school, only worse. We've got around 43 topics squeezed into a 3-week time frame. We have a midterm after 10 days, and a finals after the 3-week lecture. We have journal reading and case studies. Then a 4-week clinical exposure in different ICUs.

Add all that to my recurrent headache, I feel as though the world is slowly sucking the life out of me. I'm so freaking tired, and I can't even complain, because other people have it worse than me. I can't even go to the mall on weekdays (and TriNoma is so freaking near!) because even though we finish around 4, sometimes earlier, mostly later, the only thought I have as I slowly walk home (our apartment is only a 10-minute walk from PHC) is to curl up in bed and sleep. I don't even have much of an appetite, which is shockingly so not me. And I can't afford to lose any pounds since I don't have much to spare (no matter how much and how often I eat, I can't seem to gain weight).

I'm trying as hell to keep my eyes open while I scrounge the World Wide Web for another journal article (I need one more) but it's hard. Damn! Those people should stop being selfish and publish all those articles for free. I can't afford to pay for them, dammit!

I am so frustrated right now.