Because It's A Dindin World

I Miss You.

2012-01-03T17:20:00.004+01:00

I miss you.

I miss the old you. I miss how you used to be. [OL]

I miss how I used to feel that there was a chance for us - a chance for me and you.

Yun Na Yun.

2011-09-12T11:16:00.002+02:00

I'm waiting for Xara to come pick me up. Meanwhile, I don't have anything better to do, and so I blog.

Wala lang. Hehehe. Basta ang alam ko:

Pag may masirang couple this month, yun na yun.

Hehehe. :-)

My One-liner #10 : Then You'll Know.

2011-09-06T09:54:00.005+02:00

"If you're not the best person you could ever be,
if you're becoming who you don't want to be,
if your friends feel you're not happy...
Then, you're probably with the wrong person."

My One-liner #9 : Reason.

2011-09-05T12:18:00.001+02:00

"You don't need the right to be jealous. All you need is a reason. And sometimes, knowing that he's supposed to be with you, and not with her, is reason enough."

There's Something About The Eyes.

2011-09-01T09:07:00.010+02:00

Eyes don't lie. At least, those eyes I've seen never did.

Usually, I can tell when people are really in love, or at least happy in the relationship they are in. Because eyes don't lie. You see, when people are in love, there's a spark in their eyes. Their eyes glow. And even if they try to hide it, the happiness just shows.

[Just this Sunday one of my friends proved me right, again. Her eyes were smiling and glowing. There was no way to hide how happy she was. Hehehe.] :-)

And this brings me back to the point of this post.

I want to tell you, I don't see the spark in your eyes. And so far, no one does (at least, none of the people I know). And it's sad, because you've waited so long to finally be with someone, that it would be a sin to get stuck in a relationship with someone you only think you are in love with, when you could be out there with the person you are meant to be happy with.

Some times, some people just want to be with someone so bad, they stop really caring who the person they are with is. Just like how some times, some people want to fall in love so bad, they end up convincing theirselves they are in love even if they're not. They don't realize that most of the time, they are just in love with the idea of being in love, and then they miss out on all the best part and things of really being in love with your partner.

Please, don't spend your time being with someone you are not in love with, and who is not in love with you, either. Don't spend your time with someone you don't see yourself starting a family, waking up, sleeping, and spending the rest of your life with. It's not worth it, because you could, and should, be spending your time with the person you are meant to be with.

The rest of your life starts the moment you realize and feel who you are meant to be with. Start the rest of your life as soon as you can. Make it happen. Don't be trapped.

We don't think you're happy, and we want you to be. I want you to be happy.

But then again, who am I to know.

My One-liner #8 : Because He knows.

2011-08-29T23:57:00.004+02:00

"If God didn't thought you and I were meant to be,
He wouldn't have me fall so deeply in love with you."

My One-liner #7: Home.

2011-08-16T07:15:00.005+02:00

"Barely four months,
and most days I feel like packing up all my things and flying back home."

Just Some Questions.

2011-08-13T17:21:00.006+02:00

I just finished reading one of my Facebook friends' status.

Tumagos. Hahaha.
I won't say which one, 'cause it'll be too obvious. Ayoko ng gulo. Hehehe.

Anyway, while I still wait for us to happen, and be finally together...

Can I just ask you...

"Puede bang akin ka na lang? Ngayon na?"

What If?

2011-07-19T20:32:00.006+02:00

For one frivolous (for some people) reason, and for so many other reasons, all at the same time...

Some times I feel like moving here was the wrong move to make...

Tonight (wow, it's almost 3AM) is one of those times. My mind starts to wander to places, some of them dark, and I start to ask myself silly questions that are sometimes scary 'cause I can't think of an answer... I start to wish of things, people, and situation that are so out of reach... Then I start to tell (convince) myself that this, whatever this may be, is better than living the next couple of years with "What ifs".

And if given the chance to go back in time, I just might do things exactly as I did them now. But you see, there's a big difference about being sure and confident about the decisions you make, and actually living them. Because most of the time your decisions do not depend on what you solely want to happen.

Note to self: STOP stalking * online. So NOT healthy! (-_-)

Scaredy scared.

2011-07-18T01:49:00.005+02:00

Sometimes I wonder if I totally messed up when I decided to leave Milano and move here.
Let's wait... And see...

Night-night.

[-I'm scared. I think I actually did messed up. I'm not regretting though.-]

Project 365 on hold.

2011-07-17T08:41:00.002+02:00

The last couple of months have been unbelievable.
I finally decided to move out. I moved not just to a different city, but a different country. It's not a strange country 'cause I did stay here for, more or less, 10 years, so it's not as difficult as one may think. And it's not like I'm totally living on my own, since (most probably) more than half of what I'm spending comes from my financier, the Mother Goose. :-P But you get the idea. So far, so good. And I am proud to announce that both Andi and I are still alive. Hehehe.

_______________

I'm putting the Project 365 on hold, because the last few months of transition didn't give me enough time to take a picture every single day. Just so you know, I plan to restart on my 27th birthday. [When I feel like I'll feel (paulit-ulit? Hehehe.] so grown up! Hahaha.)

I missed blogging, I miss my MAC, I missed Twitter, I miss my Canon, I miss fast internet and painless router... I miss Milano [and everyone (and everthing) in it], and I miss you (you probably don't care, but, yes, I do miss you.) - so near, yet so far lang ang drama. Hahaha.

I have at least a year to see how things will turn out 'till I have to make another decision. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Wish me luck. Keep me in your heart. And pray for me.

Weird Day.

2011-03-31T21:48:00.002+02:00

Today was weird.

I woke up 30 minutes before my clock.. Well, alarmed. I tried going back to sleep, but couldn't. So, I just stayed in bed, awake, doing nothing, except to stare blankly at the nothingness in front of me.

On my way home, inside the bus, I felt like I was running out of air to breathe. I had to get off two bus stops early. It was a good long walk, I started to feel calm.

The whole day felt so dragging... And I wanted to cry. Not the normal, demure cry I often do. I wanted to cry, the hagulgol kind of cry.

What's up with that?
I'm feeling a bit better by the way.
Off to bed now. Night-night.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

2011-03-27T23:57:00.002+02:00

It rained today. I swear the rain knows exactly when I need it.

Thank you, Pà! And thank you, Lord!
I feel a bit better, and so much calmer.

Can't Let Go.

2011-03-09T23:03:00.007+01:00

I think I just found the perfect song to describe what I feel.

I tell you, sometimes, everything seems to be so weird. I was waiting in line to pay for my lunch when the girl next to me decided to take off her headphones and let her iPod's speaker do the singing.

Para lang akong sinapok.

"But I could never call you mine 'Cause I could never call myself yours And if we were really meant to be Well, then we just defied destiny It's not that our love died, it just never really bloomed"

I wrote some of the words I could remember as soon as I sat down, because I knew that I just had to look it up on YouTube when I'm home.

Ayun. Sabayan nyo ako mag-drama. Hehehe.

These Are Not Tears Of Joy.

2011-03-08T22:32:00.003+01:00

Sometimes I can be so happy that I want to cry.
Like right now.
I am honestly, sincerely, wholeheartedly happy for you.
Seriously.

But, yes, I must admit, my heart feels terribly, terribly heavy.

Okei, night-night. I'll go cry myself to sleep now.

My One-liner #6 : How?

2011-03-08T22:29:00.005+01:00

"How do you let go of someone you never had?"

No, seriously. How?

Broken.

2011-03-04T23:17:00.003+01:00

I feel like I'm floating, but not the good kind. I was so distracted that this happened.

The weird thing was... I was passive about it. As in, hindi ako nagulat or anything. Parang wala lang nangyare.

Oh well.

Invisible Girl.

2011-03-04T13:44:00.008+01:00

I wish you'd look at me that way. Your beautiful eyes looking deep into mine, telling me more than any words could say, but you don't even know I'm alive.

- Invisible Man by 98°

The Torture Of The News That Continues.

2011-03-04T01:06:00.006+01:00

I looked at the words.
I stared at them.
I stared hard. I stared as if I wanted those words scratched off. I stared at those words the way I stared at your face. The way I used to, yes, I used to stare at your face.
The intensity, the fire, the hurt.

The incertainty of it all has evolved into something certain.
The Certainty, the Truth, the Love.
Your happiness, my calmness.

Love has come for you, embrace it with all you've got. Pain came and touched me; I shall brace myself. I will cry, I will dwell, I will weep.
But I am not saddened, no I am not. I feel no hatred. I feel calmness, contentment, for love has come and touched you.

I wish you well. I wish the sun would shine brightly for you. I wish the stars would twinkle and make you see every thing as magical as it really is. The breeze will never be too cold, unless your heart desires it. I wish you well, with all of my heart, and with all that I am. Love has come for you to embrace, and it is yours to keep. I wish you love that gets stronger each day. I wish you contentment. I wish you happiness. Oh yes, I wish you well.

Fox Town.

2011-03-03T23:56:00.000+01:00

I've been feeling so down these past few days. I think it showed a little too much that A and her boyfriend, G, thought of going on a road trip. After a late lunch, at around 4PM we were headed to Fox Town, Mendrisio, Switzerland.

I have few but such great friends.

The best part of the trip was that the moment we passed the borders, it started to snow. I took no picture, though.

Yes. Snow. The snow and I, we have a special relationship. Yes. Me, the snow, and a few special people.
Thank you. :-)
♥ ♥ ♥

Some News, Straight To The Heart.

2011-03-02T23:20:00.006+01:00

I looked and read through the words, over and over, and over again. And every time it felt like a deep stab in my heart, right where it hurts the most.
I closed my eyes.
And again, once more, this time, I say to myself, for the last time, I took a glimpse.
The words. I am weakened. I feel like I am drowning.
This can't be. This can't be real. This feels like going against Fate, fighting with Destiny. Sacrilege!
I am on the verge of having my heart broken. This time, for real. Into million tiny pieces.
Don't let it be.

The cold breeze, the million stars, the ray of the moon feels warm as it touches my face, and my dearly loved beast, are the only comfort I can find. Surreal but they keep me warm inside, they keep me warm where it matters, in my heart.

The thought of you with someone else makes me weak.

A tear. The thought. The devastation. The truth.
But I'm holding on. I refuse to let go. For a string of hope, is still hope, after all.

I wish I could easily shut you out of my life, but I can't bear the thought of it.
And who am I to blame you? For wanting happiness in your life, for being brave enough to look for it, and embrace it when it touched you.
I was a coward. And I am a coward. And I fear that you'll never know how you make me feel.

Just once, I wish you could look through my eyes, and feel through my heart, so you'll know what you mean to me. Just this once, for once will be more than I could ever ask for, for once is all you need to feel how wonderful of a gift you are to everyone in your life.

The words of incertainty haunts me through the day. I am weakened.

I feel that I should let this be known, that as weird as it may sound, I am not saddened. Deep down in my heart, the thought of you being happy with some one who is not me makes me weak, but I am sincerely happy for your happiness.
Your happiness calms me.

I want to share my life with you. I want to share my happiness with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.
For this time, the uncertainty doesn't kill me. It gives me a pinch of hope to hold on to. So, I am holding on. I am not letting go... Just not yet.

I still believe in you and me. I still believe in us. I still believe in us together, forever. I still believe we are meant to be.

01 / 02.

2011-02-01T22:07:00.003+01:00

Happy day One of the Love month. :-)

It's the love month, once again. And once again, everyone's being cheesy and mushy. Haha. But somehow I feel like everyone's allowed and has the right to be cheesy when it's February without me feeling sick about it. :-P This is mostly because I feel like when the right time comes for me to be with someone, I'll probably be as sickly sweet, cheesy, and mushy as everyone else surrounding me, maybe even worse. There, you are warned.

Anyway, let's talk about SNOW. Snow has the power to make everything look and feel magical. Everything becomes beautiful the moment the snow touches it. I love and I am very thankful for snow. I have this special relationship with the snow, that probably no one will understand. It will always have a special place in my heart. I communicate with the snow, actually it's the snow that communicates to me. :-) This is something I can't, and probably will never be able to, explain. It's one of those magical things that you either (1) want to keep to yourself, or (2) want to share or explain to other people but don't know how.

One more snowfall before Spring would be awesome. :-)

Chris Medina - Break Even : American Idol 10 Auditions

2011-01-28T22:46:00.002+01:00

How do I know I'm getting older? When watching videos like this start to make me cry..

Heheheh.

Finally Engaged.

2011-01-27T00:29:00.003+01:00

The best news that I received today is that 2 of my friends are finally, yes, finally, officially engaged. Yay! Happiness!

—————

Me: Hey, remember my friends L and J?
Friend: Uh-huh.
Me: They're officially engaged... FINALLY! He proposed na daw last January 5!
Friend: Oh.. So ikaw na lang ang single sa inyo?

Aaaawwwwtttttsssss.... -_-

My One-liner #5 : Simple Thoughts.

2011-01-22T21:22:00.002+01:00

"Sometimes the simple thought of you makes me smile." :-)

One Of The Boys.

2011-01-17T22:18:00.004+01:00

Last year, while on vacation in the Philippines. Me and 4 (3 guys, 1 girl) other friends were drinking beer, talking about how (and why) men cheat on their partners, after having dinner, at our place.

Me: Nagwo-worry na sila (my family) na wala pa akong boyfriend.
GuyFriend: Tumigil ka dito (sa Pilipinas), wala pang isang taon may bofriend ka sigurado, kung gusto nila pede din na magka-baby ka na. Malilibog mga tao dito eh.

Other girl friend and I already laughing out loud.

GuyFriend: Hindi nga, totoo. Kami nga nagpro-proteksyon lang kasi ayaw ko pa magpa-kasal at magka-baby eh.

Male Cousin/Friend: Tang*nang 'to! (to Guy Friend)

Most times, I feel like my guy friends forget I'm actually a(n) (innocent) girl.

This Is The Year... ?

2011-01-07T00:24:00.002+01:00

On my way home, while playing Angry Birds on my iTouch, an old lady came to me, held my hand and said, "This year is your year, you will finally have a love life".

Ouch. (-_-) Is it that obvious that I do not have a love life?

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-31T23:44:00.001+01:00

Christmas rush
"Judi's departure" rush
Christmas day at my sister's
Christmas celebration with Mamma's siblings and their families at home
Judi's flight
New Year's Eve.

Happy Holidays!

My One-liner #4 : Because...

2010-12-15T23:36:00.003+01:00

"Because I love you with all of my heart, with all that I am, and with all of what I will ever be."

Like The Wind, The Years Go By.

2010-12-11T00:23:00.007+01:00

Some days ago, after days and days of Mamma asking me, I finally decided to clean up Papà's clothes (including shoes). Yes, I know 5 years is such a long time. Anyway, after my siblings chose what they wanted to keep, and putting almost half of the clothes in plastic bags that will then be given to those who need them, I think 1/4 of Papà's clothes, together with 4 shoes and a slipper, ended in a box because I refuse to let go of them.

I felt so sad and heavy while sorting through his things. After five long years his clothes still smell like him. I was being so dragging, it took me almost 4 days to finish. I feel like energy has been drained off of me. I was on the verge of crying a couple of times, and now I feel like crying nonstop.

My heart feels so heavy. Good night, and see me in my dreams.

Bad Publicity Is Still Publicity.. Not.

2010-12-08T23:01:00.004+01:00

After some days that the Wife vs. Mistress video went viral, I think "The mistress-beater", E.R.T., finally came to a point where she regrets what she did, or at least, filming and posting what she did on the internet.

As of last night the husband's, the other woman's, and her Facebook profile have been deactivated.

Sometimes, I can't help but think na baka may balak mag-artista mga 'to! I mean, di ba, sinong nanunugod (sp?) na ready ang video camera? :-/

Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned.

2010-12-07T15:07:00.004+01:00

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. I tell you, this saying is so true.

Last night, a video of a mistress who was beaten up by the wife in a mall, started showing up on my Facebook feed. I watched the video and it was crazy. Seriously. I was scared for the girl and her friends.

I knew that sooner or later the video will either be removed, blocked, or something else, but I was sure it will disappear. And yes, I have a copy of that video saved on my computer, in case you are wondering, hehehe.

As much as I understand the wife, I totally disapprove what she did. I mean, c'mon! Why stoop down to her level? And why in public?! If I were the wife, and if I were to beat the hell out of someone, it would have been my husband. Because, with all honesty, I wouldn't care if the mistress is single, married, or whatever. I wouldn't care who the hell she is, just like she wouldn't care who the hell I am, unless of course, we personally know each other, because otherwise, we are just strangers sharing a man. (Hahaha.)

The truth is, I would never do anything like that. And definitely not in public. And I'm madamot when it comes to romantic relationships, bawal may kahati. Unless we know each other, you can do whatever the hell you want to do. Agawin mo lahat ng gusto mong agawin, and I wouldn't care. Ang pro-problemahin (aawayin? hehehe) ko eh yung nagpa-agaw. If I were in the wife's shoes, I would have acted differently. Ayaw ko ng mga agaw-eksena, at mala-telenovela na drama. If I were her, I would just throw him out of the house. No drama, no pulling of hair, and no cursing, and everything will definitely happen in private. No videos or photos to share on the internet. :-P

Oh well.

My One-liner #3 : Feelings.

2010-11-28T00:28:00.007+01:00

"I'm starting to feel something I've never felt before, a feeling so strong it's almost scary; I feel like I'm in love with you."

KIKO Milano is being a pain.

2010-11-25T16:47:00.002+01:00

More than 35€ down the drain.

So, some days ago I ordered some stuff from KIKO's online store, mainly because I don't like long queue, but also because delivery cost would be 0€. Happiness, right? Wrong. After I paid everything via Paypal, the whole KIKO site went kaput. After receiving an e-mail from Paypal confirming the transaction, I immediately went back to KIKO's website only to find out I spent more than 35€ for nothing. I contacted KIKO, and they asked me to send them a copy of Paypal's email to me, and so I did. And then came nothing-ness. Never heard from them again. I emailed them 3 more times, and still... Nothing.

Can you see the Euro going down the drain? I can! Pero mas nakaka-badtrip yung hindi nila pag-sagot! Bwiseeeeetttt... :-|

Fallback.

2010-11-14T02:19:00.007+01:00

Months ago I made a decision. Something that will affect where, with whom, and how I would live the next few years. I'm not really a risk taker. Most times, I only risk when I already have a fallback plan ready. This time I actually have 2. You know, just in case my first fallback plan fails.

I'm the type of person who, when my bottle of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face cream, or tube of toothpaste, or our box of orange juice or milk, are only 1/4 full, I start buying a new one. I don't think I've reached a point of hoarding naman, I just want to make sure I don't run out of something I need. That's being rational, right?

A friend told me I'm not helping myself with all these fallback plans, and playing safe, and I'm jinxing my own self, and all that... But... Is it really so wrong to play safe?

Happy Birthday, Lolo!

2010-11-07T00:13:00.000+01:00

Happy birthday, Lolo!!! Hope you are having a blast up in heaven! We love and miss you so much!

P.S.
These are super old photos.. Next time I visit the Philippines, I have to "steal" some photos that are not super-duper old.

Happy 7th Birthday, Zsa-zsa!

2010-11-06T22:25:00.001+01:00

Today, November 6, 2010, my first godchild, Patrizia, or Zsa-zsa or Patty, turns 7.

These pictures were taken in 2007, when I used to babysit for her.

This is her now, all grown up.

Oh my goodness! S-E-V-E-N.

Am I officially allowed to feel old now? (-_-)"

<\3

2010-10-24T23:39:00.006+02:00

One of the many (too many according to Judi, Mamma, and a bunch of other people) things I do not like about gatherings is that at one point people always end up discussing about my love life, or lack of it.

Mamma, Tita Zeny, and I were talking, when E.V. entered the room.

E.V.: Ciao, Din! Blooming ka ah! (actually she said, "guma-ganda ka ah", but I'm pretty sure she actually meant "blooming", hehehe)

I smiled sheepishly.

E.V.: Ano may boyfriend na?
Me: Wala.
E.V.: Aba, tuma-tanda ka na ha!

I cringed.

Mamma: Ang suplada naman kasi nyan eh.
Me: Huh? Sino naman sinupladahan ko?
Tita Zeny: Oo nga naman. Tsaka bata pa naman si Dindin eh.

[Hah!]

E.V.: Ay, wag kang suplada. Pag may mga handaan maki-halubilo ka kasi sa mga ibang tao. Ang mga kina-kausap mo lang kasi mga dati mong kakilala kaya wala kang makilalang ibang tao eh.

[Pwe.]

You see, whenever I end up (being blackmailed) going to these "handaan", most people talk about other people they know, and I don't like talking about people I don't know, feeling ko kasi wala akong karapatan. Or they talk about "artistas", or telenovelas, and because we don't have TFC at home, I have no idea who or what they are talking about (which I honestly think is a good thing). I know, ours and one of my sister's are probably the only Pinoy household who do not have TFC.

And, if a guy needs someone else to ask me if I'd go out with him, I seriously think he doesn't deserve to be my, or anyone else's, boyfriend. I mean, I just turned 26, I left high school years ago. It is only acceptable to act as if you're still in high school when you're being mushy and/or cheesy with someone who is being mushy and/or cheesy with you too.

Anyway, what most people call "me being suplada", I call "me, minding my own business". I, thank you. Bow.

Choco-Banana Muffins - Part III.

2010-10-22T01:12:00.005+02:00

The muffins looked fine fresh from the oven.

Then, after 5 mins., they went pffftttt.. Fail!
(I found out this happened because Mamma insisted on putting too much bananas because they were turning black. Hehehe.)

There was too much Chocolate frost, so I decided to put some here, because I don't want anything to go to waste. :-)

They tasted fine, promise. :-)

Chocolate Cupcakes - Part II.

2010-10-22T00:54:00.004+02:00

Frosting:

Chocolate Cupcakes.

2010-10-16T00:42:00.004+02:00

Yummy! :-D

Red Velvet Cupcakes, That Are Not Really Red - Part II

2010-10-15T00:33:00.002+02:00

Strawberry Cupcakes - Part II.

2010-10-15T00:20:00.003+02:00

10/10/10

2010-10-10T22:59:00.004+02:00

For us, 10/10/10 was a great family day.. We haven't had a family day like this in a fairly long time since someone's always missing. It was also mine and Mamma's birthday celebration with the siblings and their families. Love, love, love.

By the way, in case someone cares... I want to get married on 12/12/12. :-)
Since I have a feeling I won't tie the knot on 12/12/12, 12/12/14 and 12/12/15 are also fine, but not 12/12/13. I don't like how these numbers combine. Haha.

Strawberry Cupcakes.

2010-10-10T00:08:00.002+02:00

These are very yummy and Summer-y! :-P

Red Velvet Cupcakes, That Are Not Really Red.

2010-10-09T23:59:00.002+02:00

Choco-Banana Muffins - Part II.

2010-10-09T23:49:00.003+02:00

Coca-Cola Cupcakes.

2010-10-09T00:14:00.001+02:00

This didn't turn out so well. Actually it was awful. The cupcakes were hard, and gummy, and flat, and sticky, and probably inedible (I say probably 'cause no one had the courage to take a bite, haha!).

I have no photo of the cupcakes after they entered the oven because I was really disappointed about the outcome.

Nutella Cupcakes.

2010-10-03T23:38:00.003+02:00

Baby Back Ribs with Honey-Mustard Sauce and Potato Salad.

2010-10-01T01:58:00.002+02:00

Potato Salad:

Baby Back Ribs with Honey-Mustard Sauce:

Chocolate Feathered Cheesecake.

2010-09-29T14:19:00.002+02:00

Yay!

Choco-Banana Muffins.

2010-09-16T15:09:00.002+02:00

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

P.S.
Don't fill the muffin cups too much, I was being impatient and wanted to finish soon, and poured too much batter. Absolute fail!

They were not wasted naman, because they were still edible and tasted good. :-)

Doggie Cake!

2010-09-16T13:16:00.003+02:00

Because it's so hard to find anything that's both for dogs, and would not cost me an arm, (or at least a finger), I baked the cake for Andi, my shih tzu who turned 2 yesterday, by myself.

Keep refrigerated.

Of course, you don't let your adorable dog finish the whole cake in one sitting. It took Andi about 5 days to finish this one. I only gave her one serving a day. :-)

Happy Birthdays!

2010-09-15T23:43:00.000+02:00

Today, 44 years ago, my youngest Kuya, Kuya Ansel was born.

Today, 2 years ago, my adorable shih tzu, Andromeda Winterstarr a.k.a. Andi was born!

I love you both! Muah! XO
<3 <3 <3

Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs and Potatoes.

2010-09-15T01:47:00.002+02:00

There's no need to add oil. Just sprinkle some salt, pepper and herbs.

Place the potatoes below the meat so it can "catch" the meat's oil.

Dinner is served!

M&M's cookies.

2010-09-14T13:53:00.004+02:00

I lack imagination when it comes to giving names, so let's just this, M&M's cookies.

Mix butter, brown sugar, and eggs.

Add flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Add the M&M's.

Mold dough to desired cookie size!

Fresh from the oven.

These were really good, the only problem is that after 2 days, the cookies were hard as a rock. Fail.

First try at Baking.

2010-09-14T13:18:00.003+02:00

I am not good with giving instructions, or explaining how things should be done, this is why most times I just do things by myself. But I'm pretty good with following instructions, and reading maps. Hah!

So... I'll let the photos do the talking.

Cheesecake with feathered Strawberry.

Crushed crackers:

Buttered and freezered crust:

Filling mixed:

Processed Strawberry:

Filling poured.
The Strawberry was supposed to stay on top, then feathered, but it sank.
So, I just stirred the jam with the filling, hehehe.

Fresh from the oven and off to the fridge:

Here's a slice, notice the red dots? Strawberries!

It doesn't look so good, but promise it tastes better than how it looks. :-)

Macaroni and Cheese With Garlic Toast.

2010-09-13T01:37:00.002+02:00

Forgot to take pictures of the cheeses.

Anti-What?

2010-09-05T22:28:00.002+02:00

I honestly don't get all this hype about this Anti-Pinoy.com website. The moment I saw "Anti-Pinoy" on my screen, I cringed. The first thing that came to mind was that it was a website made by Hongkonger(s) against Filipinos for that hostage-taking crisis that happened, then when I found out that it was a Pinoy website, written by Pinoys, two words came to mind — Crab Mentality.

On their website (About section) it says:

"Does your coach yell at you and tell you what you’re doing wrong in practice? Why does he do that? Is it because he hates you and wants nothing to do with you? You think so? Then why are you still on the team, and starting every game? Sometimes the harshest criticisms, those words that hurt the most, are what in the end lead you to achieve your best.

In a very real way, this is what we’re about. We’re not here to put Pinoys down for the heck of it, after all, we are Pinoys too…it is an altogether uncomfortable realization that the land we call home is a dysfunctional mess, but it is hard not to see the painful truth. We love our country, we want the Philippines and all Filipinos to improve, and for this country and society to live up to its potential. But before that can happen, we need to know what’s wrong about us so that we can fix ourselves and point ourselves in the right direction."

I don't know about you, but if my coach starts calling him/herself Anti-Dindin, I don't think I'll still want him/her to be my coach. Seriously. I can accept all the criticisms you have to give me, even the harshest but there are nicer ways to say it, definitely not in front of the whole world. Or in this case nicer way to call a website, definitely not ANTI-Pinoy. This Anti-Pinoy thing just sounds so rude.

Truth be said, I haven't read anything on the site except the "About" section, and who knows maybe I'd even fall in love with the site if I start browsing through it, but not now. It's just that the Anti thing kinda throws me off. Hindi ba pedeng Pro-Pinoy.com? Or PagbabagoSaPilipinas.com? O kaya BagongPinoy.com? I know, I'm baduy like that. :-P

I don't like anything Anti. Period.

"I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be there."
— Mother Teresa

My One-liner #2 : Someday Will Be Perfect.

2010-08-26T00:24:00.005+02:00

Tonight, while walking Andi, a plane passed by. Funny how of all the people I know, you came to mind.

"The day you come to be a part of my life is the day everything becomes perfect."

Jog Barefoot And Sushi.

2010-08-12T23:42:00.003+02:00

For the past couple of days, every morning, while I wait for the bus, I see this man jogging.

Nothing strange, right? Wrong. I don't know why, and I don't have the guts to ask, but he jogs barefoot.

Anyway, because I always feel jealous everytime friends (most of the time, Em) post pictures of them having sushi, and because I started to crave for it... I had this for dinner yesternight. Yum.

Though I still can't bring myself to enjoy the Salmon roe (or whatever the hell you call it) sushi.

Blech.

Good night! :-)

My One-liner #1 : Sweetest Lullaby.

2010-08-11T00:19:00.011+02:00

So, I'm adding a new label here on my blog, and I'll call it "My One-liner". I think it pretty much explains what this is all about. MY one-liners, exactly. I know I could have used my Twitter account for this, it's just that it's such a pain to search for old posts there on Twitter, and sometimes, I just want to go back and read my old posts.

Anyway, here's my first one-liner:

"I want your heart beat to be my lullaby."

When You Know, You Know.

2010-08-06T23:58:00.006+02:00

"It took one look and forever laid out in front of me..."***

If we stood face-to-face when we had the chance, I feel that I couldn't have stopped myself from telling you we are meant for each other. Forget the fact that it was the first time, and so far the only time. Forget the fact that we don't personally know each other. Forget the fact that you probably fancy someone else. I know what I know, and I feel what I feel. Fate has its ways. Destiny will prevail. You are mine, and I am yours. We are meant for each other.

"I take one step away but I find myself coming back to you.."***

I think about you, and me. I think about a future where there could be "Us". But then I realize, maybe there will never a be a future when I can finally say "Us" instead of "You" and "Me". Maybe that's how things are supposed to be — "Me", "You", and no "Us". Maybe it is better that way.

I convinced myself.

I started to feel relieved, then sadness sinked in.

Then I felt you. I don't know how, but I felt you. I know it's you, because some things you just know. My heart starts to beat stronger, skipping a beat. I am high. I am in ecstacy. I am yours.

"Now I know that I know not a thing at all, except the fact that I am yours.."***

Yes, I am yours. And before we know it, you will be mine. You don't question Destiny, you have to have faith in Fate. So many things I know nothing, and uncertain about. But one has to believe, and I am a believer. You are mine, and I am yours. No questions asked, no reasons needed. We live for the future, and the future is "Us".

We are meant to be.

*** Lines from (one of my favourite) Parokya Ni Edgar's (song) "One And Only You (a.k.a. Your Song)".

Baby, Baby, Baby, Oh.

2010-08-05T23:01:00.007+02:00

So last night, I was reading one of the blogs I'm following. She blogged about Justin Bieber. When I reached the YouTube video, I clicked play and watched the video when all of a sudden the boy started singing "Baby, baby, baby ooh.. Like baby, baby, baby noo.. Like baby, baby, baby ooh.." I was surprised, and I couldn't stop myself from laughing. I've been hearing this song from some time now, only the "Baby, baby, baby ooh.." part, and I've always thought it was a girl singing.

Sorry, Em. I know you told me to watch his video a long, long time ago.. It's just that I totally forgot about it na. Hehehe.

Justin Bieber

Is it okei if I say that I don't think he's THAT good? I mean, he's good, okei, but I really don't get all the buzz about him. (Shucks! I feel like I'm reallyyyyy old na tuloy! Hindi ako maka-relate!) And no offense, he does look like he's a lesbian. The fact that I don't think he's hot is a good thing though... 'Cause you know, I'm old enough, and he's, what, 13? And the hair.. Too much, seriously. He's like Nick Carter when Nick Carter was younger and I was in grade school, only he's worse. Yes, when everyone loved Nick, I liked Kevin Richardson more.

Kevin Richardson

Baby, baby, baby ooohhh.. Good Night, and great dreams!

She Kissed Him Hard.

2010-07-30T21:08:00.002+02:00

Before reading Paulo Coelho's "By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept", I don't think I have ever heard, seen, or read anyone talked so passionately about a kiss. My heart melts.

Today's A Good, Good Day!

2010-07-20T20:51:00.002+02:00

Today is the day.

I woke up, brushed my teeth, ate breakfast, groomed Andi, took a shower, skipped lunch, brushed my teeth (again), got dressed, and prepared all the papers I'll be needing for my 14.30 appointment at the C. office.

I leave behind the door that slammed too loud for my taste. Waited for the bus, then the metro, then the bus again. As I set foot on that 2nd bus I had to take, I said to myself, "It's now, or never." It's either they grant me what I've been requesting since last May, or I'll just forget about it. I've lived my life without it before, I can surely continue living without it.

The Universe conspired. The people at the C. were, surprisingly and weirdly, nice, and smiling. I had to wait a little too long, as in an hour and a half long, but i got what I came for. My request was finally granted.

I WANT YOU ALL TO CONGRATULATE ME! Gow!
(And for now, let's not worry about the fact that I have to go back to the C. to apply for an E-passport.)

And there's more... I came home to this:

Yay! I've been waiting for this letter, because I love hand-written letters! I love letters I can actually hold in my hands. Hand-written letters are like letters with personality. :-)

Kumi, thank you very much for the hand-written ala Twitter letter! Hehehe. The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the paper was GG! Hahaha. When Mamma saw the envelope she was surprised to see that you used pink ink! I thought it was normal, after all, you're the girl who chase beautiful things. Me? I already had the pleasure of using red, gold, and even silver (but I won't recommend silver, mahirap sya basahin, at napagalitan ako ng ale sa post office), aside from black, of course. Hahaha.

Have a good, good night everyone! :-)

Motivate Yourself, Make Your Day A Good Day.

2010-07-19T21:36:00.002+02:00

Today, Monday, I just decided to stay home. Cancelled all appointments and moved everything that needs to be done on Wednesday. I wanted to motivate myself, try to convince myself and the Universe that Tuesday will be a great day.

I stayed in bed until around lunch time, which, for me, means around 2PM. I got up, had lunch, showered, read a book, went back to bed, and watched the television. Before I could do more of doing nothing (ano daw? Hehehe.), it's 9PM already. I'll skip dinner, watch some DVD, or maybe read a book.. I don't know yet.

But this, I'm sure of, before I go to bed, I will tell myself, the Universe, and whoever is listening, that tomorrow I will get things done, it'd be a good, good, day. Thankyouverymuch.

Good night, and great dreams!

Stress Reliever.

2010-07-18T21:03:00.002+02:00

So, after (the-much-awaited-and-equally-dreaded) July 15th appointment, I decided not to go online because I felt so frustrated. On the 20th, once again, I'm going back to their office to try my luck (once again) and (once again) see if this time my request will be granted. I'm still a bit irritated. Like what I told Xara, when she texted me to check what happened with people at the C, I didn't want to go online just to rant— Badtrip pa ako! I don't want to spread the negative vibes.

You see, I actually don't mind going back every-single-time they arrange an appointment, and find out that none of them were there because something suddenly came up; an emergency meeting, an emergency trip to Rome, they couldn't find my application form because the one who filed it was sick, or simply everyone got sick. I mean seriously. The thing that (almost) made me mad, was how annoyed they were when they found out my application was filed last May 5th, and was still in-process as if it was my fault.. Hello?! It's not my fault that every time THEY gave me an appointment something would "suddenly" come up, and they won't even pick the phone to inform me about it.

Three days after my most-recent-appointment with the C, I'm still pissed. So, this afternoon I decided to go to a bookstore. Bookstores make me feel calm, they make me happy, they make me feel at home. I like how people tend to respect everyone at bookstores, regardless of race, gender, and age. I love how everyone respect the unwritten rule of silence.

Summer sales are ongoing here. I was surrounded with books from all over that had GIGANTIC AND COLORFUL STICKERS that read "3 x 2: Compri 3 libri, ne paghi solo 2!" (You can choose 3 books and only pay 2 of them!), "-25%", and "-30%" on them. There was no way I could say no, and turn my back on those books. Absolutely. No. Way.

With 5 books in my colorful eco-bag, I headed home, feeling better, with more positive vibes to share with everyone.

Though this probably means I can't buy anymore books until Chirstmas, or maybe September, since it'll be my birthday, hehehe.

Let's keep the good vibes flowing. :-)

South Border is Usher's Front Act.

2010-07-09T00:28:00.002+02:00

SOUTH BORDER is USHER's front act, together with Kris Lawrence, Nina, and former lead vocalist Vince Alaras. Paolo Bañaga of K24/7 and Jay Durias' brother Dylan Durias are doing back-up vox.

July 9, 2010; Friday at 8PM
MOA Concert Grounds
Bay City, Pasay City
Philippines

Don't miss it! =)

P.S.
Happy Birthday, to the Knight of RnB, Mr. Duncan Ramos!

LUSH.

2010-07-06T23:32:00.006+02:00

This morning, my friend asked me to go with her to check out LUSH, and see what the hype is all about. I've always been a L'Oreal/The Body Shop kind of girl, but I read about LUSH on one of the blogs I've been reading for years, and the blogger talked good about it, kaya go naman ako!

Lush produces and sells a variety of handmade products, including face masks, soaps, bath bombs, bubble bars, hand and body lotions and hair treatments.

Lush uses fruit and vegetables, essential oils, and safe-synthetic ingredients in all products produced. In addition to not using animal fats in their products, they are also against animal testing and perform tests solely with volunteers instead. *

Here's what I got:

Dream Cream - € 17.95

LUSH uses 100% recycled plastic pots. When you bring 5 empty containers in one of their shops, you get a free fresh face masks. Yay!

And I love when everything has an expiration date! Double Yay!

I've been using Victoria's Secret Garden Strawberries and Champagne Hydrating Body Lotion for years, and it's been great, especially since I don't get that sticky feeling I used to get when I used Dove for a week because I ran out of "Strawberries and Champagne". There's no way to buy them here, and I still don't know why they don't sell it here. Dream cream is a body (hands & feet) cream which I plan to use at night, right before I go to bed. Let's see if it'll do wonders. :-P

Ocean Salt - € 10.95

Scrub made from grapefruit infusion, lime oil, fresh avocado butter, coconut fat, sea salt, and Vodka. Use once a week.

It actually smells good, I'm not sure if it's the lime or the Vodka. Hehehe.

*From Wikipedia

My Brother-In-Law's 94-Year-Old Mother.

2010-07-06T21:44:00.002+02:00

My brother-in-law's 94-year-old mother passed away last night.

My brother-in-law is flying to the Philippine's tomorrow morning, and will be back here on Tuesday.

Please pray for his Mum, his whole family, and a safe trip for everyone.
Thank you.

End Of Book Hunt.

2010-07-05T23:12:00.006+02:00

As promised my hunt for books continued today. I went to, again, 3 bookstores.

On to the first where I bought nothing..

Okei, Haruki Murakami's "The Wind-up Bird Chronicle" ~~was~~ is on my list, but I got scared on how THICK it is. I need to know if I'll like Murakami first, before I invest on his books. :-P

But I found this, and decided that if I don't find any other way to get my hands on the English version of this book I'll have to buy this, also because it's on sale.

Spuntnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami in Italian.

Second bookstore, still no luck on getting my hands on anything...

... but at least they let me order one of the books I'm looking for, Murakami's "Sputnik Sweetheart".

Third and last bookstore, I finally found One day by David Nicholls.

AND, The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition. It was calling me, because it was on sale. :-P

For some reason, there's no way to order "Chasing Lightnings" by Rachel York, and they have no idea who she is. I guess this means... Off to Ebay I go... :-)

All in all, I spent €36.80 for 4 books. For now, my book hunt ends. Will buy books next month na ulit. :-)

Good night everyone! To whoever wants, I'll see you in my dreams! :-)

The Book Hunt Starts.

2010-07-03T01:32:00.016+02:00

Whenever I get the chance to visit the Philippines, I never leave the country without buying books, because it's cheaper and easier to buy books there. I sometimes buy book(s) when I travel too, you know how airports can be a lonely place! I don't have that much books, I used to just borrow them from friends, or libraries. I only started buying them when my budget finally allowed it, 4-5 years ago.

These are the books I have, most of them I've read more than once, and others I haven't read yet:

And yes, I have too much books that I still need to read. Four of these still have their plastic covers.

Hand-me-down books:

Archie!!! I mean c'mon, who doesn't like Archie??!

The two times I've been to the U.S., I bought these (airports can get looooneeelyy eh):

The first time (I was with Papà), I bought "Chicken Soup For The Teenage Soul on Love & Friendship"

And the second time, I got stuck in London (stupid stopover) by myself. I brought home "How To Read A Person Like A Book" (I've already finished the book before the plane took off.)

Now, this is a gift from a friend when the hype was still all about "The Da Vinci Code".

I was on page 30 when my (then) favourite teacher saw me reading it, and told me to stop, mainly because it was trash. So, I stopped reading it. I know I will get back to it, when I'm finally done with my book backlog. Yes, I can be easily convinced most of the time. I mean, I have 2 Wiccan books. You get the idea?

Though most of the time I judge a book by its back cover (a.k.a. plot summary), sometimes, I judge a book by its cover. Here's The Surrender by Toni Bentley:

I stopped reading this in public (I'm actually not done with this book yet, hehehe) because I caught 4 people staring at the book. Find the book, and you'll probably understand the reason why. :-P

I usually read 3-4 books at a time, because.. I don't know, I tell myself I do it because I don't want to get bored with whatever book I'm reading.

Lately, I've been reading...

(1) Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom, this is actually the 2nd time I read this book. The movie got me disappointed, of course.

(2) For One More Day by Mitch Albom.

(3) I Do or I Die! RJ Ledesma’s Imaginary Guide to Getting Married and Other Man-Made Disasters (As Told to him by his Yaya) by RJ Ledesma, obviously. [Probably the longest book title I've ever seen!]

I finished "Tuesdays With Morrie" 2 days ago, last night I finished "I Do or I Die [...] (As Told to him by his Yaya)", will try to finish "For One More Day" before next week ends.

Anyway, I've been hearing and reading a lot about Haruki Murakami, who at first I thought was a Manga writer. I've been wanting to read him for the longest time, but I always get discouraged by people surrounding me, they keep telling me that I will most probably be depressed for at least a year if I read him. Until I met a friend, Kumi, who finally encouraged me to go ahead and read him. As I was afraid to end up terminally depressed, I asked her to suggest what book I should start with. She suggested "Sputnik Sweetheart", and "The Wind-up Bird Chronicle". Kumi also suggested reading Rachel York's "Chasing Lightning". Now the hunting starts...

Here, it's hard to find the books I want to read in English. Sobrang macha-challenge ka. Yes, I want to read them in English because I'm starting to be bobo in English already. Yesterday morning, I had to take Andi (my Shih Tzu) to the vet. I went home and felt sad about having to eat lunch by myself, so I decided to start book hunting, and just skip lunch.

I went to 3 bookstores where I found not one book.

First bookstore, I found (we're talking Haruki Murakami, okei?):

(1) Kafka on the Shore, and (2) After Dark. Both are not on my list, so... Nothing.

I met up with a friend, and then went on to the second bookstore, they didn't have a single Murakami book. My friend saw I was disappointed and suggested I buy this book:

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I was hesitant to buy it, because I'd like to watch the film and not get disappointed. When they turn books to movies, I usually don't like the film as much as I like the book, and always get disappointed.

On to the third bookstore, where I found this:

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running - A memoir by Haruki Murakami

And this:

Eat, Pray, Love. by Elizabeth Gilbert

Sana dito na lang ako bumili, I don't like artistas' faces on my books eh. Hehehe. :-P

Kumi decided to start an online book club, so that means plus one on my list. I need to look for "One Day" by David Nicholls. I'm tempted to go back to Ebay where it's easier to buy, but it takes so long to finally smell and touch the books...

On Monday, the book hunt continues.

Rest From Sports.

2010-06-24T23:54:00.000+02:00

My dose of sports for this year ends today, the day Italia got eliminated from the World Cup 2010. Azzurri's first 2 games were disappointing, yes. Both ended in a tie. Though, I still think that most of the players from other teams played dirty, nothing compares to what I feel, and think of Slovakia's players. At least, yung ibang teams hindi sobrang pa-tama sa oras, at hindi nangho-hostage ng bola! Ugh!

I'm honest naman, I don't think Gli Azzurri played well, I know they could have done so much better. But still, I feel that they did what they had to do. (Oo na, biased na kung biased.)

Someone's tweet on Twitter (Syempre, san pa kaya?):
"non mi vergogno di essere italiano\a, mica tifo italia solo perchè vince. forza azzurri per SEMPRE."

Yep, that's right! Forza Azzurri per SEMPRE!!! Viva l'Italia! :-)

It's a good thing the Lakers won the NBA finals. Or else, my yearly dose of sports would have been ruined. So, let's not even talk about Il Rossonero. Hehehe. :-P

Let's go Lakers!!!

Madonna Delle Rose.

2010-06-17T00:54:00.003+02:00

May 2, 2010
San Damiano (Piacenza)

I still get excited whenever I see the Philippine flag anywhere. Haha!

Learn To Ask.

2010-05-28T02:06:00.006+02:00

Ask, and you shall receive.

Sometimes, we want something so bad that we just frantically work, and do everything we can to have it. We make things difficult for ourselves. Sometimes, I think that most of us feel like we can have everything we want by working exhaustingly until we have what we want, and do not like the idea of having to thank someone for it. But you know, some times all you have to do is ask.

The next day, I woke up to this:

God is good.

Almost Pinoy Merienda.

2010-05-26T16:52:00.001+02:00

Thanks to my sister-in-law, I had these for merienda. :-)

(Click to enlarge)

Just Because.

2010-05-26T10:53:00.003+02:00

Since I am feeling frustrated with my Filipino citizenship, or lack of it, and because I am starting to really dislike (because hate is such a strong word, hahaha) everyone at the Consulate. I'll just look at Dexter's pictures. Dexter was my nephews cat, who passed away last May 5, 2010. I know, it'll probably just make me more depressed, but you know... Dexter's such a sweetheart!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Fool-itics!

2010-05-12T00:04:00.007+02:00

Most times I have a weird sense of humour that only a few people (mostly those who are close to me, or those who like me have a weird sense of humour) get and understand. There are times when I can find humour in the most normal, unhumorous things.

I don't like talking to people who do not have a sense of humour. Life would be too boring and too dragging, if you take everything too seriously and cannot laugh at yourself, every once in a while. I stopped following people on Twitter, unfriend some people on Facebook, and stopped reading some blogs, because I don't get their sense of humour, or lack of it. I'm not saying I have the best and greatest sense of humour in the whole wide world, but you know, last time I checked this is a free world. :-)

Twitter is one of my sources for funny things. A lot of people there are just plain hilarious. Smartmatic PCOS machine (@PCOSmachine) has a Twitter account, it's hilarious! Hahaha! You should follow it (I'm not following it, it tweets too much, but I do visit its page to read its tweet). And I got this one off Twitter too. If you are too sensitive, and do not understand humour, leave now.

Cheers Pilipinas, the new Springfield!

[Image via http://twitpic.com/1mvd2w]

Election Fever.

2010-05-06T22:01:00.005+02:00

Premise: I don't think that people who'll go Yellow on the 10th don't think. (No pun intended.)

As much as I respect everyone's opinion, and though I still don't have the right nor the privilege to vote (Who else thinks that me being 25 and still haven't got the chance/right to vote once is just plain ridiculous?! Shucks, ano ba?!!), may I ask everyone to please don't let Noynoy Aquino be the next president of our beloved Philippines. Seriously.

Vote wisely!

Vote for the person who you believe in. Don't waste your vote, as long as you vote for the person who you really think deserves to lead the country, win or lose, your vote won't be wasted. There are people, like me, who terribly wish we can vote but can't.

I am deeply saddened by how some people think that their vote (or not voting) could not affect the results of the election. It's not just ONE vote, it's so much more than that.

Last Sunday we went to Piacenza with a whole bunch of other Pinoys, as in a whole bus of Pinoys, I asked them if they're voting, almost 75-80% of them said "no", I asked them why, and they said "Hindi naman ako naka-rehistro eh" (Not a registered voter). Shit! Ano ba?! If they weren't all older than I am, I would have said, "'Bat di ka nagpa-rehistro?!" Why do most OFWs think this election won't affect them just because they live abroad? And why is the Consulate being such a pain, on almost everything that has to be done in their office?!

Go out and vote!

There are 2 ways to waste your vote: (1) is to not vote; and (2) is voting for someone just because surveys say he'll win. The moment you vote for that person is the exact same moment you'll waste your vote. Please vote wisely, don't use too much of your heart in deciding who should be the next president of our country.

Thank you.

Please read also:
Chuvaness.com - Forget the surveys - http://chuvaness.livejournal.com/867006.html

P.S.
If you're asking who I would vote for.. Well, if I had the right, and the privilege I'd probably vote for either Richard Gordon, Manny Villar, or Gibo Teodoro, in that order.

To Die Of A Broken Heart.

2010-05-04T19:17:00.003+02:00

Only few people believe that someone could actually die of a broken heart, and I'm one of those few people. Most people say I'm just being too sentimental.. Well... My friend's dog, who she left in Peru last year, just died. According to the vet. the dog died of a broken heart.. So sad. :-(

I'm now worried for my Andi. When I talked to Andi's vet. about leaving her behind when I travel so that I could spare her the trauma of long, exhausting flights, the vet. told me that my dog would definitely prefer the long exhausting flight than to be left behind and not spend time with me for a long time. And now this. I don't want her to get sick because she's going to be too sad when I leave without her. :-(

Ian.

2010-04-16T22:39:00.001+02:00

Happy Birthday, Ian.
Thank you sa mga pang-iistorbo ko when I'm there.
Hehehe.

Papà!

2010-04-15T22:43:00.002+02:00

Happy Birthday, Pà!
We still miss you so much!
You will forever be loved, and remembered.
Continue watching over us. ♥ ♥ ♥

Pà made me feel his presence with the cold breeze on a supposedly day of spring.. This is something between me and Papà because he knows how I love the cold. While in the afternoon the sky cried because Raimondo Vianello died.

To My Sister And My Brother-In-Law, Her Husband.

2010-04-12T22:24:00.001+02:00

Happy 50th Birthday, Ate Lina & Kuya Louie! :-)
(I'm so glad you were born on the same day!
And, thank you for dinner!)

To the Aunt who raised me.

2010-04-11T22:18:00.002+02:00

Happy Birthday, Tita Mila! :-)

To the Uncle who raised me.

2010-04-02T22:14:00.004+02:00

Happy Birthday, Tito Lito! :-)

Eating My Words.

2010-03-26T10:35:00.007+01:00

I honestly have no idea who Urbanation was. The first time I heard of them was when a friend told me one story about the band, which was not, in anyway, related to music, and did not in anyway impress me or made me curious about them, or the music they play. Hey, they can be one of the best bands there is in the Philippines, and I would not have a clue.

I love South Border (aka SB), and since SB's main man's brother was a member of K24/7, I knew K24/7 existed. Then some years ago someone (one of my closest friends now) "approached" me online, and told me to check out K24/7, as in to actually listen to them play, and watch them on videos, and befriend the band's drummer on Multiply. So I did, because I'm masunurin like that. Since then I became a fan.

A couple of days ago, news about K24/7's nomination to be one of the nominees (no pun intended) as R&B artist of the year at the Philippine Hip-Hop Awards, (both K24/7 and Urbanation are nominated), showed up on Facebook. I clicked the link, voted, and saw that Urbanation was on lead, so I posted a link, both on Facebook and Twitter, to where people could vote for K24/7. Yes, I'm rooting for K24/7, if you haven't figure that out yet, hehehe. Before going to bed, I went back to the site just to check on the stats, I found out I can vote again, so I voted again and voilà, K24/7 was on lead. :-)

The next day I saw another link to where to vote, you know how Facebook wants you to be always updated with what your Facebook friends are up to, so I reposted it on my Facebook wall, clicked the link, voted and what do you know, Urbanation's back on top! I thought to myself, “This Urbanation must be really good!”, and curiosity got the best of me... I decided to search for them on Facebook, not a good idea... People were being all "hyper" (I can't think of any other term) about the voting thing... Some were being verbally violent about it already... I don't like it when things get violent, and since, as to what I understand all top 5 will get nominated anyway, and K24/7's ranking 2nd, I decided to just stop voting, promoting, and just forget about the whole hip-hop thing until all nominations were finalised.

Yesterday morning, while I was waiting in line and suffering from boredom, I decided to check on Facebook... And yes, I gave in, I clicked on Urbanation's page again, seriously bad move talaga, and there it was again, only worst, parang I felt that some people were (directly) offending other people they (most) probably don't even know... The verbal diarrhea was just... Wow! Okei, truth be told, on K24/7's fan page, some did insinuate that there's probably some thing going on... They had doubts, so they acted doubtful, and said it “out loud”... How normal is that? They did insinuate, but that's just about it. Since we are not all geniuses, some people actually need other people to clarify things and explain how this percentage thing works, in a nice way, without being offensive.

Yes, I'm eating my own words, so people please vote for K24/7!!! You can vote every hour. I want them to get nominated with the most vote possible.

Yes, there are these rare times when I can be THIS childish. And yes, I want this to happen just to annoy the hell out those who are being just as childish, overly competitive (as in ang OA na ha), and acting oh-so smart.

A little competition is (almost) fine, just as long as you don't start trash talking, offending other people you haven't even met, and take things too seriously. I mean, come on, this online voting... It's not even for the TITLE yet.. Buti na lang the voting process for the actual title doesn't include public voting, or online voting for that matter.

P.S.
This whole nomination thing will end in more than 30 days, so yeah, I'll probably get tired of wanting K24/7 have the most vote, and will start acting mature again before this whole thing ends. :-P

P.P.S.
Don't ask why because I don't know why things that have nothing to do with me affect me this much. Just like with the prices of the concert tickets for John Mayer's concert in the Philippines, sobrang affected ako, eh I'm not even in the Philippines! :-))

Head Over Heart.

2010-03-25T00:31:00.002+01:00

It's hard when people's decision ends up messing your plans, and inevitably leave you from having too many options, to no option at all. It's hard when you're always second to someone else on everyone's "priority list". It's hard when the voice of the mind starts to sound louder than that of the heart, and it's harder when you have to just play deaf to your heart's desire because you have no other choice but let your head speak.

Happiness is a state of mind, I know this won't make me happy now, but I'll eventually learn how to be, or at least, continue faking it... I've been trying to fake it for the last 8-9 years in vain, but as they say, practice makes perfect.

K24/7 as R&B Artist Of The Year!

2010-03-22T23:04:00.002+01:00

Please vote for K24/7 as R&B Artist Of The Year at the Philippine Hip-Hop Awards.
Show your love! You can vote every hour. Thank you!

http://www.philippinehiphopawards.tk/

Edit - March 23, 2010

This is (most) probably the last time I'm promoting this thing. I don't like it when competition starts to get violent. (-_-")

I hope people will calm down a little, as I understand the top 5 will get nominated, right? So, seriously, there's no need to hate on others. Other people has the right to vote too you know, just like you and me.. If the nominee they're rooting for catches up, just vote for K24/7 again and again, and again, and stop hating. :-)

Heart Over Head, or Head over Heart?

2010-03-16T00:58:00.004+01:00

Sometimes, having too many options to choose from is just as hard as not having any.

Everyone is telling me to think about my future, but when will I get the chance to start thinking about my present? I want to live in the moment. I've never done that before.

Pen And Paper.

2010-03-13T23:04:00.006+01:00

When my brother told me he loves me, I rested my head on his shoulder. When I heard him say "Love you", inside me I panicked. I didn't know what to say, okei, of course I knew what to say, but for some reason my lips won't say it.

I don't know, I find it hard to say "I Love You". I don't remember saying "I love you" or "I love you too" once. I write it, but I think I've never said it. I'm not a verbal person, I like hugs, and cuddling, and small notes, but that's about it.

I may find it really hard to say "I love you", and it's probable that you may never hear me say it, but when I write "I love you" or "I love you too", I mean it, I always do.

Pilipinas, when?

2010-03-13T00:41:00.005+01:00

One of my brothers, who lives in the US with his family, came here for Kuya Saldy's funeral. It has been 10 years since they last saw each other. Everyone knows that Papà wanted me to move and live in the US, he says I'll have a better future and more opportunities in the land of milk and honey. I was planned to move to the US in 2006, but Papà died a year before so the plan did not push through. Last year, around Christmas season (after more than a year of thinking), I decided to come back here, work (seriously) for at least a year to save some, apply to have a Filipino citizenship, and move back to Pilipinas.

The whole time Kuya was here, he's been convncing me to move to the US instead, and stay with him and his family, until I can live on my own. And I kept on convincing him that I'll be fine and hopefully will make it in the Philippines, and if all things fail, I can always go back here to Italia. The thing is... He succeeded and convinced my siblings, and some of my relatives that moving to the US is the better choice.

Pilipinas, mauudlot ka na naman ba?

P.S.
I would like to thank everyone for the prayers, the thought, the messages, and for "being with us" in this time of grief. We really appreciate it very much. We would like to let you know that the family and I are feeling much better now.

Take Care Of Me.

2010-03-05T00:30:00.004+01:00

I wonder why I am always asked to take care of people around me.

When Lolo died, I was 18 (give or take), everyone around us told me to watch over Mamma; then when Papà died, again everyone told me to watch over Mamma and my siblings; only days ago when one of my Kuyas (brothers) passed away, again and again, everyone told me to care for my siblings. It's not that i'm complaining, okei maybe I am, but what makes them think that I don't need at least one person to take care of me? Don't I deserve that?

Goodbye, Kuya.

2010-03-01T18:06:00.001+01:00

One of my brothers, Saldy Del Rio Sarmiento, passed away last February 28, 2010.

He leaves behind a wife, his beloved daughter, his brothers and sisters, uncles & aunts, and friends.

May you rest in peace. Say "Hi" to Papà for all of us down here. =)
You will be missed, and you will forever be loved and remembered. ♥

Sleeping.

2010-02-12T23:23:00.004+01:00

There's something about Christmas season, and February that make most people feel the blues. Promise, the number of people who commit suicide or murder suddenly rise. It's crazy. Don't worry, I'm not saying that I feel like commiting suicide or killing someone, I just feel sad. I have no idea why, but I feel sad... And heavy. Usually, after these, I'll have problems sleeping na, then I'll suddenly wake up in the middle of the night.. It's very tiring. And it's more tiring when you don't actually do anything but still get tired.

I feel sad and heavy, and I have to drag myself out of bed every morning, and I'm having trouble getting myself to sleep. Okei, I've always been a night person, I usually sleep at 2 in the morning... But last night, I woke up in the middle of the night because I dreamt of someone who's supposed to be dead, and someone I have never met. This is actually the second time I dreamt of him, and his family, the first time was last year. Both times, I'd wake up and could not remember what the dream was about. It's weird. And I have no idea why I dream of him, or his parents. Please, let me sleep na kasi I feel really tired na, I end up being more moody than how I already am. Thankyouverymuch.

The Ring.

2010-02-10T22:45:00.006+01:00

Years ago, one of my friends from school told us about her theory on boys, rings, and babies.

She said:
"There are two ways to keep a man — 1. Is to let him give you THE ring; and 2. Is when you're expecting your baby. But if you want a guy to stay away from you, there are also two easy ways to keep them away — 1. Is to show them you're wearing a ring on your ring finger; and 2. Is to show them you're a mother. Both usually scares them away, so it works perfectly".

I'm mabenta to in-laws. Parents-in-law, Uncles/Aunts-in-law, Grandparents-in-law, you name it. One of my Mum's friends, when she found out we were going to the PI for a vacation, called her sister and asked her to go to our house with her son so we could meet. Buti na lang, I was out having dinner with friends when they arrived. Mamma knew better and did not call to ask me to go back home.

I also don't like men who are mahangin, who think they are God's gift to women. And those who think that every girl "in the room" would do anything to have them.

Going back to the ring theory... Some three years ago, Mamma's friend was selling jewelries, Mamma told me to choose at least one item, kasi nakakahiya naman daw. I saw a ring that looked like an engagement ring, nothing fancy, it was a gold plated ring with a Zircon on top of it. It costs no more than 15€. I saw the opportunity and took it. I decided to buy the ring because there's this guy who keeps on bugging me, and also because I wanted to stop being mabenta to in-laws, kahit sandali lang. I had decisions to make, and could not get myself involved with a guy, I didn't even know which continent I was going to stay. So, go figure. Wearing the ring seemed like a good idea. And it was. The ring worked, except when some (buti na lang very few) of them would go to me, and ask if I already have a boyfriend. You see, I'm not good at lying. People usually get it, so I get caught easily when I'm lying. Plus, I can't tell them naman na I have a boyfriend, because I won't have a name to tell them din. So...

My Lola, Titos, Titas, cousins, and friends are now waiting for me to have a boyfriend, settle down, start a family, and all that stuff. They say it's time because I'm not getting any younger na daw.. Kamusta naman yun? Last month, Mamma and I finally took the decision of what I should do next with my life. Well, more like I took the decision, and she agreed. A couple of weeks later, I lost the ring. Over dinner, I told my ring-theory maker friend about the ring, and she said that maybe it's a sign. That maybe now that I've decided what to do next (at least the next 5-6 years) of my life, maybe Someone up there is telling me that it's okei to finally feel free and get involve with someone, if I feel like I'm ready, and found the guy I want to get involve with.

Could the missing ring be really a sign?
Weeeehhhh.. -_-"

Night-night lovely people. : )

Who wants?

2009-11-09T15:37:00.005+01:00

When we bought our tickets last month, with the plane tickets we were given 2 Globe SIM cards.
I already have a post-paid SIM, which I've had for almost 3 years now.

Anyone want?

Highschool Reunion.

2009-10-16T15:30:00.006+02:00

So there's a highschool reunion planned for December 27.

I might be in the Philippines for the Holidays. So a few days back, I was actually thinking of going to this reunion, because it's proabably the only reunion I'll get invited to, since I did not attend college in the Philippines.

But, then a few hours ago, I have come to a decision, I'm not going. Aside from the fact that the reunion's 2 days after Christmas, and I might be stuck with family reunions, I don't think my 2 other cousins-slash-batchmates are going either... I have a strong feeling that this "Batch 2001 Reunion" might actually turn out to be "Their Barkada's Reunion", and then I'll feel totally off rather than enjoying the party. And knowing that I can meet up with old friends I've had since highschool out of that reunion, because I'm still in touch with them, made deciding a lot easier. So, yeah.

Have fun those of you who are going! =)
♥ ♥ ♥

It feels like Christmas!

2009-10-05T23:05:00.002+02:00

After the Ondoy disaster, I am more proud to be a Filipino.

I saw how Filipinos around the world moved fast (and still are), and did whatever they can to help fellow Filipinos who were (are) in need.

Another proof of how kind, warm, and big hearted Filipinos are.

I've heard of people singing "Happy Birthday" to a man they were saving when they found out it was his birthday. I've seen pictures, videos of people donating their gift of smile to people who need it. The positive vibe, the will to move on and look forward, the bayanihan, and the great love for life never cease to warm my heart.

Seeing all of these makes me feel like it's Christmas already.
And I love the feeling. ♥ ♥ ♥

Sorority Life.

2009-10-05T01:43:00.005+02:00

"You will discover your lifelong love during a trip home."

"When the cherry blossoms fall, your love will bloom."

On Oct. 04, 2009

Lunch.
Mamma: Akala nila mag-18 ka pa lang.
Me: Oh? Yaan mo na, para bata pa ako kunyare, hindi na ako hahanapan ng boyfriend.
Mamma: Akala nga nila matanda pa sa'yo si C. (C —my 19-year-old cousin)
Tita Zeny: Matured naman kasi mukha nung si C. eh.
Me: Aga kasi nag-make up, kaya madalas na papagkamalan na matanda pa sa akin.

Dinner, home.
Mamma: Ang bait talaga ni A., ano?
Me: Oo nga, dami din kasi may kelangan dun sa Pilipinas gawa ni Ondoy.
Mamma: Pag kinasal ka, gusto ko ninang mo si A. at si N.
Me: Nge, ikaw, pa-kasal ka ulit, hehehe.
Mamma: Ah, gusto ko nga kumare ko si A. at si N.
Me: Ah, eh pano yun? Eh wala ngang aasawahin eh, pano gagawing ninang si Tita A., at si Tita N.?
Mamma: Syempre mag-aasawa ka din no! Hindi mo pa lang yun nakikilala, malay mo pag uwi mo ngayong Disyembre?

Yay, scary, ha! Hahaha!